J038;K Assembly146;s funny men

Daily proceedings at the Jammu and Kashmir state legislative assembly are turning out to be a regular laugh riot. Last week8217;s funny man...

Daily proceedings at the Jammu and Kashmir state legislative assembly are turning out to be a regular laugh riot. Last week8217;s funny man was Minister for Health, Mian Altaf. Altaf was giving details about the achievements that had been made in his ministry during the past financial year. However, while reading out the information he was so overcome by enthusiasm that he lost grip of what he was saying. Talking about the administration8217;s initiative, he said that very soon he would employ more 8216;mental doctors8217; as opposed to psychiatrists in the 8216;mental hospital8217;. People sitting in gallery burst into laughter, which did not stop Altaf from repeating the comment three times. One legislator said, 8216;8216;How can a mental doctor treat patients? I think Altaf needs treatment himself8217;8217;.

Anil Kapoor8217;s Maska chaska

Anil Kapoor is very candid about not being a multi-tasker. And while he may be able to essay a variety of roles, he has no plans to follow the trend and position himself behind the camera. 8216;8216;Never. Not now nor later. I would like to remain an actor always, like Amitabh Bachchan, give good performances and be known for my roles,8217;8217; he says emphatically. Direction, apparently, is not his cup of tea. Shooting his forthcoming Om Jai Jagdish, Kapoor is quick to mention that his director Anupam Kher brings with him a lot of experience that enriches the film. 8216;8216;Actors can probably relate to him better since he has been in their shoes at one time.8217;8217; Perhaps even this award-winning actor has his bouts of unnecessary sycophancy.

Theatre in their veins

Talk about togetherness. Raj Babbar is all set to make sure all the members of his family make their respective debuts this year. While daughter Juhi will be on screen for Kaash Aap Hamare Hote, son Arya Babbar is currently wrapping up shooting for Ab Ke Baras. But the surprise package is ex-wife Nadira who has been roped in by M F Husain to play a role in his forthcoming Minaxi 8212; A Tale of Three Cities. 8216;8216;Oh, it8217;s nothing. Probably the first and last appearance on the big screen,8217;8217; laughs the 52-year-old theatre personality whose Ekjute Productions has been responsible for infusing new life into Hindi theatre. 8216;8216;I am doing it only because Husain is my father8217;s close friend. Also, he8217;s always been very supportive of Ekjute. So when he asked me to do his film, there was no question of saying no. But this is not my line, just a one time thing,8217;8217; she adds

Silence of the nightingale

Humour is a handy commodity, but it seems to desert the best of us when it8217;s needed the most. At a press conference held at the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, Pune, vocal queen Lata Mangeskar took on some serious questions with remarkable book humour. Asked about her experience at the Rajya Sabha proceedings that she attended recently, she remarked that 8216;quiet8217; suited her better than the din of the Parliament house. But that didn8217;t stop her from 8216;thumping on the desk8217; on several occasions. However once the contentious issue of the Peddar road flyover came up, she turned prickly and refused to answer. The only thing that the press could then get out of her was a sullen 8216;no comment8217;.

Contributed by PRADEEP DUTTA in Jammu, SUNANDA MEHTA and APARNA KUMAR in Pune