Founder Director of Indywood Film Carnival, Sohan Roy, proudly announced veteran film maker, Shyam Benegal, as Festival Director of the 3rd Edition of All Lights India International Film Festival (ALIIFF). The event will be conducted from 7th Oct, 2017 to 10th Oct, 2017.

Regarded as the “Father of Alternative Cinema”, Shyam Benegal is a 7 time winner of National Film Award for Best feature Films in Hindi. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1976 & the Padma Bhushan in 1991 and bestowed with the highest award in Indian Cinema for lifetime Achievement, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2005. Also, reckoned as a well respected documentary filmmaker, Shyam Benegal is a legendary and one of the most influential filmmakers in India.

All Lights India International Film Festival (ALIIFF), the flagship event of Indywood Film Carnival, is a unique platform for global film industry to portray excellence in film making. With an aim to inspire, nurture & integrate, All Lights India International Film Festival (ALIIFF) brings together the different aspects of the Indian Cinema industry facilitating congregation of people & nations. The film festival will be organized by All Lights Film Society – the premier global film services organization.

All Lights India International Film Festival (ALIIFF) saw an overwhelming participation of National & International delegates in 2016 making the event a grand success. The festival witnessed about 135 films from over 42 countries, grand red carpet screenings & networking events.

Indywood Film Carnival had its 1st edition at Kochi India from 15th Nov, 2015 – 19th Nov, 2015 followed by the 2nd edition at Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad from 24th Sept, 2016 – 27th Sept, 2016.

Breaking conventional finesse & embracing the unique cultural & linguistic diaspora, the 3rd edition of Indywood Film Carnival will celebrate exciting events including All lights India International Film Festival (ALIIFF), Indywood Film Market (IFM), International Film Business Awards, Golden Frames Award, Red Carpet closing ceremony, Panel discussions, Master classes, workshops, Seminars, Film Tourism, Investors Meet, Excellence Awards and much more.

Zayn Malik (Photo: Miller Mobley)

Zayn Malik has topped the longest – running 50 Sexiest Asian Men list for a 2nd year in a row. The former One Direction member rounded off a dream year that saw him launch a hugely successful solo singing career to come number one again in the popular poll compiled by UK based Eastern Eye Newspaper. India cinematic heartthrob Hrithik Roshan, who topped the poll in 2014 and was dethroned by Zayn Malik in 2015, once again came in 2nd & Pakistani actor Fawad Khan was in the 3rd position.

The 23 – year – old, Zayn Malik is the youngest ever to top the poll in 2015, once again topped the list based on millions of votes and heat generated by celebrities in 2016. The latest win continued the incredible momentum generated by the unstoppable pop superstar, who has topped the charts and gained massive attention across the globe, including in media & on social networking sites.

Eastern Eye’s award – winning entertainment editor Asjad Nazir, who founded the list and puts it together annually said Zayn Malik received more global attention than any other Asian star in 2015 and got even more in 2016. “The singer / songwriter showed comprehensively there was life after boy band One Direction with a rip – roaring start to his solo career. It was as if he struck a match, casually threw it at the world and stepped back to watch a wildfire sweep across the continents with his songs burning up the charts. The hot right now pop superstar saw media going into meltdown, social networking sites overheat and countless fans seeing their own temperatures skyrocket,” said Asjad Nazir.

The mass interest in the 13th edition of the list was such that it was trending on Twitter across different countries including India during the voting process. Popular Indian television star Ashish Sharma (4) & Bollywood’s current box office king Salman Khan (5) complete the top 5. Others in the 2016 top 10 are Barun Sobti (6), Shahid Kapoor (7), Vivian Dsena (8), Ali Zafar (9) & Ranveer Singh (10).

The highest placed newcomer in this year’s list is 24 – year – old Indian television actor Param Singh (19) and the oldest in 51 – year – old Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan (17).The youngest in the 13 edition of the list is 18 – year – old Pakistani tea – stall holder Arshad Khan (31), who is the 1st man to be ever included as an editor’s choice. “Impoverished teenager Arshad Khan broke the Internet earlier this year when his photograph serving tea sent females around the world into a frenzy. He has since been plucked from obscurity and gained global media attention along with a new career in modeling. He makes the list for representing the every day man and for showing the most impossible dream can come,” said Asjad Nazir.

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, who will make her Hollywood debut in soon to be released thriller xXx: Return Of Xander Cage, had earlier topped the 50 Sexiest Asian Women list for the 1st time ever.

Hrithik Roshan (2) remained the highest placed Indian for the 6th year in succession & Virat Kohli (23) was once again the only sportsman to make the list. “Apart from now being the most eligible bachelor in Bollywood, Hrithik remains the biggest pin up the industry has to offer and that was once again showed by the volume of votes he received,” said Asjad Nazir.

Ali Zafar (9), had been the highest placed Pakistani in the list for the last 9 years, but was finally toppled by fellow countryman Fawad Khan (3) in the 2016 edition.

Others in the 2016 list include last year’s highest placed newcomer Parth Samthaan (11), Varun Dhawan (12), Gautam Rode (15), Akshay Kumar (20), Karan Tacker (24), Sidhant Gupta (27), Arjun Kapoor (37), Diljit Dosanjh (42), Harshvardhan Rane (45) & Namik Paul (49).

The full countdown of 2016’s 50 Sexiest Asian Men is published in the UK’s most established & popular Asian newspaper, Eastern Eye, on 16th Dec, 2016. “This remains the most relatable list of hottest men published anywhere in the world and explains the large number of guys who vote,” Asjad Nazir explained.

To round it off Asjad Nazir is an award -winning entertainment writer, who has had over 6 million words published globally during his career and has the longest running weekly newspaper column in UK, which has been going strong for 16 years. He has interviewed over 1000 major celebrities, hosted podcasts for Apple that have been made available to over 850 million iTunes users for free and is perhaps the biggest supporter of new talent in UK, having given over 2000 newcomers their 1st major press coverage. Asjad Nazir has been used as an expert by major radio & TV including BBC world news, written 3 books on Indian cinema and is currently producing a major TV talk show featuring A – list international celebrities. In 2015 – 2016 over 600 media globally covered his work in some way. He founded the long running 50 Sexiest Asian Men & Women lists in 2003, which generate millions of votes annually and gain global media coverage.

About The Asian Media & Marketing Group

With a 48 – year heritage, The Asian Media & Marketing Group (AMG), publishes a stable of market leading magazines for the Asian community in UK & USA. The company hosts a number of hugely successful events & award dinners affiliated with its magazines. AMG is now Britain’s biggest Asian publishing house and its titles includes Eastern Eye newspaper, Garavi Gujarat newsweekly, Asian Trader, Pharmacy Business, Asian Hospitality, the Asian Rich List, the Asian Rich List Midlands and the GG2 Power List.

