Akshay Kumar is one of the most humble actor of Bollywood. He is so modest about his super stardom, that when he is addressed as a super star, his grin becomes wider and he just smiles. His rise to super stardom has been so phenomenal, en route all the highs & lows and ups & downs included. He has done films of varied genres albeit comedy is his forte. No doubt he has traversed miles & miles to finally prove his worth from his debut film Saugandh to his latest release Rustom.

What was the main reason for accepting Rustom?

First of all I found the concept interestingly gripping. But one never knows how the world will react to what I personally feel is intriguing & interesting.

Are you happy with the over all response to Rustom right from the promo launch?

So far the response has been mirrored to my own emotions and that is one of the greatest feelings an actor can experience, a shared passion about one’s choices of projects is just so humbling that it makes you want to hug all your fans and thank them for sharing their eagerness in your work.

While the trailer was released, you were away on a holiday. Do you regret missing out on the excitement for your film back home?

I would have regretted not being on holiday with my kids. I’ve made over 130 films, and luckily still counting. But I only get so many years to throw my kids in the pool and watch them marvel at the world before they become too big & too distant for me to impress.

But didn’t you feel cut off from the pre -release excitement back home?

Thanks to Steve Jobs & Mark Zuckerberg’s greatest inventions, they kept me connected to the world which made me feel like I was at home feeling the love & support as if I was only inches away from everyone’s excitement.

Rustom is your 1st ever film on a crime of passion… It’s about a loving husband who murders his wife’s lover. How difficult was it for you to portray this man who loves his country & his wife too but is accused of murder by the law?

It was so thrilling for me to portray such a character, one who has nothing but love & patriotism in his heart. But a crime is a crime… This film will leave you thinking twice about the legal system, the action of mankind and the ability to do the right thing at the right time.

The year has so far been extremely kind to you. Your reaction to Airlift & Housefull 3 being big hits?

You make it out like I wasn’t deserving enough to have a kind year. I personally couldn’t have wished for a better response to one of the most patriotic films I’ve ever made.

You mean Housefull 3?

I see my comedies have helped critics loosen up. But jokes aside, Airlift made me feel proud to be an Indian. As for Housefull 3, I love the fact that one of my favourite franchises can still bring so much laughter to the crowds, people let their hair down and let out whoops of laughter in the theatres. It’s the heartiest feeling in the world. What better feeling than to make people happy?

You have always preferred to work with a new director. Comment!

Yeah! You can say that I like to work with newer directors. Anyone who makes the grade with Neeraj Pandey is all good by me. Neeraj Pandey’s standards of film making and his script sense are irreproachable. So in Rustom Tinu Suresh Desai had my full faith from day one. I’ve not regretted my instincts for a second.

Isn’t it difficult for a new director to guide you?

Tinu Suresh Desai has pulled all of us together into one creative vision so fast & so well that I take my hat off to him. He’s a producer’s director and he doesn’t mess around for a moment. He would forget to say hello to you as he had to be so engrossed with his work. But his practicality always brings him back to reality. Speedy man, fast paced, exactly what I like in my directors when they know what they want and get it come hook or by crook, they get their shot.
What impels me is that they bring about a change in me. Keeping my audiences intrigued is a very important part in keeping them interested in my career. When I star opposite a fresh face, the audience has no idea what kind of connection we will have.

To round it off tell us something about your co – star Ileana?

What can I say about her? Ileana is a pleasure to work with of course. She has a competitive edge about her but laced with a charming exterior. She likes to push herself in her scenes and takes a demanding day on the chin. Rustom may not be a physically taxing movie but it was certainly emotionally draining for all of us.

Producers: Sanjay Chhabria and Avinash Jog
Director: Sameer Vidhwans
Star Cast: Sagar Deshmukh, Akshay Tanksale, Sai Tamhankar, Mukta Barve and Parn Pethe
Genre: Drama
Rating***

Gajanan (Sagar Deshmukh) is a thirty plus old fashioned Professor and one of his young student named Batees (Akshay Tanksale) is carefree and very modern in his outlook and attitude. Batees teaches Gajanan a lot of things concerning attitude. A Professor then becomes a student and then starts the journey of Gajanan on the crossroads of love where he encounters three girls namely Parnrekha (Sai Tamhankar), Antara (Parn Pethe) and Sayali (Mukta Barve).

Director Sameer Vidhwans has crafted a very thought provoking and feel good movie like YZ. The special highlight is the climax and its witty dialogues all throughout. But the film drags a lot in the second half. Some of the technicians deserve full marks. As for the performance YZ has all the seasoned artistes giving off their best as per the requisites of their respective roles.

The title of YZ is not just a slang word but a hip new attitude, in fact YZ focusses more on a fresh and new perspective on life. No doubt YZ is all about discovering our own real, mad and bold YZ version.

