Banner: Excel Entertainment
Producer: Farhan Akhtar & Ritesh Sidhwani
Director: Shujaat Saudagar
Star Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Prachi Desai, Shraddha Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli
Shashank Arora, Shahana Goswami, Kumud Mishra et al
Music: Shankar – Ehsaan – Loy

Debutant director Shujaat Saudagar has aimlessly decided to carry forward the torch of the prequel Rock On but with no particular destination in sight. The prequel was at least entertaining but the sequel Rock On 2 tests your patience beyond endurance limit. Need anything more be said on this front?

The scripted scenario of Rock On 2 starts off with the voiceover narration of ‘KD’ aka Killer Drummer aka Kedar Zaveri (Purab Kohli). The story then mirrors upon the distances covered by Magik band’s members from the prequel till today. Aditya Shroff aka Adi (Farhan Akhtar) gets settled in Shillong to lead an isolated life as “repentance” over a certain mistake. It is here that he finds peace by running his self – initiated “Farmers Co-operative” and a school for the poor children. Even though “Farmers’ Co-operative” works selflessly towards the benefits of the farmers, it just does not go well with the local Governing officer of that area. On the other hand, Joseph Mascarenhas aka Joe (Arjun Rampal) becomes a successful entrepreneur as well as a judge in one of the TV reality shows. One day, on the eve of Adi’s birthday, the entire “Magik” team springs up a surprise by paying him a visit in the North East to celebrate his birthday. Despite the happy mood, there looms an atmosphere of tension, anger, repentance & anxiety amidst everyone. One fine day, “Magik” sees the inclusion of a struggling musician Uday (Shashank Arora) along with Jiah Sharma (Shraddha Kapoor) as its new members. On the eve of the performance, Jiah chickens out on stage itself and is unable to perform because of her father’s resistance to western music. On the other hand, Adi’s adopted village in Shillong gets gutted down due to forest fire. And the money given by the Central Government for the welfare aid of the affected farmers gets gulped down by a corrupt Government officer in Shillong. This is when Adi & his rock band plan to organise a rock concert in Shillong in order to highlight the plight of the helpless villagers.

The man who had gained ample recognition in the ad world has suddenly lost all interest in the entire proceedings of Rock On 2. Yes director Shujaat Saudagar’s non – directorial skills is evident from the fact that he has literally & directorially sleep walked through the entire duration of the film. In short Rock On 2 has confusions galore and it meanders pointlessly from “The Start” to “The End”.

Performance wise Farhan Akhtar indeed tries his level best to get the entire praising action focussed on him but totally in vain. Arjun Rampal simply seems to have wasted his little bit of talented energy on a non – de script movie and come to think of it he had bagged a National Award for his perfect characterisation in the prequel tItled Rock. On. Purab Kohli tries to bring in some genuine emotion, but, because he barely gets any space, his attempts go wasted. On the other hand, there’s Shraddha Kapoor, who looks endlessly lost in the film. She never gets a grip of her poorly written character Jiah, who is just wandering around in the film. While the rest of the actors like Shashank Arora, Prachi Desai, Shahana Goswami & Kumud Mishra also barely manage to make their presence felt.

Tail Piece: Sadly enough Rock On 2 has no story, no good music and not even an iota entertainment value. Ultimately speaking the film will prove to be an absolute disaster at the Box – Office turnstiles.

Banner: Dharma Productions
Producer: Karan Johar
Director: Karan Johar
Star Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Lisa Haydon, Fawad Khan, Imran Abbas & Shah Rukh Khan
Music: Pritam

Celebrity director Karan Johar certainly needs no special introduction. His Dharma Production banner is well – known for making larger than life movies which are crammed with opulence and one which are star also always studded, in fact Karan Johar depends heavily on the Star Power, and in case of his latest offering Ae Dil HaI Mushkil too is absolutely no exception to the rule. So
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is a classy entertainer with a daringly different theme.

The scripted scenario of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil kicks start with the introduction of singer Ayaan Sanger (Ranbir Kapoor) giving an interview, wherein he talks about the inspiration behind his successful singing career. The story, then enters a flashback mode that has Ayaan & the free spirited Alizeh Khan (Anushka Sharma) meeting at a night club. They start enjoying each other’s company as friends, so much so that they become inseparable. One day, when Ayaan & Alizeh go on a double date with their respective lovers (Lisa Haydon & Imran Abbas), an untoward incident happens which leads to them breaking up with their own lovers. And to “celebrate” their break up, Ayaan & Alizeh head to Paris, where they find seamless comfort in each other’s company. Despite Ayaan repeatedly confessing his love for Alizeh, she maintains that they are only best friends and nothing more than that. One day, when Ayaan & Alizeh go to party at a club (Not again the movie is full of party scenes), Alizeh finds her ex – lover Ali (Fawad Khan) playing at the DJ console. Alizeh, who now finds her love rekindled for Ali, announces her decision to Ayaan. She tells Ayaan that she wants to get married to Ali, who happened to be the only person whom she ever loved. A heartbroken Ayaan, then meets the stunning Sabah (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), a poetess who is happily divorced. Despite the 2 having a great live – in relationship, Sabah finds something amiss in their relationship. Amidst all this, Ayaan gets to know something shocking about Alizeh that changes everyone’s lives forever.

