By:
Upala
KBR,
Mid-Day
Friday,
April
28,
2006
Manisha
Koirala's
latest
"good
friend" is
Tariq
Premji,
the
younger
son
of
IT
mogul
Azim
Premji,
of
Wipro.
The
actress,
who
has
just
won
an
award
in
Nepal
and
is
currently
in
Pakistan
with
Akbar
Khan
for
the
screening
of
Taj
Mahal,
shares
a
close
friendship
with
Tariq,
who
is
25
-
nearly
a
decade
younger
than
the
34-year-old
Koirala.
'She's
dating
Tariq'
Says
a
source
close
to
the
actress,
"Manisha
has
known
Tariq
for
many
years.
She
is
dating
him,
but
right
now,
wants
to
keep
it
under
wraps.
Prior
to
Manisha,
Tariq
was
dating
Farah
Mehta
(daughter
of
Rita
and
Karl
Mehta).
She
was
always
fond
of
Tariq,
but
at
that
time,
he
was
involved
with
Farah,
while
she
was
dating
Cecil
Anthony,
so
they
both
stayed
strictly
friends.
In
Bangalore
circles,
Tariq
is
known
as
a
good
guy,
without
any
airs
or
attitude.
Whenever
he
comes
to
Mumbai,
he
makes
it
a
point
to
meet
Manisha
and
spend
time
with
her.
Whenever
he
is
in
the
city,
they
go
out
for
the
evening."
Said
a
spokesperson
from
Wipro's
Bangalore
office,
"We
can't
comment
on
this.
Tariq
Premji
doesn't
sit
at
this
office." Manisha,
too,
was
unavailable
for
comment,
but
Prashant
Chaudhary,
her
current
boyfriend,
denies
the
Tariq
rumour.
Manisha
Koirala
with
Prashant
Chaudhary
(left)
at
Suchitra
Krishnamoorthy's
painting
exhibition
last
year
"As
far
as
I
know,
Manisha
and
Tariq
are
very
good
friends,
but
not
dating
each
other.
I
think
they
are
close
family
friends
and
have
known
each
other
for
seven
years.
There
is
nothing
more
to
their
relationship
than
friendship."
Prashant's
party
About
his
current
relationship
with
the
actress,
Prashant
says,
"Manisha
and
I
are
extremely
close
and
good
friends.
Last
Sunday,
I
had
a
brunch
party
for
Manisha
and
her
friends
at
Taxi
(Cuffe
Parade).
I
had
personally
invited
the
guests."
Tariq:
A
rundown
Tariq
Premji
is
not
part
of
the
family
business.
Wipro
Ltd
Chairman
Azim
Premji's
second
son
is
involved
with
the
Azim
Premji
Foundation,
spearheaded
by
his
mother.
The
foundation
runs
on
Premji's
personal
funding
and
aims
to
improve
education
standards
at
state-funded
schools.
The
Premjis
are
private
people,
and
lead
quiet
lives.
Although
Azim
Premji
ranks
second
on
the
global
Indian
rich-list,
his
older
son,
Rishad,
had
a
very
low-key
wedding
recently.
There
was
no
lavish
reception,
loud
function,
or
famous
names
on
the
guest
list.
Rishad
married
childhood
sweetheart
Aditi
in
a
civil
ceremony
last
year.