Gear up to showcase your dance moves as ‘Dance India Dance 6’ auditions comes to the city of BENGALURU on 27th September

The very first platform on Indian television to give dance its due respect, the show that revolutionized dance in India and made it a mainstream career choice for millions … the show that continues to create dance legends of the country … the mother of all dance shows is all set to give birth to India’s next dancing superstar yet again! THE WAIT IS FINALLY OVER… Dance India Dance announces auditions for Season 6! The platform has introduced some spectacular talent each season – Be it Dharmesh, Shakti Mohan, Punit J Pathak, Salman Yusuf, Raghav Juyal or Prince, each of them has gone on to carve a niche for themselves and become a name to reckon with in the entertainment fraternity. Carrying on a legacy of excellence right since its launch in 2009, DID has emerged as the biggest and the most definitive platform for young and aspiring dancers from across the country. So, if you haven’t compromised in pursuing your passion for dance, your training or in terms of your choice of dance as a career, then why compromise on the platform?

So if you think you have got the moves to set the stage on fire, if you are passionate enough to battle all the odds and showcase your true talent, if you are craving recognition and have spent endless hours practicing your steps to perfection, then put on your dancing shoes and show us what you have got! Participate and prove your mettle as Zee TV announces the nationwide auditions for their ultimate dance reality talent hunt show, Dance India Dance Season 6. An aggressive hunt for India’s next dancing superstar across 15 cities in India begins this September and is travelling to the city of Bengaluru.

The Dance India Dance Season 6 auditions will travel to Bengaluru on Wednesday 27th September at, Mount Litera Zee School,1st Main, Ramanna Garden, Ramchandrapura, Vidyaranyapura, Bengaluru, Karnataka, starting 8 AM. Dance India Dance Season 6 will open its audition gates to every passionate dance enthusiast in and around Bengaluru in the age group of 14 – 35 years and welcome them to showcase their passion and talent.

Zee TV is conducting auditions for Dance India Dance Season 6 across the length and breadth of the country in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati, Ranchi, Patna, Jaipur, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Bhubaneshwar, Indore, Ahmedabad and Dehradhun. Participants are required to carry their proof of age and nationality like a voter’s ID, Passport, Driving License, etc. In addition, the participants also need to bring along an audio CD or a pen drive with the track on which they wish to perform. It’s finally that time of the year when talent and hard work will make it to the hall of fame. So, put on your dancing shoes and land up at the venue to give it your best shot!

Shraddha Kapoor’s brother Siddhanth Kapoor will be next seen playing Dawood Ibrahim in Apoorva Lakhia’s upcoming film Haseena Parkar, which is based on the life of Dawood’s sister Haseena (played by Shraddha) and Siddhanth revealed something shocking in an exclusive interview with Movie Talkies. Siddhanth said, “Apoorva and me used to play cricket a lot and one day, he summoned me over to his place and asked me if I know who Haseena Parkar was. I said I have no idea as though I had heard or read about Dawood, I was absolutely clueless about the fact that he had a sister. After that, Apoorva told me that he wants me to play Dawood in a film based on Haseena’s life. My first reaction was that Apoorva was joking with me because I could not believe this at all!” Directed by Apoorva Lakhia, Haseena Parkar stars Shraddha Kapoor, Siddhanth Kapoor & Ankur Bhatia. Produced by Nahid Khan with Swiss Entertainment & co – produced by Sameer Antulay & Babu Tyagi, the film is all set to release on 22nd Sept, 2017.

ASUS INDIA ANNOUNCES DISHA PATANI AS NEW BRAND AMBASSADOR

ASUS, the Taiwanese leader in mobile technology, has announced Disha Patani as the new brand ambassador for laptops & smartphones. Arindam Saha, Head Marketing, ASUS India said, “We are so excited to have Disha as our new brand ambassador and welcome her into the ASUS family. Besides her incredible beauty, she stands for modernity, freshness, self -confidence, trendy, elegance & spontaneity. Today we are catering to an audience that defines ambitious, forward – moving, non -stop pulse of India and Disha understands the pulse of this audience well. Her vibrant persona, pan – India appeal and her confident attitude makes her the perfect ambassador for our brand.” Disha Patani said, “I have known ASUS to be an iconic technology marvel, world over and I am happy to be associated with a brand which is very young, trendy & enthusiastic, which reflects my personality”.

‘ISIS – ENEMIES’ OF HUMANITY IS BASED ON TERRORISM

The patriotic film: ISIS – Enemies of Humanity, produced by Atlantic Films Private Limited and written & directed by Yuvraj Kumar, stars Rahul Dev, Rasheed Naaz, Yuvraj Kumar, Manon Faure & Harish Bhimani is based on terrorism. The backdrop of the film speaks volumes about the functioning of ISIS which is a terrorist group playing havoc across the globe. It exposes the Commanders of an ISIS Camp, who Indoctrinate the Youth for Violent Acts. The film, which is slated for release on 29th Sept this year, outlines the sheer importance of Islam in its purest form & defies Islam which is projected by anti – social elements of the world.

PUNE INTERNATIONAL LITERARY FESTIVAL INSTITUTES ANUPAM KHER AWARD

Pune International Literary Festival (PILF) will present the Anupam Kher Award for “Best Debut English Novel” every year. This first ever award instituted by Anupam Kher will mark the beginning of recognition for the new & upcoming writers. The award would be in the form of citation & cash prize of Rs.1 Lakh. “My endeavor in initiating an award is to give a boost to talented writers who might otherwise remain voices in the wilderness,” expressed Anupam Kher, an inspiration to many. This unique platform is strictly for Indian debut writers stationed in India. The team comprising of expert jury having R. Raj Rao, Ravi Subramanian & Salil Desai shortlisted the entries based on originality, plot, narrative techniques, impact & various literary characteristics that compile a novel. Amongst many entries received the jury, Anupam & PILF Committee jointly decided on top 5 nominees which included The Patient by Tushar Rishi (Westland Publications), Neon Noon by Tanuj Solanki (Harper Collins), Song Of The Kaveri by Kalyanaraman Durgadas (Rupa Publications), A Thousand Times Over by Sudhanshu Bisen (Fingerprint), Dangle by Sutapa Basu (Readomania).

‘ISHQ KA MANJAN’ TRAILER OUT NOW

Starring Shakti Kapoor, Kiran Kumar, Raza Murad, Asrani, Munesh Nebra, Sonam Chaudhary, Imran Rajput, Rahul Chauhan, Reena, child artists Ritika Nebra, Heena & Ehsaan, the romantic drama Ishq Ka Manjan, produced by Jaivindra Singh Bhati, Ram Kumar Pawadia & Veena Kumar and directed by Ram Kumar Pawadia revolves around a plotline wherein the crime syndicate involved with human trafficking is depicted in detail. At the core there is a love story between a girl & a boy who is the protagonist. The story also comprises of several socio – political angles attached to the functioning of human trafficking syndicate across the country. The moment of anagnorisis for the protagonist is when his lover’s sister is kidnapped by mafia henchmen. The unfortunate series of events unfold resulting in the murder of the lead female character. His lover’s death pushes the protagonist towards a committed cause of countering the crime menace all around.

