Manisha Koirala may have accused Shashilal Nair of benefiting from the Ek Chhotisi Love Story controversy, but she is not faring badly either. She plays Mrs G in Indira Gandhi-A Tryst With Destiny, directed by N. Chandra and scripted by Kamleshwar (who wrote Aandhi, also based on the leader). Koirala, who is no stranger to politics with a grandfather as a former prime minister of Nepal, says the role is "a great honour". Despite criticism-67 per cent in an SMS poll said she was a miscast-Koirala is busy preparing for the role, "reading a lot of books and watching film footage on Mrs Gandhi". Shooting begins in April. As far as we know there won't be any doubles needed for this one.

Not so Viva!

After we were subjected to reels of tape on Channel V showing the enthusiastic-and equally irritating-bonding between the oh-so-together India's first-ever girl band Viva, comes some not-so-together news. The band split after Seema (extreme left), one of the less screechy members of the five-member band, decided to go her way. Says Nayanika Chatterjee, the band's former manager, "She will be missed, but these things happen." Going the Spice Girls route? If you hear a track Aadmion ki barsaat (It's raining men), be sure it will be from our own break-away crooner, like Geri Halliwell.

Right Track

She may not divulge her age for professional reasons, but it doesn't really matter. Mahalakshmi Iyer's voice is youthful and the added advantage of fluency in both Hindi and Tamil is getting her places. After singing for A.R. Rahman and Illayaraja, she makes her debut as an Indi-pop singer with her album Mahalakshmi, released by Sony music. A bit narcissistic? Wait, she explains it thus: "Because that's me, my voice and my style of music." Perhaps the attitude works, considering that the Dil Chahta Hai trio Ehsaan-Shankar-Loy score the music and four of the songs will be made into videos directed by Santosh Sivan.

Comedy Fever

Who is Johnny Fever? No, Bollywood's Johnny Lever has not begun cloning himself. Rajshri's Hum Pyar Tumhi Se Kar Baithe features this mimic artiste who till recently answered to the name K. Ramachandra Malya. Not a name you associate with mirth, right? So he went for a new one on his guru's advice, but is already contemplating a change. "People confuse it with Johnny Lever," he says. Here's a suggestion Bollywood may like: change the spelling.

- Compiled by Kanika Gahlaut