Showing posts with label Rhea Pillai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rhea Pillai. Show all posts
If you like a woman, make her feel like your mother; become a little boy-Sanjay Dutt
8:49 AM
For a man who sometimes appears lost, Sanjay Dutt is remarkably self-aware about how to succeed with the ladies: Let them mother you
Yasser Usman (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 18, 2018)
It was 1985 when Sanjay Dutt first met his future wife Richa Sharma, a desi girl who had been brought up in New York and ‘discovered’ by Dev Anand. Richa had moved to Mumbai to act in Bollywood films just the year before. “I met Richa for the first time at the muhurat of one of my films at Hotel Sea Rock,” Dutt remembers. “She was wearing jeans and a multi-coloured top. I inquired as to who she was. A few days later, I called her and asked her to go out with me.” He was hooked. “I soon realised that Richa was different from the girls I had known before,” Dutt adds. “She was not calculating, manipulative or chasing after money. She was a simple girl, a fantastic person to trust. I could no longer live without her.”
Sharma was not the only woman in Sanjay’s life. But if there was something common to all of them, it was this: They were all strong, independent women who offered his roller-coater life some sort of stability. And Dutt leaned on them. In fact, whether it was his mother Nargis, whose loss Sanjay took very hard, or various co-stars through the years, from Tina Munim to Madhuri Dixit, one could say that the women took care of him, rather than the other way around.
Indeed, there are even some women whom Dutt had flings with and somehow managed to keep those affairs out of the media. He was clearly aware of his vulnerable, lost-boy charm. Once, when asked how to impress a woman, Sanjay told his audience: “If you like a woman, make her feel like your mother … become a little boy. [If you] let her feel protective about you, you are scoring, buddy!”
Sanjay’s life, after he burst onto the Bollywood stage with his debut in Rocky, has had tremendous ups and downs. By 26, he had already lost his mother, been to rehab for substance abuse, and staged a successful comeback to films after his recovery. His love life, too, was far from settled; in the years after his rehab, there had been a Filipina flight attendant named Sha and actress Kimi Katkar of Tarzan fame in his life. In contrast, a life with Richa promised him stability, and by October 1987, they were married. Richa gave up her career in films, as Sanjay’s mother Nargis had, for the sake of his father Sunil, three decades before, and kept a comfortable home for Dutt.
But the happy story unraveled dramatically after that. A little over a year after they were married, Richa was diagnosed with cancer and was taken to the US for treatment. Sanjay returned to India, reportedly due to his film commitments, while Richa and their baby daughter Trishala stayed on in New York with her parents.
Once back in India, rumours of Sanjay’s hard-partying ways and affairs started doing the rounds. Reports of his closeness with actresses Amrita Singh, Ekta and Anu Aggarwal were widespread, and he was portrayed as a Casanova by the media.
Cancer or no cancer, the truth was that Sanjay was used to the women in his life taking care of him. It all began with his doting mother, Nargis. She pampered him endlessly as did the other women of the Dutt household — Sanjay’s sisters, and his Nani. Sanjay became so spoilt that he ultimately had to be sent away to boarding school to inculcate some discipline in him. But for his protective mother, Sanjay always came first.
Even when she was on her deathbed, it was Sanjay’s well being and his terrible addiction to drugs, that was uppermost on her mind. “She was being eaten up inside. ‘Zaheeda, woh drugs peeta hai [Zaheeda, he takes drugs]’ she would tell me,” said Nargis’ niece about her beloved aunt’s final days.
After Nargis died in 1981, Sanjay’s then-girlfriend Tina Munim, stepped in and tried to help him through his addiction, even going to Germany with him for therapy. After they broke up, Sanjay went to the US for treatment on his own. Here, too, he charmed and befriended some of the women in his de-addiction group and persuaded them to help him out with his chores. He recalled, “All my life I’ve always been dependent on someone. First it was my mother, then my girlfriends, then my sisters … I did not know how to survive without leaning against someone.” And so when Richa wasn’t around to lean on, Sanjay sought support elsewhere. Allegedly he would find comfort in Madhuri Dixit’s friendship. As one magazine cover story from 1993 put it, ‘Sanjay’s desperate need for an emotional anchor took him into the arms of the Ek Do Teen actress’.
