Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 8, 2019)

Cousins Rani Mukerji and Kajol were in perfect sync in pretty pink saris as they brought in Navami on Monday at the family Durga puja celebrations at a suburban five-star. Rani drove in past 2 pm and was greeted with cheers from fans who had packed the venue. Kajol got an equally rapturous welcome. Her mother Tanuja, sister Tanishaa and cousins Ayan and Sharbani were there too, along with star guests, Ayan’s bestie Ranbir Kapoor, his ladylove and Brahmastra co-star Alia Bhatt, and Hrithik Roshan. RK arrived around 5 pm while both Hrithik and Alia visited earlier in the afternoon.

All three performed ‘anjali’, seeking Maa’s blessings but while both Hrithik and Alia left without partaking of the bhog, RK sat for the daily prasad which on the ninth day included pulao, begun bhaaja, paneer, dum aloo, chutney, kheer and another sweet. While Ayan sat for the havan, it was Rani, Kajol and Tanishaa’s day to serve bhog and the latter exulted, “Sisters who serve together, rock together.”

TV actress Sumona Chakravarti, known as Kapil Sharma’s former better half on his comedy show, was among the first guests to arrive, spreading sunshine in a yellow sari. Actor Vipin Sharma was also spotted in the crowd of revelers.

Hiren Kotwani (DNA; November 22, 2018)

Tanishaa Mukerji is all set for her maiden short film outing, with writer-director Vikram Razdan’s Life Is Short. The Sarkar actress will be seen as a delusional diva, Debika, in the project that will open today at the International Film Festival of India’s (IFFI, being held in Goa) NFDC Film Bazaar. The movie also features character actor Lilliput of sitcom Dekh Bhai Dekh fame as Debika’s meek manager, Abdul. Their dramatic duels climax into an edge-of-the-seat ending.

When asked if she drew inspiration from a real-life movie personality, Tanishaa said, “Though I have often heard sordid stories of many a schizophrenic superstars, I definitely haven’t aped any such actor whilst enacting Debika. But, yes, this is the first time I have played a dark and delusional character, and that’s what attracted me to the part.”

Vikram avers about his venture set against the backdrop of showbiz, “Words can be more brutal than bullets. While the latter can kill, the former can destroy those targeted. Life Is Short is a story that needed to be told, lest mortals who are revered, start believing they are Gods; conveniently forgetting that life is short.” Lilliput adds, “Life Is Short touched a personal chord with me and I empathised with the character.”

Armaan Kohli, Neeru Randhawa, Ayesha Jhulka, Munmun Dutta and Tanishaa

DNA (June 6, 2018)

Armaan Kohli seems to have gone missing after girlfriend Neeru Randhawa filed an FIR for physical assault against him on Sunday. A case against him has been registered by the Santacruz Police Station under sections 323, 326, 504 and 506. Reportedly, the fight between the two started on a frivolous note at his home and in no time, he got abusive. Apparently, before Neeru could realise, he had allegedly pushed her down the stairs and pulling her by the hair, even banged her head against the floor. The injury was so bad that she had to undergo surgery at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, where she had got admitted post the assault. Meanwhile, Armaan has gone incommunicado; he has switched off his mobile and is not around at home either. The police are on the lookout for him for further investigation.

Incidentally, this is not the first time Armaan is said to have assaulted Neeru. Earlier this February, he apparently almost broke her nose. However, she’s believed to have forgiven him then. Armaan has a history of getting abusive with his previous girlfriends. Reportedly, he had been accused of assault by Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah actress Munmun Dutta in 2013 in Mauritius. Even during his Big Boss stint, he was arrested for physical abuse after his co-contestant Sofia Hayat filed a complaint against him. He was later released on bail. After the Bigg Boss stint, Armaan was reportedly in a relationship with Tanishaa, but due to his temperamental issues, they parted ways.

Long before that, Ayesha Jhulka, who did a couple of films with the actor and was also in a serious relationship with him, reportedly broke up because of his anger management issues. When she was asked about the show following Sofia’s complaint, Ayesha had said, “I would never like to associate myself with a man like Armaan. He is history now and if a woman has filed a complaint against him for such behaviour, then I am sure it is true.”

