|
Magazine
Sightings
SUCHITRA BEHAL
FOR most residents of the rundown area just outside Lonavala, the sight of a former president and Bollywood stars left them agape. But, for JIMMY CARTER, former president of the US and Nobel Peace laureate, building homes for the poor has become something of a mission. His Habitat for Humanity Project, which is overseeing construction of over 100 homes for people from poorer sections in this area of Maharahstra, is currently in full swing and Carter with his wife spends much of the day working on site. "The biggest challenge of our times is to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor," said Carter, adding that in the classic sense the rich were getting richer while poor nations were getting poorer. While he has been impressed with the changes in India, Carter felt "the need was to share the levels of prosperity properly". His aim is to be able to provide decent housing for some 2,50,000 poor people in India by 2010. Carter is of the opinion that gaps like this create deeper communication problems in societies.
LIFE, they say begins at 40. And if actor SHAH RUKH KHAN, who recently celebrated his 41st birthday, is to be believed life has only got better. "I have got over the insecurities, which plague any normal person," said Khan. "As far as my stardom is concerned, I am completely secure. I have been here for too long and the kind of acceptance I have got, I cannot ask for more." While Khan is normally not dismissive of critics, he does feel that some of the criticism levelled of "Don" is not qualified. "It's one thing to be constructive but to just say that you shouldn't watch a movie is a little immature. There are only that many films that can please all the people all the time and I've done my share of that. You cannot please everyone all the time," said Khan, adding, "Don was remade for a younger audience and I think they have liked it."
AS far as Indian reality shows go, this is just about as big as it gets. And playing the role of the big boss himself is none other than "apna Circuit" or ARSHAD WARSI, as he is normally known. Said Warsi who is full of details of the new show, "It takes a lot of courage to be able to bare all. Imagine 13 celebrities of different personalities together — no TV, no entertainment, nothing. There is bound to be politics and upheavals. I would never be able to do the role of a captive celebrity myself." But Warsi knows that this is the series that could make or break reality shows and, if he is to be believed, then Indian audiences are more than ready for their share of this pie.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Magazine
|
