Interviews

He is multi-faceted, mature and takes criticism in his stride. But Karan Johar has one problem - he is unable to come to terms with ageing and wants to remain young forever. "I woke up on my birthday and dyed my hair, feeling very old. The dye was a rude reminder that I'm inching towards my 40s. I've a youth fixation. I want to be forever young. Now, unfortunately I'll have to be wannabe young. It's vanity unfair, I tell you," Karan, who turned 35 this year, told IANS.

His Telugu film "Vanaja" has won 16 awards at over 60 international film festivals, but Rajnesh Domalpalli considers it "a shame" that he still hasn't been able to release it in his home state of Andhra Pradesh, let alone the rest of India. "To many of our distributors the word 'art film' is synonymous with leprosy. That is why we are now dependent on Western audiences and a US release before trying it once again back home in India," Domalpalli told IANS in an e-mail interview.

Sex as service charges is quite rampant in the entertainment industry, says model-turned actor Aryan Vaid, claiming he has been propositioned by directors and filmmakers. "I've been propositioned by directors and producers. But there was never any force involved. It was always nicely on the SMS or through a subtle pass at a party. All I had to do was say no, and that was it. But yes, today many wannabe models and actors make themselves easily available to designers and film directors. But let me tell you, it's purely by consent," Aryan told IANS.

The third season of his show "Koffee With Karan" is almost over, and this time too the dynamic Karan Johar managed to chat up with most big names from the industry except Aamir Khan and Salman Khan. And he regrets not having them on the show. "I would've loved to get Salman and Aamir. I regret not getting them on 'Koffee With Karan'. I have great regard for them as people and as individuals," Karan told IANS.

Motherhood has made a world of difference to Madhuri Dixit. From being a polite but almost aloof entity on the sets, she has become really gregarious. "Children do that to you," she said. "My sons have made me a fun person. Besides that, all the experiences that you go through in life make you mature enough to realise life doesn't have to be taken seriously all the time. My sons keep me on my toes," Madhuri told IANS in an interview.

After delivering a hit with "Apne", the Deols have decided to become a self-contained film producing concern with elder son Sunny getting again into direction years after "Dillagi". "We'll be consolidating our company. I'll be directing a film shortly," Sunny told IANS in an interview.

Sameera Reddy  seems to have found unexpected fame in West Bengal, what with one of the region's most prominent directors Buddhadeb Dasgupta having taken a fancy to her. After "Kaalpurush", she features in his quasi-satire on voyeurism "Ami, Yasin Arr Amar Madhubala", which heads for the Toronto Film Festival in September.

Actress Priyanka Chopra says she had a life-altering experience when she visited Tenga Valley in Arunachal Pradesh to record a special programme for a news channel. After her trip to the valley, she realises people in the film industry are too insulated and their entire time is taken up with shooting and catching flights.

Director Rahul Rawail has no regrets about making the raunchy sex comedy "Buddha Mar Gaya" despite discouraging verdicts, even as he prepares to base his next movie on the 2002 Gujarat riots. "I'm not making any apologies about the raunchy mood of the film," Rahul told IANS.

Former women's hockey coach Mir Ranjan Negi, who inspired Shah Rukh Khan's role in "Chak De! India", doesn't want to hog the limelight emanating from the movie's success. "I don't want to hog the limelight. This movie is not a documentary of Mir Ranjan Negi's life. It is in fact the story of a team that becomes a winning lot from a bunch of hopeless girls," Negi told IANS in an interview.

Amitabh Bachchan is happy he is being honoured with the National Award for his performance in "Black", but "sad" because Rani Mukerji didn't get the best actress trophy for her role in the movie. "She played the main protagonist and all the other performances were guided by her in the film. Our recognition came because of her and her incredible performance, Amitabh told IANS in an interview.

After Himesha Reshammiya it is singer Babul Supriyo's turn to face the camera for veteran Bengali director Tarun Muzumdar's next film. The crooner gives the credit for getting this offer to his trim figure. "I guess the fact that I lost 20 kg helped me get into the hero's bracket. Whether it's singing or playing the romantic lead, weight loss always helps big time," Babul told IANS.