By: Faizan Rizwan

Inputs By: Shaheen Raaj

Some Bollywood Celebs Can’t Vote For The Lok Sabha Elections 2019

Some of the Bollywood celebs like Akshay Kumar, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone & 4 other celebs won’t be able to vote in the ongoing Loksabha elections 2019!

The voting season is here & the month-long schedule of Lok Sabha Elections 2019 has begun. It commenced on 11^th Apr, 2019 & will conclude on 19^th May, 2019.

Every Indian citizen will be casting their vote for the party which they think will serve the country better. As always, B-town celebs will abide by their responsibility & vote for the right candidate too.

However, there are a handful of celebrities who won’t be able to cast their vote and we know the reason why. From Akshay Kumar, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif to Sunny Leone, Imran Khan & Jacqueline Fernandez, these Bollywood stars will not be able to vote in the ongoing elections & the reasons for that are:-

Well! This may come as a surprise to you but the fact is that Akshay Kumar is not eligible to vote during elections in India, mainly because, Kiladi Kumar was born in Punjab & brought up in Delhi. Still, wonder what is the reason? Well, Khiladi Kumar holds a Canadian passport & that is exactly why he hasn’t been voting for many years.

Deepika Padukone is one of the top actresses of Bollywood & her acting skills are unmatched. While we are aware of almost everything about this beauty, her birthplace is not known to many. The Padmaavat actress was born in Denmark & holds a Danish passport. Although she is brought up in Bengaluru, Deepika Padukone can’t vote in the Indian General Elections 2019.

Alia Bhatt’s mother, Soni Razdan, hails from Britain. Hence, the actress herself is a British citizen & holds the same passport. Ultimately, that means that the Raazi actress is not liable to vote in the forthcoming elections.

Katrina Kaif is an English citizen & it is a known fact. The actress has been in the industry for over a decade but she is not eligible to vote as Katrina Kaif still has a UK passport.

Sunny Leone alias Karenjit Kaur holds a Canadian passport & although she has her roots in India, the actress cannot vote.

Jacqueline Fernandez’s mother belongs to Malaysia while her father is a Sri Lankan citizen. The actress was born in Bahrain & well, these are reasons enough for her not being eligible to vote in the elections in India.

Aamir Khan’s nephew & and actor, Imran Khan, made his Bollywood debut with Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. He was born & brought up in the United States Of America & moved to India only after his parents’ separation. So he too is not eligible for voting in the ongoing elections of Loksabha.

New Delhi, Apr 10 : Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday banned the release of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s biopic ‘PM Narendra Modi’, which was scheduled to hit screens all over the country on Thursday.

The Commission’s order to stall the release came a day ahead of the scheduled release of the film, starring Vivek Oberoi in the title role as Mr Modi.

“Any biopic material in the nature of biography/ hagiography sub-serving the purposes of any political party or any individual entity connect to it, which is intended to, or which has the potential to disturb the level playing field during the elections, should not be displayed in electronic media, including the cinematograph during the operation of Model Code of Conduct,” the Commission said in its 7-page order.

In its order, the Commission also said, that any poster of publicity material concerning any certified content, which either depicts candidates (including prospective) for the furtherance (or purported further) of electoral prospects, directly or indirectly, shall not be put to display in the electronic media in the area where MCC is in operation.

Opposition parties including Congress have been demanding the postponement of the release of the film as they feel its release during the election time violate the MCC.

After Censor Issue Blackboard V/S Whiteboard Will Finally Release On 12^thApr 2019

The movie Blackboard v/s Whiteboard is finally releasing on 12^th Apr, 2019. The release of the film had to be pushed because of censorship issues. The film is based on how in modern times education too has fallen prey to commercialization & is now considered as a business opportunity. 

Not only the cities but even small towns & villages are engulfed in the evil malpractices. There are a few idealistic teachers who are trying to educate more & more children so that to have a better India tomorrow. The film throws light on this gory picture of commercialization of education. 

