Hard work and grit got him here

You must have seen him in ads like Close-Up, Ponds, Hero Honda CBZ, Nescafe, Killer jeans, Levis jeans, ICICI, Sunsilk and Feast, and wondered why the macho man is being neglected by the Hindi film industry. So, here comes Raman Lamba, finally, making his debut in a role that has negative shades.

"I'm proud to be a part of this project as my wife is the director. She is my biggest support. Of course, Shona hasn't cast me because I'm her husband, but because of my work in ads like Close-Up, Hero Honda CBZ and Feast. She has seen my potential and extracted the best work out of me. She has pushed me to new heights and a different level," he says.

"I believe that hard work certainly pays off. I agree that the character I play, Rizwan, has negative shades. But, there is a journey and an evolving process in the role that makes it more interesting."

"Mine is more a supporting role than that of a villain. Rizwan is a rich father's son who runs a pub - it's like he has fun while also working," he elaborates.

Are there any more projects in the pipeline? "Not as of now. I'm going a bit slow. I want to wait for the release of this film and then see if I can market myself well and get a better deal before signing films offhand," he says.

And how does he feel about being paired with Rati Agnihotri in the film - a seasoned actress who is much older than him in real life?

"Great. And, she doesn't look old at all... she is still the same. She is brilliant, beautiful and at her best. Actually, in the film she is a pompous lady, Almira Kochchar, and my ladylove but I'm not her husband - Tinu Anand plays the role. Ratiji made me feel very comfortable and I got to learn a lot - not just from her but also from other veterans like Om Puri and Tinu Anand. From being in awe of them to being great pals, the journey on the sets was pretty smooth. I feel in some ways, these seasoned actors are younger than us," says Lamba who loves Mirchi ka salan, seafood and Goa, next to his darling daughter (who is a true "papa ki beti") one-year-old Mokshali, "the stressbuster on the set."

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Sober and Macho!

In an almost true-to-life character, Zulfikar Syed plays the hero, Varun Arya - the reserved son of a millionaire father who runs a software company. The Gladrags 1997 title winner, Zulfi is among the most popular supermodels of the country, and has taken the modelling world by storm. After a brief appearance in Pyaasa, the macho man makes his debut as a full-fledged hero.

"I'm almost 75 per cent close to my character in this film," admits the sober model, "I'm pretty level-headed, reserved and quite into the family. I don't party much."

How was the experience of Taj Mahal and working with Akbar Khan? "It was great. We finished shooting 80 per cent of the film. Akbar Khan is a fabulous director who knows what he wants and how to get the best from an actor. And it was good working with Sonia, my co-star in the film who is the granddaughter of legendary singer Noorjahan. I did a little bit of study before portraying the role of Shah Jahan - he is a decent king, who loved Mumtaz beyond words and was against waging wars. The historic character really fascinated me," says Zulfi.

But are the present-day Indians prepared for a historical film? "Why not? Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, has an interesting history behind it. The concept of a man building Taj Mahal to be dedicated to his wife is unbeatable. It is a good lesson for people to learn from - about love and relationships. We do not actually know what happened within the dynasty, about the kings and their successors. This is just an attempt to capture the inside story in our own small way. It is a one-time role and a big project," he says, beaming with satisfaction.

If he were not an actor/ model, what would he be? "I've done my Masters in Hotel Management. So, I would have been abroad learning more about the subject," he smiles.

His regime for that great body includes "working out for at least one-and-a-half to two hours. And I consciously try to control my diet by eating food which is less oily though I love tandoor dishes," says Zulfi who believes that an actor's filmi background helps only to a certain extent and it is always better to come out the hard way.

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Bold and beautiful

"I hate mess. My surroundings have to be clean," says Masumi as she asks the waiter at 10 Downing Street to clean the floor where a bottle of Shock had toppled, even while picking up tissues and spreading them on the floor herself.

Hers may not be the face that launched a thousand products, but she is the one behind ads like Clean & Clear, Rexona Deo and Kingfisher. And her innings on television has been successful as well thanks to serials like Thoda Hai Thode ki Zaroorat Hai, Suhana Safar and Banegi Apni Baat. When asked how the transition from ads to telly to films was, she says: "I'm not a model as such - I'm an actress who is into modelling too," she smiles, sitting pretty in a greenish blue hipster teamed with a black halter neck. "Experience gives you knowledge and you evolve. I'm not here to compete with anyone. I just want to do my work, and learn from everyone."

"Though I have a lot of support from my family, my mother who is a disciplinarian wanted me to complete my studies before taking up acting. My mom's guidance was important for me because an actress can go astray when let on her own," she adds.

About projects in the pipeline, Masumi says, "I'm doing four films currently — 1:16 by Madhu Ambat, Later Heaven, a European film, Padmasri Lalu Prasad Yadav by Mahesh Manjrekar and Miya Maqbool where I have a guest appearance. Since the movie is studded with stars of the calibre of Tabu, Irfan Khan, Pankaj Kapoor and Naseeruddin Shah, I couldn't refuse the offer. I'll do at least one item number, to see how it is," says the actress, who plays a bratty girl in Chupke Se, tongue in cheek. "I strongly believe that the way you carry yourself matters in the industry. Whether I'm famous or not is irrelevant as long as people see and appreciate my work," says Masumi whose "experience in theatre - Marathi, Hindi and English - helped a lot. I wanted Chupke Se to be my debut film because my sister is the director and it makes it that much more memorable and special," says Masumi.

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Hoping for the best

ZULFIKAR, MASUMI, Raman Lamba and Shona Urvashi have one thing in common. All four of them made their debut with Chupke Se, the first three as actors and the last as the director.

A PLA Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. production, Chupke Se promises to be a feel-good romantic comedy revolving around the Timgires, the Aryas, the Kochchars and Qasim Khan Qayamat. Going by the track record of the production house, which made films like Jalwa, Hero Hiralal, Chashme Baddur and Khatta Meetha, hopes are high on this sweet love story.

"We are all hopeful and keeping our fingers crossed till September 12 when the movie is scheduled to hit the screen," says debutant director Shona Urvashi. "I took about a year to script the film, and more time to shoot it. And, the end product turned out quite well," she says.

"It was certainly difficult to script and direct the film. Plus, I was expecting my first child then. Though I'm not tired of writing, which is my hobby, the shooting part was a bit tedious. However, the excitement of filmmaking saw me through - despite those tiring and frustrating long hours," she says. "It is a clean film, without violence and vulgarity, targeted at everybody - a film which the entire family can sit together and watch,"she adds.

It is some kind of a family production with my sister and husband in the cast," reveals Shona. "We are planning another movie after this: a sequel to Jalwa titled Jalwe ka Jalwa.

But it is still in the planning stages. I've also written two other scripts. But, I'll be able to finalise which film to take up next perhaps only after the release of my debut film," says the director.

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