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'Raaz was the best film and I was the best director of the year!'

    He was popularly known as Vikram Ghulam Bhatt until he had another winner, Raaz on his hands. Then came another hit, Aawara Paagal Deewana, but the industry conveniently branded it as a Nadiadwala film instead of a Vikram Bhatt film. Raaz, and APD were also given step-motherly treatment at the recent awards. Vikram Bhatt goes hammer and tongs on his detractors and the injustice meted out to him. The young and successful director also talks about his forthcoming, Footpath and of course, matters of the heart!
    By Prema K.

    Were you hurt that you had not been nominated for Awara, Paagal, Deewana, which was a medium hit?
    I do not deserve to be nominated for APD as I sleepwalked through that film! It is not a brilliantly directed but a brilliantly put together film. I give full marks to Firoz Nadiadwala for it. He brought in a foreign team of dancers, fighters, and took the unit to Muscat, Spain, New York and shot the film on a lavish scale. At times I would argue with him and ask him if he was mad to spend like that. He kept assuring me that it would pay off. So it was his conviction more than mine.

    But there was a fallout between Firoz and you during APD and it seems you even wrote a letter to Firoz disassociating yourself from the film!
    Firoz and I have an argument every day but we are still like brothers. We are a lethal combination as both of us are very passionate people. There is always an argument when two passionate people come together. But we cannot do without each other also. He is very short-tempered and at times I get very angry and tell him that I do not want to work with him. He apologises to me and we make up. Some people with vested interest went about spreading rumours about my fall-out with Firoz a little before APD was due for release. I even know who those people are but they have not been able to cause a rift between Firoz and me.

    Is Kutumb still happening?
    Unfortunately, I do not think Kutumb will be made now. Firoz and I are working on a couple of other ideas.

    None of the awards except 'Stardust' nominated Raaz and Vikram Bhatt for the 'Best Film' and 'Best Director' respectively. How did that feel?
    That is not true at all. Only 'Screen Awards' did not. Next question please! (Laughs)

    Did it feel bad that Devdas and Saathiya bagged the music awards as opposed to Raaz!
    That is a question for the music director Nadeem.

    Being the director, obviously you have something to say about that!
    Raaz had outstanding music! I think Raaz was the best film of the year. It should have won. I was the best director. I should have won! But if wishes were horses beggars would ride. But I really think Nadeem desperately and definitely deserved the award for Raaz. There was no one else in the same league. The music sales were great. Raaz owed its success to the music. Nadeem is the unsung hero of the film. It is unfortunate that he did not win.

    Considering Raaz was the first hit of 2002, how did it feel when the awards were shared by The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Devdas and Company?
    Honestly, I do not know what goes into deciding the winner of an award or the prerequisites to win an award. When I am making a film my foremost concern is to make a hit film and provide entertainment to my audience. I did that in Raaz, and APD. After that everything else is a bonus. So I do not give that much importance to awards for me to think why I did not get it. I am happy if Sanjay Leela Bhansali gets an award for Devdas. It is not like he has not done good work. So what if he has made a 50-crore film. Many people have made expensive films that have not worked. Maybe his work was more recognisable than mine was. It does not make any one of us lesser directors. We should take awards in the true spirit of amusement instead of taking them seriously. No one remembers who won the 'Best Director' three years back but they remember the Oscars!

    The hit pair of Raaz failed to work in Gunaah!
    I did not direct that film. Mahesh Bhatt is a genius and he has had a big hand in all the films, be it Raaz, Kasoor, or Gunaah. He has seen so much success in life even before I could spell success. I do not even want to compare myself to him. Probably people have not liked the story of Gunaah or the approach to it.

    The Bhatts had a fall-out with Anil Kapoor over Kasoor. So how did it feel receiving the 'Best Director' award from him at the 'Stardust Awards'?
    He has not troubled Mahesh Bhatt, Mukesh Bhatt, or me. We had a misunderstanding, which was sorted out within a fortnight. We were all at fault there. So we sat down, thrashed it out and had a good laugh over it. Everybody in this industry has his or her own way of working. Anil is a very cautious actor. He mulls over his character and role before taking it up. You cannot take that away from him. I have nothing against Anil. He was not supposed to do Kasoor. It was Tumko Meri Kasam, which was never made ultimately.

    Your discovery Malini Sharma won the 'Newcomer Award' for Raaz but soon gave up her career. How did you feel?
    It was good to see all the praise she got for her role but her quitting films is her personal problem. As long as she did not quit Raaz midway, how does it affect me! I am not her keeper. She has the right to be happy. If not doing films makes her happy then so be it. We are always amazed at how people can give up fame and glamour for anything. Actually they should be admired for it rather than be questioned! Mahesh Bhatt has given up direction. I am a director. I know how it feels. It is very tough to hang up your boots one day.

