by Faizan Asad & Shaheen Raaj

Attending a cultural fest of a college is not really a tempting fare for us media scribes, especially being connected to the entertaining showbiz world. But attending the cultural fest of Utopia 2017 was not only a pleasant surprise but it also turned out to be a very entertainingly enriching experience (EEE), a rare one at that. And all plaudits & kudos goes to the organisers, the volunteers & the core PR committee of Symbiosis Institute Of Business Management (SIBM).

A one day trip to Symbiosis Institute in a far away Benguluru locale of Electronic City to attend the cultural fest was the only one of its rarest kind that yours truly Shaheen Raaj & my colleague Faizan Asad will never forget in a ziffy. As right down from the varied programmes like the dances, the basket ball – “Slam Dunk” game, the songs, the miming act, the nukkad natak performed so enthusiastically for blood donation drive, the fashion show and of course the hospitality, added with the to & fro journey from our office in Frazer Town to the SIBM institute in Electronic city in tandem with the luncheon treat peppered with the most spicy Hyderabi Biryani in lieu with other food stuffs, no doubt will remain etched in our memory for a long, long time to come.

So Utopia 2017, the International Cultural Fest of Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) Bengaluru saw 598 students from 23 countries like Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Angola, Ivory coast, Camoon, Uganda, Benin, North Sudan, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Dic Congo, Yemen, Togo, South Sudan, Malawi, India, Afghanistan, Vietnam, UAE, Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria & Tibet came together to celebrate unity, peace & harmony, that are the foundations of a better world.

The theme for this year’s cultural fest of SIBM was “Cynosure”, meaning “Centre Of Attention”, you can also term it as “Centre Of Attraction”, which also refers to the North Star. Every year Utopia is celebrated by SIBM Bengaluru to honour the birthday of the founder of Symbiosis International University, Dr. S. B. Mujumdar who is currently celebrating his 82nd summer of his rewarding life.

In a world where new walls are built every day, the entire group of students National & International came together under one roof to celebrate a world without walls.
The director, Dr, Rajesh Panda in his inaugural speech averred, “In a time when there is a global uncertainty & turmoil, we are setting the stage for unity in diversity.” On the other hand Matic Kasnik, the Chief Guest of the cultural fest exulted, “Living with people from different nationalities, not only opens up one’s mind, but also opens you to new challenges.”

The 1st ever competition of the event “Danzon” saw a perfect mix of varied dance forms where the participants set the stage ablaze with their energetic dance moves. At the same time the basketball court came alive with the sports lovers sweating it out at “Slam Dunk” (Basketball) & “Joga Bonita” (Futsal).

This was followed by a street play (Nukkad Natak) dedicated to creating awareness for the blood donation drive which was organised on the same day by the Social Responsibility Committee of the SIBM College. This year the students collected 226 units of blood breaking their previous year’s record. One of the iconic events of Utopia was the Mime which transcended the boundaries of speech and successfully portrayed the angst caused by separation.

The music club of the college “Saaz” performed a heartfelt tribute to the Late Chester Bennington by performing his famous “Numb”. The day needed a splash of glamour & “Poise”, and the glittering fashion show provided just that. The participants from varied colleges sizzled the ramp with their exotic outfits. The event concluded with an enthralling “War Of The DJs” in which 8 DJ’s from across the city made everyone dance to their beats.

Pranav Jain, the coordinator of the organising committee stated, “SIBM Bengaluru has truly been the centre of attraction, echoing the theme for this year, “Cynosure”, having witnessed some spectacular performances throughout the day. It again proved to us that we really are One World, One Family.”

The fest ended on high spirits as the message of standing together in the face of adversity resonated throughout the walls of SIBM (Bengaluru).

In conclusion a word about Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Bengaluru. SIBM was established in 2008 as a constituent of Symbiosis International University with the aim of imparting world – class education to students and transforming them into top notch leaders of the corporate world. At SIBM Bengaluru, eminent faculty from across the country, holistic learning – focussed pedagogy, passion – driven students & world – class facilities meet the epicentre of knowledge to create the future business leaders.

by Rizwan Asad & Shaheen Raaj

Mohamed Jbali Cheating His Spouse

Just because Danielle Mullins & Mohamed Jabli is no longer married doesn’t mean that the 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? couple is done forever with reality television. In fact, it sounds like Danielle already has something lined up. Mohamed Jabli & Danielle Mullins may not be as bad as Anfisa & Jorge, but they’re still pretty close to the bottom. As a couple, they were so toxic together that they’re now divorced. In the end, while Mohamed Jabli came across as selfish & sleazy and probably a cheater, Danielle herself didn’t seem like a great person. Which is a shame, because she could have tried to present herself as a sympathetic victim? People would have ignored Mohamed Jabli’s claims that she had a strange & foul body odor if she’d made herself likable, you know? Instead, she comes across as spiteful. It seems like she set out to ruin Mohamed Jabli’s life as punishment for not having sex with her except for that one time that they really banged. Mohamed Jabli himself isn’t a great person, either. but after the way that Danielle treated him, people hardly blamed him for hiding from her.

George Clooney To Prosecute A French Magazine

A French magazine called Voici has shared the 1st ever photos of George Clooney & Amal Clooney’s baby twins, much to the actor’s understandable chagrin. The famous couple welcomed their kids into the world early last month, with sources confirming at the time that they were named Ella & Alexander. But neither George Clooney nor Amal Clooney has spoken out in any kind of detail about the kids, while not sharing pictures of the children on social media, either. They have done all they can to keep information about the twins as private as possible. On the cover of this random publication, however, one can see one photo of George Clooney holding a twin and another of Amal Clooney cradling what appears to be her daughter. The stars are seen at the actor’s Lake Como estate in Italy’s Lombardy region in the controversial images. The magazine may have messed with the wrong superstar, though. George Clooney isn’t sitting back and letting this privacy violation simply take place without having his say, both verbally & possibly in a court of law. In fact he has plans to prosecute the French outlet for secretly taking & publishing paparazzi pictures of his newborn twins.

Joy – Anna Duggar Slammed For Obscenity

The Duggars and public displays of affection don’t usually go hand in hand. Heck, you’re not even allowed to hold hands while dating. Sorry, courting. They don’t do “dating.” After marriage, however, side hugs go out the window and fornication is encouraged, as reproduction is basically one’s reason for being. Still, while Derick Dilliard & Jill Dilliard’s levels are considered relatively high by Duggar standards, they tend to keep things pretty tame, at least in public. All of this brings us to the newlyweds Joy – Anna Duggar & Austin Forsyth, who recently tied the knot and are now allowed to front hug. Hard. They can even hold hands & kiss.

Scott Disick Drunk At A Bar

Scott Disick’s recent string of behavior has all just been an act or some sort of self – parody. Recently he was seen sloppy drunk in public, but it also sounded like the guy who claims he’s not a sex addict was coming across as desperate, at best, for sex from total strangers. This guy needs help. So, as we know, Scott Disick has been drinking & partying to excess on a well – publicized bender that’s basically lasted all year. Part of that has just been constant drinking to excessive levels. Scott Disick reportedly only stays sober around his 3 kids. Another huge part of that is chasing very, very young models. All of this would be fine, he isn’t cheating on Kourtney, This is all being publicized, so even if his kids are sheltered from this now, they’ll have to learn about their father’s ridiculous antics eventually. His son Mason is old enough to pick up on a little news or notice a story in a magazine at a friend’s house. And then there’s the grim reality that Scott’s ever – intensifying spiral of behavior could result in his death. That could impact his children for life.

Audrey Roloff’s Shocking Fight

Audrey Roloff does not have a perfect marriage. The Little People, Big World stars get along very well nearly every week on their TLC reality show and Audrey has taken too often showering Jeremy Roloff with praise. This doesn’t mean the couple never fights. And it doesn’t mean they don’t need to work hard on their relationship. The never needing journey of becoming one isn’t always easy, Audrey wrote at the outset of a lengthy caption on Instagram this weekend. She states “We come from different backgrounds, upbringings, parenting, spending habits, theologies, so we are bound to have conflict. It’s not a matter of if we will fight, but when & how.” Roloff does not get into the intricacies of why they got into a recent argument. But she did share many words of wisdom with her Instagram followers in an attempt to help them along the way in their marital journeys.

Tamra Judge Is Too Worried

if there’s one thing that people who’ve suddenly gained weight love more than having news of it broadcast worldwide, it’s for their friends to constantly talk about it to their faces and behind their backs! So Shannon Beador must be positively ecstatic right now. Tamra Judge says that she is just so worried about Shannon. She talks about it at length in her blog post, which we’re sure is exactly what Shannon wants. Tamra Judge says that Shannon Beador’s weight puts her life at risk, which, while technically true, sounds like absolutely zero of her business. The way that Tamra phrases it, though, it almost sounds like she’s trying to compliment Shannon.

Kim Kardashian Sued For $100 Million!!!!!

It’s a good thing royalties are still rolling in for the Kim Kardashian Sex Tape because its main attraction may soon need all the money she can earn. Kardashian and her company Kimsaprincess, Inc. were hit with a pretty major lawsuit recently by someone named Hooshmand Harooni. He claims he filed for, and was approved for, a patent back in 2013 for an “integrated lighting accessory and case for a mobile phone device.” Why is this relevant? Why should this sound familiar if you’re a follower of Kim Kardashian on social media? Because this might as well be the description of the LuMee. The LuMee is a product Kim has been pushing for years. It’s a small light that is affixed to one’s cell phone and is allegedly helps one take the perfect selfie. This is true, based on Kardashian’s very public use of the accessory, whether you’re snapping pictures of your own cleavage….!

