Siddharth Nigam Visits Kidzania Mumbai 

Siddharth Nigam visited Kidzania, the Global Indoor Theme Park at R-City Mall in Mumbai for a meet & greet with kids from the NGO. He also felicitated the winners of the contest. Kids from the NGO were invited to KidZania Mumbai in an effort to empower & inspire them through real life role playing activities that the establishment offers. Siddharth Nigam chose the best 3 & felicitated them with hampers. He encouraged the children to enjoy their childhood to the most as these are the best times & always respect your parents. Following this, Siddharth Nigam shook a leg with the kids on the beats of Dhoom 3 Songs & also cut a cake with them as a celebration of Chritsmas. Kids role-playing as budding journalists asked her about some of her crazy times in school as well as his childhood career aspirations apart from acting. 

 Amruta Khanvilkar’s X’mas Party With Special Children 

Christmas was here & the celebrations were all over the place. Dancing queen Amruta Khanvilkar decided to share the Christmas cheer with special children of Jagruti Palak Sanstha, Thane. Amruta Khanvilkar has been seen enjoying with kids of the dance reality show that she is judging! Amruta has become everyone’s favorite “Amu Didi”. So this year she decided to celebrate Christmas with these Special Children! These special children displayed their talent during the special activities like dancing & playing games & their Amu Didi cheered them by participating along! The children were also given lots of gifts & sweets from their favorite actress. Amruta said “My aim was to make this Christmas celebration more special for the special children because they are different, extremely talented & very special to all of us. Every year I spend my time with varied NGO’S but this was very special & emotional for me, the love I got from these kids is memorable & will be very close to my heart always”

Rishina Kandari Just Loves Christmas

  Christmas was celebrated all over the world, Rishina Kandhari says that she loves Christmas & and the festivity that surrounds it. “Christmas to me is all about Santa, gifts, lights & cakes. I am always excited about Christmas as I love the environment at Christmas. Everything is so positive, people are partying & even the weather is so beautiful,” she says. Ask her what she wished for this Christmas, and she says, “I just wanted a lots of positivity & happiness to be continued in my life. That’s all that I asked from Santa this year.” The actor has a lot of fond memories of Christmas this year. “I remember when I was a kid, I used to be excited for Christmas as we used to have this Christmas party at our school. We used to get lots of gifts, snacks, chocolates & cakes and then they used to play Christmas songs & we used to dance on them,” she says. The festival is still special for her. “Every Christmas, I get a Christmas tree at my place & my daughter & I decorate the tree together. She loves doing that & if she is not working, she bakes a chocolate cake at home which everyone loves.

Kannada Movie Butterfly’ Teaser Crosses 1.5million Views

The teaser of Kannada film Butterfly has already crossed over 1.5 Million views across all digital platforms & the people of Karnataka cannot stop gushing about it. The film stars the gorgeous Parul Yadav who skipped her glamorous avatar to look & behave just like a naive girl from Gokarna, Karnataka. The teaser reveals the fun & the colorful vibe of the film with exotic European locales & Amit Trivedi’s perky music composition, along with the emotional journey the protagonist (Parul Yadav) goes through. With this film, Parul Yadav also debuts as a co-producer. Being a woman oriented film; this score of over 1.5 Million views for a Kannada film in a span of 5 days is commendable. With so much love pouring in, undoubtedly, Butterfly becomes the most awaited film in Karnataka. Butterfly is directed by Ramesh Aravind, produced by Manu Kumaran, presented by Mediente Films, dialogues by Mamta Sagar & Ramesh Aravind.

Success Of Teaser Of ‘Queen’ Remake In South Shows The Strength Of the Original Hindi Movie+

The teaser of the Hindi movie Queen’s remakes in the 4 South languages Butterfly in Kannada, Paris in Tamil, That is Mahalakshmi in Telugu & Zam Zam in Malayalam has been receiving lots of love from audiences. The teaser was released 5 days back. The brand value of the original Queen is so high that even 5 years after its release the remakes in the other languages are eliciting so much interest across the 4 states.  That the film is spear headed by the top most actress in her region makes the film even more exciting. Manu Kumaran the producer says, “Queen is a story that deserves to be told in every language in every corner of the world. Women are conditioned to build their lives around this mythical magical moment called marriage after which everything will just be swell. Marriage is a milestone not a destination and this is why these films are so incredibly important” The Kannada remake of Queen is titled as Butterfly, directed by Ramesh Aravind, dialogues by Mamta Sagar & Ramesh Aravind and stars Parul Yadav. The Tamil remake of Queen is titled as Paris Paris, directed by Ramesh Aravind, dialogues by Thamizhachi Thangapandian & stars Kajal Aggarwal. The Telugu remake of Queen is titled as That Is Mahalakshmi whicstars Tamannaah Bhatia. The Malayalam remake of Queen is titled as Zam Zam, directed by Neelakanta, dialogues by Vipin Radhakrishnan & stars Manjima Mohan & Sunny Wayne. The films are presented by Taizoon Khorakiwala & produced by Manu Kumaran under the banner of Mediente Films.

Nikita Rawal To Play A Glamorous Role In A Tamil Film

Nikita Rawal who has to her credit as an actress many films in Hindi & South languages did a new glamorous photo shoot for her upcoming untitled Tamil movie which will  start in Feb, 2019. Nikita Rawal plays the role of a corporate business girl with Vijay Kumar Shetty. The film produced by Shiva Sharan Films & directed by Ravi Shankar, will be shot in India & Bali, Indonesia.

