Nasheman News : Actor Yash believes the phenomenal success of “KGF: Chapter 1”, which struck gold at the box office and won over audiences across languages, has given the Kannada movie industry a platform to dream big and make films without inhibitions.
Prashant Neel-directed “KGF” is the first Kannada film to breach into the Rs 200 crore club worldwide.
The film was dubbed and released in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam. It did exceptionally well in all languages.
“The success of ‘KGF’ means a lot to the Kannada industry, especially to a lot of our talented technicians who don’t get the due they deserve. This success has boosted the morale of Kannada industry. It has justified the talent of Prashant Neel,” Yash told media in an interview.
He said the success of “KGF” has made people take Kannada industry “seriously”.
“The perception about Kannada industry has changed. People across industries are now taking us seriously. A lot of our talented technicians have been looking for a platform and ‘KGF’ has provided them that pedestal. This success means a lot to all the untapped talent of our industry,” he said.
Yash still sounds grounded, in spite of delivering one of the biggest blockbusters in recent times. He said he doesn’t like to dwell upon success or failure for too long.
“If you dwell upon success or failure for too long, you can’t move ahead and achieve what you want. I’m glad ‘KGF’ turned out to be a blockbuster, but honestly the process of making the film excited me more than the result. As an actor, this success would help me take bigger steps,” he explained.
It has been over three months since the release of “KGF” and it is all set for its television premiere on Sony Max on March 9.
Yash is eagerly looking forward to the TV premiere. He says as much as people enjoy watching movies in cinemas and on streaming platforms, the reach of television is still unprecedented.
“Given the population of our country and considering how many people actually show up in cinemas to watch a film, I believe the reach of television is still phenomenal and is a big deal. A lot of people who watch a film in theatre would like to revisit it on TV with their entire family and that’s why television premieres are important,” he said.
Yash is gearing up to commence shooting for “KGF: Chapter 2” from April. He says it will be “bigger” and “better” than the first part.
“When we made ‘KGF: Chapter 1’, we had our own inhibitions and restricted ourselves in some way. But with this kind of success in our side, we are going all out to make the second part. We now know people are keenly looking forward to the second part and we can deliver it without any reservations. We have reserved the best for chapter 2,” he added.
Film inspired by Vyapam scam in the works
Nasheman News : A film, produced by Zeishan Quadri, is being made with the backdrop of the Vyapam scam that pertains to college admissions and government recruitments and involves several politicians, businessmen and officials, in Madhya Pradesh.
Imposters were employed to write papers, exam hall seating arrangements were manipulated and forged answer sheets were supplied by bribing officials.
In the coming months, the audience will get to see a film, “Halahal”, inspired by the scam.
“The concept given by Eros Now was too good. Initially, I started as a writer on that (‘Halahal’). Then I asked them to let me do the production as well. They all agreed,” Quadri told IANS in a telephonic interview.
“The concept which was turned into a script by me and my writer Gibran Noorani… they loved it.”
The film is being directed by Randeep Jha.
Though it is inspired by true events, he said: “Vyapam is the backdrop… that this happened. The film is about a father (actor Sachin Khedekar) and a cop (actor Barun Sobti). It’s a thriller.
“It is more or less a fictional story because we have fictionalised a lot but the backdrop is real,” he added about the movie that is currently being shot in Amroha in Uttar Pradesh.
The shooting is expected to be over by end of March.
But why did Quadri take the digital route?
“It doesn’t matter to me. What matters is that what I wanted to make, I am making. And when you say ‘digital platform’, the film will always be there. After the theatre, where does the film go? On a digital platform. So, it is the best thing,” he shared.
He also plans to send it to various film festivals.
While Jha had earlier worked with Anurag Kashyap on movies, including “Mukkabaaz”, Quadri had teamed up with the filmmaker as a writer on the popular movie “Gangs of Wasseypur”.
Did they take inputs from Anurag?
“No. Of course, I always want to share my films with Anurag but he is not so free to sit and chat. He is my mentor but we also respect his time. He is really happy that I am producing it and Randeep is directing it,” said Quadri, who had also acted in a web series last year.
Quadri could have taken up a role in “Halahal” as well but he chose not to.
“Randeep had asked me to do a role. I said ‘No. I don’t have dates’,” he said with a laugh.
“It was the role of a corrupt minister, which is now being played by Vijay Srivastava.”
The upcoming movie also stars Anuradha Mukherjee.
