Movie – Page 30

Movie Review: 'San Andreas' is a gripping thriller

May 30, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Producer: Beau Flynn, Hiram Garcia and Tripp Vinson
Director: Brad Peyton
Star Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandria Daddario, Paul Giamatti, Loan Gruffudd, Archie Panjabi, Hugo Johnstone, Art Parkinson, Colton Haynes, Todd Williams, Matt Gerald, Will Yun Lee and Kylie Minogue
Genre: Action Adventure
Verdict: Very Good

Brad Peyton is more popularly known for his popular journey series of movie namely Journey To The Centre Of The Earth and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island and now in his latest directorial saga he has come up with a heart touching movie namely San Andreas.

Plot: After a devastating earthquake hits California, a Los Angeles Fire Department rescue – helicopter pilot (Dwayne Johnson) and his ex – wife (Carla Gugino) attempt to leave Los Angeles and head to San Francisco to find and rescue their daughter (Alexandra Daddario).

Aces: The heart touching performances of Stalwart actor like Dwayne Johnson in lieu with Carla Gugino (wife) and Alexandria Daddario (daughter).

Minuses: The gruesome destructive scenes with the loud sounds blaring in the background.

Last Word: Watch it if you are a diehard fan of movies of this genre.

"My debut film 'I Love Desi' is an entertaining film albeit a message oriented one": Rocky Daswani

May 30, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

The one & only reputed filmmaker of Chhalywood (Chhattisgarh Film Industry) happens to be Rocky Daswani. Hailing from Chattishgarh, Raipur Rocky Daswani is a businessman turned producer who has produced greatest movies of Chhattisgarhi Cinema. Amongst his distinguished productions are 2 runaway hits namely ‘Mayaa’ & ‘Toora Rickshawwala’. And now his latest and debut Hindi film is ‘I Love Desi’ which was earlier titled as ‘Haule Haule Ho Jaayega Pyar’. Here he shares a few nuggets about his career as a producer.

Being a successful businessman of Raipur how & when did you think of becoming a film producer?

I would not repeat the clichéd lines that earlier on it was my love & passion for cinema that attracted me to be a
film producer. Frankly speaking I turned a film producer purely from a business point of view that too when I saw the pathetic condition of the Chhatisgarhi Film Industry. So I thought of making its condition better and instantly thought of producing Chhatisgarhi films. Afer all I belong to the city of Chhatisgarh, Raipur.

And then?

And then I started producing Chhatisgarhi films one after the other in quick succession under my own home production banner Shubh films. . All my films were hits, but 2 of the most successful runaway hit films in Chhatisgarhi dialect till this date are ‘Mayaa’ & ‘Toora Rickshawwala’. And now I am planning its sequels which will be a 1st ever time in the history of Chhatisgarhi Film Industry.

Rocky Daswani

You have brought about a big change in Chhatisgarhi Cinema. Comment!

Yes! You are right. And I am proud of the fact that within a short span of time I have been able to bring about this change in the Chhatisgarhi Film Industry. Today Rocky Daswani is a known as a notable movie producer. Most of the films that I have produced are primarily focused on entertainment & social awareness. That apart I have trained myself to be proficient in the different aspects of the film production process. And yes now I can proudly say that my love for film making has made me different from the other producers.

What other qualities do you find in yourself as a film producer?

Well! Honestly speaking now I feel and others have also made me aware that I have an excellent eye for quality screenplays and I am also an expert in the process of filmmaking. Most of my works evolve but are not limited to entertainment movies that gives its viewer a reason to smile and feel entertained. My home production banner Shubh Film under my vision, produces innovative & quality films through an efficient filmmaking process, by integrating content production, distribution, tie – ups for marketing & promotions, broadcasting & music rights. Its deep understanding of the local audience, their choices & markets has led to producing & partnering meaningful & commercially rewarding movies.

You have now stepped into the Bollywoodian arena with ‘I love Desi’. So what is it all about?

In my debut Hindi film ‘I Love Desi’ I have tried to make a set Bollywood formulaic film albeit with a strong meaningful message. So ‘I Love Desi’ is all about a desi boy from Punjab who goes to Canada to earn his livelihood. Out there he meets a videshi girl and falls head over heels in love with her and then the story takes an exciting turn which is best seen on celluloid’s big silver screen.

What are the highlights of ‘I Love Desi’?

The biggest highlight of ‘I Love Desi’ is its melodious & mellifluous songs. And of course the performances of all its actors especially the main hero Vedant Bali, son of Late Bali who was the erstwhile secretary of Akshay Kumar and finally I would like to make a special mention of Akshay Kumar who has backed ‘I Love Desi’ from “start” to “end” and given his heart felt blessings. That’s it.