Himanshu Malhotra Is Back With Share & Grow Spotlight Season 2 

The 1^st ever season of Himanshu Malhotra’s talk show Share & Grow Spotlight was a major success. With the who’s who of the TV industry gracing the show, we saw many eminent personalities share their deepest secrets. The actor will soon be coming up with the 2^nd season of the show! The season 2 of Share & Grow Spotlight will be bigger as now we have tied up with acting institutes & colleges. We’re trying to help all these people as well. We will be having a live audience, consisting of these students, for the episodes now. Season 1 was not done with any live audience, we were only shooting in the studio. We want to reach out to so many people to share & the idea behind it is to provide guidance & inspiration to budding actors from these colleges. There are other surprises as well! The packaging will change. We will try to call more & bigger celebrities as well. We plan to get people like Shankar Mahadevan, Manoj Bajpayee & Imtiyaz Ali…varied  people of varied age groups & fraternities and people who are masters in their fields. I’m talking about the biggest celebrities. I plan to get in touch with my peers as well like Rithvik Dhanjani, Sargun Mehta, Ravi Dubey, Pooja Chopra. I am approaching people from various fraternities. The CEO of Salman Khan’s Being Human Foundation is also coming. We are also trying for singers such as Neha Kakkar & Shalmali Kholgade.”

Ahwaan Kumar Has An Accident While Shooting For ‘Kaal Bhairav Rahasaya 2’

Ahwaan Kumar loves being part of Kaal Bhairav Rahasya 2. However, the actor had to unfortunately, undergo an accident on the sets recently which resulted in his hair getting burnt. “Actually, we were shooting at night for Kaal Bhairav Rahasaya 2 in a jungle & we had a scene where Veer goes missing. So, Kashinath, I & the other people go and search for him in the jungle. As it is night time, we take fire torches & search around for Veer. Suddenly, we see Laali’s spirit & everyone runs away except me. So, when the person beside me was running, his fire torch slipped from his hand & that somehow touched my hair & it got burnt. But luckily, I managed to put the fire off,” says the actor. However, he is making sure to give his hair extra attention after the incident. “I am one of those people who really take care of their hair. For me, hair is something which is the most precious thing in my body. I always oil my hair, shampoo it & do everything to take care of it. So, after this incident I have been taking more care of it, I hope it never happens again in my life,” he says.

Mohammad Nazim Says That These Days No One Typecasts An Actor 

Mohammad Nazim, who was seen as the negative lead in the show Udaan, says that he loved being part of the show. The actor adds that he loved his character & the feedback was amazing as well. “It is a very good experience as it was my 1^st ever time of playing a negative lead. It was a very good character & I tried my best to do justice to it. Now, I am also getting a good response from the audience as well,” he says. Ask him if he found playing a negative character challenging, and he says, “It was a very challenging role as I am a Punjabi & the character has a typical Bihari accent. It was a tough task to learn this accent as I have never spoken in Bihari. I did a lot of preparations to learn this accent. I think the most challenging role is a negative one. For this, I changed my driver to one who speaks in Bihari so that most of the time I could converse with him in Bihari & could understand the language & accent. You have to work more on your expression & your body language too to prepare for a negative role.” Contrary to what many may feel, Nazim doesn’t think people typecast you anymore. “I think there is no such thing as being typecast. It totally depends on your skills & your talent and how you play a character. For example, Shahrukh has done varied negative roles say in Baazigar, Don etc. It doesn’t mean that he was typecast for doing such roles and he will not get any positive roles. I think you never get typecast, it all depends on your acting skills & talent,” he says. Mohammed Nazim has a few dream roles in mind. “I would like to do historical shows like Karn Sangini, Dastaan – E – Mohabbat Salim Anarkali,” he says, adding, “I would love to do that type of shows if I get a chance as the audience will be able to see a different side of me. I think that physique doesn’t matter. All that matters is your talent, skills & hard work.” Talking about physique, the actor is a fitness enthusiast & even plans to open a gym in his hometown soon. “I will open a gym by 2020. I think going to the gym will spread a good message of living a healthy life. If somebody becomes Mr. Punjab or achieve any title, then the gym would be free of cost to them. The main aim is to achieve awareness about fitness in my hometown Markotla,” he says.

 Zero
SRK’s Zero Is A Biggest Disappointing Fare
Banner: Red Chillies Entertainment & Color Yellow Productions
Producer: Gauri Khan
Director: Aanand L Rai
Music: Ajay – Atul
Star Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Katrina Kaif, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Brijendra Kala, Sheeba Chhadha, R. Madhvan, Abhay Deol, Salman Khan, Kajol, Rani Mukerji, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Karisma Kapoor, Juhi Chawla & the late Sridevi

