FIRST LOOK: Right Yaaa Wrong

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'Wake Up Sid' wakes up the box office

Ranbir starrer sidelines Govinda’s ‘Do Knot Disturb'

Debutant director Ayan Mukerji's charming "Wake Up Sid" about a young man and a woman five years older has not only wowed critics but pulled in the crowds too, sidelining the Govinda starrer "Do Knot Disturb".

The box office received a shock with Ashutosh Gowarikar's "What's Your Raashee" that released on Sept 25 but proved to be tedious for audiences with its length and 13 songs.

But the buzz is back with "Wake Up Sid", starring Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma, that released on Friday (Oct 2) along with "Do Knot Disturb".

"'Wake Up Sid' is doing extremely well. We've had an occupancy of more than 90 percent across 17 shows over the initial weekend and it is still going strong while 'Do Knot Disturb' had only a two-day run with close to 75 percent despite 16 shows," Amit Awasthi, manager (programming and operations) of Spice Cinemas at Noida, told IANS.

"We are expecting 'Wake Up Sid' to continue a good run at least until the Diwali weekend, which has major releases like 'Blue', 'Main Aurr Mrs. Khanna' and 'All The Best'. Though we have 'Acid Factory' on Oct 9, we are sincerely doubtful about its future in multiplexes," he added.

Made at a budget of around Rs.15 crore (Rs.150 million), "Wake Up Sid" has been produced by Dharma Productions Pvt Ltd and distributed by UTV Motion Pictures with around 700 prints worldwide.

"'Wake Up Sid' has had a very good occupancy and opening over the first weekend. It is a different movie for different people and is totally a multiplex movie. It is going to have an extended play," said a source from PVR Cinemas.

"It has done what 'Rock On!!' did last year... it has evoked people's hidden past and is so associative. While 'Do Knot Disturb', despite having almost the equal number of shows as the former (around six each per property) did have a good opening, but it fell flat in no time," the source added.

"Do Knot Disturb" has been co-produced by Vashu Bhagnani and Big Pictures and directed by David Dhawan. Released across 1,060 screens worldwide, it stars Govinda, Sushmita Sen, Lara Dutta and Riteish Deshmukh.

Yogesh Raizada, corporate head (cinemas) of Wave Cinemas, however, thinks it is too early to tell.

"We kept around 10 shows each for both the movies across different properties and the result has been around 60 and 80 percent respectively for 'Do Knot Disturb' and 'Wake Up Sid'," said Raizada.

"The response for the latter has been very good and this one is in fact sustaining too but, as far as the long run is concerned, nothing can be said as the business has mostly been done during the initial weekend," he added.

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In Pics: WAKE UP SID Promotion

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Wake Up Sid - Movie Review

Recall those years when partying hard was the only agenda on your list. Recall those years when staying awake at nights, chatting away with friends became a habit. Recall those years when bunking college and sneaking into movie halls was more exciting than books. Recall those years when you were completely clueless and aimless about the vocation you wanted to pursue once you graduated… That indecisive phase when you were hesitant to take that first big step in life can never be erased from your memory.

WAKE UP SID, directed by debutante Ayan Mukerji, is like revisiting those years that lay at some remote corner of your mind, after you moved on in life.

Actually, WAKE UP SID is a slice of life film. It's not merely real in concept, but has also been told most realistically, so much so that you can't help but draw parallels with your life or with someone you know. But what really makes WAKE UP SID most believable is Ranbir Kapoor, who's mastered the craft at such a young age.

Verdict? WAKE UP SID mirrors those years with flourish. This one's a simple story that strikes a chord instantly. Strongly recommended!

WAKE UP SID tells the story of Siddharth aka Sid [Ranbir Kapoor], a lazy, unmotivated slacker from Mumbai whose life undergoes a series of changes after taking his final year college exams. Sid's world is breezy, carefree and without any true responsibilities.

Sid thrives around his two best friends, Rishi [Namit Das] and Laxmi [Shikha Talsania], very rarely communicates with his mother Sarita [Supriya Pathak] and takes his father Ram Mehra [Anupam Kher] and all his hard-earned wealth for granted. Despite all these traits, Sid is an honest boy; sweet, funny and above all, a good friend.

