Katrina, Salman skip Karan Johar's birthday bash

May 29, 2012

salman-khan-katrina-kaif

Having attended her kid-brother's graduation in culinary arts in Zurich, at precisely 1.30 am on Friday-Saturday morning Priyanka Chopra flew straight from the airport to the Taj Lands End, the venue for Karan Johar's extravagantly-discussed birthday extravaganza. She was one of the last guests to arrive and one of the last to leave. Having landed hours ago Priyanka displayed no sign of jetlag or fatigue.

Says a very khaas mehmaan at the Johar jamboree, "In fact Priyanka was in specially high spirits that evening. Looking radiant, animated and chattering nineteen-to-the-dozen, Priyanka looked triumphant, and why not? She had been put back on Johar's guest list after being knocked off."

Throughout the evening Priaynka was seen talking and whispering into Johar's ears but discreetly avoiding contact-eye or otherwise-with Johar's best friend Shah Rukh Khan. It was a mixed triumph for Priyanka. As she was allowed into the coveted party only after Mrs Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri, granted permission.

The imposing Mrs Khan has laid down certain ground rules for her husband vis-a-vis Ms Chopra: no films together and no hobnobbing socially beyond niceties. Incidentally Mrs Khan had laid down similar rules for her husband vis-a-vis Aishwarya Rai and Rani Mukherjee. But that's another story.

Meanwhile back at the most hotly-discussed party of the millennium, it was a formal affair with elaborate arrangements. Says one of the top actresses who attended, "It was a sit-in dinner with loads of Punjabi khana. Because that's what KJO loves.The glamorous decor was stylishly designed by Manish Malhotra. It was good to see the stars dressed in formals rather than the tee-shirts some of them wear even to formal events."

Most of Karan Johar's friends from the film industry(which means nearly everyone) turned up. Conspicuous by their absence were Salman Khan and Johar's chikni chameli Katrina Kaif, both of whom are currently shooting in Bangkok. Unlike Sanjay Dutt who left his shooting in Jodhpur for Soham Shah's Sher for an evening to be in Mumbai for his new pal KJO's 'Happy Burday' Katrina and Salman gave the event a skip for different seasons.

Salman, a source close to him informs, gave in to KJO's persuasive powers and said yes to the invitation in spite of knowing 'he' (read: SRK) would be there. But then friends advised Salman against providing titillating fodder for the shutterbugs. Also a co-star whom Salman trusts blindly reminded him what had transpired at another birthday bash in 2008 (Katrina's) where Salman and SRK nearly came to blows. That clinched the matter. No Salman at the Johar bash.

As for Katrina she was advised to fly down for Karan's sake. Those close to her said it would be good PR. But then a member of her staff made the mistake of pointing out to Katrina that flying down for the event was imperative since Priyanka Chopra too was doing the same. That did it.

Says a friend of Katrina, "Never tell Kat to do something just because someone else is doing the same. Kat loves KJO and recently did the chikni chameli song for him free of cost. It's another matter that KJO didn't gift her the promised Ferrari. Or that she is yet to sign on a full-fledged heroine's role in Dharma. Katrina would have still flown down from Bagkok. But when she heard Priyanka was flying straight in from Zurich, Kat decided not to. It would make her seem like she was vying for space in the Dharma scheme of things."

Not that Salman or Katrina were missed. There was plenty of excitement on the guest list. Vidya Balan (trying hard to convince everyone around that she hadn't heard any negative comments on her lavni item song in Ferrari Ki Sawari)and boyfriend Siddharth Roy Kapoor made their first together appearance at a filmy do.

Says a guest at KJO's bash, "The couple made no attempt to hide their feelings. Kapoor looked after Vidya like a good husband and even fed her from his plate." Incidentally Mr Kapoor is keen to tie the knot immediately. But Ms Balan's spiralling box office fortunes are proving the villain.