 ZERO is a crucial film for varied reasons. The main reason being, it’s the 1^st ever collaboration of Shah Rukh Khan & Aanand L Rai, who has a hat trick of hits to his credit like Tanu Weds Manu, Raanjhanaa & Tanu Weds Manu Returns.
Unlike their previous ventures, the stakes are high this time. The actor features in a role he hasn’t portrayed earlier, while a significant part of the 2^nd half has space travel interwoven in its screenplay. Naturally, the expectations are colossal.
Without giving away the minutest details of the story, here’s the spoiler-free plot: Bauua (Shah Rukh), a 38 year old man, lives with his family in Meerut. He comes across the profile of Aafia (Anushka Sharma) at a marriage bureau & decides to woo her.
Aafia doesn’t show interest in Bauua initially, but falls in love with him subsequently. Bauua backs off. A few months later, Bauua is shocked to see Aafia at his residence.
Bauua’s father (Tigmanshu Dhulia) decides to get Bauua & Aafia married & a reluctant Bauua agrees too. Meanwhile, Bauua had signed up for a dance competition where the winner will get to meet the superstar, Babita (Katrina Kaif).
An ardent fan of Babita, Bauua ditches Aafia on the day of marriage. What happens next forms the remainder of the film.
To begin with, the story by Himanshu Sharma hinges on a wafer thin plot. The writer has integrated space travel in the narrative & you may argue, and rightly so, that it’s this aspect that drives the story away from predictability. However, the writer fails to knit a compelling, riveting & captivating screenplay that stays with you.
ZERO appeals in bits & spurts & a few moments in the 1^st ever half do grab your attention, make you giggle & bring a smile on your face. A few individualistic sequences do catch your attention, but you realize, as the narrative progresses, there’s something amiss.
You invest hopes in the post intermission portions, hoping that the writing & the emotional quotient, the hallmark of Aanand’s previous movies, will change the scenario for better. Unfortunately, the writing goes for a toss as the fun portions fall flat, romance seems superficial & emotions appear fake!
What saves ZERO, besides the performances of its principal cast, are some sharp & witty lines. But the bitter truth is, great lines or individualistic sequences in a disjointed screenplay are forgotten once you exit the theatre.
Aanand L. Rai’s direction is a far cry from his previous works. In fact, the incredibly talented storyteller is known to make you smile, laugh & make you moist-eyed in his well-packaged movies. Everyone who recalls his works will be wondering, how did he okay a half-baked screenplay this time? Too many questions cross your mind as the drama unfolds & you soon realize, it’s a screenplay of convenience.
The graph of the film goes haywire in the 2^nd hour. Generally, you don’t complain about the length of the film / run time if the proceedings & sequence of events keep you hooked, enthralled & mesmerized. Sadly, ZERO lacks the power of a strong & a cohesive script.
Ajay-Atul’s soundtrack is a big plus. “Mere Naam Tu” is, undoubtedly, the best track. The song featuring Salman & SRK is a treat for the fans of the 2 superstars. Cinematography is brilliant. The DOP captures the varied moods & locales to perfection. The production design is top notch. A special mention must be made of VFX which matches the global standards.
Shah Rukh is the lifeline of Zero. He is in supreme form. The actor deserves 10/10 for a performance that’s absolutely fantastic. Anushka nails the part. There’s no doubt that she’s amongst the best & her act in Zero reiterates the fact. Katrina surprises you with a stunning performance. Some moments in the 2^nd half give her ample scope to shine.
Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub is dependable, contributing to the fun quotient. Tigmanshu Dhulia is perfect. Brijendra Kala is hardly there. Abhay Deol & R Madhavan hardly contribute!
Zero also features Sridevi, Kajol, Rani Mukerji, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Karisma Kapoor & Juhi Chawla in an inconsequential sequence.
On the whole, Zero has several factors going for it: star presence, winsome performances, energetic soundtrack & of course, it’s timed during the Christmas & New Year vacations. Sadly, the weak, flawed & lackluster screenwriting is all that you recall after you’ve watched the much-awaited movie. This one’s an epic disappointment! 

The 2018 movie ‘KGF’, touted as the biggest Kannada movie of the year, pales in comparison to the real story of the Kolar Gold Fields.

The year was 1871. Michael Fitzgerald Lavelle, a retired Irish soldier from the British Army, had made Bangalore cantonment his home. Retirement was a drag for Lavelle, who had just returned after fighting the Maori wars in New Zealand.

Although he hoped to make it big post-retirement, Lavelle spent much of his time reading; and a four-page article from the 1804 Asiatic Journal he came across, set Lavelle on a journey that eventually birthed the world’s second deepest goldmine – the Kolar Gold Fields.

While 2018 movie ‘KGF’, touted as the biggest Kannada movie of the year, has built curiosity about this forgotten mining town, and India’s gold rush, the makers admit the movie isn’t a historical account but a work of fantasy. However, this pales in comparison to the real story of the Kolar Gold Fields.

An article that started the gold rush

Lavelle had developed an interest in gold mining during his time at war in New Zealand. So, he was understandably excited, when an old report by one Lt John Warren spoke about possible gold reserves in Kolar.

Lt Warren’s encounter with Kolar gold began in 1799, after erstwhile ruler Tipu Sultan was killed in the battle of Srirangapatnam by the British.

The British decided to handover Tipu’s territories to the Mysore princely state, but for this land had to be surveyed. Warren, who was then serving in his Majesty’s 33rd regiment of foot, was summoned to Kolar for this task.

Warren had heard rumours of gold reserves and fables of people digging gold with their bare hands, during the time of the Chola dynasty.

Intrigued by the rumours, he announced a reward for anyone who could show him the yellow metal. Soon, villagers appeared before him with bullock carts filled with mud, which they washed in front of the officer to isolate gold powder.

After an investigation, Warren concluded that for every 120 lbs or 56 kg of earth, one grain of gold could be extracted using the villagers’ crude methods and in the hands of professionals, this could open up large gold reserves.

“Should we still fancy for the belief that gold occurs only on a narrow region? Why can’t the gold veins under the ground near Maarikuppam extend far beyond.” he wrote.

