Jaqueline Fernandez on Sex Appeal

Success has finally come to the actress who started off with the lukewarm Aladin followed by disastrous Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai. “It’s been a long and patient journey,” she begins. “Aladin was a good launch pad; unfortunately it didn’t do well at the box office. The industry can be ruthless if your film doesn’t do well, or if you don’t have the right friends, or hang out with cool people. But now with Murder 2 being a success, I’ve noticed a change in people’s attitude,” says the actor who will appear in the Tamil film Mankatha.

She knew the role in the Mahesh Bhatt's thriller Murder 2 was small. “In fact, when I heard the narration I liked the other girl’s (played by Sulagna Panigrahi) role.” While her sexiness is the USP of her role in Murder 2, she doesn’t fear being stereotyped in similar roles. “Honestly, I don’t think I’m conventionally beautiful. I can be glamorous with make-up, hair and clothes. But I’m average looking.


“At times, I look ugly too. There are many girls out there who are stunning. So I’ll have to depend on my acting skills to stay in the game,” she observes. “I need to be comfortable in front of the camera before moving into experimental roles. Though Murder 2 was experimental in a way, some scenes demanded performance. That scared me. I don’t know how good an actor I am, I’ve never been to a drama school. But I don’t want to be dubbed a bad actor.”

The actress has her sights set on bigger and better stuff. But she’s practical too. She knows her limitations and yet she’s ready to go beyond them, she tells me when I enquire if she sees herself portraying a character like Rani’s in Black or Kareena’s in Omkara. “Maybe the sexy image was needed to carry my career forward,’’ she reasons. ‘‘I see myself depicting stronger characters in the future. But yes, it will scare me to death to do a performance like Rani’s. But I guess with preparation I’ll pull it off.” She wants to work with Aamir Khan and that’s not surprising. “I’ve worked with him in a commercial. I’m in awe of Aamir. I like his vision, his take on cinema and how he executes it. I like Vishal Bhardwaj’s work too. I like quirkiness in directors.”

With her family back in Sri Lanka, Jacqueline has slowly found her groove in Mumbai. “My family worries a lot about me. They know staying in Mumbai all alone is not easy,” she says. “If I belonged to this country or if I were comfortable with the language, things would have been different. I’m 25 now but I feel I’m so much older because of all I have gone through, tackling so many issues.


Growing up fast
“I manage my career, travel on my own and pay my own taxes. But all this has helped me mature as a person, become more aware.” The ex Miss Sri Lanka confides her journey has been an eye opener. “There have been ups and down, stress and respite, happiness and sadness too. It’s a difficult industry to be in if you don’t have someone to fall back upon, someone guarding you or protecting you. It can make you vulnerable. At the same time your success is sweeter, if you’ve done it on your own.” She adds, “I can’t share my feelings with my parents because they wouldn’t understand. And you can’t depend on people you work with either. You can only trust yourself. I realised that things eventually fall into place.”

She’s cautious enough not to trample on anyone’s toes or hurt anyone’s ego. ‘‘You don’t want to do anything which will jeopardise your career. There are people in position who can make others turn against you and make things difficult for you. You do feel like a victim then. It’s difficult not to make enemies in the industry. You have to protect yourself.”

Jacqueline denies ever having encountered the casting couch. “Is it a myth?” she counter enquires. “I’ve experienced no such thing. What helped me was I got Aladin soon after coming to India.” She however adds, “As much as such things happen, it can also arise from a person who’s desperate enough for work. I knew it was not worth going into that zone. Those who intend to take advantage realise this especially with the media being so active now. It would be too much of a risk.”  She adds, “I’ve always had work. I never had to run for money. And even if I were going through difficult times, I’d never exude that kind of a vibe.”

She goes on to say she’s a private person. “I’m not best friends with anyone. I’m a little cautious. I prefer keeping things to myself.” She’s fond of her industry friends though. “I’m friends with everyone I’ve worked with — Riteish Deshmukh (Na Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai), Sujoy Ghosh (director of her debut Aladin), Sonal Sehgal (Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai …), Milap Zaveri (director of Jaane Kahan…). They’re people I enjoy spending time with.’’ She however is miffed by the stories that appear about her in print. “This lovely story was written about Sujoy buying me a car. Where the hell do such stories come from?” she asks exasperatedly. “If it’s just about me then I can handle it but if there are other people involved it affects me. It makes things so unnecessarily uncomfortable. There’s no chance to explain yourself or clear the air. But if it’s a story with someone I know well, like Sujoy or Riteish (Deshmukh), we laugh it off.”


