Hi Friends,
How's life as usual? Trust you're learning to get on with it! ;-)
Remember in our last month's posting we wrote extensively about India's victory at the World Cup after 28 long years and the Royal wedding that took place amidst great pomp and splendour. In India too,the royal wedding was greatly discussed and dubbed as an important news making event of the decade..be it the royal regalia, Kate's bridal gown, her fashion sense and the inevitable comparisons between the late Princess Di and Kate Middleton....anyway whatever may have been the outcome of that we'll leave it to you. In tinseltown, one man definitely became the envy of all was when he was invited to perform at the royal function...but within hours that cherished moment soon became his worst nightmare...
How's life as usual? Trust you're learning to get on with it! ;-)
Remember in our last month's posting we wrote extensively about India's victory at the World Cup after 28 long years and the Royal wedding that took place amidst great pomp and splendour. In India too,the royal wedding was greatly discussed and dubbed as an important news making event of the decade..be it the royal regalia, Kate's bridal gown, her fashion sense and the inevitable comparisons between the late Princess Di and Kate Middleton....anyway whatever may have been the outcome of that we'll leave it to you. In tinseltown, one man definitely became the envy of all was when he was invited to perform at the royal function...but within hours that cherished moment soon became his worst nightmare...
The man in question - ace Bollywood choreographer, Sandip Soparrkar (of 7 Khoon Maaf, Kites and Jackie Chan starrer 'The Myth' fame) who has been accused by the media of faking the royal invite for seeking publicity. We decided to interview Sandip Soparrkar and get his version on all these negative stories afloat about him and the choreographer decided it was time he cleared the air...
Sonyaa:Let's get your side of the story.What actually transpired during the countdown to the royal wedding. Was the invite a fake?Or in the first place,was the royal invite real?
Sandip:Firstly, the invite was not at all fake (See invite) because on receiving it we were constantly in touch with the royal office about the details of our performance. In fact we even zeroed in on the songs along with the complete details of the five minutes dance we were scheduled to perform.Again,I would like to clarify once and for all,that we were asked to perform at the private reception party hosted by Prince Charles later that evening and not at the wedding which was a public event. Some section of the press in India even went on to say that the invite had a spelling error. Well, yes it did have an error but it was funny when the press wrote that I had made up the invite. Now, if I had to fake the invite, wouldn't I have proof-read it hundred times even before sending it out? I am well-educated, have studied the world over and my English is far better than what people may think,after all dancers can be well educated too! Also why would I use the name of an ex-assistant of Prince Charles,James Kidner? Wouldn't I have faked it with the present assistant!
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| The 'controversial' Royal Invite... |
Sandip:Firstly, the invite was not at all fake (See invite) because on receiving it we were constantly in touch with the royal office about the details of our performance. In fact we even zeroed in on the songs along with the complete details of the five minutes dance we were scheduled to perform.Again,I would like to clarify once and for all,that we were asked to perform at the private reception party hosted by Prince Charles later that evening and not at the wedding which was a public event. Some section of the press in India even went on to say that the invite had a spelling error. Well, yes it did have an error but it was funny when the press wrote that I had made up the invite. Now, if I had to fake the invite, wouldn't I have proof-read it hundred times even before sending it out? I am well-educated, have studied the world over and my English is far better than what people may think,after all dancers can be well educated too! Also why would I use the name of an ex-assistant of Prince Charles,James Kidner? Wouldn't I have faked it with the present assistant!
Sonyaa: But the media says that the royal office have not confirmed of any such invite being sent...
Sandip: If you ask the royal office or any celebrity about a private party,you don't expect them to give you information. Likewise,the royal office denying to give out any news as such is understandable.
Sandip: If you ask the royal office or any celebrity about a private party,you don't expect them to give you information. Likewise,the royal office denying to give out any news as such is understandable.
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| Guest of honour: Kangana Ranaut |
Sonyaa:Certain sections of the media claimed that the invite was a fake and the whole event of Kangana Ranaut unveiling the royal invite was nothing but a publicity gimmick. What do you have to say on this?
Sandip:Well, if I was a fake,I would not have had the best Indian Bollywood designer, Manish Malhotra working on my clothes for close to two months. Yes, Kangana Ranaut was to unveil the invite. In fact, it is we who got to the press, I had even booked her date, the venue,the security etc...for what?? But on the night of 25th April I injured my knee and was advised complete bed rest. So,on the following day we informed the royal office regretting our inability to put up our dance performance. Why don't you have a look at these news items written by well known journalists of two reputed newspapers in UK? The first article written by Katie Nicholl on 23rd April clearly says that we were invited by Prince Charles to perform at the royal wedding reception party.(See link) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1380034/Royal-Wedding-2011-Best-man-Prince-Harry-plots-6am-survivors-breakfast.html And the second article written on 29th April by yet another senior journalist Caroline Gammell clearly mentions that we were not performing owing to an injury during the rehearsals.(See link) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-wedding/8480899/Royal-wedding-Queen-to-miss-evening-reception-and-Prince-Harrys-best-man-speech.html Now, if we were not performing then why would these well respected journalists and world famous newspapers write about us?
