Namaste England

Namaste England Is An Extremely Poor Fare Don’t Waste Your Time Money & Energy

Banner: Pen India Limited, Namaste Production, Reliance Entertainment & Blockbuster Movie Entertainers

Producers: Vipul Amrutlal Shah, Dhaval Jayantilal Gada, Akkshay Jayantilal Gada, Reliance Entertainment, Aashin A Shah & Reshma Kadakia, Kushal Kantilal Gada, Firuzi Khan & Sameer Chopra

Director: Vipul Amrutlal Gada

Star Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Parniti Chopra, Aditya Seal, Alankrita Sahai, Anil Mange, Satish Kaushik, Mallika Dua, Shreya Mehta, Shivendra Mahal, Anjum Batra, Pratik Dixit, Hobby Dhaliwal & Vinod Nagpal

Music: Manan Shah, Badshah, Rishi Rich & Prasad Sashte

Times have really changed when it comes to women
Empowerment & gradually, the people on the whole are realizing that equal opportunities are a must for people of all the gender. Yet, a lot needs to be done especially in the places which are away from the mega cities. Namaste England, which marks the return of Vipul Shah as a director after 8 years, throws light on this aspect and also promises to be a beautiful love story. Moreover, it’s the 2nd film in the franchise, the 1st ever being the much loved Namastey London released in the year 2007, starring Akshay Kumar & Katrina Kaif.

The scripted scenario of Namaste England reveals that it is the story of a couple torn between love & their dreams. Param (Arjun Kapoor) & Jasmeet (Parineeti Chopra) reside in a tiny village in Punjab. Both fall for each other. Meanwhile, Jasmeet, who’s interested in jewellery designing, gets a job in Amritsar. She has to work there for 3 days a week. Jasmeet’s grandfather (Shivendra Mahal) is strictly against women working. So Jasmeet hides this bit from him but one day the truth comes out. Param at this point asks Jasmeet to get married to him and asserts that she can work then without any problem. Param’s family visits Jasmeet’s house to ask her hand in marriage. Jasmeet’s grandfather agrees but he has a condition, Jasmeet should not work once she ties the knot. Both ultimately get married and a year later, Jasmeet meets her friend Harpreet (Mallika Dua). She lives in UK with her husband and is very happy & settled. Seeing her, Jasmeet gets a desire to leave India and settle in England so that she can work there and have an independent life. Param is even ready to move there with her and his father also has no issue. The issue however is that Param can’t go out of India. On his wedding day, Param has an altercation with his friend Gurpreet (Anjum Batra), who’s well connected, and the latter vows that he’ll not let Param get a visa of Europe, where the couple was planning a honeymoon. Jasmeet hence devises a plan, she’ll move to UK alone at first and after securing residency, she’ll be entitled to let Param enter UK. Param is fine with the arrangement. However, Jasmeet hasn’t been completely truthful to him. What happens next forms the crux of the rest of the film.

Ritesh Shah & Suresh Nair’s story is very weak and silly and rests on a wafer thin plot. The story has too many flaws. Ritesh Shah & Suresh Nair’s screenplay is juvenile and does nothing to hide these glitches. It’s shocking that the duo is associated with some fine films of recent times like Airlift (2016), D-Day (2013), Raid (2018), Mardaani (2014) & even Namastey London and yet they collectively penned this apology of a script. Ritesh Shah & Suresh Nair’s dialogues are also terrible & outdated.

Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s direction is haywire and it seems like he has lost his touch. The scenes begin & end all of a sudden and he tries to incorporate a lot. He also tries to repeat the magic of Namastey London, be it during the intermission point or during the scene where Param delivers a patriotic speech. But while the latter sequence was powerful in Namastey London and is still remembered today, the one in Namaste England looks forced.

Namaste England has a bit of an awkward beginning. The lovers are shown meeting each other during varied seasons and it takes a while to understand that. At this point, Param forces his friend to marry a girl from Jasmeet’s group just so that he gets a chance to meet Jasmeet again! This scene itself gives viewers an idea that this film is not going to make any sense. The entire bit of Jasmeet’s grandfather refusing her to work even after marriage seems unconvincing but works nevertheless. But the scene that doesn’t work at all in this hour is Gurpreet’s drama at the wedding. Param-Jasmeet’s romance post marriage is cute and the scenes of Gurnaam (Satish Kaushik) help in keeping the interest going although the film has still not gone on a high. The intermission point comes across as a shocker but not for the right reasons. The 1st ever half comes across as disappointing while post interval, the film falls further. Param entering UK illegally is an engaging scene but doesn’t make any sense. Even worse is Param pretending to marry Alisha (Alankrita Sahai). These scenes, besides being nonsensical, are not even funny or moving. Also the film gives a very wrong message and tries to project that immigration is a bad idea and that’s certainly not true. Also, the film ends at an abrupt point and all the conflicts of the film don’t end even when the credits roll.
Mannan Shaah’s music is okay with some songs working while the others being a disappointment. “Dhoom Dhadakka” is very catchy & foot-tapping. “Tere Liye” comes next. Bhare Bazaar” doesn’t work and it’s abruptly cut into half. Prasad Sashte’s background score is over dramatic. Yiannis Manolopoulos’s cinematography is appropriate but nothing special. Sriram Kannan Iyengar & Sujeet Sawant’s production design looks superficial, especially the houses in Punjab village. Aki Narula, Sanjana Batra & Gayatri Thadani’s costumes are nothing special initially but the ones worn by Parineeti in England scenes are appealing. Amitabh Shukla’s editing is horrible.

Performance wise this isn’t Arjun Kapoor’s best act & his performance leaves a lot to be desired. He looks haggard & a bit overweight in some scenes. Parineeti Chopra is however better and puts up a great act. Sadly, she is letdown by terrible writing. Aditya Seal as Sam has a fine screen presence and makes an impact. Alankrita Sahai as Alisha, last seen in the recently-released web film Love Per Square Foot, looks sizzling and does fine. Satish Kaushik is over the top and the way he says “Darling” in every sentence is not funny. Same with Shreya Mehta as Mitthi who makes a sound at the end of each sentence, a la Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Kick (2014)! But she puts a confident act. Anil Mange as Iqbal Khan is decent.
On the whole: Namaste England is an extremely poor fare and is riddled with a terrible script & a juvenile screenplay.

Tail Piece: At the box office turnstiles, Namaste England will face a tough time and will not find favor with the audience.

Aamir Khan Besotted By Katrina Kaif’s Scorching Beauty

Aamir Khan is besotted by Katrina Kaif’s scorching beauty. Katrina Kaif will cast her spell on Firangi (Aamir Khan) with her sizzling looks & hot dance moves in Thugs of Hindostan’s new song “Suraiyya”. The film promises to present Katrina Kaif in her hottest desi avatar to date as she plays the role of an outrageously beautiful performer named Suraiyya. She is the most gorgeous girl in British India who makes every man go weak in their knees.

Prabhudheva, who always sets a benchmark in innovative choreography, has worked tirelessly to design this song that combines old Indian dance forms with intricate contemporary moves. The song will see Aamir Khan, dressed as a British captain, having the guts to woo Katrina Kaif in front of a room filled with British officers. It is a peppy, humorous song which shows off their fun & teasing chemistry. The song has been composed by the renowned duo Ajay-Atul while Amitabh Bhattacharya has penned its lyrics. Shreya Ghoshal & Vishal Dadlani has sung this song that will surely become a chart-buster.

