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‘Sarkar’ Creates Diwali Fireworks & Becomes The Biggest Vijay Starrer Opening Film
 
The much-awaited & anticipated Sarkar which released on Diwali is already creating ripples. The festive release has made its mark by becoming the biggest Vijay starrer in Tamil opening film on BookMyShow. Sarkar’s popularity had gained momentum since the time advance bookings started. As compared to Vijay’s last super hit film Mersal, Sarkar’s advance booking multiplied over 2x on BookMyShow. The film has already crossed 1 million ticket sales milestone on BookMyShow. While Bengaluru, Chennai & Hyderabad have responded extremely well to the film, there has been a strong uptake for Sarkar in Tier II cities including Coimbatore, Salem, Trichy, Kochi & Trivandrum. Talking about Sarkar’s performance on BookMyShow, Ashish Saksena, COO-Cinemas, BookMyShow says, “Sarkar has been the talk of the town since its trailer was out. BookMyShow saw a phenomenal response for the advance booking & the opening days. We anticipate the coming weekends to add to the growing demand of the film & are elated to contribute to the success of Sarkar.”
 
The Trailer Of Shankar’s Magnum Opus ‘Robot 2.0’ Released
 
Director Shankar’s much-awaited film Robot 2.0 had a grand trailer launch at a theatre in Chennai. The lead actors Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar & Amy Jackson were present at the event. The film is touted to be India’s most expensive film ever. 2.0 is the sequel to Shankar’s 2010 blockbuster Robot. The trailer showcases Rajinikanth’s Chitti fighting against Akshay Kumar’s giant monster. The trailer is loaded with some mind-blowing action, brilliant VFX & some great performances by the actors. Apart from the main cast, director Shankar, Music Composer Allah Rakha Rahman & producer Subaskaran were also present at the launch. Rajinikanth says, “2.0 is a thriller, entertainer & has an international message – that the planet is not just for human beings but other creatures also.” He also praises Akshay Kumar for his dedication on the film and says, “Hats off to Akshay Kumar for his hard work. It is definitely worth it”. Akshay Kumar who marks his Tamil debut with 2.0 and plays an antagonist in the film spoke a few lines in Tamil at the function, says, “I got to learn lot of challenging things. Shankar is a scientist, not a director. I did my make up for 3 hours and took one hour to remove the makeup. I just saw myself on the screen, and it was unbelievable. I’m looking forward to seeing the film. I thank Shankar sir. It was worth” the pain.” The Hindi version of the film will be presented by Karan Johar. Robot 2.0, produced by Subaskaran & Lyca Productions, will release across India on 29th Nov,  2018 in 3D & 2D.
 
Adah Signs A Big Budget Period Film With Prabhu Dheva
 
Adah Sharma is currently on a career high right now. The actress who has  completed a London schedule for Commando 3 where she has done some crazy stunts & her Tamil debut with Prabhu Deva Charlie Chaplin 2 which is the No Entry sequel  has signed her next Telugu film Kalki for a whopping fee of 1 crore! Adah says, “The team was very keen on me for the role. After Heart Attack & Kshanam (which was remade in Hindi as Baaghi 2) I have a strong youth & family audience fan following. Even for events & appearances amongst the young actresses I am one of the top paid.  I have the ability to get into the skin of any role convincingly and so the producers were willing to pay me my price to have me as the leading lady.” The Dr Rajasekhar film is directed by Queen director Prasanth Varma & produced by C Kalyan. Adah will next be seen in Commando 3, Bypass Road, another Hindi film with a big banner to be announced soon, Charlie Chaplin 2 with Prabhu Deva, short film MOH, Soulmate & Hollywood film debut also soon, pictures of which went viral a month ago.
 
Sajid Nadiadwala’s Son Turns An Assitant Director On Housefull 4
 
Filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala made his directorial debut with Kick in the year 2014 & and it looks like his elder son Subhan wants to follow in his footsteps. The youngster, is assisting director Sajid Khan on Housefull 4 (HF4). This fact came into light when Subhan uploaded picture of his with his father on the sets of Housefull 4.Subhan’s mother Warda Nadiadwala, who also happens to be my best friend who was once upon a time a cub journalist, commented, “Super proud of you man, keep it up AD.”  This is not his 1st ever step in Bollywood, as earlier, Subhan was an assistant director on Judwaa 2. During Judwaa 2 he was adored on the sets by Salman Khan, Varun Dhawan & Jacqueline Fernandez the most. Apparently, it’s during his vacations that the youngster helps out on the sets of his father’s production ventures.
 
Fox Star Studios & R. Balki To Make ‘Mission Mangal’ With Akshay Kumar
 
The synergy will see an array of distinct entertainers over 3 titles with Akshay Kumar in the lead, to be jointly produced by Fox Star Studios & Cape Of Good Films. The 1st ever film to come off this partnership will be India’s 1st ever space film, Mission Mangal, which is in collaboration with R Balki & the film will be directed by Jagan Shakti. The shoot for Mission Mangal commences in mid Nov, 2018.  Akshay Kumar said “I am delighted to find a new creative partner in Fox Star Studios and am looking forward to creating a collaboration that will deliver a meaningful & entertaining cinematic experience. With our combined energies we hope to create content that not only excites but also empowers.” 
 
Amol Parashar Roped In For ‘Dolly Kitty Aur Voh Chamakte Sitare’!
 
Riding high on the success of his latest web series, Home, Amol Parashar has an interesting line-up of projects. While he has already started shooting for the 2nd season of Tripling, the popular digital show with which he shot to fame, the talented & versatile actor has been roped in for yet another interesting project, Dolly Kitty Aur Voh Chamakte Sitare, a film produced by Ekta Kapoor & directed by Alankrita Shrivastava. Also featuring Bhumi Pednekar, the movie will see Amol acting opposite veteran actress Konkona Sen Sharma. Amol has had a fantastic run with all his digital shows & proved his acting prowess through a wide variety of characters. The makers felt that the pairing of Amol & Konkona will be a very fresh & interesting one. He is quite excited to be a part of Dolly Kitty Aur Voh Chamakte Sitare & has already started shooting for the movie. The young digital star is not new to celluloid silver screen having already been part of acclaimed films like Madhur Bhandarkar’s Traffic et al.
 
