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Bollywood stars and Ramadan

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eid

The Holy month of Ramadan is almost nearing its end. And like all other non – filmy Muslims even Bollywood Muslim Celebs celebrate the Holy month of Ramadan with complete reverence. In spite of their heavy duty busy schedules they make it a point to observe their Rozas (fast), offer Namaz (prayer), give alms (khairaat) to the poor & needy, read Koran Sharif (the Holy book), remove Zakaat & Sadka (2.5% of their income) for the poor and then after a month long fasting they gear up to celebrate Eid with complete happiness. Shaheen Raaj recently caught up with a few Bollywood Celebs to get their views on how they celebrate Ramadan and what significance does Ramadan holds for them. Tune in for their ad verbatim comments.

Salman Khan

I would say that Ramadan is the month of bountiful blessings from Allah – The Almighty. It absolves you of all your sins. It makes your heart & soul pure. In the month of Ramadan, Allah – The Most merciful gives us a chance to be a good human being. Observing all the rituals of Ramadan is a must, but that doesn’t mean you should commit sins all the year round. Eid al-Fitr is the culmination of the month long fasting and celebration time with all your near & dear ones. I also celebrate it with my fans by giving them the gift of one movie release coinciding with every Ramadan. This year it will be ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’. So enjoy the festival of Ramadan.

Sana Khan

It’s the best month for me as I fast for 30 days and do my 5 times prayer, give Zakat of 2.5% out of my own savings. I am very religious in this month and it’s the time we get closest to Allah – The Almighty and ask mercy from him for knowingly or unknowingly committing sins and for all our wrong doings.

Saif Ali Khan

Ramadan is considered as one of the most auspicious & Holy month of the year. In our “nawabi khandaan” Ramadan Eid is celebrated in great style. We abstain from all wrong doings, even otherwise we try to be good all the year round. We try to absorb all the rituals of Ramadan in the best possible way. We also try and see that none of our poor Muslim brethren goes empty handed during this month.

Kareena Kapoor Khan

I am more excited about celebrating Ramadan. Earlier on I used to celebrate Ramadan with most of my Muslim friends and now that I am married into the Khan family I try to follow whatever they do, but of course it will take some more time for me to adjust in Saif’s family as far as the Holy month of Ramadan is concerned.

Shahrukh Khan

For me the Holy month of Ramadan holds a very important significance. As this is the month when one can ask Allah Miyan for retribution of all our sins. Besides one can also observe all the rituals with a clean & pure heart. And most of all one can take care of the poor & the needy as per the best of one’s own capacity.

Aamir Khan

Of course one’s own religion should be closest to one’s heart. Following all the rituals should be the first priority in one’s life. Wishing good of humanity should also be considered as a top priority. And of course Eid is the celebration time after the end of the month long fasting.

Emraan Hashmi

I consider Ramadan as a very devout & a very pious month. Maybe due to time constraints and certain unavoidable circumstances I may sometimes lapse in my religious duties. But I try my level best to observe all the rituals of the Holy month of Ramadan.

Arbaaz Ali Khan

Since childhood I have been brought by my parents (Salim Khan – Honey irani) as a devout & pious kid in a very religious atmosphere. So much so that our entire khandaan was known as a very, very conservative & orthodox Muslim family. In fact the daily routine of all 3 of us that is myself, bade bhaijaan Salman & Sohail was to offer our regular 5 times ‘Namaaz’. After the ‘fazar namaaz’ we were all taken by our servants to the madarsa to learn to read & recite ‘Kalaame Paak’ the Holy book of every Muslim. Besides we were all also taught to be good human beings by being kind to all and more especially to our servants who were always addressed as bade miyan or with their individual names with great respect & courtesy. Even in the Holy month of Ramadan everything like the ‘Saheri’, the ‘Iftar’, the 5 times ‘Namaaz’ including the ‘Taravi Namaaz’ was seriously & strictly observed as per the perfect islamic tenets & principles. That apart the day my maulana had explained to me about the ‘Zakaat’ & the ‘Fitra’ I used to do it with my own hard earned pocket money which my father used to give me only after I had done certain work of his. And even now as far as I am concerned I observe the holy month of Ramadan with the same zest & the same fervour.

