Visakhapatnam: India rode on a superb bowling performance to beat England by 246 runs in the second cricket Test at the ACA-VDCA Stadium here on Monday.

Chasing 405, England lost wickets at frequent intervals on the fifth and final day to end their second innings at 158.

Rookie off-spinner Jayant Yadav enjoyed a memorable Test debut with figures of 3-30 while star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also bagged three wickets.

Fast bowler Mohammed Shami and left-arm pacer Ravindra Jadeja claimed two wickets each.

England skipper Alistair Cook top scored for his team with 54 runs.

(Agencies)

HERE’S HOW KARTIK AARYAN’S FANS SURPRISED HIM ON THE SETS OF ‘ATITHII IN LONDON’!

Kartik Aaryan, who is currently stationed in London for the shooting of his next, ATITHII IIN LONDON!, was pleasantly surprised by his fans sweet gesture. While shooting for the family entertainer, the handsome & talented actor received a special gift from his NRI fans, much to his surprise. The PYAAR KA PUNCHNAMA star got a special cake on the sets of ATITHII IIN LONDON!. Kartik was happy to receive a special customised cake of ATITHII IIN LONDON! featuring his co – star Paresh Rawal and his pictures printed on it. When Kartik’s fans (based in London) got to know about him shooting at a particular locale, they decided to pay him a surprise visit with a customized cake. They also spoke to him at length and told him how excited they are to see him share the screen space with his co -star Paresh Rawal, who was appreciated for his performance in the 1st part, ATITHII TUM KAB JAOGE, Kartik averred, “Sometimes, it’s just the way someone meets you that does the trick. I was surprised that so many people dropped in on the sets in London to meet & interact with me. It felt nice to connect with them.”

SHILPA SHETTY KUNDRA SPECIAL GUEST AT THE SHARJAH INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR!

Actress turned businesswoman Shilpa Shetty Kundra, turned author with her bestseller book, “The Great Indian Diet”. Shilpa’s health & fitness book topped Amazon’s Bestseller list and continues to remain one of the highest selling books. She also became the 1st Indian celebrity to release her book in UAE as his excellency Sheikh Nahyan, launched her book in Dubai. Shilpa Shetty Kundra has now been invited as special guest at the Sharjah International Book Fair alongside other eminent names in the literature space. Back for its 35th edition held at the Expo Centre Sharjah, Shilpa had a book reading session at the fair and a candid interaction with the audience. The organizers had been very keen to have her as their celebrity guest as she made the ideal space to represent the health & fitness literature segment. Says Shilpa, “UAE is a growing market and it was an honor to take my book there. Advocating a healthy & fit lifestyle has always been something I have felt strongly about and this takes me one step closer to my goal. I read out a few key segments and answered questions the audience had”.

ANANYA BIRLA LAUNCHES HER DEBUT INTERNATIONAL SINGLE “LIVIN’ THE LIFE”

Ananya Birla, well – known in India as a leading innovator enters a new phase of her life as she launches her debut International single “Livin’ the life”. The 22 – year old has been exclusively signed by leading record label, Universal Music Group. The major has launched Ananya’s musical career with the release of the single “Livin’ the life” now available globally through its network. Ananya Birla’s single was launched amidst a host of celebrities and some exciting entertainment! Featuring Illusionists, street dancers and even a sand artist, Ananya Birla made her sensational debut performance on stage, belting out her single “Livin’ the Life”. The highly infectious & up – tempo pop / dance single is produced & co – written by Internationally acclaimed music producer Jim Beanz who has previously worked with global superstars Nelly Furtado Cheryl Cole, Demi Lovato et al. Says Ananya, “I’ve always loved music, and making music. I discovered I needed to try to spread love to others. I believe that if you discover who you are really are, you can overcome any challenge.” The music video of the song, shot on the beautiful Santa Catalina Island in California showcases a visual representation of the song’s impactful theme. The video is directed by international director Rock Jacobs.

