Jack of all trades - that's Akriti!

She's a VJ, a journalist (in reel life) and a singer. Monday to Thursday she plays the song of their choice on SMS 7575- Show My Song on ETC channel.On Friday she moves to ETC Nautanki Top 9 to play the top nine songs of the week with Suresh Menon in Desi Nautanki Ishtail. Then she takes time out to sing for the leading ladies of the big screen -- Amrita Rao, Kaitrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor. In between all this she also has taken on the added responsibility of recounting the emotional rollercoaster ride of stars like Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sensharma, Rajit Kapur, Sandhya Mridul, Zakir Hussein and child star Princey Shukla in the film, Deadline- Sirf 24 Ghante, where the lady plays a journalist. "I was never keen for acting because singing is my first love and passion. I have declined film offers but veejaying for ETC is another extension of my singing because it is a music channel. My character in Deadline- Sirf 24 Ghnate was very interesting and there wasn't anything filmy in it like other film roles. So I accepted it and really enjoyed the experience. Director Tanveer Khan knows what he wants so there were not many retakes. It didn't feel like shooting for a film at all. There were no jhatkaas or matkaas required," says Akriti. John's arrival makes Jolly sad!! Indian Idol contestant Jolly Das' cup of woes seems to have brimmed over! First, the lady was diagnosed with chickenpox and now she will miss her one chance to meet the man of her dreams, John Abraham on the sets of Indian Idol. The actor will be a celeb judge in the epidode to be aired on Monday, 23 January. When we spoke to Jolly's father the other day, he said that the finalist was very upset about the turn of events. Madhavan up for a cause! Post Deal Ya No Deal Madhavan has been busy cooking up dosas, brewing coffee and selling paintings but all this for a cause in Chennai… The actor made a pair of dosas which was auctioned for twenty five thousand post which he made coffee and sold it for another twenty five thousand and finally he auctioned a Thota Tharini painting for one lakh and whizzed off making everyone happy especially the female junta which kept yelling and wanting for more of the same. Madhavan donated two lakhs of the event to The Banyan, a home for mentally ill and destitute women. Here's hoping that this actor with a heart of gold keeps making such appearances for such causes more then often then once.. Short takes! Tina Parakh (or Kahaani's.... Shruti) is quite a short gal, compared to her contemporaries, but the sporting lass doesn’t take it as a minus point. “If you are short, you look younger," reasons the girl. "Most actresses like Rani Mukherji and Amisha Patel are short too! I have no issues with my height. I have been paired opposite extremely tall boys. And, except for the master shots, my height is never an issue.” We like your honesty, Tina. Wish others shared your virtues....