Nana Patekar turns cops again

A still from Shagird

Bollywood actor Nana Patekar's special connections with the police helped the team of Tigmanshu Dhulia's " Shagird" in shooting at key locations, including the iconic India Gate, in the capital.

In "Shagird", Nana plays ACP Hanumant Singh, a cop based in Delhi. To shoot at some locations in the capital, the crew was required to go through long procedures of paperwork and permissions. But thanks to Nana, the Delhi Police extended great help and security, said a source.

"Nana has studied figurative art from JJ School of Arts. He has always been very fond of art since childhood and was planning to pursue a career in the same field. Although destiny had something else in store for him and he found himself doing theatre.

"Nana continued with his sketching in a very productive manner. He started to help the police force and worked closely with them during the Mumbai riots which was of great help to them. Even after the riots, Nana offered help to the police as and when required. So they are nice to him," said a source.

Director Tigmanshu Dhulia was pleased at the help they received.

"While shooting for the film I usually found police to be very warm to Nana Patekar. I thought for a long time it was because they love him as an actor. However, later I realised that he had a very special bond and thus permissions never were a hassle for us," he said.

Nana's connections with the police also helped him to accompany a cop to a real life encounter location to understand the characteristics and body language of an encounter specialist.

"Shagird" will release May 13.

Manjari thought Darsheel was a brat!

Manjari Phadnis and Darsheel Safary in a still from 'Zokkomon' 

After impressing everyone with a stellar cameo in Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na, Manjari Fadnis is eagerly awaiting her next big Bollywood project Zokkomon, where she shares screen space with Darsheel Safary.

And the actress admits that she thought Darsheel was a very naughty kid before she started shooting for the film. "I thought that he must be a real brat but I soon realised that he is a wonderful child. We had an amazing time on the sets and in between shots, we did a lot of masti. Both of us being Shiamak Davar students, we had a blast dancing away to heart's content by playing music in full volume! I play Darsheel's guardian angel in the film. I am talkathon personified in real life and had a lot of fun chatting with him," shares Manjari.

Why is she doing a Hindi film after so long? "I did get several Bollywood offers after Jaane Tu..., but none of those were roles that excited me much. I was very clear in my mind that after doing such a good project, it had to be something really nice or nothing at all. The fact that Aamir Khan himself recommended my name for Zokkomon to director Satyajit Bhatkal, his friend, makes me feel very proud. I want to be selective and do some great work, whether it's in Bollywood or Telegu films. I enjoy doing romantic comedies the most. I am a romantic at heart and believe that if guided properly, I can really excel in that genre," says Manjari.

Mutton song is back as an item number

Luv Ka The End

"Mutton song", an item number from upcoming film " Luv Ka The End", not only has the lead actor grooving to it, but the choreographer has also roped in old-time extras to shake a leg.

"The song is mad and the casting is special. Everyone is bringing remixes of old songs, but our choreographer for this song, Adil Sheikh, has brought back old back-up dancers. It was great working with them," Ashish Patil, head of Y-Films, the youth division of Yash Raj Films told IANS.

Some of the dancers are Bulbul, who featured in "Laila o laila" in " Qurbani" as an African, and Deepak, who danced with Vaijantimala in the song "Honthon mein aesi baat" in "Jewel Thief".

The song, which features Taaha Shah dressed in a ghagra-choli, dancing like a woman, has been composed by Ram Sampath, sung by Krishna Beura and has lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya.

"Krishna brings's soul and spirit to the song. Mostly item songs become gimmics. At a superficial level it is also a gimmick, but it takes a great singer to sing it. I always use singers who can sing. I refuse to use singers who are doctored in the studios," said Sampath, adding Krishna has warbled in five different voices for the song.

The song is basically a qawwali with a contemporary twist.

"Love Ka The End", releasing May 6, is a romantic comedy starring Shakti Kapoor's daughter Shraddha Kapoor along with Taaha. The movie has been directed by Bampi.

Salman Khan disguises, walks Colaba streets

Salman Khan in Bodyguard

Salman Khan managed to walk through the crowded streets of South Mumbai for a scene in his film, without being noticed.

Remember how Aamir Khan had shot a sequence in Dhobi Ghat amidst the crowded Mohammed Ali Street in Mumbai with the people around him being completely unaware of his presence. Now Salman Khan has done something similar for his next film Bodyguard .

