tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2363069881232446552024-03-19T01:27:58.083+05:30Fenil and BollywoodFenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.comBlogger48340125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-142340410398434582024-03-18T09:34:00.002+05:302024-03-18T22:56:25.775+05:30It’s just a rumour that Salman Khan, Atlee and I have met-Arbaaz Khan<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="Arbaaz Khan and Atlee" height="720" layout="responsive" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/sallu-atlee-b_e.jpg" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Scada, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: auto; line-height: 0; max-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; vertical-align: middle; width: 712.609px;" width="1280" /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Stating that he has never met Atlee, let alone discussed Dabangg 4 with him, producer Arbaaz says there is time for franchise’s next part</i></div><div><b>Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; March 18, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Dabangg 3 may not have worked wonders at the box office, but fans eagerly await the fourth instalment that will see Salman Khan reprise his role of Chulbul Pandey. A few weeks ago, rumours were rife that the superstar and his producer-brother Arbaaz Khan were in talks with Jawan (2023) director Atlee for the next edition of the cop franchise.</div><div><br /></div><div>Talking to mid-day, Arbaaz, who had helmed Dabangg 2 (2012), cleared the air, stating, “It’s just a rumour that Salman, Atlee and I have met. I’ve never met Atlee in my life. I’ve never seen him, forget meeting him. Until you hear from the horse’s mouth, you shouldn’t believe [the rumours] too much.”</div><div><br /></div><div>So, what is the fate of Dabangg 4? The actor-producer assures that the story of the much-loved cop will be taken forward, but in good time, as both Salman and he are busy with their respective projects. “Right now, both of us are in the middle of our [upcoming projects]. He has [to shoot] a film with Sajid Nadiadwala. Salman is certain that he wants to do Dabangg 4, as am I. We will do it when the time is right.”</div><div><br />Asked if he will return to the director’s chair, Arbaaz says, “I don’t know if I will direct it. I would love to, but it hasn’t been decided yet.”</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-58516321814288511382024-03-18T09:33:00.002+05:302024-03-18T22:56:08.596+05:30Taal was the first time people had heard me be romantic-Sonu Nigam<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="25 years on... why The music of taal still echoes across generations" height="640" picid="5602015" src="https://ht-mint-epaper-fs.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/HT/2024/03/18/HTC_MUMB/HTC_MUMB/5_04/767bb2_707712_3_mr.jpg" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #212529; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", "Liberation Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"; font-size: 16px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" title="25 years on... why The music of taal still echoes across generations" width="492" /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Look who’s turning 25 with HT City! On its silver jubilee, singers who were a part of this 1999 musical masterpiece, which gave us iconic dance and romantic numbers, tell us why the songs from this film remain classics</i></div><div><b>Mimansa Shekhar (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 18, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Back in 1999, Taal, directed by Subhash Ghai dared to dream different by presenting an eccentric love story in a musical format. Starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Anil Kapoor and Akshaye Khanna in lead roles, the movie is considered to have a masterpiece album, composed by A R Rahman. From love ballads to upbeat dance numbers — the album gave unforgettable melodies, written by Anand Bakshi, to all ’90s kids.</div><div><br /></div><div>Every song had a story to tell, for instance, Ramta Jogi’s opening sequence was done by percussionist Sivamani using a beer bottle! The Raga Dance was Rahman’s collaboration with British violinist Vanessa Mae. And who can forget the Taal Se Taal (Western) that gave way to several classical and western dance crossovers.</div><div><br /></div><div>As the film clocks 25 years this year, we speak to some singers who lent their voice for the album that still remains a favourite among all age groups.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #660000;">KAVITA KRISHNAMURTI, ISHQ BINA</span></b></div><div>It was my first time working with Rahman ji and Subhash ji together. Rahman’s technique is different from my mentors Laxmikant-Pyarelal.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even Subhash ji was curious to see how this will work with me. I knew that only certain basic chords will come to my headphones. But Rahman lets you sing in your own way as many times as you want. He would just keep on recording. It’s the wonder of his mixing where he would put something and take out the rest. [Eventually] the song comes out as a miracle.</div><div><br /></div><div>Subhash ji would always give a picture. I knew Ishq Bina Ishq Bina is a decision-making song for the character Mansi (played by Aishwarya). So I couldn’t make it a weak song. Subhash ji is a master of picturization and he put in a lot of effort in making it.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #660000;">SONU NIGAM, ISHQ BINA</span></b></div><div>I had worked with Ghai ji previously for Pardes (1997). He had liked me since then. He wanted to put me in the song Ishq Bina, although my part comes late in the song (after four minutes).