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An interactive session with 'Banno' (Tanu Weds Manu Returns) singer Swati Sharma

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swati sharma
Swati Sharma happens to be the latest singing sensation on the Bollywoodian musical arena. As her latest chartbursting number “Banno“ a typical Punjabi folk number from an upcoming film ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’, in which she has ended up giving playback for one of the Bollywoodian Diva namely Kangana Ranaut, has already become a hot favorite of music lovers. Incidentally speaking it has also garnered innumerable hits on YouTube even before the film or its promo has gone on air. Swati had made her humble crooning debut with her own single debut romantic album named ‘Kyun Kho Gaye’. In her recent interactive session with Nashman’s (website) Entertaiment Editor Shaheen Raaj, Swati Swarma talks about her crooning musical journey in Bollywood. Tune in.

You seem to have struck a goldmine with your latest crooning number “Banno” from ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’. How do you feel?

I feel like I am on Cloud 9. I feel great, I just can’t believe it that finally I have entered the big league. In fact I am not only excited with the stupendous success of my latest foot tapping & peppy number, “Banno” from ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’ which took the listeners with a storm, but with the success of this number I am also proud to say that I have garnered tons & tons of appreciation as well as I have undisputedly reached the horizon of the Bollywood musical domain. Now I have to achieve my ultimate goal further on. Oh! By the way people have also started showering on me the best of compliments. Some have even gone to the extent of calling me a singing star who has become a sensation overnight. I am so happy that people are enjoying the “Banno” number.

How did you bag this “Banno” number’?

You see a débutante crooner has no choice but to sing scratch songs which is supposed to be just a rough cut. So that the main singer can come in and dub the song later on. So needless to add that even I have ended up singing innumerable scratch songs and one of them was this “Banno” number. This was almost 2 months ago and then just out of the blue I got a call that my so called scratch song “Banno” has been finalized and I have to dub it. And my joy knew no bounds when I was informed that the “Banno” number would be picturized on Bollywood diva Kangana Ranaut for her upcoming movie ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’.

swati sharma

How difficult was it to dub your own scratch song?

No doubt It wasn’t a cake walk to be able to pitch the exact note for the final track. It needed the high tone for this sexy peppy & foot tapping number which had also to match the Haryanvi character played by none other than Kangana. And for this I also want to thank director Aanand L Rai for giving me a big break with this song. The rage of “Banno” has proved one thing again that the songs which bring in the true feelings and the real depth of our Indian Culture surely allure the listeners’ ears.

So after “Banno” it seems that now you are here to stay and carve a niche for yourself with your folk – lore sort of a sexy peppy vocals. Right?

In a way you are right Shaheen Sir but I still beg to differ having been trained from a tender age, I can bet my last penny and proudly say that, I have sung a few romantic numbers too and have bagged a few more, which I can disclose only after everything gets finalized. Undeniably, I am not conceited about my vocals but yes! I credit myself for being able to complete my daily riyaz religiously. I have traveled all the way to Mumbai. Moreover my parents have extended their support in every manner whatsoever. Keeping this in mind and also my ambition to achieve success in the musical industry I conduct myself accordingly. I know my painstaking efforts will bear fruits sooner or later this is just the beginning.

swati sharma

Going slightly into a flashback mode would you like to reveal your background in a nutshell.

Basically I hail from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, I first got recognition amongst the youth brigade when my single song “Kyu Kho Gaye”, which was composed by Raeth the popular Pakistani Band, crossed a million views on Zee Music Company’s channel on you tube. That apart I would also like to state I have learnt music from Sangeet Visharad from Chandigarh University namely Pracheen Kala Kendra. Besides I also took training from my Guru Pankaj Maharaj. Undoubtedly, the intense & the devoted training from my Guru has enabled me to be able to rise to this position within a short span of my musical struggle. Already I have got the feed back that I am considered as a musical persona to be reckoned with in the Marathi musical domain too merely with the success of having lent my voice for 1 song in the film titled, ‘Yudh’, I think after all this, hereafter there’s no looking back for me at all with a few more songs in my kitty namely in films like ‘Ek Tera Saath”, ‘Direct Ishq’ & ‘Flame’ and many many more.

One last question would you also be interested in attempting the remix versions as well as the cover versions?

Of course why not! I am interested in attempting anything that is even remotely connected with music, but I will refrain from composing my own music at least not for a couple of years more. And lastly it is a strict no no to acting either on the small screen or on the big screen but of course I would not mind or rather I have to don the grease paint and face the arc lights for my own music videos. Period!

