Cinema Gup Shup Today Feb 3rd'07

Ayesha's co-star and another contender for pativrata nari roles, Vidya Balan has been saved some flak post Salam-e-Ishq coz she's been away shooting for Sajid Khan's Hey Baby and Priyadarshan's Suryamukhi with Akshay Kumar. It's her first film with the Khiladi Kumar and the two have struck an instant rapport on the sets according to the grapevine. The normally reclusive Vidya was a convert after Akshay's incessant banter and pranks on the sets. She too joined in the fun.

Akshay had also come to know of Vidya's fear of heights from a close unit hand. Now we all know that Akshay's an adventure sports freak. He took it upon himself to help her get rid of her phobias. So one day, after pack up, Akshay with a few members on the sets told Vidya that they had planned a surprise picnic of sorts for the evening. An excited Vidya was only too glad to join the gang. Perhaps her smile quickly disappeared when she saw they were on a hilltop with ropes hanging around and the works.

Didn't take her long to realise she was facing her worst nightmare, as it was a bungee jumping spot. She was just about to turn around and vamoose when Akki stopped her and started with some pep talk about conquering one's fears. After much cajoling and egging on from the unit members, Vidya took the plunge quite literally. We won't say she was exactly terrified by the experience but from what we hear, let's just put it this way, she's not keen on repeating it either.

It was meant to be a break away from the hectic schedules and the usual grind of Bollywood for Ayesha Takia. And God knows, she needs a vacation along with the entire cast and crew of Salaam-e-Ishq after its dismal fate at the box office. So Ayesha took off on a small trip to Goa with boyfriend Farhaan Azmi. But her tryst with misfortune continued, as her man fell sick as soon as the two hit the beach.

It was nothing more than the regular stomach bug, but it prevented them from going out and painting the town red. But Ayesha seemed content with just being with her beau, tending to his needs and showering him some TLC. The idea was to get away from the hustle bustle of Mumbai and spend some quality time with each other. Now whether you spend the time dancing the night away or by playing the dutiful nurse, how does it matter? Right Ayesha? Hope she's not angling for a role in the next Rajshri film.

Actor John Abraham was earlier looked upon with suspicion for his feeble command over Hindi and many of his earlier films were dubbed by professional artistes. But all that has changed now. The Bollywood heartthrob is working hard to get rid of his "anglicised" accent. Said John, "I admit it was one of the areas that I needed to work doubly hard. I've been consistently working on it. But Baabul made me confident of the way I say my dialogues. First of all, the words were all in pure Hindi. Achala Nagar's dialogues were a bit complex for all of us, except of course, Mr Bachchan."

"I had two options in front of me. Either I ask for the words to be simplified or I worked on the language. I opted for the latter. And believe me, if the impact of a role can be gauged by the spoken word, then Baabul is the most influential film of my life. It has changed my thought process. Now I'm actually able to think in Hindi," he adds.

Nagar, who has written many socially relevant films like Raj Kapoor's Prem Rog and B.R. Chopra's Nikaah, was present on the sets of Baabul to make sure the words were correctly spoken. "The way she narrated the script was in itself a work of beauty and a joy forever. I wanted to absorb her words and use them as though they were mine and I think I managed to do so," John remarked.

Music composer Himesh Reshammiya gave the media a glimpse of his vulnerable side at the recently held press meet for Vipul Shah's Namastey London. "I am insecure," he admitted, adding that it was this insecurity that constantly enveloped him, thus pushing him to come up with something different all the time.

When asked if he visualised himself spending his last days in a remote house in Thane like the late O.P. Nayyar, Himesh said, "That's a scary thought, but life is unpredictable. You never know what is going to happen and when it'll happen. These are the mysteries of life that no one has answers to." Himesh also said that any criticism towards his songs and singing style hurts him instantly. "Of course, I am hurt when I read it. That is my first reaction and then I realised that it gets better out of me," he says.

Critics say he sings songs "through his nose" and call him a nasal singer. "But I have sung in different styles that did not require any nasal twang," he counters. Himesh agrees that coming up with something new every time challenges his creativity. "Ultimately what matters are the sales figures," he says matter-of-factly. He adds, "I am completely focussed on the revenue and keep that in mind when I design my album. If I am gheraoed by the media here today, it is because Himesh Reshammiya is selling like hot cakes. Would the media be sitting here questioning me if my previous albums had not broken all records?"

Himesh said, "How many people know that I have scored the music of Benares? Critics will praise a Benares, but how many have actually heard its music? Compared to that, today everybody has heard Tere Naam and my album Aap Ka Suroor. Doesn't this prove that what matters is the profit that the music company makes?"