By Jilawatan

VIDYA BALAN’S PORTRAYAL of Jessica Lall’s older sister, Sabrina, in No One Killed Jessica has been appreciated by one and all.

But it’s the producer of the film that Vidya is singing praises about. She has apparently found a very ‘close friend’ in Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO of UTV Motion Pictures.

“They met during the film and hit it off instantly. During the making of the film, they realised that there were feelings which couldn’t be justified as ‘just friendship’. They started spending time with each other and now they are together,” says a source from UTV. But they are making every attempt to keep the relationship under wraps. “They wanted to be quiet about it as it would look like a publicity gimmick to promote the film. Now that the movie is out, they are a bit more open about each other. But not so much that they would want to announce it to the world yet,” concludes the source.

Explains Vidya’s ally, “She has burnt her fingers in the past. She actually thought that she had something special with Shahid Kapoor, only to realise that she was one of his rebound flings. And besides, Siddharth was married before – he is divorced now. So until there is something concrete, she wants to keep it discreet.”

If Vidya has fallen head over heels for the producer, the director of No One Killed Jessica is smitten by Rani Mukherji. Rajkumar Gupta has fallen for Rani so badly that he made a cameo in one of the scenes just to shout, ‘Marry me’ in the film. Apparently, he’s also thinking of casting Rani in his next film.

By Jilawatan

Actor Vidya Balan brought in her birthday and the New Year with parents and close friends at her new Khar home. Though Balan had bought her Khar house a year ago, she never had the opportunity to spend time there for a long duration due to hectic shooting schedules. First, she was busy shooting
for Sujoy Ghosh’s film Kahani in Kolkata, and once she got back, she was tied up with the promotions of Rajkumar Gupta’s No One Killed Jessica, which releases on January 7 and also stars Rani Mukherji.
No One Killed Jessica sees Mukherji playing a crime reporter, while Vidya Balan essays the role of Jessica’s sister Sabrina and focuses on the high-profile Jessica Lal case and its aftermath.

So to make up for all the time lost, Balan has took December 31 and January 1 off and spent some quiet time with her folks and friends in her new abode.

By Jilawatan

No One Killed Jessica actress Vidya Balan says she feels glad that today’s youth are not just clear about their opinions but know how to voice them and drive the government to act – as was seen in the Jessica Lall murder case. “I think it’s very interesting that youth are voicing their opinion on issues and willing to participate through blogs, SMSes and even social networking sites. And the media has helped youth a lot in mobilising public opinion. I am glad youth are not armchair activists saying justice should be meted out. Youth of today say, ‘We can be part of the process to make sure justice is given’. It’s wonderful,” Vidya told IANS in an interview.
The 32-year-old has a vivid recollection of youth participation during the over-a-decade-long legal battle following the murder of model Jessica Lall, who was shot dead by Manu Sharma, the son of a Haryana politician in 1999.

“Back then all of us felt very strongly about it. I remember college students were incensed by what had happened. I am talking about the time a little later than 1999… the case was still going…and there was a fervour across the country. Sitting in Mumbai, people were doing signature campaigns and everyone felt involved in some ways. So it’s nice to see youth have force,” she said.

In Rajkumar Gupta’s No One Killed Jessica, releasing on January 7, Vidya will be seen essaying the role of Sabrina Lall, Jessica’s sister who fought day in and day out to get justice for her younger sister. After living the part in the reel, she hopes no one goes through the experience in real life.

“I would not want anyone to go through any legal battle for so long because the legality aside, it is emotionally draining. I do think that the verdict reassured my faith in the judicial system of the country, but, again, as a citizen I wish justice had been meted out earlier than it was,” said Vidya, who has teamed up with Rani Mukerji in the film.

Vidya never got a chance to meet Sabrina Lall in person before or during the shooting of the film. “Rajkumar Gupta was very clear that all I needed to know was the facts of the case. He wanted me to chart out an emotional journey of Sabrina on my own. Also, we didn’t want to misuse her kindness because she was kind enough to go through our script and give her consent to our film. Sabrina’s emotional journey is the core of the film. But, yes, it is a feature film…it is about stirring people’s emotions,” she said.

Does she hope the film will inspire youth to be more vocal? “I have never thought how inspirational could the film be for viewers. If it happens to inspire, great! But we have not set out to make the film for that purpose. What really inspired us was the spirit of Sabrina… spirit of all thos

By Jilawatan

Dismissing rumours that the two leading ladies of his forthcoming film No One Killed Jessica were at loggerheads, filmmaker Rajkumar Gupta says Rani Mukerji and Vidya Balan share a camaraderie and gel well.

It was reported that Vidya is not very happy with Rani because the Bengali beauty is hogging the limelight and taking maximum space in promotions. But Gupta called all the rumours baseless.

“I have been accompanying Rani and Vidya on most promotional events and they have been having a fabulous time. These are just rumours and there is no truth in these claims,” Gupta told IANS.

