Birthday Babe Ameesha Patel lets us in on her birthday secrets.The one friend who makes it a point to meet/wish you every single year on your birthday? “So many friends do that. Sanchita, Prachi, Shalu, Tejal... and their respective spouses. We are the inseparable gang of girls and it’s a riot when we get together.”
The one thing you just HAVE to do on your birthday...? “I love cutting cakes, popping open champagne bottles, having my friends sing for me at the top of their voices. I’m like a child in a candy shop. All my friends have outgrown ‘birthdays’, but I seem to still enjoy mine. It’s exciting and I properly plan for it even till today. I usually begin looking forward to the special day a month before and I remind all those near and dear to me to plan my birthday. I also tell them what I’d like to have for a birthday present. No formalities with them whatsoever!”
So what are your plans this year?
“I’m working all day. I’m going to be shooting for an ad-campaign with Priyadarshan. Then later in the evening there are plans to visit a lounge. Let’s see. Actually, we’ve already had some celebrations – dinner at friends houses and all that. My friends call this Ameesha’s Happy Birthday Week. I like to ease it in and the ease it out. So pre-birthday celebrations, birthday celebrations and post-birthday celebrations is ideal!
So what are the presents you have received this year? “Till now, a Louis Vuitton bag, a lovely phone, a pair of designer shoes, a huge bottle of pink champagne that can feed a party of 40 people!”
Any memories of birthdays celebrated in school? “My birthday always fell in the summer holidays. And during that time we were usually in London, as we were there visiting my uncles and cousins. So, as a child, I’ve always celebrated my birthdays in either Paris or London. In school, I usually celebrated it on the first day of school after summer vacation.”
The most interesting return gift you gave away to your friends when you were younger would be...? “Beautiful pens, which had my name on it. I remember in standard five, we were allowed to write in ink pens. No more pencils for us! So I gave everyone in class an ink pen with my name and birth date imprinted on it in gold. Also, I am all candy pink. I love that colour and hearts and all that. So, yes, I’ve had my fair share of Barbie and Ken birthdays...oh, I’ve done all of that!”
The most ‘ideal’ gift you’d like to receive this year? “May God give my grandmother immortality! I wish for blessings for myself and my near and dear ones, and yes, a mind-blowing script! I want to do good work, and right now don’t quite crave for anything materialistic!”
Any surprise birthday parties? “Yes, when I was 21. I was in Annecy, France, attending summer school, when my uncle arranged a party for me over the weekend around my birthday and even had some friends from Bombay flown in. He took us to a 5-star French Hotel, a lavish place frequented usually by rock-stars. Unforgettable!
Ameesha’s favourite birthday suit...oops birthday dress, we mean? “There was this cute pink frock that I had, and with it was of course matching shoes, hanky-pin, ribbons... And every year I wanted to wear it on my birthday. I of course outgrew it, eventually!”
Have birthdays changed post your actress status? “Not quite. Yes, I receive flowers from colleagues from the film fraternity, but celebrations are kept within my circle of friends. It’s a very private moment, when I let my hair down. So I don’t like to make it a grand wedding reception sort of event.”
