During Jannat 2, I was very nervous

Before this you did Jannat 2 and Raaz 3,all the Bhatt films. Now you are working with Sajid. How different are they?

I love the Bhatts. They are like family to me. I call Mukesh sir and tell him ‘I am in this area can I come and meet you’. I go there and have lunch with them.

Mahesh sir is like a mentor. I started with him. I sit and talk to him. I have the most argumentative discussions. I like the whole family.

During Jannat 2, I was very nervous, so I just did my work. With Raaz, I got to know more and I was very comfortable.

For Humshakals, Sajid told me you have to look hot and ham throughout.

That’s all I have done. Sajid helped me a lot.

Image: Esha Gupta in Jannat 2

Just because a film has flopped doesn't mean the director is a flop

Were you anxious about working with Sajid Khan since his last film Himmatwalaflopped?

Just because a film has flopped doesn’t mean the director is a flop.

Just because a film flops, you don’t stop giving a chance to the actor or actress or music composer.

Everyone has their good days and bad days.

You can write an article tomorrow which doesn’t make sense. I can wear something really hideous one day but that doesn’t mean that designers are not going to give me outfits.

Okay, he did a bad film. At the same time he gave two big hits. They were really funny. They were mass commercial hits. That’s why I decided to do Humshakals.

Do you count Housefull and Hey Babyy among his better films?

I watch all kind of films.

When you are not from the industry, you are either a full film buff or you don’t watch films at all.

I was a complete crack case. Every Sunday my mom’s side of the family -- a group of 40 of us -- would go to the theatre to watch a film (in Delhi). There were no multiplexes only single-screen theatres.

So, I am used to watching every kind of film. I don’t rate a film and say the director is not good. I will say the film is not good.

I wouldn’t say Sajid Khan is not a good director.

My film before this was Chakravuyh. It was critically acclaimed. Whoever saw it said it was good. But it did no business at the box office. That doesn’t mean that Prakash Jha is not a good director.

Image: Esha Gupta in Humshakals

Esha Gupta: If you have it, flaunt it!

Esha Gupta claims she has become the ‘hamming’ queen after her stint in Humshakals,as director Sajid Khan asked her to overact!

The film, also starring Saif Ali Khan, Riteish Deshmukh, Ram Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Tamannaah, is a mad comedy and is up for release on June 20.

Esha, who was previously seen in the hit films Jannat 2 and Raaz 3, talks to Patcy N about her next film, her glamorous co-stars and her unabashed take on wearing bikinis.

This is your first film directed by Sajid Khan. What did you think of the experience?

Sajid is really funny. The kind of films he makes is because of the kind of person he is.

The film is slapstick comedy. Sajid is like that. Even if he is sitting at the dinner table, he will crack a joke.

I am glad that he is out of the Himmatwala phase and back to what he is really good at.

Your song Look Into My Eyes is doing well. You also did an item song in Gori Tere Pyar Main.

In Gori Tere Pyar Main I only danced to an item song but here I am acting. I have a proper role.

I am glad that I got a solo song in a multi-starrer and it’s a good song so why not do it?

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Image: Esha Gupta

Bollywood bravado, and real cinema

Last Wednesday I took a 24-hour trip to Washington, DC. The next day I was a guest on Al Jazeera’s talk show The Stream and they wanted me to be in the city the night before.

The show -- Women Through a Bollywood Lens -- also featured actress Mallika Sherawat, who appeared from a studio in Los Angeles, and journalist Anna M M Vetticad and filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, both appearing via Skype from India.

I was the only in-studio guest along with the two anchors, Femi Oke, who is the main host of the show, and Malika Bilal, who follows audience comments via social media.

It was all very cordial as we discussed the basics of Bollywood cinema until the conversation shifted to item numbers. I knew that would be the controversial part of the discussion.

Both Bhandarkar and Sherawat defended Bollywood’s item numbers with a lot of passion, calling them entertainment and just song and dance. Sherawat kept asking, “What is an item number?” as if it was the first time she had heard the term.

