Sonakshi’s True Calling

Sonakshi Sinha said in an interview to a daily earlier this week that Salman Khan is the only actor she’d sign a movie opposite without so much as reading a script. The point she was trying to make—and she says it in so many words—is that she feels so much gratitude to him for “making me find my true calling” that she’d break all her rules when it comes to her Dabangg co-star.

Alas, when will actors realise that signing a movie without reading a script cannot—and should not—be justified, no matter what? Aamir Khan has said the only time he signed a film without reading the script was when his idol Dev Anand approached him to star in Awwal Number. Looking at how that film turned out, is it any surprise that since then, Aamir has insisted on being convinced by the script before committing to a film? (Although some might ask if he really did read the script of Thugs of Hindostan before making it.)

Forgoing a chance to reading the script goes against the very tenets of acting, some might say. What are the chances you’re going to be terrific in a film you signed without being excited about its plot, your role, and the filmmaker’s passion for it in the first place? Or could it be that Sonakshi—who is next expected to star in Dabangg 3 opposite Salman—is absolving herself of any responsibility for how the film turns out by declaring front and centre that she signed it without reading the script? Clever girl.

Kat on a Hot Tin Roof

Most couch potatoes would agree that on the last episode of Koffee with Karan, Katrina Kaif displayed incredible maturity and grace while talking about relationships and break-ups, and how they affect her. The actress, who split with Ranbir Kapoor two years ago, said she had learnt with time that “nobody is—or should be—responsible for your happiness or unhappiness in life”. She said she no longer gave ‘another person’ the “power” to make her feel good or bad about her life, and to be fair, she never once came across as the heartbroken mess that tabloids make her out to be since the split with RK, and more recently since he began seeing Alia Bhatt.

It’s interesting too that she didn’t entirely swat away a half-serious suggestion from Karan Johar that she take up with Salman Khan, since they’re basically the last two single movie stars in Bollywood. She blushed endlessly when Karan cued a video in which Salman made some affectionate jokes about her. She admitted, half-jokingly perhaps, that she was convinced the contempt she received from Varun Dhawan and Arjun Kapoor years ago was a direct result of the fact that she didn’t give them too much attention. But Varun, her partner on that episode, set the record straight when he revealed the only reason Arjun and he formed a ‘Katrina Hate Club’ was because they weren’t thrilled about the fact that Salman gave her more attention than he gave them.

Under the Radar

Bollywood insiders are saying the MeToo movement has lost its steam after two tense weeks. After all, only one film director and one talent agency head lost their jobs after multiple women alleged harassment by them. There haven’t been any major consequences for others who were named and shamed.

This includes a film director who was one of the first to be called out for his reprehensible behaviour with a former co-worker. After the leading man of his under-production film distanced himself from him, it seemed as if his despicable actions had finally caught up with him. But sources reveal that he is supervising the film’s post production. Turns out the star and his producer papa decided it would be wise for him to keep a low profile while finishing the film, so he’s been flying under the radar, avoiding attention as he completes sound and background music supervision.

Tsk, tsk.

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Rajeev Masand

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