The 34-year-old actor expressed gratitude toward his tribe on the photo-video sharing platform.

MUMBAI: Actor Arjun Kapoor thanked his fans for their love after he crossed the 11 million follower mark on Instagram.

The 34-year-old actor on Tuesday expressed gratitude toward his tribe on the photo-video sharing platform.

“Thank you for your love,” wrote Arjun.

His bio reads: “Son, Brother, Friend & Actor (All 4 work in progress) They say time is money, they lie. Time is life. (sic)” The actor will next be seen in Ashutosh Gowariker’s magnum opus, “Panipat”.

According to reports, the film completed a 60-day run in China, becoming the third-highest-earning Indian film there after Dangal and Secret Superstar.

One of the biggest hits of 2018, the critically-acclaimed Andhadhun, is now getting a release in Japan. The film will hit Japanese screens on November 15. Directed by Sriram Raghavan, Andhadhun won two national awards- one for its male lead Ayushmann Khurrana and one of the Best Hindi film. The film also features Tabu and Radhika Apte.

Produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Matchbox Pictures, and distributed internationally by Eros International, Andhadhun has already been released in China, Korea, Russia, and Kazakhstan to much acclaim. According to reports, the film completed a 60-day run in China, becoming the third-highest-earning Indian film there after Dangal and Secret Superstar.

The last rites of the actor will be performed at Mumbai’s Chandan Wadi around 11 am

MUMBAI:  Veteran Hindi and Marathi actor Viju Khote, who feebly mouthed the iconic dialogue “Sardar, maine aapka namak khaya hai” as Kalia to Amjad Khan’s notorious Gabbar in cult classic “Sholay”, passed away on Monday.

He was 77.

The actor died in his sleep at his residence due to multiple organ failure.

“He passed away today at 6.55 am peacefully in his sleep at the residence. He has been unwell for quite some time. He had multiple organ failure

Viju Khote came from a family of artistes.

He was the nephew of yesteryear legend Durga Khote from his father, Nandu Khote’s side.

His father was also a noted stage actor and worked in silent-era films.

His elder sister Shubha Khote is another known name in the Indian film industry.

While Durga Khote is credited as one of the first notable female actors in the 1940s, later starring in classics such as “Mughal-E-Azam” and “The Householder”, both Viju and Shubha went on to become popular for their impeccable comic timing.

Starting out in films in the mid-60s, Viju Khote gained prominence with Ramesh Sippy’s “Sholay” in 1975 where he played Kalia and got one of the most memorable film dialogues as he reminded the most wanted dacoit Gabbar of his loyalty.

Viju Khote got his next unforgettable role in Rajkumar Santoshi’s 1994 sleeper-hit, comedy “Andaz Apna Apna”.

As the affable Robert, the actor got a catchphrase which has left a strong pop-culture footprint: “Galti se mistake hogaya.”

He excelled in character roles through the years.

Interestingly, in “Karz”, he starred as Kabira’s (Pran) left hand, literally called Baayan with Durga Khote, who played lead actor Rishi Kapoor’s mother in the 1980 reincarnation drama.

Kapoor took to Twitter to remember his “dear friend”.

“Though much elder, we used to bike together along with sister Shobha Khote ji, when I was young. Passionate and well informed about American films. We will miss you. Viju kutte aahe? (‘Where is Viju?’)” the veteran actor wrote.

Viju Khote and Shubha Khote, along with niece Balsavar, featured in 1993’s much loved and popular show “Zabaan Sambhalke” (based on the “Mind Your Language” series).

The actor continued to appear in commercial Hindi films, reprising his role of Robert in Santoshi’s “Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani”.

In the 2010, he had a special appearance in Rohit Shetty’s “Golmaal 3” as the quintessential Bollywood house-help Shambhu Kaka.

Sister Shubha Khote played Kalindi, the suspicious aunt to Bindya Goswami in the 1979 original “Gol Maal”, directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

Viju Khote starred in around 300 films in his over five decade-long career in both Hindi and Marathi cinema, such as National Award-winning Marathi film “Ventilator” (2016), “Garam Masala”, “Pukar”, “Mela”, “China Gate”, “Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak”, among others.

