Yogesh. Lakhni, of Bright Outdoor Media, of course the name needs no special introduction as it is synonymous with his winning awards galore and none of the Bollywoodian events are complete without his auspicious presence.

So this time Yogesh Lakhani, of bright Outdoor, was seen rubbing shoulders with Big B, Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj & Zakir Hussain, or is it the other way round, at Vasantutsav 2017 at Sahara Star Hotel, Mumbai.

All said & done Yogesh Lakhani of Bright Outdoor Media is associated with more than 95% of events in Mumbai. He was associated with 17th Vasantutsav 2017 where he met Amitabh Bachchan, Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj & Zakir Husaain recently. The event was organised by Suresh & Padma Wadkar at Sahara Star Hotel, Parle East, Mumbai. This year Uttam Vag Geykar Award was given to Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj which was presented by Big B & Yogesh Lakhani.

Not only this Yogesh Lakhani of Bright Outdoor media also recently bagged Lokmat Corporate Excellence award in media & ooh category for brand excellence in outdoor media. At the rate Mr. Yogesh Lakhani is bagging awards galore, he maY have to buy a Seaside Palatial Mansion to house all the tropies that he has bagged till this date.

And for the unintiated ones it won’t be out of place to recall that Shri. Yogesh Lakhani of Bright Outdoor Pvt Ltd is the biggest name in outdoor OOH business. He just got the best Corporate Excellence award in media & ooh category for brand excellence in outdoor media. Sunil Prabhu, Railway Minister & Vijay Darda, Chairman & Editor -in – chief Lokmat Media Pvt Ltd gave the award to him. Yogesh lakhani also met Vivek Oberoi, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis & Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar at this award function.

Senior film journalist Jyothi Venkatesh has been conferred with the “Indywood Media Excellence Awards – Mumbai Chapter” under the sub category – “Professional Excellence -Film Journalism”.

The “Indywood Media Excellence Awards” is being organized to honor the print & the online media practitioners who have demonstrated excellence in providing media solutions, products & services.

The event is being organized by Indywood Consortium. Indywood Film Carnival is conducted with the main support from the Government of Telengana and a Sharjah based marine company called Aries Group of Companies.

The chief patron of the event is Chandrashekar Rao, Chief Minister of Telengana. “Indywood Media Excellence Awards” shall be conducted in all major cities in India to honor & to appreciate the commendable work of Film Journalists & Media Professionals all across our country.

As an initial step towards this the “1st Ever Indywood Media Excellence Awards” was held at Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad on 24th Sept, 2016.

The National Level “Indywood Media Excellence Awards” shall be presented during 1st Dec, 2017 to 4th Dec, 2017 along with “Indywood Carnival 2017” at Ramoji Film City.

SONAKSHI SINHA LOVES URDU AS A LANGUAGE

The talented actress finds that urdu language is full of respect & romance. She has always been keen to learn how to speak and often even tries to use some words in her everyday conversations. Sonakshi picks up Urdu words from songs she hears or scripts she reads and mentally jots it down. She feels lucky that twice now her character names have been Urdu, Pakhi in Lootera and now Noor. Pakhi means the knife in Urdu & Noor means the light. She likes the way the names sound and also their meaning.

DUREX GETS INTO DENIMS WITH RANVEER SINGH

Vibrant & youthful brand, Durex is back again with Bollywood heartthrob, Ranveer Singh to announce the entry of Durex into your Jeans. Quirky & flamboyant, Ranveer Singh brings alive the flavor of the new product in the teaser video released recently. In the video, Ranveer is seen in a trial room telling his fans saying “Guys Durex is launching Jeans and I am the 1st one to try it… Then he goes into the trial room and shouts, Guys this fits really well. The glitzy actor is all set to endorse a brand new line of product by Durex. The actor tweeted about the announcement along with a teaser video from his official handle
@RanveerOfficial. Durex is all set to make its way into the Jeans which is 1st ever of its kind and this new association with Ranveer has already set the stage. The teaser is bound to excite all ecstatic Ranveer Singh fans to eagerly await for the launch announcement. The news has already started spreading like wild fire with varied popular celebs reacting to the Durex announcement

ALIA BHATT & NAMRATA JOSHIPURA REINVENTED RUNWAY DRAMA FOR MAYBELLINE NEW YORK AT AIFW

The Amazon India Fashion Week ended with high – octane drama, courtesy Maybelline. The brand partnered with renowned designer Namrata Joshipura to bring alive New York chic style to New Delhi, accentuated by edgy outfits & dramatic make – up. Bollywood’s IT girl & brand ambassador of Maybelline New York, Alia Bhatt had all eyes on her as she sashayed down the ramp, in a dramatic avatar, personifying #EyeSpeakDrama. Namrata Joshipura, the designer who brought the drama from New York to New Delhi said, “ I am so glad to see my vision translate so beautifully on the runway and I believe no – one could have portrayed the drama in my ensembles better than Alia Bhatt.” Alia Bhatt said, “I’m so excited that Maybelline and I finally “Made Drama Happen” on the ramp this season! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of being a part of this show. Everything was so beautifully conceptualized to reflect Drama as a theme – right from the make – up, to the clothes, to the music & the sets. Namrata’s designs were phenomenal and so true to New York while the looks created by Elton for the models personified drama. I can’t wait to do more such exciting work with the brand for our upcoming campaigns.”