The film’s release date was stuck due to censor issues. The film was shown to Censor in New Delhi. On reaching out to the film actor Raghubir Yadav for the release date change of the film he quoted “Releasing a Film is more difficult than making. Due to delays in censor certificate the release date got changed. But it all worth the wait as we got U certificate for the film in which we showcase how education has fallen prey to commercialization with a little bit of humor added to the film.”. 

The film producers Nupur Shrivastava, Gireesh Tiwary & Ashutosh Singh Ratan also shared their thoughts on release date change of the film. Nupur said “Due to delay in Censor Certificate we couldn’t able to release our film on it’s the previous release date. But now everything is fine. We are ready to release it on 12^th Apr, 2019.” 

Ashutosh Singh Ratan quoted “After defeating all challenges finally we are coming with our film Blackboard vs Whiteboard, on 12^th  April 2019. It’s a pleasant moment for us.” & Gireesh Tiwary said “Its all worth the wait as we got U certificate for the film. We are ready to rock on cinema screen on 12th Apr, 2019.”

Directed by Tarun Bisht & produced by Nupur Shrivastava, Gireesh Tiwary & Ashutosh Singh Ratan the movie Blackboard Vs Whiteboard stars Raghubir Yadav, Dharmendra Singh, Alismita Goswami, Ashok Samarth, Akhilendra Mishra & Pankaj Jha in lead roles. The film is made under the banner of Milestone Creations & Ratan Shree Entertainment. Zee Music Company has released the music of the film.

After Censor Issue Blackboard V/S Whiteboard Will Finally Release On 12^thApr 2019

The movie Blackboard v/s Whiteboard is finally releasing on 12^th Apr, 2019. The release of the film had to be pushed because of censorship issues. The film is based on how in modern times education too has fallen prey to commercialization & is now considered as a business opportunity. 

Not only the cities but even small towns & villages are engulfed in the evil malpractices. There are a few idealistic teachers who are trying to educate more & more children so that to have a better India tomorrow. The film throws light on this gory picture of commercialization of education. 

The film’s release date was stuck due to censor issues. The film was shown to Censor in New Delhi. On reaching out to the film actor Raghubir Yadav for the release date change of the film he quoted “Releasing a Film is more difficult than making. Due to delays in censor certificate the release date got changed. But it all worth the wait as we got U certificate for the film in which we showcase how education has fallen prey to commercialization with a little bit of humor added to the film.”. 

The film producers Nupur Shrivastava, Gireesh Tiwary & Ashutosh Singh Ratan also shared their thoughts on release date change of the film. Nupur said “Due to delay in Censor Certificate we couldn’t able to release our film on it’s the previous release date. But now everything is fine. We are ready to release it on 12^th Apr, 2019.” 

Ashutosh Singh Ratan quoted “After defeating all challenges finally we are coming with our film Blackboard vs Whiteboard, on 12^th  April 2019. It’s a pleasant moment for us.” & Gireesh Tiwary said “Its all worth the wait as we got U certificate for the film. We are ready to rock on cinema screen on 12th Apr, 2019.”

Directed by Tarun Bisht & produced by Nupur Shrivastava, Gireesh Tiwary & Ashutosh Singh Ratan the movie Blackboard Vs Whiteboard stars Raghubir Yadav, Dharmendra Singh, Alismita Goswami, Ashok Samarth, Akhilendra Mishra & Pankaj Jha in lead roles. The film is made under the banner of Milestone Creations & Ratan Shree Entertainment. Zee Music Company has released the music of the film.

‘Five Feet Apart’ Release Postponed

The movie Five Feet Apart release is now postponed & it will now release in India on 12^th Apr, 2019. “Post the success of the film in the US released last week, we are very happy to release Five Feet Apart in India on 12^th Apr, 2019″ said Formula Hollywood Movies distributor, Raj Jain.

Stella Grant (Haley Lu Richardson) is every bit a seventeen-year-old: she’s attached to her laptop & loves her best friends. But unlike most teenagers, she spends much of her time living in a hospital as a cystic fibrosis patient. Her life is full of routines, boundaries & self-control, all of which is put to the test when she meets an impossibly charming fellow CF patient named Will Newman (Cole Sprouse). 

