Click on the pic to view slideshow Here’s kicking off my column Eating Out With Stars for Tellychakkar.com - do you really relish the food or the gossip when you eat out with a star. Let’s start with Bhojpuri films’ item girl and Dancing Queen winner Sambhavna Seth whom I invited to lunch with me at Tony Singh’s popular Indian cuisine restaurant Masala Mantar in Andheri. Sam, as she is fondly known as, arrived at the stipulated time looking svelte in black leggings and baby pink top. We were led to the private dining area Manager Mendis of Masala Mantar had reserved for us and then we headed to the buffet counter. The hard-core carnivore refrained from non-vegt delicacies as it was Raksha Bandhan day. Over Spinach & Walnut soup, Kadai Paneer with soft fresh cottage cheese, Subzi Masaledar and hot rotis here’s sharing our banter. We loved the ambience of glass table sporting spices from below and the flickering candles in the niches. Blunt, on-your-face, spunky, firebrand – these are some of the descriptions people associate Sambhavna with but for those who know her she is a simple, honest, hard-working girl struggling to get a hold in the Hindi film industry. And these are the same characteristics which keep the filmi wolves at bay. After doing songs in Bollywood films like Kaafila, Zameer, Gangotri, 36 China Town, Paagalpan and Undertrial, Bhojpuri films happened by chance. “Actually I was bekar (jobless) and when I got this offer to do an item number in a Bhojpuri film I was initially hesitant. Then I thought since I have nothing else to do I will give it a try,” she revealed chewing on the roti and subzi. She goes on to become a huge hit with the ‘item girl’ tag sticking to her like Fevicol. From then on by demand from UP-Bihar fans every Bhojpuri movie just had to have a Sambhavna item song. This helped her reinstate her financial position and she went on to settle in her own spacious apartment in Mumbai. Participating in television show Bigg Boss made her a household name and added the tag of ‘jhagdu’ to her name. “But I can’t take nonsense,” fumed Sam at the thought of her interactions with rival Payal Rohatgi whom she promises to never relate with again. Another person she avoids like plague is the other house mate of Bigg Boss, the aggressive Raja Choudhary. “Especially after our confrontation at a party, where Raja tore his shirt and almost came to attack me, I avoid any event or party where he is invited,” rued the actor, stating further, “Inside the Bigg Boss house you are safe since violence is not allowed but what if he gets violent outside, it would be uncontrollable. I don’t want to take any risk.” There is one more person who shares the item girl label who had taken panga with Sambhavna. It can be recalled how Rakhi had criticized Sambhavna during Bigg Boss and even ousted her from the dance show Zara Nachke Dikha; with rumours that she had asked its makers to drop Sam if they wanted Rakhi on the show. Sambhavna was indeed dropped. Nevertheless, she moved on to participate in its competing show Dancing Queen and even won it. Presently when it comes to the Bengali film industry, the spice queens are engaged in a new war of sorts. Some time ago, Rakhi went to town over performing an item number in an upcoming Bengali film. But as per the latest reports, now the effervescent Sambhavna has gone ahead and done a captivating Bong song in a flick called Gundaraj. To top it, Sam’s movie is on the anvil of releasing before motor-mouth Rakhi’s film. So, the rivalry continues to entertain us. Sam is now keen to act and has two films in her kitty Qayamat Se Qayamat and Deewana Mein Deewana with Govinda. In the course of our conversation I also learned she is single and wants to settle down in marital bliss. We realise we have spent more than 3 hours chit-chating and then decided to wrap up. She wanted to avoid sweets but could not resist her favourite dessert – crisp and syrupy jalebis with creamy rabri. On that note, I wish she finds her Mr. Right and has a happily-ever-after sweet finale like the jalebis!