Stars are born through many ways, through an element of talent, presence, hard work or just plain good luck. But stars can only be born if there is someone to notice them
Kailash Surendranath
Stars are born through many ways, through an element of talent, presence, hard work or just plain good luck. But stars can only be born if there is someone to notice them. And this story of how Salman Khan was discovered points to a happy combination of all elements.
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Salman Khan
"We needed good swimmers, who could swim underwater for the Campa Cola ad campaign, we were shooting in the Andaman Islands," says leading ad filmmaker Kailash Surendranath, about a delightful clip that's been doing the rounds on social media, featuring a very young and fresh Khan along with the top models of the era, Shiraz Merchant, Sunil Nischol, Vanessa Vaz, Ayesha Shroff and Aarti Gupta (who was dating Surendranath and later married him).
"Fortunately, Aarti found Salman. Her dad had suggested him, as he was a friend of Salim saab," says Surendranath. "He was just 16 at that time, but she'd seen him dive underwater and told me he was perfect, and packed him off to me," he says, adding, "But when I saw him, I was amused as he looked like a kid. But then on Aarti's insistence, I made him take off his shirt and boy, even at that age he was ripped! So we signed him on."
Aarti Surendranath
"When he reached the airport to fly to the Andaman Islands, he came dressed very smartly and snazzily, but when he saw Jackie Shroff (who had come to drop Ayesha as they too were dating) and the other models, he got cold feet and almost turned around to go back home. Aarti caught him and reassured that all would be fine, and from that day on, he was at our home all the time. He also became a member of the family," he recalls.
As for Khan's obvious animal magnetism, Surendranath, the son of a veteran 50's star, says, "Salman was a fish underwater and his energy was absolutely delightful. He never hesitated to jump off the boat for a shot, despite the shark-infested waters. We bonded somewhere underwater, as we were the only swimmers venturing into the wild open deep sea, regardless of the risks involved," he says. Something's never change, we guess.
Siddharth Mallya
And a cake from his mom
Word comes in that Siddharth Mallya, the good-looking son of beleaguered tycoon Vijay Mallya, celebrated his birthday in England over the weekend. A source informs us that the actor, who turned 30, kicked off the celebrations with a night out at a London club along with close friends like Rewant Ruia and Alkesh Tandon (son-in-law of Yes Bank's Rana Kapoor), amongst others.
"The celebrations have moved to Tewin Village (an English town in the countryside of Hertford), where Mallya and his buddies are partying in a mansion complete with a bowling alley," says a source. And as expected, the birthday boy is in excellent spirits, and has even allowed himself to be persuaded to perform a karaoke version of the Frankie Valli song 'Can't take my eyes off you'.
But his most special birthday moment, we are informed, was not the banter with the boys or the clubbing, but a special birthday cake baked by his mother, the erstwhile Mumbai model Sameera, a picture of which Siddharth proudly posted on social media.
Aditya Motwane and Mansi Scott
Magic and madness
Last week saw Aditya Motwane, the founder of Motwane events (who has planned and put together some of India's most high-profile destination weddings), rang in his birthday with his girlfriend, the attractive Mansi Scott, by his side.
Scott, a popular singer, had wished the birthday boy by posting lyrics from yesteryear pop star Fatboy Slim, "We've come a long long way together. Through the hard times and the good. I have to celebrate you baby. I have to praise you like I should. Happy birthday Adi! Here's to many more years of magic and madness and us celebrating each other....#hottiescottie #loveyou."
Motwane too proved he was no slouch when it came to his share of SMPDA (social media PDA) and responded with, "The journey and destination is both you. Love you now and always."
Love is in the air.
Parul Sharma
Closet poets and photographers
Word comes in that Star TV's attractive head of corporate communications and spokesperson Parul Sharma, responsible for more than 40 of its properties, has put in her papers after 14 years with the television leader. We had got an inkling of this when we had spoken to Sharma a few weeks ago, when the leggy executive had talked of pursuing her budding interest in art photography.
"I think I've had enough of the corporate jungle," she'd said, hinting at signing up for a course in the subject in New York, or forging a career on her own in communications. "I want to do something on my own now and preferably creative," she'd said.
Sharma's husband, Tony Jesudasan, happens to be Reliance ADAG Chairman Anil Ambani's Delhi point person, key troubleshooter and spin doctor, though this has not prevented an artistic vein running through him too. In fact, we had called Sharma that day to enquire if we could publish a delicate poem written by Jesudasan, that had caught our attention. "Yes, isn't it lovely!" she'd said, adding, "But please don't carry it as he's very shy.
Far from the madding crowd
He is easily one of the most renowned business leaders of India Inc, given that he carries a blue chip surname and hails from one of the country's oldest and most high profile business clans. So, when this billionaire tycoon turns 50 next month, you would expect him to celebrate the occasion with the mother of all bashes, right? Wrong.
According to sources, he plans to spend the day far from the madding crowd, with only members of his immediate family, namely his mother, wife and children, his siblings and their families at an exclusive resort in Scotland.
"He obviously wants to keep it small and cozy, as he's not even invited members of his extended clan," says an insider, adding, "But no one can understand why Scotland! After all, people plan holidays there to drink or play golf, and every one knows that he's not only vegetarian and does not smoke or drink, but he doesn't play golf either!"
Incidentally, whereas this gent has taken the sane and understated route to usher in the big five, Oh! There are many who are waiting to see how his far more flamboyant cousin, who is also turning 50 this year, brings in his special day. "It is expected to be rather different," said the insider succinctly.
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