“I’ve seen how well they gel and the camaraderie that they share and the positivity with which they shot the film. So these are just rumours and not to be taken seriously,” he added.

Gupta, whose first film Aamir was a tale of a man’s struggle against terrorism, said that when he finished writing No One Killed Jessica, Rani and Vidya’s names instantly came to his mind for the main leads.

“Both are brilliant actors apart from being stars. Vidya has that certain kind of sensibility that was needed for her character. She is very sensitive not only as an actor but as a human being,” he said.

“Rani’s character required to have a lot of spunk and a headstrong and feisty attitude. I knew Rani will be able to do justice with that,” he added.

The film, slated to release Jan 7, is based on the murder of model Jessica Lall in 1999 by Manu Sharma, son of a Haryana politician, and the struggle of her sister Sabrina Lall to get justice for her.

It took the director, who has assisted filmmaker Anurag Kashyap in the past, three months to research about the case and seven months to write the script.

“I took up this subject as I thought it was a very inspiring story where in the course of events an entire nation came together and media played a very important role. I thought this would be an interesting story to portray on celluloid,” Gupta said.

However, his road to making this film was not without obstacles. The filmmaker said it was very challenging to give shape to the project.

“At every stage, there were challenges. The writing was the most difficult bit because the canvas was broad, there were so many characters and I didn’t want to make a documentary or a biography,” Gupta said.

“I wanted to get into the realms of cinema and make it an engaging and entertaining thriller. To get that entire thing in place, it took me some time to figure out and see how to go about it,” he said.

“I had to get a balance of fact and fiction because it was a very sensitive issue. So the script also had to be approached with a lot of sensitivity,” he added.

But wasn’t he scared that the movie might rake up many controversies because of the nature of the subject?

“This factor did come to my mind. So I tried to approach the film with as much sensitivity as possible,” the director said.

“But we must also keep in mind that the film is not about naming people or accusing anyone. That’s not my job as a filmmaker. It’s just my interpretation of the case,” he added.

After two serious drama films, Gupta is all set to make a light love story called Rapchik Romance, which is on the scripting stage at the moment.

By Jilawatan

Vidya Balan says that designer friend Sabyasachi gave her such a plain Jane look in ‘No One Killed Jessica’ that any actress shouldn’t be sporting the same.

Vidya Balan has changed a lot in terms of her on and off screen styling. The actress received a lot of flak in the past for her poor dressing sense. Finally she seems to have taken the help of renowned designer and good friend Sabyasachi who has helped her get a beautiful, classy and graceful Indian look.

Interestingly the same designer is responsible for giving her a plain Jane image while playing a very regular ordinary looking girl in her forthcoming film ‘No One Killed Jessica’. The actress plays the character of Sabrina Lall in Rajkumar Gupta’s film based on the Jessica Lall murder case.

So Vidya will be seen in oversized T-shirts, ponytail and an extremely ordinary look in the film. Wasn’t there a risk to sport such an ordinary look especially when you have costar Rani Mukherjee in a super glam avatar in the film? “Not at all”, reverts Vidya. “Sabrina is a regular girl and the film is the story of her journey. She is an ordinary girl who emerges as a hero and stands out among the crowd while fighting this case”.

Vidya does admit that she was surprised when director Rajkumar Gupta and designer friend Sabyasachi told her about the look for the first time. “Sabya got me oversized T-shirts. I was shocked and asked him do you really think I should be wearing this? I am also sporting a ponytail and using nondescript glasses in the film. He gave me a look that any actress should not be sporting. But when I stood in front of mirror I could Sabrina Lall. I saw a real person and that was very exciting for me as an actor.”

Happy with the response her character has received, Vidya says, “It’s interesting when you get that kind of reaction to a promo. It’s very encouraging. We are hoping to live up to the expectations and maybe even go beyond that with the entire film.”

By Jilawatan

While addressing the media, a source said, “Vidya has not had a break since the past five months. Her schedule has been extremely hectic for the past few weeks. She is sleeping for barely 2-3 hours a day. She definitely needs some rest.

“Last afternoon, we reached the multiplex where a promotional event for ‘No One Killed Jessica’. She told Rani and a couple of people next to her that she was not feeling well.”

Vidya’s hectic to-do list includes shooting for director Sujoy Ghosh’s untitled film, an item number in Santosh Sivan’s film and several promotional events for her upcoming flick ‘No One Killed Jessica’.

It seems Vidya has taken the proverb “time and tide waits for none” a bit too seriously.

Vidya’s guardian angel
Rani Mukherjee, Vidya’s co-actor in the film ‘No One Killed Jessica’, along with the crew members helped Vidya to recover.

Rani, who had a clash with Vidya during the film shooting, setting aside all differences, turned out to be an angel for the enervated actress.

