Malaika Arora Khan, Lara Dutta and Dino Morea at the GQ Magazine launch

Konkona Sen Sharma bags Mira Nair's Shantaram

Konkona Sen-Sharma is really going places. After taking the elusive Tabu's place in Zoya Akhtar's directorial debut Luck By Chance, Konkona is treading into Tabu's territory once again. Konkona will play a small but vital part in Mira Nair's Shantaram.It would be recalled that Konkona was Mira Nair's initial choice for the much-lauded Namesake. The actress begged off for date's sake. Tabu stepped in.

Contrary to the flights of fancy in certain media circles about Mira Nair’s ambitious adaptation of Gregory David Roberts' bestseller Shantaram being aborted due to Johnny Depp’s fancy fee, the project is very much on.

Reacting with her usual chortle of incredulity talk back home, Mira says, "Alas, We have been stalled temporarily due to the crippling nature of the writers' strike in Hollywood. Johnny Depp assures me that this is just a pause, and that we'll rev up to go again once the strike is resolved. I’ve spent a year of creative endeavour in realising Shantaram, so I look forward to the time when it will all come together."

The cast which initially boasted of Bachchan with Depp now has, among others, the rapidly-rising Konkona Sen in a very special role. Divulges Mira, "In addition to Johnny Depp and Amitabh Bachchan, I'd confirmed Irrfan Khan in a major role and Konkona Sen for a one big dramatic scene. I've also been in talks with Prabhudeva, Arshad Warsi, Shreyas Talpade and Ranvir Sheorey. I'd also love to work with Pankaj Kapoor. We have such an extraordinary bunch of great actors in India!"

Mira should know. She worked with a slew of them in her career-defining musical Monsoon Wedding. And now as Shantaram gets shifted to end of 2008, Mira prepares to do a Broadway-styled stage adaptation of Monsoon Wedding.

Subash K Jha, IndiaFM

Konkona to host 'My Brilliant Brain'

After doing some extensive work in Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Aaja Nachle , actor Konkona Sen Sharma will be seen hosting a television show.

She will be hosting National Geographic channel’s show My Brilliant Brain . Our source says, “National Geographic channel has approached Konkona to host a show for their new programme called My Brilliant Brain .”

The source explains that the show My Brilliant Brain is a programme that will profile individuals with extraordinary talent. Konkona was unavailable for comment but a source close to the actor says, “Konkona has been forbidden to talk about it.”

TNN

A Conversation with Konkona Sen Sharma

Everyone is talking about Konkona Sen Sharma's outstanding performance in Laga Chunari Mein Daag (LCMD). Ram Kamal Mukherjee meets this sensational star over a cup of coffee

Ever since the promo of Laga Chunari Mein Daag hit the screen, people have been talking about the 'smooch sequence' with Kunal Kapoor. What’s your take on it?

Oh really? Well, the kissing sequence was an integral part of the film and so I did it. It was not that I was dying to do a kissing scene or a dance sequence in the film, but I didn’t want miss out on a good role by acting pricey.

You are playing the role of Rani Mukerji's younger sister in the film…

That's right. I loved the role when dada (Pradeep Sarkar) narrated the script to me. I thought the role was simple, yet had various shades. My character is called Chutki, a bubbly girl. She is aware of the fact that her family is going through some crisis and it is how she grows to be an independent woman.

You have played lead roles in many Bollywood films, why did you agree to play a glorified second fiddle in LCMD?

I would never sign any film, if I were not convinced about my role and the film in totality. I would also not be part of a film where I had nothing to do. I loved dada's Parineeta and wanted to work with him. I agree, I played a second lead, but I loved the role because of it's modern outlook. My character undergoes a change when she moves from Benaras to Mumbai to work.

Apparently, you had tears in your eyes after watching the film for the first time…

That's so unlike me. I mean I don't cry watching my own film, but I did have tears this time. It runs on a strong emotional note and fans of Pradeep Sarkar won't be disappointed. Everyone in this film has given outstanding performances. Jayadi (Bachchan) is fantastic, while Abhishek is brilliant.

Buzz18

Security guards escorting Rani Mukherjee and Konkana Sen roughed up mediapersons.

Mediapersons from a news channel were allegedly assaulted by private security guards escorting actors Rani Mukherjee, Konkana Sen Sharma and other crew members of Yash Raj banner's upcoming movie being shot in Varanasi.


The trouble started near the Dashwashamedh Ghat when the film crew, including Rani and Konkana, were leaving for their hotel after a day-long shoot at Mirghat edging the Ganga river.


When some journalists tried to get close to the crew members, security guards escorting the film crew roughed up the mediapersons.


Some of the journalists sustained injuries and one camera was damaged. Later, the police reached the spot and took control of the situation.


The film is being directed by Pradeep Sarkar of Parineeta fame and also stars Abhishek Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan.


It is likely to be shot over the next fortnight at various locations in the holy city, including the Ramnagar Fort housing royal family of Kashi.