URVASHI RAUTELA GEARS UP FOR HER FIRST WOMEN – CENTRIC THRILLER

Vishal Mishra, who made his directorial debut with Coffee With D early this year, has an exciting line – up of films coming one after the other. The latest addition to this line – up is a women – centric suspense thriller, which is untitled yet. The director has signed Urvashi Rautela to lead the cast including Rajesh Sharma. The film will be shot in a small beautiful town in the Himalayas. Though the title of the film is yet to be decided, the makers have the tag line of the film, around which it revolves – “Can you solve your own murder?”. Vishal Mishra said, “I am so excited to be working on an out – an – out thriller. I am a huge fan of the genre and truly admire Bollywood thrillers like Tessri Manzil & Jewel Thief. Urvashi will surprise the audience in this with such an author – backed role.”The shoot of the film commences in Nov, 2017 and is all set to release in the 1st half of 2018. Vishal Mishra has his hands full as he is gearing up for the release of his 2nd directorial venture Hum Dono Honge Kamyaab starring Kunaal Roy Kapur & Tara Alisha Berry and has just wrapped up the shoot of his 3rd film Hotel Milan Khilte Hain Gul Yahan Khil Ke Bikharne Ko.

‘2016 THE END’ WILL BE RELEASING ON 6TH OCT 2017

2016 The End, directed by Jaideep Chopra, features Divyenndu Sharma, Kiku Sharda, Harshad Chopda, Priya Banerjee, Rahul Roy, Narendra Jha, Tom Alter, Supriya Karnik & Mir Sarwar, is slated to release on 6th Oct, 2017. The film is all about what we would do if we come to know that the word is going to finish in 7 days. The movie gives a chance to everyone to think how would they live their last days of life. Ironically, no one knows if today could be their last day. The film is produced by Jaideep Chopra Productions.

FORMER MP AMAR SINGH GRACES THE ‘JD’ MUSIC LAUNCH

Films that are heavy only in star value do not do well on Box – Office turnstiles if they are low on content. Today, content is king and JD will create waves on the strength of its content. These views were expressed by former MP Amar Singh at a glittering function on music launch of the film JD in Mumbai. Amar Singh has played a major role in the film JD produced & directed by Shailendra Pandey, a noted photo journalist. The film centers around the world of media & journalism. Amar Singh is so confident of the success of JD that he predicted: “The popcorn collection value of JD will be more than Sarkar that starred Amitabh Bachchan.” The event was attended by the film’s cast including Vedita Pratap Singh, Aman Verma & Lalit Bist. The songs have been composed by Ganesh Pandey & Jaan Nissar Lone & sung by Mamata Sharma, Raja Hassan, Altamash Faridi, Abid Jamal & Rani Hazarika. Amar Singh plays the character of a politician in the movie. “I congratulate Shailendra Pandey who approached me for this movie and I was impressed with the content.” The film is based on the life & hardships faced by journalists. It is an outright entertainer and heavy on concept. It is being released on 22nd Sept, 2017 across theatres in India.

INDIAN TERRAIN SIGNS KUNAL KAPOOR AS THE NEW BRAND AMBASSADOR

Indian Terrain has signed up Kunal Kapoor for 2 years. Kunal Kapoor was the brand’s 1st ever Brand Ambassador in 2006 soon after the release of one his most successful movie – Rang De Basanti. The association was quite successful and was rightfully bagged up with significant investments in the media from the brand’s side which lead to substantial improvement in the brand’s awareness levels. “He is known for his incredible talent and is celebrated by young fashion followers across India for his cool & sophisticated style. He truly is a reflection of today’s Indian Terrain man. Today, when we are both much evolved and richer in our individual experiences, we wanted to partner with Kunal Kapoor again and take the brand to the next level”, says Venky Rajagopal, CMD, Indian Terrain Fashions Ltd. “I have always loved the attitude of Indian Terrain. The brand is authentic, and they understand the culture of everyday Indian man. The new range in store inspires passion, commitment and is very much a testament to the great potential the brand has.” Kunal Kapoor commented.

EDUCATION NEW ZEALAND ANNOUNCES KRITI (KIWI) SANON AS FIRST INDIAN BRAND AMBASSADOR

Education New Zealand (ENZ) has announced Kriti Sanon as its 1st Indian Brand Ambassador in India. Kriti’s connect with the youth will support Education New Zealand (ENZ) reach out to aspiring students from India to make an informed choice while considering their study abroad options. Announcing the NZEA 2017 awards, HE Ms Joanna Kempkers, New Zealand High Commissioner to India said, “The announcements today will encourage high calibre Indian students from India to choose New Zealand as their higher education destination. The New Zealand Excellence Awards offer a select group of student’s partial scholarships to study at New Zealand’s world – leading Universities.” The 2nd round of the “Academic Guest Lecture Series” was also launched, to showcase New Zealand’s leading academics in in the area of engineering, life sciences, ecology, sustainability, social work & business. On being named the 1st ever Indian Brand Ambassador for Education New Zealand, a visibly excited Kriti Sanon said, “It’s a great honor for me to play a catalyst role in supporting the educational & career prospects of students from my country. New Zealand offers incredible opportunities for our high – achieving students to pursue a wide variety of quality courses in a positive & multicultural environment”.

Sandalwood’s controversial actor Huchcha Venkat tried to commit suicide by drinking phenyl at his farmhouse. The actor was rescued from there and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital. Sources close to the actor revealed that he suffered from heartbreak. Apparently, Venkat was in love with TV star Rachana, but she didn’t reciprocate his feelings and the former attempted to take his own life.

Yash – Live Session On Facebook

Rocking Star Yash is currently busy in shooting for his upcoming film, K.G.F. The big – budget film is being helmed by Prashant Neel, of Uggram fame. The 1st look posters of K.G.F had created a lot of buzz in Gandhinagar when it was released a few weeks ago, which raised the bar of expectations. Fans of Yash are waiting on the tip of their toes to watch their icon in the movie. Recently, the Rocking Star came live on Facebook from Colors Kannada Facebook account. The actor, who came live to interact with his fans & followers, answered some of the queries of his fans very patiently. Yash, who is known to have a lot of patience, revealed a few facts about his personal life & also his upcoming film, K.G.F. While a few of them got to know the information while on live, this article is exclusively for those who missed the opportunity to see Yash live. Continue reading to know the interesting facts that Yash revealed about his life & his next film. Heads up, the article henceforth runs in question & answer format.

Trailer Of Darshan’s next

Challenging Star Darshan, who had been making a lot of noise on social media with his 49th film, Tarak, had previously released a teaser for the film. In addition to that, a couple of posters & songs were released from the film. Now, the team has brought even more good news that is sure to cheer up Darshan’s fans. Tarak film’s trailer release date has now been finally fixed. So fans of Darshan do not have to wait long. The trailer was released this week to tremendous response. Fans & followers of Darshan, who were excited to watch the teaser, are sure to be amused with the film’s full length trailer. The 1 minute teaser had a lot of surprises that gladdened the audiences. It is now time for us to speculate how the trailer might turn out to be & what extra glimpse it could give us into the film.

Kavya Madhavan To File Bail Application Today?