When Madhuri reportedly cut off all contact with Sanjay after he was embroiled in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, Dutt was once again at sea. According to a story in Stardust entitled ‘Madhuri Dumps Sanjay’, she refused to take his calls and told his sister, “Please tell Sanju not to call me up ever. Tell him that it’s all over”. Richa, then still married to Dutt, summed it up quite accurately when she said: “At every point in his life, he needs someone he can lean on emotionally. Like he was dependent on Madhuri. Now that she has ditched him, he is going to be a shattered man.”
And so the pattern continued. Next, it was Rhea Pillai — who would eventually marry Sanjay and become his second wife — who picked up the pieces. (They met at his lawyer, Mahesh Jethmalani’s office, while Sanjay was out on bail.) Today, Dutt is married to his third wife Manyata, and perhaps his search for an emotional anchor is finally over. Manyata understood that the secret to Sanjay’s heart was to mother him and take care of him. According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, every time Nadia [Durrani, Sanjay’s then-girlfriend] was out of town, Manyata would stay over. She implemented the adage that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and took over his kitchen. Sanjay didn’t know what to do: On the one hand he had Nadia, who used to take his credit card and go shopping, and on the other he had Manyata, who never even asked him if he had a credit card, but was, in fact, busy feeding him his favourite cuisine.
Needless to say, Manyata won. Today, she reportedly takes care of every aspect of Sanjay’s life — from his diet to the interior design of their home; from his clothes to vetting his friends and managing his career and his finances. Throughout his association with the many women in his life, Sanjay has been brutally honest, consistent and remarkably self-aware about his role in the relationships. “If you just want to call me a chauvi [chauvinist], I’m just one,” he says. That’s Dutt for you.
YASSER USMAN IS THE AUTHOR OF SANJAY DUTT: THE CRAZY, UNTOLD STORY OF BOLLYWOOD’S BAD BOY, PUBLISHED BY JUGGERNAUT BOOKS
Check out Manasvi Mamgai's award-winning Bharatnatyam performance in Malaysia in 2008
9:14 AM
Former Miss India, Manasvi Mamgai, on turning to Bharatanatyam when in doubt
As told to Yolande D'Mello (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 5, 2015)
There was a talent round too, and I had no clue what talent I was going to present. With only a few days to prepare, I opened old suitcases where my Bharatnatyam costume and ornaments were kept. Dance came to me easily when I was younger but it had been a while since I performed.
I grew up in Chandigarh where I had enrolled for a dance class. I was 10 then, I studied for three years and took part in concerts till I graduated from school. My family then moved to Delhi. This photograph was taken in Malaysia in 2008. I was 19, and had taken part in an international talent show organised by the tourism ministry. This was my first international work tour where I spent 20 days abroad interacting with other contestants and coaches.
Since I was a dancer, my mother approached her friend, Rhea Pillai who she had met through an Art of Living workshop. My mother shared my inclination for performing arts and asked what I should do to further a career in it. She suggested we move to Mumbai but it was too far. Instead, we ended up in Delhi. There, I enrolled in a Bachelors in Computers via open university.
In my first year however, I was spotted by a modelling agency and started to take part in contests. Through one of these contests, I found myself in Malaysia searching for a talent. I picked a song that I remembered performing on as a child but my nerves were tense.
Even as I took the stage, I kept thinking to myself that I should have chosen a Western dance form. To my surprise, when I finished, the audience threw roses onstage. They loved it. Eventually, I ended up winning the contest. This was the most endearing response I had received. I was touched.
Later, when I took part in the Miss India and Miss World pageants, I was sure Bharatnatyam would be my talent. I decided that I would present the dance with an amalgamation of contemporary moves. In hindsight though, I should have stuck to a more authentic version of the dance.