PVR PICTURES’ HORROR FILM ‘THE BYE – BYE MAN’ TO HIT THEATRES ON 13TH JAN 2017

PVR pictures is all set to chill you to the bones with the release of their much awaited supernatural horror film – THE BYE -BYE MAN. Directed by Stacy Title & written by Jonathan Penner, the trailer of this film is enough to awaken the dark side of you and ensure you don’t even utter or think the words THE BYE – BYE MAN. The trailer of the film keeps one gripped throughout and the words “Don’t think it, Don’t say it” ring in your head on repetitive mode, making you suspicious about the horrid man in the hood. The more you think about the Bye Bye Man, the closer he gets to you. American actor Dough Jones known for his roles in science fiction & horror genres is playing this character – THE BYE – BYE MAN, and he manages to capture a person’s mind and controls every action of theirs. The story revolves around 3 friends who stumble upon the horrific origins of THE BYE – BYE MAN, a mysterious figure they discover is the root cause of the evil behind man’s most unspeakable acts. Played by Douglas Smith, Carrie – Annie Moss & Lucien Laviscount, the characters play with your subconscious and train your mind to almost believe he will come for you. And if this has not got you squirming in your seat, we don’t know what will! So this Jan 2017, Don’t think it, don’t say it because THE BYE-BYE MAN is coming to get on Friday the 13th Jan, 2017 at every theatre near you.

BIG B PRAISES URVASHI RAUTELA’S “HASEENO KA DEEWANA”

Urvashi Rautela, who has impressed the audiences with her moves in the revamped version of Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic song “Haseeno Ka Deewana”, recently met the megastar at “Think With Me Summit 2016”. Big B, who is known to acknowledge newcomers, hugged Urvashi and exchanged words with her. Urvashi was delighted to meet Amitabh Bachchan as she had dedicated her song from KAABIL to him. It was a special moment for her. He praised her hard work and appreciated the new version of his classic song. They also spoke about films. The 2 actors also participated in a discussion together. They spoke about films and how it affects society. Urvashi, who was awarded “The Youth Icon Of India”, also spoke about gender issues at the event. Interestingly, Amitabh has worked with many young actresses. So does that mean we will get to see him with Urvashi in a film? Guess only time will tell!!!

AAMIR KHAN & DANGAL GIRLS FELICITATE WOMEN KUSHTI COMPETITION WINNERS IN KOLHAPUR

Lokmat, Maharashtra’s & Goa’s daily hosted “Lokmat Chi DANGAL Kushti Competition” – an all Maharashtra women wrestling match in Kolhapur, the Kushti city of Maharashtra. Aamir Khan felicitated the winner of the competition and also shared his experience of the movie, his 1st visit to Kolhapur and lots more with over 2000 people who came for the event at Lokmat printing press in Kolhapur. Present for the event apart from Aamir Khan were Hasina Faras – Mayor of Kolhapur; Dhananjay Mhadik – MP Kolhapur; Nitish Tiwari – Director of DANGAL, Sanya Malhotra & Fatima Shaikh – the DANGAL girls, Shrenik Ghodawat – Director of Sanjay Ghodawat Group & Vijay Darda – Chairman Lokmat Media Pvt Ltd. Adding in Marathi, Aamir Khan (Actor & Producer, DANGAL) said that, “I would like to thank Lokmat for hosting the Kushti competition and providing a platform for women wrestlers to showcase their talent. I have wonderful memories associated with this city since 14 years of age when I came to Kolhapur for a Tennis Competition and won it too. With every movie, it’s a journey where hopes are high. The DANGAL actresses have been trained at an international level of wrestling which they practiced for a year now. My intent is to create a people’s movement across Maharashtra with our Pani NGO Initiative to ensure good drinking water across villages & towns. ” Aamir connected with the audiences by speaking in Marathi and also spoke about his upcoming movie THUGS OF HINDUSTAN for which he is sporting a beard.

SHAHID & DEEPIKA’S SIZZLING CHEMISTRY IN SANJAY LEELA BHANSALI’S ‘PADMAVATI’

Shahid Kapoor & Deepika Padukone are busy shooting in full flow for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming PADMAVAT. The duo are continuously doing night shifts and the shooting is going on in full flow. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is really happy with the sizzling chemistry shared between the lead actors Shahid Kapoor & Deepika Padukone and the way the shoot is going on. The unit shot a song sequence recently and both Shahid & Deepika were superb and the entire crew along with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali gave a standing ovation to the duo.” Going by Shahid’s Instagram it looks like the actor is working on his body. He is busy shooting for PADMAVATI at night and throughout the day he is working on his body. He has gotten so deep into the skin of character that he doesn’t answer his phone or messages for days on end. The period drama stars Shahid Kapoor as Raja Ratan Singh Rawal of Chittor, Deepika as queen of Chittor, Rani Padmavati.

MUMBAI’S DITYA BECOMES INDIA’S 1ST SUPER DANCER!!!

India waited with bated breath when the 5 finalists Masoom, Deepali, Ditya, Yogesh &
Laxman took the center stage to perform for 1 last time for the fans of SUPER DANCER. Out of these 5 child protégées who took India by storm with their impeccable techniques, unique dancing style & cuteness overload, 9 year old Ditya Sagar Bhande
from Mumbai’s Nallasopara, was announced as India’s 1st SUPER DANCER. Ditya was bestowed with the trophy by the judges Shilpa Shetty, Geeta Kapoor & Anurag Basu along with Shradha Kapoor & Aditya Roy Kapoor. Says Shilpa Shetty, “For almost 3 months now, these talented kids have put their heart & their soul too in their performances. We have developed a bond with them and I am going to miss all this excitement after tonight. I wish them all the very best for a great life that they will make for themselves hence on. I am happy that her hardwork & her determination has got her the title.” Adds Geeta Kapoor, “It was a tough competition amongst the top 5 finalists as each equally deserved. Ditya mastered the art of hip hop and went beyond her boundaries to excel. ”Needless to say, Ditya was beyond excited with the win. Along with the trophy, Ditya took home the grand prize money of Rs. 15 Lakhs from Sony Entertainment Television, an Oppo Smart Phone and a gift hamper worth 1 lakh from Patanjali.

