Abhishek is more blessed than parents: Rakeysh Mehra

Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who directed Abhishek Bachchan for the first time in "Delhi-6", says he is a "pedigree" actor and is far more "blessed" than his parents Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan.

"In terms of balance, Abhishek is far more blessed than both his parents. He is a thoroughbred and a pedigree. He has styles from both his mother and father but possesses the sensitivity and softness of his mother," Mehra told IANS.

Mehra, who worked with Amitabh in "Aks", was also all praise for Abhishek's acting style.

"Abhishek is in his nascent stage as an actor but he has got a whole lot of experience as an actor. He delves into the character and lately he's started doing that more often. I remember while shooting for 'Delhi-6', I couldn't believe that it's Abhishek when he completely got into the character of Roshan (the protagonist).”

Irrfan faints on sets

Shooting in the jungles of Dholpur for Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Paan Singh Tomar, took its toll on Irrfan Khan. With the mercury hitting unthinkable highs and being on the open sets all day, Irrfan could take the heat no more.

The actor was shooting continuously for a particular shot and had no time to rest. Soon he started feeling uneasy and suffered a black-out. The actor was dehydrated because of the heat.

Irrfan is now back shooting. After all isn’t that what a professional does?

SRK gets support from Bollywood

Shah Rukh Khan may not show it but he is definitely upset with the way his team is performing at the IPL. Kolkata Knight Riders has lost all its matches, except one, and is at the bottom in the points table.

SRK has come back to Mumbai and will be going back to South Africa only after his team wins a match.

And, as far as his cricket team goes, the industry seems to be with Shah Rukh, even his rivals.

After Aamir Khan made peace with him due to the multiplex issues, it is now Akshay Kumar who is by his side.

Akki, who is currently shooting in Singapore, wishes SRK's Kolkata Knight Riders all the best on his blog.

"The most important thing to me my IPL! I called up my producer and said I don't care where I stay even if it's in the back of a kitchen, I need to watch my IPL. Bad news, my hotel didn't have the channel so what else could I do but personally find the hotel manager and fold my hands in humble request and plead and plead for whatever it takes to please get that channel.

”By the next day, I was sitting in my room watching KKR vs PK XI. Happy is not enough to describe how I was feeling. And wow! What a season it's been. Seriously, I wish the best for all the teams, you have me on the edge of my seat, and I'd like to send my best regards to Shah Rukh Khan's Knight Riders, they've put up a good fight. So don't worry boys, you will always be loved”, he wrote on the blog.

Meanwhile, there have been reports that SRK is in talks with companies to sell off his share in Kolkata Knight Riders and get out of cricket.

SRK is said to be negotiating with Nokia, Anil Ambani and the Sahara Group to dispose off his share in the IPL team.

His PR agency, however, has denied the reports and said Shah Rukh has a major holding in Kolkata Knight Riders and is still emotionally attached to it.

All the three companies too have denied the report but have said they would definitely buy Shah Rukh’s stake it if they are approached by him.

Sushmita Sen single again

The buzz is that Sushmita Sen and her director boyfriend Muddassar Aziz have split.

While shooting for his directorial debut film “Dulha Mil Gaya”, Sushmita took a liking for the young Muddassar. The two subsequently were often spotted together. In fact, Sush even took him to meet her father in Kolkata.

Apparently, the trouble started when Muddassar frequently started talking to the media about Sushmita and their relationship. This irritated Sush and she started backing off from the relationship.

Muddassar, however, has denied the split.

Meanwhile, his “Dulha Mil Gaya” is showing no signs of completion after being in the making for three years.

Amitabh Bachchan turns stylist

“Aladin” (above) is one of the films that fans of Amitabh Bachchan should look out for this year.

Produced by Eros International and Boundscript, and directed by Sujoy Ghosh, “Aladin” is a contemporary look at the classic fairy tale. Packed with fun, music, masti, action and adventure “Aladin” boasts of a visual scale never seen before on Indian screen and arrives in theatres on July 24, 2009.

Apparently Big B was very excited about the groovy track to be picturised on him and Riteish Deshmukh and while planning the shoot for the peppy number, he expressed his desire to contribute to the song in his very own way - by choosing his own outfit for it!

Of course, the director willingly agreed and Bachchan went on to chose a deep red velvet jacket which added that extra touch of grandeur to his already larger-than-life persona in the film.

