• Home
  • About Us
  • Events
  • Submissions
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • NewsVoir
  • Newswire
  • Nasheman Urdu ePaper

Nasheman

India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English

  • News & Politics
    • India
    • Indian Muslims
    • Muslim World
  • Culture & Society
  • Opinion
  • In Focus
  • Human Rights
  • Photo Essays
  • Multimedia
    • Infographics
    • Podcasts
You are here: Home / Archives for Culture & Society

KARAN WAHI & VIVAN BHATENA SHARE FOOD & FITNESS LOVE

March 9, 2018 by Shaheen Raaj

Karan Wahi & Vivan Bhatena who play brothers in the revenge thriller HATE STORY IV had fun on the sets. Both play grey characters in the film and share a friendly vibe and bonded over food, fitness & sports. Vivan Bhatena said, “Karan is like a younger brother to me and we had workout sessions together. During an action sequence we really got involved in the whole fight sequence and accidently ended up doing a fall which left us quite shaken as Karan got hurt and I was concerned about him as it’s his 1st ever action film but then pain paid off as the sequence looks brilliant. The best time we had was when we went together to watch the England Germany game at Wembley because this was a dream come true for both of us. Karan Wahi said, “The climax scene was a fight sequence between me & Vivan and it was very intense. I was scared that it would be a tough one because his hand is heavier than a 10 kg dumble. Our love for cars & fitness tops the list.” Hate Story IV, directed by Vishal Pandya, stars Urvashi Rautela, Karan Wahi, Vivan Bhatena, Ihana Dhillon & Gulshan Grover in the lead role releases on 9th Mar, 2018.

FORMER PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYERS NEMANJA VIDIC & GARRY MONK JOIN RANVEER SINGH AT PREMIER SKILLS

Premier Skills, the referee & coach development programme run by the Premier League & the British Council, received a surprise visit from former Manchester United player Nemanja Vidic, former Swansea FC player & manager Garry Monk & official ambassador for the Premier League in India Ranveer Singh recently. The 3 attended a special event to showcase the Premier Skills programme, which sees Premier League Club coaches provide face to face training & education materials to participants who will then be able to use & share their newly acquired skills to develop & coordinate projects in their own schools & communities. Premier Skills is delivered in India in partnership with the SAI, AIFF & ISL and a number of other sport NGOs including the OSCAR foundation & Magic Bus. Nemanja Vidic said: “Premier Skills is really important as the more qualified coaches there are training the young players, which will all lead to more of fun opportunities for football in India.” Alan Gemmell OBE, Director of the British Council in India said: “This year marks the 70th anniversary of the British Council in India and we have been inspired every day of those 70 years by the young people we have met.”

RAHUL SHARMA LOSES 20 KILOS FOR HIS DEBUT HINDI THRILLER FILM ‘X RAY – THE INNER IMAGE’

Rahul Sharma has broken many barriers to make his way in the Hindi film industry and is a classic example of a great transformation by having lost as many as 20 Kilos! Hailing from Muzzarpur, Bihar, Rahul had to deal with many backlashes for his looks. Despite taking formal training in acting from Vidur Chaturvedi’s acting academy, in his initial auditions, Rahul faced rejections not for his acting mettle but for being overweight & dark but finally landed himself his debut film X-Ray – The Inner Image. “I went for auditions where people were more interested in my looks than my talent. I did work hard to make this far. I refined my acting skills even more, got some back camera training as well and all this while losing 20 Kilos! The journey was tough, I went through severe diets & workout to get this body and I am glad it worked for me,” exclaims Rahul who is tremendously inspired by actors like Varun Dhawan & Tiger Shroff! Starting off with music videos and having done many fashion shows, Rahul is very excited about his debut project. “It’s a thriller directed by Rajiv S Ruia,” divulges Rahul very cautiously. Well, Rahul Sharma sure looks the promising star of 2019! Atta boy!

‘HAMNE GANDHI KO MAAR DIYA’ RELEASED

Naeem Siddique, who is a true Gandhian follower, has decided to do something big this 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. He has made a film, Hamne Gandhi ko Maar Diya, which revolves around 2 complete opposite ideologies, about 2 strangers who met in a train journey in the panorama of 28th Jan, 1948, 2 days before the death of Gandhiji and events happening during the 2 days journey, have different impacts on these 2 individuals & reactions to the events forces to think who is right & who is wrong. When they reach their destination, they get to know that Gandhiji was assassinated & events happened after that becomes reflection of the 2 different ideologies. Today again such ideologies are expanding and in such times, this story once again becomes ideal to provoke thoughts of the followers of such ideologies. The film written & directed by Naeem A Siddiqui, stars Jatin Goswami, Pratima Kazmi, Sameeksha Bhatnagar & Subrat Dutta.

‘THE PAST’ ADDS TO THE LIST OF HORROR FILMS OF 2018

Horror Thriller The Past starring Yuvraaj Parashar & Vedita Pratap Singh is all set for release on 27th Apr, 2018. The year of 2018 will see horror films like Anushka Sharma’s Pari, Shraddha Kapoor’s Stree, Javed Jaffri’s Lupt etc. There are a bunch of regional horror films scheduled for later this year, including Kanchana 3 (Tamil) & Karu (Telugu). While the Indian horror movie scene has been heating up with the success of Vikram Bhatt’s 1921 & Tamil – Telugu horror thriller Bhagaamathie, Video streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video & Viu have already gotten into the horror game with shows like Shaitan Haveli & Gehraiyan. “We shot the movie in Virar, which has been the stomping ground for a number of horror films. The horror genre is often seen as the black sheep of Bollywood and seen as cheap movies with little artistic value,” said Yuvraj. Vedita Pratap Singh said; “The audiences will love the twists & edge of the seat thrill.” “We have tried to venture into a zone which is not attempted before. We hope to bring together horror aficionados, and those of us who just wonder what makes us humans tick. If you are not scared in the night after the film, then you actually didn’t see the film.” says the debutante director Gagan Puri. ‌

AUSHIM KHETARPAL HONORED WITH “RAJASTHAN INTEGRATION AWARD”

Indian Federation of “Working Journalists – Rajasthan” in Rajasthan honored actor – producer Aushim Khetarpal of Shirdi Saibaba fame with “Rajasthan Integration Award” for his new film Baba Ramsaa Peer in Jaipur. On the occasion, cabinet minister of Rajasthan, Shri Prabhu Lal Saini, who is also the minister of agriculture & animal husbandry, Ms. Suman Sharma – chairperson of the Rajasthan State Commission for Women, MP of Jaipur Ramcharan Bohra, Upendra Singh Rathore – State President of ‘Indian Federation of Working Journalists with many senior journalists & correspondents made their presence felt. Sant Baba Ramsaa Peer of Rajasthan had miraculous powers & devoted his life for the upliftment of dalits, downtrodden & poor people of the society. Aushim Khetarpal essays the role of Baba Ramsaa Peer. Gracy Singh is seen in the female lead. Aushim Khetarpal said, “These days we do not give much time & attention to the generation next. Thus there is a lack of values on culture & civilization. We filmmakers should make such kind of films which will educate the younger generation”.

‘NANAK SHAH FAKIR’ TO RELEASE ON 13TH APR 2018

Ringing in the harvest festival of Baisakhi this year will be an inspirational film based on the life & works of Guru Nanak Sahib titled, Nanak Shah Fakir. Produced by Harinder Sikka, the film will be released on 13th Apr, 2018 & distributed domestically by Viacom18 Motion Pictures. Nanak Shah Fakir has been widely appreciated across prestigious International Film Festivals like Cannes, Sikh Film Festival in Toronto & Sikhlens Film Festival in California for its poignant portrayal of the life & teachings of the revered founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, who was born in 1469 A.D. The songs in the film have been rendered by musical maestros Padma Vibhushan Pt Jasraj & Padma Shri Bhai Nirmal Singh and composed by the legendary music director Uttam Singh. A. R. Rahman, Resul Pookutty & Gulzar, contributed to music, sound & lyrics. The film’s original score has been composed by the highly celebrated composer Tuomas Kantelinen. Its songs include 1 song sung by Grammy Award winning group “White Sun” and its famous singer Gurujas Khalsa of Los Angeles. Harinder Sikka, Producer said, “Nanak Shah Fakir is not just an epic film about the amazing journey of Guru Nanak Dev Ji but calling to a better way of life that we want the audiences to experience. The film is a representation of Guruji’s teachings that hold great relevance even today.

‘A TAJ MAHAL LOVE STORY’ ANNOUNCED DURING JUSTIN TRUDEAU’S VISIT

Justin Trudeau announces the 1st ever official Indo -Canadian co – production titled A Taj Mahal Love Story. The official Canadian announcement was quoted as saying, “True Space Films (Toronto) & Ekaa Films (Delhi) have signed an agreement to co – produce A Taj Mahal Love Story, a film with a strong woman empowerment narrative will be shot in India with editing & post production completed in Toronto”. While Madhureeta Anand has written & directed A Taj Mahal Love Story, True Space Films belongs to Anu Vittal , a Canada based producer. “The script has been described as path breaking because it has a strong woman – centric theme with a unique screenplay that is quirky & strong at the same time. Madhureeta Anand has directed 2 feature films, written 5 feature films, directed many documentary films & series, spanning an array of genres. Madhureeta says, “I spent 3 years researching & writing this script. The collaboration with Canada will make this a truly international film. In today’s world with shrinking Box – Office turnstiles numbers worldwide, it is imperative that we expand the scope of our films & their audiences. Why limit our films to just Indian audiences?”

ALI FAZAL FEELS ELATED AFTER HAVING MET SAMUEL L JACKSON & BRITNEY SPEARS!

Ali Fazal is currently in LA working on the prep for his next Hollywood unannounced venture and alongside he is also been attending an array of work meetings. Ali has since then been in news on several occasions for his varied developments in the west. Attending the annual Hollywood Beauty Awards, an annual forum where the best in talent of the hair, beauty & design talent is awarded, Ali was also elected as an award presenter. At the ceremony Ali was elated to have met, his icons like Britney Spears & Samuel L Jackson. In fact he even earned praises from the man himself, Samuel L Jackson who was all praises for Ali’s role in Victoria And Abdul. Ali said, “It was surreal. We were all on the same tables, dining at the award show. I mean, fact is, Britney has been an icon during the largest part of my childhood. Samuel L Jackson & I share the same team, and so this meeting was pending for a while. I am just a huge fan. And he loved my performance from my film Victoria And Abdul. Something’s are just best experienced I guess. I told him I hope I meet him on a set next time, working together.” Ali presented the 2018 new beauty awards to new comers Kirstin Maldonado & Olivia Holt. And the finale award for Timeless beauty to Jane Seymour, aka Bond girl.

AMITABH BACHCHAN & RISHI KAPOR BACK IN UMESH SHUKLA’S ‘102 NOT OUT’

Amitabh Bachchan & Rishi Kapoor will be back onscreen after 27 years. Sony Pictures International Productions, India has boarded filmmaker Umesh Shukla’s ageless comedy 102 Not Out, in which they appear as father & son for the very 1st time ever. The slice of life comedy is slated to release worldwide on 4th May, 2018. The film is based on playwright Saumya Joshi’s well – known Gujarati play by the same name and has been adapted into a feature by him. Amitabh Bachchan, who plays the role of 102 year old man living life to the fullest, said, “Teaming up with Chintu ji after so many years after so many successful historic films, has been the greatest joy during 102 Not Out, a novel story, competent direction & a most qualified crew, has made the experience even greater. I know the country loves the younger, fresh and vibrant new generation – as must it should deservedly, but who ever said the “oldies” are not capable to do similar.” Rishi Kapoor, who plays 75 year old son of Bachchan in the film, added, “Being in 102 Not Out brought back a lot of fond memories & fun I have shared with Amitji during my younger days”.