</div><div><br /></div><div>If you notice, I had never sung in this kind of reshami awaz before, which stood out. Later, when I was singing a song for Ismail Darbar (composer), he told me, “Sonu, woh Taal wali awaz isse pehle aayi nahi”. He wanted me to sing in that way for something he was composing.</div><div><br /></div><div>So Taal was the first time people had heard me be romantic. It was recorded in Chennai at Rahman’s studio, late in the night as usual. The song is very special to me till date.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #660000;">RICHA SHARMA, NI MAIN MAIN SAMAJHH GAYI</span></b></div><div>This album is not just for listening, it is an academy in itself. And this song became the turning point in my life.</div><div><br /></div><div>Back then delicate voices were in demand, whereas I have a husky, folksy texture. I was always told I don’t have a mainstream voice, and it can’t be used for a heroine. So my voice remained in the background. Rahman also used my kind of voice. Later I got to know that the song featured Aishwarya!</div><div><br /></div><div>This was also a dream come true as I had really wanted to work with Rahman since I saw his name and photo on Roja (1992) or Bombay (1995) film album cover, calling him “new music director”. As fate would have it, Sukhwinder Singh (singer) asked me to come to a studio at 1am. To my surprise Rahman was present!</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #660000;">HARIHARAN, NAHIN SAAMNE TU</span></b></div><div>I got a call from Rahman’s office for the song and Subhash ji also spoke to me. I loved the tune when I first heard it. It was titillating and subtle. Unlike the popular opinion it’s not a soft song; it’s very strong, including the lyrics and tune.</div><div><br /></div><div>After I recorded all of us — Subhash ji, Rahman and I — thought we should give it one more try. So I recorded it again over a couple of days and we nailed it!</div><div><br /></div><div>The lyrics are so beautiful, conversation-like, jaise aap kisi se guftagoo kar rahe hain. I cherish this song.</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-67675821911318641402024-03-18T09:31:00.003+05:302024-03-18T22:55:24.253+05:30I was stuck in the rut of overthinking after Dhobi Ghat-Kiran Rao<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="Kiran Rao: I was stuck in the rut of overthinking after Dhobi Ghat" height="400" picid="5602021" src="https://ht-mint-epaper-fs.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/HT/2024/03/18/HTC_MUMB/HTC_MUMB/5_04/d804e2_707712_5_mr.jpg" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #212529; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", "Liberation Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"; font-size: 16px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" title="Kiran Rao: I was stuck in the rut of overthinking after Dhobi Ghat" width="216" /></div><div><b>S Farah Rizvi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 18, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies has received rave reviews. The project marks the filmmaker’s comeback as a director after over a decade, with her last project being Dhobi Ghat (2011). Explaining the long gap, Rao says, “It’s said that second project is the hardest for a filmmaker or an actor. Pehli film toh ban jaati hai, the real struggle lies when you work on the second one. The pressure builds up due to the expectations people have of you, which doesn’t apply in case of your debut project. I was stuck in the rut of overthinking after Dhobi Ghat.”</div><div><br /></div><div>The Laal Singh Chaddha (2022) producer adds that focusing on personal life also kept her busy. “I had my son (Azad Rao Khan) around the same time (he was born in December 2011). So, all my focus was on my child. But, I did whatever I could on the work front. I was associated with films like Dangal (2016) and Secret Superstar (2017), among other projects. So, it’s not that I was totally out of work all these years,” says the 50-year-old.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rao recalls zeroing in on the story of Laapataa Ladies two years ago. “I have been struggling to write something unique. I have been on a writing spree and have folders full of stories. I am quite hard on myself as a creative person and very conscious of what I associate with,” says Rao.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ask about her upcoming projects, and she says, “Comedy is my favourite genre, so maybe a romantic comedy next.”</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-89465054351180525192024-03-18T09:30:00.005+05:302024-03-18T22:54:37.259+05:30In anger and hurt, I started my own industry, the Bhojpuri industry-Ravi Kishan<div style="text-align: left;"><img alt="Ravi Kishan on ‘starting the Bhojpuri film industry’ out of ‘anger and hurt’" height="219" picid="5602027" src="https://ht-mint-epaper-fs.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/HT/2024/03/18/HTC_MUMB/HTC_MUMB/5_04/30038e_707712_8_mr.jpg" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #212529; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", "Liberation Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"; font-size: 16px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" title="Ravi Kishan on ‘starting the Bhojpuri film industry’ out of ‘anger and hurt’" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>HINDUSTAN TIMES (March 18, 2024)</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Actor-MP Ravi Kishan recently revealed that he did not find easy acceptance in the Hindi film industry — which was what nudged him towards Bhojpuri films. He says, “I was there, thinking that one fine day my sunrise will also come. In the 1990s, Akshay Kumar and all these friends of ours had come (sic). I am from the ’90s lot too. I thought, I am also six feet tall, I have a good voice, a body, but I didn’t get work. I did Army (1996) and Tere Naam (2003)... in addition to several films with Mithun Chakraborty, Dharmendra, but I was not getting a hit.”