“Aladin” stars Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Riteish Deshmukh and introduces Sri Lankan beauty Jacqueline Fernandez.

NRI sponsors Rubina

Moved by media reports that Slumdog Millionaire’s child actor Rubina was allegedly being sold off to a sheikh from Saudi Arabia for an exorbitant amount, an NRI businessman has stepped in to help her shape her own future. And what better way than through education!

A R Vanoo from Doha, Qatar, says he is willing to fund Rubina’s schooling in any part of the world, upto a master’s degree or even a doctorate, if she wishes to pursue her studies. With money clearly not an issue, the wellwisher is even open to her studying at an IB (International Baccalaureate) school, known to charge steep fees.

Vanoo visited Rubina’s home on Tuesday morning, and met her father and relatives. He spent around an hour with them over a cup of coffee. He held a detailed discussion to understand the requirements of the family before committing himself. “I have not seen Slumdog Millionaire, but know it’s won several Oscars. Three days ago, when I watched television reports about Rubina’s father allegedly trying to sell her off, it disturbed me deeply. I have a young daughter, and I could not watch her suffer so much.”

Though Vanoo was born and brought up at Vakola in Santacruz, which isn’t far from Bandra’s Garib Nagar where Rubina lives, he said he had never visited the area before. It was about 25 years ago that Vanoo shifted to the Gulf in search of a job, before deciding to settle there. He runs a successful business in petrochemicals, oil and gas exports and visits Mumbai often on business trips.

With a father, who Vanoo says was a freedom fighter, he has been closely working with NGOs for several years. He is an advisor to Anjuman-Ittehad-Ul-Mushtaqeem, an NGO that that works to educate people in rural areas. It is through this NGO that Vanoo will give money for Rubina’s education.

“Vanoo is an MBA graduate and has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and contributes to several NGOs but never really interacts directly with the people he helps. He, however, made an exception with Rubina,” said Kamal Mandlekar, president of the NGO.

He added that Vanoo did not want to set aside a fixed amount for the girl. “He doesn’t want to limit himself. He’s decided to open a joint account in the name of Rubina and our NGO. The money will be used to pay for her education, uniforms and other schoolrelated requirements.”

Last week, there had been media reports about a sting operation carried out by a British newspaper, News of the World, which claimed Rubina’s father had tried to extract money from a sheikh who had sought to adopt her. Rubina’s father had denied the claims. But Mandlekar preferred to stay away from the controversy. “We do not want to get involved in the case. We only want to help a bright girl shape her future,” he said.

Emraan Hashmi's first intense love story

He played a painter in the thriller "Raaz - The Mystery Continues" and he will once again essay the role in "Tum Miley". But Emraan Hashmi (pictured left) will this time get to actually paint to look convincing on screen.

"This time I actually paint. In 'Raaz', I wasn't really able to do much of that. All the paintings were done beforehand and I didn't get a chance to paint on screen apart from a few strokes," Emraan told IANS.

In "Tum Miley", Emran's newly-discovered painting skills will go a lot further.

"I'm shown to be a far more intricate painter, doing not just brush painting but also charcoal, etc. Here I can't fake it. I'm using all the skills that I learnt as a painter in 'Raaz' for 'Tum Miley'," the actor explained.

Emraan says he now seriously intends to pursue his painting.

"And my character in 'Tum Miley' is helping me do that. It's my first intense love story," he said.

The film is based on the deluge in Mumbai on July 26, 2005. All the scenes depicting the coming together of the leading lady and him during the deluge were shot in one go on a studio set.

Asked if there were any kissing scenes in the film, he said: "It's my first film with Soha Ali Khan. Do I kiss her? Let that be a secret. I consciously moved away from the serial kisser's image in 'Raaz 2'. I don't want to be known for something so frivolous. I want to move on."

The actor seems to have moved on from filmmakers Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt in "Tum Miley", which has been directed Kunal Deshmukh of "Jannat" fame.

"This is a Percept (Picture) film. I won't say I've moved on. But, yes, I want to clear the misconception that I work exclusively for the Bhatts," said Emraan, who made it big with the Bhatts' "Murder".

Ash says 'No' to Vivek and Salman

Rumours were rife about Aishwarya being cast alongside ex-flames Vivek Oberoi and Salman Khan for Tansen. However, Satish Kaushik puts them all to rest by saying that he hasn’t approached any of the three for the project.