One no doubt feels a lot of compassion for Karan Johar for being unnecessarily dragged into the “Pakistani Actors” overhyped controversies galore. But this happend when the movie was indeed on the verge of release. But Mr. Karan Johar what went wrong when the film was in the making? Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is certainly not a common man’s cup of tea. The subject & the content of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is too high profile and suitable only for the richie rich high society big wig. In fact the movie has everything in excess like boyfriend – girlfriend pub hopping (Read Night Clubs) and drinking away too glory which ends up in one night stands & even live – in relationships, double dates, hooking up with anyone & everyone, exchange of lovers and what not the list is endless. Karan Johar was busy scripting this confusions galore. So much so that he totally forgot to concentrate & focus on the other aspects of filmmaking. Never mind he is now gloating in his success as Ae Dil Hai Mushkil has already crossed its Global 100 Crore mark due to the overflow in its Diwali weekend.

Performance wise Ranbir Kapoor steals the limelight with his Impeccable act. He has literally lived his role of a lover boy, or should we say lusty boy, falling in an out of love like nobody’s business. In fact one thinks that a film like Ae Dil Hai Mushkil should have been Ranbir Kapoor’s debut vehicle and not Sanwariya. He is just too perfect to be true. And his chemistry with Anushka Sharma is mind blowing. While she herself has not only given one more good account of herself but she is just “Terrific” in one word. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is excellent & classy in her brief role rather a cameo comprising of not more than a few scenes. Fawad Khan, whose role has been chopped mercilessly, looks good in whatever screen time he gets. The cameos by Alia Bhatt & Imran Abbas seem just passable. On the other hand, cameos by Shah Rukh Khan & Lisa Haydon are brilliant.

Tail Piece: Whatever be the minus & plus points of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, the cash registers at the Box Office turnstiles are still ringing. Mr. Karan Johar is obviously laughing all the way to the bank as Ae Dil Hai Mushkil has got superhit written all over it.

Varun Tej Speaks On Chiranjeevi & Pawan Kalyan

Mega hero Varun Tej has described himself as his Pedananna Chiranjeevi’s “pet”. He seconds the opinion of Sushmitha Konidela, who recently said that Megastar was never this happier ever since he bid adieu to cinema to join politics, returning from the shoot tired, but with a smile on his face.

As for Babai Pawan Kalyan, Varun has fond memories as a child & a teenager. Saying that Powerstar had once bought for him a toy gun while returning from Switzerland, the Mister & Fida actor informs that the thinking Babai instilled in him (and Sai Dharam Tej) a lot of values.

Vishal’s Heroic Act In Thupparivalan

Actor & Nadigar Sangam General Secretary Vishal is presently shooting for director Mysskin’s spy thriller flick Thupparivalan. The shooting has been happening for the past few days in Puliyur Housing Board quarters located in Kodambakkam, Chennai.
The members of Puliyur Housing Board Association met Vishal during the shoot break and sought help to resolve the problems in drainage & rain water harvesting systems of the locality. Vishal who has been doing many public service & philanthropic activities, immediately provided the financial aid required for ensuring proper functioning of drainage & rain water harvest facility of that housing board tenements.

Thanu To Produce Kabali Sequel

Veteran Producer Kalaipuli. S. Thanu delivered one of the biggest blockbusters of his illustrious career this year with Kabali which is also his maiden production venture with his long time friend Superstar Rajinikanth in the lead role. Thanu has recently registered the title Kabali 2. This clearly sends out the signal that the producer plans to make a sequel for this Malaysian Don flick directed by Pa. Ranjith.
Another conclusion that one can arrive with this development is that director Ranjith’s 2nd film with Rajinikanth that will be produced by Dhanush will not be the sequel to Kabali as speculated initially and it will be a fresh script.

Popular Tamil Heroine In Vedalam

Thala Ajith’s blockbuster Vedalam will be remade in Telugu by producer A. M. Ratnam. The remake will be directed by R. T. Neason of Jilla fame with Pawan Kalyan reprising the lead role played by Ajith. The hero’s younger sister’s character had a vital role in Vedalam and it was played with full conviction by Lakshmi Menon. The Telugu version will have Anandi in this powerful character. Anandi has acted as the female lead in Kayal, Trisha Illana Nayanthara, Enakku Innoru Per Irukku & Kadavul Irukaan Kumaru. The makers are considering a few leading heroines to play the female lead character played by Shruti Haasan in the original.