Other guests at the star-studded party were Tabu and Urmila Matondkar (talking animatedly maybe about spinsterhood), Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Shahid Kapoor, Bipasha Basu (no, the last two-named were not together), Anushka Sharma, Arjun Kapoor, Kangna Ranaut, Boman Irani, Kangna Ranaut, Yash Chopra, Ashutosh Gowariker, Rahul Bose, Ronit Roy, Uday Chopra.

Jaya Bachchan arrived solo. And, Rekha didn't show up to do another Silsila for the paparazzi outside parliament. Johar's 'Amit Uncle' Mr Bachchan and Abhishek are abroad for the former's treatment. Says an appreciative guest, "There were no glitches, no stress. No one misbehaved or got drunk.It was wonderfully organized. There was a sitdown dining area and the food was served with warmth and for a change we all actually ate at a party. KJO had asked everyone not to reach his party after dinner. And there was a separate room for desserts.It was all very stylish. We left by 1.30 am. But the party went on till 4 am."

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
June 2,2020

Kolkata, Jun 2: Artistes of the Bengali film industry are trying to get the best out of their creative side amid the lockdown, with many of them giving shape to innovative concepts and ideas to hook the audience.

A short film 'Grub Ne Bana Di Jodi', with RJ-actor Mir Afsar Ali in the lead, transcends boundaries to bring couples from around the world together on one platform, as they engage in discussions on food and culture.

The shot-at-home film, directed by Satrajit Sen, has Ali giving couples tasks to test their culinary skills.

"This is the time to try new concepts and that, too, without the usual technical support. There is no box office pressure, and people can take their own sweet time to watch the film on YouTube," he said.

Actor Vikram Chatterjee, who recently completed the shoot of 'Pabitra Puppies', a web series about seven friends bonding over video games, said it was an "altogether different experience" with no crew to assist him at home.

"The shooting process was complicated but we had a lot of fun. I was in Mumbai when the lockdown was imposed.

Coordinating with the director and other cast members wasn't easy, but this phase has taught us how to overcome challenges," Chatterjee said.

The series, also starring Sohini Sarkar and Saayoni Ghosh, will be streaming on Hoichoi soon.

Director Shieladitya Moulik's third outing on YouTube, amid the lockdown, has garnered good reviews.

The short film 'Eye Candy' tells the story of a blind couple who had been finding ways to connect with each other.

"I wanted to talk about long-distance relationships, and the problems faced by couples in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, but not without a twist. I hope the viewers enjoy the short," Moulik said.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
June 7,2020

Washington D.C., Jun 7: South Korean pop band BTS and their record label Big Hit Entertainment have donated USD one million to support Black Lives Matter.

According to Variety, the donation was transferred earlier this week, with Black Lives Matter confirming receipt to the label on Friday.

"Black people all over the world are in pain at this moment from the trauma of centuries of oppression. We are moved by the generosity of BTS and allies all over the world who stand in solidarity in the fight for Black lives," the outlet quoted Kailee Scales, managing director for Black Lives Matter as saying.

The widely lauded band, earlier on Wednesday, took to Twitter to show their solidarity with the people fighting against the social injustice.

"We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together," the tweet read.

The pledge of the donation from the Korean boy band and its label comes during a time when people and celebrities from the industry have come forward to demonstrate their support for the black community.

Several big names from the music and acting industry also observed 'Blackout Tuesday' earlier the week as a message of solidarity in response o the death of George Floyd, an African-American man in the United States.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
June 15,2020

Mumbai, Jun 15: Actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death has reignited the discussions around the struggle of survival in Bollywood, with many insiders highlighting "cruel and unforgiving" nature of the industry, particularly tough on outsiders.

Rajput was found hanging in his Bandra apartment on Sunday.

According to a police official, Mumbai Police found out during the probe that the 34-year-old actor was under medication for depression.

An engineering student, Rajput left his course at the Delhi Technological University in the early 2000s and rose from a background dancer to a TV star with soap opera Pavitra Rishta, which gave the "outsider" his breakout show in 2009.

In 2013, he made his Bollywood debut with Kai Po Che! and went on to star in films such as Shuddh Desi Romance, Raabta, Kedarnath, Sonchiriya and Chhichhore.

