Evelyn Sharma never fails to impress us! The Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani actress had yet another Sunny Sunny moment this week. She shared a unique morning gift for her social media fans on her birthday. While Bollywood heads to New York for IIFA, Evelyn leaked a 30-second teaser clip from her upcoming single ‘Land of Dreams’ shot in LA with US-based music producer-composer Brooklyn Shanti.

The clip had her gyrating to the track sung and written by the spunky gal herself.  As the day progressed, she revealed that the song will be exclusively available on Gaana.com, while the full video can now be watched on YouTube.

And while her online fans were thrilled with her new pics and clips, not many realized their striking similarity with the look and feel of the latest promotional campaign of American singer and actress Selena Gomez’s upcoming single ‘Fetish’.

Now whether the design similarity is coincidental or just a naughty move is up for debate. But one thing is sure — Evelyn’s bombshell looks and chirpy voice in the video do steal the show. Her birthday surprise has turned out to be as good as those spicy inside stories the fashion philanthropist shares on her blog Evelyn Secrets.

National Award-winning professional makeup, hair and prosthetics specialist Preetisheel Singh who has worked on the looks of Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor for Umesh Shukla’s film 102 Not Out, is floored by their magnetic appeal. “Even after all these years in the business of entertainment, their child-like enthusiasm and devotion to their art is awe-inspiring,” gushes Preetisheel.

“Their energy and intensity is infectious and exhilarating,” she remarks, “so much so that one can compare it with the current heartthrobs.” She recalls the professionalism with which both the actors would patiently spend hours during their makeup, without once complaining about the time it took. Their focus was like meditation.”

“What’s more! They would chip in their bit with interesting suggestions and even after the meticulous time spent for their makeovers, the team would always find them smiling when their shots were ready.”

When Preetisheel first learnt about the legends coming together after 26 years, she was excited. Her job became even more demanding when she had to work on looks and references with them playing father and son. “Creating that age disparity was a task but it gives me great satisfaction that the makers and actors are happy with the outcome,” she adds.

The movie has Bachchan playing a 102-year-old father to Rishi Kapoor as his 75-year-old son. 102 Not Out is based on writer-director Saumya Joshi’sGujarati play with the actors playing Gujarati characters for the first time.

Since bagging the ‘National Film Award for Best Makeup’ for Sartaj Singh Pannu’s pre-Mughal historical epic Nanak Shah Fakir, Preetisheel has worked on various artistes in films such as Bajirao Mastani, Haider, Brothers, Rangoon, Parched, Talwar, Ghayal Once Again, Hawaizaada, Finding Fanny, Housefull 3, Shivaay and the Tamil film 24.

Her work will be showcased next with Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s bald look in Ravi Udyawar’s film Mom produced by more Bollywood heavyweights Boney Kapoor, Sunil Manchanda, Naresh Agarwal, Mukesh Talreja and Gautam Jain. Coming up after this, would be varied characters in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati, Sunny Deol’s Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas and Vikramaditya Motwane’s Bhavesh Joshi. Preetisheel sure has a satisfyingly busy year ahead.

Evelyn Sharma has worked with interesting makers like David Dhawan, Rohan Sippy, Divya Khosla Kumar, Ayan Mukerji and Imtiaz Ali in Bollywood flicks like Main Tera Hero, Nautanki Saala, Yaariyan, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and the upcoming Jab Harry Met Sejal.

But she really surprised the industry further, when she recently became the only speaker from our entertainment industry to address an audience including global leaders on world peace and unity at US president Donald Trump’sNational Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC.

Now it seems Evelyn has a new list of surprises up her sleeve. Turns out, her frequent trips to Los Angeles were not about a boyfriend, but movies in the West. “Super exciting times. Nice to get inquiries and read scripts in LA,” she’s just tweeted.

What’s more! Rumour has it that Evelyn also has an agent in the US. So don’t be surprised if she’s the next from Bollywood to add to the escapades of Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan’s in Hollywood.

And while some of our actors have been prepping their creative juices and boosting their adrenalin looking at international movies, Evelyn’s not even stopping at that. Her recent trip to the States, had New York based music producer Brooklyn Shanti fly down to LA to make more music with her.

Yes! She’s written and recorded a few new songs and shot a music video on her recent trip. Need we say, the numbers can be expected to even better her last attempt at singing ‘Something Beautiful’.

Plus, apart from Jab Harry Met Sejal, Evelyn will also be seen playing the lead opposite Amit Sadh in Jack & Dil. So her year ahead promises a lot.

