He might have been seen in a special appearance in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, but Upen Patel has pretty
much disappeared from the social sence.

For those who can’t remember, the model-turned-actor was quite a regular on the party circuit. We are told that Upen has been brushing up on his Hindi, but that doesn’t seem to have made any difference to his Bollywood career. All work and no play doesn’t always pay off, right Upen?

According to our source, “The latest on this is that, Bollywood celebrities Aditya Panscholi, the macho man son of Mithun Da, Mimoh Chakraborty and handsome hunk Upen Patel have been approached for the show”.

Other names which have been tossed up for the show include Shweta Tiwari, Mouli Ganguly, Ruby Bhatia, Deepal Shaw, Karan Wahi, Fiza Chand, Chetan Hansraj, Aman Verma, Faizal Khan, Antara Mali etc.

The show will be hosted by Mini Mathur and Yudhister.

We sent a text message to Gurdip Bhangoo of Sony, but he remained unavailable for comments.

While in ‘36 China Town’, he had to share screen space with the likes of Shahid Kapoor and Akshaye Khanna, ‘Namastey London’, his second release which was directed by Vipul Shah, had Akshay Kumar towering the cast.

He had a parallel role along with Bobby Deol in Suneel Darshan’s ‘Shakalaka Boom Boom’ and was the quintessential hero of the film (considering the fact that Bobby turned out to be the villain of the piece).

However, this was followed by ‘One Two Three’ and ‘Money Hai To Honey Hai’, both of which were multi-starrers that released in the year gone by.

Unwilling to sign projects randomly, Upen decided to take it slow and the result is ‘Hum Tum Aur Pyaar’ which, as per him, has been ‘the chosen one’ after due consideration.

“Clichéd as it may sound but I have always maintained that I only want to do quality cinema and not go after quantity. If that was not the case, I would have been gone ahead and probably worked in 10 odd films by now. But this isn’t what I intend to do in my career. I want to do few films, but good films”, says Upen created quite a flurry when he was launched in Subhash Ghai’s production ‘36 China Town’.

As per Upen, the wait has been worth it since he couldn’t have found a better film than ‘Hum Aap Aur Pyaar’ to go solo.

“There are some films that give you positive vibes instantly. ‘Hum Aap Aur Pyaar’ is one of them. I have done thrillers, dramas and comedies. However, I wanted to dabble in a hardcore mushy romantic entertainer with a good dose of comedy to it; it was about time after all. ‘Hum Aap Aur Pyaar’ is one such film. I heard it’s script and couldn’t stop smiling throughout the narration”, says Upen who would be shooting for the film in South Africa.

Produced by Desai Brothers who make their Bollywood beginning with ‘Hum Aap Aur Pyaar’ and have plans for multiple projects to go on floors in months to come, ‘Hum Aap Aur Pyaar’ is touted to be a quintessential romantic tale. -Sampurn Media

Not only is he doing his first solo film Hum Aap Aur Pyaar but has also just been voted as the UK’s most eligible bachelor by a womens’ magazine.

Apparently, this is the first time a Bollywood actor has topped their list and according to the magazine, he has the body, the looks and the attitude that women crave for.

Well now, if only Upen had that kind of fan following in India!

So when Ranbir Kapoor turned up at NCPA on Wednesday evening, every one present was surprised, to say the least. He was there in support of his jigri dost Imran Khan, who’s probably the first guy to be associated with the women-centric Vagina Monologues.Ranbir

Of course, Khan’s steady girlfriend Avantika Malik was there too, sauntering in arm-in-arm with her beau. And stayed put till the end of the show. When it was time to leave, she left hand-in-hand with Imran again.

What was more surprising than Ranbir’s arrival was his exit.

Rapchik Rajni, who had gone for a dekko of the show, tells me that the Kapoor dude left much before the play ended. Now now.. what could be the reason for his early disappearing act? Not so friendly this!