The director of Thugs of Hindostan, Vijay Krishna Acharya said, “Suraiyya is a song that gives a sneak peek into the flirtatious relationship between Firangi & Suraiyya. While she is Hindostan’s most famous performer of India, Firangi is an equally cunning man of the country whom Suraiyya doesn’t trust at all. They have a fun chemistry, they are an odd pair and they are both Thugs in their own right. Prabhudheva has done a sensational job in creating steps that only Katrina Kaif could pull off. I’m sure audiences will love it.”

Yash Raj Films Thugs of Hindostan is the biggest visual spectacle hitting the big screen this Diwali. It boasts of a larger than life, never seen before action extravaganza & an incredible casting coup that brings together 2 of the biggest legends of Indian cinema, Amitabh Bachchan & Aamir Khan on screen for the 1st time ever. It also stars Fatima Sana Shaikh in a pivotal role.

Thugs of Hindostan, is all set to release on 8th Nov, 2018, a national holiday, in Hindi, Tamil & Telugu.

Singer Atif Aslam’s Enthralling Performance Brings The 2nd Edition Of Singapore South Asian International Film Festival (Sg.Saiff) To A Close

Singer Atif Aslam’s enthralling performance brings the 2nd edition of Singapore South Asian International Film Festival (Sg.Saiff) to a close

The crowd of 1500 people was completely spellbound by the electrifying performance of Atif Aslam on the closing night held at glittering gala night at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore on the night of 14th Oct, 2018.

The winners include Atanu Ghosh’s Mayurakshi which won “Best Feature Film Award”, Miransha Naik won “Best Director award for his debut feature, Juze, Syed Zaigham Imam won the award for “Emerging Filmmaker Of The Year”, Binodini won “Best Short Film”.

Singapore South Asian International Film Festival (Sg.Saiff) held was a 10 day extravaganza of sublime cinema which represented a diverse mix of feature films, short films & documentaries from India, Bangladesh, SriLanka, Pakistan, Nepal &Afghanistan. The festival was packed with multiple panel discussions, master classes, 1st ever edition of the South Asian Film Market (SAFM), red carpet opening & a grand closing ceremony had set the pulse of the Singapore cinephiles racing.

The winner filmmakers Atanu Ghosh director of Mayurkashi averred, “Rarely do you come across such eminent people comprising the jury board & I felt so honored & humbled to receive the awards. The ambience was electrifying & with such enthusiastic participation of filmmakers, I am sure this festival is fast shaping up as a very important platform for independent films from South Asia.”

Talking about this year’s edition Abhayanand Singh, Chairperson of SGSAIFF averred, “We are truly humbled by the overwhelming response to the 2nd edition of Sg.SAIFF. We had a sold-out opening & closing night but what was more heartening is the fact that cinephiles in Singapore came & watched a lot of films screening at our festival.”

He adds, “The filmmakers enjoyed themselves during the interaction with the audiences on multiple occasions & the festival has truly emerged as a strong platform for South Asian cinema in the region. The launch of South Asian Film Market (SAFM) was also a huge success with 11 filmmakers pitching to an esteemed jury panel & high net worth individuals and we are very sure that some of them will receive the financial support that they were seeking.”

Here is the complete list of winners: 1. “Emerging Filmmaker Of The Year – Syed Zaigham Imam. 2. “Best Feature Film” – Mayurakshi – Atanu Ghosh. 3. “Best Director” – Juze – Miransha Naik. 4. “Best Short Film” – Binodini – Mallika Subramanian (director). 5. Children Of White – Dulanka Devendra (director). 6. “Best Actor Female” – Dying Candle – Srijana Subba. 7. “Best Actor male” – Summer Of Miracles – Chandra Kiran GK. 8. “Best Cinematographer” – Dying Candle – Dipankar Sikder & Rabin Acharya. 9. “Best Editor” – Midnight Delhi – Rakesh Rawatmau

The Special Screenings of, Siddiq Barak’s Osama & O P Srivastava‘s Life In Metaphors. The Feature Films in Competition section, Prasad Namjoshi’s Video Parlour, Rakesh Rawat’s Midnight Delhi, Miransha Naik’s Juze, IndrashishAcharya’s Pupa, Sumathy Sivamohan’s Sons And Father, Naresh Kumar KC’s Dying Candle, Ektara Collective’s Turup & Prashanth Vijay’s Summer of Miracles (Athisayangalude Venal).

The SGSAIFF 2018 hosted World Premieres of Prasad Namjoshi’s Video Parlour, Murari M Rakshit’s Reunion, Pravin Tarde’s Mulshi Pattern, Rakesh Rawat’s Midnight Delhi & Zaigham Imam’s Nakkash which was launched at Cannes 2018. The Feature Film Showcase section included – Aparna Sen’s Sonata, Rima Das’ Village Rockstars, Fakhrul Areefen Khan‘s Bangladeshi film Bhuvan Majhi, C V Nandeeshwar’s Akkamma’s Fate, Murari M Rakshit’s Reunion, Praveen Tarde’s Mulshi Pattern, Kireet Khurana’s T For Tajmahal, Sumit Mishra’s Agam¸Zaigham Imam’s Nakkash & Atanu Ghosh’s Mayurakshi.

The Short Films in the Competitive Section included, Mallika Subramanian’s Binodini, Muhammad Belal Imran’s Just A Cup Of Tea, Harish Mohan’s Kalki, the Devendra’s Children Of White, Umang Vyas’ Majaal Hai¸ Akash Mihani’s Mum, AthithyaKanagarajan’s Dreams,
Vikrant Dhote’s Ajay & Syahrul Musa’s Glimpse. The Short Film Showcase featured 3 titles, Kabeer Khurana’s Religion For Dummies, Aditya Kelgaonkar’s Sound Proof & Prabhjit Dhamija’s Me (Asmad).

The Documentary Film Showcase section included UmeshKulkarni’s Kumbh, Manhoor Zaidi’s Dust To Dust, Upneet Kaur-Nagpal’s Singh In The Lion City, Aparajita Ghosh’s Dance Of Joy, Anirban Mitra & Tirtha Dasgupta’s Ray Of Light & Prasanna Ramaswamy’s Writer Ashokmitran.

SGSAIFF 2018 also conducted 2 interesting workshops during the course of the festival. The 1st was an Acting Workshop For Adults & Children. The 2nd was a Filmmaking Workshop For Children that focuses on making films using smartphones.

This year the festival launched the 1st ever edition of South Asian Film Market (SAFM) where Pankaj Kapur’s Aadi (The Beginning), Kartik Aryan & Adil Hussain’s Barasinghey, Abhay Deol’s JL50, Sanjay Mishra & Pankaj Tripathi’s 18 Not Out, Chandan Roy Sanyal’s So Sicily, Shreyas Talpade’s Khwaish, Prabhjit Dhamija’s Samir, Leela Manimekalai’s Maadathy, Rahat Kazmi’s Country Of Blind, Somnath Sen’s Charulata & Harish Vyas’s Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele were the 11 projects chosen from a selection of over 100 entries.