I am proud of having made it on my own without my father or godfather-Manasvi Mamgai
8:04 AM
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; November 29, 2014)
Manasvi Mamgai, 26, is
simple, sensitive and sweet. She is also restless, adventurous and
hyper. For her, everything needs to be perfect and she is susceptible to
getting emotionally attached easily. She has not seen her father since
the age of 16 and is proud to have made it without either her father or
even a godfather, be it winning the Miss India title in 2010 or her
first Prabhu Dheva film Action Jackson. Over a cup of coffee, she talks
to Bombay Times about her difficult childhood, her love for her mother
and why she is so scared of Prabhu Dheva. Excerpts:
How did you become a Miss India?
I am a Garhwali with roots from Uttaranchal. I was born in Delhi, but brought up in Chandigarh. My dad was in the construction business and mother, a teacher. My parents always had trouble in their marriage, but they remained together till such time that I grew up. My mother has always been spiritual and was into Art of Living through which she knew Rhea Pillai. Rhea had once come to Chandigarh when I had passed out of Class XII, when she saw me and said, 'You are tall and good looking. Why don't you try modelling?' She said, 'Come to Mumbai. I will introduce you to a couple of people and let's see what they have to say about you.' So I came to Mumbai and she made me meet Atul Kasbekar and Reshma Shetty and a couple of other people. Fortunately, they said nice things and I decided to try modelling and moved to Delhi. I was just 16 then. Work started pouring in. I started earning and that's when my mother got the courage to leave my father and shift with me to Delhi. I always wanted to become a Miss India. I filled up the entry form, auditioned and through the normal process, won it in 2010. They always say that when you become Miss India, you go down in history, as every girl while growing up wants to be one. After becoming Miss India, I shifted to Mumbai. I continued walking for fashion weeks and kept meeting and auditioning for films, till Prabhu Dheva auditioned me for Action Jackson. Actually, my whole fascination with glamour started with dancing. I have learnt bharatnatyam, belly dancing and contemporary dance. I always wanted to dance and perform. Even when I thought about movies, I always dreamt of working with a Farah Khan or Remo Fernandes or Prabhu Dheva. I feel life has come a full circle and my wish has come through working with Prabhu Dheva in Action Jackson.
Talk about working with Prabhu Dheva?
When I met him for the first time, I had a fan moment. For people who dance, it's a big thing to just meet Prabhu Dheva. He is very sweet. While offering the role to me, he said, 'Manasvi, the only difference between my other movies and this movie is your character.' He just said that one line and I was on. He is very fair. He will know what your potential is and basis that, he does justice to each one. He knows when you are working hard. He has two eyes in the front and two eyes at the back and is very alert and I am very scared of him.
What about Ajay Devgn?
Ajay is so classy and composed and both Prabhu Dheva and he don't talk.
Who do you love the most in the world?
Mom. She is the only one I have in the world. She is very shy, but is more ambitious about me than I am about myself. She was the one who pushed me to take part in Miss India. That was her dream. For me, it was about acting and dancing, but while she was growing up, she would read a lot of magazines and was very fascinated with models and glamour. She is also my biggest critic. But this time, for the first time, when I performed the Gangster Baby song at the song launch, she recorded it on her phone and since then, she must have seen it 300 times. She said, 'Look how well you dance.' Ever since my parents separated, I have not been in touch with my father. And since the age of 16, I have taken care of my mother and myself. And there has never been a time honestly, when I have bowed down to anybody or taken a favour or support. Everything I have done is on merit. She is proud of that. And I am very proud that I have done it on my own without any godfather. And probably that is also the reason that I am always insecure and hyper about people favouring someone.
Which was your lowest period?
