New Delhi Kalki Koechlin doesn’t follow any set rules or plans to reach where she wants to in the years to come as she believes in improvising and trying something new with different mediums. For her, staying relevant is more important as she feels a journey is more about the process than the final product.

“In the beginning, I was very stubborn and always wanted to be just an actor. I was told by a lot of people to try my hand at writing or directing, but I always thought I am an actor and this is what I want to do. But today, I feel all these roles are so interlinked.

“Many times I write, rewrite scenes with my director or with my co-actor, and we collaborate on a piece and I realise the roles are so interchangeable,” Kalki told IANS in an email when asked that her journey as an actor.

Does she want youngsters to take this as an inspiration from her?

“It is enough if I can be relevant. It is more about me keeping up with youngsters than influencing youngsters. So I just want to stay relevant, really,” she said.

The National Award-winning actress made her Bollywood debut with Anurag Kashyap’s “Dev.D” and went on to do some unconventional roles in films like “That Girl in Yellow Boots”, “Margarita with a Straw” and “Waiting”.

She is now a part of one of the stories of wine-maker Chandon’s The Party Starter 2.0 campaign, that will launch in October.

The brand has taken a digital leap with the launch of the next edition of The Party Starter(tm) 2.0 campaign — The Party Starter Stories. The series salutes people across various genres who have made a difference in their respective fields by delving deep into each achiever’s personal and professional journey, and educating the viewer on how Chandon is the perfect partner for every “party” moment.

Does Kalki consider herself as a game-changer?

“It’s a lot of pressure to keep changing the game. I also think we have to take these things with a pinch of salt because the minute you try to make a change or try to make something viral, it doesn’t work. It’s because of its authenticity that it stands out. You are therefore not here to change the game but to create,” said the actress.

She feels that it’s a label that other people put on you.

“I consider myself as a human being with lots of ups and downs and learning from a lot of failures before I can succeed. Rehearsing is a process which is very important to get a final product. For me, it is about the process more than the final product,” said Kalki.

Since the campaign celebrates those who have made a difference in their respective fields, how does Kalki see her journey in Bollywood as different from that of other actresses in the industry?

“It is for other people to judge. I don’t think I have had any set way or plan that I want to reach here or there in the next two to three years. I improvise a lot and try something new every couple of years. I have worked on a documentary, ‘Azmaish’, on a podcast — ‘My Indian Life’. I do theatre and am also working on poetry.

“I feel like there is no limit on how you create and always finding a different medium to put the point across.”

(IANS)

I hate to say this, but I saw it coming. Film Producer Madhu Varma Mantena had been in pain for a while. A week before he told me he has something important to tell me.

Then came the announcement that he and his wife of three years, Masaba Gupta, are bringing their marriage to an end. The announcement came on social media. This is where lives and relationships are made and unmade these days. Long live the sanctity of privacy.

Prior to Madhu, it was another friend, Arjun Rampal, who quit his marriage by “mutual consent”. Arjun told me he and his wife — married for 20 years — had parted “as friends”.

This, I find hard to believe. The effort to make a ruptured, amputated marriage look like a clean split is plainly an eyewash. Filmland marriages want to look squeaky-clean when they break up. But they are like messy murders. You can’t wash away the blood no matter how hard you try.

Hrithik Roshan and his former wife go on vacations with their children even after their marriage ended. It’s just not real. If they wanted to go on family vacations, why break the marriage? And if they did decide to mutually break the marriage, why the show of togetherness with pictures going up on social media even before the vacation has started?

I am pretty sure Madhu won’t go on post-marriage vacations with Masaba. He isn’t the media-friendly type and will refrain from indulging in ironic acts of simulated intimacy in a dead relationship.

Madhu has been gifted in what he has done. He has been involved in production and distribution of films in Hindi, Telugu and Bengali. In 2008, he co-produced “Ghajini”, the year’s highest-grossing Indian film. Since then he has produced “Rakht Charitra” in three languages, a political thriller “Rann” and the Bengali film “Autograph”, which did well.

Madhu co-founded Phantom Films with Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl and Vikramaditya Motwane, which brought out successes such as “Lootera”, “Queen”, “Hasee Toh Phasee” and “Bombay Velvet”. Madhu’s next film, “Super 30” — on the IIT success story — is awaited.

I have to admit, though, that Madhu has been singularly unlucky in love. He was in a very comfortable relationship with actress-author Nandana Sen for nearly eight years.

Madhu, Nandana and I had dinner once in Mumbai where they just couldn’t keep their eyes and hands off one another. When that relationship ended, Madhu, who always gets into relationships thinking they are for keeps, was determined to find love again. He got into another relationship with an author which ended as suddenly as it had begun.