Aisha Bannerjee [Konkona Sen Sharma], an aspiring writer from Kolkata, learns this soon enough when her path crosses with Sid's on her first day in Mumbai. Ambitious, well-read and driven, Aisha has come to Mumbai to realize her dreams as a writer. Despite their contrasting personalities, Sid becomes Aisha's first friend in the city.

As Aisha sets up her life in Mumbai, with the help of Sid and his gang, Sid allows for time to fly by over long drives, parties that stretch well into dawn, and endless hours doing absolutely nothing. But a series of circumstances and events compel him to take stock of his life and take a hard look at himself.

Let's not compare WAKE UP SID with anything you've watched before. Not DIL CHAHTA HAI. Not LAKSHYA either. Debutante director Ayan Mukerji narrates a story that you can relate to instantly and treats it with utmost care. A few moments linger in your memory and evoke bitter-sweet memories.

The first hour, right till the intermission, sweeps you off your feet. You get drawn into Sid's world instantaneously; you react to everything he does. But the post-interval portions slackens, courtesy the writing. The Rahul Khanna track, for instance, looks half-baked. Also, the story stagnates after a point and hence, the pacing gets very slow. It's only towards the finale that things perk up. Ideally, the film could've done with some trimming in this hour.

Ayan Mukerji packs in a solid punch in most parts of the film. The emotional moments especially gets you all moist-eyed. The humour too is well integrated in the sequences. Even the confrontation between the father and son is superb. Prior to that Konkona's birthday sequence is amongst the finest sequences of the film. Music [Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy] is melodious. Anil Mehta's cinematography is top notch. Niranjan Iyengar's dialogues are just right.

There's no denying that Ranbir Kapoor is a supremely talented actor, but in WAKE UP SID, he proves that he's amongst the best in the business today. No one could've portrayed Sid as effectively as Ranbir has enacted, that's for sure. This is an award-worthy performance.

Konkona is natural to the core and the best part is, she's so effortless. Here's another winning performance from this incredible performer. Anupam Kher is wonderful. Ditto for Supriya Pathak. Both shine in their respective parts. Namit Das and Shikha Talsania are perfect. Rahul Khanna doesn't get any scope.

On the whole, WAKE UP SID is a well-made film that should strike a chord with the youth mainly. A metro-centric film, the film should attract its target audience and should also prove to be the first choice of the elite/urban audience this Friday. Its distributors [UTV] have very rightly released the film at plexes of metros and mini-metros [instead of flooding the market with physical and digital prints], which in turn should only make this small film talked-about in days to come. Thumbs Up!

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Video: Making of Aaja Nachle - Part 01

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Video: Making of Aaja Nachle - Part 2

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Karan wakes up with Ayan and Ranbir

Producer Karan Johar talks about Wake Up Sid!, young director Ayan Mukerji and working with Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma.

“Wake Up Sid! is a very special film. Ayan took some time off to write the film. He called me one day and narrated it to me. He told me it wasn’t the quintessential Dharma Production film and I loved it because I wanted to break out of that mould anyway. Ayan’s film is small, special and simple. It is a film with its heart, gut and soul in place. It is not screaming opulence and melodrama. It’s a slice of life and coming-of-age story. It’s about characters, people and the city of Mumbai. All this has been woven into a film with a lot of heart. Each character in the film and the situations are very identifiable,” says KJo.

“There is a Sid in every home, there are parents who are concerned about their child’s potential and future and there is a girl who is trying to find her bearings in the glorious city of Mumbai. Ayesha represents that angst of wanting to prove your mettle in a city like Bombay. Ayan has beautifully integrated all these moments and characters in Wake Up Sid. I am very excited because it marks a new beginning for us at Dharma, a new age of cinema, cinematic space and me branching out,” says Karan as he explains the characters.

“It is the only Dharma film that has been shot entirely in Mumbai. So I won’t get the question of whether this film is targeted at the NRI audience,” he jokes.