Hindi Film Review : Lukaa Chhupi
“Luka Chuppi Is A Funny & Entertaining Take On Modern Relationships”
Banner: Maddok Films & Jio CinemaProducer: Dinesh Vijan. Director: Laxman UtekarStar Cast: Kartik Aryan, Kriti Sanon, Aparshakti Khurana, Himanshu Kohli, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Atul Srivastava, Alka Amin, Vishwanath Chatterjee, Neha Saraf, Ajeet Singh, Vimi Mehta, Arun Singh, Master Samarth, Sapna Sand, Abhinav Shukla & Nabil Singh Music: Tanishk Bagchi, White Noise & Abhijit Vaghani
Cinematographer-turned-director Laxman Utekar’s, from the Marathi film arena, debut Hindi film Luka Chuppi once again explores the subject of Live-in relationship. Incidentally speaking the year 2005’s film Salaam Namaste is credited for making the idea of live-in relationship popular in India. It’s been nearly 14 years since the film released & although live-in is a known concept by now & there have also been a few more films on this topic, it’s still considered a taboo topic in many places, including in some progressive urban areas of the country. Hence, to show a couple living-in in a small Uttar Pradesh town secretly can make for a fun & entertaining watch. Moreover, it stars Kartik Aaryan & this is the actor’s 1st ever film after the much loved & successful flick Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety.
So the scripted scenario of Luka Chuppi reveals the story of a couple living-in with their family. Superstar Nazim Khan (Abhinav Shukla) gets into a controversy when it comes to light that he is living-in with his girlfriend & is unapologetic about it. The moral police come out in full force to protest against his “indecent” act. One such organization is Rashtriya Sanskriti Manch in Mathura, it is led by Vishnu Trivedi (Vinay Pathak). His daughter is Rashmi Trivedi (Kriti Sanon) & she joins a local news channel after completing her media studies in Delhi. Here she bumps into Guddu (Kartik Aaryan) & both fall in love. After a fight with his elder unmarried brother Vikas (Himanshu Kohli) & brother-in-law Babulal (Pankaj Tripathi), he decides to tie the knot as soon as possible. He proposes to Rashmi Trivedi. She however refuses to marry him so soon & insists on a live-in relationship. Guddu obviously freaks out. However inspired by an idea given by their colleague Abbas (Aparshakti Khurana), they decide to live-in when they go on a 20 day assignment at Gwalior, where no one knows them. Hence they could live-in without any fear. But in order to get the flat on rent, they pretend to be a married couple. Rashmi Trivedi also has to go out wearing mangalsutra & apply sindoor. All is going well when Babulal catches them getting cozy in a public place. Assuming they are married, he tells his family about it & they all land up at their pad in Gwalior. What happens next forms the rest of the crux of the film.
Rohan Shankar’s story is novel & entertaining & different from other such films in this genre. The characters are very well fleshed out & most importantly, they are relatable. Rohan Shankar’s screenplay is effective for most parts & evokes the right humor. At some places however, it is a bit weak, especially in the 1st ever half. In an attempt to establish the setting & the dynamics between the characters, the writer seems to have done a bit of a rushed job. On the positive side, a few scenes are exceptional & would surely be loved. Rohan Shankar’s dialogues are funny. Thankfully, there are no dialogues with double entendre.
Laxman Utekar’s direction is good but could have been better. The script gets a bit off in the 1st ever half & his direction does not do much to polish the minuses. But he gets better as the film progresses. One of the best parts of the film is how it addresses a taboo topic & yet makes it mainstream. In the past, there have been films based on live-in like say Ok Jaanu in the year 2017 but it was a niche product as majority of the country just couldn’t relate to it. Laxman Utekar however executes the plot well & the message comes out loud & clear. As a result, this film has a wider appeal & all thanks to the humor & the treatment.
Luka Chuppi begins on a surprising note, showing the Nazim Khan controversy. It makes it clear that besides being a comedy, it’s also going to make a social comment. Audiences however will go by the trailer & they expect to see romance & some dash of situational fun. And they definitely get that once the characters get introduced. At the same time however the film takes a while to get into its element. The falling-in-love happens quite quickly. The way the equation between Guddu with Vikas & Babulal is established seems forced. In fact the dream sequence where Guddu imagines that his nephew Chiku is getting married falls flat. It’s in the scene where the Gwalior neighbors create a havoc is when the film picks up. This particular scene is quite hilarious & even heroic & will be greeted with claps. The intermission point, when Guddu-Rashmi’s “luka chuppi” gets exposed (though not entirely) is also quite entertaining. Post-interval, the film gets even better as Guddu & Rashmi pretend to be married when they are not. The sequence at the temple is quite impressive, especially when it brings a new angle into the film. Guddu-Rashmi attempting to get married in their house is touching & yes, guffaw-inducing. The best however is reserved for the finale. Usually, comic capers tend to go all over the place. Fortunately in the case of Luka Chuppi, it doesn’t happen & it ends on a good note.