All in all YZ is a really an enjoyable movie.

Once upon a time, a few aeons ago, there was an actor named Dheeraj Kumar and one of his film was Raton Ka Raja. A film which had instantly gained him a limelighted recognition. To the extent that it made him an overnight star in his own right. There after he did a lot of films and then he once again gained stardom by working in as many as 21 superhit Punjabi Films. This phase of Dheeraj Kumar as the most sought after actor happened to span the era of the 70’s & the 80’s. And before he could be bracketed in the league of Kahan Gaye Woh Log stars, Dheeraj Kumar had bounced back as a small screen producer by floating his own concern Creative Eye Limited with his better half Zuby Kochhar. And ironically the 1st ever small screen serial they produced was named Kahan Gaye Woh Log!!! for DD National Channel. And now Creative Eye Limited’s new on – air serial is named Y. A. R. O. Ka Tashan which is being aired on SAB TV Channel from 26th Jul, 2016 in the time slot of 7.30 pm from Mon – Fri.

On reflecting back tell us how & what do you feel about your chequered journey as an actor on the Big Screen Movies to the producer of the Small Screen Serials?

My chequered & noteworthy journey from Big Screen Movies as an actor to the Small Screen Serials as a producer was indeed very pleasant & excellent and that includes the phase of my journey as a leading man of 21 Punjabi films. And my journey as a Small Screen Serial producer is still ongoing under my own home production banner Creative Eye Limited and my wife is also an equal partner. Besides our latest on air serial is Y. A. R. O. Ka Tashan which is being aired on SAB Tv Channel from Mon to Fri in the time slot of 7.30 pm.

Why did you prefer this particular time slot and not the Prime Time Slot to air Y. A. R. O. Ka Tashan?

We are very well aware that a Prime Time Slotting is very important for a new serial to garner more than expected TRP ratings. But than one thing should be kept in mind that Y. A. R. O. Ka Tashan will be primarily liked by kids of all ages especially those dwelling in the interiors of India and for them and even the housewives this particular time slotting is perfect as I believe that they go to bed early. While the rest of the audiences can catch up with Y. A. R. O. Ka Tashan in the next day’s repeat telecast at 12 noon.
Fine! So tell us in a nutshell what is the concept of Y. A. R. O. Ka Tashan all about?
Actually speaking YARO is a scientifically created robot by Professor Agarwal, who is basically a scientist himself. Since Professor Agarwal does not have a son or a daughter he made or rather assembled YARO and even treats him as his own son. Moreover he made YARO especially to make his wife Beena Agarwal happy who was craving for a baby since ages. But after sometime things start changing when YARO meets his new neighbours Shilpi, Prem & Amar. Initially the trio of them are unable to understand why this guy has been named as YARO and above all why does he behave or rather always act as a robot. Later on this neighbouring trio of friends are very happy on learning that YARO is actually a robot but his heart is as pure as a gold and totally filled with innocence. Now YARO and the trio becomes the best of friends and the trio’s flat becomes their den of naughty activities.

What are the specialities of YARO?

Frankly speaking YARO is extremely emotional and he tries his best to immitate human beings which ultimately creates trouble for him as well as for others too. YARO also misinterprets human emotion sometimes which leads to the most funny situations. But otherwise he always has good intentions and tries to help everyone in his own unusual ways which creates more & more funny situations and above all a unique twists & turn in his life. YARO then starts learning things about life, love and above all humanity and here starts the real journey of YARO with the trio of his friends, thus kick – starting the real Y. A. R. O. Ka Tashan.

How is the SAB Tv Channel helping in the marketing of Y. A. R. O. Ka Tashan?

SAB Tv Channel has recently formed an alliance with Twitter to create a Twitter BOT for promoting Y. A. R. O. Ka Tashan. SAB Tv in partnership with Twitter has recently launched a very innovative and the 1st of its kind social initiative on Twitter for Y. A. R. O Ka Tashan. A 1st ever in the Entertainment Industry in India. SAB Tv in collaboration with Twitter has created a unique Twitter BOT representing the Humanoid – Y. A. R. O, a lead character in its new show Y. A. R. O. Ka Tashan.. The BOT replicates the characteristics of Y. A. R. O by answering all kind of questions thrown at it. The show which centres on the protagonist Y. A. R. O, a humanoid, focuses on the relationship with friends & family, importance of love & humanity. In line with the new age concept of the show, the channel has also implemented this idea for its online & on ground marketing promotions.

To round it off tell us about the credits & the cast of Y. A. R. O. Ka Tashan.