Dream Girl Box Office Collection: Dream Girl showed a consistent performance on the weekdays with over Rs. 3 crore on Monday and Tuesday

NEW DELHI

Directed by: Raaj Shaandilyaa

Star cast: Nushrat Bharucha, Ayushmann Khurrana

 Dream Girl, in almost two weeks at the theatres, has raked in a score of Rs. 107 crore, reported trade analyst Taran Adarsh. On its second weekend, Dream Girl recorded box office collections of over Rs. 9 crore and Rs. 11 crore but it is with Monday’s scores – Rs. 3.75 crore – that the film successfully crossed the Rs. 100 crore mark. Since then, Dream Girl has shown a consistent performance on the weekdays with over Rs. 3 crore on Monday and Tuesday. Here’s what Mr Adarsh tweeted: “Dream Girl continues its winning streak… Terrific hold on weekdays… [Week 2] Fri 5.30 cr, Sat 9.10 cr, Sun 11.05 cr, Mon 3.75 cr, Tue 3.30 cr, Wed 3.10 cr. Total: Rs. 107.80 cr.

In its first week, Dream Girl summed up an amount of Rs 72 crore and Rs 25 crore in the second weekend alone. Dream Girl benchmarks include crossing Rs 50 crore on Day 4, crossing Rs 75 crore on Day 8 and Rs 100 crore on Day 11. Dream Girl is expected to have an uninterrupted run till Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff’s War releases on October 2.

Ayushmann Khurrana said that while he’s happy to celebrate yet another Rs 100 crore but he’s never under the “pressure” of having to score Rs 100 crore with his movies: “Having another film in the Rs. 100 crore club is obviously a nice moment for me though I never do films with the pressure to make Rs. 100 crore every time I come on screen.

Venu Madhav is survived by his wife Sree Vani and their two sons named Madhav Swikar and Madhav Prabhakar

Hyderabad

Venu Madhav died on Wednesday.He reportedly died of kidney-related ailments. He died at a private hospital in Hyderabad

Telugu comedian-actor Venu Madhav died on Wednesday afternoon, reported news agency IANS. He was 39. According to IANS, Venu Madhav was undergoing treatment at Yashoda Hospital in Hyderabad for over two weeks and he was discharged on Sunday. However, his health condition deteriorated on Monday and he was reportedly advised to undergo kidney transplantation. “He was discharged on Sunday, but his family brought him back on Tuesday afternoon after his condition worsened. He was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit and was put on life support. He died around 12.20 on Wednesday,” IANS quoted a source as saying.

Members of the Telugu film industry paid tributes to the late comedian and started posting condolences on social media on Wednesday afternoon. Actor Varun Tej tweeted on Wednesday afternoon: “RIP Venu Madhav garu. Thank you for your contribution to Telugu cinema. Condolences to his family and friends.” Telugu director Gopichand Malineni also paid condolences to Venu Madhav on Twitter and he wrote, “Saddened to know the news about Venu Madhav garu‘s death. Your contribution to TFI will be remembered forever. My sincere condolences to the family.”

Venu Madhav’s filmography had over 170 movies in Telugu. Other than Telugu films, he even acted a few Tamil films. Mr Madhav made his debut in the film industry with the 1996 film Sampradayam. The 2016 film Dr Paramanandaiah’s Students Gang remains his last release. He stepped into the Indian entertainment industry as a mimicry artist and later ventured into films, in which he features in mostly comic roles.

Venu Madhav was a recipient of the state Nandi Award for Best Male Comedian for his performance in the 2006 action comedy Lakshmi. He is survived by his wife Sree Vani and their two sons named Madhav Swikar and Madhav Prabhakar.

Akshaye Khanna delivers an involved performance in a film that uses impartiality as a front.

Film: Section 375

Cast: Akshaye Khanna, Richa Chadha, Rahul Bhat, Meera Chopra

Director: Ajay Bahl Rating: 2 stars

The sanctity of a courtroom is upheld by reduced theatrics. The sanctity of a courtroom drama is upheld by steely objectivity. For the longest time, Section 375 — a film about the contentious rape laws in India — fulfills both metrics. We get the slow reeling out of what appears, at first, an open-and-shut case. The performances are animated, but firmly bound in fact. The film builds up its dissonance towards a susceptible legal system, pointing out its cracks and fissures and gaping freeways. But then, just on the brink of completing that feeling, it switches back and self-detonates. Turns out, director Ajay Bahl was aiming for a plot twist — all while we thought he was aiming to spark a conversation.