Jalebi

This “Jalebi” Is Neither Sweet Nor Tasty

Banner: Vishesh Films

Producer: Mukesh Bhatt & Sakshi Bhatt

Director: Pushpdeep Bhardwaj

Star Cast: Varun Mitra, Rhea Chakraborty, Digangana Suryavanshi, Aanya Dureja, Poorti Arya, Pravina Deshpande, Mahesh Thakur, Priya Yadav, Sonali Sudan, Jashn Kohli, Shabnam Kapoor, Farida Dadi, Arjun Kanungo, Sanchay Goswami, Chayan Trivedi, Abhishek Khanna & Yusuf Hussain

Music: Jeet Ganguly & Tanishq Bagchi

Vishesh Films, headed by Mukesh Bhatt & Mahesh Bhatt, are known for their small-budget & high-concept films. They have given some memorable films & even chartbuster songs but since the last few years, their reputation has taken a beating. None of their films after the blockbuster Aashiqui 2 in the year 2013 have worked well. The number of films made by the banner has also reduced. Their last film, Begum Jaan was released in the year 2017, almost one and a half years ago. Now they are back with Jalebi, which promises to be a clean & romantic love story & also its miles away from the erotic & the horror films that had become their trademark.

The scripted story of Jalebi reveals that it is the story of love & separation. Ayesha Pradhan (Rhea Chakraborty) is a depressed girl. She has written a bestselling novella but her troubled past is not allowing her to focus & write her next book. She is on her way from Mumbai to Delhi for a book reading session. In the train, her co-passenger is Anu (Digangana Suryavanshi) & her daughter Pulti (Aanya Dureja). Over the course of their conversation, Ayesha gets a jolt upon learning that Anu’s husband is none other than her ex–hubby Dev Mathur (Varun Mitra). The story goes back 7 to 8 years. Dev is from Purani Dilli where he does guided tours. He’s proud of his roots & proudly flaunts his locality & also his mansion, popularly known as Netaji Ki Haveli. Once, Ayesha takes this tour & falls for Dev, who in turn also develops feelings for her. In no time, they get married & that’s when cracks begin to develop in their relationship. Meanwhile, in the present day, the train halts at Bhusawal railway station & Dev enters their coach to give Anu a surprise. The ex-lovers, that is Dev & Ayesha, thus come face to face after all these years. What happens next forms the crux of the rest of the film.

Just like Begum Jaan, Jalebi is also a Bengali film remake of Prosenjit Chatterjee & Rituparna Sengupta starrer Praktan (2016), which was written by Nandita Roy & directed by Nandita Roy & Shiboprosad Mukherjee. Here in Hindi, Kausar Munir & Pushpdeep Bhardwaj’s story is disappointing & juvenile. There’s no head & no tail to the story & they end up doing total injustice to the original film. Kausar Munir, Pushpdeep Bhardwaj & Suhrita Sengupta’s screenplay is the biggest culprit. The film is bland & the trio has made no attempt to make situations exciting or novel. Kausar Munir, Pushpdeep Bhardwaj & Suhrita Sengupta’s dialogues are horrible to say the least. The manner in which the characters are talking to each other is laughable.

Pushpdeep Bhardwaj’s direction is amateur and he doesn’t even know the basics properly it seems. The way the film moves back & forth especially when Ayesha would hear a term or hear a song is so convenient & outdated. And the post-marriage problems are akin to a saas-bahu melodrama shown on television but even those daily soaps are more entertaining & even progressive than this film.

Jalebi is terrible from the word “Go”. The film begins with a loud cry of Ayesha on the black screen and hence, even before the 1st ever visual, the film gets unsettling! The beginning portion of Ayesha crying over abandoning her marriage is weird. Once the train portions begin, one hopes for the film to get a bit better. Also, there are 3 subplots involving varied passengers in the bogie. They seem interesting and you expect them to add to the film, in case the lead protagonists aren’t able to. Sadly, these 3 tracks are boring and contribute in no way to the film. The flashback portion begins well. Dev showing his house to the tourists is nicely done. Also the way Ayesha books the entire tour for herself just so that she can spend all the time with Dev is lovely. Once they get married, the film becomes routine & showcases problems beaten to death in films. The miscarriage portion is also poorly executed. The train portions aren’t that interesting, although few a developments are a bit unpredictable. If you expect the climax to at least lift the film to some extent, you’ll be dejected. The Kashmir sequence makes no sense and even more senseless is the justification given by Dev in the end.

Music also gets thumbs down, which is sad, since Vishesh Films was known for its songs. “Tum Se” is catchy but it’s not going to linger in one’s mind for long. “Tera Mera Rishta” is played during the courtship scenes, which as mentioned above, was the only good part of the film. The rest of the songs like “Mujhme”, “Pehle Ke Jaisa”, “Pal” & “Mera Pyaar Tera Pyaar” are nothing special. Raju Singh’s background score is bad. Same goes for Manoj Soni’s cinematography, few shots are taken from a very close range. The VFX is tacky and anyone can make out that the scenery seen from the window is fake. Sandeep Suvarna’s production design is alright and the set does look like an actual First AC bogie. But it’s funny to see the railway station being so empty in the end, and that too the busy Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station of Delhi. Devendra Murdeshwar’s editing is not good and even the film that’s just 112 minutes looked like a 3 hour plus film.

Performance wise Varun Mitra is disappointing. He looks weird in the scenes where he has to cry and even when he’s seen celebrating his wife’s pregnancy. In the beginning scenes, he does well. The actor has done well in the past, in Ishaan Nair’s unreleased film Kaash (2015). So, here, the fault could be of the director in failing to get better performance from him. Rhea Chakraborty is what makes the film bearable. She has done chirpy roles in the past and Jalebi is the 1st time ever that she is seen in a serious & mature role. She is the only one to benefit from this film as she proves that she can do a lot more than comic capers & special appearances. Digangana Suryavanshi is alright while Aanya Dureja is sweet. Arjun Kanungo (Arjun) is okay and his track makes no sense. Farida Dadi & Yusuf Hussain (the old couple in train) are fine but are letdown by the script. What exactly are they doing in the film one wonders! Poorti Arya (Renu; Dev’s sister) & the actor playing Dev’s mother are forgettable.

On the whole Jalebi will leave you with a bitter taste. It’s a film that has no plot or logic.

Tail Piece: At the box office, it will be a disaster. Just Skip it!

Mumbai, Oct 17 The irony in Bollywood is loud and clear. While films with women in strong and powerful portrayals are gaining success at the box office, a slew of women in the industry are coming up with accounts of facing sexual harassment in the industry. Actor-producer Saif Ali Khan says fraternity members should make sure that the place is safe for women to work.

“Some ridiculous and inhuman things have happened in the past few years and I know that new talents might fear to step into the industry after knowing those stories of victims. But as member of the fraternity, we have to make sure that women are treated with the utmost dignity and there is no abuse of power,” Saif told IANS in an interview here.

He will soon be seen in the film “Baazaar”, in which he essays a ruthless money-minded man.

Asked if his approach towards life and money is similar to the character he plays in the film, Saif said: “In a way, yes and no. My character in the movie wants money to protect his family and I as an individual believe that money is important to protect my family and to have a good life.

“But I do not think like him. He thinks that ‘Money is God’, and only money cannot give you happiness. That apart, there are differences between me and my character… I am a much more soft-spoken person.”

Sharing what keeps him satisfied and passionate about life, the actor said: “I like my creative job as an actor. Playing a part in a good film, building a character from the scratch for a story to perform… Such an opportunity is rare and a blessing.”

According to Saif, more than running after success, a life lived well with friends and family is important for him.

“I like small things in life — like reading a good book in the evening while sipping the best whiskey and eating some good Chinese food. After a long working schedule, I want to spend time with my best friends and family for dinner and a small trip. Money cannot give the bonding and affection I share with my family,” the 48-year-old said with a smile.

Coming back to “Baazaar”, Saif sports grey hair in it.

