I don’t know what isit about birthdays because memories just flood your mind. The first time I metDimple Kapadia nee Khanna was at the funeral of Baldev Pathak, Dina Pathak’s husband. Baldev and Rajesh Khanna were close friends and few people know that Baldev was the man behind Rajesh Khanna’s famous Gurushirts. Clad in a milk white sari Dimple sat with the family till late evening. I remember traveling back home with Dimple and Shabana Azmi and I’m not sure if she knew I was a journalist at that time but Dimple was at her candid best.

Over the decades I did a number of interviews with the actor spanning her long career in films. We chatted at her parents home in Juhu, on her sets, traveled with her on location shooting, went shopping for Rajkumar Santoshi’s wedding gift together in the busy streets of Delhi and always Dimple was herself, speaking from the heart without a care for the world.

It was impossible not to like Dimple. She was beautful, accessible, engaging, sensitive, untraditional and unpredictible. The only time I think she was not herself and tried to confine to a role was when she lived as Mrs Rajesh Khanna at Aashirwad. When she left Aashirwad, she found her old self in her patent’s home this time with her two daughters, Twinkle and Rinki Khanna. Later when she turned a successful star and mustered confidence she moved out to live on her own at Vastu a few blocks away from her parent’s home.

Her home at Vastu is filled with candles and paintings all created by Dimple. In the olden days, Dimple and her sister Simple with their children dropped by at her mother Betty’s home and she fussed over the girls and all the grand children. Today, Dimple and Simple’s children and grand children drop by at her home and Dimple a la Betty fusses over all her child ren and grand children.

It is true life comes in circles.

@bhawanasomaaya

Anil Kapoor and I have known each other much before he became a film star and I became a film journalist. I have watched his struggle in the 70s and his rise to stardom in the 80s. I remember his impromptu marriage, his buying a new home and him becoming a father. In the winter of the year 1990 I was the editor of the newly found g magazine and  requested Anil to do a special photo feature with his wife Sunita and  daughters Sonam and Rhea Kapoor (Harshvardhan was not born as yet).

As expected Sunita declined the offer but Anil agreed to shoot with his two girls. Sunita designed identical clothes for all three of them and we shot in their tastefully done up bungalow. My photographer Jayesh Seth seated the girls on the ornate chair while daddy Anil stood behind them, his arms holding both protectively.

It was evident on this day that Sonam at that time just five years old enjoyed every moment of the camera and the spotlight while little Rhea was claustrophobic and cried through the photo session.

Sunita Kapoor hovering in the backgground noticed Sonam and Rhea’s contradictory behaviors inspotlight and said to her husband, “Seems like our girls have made up their minds about the future, Sonam will follow in your footsteps and Rhea will take after me.”

Sunita was right. Sonam becamae an actor and Rhea chose to become a stylist.

@bhawanasomaaya

Film Review: Te3n 

Date: June 10 2016

Director: Ribhu Dasgupta

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vidya Balan

Rating: 3.5 stars

Te3n is the story of what happens to the family of a child kidnapped in broad day light, a story of love and loss, of pain and pathos. What is interesting is that his is not a regular who dunnit thriller infact I would describeTe3n more as a story of concern than suspense. Director Ribhu Dasgupta and writer Suresh Nair do away with stereotypes in both the narrative and the characters soAmitabh Bachchan’s John Biswas though ageing is far from a victim. John uncle as he is called can fix his home ceiling fan, revive his rickety scooter, shop vegetables, pay electricity bills and even cook new recipees for his wheel chair bound wife.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s police inspector Martin and later Father Martin are characters with conscience. We have seen many cops and many priests on Hini screen but this is as real as it gets. As Sarita Sarkar you connect with Vidya Balan from the first scene she is introduced in a compassionate moment at the police station. Vidya proves that she does not have to be brutal to be taken seriously as a cop.

Inspired from Korean film Montage Te3n unravels many secrets as the story travels the busy streets of Kolkatta in train, tram and road. The charcters keep you engaged all through and the climax is unpredictible. The subject could so easily have become violent and abusive on the contrary Te3n encompasses all generations, is sensitive, rivetting and refreshing. The pace is a bit slow and that’s probably the only negative

and combined with music it adds drama to the moment.

Watch Te3n for the message – it is not about revenge, it is about justice and the superlative performances. Nawaz shines, Vidya sparkles and Bachchan breaks your heart! It is amazing how the angry young actor of the 70s continues to redefine his characters and cinema over the last four decades.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Juhi Chawla will be seen playing a cameo Hume Tumse Pyaar Kitna a film produced by Mahendra

Bohra, with whom Juhi Chawla has done a number of films in the past.