SHAHID KAPOOR WRAPS THE SHOOT OF ‘BATTI GUL METER CHALU’ A DAY PRIOR TO BE WITH FAMILY

Shahid Kapoor finished the shoot a day before the schedule, the unit assumed he would head to Mumbai, in time for the Padmaavat success bash but much to everyone’s surprise, he flew off to Delhi to join wife Mira & daughter Misha, who have been staying there for almost a week. It was planned weeks in advance that Shahid would celebrate his birthday on 25th Feb, 2018 by attending a satsang in Beas, with his family. But when he was invited for the Padmaavat party earlier this week, everyone assumed he would attend the bash and head out to Beas the next morning. “This is the reason why Shahid wasn’t able to attend the bash that saw the entire team including Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh & Sanjay Leela Bhansali. It was just a case of bad timing. Shahid isn’t one to compromise on his family time. He wanted a no – frills birthday with his close ones around him and that’s why he headed to the satsang by the Radha Soami sect. He flew off to Amritsar and stayed in Beas for a few days, before resuming his shoot.

GIRIJA OAK GODBOLE IS MAKING HER DEBUT IN SHORT FILM ‘QUARTER’

After having made her debut in Hindi films with Aamir Khan’s much acclaimed film Tare Zameen Par and also making her presence felt as an actress in Marathi films as well as theater besides being a prominent part of several ad films, Girija Oak Godbole has now acted in a short film called Quarter for the 1st time ever in her career. The film has been made in Marathi as well as English. The short film has been produced by Namrata Bandivadekar & directed by Navjyot Bandivadekar. Girija Oak Godbole says “I was always yearning to get an opportunity to act in a short film. Through Quarter, my wish has been fulfilled, though I have earlier portrayed a wide variety of roles through varied characters in films. My role in Quarter is very different as an actress.” Navjyot Bandivadekar exults. “Having got an actress par excellence like Girija Oak Godbole to say yes to acting in our film and portray the difficult role that she has done which is different in our film is by itself a major success for us & our film. The fact that she liked the story & her character goaded her to agree to be part of our project.”

Filed Under: Film

WORLD PREMIERE OF ‘PHIR USSI MOD PAR – BACK TO SQUARE ONE’ AT BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL

March 9, 2018 by Shaheen Raaj

Late Lekh Tandon’s last directorial venture Phir Usi Mod Par One based on the controversial issue of Triple Talak got exhibited at Berlin Film Festival in English language titled Back To Square One. The screening witnessed a jam packed theatre with 120 film experts giving a standing ovation to avant garde movie. At the Cocktail Reception to follow at Waldorf Astoria; critics & filmgoers unanimously heaped generous praise on the film applauding its bold subject, performances, music, singing and of course the direction. The Phir Ussi Mod Par team at Berlin comprised of Kanika Bajpai, Trinetra Bajpai, Anil Tipnis & Suresh Singh Bishnoi. After Lekh Tandon’s sad demise, his close friends Trinetra Bajpai & Kanika Bajpai have taken the onus of releasing the film on themselves. Mr. Bajpai has also given music to the film & his wife Kanika has sung a song and played an important role in the film.

PULKIT & KRITI SHARE AN AMAZING CHEMISTRY OFF SCREEN AS WELL!

The lead actors of Veerey Ki Wedding, Pulkit Samrat (Veerey) & Kriti Kharbanda (Geet) have already given a glimpse of their sizzling on screen chemistry to the audiences after the launch of the trailer recently. The duo shares an undeniably amazing equation not only on screen but off screen as well. They will be seen opposite each other for the 1st time ever in Veerey Ki Wedding. The actors at 1st bonded on their common love for food on the sets. Being true blue Punjabis, the actors share a passion for food and are always found sharing a bite of scrumptious snacks during breaks & in between shots as well! Looks like Pulkit has left his earlier love interest Yami Gautam behind and latched on to Kriti and they complement each other very well on & off screen as well. Both Kriti & Pulkit say that they signed the movie just because the other was being cast opposite them and have also said that they will surely be excited to work with each other in the future as well.

‘BHOOTWALI LOVE STORY’ IS A FILM WITH A DIFFERENCE

At a time when Bollywood is churning out films on a wide variety of out of the box content, Passion World Entertainment is now readying a fantasy called Bhootwali Love Story which is a blend of reality & fantasy. The title itself reveals that the content will comprise of novelty in an extra ordinary manner. Sarika Vinod Tambe & Gajendra Shrivastav have produced the romantic horror story directed by Shantanu Anand Tambe about how a beautiful ghost is able to convey her love to her beloved through a thief who strays into a house, through a series of humorous incidents. The film stars Kanchan Awasthi, Suhas Ruke, Tushar Acharya, Laxman Davbhatt, Preetam Bhandari etc. Satish Pujari of Audio Lab is the co -producer of the film.

KAY KAY MENON TO PLAY FOOTBALL TEAM MANAGER IN ‘PENALTY’!

Kay Kay Menon is all set to spring a huge surprise on the audiences, especially his fans with his next offering, Penalty, a sports based film in which he is playing a football team manager. The makers have recently launched the poster. Interestingly, the actor has always had an inclination towards sports and his passion for the same got him hooked on to the film. Kay Kay was extremely excited from the 1st ever narration of Penalty, and with football being the baseline of the film, the actor was game for the movie. From shoot at 5 in the morning to 16 hour shifts, Penalty saw a sea of hard work & patience. Menon also did a special football training to get himself prepared for the film. Nilesh Sakhiya presents Penalty, a film by Shubham Singh, produced by Nilesh Sakhiya, Ritu Shrivastva, Aditya Shrivastva, Ravi Singh, Annu K . Besides Kay Kay Menon, the movie features Shashank Arora, Manjot Singh, Lukram Simle, Shrishti Jain. Music & background score by Siddhant Madhav. Releasing on 30th Mar, 2018, Penalty revolves around the lives of a football coach Parth and her student Lukram. The story conveys the social message against racial discrimination prevailing internally in the states of India.

TRAILER LAUNCH OF ‘INDIAN NEVER AGAIN NIRBHAYA’

The trailer of a film based on the true event of Delhi bus gang rape & murder named Indian Never again Nirbhaya produced by Bidisha Adhikary & Kanchan Adhikary & directed by Payal Kashyap & K Adhikary was launched recently. The film stars Riecha Sharma, Bidisha Adhikary, Dinesh K Mehta, Ravi Kumar, Raju Kher, Shailendra Srivastava, Raju Shrestha, Anil Yadav, Gopal K. Singh, Pappu Polister, K. Adhikary, Kamaal Malik & Gehna Vasisth. Producer K Adhikary says, “Films based on such incident highlights the issue that now in 21st century also girls are not treated the way they should be. As the film is based on true event it was very difficult to change anything. At the time of shooting it was really hard for us to shoot some of the scenes; everyone was remembering the time when it was actually happening to that girl.” Manoj Nandwana of (JVEL) is the distributor & marketing consultant for India for release of the movie, which is all set for 20th Apr, 2018.

UTKARSH SHARMA TO MAKE HIS DEBUT IN ANIL SHARMA’s ‘GENIUS’

Remember the child who played Sunny Deol’s son in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha? Utkarsh Sharma, son of Director & Producer Anil Sharma gears up to make his debut in Anil Sharma’s next film Genius on 24th Aug, 2018. Genius is very fast – paced & high – tech action on a huge scale, with a healthy dose of romance with handfuls of thrills & pinches of drama. Genius will be a new, exciting & saucy mix, but put together very tastefully and served with style. K. C. Sharma & Kamal Mukut presents Anil Sharma Productions & Soham RockStar Entertainment’s high – tech Action love story based Musical film Genius is all set to release in all over. Utkarsh Sharma Jeetey of Gadar fame and new find Ishita are leading cast of the film. The other cast includes Mithun Chakraborty, Ayesha Jhulka & Nawazuddin Shiddqui. Genius is produced by Deepak Mukut, written, Produced & Directed by Anil Sharma, screenplay & dialogues by Anil Sharma, Sunil Sirvaiya, Amjad Ali, music by Himesh Reshammiya & lyrics by Manoj Muntashir.

‘WHEN OBAMA LOVED OSAMA’ IS A COMPLETE LAUGH RIOT DEAL

Yet again, comedy – love story is in line to crack up the audiences with its barrage of fresh comedy. The audiences will again be entertained with a funny title When Obama loved Osama. No, we are not kidding… That’s what the movie is called. The upcoming movie When Obama loved Osama will be helmed by Sudhish Kumar Sharma What you get to see in the movie will leave you in splits! Yes. The maker of Hum Hain Teen Khurafaati released in the year 2014 are back with their latest movie When Obama loved Osama, and it would be a comic – drama, replete with relatable humor & sidesplitting one – liners. The movie is being produced under the banner of Shape Entertainment. The music is by Kashi Richard & Rishabh Sambhav Jain. The movie promises to give rib – tickling comedy to its viewers and is expected to hit the Box – Office turnstiles in May, 2018. Produced by Jaivindra Singh Bhati & Chaman Gupta & directed by Sudhish Kumar Sharma, the film stars Mousam Sharma, Swati Bakshi, Rahul Avana, Amrita Acharya, Mohit Baghel, Vikas Giri, Kimti Anand, Mushtaq Khan, Manoj Bakshi, Lilliput Faruqui, Heena Panchal, Hemant Pandey & Himani Shivpuri.

BHOJPURI FILM ‘DAMRU’ REVOLVES AROUND A LIFE OF A DEVOTEE WHO HAS A GREAT FAITH IN LORD SHIVA

A soft – hearted follower of Lord Shiva, who has a firm belief in God and he has faith in relationship with God. His devotion & belief force God to come on earth for the sake of him & humanity. Pradeep K Sharma has produced the film Damru under his banner Baba Motion Pictures. It has been written & directed by Rajnish Mishra. Khesari Lal Yadav & Yashika Kapoor from Punjab play the lead in the film. Pradeep K Sharma had made 2 Hindi films Direct Ishq & 1.13.7 is now making his name in Bhojpuri & Marathi film. His 1st ever Bhojpuri film Damru is making waves on IMDB page .The film is giving tough competition to Hindi film Baaghi 2 ,Hate Story IV & even Hichki and will release on 5th Apr, 2018.

SHALEEN BHANOT’S ‘PASSAGE TO HOLLYWOOD’

Shaleen Bhanot trains with the best of Hollywood to learn & unlearn acting. Michelle Danner who has trained the best actors of Hollywood like James Franco, Seth MacFarlane, Salma Hayek, Henry Cavill, Zooey Deschanel, Gerard Butler, Chris Rock, Chris Martin, Penelope Cruz, Michael Pena, Michelle Rodriguez, Kate Del Castillo and many others now trains Shaleen Bhanot for his debut Hollywood venture. Shaleen Bhanot who has spent over 1 decade in the industry in TV shows such as Suryaputra Karn, Sher – E – Punjab: Maharaja Ranjit Singh says, “Training under her is like going to a Gurukul. She has trained some of the best actors in Hollywood today & having her train me is an honor also she is a lovely human being.”

JENNIFER WINGET LAUNCHES EFFICIENT INSURANCE BROKERS – MOBILE APP

Spearheaded by founder Parthiv Group of “Efficient Insurance Brokers” by Rakesh Rathi is one of the fastest growing Insurance Broker in the Country. Since Jul, 2017 they are now present in about 7 States & 9 Cities across India. The launch of their “Insure Efficient” Mobile APP was by Jennifer Winget at Eskay Resort, Borivali West in the presence of Deepshikha Nagpal & Rohit Verma. Efficient is a Trademark Registered Insurance Broker and is the fastest growing broking company in the country with a team of 100+ employees across the country and is further planning to make its presence in felt 9 more locales in a span of 12 months with the creation of more than 200+ employment. Mentor Director Rakesh Rathi says “The formation of Parthiv Group in 2015 was with a view to making simplified Insurance model & creating employment in the industry. “Team Efficient help clients determine their exposures, Structure their Insurance Programs; Negotiate Rates, Terms & Conditions; Place Their Risks with one or more insurance companies; Ensure Prompt & Equitable Settlement of Insurance Claims whenever the insurable events occur. In addition, they provide multiple services alongside the insurance value chain.