Sam Shepard No More

Sam Shepard, a long – time actor, playwright & director, has passed away at the age of 73. It seems the actor died from complications related to ALS. Shepard was a well – respected star of the big screen and of the stage, having penned an incredible 44 plays and numerous books throughout his career. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for the play Buried Child and was also nominated for an Academy Award for the role of Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff in 1983. At one time, New York magazine dubbed Shepard “the greatest American playwright of his generation.” Shepard was born on 5th Nov, 1943 and started his acting career opposite Richard Gere & Brooke Adams in 1978’s Days Of Heaven. He later received praise for his work in 1980’s Resurrection, prior to his Best Supporting Actor nomination for The Right Stuff 3 years later. By the mid – 1980s, with the film adaption of his play Fool For Love, Shepard was successfully straddling the worlds of play – writing & acting. He ended up on a cover of Newsweek as a result. Shepard was elected to The American Academy of Arts & Letters in 1986 and elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences that same year. His is survived by his 3 children from his marriage to O – Lan Jones and from his relationship with Jessica Lange. The late star was married to Jones from 1969 until their divorce in 1984; while his relationship with Lange lasted from 1982 until 2009, when they broke up.

Gwen Stefani Expecting Twins

Gwen Stefani & Blake Shelton have been dating since the fall of 2015, just a few months after their respective splits from Gavin Rossdale & Miranda Lambert. And since then, one has head many times that Gwen is pregnant with Blake’s baby? So there better be some truth to this new report from OK! Magazine! As a source explains to the magazine, Gwen & Blake are “head over heels in love,” and at least that much is true. “Gwen & Blake were desperate to start a family together,” the source says, “and they think tying the knot would be the perfect way to celebrate.” Oh yeah, we forgot to mention that in addition to a new round of baby rumors, this report also suggests that we’ll see a wedding at the end of this summer. But, going back to the baby angle, the source admits that “At her age, a pregnancy would be nothing short of a miracle.” Gwen’s 47 years old now, by the way.

Lamar Odom Gets Candid

To say that Lamar Odom has struggled in recent years would be a massive understatement. The former NBA star & ex – husband of Khloe Kardashian has come up against just about every kind of adversity one can imagine. Granted, many of his difficulties have been self – created, but to his credit, Lamar Odom has been surprisingly candid about the extent to which he’s responsible for his own suffering. Back in Oct, 2015, Lamar Odom overdosed during a bender at a brothel in Nevada. For a while, it looked as though Lama Odom would never emerge from his coma, but miraculously he managed a near – total recovery. Lamar Odom says he’s sober these days, but his road to a healthier life hasn’t been an easy one. Lamar Odom was spotted drinking & behaving erratically on multiple occasions after his overdose, and it was his stubborn refusal to change his ways that reportedly led Khloe to cut ties with her ex completely. In a new piece he penned for The Player’s Tribune, Lamar Odom opens up about the ways he self – destructed, revealing that his personal rock bottom came when Khloe walked on him doing coke with a girl he’d been cheating on her with.

The untimely demise of actor Inder Kumar, who succumbed to cardiac arrest at a ripe young age of 43 on Fri 28th Jul, 2017 exposes Bollywood’s dark underbelly, which is lined with countless stories of despair born out of professional disillusions. According to friends Inder Kumar, the late actor – producer who had rubbed shoulders with Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar & Sanjay Dutt on screen in the early 2000’s, was battling with severe alcohol & substance abuse even as he underwent treatment for depression. However, his current wife, Pallavi Sarraf, who oversaw the last rites on Fri evening, asserts that he had been working on 2 comeback films – Who Is The First Wife Of My Father? and a bilingual Krina, wasn’t depressed at all. “He went away too early, too soon,” she said.

In 1995, at 22, Inder Kumar left Kolkata with little money and no familial support to chase his Bollywoodian dreams. He bunked with 4 aspiring actors in Lokhandwala, dashing from 1 audition to another for 2 months. Then, Dhirubhai, an executive producer with Times Music, cast him in a number of music videos and after 6 months, introduced him to his filmmaker friend Mahesh Kothare who was working on the Hindi remake of his Marathi hit Maza Chakula. Inder Kumar was signed opposite Ayesha Jhulka.And Masoom was a surprise hit.

While shooting for his 2nd film, Ghoonghat, he impressed Chinni Prakash with his dance moves and the choreographer extended his portions in all the film’s tracks. Tirchi Topiwale (1998) brought him close to Monica Bedi. They attended Bollywood soirees together and developed a circle of mutual friends who would come to Inder Kumar’s aid in later years. One of them was Pro Raju Kariya who had worked as Inder Kumar’s publicist cum manager till 2009. He’d also given his blessings to the marital alliance between Inder Kumar & his daughter, Sonal Kariya. “He was like a son to me. He’d call me baba,” said an emotional Raju Kariya.

Inder Kumar also caught the eye of Salman Khan and they bonded over films, fitness & food. Salman got him a role in Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye & then a part in buddy Sanjay Dutt’s Baaghi in 2000. A year later, they reunited for Tumko Na Bhool Payenge. Around this time, filmmaker – siblings Saeed Mirza & Aziz Mirza paired him with Isha Koppikar in Ek Tha Dil, Ek Thi Dhadkan. “The film never saw the light of the day but Inder Kumar & Isha Koppikar started dating each other and were soon inseparable,” informed Raju Kariya.

Inder Kumar was on the rise when a knee injury in 2002 triggered a downward spiral. While filming Partho Ghosh’s Maseeha, Inder Kumar insisted on doing his own stunts much against the advice of action directors Ravi Shinde & S Kamoo. A miscalculated jump from a helicopter damaged both his knees and he couldn’t walk for almost 6 months. “He only resumed work after 2 years and in Bollywood out of sight is out of mind. Everyone forgot Inder Kumar, so did Isha Koppikar,” Raju Kariya reminisced.

The long period of inactivity took the actor to a psychiatrist’s door. He was put on anti – depressants. Inder Kumar then moved in with Raju Kariya & his daughter Sonal Kariya and they began to look after him. “I was surprised when he told me that he wanted to marry Sonal because I’d assumed he was still seeing Isha Koppikar,” Raju Kariya. admitted.

On 2nd Oct, 2003, Salman Khan hosted the wedding party at Sea Princess Hotel. Ronit Roy who had replaced Inder Kumar as Mihir Virani in Ekta Kapoor’s small screen serial Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, stayed close to him throughout the night.

Soon after, Sujit Guha offered Inder Kumar the Bengali thriller, Agnipath. The film tanked, so did Ek Aur Amar Premm. The disappointments led Inder Kumar to substance abuse and Sonal Kariya filed for divorce. “Inder Kumar saw their daughter Khushi for the last time at the final court hearing in 2005. Sonal Kariya moved to Nagpur with her daughter and never returned,” Raju Kariya sighed.

Back on his own again, Inder Kumar learnt that Sahil Khan had bagged a parallel lead in Sohail Khan’s Aaryan and went to the Khans. He tried hard but the film flopped. In the end, only the industry friends & well – wishers like Rahul Prakash & Keshav Arora remained by his side. Inder Kumar’s day would begin with a drink and he’d smoke 2 – 3 packets of cigarettes through it, informs a friend

2 years later, in 2007, at a Holi party at filmmaker Sanjay Gupta’s residence, he tried to rekindled his romance with Isha Koppikar. But they broke up again and Isha Koppikar went on to marry a restaurateur Timmy Narang in 2009 while Inder Kumar suddenly announced that he was marrying a Punjabi model & actress Kamaljeet Kaur. The same year, Salman Khan gave him 1 last break in Prabhudheva’s Wanted. The film was a blockbuster and Salman Khan was back. But Inder Kumar was still stuck with small budget films. His 2nd marriage with Kamaljeet Kaur too ended after 2 months.

He found love for the 3rd time in 2013, when he met Pallavi Sarraf, a model, at a party. They got married after a year of dating each other and had a daughter a year later. Inder Kumar thought it was the right time to turn a producer.

But on 25th Apr, 2014, he was arrested after a model accused him of rape & assault. He was charged under Sections 376 for rape, 324 for causing grievous hurt & 506 for criminal intimidation. On 9th May, 2014 medical reports supported the woman’s claims but Inder Kumar equivocally denied the allegations, arguing that it had been a consensual relationship. Pallavi Sarraf vouched for her husband but Inder Kumar was found guilty.

There is also a flip side to it. On 25th April 2014, Inder Kumar was arrested by the Versova police, after a 22 years old female model & aspiring actress registered an FIR alleging that he had raped & assaulted her with a promise of role in movies. Inder Kumar had claimed it was a consensual relationship and she was seeking a revenge after he ended the fling and went back to his wife. People of Bollywood distanced themselves from him and he was left with no friends, money or career when his daughter was only 15 months old. He was charged under sections 376 (rape), 324 (causing grievous hurt) & 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. Under the Indian law even the consensual sex in a long – term fling can be claimed as rape by the woman, as the law says “consensual sex is rape when a man knows that he is not the husband of woman”, which High Court observed is misused as a form of revenge by the jilted female lover to accuse the men of rape. On 9th May, 2014 the police asserted that the medical reports supported that the woman had been raped as well as assaulted. Inder Kumar denied the allegations saying that he had had a consensual relationship with the woman. His wife Pallavi defended him fiercely in public with the statement that he slipped by having a consensual fling and during the 2 days during which the woman accused him of rape the claimant was freely moving in & out of her apartment alone in a cheerful mood to order food & buy alcohol to party at home with Inder Kumar, who later on apologized for leaving his wife for a short fling and he returned to his family. Subsequent to that, Inder Kumar was granted bail on 10th June, 2014. And the woman who accused him was arrested by police on 1st Aug, 2014 in an unrelated case for robbing her sister’s residence in the same locality of jewellery worth INR 10 lakh.

After being in jail for 5 months Inder Kumarwas granted bail on 10th Jun, 2014. “It was during this time that all the friends he’d made during his association with Monica Bedi came in handy and he came out of the jail looking fitter & better.

Excited about his upcoming releases, he had called me last week to say that it had been a long time since we met. “Come, let’s party” he urged. We had plans of a reunion on 3rd Aug, 2017. But the party, like his dreams to become a star, will remain unfulfilled,” sobbed Raju Kariya.

