But then, when we met Vikram in Delhi some days ago, he said he'd been sober for over three weeks, and showed us the many religious tattoos on his arms, one of them being 'Safira', giving us a glimpse of his other side, the one that tabloids don't pick up. Vikram's multi-million dollar nuptials to Delhi model Priya Sachdev in 2006 made headlines, but after his split from Priya, Vikram has been in the news for all the wrong reasons.

He was sent to rehab just a year after his marriage, and two rehab stints later, this model-cum-actor has embraced sobriety "for the sake of Safira". "It has been about three weeks since I quit drinking.

The urge comes..

. You just have to get around it.

I had got disconnected and lost focus, and I am doing this for myself, to enjoy life with my daughter," he says. Known as the hard partying billionaire in New York , Vikram was linked with Lindsay Lohan in 2011.

But he refuses to talk about the link-ups that made him a gossip column fixture. "I'd like to keep my private life and all those dating rumours about Hollywood women private," he asserts.

Instead, he chooses to talk about his current focus in life - his business, films and his daughter. "I was in India in January for a business trip.

I want to open a few hotels, and that takes time," he tells us. Intent on getting rid of his playboy image, Vikram, when quizzed about Angela Lindvall , his current flame whom he brought to India with him, defends his 'friend' as someone who wants to become a yoga guru.

"She's (Angela) a famous supermodel in America. She is studying Kundalini Yoga very seriously and she's learning to become a master teacher of yoga in America.

Her guru is Yogi Bhajan, who has converted 1.5 crore people in America to follow yoga.

He has written a lot of books. She follows him very seriously," he says.

Fresh out of a rehabilitation centre in Bangalore where he was kept on a strict diet of raw fruits and vegetables, Vikram says he is a changed man and wants to lose weight for his upcoming films. "They use certain oils, mud packs, a diet of fruits and vegetables - no medicines - to cure everyone from smokers to cancer patients.

On the 10th day, I found a bar of chocolate in my suitcase and had it, and it was like ecstasy..

. almost like an orgasm," Vikram says.

He'll also be getting back to acting as well as producing films soon. "I am doing a rugby film with Mickey Rourke , so I have to lose weight.

I lost 11kg in 11 days. I play tennis, squash and I do power yoga to keep me busy.

I also have a Shekhar Kapur film lined up for which I had to learn the British accent. I am also doing a film with Apoorva Lakhia, Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham.

Then there's another called "Below Poverty Line" with Amy Jackson and Gulshan Grover , apart from a Hollywood film with Ashley Judd." But films are secondary in Vikram's life, and what really has all his attention is his five-year-old daughter Safira.

He says he is the typical overprotective father. "Once she starts mentioning dating and boys, I'll keep a gun on me," he says, only half-joking.

"I have a big influence on her life. I'm happy with the way her mom has raised her.

She's a nice little girl who likes to play with her friends. I am the only male who is close to her.

We play together, have baths together and I ask her questions about boys, and she gets very shy." He then adds, "I am not afraid of my daughter following in my footsteps, she's a very strong little girl.

There are things I am notorious for; I am sure she will eventually read about them. There were some pictures of me with an American actress that came out, and she was like 'Daddy, daddy, what are you doing?' But she's her own person and I'll be like any other Indian father.

I'll protect her and give her what she wants. When I got separated, I thought I wouldn't be spending much time with her, and that's what made me depressed and led to my drinking habit.

" What many people don't know is that Vikram is very superstitious and follows astrology closely. He even planned the birth of his first child around November.

"I believe in birthdates and astrology. I made sure my daughter was born a Scorpio because I get along with Scorpios really well.

I have a Scorpio tattoo, and 'Safira' inked on my arm. When Scorpios come in contact with other Scorpios, they become more passionate.

My close friend Sussanne Roshan is a Scorpio, and all we do is talk about being Scorpios. Any girl I've ever come across who was a Scorpio has challenged me, and been artistic and passionate.

