chinatown

Unplugged; anil ambani.

Every morning at 5:30 a.m., six days a week, Anil goes jogging/running for 18 km. Wherever in the world, he never misses this run. His inspiration (just for the run, we hope); President George Bush! - For two years, Anil has been doing yoga to improve his running. His kids want him to win a marathon. - If he’s in Mumbai on a Sunday, lunch is a must at Tiffin, The Oberoi’s. He spends the rest of the day with family. - A stickler for time, he reaches work at 9:30 a.m. sharp and leaves by 9:30 p.m. He rarely changes this routine. - He is quite the car freak. He drives himself and is fond of his Mercedes and Range Rover. - Anil is a Shiv bhaktand has done the Kailash Mansarovar parikrama twice. Before any big launch, he makes a trip to Tirupati. - When hockey star Dhanraj Pillai asked for his autograph, they made a deal and gave each other their respective autographs. He is proud of the fact that Pillai had heard about his interest in longdistance running. - When in Delhi, he stops at India Gate for two minutes and eats a choco-bar ice-cream from a handcart. - A vegetarian, his favourite food is baigan ka bhartaand chole. And for 25 years, roadside pav bhaji from Soli's, Haji Ali. - His only indulgence is a thin crust margarita pizza without cheese. Can’t sleep for more than five hours, doesn’t drink or smoke. - At 8 a.m., he begins a round of phone calls with key employees. - His favourite piece of advice; Don’t hire a consultant to tell you the time from your own watch! - Likes artefacts, particularly based on horses.

I wanted to be an IAS officer: Neha Dhupia

New Delhi, Bollywood oomph girl Neha Dhupia says her dream at one time was to become an IAS officer.

"What I plan never works out. So I have stopped planning now," Neha told IANS over the telephone. "I wanted to join the civil services and become an IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer and did not have any plans to model or act.

"But, then, Miss India happened suddenly and now here I am, doing films."

The 26-year-old actress, who bagged the Miss India Universe title in 2002 and a year later made her Bollywood debut in "Qayamat: City Under Threat", is currently shooting for a film "I'm 24", being directed by Saurabh Shukla.

"It is about a guy who is 42 years of age but has to lie that he is only 24 to get something," Neha explains. "The movie will show his struggles and hardships and then he meets me. I play the character of a struggling actress."

The silver screen scorcher, well known for portraying bold characters in films such as "Julie" and "Sheesha", loves to travel, read and takes a keen interest in sports. And she says she would love to be part of a film that would capture and present her real character to the audience.

"I would love it if someone makes a film to showcase who Neha Dhupia really is. What I am, what I like and what I stand for."

Dhupia says her stint at Bollywood has been great so far but adds, "There is still a long way to go and now I want to play different characters."