I was in depression for a year when I lost Miss World. Till then, whichever competition I had gone to in life, I had always won. Miss World is something I really wanted. If you tell me to get flowers for you, I will spend one hour finding the best flowers for you. In Miss World, I can't even tell you how much hard work I put in. But after losing, for a year, I could not face the world and it was depressing. I lost faith in everything. I was angry with the world, with God, with everybody. Also, just post that, I went through a breakup in my relationship. I get easily attached, as I am a very emotional person. I felt life had ended. Fortunately, I was modelling and doing very well and slowly, I came to terms with it.
Are you in a relationship right now?
I have had a few affairs and all of them have been serious, as I put my heart into everything. When I like somebody, that person is everything for me. That is the way I am. Right now, I have no time. If I am in a relationship, then that becomes the centre of my universe and I can't afford that right now.
Your parents separated when you were 16. Isn't it unusual that you are not in touch with your father?
He has been a great father and I have many of his traits. I look like him and like him, I feel very close to nature. He was a genius, who was a bit crazy. For instance, he dropped out of second year of engineering from one of the top colleges only because he proved his teacher wrong against stuff written in textbooks. He was very inventive, but the problem was that even when a top corporate house would be looking for him desperately to solve a problem, and if he didn't feel like going, he would not. He was unpredictable, head strong and egoistic, but was very caring towards me. I remember if I had gone to a dance competition and came back home late, he would be up cooking food for me. He was protective about me and once, when I was about to meet with an accident, he almost murdered the person who was responsible. But with my mother, there were a lot of issues and a lot of domestic violence at home. Right from when I was very small, they would fight. I wish my parents had separated much before. At least I would not have seen all those things while growing up. I knew that despite being a good father, he had wronged my mother a lot and so, I decided to stay with her and cut off from him. He tried to be in touch with me always, but every time my father's name comes up, I cannot control my mother. She is very uncomfortable and still hates him. She doesn't want me to be in contact with him. Once, after winning Miss India, I was in contact with him. She came to know and she got very upset. I still love him, but I don't want to meet him as he is very unpredictable and may start harassing my mother again. As a child, the violence troubled me, but I was so young that there was not much that I could do. I was always with my mother, but did not have the voice at that time to do anything till I became 16. Dance helped me in a big way to escape that.
Do you have a dream?
I want to be remembered as a great actress, good human being and a person who is nice to work with. I also want to relax in my life and not stress out as much as I do.
How did you become a Miss India?
I am a Garhwali with roots from Uttaranchal. I was born in Delhi, but brought up in Chandigarh. My dad was in the construction business and mother, a teacher. My parents always had trouble in their marriage, but they remained together till such time that I grew up. My mother has always been spiritual and was into Art of Living through which she knew Rhea Pillai. Rhea had once come to Chandigarh when I had passed out of Class XII, when she saw me and said, 'You are tall and good looking. Why don't you try modelling?' She said, 'Come to Mumbai. I will introduce you to a couple of people and let's see what they have to say about you.' So I came to Mumbai and she made me meet Atul Kasbekar and Reshma Shetty and a couple of other people. Fortunately, they said nice things and I decided to try modelling and moved to Delhi. I was just 16 then. Work started pouring in. I started earning and that's when my mother got the courage to leave my father and shift with me to Delhi. I always wanted to become a Miss India. I filled up the entry form, auditioned and through the normal process, won it in 2010. They always say that when you become Miss India, you go down in history, as every girl while growing up wants to be one. After becoming Miss India, I shifted to Mumbai. I continued walking for fashion weeks and kept meeting and auditioning for films, till Prabhu Dheva auditioned me for Action Jackson. Actually, my whole fascination with glamour started with dancing. I have learnt bharatnatyam, belly dancing and contemporary dance. I always wanted to dance and perform. Even when I thought about movies, I always dreamt of working with a Farah Khan or Remo Fernandes or Prabhu Dheva. I feel life has come a full circle and my wish has come through working with Prabhu Dheva in Action Jackson.
Talk about working with Prabhu Dheva?