I say stuff like 'knock on wood' and I bless myself with things, because I believe there's a force that's greater than us." Vikram also clears rumours about any tiff with his estranged wife, Priya (Sachdev).

"Priya and I talk about Safira all the time. We are really proud parents.

There are no hard feelings. In any relationship, it's tough, but if you're smart and mature, you will make sacrifices and make each other happy.

I am very proud of the way Priya has brought Safira up." (less)

However, Paoli maintains that she will continue to do intimate scenes as she has no hang-ups with them. "I have no inhibitions as an actor," says Paoli who is now starring in Vikram Bhatt's next venture - Love Games which is a story about wife swapping.

The story itself points to high sexual content. So, has Bhatt cast her again in his film because she has no problems with intimate scenes? The filmmaker says, "She is a very good actor who has no qualms about her sexuality.

" Paoli, on her part, adds, "There is a thin line between vulgarity and sensuality which I am careful about. We needed bold scenes to portray the character of the wife in the film.

" Earlier, Paoli had also termed her role of a journalist turned sex worker in her first film as "bold". What defines bold for her? "Boldness is a genre of films that is high on erotic content.

It doesn't, in anyway imply, vivid sex scenes to back weak scripts," Paoli justifies. Before venturing into mainstream B-town, Paoli has worked in Bengali parallel cinema.

Chatrak, a film on the socio-political life of a city, as she defines it, was a directorial endeavour by Sri Lanka-based filmmaker Vimukthi Jayasundara . It was termed as the boldest film ever made and sources reveal how viewers walked out of the theatres because of the explicit scenes between Paoli and Anubrata Basu.

"I do not believe in parallel cinema. Every film is made for money and it is not different from the mainstream," she explains.

So why did she star in Chatrak - which falls in the category of parallel cinema? "Because it was an international film. Plus, I got to walk the red carpet at Cannes 2011 and that is a dream come true for any actor.

" Rumours are that once she became the blue-eyed girl in the Bhatt camp, she backed out of Choli ke Peeche , a film by an Italian director, in which she was supposed to go topless. "It did not work out as the schedule was postponed and the lead actor, Irrfan Khan, also backed out.

" she says. Does this mean that the sexy Bong siren will only star in big banner films? "The character, script, banner and co-actors definitely matter to me," she says (less)

The star-wife must be willing to turn a blind eye to her husband's below-the-belt shenanigans, and the star-wife is free to do what she wants, with whoever she wishes." Not all star-couples in Bollywood are as perfect as they appear to be on the surface.

The most picture-perfect marriages of our movies have many creases underneath. In a world of illimitable chances for infidelity and promiscuity, marriages require hard work.

Their marriages may not be made in heaven, but hell, some of them have worked to make them last! The final word on making a marriage last has to come from the mega-star Amitabh Bachchan who has been married for 37 years. His formula for a successful marriage? "Just stay married!" My wife's my best friend: Akshay Kumar Since their marriage in 2001, there have been murmurs and whispers.

But Twinkle remains unfazed, as she knows that at the end of the day, her husband will come home only to her. Says Akshay, "My wife Tina (Twinkle) and son Aarav, along with my mother, my sister and niece are the most important people in my life.

My wife is my best friend. I lean on her completely for everything, from choosing my clothes to our vacation destination.

I think one of the secret formulas of a successful marriage is taking vacations together. I make sure we go on at least two-three holidays per year.

I don't party, socialise or spend time with producers and film people. After work, I head straight home.

If there's time after shooting we go out for dinner or a spin. Otherwise, we are at home together just chilling.

To me, my marriage is the most important part of life. I have no life without my wife and son.

" He adds, "Tina and I are total opposites and that's the greatest attraction. Our individual weaknesses are each other's biggest strengths.

We treat each other equally, giving great importance to each other's careers as well. We put family first and make each other feel like the most important person in the room, regardless of where we may be.