“A chair was brought for her and she passed out for a couple of minutes. Rani told the crew members to get something sweet for her and water. She was given all these and she sat down for sometime.Rani told her to take proper rest,” a source said.

NOKJ is not a biography or docu-drama
‘No One Killed Jessica’ (NOKJ) is an authentic story based on the Jessica Lall murder case that happened in Delhi.

Director of the film, Rajkumar Gupta said, “The film is inspired by a series of true events. The inspiration angle to the story attracted me. The case brought people together. So many unlikely heroes emerged. But it is not a biography or docu-drama.”

“I wanted to take the spirit of the story and add emotion and thrill. It is part fiction and part fact and very engaging and entertaining thriller. As a filmmaker I thought it was worth raising the questions,” he added.

The film was shot at well-known places like Nehru Place, Chandni Chowk, Kalkaji, Bus Adda, Paranthe Wali Gali etc in Delhi.

The film is slated to hit the silver screen on Jan. 7, next year.

By Jilawatan

The only news about ‘No One Killed Jessica’ is about its lead stars Rani & Vidya not getting along. Will this help the film?

When two actresses work together in a film, it is obvious to expect rivalry but can that be used as publicity gimmick? Well that’s Bollywood! A film based on a subject as serious and sensitive like Jessica Lal’s murder case ‘No One Killed Jessica’ is in news for all the wrong reasons.

The problem between its leading ladies Rani Mukherjee and Vidya Balan has become the talk of the town. Interestingly, both the actresses flatly denied the news.

The promos of ‘NOKJ’ are out and getting extremely good response. Now the question is does a film with a strong subject need such publicity? Director Rajkumar Gupta feels that their focus is on the story, which is the hero of the film. Declaring all the bits regarding problems between the leading ladies false, he says, “The stories of them not getting along are baseless rumours. I think the focus is very much on the film while we were shooting it and now while we are promoting it.”

Hope the audiences realize that ‘NOKJ’ is more than just the leading ladies Rani and Vidya. The film is slated to release in January 2011.

By Jilawatan

No One Killed Jessica is a poignant, hard hitting and also an entertaining film. Made on a small budget with two of the best actresses of the country, Vidya Balan and Rani Mukherjee, the film is centered on the infamous Jessica Lal murder case.

Director Rajkumar Gupta who earned recognition with his film Aamir got inspired to make the film on Jessica’s case from a headline in a national newspaper. He believes that the courtroom trial of the case was a very important event in contemporary India, signified by the society that rallied around for justice for Jessica who was shot dead point blank by the son of a rich politician. The film is Rajkumar Gupta’s dramatic interpretation of the entire Jessica Lal case.

Rani plays a passionate reporter Meera in the film, and Vidya is Sabrina, sister of Jessica, who, with her undaunted spirit, continued to fight to seek justice for her dead sister. Recently the film’s promo released, and indeed it was a thrilling watch. No One Killed Jessica is releasing on January 7.

By Jilawatan

Vidya Balan showed audiences her sensual side in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Ishqiya early this year. After getting rave reviews for that performance, the actress has signed on to enact the life and times of one of South India\’s biggest sex-symbols, Silk Smitha, in director Milan Luthria\’s next project called ‘The Dirty Picture’.

Vidya recently did a racy photo- shoot for a magazine for which she has received many compliments.

The actress suffered from a nervous breakdown while shooting for Sujoy Ghosh\’s film Kahaani in Kolkata. So busy is the actress that she has yet to throw a housewarming party for her friends after buying a spacious flat in Mumbai’s Khar in February.

She is also miffed with director Rajkumar Gupta about having Jessica Lal\’s sister Sabrina make a guest appearance in her forthcoming movie No One Killed Jessica. She feels that the least the makers could have done is respect Jessica\’s family privacy and not directly involve Sabrina in the movie.

By Jilawatan

or a year, both Vidya Balan and Rani Mukerji have been part of the making of ” No One Killed Jessica”, a movie that’s based on the Jessica Lall murder case in Delhi and Sabrina Lall’s fight for justice for her sister. Yet, Vidya, who plays Sabrina, and Rani, who plays the role of a reporter who helps Sabrina, did not meet Lall during the filming of the movie.

But on Thursday, Sabrina was present at the unveiling of the first look of the film in Delhi along with the two actresses and the movie’s director Rajkumar Gupta, and the group spent a long time talking about the case, the movie and its filming. Sabrina was overwhelmed when she saw the trailer of the movie and told TOI, “There are a lot of situations, little incidents that happened then and are part of the trailer, and they bring back a flood of emotions. But the trailer makes me want to watch more.” Sabrina added that despite the movie having two mainstream actresses, she never bothered about the movie becoming more masala than reality. She says, “UTV was at the helm – if it were someone else, and I won’t take any names, I surely would’ve been worried. After meeting Rajkumar and reading the script, I was never worried. I was also not involved with any other decisions on the movie. I was only there for the inputs.”