An industry insider says two of Armaan’s biggest problems in a relationship are that he’s commitment-phobic and he’s abusive. “Armaan has been in relationships with various women at different points in time, but he has never got married to any of them,” says a source, adding, “He can’t commit long-term to a relationship and he has a terrible temper, which compels women to break-up with him.”

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; April 2, 2018)

There have been several ‘fat-to-fit’ examples in Bollywood, but Tanishaa Mukerji’s latest photo shoot has taken everyone by surprise. The actress, who recently posted several images online flaunting a new svelte figure, was also trolled for being skinny. However, she maintains, “I’ve just become more toned and gained muscles.”

When I catch up with her on a balmy evening at her Juhu office, I do a double take as she walks into the room. She not only looks her fittest best, but also exudes a sense of confidence. In a candid chat, Tanishaa opens up about her year-long metamorphosis and how she overcame her biggest weakness — chocolates. Excerpts…

WHY THE MAKEOVER?
It was a long process as it wasn’t just a physical transformation but a mental and spiritual one, too. After all, what you are inside reflects on the outside. It actually took me a few wake-up calls. It started with my best friends — Nikhila Palat and Vivan Bhathena — who wanted to give me a makeover. Vivaan would often tell me, ‘You work out so much, but why do you still have these tyres around your waist?’ That was because I was addicted to chocolate. Vivan is a fitness freak and he wanted me to be fit too. This was a little over a year ago, but I didn’t listen to him.

One day, while horse riding, I felt a jerk in my back. That’s when I realised that even if you have a little excess weight, it can cause injuries. I was out of action for a few months and started doing Pilates to heal myself.

The third wake up call was when my dresses stopped fitting me. Even though I was working out so much, my chest and butt were out of proportion. I was battling a lot of issues and started doing Buddhist chanting. When I saw my film Anna (2016) on screen, I thought that I appeared rotund. This wasn’t the image that I had of myself and finally decided to take matters in my own hands.

GIVING UP CHOCOLATES
I called up Vivan and signed up with Eefa Shroff (a fitness and lifestyle coach who specialises in the 21 Body Transformation practice). I quit sugar completely. While I was undergoing this transformation, she explained how our eating habits are connected to our emotions and why we lose discipline over a period of time. So, you need to work on your mind.

I couldn’t have given up chocolate if Eefa hadn’t explained to me what it was doing to my system. Chocolate is a drug, so I needed to find ways to love myself that would benefit me. Hence, I started scuba diving, as I needed adventure and a sense of accomplishment. Once you understand what that piece of chocolate is doing to you, you wouldn’t want it. Now, I don’t crave it anymore — you can keep a box in front of me and I would walk past it.

I started doing weights and a lot of Pilates which worked on my flexibility, core and abs. Eefa taught me yoga because weights make us stiff, so the asanas open up the body as flexibility is key.

A PROTEIN-RICH DIET
I eliminated potatoes, grains, rice, roti and bread. Instead, I started consuming more vegetables, eggs, fish and chicken. I took protein shakes, too, because my diet alone wasn’t sufficient to get this kind of a physique. I’ve always liked to have a toned figure, without an ounce of fat on my body. I did take other healthy supplements like aminos that would help in muscle growth. After all, I wanted to be able to do that 20-pound deadlift.

IT’S ABOUT INCHES, NOT KILOS
I learnt how to shed fat, not weight. Sometimes, when you’re knocking off the kilos, you could actually be losing muscle. That’s when your metabolism goes down. Check your inches — if you’re shedding them over a period of time, then you’re doing the right thing.

‘WE SHOULD TREAT OUR BODY LIKE IT’S OUR BEST FRIEND
It took me a little more than a year. But it was eight months of being super strict. We must always start early. Otherwise, we will be like, ‘Why didn’t I work those muscles and take care of myself when I had the time?’ We should treat our body like we’d treat our best friend. 

DEALING WITH TROLLS
I don’t want to set a wrong example. I feel a certain kind of connection with my fans, so if they ask me questions on Instagram and Twitter, I try to answer as many as I can. However, people can make their own assumptions. They feel I have become skinny, but I’ve gained muscles. Trolls don’t affect me. I’ve been through a lot of backlash right from the time I started. But I’ve dealt with life, so social media is a cakewalk.

