Fashion Freeze

Bollywood and fashion go hand-in-hand (even if Vidya Balan refuses to agree!). From the bright orange dhak-dhak choli to the chaste ivory Chandni dress, every actress is fashion conscious. And apart from rat-racing for the No 1 heroine spot, they are all quietly competing for No 1 fashionista position.

Madhuri, Sri Devi, Juhi Chawla and Karishma Kapoor ruled the roost till 2000. Apart from making headlines for their acting prowess, they also made style statements with their scintillating saris and salwars.

But the trend has changed this decade. It’s all about velvet gowns, short skirts, hot pants and skinny jeans. So which of the current ruling actress makes the best style statement? And who is their designer? Let’s take a look.

Actress: Kareena Kapoor
Designer: Manish Malhotra

From her sexy Sarah Jessica Parker look in Kambakth Ishq to raunchy Pretty Woman look in Chameli, Manish Malhotra can mould her perfectly into the character she is playing on screen.

iDiva recommends: Although she looks stunning in Manish’s heavily embellished saris, she should also try Narendra Kumar’s blousons and jackets, it will add a dash of funkiness to her already abundant diva…ness.

Actress: Priyanka Chopra
Designer: Swapnil Shinde

If you’ve seen your jaw dropping at the sight of Priyanka in a pastel gown or a golden dress, she has a lot to thank Swapnil for. And the vice versa holds for Swapnil as well. Because, according to him, even Priyanka’s hair cut inspires him!

iDiva recommends: She has already showed off her fashionable streak with Dostana, Pyaar Impossible and Fashion; but its time she tried something quirky rather than playing safe. We recommend Lina Tipnis’s organza shrugs and pleated skirts.

Actress: Vidya Balan
Designer: Sabyasachi Mukerji
After her fashion fiasco in Heyy Baby, she decided to dump Manish Malhotra for good. Wise decision, we must say. Her alliance with Sabyasachi has made her look in her element like never before.

iDiva recommends: Nobody expresses Indian aesthetics like Sabyasachi does. But she should also try Gayatri Khanna’s georgettes and satins. It will suit her voluptuous silhouette.
Actress: Katrina Kaif
Designer: Rocky S

Whether in a satin saree or a micro mini, Katrina looks drop dead gorgeous in anything and everything. Giver her a khadi sack and she’ll make that also look like a million bucks, we bet. So Rocky S is lucky in a way to have Katrina.

iDiva recommends: She should give Falguni and Shane Peacock a shot. With her youthfulness and their quirkiness, they’ll make a helluva team.

Actress: Deepika Padukone
Designer: Tarun Tahilliani

A tall actress and an elitist designer – lethal combo. Deepika has a face of an innocent child and a body of a sultry model, and given the experience of Tarun in this industry; together they set the fashion world on fire.

iDiva recommends: Known for her fashion statements and youthful style sense, Deepika is an icon for lot of teenagers. But she should also try Manish Arora. His zany designs will blend well with her age and her roles.

Who is your favourite designer for Bollywood Inc? Which designer should style which Bollywood celebrity? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Her debut ‘Hide And Seek’ will usher Amruta Patki into the world of Hindi cinebiz. Model, singer, dancer and actor, the ‘Miss India 2006′ title winner joins the newbie brigade who intend to make a mark in the business of histrionics

The beige lip gloss shimmers to seek your attention. And looking dishy in her black ensemble, Amruta Patki, the new find of ‘Hide And Seek’ gears up to face the fusillade of queries being hurled at her within the confines of the Moserbaer office in suburban Mumbai.

Reportedly, producer Apoorva Lakhia spotted her snaps on a social networking site, sparking off her tryst with ‘Hide And Seek.’ The former beauty pageant winner (Miss India 2006), model, dancer and singer, all smartly compressed into one, declares she has little to hide about director Shawn Arranha screen testing her twice, before ushering her into his debut!

Site step

“Apoorva Lakhia saw my pictures on Facebook,” reveals Patki. “And he asked me to mail him some more pics, which I did. There were hundreds of girls who were being screen tested for the role of Gunita Sodhi, which ultimately went to me. When Shawn screen tested me first, I felt that I’d done fairly well. But he called me for a second test before he finalised me because I had no real experience in acting. But then, it was a unanimous decision on the part of Apoorva and Shawn to cast me… and I was on!”

21 mall nights!

Once she’d been pencilled in, ten days of rehearsals and extensive readings prepared Amruta for the stringent schedule that lay ahead. 27 days of canning scenes at a weird shopping mall at Ahmedabad, of which 21 were night shoots, remains an indelible memory for the actor.

“Our body clock had gone for a toss,” admits Patki. “But we did put in hard work and had lots of fun too, because we were so well prepared. Shawn made me write an essay on Gunita, as if I was the character myself. That made it so much easier for me. I understood why Gunita, a snobbish socialite, was behaving the way she did and was able to flesh her out well.”

Career confusion?