When last heard he was also working on a film called Phati Padi Hai Yaar. Oh! How symbolic.

The first poster of actor Ali Fazal from the film Victoria & Abdul directed by Stephen Frears which stars Ali Fazal opposite Dame Judi Dench has been unveiled. The other cast includes Sir Micheal Gambon & Eddi Izzard. The film is slated for release in Sept, this year.

GRAND & QUIRKY TRAILER LAUNCH OF ‘POSTER BOYS’!!!

Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol & Shreyas Talpade launched the trailer of their light hearted drama Poster Boys! The 1st look poster saw the trio in a new avatar which firmly established the funny bone of the flick and generated tremendous curiosity value. Seen at the trailer launch were brothers Sunny Deol & Bobby Deol, Debut Director Shreyas Talpade & Dharmendra who came to give his blessings for the film. The trailer witnesses a never seen before avatar of Sunny & Bobby’s shudh Hindi accent and it also clearly depicts a topic which needs to be spoken about in our country. Poster Boys (in Marathi) was a winner at the Box – Office turnstiles and was one of the biggest openers of Marathi cinema in 2014. The original film was produced by Shreyas Talpade in which he also had powerful cameo. With the official remake of Poster Boys, he also makes his directorial debut. Slated to release on 8th Sept, 2017, Poster Boys is a story inspired by a real life incident about 3 ordinary men who found their pictures on a vasectomy poster.

‘HINDI MEDIUM’ PROVES IT’S ORIGINALITY, RAMDHANU WITHDRAWS

The critically as well as commercially acclaimed huge Box – Office turnstiles success, Hindi Medium starring Irrfan Khan & Saba Qamar in the lead, recently was in the news for copyright claims by the makers behind the 2014 Bengali family drama film Ramdhanu. However we have learnt that Dinesh Vijan & Bhushan Kumar’s Hindi Medium directed by Saket Chaudhary has overwhelming won the case with the facts, with the Ramdhanu team reportedly withdrawing its case against the film. Going down to an unbeatable verdict which could not be won, the makers of Ramdhanu have withdrawn all aspects of its case against Hindi Medium. “Hindi Medium is a story about how education that is supposed to be a tool of enlightenment has become a tool to create inequality. A slice of life comedy based in the heartland of our country, Hindi Medium released on 19th May, 2017 to an unprecedented word of mouth & Box – Office turnstiles opening. Hindi Medium was a T – series & Maddock Films presentation.

‘YADVI – THE DIGNIFIED PRINCESS’ TRAILER RELEASED

RVP Productions released the trailer of the film Yadvi – The Dignified Princess. Director & actor Jyoti Singh said, “Yadvi – The Dignified Princess is not just another film for me & my team but a soulful journey that’s being helmed by courageous hearts, to create magic on screen. It is based on the true story of my own grandmother.” Chandrachur Singh said, “Yadvi – The Dignified Princess was a wonderful filmmaking experience and the results will show on screen.” Charu Vyas said, “Yadvi – The Dignified Princess is an extremely special film. Not only for what it offers but also because of the people I have worked with here. I had a great time working on the film especially with Jyoti Singh, who wasn’t only directing the film but also acting in it.” The film stars, Chandrachur Singh, Charu Vyas, Rahul Godara, Jyoti Singh, Vibhu Raghave, Namya Saxena, Nikkitasha Marwaha, Reshaa Sabarawal, Mini Pandit & Ashwarya Singh. Story & Screenplay is by Gauri Singh, who is Jyoti Singh’s sister. The music is composed by Anuj Garg and the lyrics are penned by Puneet Sharma & Nasir Faraz. The film is in English and will release on 4thAug, 2017. Jyoti Singh received her training under Professor Roshan Taneja & Tom Alter from Access to Bollywood in NYC. She has also taken courses at NYFA and several studios in NYC. She worked as the lead in the film 9 Eleven, which got acclaim & was also featured in the music video “Someday”, which won several film festival awards. She now debuts with her 1st film Yadvi – The Dignified Princess.

AKSHAY KUMAR’S RESPECT FOR THE INDIAN FLAG
Akshay Kumar attended the Women’s Cricket World Cup final at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, UK, to cheer for the Indian team. The actor soon found himself in the eye of a storm after he posted a picture of himself waving the Indian flag upside down. “It was unintentional on Akshay’s part. Since the flag was kept folded, while opening it, he held it upside down by mistake, when those pictures were clicked. And during moments of rush, Akshay uploaded them on his social networking sites,” says a friend. But when Akshay realized his mistake, he deleted all the pictures from his social networking portals. But by then, the Twitterattis got after the actor to lambast him for the mistake. Instead of defending himself, Akshay showed his maturity by apologizing through Twitter. “Extending my sincerest apology for violating the code of conduct for the tricolor. Didn’t mean to offend anyone, the picture has been removed (sic),” the actor wrote on his Twitter account. “You won’t see many big names apologizing so readily but since Akshay felt that he could have hurt some people’s feelings, and especially since it involves the national flag, he didn’t think even for a second before saying sorry,” says the friend.

‘QAIDI BAND’ LAUNCHES “I AM INDIA” AT GATEWAY OF INDIA

Qaidi Band- the motley crew of youth seeking freedom with their music while behind bars, launched their song, “I am India” at Gateway of India recently by posing for a special photograph. Saluting youthful optimism, never say die spirit & freedom as we experience it, this song from the film Qaidi Band is the perfect youth anthem for this season. A thumping, high – energy track, Habib Faisal has written the lyrics of “I am India”. Arijit Singh & Yashita Sharma have sung the number and Amit Trivedi has composed the film’s music. Yash Raj Films’ next, Qaidi Band features Aadar Jain & Anya Singh in the lead. Directed by Habib Faisal, the film is a riveting tale of Undertrials who come together to form a band in jail and their music becomes their only hope for freedom.

IS ROMANCE BLOSSOMING BETWEEN URVASHI RAUTELA & US RAPPER MAEJOR ALI?

It was recently reported that Bollywood actress Urvashi Rautela is going to team up with internationally renowned American record producer, rapper, singer & songwriter, Maejor Ali aka Brandon Green, for a single & a music video. And it seems that these 2 stars have started to take a liking to each other. The Grammy Award nominee, who is a close friend of Justin Bieber, had been in touch with Urvashi for quite some time. He even extended an invitation to her and promised to show around LA. Urvashi, who is currently holidaying in US, seems to have accepted his invitation as they were recently spotted having a good time together at Hollywood’s top – notch club Peppermint Club in Los Angeles. Maejor Ali has also been showering Urvashi with gifts as he gifted her American – flagged jacket. Maejor Ali seems to be smitten by Urvashi. He has been meeting her often and they even took to a yoga class together. He also took Urvashi to his studio recently and showed her around. They seem to be having a great time together. He is keen to learn about India and our culture and Urvashi has been helping him learn Hindi. The rapper & his entire team from LA are expected to fly down to India very soon to have a detailed interaction for their upcoming project. But for now, they seem to be bonding really well in LA. We can’t help but wonder if there is more to their friendship. Guess only Urvashi can tell!!!!

ROHAN MEHRA CAPTURED WHILE SHOOTING FOR HIS DEBUT FILM ‘BAZAAR’
Rohan Mehra was spotted shooting for his debut film Bazaar at a suburban hotel in Mumbai. Rohan is the Son of late actor Vinod Mehra. Bazaar is about the dark world that lies beneath the Indian stock market and is directed by Gauravv K Chawla.

‘TAANAJI’ POSTER SPARKS TREMENDOUS EXCITEMENT UPON LAUNCH

Ajay Devgn Ffilm Productions & WaterGate Production launched the exciting poster of Taanaji which sees Ajay Devgn essay the aspiring role of Taanaji, Shivaji’s trusted general, who was deputed to head the mission to capture Kondana Fort (today’s Sinhagad) from the claws of Mughal Empire. The artistic poster garnered tremendous response across the country, with Taanaji being the 3rd ambitious project announced by Ajay Devgn Ffilm Productions & WaterGate Production. The companies had recently announced the scripted biopic series on Swami Baba Ramdev: The Untold Story tracing Swami Baba Ramdev and his able partner Acharya Balakrishna’s fascinating & inspirational journey, which will be aired on Discovery Channel. The show will celebrate Baba’s journey from a life of anonymity to a national icon, international cult figure and now business mogul. With the intent of meaningful cinema, a 2nd announcement was made regarding an untitled Marathi film on the floors, which stars Nana Patekar in lead and directed by Satish Rajwade, which will have Ajay Devgn doing a cameo. The film is touted to be a family drama and it also stars Sumeet Raghavan & Iravati Harshe. With 3 diverse and noteworthy projects already revealed, further announcements are expected in the weeks to follow from Ajay Devgn Ffilm Productions & WaterGate Production, for 2017 – 2018.

ALIA BHATT CHAMPIONS THE WELFARE OF STREET CATS & DOGS

Earlier this year, Alia Bhatt announced the launch of her ecological initiative COEXIST by releasing a rescued sea turtle into the sea on Mother’s Day. As a part of the initiative, Alia is now championing the welfare of street cats & dogs. Having rescued & fostered animals since a young age, Alia wants to raise awareness about the plight of strays and how each one of us, through simple acts of kindness, can ensure a better & safer environment for these animals. Speaking about the campaign, Alia said “Street cats & dogs are often subjected to immense cruelty because of the misconceptions surrounding them. Living on the streets, they have no safe shelter, are injured or run over by callous drivers and are left traumatized from the loud sounds of firecrackers & loudspeakers, during festivals & events. Through this campaign, we hope to change attitudes and help people embrace a sensitive approach towards our strays.”The campaign will also focus on the adoption of stray cats & dogs. “They provide us with the same amount of love & loyalty as any other breed. If adopting an animal for your home is not a possibility, then be compassionate to the animals in your locality – by looking out for them and ensuring they are vaccinated & sterilized.” said Alia, who herself has a rescued pet cat, Sheeba. “Visit our blog & our Facebook page to know how you can make a difference.”