You'll often find us together — Tina reading, Aarav drawing or playing video games, while I watch cricket." Akshay's Tip: Make your spouse your friend! (Inputs: Seema Sinha) Rishi's lost without me: Neetu Kapoor "What has kept my marriage going for 30 years is my faith in it.

My husband may not be the perfect spouse, but he knows he is quite lost without me. We married when we were both young.

I was very immature back then. I remember I was working with Mr Bachchan, when I blurted out to him, 'I love you'.

He laughed and said I didn't know what I was saying. In hindsight, I realised it was true.

I was so nave. I just fell in love and wanted to spend my life with Chintu.

I didn't know my real maturation would begin after marriage. It hasn't been easy.

Of course, we've had our ups and downs. He might have had his little flings, but never any serious relationship other than me.

The thing is I am totally oblivious to the world outside. My children and my husband are my world.

I am so clueless about what's going on. The other day I saw a girl whom I know, and she was pregnant.

My first question was, 'When did she get married?!' My companion looked at me and laughed, 'She's pregnant but not married. You need to come out of Krishna Raj (the Kapoors' residence) more often'.

But I seriously don't care about the world outside. First it was Chintu only, now it's him and my two children who are my world.

When Ranbir or Riddhima are in town, I like to be home for them. When my daughter Riddhima left home to study abroad I cried and cried, wondering how I'd manage without her.

That separation strengthened me, prepared me for her marriage. When Ranbir left to study abroad, I didn't grieve that much.

He asked me if I loved him less than his sister. But it wasn't that.

It was just that I had become stronger. When Riddhima moved to Delhi after marriage, I was not that affected.

We talk on the phone every day. But I keep a distance from her married life and advise my husband to do the same.

Every phase in your marriage makes you wiser. Earlier, I was completely dependent on him.

Today, he is more dependent on me. If I have to go out of town I can see the pain in his eyes.

' Neetu's Tip: Accept your man for what he is! It's been a perfect dream: Saira Banu In his 44-year-old marriage with yesteryears' beauty queen Saira Banu, the mighty thespian Dilip Kumar has strayed only once. This was in the early 1980s.

Before their marriage there were innumerable link-ups with timeless beauties Madhubala, Waheeda Rehman and Vyjanthimala among others. The movie industry was shocked into silence when the 22-year-old beauty Saira Banu grabbed the privilege of marrying the mighty Yusuf Khan.

In their long and scandal-free marriage, only once did the marriage hit shaky ground when Yusuf Saab was apparently "trapped" into marrying a fan named Asma. Saira bore the humiliation stoically.

She knew her 'Saab' would come to his senses. He did.

Said Saira, "For me, it was always Saab, no one else. I was his fan from the time I can remember.

While still a teenager, I wanted to be his wife. I am very headstrong and once I made up my mind, there was no stopping me.

I knew many beautiful women wanted to marry Saab, but he chose me. It was my dream come true and that's what my marriage has been — a perfect dream.

Looking after Saab, his life and his home now comes naturally to me. Saab never asked me to give up my career.

In fact, he encouraged me to continue after marriage. But, after a while, my heart was not in my career.

I just wanted to take care of Saab. Our marriage is the most important thing in my life.

I don't miss having a child because Saab is like a child at heart." Saira's Tip: Make your marriage a priority! Mehr & I are not bored: Arjun Rampal When one of the ramp's most eligible hunks married the older supermodel Mehr Jessia eyebrows were raised.

No one thought the marriage would last. Today, two daughters later, Arjun smiles proudly at the family portrait.

"I dote on the three beautiful ladies in my life. Mehr and I have been married for 12 years.

People ask me how our marriage has lasted this long. I come from a broken home and I know what it does to the kids.

When in my latest film We Are Family I had to play a husband who has left his wife and children for another woman, I had to dig really deep into the darkest regions of my psyche. Leaving my family is an option I would never exercise.

Anyway, never say never. You don't know what's going to happen in the future.

You've to focus on keeping the marriage going. You have to be aware constantly about what you've got at home and how special it is.

