Bipasha Basu: "Valentine's Day is special for all the people I love. I'll tell them how much I love them and prove my love for them with simple gestures. The ideal Valentine gift would be hundreds of red carnations. I know John will get them for me."
Kangna Ranaut: "Valentine's Day means pure selfless love from me to everyone I love. My ideal gift would be roses and candles."
Sammir Dattani: "My affair with the camera began on Valentine's Day. My first screen appearance was for a music video called 'Valentine's Day.' Since then I've made sure every Valentine's Day is special for me."
Manisha Koirala: "I'm spending Valentine's Day with family and friends. I would want everyone to experience love in any and every relationship."
Shilpa Shetty: "I've got my Valentine's Day gift. The IPL and I've got the man who gifted it to me by my side. What more can I want?"
Riya Sen: "I want to spend quantity time with my loved ones. No matter where I am I want to be back in time for Valentine's Day to be with my loved ones. That's the greatest gift I can get. Other gifts are fun. But spending time with your loved one is the best gift. For Valentine's I'll be performing at a college festival in Ahmedabad before rushing home."
Neil Nitin Mukesh: "For me Valentine's is a day of love and friendship and a day of mending bridges. My ideal gift would be a collective hug from all those friends and family whom I love. And a million kisses from that someone special."
Dino Morea: "I want to spend Valentine's Day showing love to everyone who deserves it. We all are so caught up in our routine, this is the one day when we can devote to love."
Neetu Chandra: "This Valentine's Day means a lot to me as I'm partying with my school friends and meeting with my first ever crush, my schoolteacher. And I hope I find my permanent Valentine this year."
Mugdha Godse: "Valentine's Day is just another day for me. I'll be attending a beachside Catholic wedding of a very close friend on Goa's Morjim beach. Chalo apni Valentine nahin kisi aur ki sahi."
Minissha Lamba: "When you're in love it's Valentine's Day all year round. Am I in love? Who knows a woman's heart? Not even the woman herself."
Malaika Arora: "For me Valentine's Day means the freedom for people to express their love without worrying about self-appointed custodians of our precious moral values. The best gift I can think of is the right for us women to live our lives how we want without intolerant groups stopping us."
Celina Jaitly: "Valentine's Day is 'emotional atyachaar' for those who aren't in love. It will remind me that I've been unhappily single for the last three years. At the risk of sounding pompous I want a society rid of all intolerance and prejudice."
Amrita Arora: "Valentine's Day means nothing to me. Love should be celebrated everyday. Bring on the love!"
Chitrangda: "Sorry I don't celebrate Valentine's Day. I don't like the idea of being told when to celebrate love."
Ruslaan Mumtaz: "I just broke up with my girlfriend. So my ideal gift would be the sad songs of Himesh Reshammiya."
Koena Mitra: "Everyone loves to be loved. But being single gives me more room to love myself without sharing that space for love with someone else. All the eligible men have been taken away. The rest are not worth considering. I'm enjoying my single status and making the most of it."
Pooja Bedi: "It's horrible to be single on such a romantic day. But my brother Adam is getting married on Valentine's Day. So I'll be happy watching two people in love being united. Dreams do come true on this day. As for myself I'm a hopeless and a hopeful romantic. I'm even in love with the idea of love. The real thing may be around the corner."
Esha Deol: "I'm not answering this one."
Divya Dutta: "Do I miss love? Not really. Work is great healer of the heart. And I get lots of love and male attention. So what if I don't have a guy this Valentine's Day. I know he'll come."
Jiah Khan: "There's too much work. No time to think about love. I miss having my family with me on Valentine's. They're my only true love."
Tanushree Dutta: "It's fantastic being single on Valentine's Day. You can choose whom to love for that day."
Arjan Bajwa: "Being single is not a big deal. I'm shooting in Hyderabad so I've no time to miss love. Moreover, Valentine's Day is no reason to miss love. To be loved by family and friends all through the year is a blessing. And I've that blessing"
Vatsal Seth: "Who is one kidding by saying it's great to be single? Valentine's Day and single....man, it sucks! It's like no one being there to wish you on your birthday. Being in love is the most amazing feeling and I definitely miss it."
Adnan Sami: "What a Valentine's Day gift my wife has given me."
Showing posts with label Shilpa Shetty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shilpa Shetty. Show all posts
'My Valentine Wish…!' - Bollywood gets Mushy on Valentine's Day
Shilpa Shetty adopts four villages
Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty is an avid green activist. She was the highest individual donor for a green campaign overtaking fellow actors Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Preity Zinta.Shilpa donated Rs.1.2 million for NDTV's Greenathon, a campaign initiated by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). The actress has adopted four villages - each costing Rs.300,000 - in support of TERI's 'Lighting a Billion Lives' project that aims at solar powering villages across the country.