ANUPAM KHER, ANNU KAPOOR & KAY KAY MENON TEAM UP FOR COMIC THRILLER ‘BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP’

When the 3 Maharathi “Actors” of Bollywood – Anupam Kher, Annu Kapoor & Kay Kay Menon, admit individually that they agreed to work in Vishwas Paandya’s Comic Thriller BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP after just reading the script, it becomes clear that the film industry really has changed in the last 5 years and the term “content is king” is no longer a wishful fantasy. Anupam Kher & Annu Kapoor have a healthy one upmanship in the film and Kay Kay Menon will be seen in a special role in the movie. Vishwas Paandya says, ”They would all keep improvising on the sets, each one taking the performance one level higher than the other!!! Even Manish Paul learnt from them and caught on early. Actors playing off each other has positively helped the movie and was a great energy to have for a 1st time director like me” Agastya film’s BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP also stars Manish Paul & Manjari Faddnis and is produced by Anand Swarup Agarwal & Krishna Datla with music by Shaan, Gourav Dasgupta & Roshin Balu.

‘VEERAM’ ADDS FEATHER TO ITS CAP BEFORE THE RELEASE

It was a proud moment for Director Jairaj as the song “We Will Rise” from his upcoming flick VEERAM has passed the eligibility test to reach an Oscar nomination. 91 songs are been chosen at the 89th Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Science. “We Will Rise” composed by Jeff Rona and is been penned & crooned by Kari Kimmel. Out of 91 songs 5 songs will be able to make it for the final voting for the Oscar on 24th Jan, 2017 and the 89th Oscar will be held on 26th Feb, 2017. Director Jayaraj’s magnum opus VEERAM is one of the most anticipated movies in India because of the making & the big budget. Set in the 13th century Kerala, the movie shares the similarities of Shakespeare’s Macbeth in the life journey of Chandu, a master of Kalaripayattu, a martial art form of Kerala. and is the 5th installment in Jayaraj’s Navarasa series. The film, which also takes inspirations from the Vadakkan Pattukal (Northern Ballads) of North Malabar region in Kerala, Produced by Chandramohan D. Pillai & Pradeep Rajan, under the banner of Chandrakala Arts, this action period drama canned in 3 languages – English, Hindi & Malayalam stars Bollywood actor Kunal Kapoor as the leading man, Divina Thackur & Himarsha as heroines. Action choreographer Allan Poppleton, who has worked on Hollywood films like 300 & AVATAR, has been roped in to take care of the action sequences. Oscar – winning make – up artist Trefor Proud has also been brought on board. The movie will be released in the month of this Jan, 2017.

AKSHAY TO PLAY LAWYER JAGDISHWAR MISHRA IN ‘JOLLY LLB 2’

Akshay Kumar is excited about his lead role in JOLLY LLB 2, the sequel to Subhash Kapoor’s 2013 directorial. The actor feels that the character is inspired by Birbal, one of the 9 gems of Emperor Akbar’s court. In fact, Akki’s connection with the historical figure goes back to his childhood. Back then, his father Hari Om Bhatia used to read out to him the stories of Akbar & Birbal. As a young boy, the actor loved listening to tales of how the wise & the quick – thinking royal advisor resolved issues with his intelligence, consequently bringing a smile to everyone’s faces and at the same time, also communicating a message through his actions. Eventually, when Akshay heard about his role in the film, he was enthused about playing a character that embodies similar qualities as his bachpan ka hero. Audiences are looking forward to the sequel, as the 1st film was really appreciated for its interesting plot, which was based on a real -life incident. Akshay Kumar will play the role of lawyer Jagdishwar Mishra in JOLLY LLB 2. This follow – ups to the original 2013 film is based on a real – life incident, and takes a look at the realities of the lives of lawyers in India.

ADITYA ROY KAPOOR, ANURAG BASU, GANESH ACHARYA, AMOL GUPTE & PRIYA DUTT SPREAD JOY AMONGST CANCER STRUCK CHILDREN AT TATA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

This year, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Anurag Basu, Ganesh Acharya & Amol Gupte joined Priya Dutt & children fighting Cancer at the Tata Memorial Hospital to ring in Christmas celebrations & to celebrate life and bring in cheer amongst the children. Aditya Roy Kapoor went a step further and sang his latest released song “Humma Humma” from his upcoming movie OK JAANU, while playing his guitar, with a cancer survivor who is also a singer, and created a poignant moment for the entire audiences. Children fighting cancer & children who have survived cancer put up a brilliant show for the parents with their performances in dance, drama & music. Amole Gupte & Aditya Roy Kapoor were awed by the exhibition of photographs, works of arts & crafts, displayed during the event. The children and their familes, over the last 3 months, were taught varied skills by professionals, while undergoing treatment for cancer, and had created these beautiful exhibits. The professor for photography, who gave these children a unique way of expressing their thoughts & their world, is Rajen Nair – a deaf & mute professional photographer, who has been leading this workshop for many years now.

MAHESH BHATT LAUNCHES MUSIC OF ‘AJAB SINGH KI GAJAB KAHANI’

AJAB SINGH KI GAJAB KAHANI’s 1st look & music was launched by director Mahesh Bhatt. Mukesh Bhatt, Praksh Jha & Tigmanshu Dhulia also were present. The film is based on an income tax Dy commissioner at Ranchi, Ajay Singh who is handicapped with their eye & ear. Though he is physically challenged, with great ambition & strong will power he has got his goal. AJAB SINGH KI GAJAB KAHANI is based on IRS Ajay Singh’s biopic. This is film is written & directed by Rishi Mishra. This film is produced by Binod Kumar’s Shree Triveni Films International & Basmati Creations.
AJAB SINGH KI GAJAB KAHANI is releasing in Jan, 2017 across all over India. This film has 8 songs composed by Ved Sharma, Tanmay Pahwa & Sushant – Shankar to lyrics by Rajesh Verma, Sanjiv Chaturvedi, Ved Sharma & Ajay Singh and sung by Pamela Jain, Krushna Barua, Shabaab Sabari, Ved Sharma, Prithviraj Singh Dev, Tanmay Malik & Rohit Akauri.

RAKESH ROSHAN CONCEPTUALIZED ‘KRRISH’ IN SHOWER!