Masaba seemed to be for keeps. Madhu just couldn’t get enough of her. Smothering your partner with love could create serious space problems. It did for Madhu’s marriage. He is now single and not quite ready to mingle. There is a lot of pain in the parting.

Madhu never wanted the marriage to end. But the show business saps you. Only the thick-skinned survive. Star-wives who have successfully managed to forge a life of their own, away from their star-husbands’ shadows have succeeded in keeping their marriages going. You think they don’t know about their husbands’ furtive flings?

Madhu’s marriage with Masaba was a fairytale coming together of two people. It soured because they never found a middle-ground between his targets as a producer and her goals as a dress designer.

Now as things stand, barring one, every one of the partners at Phantom — Anurag, Vikas and Madhu — has a broken marriage behind him.

If I was the fourth partner at Phantom, I’d seriously think about breaking away from the business, before another — a graver — break happens. But then you never know: Vikramaditya may turn out to be an outlier.

The first ‘Namaste in Namaste London came ten years back. It was an honest sweet gentle film about a NRI London-bred girl Katrina Kaif’s attempts to adjust in marriage to a Punjabi rustic man Akshay Kumar who adores her to death. Director Vipul Shah wanted to make the sequel with the same pair but things didnt work out.

Shah’s long-standing association with Akshay Kumar ended abruptly. It is a setback that he doesn’t talk about at all.

It took the producer-director ten years to direct another film.

He is happy with the way “Namaste England” has shaped up. Looking at the trailer, so are we. It seems to take us into a quaint universe where the dramatic complexities are created by cultural rather than emotional conflict between the lead pair.

This time it is Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra, who made their joint debut in Habib Faisal’s “Ishaqzaade” violent brutal interpretation of Romeo and Juliet rooted in the fiercely internecine caste and communal system. This time in “Namaste England” there is little opposition or tension in their relationship from the outside.

Says Vipul, “I wanted to make a gentle romantic film where the conflicts are very basic, very relatable. I think I’ve succeeded in doing that.”

Vipul took ill recently and had to be hospitalized. But the film didn’t suffer on account of his health. “I had finished all my work on the film when I took ill.So there has been no setback due to my health.We are ready to release on 19 October.”

The trailer shows Parineeti’s Jasmeet fleeing to London to escape the stifling patriarchal bastion of Punjab. Arjun Kapoor playing the devoted duty-bound husband follows her to London to bring her back. But the lady has other plans.

While reveling in the rites of a traditional rural Punjabi family the film seems to suggest that the female population of rural India desperately needs to find its voice. A supportive spouse helps. This is not the first time that Arjun Kapoor plays a caring empathetic husband willing to relinquish the traditional role in a marriage to let his spouse take the lead. But this is the first time that Arjun plays a husband with a hygiene problem.

On two occasions in the trailer he is heard talking about his lack care for basic hygiene. Maybe it’s just joke. Then again maybe it’s not. Either way we don’t want kids telling their mothers, “Why should we brush our teeth when Arjun Uncle doesn’t.”

(IANS)

Burt Reynolds, the moustachioed megastar who first strutted on screen more than half a century ago, has died, according to his agent. He was 82.

The Michigan native, whose easy-going charms and handsome looks drew prominent roles in films such as “Smokey and the Bandit” and “Boogie Nights,” suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday, CNN quoted the veteran actor’s agent Todd Eisner as saying.

An iconic Hollywood sex symbol in front of the camera, Reynolds also tried his directorial hand behind it, and later earned a reputation for philanthropy after founding the Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and Theatre in Florida.

His roles over the years ranged and pivoted from Southern heart throb to tough guy to comedy, notably in his role as Rep. David Dilbeck in the 1996 film “Striptease”, which flopped at the box office but earned him widespread praise for his comedic prowess.

But it was John Boorman’s 1972 thriller “Deliverance”, which cast Reynolds as outdoorsman Lewis Medlock, that is widely credited for launching his early career.

Reynolds made an acting resurgence in recent years, appearing in numerous films and TV shows.

He was cast in the upcoming Quentin Tarantino-directed “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, scheduled for release next year.

Reynolds had not yet started shooting his appearance in the film.