When I met him for the first time, I had a fan moment. For people who dance, it's a big thing to just meet Prabhu Dheva. He is very sweet. While offering the role to me, he said, 'Manasvi, the only difference between my other movies and this movie is your character.' He just said that one line and I was on. He is very fair. He will know what your potential is and basis that, he does justice to each one. He knows when you are working hard. He has two eyes in the front and two eyes at the back and is very alert and I am very scared of him.
What about Ajay Devgn?
Ajay is so classy and composed and both Prabhu Dheva and he don't talk.
Who do you love the most in the world?
Mom. She is the only one I have in the world. She is very shy, but is more ambitious about me than I am about myself. She was the one who pushed me to take part in Miss India. That was her dream. For me, it was about acting and dancing, but while she was growing up, she would read a lot of magazines and was very fascinated with models and glamour. She is also my biggest critic. But this time, for the first time, when I performed the Gangster Baby song at the song launch, she recorded it on her phone and since then, she must have seen it 300 times. She said, 'Look how well you dance.' Ever since my parents separated, I have not been in touch with my father. And since the age of 16, I have taken care of my mother and myself. And there has never been a time honestly, when I have bowed down to anybody or taken a favour or support. Everything I have done is on merit. She is proud of that. And I am very proud that I have done it on my own without any godfather. And probably that is also the reason that I am always insecure and hyper about people favouring someone.
Which was your lowest period?
I was in depression for a year when I lost Miss World. Till then, whichever competition I had gone to in life, I had always won. Miss World is something I really wanted. If you tell me to get flowers for you, I will spend one hour finding the best flowers for you. In Miss World, I can't even tell you how much hard work I put in. But after losing, for a year, I could not face the world and it was depressing. I lost faith in everything. I was angry with the world, with God, with everybody. Also, just post that, I went through a breakup in my relationship. I get easily attached, as I am a very emotional person. I felt life had ended. Fortunately, I was modelling and doing very well and slowly, I came to terms with it.
Are you in a relationship right now?
I have had a few affairs and all of them have been serious, as I put my heart into everything. When I like somebody, that person is everything for me. That is the way I am. Right now, I have no time. If I am in a relationship, then that becomes the centre of my universe and I can't afford that right now.
Your parents separated when you were 16. Isn't it unusual that you are not in touch with your father?
He has been a great father and I have many of his traits. I look like him and like him, I feel very close to nature. He was a genius, who was a bit crazy. For instance, he dropped out of second year of engineering from one of the top colleges only because he proved his teacher wrong against stuff written in textbooks. He was very inventive, but the problem was that even when a top corporate house would be looking for him desperately to solve a problem, and if he didn't feel like going, he would not. He was unpredictable, head strong and egoistic, but was very caring towards me. I remember if I had gone to a dance competition and came back home late, he would be up cooking food for me. He was protective about me and once, when I was about to meet with an accident, he almost murdered the person who was responsible. But with my mother, there were a lot of issues and a lot of domestic violence at home. Right from when I was very small, they would fight. I wish my parents had separated much before. At least I would not have seen all those things while growing up. I knew that despite being a good father, he had wronged my mother a lot and so, I decided to stay with her and cut off from him. He tried to be in touch with me always, but every time my father's name comes up, I cannot control my mother. She is very uncomfortable and still hates him. She doesn't want me to be in contact with him. Once, after winning Miss India, I was in contact with him. She came to know and she got very upset. I still love him, but I don't want to meet him as he is very unpredictable and may start harassing my mother again. As a child, the violence troubled me, but I was so young that there was not much that I could do. I was always with my mother, but did not have the voice at that time to do anything till I became 16. Dance helped me in a big way to escape that.
Do you have a dream?
I want to be remembered as a great actress, good human being and a person who is nice to work with. I also want to relax in my life and not stress out as much as I do.
Leander Paes-Rhea Pillai battle intensifies
8:12 AM
The drama between the tennis ace and his estranged partner Rhea heats up. Bombay Times gives you inside information...