When the host of Vh1 “Inside Access” asked Hrithik about a memory from the sets of KRRISH, he said, “This is the genesis of KRRISH, the 1st day!!! I remember, I was in my room and my dad had frantically climbed down the stairs and entered my room in his towel. He was just in the shower. He was in a towel saying that, “I have an idea of making a KOI MIL GAYA Part 2! And all this time we were looking for ideas to make as our next film and we kept coming up with things and saying “no, it’s not good.” And he came up with this idea. And he was in his towel and he came & narrated the whole idea. He always gets his ideas in the shower!!!”​

SHWETA KHANDURI’S TRAVEL DIARIES

It is a given that Bollywood celebrities need to travel a lot, movies are often shot in exotic locations throughout the world. But seldom do they get to really explore & enjoy the place since work takes up most of the time. That’s the reason every once – in – a -while, these celebs take off to their favorite destination to unwind, chill & relax to come back rejuvenated to entertain us. Shweta Khanduri believes that travel is the best investment for your money and she is lucky to be a part of the industry as she often gets the opportunity to travel the world and get insights about different cultures & cuisines. It is her love for traveling that whenever this diva is not glamming up for fashion shoots & shows, she escapes to places like Shimla, Manali, Kasaul et al. The actress wishes to explore more countries in the near future. “There’s a mix of places I’d love to jet set, landmarks I’d like to see, adventures I’d like to have, experiences I hope to share with specific friends & family, and I have prioritized my travel goals for the next 3 years. I think everyone must make the travel goals and when you make your own travel goal list, it’s important to recognize the places you have already been to that you’d always dreamed of which is very fulfilling, and include a few “gimme” goals to strive for and stay motivated.”

MONICA RAVAN SIZZLES IN ‘KEEP SAFE DISTANCE’

Monica Ravan took part in a seductive dance number “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” for KEEP SAFE DISTANCE recently. The film which is an action – romantic – musical drama is being produced by Mahesh Sharma & Vishnu Sharma and is written & directed by Raama Mehra. The film is now 60% complete. Another 3 days shooting stint for the film was held from 6th Dec, 2016 to 8th Dec, 2016. Leading pair of the film Jai Yadav & Sagarika took part in several romantic & crucial scenes along with Kiran Kumar, Shahbaaz Khan, Adi Irani, Pradeep Kabra, Kratika Mathur, Sanjana Singh, Atishri Sarkar, Vishnu Sharma, Laxman Singh Rajput & Shilpa Gandhi. Music: Damodar Rao. Lyrics: Rahul Sharma.

1ST LOOK OF FAISSAL KHAN’S ‘DANGER’

Aamir Khan’s brother Faissal Khan’s comeback film Horror Thriller DANGER unveiled its 1st Look Poster. DANGER is inspired by true events of Gaya (Bihar) Hotel’s brutal owner who killed people and used their meat to serve others. Faissal Khan plays a “Gujrati” stockbroker in the film who gets trapped into this hotel along with his wife. The film is written & directed by MAIN HOON RAJINIKANTH fame controversial director Faisal Saif and also stars Vedita Pratap Singh & Kavita Radheshyam in the leads. According to the maker, DANGER is the most “Scariest Film” India will ever witness. “This is an out & out Faissal Khan’s film as he has put in a lot of hard work into it. The audience will see a total new Faissal Khan in DANGER which they will never forget.” said Faisal Saif. The shooting of the film is completed with Pakistani actress Meera’s song and the makers are looking for 3rd Aug, 2017 release which also happens to be Faissal Khan’s birthday.

IMRAN FINISHED SHOOTING LAST SCHEDULE OF HIS UPCOMING FILM ‘SARGOSHIYAN’

Actor turned Director / Producer Imran Khan recently finished the last schedule of his film SARGOSHIYAN, which stars Indraneil Sengupta, Hassan Zaidi, Sara Khan, Aditi Bhatia, Khalid Siddiqui, Alok Nath, Fareeda Jalal, Tom Alter, Shahbaz Khan and prominent Kashmiri actors. Imran Khan made his debut in 1991 with Rishi Kapoor in the film INTEHA PYAR KI and was also seen in strong character roles in movies like BIG BROTHER, HEROINE, SURYAVANSHAM, KHILADIYON KA KHILADI, HAWA, DIL TOH BACCHA HAI JI, SHAHEED BHAGAT SINGH, KISMAT et al. SARGOSHIYAN exhibits the unperceived & unexplored part of Kashmir. Imran recently wrapped up the shooting of the film and has successfully captured uncharted places in Doodhpathri, Awantipora ruins, Mughal Road, Aharbal Falls, Badpathar and many more lesser travelled exotic locales s of Jammu & Kashmir giving the audiences a landscape image. The film highlights human relationships along with Kashmiri Culture adding flavor to it. Imran says “Considering it’s my 1st directorial venture shooting at remote beautiful villages of Kashmir would have been impossible without the help from the J & K Tourism, J & K Government, our Indian Military and of course the warm hearted & ever helpful locals of the beautiful valley! Given the vast locales there was eminent travel and became a logistical challenge, but I am fortunate to have the wonderful & the supportive star cast who stood by me in – 5 degree temperatures with a big smile!” SARGOSHIYAN is slated to release in Mar, 2017.

SHARMAN JOSHI, JOHNNY LEVER & MANISH PAUL REGALE DIFFERENTLY ABLED KIDS AT JAMNABAI NARSEE SCHOOL

Sharman Joshi, Johnny Lever & Manish Paul graced the “15th Sports Meet of Differently Abled Kids” at the Jamnabai Narsee School, Mumbai on 20th Dec, 2016 as chief guests. 1200 differently abled students from 40 special schools had
participated in the special event sponsored by the Narsee Monjee Educational Trust in order to celebrate the spirit of children with disabilities. “Seeing the spirit of these lovely kids is a great source of strength for people like me, ” said Johnny Lever who was the Guest Of Honour. Sharman Joshi said, “I was here to give my love & my support to the kids but in return I got a lot of strength & a lot of encouragement”. Manish Paul said, “All my fatigue went away after seeing the energy of these amazing kids. I am so grateful to the school organizers for giving me an opportunity to participate in this rare event and I would really like to congratulate the teachers & the parents for putting together a great show.”

MUVIZZ.COM TURNS FESTIVAL PARTNERS FOR AN UPCOMING FILM ‘ALIF’

Muvizz.com, video on demand (VOD) platform has collaborated as the festival partners for the feature film, ALIF – DOZAKH IN SEARCH OF HEAVEN directed by Zaigham Imam and slated to release early next year. After producing short – films like TAANDAV & KRITI, Muvizz.com is supporting this film which strongly raises important questions about the Muslim education system & indo -pak relations, promoting the tagline of the film “ladna Nahi padhna zaroori hai”. Starring Neelima Azeem and narrated by Jaya Bachchan the film was recently screened at the film club of Aligarh Muslim University, Glocal University, Saharanpur, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar et al and received an exhilarating response. The film is set in the backdrop of a Muslim majority area of Benaras, where Hakim Raza lives with his orthodox family and aims to make his 10 year old son a doctor. Zaigham Imam, a former journalist who wrote 2 novels “Dozakh” & “Main Mohabbat” made his 1st feature film called ALIF – DOZAKH IN SEARCH OF HEAVEN (based on his own novel) which received global recognition. “Living in a society with humanitarian tragedies, hatred, religious hypocrisy & political propaganda, will we ever be able to understand that to improve this world and make it beautiful it is essential to bring harmony between us. As a producer, writer & director choosing “ALIF” was not too difficult for me because this film brings the positive form of life and expresses its struggle which is the basic human quality. In today’s date, “ALIF” brings morale to humanity and the entire race which is a matter of utmost relief for me.”