But his most prominent role came as cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni's in the 2007 biopic, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story.

In a telling tweet, veteran actor Dharmendra wrote despite not knowing Rajput personally, his death served as a reminder that the industry could be "cruel".

"Pyaare Sushant, naa film dekhi na kabhi mila tum se... par tere achaanak chale jaane se bada sadma laga. This beautiful beloved 'show business" is very cruel. I can imagine your unbearable pain. I share the pain of your loving family and friends," Dharmendra wrote.

Actor Meera Chopra penned a powerful, poignant note about the loneliness one feels working in an industry, which is "cold and ruthless".

"We all knew well that Sushant was going through depression since long, but what did we do? Where was his close circle, the directors and producers he's worked with, his close friends? Why nobody came out and helped, gave him the kind of love, the work that he wanted - because nobody cares," she wrote on Twitter.

The Section 375 actor, who has been vocal about feeling suffocated by the constant judgement from the industry colleagues, said nobody in Bollywood cares about what one's going through and artistes are just a flop away from being alienated.

Chopra said the industry has "failed" Rajput and Bollywood will now never be the same.

"True, Bollywood is a small family, but a kind of family which is never there when you need them. He had to take his life for that family to realise the kind of pain and need he was in. An outsider will always feel like an outsider here.

"I just want to say to my industry that help people when they need it, and you know when they need it. There is no point tweeting when they are no more. Don't pretend to be sad when you guys didn't do anything when he was sad. Stop being such a hypocritical society," she added.

Gulshan Devaiah said, as an actor, one could understand why Rajput would've taken the step to end his life.

"As actors, somewhere deep down inside, we think we know why he did it and that’s why it so disturbing even if you didn’t know him at all. It’s a hard game to play and he played it very well but the game won in the end," Devaiah wrote.

Quoting Chopra's tweet, the Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota star dismissed the idea of Bollywood being a family.

"If one thinks it’s a family, there is the problem. Bollywood is an imaginary name for a place of work, that’s it. I am really not trying to put anybody down here and sorry if it seems," he wrote.

On Sunday, actor-producer Nikhil Dwivedi posted a strongly-worded tweet calling out the "hypocrisy" of the industry after people from the film fraternity wrote they regretted not staying in touch with the "Chhichhore" star.

"High and mighty announcing they should have kept in touch with Sushant. Come on, you didn't! And that's because his career dipped. So STFU! Are you in touch with Imran Khan, Abhay Deol and others? No! But you were, when they were doing well," Dwivedi said.

Similar sentiment was echoed by filmmaker Anubhav Sinha, who, without taking names, said the "Bollywood Privilege Club" must sit down and think hard.

"Now don't ask me to elaborate any further," he tweeted.

Addressing outsiders, filmmaker Hansal Mehta wrote a long thread about the two ends of an artiste's time in the industry - the glorious successes and the crushing lows.

"There are many young 'outsiders' in this industry. Remember this - there is an establishment that will make you feel like the next big thing until they need you. They will drop you and mock you as soon as you falter. Do not fall for the trap. The ones that celebrate you will celebrate your downfall some time later," he tweeted.

Mehta said it's important for those who don't come from a film family to not force themselves to fit in.

"Just be authentic, follow your heart and stop seeking acceptance from anybody. Your connection should be with your art, your craft and with your audience. Nothing else matters. Over the years you will succeed, you will stumble.

"But remember that nothing is more important than you. Look after yourself. And know that you matter. The world is much bigger and wiser than what you perceive. So are opportunities. If you stay they will be yours. Lots of love. Never lose heart," the filmmaker wrote.

Celebrity hairstylist-turned-director Sapna Bhavnani claimed that Rajput's battle with mental health was out in the open and yet the industry chose to look the other way.

"It’s no secret Sushant was going through very tough times for the last few years. No one in the industry stood up for him nor did they lend a helping hand. To tweet today is the biggest display of how shallow the industry really is. No one here is your friend," she wrote on Twitter.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.