Buddha & Buddha.Mov Steal The Show At Mami This Year
In the recently concluded MAMI festival, there were 2 brilliant films with a similar title – Buddha. One was Buddha.Mov directed by Kabir Mehta on the former well built Indian cricketer Budhadev In what is reminiscent of the recent Ranbir Kapoor acted Sanjay Dutt biopic, where Sanjay Dutt goes on record to tell that he had bedded some 200 & odd women. The documentary on Buddhadev informs the audience that he’s been to bed with 90 girls & what’s more, he keeps in touch with all of them. How? He’s set his phone to pop up every 5 names a day and then he sends each one of them a short message letting her know that he hasn’t forgotten her. In a series of long shots as he performs his daily exercise routine, the film makes a bold use of full frontal male nudity & uncensored locker-room talks; with outspoken cleverness is also a breath of fresh air amidst many social-themed films. The film has Buddhadev, the flamboyant cricketer authorizing unrestricted access into the most private aspects of his life to the filmmaker, lured by the chance of being the protagonist of the documentary film. The other film titled Buddha directed by Vinit Chandrasekharan talks about how in the drought stricken eastern part of Maharashtra where close to 23000 farmers commit suicide since the year 2009 & the Christian missionaries decide to sell the land given to the Dalits in exchange for conversion to Christianity, a couple of decades ago. Father Benedict Deddario is entrusted with the task but his biggest roadblock is the poor local Dalit leader Vinya. Besides the land tussle, Benedict is shaken by Vinya’s resistance & unwillingness to convert to Christianity. Benedict will stop at nothing to not only sell the land but also get Vinya to convert, even if that means using Vinya’s power hungry wife against him.
Girija Oak’s Sweet & Sour Gesture
The best way to peoples’ hearts is through their stomachs. Girija Oak, who is all set to play the role of Meghana Nikade on Sony TV’s upcoming show Ladies Special knows this only too well! The actress has recently started shooting for the show & decided to treat the entire cast & crew of the show with some Lemon Cakes. When asked about this sweet gesture, Girija said, “It’s such a pleasure to work with this amazing cast & crew every day. Everyone here is so hardworking & appreciative of each other. I brought along these lemon cakes for everyone from Pune’s famous bakery which is also famous for selling Shrewberry biscuits just because I wanted to make them happy.” Actors are known for throwing grand parties & events to show their gratitude, but there is something endearing about the sweetness of a lemon cake that made won Girija a lot of brownie points from her co-workers.
AGP World Is All Set To Present ‘Devdas’
AGP World, India’s leading theatre production house re-creates the tale of undying love Devdas. Originally written by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, the much applauded novella has been transformed into a 150 minute theatre play. This romantic saga directed by Saif Hyder Hasan stars renowned actors such as Gaurav Chopra, Manjari Fadnis, Sunil Palwal, Sukhada Khandkekar, Bhavna Pani, Smita Jaykar et al. Set against the backdrop of historically rich & old Calcutta, this rendition takes us through the unsolved mysteries of what happened to Chandramukhi & Paro after Devdas. In deference to the magnificence of 19th century Calcutta, the décor has been recreated in a manner that will certainly skip a heartbeat. Eye catching visuals from the gas-lit busy streets of the era paired with the history of opulent Havelis in India are sure to delight you. The play also highlights classic & contemporary fusion dance pieces choreographed by Shampa Gopikrishna (daughter of acclaimed Kathak maestro Padmashri Gopi Krishna) & Bertwin Ravi D’Souza, contributing to the spectacular theatrical experience. Saif Hyder Hasan seems equally thrilled & came on record to talk about his excitement. Commenting on the same he says, “Truly it isn’t easy to narrate a journey that has been experienced by audiences for decades.” With utmost precision & commitment to deliver a performance of a lifetime, AGP has added another golden feather to their cap.
Aditi Gupta Says That The TRP System On TV Is Bogus!
Aditi Gupta, who is seen in Ravindra Gautam’s Kaal Bhairav 2, is not a big fan of the TRP system. The actor says that somewhere it is this system which stops makers from trying out new things. “I think it is bogus. I don’t know how it works because no one knows how they calculate the numbers. It’s never been explained, so I don’t know how it is being done. But people still believe it & we go by it. I think because of the TRP system, I’ve seen that people are not trying to be more creative. People are not trying to evolve themselves because they think that if this thing is working, let it work as we are anyways getting the TRPs. I think TRPs are not required but if it won’t be there, I feel some shows here will be going on & on for years,” she says. Aditi loves being part of Kaal Bhairav 2 and is especially fond of the title. “I think it’s unique & interesting. It says a lot about the show & what it’s based on. But to know about the show, you will have to watch it. It sounds very strong as a topic, but doesn’t give out too much. I am playing the character of this girl Archana. She is a very outspoken person. She is today’s girl, who is very confident & talks a lot. She will go & talk to anybody. She will also go & talk to a watchman but with the same respect & love. She is in love with a boy who is from a very royal family, which she has no idea of. But his family is cursed, so she’s the one who will be trying to figure out what is the mystery all about. Apparently, in their family any boy can’t live more than 30 years of age. I really relate to my character. We are so similar. I don’t have to actually make up anything. I have to be as natural as possible. Being so alike just helps me with the character. The way she is talkative & her hand moments & all of that is so similar to the way I am in real life”. Aditi is sure that the show will be loved. “Everyone’s expectations is quite high, I think this genre has not been explored on TV as yet. I think it is a great show, I am not just saying that because I am doing it, but it is something which people like. It has a sense of mystery & also has a lot of amazing actors in it. So, I think it is a great combination and people would like to watch this kind of genre. I love working with producer-director Ravindra Gautam as well.