Sandip:Well, if I was a fake,I would not have had the best Indian Bollywood designer, Manish Malhotra working on my clothes for close to two months. Yes, Kangana Ranaut was to unveil the invite. In fact, it is we who got to the press, I had even booked her date, the venue,the security etc...for what?? But on the night of 25th April I injured my knee and was advised complete bed rest. So,on the following day we informed the royal office regretting our inability to put up our dance performance. Why don't you have a look at these news items written by well known journalists of two reputed newspapers in UK? The first article written by Katie Nicholl on 23rd April clearly says that we were invited by Prince Charles to perform at the royal wedding reception party.(See link) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1380034/Royal-Wedding-2011-Best-man-Prince-Harry-plots-6am-survivors-breakfast.html And the second article written on 29th April by yet another senior journalist Caroline Gammell clearly mentions that we were not performing owing to an injury during the rehearsals.(See link) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-wedding/8480899/Royal-wedding-Queen-to-miss-evening-reception-and-Prince-Harrys-best-man-speech.html Now, if we were not performing then why would these well respected journalists and world famous newspapers write about us?
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| Royal calling: Sandip with wife Jesse |
Sonyaa: Please go on...
Sandip:Another mediaperson after an appointment walked right into our living room and asked my mother which hospital was I admitted in. And when my mother who incidentally does not stay in Mumbai and had come from Pune to nurse me told them that she had just arrived a few minutes back and had not yet spoken to me; they went in print saying that a mother does not know which hospital her son is in. Yes, it's true she did not know which hospital I was in because she had just come as also neither I nor Jesse wanted her to take undue stress since she suffers from high blood pressure. Another journalist even called up Sadhika (Jesse's sister) for doing an interview about her new films and tele-serial and questioned her too on the royal invite issue. But when the interview was published there was no mention whatsoever about her films or tele-serial. Now what do you call such a journalist, an a******* for sure! And that's what Jesse texted him which they went on to write in the newspapers accusing her of sending abusive smses.
Sandip:Another mediaperson after an appointment walked right into our living room and asked my mother which hospital was I admitted in. And when my mother who incidentally does not stay in Mumbai and had come from Pune to nurse me told them that she had just arrived a few minutes back and had not yet spoken to me; they went in print saying that a mother does not know which hospital her son is in. Yes, it's true she did not know which hospital I was in because she had just come as also neither I nor Jesse wanted her to take undue stress since she suffers from high blood pressure. Another journalist even called up Sadhika (Jesse's sister) for doing an interview about her new films and tele-serial and questioned her too on the royal invite issue. But when the interview was published there was no mention whatsoever about her films or tele-serial. Now what do you call such a journalist, an a******* for sure! And that's what Jesse texted him which they went on to write in the newspapers accusing her of sending abusive smses.
Sonyaa:You're terribly upset about this whole incident and the media in particular...
Sandip:Some journalist just write what they feel is correct without even realising what they're doing. They have the medium to express but we do not. I do not have a newspaper where I can clarify about what happened behind the scene,so I am tagged as a liar. These ill-informed journalists are liars, not me. They need to learn to respect people and learn to write before writing!
Sandip:Some journalist just write what they feel is correct without even realising what they're doing. They have the medium to express but we do not. I do not have a newspaper where I can clarify about what happened behind the scene,so I am tagged as a liar. These ill-informed journalists are liars, not me. They need to learn to respect people and learn to write before writing!
Sonyaa:Did you lodge a formal complaint with the concerned authorities on this whole fiasco to get to the bottom of it or do you plan to go legal?
Sandip:As for going legal, I am still deciding about it. Though some of my friends are for it but some experienced friends from the industry say that I shouldn't. Anyway, my work will speak more than these false reports. I'm still undecided. But journalists like you and from different medias have come forward to support me. So, if this continues,I will not have to go legal. And in India going legal means years of running to court and lawyers...it's not easy. I hope people support me after hearing my side of the story.
Sandip:As for going legal, I am still deciding about it. Though some of my friends are for it but some experienced friends from the industry say that I shouldn't. Anyway, my work will speak more than these false reports. I'm still undecided. But journalists like you and from different medias have come forward to support me. So, if this continues,I will not have to go legal. And in India going legal means years of running to court and lawyers...it's not easy. I hope people support me after hearing my side of the story.
Now, with two leading dailies of UK confirming Sandip's presence at the royal function...Sandip could well be given the benefit of doubt. Hey readers, you also can send in your comments on this whole episode.
Take care and ciao until next month!
Love,
Take care and ciao until next month!
Love,
Sonyaa
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