A successful filmmaker (Rahul Bhat) is pulled out of his sets and convicted by a Mumbai sessions court. He has been accused of rape by a junior costume assistant (Meera Chopra). The law stands clear on the matter: the accused held a position of power over the victim, sexual intercourse has been established. Also, this is happening in mid-to-late 2018 — the peak of the Me Too Movement in India. When the case goes up for appeal in the High Court, criminal lawyer Tarun Saluja (Akshaye Khanna) steps up to the plate. Willingly, he goes skinning dipping in the hot waters of public outrage. Sure, he’s charging a lot for it and doesn’t seem to care about political correctness, but those couldn’t be his only reasons to jeopardize a steady career. What else, then?

In an earlier scene, we see the seasoned attorney addressing a class of law students. “Law is about facts,” he reminds them. “Justice is abstract.” Tarun, it becomes apparent, is addicted to arguing against the motion. His cynical self-positioning as a literal devil’s advocate makes him an engrossing character, but also an unreal one. He is constantly chewing away at the verity of the case, even getting his practicing license suspended at one point. As though to balance out Akshaye involved handling of the part, he is matched opposite a visibly zoned out Richa Chadha. As public prosecutor Hiral Mehta, Richa gets tragically outflanked in the courtroom, flaring up from time to time with an unheeded ‘objection’.

Section 375 is tethered to the complexities of the legal process, but is consumed more by what’s happening outside. Predictably, it paints social media platforms as the playpens of a certain polity. Tarun blames Facebook and Twitter for prematurely— and permanently — demonizing his client. In doing so, he ignores the fact that the man was already convicted by law, so whatever outrage that followed was legally validated. Moreover, the film’s playing up of recurrent #hangtherapist tweets is biased, and does not square with the million apologies that floated around for tainted men on Twitter.

In fact, as the politics of Section 375 gradually comes into view, it loses all claim on even-handedness. This is a film too smug about its own neutrality, using it as a front to sneak in a damaging conclusion. It’s certainly not the first film to rally against dubious sexual politics, and the legal and social ostracism that follow, but it does so with an impish broadbrushing of a victim’s trauma — a blatantly paperback move from a film that opens with documentary precision. Section 375 enters the courtroom as a mute spectator. By the final scene, it has assumed the Bench.

Bollywood Buzz

By: Shaheen Raaj

New Episodes Of Small Screen Serial ‘Ishq Subhan Allah’

Of late there are a lot of twists & turns in the all new episodes of the small screen serial titled Ishq Subhan Allah which has been running for a long time on Zee TV. So in the forthcoming episodes the character of Sabeena convinces the character of Zara & Kabeer to be friends with each other & follow a routine of friendship. Zara on her way to home gets a call from a cab driver who she has met before that his brother-in-law is unfairly divorcing her sister making use of the triple talaq shariya rule. Zara goes there with Kabeer & stops him by making him aware of the triple talaq bill passed. Zara has also taken part in a fashion competition & Kabeer is helping her in that. Zara calls Kabeer to a place to show him her designs. Kabeer is waiting there. Rukhsar has conspired against Kabeer & Zara. Kabeer is thrown into a well as a part of the conspiracy & even held as a hostage so that Zara withdraws her name from the fashion competition.   ZEE TV’s Ishq Subhan Allah, which is being telecast at 10 pm from Mon to Fri is produced by Dheeraj Kumar, Zuby Kochar & Sunil Gupta of Creative Eye Ltd.    