Nafe Ali

I wish that our life itself was like ‘Ramzaan’ and our death was like Eid. I wish that the month of Ramadan proves mubarak to all and Eid becomes very special for them. Ramadan is the only month “jab hum Allah Taalah ko mana sakte hain” as during this period he is closest to all his bandas (Disciple). Besides I wish everyone a happy Eid. Mashaallah after fasting for one whole month celebrating ‘Ramadan, Eid has its own charming fun.

Arshad Warsi

To be very honest the real time and fun to observe the fast and more especially to celebrate Ramadan Eid is when you are a small child. I would like to recount my first ‘Roza’ incident. So it was time to keep my 1st ‘Roza’. The entire Warsi khandaan had turned up for the ‘Saheri’ session. You bet I enjoyed hogging all the delicacies especially prepared for me or so they made me believe it. Any way it was a hot summer month and the heat was really getting me. I was hell bent on popping something in my mouth. The whole khandaan was standing guard to prevent me from doing so. Finally before the ‘Iftar’ time I managed to escape, went to a shop bought a chocolate and was about to gobble it when I saw a whole army of the Warsi khandaan chasing me all over the ‘naakhuda’ mohalla the place where we were staying in then. People were shocked at this whole draamebaazi but then my family members saw to it that I observed my complete ‘Roza’.

Javed Jaffri

No matter what people think but I am proud to be a Muslim belonging to the ‘Shia’ community. And I strictly follow all the religious rituals as per the way my dad and my dada par dada “aur phir unke bhi dada aur par dada follow karte aa rahe hain aur ab zaahir hai ki us paanchvin peedi ko yeh majhabi hidayaten ‘Allah’ ki wahi ke roop mein aur Huzoor Sallalahussalam (Prophet Mohammed S.A.W May peace be upon him} ke jariye ‘Koran Sharif’ se mili hogi”. No this is no laughing matter as my entire Jafri khandaan is known for its mock fights regarding this issue. But all these fights used to take place in each individual members of the family in his infancy stage.

Shabana Azmi

You see like a true blue Muslim I have “Khuda ka khauf” in my heart. And I will never betray my ‘Allah Miyan’. So it’s but natural that I will always be true to my faith & to my religion. No doubt I offer my ‘Namaaz’, observe my ‘Roza’, take care of my ‘Zakaat’ & ‘Fitra’. A real Muslim will never avoid the 5 basic principles of Islam. And in this regard my entire Kaifi family & myself included have never neglected our religious duties right since our Azamgarh days. No matter whether it is the month of Ramzaan or not.”

Zayed Khan

Right since childhood my parents had inculcated the finest traditions of Islam which were deeply ingrained in me. So at that stage of life I was a very pious, a devout Muslim. I used to regularly read the ‘Koran Sharif’, offer my ‘Namaaz’, keep my ‘Rozas’. But of course at that point of time I didn’t know much about the ‘Zakaat’, the ‘Fitra’, the ‘Hajj’ & the ‘Umra’. Yet the one thing that really comes to my mind is that during the month of Ramzan I used to get good pocket money which I would spend on the street urchins by arranging for their ‘iftari’ in the park near my house. Of course at that point of time I also did not discourage the Hindu kids too, to join us in our very own chhotasa ‘iftar’ party. This was started by me when I think I was just in my 5th standard. And then from the next year I also started sneaking out of my house during ‘Saheri’ time. As I used to think that “agar un bachon ko main ‘Roza’ khulwata hoon to unko ‘Saheri’ karane ka farz bhi mera hi banta hai”.