Aishwarya & Dhanush Take The Same Route

The talented husband & wife duo Dhanush & Aishwarya R. Dhanush, apart from being a cute couple in real life also seem to share the same aesthetic tastes in art too. Dhanush for his directorial debut Power Pandi has chosen the behind the lives, struggles & pain of movie stuntmen. Dhanush himself plays a stuntman who in his elderly age is played by Rajkiran. Aishwarya R. Dhanush is currently directing the documentary Cinema Veeran which has the voice over rendered by Superstar Rajinikanth. The core subject of this documentary also deals with movie stuntmen & their lives. Both the projects of the husband & wife duo will see release in a grand manner in 2017.

Mega Hero As Brahmin

Allu Arjun’s character in DJ – Duvvada Jagannadham, the Harish Shankar – Dil Raju film, sees the Mega hero in a character with 2 contrasting shades, one of them being that of a Brahmin youth. As Bunny is playing such a traditional – looking (?) character for the 1st time, there has been speculation as to whether he will be seen as a priest like how NTR was seen in V. V. Vinayak’s laugh riot Adhurs. The lead pair (Pooja Hegde of Mukunda, Oka Laila Kosam and the Hindi film Mohenjo Daro is the female lead) are reported to be currently filming for this crazy project in the famed locales of Hyderabad’s Old City.

Anandhi Bags R. T. Neason directorial

Warangal girl Anandhi of Bus Stop fame, who went on to act in entertainers like Priyathama Neevachata Kushalama in Telugu and a couple of Tamil hits, has been roped in to play Pawan Kalyan’s sister in the film to be produced by A. M. Ratnam. A remake of Ajith’s blockbuster Vedalam, this is to be directed by R. T. Neason of Jilla fame with Power Star reprising the lead role played by Ajith. The hero’s younger sister’s character had a vital role in Vedalam and it was played with full conviction by Lakshmi Menon.

Amala To Enact. The Role Of A Lawyer

Amala Akkineni made a comeback on the big screen with Sekhar Kammula’s Life Is Beautiful way back in 2012. She later made a brief appearance in Manam, and the Bollywood movie Hamari Adhuri Kahani. It’s Mollywood’s turn to see her re – entry. She has accepted the role of a lawyer in a Malayalam film titled C/o Saira Banu, which is to be directed by Antony Sony. With this, she will have acted in a Malayalam film 25 years after she shared the screen opposite Mohanlal in the 1991 psychological thriller Ulladakkam. Her character’s name in C/o Saira Banu is Annie John Tharavadi. Manju Warrier is the lead actor, who will play a post man in this film.

Biju Menon Gets An Advice

Biju Menon is someone who celebrates friendship irrespective of their positions they hold. On film sets he mixes with everyone so freely starting from directors to the production boy of the unit. In an interview the actor recently revealed the advice given by actor Dileep when his film Ordinary became a super hit. He called the actor and said that now onwards you will start making enemies. The actor noticed that it was true when his films became a hit one by one. He slowly started losing friends. According to the actor it is mainly because when director & scriptwriters come with a story or plot and if he says no they naturally starts disliking him & stop talking.

Kunchacko Boban To Raise His Benchmarks

Kunchacko is now into his 40s. He recently turned a producer and launched back the old banner Udaya. The film was Kochuovva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho and it was commercially a success. In his kitty he has good roles coming in, discussion are going on for some interesting projects. Recently he talked about his career goals as he entering into his 40s. He stated that he is raising his standards and he wants to put his best efforts for that. His next project is helmed by Mahes Narayanan and is about nurses stranded in Iraq during its civil war.

Rohini Singh To Wield The Megaphone

Daughter of nationally acclaimed director & sitting chairman of Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy S. V. Rajendra Singh Babu, sister of actor Aditya, close relative of director & actress Vijayalakshmi Singh & Jai Jagadish – granddaughter of Protima Devi & Shanker Singh – Rohini Singh alias Rishika is back after a long saddle as a director. Rishika alias Rohini Singh has taken up a film in Kannada titled as Devayani. She has joined Veena Kulkarni in the script & screenplay for the film. It is revolving around 5 characters. Rohini is also in important role with Skanda Ashok, Nikil R. Mohan, Masthan et al. The search for 1 more character is on.

Tund Haikla Savaasa Gets U/A

Noted director of Naviladavaru, Jatta, Adwaitha & Mythri B. M. Giriraj’s next venture a village backdrop cinema with Kishor & Vidarsha in lead roles has been approved by the regional censor board with U/A certificate. The film slogging in the cans for a long time is set for release in the month of Dec, 2016 says intelligent director B. M. Giriraj. Kiran Hampapura is the man behind camera, Ashle Abhilash composed music, Danny, Mass Madha in stunts, K. M. Prakash editing, Imsail art, Madan Harini dance part of technical team. Sadhu Kokila, Shakeela, Abhinayasri, Issac Verghese, Giri, Vinod, Vaishali Deepak, Shanker, Kiran Nayak, Shashidhar and others are in the cast.