As Dileep’s bail application it to be considered by the Judicial First Class Magistrate’s Court at Angamaly today 16th Sep, 2017 afternoon, there is another twist in the actress’ molestation case. Latest reports suggest that Dileep’s wife Kavya Madhavan is all set to file anticipatory bail application. The key accused in case Pulsar Suni had made some statements that led to Kavya Madhavan’s questioning by the Police. There were rumors that the Police is planning to submit the final report in the case after questioning Nadhir Shah, without any further arrests. Kavya Madhavan’s anticipatory bail application has come as a surprise, as a result.

Dileep Denied Bail For The 4th Time!!!

Dileep, arrested in connection with an actress’ kidnapping case has been denied bail by the Judicial First Class Magistrate’s Court at Angamaly. The actor was denied bail by the same court earlier & twice by the Kerala High Court. The actor had claimed that the charge against him by the police has been of entrusting the main accused to take nude pictures of the actress, which if proven is a charge eligible for less than ten years. In that case, he is eligible for bail after 60 days, as the charge sheet has not been submitted. However, the prosecution argued that the investigation is in the final stages and if the actor is given bail now, he could influence the witnesses. The huge number of visitors for the actor at the jail shows his influence, according to the prosecution. Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court may consider the anticipatory bail application submitted by Dileep’s wife Kavya Madhavan today.

Jai luva Kusa’s trailer wowed us the entertainment quotient that Junior NTR brought in the 3 characters. The action, dance & humor seemed spot on. The film also has a special dance item number by Tamannaah Bhatia the gorgeous lady looks like a bronzed beauty in the teaser pic that she has shared. The song will release on 21st Sept, 2017, and the excitement is already in the air. One of the biggest hitmakers down South, Devi Sri Prasad has composed the number. Jai Lava Kusa also stars Raashi Khanna & Nivetha Thomas as the female leads. It is a Dussehra release.

Rajinikanth’s Kaala Kalikaraan Beats Kabali

As much as 70% of superstar Rajnikanth’s upcoming Tamil gangster drama Kaala has been completed. The pace at which it is being shot could make it the fastest shot film in director Pa. Ranjith’s career. Looks like Rajinikanth’s Kaala Kalikaaran is on its way to create its 1st ever record. It has beaten Kabali to become the 1st ever Rajinikanth film to be shot at this kind of pace. “The team is shooting at amazing pace, making it probably the fastest shot film in Pa.Ranjith’s career. Nearly 70% of the film has already been completed.

Spyder Is Mahesh Babu’s Most Expensive Film

Spyder, Mahesh Babu’s next sci – fi thriller, is only getting bigger. Recently, the film had its audio launch, which saw a crazy turnout of fans. In fact, director A R Murugadoss had to shut them up when he took the mic to talk about the film. He had said that he had waited 2 years to take this platform, hinting that nobody could stop him from talking now. Later Mahesh Babu revealed that the film was made at a whopping budget of Rs 120 crore. That makes the film his most expensive one till date and now it will get a big release in US too as if India wasn’t enough for it to make a mark.
The Cost Of The Action Sequences For Prabhas’ Saaho Is RS. 120 Crore
Saaho is easily one of the most talked about films this year and why wouldn’t it be, It stars the one & only one Prabhas, the biggest South Star of 2017 (as per Bollywood life’s poll). He became the global icon after Baahubali’s success so now all eyes are on his next film. With Prabhas on board, Saaho was already exciting. It became a bigger project when Shraddha Kapoor joined the team. Fans were disappointed that Anushka Shetty was no longer a part of the film, but they are looking forward to seeing Prabhas & Shraddha Kapoor together. Now as per another update on Times of India, this is going to be definitely a film to watch out for, turns out, the actions sequences alone might cost Rs 25 crore. Bahaubali 2’s climax sequence cost R 30 crore. Saaho clearly is not far behind. In fact, the team has got on board, Kenny bates, a renowned stunt choreographer to plan out the action sequences & the stunts. The lead pair, Prabhas & Shraddha Kapoor will take on a whole new avatar in this film.
Veteran Actress BV Radha Passes Away In Bengaluru
It is sad news for enthusiasts of South Indian cinema as veteran actress BV Radha passed away in Bengaluru. She was 70 and suffered a cardiac arrest. The veteran was admitted to a private hospital in early morning and placed under medical supervision. However, she could not recover from the attack. A cancer survivor, BV Radha had done films in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Tulu & Malayalam. She was married to director KSL Swami, who passed away in 2015. The actress’ body was kept at her home for the last respects and her eyes were donated to Narayana Nethralaya and her body to MS Ramaiah Hospital as per her wish.

The Dhruva Natchathiram Team No Longer Stuck

Filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon on Sun said he & his crew of the upcoming Tamil film Dhruva Natchathiram are stuck at the Turkey border for over 24 hours. In a series of tweets, Menon explained the situation and sought help. “My film crew stuck at Turkey border. On the road. More than 24 hours now. Officials not letting us in with equipment in spite of legit papers,” Menon tweeted on Sun. He also said that they were not able to “meet the demands of the officials”. Crew traveling from Georgia to Istanbul by road. Carrying camera & costumes. Stuck now. At the border,” he added.
Simbu Joins Mani Ratnam’s Next
It is confirmed. South actor Silambarasan aka Simbu is a part of Mani Ratnam’s next film. Well, the project just got bigger. It already has Jyotika, Fahadh Faasil, Aishwarya Rajesh & Nani in prominent roles. Actor Vijay Sethupathi who made a huge impact with the film, Vikram Vedha was the front – runner for the film but Simbu was the final choice. The actor’s last film Anbavan Asaradhavan Adangadhavan was a dud at the Box – Office turnstiles. This is the actor’s 1st film with Mani Ratnam. Incidentally, while Jyothika has worked in a Ratnam production Dum Dum Dum, this is also her 1st time under him as a director.
Thalapathy Vijay’s Mersal Finally Introduces Its 3rd Female Lead, Nithya Menen
Mersal without a doubt is one of the most anticipated films of 2017! It stars the Tamil superstar, Thalapathy Vijay. The actor will take on 3 roles that of a chieftan, doctor & magician set in 3 different time periods. Also, the bigger excitement was that the actor will romance three leading ladies – Kajal Aggarwal, Samantha Ruth Prabhu & Nithya Menen. The Mersal team had given us enough glimpses of Vijay – Sam & Vijay-Kajal but there was no sign of Vijay – Nithya. It was almost beginning to seem like a rumored pair when an unseen pic of Vijay & Nithya Menen got LEAKED online today! Unlike her previous avatars, she looks demure & mature in this look, not to forget beautiful.
Baahubali director SS Rajamouli honored
Baahubali filmmaker S. S. Rajamouli was conferred the Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR) award here on 17th Sept, 2017 for his excellence in cinema. Akkineni Nagarjuna averred, “We are very honored to announce the ANR award will be given to our own S. S. Rajamouli for his excellence in cinema in the presence of honorable Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on 17th Sept, 2017 @ 4.30 pm in Shilpa Kala Vedhika,”
Prabhas & Shraddha Kapoor To Kick Some Butt In Saaho
Saaho has caught everybody’s eye for so many reasons, This is Prabhas’ 1st film after Baahubali, He is going to feature in a whole new avatar and this time, the Telugu actor will star opposite Shraddha Kapoor! Each of these reasons are enough to send fans into a tizzy. To begin with, his new look sans the long hair & bulky physique, has got a thumbs up from fans. Apart from the change, this bad ass look sure suits him, feel fans. The actor after a 4 month break finally joined the sets of Saaho on 18th Aug, 2017. The next excitement is his co – star for the 1st time ever, Shraddha Kapoor joining the sets.

