Who
wants to be a minister? Being BJP's ambassador at large is just fine. When Suzuki and the
city of Hamamatsu, Japan, celebrated 50 years of Indian Independence last week, Shatrughan
Sinha was their guest of honour. Forget the talk back home that a troubled Suzuki
is wooing the new set-up in New Delhi. "I'm not here as a representative of my
government," the man informed us, not once, but five times. Take heart Suzuki, you
heard his speech: "Maruti Suzuki represents the changing face of India. Suzuki has
raised the expectation standards of Indian consumers." Then he added a little teaser:
"Hamari sarkar behtar hai ... (Our government is better)." Now guess the
ministry Suzuki hopes he'll get.
Whither Pooja?
It kind of fits in with her
image, you know -- bold, brazen, a little bratty. So don't be surprised that Pooja
Bhatt's first teleserial, Samay, is based on Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, or
that she's playing Catherine. Of course, it's a Hindi adaptation for DD -- co-produced by
Pooja and her business partner Raman Kumar -- so expect a few changes in the character of
the arrogant woman who spurned, scorned and yet adored Heathcliff. Says Kumar, also the
director, better known as the man behind the megasuccessful serial Tara: "We needed a
classic and a strong character to launch Pooja. She fits the role like a glove."
We'll shake his hand on that one.
A Cause for Oz
Forget Shane Warne and his baked-beans
saga. Forget the spoilsport Aussie team. When NGO volunteer Shamlu Dudeja left a message
at cricketer Steve Waugh's hotel in Calcutta, "we never imagined
that it would move him so much". Not only did he respond, he visited a home for the
sons of leprosy patients in Barrackpore, played with the boys, claimed that he felt
"lucky to be there", promised to help with the NGO's next project -- a similar
home for girls -- and left every little chap there with a story to pass on to his
grandchildren. "I'll be back," he promised, before he left. "Steve is a
great human being," says Dudeja. So the Wizard of Oz is a Father Teresa. Howzzat!
Splashback!
Fame flowed from a waterfall
and right off Mandakini's back. After one of the most memorable baths in
Bollywood history, the light-eyed, light-skinned lass opted for oblivion and a liaison
with Dawood Ibrahim. Now she's moving from obscurity to the obscure -- it's time for No
Vacancy, a tentatively titled Hinglish pop album that she's releasing this month. "I
don't really think of it as a comeback," says the star of Raj Kapoor's Ram Teri Ganga
Maili. "I was busy doing shows here and abroad, so I've never really been away from
the public." Mandakini's also in the video of one of her songs, but she rules out
movies completely. Even if the water calls?
Who
wants to be a minister? Being BJP's ambassador at large is just fine. When Suzuki and the
city of Hamamatsu, Japan, celebrated 50 years of Indian Independence last week, Shatrughan
Sinha was their guest of honour. Forget the talk back home that a troubled Suzuki
is wooing the new set-up in New Delhi. "I'm not here as a representative of my
government," the man informed us, not once, but five times. Take heart Suzuki, you
heard his speech: "Maruti Suzuki represents the changing face of India. Suzuki has
raised the expectation standards of Indian consumers." Then he added a little teaser:
"Hamari sarkar behtar hai ... (Our government is better)." Now guess the
ministry Suzuki hopes he'll get. 
It kind of fits in with her
image, you know -- bold, brazen, a little bratty. So don't be surprised that Pooja
Bhatt's first teleserial, Samay, is based on Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, or
that she's playing Catherine. Of course, it's a Hindi adaptation for DD -- co-produced by
Pooja and her business partner Raman Kumar -- so expect a few changes in the character of
the arrogant woman who spurned, scorned and yet adored Heathcliff. Says Kumar, also the
director, better known as the man behind the megasuccessful serial Tara: "We needed a
classic and a strong character to launch Pooja. She fits the role like a glove."
We'll shake his hand on that one. 
Forget Shane Warne and his baked-beans
saga. Forget the spoilsport Aussie team. When NGO volunteer Shamlu Dudeja left a message
at cricketer Steve Waugh's hotel in Calcutta, "we never imagined
that it would move him so much". Not only did he respond, he visited a home for the
sons of leprosy patients in Barrackpore, played with the boys, claimed that he felt
"lucky to be there", promised to help with the NGO's next project -- a similar
home for girls -- and left every little chap there with a story to pass on to his
grandchildren. "I'll be back," he promised, before he left. "Steve is a
great human being," says Dudeja. So the Wizard of Oz is a Father Teresa. Howzzat! 
Fame flowed from a waterfall
and right off Mandakini's back. After one of the most memorable baths in
Bollywood history, the light-eyed, light-skinned lass opted for oblivion and a liaison
with Dawood Ibrahim. Now she's moving from obscurity to the obscure -- it's time for No
Vacancy, a tentatively titled Hinglish pop album that she's releasing this month. "I
don't really think of it as a comeback," says the star of Raj Kapoor's Ram Teri Ganga
Maili. "I was busy doing shows here and abroad, so I've never really been away from
the public." Mandakini's also in the video of one of her songs, but she rules out
movies completely. Even if the water calls?
