Dulquer Salmaan Gets Candid Talking About Irrfan Khan & His Film ‘Karwaan’

Malayalam superstar Dulquer Samaan made his Bollywood debut with Karwaan released last Fri. The actor essays the role of Avinash who lands up in a most uncomfortable situation surrounded by 2 eccentric characters; Irrfan Khan & Mithila Palkar. Talking about his chemistry with Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan averred, “Irrfan sir is unbelievably versatile. He adapts & lives the character completely. The way to think, perceive & react at any scene gets adjusted in a flick of time flawlessly. There was so much to learn from him that everyday Mithila Parker & I used to rehearse our scenes rigorously thinking of how Irrfan sir would do.” Talking at length, Dulquer opened up stating, “I remember when Akarsh Khurana approached me for the film and told me that I was to share screen space with Irrfan sir, I couldn’t believe my ears. I literally took the script to re-check & validate his words.” Produced by Ronnie Screwvala, Directed by Akarsh Khurana starring Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan & Mithila Palkar, Kaarwaan was released on Fri, 3rd Aug, 2018.

Shahid Kapoor Starrer ‘Arjun Reddy’ Telugu Remake To Launched

The remake of Telugu hit movie Arjun Reddy starring Shahid Kapoor was launched recently and will go on the floors soon and is all set to be released on 21st Jun, 2019. The movie is directed by Sandeep Vanga & produced by Bhushan Kumar, Murad Khetani, Krishan Kumar & Ashwin Varde.

‘Stree’ All Set To Take Your Breath Away On 31st Aug 2018

Dinesh Vijan is all set to give a rarely made genre of Horror Comedy with his next film Stree. The film which is made on a true phenomenon had its grand trailer launch recently along with the entire star cast of the film which includes Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana & Abhishek Banerjee. Also, present at the event were director Amar Kaushik, producers Dinesh Vijan, Raj & DK & music composer Sachin-Jigar. The trailer received an outstanding response for the funny yet horror elements which were showcased. Shraddha Kapoor & Rajkummar Rao also taught a few journalists ways of being safe from Stree & draping special Chanderi saree on them. The day was special for Dinesh Vijan who also celebrated his birthday along with the cast & the crew. Stree, a horror comedy has been directed by Amar Kaushik & is all set to release on 31stAug, 2018.

Kangana Ranaut Is The Brand Ambassador For Platinum Corp

Platinum Corp an established award-winning realty brand from the city, known for delivering contemporary & yet affordable high tech homes, announced the exclusive launch of its premium lifestyle housing project named “Platinum Vogue”. Kangana Ranaut who has been named a brand ambassador of the project, unveiled the project at a glittering function followed by a fashion show held at the city’s prominent hotel. Self-made, independent &, strong Kangana Ranaut also represents the perfect lifestyle of a fashionista & the enjoyment of all the benefits “Platinum Vogue” has to offer. Kangana Ranaut averred, “It is my pleasure to be associated with Platinum Corp. as their Brand Ambassador! They have been pioneers in smart & affordable housing projects. I understand the importance of owning a house in Mumbai and I am happy that “Platinum Corp’ is fulfilling the dreams for many. “Platinum Vogue” is a very promising project with all the modern amenities & high design anyone could ask for. The launch event was anchored by actor emcee Mona Singh, while the performances of stand-up comic Nitin Mirani & choreographer Sandeep Soparkar enthralled the audiences. The star attraction of the launch event “Vogue fashion show” by ace designer Asif Merchant was followed by the appearance of Kangana Ranaut.

Evelyn Sharma Unveils “Millionaires Club”

Country Club is known to build everlasting family clubbing, holiday, fitness & leisure entertainment industry benchmarks. At the launch of the new the Millionaire Membership with actress Evelyn Sharma along with CMD Country Club Y Rajeev Reddy. It’s a historic milestone for Country Club. With this new launch they look forward to extend their reach & help grow the country club family. Y. Rajeev Reddy averred, “The Millionaire Membership comes as a boon to many people who want to spend quality time with their families & enjoy all the varied facilities offered by Country club”. Y Rajeev Reddy also said that starting from one club in Hyderabad with 400 members in 1989 to 4 Lacs Members today, Country Club today is spread over 50 locales spanning across India, Asia & Middle East, putting Country Club in the global map. Evelyn Sharma speaking on the occasion averred, “I was always astonished about the brand Country Club, one brand more than 50 properties across India & Middle East & over 4 lakh families is something unheard of. This is my 1st association with them & looking forward to be a part of their success stories in future too.”

MS Dhonil Bats For Road Safety

MS Dhoni, walks onto a new field, as Brand ambassador of “Gulf Oil” to create awareness about road safety which today causes major fatalities due to basic flouting of regulations. In day-to-day life, the major reason people break traffic rules is to reach their destination faster. The campaign showcases how Gulf Pride 4T Plus resolves this tension of reaching the destination faster by providing instant pick-up that helps one stay always ahead. This campaign with M S Dhoni is all set to be aired on multidisciplinary channels including online, all the GEC, news, music channels & extending to movie halls activations.The narrative of the campaign is simple, yet tasteful. It’s light-hearted, yet highly engaging. It’s conversational, yet potent in messaging. The ad highlights the quirky yet annoying road habits that riders often indulge in to reach their destinations faster. MS Dhoni plays the role of the “ideal rider” who is calm & composed on the road, much like his persona on the pitch. With his road etiquette, he is bound to influence young & passionate riders. The campaign is aimed at enhancing brand familiarity leading to strong brand affinity for Gulf Pride 4T plus amongst bikers, and to educate the prospective buyers on the benefits.

Vikram Bhatt Turns Brand Ambassador

Vikram Bhatt who is synonymous with making thrillers & horror movies, is all set to add one more feather to his cap! He recently became the brand ambassador for an astrology app, Astrobuddy, which is founded by Bhupesh Sharma with a vision to make genuine astrology available to every household on the globe in its truest & most logical form. Astrobuddy is a brand of Nyassa AstroCorp and is a content & service provider for Astrology powering digital & voice astrology products globally. With over 30 million customers they understand diverse audiences sets & content consumption preferences. The app is world’s 1st ever Astrology application that facilitates live text chat for the users to seek advice from AstroBuddies. AstroBuddy is a unique service where focus is more on counseling & scientific analysis of birth charts. No religious overtures or age old superstitions are involved in this service. Very soon the live voice service will also be launched for customers in USA, Canada & UK. The objective of setting up AstroBuddy is to dispel the way astrology has been misinterpreted & showcased over & over again. “We work on people’s strengths & potential, with the objective of turning their fears into smiles,” says Bhupesh Sharma.

Vinay Anand Bags The “Most Versatile Actor” Award

Dishum International Bhojpuri Film Awards (IBFA) 2017 created history last year by being the 1st ever regional entertainment show held in London on 30th Jul, 2017. This year, it spread the power of Bhojpuri culture in Malaysia at the 2nd Dishum IBFA Awards 2018. Adding a touch of Bollywood charm & to grace the occasion present were Kumar Sanu, Dino Morea. Krishna Abhishek, Ragini Khanna, Payal Rohatgi. Apart from them, the Dishum channel owner Vishal Gurnani, producer Abhay Sinha, Durga Prasad, Ramesh Nayyar, Partha Dey, COO, Dishum Broadcasting Pvt Ltd & Aparna Shah, Founder Director, Dishum Broadcasting Pvt Ltd. Vinay Anand got the “most versatile actor award’. The prestigious awards were given away in front of a packed audiences consisting of Manoj Tiwari, Pawan Singh, Nirahua, Ravi Kishan, Krushna Abhishek as well as popular Bhojpuri celebrities including Amprapali Dubey, Madhu Sharma, Akanksha Awasthi, Sambhavna Seth, Rashmi Desai, Payal Rohatgi, who rocked the stage in a glitzy event held in Kuala Lumpur on 21st Jul, 2018.