When Evelyn Sharma had to give a talk at Donald Trump’s National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, she tip-toed to Los Angeles on a holiday. There she was spotted doing yoga on a hilltop, before heading to Washington DC.

At another time, during a photoshoot at the Griffith Observatory of astronomy in LA, she got clicked holding a guy’s hand. Aha! And now from a week, Evelyn is once again in LA.

We know that the lady has done an interesting job in movies like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Main Tera Hero, Nautanki Saala and more. We know that her Yo Yo Honey Singh number Sunny Sunny was a rage in Yaariyan. We know she’s playing a key role in Imtiaz Ali’s much-anticipated Shah Rukh Khan–Anushka Sharma flick Jab Harry Met Sejal.

We know she’s been a showstopper for the who’s who of the fashion scene. We know that the kind of charity her organization Seams with Dreams does, makes her India’s first fashion philanthropist. We know that she’s been shaking a leg with the Kangna singer and music producer Dr Zeus in the Party Nonstop music video.

We know the teeny-bopper is quite happening on her Twitter and Facebook accounts and an icon of sorts on Instagram. We know she even builds houses for the poor under the Habitat For Humanity projects. And we also know that she has launched her blogsite Evelyn’s Secrets where she gives out all sorts of personal beauty and fashion tips.

But what we don’t know is the secret behind her numerous trips to LA! And we don’t know who the mystery guy is… whose hand she held there! Evelyn has not been revealing those secrets on Evelyn’s Secrets. Hey girl, tell us what you have been hiding… tell us, tell us. 😉

In the movie Bahubali 2, the character of Amarendra Bahubali played by Prabhas feels that merely chopping off the fingers of a man trying to grope women is not enough punishment. He beheads him as capital punishment. Now that can happen in the make-believe world of movies where things are often glorified and gory-fied. But in a dignified cultured society with better sensibilities, matters have to be drastically different.

And that is exactly what some of our Bollywood stars showcased this month as they spoke fabulously about respect for women and their rights. “Respect and dignity towards women in society, a sense of equality as fellow citizens, as contributors in equal measure, without discrimination, is what needs to be inculcated amongst all of us,” said megastar Amitabh Bachchan while answering a question about the Nirbhaya rape case verdict.

Stressing that the true way to measure progress of a society was in empowering women, veteran actress Shabana Azmi remarked, “It isn’t that women should start acting like men or men should start behaving like women. There are differences between women and men, these need to be celebrated by giving them equal importance and opportunity in the society,”

But an unexpected clincher came on India TV from renowned singer Sonu Nigam who was on popular television host Rajat Sharma’s famed programme Aap Ki Adalat. Though he was there mainly answering questions about a recent controversy regarding loudspeakers on mosques during azaan prayers, the topic veered to an earlier controversy about ‘godwoman’ Radhe Maa.

But Sonu stood steadfast answering Rajat Sharma. “No one should utter profanities about a lady. Be it any lady. She could be my sister, or it could be you,” the singer commented, looking at the audience. “That’s not a done thing in any cultured society and I will stand for any lady who faces unfair comments,” Sonu added.

“I haven’t met or spoken to Radhe Maa, but I’ve heard she has been ostracized for her attire. Is attire a barometer to judge whether a person is spiritual or not? If a lady is covered from top to bottom, is she more spiritual person than one who is not? It’s wrong to judge any person from that perspective,” he concluded.

A recent special screening of the Arjun Kapoor–Shraddha Kapoor movie Half Girlfriend saw an unusual synchronization of minds that flummoxed many.

Tusshar Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha and Evelyn Sharma all came to the event, dressed in grey T-shirts and black slacks, with all three wearing white shoes.

Now, one might think it was a dress code of sorts. But turns out there was no such thing as a dress code for the event! So how did all the three actors come wearing the same colours? “Guess it was sheer coincidence,” laughs Evelyn Sharma, assuring “it wasn’t planned.”

Talking of Evelyn, Hindi Medium; the other film that released this week along with Half Girlfriend, features her famous Yo Yo Honey Singh number Sunny Sunny from Yaariyan in a little scene. “It was a pleasant surprise for me, as I got to know of it just recently. It made my day,” the teeny-bopper says with a smile.

And you thought only Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan had fans waiting for them outside their Bandra residences. Wait till you are surprised!

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

A week ago, the Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (YJHD) actress Evelyn Sharma was taken aback to find two fans from Punjab waiting for autographs and selfies outside her Bandra abode. When she was preparing to leave for a shoot, they walked up to her and told her they had been coming there from two days and standing below her building for a couple of hours to get a peek of the actress.