Apart from Shilpa, other generous donors for the campaign included Shah Rukh Khan who has donated Rs.1.5 million along with the "Billu" team.
While Shah Rukh and the "Billu" team together adopted five villages, Akshay Kumar's son Aarav became the youngest donor of the campaign by adopting one village.
The 24-hour non-stop 'Greenathon' managed to generate over Rs.24 million through corporates, Bollywood stars, musicians, environmentalists, NGOs and educational institutions, said a press release.
Sanjay Dutt and family, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal, Vivek Oberoi, Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi, cricketer Yuvraj Singh, Nokia and Coca-Cola too have donated for the cause.
Greenathon was a TV campaign and included on-the-ground activities such as clean up drives in Mumbai and Delhi, a 24-hour marathon run by model-actor Milind Soman, and a musical extravaganza by Bollywood stars.
Shilpa's lessons for beau Raj
Now that Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra have made an entry on the sticky wicket of cricket and business, they’re teaching each other a lesson or two.
While Raj is giving Shilpa some business tips, Shetty is teaching Raj how to be comfortable in front of the flashbulbs and shutterbugs. “Raj used to be a silent support waiting for me until the last flashbulb had gone off, but this time I insisted that he be by my side... as cricket is now a joint venture for the two of us and it all happened because it was his idea. Raj is someone so special, I was nervous for him and his flashbulb frenzy.”
But he seems to be flashing that smile quite naturally in front of the cameras. So don’t worry or fret Shilpa. Simply bounce baby bounce!
SRK's IPL Bangla shocker
Englishmen Kevin Pietersen and Andy Flintoff may have won the highest bids at the IPL auction on Friday, but the real jawdropper came from Shah Rukh Khan.
King Khan picked up Bangladeshi fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza for about Rs 3 crore, 12 times his base price of Rs 25 lakh. Why would SRK do that? The answer is that he thinks neighbouring Bangladesh's TV audience will add value to his team. Brilliant. Fellow Bollywood stars Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty were also busy shopping for men. Here's how it played out for all of them.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla
New Additions: M Mortaza for 2.94 crores
SRK snapped up Bangladeshi pacer Mashrafe Mortaza this morning in Goa. Coming for just under 3 crores, SRK is hoping for Mortaza to strengthen his bowling line up. And while Mortaza has impressed critics in his international career, Khan will have to hope that he doesn't get plagued down my injuries – something that has hindered Mashrafe's career extensively so far.
Big Guns: Sourav Ganguly, Brad Hodge, Chris Gayle, David Hussey, Ricky Ponting, Tatenda Taibu
Point of Worry: With Pakistani players not being allowed to participate in the IPL, players like Mohammad Hafeez, Salman Butt, Umar Gul and Shoaib Akhtar will be no shows at this year's IPL.
Bollywood Charm: SRK, Juhi, Arjun Rampal, Sajid Khan, Farah Khan
New Additions: Ravi Bopara for 2.20 crores and Jerome Taylor for 73.5 lakhs
Preity has added two new players to her young team. Ravi Bopara who has been impressing domestic and international audiences with his form will join Yuvraj Singh's team. Also signed on is right handed fast West Indian bowler Jerome Taylor who will help back the young cricketers.
Big Guns: Yuvraj Singh, Brett Lee, Irfan Pathan, Kumar Sangakarra, Mahela Jayawardena, Shaun Marsh, Simon Katich and Sreesanth.
Bollywood Charm: Preity Zinta
New Additions: Shaun Tait for 1.83 crores and Tyron Andserson for 3.18 crores
Last year's winners Rajasthan Royals have further strengthened their team by adding Kiwi player Shaun Tait. Known for his strong bowling action, Tait is known to have brought the strongest international teams to their knees with his fast ones. Royals have also taken on Tyron Anderson for over 3 crores
Big Guns: Shane Warne, Shaun Tait, Darren Lehman, Mohammed Kaif, Shane Watson, Yusuf Pathan
Point of Worry: Like KKR, Rajasthan Royals had also signed on Pakistani cricketers like Kamran Akmal, Sohail Tanvir and Younus Khan. All these three will be unavailable this year.
New Additions: Kevin Pieterson for 7.5 crores and Jesse Ryder for 78.4 lakhs.
Vijay Mallaya had a very disappointing start to the IPL. And therefore we are not surprised to see him go all out and snap up the most expensive and also one of the most talented international players for his team. Kevin Pieterson has become the most expensive player to be bought superseding M S Dhoni's price.
Big Guns: Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Zaheer Khan.
Point of Worry: Misbah-Ul-Haq from Pakistan has dropped out of the running.