Telugu Film Critic Mahesh Kathi Lashes Out

It is not unusual to see fans down South go really crazy in their love for their matinee idol. Anyone, who dares utter something “negative” about their idol is mercilessly trolled online. In some cases, the harassment crosses all limits with the dissenting person being threatened. In the Telugu film industry, Pawan Kalyan’s fans are the most loyal & vociferous ones online. Mahesh Kathi, who is a film critic & filmmaker is a participant on the Telugu Bigg Boss as well. He revealed that his dislike of Pawan Kalyan’s Katamarayudu earned him a lot of hate from fans

Dileep Allowed To Step Out Of Jail

Dileep was allowed to step out for 2 hours to perform the rites for his Father’s death anniversary. Malayalam star Dileep who has been in Aluva Jail for the last 2 months was allowed to step out recently for 2 hours to carry the traditions of his father’s death anniversary. The lawyer had put forth this special request on behalf of the actor which the court consented to. The actor was released form the jail, not without tight security around him as a crowd gathered outside to get a look at the actor.

Banner: T – Series, Paramhans Creations Entertainments & Adarsh Telemedia
Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Shailesh R Singh & Amit Agarwal
Director: Hansal Mehta,
Star Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Mark Justice, Soham Shah, Hiten Kumar, Kishori Shahane, Esha Tewari Pande, Manu Narayan, Aneesha Joshi, Rupindra Nagra, Usha Jerajani
Music: Sachin – Jigar

Hansal Mehta, the most well – known director has always attempted novel topics, and now he has taken one more challenge to present another novel topic passed on a true incident but this time his attempt seems have totally backfired on him and the poor audiences had to bear the brunt of his backfiring challenge.

The scripted or rather the non – sensically scripted scenario of Simran reveals that it is the story of a girl with flaws who has to resort to crime when things go horribly wrong. Praful Patel (Kangana Ranaut) is divorced and is living in Atlanta in United States of America. Fed up with the rants of her parents (Hiten Kumar & Kishori Shahane), So Praful now decides to move into her own house. She even gets pre – approval for her loan. But a chance visit to Las Vegas with her cousin Amber changes her life. After the initial victory at the casino, she loses out a lot of money, including her savings. Yet, she continues to play since she gets addicted to it. A private moneylender loans her $32,000 and she loses that as well. The moneylender is dangerous and warns her of dire consequences if Praful doesn’t repay the amount along with interest. With no other option, Praful starts robbing banks. How it messes her life further forms the rest of the film.

Hansal Mehta’s direction is disappointing and it’s nowhere close to his earlier films like Shahid, Citylight & Aligarh. Few scenes have been well executed by him though. Watch out for the scene where Praful’s father watches the news and criticizes the father of Simran, not realizing that he is insulting himself. It is quite funny. The story penned by Apurva Asrani which has been inspired from a true incident rests on a weak pivot. Apurva Asrani’s screenplay is very faulty & incoherent. There is no relatability factor of any sort with the principle protagonist and that goes against the film heavily. Apurva Asrani’s dialogues (additional dialogues by Kangana Ranaut} are fine however but nothing memorable. Simran has a decent beginning. The 1st 10 – 15 minutes are spent in character introductions and also the Las Vegas sequence and it makes for a nice watch. But as soon as Simran turns into a habitual gambler, the film falls and never goes up again. There’s no logic to her actions and it gets bewildering after a point as to what’s going on in the film. One doesn’t feel any empathy for Praful. Neither does she seem to be a smart badass, if that was the intention of the makers. Besides, there’s too much of English & Gujarati in the film that dilutes the commercial element of the film. There are too many cinematic liberties in the movie which takes the audience for granted. Even the audio isn’t clear in certain scenes and hence certain English dialogues aren’t even audible. And above all Simran comes across as a show reel for Kangana Ranaut. Sachin – Jigar’s music is absolutely forgettable. Anuj Rakesh Dhawan’s cinematography is horrible. Tiya Tejpal’s production design is nothing special. Antara Lahiri’s editing is not great but with such kind of pointless script & useless direction, there is nothing much that she could have done.

Performance wise Kangana Ranaut is hopelessly irritating. She indeed does a good job in a few selected scenes but her performance is quite inconsistent and comes across as self – obsessed. Notice how her Gujarati accent vanishes in several scenes, such goof ups are not something that we expect from a powerhouse performer like her. Sohum Shah’s (Sameer) performance suffers because his character isn’t well fleshed out. He disappears completely in the middle of the film. Hiten Kumar is too loud & theatrical. He should have kept his performance restrained. Kishori Shahane is quite better. Esha Tewari Pande (Salma) is fine in her small role. The actors playing Amber, Mike, bartender, moneylender and his henchmen are fair.

Tail Piece: On the whole, Simran is a movie which can be easily skipped without any regrets. At the Box – Office turnstiles it will turn out to be an average fare. Don’t even make an attempt to watch it even if you are a hardcore Kangana Ranaut fan.

Producers: Arjun Rampal & Rutwij Patel
Director: Ashim Ahluwalia
Star Cast: Arjun Rampal, Aishwarya Rajesh, Nishikant Kamat, Anand Ingale, Rajesh Shringarpure, Purnand Wandekar, Anupriya Goenka, Shruti Bapna, Usha Naik, Shrikant Yadav, Deepak Damle, Girish Pal, Raj Arjun, Vijay Sanap, Abhimanyu Arun, Mir Sarwar & Farhan Akhtar
Music: Sajid – Wajid

The underworld that ruled Mumbai at one point has spun many films over the years. But surprisingly, no film was made solely on Arun Gawli, who has also been a prominent figure in the city’s underworld & politics and continues to be. Director Ashim Ahluwalia takes the challenge and comes up with Daddy, and makes an unconventional choice of having a suave Arjun Rampal for a character that’s diametrically opposite to his persona in all aspects.

Although the scripted scenario of Daddy is based on the real life story of Maharashtra’s underworld Don Arun Gawli of Dagdi Chawl, Daddy has been presented as the story of the roller-coaster life of Arun Gawli. The story begins in the late 70’s when the mills in Bombay (present day Mumbai) gets shut, rendering lakhs of people jobless and even homeless. In a locality in central Mumbai, Dagdi Chawl, 3 youngsters get lured into the underworld. They form the “B.R.A. Gang” which is the acronym of their names – Babu Reshim (Anand Ingle), Rama Naik (Rajesh Shringarpore) & Arun Gawli (Arjun Rampal). Arun Gawli however becomes quite prominent and soon enters politics. How he becomes a boon for the Dagdi Chawl residents & a bane for the police force forms the rest of the story.