MACAO HOSTS IT 1ST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL & AWARDS

The 1st International Film Festival & Awards Macao (IFFAM) would entail the 12 Asian genre film directors & their chosen genre favorites for the Crossfire section of the official programme. Crossfire is a non -competitive section introducing the festival audience to influential genre titles from Europe & South Asia. The 1st International Film Festival & Awards would be held in Macao from Thurs 8th Dec, 2016 to Tues 13th Dec, 2016. Shekhar Kapur will serve as Jury President at the inaugural festival. He adds IFFAM Jury President to a list of jury positions at prestigious festivals including the 63rd Cannes Film Festival, the London Film Festival & the Tokyo International Film Festival, as well as a sponsor role with the International Indian Film Festival in Goa. Kapur comments, “This is Asia’s time. Over the past few years, consumerism has catapulted the Asian market into international renown, but what we are now experiencing is the renaissance of culture as inspired by the Asian communities. As an Indian director, I’m excited to be chairing the Macau Film Festival as Indian storytelling has so much in common with Chinese forms of storytelling.” Hosting an international film festival, Macao hopes that the event gathers film works across the globe as well as prominent actors & film stars from around the world, thus bringing in world – class exchange opportunities & unleashing a synergistic effect through advancing local cultural & creative industry development and Macao’s destination glamour.

CHITRANGADA SINGH INTRODUCES INDIA TO PREMIUM LACE APPAREL DESIGNED IN EUROPE

Intrika, an online lace designer wear brand launched their debut collection at their global launch in Mumbai. The fashion show where Chitrangada Singh was the showstopper was attended by the glitterati of Mumbai. A label dedicated to induce Indian wear with a perfect mélange of contemporary European lace & avant – garde silhouettes. After decades of conceptualization & complex designing, European lace exudes elegance that accentuates the glamour quotient in traditional Indian wear. Rachna Narang, Executive Director, Intrika avered, “The delicate balance between beauty & a stylish wardrobe is being constantly reinvented. But some things remain a classic. They become timeless and last outlive seasonal trends & fads. Intrika’s range is one of sophisticated ease & affordable luxury. Our clothes are extensions of legacy & heritage, but at the same time belong to the present – creating an endless circle of timeless style for everyone. We hope that every little bit of Intrika that Indian women bring into their life adds color & joy, accompanying them through their own memories & experiences.

RAVEENA TANDON TO TURN BOOK – AUTHOR!

Raveena Tandon, otherwise an altruistic social – worker, whose passion is child -welfare will add yet another feather to her career crown, that of a “Book Author”. The star – actress in a cryptic mode, said “My book which I will soon be focusing on, is neither a biography nor is it a fiction. We would be more excited because we would have a holiday dedicated to us little kids, on Chacha Nehru’s birth anniversary,” Today’s super – confident kids are fortunate that they are tech – savvy right from a very tender age, she feels. Tandon has been judging an educational initiative, by the Seven Seas Academy. “A nationwide contest hunt for India’s young masterminds, to promote the prime importance of health supplements for vital brain development among children. It’s so heartening that 2 winners are being sponsored for an educational trip to “NASA”!” says Raveena. “Even when I was going thru a major personal crisis, decades ago, I used to often spend quality time with kids at an orphanage home. It was unconditional love that they would always give me in return,” insists Raveena who had adopted 2 young girls (actually nieces) whose parents had passed away, when they were young. Currently, the evergreen actress is “waiting for the release of the hard -hitting, bold movie THE MOTHER directed by Ashtar Sayyed, which has violence against women as its theme”.

