September 5, 2006: "Punctuality keeps me calm" -Ronit

Though I am a very cool headed person, there are times when I feel stressed. I am very punctual and expect the same from others.

I can’t stand impunctuality. But in a profession like acting one cannot afford to be particular about time.

Sometimes the entire shoot gets delayed because of the carelessness of just one person.

Earlier, I used to tolerate such delays but I found that people had started taking me for granted.

It disturbed my schedule and put me under a lot of pressure.

This resulted in unsatisfactory output and a sense of incompleteness. Some- times I even ended up messing up my personal life.

So I decided not to wait beyond 15-20 minutes. It helped me organise my work better and stay focused and calm.

Another thing which adds to my stress quotient is the inability to attend to my family whenever the need arises. But I try to make up for such times by giving absolute attention when I am at home.

I think stress is nothing but a state of mind and it can be easily dealt with by considering the problem in an objective and practical manner. Instead of lamenting about what has happened, emphasis must be laid on how to get out of it. One can do it by talking it out with the person concerned, a friend or a family member.

Apart from this, relaxation exercises and meditation can also help deal with stressful situations in an effective manner.

September 8, 2006: Designer Male

Anil Merani

Posted online: Friday, September08, 2006 at 0000 hours IST

If you thought that fashion was only for the fairer sex, think again. Men too are preening over their looks and clothes like never before. Screen talks to some of the best-dressed male TV stars…

Anuj Saxena feels that that the entire male fashion scene has really come of age in India in the last five years thanks to liberalization and the all pervasive influence of the mass media. Gourav Chanana points out that the market is full of gents’ toiletry and grooming products which woman are forcing their men to buy as they want their partners to look the best hunk around.

All male stars feel that it’s very important to dress well, especially for people in their line of work. Says Cezzane Khan, ”One wrong move here and you could suffer very badly for the next day papers’ will tear you to shreds.“ Anuj seconded Cezzane by saying that if only you look dapper, do you get roles out here, after all who would want to cast a badly dressed person in their serials.

When it comes to formal wear, Ronit Roy prefers dark linen(best fabric for Mumbai weather) suits, Anuj says he has classified his suits for office , formal and party wear (different for corporate and filmy). Although Hiten Tejwani does not like to dress formal, he does turn out in funky grey and black suits to parties, for he has to look as good as his better half, Gauri.

A perfect suit would be incomplete without a contrasting tie(pink on a black suit) adds Iqbal Khan. Hiten will never leave for a hep party without his pin tuck. Simlarly, Ronit just loves to show of his flashy Italian watches. Gaurav makes sure his imported suit perfectly matches his high end shoes.

Anuj tries to make sure that he avoids wearing the same suit to two parties, for that’s just not done. Hiten says that the same fear forces him to go shopping regularly. Iqbal says that he tries to get past this mess by mixing and matching his outfits.

Iqbal Khan and Ronit Roy dress to impress their respective spouses while the single guys obviously want to impress the fair sex with their fashion style. Anuj while not denying the importance of the approval from the opposite sex, says that if he feels that he looks good in a particular outfit, he will wear it, even if some one else does not like it.

Cezzane loves to be casual because on the sets he is always dressed in formals. He is most happy when he can wear his low waisted denims and colorful cotton polo neck Tees. Even Iqbal is a casual dude, who’s favourite bottoms are cool khaki cargoes, which he wears over plain solid coloured long sleeved shirts. Both these guys just love to splurge on big buckled leather belts and fancy boots.

Besides the shoes and belt, today, TV stars look hep adoring designer shades, (Anuj) feng-shui bracelets (Gourav), disco gold chains, rich looking leather wallets (Ronit Roy) and of course, the high end mobile phones. These hunks also have a very huge wardrobe of chic ethnic threads as well, rich embroidered churidar kurtas, dazzling sherwanis with the works, achkans and designer dhoti, you name it and they have it. However, as Anuj put it, we can only wear such great Indian clothes at a close friend’s wedding or a pooja, for the rest, we have to do with our western clothes.

When asked how they feel about the dressing style of their on screen characters, Cezzane said that he likes Anurag Basu best in dhoti kurtas, Anuj picked his Kkusum character while Ronit Roy said Risabh Bajaj is the epitome of chic formal wear, ”even at night you wil see him in expensive gowns only“.

All of them said that they really work hard on maintaining their looks by regularly visiting salons for massages, bleaching and other beauty treatments. Ronit Roy here was the sole dissenter who said that he does not do manicure or pedicure. ”It’s not that I am against metro sexual men, it’s just that I find it more easier to cut my nails at home,“ he states.

As far as their crowning glory is concerned, Ronit keeps experimenting between the short and long crop and currently he is keeping the good school boy image. Anuj loves to colour his hair as that gives him a new look and at times he also sports a small ponytail.

September 27, 2006: Durga Puja Byte

Ronit Roy:

Durga Puja is definitely different now from what it used to be when I was young. As a child I’d enjoy the preparations which included the cultural events in the evening for which we’d prepare skits one month in advance and also do masti at the kids corner which is there in every pandal . Buying new clothes and playing at pandals have been my childhood memories but the only thing that has remained constant is perhaps the bhog wherein the flavour of the bhog remains the same everywhere. Durga Puja means thanking Maa for everything and asking her for forgiveness. This year I plan to go to Lokhandwala puja which is done by a friend of mine.