HUMA QURESHI TURNS SPEAKER FOR UN WOMEN!

It was only a few years ago that the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality & the Empowerment of Women.Headquartered at the United Nations in New York, UN Women promotes women’s empowerment, rights & gender equality globally. Our very own Huma Qureshi, who shares the same passion for this endeavor will today visit their HQ in New York to discuss the changing role of women in Indian films and their representation in the media. Huma was selected as a young influencer to speak on the subject for constantly challenging stereotypes & silencing skeptics. With this Huma joins names like Megan Fontanello among other female trailblazers who are an inspiration to young women across the world. The actress is in the best phase of her career with the stupendous success of JOLLY LLB 2 and the rave reviews coming her way for her international film, VICEROY’S HOUSE. She was recently celebrated in London and was a head turner at the London Fashion Week & the Empire Awards.

KATRINA KAIF TAKES ON THE PLANCHE!

Katrina Kaif who is currently shooting for TIGER ZINDA HAI in chilly Austria, is not letting the challenging weather interrupt her fitness regime. The actress who is completely dedicated when it comes to training, has flown her trainer Reza Katani to Austria, to ensure she doesn’t miss a single day of working out. While the team is shooting in the mountains at 1,400 ft above sea level, without access to a gym or proper workout equipment, Reza is training Katrina in the planche – an advanced bodyweight technique in which the body is held parallel to the ground by only the hands. Says a source, “Katrina will have some challenging action scenes in TIGER ZINDA HAI which will require a great amount of strength & balance. She is learning the planche as it only involves using one’s body weight and also works the entire body out minus the use of equipment. It is an extremely difficult move, which very few are able to master”.

KIRTI KULHARI PLAYS THE TITLE ROLE IN ‘INDU SARKAR’

Kirti Kulhari is back after her much
appreciated performance in PINK and plays a title role in Madhur Bhandarkar’s next INDU SARKAR which is about a stammering poetess with emergency as backdrop. The film has been 90% shot and here’s the 1st look of the actor that shows there is yet another powerful performance up her sleeves. Says Kirti, “INDU SARKAR (her character in the film) is delicate, gone through immense pain & suffering yet very caring & loving and through her journey in the film finds her true & free self. Shooting these kind of scenes is always depressing & exhausting yet liberating as you explore the pain inside you, face it & use it to express what the character is going through.” Asked her if she had to go through any preparation since it is an intense film, she says, “There’s a preparation & method before shooting. I took classes for voice modulation to make stammering look convincing. Once on set I believe in spontaneity but there are times especially during such intense scenes that I try not to break the mood & rhythm and avoid any kind of distractions.” Madhur Bhandarkar is also taking detour from the glamour world stories and one is certainly looking forward to INDU SARKAR.

SHILPA SHETTY LAUNCHES A MORNING CEREAL

Fitness diva Shilpa Shetty Kundra & celebrity nutritionist Pooja Makhija came together on a breakfast date to launch Saffola Multigrain Flakes! They shared their nutrition know -how with the media on the goodness of 5 grains over the single grain of cornflakes, making it #TheBetterFlakes for a better breakfast. The flakes comprise of 5 grains – Oats, Barley, Rice, Wheat & Corn. The 5 multigrain flakes makes breakfast a healthy delight. To acquaint people with the needs of these multi – nutrient flakes, Saffola on boarded people in the know like, celebrated actress & fitness diva Shilpa Shetty Kundra & renowned dietician & health expert Pooja Makhija. While candidly conversing about her fitness & diet regime, Shilpa Shetty said, “I am concerned about the deteriorating lifestyle choices. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and its essential to grab a good, first meal of the day. With such a multi – beneficial product in the market, I believe people will choose this over anything else because precisely I would.” During breakfast, people need all -rounded nutrition. Saffola Multigrain Flakes has 5 whole grains, which give multiple benefits of fibre, protein, minerals, & antioxidants at one go! ” added Pooja Makhija.

