Eyecatchers

What's a cute guy like you doing in a dump like Bollywood?
(laughs) Actually, I'm quite happy here. It's as good or bad as the rest of our society.

First Pepsi, then Coke, how come?
The Pepsi ad was about five years ago and it was a one-year contract. This year Pepsi and Coke approached me. I've been drinking Coke for two or three years now, so I chose them.

Would you do that train scene in Ghulam again?
No, it was extremely unwise ... My wife and mother beat the shit out of me after that.

Aamir Khan kiska ghulam hai (Are you a slave to anything or anyone)?
Apni filmon ka, family ka.

Juhi Chawla, Preity Zinta, now Melody DeCunha ... another model moves to movies. After five years in the business with ads like Videocon washing machines, BPL and Eagle flasks on her CV, DeCunha makes her debut this month in Raj Kaushal's Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi. "I was doubtful about movies earlier," she lets on. "But this one's an all-new cast. One of the assistant directors is a close family friend. I knew there would be no hanky panky." You know those rumours of the casting couch? She'd heard them too.

TRADING PLACES
Ajay Jadeja	Azharuddin
Record: Captained 8, won 5. Success rate of 62.5%. Style: Encouraging and talkative. Tactic: Makes things happen. Form: Batting well, agile fielder, regained bowling ability. Grade: B		Record: Captained 165, won 86. Success rate of 54.5%. Style: Reserved and uncommunicative. Tactic: Waits for things to happen. Form: Lost batting touch, fine fielder, can't bowl. Grade: C
In Conclusion: Is there still time to change the captain?

Switching Designers
Image being everything in bollywood, designers count more than acting coaches. So when Karisma Kapoor dumped Manish Malhotra for Ashley Rebello, everyone took notice. Some say Karisma is insecure that the new Bollywood babes -- Kajol, Malaika, Rani -- were out-looking her. Others claim that Malhotra, upset by Karisma's disloyalty -- she dared give Rebello just one film -- walked out. Says the unruffled Malhotra: "There was no fight. And anyway (with Twinkle, Tabu and Kajol as clients) I'm too busy." Ah, that must be it.

Green Guru

The faithful weren't expecting it, but surprises can be pleasant. With the Khalsa tercentenary celebrations hotting up, Manjit Singh, Jathedar of Takht Keshgarh Sahib (birthplace of the Khalsa) wondered: Why give the standard prasad? Saplings would do better. One lakh have been given out so far. Says Singh: "Protecting nature is deep-rooted in the Sikh faith." Sometimes, faith too can be logical. Eco-logical.