Rani Mukherjee may today be one of the country’s finest actors but the Bengali girl says she was never confident about her acting skills and had actually recieved a cultural shock when she first stepped into tinsel town.

“I really got a cultural shock when I went for my first screening test as I was asked to wear a mini-shirt and I was not used to it. I was never confident and was too happy to be rejected,” says the actress who hails from a ‘filmi’ family.

The actress who was initially hesitant to enter Bollywood is now quite comfortable with a host of films in her kitty and several in the pipeline.

“Even though I come from a filmi family, I wanted my father to do something else and used to shy away from telling others about my background. But my parents motivated me and now I feel it was the best thing to have happened in my life,” says the actress who began her career with ‘Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat.’

Reinventing herself with each role, Rani has earned a reputation of one of the finest actors that has bagged her the role of an ‘angel’ in her next film.

‘Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic’, it is perhaps her only release this year but Rani is too happy to play a nanny of four orphans in the movie.

“I play an angel who comes to earth to help four orphans. I don’t think many actors have played such a character. It was very challenging as an actor. I got to do many he-man stunts,” she says.

Britain will honour Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty and Formula one racing driver Lewis Hamilton for their contribution to the “diversity agenda”.

Shetty will be presented with the Global Diversity Award- 2008 at a glittering gala at the Riverbank Park Plaza hotel hosted by the Next Steps Foundation, tonight.

Shetty rose to fame last year after she was subjected to racist remarks and subsequent humiliation by some participants in the popular television reality show ‘Big Brother’. She was praised universally for showing restraint and handling the issue with poise and dignity.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Any Burnham will be prominent among the 500 attending the event.

The event will highlight the European Year of Intercultural dialogue, an EU Commission initiative that invites EU nations to celebrate diversity in Europe.

MP Keith Vaz, Patron of the Next Steps Foundation and UK Ambassador for the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue said, “I am very pleased that we are able to honour two such important contributors to the diversity and equality agenda in the UK and across the world. Both have faced adversity in their careers but have dealt with it with grace and dignity.”

“I am delighted that we will be joined by two Cabinet Ministers. This signifies the importance with which they regard the issue of diversity.”

“European champions will also be appointed during the evening. These are people who will be able to spread the message of what this year means for Europe. I hope that this evening helps to raise awareness,” He added.

Saif Ali Khan is very very upset with reports that he has lately been crowding ladylove Kareena with his attentions. So much so that he’s ready to go to any lengths to prove that there can never be too much of love.

“Of course I want to be with her as much as I can. My regret is we can’t be together more often. Even when we are not together at the same place we’re still together emotionally.

We’re uncannily similar people and I’ve only now begun to understand why I need to be with her constantly. She complements me, as I hope I complement her. So of course I try to be where she is.

And yes earlier this month I did fly down to Amsterdam to be with Kareena when she was performing on stage. I went to Amesterdam for myself, not for her. I understand people want to put our relationship under a miscroscope.

They want to know about our relationship. But there’s only so much that they can know or perceive. What Kareena and I feel for each other, only the two of us know.”

Saif has never sounded so fiercely committed. “If I’m sounding that way it’s because that’s how I feel. With due respects to all the other relationships in life, after my marriage to Amrita and my two kids this is the most important relationship I’ve had. And yes I’m ready to make it legal anytime.”

So is Said contemplating marriage sooner than the 3-4 years target that the couple had set to walk earlier? “Oh yes much sooner. In fact people may be hearing an announcement from us very soon.

If I had my way I’d marry her today right here in London where she’s joined me. In any case aren’t we supposed to have gone through a secret Muslim marriage?” Saif chuckles.

Saif can barely contain his anxiety and eagerness to do the right thing. “Of course I’m anxious. You must understand this is the most important part of my life…so much so that at times I find even my career taking a backseat to my relationship

I’ve to guard against that. I must quickly learn to separate the professional from the personal.”

As candid and heart-on-the-sleeve as ever, Saif admits it would take his children Sarah and Ibrahim a while to get used to the changes in their dad’s life.

“I’m not going to pretend that my children, Kareena and I have become one big family. They’re intelligent kids with a mind of their own.

Sarah is in fact 13 and a lady herself. It would be quite a while before they are fully comfortable with the change in my life. They haven’t spent that much time with Kareena to know her as well as I do. But the good things is, everyone close to me realizes that this relationship is for keeps, that I’ve never been more serious.

Now it’s entirely up to me and Kareena to take the relationship to the next level.”

Wedding bells are certainly audible. And not far way.

Courtesy : www.santabanta.com