Mrunal Thakur On Working With Tabrez Noorani & More In ’Love Sonia’

Mrunal Thakur turned a year older on 1st Aug, 2018 and on this wonderful occasion, she got talking about Love Sonia and more. She is playing a phenomenal role in Love Sonia, directed by Tabrez Noorani. The film that is based on child trafficking reunited Tabrez Noorani who is also the Indian producer of Slumdog Millionaire with reel life Latika, Freida Pinto, while simultaneously featuring Hollywood actress, Demi Moore. Mrunal Thakur took the role of Sonia, a young girl from a small Indian village, after a year-long search of a good film that really connected to her. Mrunal Thakur recollects, “Demi Moore shared stories of working with an organization called Thorn (that works towards curbing circulation of child sexual abuse material and stands up to traffickers. I went to Sonagachi, the red light area in Kolkata, and lived there for a couple of days, studying the body language of the girls there.” Inspired by true events, Love Sonia is the shocking story of a young Indian village girl whose life is tumultuously & irrevocably changed when she gets entrapped in the global sex trade while trying to save the one person she is closest to, her sister. The film has been shot in Jaipur, Mumbai, Hong Kong & Los Angeles, and will be released in India this Sept. The film has a cast comprising of Hollywood as well as Bollywood actors, including Freida Pinto, Manoj Bajpayee, Rajkummar Rao, Richa Chadha, Anupam Kher, Adil Hussain, Sai Tamhankar, Sunny Parwar, Demi Moore, Mark Duplass & Riya Sisodiya.

Vidyut Jammwal Brings Global Recognition To “Kalaripayattu”

Looper, a highly coveted platform in US has recently released a list of top martial artists across the globe and Vidyut Jammwal is the only Indian to have made it to this prestigious list. Speaking on the achievement, Vidyut Jammwal averred, “This is indeed an honor. Recognition like this inspires me to work harder and this moment makes me feel like a proud Indian”. Vidyuit Jammwal whose dream has been to bring “Kalaripayattu” to the world seems to be succeeding and has given Indians another reason to celebrate. Vidyut Jammwal has recently finished shooting for his upcoming family adventure film, Junglee, with renowned film maker Chuck Russell (director of The Mask, Scorpion King & The Eraser). Chuck Russell appreciated Vidyut Jammwal saying, “It’s great to see Vidyut Jammwal being noted as the rising star in action films across the world. He has a rare combination of cinematic charm & killer moves that will make him unstoppable after this film. What really distinguishes Vidyut Jammwal is his deep knowledge of the martial art “Kalaripayattu” and his understanding of its philosophy to not only protect & fight, but also use it to heal. I had the pleasure of creating his role in Junglee to play his style of action supporting a positive message. I can’t wait for audiences to see it on the big screen.” Speaking about the appreciation he received from Chuck Russell, Vidyut Jammwal adds, “Chuck Russel’s kind words are like an icing on the cake. Working with him on Junglee was like a dream come true. He pushed me to extract one of my best performances so far.” Other martial artists in the list include Ilram Choi, Scott Adkins, Marko Zaror, Lateef Crowder, Wu Jing & Johnny Nguyen.

Akshay Kumar Launches “Peeping Moon”

Akshay Kumar launched Clapping Hands Private Limited’s new website in Marathi namely Peeping Moon.com. With actor-writer Swanand Kirkire, Akshay Kumar visited the Mumbai office of Marathi Website. Peeping Moon.com. Over a traditional Maharashtrian breakfast of Poha, Batata Vada, Sheera, Missal Pav & Piyush drink, Akshay Kumar did his 1stever Marathi web interview with Swanand. Marathi. Peeping Moon.com, a subsidiary of Bollywood’s popular & fast growing digital platform Marathi. Peeping Moon.com, will exclusively cover content of Marathi cinema, TV & theatre including film reviews, stories, gossip, interviews, previews, on-the-sets & behind-the-scenes news, film awards shows, et al. in video & written format. Peeping Moon.com was started in Sept, 2017 by Mark Manuel & Nishant A Bhuse. “After the start of our Bollywood website in English & Hindi a year ago at the back of our minds we always intended to start a Marathi entertainment website seeing how Marathi cinema was growing and leading Bollywood actors were getting involved in it.” Akshay Kumar added, “For Bollywood news, there are several online entertainment sites, but for a person like me who admires Marathi cinema, drama & TV, there is now also Marathi. Peeping Moon.com. I congratulate the team.”

Nandita Das Heads The Jury For The 2018 Edition Of Unesco-Madanjeet Singh Prize

Nandita Das – actor, director & social advocate, along with Professor Nadia Bernoussi, celebrated academic & legal expert from Morocco, and Abdoulaye Konaté, prominent artist & cultural voice in Mali, comprised the Jury for the 2018 edition of UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize. This prize awards a hundred thousand US dollars to individuals, institutions, other entities & non-Governmental organizations that have made exceptional contributions & demonstrated leadership in the promotion of tolerance & non-violence. Nandita Das was unanimously elected President of the jury by her fellow jurors. Says Nandita Das, “As I am in the midst of a gruelling schedule, working towards the India release of Manto and its participation in international film festivals, to suddenly get this invite to participate in a meaningful initiative was truly rejuvenating. I have always enjoyed the deliberation process. The last time was in 2016 for BBC World in London. They had asked me to be on a similar jury for a programme called Outlook Inspirations. Having been caught up with Manto, it was actually refreshing and brought back a certain sense of hope. Having said that, it was not an easy process. To take out time from a hectic schedule, to review profiles of the candidates from all over the world that were nominated, and then deliberate extensively in order to arrive at a consensus during the meeting in Paris”.

Hollywood Actress Tammy Barataia Was Saved From Drowning In The Ganges

Recently, Hollywood actress Tammy Bartaia survived a fatal accident in Varanasi. The team of The Legend Of Peacock had come to shoot for the film under the direction of Atul Garg. One of the important scenes of the movie was to be shot in the Ganges River. The Director & the cameraman were shooting well for this scene, but then suddenly Atul Garg saw Tammy Barataia drowning in the river. Atul avers, “My assistant immediately jumped into the river to save her from this life threatening incident.” Atul Garg has confirmed the incident related to Tammy Barataia. The Legend Of Peacock is Atul Garg’s 1st ever Hollywood movie. The movie, being made in Hinglish, is to be shot in many countries including India. In Varanasi, 45% of the shooting has been done. Besides India, the film will also be shot in US & Turkey. The shooting of The Legend Of Peacock in Varanasi has been done on ghats like Asshi Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat. Apart from Hollywood actors like Tammy Bartaia, Tim Bruce, Brent, Bollywood actors like Asima Sharma, Manish Wadhwa, Abbas Khan will also be seen in the movie.

Bhushan Kumar To Join Hands With Ajay Devgn

Bhushan Kumar the music baron turned film producer of T-Series is all set to now produce a much-awaited costume drama, Taanaji along with Ajay Devgn. Both Bhushan Kumar & Ajay Devgn have had a very successful association in the past, Raid being their recent blockbuster. Bhushan Kumar had recently flown to London to meet Ajay Devgn for a discussion over Taanaji, which will mark Bhushan Kumar’s 1st ever venture into costume drama. The film is all set to go on the floors by the end of Sept, 2018, after Ajay Devgn finishes the shoot of Akiv Ali’s next which is being produced by Bhushan Kumar & Luv Ranjan & Indra Kumar’s Total Dhamaal. The movie Taanaji will showcase the life of this unsung warrior of glorious Indian history, who fought for his People, his soil & his King Chhatrapati Shivaji. The film will be directed by Om Raut, who has to his credit Lokmanya Ek Yugpurush (2015), the Marathi biopic on Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

‘Girl In The City’ Will Give People A Lot Of Courage

Bindass Originals Channel’s Girl In The City – Chapter 3, has been receiving all the love & the accolades from the fans. The show has already crossed the esteemed 10 million views mark on social media, within just a couple of weeks into the show. The lead actress Mithila Palkar is extremely happy that the show has entered its 3rd season as she has been associated with the show since its inception. Says Mithila Parkar, who is also seen in the film Kaarwaan with Dulqar Salmaan & Irrfan Khan, “Girl In The City is a very relatable show and we all are relatable characters. Meera, represents all of those who have moved from the smallest towns to a bigger city to achieve their dreams and the struggle is real. The show will give people a lot of courage and they will feel there are more people like Meera and like themselves. It will give them hope.” While her on-screen character is fashion designer, Mithila Parkar wishes if she adopted her traits, she would have a better sense of fashion as she prefers to wear pajamas’ always. Girl In the City – Chapter 3 also features Rajat Barmecha & Swati Vatssa in pivotal roles.