“I have had no input whatsoever in Wake Up Sid! It is completely Ayan’s vision and baby,” he clarifies, adding, “I consciously decided to keep out of it. He is a decade younger than me. He has a different energy and sensibility. I decided I would be the wrong person to offer any input to this film, be it the music, execution or narrative. I think I am too old to be part of Wake Up Sid!”

About the stars of the film, he says, “I haven’t worked with Ranbir and Konkona before. When you see the film, you don’t think you are watching people act, you think you are watching people in a real situation. Ranbir is young, new, today, fresh and amazing in the film. He has it all in his DNA.”

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Ranvir and Koko to wed

News is Konkona Sen Sharma and Ranvir Shorey are all set to tie the knot this December.

The couple has been dating since the past 3 years when they first met during the shooting of Mixed Doubles. The odd couple have never been secretive about their relationship and are seen at many do’s together.

A source close to the actors said, 'They had been waiting for the right time and finally zeroed down on December 27th as the date of the wedding. Everyone is thrilled but they are being very hush hush about it. With Wake Up Sid releasing around the same time, she doesn’t want anything to affect the movies release.'

But an actor who has worked with Konkona in the past revealed, 'They are complete misfits as a couple, I remember during a wrap up party, Ranvir was completely sloshed and was behaving very badly with Konkona. I didn’t know why she was putting up with his behaviour and it seemed like it was everyday thing for them. I really wanted to knock some sense into her.'

When we contacted Ranvir Shorey, the actor refused to comment. If the news of their wedding is true, we wish the odd couple all the very best indeed.

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Exclusive: Wake Up Sid - Movie Trailer

Ranbir Kapoor's Wake Up Sid 1st Trailer

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In Pics: Konkana Sen Sharma inaugurates Disaster Management Vehicles

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I like reading gossip: Konkona

B-town is replete with examples of actresses who after establishing themselves as the latka-jhatka-masala-queens, try their hand at offbeat cinema in a bid to let the actor in them surface, and take charge over their glam-doll image.

But trust Konkona SenSharma to swim against the tide. Starting off with parallel cinema up her way to the commercial rung (read bigger banners), the actress has off-late ditched her non-glam avatar to metamorphose into a glamourous butterfly. From the sari-clad mom in Mr and Mrs Iyer to the more recent Luck By Chance and now Wake Up Sid, Konkona’s transformation is there for all to see. But mention this to the actress and she rolls her eyes in amusement.

“I’ve really never bothered about all that. I do films for fun, not to prove any point or show off my acting abilities,” she says. “My recent films are a pick of what was offered to me. I never intentionally went hunting for either types. If a story attracts me enough, I am on, irrespective of the banner, budget or genre!” adds Konkona, quick to defend her recent choice of glam-roles.

Going the glam way, she may be, but Konkona’s absolutely unfazed by the pressures of looking or acting in the conventional Bollywood heroine mould. “I just don’t see the point in becoming something that I am not. And I don’t feel the pressure of adhering to any such norm simply because I don’t feel like I belong to Bollywood. I feel like an outsider with one foot always out of the door. And I really like it that way,” she says.

Happy with the films that she has on her platter, Konkona unlike her peers, also revels in the fact that she’s ‘not at all ambitious’. A fact that Konkona admits worries her mom, filmmaker Aparna Sen, no end, but ‘that’s just the way I am.’ “I am very boring a person. Not at all passionate, very unlike mom. I am always looking for short cuts. In fact, I didn’t even want to be an actress. I’d have rather become a journalist or do something in advertising,” she reveals.

Ad world’s loss is filmdom’s gain? “No, no. I think there are some very talented actresses out there doing a fabulous job.” But now that she is a part of the ‘glam-race’ are there any filmmakers or roles hot on her list. “I would never go hunting for roles. The day I have to do that, I’ll just retire! But I’ll definitely love to work again with Mira Nair and am also looking forward to doing a film with ma later this year.”

And does direction ever figure on her list any time soon? “Well, I have directed a 15-minute short film in Bengali, but I am not ready for that kind of responsibility yet. May be in another 20 years, who knows?”