Bollywood Charm: Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif
Chennai Super Kings: India Cements
New Additions: Andrew Flintoff for 7.5 crores, Thilan Thusara for 68.6 lakhs and George Bailey for 24.5 lakhs.
Headed by M S Dhoni, Chennai Super Kings have made also snapped up the most expensive player for this season. Andrew Flintoff from England has been taken over for 7.5 crores. Thilan on the other hand is a Sri Lankan all rounder.
Big Guns: Andrew Flintoff, M S Dhoni, Makhaya Ntini, Mathhew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Murali Murlitharan,
Bollywood Charm: Amrita Rao
Delhi Daredevils: GMR Holdings
New Additions: Owais Shah and Paul Collingwood for 1.34 crores
Delhi Daredevils have taken on a batsman in Owais and an all rounder in Paul Collingwood. Both English cricketers have been farely successful n the one day format and should therefore help back up Sehwag's team.
Big Guns: Virender Sehwag, Daniel Vettori, Gautam Gambhir, Glenn McGrath
Point of Worry: Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Malik won't be a part of the line up this year.
Mumbai Indians: Reliance Industries
New Additions: J P Duminy for 4.65 crores, Kyle Mills for 73.5 lakhs and Mohammad Ashraful for 36.75 lakhs
The Mumbai Indians have signed on South African batsman to help support the storng team that has the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Jayasuriya and Shaun Pollock as well.
Big Guns: Sachin Tendulkar, Andre Nel, Harbhajan Singh, Robin Uthappa, Sanath Jayasuriya, Shaun Pollock
Bollywood Charm: Hrithik Roshan
Deccan Chargers: India Cements
New Additions: Fidel Edwards for 75.3 lakhs and Dwayne Smith for 49 lakhs.
West Indian bowler has been picked up by V V S Laxman to help bowler R P Singh. Also signed up is Dwayne Smith who was earlier with the Mumbai Indians.
Big Guns: V V S Laxman, Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Chaminda Vas, Herschelle Gibbs, Rohit Sharma and R P Singh
Point of Worry: All rounder Shahid Afridi is out of running.
"The Rajasthan Royals are my gift to my dad" - Shilpa Shetty
If you're asking me this to find out how keenly I'm interested in this new venture then let me tell you, I'm hands-on into it. When (boyfriend) Raj Kundra and I decided to take the plunge into the IPL, we did it with our eyes open and after much deliberation. In hindsight it appears uncanny because among all the IPL teams I've always felt the most connected with the Rajasthan Royals
What would your contribution to the team be?
Well I am not going to bullshit myself into believing I've been brought in for my business acumen. The team had it all. They needed the glamour quotient and for that I am here. But please, I am not going to be one of the pom-pom girls on the field, if that's what the spectators expect. I'm certainly not going to be the eye candy of the venture.
So where will your glamour quotient come in?
In the music video, to begin with, our next move is to shoot a music video. We want it to be the slickest and the best. Of course I'll be in it. Isn't that a given? I've so many commitments in the coming months including my two films Sunny Deol's TheMan and R Sarath's Desire to complete. I'm not signing films crazily. So I can devote the time I want for the IPL.
(Laughs) You could say that. Doing it for my own venture would be a pleasure.
Will Raj direct the music video?
Ah, that would be telling. Let's see. Raj is a crazy cricket fan. And why shouldn't he be? He's an Indian who lives in England. All Indian men are crazy about cricket. And everyone knows cricket was born in England. So Raj has a double reason to buy a part of the IPL.
What about you?
I love cricket. I've inherited it from my father who's the craziest cricket fan I've ever met. The Rajasthan Royals are my gift to my father.
I thought it was Raj's Valentine gift for you?
Please! I'm sure there're other gifts awaiting me for Valentine's Day.
Like a marriage proposal?
That's mine for the asking anytime. Now that Raj is shifting business interests in India we just need to find the right moment to take the plunge.
The Bollywood-Cricket merger seems to be expanding?
It had to be that way. Shah Rukh and then Preity went for the IPL. For me the right moment to do so was when Raj was ready for it. Now I must make sure I've enough time to devote to the Rajasthan Royals. I'll be there for their first match in March and all subsequent matches. Yeh mera vada hai.
Preity, Juhi, Shilpa shine at the auction of IPL 2009
Shah Rukh Khan may not have been present at the auctions but his partner Juhi Chawla was very much there along with hubby Jai Mehta. SRK's team Kolkata Knight Riders' only major purchase of the day was Bangladeshi player Mashrafe Mortaza.
Preity Zinta's Kings XI Punjab may have made it to the Top 4 last year but this time Zinta babe surely wants no less than the top honor. Hence she, along with partner Ness Wadia, was seen aggressively bidding for their preferred players. In the end, they bagged English all-rounder Ravi Bopara and West Indian fast bowler Jerome Taylor.