PRIYANKA CHOPRA REVEALS ‘SARVANN’ POSTER ON GURU NANAK JAYANTI

Choosing the auspicious day of Guru Nanak Jayanti, Priyanka Chopra revealed the poster of her upcoming Punjabi film SARVANN which she is co – producing with producer Vashu Bhagnani. ‎Announcing the look of the film, Priyanka Chopra averred, “Guru Nanak Jayanti is a great day for us to start a new journey in Punjabi cinema with our debut film production, SARVANN. We’re very proud to work with such an amazing team to present this wonderful story. After the success of our Marathi venture, VENTILATOR, Purple Pebble Pictures is also very pleased to extend our collaboration with Pooja Films for SARVANN.” Breaking language barriers and backing good stories is not new for either Priyanka Chopra or Vashu Bhagnani. After the Marathi hit VENTILATOR, SARVANN Sarvann is the 2nd project that the 2 production houses are collaborating on. Adds director Karaan Guliani, “Produced by an all – women team of Priyanka Chopra, Dr. Madhu Chopra & Deepshika Deshmukh, SARVANN is a coming – of – age story of a young man who discovers his true identity. The movie stars Punjabi film & music superstar Amrinder Gill, the rising Punjabi hit singer Ranjit Bawa, who is making his acting debut with SARVANN & Simi Chahal of BAMBOOKAT fame. The film is written by the popular & successful writer Amberdeep Singh with music composed by Jatinder Shah. SARVANN releases worldwide on 9th December, 2016.

HOW ‘SAANSEIN’ TRIUMPHED OVER ‘ROCK ON 2’?

PM Narendra Modi’s demonetization decision has certainly impacted the entire country; especially cinema business has gone for a toss. ROCK ON 2, which was touted to “rock” at the BO considering its 1st part ROCK ON was super successful, didn’t open on a great note. However, those who took a timely action are now heaving a sigh of relief. SAANSEIN producer Goutam Jain took a bold step and decided to push the release of his debut film at the 11th hour. While many speculated that SAANSEIN was being postponed as the makers didn’t want to clash with ROCK ON that comes from a big banner and trade is also quite upbeat about this Farhan Akhtar starrer. But if that would have been the case then SAANSEIN, which is now scheduled to hit the screens alongside Shah Rukh Khan & Alia Bhatt’s DEAR ZINDAGI on 25th Nov, 2016, wouldn’t have opted to arrive along with yet another biggie. It would have rather gone solo to arrive in theatres. Some others even wondered if the makers of SAANSEIN are taking an appropriate decision to shift the release, but looking at the current scenario and the way demonetization has affected the new releases, it seems SAANSEIN team was provident and took a calculated smart move. Though the film will face competition from SRK’s DEAR ZINDAGI, but that will perhaps not deter the film from doing the required business, because by that time, things may settle for better. Goutam Kumar Jain says, “It’s a calculative move. Since we had to take a call fast, we decided to postpone the film. We aren’t scared of the competition and we are quite confident of our product. We understand it will be difficult for people to prioritize a film over other basic necessities.”

KAREENA REVEALS WHAT COULD BE HER CHILD’S NAME ON #NOFILTERNEHA!

Kareena Kapoor Khan & Saif Ali Khan are awaiting this Dec eagerly for their little bundle of joy to arrive. On #NoFilterNeha’s latest episode on Saavn, Bebo got into an interesting conversation on what could be the name of the saifeena baby! When Neha Dhupia joked about how the name of the baby will be affected by the polar opposite choices Saif & Kareena have, Kareena admitted saying – “Right now, obviously we haven’t even locked a thought of anything. But yeah, Saif is more of a historian because he reads so much.” And we all know that Kareena is a fashionista! Marrying both their passions, Neha came up with a rather unique name for the baby “Zeus Chanel Kapoor Khan”! A sporting Bebo laughed it off saying “Never know”. We love the sound of Zeus Chanel Kapoor Khan! Do you?

JEETENDRA RECEIVES MUMBAI GLOBAL ACHIEVER’S AWARD

Different achievers from the fields of sports, journalism, politics, fashion, business, media & social service were awarded for their contribution in their respective industries. Anup Jalota, Gufi Paintal & Arun Bakshi were seen at the awards night. Jeetendra received Mumbai Global Achiever’s Award. Dr. Ajay Sahai, actor Nandkishore Agarwal, producer Abhishek Soni were also awarded. Rakhi Sawant received the award for her recent social initiatives. Kanchan Avasthi who’s seen as Sarla in the hugely popular Serial AMMA received the award for her performance. Hina Khan of YEH RISHTA KYA KEHLATA HAI & Himani Shivpuri too won the awards. Writer Dhiraj Mishra who’s known for his recent patriotic movies like JAI JAWAAN JAI KISAAN & Chapekar also won the award. Others who received the award are Ravi Buley from AMAR UJALA, Iqbal Parvez from NDTV, Sonal Singh from Zee TV & RJ Alok from Dainik Bhaskar Digital for their contribution in the field of journalism.
Rajkumar Tiwari, founder & editor of Mumbai Global Achiever’s Award said he started this initiative to recognizes the hard work put in by varied personalities.” The 2nd edition of Mumbai Global Achiever’s Award was held in Mumbai at Bhaidas Hall, Vile Parle.

