Nasheman News : A film, produced by Zeishan Quadri, is being made with the backdrop of the Vyapam scam that pertains to college admissions and government recruitments and involves several politicians, businessmen and officials, in Madhya Pradesh.

Imposters were employed to write papers, exam hall seating arrangements were manipulated and forged answer sheets were supplied by bribing officials.

In the coming months, the audience will get to see a film, “Halahal”, inspired by the scam.

“The concept given by Eros Now was too good. Initially, I started as a writer on that (‘Halahal’). Then I asked them to let me do the production as well. They all agreed,” Quadri told IANS in a telephonic interview.

“The concept which was turned into a script by me and my writer Gibran Noorani… they loved it.”

The film is being directed by Randeep Jha.

Though it is inspired by true events, he said: “Vyapam is the backdrop… that this happened. The film is about a father (actor Sachin Khedekar) and a cop (actor Barun Sobti). It’s a thriller. 

“It is more or less a fictional story because we have fictionalised a lot but the backdrop is real,” he added about the movie that is currently being shot in Amroha in Uttar Pradesh.

The shooting is expected to be over by end of March.

But why did Quadri take the digital route?

“It doesn’t matter to me. What matters is that what I wanted to make, I am making. And when you say ‘digital platform’, the film will always be there. After the theatre, where does the film go? On a digital platform. So, it is the best thing,” he shared.

He also plans to send it to various film festivals.

While Jha had earlier worked with Anurag Kashyap on movies, including “Mukkabaaz”, Quadri had teamed up with the filmmaker as a writer on the popular movie “Gangs of Wasseypur”.

Did they take inputs from Anurag?

“No. Of course, I always want to share my films with Anurag but he is not so free to sit and chat. He is my mentor but we also respect his time. He is really happy that I am producing it and Randeep is directing it,” said Quadri, who had also acted in a web series last year.

Quadri could have taken up a role in “Halahal” as well but he chose not to.

“Randeep had asked me to do a role. I said ‘No. I don’t have dates’,” he said with a laugh.

“It was the role of a corrupt minister, which is now being played by Vijay Srivastava.” 

The upcoming movie also stars Anuradha Mukherjee.

“Luka Chuppi Is A Funny & Entertaining Take On Modern Relationships”
Banner: Maddok Films & Jio CinemaProducer: Dinesh Vijan. Director: Laxman UtekarStar Cast:  Kartik Aryan, Kriti Sanon, Aparshakti Khurana, Himanshu Kohli, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Atul Srivastava, Alka Amin, Vishwanath Chatterjee, Neha Saraf, Ajeet Singh, Vimi Mehta, Arun Singh, Master Samarth, Sapna Sand, Abhinav Shukla & Nabil Singh Music: Tanishk Bagchi, White Noise & Abhijit Vaghani

Cinematographer-turned-director Laxman Utekar’s, from the Marathi film arena, debut Hindi film Luka Chuppi once again explores the subject of Live-in relationship. Incidentally speaking the year 2005’s film Salaam Namaste is credited for making the idea of live-in relationship popular in India. It’s been nearly 14 years since the film released & although live-in is a known concept by now & there have also been a few more films on this topic, it’s still considered a taboo topic in many places, including in some progressive urban areas of the country. Hence, to show a couple living-in in a small Uttar Pradesh town secretly can make for a fun & entertaining watch. Moreover, it stars Kartik Aaryan & this is the actor’s 1^st ever film after the much loved & successful flick Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety.