Suniel Shetty & Other Stars At 2nd Asiaspa India Fit & Fabulous Awards!

There were not as many stars on the sky that night as at the Westin Mumbai Garden City where the most awaited event of the year, asiaSpa India Fit & Fabulous Awards was held. The celebrities from Bollywood, glamour, fitness, sports & lifestyle came in full force & made the night a stunning spectacle. After the resounding success of Wellfest 2018 in Delhi, India’s leading luxury wellness & lifestyle magazine; asiaSpa India proudly brought together the unique festival of wellness to Mumbai. Curated by Parineeta Sethi, Chief Editor & Publisher of the magazine, the festival not only celebrates people who are already “fit & fabulous”, but also inspires others to achieve their wellness goals. asiaSpa was proud to be back in the city that’s home to Bollywood with the new edition of their Awards ceremony that spread out the green carpet to leading celebrities from all walks of life including Bollywood, glamour, fitness, sports & lifestyle. Over the years, asiaSpa’s signature wellness featured the best of the wellness & fitness industry! This year too, wellness icons & enterprises across varied categories across the country were recognized & felicitated. While Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Suniel Shetty, Sonakshi Sinha, Raveena Tandon, Gauahar Khan, Shraddha Salla & Harshvardhan Rane bagged the “Fit & Fabulous” award, the evening also witnessed celebrities including Karishma Tanna, Dia Mirza, Dino Morea, Nandita Mahtani, Harbhajan Singh, Geeta Basra, Karan Tacker, Lulia Vantur, Simone Khan, Elli Avram, Divya Khosla Kumar, Queenie Singh, Pooja Makhija, Terrence Lewis, Namrata Purohit, Yash Birla, Atul Kasbekar, Farah Khan Ali, Shivoham, Samir Purohit, Eefa Shrof, Alanna Panday, Deanne Panday, Sameer Nerukar, Nawaz Modi Singhania, Nikhil Kapur, Aarti Surendranath, Ksrija Surendranath, Anil Singh, Shweta Shetty, Samir Srivastav, Waluscha De Souza, Pria Kataaria Puri, Hema Hariramani, Malavika Mohanan & Sheeba Akashdeep who walked away with the prestigious “Fit & Fabulous” trophy back home. 

Bollywood News

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Bar Council Of Delhi Issues Legal Notice Against Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan, once again, has landed in yet another legal soup for an advertisement. The jewellery ad with daughter Shweta Bachchan Nanda had also received a lot of outrage. The Bar Council of Delhi served a legal notice to him, Everest Masala, YouTube, and a media house for using a lawyer’s attire in an advertisement. The notice stated the ad undermines the dignity of the legal profession. In the commercial, Amitabh Bachchan is seen sitting in his dress room with his lawyer’s attire on as 2 of the junior artistes enter the room and offer him pav bhaji. After enjoying the delicious mean, the megastar praises the spices used in the preparation of the meal. “You (the actor & others) have failed to take due precaution before using the lawyers’ attire for advertisement and are liable for legal action for telecasting the advertisement without any authority. You are required to immediately stop all such advertisements & also give an undertaking to the Bar Council of Delhi, Bar Council of India & other states Bar Councils that the lawyers’ attire shall not be used in any advertisement in future,” read the notice.

‘Nakkash’ Director Zaigham Imam Bags An Award

Nakkash was screened in Singapore South Asian International Film Festival 2018 (SSAIDF) amongst Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Manto, which opened this year’s edition, Siddiq Barmak’s Globally Acclaimed Osama, Rima Das’s Village Rockstar & other celebrated films. Nakkash was able to leave a mark on the audience & the festival jury. In the award ceremony which was held right after the live performance by Atif Aslam in Resorts World Theatre in Resorts World Sentosa, Nakkash’s Director Zaigham Imam stood amongst the award winners holding the trophy for “Emerging Filmmaker Of The Year”. This award is 2nd in row for the film as Nakkash bagged “Best Actor” award for Lead Actor Inaamulhaq from DSAFF’18 aka Washington D.C. South Asian Film Festival 2018 & the 1st ever look of Nakkash was unveiled at Cannes during the prestigious Cannes Film Festival 2018 (CFF). The Singapore screening, which was held on 6th Oct, 2018 at Carnival Cinemas, Beach Road, Singapore, left the audiences stunned & the film got a standing ovation. The film boasts the age old secular belief of the country. Zaigham made Nakkash with only one intention and that is to show that anyone can spread their wings breaking all religious boundaries & he believes that Nakkash would force people to think & put prejudice aside.

Pahlaj Nihalani Hits Back At Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC)

Pahlaj Nihalani who was earlier the chief of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), has been lashing out on the current board for not certifying his film. Pahlaj Nihalani, who faced flak during his tenure at Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) for putting in too many restrictions in films, has now questioned the current chief, lyricist Prasoon Joshi for certifying Thugs Of Hinostan before his film Rangeela Raja that stars Govinda in the lead role. Pahlaj Nihalani has voiced out his concerns in recent reports wherein he claims that he sees no reason for delaying the certification of his film as he submitted Rangeela Raja to Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) almost a month & a half before the release date. Explaining the rule, he stated that the chairman is supposed to show the film to the committee within 21 days & let them decide on the certification of the film. However, he went on to accuse Prasoon Joshi of not being present in office adding that when he himself used to be the chairman, he worked on all days including holidays.

Anupam Kher Resigns As Film & Television Institute Of India (FTII) Chairman

Veteran actor Anupam Kher has been keeping with the shooting schedule of his American TV show, New Amsterdam. With the professional commitments for his international show, the actor has resigned as the chairman of the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII). The veteran actor cited his busy international schedule as the reason behind him stepping down as the chairman. Anupam Kher took to Twitter recently to share his resignation letter which stated, “It has been an honor, a privilege & a great learning experience to be the Chairman of the prestigious @FTIIOfficial. But because of my international assignments I won’t have much time to devote at the institute. Hence decided to send my resignation. Thank you,” he wrote along with the letter.