Movie Review: 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns' is an endearingly romantic & superb film

May 28, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Banner: Colour Yellow Pictures
Producer: Kishore Lulla & Anand L. Rai
Director: Anand L. Rai
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, R. Madhavan, Jimmy Shergill, Deepak Dobriyal, Eijaz Khan, Swara Bhaskar, Rajendra Gupta, Navni Parihar, K. K. Raina, Dipti Mishra, Rajesh Sharma, Rahul Shankalya & Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub
Music: Krsna Solo & Tanishk – Vayu

5 years ago director Anand L. Rai had come up with an endearing film ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ which had lady luck in tandem with the box office Goddess smiling at him and now exactly after 5 years he has come up with its sequel ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’. So will its past box office success also return with the current offering. Let’s wait & watch.

So the pre – plotted scenario of ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’ gets kick started with the nostalgic wedding day of Tanuja Trivedi aka Tanu (Kangna Ranaut) along with Dr. Manoj Sharma aka Manu (R. Madhavan) with the iconic “Sunn Saahiba Sunn” track playing in the background. The opening scene sets the tempo of the film. This is then immediately followed by the admission of Manu in St. Benedict’s Asylum by Tanu. After that, she returns to her hometown Kanpur to be with her parents. But the human side of her being makes her call Pappi (Deepak Dobriyal) and ensures that he frees Manu from the asylum. When she reaches Kanpur, she meets up with Raja Awasthi (Jimmy Sheirgill), who is on the verge of getting married. Around the same time, when Manu reaches Delhi, he sights upon the very ‘sporty’ Kusum (Kangna Ranaut again in a dual role), who happens to be a state level athlete. The very moment Manu sees her, he falls in love with her so much so that he starts following her and ultimately convinces her & her relatives for marriage, despite being a ‘second hand’ man, which is how Kusum describes him as. Meanwhile, with the help of her just graduated lawyer friend Chintu (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub), she manages to threaten Manu with a divorce notice. Frustrated & aggravated because of this action, Manu ultimately decides to marry Kusum. Seeing her ‘husband’ about to tie the knot with Kusum, Tanu lands up with Raja at the venue, despite being all geared up for all the insults.

Director Anand L. Rai has made an appropriate & commendable sequel of his earlier film. His directorial skills are perfection personified & brilliant. The film hooks nay mesmerizes the cine goers from “start” to “end”. A standing ovation also goes to his entire behind the scenes team. A special well deserved credit also goes to crooner Swati Sharma for her husky, melodious & mellifluous “Banno” number.

Performance wise it is no doubt the Queen Kagna Ranaut’s histrionic oriented journey from “start” to “end”. Critical appreciation and awards galore are now hers for the asking. She is just fab in her dual role of Tanu (The hurt wife) & Kusum (The Haryanvi athlete). She gets into the skin of both the characters with perfect ease. R. Madhavan delivers a restrained albeit a “healthy” performance, pun definately intended please. All in all even he too has emerged a “plumpy” winner all the way without an iota of doubt. Deepak Dobriyal is brilliant. While the rest of the actors comprising of Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Jimmy Sheirgill, Eijaz Khan, Swara Bhaskar, Rajendra Gupta, Navni Parihar, K. K. Raina, Dipti Mishra, Rajesh Sharma & Rahul Shankalya have lent their own incredible charm to the film thereby helping with their individual ‘contributions’ in making the film a winner all the way.

Tail Piece: Strictly recommended for one and all, but especially for the married men and their spouses, teeny bopper boys and girls and of course all the about to be married and romantically involved couples.

Filmmaker Rupesh Paul makes waves at Cannes

May 26, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Filmmaker Rupesh Paul is really making waves at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival with 2 of his films ‘The Monk Who Fucked The Limousine’ & ‘The Memoirs Of An Indian Geisha’. This time again Rupesh Paul has reached Cannes Film Festival with his 2 films namely ‘The Monk Who Fucked The Limousine’ & ‘The Memoirs Of An Indian Geisha’.

Incidentally speaking ‘The monk who Fucked A Limousine’ is based on the story of Delhi rape case ‘Nirbhaya – India’s daughter”. ‘The monk who Fucked A Limousine’ was screened for the buyers in the Marche du film section of Cannes. ‘The monk who Fucked A Limousine’ is produced by O. P. Rai, presented by Kala Niketan Entertainment & written by Sritama Dutta. The main lead of monk has been enacted by Omkar Das Manik Puri who was the lead of Oscar nominated movie ‘Peepli Live’. Although the people will not believe but the veteran filmmaker Rupesh Paul has decided to unblock one more buzz & talks by screening his new movies. Unexpected thoughts are the cup of tea of Rupesh Paul. The person who has made an out of the frame movie will be able to do justice with the story of India’s daughter.

