BOLLYWOOD BUZZ October 2003
BY GITANJALI CHAK & RAJNISH SHARMA
POOJA BHTT IS MRS. MAKHIJA
Pooja Bhatt may be neck deep in the making of Paap (Sin), her first film as director, but that hasn't stopped her from going ahead and taking the plunge in holy matrimony. Yes, the spunky actress turned filmmaker surprised everyone by marrying her latest buddy with whom she shares a "creative rapport", 39-year-old restaurateur Munish Makhija better known as the Channel V video jockey Udham Singh, in a temple in Goa. Love reportedly blossomed in the picturesque hills of Himachal Pradesh where Pooja was busy shooting her film. And guess what was the first thing Pooja did when Munish proposed to her? No, the cool gal didn't jump with joy, she simply sent an SMS to her maverick father Mahesh Bhatt asking him for his permission to marry. Daddy dear of course gave his nod but stayed away from the ceremony as "I don't believe in the institution of marriage." Surprising, since he's been married not once but twice over!
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WEDDING BELS FOR KARISHMA TOO
Wedding bells are ringing for someone else too: Karisma Kapoor, whose next release after a hiatus, is quite appropriately titled Mere Jeevan Saathi! The actress who went into hibernation following a broken engagement with Abhishek Bachchan, has resurfaced to announce that she is marrying her childhood friend, 32-year-old Delhi-based industrialist Sunjay Kapur, a divorcee. The guy reportedly loves his celebrity bride-to-be for her "simplicity and unstarry nature" It seems to be a classic case of opposites attracting as Sunjay is supposed to be a flashy, party-loving, polo playing type who says he never watches movies! But Lolo dear is not complaining and says that she has at last found her soulmate. " I don't know when friendship turned into love but I do know that I'll be very happy with him," she asserts.
Incidentally, Sanjay's ex-wife Nandita Mehtani is very close to Dino Morea, Bipasha Basu's ex-lover! Wonder where all this leaves poor Abhishek. There are rumours though that he too is set to tie the knot with an NRI girl. But we'll just have to wait and watch. Till then, kuch naa kaho!
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MAHIMA PLAYS FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE
It certainly is the kindest role that Mahima Chowdhary has ever played. What's more, it's a real life one. As tennis ace Leander Paes lay in an Orlando hospital in the US, being treated for what was initially diagnosed as a brain lesion, Mahima sat by his bedside day and night, praying that her boyfriend did not have cancer ? the doctors suspected that he might be suffering from the dreaded disease. Mahima's prayers were answered when the doctors finally declared that it was a parasitical infection. "We both broke down," says Mahima and reveals that the ordeal has brought the two closer than ever before. "We have realised that life is too short to for meaningless meanderings, how fragile it is and that we must treasure it," she says emotionally. A smashing off-court partnership surely!
Incidentally, Kareena Kapoor has been quoted as saying that she finds Leander "very hot!" Mahima, are you listening?
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DREAM DIRECTORS FOR ALL STARS
While the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai may be every director's dream, here is one filmmaker who has become the dream director for all Bollywood stars after he cast Ash in the Bengali movie Chokher Bali. Yes, we're talking of Rituparno Ghosh who has finally zeroed in on Anil Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor to play husband and wife in his debut Hindi film. Manisha Koirala is also rumoured to be doing a role in the movie. Meanwhile, want to know what Ghosh's dream is? Well, to work with the star of the millennium Amitabh Bachchan of course! And the elated director says that his dream is finally coming true. Big B has agreed to act in Ghosh's second Hindi film. What's more, he has also been able to rope in Jaya Bachchan to play "Amitda's" wife in it.
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