Kapil Sharma Advises Everyone To Plant A Tree Wherever They Go

Actor-comedian Kapil Sharma recently appealed to all the people to follow his lead & plant a tree wherever they go. “I have made a promise to myself that I will plant a tree everywhere I travel to. I have already done it in Amritsar, Manali & Dalhousie & I appeal to each & every one of you to do the same.” Kapil Sharma said this while interacting with the media at SBI Green Marathon flag off recently in Mumbai, along with fellow actor Rajkummar Rao. Speaking at the marathon, which was organised by SBI, Radio Mirchi & Bhamla Foundation, Kapil Sharma said that he was proud to be a part of the initiative. He also expressed gratitude to the organisers for giving him the opportunity. He further said that there can be no one who understands the importance of being fit & healthy more than himself, and participating in the marathon was an important step for him towards achieving his fitness goals. Being a lover of environment himself, Kapil Sharma felt a deep connect with the green marathon. Expressing his views on environmentally friendly initiatives, he said that it is very important to protect the planet, especially for our future generations, and initiatives such as the Green Marathon play an importance aspect to that effect. While Kapil has already made his resolution for the year 2019, that is to get fit, he also teased fans saying that he has a major announcement coming up soon, and that this was just the beginning.

‘Mukti Bhawan’ Bags An Indian Award

The multiple award-winning Indian drama film Mukti Bhawan aka Hotel Salvation is the winner from India for “Best Original Screenplay” for Shubhashish Bhutiani & Asad Hussain at the inaugural Asian Academy Creative Awards 2018 (AAA’s) to be held this Dec, in Singapore. There are 20 countries in contention for the awards across 49 categories. Mukti Bhawan is the sole Feature Film to be nominated for the final competition from India. Earlier this year, it also won “Best Original Screenplay” at 63rd Jio Filmfare Awards 2018. The film has bagged over 30 Awards including 2 UNESCO, 2 National Awards & at Festivals around the world. Shubahshish Bhutiani the writer & director of Mukti Bhawan is elated with this honor, Written & directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani, Mukti Bhavan akaHotel Salvation follows a son faced with his father’s untimely demand to go & die in the holy city of Varanasi & attain salvation. The film stars Adil Hussain, Lalit Behl, Geetanjali Kulkarni & Palomi Ghosh. The critics have raved about the film which garnered 4 & 5 star ratings in UK media. Asian Culture Vulture said “Gentle, unassuming, funny & poignant,Hotel Salvation is a small gem of a film in many ways.  While Empire rated it 4 stars saying, “A simple story beautifully told”; “A moving, rewarding watch that’ll get you thinking’ (Time Out) rating 4 stars whereas Sight & Sound called it “A triumph”.

The Producers Guild of India Calls for an Extraordinary General Meeting 

 Within the 1st ever week of setting up a special committee on sexual harassment, the Producers Guild of India has called for an Extraordinary General Meeting to amend its bylaws to – 1. Make it mandatory for all existing & new members to sign a declaration that affirms that “The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal) Act 2013” and any amendment/ successor act thereof has been instituted & implemented in their workplaces, as prescribed by the law. This is to be signed & submitted by every Guild member within 30 days of receipt of the declaration from the Guild. Within these 30 days, the Guild will schedule a series of workshops to be conducted by specialized external agencies, which will enable its members to institute & implement these robust processes at their workplaces, if they have not already done so. Failure to submit the declaration to the Guild by the end of 30 days from its receipt: would result in expulsion from the Guild.

2. Affirm that if any nominated representative of a Guild member is adjudged to have engaged in sexual harassment by Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) constituted by concerned Guild member and/ or by way of any other legal process available in law, the Guild has the right to immediately expel the concerned nominated representative. The committee will enable all Guild members to institute & implement robust processes in their workplaces to ensure the highest standards of safety for employees & crew members, whether in offices or on the sets of productions. The Guild is committed to working on a sustained & continuing basis to make industry workplaces safe spaces for everyone who works here.

 

Carnival Cinemas Organised A Bike Rally & Also Hosted A Special Screening Of Badhaai Ho

The month of October every year happens to be the “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” but the reality is that 1000’s of patients, survivors, researchers, doctors & concerned citizens are fighting for this worthwhile cause all the year round. Some create awareness by raising funds, wearing pink or participating in fitness events or, in some cases, all the 3. While the others donate their time, money or support for those fighting in many different ways. In that attempt to create the awareness about breast cancer, India’s fastest & one of the leading national multiplex chain, Carnival Cinemas organized a Harley Davidson Bike rally from Sangam Carnival Cinemas Andheri East on 28th Oct, 2018 with over 100 riders in association with Seven Islands Mumbai Chapter Harley Owners Group followed by a special screening of the film Badhaai Ho for over one 100 breast cancer survivors & patients from Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) at Carnival Cinemas IMAX Wadala after the rally. Post the screening, singer Neha Bhasin joined the survivors at Carnival Cinemas IMAX Wadala to boost their moral & spent quality time with them. She sang her popular songs, shook a leg with them & also listened to their heart touching stories how they fought with the disease with the support from CPAA & their loved ones. Bikers also shared their riding philosophy with the survivors to combat the disease with more will power & ability to stand on their feet once again after every misadventure.

Disney Conservation Fund Awards $5 Million To Conservation Organizations

The Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) continued its more than 2 decades old commitment to conservation this month by awarding more than $5 million in grants to support 76 organizations working to protect the magic of nature around the world. 3 of these grant recipients are conservation organizations working in India: Arulagam, International Fund for Animal Welfare & Panthera. The fund also recognized 13 people across the globe with the Disney Conservation Hero award for their tireless efforts to save wildlife, protect habitats & inspire communities to take part in conservation efforts.

Rohena Gera’s Sir Titled As “Audience Favorite”

Writer & director Rohena Gera’s Sir has achieved much success. With theatrical releases coming up in more than 20 countries, screenings at fest’s such as the prestigious Cannes film fest & Zurich Film Fest, here is one more feather in Rohena Gera’s hat. The film has also been selected as the audience favorite at its US premiere at the prestigious Mill Valley film fest. Sir in fact was titled as the World Cinema (Indie) Audience Favorite (Gold).  The film was featured in the World cinema section of the fest which had over 40 films from around the world such as Oscar-winner Asghar Farhadi’s Everybody Knows, Cannes Palme D’Or winning Shoplifters & Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma.