Shahid Kapoor

Before I speak about my way of observing the Holy month of Ramzaan I would like to state that in my childhood when my mom & the maulavi (Priest), who used to come every day to teach me to read & recite ‘The Koran’, failed to do so I was myself deeply troubled as to why I could not pick up the flow of at least reading the Arabic & the Urdu language? But try as I might I too failed. Even my friends were fed up of me when I used pester them to teach me to read ‘The Koran’. Finally I spoke to my ‘Allah’ directly through my ‘Duas’ (Prayers) at night, tendered my apology and from next day onwards I started reading & reciting ‘The Koran’ in English language. It really helped me a lot. And now I am proud to admit that I know all the most important ‘Suras’ & ‘Aayats’ (Koranic Verses) by heart. Then I also learnt to say my ‘Namaaz’ (Prayers) in the same way. Coming to this month of the Holy Ramzan, I am not allowing myself to neglect my religious duties & responsibilities. I don’t find it difficult at all to observe all my 5 times ‘Farz Namaaz’ (a prayer which a Muslim person should obey). I am also keeping all my fasts, ‘Allamhodolillah’ (God Bless) till today I have not missed a single fast. That apart since my mom has left (She got married again) us I am also looking after my younger brother Sameer. Yeah! He is a bit lazy so I have to literally be after him. But this has also enlightened me with the fact that religion should always be practiced out of one’s own choice and never be forced upon anyone.

Singer Praveen Bhardwaj goes global

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Praveen Bhardwaj, of late, is literally creating musical waves. So much so that he is not only compared with, but has also joined the ranks of Hollywood singers like Enrique Iglasias, Justin Bibber et al.

Praveen Bhardwaj, in his one and a half decade long illustrious musical journey, happens to be a most reputed lyricist turned music composer. And of late with the release of his debut single audio album named “Desires – Mohabbat Mein Kya Milega” he has turned a crooner too. Incidentally speaking his debut audio album “Desires – Mohabbat Mein Kya Milega” has been acclaimed & ranked as #1 on a global level so much so that he has been placed as #1 singer and clubbed with globally reputed singers like Enrique Iglasias, Justin Bibber et al. Shaheen Raaj recently spoke to the God gifted singer, over hot cups of spicy aromatic tea at his posh flat in Veera Desai Road. Tune in.

Praveen-Bhardwaj

To set the musical ball rolling in your court tell us how did your musically crooning journey begin?

Honestly speaking my musical crooning journey in Tinsel Town had kick started as a lyricist almost one and a half decade ago. And the most interesting fact about my musical career is that there has always been a landmark turning point. For instance as a lyricist my “kem che” song became a runaway chartbuster number and then there was no looking back. This was the 1st turning point. And then the 2nd turning point of my career was me turning a music composer with the film ‘Swaha – Life Beyond Superstition’. And needless to say the movie was hit and I gained instant recognition. And finally my one more, this time a hat trick, landmark turning point is the recent release of my debut single music audio album named “Desires – Mohabbat Mein Kya Milega?”. Its a melancholic number written, composed and of course sung by me for the 1st time ever.

And how do you feel with this added responsibility of singing a song written & composed by your own self?

You see the lyrics which I used to pen I used to sing it for the music composers, producers, directors and all concerned. It was the result of these musical sittings that my friends inspired me to come out with my debut single music audio album “Desires – Mohabbat Mein Kya Milega”.

Praveen Bhardwaj

And what was the response of your debut music audio album?

Believe me the response has been terrific, tremendous, mindboggling et al. I have no more words left to describe it. Just within a short span of its release my debut single music audio album “Desires – Mohabbat Mein Kya Milega” has been declared a global hit all over. So much so that I have been clubbed & ranked as #1 singer along with world class reputed singers like Enrique Iglasies, Justin Biebber et al. And please let not your parting question be “What Next?” As at this stage I don’t have the wish to be in search of the next turning point of my life at least not for the next 5 years of my life. But of course that does not mean that I do not mean to grow in my self chosen field of penning lyrics, writing, music composing and now singing too. That’s it.

Movie Review: ‘Thoda Lutf Thoda Ishq’ is absolutely clueless

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Thoda Lutf Thoda Ishq

Producer: Bharat Bansal, Vivek Yadav and Sachin Gupta
Director: Sachin Gupta
Star Cast: Hiten Tejwani, Rajpal Yadav, Sanjay Misra, Neha Pawar, Bhavita Anand, Sanjana Singh & Rakesh Bedi
Genre: Comedy
Verdict: AVERAGE

Director Sachin Gupta, not to be confused with music composer Sachin Gupta, in his first outing Paranthewali Galli had made a fairly sensible film. But in his second outing Thoda Lutf Thoda Ishq, termed as romantic comedy, he is absolutely clueless leading to confusions galore.