The director has only considered Abhishek Bachchan for the role so far, and the production house is nothing less than irritated with the rumours.

Little B has agreed to sit through the narration, while the scripting is yet to be completed.

Arjun get a stake in SRK’s ‘knights’

Boys always bond over sports, right? And it couldn’t be truer than at this moment when the entire nation is bonding over IPL and cricket. But buddies Arjun Rampal and Shah Rukh Khan have one thing in common — their sporting spirit and their loyalty to one team. In every match that the Knight Riders play, Arjun cheers the boys unfailingly, while simultaneously adding to the glam quotient.

So, just out of curiosity, we asked the sports fanatic if he would want to own a cricket team, or would he rather go international (now that he’s had his first brush with the West, courtesy Nicole Kidman) and target the New York Yankees instead? He quickly replied, “No! I wouldn’t want to own a piece of the New York Yankees simply because I don’t like baseball that much. I prefer cricket.

And yes, I’d love to own a cricket team someday. Maybe one day, when Shah Rukh is selling a stake from his share of the Knight Riders, I’ll definitely buy some. Because I really like that team.” Now that’s news to us. He’d rather keep his loyalties with SRK, than trade it off to another team. Fair enough, Arjun. Such is their dosti! But dude, take a closer look at their current game, and do a re-think, puhlease.

Do you ‘really’ want to bet your moolah on them now that they’ve been faring a tad badly? After their unfortunate run (so far) is the knights-in shining-armour still shiny? Hopefully, they’ll ‘up’ the game now. At the end of the game ... it’s all about the money, honey!

Leave Slumdog stars alone!

Director Danny Boyle has pleaded with the press to leave the young stars of “Slumdog Millionaire” alone - because the constant attention is ruining their lives.

The Oscar winning movie's child actors, Azharuddin Ismail, 10 and nine-year-old Rubina Ali, were catapulted into the limelight following the global success of the film, which has grossed $353 million at the worldwide box office.
But both kids have been hit by scandal and tragedy since they became famous.

Ali's father was quizzed by Indian police over allegations he attempted to sell his young daughter for $300,000, although he has since been cleared of the claims.

And Ismail's dad was forced to apologise to the world's press after he was seen beating his son just days after the film's Oscar glory in February.

Boyle is convinced their sudden fame is responsible for the incidents - and he has begged the media to leave the pair in peace.
He tells Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper, "The parents are good people who love their children. All the pressure and tension on the family is media-dominated and there has been a lot of miscommunication because we live in London and have only been able to read the news stories from afar."

Both families were also forced out of their homes in Mumbai, India in May when local authorities bulldozed swathes of the city's slums - before Boyle stepped in to buy new apartments for the young stars and their relatives.
And the director is dedicated to building a happy future for Ismail and Ali - away from the prying eyes of the press.

He adds, "They are really wonderful kids who have been brought up in very difficult circumstances. It has obviously been a very difficult period, but the best possible benefit that this film could ever give them is an education and we are very, very proud that they are making progress and have passed all their exams.

"Things are looking positive - they will be in their houses soon. I certainly hope this is the last time I have to speak to the media about Azhar and Rubina in this context."

Saif and Vivek land in legal trouble in New York

Saif Ali Khan and Vivek Oberoi ran into trouble with some policemen while shooting for Rensil D'Silva's film Qurbaan in New York. Both the actors were almost arrested while shooting for the film.

A source said, "Vivek and Saif were shooting in a hilly region in New York. It was a scene where both the actors had to drive a car and the camera was placed quite far, as it was a long shot. The actors kept driving for a long time as they were required to give various takes, because the scene was being shot from several angles. However, the locals, who had no clue that a film shoot was on, started getting suspicious when they saw the two Indians driving around aimlessly. They wasted no time in calling the cops, who immediately came and started questioning Vivek and Saif.”

Vivek and Saif told the policemen that they were actors from India and were shooting for a film. However, the cops refused to believe them. Much to the frustration of the two actors, the cops flatly refused to believe that a shooting was on, as there were no crew member or camera nearby.

“Even though the production team saw what was happening on their monitors, and one of them immediately rushed to help, it took him a good 10 minutes before he could reach the actors. By then, the cops had almost arrested them on suspicion and were all set to take them to the police station. However, the unit member rescued the actors in the nick of time. The cops only let them go after all the necessary documents were shown,” added the source.