A Soldier’s Start-up

Between 1804 and 1860, there were several studies and explorations of the gold mines in the region, but in vain. As some explorations in the ancient mines led to accidents, underground mining was prohibited by law in 1959.

ABut in 1871, excited about a 67-year-old report by Lt Warren, Lavelle made a 60-mile bullock cart trip to Kolar. During his investigation, he identified several potential locations for mining. Unlike others, he was able to find traces of the gold deposits.

After more than two years of research, in 1873, he wrote to the Maharaja’s government seeking a licence to mine. Government authorities, who believed gold explorations were not viable only gave him permission to mine coal, but Lavelle insisted on searching for gold deposits.

“Should I be successful in my search, it will be of greatest value to the government; in case I fail, it will cost the government nothing as the only assistance I require is the right to mine…” he wrote in the letter to the chief commissioner Mysore and Coorg.

Lavelle securing the 20-year lease to mine in the Kolar, on 2 February 1875, started the era of modern mining in India.

The angel investors and modern tech

But more than a miner, Lavelle was the poster boy of the gold rush. Lavelle was not rich, which limited his capabilities to explore the gold reserves. But his vision of creating fields of gold and the dangerous gambles of mining, soon became the premise of a novel – ‘Living Dangerously’ by FE Penny. This made him a popular man, even though his savings were depleting.

But by 1877, the young entrepreneur was unable to scale his business further and was desperate to raise funds. But due to his popularity, support came from another armyman – Maj Gen Beresford of the Madras staff corps in Bangalore. He along with three others – McKenzie, Sir William and Col William Arbuthnot –formed a syndicate with several other army officers called ‘The Colar Concessionaries Company Limited’, which took over the mining operations.

AMining engineers were invited from across the world to dig shafts in Kolar to further the explorations.

But things changed, when the syndicate, under pressure from their investors, approached John Taylor and sons, a company which brought state of the art mining engineering to India. The arrival of these engineers from Norwich, England started the golden era of KGF.

India’s first power plant

As Operations in the KGF surged ahead, the British planned Asia’s second and India’s first power plant in Kolar. Officers of the Royal Engineers approached the Mysore Maharaja with a proposal to build a hydroelectric plant in the Cauvery river, in 1900. Central Electric Company from New York and Eicher Wyss from Switzerland were given the task of establishing the power plant and 148 km of transmission lines, the longest in the world. Machinery imported from Britain, America and Germany were transported in carts pulled by elephants and horses.

Soon, the candles and kerosene lamps in KGF were replaced by bulbs, even before Bangalore or Mysore were electrified. While in 2018, several parts of the state experience power cuts, by 1902, KGF had uninterrupted power supply.

Little England and The Hell Next Door

For British engineers and others from the across the globe, Kolar was ‘Little England’. Weather like England, bungalows and clubs made KGF an ideal home. Being a British mining colony, life in KGF was greatly influenced by British culture.

This was in sharp contrast to ‘coolie lines’, the name given to the makeshift homes occupied by miners, a majority of whom were Tamil migrants. Life was hard on the other side, with more than one family often occupying one such shed. It was famous for its rat invasion, where workers killed over 50,000 rats a year.

Workspaces were no different. Despite the constant supply of dehumidified air into the underground tunnels, temperatures in the tunnels shot up to 55 degree Celsius and accidents were commonplace.

The end of an era

As the gold reserves in KGF began to reduce, expatriates began to leave Kolar, however key positions were held by the English until Independence. When the central government decided to take over all the mines in 1956, ownership of most of the mines had already been handed over to the state government.

Apart from the British, many from the Anglo-Indian community, who were in managerial posts began leaving the country for greener pastures. Other mining experts from Europe left for the Gold Mines in Ghana and West Africa.

The mines that produced 95 per cent of India’s gold output, were nationalised to keep them from shutting down. However, in 2001, despite massive protests, Kolar Gold Fields were shut down.

The abandoned underground tunnels, once pathways of gold, are now flooded with groundwater. Despite government plans and multiple court orders, the resurrection of the KGF seems far-fetched.

Thus, even though KGF continues to bear gold in its belly, the cost of retrieving it would be greater than the value of the gold itself.

TNM

An Interview With Kannada Star – Actor Sudeep

Pailwan, starring Sudeep, the biggest star from Sandalwood to make his mark in varied film industries across India, is one of the most awaited films in Kannada. It is the 3^rd film to be directed by cinematographer-turned-director S Krishna. Ever since its launch a few months ago, the film is in the news for one or the other reason. Sudeep the superstar of the film explains why Pailwan is a very special film for him. 

*After 2 decades as an actor, you started going to the gym for the 1^st time ever for Pailwan. What made you to become so serious? 

*You see as an actor, you always try to find variety in the roles you do. In the end, we actors are all entertainers. An actor will never reach a peak just like that. You are constantly trying to reach newer heights. That said, you cannot sell whatever you do to the audiences. The fact is that I do not show muscle on screen has lingered in my mind for some time. Then this script came along. Whether you like it or not, this kind of scripts motivates you. As the Pailwan script began to take shape, I realized that I needed to give more. When you are making a sports film, I should not be taking it lightly. I immediately joined the gym. Even before that I had a trainer who would come every day & I would have 10 reason every day to avoid him. The 2^nd reason was Kabir Duhan Singh. 6 months before I started with the film, I saw his photo on Twitter. It psyched me. The way he has done up his body. In the film, I will be in the same frame as Kabir. Both of us in our bare bodies! Forget how we look in the film, but what will the technicians and others on the sets think of me when they see me next to Kabir? That scared me. It was the question of my self-esteem. I did not want to become a joke in front of anybody. 50% of the credit therefore goes to Kabir. His dedication to his body motivated me. 

