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The Far Pavilions revisited (Go To Top)
by Mike Lockey

     London: 'Bombay Dreams' may have closed both in London and on Broadway in New York, but a brand new Indian musical extravaganza is scheduled for a spring opening in Britain. This is a four million pound adaptation of MM Kaye's novel 'The Far Pavilions' which will open at the 1400 seat Shaftesbury Theatre in London's West End on April 14. The epic book on which this ambitious production is based covers some 25 years of Indian history, from the 1857 uprising to the second Afghan War, and how you get all that into a London theatre is anyone's guess at this stage. The man who could tell you, but probably won't at this stage of the game, is an Irishman, Michael Ward, who was himself born in India, in Assam, and who has been nurturing the project for some seven years now. Rehearsals are now well underway, with actors such as Kabir Bedi and Sophiya Haque supporting the young lead, Hadley Fraser. He plays the part of Ashton Khan Pelham - Martyn (yes, really!), a lad brought up as an Indian called Ashok and sent to an English public school. But that's probably all you need to know of the plot, except that there's also an Indian princess in the mix, called Anjuli, for all that love across the racial divide stuff. Well, there would be wouldn't there?

     MM Kaye grew up in India and took around 15 years to write her romance of the Raj. It has sold some 15 million copies up till now, so there should be quite an audience out there just panting to see the show. But, sadly, M. M. Kaye herself won't be around to see the fruits of her labours translated to the stage, as she died last year at the grand old age of 95. However, she will be present in spirit at the opening, as two front row seats are being kept empty as a silent tribute to her. As producer Michael Ward says: "She left us a lovely quote saying that: "If I should fall off my worldly twig before the first night, I shall make an awful nuisance of myself in the next life unless I'm allowed back to see it run". And with a statement like that, how could they possibly say her nay?

Madonna to play a prostitute (Go To Top)

     London: It seems pop diva Madonna is so desperate to earn respect for her acting abilities that she has signed up a movie, in which she will play a prostitute, for free. Madonna will play the part of cross-dresser Candy Darling, a role that she was chasing for years. Darling starred in a number of Andy Warhol films and provided Lou Reed with the inspiration to write 'Candy says' and 'Walk on the wild side'. "Madonna has been desperate to make a film where she can earn respect for her acting abilities. She is still trying to shake off the bad publicity from the movie 'Swept Away'. She sees this as her big chance," The Sun quoted an insider as saying. "She has wanted to play this part for so long because she feels so strongly about the character. She said she would do anything for the part and has agreed to work for free," the source added.

'Austen was a Punjabi in her previous birth' (Go To Top)

     Sydney: Jane Austen might have not seen eye to eye on this but, director Gurinder Chadha firmly believes that Austen was a punjabi in her previous birth. Chadha is the director of Bride & Prejudice, a Bollywood-style adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice starring Aishwarya Rai. The film's plot moves from Amritsar to Goa to London to Los Angeles and then back to Amritsar, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. "What I wanted to target was a global audience - the Bend It Like Beckham audience. And once I started writing the screenplay of Bride & Prejudice, I was convinced Jane Austen was a Punjabi in her previous birth," she was quoted as saying. "I found it absolutely incredible how Austen's characters adapted so freely and the story and themes fitted so perfectly into modern India," she added.

Jemima's designer to work on Camilla's wedding gown (Go To Top)

     London: The designers who dress Cherie Blair and Jemima Khan have been chosen to make Camilla Parker Bowles' wedding dress and hat. According to The Sun, Anna Valentine and Antonia Robinson, who work under the name Robinson Valentine, will create the much- hyped frock, while Irish milliner Philip Treacy will design the hat.

Brad and Jen ripped apart at Tussauds (Go To Top)

     London: Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston might have split and so it seems bosses at Madame Tussauds sawed their waxworks apart. According to The Sun, this cost 10,000 pounds. The couple were the first joined-together figures at Tussaud's, lovingly holding each other as part of a quiz in which visitors could find if they too were a perfect couple. But the sculptors replaced Brad's arm and Jennifer's torso after they split. "The Brad and Jen waxwork looked outdated. It was all a bit embarrassing so they had to change it," an insider was quoted as saying.