Hawan On The Sets Of ‘Ye Ristha Kya Kehlata Hai’!
Rajan Shahi is one producer-director who believes in the power of love & prayers. Rajan Shahi keeps having Hawan from time to time. On Dhanteras morning a hawan was organized with the presence of the cast & the crew. Rajan Shahi is one producer whose sets always have a cosmopolitan culture & all the festivals are celebrated. The positive vibes are always in the air.
A Surprise Birthday Bash For Smita Gondkar
Richa Ranawat, Pururava Rao & Parul Chawla threw a surprise birthday bash for Smita Gondkar. The birthday bash which was expected to be a grand affair turned out to be phenomenal. It was a flamboyantly splendid party with glitz, glamour, opulence & loads of love for the birthday girl reflecting from the entire preparations that were no less than perfect. A significant chunk of Bollywood, Television & Marathi industry was seen at the birthday celebrations. Some of the name from glamour arena were the biggest attraction at the birthday bash which included Sana Khan, Nehha Pendse, Tyagraj, Harshada Khanvilkar, Medha Manjrekar, Priya Darshan, Aniket Vishwas, DJ Shiezwood, Sneha Wagh, Gurmeet & Debina Chaudhary, Romanch, Resham Tipnis, Sushant Shelar, Aastad Kale, Amey Khopkar, Usha Nadkarni, Prashant Virender Sharma, Champak Jain, Rajesh Khera, Dr. Sharmila Nayak, Aziz Zee, Umesh Pherwani etc. The birthday girl, Smita Gondkar said “I am so overwhelmed with the surprise birthday bash by Parul, Richa & Puru Rava. Birthdays are always special. The day becomes further special when you spend the day with your friends & family.
Pratibhatai Patil, Ex-President Of India Releases Vidharbha Film Festival Booklet
It is for the 1st time ever in the history of Vidharbha District that an International Film Festival will be held in Amravati in the month of Jan, 2019. It is also for the 1st time ever in the history of India & probably in the world, that an Ex-President of that country released the booklet of an upcoming film festival. Hon’ble ex-president of India Pratibhatai Patil blessed the organizers of the film festival & released the booklet at an auspicious ceremony held in Amravati, attended by Nanak Bhai Ahuja, Khushi Shroff (Late Inder Kumar’s daughter). Pratibhatai Patil applauded the organizer Raju Kariya when he announced that it will be for the 1st time ever in the history of India that 15 Marathi films will be screened along with 5 regional films (Sindhi, Gujarati, Bhojpuri, Rajasthani & Punjabi), screening web series, music Album & TV Serial. This unique feat has never been attempted even in the history of Entertainment anywhere by any film festival in the world. The Vidharbha International Film Festival is being conceived, designed, executed & organized by noted PRO Raju Kariya & Montu Singh. Raju Kariya is the 1st ever Publicist in Bollywood industry who has been felicitated by the President’s award for his achievements over the past 4 decades in Bollywood & have also been applauded globally & he is also listed in the Book of World Records. More than 50 Bollywood celebrities have confirmed their attendance at the 1st ever Vidharbha International Film Festival. Notable amongst them are Aruna Irani, Raj Babbar, Rohit Roy, Ravi Kishen, Gajendra Chauhan, Rahul Roy et al. Amongst the other Bollywood celebrities, Dolly Bindra, Krishna Abhishekh, Gautam Rode, Shahwar Ali, Shahleen Bhanot, Shahbaz Khan, Nishant Singh Malkani, Sharad Malhotra, Siddharth Nigam, Arya Babbar, Anas Rasheed, Gurpreet Singh, Amit Pachauri, Kartik jairam, Pankaj Berry, Manav Gohil, Krunal Singh, Pratham Kumar, Ankit Patidar, Rahul Chaudhary, Jeet Sony, Kunal Chauhan, Rahul Siddharth Sipani, Kiran Jhanjhani & Rahul Prakash Rai have confirmed their presence at this event as its honored guests. During the booklet launch occasion, the ex-president of India Pratibhatai Patil announced her desire to grace the opening ceremony of this one of its kind film festival, subject to her keeping good health & if she finds time from her busy schedule.
