A Sonnet of Heresy

Creating ruckus in Bollywood

I am pasting two of my recent interviews. They are with the same girl Claudia Ciesla. Interesting girl! But why I am posting here is because it was fun doing a follow-up interview to my own interview. And she seems to be the girl of the moment.

The first one does not have my byline as AOL messed up on it. The second one – published in Masala.com does. Hope you like it.

Courtesy: AOL India

Claudia Ciesla - Interview

chandagohrani

aol

Last Updated: May 26,2009 16:44:15

German model-singer Claudia Ciesla was almost an unknown name in India till a couple of weeks back. But now, even the most cut off person seems to know something about the so-called ‘Salman Khan’s latest muse’. Interestingly, she does not intend to be limited as just that. The girl who is in Cannes right now, promoting her Bengali film ‘10:10’, just met and charmed Abhishek Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan as well and now says she would like to date Aamir Khan, even as she refuses to talk about Salman Khan! In an email interview right from Cannes, she tells us more:

You just did an Indian movie called ‘Karma – Crime, Passion and Reincarnation’. Could you tell us a bit about it?
It's a film about reincarnation and I'm playing the character of Linda, a young German woman who lived 30 years ago. Linda spent some months as a hippie in India and she had a romance with a rich Indian. This romance had an unhappy end. And after a lot of confusions and troubles, Linda finally gets murdered. Now, 30 years later, Anna, the reincarnation of Linda, comes to India and has visions. Through these visions the murder of Linda is finally solved.

How do you fit into an Indian film?
I feel I fit perfectly. Till now I did three Indian films and always played a foreign girl. I have also done many photo shoots with Indian fashion designers and in typical Indian make-up. In fact a lot of people in India told I look very Indian. Besides that, I can assimilate and I can be a chameleon! I love to play different roles... I can even play an alien! I think Indian film biz is getting more and more international and I am sure more international faces will be needed in the future.

What made you come to India in the first place?
An invitation from producer Vivek Singhania to play a role in the film ‘Karma’ brought me to India. That was in January 2008. The film will be released in India very soon. It’s a wonderful film and please keep the fingers crossed that people like it.

Are there any other Indian films that you are currently working on? Are you looking at regional language films too?
Yes. I actually have three offers from Mumbai and I have signed a contract for a new film. I also have offers from Bengali, Punjabi, Bihari and Tamil filmmakers as well.

You had recently done a photo shoot in traditional Indian attire. Was that part of any film?
No. That was a fashion shoot for saris and lehengas in Mumbai with designer Umair Zafar.

Which is your favourite Indian movie? How much of Hindi do you understand and can speak?
‘Singh Is Kinng’! I can understand a few words of Hindi. Scripts of all films that I have done till now were in English text. But if necessary, I will sit and learn Hindi. And I’m sure with strong motivation we can start talking in Hindi within eight weeks.

We hear you will also be working on a couple of music videos in India. And also that some international stars will be a part of that particular album. Could you tell us more?
Sorry. All contracts and talks are confidential. If the producers want to reveal anything it is okay. I cannot.

What are you in Cannes for?
I am in Cannes with Morpheus Entertainment, Mumbai. They are here to promote several of their films. One of them is Mafia-comedy called ‘10:10’ where I play a German journalist.

You seem to be enjoying at Cannes. We saw your photographs with Abhishek Bachchan there. Did you know about him from before? How did you guys meet?
I met him at the inaugural event for the Indian Pavilion in Cannes. He is a very friendly guy.

Have you met his wife Aishwarya Rai yet?
No.

You seem to be getting mentioned with all the right people. Currently everyone is talking about you being Salman Khan’s latest muse.
I promised Salman that I’d not talk about this. If others do and know about it, fine.

Could you tell us something about the meeting?
No. I’m really not interested in getting Salman angry at me!

Did you actually talk about your aims of becoming as big as Katrina Kaif in Bollywood?
There are many rumours going on. I also met KK (Katrina Kaif) and she is a wonderful person. Sometimes friends talk more than it’s necessary. I think KK and I are very different and we cannot be compared. There should be place for all kinds of actors in the Indian cinema world.

Any romantic inclinations?
Oh! I am a very romantic girl, but inclinations? That’s a matter of definition!

Aren’t you worried about being linked to some star?
As long as it is positive and not hurting anybody, it’s okay. But I am not interested in creating any kind of scandal. I have met many other big stars and directors in India, Germany and the US like Morgan Freeman, Kid Rock, Danny Glover and others, but I have never made a scandal out of it.

Who all from the Indian film industry have you met so far and how has been the general attitude to you as a foreigner who is trying out Indian films?
I have met some nice people from the film industry like Salman Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vikram Bhatt, Ketan Anand, Subhash Ghai, Rakesh Roshan, Hrithik Roshan, Ashok Amritraj, Vijay Mallya...my experience has been very positive and everybody told me to go ahead. It is surly not a cakewalk in Bollywood, but I’m very bull headed.

Are you single and ready to mingle?
Yes single and I enjoy being single. I am not much interested to mingle. Most men are too possessive and I need free space and time for my career and education. But one never knows what happens when Mr Perfect is crossing my way.