    Tell us about Footpath...
    Isn't Footpath a mind-blowing name for a film? It is a film about 3 childhood friends and Juvenile Delinquency. The film is about how these three friends have been brought up together, how they have entered the seedy world of crime and become delinquents. The three of them are even willing to betray each other for their own benefits or even for each other's good.

    You seem to be very fond of Rahul Dev. This is your second movie with him after APD!
    Rahul is my very good friend. He has an extremely good personality, and he is a good actor as well. That is why he is there in Footpath. APD is where Firoz brought him and we were introduced. But he was my choice for Footpath. Aftab Shivdasani too suggested his name to me very strongly. Mahesh Bhatt also met him and was convinced that he was just right for the role.

    What prompted you to launch Amisha Patel's brother considering he has no acting or modelling background and no training as well?
    He was my assistant for two years. I cast him when the opportunity arose. So he has done his bit in struggling for a role. Aitbaar was steeped in controversy for a while before it started rolling! There was no controversy at all (laughs). My producer ran out of money, so someone else stepped in. Aitbaar is my dream film, because it is every director's dream to work with Mr. Bachchan. He is a true director's actor but directing him is like driving a Rolls Royce. The ease and conviction with which he performs is exemplary. I have been watching him in front of the camera even as a kid. My dad, Pravin Bhatt, has shot films like Kaalia, and Khuddar. I have also been assistant director in a few of his films. I designed a role for him to give the audience as much of the vintage Bachchan as possible. It is a film about a highly obsessed and criminally insane boy played by John Abraham, who traps Bipasha, Mr. Bachchan's daughter. What it takes him to get his daughter out of this trap is what the film is all about.

    What is happening in your personal life?
    Nothing that can make this interview juicy for you and interest the reader (laughs). I am young, and successful at this point, so all young girls are welcome. I have never had linkups with any of my leading ladies. You guys made it happen! I am immune to all these linkups. Now you can link me up with my heroes also. I am ready for that. What is it about me that I have all my leading ladies falling for me film after film? Do you think every heroine falls in love with me and your readers will believe it? (Laughs). Anyway, I do not like to discuss my personal life in the press. Why should your reader know what I am doing in my bedroom? It is not fair to the girl I am going out with. My tragedy cannot be entertainment for someone else either! It is like Iraq's tragedy is CNN's entertainment!

    But isn't it good publicity?
    Thank you! I thought it was my films but now I know that it is my love life that keeps me in the news (laughs).

  • BOX-OFFICE
    (March 28-April 3)

    DISASTER
    Kaash Aap Hamare Hote
    Escape From Taliban
    Love At Times Square
    Aapko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai
    Raghu More Bachelor Of Hearts
    Hum Pyar Tumhi Se Kar Baithe

    LOSERS
    Churaa Liyaa Hai Tumne
    Dhund- the fog
    Dum
    Kucch To Hai
    Dil Ka Rishta
    Talaash
    Kaante (Good in Mumbai)
    Saathiya (Good in Mumbai)
    Rishtey
    Deewangee (Fair in Mumbai)

    AVERAGE
    Jism
    (For a true picture, Amod Mehra, ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS NETWORK, makes the verdict on the basis of all-India reports)

    FILM HITS
    (March 28-April 3)
    1.Suniyo Re/ Saathiya (Sa Re Ga Ma)
    2.Jhankaar/ Jhankaar Beats (Crescendo)
    3.Jadoo Hai/ Jism (Sa Re Ga Ma)
    4.Hai Re / Khushi (Tips)
    5.Ding Dong /Kucch To Hai (T-Series)
    6. Kisi Se Tum/ Andaz (Shree Krishna)
    7. Kisi Se Tum/ Andaaz (Shree Krishna)
    8.Yeh Dil/ Yeh Dil (Tips)
    9.Daiya Re/ Dil Ka Rishta (Tips)
    10. Mohabbat Hai Mirchi/ Churaa Liya Hai Tumne (Sony)
    (Based on popularity and audio-CD sales.)

    INDIPOP
    (March 28-April 3)
    1.Tera Chehra/Adnan Sami (T-Series)
    2.DJ Doll/Various(T-Series)
    3.Ishq Ishq/ Rekha Bharadwaj (Music Today)
    4.Dance Masti Again/ Various (Times)
    5.In Search of Meer/Pankaj Udhas (Universal)
    6.Kabir/ Abida Parveen (Times)
    7.Ek Dard/Altaf Raja (Venus)
    8.Aika Dajiba/ Vaishali Samant (Sagrika)
    9. My Heart Is Beating/ Sukhdev (Cresendo)
    10.Non-Stop Party Shots /Various (Times)
    (Based on popularity and audio-CD sales.)