Jhumroo (Hiten Tejwani) & Ghungro (Rajpal Yadav) are the two good for nothing boys. In fact they are the best examples of fools who keep roaming around the whole day. Their sole motive in life is to have fun, befriend girls, go to parties, get drunk and chill. They find impish ways to get in touch with girls. They are also desperate to get a job, but in their comical attempt they receive yet more embarrassment. After couple of disasters they do get a job at a newly opened beauty parlour run by two smart girls. Their dream has come true. They are around girls all the time. But this is just the beginning of their hilarious trauma and a journey full of unexpected twists.

Aces: Nothing except one romantic number.

Minuses: its start to end dialogues in Punjabi which sounds more like a Punjabi film than a Hindi film.

Last Word: A strictly avoidable film even if you have nothing better to do on this weekend.

Movie Review: ‘The Gallows’ is a spine chilling fare

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The Gallows

Producer: Jason Blum, Travis Cluff, Benjamin Forkner, Chris Lofing & Dean Schnider
Director: Travis Cluff & Chris Lofing
Star Cast: Reese Mishler, Cassidy Gifford, Ryan Shoos, Pfeifer Brown, Price T. Morgan & Alexis Schneider
Genre: Horror
Verdict: Good

Trevis Cluff & Chris Lofing are the latest director duo who have also taken refuge in the found footage sub genre, in their latest offering The Gallows, to send a chill down viewers spine and they have been fairly successful at it.

Plot: In 1993, a student of Beatrice High School named Charlie Grimille is killed in a horrific accident during the school play, called The Gallows. 20 years later, students at the school resurrect the failed show in a misguided attempt to honour the 20th anniversary of the tragedy, but a few of the students break in at night to stop the production and soon discover that some things are better left alone for good.

Aces: The fairly good directorial treatment of the director duo Trevis Cluff & Chris Lofing complemented by a good performances by the films principal actors Reese Mishler, Cassidy Gifford, Ryan Shoos, Pfeifer Brown,
Price T. Morgan & Alexis Schneider.

Minuses: its routine plot which has nothing new to offer.

Last Word: A must see movie for the scare fare fans.

Sanjay Gupta ordered to deposit 20 lakhs in court

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Sanjaygupta

Director Sanjay Gupta was recently ordered to deposit 20 lakhs in Court.

As the court battle between Sanjay Gupta on one side & Vinod Bacchan, IFTPC & FWICE on the other culminated recently with the High Court ordering Sanjay Gupta to deposit Rupees Twenty Lakhs in the Court within a specified time period. The Court also stated that in case of default by him in the payments to the Court, the non -cooperation directive instituted against Sanjay Gupta by the JDSC of the FWICE & IFTPC would once again become operational and the amount deposited till then would be forfeit. The court granted Vinod Bacchan a certain time period to institute legal proceedings to recover the money. It may be recalled that various accusations had been made on Twitter and in the press by the IFTDA President Ashok Pandit against the FWICE President Kamlesh Pandey & General Secretary Dilip Pithva casting aspersions on their intent & character. There were also reports in the press of affiliates opposing the FWICE on this matter. On this topic Kamlesh Pandey had recently stated that on 90% of the affiliates who had earlier been made to sign a paper by Ashok Pandit opposing the FWICE decision had withdrawn their objections the very next day itself stating that they had been misguided & misled by Ashok Pandit. This verdict vindicates the impartial stand taken by the JDSC of the FWICE & IFTPC. On the other hand Dilip Pithva had stated that the new committee of the FWICE has fearlessly & impartially taken concrete action against defaulter members & producers alike and is committed to making the Film & TV industry a professional and better workplace environment.

‘Teaspoon’ Bags Prestigious Awards

A short film ‘Teaspoon’ has recently bagged several prestigious wards. Kiran Deohans & Aban Deohans’ short film ‘Teaspoon has received varied prestigious awards across the Globe.