There are only recreated songs in the film which is a first. “Poster Lagwa Do”, the biggest song of the film, is shockingly missing from the film & is played during the end credits. This might disappoint its fans. “Coca Cola” is also played during the end credits & is foot tapping. “Photo” & “Duniyaa” are fine while “Tu Laung Main Elaachi” is melodious. Ketan Sodha’s background score has a funny touch that instantly make the proceedings light-hearted. Milind Jog’s cinematography is average. Manini Mishra’s production design is satisfactory. Sukriti Grover, Mallika Chauhan & Jia Bhagia’s costumes are appealing, especially the ones worn by Kriti Sanon. Manish Pradhan’s editing is appropriate. The film is just 126 minutes & moves swiftly.
Kartik Aaryan once again is in a great form. His boyish looks work instantly but it’s his performance that makes it even more endearing. In 1 scene in the bedroom with Kriti Sanon & Aparshakti Khurana, he does go into the “monologue” zone but quickly composes himself. His silent & deadpan expressions, especially in scenes when his family members are calling him names, are quite hilarious. Kriti Sanon has a fantastic screen presence & maintains a strong position. She also surprisingly shines in an important emotional sequence in the 2nd half. Aparshakti Khurana as always is dependable. The prejudice that others have towards his character’s religious identity is quite hard hitting. Pankaj Tripathi’s humor seems forced initially but later, it’s him who raises the maximum laughs. Vinay Pathak is a revelation. Till now, he has been associated with funny & light roles. But in this film, he plays a role of a dreaded politician & he looks very convincing. Himanshu Kohli is the surprise of the film & his character helps a lot in adding to the humor quotient in the film, especially post-interval. Vishwanath Chatterjee as Guddu’s brother Varun & Neha Saraf as Guddu’s bhabhi Janki also gets a chance to make their presence felt. Master Samarth as Chiku is adorable. Sapna Sand as Mrs Srivastava is good as the nosy neighbor in Gwalior. Ajit Singh as Srikanth is irritating as Vishnu Trivedi’s sidekick but that was the idea as his character has a villainous tinge. Atul Srivastava as Guddu’s father Badriprasad & Alka Amin as Guddu’s mother Shakuntala are decent. Abhinav Shukla is okay & ideally, the makers should have cast a superstar in his place.
Tail Piece: On the whole, Luka Chuppi is a funny take on the modern relationships laced with dollops of situational & funny moments. This clean comedy would get thumbs up not just from the youngsters but also from the family audiences. Strictly Recommended for One & All!
Belur goes green, says no to fireworks
Nasheman News : Authorities at Belur Math, the global headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and Mission in West Bengal’s Howrah district, have cancelled the traditional firework that accompanies the birth anniversary celebration of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa in order to curb pollution.
“We have decided to do away with the fireworks this year but it is too early to say if it will be stopped forever,” said Swami Subirananda, general secretary of Ramakrishna Mission.
In 1898, Swami Vivekananda consecrated the Belur Math and established the Ramakrishna Mission on May 1, that year.
The century-old fireworks celebration have been an integral part of the programmes surrounding Vivekananda’s guru the 19th-century mystic’s birthday festivities ever since.
The key attraction of the event has been cancelled this year ‘mainly due to environmental concern’, he said.
The celebration will start on March 8 and a host of cultural programmes will continue till March 15.
Subirananda said the trustees have planned to come up with something more scientific and attractive in the coming years. For instance, a laser show can be done.
Bollywood Buzz
‘Sharmaji Ki Lag Gai’ Releasing On 15th Mar 2019
Rock Mountain Productions & Tweet Entertainment’s comedy film Sharmaji Ki Lag Gayi is all set for a grand release on 15th Mar, 2019. Sharmaji (Brijendra Kala) & his beautiful & young wife Shobha (Mugdha Godse) are staying in a city which is in North India. Sharmaji is a professor but he is working as a columnist in a newspaper named “Jhunjhuna” which belongs to Murli (Krushna Abhishek) A Young & charming Guy. Sharmaji's sex solution column becomes very popular & everyone wants his advice including Top politicians, Police et al. Sharmaji always thinks “Har koi uski biwi Shobha se line marta hai” Murli is very close to Sharmaji & his wife. Lalan (Hemant Pandey) is a small gunda in the city. In market Lalan meets Shobha.”Bas kya tha wo use chedta hai” Shobha calls Sharmaji & tells her story but Sharmaji advices her to let it go don't mess with a gunda but Murli becomes very angry & he beats Lalan & also put him behind bars with the help of Inspector Tiwari (Mukesh Tiwari). Shobha is very happy but Sharmaji is very upset. Lalan's mother (Himani Shivpuri) meets Sharmaji & requests him to bail out Lalan. Sharmaji goes to police station but Inspector Tiwari refuses due to pressure from politicians. In return, Lalan say's to Sharmaji that “Murli aur apki patni Shobha ka kuch lafda hai kya?” The film is a fun ride with lots of turns & twist.
