|
|
Arjun Rampal charms South African Indian couple
|
|
Thursday, 20 Feb 2003
|
size : 84 K
4729 views
n e w |
size : 61 K
2494 views
n e w |
size : 183 K
1720 views |
|
For a South African Indian couple, an intimate dinner with actor Arjun Rampal has changed their perception of Bollywood stars.
Abdul and Fathima Carrim were selected from among over 1,500 entrants in a contest run by the country's largest cinema group, Ster-Kinekor, for its Movie Club members in which the winners could have dinner with the star.
Arjun had embarked on a whistle-stop tour of the cinema chain's complexes in Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town over the weekend to promote his film Dil Ka Rishta, which is playing to packed audiences since it opened last month.
Thrilled at meeting the star who they described as being "very down to earth and very sociable", the Carrims were almost not there.
"I don't normally read non-business e-mails," said financial analyst Abdul, "but when I saw that it was from Ster-Kinekor, I printed it out and gave it to my wife."
Fathima filled it in and entered the competition, and the couple were then surprised when called by Shaamila Fataar, Bollywood manager for the company, who told them that they had won.
Ster-Kinekor last year launched a Bollywood Circuit in South Africa, taking Indian films to towns and cities where they had never been shown before.
Abdul confessed he was initially frustrated when he arrived at the Zone Cinema here, where Arjun's appearance had to be cut short after safety concerns as about 2,000 fans surged forward in an attempt to touch him.
"There were a lot of people, and it was getting a bit too much for us, so I decided to take a walk out, but then I though we had come so far and it might turn out better later, and I'm glad we stayed."
At the dinner later at a restaurant at Caesars, an entertainment complex near Johannesburg International Airport, the couple were thrilled at having a meal and chatting with Arjun.
"He is very much a family man. He told us about his family and he dotes on his daughter Monica, whom he spoke to on the phone all the time," said Fathima. "He also told us very candidly what he thought of the Indian cricket team."
Earlier, Arjun had said that the Indian side, which suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Australians last Saturday, "did not know what they were doing on the field".
Arjun also enquired about the couple and their children and spoke at length about his movies.
"Having been told by a client about a bad experience with another big movie star who was here recently, I was very sceptical about this, thinking that it would just be another dinner, but this was wonderful," remarked Abdul.
The Carrims, who admitted they had previously not been great fans of Indian movies, have not even seen Dil Ka Rishta yet. But now they are sure to do so as soon as the film is released in Pretoria, close to their home.
|
More Entertainment News....
Arjun Rampal Links
| Pictures | Wallpapers | Posters | News | FanSites | DVDs | Contact Arjun Rampal
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