</div><div><br /></div><div>However, talking to Brut India, he says he didn’t let himself get bogged down: “One fine day, I realized… And in anger and hurt, started my own industry, the Bhojpuri industry. I made myself a superstar there. The country’s audience supported me. And today, one lakh people have found employment in that industry.”</div><div><br /></div><div>He reveals, “I got Rs. 75,000 for a film, out of which Rs. 25,000 I put in action. Whatever I learned from the Hindi film industry, all that training and thought I put into that (the Bhojpuri industry). So people thought that they have got a young hero of their own.”</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-52586728335061513452024-03-18T09:28:00.003+05:302024-03-18T22:54:09.785+05:30My son will learn everything about girls through Big Girls Don't Cry-Nitya Mehra<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="Nitya Mehra. Pic/Yogen Shah" height="720" layout="responsive" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/I-was-told-b_e.jpg" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Scada, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: auto !important; line-height: 0; max-width: 100%; object-fit: cover !important; vertical-align: middle; width: 712.609px;" width="1280" /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Big Girls Don’t Cry creator recalls how most OTT platforms didn’t want to pick up all-girls show despite their glaring under-representation on screen</i></div><div><b>Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; March 18, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Years before she entered the film industry, Nitya Mehra knew one thing for certain—that one day, she would tell the story of her childhood spent in a boarding school. Big Girls Don’t Cry is the realisation of that long-cherished desire. Mehra’s idea took a concrete form during the pandemic, when she gave birth to a baby boy.</div><div><br /></div><div>“I didn’t know when the time would be right to tell this story. When I got pregnant four years ago and was convinced that I was having a girl, I thought, ‘Oh my God! I’m going to leave something for that little girl.’ I had a boy, which is even better because he will learn everything about girls through this show,” smiles the creator-co-director.</div><div><br /></div><div>Big Girls Don’t Cry—starring Avantika Vandanapu, Dalai, Akshita Sood, Lhakyila, Afrah Sayed, Aneet Padda and Vidushi—tells the story of a group of friends in an all-girls boarding school, as they experience sisterhood, rivalries, heartbreaks and discover who they are. To the creator, the series is significant for the simple reason that there are hardly any stories told about young girls.</div><div><br /></div><div>“There are no all-girl stories out there. I am not talking about older girls. There is Four More Shots Please, and I am so happy about that. But where is the story about girls, who are on the cusp of adulthood and navigating their identity? How often do we see authentic representation of school life in India? I don’t want an entire generation of Indian girls saying, ‘Where are shows about us?’”</div><div><br /></div><div>But making the series wasn’t easy. Before Prime Video put its might behind her creation, Mehra shopped it around and heard what served as a glaring reminder of the industry’s gender prejudice. Mehra, who co-directed the show with Sudhanshu Saria, Kopal Naithani and Karan Kapadia, recalls, “I was told, ‘We like it, but just add boys to your story. Make it 50-50 and it will be amazing.’ I was appalled. I thought, ‘Do you not see how unique this will be? You haven’t heard the story of girls; nobody has. The disparity between stories of all-men and all-women is crying out to you loud!’”</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-86702991999848446722024-03-18T09:02:00.009+05:302024-03-18T22:53:44.746+05:30Classics ko aap matt chedhiye, be it in films, food or music-Aparshakti Khurana<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="A FILM ON FOOD WILL BE MY HAPPY HOUR, SAYS APARSHAKTI" crossorigin="*" height="400" src="https://asset.harnscloud.com/PublicationData/TOI/toim/2024/03/18/Photographs/203/18_03_2024_203_011_007_toim.jpg?v=20240318020748" style="background-color: white; border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: LibreBaskerville; font-size: 16px; max-width: 600px; vertical-align: middle;" width="375" /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Riya Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; March 18, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Aparshakti Khurana knows the coolest places to eat, irrespective of the city he is in. A self-confessed foodie, the actor shares he has a list of places that he makes sure to visit whenever he’s in Delhi, Chandigarh or any other city to indulge his tastebuds. During his recent visit to the capital, we took the Jubilee actor – who has lived in the capital in the past – to India Gate, for a walk down the memory lane.</div><div><br /></div><div>He says, "I'd like people to come to India Gate to have barf wali chuski. As a kid, I'd visit my cousins here in Delhi. Yahan aake hum sab picnic karte thay aur ghar se jeera loo, paranthe laake chai ke saath khate thay."</div><div><br /></div><div>Although he had a sore throat, Aparshakti managed to finish a cola ice cream with us. “Yeh toh main tab kha raha hoon jab mera gala kharab hai,” he playfully says.