Khudabaksh Indian Idol 9 Finalist Launched By Anu Malik In His Next Song

Khuda Baksh who hails from Punjab, & is one of the top 3 contestants from the 9th season of Indian Idol made an appearance on Sony Entertainment Television’s Indian Idol 10 along with noted film maker J P Dutta, legendary lyricist – Javed Akhtar & versatile singer Sonu Nigam for promoting their movie, Paltan. Khuda Baksh who scored a special place in the hearts of audiences across the globe with his heartfelt singing has got his 1st ever break in Bollywood! All thanks to the biggest platform for budding singers in the country, Indian Idol & Anu Malik. The young singer was overwhelmed with emotion as he expressed his gratitude to the stage for launching him in the world of music and paving the way for a bright career. Anu Malik exclaimed, “Khuda Baksh is our child and there are millions of people who love his voice. He has a unique voice that can be rightfully termed as “Naayab.” When I called him for the song he came to the studio and learnt the song there itself and performed. What a brilliant guy. I am sure he has a glorious future ahead of him and we wish him all the best!”

AR Rahman & Tabrez Noorani Come Together

After previously collaborating on Slumdog Millionaire Tabrez Noorani & composer AR Rahman come back together for Tabrez Noorani’s directorial debut Love Sonia. AR Rahman along with breakout artist Bishop Briggs will record new song entitled “I Am More” for the film. The song is penned by Rianjali. AR Rahman’s work gained him even more global prominence with the extraordinary success of his score for the film. AR Rahman will create the song along with young American-British singer Bishop Briggs who is best known for her popular single River. Says AR Rahman, “With this, Tabrez Noorani makes his directorial debut. It was a pleasure working with Tabrez Noorani, Academy nominated producer David & Bishop Briggs for the song “I Am More”.” Tabrez said, “It was a truly unique experience to work with both AR, Bishop & Rianjali who wrote a truly beautiful song.” Love Sonia, a hard-hitting story of a 17 year old girl who risks her life to rescue her sister from the sex trade, was shot in India, Hong Kong & Los Angeles. The film stars Manoj Bajpayee, Richa Chadha, Rajkummar Rao, Sai Tamhankar, Adil Hussain, Anupam Kher, Demi Moore, Mark Duplass with Freida Pinto & debutant Mrunal Thakur & Riya Sisodia.

Javed Akhtar Is Indian Music Industry’s “Person Of The Year”

Script writer, lyricist, poet & Chairman of IPRS, Javed Akhtar was recognized & awarded with the inaugural Indian Music Industry “Person Of The Year” award. At a function organized by IMI during the 1st ever “Dialogue – Indian Music Conclave”, he was presented with the award by Shridhar Subramaniam President of Sony Music India & Chairman of IMI & Seymour Stein, Co-founder/Chairman Sire Records & VP Warner Bros Records. Stakeholders in the music sector such as Vikram Mehra, MD Saregama, Devraj Sanyal MD & CEO Universal Music Group India & South Asia spoke of the immense respect that Javed Akhtar has gathered in the industry by ensuring that the creator & music business communities build bridges in an effort to work together for the success & betterment of the industry and for his role in ensuring that authors, composers settle their long standing dues with the music industry which had been festering for years. Javed Akhtar said, “This award is not only recognition of me, it is recognition for all stakeholders in the Industry – of the extremely positive & mature fashion in which the industry now conducts & views itself”.

Subhash Ghai Sets Off The 3rd Edition Of Big Cine Expo

Big Cine Expo’s 3rd edition witnessed a packed attendance from the single screen cinemas, multiplex cinemas, malls & theatrical distribution exhibition industry & Sahara Star Mumbai and proved to be the platform for discovery, collaboration & networking for cinema exhibition industry in India. It was inaugurated by Subhash Ghai, along with Saurabh Varma, Chief Marketing Officer, INOX Leisure, P V Sunil, CEO & Director, Carnival Cinemas, Yusuf S Galabhaiwala, Director, Business Development, Galalite & Raghav, Director, Big Cine Expo. “It is an honor & and pleasure for me to be a part of this magnificent event. Big Cine Expo is one of the most prominent platforms, recognized across the globe. Such initiatives are really helpful for entrepreneurs in the cinema industry & ancillary businesses,” said Subhash Ghai. The biggest names in cinema business including PVR, INOX, Mukta A2, Miraj & Cinepolis are the multiplex partners of the event. Exhibitors present at the event included top names from various B2B cinema industries like screens, digital cinema, acoustics, in-theater dining, immersive seating, etc.

Goutam Ghose & Amit Agarwal’s Bond To Wrap Film In 20 Days!