Asked if looking the character is the new vanity for the protagonist of a Bollywood film, Saif said: “Why not look older than your age? Of course I want to bend the idea of how the lead actor should look. I think our audience is ready to receive the change that breaks the stereotype.”

Having started his career in 1993, Saif has acted in films like “Main Khiladi Tu Anari”, “Hum Saath-Saath Hain”, “Dil Chahta Hai”, “Parineeta”, “Kal Ho Naa Ho”, “Omkara” and “Race”. He says over the years his approach towards his craft has changed.

“I’m reading books on acting too. Most of the time, I get it instinctively, but at times when I am stuck somewhere, the theory really helps to improve my craft. In ‘Baazaar’, I can see that my experience and understanding of craft is coming together as a performer.

“A good film director will direct his actor to the right direction but generally speaking, they cannot teach me how to act. They can give me some idea to execute my performance. I should know how to act. Having said that, I want to mention that discussing things with experienced people helped me to learn a lot about my craft,” he said.

As the son of iconic actress Sharmila Tagore, the learning started from home itself for Saif.

“Ammi taught me to treat the camera like an observant woman who captures every single move very carefully. So as an actor, I do not have to go over-the-top all the time… My subtleness came from that. Mahesh Bhatt told me to keep it simple when in doubt. Sooraj Barjatya advised to let the background music do the work if I am confused as a performer.

“Vikram (Vikramaditya Motwane) made me understand the energy of the character first as it would set the tone of my performance right.”

Just then, his son Taimur Ali Khan entered the room, grabbing everyone’s attention.

Addressing the little one as ‘Tam’, in no time the award-winning actor slipped into the role of an affectionate father when he said: “You see, the most famous man of my family has arrived. I am taking him to swim.”

(IANS)

Andhadhun

Andhdhun Is A Par Excellence Thriller Movie That Shocks & Stuns The Viewers

Banner: Viacom 18 Motion Pictures & Matchbox Pictures

Producer: Viacom 18 Motion Pictures & Matchbox Pictures

Director: Sriram Raghvan

Star Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan, Zakir Hussein, Ashwini Kalsekar, Manav Vij, ChayaKadam, Gopal K. Singh & Child Artiste Kabir Sajid

Music: Amit Trivedi, Raftaar & Girish Nakod

Bollywood filmmakers have used blindness as an interesting aspect in their movies and most of these films have turned out to be interesting fares in the past. In recent times, films like Kaabil (2017), Aankhen (2002), Black (2005), Fanaa (2006) & Lafangey Parindey (2010) et al featured blind characters and it gave a distinct touch to the film. Now, Sriram Raghavan, mostly known for his crime thriller movies, uses this aspect in his latest fare, Andhadhun.

The scripted scenario of director Sriram Raghvan’s Andhadhun unveils the story of a creative artist who gets involved in a crime scene. Akash (Ayushmann Khurrana) is a blind piano player based in Pune. While crossing the road, he one day accidentally bumps into Sophie (Radhika Apte), who along with her father runs a restaurant named Franco’s. Impressed with his piano skills, she hires Akash to play at Franco’s. Akash impresses the guests with his performance & also Sophie. Both start a love affair. A frequent customer at Franco’s is a yesteryear actor Pramod Sinha. He has retired from films and is now into real estate. 3 years ago, he had married Simi (Tabu), who is his 2nd wife. He has a daughter from 1st ever wife, Dani. Pramod loves Akash’s performance and is also moved by the fact that he is able to recognize Pramod by his voice. It’s his marriage anniversary the next day and he asks Akash to come to his house for a private concert for him & Simi. The same night, he tells Simi that he’s going to Bengaluru the next day for work purposes. He purposely lies as his plan is to surprise Simi and then have a concert by Akash. The next day, Pramod reaches his residence but he’s shocked to find Simi sleeping with her lover, Inspector Mahendra (Manav Vij). In the madness that ensues, Pramod is shot dead. Minutes later, Akash arrives for the concert. What happens later forms the crux of rest of the film.

Sriram Raghavan, Arijit Biswas, Yogesh Chandekar & Pooja Ladha Surti’s story is inspired from the French short film L’Accordeur written & directed by Olivier Treiner. However, a lot of changes have been done and it’s praiseworthy. Sriram Raghavan, Arijit Biswas, Yogesh Chandekar & Pooja Ladha Surti’s screenplay is flawless in the 1st ever half and is bound to leave the viewers stunned. The 2nd half becomes a bit routine & unrealistic. Sriram Raghavan, Arijit Biswas, Yogesh Chandekar & Pooja Ladha Surti’s dialogues are sharp & witty.

Sriram Raghavan’s direction is terrific. In the past, he has made some great urban thrillers like Ek Hasina Thi (2004), Johnny Gaddaar (2007) & Badlapur (2015). Andhadhun is more in Johnny Gaadaar zone and he treats the plot very well. The dark humor element comes out beautifully and that helps the film from becoming too gory or disturbing. Also, his love for 70’s Hindi cinema comes to the fore and it adds to the film’s charm. If only he had done something about the glitches in 2nd half, Andhadhun would have been a game changer!

Andhadhun’s 1st ever half is simply out of this world! The introduction of the characters is great and soon, the plot begins to unfold. There are surprises after every 10-15 minutes. The real fun however begins when Pramod Sinha gets murdered & Akash reaches his residence. This scene is seen to be believed! All scenes from here on take the film to dizzying heights, whether it’s the scene at police station or Manohar visiting Akash’s residence or Akash visiting Pramod’s residence the 2nd time or the prayer meeting. The intermission point raises tension levels significantly. The 2nd half begins with a bang and even a shocker. Although this hour also keeps the viewers gripped, the film begins to drop & gets unconvincing. The proceedings become far-fetched which is not the case in 1st ever half. Newer characters are added while a significant character from the 1st ever half gets sidelined. In fact, the 1st ever & 2nd halves seem like 2 different films. The climax is interesting & do watch out for the final scene!

Amit Trivedi’s music is melodious & suits the narrative well. “Naina Da Kya Kasoor” is the best of the lot and is quite foot-tapping. “Laila Laila” comes next despite coming immediately after “Naina Da Kya Kasoor”. “Oh Bhai Re” is quite quirky while “Woh Ladki” is played at a crucial juncture. Daniel B George’s background score has a very important part to play and enhances the impact in several scenes. The piano pieces are excellent. K U Mohanan’s cinematography gives the film a captivating feel. Also, Andhadhun is a rare film shot almost entirely in Pune & captures the city like never before. Snigdha Pankaj & Anita Donald’s production design is quite rich & appealing, especially Pramod & Simi’s residence. Anaita Shroff Adajania & Sabina Haldar’s costumes are also eye-catching, especially the ones worn by Radhika Apte. Parvez Khan’s action is realistic. Pooja Ladha Surti’s editing is razor-sharp.

Performance wise Ayushmann Khurrana has done unconventional but mostly light films till now. Andhadhun is his 1st ever intense flick & he excels in it. This is a very challenging role as his character has lot of shades & even a secret to hide. But he puts up an excellent act. He’s unforgettable in the sequence where Pramod Sinha is killed and also in the scene immediately after intermission. Ayushmann already has a wonderful filmography and this flick will add a lot of weightage. Tabu delivers a bravura performance as expected. The manner in which she plays the mind games & tries to manipulate the situations at varied points is quite fun. Radhika Apte plays a chirpy character & delivers a fine performance. Sadly, she has very little to do in the 2nd half. Anil Dhawan is terrific & leaves a mark. Manav Vij’s entry scene is quite chilling & do notice how he conveys a lot merely with his eyes. A 1st rate performance! Ashwini Kalsekar (Rasika) is too good & rocks in the scene wherein she’s discussing the murder of Pramod Sinha. Zakir Hussain (Dr Swami) is quite quirky & contributes to the fun quotient. Gopal Singh (Sub inspector) is fine. Chhaya Kadam (Maushi) is an actor to watch out for. Kabir Sajid (the kid) is too good & even too funny. The actors playing Murli & Mrs D’Sa too are also nice.