Y. A. R. O. Ka Tashan is being made under the banner of Creative Eye Limited, produced by Dheeraj Kumar & Zuby Kochar, directed by Heman Chauhan, art by Rajat Poddar & cinematography by Kunal Kadam and above all Y. A. R. O. Ka Tashan stars Anirudh Dave as YARO, Rakesh Bedi as Professor Agarwal, Malini Kapoor as Beena Agarwal & Mahira Sharma as Shilpi – Shivam Sharma as Prem – Dheeraj Gumbar as Amar as the trio of friends. Besides them Umesh Bajpai as Chaturvedi Uncle, Jayshree Soni as Dolly & Apurva Bit as Gogi. That’s it.

Producers: Ravi Agarwal, Mahesh Balekundri, Rajat Manjunath and Ajay Chabria
Director: Rajeev Jhaveri
Star Cast: Rajeev Khandelwal, Gauhar Khan and Victor Bannerjee along with debutantes Ankita Makwana, Gemma Atkinson and Caterina Murino.
Genre: Suspense Thriller

Armin Salem (Rajeev Khandelwal) looses his memory after he is pushed out of a car in the snow clad valley of Switzerland
and then begins his search for self identification. He then meets varied woman masquerading around like Pooja (Gauhar Khan), Grace (Ankita Makwana), Rhea (Gemma Atkinson) and Caterina Murino and the mystery of Armin’s life starts getting more and more complicated. One memory flashbak reveals that in reality he is a contract killer who has lost his memory in an accident.

Director Rajeev Jhaveri seems totally confused and he starts swinging like a pendulum between facts and fiction, past and present. And the least said about his directorial capabilities the better. The only enjoyable factor of Fever is the presence of a seasoned actor like Rajeev Khandelwal and the capturing of beautiful locale like Switzerland. The first half of Fever drags along but it is the second half that really gets going and holds the viewer’s attention. In fact Fever mirrors a picture which tries to blur the thin line between facts and fiction.

Performance wise Rajeev Khandelwal is superb in his new avatar (Read Looks). He has plunged himself deeply into his character to the extent of shedding all his inhibitions has performed all the bold bedroom scenes with elan. Gauhar Khan is not at all impressive besides she appears atrocious with her garish make – up. That apart the three debutant actresses are good having given a good account of themselves.

To sum it up Fever may appear to be an interesting fare on Global Film Festival circuit but its prospects at the Box Office turnstiles are very bleak.

By: Shaheen Raaj
Producer:

Director: Rohit Dhawan

Star Cast: John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez, Varun Dhawan, Akshaye Khanna, Rahul Dev & Saaqib Salim and above all Nargis Fakhri, Parineeti Chopra and cricketers like Javed Miandad, Mohinder Amarnath & Atul Wasan in cameo roles.

Music: Abhijit Vaghani & Pritam

The varied scams of India and more specifically the match – fixing scam of the game of cricket has started attracting Bollywoodian film makers too. So in the not so long ago past we had a film like Jannat and just recently we had a film like Azhar based on the alleged match – fixing scam of cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin albeit which dealt more with his personal life’s love tangle, and now comes director Rohit Dhawan’s Dishoom based on the same game of cricket again albeit with a kidnapping angle attached to it.

The plotted scenario of Dishoom kick – starts with a well – planned kidnapping of Indian cricket team’s ace – cricketer Viraj Sharma (Saqib Salim) by the dreaded Altaf (Rahul Dev), at the behest of Wagah (Akshaye Khanna) during a cricket series in the Middle East. The reason for Wagah to kidnap Viraj Sharma is to bail himself out of the Rs. 400 crore worth of debts that he has got himself into because of his match – fixing deals going kaput. When the Indian Government gets to know that Viraj Sharma has been kidnapped and that too, just 36 hours before the crucial & the much awaited India – Pakistan match, they decide to put their best police officer Kabir Shergill (John Abraham) on the job. Fearing national unrest & tension, they instruct Kabir Shergill not to utter a word to anyone about Viraj Sharma’s kidnapping. When the news reaches the embassy of the Middle East, they immediately become ready to offer all kind of possible help to Kabir Shergill. That’s when Kabir Shergill chooses the “never – solved – any -case” police officer Junaid Ansari (Varun Dhawan), who is only way too happy to be chosen for the task of finding Viraj Sharma. And their parter in crime is Ishika (Jacqueline Fernandez) who is a petty thief.

Director Rohit Dhawan’s last outing was Desi Boyz which had really attracted attention towards his superb directorial treatment and with Dishoom he has indeed proved that he is a chip of the old block namely his father David Dhawan. Another plus point of Dishoom is the technical side comprising of screenplay by Tushar Hiranandani & Rohit Dhawan himself, action by Allan Amin & Stefan Richter, music by Abhijit Vaghani (Background Score) & Pritam (Songs – some of which have already proved to be runaway hits), cinematography by Ayananka Bose & editing by Nitin Rokade & Ritesh Soni.