Whereas ‘The Memoirs Of An Indian Geisha’ is being produced under the banner of Rupesh Paul Productions Ltd. Geisha is the term which still needs a clarification. Known to be a girl for entertainment of men.

This time ‘Kamasutra 3D’ director Rupesh Paul is all set to release the trailer of his movie ‘The Memoirs Of An Indian Geisha’ at the Cannes Film Festival. The poster of ‘The Memoirs Of An Indian Geisha’ was launched at Cannes on 20th, May, 2015. And people were surprised & happy to see the posters. The story of the movie is all about the memories of a Geisha, as always Rupesh Paul has chosen an Indian girl to play the role of a Geisha. The girl who might have posed nude or semi nude in the film that would be awaited till the trailer comes out. ‘The Memoirs Of An Indian Geisha’ has been produced by Rupesh Paul Productions & executive producer is Akaash.

In this movement of time where the big corporates like Viacom 18, UTV, Yash Raj Films couldn’t make it possible to manage there own booth at Cannes, the same was done by Rupesh Paul’s team. Rupesh Paul avers, “I survive in this industry just because of the content and the titles of the movie. Otherwise this big corporates would have eaten me before. For my survival I keep catchy & sensational titles. ‘Kamasutra’ has a record of getting the maximum number of sales in 2013 defeating all big companies. Cannes is the best way for me to talk about my films. The presence of the great & mighty bollywood in Cannes market is only EROS & Disney India apart from us.”

Dr Mohan Kumar, Indian brand ambassador is in Cannes too. He visited the booth of Rupesh Paul in France at cannes films festival. Rupesh Paul averred, “Dr. Mohan Kumar raised his eyebrows when he saw words like “The monk” & “Fucked” he instantly raised his eyebrows and showed a sign of disbelief. Later on he giggled for the word being used in the poster itself. He was curious to know about why I use these kind of titles for my movies . I explained to him, the reason behind getting a chance to showcase my films are only the titles of my films. My survival depends upon the content & the titles otherwise the corporate companies will vanish me.”

Earlier on Rupesh Paul had got 2 grand premiers in Cannes, ‘Saint Dracula’ in 2012 & ‘Kamasutra 3D’ in 2014.

Movie Review: 'Poltergeist' is a shocking scary fare

May 23, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Producer: Roy Lee, Sam Raimi and Robert G. Tapert
Director: Gil Kenan
Star Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Jarred Harris, Jane Adams, Saxon Sharbino, Kyle Ketlett, Kennedi Clements, Nicholas Braun, Susan Heyward & Soma Bhatia
Genre: Fantasy Horror
Verdict: Good

There are some directors who stick to one particular genre of filmmaking and Gil Kenan happens to be one of them. Amongst the scores of horror movies that he has churned out. The most talked about one was an animated horror movie named Monster House. And his present directorial venture is Poltergiest which in itself is the 1982 remake of the same name.

Plot: It is the contemporized classic tale about a family whose suburban home is haunted by evil forces. When the terrifying apparitions escalate their attacks and hold the youngest daughter captive, the family must come together to rescue her before she disappears forever.

Aces: The shockingly scary scenes in the haunted house which are really spine chilling.

Minuses: The current Poltergiest movie does not exactly lives up to the reputation of the earlier version.

Last Word: Go watch Poltergiest if you are a diehard fans of horror movies.

Movie Review: 'Tomorrowland' is a crazy rollercoster ride

May 23, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Producer: Brad Bird, Damon Lindelof and Jeffrey Chemov
Director: Brad Bird
Star Cast: George Clooney, Thomas Robinson, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy Tim McGraw, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan – Micheal Key, Chris Baur, Pierce Gagnon Mathew Maccaull, Judy Greer & Gary Chalk
Genre: Sci-Fi
Verdict: Blockbuster

Director Brad Bird, basically an animator, has tackled a science fiction genre heavily diluted with pure fantasy, in his latest offering Tommorrowland. No doubt it ultimately turns out to be a rivetingly mysterious adventure that keeps the viewers spell bound from start to finish.

Plot: Bound by a shared destiny, a former boy genius Frank (Clooney), jaded by disillusionment, and Casey (Britt Robertson), a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity, embarks on a danger filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space known only as “Tomorrowland.” What they must do there changes the world and them forever.

Aces: Its subtle humour, exciting thrills and visual delights

Minuses: The performances of most of the actors are routine barring George Clooney, Thomas Robinson and Britt Robertson

Last Word: Don’t miss this theme park based movie, maybe a finale summer treat for kids.