On the whole, Andhadhun is a thriller par excellence. Very rarely does Bollywood deliver a thriller that shocks & stuns you so well. Although the 2nd half does drop, the impact is made and this would surely result in a good word of mouth.

Tail Piece: Strongly Recommended!

Big B & Aamir Khan Dance For The 1ST Time Ever In Thugs Of Hindostan’s Foot-Tapping Song “Vashmalle”

Yash Raj Films, managed by Aditya Chopra, mega action adventure Thugs of Hindostan has stunned audiences worldwide with its larger than life, extravagant trailer that has made it the biggest film to come out of Bollywood in years. This visual spectacle about an epic war & adventure on the high seas, is releasing this Diwali.
The film has managed an incredible casting coup of this generation by bringing together 2 of the biggest icons of Hindi cinema namely Amitabh Bachchan & Aamir Khan for the 1st time ever on the celluloid silver screen & to make this even more interesting, looks like the 2 have also danced together in the film!

Prabhudheva, whose choreography sets benchmarks each time, has directed this song titled “Vashmalle” (Meaning: Dance your heart out & make merry). Prabhudheva always leaves his mark with high energy dance numbers that boast of unique dance moves. “Vashmalle” too will stand out because Amitabh Bachchan & Aamir Khan are seen dancing their heart out in the film.

Vijay Krishna Acharya, director of Thugs of Hindostan avers, “It is amazing that we could write a suitable moment in the film that sees these 2 icons of Indian cinema shake a leg with each other & the song will stand out because of their infectious energy & camaraderie. The song presents Big B & Aamir Khan in the mood to celebrate. I have to reveal, the sequence will show them getting drunk during the celebrations & then breaking out to dance on this high energy number. It is a priceless moment that we have captured in Thugs of Hindostan.”

Sukhwinder Singh & Vishal Dadlani has sung this anticipated number while celebrated lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya has penned its supremely catchy lyrics. Ace music composers Ajay-Atul have created this track.

Thugs of Hindostan co-stars Katrina Kaif & Fatima Sana Shaikh. The film is set to treat audiences across India with the biggest jaw-dropping action sequences seen by audiences on screen to date. With its edge-of-the-seat thrills & a visually immersive experience, YRF’s out & out entertainer, Thugs of Hindostan, is all set to release on 8th Nov, 2018, a national holiday, in Hindi, Tamil & Telugu.

Rana Dagubatti’s Entertainment Marketplace Kwan South Branches A Literature Team

Kwan Entertainment, India’s leading entertainment marketplace – entered into a Joint Venture with Rana Daggubati’s (Suresh Productions) introducing a specialized division, Kwan South as an entertainment marketplace with a regional focus. Kwan South is a one stop shop for all stakeholders – from actors, directors, producers & writers to technicians which takes a holistic approach in talent representations & focuses on building profiles. In south industry, where stars are managed by family members or secretaries, the evolution to a structured agency format has been fairly recent with KWAN South. The LIT team helps aspiring filmmakers & writers develop their ideas into workable scripts that can be taken to producers & actors. Rana Daggubati will mentor the team and overlook the complete process of taking the right stories, to the right place at the right time. Actor, Businessman & Partner- KWAN South, Rana Daggubati (SP) added, “With the LIT team we want to change the way content is perceived, created & treated. We would want to train more filmmakers & writers and help them get their work to the audience. We pitch these stories to production houses & directors, help them set it up & even & package it”

Sanjay Kapoor On Working With Sonam In ‘The Zoya Factor’

While uncle Sanjay Kapoor plays father to Sonam K Ahuja in Abhishek Sharma’s The Zoya Factor, Sonam shares screen space with father Anil Kapoor in Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga. Working with both her uncle as well as her father, Sonam feels that her uncle Sanjay Kapoor is more chilled out on the sets than her father Anil Kapoor. Sanjay Kapoor also feels Sonam is more comfortable around him. He avers, “The atmosphere on the sets of The Zoya Factor is chilled out. So, Sonam feels a lot more relaxed. Plus, the character is similar to her real persona. This is the 1st time ever that I’m shooting with a family member; I just had a cameo in Mubarakan (2017) where I played Arjun Kapoor’s father. Sonam & I have never had the chance to spend quality time like this. As we are working together, we meet every day, discuss a lot of things and are getting to know each other.”

Varun Dhawan Shot A Scene Bare-Chested At Minus 3 Degree Temperature

Varun Dhawan along with Alia Bhatt & Kunal Khemu are currently shooting in Kargil for Abhishek Varman’s Kalank. Varun, however, had a spine – chilling experience on the sets while shooting. The actor shot a scene bare-chested at minus 3 degree temperature. A unit hand informs, “Varun shot for a scene with Alia that required him to be bare-chested despite minus 3 degree temperature. As a precautionary measure, a doctor was on standby but thankfully Varun completed the shot without any glitches.” While in Kargil, the team also visited the army jawans at the border and interacted with them. The team will wrap up the Kargil schedule after shooting some more pivotal scenes & a song featuring Varun & Alia. Kalank also stars Madhuri Dixit, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditya Roy Kapur & Sanjay Dutt and is slated to release on 19th April 2019.

Rohan Mehra Bags His 1st Ever Brand Campaign

Rohan Mehra, son of late Vinod Mehra, who is all geared up for his debut film Baazaar alongside Saif Ali Khan, Radhika Apte & Chitrangada Singh has already bagged his 1st ever brand campaign. The budding actor is seen in a new campaign for Narendra Kumar Ahmed’s Menswear Fall/Winter’18 “He exemplifies the typical young & modern consumer who identifies with luxury fashion & style”, says the Mumbai based designer. Rohan wears a variety of distinct clothing ranging from beautiful floral prints & striking silk embroidered tuxedos to FKNS jacket with classic tennis stripes & trending suit with window pane checks in luxurious linen. Rohan Mehra says, “It brings me great joy to announce my 1st ever brand association with ace designer, Narendra Kumar. Fashion to me is the ability to feel good, and yet look stylish in what you wear; this is what AW’18 collection is all about. It’s vibrant, young & very comfortable. Nari has been synonymous with fashion, and his collections, symbolic in the industry for many years. I feel extremely blessed that he has given me the opportunity to be the face of this new collection. Looking forward to sharing it with all of you“

‘Gaon – The Village No More’ Slated For Release On 26th Oct 2018

Putting an end to the long wait of fans, the release dates for Gaon –The Village NO More has been announced. Director, Gautam Singh announced that the movie will release on 26th Oct, 2018. Gaon is inspired by the true story of his own village in Jharkhand, India. The film which stars Gopal K Singh, Neha Mahajan, Rohit Pathak, Shadab Kamal, Omkar Das Manikpuri & Dibyendu Bhattacharya revolves around a secret village called Bharatgaon which was founded by revolutionaries during British era to save the culture & the civilisation of India. Generations of villagers have upheld the principal rule of Bharatgaon mandating that no one leave, and as a result, the village has remained secret & untouched for centuries. The founders believed that the new Western-modeled civilization emerging within India at the time ran against the human spirit and would ultimately imprison citizens within unshakable chains of slavery. Their intention was to save at least 1 village. Gautam avers, “This film is inspired by the true story of my village in Jharkhand, India. This film is an attempt to pack 200 years of India’s history into 2 hours of cinema. Herein, The Village called Bharatgaon, is itself the protagonist whose character unrecognizably transforms given events transpiring around & in it. This film is the outcome of those encounters”. Impressed with Gautam’s story, Aljazeera Media Network has done a documentary on the making of Gaon.

