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Posts tagged ahmedabad
Balaatkar and rape are used in different contexts-Chetan Bhagat
04 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Chetan Bhagat takes us through the twists and turns of his Kai Po Che journey and tells us why ‘balaatkar’ jokes should be read in the ‘right context’
MUMBAI MIRROR (January 5, 2013)
You have often said that The 3 Mistakes of My Life is the most special of all your books. Is it because it got you positive reviews for the first time? It is my most ambitious project because it takes a difficult subject and turns it into something that is popular mass fiction entertainment. I had an established image of a writer who writes about the metro youth. I wanted to change that. I had lived in Gujarat when it was peaceful. And I was impressed by the spirit of entrepreneurship there. After I left Ahmedabad, there was the earthquake and then the riots, and I realised, this was not the Gujarat I had known. And I wanted to write about it. This was not for my target audience, but for myself, and the people of Gujarat who were in the news for all the wrong reasons. It took plenty of courage, but I did it. Though it was my first book about a controversial issue, I had to keep my core audience happy and blend the fun and romance with some gravitas. I had other projects where I could have fun. That comes easy to me because I have a flair for wit. This was tougher and hence more satisfying.
Was it tough striking a balance between your creative urges and commercial considerations? When I wrote my first book, Five Point Someone, there was no commercial pressure. By the time I wrote my third, More >
Scared of being mobbed (again), Bipasha flees the show
05 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Mehul S Thakkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 14, 2012)
Despite ten years in the industry, Bipasha Basu is still trying to adjust to large crowds. On Tuesday, scared of being mobbed, she fled an event.
This is not the first time Bipasha has faced the ‘mob’ menace. The year started with the actress reportedly getting ‘mobbed’ in a mall in Bangalore. Sources claimed, it was just the sight of the people outside the store she was visiting that frightened her. This was followed by several other ‘mobbing’ reports. Be it during the promotional tour of Raaz 3 in Ahmedabad or during an event in Surat where she was ‘rescued’ by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
On Tuesday too Bips wasn’t pleased with the security arrangement. After giving the organisers an earful, she left soon after. “Things were pretty chaotic,” she told us.
Neha Dhupia’s iPad robbed in Ahmedabad
05 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; December 1, 2012)
Neha Dhupia’s iPad got stolen in Ahmedabad earlier this week. The actress was in Gujarat on Monday to attend a luxury car showroom event opening. While going about the proceedings and addressing the audience, she had kept it with her manager. But due to the large milling crowd, someone flicked it and disappeared in the rush.
Says a source, “A lot of people had gathered around when they realised Neha was to be present. Someone seems to have taken advantage of the situation and picked it up.” Adds the source, “As soon as Neha realised it, she panicked as it had all her bank information. Her online banking details were configured on it. There were also plenty of personal pictures, her date diary and contact list. A frantic search was immediately launched but due to the huge crowd it was difficult to trace the culprit.” Neha immediately launched a police complaint as well. The source continues, “The local police is still looking for the culprit.” While leaving for Ahmedabad from Mumbai, Neha was feeling unwell as she had a toothache and the robbery only made her feel worse. Her representative has been in constant touch with the cops over the issue.
Meanwhile Neha had to leave for Bali on Wednesday so she’s keeping tabs on the case from there. She’s hoping the cops find the culprit as the person might misuse her personal data.
Exhausted Bipasha Basu taken to Lilavati
08 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
The actress succumbed to the extensive travel routine for Raaz 3 promotions and was wheeled into the hospital yesterday
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 13, 2012)
She’s had a hit after quite some time in Raaz 3. However, Bipasha Basu is in no condition to enjoy her moment under the sun.
Mirror has learnt the actress was wheeled into Lilavati Hospital in Bandra yesterday afternoon. According to an eyewitness, she looked terribly weak and was immediately taken to the 11th floor of the hospital and put on saline. Bipasha is suffering from exhaustion due to the extensive travelling she had to undertake to promote her latest film.
A senior doctor from Lilavati told Mirror, “Bipasha has high fever. We are trying to establish the cause and tests are being carried out for the same. However, her vital parameters like blood pressure and pulse rate are normal now.”
A friend of the actress said, “Bips was feeling very uneasy since Tuesday morning. By Tuesday afternoon, she had fever and medicines didn’t help bring it down. By morning the next day, she had no choice but to get admitted.”
Blaming Bipasha’s condition on the relentless pre and post promotions of Raaz 3, the friend said, “We travelled to Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Delhi and Dubai over a span of nine days. The travel took a heavy toll on her health. Her blood pressure had also dipped on Wednesday morning.”
