| | | | Our artist's imagination takes flight with Ritesh Deshmukh in drag | While Mumbai was plagued by a near-riot situation on Sunday and our Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh was having a tough time explaining things to the media, actor son Riteish Deshmukh decided not to meet the media at all. This, despite the fact that the press had been invited there for an interaction with him!
On the sets of Subhash Ghai's Apna Sapna Money Money at Filmistan, Deshmukh Jr refused to not only to give interviews, but also to shoot. That is, until the media left the premises. Why? Because Riteish is dressed up as a woman for the most part of the film.
'Gown'ing glory!
According to a source from the unit, "A song was being shot for the film and a lot of stars like Koena Mitra, Riya Sen, Shreyas Talpade and Riteish were supposed to be present."
But when the media arrived on the set at 12.30 pm on Sunday, Koena was the only one present. "Koena met the media without any fuss. Riteish came in at 2 pm and headed straight to his vanity van. By that time, the press had finished their round of talks with Mitra, so they naturally wanted to speak with Riteish as well."
After nearly three hours, Riteish finally came out of his van. And the patiently waiting media got a complete shocker.
And a great story opportunity we might add, as Riteish was dressed up as a woman, complete with a gown, heavy make-up and chest padding. On seeing the waiting media, Riteish froze and then ran back into his van and slammed the door!
Uncomfortably numb
Says the source, "Soon after, the media was asked to leave. Riteish was petrified. He was very uncomfortable about facing the camera in this get-up. Only when he was certain that the media had left did he come out and agree to shoot. One fails to understand why he took up the role if he was so uncomfortable about looking the way he did. Could he not have refused the Showman Ghai?"
Concentration camp
When contacted, Riteish told HiTLIST that he didn't want the media on the set yesterday. "I do not like four or five cameras from different sections of the media focusing on me when I am shooting. I feel very uncomfortable. My concentration is affected. That's why I went back inside my vanity van."
However, he added that he wasn't embarrassed about his female get-up. "I think they had a teaser of this get-up at the screenings of 36 China Town. So it's not the first time that people will see me as a woman."
Mobile scare
The source adds, "If Riteish was not embarrassed about the look, why did he give interviews to sections of the electronic media only after the shoot was over and he had changed back to his normal clothes?
Why weren't the media persons allowed inside the set when they agreed to go without their cameras? The truth was that Riteish feared that they might click his picture on their mobile."
Apna Sapna Money Money also stars Anupam Kher, and is directed by Sangeeth Sivan. |
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