But engagement though is not on the cards yet. To Vidya Balan, love is when you begin to see yourself in another person’s eyes and you like what you see there. On her recent trip to the city, the actor decodes ‘Ishqiya’

Critical acclaim, commercial success and controversies. All that has been part of Vidya Balan’s life in the recent past. And now, there are also rumours of her getting engaged to corporate honcho Siddharth Roy Kapur — who also happens to be the elder brother of actor Aditya Roy Kapur of “Guzaarish” fame. Kolkatans have even gone to the extent of claiming that since she loves all things Bengali, she has chosen to date someone with a Bengali surname! But, fact is, Siddharth Roy Kapur doesn’t have roots in Bengal and the Roy part of his surname has a Punjab-connect . Vidya, who was in town to promote her commercial with Chandrabindoo, shares her Kahaani.

It promises to be a perfectly-designed film. As ace fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee wraps up the script of his directorial debut venture, he only has two actors in mind for the film — Vidya Balan and Rani Mukerji. “I have completed my script with all the finishing touches. And I am very satisfied with the outcome,” says Mukerji. “The only problem is that I have been too busy with my other fashion-related assignments to take up the film,” he adds.
But the designer insists he isn’t worried about the casting. “Whenever I decide to start filming, I will approach Vidya and Rani for the parts. And fortunately, I share very special equations with both of them. And I know I can always bank on their support. We understand each others’ sensibilities very well.”

Money matters
Mukerji, who will be participating in Mumbai as well as Delhi fashion weeks, informs that “certain producers are also ready” to back the movie.

“However, my first set of priorities includes fashion stuff like stores, shows and designing. After all, I can’t deviate from things, which are my primary source of bread and butter,” he adds.

For the uninitiated, apart from designing for his fashion label Sabyasachi, the Kolkata-based designer is also famous for costume design in films.

He has created costumes for movies like Black (2005), Baabul (2006) , Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (2007), Paa (2009), Raavan (2010) and Guzaarish (2010). “My hands are full right now,” says Mukherjee with a laugh. And I don’t want to mess things up in a hurry. So it’s better I take things up only when I can easily concentrate.”

Claiming that he’s neck-deep in work as he designs several pieces for his multiple fashion shows this season, including the finale at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week in Delhi, he adds, “You can understand what my state of mind will be right now. I am running around trying to come up with impressive and different collections for both the fashion weeks.”

Vidya Balan is on a signing spree. Her career is on the upswing post Paa and Ishqiya. She has even started dressing better. She is currently working on Rajkumar Gupta’s No One Killed Jessica and is also considering Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children.

Sabyasachi is one of Vidya’s favourite designers, and he styled her look in Paa. She wears his creations at events and the duo is friends. So, it is no surprise that he wants her to be part of his directorial debut. He thinks she is the quintessential Indian beauty. Prateik Babber is the male lead in the film. Konkona Sen Sharma recently said that she finds Prateik sexy and she might also sign on the dotted line.

The unconventional casting makes sense and is in sync with the designer’s unconventional and Indian sensibilities. His designs are distinctly desi, and Konkona, Vidya and Prateik look very Indian. The film is an out-and-out romantic comedy and will take people by surprise because very few know that the reserved, shy and down-to-earth Sabyasachi has a funny side.

The movie is set in London and Punjab and based on NRIs. It will go on the floors in June, as some minor details have to be finalized and finishing touches have to be added.

Sabyasachi Mukerji said that it will be a while before the film goes on the floors because he is still writing the script. He has recently designed for Paa, Raavana and Guzaarish and for Baabul in the past.

That one of India’s most celebrated fashion designers, Sabyasachi Mukherjee will soon make his directorial debut is a well-known fact. The talented designer who has been painstakingly scripting his debut film is now ready to take his film on the floors in June this year.

Buzz is Sabyasachi’s close friend Vidya Balan and Pratik will star in his first film. Sabyasachi is also in talks with Konkona Sen Sharma, who had said during a recent interview that she finds Pratik very sexy. We won’t be surprised if she too signs on the dotted line.

As for Sabyasachi and Vidya, they became close friends when he designed her look in Paa. The designer’s admiration for Vidya was evident when he said in a recent interview: “Vidya is a naturally beautiful girl. I’ve often said that she looks much nicer off screen than she looks on screen so in Paa I have just reversed the process by making her look the way she is and not trying too hard to give her an identity because she is an Indian girl, she looks best in Indian clothes.” Vidya had also inaugurated his flagship store in Delhi recently.

A source said, “He had been scripting his film for a long time and is now adding finishing touches to it. His film, an out-and-out romantic comedy, is as unconventional as his clothes.”

According to the source, the film will be based on NRIs and will be shot in London and Punjab. The first two-week shooting schedule is expected to start in June in London.

Sabyasachi denied the news about starting his film’s shoot in June and said, “I am still scripting. It’s a long way before my film goes on the floors.”

However, our source maintains that things are almost finalised and the film is ready to roll soon. The designer is also in talks with several producers.

Sabyasachi is no stranger to Bollywood. He was the costume designer in Black and is also designing for forthcoming films Raavana and Guzaarish.

Vidya is indeed looking forward to the offer coming her way, especially after just signing NO ONE KILLED JESSICA where she has an author backed role. In this film which would be directed by Raj Kumar Gupta (of AAMIR fame), Vidya would be enacting the role of Sabrina Lal, sister of Jessica Lal. There is also a buzz in the town that Rani Mukherjee has also been signed for the film.

Meanwhile Vidya denies signing any other new film though she reassures that her long-in-news CHENAB GANDHI is pretty much on. “Sanjay (Leela Bhansali) is currently busy with GUZAARISH which he is directing as well as producing. Once he is through with it, we should get started on CHENAB GANDHI. It should certainly begin sometime this year”, she confirms before signing off.

The little master of Kolkata, Sabyasachi now moves into another trajectory by establishing his first flagship store with a Post Colonial Kolkata feel revival, in the capital with Carma. Launched by Vidya Balan the store presents the country’s Little Master -Sabyasachi Mukherjee, with the biggest market share on the fashion radar.

Sabya’s recent significant moments include designing for Aishwarya Bachchan in Oprah Winfrey’s show, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s production Guzaarish, Maniratnam’s Ravan and R. Balki’s Paa. Available at this outlet are not only the finery that Sabyasachi is characteristically associated with– namely his Bridal Line, but it moves into presenting an eclectic mix of products including menswear, western, casuals, shoes, jewelry, and bags, with a special dedicated section that focuses on the revival of the woven sari.

Indeed Sabyasachi at Carma is an endeavor, that is the first for Sabyasachi and a first for Carma, where an aspiration to own an heirloom entitled Sabyasachi Mukherjee will be met.