Yaaaaaa! Shenanigans time! Onwards to:
The Anushka-Katrina-Deepika Shitstorm
Anushka Sharma is PISSED you guys. And she’s not afraid to show it.
Seems that the same girl who was sportingly honest in an interview not too long ago in which she stated that “Katrina is the bigger star and I have no delusions about that” is now tired of not getting her due.
So, let me get this straight. Girl has two separate beefs with two separate stars.
Beef #1: Katrina Kaif
This one’s quite simple. It seems Katrina’s PR team recently floated a story that Kat was the first choice for Anurag Kashyap’s Bombay Velvet, and not Anushka. This turned out to be totally untrue with Anurag taking to twitter to clarify that Anushka was always the only choice.
“Flashing yourself as an imaginary first choice when you’re not even in the running is so tacky. There is no dignity in this and I don’t need to resort to such tactics. The other day, someone said I wasn’t Anurag Kashyap’s first choice for Bombay Velvet and he had to clarify on Twitter. Why do such things in the first place?” – Anushka Sharma [Source: Mumbai Mirror]
Indeed, why would anyone do that in the first place?
Personally I find it unlikely that Anurag would consider Katrina for any film he’s directing – I mean dude might be selling out faster than pancakes at IHOP but he’s still not drinking the Katrina kool-aid.
So yeah, the Beef #1 Trophy goes to Team Anushka. Let’s see if Katrina has anything to say about it but knowing her, she’ll probably manage to coolly remain out of the line of fire one way or another.
Beef #2: Deepika Padukone
Now this one is way more complex and has roots. Deep nasty roots.
And possibly a boy might be involved. And you know when boys are involved everything is worse.
So as I understand it, Deepika is quite the hustler when it comes to bagging the big projects. And I’m fine with that. Nothing wrong with hustling, plus my respect level for her has gone up substantially after her turn in Cocktail.
Now Anushka, if we all remember, made possibly the most tepid debut ever despite having the dream launch to end all dream launches. Deepika was the apple of everyone’s eye in 07-08 and Anushka was largely ignored until Band Baaja Baarat.
So there you have it, Root #1 : Everybody ignored me even though we both debuted opposite SRK.
Root #2: Ranveer Singh
Boys Ruin EVERYTHING! Humph.
Is Deepika dating Ranveer? Is Anushka jellz that Deepika bagged Ram Leela? Is Ranveer totally having the time of his life with all his beautiful co-stars? Oh wait…
Something is up. But no one’s gonna say what. Let’s assume that Ranveer & Anushka are in what I imagine is a “cool, modern we’re together but we’re not suffocating each other because we’re too busy with our careers” relationship. Fine. But when Deepika is co-starring opposite Mr. Ranveer Roving Eyes Singh, you know at the very least, there’s some flirting shirting going down.
And obviously the caveat in any “free to see other people, modern, open” relationship is YOU DO NOT DATE OR FLIRT WITH THE RIVAL.
Root #3: I’m A Bigger Star, No I’m A Bigger Star, No…..SHUT UP BITCH I’m Gonna Kill You Arrrggghhh!!!
“There is no comparison between Deepika and me. Nothing links us. We do different kind of films. In fact she has done more films. I’ve been choosy. I have not picked up just about any role that came my way.”
Whoa nelly.
There’s more:
“A friend of Deepika had called up [the media] to say that she is doing Yeh Jawaani Hai Diwani and not Anushka. My ‘friends’ don’t call, do they? I am Kashyap’s and Hirani’s choice. She is Ayan’s and whosoever’s. I never pull anybody down. That makes me nice, right?”
Oh, SO nice.
And what am I missing here? When did Deepika “pull her down”?
The thing is – no one’s saying that it isn’t a tough industry and the ladies, especially, have to fight it out to get the roles they want. With all those leggy legs in the mix, people are bound to trip each other up. And maybe Deepika is more aggressive in her quest for big name projects. As Kareena famously said in an off-the-record comment a while back:
“She’s good at grabbing projects. Wonder why no one notices it.”
Now she didn’t name names, but it’s widely accepted that she was referring to Deepika who as we all know, is now doing Ram Leela which Kareena walked out of.
Fine. So Deepika hustles. But why the insecurity Anushka? That’s the part that’s making her seem both whiny and arrogant and all around unpleasant in this interview. If you’ve already bagged roles with Hirani and Kashyap, you don’t need to reiterate that you are better.
Nothing is uglier than public displays of insecurity – if you’re in the game, you gotta play it. By all standards, Anushka has the most prestigious projects in her kitty right now – there’s no need for her to snipe at other stars. Ironically, she could take a lesson or two from Katrina who mysteriously bags every big project without a fuss and without feeling the need to badmouth her innumerable detractors.
And Anushka doesn’t just stop with her female co-workers. This is the part of the interview that really made me feel like she was entering dangerous “Insecurity/Pride/Arrogance Makes Me Look Ugly” territory. Asked about the supposed rumor that she was paired opposite newcomer Sushant Singh and not Aamir Khan in PK, she says:
“Sushant has only eight days worth of work. Hirani’s wife used to tell him that heroines never have a good role in his films. This time, he has changed that. I am proud that he chose me. Sushant is just a small chapter in my life.”
Tha’s just whack yo. Why she being so dismissive of Sushant, who’s just starting his career and is no doubt over the moon about his “eight days worth of work” with Raju Frikkin’ Hirani?
I’m not saying anyone’s playing nice here. Everyone’s out to get their own. But interviews like this just end up making Anushka look bad. After all, it’s not like Anushka never hustled for a role and it’s not like she wasn’t always under the protective wing of YRF and Aditya Chopra.