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #660000;">'I WAS IN CLASS IV WHEN I RECOGNISED MY LOVE FOR FOOD’</span></b></div><div>Aparshakti says his romance with food started when he was in Class IV. Sharing an anecdote from his childhood, he tells us, “I clearly remember entering the kitchen and realizing my love for food. It started when my mother gave me besan ki sabzi for school one day. Jab main woh sabzi school le kar gaya, saare dost ladh padhe last bite ke liye. These were my best friends; we always played together, but this group of sportspeople was made up of foodies!”</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #660000;">‘YOU CAN EAT ANYTHING, JUST PLAN YOUR DIET ACCORDINGLY’</span></b></div><div>The actor says he’s willing to charge half his remuneration for a film if he’s ever offered a movie on food. “It will be my happy hour,” he chuckles, dding, “You need to find your happy space in life. Success and satisfaction ussi ko kehte hain when you are happy with your little things. Kon rok sakta hai mujhe chaat ya phir mummy ke haath se bana khaana khane se?”</div><div><br /></div><div>Your diet, we pipe in. “Oh, you can manage. You just need to plan your diet accordingly. My trainer often tells me, ‘We are not aiming for six-pack abs; woh tab karenge jab koi specific project hoga’. Aap mujhe abhi kahenge ki GK jana hai palak patte ki chaat khane, main running karte hua jaunga. That’s the kind of fitness I have. I workout every day, I run or play (football) every day to keep fit,” he says.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #660000;">‘CLASSICS KO AAP MATT CHEDHIYE - BE IT IN FILMS, FOOD OR MUSIC'</span></b></div><div>The Stree actor, however, is quick to share that he abhors viral but bizarre food combos like Maggi milkshake or gulab jamun burger. “I hate such combinations. It’s like recreating and rehashing new songs! Don’t do it! Uske kuch fans hai, following hai, kuch log emotionally attached hai unn legends ke saath. A good fusion is always welcome, lekin creativity ke naam pe hum kuch zyada hi bizarre ho jaate hain. Classics ko aap matt chedhiye – be it in films, food or music.”</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-21171947267409901752024-03-18T08:59:00.003+05:302024-03-18T22:53:09.838+05:30Not theatrics, meaningful content to drive fortunes of film industry<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt=" Not Theatrics, Meaningful Content to Drive Fortunes of Film Industry " crossorigin="*" src="https://asset.harnscloud.com/PublicationData/ET/etmc/2024/03/18/Photographs/010/18_03_2024_010_015_008_etmc.jpg?v=20240317232530" style="background-color: white; border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: LibreBaskerville; font-size: 16px; max-width: 600px; vertical-align: middle;" /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Footfalls in theatres fall by 9% in 2023 on year, but single-screens see higher gross box-office collections than multiplexes as audiences weigh costs</i></div><div><b>Rajesh Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; March 18, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>In the years since the Covid-19 pandemic, shifting audience tastes have given rise to two divergent trends in India's exhibition industry.</div><div><br /></div><div>According to the latest Ficci-EY media and entertainment report, footfalls in theatres (single screens and multiplexes) have fallen by 9% to 900 million in 2023 from 994 million in 2022. But, gross box-office collections (before tax) of single screens and multiplexes expanded 15.3% and 13.7%, respectively.</div><div><br /></div><div>To be sure, the base effect plays a role in the quantum of increase.</div><div><br /></div><div>Still, growth in gross box-office collections of single screens has been higher than for multiplexes. These divergences help explain how audiences are watching content in theatres after the pandemic.</div><div><br /></div><div>More than two years since the re-opening of theatres after the pandemic, footfalls have not touched pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, they were 1.46 billion, sliding to 900 million last year. The cost of going to a movie (not just ticket price) outweighs the cost of buying relatively economical entertainment: streaming and social media platforms. Also, audiences are willing to wait for films to release on streamers (high viewership of Hindi film Animal on Netflix is a case in point) after the theatrical release.</div><div><br /></div><div>This fall in footfalls is compensated by high-ticket prices, which audiences are willing to pay if rewarded either with well-made, big-budget massy films or mid-budget films. Today, with the exception of Hollywood tent-pole movies, the content that works in multiplexes (12th Fail, for instance) is not materially different from what works in single screens.</div><div><br /></div><div>Indeed, a Hindi filmgoer has become more accepting of non-Hindi content, provided it is engaging and entertaining. This is reflected in the box-office collections of southern films. According to the Ficci-EY report, the gross box-office collections of southern films in 2023 were Rs. 5,200 crore. For Hindi films, by contrast, the collections totaled Rs. 5,300 crore. The space for meaningful content, which was considered exclusive fiefdom of multiplexes, has been taken over by streaming platforms (especially YouTube).</div><div><br /></div><div>Hence, going to theatres is no longer a weekend tradition or ritual followed without careful assessment of its effectiveness in delivering worthy entertainment. As loyalties among audiences shift more toward engaging and entertaining content or stories than stardom of stars, the decision to watch films in theatres is formed after considering three things.</div><div><br /></div><div>One is either watching trailers of films. Two: Following films' reviews of trustworthy people. And three: How competing available sources of entertainment - streamers and social media - would fare against a theatrical experience.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, when entertaining massy films were released in 2023, single screens, which were shut for a while due to the pandemic, saw higher collections in 2023 compared with the previous couple of years.</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-19010019724372183172024-03-17T16:03:00.007+05:302024-03-18T22:52:49.606+05:30I hope that creative decisions continue to rest with creators and not marketing teams-Rasika Dugal<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="‘HOPE CREATIVE