Definitely, not the types to plan out an agenda, Konkona reveals that she believes in taking life as it comes. “Life rarely goes according to plans, so I never plan anything for myself, professionally or personally.” Talking about personal life, does the constant intrusion in her private life offend her. “No, it’s just a part of being an actor, na. Even I am curious about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s personal life, so I understand. As for me, I don’t like to talk about my private life and I think people do respect that.”

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"Ranbir Kapoor is a very big star" - Konkona Sen Sharma

Konkona wonders how people are going to react to her pairing with Ranbir Kapoor in Wake Up, Sid.

"I'm getting to know Ranbir a bit only now after shooting for so many months. He's warm and sweet but we both keep in our own space. He's a very big star. And also a good actor. But most impressive is the fact that he knows everything about cinema, and not just acting. In front of him, I feel like a novice. Ranbir knows about camera angles and all. In fact they even took his suggestions on camera angles. People want to see how we look together. We come from different genres of cinema."

Konkona says she has no aptitude for the technical side. "I'm an actor, and quite comfortable in that role. I don't think I've any plans of directing a film."

She's all praise for her other co-star Farhan Akhtar too. "I've known him for a while. It's hard to say Luck By Chance is his third film as an actor. He's a natural."

Tabu was supposed to do Konkona's role in Luck By Chance, just like Konkona was supposed to be the lead instead of Tabu in Mira Nair's The Namesake. Is this her way of getting even? "You're investing too much power into the actors. I had heard Tabu was to do Luck By Chance. Even Page 3 was offered to other people. I was just happy to get both. Luck By Chance is such an intricately written script. The film has a lot of soul."

Although she doesn't like talking about it, her new home done up by Pavitra Rajaram occupies much of her creative space these days. More so since she was down with a viral attack which kept her confined to home. "I got this viral flu on the sets of Ayaan Mukherjee's Wake Up Sid. We were shooting in a closed air-conditioned set. And when one person got the fever, so did everyone else. We had to take a few days off. But I'm fine now. It's basically a coming-of-age story between me and Ranbir. No point in shooting when we're not there. When you're feeling sick you look sick on camera."

Early December in 2008 Konkona moved into her new house. "I was dying to move in. It's just fifteen minutes away from where I stayed earlier. It's much more spacious and far more organized. Funny as it may sound, in my head I am still living in cottages and bastis. Even my earlier place just had stuff cluttered all over. Now I was like bowled over because I've a real dining table."

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Mother's day plans of B'wood divas

Bipasha Basu: “One day isn’t enough to celebrate the joys of the mother. It is Mother’s Day every day for me. At the moment, I want to get my mother a new home. My favourite screen mothers are Farida Jalal and Reema Lagoo. They look so loving and warm.

Deepika Padukone: “I love my mother every single day. But my gift to her would be to spend more time with her. I’m sure she’d cherish that more than anything else.

Anoushka Sharma: “Each day one must appreciate all that a mother does. Mother’s Day is dedicated to showering your love and appreciation for the unconditional love she has provided. This Mother’s Day, I’d like to spend quality time with my mom over a nice meal. My favourite cine-maa: Jaya Bachchan. She never fails to come across as extremely warm, lovable and relatable.

Raveena Tandon: One doesn’t need a Mother’s Day to tell your mother you love her. Say it to her every day because you owe your existence to her. My mother’s birthday and Mother’s Day are a day apart. So, I get away by giving her one present and by throwing one party, ha ha! I realised the truth of the adage that a child gives birth to a mother when my own daughter was born. I spent the first night she was born gazing at her. She was so angelic and fragile that I wanted to protect her from the whole world. And then it occurred to me that some day she’ll grow up, rebel, perhaps answer back and break my heart. I realised how my mom must have felt whenever I fought with her. I caught up with her at 2 am and apologised to her a thousand times.

Urmila Matondkar: Mmmm....other! It’s a day like no other, a day to thank god he has given us the gift of a mother. It’s the day when I’ll tell her how much I love and appreciate her and also ask her forgiveness for all the time I take her for granted. My favourite cine-maa: Nargis in Mother India — loving, giving, forgiving and super-strong like my own mother.