The credits of the film are written & directed by Manoj Sharma, produced by Nilkanth Regmi & Vanshmani Sharma, associate produced by A. K. Arora, Vatsal Baxi & Kamal Kishor Mishra, creative produced by Jiten Purohit, executive produced by Jeetlal Saroj, music & lyrics by Praveen Bhardwaj, cinematography by Sarvanan Elavarasu, choreography by Lollypop & Mitali Pradhan, background music by Lalit Mishra, edited by C. Singh, Head Of Production is Radheyshyam Gupta, production designed by Manisha Naik, media consultancy by Ekta & Himanshu Jhunjhunwala (Dwapar Promoters), Location is Mumbai, censor certificate is U/A, singers are Aman Trikha, Uvie, Pinky & Swati Sharma. The film stars Krushna Abhishek, Mugdha Godse, Brijendra Kala, Mukesh Tiwari, Mushtaq Khan, Himani Shivpuri, Hemant Pandey, Tiku Talsania & Shweta Khanduri.
Bollywood Buzz
Vikrant Anand Received Peace Award From Home Minister Rajnath Singh
Vikrant Anand recently received a Peace Award from Home Minister Shri. Rajnath Singh at an event in New Delhi.
Incidentally speaking Vikrant Anand who has acted in many Hindi films & South Indian films too recently received a peace award from Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh at an award function in New Delhi.
Vikrant Anand’s role in Hindi film Dosti Ke side effectss was well appreciated by the critics as well as the audiences. Apart from acting he also does a lot of social work.
Vikrant Anand averred, “I am feeling very happy for receiving this award. I will try to do some more social work.” He also said that I am so lucky that I got a chance to meet our Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi at a event in New Delhi.
Vikrant Anand has recently signed 2 new Hindi Films which will go on the floors in the month of May, 2019.
Web Series Round Up
Yeh Crazy Dil’ Is A Hidden Gem Of Web Series
Yeh Crazy Dil’ is a hidden gem in the recent plethora of web series you must watch.Sometimes the most hyped online films, web series or short films turn out to be a total bummer, while the ones that actually make the cut; are never spoken about. Yeh Crazy Dil is one of them. This 6 episode web series is set in Mumbai & revolves around the life of Aadar (Adeeb Rais) & Koyal (Zoa Morani) who are facing their quarter life crises.
From breaking up to hooking up with tinder dates, from moving on to settling for office romance & to finding out the answer to the most difficult question, can exes be friends? This series has all the drama we need!
The Always Kabhi Kabhi actress Zoa Morani is seemingly fresh in her character with her deglam avatar. She has stepped into the character of this 26 year old working girl with a broken heart effortlessly. Adeeb Rais, who debuts with Yeh Crazy Dil is impressive with his performance. Well placed glimpses of Lillete Dubey & Mini Mathur add to the charm of this break up love story.Yeh Crazy Dil is the gem you must watch right away!
Shivratri revives bond between Kashmiri Pandits & Muslims
Nasheman News : Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, 62, returned after performing ‘Umrah’ (pilgrimage to Mecca) last month. He lives in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, but his current visit to Jammu has a special purpose and meaning.
He has brought walnuts to greet Girdharilal Daftari, his 68-year-old Kashmiri Pandit friend who lives in Jammu after shifting out of the Valley in early 1990 after outbreak of militancy.
Walnuts are traditionally offered by Muslims to their Kashmiri Pandit neighbours and friends ahead of Shivratri.
Bhat and Daftari have been friends for over 30 years. The turbulence of time has upset many equations in Kashmir, but the brotherhood between Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims has somehow survived.
“How can I forget to be with my friend on an occasion like Shivratri. In good old days, I would look forward to the special feast of fish and nadru (lotus stem) at Daftari’s home. The love and affection that went along the food, served on Shivratri, cannot be expressed in words,” said Bhat.
Since the outbreak of insurgency in Kashmir over 30 years ago, there has hardly been a year when Bhat and Daftari haven’t been together on the festival.