Movie Review: 'Danny Collins' is an interesting fare

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Danny Collins

Producer: Nimitt Mankad, Jessie Nelson, Denise Di Novi & Shivani Ravat
Director: Dan Fogelman
Star Cast: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner, Bobby Cannavale, Christopher Plummer, Katrina Cas, Giselle Eisenberg, Melissa Benoist & Josh Peck
Genre: Comedy Drama
Verdict: Good

Debutante Director Dan Fogelman in his debut directorial offering Danny Collins has tackled a true story of a reputed folk singer Steve Tilston. All in all Danny Collins is an offbeat and a thought provoking movie.

Plot: Danny Collins (Al Pacino) is an aging 70s rocking folk singer who cannot give up his extravagant ways of living. Once he also gifts away his brand new Mercedes to a hotel’s bell boy Nicky Ernst (Josh Peck). But once when his manager Frank Grubman (Christopher Plummer) uncovers a 40 year old undelivered letter written to him by John Lenon & Yoko Ono, Danny decides to change the course of his life and embarks on a heartfelt journey to rediscover his family, find true love and begin a new life.

Aces: Dan Fogelman’s sensitive treatment of the subject at hand. The sterling performance of a dynamic actor Al Pacino who really sinks his teeth into every role of his career. And the cute & lovable pair of Nicky Ernst (Josh Peck) & Jamie (Melissa Benoist) albeit in their brief roles.

Minuses: Couldn’t find any flaws to talk about.

Last Word: A short & Sweet movie about a legendary singer’s journey of self realisation.

Southern Movies Round Up

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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.

Killing Veerappan

Anjali All Set To Regain Lost Ground

Anjali is now all set to regain her lost ground with firm determination after sorting out all her domestic issues. Incidentally speaking right from her debut Tamil movie ‘Kattradhu Thamizh’ Anjali had alreedy proved that she is an actress of immense talent & potential and her later films like ‘Angadi Theru’, ‘Thoonga Nagaram’, ‘Engeyum Eppodhum’ ‘Mankaatha’ & ‘Kalakalappu’ stand testimony to the fact. When she was just beginning to challenge the top Kollywood heroines she got bogged down by her domestic issues and went into a self imposed hibernation. And now Anjali has sorted out her personal life and all her domestic issues and is back doing the lead roles in ‘Appa Takkar’ with Jayam Ravi & ‘Mapla Singam’ with her lucky co-star Vemal. She has also signed the path breaking director Karthik Subburaj’s ‘Iraivi’ which has Vijay Sethupathi, Bobby Simha & S. J. Surya and is playing the title role in ‘Geethanjali 2’ the sequel to her telugu hit ‘Geethanjali.

Simran Makes A Grand Comback In Kollywood

Simran makes a grand comback In Kollywood. In fact Simran is not just making a comeback in Kollywood, but in the neighbouring Sandalwood too. The actress will soon be seen playing a police officer in a Kannada film, titled ‘Alone’. It is not the regular role. As she always liked the action genre and is happy that she has bagged one such film in ‘Alone’. Simran will shoot for the movie later this month. Simran’s last Kannada movie was a Shivaraj Kumar starrer ‘Simhada Mari’ in 1997. Whereas in Tamil, she is a part of ‘Karaioram’ & ‘Trisha Illana Nayanthara’.

Poonam Bajwa Offers A Deniel

Of late Poonam Bajwa has offered a clarifying denial regarding reports stating that Jiiva is backing her filmy career. No doubt that ever since Poonam Bajwa had acted with Jiiva in 2 films namely in ‘Kacheri Aarambam’ & ‘Thenavattu’, there was a buzz that the actor was recommending the actress to all his directors & producers. In fact Poonam, who is now back in Kollywood after a break, denies this strongly statng that, “Jiiva is my good friend. But this doesn’t mean that he recommends me to bag new offers. I wonder how this rumor is alive in after a lapse of so many years. The actress, who was recently seen shaking a leg with Vishal in ‘Aambala’, is now also part of a couple of other projects in Tamil, including Jayam Ravi starrer ‘Romeo Juliet’.

Prashanth’s Latest Heroine Is From Australia

Prashanth’s latest heroine Amenda hails from Australia. Yes! Amenda happens to be a hotshot model from Australia. She will be the heroine of Prashanth in the actor’s comeback vehicle ‘Saahasam’, written & produced by his father and veteran actor Thiyagarajan. Amenda, who was trained at an acting institute in London, is thrilled about making her debut in Kollywood. She plans to commit more Tamil movies after the release of Saahasam. While Prashanth on his part stated that ‘Saahasam’ has brought out the full talent in him. Its songs will be canned in Japan & Korea. Plans are on to release the audio this month. Arunraj Varma is directing the film.