Sonu Sood Champions The Cause Of Drug Free Punjab

Besides being a talented actor, Sonu Sood is well-known for his philanthropic work & his association with several charitable causes over the years. Not many know that the large-hearted actor has been tirelessly working for the serious cause of drug abuse since more than a year now in his hometown, Punjab. In fact, Sonu Sood recently met Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and appreciated the state Government’s efforts towards eradicating drugs from the state. A source informs, “Sonu Sood has been effortlessly working for the anti-drug campaign in Punjab with the help of several top Government officials & cops. During his free time, the actor visits Punjab to assist the people working on the campaign thereby helping them to create awareness around the drug abuse. Sonu Sood will be personally meeting drug addicts and make them realize the hazardous effects of drug consumption & advocate them to maintain a disciplined & a healthy lifestyle.”

Annup Sonii Opts Out Of ‘Son Chiriya’

Annup Sonii has for long been anchoring the reality-based television show, Crime Patrol on television, and because of his busy schedule, he couldn’t take up any other project because of the hectic shooting schedule, including Abhishek Chaubey’s Son Chiriya featuring Sushant Singh Rajput & Bhumi Pednekar. “Yes I lost out on it as they wanted a certain look from me, but my show, which required me to be clean-shaven, They needed me to grow a beard of 30 days, which wasn’t possible,” informs Annup Soni. So, after his contract with the show ended, Annup Soni decided to get back to cinema. “I want to send across this message to everyone in the industry, that I am available for films! 8 years is a long gap, and I lost touch with many filmmakers. I couldn’t forge relationships with the new ones. My last film was in 2008 named Yeh Hausla, directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, and it never released. I did 2-3 films after that, but then I got this show,” he says. Annup will soon start shooting for Prasthaanam, starring Sanjay Dutt. “The film is about relationships. Me, Sanjay and more characters are part of one family, and my character goes through some kind of incident, which changes the whole story,” he adds.

‘Manto’ To Be Screened At The Toronto International Film Festival 2018

Saadat Hasan Manto (1912-1955) is considered one of the greatest writers born, with his literature being well ahead of its time. Bringing alive the legacy of the man and his turbulent yet inspirational story on the silver screen is Nandita Das’ directorial venture, Manto. The film has now been selected for a screening at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival 2018 (TIFF) scheduled from 6th Sept, 2018 to 16th Sept, 2018. Ajit Andhare – COO, Viacom18 Motion Pictures averred, “Saadat Hasan Manto’s life & work on celluloid is a dream we have nurtured with Nandita Das for a while now. Nandita Das shares, “I have been to TIFF as an actor many a time, right from my 1st ever film, Fire, in 1996. The last time I was there for the world premiere of Firaaq in 2008. So, it has been 10 long years! I am so looking forward to being back, and that too with Manto. TIFF attracts a very engaged & enthusiastic audience, both international & diaspora of the Subcontinent. Portraying the fearless writer Manto is the versatile actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui while Rasika Dugal plays his ever-supportive wife; Safia. The film also features Rishi Kapoor, Javed Akhtar, Ranvir Shorey, Paresh Rawal, Gurdas Mann, Divya Dutta et al. Manto is produced by Filmstoc & co-produced by Shamas Nawab Siddiqui & Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Magic If Films.

Sonal Chauhan Gears Up To Prepare For Mahesh Manjrekar’s Next

Sonal Chauhan, who is eagerly awaiting the release of her forthcoming war drama, Paltan, has been officially signed by director Mahesh Manjrekar for his next untitled movie, also featuring Vidyut Jamwal & Shruti Haasan. Interestingly, Sonal Chauhan who plays the role of Chandramukhi in the underworld gangster drama will be seen performing several scenes which will be high on drama. Accordingly, preparing for the same, the talented actress has started rehearsing with a theatre group featuring senior artists to prep for her intense scenes that she would be shooting soon. It’s learnt that Sonal Chauhan has to perform several intense, high-on drama scenes in the film and she has been rehearsing with several theatre actors to get the right expressions & nuances for her character.

Nupur Sanon – A Brand’s Favorite!

Nupur Sanon recently collaborated with her sister Kriti Sanon to shoot for their 1st ever commercial of a popular hair oil brand. Interestingly, Nupur Sanon has been hugely appreciated for her vivacious look & cute chemistry with sister Kriti Sanon in the commercial. She looks bubbly & very confident for her 1st ever acting debut and has a great screen presence too. Such has been the craze & the popularity of the commercial that Nupur Sanon has been recently approached for not 1 but 4 major brand shoots to endorse their products along with Kriti Sanon. Yes, you read it right! A source says, “Nupur Sanon, who is gearing up to make her mark as an actor in Bollywood, is known for beautiful looks & a major social media following is becoming quite popular amongst the fashion critics with her recent appearances.”

Rajat Barmecha Identifies With His On-Screen Character Of Kartik

Rajat Barmecha who rose to fame with Anurag Kashyap’s movie Udaan is also popular for playing Kartik in Bindass Originals’ series Girl In The City. While most of the actors don’t identify with their fiction characters Rajat has a different version altogether. The actor shares, “There are many similarities between Rajat & Kartik. Over the period of time the writer of our show has understood Rajat so well that she has merged both the real & the reel together and there is hardly any difference. Except, Kartik cooks and I don’t. The best thing about my character Kartik is that – he lives in the moment and does not take life seriously. He is always having fun and that’s how exactly I am in real life. The way we rehearse and do a scene together is very organic. I have always been an organic actor but with them I have learnt to have fun while working.” The 2 episodes of the 3rd season of Girl In The City series is released on all Bindass platforms and has been receiving a lot of love from the audience.

Rajkumar Hirani Praises Marathi Film ‘Chumbak’

Noted director Rajkumar Hirani lauded the Marathi film Chumbak by saying it is a heartwarming film with great acting talent showcased by Swanand Kirkire and matured direction by Sandeep Modi. After watching a special show of the film organized specially for Hirani on Tues, he said, “Saw the heartwarming Marathi film Chumbak. Swanand Kirkire is not only a great lyricist but has also proved to be a great actor in this film. Saurabh Bhave has penned a sweet story with matured direction by Sandeep Modi. Newcomers Sahil Jadhav & Sangram Desai have done commendable job as actors. I also salute to Naren Kumar & Akshay Kumar for the production & presentation of the film.” Hirani latter tweeted in the praises of the film. Marathi film industry has been abuzz ever since Akshay Kumar had resorted to social media to announce in pure Marathi about his decision to present his 1st ever film, Chumbak, produced by Aruna Bhatia, Naren Kumar & Cape Of Good films and directed by Sandeep Modi, which will hit the screens across Maharashtra on 27th Jul, 2018. Noted lyricist, singer & actor Swanand Kirkire, who is acting in a Marathi film for the 1st time ever is also seen in a lead role for the 1st time ever. Sangram Desai & Sahil Jadhav are the youngsters in significant roles in the film along with Kirkire. The film has been directed by National Award winner Sandeep Modi. Swanand says “I had assumed that the team wanted to meet me for its music, but I was taken aback once I realized they wanted me to act, that too in a leading role, that too in one of the toughest ones I have ever heard! But listening to the script and the faith the team had, we dived into it all including me, Sandeep, Saurabh & Naren”.”Building on the part of a mentally slow naive man with our own personal observations of people around us and extensive research with doctors & counsels working in this area, we all built this part together brick by brick, with the love & dignity we wanted to bring to it”, says director Sandeep Modi.