Mehr and I are very close. There's a lot of stability in my life because of her and a lot of happiness.

We don't get bored with one another. People who stray from their marriage do so out of a sense of boredom and insecurity.

Mehr and I are a victim of neither." Arjun's Tip: Stay connected, enjoy each other's company! Don't carry grudges: Vikram Tamil superstar Vikram has been married to Shylaja for 18 years.

Says Vikram, "When your wife becomes your best friend, marriage is a fun trip all the way. It's not like we don't have our share of fights.

We squabble almost every day, but we are soon laughing and teasing each other about it. I think a successful marriage is all about respecting one another, understanding each other's idiosyncracies and giving one another space.

It's also about trying to change, mould and bend a bit to accommodate your partner. At home, I'm just a normal Dad and husband.

Bonding with the children is, I think, an important part of a successful marriage. An unknown recipe for a successful marriage recommends that you don't carry your grudges and differences over from one day to the next.

That's a little difficult sometimes. I do sort out our differences, but thanks to feminine stubbornness, it sometimes takes a couple of days to get things back to normal mode.

Oops, why do I feel the last thing I said will start a tiff at home? Temptation? Ah, it's all about not getting caught..

.by temptation.

Gochta! Just knowing what you're going to lose (and it's not just peace of mind) is a very sobering thought." Vikram's Tip: Squabble, but laugh it off ! (less)

'He is done with the treatment and today is even repulsed by the smell of alcohol.' The source adds that Chatwal got hooked to the habit back in the day when he started socialising with people who partied hard.

Soon, it became an addiction. At the time friends and family sat him down and tried to get him off the habit, reiterating all the while that it would wreck him.

But there was no turning back for the young man. 'Eventually there came a time when he started complaining of getting weird and scary thoughts.

He went into acute depression and lost interest in everything,' adds the source. His well-wishers in the film industry came to his aid and convinced him to check into a rehab programme.

The recovery has been faster than expected, adds the source. 'He is an intelligent man and it is good to now that a life was saved from being wasted.

' Buzz is that soon we might see a reunion between him and his estranged wife Priya Sachdev (whom he married in an extravagant celebration) as well. Sphere: Related Content Categories 5 Reasons (less)

'He is done with the treatment and today is even repulsed by the smell of alcohol.' The source adds that Chatwal got hooked to the habit back in the day when he started socialising with people who partied hard.

Soon, it became an addiction. At the time friends and family sat him down and tried to get him off the habit, reiterating all the while that it would wreck him.

But there was no turning back for the young man. 'Eventually there came a time when he started complaining of getting weird and scary thoughts.

He went into acute depression and lost interest in everything,' adds the source. His well-wishers in the film industry came to his aid and convinced him to check into a rehab programme.

The recovery has been faster than expected, adds the source. 'He is an intelligent man and it is good to now that a life was saved from being wasted.

' Buzz is that soon we might see a reunion between him and his estranged wife Priya Sachdev (whom he married in an extravagant celebration) as well. Sphere: Related Content Post a comment Name: Email: URL: Comments: Notify me of followup comments via e-mail Categories 5 Reasons (less)

Tere Mere Sapne was inspired by the A.J.

Cronin classic The Citadel. "My film is neither based on The Citadel nor Tere Mere Sapne," clarifies Vikram Bhatt from the sets of Ankahee.

Now it seems Ankahee is actually a recreation of a very famous friendship from filmdom between Raj Kapoor and Vyjanthimala in the 1960s and the doctor who finally married the actress and rescued her from an emotional cul de sac. "Let me clarify, Ankahee is based neither on Tere Mere Sapne nor on any real-life relationship in showbiz.

It's entirely my own story. It's entirely on my life.

As for Raj Kapoor and Vyjanthimala , I don't even know their story. I know only the emotional trauma in my life.

My wife, Sushmita and my daughter were part of my traumatic experience. And yes, I'm using that experience to create a film.