Performance wise the film clearly belongs to John Abraham & Varun Dhawan and together with their superb chemistry and excellently well – matched comic timings will bring the house down and leave the audiences in spits to the extent that may even roll down in the darkened auditorium. But individually both John Abraham & Varun Dhawan are superb & outstanding respectively. In fact Varun Dhawan is improving his histrionic skills film by film and displays his emotional, comic, romantic & action abilities too. Next in line the same is the case with Jacqueline Fernandez and to top it she also adds the oomp & the glamour quotient in right proportion. That apart a seasoned actor like Akshaye Khanna makes his grand re – entry in Bollywood with Dishoom. In fact he is simply outstanding in his cameo role of a bad boy with gay/homosexual streaks omnipresent in him. On the other hand Saqib Salim as the kidnapped cricketer is perfect. And last but not in the least Rahul Dev succeeds in displaying the mean & evil streaks in in his villainous avatar.

Tail Piece: Dishoom has all the ingredients of a commercial potboiler to satisfy the cravings of a masala oriented cine goers hailing from all walks of life.

Ayub Khan hailing from Allahabad has a come a long way in his three decades long journey in the Showbiz world. He had made a humble beginning as an exhibitor by running a cinema hall in Bhiwandi. Later on he turned a director after assisting Gulzaar in Mirza Ghalib. He made several notable films as a producer and director and even dabbled with distribution with a couple of films. Now he is ready with a film based on the burning topic of rape titled Murder Maadhuri.

So what is your about to be released film Murder Maadhuri all about?

My upcoming film Murder Maadhuri deals with the subject of the ever growing menace of RAPE. I believe that in India the vicious crime of RAPE is committed every three mines.

Many films have been made on this dreaded topic of rape in the past. So how different is Murder Maadhuri going to be?
I don’t think any films in the past has offered any concrete solutions to curb this ever growing menace of RAPE.

So you think your film Murder Maadhuri will offer a perfect solution to curb this menace?

Yes! I am sure. First of all my film Murder Maadhuri will create more awareness of how to deal with the problem at hand.

So what are the exact solutions?

I think all women should be taught how to safeguard themselves when trapped in this critical situation. I think all women should be taught how to use an electronic device, which they will have to carry with them and which will in turn alert the cops the moment somebody touches their body and makes an attempt to rape them. This is just one of the solution. My film offers many more such solutions but for that the audiences will have to watch my film Murder Maaduri. The release of which is just round the corner.

Any specific reasons why you decided to make a film on this particular topic?

I have read in our Holy Book “Koran” that, “Maa ke pairon ke neeche jannat hoti hai” and a man tries to insult the same woman who is, no doubt, someone’s mother or a daughter. I want each and everyone to learn to respect women totally and refrain themselves from commiting any more of such vicious crime like RAPE in future.

Time to enlighten us about the cast & the credits of Murder Maaduri.

The starcast of Murder Madhuri includes debutant Jiya Khan enacting the pivotal character of Madhuri, besides her the film stars Deep Shikha, Sonali Joshi, Vinay Kumar, Amit Kumar, Kiran Kumar, Sharat Saxsena etc. The film has been produced and directed by Ali Mohammed Oosman, creative head is Ayub Khan, music
by Arshad Ahmed, lyrics by Shahid Hamdani etc. The film has been produced under the banner A M O Films International and will be released all over on 29th Jul, 2016 under the distribution arm of E4U Enterprises.

As a parting shot tell us what are your future plans?

After the grand release of Murder Maadhuri I am planning to produce many more topical films but above all a mega budget film, the paperwork for which has already begun. That apart I am also constructing at least a 100 miniplexes all over for the common man as the muliplex cinemas are too pricey for them and moreover their kind of films, which they can enjoy with their family, are not released in them.

India & possibly world’s 1st Sex – Ed Fiction Series: Sex Chat with Pappu & Papa. Durex & Y – Films have come together to present one of the most unique fictional web – series – Sex Chat with Pappu & Papa. A 5 – part fictional series that will deliver information across different themes related to sex /sexuality, covering topics not openly discussed. From masturbation & periods to condoms, pregnancy & homosexuality. In a clean, honest style – with a lot of humor. And certainly a lot of heart. This is the 1st time that a series is launching in 15 languages. It’s set to be dubbed in 6 Indian languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam & Bengali and also subtitled in 10 International languages including English, Chinese, French, Dutch, Spanish, German, Bahasa, Malay & Thai to begin with to get this important message out to as many people as possible.

Starring Anand Tiwari, Kabir Sajid, TV’s favorite Sanjeeda Shaikh, Dum Lagaa Ke Haisha’s Alka Amin & veteran Sachin Pilgaonkar, the series marks the directorial debut of Ashish Patil, Head of Y – Films and has been written by Gopal Datt & Devang Kakkad with story development by Amritpal Bindra & Anand Tiwari. The story revolves around the Watsa family, featuring a curious 7 – year – old boy, Pappu – who shoots the most outrageous questions to his Papa, Anand. Who attempts to answer them to the best of his ability – initially with a lot of awkwardness and eventually with a lot of fun & simple anecdotes. All this while his own father – the very traditional, conservative & possibly “Khadoos” Pitaji – keeps questioning his actions.