Rumour has it...
A lot has also been spoken about her friendship with Riteish. “Ritesh is very special to me. I made my debut opposite him. He was in my second film too. Apparently, he has also helped her in her career. “Riteish is someone who respects the fact that I like to get things on my own merit. I’ve never got anything on his recommendation. When a song in Housefull (Apni toh jaise taise) was offered to me, he had no idea. I called him up and informed him. I wouldn’t like it if he interfered or stuck his nose into my work. I know what I am worth and how hard I have worked. It’s nice that he respects that.”

Wonder grain that trims your inches

Wonder grain that trims your inches (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

Here is a wonder grain which can trim your inches considerably!

A unique grain, barley is filled with benefits manifold. Extremely low in calories it acts as a wonderful diet supplement and helps maintain a slim stature. Being low in cholesterol, it is known to reduce cholesterol levels.

The core ingredient in this highly useful grain is beta-glucan that is also found in oat bran. Explaining it's benefits nutritionist Aruna Kulkarni elaborates, "Barley is packed with insoluble fibre which retains water. So it flushes out intestinal contents with great speed. This also minimises the risk of cancer, since the possibility of harmful elements accumulating in the intestines is less. It is also a good cure for digestive problems like constipation."

While the market is filled with varieties like pearl, pot or whole hulled barley, the latter is known to possess the maximum health benefits. Being from the brown family, whole hulled barley has twice the fibre and vitamins compared to the other varieties. Although the pearl variety is the most refined, it contains ample quantity of iron and fibre.

Barley water is a boon for kidneys as well. It can combat arthritic and rheumatic problems if consumed in large quantities. It is advisable to prepare your own barley water rather than picking up the readymade stuff as it is known to be laded with excess preservatives and sugar. Kulkarni shares with us the recipe of making an ideal glass:

- Boil 1 kg of barley until soft

- Strain the extract

- To make it tasty mix fresh lemon or orange juice

- One can add Demerara or golden sugar if required

- Can be used for longer periods if refrigerated

If stored in a dark place, away from the light, barley pods can last up to one year. So, make this wonder grain a part of your daily diet regimen. Include it in soups, cereals, salads or have it plain, and raise a toast to your good health.

Bollywood Lounge Shah Rukh To Feature With Shakira For KKR Music Video

Shah Rukh To Feature With Shakira For KKR Music Video

Latin pop star Shakira is all set to woo India and feature in a music video with none other than Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan! Yes, you read it right; the Latino hottie, whose sensuous voice has charmed audience all over the world will make her Indian debut.
The singer will feature in a music video with Shah Rukh Khan for his Kolkata Knight Riders team. The song has been composed by Salim-Sulaiman and sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.
Will Shakira also croon for KKR is not yet known. Sources have stated that a video will be shot after King Khan wraps up the Malaysia schedule of 'Don 2'. In fact, SRK is a big fan of Shakira and had even met her during the World Cup soccer final in South Africa last year.
Now the question is, will Shakira croon with SRK 'Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo Re'? We will just have wait and watch for this smashing video.

Kangna's The Chosen One
The's making some smart moves but has ruffled a few feathers in the bargain!
Kangna Ranaut's schmoozing with biggies like Ajay Devgn and Salman Khan is paying rich dividends. Ajay almost fought with Rohit Shetty to sign her for his next, Singam. Salman Khan too is giving her tips on promoting Tanu Weds Manu and recommending her to producers. But the biggest coup is her friendship with Sanjay and Manyata Dutt that fetched her a role in Dutt's home production Rascals and Double Dhamal. But this good fortune has irked some B'wood ladies, notably Ameesha Patel, Katrina and Sonakshi Sinha. Katrina detects a threat since whoever Salman touches, turns into a superstar! Ameesha considers the Dutts to be her family and feels slighted that Kangs was chosen over her for his home-production. And Sonakshi is watching this 'friendship' with Sallu closely because she behaves as if she practically owns him! Meanwhile Kangna is making hay while the sun on her career shines bright.
Mahesh & Lara's Sunset Wedding
Standing under a dome decorated with white and pink roses, during her wedding to tennis beau Mahesh Bhupathi on February 19, actress Lara Dutta looked every bit the serene bride. But as she began saying her vows, the emotions took over. "Both Mahesh and Lara had written their own vows," says one of the 300 guests at the ceremony. "He said, 'I look forward to growing old with you.' After that Lara was so overcome by the occasion that her voice cracked during her vows. Mahesh encouraged her to carry on. Everyone got teary-eyed," says the guest.
Earlier Lara, dressed in an Elie Saab white gown, walked down the aisle with her father L.K. Dutta by her side. "He even raised a sweet toast welcoming Mahesh into the family," says the guest.
The wedding was a two-day affair, including a sangeet on February 18 and a Christian ceremony and reception on Feb. 19, which was attended by guests Vijay Amritraj, Leander Paes and Rhea Pillai, Riteish Deshmukh. Raveena Tandon and husband Anil Thadani. At the reception, Mahesh and Lara took the floor to the strains of Frank Sinatra's 'For Once In My Life' as the guests watched on. Post the wedding, the couple said, "Looking forward to the rest of our lives together."