Tabu Reveals The Secret Behind Her Ageless Beauty

Of late Tabu has revealed her beauty secrets. Tabu will soon start work on A Suitable Boy. She was recently in Melbourne for the Indian Film Fest, Melbourne where her film Andha Dhun was shown to the public. Many might be curious about her ageless beauty. Tabu has always been a stunner & always looks almost like what she did 2 decades ago. As the years have passed by, she has grown more beautiful, graceful & charming. Whether she simply dressed at the airport or been styled for a movie promotion, she is killing it. When mentioned all this to her, Tabu burst out laughing. “Yaar, it is the love from you people that makes me glow. There is no other secret,” she said. The actress further said she was neither a fitness freak nor very conscious about her diet. “I do not work out as much as I should. I follow some basics about avoiding oily & sugary foods & that is about it. There is nothing special about my regimen,” Tabu revealed. So, everyone keep on showering love on @tabutiful & she’ll keep on staying like this. The actress recently shot for Jawaani Jaaneman with Saif Ali Khan. She told, “It is always fun working with Saif Ali Khan. I did not share screen space with him in Biwi No. 1. Saif Ali Khan is a great friend. He is a very intelligent man, witty & well-read. You can have the best conversations with him. Also, he is looking so good with that hair cut.”

Twinkle Khanna – Kumar Shares A Hilarious “Navel” Review

After 20 years down the line, the said review of the SRK movie Baadshah read, “Shah Rukh has performed well, So has Twinkle Khanna – Kumar & her navel, which was in full view right through the film.” And Twinkle Khanna – Kumar being Twinkle Khanna – Kumar has the most epic reaction to it. Twinkle Khanna – Kumar is as real as they come. The actress-turned-author is a breath of fresh air in the world of showbiz & her “cares 2 hoots” attitude are reserved for her for the same. In fact, while hubby Akshay Kumar is known as the Khiladi on-screen, he is a complete family man when it comes to things off the reel, courtesy – The wife. She is even doing an enviable job, multi-tasking between being a boss woman & Mrs Funnybones that she is & boy is she a fine example. But the best part about her is undoubtedly that wicked sense of humor & the uninhibited sense of self where she doesn’t take herself seriously at all. In fact, Twinkle Khanna – Kumar has done it again & left everyone in splits again. Coincidentally, its 2 decades to the film Baadshah that featured Shah Rukh Khan & Twinkle Khanna – Kumar. And to commemorate the same, the actress shared a funny, scratch that, a hilarious review she got for the film. Courtesy not her acting, chops but a very “emotive body part.” Now the review read, “Shah Rukh has performed well, So has Twinkle Khanna & her navel, which was in full view right through the film.” And Twinkle Khanna – Kumar being Twinkle Khanna – Kumar shared a screenshot of the same on the social media platform namely Instagram & wrote, “Did I say I never got good reviews? I apparently did with the support of an emotive body part! Have to say that 20 years on & the Baadshah couple still have it – SRK still has his dimples & I still have that fine navel:) Thank you for sending this & brightening up my morning.

Dulquer Salmaan & Sonam Kapoor – Ahuja’s Movie ‘The Zoya Factor’s Trailer Release Date Postponed 

The trailer release date of the Dulquer Salmaan & Sonam Kapoor –Ahuja’s movie The Zoya Akhtar’s trailer release date has recently been postponed to 29^th Aug, 2019. The Zoya Factor also stars Angad Bedi, Sanjay Kapoor & Sikander Kher in key roles, directed by Parmanu helmer Abhishek Sharma, the film is all set to hit the celluloid silver screens on 20^th Sept, 2019. Just recently everyone was very excited for the release date of the trailer of Dulquer Salmaan & Sonam Kapoor – Ahuja’s The Zoya Factor as the interesting promos from the makers were loved by the audience. But the wait has just got longer as the trailer of the film will now come on 29^th Aug, 2019. While one must be thinking that why the makers have taken this decision, the answer is shared by our Zoya aka Sonam herself as the astrologers have suggested that for her the date of 29^th is the perfect date for the release of the trailer.Talking about her character in The Zoya Factor, Sonam Kapoor – Ahuja recently said, “A lot of girls tend to be like, ‘Listen, if I am such a mess, how am I ever going to succeed in life?’ But I want to say, it’s okay to be a mess. I think that’s what I said through Mili in Khoobsurat & that’s what I liked about Zoya as well. I like to play girls who are regular & normal, who have regular problems because all of us have them.”There were also reports that Dulquer Salmaan might be playing the role of the real life cricket star Virat Kohli in the Sonam Kapoor-starrer.  When asked about it, Dulquer Salmaan said: “The book was written a long time back. I don’t think it is based on anyone in particular. It is fiction.”