Ashish Patil, producer & director avers, “At Y – Films we like to push the envelope with the stories we tell. Pappu & Papa is something that’s going to tear up that envelope and eat the shreds: It’s incredible how still in the 2nd most populous country in the world; sex is such a taboo topic. Most parents clam up when having to talk to kids about the “The Birds & the Bees”. Research clearly shows that sex talk with parents is directly linked to safer sexual behavior. We’re here to help get this important chat started – in 15 languages – after all, Love & Sex know no language! Hence we’re also delighted to have partners like Durex on board help us get this message out to as many people as possible globally. So come on, let’s talk about sex, baby!”

On the launch of the series, Durex spokesperson averred, “For a country that has the 3rd largest population of HIV cases and a condom penetration lower than 5%, changing consumer behavior towards safer sexual habits is extremely critical. But none of this will be remotely even possible if we continue to treat sex as a taboo. We are proud to partner with Y – Films for a web – series which we believe will eventually help in normalizing the conversation on safe sex.”

The series is presented by Durex Feel Thin. India’s Thinnest Condom. In association with Ching’s Desi Chinese. The content has been heavily researched & ratified by some of the foremost medical experts, top hormonal & gynecological doctors of the country. We hope it creates some genuine social impact, not just locally but globally.

Premier Futsal unveiled Allah Rakha Rahman as the composer of the league’s official anthem, to be sung by India test captain Virat Kohli, who is Premier Futsal’s league ambassador, at an event in Chennai ahead of its inaugural season. This is the 1st time ever that the Oscar award – winner Allah Rakha Rahman is lending his musical genius to a franchise – based sports league in the country. Allah Rakha Rahman said, “It makes me happy to see such young entrepreneurs being passionate about the sporting scenario of the country. I’m especially excited to work with Virat Kohli on this, let’s hope he is as good with his melody as he is with his bat!” Virat Kohli, League ambassador, Premier Futsal said, “I have been a fan of Allah Rakha Rahman for years. It will be a privilege to share the screen with him and lend my voice to the anthem of Premier Futsal.” This high decibel marketing initiative from Premier Futsal is aimed at creating awareness for the sport of Futsal and promoting the league ahead of its launch on 15th Jul, 2016. The anthem, titled “Naam Hai Futsal”, has been released with a video featuring Virat Kohli exclusively via Premier Futsal’s digital platforms. The concept & production of the anthem have been done by DDB Mudra. Allah Rakha Rahman’s association with Premier Futsal adds further gloss to the league, which already boasts Portugal football legend and former World Player of the Year Luis Figo as President. Premier Futsal will be telecast live & exclusive on Sony SIX, SONY ESPN & Sony AATH. Matches will also be available to live stream on Sony LIV.

EROS INTERNATIONAL & MAGIC LANTERN ANNOUNCE MALYALAM ACTION COMEDY ‘IDI’ WITH JAYSURYA

Eros International in collaboration with Magic Lantern has announced their upcoming Malayalam film IDI (Punch) starring Jayasurya, slated to release on 12th Aug, 2016. The directorial debut of Sajid Yahiya, this action comedy will feature the super hit pair of Jayasurya & Shivada who won hearts as a couple in their previous film Su. Su. Sudhi Vathmeekam. The film also stars Joju George, Yog Japee, Saiju Kurup & Sudhi Koppa. A mass entertainer with big scale action sequences, protagonist Jayasurya will be playing the character of a super cop – Inspector Dawood Ibrahim. Rahul Raj is the music director of the film.

A R MURUGADOSS REVEALS THE REASON BEHIND SONAKSHI SINHA’S SCAR IN AKIRA

The poster of Akira has definitely created a lot of curiosity amongst the moviegoers about the film. Whats interesting is that the scar that is visible on Sonakshi’s forehead has an interesting back story to it. Director A R Murugadoss wanted to establish that she has gone through enough but isn’t weak to stand up and fight it out. Talking about the same, he avers, “In life every scar that occurs on our body has a story behind it. Similarly Akira has a past wound that has dried up & remains a scar now. The moment we see her face we should come to know that she has had a painful past. That’s why I created the scar under her eyes.”

ERIKA JOINS THE JOURNEY OF SHIVAAY

SHIVAAY’s international face, Erika Kaar has been finally released by the makers of the film! And with this poster Erika has joined her journey of Shivaay. Erika, who was last seen as a leading girl in one of the famous BBC Production’s television shows, is making her Bollywood debut with SHIVAAY! Directed by Ajay Devgn, SHIVAAY releases this Diwali on 28th Oct, 2016.