So the scripted scenario of Luka Chuppi reveals the story of a couple living-in with their family. Superstar Nazim Khan (Abhinav Shukla) gets into a controversy when it comes to light that he is living-in with his girlfriend & is unapologetic about it. The moral police come out in full force to protest against his “indecent” act. One such organization is Rashtriya Sanskriti Manch in Mathura, it is led by Vishnu Trivedi (Vinay Pathak). His daughter is Rashmi Trivedi (Kriti Sanon) & she joins a local news channel after completing her media studies in Delhi. Here she bumps into Guddu (Kartik Aaryan) & both fall in love. After a fight with his elder unmarried brother Vikas (Himanshu Kohli) & brother-in-law Babulal (Pankaj Tripathi), he decides to tie the knot as soon as possible. He proposes to Rashmi Trivedi. She however refuses to marry him so soon & insists on a live-in relationship. Guddu obviously freaks out. However inspired by an idea given by their colleague Abbas (Aparshakti Khurana), they decide to live-in when they go on a 20 day assignment at Gwalior, where no one knows them. Hence they could live-in without any fear. But in order to get the flat on rent, they pretend to be a married couple. Rashmi Trivedi also has to go out wearing mangalsutra & apply sindoor. All is going well when Babulal catches them getting cozy in a public place. Assuming they are married, he tells his family about it & they all land up at their pad in Gwalior. What happens next forms the rest of the crux of the film.

Rohan Shankar’s story is novel & entertaining & different from other such films in this genre. The characters are very well fleshed out & most importantly, they are relatable. Rohan Shankar’s screenplay is effective for most parts & evokes the right humor. At some places however, it is a bit weak, especially in the 1^st ever half. In an attempt to establish the setting & the dynamics between the characters, the writer seems to have done a bit of a rushed job. On the positive side, a few scenes are exceptional & would surely be loved. Rohan Shankar’s dialogues are funny. Thankfully, there are no dialogues with double entendre.

Laxman Utekar’s direction is good but could have been better. The script gets a bit off in the 1^st ever half & his direction does not do much to polish the minuses. But he gets better as the film progresses. One of the best parts of the film is how it addresses a taboo topic & yet makes it mainstream. In the past, there have been films based on live-in like say Ok Jaanu in the year 2017 but it was a niche product as majority of the country just couldn’t relate to it. Laxman Utekar however executes the plot well & the message comes out loud & clear. As a result, this film has a wider appeal & all thanks to the humor & the treatment. 

Luka Chuppi begins on a surprising note, showing the Nazim Khan controversy. It makes it clear that besides being a comedy, it’s also going to make a social comment. Audiences however will go by the trailer & they expect to see romance & some dash of situational fun. And they definitely get that once the characters get introduced. At the same time however the film takes a while to get into its element. The falling-in-love happens quite quickly. The way the equation between Guddu with Vikas & Babulal is established seems forced. In fact the dream sequence where Guddu imagines that his nephew Chiku is getting married falls flat. It’s in the scene where the Gwalior neighbors create a havoc is when the film picks up. This particular scene is quite hilarious & even heroic & will be greeted with claps. The intermission point, when Guddu-Rashmi’s “luka chuppi” gets exposed (though not entirely) is also quite entertaining. Post-interval, the film gets even better as Guddu & Rashmi pretend to be married when they are not. The sequence at the temple is quite impressive, especially when it brings a new angle into the film. Guddu-Rashmi attempting to get married in their house is touching & yes, guffaw-inducing. The best however is reserved for the finale. Usually, comic capers tend to go all over the place. Fortunately in the case of Luka Chuppi, it doesn’t happen & it ends on a good note.

There are only recreated songs in the film which is a first. “Poster Lagwa Do”, the biggest song of the film, is shockingly missing from the film & is played during the end credits. This might disappoint its fans. “Coca Cola” is also played during the end credits & is foot tapping. “Photo” & “Duniyaa” are fine while “Tu Laung Main Elaachi” is melodious. Ketan Sodha’s background score has a funny touch that instantly make the proceedings light-hearted. Milind Jog’s cinematography is average. Manini Mishra’s production design is satisfactory. Sukriti Grover, Mallika Chauhan & Jia Bhagia’s costumes are appealing, especially the ones worn by Kriti Sanon. Manish Pradhan’s editing is appropriate. The film is just 126 minutes & moves swiftly.