The talented Cinematographer, Kiran Deohan’s who has worked in many of the renowned feature films like ‘Jodhaa Akbar’, ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghaam’, ‘Agneepath’ et al has recently re-created the same magic in his better half’s Aban Deohan’s short film ‘Teaspoon’. In fact the 20 minutes short film has got enormous appreciation from all the popular short film festivals across the globe. The film has been awarded for the “Best Screenplay” in the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival and very recently it has also been selected for prominent Jagaran Film Festival.
‘Teaspoon’, which exhibits an amalgamation of various human emotions & psychological imbalances of human nature, features talented actors Sreeswara who had got recognition in ‘Singham Returns’ imcluding television actor and a popular face in ads Vaquar and the adorable grandfather of small screen namely Bomi Dotiwala. A simple yet unique storyline with strong performances from the starcast has made it the most loved film in all the short film festivals. The film has previously also won awards in Goa film festival, Bangalore film festival and also international film festivals like Poppy Jasper, New York Indian Film Festival, et al.

Kishore Bags ‘Entertainment Visionary’ Award

Kishore Lulla recently bagged the “Entertainment Visionary” Award. Eros International executive chairman Kishore Lulla has recently bagged the “Entertainment Visionary” award at the 2015 Annual Gala Dinner organized by Asia Society Southern California on 20 Jun, 2015. Kishore Lulla was recognised for being a game changer as well as for his efforts in taking Bollywood to a global platform. The gala evening honoured Lulla’s quest to connect the Indian diaspora through films and bridging of cultures by introducing Bollywood to non-Indian audiences.

6th Jagran Film Festival To Open With ‘Masaan’

6th Jagran Film Festival To Open With ‘Masaan’. With India’s high profile entry in Cannes Film Festival ‘Masaan’
directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and starring Sanjay Mishra, Richa Chaddha & Shweta Tiwary, the 6th edition of Jagran Film Festival is ready to take off starting 1st Jul, 2015.

Winner of 2 prestigious awards the FIPRESCI, International Jury of Film Critics prize & Promising Future Prize in the Un Certain Regard section, ‘Masaan’ has received wide critical acclaim globally. A collaborative effort of Phantom Films, Drishyam, Macassar Productions, Pathe, Sikhya Entertainment & Arte Cinema, France, ‘Masaan’ will be presented on 1st Jul, 2015 evening by Ghaywan and the star cast of the film to the festival delegates personally.

‘Dhanak’ Bags Top Award at Sneakers Children’s Festival, Poland

‘Dhanak’ has recently bagged a top award at the Sneakers Children’s Festival, Poland. After bagging 2 awards for ‘Dhanak’ (‘Rainbow’) co -produced by Drishyam Films Manish Mundra and directed by Nagesh Kukunoor at the Berlinale, it has further bagged the top award at the Sneakers Children’s Festival, Poland. Having won the best film award in the main category, ‘Children’s Feature Film Competition’, the prize ceremony took place on 22 Jun, 2015 Kukunoor who couldn’t attend the festival shared a recorded message thanking the festival authorities & the audiences. The film was screened at International Film Festival Los Angeles (IFFLA) and at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Kids. Dhanak which stars Hetal Gada & Krrish Chhabria in the lead roles is about an 8 year old blind boy whose 10 year old sister promises him that he will get his vision back before he turns 9. The film follows the duo on a magical journey through the sand dunes of Rajasthan. The film also stars theater actors, Vipin Sharma & Vibha Chhiber in prominent roles.

Censor Board Stalls Release Of PNC’s ‘Mastizaade’

Censor Board has recently stalled the release of Pritish Nandy Communicatio’s ‘Mastizaade’. The
Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has recently stalled the release of Pritish Nandy Communications’
(PNC) forthcoming comedy film titled ‘Mastizaade’ due to its explicit content. Directed by Milap Zaveri and starring Sunny Leone in a double role, the movie also stars Tusshar Kapoor, Vir Das & Riteish Deshmukh in a special appearance. It has been co-written by Mushtaq Sheikh & Milap Zaveri. The CBFC & the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal have not cleared ‘Mastizaade’ so far, which was initially slated to release on 1st May, 2015. PNC has informed the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) that it is taking appropriate steps to resolve this issue in the quickest possible manner.