Gulshan Kumar Biopic To Release On Christmas

T-Series & Aamir Khan Productions join hands for the most awaited biopic on India’s Music Mogul, Gulshan Kumar. Bhushan Kumar & his family are quite excited for the film based on his dad and is thrilled to be working with Aamir Khan. The film is slated to release on Christmas 2019. Written & directed by Subhash Kapoor, the shooting of the biographical film will start early 2019. Being close to his father, Bhushan Kumar always wanted an opportunity to tell his story. They hope it would be able to do justice to the legacy which has been an inspiration to the family.
Urvashi Rautela Goes To New York
Urvashi Rautela has always graced films with her personality like Hate Story 4 which can be seen in her dance numbers like “Saara Zamana” from Kaabil as well. She has mastered 13 dance forms and is currently working on polishing her acting skills. The actress says, “Having a glamorous personality or having good dancing skills is not enough in this field. I don’t have good acting abilities. I am an actor first, rest will find its way and in order to do so, I think joining an institute to enhance my acting persona will do no harm.” Looks like the wise girl has realised that if you have to survive in films as an actress too, you have got to learn acting too!

Rajkummar Rao Learns Tailoring For Stree!

Rajkummar Rao is known to be a method actor and always goes out of his way to get into the nuances of his character. For his upcoming film Stree, the actor learnt a brand new skill and have aced it. The actor underwent a month long training for becoming a tailor. He learnt stitching of varied kind of woman outfits from a blouse to a shirt. For Rajkummar’s character in the film, being a tailor was an important connect to the story line. Talking about his new learning the actor points out that the job seems easy but required a lot of prep. Rajkummar shares “Once you sit on that chair, the coordination & reflexes are something else. You can cheat with a body double but I wanted to do everything and bought myself a sewing machine and hired a tailor in Mumbai to teach me how to sew. I also had a tailor guiding me on the sets in Chanderi.” Rajkummar Rao was very keen to adapt to the Chanderi dialect. He underwent continuous training for about a month and also had a dialect coach on the sets who made sure that Rajkummar Rao sounded like a resident of Chanderi. He even made sure to have a chat with the locals there to understand how they communicate on a daily basis. The actor further adds, “I took a couple of weeks off from other projects to prep for Stree. We finished the shoot in one go. The horror-comedy genre while unexplored in our country has a huge audience.” Dinesh Vijan presents Stree, a Maddock Films production in association with D2r films & Jio Studios. The horror comedy has been directed by Amar Kaushik and is all set to release on 31st Aug, 2018.

Pakhi Brings A New Take On Child Trafficking

After the massive success of the short film, Pihu, National Award winning writer-director Sachin Gupta is back with a feature film, Pakhi which is all set to release this Aug. The film’s music was launched recently and received great reviews from all across the world. On the occasion, Sumit Kant Kaul, Anamika Shukla, the lead actors in the film with director Sachin Gupta, singer Prateeksha Srivastava & Music Composer Shivang Mathur were present in the presence of the media fraternity. The film Pakhi is the story of a 10 year old girl who is about to get married and is trapped in the world of web trafficking. While the subject of prostitution & child trafficking stays a matter of concern, the film aims to address what goes on behind the cruel business which sees the highest violations of agency, freedom & esteem. For instance, the pre-puberty treatments that the women are subjected to for the flesh trade to flourish. Pakhi is based on true events and is all set to rejig the cinematic perspectives with a plot which explores the depth of societal distress and the value of human lives. Pakhi, a social crime drama discusses the dark world of child trafficking which is plaguing our society at large with a completely fresh perspective. Set in the times of a natural conflict for existence, it explores & exposes the dark realities behind the world of human trafficking. With estimated 27 million adults & 13 million children around the world who are victims of human trafficking, Pakhi becomes a subject that records the highest violations and yet a subject, so obviously talked about. With the refreshing plot of conflict, survival & triumph over the circumstances, Pakhi is all set to bring the society close to a mirror they cannot escape without introspecting. Sachin Gupta, a National award “Natya Bhushan” winning Indian film-maker & writer has directed Pakhi with his vision of meaningful & societal retrospective cinema. Sachin is known for his work in the field of theatre, having 14 original plays & 4 screenplays to his credit. He made his directorial debut with the critically acclaimed Paranthe Wali Gali in the year 2014 which he produced under his production banner, Chilsag Pictures, a production house he established in 2012.

Kartik Aaryan Is Mufti’s 1st Ever Brand Ambassador

On completing 2 decades, men’s fashion brand Mufti appoints rising star Kartik Aaryan as its 1st ever brand ambassador. Kartik has gained worldwide popularity through his recent artistic & commercial successes Pyaar Ka Panchnama 2 & Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety. The brand Mufti was launched in 1998 by Kamal Khushlani with one driving ambition, to provide an alternative dressing solution that didn’t conform to the uniform codes of mainstream fashion.

Deepika Padukone To Join Madame Tussauds Delhi
Deepika Padukone will be joining the world’s biggest superstars at Madame Tussauds with a wax Figure set for attractions in London & Delhi. The actress who is known as much for her beauty as she is known for her performing talent has stunned the nation ever since her inception in showbiz. The 1st ever figure will launch in London early 2019, while the Delhi figure will follow a few months later to draw more attention to the tourists & the fans of the actress. Her striking figures, which will be created by world renowned artists, will allow fans to pose, interact &experience glamour like never before. The team of Madame Tussauds expert artists met Deepika Padukone in London for the all-important sitting for her figures, where they took over 200 specific measurements, photographs to create an authentic likeness. Deepika Padukone said, “I am so delighted. The sitting with the team of experts was a special experience and I look forward to the
incredible figure at the attraction.”

Chitrangada Singh Shares The Most Sensational Chemistry With Sanjay Dutt

The 3rd instalment of Sahib Biwi Aur Gangster franchise brings a very fresh chemistry on-screen this time. The gorgeous Chitrangada Singh is shown playing the role of Sanjay Dutt’s love interest in the film. The intimate scenes between them are shot very aesthetically and very well display their complicated love story. With anticipations running high, all eyes are eager to watch director Tigmanshu Dhulia’s & Producer Rahul Mittra’s famous action-drama-thriller once again. In an exclusive interview, Chitrangada Singh, opened up about her on-screen chemistry with Sanjay Dutt saying that, “Our chemistry in the film is unusual, there’s a lot of innocence in the love which my character carries for Sanjay in the entire film. There is a lot of pain that flows along in our journey. But that is how unrequited love really is.” Producer Rahul Mittra says, “What Sanju & Chitrangda share between them on screen is extremely appalling. The love interest goes to a new level in certain scenes and is very intimate.” The true essence of unrequited love is what has been tried to deliver through the characters of Chitraganda Singh & Sanjay Dutt and what makes it all the more special is the pairing of both of them for the very 1st time on-screen. Most stories depict a very beautiful & a happy love story but this one is going to take the audience on a ride to pain & love at a whole new scale. Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3 directed presented by Raju Chadha, directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia & produced by Rahul Mittra & Tigmanshu Dhulia was released on 27th Jul, 2018.