KAJAL AGGARWAL EXPLORING BULGARIA DURING HER HECTIC SHOOT

Kajal Aggarwal, who is shooting with megastar Chiranjeevi for her upcoming film KHAIDI NO. 150 is making sure to explore the scenic beauty of Bulgaria. She is enjoying the picturesque towns surrounded by high mountains of Bulgaria. The actress will be sharing the screen for the 1st time with Telugu filmdom’s Chiranjeevi. KHAIDI NO. 150, which is the official remake of Tamil blockbuster KATHTHI, is slated for Sankranti 2017 release.

RAJINIKANTH COMPLIMENTS ‘KAABIL’ & HRITHIK ON ‘KAABIL’

Rajinikanth & filmmaker Rakesh Roshan go a long way. Their association was cemented with the 1986 film BHAGWAN DADA that was directed by Hrithik Roshan’s maternal grandfather J Om Prakash & produced by Rakesh Roshan. It was a film in which Hrithik, who was 12 then had his 1st speaking part. Over the last 3 decades Rakesh & Rajini have stayed in touch. As has been a practice for the last 30 odd – years, this year too the Bollywood filmmaker called the Tamil superstar to wish him on his birthday (12th Dec). Rajini thanked him for his good wishes. In turn, he also paid Hrithik a compliment. Said he, “I have watched the Tamil, Hindi & Telugu trailers of KAABIL and I simply loved it. I also think Hrithik is stupendous. Please tell him that I am eagerly awaiting the film.” KAABIL is titled BALAM in Telugu & Tamil. He also praised Rajesh Roshan for the music after having watched the songs. Rakesh Roshan was overwhelmed with the compliment, as was Hrithik when he heard that the praise had come from the man himself. The 2nd trailer of the film in which Hrithik teams up with Yami Gautam was released recently and has taken over the internet! KAABIL is an incredible love story with immense emotion & mind boggling action in which Hrithik Roshan and his love interest Yami Gautam are playing a visually impaired (blind) couple. Rakesh Roshan’s KAABIL is directed by Sanjay Gupta and will release on 25th Jan, 2017.

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER FOR ALIA

Alia Bhatt had unusual company, to say the least. But the actor found it “interesting” to spend a day at the TiE Global Summit in Delhi, In the past, Aamir Khan has also been part of the summit. “When I got the invitation, I was like, ‘Oh my God, how am I going to speak there? What am I going to say (laughs)?” But I thought it was an interesting event to speak at because it’s about leaders & leadership,” says Alia, who was the only actor to speak at the summit. It was very cool. There were people from different walks of life. I’m learning a lot at these events by meeting different people, and also from the kind of questions people ask. It’s like you are being thrown into situations that aren’t your comfort zone,” she says. Ask the 23 – year – old if she ever feels too young at such talks, and she says, “Everyone asks me the same thing. On a TV show recently, I said that age is just a number for me. And, I feel this (talks at summits) is exactly what I should be doing.”

SWARA FORCED TO GO INTO HIDING

Swara Bhaskar who has teamed up with Sumeet Vyas, the breakout star of the TVF web series, PERMANENT ROOMMATES, plays a young girl climbing up the corporate ladder in a never – seen – before, highly stylised look in debutant director Gaurav’s AAPKEY KAMREY MEIN KOI REHTA HAI. And following strict instructions to keep her look under wraps till the film hits the theatres, Swara has been diligently covering up her face every time she steps out, either on the sets or for pictures with her team. “I’ve mostly been given Indian looks onscreen, with a strong girl – next – door vibe so far but this film will see me as a more glamorous & urban character. Gaurav is so particular about my look, I remember this one time I hadn’t taken off my costume, hair & makeup and was ready to leave for home when he told me that I couldn’t go out like that. I had to cover up even while in the car,“ The 32 -year – old actress informed Mirror, adding that the film takes stock of the lives of today’s youngsters and how they navigate relationships.

‘TERI YAAD MEIN’ MUSIC LAUNCH HELD IN MUMBAI

Mumbai witnessed the song launch of TERI YAAD MEIN. Starring Seema Khan & Dev Sharma (YAARIYAN fame) released by Venus Music. The song has been composed by Dev & Ashish and sung by Shruti Rane. The video has been choreographed by Pran Hambarde & directed by Amit Kumar. Director Neeraj Pathak was present at the event. Seema Khan Said, “This is my 1st album and I’m so happy it’s out now. People are appreciating our effort. I would like to thank Venus as they supported us a lot. Now I’m working on my next album which is releasing very soon.”

AJAY DEVGN’S ‘SHIVAAY’ COMPLETES 50 DAYS IN CINEMAS!!!

Ajay Devgn’s ambitious directorial venture SHIVAAY has successfully completed 50 days in cinemas!!! SHIVAAY, starring Ajay Devgn, Abigail Eames, Sayyeshaa & Erika Kaar not only continues its fabulous run at the Box -Office turnstiles but also left the audiences spellbound with the high octane action & emotions portrayed in the film!!! In a day & age where there is neck to neck competition between movies, SHIVAAY has manged to entertain the audiences and enjoy a 50 day run at the Box – Office turnstiles. Not just that, the breath – taking visuals and the emotional story of Ajay’s relationship with his onscreen daughter Abigail Eames appealed to the masses and developed a strong word of mouth towards the film. The movie also crossed Rs 100 crore making it Ajay Devgn’s 6th century!!!

SONU NIGAM RELEASES A NEW SONG CALLING FOR AN END TO CHILD HUNGER IN INDIA

Fight Hunger Foundation, India’s only NGO dedicated exclusively to fighting malnutrition, has announced that legendary singer Sonu Nigam, their Goodwill Ambassador, has released a song for them, to help raise awareness about malnutrition and its causes. Sonu Nigam’s emotional & soulful song “Hope In The Futurez” asks the listener to join in the fight against hunger and is sung in his unique & passionate style. “Fight Hunger Foundation” is thrilled that Sonu Nigam is so passionately involved in their cause, and believe that with his support they can create awareness amongst people so we can collectively as a society make India, a hunger – free country. Sonu feels strongly about providing every child in India with happy & healthy future. He hopes that people will be inspired by his song “Hope In The Future” and will pledge their support to “Fight Hunger Foundation”. He strongly believes that, our children are the future and we must do whatever we can to protect & nourish them.” Says Sonu Nigam, “I can no longer just stand by, while millions of children in India die of hunger. We know how to fight hunger: we can beat it. My new song called “Hope In The Future” is dedicated to an amazing organization called “Fight Hunger Foundation”. They fight everyday so that one day, no child in India will die of hunger. I know that if we come together to fight hunger, this day will come soon.”

