Earshot

Watch wife

For Sachin Khedekar, success has come at a price. Along with popularity and best actor awards last year for his role in Sailaab, Khedekar has acquired the image of silent and sober lover. He is being inundated with calls from women who claim to be madly in love with him and want to marry him. Though he is least bothered by this, his wife has taken a different view.

Apparently, she has started visiting her husband’s sets to keep an eye on him! Kare koyi, bhare koyi!

Cagey stuff

Here is a producer-director who has had an experience he will never forget. Manoj Soni made a serial calledPinjara and even got a slot on DD2 for it. But then he got stuck with marketing problems and was unable to rope in sponsors. Finally, he gave away the rights of the serial to Asif Zaveri. The arrangement was that Zaveri would produce the serial while Soni would continue directing it. Unfortunately for Soni, Zaveri promptly threw him out and brought in a new director, Subhash Tiwari! He also replaced the lead actor, Alok Nath, with Bharat Kapoor.

Making it up

The latest on the tantrums list seems to be Vaishnavi. After replacing Kitu in Shaktimaan and Rakhee Vijan in Awaaz ki Duniya she has reportedly made it a practise to give dates but not turn up at the shoots. And when she does arrive, she usually spends hours with her mother in the make-up room. But Vaishnavi hotly denies these rumours. "Somebody is trying to sabotage my career. If I discover who it is, I’ll get even," she fumes.

Teacher

Adhikaari Brothers is one of the busiest production houses. Currently, they have nine serials onair and in a span of ten years have produced more than 30 serials including Waqt Ki Raftar, Shrimaan Shrimati, Special Session. Also, Gautam Adhikaari looks to be setting a record of sorts by having directed more than 850 episodes so far, adding up to around 1700 hours of software. He is opening an academy to trains aspiring directors, free of cost. They will also receive practical training on his sets. "I will talk with them and if I feel that they have a genuine urge to learn, I will teach them," he says.

I quit

Actress Rajeshwari Sachdeva, who won the national award for Sardari Begum and Screen award for Margarita has decided that it is time to move into deeper waters. She is quitting television saying that nothing "exclusive" is coming her way. Well, she can afford to say that as she has signed up for major roles in Umesh Mehra’s film Qila and Jag Mundra’s Perfume Garden. In the latter, which will be shot at Khajuraho, she is the only Indian face in the cast of American actors.

Scentingtrouble

Channel [V] is facing the music, but not from MTV. The French perfume company Chanel has dragged it to the courts for copyright infringement. It claims that the Channel [V] logo is a copy of their Chanel Five range of perfumes, and can have adverse effects on the company’s sales. Channel [V] is confident of winning the case. But if you see the [V] sign disappear suddenly, you can safely conclude that it has been scent off! Video breakAnubhav Sinha had sworn that he would not direct any serials after Sea Hawks. And he plans to stick to his claims. He is currently working on film scripts and a music video with Sonu Nigam for Magnasound. The recording for the video has been done in London and features Deepasha Basu. "It will be the first video of international quality with high-tech computer graphics and special effects," claims Sinha.

New Style

UTV’s serial — BBC, Style, will change format. Rahul Bose, who was hosting the show alone for the last few episodes, will have company in theform of the glamourous Laila. She will be on the air from the March 13 episode.