Dhadak Is A Simple Tale Told In A Beautiful Way

Banner: Dharma Productions & Zee Studios
Producer: Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar & Apoorva Mehta
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Star Cast: Ishaan Khattar, Janhvi Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana, Ankit Bisht, Shridhar Watsar, Kshitij Kumar, Aishwarya Narkar, Aditya Kumar, Kharaj Mukherjee, Godaan Kumar, Shalini Kapoor, Vishwanath Chatterjee, Hempushpak Arora, Jahnavi Dave, Ishika Gagneja, Balaji Gauri, Manish Singh & Mustakeem
Music: John Stewart Eduri & Ajay – Atul

When Marathi film’s director Nagraj Manjule had presented his 2016 Marathi film Sairat to the audiences, it had left them deeply impacted. But at the same time, they were thoroughly entertained too! The film became a craze in Maharashtra State and also got noticed pan-India. Shashank Khaitan, who has proved his worth with films like Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania in the year 2014 & Badrinath Ki Dulhania in the year 2017 decided to take up the task of remaking this flick in Hindi. titled Dhadak, the film is also significant as it marks the long-awaited debut of the late Sridevi’s elder daughter Janhvi Kapoor. Falling in love in India comes with its share of major problems. This is especially true when the lovers belong to diverse castes or religions or regions. Honor killing is still prevalent in many parts of India and so many cases have been reported and talked about so openly in media that it doesn’t even shock us anymore. Dhadak manages to turn out as entertaining as or even better than the Marathi original Sairat.

Dhadak is the story of 2 young souls who fall in love against the restrictions of caste hierarchy. Madhukar Bagla (Ishaan Khatter) belongs to a lower caste in Udaipur, Rajasthan. He’s smitten by Parthvi Singh (Janhvi Kapoor), the daughter of the high-caste politician Ratan Singh (Ashutosh Rana). Parthvi has an intimidating personality but that doesn’t stop Madhukar from making her known that he has feelings for her. Parthvi gets impressed by Madhukar’s bravado and love blossoms between them. Trouble arises when at the birthday celebration of Parthvi’s brother Godaan Kumar (Roop Kumar), Ratan Singh catches Parthvi & Madhukar together. Madhukar & his friends Shridhar Watsar (Purshottam) & Gokul (Ankit Bisht) are taken into police custody while Parthvi is grounded at home. Parthvi however reaches the police station and manages to free Madhukar & his friends. Madhukar & Parthvi escape to Kolkata where they try to start their life afresh.

Dhadak is adapted from Sairat written & directed by Nagraj Popatrao Manjule. Shashank Khaitan’s story is on the same lines as the Marathi blockbuster Sairat with minor tweaks. Shashank Khaitan’s screenplay is very effective. One of the best things about the screenplay is that it’s shorter than Sairat. However the impact is more or less the same. In the 2nd half, the film gets a bit slow but then it was necessary to show the hardships. Shashank Khaitan’s direction complements the script well. He keeps the film very rooted and also tells a very relatable story. In some sequences, he takes the film on another level. For instance, the scene where Madhukar & Parthvi have a showdown on the streets of Kolkata is very well handled. Also he shines in the climax. Shashank Khaitan’s dialogues are simple & funny and even acidic as required.

Though Dhadak is an official remake of Sairat, one should not expect the former to be a scene by scene reworked version of the latter. As a result, there are quite a few changes. Hence even those who have seen Sairat will be in for a surprise. The film begins on a nice note with the food eating competition sequence turning out to be quite interesting. The manner in which Madhukar & Parthvi’s love story develops will surely put a smile on the faces of the viewers. 2 of the sequences stand out here, Madhukar meeting Parthvi at her mansion at night and Madhukar singing an English song for Parthvi. The film goes on a high as soon as Ratan Singh learns about their romance.

Post interval, the film switches tracks as the lovers realize that love is not a bed of roses. But the best is reserved for the finale. It’s a shocker to say the least!

Ajay-Atul’s music is melodious. The title song has a soothing feeling. “Zingaat” is already a rage. “Pehli Baar” is soulful and well shot. “Vaara Re’’ is neatly relegated to the background. John Stewart Eduri’s background score is brilliant and enhances the impact. Vishnu Rao’s cinematography is one of the best things about the film. The locales of Udaipur have been captured like never before. Shashank Tere’s production design is convincing as well as appealing. Monisha R Baldawa’s editing is slick. Manish Malhotra, Natascha Charak & Nikita Mohanty’s costumes are impressive.

Performance wise Ishaan Khatter had already proved his worth with the English Beyond The Clouds directed by Majid Majidi, in which Ishaan khatter had made his debut, and with Dhadak, he proves that he’s definitely here to stay. He’s very confident & looks so endearing in scenes where he’s head over heels in love, especially in the song “‘Pehli Baar”. In the emotional & dramatic scenes, he’s equally efficient. Janhvi Kapoor also does extremely well & exudes a lot of confidence. She handles this difficult role with so much ease and that’s a feat for a newcomer. Definitely, a star is born! Ashutosh Rana is a natural when it comes to negative roles and this one is no different. Shridhar Watsar is extremely hilarious & contributes a lot to the humor quotient. He’s going to be loved by the youth & even single screen audiences. Ankit Bisht is fair but gets overshadowed by the presence of Ishaan Khatter & Shridhar Wtsar. Godaan Kumar is good in the villainous role and leaves a mark in the scene when he’s asked to apologize to the college professor. Aditya Kumar as Devilal gets a limited scope. Ishika Ganeja as Ambika looks lovely and gets noticed. Govind Pandey as Bhagwandas is decent as Madhukar’s father. Shalini Kapoor as Ashadevi & Aishwariya Avinash as Gayatri are fair as the mothers of Parthvi & Madhukar respectively. Manish Verma as Arvind Mama is passable while Kharaj Mukherjee as Sachin Bhowmick is very adorable and would be loved. Shubhadevi Harshal Choksey as Promila Bhowmick looks beautiful and is confident. Balaji Gauri as Sulekhaji Goenka makes a mark in a cameo. Vishwanath Chatterjee as Inspector Shekhawat looks convincing.

Tail Piece: On the whole, Dhadak is a simple tale told in a beautiful way. Despite being a remake of an iconic film, it manages to stand up on its own feet and entertain the audiences thoroughly.

At the box office, the youth is going to savor this flick big time which will ensure its commercial success.

“Jalebi” – A Musically Oriented Romantic Film

Vishesh Films promises a memorable musical romantic film with “Jalebi”, in cinemas on 12th Oct, 2018. Vishesh Films’ next film Jalebi – The Everlasting Taste Of Love directed by debutant director Pushpdeep Bhardwaj and with lead cast debutant Varun Mitra, Rhea Chakraborty & Digangana Suryavanshi will tug at your heart-strings in cinemas on 12th Oct, 2018. The movies 1st imagery was released via an intriguing motion poster. From the looks of it, the production house is ready to bring yet another unique love story. The motion poster has surely got us thinking about its tag line – Once they had a love story, everyone has one! This musical love story has celebrated composers & singers like Jeet Ganguly, Tanishk Bagchi, Arijit Singh, K K, Shreya Ghoshal, Shilpa Rao, Jubin Nautiyal and others to its credit. Jalebi – The everlasting taste Of love”, is presented by Vishesh Films in association with Mahesh Bhatt & produced by Mukesh Bhatt.

Roop Kumar Rathod Launches Music Album “Taa-Dhaa”

First time ever Sandip Mahavir & Taufiq Qureshi comes up with something very different in the field of Dance, Music, & Rythm. “Taal Se” is a treat to everyone as it brings Sandip Mahavir & Taufiq Qureshi together and also a gorgeous, vibrant danseues Mugddha Mane. The song “Taa-Dhaa” Launched by Veteran Singer Roop Kumar Rathod, his Wife Sonali Rathod & Actor Azaz Khan. The event took place at Zee Preview studio fun Republic. For all Hindi music fans, check-out the latest Hindi song “Taa-Dhaa” on Zee Music sung by Vijay Prakash, Sandip Mahavir & Taufiq Qureshi. The song is produced & directed by Sandip Mahavir. Lyrics & music of the song have been given by Taufiq Qureshi. The message in this song is for the whole world to be in the positive beat of life. This video is visually absolutely different as it has both the classical & the western fusion of music & dance.