*How did you prepare yourself in terms of your body for this particular role?

*For the last 8 months, I have never cheated. Be it diet or workout. Even after the shooting for the fight scenes are complete, I have not stopped. Before this, I used to sleep at 2 am or even 4 am. But after I started training, I started waking up at 4 am. Even when I was shooting in Hyderabad, I would leave home at 4.30 am & spend time till 6.30 am in the gym. I would be ready for shooting at 7 am. After shooting, I would start swimming at 5.30 pm & go promptly to sleep at 9 pm. On weekends, when I shoot for Bigg Boss, I get sleep at 9 pm now. I have followed this routine for nearly 4 months. The actual training for the body started 8 months ago. 

*From budget to scale, Pailwan is reaching new heights.

*When you have a good story to tell, you cannot hesitate on the budget. It is not because we have money that we are spending. Krishna & Swapna have been very honest in their work & whatever they are spending is for the betterment of the film. It is not just to showcase the expenditure but to show what was required. Everything is shot on the sets. The honesty towards the script will show. Yes there was a calculation of how much the film would cost. But calculation alone will not make a film. The business today helps us make such a film. We are getting so many offers from people who have just seen the sets. It shows we have not compromised. Making a big-budget film was not the idea. We set out on a dream & every one of us is walking that dream. We have so far had 90 days of shooting & not a single day of that was unplanned. Every morning when I wake up for this film it excites me a lot. That has been the case every single day. 

*Dubbing for a film in 8 to 9 languages is a first for any Indian film. How did this happen?

*I always wanted to reach out in varied languages. By God’s grace I am known in the other markets. But I did not get to utilize it in my previous films. There were 1 or 2 failed plans. But here I got a very good platform & everyone agreed. It should have happened much earlier. But better late than never! Every single work, every single musical note in this film has been planned to cater to an all-India market. 

*But the film will not see a theatrical release in Hindi. Right?

*We are looking at much more specific markets. My films have been dubbed in Hindi for a long time. But a theatrical release in Marathi makes more sense. And so it is with Bhojpuri & Bengali languages. There will be Tamil, Telugu & Malayalam versions too. There is a culture of “kusti” in every region & culture that we are trying to reach out to. I have friends in these industries who are helping me. Ravi Kishan in Bhojpuri & Riteish Deshmukh in Marathi are setting it all up for me. 

*It seems that you forced S Krishna to get Suniel Shetty for the Kannada version. Is it true? *Yes! Indeed. Suniel Shetty is from here & it was his lifetime dream to act in a Kannada film. We are so proud that it is through this film. He is one of the biggest stars of his time. Anna has a beautiful role in the film. His character is called Sarkar & anyone will be impressed with what he has done. He was such a motivation on the sets. He would be ready on the sets at 7 am with makeup. He has raised the magnitude of the film. I saw an advertisement of his with the salt & pepper look. From that moment, I was behind S Krishna to get Anna for this film.

An Interview With Director S Krishna

 S. Krishna is an Indian cinematographer & film director who primarily works in Kannada films. He gave a new dimension for cinematography through his breath taking visuals in Mungaru Male which is considered as a romantic cult classic. His upcoming Kannada film is Pailwan which will have 9 other languge versions.  

*The budget of Pailwan has crossed Rs 45 crores. Had you planned the film this big?  *If we had a final budget in mind, we might have had to compromise. So we did not have a limit. We do not know how much more it will require. That is one of the reasons we are not finalizing on the deal for selling rights for which we are getting never before heard offers.  *What offers do you have? *We have been offered Rs 30 crores for the all-India TV rights (for all languages). This is the biggest offer ever for a film made in Kannada language. 

 *What was the need for such a huge budget?  The 1^st is the requirement of the script. It is a film with a huge canvas. Secondly, GST has made every industry equal. We do not have the luxury of subsidy. There was a little leeway when there were audiences who would choose a film whose ticket cost lesser. Now every film cost the same. We have to have Kannada films that compare favorably with all the high budget films of Hindi or others. We have to give justice to the paying audiences.  

*Is it a big risk you are taking with your 1^st ever home production?  *Making a film with a superstar is never a risk. And if you do good films, audiences will come to you. With films with superstars, you are guaranteed a minimum safety. That is why they are superstars. Be it audiences coming to theatres or TV telecast rights, you are assured of a return. As a film maker you need to enhance it. I did Hebbuli with Sudeep before this. It did great business. How do you enhance that? It is by adding more value to the film. 

 *There have been films on wrestling in Hindi recently. There will be obvious comparisons with your film Pailwan. Salman Khan’s Sultan & Aamir Khan’s Dangal released the same year within months of each other. Both were about wrestling & therefore similar. But both were also completely different. Audiences accepted both the films. It is good that the market for films on the subject is known to the audiences now. I am sure comparisons cannot be avoided. But those films give us the confidence that there is an audience for them.  

*So what is so different about Pailwan?  For the Kannada audience, this is one of the rare films with a superstar doing a sports film. Apart from that for every audience, a sports film gives real emotions. These are universal emotions. You know in the very beginning what will happen in the end. But you still want to find out how the hero achieves it. In sports even losing teaches us how to win. It is one of the purest emotions that are used in every sports film.  

