Spielberg’s Bollywood Fan Club

Spielberg’s Bollywood Fan Club • All Work for SRK • All Out for No Loss

Film directors Zoya Akhtar, Homi Adajania and Reema Kagti reportedly had a good laugh at Madhur Bhandarkar’s expense during an event in Mumbai last week when Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg was interviewed by Amitabh Bachchan in the presence of several Bollywood filmmakers. Apparently, Bhandarkar slowly sidled upto Spielberg during the photo-op at the end of Bachchan’s session and tried relentlessly to get an ‘exclusive picture’ with the maker of Jurassic Park. The directors were asked to assemble on stage for a group photograph with Spielberg, but Bhandarkar was apparently in no mood to share the frame with his peers. Since it was virtually impossible to catch Spielberg alone at the crowded affair, the Heroine director got as close to him as possible, turned sideways to make it appear as if they were speaking face-to-face and then asked a friend to quickly take a picture. Unfortunately for him, he was spotted masterminding this entire sneaky operation, and the others couldn’t stop laughing at his “desperate behaviour”.

Meanwhile, Karan Johar decided to skip the evening altogether since he reportedly didn’t want to be a part of what he called a “classroom picture”. Johar claimed he was tending to his ailing mum when he called to inform the organisers that he couldn’t make it, but then got his dates mixed up and was spotted by a gaggle of waiting photographers and camera crews as he left the very same five- star hotel after a workout in the gym.

Also trying to milk the Spielberg connection for publicity is a prominent Mumbai men’s designer, who has claimed he designed a sherwani that the filmmaker was meant to wear at the event. The clothesmith has said Spielberg ended up wearing a suit only because he accidentally ripped his desi trousers while trying to get into them.

Shah Rukh Khan, who has been shooting non-stop in Wai for Chennai Express, had to skip the premiere of Jolly LLB when he injured himself on the set last week. The actor had reportedly promised the producers of the film that he would drive into Mumbai especially for the event, but couldn’t make it since he hurt himself the same afternoon. According to sources close to the actor, he specifically asked his friends not to circulate news about his accident because he didn’t want fans to get worried, but more importantly, because he didn’t want the media to descend on the set in Wai.

It’s been a hectic shoot for SRK, who has been forced to work long hours and full weeks because Sanjay Leela Bhansali won’t release dates booked with Deepika Padukone. The actress, who is acting in both Chennai Express and Bhansali’s Ram Leela, is scheduled to go back to Bhansali’s set right after this schedule with SRK in Wai. But Chennai Express is running roughly 15 days behind schedule, thus forcing the producer-actor to work long and hard.

Despite rumours doing the rounds that SRK has been clashing with his Chennai Express director, unit hands say they get along just swimmingly. On Rohit Shetty’s birthday last week, the actor gifted him an Ed Hardy motorbike on the set, all covered in bows and ribbons. This is at least the second bike Shah Rukh has splurged on as a gift, lately. In 2011, he presented Sanjay Dutt a Ducati to thank him for his cameo appearance in Ra.One.

There’s been a lot of talk that a male star actively involved with the recently launched Celebrity Cricket League took a shine to an attractive actress while travelling across the country for matches. The actor is single and has been for some time now, but he’s had a string of gorgeous girlfriends with whom he’s been in tumultuous relationships.

The actress, also currently single, has supported and cheered for the actor’s team in recent matches, and has travelled with the group across the country. Although warned repeatedly by her friends to keep away from the famously moody star, the actress is believed to have eventually given in to his charms.

Eyewitnesses at the League matches claim they were openly flirting, and the actor was even heard inviting her to his suite one evening “to party with the boys”. Another younger actor reveals that the lady tried her best to resist the star’s advances, but he made it hard for her, constantly telling her how pretty her eyes were and why she shouldn’t wear spectacles.

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Rajeev Masand

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