Ashim Ahluwalia’s direction is the biggest culprit. He fails to do justice to the script, however faulty it may be. With his execution, he could have taken the film to a great height. But barring a few scenes & the finale courtroom sequence, he misses the mark. Few scenes are quite bewildering. For instance, the encounter attempt on Arun Gawli at the “nakabandi” failed to make an iota of sense. And why was Arun using paper ballot to vote when EVMs had already been introduced by then? Daddy begins on a shocking note and you expect the film to be a fast –paced drama, a well – preserved gangster drama. The film however falls a bit immediately but still, the scenes of the B.R.A. gang are engaging. But as the film progresses, it becomes too confusing & incoherent. Too many things are packed in the film’s 135 minutes run time. Also there are far too many characters. One fails to understand who exactly is the villain and if it’s the system that’s the villain, then it’s not established very well. It is mentioned that poverty drove Arun to crime but one never gets to see his family struggling due to poor economic conditions. Moreover, the film suffers from another strange problem, the background score & sound design at places is too loud because of which certain dialogues are inaudible. Arjun Rampal & Ashim Ahluwalia’s scripted story is weak and should have been detailed. The screenplay is average as it fails to put together the life of Arun Gawli in a cinematic format. Ritesh Shah’s dialogues are strictly okay and fail to register. Sajid – Wajid’s music is average. “Eid Mubarak” & “Aala Re Aala Ganesha” are relegated to the background. “Zindagi Meri Dance Dance” however is quite impressive & reminiscent of the bygone era. Naren Chandavarkar & Benedict Taylor’s background score has an 80’s touch & is entertaining. Jessica Lee Gagne & Pankaj Kumar’s cinematography could have been better. There are far too many close up shots. Deepa Bhatia & Navnita Sen Datta’s editing is disappointing. Despite being 135 minutes long, the film feels like a 3 hours+ fare. Parul Sondh’s production design is authentic. Nidhi & Divya Gambhir’s costumes are also straight out of life but the wigs worn by the characters look fake. Sham Kaushal’s action is gory but it was the requirement of the film.

Performance wise Arjun Rampal however saves the film to a great extent. Arjun proves his worth as an actor in this film and gets totally into the skin of his character. Surely, this is one of his most accomplished works! Aishwarya Rajesh (Zubeida) has a fine screen presence and gets the best scope among the other actresses. Shruti Bapna (Rani) leaves a mark while Anupriya Goenka (Hilda) gets scope only in the post interval scene with Arjun Rampal. Farhan Akhtar (Maqsood) is quite decent as the dreaded Don. Rajesh Shringarpore gives a bravura performance is a highlight of the 1st half of the film. Anand Ingle looks menacing and puts his best foot forward. Nishikant Kamat (Inspector Vijaykar) is quite nice and he has a crucial part in the film. His character however is quite controversial and the way Mumbai Police is shown as being hand in glove with Dawood like gangster is bound to raise eyebrows. Purnanand Wandekar (Vijay), Raj Arun (Rafique) & Deepak Damle (Phamplet Bandya) are too good in small roles.

Tail Piece: On the whole, Daddy is poor show due to its incoherent script & weak direction. Arjun Rampal’s performance is the sole factor that makes the film realistic. Watch it if you are a fan of Arjun Rampal or gangster flicks.

Banner: Emmay Entertainment
Producer: Nikhil Advani, Monisha Advani, Madhu G Bhojwani & Viacom18 Pictures
Director: Ranjit Tiwari
Star Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Diana Penty, Gippy Agarwal, Ronit Roy, Deepak Dobriyal, Inamulhaq, Rajesh Mishra, Uday Tikekar, Sukh Kanwar, Vineet Gill, Ravi Kissen, Manoj Tiwari, Virendra Saxsena, Manav Vij, Robin Das et al
Music: Arjunna Harjale, Rochak Kohli & Tanishk Bagchi

Just 3 weeks ago, audiences were exposed to the terrible life of jails in Qaidi Band. Surprisingly, Lucknow Central, that releases this Fri, also deals with life in the prison and what’s more, the crux in both the films is the prisoners forming a band in order to escape from jail. So does Lucknow Central manage to make a mark, despite the similarities with the other film or does it fail in making an impact?

The scripted scenario of Lucknow Central enlightens that it is the story of a group of prisoners who get a unique opportunity in escaping from jail. Aspiring singer Kishan Mohan Girhotra (Farhan Akhtar) is framed for the murder of an IAS officer in his hometown Moradabad. He is sentenced to life imprisonment & after 18 months, he is shifted to Lucknow Central jail. He finds out that the IGP (Virendra Saxena) has asked for a band to be formed in Lucknow Central comprising of a group of prisoners. They are to perform at an Independence Day celebration and also compete with band from other prisons of Uttar Pradesh. An adamant NGO worker Gayatri (Diana Penty) is given the responsibility to form the band. Kishan jumps at this opportunity and signs up for the band. He also succeeds in roping in Victor Chattopadhyay (Deepak Dobriyal), Parminder Singh Gill (Gippy Grewal), Purushottam Madan Pandit (Rajesh Sharma) & Liyakat Ansari (Inaamulhaq) after facing some resistance. Kishan however is not just trying to fulfill his singing ambition by forming this band. He also plans to escape. But the jailer at Lucknow Central (Ronit Roy) is tough and not easy to be fooled. He senses about this plan. What happens later on forms the crux of the film.

Ranjit Tiwari’s direction is simple but with such a flawed script, there’s nothing much he could have done. Few scenes are well handled but they all get overshadowed by the many bad scenes. Aseem Arora’s dialogues however are fine, especially the ones mouthed by Ravi Kishan. The story penned by Ranjit Tiwari & Aseem Arora stands on a weak wicket. Aseem Arora’s screenplay is faulty & riddled with complete goof ups. Lucknow Central just doesn’t work and the glaring similarities with Qaidi Band are not to blame. The beginning portions are still fine. But the film defies logic soon enough and that continues right till end. What was the relevance of Kishan pretending to be mute when he reaches Lucknow Central? Kishan plans to escape from jail and then fulfill his singing dreams. How on earth he’d do that and why didn’t he realize that someone who has escaped from a prison would have to always hide from the cops and that becoming a famous singer is out of option, is inexplicable! Also certain developments in the film are highly unconvincing. The manner in which Victor ditches Tilakdhaari (Manav Vij) and joins Kishan is difficult to digest. Also how Pandit agrees to join Kishan and why nobody has a plan after escaping from jail is too much. The character of Gayatri is also half baked. It’s amusing to see her getting convinced by Kishan and decides to help him form the band. The “Teen Kabootar” song does spike some interest but immediately afterwards, the jailor leaks the video which didn’t make an iota of sense. Lastly, sequences seem to be inspired from films like Happy New Year, Gupt and even Shawshank Redemption, further diluting the impact. The Music of the film doesn’t work and that’s not good for a film that is about a band. “Kaavaan Kaavaan” is the only track that works. “Teen Kabootar” is interesting as it’s conceptualized well. The other songs like “Meer – E – Kaarwan”, “Rangdaari” & “Baaki Rab Pe Chhod De” are poor. Arjunna Harjaie’s background score is dramatic and adds to the tension. Tushar Kanti Ray’s cinematography is neat. Amit Ray & Subrata Chakraborty’s production design is fine. Charu Shree Roy’s editing is bad. The film is too long at 147 minutes and could have been way shorter.

