Eyecatchers

India Today, January 18, 1999
Jan 18, 1999

I Do, I Do, I Do

Ajay Devgan is marrying Bollywood's current darling Kajol

The dilwala gets his dulhan at last. After a four-year courtship, film star Ajay Devgan is marrying Bollywood's current darling and his, Kajol. "It will be a simple ceremony this month, probably at a local gurdwara ," says Rajendra Rao, Devgan's personal pr man. No comments from the couple ("Ajay is too shy to talk about it," explains Rao), but sources say that after wrapping up her remaining films, Kajol is giving it all up for home, hearth and husband. Grace Kelly, Mumtaz, now Kajol ... why do they do this to us?

Action's the World
Vanitha She talks little, but she's certainly someone to talk about. Vanitha, 10-year-old heroine of Santosh Sivan's latest film Malli, lost her hearing when she was given wrong medication as an infant. With hearing impairment came speech difficulties, but the tiny warrior battled the odds to become not just Sivan's choice from nearly a 100 children, but a karate black belt as well. "I'm always happy," is her only comment on life. Good enough, isn't it?

Gifted Man
He's been toasted 'n' hosted by everyone in town. As Calcutta and Delhi showered gifts on Amartya Sen, we thought we'd have fun listing them:
* His portrait by Jogen Chowdhury
* Material for a dhoti and kurta
* A laminated cartoon by R.K. Laxman
* A lifetime's complimentary pass (first class) from * Indian Railways for himself and a partner
* Another from Air-India for himself, no partner
* A wooden chair from the Calcutta Press Club
* A copy of the Madhya Pradesh Human Development Report
* Two paintings of the Bengal Famine
* A 3 kg silver replica of Calcutta's Town Hall
* Bouquets, honorary doctorates, shawls ...

Dear Diary...
Dear diary,
What's all the fuss about anyway? There's this silly official in my area, Chandranath Jha. Fellow's gone and lodged an fir against me. Says I've demanded a 10 per cent commission on all development schemes of the municipality. When the TV-walas asked me, I told them, "Accepting commission is no sin ... What is wrong with that? The entire polity survives on it." Arre, why so much fuss now? I tell you bhai, honesty doesn't pay.
Dilip Singh
Minister of State for Relief and Rehabilitation, Bihar

Chal Meri Girl
If talent and a big banner equals a winner, watch out for Divya Palat. The 19-year-old Stanford University graduate is starring opposite Salman Khan in director David Dhawan's Chal Mere Bhai. It's her film debut, after a spot of theatre (Aamir Raza Hussain's Legend of Ram) and TV. Says Divya: "I'm not willing to be used as a mere prop." She'd make a pretty one though.

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