Don’t like portraying myself on screen: Neil Nitin Mukesh
In his nine-year journey in Bollywood, Neil Nitin Mukesh, who is popular for his charming looks and disarming smile, has mostly essayed characters with shades. The actor feels that he undergoes major learning process while portraying negative characters.
Asked what attracts him towards negative characters, Neil told IANS: “I think there is flip to every person ...There is always that alternate characteristic about a person that he is hiding within himself and what I am in person ... I don’t like portraying myself on screen because it’s the easiest thing to do ...So, that challenges me as an actor.”
“When I do that, I go through a lot of learning process,” added Neil. The 34-year-old actor shared that when he ventured into tinsel town, many told him to make his debut with a “love story”.
“I chose Johnny Gaddar because first of all everyone doubted that I could be an actor. Every one thought that Mukesh’s grandson, Nitin Mukesh’s son should be a singer. So, just to prove them wrong because what I believed in, not just being rebellious, I wanted to prove them wrong,” he said.
The Prem Ratan Dhan Payo star says portraying negative roles challenges him and “sharpens my axe slightly more”. “They are multi-layered, there are so many nuances, there are so many details into these characters that you get to study and understand. And every time you portray a gray shade or any character ...it’s just another layer that comes up. So it’s a learning process,” added Neil. — IANS

Amala may star in Kannada remake Vela Illa Pattathari

If the industry sources are anything to go by, Amala Paul will most likely reprise her own role in the yet-untitled Kannada remake of Tamil blockbuster Vela Illa Pattathari. “The makers are keen to have her on board since she played the role in the original. Right now, they’ve only initiated talks and are yet to officially approach her with the offer,” a source from the film’s unit told IANS.
To be helmed by Nanda Kishore, the remake will star Manoranjan in the lead. The project is being bankrolled by Rockline Productions. Amala, meanwhile, is getting ready to commence work on Dhanush-starrer Tamil drama Vada Chennai. — IANS


Jessica Alba’s ‘dumb’ fears

Actress Jessica Alba thought she was dumb for not going to university. “I thought I was dumb because I didn’t go to college. I felt if you didn’t have a degree you’d never be respected or considered intelligent. Now I realise I’m perfectly capable of doing lots of things,” Alba told the Observer Magazine, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
She shared that she used to be afraid to speak up about being objectified in Hollywood. She explained: “Success in entertainment used to be purely financial for me. Once I was in my mid-20s and had achieved some degree of security, I started looking for something more substantive to focus on. Then when I got pregnant a few years later, I came up with the idea for my company.
“When I was young I didn’t know how to speak up (at work) and say, ‘I don’t like this.’ I wasn’t that person (a sex symbol) people were portraying me as. I come from a pretty conservative background; I was a tomboy wearing baggy clothes. But you’re being marketed in a movie to sell it — I understood it was the characters I was playing.”
However, the actress never set out to create an empire. “As a new mum, I found it challenging to find effective products without things like synthetic fragrances. I wanted to create a consumer goods company that stands for transparency and is actually profitable. Hollywood can be hard for the faint of heart,” she said.
“People hustle to be successful and then that moment when they feel they’ve made it, it disappears in an instant. I don’t feel like my persona in entertainment defines me. I’ve never put a whole lot of importance on it. When I was on every magazine cover and in all the new movies, I knew a lot of it would go away.
“I spend a lot more time on my business than acting. When I can find the time and it’s entertainment, I’ll do something,” she added. – IANS


Family, acting workshops kept Abhay away from Bollywood
Actor Abhay Deol, who was missing from the silver screen since 2014, says travel, family and acting workshops kept him busy for that period. Abhay after featuring in the 2014 film One By Two was seen on-screen in Mudassar Aziz’s Happy Bhag Jayegi, which released on Friday.
Asked what kept him away from the silver-screen for two years, Abhay told IANS over phone: “I was travelling, I was in California and spent a lot of time there. My family is there and my mom is there right now. I had some friends in LA as well ... So I spent a lot of time over there.”
The Aisha actor also shared that he did a couple of acting workshops in his two-year break. “I did a few acting workshops ...So I did that. I would do another workshop hopefully soon ...I spent some time with family. I hadn’t done that for a while,” he added.
Happy Bhag Jayegi is a romantic comedy film co-produced by Anand L Rai and Krishika Lulla. The film also features Diana Penty, Jimmy Sheirgill, Ali Fazal and Piyush Mishra. — IANS


Sonakshi Sinha keen to act in sports-based film
Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha, who will be seen in a gutsy role in upcoming action drama Akira, is now enthused to feature in a sports-based movie. “I was very active in sports during my school and college days. I used to participate in volleyball, basketball, swimming, shot put, discus throw ... I was a good player.
“So, of course, if I get a chance, I will surely do a sports film,” Sonakshi said here while promoting Akira on the set of Savdhaan India.
She also said she misses indulging in sports, but tries to make time for tennis or volleyball once in a while. “I hope if I get a role, I will do that (on screen),” she added.
Her film Akira is a remake of Tamil film Mouna Guru and is directed by A R Murugadoss. The film is set to hit theatres on September 2. Besides that, she is also filming for Noor and Force 2. — IANS