WRITING A BOOK? NOT YET
A lot of people have done it, but I’m someone who believes that unless you have a lot of knowledge, you cannot preach. So, I don’t want to write a book just yet. This has worked for me, but I can’t become a nutritionist just because of this. I did it as a lifestyle choice.

The three-tiered cake, Kajol with Mickey Contractor (inset); Rani Mukerji joins in

Kajol, Tanishaa danced to old hits; Shabana Azmi took to the stage with Sonu Nigam
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 19, 2018)

Karan Johar pulled out all the stops to give mum Hiroo Johar a 75th birthday to remember. The luncheon was hosted on Sunday at a Bandra five-star, decorated with the birthday girl’s favourite flowers, a profusion of pink and purple, but celebrations had begun the previous night as a cake was cut at KJo’s Bandra residence to the birthday song at the stroke of midnight.

Some of the guests like Rani Mukerji, along with several others like Kajol and sister Tanishaa Mukerji, Natasha Poonawala, Tina Ambani, Kareena Kapoor Khan returned the following day. Also spotted making merry were Karan’s ‘student’ Sidharth, Shabana Azmi with Javed Akhtar who sang songs, veteran actress Waheeda Rehman, Shobha Kapoor, Shweta Bachchan who returned with mom Jaya and daughter Navya Naveli and KJo’s bestie Manish Malhotra.

“The party kicked off at around 1 pm. On the menu were Hiroo’s favourite Chinese and Indian dishes. She cut a three-tier cake, which was preceded by the screening of an audio-visual chronicling moments from Karan’s childhood days to Hiroo’s latest pictures with her grandchildren, Yash and Roohi. The twins joined in for the cake cutting,” informed a guest.

The guest said that singer Zarir Warden of One Empire band performed Hiroo’s favourite Elvis Presley hits while Sonu Nigam kept the revelers entertained for an hour, cajoling Waheeda, Honey Irani, Shabana and Javed to join him on stage. “Sonu sang songs like 'Lag Ja Gale', 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' and 'Gaata Rahe Mera Dil' among other evergreen chartbusters, a song list that had been put together by Karan himself. He had requested Sonu to perform live two months ago and both his mother and he got teary-eyed when Sonu crooned the Kal Ho Na Ho title track and 'Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin' from Agneepath. Kajol and Tanisha cheered and danced to the lively tracks,” added the source.

Shabana, who sang “Ajeeb Daasatan Hai Yeh” from Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai, told Mirror that she had spontaneously joined Sonu and it was hardly a performance. “Hiroo loves Hindi film songs and Sonu was marvelous. We were clapping, cheering and doing Shammi Kapoor movements or so we thought! What the guests made of it is best not revealed,” she laughed, adding that Hiroo and Javed have been friends for years and she fondly calls him Jadu which only his close friends do and he loves her. “I know her largely through him. She is spontaneous, warm and I love Karan’s relationship with her because they are forever taking the mickey out of each other and yet love each other madly.”


Sonu Nigam, Waheeda Rehman belt out old chartbusters, Javed Akhtar joins in for bestie Hiroo, Sidharth Malhotra squeezes in a selfie with the birthday girl

Bollywood celebs like Kangana Ranaut, Rani Mukerji, filmmaker Vikas Bahl and others are using green walling and vertical gardens to ensure privacy from paparazzi and to jazz up their homes
Kasmin Fernandes (MID-DAY; August 7, 2016)

Urban ecology is getting a shot in the arm with Bollywood stars giving as much significance to their gardens as they do to their homes. Keeping themselves away from prying eyes is top priority for most, playtime being the boys’ prerogative. Says interior architect Ashiesh Shah, "In addition to being one of the best ways to add a dash of greenery to an urban space, landscaping is a great way to screen off spaces without walls." For Hrithik Roshan’s new home, Shah kept the outdoor space minimal, with a lawn area and floor-hugging seating for his kids to play.

