Entertainment
Nobody here is anybody till they are somebodys somebody: Shreya Narayan
Saheb Biwi aur Gangster fame actress Shreya Narayan, who hails from Muzaffarnagar in Patna, is elated due to the positive response shes been getting for her recently released movie ?Nanu Ki Jaanu. Shreya, who happens to be the great grand niece of India’s first President Dr Rajendra Prasad, feels proud of herself for being a self-made woman. In a freewheeling chat with Nation Next, Shreya Narayan speaks about her role in Nanu Ki Jaanu, why she felt happy? when her roles in Tanu weds Manu and Rockstar were chopped off and why she idolises the legendary actress Rekha.
Excerpts:
Tell us something about your role in Nanu Ki Jaanu. How do the makers justify a title like this
I basically try to ward off a spirit who creates a ruckus in Nanus (Abhay Deol) life in the movie. It’s a cameo, in which I play a high-class ghost buster. In the process of driving away the ghost, I get possessed! I can say that I’m a con-woman in the film. So, my role in the film is quite funny and the audience is finding it funny too.
Speaking about the title, Abhay is playing the character of Nanu, with whom the ghost falls in love. That’s why the word Jaanu is used.
Speaking about the genre of the film horror comedy, don’t you think it’s relatively a new genre in Bollywood unlike Hollywood
Yes. I too found the concept different when I watched the film! It makes you laugh and wonder at the same time. I feel children and family audiences are going to enjoy the movie.
You’re the great grand niece of India’s first President Dr Rajendra Prasad. You must have come across his numerable stories, which people at large aren’t aware. Can you share with us some?
I was told how revered a man he was. He was a simple man with simple habits. My family would tell me stories about presidents official house when they would stay there. I feel I have a name to live up to by being a self-made person.
Your role in Tanu weds Manu and Rockstar was chopped off and it must have surely been disappointing for you. Did it deter you from acting, as they were blockbusters
My roles were always chopped off in the first few films that I did, whether it was Rockstar or Tanu weds Manu. I was a newcomer, who came to Mumbai, gave auditions and got roles. This is what happens to people who give auditions till you get established. Such things don’t upset me. I don’t regret this all. In fact, I’m so happy it happened because it gave meconfidence to pave my own way in life.
What is it about the Indian media that bothers you?
The media runs after big names. There are people who get everything served on the platter. I’ve given 10,000 auditions to reach where I am unlike some, who haven’t even given a single audition. As per the media, we’re stupid people with ideologies, who are still struggling with smaller roles. This is how the world perceives us. Without sounding pompous, I want to say that when I look at my journey, I feel lot of admiration towards myself. Nobody here (in Bollywood) is anybody till they are somebodys somebody.
How was working with Abhay Deol? You also worked with the legendary Rekha during Super Nani. How was working with her as well?
Working with Abhay was great. It was a pleasure to work with such a wonderful artist like him. I was more than pleased to work with him.
Rekhaji taught me a lot. There was a conversation that left an imprint on me. It was during the shooting of Super Nani my mother succumbed to cancer. Due to some delays in the movie, I had to shuttle a lot between the hospital (where my mother was admitted) and the shoot. That was a critical time for me. That was when I asked Rekhaji if she ever imagined Umrao Jaan to be a hit, to which she replied, The director was new, who approached me. There was no money so I travelled to Lucknow by train. I designed all my clothes and used my jewellery for the film. She further told me, I’ve done 175 films but people know me for 20 films. But an actor continues to work and one day, you get an Umrao Jaan! Even today she thinks of how she can become a better actor. Be it a 3 am or a 6 am shoot, she would do her yoga and be ready for the shoot. She’s so inspiring!
Read more| Meet Nabbe? from the film Nanu Ki Jaanu?
Entertainment
To complete my film ‘Emergency’, I mortgaged every single thing I owned: Kangana Ranaut
Kangana Ranaut
Kangana Ranaut finished the shoot of her much awaited film ‘Emergency’ recently. But finishing this film wasn’t an easy journey for the actress. She went through a lot of ups and downs while finishing this period drama where she plays former PM, Indira Gandhi.
Talking about all the difficulties she faced to complete the film, Kangana recently said, “Whatever task I take up, I make sure I finish it. But to finish the film, I had to mortgage all my properties, every single thing I owned as I am also banking the film as a producer. Moreover, mortgaging all my property to complete the film wasn’t a big deal. I am someone who makes all my big decisions within minutes. The main struggle was running to banks back-to-back while shooting the film. Somehow, it hampers your work big time.”
Kangana, who made her entry into Bollywood with ‘Gangster’ in 2006, also spoke about her initial days in Bollywood. “When I came to Mumbai, I had only ₹500. So, if I lose all my property after ‘Emergency’ release and I’m completely ruined, it won’t matter much. I am very confident and strong enough to stand up on my feet once again and bounce back. Such possessions hold no meaning for me to be frank,” said Kangana to the paparazzi during the ‘Emergency’ wrap-up party held recently.
Also read: Salim Khan was one of those few friends who encouraged me to become a screenwriter: Javed Akhtar
Life & Style
With 7000 luxury cars, gold fitted private jets, Sultan of Brunei has everything money can buy
With a personal wealth of £15 billion (approx rupees one lakh crore) Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah (76) has been the king for over 54 years now. Sultans huge fortune is said to increase by £80 (₹7000) per second from just oil assets that he possesses. The Sultan is the second wealthiest monarch in the world after the King of Thailand
Flew his hairdresser via private jet for a £19,000 haircut!