*Why did you think of having so many dubbed versions of the film in so many languages?  The 1^st & foremost reason for this is Sudeep. He is known everywhere. But as Kannada film makers we have not used his potential in other languages. If we start now, who knows what will happen in 2 to 3 years. The 2^nd reason is because this is a sports film. We are not behind money. But we have a story that we think will work everywhere. We want to show them what we have made here. 

 *Can you let us know more about Pailwan in detail!  *Paiwan is directed by me Film & my wife Swapna Krishna is producing this film under our home production banner namely RRR Productions. Paiwan stars Sudeep, Suniel Shetty, Aakanksha Singh, Kabir Duhan Singh, Sharath Lohitashva and others, music is by Arjun Janya, stunt choreographers are Larnell Stowell from Hollywood & Ravi Verma.  Bollywood’s star – actor Suniel Shetty is making his Kannada debut with this film. For the 1^st time in his career, Sudeep is sporting a bare body as a wrestler & a boxer. He went to gym for the 1^st time ever in his career. The budget of the film has already crossed Rs 45 crores. The film will be in 9 languages including Kannada & will have a theatrical release in 7 to 8 of them. In fact Pailwan is getting bigger with each passing day. The entire film has been shot in over 20 specially erected sets. From boxing rings & stadiums to wrestling “akhadas” to entire villages, the sets at the Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad is already attracting curious visitors even when the shooting is going on. The film is being dubbed & released in several Indian languages. Apart from Kannada the film will release in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Bhojpuri & Bengali. The film will also be dubbed in Hindi for television. There are plans to dub it in Punjabi too. In total, the film will be available in 9 Indian languages. It will be for the 1^st time ever that any Indian film will have so many versions. 

Film: “Zero”; Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma; Director: Aanand L Rai; Rating: ****1/2 (4 and a half stars)


When this achingly irreverent ode to misfits was over, I thought, how wonderful that “Zero” is dedicated to Sridevi. No more befitting homage could be paid to an entertainer who brought us smiles all through her career.

Bauua Singh of Meerut is like that only. He is a dwarf, and let’s not soften the blow by beating around the bush about his shortcoming. 

The brilliantly askew screenplay by Himanshu Sharma certainly does not shy away from addressing disabilities. This is a film that calls a spade a spade and then shovels us a welter of speckled wisdom that I last saw in “Forrest Gump”. 

“Zero” is like a box of assorted chocolates. You never know what the feeling would be in the next one.

Indeed Tom Hanks from “Forrest Gump” would have chuckled approvingly at the insolent antics of Bauua Singh and his pal Guddu Singh (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, torch in hand, hair dyed blonde) as they turn the crowded city of Meerat into their personal arena of gratification. 

The film opens with a wacky sambar-western dream sequence where we see a ‘normal’ Shah Rukh Khan taking on his worst enemy in the world his father(Tigmanshu Dhulia, doing a Sudhir Pandey) whose shrunken scrotum the dwarf hero openly blames for his shortcomings. Mom Sheebha Chadha is too jaded to be embarrassed.

This is the only time Shah Rukh stands at his actual height in the film. It reminded me of that one time in “Koyla” when the ‘mute’ Shah Rukh Khan spoke up in a dream sequence because the distributors and exhibitors wanted a ‘normal’ Shah Rukh to speak up.

Ask Bauua Singh if he cares.

“Zero” is a film that doesn’t believe in numbers. In no time at all we lose count of the number of times we loath Bauua’s self-obsession and then fall in love with his character again for doing something unexpected that nobody believes he could. 

Like that kiss which the super-hot Babita Kumari smacks on his wet lips. Or for that matter, like this completely unexpected film from a superstar who spent all his life playing only one role and has now discovered the freedom of exploring people who are flawed fractured and therefore simply fabulous.

Oh, I forgot! What is “Zero” about? Well, it is about three fractured lives , people who don’t feel sorry for their deficiencies and are never threatened to fall apart because there is really nowhere to go once you hit zero.

Rather, they pity those who waste time pitying them. Bauaa Singh in pursuit of a life partner courts and wins and loses the cerebral palsy inflicted space scientist Afia (Anushka Sharma, in an embarrassingly artificial performance) because well, he has the hots for screen-queen Babita Kumari.

As Babita, Katrina Kaif just tears the screen apart. Now where did that come from? Kaif is so stunning in her role as a dumped alcoholic actress, she gave me goosebumps every time her kohl-laden eyes swelled up with unshed tears.

In one of the film’s most enchanting episodes she drags Bauaa out of her party and then drags herself out of a relationship that has her chained to misery.

In another episode of magical misgivings Bauua woos Afia in the corridor of a posh hotel with the the colours of Holi, a symphonic orchestra and little girls creating a cascade of chorus rhapsodies that only a Bauua Singh could conceive. 

The mesmeric moments end abruptly with the hotel manager complaining about the mess on his premise.

Bathos, a word I am sure Bauua doesn’t know, rules his life. To no one’s surprise he decides to chase his lost love all the way to the US, becomes an astronaut and replaces the moody monkey that was supposed to fly to Mars.

Why would BauuaA want to be expelled to outerspace? Good question. He has a very special affinity with the stars, the ones and above. And when the stars on earth mock him for his overweening ambitions his ego, much larger than his physical stature, revolts.