Nagarjuna Has A Change Of mind

Nagarjuna, of late, has had a change of mind. Incidentally speaking Nagarjuna had recently denied reports that he is going to act in the remake of Kannada super hit film ‘Mythri’, which stars Puneeth Rajkumar & Mohanlal in the leads. But all of a sudden he seems to have changed his mind. The latest buzz in filmnagar is that Nagarjuna loved the film after watching it recently and has given his nod to act in the remake. More details are awaited about this project.

The Shooting Of ‘Baahubali 2’ To Commence From Aug 2015

The shooting of ‘Baahubali 2’ is all planned to commence from Aug, 2015. Incidentally speaking the shooting of the 1st part of ‘Baahubali’ was wrapped up recently and the post production work is in full swing currently. This film is expected to be released very soon and not only Telugu & Tamil audiences, even Bollywood fans are eagerly waiting to watch the film. Now Rana Daggubati has confirmed that the shooting of ‘Baahubali 2’ will start in Aug, 2015. Prabhas will complete his project with Sujeeth meanwhile. Rana Daggubati is currently working for the Tamil version of ‘Bangalore Days’.

Pawan Kalyan Is All Geared Up To Fight Against Government

Pawan Kalyan is now all geared up to fight against the Government. Earlier on Pawan Kalyan had met farmers in the capital region of Andhra Pradesh and said that the Government should not acquire land from farmers who are not willing to give it. Recently there were reports that the Andhra Pradesh Government is going to impose land acquisition act against farmers, Pawan Kalyan took to his twitter handle and wrote, “According to media reports, Andhra Pradesh Government is going to impose land acquisition act on farmers who are not willing to give their lands for capital construction and they even informed High court about it. If it is their decision, I am ready to fight against the Government on the behalf of the farmers”.

‘Baa Naale Baa’ Is Now Ready

Catching on the old fear in the villages a horror subject ‘Baa Naale Baa’ has completed the shooting silently. For fear of ghost the doors outside the houses were written ‘Come Tomorrow’ – meaning ‘Baa Naale Baala’. The presumption is that ghosts reading it would go away. A superstitious belief. 1st time director & producer T K Urs has developed a story of grudge of a village chieftain on this to safeguard his property. It bounces back on him resulting in repentance. Sri Yogeshwari Arts Creations has roped in AT Ravish for music & Dhanush for cinematography. While Srinidi Sangeetha Urs has penned the dialogues, Raju & Jaggu are the choreographers, Sriman has written lyrics, Mass Madha & Style King Williams handled the stunts.

The Cult Film ‘Shiva’ To Be Released Again

The cult film ‘Shiva’ to be re-released. A film that redefined Telugu cinema, ‘Shiva’, is going to be released again. The digitally remastered version of the film will be released on 15th May, 2015 and it has been officially confirmed. The quality of the sound and the other technical aspects is enhanced now. Ram Gopal Varma & Nagarjuna had announced that they will re-release the film at the 25 years celebrations of the movie a few months back. The film will be released under Annapurna Studios banner in a good number of theatres.

‘Honeybee’ Sequel Coming Soon

Incidentally speaking the sequel of the hit movie ‘Honeybee’ which was the directorial debut of Lal Jr, is scheduled to take off. The scripting has been completed and the original cast of Asif Ali, Baburaj, Sreentah Bhasi, Lal, Bhavana et al will reprise their roles in the upcoming movie too. It is also said that certain popular actors of M’Town will play a part in special appearances in the movie. Jean Paul aka Lal Jr. also has another movie lined up. It is a Mammootty starrer titled ‘Driving License’.

Pearle Maaney To Enact The Role Of A Bride in ‘Loham’

Pearle Maaney to enact the role of a bride in ‘Loham’. And contrary to the reports that Pearle Maaney is doing an item dance in the movie ‘Loham’, the actress has posted a picture of her in a bridal get up, with Mohanlal. She had earlier stated that she won’t be updating the picture since it would give away the characterization. However, she has done so, probably with fake news about her “item dance” spreading. She plays a cameo in the movie and does have a dance number, which will have Mohanlal and & Andrea Jeremiah too in it.

Ram Gopal Varma & Dr. Shivraj Kumar Join Hands

Stalwart director Ram Gopal Varma is directing Dr Shivaraj Kumar of 100 plus films in the film ‘Killing Veerappan’. The film on ‘Killing Veerappan’ in rumour mill for quite some time is the finally happening as Ramgopal Varma is ready with the perfect script. As he has more information on Veerappan a very dangerous fugitive. The person who killed Veerappan according to Varma is a great personality. This film on ‘Killing Veerappan’ explains what others have not told in the narration. Veerappan was most cruel compared to other criminals. The killer of ‘Veerappan’ in this film is Dr Shivaraj Kumar. It is Dr Shivaraj Kumar’s father icon of Karnataka Dr Rajkumar kidnapped by fugitive Veerappan and kept in dense forest for 108 days. Such kidnapping & struggle of Dr Rajkumar resulted badly in his health condition.