The new entrant at this year's auctions was none other than Shilpa Shetty, who, along with beau Raj Kundra had recently acquired a stake in the victorious Rajasthan Royals team. Just like last year, even this year, Rajasthan Royals decided to go with lesser known players like Shaun Tait (Aus) and Tyron Henderson (SA).
The biggest catch of the day was bagged by the Vijay Mallya owned Bangalore Royal Challengers, who spent a staggering 1.55 million $ to get flamboyant England player Kevin Pietersen on board. Pietersen's team-mate Andrew Flintoff also fetched the same amount when he was picked by the Chennai Super Kings. The Mukesh Ambani owned Mumbai Indians was represented by Nita Ambani and she surely seemed to have made a right decision in picking up the promising South African all rounder J.P. Duminy.
The second season of the IPL kicks off on April 10th this year, and if yesterday was the beginning of things to come, one can only expect a cracker of a tournament this time too. We simply can't wait for that!!!
Shilpa's learning Chinese on the sets
Shilpa Shetty is currently working on her first international film, titled The Desire, with Chinese superstar Xia Yu. The actress has even learned the basics of the Chinese language from Xia Yu during the first schedule of the movie that wrapped up in Kerala.
A source close to Shilpa says, "She has learnt so much Chinese. She can now use words and phrases such as S(h)iya Yeoh (summer rain), Sha Wu (afternoon), Sha Yu (Oil) and Zai Jian (goodbye). She thoroughly working with Xia Yu. At first, no one was able to pronounce his name. Even Shilpa was restricted to calling him 'sir'."
Talking about Shilpa's shooting schedule, the source adds, "After the shoot in Kerala, the crew headed for a shoot at Nasik. But presently, Shilpa is in Goa for the IPL season 2 selection of players for the Rajasthan Royals. Later, she and the whole crew of The Desire will go to Kuala Lumpur. She is working very hard for this film and is very happy as it will showcase India's culture on an international level."
The story of The Desire revolves around Goutami, an accomplished Odissi dancer, and Jai Leang, a talented artist. It is set in present day but rises from the small cities of India. The film deals with dance, music, art, culture and emotions. Shilpa is taking Odissi dancing classes from Ratikant Mohapatra (son of the iconic Odissi dancer Kelucharan Mohapatra) and his wife, Rajshree. The film will be showcased at the Cannes film Festival and is expected to release by end of 2009.
Talking about Shilpa's shooting schedule, the source adds, "After the shoot in Kerala, the crew headed for a shoot at Nasik. But presently, Shilpa is in Goa for the IPL season 2 selection of players for the Rajasthan Royals. Later, she and the whole crew of The Desire will go to Kuala Lumpur. She is working very hard for this film and is very happy as it will showcase India's culture on an international level."
The story of The Desire revolves around Goutami, an accomplished Odissi dancer, and Jai Leang, a talented artist. It is set in present day but rises from the small cities of India. The film deals with dance, music, art, culture and emotions. Shilpa is taking Odissi dancing classes from Ratikant Mohapatra (son of the iconic Odissi dancer Kelucharan Mohapatra) and his wife, Rajshree. The film will be showcased at the Cannes film Festival and is expected to release by end of 2009.
I’ll add glam to the IPL: Shilpa
Shilpa Shetty, Bollywood’s hot bod, is now part owner of another hot property – the Rajasthan Royals (RR) IPL team that emerged winners of the inaugural season of the league in 2008.
“Raj (Kundra) and my involvement with the team happened because of friends. Raj was in London some time ago where Manoj (Badale, chairman, RR) met him and suggested the idea. We really liked it. I completely relate to the Rajasthan Royals team. My story is similar to the team’s journey to the top. It is an honour to be a part of it,” she said in Mumbai, as she announced her decision to buy a 12 per cent stake in the team with her London-based boyfriend for a whopping $15.4 million (Rs 750 lakhs, approx). And this will change the IPL game plan completely. Shilpa agrees, “There is a lot of money involved here. The money that Raj and I have invested has changed a lot for the team. It has totalled up to become one of the highest investments in sports today.”
Later in the day, when she spoke to DT from Nasik, where she was shooting, the sexy actress was every bit in her element. “I am associated with the team to add the glamour quotient. That’s the only thing the team lacked,” she says. And besides the glam quotient, Shilpa is also serious about using her image to prop up the brand of her team. “I intend to leverage my name to help the team and I want to focus on branding, marketing and merchandising, which the team didn’t do last year,” she says, sounding very much like the CEO of a company. That Shilpa and boyfriend Raj mean business was evident from the fact that both said the acquisition was a calculated business move and pointed out that it makes good business sense to acquire the team that lifted the IPL trophy last year. But does she understand cricket? “Well, I am new to all this, so I would sound fake if I really go into the details of things. I’ve been a cricket fan, but I can’t tell which cricketer scored what and when. I must confess that in the last season of IPL, I placed my bet on RR and won because they won. So I guess I was destined to be a part of this team.”