Performance wise Farhan Akhtar delivers a decent performance and manages to carry his duty of a leading actor. But this performance is no way close to his other memorable performances. Diana Penty looks pretty and doesn’t get much scope. After such a crucial role in Happy Bhag Jayegi, it’s disappointing to see her in such a weak part. Deepak Dobriyal as always is dependable and gets the Bengali accent right. He is quite moving in the scene where he meets his father. Rajesh Sharma also proves his worth & performs ably. Inaamulhaq gets a raw deal and could have done better. He rocked the show in Filmistaan and also in Jolly LLB 2. But here he just doesn’t work. Gippy Grewal gets a chance to shine despite the presence of so many actors. A fine performance and his look is quite interesting! Ronit Roy is menacing as always but his performance suffers due to bad writing. Ravi Kishan (Pawan Singh Chaturvedi) takes the film to another level with his cameo appearance. His dialogue on Donald Trump will be loved. Robin Das (Kishan’s father) is okay. Manav Vij has intense eyes & is alright. Virendra Saxena (IG) does fine. Manoj Tiwari plays himself and there’s nothing much to talk about his act.

Tail Piece: On the whole, Lucknow Central is a poor show all the way. The weak script, lack of entertainment value & long run time of the film will work against it. As a result, it’s bound to struggle at the Box – Office turnstiles.

Hollywood Hunk Brad Pitt happens to be an actor & producer known as much for his versatility as he is for his handsome face. Golden Globe – winner Brad Pitt’s most widely recognized role may be Tyler Durden in Fight Club (1999). However, his portrayals of Billy Beane in Moneyball (2011), and Rusty Ryan in the remake of Ocean’s Eleven (2001) and its sequels, also loom large in his filmography. A little info about the hunky dude will not be out of place at this juncture. Brad Pitt was born as William Bradley Pitt on 18th Dec, 1963, in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and was raised in Springfield, Missouri. He is the son of Jane Etta, a school counselor, and William Alvin Pitt, a truck company manager. He has a younger brother, Douglas (Doug) Pitt, and a younger sister, Julie Neal Pitt. At Kickapoo High School, Brad Pitt was involved in sports, debating, student government & school musicals. He attended the University of Missouri, where he majored in journalism with a focus on advertising. He occasionally acted in fraternity shows. He left college 2 credits short of graduating to move to California. Before he became successful at acting, Brad Pitt had supported himself by driving strippers in limos, moving refrigerators & also dressing up as a giant chicken while working for “el Pollo Loco”.

Brad Pitt’s earliest credited roles were in the small screen arena. And the rest, as they say, is history. In this candid interview session Brad Pitt talks about his divorce with his better half Angelina Jolie, quitting drinking & thereby becoming a better man.

*So to begin with how did acting come out of you?

*Well, I think every people act out at some time or the other. In fact when I was a kid, I was certainly drawn to stories, beyond the stories that we were living & knew stories with different points of view. And I found those stories in film, especially. Different cultures & lives so foreign to mine? I think & that was one of the draws that propelled me into films. But of course I didn’t know how to articulate stories. I’m certainly not a good orator, sitting here telling a story, but I felt that I could foster them in films. Comedian Jerry Lee Lewis, was certainly my idol, my inspiration.

*The best actors blur into their characters, but given how well the world knows you, it seems you have a much harder time blurring these days?

*I have so much attached to this facade.

*But then, in War Machine, you find the little gesture that makes the Glen McMahon character ours. Like the way he runs, which is hilarious.

*The run to me was important because it was about the delusion of your own grandeur, not knowing what you really look like. All pencil legs, you know. Not being able to connect reality to this facade of grandeur.

The other equally distinctive characteristic is Glen’s McMahon’s voice. Where did it come from? You know, it’s a little bit of a cliché, but I just enjoyed it too much: There’s, you know, of course, Patton in it. But I could not get Sterling Hayden out of my mind. I’m just fascinated with Sterling Hayden, off – camera, between films, and I couldn’t escape that. There’s even a little bit of Chris Farley in mannerisms. And then Kiefer Sutherland in Monsters vs. Aliens, you know, doing the cartoon voice. It just wouldn’t go anywhere else; it kept coming back there.

*Have you ever felt the need to be more political?

*I can help in other ways. I can help by getting movies out with certain messages. I’ve got to be moved by something, I can’t fake it. I grew up with that Ozarkian mistrust of politics to begin with, so I just do better building a house for someone in New Orleans or getting certain movies to the screen that might not get made otherwise.

*You’re good at playing that kind of character, the one that doesn’t have a truly accurate vision of himself.

*It makes me laugh. Any of my foibles are born from my own hubris. Always, always. Anytime. I famously step in shit, at least for me it seems pretty epic. I often wind up with a smelly foot in my mouth. I often say the wrong thing, often in the wrong place & time. Often! In my own private Idaho, it’s funny as shit. I don’t have that gift. I’m better speaking in some other art form. I’m trying to get better. I’m really trying to get better.

*You’ve played characters in pain. What is pain, emotional & physical?

*Yeah, I’m kind of done playing those. I think it was more pain tourism. It was still avoidance in some way. I’ve never heard anyone laugh bigger than an African mother who’s lost 9 family members. What is that? I just got R & B for the 1st time. R & B comes from great pain, but it’s a celebration. To me, it’s embracing what’s left. It’s that African woman being able to laugh much more boisterously than I’ve ever been able to.

*Do you think if the past 6 months hadn’t happened you’d be in this place eventually? That it would have caught up with you?

*I think it would have come knocking, no matter what. People call it a midlife crisis, but this isn’t the same! No, this isn’t that. I interpret a midlife crisis as a fear of growing old & fear of dying, you know, going out & buying a Lamborghini. Actually, they’ve been looking pretty good to me lately!

*There might be a few Lamborghinis in your future too!

*I do have a Ford GT. I do remember a few spots along the road where I’ve become absolutely tired of myself. And this is a big one. These moments have always been a huge generator for change. And I’m quite grateful for it. But for me, personally, I can’t remember a day since I got out of college when I wasn’t boozing or had a spliff, or something. And you realize that a lot of it is, um, cigarettes, you know, pacifiers. And I’m running from feelings. I’m really, really happy to be done with all of that. I mean I stopped everything except boozing when I started my family. But even this last year, you know, things I wasn’t dealing with. I was boozing too much. It’s just become a problem. And I’m really happy it’s been half a year now, which is bittersweet, but I’ve got my feelings in my fingertips again. I think that’s part of the human challenge: You either deny them all of your life or you answer them & evolve.

*Was it hard to stop smoking pot?

*No. Back in my stoner days, I wanted to smoke a joint with Jack & Snoop & Willie. You know, when you’re a stoner, you get these really stupid ideas. Well, I don’t want to indict the others, but I haven’t made it to Willie yet.

*How about alcohol, you don’t miss it?

*I mean, we have a winery. I enjoy wine very, very much, but I just ran it to the ground. I had to step away for a minute. And truthfully I could drink a Russian under the table with his own vodka. I was a professional. I was good.

*So how do you just drop it like that?

*Don’t want to live that way anymore.

*What do you replace it with?

*Cranberry juice & fizzy water! I’ve got the cleanest urinary tract in all of LA, I guarantee you! But the terrible thing is I tend to run things into the ground. That’s why I’ve got to make something so calamitous. I’ve got to run it off a cliff.

*All that bad stuff: Do you use it to tell your story?