There’s an instant flirtation, though restrictions dictate that they must maintain a safe distance between them. As their connection intensifies, so does the temptation to throw the rules out the window & embrace that attraction. Further complicating matters is Will Newsman’s potentially dangerous rebellion against his ongoing medical treatment. Stella Grant gradually inspires Will Newman to live life to the fullest, but can she ultimately save the person she loves when even a single touch is off limits?

The movie stars Cole Sprouse, Haley Lu Richardson & Claire Forlani. The other credits are directed by Justin Baldoni & produced by CBS Films 

Showman Subhash Ghai Launches ‘Clean Ganga’ With A Song   

After making a short documentary titled Kumbh – The Power Bank which was highly appreciated by the Chief Mminister of Uttar Pradesh in the bygone year of 2018, the Showman Subhash Ghai had got an invitation by Sanskar Bharti as guest of honor to participate at their event at kumbh in Feb, 2019 at Prayagraj.

So Sobhash Ghai during his visit at Kumbh the idea of making a music video on River Gamga struck him. Since many years now Ganges has been under severe pollution & a lot has been spoken about the fact that whether River Ganga is still pure or no.

So when Subhash Ghai thought to conceptualize a music video revolving around River Ganga & its cleanliness issue, then he personally discussed the issue with the directorate of Namami Gange project initiated by PM Narendra Modi. Then he penned down the lyrics, namely “Ghar ghar Ganga jab bhi aaye – Maili ho kar laut na jaye” This also inspired the students of his whistlingwoods music school to compose the score on the lyrics. Within a very short span of time they completed the music in their School’s music studio.

The song was composed by the music students Antara Vaidya & Vaishnavi Sriram with Abhishek Bonthu as programmer. Then Vaishnavi & other students gave the vocals. It was a very proud moment for them when their music video was presented in front of a very large crowd at the Kumbh in the current year of 2019. Although Subhash Ghai had written the full song on clean Ganga the video displays only a mukhra of the song.

The shooting of Clean Ganga is currently on & it is being produced under the banner of Mukta Digital Studios Mumbai, The other details are being worked out. 

Bollywood Celebs Receive Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Nobel Awards

Just recently Bollywood Celebs like Anup Jalota, Sneha Ullal, Jasleen Matharu, Johny Lever, Rahul Roy, Nikita Rawal, Vikrant Anand and others received the prestigious Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Nobel Awards. Sunny Shah, Founder of International Human Rights Council had organized the 4^th edition of the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Nobel Awards 2019 at Sea Princess Hotel, Juhu where he invited lawyers, doctors, ministers, Income Tax department, sports person, architectures, actors from film & TV industry, fashion, & even and journalist from print media & electronic media. Padamshri Anup Jalota,  Rahul Roy, Johny Lever, Singer Madhushree, Arun Bakshi, Big Boss Fame Jasleen Matharu, Vikrant Anand, Vaishnavi, Nikita Rawal, Ekta Jain, Sunil Pal , Yogesh Lakhani of Bright Outdoor & others came to receive the award. Amit Tyagi from Aajtak received the award for the “Best TV Show” Saas Bahu Aur Betiyan, Iqbal Parvez got the “Best Reporter” of ND TV India, Abhishek Sharma received the “Best Entertainment head” of India News, Sudhanshu Kumar received the ‘Best Digital Company”.  

Junglee

“Junglee Pictures ‘Junglee’ Is an Entertaining Movie For Children & Senior Citizens”
Banner: Junglee PicturesProducer: Priti Shahani  & Vineet JainDirector: Chuck RussellStar Cast: Vidyut Jammwal, Pooja Sawant, Asha But, Atul Kukarni, Akshay Oberoi, Makrand Deshpande, Thalai Vasai, Don & Bhondyaaa,  Vijaya Kumar Arcot Ramachandran, Vishwanath Chatterjee, Rohan JoshiMusic: Tanuj Tikku & Sameer Uddin

