Gere or Branson, it’s Richard again!

Gere or Branson, it’s Richard again!



Richard Gere has competition. He is no longer the only one to twist and twirl around Bollywood actresses and give them pecks on the cheek .

Branson entered the reckoning when he shot with Neha Dhupia for a 16-minute film. He twisted her and twirled her, so much so that Neha’s skirt went akimbo. She also got a kiss for all that!

Says Neha, “It was a great experience meeting Richard Branson. In fact, I caught up with him on the rehearsal day prior to the actual event. It was very tiring that day but Richard was so humble and stayed on till 1.30 am. After a while, I walked up to him and asked him whether he was feeling tired. He smiled and told me that he would go on with the rehearsals.”

So, how much does the man know about Bollywood? “He told me that he has seen many big hoardings of a Bollywood superstar but he doesn’t know his name!” Neha says.

Now getting back to the story, how did the skirt-akimbo episode happened? “I had to perform a six-minute role in the 16-minute film which I was shooting with Richard. We had rehearsed the song Aaj ki raat but not on the next song Mauja hi mauja. So, when we got on the stage for the Mauja hi mauja song, I was very unsure how Richard would dance. But soon he charged on the sta1ge, did some smart bhangra steps and hugged me. Next I knew, he lifted me in his arms and twirled me around. For a few seconds, I just didn’t realize what was going on. I was completely shocked and also didn’t know when my skirt went upside down,” she says.

But Neha sees it as a fun act and doesn’t want it to be blown out of proportion. “I have taken the whole incident in the right spirit and I don’t think there was any harm caused to anyone. I would like to dance with him once again, but this time I will make sure that I am wearing trousers,” she laughs.

Neha is happy!

Neha is happy!

With her performances in Ek Chaalis Ki Last Local and now Mithya, Neha, finally seems to have got rid of her infamous Julie tag. And, she is now being called Sonam her character from Mithya. But Neha isn’t complaining. She says, Sonam is just fine with her, considering it has given her career the much-needed fillip. With critics and audiences alike raving about her performance, Neha certainly has a task at hand now. But challenges are fine as she says, "I’m loving it." Now, is she appearing for a fast-food joint ad or what?

I was happy being Mrs Bajpai: Neha

I was happy being Mrs Bajpai: Neha



Petite and pretty Neha, who was introduced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra in Kareeb, is back. The actress features in Sanjay Gupta's Alibaug and says when good offers stopped coming, she was happy being a wife.

"I've always been passionate about acting. But I couldn't go role hunting from door-to-door in producers' homes. Maybe that was a drawback in me. After a while, when the right roles stopped coming, I withdrew from acting and was just happy being Mrs. Manoj Bajpai," Neha told IANS.

The couple married legally in April 2006.

"But it didn't really matter. Manoj and I have known each other for 10 years. I met him right after Kareeb was released. And since then we've been together. We're individuals and yet a compatible couple. Now we've recently moved into our new home. Our own new home, just imagine."

House-proud Neha can't stop raving about her home. "I've done up the house piece by piece. And I still can't believe it's ours. Manoj and I don't need to socialise or go out to feel happy. We share long evenings of tea, silences and warm vibes right in our house. Nothing gives us more joy than to be together in our house."

The career can come as and when.

"I'm in no hurry. Yes, I'm passionate about acting. But I won't run after work. I never have. I'll wait for the right opportunities to come my way. Like Alibaug - it came to me when Sanjay Gupta asked Manoj about me while they were shooting for Dus Kahaniyaan.

"Gupta wanted to check me out to see if I suited the role of one of Sanjay Dutt's students. I guess I fitted the bill. Shooting Alibaug has been the most pleasurable phase of my career. Not that I've done so much work," she said.

Tell her that people were wondering where she was and she quickly retorts: "Come on, no one was missing me. I don't have a body of work. I wish I did. Hopefully, with so many kinds of films happening now I can find my space in cinema. Otherwise, there's always the space that I share with Manoj. Nothing can equal that."

Neha has reverted to her original name Shabana Raza. "I was always Shabana Raza. And that's how close family and friends have always known me. Neha was never me, it is too delicate a name to describe me. I'm far stronger."

Strangely, in Bihar, where her in-laws live, Shabana Raza is still remembered as Neha prancing around with Ajay Devgan in an obnoxious comedy called Hogi Pyar Ki Jeet.

"It was a big hit in Bihar. And whenever I visit the state with Manoj people remember me for my movie. So, for now that's my claim to fame," said the actress who played Hrithik Roshan's love interest in Fiza.

India’s first ‘Live’ movie to come out soon

India’s first ‘Live’ movie to come out soon

Zeenews Bureau

Mumbai, Feb 22: Gone are the days when months used to go into the making of a single movie, winds of change have started blowing in Bollywood and the reason being that soon we will have our very own ‘Live’ movie on television.

The movie will be scripted, directed and produced by Channel [V] and shot at Mumbai's MMRDA Grounds on the March 2 and will be aired at the same time.

Andaz Apna Very Hatke, the reality film will star Neha Dhupia in the main lead. Besides Dhupia, the film will feature other actors who will be selected through a nation wide talent hunt.

It will be a satire and will feature a rich and coy leading lady, a destitute hero, scheming family members, ruthless villain and suggestive rain soaked scenes, in short a typical pot-boiler.

This will be a unique experiment as there will be no retakes. Now this is going to be some hard-hitting reality for the movie buffs for sure!