Movie Review: 'Piku' is a delightful journey of emotions via motions

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piku

Banner: MSM Motion Pictures, Saraswati Entertainment Creations Limited & Rising Sun Films
Producer: N. P. Singh, Ronnie Lahiri & Sneha Rajani
Director: Shoojit Sircar
Cast: Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Irrfan Khan, Moushumi Chatterjee, Raghuvir Yadav, Jishu Sengupta, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury & Akshay Oberoi
Music: Anupam Roy

Director Shoojit Sircar of ‘Vicky Donor’ fame is a good & powerful director no doubt and he raises earth shaking humor in most of his films with the aid of a substance then be it a “sperm” (‘Vicky Donor’) or a man’s absolute necessity “motion” (the film in question ‘Piku’). So ‘Piku’ is a delightful journey of emotions via motions
Interlaced with comic interludes.

The plot of ‘Piku’ entails the story of Piku. Deepika Padukone portrays the titular protagonist, a Bengali architect living in New Delhi and Amitabh Bachchan plays her hypochondriac father. Irrfan Khan, Moushumi Chatterjee & Jishu Sengupta portray supporting roles. Piku Bannerji (Deepika Padukone), a successful architect is struggling to manage both her career and the responsibility of her 70 year old father Bhashkor Banerjee (Amitabh Bachchan), who can be quite the handful. The cranky Bengali senior is a hypochondriac and also happens to be perpetually constipated. His motions, or lack thereof, are the subject of virtually every conversation in their Chittaranjan Park home. He’s obsessed with details of the color, the texture, the size, and the consistency of his poop, which he insists on sharing with his daughter even when she’s at work or out on a date. In the father – daughter’s constant petty squabbles there are other character’s like Bhashkor’s 3 times divorced sister – in -law (Maushami Chatterjee), Sayed Afroz (Jishu Sengupta) Piku’s prospective suitor who is also the victim of his own motion problem &  completing the triangle with Piku & Bhaskor is Rana Chowdhary (Irrfan Khan), the owner of a private taxi company who volunteers to drive Piku and her father all the way from Delhi to Kolkata when the old man strongly insists on visiting his ancestral home. The film takes the shape of a road – trip movie from this point on and it’s Rana applying his trademark dry humor, who gets some of the best moments here. Amused by Bhaskor’s fixation on his tummy issues, Rana explains the merits of squatting on a Western style toilet, and in another hilarious scene draws out the entire digestive route of food for a fascinated Bhashkor.

Director Shoojit Sircar does not let even once the lead characters idiosyncrasies, turn into caricatures while all along delivering big laughs thanks to all the actor’s spot – on comic timing. Also bringing his best game to the film is Irrfan Khan. But it’s with the character of Piku that writer Juhi Chaturvedi pushes the envelope farthest, giving us a fully flesh & blood modern woman. Unembarrassed to admit she has sexual needs, unafraid to pursue a casual relationship with a colleague Sayed Afroz and never shy of snapping back at her patience – testing father. Shoojit Sircar and his entire team of the crew in lieu with the cast deserves a standing ovation for bringing such a marvellous film for the “meangful film” starved cinegoers. Shoojit Sircar keeps a breezy, light – hearted tone throughout, infusing a hint of humor even in the decidedly emotional or motion bits.

Performance wise Amitabh Bachchan towers above all with his towering performance. His mannerisms, his gait, his get up, his body language, his representation of a 70 year old man’s whimsical eccentrics in tandem with the finely tuned gamuts & nuances speaks volumes of his eternal histrionics skills. While the film also belongs to Deepika Padukone, she is just a bit too perfect as Piku. She has matched Sr. Bachchan step by step, scene by scene in fact in every single frame. Irrfan Khan, the 3rd angle of the eccentric triangle, is as usual too good to be true. In fact the trio of Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone & Irrfan Khan are simply outstanding. The rest of the cast comprising of Moushumi Chatterjee, Raghuvir Yadav, Jishu Sengupta, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury & Akshay Oberoi not only form a far from perfect foil to the lead actors but they are all just too superb in their “Brief” roles.

Tail Piece: Film’s like ‘Piku’ comes once in a while bringing along with it a whiff of fresh air. So go ahead partake of its aroma before it gets withered & weather beaten. Once again a cautionary advice “Don’t Miss ‘Piku’ At Any Cost”.

