August 17, 1998

Job: singer. USP: photographs posing against the Goan skyline. Albums: Pack That Smack, Bombay City, Politicians Don't Know to Rock 'n' Roll. Coming up: his first Hindi pop album.

Why Hindi?
I was in the film Jalwa for only two-and-a-half minutes, but suddenly paanwalas, dhabawalas, even street urchins were recognising me, and I thought, "My God, is this the reach of Hindi?"

Do you have the accent for it?
It's my own. I don't hide it. I don't cover up.

What next? The balle balle path?
No. I'm not a Punjabi.

But you're not a Hindiwallah either.
When I sing in Hindi, I'm only singing in a different language, not pretending to be a different person. The essence of my songs remains the same. I might go to France and sing in French, but I wouldn't Frenchify my songs.

Do politicians still not know how to rock 'n' roll?
They've not changed since I made that album. They still keep party hopping but they don't know to rock 'n' roll.

Singing Session

To bypass Asha Bhosle is a feat. To be picked over her to sing Saare jahan se accha at next week's special parliamentary session that winds up India's golden jubilee celebrations ... now that's a privilege. No wonder Anuradha Paudwal is thrilled. The grapevine tells us that it was her reported closeness to the BJP that did it, but all that she will say is: "To share the stage with Pandit Jasraj on such a momentous occasion is a blessing from God." Oh yes, we forgot to mention: Panditji will be singing Vande mataram. No story in that choice.

I, Me and Myself

"Whatever I do, I put the nation first," says T. Subbarami Reddy, MP, film producer, industrialist. So in an act of humility, the selfless man sent a letter to the press last week to spread the good news. In this last session of Parliament, it read, "I have created a record by participating in 153 questions ..." That's 153 allowed by the Speaker from the almost 1,000 he submitted. Want to know more about this seen-everywhere, been-everywhere man? Read the booklet he has printed on himself. "Dr Reddy's pursuance of spiritual life exemplifies the vividness of his personality," it says. Vivid indeed.

She Wanna Be

Kareena Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Rithik Roshan. To the endless list of star kid wannabes, add the name Rinke Khanna. Dimple Kapadia and Rajesh Khanna's daughter -- a University of Massachusetts communications graduate -- has just made her acting debut in Satyadev Dubey's play, Insha Allah. As for movies, "even if I'm on screen for 10 minutes," she says, "it must mean something. If it doesn't happen in films, I'll do theatre." Did we tell you she's different?

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