Showing posts with label Jennifer Lopez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jennifer Lopez. Show all posts
At 49, I am proud to give myself another chance-Kashmera Shah
8:11 AM
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; December 5, 2020)
Those following Kashmera Shah online were pleasantly surprised to see bikini pictures of hers on her social media account. The actress, who had gained weight during the course of her IVF treatment, has shed those extra kilos and has never been more confident. As she enters the Bigg Boss house as a contestant, Kashmera tells BT that she is ready to take on the world.
Talking about her weight-loss journey, she shares, “During a shopping trip in the US with Krushna (Abhishek, husband) in December 2019, I realised that I was not fitting into small or medium-sized clothes. So, when I returned to India in January, I checked my weight, and found it to be 70 kgs. Krushna’s cousin encouraged me by saying that I’d be able to lose all those extra kilos. So, I went on a diet reluctantly. I gave up on rice, bread and chapatis. I started eating in small portions and within 15 days, lost three kilos. This boosted my confidence and I started working out like crazy. When the lockdown happened, I wore a mask inside the house to make sure that I didn’t binge (laughs!). By the time the lockdown was lifted, I came down to 59 kgs. Today, I am 56.4 kgs and I feel proud that I have achieved my goal.”
Kashmera recalls putting on weight during the course of her IVF treatment. “My doctor had told me that I would put on weight and I was prepared for it. Back then, we didn’t know that we would eventually have to opt for surrogacy. I was looking forward to becoming a mother and was willing to go to any extent,” she says.
Elaborating further, she adds, “After 10 years and 14 attempts at IVF, so much steroids had entered my body that it made me sluggish and heavy. I couldn’t even work out as I was trying to conceive and couldn’t exert my body. When it didn’t materialise, I became angry and started eating just about anything. Then we went for surrogacy and I started overeating because of happiness. Finally, when the kids (twins Rayaan and Krishaang) were born, one of them was in the hospital for two months, and I started stress eating. I never kept a check on my diet and weight after that. I didn’t realise that slowly, my self-confidence was reaching an all-time low. Today, I feel good about myself and that’s why I did that photo shoot wearing a swimsuit. I feel proud to say that I have worked extremely hard on my body and didn’t go under the knife to lose weight.”
Point out that her photographs has invited some nasty comments about shooting in a bikini and she says, “I have just one thing to say to them — umar nahi kamar dekh. It took a lot of determination to build this body at 49. I am not going to let some silly 14-year-old or 24-year-old with their mother’s phone run me down or shake my confidence. I was like this at 19, 29, 39 and today at 49, I am proud to give myself another chance. I am also happy that I am going back to Bigg Boss, it marks my comeback.”
Hitting out at the trolls, she adds, “There is this mindset that once a woman becomes a mother, she can’t do bold photoshoots. Arre baba, mummy ki life nahi hoti? This country is known for its strong women. Why are you telling us to sit at home just because we are mothers?”
The actress goes on to state that she’ll continue to shoot pictures in swimsuits. “Is there an age for wearing a swimsuit? We appreciate 50-year-old Hollywood actresses like Jennifer Lopez in bold looks. Well, hum hamaare country ke Jennifer Lopez hain. Social media has become a good place to hide and target others, but such people can’t define who I am. If I want to shoot pictures in a swimsuit, I will. Unfollow me, if you don’t like it,” signs off Kashmera.
Censors passed the kiss in Raja Hindustani with 'U' but I had to cut a few frames to reduce the film's duration-Dharmesh Darshan
8:19 AM
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 14, 2020)
Interestingly, Raja Hindustani had what was the longest kiss in Hindi films at the time, between Aamir Khan and Karisma Kapoor. Dharmesh reveals that he had kept it a little extra at the behest of the producers, who were expecting some editing from the censors. “But they passed it with a ‘U’ certificate and not a single cut. Eventually, I voluntarily cut a few frames from the kiss because the market wanted the three-hours-twenty-minutes film shortened by 20 minutes,” he says.