TRAILER OF FILM AASRA RELEASED

Trailer & poster of the reality based film AASRA was unveiled in Mumbai, where producer Sadanand Krishna Shetty, director Raj Sagar, actors Raghuveer Yadav & Sunil Pal were present with entire technical team. Atul Kulkarni, Omkar Das Manikpuri & Ashok Samarth were conspicuous by their absence at the event. The film is based on the producer’s real life struggle for 21 years in a slum area in Poona. He said that after going through lots of hard work, he decided to show the problems faced by slum dwellers to every citizens of India. Raj Sagar added that he was lucky that actors like Atul Kulkarni, Raghuveer Yadav, Omkar Das Manekpuri, Ashok Samarth & Sunil Pal were playing the real characters in this film, besides Sadanand who has essayed the role of main protagonist in film, which was shot in real locations. AASRA is based on SRA (Slum Rehabilitation Authority), how a person Sadanand Shetty comes to help the poor people.

GOVINDA GIVES AWAY MEDALS TO WINNERS OF LOKHANDWALA HALF MARATHON / 10KM

One more feather added to the Celebration Club’s cap. A Half Marathon / 10K was organized on 6th Nov, 2016 for a very noble cause – Promoting & Encouraging Girl Child Education. The Marathon was flagged off sharp at 6 am – 21K & 6:15 am – 10K, as planned, from Celebration Club by actors Dino Morea, Mukesh Rishi, Corporator Jyotsna Dighe & Sub Inspector Subhash Khanvilkar from Oshiwara Police Station. There were a total number of 674 participants, from all age groups – young boys, girls, men, women & senior citizens who participated joyfully & enthusiastically. Some of them came from as far as Thane, Pune & Kolhapur. Prize distribution at the end of the marathon, in cash & medals was handed out by Govinda.

HEMWANT TIWARI AN INDIAN ACTOR WHO HAS WORKED ABROAD

Indian stars starring in a Hollywood project is a trend now but when you are a lead in a series that stars the Hollywood legend Eric Roberts who’s done movies like THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, THE EXPENDABLES et al, you need a special mention. He is Hemwant Tiwari, who is a hard worker born in a small village in Rai. Hemwant has achieved the feat of featuring in MEDINAH (TV Series) along with Eric Roberts. He moved to Mumbai in 2007 and did his acting course from Barry John which finished in 2008, after that he did a lot of theater work to garner experience & polish his skills. Amongst other ventures he has just finished the filming of a feature film in which he plays the lead and it releases next year. The story of his next Television series MEDINAH revolves around an accident that happens due to a failed experiment which prompts teleportation of 12 random people into a different dimension. It is being produced by Emmy Award winning Production Company Arab Telemedia group. It is Arab world’s first Sci -Fi series. Ahmed – Al – Baker who is the director of this series says that he loved everything what was offered by Hemwant Tiwari for his character. So After Priyanka Chopra he is another actor from India set to play lead in a TV Series.

