Andhranews

Actor Chunky Pandey will be starring along with Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp in the Hollywood flick titled Shantaram which is based on the book by Gregory David Roberts. “It was the author who recommended my name to the casting director,” says Chunky with a smile, as he talks about his new project.

Ask him how Gregory David Roberts happened to know him and Chunky reveals, “Gregory had worked as a junior artiste in one of the films that I was doing. That’s how we know each other. It was after that he started writing this book called Shantaram.” Few know that there’s a two-page chapter devoted to Chunky Pandey in Shantaram. So from the looks of it, it is pretty obvious that Chunky Pandey will be playing himself in the film. But ask him about that and he remains tightlipped about it. “Yes, Gregory has mentioned me in the book, but I am under a contract with the production house not to reveal or talk about my role in the film,” says Chunky.

Shantaram tells the story of an Australian man who was sentenced to imprisonment for 19 years, but escapes and comes to Mumbai to begin his life as a criminal with Mumbai’s underworld. The film is being made under the Warner Bros banner. This is Chunky’s first Hollywood film. Besides Johnny Depp and Chunky Pandey, the film also stars Emily Watson.

The suave actor Kunal Kapoor is all set to win over his audiences in a film based on Rabindranath Tagore’s novel Shishir Kobita. After making a video album on Rabindranath Tagore, director Ujwal Chatterjee, a three times National Award-winner, will be making the film. It will be a bi-lingual, made in Hindi and Bengali simultaneously with titles Shishir Kobita in Bengali and Farewell My Friend in Hindi.

“No one has attempted a film on Rabindranath Tagore’s novel. I want his poems and his books to be known all over the world and am making every attempt to achieve this,” says Chatterjee. Speaking about the film, the director adds “The novel, written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1928, is based on a colonial love story and has six main characters. Jackie Shroff plays the aged freedom fighter and the film also stars Anuj Sawhney and Rituparna Sengupta.

Actor Jimmy Shergill has entirely changed his look recently. He has grown his hair longer and added golden streaks to them which makes him look more flamboyant. “The change of look is for my new film Raqeeb which is being produced by Raj Kanwar and directed by Anurag Singh,” reveals Jimmy. “It’s an urban story. I can’t reveal much about the role right now. I’d rather talk about my forthcoming film Bas Ek Pal which has received a great response at the Osian Asian Film Festival,” he adds.

Speaking about his role in Bas Ek Pal, Jimmy elaborates, “It is about four friends whose lives change after a small incident. My character in the film is impulsive. He doesn’t talk much and keeps to himself. Every character in the film has his/her own story. The film is a thriller and it is interesting to see how the story unfolds.”

Though Jimmy has been in Bollywood for the past 12 years, the actor is still trying to make his mark. However, he says, “I have a good lifestyle and I have survived. So, one cannot just say that I have not got my due. Films like Maachis, Mohabbatein, Munnabhai MBBS, Haasil and Yahaan have been landmarks in my career. I get roles because of my dood rapport with directors. My role may last for just two minutes, but they are always performance oriented. That is how I did Munnabhai MBBS. The role was actually written for Sanjay Dutt. However, it was later moulded for me.”

What does he have to say about Yun Hota To Kya Hota? “It has been good. I rate Tigmanshu Dhulia highly. He always told me ‘Don’t do films just for the lead role.’ The role was not written for me, but when Naseer bhai asked me to do it, I accepted it immediately. I always feel that an actor should be hungry and not insecure, and when he appreciated me in an interview recently, I felt even more inspired to perform better,” says Jimmy.

The late John Lennon had a one night stand with The Beatles’ gay manager Brian Epstein in 1963, according to the band’s official biographer Hunter Davies. In Davies’ forthcoming memoirs The Beatles, Football And Me, he claims Lennon once told him of his night of passion with Epstein in Barcelona, Spain.

At the time, Lennon’s first wife Cynthia had recently given birth to their son Julian. Davies writes, “John wasn’t a homosexual, but he was daft enough to try anything once.” Lennon was shot dead by Mark David Chapman in 1980 while Epstein died of a drug overdose in 1968.

Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow is branching out into the music business, and will direct her husband Chris Martin in his band Coldplay’s next video. The 33-year-old Sliding Doors star is now actively seeking work behind the camera, as it is an easy way for the pair to be together.

An insider says, “Gwyneth has said she’s keen to direct pop videos said Chris has agreed to let her direct one for Coldplay. She loves the band and their music, and it’s a way for her and Chris to be together while he’s working.”

Eminem has teamed up with sports giant Nike to design a range of sneakers to raise money for impoverished children in the rapper’s home state of Michigan. The hip-hop star, real name Marshall Mathers III, is designing 64 pairs of limited edition Air Max trainers, which will be autographed and sold from the Internet auction site eBay and Nike stores from August 31.

Eminem says, “If you told me ten years ago that I’d be designing this whole series of Air Maxs, I never would have believed it. It’s one of the hottest lines that Nike ever produced, so I’m honoured to make my own contribution. My only problem was figuring out how to make the shoes different from stuff they’ve already done. Nike always has the best colour combos.” Proceeds from the sale will go to the Like Toy Soldiers hitmaker’s Marshall Mathers Foundation and NineMillion.org, an international campaign to educate young refugees.

Hotel heiress Paris Hilton is set to blast into space on Richard Branson’s Virgin Enterprise rocket. The blonde socialite has reportedly paid $195,000 for a place on the space shuttle, even though it hasn’t been built yet.

But Hilton may find the lack of luxury onboard a little trying as all passengers are required to wear diapers because there are no bathroom facilities on the shuttle. A source says, “She was a fan of the Star Wars films and the idea of blasting into space thrills her, but I don’t think she’s done research and the reality may not be her idea of fun.”