Kartik Aaryan once again is in a great form. His boyish looks work instantly but it’s his performance that makes it even more endearing. In 1 scene in the bedroom with Kriti Sanon & Aparshakti Khurana, he does go into the “monologue” zone but quickly composes himself. His silent & deadpan expressions, especially in scenes when his family members are calling him names, are quite hilarious. Kriti Sanon has a fantastic screen presence & maintains a strong position. She also surprisingly shines in an important emotional sequence in the 2^nd half.  Aparshakti Khurana as always is dependable. The prejudice that others have towards his character’s religious identity is quite hard hitting. Pankaj Tripathi’s humor seems forced initially but later, it’s him who raises the maximum laughs. Vinay Pathak is a revelation. Till now, he has been associated with funny & light roles. But in this film, he plays a role of a dreaded politician & he looks very convincing. Himanshu Kohli is the surprise of the film & his character helps a lot in adding to the humor quotient in the film, especially post-interval. Vishwanath Chatterjee as Guddu’s brother Varun & Neha Saraf as Guddu’s bhabhi Janki also gets a chance to make their presence felt. Master Samarth as Chiku is adorable. Sapna Sand as Mrs Srivastava is good as the nosy neighbor in Gwalior. Ajit Singh as Srikanth is irritating as Vishnu Trivedi’s sidekick but that was the idea as his character has a villainous tinge. Atul Srivastava as Guddu’s father Badriprasad & Alka Amin as Guddu’s mother Shakuntala are decent. Abhinav Shukla is okay & ideally, the makers should have cast a superstar in his place.

Tail Piece: On the whole, Luka Chuppi is a funny take on the modern relationships laced with dollops of situational & funny moments. This clean comedy would get thumbs up not just from the youngsters but also from the family audiences. Strictly Recommended for One & All!

‘Sharmaji Ki Lag Gai’ Releasing On 15th Mar 2019



 Rock Mountain Productions & Tweet Entertainment’s comedy film Sharmaji Ki Lag Gayi is all set for a grand release on 15th Mar, 2019. Sharmaji (Brijendra Kala) & his beautiful & young wife Shobha (Mugdha Godse) are staying in a city which is in North India. Sharmaji is a professor but he is working as a columnist in a newspaper named “Jhunjhuna” which belongs to Murli (Krushna Abhishek) A Young & charming Guy. Sharmaji's sex solution column becomes very popular & everyone wants his advice including Top politicians, Police et al. Sharmaji always thinks “Har koi uski biwi Shobha se line marta hai” Murli is very close to Sharmaji & his wife. Lalan (Hemant Pandey) is a small gunda in the city. In market Lalan meets Shobha.”Bas kya tha wo use chedta hai” Shobha calls Sharmaji & tells her story but Sharmaji advices her to let it go don't mess with a gunda but Murli becomes very angry & he beats Lalan & also put him behind bars with the help of Inspector Tiwari (Mukesh Tiwari). Shobha is very happy but Sharmaji is very upset. Lalan's mother (Himani Shivpuri) meets Sharmaji & requests him to bail out Lalan. Sharmaji goes to police station but Inspector Tiwari refuses due to pressure from politicians. In return, Lalan say's to Sharmaji that “Murli aur apki patni Shobha ka kuch lafda hai kya?” The film is a fun ride with lots of turns & twist.

The credits of the film are written & directed by Manoj Sharma, produced by Nilkanth Regmi & Vanshmani Sharma, associate produced by A. K. Arora, Vatsal Baxi & Kamal Kishor Mishra, creative produced by Jiten Purohit, executive produced by Jeetlal Saroj, music & lyrics by Praveen Bhardwaj, cinematography by Sarvanan Elavarasu, choreography by Lollypop & Mitali Pradhan, background music by Lalit Mishra, edited by C. Singh, Head Of Production is Radheyshyam Gupta, production designed by Manisha Naik, media consultancy by Ekta & Himanshu Jhunjhunwala (Dwapar Promoters), Location is Mumbai, censor certificate is U/A, singers are Aman Trikha, Uvie, Pinky & Swati Sharma. The film stars Krushna Abhishek, Mugdha Godse, Brijendra Kala, Mukesh Tiwari, Mushtaq Khan, Himani Shivpuri, Hemant Pandey, Tiku Talsania & Shweta Khanduri.

Vikrant Anand Received Peace Award From Home Minister Rajnath Singh 

Vikrant Anand recently received a Peace Award from Home Minister Shri. Rajnath Singh at an event in New Delhi.