SUSHILA BHATIA’S BILINGUAL ‘BHAAGYA NA JAANE KOI’ READY

BHAAGYA NA JAANE KOI (in Hindi & Awadhi languages), produced by Sushila Bhatia and directed & edited by Dilip Gulati is now complete after 30 days shooting stint in Lucknow locales. Dubbing of the film has also been completed at Studio DG 9, which is Dilip Gulati’s own Recording Studios on 15th Dec, 2016. The final mixing of sound -tracks & DI work has also begun at the same studio on 16th Dec, 2016 and the 1st copy will be out digitally by the end of Dec, 2016. The film is being planned for Jan / Feb 2017 release is based on the true story written by well – known legendary author Munshi Premchand from his 2 largest selling novella “Kafan” & “Nirmala”. Rajpal Yadav, Sadhu Meher, Netra Raghuraman, Anita Sehgal & Roopa Mishra are playing the main roles in this film. Screenplay – dialogues: Paras Jaiswal. Lyrics: Sushila Bhatia. Music: Iqbal Darbar & Uday Mazumdar.

AFTER QUITTING ‘SAATH NIBHANA SAATHIYA’, NEERAJ BHARADWAJ IS NOW BUSY WITH FILMS

Neeraj Bharadwaj who was in the news because of his divorce with his actress wife Upasna Singh, after acting in several Bhojpuri films as a leading man and serials on Doordarshan as well as the satellite channels for the last several years, has decided to concentrate all his time & attention only on films. Neeraj is now acting in producer Shobu Pandey’s film WAFA 2, Mehul Kumar’s SHAADI KE BAAD LOVE MARRIAGE, CAFE COFFEE et al. For the 1st time he is also acting in Mohandas’s Marathi film & Shantiketan’s Malayalam film. Neeraj feels that these days, only women are being given importance in serials and men are relegated to the sidelines and made to stand like show pieces and their tracks are seen occasionally and by & large they are reduced to being just space fillers. “If I get a good & challenging role in a TV serial, I will do it but will not do a TV serial only to stand as a show piece and let myself be relegated to the sidelines,” quips Neeraj.

The makers of Bollywood romantic comedy, Love Shagun, a film that celebrated friendship, featuring Anuj Sachdeva and Niddhi Subbiah along with an ensemble cast are now gearing up for their next, which will be in the space of a social drama. Love Shagun which released in Feb this year had a favorable response at the Box Office turnstiles, encouraging the makers to line up their next.

The film will be helmed by the same director, Saandesh B. Nayak and it is slated to roll early next year.

Saanvi Nayak films has already started the pre – production at full speed, locking in the locations & the script. The casting for the film is also underway. Indian Princess (the pageant that presented Urvashi Rautela in 2011) winner, Chandni Sharma will make her debut with this film as a part of the lead cast. The other lead cast will comprise of established names from Bollywood & Television industry.

Talking on the project, director, Saandesh B. Nayak stated, “I’m extremely excited about this project because it’s our 2nd one and that is extremely reassuring & humbling.

Bollywood is an extremely difficult market to crack with audiences from all over the country, different strata of the society with differing tastes & preferences. To cater to such a wide range of audiences, make a mark and turn around to make yet another film is surely an uphill task and I’m extremely grateful that I’m getting yet another opportunity”.

Nayak added, “Now that we have dared to take yet another plunge, I would like to say that Saanvi Nayak Films will consciously focus on quality content across genres. We are also in advanced talks and locking scripts for web series and other format of content. 70 mm is always the aspiration but audiences are ever evolving and moving to different platforms all the time so it is imperative to keep upto speed. We are developing a talent pool of talented writers & directors to take on our web series division”.

The untitled film which is a social drama will be rolled out alongside production for web series early next year. The production team has their hands full juggling between their key projec t- a Bollywood feature film & web series.

Ashish Patil is the Only Indian to find spot amongst giants like Prince, David Bowie, Beyoncé, the creator of Pokémon Go, Ryan Reynolds & Tom Ford for the 6 – Pack Band

There’s nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come and clearly India’s 1st transgender band, the 6b – Pack Band conceived by Ashish Patil, Head of Y – Film’s (the youth wing of India’s leading film studio, Yash Raj Films) demonstrated that with massive effect. Breaking boundaries, taboos, clocking up millions of views, getting global recognition and amongst other things bringing home India’s 1st Cannes Grand Prix Glass Lion besides a prestigious Webby.

The latest accolade now comes in the form of Ashish Patil being listed in Ad Age (one of the most respected Global Advertising & Marketing Publications in the world published out of US) in their Creativity 50 list that celebrates the Top 50 creative minds of the world. He’s also the only Indian on the list which makes this honour unique.

The list covers musicians, filmmakers, designers, tech people, artistes, CSR guys, writers – people who’ve contributed significantly to big ideas in that year. Past names include Academy Award® Winners, Booker Prize Winners, biggies like David Fincher (director of The Social Network, Gone Girl, Seven), J J Abrams (director of Star Wars, Star Trek, Lost amongst others], Ted Sarandos (creative head of Netflix), Banksy to Pharrel Williams, Banksy, Tina Fey besides Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, the founders of Instagram, Snapchat, Kickstarter.

The 2016 list is a virtual who’s who including David Bowie, Prince, the Duffer Brothers(creators of Stranger Things), Ryan Reynolds, Beyoncé, Dwayne Johnson besides the show runner of Luke Cage, Giphy founder, AirBnB founders, Tom Ford, John Hanke (the man behind Pokemon Go), Alec Baldwin, creative director of Oculus, creator of Otto (self-driving car technology guys who got bought by Uber), amongst others.

“I’m personally quite overwhelmed by this recognition and it goes to just demonstrate what happens when the positive energies of an incredible bunch of people comes together to nurture, build, collaborate execute & promote an idea – there’s nothing in the world that can stop it from exploding. And I’m thankful to each one of them, especially my team & brother Shamir Tandon who helped curate the band. I really hope this helps our little 6 – Pack Band and the theme of getting the LGBTQ community into the mainstream heard louder. More power to Y – Films!”