DECISIONS
CONTINUE TO
REST WITH
CREATORS’" height="400" picid="5593408" src="https://ht-mint-epaper-fs.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/HT/2024/03/16/HTC_MUMB/HTC_MUMB/5_02/f61b5c_706539_4_mr.jpg" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #212529; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", "Liberation Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"; font-size: 16px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" title="‘HOPE CREATIVE
DECISIONS
CONTINUE TO
REST WITH
CREATORS’" width="360" /></div><div><i>Rasika Dugal is thankful for the ‘luxury of time’ and access to a wider audience base on OTT</i></div><div><b>Sugandha Rawal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 16, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>She’s almost had a second coming in the streaming era, with performances in projects such as Mirzapur, Delhi Crime, Out of Love and the recent Adhura, and Rasika Dugal is excited about the string of projects she has ready to release on the web this year. No wonder she holds the medium as instrumental to her journey.</div><div><br /></div><div>“The films I did earlier had been beautiful experiences and are irreplaceable for me as a performer, but they were largely independently produced/small-budget projects that would invariably get stuck in the distribution bottleneck,” she tells us.</div><div><br /></div><div>That would mean those projects would fail to reach the audiences she thought they were meant for. “I feel the streaming space changed that. It gave actors like me an opportunity to do quality work and also access to a wide audience,” she explains, adding that she is glad about the constant evolution the space is seeing, even if at the cost of the pitfalls of experimentation.</div><div><br /></div><div>“There is so much vying for attention that it is easy for creators to sometimes get swayed by something that gets eyeballs. Despite this, the streaming space stays healthy, competitive and fairly democratic. I am hoping that doesn’t change, and that creative decisions continue to rest with creators and not marketing teams,” she notes.</div><div><br /></div><div>The availability of long-form content to her as a performer helps the 39-year-old explore a character like nowhere else. “I find the long-form format very enjoyable. The script has luxury of time. One has the space to delve into things, spend more time being the part, understand it better and make changes along the way,” she explains.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dugal is also happy about the way OTT projects are steering a change in the way women are being portrayed on screen. “Multiple tracks can coexist and, therefore, characters have an opportunity to be well-etched out. I think this luxury of time in a screenplay has also done a huge service to the number of interesting parts for women,” she ends.</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-31054850238548912632024-03-17T15:59:00.004+05:302024-03-18T22:52:30.676+05:30Homi Adajania turned down Khel Khel Mein remake-Sanjay Kapoor<div style="text-align: left;"><div><div><img alt="Homi turned down Khel Khel Mein remake: Sanjay" height="640" picid="5588730" src="https://ht-mint-epaper-fs.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/HT/2024/03/15/HTC_MUMB/HTC_MUMB/5_04/b33adf_705872_5_mr.jpg" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #212529; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", "Liberation Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"; font-size: 16px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" title="Homi turned down Khel Khel Mein remake: Sanjay" width="288" /></div><div><b>Akash Bhatnagar (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 15, 2024)</b></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Actor Sanjay Kapoor is collaborating with director Homi Adajania for the first time in their latest film, Murder Mubarak. But this isn’t the first attempt that the actor made to work with the director. Ahead of the film’s release, the stars of Murder Mubarak got together for HT City’s Stars In the City, where Kapoor made the revelation of his first ‘failed’ attempt at working with Adajania.</div><div><br /></div><div>During the session, Kapoor remarked that Adajania has been on his bucket list of filmmakers to work with for more than 10 years. He said, “In fact, I wanted to produce a film with him. There is this film starring the great Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor and Rakesh Roshan titled Khel Khel Mein (1975) and I bought the rights for it. I don’t know whether he (Homi) knows, but I told the writer Shibani Bathija that if there’s one person who can make this film, it’s Homi. I approached him through her for the film, [but] he told her very politely that he doesn’t do remakes. But I think I am more fortunate that I got a chance to work with him, now, as an actor.