Following the predictable route of beauty title winners, who sashay into modeling and zoom into cinedom later, Patki asserts that the ‘Miss India’ crown offers a “fantastic platform to get into modeling and make contacts”. And she’s expressly clear that she always wanted to “make a career in the entertainment business.” But the confusion in her mind reigned supreme. “I wasn’t clear whether I wanted to be a model, an actress, a Hindustani music singer or a ‘kathak’ dancer,” she reveals. “I love singing and given a choice I would also like to pursue playback singing, although it has been pushed to the back of my mind at the moment.”

Thriller Quiz!

‘Hide And Seek’, a suspense thriller centred around six friends who meet up after 12 years and find themselves trapped in a shopping mall, forms the basic premise of the film. Regarding the sterling strongpoint of the flick, Patki states, “The film is like a quiz, it’s a brain teaser. ‘Hide And Seek’ will keep you guessing till the very end as to… who could be the killer?”

Anger trigger

Coax Patki to ferret out memorable vignettes connected with the making of her thrilling debut, and she states, “The producers Apoorva and Lakshmi Singh would come in at three a.m and feed us kebabs! And it used to be such fun, because all the six actors had a blast during the entire shoot!”

On a more sombre note, she traces an anecdote which remains etched in her psyche. Discloses Patki, “It helped me to understand Shawn as a director. In one particular sequence, my character was supposed to be in a very angry frame of mind and had to react accordingly. But Shawn felt that I wasn’t getting it right. He yelled at me right in front of the entire unit! I felt terrible, and hurt and angry… but once the camera was switched on, I gave a perfect take this time! Later, Shawn sat me down and explained that he did it, so that he could make me angry enough. My displaced anger managed to get the shot right for me.” (laughs)

Bikini babe

With the invasion of high glam babes into mainstream cinema, skin show and exposure have become almost a sine qua non for female leads. Patki, however, admits that she has little qualms about skin show onscreen. “I have worn a bikini in ‘Hide And Seek’ and I had no issues with it,” she smiles. “A lot depends on the director and the camera angles. Showing skin is fine, but it has to be done aesthetically. Also it’s not about how much skin you show, but about how well you can carry it off.”

Career core

Elaborating on her career philosophy, Patki states, “As an actor, I have to see that I deliver results as per what is demanded of me from the director and producer. I’ve done the first. My second job is tougher. I have to please the audiences. My strength as an actor is that I’m willing to work hard and learn. In fact, I have always made it a point to learn something new all the time because I’m thirsty for knowledge. Right now, though, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for ‘Hide And Seek’”

Her aesthetics are above par and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is currently being wooed by a topline jewellery brand to design her own signature line of jewellery.

With her enviable track record of endorsing international jewellery and high end products, Ash seemed a rather natural choice to join the carat brigade.

If Ash does assent, she will join the ranks of Farah Khan Ali (Sussanne Roshan’s sibling), Neelam Kothari and Maheep Kapoor, all successfully flourishing with their own jewellery lines.

Victoria Beckham has devised a unique fashion test according to which she will only design clothes that she herself would wear in real life. The former Spice Girl-turned-fashion designer admits she’s a perfectionist when it comes to her work so creates outfits she would be prepared to buy, Femalefirst reported. “The sales have been phenomenal. It’s been a challenge obviously people had preconceptions in the beginning but I’ve worked really really hard. The final test for me is, would I wear it myself?,” Victoria said.

The 35-year-old star, who is married to ace footballer David Beckham is keen to make all her designs high quality because creating fine clothing is something she’s always desired. “I just really love what I do and I’m passionate about it. It’s what I’ve also wanted to do and for me the quality is very important.” However, she has no immediate plans to launch a men’s range. “I think Tom Ford is doing an incredible job…but it’s not like I can’t wait to do a men’s line. I love women. I’m a real girl’s girl,” Victoria said.

Victoria Beckham was back at the airport and back in her skyscraper heels yesterday. Arriving at LAX, aka her personal catwalk, Posh proved last week’s ballerina flats were a flash in the pan as she paired some eye-watering Azzedine Alaïa platforms with patterned tights and a 60s shift dress, injecting a pop of colour with one of her many Hermès Birkin bags. We reckon we’d suffer bunions for a shoe collection that good too! – GG

Super model Mia Michelle is the latest rising star to endorse G3 Jewelry’s “Glamour” line. Mia will represent the company and wear their women’s line of fine diamond jewelry and watches exclusively for music videos, magazine spreads and public appearances.

The company has various plans for marketing its “Glamour” Line Elite jewelry, composed of items priced at $15,000 or higher. “Mia is a beautiful woman both inside and out, but the versatility of her look is really what caught our eye. She can help us market our mainstream items as well as the high-end items that are in our women’s diamond jewelry line”, explains Quincy Brown, CEO & Chief Designer of G3 Jewelry.

The deal is a big step for Mia’s promising career. “I’m very excited about working with G3 Jewelry”, says Mia. “When I was presented with the opportunity, I didn’t know much about the company. But after I looked at their website and sat down to speak with Quincy about the women’s diamond jewelry line, I really started to see how big of an opportunity this would be. Seeing the jewelry and watches in person really blew me away. It’s gorgeous”.