The Crew Of ‘Badhaai Ho’ Had Set Up Base In New Delhi’s Laxmibai Nagar!

Laxmibai Nagar in New Delhi was buzzing with good news as the cast & the crew of Amit Sharma’s next Badhaai Ho made the residential government colony their home for over 2 weeks. The director, who is also a leading ad filmmaker, chose to shoot at real locales as opposed to a set unit, zeroing in on a colony home in Delhi’s Laxmibai Nagar. Apart from conducting an extensive recce, prior to the film going on the floors, the crew along with the Production Designer Ratheesh also worked for days on end to ensure the interiors & the exteriors of the residence matched with the old homes in Panipat, Haryana and even sourced out local furniture & upholstery from the region. Director Amit Ravindranath Sharma informs, “Born & brought up in Delhi, I had a vision for this house & Ratheesh brought it to life. The set looked exactly like a house. We worked on every possible detail, like going to real houses taking pictures & trying to replicate that on our set. We observed middle class lifestyle and added those elements.

Priyanka Chopra Aligns With Whitney Wolfe Herd To Empower Young Women Worldwide

Bumble, the women, the 1st ever social connection app with over 40 million users worldwide, has announced its partnership with Priyanka Chopra for its upcoming debut in India. Chopra joins Bumble as an advisor & an investor and will play an integral role in brand’s expansion into India later this year. “Priyanka is a visionary artist & philanthropist who embodies everything that Bumble stands for, and it’s an absolute honor to announce her as a partner for our launch in India,” said Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder & CEO of Bumble. “We share a deep & restless passion for equality and empowering young women online in a time when they’re being impacted in such a negative way. We’re all looking forward to what we build together and how we continue to make a safer, kinder & more accountable online world.” “Women want love, they want friendship & they want to find a career, and that’s the uniqueness of what Bumble delivers, a digital community that encompasses all that, while empowering women to take charge of their lives,” added Priyanka Chopra. Bumble & Chopra 1st began collaborating for the launch of Bumble Bizz in Oct, 2017. It was then that Chopra & Wolfe Herd realized the potential of joining forces to amplify their philanthropic & humanitarian efforts. From then on, they began architecting a plan to partner & collaborate for Bumble’s rollout into India. Bumble will officially launch in India this fall after spending the past 9 months building its local team, defining a go-to-market strategy, and engaging key partners in the market.

Sneha Wagh Went To Ajmer Sharif Dargah To Pray On Her Birthday

This is the 1st time ever that actress Sneha Wagh went to religious shrine Ajmer Sharif on her birthday. Sneha who was last seen in Mere Sai was accompanied by her sister. She says she chose to go to Ajmer Sharif on her birthday because she is somehow inclined towards the place and prayed for more patience, less anxiety & more positivity. “There was a time in my life when I was impatient and wanted everything to be right. But life has taught me whatever happens in life you must move on. The more I grow older the more I feel the young me in myself. Since the time I have become an actor life was never the same. So from now onward I want to enjoy & feel more in life. Acting is my profession. But in between there is a life too.” After Ajmer Sharif they came down to Jaipur, roamed a bit & Sneha also bought some bangles as she finds the bangles of Jaipur absolutely gorgeous.”

Govinda All Praise For Comedian Siddharth Sagar

Laughter ka original dose, Comedy Circus on Sony TV witnessed an amazing actor, dancer & comedian Govinda along with dashing Varun Sharma both whom had a gala time watching all the acts. Govinda who was seen promoting his upcoming film Fryday with Varun Sharma were blown away with the immense talent each artist possessed on the show. But the 1 artist that caught the attention was comedian, Siddharth Sagar. The ace actor couldn’t believe how all these talented actors perform on the stage without any support of tele prompters to read the script in front of them. When Siddharth Sagar entered the stage for his gag along with Mubeen & Karishma Sharma, he immediately caught Govinda’s attention. Impressed by his comic timing, Govinda said, “It wouldn’t be surprising if Siddharth is offered a film where he can play a comedian. The way he does physical acting & comedy is just splendid & completely outstanding. I have done many comedy films, but making me laugh is very tough and Siddharth is the one who nailed it”. Sohail Khan also commented, “I have worked with Govinda & Varun, they are very easy when they do comedy. You won’t see dragging in their acting. They are just amazing as actors. Siddharth Sagar never fails to make us laugh and he has taken the benchmark a level higher with his comic skills.”

Rhea Leaves No Stone Unturned While Prepping For ‘Jalebi’

Rhea Chakraborty was all set for her romantic drama Jalebi. Just recently, the actress revealed that she had isolated herself from her friends & family to prepare for the role of Aysha for the movie. But her preps just didn’t end there. In order to get the nuances of the character right, Rhea took a train to travel for Delhi. “As a kid, I would often travel by train with my family and as most of our movie was being filmed in a train, I felt there was a need for me to experience different shades of a train journey all over again with a new perspective.’’ During her solo trip, Rhea got along with her co-passengers and had a blast. She further adds, “I think this solo trip definitely had a productive impact on me and helped me not only prepare for the train schedule but also gave me the experience to cherish.’’ Jalebi – The everlasting taste of love, starring Varun Mitra, Rhea Chakraborty & Digangana Suryavanshi is presented by Vishesh films in association with Mahesh Bhatt. Produced by Mukesh Bhatt.

Prashant Shah Launches The Movie ‘Jungle Cry’

Prashant Shah has launched Bollywood Hollywood Production company; a new media company division focusing on the acquisition, development & production of feature films, in both Hindi & English language, for worldwide audiences. The production company has already slated over half a dozen movies with budgets between US $5 M to $50 M for the next 2 years. The USA & UK based production service provider has executed over 30 feature films in USA, Canada & UK. Their latest movie as production service provider titled Zero with Shahrukh Khan Releases on 21st Dec, 2018. Formerly the Vice President & Head of Production for Hollywood based Benaroya Pictures, Prashant Shah has helped produce many high-profile Hollywood pictures. “I have worked on every genre of movie, romantic comedies, futuristic, large action adventures & thrillers for several production houses in India & Hollywood,” said Shah. Bollywood Hollywood Production acquired rights from Shabbir Boxwala for Rugby based true story. Kicking off with the inspirational sporting film, Jungle Cry, the true story of founder of KISS foundation Dr. Achyuta Samanta, who lost his father at early age living in Bhubaneshwar, India and today provides food, housing, clothing & education from kindergarten to post graduate, to over 27,000 tribal children in India. Achyuta Samanta’s Jungle Crows rugby team, made up of 12 Orissa tribal kids & coached by Paul Walsh (former employee at British Consulate in Kolkata), went on to make Indian & British history by winning the Rugby World Cup in England in the year 2007. Abhay Deol, Rugby Kids with British & Welsh actors are in the lead roles. Jungle Cry, directed by Sagar Ballary (of Bheja Fry fame), is set on locales in India, London & Wales.