RAVEENA TANDON JOINS INDIA’S TOP MASTERMINDS IN MUMBAI FOR THE GRAND FINALE OF SEVEN SEAS ACADEMY

Seven Seas, Merck’s heritage brand announced the launch of its novel educational initiative, the Seven Seas Academy – a nationwide hunt for India’s young masterminds, aiming to create awareness about the importance of brain development among children. Through this activity, Seven Seas reached out to more than 60,000 students across 200 schools in 10 cities, from where 20 of India’s smartest kids came together in Mumbai to get a chance to explore the stars at NASA. With Children’s Day around the corner, Raveena Tandon joined the children in Mumbai as part of the grand finale. Yuvraj Varma & Ravi Yadav from Chandigarh emerged victorious, winning the coveted title of India’s young masterminds and a full paid educational trip to NASA along with their families. Talking about the importance of health & nutrition among children, celebrity mom & brand ambassador Raveena Tandon averred, “With Children’s just gone, the Seven Seas Academy was the ideal manner to celebrate this lovely occasion. Being a mother to 4 lovely children myself, I understand the importance of brain development and am personally involved in ensuring the right nutrition for my children.”

ANIL KAPOOR UNVEILS THE NEW IMARBLE COLLECTION FROM QUTONE

Anil Kapoor who unveiled the new range “imarble” from Qutone averred on the demonetisation after effects , “This is temporary and will iron out issues like corruption in the long term for India” but what is important is Companies like Qutone who firmly believe in “Make in India” initiative will be the ones who will actually make the difference.” The company launched a new range of their product imarble by Global Brand Ambassador Anil Kapoor with Manoj Agarwal – C. M. D, Qutone & Sunil Manglunia, M. D. Qutone at Acetech 2016. Qutone with its innovative designs & technology has won the award for Best Design. Manoj Agarwal – C. M. D., Qutone expressed his exhilaration & averred, “Qutone has done us all proud not only in India but across international seas too and it is a great feeling of pride to be touching newer skies with our product offerings in the form of innovative product solutions combined with world best technology and creating masterpieces with the “Make in India” label. Sunil Manglunia – Managing Director, Qutone added, “Qutone has attitude, style & exuberance and we found synonymous traits in Anil Kapoor. Anil Kapoor added, ”I am extremely happy to be associated with Qutone.”

WINS DIEUS BRINGS THE CINEMA – A 100 MINUTE DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

International filmmaker Wins Dieus, NRI from Los Angeles has completed the entire shooting & post production work of Winangel Productions’ THE CINEMA which was shown to the media at Star House. Raaj Bhanot is in charge of India operations. Wins Dieus has also spotted the locales for shooting in India & abroad for his next film MOONMAN DRACULA which will be made in 3D. After the completion of the entire shooting of this film, he will also start the shooting of the mega budgeted feature film titled SATURN X – THE WARRIOR AYYAPPA for which he has finalised the locales in India also such as Konark Temple, Lodhi Gardens, Romthank Pass – Manali besides shooting in Romania, Scotland, New York & Los Angeles. Jackie Shroff and few more have been signed already for this film which will be made in English & varied languages of India like Hindi, South languages et al. From the age of 19, Wins Dieus has dabbled in films and is a trained director, cinematographer, stereographer, (trained in 3 D filmmaking), writer, screen writer, lyricist, art director, graphic designer et al. and has been the special correspondent of India Unbound, an English Magazine.

SRK’S BIOGRAPHY BY SAMAR KHAN RELEASED!

Royal Stag Mega Music unveiled Samar Khan’s book on Shah Rukh Khan’s iconic journey and his life in the film industry. Aptly titled “25 Years Of A Life”, the book captures interesting incidents & anecdotes from King Khan’s successful journey in the industry through the eyes of the directors he has worked with. From Aditya Chopra’s “Raj” who became the King of Romance with DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE to Farhan Akhtar’s DON, Samar Khan’s book includes 30 chapters and each one of them is a director’s take on a particular character created by them and portrayed by SRK. The book was launched by Shah Rukh Khan in Mumbai. Abbas Mustan, Kundan Shah, Anubhav Sinha & Piyush Pandey graced the occasion. Shah Rukh Khan averred, “25 years in the film industry was a big dream for a boy who came from Delhi all those years ago. These years have been full of excitement, hard work & varied ups & downs and this book is a tribute to all the film makers who believed in me & my dreams. I am extremely thankful to all my fans who have made me what I am today.” Samar Khan averred, “This book was the perfect chance for me to tell the SRK story from a different lens.” Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman & Creative Director, South Asia – Ogilvy & Mather averred, “The book celebrates the Baadshah of Bollywood and is an ode to the life & times of the greatest performer of our times”

