By:
Upala
KBR,
Mid-Day
Tuesday,
August
01,
2006
Most
people
might
know
JP
Dutta
as
a
stern
disciplinarian
and
demanding
director.
But
few
know
that
once
off
the
sets,
he
is
a
fun-loving
person
who
loves
flying
kites!
In
fact,
the
director
displayed
his
love
for
the
soaring
sport
in
Jaipur
recently,
when
he
taught
his
lead
actress,
Aishwarya
Rai,
how
to
fly
a
kite.
Says
Bindiya,
JP
Dutta's
wife,
and
online
producer
of
Umrao
Jaan,
"We
were
staying
at
the
Jaipur
Palace,
and
after
the
shoot
was
over
we
all
went
onto
the
terrace.
It
was
Makar
Sankranti
and
the
sky
was
filled
with
hundreds
of
kites.
JP
got
very
nostalgic,
remembering
his
childhood
days
when
he
would
fly
kites
with
his
friends.
He
told
the
cast
and
crew
to
come
up
and
start
flying
kites
too.
Ash
said
she'd
never
flown
a
kite
before.
That's
when
JP
told
her
that
he'd
teach
her
how."
Flying
high
Sunil
Shetty,
who
plays
the
dacoit
Faiz
Ali
in
Umrao
Jaan,
adds,
"I'm
a
master
kite
flyer!
In
fact,
I'm
even
really
good
at
gilli
danda,
as
I've
been
brought
up
on
these
games.
From
tying
the
kanni
to
keeping
a
steady
hand,
is
something
I
am
at
expert
at.
But
I
have
to
admit
JP
saab
is
the
boss
when
it
comes
to
flying
kites.
He
not
only
taught
Ash
how
to
fly
a
kite,
but
everybody
from
the
camera
guys
to
the
assistant
directors
had
a
blast
that
day.
Ash
learnt
from
an
expert
and
picked
up
very
quickly.
Even
Abhishek
knew
how
to
fly
a
kite
and
joined
us.
JP
saab
and
I
didn't
compete
with
each
other,
but
instead
had
a
blast
cutting
off
other's
kites
-
Ash's,
Shabana's
and
Divya
Dutta's.
It
was
a
lot
of
fun!" Sunil
reminisces.
Travel
bug
For
Sunil,
shooting
for
JP
Dutta
was
like
a
picnic.
Says
Shetty,
"He's
extremely
sporty
and
insists
that
every
member
of
the
cast
and
crew
join
him
after
shooting
is
over.
So
we
all
dine
together,
play
games
and
chat.
He
doesn't
like
us
retiring
to
our
rooms
after
shooting
is
over.
Even
while
shooting
for
LOC,
we
would
play
cricket.
Bindiya
is
dangerous.
She
has
the
habit
of
getting
sweets
from
the
best
of
places
and
placing
them
in
front
of
us
so
temptingly.
So
after
every
schedule
of
JP
saab's
film,
we
come
away
10
kilos
heavier!"
But
the
best
part
about
Dutta's
shooting,
says
Sunil,
is
"the
fact
that
we
get
to
visit
the
most
exotic
of
locales
and
acquire
a
thorough
knowledge
of
the
region's
culture,
cuisine
and
people.
I
have
travelled
everywhere
-
from
Leh
to
Ladakh
and
now
Jaipur,
Bikaner
and
the
interiors
of
Rajasthan
-thanks
to
JP
saab.
It
is
a
tremendous
experience.
He
spoils
us."
What
is
Makar
Sankranti?
According
to
Hindu
legend,
Bhishma
Pitamaha
was
wounded
during
the
war
of
Kurukshetra.
He
had
the
power
to
choose
the
time
of
his
death,
so
he
lay
on
a
bed
of
arrows
for
26
days
so
that
he
could
die
on
Makar
Sankranti
day
(January
14).
On
this
day,
when
the
sun
begins
its
northward
journey
(the
uttarayan)
by
entering
the
Makar
Rashi
(the
Capricorn),
the
doors
of
heaven
are
kept
open.
All
divya
atmas
or
sacred
souls
go
to
heaven
and
are
spared
the
cycle
of
rebirth.
Makar
Sankranti
is
celebrated
by
flying
kites
in
most
parts
of
India,
especially
Rajasthan,
Gujarat
and
Maharashtra.