Yeah, she had a rough start but it’s as though in her head she thinks it’s payback time now coz she’s “made it”. Anushka isn’t anything if not extremely ambitious and exceedingly competitive – so why grudge another star for having the same qualities?
Anyway, let’s just put it down to – she was having a bad day and slipped up. But I’m going to have to give the Beef #2 Trophy to Deepika primarily because she’s managed to keep her mouth shut. So far.
I used to wonder why my mother can’t stand the sight of Anushka. Every time she’s on the screen (tv, songs, interviews, adverts etc), Mommy would go “I don’t like her, she has this I don’t know arrogant-persona” and though I’m not that much of a fan of hers, I would still try to put across that maybe it’s just her on-screen character that’s making her look so arrogant.
After this interview of hers, all i gotta say is Mommy always knows best
Just for the record, I like all three of them equally the same. I like Deepika’s smile, I like Anushka in Thug Le (she’s with Ranveer!). I like Katrina’s calmness.
Love your post as usual Getfilmy!
diwaniladki,
Yeah, I always got the sense that her confidence was really shaken after her debut, so this insecurity-slash-I-deserve-better attitude crept into her which comes out every now and then. And she’s very determined and ambitious so now when she’s finally tasting success – that nasty side comes out.
I still like her, just feel like she’s gotta be careful not to get a big head at this point…
Mommy does know best!
woah. this is like war :O with fangs and manicured claws all drawn out :O
well, thanks for the post anyway. makes for a good, juicy read
Poor Anu
I think she’s always been very insecure about her position in the industry. She never got any awards, when she debuted (Asin in Ghajini overshadowed her lovely turn in RNBDJ) and she was clearly miffed about that. These insecurities are still weighing her down, I don’t think she’s really gotten over them.
Due to the slow start, her PR game has clearly not been up to the standards of the other younger girls (Deepika, Sonam). And her interview filter has been OFF in this particular interview…I just hope it doesn’t create any problems for her in the industry. She deserves the benefit of the doubt on this one.
Ani,
Yeah, I felt bad for her during her struggle and was really happy for her when she started getting all the right films. But if she’s not careful now – and it’s a really crucial time for her – she could create bad blood in the wrong places. Why the need? I mean, this is one thing I admire about Kat – she does her work and avoids the drama. Anushka clearly gets way more affected by how people perceive her…like I said, chalk it up to a bad day and hope she’s a l’il more tactful in the future.
I only got as far as “dude might be selling out faster than pancakes at IHOP” and I had to stop and say BEST PHRASE EVER. (And now I will continue reading.)
That was my favorite too….
Beth, Muppitz – Lol you guys…I try…
I think Anushka’s always been a bit jealous/envious of Deepika, they go way back. Deepika was a more popular model, and I think Anushka expected the kind of overnight stardom DP got from OSO. She finally got recognized with BBB, and has good films so why does she sound bitter and butthurt? I really don’t think there’s anything happening between Ranveer-DP, it’s Ram Leela PR. Ranveer still lavishes prasies on Anushka, I think they’re still dating, quietly.
Deepika has a good lineup as well and I think that ‘role-grabber’ title is ridiculous. Directors cast a leading lady that they think fits the bill of the character, not someone who ‘sends feelers’. It’s a competitive industry and all heroines are ambitous so why single out DP? She has found a new beginning after a struggle, happy for her.
Preeti,
Totally! They all work hard and both Deepika and Anushka are at a good place now, that’s why the sniping is so annoying. But they do go back, and even if nothing is happening with DP & Ranveer, just the fact that they’re in a movie together probably creates at least a bit of discomfort. Have no idea if the role-grabbing stuff is true for Deepika, but if people are signing her after Cocktail, I agree that it’s based on merit, not politics.
Wow. This is some serious venom. What I picked up on in this interview is the frustration Anushka feels at articles coming from a “source” or a “friend” close to her competitors. It reminds me of when KJo went off on Twitter about actresses (Priyanka) whose “friends” leaked malicious stories. The PR leak is, unfortunately, how things function in Bollywood (and Hollywood; a number actors went that way to bag roles in the Hunger Games franchise, from what I’ve read). I haven’t noticed Anushka’s “camp” leaking too many of those stories, and she might just be determined not to function like that. I’ve noticed that she’s impatient with the Bollywood media and its BS and has been pretty curt and snappy with journalists on a number of occasions. I do understand where she’s coming from, and I appreciate her candor, but this sort of publicly expressed ire is only going to alienate both fans and people in the industry. She can stay above the muck and still be careful with her words in the media.
Deepika knows how to play, and she approaches the whole Bollywood thing with the focus of an athlete, I think. How she managed to snag both Ram Leela (much to the displeasure of Bebo, who was probably hoping to let it dangle from her paws for a few more months, I’m guessing) and YJHD (with Ranbir! After that KWK episode!) will always be a mystery to me. Girl’s got game, and after Cocktail, I am more interested in seeing her work onscreen.
Sal,
From what I understand Anushka doesn’t have much of a camp or PR team, which may be why she’s still a bit of a loose cannon in her interviews. Maybe she thinks she doesn’t need one and I applaud her for that, but not if she’s going to shoot herself in the foot with interviews like this. I imagine if she had someone advising her, then the PR leaky stuff wouldn’t get on her nerves as much as it did.
Agree re Deepika and the focus of an athlete thing. BTW I am SO excited for YJHD coz I heard Ranbir say it was more of a Hindy filmy romance, and not a romantic comedy. And I really like them together and have been wanting to see them in something better than their pairing in Bachna Ae Haseeno.