01 December 2004
HAPPY TOGETHER : Jas Arora (with co-star Rui En) says he gets along fine with her.
Byline: Sheela Narayanan
BOLLYWOOD BUZZ
sheela@sph.com.sg
J AS Arora is one relieved actor.
The 29-year-old Bollywood resident told The New Paper that shooting the second season of the MediaCorp sitcom, Achar!, was ‘like a dream’.
Compared, that is, to last year’s storm in the masala teacup when he apparently fell out with former co-star Steph Song.
Steph was replaced with singer-actress Rui En.
The 23-year-old has been nominated for the Most Popular Newcomer category for this year’s Star Awards.
The actors’ spat in the first season didn’t do the sitcom or Jas’s reputation any damage.
Achar! did quite well in the ratings with 538,000 viewers tuning in to its debut episode last year.
But there won’t be any spicy off-screen falling-out between the new leads.
‘We rehearsed about a week. I guess my producers tried to play it safe to make sure Rui En and I got along fine,’ said Jas ruefully.
Jas took 40 days out of his tight filming and modelling schedule to shoot Achar! 2.
‘It’s just great to come to the set this year,’ he said.
As for Rui En, he has only good things to say about her.
‘She is a sweet girl, simple, not too complicated.’
‘We are all very professional,’ said the Delhi-born actor.
Rui En said she didn’t let last year’s baggage get in the way.
‘I felt it wouldn’t be fair to let all the bad press affect my performance or the way I am with the cast.’
‘I kept an open mind. We are all professionals. We are here to work, not to make friends,’ she said.
But she said it turned out quite well anyway.
‘It was very relaxed since it was a sitcom and we (the cast) were always goofing around.
‘It was comfortable,’ said Rui En.
That’s a weight off Jas’ mind, that’s for sure.
He said with a grin: ‘I just hope without the controversies, we get a higher viewership.’
Achar! 2 will debut tomorrow over Channel 5 at 8.30pm.
Source: The New Paper
Categorised in Achar, The New Paper.
22 November 2004
THE sort of politically correct spiel that avoids any satisfactory engagement of thorny questions is not Rui En’s style. The intrepid singer-actress has, after all, stepped into the role vacated by Steph Song in the sitcom Achar!.
Faced with the fairly generic question of ‘What kind of experience did you have filming Achar?’, she chooses to tackle the unspoken subtext head-on instead.’The experience was quite pleasant,’ says the 23-year-old matter-of-factly in a phone interview last Saturday.
Her experience is in stark contrast to the reportedly tumultuous relationship between her predecessor Song and co-star, Bollywood actor Jas Arora, during the filming of the first season of the Channel 5 sitcom last year.
‘I’m sure everyone has heard all the rumours about the last season,’ Rui En says. ‘When I took on this project, I kept telling myself not to make judgments and to go in with an open mind. And it was fine, really.’
She insists that her screen husband is ‘very well-mannered and gentlemanly in a way that you don’t really see much nowadays’.’He actually does things like opening doors for you. The chivalry is quite refreshing.’
Rui En, who bears some resemblance to Song, first came into the spotlight in 2001, when she appeared in a SingTel TV commercial. She then starred in a Jay Chou music video before releasing a Mandarin album in 2003.
Tackling challenging roles is what she has set her mind on after graduating from her banking and finance course from Nanyang Technological University last year.
‘This character is quite feminine, very different from my previous tomboyish roles and my own personality,’ she recalls.
‘It’s quite a challenge to wear skirts and be graceful. The character’s wardrobe is very different from what I would wear in real life.’
Currently starring in the Channel 8 drama My In-Laws, Rui En has also been nominated in the Most Popular Newcomer category for this year’s Star Awards. ‘I was very surprised when I found out because I’ve only been in a few shows.
‘She adds: ‘I won’t be wearing a dress to the Awards. It’s such a struggle to wear them for work.’
The new season of Achar! starts on Dec 2 on Channel 5 at 8.30pm.
Source: The Straits Times
Categorised in Achar, The Straits Times.
Page 59 – Colour Blend
Source: Lime
19 November 2004
Twenty artists have been nominated in both the male and female categories. Fans call their respective 1900 numbers to cast votes for their favourites. The top 10 nominees in each category who get the most votes receive the award.
With well-known faces like Tay not in the race for votes, the spotlight this year falls on the Most Popular Newcomer category.
All five nominees this year are women: Joanne Peh, Felicia Chin, Ng Hui, Rui En and Lim Yi Chyi.
The Star Awards will air on Dec 12 on Channel 8 at 7pm. Log on to www.channel8.com.sg for the relevant numbers to call and vote for your favourite artists.
Source: The Straits Times
Categorised in Star Awards, Star Awards 2004, The Straits Times.
18th November 2004
Source: I Weekly
Categorised in I-Weekly, My Mighty In-laws 野蛮亲家.
11th November 2004
Source: I Weekly
Categorised in I-Weekly, My Mighty In-laws 野蛮亲家.
8 Days #736 11th November 2004
Page 14 – Pretty/Ugly
Source: 8 Days
Categorised in 8 DAYS, You Are The One 1/2缘分.
Categorised in My Mighty In-laws 野蛮亲家.
How is it like working with Rui En?
“It was enjoyable working with Rui En. She is hardworking and very bubbly. On the set, her vivacious laughter when she hears the jokes of others is something I remember. Also sometimes she sings to entertain us on set.”
Source: Mediacorp
Categorised in Ask the Star, MediaCorp, My Mighty In-laws 野蛮亲家.