Amin Rozani, The Managing Director of Spartan Poker, is one of the most influential & unmissable personalities of the Indian Poker industry today! It seems that this mathematical mind set Rozani as India’s Best Poker Consultant. His involvement in the Poker business has covered all aspects from running Poker rooms, being a part of online Poker websites, heading the biggest Poker room in the country & now making it available online too.

“Online Poker in this country is here to stay. One can easily see the upward trajectory this industry is on since it began 5 to 6 years ago and I don’t believe this will ever go down,” said Rozani.

This gentleman has a soft heart and believes in giving back to the society. “Many of our events prize money has been matched & donated for a good cause to the NGO’s in India. We will continue to do whatever we can to make it a better place for as many souls we can possibly touch & help” Amin speaks humbly on this.

Dia Mirza on his charitable front stated my heartfelt gratitude to each one at the. Spartans from Genesis to have given live to critically ill underprivileged children.

Kunal Kapoor stated It is heart warming of Spartan Poker to contribute for the betterment of unprivileged children“ Said Actor Kunal Kapoor on Spartan Poker contribution to Ketto Foundation.

Jeeten Dutt Sinha, more popularly known as Jay, happens to be the son of Bollywood’s most popular veteran actor Vishal Dutt aka Rajkumar Sinha. Incidentally speaking Jeeten is a multifaceted persona in his own right having achieved a finesse in the handling of his own varied portfolio’s like Construction & Minining (Chairman of Supreme Group of Companies), Fashion & Films (Platinum Pictures Pvt Ltd & S. Cube Entertainment). In fact he has achieved the distinction of being a film financier for almost a decade. And now Jeeten has added one more feather in his illustrious cap adorned with crowning glories galore by turning over a new leaf of donning a producer’s hat with the production of a short film named Launda Naach, which has already garnered a lot of critical acclaim & awards galore in the Global Film Festival circuit. Shaheen Raaj recently caught up with Jeeten, a philanthropist at heart, unassuming, down to earth & a very practical guy, in his office at Lady London Building in Andheri. Tune in.

What has been your main as a Chairman of Supreme Group of Companies?

Frankly speaking over the years my main aim has been to run a successful business enterprise and I have successfully achieved that feat without even an iota of doubt. But having done this I also wanted to be of some help to the society and my vast real estate experience has enabled me to create an impactful developments which also includes Low Income Housing Projects all over India. That apart I also try to create equal opportunity upon unequal grounds and raise the standards every time.

You have also been known as a philanthropist in the real sense of the term. Comment!

I am very grateful to everyone for having such a high opinion about me and I humbly accept their gratitude for honoring me with such kind words. Yes indeed I am associated with several NGO’s for underprivileged and other such organizations for mentally challenged & physically handicapped which are found worldwide. And I am leaving no stone unturned to help & support them to the best of my ability & capability.

Having grown up in a Bollywoodian environment how come you never thought of donning the grease paint & facing the arc lights?

Yes I consider myself lucky enough to have been brought up in such an environment. But I never considered myself or never even thought of being creatively involved. I think I was more imbibed with business acumen since as far as I can remember. But I did think of getting involved in the Bollywoodian affair in some way or the other. Hence since last one decade I have been quietly financing a lot Bollyood movies.

And now after donning the mantle of a producer how come you thought of making a short film, based on a sensitive topic, and not a full fledged feature film?

Since this was my 1st attempt at producing a film I purposely decided to start a small project, no not a small budget feature film but a short film to gain more knowledge & experience of film making and then gradually move on to making more of message oriented meaningful films based in the range of small budget. And of course my further stop over destination would be big budget movie but once again I would like to stress on the fact that I will go on producing films more of message oriented meaningful films then be it a small budget, big budget or a short film like my current & highly raved about film Launda Naach.

Ok time to enlighten us about your current short film titled Launda Naach?

Actually speaking Launda Naach is a film steeped in an art form. Where men dress up as a women and dance to entertain at social functions & festivals. Well nothing wrong in that you would say as such practice is prevalent since time immorial. What is more surprising is that what was once a folk art has now become a degrading line of work wherein rich men now hire these Launda’s (male dancers) to dance for their own perverse pleasures. Such events now end up in sexual abuse to be more precise the rape of these Laundas.

Could you narrate the actual story of Landa Nach in brief?