Movie Review: 'Big Game' is an exciting thriller

May 22, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Producer: Will Clarke, Petri Jokiranta, Andy Mayson and Jens Meurer
Director: Jalmari Helander
Star Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Onni Tommila, Felicity Huffman, Victor Garber, Ted Levine, Jim Broadbent, Ray Stevenson, Mehmet Kurtuluş and Jaymes Butler
Genre: Action Adventure
Verdict: Very Good

Jalmari Halender is more famous for his popular movies like Rare Exports series. Safety Instructions and A Christmas Tale. In his latest offering ‘Big Game’ he has come up with an interesting premise of how a thirteen year old boy saves the life of the President of the United States of America.

Plot: In the rugged countryside of Finland, a young thirteen year old boy Oskari (Onni Tommila) embarks on a traditional quest to prove himself by spending 24 hours alone in the wild, armed with only a bow and arrow. And then he lands up a big catch, a big game that of the President of the United States of America (Samuel L. Jackson) and then how Oskari saves the President forms the crux of the narrative.

Aces: Jalmari Helander’s excellent directional skills topped with a par excellence performances of Onni Tommila (Oskari) and Samuel L. Jackson (President).

Minusses: A picture perfect flawless movie.

Last Word: A good summer end treat for parents and kids.

Bollywood Newswatch

May 20, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Disney India’s Media Networks Bags 8 Awards

Disney India’s Media Networks recently bagged 8 Awards, 2 gold & 6 silver awards at the prestigious Promax BDA 2015. The Media Networks Team at Disney India proudly took away 2 Gold & 6 silver trophies at the Promax BDA 2015 function held recently in Mumbai. Popular channels from Disney India’s Media Network: Bindass, Disney Channel, Hungama TV and the recently launched Bindass Play secured wins across multiple categories at the coveted awards. The wins are in the following categories Gold for ‘Most Outstanding Station Image Campaign’ : Disney Channel brand films, ‘Beach-Proposal-Airport’ And another Gold, for the ‘Most Innovative Marketing Idea’-Disney Channel’s’ Kahani Masters’. Silver for ‘Most Innovative Marketing Idea’ Bindass’ Dreamstarts, Silver for ‘Best Holiday-Seasonal Event Spot’-Disney Channel’s ‘Kahani Masters’. Silver for ‘Best On-Air Branding Design-Bindass PLAY packaging, Silver for ‘Best children’s program promo’: Hungama TV’s Pokemon classroom promo

Actor Prashantt Guptha honoured

Actor Prashantt Guptha has been appointed as Key Indian Advisor & Festival Ambassador of San Francisco Global Film Festival and has signed a 3 film deal with a California based Producer. Last year, Prashantt Guptha’s film ‘Identity Card’ won “Best Film” award and he bagged the “Best Supporting Actor” at the SF Global Fest.

Abhay & Omi To Attend Asian American Heritage Festival

Abhay Deol & Omi Vaidya will be attending the Asian American Heritage Festival, which is being presented by Ultimate Media & Sony Entertainment Television Asia. The 2 actors will also be interacting with the audiences at the festival, which is being held on 31st May, 2015 at the New Jersey Expo & Convention Center in Edison, New Jersey. The event marks the celebration of the Asian American Heritage month of May in the US. The highlights of the Festival are as follows: Dance performances by top dance academies from the area, over 20 corporate sponsors & 100 vendors showcasing their products & services, a focus on the real estate market featuring builders from India & US, realtors, brokers & mortgage lenders. The Asian Realtors Association of America (AREAA), the trade organization that promotes home ownership opportunities within the Asian American community, is one of the Festival’s sponsors.

Aishwarya Unveiled 1st L Of ‘Jazbaa’ At Cannes

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been associated with Cannes for over a decade. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who will be seen as the protagonist in the upcoming Sanjay Gupta directorial ‘Jazbaa’, used Cannes as a platform to unveil the 1st look of this film. The 1st look of ‘Jazbaa’ was launched in a closed door discussion with United Nations panel on 16th May, 2015, after which, there was a media event scheduled on 19th May, 2015. The said panel included a list of some elite celebrities like Salma Hayek, Adele Exarchopoulos along with the producers of the film ‘Carol’, that is, Christine Vachone & Elizabeth Kushel. The trailer was also launched at the event amidst the presence of producer Essel Vision’s business head Akash Chawla & director & co-producer Sanjay Gupta. The film unlike any other ‘solo hero’ film has Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Irrfan Khan & Shabana Azmi occupying a prominent presence.
‘Jazbaa’ also starring Chandan Roy Sanyal, Anupam Kher and it is slated to release on 9th Oct, 2015.

SRK Summoned For Forex Violation

Shah Rukh Khan is heading into troubled waters. While on one hand the actor’s Indian Premier League (IPL) team the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has been playing well on the field, on the other hand the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned King Khan to appear before it in connection with forex violations. Apparently, the ED has summoned Shah Rukh Khan after shares of his IPL team KKR were undervalued in a transaction. Interestingly, this was not the 1st time when the actor was examined in such a case. He was questioned 4 years ago in Mumbai.