American LGBT Film Festival In Delhi featured 5 films

5 prominent American films were screened in a special LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) festival which was held in the capital recently. The American Centre organized the festival, which was held from 25th to 27th Jun, 2015. The opening film is the 2001 film ‘Kissing Jessica Stein’ by Charles Herman Wurmfeld and stars Jennifer Westfeldt, Heather Juergensen & Tovah Feldshuh. It is about a woman out to find a perfect man, ending up finding the perfect woman instead. The other films include the ‘Brokeback Mountain’ (2005), which is American epic romantic drama directed by Ang Lee. It is a film adaptation of the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx. The film stars Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams & Randy Quaid. The movie depicts the complex emotional & sexual relationship between 2 men in the American West from 1963 to 1983.

FIR Filed Against Sunny Deol For Hurting Sentiments In ‘Mohalla Assi’

An FIR was recently filed against Sunny Deol for hurting sentiments in Mohalla Assi. No sooner the trailer of the Sunny Deol starrer ‘Mohalla Assi’ came out, it managed to raise quite a few eyebrows, courtesy its ‘explicit’ content. The resultant effect was that a police complaint has been filed against Sunny Deol the film’s director Chandra Prakash Dwivedi, by an organization named Sarvajan Jagruti Sanstha in Varanasi for reportedly hurting religious sentiments. In their compliant, the said organization stated that the film ‘Mohalla Assi’ not only violated moral ethics, but also shows Varanasi in a very poor light. The complainant also said that they cannot allow such a film to be released. Meanwhile, the film’s director Chandra Prakash Dwivedi clarified that the film’s trailer that was ‘released’ was not an official one, but a leaked version. That’s why he has now filed an FIR at the Oshiwara police station and also with the Cyber Cell. He added that, it was a conspiracy to malign the film’s makers as well as the film. Further, he also added that the (leaked) version of the trailer has been made in such a way that it showed that the film was only about abuses and it maligned the holy city’s image.

Censor Board Snips Off Nude Shot

Censor Board recently snipped off a nude shot from ‘Calendar Girls’. It looks like Madhur Bhandarkar has got quite a tantalizing film lined up for release. His next feature ‘Calendar Girl’, which comes after the fiasco that was his last release ‘Heroine’ and the aborted attempt to start another film ‘Madamjee’ starring Priyanka Chopra, is suffused in sufficient slivers of sensationalism. Sources at the Censor Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) revealed that the film’s 1st trailer was submitted for certification. And the results were…….explosive!

The trailer contained a lot of provocative & sensuous content. There was even a shot of a nude woman which the Censors had to of course snip off before granting the trailer a ‘U/A’ certificate. They were confused as to why Madhur Bhandarkar came to them with a trailer that contained a nude shot. In fact Madhur Bhadarkar should know that such a shot can never be passed in a trailer. The ‘U/A’ certificate for the trailer automatically limits its reach. It cannot be shown on television and it can only be attached to films that are certified for all ages.

Bhushan Kumar To Produce Yo Yo Honey Singh’s Music Album

Yo Yo Honey Singh is all set to resuming his crooning glory with a single. He will soon be developing a new single that will be produced by Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series. It will also feature a music video much like their earlier outing ‘Desi Kalakar’ that featured Sonakshi Sinha.

Sony Music acquires music rights for ‘Brothers’

Sony Music Entertainment has acquired the music rights of Dharma Productions’ action – drama film Brothers. Directed by Karan Malhotra, the film is an official remake of the 2011 Hollywood film Warrior.

After Ageneepath, this is the second time the successful team of Dharma Productions, Sony Music, Karan Malhotra, Ajay-Atul and Amitabh Bhattacharya will be working together.

Sony Music India marketing director Sanujeet Bhujabal said, “Dharma and Sony Music have always created great musical milestones and the music of this film will be another such. Composed by the multi award winning duo Ajay -Atul’s who will weave in magic with their melodies and the lyrics penned by Bhattacharya, this album will a worthy follow up to the smashing soundtrack of Agneepath.” Produced by Dharma Productions, Lionsgate Films and Endemol India, the film is all set to release on 14 August 2015.

“I have always been passionate about great cinema”: Manoj Bajpai

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Manoj Bajpai

The master of impeccable performances of Bollywood, Manoj Bajpai has taken a step towards promoting the golden era of the cinema. The fine actor for the 1st time ever gets associated with a unique online portal which is solely dedicated to the classic cult movies, documentaries & short films of Indian cinema varying in all languages.

