Heyy Babyy: A heady mix

Heyy Babyy: A heady mix
Smriti Kiran, Friday, July 20, 2007, Sydney

Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan, cheekily referred to as 'the studly and the soulful' is hardly an onscreen pair that leaps out of the page. But they are shaking it up for Sajid Khan's debut film Heyy Babyy.

If you thought they went together as well as rasam and masala chai, it's not surprising.

Whether it was the onscreen banter, the endless stream of pranks, the crazy onscreen situations they got to enjoy, Bollywood's hot new jodi are ready to make audiences say hey baby.

The tagline may as well tell you that Vidya is the woman who makes the three grown men cry. She did that off screen as well, though through tears of laughter.

It was double the fun for Vidya with a brand new look to enjoy. Comedy is never as easy as it looks, except when you are surrounded by a bunch of comedians.

We are not even talking about their roles in the film where, it must be said Akshay's Arush has met his match with Vidya's Isha, so watch the sparks fly.

Vidya Balan enthralls with new look

Vidya Balan enthralls with new look
Smriti, Swati, Friday, July 27, 2007, Mumbai

She lured countless people with her on screen simplicity and innocence when Vidya Balan created waves in Parineeta and subsequently Lage Raho Munnabhai she was all but tagged the girl next door.

In her next film, Heyy Baby she looks and acts different and it is designer Manish Malhotra who has helped Vidya evolve.

The timeless charm of Madhubala, the ethereal beauty of Meena Kumari - it was these legends that Vidya Balan was compared to when she first burst onto the screen, an actress who seemed to belong to a time gone by until now.

If old world charm can take you only so far then it's time for a quick makeover which Vidya got in hey baby where she is for the first time cool and contemporary.

"The image or the imagery that Parineeta created was so strong that in spite of the fact that I have done other films, where it has not been completely Indian, people spoke about Parineeta.

"I think in that sense this is going to be, I don't want to call it the next departure but I do feel its really different for me. It works for me. It works for us. So I think it should work for others. It would be a fresh lease of life. At least people will stop telling me you know we want you to look different," said Vidya Balan, Actress.

Now if you want to shift gears altogether, turn the image around. If you are looking to grab some global glam then designer Manish Malhotra is your man.

"I think the character here is basically that she is intelligent, educated. She lives in Australia and she has turmoil in her life. She is not a character that she is wearing short skirts, sexy clothes, bikini and halter tops which Vidya loves wearing. She loves exposure.

"I had to tell her no Vidya no short skirts. I had to beg her for that and she said no I want to wear these hot clothes but we said no. So we worked on the whole look according to the character and that actually is a bit tougher. Simplicity is more difficult to do than ornate stuff," said Manish Malhotra, Fashion Designer.

Well we will know it works when she hits the screen. Fans will whistle and say, what else, Heyy Baby!