Such has been the Sultans lifestyle that he once flew his barber in his private jet for a single haircut, which cost him a total of £19,000 (approx ₹16.5 lakh) Not just this but hes also known to have his polo shoes flown by his helicopter for a match.
Once court papers in 2012 revealed that he paid £1.26 million (approx. ₹10.92 crore) to his badminton coach, £1.25million (approx. ₹10 crore) for acupuncture, massage and spent £50,000 (approx. ₹ 43 lakh) on guards for his exotic birds.
The Sultan, who spends around £17million (approx. ₹147 crore) on just jewellery as presents for his family members, paid two of his housekeepers £7million (approx. ₹60 crore) each! Once, the Royal Family spent so much at London jewellers Asprey that, in 1995, he decided to buy the entire company at a cost of £320million (approx. ₹2700 crore)!
Multiple marriages, divorces
In 1965, the Sultan married his cousin Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha, with whom he has six children, including Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee.
The Sultan remarried, but Raja still remains his wife and the Queen Consort. He married Hajah Mariam in 1982 a year before first wife Queen Saleha gave birth to their sixth child. He met her while she was working as an airhostess on a national airline.
He divorced Hajah (who was the mother of four children) in 2003 and stripped her off her royal titles. He then married TV presenter Azrinaz Mazhar, with whom he had two children before they divorced in 2010.
Micheal Jackson performed for Sultan’s 6000 subjects on his birthday
Father of 12, Sultan celebrated the weddings of his five children for a week by spending millions on each wedding. When Sultans eldest son Crown Prince, married a teenager Sarah Salleh (17), she wore jewel-encrusted Christian Louboutin heels and pure gold anklet. His daughter, Princess Azemah, 38, married her first cousin in week-long wedding on January 25, 2023.
For his oldest daughter’s wedding, Princess Rashidah, American singer Whitney Houston was flown in to sing at the reception and the Sultan paid her £5.5million (approx. ₹47 crore).
Sultans 50th birthday in 1996 was celebrated for over 15 days that cost him over £20 million (₹173 crore). The extravagant celebrations comprised a polo match, gala dinner for 3,000 at the opulent Palace where caviar from the endangered beluga was served.
Apart from this, the guests enjoyed free-flow of champagne. Not just this, the Sultan paid Micheal Jackson £14 million (approx ₹120 crore), for which the pop singer performed at three concerts – one for Sultans 6000 subjects and two for his private guests. The Sultan as a token presented every guest of his a solid gold medal!
1788 rooms, 257 bathrooms, air-conditioned stable for ponies
The Sultan resides at the Instana Nurul Iman Palace, which is the largest Royal residence in the world. The residence that was built over two years costs over £1billion (approx. ₹8600 crore) that includes 1788 rooms and 257 bathrooms.
With gold and diamond all over, the residence has five huge swimming pools, a banquet hall that can accommodate over 5000 guests and a mosque with a capacity of 1500 people. Apart from all this, there’s also a fully air-conditioned stable for Sultans 200 polo ponies (small horses)!
Most expensive private house in UK
The Sultan owns a lavish house in Londons most expensive area Regent Park, St Johns Lodge that consists of three linked properties. The same property in London was bought for £40million in 1994 (estimated to be worth £110 million [approx. ₹953 crore]) by making it the most expensive private house in the United Kingdom!
Known for being generous in gifting huge properties to his family members, the Sultan also owns plush properties on the Gold Coast of Australia, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, to name a few.
The Sultan in 1997 gifted his playboy brother Prince Jefri a mansion worth £45 million (approx. ₹390 crore) in Las Vegas that has 92 rooms, 29 bedrooms, 42 bathrooms, a tennis court, three swimming pools and a huge garage that houses 11 cars.
7000 cars worth £5billion
With almost 7000 cars, the Sultan possess the world’s largest car collection that include over 600 Rolls Royce, 500 Mercedes, 450 Ferraris, 380 Bentleys, over 100 Koenigsegg, 21 Lamborghinis, 11 Aston Martins, 179 Jaguars and 209 BMWs. His £5billion (approx ₹43000 crore) collection also includes a 24-carat gold-plated silver Spur Limo used for Royal weddings.
Sultan’s car
Private jets decorated in gold
Not just cars, the Sultan is the proud owner of the £233 million (approx. ₹2000 crore) customised Boeing 747, with a living room and bedroom decorated in gold and crystals and washbasins of solid gold.
Apart from this, he also owns a customised Airbus worth £75m (approx. ₹649 crore) and a Boeing 767 worth £136m (approx. ₹1200 crore).
(PS: The figures are an approximate value calculated as per the current market price, which have been sourced from The Sun)
Also read: Salim Khan was one of those few friends who encouraged me to become a screenwriter: Javed Akhtar
Nagpur Police arrested two men on Wednesday for allegedly gang-raping a 17-year-old girl in a car on Monday…
Representational Image
Also read: Nagpur: 3 men gang rape woman, stab her to death with axe, again rape her dead body
To complete my film ‘Emergency’, I mortgaged every single thing I owned: Kangana Ranaut
With 7000 luxury cars, gold fitted private jets, Sultan of Brunei has everything money can buy
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