MEHBOOBA MUFTI, CM, JAMMU & KASHMIR LAUNCHES TRAILER OF ‘SARGOSHIYAN…
KUCH KEHTA HAI KASHMIR
‘
Mehbooba Mufti, CM; Jammu & Kashmir launched the trailer & music of SARGOSHIYAN…KUCH KEHTA HAI KASHMIR recently in Mumbai. The film is produced by TV actor Imran Khan. Farida Jalal, Sara Khan, Shahbaz Khan, Indranil Sengupta, Tom Alter, Aditi Bhatia, Khalid Siddiqui & Alok Nath were present at the do. Ranjeet, Poonam Sinha, Sohail Khan, Raza Murad, Akbar Khan, Kanchan Adhikari, Inder Kumar, Guddu Dhanao Narender Jha, Anju Mahendru, Parmeet Sethi, Lekh Tandon, Deepshikha, Shawar Khan, Ehsaan Quereshi, Shraddha with Ejaz Khan, Kanwaljit Singh & Kiran Kumar also graced the occasion. Imran Khan’s film is based on the true spirit of Kashmir & Kashmiriyat. It has been shot entirely in Kashmir amidst breath taking & unexplored locales. Mehbooba also mentioned her father, late Mufti Mohammed Saeed who wanted Bollywood members to shoot in J & K and has appealed to Bollywood to take inspiration from Imran’s film and shoot their movies in Kashmir. The film is produced under the banner of Imran Khan’s Production and is written & directed by Vijay Verma & Imran Khan.

SANJAY DUTT WANTS ‘BHOOMI’ RELEASE DATE TO CHANGE

In true Munna Bhai style, Dutt doesn’t want a clash at BO with friend Aamir. Sanjay Dutt is known for his large heartedness. No surprises then that the star who makes his comeback with Bhushan Kumar & Sandeep Singh’s BHOOMI wants the release date to be changed. The reason for Sanjay’s insistence is that he doesn’t want BHOOMI to clash with good friend Aamir Khan’s next project SECRET SUPERSTAR. Sanjay Dutt says, “I know the kind of hard work & effort that goes into making a film. I believe, after all the work being put in, it can’t be reduced to a clash at the Box Office turnstiles. Aamir is a dear friend and I wouldn’t want my comeback film to be pitted against his. In this industry, we should all make an effort to help each other.” BHOOMI was slated to hit theatres on 4th Aug, 2017. Sanjay Dutt has requested his film’s producers Bhushan Kumar & Sandeep Singh to change the film’s release date. The final decision will be taken by T – Series & Legend Studios.

‘ATITHII IIN LONDON’ STARRING KARTIK AARYAN, KRITI KHARBANDA & PARESH RAWAL TO RELEASE ON 9TH JUNE 2017!

One of the most anticipated films of 2017, ATITHII IIN LONDON is all set to hit the celluloid silver screen on 9th Jun, 2017. The film stars Paresh Rawal, Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Kharbanda, Tanvi Azmi & Sanjay Mishra in pivotal roles. The film has been entirely shot in the beautiful locales of London. Panorama Studios presents, A Kiaan Entertainment Ltd (UK) production, produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak & Abhishek Pathak, ATITHII IIN LONDON is written & directed by Ashwni Dhir. The film releases on 9th Jun, 2017.

‘AMBASSADOR OF SOCIALISM – LIFE JOURNEY OF DR. RAMMANOHAR LOHIA’ IS A FILM BIOGRAPHY ON DR. RAM MANOHAR LOHIA BY CHARU SHARMA

Krokio Media, a Mumbai based film production house is coming up with a feature length biography docu – fiction film on the life journey of great socialist & politician Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia tentatively titled AMBASSADOR OF SOCIALISM – LIFE JOURNEY OF DR. RAMMANOHAR LOHIA. Along with the film 2 elegantly designed coffee table books, “Samajwad ke Safed Sanyasi” & “Rashtraputra Lohia” will also be released. The docu – fiction, is an absolutely priceless collection of memories & experiences from Dr. Lohia’s friends, colleagues, admirers & followers. It is an exciting collection of priceless anecdotes, insights & observations … Featuring people who knew him best, worked with him & some from the newer generation who revere & interpret Lohia’s ideology & socialism perceptively …The soon – to – be – completed and much awaited film will be officially released on 50th death anniversary of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia on 12th Oct, 2017. On 12th Oct, 2016, an official promo of the biopic AMBASSADOR OF SOCIALISM – LIFE JOURNEY OF DR. RAMMANOHAR LOHIA written & directed by Charu Sharma was released on youtube & a song promo from the film was released on 23rd march 2017.

AMITABH BACHCHAN LAUNCHES WORLD’S 1ST EVER MOBILE APP ON BREAST HEALTH

Amitabh Bachchan launched the World’s 1st ever mobile App on “ABC of Breast Health”
at an event organised by Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation @ JW Marriott Hotel in Juhu. Both iOs & Android versions of the App which are available in Apple & Google Play Store for FREE download, aims to empower the nation about every aspect of Breast cancer & Benign non cancer Breast health issues in 12 Languages (English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya & Assamese). Bachchan said, “I am impressed with Dr. Raghu Ram not only for all his achievements in the Medical Sphere, but also his pioneering efforts to empower people across the Country about importance of early detection of breast cancer through a number of innovative initiatives over the past decade. The opportunity to raise quality of life & Healthcare through digitalisation is on the cusp of a third wave of IT adoption.” Pamela Yash Chopra, a breast cancer “conqueror”, said, “My message to men is that instead of gifting a Sari or jewelry to your loved ones during festivals, please gift a Screening mammogram once a year to your spouse, which would go a long way in saving many lives through early detection”.