ARJUN KAPOOR & PARINNETI CHOPRA REUNITE FOR ‘NAMASTE ENGLAND’

Pen Movies & Reliance Entertainment, in association with Blockbuster Movie Entertainers, have announced the release date of their upcoming film on 7th Dec, 2018. The makers have released 2 posters of the film with this announcement. Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s Namaste England is a young & refreshing story that traces the journey of 2 individuals Jasmeet & Param. It tracks their love story across the landscapes of India & Europe. Starting from Punjab and moving to Ludhiana, Amritsar, Dhaka and all the way to Paris followed by Brussels and finally to London. It’s a fun quintessential Bollywood love story film starring Arjun Kapoor & Parineeti Chopra. Produced & directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, the film is presented by Pen Movies & Reliance Entertainment, in association with Blockbuster Movie Entertainers. Namaste England has already gone on the floors with this announcement and is scheduled to hit the theatres on 7th Dec, 2018.

ILEANA DCRUZ TALKS ABOUT HER CHARACTER IN ‘RAID’

Ileana Dcruz will be seen playing the role of Ajay Devgn’s wife in Raj Kumar Gupta’s directorial venture, Raid. Set in 1981 Lucknow, Raid is based on one of the biggest income tax heists that changed the course of history! From her debut in rom com Barfi or showcasing her comic timing in Mubarakaan, the actress has always attempted to play a varied choice of characters. Ileana says “Even though the film is about the raid with Ajay (Devgn) as an income tax officer, I do have a pivotal role. I admit, in terms of footage, it’s not large, but it’s an interesting part of the film. My character is not a demure biwi from the 80’s, she is sensible, speaks her mind & is quite the force behind him. There’s no plan as of now, but I’d love to work with Ajay again because he’s been doing a lot of content driven films and is a nice, positive person to hang out with. On the sets, he was always chatting with his daughter (Nysa) or son (Yug) and since I was invariably listening in, I now feel I know his whole family.” Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Kumar Mangat Pathak & Abhishek Pathak, Raid is directed by Raj Kumar Gupta. The film releases on 16th Mar, 2018.

‘PARESHAAN PARINDA’ WILL NOW RELEASE ON 23RD MAR 2018

Due to circumstance beyond their control, the release of Pareshaan Parinda is postponed to 23rd Mar, 2018. Made under the banner of Dreamz Productions, Pareshaan Parinda – ek bechara stars Meeraj Shah, Sakshi Singh, Pankaj Kumar, Avtar Singh Bhullar, King B Chouhan, K P Sandhu, Pallavi Sharma, Sadia Nabila, Ricky Sapuran Singh, Dave Sidhu, Sahil Sood, Sammy Gill & Naz Gill. Pareshaan Parinda has been artistically captured by cinematographer of the film Gilbert Rae in Sydney & Singapore. The film has melodious songs given by Johny Seth, Tapeshwar Kalia & Ravinder Bhinder. The sound design is done by Asif Chandwani & the background score by Dev Chauhan. Dr. Rachel Singh is not just the producer of the film but also story – concept, writer, screenplay, production designer & art director. The director is Devesh Pratap Singh. The entire film is shot in varied locales of Sydney (Australia) & Singapore.

Filed Under: Film

Naa Nuvve And Officer Are All Set To Clash This Summer

March 8, 2018 by Shaheen Raaj

This summer, will surely see an unusual clash between a breezy love story and a hardcore action movie. One stars a Tamil & Telugu sensation Tammannah Bhatia while the other stars a veteran actor. It’s a clash one didn’t see coming, but from the looks of it, it’s now official. Naa Nuvve & Officer are all set to clash on 25th May, 2018 as both have locked in on the same release date. There is no competition really, because both belong to different genres. In fact for moviegoers, it’s a win – win situation as they are spoilt for a choice between a breezy love story & a high octane action movie. Naa Nuvve stars Tammannah Bhatia & Nandamuri Kalyanram. From the looks of the teaser and the first ever look poster, it promises a breezy, summer love story. Tamannaah Bhatia plays an RJ who hosts a show based on love however Nandamuri Kalyanram’s role has been kept under wraps. PC Sreeram who is known for his splendid cinematography in various romantic films is part of Naa Nuvee as well. As for Officer, it is one of the most awaited films because it marks the reunion of Nagarjuna & Ram Gopal Verma for the second time. This actor – director duo are returning after twenty eight years with yet another exciting project. The last time they came together, they created Shiva, one of the biggest hits of Tamil cinema. The movie earned cult status on its release. The first look poster of Officer features a fierce looking Nagarjuna, ready to kill if the situation demanded. The tag line aptly read as, “Cops were never this scary”.

Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety Emerges As #1 Leaving Behind Nachiyaar & Kalakalappu 2

The first week of Mar, 2018 saw no new releases in Tamil and Telugu due to the ongoing tiff between producers & online digital service providers. As the latter party charge an exorbitant fee for every film, the producers have initiated a protest and are making sure no films releases until an agreement is come upon. Negotiations so far have failed following several meetings. If the strike continues for another week, summer releases are bound to get affected. This strike however has proved to be advantageous for all the old releases of last week, last month as they continue to dominate screens without any competition. At the Chennai Box office turnstiles, while old films continue to be part of top 5, a non Tamil film like Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety surprisingly has taken on the Numero Uno position. This not – so – big – budget Bollywood film has been faring well at the Indian Box office turnstiles ever since its release. Clearly it is now the topic of discussion even down south. Despite competition from Nachiyaar & Kalakalappu 2, this movie has emerged as #1.

Telugu Cine Stars Pay Their Respects To Late Sridevi

Film personalities from Telugu film industry paid their tributes to Indian cine superstar Sridevi at a condolence meeting organized at Hyderabad. The gathering was organised by T Subbarami Reddy Lalithakala Parishat (TSR – LKP). Film actor Krishnam Raju, renowned playback singer P Susheela, former MLA & film actor Kota Srinivasa Rao, actors Jagapathi Babu, Rajasekhar, Jaya Prada, Jaya Sudha, Jeevitha & Amala Akkineni were amongst the names who offered their tributes at the meeting. Incidentally speaking Sridevi, passed away on 24th Feb, 2018 due to accidental drowning in Dubai at the age of 54. The career of the actor, who entered the film industry as a child artiste, acted in over 80 Telugu films. Some of them were Bobbili Puli, Padaharella Vayasu, Muddula Koduku, Vetagaadu & Karthika Deepam amongst others. Sridevi’s career spanned 5 decades across multiple languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada & Hindi. Rajya Sabha member & former Union minister T Subbarami Reddy recalled his association with the actor. ”Sridevi, besides her great talent of acting had been a great human being in life”.

Soundarya Rajinikanth Condemns Piracy Of 2.0 Teaser

Superstar Rajinikanth’s younger daughter Soundarya Rajinikanth recently condemned the leak of the movie 2.0 teaser and called it a “heartless act”. The teaser of Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar & Amy Jackson starrer2.0 was leaked on social media platforms. The video went viral soon after it surfaced online. Soundarya Rajnikanth took to Twittter to express her disappointment & anger. “Leaking content online before the official release should not be tolerated or encouraged! This is a heartless act ignoring hard work, efforts & sentiments of the makers for few seconds of excitement! Be ashamed, stop piracy, stop misusing digital medium,” she wrote. 2.0 will mark the Tamil debut of Akshay and his first film with Rajinikanth. The film also stars Adil Hussain & Sudhanshu Pandey. Directed by Shankar, 2.0 is a sequel to the 2010 blockbuster Enthiran (Robot) which also featured Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Last House Of Horror

Over the years, Sandalwood has seen many variations on the horror theme. Now, a new film in Kannada is trying to bring a new kind of horror film to the Kannada audiences. The new film titled Kade Mane (Last House) directed by Vinay is a horror film with a rural backdrop. The film tells the story of a village boy whose mistake results in some horrifying incidents. The team has shot the film in Tumkuru, Mandya, Mysuru & Srirangapattana. The team is now busy with post production. The film is being produced by Nandan S under Keerthan Creation and has Yuvaraj, Kalpana, Balraj Madi, Kodi Ranga, Bank Janardhan and others in important roles. Kade Mane has songs composed by Gautam Srivathsa.

Mahesh Falls In Love With His PA

The expectations on Mahesh Babu’s upcoming movie Bharat Ane Nenu under the direction of Koratala Siva are very high. Mahesh Babu is going to play the role of a Chief Minister for the first time ever in his career. Bollywood beauty Kiara Advani is debuting in Tollywood with this film. Ever since it was announced that Kiara Advani is the leading lady of this film the audiences have been debating about whether it will be like all the other commercial heroine’s role which are dedicated to just two songs & three scenes or a heavy role. But unlike them, it seems like Kiara Advani is going to play a performance oriented character in this film. She is going to appear as a personal assistant of Mahesh Babu in Bharath Ane Nenu movie. She is going to be the pillar of strength for Mahesh Babu throughout the film and the love story between the CM with his assistant is going to be romantic. The movie is slated to get released on 20th Apr, 2018.

Nithiin to Act With Chiyaan Vikram In A Kamal Haasan Film

Kamal Haasan & Chiyaan Vikram have joined hands for a film. They both are not acting together, even though one hopes that would happen, Kamal Haasan is producing a film with Chiyaan Vikram. Kamal Haasan wants to continue production on his Raj Kamal International films banner, even when he transforms into a politician completely after Indian 2. He announced a film with Chiyaan Vikram recently & Rajesh Selva, his assistant for many films & director of Cheekati Rajyam, will direct the film. The young director is trying to make a remake of a French film, once again, like his previous one. Raj Kamal International has acquired the rights officially from the makers. In this film, hero Nithiin, has been approached for a pivotal role. But Nithin wants to completely hear the script and then decide. Yet negotiations are going on with him and he will soon announce about his presence in the film, once everything is worked out.

Nayanthara’s Retirement Plan

Whether it is a star heroine or a normal person, everyone needs to have a perfect retirement plan such that their fag end of life won’t suffer from financial difficulties. It looks like lady super starlet Nayanthara is having a good retirement plan in her bag already. Though the duo has been tight lipped about their relationship, Nayanthara and her rumored boyfriend, director Vignesh Shivanhave been flaunting their love chemistry quite open. The latest USA pictures of Nayanthara spending cozy time with Vignesh Shivan on the streets of Los Angeles & California are going viral on the internet. The lovebirds who are alleged to be tying the knot soon are now visiting the United States frequently. Obviously Nayanthara has been preparing her retirement plan. The rumors claim that Nayanthara has invested around ten crores and started a hotel business in a suburb in California district. If everything plans out well then by the time she is going to retire from the film industry she can get a Green Card also. Nayanthara’s elder brother who lives in Dubai is said to be taking care of this investment.

Bhallaladeva Of Baahubali Turns Thief

After getting stellar fame through the “Baahubali” franchise, Tollywood’s hottest hunk Rana Daggubati is busy with his new projects in Tollywood and even Bollywood. His role as Bhallaladeva in SS Rajamouli’s “Baahubali” won him rave reviews and he has been on a signing spree since then. His next film is Haathi Mere Saathi and the first ever look of the film was unveiled recently. Recently Rana Daggubati inked the deal to star in a biopic. A film is being made on the life of the notorious thief Tiger Nageswara Rao and Rana Daggubati will play the main lead. The makers are planning to wrap up Tiger Nageswara Rao’s shoot within just two months. Currently, the makers are busy in pre – production work. The regular shoot will commence from May, 2018 and will be helmed by Vamsi Krishna and bankrolled by Anil Sunkara under his banner. Rana Daggubati will be seen next in a bilingual Telugu – Tamil film Madai Thiranthu / 1945, being directed by Sathya Siva, in which Regina Cassandra is playing the female lead. Rana Daggubati will also be seen playing a crucial role in the Gautham Menon directorial venture Enai Nokki Payum Thotta, which has Dhanush in the lead and the Malayalam film Anizham Thirunaal Marthanda Varma.