Vicky Kaushal Says That “National Award” Is A Huge Responsibility

Actor Vicky Kaushal recently said that winning the National Award is a beautiful feeling, one which is both humbling & a reminder for him to keep doing good work. Vicky Kaushal shared the “Best Actor” National Award for his performance in Uri – The Surgical Strike along with Ayushmann Khurrana for Andhadhun. When asked about his win, Vicky Kaushal said, “It’s a beautiful feeling. I would have never thought that in my 4 years of acting career, I will be honored with something like this. But it also brings a huge responsibility. That one should keep working like this & keep doing good work & that one shouldn’t be complacent & that don’t take it for granted. But it’s a huge honor, I think the biggest honor in the country & it really means a lot to me.” The actor was speaking at a special event of his latest T-Series single, musical song named “Pachatoge”. Vicky Kaushal said that for the longest time he has wanted to collaborate with Bhushan Kumar. “I told him that I was really hooked to the song & he told me about the team that was supposed to work on the song. I thought it would be a great team to work with. I really follow my heart when it comes to doing something creative. And this just took my heart away in a second. I just jumped into it,” he added.

It is no secret that Priyanka was very close to her dad. So much so that she has got a tattoo ‘ Daddy’s lil girl’ inked on her wrist in her father’s handwriting.

NEW DELHI: Priyanka Chopra shared an emotional post on Instagram, marking the birth anniversary of her father, Ashok Chopra. In her post the actress shared how her father “knew everything” about her.

The post shows her father smiling while a song plays in the background. The actor has often talked about her love for her dad and how difficult it was for her to cope with his loss.

“Every year on this day Sid and I would look for ways to surprise you… but we never managed to do so! You always knew everything… So I hope wherever you are, You know that you are with us every day,” she wrote.

Chopra further remembering her father added,” In everything I do, I think about your encouragement… In every choice I make, I ask for your affirmation… In everything that happens to me, I am grateful for your blessings.”

“Happy Birthday Dad. I wish you were here everyday! We love you. P.S. – the background song was one of dad’s favourites… one he always used to sing for mom,” she concluded the post.

It is no secret that Priyanka was very close to her dad. So much so that she has got a tattoo ‘ Daddy’s lil girl’ inked on her wrist in her father’s handwriting.

Ashok Chopra, passed away in 2013, after battling cancer.

On the work front, the 37-year-old recently wrapped up shooting for ‘Sky is Pink’, where she will be seen sharing screen space with Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim and Rohit Suresh Saraf.

shaheen raaj

Hindi Film Review

Mission Mangal

By: Shaheen Raaj

“Mission Mangal Is Engaging, Entertaining & Even Patriotic”

Banner: Cape Of Good Films, Hope Productions & Fox Star Studios

Producer: Aruna Bhatia & Anil Naidu

Star Cast: Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Sonakshi sinha, Tapsee Pannu, Nitya Menon, Sharman Joshi, Kirti Kulhaari, H G Dattatreya, Sanjay Kapoor, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Dalip Tahil, Vikram Gokhale, Mohan Kapoor & Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub

Music: Amit Trivedi

Just like how Ramzan Eid is synonymous with a Salman Khan release, the Independence Day holiday isn’t complete without an Akshay Kumar starrer. From the year 2013 to the rear 2018, he has had a release during this beneficial weekend, barring the year of 2014. So even the ongoing year of 2019 is no exception & this time, he is out with a new titled Mission Mangal, based on an important chapter of India’s history. The mood of the film is also apt, considering that just last month, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched Chandrayaan 2 towards the moon. Mission Mangal has all the trappings of a blockbuster.So the scripted scenario of Mission Mangal reveals the incredible true story behind India’s mission to Mars. The film begins in the year 2010. At the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), a space mission under Rakesh Dhawan (Akshay Kumar) fails after Tara Shinde (Vidya Balan) in his team makes an error in judgement. As a punishment posting, he’s asked to handle India’s Mars program, which is not expected to take off anytime soon. A few days later, Tara Shinde while cooking puris in her home Tara Shinde has a Eureka moment. She realizes that through innovative methods, they can try to get our satellite reach Mars in just 2 years. She tells Rakesh Dhawan about the plan & he realizes that it’s a golden opportunity. Rakesh Dhawan now approaches his senior (Vikram Gokhale) for approval who finds the idea unfeasible. Also Rupert Desai (Dalip Tahil) who has come from NASA to join the organization named Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) feels that Rakesh Dhawan’s idea is ridiculous. But Rakesh Dhawan however manages to persuade everyone & begins work. He asks for the best of the men from Indian Space Organization (ISRO) for this project. However he’s given inexperienced colleagues like Kritika Aggarwal (Taapsee Pannu), Eka Gandhi (Sonakshi Sinha), Varsha Gowda (Nithya Menen), Neha Siddiqui (Kirti Kulhari) & even Parmeshwar Naidu (Sharman Joshi) & a very senior employee Ananth Iyer (H G Dattatreya). What happens next forms the rest of the crux of the film.