In a way, they are like hundreds of other Kashmiri Muslim and Pandit friends. They may not be able to visit each other on Shivratri due to geographical distance, yet continue to share the same feelings of nostalgia.
With their intertwined histories, culture and livelihood for centuries, most among the two communities believe they will withstand the present turmoil.
“Can you believe it? I was taught Arabic and Persian by a Pandit teacher. Isn’t this a statement that dispels the fear about the shared future of these two communities?” said Nisar Ahmad, 69, a resident of Srinagar.
The close links between the two communities were more pronounced in villages than cities.
“I would ask my Muslim neighbour to bring mutton, fish, nadru and other things for the festival. But it would take me quite a bit of time convincing him that he must accept the money for these purchases,” said Shamlal Koul, 63, who lived in a north Kashmir village before shifting out of the Valley.
The mutual trust has stood the test of time. Pandits would not eat pork and the local Muslims would not eat beef.
“That was the level of faith we had between us. It cannot be denied that under the influence of the changing times, our youth might not feel so passionately about their Muslim neighbours.
“That is something nobody can deny. Children of the two communities feel betrayed. They have not interacted with each other so often after 1990, and whenever there has been some social media interaction between them, it has been based on mistrust.
“It is the duty of the elders among the two communities to educate children about the love and respect Pandits and Muslims in Kashmir had for each other.
“The pain of migration, leaving everything behind, is something nobody among our community can forget. But Kashmiri Muslims have been more unfortunate because of the lives of youth snatched by violence during this period,” said Daftari.
He said the Muslim festival of Eid and the Shivratri have to regain their historic meaning for the two communities.
“Unless that happens, both Muslims and Pandits would lose the most glorious chapter of their history,” Daftari rued.
Last rites of IAF chopper pilot done with military honours
Nasheman News : The last rites of Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter pilot, Squadron Leader Siddharth Vashisth, who was among the six personnel killed when their MI-17 chopper crashed near Badgam, Jammu and Kashmir, were done with full military honours here on Friday.
Hundreds of people, including family members and friends, and serving and retired defence officers attended the cremation.
Air Force personnel fired in the air and reversed their arms as a mark of respect.
He is survived by his wife, Squadron Leader Arti Singh, who is also posted with the IAF in Srinagar, and a two-year-old son.
The 31-year-old pilot was a fourth generation from his family in the defence forces. He had received commendation on January 26 for his exceptional contribution towards rescue operations during the Kerala floods last year.
Siddharth had taken off from the Srinagar airport on Wednesday morning and the helicopter crashed minutes later due to a technical snag.
He was posted to 154 Helicopter Unit in Srinagar in last July. He had joined the IAF in 2010.
Punjab Governor V.P. Singh Badnore and other senior officers met the family of the pilot and condoled his death.
The last rites of IAF corporal Vikrant of Haryana’s Jhajjar district were also done on Friday with full military honours.
Bangalore Buzz
By: Husna Rizwan
AndwemetIndia’s 1st Ever Matchmaking Platform For 30+ Singles
andwemet is a newly launched responsible matchmaking platform for Urban Indians who are over the age of 30 years, which is aiming to bring back trust into online matchmaking. In its 1st ever 30 days of launch, the platform boasts of verified profiles in high 3 digits from across 3 continents with countries being USA, UK, Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Canada & of course India.
The platform has a unique signup process which takes around 20 minutes however this time is well spent as it makes the individual think on what they seek from a relationship, which we believe is one of the main USP of andwemet. The platform also provides the long desired change to online matchmaking, which in the recent past had been limited to the classifieds or swipe left / right options. andwemet enables members to connect beyond physical appearances as it encourages members to bring to the fore Relationship deal-breakers early in the conversation thereby bringing in the required transparency & avoiding subsequent heartache’s.
“With these unique features, andwemet aims to bring back trust back into online matchmaking,” says Shalini Singh, Founder of andwemet. She further adds, “Given that our audience is self-assured & mature, they are fairly certain of what they are seeking in a life partner. andwemet is a rational matchmaking platform for the Indian diaspora over the age of 30 years.”The fact that this service has been founded by a woman (the first & the only of its kind in India) may have something to do with the logic which has been built in the platform. It is understood that an AI module on the application is expected soon, which will revolutionize the way matchmaking is done in the future.
Launched in the current year of 2019, a match is andwemet away for Single (Unmarried, Divorced, Separated, Widow, Widower) Urban Indians who are 30 years & beyond to find a companion in a non-intimidating environment. Getting in a relationship calls for investment of time & emotional energy. Individuals in their 30’s & beyond have altered expectations, for which andwemet ensures that members’ values & beliefs come through clearly before a live connect.
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