 Incidentally speaking Vikrant Anand who has acted in many Hindi films & South Indian films too recently received a peace award from Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh at an award function in New Delhi. 

 Vikrant Anand’s role in Hindi film Dosti Ke side effectss was well appreciated by the critics as well as the audiences. Apart from acting he also does a lot of social work.

 Vikrant Anand averred, “I am feeling very happy for receiving this award. I will try to do some more social work.” He also said that I am so lucky that I got a chance to meet our Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi at a event in New Delhi. 

Vikrant Anand has recently signed 2 new Hindi Films which will go on the floors in the month of May, 2019.  

Yeh Crazy Dil’ Is A Hidden Gem Of Web Series

Yeh Crazy Dil’ is a hidden gem in the recent plethora of web series you must watch.Sometimes the most hyped online films, web series or short films turn out to be a total bummer, while the ones that actually make the cut; are never spoken about. Yeh Crazy Dil is one of them. This 6 episode web series is set in Mumbai & revolves around the life of Aadar (Adeeb Rais) & Koyal (Zoa Morani) who are facing their quarter life crises.

From breaking up to hooking up with tinder dates, from moving on to settling for office romance & to finding out the answer to the most difficult question, can exes be friends? This series has all the drama we need!

The Always Kabhi Kabhi actress Zoa Morani is seemingly fresh in her character with her deglam avatar. She has stepped into the character of this 26 year old working girl with a broken heart effortlessly. Adeeb Rais, who debuts with Yeh Crazy Dil is impressive with his performance. Well placed glimpses of Lillete Dubey & Mini Mathur add to the charm of this break up love story.Yeh Crazy Dil is the gem you must watch right away! 

Total Dhamaal Is A “Leave-Your-Brains-Behind-At-Home” Entertainer

 Banner: Ajay Devgn Films, Maruti International, Fox Star Studios, Pen India Limited & Mangal Murti Films

 Producers: Fox Star Studios, Ajay Devgn FFilms, Ashok Thakeria, Indra Kumar, Sri Adhikari Brothers & Anand Pandit 

Director: Indra Kumar

 Star Cast: Ajay Devgn, Madhuri Dixit, Arshad Warsi, Javed Jaffrey, Anil Kapoor, Riteish Desmukh, Esha Gupta, Boma Irani, Sanjay Mishra, Mahesh Manjrekar, Pitobhash Tripathy, Sudesh Lehri, Niharica Raizada, Swati Kapoor, Vijay Patkar, Manoj Pahwa, Rajpal Yadav, Johnny Lever, Crystal – The Monkey,  Sanjay Dutt, Ashish Chaudhary, Jackie SHroff & above all Sonakshi Sinha  

Music: Gourav-Roshin & Sandip Shirodkar

 The Dhamaal franchise might not be counted in same league as Golmaal or Housefull films. But fact is that both Dhamaal in year 2007 & Double Dhamaal in year 2011 have been successful ventures & have worked on small screen arena as well. Therefore, recall value is quite strong. Hence, it’s no surprise that 3^rd part of franchise namely Total Dhamaal, carries a lot of expectations. Makers have even upped scale & madness by not only getting 3 prominent actors (Ajay Devgn, Madhuri Dixit & Anil Kapoor) in addition to existing star cast minus Ashish Chowdhary but by also making it an adventure comedy, a rarely explored genre in Bollywood. 

