Sophie shakes her booty

Sophie shakes her booty

Sophie Choudhry

If there's one star sublet who takes the cake for being a nuisance, it has to be VJ-actress Sophie Choudhry.

At a recent premiere, she made a forced entry with designer Rocky S and put up an act as if to say she's the next Bipasha Basu on the block.

She came close to using Rocky for a pole to put her curvaceous body on, all for the shutterbugs.

Even her clutch hit the designer in the wrong place. Oops, did we spill all the beans? Watch you moves next time, Sophie?

Mukri is write on

Naseem Mukri

Remember yesteryear comedian Mukri? Well, it seems his cinematic legacy will continue through his daughter, Naseem, albeit in a different vein. For Naseem is all set to make a mark as a film and television writer.

Though none of Mukri's children had any Bollywood aspirations, Naseem did: as a story teller.

She began young with radio plays and has penned several articles as well as poems. Her big break came with Dharmesh Darshan's Dhadkan, which she wrote and also did a cameo in as Mrs Malhotra. She also wrote and acted in Ajai Sinha's serial, Astitva.

After that, she wrote a few films that didn't see the light of day. But a chance encounter with a Pakistani TV producer got her a serial called Pyasa Din Pyasi Shaam, besides a telefilm and another serial. She believes in writing with a beginning, a middle and an end, without getting into unrelated tracks. Anyone looking for a fresh story?

'Bunty, Suman: Boring couple'

Suman and Bunty Walia

Now, now pets, We really don't have anything against the recently married Bunty Walia and his sweetheart Suman Ranganathan.

But we couldn't ignore this piece of gossip when a bitchy actress called to say, "Bunty and Suman are so boring. At Ekta Kapoor's last party, they pretty much kept to themselves."

It's true that apart from director Apoorva Lakhia, Walia and wife really didn't have any company. So they backed into a corner and observed the other guests at the do.

Maybe the otherwise chirpy Walia was mulling over a poor film script that had put off his better half?

Lisa Ray's lesbian act

Lisa Ray

Author Shamim Sharif has just finished shooting for I Can't Think Straight in London, a film based on her autobiographical book. In this story, Lisa Ray and US-born Sheetal Sheth play lovers. The film has been shot entirely in London and Oxford. Aseem Bajaj (who shot Chameli) served as director of photography.

Says Aseem, who had some visa blues, "The crew from India were denied visas. I had to go alone and get assistants from London. But once there, it was smooth sailing all the way.

We completed a 40-day schedule in just 32 days. I won't say the film is going to be controversial. Not in this day and age. Shamim has handled the theme with great delicacy."

So don't expect any scenes like the ones you saw between Amrita Arora and Isha Koppikar in Girlfriend.

Curtains for India Calling

Manasi Parekh

Despite having an extremely 'now' subject (life in a call center), the Star One show India Calling has failed to create a buzz.

In the coming weeks, the Shrishti Arya produced show is finally being yanked off air. Its main protagonist, Chandni (played by Manasi Parekh) can now pursue a career in singing, something she's wanted to do for a while now.

The show slated to replace India Calling is Saathi Re, starring Arjun Punjj and Kiran Karmarkar. Sunjoy Waddhwa, the name behind the Zee drama Saat Phere, produces Saathi Re.

Meet Ramu's bad boy

Shereveer Vakil

Have you been wondering who that pale, Machiavellian baddie in Ram Gopal Varma's film is? It's Shereveer Vakil, who started off as a fitness trainer for Ramu, before being cast in his films.

He says, "I moved to Mumbai from Hyderabad to pursue my acting aspirations. And I'm happy with the fact that I have three movies to my name (James, the Telegu film Shock and Shiva)."

Ask him whether playing a negative character makes him happy and he says, "I get kick out of playing a psychotic villain. It is thanks to Ramu that I've realised my strengths."

The on-screen baddie's forthcoming films include Fauj Main Mauj, Welcome, Airport and Kabodiram.

CID's new face

Shivaji Satam with Vivek Mashru

CID's Operation Talaash has come to an end, and Vivek V Mashru is the winner.

This talent hunt, judged by adman Prahlad Kakar, director John Mathew Matthan and actor-director Mahesh Manjrekar, was put into motion to find a new member for ACP Pradyuman's (Shivaji Satam) crackforce.

Model-actor Mashru has acted in Mahesh Dattani's film Morning Raga as well as in Sohail Khan's Fight Club.

On TV he has featured in Aakhen, Bombay Talking and Akkad Bakkad Bambai Bo. Now, he'll be chasing culprits and solving cases as a detective in B P Singh's show.