Just last week the crew of Bodyguard shot a sequence with Salman Khan walking across Colaba streets and Flora Fountain area during peak office hours. This area in South Mumbai is supposed to be one of the most crowded places but Salman Khan managed to walk through the streets without being noticed and creating hullabaloo.

Says a source associated with the film, "Salman Khan had no security around him which could have controlled the crowd in case they had noticed the superstar. And considering Salman's mass-appeal, it would have created a commotion. However the team took the risk of shooting in actual location with real crowd rather than junior artists, to get a realistic feel to the scene and was successful in their attempt". Special hidden cameras were installed atop surrounding buildings to capture the sequence.

Aamir offered me a job: Chintu

Aamir Khan with Chintu Chaurasia during Ghajini days

Not many know that Aamir was the one who introduced Chintu to the gloss and glamour of the B-town.

Fondly recalling his first meeting with the actor, Satyajeet says, "The lure of arc lights drove me to Mumbai from Nagpur. I was luckily present at the shooting of Aamir's movie Ishq in 1997 when I garnered his attention with my mean, muscled look and toned body. He immediately sent a spot boy and called for me.

After the introduction, much to my awe, Aamir offered me the job to be his physical trainer and asked me to shift to Mumbai. I was floored by his down-to-earth demeanour and just couldn't believe my luck. That's how my association with Aamir and my innings as a celebrity fitness trainer began."

Anushka to marry a Delhi guy?

Anushka Manchanda is reportedly going to marry a Delhi hotelier named Gaurav Arya next year. Apparently, the VJ-singer heads to the capital every chance she gets, but is keeping her relationship a secret.

However, a close friend of the singer reveals, "Anushka and Gaurav have many things in common. Both share a love for motorcycles and music. Both are from Delhi so they have a huge circle of common friends; they can hang out together in a big group and nobody suspects that they're having a scene. They're serious about each other and a formal announcement will be made soon."

When contacted, Anushka said, "Gaurav is one of my closest friends. We met very recently so there's nothing really to talk about, except that we have a blast when we hang out." Terry Manchanda, Anushka's mother, told TOI, "My daughter and I are very close, and she's always shared everything with me. Gaurav Arya and Anushka have no plans of getting married. They're just best friends. Anushka met him three months ago in Goa during a show. Since then, they've been meeting on and off." Apparently, Gaurav's developing a hotel in Goa and that's how he keeps meeting Anushka there.

Adds Terry, "Also, Anushka has told me that she has no plans to get married for another two years." Anushka's been in the US and returned last night.

Radcliffe praises Gaga for gay rights stance

Actor Daniel Radcliffe has praised pop star Lady Gaga for supporting gay rights in such an "outspoken" and "flamboyant" style.

Radcliffe has long supported the Trevor Project, an organisation aimed at suicide prevention among gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youths, while Gaga has been vocal as a gay rights advocate since she shot to fame, reports contactmusic.

"She's very outspoken... and it's just about being who you were born as. It's wonderful that other people are coming out from all different spectrums in support of gay rights. I mean, she has a slightly more flamboyant way of putting her point across than I would, and it suits her a lot better than it would me. But we're both aiming for the same thing," he said.

AR Rahman can't perform in Delhi

After his series of concerts around the world last year, AR Rahman is back in the country and has two concerts planned next month, one in Nagpur on May 15, and the other in Bangalore on May 29.

The original plan was to have a five-city tour instead of just two, which included concerts in Delhi and Ahmedabad. But here's the sad bit – even though Rahman was keen on having a concert in the capital, the unavailability of a ground minus any logistical hassles lead to Delhi being dropped.

A source says, "Delhi was one of the cities the concerts were planned for. But logistical issues always create problems for big events in Delhi. No suitable ground could be found. Either the price for the ground was too much, or getting permissions was extremely difficult. Plus, the cancellation of Bryan Adams' concert and his experience in the capital has become a huge lesson for musicians looking to perform in Delhi-NCR. Who wants to risk going through an experience like that? Agar itne bade firangi performer ko mushkil ho sakti hai, toh how can an Indian performer manage? Delhi's no longer conducive to any performance or a big entertainment event."

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