"When Ankahee was in production trouble it was very nice of Pritish and Rongita Nandy to pick up the project overnight. They heard my story and okayed the project in 48 hours?which is the fastest ever for Pritish Nandy Communications.

Vikram admits the overnight change in the cast caused tremendous heartburn. "Originally I had signed Sanjay Suri, Rituparna Sengupta and Divya Dutta to play the three central roles.

I did explain my position to Sanjay and Ritu about the change of cast. And that they had to be replaced by Aftab Shivdasani and Esha Deol.

"Divya, unfortunately , got to know through the media before I could tell her that Amisha had replaced her. I wanted to tell all three that I couldn't fight for their presence in the film.

I couldn't help the situation. The new producers wanted to go with a much more established cast.

I fought hard for my original cast. But finally it's the producers' money and therefore their call.

" But Amisha Patel who is Vikram's real-life partner taking over from Divya Dutta raised many eyebrows. "Why should it? It may make others uncomfortable, not me.

Pritish Nandy thought the project had much more commercial potential than I was originally giving it. He felt I didn't have to give it an arthouse look, hence the more commercial cast.

" I've never seen Vikram so much at peace with himself. "That's because I'm finally making the film I always I wanted to make.

Ankahee is a slice of my life. And yes it is based on my life.

But it's not Sushmita Sen's story. It never was.

I 've gone through an extra-marital relationship and have watched my marriage fall apart. "Naturally those experiences are part of Ankahee.

I cannot deny them. Ankahee is my most personal film to date.

But because of the media glare, and all the speculation I decided to change the protagonist's character from a filmmaker to a doctor. I didn't want people to think that infidelity and extra-marital relationships go on only in showbiz.

" Vikram is more than happy with his new cast. "Esha is going to surprise everyone.

I can't be pompous enough to think it will change her career. But people will look at Esha differently?Ankahee is a film that looks at the naked truth.

It was waiting to come out of me for along time." Vikram comments on the sudden audience curiosity about affairs of the heart among the rich and the famous.

"I guess everyone wants to know what celebrities do in their bedrooms. You can call it a healthy curiosity.

All I want is for audiences to come out of Ankahee looking at the characters as flawed people making inevitable mistakes in life. It's an entirely cathartic experience for me.

"It's the story of a man who messes up personally. Ankahee is the most important film I ever made in my life.

There're times when I just break down as I shoot this film. I'm re-living my past in Akahee.

" And when is Vikram making his relationship with Amisha official? "I don't know. At this point of time she's chasing her career, and I'm chasing her.

I'm ready whenever she is. This relationship is for keeps.

But I don't want to say much. In the past I've been terribly hurt after taking a relationship to my heart.

" (less)

"There are three main characters, me, Abhishek and Aishwarya. I've done a lot of tortuous sequences in the past.

But this one takes the cake and the ache. And Aishwarya suffered all the wounds, pain, fever and insect bites heroically in the forests.

For all the dangerous scenes she hardly ever used a duplicate. She was totally up to the task," said Vikram.

The 44-year-old actor endured quite a bit of pain too. "Bruises, wounds, sprained ankle.

..

you name it. During the climactic fight I had a catch in my back.

I couldn't walk, let alone fight. I had my physiotherapist with me to relieve my muscle pain," he said.

But Vikram can't stop praising Aishwarya, specially her dancing skills. "I always felt Madhuri Dixit was the best dancer ever.

But then I saw how Aishwarya held her own in Devdas . I thought it was fantastic.

It was really nice to see her dance. I just forgot my own steps and kept staring.

Every hero from the south wants to work with her at some point in his career..

.I got my opportunity finally.

"It's wonderful that I'm making my Hindi debut with her..

.She has some kind of an enduring aura.

Over the years she has really evolved as an actor," Vikram said. In the Hindi version, he will be seen in a positive role as Aishwarya's husband while in Tamil he will play Beera, a negative character being essayed by Abhishek in the Hindi version.