BOMBAY TIMES (October 19, 2014)
A third party is in the dock
in the Leander Paes-Rhea Pillai fight. Thirty-one-year-old cricketer
Atul Sharma (a former Indian Premiere League player) has just been
dragged into the controversy.According to the latest media reports, the tennis ace said he feared the safety of his eight-year-old daughter, Aiyana, and his own life because he allegedly received a death threat from Atul, who is supposedly in an illicit relationship with Rhea. Leander said that Atul was hanging around in the corridor of the Bandra Family Court, where he and Rhea were present for a hearing on October 14 and it was here that he actually threatened him. The Bandra-Kurla police confirmed that Leander had filed an FIR against Atul. They have charged Atul under sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (ii) (criminal intimidation).
When we tried reaching out to Leander on October 18, we were told the tennis ace was in Switzerland for a tournament. Rhea was in their Bandra home alone with her daughter. While she refused to comment on the proceedings, we learnt from insiders that Rhea was most upset with Leander's latest allegations. An insider said, “Rhea is here in Mumbai with her child. If Leander was so concerned about the safety of his child, how come he flew abroad the same night that he lodged the FIR. Shouldn't he have been here with his daughter if he felt her life was in danger?“ It is also being said that the custody battle between this famous couple began somewhere around May 8 this year. In the following five months, Leander apparently spent only two days with his daughter. The source added, “Even these two days were the ones he spent with her in London, when Rhea flew her there on her own account.“
One of Rhea's close friends, who we reached out to, said, “Rhea is hurting at the attempts to disrespect and damage her reputation.“ The friend, who is also a well-known name in the society also rewound to Rhea's ordeal of over six months ago, saying, “Rhea was being thrown out of her own apartment. Her clothes had been put in cartons and she was asked to leave the house by Leander. When she attempted to lodge a complaint with the local police station, they refused to take down an FIR. However, now the authorities have jumped into action and lodged a complaint against Atul almost overnight. Obviously because Leander is a known name and has a position and power in society.“
Nobody in Rhea's immediate circle is buying the Atul threat angle. Her friend questioned, “Isn't a court of law one of the safest places in the country?“ Speaking on behalf of her client, Rhea's lawyer, Mrunalini Deshmukh said, “I am only concerned with Rhea. These allegations about her illicit relations are false. Secondly, I have no idea about Atul Sharma being in court and allegedly threatening Leander. And then, as per press reports, if there is any threat to his daughter, strangely enough, the father is not even in the country.“
Gauri Khan's presence helped Rhea Pillai find her voice?
8:04 AM
Seema Sinha (BOMBAY TIMES; May 13, 2014)
Rhea
Pillai’s ongoing tussle with Leander Paes over the custody of their
eight-yearold daughter Aiyana is far from over. The socialite, who has
been in a relationship with the tennis ace for nearly a decade, is
getting ready to file her petition in court.Last week, when Rhea allegedly found herself locked out of her own home, she felt completely helpless. It was at this juncture that her close friend Gauri Khan stepped in to help. Rhea admitted to us that had Gauri not come, she may never have found her voice in public. Or for that matter, with the cops. After lodging a complaint at the Bandra police station, Mrs Shah Rukh Khan went home with her and made sure she was ensconced safely.
Says Rhea, “I called up my friend Kajal (Anand), who contacted another mutual close friend Avanti. Both of them live in town and it would have taken them at least 45 minutes to reach me. Gauri said she is coming right away and was at the police station, along with her bodyguards, within five minutes. Later, when she walked into the house, Leander got a little nervous because he is very particular about his image. He got affected because Gauri would see what is going on in the house.”
Leander & I haven't had a relationship since our child was conceived-Rhea Pillai
3:52 PM
Seema Sinha (BOMBAY TIMES; May 10, 2014)
Rhea accused Leander of cheating on her. She said, “Our relationship did not work out the way I wanted it to. He was very happy when I conceived, but post that, his behaviour changed dramatically. He must have felt, ‘Where can she go now?’ He would not show up for many days. Even while going on professional tours, no phone numbers were given to me. And then, women’s clothing started coming out of his suitcases.”