 

 

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I’m a newcomer for pan-India audiences: ‘KGF’ actor Yash

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 Kannada film actor Yash, who will soon be seen in “KGF” – Kolar Gold Fields – that will release in five languages including Hindi, says he is quite excited to see how cine-goers across India accept him as a performer because he is a newcomer for a majority of the audiences.

“For a pan-India audience, I am a newcomer and I know that. So far, I have only worked in the Kannada entertainment industry. Though my films are dubbed in Hindi and watched by many people on TV and on online platforms, we never had a Kannada film that was released in theatres in Hindi. So there is a feeling in my mind of being a newcomer to the maximum audience,” Yash told IANS here.

Having started his career in Kannada television, Yash made his debut in cinema in 2013 with the film “Googly” and delivered some commercially successful films like “Mr and Mrs Ramachari”, “Gajakesari” and “Santhu Straight Forward”.

Elaborating on the advantage that he gets by acting in a Kannada film, he said: “In the Kannada film industry, when a film is successful, we tend to carry some element, style and dialogue to a new film just to keep our fans stay with the characteristics of an actor that they already loved.

“Since ‘KGF’ is trying to reach an audience that will be watching my performance for the first time, they won’t be having any reference point to understand my talent from my previous works. As an actor, I have to show my strength and power of performance to win the heart of my new audience.”

The film will be releasing in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and Malayalam languages.

While the actor believes “KGF” will be a great opportunity for the homegrown talent of Karnakata to present their work to the national audience, Yash said: “Our Kannada film industry has no dearth of talent, but we need more exposure.

“That is the sole reason for us to venture into different language release so that we can share our potential to the world. I am confident that the production value and content of our film will surely match up to the global standard.”

Set in the 1970s, the story of the film revolves around a young man named Rocky (Yash), who is born on a special day and has a desire to rule the gold mines of Mumbai city.

Asked if the Mumbai backdrop will make the story more relatable for the Bollywood audience, Yash said: “That could be an advantage because in the film we have shown the 70s’ era and how the city Mumbai used to look and feel… The colour, people, society… we tried to capture the time frame on-screen.

“Having said that, we did not do that intentionally, but organically. Back in the 1970s, 1980s, people from the southern part used to go to Mumbai to achieve their dreams. There were more job opportunities, business and money. Since the film also revolves around the gold mine, the city plays a role,” added the award-winning actor.

He grew up watching Salim-Javed’s superhit Bollywood films like “Sholay”, “Deewaar” and “Don”, and says he admires Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.

Interestingly, “KGF” is releasing on the same day as Shah Rukh’s much anticipated “Zero” on December 21.

Does he have Bollywood dreams?

“I love watching Bollywood films, especially of Rajkumar Hirani. But I am not exactly desperate to work in Bollywood. I love my acting and given a good script I will work in any film industry.”

Directed by Prashanth Neel, the film will be released in two parts. The Hindi version of the film will be distributed by Excel Entertainment and AA Films.

Hindi Film Review

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Thugs Of Hindostan
“Thugs Of Hindostan Is Like A Mirror Image Of Kranti & Totally Disappointing”
 
Banner: Yash Raj Films
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Director: Vijay Krishna Acharya
Star Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Llyod Owen, Ronit Roy, Satyadev Kancharana, Ila Arun, Sharrrat Saxsena, Abdul Quadir Amin & Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub
Music: Ajay – Atul
Director Vijay Krishna Acharya, a screenplay writer cum director’s 1st ever outing was in the small screen arena. Then his 1st ever outing in the celluloid silver screen arena was with Tashan which of course proved to be a colossal disaster. In the interim phase he directed the “Dhoom” franchise which proved to be a moderate success to some extent but with his latest directorial offering Thugs Of Hindostan, Mr. Vijay Krishna Acharya has indeed driven a nail deep into his own directorial coffin.   
 
Now time to dig the grave of Aditya Chopra & Yash Raj Films latest Diwali offering Thugs Of Hindostan. So a Diwali release is an event in itself. And this year, Amitabh Bachchan & Aamir Khan team up for the 1st ever time in the hugely awaited Thugs Of Hindostan. But of course it fails miserably.
 
