Racy exit for Saif, Bips

It was supposed to be a starry conclusion to a high profile racing tourney, what with Bollywood stars Saif Ali Khan and Bipasha Basu arriving to give away the awards. All was well in the beginning as a smiling Bipasha and Saif were escorted to the VIP section from where they cheered for the horses.

When time came to reach the enclosure where the awards were to be given away, some youngsters in the crowd were so taken by Bipasha’s presence that some cat-calling started: ‘Bipasha, bidi jalay le!’, ‘Item girl!’

What could have easily been overlooked as harmless attention seeking, not an unusual feature when a Bollywood star is sighted, became an issue. A clearly irritated Bipasha left the venue soon after without giving away any awards. Saif followed her out of the venue and also left.

When contacted, Vivek Jain, the Chairman of the RWITC, said though he was present for the function, he was not aware whether or not Bipasha and Saif were supposed to give away any awards. “But they were there during the ceremony and in fact, I myself gave Bipasha a memento.” When asked why Bipasha and Saif didn’t stay back for the final awards in the paddock as is the norm, Jain said that for this once the ceremony was held on the main track instead of the paddock.

When we finally got through to Bipasha Basu, she said, “It was all good. And the race was really good. I did not face any problem. Saif was there too and he also was comfortable.”

Aamir, Javed Akhtar for CWG

Bollywood star Aamir Khan and lyricist Javed Akhtar will be among a host of celebrities promoting the upcoming Commonwealth Games through an audio-visual campaign.

The audio-visual campaign, for which the CWG Organising Committee has tied up with Network 18, will be launched tomorrow and it will have a host of personalities from a variety of fields. Pledging support for the Games, Khan said, "the CWG is around the corner and we as Indians should do everything possible to make our guests, coming from all over the world, feel welcome and comfortable."

"I wish all Indian sportpersons very best," the actor said. Akhtar said he wished the country "all the very best" as it is hosting the Games for the first time.

The audio-visual campaign is aimed at building a crescendo for the mega sporting event and sensitise people about doing their best in making the Games a comfortable one for those coming from abroad. The organisers are tightlipped about the other celebrities participating in the event.

Bebo lights up Chanderi

Kareena Kapoor was elated when the weavers of the remote Chanderi village in Madhya Pradesh had gifted her a gorgeous hand-woven black and gold saree, which she even wore for a press conference of 3 Idiots.

However, she was saddened by the fact that there was no electricity whatsoever in the village because of which the weavers had no choice but to work in darkness with only candles as a source of light. Moved by their plight, Kareena has now given them a Rs 3 lakh (approximate) cheque to raise a solar energy plant and within two months the village will have electricity.

A source said, “Kareena had gone to Chanderi village in MP with Aamir Khan for the promotion of 3 Idiots. The weavers gave her the handmade saree and she also had dinner with them. However, she realised that it was extremely difficult for these workers to weave as there was no electricity in their village.

Consequently, she has now given the cheque to the village officials and is also speaking to several Bollywood friends to join her in the cause to bring electricity to all villages in the country. She didn’t want to only talk about it but to also come forward and do something constructive.”

Kareena said, “I was a little shocked to see how these people work. At the end of the day it’s our country and I learnt that there are about 100 villages in the country which have no electricity. I have handed over a cheque to the concerned authorities to build a solar energy plant. It’s a nominal amount but it can bring smiles to many faces, which is why I wanted to do this. I am told that in about two months, the plant will be built and there will be electricity in Chanderi.

I am also going to ask my friends in the film industry to come forward and make a difference,” she said.

Rajesh Roshan with YNE...

Weddings are private: Rahul’s sis

The Mahajans have a way of making it to the headlines. This time it is Rahul, who tied the knot, for the second time, with a 21-year-old Bengali model and item girl in a televised event on Saturday which was attended by his mother, but not his sister.

Poonam Mahajan-Rao, who had always stood by her elder brother during the darkest phases of his life - the drug scandal for instance – was missing from the scene.

This sent the media and commentators in a tizzy, as Rahul and his spokespersons found themselves struggling to deal with speculations that Poonam, who is a BJP youth wing leader, wanted to stay away from the reality drama.

After considerable effort, Mirror managed to speak to Poonam. “I am a very private person, and for me, an event like a marriage is a private affair.” However, Rahul’s ‘private affair’ was a high-voltage mega-TRP-driven event with millions watching it live as it unfolded. When asked why she didn’t join in the much-watched ceremony, Poonam defended, “I am the kind of person who prefers to sit at home rather than make a show out of things. I even keep my son’s birthday party as private as possible. That’s how I am.”

Incidentally, Poonam was very much around when Rahul married his childhood sweetheart Shweta in a private ceremony in 2006. They divorced two years later.

Speaking about her own wedding which was a low-key affair, Poonam said, “Ten years ago, I made a choice of getting married to the person I wanted to. Now, Rahul has made his choice and being his sister support him entirely.”

When asked if there are any differences within the Mahajan family over Rahul’s choice and decision, Poonam said, “Rahul is my elder brother and his decisions are totally his. I will be there for him just like I’ve always been there for him, even during the tough times. I wish him all the luck with this marriage. Together, we want to take forward our father’s legacy by helping each other.”

Not just Poonam, missing from what was purported to be Rahul’s big day was his uncle Gopinath Munde, BJP national general secretary and MP. Munde has been constantly by the side of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan’s family since he was shot dead three years ago by younger brother Pravin.