Rule breaker?
Oi oi.. I was just wondering where my chahita Shiney Ahuja had disappeared.. when Madhu my Mottu Maid tripped in with my morning cuppa and the news that she had spotted him on Wednesday evening. He was zipping around Mithibai College in Vile Parle in his BMW X5.Shiney Ahuja

Huh? What was he thinking? Shrugging her shoulders, Mots says that Ahujaji had thrown all caution out of the windows which were rolled down. He was yakking away, cell phone in one hand and steering wheel in the other. What’s more, he was gesticulating every few seconds.. while dodging evening traffic at the same time.

Fortunately for him, there was no constable around to catch him break the rule.. otherwise, he would have been fined for his offence.

Hmm.. the next time I meet Shiney, I’m give him a piece of my mind.. what kind of rash driving is this?

Image hunting
Excuse moi while I answer my kaaliberry. Turns out to be my birdy from Bandra, informing me that Upen Patel is looking for a PR manager who can create a new image for him in the media.Upen Patel

Apparently, Mr Patel is tired of being written about for his linkups with his model friends like Dipti Gujral etc etc. He now wants to be talked about for his work only.. nothing more, nothing less.

Oi oi.. but for that he has to have enough work to be talked about, no?

Or is that asking for too much now?

Nayi sahelis
Now now.. this certainly isn’t going to be good news for Tanushree Dutta. Her one time good friend Koena Mitra has found another saheli to hang out with.. so very soon after forgetting Tannu’s janam din recently. Now don’t ask me when that was! I only remember mine. Urvashi Sharma

Anyway, Koena’s new mitr is Urvashi Sharma.. the two were spotted a few nights ago at Prive in Colaba partying away in the
company of an unknown guy.

Nah, my informer claims the guy didn’t seem all that important to find out more details about.

He’s more worried about Tannu and wants to send her the biggest bouquet of flowers and box of chocolates to cheer her up. Really now!

Bed-time woes
Mottu’s back.. like a recurring nightmare if I may add.. giving out useless bits of info on chhota motta types. Right now, she’s all sympathy for Priyanka Kothari.. better known as Nisha Kothari.. apne Ram Gopal Varma ki muse. Nisha Kothari

Bechari Kothari is bored of being bedridden. It’s been a couple of weeks now, says Mottu. Seems she.. Kothari, not Mottu sillies.. fractured her leg while shooting for mentor Varma’s Aghyat in the jungles of Kerela. She can’t wait for the cast to be removed, so she can be up and around.. Ramuji, that is. This Mots, she takes the cake and the bakery, I tell you! But then, such is life dearies.

As the title of the film conveys, ‘Hum Aap Aur Pyaar’ is a musical romantic entertainer with dollops of comedy thrown in, something that makes Upen quite hopeful about the film’s prospects.
“I have always maintained that I love commercial Hindi cinema. This is the reason why I am here and these are the kind of projects I want to do”, says Upen who started his career with a thriller [36 China Town], followed it up with two dramatic films [Namaste London, Shakalaka Boom Boom] and continued with two back to back comedies [One Two Three, Money Hai To Honey Hai].

“Meanwhile, I was also itching for that one romantic musical to come my way. I love dancing and singing around the trees and on the streets for the camera. I have a filmy taste bud and was in the lookout of that perfect script that would convince me to don the role of a romantic protagonist”, says Upen who was first noticed for his hunky physique before being seen on the big screen.

Though there were offers of all kinds, including romantic films as well, Upen wanted to have a thorough look at a script before giving his consent to a role.

“There are temptations, especially when you are just starting off in your career. However, this is the time period when the risks are also higher. One wrong move and it becomes difficult for you to stand up”, says Upen with a word of caution.

“I made a decent start but in the months gone by, I started reassessing situation around what worked best for me. Since the time I landed in India, things have moved really fast for me. I have seen quite a few things in a very short span of time. I didn’t want to rush in further. I wanted to step back and soak in all that I had learnt in last few months”, Upen gets thoughtful here.