While he doesn’t mind shortening the kiss without it losing its impact or inviting catcalls, he was heartbroken to leave out a dramatic sequence when on learning that he’s a father, Raja comes to the city to meet Aarti and despite her being out with the baby, barges inside into her room where seeing the cot, toys and clothes, he breaks down. Sensing an opportunity to further drive a wedge between the couple, Aarti’s stepmother Shalu provokes Raja and when he hits out, has him beaten and thrown into a gutter, following which he kidnaps his child. “We’d shot the scene over five days and both Aamir and Archana (Puran Singh) as Shalu were terrific. When I went to Film City to tell Aamir I’d decided to leave it out, he started weeping. I told him that I should be crying too, since I’d written and directed it. But even without that scene, Aamir swept all the popular best actor awards. Maybe that might have won him a National Award,” Dharmesh chuckles wryly.
He also chopped out a silent, almost Chaplinesque sequence of Raja climbing into Aarti’s bedroom through the open window, after a bee, determined that it would not disturb her sleep. “Then, I replaced a song, ‘Tu Bhool Nahin Payegi Mujhko’, getting Kumar Sanu to sing another version of Udit Narayan, Sapna Awasthi and Alka Yagnik’s ‘Pardesi Pardesi Jaana Nahi’ instead. I recorded it with Sanu and Alka alone because Nadeem ji was travelling and Shravan ji was engaged,” Dharmesh reminisces. “Pardesi Pardesi” bagged Udit, Alka and Sameer the Filmfare Award for best playback singers and best lyricist respectively. Nadeem-Shravan were adjudged best music director and Sanu lists it among his best songs.
Karisma also took home the Filmfare Black Lady after being voted the year’s best actress. Dharmesh had planned the film with his Lootere heroine, Juhi Chawla. After she dropped out over some issues with the producers, he thought of his cousin, Pooja Bhatt, who had teamed up with Aamir in Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin, but the duo hadn’t done another film after that. “I had not written the second half then. When the script was ready, we took it to Aishwarya Rai who had caught the eye in an ad with Aamir. Raja Hindustani was to be her Bollywood debut, but then, as part of her Miss India contract, she went for the Miss World contest, won the crown, and was out of bounds for a year. Since we didn’t want to wait, Karisma entered the picture,” he recounts.
Like he had done with Juhi in Lootere, and later Shilpa Shetty in Dhadkan, Dharmesh transformed Karisma, getting the blue-eyed actress to use hazel lenses, sitting with her make-up man and hair stylist to give her a different skin tone and a different hair style. “I even went shopping with Karisma, insisting that, for the wedding, she go with copper tinted pastels instead of the traditional pinks and reds. Karisma and Babita ji were a little upset but the outfit soon became a rage with brides-to-be and the song ‘Aaye Ho Meri Zindagi Mein’ played at every wedding. I had studied Oscar-winning costume designer Bhanu Athaiya’s work and had Hollywood actresses like Jennifer Lopez in mind for the western clothes. And Karisma became a fashion icon 36 years after her aunt Sadhana, her chiffon saris, dresses and salwar suits setting new trends,” he exults.
One short of a silver jubilee, Raja Hindustani’s music still echoes in collective public memory thanks to its evergreen score. Sanu and Alka’s “Pucho Zara Pucho” played on the radio in a dhaba in Old Delhi in the Jane Campion-directed Holy Smoke, where Kate Winslet meets her mother who has come to India to convince her to return to Australia with her. And “Pardesi Pardesi” featured in Ethan Stoller’s BKAB (Speechful Mix), the 2.27-minute song which appears in the closing credits of the 2005 dystopian political action film, V For Vendetta, augmented by excerpts of speeches by Malcolm X and Gloria Steinem. The film features Hugo Weaving, the actor from The Matrix, The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, and Oscar and Golden Globe winning actress Natalie Portman of Star Wars, Black Swan and Closer fame. Woah!
Priyanka Chopra becomes the first Indian to host MET Gala, along with hubby Nick Jonas
8:27 AM
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; April 14, 2019)
Priyanka Chopra Jonas has added yet another feather to her cap. She is the first Indian to host the prestigious Met Gala this year. She will join her husband Nick Jonas on the Met Gala’s Benefit Committee alongside other celebrities including Katy Perry, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Bradley Cooper, Jared Leto, Lupita Nyong’o, Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez among others.