*It just keeps knocking. I’m 53 and I’m just getting into it. These are things I thought I was managing very well. I remember literally having this thought a year, a year & a half ago; someone was going through some scandal. Something crossed my path that was a big scandal, and I went, “Thank God I’m never going to have to be a part of one of those again.” I live my life, I have my family, I do my thing, I don’t do anything illegal, I don’t cross anyone’s path. What’s the David Foster Wallace quote? Truth will set you free, but not until it’s done with you first.

*When you go dark, do you retreat, disconnect?

*I don’t know how to answer that. I certainly shield. Shield, shield, shield. Mask, escape. Now I think: That’s just me.

*if you had a slideshow of all your worst moments as a human, you wouldn’t want anyone to see that slideshow. The way you’ve had to live for years, that slideshow has been public.

*But so little of it is accurate, and I avoid so much of it. I just let it go. It’s always been a long run game for me. As far as out there, I hope my intentions & work will speak for themselves. But, yes, at the same time, it is a drag to have certain things drug out in public & misconstrued. I worry about it more for my kids, being subjected to it, and their friends getting ideas from it. And of course it’s not done with any kind of delicacy or insight, it’s done to sell. And so you know the most sensational sells, and that’s what they’ll be subjected to, and that pains me. I worry more in my current situation about the slideshow my kids have. I want to make sure it’s well – balanced.

*How do you make sense of the past six months and keep going?

*Family first. People on their deathbeds don’t talk about what they obtained or were awarded. They talk about their loved ones or their regrets, that seems to be the menu. I say that as someone who’s let the work take me away. Kids are so delicate. They absorb everything. They need to have their hand held and things explained. They need to be listened to. When I get in that busy work mode, I’m just not hearing them out. I want to be better at that.

*Do you know, specifically, logistically when you have the kids?

*Yeah. We’re working at that now. It must be much harder when visitation is uncertain,
It was all that for a while. I was really on my back and chained to a system when Child Services was called. And you know, after that, we’ve been able to work together to sort this out. We’re both,me & Angelina doing our best. I heard one lawyer say, “No one wins in court, it’s just a matter of who gets hurt worse.” And it seems to be true, you spend a year just focused on building a case to prove your point and why you’re right and why they’re wrong, and it’s just an investment in vitriolic hatred. I just refuse. And fortunately my partner in this agrees. It’s just very, very jarring for the kids, to suddenly have their family ripped apart.

*How do you tell your kids?

*Well, there’s a lot to tell them because there’s understanding the future, there’s understanding the immediate moment and why we’re at this point, and then it brings up a lot of issues from the past that we haven’t talked about. So our focus is that everyone comes out stronger & better people, there is no other outcome. I know I’m just in the middle of this thing now, not at the beginning or at the end, just smack – dab in the middle. And I don’t want to dodge any of it.”

*And the fact that you guys are pointing toward that, that clearly doesn’t always happen. If you ended up in court, it would be a spectacular nightmare.

*Spectacular. I see it everywhere. Such animosity and bitterly dedicating years to destroying each of them and needs vindication by destruction, and just wasting years on that hatred. I don’t want to live that way.

*What in the recent past has given you immense joy? Can you feel that right now?

*It’s an elusive thing. It’s been a more painful phase than normal, just certain things have come up, but I see joy out of the window, and I can see the silhouette of palms and an expression on one of my kids’ faces, a parting smile, or finding some, you know, moment of bliss with the clay. You know, it’s everywhere, it’s got to be found. It’s the laughter of the African mother in my experience, it’s got to come from the blues, to get R & B. That’ll be in my book.

*Are you going to write a book?

*No! I find writing too arduous.

*So is there an urge to try to…?

*The first urge is to cling on.

*Then?

*And then you’ve got a cliché: “If you love someone, set them free.” Now I know what it means, by feeling it. It means to love without ownership. It means expecting nothing in return. But it sounds good written. It sounds good when Sting sings it. It doesn’t mean fuck – all to me until, you know, until you can embody it. Until you live it. That’s why I never understood growing up with Christianity, don’t do this, don’t do that, it’s all about do’s & don’ts, more don’ts than do’s and I was like how the fuck do you know who you are and what works for you if you don’t find out where the edge is, where’s your line? You’ve got to step over it to know where it is.

*After all this, do you feel constrained as an actor in some ways?

*No, I don’t really think of myself much as an actor anymore. It takes up so little of my year & my focus. Film feels like a cheap pass for me, as a way to get at those hard feelings. It doesn’t work anymore, especially being a dad.

*On the pie chart, what is acting?

*Acting would be a very small slice.

*Do you see yourself as having been successful?

*I wish I could just change my name. Come out as a new person? Like P. Diddy. I can be Puffy now or, what is Snoop? Lion? I just felt like Brad was a misnomer, and now I just feel like fucking Brad.

*What other name would you have put on yourself?

*Nothing. When outside success comes, the thing I’ve enjoyed the most is when there’s a personal discovery in it. But when I find it repetitious or painfully boring, it’s absolute death to me.

*When is acting still exciting?

*I would say more in comedic stuff, where you’re taking gambles. I can turn out the hits over & over and I am just, my favorite movie is the worst, performing film of anything I’ve done, The Assassination Of Jesse James. If I believe something is worthy, then I know it will be worthy in time to come. And there are times I get really cynical, you know. I spend a lot of time on design and even this sculpture folly I’m on, I have days when, it all ends up in the dirt anyways: What’s the point? So I go through that cycle, too, you know? What’s the point?

*So what’s on the agenda later?

*I’m anxious to get to the studio. I think it was Picasso who talked about the moment of looking at the subject, and paint hitting canvas, and that is where art happens. For me I’m having a moment of getting to feel emotion at my fingertips. But to get that emotion to clay, I just haven’t cracked the surface. And I don’t know what’s coming. Right now I know the manual labor is good for me, getting to know the expansiveness & limitations of the materials. I’ve got to start from the bottom, I’ve got to sweep my floor, I’ve got to wrap up my shit at night, you know?

It was reported in a section of media recently that Kirrik Party fame Rashmika Mandanna is making her debut in Telugu cinema with Allu Arjun’s Naa Peru Surya – Naa Illu India. However, the reports turned out false as the makers of Naa Peru Surya – Naa Illu India are yet to finalize the female lead. Director Vakkantam Vamsy wants to have one of the leading actresses in his debut film. Female lead character in the film is a very strong one that demands an experienced actress. Therefore, he is considering big names for the heroine’s character. Naa Peru Surya – Naa Illu India will start rolling shortly and aim for a release in the summer of 2018. Bunny (Allu Arjun) took a short break from shootings and enjoyed a holiday abroad with his family. He recently joined the shoot of Naa Peru Surya – Naa Illu India.