It was during this introspection period that the script of ‘Hum Aap Aur Pyaar’ came his way. So impressed was Upen with the sheer concept of the film and the numerous twists and turns in this romantic tale that he didn’t think much about the film having a first time director in charge. For producers Desai Brothers too, this is their maiden Bollywood venture while Eesha Gupta (Miss India 2007 finalist) is a new girl being launched opposite Upen.

“When things have to fit in well, they will. The same holds true for ‘Hum Aap Aur Pyaar’ as well. It was destined to be made with this new bunch of people and what pleases me most is that it is one high energy set of people that I am working with. They are new to the world of movies but they come with a passion to deliver”, Upen gets excited here.

“As I said, the script is quite powerful here; it is in fact the film’s hero. Now I am just waiting for it’s execution on camera”, concludes Upen.

The film’s cast and crew would be shortly leaving for South Africa for a start to finish shooting schedule.

He got a call from an old friend in London , who had a baby and his friend wished Upen was in London with him and his family to celebrate this joyous moment.

And without blinking an eyelid, Upen flew down to London to surprise his friends. He stayed there for few hours and caught a flight, the same evening, back to Mumbai to be in time for his shoot.

As a result, Upen is now seeing an altogether different perception about him being built. After being picked by many for his presence in films like ONE TWO THREE and MONEY HAI TO HONEY HAI where he didn’t have much to do, he is now seeing appreciation coming from none other than Rajkumar Santoshi who is directing him in AJAB PREM KI GHAZAB KAHANI.

As per sources, so impressed was Santoshi with Upen’s dedication and performance in one of the recent schedules that he pronto sent across a SMS acknowledging his contribution and hard work in the film.

On being questioned if this indeed was true, Upen refused to say much, “This is too personal and it won’t be fair on my part to reveal anything. What I can say though is that the message is very close to my heart especially since it comes from the man who has made full on commercial films that have won awards at the highest levels. I am blessed to be working with him.”

However, our sources inform that Santoshi is mighty impressed with Upen. Though the film is mainly a love story between Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, Upen’s special appearance is integral to the film. On his part Upen says, “I am happy taking it slow at the moment. I rushed into doing a few films earlier but now I want to pick only those films that I really feel positive about. I have age on my side and I don’t wish to rush things. I am content.”

This London bred model-turned-actor (please don’t ask us his filmography!) was at the gym in the wee hours… For an early morning shot, he was up even before the local doodhwala arrived, and made his way to the gym! Post his workout, he reported to Rajkumar Santoshi’s sets at sharp 7 am, much before the unit members.

All this trouble he took for a chhutku cameo he’s doing in the film! We can’t help but wonder how much more he’ll do, if he’s ever signed up as a hero.

“It was a heartwarming moment for me as close to 5000 Indians assembled as I visited Rameshwar Mahadev Mandir (in Lenasia, a suburb of Johannesburg) for the Diwali celebrations. They were very nice to me and were happy to see me amidst all the celebrations. They also enquired about my upcoming projects”, says Upen Patel who had incidentally been to the city earlier for the shoot of SHAKALAKA BOOM BOOM.

“Yes, in fact they were wondering when would I be returning to the city for another Bollywood project. I assured them that bigger and better things would happen soon and I hoped to visit the city again”, Upen adds.

Another incident that Upen can’t forget is the visit of senior–most local politician Jacob Zuma, president of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party, at the event.

“It was good to see him participating in the celebrations even though the festivities of Diwali could pretty much be alien to him. Well, for me what was most memorable though was to be able to spend time with my family. Outside the hustle–bustle of Mumbai, I had a great time with my mother. We roamed around the city and did a lot of shopping as well as catching up together”, says Upen fondly.

On the professional front, Upen would soon be resuming shoot for AJAB PREM KI GHAZAB KAHANI at Goa. Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, the film stars Ranbir Kapoor as well as Katrina Kaif.