Bengali Director Goutam Ghose is back to Hindi cinema and has collaborated with his long-time friend Amit Agarwal for the Hindi film One Day In The Rains. “My relationship with Goutam Da is almost a decade & a half old now, I share a unique bonding with him.” says Amit Aggrawal. Though he was earlier planning a Bengali film with Goutam Ghose, Amit Aggrawal got very excited after hearing the narration of One Day In The Rains and within a short notice of 30 days the shooting was scheduled at fabulous unexplored areas of Jharkhand which again was the discovery of Goutam Ghose himself. The film stars Adil Hussain, Tillotama Shome, Neeraj Kabi & Onkardas Manikpuri amongst others in pivotal roles. Says Amit Aggrawal. “I had a script based on a short story and I wanted to film it during rains.” “Amit Aggrawal said we could do it immediately and we planned the film in 20 days and finished shooting in exactly 20 days thanks to the efforts of Amit Aggrawal and his team and our team of technicians & brilliant actors,” said Gotam Ghose. The innumerable National & International award-winning filmmaker Goutam Ghose has also directed Hindi films like Paar, Patang, Gudiya & Yatra. Amit Agarwal has backed films like M.S.Dhoni – The Untold Story, Simran, Astra (Bengali), Vartak Nagar (Releasing end 2018) & Ajooba The Wonder Boy (Animation, Under Production, which he is directing as well).

Aman Verma To Play A Negative Role

Aman Verma is all set to play a lawyer in Hansa – Ek Sanyog produced by Suresh Sharma & directed by Santosh Kashyap & Dhiraj Verma. It is based on the 3rd
gender (Kinnar) community and their issues for equality in the society. Aman Verma is seen playing the role of a strong headed & a very aggressive lawyer, With Hansa – Ek Sanyog the director duo are trying to showcase the struggle that the Kinnar community have to go through in order to earn their daily livelihood with dignity. The movie also stars Ayush Shrivastava, Mantra Patel, Master Ayushmann, Sharad Saxena, Sayaji Shinde, Vaishnavi Macdonald, Akhilendra Mishra, Deepshika Nagpal, Ishtiyak Khan, Bachan Pachera, Pankaj Shukla & Neelam Pandey.

ZEE5 Film Fest Screens ‘Baarish And Chowmein’

Directed by National Award-winning director, Tigmanshu Dhulia & starring Amit Sadh & Tapsee Pannu, the film Baarish And Chowmein revolves around Siraj who is unable to rent a house in Mumbai as not many are willing to accommodate a Muslim. Says Tigmanshu Dhulia, “When this initiative came along, I felt this was a great opportunity to be a part of ushering in the change that we all wish to see. Releasing the movies exclusively on the digital medium as part of the ZEE5 Film Fest will help take it to newer audiences. Also, now, people like to see movies at their homes on their laptops & mobiles.” Adds Amit Sadh, “Baarish And Chowmein is a simple love story showing how love eventually prevails. The film has been written by Kausar Munir. As part of the festival, 12 films, 6 from India & Pakistan each will be featured every Fri on a weekly basis (started 24th Aug, 2018) Given the current global scenario, it is important to bring people together. Films by directors like Aparna Sen, Bejoy Nambiar, Ketan Mehta, Tanuja Chandra, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Khalid Ahmad, Mehreen Jabbar etc & actors like Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, Vinay Pathak, Amit Sadh, Taapsee Pannu, Kartik Aryan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Sara Haider, Faisal Qureshi etc are a part of the ZEE5 Film Fest.

Shaan & Aditya Narayan Perform Live

The makers of upcoming movie 22 Days organized a royal musical extravaganza in Mumbai to celebrate the music of the film. The event was graced by the entire cast & crew of the film, making the musical occasion a grand celebration. Producer Adhir Gunness, Director cum Actor Shiivam Tiwari along with Music Director Parivesh singh, BJP National Spokes Personal Prem Shukla, Hemant Pandey, Deepak Sawant and singers Shaan & Aditya Narayan graced the event with their presence. Shaan & Aditya Narayan along with Shiivam Tiwari performed live for the audiences, while the cast & the crew rejoiced in the celebration. While the musical gala was an entertaining affair, this was really memorable moment that grabbed everyone’s attention.

Chris Witt Weaves A Maze-Like Film Gali Guleiyan

After creating marvels with his work in Hollywood with films like The Unraveling & Catching Fireflies to name a few, Chris Witt has now added his magic-hint to the psychological thriller Gali Guleiyan. He has edited the film at length and the film trailer was surely a proof of his art. The trailer interestingly narrates a story of a paranoid man who seemed trapped convoyed by constant flashes of incidents back and forth. The arrangement of shots in sync with a mind-bending story-line will surely leave you fascinated. Chris exults, “I’m proud to say this is my best work in over 2 decades of editing! Written, directed & produced by debutant Dipesh Jain, the film certainly is a combination of story & thrill which is then perfectly balanced by an adequate amount of special effects. There are fewer movies today designed specifically for the movie theater.” Chris has also impressed the audience with the apt editing skills he had showcased in the Oscar-nominated American-Indian short film, Kavi. Bagging 2 awards & 6 nominations in his career so far, Chris is all set with his another chef-d’oeuvre Gali Guleiyan. Produced by Shuchi Jain, Gali Guleiyan will release in India and Worldwide on 7th Sept, 2018.

