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As thick as thieves
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Pratichee Mohapatra and Anushka Manchanda on Nancy Drew, Harry Potter and reality shows
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Photo: K. Ramesh Babu
One way up Climbing the ladder of success, Pratichee and Anushka
Singers and former band mates of VIVA, Pratichee Mohapatra and Anushka Manchanda take the definition of being ‘best friends’ to a whole new level. One starts a sentence and the other finishes it. They meet everyday, live a few miles apart, share everything about their lives and are almost inseparable. So much so, that they feel that they can soon get married and have each other’s children! With a combined work portfolio that included singing for movies like “Chak De”, “Cash”, “Shootout at Lokhandwala”, “Golmaal” and forthcoming movies like Kabootar, Devdali, Chakkar and a soon-to-be released private album, they’re currently the singing sensations of the industry. As the dramatic Pratichee and enthusiastic Anushka jibber-jabber on the reality show they did together, their love for clothes and shoes, Nancy Drew and Harry Potter and how tomboyish they both are, RENUKA VIJAY KUMAR listens in, in complete disbelief at their 10-odd parallel conversations:
Anushka Manchanda: Is there anything we disagree about?
Pratichee Mohapatra: The only thing different about us is that you’re extremely friendly and know too many people and I don’t.
Anushka: But I’ve also become mean now Pratichee.
Pratichee: I’m not mean. Now don’t say that. You’re making it sound like I’m this mean, mean person. I just like my OWN space.
Anushka: Ya. So I also like that. It’s rubbed on to me. I also don’t let people taking me for granted anymore
Pratichee: Which is good. There were people who were just walking all over you. But yes, we disagree on time.
It’s not like you don’t reach on time. You’re always just making it on time. I reach on time. Like aaram se. There is no stress. You’re always hurrying here and there. With you it’s like… (imitating Anushka and huffing and panting and saying) ‘OK.. OK... What’s the time? What’s the time?’
And in the process probably missing just one person,avoiding banging his head and sending him to the graveyard by killing him 10 years before his time.
Anushka: But I haven’t killed anyone till now…
Pratichee: (with a bow) thank you verrry much. Aap ne hum par ehsaan kiya hai, ki aap ne kisi ko bhi nahin mara abhi tak.
Anushka: But one person came and stood in the way of my side view mirror…
Pratichee: … which you haven’t fixed till now
Anushka: It has to go for servicing… my car.
Pratichee: Please remind me to send my car for servicing too.
Anushka: By the way, I banged it again while parking the other day and that was not my fault also.
Everyday they change the parking, so every night whenever I come home I have to go wake someone up.
Pratichee: By the way, why didn’t you wear my skirt for Halloweens?
Anushka: ’Cause it looked like a balloon, (pause) on me! It looked like seven children, one after the other, would pop out. So I cut my existing skirt… I cut it very well.
Pratichee: (laughing) I knew you were going to say that. This is the problem, we can complete each other’s sentences.
Anushka: I’m telling you, we’re going to have children together very soon.
Pratichee: What do you think of the new reality shows? I think they’re a great platform and if I had known how big it was (Channel [V] Popstars), I would’ve made better use of it. But if we had a choice today, I would not have liked to live together.
Anushka: The whole thing hit me only after the shooting had finished…
Pratichee: ...only after the band had disbanded did we realise how big this whole thing was. All the reality shows that came later were based on that one.
Anushka: Which one did you like better? The first one or the one we just did recently? (“Fun on the Run” on Zee TV)
Pratichee: I have fonder memories of ‘Fun on the Run’, any day. But then, we were not friends then, let’s be honest.
On ‘Fun on the Run’ we had fun and made great friends. And we were like little boys, we enjoyed all the physical activity and it was good to know how hard we could push ourselves and each other.
Anushka: The first one did more for us. But for this we’ve been all rounders. We composed and sung the title song for this show, as well as participating in it.
Pratichee: Ok, so what do you think of the new reality shows?
Anushka: Very good. I also think it’s a good platform. But talent isn’t always enough. You need the opportunity also.
But the quality of these shows has gone down a lot.
Pratichee: By the way, Anushka, would you like to get the band back together?
Anushka: No
Pratichee: Why?
Anushka: Because…
Pratichee: ….you don’t want to sing with me Anushka?
Anushka: No… because only two of us will be in the focus. Mahua is also there… and one is in Hong Kong and is married.
Pratichee: The other one was responsible for the band breaking up
Anushka: Who is she?
Pratichee: (laughing) The one who’s name we cannot remember! The one ‘Who must not be named!’
Anushka: What do you think should happen now in Harry Potter? I think some of the old students should be the teachers and all. Ya...but there should be more books now.
For god’s sake, she wants to write mystery or detective novels now.
Pratichee: You never know okay. There’s Nancy Drew movie going to be out soon, you know that? And it is completely not the way I had pictured Nancy Drew to look like. I was extremely upset when I saw the trailers of Nancy Drew. She’s like a wimp, skinny, no personality little thing.
Anushka: Yes… I agree
Pratichee: As children we all read Nancy Drew and you have this image of someone who’s sure and confident of herself and solves all these cases.
Anushka: Cooler for gods’ sake!
Pratichee: Yaaaaa…. someone cooler. This one looks like a 13-year old who should be told, ‘Go to bed! No supper for you tonight.’I don’t think we’ll watch that movie.
Anushka: No no. Of course we’ll watch it. Why don’t you come with me for ‘No Smoking’?
Pratichee: I’d rather sit at home and be on Facebook. What a sterson. It’s been a long time since we made a new word na?
Anushka: Ya, like Stool…stupid fool
Pratichee: What a stool!
Anushka: I like that, I like that!
Pratichee: Even ‘sterson’ is nice. Like a cool ‘sterson hat.’
Anushka: Sterson is ‘stupid person’ na?
Pratichee: Ya…I like our new language for lazy people. Like ‘botter’ for bottle of water.
Anushka: Ok, no don’t share anymore. But all the other lazy people will thank us.
Pratichee: Aand they will be eternally grateful for our hard work.
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