Bip's co-star goes nude

Ranbir Kapoor dropped his towel in Saawariya and John Abraham’s butt became the talking point of the town with Dostana and now young Maradona Rebello has done it in his very first film.

Yes, he has bared his butt for the audience to see but it’s not for cheap publicity. The 22-year-old newcomer who’s making his debut in the Sanjay Gupta film Pankh, says he’s got some extreme reactions from people, after a publication released a picture of that particular scene. “I didn’t know this scene would be out before the movie’s release, so I wasn’t prepared for them,” he says. But it is this scene that has got into trouble with the censor board. “First of all, I would like to make it clear that one should not assume it’s a bedroom scene just because it’s a nude scene. Secondly, I knew before signing the film that there is a scene like this. I took the approval of my parents before saying yes and I’m proud of it!” he says.

The particular scene was shot along with Lilette Dubey, who plays his mother in the film. “Lilette was very supportive and we were given the best possible provision to shoot it,” he says. For a newcomer, doing a scene like this can be quite awkward but Maradona denies there was anything of that sort. “Initially it was scary but after reading the script, I realised how important this scene is to the film and even my parents gave me a green signal,” he says. The actor believes that the film will lose out on some aspects if the said scene is deleted from it. “There is a strong current of sexuality running through the movie. This scene has been incorporated beautifully and is an important scene to retain,” Maradona adds.

Find a nice girl, Bebo tells Vivek

Vivek Oberoi, whose name is now being linked to sitar player Anoushka Shankar, says good friend Kareena Kapoor pesters him most to find a suitable match for himself and settle down soon.

"The pressure (of getting married) is on, not only from my family but from even Bebo (Kareena's pet name)," Vivek, who will be seen with Kareena and Saif in Rensil D'Silva's untitled film, told IANS in an e-mail interview.

"Every time we go out for dinner, she would shake her head and tell me - 'find a nice girl and settle down' and I would hide behind Saif to dodge the bullet. We had some great laughs," he said.

Vivek's personal life has always been in the spotlight - from the time his engagement to long-standing girlfriend Gurpreet Gill broke off to the short but much-hyped relationship with former beauty queen Aishwarya Rai. But now the actor is single.

He reasons his stag status by saying: "I'm single because I am waiting to find the girl who will make me want to never be single again."

His personal life apart, Vivek has his hands full with big banner movies like Ram Gopal Varma's "Rakta Charitra", Prakash Jha's "Rajniti" and Tips Films' "Prince" besides Rensil D'Silva's untitled romantic thriller.

So Vivek will be back with a bang after experiencing a series of ups and downs in his career.

Vivek is in no mood to assess his stint in Bollywood since his launch in Varma's "Company" in 2002 as he says he is still raring to go.

"When I retire, I will have enough time to sit back in a rocking chair and judge my career. Right now, it's time for me to grab every opportunity and give it my very best," said Vivek, who was loved by audiences in films like "Saathiya" and "Yuva" as well.

The actor also spoke about the only mistake he thinks he made during his seven-year-old career.

"What went wrong in between was that I had forgotten why I came here...to be an actor...just that...Not all the trappings of stardom but just the pure fire of burning desire to act," he said.

Now Vivek says he has set a goal for himself.

"Every day, in every way, I want to be better and better...that is my mission and my prayer," he said.

Priyanka was tongue-tied!

Priyanka Chopra, who is now being wooed by the likes of British actor Gerard Butler and Bollywood hottie Shahid Kapoor off screen, and Uday Chopra, Hurman Baweja and a whole load of eligible men on screen, says there was a stage in life, “When I was in the eighth standard in school in the US, when I was a complete geek.

According to PC, she not only looked awkward at that adolescent age, she also lacked confidence. She recalls being infatuated with a classmate but couldn’t bring herself to even have a normal conversation with him, leave alone confess her feelings for him.

Incidentally, Uday Chopra, who is shooting with PC currently for Pyaar Impossible and plays a geek in it, is bowled over by her professionalism. Should Uday now be added to the list of PC’s close admirers?

Karan Johar turns 37

Karan Johar doesn’t feel the need to hide the grey in hair.