Mallika Sherawat’s Cannes Mission

Mallika Sherawat is a woman on mission in Cannes Mission. Mallika Sherawat, who’s always proved to be quite a head-turner in the Cannes Film Festival. She is readying to dazzle on the red carpet yet again as she recently went to attend the 68th Cannes Film festival that got kickstarted on 13th May, 2015. And this time around, she is on a mission. Mallika was invited to be on the discussion panel of “Co-Produce in India” by FICCI on behalf of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, on 14, May 2015.

FWICE Press Meet

The representatives of FWICE & Producer bodies recently met up at Sun N Sand hotel on the eve of the impending strike and amicably arrived at the following settlement after which the strike was called off. Workers, producers, artistes, technicians & broadcasters all heaved a sigh of relief as the deadlock was broken and the strike called off. The mutual settlement were immediate Wage hike on daily wages and base rate of contractual workers as follows 1st Year 13%, 2nd year 11%, 3rd year 11%, 4th Year 11% & 5th Year 12%. All payments to be issued within 30 days of work or raising of invoice, Appropriate safety & sanitary provisions on set (Joint committee for inspection), group insurance for all workers & technicians (compulsory), Letter of engagement to be issued to all workers clearly stating terms of engagement on commencement of work, proper rules & regulations of individual associations to be followed & implemented, defaulters on both sides to be identified & remedied & members to be paid as per the defined rates. The final MOU has been committed by both parties to be signed latest by 20th Jun, 2015.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Watches ‘Gabbar Is Back’

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal rently watches ‘Gabbar Is Back’ and Akshay Kumar was quite excited for his film ‘Gabbar Is Back’ as he reunited with his old pal Shabinaa Khan & Sanjay Leela Bhansali after ‘Rowdy Rathore’, ‘Gabbar Is a realistic film and has been relatable by every Indian citizen regardless of background caste & class. The film was a reflection of the current immoral ongoings of today’s modern society and how one should not sit back anymore and wait for the change to happen. With Akshay Kumar as Gabbar, this high octane action film is an entertainer with substance. An aam aadmi denied justice created Gabbar, a man who sets out on a fierce & ruthless path to fight corruption. Just recently Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal watched ‘Gabbar Is Back’ and he posted on the social networking site, “Watched ‘Gabbar is back”. An amazing movie. U must watch. Produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Sanjay Leela Bhansali & co-produced by Shabinaa Khan,

‘Kajarya’ & ‘Goatspeak’ Showcased In 68th Cannes Film Festival

Two films ‘Kajarya’ & ‘Goatspeak’ were were recently showcased in the 68th Cannes Film Festival. The critically acclaimed feature film ‘Kajarya’, directed by Award winning director Madhureeta Anand & ‘Goatspeak’ (Khashi Katha), directed by Judhajit Sarkar, were are recently premiered at the Marche Du Film at the 68th Cannes Film Festival. Madhureeta Anand’s ‘Kajarya’, starring Meenu Hooda, Ridhima Sud & Kuldeep Ruhil, has found critical appreciation internationally and has also been selected by the Forbes India magazine as the #1 in the Top 5 Indian Films. It deals with sex selection in India and consequent violence against women. ‘Kajarya’ has been co-produced by Odd Joint & Ekaa Films. Judhajit Sarkar’s ‘Goatspeak’ (Khashi Katha) is a tragic-comic tale narrated by a talking goat starring Naseeruddin Shah, Anindita Basu & Prasun Gyne and Ladoo the goat. It is a blend of fantasy & reality alongside incisive social & political statements.

Sanjay Juimani To Sell Bollywood Films

Sanjay Jumani of Sunstone Entertainment is in Cannes Film Festival to sell Bollywood Films. Besides he will also be acquiring the rights of Hollywood Films for the Indian market.

‘Nachom-ia Kumpasar’ Bags 3 National Awards

‘Nachom-ia Kumpasar’ recently bagged 3 National Awards. The film won 2 awards in general category and also the “Best Film” in Konkani. Nachom-ia Kumpasar, a Konkani musical film made as a tribute to the unsung musicians of Goa, bagged 3 honours at the 62nd National Film Awards with 2 awards and one special mention.
The film ‘l’ received the award for “Best Production Design” for recreating spaces from a different era and with minute attention to detail. It was also awarded the “Best Konkani Film” for its nostalgic recovery of a distinctive musical legacy, as told through the roller coaster lives of its practitioners that has remained unsung despite its influence on Bombay cinema.