"I had to do two characters. But she had to play the same character twice in two languages one after another.

For example, if she had to climb a rock with me, she'd do it, climb down and then do it again with Abhishek." And what about Abhishek, who helped Vikram with his Hindi? "Abhishek is one of my best friends.

I am known to be the prankster. But with Abhishek around, I had to withdraw from the brat race," he laughed.

Playing Aishwarya's noble husband in the Hindi version and then the dark outlaw, who kidnaps her in the Tamil version, was not easy. "And we had to do it in two consecutive shots one after another.

It was very exciting for me..

.Though I'm known to change my look, but going from the husband's look to the outlaw's look after six-seven months didn't seem feasible.

So, we decided to do both versions simultaneously. "When you see Raavan in two languages, you won't recognise me as the same person in both.

I had to change my body language and get-up completely." Vikram has taken his time making an entry into Hindi films.

"That's because my work in the south has been time-consuming. All my Tamil films take one to two years.

I like to take my time over my projects. I didn't want to enter Hindi cinema until I was ready.

" "The work in Mumbai is so exciting. When I saw Rang De Basanti, Lagaan, 3 Idiots and My Name Is Khan , I wanted to be part of them.

I wish we could make films like that in Tamil..

.Most Tamil films are rustic, rural, rugged and violent.

Many of them are set in Madurai, which is known to be an aggressive city." Vikram's wife Shailaja is a psychology teacher and the couple have two children.

"My daughter is 12 and my son is eight. My son is totally hooked to cinema.

He wants to be an actor. But I'd rather he concentrated on his studies.

I'm sure he'll do great in movies some day. I'm also moving towards direction with every movie.

It's subliminal..

. But I'm learning on the sets all the time," Vikram said.

Now Vikram's family is fighting over which version to watch first on release. "Tamil or Hindi is a toss-up.

But I'm not leaving Tamil cinema for Hindi. I've four films to shoot in Tamil.

I've already started my next Tamil film, a psycho-thriller, where I've three roles. I've a film about a stage actor from the 1930s.

..

Even if I do Hindi films I want to be Chennai-based..

.always.

" (less)

Amisha’s relations with her parents had turned sour a few years back over monetary issues when she had complained that her parents had misappropriated her funds. She had served a legal notice on her parents asking them to return her money.

Now her parents are happy that they maybe reconcilled with their girl. Sphere: Related Content Categories 5 Reasons (less)

The industrialist was taken aback to find the millionaire hotelier arrive at the venue with Arjun Rampal and his wife Mehr Jessia. Two months ago, at the birthday party of Natasha Nanda in New Delhi, Chatwal had misbehaved with Yash’s wife Avanti.

The following morning, Vikram was packed off to London by the family, who apologised to the Birlas on his behalf. Those close to the Birlas struck Chatwal off their guest list.

This was his first visit to the city after that episode. Seeing Vikram at the venue irritated Yash and he immediately walked towards the exit.

Gautam Singhania followed suit as he was aware why Yash had stormed off. Seeing the two making a exit, the organisers made a beeline for them and cajoled them to stay on as Yash was to bag the most stylish industrialist award.

Sphere: Related Content Posted in (less)

The industrialist was taken aback to find the millionaire hotelier arrive at the venue with Arjun Rampal and his wife Mehr Jessia. Two months ago, at the birthday party of Natasha Nanda in New Delhi, Chatwal had misbehaved with Yash’s wife Avanti.

The following morning, Vikram was packed off to London by the family, who apologised to the Birlas on his behalf. Those close to the Birlas struck Chatwal off their guest list.

This was his first visit to the city after that episode. Seeing Vikram at the venue irritated Yash and he immediately walked towards the exit.

Gautam Singhania followed suit as he was aware why Yash had stormed off. Seeing the two making a exit, the organisers made a beeline for them and cajoled them to stay on as Yash was to bag the most stylish industrialist award.

Sphere: Related Content Posted in (less)