“I began greying at 20,'' he says. So, another cluster showing up at 37 is hardly causing concern to the debonair filmmaker who celebrates his birthday today. “I always felt old thanks to my premature greying ,” he laughs. “I don’t know whether being in your 30’s is old or young, but I feel like a very senior member of the film fraternity. I don’t qualify as a young filmmaker anymore,” he admits.

“But,'' he says, “You are as young as your content and vision, and I am hoping that these two remain young in me.''
Karan’s going out of the country to shoot for My name is Khan. Naturally his mind is preoccupied with the madness usually surrounding an outdoor shoot. “Frankly celebration isn’t on top of my mind now. And, if I’ve no choice, it’ll be a small and private affair,” he says. On the eve of his bid day, he chats with PT.

Gifts galore
My parents never gave me birthday gifts; however, through the year we keep exchanging gifts. I hoard the gifts I get from my friends. I also have the habit of losing gifts. Yesterday, I lost a beautiful watch gifted by Adi( Chopra) on my last birthday.
Scandals - Me, Myself & I
I am essentially not a scandalous person. But, I have a lot of skeletons in my cupboard, tightly and firmly placed. If I reveal them, they’ll not remain skeletons.

Naughty Boy
I have 100 naughty wishes and it would be so nice if my fantasy becomes reality. But my fantasies are unprintable!

Relationship fundas....
For me commitment, hope and faith make a relationship. I have many who broke my trust professionally, and some personally, and these are the times I tested my faith. But, I never lost hope.

Marooned on an island
There’s always a physical undertone to this phrase... But, if I am marooned on any island, I will look for someone who can help me get out of it. I can’t for God’s sake have good thoughts, stuck in isolation! I am a people’s person, and need to be surrounded by them. I can’t be there stuck with one person. It’ll be a torture.

My hero...my father...
My father was a selfless human being. It’s a quality that is extinct today. Have I inherited that quality from him? No. How can we remain selfless in today’s times?

Mom’s the word
Mom’s an exceptionally strong force in my life. Nothing can break me when she is around. She supports all my decisions; if for some reason she’s against something, I go by her instinct.

Shilpa's a 'safe', selective eater

Shilpa Shetty is down several notches on our gourmand list of foodies darlings.

Reason? She’s one of those ‘safe’, selective eaters who sticks to basics and doesn’t experiment with anything whatsoever. In fact, we were chatting with her post-IPL and quizzed her on the exotic foods she could’ve possibly tried there? Escargot? We asked. And her nose crinkled like a snail had crawled up her arm. Ostrich? And she shook her head. Oysters? No No! Octopus? And she almost screamed. Not even crocodile meat, which is served so regularly there? And she grimaced. “I love food. I’m a big foodie. And I can eat at any hour. But I’m not experimental at all,” she giggled. “Give me my daal-roti-chaawal and some basic fish and chicken and I’m fine. I can’t imagine eating crocodile and stuff — eeeks!” Well well well. We understand the lady’s concerns and her preference for safe foods. But then what kinda foodie are you Ms Shetty? Huh? Though honestly, the way she’s looking nowadays (read: like a million bucks) she must be eating right. Sure, sure Raj K agrees.

'I can't jump into the ocean wearing jeans or a frock!' says Kareena

Says Bebo, arguing that she's wearing swimwear not to win titles but because scripts demand it

After Kareena Kapoor made headlines with her bikini bod in Tashan, she has now donned a swimsuit for her upcoming film Kambakkht Ishq.

Bebo is not afraid of being a sex symbol, "From my generation, I am the first actress who is a combination of talent-cum-glamour. How many actresses of my time are not just performers but can also carry off hot sexy outfits with equal ease?"

She says her beau Saif loves her sexy avatar, "Saif's extremely proud that I can dress in simple cotton Indian clothes and act in Omkara and carry off backless swimwear in Kambakkht Ishq, with equal ease."

However she isn't fighting for the sex-symbol titles, "I am not aiming for any title. If people want to give me the hottest sex symbol title tag, it's their choice. For me, it's all about what the script demands. My wearing hot outfits are not intentional. I don't wear them to get a certain tag but because the story demands such outfits. I can't dive into the ocean in a pair of jeans or a frock, can I?"

Lolo wore a swimsuit in her very first film while Kareena started wearing them much later in her career. "Glamour is in Karisma's blood. Our grandfather Raj Kapoor, projected heroines in a glamorous and sexy manner. So why should I shy away from it?"