BJP sources said Munde along with national president Nitin Gadkari and leader of state legislature Eknath Khadse were in Nashik for their felicitation. “The felicitation programme was finalised few months ago and Munde had accepted the invitation. In fact he made it a point to attend the Nashik event as his absence at previous felicitation event in Aurangabad was being blamed on intra party tussle with Gadkari,’’ a party leader remarked.

But the speculations over Poonam’s absence refuse to die down. “Poonam may have deliberately avoided not to attend the much publicised wedding show for political reasons. She is keen to establish herself politically and does not want to get embroiled in any controversy,’’ the source said.

Lara's serious: Akshay

In the filmi circuit, Lara Dutta’s known to be not too friendly. Her co-star from Housefull, Akshay Kumar, remarks, “She’s a very serious person.

She doesn’t talk much.” To this, Lara says, “Yes I don’t talk much when I’m on the sets. You need to be serious about your work. I’m focussed about what I want to do, so I do that and leave.” But she doesn’t agree to the image that she’s not very friendly.

Watch me when I’m with my friends and you’ll agree that I’m fun-loving,” she said and adds, “About Akshay saying that I don’t talk much, well, with him around, who really gets a chance to talk. He does all the talking, so you are forced to keep quiet,” she smiles.

Rahul Dulhaniya Le Gaya

Rahul Mahajan who married Dimpy Ganguly, the contestant who introduced herself to him by saying, “I’m Dimpy from Kolkata. By the way I hate noodles and can’t cook”. The couple speaks to TOI about their marriage not being a time-bound agreement and the age difference not that serious an issue ...

So, Rahul dulhaniya sahi mein le gaya. Isn’t this what the viewers are talking about? Obviously, yes! The excitement is not just because it is Mahajan who tied the knot, but also because the reality-show-can-find-the-right-match model has proved right. Something the viewers were neither expecting nor willing to accept, particularly after the Rakhi-Elesh fiasco. While the critics continue to speculate the span of this marriage, Rahul says he knows the significance this bond carries, for him at least.

“Whatever I’ve done has always been under the media glare, irrespective of me wanting it or not. But I’m glad that I haven’t gone back on the promise (of getting married) I had made to my mom and the country. Mom was aware of Dimpy as my choice and supported my decision. She only wants to see us happy. I feel blessed to have found my soulmate in Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega – Swayamvar Season 2. Bhagwan ke ghar dair hai, andhaer nahin. For Dimpy’s father to have told her to take care of me, considering all that I have gone through in life, was quite touching.”

Contrary to the cynics’ opinion, Rahul tells us there is no time limit to this relationship. “I will stay married to Dimpy till the end of my life. Our marriage will get registered tomorrow in Bandra, Mumbai.” Even though Rahul’s statement might appear like a strong message meant for Rakhi and Elesh who ended up making a mockery of the reality show, he denies any such intention. “Going by the family that I belong to and the values that have been instilled in Dimpy and me, it is not right to break the promise we both have made.”

Having witnessed several hardships on the personal front in the past, Rahul believes this wedding is the first step to a much-sought after blissful life. “This is like second birth to me. I believe positive things have begun to happen in my life and I’m hopeful that it will continue.” And if you think Dimpy alone was experiencing the wedding jitters, you’re wrong. For, the groom tells us that he wasn’t all that comfortable either. “Mera dimaag blank tha. I had no clue about what I was supposed to say. It was pretty difficult for me. Par jaise hi Dimpy ko dekha speech apne aap mooh se nikalti gayi. All this while, only girls had proposed to me. But it felt great when I proposed to Dimpy on national TV. Yeh sammaan ek ladki ko milna bahut zaroori hai. Yeh sammaan mein apni biwi ko doon isse bhadkar koi aur cheez nahin thi. It was a romantic moment that I will narrate to my kids and grand kids. They obviously need to know how I met and married Dimpy.”

It’s just been a day since he got married, and the plans to have kids are already underway, is this true we asked Rahul. “Dimpy is still a kid. She is just 21. Since she wants to explore the opportunities in life, I’d like to give her the time to think through this decision. We will certainly not be planning to start our family for a year or so.” And what about the age gap between Dimpy and him? “I have been asked this question a lot of times. But does it really matter when it is only about your soul mate. Neither of us feels the difference in our age,” he laughs. It isn’t different for Dimpy either, who feels, “More than the age it is the reason that matters. Looking for a groom is a task. The older one grows, more confused he/she gets.”

But how about the saas-bahu bickering, which scares virtually every man? “Saas bhi toh kabhie bahu thi. There’d be no such issues, for, we don’t live in a joint family. We all have separate flats. I’d be living in my house with Dimpy and my pet. Isn’t that enough to have our own space. I’m aware of my responsibilities and will shoulder them maturely,” he replies.

Did he not think of Shweta Singh, his former wife, on the day of his second wedding? “Nahin. Aaj ka din sirf Dimpy ka din hai. Usi ke barae mai maine socha,” he says. Rahul also rubbished Shweta’s statement that he offered to remarry her on the show. “Aisa mujhe kuch yaad nahi hai. That’s not true,” he says. And was it a hard decision to marry immediately after his uncle Pravin Mahajan’s demise? “I wouldn’t like to comment on that. I just know that I’ve fulfilled my promise to get married and will soon leave for a holiday with Dimpy.”