Does that mean that like Preity, she’s planning to give her time and energy to this new passion? “Not at all,” she laughs. “Films will never take a backseat for me. I’ll be doing a balancing act between my films and the IPL schedule. But, yes I will definitely be present for most of the matches of RR,” she says. Shilpa also plans to coming up with a new video for the team. “We are working on the concept, and we’ll soon decide where to shoot it,” she says. And which players will she and Raj bid for tomorrow? “I can’t reveal the names of the players we are considering for our team. But I must tell you that like every other team owner, even we would want the best for our team. Also, my endeavour would be to try and take the team to a new global level, at least to the UK and Australia, where a lot of people know who I am as well. I am excited, happy and nervous. But I know that I am going to love each moment of this new venture I have entered,” she concludes.
‘The team’s success
story last year was an inspiration for me. That’s why I am investing in this team’
– Raj Kundra, Shilpa’s boyfriend
Showbiz 24X7
Rahman at the Oscar Luncheon, Shilpa with her beau and business partner, Amitabh Bachchan and more.
Shilpa buys stake in Rajasthan Royals
Shilpa Shetty and her Dubai-based businessman boyfriend Raj Kundra have picked up 12 per cent stake worth around Rs 50 crore in the Rajasthan Royals, last year's IPL winner.
"It's a strategic business investment. I always support the underdogs as I am myself one. Rajasthan Royals were the underdogs in IPL before they succeeded (in winning the title)", Shilpa said.
Shetty has invested her money in the Rajasthan Royals team, co-owned by Manoj Badale who is also its chairman, as the CEO of S2 Global Productions Private Limited and her business partner in the venture is the CEO of Dubai-based Essential Trading Company, Raj Kundra.
Kundra said he has heeded the advise of his father to always invest in a successful venture and the triumphant Royals franchise team fit it perfectly.
Badale, announcing the selling of 12 per cent stake in Rajasthan Royals was valued at $140 million, said that last year the focus was to make it a well-known brand in India and this year the strategy was to globalise it.
"We wanted to find a strategic partner to develop the commercial properties. We want to make Rajasthan Royals into more than a cricket franchise, want to make it into a global brand. It was the second-most popular team in all of India last year, and obviously the number one in Rajasthan", he said.
Badale also announced that the focus of the Royals team would always remain cricket-specific and that this year the team will include a few young players who already have had a few interactive sessions with Australian spin legend and the team's captain-cum-coach Shane Warne.
"Cricket was and is always our focus. We are always for developing new players and this year we plan to introduce nine young players. Shane Warne has already made a couple of visits to India and interacted with them," he said.
Terming the Pakistan government's decision to bar the country's players from taking part in this year's IPL as disappointing, in the wake of the tensions between the two countries in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks, Badale said the team did not target a specific player during the IPL player auctions in Goa on February 6.
"We would not be having last year's bowler of the IPL Sohail Tanvir and a few other Pakistan players. We have to become smart and fill up their spots. We are targeting all 43 players. We are not interested in specific players. The important thing is to have the right balance in the team", he said.
About the investments from Shetty and Kundra, Badale said, "We are funded well now for the next few years with the investments of Shilpa and Raj".
He also claimed the global economic meltdown has not affected the team's sponsorships.
"Having prepared well in cricket the first year we have not seen any slowdown in interest from sponsors," Badale said.
Badale also said that over the next 12 months the franchise would play matches in England, during their summer, and Australia, during their season.
Shetty has invested her money in the Rajasthan Royals team, co-owned by Manoj Badale who is also its chairman, as the CEO of S2 Global Productions Private Limited and her business partner in the venture is the CEO of Dubai-based Essential Trading Company, Raj Kundra.
Kundra said he has heeded the advise of his father to always invest in a successful venture and the triumphant Royals franchise team fit it perfectly.
Badale, announcing the selling of 12 per cent stake in Rajasthan Royals was valued at $140 million, said that last year the focus was to make it a well-known brand in India and this year the strategy was to globalise it.
"We wanted to find a strategic partner to develop the commercial properties. We want to make Rajasthan Royals into more than a cricket franchise, want to make it into a global brand. It was the second-most popular team in all of India last year, and obviously the number one in Rajasthan", he said.
Badale also announced that the focus of the Royals team would always remain cricket-specific and that this year the team will include a few young players who already have had a few interactive sessions with Australian spin legend and the team's captain-cum-coach Shane Warne.