There are many passages of lyrical beauty in this gem of a film, passages that may pass you by like ships sailing in the night, if you aren’t vigilant. Because, really, Bauaa, doesn’t care if you are watching or not.

“Zero” is a film made out of the impulse to woo whimsy without getting anxious over the audiences’ attention. Not all of it coheres, many sequences stand apart in stubborn isolation, and Anushka’s performance brings the narrative down considerably.

But finally “Zero” works. 

It celebrates incompleteness as no other movie in any language has ever done. Like the film, Bauaa Singh isn’t afraid to fail. He has the great immortal Sridevi telling him it’s okay to fail. I couldn’t ask for more. Can you?

‘Bete’ Released On Drishyam Films Youtube Platform

Cine Buzz : Hot on the heels of producing critically acclaimed short film, Paroksh, Drishyam Films is out with another heavy hitter short film titled Bete. Written & directed by Ganesh Shetty, a veteran Bollywood line producer with films like Company, Sarkar, Budhia Singh: Born to Run & Newton to his credit. Bete has also been officially selected at Teaneck Film Festival in New Jersey, USA. The film would be up for both juried & audience awards in the categories: “Best Of Festival”, “Best Documentary” & “Best Short”. The festivals’ theme is Activism: Making Change, encouraging efforts to help make the world a better place. Inspired by true events, Bete is a snapshot, a day in the life of a farmer & his wife in Mangalore. The film follows the everyday movements of a regular farmer & his wife, Ganesh Shetty has used non-actors in this short. Bete meaning HUNT in Kannada is inspired by true events in the State that led to the disruption of a farmer’s livelihood with often-tragic consequences. 

‘Pushpa I Hate Tears’ Nearing Completion

 With the completion of 14 days’ shooting schedule in Mumbai the entire talkie portion of Pushpa I Hate Tears is now complete & now only 2 songs remain to be canned. Being produced under the banner of Films At 50 Productions this suspense comic thriller was shot at Future Studio & Madh Island. The credits of the film are produced by Amulya Das, written & directed by Dinkar Kapoor, screenplay & dialogues by Adesh K Arjun, lyrics by Kanwar Juneja & Mack & music by Ramji Gulati. The film stars Krishna Abhishek, Jayram Karthik, Arjuman Mughal, Anusmriti Sarkar, Anang Desai, Pradeep Kabra, Jimmy Moses & Akhilendra Mishra. 

‘Dhoka Cola’ Is The Title Of Tannishtha Chatterjee’s Rom Com  

Dhoka Cola is a contemporary rom-com with an element of dhoka & fraud. Tanishtha Chatterjee will direct this script after the release of her directorial debut Roam Rome Mein. Dhoka Cola will be produced by Ravi Walia of Rising Star Entertainment. Dhoka Cola’s concept & treatment was shortlisted amongst the 15 “Best Concepts” for the prestigious Asia Pacific Screen Awards Fund. Many Film Fund projects in the past have premiered to acclaim & awards and have put the APSA message in front of millions of viewers across the world. Filmmakers like Lee Chang-dong, Haifaa AlMansour, Rolf de Heer, Signe Byrge Sørensen & Asghar Farhadi have all been recipients of the funding initiative over its 1^stever 8 years. Films produced with the assistance of the Film Fund have gone on to win the Academy Award®, the Silver Bear at Berlin Film Festival, the International Emmy & have also played the Cannes, Venice & Toronto Festivals MPA APSA Academy Film Fund recipients nominated for APSA this year include Burning, The River, Memories Of My Body, Ayka & Bomb, A Love Story. Says Tannishtha Chatterjee,  ”When I told Ravi Walia that I have written a Romcom called Dhokacola which has been shortlisted for the APSA MPA film fund he immediately said “it’s a quirky title I want to produce it.” Writer-director-actor Tannishtha Chatterjee is currently working on the post production of her directorial debut Rome Rome Mein, which stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

 Nivedita Basu Launches NGO “Pehla Kadam”  

“Pehla Kadam”, an initiative by Nivedita Basu for the welfare of the girl child & women, was held at Bombay Adda, Bandra and was a huge success. The event was all about women celebrating their feminity as well as men celebrating the women in their lives. The who’s who of the entertainment industry was in attendance. A calender featuring TV celebrities styled by Lalit Dalmia was also launched. Ashish Rai also joined hands with Nivedita to take the NGO plan forward. Says Nivedita, “Pehla Kadam is going to take care of a girl child from the time she’s born. So whether it’s her education, her profession or good health care, good upbringing or anything to do with a girl. Pehla Kadam will help any & every woman to fulfill her dreams.  I always had this thought because my grandparents did 3 decades of charitable work in Vrindavan. When I told Lalit Dalmia about Pehla Kadam, he was on board. We decided to call our 1^st ever chapter “Pehla Kadam”. This was a calendar shoot & a video shoot. We did this with 30 actors from the film industry.There are times girls are not allowed to study further & grow in life. So, “Pehla Kadam” will help them nurture their skill set. There are a lot of things women can do even if they are not educated I will provide them a platform & connect A to B.” 

Dia Mirza Launches New Herbal Tea!  

