BOLLYWOOD NEWS 10-05-7002

Serial Kisser goes outside the family fold



Mumbai, May 10 (IANS) Bollywood's serial kisser Emraan Hashmi has stretched his wings beyond the family fold with his second outside film 'Good Boy Bad Boy' that releases Friday.

Talking about his new move, Emraan told IANS: 'When you work with a name like Mahesh Bhatt it has its pros and cons. The Bhatts do make a dark, dramatic, high-concept emotional kind of cinema. And it's wonderful to be part of that cinema. But I do need to explore another lighter facet of my personality as an actor.'

Also, one may add, the pay cheque would be family-based and hence nominal.

'Money has never been an issue with the Bhatts. Vishesh Films is a family concern. And I'm doing as many films now outside the Bhatt camp as I do inside. If I've two films with the Bhatts, I now have at least two outside films including one with Shayam Bajaj with whom I did 'Aksar'.'

What about the inseparable team with Himesh Reshammiya?

'What about it?' Emran shots back. 'For my own selfish reasons I wouldn't like to go on depending on Himesh's tracks. It then becomes like a crutch. I don't want any handicaps in my career. Yes, I'd like to believe good music adds as much to a film's success quotient as a good director.

'I've had a good run of films with Mohit Suri, Anurag Basu and Anant Mahadevan. It's good to learn from them and then experiment with other directorial talents. I'd rather move forward without any external support,' Emraan said, referring to his move away from the Bhatts and Himesh.

The actor admits that Himesh played an important role in shaping up his career.

'We (Himesh and Emraan) are not husband-wife to be inseparable. He is a very talented man and he has played his cards right. He has played a big hand in my career. He has given me great tracks like 'Aashiq banaya' and 'Jhalak dikhla jaa'. Music is today very important for the success of a star.'

Now he wants to play variety of roles.

'I just want to do good and diverse films. I believe the box office is important. For my kitchen to function it's important for the producer to profit. I'd like to work with more like-minded people. It doesn't matter who is making the film. For me acting is an expression of my personality.

'I started right after college assisting Bhatt saab and Vikram Bhatt. I never felt I could make anything of my life. Mahesh Bhatt instilled a lot of confidence in me. He virtually held my hand and took me through the whole process of performing. I can never thank him enough.'

Marriage has brought no outward changes in Emraan's life.

'My wife Parveen knows my life inside out. She recognises my space. She knows how important my career is. She loves kids. She was teaching at a play school. She'll probably continue to do so.

'Somewhere I need to do films that will position my career on another level. Let's see it goes. I think this will be a very good year.'


Did Bipasha and Arshad have a tiff?



Mumbai, May 10 Stories that she squabbled with her co-star Arshad Warsi on the set of 'Goal' in London have Bipasha Basu baffled.

'Look, I can't say Arshad is a friend. But we were cordial co-stars. He's a fantastic actor. The story of our supposed fight was definitely leaked from someone from the unit. Not me. I didn't speak to anyone from the media at all. I've no issues with him. Arshad plays my brother in 'Goal'. We had great bonding on screen,' Bipasha told IANS.

The entire unit knew about the fight, except Bipasha.

'I was in the dark until Boman Irani spilled the beans,' said Bipasha who is still reeling under that story.

'It was so bizarre. But no one told me. It said I stormed out of the set. I'd never do that. I'm too professional for that. Whether another actor comes on time or not is none of my concern. I'll sit on the set for the number of hours that I'm paid for. I don't react to unpleasant situations with tantrums at all.

'Why would I walk out of the set because of Arshad? I'm not being politically correct. I was proper with Arshad. We didn't become buddies. So what? He kept to himself. That was his choice. And we didn't have a chance to get along. But no, I didn't carry a friendship with Arshad back home.'

It's said the problems between Arshad and Bipasha can be sourced to his cold war with John Abraham.

She retaliates: 'If people say we had a problem because my boyfriend was on sets and I was aloof, then that's rubbish because I wasn't aloof. Boman and the other boys can vouch for that.

'John and I mix around on the sets. We like to work as a team.' She falls into thought. 'Arshad was the only person aloof on the sets. Maybe he was stressed or tired. But that doesn't mean we had a problem.'

The actress claims she bonded with all her male co-stars in the film.

'I specially liked bonding with the Bangladeshi football players. Since I play a doctor, I was on the bench most of the time. These Bangladeshi players and I had a blast every day.

'The weather got freezing at times. Sometimes it felt like we'd freeze to death. But we survived. The character I play is completely different from anything I've done so far.'