HERE’S WHO RANVEER SINGH THANKS FOR HIS AMAZING NEW LOOK!!!

Known to create new looks for all his characters, Ranveer Singh created quite a stir recently when shared a new look of his on Instagram. Bearded & pot – bellied, Ranveer looks like a character right out of American sits – com!!! And while Ranveer has got us all interested, he did drop some hint. The actor has thanked Preetisheel Singh of Da MakeUp Lab in the post for creating his look. And we believe this look is for one of his new ads for one of the brands he endorses. This is not the 1st time Ranveer has been thankful of Preetisheel Singh & Mark D’Souza for Da MakeUp Lab. They have worked together in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani, where the Prosthetic experts had created the entire look of all characters in the film. And now they are working again in Padmavati, where Preetisheel Singh has designed the entire look for all characters in the film, including the ones being played by Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone & Shahid Kapoor. Accolades, of course, are not now for Preetisheel & Mark, who had earlier won the National Award for his work in Nanak Shah Fakir. They are today Bollywood’s most sought after makeup & prosthetic experts having worked in films such as Brothers, Rangoon, Mom, Haider, NH 10 etc.
KANGANA RANAUT ADMITTED TO ICCU AFTER A NEAR FATAL ACCIDENT ON ‘MANIKARNIKA- THE QUEEN OF JHANSI’ SETS

Kangana Ranaut, who is busy with the shoot of Manikarnika – The Queen of Jhansi in Hyderabad, escaped a near – fatal accident recently. The actress was accidently struck by a sword on her forehead while filming an intense sword – fighting sequence, Mid -Day reported. She was immediately rushed to a hospital and was admitted into the ICCU. Reports state that Kangana was bleeding profusely and has got 15 stitches on her forehead.”Kangana was immediately rushed to Apollo hospital nearby, where she was admitted into the ICCU. She got 15 stitches on her forehead and will be under observation in the hospital for a few days. The examining doctor said that it was a close shave for her because the cut was too close to her bone,” a source from the unit told the daily. The Queen actress refused to use a body double and had rehearsed for the scene several times but the timing went wrong during the shoot and the actress got hurt.”Kangana had to duck when Nihar (Pandya) attacked her, but the timing went wrong and Nihar’s sword hit her forehead instead. It made a deep cut between her eyebrows. The drive to the hospital took a good 30 minutes, but she put up a brave front despite the pain & bleeding. Nihar was apologetic and felt terrible, but Kangana pacified him,” he said. However, fans need not worry much as Kangana is doing well and will be discharged in the next few days. She is reportedly planning to flaunt the deep scar, which is between her eyebrows, in the film and would undergo a cosmetic surgery only after the film wraps up. Kangana has been making headlines after Karan Johar & his co – hosts at the IIFA Awards 2017 took a jibe at her with their comments on nepotism. Karan, Varun Dhawan & Saif Ali Khan’s comments received severe backlash from the public, causing them to issue a public apology.

SHREYAS TALPADE’S WIFE DEEPTI TALPADE IS SUFFERING FROM SWINE FLU

Bollywood actor & director Shreyas Talpade who currently has 2 movies in his pocket is struggling between his career & Family life. Shreyas’ wife Deepti Talpade is suffering from Swine flue but due to his commitments he has to visit the sets and be on calls for his movie Posters Boys. The actor was recently in buzz that he is handling his directorial debut Poster Boys on phone while shooting for his upcoming stint Golmaal Again. On Mon night when he returned from late night shoot he got to know that his wife deepti is suffering from heavy fever. Next morning due to commitment he admitted Deepti and went for a shoot of Golmaal Again. “It is a difficult time. Deepti has been hospitalized because of H1N1 & as much as I want to be with her, I have to rush from one studio to the other to meet the deadline on completion of Poster Boys trailer shoot & then be with her at the hospital in the interim breaks” Said Shreyas. Posters Boys features Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol & Shreyas Talpade himself in lead roles. The film is an official remake of the 2014 Marathi hit Poshter Boyz which Shreyas had produced & acted in. It is inspired by a real life incident about 3 coolies who found their pictures on a vasectomy poster. Produced by Affluence Movie Pvt. Ltd., Poster Boys is scheduled to be released on 8th Sept, 2017.

DIVYA DUTTA’S ATTEMPT AT OVERCOMING CLAUSTROPHOBIA

Divya Dutta who will be next seen in Babumoshai Bandookbaaz has a good time trying to get over her fear of claustrophobia. The actress who will be seen playing a pivotal role in the film was required to be standing in a dug up hole which was later filled once the actress was inside it, keeping only her head out. The scene was shot in an open land in Lucknow and in the scorching heat of 45’C and Divya Dutta was required to stay in that hole for straight 3 hours. With all her apprehension the actress shoot for those 3 hours with the entire crew pampering her diverting her mind from the situation she was in. At the end of it all the actress gave one of the best shots of the film.

TIGER SHROFF SHOWS – OFF HIS FITNESS SKILLS IN ADDITION TO FITNESS EXPERTS CONDUCTING A HIGH – ENERGY SESSION

The Morning Fitness Party an initiative by The Times of India was conducted over the weekend which was a combination of fitness, healthy food, workout fashion & music. Showcasing unique exercise forms, fitness experts like Mandeep Yogini (Yoga), Mahek Shah (Piloxing), Senthil Kumaran (Bokwa), Shivani Patel & Siddharth Das (Zumba) conducted a 25 min high – energy session each respectively. Bollywood hearthrob Tiger Shroff displayed his amazing fitness related skills that created a contagious vibe and got the audiences high on vigour. He also danced to the tunes of his upcoming movie. The Morning Fitness Party aims to re – imagine healthy living by building a community of “fitness enthusiasts” who like to party their way to good health without getting seduced to any conventional vice. This is an innovative concept as unconventional spaces such as resto -bars, hotels & malls are converted into community fitness venues. The Morning Fitness party preaches morning workouts to be breakfast for the fitness body. Studies prove that morning workouts prime the body for an all – day fat burn and fire your metabolism. In fact, a recent study published in the Journal of Physiology* proves that exercising before breakfast helps dieters achieve better weight loss results via a greater percentage of fat burn for energy. The Morning Fitness Party is a cultural revolution which puts fitness first.

‘VADIYAN’ MUSIC LAUNCH: CAST, CREW & SINGERS RELEASES OST

The music & the trailer launch of Vadiyan was held with great pomp & fanfare. Present at the event were the cast, crew and guests including Rajpal Yadav, Milind Gunaji, Ranjeet, Sanjay Mishra, Milind Gunaji, Rakesh Bedi, Anil Nagrath & Sunil Pal. Tarannum Malik, who has given hits like “Saiyaara” from Ek Tha Tiger, “Jao Na” from Whats Your Rashee? etc enthralled the audiences with her electrifying performance. The film – a suspense thriller produced by Satvik Films & Malti Pictures is all set to enthrall the audiences this Sept. Directed by Rajan Priyadarshi & produced by Prakash Tiwari, the film revolves around the characters portrayed by Milind Gunaji & Sudesh Berry and is a story based on mistaken identity & identity theft; which is much prevalent these days. It boasts of an ensemble cast of Milind Gunaji, Sudesh Berry, Hari Om Kalra, Pritam Jundare, Santosh Anamay, Manish Sharma,Neha Singh, Yashu Dhiman, Anita Tambole, Rajkumar Sahi. The story will tickle the audience as well as intrigue them. The other singers are Aniket Arondkar, Sandy D’souza & Abhijeet Arun. The music is composed by Ilyas G., Badal Khan & Abhijeet Arun. Lyrics are by Amol Arondkar & Dipak Deshmukh. Director Rajan Priyadarshi said, ”This is my 1st ever film as a director. I believe in making movies which are entertaining and can be watched by the entire family together”. Producer Prakash Tiwari said, “We have done a lot of hard work to showcase the story beautifully in a way that the audiences relate to the film. Every member of the cast & the crew worked equally hard to bring this project to light.”

KATRINA KAIF HITS THE BEACHES IN ESSAOUIRA MOROCCO!!!

Katrina Kaif who is currently in Morocco filming Tiger Zinda Hai with Salman Khan, is enjoying every moment at the Morocco’s hip town – Essaouira!!! The star who has earlier shot at the port city, was happy to visit it for the 2nd time. Apart from hitting the beaches and learning to surf, Katrina has also been walking around the quaint city which has been listed as a UNESCO Heritage site and enjoying the local markets and eateries. Says a source, “The Moroccan town of Essaouira is well -known to watersports fans and Katrina is a complete water baby, making it the perfect location to try her hand at surfing and other water sports. Though the schedule has been quite hectic, she has been making the time to explore the city and popular local spots. She has been taking surfing lessons at Explora Watersports, which is the best surf & kite school in Essaouira and is right across Katrina’s hotel. She takes lessons early mornings before the shoot”. When contacted said Katrina, “I love every bit of Essoairra. It’s my 2nd time here so I know the medina, the local places & the beaches.”

1ST EVER POSTER FOR ‘CARBON’ UNVEILED

The 1st ever poster for the short film Carbon starring Jackky Bhagnani was unveiled recently. Carbon is a futuristic film set in 2067, starring Jackky Bhagnani, Nawazzudin Siddiqui, Prachi Desai & Yashpal Sharma. Keeping in mind the current situation of Global warming, the film takes a look at what the future could look like if there’s no action taken today. Will these 4 characters escape from Carbon? Find out soon. In association with Large Short Films, written & directed by Maitrey Bajpai & Ramiz Ilham Khan, produced by Jackky Bhagnani, Deepshikha Deshmukh & Gautam Gupta, Carbon will be released on Large Short Films’ YouTube channel.