Singleton Ranbir Kapoor’s garden has a free-flowing layout. Says Shah, "The living room leads to an outdoor bar area which continues into a large open lawn, perfect for entertaining. Ranbir definitely wanted the open space to play football with his friends. We used perennial plants like boganvillas, frangipanis and traveller’s palms to create a more private feel."




Privacy was a major concern for Kangana Ranaut (above) as well. Says ecological landscape specialist Gautam Muralidharan who designed her urban forest garden, "The issue of private space had to be addressed due to a wrap-around deck for the apartment." His firm Oikos Ecological Solutions created dense plantings and green screens to conjure up a landscape full of colour and utility. Kangana’s landscape is really sweet and beautiful, much like her The brief was to create a strongly aesthetic garden with a kitchen garden component as well as plants that would bring her a sense of home. Since she is from the north, mulberries were one of the fruiting trees that fulfilled those requirements along with chilli, brinjal, and lime. Additionally, privacy was a concern and it was necessary to create plant screens, which were done with scented and flowering varieties of plants."


Kangana gave Muralidharan the artistic license to create the landscape the way he wanted, within the parameters provided. "This allowed me to add several native plants, and a garden that would provide space for birds and butterflies. I was amazed when I saw a bulbul nesting in her landscape a year after we completed the project." Muralidharan’s other clients include Vikas Bahl, Rani Mukerji, Imtiaz Ali and Rajeev Khandelwal.

At the moment, he is working on Alia Bhatt’s home garden. Muralidharan gave us a textual preview of Alia’s baugh. "I use a microclimate approach to try and find plants that suit the space and location. The flora I use is always a mix of native and ornamental, leaning more toward the wilder side of things, as my background is wildlife and ecology."

Others like Parineeti Chopra are going a step further in their ecological pursuits. Her newly furnished home has a bio-wall — a living wall that divides spaces and cleans the air we breathe at the same time.






Mumbai will have first ever 'Bollywood garden'

Tanishaa Mukerji will be the face of a Bollywood Garden. A collaboration with the Mumbaikar Festival 2016 and charitable initiative Stamp, it is a first for the country. A spokesperson said, “The garden will be a manicured jungle reflecting the character of the great names and families of Bollywood creatively.” This will be achieved through nature-driven innovation like jacaranda lanes and laburnum canopies.

Celebs tell us why these pooches are their best friends
Lisa Antao (DNA; August 7, 2016)


‘Dogs demand unconditional love, too’: Shreyas Talpade
More than being my best friends, my dogs — Don and Knight are like my sons. Both are Labradors aged seven, but Don is four months older. My wife got us Don when I was going through a bit of stressful time and he uplifted me. Later, we thought of getting Don a buddy as he was alone and a friend gifted us Knight. They both are more than a part of my family — all of my family, including my parents, in-laws, other relatives, people in my building love them too. I absolutely agree that a dog is a man’s best friend. They say dogs give you unconditional love but I would also like to add that they demand unconditional love from you too. Even if you’ve had a long stressful day, they come up to you and want to play with you. It’s de-stressing and joyful. Everybody should have a pet especially, if they have a child at home, as it make one more compassionate, it makes you more responsible. Kids eventually grow up and leave you later but your pets don’t leave you.

‘Dogs don’t have mood swings’: Jay Bhanushali
I have three dogs (and a cat) — Figo, Tim Tim and Katori. Katori is a two-year-old pug whom I adopted. Figo (male, age six) was gifted by good friend Ashwini Yardi. Tim Tim (female, age five) was gifted by another friend Narendra. Figo and Tim Tim are Shih Tzus and a couple. They are my best friends. I truly believe that dogs are a man’s best friend. They don’t have mood swings. Even when I return home at 3 am or 5 am after shooting for 12 to 14 hours a day, they come up to me and refresh my mood. It’s wonderful to be welcomed by these beautiful dogs when I get back home any time of the day. They do cute little things that touch my heart.

‘My dogs are my family’: Mika Singh
I’m an animal lover. I have various pets at my farm house in Gurgaon. I have several breeds of dogs and they are taken care of by people who are put up at the farmhouse. I love spending time with my dogs and they too are the happiest when they see me. The age old saying that dogs are a man’s best friends has been absolutely true in my case. For me, they are family. From understanding my mood to my conversation with them, my pets have become one of my closest friends. It’s unbelievable how they can sense every time I’m feeling low. I see the happiness in their eyes when they see me enter the farmhouse and the sadness each time I’m about to leave for Mumbai. That’s what I call truest friendship and unconditional love.

