Lollywood Lights - March 15, 2006

Audience, her critics

Alina went into a cinema hall incognito to judge the audience's reaction to her latest film. The actress covered her face with a veil and walked into a cinema hall that was screening her last release Jhalak and was gratified to see most women sympathising with her character and even shedding tears.

Double the effort

Rashid Bukhari is having a hard time getting Reema and Sana to act in his film. Bukhari's film Double Entry requires two top stars in the female leads and the director feels it will be a coup getting Reema and Sana in his films. But what makes Bukhari's task difficult is that Sana is only doing mentor Javed Shaikh's films, while Reema has turned director and refuses to act anymore.

The great Indian obstacle course

Syed Noor's Kuri Punjaban is yet to be released in India three years after it was granted a certificate for release. Noor claims that although he received the certificate in 2003, it was just an eyewash. On enquiring with Films Division of India (the association responsible for certification and release of films in India) officials, Noor realised that there were certain clauses that the certificate failed to adhere to, which is why his film could not be released in India.

How do you play obese?

Meera is playing a bloated version of Parveen Babi. She plays the late Indian actress in Pooja Bhatt's Akelapan. She is confident she can carry off the role but her talents face a roadblock when it comes to physical attributes. Babi had put on a lot of weight due to diabetes and it would take more than eating for Meera to reach the state Babi did in her last days.

Much in business

Nargis is still in showbiz. The actress made an official statement that she had not left acting after a recent pilgrimage. Directors who had Nargis in their film projects were baffled when the rumour did the rounds. They met Nargis at the airport when she came back after the pilgrimage to check if the rumour was true.