A GRAND MUSIC LAUNCH OF FILM ‘MR. KABAADI’

The music of the film Mr. Kabaadi was launched recently on the label of Zee Music. Alka Yagnik & Suresh Wadkar, the chief guests on the occasion released the music. It was a musical sojourn with musical veterans rubbing shoulders at the grand release which included Anup Jalota, Om Chhangani, Annu Kapoor, Seema Kapoor, music composers like Ali – Gani, Raj – Prakash & Vishal, singers like Madhushree, M.D. Ghani, Divya Dutta, Vikram, Rajveer Singh with Zee Music team as well as all distributor Rich Juniors Entertainment’s MD Vinod Nischal & marketing team Media Magic’s MD Pallavi Agrawal making their presence felt. Mr. Kabaadi is all geared up to lit the screens on 4th Aug, 2017.Written & directed by Seema Kapoor for producers Anup Jalota, Rakesh Gupta, Dinesh Gupta & Om Changani, Mr. Kabaadi is all set to tickle your funny bones. The film has 5 melodious songs which have been scored by Raj – Prakash & Ali – Gani. The star cast comprises of Om Puri, Annu Kapoor, Sarika, Vinay Pathak, Rajveer Singh, Kashish Vora, Brijendra Kala and others. The film is slated for release on 4th Aug, 2017.

SUNNY LEONE UNVEILS JAL NATURAL MINERAL WATER

Sunny Leone launched JAL natural mineral water at JW Mariott, Juhu. The event was hosted by RJ Suren from Radio Mirchi 98.3FM who managed to keep the audience entertained with his one – liners & humor, followed by MD Torque Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd & Chairman Filmy Keeda Productions Pvt Ltd Mr. P. S. Chhatwal’s video presentation of his biography. Sunny Leone was rather excited about unveiling the product alongside the entire team of Torque pharmaceuticals & Filmy Keeda Productions. The commercial featuring Sunny Leone for JAL was played for the 1st time ever and the press conference, which grabbed a lot of attention. Sunny was seen answering most of the media queries. Talking about the product Sunny said, “Water is extremely important for our survival. So here I am endorsing a product that is actually a necessity. Also I completely enjoyed shooting for the advertisement that they shot. It is one of my best ads so far”. The Wadali brothers performed at the event that set the mood and left the audience crooning to their tunes. Mr. P. S. Chhatwal said, “I believe that everything that we do should be done with a lot of hard work & great patience. After 40 years I am coming out with a product like Jal because I believe that with the hard work that we have put it we are giving to the consumer a mineral water that truly benefits them.”

MADAME TUSSAUDS ADDS MADHUBALA TO THEIR GALLERY OF FIGURES

Madame Tussauds, Delhi announced that a figure of Madhubala from Bollywood’s golden era is to join the stars at the attraction. This would be the 1st ever figure from the classical world of Indian cinema to be displayed at the attraction. The figure will be styled from her most admired “Anarkali” character from the classic movie Mughal – E -Azam”. Guests to the attraction will be able to interact with the figure in the “Bollywood Zone” which will bring to life the classic age of Indian cinema in a fun & interactive way. In her brief lifetime, the famous actress attained huge success, which only a few have achieved. To honor her, a commemorative postage stamp featuring Madhubala was issued by the Indian Post in 2008. Anshul Jain, General Manager & Director Merlin Entertainments India Pvt Ltd, said, “Madhubala still continues to rule the hearts of billions of fans in the nation. We are sure that her magnetic beauty will attract her fans to click a selfie & relive a special moment with her and be transported back to the golden era of cinema. The visitors will be encouraged to interact with the life – like figures of the celebrities, which marks the uniqueness of the wax attraction.

SHOOJIT SIRCAR TO WEAVE A LOVE STORY WITH VARUN DHAWAN

Rising Sun Films brings together Shoojit Sircar & Varun Dhawan in their next production titled – October. The film, a slice of life love story written by Juhi Chaturvedi & directed by Shoojit Sircar will star Varun Dhawan in the lead. It will go on floors this Sept. With a repertoire of films like Yahaan, Vicky Donor, Madras Cafe, Piku & Pink that have explored different genres and have won accolades including National Awards, Rising Sun Films’ new venture, October, will be a story about love. “It is a genre that I have always wanted to delve in. While love & romance have been entwined with Indian cinema, there is abundance in that emotion that everyone can have their own interpretations of. Juhi & I have always tried to create stories from the reflections of real life moments that we see around us. October is another effort to explore those moments out of simple situations of life,” shared Shoojit. “I have been ardent fan of Shoojit da’s work and have always wanted to work with him. October is a beautiful story in which I play a character with many layers. It’s a difficult character to play. I just want to surrender to my part and show people a new side of me. Shoojit da, Ronnie & Juhi have always made good cinema I feel grateful to join their team.” enthused Varun.

LAUREN GOTTLIEB POST A VOXIE WHILE DANCING AT THE TOP OF KAULA LAMPUR TOWER

Dancer – turned actress Lauren Gottlieb, known for her stint in ABCD & ABCD 2 & reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, has recently posted a picture of herself on VoxWeb. The Voxie has Lauren performing a dance step atop the Famous Kuala Lampur tower. Lauren was recently in Kaula Lampur for a work cum leisure trip and decided to have some fun by posting a quirky picture on VoxWeb. “VoxWeb is a messaging & social media application developed around speaking – pictures or ‘Voxies’ (tap on the pic to hear the pic).”Lauren has chosen a fun new way to interact with her fans and going by her first “Voxie”, we cannot wait for more. Lauren posted an image of herself at the top of the Kuala Lampur tower as a voxie on VoxWeb commenting on her experience while being there. Lauren was quoted saying “Hi guys, I am so excited this is my very 1st VoxWeb and I am sitting you know on the top of the world on Kaula Lampur Tower.”

HUNGAMA MUSIC TIES UP WITH UPCOMING HINDI FILM ‘REDRUM’
The Hindi movie RedruM has got a new partner on board – Hungama music. This forthcoming Hindi film has tied up with Hungama music to release its music for a wider reach. Redrum – A tale of Murder is an upcoming Hindi movie based on Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story, “The Tell Tale Heart”. Touted to be India’s 1st film with a 3D (Binaural) background score the film is stated to release this year. The film stars Vibhav Roy, Saeeda Imtiaz and veteran actor Tom Alter in pivotal roles and is directed by the duo Dhruv Sachdev & Sourabh Bali. Produced under the banner of Durgesh Paul Production & Bhilwara Entertainment, the screenplay is penned by one half of the duo – Dhruv Sachdev. Music of the film is given by Aagman, Anurag Mohn & Agastya. Producer Durgesh Paul said, “We are happy to collaborate with Hungama Music, one of the popular music labels and are sure that this collaboration will be mutually beneficial.”

SEZAL SHARMA SIGNED BY CHANDAN PRABHAKAR (CHANDU CHAIWALA FROM THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW) DIRECTORIAL DEBUT

Entertainment industry is something that is executed after careful consideration. From choosing the right scripts to the right role to the right director, every aspect plays a crucial role. Sezal Sharma who was last seen in 31st October opposite Vir Das & Soha Ali Khan has now been signed by actor Chandan Prabhakar for his directorial debut in Punjabi. It is still an untitled project. The film is a Comedy – love story where Sezal plays the role of an Indo – Canadian girl and the plot revolves largely around her. Sezal Sharma said, “I’ve known Chandan for a while but everyone who knows Chandan will agree that in work related matters, he is quite a perfectionist. Through I was on his mind for this role, I had to give four auditions post which I got selected. I begin shooting for this film in August. Sezal has 2 releases coming up this year, one of which is GPL, which got showcased in Cannes last year and is due to release in Oct, 2017.

KRISHAN TANDON IS A VERSATILE ACTOR

Among the serials, telefilms, documentaries & short films, that Krishan Tandon has acted are Paas Bhi Tum Door Bhi, Parwaaz (Urdu serial), Shahadat (A Tele film by Anil Tejani of Nari Hira productions), Cloud 9 (1st Brit – Asian daily soap in English. Krishan did his 1st film in 1984 where he played a Police Officer with Anupam Kher, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Bindu & Alok Nath. His job didn’t allow him to do anymore films. In London, he was doing short films in English but somewhere Bollywood bug bit him and he was waiting for the right opportunity. Mukesh Chabbra went to London in hunt of local actors for Karan Johar’s film Shaandaar. “I met him and I got a role to play a family Lawyer and toured with the production to Leeds, Poland & India. After the release of Shaandaar, I got Azhar, where I played BCCI Chairman which became very popular. Though there was a long gap between Shaandaar & Azhar because I wasn’t getting good roles while I was auditioned for many one liner roles. “In 2016, I played Taapsee Pannu’s rich father. The film is by a debutante director Aleya Sen Gupta. It has Saqeeb Salim in a male lead. It is due to release this year. In the meanwhile I got Suneel Darshan’s Ek Hasina Thi Ek Diwana Tha, in which he played a professor who brings a twist in the story. He has also acted in Anees Bazmee’s comedy film Mubarakan. Kishan adds, “During this summer I have couple of another projects in hand which also includes a Punjabi film. I would love to do any role in a Punjabi film. I want to do serious roles. I want to establish myself as a mature actor”.

Qaidi Band – the motley crew of youth seeking freedom with their music while behind bars, launched their song “I am India” at Gateway of India recently by posing for a special photograph.

Saluting youthful optimism, never say die spirit & freedom as we experience it, this song from the film Qaidi Band is the perfect youth anthem for this season.
A thumping, high – energy track, Habib Faisal has written the lyrics of “I am India”. Arijit Singh & Yashita Sharma has sung the number & above all Amit Trivedi has composed the Qaidi Band film’s music.

Yash Raj Films’ up next movie, Qaidi Band features Aadar Jain & Anya Singh in the lead. Directed by Habib Faisal, the film is a riveting tale of Undertrials who come together to form a band in jail and their music becomes their only hope for freedom.