The 2 time national award winner Manoj Bajpai is known for his unconventional choices of films and has always given a chance to emerging talents by working in their movies, now gives them a chance to grow further. Being the brand ambassador and also a mentor to this distinctive online portal, Manoj aims to encourage & preserve the essence of the golden era of cinema and various non – commercial films.

Manoj will be supporting the portal in getting deserving attention of creating such a unique idea and will help in promoting it among people as well as industry.

Sharing his thoughts on this initiative towards cinema, Manoj Bajpai says, “I have always been passionate about great cinema, the online portal is the 1st ever of its kind which gives importance to short films & documentary makers who are extremely talented but just not recognised enough. I would be extremely glad if my association can
make a difference in uplifting the talent of amazing unknown filmmakers.”

Anjali Pandey all set to woo small screen viewers

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Anjali Pandey

Holding a penchant for the craft of acting, Anjali Pandey, a glamorous Indian model, who has already made a significant mark in Indian modelling industry, gears up to exhibit her acting skills in her next Medical Drama ‘Ek Nayi Ummeed – Roshni’ featuring on channel Life Ok’ Hindi Entertainment Channel.

In fact Anjali Pandey will be testing new waters in Life Ok’s upcoming Medical Drama ‘Ek Nayi Ummeed – Roshni’

Post triumphing upon the hearts of the audiences with her successful run in the industry with Amul TVC that gave the gorgeous actress much appreciation. The epitome of beauty also featured in an ad with well – Known actor Govinda for Paan -E – Shahi which had created quite a stir and gave her the opportunity to share the screen space with the pioneer actor. She also spelt her midas touch and displayed her acting prowess in a Colgate commercial. Her passion for acting made her exhibit her talent in over seventy TVCs.

No doubt Anjali Pandey is more than enthusiastic about trying varied roles and now gears up to spin her magic in her next Medical Drama ‘Ek Nayi Ummeed – Roshni’.

Offering a slew of variety of roles in her career, Actor Anjali Pandey desires to capture the essence of the craft and wishes to take her career graph a notch higher with her next. Burning the mid night oil to ensure the success of her medical drama, the actress leaves no stone unturned to make the serial a grand success.

Good news for all Anjali Pandey fans! As the grapevine suggests that she’s been roped in a heavy duty parallel lead by the makers of the show.

Life Ok is soon going to Launch a new show named ‘Ek Nayi Ummeed – Roshni’ which is basically a Medical Drama.

It is being produced by Pulse Media.

To wrap it up Anjali Pandey informed that she has all the more assignments tucked up in her Bollywoodian sleeves but will all at the right opportune moments.

Movie Review: ‘Max’ is a heart touching emotional saga of a boy and a dog

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max_movie

Producer: Karen Rosenfelt
Director: Boaz Yakin
Star Cast: Josh Wiggins, Dejon LaQuake, Thomas Haden Church, Robbie Amell, Lauren Graham, Luke Kleintank, Jay Hernandez, Miles Mussenden, Mia Xitlali, Owen Harn & Joseph Julian
Genre: Adventure
Verdict: Good

Boaz Yakin an American director, of Remember The Titans fame, has come up this time with an emotionally heart touching film about a boy Justin and a dog named Max and the total bonding they share with each other.

Plot: A military dog from Afghanistan is adopted by his late handler Kyle Wincott’s (Robbie Amell;) grieving family in US, where his close bond with the soldier’s brother Justin Wincott (Josh Wiggins) leads to a life altering revelation in this family friendly adventure.

Aces: Its salutation to all the military dogs who not only help the soldiers on the battlefield but also on their home front. Besides Josh Wiggins and the dog steals the show in the entire proceedings.

Minuses: Too much exposure of melodramatic sentiments.

Last Word: A perfect outing for all animal lovers.