Evelyn didn’t know how to react to her new-found fandom. “I am used to being mobbed at airports and at events. But this was something new for me,” says the teeny-bopper. She happily posed for selfies and also checked with the security guard about the fan-claims. They turned out to be true.

But while Evelyn thought this would be a one-off thing, she is being surprised more than often. It seems, word has spread that Evelyn agrees for autographs and selfies and a bunch of fans have regularly begun gathering and waiting for her. At times, the fans want more!

Like one group didn’t let go of Evelyn till she sang a line from her famous Sunny Sunny song from Yaariyan. On another day, some fans insisted she flick her eyes the way she did for Ranbir Kapoor in YJHD, while they shot a video for their social media.

“It’s indeed flattering and sweet. I’m really happy that they all come by and click pictures with me. Sometimes it feels safer with fans around, knowing they have my back if anything happens to me. But at the same time it’s a bit scary, as there are around 20 complete strangers around me. So I don’t know whether I should look after myself or just be flattered about it,” she wonders.

Evelyn will next be seen in a key role in Imtiaz Ali’s next with Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma. What can we say but that, maybe some of SRK-luck has rubbed on to her. 😉

Actress and fashion philanthropist Evelyn Sharma is known for her teeny-bopper zingy roles in movies like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Nautanki Saala. She has been a rage with her bikini song Sunny Sunny in Yaariyan. But at the recent Cinematics Arts Music Appreciation (CAMA) Awards in Ahmedabad, the gal turned a new leaf.

Evelyn appeared at the event in an all-new retro-traditional avatar. Decked in a black chiffon Ritu Kumar sari, with dazzling gold zari embroidery, she made a huge fashion statement with her beauty, smokey eyes, hair tied in a bun and a gorgeous backless blouse.

Stealing the show and eyeballs, Evelyn picked up the Youth Icon Of The Year Award, amidst awe-gazes and stares aplenty. “I need to be careful. Too much attention can get to the head,” she laughed as she got off the stage.

Evelyn Sharma is on cloud nine. Her music video Party Nonstop with Kangna singer-music producer Dr Zeus along with Punjabi singer Jasmine Sandlas (of Kick’s Yaar Na Mila fame) and rapper Ikka (of High Heels fame), has crossed three million hits on YouTube within just about three days.

Though Evelyn has only acted in Party Nonstop, her publicist Dale Bhagwagar reveals that Evelyn has a secret fetish for music. “She doesn’t only write lyrics and sing, but can also play a tune or two.” The actress had earlier released her own cool English song Something Beautiful with international artist Brooklyn Shanti.

“From the handsome price she has received for Party Nonstop, Evelyn has just bought a piano for herself,” Dale divulges and adds, “Don’t be surprised if she churns out her own music soon.” Aha!

Meanwhile, a lot is happening in Evelyn’s life. A while ago, the gal gave her first international speech at US president Donald Trump’s National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. Next, she built houses for the poor under the Habitat for Humanity organization in Karjat on the outskirts of Mumbai. Her latest Bandra fundraiser for her charity organization Seams With Dreams was a grand success too.

And soon, Evelyn will be seen in Imtiaz Ali’s next with Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma. Seems like her jawaani life is all deewani on a nautanki overdrive for her yaariyaan with sunny sunny times. Now what’s missing is some ishqedarriyaan with a prince charming making an entry to say,‘main tera hero’. :p Maybe someone, Evelyn could play her piano for? 😉

The charismatic Manisha Koirala, who was Anil Kapoor’s love and obsession in the memorable song ‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga’ from the illustrious R.D.Burman’s last movie 1942: A Love Story, seemed nostalgic about the composer this week. Manisha was delighted when at a recent event, senior award-winning journalist Chaitanya Padukone presented her a copy of his authored book R.D.BurMania.

“What a musical masterpiece genius Panchamda came up with. Even today, his amazing melodies soothe the heart,” said Manisha, who is playing the legendary Nargis Dutt in the biopic on Sanjay Dutt, being directed by Rajkumar Hirani.

The actress who has proved to be an exemplary strong-willed cancer survivor, had another reason to smile. The book has its ‘foreword’ penned by showman Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who was then the ‘songs director’ of 1942: A Love Story.

Incidentally, when Bhansali made his directorial debut with Khamoshi, it was Manisha who featured as the lead opposite Salman Khan.