AMRITA SINGH TO PLAY A SCHOOL PRINCIPAL IN IRRFAN KHAN STARRER ‘HINDI MEDIUM’

Powerful actress, Amrita Singh will be seen in Irrfan Khan & Saba Qamar starrer HINDI MEDIUM essaying the role of a school principal!. Director Saket Chaudhary says,
”The principal’s character signifies authority, a woman who builds the future of children, and Amrita Singh has the quality to intimidate. She’s dressed in sarees that were carefully chosen to emphasize that she has taste and that lendd her an air of authority.” Interestingly, the school portions shown in the film were shot in Amrita’s alma mater, Modern School, in Delhi. She was the one who suggested it and was happy to go back to school. HINDI MEDIUM sees Irrfan khan in the role of a rich Punjabi businessman & clothes store owner from Chandni Chowk who along with his wife is eager to be accepted in the Capital’s elite circles. Produced by Dinesh Vijan & Bhushan Kumar, HINDI MEDIUM is all set to release on 12th May, 2017.

ARJUN KAPOOR WENT THROUGH RIGOROUS TRAINING REGIMEN

Arjun recently went through a rigorous training regimen for 3 months. He would train in the morning & evening for 2hours plus and then. The top NBA coaches flew down from the USA to train him. “It was important to get the nuances right and let the sport look as authentic & real as possible. For this Arjun had to become a basketball player and not just enact the role of one.” said Carlos Barroca, Associate Vice President of Basketball Operations of India, NBA.

Y – Films, the youth wing of Yash Raj Films (YRF), that has been known for clutter -breaking content & innovations, announced yet another 1st with their next feature film, namely Bank – Chor. They will become the only studio in the world to release a film theatrically simultaneously in 16D besides Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality formats, where the viewer will also be a part of the film, instead of just watching it.

The film Bank – Chor, starring Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Anand Oberoi & Rhea Chakraborty, is a story of 3 idiots trying to rob a bank… and how they pick the worst day possible to do it. In the past, YRF has been the 1st ever to release a film in IMAX with ATMOS sound. Bank – Chor has been designed with the next level of technology & immersive experiences where 16D helps activate all senses for a viewer in terms of touch, sight, hearing, smell, taste and also thought, imagination & feeling. In essence, the film will make you a part of the bank as one of the hostages when the heist is taking place.

All the partner multiplex & exhibition chains are apparently overhauling their screening systems to accommodate the film accordingly, as the film is scheduled to change the entire film viewing experience forever. They are also keeping medical staff on stand – by, as the experience could get too overwhelming for most audiences, who typically use just 5 senses.

Speaking on the same, Riteish Deshmukh said, “I’m thrilled to be a part of this 1st ever technological innovation in the Indian Film Industry. 3D is so last season, when you have 16D! I’m certain Bank – Chor will steal a lot of hearts but since you can’t take chances, I’m also keeping a 16 – day fast & chanting Om Y – Films O Namah 16 times a day… am told it really works!”

Adds Vivek Anand Oberoi, “This is ground -breaking stuff & the 1st time ever I experienced it, it really rocked my world. The Bank – Chor gang is going to more than just tickle all your senses with this m – e – n -t – a – l experience. We also consulted famed numerologist from Chinchpokli, Baba Champak Chandrakant Chiplunkar, who advised us on 16th Jun, 2017 being the right release date… now there’s no stopping us!”

Bank – Chor is a fun comic thriller directed by Bumpy & produced by Ashish Patil. It features music by Shri Sriram, Superbia (Gourov Dasgupta, Roshin Balu & Shaan), Kailash Kher, Rochak Kohli, Baba Sehgal & Shameer Tandon. It is set for release worldwide on 16th June, 2017. We are hopeful at least 16 people will watch the film.

Y – Films is the dynamic, vibrant start – up at the intersection of films, creativity & youth culture that hopes to challenge the norm & detonate boundaries. Giving the youth a creative outlet & voice that will entertain & unite on film & beyond. A studio that promises to deliver kick ass content of the youth, by the youth, for the youth. And be a platform for talent – both on screen & behind the scenes – that will break & set new rules of story – telling.

Y – Films Makes A Li’l Film With A Big Heart. The short,Where Kids Read Sexist Comments By Adults, Was Launched Recently At The India Today Woman Summit

Y – Films, the team that loves pushing big boundaries, be it for the cause of gender equality (Man’s World), transgender equality (the Cannes’ Lion Grand Prix winner 6 – Pack Band), feminism (Ladies Room), sex education (Sex Chat with Pappu & Papa), or, umm, weddings (Bang Baaja Baaraat), makes a li’l film that will pull your heartstrings.

