Got a '18 till I die' attitude: Sulagna Panigrahi

Sulagna Panigrahi who turned heads with daily soaps like Ambar Dhara, Do Saheliya and Bidaai, is flying high these days after her big screen debut in Murder 2.

Talking about her character she says with a laugh, "I play a 16 year old girl in the film. In real life, I have a '18 till I die' attitude as well, so it wasn't difficult to go down a few years. The most important thing about my role is that my character is a fighter just like what I am in real life."

Sulagna feels her 'karma' and luck have got her whatever she has in life today. "I believe that if I do good, I will get good returns. There's no doubt that luck plays role in the film industry too," says the 23 year old.
It is generally believed that television actors are not easily accepted in films. "I feel the audience accepts an actor depending on his/her performance. The medium doesn't matter. Actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Vidya Balan, Rajeev Khandelwal, Prachi Desai started their careers with television and today they are big on the silver screen too. In Hollywood, actors do television, films and theatre at one time, then why can't we?" she asks.

Already planning her future, Sulagna says, "I don't crave for lead roles. I want roles of substance. Currently I am reading scripts - it is important what I choose next. People have a lot of expectations from me and I don't want to let them down."

As she got her first share of fame on small screen, would she take up reality shows? Sulagna insists she isn't interested in them. "Nowadays most reality shows have become a little crass. I don't abuse in real life so I don't think I'll be able to give enough masala. Neither do I want to be part of a show like Bigg Boss where the likes of Maria Susairaj are offered ` five crore. I'd love to anchor a show, as I am talkative in real life," she says.

Sulagna loves her share of fun too. "I have fired an AK 47 and driven a tank. I got an opportunity to do all this as I come from an army background. It was super fun to do all this. I am fun-loving in real life too!"

Jerome turns against Maria, blames her for Grover murder

Challenging his conviction for culpable homicide and the 10-year rigorous imprisonment handed to him for killing TV executive Neeraj Grover, former Navy officer Emile Jerome has turned against his girlfriend, Kannada starlet Maria Susairaj, and blamed her for the 2008 murder which shocked the country.

Seeking the reversal of the trial court’s July 1 order that held him guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, Jerome has said in his appeal in the Bombay High Court, “That motive, if any, was with the Original Accused No 1 for committing the offence and not with the Appellant/Original Accused No 2.” According to the chargesheet, Susairaj is accused No. 1 and Jerome, No. 2.

Susairaj was convicted and handed a three-year jail term for disappearance of evidence as she helped Jerome chop Grover’s body and dispose it in the jungles of Thane district. But since she had already spent more time in jail as an undertrial, she was freed a day after the sentencing.

I didn't kill Neeraj Grover, I am innocent: Maria Susairaj

Walking free after three years in the murder case of TV personality Neeraj Grover, Kannada actress Maria Susairaj said on Saturday night that she was innocent.

"I am innocent," said Maria in a press conference in Mumbai as the media briefing was disrupted by angry protests of the friends of Neeraj Grover.

High drama was witnessed in the press conference which was marked by protest and chaos and shouting.

Chased by a battery of mediapersons, Maria Susairaj, the Kannada actress acquitted in the case of helping her boyfriend Jerome murder TV executive Neeraj Grover in her apartment in 2008, walked free on Saturday and went to the Mahim church in Mumbai where she prayed and was in tears.

Maria was caught crying inside the church by the TV cameras that followed her.

She said in the press conference she would not say anything beyond that (I am innocent) while her lawyer Shaikh M Sharif said the body of Neeraj was not cut into 300 pieces as alleged.

He said Jerome came by a flight from Kochi and entered her apartment and killed Neeraj.

The lawyer also showed a picture of the place where the burnt out body of Neeraj was discovered.

He said there were only two bags- in one there was the body and in one some clothes.

The newspersons clamoured for Maria to speak as she said: "I don't want to comment. My lawyer will speak for me."

"Regarding my personal life I don't know what I will do in future. That I am convicted is a stigma for me. So my family will decide for me," she said.

