Following in the footsteps of his grandfather Bachu Sampat, producer at INT (Indian National Theatre) and both his parents Paresh and Swaroop Rawal,Aditya Rawal is all set to relish his share of the spotlight and mother Swaroop Sampat is more than happy. “Paresh and I always knew that Aditya will make a skilled writer and we are delighted that he has decided to launch as a play wright and not a screen writer”. Paresh adds that more than a father he is excited as an actor that his son has now become a full fledged writer. 

Aditya studied Theater at the London International School of Performing Arts andThe Queen is a result of a newly minted M.F.A.Dramatic Writing Program, Tisch School of the Arts, NYU.  Set in 16th century Indiaduring the Mughal era it is the story of Durga, who is confined to the west wing of the palace after her husband, the Rajput king, marries a younger woman.  Isolated and angry Durga battles against the loss of her identity and resolves to destroy her husband King Amar. The queen is the story of beauty and betrrayal, a story of doom and dynasty.

Few people know that Aditya Rawal has co-authored two story books on Child Rights. He has produced and directed a documentary titled, Drama-in-Education: Taking Gandhi Out of the Textbook. Aditya is also an actor and starred in Gujrati play Kishan Kanhaiya and did a cameo in Ferrari ki Sawaari.

@bhawanasomaaya

It is usually believed that there are seven steps to stardom but some actors come to the showbiz world with a special destiny and Kiara Advani is one such destiny’s child. Signed by Abbas Mustan for their forthcoming thrillerMachine currently being shot in Georgia  Kiara is excited to be launched by the duo directors who launched Preity Zinta in Soldier many decades ago and also to be made up by her favorite star Kareena Kapoor Khan’s hairstylist Pompy Hans and her make up artist RiteshNaik. 

Abbas Mustan wanted the best for their debutante and signed the best in the business to groom her.

One hears that the young actor was awestruck when Pommy and Rtesh explained to her how they planned to style her and thanked them profusely for agreeing to work with her.

@bhawanasomaaya 

It is usually seven steps to stardom but when you have a superstar launching you it is just one stop to stardom, ask Sayyeshaa making her Bollywood debut in Ajay Devgn’sdirectorial ventureShivaay. It is said that a number of girls were auditioned for the role but Ajay and his team zeroed in on Sayyeshaa.

At that time neither Ajay nor his creative team was aware that that Sayyeshaa is the daughter of Saira Banu’s niece Shaheen and actor Sumeet Saigal. Studied in London Sayyeshaa has been an all rounder both in sports and studies. Like her mother Shaheen who is a trained Kathak dancer, Sayyesha is trained in several classical and non classical dance forms of Brazil, South Africa and London. She is as proficient in dance forms of Latin American, Rhumba, Samba, Jazz funk, Belly dancing as in Hip hop, Kathak and Odissi.

Sayyeshaa is in the real sense an all rounder as gifted in oratory, dance and music. She is trained in music and has been singing since the age of five.

Something tells me that after Anushka Sharma and Deepika Padukone, another sensational star is on her way.

@bhawanasomaaya

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