So very disappointingly speaking Thugs Of Hindostan is the story of a group of rebels fighting the British. The year is 1795. The kingdom is ruled by a benevolent king (Ronit Roy). The evil Clive (Lloyd Owen) annexes the kingdom by treacherous means & even kills the king & the queen. The king’s guardian, Khudabaksh (Amitabh Bachchan), escapes with the king’s daughter Zafira (Fatima Sana Shaikh). 11 years later, Khudabakash, Zafira & their gang are now considered as the most dangerous thugs. They have already wrecked a lot of havoc in the lives of the Britishers. With no other option in hand, Clive summons Firangi Malla (Aamir Khan) to trace the whereabouts of Khudabaksh. Firangi Malla is a devious character & it’s difficult to trust him. Betrayal is his 2nd nature by his own admitted confession.With the help of his friend Shanichar (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub), Firangi Malla now devises a plan & enrolls into Khudabaksh’s army of thugs. What happens next forms the crux of the Thugs Of Hindostan’s story in a nutshell?
The story is formulaic oriented & utterly predictable. The writer could have done so much with the content but, sadly enough, he lets go of this golden opportunity. The screenwriting has some moments (especially in the 1st ever half), but the narrative loosens the grip as it progresses. Worse, too many cinematic liberties & a lifeless 2nd hour act as a roadblock. The dialogues are interesting, especially between the senior actors, but they are few & far between.
Vijay Krishna Acharya’s direction is shoddy. Frankly, speaking with such a poorly written material on hand, the director couldn’t have salvaged the show either. However, he does manage to make an impact in a few sequences, like Firangi Malla’s entry & sequences between Firangi Malla & Khudabaksh in the 1st ever hour are worth recalling. And then Khudabaksh’s entry would be greeted with seetis & taalis. Even Firangi Malla’s introduction is funny & keeps the interest going on. The interval point & prior to that, the confrontation & the action sequence involving the 2 actors is engaging.
Thugs Of Hindostan straight away reminds you of Manoj Kumar’s multi-starrer movie Kranti, released in the year 1981, almost 3 & a half decades ago, which remains a far more interesting & hugely entertaining movie made on the subject (a group of rebels fighting the Britishers) Besides Thugs Of Hindostan is also a mixed potpourri of many such films made in all language films. But Kranti at least boasted of memorable songs that hold tremendous recall value even to this date.
Not only this Ajay – Atul’s (of Marathi film Sairat fame) music is a total letdown. The supremely talented composers are not in form this time. Even the background score is jarring. Yet all said & done the cinematography is stunning, action sequences are well executed, production design is top notch. VFX should’ve been better, editing is uneven. The film could’ve done with a shorter run time.
Performance wise Aamir Khan plays to the gallery, but is letdown by writing. Also, at places, he tries too hard to be funny. Amitabh Bachchan delivers a powerful performance & towers above all. Fatima Sana Shaikh (of Dangal famre) fails to create the desired impact. Katrina Kaif is hardly there, barring 2 songs & a few sequences. Abdul Quadir Amin &Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub hams to the hilt. The 2 Britishers are caricaturish. Ila Arun is wasted. Ronit Roy is decent. Sharat Saxena gets no scope.
Tail Piece: On the whole, Thugs Of Hindostan has some engrossing moments in the 1st ever half, that’s about it. The post – interval portions are an absolute downer. The plot is formulaic, while the screenplay is riddled with cinematic liberties.
At the box-office turnstiles, Thugs Of Hindostan is bound to have a huge weekend thanks to the festive period coupled with the tremendous hype & the impressive star cast names involved. But once the initial euphoria settles down, it’ll be difficult for the film to sustain. This one is a golden opportunity lost, it’s like a king – sized disappointment!

Late anti-freebie crusader Balaji is ‘Sarkar’ hero

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Nearly a year after the demise of 44-year-old anti-freebie crusader-advocate S. Subramaniam Balaji, Tamil movie “Sarkar” has stirred a controversy over the freebie schemes of the state government.

Protesters outside theatres in Coimbatore, Chennai and Madurai have been
damaging the film’s banners and demanding the removal of certain scenes from A.R. Murugadoss directed political thriller that hit the screens this week.

The ruling AIADMK is angry at the Vijay starrer for criticsing their schemes. Many AIADMK ministers and party cadres expressed their displeasure over certain scenes by damaging banners of the film and cut-outs of the actor.

It is, however, neither Vijay nor Murugadoss, but the late Balaji, who deserves credit for this anti-freebie crusade. The political activist-lawyer died on November 2017, couple of months after meeting with a road accident and suffering head injuries.

Balaji had fought against the freebie schemes of the both the key Tamil Nadu parties — DMK and the AIADMK’s governments — going up to the Supreme Court.

The apex court in 2013, while not banning freebie schemes, had ordered the Election Commission to frame guidelines for political parties to announce freebies in their election manifestoes.

Balaji had strongly felt a golden opportunity was lost to reign in political parties from creating private assets out of public money to be in power.

The top court had observed that promising freebies in the election manifesto doesn’t amount to corrupt practice under Section 123 of the Representation of Peoples Act, while ordering the Election Commission to frame guidelines for political parties.

The court gave the ruling after Balaji filed the case against the distribution of free colour television sets by the DMK to the people as part of its pre-election promise in 2006.

In an attempt to outdo DMK, the AIADMK then under late J. Jayalalithaa promised mixers, grinders, fans and laptops and other freebies during 2011 assembly polls.

Cheap rice, free TV, free power, free stove, cash dole promises by political parties is nothing but “bribery”, Balaji had contended.

So, it is neither Vijay nor “Sarkar” director A.R. Murugadoss who could be termed as anti-freebie fighters but the young crusader Balaji.

A government cannot enrich private individuals out of consolidated funds. Giving free land or free TVs or monthly cash doles are precisely that, Balaji had said.

Hailing from a family of lawyers, Balaji’s father N. Sivasankaran is a High Court lawyer, his elder sister Mahalakshmi Ramaswamy is a lawyer, too.

IANS

A Curtain Raiser on The International Film Festival Of India (IFFI Goa 2018)

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The 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2018) will be held in Goa from 20th Nov, 2018 to 28th Nov, 2018. The 49th edition of the fest will showcase 212 films from over 68 countries, which reflects diversity of taste. The “International Competition” section has 15 films out of which 3 are Indian. The “Competition section” itself will represent films produced & co-produced by 22 countries. The Fest’s Kaleidoscope section carries 20 critically acclaimed international films that have been to major film fests & the majority of them being multiple award winners. This is one of the most sought after sections of the fest that showcases the “Best” & the “Top” films of the year. The “World Panorama” section has 67 films, which are specially curated for the fest. This includes 4 World Premieres, 2 International Premieres, 15 Asia Premieres & 60 India Premieres. This year the “World Panorama” section presents 15 films, which are Oscar submissions from their respective countries.

Retrospective Of Ingmar Bergman

On the occasion of the 100th year anniversary of Ingmar Bergman’s birth, the International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2018) will showcase the 7 best films of his career. A documentary on Ingmar Bergman titled “Bergman Island” directed by Marie Nyrerod which presents the master behind the camera has also been included in this section. The official opening of this section is scheduled on 21st Nov, 2018 with panel discussion followed by the screening of Wild Strawberries.

The Opening Film: World Premiere Of ‘The Aspern Papers’
The Festival will open with the World Premiere of The Aspern Papers with international star cast. The Aspern Papers tells a story of obsession, grander lost & dreams of Byronic adventures. The delegation constitutes Jonathan Rhys Meyers (lead actor) Golden Globe winner, Joely Richardson (lead actress), Oscar nominated actress Julia Robins (actress), Morgane Polanski (actress & daughter of Roman Polanski), Nicolas Hau (actor) & Julien Landais (director).

