Siddhant ke saath - 11th September

From Indya.com -


Sept 24, 2005
Siddanth ke saath
Occasion: Star Date with Siddhanth
Date: September 11, 2005
Venue: Vie Lounge, Juhu Tara Road



The date with Sujal created quite a bit of stir on the web world where many fulfilled their dreams by just reading what the winner Mamta had experienced on their wonderful dinner together. Indya.com fulfilled another girl's dream when we sent her for a date with Pawan Shankar who plays the role of the suave looking, court-battler-Siddhanth. Over to Shweta Parekh as she recounts her memorable moments.

The Wait
Time: 7:45 PM



Shweta Parekh, a resident of Mulund, awaits eagerly for Pawan at the gates of Vie Lounge in Juhu. She saw to it that she is wearing the best outfit from her wardrobe and has an expectant smile. An exotic bouquet in her hands, she waits to see the first glimpse of the person she idolizes the most on the Indian Telly.

Her frequent glances towards her watch tells her that she had come too early and needs to wait for Pawan. And wait she did - and it was worth the wait! There walks in Pawan, in a semi-formal shirt and black trousers, not to mention a particular aura around him.

The Stranger Whom I Knew



"I was just looking at the scenic view of Juhu beach that the restaurant offered, enjoying the cool breeze and waiting for the moments to come. I settled my flying hair, made sure that the bouquet looked better than ever and turned back towards the entrance.

"Standing there was a tall, handsome person, offering a handshake, 'Hi, Shweta, I am Pawan.' And I was struck dumb. I finally managed to greet him and was just wondering if this was called 'being star-struck'.

"I presented him the bouquet, which was specially made with some of my favorite flowers. Chivalrous that he was, he then led me into the dining area. I was going to have dinner with the person from whom I had learnt lots of values and ethics. But that was through Siddhanth. And there I was, having dinner with the man behind Siddhanth - Pawan Shankar."

Starters with Siddhanth


Over Chicken Sheesh Taouk Al Nashn (Marinated chicken, with garlic, olive oil and Mediterranean spices, barbequed) and Mushroom Crostini (Cooked in olive oil, garlic, parmesan cheese, topped on a slice of garlic bread and grilled), Shweta and Pawan start their conversation and it seems as if Shweta already knows everything about his life. For instance, she knows that his wife, Yukti, is a fashion designer and that they have a nine-month-old son named Devassya. She is aware that Pawan has completed MBA, worked in Delhi, and that to fulfill his passion for acting, he had come to Mumbai.

Food for Thought
Shweta and Pawan have a scrumptious meal at Vie Lounge. Here's what they enjoy immensely:

Main Course



A Summer Vegetable Steak with Saffron Cream Sauce - Chunks of fresh vegetables, cooked in olive oil and basil.
Fussili Primavera - Spring pasta, tossed in cheese sauce with garden fresh vegetables.

Desserts
Cognac Chocolate Mousse - With a brandy tuile.
Viennese Sachertorte - Rich dark chocolate cake from Austria.

Anyone who appreciates good acting and performance would like to ask Pawan how he makes Siddhanth look so real and believable, and so does Shweta over their dinner. Pawan's take on realism and originality proves to be of great interest for the 18-year-old. According to Pawan, placing slices of real life instances in a scripted scene makes it look much more real than a well cut, scripted scene.

To this, he adds that all his performances are influenced by real life incidents that he has encountered or personally gone through. Says he, "What is the purpose of acting if people cannot identify with you, especially with a character like Siddhanth who can be a real influential character on a normal Indian citizen?"



Shweta asks him why he is not doing any other project other than Siddhanth. Pawan replies that he is being a bit cautious, because after gaining the heights at which Siddhanth is positioned now, he wants to do justice to the roles he takes up. Lots of observations and research goes into getting into the skin of a character, and hence he rates Anil Kapoor as one the greatest actors the country has seen till date.

Do You Really Have to Go?



The professional that Pawan is, he decides to take her leave after a round of scrumptious desserts. Inspite of a tiring schedule ahead of this, he had taken the time to meet one of his fans. He wishes Shweta, who is an aspiring doctor studying at KJ Somaiyya College in Vidyavihar with some advice, "Whatever you do in your life, do it with complete dedication and perfection, and thanks for the lovely evening and the bouquet."

A Night to Remember…


"Every good thing has to come to an end. It was already more than an hour since we had started chatting over dinner. It was really sweet of him to take some time out of his busy schedule and come out for a date with one of his fans. "Pawan's simplicity is something which I am in complete awe of. I admire his approach towards his passion, that's acting and life as a whole. And I am fortunate enough that out of the thousands of contestants, I got an opportunity to go on a date with a person so many people admire. "I thank Star and Indya.com for making this happen, and of course, the lovely ambience and food of Vie Lounge, which made it a night to remember."

Ravi Shankar