Says a source, “It was a unanimous call to get Nickyanka as hosts for the event because of the way they have been newsmakers in the last two years. The organisers wanted an Indian face to represent the country and who better than PC?”
Over the last two years, the Quantico star has grabbed headlines at the fundraising do. While she let her 10-foot long trench coat do all the talking in 2017, her ‘heavenly’ avatar at last year’s event got her the tag of the ‘Best Dressed Celebrity’. Incidentally, Priyanka also met Nick for the first time at the fashion event when they made a joint appearance.
An ecstatic Priyanka told us from the US, “I have so many special memories attached to the Met Gala... It’s an honour to be a part of the Benefit Committee for this year’s Gala, alongside Nick. It’ll be a fun night and I’m really looking forward to it.”
SHARING THE STAGE AT THE 10TH ANNUAL WOMEN IN THE WORLD SUMMIT
Priyanka was also part of the 10th Annual Women In The World Summit, where she joined Oprah Winfrey, Stacey Abrams, Anna Wintour and Brie Larson among others talking about shaping opinions, setting agendas and celebrating women on the front edge of social change.
At the 10th Annual Women In The World Summit, Priyanka said, “Feminism is all about choices. Every woman makes individual choices. Allow your brain to have ideas. Think about how you can make those ideas real, because this is the time when we can do it. Never before in the history of mankind have we been able to sit in our homes, have an idea and maybe create into an app and monetise it. You can do anything, anywhere.”
The actress, who has emerged as a global icon, explained, “I played ethnically ambiguous parts, It took me all those parts to be where I am today. I didn’t want to do stereotypical roles because then all you will see is what I already know I can do. I am Indian, I can do that.”
Apart from being an actor-producer, PC is also an activist and ambassador for UNICEF. She said, “Social responsibility is something that we all need to feel. All of us live in this world. Our actions can resonate far beyond what we see. We have a responsibility to care about our society. We come from families where philanthropy is not a choice, it’s just second nature. If we focus on the children of the world, the world becomes a better place. Unfortunately, people like to read about me falling on the red carpet a lot more than anything else that I do, so I take that power and bring the attention to something that the world actually needs to talk about.”
Priyanka Chopra grooves with Jennifer Lopez in Enrique Iglesias's next release?
11:15 AM
After three international singles, the 33-year-old actress has lip-synced to Enrique Iglesias's next release
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 11, 2016)
From singles to a prime-time American TV show, a Hollywood film
debut and several red carpet appearances, Priyanka Chopra has come a
long way in the West. Now, she has added another feather in her cap with
an appearance in a music video alongside the likes of Jennifer Lopez,
football player Christiano Ronaldo, actress-model Milla Jovovich,
American TV personality Ryan Seacrest and singer Akon, among others.
Titled "Don't You Need Somebody", Enrique Iglesias, R City, Serayah and Shaggy have lent their voices to the song which is a part of Moroccan-Swedish artiste, Nadir Khayat's debut album.
The video premiered on Friday and has glimpses of Priyanka grooving in a nude jumpsuit. The actress is currently busy promoting her Bhojpuri production, Bam Bam Bol Raha Hai Kashi, directed by Santosh Mishra and featuring Amrapali Dubey and Dinesh Lal Yadav (Nirahua), in Patna.
We found our inspiration for Sarah Jane Dias' character in Jennifer Lopez's music video-Mozez Singh
7:39 AM
Look who is aping Jennifer Lopez now
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 9, 2015)
Director Mozez Singh's Jennifer Lopez fixation inspired Sarah-Jane Dias' look in Zubaan's contemporary, urban dance track, Music is my art... (Niamat Salaamat). The musical drama is the opening film of the Busan International Film Festival and boasts of as many as 13 songs.
"This one celebrates music and we wanted Sarah to look young, peppy and
sensual rather than sexual. We found our muse in JLo's music video,
Jenny from the Block. Aki Narula and I styled her with that in mind,"
reveals Mozez, who had filmed the song in June 2014 in an under
construction parking area in Gurgaon. Like Jennifer, Sarah, who plays the character of Amira in the film, will be wearing baggy pleated jeans and customised comic tank tops. It's been choreographed, by Uma and Gaiti, who rehearsed with Sarah for over a month before the shoot. "She's a beautiful, hard working girl. We've known each other for years and the comfort level made the work easier. More than the dance steps it's the character which is complicated," points out Uma, who has incorporated moves from hip-hop, beat boxing and Salsa in the song.