Vetticad and I maintained that item numbers -- now almost a must in every Bollywood film -- were demeaning to women who in their skimpy clothes were almost treated like a commodity for leering men. 

While I said censorship was not the solution -- in fact, I am personally in favor of nudity of any kind, if the narrative requires it -- Vetticad and I felt that Bollywood filmmakers should look deep inside their hearts to see what kind of a message they were sending out.

It was mostly a fun conversation -- full 45-minutes of it -- with clips of many item numbers.

At one point Sherawat got really carried away when she compared her position on women’s rights to that of Nelson Mandela’s struggle against apartheid.

I was speechless, but Oke asked her: “So now you likening yourself to Nelson Mandela?” To that Sherawat responded: “Why not? And do you know that Nelson Mandela was inspired by an Indian -- Mahatma Gandhi?"

That was too much for any of us to handle and we let it go, without getting personal.

The show ended with each of us recommending our favourite Bollywood films: Chak De India: Bhandarkar; Chandini Bar: Sherawat; Queen: Vetticad. Band Bajaa Baaraat was my choice.

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Image: Mallika Sherawat

Raashi Khanna: I am destiny's child

Raashi Khanna came to the world of films via modelling. The Delhi born, Lady Shri Ram College graduate moved to Mumbai where she soon got the role of John Abraham’s wife in Madras Cafe.

She plays a leading role in her first Telugu filmOohalu Gusa Gusa Lade (directed by Avasarala Srinivas) that releases this Friday, June 20.

Raashi talks about how she was drawn into the world of films and why she considers herself destiny’s child.

How did you come to sign Oohalu Gusa Gusa Lade?

Sai (the producer) saw Madras Café and felt I would be right for the role of Prabhavati inOohalu Gusa Gusa Lade.

They called me for a narration. Initially I thought it would be more of a dancing role with not much acting.

When I went down for the narration, I was excited to find that the film would revolve around the girl who was there in practically every scene.

My only worry was the language. We had workshops and rehearsals.

My pronunciation was corrected. The more you learn, the more you understand.

I learnt about the pauses in the sentences. The director was strict. Everything paid off in the end.

The director is happy and I am able to understand Telugu better now. With time I will learn it better.

Image: Raashi Khanna

Anna Paquin, Psy: A day out in Hollywood

Cast member Anna Paquin poses at the premiere of the seventh and final season of the HBO television series True Blood in Hollywood, California, on June 17.

The series debuts on June 22.

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Image: Anna Paquin

Nargis Fakhri

With Donald Duck’s pout and a supermodel’s legs, the star of Rockstar and Madras Cafe is one hell of a wild combination.

Image: Nargis Fakhri

Esha Gupta

Little talent and loooooong legs are old companions. Case in point: Esha Gupta.

Image: Esha Gupta

Ileana D'Cruz

The Main Tera Hero beauty is slowly but steadily climbing the success ladder on the strength of those sexy, slender gams.

Image: Ileana D'Cruz

Kangna Ranaut

When most actresses prefer to stay demure off the camera, Kangna Ranaut shows off her sexy style and toned legs in a tiny pair of shorts.

Image: Kangna Ranaut

Katrina Kaif

If Hot ‘n’ Sweet sauce was a woman, Katrina Kaif would be its most accurate personification. Watch those scintillating long limbs in action and tell us if your heart goes dhak or dhoom?

Image: Katrina Kaif

Lisa Haydon

With years of practice on the ramp, working those sexy pins on screen should be a cake, correction, catwalk for the Queen hottie.

Image: Lisa Haydon

Kareena Kapoor

Her weight may fluctuate from sexy curves to size zero but Bebo’s leggy charms are as constant as her stardom.

Image: Kareena Kapoor

Bipasha Basu

Proving all those hours in the gym weren’t in vain, the Bong bombshell doesn’t waste any chance to flaunt her smokin’ hot stems.

Image: Bipasha Basu

Priyanka Chopra

Make all the jokes you like about PC’s singing prowess but beyond that, watch out, those killer legs mean business.

Image: Priyanka Chopra