I feel at the top of the world: Saurabh Pandey on marrying Zara Barring

Actor Saurabh Pandey, who tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend Zara Barring on Monday, is ecstatic. The actor adds that there are still some functions that he has to attend to. “I feel I am on the top of the world after getting married. I don't know how does it feel but the time when I saw Zara Barring (Soni) coming towards me, at the wedding, it was like my body and my heart just grew ten thousand times. There was a different rush inside my body,” he says, adding, “I am not tired as yet. There is a reception in Delhi, there's a reception in our village in Uttar Pradesh. It's will go on another few days.”

Ask him if he danced in his baraat and he says, “I danced like crazy. I and my friends Gurmeet, Debina, Himmanshoo, Mohammad Nazim, Vikas Kalantri, Priyanka Chibber, we all danced well. We danced outside Chandan Theatre, which is close to the venue, Iskcon Temple.”

In fact, Saurabh adds that his friends and family enjoyed all the functions. “All the functions had their own colours, every function was unique in itself. I loved it all. Everyone loved it, everyone was happy. In fact, during the pheras at 4 am everyone was jolly as well, they were all awake and nobody was tired. It was really a meaningful Shaadi for everyone because the Pandit explained to us the meaning of the 7 pheras and 7 wows,” he says.

And did he have any wedding jitters before the marriage? “I wasn't scared of marriage because I was marrying the one  I loved. So it was not at all scary. Now we are together legally. We were always together and now we are married in front of society,” he says.

The couple is yet to firm up their honeymoon plans. “Honeymoon plans are yet to be decided and we are thinking probably Europe or New Zealand,” he says, adding, “We need to sit together and decide because my shooting schedule is also going to start soon. Even Soni is going to start with something, so we need to be well planned.”

But being busy is something that the actor has accepted. “Both of us, being from the same field, have erratic schedules, erratic timings. We need to balance everything,” he says.

Zara was working in Canada before trying her hand at acting in Mumbai. “I am completely ok if she wants to work in Canada. That is up to her to decide. I will support her either way,” he says.

Marriage isn’t a speed breaker in your career: Suhani Dhanki

Marriage might not be frowned upon, however it is often not welcome in showbiz. There is the common perception that actresses won’t be able to devote as much time, as earlier, to work, once they get married. However actor Suhani Dhanki disagrees. “I think marriage isn't a speed breaker in your life or an obstacle. I think marriage is more about companionship, so if you find the right kind of companion, it shouldn't form like a break in your life. I am lucky to have a partner who thinks the same way as I do, we both are very focused in terms of our careers. We knew if we got married we always would have a lot on our plate; our ambitions and aspirations and we never wanted to put a halt on that. I don't know what other actresses do but I think there is a time and age where you feel you are prepared to settle down and I think I am fortunate that I have found a family that doesn't expect me to change at all. They are allowing me to do everything I want,” she says.

The actor adds, “In fact, when I signed Porus, my wedding was getting fixed and I told Swastik Productions about it and they were okay with managing my dates. I don't really think that an actress getting married is really an issue anymore in the industry what matters is the work. Everyone is more interested in an artist's work, than what they are doing in their personal life. Also the fact that I am playing the love interest of Laksh, isn’t really a big deal. In the end, we are actors and we are all playing characters.”

“I am getting married on 3rd December and my fiance's name is Prathamesh Modi. He is basically from Mumbai and later he moved to London to study and is still staying there for professional commitments. He is a jeweller and financial consultant in London,” she says.

Suhani adds that the two met through their families. “We met in an arranged marriage setup through our mutual connections. We started talking as friends. I started talking to him because I had questions about London so I started talking to him and we've known each other for 2 years. It's been a quite a journey as my father wasn't happy about the idea of me moving to London, so it took very long to convince him but it is a love marriage of course,” she says.

Of course, dressing up for the wedding is exciting. “I am super excited to dress up for my wedding day I know we as actors keep trying out different attires. For my wedding, I have put in a lot of effort in putting together my outfit from the colour, to the embroidery, everything. Moreover, I decided for my wedding that my outfit would be made by the person who has been making my dresses since childhood that is my mother and Sunanda Shah. So they have actually put my wedding outfit together and for my reception, I am going to be wearing a Natasha Dalal outfit,” she says.

While some people are keen on getting married to someone from the same profession, Suhani says that to her these things never mattered. “Actually if you are an actor shooting or you work in a corporate sector, the hours of working vary everywhere. It doesn't matter whether you marry someone from the industry or out, at the end what matters is who you marry,” she says.

ROY KAPUR FILMS BRINGS CO–CREATOR OF NARCOS TO INDIA

NARCOS

What is common between Pablo Escobar, Species II and Hoodlum? Christopher Brancato, the esteemed showrunner and co-creator of the hit American crime-drama web-television series Narcos. And he is coming to India! 

As part of its plans to create ground-breaking content for the Jio platform, Siddharth Roy Kapur’s Roy Kapur Films has invited Brancato to India to conduct a very special masterclass on creating, writing and directing original series. Brancato is being accompanied by Carole Kirschner, the Director of the Writers Guild of America’s showrunner program. The Masterclass session will kick-start from Monday in Mumbai and will be attended by a select group of writers, filmmakers, producers and show-runners who have been invited by Roy Kapur Films and Jio. 

