BILLBOARD
QUOTE MARTIAL
MAKING WAVES
ROUGH CUTS
MEMORIES
ARCHIVES

Lal Badshah to the fore

The big B is feeling mighty small after his blockbuster Mrityudaata nearly made him go bust.

But canny old man that he is, Amitabh Bachchan is reworking his plans. Now he plans to delay Major Saab -- though it is near completion and no matter what director Tinnu Anand claims -- and push forward his Lal Badshah instead.

It is reportedly brother Ajitabh and son Abhishek who suggested the move after they saw, and liked, bits of the film. This, they told him, could resurrect his career and again make him almost the man he was for the public.

But if Tinnu Anand has been put on hold, Mehul Kumar may be shown the door. His second film with Amitabh Bachchan -- Aey Watan Tere Liye -- will soon be shelved. For his own good Mehul should change the title to Aey Bachchan Tere Liye, wot?

Comeback trails

If you thought marriage and kids would keep the greasepaint off Padmini Kolhapure's mug, you got another think coming.

She has decided to squirrel her way back into Bollywood, but only, only if she gets a good role. While she waits, she had dubbed the dialogues of Pooja Batra in Virasat. The producers also got the newcomer dub for the role herself and finally decided to shut up Padmini, save in one very dramatic scene.

Sharmila Tagore too is on the comeback trail. No, she won't be simpering beside Rajesh Khanna. Rajkumar Santoshi is too smart for that.

The romantic pair in the film will be played by Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai.

Now Padmini's still waiting for a role out there. Somebody help her.

So money-minded...

While on Shah Rukh Khan, did you know he has cultivated this reputation of being considerate? No matter, he's losing it anyway.

The guy took an amount from producer K C Bokadia that would have raised eyebrows throughout the IT department. All this only to give bulk dates for Bokadia's upcoming film starring him, Madhuri Dixit and Salman Khan.

But when another producer paid the Khan an even heftier price, Shah Rukh dumped Bokadia and gave all those reserved dates to the other producer. Not done, you know.

What's Sridevi doing these days?

After Judaai, Sridevi quit acting to look after Janavi, her dahling baby. But she is still seen at trial shows of brother-in-law Anil Kapoor's forthcoming films like Virasat.

Since she is recovering from childbirth, hubby Boney has decided that Sanjay Kapoor's films would be too much to risk.

In fact, even Boney doesn't see them unless he works himself into a masochistic enough mood. Naturally, he doesn't think wifey and baby are tough enough to take it.

The Border case

The defence ministry may like it, but that's not enough to make Border avoid the tax collectors. If these things were handled in Delhi, the film would not have to pay entertainment tax. The army chaps like it because it's about the 1971 Indo-Pak war. And no prizes for guessing which side wins all the battles in the film.

But entertainment tax in India is a state subject and so, producer-director J P Dutta will have hope state administrations are as deeply touched as the defence ministry seeing the Indians decimating the Pakistanis.

Bobby on the brink

After Barsaat, Bobby Deol has two releases coming up in July and August respectively -- Gupt and Aur Pyar Ho Gaya.

While Sunny Deol has done well throughout 1996 and 1997 with his Ghatak, Jeet, Ziddi, baby Deol still has to show if he can leave a long-lasting mark. But well, time will tell.

Rakesh runs to ground

Rakesh Roshan has had enough. Since everybody in India seems to be telling him that his Koyla should have been interred in some mine, he's decided to hole up somewhere he can sulk in peace without running into many Indians.

America's out, naturally, so he's considering Europe. He will return in mid-June, maybe with another 'K' number in mind.

-- Komal Nahta