What happens when kids read all the atrocious sexist rubbish that adults (mostly men) land up saying… from Trump to Indian politicians? Y – Films decided to actually put that to test with a bunch of really bright kids, who teach us all a thing or two about why it’s important that we don’t judge, label or discriminate by gender. They beautifully drive home the point Y – Films has always been hammering – Don’t Grow Up!

The short film also marks the directorial debut of Y – Films’ Nikhil Taneja and has been produced by Y – Films for India Today. The film was launched at the recent India Today Women’s Summit under the #BigShorts umbrella. It is part of a series of commissioned “big short” videos with some of the best filmmakers of the country including Imtiaz Ali, Meghna Gulzar, Hansal Mehta, Rohan Sippy & Pradeep Sarkar last year besides Tigmanshu Dhulia, Ram Madhvani, Nandita Das & Sudhir Mishra this year.

Y – Films is the dynamic, vibrant start – up at the intersection of films, creativity & youth culture that hopes to challenge the norm & detonate boundaries. Giving the youth a creative outlet and voice that will entertain & unite on film & beyond. A studio that promises to deliver kick ass content of the youth, by the youth, for the youth. And be a platform for talent – both on screen & behind the scenes – that will break & set new rules of story – telling.

The “Classics” have enthralled audiences for decades. Such is the power of “Classics” that the youth happens to be familiar with the popular cast & dialogues even when they haven’t seen the movies completely. Old classics coupled with today’s technology have largely been considered as a treat to the eyes, by audiences around the country.

Keeping the love of “Classics” in mind, Mukta A2 Cinemas – one of India’s most reputed & esteemed film banner is charging ahead to bring back these super hits from the era by gone on the celluloid silver screen. They will do this through a specially curated segment with shows. To bring back memories of the old days of Matinee shows in big single screens, they would be screening all the movies at New Excelsior Mukta A2 Cinemas, one of the heritage theaters in Mumbai.

The era of the “Classics” and the much -loved movies of the past will begin on Sunday noon every week from 9th Apr, 2017. The “Classics” campaign will begin with the dance & music extravaganza Taal that will be shown at New Excelsior Mukta A2 Cinemas in Mumbai.

Speaking about the re – showcasing of Taal, Subhash Ghai averred, “Even though you have watched evergreen films like Taal, Karz, Saudagar, Karma, Pardes a 100 times on the small screen, you can experience the same motion pictures on the largest screen of India in New Excelsior Mukta A2 Cinema.”

He continues, “Get mesmerized by the visuals & reverberating sound of dance & music of Taal to begin with on 9th Apr, 2017 noon show. I bet you will love it more than ever before.”

Speaking on the launch of “Classic” films, Rahul Puri, MD, Mukta Arts Ltd averred, “Our endeavor with this property is to bring back some of the greatest movies from the pre -millennium era and inviting cinema lovers to relive their magic on India’s biggest cinema screen. We believe that our audience has shown an inclination towards re – living the glory of “Classic” films on the celluloid silver screen, and with this property we will showcase hits like Taal and other “Classic” films over the next few months at our New Excelsior Mukta A2 Cinema.”

The popular chain of cinemas understands the changing needs of its audiences and aims to deliver the movies by also adding value to the legacy of one the oldest
theaters around. In addition to acquiring the operations of this heritage theater, MuktaA2 Cinemas aim to bring upgraded on – screen entertainment experience for all the movie buffs by re – releasing many other evergreen classics from the 70s, 80s & 90s.

New Excelsior boasts of the largest cinema screen of 83 feet, with a seating capacity of 596 and with the impact of surround sound to complement each movie’s great music. The theatre is now all set to entertain the movie – goers with its new offerings. Taking a step further, the chain of cinemas will also bring popular films like Karz, Ram Lakhan, Karma, Sholay, Rang De Basanti, Lagaan and many such loved movies to the celluloid silver screen in the near future.

BHARAT PRERNA AWARDS 2017 – IN RECOGNITION OF THE SILENT HEROES

Dr. Aneeel Murarka & Manish Murarka – Founders of Ample Missiion held Bharat Prerna Awards 2017 – In recognition of The Silent Heroes – a brilliant & unique initiative to honor the saga of bravery of the “Specially Abled Achievers” of the country who have never been applauded or appreciated for their brave acts. The event saw the presence of Pooja Bedi, Asit Kumarr Modi, Manish Wadhwa, Nitesh Pandey, Sooraj Thapar, Jiten Lalwani, Dilip Sen, Kunika, Poonam Pandey, Avinash Dwivedi, Sambhavna Seth & Namish Taneja, Akshat Singh et al. The idea behind this noble initiative is to honor the saga of bravery of an individual & displayed an extraordinary courage or act which has become an example for fellow citizens to motivate & follow which bought pride to the country. Hence, they have now put together a one – of – a – kind award function, a special recognition & award for all those who have pursued meritorious acts against all odds. Aneel Murarka who is a known philanthropist mentions, “If we take the generally accepted definition of bravery as a quality which knoDDDws no fear, these ordinary people have pursued extraordinary acts of bravery without fearing for life.”