Dunkirk, the much – anticipated new cinematic event from director Christopher Nolan, battled to the top of the Indian Box – Office turnstiles in its opening weekend debut, earning an estimated Rs.15.57 Crore Gross across 417 screens including 10 IMAX screens and still going strong. The announcement was made by Denzil Dias, Managing Director, Warner Bros. Pictures (India). Dunkirk’s opening is the biggest opening ever for a Non – Dubbed MPA film and is also the Biggest IMAX opening for an MPA film.

Written & directed by Christopher Nolan, the epic action thriller, Dunkirk brings the story of Operation Dynamo to the big screen as it unfolds on land, sea & air utilizing a mixture of IMAX® & 65 mm film. The film opens as hundreds of thousands of Allied troops are trapped on the beach. Their backs to the sea, they face an impossible situation as the enemy closes in.

In making the announcement, Denzil Dias stated, “Christopher Nolan has created a film that brings this extraordinary event to the screen in a thrilling & uniquely real cinematic experience. Critics & audiences alike agree that Dunkirk must be seen on the biggest possible screen, and we anticipate that the incredible response amongst audiences across India will drive continued success well into the coming weeks at the Box – Office turnstiles.”

Directed by Christopher Nolan (Interstellar, Inception, The Dark Knight Trilogy) from his own screenplay, Dunkirk features a multigenerational cast, including Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn – Carney, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles, Aneurin Barnard, James D’Arcy & Barry Keoghan, with Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance & Tom Hardy. The film was produced by Emma Thomas & Christopher Nolan, with Jake Myers serving as executive producer.

The behind – the – scenes creative team on Dunkirk included director of photography Hoyte Van Hoytema, production designer Nathan Crowley, editor Lee Smith, costume designer Jeffrey Kurland, visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson & special effects supervisor Scott Fisher. The music was composed by Hans Zimmer. Dunkirk was filmed on location in France, Holland, UK & Los Angeles utilizing a combination of IMAX® & 65 mm film.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Syncopy Production, a film by Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk. Opening in conventional theatres & IMAX, the film was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Sanjana’s Half Nude Video Goes Viral

The censor seized portions of “2” of Sanjana Galrani, a severe punishment in which she is made nude revealing the back portion of the actress, tying her with a rope and the cop character Ravishanker hitting her from a marble with caterpillar on the back of Sanjana had exit in this “A” certified film “2” a sequel of Dandupalya. After the film’s release somewhere the censor portions of Sanjana’s torture has got leaked. The photographs make it horrible and the video that is out in the social media is a case of further worry. Actress Sanjana expressed unhappiness on director Srinivasa Raju for not keeping this portion but it was censored is what she had not taken note of.

Regina Cassandra & Haripriya In Kurukshetra

The biggest film in the coming days is Kurukshetra in Munirathna Naidu’s massive production and ace director Naganna’s leadership is slowly getting ready to go on the floors. The confirmed actors are challenging star Darshan as Duryodhana & V Ravichandran as Sri Krishna. The latest addition to the list is the lovely looking Regina Cassandra who made her debut in Suryakanthi Kanada Cinema a few years ago. Haripriya also adds to the list for an important role. Is Regina taking on Draupadi role or not is not confirmed yet. The film is ready to begin in Aug, says director Naganna who has given the biggest venture Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna starring Darshan in the title role of that historical cinema. As of now the costumes selection for Darshan & V Ravichandran is in the final stages, Bahubali team is adding up for the technical team. For the huge sets the support from Mumbai has been sought by the art director of the film.

Shruthi Hariharan’s Short Film In Progress

Learning is earning. From earning to spending from where you have earned is the very good gesture indeed. This is what a very beautiful actress Shruthi Hariharan is doing. With no crores of bank balance in her name Shruthi Hariharan has taken up 2ndhome production of a short film. The 1st one Last Kannadiga was well received although not a monetary gain. Look at the zeal of this actress. The new avenue is also good method of progressing in profession. Shruthi Hariharan ABC short film is also richly popular on YouTube Channel. Shruthi Hariharan is already in her 2nd short film in Kalathmike banner. It is Reeta. Rachan is directing this film with Shreya Anchan, Roopa Nataraj & Abhinav in lead roles. The concept is based on marital rape. Such a situation rises what is the remedy in the books of law. How does the Indian law reciprocate for such a situation? The shoot has been completed by Vinod & team. There are 5 different get ups. It is new & interesting. Getting hold of new concept & participating in making of it is my interest says Shruthi Hariharan.

Hindi movie channel Sony Max is all set to host the world television premiere of the action thriller Rowdy Hero 2 at 8 pm on 22nd Jul, 2017. The movie is based on the lives of 2 identical brothers. This South Indian blockbuster is directed by R. S Durai Senthilkumar and features superstars Dhanush, Trisha Krishnan & Anupama Parameswaran in pivotal roles in the movie.

Son Of Satyamurthy 2 Premiere Fetches 4.81 Mn Impressions

The TV premiere of Son Of Satyamurthy 2 was the 4th – most – watched Hindi movie in urban + rural Hindi – speaking market (HSM) with 4.81 million impressions, as per BARC India ratings for Week 28. Son Of Satyamurthy 2, the Hindi – dubbed version of Telugu romantic comedy -action film Hyper, had premiered on Sony Max on 8th Jul, 2017. Salman – Shah Rukh’s 1995 action thriller Karan Arjun was the top film with 5.24 million impressions.

Cauvery News To Be Launched On

The crowded Tamil news space will see a new player in Cauvery News, which is slated for its official launch on 25th Aug, 2017. The free – to – air (FTA) channel is promoted by S Elangovan, the promoter of Cauvery Power Trading Chennai, Elango Industries, Kaveri Gas Power, Cauvery Solar Power & Cauvery Power Generation Chennai.

Aarambh’ To Take A 200 – Year Leap

Star Plus’ fantasy series Aarambh is all set to take a 200 – year leap in its storyline, almost after a month of its launch. With the 200 – year leap, the series will introduce a plethora of new characters, along with a new storyline. The show will also be renamed as Kahani Devsena Ki: Aarambh.

KBC Season 9 Gets 3 Sponsors

Sony Entertainment Television (SET) is all set to bring back the 9th season of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) after a gap of 2 years. The channel is planning to air the show by Oct, 2017 and it will run on weekdays for 6 weeks. KBC being one of the oldest & popular properties, SET has been able to lock in 3 sponsors even before the launch of the show. The channel has got on board Reliance Jio as the presenting sponsor while the series is being co – powered by Vivo Cameras & Mobile & Ching’s Secret.

Sun Direct Turns Profitable

Sun Direct, the DTH arm of the Kalanithi Maran – promoted Sun group, has turned profitable at the net level for the full fiscal for the 1st time. For the financial year ended 31 Mar, 2017, Sun Direct posted a net profit of Rs 32.21 crore compared to a loss of Rs 35.30 crore a year ago. Total income stood at Rs 1,211.04 crore, up 8.46% from Rs 1,116.61 crore in FY16. The FY17 figures are provisional. Sun Direct does not officially announce its financial performance as it is not a listed company.

Colors To Launch Khatron Ke Khiladi 8 & Dev Anand

Hindi GEC Colors is all set to air the 8th season of its popular reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi from 22nd Jul, 2017 at 9 pm, every Sat & Sun. Produced by Endemol Shine India, the new season is built on the theme of Pain In Spain and marks the return of Bollywood director Rohit Shetty as the host of the show. On 29 Jul, 2017, Colors will add one more show, completing its weekend line – up with the crime thriller Dev Anand, which will air at 10 pm. Produced by Peninsula Pictures, the detective series will feature Ashish Chowdhry in lead role.

Dishum Broadcasting To Launch Bhojpuri GEC

Founded by Vishal Gurnani and backed by other undisclosed investors, newly incorporated Dishum Broadcasting is gearing up to launch its 1st channel in the form of Bhojpuri GEC Dishum. The free – to – air (FTA) channel will launch on 15th Aug, 2017. After incubating Dishum, the company has plans to launch 2 more channels in the movie & news genres. It also plans to start a movie theatre chain across the Bhojpuri -speaking belt of Bihar & Eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Stage Set For A Bidding War

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has issued tender notice for Indian Premier League (IPL) media rights. The BCCI has broken the IPL media rights into 3 packages, India sub – continent TV rights, India sub – continent digital rights & rest of the world (ROW) media rights. The rights cycle is for 5 years 2018 – 2o22. The India sub – continent TV & digital rights are expected to witness fierce battle between Star India & Sony Pictures Networks India. Amazon India, Twitter, Facebook & Reliance Jio are also interested in the India sub – continent digital rights.

MTV Ropes In 12 Sponsors

Viacom18’s youth GEC MTV has roped in 12 sponsors for the 10th season of its popular show Splitsvilla. The 10th season kicked off on 23rd Jul, 2017 at 7 pm. The channel has got on board Vivo as the presenting sponsor whereas the latest season is powered by Denver Deodorants, Syska Personal Care, PC Jeweller & Manforce.

Star Plus To Launch Rishton Ka Chakravyuh

Hindi GEC Star Plus is all set to premiere a new show titled Rishton Ka Chakravyuh on 7th Aug, 2017. It will air at 6 pm, Mon – Fri. Rishton Ka Chakravyuh will replace the channel’s existing show Mere Angne Mein, produced by Sphere Origins.

Republic TV & Times Now See A Spike

Arch rivals Republic TV & Times Now both saw their viewership grow significantly in Week 28. According to BARC data, Republic TV, which continued its run as the top English news channel, saw a 60.13% jump in weekly impressions to 1.39 million. Times Now’s weekly impressions expanded by a whopping 85.64% to 1.12 million.

Zee Cafe Reclaims Top Position

Zee Cafe reclaimed its leading position from Comedy Central with 406,000 impressions in Week 28, a growth of 20.83% over the earlier week. Comedy Central slipped to the 2nd position with 323,000 weekly impressions, a drop of 4.02%. Star World moved up to the 3rd place with 202,000 weekly impressions, as Colors Infinity SD dropped to the 4th place with 184,000 weekly impressions.