One such Launda named Bhuvan is also a popular dancer. But he is also a husband and a father to a 9 year old boy named Ghungroo. Bhuvan hides his ugly truth from his son in order to protect his image, but this in itself leads to his son’s growing fascination with becoming such a Launda himself. Fearing that soon his son may discover his truth for worse and suffer like him, Bhuvan decides to retire from dancing, but not before performing one last gig in a nearby village. A gig that he reluctantly agrees to, tempted only by the money he desperately needs for his pregnant wife. On the day of the gig, Bhuvan’s wife delivers a baby boy and Ghungroo uses the good news as an excuse to run to his father and see him perform. As he joyfully runs to the village where his father is, little did he know that his entry fee to his father’s world is more than what he had bargained for.

Landa Naach it seems has garnered a lot of critical acclaim & awards galore in the global film festival circuit. Can you throw some more light on it.

We at Platinum Pictures Pvt Ltd have been working predominantly even to the extent of burning our mid – night oil to get it circulated in the global film festival circuit and the critical appreciation & awards journey first started when we got the news that Launda Naach was officially selected for premiere screening in The Other Venice Film Festival, California (OVFF) in its 13th Edition. And then on 9th Oct, 2016 OVFF bestowed us with “Best International Short Film” award. Then came the official news of selection for Human District Festival in Serbia. The next stopover destination was when Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival (MIFF) officially selected Launda Naach for official screening. The MIFF then nominated Launda Naach under 2 categories “Best Dramatic Short Film” & “Best Cinematography”. We even tried the official screening slot in the forthcoming International Film Festival of India (IFFI Goa) but we were late so better luck to us for next year.

Such a sensitive subject has been directed by a woman director. How come?

Why not? I feel that as a woman director Shafaq Khan was not at all biased towards such a sensitive subject. In fact her directorial treatment speaks a lot about her finesse in her directorial treatment. She has done full justice to the sensitive subject at hand without in anyway taking refuge in eroticism or titillation. She has not only worked with many big production houses but has also dabbled with making of many musical videos. And as a feature film director she already has 2 films to her credit namely Desi Romeos & Prince Of Punjab. And with Launda Naach she has also forayed into the Short Films arena.

Do you have any directorial ambition? If yes when will you make your directorial debut?

I will certainly wield the megaphone to ultimately make my directorial debut but not so soon. Let me gain more experience as a producer and only then will I focus my attention towards direction.

Ok to round it off tell us what is your next agenda on filmmaking?

Right now I am planning to make 3 feature film, all untitled as of now, on Indian Warrior, it will be far more superior than Hollywood movies, the 2nd on is also in the planning stage and my hat trick film will be based on the journalist tribe. It will showcase the real & the true aspects of their profession life. I feel that the journalists tribe is the most underrated & underpaid. Sometimes It is really saddening to note that their’s is a most thankless job which they keep on perfoming day in & day out.

Actor Ssharad Malhotraa who is rising the popularity charts with TV show Kasam – Tere Pyar Ki is all geared up for his film 1:13:7 Ek Tera Saath, which got released on 21st Oct, 2016. He recently went to Jaipur along with Melanie Nazareth & Deepraz Rana. Director Arshad Siddiqui couldn’t make it due to professional commitments. Ssharat visited the popular Rajasthani palace for lunch called Virasaat , which gives every guest the feel of Rajasthan. Ssharad enjoyed the Rajathani cuisine and it was a welcome change from the busy life of Mumbai. Ssharad says, “Jaipur is a fantastic city and I love it. I have been to Jaipur many times in the past too and each visit is worth it.”

ANGELA KRISLINZKI ALL SET TO MAKE HER BOW IN BOLLYWOOD WITH THE REMAKE OF ‘BIWI NO 1’

Actress, model and versatile blue eyed beauty Angela Krislinzki who’s all set to make her Bollywood debut along with Daisy Shah & Rishi Bhutani in an upcoming film Ram Ratan is said to be doing Sushmita Sen’s role while Daisy will play Karisma Kapoor’s role. Having specialized in psychology, she is also a trained Latin Jazz dancer. The actress whose rare Indian polish looks have already had the South Indian film industry swooning, born in Poland this beauty has no language barrier and speaks Hindi with ease and she is an expertise in Kannada & Telugu. She has also previously worked with actors like Hrithik Roshan , Irffan Khan & Ranbir Kapoor. In fact, Krislinzki’s past works include more than 20 ads for big brands. Angela wants to work with none other than Salman Khan. His inspiration has really inclined her to work in Bollywood. Bollywood has always been kind enough to give its warm welcome to new talent and Angela Krislinzki is ready to rock Bollywood with her talent.

POSTER LAUNCH OF ‘RAAKH’

Milap Zaveri, the writer of KAANTE and many more comic capers is ready to explore a dark genre in films. His next directional, a short film titled RAAKH is all set to release soon. The motion poster of the film was unveiled on Dussehra. RAAKH stars Vir Das, Richa Chadda & Shaad Randhawa. It is a powerful, dark & emotional revenge thriller. In association with Milap’s Write Direction Films & Prachi Thadhani’s Waterlily Fils, the short film is produced by Sandeep Harish Kewalani(S K Productions), Vardhaman Choksi (Empire Films) & Prachi Thadhani.