Who would be your dream date from Bollywood?
Maybe Aamir Khan.

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Courtesy: Masala.com

If Abhishek wants to ruin my career I wish him luck: Claudia Ciesla

By Noyon Jyoti Parasara

If you love Bollywood, then you would know that Claudia Ciesla is very much the lady of the moment. While the German Playboy babe is currently being called Salman Khan’s latest muse, she was also in news because of her meeting with Abhishek Bachchan during the recent Cannes Film Festival and his subsequent denial about knowing her at all!

While some call her the latest import of Bollywood, some look at her as a fame-hungry model trying to generate the extra mile of publicity by adding her name to various celebs she has met. And from what she tells us and the pictures we got to see, the list surely is pretty impressive.

Subhash Ghai, Rakesh Roshan, Hrithik Roshan, Ashok Amritraj, Vijay Mallya, Vikram Bhatt and Ketan Anand are some of the names that she mentions meeting and also shares photographs with us as proof.

She also adds that every one of them has been encouraging and has asked her to go ahead with her career in Bollywood.

Excerpts from our conversation:

Salman Khan said you even visited his home and met his parents? Are there any sparks of romance from any side? What really happened?

We just met as friends. Salman is a wonderful person.

Did he also promise you a role in one of his next films?

No. He gave me a lot of good advice about the Bollywood film business, but he didn’t promise anything. He was always very nice, a real gentleman and very correct.

There is talk about an international music album that you would be doing in India along with some musicians from India and stars from abroad. Will you be part of it as a model or are you involved musically?

I’m not allowed to talk about this. This is all confidential and things have not been finalised yet. The producer may give you the information, but I cannot.

Could you tell us about the film that you said you have signed in Bollywood? What about the other films?

No, sorry…I cannot talk about that too. In all the contracts there are confidentiality clauses. I will only talk when a shoot is finished or when the producer will allow me to.

How was Cannes?

Great! I was invited to many VIP parties and met some wonderful people from Bollywood and other important people from India.

Reports say Abhishek Bachchan failed to recollect you and was later upset about your nude photographs over the internet. What exactly happened in Cannes between you two?

Even I was shocked about those reports and also about the wrong information that there were nude photographs of me over the net.

It is just not true as I have never in my life done any nude photographs!

Three-four years back I did do a couple of topless photo shoots for a very prestigious magazine and for one of the biggest European newspapers. And these were very aesthetic shots. I don’t think that was a crime.

There is a huge difference between nude and topless. Nude is completely naked while topless is just without a top but with bottom covered.

Across Europe and in many countries around the world, you will find girls sunbathing topless on beaches and by pools and this is considered a normal thing. It is not being nude or naked! Being nude or naked is quite a different thing and is considered a public nuisance.

Besides, a lot of celebrities, models and actresses all over the world, including India, have done such topless photographs when they were younger. So if Abhishek was upset because he saw nude photographs of me, he probably mixed me up with somebody else.

Also, he claimed he never met me. How can you recognise a person who you never met? He might not really remember and that’s not an issue. But we have met for sure. We just said hello, did a handshake and that was it. He was alone, without his wife.

I never claimed that Abhishek is my friend. It was a two-minute long meeting. It’s always possible that celebs don’t remember everyone they greet at parties. Even I don’t remember everyone I met at the parties in Cannes either. But it is not nice to spread false information and destroy a person and a career.

By the way, I have also done a lot of photo shoots in India during fashion shows for designers and for papers like The Telegraph, The Times of India and Society magazine. In Europe I have done promotions for the biggest companies like Moschen-Bayern, Zsport Annah Roxxah, Orangedental, Jacuzzi Whirlpools, Pille and Oktoberfest.

Your publicist says there is some kind of hate campaign against you.

I was told by several friends in Indian media, who are credible journalists, that these stories have been done by a journalist known to be extremely close to Abhishek Bachchan. And yes, this seems to be a hate campaign against me. But it’s ok. If he, as one of the biggest stars in India, is happy to destroy the career of a young girl, I wish him good luck and good karma!

You had said earlier that you would like to date Aamir Khan. You didn’t mention Salman Khan!

I think Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, as well as Abhishek Bachchan and SRK are excellent actors. I met Salman Khan before and I found that he is a very warm and friendly person with a heart of gold. But I am young and I am curious, and I would like to talk with many nice persons from the business.

Your film ‘Karma - Crime, Passion and Reincarnation’ is releasing soon. Tell us about it.

It's a film about reincarnation and I'm playing a young German woman called Linda who lived 30 years ago. She had spent some months in India, had a romance with a rich Indian, which ended unhappily. After some confusions and trouble, Linda finally is murdered. Thirty years later, the reincarnation of Linda comes to India and has visions through which Linda’s murderer is found.

You were in Cannes for another movie though…

I was there for a Bengali movie called ‘10:10’ in which I play a German journalist. It’s a mafia comedy.

What made you come to India in the first place?

I had first come here on an invitation from Vivek Singhania, Indian producer of ‘Karma’. That was in January 2008.

Lastly, are you single?

Yes, I am single and enjoy staying single. I am not interested in a relationship right now as most men are too possessive and I need free space and time in life for my career and education. However, you never know when Mr. Perfect would cross my way!