‘My Lhasa Apso is my baby’: Tanishaa Mukerji (Theatre and film actor)
The happy and positive impact a dog creates at home is really unbelievable. They are truly the most loving creatures I have ever come across. My five-year-old Lhasa Apso, King Leonidas is extremely possessive about me. He is my baby, always following me around and being there for me no matter what. For me, my dog is my best friend and will always be.

OPPOSITE OPINION

‘Best friend is a heavy term’: Nachiket Barve
I have a Labrador Retriever called Sir Theodore Goldenridge, and I fondly call him Theo. He will be turning nine this September. He’s the first dog in the family and Theo wasn’t gifted to me. I don’t think dogs should be gifted because they become family and it’s like gifting someone a spouse! I did a lot of research before getting a pet. I didn’t want to buy a dog from a pet shop where they’re kept in cages and sold. I got in touch with a family via Indian Kennel Club, whose dog gave birth to litter and I saw and adopted him. I wouldn’t say a dog is a man’s best friend because a ‘best friend’ is a heavy term. Dogs become family and it’s like having a small child in the family.

‘Justin shadows me everywhere’: Sohrab Ardeshir (Theatre actor)
I completely agree with the adage that a dog is a man’s best friend. My family has always kept dogs and I’ve been around them ever since I was born. I used to have three dogs but two have passed away. Currently, I have a six-year-old street dog named Justin. He shadows me which is lovely but becomes a problem when I’m travelling. I always get a very warm welcome when I return home, muddy paws all over me which I love! (laughs) I wish more people would adopt street dogs, as there are so many of them who need a home. Plus, they are so loving and faithful!

‘My Yorkie-Shih Tzu is a complete brat’: Zafar Karachiwala (Theatre actor)
Our seven-year-old Yorkie-Shih Tzu is called Monster and he’s a complete brat! He is my wife Ahlam’s dog and he took a liking to me from day one of our marriage. I’m the one who gives him his bath and takes him out for a walk every day. He likes to go for a walk in the mornings, so he usually wakes me up by licking my feet at 6 am. While he goes to Ahlam for comfort, I’m his buddy and we love hanging out together.

Upala KBR (DNA; May 25, 2016)

Tanishaa Mukerji has been spending her free time looking after her three puppies, working on her fitness regime and playing the role of an interior designer. She is redecorating her family house in Lonavala and also engaging in rainwater harvesting.

Says Tanishaa, “My family purchased this land over 70 years ago and built a pretty cottage. It’s my home away from home. I wanted to revamp it keeping the rustic old touch as authentic as I can. I’m looking after the intricate details in restoring the family heritage with modern day furniture concepts keeping the retro feel intact. I visited few antique decor stores across Mumbai and abroad and have picked up stuff for the holiday home. This whole process of redoing it is exhilarating and pretty much a learning process. My mother also gives valuable inputs which will keep the old charm alive.”

Tanishaa, who plays a journalist in her upcoming Anna Hazare biopic, stresses on the importance of every household doing their bit for the environment, “I’ve started rainwater harvesting in my family land and also getting solar panels installed. I think we owe this much to the environment and not just the concerned authorities but every household must do their bit. I’m definitely inspired by my brother-in-law Ajay Devgn in this.”

Tanishaa adds that while she has done the interiors herself for her various houses, she’s not looking at interior designing as an alternative career. “I don’t really know if I can take it up in a big way as I’m already doing many other things, but I’m always open to the idea.”

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 14, 2016)

Arjun Kapoor on why he chose to do television so early in his career and setting the record straight on his tiff with Tanishaa Mukerji
Tushar Joshi (DNA; February 12, 2016)

Only six films old, Arjun Kapoor has now ventured into television hosting a popular action adventure reality show. Despite cynics who call it a risk, Arjun feels that doing TV will benefit him in the long run. In a candid chat, he muses about turning telly host and also the alleged cold war he had with Tanishaa Mukerji during the shoot..

