I’m writing this amidst a whole lot of work and a little bit of partying. It was my birthday yesterday and far from having some grand extravaganza, I was traveling from Pune to Mumbai as the clock struck 12. Yesterday was all about work, just like it has been for the last 3-4 years… and in my mind, that’s a good thing. I’ve never really been too big on my own birthday. Even in college I’d never put much thought into it. It’s not that I’m not excited about the day like everyone else, it’s just that I don’t have the patience to make arrangements for any sort of party. Fortunately, my friends and family have been nice enough to surprise me every now and then by doing something special… even this time. I’m lucky enough to have met my mom, dad and a couple of very close friends amidst all the work.
Read the rest of this entry »

Rannvijay Vs Arjun Rampal

After the success and the resultant adulation of Rock On!!, Arjun Rampal has started acting pricey. Arjun reportedly asked Vipul Shah to double his earlier amount and refused to work for that sum for the film Action Replay, leading to his ouster from the film. Now Roadies host and MTV VJ Rannvijay has replaced him.

First of all, I want to thank all of you guys for the overwhelming the cool ones, nothing is impossible as long as you know the right people… or claim to know them! Avoiding challans after jumping a traffic signal is one place where this ‘art’ is especially useful although I admit that the Delhi Police are now smart enough to call your bluff. I still remember trying to get the cops off my back by pretending to be related to some make-believe senior cop or faking an accent that would make me look like a badass when I would get hauled over while riding my granddad’s scooter. ” Tujhe pata hai… mera chacha thaane ke char chakkar kaat chuka hai,” I would say, trying to sound intimidating. I recall that if a guy ever stared at the girls in our group, they would show him ‘the finger’ or abuse him. The guy wouldn’t say a word to the girl, but would call me and say, “Oye! Chikne, shaana ban raha hai,” and I’d be like, ‘What did I do? She showed the finger.’ Then, I would make frantic calls to friends asking them if they knew someone in the ilaaka. Schooling in Delhi was full of such instances. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had to tackle some huge guy who would threaten to beat me up if I didn’t stop dating some girl his friend liked.”Abe, naam kya hai uska? Baat karna chhod de uss se. Mere Pingu ko pasand hai woh,” he would say. I’ve learnt that it’s not what you know, but who you know that ultimately matters. So, thank you Delhi for teaching me to be street smart, or as us desis call it, kaandi.