Country Focus – Israel

Every year the International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2018) features a Country of Focus that brings out the cinematic excellence & contributions of that particular Country. In its 49th edition the International Film Festival of India (IFFI 20918), the Country of Focus will be on Israel. 10 films in collaboration with the Consulate General of Israel in Mumbai, has been selected for the country focus package. The opening film for the “Country Focus Section” is The Other Story by Avi Nesher. Important celebrities from Israel including the famous Israeli Actor, Alon Aboutboul, is the special guest from Israel, who has worked in several Hollywood films including, Rambo III, Munich by Steven Spielberg, Body of Lies by Ridley Scott & The Dark Knight Rises to name a few. The Indo-Israeli co-production seminar is slated to be held on 22nd Nov, 2018.

A State focus – Jharkhand
The movies in the Jharkhand Package include Death In The Gunj, Ranchi Diaries, Begum Jaan with others. Jharkhand has been selected as the “State Of Focus” for the 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2018) & the “Jharkhand Day” will be celebrated on 24th Nov, 2018 as part of the fest.

The International Competition Jury

The International Competition jury comprises of John Irvin, Adrian Sitaru, Polish director Robert Glinski, Anna Ferraioli Ravel & Indian member Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.

Indian Panorama – 26 Feature & 21 Non Feature Indian Films

Olu directed by Shaji N Karun as the Opening feature film of Indian Panorama Section. Kharvas directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale as the Opening non-feature film of Indian Panorama. 26 feature films & 21 non–feature Indian films are selected by the Indian Panorama Jury to be screened as part of this section out of the 100’s of entries sent by filmmakers from varied parts of the Country. The feature film jury selected the film Olu directed by Shaji N Karun as the opening feature film of the Indian Panorama 2018. The non-feature film jury selected the film Kharvas directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale as the opening non-feature film of the Indian Panorama 2018. The prominent feature films are as follows: Olu (Opening film) Malayalam by Shaji N Karun, Nagarkirtan Bengali by Kaushik Ganguly, Sa Bengali by Arijit Singh, Uma Bengali by Srijit Mukherji, Abyakto Bengali by Arjun Dutta
& Uronchondi Bengali by Abhishek Saha. The feature film jury of 13 members was headed by acclaimed film director & screenwriter, Rahul Rawail & the other prominent members included: Major Ravi, filmmaker & actor, Ahathian, director, Ujjwal Chatterjee, director, producer & screenwriter, Imo Singh, director & Utpal Datta, filmmaker & others. The non-feature film jury of 7 members was headed by acclaimed film director & editor, Vinod Ganatra. The jury constituted of the following Members: Uday Shankar Pani, filmmaker, Parvati Menon, director & film educationist, Mandar Talaulikar, filmmaker, Padmaraj Nair, film journalist, Ashok Sharan, actor & producer & Suneel Puranik actor, director & producer.

Sketch On Screen (Animation Film Package)
The sketch on screen (Animation Film Package) is a section which will screen around 3 International feature length films done in collaboration with Indian studios.

Indian Sports Biopics
The Indian spoirts biopics like Gold, Mary Kom, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, 1983, MSD: The untold story & Soorma will be screened at the 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2018) as an extension of the “Khelo India Branding”. The “Open Air Screenings” are organized during the fest where a large screen is put up in a vast open area, where these films will be screened.

The ICFT Prize


The ICFT prize consisting of the UNESCO Gandhi Medal to a film, which reflects the ideals promoted by UNESCO. This year 10 films will be showcased for selection of a film to be presented with this coveted award. The International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2018) collaborates with the International Council for Film, Audiovisual Communication (ICFT) Paris, to present a special ICFT prize consisting of the UNESCO Gandhi Medal to a film, which reflects the ideals promoted by UNESCO. This year 10 films will be showcased for selection of a film to be presented with this coveted award.

Masterclasses & In-Conversation Section

The masterclasses & in-conversation section will feature several renowned celebrities from the film industry including Prasoon Joshi, Dan Wolman, Sreekar Prasad, Anil Kapoor, Sumit Israni, Boney Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Jahnvi Kapoor, David Dhawan, Varun Dhawan, Rohit Dhawan, Jairaj, Kaushik Ganguly, Shaji Karun, Srijit Mukhrjee, Sridhar & Sreeram Raghvan, Anupama Chopra, Rajiv Masand, Bhawana Somaaya, Jason Hafford, Meghna Gulzar, Leena Yadav, Gauri Shinde et al. A retrospective of films of the recipient of the most prestigious film award of the Country, Dadasaheb Phalke Award is showcased during the 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2018). This year Vinod Khanna received the award posthumously. The 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2018) will be showcasing some of his best films including Achanak, Lekin & Amar Akbar Anthony. Retrospective of the Lifetime Achievement Awardee section recognizes the contribution of our Lifetime Achievement Awardee in the field of Cinema by showcasing some of his/her “Best Films”. This year Dan Wolman from Israel will be honored with Life Time Achievement award.

The “Homages” section pays tribute to the film personalities of our country who has taken refuge in the abode of God. This year homage will be paid to the Late Shashi Kapoor, the Late Sridevi, the Late M. Karunanidhi & the Late Kalpana Lajmi. in the International Homages this year the fest will pay a tribute to Terence Marsh, Milos Forman & Anne V Coates.
A special package for Visually Impaired Children’s special screenings with audio description will be organized for the children who are visually impaired. The fest will showcase the movies Sholay & Hichki under this section. This year there will also be a special presentation of the Tunisian films.