Movie Review: ‘Terminator Genisys’ is not impressive at all

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Terminator Genisys

Producer: David Ellison & Dana Goldberg
Director: Alan Taylor
Star Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brett Azar, Aaron V. Williamson, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Willa Taylor, Jai Courtney, Bryant Prince, J. K. Simmons, Wayne Bastrup, Matt Smith, Nolan Gross, Courtney B. Vance, Dayo Okeniyi, Gregory Alan Williams, Sandrine Holt, Michael Gladis, Griff Furst, Teri Wyble & debutante Lee Byung – Hun
Genre: Sci-Fi

Verdict: Average

Alan Taylor, the director of such popular films like Lost, The West Wing, Six Feet Under, Sex And The City, The Sopranos, Game Of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, Deadwood, Mad Men, Palookaville, Thor: The Dark World et al, is the latest director to wield the megaphone for Terminator Genisys. But sadly enough he has failed to create the magic of the earlier “Terminator” series.

Plot: In the year 2029, John Connor (Jason Clarke), leader of the Resistance against Skynet, launches a massive final offensive on Los Angeles. He is notified by his unit, Tech – Com that Skynet will attack on 2 fronts, past & future, thereby changing warfare forever.

Aces: As in all the Terminator series. Its the special effects that rules the roost here too. And the débutante actor Lee Byung – Hun is promising enough to watch out for.

Minuses: Seriously speaking It lacks the thematic depth, conceptual intelligence or even visual thrills that launched this once mighty franchise.

Last Word: Even the staunch fans of Arnie and the past Terminator series will be sadly disappointed.

Movie Review: ‘Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho’ is good in parts but hardly convincing

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Miss-Tanakpur-Haazir-Ho

Producer: Crossword Films
Director: Vinod Kapri
Cast: Annu Kapoor, Hrishita Bhatt, Om Puri, Sanjay Mishra, Ravi Kishan & Rahul Bagga
Music: Sushmit Sen & Palash Muchal

Director Vinod Kapri in his latest offering ‘Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho’ has tackled a political satire of the real life situation in a village. The film is a humorous albeit a thought provoking take, loosely based on real life incidents.

The film’s scenario starts off with the summoning of ‘Miss Tanakpur’ (A Buffalo) by the court. Then a kaleidoscope flashback depicts that the film is set in the village of Tanakpur, which is ‘headed’ by Pradhaan’ Sualal Gandas (Annu Kapoor), who is married to a young Maya (Hrishita Bhatt). Pradhaan is unable to keep his ‘wife happy’, which leads her to fall in love with a young & aspiring wannabe’ policeman Arjun (Rahul Bagga). The duo never skips even a single opportunity to meet each other, something that sets Pradhaan’s mind to work overtime with suspicion. Since his repeated confrontations with his wife yield no results, he takes the help of the ‘multi-talented’ Goswami (Sanjay Mishra), who ‘engages’ the dead peoples’ spirits for the job of finding out the culprit. And after many attempts, when Pradhaan finds out the culprit to be Arjun, he & his henchmen beat him black & blue and get him tied down semi-naked in front of the whole village. While this leads to Arjun’s sister’s ongoing marriage being called off, simultaneously his father also passes away. Sensing that the villagers may get to know the ‘real reason’ for him to publicly humiliate Arjun, Pradhaan cooks up an impromptu story that the reason why he bashed up Arjun was because Arjun had raped his priceless buffalo, which had incidentally been crowned as ‘Miss Tanakpur’ at the village fair. And as a ‘punishment’, Pradhaan & his men order Arjun to get married to ‘Miss Tanakpur’.

Everything is appealing but the biggest spoilspot turns out to be a lack of conviction from the storical point of view and also for the lack of directional skills of Vinod Kapri. The film just meanders on and ultimately tests the viewers patience to the point of no return. The weakest point of the film is that its premise itself is unbelievable.

Performance wise it is Annu Kapoor who steals the show. The next in line excellent performance is delivered by the ever dependable actor like Sanjay Mishra. While Ravi Kissen is ok to some extent. On the other hand Hrishita Bhatt is seriously miscast as the young woman married to an old man who can’t satisy her at any costs. Rahul Bagga can be counted as a promising actor. That apart Om Puri hams his way to glory.

Tail Piece: ‘Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho’ may appeal to the single screen vievers especially in the interiors. Hence the Multiplex cinegoers may stay away from this so called Miss Tanakpur.

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