‘I can be so irritating’

Why are you a judge for Channel [V]’s Popstars 2?That was my first question too, ‘‘Why me?’’ As I’m not much o...

Why are you a judge for Channel [V]’s Popstars 2?
That was my first question too, ‘‘Why me?’’ As I’m not much of a singer, I’m evaluating the ‘charisma’ quotient of the participants — their confidence, style and looks. We’re not only looking for people who sing well and look good, but for full-on performers.

Tell us about your upcoming Supari. Your character’s name is Chicken?
The film is about a group of friends who become contract killers. My character’s name is actually Jignesh, but his friends call him Chicken because the poor guy is scared of everything. I understand that contract killing is quite a scary business, but he’s a real coward and also a painful nag. After I saw my own performance, I was like ‘‘Oh God, I can’t believe I can be so irritating!’’

So what is Purab afraid of?
Hmm… tough one. I think it would be falling in the eyes of the people I love.

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So nothing as mundane as heights?
Noooo, I love heights. The only reason I could ever be scared of them is that they excite me to a frightening level! I love looking over cliffs. I don’t think I’m He-Man or anything, but it gives me such a rush!

We heard a little something about you and an MTV VJ.
I’m currently single and no, Anusha is a good friend, but not my girlfriend. As for the enemy bit, I’m on very good terms with many of the MTV VJs. We’re not kids, we can be professional about our job. But Anusha and I have these mock fights sometimes — when one channel comes out with a new show, the other person goes ‘‘we already have a way cooler show than yours!’’ — it’s a lot of fun.

As the anchor of [V] Crush, do you feel like Cupid?
Not really, but I get caught up in the show and I’m always praying that it works out. It somehow feels right and I completely sympathise with the people who come on the show — going to such lengths to get their girl or guy. But sometimes things don’t work out and it gets ugly and I feel really bad. We’ve even got some letters from stalkers and it was so creepy, that we’re now very careful about whom we get on the show.

Would you ever go on TV to profess your love for a girl?
No way! I would never do that. I’m a private person and I like to keep personal matters personal.

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So what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done for a girl?
Hmmm… I can’t think of anything. Wait… I want to tell you something. I want to look cool! Nothing — just dropping off flowers in the middle of the night. But I’ll tell you what I’ve planned to do. I’ll sing a song for the woman I want to marry. I’m a really bad singer, so that will be a big effort.

Okay, what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done for the channel?
It was for an episode of [V] On Campus. I was shooting in Xaviers College, Mumbai trying to fit in as a Xavierite. So here I was pulling up my collar and strutting around, posing for the camera, combing my hair and trying to be cool. Then this pretty girl came up to me and very sweetly said, ‘‘Purab your label is sticking out.’’ We have sponsored clothes, and I realised a little too late that one of the price tags was visible.

So what about your future plans?
I want to act in movies — full on!

Men who opened fire outside actor Disha Patani’s home killed in encounter in Ghaziabad

Cities2 hr ago

Two men belonging to the Rohit Godara-Goldy Brar Gang were killed in an encounter in Ghaziabad, suspected to be involved in the firing outside Disha Patani's residence. The duo, identified as Ravindra and Arun, were wanted in multiple cases and were spotted by the police through CCTV footage. UP CM Yogi Adityanath had directed for a speedy investigation and strict action against the perpetrators.

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