    Chura Liya Hai Tumne
    Fardeen must be singing this tune to Zayed Khan, the new female sensation. Celina Jaitley has been shooting with Fardeen for his home-production, Janasheen for what seems like forever. They are even planning their next home-production with her. Now it looks like Zayed is stealing this one too from Fardeen. A. Poornachandra Rao's quickie, Idiot, a remake of his Telugu film, to be directed by Deepak Shivdasani, has Zayed and Celina in lead roles. The film is to be shot in a start to finish 72-day rigorous schedule in Mumbai on real locations. Welcome to the Heat and Dust in this sultry summer.

    RAJIV RAI SETTLES FOR ARJUN RAMPAL!
    After some of the top-line actors (AKSHAY KUMAR, SANJAY DUTT, AJAY DEVGAN) demanded an astronomical sum of money, RAJIV RAI decided to settle for protégé ARJUN RAMPAL for his forthcoming Asambhav. Following his recent spate of super-flops, Rampal signed Asambhav for a paltry amount. The flick will also feature NASEERUDDIN SHAH and PARESH RAWAL in key roles, while the search for a girl is on. We hear he's kicking off shooting this May extensively in Switzerland and U.S.

    STARS GET SOCIAL!
    Unlike some stars who enjoy the shutterbugs going click-click as they visit charities and hospitals, here are two pardesi youngsters who avoid the media glare when it comes to social work. But our incorrigible sleuths found out. TARA SHARMA, currently in Mumbai shooting for MUKESH BHATT's 'Saaya' with JOHN ABRAHAM, is active with Magic Box, while RAHUL KHANNA, the new darling of stage show organisers (following his superb act at the Filmfare awards) is helping the S.P.C.A. Cheers.

    JOHN - BIPASHA: A TWIST IN THE TALE!
    JOHN ABRAHAM and BIPASHA BASU might not be as scorching an item as they used to be, but like all 'filmis', they've settled down to becoming "just good friends". (Where have we heard that before?) John realized that Bips wasn't looking for a matrimonial plunge and got a wee bit depressed. Realizing how hard it is to extinguish kindled passion, he's decided to remain good friends (whatever that encompasses!), at least till they're done with their existing lot of films together. The two were last spotted at The Mariott in a compromising position. When someone called Bipasha on her cell, it was John answering, "she is having a bath". But another wind brings us news that John and oomph-gal TARA SHARMA have become "very friendly" of late, following some underwater sequence they shot together for MUKESH BHATT's forthcoming Saaya. Like we mentioned earlier, we're not sure what industry friendships encompass!

    IS IT HER REAL DEBUT?
    It is not uncommon for starlets to conveniently forget about their seedy debuts! Take for instance, GRACY SINGH who made a sorry debut in Hu Tu Tu (before Lagaan) and JEEVIDHA who did a two-bit role in Taal (before Yeh Dil Aashiqanaa). The latest in this category is NANDINI SINGH who supposedly 'debuted' in the recent Ek Aur Ek Gyarah. Did she? Jogging our memory cells back, we more than recall her as the leading lady opposite VINAY ANAND (GOVINDA's nephew) in a certain MAHESH KOTHARE's B-grade dud, Lo Main Aa Gaya. And more recently, she did a desi MARILYN MONROE in a music video for the ARYANS.

    SUSHMITA SEN PROTECTS RANDEEP HOODA!
    MANISHA KOIRALA had cast RANDEEP (Monsoon Wedding) HOODA for her home-production, Paisa Vasool, co-starring best friend, SUSHMITA SEN. When Sush realized that Randeep's part was not meaty enough (it seems he's wheelchair ridden and gets bumped off by the villain), she perceived that it might be detrimental to his career and asked Manu to cast someone else. Instantly, SUSHANT SINGH was roped in. As with John and Bipasha, may we inform you that even Sushmita insists that Randeep is merely a "good friend"! Now, now!

    PERIZAAD ZORABIAN WITH VIJAY VERMA?
    The latest Tennents Beer hoardings and tele-commercials in U.K. are modeled on our Bollywood. The hoarding has upcoming actress PERIZAAD ZORABIAN in traditional attire clinging on to the handsome Indo-Brit hunk, VIJAY VERMA, while the name of the flick is Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Tennents. By the puzzled (and occasionally horrified) look on the British and Scottish passers-by, we're not sure whether the concept has helped the beer company!



    'My husband, Vipul, was humiliated'


    Erstwhile actress (Hasratein, Monsoon Wedding) informed us that her husband Vipul Shah (director of Aankhen) was humiliated by the authorities of the J.W. Marriot Hotel when he went there with his friends to watch the World Cup finals.