Rakul Preet Singh Has Reduced Two Things

Delhi beauty Rakul Preet Singh who used to be a top heroine in Tollywood has no crazy projects in her hand right now. She used to be the only choice for the filmmakers at that time but as she shifted her focus to Bollywood the Tollywood offers reduced for her. When Rakul Preet Singh was ruling the industry there was a talk that she demands hefty paychecks. But now, she has reduced the remuneration a lot. Even though the makers now know about this they are not focusing on her. There has been a talk from a long time that Rakul Preet Singh is going to play one of the leading ladies in the much awaited multi – starrer of NTR & Ram Charan under the direction of SS Rajamouli. But now the Baahubali director is going to take another heroine instead of Rakul Preet Singh. Though she has been facing a bad time in Tollywood the actress has been bagging good offers from Kollywood. She has already acted in Theeram Adhigaram Ondru movie starring Karthi which also got released in Telugu as Khaakee. Now she is going to share the screen space with his brother Surya in his upcoming movie. The actress has already reduced so much weight and the remuneration as well.

Filed Under: Film

Brad Pitt And Leonardo Dicaprio On Board

March 5, 2018 by Shaheen Raaj

Hollywood actors namely Brad Pitt & Leonardo DiCaprio are now on board and joined the cast of director Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming Manson movie. The above film’s title has been revealed as Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and Quentin Torantino describes the project as “a story that takes place in Los Angeles in the year 1969, at the height of a hippy Hollywood. Leonardo DiCaprio will enact the character of Rick Dalton, a former star of a Western TV series, while Brad Pitt will portray the role of his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth.

Brant Daugherty Engaged

Brant Daugherty is not lying about the fact that he’s getting hitched indeed!!! The Pretty Little Liars alum popped the question to his girlfriend, Kimberly Hidalgo, and she happily said yes. The excited couple announced the special news on the social media platform after the overseas proposal earlier in the month. The Fifty Shades Freed star and his off screen leading lady lady first popped up together on the social media platform in the month of Oct, 2016 and have been posing together ever since. The jet setting pair has even celebrated a variety of occasions together as a pair, including their first ever anniversary last Oct.

Derick Dillard Attacks

Derick Dillard is at it again. Just when you thought that the Duggar family’s resident blowhard had learned his lesson about bullying the most vulnerable segments of our population, he goes and hits a new low. As you’ve no doubt heard by now, a shool shooting in Parkland, Florid had claimed seventeen lives last month. In the wake of the tragedy, several students have made it their mission to take on the NRA & the politicians that they feel are responsible for America’s ludicrously permissive policies on assault weapons. Shockingly, these courageous teens have been met with a brutal backlash, with several reporting that they’ve received death threats from angry weapons fetishists. And then Jill Duggar’s husband joined the effort to try & discredit the grieving teens, “This has gotten a little ridiculous; at least 2 networks are now using kids to push their liberal agendas,” Derick Dilliard tweeted.

Ensa Cosby Passes Away

Bill Cosby’s daughter Ensa Cosby recently passed away. She was 44. Later on The entire Cosby family had thanked many people for their prayers for their beloved & beautiful Ensa Cosby, who recently died after suffering from a renal disease. Ensa Cosby had expired on Fri 23rd Feb, 2018 in Massachusetts. Ensa Cosby had once worked alongside her father Bill Cosby in the past; she had appeared on “The Cosby Show” in the year 1989 as a girl at a party. The season 6th episode Ensa Cosby appeared in was entitled, “I’m ‘In’ with the ‘In’ Crowd.” Ensa Cosby had been a big supporter of her dad over the years, standing up for him amidst all his legal battles. Ensa Cosby’s death comes 2 decades after the death of her brother Ennis Cosby, who was killed in Los Angeles in the year 1997.

Heather Locklear Arrested

Heather Locklear was recently arrested following an alleged dispute at her home. Incidentally speaking Heather Locklear was booked on one count of felony domestic battery & three counts of battery for allegedly attacking the three responding Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies, according to the police. In fact the Police was summoned to Heather Locklear’s home in California recently, regarding a domestic incident between Heather Locklear & her boyfriend. Heather Locklear was taken into custody after the deputies found evidence to support the claim that Heather Locklear had indeed battered her boyfriend, causing him grave injury in the process.

Jennifer Lawrence Rubbishes The Rumors

Jennifer Lawrence was widely blamed recently by her fans for Chris Pratt’s split from wife Anna Faris. But Jennifer Lawrence rubbishes the rumors that she was ever in a relationship with her Passengers co – star Chris Pratt. In a recent interview, Jennifer Lawrence also talked about the weirdest rumors that she had ever heard about herself. She also commented on the speculation about her love life. There were rumors in 2016 that Chris Pratt & Jennifer Lawrence had got into a relationship filming their sci – fi film Passengers.

Jill Duggar Slammed

Jill Duggar is in hot water yet again. Although at this point, she’s probably used to the temperature, as it seems to be where she spends most of her time. As Derrick Dilliard was recently fired by TLC after harassing a fellow network star on Twitter. Derick Dilliard did not appear in Monday’s Counting On Season Premiere, and many fans took note of the fact that Jill Duggar was also absent from the episode. So it appears that Jill Duggar is either sitting this one out, or she was axed alongside her husband. Either way, if she had hoped the scrutiny of her personal life would diminish now that she’s stepped away from the spotlight, she’s got another thing coming. The latest mini – scandal has to do with a comment that Jill had posted on her sister Joy – Anna’s Instagram page.

Lewis Gilbert Passes Away

British producer and director Lewis Gilbert, best known for his films like Alfie & even the James Bond films like The Spy Who Loved Me & Moonraker, has recently passed away. He was 97. The news of his death was instantly shared by the James Bond franchise producers namely Michael G Wilson & Barabara Broccoli. A little flashback on Lewis Gilbert is that he had directed the 1967’s James Bond movie namely You Only Live Twice starring Sean Connery, and again the film The Spy Who Loved Me in the year 1977 & Moonraker in the year 1979, both starring Roger Moore. Lewis Gilbert, who was born into the family of music hall performers, had begun his career as a child actor. In the year 1939, he had worked as an assistant on Alfred Hitchcock’s Jamaica Inn. Lewis Gilbert was also known for directing Educating Rita & Alfie. For Alfie, Lewis Gilbert had received an Oscar nomination for “Best director”. Alfie was also instrumental in actor Michael Caine’s rise to fame. On Twitter, a number of celebrities, including directors Edgar Wright & Peyton Reed, paid their tributes to the Late Lewis Gilbert.

Stephen Fry Undergoes An Operation

Actor & comedian Stephen Fry has recently undergone an operation to treat prostrate cancer. Stephen Fry, who stepped down last month as BAFTA film awards presenter, shared details about his illness on Twitter. For the last 2 months he was in the throes of a rather unwelcome & unexpected adventure. In fact he has not even been able to talk about it till now. Incidentally speaking Stephen Fry describes cancer as an “aggressive little bugger” but he also believed that an early detection saved his life for good.

Kevin Smith Survives An Attack

Kevin Smith has recently revealed that he had almost died of a massive heart attack after being rushed to a hospital. Kevin Smith shared the news on Twitter from his hospital bed in California that after the 1st ever show recently. He indeed had a massive heart attack. In fact the doctor who had saved his life had told him told me he had 100% blockage of his LAD artery (aka “the Widow – Maker”). And if he hadn’t cancelled the show to go to the hospital, he would’ve died that night. But for now, “I’m still above ground!” he tweeted. Kevin Smith said that he had even cancelled a stand up gig in Glendale, California, after falling ill.

Filed Under: Film

Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety Is A Highly Entertaining Film For The Entire Family

March 3, 2018 by Shaheen Raaj

Producer: Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Luv Ranjan & Ankur Garg
Director: Luv Ranjan
Star Cast: Kartik Aryan, Sunny Singh, Nushrat Bharucha, Alok Nath, Ishita Raj Sharma, Sonalli Sehgal, Deepika Amin, Ayesha Raza Mishra, Virendra Saxsena, Pawan Chopra, Preetam Jaiswal et al
Music: Rochak Kohli, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Amaal Malik, Zack Knight, Saurabh – Vaibhav, Guru Randhawa, Rajat Nagpal & Hitesh – Sonik

Director Luv Ranjan shot to fame with a surprise hit, Pyaar Ka Punchnama, in the year 2011 and the highlight of the film was the bromance between the 3 new but attractive male leads namely Kartik Aaryan, Divyendu Sharma & Raayo S. Bakhirta. The film’s success was based on the fact that it was light, youthful & played on the fun stereotypes about women & dating. Now, the filmmaker is back with yet another film with his favourites namely Kartik Aaryan, Sunny Singh & Nushrat Bharucha. Yes, and it is love triangle but with a twist. Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (SKTKS) is a clash between Romance Vs Bromance. The undercurrent here though is the same: Is the dosti between men more precious than a romantic liaison with a woman?

The movie revolves around Titu (Sunny Singh) who is a hapless victim of romance. A perpetual lovesick puppy, he falls in love way too easily and gets his heart broken at the drop of his hat. Sonu (Kartik Aaryan), his street – smart, suave pal is his savior. He literally saves him from bad company, relationships and is kind of obsessed with him… in an endearing sort of a way. Sonu advises Titu to stay away from Sweety (Nushrat Bharucha). Titu does not pay any heed to Sonu’s advice but in turn tells him that his motherly instincts are making him say so! This sentence sort of summarises the extent to which these guys are close!!!

So, the film mounts on as Titu falls deeper in love with the seemingly flawless Sweety who tries her best to woo him. Sonu remains skeptical, waiting for a chance to find something against her that he can use. She too realises his true designs & declares a full – blown war against Sonu. The suspense of the film is who wins? Dosti or Pyaar or do these plots take a totally different trajectory? The makers successfully hook us on with the cat & the mouse game between his hero & the “villain”.

Well, there is no denying that the target audiences for these movies are young college going kids. The film caters to them and does a good job with its dialogues and the plot to keep the viewer constantly hooked. The dialogues with punches written by Rahul Mody along with director Luv Ranjan are young & funny. There are many cusswords used with beeps in it, which add to the overall fun. Along with Kartik Aryan, Alok Nath’s punch lines are very funny too.

Director Luv Ranjan holds the film in place & keeps us engaged throughout with surprise twists and the Tom & Jerry like chemistry between Sonu & Sweety. No, the ending is nothing like you’d ever expect and would take you by surprise. Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (SKTKS) will surely keep you on the edge of the seat.

There are certain scenes which stand out & deserve a mention. The scene where Sweety is introduced for a rishta with Titu, Sonu keeps getting anxious at the prospect of his friend ending up with her are noteworthy. Another sequence which is interesting is when Titu’s ex – Pihu (played by the electric Ishita Raj) shows up in the story. Sonu’s funny segment with servant Babu, who is appointed by Sweety, will make you laugh hard.

Talking about the performances, Kartik Aryan’s screen presence is top class. His evil grin & devilish charm will make you fall in love with him. Sunny Singh is a total eye candy and delivers as a shy, romantic fellow. He is natural & believable as Titu. Nushrat Bharucha commands your attention and her moments with Kartik Aaryan are pure fire. Their chemistry is sizzling and they totally look good together. She holds on to her character and delivers a solid performance. Special mention to Alok Nath who plays a quirky patriarch Ghasitaram. He is refreshingly good as a whiskey + kebab loving grandfather and adds a much needed zing to the plot. Ishita Raj as Titu’s ex – Pihu does her role fantastically well.

The writing by Rahul Mody & Luv Ranjan is fiery and does not slip one bit. The film keeps you on the edge from start to end, guessing what’s coming next.

The music of Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety is already hit after music director Hitesh – Sonik revamped some of the chartbusters like “Dil Chori” & “Bom Diggy Diggy”. Hitesh Sonik’s background score goes really well with the overall appeal of Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (SKTKS).

As for visuals, the film looks very good as cameraman Sudhir K Chaudhary does a fine job of making every frame look pretty & colorful. Editor Akiv Ali keeps the movie tight & crisp. Vicky Sidana gets the casting spot on.

Tail Piece: On the whole, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety entertains as well as packs a solid punch. It is witty & sharp both in terms of drama & execution.

At the box office, it will be lapped up by its target audiences, the youth, who will take an instant liking towards the film. Strongly recommended.