Scripted scenario of Total Dhamaal reveals story of a bunch of greedy madcap characters on an adventure. Guddu (Ajay Devgn) is a small-time conman. He along with his partner Johnny (Sanjay Mishra) gets a tip that a large sum of money is being exchanged in a hotel room. They reach there only to realize that one who is receiving money is a police commissioner (Boman Irani). Nevertheless, Guddu & Johnny rob money from commissioner & escape. At this point, their driver Pintu (Manoj Pahwa) double crosses them & runs away with money, amounting to Rs. 50 crores. Meanwhile, Avinash Patel (Anil Kapoor) & Bindu (Madhuri Dixit) are married for 17 years & have now filed for a divorce. Lallan (Riteish Deshmukh) & Jhingur (Pitobash Tripathy) are firemen who are fired from their job for taking a bribe. And Aditya Srivastav (Arshad Warsi) & Manav Srivastav (Jaaved Jaaferi) are in need of a job. They are employed in an antiques arts gallery by its owner Altaaf (Sudesh Lehri). Unfortunately, Manav Shrivastav ends up breaking these antique materials worth crores. With no other option, they run away from gallery & that too by stealing Altaaf’s high-tech car. They along with Lallan-Jhingur & Avinash-Bindu are on highway when they see a plane crashing. They go to site & see Pintu who is inside ill-fated flight. He’s about to die & he blurts out to them that he has hidden money he stole from Guddu at a zoo in Janakpur, located almost 450 kms away from site. Before he confesses, Guddu reaches there & tells others to back off since it’s his money. But others threaten to go to cops. That’s when Guddu devises a plan, whoever reaches Janakpur Zoo first will be sole owner of those Rs. 50 crores. Thus begins race of these guys towards Janakpur. What happens next forms rest of crux of film.

 Ved Prakash, Paritosh Painter & Bunty Rathore’s story is lame as it’s just borrowed from 1^st ever part. There’s absolutely no novelty & it’s completely predictable. Ved Prakash, Paritosh Painter & Bunty Rathore’s screenplay thankfully is a bit better as funny situations this time are different than last time. But at certain points, it’s also a bit random. This is especially true in 2^nd half. Ved Prakash, Paritosh Painter & Bunty Rathore’s dialogues are one highpoints & add to fun. 

Indra Kumar’s direction is a bit outdated. He hasn’t realized that times have changed. Plot & script already takes viewers intelligence for granted & his direction doesn’t help much either.  Film gets stretched in middle of 2^nd half. Also certain communities are made fun of & it might not go down well with a section of audiences. On positive side, there are numerous sub tracks as there are so many characters but he nicely shifts focus equally between them. 

Total Dhamaal begins with a bang. The entry scenes of all characters are hilarious, especially that of Guddu. Lallan’s entry scene would also raise loads of laughs, manner in which all principal characters bump into each other is also quite nicely done. But then, there’s no story movement as next 80-90 minutes are devoted to characters trying to reach Janakpur Zoo & varied obstacles they encounter on their way. Some scenes here are funny & genuinely raise laughs like madness in railway tunnel, Avinash-Bindu’s attempt to take a shortcut, sequence involving GPS (voiced funnily by Jackie Shroff) & Lallan’s scary helicopter ride.  

Post interval though it begins to seem repetitive. Also, 2^nd half is devoid of humor especially when compared to 1^st ever half. Skydiving & waterfall scenes just don’t work. Notice how makers have taken a jump in narrative. They don’t explain how Avinash-Bindu escape from waterfall & how Lallan got hold of a motorbike. It seems like director Indra Kumar suddenly realized that he’s invested too much time in doing Total Dhamaal & hence quickly jumped to climax. However he ought to have done it in a better way, finale is also quite long drawn & again like Dhamaal, it gets emotional. Thankfully element of wild animals & humor surrounding them give climax a nice touch. 

Gourav-Roshin’s music gets no scope & thankfully, no songs are added in middle of adventure. “Paisa Yeh Paisa” is most memorable from lot. “Mungda” is disappointing while “Speaker Phat Jaaye” is played in end credits. Kookie Gulati’s song direction is visually great.

 Sandeep Shirodkar’s background score suits genre of film. Keiko Nakahara’s cinematography is satisfactory. Durgaprasad Mahapatra’s production design is a bit gaudy & even poor in some scenes. R P Yadav’s action is fine while NY VFXWaala’s VFX is average. In scenes of animals, VFX is quite good but in some sequences, it’s a letdown. Dharmendra Sharma’s editing could have been crisper. At same time, way focus shifts from 1 character to other is praiseworthy. 