The hero of the film Karanvir Bohra, a follower of SRK’s negative roles likeBaazigar and Darrseems to follow into his idol’s footsteps and as coincidence would have it shares a rapport with SRK’s favorite heroine Juhi Chawla as they shared screen space in Aziz Mirza’sKismet Konnection! Karanvir is confident that destiny is going to work a miracle for him with all these coincidences.

@bhawanasomaaya

06 June 2016. I’m boarded on Bhutan Airways to attend Waheeda Rehman’s first born
Sohail Rekhy’s wedding to Dechhen Pelden in Paro, Bhutan. In the seat ahead of me is veteran star Helen Khan and beside me is actor Asha Parekh, both friends of Rehman for decades. As we take off we discover that most of the passengers on board are headed to the same destination and they include Rehman’s maternal and marital families and her children’s friends.

At Paro Airport, Kashvi, Waheeda Rehman’s daughter has come to receives us and escorts us to Hotel Le Meridian where we are given a customary welcome. Waheeda Rehman is waiting for us in the lobby and looks visibly excited. “It is the first wedding in the family and I want to enjoy every minute” she tells us. Her enthusiasm is infectious and everyone is in a mood for celebration.

At 7 pm the skyline is bright and I go fro a stroll in the hotel garden accompanied by Asha Parekh. There is a nip in the air and we are about to join other guests in the hotel terrace when it suddenly begins to rain and everyone rushes inside. We are told Bhutan climate is unredictible and never leave without a shwl and an umbrella.

Dinner is at the hotel and the staff informs us that their hotel has come alive because of the Indian wedding. As if on cue, bridegroom Sohail joins our table and is beseiged by his friends and cousins forcing him to join them for a party and Sohail pleading them to let him go to sleep.

Waheeda Rehman watches them fondly and says “In the olden days, we fussed over the bride and the bridegroom, today they are their own wedding planners as a result they hardly enjoy their special moment.”  Rehman is all praise for her daughter-in-law and proud of her son’s choice. “She is considerate and efficient and well versed with our customs. When we realized that the wedding date coincided with Ramzan,  I told my relatives to let go  of rozas for one year and they agreed but Dechhen was particular that morning sehri and evening iftaar should be available to all those observing the fast and supervised the details personally. It is very thoughtful of her and I appreciate it.”

( to be continued)

You can read the complete column onhttp://www.thequint.com/entertainment/2016/06/15/waheeda-rehman-son-wedding-bhutan-asha-parekh-helen-bhawana-somaaya

@bhawanasomaaya

Film Review: Dhanak

Date: June 17 2016

Director: Nagesh Kukunoor

Cast: Hetal Gada, Krish Chabria

Rating: 2.5 stars

A sister Pari and her younger blind brother Chottu live with their uncle and aunt in a remote village of Rajasthan. Everyday, they walk the desert holding hands on way to school and tell each other a story. Pari is a fan of Shah Rukh Khan and Chottu is a fan of Salman Khan and that is about the only conflict the siblings share.

Pari has promised Chottu that she will get his eyes operated before his ninth birthday so that he can watch the rainbow in the sky.

Dhanak can be described as a travelogue interspersed with exaggerated characters and undramatic events.  Kukunoor has always made simple stories and addressed social concers. Dhanak lacks the humour of Hyderabad Blues, the sparkle of Iqbaal and the drama of Dorbut it is a delightful fairy tale about chasing your dreams.

Watch Dhanak for the message and the performances of the endearing Pari/Hetal Gada and the unstoppable Chottu/ Krish Chabria.

@bhawanasomaaya

 I was invited to baba Siddiqui’s iftaar party at Taj Lands End. I t promised to be a heavy d security affair and preferred to watch the drama on TV instead. It was supposed to be in the Taj lawns and when it started rainning in the evening I was thinking about how they must have made a change of venue at the last minute. Or maybe they were clever enough to have a plan B.
Filmfolks always have a plan B so after enjoying a flourishing season of sequels they have jumped on the bandwagon of remakes.

A few days ago we heard that producer Vinay Sinha is planning to remake Andaz Apna Apna with current actors followed by a statement from Aamir Khan that he would love to combine force with Salman Khan provided the script was challenging for both of them.

Now we hear that producer Vashu Bhagnanai wants to remake two of his favorite David Dhawan films namely Hero No 1 and Bade Miya Chotte Miyan so let’s wait and watch who will step into the large shoes of Govinda and Amitahbh Bachchan.

@bhawanasomaaya