The gentle giant, elephant, at one point was a significant part of some very important films. The most memorable film in this regard was Haathi Mere Saathi in the year 1971. Then there were films like Maa in the year 1976, Safed Haathi in the year 1977 etc. that also dealt with elephants & made for a great & entertaining watch. Almost 4 decades later, the jumbo makes a mighty comeback in Bollywood with Junglee. The film has been noticed for its trailer & plot. Moreover, it’s a rare Bollywood film directed by a Hollywood director, Chuck Russell.
The scripted scenario of Junglee Pictures Junglee reveals the story of a veterinarian trying to fight an international poacher’s racket. Raj Nair (Vidyut Jammwal) is based in Mumbai & is a renowned veterinarian. He has an estranged relationship with his father, Dipankar (Vijaya Kumar Arcot Ramachandran), who runs Chandrika Elephant Sanctuary. Their relationship soured a decade ago after Raj Naiur’s mother passed away. On her 10^th death anniversary, Dipankar requests Raj Nair to come back. This time, Raj Nair agrees & he’s accompanied by journalist Meera Rai (Asha Bhat), who wants to interview Dipankar for his contribution in safeguarding elephants. Raj Nair is welcomed with open arms by his childhood friend Shankara (Pooja Sawant), who’s also a female mahout. Meanwhile, Kotian (Atul Kulkarni) is a poacher working for a client in Taipei. They realize that an elephant in the sanctuary, Bhola, has unusually large tusks. If they manage to retrieve it, they can get amazing returns for it. Kotian accepts the assignment & after a thorough recce, he attacks Bhola at night. Dipankar however reaches the spot & Kotian kills him. The goons working with Kotian also kill Bhola & escape with his tusks. Raj Nair too goes to the rescue of Bhola but is defeated. What happens next forms the rest of the crux of the film.The main flaw of Junglee Pictures Junglee is that Rohan Sippy, Charudutt Acharya, Umesh Padalkar & Ritesh Shah’s story is very poor & totally outdated. The only plus point is that it educates audiences about the horrors of poaching & wildlife conservation. But audiences also need entertainment along with enlightenment & that’s where this film falters. Adam Prince & Raaghav Dar’s screenplay is ineffective for most parts. There’s a lot the screenwriters could have done here but they don’t & it’s a loss of a golden opportunity. Akshat Ghildial & Suman Adhikary’s dialogues are nothing special & some of them are even awkward.Chuck Russell’s direction is shockingly bad. One expected this director from Hollywood would work his charm & entertain audiences. Instead, he makes it a total mess. He takes too much time to establish & build up. It’s still fine for the scenes of Raj Nair bonding with the elephants as it has novelty value. However, the sequences of Raj Nair & his father are very unconvincing & looks totally staged. Also, he goes overboard while depicting the Indian culture & customs. In this regard, there are some ridiculous developments in the 2^nd half which would leave the audiences shocked. It’s unbelievable how it got approved in the first place.

In fact Junglee Pictures Junglee is just 115 minutes long & that’s a big advantage. The beginning portions, depicting the sanctuary & the presence of poachers is neat & sans any complaints. Raj Nair’s entry sequence & the fight scenes at the skywalk are also decent. One expects fireworks once he reaches the sanctuary. His scenes with Bhola & a female elephant, Didi, are also quite good. But the film drags a lot out here with nothing much happening. In fact, this goes on for a long time till the pre-intermission point. The interval point is a shocker & gears up audiences as they anticipate a roller-coaster ride from here on. But sadly enough, apart from Raj Nair’s escape from the prison, no scene really makes a mark. The film also gets silly & absolutely ridiculous here. The sequence where Raj imagines talking to Lord Ganesha is when the film touches a low. The grand finale is also nothing special.