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Kapoor had acquired the rights of Khel Khel Mein a while ago and had announced making a remake in 2012. He planned to start filming for it the following year with fresh faces, but it never took off. However, the rights of the film remain with Kapoor, and he still plans to remake it sometime soon.</div><div>---------------------------------------</div><div>An adaptation of Louis Thomas’ French novel Good Children Don’t Kill, Khel Khel Mein was a story of three college students (Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor and Rakesh Roshan). They play a prank and get involved with a notorious criminal. The comedy quickly turns into an edge-of-the-seat thriller.</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-41271452114074904282024-03-17T15:55:00.005+05:302024-03-18T22:51:57.529+05:30Sunny Deol, Karan Deol to face off in Lahore 1947<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="Papa toh band bajayein: Sunny-Karan to face off" height="400" picid="5588704" src="https://ht-mint-epaper-fs.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/HT/2024/03/15/HTC_MUMB/HTC_MUMB/5_01/e26536_705869_15_mr.jpg" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #212529; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", "Liberation Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"; font-size: 16px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" title="Papa toh band bajayein: Sunny-Karan to face off" width="260" /></div><div><b>Akash Bhatnagar (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 15, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Along with boasting some big names like Aamir Khan as producer, filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi’s next Lahore 1947 will also see the father and son, actors Sunny Deol and Karan Deol collaborating on-screen for the first time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Talking about adding Karan to the cast, Santoshi says, “I always saw promise in Karan. I spoke to Aamir, and he said yes to auditioning him. Karan, too, came out with flying colours. I am confident that he will deliver and will stand strong opposite Sunny Deol [in the role].” So does that mean the two will have a face-off on screen? “Yes,” says Santoshi, adding, “There are some dramatic situations [between the two] in the film.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Santoshi also tells us about papa Deol’s reaction to casting Karan. “Sunny has faith in my abilities as a director to extract a good performance from my actors. It’s important to bring Karan’s potential in front of the audience, so Sunny was very happy,” says the filmmaker.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lahore 1947 also marks actor Preity G Zinta’s return to Bollywood. Having shot with her for 25 days, Santoshi is all praise for her: “Preity is coming back after a gap, and she is a wonderful actor and has performed well.”</div><div><br /></div><div><img alt="Papa toh band bajayein: Sunny-Karan to face off" height="320" picid="5588705" src="https://ht-mint-epaper-fs.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/HT/2024/03/15/HTC_MUMB/HTC_MUMB/5_01/19df5f_705869_15_mr.jpg" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #212529; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", "Liberation Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"; font-size: 16px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" title="Papa toh band bajayein: Sunny-Karan to face off" width="220" /></div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-9673704800029112202024-03-17T15:54:00.004+05:302024-03-18T22:51:28.432+05:30Ibrahim watched Murder Mubarak and said, ‘Aapa jaan, I think you’re looking extremely hot’-Sara Ali Khan<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="AAP SABHI KO
MURDER
MUBARAK!" picid="5584630" src="https://ht-mint-epaper-fs.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/HT/2024/03/14/HTC_MUMB/HTC_MUMB/5_04/e24fc6_705318_1_mr.jpg" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #212529; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", "Liberation Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"; font-size: 16px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" title="AAP SABHI KO
MURDER
MUBARAK!" /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>The cast of the upcoming film entertained fans with juicy tidbits at Mumbai’s first-ever HT City Stars In The City</i></div><div><b>Compiled by Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 14, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>You’ve heard shaadi mubarak, janamdin mubarak and saal mubarak, but hearing chants of murder mubarak ringing out in a room? That’s what happened when the cast of Netflix’s Murder Mubarak, starring Sara Ali Khan, Pankaj Tripathi, Vijay Varma, Karisma Kapoor, Tisca Chopra, Sanjay Kapoor, Suhail Nayyar and director Homi Adajania met the winners of the first-ever Mumbai edition of HT City Stars In The City contest.</div><div><br /></div><div>In conversation with Sonal Kalra, Chief Managing Editor (Entertainment and Lifestyle), Hindustan Times, Homi kicked things off by sharing how he got this “whacky” cast together. “These guys are all a bunch of nuts. It was quite difficult to control them,” he joked and added, “We didn’t even do a table reading, I just chucked them together. For directors, it’s pretty boring to keep watching the same film, but I’ve watched it 30 times and there was always a different character for me to watch.”</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #660000;">‘IBRAHIM CALLED ME HOT’</span></b></div><div>Excited about her character, Sara said, “It’s been a while since I played an urban, glam girl. My brother, Ibrahim (Ali Khan), watched the film and said, ‘Aapa jaan, I think you’re looking extremely hot’. I have a difficult family to impress.