The 6 – Pack Band is India’s, and arguably the world’s, most unique musical collective. A band composed of 6 transgender singers hailing from India’s “Hijra” community, it’s an initiative created & driven by Y – Films, the youth wing of Yash Raj Films, to help further the cause of gender equality and transgender rights in India. 6 – Pack Band gives a voice to the indomitable spirit of the community without trying to get preachy or patronizing. In a language and through a medium that our world understands & loves. Song & dance……. Bollywood style! The campaign covers 6 songs, 6 music videos and some lovely insights into the community that has long lived on the fringes; waiting for the day the world opens its arms to them in acceptance.

Y – Films is the dynamic, vibrant start – up at the intersection of films, creativity & youth culture that hopes to challenge the norm and detonate boundaries. Giving the youth a creative outlet & voice that will entertain & unite on film and beyond. A studio that promises to deliver kick ass content of the youth, by the youth & for the youth. And be a platform for talent – both on screen & behind the scenes – that will break & set new rules of story – telling. Wanna know more? Come on in… www.yfilms.in.

Delhi-based Brands Impact, one of the top branding agencies in India, has announced the launch of its unique TV Series, Success Stories – Zameen Se Falak Tak Season 1 to be hosted by Shekhar Suman, one of India’s legendary actors, and a pioneer who made TV popular with his several successful shows and wowed a whole generation.

The show is to be presented by Brands Impact and aired every Sun on the popular National channel, Zee Business, starting 1st Jan, 2017.

Speaking on the occasion, Amol Monga, Director, Brands Impact, averred, “We have grown up seeing the interviews & the life journeys of film celebrities, politicians & cricketers. This show is an endeavor to share the stories of some of the most “extraordinary ordinary” men who left no stones unturned against all odds & impediments to achieve enviable success.”

The 13 week long series will showcase the untold stories of 13 individuals including Pahlaj Nihalani, Chairman, Central Board of  Film Certification (CBFC), and Sonu Sood, Indian film actor, whose journey from a small town boy to Hollywood is as fascinating as it is inspiring.

The stories of several entrepreneurs will also be showcased on this unique platform that will be hosted by Shekhar Suman, who is not only a highly acclaimed actor himself but also one of the very few professional hosts who can bring alive any conversation and make the participants open up like none other.

The man for all seasons……. the multi -talented Shekhar Suman has interviewed the 1st 13 deserving individuals in his inimitable style that makes for a very compelling viewing in the 1st edition of the much awaited “Success Stories – Zameen se Falak Tak”.

Interestingly, Shekhar will be seen, perhaps for the 1st time in a bearded avatar on this show. When asked for the reason for the change? He said in his characteristic demeanour – “Life is too short to have the same of anything……. it becomes monotonous & boring……. life is all about experimenting & exploring the unknown. Change is the only constant.”

The show is the brainchild of dynamic & young entrepreneur, Amol Monga, a branding & events professional who has already made his presence felt through his venture Brands Impact and a series of highly successful & internationally acclaimed events including the International Quality Awards.

For this TV Show, Brands Impact, has joined hands with Water Entertainment, a well known production house of Mumbai and the show has been directed by Varun Middha. The series promises to unveil The Grand Tales of Success of some of the UNSUNG REAL HEROES who, through their sheer hard work, diligence & determination, have achieved the impossible in their respective fields.

“This show is an attempt to honour & celebrate prominent & successful people from all walks of life, all of whom had an inspiring & humbling story to tell. It is our privilege & honour to unravel their stories to the world, so that others can take inspiration & cue from these real life heroes and learn to make their lives better & more beautiful,” added Ankita Singh, Vice President – Brands Impact.

The associate sponsors of the show include Sampatti Trading & Developers Ltd, Pushti Group & Bollywoodkart.com. The Fashion partner is Absoluto and the Outdoor Media Partner is Global Advertisers.

Brands Impact is one of India’s top brand management firms that specialises in creating extraordinary brands out of ordinary businesses. Our comprehensive bouquet of services includes branding, creative design, web enablement, advertising, public relations, event management, online promotions, social media management and more. For more information, please go to http://brandsimpact.in

Mumbai: Make way for the prince! Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan have been blessed with a baby boy. Kareena gave birth to her first child on Tuesday morning at 7:30 am at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital. Both mother and baby are said to be doing fine. They have named the baby, Taimur Ali Khan.

A statement released on behalf of the actors read: “We are very pleased to share with you all the wonderful news about the birth of our son : Taimur Ali Khan Pataudi, on December 20, 2016.

“We would like to thank the media for the understanding and support they have given us over the last nine months, and of course especially our fans and well wishers for their continued affection. Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you all…With love, Saif and Kareena.”

Proud aunt, actress Karisma Kapoor announced the news on her Instagram page with a cute post.

Kareena was recently seen celebrating an early Christmas with her sister Karisma and friends Malaika and Amrita Arora as her due date was fast approaching.

Saif, who was married to Amrita Singh earlier, has two children-Sarah and Ibrahim- with the actress.

(Agencies)

Banner: Spectral India Media Management Pvt Ltd
Producers: Yesudas BC, Braj Sharwari, Pankaj Agrawal, Amarjit Singh Kohli, Manu Singal, Kapil Bansal, Hardeep Singh, Ishaan Singh, Mahesh Sagar & I.D. Chugh
Director: Yesudas. BC
Star Cast: Hiten Paintal, Hrishita Bhatt, Kanwarjit Paintal, Sanjeev Rathore, Hemant Pandey, Rana Jung Bahadur, Mukesh Bhatt,
Shiva et al
Music: Jaspal Moni, Naresh Vikal, Ashok Sharma & Haroon

Debutant director Yesudas BC has tried his hardest to make an interesting film out of an interesting subject in his debut film 30 Minutes but he is bogged down heavily with a shoddy screenplay and too many unwanted songs & dance routine which is certainly not the main requisite for a thriller oriented film like 30 Minutes.

No doubt 30 Minutes is a physiological thriller and it explains the value of time. Anyways the loosely scripted scenario revolves around the continuous torture & violent beatings of a child by his father even for small & unimportant tasks in order to enforce absolute punctuality on him. These childhood experiences of Shashank (Hiten Paintal) by his father (Kanwarjit Paintal) cause a lifelong psychiatric problems in the life of the child as he grows up to adulthood. Now he is a normal person in daily life and is efficiently working in a private firm as a copy writer. Soon enough he starts having a love affair with a girl named Shivangi(Hrishita Bhatt) working in the same office but his life gets into serious troubles on many occasions due to his childhood nightmares. Tired & desperate to get over such frequent problems, he plans a very interesting, thrilling & dangerous game called “30 minutes”.