Konkona Sen: On Mother’s Day, I’d like to present lots and lots of love to my mom for giving me the gift of life, so I could see life on earth. My favourite cine-maa is Rekhaji in Koi Mil Gaya.

Esha Deol: “Mother’s Day means a lot to me because my mother means the world to me. My world is my ma. The gift I’d like to give her is to try to be the best daughter in the world and never hurt her in any way and to look after her to the best of my ability. My favourite cine-maa? Jaya (Bachchan) aunty.

Vidya Balan: “I don’t really make a big deal about Mother’s Day. But this year I want to take mom out. My favourite cine-maa would be Nargis in Mother India. She embodies the mother-figure in every sense. She kills to protect her child and kills her child to protect him from himself. Wah!

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Ranbir - Konkona starrer Wake Up Sid to release on Oct 2

Karan Johar's Dharma Productions and UTV Motion Pictures today announced that they are all set to release its film Wake Up Sid on Oct 2, 2009. Wake Up Sid is produced by Karan Johar and distributed worldwide by UTV Motion Pictures.

The film is being directed by debutant Ayaan Mukerji and stars Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma. The music of the film has been composed by the celebrated trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

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Malaika Arora Khan, Lara Dutta and Dino Morea at the GQ Magazine launch

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Ranbir and Konkona in Karan Johar's next production!

Gee, what a pair! But there you have it. Saawariya star Ranbir Kapoor is all set to star opposite the twice National awarding winning Konkona Sen Sharma in a film that will be produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Production.

This highly unorthodox confluence of a Punjabi heir-apparent and the Bengali bohemian is being directed by Ayaan Mukherjee who's a cousin of Kajol. Ayaan has assisted Ashutosh Gowariker in Swades and Karan Johar in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.

Says a source, "It wasn't so much because Ayaan was Karan's pal, Kajol's cousin. It had more to do with Ayaan's script than anything else that clinched the deal. The minute Karan read it he fell in love with it."

But aren't Ranbir and Konkona coming together like the synthesis of Venus and Mars? "That's exactly the point. In this Mumbai-based romance about urban relationships, the director needed a pair that seems incompatible. The film is about seeking a level of compatibility in a world gone distinctly out of control."

Apparently, when Ranbir and Konkona heard the script, they immediately fell in love with the script. Now all they've to do is fall in love with one another on screen.

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Winners of IIFA Awards 2008

Best Actor
Shah Rukh Khan - Chak De India

Best Actress
Kareena Kapoor - Jab We Met

Best Film
Chak De India

Best Director
Shimit Amin - Chak De India

Performance in a Supporting Role (Male)
Irrfan Khan - Life In A... Metro

Performance in a Supporting Role (Female)
Konkona Sen Sharma - Life In A... Metro

Performance in a Comic Role
Govinda - Partner

Performance in a Negative Role
Viveik Oberoi - Shootout At Lokhandwala

Music Director
A.R. Rahman - Barso Re Barso Re (Guru)

Best Story
Jaideep Sahni - Chak De India

Lyrics
Javed Akhtar - Main Agar Kahoon (Om Shanti Om)

Playback Singer (Male)
Shaan - Jabse Tere Naina (Saawariya)

Playback Singer (Female)
Shreya Ghoshal - Barso Re (Guru)

Achievement in Indian Cinema
Mumtaz

Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema
Shyam Benegal

Outstanding Contribution by an Indian in International Cinema
A. R. Rahman

STYLE IDEA AWARDS
Abhishek Bachchan
Katrina Kaif and Neil Nitin Mukesh were also awarded special awards

Technical Awards

Best Cinematography
Sudeep Chatterjee (Chak De India)

Best Editing
Amitabh Shukla (Chak De India)

Best Sound Recording
Manas Choudhary & Ali Merchant (Chak De India)

Best Sound Re-recording
Anuj Mathur (Chak De India)

Best Screenplay
Jaideep Sahni (Chak De India) & Anurag Basu (Life…in a Metro)

Best Art Direction
Sabu Cyril (Om Shanti Om)

Best Special Effects
Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. (Om Shanti Om)

Best Costume Designing
Manish Malhotra, Karan Johar & Sanjiv Mulchandani (Om Shanti Om)

Best Makeup
Bharat-Dorris, Ravi Indulkar & Namrata Soni (Om Shanti Om)

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Konkona Sen Sharma bags Mira Nair's Shantaram

Konkona Sen-Sharma is really going places. After taking the elusive Tabu's place in Zoya Akhtar's directorial debut Luck By Chance, Konkona is treading into Tabu's territory once again. Konkona will play a small but vital part in Mira Nair's Shantaram.It would be recalled that Konkona was Mira Nair's initial choice for the much-lauded Namesake. The actress begged off for date's sake. Tabu stepped in.