Bollywood Round Up

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The Thugs Of Hindustan’s Song “Manzoor – E – Khuda” Is A Salute To Being Free. Katrina Kaif & Fatima Sana Shaikh Salute The Spirit Of Freedom

Films mega action adventure Thugs of Hindostan has wowed audiences worldwide with its larger than life, extravagant trailer & its lavish & catchy songs, making it the biggest ever Hindi film release. This visual spectacle about an epic war & adventure on the high seas, is releasing this Diwali. YRF is now releasing the teaser of its 3rd song that is surely going to light up the internet. Titled “Manzoor – E – Khuda”, this patriotic dance number salutes the spirit of freedom & has Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif & Fatima Sana Shaikh dancing on it. Director Viktor (Vijay Krishna Acharya) says, “Manzoor – E – Khuda” comes at a very crucial turning point in the film & it had to be a moving & powerful song. I think it’s lyrics, composition & vocals have created an overwhelming effect, making this salute to being free an incredibly special song. We love the song & we are certain that the audiences will love the spirit of freedom in it.” The Thugs take on the mighty British Empire in the film. Thus, the significance of this song is immense. Chinni & Rekha Prakash, who are known for their unique choreography which always becomes a huge talking point, has directed it. Sukhwinder Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan & Shreya Ghoshal, 3 of the most brilliant singers of our generation have sung this powerful song. Composed by the talented duo Ajay-Atul, “Manzoor – E – Khuda” literally means “By The Will Of God”. This particular track talks about undaunting grit & determination of the Thugs. Standing up for freedom, of living as per one’s free will, is the message that’s embedded at the heart of this inspiring song. Visually grand, the powerful lyrics have been written by Amitabh Bhattacharya. Thugs of Hindostan brings 2 of the biggest icons of Hindi cinema Amitabh Bachchan & Aamir Khan for the 1st ever time the celluloid silver screen, making it a must watch movie for Hindi film lovers worldwide. The film is set to treat audiences with the biggest jaw -dropping action sequences seen on screen to date. With its edge – of – the – seat thrills & a visually immersive experience, Yash Raj Films (YRF) out & out Diwali entertainer, Thugs of Hindostan, is all set to release on 8th Nov, 2018, a national holiday, in Hindi, Tamil & Telugu.

Southern Film News

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Allah Rakha Rahman Thanks Keeravani

M M Keeravani is in for praise from musical genius Allah Rakha Rahman. It’s because the senior musician from Telugu cinema has rendered a song for the upcoming Rajinikanth-Shankar magnum opus. “Keeravani Garu …Thanks for singing ‘Bulliguva’ for #2point0 Telugu … Looking forward to the release tomorrow,” the Mozart of Madras today tweeted out. It will be interesting to listen to Keeravani’s voice in this much awaited movie. Many years ago, Allah Rakha Rahman had interned with Keeravani as a learner. He must have given a ting song to his one-time guru.

Government Passes An Order For ‘Sarkar’

Thalapathy Vijay’s Sarkar releasing on the festive occasion of Diwali day on 6th Nov, 2018 is tracking for a staggering rupees 50 Crores opening day collection worldwide. Celebrations have already started in theaters screening the much awaited film as the posters & the banners have been put & fans too are decorating the buildings & the entrance arches. But the irony of the whole thing is that Panneerselvam the President of the Theater Owners Association has sent a circular to all the cinemas screening Sarkar to remove any poster or banners that have Vijay smoking in accordance with the Government’s order.

Rajnikanth’s Film ‘2.0’ Screening – Mind Blowing Technology Used 1st Time Ever In The World

The trailer of Superstar Rajinikanth’s film 2.0 launch is taking place in a grand manner at Sathyam Cinemas Chennai.  It has been revealed that the new age technology of 4D sound has been used for the 1st time ever in the world for this mega Sciene – fiction thriller.  Usually, the surround sound system consists of speakers on the ceiling & the side walls.  This innovative sound system will be placed under the seats to give a realistic & immersive viewing experience.

Rana Daggubatti – The Manly Macho Hunk

Hunk Rana Daggubati is on a roll. Only the other day, he signed up to do the Hindi comedy-drama Housefull 4. He got the role that Nana Patekar had vacated.  And now comes the news that the Baahubali villain will romance Sai Pallavi in a movie to be produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri. The big news about this project is that Sai Pallavi will be its heroine.   Venu Udugula, who directed the critically overrated Needhi Naadhi Oke Katha, will wield the megaphone. Now that he has impressed Rana Dagubatti & the Fidaa girl. Sai Pallavi awaits the release of Sharwanand-Hanu Raghavapudi’s Padi Padi Leche Manasu on 21st Dec, 2018.

Rehamanan The Anchor Turns An Actor In Vanilla

Handsome, well built & eloquent speaker Rehmanan is making a big leap from anchoring to acting. He was a strong contender in Big Boss Season 3. He is all set to star in his 1stever film titled Vanilla as a researcher & caring brother to female protagonist Swathi Konde in the film. A news reader in a very popular television channel Rehaman was picked for this film Vanilla by director Jayathirtha for his looks & Kannada diction. Rehaman has already acted in Gara Kannada cinema in the direction of advocate turned director Muralikrishna. In Gara he is hero with a negative shade. It is in post production stage.

Trisha Makes A Request To Sun TV

The pure romance film 96 starring Vijay Sethupathi & Trisha has appealed to all sections of the audiences & it is one of the biggest hits of 2018 considering its budget.  The film directed by Premkumar & produced by Nandagopal has been snapped up by Sun Group for Satellite broadcast. Sun TV has scheduled 96 as one of its high profile Diwali day telecasts on 6th Nov, 2018 much to the chagrin of the fans, the cast & the crew.  Trisha has sent out a request stating “It’s just our 5th week and we still have 80% occupancy in all theatres. We as a team feel it’s unfair to be premiering 96 this early. So it’s our request to push it to a Pongal viewing please. Will be grateful” It remains to be seen if the television giant relents or telecast the much loved movie as advertised.

Vishal – Tamannaah’s New Movie Launched

Vishal and Tamannaah Bhatia shown to user

Trident Arts, the popular production & distribution company celebrated its 25th year anniversary recently in which many Kollywood celebrities were present. The 4th production under the banner was jointly launched by Samuthirakani & Sasikumar. The untitled project has Vishal & Tamannaah as the lead pair reuniting after Kaththi Sandai. Sundar C is helming the project and this will be his 3rd film with Vishal after Aambala & the unreleased film Madha Ghaja Raja.