Filed Under: Film

Watch: Teaser of Rajinikanth’s movie ‘Kaala’ released

March 2, 2018 by Nasheman

Chennai: The teaser of superstar Rajinikanths upcoming flick ‘Kaala’ has been released, with the trilingual movie all set to hit the screens on April 27.

The near two-minute teaser starts off with veteran star Nana Patekar asking what kind of a name ‘Kaala’ is, with a voiceover in the next scene saying it means not only the colour black, but also someone who fights and defends.

Later, Rajinikanth himself is shown explaining that black is the colour of hard work. The actor is seen speaking in the Tirunelveli slang of the Tamil language.

Actor Dhanush, also Rajinikant’s son-in-law, has produced the movie under his banner Wunderbar Films Pvt Ltd. Pa Ranjith is the director of the film, his second association with Rajinikanth after their 2016 gangster flick ‘Kabali’.

Dhanush released the teaser on his Twitter page Thursday. ‘Kaala’ will be released in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. Besides Rajinikanth and Patekar, the movie also features Hindi cinema actor Huma Qureshi, actor-director Samudrakani, Eswari Rao and a host of others.

Ranjith’s favourite musician, Santosh Narayanan has once again teamed up with the filmmaker to compose the musical score for the film.

(PTI)

Filed Under: Film

SRIDEVI: A HUMBLE TRIBUTE TO THE 1ST FEMALE SUPERSTAR OF BOLLYWOOD

March 2, 2018 by Shaheen Raaj

by Rizwan Asad & Shaheen Raaj

Sridevi Kapoor, born as Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan, was an Indian actress & film producer who starred in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malyalam & Kannada films too.

Sridevi, was regarded as Hindi cinema’s 1st ever female superstar, she was also the recipient of 2 Filmfare Awards & also 3 Filmfare Awards (South). Besides Sridevi is also considered to be one of the most popular actresses of Indian Cinema.

Sridevi had made her debut as child artiste with the 1967 Tamil film Kandan Karunai at the age of 4, and started her acting career in lead role as a child artiste with M. A. Thirumugam’s 1969 devotional Tamil film Thunaivan and continued to act as a child artiste in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam & Kannada films too.

Sridevi made her Bollywood debut as a child artiste in Rani Mera Naam in the year 1972 and played her 1st ever adult role at the age of 13 with the Tamil film Moondru Mudichu in the year 1976.

Sridevi established herself as one of the leading actresses of Tamil & Telugu cinema, with leading roles in 16 Vayathinile in the year 1977, Sigappu Rojakkal in the year 1978, Varumavin Niram Sivappu in the year 1980, Meendum Kokila in the year 1981, Premabhishekam in the year 1981, Moodram Pirai in the year 1982, Aakhar Poratam in the year 1988, Jagadeka Veerudu Atiloka Sundari in the year 1990 & above all Kshana Kshanam in the year 1991.

Sridevi’s 1st ever starring role in Hindi Cinema came with the 1979 drama film Solva Sawan, a remake of her own Tamil film 16 Vyathinile (1977) and gained wide attention with the 1983 production Himmatwala. She went on to appear in a series of commercially successful films, including Mawaali in the year 1983, Tohfa in the year 1984, Naya Kadam in the year 1984, Maqsad in the year 1984, Masterji in the year 1985, Nazrana in the year 1987, Mr. India in the year 1987, Waqt Ki Aawaz in the year 1988 & Chandani in the year 1989.

Sridevi also received praise for such films as Sadma in the year 1983, Nagina in the year 1986, Chaalbaaz in the year 1989, Lamhe in the year 1991 & Khuda Gawah in the year 1992, and in all the last mentioned 3 movies Sridevi had double roles, Gumrah in the year 1993, Laadla in the year 1994 & Judaai in the year 1997.

Sridevi then followed it up with the role of the titular protagonist in her 1st ever role in the small screen sitcom Mailini Iyer in the year 2004 & 2005. Sridevi then took a break and returned to film acting in the year 2012 with the successful comedy drama English Vinglish. Later on Sridevi starred in her 300th film role in the 2017 thriller Mom. She earned critical acclaim for her performances in both the films.

In the year 2013, the Government of India awarded Sridevi with Padmashree, the country’s 4th highest civilian accolade for her contributions to the entertainment industry.

Honorary awards were also conferred on Sridevi by the State Governments of Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh & Kerala. Sridevi was also voted as “India’s Greatest Actress in 100 Years” in a CNN – IBN national poll conducted in the year 2013 on the occasion of the Centenary of Indian cinema.

Sridevi was married to film producer Boney Kapoor, with whom she had 2 children. Although Sridevi was earlier alleged to have tied the knot with Mithun Chakraborty whose real name was Rana Rez Chakraborty, who had himself made a confession of his marriage to Sridevi to yours truly namely Shaheen Raaj.

A little more detailed sneak peek into Sridevi’s early life will not be out of place at this juncture. Sridevi was born in Sivakasi, Madras, now Chennai, state on 13th Aug, 1963 to Ayyapan & Rajeshwaramma. Her father was from Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, a lawyer by profession. Sridevi’s mother, Rajeshwaramma, belonged to a Reddy family from Tirupati, Andra Pradesh.

In an earlier interview, Sridevi had mentioned that her mother tongue was, unlike what the popular media has claimed, Telugu. She had a sister & 2 stepbrothers. Sridevi was always accompanied by her mother Rajeshwaramma or by her sister Srilatha to the film sets during the shooting of her films between the years 1972 till the year 1993. One Sanjay Ramaswamy was married to her sister Srilatha since the year 1989.

Sridevi’s father died in the year 1991, while she was shooting for her film Lamhe. Her mother died in the year 1996, as a result of the complications suffered from an operation that she underwent in the year 1995 on a brain tumor at the Memorial Sloan Ketterin Cancer Center in New York City.

In fact the neurosurgeon had operated Rajeshwaramma on the wrong side of the brain thereby destroying her vital tissues of vision & recent memory. This was widely reported in US media at that time which then led to a successful court battle & prompted the then President Bill Clinton’s proposal of a program for hospitals to disclose their medical malpractices & errors.

Sridevi married producer Boney Kapoor in the year 1996. The couple have 2 daughters, Janhvi who was born in the year 1997 & Khushi who was born in the year 2000. Sridevi was brought up as a total vegetarian.

Sridevi had started her career as a child actor at the age of 4 in a Tamil movie Kandan Karunai in the year 1967. Subsequently, Sridevi played the role of a young Muruga in a film named Thunaivan.

In fact Sridevi had made her debut in Tollywood as a child artiste with the 1970 Telugu film Maa Nanna Nirdoshi. Baby Sridevi’s performance in Poompatta in the year 1971 in Malayalam had won her the Kerala State Film Award for “Best Child Artistec”.

That apart Kandan Karunai in the year 1967, Nam Naadu in the year 1969, Prarthanai in the year 1970, Babu in the year 1971, Badi Panthulu in the year 1972, Bala Bharatam in the year 1972, Vasantha Maaligai in the year 1972 & Bhakta Kumbara in the year 1974 are the most notable films of her career as a child artiste.

In the year 1972, Sridevi had debuted as a child artiste in Bollywood with Rani Mera Naam directed by H. S. R. Das. Then Sridevi also did Julie, where she played a younger sister to the main protagonist Lakshmi, another popular South Indian actress. Sridevi had also acted with Jayalalitha in Thirumangalyam, Kandan Karunai & Adi Parashakti.

In the year 1976, Sridevi had her 1st ever leading role in the Tamil film Mundru Mudichu which was directed by a popular director namely K. Balachasnder. Sridevi then followed it up with a number of films with South Indian Superstars namely Kamal Haasan & Rajnikanth.

Sridevi’s 1st ever release of 1977 was Gayathri, followed by Kavikkuyil & 16 Vayathinili, where she played the role of a young girl who is caught between her 2 lovers. She also starred in the movie’s Telugu remake Padaharella Vayasu in 1978.

Sridevi’s subsequent notable films included Bharati Raja’s Sigappu Rojakkal, S. P. Muturaman’s Priya Karthika Deepam, Johnny, Varumayin Niram Sivappu & Akali Rajyam.

Sridevi also acted with N. T. Rama Rao in Bobbili Puli, Justice Chowdhary & Aatagadu. Then she had also acted alongside Sivaji Ganesan in Sandhippu, Kavari Mann & Pilot Prem Nath.

Sridevi made her debut as a child artiste in Kannada movies with Bhakta Kumbara in the year 1974 directed by Hunsur Krishnamurthy. Her other films as a child artiste in Kannada films included Bala Bharatam & Yashoda Krishna. She was also a part of Hennu Samsarada Kannu in the year 1975, directed by A. V. Sheshagiri Rao.

Then Sridevi also acted opposite Ambarish in Priya in the year 1978, produced by S. P. Muthurraman. She made her debut in Malayalam films with Kumara Sambhava in the year 1969 as a child actor, followed by I. V. Sasi’s Abhinandanam.

Besides Sridevi’s other notable films as the lead heroine in Malayalam were Thulavarsham, directed by N. Sankaran Nair in the year 1976 & M. Masthan’s Kuttavum Shikshayum a remake of the Tamil film Pennai Nambungal with Kamal Haasan starring opposite her. Sridevi was next seen in the Malayalam Satyawan Savithri.

In the year 1981, Sridevi starred in the Tamil film Meendam Kokila for which she bagged the Filmfare “Best Actress” award – Tamil. In the year 1982, Sridevi acted in Moondram Pirai playing a woman suffering from amnesia and went on to win the Tamil Nadu State award for “Best Actress”. She was paired with Kamal Hasan in 27 films across varied languages.

Sridevi’s notable Telugu films include Konda Veeti Simham, Kshana Kshanam, Vetagadu, Sardar Paparayudu & Bobbili Puli. With A. Nageshwar Rao, she appeared in movies such as Mudulla Koduku, Premabhishekam, Bangaru Kanuka & Premakanuka as well as with Krishna in Kanchu Kagada, Kalavari Samsaram,, Krishaavatharam, Burripalem Bolludu, Khaidi Rudrayya.

Sridevi acted with Cheeranjeevi in Jagadeka Veerudu Atiloka Sundari, S. P. Parasuram. Her performance in the 1992 Ram Gopal Verma directed Kshana Kshanam opposite Venkatesh, won her the Filmfare Award for “Best Actress” – Telugu & Andhra Pradesh’s Nandi award for “Best Actress”.

Sridevi had made her debut as a heroine in Hindi films in Solva Sawan in the year 1979. 4 years later she was signed to star opposite Jeetendra in Himmatwala. The film was released in the year 1983 and became one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. The film established Sridevi in Bollywood and earned her the famous sobriquet of “Thunder Thighs”.

In fact Sridevi’s dance number “Nainon Mein Sapna, Sapno Mein Sajna” became a rage with rediff stating that “the water pots may have dominated most frames in “Nainon Mein Sapna, Sapno Mein Sajna”, but it was Sridevi’s bejewelled outfits & headgears that stole the show”. The following year Tohfa was released and it turned out to be the biggest hit of the year 1984.

The film established Sridevi as one of the leading actresses of Bollywood, with the Filmfare magazine declaring her as “Unquestionably #.1” on their cover.

The pair of Jeetendra & Sridevi did 16 films together of which was Himmatwala in the year 1983, Jaani Dost in the year 1983, Justice Chaudary in the year 1983), Mawaali in the year 1983, Akalmand in the year 1984, Tohfa in the year 1984, Balidaan in the year 1985, Aulad in the year 1987, Suhagan in the year 1986, Ghar Sansar in the year 1986, Dharm Adhikari in the year 1986, Sone Pe Suhaga in the year 1988 were highly successful but Aag Aur Shola in the year 1986, Himmat in the year 1987, Sarfarosh in the year 1985 were total flops.

Then Sadma released in the year 1983, and brought Sridevi critical acclaim. A remake of her Tamil super hit film Moondram Pirai, in fact Sadma is included in iDiva’s list of “10 Must Watch Movies That Weren’t Blockbusters”. She also acted with A. Nageshwar Rao’s son Nagarjuna in films like Aakhari Porattam, Govinda Govinda & Khudah Gawah. She has played heroine to both He – man or Garam Dharam Dhaermendra, as he was most popularly known, & even his son Sunny Deol.

