Pavitra Punia is not feeling well. She says she has not been able to come to terms with the sudden death of her good friend and co-star Sidharth Shukla. The actor was proud of his achievements and knew how ambitious he was.

She adds that he loved superbikes and cars and would often bring his superbike on set to “show off”. Punia says, “In the next two years, he would have reached greater heights.”

The actor says her heart goes out to his family and friend Shehnaaz Gill. Talking about Gill, Punia says, “Aaj main jab Shehnaaz ko dekhti hoon, toh rooh kaanp jaati hai. People dream of having a pure bond like they had. I wouldn’t say it was dosti or boyfriend-girlfriend. Yeh rishta pati-patni se kam nahin tha. Their fans are crazy about them. I hope she manages, stays strong.”

Recalling her rapport with him, she shares, “We had a Tom and Jerry like bond! I worked with him in Love U Zindagi in 2011, my first show as a lead. I didn’t know the ways of the industry, yet, I had an attitude. I was called a youth icon and a reality star due to Splitsvilla. Sidharth was reserved, composed. He was my senior, but we had issues. I’d think hoga hero apne ghar ka. The show lasted for six months. But we bonded when we went to Macau for an awards show. That’s where we broke the ice. He was such a gentleman. Later, when we met on Bigg Boss, he asked me, ‘Dus saal pehle wali Pavtira kahan hai?’. He wanted the rowdy Pavitra. Had he not helped me realise the original Pavitra, I wouldn’t have lasted for a week.”

Portuguese-influenced Macau, with its glitzy casinos and the lure of easy money, coupled with rides in Hong Kong's Disneyland and the blessings of the Big Buddha, is a great way to bring in the New Year. Hong Kong, which translates to 'Fragrant Harbour' or 'Incense Harbour', is an autonomous territory on the Pearl River Delta of East Asia. Macau lies across the delta to the west and the Chinese province of Guangdong borders the north. Famous for its skyline and malls as also its old-world temples and natural harbour, Hong Kong is the perfect confluence of the East and West. Patralekhaa on why she chose to ring in 2017 there...

Overcoming my phobia
I grew up with Mickey and Minnie cartoons and a room full of soft, cuddly toys. They were my best friends till I was sent off to boarding school. Distance only made the heart grow fonder and for years I dreamt of going to Disneyland and shaking hands with them. I finally fulfilled the dream when Raj (beau Rajkummar Rao) and I took a trip to Hong Kong towards the fag-end of 2016.

I'd have liked to make a start with the Disneyland in California. We have US visas but it was too far to travel when we had just a few days off. So, we decided to go to Hong Kong instead and the day we landed, made an internet booking.

It's only a 30-minute train ride from the Hong Kong MTR station to Penny's Bay in Lantau Island, with the last leg aboard the Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express. We were at the theme park by 10.30 am and among the last to leave at 8 pm. We'd been told we'd finish the tour in three hours, in 10 hours we only saw parts of the seven theme parks, including Main Street, USA, where you catch the grand parade of Disney characters, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point and Toy Story Land. I have to make another trip to complete the tour, in particular explore what the jungles have to offer.

Tomorrowland offers a blueprint to the future with its Iron Man attractions and its space ships. I'm not a big superhero fan but my boyfriend had a blast. What was memorable for me was the Space Mountain, an indoor roller coaster ride aboard a train which climbs hills, zips through tunnels, goes into a dome and approaches the end in a plunging series of dizzying turns. I suffer from vertigo and after one crazy ride as a child, was terrified of them.



This time I didn't realized I had queued up for one till we were inside, and then it didn't make sense to back out after having wasted 15-20 precious minutes. And so there I was speeding along, my heart in my mouth, wondering if this was the end! I came out, shaken and stirred, but victorious because I'd finally won a hard-fought battle with a lifelong phobia of heights. I was so exhilarated I even ventured into another ride in Fantasyland. This one was less frightening till you returned backwards. Another one took us up against gravity, ending in a free fall. We also took a 4D simulator ride where you're thrown into the sea, actually feel water sprinkling on you, imagine you're drowning till the Iron Man arrives to save you.

I loved the vibe in the park - everyone is an excited child there - and walked out feeling six feet tall after all the adventures of the day. And today, I am thinking of a trip to Auckland, New Zealand, for a sky dive from 16,500 feet. That's how brave I feel having conquered a lifelong phobia!


Material to spiritual
The day after our Disneyland tour, we took a train to Lantau Island. The 34-metre Tian Tan Buddha, also known as the Big Buddha, sits in the mountains. Facing north, drawing pilgrims to the remote Po Lin Monastery at Ngong Ping. You have to climb 268 steps to reach the top for a closer view of this bronze statue opposite which is the 'Buddhist World in the South', home to devout monks.

Besides the Buddha, who has always given me positive vibes, I enjoyed the cable ride. Our cable car had a crystal bottom. As we rode over hills, we could see birds flying and when we were crossing the sea it came alive below us! We spent four days in Hong Kong. I did some shopping - the usual girly things like shoes and bags. I also picked up some fridge magnets to remind me of the visit.


Casinos calling
From Hong Kong it was a day-and-a-half in Macau, the city of casinos. It is among the world's richest regions and became the world's largest gambling centre in 2006. I was introduced to roulette around six years ago but have come to realise that gambling is not my scene despite the adrenaline rush it brings. In fact, it tires me out quickly. Still, after Disneyland, the bright lights and the glitzy Venetian casino made me feel like an adult. We stayed the night, felt like royalty and then when day dawned returned to our wonderworld with memories galore.

After 10 years, Shraddha Kapoor is enjoying a week-long family vacation in Hong Kong and Macau with parents Shakti and Shivangi and brother Siddhanth. They left Mumbai for Hong Kong on June 30 and are now in Macau.

“We had been planning this holiday for some time now but it just didn't seem to materialise. This time we were adamant that even if someone paid us Rs 200 crore, we would turn down the offer for our holiday,“ Shakti told Mirror from Macau. “We were all tired and needed this much-deserved break.“

He informed that their last family vacation was a decade ago. “We went to Canada with the kids,“ reminisced the 57-year-old actor. “Shivangi and I took a cruise a few years ago but Shraddha and Siddhanth didn't accompany us. They've been busy with their respective careers.“

Siddhanth turns 31 today and the Kapoors brought in the day with a big bash last night. “We have the best suite in the best hotel in Macau. Siddhanth thought we'd got the hotel wrong till we told him this was our birthday gift to him,“ laughed Shakti who's enjoying his break with the family.

The proud father is elated with his daughter's recent box-office hit, ABCD 2. “It's been a great year for Shraddha and we are grateful to Siddharth Roy Kapur. Thanks to him, we got VVIP treatment at Disneyland. We got special seats during the parade and no one let us spend a single penny at the park,“ he informed gleefully.

The family, which returns on July 7, has promised to plan at least one family trip each year. “But you know how it is once you're back in Mumbai, no holiday for the next two-three years. It's back to work from Wednesday,“ he sighed as he signed off.





Ekta Kapoor turned 40 on June 7. However, she didn't wish to bring any focus to the 'Four-OH' element. It is said her desire was to start the day at Tirupati, where she could seek Lord Balaji's blessings and then have a meal with her family.

A source said, “It had to be an early dinner because soon after the meal was over, Ekta and some of her close friends flew to Macau for a vacation. Quite obviously the birthday girl intended to have a super-blast after she got to Hong Kong.“