MUVIZZ.COM’S NEXT VENTURE ‘BHONSLE’ GETS SELECTED BY NFDC
​
Muvizz.com’s upcoming feature film BHONSLE has been selected into The Co -Production Market, organised by NFDC’s yearly event, The Film Bazaar. The film written and to be directed by ace director Devashish Makhija, will have Manoj Bajpayee playing the title role BHONSLE. Piiyush Singh, COO Muvizz.com, Manoj Bajpayee & director Devashish Makhija had earlier worked together on a short film TAANDA. Manoj Bajpayee who earlier essayed the role of a cop in TANDAAV will again be seen portraying the character of a cop. The film begins with the advent of Ganesh Utsav and the deity’s 10 days journey has a parallel resemblance to BHONSLE’s life. Manoj will perform the role of a retired cop who is desperately seeking an extension in his tenure. Piiyush Singh, COO & Co – Founder, Muvizz.com averred, “We, at Muvizz have always strived to support content oriented cinema. BHONSLE is a perfect example of cinema that we represent on our platform.” Devashish averred, “BHONSLE was written in the year 2014 but got selected by NFDC in 2016, proving that eventually art is valued. Muvizz & I have worked together for TAANDAAV and we share the same passion for content -driven cinema. ”The platform recently gave backing to varied projects such as the documentary on the life & work of Gazal Maestro Jagjit Singh, ALBERT PINTO KO GUSSA KYUN AATA HAI (a contemporary remake of the old classic) and short films like TAANDAAV & KRITI.

AKSHAY KUMAR & TWINKLE WERE DATING FOR A YEAR BEFORE THEY TIED THE KNOT

When they were seeing each other Frank Sinatra’s hit song “Strangers In The Night” played a very important role during their courtship. It was Twinkle’s favorite song so Akshay & Twinkle use to keep listening to it on the loop during their courtship while they were shooting together. Recently when they came on a chat show Koffee with Karan. Akshay surprised Twinkle by singing the song for her. Says a source, “This is the 1st time ever they came together on a chat show. In fact, Akshay’s special effort took Twinkle by surprise. “And the way Akshay sung the song, it surprised not just Tina but all the others present on the sets of the show. They also danced to the number.”

ATHIYA SHETTY TO SURPRISE KIDS ON A FREE AIR RIDE

Athiya Shetty is a part of the airline major event called Flight of Fantasy. She will be joining kids from her grandmother’s NGO Save the Children. Athiya is excited to be a part of the event. The Flight of Fantasy is an annual event hosted out of Delhi & Mumbai alternatively and is a special joy ride for children from select NGO’s. “This year we will be hosting it in Bombay at the T2, CST Airport. By means of this special 45 minute joy ride over the city we expose children from marginalized backgrounds, to the world of aviation and also plan a fun filled day for them at the airport. This includes a short presentation on avionics, music, games & snacks for everyone. Kids are fascinated by aeroplanes. I have seen them getting excited when one flies above their heads. I can’t wait to see their reaction when they soar high,” she averred. Her mother, Mana Shetty, looks after the NGO now. “I have known many of those kids since I was 13. There was just a wall between my school (American School of Bombay) & their premises. I have seen the complete school; the ones my age have graduated,” adds Athiya.

‘TOILET – EK PREM KATHA’ TO RELEASE WORLDWIDE ON 2ND JUN, 2017.

TOILET – EK PREM KATHA, a love story with a satirical flavour, is directed by Shree Narayan Singh & produced by Aruna Bhatia, Plan C Studios & Abundantia. Presented by Viacom18 Motion Pictures & KriArj Entertainment.