TRAILER OF OSCAR WINNING FILM ‘THE SALESMAN’ RELEASED

Sunil Doshi Presents the Oscar winning Asghar Farhadi film, “The Salesman”, distributed by PVR, will release in India on 31st Mar, 2017. THE SALESMAN has also won the “Best Screenplay” & “Best Actor” award in Festival De Cannes last year. The Iranian director, Asghar Farhadi had earlier also won an Oscar for his film SEPEERATION. THE SALESMAN, written & directed by Asghar Farhadi, featuring Shahab Hosseini & Taraneh Alidoosti is about a couple who are forced out of their apartment due to dangerous works on a neighboring building, Emad & Rana move into a new flat in the center of Tehran. An incident linked to the previous tenant will dramatically change the young couple’s life.

K. R. REDDY ANNOUNCES 2 FILMS ON HIS BIRTHDAY

Director K. R. Reddy (JALAKAR RAAKH KAR DOONGa, AMdANI ATTANI KHARCHA. RUPAYYA, SHESHNAG et al fame) has announced 2 films on his birthday on 15th Mar, 2017. One of the films is a comedy fare while the other is a women oriented film with 3 heroines. He is also in final talks with a big star – actor for another film. The cast & other credits of the films are being finalized.

SALUTING THE SAILORS

Capt. Sunil Nangia Master Mariner & Editor of Sailor Today Magazine hosted “Sailor Today Sea Shore Awards 2017” to recognize & felicitate outstanding achievements & contributions of Seafarers, Shipping Companies & Maritime Organizations. A bevy of celebrities Naved Jaffrey, Chhavi Mittal,
Salil Ankola, Puja Banerjee, Sandip Soparrkar, Sharbani Mukherjee, Ashish Roy, Roma Navani, Jassi, Leena Mogre, Shweta Khanduri, Delnaz Irani, Myrah, Neha Laxmi Iyer et al joined in the celebration, to honor the Merchant Navy. For the first time Mumbai Police Band performed & supported the Merchant Navy. The show was hosted by Umesh Pherwani, Neha Banerjee, Neha Laxmi, Daljit Kaur et al set the stage on fire with their performances. The occasion witnessed the participation of more than 1600 key decision – making shipping entities, representing all major international shipping companies in the region as well as from around the globe, including the Pacific Rim countries, Europe & America. Sailor Today
Sea Shore Awards are non – competitive in nature and aims to felicitate the achievements & outstanding services of seafarers & shipping organizations.

MILIND GUNAJI TURNS GREY FOR ‘SHATIKA – THE UNDRAPED’

Having portrayed memorable roles in his prolific film career, Milind Gunaji is all set to surprise the audience & his fans once again with his next offering, SHATIKA – THE UNDRAPE, a short film directed by young debutante Sritama Dutta. Produced by Aditya Bhardwaj & Publicist turned Executive Producer Vedant Mishra, SHATIKA – THE UNDRAPED. also features Susmita Mukherjee, Harry Josh & Swagata Naik. Milind Gunaji who is known to have played several menacing characters on screen with great aplomb will be seen playing a grey character again in the film. Sritama Dutta met Milind Gunaji on the sets of KAMASUTRA, where she was the Associate Director. In one of her conversations with Milind Gunaji, Sritama had mentioned about Shatika’s story & her desire to direct a short with him. Milind assured her that he will be a part of her next independent project whenever it would commence and years later when he was approached by Sritama, he immediately agreed to take up the project because he whole heartedly supports women empowerment and leaves no stone unturned to spread awareness for the same.

GURMEET CHOUDHARY & DEBINA BONNERJEE TO ADOPT 2 GIRLS!

Gurmeet Choudhary & his wife Debina Bonnerjee are now ready to embrace parenthood. During the auspicious Holi week, the actors drove down to Jarampur, a small village in Bihar (Gurmeet’s hometown) and adopted 2 girls ​Pooja & Lata, aged 6 & 9. Gurmeet’s parents – mother Anmol, who is a Hindi school teacher & father Sitaram who is a retired army officer are settled there and that’s where Pooja, an orphan, was living with her uncle & 1st cousin Lata. But last year Lata’s father passed away and the 2 girls moved in with a distant relative. “After hearing about their plight from my mother I discussed them with my wife. Debina agreed with me that it was time to give the kids a home, a deserving education & my last name,” says Gurmeet. The initial plan was to support them financially but then remembering his own childhood in Jarampur, which was without electricity for months during the monsoons and where life was difficult without proper amenities, Gurmeet decided to adopt them. “We will be going to Jarampur for the final signatures after Holi. It is a 2- day process. Everybody, including my parents, keeps asking me when I’m planning a baby. Its official now, I’m bringing home 2 daughters and we couldn’t be more excited”.