Nargis Fakhri – The new Brand Ambassador of Cadini

Cadini, Italy’s premier fashion brand, is a clear essence of Italian heritage & refined craftsmanship. The brand has signed on uber stylish Nargis Fakhri to be the new face of the Cadini Power of Presence Campaign in India. The focus of the brand has been fashion forward youth who not only follow international trends but also believe in power-dressing. Nargis Fakhri averred, “Cadini has always charmed me with their fabrics, design & ensemble men’s collection. I feel men are taking fashion pretty seriously these days. Cadini reflects a power of presence with the great cut, great style & exquisite fabrics that make the Cadini man stand out in a crowd. It’s a wonderful feeling to be the brand ambassador for such a spectacular brand”.

Elnaaz Norouzi To Take Centerstage Along With Saif Ali Khan & Nawazuddin Sididdiqui

The 1st ever season of Netflix series Sacred Games met with tremendous response. And the catch phrase, “Sab marr jaayenge, sirf Trivedi bachega” almost became iconic. So much so that, it was the most shared line from the show on social media & even attracted loads of speculation as well as memes. But not many have noticed that as far as the female characters go, most of the main female characters die in the series, with the exception of Zoya, played by Elnaaz Norouzi. So can we say, “Sab marr gaye, Elnaaz bach gayee”!! The lady will have a pivotal part to play in the 2nd season. “The response to the 1st ever season was much bigger than what I had imagined. So I’m definitely looking forward to 2nd season,” says an elated Elnaaz Norouzi. Inspite of hailing from Iran and having studied in Germany, Elnaaz Norouzi is particularly proud of the fact that she has herself dubbed her dialogues in Sacred Games, where she features along with established stars like Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui & Radhika Apte. In fact, Elnaaz Norouzi who actually knows 7 languages, has perfected her Hindi diction. Directed by Anurag Kashyap & Vikramaditya Motwane, The Series Is Based On Vikram Chandra’s critically acclaimed novella of the same name.

Sunny Leone Most Engaging Actress On Facebook

Bollywood’s sensation Sunny Leone has become the Queen on FaceBook by scoring 100 points on the Score Trends India Chart. Sunny Leone has surpassed actresses like Anushka Sharma who is on 2nd position with 90 points, Madhuri Dixit Nene on 86 points with 3rd position, Priyanka Chopra with 84 points on 4th & Jacqueline Fernandez who is neck to neck with 83 points on 5th position this week. The statistics for these rankings are supplied by Score Trends, a US based media-tech agency. “What worked in Sunny Leone favour is her web series Karenjit Kaur and the buzz of forthcoming MTV Splitsvilla season 11 with Ranvijay Singha which is already a rage amongst the youth and across the digital platforms especially her popular posts on Facebook,” explains Ashwani Kaul co-founder of Score Trends. “We collect data from over 600 news sources across 14 languages in India to analyse the media. This is done from Thurs to Thurs” concludes Kaul. With Season 2 of Karenjit Kaur all set to hit the Zee 5 app soon Sunny Leone is predicted to stay a bit longer on the charts.

Gracy Singh’s Grace

Actor-Danseuse Gracy Singh performed along with her troupe at ISKCON, Juhu, on the occasion of ISKCON’s 40th anniversary celebrations. The show, organized by Kavi Narayan Agarwal, was graced by Hema Malini, Dr. Rajan Sankaran & Dr. Meghna Shah of The Other Song, Dr. Soma Ghosh, Subhankar Ghosh, Vivek Prakash amongst others. The actress who looked ethereal in every costume she wore, quipped, “This show was a particularly a tough one as I usually perform for 1 hour but this was a 2 our show. I infused Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Manipuri & Ballet styles in my performances and it was quite challenging for me. It was nonetheless a divine feeling to perform at ISKCON… the vibrations were such that I almost felt (Lord) Krishna is present on stage, dancing with us. “What could be a more beautiful way to commemorate the evening!

Pooja Bhatt’s “Delhi Hoopers 3BL” on the road to Represent India

Delhi Hoopers 3BL have qualified to participate in 2 tournaments in FIBA 3×3 World Tour Masters, the Mexico City Masters & Hyderabad Masters on 8th & 9th Sept, 2018 & 22nd & 23rd Sept, 2018 respectively. Delhi Hoopers 3BL have already represented India at an international platform in 3×3 basketball for the 1st time ever at Utsunomiya Masters in Jul, 2018 and emerged 9th in the ranking charts. They stand a chance to qualify for FIBA 3×3 World Tour Finals in Beijing, China in Oct, 2018 if they manage to be in the top 8 in both World Tour Masters in Sept, 2018. It will mark the 1st time ever, an Indian 3×3 team has reached the finals of the prestigious FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final. Actor-Filmmaker-Owner Pooja Bhatt averred, “Delhi Hoopers have been raising the bar with every single match with their talent & skills. Our players are going to make India proud at Mexico City Masters, Hyderabad Masters & eventually FIBA 3×3 World Tour Finals in Beijing as well.”