Ameesha Patel to attend dandiya fests across India
08 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
The actress has been invited to attend several dandiya utsavs across the country
MID-DAY (September 7, 2012)
With the dandiya festival just a month away, Ameesha Patel is the new favourite celebrity among the Gujaratis. The actress being a Gujarati herself has a huge Gujarati fan following and is loved by audiences from Surat and Ahmedabad.
According to sources, “Ameesha has already committed her visit to several venues where she will make appearances and please her fans with her presence on stage besides wishing all her fans. Ameesha’s new image makeover has made people want more of her and the actress is geared up as she always has been during each dandiya season.”
Post her sunglasses endorsement with the brand Glamstar for which the actor has received an amazing response, the sources further adds, “She is already being flooded with offers from various other brands which she will finalise soon and make a formal announcement.”
Bipasha Basu harassed in Ahmedabad
08 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Shubha Shetty (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 31, 2012)
Bipasha Basu, kicked about her upcoming film Raaz 3, is going all out with its promotional activities. But her recent experience at an event in Ahmedabad, may make her slow down for a moment. According to sources in the city, a couple of days back, during a meet-and-greet event, the actress was harassed by the audience. “Seeing Emraan Hashmi, Esha Gupta and Bipasha on one stage, the crowd got out of hand. Bipasha bore the brunt of it. One fan tried getting too close to her and pulling her skirt. She was even injured in the process,” said the source. The actress we were told, hurt her right hand trying to escape the madness.
However, the spokesperson for the film, while admitting that the fans got a bit out of control, denied that Bipasha was targeted. “She wasn’t the only one. People were pulling at everyone’s clothes,” said the spokesperson and confirmed that the actress did injure herself in the process.
Incidentally, not so long back, Katrina Kaif was reportedly manhandled in a mall in Ahmedabad where she was promoting her film Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani.
Bipasha too has had to face such unhappy incidents in the past. The first time was in a nightclub in Juhu, where an unidentified man molested her. Her then boyfriend John Abraham had chased the man and beaten him up.
Later, it was reported that she was molested at a Durga puja event in Mumbai.
When she had gone to New Jersey, as a guest for the India day parade, the More >
Ajay Devgn to host Narendra Modi on Aug 31
18 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Meena Iyer (BOMBAY TIMES; August 29, 2012)
Ajay Devgn and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi have a very cordial equation going. They have been there for each other on numerous platforms — both business and personal. One also hears that they pick up the phone from time to time just for a little private chit chat.
The latest in this chapter is that Ajay, who is currently shooting in Hyderabad for Himmatwala, will take a charter to Ahmedabad on August 31 to host a party for the leader, who is hosting a hangout session on a social networking site that day.
Modi is the third world leader after US president Barrack Obama and Australian prime minister Julia Gillard to organise a hangout session. And since these two actually enjoy hanging out with each other, the actor has decided to host the politico’s do in Ahmedabad that evening.
Jackie Shroff unleashes a new avtar
09 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
The actor, along with industrialist Mihir Pandya will build a mini film city in Ahmedabad that promises to be a refreshing change from Mumbai’s film studios
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 11, 2012)
Jackie Shroff is going places. His film career is looking better than it has in a long time. And now, the actor has partnered industrialist Mihir Pandya on a revenue sharing basis. The duo will build a mini Film City near Nal Sarovar in Ahmedabad in Gujarat. The original plan though was for Jackie to be just the brand ambassador of the studio. However, recently, Pandya had a major fall out with Kishansinh Solanki, originally slated to be partner.
Telling Mirror how it happened, Pandya said, “Solanki is no more in this venture. Jackie has joined me but I can’t reveal the ratio of the revenue sharing arrangement. The land is nearly 18 acres. We will also be constructing a club and a resort.”
Jackie confirmed his involvement in the project saying, “I will be mainly working on the design of the studio. We plan to have eight to ten units. It should be fun. It’s a challenge.”
Pandya said Mumbai’s film studios are rather monotonous but this particular film city in Ahmedabad will bring about a welcome change. “It’s early days yet, but we have big plans. Jackie and I also plan to jointly produce Gujarati films,” he said.
It is learnt that facilities including a tennis court, hotel, joggers’ park and swimming pool are also being More >
Heat stalls Kai Po Che shoot
012 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Kunal M Shah (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 23, 2012)
If you think it’s hot in Mumbai, Ahmedabad is much worse. As the unit of UTV Spotboys’ film Kai Po Che, which has been shooting in the city for the last 20 days, will vouch for. They’ve all been suffering from heat stroke. Two of the lead actors Sushant Singh Rajput and Amit Sadh collapsed and shooting has been stalled till they recover. Manish Hariprasad, Creative Director, Studios, Disney UTV said, “It’s around 47 to 48 degrees here. We are shooting in authentic locations sans ACs and vanity vans. While shooting the kite flying scene on the terrace of a haveli in old Ahmedabad, the heat took its toll on the two lead actors. They are recovering now.”