TITLE CHANGED FROM ‘THE MOTHER’ TO ‘MAATR – THE MOTHER’

Apparently the makers of THE MOTHER decided to change the title of their movie to MAATR – THE MOTHER as another movie titled MOM starring Sridevi and produced by Boney Kapoor is in the offing. Movie titles, as we all know, are aggressively fought over, but here there has been a relatively peaceful change in name. Of course, other than the title, there is little common between the 2 movies. While Sridevi’s MOM, traces the fragile relationship between a stepmother & daughter; MAATR – THE MOTHER is a hard -hitting drama based on one of the most gruesome crimes committed against women – Rape! Director Ashtar Sayed confirmed “We were planning to use the title THE MOTHER for our film but that title was not available. Also earlier made a movie titled MOTHER 98 and we didn’t want any connect in the audience’s mind with that. Moreover, we were aware that Boney Kapoor was also making a movie titled MOM. So we felt that MAATR – THE MOTHER was the best for our film.” MAATR – THE MOTHER’s storyline revolves a mother’s love for her daughter transcends everything, taking on the corrupt system & societal impediments. MAATR – THE MOTHER, the producers believe will help create awareness about a heinous crime and some empathy amongst the viewers for rape survivors. In Sridevi’s MOM the actress plays a stepmom in conflict with her 18 – year – old daughter (Pakistani actress) Sajal Aly.

HIMANSH KOHLI SUPPORTS “SAVE GIRL CHILD” INITIATIVE

Himansh Kohli who shot to fame with YAARIYAAN recently walked the ramp for supporting a social cause called “Naari Shakti”. The cause works for spreading the message to save girl child.The actor was the showstopper for designer Kirti Rathore. Speaking about his association Himansh says, “Every girl deserves the right to live the way they want and pursue their dreams. This is my small contribution towards creating awareness for saving the girl child.”

DIANA PENTY SAYS THAT ‘LUCKNOW CENTRAL’ IS A STORY SHE RELATES TO!

Diana Penty, who was last seen in HAPPY BHAG JAYEGI last year, will be seen playing an NGO worker who puts the prisoners on the path of reform in LUCKNOW CENTRAL. The movie produced by Nikhil Advani and marks the directorial debut of Ranjit Tiwari, will see Diana share the screen space with Farhan Akhar for the 1st time. “I met Farhan for the 1st time when we were shooting the look test for LUCKNOW CENTRAL and then when the whole cast came together for a few readings. I had a meeting with Nikhil Advani and when he told me about LUCKNOW CENTRAL in brief, it immediately piqued my interest. The next day I got a full narration of the film and was convinced that this is a story I wanted to be part of. We did a reading the day after. Before I knew it, I had landed the role and was shooting for the look test!” “What makes LUCKNOW CENTRAL special besides its storyline is the coming together of a stellar cast. When you’re in the midst of such fine talent, you’re bound to gain some,” she adds.

NITZ KAKKAR TO LAUNCH NEW SONG “YAAD” WITH CHARLIE CHAUHAN

Nitin aka Nitz Kakkar is an acclaimed singer and has performed at numerous stage events, private events & college festivals. Some of the praiseworthy tracks that he has sung are “Naughty Girl” from Zee music Company, besides “Tere Bin”, “Baarish”, “Bann Meri Girlfriend” & “Aj Fir Teri Yaad”. During the launch of “Naughty Girl”, lyricist Sameer said, “It’s these youngsters’ time. All of these kids are full of talent and only need to be given a chance.” Now, Nitz Kakkar is all set to launch his new song featuring Charlie Chauhan. It’s a sad song, sung & composed by Nitz Kakkar & lyrics penned down by Garima Anand. Charlie Chauhan is a popular television actress known for playing the lead role of Ela in the teen drama BEST FRIENDS FOREVER and also role of Mukti in the popular youth show KAISI YEH YAARIYAAN. She was also seen playing an important role in an anthology series YEH HAI AASHIQUI. Meanwhile, Chauhan started. WAher career with the popular MTV reality show MTV ROADIES 7, and later had also participated in another reality dance show NACH BALIYE 5. Titled as YAAD, the Nitz Kakkar’s song featuring Charlie Chauhan will be out in April this year.