‘Mohenjo Daro’ Release Date Announced

The release date of ‘Mohenjo Daro’ was announced recently. Hrithik Roshan’s upcoming film ‘Mohenjo Daro’s release date has been announced recently.
Disney & Ashutosh Gowariker Production Pvt Ltd (AGPPL) announced the release of ‘Mohenjo Daro’ on 12th Aug, 2016. Directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar, ‘Mohenjo Daro’ is an epic love story, set during the Indus Valley Civilization. The film marks the debut of Pooja Hegde in Bollywood, who stars opposite Hrithik.

Om Puri & Prashantt Guptha Honored At Rajasthan International Film Festival

The 1st Rajasthan International Film Festival at Jaipur saw veteran actor Om Puri & young talent Prashantt Guptha being felicitated with top honors. With the central theme of the festival being ‘The Common Man of Indian Cinema,” the festival highlighted the achievements of Om Puri for his contribution to Indian cinema with its equivalent of The Lifetime Achievement Award. Prashantt Guptha, being a Jaipur native who made his foray into Hindi cinema and showed immense progress over the last couple of years as the handsome villain in Pen India/Shailesh Singh’s ‘Issaq’, followed by 2 releases in 2014, ‘Identity Card’ & ‘6-5=2’ was bestowed upon the “Pride Of Rajasthan” Award. This award follows Prashantt Guptha’s awards at the San Francisco Festival and the National Awards for Excellence among others this year. Amongst several international, Hindi & regional films, the young actor’s critically acclaimed film ‘Identity Card’ was given “Best Feature Film” award at the hands of Padmini Kolhapure.

MPA APSA Academy Film Fund To Help Aspiring Filmmakers

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) & the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) gives an opportunity to aspiring filmmakers with the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund. MPA APSA Academy Film Funds is a unique initiative which has aided aspiring film makers in a lot of development in new film projects. A panel discussion was hosted at the 13th Pune International film festival on 10th Jan, 2015, to create awarness about the Asia Pacific Screen Awards & MPA APSA Academy Film Funds . The panelist for the discussion comprised of celebrated actor, Atul Kulkarni & Lohita Sujith, Director, Corporate Communications, Motion Picture Dist. Association (India) Pvt Ltd. Panelists also discussed how upcoming filmmakers/professionals can benefit from the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund worth USD 100,000. MPA APSA Academy Film Fund has been a hugely successful initiative taking the number of successful projects funded to a total of 20 feature films over the last 6 years. The projects now count amongst them winners of an Academy Award®, APSAs and an International Emmy Award. Grants have been awarded to projects from. India, Bangaldesh, Republic of Korea, People’s Republic of China, Iraq, Kazakhastan, Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran. In 2014, over 100 submissions were received for the film fund. 4 grants were awarded to 2 documentary film projects from Israel & Denmark and 2 film projects from Bangladesh and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Southern Movies Round Up

May 19, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Paayum Puli

As compared to films produced in Bollywoodian & Hollywoodian Cinema arena, South Indian Cinema is rapidly & regularly progressing by churning out its own brand of gems of milestone movies in all the 4 languages namely Kannada, Malyalam, Telugu & Tamil. In an exclusive Nasheman.In, Shaheen Raaj will present a sneak preview of the productional happenings of Southern Cinema every fortnight. Time to stay tuned in.

Manisha Koirala Approached

Manisha Koirala has been approached to play a small role in actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan’s forthcoming Tamil thriller. Talks are going on with Manisha to play Kamal’s wife in the movie. It’s a small role. But nothing has been finalised yet. Manisha & Kamal were last seen in Shankar’s ‘Indian’ (1996).

Meanwhile, Kamal’s long-time associate Rajesh will wield the megaphone for the project, which is said to be a thriller that’ll unfold in a single night. The film, that features Trisha Krishnan in the lead role, is all set to go on the floors later this month.

The Battle Of Class Versus ‘Masss’

On 29th May, 2015 the most awaited summer release, Suriya’s ‘Masss’ is hitting the theatres and faces stiff challenge from the multiple National & International award winning ‘Kaaka Muttai’. ‘Masss’ has a lot going for it with perfectionist Suriya heading the cast, maverick director Venkat Prabhu at the helm and numero uno actress Nayanthara as heroine with a top notch supporting cast of Jayaram, Parthiban, Samuthirakani, Premgi, Karunaas, Sriman & Pranitha. The technical team comprises of the creme de la creme of the industry and with amazing CG work & riveting performance by Suriya are the main attractions of ‘Masss’ On the other hand ‘Kaaka Muttai’ is proving the saying ‘Small is Big’. This cute little film that tells the story of 2 underprivileged brothers Vignesh & Rajesh who crave to taste a pizza after watching a commercial ad and their angst filled journey towards their goal has garnered standing ovation all over the globe in film festivals. Dhanush & Vetrimaaran are the producers who have left no stone unturned to take ‘Kaaka Muttai’ and Manikandan along with the cast to the heights they deserve.