Movie Review: 'Kuch Kuch Locha Hai' is entertaining but hardly convincing

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Kuch-Kuch-Locha-Hai

Banner: Magic Picture & Entertainment & Maximus Multimedia Pvt Ltd.
Producer: Mukesh Purohit
Director: Devang Dholakia
Cast: Sunny Leone, Ram Kapoor, Evelyn Sharma, Suchita Trivedi & Navdeep Chabbra
Music: Dharam-Sandeep, Amjad-Nadeem, Arko Pravo Mukherjee, Ikka, Ali Quli Mirza & the Late R. D. Burman
Media Consultant: Infinite Expressions

Director Devang Dholakia is a veteran of sorts and he manages to pull off a comic spoof, of a Gujarati household stationed in Malaysia, in his latest offering ‘Kuch Kuch Locha Hai’. Besides he has followed the new trend of keeping a rhyming name as a film’s title so Karan Johar’s ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ becomes Devang Dholakia’s ‘Kuch Kuch Locha Hai’.

The plotted scenario of ‘Kuch Kuch Locha Hai’ kicks off with the introduction of Pravin Patel aka PP (Ram Kapoor), his family and the girl of his dreams Shanaya (Sunny Leone), who is a Bollywood actress. PP’s family consists of his ‘religiously religious’ wife Kokila aka ‘Krokodile’ (Suchita Trivedi) and his son Jigar aka ‘Jigolo’ (Navdeep Chabra), who is an aspiring rockstar who are happily settled in Malaysia. However, they are totally unaware of PP’s ‘feelings’ towards Shanaya. On the other hand PP’s love for Shanaya becomes an obsession so much so that he has a secret ‘worship chamber’ of hers in his video shop! PP’s luck hits a goldmine when he gets chosen as a winner in a contest whose bumper prize is a ‘date with Shanaya’. Amidst the ‘date’, Shanaya, impressed with PP’s Gujarati mannerisms, offers to stay with him as a part of her homework for the dream role of a Gujarati girl in her forthcoming film with a well-known director. PP, who just cannot believe his luck, lands up lying to her that he is unmarried and stays with his parents. On the other hand, PP sends his wife to India after making a fake call about his wife’s mother’s ill health. When Shanaya tells him that she would like to spend time in a close knit family, PP saves his skin and the situation yet again by convincing his rock star son to become his father and his son’s girlfriend Naina (Evelyn Sharma) to become his mother!

Devang Dholakia has indeed made an entertaining film but somewhere along the line the movie lacks conviction. Some parts of the film are really lively and quite amusing. Hats off to Devang for creating a perfect ambience of a richie rich Gujarati household in tandem with the whims, fancies and eccentrics of each and every character. A well deserving special mention also goes to Ikka, Arko, Intense, Amjad Nadeem, Dharam, Sandeep, Ali Quli Mirza, King & Color (Music), A.K.N. Sebastian (Cinematography) & Sanjay Ingle (Editing).

Performance wise ‘Kuch Kuch Locha Hai’ is a Ram Kapoor & Sunny Leone film all the way and they both complement each other with their picture perfect act. The small screen sensation Ram Kapoor has delivered a smashing performance in ‘Kuch Kuch Locha Hai’ compared to his extremely forgettable act in ‘Humshakals’. While Sunny Leone is improving her glamour quotient, sex appeal & of course her acting skills too in film after film. Suchita Trivedi is apt. Veteran Gujarati actor Mehul Buch hams his way to glory. Evelyn Sharma is another addition to the long list of glamour doll yet she acts well in her part as Ram Kapoor’s aged mother on screen. And last but not the least is débutante Navdeep Chabra another welcome addition to the long list of the handsome hunks of Bollywood. He is also perfect only as Ram Kapoor’s aged father on screen where his chemistry with the senior actor is seen to be believed.

Tail Piece: ‘Kuch Kuch Locha Hai’ is a light hearted entertainer for one & all.

Movie Review: 'Hot Pursuit' is silly & senseless

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hot_pursuit

Producer: Dana Fox, Bruna Papandrea and Reese Witherspoon
Director: Anne Fletcher
Star Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Sofia Vergara, Jim Gaffigan, Robert Kazinsky, Joaquin Cosio, Vincent Laresca, Micheal Mosley, John Carol Lynch, Mathew Dell Negro, Richard T. Jones, Evaluna Montaner, Mike Birbiglia, Micheal Ray Escamillia, Benny Nieves, David Jenson, Jodi Lyn Brockton. Leslie Quezada and Chelsea Avina
Genre: Action Comedy
Verdict: Poor

Director Anne Fletcher has churned out a silly and senseless movie, namely her latest offering Hot Pursuit, which sounds almost akin to a Bollywoodian caper. Besides she is highly and heavily inspired by an old Hollywood blockbuster movie namely Thelma & Louise.

Plot: Officer Cooper (Reese Witherspoon) is stuck working in the evidence room after overreacting and accidentally setting an innocent civilian on fire. A drug kingpin is on trial and a key witness needs to be escorted to Dallas. His wife is accompanying him and laws require a female escort. There’s a double – cross at the pick – up and that’s when Mrs Riva (Sofia Vergara) and Cooper run for their lives in a snazzy convertible.