Malaika Arora & Milind Soman Define Beauty In The 4th Season Of India’s Next Top Model

The 4th edition of fashion based reality show India’s Next Top Model is all set to celebrate this new age woman through its new transformative & progressive theme of “More than a Face”. The new season redefining the tenets of beauty & fashion is on air from 6th Oct, 2018, every Sat at 7 pm. The edition sees Host & Judge namely fashionista Malaika Arora, Co-Judges, India’s first super model Milind Soman along with Bollywood’s favorite photographer Dabboo Ratnani, and Mentors – television’s most loved VJ Anusha Dandekar, and Grooming expert, Neeraj Gaba. Only the deserving who pass the test of style, glamour & grit under the leadership & watch of Malaika Arora will get the title of Livon Serum & MTV presents India’s Next Top Model. Malaika Arora said, “This is my 2nd outing with India’s Next Top Model & I am looking forward to the interesting tasks the show will come up with and how the ladies put forth style with substance to emerge as a winner.” Milind Soman exults, “This is my 2nd stint in the show. More than just being a battle of the beautiful, this show stands out for its purpose & the stories of grit & determination it aspires to tell through its contestants.” “Being associated with India’s Next Top Model since Season 1, in Season 4, the theme, “More than Just a Face” speaks volumes about the way beauty should be seen. I believe beauty can best be defined with the way you conduct yourself and so my focus will be on the strong conduct & dedication to be the best,” added the ace fashion photographer Dabboo Ratnani who will be seen as the co-judge on the show. VJ Anusha Dandekar, who has been associated with the show for quite some time now, said, “This is my 4th season of India’s Next Top Model and it’s been such an incredible journey to see the show grow each year! The best part about being a mentor & judge; is that I get to work with such an amazing panel of talented & beautiful humans! This is definitely the best & the biggest season yet & to top it off our finale is unreal! All the way in Singapore!!! I focus on transforming them into top models with their fashion & photo shoots, how to carry themselves & pose and so much more! It’s tough but so much fun!

Altbalaji Partners With Xiaomi Through Mi TV

ALTBalaji, the digital platform of Balaji Telefilms Limited, has entered into a strategic partnership with global technology leader Xiaomi through its Mi TV, recently launched in Indonesia. Now ALTBalaji app will be available on Mi TV & can be accessed through Mi TV’s PatchWall. With this new partnership, ALTBalaji plans to strengthen its presence in Indonesia through Mi TV’s users & leverage the brand’s global expansion. Users of Mi TV in Indonesia can now have access to ALTBalaji’s exclusives content that comprises 25 original shows and popular movies

Ayushmann Khurrana Back With Rochak Kohli For “Nain Na Jodeen”

After delivering blockbuster songs like “Pani Da Rang” (Vicky Donor), “Sadi Gali Aaja” (Nautanki Saala), “O Heeriye” (Single) & “Mitti Di Khushboo” amongst others, singer- actor Ayushmann Khurrana teams up with music director Rochak Kohli for a special song from Badhaai Ho, titled “Nain Na Jodeen”. The 2 have composed many memorable songs in the past & this one too promises to have a lasting impression on listeners – Sung by Ayushmann & Neha Kakkar, “Nain Na Jodeen” is an emotional song of love & separation. After “Badhaaiyan Tenu” & “Morni”, the makers now launched the soft ballad that establishes the bond shared between Ayushmann & Sanya’s characters in the film .Talking about the song says Ayushmann, “It’s always great collaborating with Rochak Kohli as we have great synergy and have worked so often together. “Nain Na Jodeen” is a very emotional song when the characters face a rough patch in their relationship. It’s something people will relate to.” Junglee Pictures presents Badhaai Ho in association with Chrome Pictures. Produced by Vineet Jain, Aleya Sen, Hemant Bhandari & Amit Ravindernath Sharma, the film is co-produced by Priti Shahani. The film releases 19th Oct, 2018.

The New Poster Of Fox Star India’s Next ‘Alita: Battle Angel’ Unveiled

Fox Star India has launched yet another poster of their upcoming sci-fi thriller, Alita: Battle Angel which will definitely leave you intrigued! Set in the future, the abandoned Alita is found in the scrapyard of Iron City by Ido, a compassionate cyber-doctor who takes the unconscious cyborg, Alita to his clinic. When Alita awakens, she has no memory left of her past. As Alita learns to navigate her new life & the treacherous streets of Iron City, Ido tries to shield her from her mysterious past.

Action Choreographer Prateek Parmar’s ‘Suryansh’ Receives Massive Appreciation

Suryansh hit the theatres on 5th Oct, 2018. The Freddy Daruwala & Heena Achhra starrer has lived up to its hype. Suryansh is a one of its kind film in Gujarati cinema, where storylines with action at its core are very rare. Prateek Parmar, its trained martial arts practitioner, had earlier also choreographed the action sequences in Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, CID, Surya – The Supercop. Talking about the action scenes designed by him, he says, “I really wanted the action to stand out. A lot of it is inspired by western action movies & icons. I am elevated that the audience took a liking to something new like this.” Suryansh had already gained a huge following of action lovers since the trailer launch. It is being described as a “thrilling roller coaster ride of action, drama, emotions, mystery and an ending that is impossible to predict.” The audience loved the extensive action scenes designed by Prateek Parmar. Parmar is professionally trained in wing chun, karate, taekwondo & wushu. He has been practicing martial arts for several years and is also a national level gold medalist and can perform the most daring stunts without any external equipment. Prateek will also be seen as a cast in Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, directed by Vasan Bala & produced by Ronnie Screwvala.

Sajid Nadiadwala Flags Off The Launch Of Sunil’s Son Ahan Shetty

Knowing the pulse of the audience & DNA of a debutante is surely the forte of film-maker Sajid Nadiadwala. An impeccable track record with recent hits like Judwaa 2, Dishoom, Housefull 3 & a hat-trick of hits with Tiger Shroff, whom he launched with blockbuster Heropanti followed by Baaghi franchise, is proof of his mettle. All eyes are now on the next stud from his star-making stable. In the early 90’s Suniel Shetty signed his debut film with Nadiadwala Grandson’s Waqt Hamara Hai which made him a superstar overnight & now after 2 decades it’s Ahan’s turn to start off with the same banner. Suniel says, “It seems just like yesterday when I started off with Sajid. He first spotted me as an actor, but today he was my 1st ever choice to launch my son. That’s how much I respect him & his passion for cinema.” Much aware of the 2 stalwarts in his life, one at home & the other steering his career, Ahan says, “I feel blessed that the start of my career, is actually a continuation of a journey that Sajid Sir & my Dad share. It makes me doubly responsible & gives me more strength to live up to their expectations.” Sajid expresses. “Since I was launching Suniel’s son, I felt as responsible as I would be for my own son. After working on umpteen scripts we finally identified and purchased the rights of RX100, which we are now customizing for Ahan’s 1st ever debut film. He is a very hardworking & focused individual. It’s a cult subject, ideal for a dream debut.”A trend-setting plot featuring a newcomer with pedigree, is the perfect setting for Sajid Nadiadwala to gift the industry yet another Star in the upcoming year 2019.