KARAN MAHAVAR LOOKS FORWARD TO GETTING BLESSED BY MR. BACHCHAN

There is not a single soul in the industry who doesn’t admire Amitabh Bachchan, and young debutant Karan Mahavar is no different. Karan Mahavar, who is all set to make his debut this week in Bollywood with an interesting film, Kerry on Kutton is really hoping to show the film to his childhood idol, Amitabh Bachchan. Karan has always been inspired by Amitabh Bachchan’s work, during his college days he would go watch AB’s film and stand in front of the mirror and try to act like him. Karan has done a lot of theatre too during his college days. Karan is hoping that Mr. Bachchan sees it and gives him his blessings. Karan Mahavar says, “This is my 1st film as an actor and I am extremely excited about it, I have always been passionate about acting and started my theatre at a very young age. Kerry On Kutton is a very special film for me.”

BENGALI FILM UNDER SCANNER BY CBFC

Even as the debate now shifts to HARAAMKHOR, after UDTA PUNJAB, a Bengali film fought a 6 month long battle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in Kolkata to again show that the board is defunct and their members unfit to review films for certification. SHAHEB BIBI GOLAAM, directed by Pratim D. Gupta and starring Swastika Mukherjee in the lead with music by Anupam Roy (Piku), had applied for a certificate in mid – Dec, 2015 and after as many as 5 screenings (4 in CBFC alone), the film got the certificate on 16th Jun, 2016 with just a small cut and 6 muted words thanks to Film Certificate Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) But the
harassment the makers went through goes on to show that the problem lies not only with Mr Pahalaj Nihalani, but the board and its system and rules. Finally when the film was resubmitted to CBFC for them to check whether we followed the FCAT recommendations, 6 words were muted and a rape scene shortened and they sent it back saying “Smoking causes cancer” card is missing. Funnily, no one smokes in the film! SHAHEB BIBI GOLAAM Shaheb now releases nationally (including Mumbai, Delhi & Bangalore) on 26th August, more than 7 months after 22nd Jan, 2016.

MILAN LUTHRIA’S MULTI – STARRER IS ALL SET TO GO ON THE FLOORS IN MUMBAI THIS AUG

Milan Luthria has zeroed in on the rest of cast for his much awaited Ajay Devgn starrer BAADSHAHO which also includes Emraan Hashmi, Vidyut Jammwal, Ileana D’Cruz, Esha Gupta & Sanjay Mishra. The multi – starrer film is all set to go on the floors this Aug with a 15 day schedule in Mumbai, followed by a 2 month schedule in Rajasthan. BAADSHAHO, co – produced by Milan Luthria & Bhushan Kumar and written by Rajat Aroraa, is a thriller set in the Emergency era of the ’70s. Milan & his team spent 3 months on the research. Milan will collaborate with a foreign action director for BAADSHAHO and the music includes Rajasthani folk with a funky twist, composed by Ankit Tiwari.

KETAN MEHTA TO RELAUNCH HIS CAPTAIN VYOM STARRINg MILIND SOMAN

Nothing beats nostalgia! It’s time to relive the fabulous 90’s with India’s most iconic and 1st ever science fiction television series on superhero Captain Vyom. The space adventure; the saga of the superhero and his inter galactic super villains starring the heartthrob and India’s 1st ever supermodel Milind Soman. Directed by Ketan Mehta and produced by Deepa Sahi, it is set to be resurrected and revived by Cosmos Maya. The classic from the turn of the century broke on the internet on Thurs 23nd, Jun, 2016.
Directed by Ketan Mehta, Captain Vyom is the 1st Indian live – action superhero science fiction (sci – fi) television series, which was aired on DD National at the end of the century. The TV series pioneered the art of computer animation & visual effects in India. Captain Vyom takes you to the future – 2123, where humans conquer the entire solar system. Ketan Mehta, who had directed the show said “It has been almost 20 years since this landmark show, was 1st aired. The show went on to achieve a cult following amongst its viewers, who were then introduced to a show that was much ahead of its time, and in an era when science – fiction and superheroes were unheard concepts not just on television, but also in films. The series also has Tom Alter, Kartika Rane, Sanjay Singh, Divya Palat, Madhu Sapre, Rahul Bose, Dino Morea etc.

