In search of Mr Right

Actor-turned-jewellery designer Neelam Kothari on the season's trends, Big B and seeking a soulmate.

Sexy Sam's pretty young fans just seem to increase with every passing decade, so what if he turned 64 yesterday.

After hotties Mallika Sherawat and Jiah Khan, who revealed their soft corner for Big B, now former actor Neelam Kothari says, "My dream was to work with Mr (Amitabh) Bachchan, which I did. Nothing can ever top that!" Thus, making a possibility of a comeback to Bollywood even less likely.

With the start of the festive and wedding seasons, however, this jewellery designer to the city's crème de la crème is all set to add colour to the celebrations. "I've used a lot of coloured semi-precious and precious stones. There's lots of fun and serious jewellery," she reveals, adding that kadas, bracelets, delicate neck and ear pieces will be hot favourites.

In just two and a half years of setting up her exclusive jewellery boutique in Mumbai's suburbs, Neelam has managed to carve an enviable niche for herself. And, the cut-throat competition in the bauble business doesn't seem to have caused any stumbling blocks. "My workmanship and quality are my strengths," she says, a fact endorsed by Sotheby's and Christie's, who've accepted her designs time and again.

As far as competition from friends like jewellery designers Farah Khan and Maheep Kapoor are concerned, she says, "We share some clients, but that doesn't come in the way of our friendship. Competition is great; it keeps you going."

Interestingly, while she enjoyed providing her creations to the 'Koffee With Karan' show designing for films is not something she's keen to get into. "Karan's show involved a lot of close-ups, which meant my jewellery got noticed. In a film, my work would just get lost," she explains.

On the personal front, Neelam (who was once married to NRI businessman Rishi Sethia) says she is still on the look out for Mr Right. "Unfortunately, such a guy simply doesn't exist in the city. The men who are available are just not worth it," she laughs, adding, "All I want is somebody who can keep me happy. I don't think that's too much to ask, is it?"