Chandana's Dil Chahe More!

Chandana Sharma, the pretty lass from Star One's Yeh Dil Chahe More, is busy shooting back to back for the show with hardly any time for herself. Just when we were wondering if the girl does have any time at all to stand and stare, she gushes, "My sister has come down from Kolkata for a month with her three month old baby. I have a hectic schedule but love to get back home to spend time with them," smiles Chandana who is open to the idea of hosting a show but wants to stay away from any more daily soaps. Chandana's elder sister Nilanjana has also done television (remember the doe eyed beauty in Hip Hip Hurray?) besides working in Bengali films and is married to Bengali actor Jishu Sengupta. Chandana's mother Anjana Bhowmick too is a renowned actor in West Bengal. Chandana says she too had recently been offered a Bengali film, which she had to turn down due to time constraints. Acting in her genes, huh? Renuka in gymming and scripting mode! Renuka Shahane, the actor with the hundred watt smile, may not be acting much these days, but she sure is keeping in shape. To be precise, she has started gymming to get back to shape and that is when her three and a half year old toddler goes to a play school, while she keeps her 15 month old baby in the house with her maid. Not many know that Renuka was offered a role by Cinevistaas, for which she has shot a pilot but eventually opted out of it as it turned out to be a daily and she could not juggle work with kids. "I am working on a script but it's in a premature stage and once I complete it I will start looking for a producer and a director for it," smiles the lovely lady who is remembered for her fine performance in Star Plus' Kora Kagaz. Pari to get a makeover! The adorable and by turns obnoxious Pari is coming back to Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin from Wednesday. The idea is obviously to bring back all those who made Jassi.... the endearing serial it was in the heady days when Jassi was the plain Jane with the heart of gold, even as the show nears its finale within a couple of months. But Pari will no longer sport the flamboyant dressess she did in her earlier version. Her look, we are told, will be a classier, denim clad one. And her track? We ain't letting on more for now. Maninee De, who's back at the Jassi... shoot from Monday for bring Pari back to life, is both nervous and excited about her fresh innings. "Wait and watch!," she giggles. That we will, Maninee, that we will. 'Son' shine for Puja Rawal in Goa! Pooja Rawal, busy with her Rabba Ishq Na Hove shoots, is probably not getting enough quality time to spend with her five year old Raj. But she does seem to make up for it in innovative ways. Last week, she was into a frenzy of planning a weekend getaway to Goa for celebrating the tot's birthday that falls on 25 February. "We haven't told him yet," she confided, "All I have told him is that I am going to Ahmedabad and that he would have to accompany me to the airport. Imagine his surprise when the whole family travels to Goa!" giggled the mommy in anticipation. Pooja had also spent a large part of the week shopping for gifts that would make Raj particularly happy once in Goa on his birthday. We are waiting to know how little Raj enjoyed his little Goa escape! The Nikhil-Karishma bond! Nikhil Arya seems to have a special spot for leggy beauty, Karishma Tanna. During the final concert of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge held last night at the Andheri Sports Complex, the duo was inseparable. Although, Nikhil had come to the venue long before his pal did, he made it a point to greet her at the gate as soon as she arrived. Karishma looked stunning in a pinkish orange saree, and together with Nikhil made a handsome pair. Sarees seemed to be the dress code for most Zee regulars, with Sangeeta Ghosh and Pooja Ghai sticking to the conventional. Nikhil, who came with his parents, chatted up his costar in Rabba…,Sangeeta, for quiet some time before joining his buddy, Karishma. Sangeeta, who was wearing a ravishing black saree seemed to be enjoying herself and was caught on camera doing a little jig on the popular Rang De Basanti…number! Someone who caught our attention was the petite Neha Mehtaa, who wore an outfit that showed off much of her cleavage! (Quite a choice, considering her desi image in Mamta) Preeti Puri, who plays the manipulating Tanisha in the same show, was dressed in a casual salwar suit that really did wonders for her! Also present were Vandana Pathak and Naman Shaw (Pushkar in Kasamh Se), although his more popular and much hyped co stars seem to have given the show a miss! The Big W effect has PYTs in a swoon Big W! As in ‘W’ for Will, the way ‘B’ is for Bachchan in the Big B. ‘W’ could also be abbreviated as weak in the knees. Which was the effect the presence of A-list Hollywood superstar Will Smith had on a bevy of PYT journalists present at the announcement in Mumbai today of the launch of Pix, the new English movie channel from the Sony stable. It was a veritable swoon song for the charismatic actor and rapper as Smith’s every word was greeted by oohs and aahs from the gathered media. Hugs all around was what Smith was distributing to his star-truck audience more than quotable quotes and much of the questioning was in that vein as well --- of the schoolgirl crush variety. Will must be used to what the “Smith effect” has on his adoring female fans but one wonders whether he has experienced that kind of adulation from a gathering of journalists before.