Vishal Salutes The True Hero Of ‘Paayum Puli’

On the eve of shooting the climax for ‘Paayum Puli’ actor Vishal has offered his salutations to the late Police Sub Inspector Alwin Sudhan on whose life the movie is based on. The SI who was known to oppose caste based riots was unarmed doing bandabost duties when he was murdered by an armed gang in Sivanganga district in the year 2012. He was awarded the Police Medal of Gallantry posthumously by the President of India. God – The Almighty bless his soul. ‘Paayum Puli’ is directed by Suseenthiran & produced by Vendhar Movies and has Vishal, Kajal Agarwal, Samuthirakani, Soori and a host of other stars in the cast. Music is by D.Imman, cinematography by Velraj & editing by Anthony.

Dileep

Manjima To Make Her Telugu Debut

Naga Chaitanya might romance Manjima Mohan in his next film to be directed by Gautham Menon. Interstingly, the Malayalam actress is playing Simbu’s love interest in the Tamil version “Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada’ and buzz is that she’ll be paired opposite Naga Chaitanya for the Telugu version too. Apparently, the 22 year-old actress has replaced Pallavi Subhash, who was originally picked for the leading lady role. Gautham was impressed with her work in the Malayalam film ‘Oru Vadakkan Selfie’ and decided to cast her in the film. More details are awaited.

Nara Rohit’s Next Inspire By Real life Incidents

Nara Rohit’s upcoming Telugu crime-drama ‘Appatlo Okkadundevadu’, is said to be based on true events that transpired in 1990. It’s inspired from true events that happened during this time period. Nara has fictionalised these events for the screen. It’s partly based on a crime biography. The film, which also features, Sri Vishnu as one of the leads and the leading ladies are yet to be finalized.

Ravi Teja Signs His Debut Commercial

Ravi Teja has finally got into the bandwagon of endorsements. The aging-actor will be the brand ambassador for Lunar footwear & sandals in 2 states namely AP & Telangana and shall push the brand’s reach amongst the people. The mass maharaja will be seen in TV commercials & print advertisements endorsing ‘Walkmate’, one of the brand of Lunar. Apart from awaiting the release of ‘Kick 2’, Ravi Teja is fast wrapping the shooting of ‘Bengal Tiger’, directed by Sampath Nandi.

Balakrishna’s 2nd Role In Lion Will Be Interesting

Nandamuri Balakrishna’s ‘Lion’ was released 14th May, 2015. Balakrishna will be seen in 2 different roles, Bose & Godse, in this movie. He played a CBI officer in the movie. Producer of the film, ‘Rudrapati Ramanarao’, averred that the 2nd role will be very interesting. The action episodes, choreographed by Ram-Laxman, are going to be very interesting. The interval bang, the tribal fight in the 2nd half and the climax are going to be the highlights. Trisha & Radhika Apte romanced Balayya in this film. Satya Deva, the director of the film, is very confident that the film will be a big hit. He praised Balakrishna’s hard work for the film.

Samantha’s New Look In Her New Film

Samantha is playing one of the leading ladies in Dhanush’s upcoming film, directed by Velraj of ‘Velai Illa Pattathari’ fame. This film, which is tentatively titled as ‘VIP 2’, has Amy Jackson as the other leading lady. Anirudh Ravichander is the music director of this film. Samantha averred that the role she is playing in this film is her best ever.

Dileep In & As ‘Apoorva G.V’

Dileep’s upcoming movie has been interestingly named ‘Apoorva G.V’. He plays a character named George Vadakkan (GV) who is the all in all of a club named Apoorva. This is how the title has come about, setting a quirky moniker – the strange one – if read together. The movie will be high on humour and will have actors like Aju Varghese, Neeraj Madhav, Chempan Vinod et al gracing the screen.

‘Apoorva GV’ is being directed by Biju Arookuty, who is also the movie’s scenarist. His earlier movie ‘3 Dots’ had done quite well. Dileep has a lot many movies lined up. He is currently shooting for ‘Love 24×7’ directed by Sreebala. His latest release, ‘Chandrettan Evideya’ is doing well at the box office. Dileep’s heroine in ‘Apoorva GV’ is yet to be finalised.

Anu Roped In

Anu Mol has essayed some bold roles in the past and the actress has been roped in to play a very different role in an upcoming movie titled ‘Jamna Pyari’. The movie will have the actress in a new avatar, about which she doesn’t want to reveal much. All she says is that it will be a character which will redefine the kind of image she has.

Anu Mol added that her choice of this role was deliberate, to change the misconception that she will only do certain kinds of roles. Her character in the movie is named Veena who helps Kunchako Boban’s character at a critical juncture. Débutante Gayathri Suresh plays the female lead in the movie. ‘Jamna Pyari’ is being directed by Thomas Sebastian.