I think today's audience finds slapstick comedy very funny," says Konkona

Rituparno Ghosh's SUNGLASS happens to be Konkona Sen Sharma's first comedy film. The talented actress has worked with him in TITLI and DOSAR earlier. After garnering praises for her serious roles, was it easy to switch to comedy? "I play a young housewife in SUNGLASS. It's a fairy tale kind of a character. I've never done something like this before. Comedy depends on various factors. Different people find different things funny. I think today's audience finds slapstick comedy very funny," says Konkona.

"Comedy wasn't really tough though I don't know if it'll work," Konkona says in a lighter vein. "I hope others find it funny too," she adds clarifying that she is only lip synching in the film and not singing as misquoted earlier.

Konkona cannot stop raving about Irrfan Khan, her co-star in DEADLINE and upcoming films METRO and MERIDIEN. "DEADLINE as everyone knows is a suspense thriller. Irrfan is one of the best actors we have today. I just love working with him. Moreover Tanveer Khan is a very enthusiastic director and the narration he gave was so gripping that I just took it up."

"As for METRO I play a woman who's going to turn 30 and she realizes that she's still a virgin. She realizes that she's single and still not married. She likes a few guys but no one likes her. So METRO is about life and love in a cosmopolitan city like Mumbai," reveals Konkona.

She has a cameo in MERIDIEN and plays a sex worker in TRAFFIC SIGNAL. Up next is Pradeep Sarkar's film also starring Rani Mukherjee and Jaya Bachchan. Interestingly Jaya Bachchan plays her mother again (Konkona plays Jaya Bachchan's daughter in SUNGLASS), though the mother-daughter relationship is completely different in terms of character and context in both the films. I was really looking forward to working with Jaya Bachchan. I've met her a couple of times and I was excited about working with her. She's caring and great to work with. It feels like I've known her since a long time. I liked her films GUDDI and ABHIMAAN," she enthuses.

Considering METRO and Yashraj's film, is Konkona gradually shifting base to commercial films? "I want to do films that I enjoy doing. I don't care if it's a big banner or a small banner. Eventually the project has to excite me. The script has to excite me. I constantly want to try things that I haven't attempted before," she wraps up.

Rani is a very good actress, says Koko

Konkona Sen Sharma is finally ready to make a foray into the song-and-dance world of Bollywood. The actress is excited about working with Pradeep Sarkar in his next, under the Yashraj banner.

"I always thought that I wouldn't be able to dance in films, but that was before I signed Pradeep Sarkar's film. The film is my most 'commercial' one. I do not have a fixed mindset about dancing in films. I saw Parineeta and I loved the film."

Is she ready to shed her serious image? "I really don't know what people think about me. I feel it is very important to not stick to a certain image and do different kind of films as an actor," she says.

Will she be able to adapt to the Yashraj's style of filmmaking? "Why not? To be very frank, I have not seen any film of theirs except Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. However, in that sense, even Parineeta was a sensible commercial film. It had songs, dances etc but in the end it managed to tug at the heartstrings. There are many things to be considered while signing a film. The film has a great theme and cast," says Konkona.

Konkona is looking forward to working with Rani Mukherji for the first time. She says, "I am very excited and nervous at the same time as I am a huge fan of hers. She is a very good actress and it should be great working with her."

As for her impending release Traffic Signal, Konkona says, "I was shocked to see myself in Traffic Signal. I hope people find me convincing too." She adds, "I am equally excited about Metro, as I am working with my favourite actor Irfan khan in it. As for director Anurag Basu, Shabana had told me that he directed Gangster well. I am also doing Ritu's film Sunglass where I will be doing comedy for the first time."

Konkona is focusing on Deadline too. Literally. "When I met Tanveer Khan, I didn't know anything about him. But the way he narrated Deadline to me, I got so involved that I immediately said agreed. I was impressed with his enthusiasm. The fact that Baba Azmi was doing the camera work was also an incentive," she says.

• I always thought that I wouldn't be able to dance in films, but that was before I signed Pradeep Sarkar's film — Konkona Sen Sharma

Vidya no to pradeep sarkar's next

Inspite of a stellar debut with Parineeta which launched into the big league, Vidya Balan has refused her mentor, Pradeep Sarkar's next for Yashraj Films citing the obvious reason —dates. Meanwhile, she is reveling in the success of Lage Raho Munnabhai and has just completed Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Eklavya; Mani Ratnam's Guru and portions of Nikhil Advani's Salaam-E-Ishq.

But life moves on and Vidya's loss is Konkona Sen Sharma's gain. A close source says, "Vidya has chosen to opt out of Pradeep Sarkar's film and Konkona Sen Sharma has been finalised to fill in her shoes. However it is unclear why she has opted out considering that the entire cast is yet to be finalised and the shooting dates have not been fixed as yet. She has committed to Sajid Khan's Hey Baby and a south film Dasavatharam. Besides this Rituparno Ghosh's Rahgeer is yet to take off but she has already opted out of Sudhir Mishra's Bahut Nikale Mere Arman."

When contacted Pradeep Sarkar said, "The dates are not falling into place. I have to see what can be done. But the scripting is under process. We have not signed anyone new as yet."

Vidya's secretary, K.S. Sanjay however confirmed the actress opting out of the film. "There are date problems and I am trying to sort that out," he says.

However, Konkona Sen Sharma who has been roped in to replace Vidya neither denied or confirmed her presence in the film.