WOMEN ON TOP

Two women put together the pre-dominantly male dominated flick Teen Patti with panache

Life is a gamble! But when you have Lady Luck (or two ladies) on your set, you've nothing to lose. No wonder, Bollywood's biggest legend Amitabh Bachchan and Hollywood's tour de force Sir Ben Kingsley feel that they are on a winning streak with Serendipity Films' razor-sharp thriller 

Teen Patti. 
This film, releasing on February 26, is produced by the attractive, petite Ambika Hinduja and is directed by the affable, nononsense Leena Yadav, who earlier made Shabd with Sanjay Dutt and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The film also has Madhavan, Raima Sen and is introducing stardaughter Shraddha Kapoor (daughter of screen baddie Shakti Kapoor). Leena and Ambika are forces to reckon with in their own way. Of course, neither gives too much importance to their gender; they're just competent people for whom this project perfectly fell in place. Says Leena, "I hate being asked 'How does it feel like to be a woman filmmaker?' How different can it be from being a male director? The film industry is an evolved place. In the last two decades the line between male/female filmmakers has blurred. Aparna Sen, Simi Garewal, Hema Malini, Kalpana Lajmi, Reema Kagti, Farah Khan, Nandita Das — the list of women who've ventured into filmmaking is growing. And the work of each of these women has its own identity.'' She feels that when an actor comes on board a project, he looks at the banner, the script and how competent the director is. "The sex of the director doesn't matter,'' says Leena. Ambika too is not in favour of the words 'Lady Boss'. "The environment on the sets of Teen Patti was thoroughly professional with the entire cast and crew completely surrendering to director Leena and the script. They also whole heartedly responded to whatever requests I put forward to them in my capacity as producer,'' she says. They are unanimous in their opinion that women, inherently, have the ability to view life and situations with more attention to detail. "Women have an edge in filmmaking,'' says Ambika. And that's perhaps one of the biggest advantages this human drama has. Teen Patti has not one but two sharp, sensitive minds working for it.

Amitabh Bachchan in Teen Patti, direcctor Leena Yadav and (left) producer Ambika Hinduja

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Woman heads Guj bodybuilding board

Ahmedabad: Six-packs and bulging biceps is not the first thing that comes to mind when you meet Tulsi Sujan, decked up in dangling earrings and bright red lipstick. But then how often does a woman head a state body of a sport that is masculinity personified? 

    Sujan, 54, not only heads the Gujarat State Bodybuilding Association, she is responsible for organising one of the richest bodybuilding competitions in the state. 
    The Senior Mr Gujarat 2010 meet, was held at Sardar Patel Stadium in Navrangpura on Sunday. The total prize money was Rs 6 lakh with the winner getting Rs 75,000 apart from other prizes worth Rs 25,000. 
    "Three years ago, I attended a bodybuilding competition in Ahmedabad in which some boys from my gym were participating and was shocked to know that the prize was just a certificate," says Sujan. She is also general secretary of the International Human Rights Association, Gujarat wing. 
    A powerful woman who idolises Sonia Gandhi and drives a Merc, Sujan is a part of the family's shipping business. She had a penchant for sports from an early age and dabbled in many disciplines. But she was fascinated by heavyweights. She runs a gym and forces anybody she comes across to work out and get healthy. 
    "One doesn't have to enter competitions but bodybuilding gives you a good physique and a great personality. I am more concerned about womenfolk who go through many upheavals in life and lose their health in the process. If women remain fit, the whole household remains healthy," she says.

FEMME EXTRAORDINAIRE: 
Tulsi Sujan (left) heads the Gujarat State Bodybuilding Association. She is organising Senior Mr Gujarat 2010 (top), one of the richest competitions of its kind in the state

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