WHEN OBAMA LOVED OSAMA IS THE FATHER OF ALL COMEDIES

Producer Jaiwinder Singh Bhati’s last film was HUM HAI TEEN KHURAFATI which clicked at the box office. Now he has come up with yet another comedy caper called When OBAMA LOVED OSAMA. The subject of the film is very interesting. It is about 2 heroes & 2 heroines. In his 3rd film titled CHEATERS, the hero actors will be seen cheating each & every one around them but will not break the hearts of the girls with whom they fall in love with. After making his 4th film titled THE GUINNNESS BOOK which will be an out & out entertainment oriented film based on 2 kids, perhaps the producer will hopefully find his name in the prestigious Guinness Book of World Records as a maker with the maximum number of comedies to his credit. OBAMA LOVED OSAMA has been directed by Sudeesh Kumar Sharma. The story has been written by Vaibhav Bhist while music has been composed by Kashi. The film stars Nishan, Parul Chauhan, Vicky Chowdhary, Divya Sharma, Mushtaq Khan, Brijendra Kala, Mohit Baghel & Manoj Bakshi

EROS INTERNATIONAL & SOHAM ROCKSTAR ENTERTAINMEN TO PRODUCE A SEQUEL TO NAYAK

Eros International has announced the sequel to the 2001 hit political thriller, Anil Kapoor starrer NAYAK, in association with Deepak Mukut’s Soham Rockstar Entertainment. Produced by Eros International & Deepak Mukut, the film will be scripted by K V Vijayendra Prasad who has written blockbusters like BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN and BAAHUBALI. Continuing from the earlier film, the sequel will be a political satire with romance as the backdrop. The sequel will also introduce fresh characters while retaining some of the old characters including the lead character, Shivaji Rao from NAYAK. Sunil Lulla, Managing Director, Eros International Media Ltd averred, “NAYAK created ripples on its release and was one of the most successful political satires of its time. It’s the apt time to plan the sequel in the current political milieu. And we can expect only the finest writing with Vijayendra Prasadji on board who has given 2 of Bollywood’s biggest releases last year – BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN & BAAHUBALI.”. Producer Deepak Mukut of Soham Rockstar Entertainment, adds, “We are partnering with Eros International to jointly produce the sequel of NAYAK. This was a very popular film and continues to be widely watched on television. We have bought the rights of the film and the action promises to be even bigger & better.”

THE RISE & RISE OF AYESHA DHARKAR

In the landmark year when Britain’s Royal Shakespeare Company is marking the 400th death anniversary of William Shakespeare, Ayesha Dharker has won “the equivalent of a Nobel Prize in her field”. She features prominently in all the RSC’s posters, having landed a key role in its main offering in 2016. Says Ayesha: “I have fallen in love with the RSC — completely”. That’s easy to understand, not simply because the RSC has cast her in the crucial role of Titania, Queen of the Fairies, in its current production of A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, but also because it is a very political organization. And like the RSC, almost certainly the most prestigious drama group in the world, Ayesha believes passionately in the political power of theatre, not simply to entertain middle class folk who can buy the expensive tickets (£30 or more in Britain), but to transform the lives of the disadvantaged children. All art is political and you have to embrace that, be proud of it and take responsibility for what we mean when we put on a piece of art. I desperately wish there was something like the RSC in India. That would be a dream for me,” she sighs. She is wonderfully eloquent and her voice is soft & expressive, which is why she has been sought out for everything from Shakespeare to soap, radio & musicals. Ayesha is 38 now with nearly 3 decades of acting behind her.

2ND SHOOT SCHEDULE OF MUZZAFARNAGAR 2013 HELD IN UMARGAON

Mannu & Sara have arrived in the city of Umargoan to shoot a very important sequence for their film – Muzzafarnagar 2013. These 2 roles are from the movie and actors Dev Sharma & Aishwarya Devan are enacting them. This is the 2nd shoot schedule for the film and it will complete in 10 days. Other actors like Anil George & Mursalen Qureshi were also present along with the starcast. Based on the actual communal riots which took place in the year 2013; this film is based in a village called Morna in Uttar Pradesh. Every communal riot is a result of dirty politics which evil minds play with the citizens of the country. This film aims to expose all that and more! Muzzafarnagar 2013 is directed by Harish Kumar & produced by Manoj Maandi. Story & lyrics are by Manoj Kumar.

1ST EVER KONKANI CHILDREN’S MOVIE AAA VAI JAA SAA BY FILM INDIA PROUDUCTIONS!!!

AAA VAI JAA SAA is the 1st ever Konkani children’s film to hit the theatres in Jul, 2016. The film is expected to be exceptional and promises many take aways for the young and not so young; AAA VAI JAA SAA stands for Aaadhyatmik, Vaignanik, Jaatyateeth and Saamajik. This movie is concerned with the holistic development & progress of the new generation. It very devotedly & very aptly undertakes the serious task of divulging the dire need for spiritual, social, cultural as also collective growth & progress of the youngsters. Every nuance of film making is adopted to make it incredibly informative, educative as also entertaining. The film has artists from Karnataka, Kerala , Maharastra & Goa. You will find all Konkani dialects in this movie. The child artistes include Sarthak Shenoy, Shreyas Kamath, Samarth Shenoy & Spandana Pai. The film is directed by veteran Konkani film director Dr K Ramesh Kamath. The film has been shot in beautiful coastal belt of Karnataka. The film is 1st ever Konkani film and will be having its world premiere at the international Konkani convention 2016 organized by NAKA at Atlanta, Georgia, USA on 2nd Jul, 2016

