I worked on the day my mom died: Paresh Rawal

My toughest scene: Paresh Rawal

In the 26 years of my film-acting and theatre, I've done some of the most challenging roles.

But my toughest scene I performed on June 23, 2010 in Sri Lanka for Anees Bazmi's Ready. It was the day my mother passed away.

When I heard the news, I felt a part of me died that very instant. I was numbed with grief. It was Salman Khan who gave me strength to go through the day.

He made all the arrangements for my travel back to Mumbai. Unfortunately, there was no connecting flight from Colombo to Mumbai till late in the evening. Instead of sitting in a corner swathed in my grief, I decided to finish my work for the day.

Believe me, it was the toughest performance I've ever given. I had to act drunk and then confront Mahesh Manjrekar in a party sequence.

I had to threaten him that I'd blurt out the truth about Asin's identity. Under normal circumstances the scene would have been a cakewalk.

But given the situation I was shattered by the loss, I could barely think straight, let alone act drunk and scream dramatic lines. It was an ordeal. But in hindsight it was a welcomed ordeal.

If I was not working at that point of time, I'd have probably collapsed with grief. Salmanbhai and his father Salimsaab were a great support and comfort. I don't think I could've gone through that day if I hadn't channelised my grief into work."

Ready movie hits the Indian box office with a bang

Despite slammed by the critics, Salman Khan’s Ready is ruling the box office. The box office figures are impressive and with the weekend, the collection is likely to increase even more. The distributors are now aiming at a massive profit.

The opening of the movie at the box office had seen occupancy of nearly 60 to 80 percent at the multiplexes as well as the single screen theatres. Some of the shows of the evening have also reported to be house full.
Director Aneez Bazme has brought a not so original comedy flick for the audience starring Salman and Asin. However, the movie could not reach the opening that was received by the block buster movie ‘Dabangg’ that had released last years.

However, the fate of the movie will be decided in the upcoming days, whether the movie is really a hit or a flop. Moreover, the release of the movie has affected the other releases like ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnama’. The movie had till now done a business of 9 crores over the week, but the collections dropped as soon as the movie ‘Ready’ was released. The release of ‘Ready’ had also affected the business of Vikram Bhatt’s ‘Haunted 3D’, which had also done reasonable business since its release.

Singer Amrita credits Salman for her success

New Delhi, June 20 : Actress Beena Kak's daughter Amrita, who is riding high on success with chartbusters like "Character Dheela" from "Ready", gives credit to Salman Khan for making her a saleable name in Bollywood.

"Salman is an elder brother figure to me. He has been my driving force. He has got me on track, guided me from time to time, encouraged me to come out of my shell and whatever I am today - the credit goes to him completely for making me a saleable name," Amrita told IANS on the phone from Mumbai.

The 28-year-old made her singing debut in 2005 with "Just Chill" in "Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya" and then sang numbers like "Tujhe Aksa Beach ghuma doon" ("God Tusi Great Ho"), "Ankh vich chehra pyar da" ("Apne"), "Rafa dafa" ("Superstar") and "Love me, love me" ("Wanted").

Amrita says she never thought about becoming a professional singer.

"I used to learn music in school like everybody does. I was studying at St Xaviers in Mumbai. I was not very serious, but Salman helped me in finding my direction," she said.

"When he noticed that I like to sing and have a voice which could be moulded, he introduced me to Sajid-Wajid so that I could polish my skills. I started doing regular riyaz ever since there was no looking back for me," she added.

She is now happy to be a part of the music industry.

"I am glad people are liking my songs so much. Wherever I go, I find people tapping on 'Character Dheela'. It really gives me a kick. I feel the acceptance, I am happy that I joined this industry," she said.

"The music industry has experienced similar kind of changes like any other sector. With the advancement of technology and ideology, a lot of new avenues have opened up. People have become more open to accept newcomers.

"And one very important change that I have felt is that the industry is now respecting the different voice textures that people have. As my voice had a bit of a husky texture and I didn't know whether it would work in Bollywood or not. But the encouraging part is that they are accepting people for their individuality and appreciating the uniqueness that they bring along. It is a good time for very newcomers," she said.

What about the crazy lyrics?

"The latest change of crazy, spicy lyrics might be facing conflict but that is what people want now. They are for the masses and people connect with them easily. The lyrics are also very easy to hum," she said.