Contrary to the flights of fancy in certain media circles about Mira Nair’s ambitious adaptation of Gregory David Roberts' bestseller Shantaram being aborted due to Johnny Depp’s fancy fee, the project is very much on.

Reacting with her usual chortle of incredulity talk back home, Mira says, "Alas, We have been stalled temporarily due to the crippling nature of the writers' strike in Hollywood. Johnny Depp assures me that this is just a pause, and that we'll rev up to go again once the strike is resolved. I’ve spent a year of creative endeavour in realising Shantaram, so I look forward to the time when it will all come together."

The cast which initially boasted of Bachchan with Depp now has, among others, the rapidly-rising Konkona Sen in a very special role. Divulges Mira, "In addition to Johnny Depp and Amitabh Bachchan, I'd confirmed Irrfan Khan in a major role and Konkona Sen for a one big dramatic scene. I've also been in talks with Prabhudeva, Arshad Warsi, Shreyas Talpade and Ranvir Sheorey. I'd also love to work with Pankaj Kapoor. We have such an extraordinary bunch of great actors in India!"

Mira should know. She worked with a slew of them in her career-defining musical Monsoon Wedding. And now as Shantaram gets shifted to end of 2008, Mira prepares to do a Broadway-styled stage adaptation of Monsoon Wedding.

Subash K Jha, IndiaFM

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Konkona to host 'My Brilliant Brain'

After doing some extensive work in Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Aaja Nachle , actor Konkona Sen Sharma will be seen hosting a television show.

She will be hosting National Geographic channel’s show My Brilliant Brain . Our source says, “National Geographic channel has approached Konkona to host a show for their new programme called My Brilliant Brain .”

The source explains that the show My Brilliant Brain is a programme that will profile individuals with extraordinary talent. Konkona was unavailable for comment but a source close to the actor says, “Konkona has been forbidden to talk about it.”

TNN

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A Conversation with Konkona Sen Sharma

Everyone is talking about Konkona Sen Sharma's outstanding performance in Laga Chunari Mein Daag (LCMD). Ram Kamal Mukherjee meets this sensational star over a cup of coffee

Ever since the promo of Laga Chunari Mein Daag hit the screen, people have been talking about the 'smooch sequence' with Kunal Kapoor. What’s your take on it?

Oh really? Well, the kissing sequence was an integral part of the film and so I did it. It was not that I was dying to do a kissing scene or a dance sequence in the film, but I didn’t want miss out on a good role by acting pricey.

You are playing the role of Rani Mukerji's younger sister in the film…

That's right. I loved the role when dada (Pradeep Sarkar) narrated the script to me. I thought the role was simple, yet had various shades. My character is called Chutki, a bubbly girl. She is aware of the fact that her family is going through some crisis and it is how she grows to be an independent woman.

You have played lead roles in many Bollywood films, why did you agree to play a glorified second fiddle in LCMD?

I would never sign any film, if I were not convinced about my role and the film in totality. I would also not be part of a film where I had nothing to do. I loved dada's Parineeta and wanted to work with him. I agree, I played a second lead, but I loved the role because of it's modern outlook. My character undergoes a change when she moves from Benaras to Mumbai to work.

Apparently, you had tears in your eyes after watching the film for the first time…

That's so unlike me. I mean I don't cry watching my own film, but I did have tears this time. It runs on a strong emotional note and fans of Pradeep Sarkar won't be disappointed. Everyone in this film has given outstanding performances. Jayadi (Bachchan) is fantastic, while Abhishek is brilliant.

Buzz18

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