Performance wise Ajay Devgn is hilarious & his expressions are spot on, thereby inducing maximum laughs. Anil Kapoor is loud but it works overall. Madhuri Dixit gets her comic timing just right. Her character also has a sensitive side. However, Anil-Madhuri’s tu-tu main-main gets on one’s nerves after a point. Riteish Deshmukh sadly gets a raw deal & gets dominated, although he too gets his share of funny scenes. Arshad Warsi is sans complaints as always. Jaaved Jaaferi, one of biggest strengths of franchise, is quite good. Since there are too many actors, his screen time is a bit less as compared to last 2 films. But his admirers will surely have no reason to complain. Esha Gupta as Prachi has a very late entry but leaves a mark. Boman Irani is decent & his scenes with Ajay Devgn & Vijay Patkar as Inspector Patkar are quite funny. From supporting cast, Vijay Patkar, Sanjay Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Pitobash Tripathy, Sudesh Lehri, Mahesh Manjrekar as Chinappa Swami & Srikant Maski as Reddy are notable. Johny Lever as Shubroto however leaves  maximum impact out of these supporting actors. Special mention should also go to Crystal (monkey Zoo security official) as he’s funny & cute & also to Jackie Shroff who is funny as voice of GPS. Sonakshi Sinha is okay in “Mungda” song.

 Tail Piece: Total Dhamaal is a “leave-your-brains-behind-at-home” entertainer with its share of funny moments. If you are not looking for wisdom & rationale in a light-hearted entertainer, then this movie is definitely for you.

 At the box office turnstiles, it’s only masses who might give film thumbs up & they’ll majorly determine fate of film. Period!!!!!

 Krushna & Mugdha Launched The Music Of ‘Sharmaji Ki Lag Gai’ 

Nilkanth Regmi, Vanshmani Sharma of Rock Mountain Productions in association with Tweet Entertainment had recently organized the music launch of their Comedy film Sharmaji Ki Lag Gai at The View Preview, Andheri (West) Mumbai.Krushna Abhishek & Mugdha Godse came specially to launch the music. Sunil Pal, choreographer Lollypop, Mitali Pradhan, music director Praveen Bhardwaj, Singer Uvie & Pinky, Yogesh Lakhani of Bright Outdoor Media & Jiten Purohit also came to attend the event.

The credits of the film are lyrics written & composed by Praveen Bhardwaj, written & directed by Manoj Sharma. The film will release on 15^th Mar, 2019 all over. Zee Music Company has released the music of the film. A K Arora & Vatsal Baxi are associate producer & Kamal Kishore Mishra is the co-producer of the film.

Gully Boy – A Fun Loving & Highly Entertaining Movie Banner: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby Production
Producer: Ritesh Sadwani, Farhan Akhtar, Nas & Zoya Akhtar
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Star Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Vijay Raaz, Vijay Varma, Amruta Subhsh, Ikhlaque Khan, Sheeba Chaddha, Rahul Piske, Jyoti Subhash, Nakul Roshan Sahdev, Shruti Chauhan, Vijay Maurya, Srishti Shrivastava, Malika Singh, Tina Bhatia, Rahil Gilani, Abdul Quadir Amin, Svar Kamble, Chaitnya Sharma, Jasleen Royal Jasleen Royal, Michaela Tanwar, Mohan Kapoor & Kubra Sait  
Music: Divine, Naezy, Dub Sharma, Ankur Tewari, Spitfire, Sez, Rishi Rich, Raghu Dixit, Midival Punditz, Karsh Kale, Chandrashekhar Kunder, Jasleen Royal, Micky McCleary, Ace, Ishq Bector, Prem-Hardeep, Viveick Rajagopalan, Kaam Bhaari, Akshay Dhawan, xD Pro, iLL Wayno, Salaam Remi, Karsh Kale, The Salvage Audio & Collective