Hotstar Takes Aim At Piracy

Hotstar, which is Star India’s video – on – demand platform and the exclusive online destination for HBO content in India, launched Game Of Thrones’ Season 7 on 17 Jul, 2017. The 1st episode of the new season was available for audiences to view within minutes of its US telecast, under the Hotstar Premium service. Game Of Thrones, the broadcaster said, is the world’s most avidly watched & anticipated show, with immense excitement & conjecture preceding every season premiere. Unfortunately, it is also the most illegally downloaded show in the world, despite the content being legally distributed, globally, by its creators.

Sony Le Plex Hd To Premiere Trumbo

Sony Le Plex HD is all set to showcase the real life story of Hollywood’s Academy Award winning writer Dalton Trumbo as he deifies all odds to keep up with his passion of writing with the India TV premiere of Trumbo on 23rd Jul, 2017 at 1 pm & 9 pm. Directed by American filmmaker Jay Roach, the movie stars actors like Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane & Helen Mirren.

Zee Anmol To Add A Hindi – Dubbed Marathi Show

Following its success with the Tamil show Naagkanya, Hindi free – to -air general entertainment channel (GEC) Zee Anmol is introducing more regional content into its programming. Accordingly, the channel is adding a Marathi mythological series entitled Jai Malhar on 24th Jul, 2017. Considering that Jai Malhar is one of the most popular shows on Zee Marathi (ZEEL’s Marathi GEC), the channel has decided to add the Hindi – dubbed version of the show to its line – up.

Star Plus Reclaims Top Spot

After slipping to the 3rd position the previous week, Hindi GEC Star Plus reclaimed the Hindi GEC throne from Zee TV in the week ended 14th Jul, 2017 according to BARC data in the urban + rural Hindi – speaking market (HSM). Star Plus registered 62.91 crore weekly impressions, marking a growth of 3.82%. Zee TV dropped to 2nd place as impressions declined by 1.74% to 62.36 crore.

Zee Café To Premiere The Kettering Incident

After launching BBC 1st block, English Entertainment Channel Zee Café is all set to premiere The Kettering Incident on 25th Jul, 2017 at 10 pm. Directed by Rowan Woods & Tony Krawitz and starring Elizabeth Debicki, Matthew Le Nevez & Henry Nixon, the show revolves around Dr. Anna Macy, who finds herself inexplicably linked to the disappearance of 2 girls, 15 years apart.

Viacom International Media Networks To Expand

Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), a division of Viacom & HyppTV, a IPTV service by Telekom Malaysia Berhad, have announced their collaboration to launch Paramount Channel for the 1st time in Malaysia. As part of the same agreement, 2 more Viacom channels, MTV Asia & Nickelodeon, will also join HyppTV service from 1st Aug, 2017.

Star Utsav Sets A New Record On DD Freedish

Star India’s free – to – air (FTA) Hindi GEC Star Utsav was the highest bidder for a non – news slot in the 36th e – auction of vacant slots on Doordarshan’s free direct – to – home (DTH) platform Freedish. The channel had bid Rs 8.4 crore to renew its slot on the DTH platform. Star India had acquired more slots in that same auction for Rs 8.3 crore & Rs 8.2 crore respectively.

Doordarshan Invites Proposals

In an effort to revamp its content, Doordarshan has invited proposals for programmes in different genres under the sponsored category for mid prime time band. There are a total of 8 genres – Youth / Women Magazine, Family Drama / sitcom / Suspense Thriller, Mythological, Film based series, Chat shows / Game shows / Quiz Shows, Musical shows / Reality shows / Travel shows / Cookery shows, Celebrity Chat shows & Telefilm series.

ITAT Upholds I – T Dept’s Rs 450 Tax Demand

News broadcaster NDTV’s problems have compounded with the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) upholding the Income Tax Department’s tax demand of Rs 450 crore on an investment by American media company NBC Universal in NDTV Networks. NBC had invested $150 million in NDTV Networks, which is the holding company for NDTV’s entertainment & lifestyle channels, digital media & other interests, including media products & services in 2008. The tax demand is for the assessment year 2009 ­– 2010.

Dsport Partners Nodwin

DSport, the sports TV channel launched by Discovery Communications India, has partnered Nodwin Gaming to showcase the flagship e – sports tournament in the country – ESL India Premiership. As a part of the partnership, DSport will telecast 90 minutes of action everyday starting 19 Jul, 2017 from 2:30 pm to 4 pm and will continue until Dec, 2017. E – Sports, the broadcaster said, has revolutionised the concept of sports and recently has been added as a medal event in 2022’s Asian Games.

BBC Earth Branded Block Launches

BBC Worldwide has inked a deal that sees for the 1st time a BBC Earth branded block in South Korea. The block is now available on leading Korean cable channel KMH’s newly launched documentary channel, DocuOne. It launched together with DocuOne on 18th Jul, 2017 and will be available for 6 hours a day, in 2 – hour prime time slots, as part of a basic cable package to over 12 million households. Programmes on the block are subtitled in Korean.

Epic Channel Awards Creative Duties

Makani Creatives has bagged the creative mandate of Hindi infotainment channel Epic. Epic channel has broadened its vision from its initial history & mythology focus. It will now showcase a wide array of original content across varied genres. The channel recently announced its plan to expand the scope of its offerings by including within its programming an eclectic mix of non – fiction content that aspires to imbibe the diversity of India.

BBC Serves Its Most Streamed Wimbledon

BBC served 24.1 million stream requests during the tennis Grand Slam Wimbledon this year via BBC Sport & BBC iPlayer, making it the most streamed Wimbledon to date. The most popular match was Rafa Nadal & Gilles Muller’s 66 – game epic with 1.4 million requests.

Sony To Power Sports Biz

After completing the 1s phase of acquisition of Ten Sports Network from ZEEL in Mar, 2017, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has re -branded the Ten Sports channels as Sony Ten to unify the sports network under the mother brand, and has dedicated a channel each for cricket, football, fight sports & best of international sports.

Epic To Launch Inspiring Series Umeed India

After changing its positioning as an infotainment channel, Epic launched on 20th Jul, 2017 a show that will narrate the story of 13 top athletes who are preparing for the next Olympics. The show will mark the debut of ace cricketer Virender Sehwag as host. Highlighting the struggle & hard work of India’s non – cricket sportspersons, infotainment channel Epic started airing a new show titled Umeed India from 20th Jul, 2017 every Thurs, at 8 pm.

ZEEL Acquires Remaining 51%

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has completed the acquisition of Bengaluru-based charter plane services firm Fly By Wire (FBW) by acquiring the remaining 51% stake in the company after getting clearance from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA). ZEEL acquired 49% stake in FBW in May this year. In March last year, the company had announced that it would fully acquire FBW for Rs 61.25 crore.

Colors Channel Extends Its Support

Hindi GEC Colors has extended its support to the 5th edition of the women – only marathon event Pinkathon, which will be held in Delhi on 17th Sept, 2017. The channel has associated with the cause for the 23rd time as a presenting sponsor, spreading the message of “wellbeing of women” through this initiative. The focus of this event is to encourage an active lifestyle & overall fitness amongst women, while creating a much -needed awareness about breast cancer & bone health and encourage thousands of new or 1st – timer women to take up running.

Hotstar Continues To Be #1

For the 1st half of this year, Hotstar continues to be in the #1 spot in terms of monthly active usage. Star India’s video streaming app is thus ahead of JioTV & JioCinema from Reliance Jio Infocomm, according to data from app analytics firm App Annie Inc. While JioTV stood in the 2nd place, JioCinema was ranked 3rd. Hotstar offers a free as well as a premium subscription service. It recently scaled up its premium subscription – based offering to maintain its dominance in India over global giants Amazon Prime Video & Netflix. After HBO, ABC & Fox shows, Hotstar bolstered its premium offering by bringing the US cable brand Showtime to the country through a deal with media conglomerate CBS.

MIB Withdraws 6 TV Channel Licences

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has cancelled 6 TV channel licences in Jun,2017. With 7 TV channel licences being given in the same month, the total number of permitted of TV channels grew by just 1 to 883, as of 30 Jun, 2017. The ministry has cancelled 4 uplinking & 2 downlinking licences in Jun, 2017. Bangla Entertainment’s uplinking licence under the name Aath has been cancelled as the company had procured a downlinking licence under the name Sony Aath in Mar, this year.

Hinduja Group’s NXT Digital Enters Punjab

The Punjab cable TV market, dominated by Fastway Transmission, will have a new competitor. The Hinduja Group – owned headend – in – the -sky (HITS) platform NXT Digital has entered the market. NXT Digital’s aim is to get in local cable operators (LCOs) to migrate to the HITS platform. Punjab has around 34 lakh TV households. While around 28 lakh households have cable TV, the rest have direct – to – home (DTH) connections.

The Judicial Magistrate Court in Ooty has recently issued a non – bailable warrant against 8 actors including Suriya, Sathyaraj, Cheran, Sarath Kumar, Vivek, Vijay Kumar, Arun Vijay & Sriyapriya in a defamation case filed by a petitioner named Rozario after they failed to appear before the judge Senthilkumar Rajavel. According to Rozario, the 8 actors defamed the entire journalist community while speaking at the condemning meet held against the report published by leading news daily on the alleged prostitution business within the industry. The latest update on the matter is that the Madras High Court has quashed the petition filed against all the 8 actors and thus the issue has come to an end.

Sanjana Galrani’s Half Nude Video Goes Viral

The censor seized portions of “2” of Sanjana Galrani, a severe punishment in which she is made nude revealing the back portion of the actress, tying her with a rope and the cop’s character Ravishanker hitting her from a marble with caterpillar on the back of Sanjana had existed in this “A” certified film “2” a sequel of Dandupalya. After the film’s release somewhere the censor portions of Sanjana’s torture had got leaked. The photographs make it horrible and the video that is out in the social media is a case of further worry. Actress Sanjana expressed unhappiness on director Srinivasa Raju for not keeping this portion but it was censored is what she had not taken note of.