Sarah plays a free-spirited rock star like JLo, and this is the first time Dilsher, Vicky Kaushal's character, enters Amira's temple of music and dance. Uma believes that it's a crazy song with an almost devotional quality. Mozez adds, "My only brief was that it had to be an intoxicating song for Dilsher who comes from a family of singers but had drifted away from music because of his lust for power and money. After meeting Amira, the passion for music flares up inside him again."
Composed by Ashu Pathak and sung by Rachel Varghese, it's a Hindi song punctuated with English lines. "We auditioned over 1000 dancers, and the selects were not only there in the background but were also an important part of the song," he asserts.
Uma adds, "When you watch it you'll feel like Madonna or JLo are rehearsing a day before the concert. The music has drawn from European House music and also has its inspiration in Nazia Hassan's Disco Deewane number from the '80s."
Sarah Jane Dias blends Jennifer Lopez's sexiness with the effervescent disco feel of Nazia Hassan
7:48 AM
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 20, 2015)
Former VJ and Miss India 2007, Sarah-Jane Dias plays a free-spirited singer, Amira, in Mozez Singh's musical drama Zubaan, also featuring Vicky Kaushal. Recently, the actress shot a pop number titled Music is my art, music is my soul for it.
In order to reproduce the desired performance for the song, Sarah was asked to watch videos of Jennifer Lopez crooning Crazy in love and Dance again, and also listen to the voice of late Pakistani pop singer Nazia Hassan, who had released the hit album Disco Deewane. "I'm a complete JLo fan so I knew had to look as chic as the Hollywood sensation. My brief was to mix together Jennifer's sexiness with the effervescent disco feel of Nazia Hassan. It was so much fun," Sarah told Mirror.
The film portrays the journey of a Punjabi munda, who travels from Chandigarh to Delhi. "He needs direction and my character, Amira helps him find himself. The musical circle is complete when he finally returns home to Chandigarh," she reveals. Sarah, who is a singer herself, hopes to kick off her music career by the end of the year.
At 40, you start enjoying life-Sonu Sood
7:48 AM
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; July 30, 2015)
Actor Sonu Sood has been juggling positive and
negative roles with ease, not only in Bollywood but also in the South.
Though he has done several films, his roles stand out in Singh Is King,
Dabangg and more recently Happy New Year among others. This year will
see him making his TV debut as a judge on a comedy show. Here, we ask
him some fun questions on reaching the milestone year this birthday.
Tell me in three words how you feel about turning 40.
Fantabulous, top-of-the-world, still miles to go! Honestly I have never counted, number is not my game. I just set a target for myself and go about achieving it. I did engineering and came to Mumbai to become an actor. I didn’t know anybody, but have managed to do well for myself.
Name a 40-year-old woman who’s a hottie?
Jennifer Lopez. She has achieved a lot in life. She is an amazing rockstar.
One 40-year-old man who’s a hottie?
Shah Rukh Khan. I still see a kid in him. Whether we are shopping together or shooting, he has a lot of excitement. He is very young at heart.
Why is 40 called the new 20?
It’s all a matter of perspective. By 40, you have achieved things, reached your goals and seen your dreams coming true. That’s the time you start enjoying life.
Apart from you, you know any famous men born on your birthday?
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Why naughty at 40?
I don’t know. I am a very good boy! I guess it rhymes very well (laughs).
They say men become attractive in their late 30s or early 40s...
Absolutely. If you are drawing the portrait of a man, it gets complete at 40. You get everything right — The face changes every year and at 40, you get the best look.
Should a 40-year-old dress differently from a 30-year-old?
No, it’s do with your mindset. You may dress wrong in your thirties, but at 40, you feel young and dress accordingly. Irrespective of the age, it’s about how comfortable and confident you are about what you are wearing and carrying it off.
Do you get tips from your older friends like Farah Khan?
We hang out together and I am after their life talking about fitness and eating right. In any case, each one of us is still sweet 16 or 18, so there is no need for tips!