GULZAR HONOURED WITH THE TATA LITERATURE LIVE! POET LAUREATE AWARD 2016

Legendary poet, lyricist, writer & filmmaker Sampooran Singh Kalra, best known across the world as Gulzar, was honored recently as the “Tata Literature Live! Poet Laureate for 2016”, which carried a citation, plaque & cash prize on the inaugural day of the festival, 17th Nov, 2016, in Mumbai, where the celebrated poet also read some of his recent work. Says Gulzar saab, “When Anil Dharkerji called to tell me about the award, for a moment, I felt like there might have been a mistake, akin to walking into a dimly lit room, where it takes a moment for your eyes to adjust. I have a number of books, but wasn’t sure Anilji knew of my writing outside of films. It gives you a little more confidence and assurance in your work.” Gulzar’s poetry & lyrics have given expression to, and shaped the feelings of, millions of Indians for over 5 decades now. The 7th edition of Tata Literature Live! coincides with the 400th death anniversary of William Shakespeare and Gulzar saab pays his tribute with a charming ode written specially for the festival. The poet – lyricist who won his 1st National Film Award in 1972 for Koshish has gone on to win the Padma Bhushan, India’s 3rd – highest civilian award in 2004; the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, in 2013; the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2002; 5 National Film Awards, 20 Filmfare Awards, a Grammy and an Academy Award for his song “Jai Ho”! in movie SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.

SPECIAL ATV WAS ORDERED FOR SHAH RUKH – ALIA STARRER ‘DEAR ZINDAGI’

Alia never fails to impress us and DEAR ZINDAGI star firmly believes in supportive nature. During the shoot, Alia & SRK both of them had to walk a lot to reach their 1st mark for every take and then do the same over & over again for different shots as it was a walk & talk scene. The 1st day of shoot with SRK was on a secluded beach in Goa Alia & SRK both of them had to walk a lot to reach their 1st mark for every take and then do the same over & over again for different shots as it was a walk and talk scene. An ATV was called on set that day, so that SRK & Alia could just ride the ATV up & down on the stretch of the beach and not tire themselves up. The film is directed by Gauri Shinde & produced by Gauri Khan, Karan Johar & Gauri Shinde. DEAR ZINDAGI is slated to hit the cinemas on 25th Nov, 2016.

TEASER OF AMOLE GUPTE’S SPY -SUPERHERO FRANCHISE FILM ‘SNIFF’! IS OUT!

Eros International’s Trinity Pictures, India’s 1st franchise studio launched the teaser of its 1st feature film, SNIFF, a big – scale kid’s live action – adventure film. Helmed by director, Amole Gupte, of TAARE ZAMEEN PAR & STANLEY KA DABBA fame, the man behind several acclaimed children – centric films, reputed to spot talent in children and introduce fresh new faces in Indian film industry (Darsheel Safari in TAARE ZAMEEN PAR, his son Partho in STANLEY KA DABBA et al), is all set to launch his next discovery Sunny Gill, an 8 – year – old “wonder” boy who plays the lead character in this family entertainer that revolves around a young Sikh boy, who is a spy in the making along with his curious gang of extraordinary cohorts. The film also stars Surekha Sikri, Sushmita Mukherjee, Manmeet Singh, Putul Guha et al. The film is slated to release in summer 2017.

SANJAY LEELA BHANSALI RECEIVES AN EMOTIONAL SURPRISE ON THE SETS OF ‘PADMAVATI’!

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, one of the finest filmmakers in the country, has always been lauded for bringing depth & emotion into every single frame he captures. This comes easy to the director as he is a warm & emotional person even off screen. It was only recently that the filmmaker’s former AD’s dropped in on the sets of PADMAVATI at a popular studio in the suburbs, to wish their mentor luck. The group of assistant directors who worked with Sanjay Leela Bhansali in SAAWARIYA wanted to show their support & encouragement and surprised him by showing up on the sets. Sanjay Leela Bhansali was extremely touched & overwhelmed when he saw them on the sets. They wanted to come & wish him luck in person as soon as they heard that PADMAVATI went on the floors. Bhansali has been like a mentor to them and they owe everything they’ve learnt to him. Very few people know the filmmaker personally and those who do truly love him – On the sets Bhansali ensures that his crew is well looked after and are treated to the most lavish food. He is protective of his team and constantly encourages them to do their best.

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.