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Tisca can’t wait for audiences’ feedback: ”I don’t think they’ve seen me play a character like this that’s semi-comical.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Vijay had the audience in splits. He pointed out that he’s been on a spree of working with the ‘Kapoor khandaan’: “My last few outings were hectic for the audience, I played twisted men. But I got to act with Bebo (Kareena Kapoor Khan) in Jaane Jaan (2023), now Lolo (Karisma’s nickname), of course Alia (Bhatt, actor) in Darlings (2022). I am doing tambola with the Kapoor family!”</div><div><br /></div><div>Glad to be a part of a multi-starrer after many years, Karisma said, “The way of working has changed. We didn’t have table reads or bound scripts. Here everybody knows exactly what they are doing. The last multi-starrer I acted in was Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999).”</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #660000;">A game to reveal secrets</span></b></div><div>A round of ‘True or False’ left their fans clutching their sides, while the cast also revealed some juicy secrets — Tisca grew up in Kabul, Afghanistan; Homi is a trained diving instructor, but the most shocking information was Pankaj having spent time in jail. “Main ek hafta jail mein tha. Criminal nahin, student leader tha, aur politics mein jail jaana achhi baat hai,” he responded, cheekily.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #660000;">FANS ASK, STARS ANSWER</span></b></div><div>The fans got an opportunity to ask a few questions to their favourite actors. As a part of the filmy parivaar, Sanjay was asked if they talk films at home as well, to which he responded, “Filmwale film ki hi baat nahi karte. I talk about education with my children, health, too. But like any normal family, our conversations are about normal things too.” Suhail feels like a kid in a carnival as he gets to work with his on-screen heroes. “When I saw Sanjay sir, I recited his dialogues from Luck by Chance (2009) and when I saw Dimple Kapadia ma’am, I said, ‘Ma’am aapne jo film mein frustrated kutti bola na...’”</div><div>-------------------------------------------------</div><div>It’s been a while that I played an urban and glam girl. It’s not something I associate myself with. I’m the kind of person who would rather leave her hair jhalla and go out in a salwar kameez.</div><div>- Sara Ali Khan</div><div><br /></div><div>My last few outings were hectic for the audience, I played twisted men. But I got to act with Bebo (Kareena Kapoor Khan) in Jaane Jaan (2023), now Lolo (Karisma’s nickname), of course Alia (Bhatt, actor) in Darlings (2022). I am doing tambola with the Kapoor family!</div><div>- Vijay Varma</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-74525458836536890072024-03-17T15:52:00.005+05:302024-03-18T22:50:46.257+05:30Since I’ve come to India, I’ve tried to keep up with Bollywood. I’ve watched Street Dancer 3D-Ed Sheeran<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="I WOULD
LOVE TO
COMPOSE
A SONG FOR
BOLLYWOOD" height="320" picid="5584559" src="https://ht-mint-epaper-fs.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/HT/2024/03/14/HTC_MUMB/HTC_MUMB/5_01/7daa98_705313_12_mr.jpg" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #212529; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", "Liberation Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"; font-size: 16px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" title="I WOULD
LOVE TO
COMPOSE
A SONG FOR
BOLLYWOOD" width="257" /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>In a candid chat with HT City, singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran talks about his love for India and his wish to try some desi food</i></div><div><b>Shweta Sunny (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 14, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>It’s the third time Ed Sheeran is visiting India, for his culminating concert of +–=÷× (The Mathematics Tour) Asia tour on March 16 in Mumbai, and he still feels excited! The singer-songwriter reveals, “Every time I come back here, it feels more exciting. It wasn’t until 2015, when I came here for the first time, that I realised people really like my music here. Now, it’s clear that India is my biggest market.” </div><div><br /></div><div>When asked if he follows Bollywood, the 33-year-old tells us, “The first time I came here, I met quite a lot of people from Bollywood. Since I’ve come here, I’ve tried to keep up with it. I’ve watched Street Dancer 3D (2020). Usually, I watch Bollywood films when I am travelling on a plane.” </div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, most of the singer’s Indian fans are interested in knowing if he would be composing a Hindi film song. To this Sheeran says, “I would love to compose a Bollywood song. I’m meeting people this week to discuss that. Your culture is so vibrant and fun. So, I’d love to be involved.” </div><div><br /></div><div>While Sheeran had planned to perform in other Indian cities along with Mumbai, it couldn’t work out this time. “I think we’ll come back and do Delhi and Bengaluru next time,” shares the Perfect hitmaker, who is in the bay for a week ahead of his performance at the Mahalaxmi Race Course ground on Saturday. He’s been making the most of his visit by going a local school, where he jammed to Shape of You with the kids. </div><div><br /></div><div>On Tuesday night, he went to a Mumbai-based club with singer Armaan Malik. A viral video showed the two grooving to the latter’s Telugu hit Butta Bomma (Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, 2020). </div><div><br /></div><div>For any international musician visiting India, exploring street food is a must. Sharing the same feelings, Sheeran says, “That is the one thing that I’m going to do this week. I’ve got a few friends who are Indian chefs. They are going to tell me where to go.”