Shraddha Kapoor’s Instagram Posts disappears

Just recently one saw Shraddha Kapoor sharing some of the best moments of her family vacation on Instagram but something has gone wrong with her social media account. All the Instagram posts of the actress have disappeared all of a sudden and replaced by a very weird warning. Her social media has only 3 images which reads “Mard Ko Dard Hoga” that has put all in a quiz of what is this all about! All her fans & followers have started reacting to this sudden change and have been suggesting that her account has been hacked since even her profile picture has disappeared. The biggest question is how has this happened and what does “Mard Ko Dard Hoga” means? Will Shraddha step up & answer?

Lashtam Pashtam Is A Story Of Friendship & Brotherhood

For a while now, social media has been abuzz with a folksy, funny, colloquial sounding tongue twister Lashtam Pashtam. It was seen & heard on the ride home in the metro, on Facebook, on Instagram, on radio and even in the streets. We had all heard & seen it, but none of us knew what it meant. So here it is…Lashtam Pashtam – A Story Of Friendship & Brotherhood Beyond Borders – is a film that will release on 10th Aug, 2018. Directed by debutant Manav Bhalla, the film stars the late Om Puri, Tisca Chopra, Dolly Ahluwalia, Ishita Dutta, Feryna Wazheir, Vibhav Roy & Samar Vermani. Om Puri will always be remembered as one the best actors we ever had. His prolific body of work crossed borders and appealed to audiences not just in India but also internationally. Before his untimely death, in a fateful coincidence, he was working on Lashtam Pashtam, a film that celebrates the warmth of brotherhood & friendship beyond borders. According to Producer & Director Manav Bhalla, “Lashtam Pashtam is a film that celebrates universal brotherhood. While it has an India-Pakistan context, its essence can be true for any friendship that transcends the limitations of political borders drawn between any of us, anywhere. We were blessed to have a fantastic ensemble cast led by the legendary Om Puri ji who gave his 100% to the film and believed in its theme of friendship beyond borders. The film highlights the values that Om ji held very dear – as a human being & as an actor – universal peace & harmony and is aptly set to release on this Independence Day Weekend. I will forever cherish having worked with Om ji on (probably) his last film & my first.”

Sushant Singh Rajput Turns A Sketch Artist For His Next!

Sushant Singh Rajput’s love for creating art is not a new hobby, he is an art aficionado. As much as he can sway his fans with his acting skills, his Midas touch cannot be ignored when he is holding the pencil. His art evokes a depth. Sushant’s latest post portrays his love for physics, through creating a reincarnation of a combination of the famous paintings The Scream, Starry Night. Persistence of Memory. Off lately, he has been indulging in sketching while shooting for Kizie Aur Manny.

Hindi Academy Delhi has given its highest “Shalaka Samman” for 2017-18 to lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar.

The award was given to him at a function here which was chaired by Academy vice chairman Vishnu Khare and inaugurated by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. The award includes a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh.

Awards were also given for notable contribution in the fields of literature, social service, culture and journalism.

Superstar Aamir Khan says he takes a higher cut in films’ profits because he risks his time on projects. But he does so only after the cost of each film is recovered in every aspect.

The actor-producer gave out the information on the inaugural day of the fifth Indian Screenwriters Conference here on Wednesday.

During an interactive session on the topic ‘Writers VS Producers: Can they never be allies?’, Aamir was asked: “There is a worrying trend that now the star has started taking about 80 per cent of the film, not profit but actually as his fees. Even though he is letting his fees go, it ultimately comes to the actor taking away 80 per cent. In 20 per cent how are we going to make a successful film?”

The actor replied: “My first rupee comes to me when the film’s cost is recovered in every aspect, after the producer’s and everybody else’s money is recovered. That’s the model I work with, and certainly, I take a higher cut in the percentage because I am risking my time on that, and I think producers are happy with that too.”

Explaining the model, he shared: “The model that I work on is that, say a film costs Rs 100 crore to make. It consists of everything – cast, crew, production cost, post-production cost and everything comes in that. I don’t take any money in that. I take nothing.

“So, when the film releases, I get zero money. And as it starts earning money, that money goes into P and A (Promotions and Advertising), which is over and above Rs 100 crore. Say P and A is Rs 25 crore, it then goes into recovering that.

“Once P and A is recovered, the producer has recovered his money, and everybody has got their fees…then I go into the percentage of profits. This way, there is no way that the producer can lose any money. And if for some reason, the film has not recovered the money, that it didn’t do well, then I don’t get any money,” he said.

Being part of some of the iconic films like “Dangal”, “PK”, “3 Idiots” and “Lagaan”, Aamir believes that the script plays an important role in the success of a film.

“I think the script is the foundation (of a film) and I make sure that once I love the story and the film is in the making, people who are investing money should not be in loss. I don’t allow the producer to shoulder the responsibility alone,” he said.

He believes that sharing the responsibility of making the film commercially successful also secures his career and builds trust with the producers and financiers of films.

“I think this is the best business model for film and our business because in most of my films, if producer is not losing money, it is but obvious that he will sign me for the next film. That is why I always ensure that if I am signed in a film, there is no loss,” he said.

Citing the example of the 2001 film “Lagaan”, Aamir said: “Since that film was one of the expensive films of that time and was breaking a lot of rules of mainstream Indian cinema and that is why I felt the importance of taking the responsibility.

“That apart, I know when I come on board, producers and financiers do not question me on the subject I chose for a film because they trust me, they have faith in me. That is why I want to ensure the profit.”

{4th December 1924 – 31st July 1980}

‘Woh jab yaad aaye, bahut yaad aaye’. Yes indeed and this year 31st Jul, 2018 heralded the 38nd death anniversary of Mohammed Rafi, Rafi Sahab for one and all, who incidentally was born on 4th Dec, 1924. So by now it’s 3 decades down the unforgettable golden memory lane, time and again reminiscent of his everlasting crooning glory tinged with incidents and anecdotes galore, since his soul had departed for the heavenly abode on 31st Jul, 1980 and more so when it is the case of an eminent and a legendary singing personality like him. Not to forget that he was truly known as “Aawaz Ki Duniya Ka Shahenshah” a phrase which was coined by none other than Ameen Sayani, India’s first ever Radio Jockey, on Radio Ceylon during his most popular broadcasting days of the “Binaca Geetmala” series.

THE BEGINNING

Since his early childhood, Rafi Sahab had an undyingly passionate penchant for singing. But his strictest disciplinarian and a bit orthodox father was dead against his choice. Yet, later on, it was his uncle who on realizing his ardent desire started imparting the most essential vocal as well as instrumental musical training to him. Once the training session ended his uncle personally introduced him to Feroz Nizami the then managing director of Radio Lahore. The groundwork was laid and soon enough after a brief stint out here the millions “Chahita Fankaar” {beloved singer} got his first ever playback singing break in a made in Lahore Punjabi film titled Gul Baloch. And the year was 1944.

JOURNEY FROM LAHORE TO BOMBAY

The year was the same, 1944. Gul Baloch numbers had hit the roof in the chart bursting track record on Radio Lahore. Rafi Sahab had then confidently packed up his bag, baggage and his Radio Lahore job and landed up straight in the “Jadunagri of Bambai ki filmi duniya” as it was more popularly known then. No doubt the Lahore success had preceded him and he instantly got his first ever Hindi film playback singing break in a film titled Pehle Aap with no other competitive new or old crooner then to pose a serious threat of the “Lucknowi” tradition of “Pehle aap, pehle aap”. The next thing one knew was that he had shot into instant limelight, his very first starry brush with stardom was with the memorable number Yahan Badla Wafaa Ka from a runaway hit film titled Jugnu. And then the rest as they say was a melodious history written in golden words in the annals of the history of Indian Cinema in general and Hindi Cinema in particular.