Shabana Azmi & Anmol Rodriguez Celebrate Aunty Ji With Director Adeeb Rais

Director Adeeb Rais held a special preview of his short film Aunty Ji in Mumbai. Aunty Ji is a 20 minute short film starring Shabana Azmi & Anmol Rodriguez. Shabana Azmi is playing a Parsi widow & Anmol Rodriguez is playing the struggles of an Acid attack survivor in the short film. Shabana averred, “Short films are an evolving medium that gives one the freedom to express & say their story in a short span of time. I did a short film many years ago and knew it would be a new age medium”. “Aunty Ji is essentially about following your heart & chasing your dreams. Both women Parvin (Shabana ji) & Geetika (Anmol) are charming and strong but conditioned by unnecessary restrictions & pressures from society. Like most short films, we worked on a shoe string budget but I am grateful that we could have Shabanaji on board. Anmol doesn’t come from an acting background but surprisingly she turned into Geetika effortlessly” shares Director Adeeb Rais. Anmol statedsays, “It’s my debut and to share frames with Shabanaji for a novice like me is something I never imagined. ”

Zareen Khan Supports An Initiative For Public Hygiene!

Zareen Khan has taken up the cause of ending open defecation. The actress has been invited by the Orissa Government to talk to the locals there about the issues that follow with open defecation. The actress will be traveling to Orissa this month for a few days where she will conduct special seminars to meet the locals and spread the word about not defecating in public. When asked about the same, Zareen said, “It will be a public event where I will explain the locals the benefits of not defecating in the open. The Government has already started building toilets but people still prefer to defecate in the open, giving room to endless illnesses & also spreading diseases.”

Shriya Is Excited To Work With Gurinder

Fan movie fame, Shriya Pilgaonkar will be seen playing a pivotal role alongside Tom Bateman in a British TV Series, Beecham House. Directed by Gurinder Chaddha for ITV, Shriya will be essaying the character of Chanchal, a secretive caretaker of Tom’s baby. She has a crucial love track on the show. The shoot has already begun for this 6 part series in London! Elaborating on her role, the actress expresses her excitement to be a part of the glorious cast, she says “I am thrilled to be working with a host of talented individuals & Gurinder is definitely a powerhouse! Also, I have always been fascinated by period dramas and it feels so surreal to be a part of this story.” She adds, “My character is definitely intriguing and she has many shades attached to her personality. She is ambitious, secretive, passionate as well as innocent. ”This period drama series is set on the cusp of 19th century & follows the lives of the residents of the palatial Beecham House. The show also features ensemble cast including Lesley Nicol, Bessie Carter & Marc Warren.

Kalpana Pens A Memoir On Dr. Bhupen Hazarika

Kalpana Lajmi is all set to release a memoir, “Bhupen Hazarika – As I knew him” on 8th Sept, 2018. The book contains at least 12 of his songs translated in English by Muni Kabir & Illustrated by well known artist Lalitha Lajmi. With this book, Kalpana aims to take his work of 75 years to a global platform, befitting the chair that already exists in his name at Harvard University. The book will be released on the occasion of Bhupen da’s 91st Birthday. Kalpana Lajmi, who took 1 year to write the entire book, emphasizes, “I want the world to know what a great man, artist he was. He was a painter, sculptor, poet all bundled in one. I want the world to know the depth with which Bhupen Hazarika spread himself. I am grateful to Shyam Benegal, Prasoon Joshi, Mahesh Bhatt, Adil Hussain & Huma Qureshi, who have come forward to promote the book, by reading parts of the book at the launch. Bhupenda was a legend in his own right. My book on his life & works will showcase his genius in music, verse & composition to a much larger audience and hopefully capture his life & times for posterity”. The book is being published by Harper Collins and will be released on 8th Sept, 2018.

Urvashi Rautela Making India Super Proud Internationally!

Urvashi Rautela who always has created headlines all across India but this time the diva has set the parameter too high by touching the international boundaries. Urvashi Rautela always has been in cahoots about her international contact, has yet again proved her foot digged deep down in Hollywood. Urvashi Rautela is in LA having a gala time with all the international stars also promoting India on such a level. The diva was recently spotted in a party with some big names of bollywood such as Amber Rose, Alessendra Ambrosio, Blac Chyna, Dita Von Tesse, Lexy Panterra, Apryl and many more. Urvashi Routela was caught by paparazzi internationally while the actress was meeting/greeting her friends as the diva threw a success bash of Urvashi Rautela’s app in LA for her near & dear ones.