She said in jail she came close to god and felt blessed and that god brought her out now.

"I have left my past behind," she said, adding that she is finding it difficult to face the media now.

"I don't want to comment anything on Neeraj or the case," she said. She said god will guide her.

Maria was released amid a public outrage of their light sentences.

She was released from the Byculla Jail of Mumbai where she was lodged for three years.

There are reports circulating that Maria is wanted in the Bigg Boss next edition and also that filmmaker Ram Gopal Verma wants to cast her in his movie.

In her confession before court, Maria had earlier said that she was forced to help her fiance and killer Jerome after the latter stabbed Neeraj to death at her apartment, then raped her at knife point and then forced her to help in destroying the evidence.

The two had chopped the body of Neeraj into pieces and then burnt it in a jungle in Thane with kerosene oil.

The act of chopping the body has shocked everyone and there was outrage at the light sentencing for both.

Maria had said that the victim, Neeraj, was an innocent man.

Maria was only punished for destroying the evidence of the murder for which the maximum sentence is three years in jail, which she already served since her arrest in 2008.

Her fiance Jerome was sentenced for ten years in jail by the Mumbai sessions court for the murder that hogged the national limelight.

Emile Jerome Mathew, the Navy Lieutenant fiance of Maria, was convicted of culpable homicide not amounting to murder for his crime at the fit of rage.

Since no conspiracy angle could be proved by the prosecution, the sentence was lighter.

The father of Neeraj Grover said the verdict was no justice and wanted severe punishment for Maria who he blamed for the entire episode. He would move higher court against Maria.

"I do not understand the logic behind different sentences when both of them together committed the crime. How come Maria get less punishment," said Amarnath Grover, father of Neeraj.

"Maria is the main culprit here. It was she who called Neeraj to her apartment despite having a boyfriend [Jerome]," said Grover.

He said the case should be reviewed.

Maria was acquitted on Thursday of the murder charge by a Mumbai sessions court which only found her guilty of destroying evidence.

While Maria was charged under Indian Penal Code Section 201 , Jerome has been convicted for culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 (Part 1).

The intention behind the murder could not be proved in the court, the judge said.

Maria and Jerome were first accused of murdering Neeraj Grover and then mincing his body for disposing of near Mumbai.

It was assumed that Maria and Neeraj were seeing each other after the actress approached him for a showbiz career in Mumbai and that had angered her boyfriend and fiance Jerome when he found her with him in her apartment.

Grover was creative head of Synergy Adlabs and behind the famous show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?, hosted by Shah Rukh Khan.

Neeraj had been missing since May 7, 2008, but later police found some burnt human remains which the parents of Neeraj identified as their son's from a gold chain and locket.

Grover's chopped body was found near Manor jungles on May 7, 2008.

Jerome and Maria were arrested on May 21, 2008. Later Maria led the police to the body.

Maria Susairaj in Bigg Boss 5?

Maria Susairaj accused in Neeraj Grover murder case at session court in Mumbai....

Released from jail but wanted in Bigg Boss, she might just become a reality TV star. Maria Susairaj, the Kannada starlet, has caught the fancy of Bigg Boss producers who are contemplating offering the show to her.

“The moment she was free, we knew that she is a potential candidate for reality

shows. She just fits the bill for us. Remember, we got Monica Bedi the moment she landed out of jail? We are going to adopt the same tactic for Maria too. In fact, everybody who comes out of jails are in dire need of money, we would give her an option to solve all her financial worries by offering her a chance to take part in our reality show,” DNA quotes a source, who heads the production unit of a reality show.

Not only this, the production company is planning to offer a blank cheque to Maria.

“She’s the hottest property for TV shows now and we have to get her. We will give it a month before we start approaching her for the show. The family will be open to such shows because we feel just like Monica (Bedi), she won’t let go of a chance to clear her name on a public platform. However, these things will take time,” the source adds.

After Monica Bedi, Bunty Chor and Seema Parihar, Bigg Boss is keeping up with its tradition of roping in contestatns with criminal track records.