Urmila Matondkar Turns A Producer

Actress Urmila Matondkar has announced her upcoming Marathi film Madhuri on social media. Her husband & Mumbapuri Production’s Founder & CEO Mohsin Akhtar is producing the film Madhuri. Mohsin Akhtar who is a Kashmiri businessman by profession decided to produce this film, inspired by the increasing popularity of Marathi films, even without having any experience in the production of Marathi films. Mohsin Akhtar’s production house’s name Mumbapuri Production highlights his love & a special connection with Mumbai. Says Urmila, “Though Madhuri is a film with a beautiful message and thanks to my film, my connection with the Marathi audience will blossom, what kind of role I am going to play in this film and what is the story of Madhuri, I’d like to keep in warps for the time being.”

Actor Raj Singh Verma Turns A Director

Actor–writer-director Raj Singh Verma who has made his debut as a director with a film called Bajra V/S Burger starring himself in the main lead with Baby Sonia, Satyanand Gaitonde etc to drive home the subtle message to the audience through his film that bajra is organic whereas burger is a dish that is contaminated and only represents a belief system which has been imposed on us forcibly. The film, he says has been completed in 60 days on crowd funding basis in US as well as India. Raj Singh Verma exults, “Today it is extremely difficult for an independent filmmaker like me to get people to come to see a film which stars only new comers since it does not boast of a mega star like say Shah Rukh Khan or Varun Dhawan. Luckily for me, PVR Pictures has come forward to release my film shortly in as many as 640 screens. PVR has promised me that they will let me take away 80% of the revenue proceeds and keep just 20% with them to encourage independent cinema for at least a period of 8 weeks”. As an actor, besides several plays, Raj Singh Verma, who has to his credit films like Nitin Desai’s Desh Devi, Basu Chatterjee’s Prateeksha, short film Rewind, TV serials like Anurag Basu’s Meet, Ekta Kapoor’s Par Is Dil Ko Kaise Samjhaye, Tarun Bali & Ajay Kapoor’s Sanjog Se Bani Sangini, Ganga, Jahan Pe Ho Basera, Hare Kaanch Ki Chooriyaan & Utran, confesses that he had decided to fight with Ekta Kapoor and quit acting in TV Serials because he did not want to be a bonded laborer all his life, slogging 24/7 on the sets of TV shows. Raj Singh Verma is now planning to launch a film on travelling titled Happiness Recipe very shortly.

‘Jack & Dil’ Trailer Released Recently

The trailer of Sachin Karande’s film Jack & Dil which was released recently has met with stupendous response from the viewers. The makers have revealed the 4 characters & a teaser poster earlier which met with a tremendous response. Jack & Dil has now released the trailer which shows Jack (Amit Sadh) a wannabe detective is hired by Walia (Arbaaz Khan) to spy on his wife Shilpa (Sonal Chauhan). The trailer looks very promising and touted as the next sleeper hit of the year with its fresh & humorous treatment to a love triangle. Jack & Dil is scrumptious romantic comedy that will make you fall in love with its characters and the stupid loveable Jack is the high point in the film. Arbaaz Khan an ever doubting husband who typically is in daily rigger mole of today’s wants & needs. Shilpa who is neglected painter wife wants nothing but love. The Amit Sadh Arbaaz Khan Sonal Chauhan starrer investigates the cute love triangle that leaves behind a few heartbreaks. Evelyn Sharma as Lara is a model & is in love with this wannabe detective. A slice of life films that looks into the intricacies of a married life in the urban world. It is about the busy time schedule that takes its toll on the young marriage & lurking temptations for a young fun life once again. Jack & Dil is produced by Balcony Cinemas & Rock and Rolla Films is directed by Sachin Karande. The film is all set to release on 2nd Nov. 2018 all over India.

Bijal Joshi Roped In For Sony’s Upcoming TV Serial ‘Ladies Special’

Ladies Special is all set to premiere on Sony TV once again with a distinguished concept & a new star-cast. The show describes the journey of 3 ladies from Maharashtra, Gujarat & Uttar Pradesh. After Maharashtrian actress Girija Oak, actress from Gujarat Bijal Joshi has roped in the show & will be playing the character of Bindu Desai, who is hyper but positive lady & has an optimistic approach towards life. For her, no one is bad & nothing is wrong and handles everything with utmost positivity. Bijal Joshi has worked in many Gujarati movies, TV serials & theatre and is debuting in Hindi GEC with Ladies Special. Bijal Joshi says, “I am delighted to be a part of Ladies Special as I’ve never done Hindi TV serials due to commitment issues. But now, I am ready as this show has different story & concept. Getting the show was my destiny in a way. Playing the role is easy & natural for me as I have done Gujarati movies & serials and don’t have to put so much effort to get into the character. I can very much relate to my character Bindu who is happy with her life, is optimistic & bubbly in nature.” Ladies Special brings to the viewers an interesting concept of women hailing from different backgrounds & their unique friendship. It shows different shades of women and how each one of them fosters a great bond of camaraderie with each other as they commute together.

On the one hand, Indians bow down to a goddess to pray and on another some people violate women. This dichotomy in India is creating a mess of things, says filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who feels Indians are far from what we claim to be.

“The #MeToo movement cannot be resolved through the court of public opinion. There are people standing up for something. I would say more power to women who scream from the rooftop about something wrong done to them — whether it is after 10 years or 20 or 50… It doesn’t make a difference,” Bhatt told IANS in an interview when he was in the city to promote “Jalebi”.

“You cannot deny the right to individuals to say what they say. But the question is whether the quotes are in sync with the legal system, which is based on a certain understanding. Are they in sync with this so-called enlightened new view that we have? If punitive action is not taken, the cynicism that nothing happens would be reinforced,” he added.

The #MeToo movement in India started in September after Tanushree Dutta recounted an unpleasant episode with veteran actor Nana Patekar on the sets of “Horn ‘OK’ Pleassss” in 2008.

After that, a slew of controversies surrounding Vikas Bahl, Chetan Bhagat, Gursimran Khamba, Kailash Kher, Rajat Kapoor, Alok Nath and Sajid Khan have emerged.

“There is only one thing you can’t use this #MeToo movement for (and that is) settling old relationship issues. You cannot categorise that.

“There is domestic violence which is there between married people or lovers. There can be sexual misconduct which can be tackled legally. But we are talking about sexual harassment which is another case. Women need to handle that very responsibly,” Bhatt said.

The director feels it is time to ask a “deeper question”.

“During Durga Puja, you bow down to the deity which was created by this great story of male gods putting their best to create her so that she can kill the demon to save the world and heaven from the wrath of that demon. It is time to understand that you support the woman and let her retain her dignity or she will perish.

“The question is, ‘Do you really view women in the form of the goddess you worship in the temple’. Because in private life you violate them.”

He said “there is a kind of dichotomy”.

“The dichotomy is what has made a mess of things. We have an idea about ourselves and the reality is quite different from the idea. Look at what you are doing to women. There are issues which cannot be resolved themselves within a time frame of a week, a month or a year.

“These are larger issues. The soul of the country is decaying. We are far away from what we claim to be. And cases like this only put spotlight on that,” added the director, who has helmed projects like “Arth”, “Saaransh”, “Naam”, “Sadak”, “Junoon” and “Papa Kahte Hain”.

As a film producer, how does he ensure a safe workplace for women?

“Human beings are vulnerable to all this and more. But I can only say that you lead by example. You set the tone about what the morality of the house is going to be. I have enough women force. I have my own daughter (Pooja), who is a tough chick. I have my sister who is hands-on. I have my niece.”

“If there is any outrage anywhere, I think there are enough pockets to bring out what is happening,” added Bhatt , who will be back as a director with “Sadak 2”.

IANS