    BY SHOWBUZZ NETWORK

    We contacted Vipul. He lamented, "We were a group of 40 friends who decided to watch the final encounter on the big screen at J.W.Marriot. We had asked for reservations on Saturday morning but were told that it would be on first-come-first-serve basis. Shefali had personally made the call enquiring about the reservations. We had even suggested to them that we would come and pay an advance token amount so as to ensure our seats. But they'd refused, again citing their first-come-first-serve formula.

    When we reached there, we were told that we could not be accommodated as we had no reservations. We were flabbergasted, to say the least. A big argument ensued, where they told us that we could do whatever we wanted but they would not accommodate us.

    We were even refused a room when we asked for one. The purpose of having a room was to ensure that all of our friends sat together.

    The staff was extremely rude. I am sure that the union powers help the staff to have this I-care-a-damn attitude. The unpleasant incident smacks of unprofessionalism. We had to return home and thereafter make quick arrangements for food. It sure deflated our excitement. We still haven't gotten over the fact that the personnel of such a hi-fi hotel can be so impolite and gruff. How I wish we hadn't gone there. I have a big-screen TV at home. It was just that we thought it would be fun to freak out with friends and see the ball-by-ball proceedings sitting together. Alas!"

    We contacted Marriot for a clarification. All that the PR official said was, "It's an old thing. Why do you want our version? We do not wish to drag this topic any further."



    'The script of Deewar was changed at my behest!'


    With two releases (Ab Ke Baras and The Legend of Bhagat Singh) in 2002, newcomer Amrita Rao is on a comeback trail with Ishk Vishk. She has also become producer Gaurang Doshi's favourite gal!

    by Vickey Lalwani

    Both your films Ab Ke Baras and The Legend of Bhagat Singh didn't do well?
    Thanks for reminding me! But so what if they were turkeys at the box-office? I don't regret doing either of those. I am proud to have been a part of TLOBS structured on the legendary fighter. Also, I liked working in AKB for the simple reason that I had two diverse roles. I was confident of getting good offers soon.

    How excited are you about your forthcoming projects?
    Two plum projects - Main Hoon Na and Deewar - Let's Bring Our Heroes Home. And another one, Ishq Vishk is ready for release. Touchwood, I have not had to land at a producer's doorstep for work. Farah Khan had seen me in the 'Bru coffee' ad. She wanted to audition me, and being a choreographer, wanted me to dance. I haven't had any formal training in dancing, but Saroj Khan who did the choreography in AKB, had worked quite a bit on me. That helped, I guess. That is how Main Hoon Na happened.

    Are you comfortable donning tiny outfits?
    I am comfortable wearing anything glamourous as long as it does not look vulgar. There is a thin line between glamour and vulgarity. I know the threshold. I am open to swimsuits. In my profession, you cannot be restrictive about what to wear and what not to wear. You have to be flexible. Else you will be a loser.

    Going back on TLOBS. How was it working with Ajay Devgan?
    Reserved and cold is what I thought before we shot together. But I was wrong. He is a prankster! And a marvellous actor! Isn't he one of the best around?

    What is your role in Ishq Vishk opposite Pankaj Kapur's son, Shahid?
    Ishq Vishk was supposed to be my launch vehicle, but somehow the other films happened first. I play Payal Mehra who values hard work and honesty and yet lives in a dreamy part of her world, hoping that some day Rajiv (Shahid) would love her as much as she loves him.

    And in Main Hoon Na?
    I am opposite Zayed Khan, but I have many scenes with Shah Rukh Khan who plays his elder brother. Naturally, I am excited. But there is a small hitch. That film is going to be delayed in a major way. Shah Rukh's back surgery demands extensive rest.

    And Deewaar-...?
    This is a massive project and I have been strictly asked to remain tight-lipped about it. But hey! Do you know I had refused Deewaar? Initially, I did not have much to do in the film. I would have got lost between Amitji, Sanjay and Akshaye. Hereafter, I am not doing roles, which will sidetrack me. These guys changed the script at my behest and came back to me. I agreed only when I was fully convinced that the new version had scope for me to portray a gamut of emotions.

    Awaaz no.65

    Is Abhijeet right in demanding for a ban on Pakistani singers in India?

    SUDHA CHANDRAN
    Actress
    Not at all. If we do what he wants, we will disturb our national integration.

    AARTI CHHABRIA
    Actress
    No. We live in Gandhiji's land. If Pakis don't want our singers, it's their loss!

    KOENA MITRA
    Actress
    Bingo! We must pay them back in the same coin. Even in modelling, why are so many firangs welcome in India?

    KALPANA LAJMI
    Director
    No. Adnan Sami is a rage. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was an icon. Listening to them, people forget their worries.

    POONAM DHILLON
    Actress
    No. Art and culture have no boundaries. Besides, two wrongs do not make a right.


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