Aces: The action & chase sequences are quite thrilling.

Minuses: The irrational directional skills of director Anne Fletcher and an absolutely badly hammed performances of the over the hills lead actor Reese Witherspoon topped with a can’t – act – for – nuts Sofia Vergara.

Last Word: A strictly avoidable fare.

Movie Review: 'Playing it Cool' is an enjoyable fare

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PlayingitCool

Banner: Voltage Pictures
Director: Justin Reardon
Star Cast: Chris Evans, Michelle Monaghan, Anthony Mackie, Aubrey Plaza, Patrick Warburton, Ion Gruffudd, Ashley Tisdale, Topher Grace, Giovanni Ribisi, Martin Starr, Luke Wilson & Philip Baker Hall
Genre: Rom – Com
Verdict: Good

Director Justin Reardon in his latest offering Playing It Cool has tackled the genre of rom – com with a lot of adventurous spirit, but most of the film’s circle of writers appear more whimsical rather than seriously interested in doing the job at hand. Yet the film appears lively adding a freshness of its own.

Plot: The narrator (Chris Evans) is a writer and wants to write an action oriented script but his publisher Bryan (Anthony Mackie) wants him to write a romantic script first. The problem is, the narrator doesn’t believe in love. But when he meets a beautiful lady (Michelle Monaghan), he falls for her, only to find out that she is already engaged to Stuffy (Ion Gruffudd).

Aces: Playing It Cool has its own appeal due to its sincere sweetness topped with the perfect on screen chemistry of its lead pair Chris Evans as a reluctant writer and Michelle Monaghan as a mysterious woman.

Minuses: The intermittent use of fantasy sequences from the first frame to the last frame of the movie.

Last Word: A mushy romantic fare worth giving it a try.

Movie Review: 'The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water' is a kid's delight

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The SpongeBob Movie Sponge Out of Water

Producer: Paul Tibbit and Mary Parent
Director: Paul Tibbit
Star Cast: Antonio Banderas, Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Mr. Lawrence & Matt Berry
Genre: Comedy
Verdict: Excellent

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water is based on the Nickelodeon television series SpongeBob SquarePantscreated by Stephen Hillenburg. That apart it is a sequel to 2004’s The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. In this particular movie director Paul Tibbit has mixed SpongeBob and other characters which are animated and rendered in computer animation. Besides the live action scenes were shot in varied locales throughout Savannah and Tybee Island.

Plot: A pirate named Burger – Beard travels to the island of Bikini Atoll to obtain a magical book that makes any text written upon it come true. The book tells the story of SpongeBob SquarePants, a childlike sea sponge who loves his job as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab fast food restaurant and faithfully guards the Krabby Patty secret formula from Plankton, owner of the Chum Bucket and business rival to Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob’s boss.

Aces: The movie has an entertaining flight of fancy, full of gags albeit topped with an hilarious roller coaster joy ride.

Minuses: It’s too fast paced for comfort as before you could enjoy one gag fully,  you end up missing a lot.

Last Word: An extraordinaire summer treat for kids and adults alike.

"I am quite excited to be a part of Udanchoo": Rajneesh Duggal

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Rajneesh_Duggal

Rajneesh Duggal has proved time & again that he is an actor par excellence. Just recently fresh from the success of ‘Ek Paheli Leela’, the talented ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ Season 5 Winner will be seen in a brand new avatar in R – Vision’s edge – of – the – seat thriller ‘Udanchhoo’.

Ravindra Singh’s R – Vision India Pvt Ltd recently announced that they have signed on the ‘Ek Paheli Leela’ star and talented ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ Season 5 winner Rajneesh Duggal for their upcoming film ‘Udanchhoo’. The movie also marks the entry of Director Vipin Parashar, who has helmed ‘No Exit’ and ‘CM Saab’, into mainstream Hindi cinema and the debut of lead actress Saisha who will be seen romancing Rajneesh Duggal. Apart from the lead pair, other cast includes Prem Chopra, Bruna Abdullah, Ashutosh Rana & Bijendra Kala.

Speaking about signing the film Rajneesh Duggal averred, “I am quite excited to be a part of this film. After ‘Ek Paheli Leela’ I wanted to do something really interesting & exciting and ‘Udanchhoo’, being the captivating edge – of – the – seat thriller it fits perfectly.” The talented actor further added, “Vipin is a friend and when he narrated the film, I was instantly hooked onto the story and wanted to be a part of it.”