TURNING POINT ANECDOTE

Camp business in the entire filmic arena was prevalent even then. So in spite of gaining instant recognition with Jugnu Rafi Sahab had to wait for his time to enter the big time musical league. And soon enough such an opportunity did come his way. In his heydays his major breakthrough was courtesy a strange incident that had insinuated his foray into the musical giant Naushad Sahab’s music room at Mehboob Studio. It so happened that during the recording of Babul, another eminent singer Talat Mehmood had ended up infuriating him by daring to smoke in his presence. And due to the stringent contract system Talat Mehmood did end up singing all the songs of Babul much to his chagrin. But of course Naushad Sahab had vowed that he would never repeat Talat Mehmood in any of his film. So when he scored the music for his next film Baiju Bawra it was Rafi Sahab who got a laid out on a platter golden opportunity to sing all its songs including the very symbolic, heart touching and scintillatingly naughty number Maan Mera Ehsaan Arre Nadaan Ke Maine Tuhse Kiya Hai Pyaar from Mehboob Khan’s film Aan.

HIS UNIQUE STYLE HIS FORTE

In this regard it was the then Rafi Sahab’s arch rival the Late Kishore Kumar, who in spite of being a versatile and prolific crooner in his own right had to borrow his playback for one of his own acting role in a film titled Raagini, who had gone on record speaking volumes about his vocal virtuosity, It sounds unbelievable yet true that all of a sudden Mohammed Rafi’s volcanic talent had emerged like a “Towering Inferno” on the Hindi based Indian musical scene from the 50’s phase onwards. His main forte was his stylish slurring, his mast murki’s, the feel and the tease in his voice in Toto with his excellent ability to mould his voice differently to match all the actor’s voices of their times. Then, of course, his perfect knowledge and understanding of every nuances pertaining to Urdu words in league with the Persian poetry too. While the added bonanza was his unmatched, unparalleled and flawless diction which he often used to infuse with an immeasurable yearning to bring out the exuberant light heartedness in his extremely popular Shammi Kapoor style of songs.

HIS CAPTIVATINGLY INTOXICATING NUMBERS

To attempt the chronological enlisting of Rafi Sahab’s endless number of hit songs would be strictly unfair as millions, billions, trillions and zillions of his fans hum them all over and all the time even to this day! Yet there is no one on par with him as far as the crooning of the captivatingly intoxicated numbers were concerned, like Choo Lene Do Naazook Hoton Ko, Chalkaye Jaam Aaiye Aapki Aankhon Ke Naam, Maine Pi Sharab Tumne Kya Piya, Yeh Duniya Usiki, Jo Unki Tamanna Hai, Mujhe Duniya Walon Sharabi Na Samjo, Mujhko Yaaro Maaf Karna Main Nashemain Hoon et al.

HIS HEARTWRENCHINGLY SAD NUMBERS

No doubt the ever smiling Rafi Sahab was equally versatile while crooning the pathos ridden melancholic numbers, like Yeh Duniya Yeh Mehfil, Babul Ki Duaen Leti Jaa, Mile Na Phool To Katon Se Dosti Karli, Aaj Purani Rahon Se Koi Mujhe Aawaz Na De, Yaad Na Jaaye Beete Dino Ki, Hum Ne Wafaa Na Sikhi et al.

HIS LIVELY & PEPPY NUMBERS

Indeed how can one forget his lively, peppy and outstandingly foot tapping numbers, like Tareef Karoon Kya Uski Jisne Tumhe Banaya, Badan Pe Sitare Lapete Hue, Jiya Ho Jiya Ho Jiya Kuch Bol Do, Jaan Pehchaan Hai, Na Rootho, Rootho Na Rootho Meri Jaan, Chahe Koi Mujhe Junglee Kahe….Yahoooooo, Uff Yu Maa, Uff O Khuda et al.

HIS EVERGREEN ROMANTIC NUMBERS

In this arena he was aptly titled as the “King of Romance” by Indian Cinema historians like the late Firoze Rangoonwalaa, the Late Bunny Reuben, Rajiv Vijaykar, Ritu Nanda et al albeit in their musical references making a special mention of Rafi Sahab and his evergreen romantic numbers, like Nisultana Re, Chehre Pe Giri Zulfein, Baharaon Phool Barsao, Teri Pyaari Pyaari Soorat Ko, Yeh Mera Prem Patr Padkar, Mere Mehboob Tujhe Meri Mohabbat Ki Kasam, Bekhudi Mein Sanam Uth Gaye Jo Kadam, Aankhon Hi Ankhon Mein Ishara Ho Gaya et al. Well! The list is never ending and even reams and reams and endless reams of paper-mâché would be in suffice to enlist them all.

IN CONCLUSION

And then finally the voice that had enthralled and entertained the global music lovers was silenced forever on 31st Jul, 1980. Yet his diehard fans all over feel, “Mohammed Rafi Sahab is not lost, only his physical presence is missing, but his heart, his soul and his voice still belongs to all of us.” Yes his was the most recorded voice of the bygone era and even now not a single day passes by without a Rafi number being aired on either Radio or Television. Indeed Rafi Sahab, who did face a declining lean phase, a slow and steady easing out phase in between, still remained the unchallenged musical supremo from the year 1960 to the year 1969. Besides he never gave up his riyaz, never compromised and never ever changed his outlook. While as per his son Shahid Rafi, “There can never be another Mohammed Rafi. Yes clones are galore including me in the earlier phase but Mohammed Rafi was Mohammed Rafi. By the way Baba has sung thousands or rather unlimited, uncountable songs in Hindi as well as varied other languages but till his last days his favorite personal choice were only two songs, like Ek Haseen Shaam Ko Dil Mera Kho Gaya Pehle Apna Hua Kartha Tha Ab Kisika Ho Gaya and Main Zindagi Ka Saath Nibhata Chala Gaya, Har Fikr Ko Dhuaen Mei Udata Chala Gaya. Which he did! Indeed!”

THE GRAND FINALE SALUTE

Comes from his contemporary colleague Mohammed Aziz aka Munna Aziz’s song, which he croons in all his globetrotting and Indian musical concerts galore till this date which will keep on reverberating everlastingly thereby refreshing his memory till “Qayamat” {eternity}, Na Insaan Tujhsa Tere Baad Aaya, Na Fankaar Aisa Tere Baad Aaya, Mohammed Rafi Tu Bahut Yaad Aaya.Aameen!

American actor Theo Rossi, popular for playing the bad guy with scalp tattoos in “Sons of Anarchy” and supervillain Hernan “Shades” Alvarez in Marvel’s “Luke Cage”, says he has always been attracted to faults as they are “very human”. He is also interested in playing Batman as he is one of the superheroes who has a “lot of baggage”.

Asked if playing a bad character comes naturally to him, Rossi told IANS in a telephonic interview from Austin, Texas: “I wish I could say no, but yes it does. It’s always easier to play a bad character or a villain you might say because usually they have way more depth. You learn a lot more about them. There is a lot more history.”

“Whereas in the case of heroes, you usually don’t really learn so much about them. They are just the heroes…just the good guys…we all have issues and we all have things that are wrong. It depends on what level. I have always been attracted to faults because faults are very human.”

But he feels “really lucky because if you look at my three biggest projects – ‘Sons of Anarchy’, ‘Luke Cage’ and ‘Lowriders’, the characters that I have played are being loved in the end by the fans so even though they are portrayed as the bad guys, they are actually the most liked characters in the project”.

Elaborating more, Rossi said: “Juice was the most loved character on ‘Sons of Anarchy’. People love Shades. They feel for him. Then Ghost in ‘Lowriders’. They understand him and feel bad for him.”

“So even though they might be the bad guys in theory, they are actually the good guys that people like. I have been very fortunate that I don’t get to play just straight black and white guys. I play kind of the ones that are questionable. That’s the best kind of character to play.”

What about playing a superhero?

“Yeah. I mean only if he had a lot of like depth and maybe one like the Punisher or Batman…the ones that have a lot of baggage with them. They are kind of dark to begin with. I think those are the best heroes,” said Rossi.