SINGER MOHIT GAUR LAUNCHES
YOUTUBE PROJECT “MOHIT KE STORYSONGS”

The cute & heart throb Singer Mohit Gaur who got fame through Star Plus show INDIA’S RAW STAR and landed in the acting space by the Channel V’s Musical show ISHQ UNPLUGGED. Now the singer / actor Mohit is crooning for his fans as he came with his own YouTube project named MOHIT KE STORYSONGS, where every month he will upload one StorySong, written, composed & sung by him. Till now he has already entertained his fans with his 2 Story songs which are getting huge response from the viewers. He also showcases some amazing engagement practices from his Facebook page via weekly live video chat session #SuperSundayWithMG every Sunday at 9pm. Mohit ensures he responds personally to all his fans criticism & appreciation he receives on his Social media especially on Youtube. Mohit Gaur says, “This year, I am going to follow my dreams of delivering all the songs I have lined up for my fans.”

RONIT ROY INDULGES HIS PHOTOGRAPHY OBSESSION ON ‘SARKAR 3’ SETS!

Ronit Roy who will be seen in SARKAR 3, sharing screen space with Amitabh Bachchan for the 1st time, got to unleash his inner mobile photographer on the sets!. The actor apparently loves clicking candid pictures of his co – stars, and spent much of his free time between shots clicking unusual pictures of Amitabh Bachchan, Amit Sadh and more, from all sorts of angles! As seen in these quirky on the set images, Ronit took many clicks on his unsuspecting co – stars on his personal phone and also indulged in a selfie with Mr Bachchan himself! Says Ronit, “I was very taken in by the set design which transported me to an era gone by. It was quite surreal. Add to that the presence of Mr. Amitabh Bachchan in deep thought. It was quite magical so i wanted to capture those moments for myself to remind me of this when my memory starts failing me!”! Sarkar 3 releases on 7th Apr, 2017.

HOLLYWOOD CALLS OUR DESI GIRL PRIYANKA CHOPRA THEIR MOST BANKABLE BADASS!

The Apr, 2017 cover of Marie Claire International pays tribute to the rebels, risk takers & power players and their unwavering renegade style. And who better than Priyanka Chopra to represent that as she persistently proves that there is truly nothing she can’t do! Referring to her as “Hollywood’s Most Bankable Badass”, Marie Claire features Priyanka Chopra on the cover dressed in a fiery, fierce red ensemble. From presenting at the Oscars & the Emmy’s, to being named as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time Magazine, the country’s highest paid actress with her talent, passion & drive truly exemplified what it meant to be a go – getter. She is now all set to turn on the heat, as the villainess in Baywatch, also starring Dwayne Johnson & Zac Efron. As the film is all set to release worldwide this year, Marie Claire International now touting her as Hollywood’s Most Bankable Badass, holds testimony to how our very own Desi Girl has wowed the Wild Wild West. Referring to her as one of the biggest stars in the world, the Hollywood star welcomed Priyanka to the badass dysfunctional Baywatch family.

SALMAN KHAN & SONAKSHI SINHA ALL SET TO ROCK “DA BANG – THE TOUR”, IN AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND!

Whilst Sonakshi Sinha is gung ho on the release of her next film Noor, she seems even more excited to be travelling for the Salman Khan “Da -Bang – The Tour to Australia & New Zealand, which is clashing with the release dates. Sonakshi considers Dabanng as her gift to her by Salman Khan. Says Sonakshi “No words can describe how special DABANGG is to me and I love live performances so I’m glad that one of the biggest International Tours of 2017 is called “Da – Bang – The Tour”, which is similar to my debut film,, which holds a special place in my heart. If the script has Rajjo in it you can be assured it will be played by me and no one else” She adds “My closest friend got married in Sydney, and now I will be performing there. I love the energy that comes with performing live and am looking forward to the tour in Australia & New Zealand. I enjoy watching the shows of Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, & Justin Bieber. Their production value is always outstanding. I assure you that if the DABANGG Jodi is together again it will be great”

AMIT SADH CAST BY AMITABH BACHCHAN IN ‘SARKAR 3’!

The megastar has added another creative feather in his career cap. It has been revealed that he had a major role to play in Amit Sadh’s presence in SARKAR 3. The talented young star was cast by Mr. Bachchan. It was he who recommended Amit for the character of Shivaji to RGV and that’s when he went to meet RGV! Mr. Bachchan was confident he was best suited for the role. Amit Sadh plays the role of Shivaji Nagre alias Cheeku, the highly arrogant & volatile grandson of Sarkar. Besides Amitabh Bachchan, SARKAR 3 stars Ronit Roy, Manoj Bajpayee, Amit Sadh, Jackie Shroff & Yami Gautam with Rohini Hattangani in titular roles. Well, not everyone gets as lucky as Amit Sadh to be personally recommended by the stalwart himself! Says Amit, “I was extremely pumped when i got a call from RGV Sir’s office to play the character. SARKAR 3 is one of the most exciting films I’ve worked on!! I am very fortunate enough to have worked with Mr Bachchan and it has been a great learning experience!” Amit Sadh’s character in the film seems to have been inspired by Aditya Thackeray.