‘PARCHED’ CELEBRATES SILVER JUBILEE (25 WEEKS) IN FRANCE

Leena Yadav’s PARCHED also known as LA SAISON DES FEMMES in French, has received a lot of critical acclaim. The film has won many hearts across the globe and will be celebrating its 25 glorious weeks in France this week, making it a silver jubilee success at French Box Office. The French Distributor, Eric Lagesse explains, “The lifespan of films in France is about 3 – 4 weeks, but the word of mouth for PARCHED was so strong that the success is astounding. It is rare for film to have such a long career in the French theatres.” The film features Tannishtha Chatterjee, Radhika Apte & Surveen Chawla in lead roles. PARCHED is a film which gives us a message that inspite of all the hardships faced by women, their undying spirit and the zest to live life is outstanding.

TRAILER LAUNCH OF ‘LIPSTICK UNDER MY BURQA’

All set to premiere at the prestigious Tokyo Film Festival. The 1st trailer for LIPSTICK UNDER MY BURQA released online today. Directed by Alankrita Shrivastava & produced by Prakash Jha, the film stars Konkona Sensharma, Ratna Pathak Shah, Aahana Kumra & Plabita Borthakur in lead roles along with Sushant Singh, Vikrant Massey, Shashank Arora, Vaibbhav Tatwawdi & Jagat Singh Solanki.The film follows 4 feisty women, from the bustling bylanes of old Bhopal, secretly chasing their dreams and rebelling in small ways against the conventional identities they are boxed in. Through the colourful prism of the double lives of these women, LIPSTICK UNDER MY BURQA explores the many shades of female desire. “As women we often have secret dreams, nurtured by the pulpy romantic fantasies that we discover through films, books, songs & things we see around us. But there is a deeper desire that is perhaps inherent in our very beings. That is what I have tried to explore through the film,” avers director Alankrita Shrivastava. Producer Prakash Jha adds: “There is love & sex, romance & heartbreak, ambition & passion. But most of all, the film is about the small dreams of these 4 women, who are trapped in the claustrophobia of their lives. In the dichotomy between tradition & modernity, what happens to female desire and how long can it be contained? This story was so compelling that I knew it had to be made.” The cast, including National Award winning actor Konkona Sensharma are all excited & upbeat about the film. Konkona says: “It is rare to get to work on a film that explores what women want, and does so with lightness, humor & color. I am looking forward to everyone watching it!” LIPSTICK UNDER MY BURQA will screen at MAMI on the 26th of Oct, 2016.

NAWAZUDDIN HAS ALL PRAISES FOR SHABBIR KHAN

​Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s can set a screen on fire with his fine performance. In his next film with Shabbir Khan, Nawazuddin is all set to dance his way to the success. He will be seen shaking his leg in Shabbir Khan’s next film which is a musical named MUNNA MICHEAL.​​ Produced by Viki Rajani, the film traces the journey of Munna, a street kid who dreams of becoming the King of Pop -Michael Jackson. Debutante actress Nidhhi Agerwal is the leading lady and Nawaz plays a quirky character with many shades.” While writing Nawazudin’s character I knew exactly how i wanted him to look, how he would walk, talk. Once we started workshops on the script and Nawaz had got into the skin of the character, i explained how I wanted him to look and expected him to raise a few questions but there were none. He surrendered completely and went through everything patiently.”​, Says Shabbir Khan. He changed the whole look of Nawazuddin Siddiqui for this role by giving him front curls. Add boots, bling earrings, sunglasses and a leather jacket and voila! Meet Nawaz 2.0…” There’s a lot of romance, apart from the dancing, in this film. I want to play a romantic hero,“ Says Nawaz. While Tiger reunites with his HEROPANTI & BAAGHI director Shabbir Khan, this is Nawaz’s 1st gig with the actor – director duo.“Shabbir makes commercial films but he’s focussed on detailing, doesn’t overdo things on the sets and wants the film to look realistic. I like it when directors don’t play to the galleries,“ Nawaz applauds.

SHRADDHA KAPOOR CROSSED OVER 10 MILLION FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM!

Shraddha Kapoor has shared a heartfelt message from her shoot in Shillong for her fans, thanking them for all their love & support. The ROCK ON 2 actress has crossed 10 million followers on Instagram. This milestone makes her the 3rd highest followed actress on Instagram after Deepika Padukone & Priyanka Chopra in India!