Isn’t it too early in your career to do TV? Did that cross your mind before signing on a reality show?
All that crossed my mind. I mean if you look at it, logically, I am only six films old. I should be really consolidating my position and trying to hone my skills and all that, but what people don’t realise is we have a very box-office oriented, result-driven business. Our films might get appreciation, but if they don’t do box-office business, then it is irrelevant, unfortunately. It’s a very number-driven business. TV allows you to connect with even more people than you can imagine. It will help my films eventually. So when I got the opportunity, I was like, ‘I am sure this is early, but it’s amazing that I am going to build equity with people.’ Maybe, 10 years later, they’d have come to know about me; maybe two or three years later, they would have seen one film of mine on TV and said, ‘Let’s go and watch his movie in the theatre’. To get people out of their house to go to theatres is always impossible. A weekday ticket costs Rs 200-300 and if the movie releases on a holiday, forget it. So, you have to connect with the audience. One per cent of the population has gone and seen the biggest hit of the year. Only one per cent! So the pros and cons were all there, but there are actually pros in my case. Because I am so young, I can get away with it.

Did you speak to anyone before signing the show?
The decision was mine. When it was offered to me, there were only two people who I discussed it with, dad and Adi (Chopra). And they also agreed with whatever I was saying. And, if you see the way the channel has done a fantastic job in projecting the show, it is like a summer blockbuster. It has got that scale, that feel, it has got that look and vibe, it’s got energy, it’s got youth. For me, this was always the show that I could imagine hosting. So it fell into my lap.

You are a fun-loving guy. But as a host, did you have to maintain a distance from the contestants?
I did. I wasn’t their best friend off-camera. I wasn’t spending time with them post pack-up and definitely, you do maintain a decorum. I think that’s fair to the game because your personal biases are not important in the game and I didn’t know any of them, so that’s a big advantage. I have met Raghav (Juyal) once with Varun. I know Tanishaa socially. I had no emotional attachment to any contestant, so why should I compromise on that? I am supposed to be the most neutral part of the show, if I start getting biased, it changes the dynamics of the contestants towards me.

So like you said, there is a decorum maintained.
Off course, I had no point wanting them to feel that I am above them and I do not want to indulge with them. So I managed to balance it. I had a lot of fun with them on the show and I always encouraged them and supported them and you can see that we had banter and we were like friends... all of us, but they were also very focussed and clear. They also know what a host’s job is and at what point, he has to stop being close to them also. So, I couldn’t really go and discuss the stunt with them beforehand and I couldn’t be faffing around and fooling around. But they were a very well-behaved bunch of people. All of them were very focussed and very clear about why they had come. They had that burning desire and ambition. So I don’t think they came to be best friends with the host alone, they came to win that show. And that made my job pretty easy. Nobody came with any baggage of any bias towards me. They were only thinking about the show.

There are reports that Tanishaa was upset with you during the show..
When you see the show, I think that’s contrary to what the rumour is because I got along fine with her. We joked around, I yanked her chain quite a lot asking questions and I read somewhere about something to do with the tone of my voice.

Yes, it seems she didn’t like the tone of your voice..
Which is surprising to me but if she feels that way, I have no issue sitting face-to-face and resolving any issue and even apologizing, for that matter. If she has been offended, I’d be more than happy to. It is not a big deal, I have no issues with Tanishaa. She was very sweet on the show. I would like to believe it had more to do with factors other than me.

There were also reports that Jay and Mahi had a huge fight and things got really ugly.
I am the last person who can speak on this, because like I said, I maintained the decorum, I kept my distance. I stayed in a separate hotel, too. So I am the last person who can give you any clarity on that.

The movie stunts you’d want to try to pull off.
The opening sequence of Face/Off featuring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage, the entire plane sequence. I used to find Face/Off really cool. Of course, Bad Boys the second Bad Boys, the car chases and all. As a kid growing up, these are the two films that definitely stuck with me. And True Lies, the scene with Arnold and the chopper.

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; January 26, 2016)

Neha Maheshwri Bhagat (BOMBAY TIMES; October 23, 2015)