Jagan Shakti’s story is superb & also very challenging. It’s not easy to pen down a mainstream film with such a plot. Also many are not aware of what transpired behind the making of India’s Mars mission. Hence it’ll be exciting for them to witness the whole journey. Also there are so many twists & turns in the plot that one might not believe that some of the plot points are actually true incidents. R Balki, Jagan Shakti, Nidhi Singh Dharma & Saketh Kondipathi’s screenplay not only simplifies the proceedings but also makes it massy. The screenplay blends science & entertainment seamlessly. The film’s goings on are extremely easy to comprehend. R Balki, Jagan Shakti, Nidhi Singh Dharma & Saketh Kondipathi’s dialogues are effective & funny too.

Jagan Shakti’s direction is terrific for a 1^st ever timer. He had a winning screenplay in his hand & he takes it to another level with his directional execution. The film also has subplots of each of the main characters & even these are very well woven in the narrative. And through these tracks too, the makers have made some important comments about religion, parenting, marriage, religious bias et al & all these contribute to the film hugely.

Mission Mangal starts off beautifully showing Tara Shinde running a house efficiently on the day Indian Space Research (ISRO) has an important launch. Rakesh Dhawan’s entry & the confrontation scene when he’s offered Mars program is intriguing as well as entertaining. It also makes it clear that the film won’t get serious & that the entertainment quotient will be maintained. The rest of the team is introduced in a quick but interesting montage like sequences & it adds a lot to the film. The 1^st ever half moves swiftly with no complaints. The 2^nd half is longer & the commencing portions are where the film drops. Also to see the team renovating their work station at a time when they are running against time is a bit too much. Thankfully the film soon picks up. The best is obviously reserved for the grand finale. There are a lot of obstacles faced by the team here & it makes the film even more gripping. So the grand finale is applause worthy.

Amit Trivedi’s music is well interspersed with the proceedings. “Dil Mein Mars Hai’ is entertaining & catchy. “Shaabaashiyaan”is played at a crucial juncture. Amit Trivedi’s background score is engaging.

S Ravi Varman’s cinematography is quite simple & has the big screen effect. Sandeep Ravade’s production design is praiseworthy as it’s straight out of life. Debashish Mishra’s sound design is also as real as it gets. Sham Kaushal’s action is good in the lone action scene inside the metro. Famulus Media & Entertainment’s VFX is top class without which the long climax would not have worked so well. Theia Tekchandaney’s costumes are appealing yet not too glamorous. Kirti Kolwankar & Maria Tharakan’s costumes for Vidya Balan are authentic. Chandan Arora’s editing is just perfect as the film neither moves too fast nor drags.