Commenting on the choice of Rajneesh Duggal as the main lead, Vipin said, “Udanchhoo for me is a very special film as it would be my 1st full – length Hindi commercial film. It was thus imperative for me to get every bit right. Given that the main lead would need to pull off a difficult action – thriller role with a significant emotional quotient, my brief for the casting agency was a difficult one. Then one day I just happened to meet Rajneesh Duggal casually and it immediately struck me that he was perfect for the role – tall, good looking, fresh from ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ and a talented actor all in one. I immediately made him the offer and he agreed. But then there were date issues and we had to go with Gautam Gulati. But destiny had its own strange way and Gautam then had date issues and Rajneesh Duggal had just these dates free. It was really awesome for me as he was my original choice for the role anyway.”

The film’s music has been composed by Avishek Majumder, a music composer who is trained in western classical music & Jazz from London College of Music.  He has been working with various advertising agencies as a music composer and has worked in more than 100 advertising campaigns. He debuted as a music composer in a Hindi film with Jimmy Shergil starrer film “Four Two ka One’.  Some of his upcoming films are ‘Gadaar’ & ‘Saddey CM Saab’ (Punjabi feature films, featuring Harbhajan Mann), “No Exit” (Hindi Feature Film).

Other credits include: Story & Screenplay: Vishal V. Patil, Dialogues: Vishal V. Patil, Vaibhav Bajpai & Vipin Parashar, Executive Producer: Sandeep Chandra, Costume: Fahad Khan & Swati Singh, Art Director: Pradeep Singh et al.

R – Vision India Pvt Ltd founded in 2000 by Ravindra Singh who is also the company’s Managing Director, R – Vision is one of the fastest growing production houses in the industry, producing at least 2 – 3 films each year, the company started off in New Delhi and with 15 years of persistent endeavor it has now over 2 dozen hit music albums & 5 commercial films to its credits. It was founded with the core objective of offering movies in genres like action, adventure, comedies to family dramas. R – Vision also has a 24×7 TV Channel R – Vision TV that provides the audience access to good entertaining films & music content.

R – Vision’s 1st home production was ’27_13.20 Nakshatra’, directed by Mohan Savalkar, starring Anupam Kher & Milind Soman. He added more feathers to his hat with the release of the romantic film ‘Pappu Can’t Dance Saala’, starring Vinay Pathak, Neha Dhupia & Rajat Kapoor. And family entertainer ‘I M 24′ directed by Suarabh Shukla, starring Rajat Kapoor, Ranvir Shorey, Neha Dhupia & Manjari Fadnis. Besides, there are more movies in the pipeline to be released by 2015. R – Vision is currently working on a new project directed by Vipin Parashar, titled ‘Udanchhoo’ and is anticipated to release this year.

Bollywood Round Up

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Mukesh-Khanna

Mukesh Khanna New Chairperson Of Children Film Society, India (CSFI)

Mukesh Khanna actor & producer became the new chairman of Children Film Society. Shravan Kumar,COO of the CFSI conformed the news, “It gives me immense pleasure to inform that the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has appointed Mukesh Khanna of ‘Shaktiman’ fame as the Chairman of Children’s Film Society, India.” Mukesh Khanna who is better known as Shaktiman is very happy and is flooded with sms and letters from his fans. Somebody told him that now something will happen as the seat is given now to the right candidate who truly belongs to children and who sincerely thinks for welfare of the children of the world.”

Swati Sharrma’s “Banno“ Number From ‘Tannu Weds Manu Returns’ Garners Innumerable Hits

Singer Swati Sharrma is not only excited with the stupendous success of her latest foot tapping & peppy number, “Banno” from ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns which took the listeners with a storm, but with the success of this number Swati has garnered tons & tons of appreciation as well she has undisputedly reached the horizon of the Bollywood musical domain. The singing star who has become a sensation overnight speaks elatedly, “I’m so happy that people are enjoying this number! It wasn’t a cake walk to be able to pitch the exact note, the high tone of this sexy peppy & foot tapping number had to match the Haryanvi character played by none other than Kangana. I also want to thank director Aanand L Rai for giving be break with this song. The rage of “Banno” has proved one thing again that the songs which bring in the true feelings and the real depth of our Indian Culture surely allure the listeners’ ears. Swati’s folk- lore sort of a sexy peppy vocals is a proven fact that she is here to stay. However, Swati begs to differ having been trained from a tender age, I can bet my last penny and proudly say that , I have sung a few romantic numbers too and have bagged a few more ,which I can disclose only after everything gets finalized. Undeniably, I am not conceited about my vocals but yes! I credit myself for being able to complete my daily riyaz religiously. I have traveled all the way to Mumbai moreover; my parents have extended their support in every manner whatsoever. Keeping this in mind and also my ambition to achieve success in the Musical industry I conduct myself accordingly. I know my painstaking efforts will bear fruits sooner or later this is just the beginning.” Hailing from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, Swati shot to fame amongst the youth when her single song “Kyu Kho Gaye”, which was composed by Raeth, the popular Pakistani Band which bears the credit of having crossed a million views on Zee Music Company’s channel on you tube. Swati has learnt music from Sangeet Visharad from Chandigarh University namely Pracheen Kala Kendra. The singer also took training from her guru Pankaj Maharaj. Undoubtedly, the intense & devoted training from her Guru has enabled her to be able to rise to this position within a short span of her musical struggle. Swati is already a personality to reckon with in the Marathi musical domain merely with the success of having lent her voice for 1 song in the film titled, ‘Yudh’, Hereafter there’s no looking back for Swati at all with few songs already in her kitty namely ‘Ek Tera Saath”, ‘Direct Ishq’ & ‘Flame’.