Secret of French beauty revealed (Go To Top)

     Sydney: :French author Mireille Guilliano's new book, "French women don't get fat" provides a peek into the secret of French women having beautiful bodies. The book released in Melbourne says that French women remain permanently slim curtesy their culturally dictated eating and exercise patterns. "I look at my French women friends and my American friends and I see the difference.Basically, I say to try to change the relationship with food, because people in most countries, including Australia and England, have a bad relationship with food. They see it as the enemy. They talk about it a lot, but then they binge . . . most of us eat much too much for what we do these days," the Herald Sun quoted Guiliano as saying. The book mentions a long list of things the French women do. It goes as saying, " French women drink 10 to 12 glasses of water a day. They carry a nutritious snack in their bag. They walk everywhere. French women walk up stairs instead of taking escalators and walk as a way of getting around their cities. French chocolate lovers refuse inferior quality versions and enjoy one piece of the best chocolate they can find when they crave it. French women enjoy bread, but eat just one piece of it at a meal. French women sit at a table to eat, not in front of the TV." So the trick is to "follow the French women" if you wish to remain young and beautiful forever.

Keanu Reeves gets philosophical at 40 (Go To Top)

     London: Keanu Reeves, the leading star of 'The Matrix' is in a contemplative mood and feels that his fourth decade has brought on an existential crisis as he has started questioning iimportance of life. He feels that his 40th birthday was not like his earlier ones. "It carried quite a wallop. I have all the classic symptoms. Reflection. Where am I now? Where have I come from? What's important", Female First quoted Keanu as saying. "Dealing with the moment of a different kind of feeling for mortality. Shifting of the body. "Contextualising or reevaluating behaviours and values. All those kinds of things", he added.

Uma Thurman will always love estranged hubby (Go To Top)

     London: Hollywood actress Uma Thurman has said that she will always love estranged husband, Ethan Hawke, despite their split 17 months ago. The 'Kill Bill' actress rates her kiss with Hawke in science- fiction film 'Gattaca' as her most memorable movie smooch, as she was 'really hot' for Hawke during the 1997 filming. "Probably the guy that I married. I was really hot for him... back then. No, I love the man still. I really do," femalefirst quoted Thurman as saying. "We have two kids together, it's very special. I'll always love him. Yeah, probably him, probably him," she said.

Prince Harry dumps Paris Hilton's invitation (Go To Top)

     London: British royal Prince Harry has refused to attend Paris Hilton's 24th birthday party because he's reportedly scared of her "raunchy reputation". The 20-year-old Prince is about to start his officer training at England's Sandhurst Military Academy in May (05). Given the number of scandals already linked to him in the past, he wishes to retain a clean reputation till then. He has rejected the invite to be guest of honour at Hilton's Florida bash tonight . "She even offered to fly him and two friends to the US on her father's private jet, and she threw in an all-expenses-paid stay at the Miami Hilton hotel.", as reported by a source to the Daily Express,UK. "There's no way his father (Prince Charles) was going to let him attend, given Paris's raunchy reputation.Another indiscretion with Harry would be an utter PR disaster" , adds a royal source. On the host's front, Hilton is quite fond of the Prince and his older brother, Prince William. She recently described the two brothers as " gorgeous".

Potter movie to have staff name on tombstones (Go To Top)

     London: Harry Potter's new movie will see the names of the backroom staff on gravestones. According to The Sun, tombstones feature in the climax to Goblet of Fire which sees a graveyard fight between Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and arch-enemy Voldemort. "It was a bit of fun for the staff - and means they get a very unusual film credit," an insider was quoted as saying. The film's lawyers were worried about using names that might be the same as real people's so they asked the production crew if they could use their monikers.

Augilera's surprise proposal (Go To Top)

     Washington: Singer Christina Aguilera is flying high these days after her Valentine surprise ended in a marriage proposal from music executive Jordan Bratman, her boyfriend of two years. "It was unbelievable. Every cute thing he did, I totally thought was just a Valentine's Day surprise - he got me!", ratethemusic.com quoted Aguilera as saying. The `Genie in a Bottle' singer, 24, says executive Bratman popped the question at Big Sur, California, after recreating a romantic dinner the two had while touring India in autumn 2004. Bratman, 26, gave Aguilera a 5-carat diamond ring designed by jeweller Stephen Webster, who also made wedding bands for Madonna and Guy Ritchie. And while Aguilera is thrilled about her engagement, she says that she is yet to decide on when to walk down the aisle.

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