Sridevi’s performance as a child woman suffering from amnesia was called by Indian Express as “a milestone in her illustrious career”. Sridevi also featured in the Midday list of “Challenging Roles played by Bollywood Actors” describing her act in the film as “her best performance ever”.

In the year 2012, Adil Hussein, Sridevi’s co – star in English Vinglish revealed that he became a fan of the actress after watching her in Sadma. The Sridevi – Kamal Hasan pair also appeared on the CNN – IBN’s 2012 list of “Greatest Romantic Couples on Celluloid”. The film won Sridevi her 1st ever Filmfare nomination for “Best Actress”.

Sridevi even had a successful pairing with Rajesh Khanna in films such as Naya Kadam in the year 1984, Maqsad in the year 1984, Masterji in the year 1985 & Nazrana in the year 1987.

In the year 1986, came the snake fantasy Nagina which saw Sridevi play an “ichhadhaari naagin” or a shape shiftimg woman. The film turned out to be the 2nd biggest blockbuster of that year, with trade magazine Box Office India stating that Sridevi remained “the undisputed #1”. It was also named one of the “Best Snake Fantasy Films” by Yahoo. In fact Times of India ranked Nagina as one of the “Top 10 Snake Films of Hindi Cinema”. in fact Sridevi’s climax dance number “Main Teri Dushman, Dushman Tu Mera – Main Naagin Tu Sapera” also remains one of the “Best Snake Dances in Bollywood with Desi Hits calling it “one of Sridevi’s most iconic dance numbers…that still gives fans goose bumps” and iDiva describing it as “the stuff of movie legends”.

Besides Nagina, the year 1986 also saw Sridevi giving Box – Office turnstiles hits in Subhash Ghai’s multi – starrer Karma & Feroze Khan’s Jaanbaaz. According to CNN – IBN’s Bollywood Blockbusters, “Sridevi’s popularity grew so much that despite having a guest appearance in Jaanbaaz, she completely overshadowed the film’s lead heroine Dimple Kapadia”.

Sridevi followed up the success of Nagina by playing a goofy crime journalist in the 1987 film Mr. India, described by Rediff as “one of the most iconic films of its time”. Directed by Shekhar Kapur, it became one of the highest grossing hits of the year and also found a place in Hindustan Times’ list of “Top 10 Patriotic Films of Hindi Cinema”. While the trade magazines famously joked that the film should have been named as nothing else but Miss. India, Rediff also stated that “Sridevi was a complete show stealer in the film”.

In fact Sridevi’s imitation of Charlie Chaplin in the film was described by The Times of India as “the most hilarious act Sridevi has ever done”. Rediff also featured Sridevi in its list of “Super Six Comic Heroines” stating that “her mobile face expressions could give Jim Carrey (Hollywood’s most popular comedian) sleepless nights” and that “her biggest plus point is her ability to be completely uninhibited in front of the camera”.

In fact The dance number “Hawa Hawai”, cited by The Timers of India as “one of the most unforgettable numbers of Sridevi”, also became a popular nickname for the actress. Besides comedy, Sridevi featured in the video for the song “Kaate Nahin Kat Te Yeh Din Yeh Raat”; Filmfare described Sridevi as “truly a goddess in a blue sari”. Rediff also featured the song in its list of “Top 25 Sari Moments” praising Sridevi’s “ability to look erotic even when she’s covered from head to toe”.

Besides Box Office India stated that with the success of Mr. India, Sridevi “continued her domination” over her contemporaries Jaya Prada & Meenakshi Sheshadri too.

In 1989 came Chaalbaaz, which had Sridevi in a double role, playing twin sisters separated at birth. Filmfare ranked her performance as 4th in its list of “80 Iconic Performances of Hindi Cinema”, stating that “Sridevi’s penchant for giggles and her ability to look distinctly tearful when required polishes these performances to perfection. Hell, she made Sunny Deol & even South’s superstar Rajnikant too look like sidekicks in the film”.

The Times of India article “Bollywood’s Hit Double Roles” wrote, “Sridevi’s performance rocked the Box Office Turnstiles”. Rediff featured the film in its countdown of “25 Best Double Roles in Bollywood” saying “What you don’t realize until you have seen Chaalbaaz is just how incredible Sridevi is at depicting both ends of the spectrum”, and that the film “cemented her position as an actress with a killer comic timing”.

Later on Speaking to The Indian Express about Sridevi’s act in Chaalbaaz, the film’s director Pankaj Parashar had said “Sridevi proved her range with the movie and after that she got lots of offers which saw her in a double role”. Her slapstick rain dance “Na Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai” became more successful with The Times of India describing it as a “Sridevi classic where she simply looked wow with her chirpy expressions & rain drops kissing her cheeks”. The film won Sridevi her 1st ever Filmfare Award for “Best Actress” in Hindi films.

The same year also saw the release of the Yash Chopra romantic saga Chandani, with Sridevi playing the title role. The film emerged as one of the biggest blockbusters of the year 1989. Cited by The Times of India as “one of the most watched films of Indian cinema”, the film also reaffirmed Sridevi’s position as the top female star of the 1980’s.

While she topped the Hindustan Times list of Yash Chopra’s “Top 5 Heroines”, CNN – IBN also ranked her 1st ever on a similar list, saying “Yash Chopra immortalized Sridevi as the perfect Chandni”. India Today & NDTV also included her in such lists, stating that the film established Sridevi “as the nation’s sweetheart”. The Tribune wrote, “Leena Daru scored a winner again when she created the “Chandni Look” for Sridevi.

Every street corner sold the salwar – kameez & dupatta that gave the heroine a refreshingly understated look, rarely seen on the Indian screen”, Sridevi’s dance number “Mere Hathon Mein Nau Nau Choodiyan Thoda Thairo Sajan Majbooriyan Hai” also proved popular with the audiences, and she also lent her voice to the film’s most popular title – track. Sridevi garnered Filmfare “Best Actress” nominations for both Chandani & Chaalbaaz in the year 1989, and winning with Chaalbaaz.

Filed Under: Film

Welcome To New York Is A Funny Take Off On Bollywood Film Industry & IIFAA Awards

February 24, 2018 by Shaheen Raaj

Banner: Wiz Films Company
Producer: Vashu Baghnani, Jacky Bhagnani, Deepshikha Deshmukh, Andre Timmins, Viraf Sarkari & Sabbas Joseph
Director: Chakri Toletti
Star Cast: Diljit Dosanjh, Sonakshi Sinha, Ritiesh Deshmukh, Lara Dutta, Rana Daggubati, Sushant Singh Rajput, Karan Johar, Aditya Roy Kapur, Disha Patani, Tapsee Pannu, Kriti Sanon, Shahid Kapoor, Tiger Shroff, Priety Zinta, Neha Dhupia, Suniel Shetty, Boman Irani, Mohit Sinha & above all Katrina Kaif & Salman Khan
Music: Sajid – Wajid, Meet Bros & Shamir Tandon

Welcome To New York, directed by Chakri Toleti & produced by Vashu Bhagnani’s Puja Films releases this week along with Luv Ranjan’s Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety. Welcome To New York stars Sonakshi Sinha, Diljit Dosanjh & Karan Johar in pivotal roles and has an entire entourage of Bollywood A – listers making cameos as it is based against the backdrop of IIFA Awards. The film is meant to be a satire on the Hindi film industry & the 2 leads Diljit Dosanjh & Sonakshi play underdogs who make it big in Bollywood, despite coming from a humble background.

The movie is about a sloppy recovery agent Teji (Diljit Dosanjh) who dreams of being an actor & a “dhinchaak designer” Jinal (Sonakshi Sinha) who wants to escape from her dreary life. They win a
contest and are selected to showcase their talent at the IIFA Awards by Sophie (Lara Dutta) who is a part of the organizing team spear headed by Gary (Boman Irani). Sophie purposely selects the “two losers” Teji & Jinal in order to settle scores with Gary, who refuses her partnership in the company.

The entire film is supposed to be a comedy of errors with both Teji & Jinal winning Bollywood fraternity’s hearts with their genuine talent. What it turns out to be is a whole lot of different story. In between all this is the main celebrity host of the show Karan Johar, who has his own set of issues with the organizer Gary. But at the same time, Karan is also under threat of being kidnapped by his lookalike New York based gangster Arjun (Karan Johar) who wants to punish him for making romantic films. Riteish Deshmukh, who is the co – host of the show, uses this situation to his own selfish benefit. In between all this chaos behind the scene, IIFA awards take place in New York.

Karan Johar, in his double role as Karan (the director & head honcho of Dharma Productions) & Arjun (the gangster) manages to keep the movie engaging. There is a lot of self – referencing & self deprecative humor (be it about his sexual orientation or his movies) which does makes you laugh at quite a few places. Diljit Dosanjh as the goofy Teji Singh is adorable. His comic timing is impeccable. Sonakshi Sinha is lost throughout the film and is not very convincing. Even a dream sequence with Salman Khan does nothing to the character that is weak. Boman Irani as the stressed out, snarky stooge managing the event looks solely disoriented as he flits listlessly around from frame to frame. Lara Dutta tries to save the film as she does her part in whatever little scope she has been offered. Salman Khan, Sushant Singh Rajput, Katrina Kaif, Aditya Roy Kapur & Riteish Deshmukh’s cameos look forced & out of sync.
The 1st ever half of the film manages to keep one engaged because the writers Dheeraj Rattan & Sara Bodinar create some interest in the lead characters after they land in New York and there is a certain curiosity about who Karan’s doppelganger is and why he wants to harm the Dharma Productions’ head honcho so badly.

Director Chakri Toleti’s comedy of errors goes wrong especially in the 2nd half because the whole plot of the film goes out of the window, due to the lack of a proper script.

Editor Ritesh Soni has kept the film at 2 hours & 5 minutes instead of making it even more long & exhaustive. The film’s music is forgettable except for the last dance number “Pant Mai Gun”. Cinematographers Neha Parti Matiyani & Santosh Thundiyil do an average job.

Tail Piece: On the whole, Welcome To New York comes across as a blatant endorsement of IIFA Awards with a handful of funny gags thrown in here & there. The impeccable comic timing of Diljit Dosanjh & Karan Johar’s funny take on himself & the industry act as the saving grace. You can safely skip this Movie.

At the Box – Office turnstiles, the movie will have a very limited scope.

Filed Under: Film

RANVEER SINGH’S PLEASANT SURPRISE FOR AMRUTA

February 22, 2018 by Shaheen Raaj

Amruta Khanvilkar has always been very transparent about her life on social media platforms, her love towards Ranveer Singh is no longer a secret. Recently, Amruta Khanvilkar was invited for the event called Magnetic Maharashtra, apparently, Ranveer Singh was also invited for the same event. When Amruta Khanvilkar got to know about this, she went on the social media and shared her excitement with all her fans. during this event Ranveer Singh himself went to her vanity van which is a very generous gesture showed by this superstar and shared some delightful moment with her. They both danced on his recent popular track “Khalibali” and she posted that video on her all social media platforms, which went viral on social media. Later on she posted a video where she is showing gratitude towards this Bollywood star for making her dream come true by dancing along with her and sharing a screen on the Instagram stories. Amruta Khanvilkar recently sizzled the stage by her performance at the finale of dance reality show viz. Dance India Dance Season 6. She’s soon gonna be seen in Hindi movie Raazi directed by Meghna Gulzar which is all set to be released on 11th May, 2018.

UNITED COLORS OF BENETTON KICKS OFF THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS WITH SPRING -SUMMER’18 PREVIEW

United Colors of Benetton celebrated an evening full of fashion, glamour & merriment to mark a quarter century of its heritage & values in India. The high – on – fashion evening was held at Benetton’s iconic Linking Road Store, graced by Sonam Kapoor’s presence. Sundeep Chugh, CEO & MD, Benetton India said “For the past 25 years creativity & social relevance has been central to our culture and we have consistently strived to do business in a way our associates, partners & customers can be proud of.” The highlight of the evening was the presence of youth fashion icon – Sonam Kapoor, who said “I am elated to be a part of this milestone for Benetton in India. Benetton is a brand which has always been so close to my heart. I remember my wardrobe spilling over with Benetton tees & dresses, from my shopping days with mum! It is a brand that a generation has grown up wearing and connects with, not only within the realm of fashion, but for its path – breaking socially relevant campaigns over the years. ”The event was also marked by the launch of United Colors of Benetton’s Spring Summer’18 collection characterized by color palettes of summer, shades of Bordeaux reds & oxide yellows.