Mission Mangal is embellished with some fine performances. So performance wise the main actor Akshay Kumar is in top form. He gets to play such a splendid role & also gets into the skin of his character. And he’s very much there throughout the film! The way his character rarely gets serious & makes even serious discussions light & funny too, is seen to be believed. One of the greatest sequences of the film is when he makes an imaginary call to none other than the great man APJ Abdul Kalam. Vidya Balan dominates most of the 1^st ever half & suits her character to the T. It’s also admirable that she has no qualms playing mother to teenagers. Sonakshi Sinha is lovely & gets to shine. It’s great to see how she makes an impact in a supporting role. Taapsee Pannu is also quite efficient & gives off her best in the climax scene. Nithya Menen has a smaller role but it serves as a great debut. Kirti Kulhari manages to score & many would be able to relate to her character’s struggles. Sharman Joshi is funny & would surely make viewers smile. H G Dattatreya is adorable & the scene where he teaches Kirti Kulhari’s ex-hubby a lesson is too good! Dalip Tahil is appropriate as the pessimist guy. Sanjay Kapoor as Sunil Shinde is the main surprise of the film. He delivers a fine performance & post interval he goes in another mode that would be greeted with whistles in cinemas! Purab Kohli as Vivek & Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub as Rishi lend able support. Rohan Joshi as Dilip Shinde is hilarious & even heartening as Vidya Balan’s son. Kashmira Pardeshi as Anya Shinde gets no scope. Vikram Gokhale is decent. Others are also good in their respective parts.

Tail Piece: On the whole, Mission Mangal is engaging & entertaining while being patriotic in its feel.

At the box office turnstiles, it will be accepted whole heartedly by the audiences & even has the potential to emerge as Akshay Kumar’s highest money spinner ever!

An MLA alleged Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Arjun Kapoor, Malaika Arora, and Vicky Kaushal — were flaunting a ‘drugged look’ in the video.

MUMBAI:  Filmmaker Karan Johar has finally broken his silence over allegations of hosting a drug party for a few A-list Bollywood stars last month.

In a recent interview, Karan is furious with the brouhaha around the alleged ‘drug party’, and says all such charges are “baseless and ridiculous”. 

It was an “easy night out”, the filmmaker says, adding that his mother was also appalled reading about it. 

“I toyed with the idea of giving out a statement. I toyed with giving out thoughts on social media about something… There were achieving members of the industry who were having an easy night out after a hard week of work, having a good time. I took that video with all the earnestness… would I be putting out that video if there was anything happening at all, I am not stupid,” he said in an interview with Rajeev Masand. ADVERTISING

Last month, Karan had posted a video on Instagram of a party he hosted at home. Soon afterwards, Akali Dal MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa shared the video, alleging that top stars who were present at the party — such as Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Arjun Kapoor, Malaika Arora, and Vicky Kaushal — were flaunting a “drugged look” in the video. He tagged the video with #UdtaBollywood, taking off on the film “Udta Punjab”, which was about the drug menace in the state of Punjab and which, incidentally, starred Shahid. 

Karan has now opened up on how the reflection of a light near Vicky was misconstrued as proof.

“Apparently you are not allowed to scratch your nose. Apparently, you are not allowed to put your phone in your back pocket. Apparently, a shadow of light is perceived to be some kind of powder,” he said, further revealing that Vicky was recovering from dengue and was drinking hot water with lemon.

“Some of us were chatting and some of us were having wine, but that was it. It was a baseless accusation, and it really annoyed me because you are taking away the culture and tradition that I have been raised in. My mother was appalled when she read those things because she was there. Which powder? We are all very committed professionals,” he said. 

The filmmaker called it a night out where friends were letting their hair down. 

“My mother, five minutes before this video, was sitting with us. It was that kind of a family, happy, social gathering, where friends were sitting and having a good time and we were listening to some music, having some good food and having good conversational energy there. There was nothing else going on,” he said.

“The reason I didn’t put it out was because ‘why do I need to justify a house party which was a casual get together with good friends?’ How dare you grab it away from us? How dare somebody constantly make us soft target? It is ridiculous that someone can start spotting these things,” Karan said. 

He also said that his friends, who were present in the video, also found the accusations ridiculous. 

“I thought if I justify it will start looking that I am speaking too much in defense.”

While he didn’t react to these accusations, he has decided that he will take a legal action next time. 

“I am not taking this very kindly, the next time where baseless accusations, I will take the legal route. You cannot mar our solid reputations, our sincere reputations our committed reputations just because you are presuming something. You cannot put out a baseless accusation that has no base, no fact, no truth, no reality and try and mar us and our reputations, it’s ridiculous.”

The incident, he claimed, has left an impact on his mind. 

“I am, now, afraid to call up people to my home thinking that they might be afraid to show up,” he said.