Rhea says when their daughter turned a little over seven, she told Leander that she wanted to separate. “I decided to walk out of his immediate space. I shifted to the other side of the apartment and he could not take out his anger on me. He then started venting out his anger at my daughter, who used to stay with him at night at that point of time,” she says. Rhea says Leander and she have not had any kind of relationship since Aiyana was conceived. “He has not even held my hand since then. Then I decided to live my life because he was living his life. The day I decided to do so, he didn’t like it. If I dress up, I am encouraging men to look at me and if I don’t, I am lazy,” she says. Leander was unavailable for comment till the time of going to press.
Leander Paes cheated on me from Day 1-Rhea Pillai
7:53 AM
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 9, 2014)
Their love took flight in an aircraft en route Goa. Soon tennis ace Leander Paes and model and lifestyle coach Rhea Pillai became the most talked about couple of 2003.
Rhea was still married to Sanjay Dutt then while Leander was fresh off a break-up from Mahima Chaudhary. The bond was cemented when the two had a daughter in April 2006.
But the once happy couple are now washing their dirty linen in public in a custody battle for their child. Leander started the court battle and in the petition claimed that that they were never married, "as Rhea did not believe in the institution of marriage thanks to her two failed marriages".
Since last May, Leander's relationship with Rhea had hit rock bottom. It got worse on Thursday night when Rhea returned to their family home in Bandra and found herself locked out. Mirror caught up with her minutes before she left for the Bandra police station to file a complaint. Excerpts:
So did Leander really lock you out of the house?
Yes, Leander locked me out. I'd gone with my child for a birthday party. Leader and his mother were running out of the building as I was entering. They even put my clothes in boxes and threw them out. Actually, five people had forcibly broken into my house once before too.
When did this happen?
I was away in Rishikesh. They hacked into my computers and took away sensitive emails and some of my photographs. As I talk, cops are with me in my house, so is my friend Gauri Khan. Thank God, my child isn't here. She is at Rani Mukerji's house. It is her niece's birthday.
Leander has made many unpleasant allegations against you...
I know. He is so publicity hungry.
He says that you are wild, bohemian...
Fantastic, I love it! Ask him to prove these allegations. The court wants evidence. His lies hurt me but my truth will kill him.
He also says you have a volatile temper...
Lovely, can he prove it? And now he wants the custody of our daughter. Which court will give him the custody when he has hardly been involved in her parenting? He doesn't even know where she is at any point of the day. From her report cards you can see that she is doing well. I am involved in her academics while Leander is not in the country for more than six weeks a year.
When did things go wrong?
Nothing was ever hunky dory. I was just saving my marriage for the sake of my child. I had made peace with myself but there came a point when I decided that we needed to separate. His ego couldn't accept my decision.
Was Leander cheating on you?
Yes.
Since when?
From Day 1.
He says that you lied to him about your divorce with Sanjay Dutt claiming that you got it in 2006 while the decree came through in 2008?
My divorce did come later but I did not lie to him.
Apparently, he wants you to leave the house now?
I am not interested in staying here. Who wants to live a life full of fights, blackmails and accusations? But first he needs to start a trust fund for our child's security. We will happily leave him then. But first behave like a responsible father, Mr Leander Paes.
Such behaviour doesn't benefit a Padma Bhushan?
Ufff, do you know that he has been going around saying that I didn't allow our child to accompany him to the award function. Why would I do that?
Will you give the custody of your child to him?
No way, never!
LEANDER'S LAWYER SAYS
This is Leander's home. Leander has instructed his staff to prepare the guest room where his parents normally stay for their arrival and Rhea had placed some of her artifacts there. This police complaint seems like a bid on Rhea's part to create controversy and gain sympathy and stop Leander's parents from staying. Please be clear, this is NOT the room that Rhea's been using as a bedroom.
- Zulfikar Memon, MZM Legal, Leander's lawyer
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