Darshan & V Ravichandran In Kurukshetra

The biggest film in the coming days is Kurukshetra in Munirathna Naidu’s massive production and ace director Naganna’s leadership is slowly getting ready to go on the floors. The confirmed actors are challenging star Darshan as Duryodhana & V Ravichandran as Sri Krishna. The latest addition to the list is the lovely looking Regina Cassandra who made her debut in Suryakanthi Kanada Cinema a few years ago. Haripriya also adds to the list for an important role. Is Regina taking on Draupadi’s role or not is not confirmed yet. The film is ready to begin in Aug, 2017says director Naganna who has given the biggest venture Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna starring Darshan in the title role of that historical cinema. As of now the costumes selection for Darshan & V Ravichandran is in the final stages, Bahubali team is adding up for the technical team. For the huge sets the support from Mumbai has been sought by the art director of the film.

Varu To Team Up Wih A Young boy Vimal

Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, after winning critical acclaim for her performance in Tharai Thappattai last year, is now having her next release in Tamil namely Vikram Veddha which is scheduled for an Aug, 2017 in which she has enacted an important role alongside R Madhavan & Vijay Sethuapthi. The star kid turned heroine is also busy with her activism for women safety through her Save Sakthi Campaign. Varulaxmi Sarathkumar will also be teaming up for the 1st time ever with a young & dashing debutante actor Vimal for a film titled as Gemini Ganesan. The film will be directed by a debutante director named Muthukumar.

Suriya to be directed By Sudha Kongara

Patty Jenkins the director of Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot is being celebrated as the 1st woman director to garner the biggest domestic opening of all time and also being praised for doing her bit to narrow the gender gap in the entertainment industry. A good one & a half years before Jenkins our very own Sudha Kongara made waves by making the 1st ever genuine ad critically acclaimed commercially super hit movie Irudhi Suttru starring R Madhavan & Rithika Singh. And now the latest update on her is that Suriya has heard her script and impressed by it has agreed not only to act but also to produce the film under his 2D Entertainment banner.

Pooja Hegde To Team Up With Bellamkonda Sreenivas

Pooja Hegde, the potential star actress who has acted opposite the likes of Allu Arjun & Hrithik Roshan (Mohen Jadaro), has now gone for a budding hero this time. It’s none other than Bellamkonda Sreenivas. The news is that the fledgling actress has signed on the dotted line to act in Sriwass’ next, produced by Nama Abhishek of Abhishek Pictures. This is the banner’s Production No. 4. The makers stated that Pooja Hedge will be seen in a crucial and glamour – based role. Jagapathi Babu is playing one of the key roles. Music is by Rock Star Devi Sri Prasad. Peter Hein has been roped in for stunts, while Sai Madhav Burra, who penned dialogues for Gautamiputra Satakarni & Khaidi No. 150 earlier this year, is writing for this untitled movie.

Miya Enters The 10 Million Club

Miya walks into the 10 million club, but not in terms of money. The gorgeous actress has become the 1st ever celebrity from Mollywood to get 1 Crore likes on Facebook. The excited actress also had a live interaction on Facebook with her fans, from the location of Sherlock Toms in Kochi. In her Live video, Miya did not forget to thank her fans, including Tamil & Telugu fans. Nazriya Nazim, who has been away from cinema post her marriage with Fahadh Faasil, is in the 2nd position with over 76 lakhs Facebook likes.

Sridevi To Team Up with Mohanlal

During one of the promotional events of Baahubali in Kochi, director S S Rajamouli had expressed his desire to work with Mohanlal. Followed by this, rumours broke out that Mohanlal would be teaming up with S S Rajamouli for a big budget project. Later, the complete actor himself clarified that those were just rumours. Now, the latest buzz is that Mohanlal & Sridevi will indeed be playing the lead role in S S Rajamouli’s next movie, which is set in the present time period. Unlike his last release, Baahubali, it is going to be a contemporary film this time, closer to reality and about the struggles of life. It is heard that S S Rajamouli is also planning to rope in a Telugu hero as well as a Bollywood actor for his forthcoming venture.

Dileep’s Custody Extended

After 2 days of custody, the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Angamaly has extended the Police custody period of actor Dileep. On the bail application of the actor, who was arrested and charged with conspiracy in connection with an actress’ abduction which had taken place in Feb, 2017, the court will consider the case soon. Dileep’s arrest has sent a shock wave across the film industry. The actor was arrested by police in Aluva on 10th Jul, 2017 evening @ 6:30 pm after being literally questioned for about 5 hours. The actor has now been remanded to 14 days judicial custody from 11th Jul, 2017 and was lodged in Aluva sub – jail. The actor was presented to the Angamaly Judicial Magistrate court on 12th Jul, 2017 and was sent for 2 days police custody for further questioning & collection of evidence. Investigative officers are looking to gather more evidence and find out about the involvement of more people in the case. Further arrests are likely.

Vishal And Varalaxmi To Tie the Knot Soon

Vishal & Varalakshmi have been rumoured to be a couple for many years, but ever since the Nadigar Sangam elections the duo have kept a distance from each other in public. Speculations of a break up also arose when Varu tweeted without mentioning a name that a person informed his girlfriend of 7 years that he is breaking up through his manager. At the Thupparivaalan teaser launch. Vishal, responding to comparisons with Kamarajar, stated that he is nowhere near the legend but takes inspiration from him to work selflessly. He also added in jest that unlike Kamarajar he will not remain a bachelor and will marry soon as one Lakshmi will be angry with him if he doesn’t. Those present at the event were of the opinion that Vishal is indeed referring to the Thaarai Thappattai heroine. One more proof that the couple have buried their differences if any is the fact that Varalakshmi is the leading lady of Vishal’s Sandaikozhi 2 directed by Linguswamy.

Kamal Haasan To Face A Defamation Suit

Ever since the premiere of Bigg Boss, Kamal Haasan seems to be embroiled in a series of controversies. From the Hindu Makkal Katchi protesting against the reality show to the actor being reprimanded for revealing the name of the Malayalam actress in the assault case, there seems to be one controversy after another surrounding the actor & the reality show. And it doesn’t end there. K Krishnaswamy, the leader of Puthiya Tamizhagam has threatened to file an Rs 100 crore defamation case against Kamal Haasan. As a contestant named Gayathri Raghuram used the word Cheri (slum) while she was talking to a housemate and this didn’t settle well with most groups. The comment irked K Krishnaswamy & he wants Kamal Haasan to apologise for the comment made by the housemate on a public platform.

Khushbu Quits Twitter

Just recently, Khushbu took to her Twitter page to clarify on the delay in commencing her husband Sundar C’s dream project Sangamithra and how a few people are spreading unnecessary rumours. But of late, Khushbu posted a series of tweets saying that the platform has become an addiction and quit Twitter for a while. However, unlike the other actresses, Khushbu didn’t close her Twitter account only thing is we won’t be seeing her tweets for a while as she wants to be in the real world by reading books & spending quality time with her family.

Rakul Preet Singh Feels Upbeat

Rakul Preet Singh who is yet to prove her mettle in Tamil cinema, has completed the shoot of Karthi’s Theeran Adhigaaram Ondu. Vinoth of Sathuranga Vettai fame is directing Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru, which is said to be an action thriller inspired by real life crime elements. Karthi plays a tough cop in Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru for which Ghibran of Uttama Villain fame is composing the music & Sathyan Sooryan of Maya fame is cranking the camera. S R Prabhu & S R Prakash Babu’s Dream Warrior Pictures is bankrolling the film, which has Abhimanyu Singh of Thalaivaa fame as the baddie & Bose Venkat is also said to be playing an important role.

A R Rahman upsets His Fans

At his recent music concert in London, A R Rahman had predominantly performed Tamil songs, which upset his Hindi speaking audiences, who left the venue midway. A R Rahman also received harsh criticisms on Twitter and fans demanded a refund from the Academy Award winning music composer. A R Rahman is also getting support from varied actors & technicians in the film industry. Simbu T Rajinder, who was silent after the Box – Office turnstiles failure of Anbanavan Asaradhavan Adangadhavan has now conveyed his support to A R Rahman on Twitter. It is worth mentioning here that A R Rahman has provided chartbuster albums including Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaya & Achcham Yenbathu Madamaiyada for Simbu T Rajinder.

96 To Span Over 30 Locales

For Vijay Sethupathi & Trisha Krishnan’s feel – good romantic entertainer 96, director Prem Kumar has finalized 30 different locales. The 1st schedule of the film has been shot in Spiti Valley, Rajasthan & Kolkata. The 2nd schedule of the film will be shot in Kumbakonam and Trisha is expected to join the team. Produced by Madras Enterprises, the film also has ace comedian Janakaraj, Vinothini & Kaali Venkat in important roles. “Since it’s a travel based story, we chose 30 different locales”, said the film’s director Prem Kumar, who handled cinematography for Vijay Sethupathi’s Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom and & Sundarapandian. Govind Menon is scoring the music for the film and Shanmugasundaram is cranking the camera.

Party Began With A Pooja

Venkat Prabhu’s new film Party began with a Pooja Ceremony in Chennai. The principal shoot of Party has already commenced in Fiji Islands and the team is planning to complete the entire film in 1 schedule. Besides Venkat Prabhu’s regulars Jai & “Mirchi” Shiva, Party also has an ensemble cast of actors including Sathyaraj, “Kayal” Chandran, Regina Cassandra, Nassar, Nivetha Pethuraj, Sanchita Shetty & Ramya Krishnan. Venkat Prabhu’s brother Premgi Amaran has been roped in to score music for Party, Rajesh Yadav of Chennai 28 fame will handle the cinematography and Praveen K L takes care of editing. T Siva of Amma Creations, who produced Venkat Prabhu’s Saroja is bankrolling Party.