Kat Turns Producer To Launch Sister
The industry, obsessed with star gharanas, has been waiting endlessly for the debut of Kat's sister Isabel.
The older Kaif has now decided that celebrity begins at home. She will not only produce a movie to launch Isabel but also star alongside with her to guarantee her an audience.
Having learned the importance of family and family names in Bollywood, she seems geared to pull out all stops to make things easier for her sibling.
Kat has anyway been planning to get into production for a while. A source close to her says, "She would have turned producer some time ago.
She has almost bought the rights of a French film for which she wants to play a female soldier along the lines of Goldie Hawn's Private Benjamin.
But she decided to save the moment and use it for her sister's benefit. Isabel has finished attending acting school in the US and Katrina will now take the plunge.
Sources say Katrina was initially reluctant to feature in her sister's debut film because she wanted to avoid comparisons. But she has since realised that this is one way to ensure eyeballs for Isabel.
Shahid Kapoor To Grow Old...Again
Priyanka Chopra aged in Saat Khoon Maaf and now her ex, Shahid Kapoor will grow old in Kunal Kohli's film. Determined to shed his boyish image Shahid wants to do roles that take him away from the dancing-dude campus-caper image. He is already playing an older guy in his dad Pankaj Kapur's directorial debut Mausam. Kohli's film requires him to go through several phases of life until the character reaches old age. Shahid has done a series of disguises in Badmaash Company, but to show a man aging in front of the audiences' eyes is not going to be easy. In Kunal's film, the age-span of his character is far wider than in Mausam and prosthetics will be needed. The director admits, "I did spend a lot of time with Shahid in Goa discussing his look. I can't reveal what is required of him. But for Shahid who's a brilliant actor, it is important to constantly push the envelope. He can't repeat himself. The roles in both the films are very different."

Aishwarya: A style check

 

A black suit, a winner smile...we think she is dressed for the situation.  

This Sabyasachi number she wore at Raavan premiere in London was widely acclaimed.

 

Blue is elegant and cool. But this electric blue number sort makes us wonder if she changed her stylist for this one occasion.

Bollywood Stars: Then & Now...

Like wine, most of our B-Town stars get better with age, though not all of them. Ash and Shilpa keep getting gorgeous; but it's the other way with actors like SRK and Salman. What do you think? Have your say by going through these nostalgic photos.

 

No flabs, no extra pounds and even the intensity of her hazel eyes remain the same
 

The mesmerising diva used to look a bit wild before. Shilpa definitly got better with age.

 

 

Miles and miles between the cute little boy next door to the mighty King Khan. Definitely we are missing his innocent smile and that sparkling eyes.

 

Amisha Patel goes topless for a men's mag

The flash in the pan actress known best for her roles in Kaho Na Pyaar Hai and Gadar hasn’t really been able to deliver much ever since. Patel has decided to join the dare-to-bare club by going topless for... Patel, who has been known more for her conservative outlook than good

acting, seems to be making news by going topless for the international men’s magazine, The Man, reported India Glitz. The flash in the pan actress known best for her roles in Kaho Na Pyaar Hai and Gadar hasn’t really been able to deliver much ever since. She then started her own chain of restaurants and giving the impression that she had finally said goodbye to the tinsel town.

In what seems like a desperate attempt to be in the news, Patel has joined the dare-to-bare club along with other sizzling beauties like Neha Dhupia, Riya Sen and Sherlyn Chopra.

Incidentally, this is not the first time the beauty has gone minimal. Last year, she did a shoot for Daboo Ratnani’s calendar using just a pillow to cover her modesty.