RAAKHI SAWANT’S BROTHER RAKESH SAWANT MAKES 30 SHORT FILMS

If Imtiaz Ali made a short film with Huma Qureshi recently & Shailendra Singh made his short film I AM, A SEXAHOLIC with Shama Sikander, Shirish Kunder has made KRITI and now Raakhi Sawant’s brother Rakesh Sawant has directed not just one but 3 short films called BASTARDS, PSYCHO & EK THI LAILA under the banner of his mother Jaya Sawant’s Jaya Productions. He has also come out with a music album called DARD FIRST LOVE under the music label of Jaya Productions. The song has been sung by Kumar Sanu & Ejaz Khan has acted in the album. The hightlight of the short films BASTARDS & PSYCHO is that Shakti Kapoor has essayed dark negative roles in both of them. It is his 1st attempt at acting in short films. Present on the occasion were Raakhee Sawant, Rakesh Sawant, Shaktui Kapoor, Mukesh Rishi, Kunika Lal & Ejaz Khan.

YEH HAI JUDGEMENT HANGED TILL DEATH READY FOR RELEASE

Director Mann Kumar has completed the shooting of his debut film YEH HAI JUDGEMENT HANGED TILL DEATH in a span of 40 days in Manali, Malegaon, Kalyan, Lonavala and several parts of the city of Mumbai with Nishant Kumar & Neetu Wadhwa in the lead. The film has been produced under the banner of Maaj Productions, after extensive research over the subject by the director for over a year. Incidentally, it is the debut film of Nishant Kumar too who had earlier acted in several ad films. The film YEH HAI JUDGEMENT HANGED TILL DEATH is inspired by Yakub Memon and Nishant is essaying the role of Ashraf Ansari. “The film is not a biopic of Yakub Memon but has been inspired by his character and hence I am playing a character with negative shades called Ashraf Ansari modeled on Yakyub Memon, who was allegedly involved in the 1993 riots in Mumbai. Mann Kumar has now decided to launch his next film called GANGS OF AZAMGARH with Aman Trikha, Amit Singh & Nishant Kumar shortly, after YEH HAI JUDGEMENT HANGED TILL DEATH is released in July this year.

Producer: Kanchan Adhikari & Om Gahlot
Director: Kanchan Adhikari
Star Cast: Subodh Bhave, Kranti Redkar, Avishkar Darwhekar, Priya Marathe & Namrata Awate
Genre: Romantic Comedy

Of late Marathi Cinema is really coming of age for trying out different genres of filmmaking. Gone are the rural lavni’s & tamasha days. In the same vein director Kanchan Adhikari’s Kiran Kulkarni Vs Kiran Kulkarni is a zara hatke triangular romantic comedy drama.

The scripted scenario of Kiran Kulkarni Vs Kiran Kulkarni unfolds with Kiran Kulkarni (Subodh Bhave) who is a successful employee of an IIT Company and is about to join his Company’s Germany branch. Just then he becomes a victim of a credit card fraud, due to the lapse of his wife, and gets framed for a murder too in a Pub as his Credit card was traced over there. Needless to say he looses his job & his Germany trip too. So his immediate boss (Mohan Joshi) advises him to catch the culprit redhanded. Kiran goes to Lonavala and bumps into the credit card fraud girl Kasturi (Kranti Redkar). From here on the story of Kiran Kulkarni Vs Kiran Kulkarni takes a whole new twist.

As the title Kiran Kulkarni Vs Kiran Kulkarni hints it is not at all a courtroom drama at all. On the contrary the film starts off with a credit card fraud but somewhere along the way director Kanchan Adhikari focuses more on the heart touching romantic triangle. Being a woman director Kanchan Adhikari seems a little biased as she has given an author backed role to her lead heroine Kranti Redkar thereby not really using the overall potential of an extremely talented and gifted actor like Subodh Bhave who has already proven his versatility in films like Katyar Kaljhat Ghusli to name just one.

Performance wise Kiran Kulkarni Vs Kiran Kulkarni is no doubt a Kranti Redkar film all the way. As Kasturi she is genuine, she is funny, she is witty and a little filmy too. Her comic timing is just seen to be believed. In fact she has delivered a par excellence act. Next in line is of course Subodh Bhave who is simply outstanding in the title role of Kiran Kulkarni. And the actress who enacts the role of his wife is good but she hardly gets a scope to prove her worth. Rest of the characters are ok and they do contribute in carrying the film forward.

In the end one can only say that Kiran Kulkarni Vs Kiran Kulkarni is a full on non – stop entertaining film for the masses as well as the classes. After a long, long time Kiran Kulkarni Vs Kiran Kulkarni is a clean and wholesome family entertainer.