"Cricket was and is always our focus. We are always for developing new players and this year we plan to introduce nine young players. Shane Warne has already made a couple of visits to India and interacted with them," he said.
Terming the Pakistan government's decision to bar the country's players from taking part in this year's IPL as disappointing, in the wake of the tensions between the two countries in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks, Badale said the team did not target a specific player during the IPL player auctions in Goa on February 6.
"We would not be having last year's bowler of the IPL Sohail Tanvir and a few other Pakistan players. We have to become smart and fill up their spots. We are targeting all 43 players. We are not interested in specific players. The important thing is to have the right balance in the team", he said.
About the investments from Shetty and Kundra, Badale said, "We are funded well now for the next few years with the investments of Shilpa and Raj".
He also claimed the global economic meltdown has not affected the team's sponsorships.
"Having prepared well in cricket the first year we have not seen any slowdown in interest from sponsors," Badale said.
Badale also said that over the next 12 months the franchise would play matches in England, during their summer, and Australia, during their season.
Shilpa gifts Shamita her dream car
Shilpa Shetty is known to celebrate her sister Shamita's birthday in style.This year Shilpa showered Shamita, who turns 30 on February 2, with expensive gifts on the eve of her birthday and have also planned something special for the day itself.
As Shamita is said to be fond of stylish cars, and the Audi 6 in particular, Shilpa decided to buy Shamita her dream car.
So a silver Audi 6, estimated to cost Rs.5 million, has been gifted to Shamita along with an expensive diamond jewellery set.
Shilpa blogs some more about The Desire
Actress Shilpa Shetty, who plays an Odissi dancer in an upcoming Sino-Indian film venture titled "The Desire", is full of praise for her Chinese co-star Xia Yu, whose name she says is invariably mispronounced by Indians.The film, produced jointly by Sharad Hegde from Mumbai and Tracy Shiyun from China, is being directed by R. Sarath.
“I heard my hero (Xia Yu) correcting people pronouncing his name and every time someone called out his name, it invariably was wrong,” Shilpa wrote on her blog.
“The exact pronunciation being S(h)iya Yeoh! - which means 'summer rain'. The director addressed him as Sha Wu which meant 'afternoon', Sha Yu which meant 'oil' and many more interpretations with different christenings,” she said in her Jan 31 post.
“I dreaded calling out his name with the fear of getting it wrong. It was a funny sight till some people resigned to calling him 'Sir!' (It was easier)," she says.
"But he (Xia Yu) was too sweet, every time someone called out his name; he very patiently corrected it with a smile on his face."
The India-China project, under the banner of C-9 Motion Pictures in association with Indish Creations, also features Anupam Kher, Sachin Khedekar, Sheetal Menon and Nakul Vaid.
“The Desire” revolves around Goutami (Shilpa), an accomplished Odissi dancer, and a talented artist Jai Leang (Xia Yu) and follows the journey of their respective lives until they are separated and brought together again by destiny.
“Shoot's been hectic, a marathon schedule in Nasik after which we'll move to Kuala Lumpur. Shaping up very well, very impressed with Sarath's vision and his grasp of the medium is commendable,” Shilpa writes.
“He's slating to showcase it in the Cannes Film festival so we are working at break neck speed. For a change, the international audiences will get to see more than just SLUMS, filth and an unhygienic environment and will see the deep rooted culture and beauty of India.”
“It will be a film I'll be proud of as an actor and as an Indian. Hopefully this will be received with as much gusto...,” she writes.
“It was amazing to see his professionalism and dedication, despite not speaking the Hindi language he did try to make an effort to get comfortable with the surrounding with the help of Tracy (his English interpreter).”
“For the first time, I faced the camera with a foreign actor and that was a different experience. One thing that's still constant is the fact that cinema understands the language of expression, so in the shot we understood each other perfectly well even if off camera we had to make an effort,” she said.
For Shilpa, Odissi was tough to learn and perform
Actress Shilpa Shetty, who took Odissi lessons from an Orissa-based dance guru for an India-China joint film venture, says the classical Indian dance form was tough to learn and perform.
"Odissi is complicated and among all the songs I've ever shot, this has been the most difficult," Shilpa writes on her blog.
The actress, along with Jaya Prada, had learnt Odissi from Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, son of legendary Odissi exponent late Kelucharan Mohapatra, during the shoot of the film in Kerala.
“It's been a hectic week in Kerala,” Shilpa says in her post January 26 after having shot some dance scenes for the film tentatively titled "The Desire”.
“This wasn't any ordinary song, it was an Odisssi dance performance," she writes.
“The Desire” will see Shilpa sharing screen space with Chinese superstar Xia Yu, who is considered the Shah Rukh Khan of China.