In his debut directorial effort Yesudas BC has failed to show any directorial sparks. He has neither succeeded in extracting a decent act from his line up of actors nor does he seems to have a perfect command over his behind the scenes technical team barring his musical team comprising of Jaspal Moni, Naresh Vikal, Ashok Sharma & Haroon who have at least succeeded in keeping the proceedings lively with their decent musical score.

Performance wise Hiten Paintal has got a role of his lifetime that too as the main leading man singing songs & dancing around the trees which he executes well, but his acting skills as a psychologically unbalanced man leaves much to be desired and the same can be said about the veteran actor Kanwarjit Paintal. As this time around he is not up to the mark either. While Hrishita Bhatt, even in a double role of a twin sister, fails to impress. The rest of the actors like Sanjeev Rathore, Hemant Pandey, Rana Jung Bahadur, Mukesh Bhatt, Shiva et al just help in carrying the film forward.

Tail Piece: 30 Minutes does try to address the issue of physical violence against kids, but ends up paying a mere lip service. At the Box Office turnstiles 30 Minutes may be appreciated by the multiplex cinegoers as well as the film lovers of the film festival circuit but it is certainly not a common man’s cup of tea.

Banner: Yashraj Films
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Director: Aditya Chopra
Star Cast: Ranveer Singh, Vaani Kapoor, Elisa Bachir Bay, Julie Ordon, Arman Ralhan et al
Music Vishal Dadlani – Shekhar Ravjiani & Mickey McCleary

Befikre is an urban youth centric fun entertainer with a new age theme. The scion of Yashraj Films namely director Aditya Chopra is a name in itself to be reckoned with and certainly needs no special introduction. Having made his debut with
Dilwale Dulhaniyaa Le Jaayenge he has displayed his directorial prowess with many super hit films which have been a cause for a joyous celebretion in itself and now Aditya Chopra has returned after almost a decade long hiatus in the directorial arena with his latest albeit most daring & extremely bold offering namely Befikre which happens to be a quintessential take on the Gen X’s bold & beautiful take on their own views of the ups & downs of their bitter sweet love life. So Befikre is a story that celebrates being carefree (befikre) in love.

So Befikre is a story about a couple’s ups & downs and their ultimate realization of love. The scripted scenario of Befikre kick starts with a stereotyped break up scene between Dharam (Ranveer Singh) & Shyra (Vaani Kapoor) which ends up with Dharam calling Shyra a “slut”, which hurts her the most. This is followed by a flashback of events which mirrors their yesterday and connects it with their today. The flashback sees a young & carefree Dharam landing up in Paris at the behest of his friend, who gives him a job of a stand – up comedian in his night club. On one of the party – hopping spree, Dharam meets a tour guide Shyra, a French girl of Indian origin. A couple of casual encounters later, the strong minded Dharam & Shyra decide to have a live in relationship, vowing not to say “stupid” things like “I love you”, because it will put an end to their carefree lives. Even when they break up with each other, they even land up celebrating that as well. All is well till the time a smart & well educated Anya (Armaan Ralhan) enters Shyra’s life. After a few meetings & party hopping with Shyra, Anya proposes marriage to her. When Dharam gets to know about Shyra’s marriage, he shocks Shyra by announcing his marriage to a French girl named Christine. What happens after that, are a series of events that changes everyone’s equation with each other.

Director Aditya Chopra has perhaps moved out of his comfort zone and made a very interesting film as usual and that apart he has not left any stone unturned to make Befikre as entertaining as possible barring the smooch fest which the lively Gen X will surely lap it up like nobody’s business but it surely won’t go down well with the so called over the hills age group but who cares. As I saw the film 1st time as a hardcore critic but even I enjoyed seeing it the 2nd time with the multiplex cine goers and found the patrons of my age too, just letting their hair down and totally enjoying the proceedings on the Big Screen with a totally Carefree (Befikre) attitude. The only dark cloud in the otherwise silver, or is it gold lining, was that Befikre is a pure adaptation of a French film named Love Me If You Dare and please don’t bother for the literal Hindi translation of the French title. Just go and soak yourself in the funfilled movie Befikre. As once in a while one should leave one’s indianess behind and become carefree (Befikre). Besides a special well – deserved brownie point goes to director Aditya Chopra for making a film for today’s youth which can also be appreciated even by the traditional, and not the totally orthodox indians who are still stuck with their so called indian sensitivity. Besides once again full marks to director Aditya Chopra for extracting brilliant work both from his core team of technicians as well as the entire cast comprising of Indian as well as imported foriegn actors. All of whom who have made Befikre a coming – of – age, fast paced, entertaining film and one which has more to it than just the kisses, the dares & the frivolous one – night stands as the characterisations in the film are strong and the dares forms the highpoint of the film. A special mention must also be made of the soundtracks like “Nashe Di”, “Ude Dil Befikre” and French number Je t’aime” which are already a rage all over. That apart the film’s background score by Mikey McCleary helps the film’s proceedings in a big way. While the film’s cinematography by Kaname Onoyama is outstanding. The way in which he has shot the entire locales of Paris including the famous Eiffel Tower are extremely superlative & top – notch. In other words, Befikre even appears like a blatant promotional exercise of French Tourism. And last but not the least is the film’s editing by Namrata Rao which indeed is crisp & bang -on.

Performance wise It is an out & out Ranveer Singh film all the way from “The Start” till “The End”. The film rides majorly on his sturdy shoulders, who has time & again, reinvented himself with every passing film. In one word he is “Outstanding” and deserves a standing ovation especially for his perfect comic timing, energy & freshness that he brings to the screen which in turn is extremely infectious. Even his nano second – “brief” nude scene shows his most carefree (Befikra) attitude and one which was earlier pulled off by King Khan in Maya Memsaab & Nitin Mukesh in a Madhur Bhandarkar film. Next in line is Vaani Kapoor who exhibits her screen presence in Befikre with picture perfect élan & style. The on – screen chemistry between Ranveer Singh & Vaani Kapoor is excellently brilliant. And of course Armaan Ralhan, Julie Ordon as Christine & Elisa Bachir Bay as Nathalie are one more welcome addition to the rooster of Bollywood actors & actresses. Rest of the characters in the film are good in their own way and thereby help to carry the film forward.

Tail Piece: Befikre is an urban youth centric fun entertainer with a new age theme which will find more patronage with the youth. At the Box – Office turnstiles it will be loved & appreciated by the target audiences especially in Multiplexes while the single theatres especially in the interiors maybe slightly shaky.