Sameer Uddin’s music doesn’t work. “Dosti” is sweet & is well shot. “Fakeera Ghar Aaja”could have been touching but it comes at a time when the film is really dragging. “Garje Gajraj Hamare”is played in the end credits. Sameer Uddin & Tanuj Tikku’s background score is better & has that big-screen appeal. Mark Irwin & Sachin Gadankush’s cinematography is average in most scenes. Also, too many long & bird’s eye view shots are used & it kills the impact. Chung Chi Li, Parvez Shaikh & Seayoung Oh’s action is entertaining. Special mention should also go to Vidyut Jammwal’s additional action choreography & it adds to the film. Mukund Gupta’s production design is a bit unreal but works nevertheless. Urvashi Shah, Anirudh Singh & Dipika Lal’s costumes are glamorous. NY VFXWala’s VFX leaves a lot to be desired. And it’s very bad in the Lord Ganesha scene. Jayesh Shikarkhane & Vasudevan Kothandath’s editing should have been sharper in the 1^st ever half.

Performances wise, Vidyut Jammwal’s act is nothing great but he has a fine screen presence & that helps in the long run. Also, his action scenes are always 1^st rate. Pooja Sawant looks stunning & arguably is the “Best Performer” of the film. Asha Bhat keeps her performance controlled thankfully. Makrand Deshpande as Gajja, on the other hand, hams like anything. Atul Kulkarni is passable. Vijaya Kumar Arcot Ramachandran gives a decent performance. Akshay Oberoi as Dev is sincere, in a special appearance. Vishwanath Chatterjee as Inspector Khan is quite theatrical. Rohan Joshi as Jayesh tries to be funny but seriously fails. The same goes for Lars Kjeldsen as Vane; villain in Taipei. Agnelo Chang (Mr Sinaki; buyer of the tusks) and Ania Zeyne (Crimson lady) push the envelope when it comes to giving the worst performances of the year.

Tail Piece: On the whole, Junglee Pictures Junglee is a clichéd revenge drama & reminiscent of the 80’s & 90’s action fare. The use of elephants might attract a section of the audiences but in the long run, it’s bound to suffer at the ticket windows.

“Notebook Is More Of A Multiplex Film Than Single Theater”

Banner: Salman Khan Films & Cine 1 Studios

Producers: Salman Khan, Murad Khetani & Ashwin Varde

Director: Nitin Kakkar

Star Cast:  Newcomers Zaheer Iqbal, Pranutan Bahl, child actors Mir Mohammed Mehroos, Soliha Maqbool, Mir Mohammed Zayan, Baba Hatim, Adiba Bhat & Hafsa Ashraf Katoo along with Mir Sarwar, Zahoor Zaidi, Mozim Bhat &  Farhana Bhat

Music: Vishal Mishra

In the age of electronic media & social messaging apps, the charm of handwritten letters & note is even more special. At such a time, Salman Khan presents Notebook. Although it is based in time period of the last decade, it is not exactly a period film & talks about some of the relatable issues of Kashmir & also of the matters of the heart.

So as per the scripted scenario the movie Notebook reveals the story of the bond that develops between 2 lonely teachers without even meeting each other. Kabir (Zaheer Iqbal) is based in Jammu & has quit the Army following a traumatic incident. He is called to Srinagar by an acquaintance who recommends him to join a school started by his father in Wular. The school’s only teacher Firdous (Pranutan Bahl) has quit the school just some time back. With no other teacher there, Kabir agrees to join. Wular is located in a remote town & the school is built in a rundown houseboat. There are only a handful of students around & Kabir starts teaching them. In the drawer in the teacher’s desk, he finds a notebook written by Firdous. She has written her thoughts, fears, insecurities, strengths etc. while she was teaching in Wular. It helps motivate Kabir & he also falls for her. Also, the manner in which the students speak highly of her makes it clear that she’s a kind-hearted person. Firdous also mentions in her diary that she is having an on-off relationship with a man called Junaid. Moreover, one day the school is hit by a storm during which Firdous’s notebook falls in the water. Kabir tries to save it but fails. What happens next forms the rest of the crux of the film.

Notebook is the official remake of the 2014’s Thai film Teacher’s Diary (Directed by Nithiwat Tharatorn). Darab Farooqui’s adapted screenplay comes across as inconsistent. The script had to be watertight in this film keeping in mind the loopholes in the plot. Sharib Hashmi & Payal Ashar’s dialogues are fine & work well within the context of the film.