Produced jointly by Sharad Hegde from Mumbai and Tracy Shiyun from China, it is being directed by R. Sarath.
“In the normal course, it's easy to rehearse a step and add your own style to it, not necessarily perfecting it, making it fun. But here I had to not only do a different dance form, I had to do it perfectly, making it look authentic and emote at the same time,” Shilpa adds.
“This indeed was a learning curve... (it) was worth all the practice once I saw how it looked on the monitor,” says the actress, who is otherwise known for her typical Bollywood-style gyrations.
Shilpa went through a week-long Odissi dance workshop under the supervision of Ratikant Mohapatra at Kollam in Kerala. According to her, the guru was a "hard taskmaster".
“What is really interesting is also that I got the chance to experiment with so many different looks, right from donning all the finery for the dance performances to going simple which is the actual character,” she wrote.
Mohapatra had earlier said that the training session with the actress took place Jan 14-19.
"My working experience with Shilpa Shetty was very good. As an actress and Bharatnatyam dancer she was able to understand the style and form of Odissi and its execution," Mohapatra had told IANS in Bhubaneswar.
"Practising in the morning and evening, Shilpa had no star tantrums and she proved herself to be a committed artiste," the guru added.
The India-China project, under the banner of C-9 Motion Pictures in association with Indish Creations, also features Anupam Kher, Sachin Khedekar, Sheetal Menon and Nakul Vaid.
“The Desire” revolves around Goutami (Shilpa), an accomplished Odissi dancer, and a talented artist Jai Leang (Yu) and follows the journey of their respective lives until they are separated and brought together again by destiny.
Shilpa's latest desire
Trust Shilpa Shetty to go that extra mile for her roles.
And the latest on the Bollywood hottie is that she has just started learning Odissi dance for her role in the Indo-Chinese venture Desire. A source close to the actress said, “Shilpa is enjoying learning the Indian dance form. Being a trained dancer, the intricate Odissi dance steps come to her very easily and Shilpa is really enjoying learning the art.” The actress has been quite charged about the film, in which she plays a professional dancer. “Playing a dancer in a film has always been Shilpa’s dream and she’s maha-excited about this one,” added the source. Seems like Desire has made the Shetty gal’s desire come true finally!
Shilpa’s kitchen tales
Shilpa Shetty sure knows that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.
The actress recently spent some time with beau Raj Kundra where she cooked some delicious dishes for him. “Even Shamita joined in, and helped Shilpa cook. Together they made fruit punch, Salmon and chicken appetisers with a dip, mozzarella salad, roasted parsnips vegetables and corn pulao with roasted chestnuts,” said a friend of Shilpa’s. Now that’s some treat, right Raj?
Shilpa blogs about her first visit to Taj post 26/11
Tears of joy filled Shilpa Shetty's eyes when she saw the waiter, who used to serve her often at Wasabi, the Japanese restaurant at the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel in Mumbai, on her first visit after the terror strikes.“I had tears of joy when I met Ronald, the Mangalorean waiter who's always served me, spoken to me in Tulu, my mother tongue, and always made me feel at home. I had a sigh of relief when I saw him,” Shilpa posted on her blog.
Shilpa says she was supposed to be at the hotel on November 26, when terrorists attacked the hotel. And entering the hotel after nearly two months brought back many feelings, “some not so good” for Shilpa.
“The hotel still looked a beauty, the only major change being the security that had been beefed up. Entering the hotel lobby brought back a whole lot of mixed feelings - nostalgic, some happy, some not… But by the end of dinner, it was all worth it. Nothing's changed, the menu, the quality, the service and above all the spirit and positivity.
“It was heart-warming to see the beaming faces of the hotel staff and the warmth they extended. This was my first step towards getting over the deep pain and fear that 26/11 left on me,” she wrote.
Though Shilpa was happy to see the usual hustle-bustle at the hotel, she says it will never be the same again.
“I will always be haunted by a lot of memories, but the irony is that some things will always be the same - Wasabi, my favourite restaurant and Mumbai, my favourite city.”
The dinner was a surprise planned for the actress by her friends and businessman beau Raj Kundra.
“If it didn't come as a surprise visit, maybe it would've taken me longer to make my first visit,” said Shilpa.
Shilpa may sacrifice her hair for 'The Desire'
A couple of days back we reported that Shilpa Shetty has been roped in to star in an India-China joint film venture.Tentatively titled "The Desire", the film, in English, will show Shilpa rubbing shoulders with Chinese superstar Xia Yu, who is considered the Shah Rukh Khan of China. The film is being co-produced by Sharad Hegde and Tracy Shiyun and directed by R. Sarath, a Malayalam filmmaker.