‘ABCD’ In Last Schedule & Release Date Sealed

‘ABCD’ (standing for “American Born Confused Desi”), starring Allu Sirish as the hero, is gearing up for a release on 8th Feb, 2018. The remake’s final schedule is currently on in India. “The entire shooting will be completed by 15th Dec, 2018.” says debutante director Sanjeev Reddy. Rukshar Dhillon of Krishnarjuna Yuddam fame is the heroine. Famous child artiste Bharath will be seen as the hero’s friend. The son of Sirivennela Seetharamasasthri Raja, Kota Srinivasa Rao & Subhaleka Sudhakar is also part of the cast. Produced by Madhura Sridhar Reddy on Madhura Entertainments banner in association with BigBen Cinemas’ Yash Rangineni, its music is by Sandalwood music director Jodha.

Adah Sharma Upbeat About Rajasekhar’s ‘Kalki’

Adah Sharma, who was recently famously seen in Puri Jagannadh’s Heart Attack & the thriller Kshanam, has bagged a female lead’s role in Rajasekhar’s upcoming investigative thriller, Kalki. And the Commando actress is gung-ho about it.   “My next Telugu film will be Kalki. I always try to do something different & like Heart Attack, Son Of Sathyamurthy & Kshanam, I hope I can bring something new to this film too! I am super happy to be the leading lady in a film directed by Prasanth Varma,” she writes. Prasanth this year debuted with the multi-genre Awe!.   “I am doing a period film after 1920 & Rajasekhar garu & a producer like C Kalyan will bring the grand scale that is required for a film like this. I am thrilled that they chose me to play the leading lady. Can’t wait to start! Need all your love & blessings,” Adah further writes.

East Coast Vijayan’s New Film Announced

East Coast Vijayan, a well-known Malayali lyricist, is credited with changing the dynamics of Malayalam video album songs. The news is that he is going to direct a feature film In the past, he has done 2 movies, namely Mohabath & Novel. His new outing is titled Chila New Gen Nattu Visheshangal and it is expected to be yet another family entertainer. Written by S L Puram Jayasurya, it will have music by M Jayachandran. “Their combination has produced some of the most memorable melodies of Malayalam. Jayachandran has composed the songs for the film and this is a highly anticipated part. KJ Yesudas, P Jayachandran, Sankar Mahadevan & Shreya Ghoshal will render their voice to these songs,” a source says.

Jeetu Joseph Maker Of ‘Aadhi’ Starts His Bollywood Debut Film

Drishyam fame Malayalam director Jeethu Joseph has started the work on his bollywood debut film. The director informed the matter through social media .The bollywood actors Emraan Hashmi & Rishi Kapoor will play important roles in this film. The director shared a couple of photos from the movie’s sets on his social media Facebook’s page. The movie is being produced by Sunil Kheterpal & will be presented by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures. According to the makers, it is a crime thriller with elements of horror. It is said to be the remake of Spanish thriller The Body, which was released in the year 2012.

Anupama Gowda Doing Suhasini Role In ‘Bah’

The talented actress of the small screen arena namely Anupama Gowda is taking up a big task in a feature film. She had acted in Aa Karala Rathri of director Dayal Padmanabhan. She caught attention at Big Boss 5 competition. She was noticed prior to that for her Akka TV serial. A good performer today Anupama Gowda is doing the role of what Suhasini Manirathnam had done in K Balachander’s Kannada cinema Benkiyalli Aralida Hoovu. The title of this film is used once again & the character of Anupama Gowda is 21st century’s Suhasini Manirathnam’s role. It is in this film that Dr Kamal Haasan played the role of bus conductor.

Bollywood, TV celebs attend Ekta Kapoor’s Diwali party

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Mumbai Bollywood and television celebrities attended a grand Diwali bash hosted by producer Ekta Kapoor at her residence here.

The attendees on Tuesday night included Shraddha Kapoor, Arbaaz Khan, Giorgia Andriani, Nitesh Tiwari, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Mona Singh, Shabana Azmi, Tusshar Kapoor, Sophie Choudry, Karishma Tanna, Tina Ahuja, Urvashi Dholakia, Nushrat Bharucha, Karan Johar, Kiara Advani, Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra, Shabir Ahluwalia, Kanchi Kaul, Anita Hassanandani and Rohit Reddy.

In the photos, Mouni Ganguly is seen wearing a beige coloured lehenga choli with a pair of statement earrings, while Krystle D’Souza donned a green floral print asymmetrical gown with trumpet sleeves.

Karishma wore a corset style blouse and golden lehenga skirt with a complimentary dupatta. Mona wore a black long kurti and palazzo pants whereas Urvashi looked pretty in a simple black lehenga and a pink dupatta draped in saree style.

The new lovebirds in town Himansh Kohli and Neha Kakkar were also present at the party.

Neha Dhupia also arrived at the party in her full pregnancy glow and accompanying her was husband Angad Bedi.

“Dilwale” actress Kriti Sanon reached the venue in a red outfit. Popular director and father of Varun Dhawan, David Dhawan also graced the party with his presence. The director was joined by his wife.

Meanwhile, the couples of television namely Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya, Karan Patel and Ankita Bhargava, Karan Kundrra and Anusha Dandekar were snapped while making their way towards Ekta’s bash.

(IANS)

Shah Rukh Khan’s Zero in trouble

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Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) general secretary, Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Monday filed a complaint against Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan for allegedly hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community in his upcoming venture Zero.

In a complaint filed at the North Avenue Police Station, Sirsa has said that they have received a number of complaints from the Sikh Sangat.

In the complaint, Sirsa alleged that in the promo of the movie, actor Shah Rukh Khan has been shown wearing ‘Gatra Kirpan’ (Article of Sikh Faith) in their movie promo which has created an outrage among Sikh community worldwide.

The Akali Dal legislator told the police that according to the Sikh Rehat Maryada only an ‘Amritdhari Sikh’ can wear Gatra Kirpan. He further urged the police to lodge FIR against the movie.

He further said that in the promo, the film star not only appears wearing the Kirpan but also the poster shows the star in a lighter mood thereby further showing the Sikh article of faith in a lighter vein. He added that Sikhs cannot tolerate such mischievous acts either in films or in real life. Sirsa further added, “Sikh Guru Sahiban have given enough power and strength to the Sikhs to fight with such situations if they arise in their life.”

The film Zero is an upcoming venture of Shah Rukh Khan, and also features Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma. It has been directed by Anand L. Rai.

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