Earshot

Lady tantrum
Latest on tantrum list is Vaidehi. She was ejected after eight episodes from of Harsh Sinha’s Prayaschit. The buzz is that inspite of a contract, Vaidehi demanded a hike in fees just after four episodes. When demands were apparently rejected she began coming late and leaving early. Vaidehi was not available for comment, but Sinha lashed out at her. "Who does she think she is — Sridevi?!"

Ear-marked
Sony hosted a party to celebrate 100 episodes of Chamatkar, in which Farouque Shaikh has super hearing. The entrance was a massive ear and there was another ear which `gave out’ prizes to the guest. Now Sheikh will have `ESP’ too, whereby he will get visions of impending accidents. Stars that have been roped in and put on the accident list are Aditya Pancholi, Amit Kumar and Vinod Kambli!

Fat chance
Hansal Mehta, the maker of Khana Khazana, went ahead and did something really different. In an episode for Rishte –The Love Story, called Ae Mote, he tells the story about a fat man who is very romantic but reticent. The story is based on Mehta himself. "I had this complex as I was on the other side of the weighing scale," he says. Mehta is also making a film called Jayatee about a person who loses his zeal for life. The hero will be played by Sachin Khedekar! "My hero is not a hero. At the end of the movie people will surely ask me who the hero was!" adds Mehta.

Beauty trouble
A televison software company, Cuecom, has dashed off a strongly-worded letter to Prasar Bharati CEO, S.S.Gill. The company had approached DD for the live telecast of Miss Universe, 1998, but were informed that permission could not be given owing to "cultural considerations" and the invasion of alien values! But DD has given the green signal to the L’Oreal Femina Elite Model event. "This event has more or less the same content when it comes to cultural issues. So why have they been allowed while we were denied permission!" inquires Suresh Iyer, director of Cuecom.

Dilip and Prem
Dilip Kumar interviews Prem Chopra on a forthcoming episode of Is Duniya Ke Sitarey. All thanks to our Antakshari specialist Anu Kapoor (the interviewer), who, it seems, left the shoot halfway. Anu disappeared from the sets without a word. And this when actor Prem Chopra was ready with his make-up.Dilip Kumar, then decided to conduct the interview. Wife and producer Saira Bano shot the episode. Later, Anu’s disappearance was explained by his mother suddenly taking ill. Last one heard was that he has been ousted from the serial.

Missing
A birthday party minus the birthday boy. Anjan Srivastav hosted a pre-poned birthday bash on May 31. Janta started trickling in by 7:30 p.m., but the star turned up only around 10:30 p.m., just as people were on their way out.