Rapping is a celebrated form of music worldwide. It came up from the streets & was able to resonate with all sections of society. India too has had a rapping scene & 2 of them who are quite famous in this category are Divine & Naezy. Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy is loosely based on their lives & has managed to generate tremendous hype. The presence of Ranveer Singh & Alia Bhatt has also added to the buzz.
The scripted scenario of Gully Boy reveals the story of a timid slum dweller whose life changes thanks to his talent. Murad (Ranveer Singh) is a college student who lives in a slum in Mumbai’s Dharavi. He’s in a relationship with the fiery Safeena (Alia Bhatt), a medical student who comes from an orthodox upper caste Muslim family. There’s tension in Murad’s house as his father Shakir (Vijay Raaz) gets a second wife, much to the dismay of his mother Razia (Amruta Subhash). Meanwhile, one day an upcoming rapper MC Sher (Siddhant Chaturvedi) performs in Murad’s college & he gets floored. After all, he’s always been interested in rapping. MC Sher one day asks aspiring performers to meet him & Murad jumps at this opportunity. MC Sher takes a liking for Murad & motivates him to rap publicly. Murad is hesitant at first but he performs for the crowd who give him thumbs up. MC Sher even gets him to shoot a video which becomes very popular. However, Murad is not able to pursue his passion full time. He is compelled to step into his father’s shoes & become a chauffeur after the latter fractures his leg. He also has a complex on account of his social status. What happens next forms the crux of the film. 

Reema Kagti & Zoya Akhtar’s story is promising. The character of Murad is very well written & also the world around him. Many who had criticized Zoya for showing the world of the elite in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) & Dil Dhadkane Do (2015) would surely be surprised. Also the writers have ensured that the film doesn’t turn out to be just a story of a rapper. It speaks about passion, aspiration & also makes an important commentary on poverty, social strata, juvenile delinquency, polygamy etc. Reema Kagti & Zoya Akhtar’s screenplay is highly effective. A lot of research has gone into the film & it shows. Several sequences are powerful & they hit you hard. Even the humor comes out very well. Vijay Maurya’s dialogues further add to the impact as they are acidic. The poems of Murad are penned by Javed Akhtar & they have their own charm. 

Zoya Akhtar’s direction is exemplary yet again & she proves that she is worthy of setting her film in diverse world & yet emerging victorious. However, the film has a few rough edges & one wishes she had taken care of it. The 2^nd half is quite lengthy. In fact, it feels like one is watching a three hour long film. A few characters like Safeena & Sky (Kalki Koechlin) are interesting but they don’t have much to do & conveniently disappear in the middle. Also the tone & the theme of the film is such that it won’t appeal to audiences pan India. The film features scenes of rap battle where one is supposed to roast the opponent & get personal. Such scenes may put off a section of the audiences.
Gully Boy is not the usual entertainer & this becomes evident in the 1^st ever scene itself. However, the goings on are very interesting & suck you into the world of these characters. The entry of Safeena adds to the fun & the sequence where she assaults Albina, a girl who shows interest in Murad, will bring the house down. Murad’s struggles & his bond with MC Sher is also well depicted. A few scenes are exceptionally directed like Murad’s 1^st ever performance. Another scene that stands out in the 1^st ever half is when Murad gets the idea of the song “Doori”in the car. Post interval, the interest dips a bit. The film gets stretched & also has far too many sub plots. The climax thankfully is when the film picks up beautifully. The film ends on a high note.
There are far too many songs in the film & none of them are conventional chartbusters, considering the theme of the film. But few of them stand out. “Apna Time Aayega”has got noticed & takes the film to another level. “MereGully Mein”is peppy while “Azadi”is riveting. “Doori”is quite touching. “SherAaya Sher”, played during MC Sher’s entry is decent. Background score is in sync with the film.
Jay Oza’s cinematography is magnificent & gives the film a fine look. Even in the finale, the lensman’s fine job adds to the effect. Arjun Bhasin & Poornamrita Singh’s costume are stylish & realistic. Manohar Verma & Sunil Rodrigues’ action is also quite real. The latter has choreographed Alia Bhatt’s action scene & it’s one of the film’s highpoints. Suzanne Caplan Merwanji’s production design is authentic. Nitin Baid’s editing is stylish but could have been crisper in the 2^nd half. Ranveer Singh gets completely into the skin of his character. He is 10 years older than Murad in real life & yet he convincingly manages to essay the role of a college student. Even as a rapper, he seems like a pro & not even once does it feel that he’s acting for the part. Also watch out for the scenes where he’s playing 2^nd fiddle to MC Sher in the 1^st ever half. For a lead actor to do so is quite praiseworthy. Alia Bhatt is explosive to say the least. Her role would be loved & she’s so good that one wishes she had more screen time. Siddhant Chaturvedi makes a solid debut. He has a crucial part & would surely be talked about. Kalki Koechlin leaves a tremendous mark in a small role. Vijay Varma (Moeen) is satisfactory. Vijay Raaz is quite nice & makes an impact, especially in the pre – climax. Amruta Subhash is decent. Shrishti Shrivastava (Albina) is hilarious. Jyoti Subhash (Murad’s grandmother) makes her presence felt in a crucial scene in the 2^nd half. The rest of the actor’s like Rahul Piske & Abdul Qadir Amin are fine.
On the whole, Gully Boy is a fun & moving entertainer that will surely resonate with the youth & multiplex-frequenting urban audiences.
At the box office, the 4 day weekend ensured that it emerged as a profitable venture for its makers. 