I'm not beautiful, Aishwarya is: Neha

I'm not beautiful, Aishwarya is: Neha

Having won the ‘Fa’ Femina Miss India title in 2002, Neha Dhupia is indeed a beautiful lass and one among the pretty ladies in Bollywood today.

Although Neha has failed to leave an impact on Bollywood, she has left the imprint of being a sexy lady among the audience. Her beauty and sex appeal is not only a topic of discussion among her directors, but also the audience!

But here is the anti-climax; Neha does not consider herself to be beautiful at all!!

Believe it or not, Neha does not consider her to be beautiful, but says that she is average-looking.

Neha says, “I don’t consider myself to be beautiful, but my appearance is like the other girls in general. According to me, Lisa Ray and Aishwarya Rai are beautiful women.”

Recalling an incident of her childhood days, Neha says, “I was so fatty during my school days that no boy used to talk with me. Neither did anyone present me any gift. A reason for this could be that my father, who was in the Army, and my elder brother always protected me like bodyguards.”

All these notwithstanding, winning the Miss India title, Neha has proved to the world that she is not only beautiful, but also intelligent.

Anyways, it seems that the boys at Neha’s school must be repenting now. Had they presented Neha with gifts then, it might be possible that they could win her heart then!

Well, after learning about Neha’s story, we have begun wondering if the fantasy stories being shown on Indian television these days are inspired from her life.

Many of these soaps storyline revolves around beautiful girls who either resemble superstars or are maids waiting for the prince charming to come and propose their hands. Don’t you too think in a similar manner?

Neha Dhupia to play a bad girl in Singh is Kinng

Neha Dhupia to play a bad girl in Singh is Kinng

She's currently in the midst of rehearsing for the Max Stardust Awards scheduled for January 26.

"I'm not only performing at the show, I'm also anchoring it with Kunal Kohli," Neha Dhupia informs, adding with a smile, "And managing the dual responsibilities quite well."

Her new film Rama Rama Kya Hai Dramaa which released yesterday, strangely without any kind of promotion.

Sidestepping the question of differences with producer, Surendra Bhatia , she says, "I've been busy shooting for PNC's Raat Gayi Baat Gayi and perfecting my moves for the awards nite. My hectic schedule has left me with little time for anything else."

She's also juggling between Mumbai and Candolim, in Goa, where she has bought herself a holiday home. Dhupia who began her journey as a sex symbol with movies like Julie and Sheesha, has shrugged off the tag since.

Her forthcoming releases -Mithya, Maharathi and Raat Gayi Baat Gayi- are economically budgeted niche products and she's confident that a good film will always find an audience.

"Like Ek Chalis ki Last Local," she points out. "I was confident of it even though the trade was sceptical. It opened quietly but quickly picked up through word-of-mouth."

Bad is good
There's one big budget masala movie, Vipul Shah's Singh is Kinng that also toplines Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif.

"For the first time I'm playing a bad girl. The story revolves around a gang from Punjab settled in Australia. If the role is significant to the plot, screen time doesn't really matter at the end of the day," she asserts.

There's plenty happening on the professional life but on the personal front, the buzz is that she's split with her beau, squash champ Ritwick Bhattacharya . Simultaneously, there's also talk of an impending marriage.

"It's ridiculous, the media seems to be knowing more about my life than me," she laughs. "For the present, my focus is on my career."

Neha turns bad

Neha turns bad


She's currently in the midst of rehearsing for the Max Stardust Awards scheduled for January 26 that will take place in Mumbai. "I'm not only performing at the show, I'm also anchoring it with Kunal Kohli," says Neha Dhupia.

So what's happening in the professional front? "I've been busy shooting for PNC's Raat Gayi Baat Gayi and perfecting my moves for the awards nite. My hectic schedule has left me with little time for anything else.

" She's also juggling between Mumbai and Candolim, in Goa, where she has bought herself a holiday home. Dhupia who began her journey as a sex symbol with movies like Julie and Sheesha, has shrugged off the tag since.

Her forthcoming releases - Mithya, Maharathi and Raat Gayi Baat Gayi - are economically budgeted niche products and she's confident that a good film will always find an audience. "Like Ek Chalis ki Last Local," she says.

"I was confident of it even though the trade was skeptical. It opened quietly but quickly picked up through word-of-mouth.

" There's one big budget masala movie, Vipul Shah's Singh is Kinng that also toplines Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. "For the first time I'm playing a bad girl.

The story revolves around a gang from Punjab settled in Australia. If the role is significant to the plot, screen time doesn't really matter at the end of the day," she says.

On the personal front, the buzz is that she's split with her beau, squash champ Ritwick Bhattacharya. "It's ridiculous, the media seems to be knowing more about my life than me," she laughs.

"For the present, my focus is on my career.".

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Bollywood Forthcoming Film Rama Rama Kya Hai Drama : Neha Dhupia follows Madonna

Neha Dhupia has acted to in the forthcoming bollywood film 'Rama Rama Kya Hai Drama'. A bit disheartened that her film ‘Ek Chaalis Ki Last Local’ didn’t do well, actor Neha Dhupia recently visited a nature spa near Rishikesh below the Himalayas.

Neha Dhupia

“For a week, I disconnected myself from reality. It was thrilling to learn that international celebs like Madonna, Kate Winslet and Hilary Swank had also stayed in this out-of-the- world locale.

If you wish to read more about Neha Dhupia follows Madonna visit the link