Madhuri Murli To Launch Bollywood Dance Series In California

San Francisco based Madhuri Murli is a multi-faceted personality, a computer science engineer by degree, product marketing manager by profession at a tech company in Silicon Valley, singer, composer, writer, lyricist, choreographer & philanthropist, all rolled into one. As a founder of a philanthropic platform called Flute Theory, she has conducted many live performances & even released 6 music videos, 4 out of them being her own original compositions. Earlier, one of her live performances “Shubhaarambh & Nagada Sang Dhol” went viral and garnered over 1.5 million views. Now, along with select students of Flute Theory, Madhuri Murli is all set to launch a Bollywood dance series in California, with live song & dance performances to Bollywood style fusion music. She informs that “Flute Theory intends to donate all the funds raised from this series to the Indian Government’s homage & support initiative “Bharat Ke Veer – India’s Bravehearts”, to pay respect to the brave hearts who have laid down their lives in the line of duty.” What better than singing and dancing for a noble cause,” she adds.

Mumbai Celebrity interior designer Gauri Khan has joined hands with Pride of Cows for a limited edition bottle for the premium milk brand’s seventh anniversary celebration.

The bottle brings in some hues of gold, white and black which depicts the essence of the brand.

“With an idea of creating a design that mirrors our ‘Pride of Cows’ strategy of providing premium milk to consumers who believe in leading a high quality life, we believe this collaboration with Gauri Khan is a perfect match,” Akshali Shah, Senior Vice President, Strategy – Sales and Marketing, Parag Milk Foods Ltd., said in a statement to IANS.

Expressing her excitement, Gauri said: “Design comes with creativity and this was one of those times where I did not have to look for inspiration to wrap this white gold stunningly.

“It was a wonderful experience to design the Pride of Cows limited edition bottle. I am thrilled to be a part of their seventh anniversary celebration,” she added.

The wife of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has designed the interiors of houses of many Bollywood celebrities like Karan Johar, Ranbir Kapoor, Varun Dhawan and Jacqueline Fernandez.

(IANS)

Dinesh Sudarshan Soi – The Busiest Casting Director In Bollywood

Casting Director Dinesh Sudarshan Soi may be the busiest casting director in the industry. It’s not us, it’s his latest feat at India Book Of Records that’s suggesting this. The casting director has been added in the book of records for Maximum Casting In The World for having done casting for as many as 4500 projects!

Ask the busy bee about this new feat and he avers, “I never counted my projects, I just kept on doing my work. It was when I was awarded with this mention did I notice the work I’ve earned to my name has been staggering!” exclaims Dinesh modestly.

Elaborating on the countless projects Dinesh Soi has done casting for he avers, “Like I mentioned, I hadn’t actually sat down to think of it until the India Book of Records happened. Now that I look back, I may have done casting for at least 1000 films comprising of Hollywood & International films, Festival films, Short films, Punjabi films, Gujarati films and quite a few South Indian movies apart from my mainline work being in Hindi Film Industry. I have also worked on numerous ad films & 2000 plus music videos !”

Phew! But that’s not all, the casting director is in no mood to slow down! “This is just the beginning. In fact such awards & accolades motivate me more to give my off best. I am very excited about this new project I have worked on & I really want to see my work translate on screen.”

Ask him what this new project is and he mentions Family Of Thakurganj, a forthcoming multi-starrer where except for the main 14 actors, the rest of the cast which consists of 102 actors has all been roped in from Uttar Pradesh, probably the biggest casting coup after Gangs of Wasseypur.

Literature Fest To Be Held In London

Lit O Fest’ Mumbai, India’s premiere festival of Literature, Art & Culture is all set to spread its creative wings by taking the fest international. The 5th edition of the fest will be in London on 6th Sept, 2018.

“We are excited to be a part of this wonderful cultural initiative by Smita Parikh & Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC). It is doing whatever it can to support the event, said Anup Jalota who would be present during the London Chapter of Lit O Fest in Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan London & House of Lords, British Parliament, London on 6th & 7th of Sept, 2018.

“We are happy to be a part of this Lit O Fest & we will showcase Maharashtra culture & tradition averred Vijay Kumar Gautam, Principal Secretary Tourism.

Tourism Minister, Maharshtra Jaykumar Rawal wished all the best to Lit O Fest.