‘SURGICAL STRIKE’ 1ST LOOK DEDICATED TO INDIAN ARMY

Bollywood’s much awaited Patriotic movie Surgical Strike’s 1st look hit the internet. The official poster of the movie Surgical Strike is out on production house’ social media account. The film, co – produced by Vijay Valbhani & Sonu Jain, directed by Suzad Iqbal Khan Under the banner of Crystal Movies. The film feature’s Deepraj Rana, Mir Sarvar, Lakha Lakhwinder Singh, Jimmy Sharma, Sanjay Singh, Amit Pathak & Vedita Pratap Singh as army officers. The movie is dedicated to the Indian Soldiers & to their family. The poster is captioned as, “Our Country, Our Nation, Our People”. The poster depicted the hardships faced by soldiers at the time of the Surgical Strike. The movie shows what price our freedom fighters paid for the safety of our country. From the poster, it is clear that actors are playing a true patriotic & Patriotism doesn’t always mean fighting for your country against others. There are so many social evils within our society which we need to get rid of but we don’t. These include issues like Corruption & Crime which are like termites, ruining the country from Inside. Surgical Strike will highlight all the small issues related to the mission. The movie is all set to hit the theatrical release in 2018. It’s indeed a smart move from the makers to reveal the poster with a patriotic theme. Surgical Strike, which is a film based on 2016 Uri terror attack, Last to last year, a terror attack at an army base in Jammu & Kashmir’s Uri killed 17 soldiers. The Indian Army retaliated with surgical strikes 11 days later.

FIRST STEP ENTERTAINMENT CAPITAL ANNOUNCES “WRITER’S LOUNGE” IN MUMBAI

A good story is essential to make a film and, hence, writers are critical in the film making process. To consistently create some good stories, writers need a workspace that allows them to sit, think & pen down their thoughts. The lack of such a space in Mumbai was noticed by Swati Semwal, Creative Head of First Step Entertainment Capital (FSEC). Being a writer herself of many notable short films, she has created the FIRST –EVER – FREE co – working space called Writer’s Lounge. It is an inviting space that is located at the epicentre of Television & Films, Versova, Andheri West, Mumbai. Writer’s Lounge does not levy any charges for using its space. Its aim is to fill a lacuna that exists due to space constraints in the city. It is available for writers of all ages, associated with Screenwriters Association (SWA), to come, sit & write. “Writer’s Lounge will ensure that all serious writers, who are members of the Screenwriters Association in India, are given a comfortable place & a peaceful environment to write their stories. It allows like – minded people to work under a common roof”; says National Award Winner, Juhi Chaturvedi. Writer’s Lounge is a community workspace that’s more than just a few desks, fast internet & free coffee. First Step Entertainment Capital’s vision is to support small budget Indie Cinema, and give creative people all they need to make their “First Break” into films, be it in terms of a beautiful space like Writer’s Lounge to write their stories and in giving them all the facilities to make their stories a reality, as a short film, feature film or documentary and can also give them a platform to showcase their short films. Writer’s Lounge is located at Z A Tower, Yari Road, Versova, Andheri West, Mumbai.

SUNNY DEOL TO SHOOT WITH ALANKRITA SAHAI FOR AN AD FILM
Alankrita Sahai seems to be on a roll as very rarely do you see a debutant landing an ad for herself just at the release of her film (Love Per Square Feet by Ronnie Screwvala). It was Love Per Square Feet that got the makers to lock Alankrita Sahai as the commercial needed a girl with girl next door look who is cute and has some spark & charisma. As Alankrita Sahai just fits the bill perfectly she was signed for the ad. On touching base with Alankrita Sahai she stated, “It’s overwhelming to have got to share space with Sunny sir and we have just had a great time shooting the commercial. He is very down to earth & sophisticated, loved shooting with him.
FROM COLLEGE THEATRES TO FILMS, SWARA HAS COME A LONG WAY!

Swara Bhaskar, who stepped into the world of films as an outsider, beating several odds has now carved a niche for herself. She is known to be an actor who has time & again proved her mettle. With a belief in choosing roles that make an impact, Swara Bhaskar has surely delivered roles that speak volumes about her as an actor. Swara Bhaskar has a special for her fans who hold dreams of shining bright in life, “When I was doing street theatre in Delhi, I never thought I would work in films or become a heroine. I didn’t know anyone in Bollywood, had no contacts but the only thing I knew was whatever I want to do can happen only because of my talent….I realized, if you invest in your talent, you will shine in life and that’s what exactly what I did.” Swara Bhaskar who has done numerous supporting roles rose to fame with her character in Tanu weds Manu and further garnered praise for her performance in Raanjhanaa & Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. The actor went on to be the lead in critically acclaimed films Nil Battey Sannata & Anarkali of Aarah where she essayed the role of a fiesty mother and a professional dancing girl respectively.

GSK CONSUMER HEALTHCARE VENTURES INTO PROTEIN SEGMENT WITH THE LAUNCH OF HORLICKS PROTEIN+

GSK Consumer Healthcare has extended the brand Horlicks, India’s leading Health Food Drink (HFD) into an all new category of high protein drink for active adults with the launch of its new variant Horlicks Protein+. Horlicks Protein+ was conceived with a vision of catering to the growing nutritional requirements, specifically protein related needs, of modern day professionals with demanding schedules and little time on hand to address the issue of adequate protein intake required by the body. With their entry into a new category, GSK Consumer Healthcare also announced actor, R Madhavan as the brand ambassador for Horlicks Protein+. R Madhavan says, “I have always believed in keeping myself fit & proper protein intake is something that has helped me achieve that. How much protein you eat is important but I always emphasize on the quality of protein. Having the right protein, can help you live a healthier & a better lifestyle. I believe that Horlicks Protein+, with its triple blend of Whey, Casein & Soy, has just the right ingredients to give me energy and enable me to be a better version of myself, every day.”

POLAROID EYEWEAR INTRODUCES ITS SPRING / SUMMER 2018 COLLECTION WITH ANUSHKA SHARMA
Polaroid Eyewear, inventor of the original polarized lenses and a brand that, for over 80 years, has been a symbol of pop culture for millions of people around the world, has launched its new Spring / Summer 2018 eyewear collection with brand ambassador Anushka Sharma. Putting the brand once again at the cutting edge of style, the new collection is an explosion of colors & shapes. Kyriakos Kofinas, Managing Director IMEA & APAC, “Polaroid latest collection with Anushka Sharma is all about connecting with young millennials who are looking for a fresh and uber chic look. With a young, hip & contemporary sense of style, Anushka Sharma perfectly embodies the pop & the innovative spirit that the brand celebrates.” This new, thicker & stronger lens provides a further improved distortion – free visual experience and allows for a wider array of lens colors. Resonating with the brand’s core elements, brand ambassador Anushka Sharma stated, “I am delighted to launch Polaroid’s Spring / Summer 2018 collection. The new Pop inspired collection is stylish, cool & comfortable with a contemporary style. This is my 2nd year of association with Polaroid and it feels great to be a part of the brand which has a legacy of over 80 years.”
ALIA BHATT’S COEXIST INITIATIVE

Last year, through her ecological & animal welfare initiative Coexist, Alia Bhatt worked towards changing attitudes and creating a better & safer environment for stray cats & dogs within our cities. The campaign also focused on the adoption of indies, with Coexist being an awareness partner for Asia’s biggest adoption camp for strays held in Mumbai in Dec, 2017. Speaking about Coexist’s current campaign Alia Bhatt said, “To sustain ourselves, we’ve built a world of steel & concrete, but the survival of one species should not come at the cost of another. As our cities grow, we need to focus on increasing green cover and preserving what we already have. Bringing nature back will not only be beneficial to our mental & physical health but it will also help protect our fauna. Through this campaign, we want people to find their green – it could be a residential garden, a public park or a forested area and we want them to play an integral role in protecting these green pockets.” The campaign will also feature simple solutions which people can adopt as part of their daily routine and which will benefit the natural environment in the long run.“ Reducing, reusing & recycling can help save money, energy & natural resources”, added Alia Bhatt. “Visit our blog & our facebook page to know how you can make your contribution towards a cleaner & greener planet.”

IHANA DHILLON TO RAISES TEMPERATURE IN A NEW LOVE SONG THIS VALENTINE DAY!

Ihana Dhillon, who is geared up to make her Bollywood debut with revenge drama Hate Story 4, has already stunned the viewers with her looks in the trailer. Now the Punjabi beauty has raised the temperatures in a new love song from Hate Story 4. The pretty actress was seen donning a totally different avatar in the upcoming song “Tum Mere Ho”. A few pictures from the song have surfaced online. The makers have decided to release the track soon because it’s a romantic track. Talking about the song, Ihana Dhillon says, “I really like this song. I’ve listened to it & the lyrics are beautiful. I think the audiences will love it. It’s a special track.”Ask her about the compliments, and she quips, “I am really flattered. It feels nice to be appreciated & recognized. I am about to start a new journey and everybody has been so supportive. I feel blessed to have such people around me.” Hate Story 4 will be released on 9th Mar, 2018.

Filed Under: Film

VARUN DHAWAN, SHASHANK KHAITAN AND KARAN JOHAR ARE COMING WITH THEIR 3RD FILM TOGETHER AS A TEAM

February 22, 2018 by Shaheen Raaj

After the success of “Dulhania” series, Varun Dhawan, Shashank Khaitan & Karan Johar are collaborating yet again for Varun Dhawan’s 1st ever war film Rannbhoomi. In fact Varun Dhawan, Shashank Khaitan & Karan Johar are coming with their 3rd film together as a team! After the mega success of the “Dulhania” series, Shashank Khaitan & Varun Dhawan have taken a giant leap and are beginning the journey of spectacle & extravaganza. Genre moves from Romance to Action – Drama. But it’s not just an epic tale, it indulges in emotions & opulence in equal measure. Interestingly, this is Varun Dhawan’s 1st ever war film. At heart a love story, in essence a revenge drama but to sum it up, it promises to be a mega cinematic experience. The team is vastly excited to introduce to you Rannbhoomi, slated for a DIWALI 2020 release. Talking about their collaboration, producer Karan Johar said, “Rannbhoomi is Shashank’s colossal & ambitious imagination to attempt a hat – trick with Varun Dhawan & Dharma Productions. Shashank Khaitan & Varun Dhawan make an epic blend of creative & commercial extravaganza and that is exactly what Dharma Productions’ vision for the coming few projects is. Very excited to bring them together again for this Diwali 2020 epic tale.”

ROHIT SHETTY PICTUREZ TO VENTURE INTO ANIMATION SERIES WITH ‘LITTLE SINGHAM’

Rohit Shetty Picturez, Reliance Animation & Discovery Kids, will be launching a new animation series called Little Singham inspired by the Ajay Devgn franchise Singham. Little Singham, an original kid’s content series in India will be aired in 4 languages namely English, Hindi, Tamil & Telugu. Targeted at kids belonging to the age group of 5 – 11 years, the intro line of Little Singham is – “Police ki wardi, Sher ka Damm, Naam hai mera – Little Singham!” The animated show will make its debut on television in Apr, 2018 on the completely revamped Discovery Kids channel. This is probably one of the largest deals in the animation industry with the 1st ever season to go on air with 156 episodes & 5 tele features. Rohit Shetty said, “Singham was hugely loved by the kids and a show like this will not only take the franchise ahead but will also become a source of entertainment for the kids & the audiences who loved Singham so dearly.” Shibasish Sarkar, Reliance Entertainment said “Little Singham will set a completely new benchmark for animation in India. With Rohit Shetty also mentoring the animated series, we are confident of taking the Singham franchise to newer heights.”

NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN’S HIT “KHAIR MANGA” RECREATED FOR AJAY DEVGN – ILEANA DCRUZ STARRER ‘RAID’

After the recreation of the romantic ballad “Sanu Ek Pal Chain”, the makers of Raid have now recreated another chart topping melody of the Late singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Titled “Khair Manga”, the track has been recreated in parts by lyricist Manoj Muntashir & sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s singer – nephew, Rahat Fateh ali Khan. “The song has been picturised on Ajay Devgn, who plays an upright & no – nonsense income tax officer & Ileana D’Cruz, who will be seen in the role of his supportive & brave wife. The song offers a glimpse into the on – screen couple’s life & the love, care & warmth they share in the film”, said director Rajkumar Gupta. Gulshan Kumar & T – Series present, A Panorama Studios Production, Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Kumar Mangat Pathak & Abhishek Pathak, Raid is directed by Raj Kumar Gupta. The film releases on 16th Mar, 2018.

VIDEO EDITING APP – HYPSTAR ROPES IN SONAKSHI SINHA TO ENDORSE & KICK-START QUIZ BROADCASTING SHOW

Video editing platform – Hypstar has roped in Sonakshi Sinha to endorse the platform and be one of their 1st ever quizzers. Hypstar is a 15 second original short video community incubated by the Bytedance, China’s tech giant, with leading AI technologies. It enables users to record fun & memorable moments in their daily lives easily & share them with people all over the world while meeting fun people in Hypstar. Sonakshi Sinha says, “This innovation in the social media space is a great tool for me to connect with my fans & audiences. Video platforms are always more personalized, a gateway to stay connected with fans & followers. Hypstar happens to be my latest & my most favorite discovery”. With Short form videos having taken the digital world by storm, creating a video featuring oneself has diluted the lines between reality & virtuality. Hypstar, has launched a unique campaign for its subscribers whereby they can interact with their favorite celebrities and stand an opportunity of earning money through participation. The subscribers can undertake this quiz and stand to earn rewards with increasing stakes at every level. Through this quiz more than 2000 people stand a chance to win more than 10,000 dollar’s prize.

MALAYALAM DIRECTOR, JEETHU JOSEPH, TO MAKE HIS BOLLYWOOD DEBUT WITH A GAME CHANGING HORROR THRILLER

AZURE Entertainment & Viacom18 Motion Pictures has announced a collaboration to produce Jeethu Joseph’s Hindi film debut. Jeethu Joseph, best known for Mohanlal starrer, Drishyam, is all set to make his big Bollywood debut. The yet untitled film is being presented by Viacom18 Motion Pictures & produced by Sunir Kheterpal for AZURE Entertainment. Promising to change the face of horror thrillers in the country, the film shall combine interesting dynamics of a crime mystery thriller with elements of horror and shall have the audiences at the edge of their seats. The makers have managed to pull off an interesting casting coup with Rishi Kapoor & Emraan Hashmi, who has been synonymous with the horror – thriller genre Announcing his Bollywood debut, Jeethu Joseph commented, “Directing a Hindi feature film has been on the anvil for quite some time and I have been waiting for the right story. This crime mystery thriller with elements of horror has excited me tremendously and we have got perfect casting for the 2 protagonists in the Film. I am looking forward to start the Film at the earliest.” Says Emraan Hashmi,” Ajit Andhare, COO – Viacom18 Motion Pictures said, “Ever since we produced Drishaym, a Hindi remake of Jeethu Joseph’s original masterpiece, we have been looking for a subject to make with Jeethu Joseph in Hindi.”

VARUN DHAWAN’S ‘RANNBHOOMI’ TO RELEASE IN DIWALI 2020

Producer & director Karan Johar has chosen Shashank Khaitan to helm Rannbhoomi with Varun Dhawan. This is the 3rd time that the trio will work together on a project. Previously, they delivered 2 films in the “Dulhania series” namely Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania & Badrinath Ki Dulhania, enchanted the audiences. This time, Shashank Khaitan will switch to genres & focus on creating an action – drama loaded with emotions & opulence in equal measure. A love story at heart, this Diwali 2020 release will have an element of revenge at the core of the narrative. The makers aim to turn this project into a cinematic experience worthy of a mega festive release. Karan Johar, confirmed the news sitting miles away in Berlin, “Rannbhoomi is Shashank Kaitan’s colossal & ambitious imagination to attempt a hat – trick with Varun Dhawan. Shashank Khaitan & Varun Dhawan make an epic blend of creative & commercial extravaganza, which is Dharma Productions’ vision for the next few projects.”

EROS INTERNATIONAL ACQUIRES FILM RIGHTS TO BEST-SELLING AUTHOR ASHWIN SANGHI’S “THE KRISHNA KEY”
Eros International has acquired the rights to adapt the best – selling Indian author Ashwin Sanghi’s anthropological thriller “The Krishna Key” into a theatrical film & original series for their digital over – the – top (OTT) South Asian entertainment platform, Eros Now. The thriller set across timelines with its captivating plot, merging the mythological with the contemporary released in 2012. The book follows a history professor who must prove his innocence against a murder charge. “The Krishna Key”, the 3rd novella by Ashwin Sanghi, tries to unfold the secrets of the Mahabharata and establish Krishna as a historical character rather than a mythical character. The plot is dramatic & provocative, enthralling with its twists & turns creating a seamless opportunity to creatively showcase it in the world cinema. Ashwin Sanghi says, “Eros Now has an incredible team that is exceedingly capable of adapting this action – packed thriller into a very interesting story for cinema. ” Ashwin Sanghi ranks amongst India’s highest selling English fiction authors. Popularly hailed as the Indian Dan Brown for “The Rozabal Line” & “The Krishna Key”, both of which were critically acclaimed. He has written several other bestsellers including “Chanakya’s Chant”, “The Sialkot Saga” & “Keepers Of The Kalachakra”. In 2010, he won Vodafone – Crossword Popular Choice Award for “Chanakya’s Chant”.

VARUN DHAWAN’S ‘OCTOBER” A GIFT TO HIS FANS

Shoojit Sircar & Varun Dhawan have given a sweet & striking gift to the legions of their fans: Introducing them to the world of October with a special video launched digitally. Shoojit Sircar’s unique take on love will make you wonder about the beautiful journey of life & relationships. The film reportedly sees Varun Dhawan surpass all his previous performances & milestones he has set so far along with the young talent Banita Sandhu who is making her acting debut in the film. Produced by Ronnie Lahiri & Sheel Kumar, October stars Varun Dhawan & Banita Sandhu. A Rising Sun Films Production, directed by Shoojit Sircar the film is all set to release on 13th Apr, 2018.

‘THE TASHKENT FILES’ DIRECTOR VIVEK AGNIHOTRI URGES PEOPLE TO SHARE DETAILS ON THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF SHASTRI

In a 1st of its kind, director Vivek Agnihotri has released a video in which he is urging the audiences to share details about the mysterious death of Lal Bahadur Shastri for his upcoming film titled The Tashkent Files. The video begins with Vivek Agnihotri talking about how the seeds were sown for making a film on the mysterious death of India’s 2nd Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri. The director is later seen asking people to share anecdotes, stories, paper clippings or any details they know of or possess related to his death. To top it all, any sort of valuable contribution from people will be given its due credit in the film. ‘The Tashkent Files’ stars Naseeruddin Shah, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi & Shweta Basu Prasad.

NARGIS FAKHRI TO STAR IN HER FIRST EVER HORROR FLICK, ‘AMAVAS’

Starring along Sachiin Joshi the 1st ever horror film Amaavas has gone on the floors in London with a start to finish schedule. The shooting schedule is of about 35 days long. Directed by Bhushan Patel who earlier directed Ragini MMS 2, Alone & 1920 Evil Returns & Produced by Viiking Media & Entertainment in association with Simply West UK & Thoth Ventures, the film will release later this year.

Filed Under: Film

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 62
  • 63
  • 64
  • 65
  • 66
  • …
  • 166
  • Next Page »

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

KNOW US

  • About Us
  • Corporate News
  • FAQs
  • NewsVoir
  • Newswire
  • Realtor arrested for NRI businessman’s murder in Andhra Pradesh

GET INVOLVED

  • Corporate News
  • Letters to Editor
  • NewsVoir
  • Newswire
  • Realtor arrested for NRI businessman’s murder in Andhra Pradesh
  • Submissions

PROMOTE

  • Advertise
  • Corporate News
  • Events
  • NewsVoir
  • Newswire
  • Realtor arrested for NRI businessman’s murder in Andhra Pradesh

Archives

  • May 2025 (9)
  • April 2025 (50)
  • March 2025 (35)
  • February 2025 (34)
  • January 2025 (43)
  • December 2024 (83)
  • November 2024 (82)
  • October 2024 (156)
  • September 2024 (202)
  • August 2024 (165)
  • July 2024 (169)
  • June 2024 (161)
  • May 2024 (107)
  • April 2024 (104)
  • March 2024 (222)
  • February 2024 (229)
  • January 2024 (102)
  • December 2023 (142)
  • November 2023 (69)
  • October 2023 (74)
  • September 2023 (93)
  • August 2023 (118)
  • July 2023 (139)
  • June 2023 (52)
  • May 2023 (38)
  • April 2023 (48)
  • March 2023 (166)
  • February 2023 (207)
  • January 2023 (183)
  • December 2022 (165)
  • November 2022 (229)
  • October 2022 (224)
  • September 2022 (177)
  • August 2022 (155)
  • July 2022 (123)
  • June 2022 (190)
  • May 2022 (204)
  • April 2022 (310)
  • March 2022 (273)
  • February 2022 (311)
  • January 2022 (329)
  • December 2021 (296)
  • November 2021 (277)
  • October 2021 (237)
  • September 2021 (234)
  • August 2021 (221)
  • July 2021 (237)
  • June 2021 (364)
  • May 2021 (282)
  • April 2021 (278)
  • March 2021 (293)
  • February 2021 (192)
  • January 2021 (222)
  • December 2020 (170)
  • November 2020 (172)
  • October 2020 (187)
  • September 2020 (194)
  • August 2020 (61)
  • July 2020 (58)
  • June 2020 (56)
  • May 2020 (36)
  • March 2020 (48)
  • February 2020 (109)
  • January 2020 (162)
  • December 2019 (174)
  • November 2019 (120)
  • October 2019 (104)
  • September 2019 (88)
  • August 2019 (159)
  • July 2019 (122)
  • June 2019 (66)
  • May 2019 (276)
  • April 2019 (393)
  • March 2019 (477)
  • February 2019 (448)
  • January 2019 (693)
  • December 2018 (736)
  • November 2018 (572)
  • October 2018 (611)
  • September 2018 (692)
  • August 2018 (667)
  • July 2018 (469)
  • June 2018 (440)
  • May 2018 (616)
  • April 2018 (774)
  • March 2018 (338)
  • February 2018 (159)
  • January 2018 (189)
  • December 2017 (142)
  • November 2017 (122)
  • October 2017 (146)
  • September 2017 (178)
  • August 2017 (201)
  • July 2017 (222)
  • June 2017 (155)
  • May 2017 (205)
  • April 2017 (156)
  • March 2017 (178)
  • February 2017 (195)
  • January 2017 (149)
  • December 2016 (143)
  • November 2016 (169)
  • October 2016 (167)
  • September 2016 (137)
  • August 2016 (115)
  • July 2016 (117)
  • June 2016 (125)
  • May 2016 (171)
  • April 2016 (152)
  • March 2016 (201)
  • February 2016 (202)
  • January 2016 (217)
  • December 2015 (210)
  • November 2015 (177)
  • October 2015 (284)
  • September 2015 (243)
  • August 2015 (250)
  • July 2015 (188)
  • June 2015 (216)
  • May 2015 (281)
  • April 2015 (306)
  • March 2015 (297)
  • February 2015 (280)
  • January 2015 (245)
  • December 2014 (287)
  • November 2014 (254)
  • October 2014 (185)
  • September 2014 (98)
  • August 2014 (8)

Copyright © 2025 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in