‘Pad Man’ Akshay Kumar Calls On ‘Pad Heroes’ Across India

 ‘Pad Man’ Akshay Kumar calls on ‘Pad Heroes’ across India to join him & the Niine Movement for the nationwide running event Run4Niine. Online registrations have already begun for the event which is set to become India’s largest nationwide run for menstrual hygiene awareness, with the hope of setting the Guinness World Record for organizing the “Largest Number of Runs in a Single Day for Menstrual Hygiene Awareness”.

 Speaking about his association with Run4Niine, megastar Akshay Kumar averred, “It’s already been more than a year since the release of Pad Man, and I am proud to see how it has evolved into a phenomenal grass roots level movement. Once again, I am excited to be partnering with the Niine Movement to encourage an open & unashamed discussion on menstruation with my fellow citizens, pad heroes, change makers & pathbreakers for the Run4Niine. Each one of us that takes part in Run4Niine helps to create an unstoppable force that will beat the stigma around periods.”  

Run4Niine will take place in 100’s of cities across 20+ states in India on 8^thMar, 2019 to mark International Women’s Day. Some of the states where runs have been confirmed include Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Haryana, Goa, Jharkhand, NCR, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra & above all Punjab. 

Akshay Kumar is all set to flag-off Run4Niine in Lucknow followed by event extravaganza. The nationwide activities organized by the Niine Movement, in partnership with JCI India, FOGSI, & Niine Sanitary Napkins are all set to be held in up to 500 cities. Campaign aims to bridge the gap between sanitary napkin users from 18% to 82% bringing together both genders, across all ages, backgrounds & of all abilities. Run4Niine participants can run, walk, jog & wheel across their cities united by one vision, breaking the stigma around periods to leave no one behind. Runs will take place in Lucknow, where Future Sahara hospital will support as medical partner,  Gurgaon at Leisure Valley, where Niine will be supported by Gurgaon Women Police members & senior legal counsels, Fortis Hospitals will be supporting Run4Niine as Medical Partner across the country in cities they are present in.

[Nasheman news] Mumbai In the wake of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district, veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar and his wife actress Shabana Azmi have decided not to attend an event in Pakistan.

Akhtar on Friday took to Twitter to share that they will not be joining the event, being organised by the Karachi Art Council. 

“Karachi Art Council had invited Shabana and me for a two-day literature conference about Kaifi Azmi and his poetry. We have cancelled that,” he tweeted.

A suicide bomber on Thursday rammed his SUV packed with explosives into a CRPF bus on the Srinagar-Jammu highway in Pulwama district. The death toll in the horrific suicide bombing rose to 49 on Friday. 

The Thursday horror was the worst loss to security forces on any single day in Jammu and Kashmir since a separatist campaign broke out in 1989. 

Condemning the attack, Shabana said that she is “filled with pain and grief”.

“For the first time in all these years, I feel weakened in my belief that people to people contact can force the establishment to do the right thing. We will need to call halt to cultural exchange. 

“There is no way we can carry on with cultural exchanges between India and Pakistan even as our martyrs are laying down their lives for us. I stand in solidarity with the grieving families,” she added.