Nitin Kakkar’s direction is poor, which is shocking considering how well he had executed his previous films, Filmistaan in the year 2014 & Mitron in the year 2018. The 1^st ever sign is seen in the opening scene itself depicting Kabir suffering from the horrors of his past. However, this bit is shown just once. Ideally, the director should have shown it multiple times that he’s getting flashes of the horrendous episode he suffered when he was in the armed forces. Secondly, an action scene is needlessly forced in the 1^st ever half & it serves no purpose. Notebook is a niche, multiplex-type urban film & the masala fight sequence looks so out of place. In fact, this niche appeal is also an issue as audiences might not get exactly the gist of some scenes. Take for instance the scene where Kabir reaches Delhi Public School to find Firdous. It is not clear at this juncture whether he managed to recognize Firdous. If he did, it’s bewildering why he didn’t talk to her. If he didn’t, then why didn’t he ask around in the school about her whereabouts? Lastly, it is laughable to see that Kabir never reads Firdous’ book fully. He’s reading just few pages each time. Note that he’s in a remote town & he has no other means of passing time. Also, he has fallen crazily for this girl. In such a situation, anybody in his place would have read the notebook in one go. But Kabir doesn’t & it’s only a few months later that he realizes that she has also written about her marriage! Due to such silly sequences, the impact goes for a toss.

Notebook is around 2 hours long but moves at a snail’s pace. The introduction part is engaging & the manner in which the school is depicted initially is intriguing. One can actually feel that the school is located in the middle of nowhere. Kabir trying to adjust to his new surroundings makes for a fine watch. The sequence of Kabir making friends with the kids is okay as the humor seems forced. The best part of the 1^st ever half is however when Kabir catches his girlfriend Dolly cheating. The use of the song “Accha Sila Diya”adds to the fun. The intermission point is quite arresting. Post-interval however the film falls. Kabir could have easily met Firdous by making inquiries but the makers don’t allow that to happen. Hence, it seems very unconvincing. Also, the film deals with too many topics like terrorism in Kashmir, exodus of Kashmiri pandits, importance of education for Kashmiri children etc. These tracks however are more interesting than the principle plot & that’s not good news for a film that is essentially a love story. The film ends on a fine note but it’s too little & too late.

Vishal Mishra’s music is melodious. “Nai Lagda” is the best song of the lot & is also picturised well. “Bumro” is peppy although it comes up all of a sudden. “Main Taare’comes next though Salman Khan’s voice doesn’t come across properly at a few places. “Safar” & “Laila”are forgettable. Vishal Mishra’s background score is as per the film’s theme. Manoj Kumar Khatoi’s cinematography is stunning & captures the remote Kashmir locales beautifully. Urvi Ashar Kakkar & Shipra Rawal’s production design is rich. The entire school-in-houseboat bit is fascinating. Sanam Ratansi’s costumes are appealing. Shachindra Vats’s editing could have been tighter.

Notebook rests on some fine performances with both the debutante actors doing an excellent job. Zaheer Iqbal is quite sincere & genuinely does a good job. Despite his tough look, he plays the vulnerable part very well & comes across as quite endearing. Pranutan Bahl, granddaughter of yesteryear actress the late Nutan & daughter of yesteryear actor Mohnish Bahl, is quite stunning & has a supreme screen presence. She delivers a first-rate performance & can definitely make a mark in Bollywood, provided she signs some well-written films. From the kids, Mir Mohammed Mehroos as Imran has an important track & is a natural. Soliha Maqbool as Shama is most adorable. The others – Mir Mohammed Zayan as Tariq, Baba Hatim as Waqar, Adiba Bhat as Dua & Hafsa Ashraf Katoo as Iqrah also put their best foot forward. Mir Sarwar as Iqbal’s father, recently seen in Kesari is fine. Zahoor Zaidi as Hameed Chacha, Mozim Bhat as Junaid & Farhana Bhat as Dolly are decent.

On the whole, Notebook boasts of exemplary performances by the debutantes & is beautifully shot while stressing on the importance of education.

At the box office turnstiles, the film would appeal only to multiplex audience.