Good sport
For a romance that spanned a couple of years and was considered the epitome of “cool”, John Abraham’s break-up with Bipasha Basu was bound to hit the gossip magazine headlines. But now Abraham feels it’s time people stopped looking at that and started seeing him as an actor. “I wish they’d ask me about something else,” he said referring to the barrage of questions over his relationship with Basu. There’s little happening on the silver screen immediately but, unknown to many, Abraham has teamed up with ace footballer Baichung Bhutia to start a football academy in Sikkim. “That has been postponed now,” said Abraham because of the earthquake. “What happened was unfortunate but I hope we can continue with our plans once the state has settled down,” said he. He added that he would have been playing football if he hadn’t turned an actor because “my father always encouraged me to take up sports.”
No thanks, Bollywood
His disdain for Bollywood is apparent in his gigs. India has been a send up for 29 years so there is no real need for stand up comedian Russell Peters to change his ideas just because he visited Mumbai. Peters said he was tired of flogging the same sets and jokes aside he wasn’t looking to India for inspiration. “I’ve flogged this pony. I don’t know what I’m looking for. I’m going to start talking about my kid now; my wife inspires me too,” said he. And despite a cameo in Akshay Kumar’s film, Peters insists that after “29 years of impeccable standards, I’m not likely to begin singing and dancing. I have nothing against actors... Having met some they are cool; they know what they do is corny but…..” That’s perhaps why, despite having sworn he’s bored with Bollywood, he couldn’t resist a few digs at some of the better names in town leaving behind some red faces and unpleasant memories. After all who wants to be shown the mirror even in jest?
Promoting Paris
For a supposedly mega watt event, it turned out to be disappointing. Socialite Paris Hilton did keep her date with the city, but instead of batting her eyelashes, did little else than pout her namastes and tell anybody who cared to listen that “India was a great place.” Hilton, whose first and last name, draws immediate attention in party circles on both sides of the globe, made a strategic call to a celebrity-starved nation to flog her business. Hilton, here to promote her line of clothes and bags, said she “was so glad to be here and for the days that I spend in India I shall dress only in Indian designer outfits.” She also added that she wasn’t averse to Bollywood. “I have been approached earlier you know, but who knows when I get a good script I may do a Bollywood film.” Hilton plans to start here with two stores and will open more depending on the response. Reacting to rumours about certain Indian talk show hosts refusing to have her on their shows, Hilton said “I’m here purely on business, only three days, and I don’t have the time for all this, but people love to make up stories about me,” she shrugged. Given her reputation, it’s clearly no skin off her back!
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