He is playing a supervillain in a Marvel show but wants to play DC Comics’ superhero!

“You know when I grew up, there was no such thing as difference (between the two comics). We just read them all. So I treat them all the same,” said the actor of “Lowriders”, which will soon air on Sony PIX in India.

Meanwhile, Rossi is excited about “Vault”.

“One of my films is coming out…’Vault’. It’s my first movie where I kind of carry the project. It is a really special movie to me. It is based on a true story. My company is involved in producing that. It is set in 1972. It’s something that my company is involved in..in a small role producing and I am also starring in. That I am really excited for.

“We have another film coming out called ‘Ghost of War’ by the director (Eric Bress) of ‘The Butterfly Effect’ and ‘Final Destination’. I am really enjoying the moment of everybody really loving ‘Luke Cage’ season 2,” he said.

Anuradha Paudwal To Be Honored At The House Of Commons

Mother Teresa Award-winner Padmashri Anuradha Paudwal, recently added another feather in her overcrowded cap as she was honored at UK Houses of Parliament for not just her outstanding contribution to music, but for her charitable initiatives as well. The function was held by Members of Parliament from the lndo-British All Party Parliamentary Group, Houses of Parliament. Also in attendance were Politicians & Journalists from Asian Radio, TV & print media, together with leading representatives of Indian Music Industry in UK. Anuradha Paudwal, who has to her credit, over 1500 songs in several Indian languages over a period of 4 & half decades is humility personified when asked about her feelings, “Awards & acknowledgments matter to an artist. It is the love of the people that goads us to grow at every stage. It is touching to know your efforts have reached the corners of the world”! Currently, besides her world tour, where she has traveled to UK & Australia thus far, and traveling to Sri Lanka & United States of America. Anuradha Paudwal is working on a major devotional project.

Shemaroo Entertainment Rebrands With A New Logo

Shemaroo Entertainment has been a household name for more than 5 decades now. It was not just a medium through which movies reached Indian households… it was the very reason why countless Indian families enjoyed a lifetime of unforgettable moments together. Hiren Gada, CEO & Atul Maru Joint MD, Shemaroo Entertainment along with Kunal Jeswani, CEO – Ogilvy India showcased a new brand identity to the world. Shemaroo has always provided its viewers with refreshing & engaging content. But the needs of the fast-paced modern generation are different from what they used to be. The new logo combines the needs of a digitized age with the nation’s culture of vivacity to give rise to a fresh brand identity.

Sunny Deol starrer Bhaiaji Superhit To Hit The Theaters On 19th Oct 2018!

Bhaiaji Superhit also stars Preity G Zinta, Arshad Warsi, Shreyas Talpade & Ameesha Patel. Bhaiaji Superhit starring Sunny Deol, Preity G Zinta, Arshad Warsi, Shreyas Talpade, Ameesha Patel, Sanjay Mishra, Brijendra Kala, Jaydeep Alahwat, Mukul Dev, Pankaj Tripathi & Pankaj Jha will be releasing on 19th Oct 2018. The action comedy directed by Neeraj Pathak will see Sunny Deol playing a double role for the 1st time ever. Bhaiaji Superhit comes across as very funny, hilarious, colorful and larger than life yet an emotional film. It showcases the coming together of 2 vastly different worlds of Bollywood & UP’s underworld. Presented by Hanwant Khatri & Lalit Kiri, produced by Chirag Mahendra Dhariwal & directed by Neeraj Pathak, Bhaiaji Superhitt will hit the theatres on 19th Oct, 2018.

The Makers Of ‘Sonchiriya’ Have Released The First Look Poster Of The Film!

Sonchiriya produced by Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP in association with MacGuffin Pictures, Directed by Abhishek Chaubey starring Sushant Singh Rajput, Bhumi Pednekar, Manoj Bajpayee, Ranvir Shorey & Ashutosh Rana. The film is slated to release on 8th Feb, 2019.

Springfit Unveiled New Lookbook Catalogue With Glamorous Sophie Choudhry

Sophie Chowdhry unveiled Springfit’s 2018 mattress collection & lookbook, at the 7th annual edition of the HGH Trade Show in Mumbai. Springfit has associated with the all-rounder celebrity for the grand launch of its all-new lookbook & new mattress collection. Sophie has shared her personal experience using Springfit mattress with viewers visitors & media at the Springfit booth and discuss the benefits of quality sleep. She also talked about how 6 hours of complete sleep helps her stay fit, active & energetic, despite a hectic schedule that keeps her on her feet all day. Besides the exhibition at HGH India, Springfit is also educating consumers on sleep-related topics through social media posts, emails & online chat available through the website. Springfit mattresses are available in all sizes & thicknesses, while customizable mattresses are also available. According to S. K. Malhotra, Sales Director at Springfit, this is pure because of commitment to quality, affordability & prompt service.

Nandita Das To Speak At The Prestigious “Les Napoleons” In France

Nandita Das’s film, Manto, is a liberal voice in these divided & turbulent times, hence it comes as no surprise that the filmmaker was invited recently to a special edition on “Truth” by ‘’Les Napoleons’’ in Arles, France. An innovative communication network, “Les Napoleons” gathers players of the communications industries, culture, architecture and other fields to discuss & debate crucial issues. Given that Manto wrote about the truths that no one dared to talk about, the film continues to remain relevant to our times and who better than filmmaker Nandita Das to discuss the subject at such a prestigious platform to initiate a dialogue & participation on the importance & relevance of truth in art & cinema. The actor-director is participating in 2 sessions.

J P Dutta Signs A 3 Film Deal With Harshvardhan Rane!

Harshvardhan Rane, who is eagerly anticipating the release of his forthcoming war drama, J P Dutta’s Paltan, feels blessed to have got the opportunity to work with the veteran filmmaker. Having closely worked with all the actors on Paltan, the veteran filmmaker is highly impressed by their talent, hard work & dedication, especially Harshvardhan. Taking their association to the next level post Paltan, the handsome hunk & filmmaker will be joining hands for not one but 3 films. The veteran filmmaker has offered Harshvardhan a 3 film deal under his banner.

No Body-Double For Sonu Sood For ‘Manikarnika’!

After playing a historical role in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar, Sonu is excited playing yet another one in highly-anticipated movie, Manikarnika, also featuring Kangana Ranaut. Being a historical drama, Sonu is quite excited to be part of it since it gives him the opportunity to do lot of action & sword-fighting sequences. Sonu is known for his chiseled physique and he is always in his best shape. The talented actor, who maintains a healthy & disciplined life, likes performing action scenes on his own. He has done the same for most of his films, including his Indo-Chinese production, Kung-Fu Yoga. Since the actor will be seen performing heavy-weight sword fights & hand-to-hand combat besides death-defying stunts, the makers suggested him to opt for a body double. Interestingly, Sonu has pulled off dangerous action stunts while shooting for the film in Mumbai & Hyderabad, much to the surprise of the makers & his co-stars.

Kubbra Sait To Play A Transgender In ‘Sacred Games’!

Kubbra Sait, who made her Bollywood debut with Salman Khan’s Ready in 2011, followed by Jodi Breakers in 2012, & Sultan in 2016 amongst others, will next be seen in Sacred Games alongside Saif Ali Khan & Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The actor-anchor who has the penchant for portraying challenging characters will be seen playing a transgender in the highly anticipated web series, Sacred Games. Ever since the trailer of the web series has been unveiled, Kubbra has received praises galore for her character and her striking unique look, attempted by very few actresses before. Kubbra was highly appreciated for her performance in her last web series Going Viral with Kunal Roy Kapoor. Interestingly, since it was a challenging character, Kubbra had worked rigorously to make it look & sound relatable and also understood the gestures & mannerisms to pull it off with great conviction. The actress had to spend hours for the makeup session for what she believes is one of the toughest roles to execute. Kubbra’s forthcoming projects include Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy alongside Ranveer Singh & ALTBalaji’s web series, A Family.