One product you will never endorse?
I haven’t thought about it, but never say never. There have been times when I may have not been convinced about the product, but endorsed it because the message it conveyed was right.
Will you be doing anything new this year?
Yes, I am doing TV for the first time, judging a comedy show, Comedy Superstar. I have signed two South films where I will be playing positive roles, and opening a restaurant
Maksim Chmerkovskiy unhappy with Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa organizers?
8:22 AM
Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; June 17, 2014)
Maksim Chmerkovskiy, the Ukrainian Latin Ballroom dance champion, choreographer, and instructor who has just joined as a judge on dance reality show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 7, is apparently finding it difficult to cope with the show’s format.
Says a source, “Maksim has joined Remo D’Souza, Madhuri Dixit and Karan Johar as a judge but he has come on the show a little late because he had visa issues and thus couldn’t get to India in time. But now that he’s here, the star dancer is finding it very difficult to understand Hindi and this is creating a big problem for him.” The source explains that Maksim, who is now in the news for apparently being Jennifer Lopez’s latest love interest, was told that the judges would give feedback and announce their verdict in English. “But since a lot of Hindi is spoken on the show, he is not able to follow all that’s happening. He is also upset about being mocked; he realises that jokes are being made at his expense,” says the source.
There is word that the international dance celebrity won’t be on the show for long. “He will be on the show only for two weeks,” says another source.
The channel’s spokesperson was not available for comment.
Elli Avram does a Jennifer Lopez for album shoot in Dubai
10:26 AM
Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 28, 2014)
From one Khan to another…Elli Avram who made Salman Khan laugh, blush and dance when she was in the Bigg Boss House last season, has now travelled to Dubai to shoot a music video for Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s upcoming album Back 2 Love.
“We finished the shoot in 10 hours, even with a beach location thrown in,” says the actress who debuted in Mickey Virus last year.
The beach location is not coincidental. It also features in the Jennifer Lopez video, I Am Into You, and Elli admits that it is a reference point. "Yes, Habibi is inspired by JLo’s video which was quite a kick because I’m a huge fan of hers and there was a time when my dad used to fondly call me by that name,” she laughs. “But more than the moves it’s the look and the attitude. It’s a big change, from sweet Elli to a sexy me.”
The song also moves away from Rahat’s usual Sufi style to an EDM heavy track with Elli shaking a leg in skyscraper heels. “That was tough,” she admits, adding, “So were the Arabic moves because I had never experimented with that kind of choreography.”
And what’s the buzz from B-town? Salman had promised to cast her in one of his films? “Salman likes to help people, we’re in touch but there’s nothing so far. I’m reading a few scripts but haven’t given the nod to any project yet as I am working on improving my Hindi, my dance moves and my acting with some classes.”
The album was unveiled at an award ceremony in the US last weekend. “I’m looking forward to meeting Rahat saab once he’s back from Tampa Bay,” says Elli.
Sunny Leone's Baby Doll song inspired from Jennifer Lopez' Dance Again?
9:49 AM
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 24, 2014)
Is Sunny Leone trying to pull a J.Lo in her latest song? A billowing black gown, plenty of leg and a background of writhing bodies; there’s surely a flash from Jennifer Lopez’s Dance Again in Sunny’s Baby Doll track from Ragini MMS 2.
The song, which recently crossed 2 million views on YouTube shows the adult movie star tumbling onto a pile of seminaked bodies. Even the pattern of lights on the wall is similar to Dance Again. Another uncanny resemblance: Sunny wears black.
When we texted the film’s producer Ekta Kapoor asking if J.Lo “inspired” the sequence in the song, she promptly replied with an emphatic, “Noooo.” However, Manmeet of Meet Bros. who has sung the track said, “Yes, a lot of people called in to point out the similarity. Sometimes the visual artist working on the song likes a certain sequence so much that it creeps into their work. I feel that’s what happened with Baby Doll too.”
This is not the first time that the horror-flick has faced the copycat accusation. The film’s first teaser was promptly taken off YouTube following a plagiarism charge from the British band The Black Angels who alleged that the background track used in the film's teaser was lifted from their song Young Men Dead. Later, a different teaser was released.
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