You were not there on Vinod Kambli's wedding night.
Nor when Ajay Jadeja first made it to the Indian team. But if you want to know what they
did, tune in to Cricket In Control, only on mtv. In 13 episodes veejayed by some of
cricket's hottest stars -- Kambli, Jadeja, Anil Kumble (right), Robin
Singh (left), Saurav Ganguly -- hear the hot stuff on their private lives, their
favourite numbers, the song Kambli sang to his bride That Night, and other tidbits
(sample: the first song that came to Jadeja's mind when the selectors made the right
choice was Yahoo, Chahe koi mujhe junglee kahe ...). Says Kumble, who did the first
episode: "It was a tough job, but easier than playing a game on the ground."
Howzatt for confidence! Ruby, Sophiya, Danny and gang, time to run for cover. "It was
pure fun," exclaims Robin Singh. "I think I am not bad on the screen." Make
that extra cover.
The Big Bose
His name figures in all the hippest, trendiest, fringe cinematic
ventures coming out of Mumbai -- Dev Benegal's English, August, Kaizad Gustad's Bombay
Boys, Riyad Wadia's BomGay -- so a mainstream Bollywood film is the last place you'd
expect to find him. But doing what's expected is not Rahul Bose's style. Come November,
the lad makes his maiden Hindi film appearance in director Govind Nihalani's first
"commercial" venture, Takshak, also starring Ajay Devgan and Tabu. Says the boy
with the bulging biceps: "I play a guy with a terrible inferiority complex. A guy
who, despite all the warmth, can be extremely cold when it comes to business decisions.
It's not a villain. You will leave the theatre loving him and hating him." Nihalani
says he chose Bose because "he has a streak of madness, a slightly neurotic quality.
His eyes can be friendly and warm and suddenly turn cold and ruthless." As for Bose,
he claims this is about as far as he'll go; singing and dancing are a strict no-no.
"It's ludicrous crap. I'll never do it," he hisses. We've heard that one before.
But if masala comes, can jhatkas be far behind?
He Ma!
The film roles are rare, but her dancing shoes still go tapping. After nine years
and 300 shows of her stage ballet Durga, Hema Malini plays the goddess
again in Ramanand (Ramayan) Sagar's teleserial, Jai Durga. "No one can replace Hema
in the role," says Sagar. Adds the big-screen deity, still lovely after all these
years: "Stage is a wonderful experience. I don't know how a serial will work."
Should work out all right -- the music is by Ravindra Jain, same chap who did the stage
version; and Hema will "contribute to the script". That would help! After all,
Twinkle Toes herself was planning to make a serial on Durga. Here's a sidelight: Sagar
initially wanted a new face for the role. But sensible man, he finally settled for one
goddess playing another.
Poll Star
His astrologer
said his "lucky time" starts on September 21. Wrong. On September 19, Sudhir
Saxena, an insurance consultant from Delhi, got a call from india today: he'd won
a Mercedes E-220, the mega prize in their Independence Poll. It was his dad -- a
subscriber for 20 years -- who'd coaxed him to take part. In Mumbai last week to receive
the keys from Ratan Tata, Saxena, 35, gushed: "I'm thrilled." He ought to be. Of
2.3 lakh readers who took part, the heavens smiled only on him -- the heavens and a
silver, three-pointed star.
You were not there on Vinod Kambli's wedding night.
Nor when Ajay Jadeja first made it to the Indian team. But if you want to know what they
did, tune in to Cricket In Control, only on mtv. In 13 episodes veejayed by some of
cricket's hottest stars -- Kambli, Jadeja, Anil Kumble (right), Robin
Singh (left), Saurav Ganguly -- hear the hot stuff on their private lives, their
favourite numbers, the song Kambli sang to his bride That Night, and other tidbits
(sample: the first song that came to Jadeja's mind when the selectors made the right
choice was Yahoo, Chahe koi mujhe junglee kahe ...). Says Kumble, who did the first
episode: "It was a tough job, but easier than playing a game on the ground."
Howzatt for confidence! Ruby, Sophiya, Danny and gang, time to run for cover. "It was
pure fun," exclaims Robin Singh. "I think I am not bad on the screen." Make
that extra cover. 
His name figures in all the hippest, trendiest, fringe cinematic
ventures coming out of Mumbai -- Dev Benegal's English, August, Kaizad Gustad's Bombay
Boys, Riyad Wadia's BomGay -- so a mainstream Bollywood film is the last place you'd
expect to find him. But doing what's expected is not Rahul Bose's style. Come November,
the lad makes his maiden Hindi film appearance in director Govind Nihalani's first
"commercial" venture, Takshak, also starring Ajay Devgan and Tabu. Says the boy
with the bulging biceps: "I play a guy with a terrible inferiority complex. A guy
who, despite all the warmth, can be extremely cold when it comes to business decisions.
It's not a villain. You will leave the theatre loving him and hating him." Nihalani
says he chose Bose because "he has a streak of madness, a slightly neurotic quality.
His eyes can be friendly and warm and suddenly turn cold and ruthless." As for Bose,
he claims this is about as far as he'll go; singing and dancing are a strict no-no.
"It's ludicrous crap. I'll never do it," he hisses. We've heard that one before.
But if masala comes, can jhatkas be far behind? 
His astrologer
said his "lucky time" starts on September 21. Wrong. On September 19, Sudhir
Saxena, an insurance consultant from Delhi, got a call from india today: he'd won
a Mercedes E-220, the mega prize in their Independence Poll. It was his dad -- a
subscriber for 20 years -- who'd coaxed him to take part. In Mumbai last week to receive
the keys from Ratan Tata, Saxena, 35, gushed: "I'm thrilled." He ought to be. Of
2.3 lakh readers who took part, the heavens smiled only on him -- the heavens and a
silver, three-pointed star. 