October 4, 2006: Mr. Bajaj's new look

He has sported several looks as Mr Bajaj in Kasautii Zindagii Kay. But his current look has created quite a storm among his fans and friends.

While some viewers have instantly taken to it, others are undecided about whether they like it or hate it. ”The feedback I received is extremely positive. It was Ekta Kapoor’s idea, and it has gone down very well with my fans.“

However, Ronit admits that his wife Neelam hasn’t exactly taken to it. ”She likes me with the clean cut. She isn’t a big fan of this new look.“

Wig dilemma

Talking about the time he spends on make-up, Ronit says, ”It takes me about 45 minutes to get ready. But frankly, it’s not very different from what I’ve done previously. It’s just that this time I have to wear a wig instead of colouring my hair. Mr Bajaj has gone through a series of transformations over time,  this is just one of them.“

When asked about the critics who haven’t taken to the new look, he says, ”You can’t please everyone. As long as Ekta and my fans are happy, I’m at peace. But I must say that it has created the necessary impact.“

Bong belle

Apart from work, Ronit has been devoting a lot of time to his 15-month-old daughter, Aador. ”It’s amazing, she can actually recognise me with the wig on. I recently took some pictures of myself in the new get-up on my cell phone and showed them to Aador. She immediately squealed and said, ‘Papa!’ I was shocked to see her recognise me through the glasses and wig.“

Coming from a Bengali family, Aador has picked up lot of colloquial words. ”She speaks not one but three languages. If she wants water, she says paani, water, jal! Her nanny is Bengali so they converse in that dialect. I think as time passes, I will let her decide what language she’s most comfortable with,“ he says.

The actor plans to make a short trip with his family some time in November. ”I wake up early in the morning, so I can spend that extra time with Aador. But soon, I want to go on a mini vacation with her.“

October 12, 2006: Ronit's surprise bash

Ronit Roy thought he was going for a karva chauth party with his wife on Tuesday night.

His wife Neelam made a few phone calls to close friends and arranged a birthday party that caught Ronit unawares. ”I saw Rohit’s car outside and then spotted some familiar faces. That’s when I realised something was up!“ says Ronit.

Even though he received numerous gifts, his favourite is a gold, 50th anniversary edition Rolex GMT Master II watch he received from his wife and daughter Aador.

”It’s a professional watch and one has to wait for months to have it delivered. It was very sweet of Neelam to get me one.“

It is believed that even Sanjay Dutt has the same model and it’s not only expensive but also very exclusive.

Even though sister-in-law Manasi Joshi gifted him Paul Coelho’s popular book The Alchemist, Rohit was undecided on what to get his older brother. ”Rohit is taking his time trying to figure what he wants to give me!“ says Ronit.

October 19, 2006: Diwali bole toh

Ronit Roy

Diwali bole toh: Lights, puja, gifts, friends, family and food!

Ritual talks: We do Lakshmi puja every year.

Wish list: I have already got a 50th anniversary Rolex Master II as my birthday gift this year. I guess other expensive gifts will have to wait now!

November 23, 2006: Ronit bets on Las Vegas

by Tushar Joshi

Las Vegas is the capital of luxurious indulgence, and The Bellagio hotel is home to some of the biggest names in show business. So it was no wonder that Ronit Roy went on a 15-day trip to the US with a one-point agenda of making it to Las Vegas and The Bellagio. The actor, who went there with wife Neelam and daughter Aador to attend a friend’s wedding, has come back vowed by its beauty and magnificence.

Talking about his experience of staying at The Bellagio, he says, ”It was at Neelam’s insistence that we stayed at The Bellagio. She saw a show on television that featured the hotel and was totally smitten by it.“

Casino royale! 

Apart from its décor and grandeur, the hotel also hosts the world famous musical fountains that are a huge hit with guests. ”It is unbelievably beautiful. You have to be there to witness the fountains. They start at 3 pm every day and it goes on for approximately 30 minutes.“

Besides the fountains, the hotel also has a botanical garden that showcases a 10,000-pound Banyan tree. ”That tree is the size of a house, it’s so huge,“ says Ronit.

Since he was in the city of casinos, Ronit admits he did indulge in some heavy gambling but wants to forget the experience! ”Let’s not talk about the casinos. I don’t have fond memories of that place!“ he jokes.

What he remembers most is Cirque du Soleil’s water ballet, titled O, currently being staged at the Bellagio. ”I think every one should witness this show. I have no words to describe the brilliance of this act. The artists staged a musical ballet using water. I was left speechless after I saw it.“

Travel bug

This was one-and-a-half-year-old Aador’s first international trip, and the

doting father says that she’s not a fussy traveller. ”She loves travelling. In fact, she spent 22 hours in a plane and she didn’t throw a fit. She would sit quietly and happily munch on her biscuits. She’s growing up so fast,“ rues Ronit.

Having already won the Best Actor Award at the Indian Television Awards three times, Ronit says he’d rather that Ram Kapoor (Jai Walia of Kasamh Se) take home the trophy this Saturday. ”I think he has done some great work this year. I think Ram will take home the award,“ he says.

A travel enthusiast, Ronit plans to take his mother to Italy on her birthday next year. ”This year, she wanted to go to Venice but she ended up being in the States with relatives. She wants to visit Italy, so I plan to take her there on her birthday next July.“