The workshop will sharply focus on creative development for high quality series, and sharing best practices in implementing the showrunner and writer empowered model. This is Siddharth’s step towards building a strong foundation for a robust creative writing system in India for the Jio Originals platform set to launch next year.

“It is always good to learn from the best in the business and benefit from their experiences, especially when one is trying to forge new paths and break established norms. That is what we are aiming to do at RKF, and we couldn’t have asked for better guides than Chris and Carole as we work towards producing world class content for tens of millions of Jio subscribers. I am very excited about this initiative and eager to experience the interaction between Chris and Carole and some of the best creative minds in our country,”shares Siddharth.

Warning Label feature

Tag Talk

Labels often define us in society and these TV actors talk about the taglines that go with their personalities.

Rajneish Duggal: Just do it and Screw it.. let's do it.

Ssharad Malhotraa: Genius at work 😉

Sheeba: A good day starts with coffee and ends with wine.

Adaa Khan: Caution: The only thing more dangerous than a pissed off woman is a pissed off Naagin

Ankit Siwach: Jitna dimag tere paas hai, utna to mera har waqt kharab rehta hai.

Laksh: Beware of the owner, dog is fine

Sneha Wagh: Stay Away, no stupid people beyond this point Or Keep out explosive personality.

Ankit Bathla: If you have brushed today, then smile.

Vahbiz Dorabjee: Actions speak louder than words or Don't talk. Just do it

Gunjan Utreja: High amount of sarcasm may be present. Talk at your own risk

Hrishikesh Pandey: Don't Drink and Drive

Mrunal Jain: No Overtaking

Rohit Purohit: Limited Edition

Rohit Bhardwaj: I am allergic to stupidity

World Aids Day feature

1st December is world AIDS day….AIDS was a once upon a time a very dreadful disease and is still is. Do you think when celebrities do awareness campaigns it makes better impact on public. If yes why and how and if no why?

The following quotes we have....SEND TO REST OF THE ACTORS

TV celebrities say their voice matters to spread awareness on World AIDS Day

On World Aids Day, popular TV celebrities share how their voice matters to spread awareness about the dreaded disease.

Vivian Dsena

I feel it does make an impact on people when celebrities do awareness campaigns about HIV/ AIDS because people listen to celebrities as they connect with them. And with such issues, even if us celebs can contribute a little, it makes a big difference.

Mrunal Jain

I think when celebrities do awareness campaigns, it makes better impact on public. Yes, it is dreadful disease however things have changed dramatically for all the diseases and this is a part of it. I remember an article where a doctor was quoted as saying that he would rather have AIDS in these times than diabetes. Meaning, this is a manageable disease now. With lot of awareness we can always contribute to the cause.

Shashank Vyas

If celebrities take interest in AIDS campaigns it will have wider impact as people look up to them. Some find their role models in those celebrities too. Many brands hire celebrities to raise the product sales. In the same manner, if celebrities talk about HIV/ AIDS, people will pay more attention.

Gunjan Utreja

Celebrities have their share of fan following and it definitely helps in bringing awareness to all sorts of issues. In my opinion, all those who are public figures should take the opportunity to come out and support more such causes.

Rohit Purohit

Yes, celebrity participation makes a lot of difference. I believe generally people don't know much about AIDS, its causes or symptoms. If a celebrity participates, people make an effort to know what it is try to search for it and read it which creates awareness.

Rohit Bhardwaj

It does make a difference. Celebrities are considered as idols. If any celebrity says something, be it good or bad, people are bound to react. So, if such celebrities work for the betterment of society, people will at least give it a thought, because making people think is very important. If celebrities come together, along with support from the government, we can achieve the favorable targets. HIV/ AIDS is a very different kind of disease and is spreading rapidly in India. Celebrities are always talked about so if they speak good things about society, it will make a difference. Be it only 2 per cent, but that too is better than no difference at all.

Mohammad Nazim

I feel that it is very important that celebrities participate in spreading awareness on World AIDS Day because common people follow suit of artists and celebrities. And when celebrities set good examples, common people pay attention to what cause they are supporting and will come out to help AIDS affected patients. Hopefully this will have people accept them freely which is much required by the society today.

Tinaa Dattaa

I feel that celebrity engagement does impact people. When stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Amtiabh Bachchan do a campaign, people get influenced and notice what the message is. And lets accept it, that big celebrities are like style icons for common people. This influences them to follow all campaigns which the star is a part of. So, being an actor, I feel its very important and we must make a point to talk about issues.

Rashami Desai

Celebrities spreading awareness about good things will not only make it more relatable but also it creates a good and responsible image for these celebrities. They will come across as upstanding citizens. Of course, if people can follow their style, they will also follow these celebrities' causes.

Arjun Bijlani

I do feel celebrities create more impact. That's why most major brands hire celebrities and they earn in crores. It also depends on the cause. If the issue is greater and bigger, hiring big names works more. But if the cause needs to work on ground level, then the actors who have more visibility, creates more impact. For example, TV actors may get fewer print ads but they will attract more people on TV, especially if the campaign is aired around their own shows.