SANDIP SOPARRKAR & PONY VERMA JUDGES “JHALAK DIKHHLA JAA” UAE SEASON 5

United Arab Emirates is one country that loves Bollywood films along with its music & dance numbers. Year after year UAE has been having its own version of “JHALAK DIKHHLA JAA” and this year it was the season 5 of the most popular dance reality show. Like each year the contestants took the limelight by performing on varied Bollywood songs with themes such as paying tribute to the women Olympic winners from India, Beti Bachao Beti Padao, patriotic military issues etc. “JHALAK DIKHHLA JAA” UAE had its favorite Judge Sandip Soparrkar on the panel as always but accompanying him this time was Ooh La La choreographer Pony Verma. For the finale the contestants performed solos and gave their best to be able to get a chance of performing in front of Jacqueline Fernandez & Govinda for which, they had to impress both the choreographers. Sandip Soparrkar shook his booty on “Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai” whereas Pony Verma replicate her hit “Ooh La La” moves for the 5000 packed audience. Pony Verma said, “It is a pleasure to be on the sets of Jhalak UAE. The talent here is incredible and has totally left me speechless.” Sandip Soparrkar who is judging “JHALAK DIKHHLA JAA” 4th time in a row said, “Set of Jhalak UAE is like home for me, from the director to the spot boy, all are like my family. ” After the grand finale Sreelakshmi Sateesh was adjudged the winner of Jhalak UAE season 5 followed by Nishant Iyer as 1st runner up and Shanice Lobo as 2nd runner up. The winner will get to soon perform At the “JHALAK DIKHHLA JAA” India.

RAV SAVES LIFE OF A GIRL FROM ACCIDENT

Raveena rescued an injured girl in Juhu recently. Since 2009, she has also been associated with UNICEF on the issue of maternal & neonatal healthcare & well being. The actress joined the organization to raise awareness about the silent tragedy which unfolds across India every year, with the deaths of 78,000 women from problems arising due to childbirth & pregnancy. Also she inaugurated the “Tobacco – free Mumbai Police” campaign, the campaign & drive will inspire & motivate policemen to let go of the habit by ranking police stations as “Tobacco – free police stations”! Her love for animals is well – known and some bit of it seems to have rubbed off on her children, Rasha, 11, & Ranbirvardhan, 8. For, the 2 kids have now turned brand ambassadors for an animal welfare organization run by Boman Irani. She was earlier the face of the voluntary organization that carries out rescue & rehabilitation work. Raveena was travelling to an event, where she was the chief guest. On her way back, she spotted a 7 year old girl, who was bruised & crying profusely and decided to help the child get back home safely. When Raveena learnt that the autorickshaws were refusing to drop the girl to her house, she decided to take the girl & her friends to the former’s house. The girl’s parents thanked Raveena for her kind gesture. Raveena avers, “Safety is of the utmost importance, especially in a dire situation like this. I thought the only solution was to drop the child back to her parents.”

SANTOSH LAL AKA ACTOR KANTI PRAKASH JHA

Kranti Prakash Jha played the character of Santosh Lal (Dhoni’s childhood friend who taught the famous Helicopter shot to Dhoni) in the biopic M. S. Dhoni – The Untold Story. The actor made a splash in regional language cinema with his realistic performance in DESWA a Bhojpuri film which was later dubbed in Hindi as ONCE UPON A TIME IN BIHAR. He was also a part of the Anurag Basu directed TV series STORIES BY RABINDRANATH TAGORE and also acted in VIKALP. Kranti has starred in advertisements of top brands and done theatre as well.
Hailing from Patna and with absolutely no formal training in acting, Kranti Prakash Jha, made a splash in the regional language cinema with his performance in the National Award winning Maithili film, MITHILA MAKHAAN. In the beginning of his career he joined Alok & Shruti Ulfat’s theatre “Avikal”. Later Kranti also acted in the Indian – Hindi television series. The show was a visual representation of the short stories by the literary legend Rabindra Nath Tagore. Kranti has played the role of Lalan Pehelwan in the play “Aao Saathi Sapney Dekhein” by Swanand Kirkire. Another well – known play Kranti acted in was “Avikal”.

SANDEEP NAHAR IS THRILLED WITH APPRECIATION FOR HIS ROLE IN ‘M. S. DHONI – THE UNTOLD STORY’

While, central protagonists like Sushant Singh Rajput, Disha Patani & Kiara Advani have been grabbing eyeballs with their pitch perfect performances in Neeraj Pandey’s recently released biopic M. S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, actor Sandeep Nahar is one actorn, who is happy being in the shadows and enjoying the fruits of his labor. While, it was comparatively easy for Sushant to reprise the character of Mahendra Singh Dhoni as he is an icon and a well – known figure, imitating the lesser known character of the cricketer’s friend Paramjit Singh was quite tough for Sandeep. For Sandeep, who is a TV actor, having featured in popular show DIYA AUR BAATI HUM, transforming himself physically for the biopic, was a challenging job to start with. Apart from having to grow a beard & a moustache, the actor was also asked to gain weight to the tune of around 7 kilos, to look the part. However, all his efforts have been paid off as, he has received compliments from none other than the asli Dhoni’s Ranchi based friend, Paramjit Singh. After watching the movie, Paramjit’s wife told Sandeep about having put up a perfect act, having brilliantly aped her husband. Encouraged by the success of the biopic, Sandeep Nahar wants to cut down on his TV appearances and essay such more challenging roles in future.