Rajnikanth States That If God Willing He Will Enter Politics

Rajinikanth had recently stated that he has no political aspirations but will consider taking the path if it’s God’s will. He also said that if he enters politics, he will be truthful and won’t entertain people who want to make money. “God decides what we have to do in life. Right now, he wants me to be an actor and I’m fulfilling my responsibility. If God willing, I will enter politics soon. If I enter, I will be very truthful and will not entertain people who are in this to make money. I won’t work with such people,” Rajinikanth told his fans at a greet – & – meet recently. The 66 – year – old star also described his brief stint in politics 2 decades ago as a “political accident”. In 1996, during Tamil Nadu assembly election campaign, Rajinikanth denounced J. Jayalalithaa & her politics. His strong remarks caused her defeat. “I did a mistake by supporting a political alliance 21 years ago. It was a political accident. Since then, politicians have misused my name on several occasions. But I have to clarify, I’m not joining any party,” he added. Addressing a large gathering of his fans, Rajinikanth requested them to refrain from smoking & drinking. “Take care of your family & children. Don’t waste your life by smoking & drinking. Drinking & smoking not only affects your health but also your decision making ability. I have been affected enough so please take my advice seriously,” he added.

Ilayathalapathy Vijay’s Plans Changed Because Of Political Changes

As soon as Sri Thenandal Films announced Vijay 61 aka Thalapathy 61 director Atlee and his team flew to the United States and toured the country to fix varied locales for shooting the portions involving Vijay & Kajol Agarwal in the film. However, now the team of Vijay 61 is shooting in Europe and this change in plans was due to the new Donald Trump administration, which has heavily raised shooting location charges and also is putting restrictions on other country people. Anyways, fans are in for a visual treat as the sprawling European locales are as much pleasing to the eyes and even more than the one in the States. The A. R. Rahman musical has an ensemble cast comprising of Vijay, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Nithya Menen, Kajal Agarwal, Vadivelu, Kovai Sarala, Sathyaraj, S. J. Surya & Sathyan.

S. S. Thaman To Enter Bollywood With A Biggie!!!!!

After making his entry into Tamil cinema as an actor with director Shankar’s Boys in 2004, S. S. Thaman has now evolved as a much sought after music director in Tollywood as well as Kollywood. Now Thaman is all set to enter India’s biggest film industry aka Bollywood. The Vaalu music director has officially confirmed on his Twitter page that his Bollywood debut will be with Golmaal 4 directed by Rohith Shetty with Ajay Devgn & Parineeti Chopra in lead roles.

Multiple Looks For Prabhu Deva & Hansika

Choreographer turned actor Prabhu Deva & Hansika will be seen sporting multiple looks in their upcoming black comedy film Gulebakavali. Prabhu Deva’s character name is Badri & Hansika’s character’s name is Viji in the film. Sources say that the film will begin from where the original Gulebakavali (1955) ended and there is a special flashback portion to connect both the stories. Directed by newcomer Kalyan, the film also has multiple sets worth Rs 2cr. Produced by K J R Studios, Gulebakavali also has yesteryear actress Revathy in an important role. Vivek – Mervin duo is composing the music for the film & Anand Kumar is taking care of the cinematography. A grand set replicating the world famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon has been erected for the intro song of Prabhu Deva in Gulebakavali. When director Kalyan suggested the idea of designing a set replicating Babylon Gardens, production designer Kathir improvised it by designing a miniature with two hanging cars. Sources say that the set work is completed with the help of more than 500 hundred workers in a 10 acre land situated on the outskirts of Chennai city. Telugu cinema’s leading choreographer Johnny discussed with Prabhu Deva for the song conceptualization and they have done rehearsals in Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru & Mumbai for more than 10 days. Several models from Mumbai will also be dancing with Prabhu Deva in this peppy song composed by Vivek – Mervin.

Silambarasan Quits Social Media

STR has announced that he will no longer be a part of the social media world. The actor says that there is so much negativity in the internet so he prefers to stay out of it and in his final message, he has asked his fans to spread positivity. “In spite of negativism, positivity was my forte but today’s social media !!! Negativity is too dominating, and I’m scared to be a part. Social media was necessary as a celebrity, but I prefer to follow my heart. So before I depart, just wanna say. Always choose love”, posted STR on his official Twitter page. On the film front, STR is working on an English film for which Gautham Menon is penning the dialogues, Yuvan is in charge for music & Santhosh Sivan will be cranking the camera.

Rajinikanth & Vijay Attend Vishal’s Sister’s Wedding Reception

Leading actors, producers, technicians & political bigwigs recently attended the wedding reception of Nadigar Sangam General Secretary & Tamil Film Producers’ Council’s President Vishal’s sister Aishwarya & Ummi Kritsh recently. Instead of giving away Thamboolam (wedding return gift) to the guests, Vishal & family donated 1 lakh rupees to Cancer Institute (WIA). Following are some of the notable celebrities, who attended the wedding reception…Superstar Rajinikanth, Thalapathy Vijay, Sivakumar, Karthi, Hansika, Prabhu Deva, Arun Vijay, Rajkiran, Yuvan Shankar Raja, Vairamuthu, S R Prabhu, R B Choudary, Archana Kalpathi, Hari, Ponram, Suseenthiran, Pandiraj et al. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy sent his best wishes through a letter & a slew of politicians including Jayakumar, Thirumavalavan, Vaiko, Krishnaswamy, G K Vasan & Ponnaiyan have also attended the event.

Nagarjuna Akkineni Under Massive Pressure

Nagarjuna Akkineni these days is under massive pressure to give a successful film to his younger son Akhil Akkineni. He is so invested into the film that he has put everything aside and giving 100% to the film Hello. The title of the film also is conceived by Nagarjuna Akkineni. The veteran superstar says that there is so much at stake for Hello. Nagarjuna Akkineni also stated that Hello is a complicated project involving a wide range of locations & huge amount of money. Nagarjuna Akkineni usually doesn’t like to spend a lot on the production, but he is spending so much on Hello. Nagarjuna Akkineni says that the budget is justified though. In Nagarjuna Akkineni’s words it is evident that he is looking forward to see Akhil Akkineni succeed more than anything else. He is also not under the pressure of making arrangements for Naga Chaitanya’s marriage. “It will be a very private event and I am only a guest. Wedding reception is going to be as per my will,” Nagarjuna Akkineni said. Nagarjuna Akkineni is planning a massive promotional campaign for Hello that is gearing up for release on 22nd Dec, 2017.

Tamannah To Cut Her Remuneration Drastically!!!

Tamannah has given hints that she is ready to cut down her remuneration drastically to get offers in Tollywood. At this moment, no Telugu film is on her hands People say she is very particular about her remuneration. To earn some quick money, she did 3 item songs too. But now she has taken the decision of slashing her salary as she urgently needs a movie or two in Tollywood. Tamannah has been making calls to her friends in Tollywood for new offers but her efforts are in vain. After Oopiri, she didn’t get any other Telugu movie. Currently, she is settled in Mumbai.

A Rift Between Balayya & Nag Is Still On!!!

At the TSR – TV9 awards ceremony in Vizag, Nagarjuna Akkineni said, “There are rumors that Balayya & I are not on the best of terms and that there is a rift between us. This is absolutely false! There is no problem at all,” said Nagarjuna Akkineni & Balayya also immediately put his hand over Nag’s shoulder in a friendly manner. Nevertheless, there are a few takers for Nag’s explanation! When Akkineni Nageswara Rao passed away, Balayya did not turn up to pay his last respects but sent his wife instead. And at the marriage of Balakrishna’s 2nd daughter, none from the Akkineni family was in attendance. Therefore, it was nice of Nag to attempt to scotch reports of differences between Balayya & himself. Maybe, they’ve patched up or decided to. But a rift did indeed exist between them although the exact reason for it is not known.