Karunya Ram back

The actress with quite a few films like ’10th Class’, ‘Seena’, ‘Nishedagne’, ‘Mathondu Madvena’ Priyanka Chandra made a stint in other languages and returns back to Kannada from ‘Vajrakaya’. Of course, she is with a change in her comeback. She is Karunya Ram in ‘Vajrakaya’. She is one of the 3 heroines with Nabha Natesh & Shubra Ayyappa. In her comeback with a big film opposite Dr Shivarajakumar in ‘Vajrakaya’, Priyanka Chandra alias Karunya Ram has also bagged offers in ‘Kiragurina Gayyaligalu’, ‘Eradu Kanasu’ et al. Working in Dr Shivarajakumar film in talented Harsha’s direction is a boon in her career feels Karunya Ram. From ‘Kannakol’ Karunya Ram entered Tamil cinema industry. She got offers in ‘Pongudi Ningalum Unga Kadalam’. Karunya Ram hopes to enter Malayalam cinema industry in this year.

Radhika On Her Dancing

A fond admirer of dance, actress Radhika Kumarswamy is on a new platform for a complete dance film titled as ‘I Hate Dance’. This film likely to go on floor in Jun, 2015 soon after director Raghuram ‘Namagagi’ finish shooting. Director Raghuram is getting ready for a film of Radhika Kumaraswamy & Vijaya Raghavendra.

‘I Hate Dance’ a home production of Radhika Kumaraswamy after ‘Sweety’ is having big stars polling up in one of the important situations. The Hindi film actress known for her dance, romance & sentiment portion Madhuri Dixit is likely to take an important role. Director Raghuram does not confirm the name of Madhuri Dixit as the proposal has not yet been moved.

"Ishqedarriyaan is a complete family & romantic musical entertainer": Mahaakshay Chakraborty

May 18, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Mahaakshay Chakraborty aka Mimoh no doubt is a tall & handsome hunk. Besides he is the son of an illustriously talented parents namely Mithun Chakravorty & Yogita Bali. Mimoh had started off his filmic career in the year 2008 with film’s like ‘Jimmy’, ‘The Murderer’, ‘Haunted 3D’, ‘Hamilton Palace’, ‘Loot’, ‘Rocky’ ‘Enemy’ et al. But that magic word named “success” has kept eluding him till this date. But Mimoh is a determind & dedicated guy and just like his father he is also not the kind of guy to give up so easily. So this time round he is fully geared up for his 2nd smashing outing with his upcoming film ‘Ishqedarriyaan’.

First things first what is your upcoming film ‘Ishqedarryiaan’ all about?

Frankly speaking ‘Ishqedarriyaan is a story about love, sacrifice, family values & relationships. In fact rishteydarriyaan means relationships and ‘Ishqedarriyaan’ also signifies the relationship when you fall in love. In a way you can say that it is a triangular love story.

Please elaborate your role in ‘Ishqedarriyaan’?

Well! In ‘Ishqedarriyaan’ I am enacting the role of a richie rich businessman. My character’s name is Aagam Deewan. I am totally in love with my profession until a teacher named Luvleen comes in my life.

Please continue

Luvleen comes to meet me to collect donation for her grandfather’s school. It may not exactly be a love at first sight kind of a love story but when we keep meeting we eventually fall in love but then…….!’

What happens then?

Then the villian enters no jokes apart Arjun the singer enters their life. And then there are many turns & twists which are seen to believed & enjoyed. ‘Ishqedarriyaan’ is a complete family & romantic musical entertainer.

What are your expectations from ‘Ishqedarriyan’?

‘Ishqedarriyaan’ is all set for release very soon. I am very excited and I am keeping my fingers, toes and everything crossed for its grand success. I may sound selfish but I want each & every indian & international audience to see it.

You seem to have a vary snail’s pace filmic career so far. So now are you vary of your 2nd outing in Bollywood?

Yes! I had a very slow start in my filmic career so far. But I blame myself for it. Putting the blame on the wrong choice of films is also not fair. In fact success has kept elluding me and lady luck has still not bestowed its lucky smile on me. No problem I am more determind and fully geared up now for my 2nd outing. I may be immature earlier on but now I am fully matured and I will definitely achieve my stardom status in my 2nd outing in Bollywood.

You are a starson. So maybe if Mithun da had launched you it would have a different ball game altogether. Right.

No I think it would not have made any difference. As my father was not a starson, he had achieved everything on his own steam. He had struggled really hard to achieve his success. And he always advises me to do the same and always be patient.

So what next is lined up in your professional career after ‘Ishqedarriyaan’?

Honestly speaking nothing is lined up in my professional career as of now. Just as a débutante actor waits with batted breath for the reactionary response of the audience to his film. So in my 2nd outing I am also waiting with batted breath for the reactionary positive response of the audience. Wish me luck!