Drama on Wheels

Drama on Wheels • The Problem Film • Heartbreak Town

Fresh off the success of Aashiqui 2, his first starring role, veejay-turned-actor Aditya Roy Kapoor decided to reward himself by investing in a spanking new BMW. His Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani co-star Ranbir Kapoor was among the first of his friends to take a spin in Aditya’s brand new set of wheels. The Yeh Jawaani… crew has said they are relieved that Aditya decided to ditch his “centuries old” previous car, which they insist was an “eyesore” that they had to put up with each time he pulled into the studio to shoot.

Ranbir Kapoor himself splurged on a new car recently—the very expensive (Rs 140 lakh reportedly) Mercedes-Benz G Class BA3 Final Edition—that even his buddies don’t want to be caught dead in. His Yeh Jawaani… director and closest pal Ayan Mukerji repeatedly tells him the SUV is “an ugly purchase” and there’s a good chance his girlfriend Katrina Kaif doesn’t want to ride in it anymore after narrowly escaping an accident some weeks ago.

Apparently, Ranbir and Katrina were driving back to Bandra from Film City in the new car when he spotted a gaggle of photographers and mediapersons outside Imran Khan’s home. Ranbir allegedly sped so the couple wouldn’t be spotted together by the lensmen, and almost ended up ramming into another car headed in his direction.

One hears that things are going far from smoothly on the sets of the Hrithik Roshan-Katrina Kaif starrer Bang Bang in Thailand. This remake of the strictly average Tom Cruise-Cameron Diaz starrer Knight & Day was reportedly plagued with problems from the moment the unit flew into Thailand from Mumbai. An insider reveals that the resort where the crew was put up had power issues from day one, plunging everyone’s rooms into darkness and leaving the team to sweat it out in the unforgiving Thai summer.

When that issue was resolved, the weather decided to play havoc, with it pouring on days that were meant to be bright and sunny. More than once the unit had to pack up early because no work could be done in the relentless downpour, throwing the film behind schedule by a few days.

Director Siddharth Anand suffered a personal blow midway through the schedule when his father-in-law passed away while on a cruise ship in Spain. The filmmaker’s wife, who closely collaborates with him on the set, was naturally grief-stricken and reportedly flew back to be with her family. Even as the shoot resumed, weather problems continued to cause delays and unscheduled halts in filming.

The movie, which went into production almost a year after its intended start date (because Hrithik was allegedly unhappy with early drafts of the script and only committed his dates after personally overseeing a final draft), was already budgeted at well over Rs 65 crore, but these snafus during its first schedule in Thailand will inevitably inflate that figure. Fox Star Studios, which is bankrolling the project, is said to be nervous.

Close friends of this actress have been whispering that she is devastated by her recent break-up. The blow was delivered some three weeks ago and although most people around her saw it coming, the actress has reportedly told near and dear ones that it caught her completely offguard.

It has been a tumultuous two years for this leading lady, whose closeness to an A-lister earned her little else but scorn from his friends and family. The couple was never able to come out in the open about their relationship.

Now heartbroken and bitter, she is said to have gone into a shell. The only time she was photographed recently was while visiting a temple. She has turned down all party invitations and only steps out when she has to shoot or honour other professional commitments.

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Rajeev Masand

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