Singer -actor Sophie Choudry says that you can get high on tea, specifically her brand new Ayurvedic herbal tea, Daily Brew which was launched by her close friend, actor, UN goodwill ambassador & nature lover, Dia Mirza, who said that if anyone cares about fitness & wellness, it’s Sophie Chaudhary & that she was proud Sophie Chaudhary had ventured into this field last year with Fittox and now her Daily brew! And not only that, she spoke about how great the tea tasted as she sipped it on stage! In fact the 2 friends & stunning ladies indulged in a fun Q&A “Shots with Sophie” where they spoke about fitness, crushes & cheat meals and drank a tea shot every time they answered yes to a question!.The tea party was held at a suburban watering hole & the ever-fit Sophie Chaudhary shared tips on health & well-being accompanied by her partners & founders of Fittox, Gaurav Kumar & Hansika Chandiramani. Last year they had launched India’s first Ayurvedic Detox Tea, fitTOX paving the way for a unique tea offering which offered 30 days Teatox. Bollywood & Fitness enthusiast celebs including Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon, Bipasha Basu were also seen loving fitTOX and raving about its benefits! And now the same trio is back with an all day tea!  Daily Brew by fitTOX is an All Day, Anytime Herbal Tea with Zero Caffeine. It is meant to replace your daily need for that hot cup of tea without the worry of high caffeine and with the benefit of great taste. With premium ingredients like Rosehip, Spearmint, Fennel, Lemongrass, Cinnamon, Daily Brew helps in building good gut health, lowering stress levels, managing weight, has anti-ageing properties & reduces bloating & cramping. All ingredients of Daily Brew are 100% Organic, Gluten Free & Hand Picked to give you the best brew possible!

G-Shock Comes On-Board As Time Partner 

Renowned watch brand G-SHOCK from the house of Casio will be the official Time Partner at Mood Indigo, Asia’s largest college cultural festival held at IIT Bombay. The festival will be taking place from 27^th Dec, 2018 to 30^th   Dec, 2018.The association comes with a purpose to have a deeper connect with the progressive Indian Youth who can correlate with the ideologies of the brand which has been widely accepted internationally. In addition to G-SHOCK being the Time Partner, the following associations will also take form during the festival.G-SHOCK will also be the

 Title Sponsor of International Nite. Keeping to the celebrated spirit of rock & metal music through festivals,Mood Indigo’s International Nite on 28^th Dec,  2018 will see Norwegian progressive metal band Leprous performing their chartbuster numbers. Popular women’s fashion & fitness timepieces brand BABY-G by Casio will be the Co-Title Sponsor of the “She’s Got The Look”beauty pageant, tailor-made for women aspiring to be the next glamorous diva. The “She’s Got The Look” competition shall be held on 29^thDec, 2018. Festival attendees will have access to exclusive brand engagement zones on campus for the duration of the Mood Indigo festival. The brands shall be hosting multiple fun activities & competitions with chances of winning cool & exciting G-SHOCK & BABY-G merchandise.  Kulbhushan Seth, Vice-President, CASIO India says, “We are proud to be associating with one of the most popular and largest college cultural festival of Asia, Mood Indigo. Known to be tough, trendy and unconventional, our watch brands G-SHOCK and BABY-G are highly popular among the youth. Through this collaboration we get an opportunity to engage with them and at the same time encourage and promote talent.”

Shreyas Talpade On His Way To Explores The Serious Genre

It is a known fact that Shreyas Talpade is a versatile actor who has the skillful ability to adapt & essay any character in a film with utmost ease & finesse. The prolific actor whose career spans over a decade in the Indian film industry has been a part of films ranging in its genres having featured in diverse roles.

This time too, the actor is all set to be seen in a completely different avatar in the upcoming thriller film Setters. The film which has been directed by Ashwini Chaudhary & produced by Vikash Mani will see Shreyas explore the serious genre after a long time. Being stereotyped in a specific genre has been synonymous with actors in the Indian film industry.

However, Shreyas Talpade who has excelled in the comedy genre space has time & again experimented with different kind of roles across genres. Be it comedy, drama, thriller or action & adventure, he has essayed some of the most notable characters & has also succeeded in doing justice to each one of them.

14 years ago, Shreyas Talpade had made his Bollywood debut in Nagesh Kukunoor’s 2005 film Iqbal where he played the role of a deaf & mute youngster aspiring to be a cricketer for the Indian national team.  In the year 2006 drama film Dor directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, Shreyas Talpade played had enacted the character of “Behroopiya”, a multi-faceted personality. 

The satirical comedy film Welcome To Sajjanpur in the year 2008 directed by Shyam Benegal with Shreyas Talpade was about an unemployed arts graduate who earns a living by writing letters on behalf of the villagers while he harbors an ambition to become a novelist. 

Shreyas Talpade then became part of the “Golmaal” film franchise with the 2008 comedy film Golmaal Returns directed by Rohit Shetty. Shreyas Talpade had enacted the role of Laxman in the 2^nd installment of the “Golmaal” franchise & won hearts with his impeccable comic timing. The 1^st ever Marathi superhero action-adventure film Baji in the year 2015 in which Shreyas Talpade enacted  the role of the titular character Baji, who is known to guard & protect the people in his village & restore justice.For the 1^st time ever, Shreyas Talpade had enacted an action superhero character & was lauded by the critics & the audiences alike for his performance. 

 Shreyas Talpade who has carved a niche & been a part of serious performance oriented roles has emerged as one of the most reliable & bankable actors. He will soon be seen in the film Setters which is currently on the floors & features Aftab Shivdasani, Sonnalli Seygall, Ishita Dutta, Pavan Malhotra, Vijay Raaz, Manu Rishi & Jameel Khan in pivotal roles & also be seen alongside Bidita Bag in a slice-of-life & lighthearted family entertainer titled Teen Do Paanch next year.