Ekaansh Bhaardwaaj & Leena Kapoor Launched Their Audio Of Film ‘Madmast Barkhaa’

TV news reporter turned actor Ekaansh Bhaardwaaj is making his debut with Leena Kapoor in Jaspal Singh produced & directed film Madmast Barkhaa. They released the audio at an event recently. Ekaansh & Leena performed on track from the film. The film is made under the banner of Singh Multimedia creation and the film is releasing on 15th May, 2015 all over. Raj Verma music director of the film gave inputs regarding the music of the film.

Hollywood Actress & Singer Sofia Hayat Wears 1 Crore’s Dress For Bridal Wear Shoot In London

Sofia Hayat recently wore 1 Crore’s dress made especially for her to model. The dress is covered in diamonds which have been hand stitched. The Italian designers Atelier Italia, made this for a photo shoot especially for the actress, singer & supermodel. The head piece by Louis Mariette, designer & judge of America’s Next top model, was also an unpriceable diamond piece. Security was provided throughout the shoot and the dress & head piece returned with the body guards.

Model & Actress Ekta Jain Got Her Photo Shoot Done For Her New Serial

Ekta jain who has done loads of anchoring, ramp shows,TV Serials, films, ad films et al is coming back after 6 years with a new serial for Doordarshan. She did the photo shoot recently for the show where she will play different characters. Vishal Saxena did the photo shoot. The show will be directed & produced by H Bharti.

Shreyas Talpade Receives “Dada Saheb Phalke Film Foundation” Award for ‘Baji’

Actor – Producer – Director Shreyas Talpade recently received the “Dada Saheb Phalke Film Foundation” Award for the 2nd time for his performance in Marathi film ‘Baji’. The film which was released on 6th Feb, 2015, saw the talented actor essay the role of Marathi cinema’s 1st ever vigilante superhero film. Shreyas had earlier won the “Dada Saheb Phalke Film Foundation” Award for his performance in his debut film ‘Iqbal’. An elated Shreyas said, “It’s an honour to receive this prestigious award, winning it again is like a pat on the back and is in a way a validation that I am on the right track and have done something to deserve it. It also drives me to push the boundaries of my art further and explore new depths.” The talented actor who has been in the industry for more than a decade made a mark with his debut film ‘Iqbal’ and since then there has been no looking back for him. The talented actor has been part of many successful films like ‘Om Shanti Om’, “Golmaal” series to name a few. The actor had also recently produced his 2nd Marathi film ‘Poshter Boyz’ which was a critically acclaimed as well as a blockbuster film and will also be directing the sequel. In the past he has won the Zee Cine Critics award for outstanding acting skills for his debut film ‘Iqbal’ in 2005. He also won the Best Comedian award for ‘Dor’ at the Star Screen Awards as well as Stardust Breakthrough Performance (Male) award in 2007 and the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor for ‘Om Shanti Om’ the same year.

Sanchiti Sakat Meets Padamshri Anup Jalota

Padamshri Anup Jalota always support new talent. He is doing a devotional musical show Shehar on Big FM every morning. Anup Jalota invites new talent in every morning show. Sanchiti Sakat who sings in 7 languages was excited when she sang a bhajan in front of Anup Jalota. Anup Jalota gave blessings to her and told her to do more riyaaz which will make her strong in classical & traditional music. Sanchiti Sakat recently released her album “Jazbaat” with Bhoomi Trivedi, Shahid Mallya, Vaishali Made et al.

Yogesh Lakhani of Bright Outdoor Meets Daler Mehndi & Irfan Khan

Yogesh Lakhani of Bright Outdoor Media Pvt Ltd is a very reputed name in outdoor publicity. He is part of 90% of events in India & Abroad. He was recently seen chatting with Daler Mehndi & Rajeev Thakur at event and next day he was with Shahrukh Khan at other event. He also met Irfan Khan at a event in Andheri.

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