Now, it’s been said Shilpa will shave off her hair for a part of the film. We feel a bald Shilpa will make a rather startling picture, considering the fact that the luscious locks are one of Shilpa’s most attractive physical assets. But may be, that’s the whole idea.
When asked, Shilpa neither confirmed nor denied the news. She did say though that this role is her most challenging ever and she is looking forward to playing an Odissi dancer and is learning this dance form from a special instructor.
Shooting for “The Desire” is scheduled to begin next month.
Shilpa Shetty is praying for Jade Goody
Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty has revealed that she is praying for former “Celebrity Big Brother” contestant Jade Goody's recovery.Goody is suffering form cervical cancer and is undergoing aggressive chemotherapy to treat the condition.
Dailymail.co.uk reports, the reality TV personalities came close following their notorious on-screen rift on the show two years ago, in which Goody was branded a racist by the British public.
“What happened between us in the past means nothing compared to what Jade is going through today. Every night I pray for a miracle to save her life. You wouldn't wish this on your worst enemy,” she said.
Shilpa, 33, was one of the first to hear of Goody's condition while she was presenting the second season of the Indian version of the show ”Bigg Boss” last year.
“I was one of the first people to be told and I kept saying over and over to myself, 'It can't be true'. I remember calling Jade at Mumbai airport and telling her to hang in there and be strong for her kids,” revealed Shilpa, who also confessed that the pair could not control themselves and cried over the phone.
Shilpa, who was speaking from Chennai also revealed that Goody, 27, has maintained her sense of humour about the situation, particularly with her sons Bobby, five, and four-year-old Freddie.
“I heard Jade joked to her sons that her hair loss was caused by using the wrong shampoo, so at least she hasn't lost her sense of humour,” she said.
The “Phir Milenge” actress, who has promised to go to Britain in order to support Goody, was also serious in her admiration towards the latter.
“How she has handled herself has been nothing short of amazing. Being a working mother of two small children is a hard enough job on its own without having to battle such a serious illness at the same time,” she said.
Goody has been given a 50 percent chance of survival following a hysterectomy in September last year and is undergoing a course of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and blood transfusions in Britain.
Shilpa has grapes and oranges on New Year
Shilpa ushered the New Year with boyfriend Raj Kundra in Spain. She has written about her experience on her blog:"I started my year in the beautiful city of Puerto Banus in Marbella, Spain. I can't describe the beauty of the city and its culture. There were orange trees in our villa in full bloom which I happily plucked and gorged on. What fun!!
“They say you learn something every day and at 12 midnight on New Year's Eve, at a restaurant, I learnt how the Spanish bring in their New Year.
“Twelve seconds before the clock struck 12 they gave us 12 grapes called the 12 grapes of luck to eat one by one for every second before we screamed Happy New Year. It's not easy to eat them all but the more you eat the luckier the year is. It was a new experience."
The New Year eve plans of Bollywood stars
With 2009 just around the corner, Bollywood stars are headed to different destinations to usher in the New Year.Since the mood in Mumbai is pretty glum after the November 26 terror attacks, most of the New Year performances in the city have been canceled. Moreover, even the stars who would normally stay put in Mumbai on Dec 31 are headed to exotic locales.
Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor are on their way for a chilled out vacation in the Swiss Alps. Hope there are no bhel puri restaurants there to give Saif the stomach cramps.
Akshay Kumar is already on a holiday with wife Twinkle Khanna , son Aarav and Dimple Kapadia and his mom Aruna. For them, the celebrations began on Dec 29 with Twinkle’s birthday and will continue till the January 1.
Shilpa Shetty is on a vacation with her beau Raj Kundra in Spain. Alongside the duo are their respective families.
Salman Khan along with his brothers is in Goa for the New Years. The celebrations, low-key this year, began in the Khan household from Salman’s birthday on Dec 27 and will continue well into the first few days of January.
Katrina Kaif has been in London for the Christmas reunion with her family and is expected to join Salman on 31st evening.
Malaika Arora would be performing on stage at a hotel in Singapore, while Celina Jaitley will perform at the New Year bash at City Pavilion in London.
Arjun Rampal , Farhan Akhtar , Ritesh Sidhwani and the rest of Rock On gang is headed to Dubai. They initially planned an outing in Goa but changed the plan after the government canceled outdoor parties.
Shahrukh Khan is in Los Angeles to shoot Karan Johar’s film My Name Is Khan . He, Gauri and the kids are likely to fly to Uganda for a brief holiday.
Kajol and Ajay Devgan have left for their farmhouse in Karjat. They are expected back on Jan 2 after which Kajol would fly to the US to shoot with SRK.
John Abraham and Bipasha Basu will most likely head to Goa. Looks like they don’t mind if there aren’t any outdoor parties.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