“We are also felicitating some dignitaries from the field of Art, Culture, music & literature in the House of Lords, British Parliament on 7th Sept, with the “Innoventure Awards” for their contribution in their respective fields during the fest. Mumbai is possibly the 1st ever such fest in india to adopt a village named Dahigaon and is taking care of the education, hygiene & skill development of the rural girls,” stated Smita Parikh, the founding Director.

Other dignitaries along with Amrita Fadnavis, Smita Parikh & Pankaj Dubey to attend the fest are tourism minister of Maharashtra Jaykumar Rawal, Lord Daljit Rana, Mahendra Singh Jadeja, Anup Jalota & Bond Girl from Hollywood Zara Adams, Parikshit Thorat, Dr Radha Krishnan Pillai & many more.

Mumbai On the ocasssion of Janmashtami on Monday, Bollywood celebrities like megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor and Shilpa Shetty Kundra sent out wishes to their social media followers.

Here’s what they tweeted:

Amitabh Bachchan: Janamashtami ki anek shubhkamanayein.

Shilpa Shetty Kundra: Jai Kanhaiya Lal ki. My little kanhaiya, Viaan Raj trying his hand at breaking the Dahi handi.

Suniel Shetty: “If you don’t fight for what you want, then don’t cry for what you lost, “says Lord Krishna. Follow the righteous path and he will help you achieve glory. Believe in Yourself. Happy Janmashtami

Farah Khan Kunder: Happy Janmashtami. At the shoot of ‘Radha teri chunri’… seven years ago… Diva was visiting after playing Radha in her play school Janmashtami function.

Sajid Khan: Happy Janmashtami to all

Pooja Batra: Believe in Yourself – Lord Krishna, Happy Janmashtami

Rishi Kapoor: Wishing everyone a Happy Janmashtami

[IANS]

The relationship between literature and cinema is mutually sustaining, say authors and filmmakers, who are sure the search for new and good content will lead to books.

The 20th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival with Star brought the third edition of “Word To Screen Market” here aiming to become a common platform for authors, publishers, writers, directors and producers to exchange ideas and explore business opportunities.

“It is a win-win situation where the authors and publishers who are struggling to get a wider reach with their stories, get a chance to pitch stories to film studios as potential film story material.

“On the other hand, content creators are always struggling with new and good content for their projects, whether it is a film or web series. Word To Screen Market is bridging that gap. Also, publishers get an acquisition cost and the book gets huge mileage if a film is made out of it,” Filmmaker Kiran Rao, chairperson of Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) Mumbai Film Festival, told IANS here.

Author Anita Nair cannot but agree. “With the growing digital platform that demands good stories and content, the possibility of adaptation of books into audio-visual story — be it film or web series — is increasing. I see it as a mutually sustaining relationship between authors, publishers and filmmakers.”

Nair feels when a story is selected from the framework of a book as opposed to a story of a film for scripting, the scriptwriter gets a lot more details of the world of the story.

“The picture is much clearer… already in the story,” said the writer of books like “The Better Man”, “Ladies Coupe”, “Mistress”, “Lesson in Forgetting Idris” and “Cut Like Wound”.

Filmmaker Kabir Khan, too, agrees. “We are almost getting a ready story that needs to be just scripted if (the story) has the potential to make a film. And a story cannot be limited to a region… If it has a universal appeal, it will travel,” he said.

However, he also pointed out the challenges.

“Since it is a change of medium, an adaptation of a book into a film comes with a challenge. Two storytellers are involved in the process — one who wrote the book and the one who is translating that into a film.

“The challenge is to maintain that essence of the story in the film,” said the “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” director.

Nair stressed that while there is an “intangible element” that intrigues a filmmaker to make a film, an “artistic integrity” needs to be maintained.

“If you lose the essence of the story in the film, that is tragic for the author, really,” she added.

While books offer good stories to filmmakers, the process of translating it to film is not as simple as it sounds. Said Rucha Pathak, the Chief Creative Officer of Fox Star Studios: “Turning a book into a script is really time-consuming and, as a studio, we really invest in writing. The process is not as easy as it looks just because we are getting a ready story.”

Citing an example, Pathak said: “We took four years to write the script of ‘Kizie Aur Manny’, the Hindi remake of ‘The Fault In Our Stars’ to get it right. But I must say that an initiative like Word to Screen Market is really bringing the world of cinema and literature together, and I am enjoying how it’s growing with each passing year.”

Does the dazzle of cinema overpower the world of literature in such collaborations?

Emphasising on the aspect of mutual respect, Nair said: “Since the idea is to complement each other in the collaboration, I think respect for the book is important.

“The filmmaker and actors should aim to make the best possible film out of the book rather than overpowering the book with commerce and marketing. If the story gets respect, the author gets her due.”

[IANS]