‘#EVERYDA​Y​HEROES’​- HRITHIK ​ROSHAN’S NEXT???

Hrithik Roshan revealed the poster of his next project #EVERYDA​Y​HEROES on Twitter recently, sending fans & speculators on social media in a tizzy! Without revealing much, the dashing actor tweeted, “Surprise! Dropping dposter of my next #EVERYDA​Y​HEROES. Realize ur inner power ndiscover d strength’v ur spirit. D mind sees all. Mpower urself!’ This cryptic message has us wondering if this is the teaser or sneak peek into his next film as he hasn’t spoken about it until now. Wonder what Hrithik has in store for us!l

ILEANA D’CRUZ MAKES A GRAND STOP AT AMAZON INDIA FASHION WEEK

Whatever, an upcoming luxury brand with a unique offering of fashion jewellery & handbags took Amazon India Fashion Week to a whole new level of excitement. Ileana D’Cruz walked the ramp for Whatever Fashions, modelling in their luxurious designs that epitomize the perfect melange of classic & contemporary style. Ileana D’Cruz said, “This is the 1st time I’ve worn Whatever accessories. In my opinion, they make a very bold statement and definitely have the potential to elevate any outfit. It’s been a real pleasure walking the ramp for Whatever.” The designer of Whatever’s handbags, Abhishek Kankaria said, “Our brand is an embodiment of an attitude that every woman carries to express herself through fashion. We’ve received an amazing response from the spectators, who have appreciated our designs immensely. In all honestly, Ileana with her poise carried our accessories off better than we have perceived.” Shrruti Tapuria, fashion jewellery designer of Whatever said, “We have put our heart & soul into every intricate detail while creating this collection and seeing it being so well received is exhilarating. Our designs are unique and I think they’re the perfect choice of accessories for the modern, fashionable Indian woman.”

SHOOTING OF ‘KUCHH KARO NAA’S TITLE SONG SHOT

The title song of Sahil Production’s maiden venture KUCHH KARO NAA was recently shot at Bhiwandi. The entire shooting is complete. It was filmed at Sai Leela Bunglow, Amol Farm House & Khadoli Picnic Spot & Bhiwandi locales. The film’s editing is in progress now. Anil S. Mehta directs the film for producer Anil Rai. Shaami M. Irfan has written the story – screenplay – dialogues. It stars Ajay Dixit, Momita Sarkar, Falak Khan, Priya Goswami, Mrunalini Shirat, Nazir Sayyed, Sujeet Sugna, Dr. Anil k. Rohella, Sandeep Bhojak, Janardan Mishra, Shubham Patil, Muskan, Pawan Gupta, Laxman Mahade Tate, Pranjal Bhoir & Virendra Mishra. Music is by Ravindra Kumar Tiwari. Annu Chaudhary, Khushboo Jain, Ravindra Tiwari, Love Poddar & Shivam Shrivastav have crooned all the numbers penned by Shyamji Shyam & Ghazi Moin.

CITY JOB ANNOUNCED

Writer – director – producer Zakir Sisodia has announced his maiden venture City Job. 2 songs have already been recorded in the voices of Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik & Javed Ali. The film stars Nabeel Ahmad, Aman Walia, Arshia Khan, Raj Khurana & Neelam Keer. The rest of the cast & the crew are under finalization. The film will mount the sets very soon at Jaipur Dehli & Punjab. 1 romantic song is to be filmed in London.

After a successful collaboration with the NFDC Film Bazaar in 2015, Gujarat Tourism returns as a State Partner this year to aggressively promote the state as a film friendly destination.

The state of Gujarat, which bagged 3 awards in Tourism and the “Most Film Friendly State”, has been following an aggressive tourism policy approach in the area of developing & promoting tourism. Gujarat state Tourism participated in the Film Bazaar for the first time in 2012 and took up a Film Office in 2015 to promote Gujarat as filming destination. Gujarat awarded the National Award for being the “Most Film Friendly State” in 2015, which has been introduced as a new category under the National Film Awards & executed by the FFO.

The award was conferred to the State of Gujarat, for its effort in the direction of ease of doing business in respect of facilitation of shooting films in the state. Film Bazaar facilitated Gujarat in setting up one – on – one meetings with some of the prominent Bollywood filmmakers including, Rajkumar Hirani, Anurag Kashyap, Kabir Khan, Anurag Basu, Vikas Bahl, Rohan Sippy, & Karan Malhotra who gave constructive feedback to the state tourism department.