When asked which of her contemporaries from Bipasha Basu and Priyanka Chopra looked better in swimwear, she turns diplomatic, "I am the wrong person to ask such things. I wouldn't like to comment on anyone's personal attributes. I am choosy, not just with my scripts but also with my comments these days."

Srk joins a rank of celebs like Leonardo DiCaprio in Tag Heuer's new campaign

Shah Rukh joins hands with Leonardo DiCaprio, Tiger Woods, Lewis Hamilton and Maria Sharapova in a brand new advertising campaign for watch brand Tag Heuer.

The new campaign puts the spotlight on the brand's tag line, "What are you made of?" It is the common thread linking the past campaign to this daring new one.

Christening these celebrities as Knights Of Time, Shah Rukh along with the other brand ambassadors will be seen in this particular campaign. Here's a sneak peek at what happened behind the scenes at the Tag Heuer shoot...

Who is wearing what at IIFA this year

The talk of the town has been Kangana Ranaut's gown which will be designed by Rick Roy. It was reported that she has asked to maintain the weight of the heavy gown and keep it between 25-30kg. The danger of it being heavier than her is quite probable. Roy has been so inspired by his muse that he has used a shipload of crystals on 250 meters of pink fabric for this gown. Now we have to wait and she how she manages to walk with such a heavy dress. Wardrobe malfunction is not only a Fashion statement, its a way of life for Kangana.

The brand Ambassador of IIFA Amitabh Bachchan will be seen in formal suits most probably by Giorgio Armani, which suits his tall personality or if he wants to make an ornate statement, he will opt for a Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla creation.

Some celebs will be seen walking on the ramp for their favorite designers in their designed outfits though it’s not yet decided that what kind of outfits they will wear.

Hrithik Roshan will be walking the ramp for the first time with his wife for designer Farah Ali Khan. And the dazzling Sonam Kapoor will walk for Anamika Khanna. The Fashion Extravaganza is scheduled for Day two of the IIFA weekend and will be hosted by the stylish duo Zayed Khan who will wear a Manav Gangwani creation during the IIFA ceremony along with raunchy Sophie Chaudhry in her best finery.

Amrita Rao is expected to wear a Wendell Rodricks outfit complemented by jewellery from the Gitanjali Group for the Fashion Extravaganza. Her look for IIFA is all about being colour and comfortable. Amrita says, “My fashion statement will express loads of ‘green carpet’ glamour for the night, and simple yet sexy dresses for the day.”

Her green carpet and cocktail parties look will be created by designer Swapnil Shinde. Shinde has been instructed to balance sexy and elegant, so expect Amrita to depict a mix of prêt and couture at the IIFA parties. Amrita will also wear accessories from design houses Christian Dior, FCUK, Aldo, Luxottica Group.

Saif, Akshay play double roles in forthcoming films

What is common between Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan? The two are playing double roles, their characters belong to two different time zones in their forthcoming films, and the two have to spend hours preparing for their double makeover.

For Vipul Shah's "Action Replay", Akshay spends at least an hour every morning getting into a 1970s' sporty look without the help of prosthetics.

"It's the toughest role I've played. The preparation takes a lot of time. I've Paul Pattison - who did Mel Gibson's look in 'Braveheart' - doing my look. But the effort is worth it. When I look in the mirror after Paul is done, I can't recognise myself," Akshay told IANS.

If Akshay promises to look unrecognisable in "Action Replay", Saif's look in his production venture "Love Aaj Kal" (pictured above) shocked his girlfriend Kareena Kapoor.

"She couldn't recognise me at first when she saw me as a Sardarji," said Saif.

Imtiaz Ali is wielding the megaphone for Saif's production debut.

So far we've known only the fact that Saif gets into a Sardarji's get-up in the course of the narration in "Love Aaj Kal". But it's not known that the Sikh character is separate from the protagonist.

"The Sardar comes in a story within the story. Yes, I've a double role. The two characters belong to two different time zones," said Saif.

"I grew the beard fully. It had to be faked only for one day's patchwork. I give the full credit for the Sardar's look to Dolly Ahluwalia. She had earlier done a great job dressing me up as Langda Tyagi in 'Omkara'. She styled my Sardar's look in 'Love Aaj Kal," he added.

Saif hasn't done too many disguises.

"But after 'Omkara' I transform physically in 'Love Aaj Kal'. Otherwise I'm not too much into physical makeovers."