</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-51331653428295694942024-03-17T15:50:00.003+05:302024-03-18T22:50:15.904+05:30Outfits being reworked; Ranbir Kapoor's Ramayan pushed to mid-April<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="No costumes, no katha" class="articlePageImgBlk" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/ranbir-salli-nitesi_d.jpg" style="background-color: black; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Scada, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: auto; line-height: 0; max-width: 100%; object-fit: contain; vertical-align: middle; width: 712.609px;" title="No costumes, no katha" /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 15, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>From late last year, filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari has been working towards one goal—of taking the Ranbir Kapoor-led Ramayan on floors in March. A fortnight into the month, the ambitious retelling of the epic has yet to roll. A bit of digging revealed that the shoot has apparently been pushed by a month. Reason? We hear the costume and art departments need some time to perfect the outfits and sets respectively.</div><div><br /></div><div>After a look test was done on the primary cast in February, the makers felt they needed to revisit the costumes. A source says, “The costumes were authentic, but felt lacking in terms of scale and grandeur. Additional costume designers, who have worked on mythological offerings, were hired last week. The outfits should be locked by March 25.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Given the epic’s significance in Indian culture, Ramayana—which also stars Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Raavan—is easily the most anticipated project. After Adipurush (2023) was met with criticism, Tiwari decided that he wouldn’t kick off the shoot until he is happy with every aspect.</div><div><br /></div><div>“It has to be loyal to the spirit of the epic. The set too will have some minor changes, and the film will roll sometime between April 12 and 15.”</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-18774800869582367962024-03-17T15:49:00.002+05:302024-03-18T22:49:50.679+05:30As Andaz Apna Apna's rightful owners, we have to be careful about taking it forward-Priti Sinha<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="Andaz kiska kiska?" class=" articlePageImgBlk" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/aamir-salman-ansaz-a_d.jpg" style="background-color: black; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Scada, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: auto !important; line-height: 0; max-width: 100%; object-fit: contain !important; vertical-align: middle; width: 712.609px;" title="Andaz kiska kiska?" /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>While Andaz Apna Apna director Santoshi scripts sequel with Aamir-Salman in mind, producer’s family asserts film’s rights rest with them; shares plans to make part two on their own</i></div><div><b>Upala KBR (MID-DAY; March 16, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>In November, it will be 30 years to Andaz Apna Apna (1994)—the madcap comedy that introduced us to the happy-go-lucky duo Amar and Prem, to Crime Master Gogo’s “ghagra” and Teja’s “mark”, and an amateur kidnapping plan. It’s not surprising that even today, fans are rooting for a sequel to the Aamir Khan and Salman Khan-led comedy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Director Rajkumar Santoshi and the family of the late producer Vinay Sinha, too, have often expressed interest in making a second instalment. Now, we hear that the director has begun writing the sequel with his original leading men in mind. But there’s a catch—the film’s rights rest with the late Sinha’s children, Namrata, Amod and Priti.</div><div><br /></div><div>In 2022, Santoshi had mentioned to mid-day that he had a concept for the sequel to the cult classic. Sources say the filmmaker, who is currently directing Aamir’s home production, Lahore, 1947, is simultaneously writing the comedy. This is at odds with the plans of the Sinha family, who, in 2019, reportedly intended to take the brand ahead with stars from the current crop.</div><div><br /></div><div>A source reveals, “In 2019, rumours were rife that the producers wanted to make Andaz Apna Apna Reloaded with Ranveer Singh and Varun Dhawan. While their characters were to be named Amar and Prem, they were to have completely different backgrounds and the story would have no relation with the 1994 original. At the moment, the makers are treading cautiously on the matter. They are undecided whether they want to rope in Aamir and Salman with a top director at the helm, or cast gen-next stars. Regardless, it’s certain that Santoshi cannot make a sequel without the Sinhas’ go-ahead.”</div><div><br /></div><div>When mid-day reached out to Priti, she asserted that only the family can take the brand forward, with a director of their choice. “Andaz Apna Apna is a legacy film, and as its rightful owners, we have to be careful about taking it forward. Talks of a sequel have been happening [within my team] for a long time. When it happens, we’ll proudly announce it with everyone,” she said.</div><div><br /></div><div>The family is planning to celebrate the movie’s 30th anniversary. “Last year, we launched the Andaz Apna Apna memorabilia website and this year too, there’s an idea to celebrate the anniversary of this cult classic.”</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-65547346562762088982024-03-17T15:46:00.007+05:302024-03-18T22:49:05.118+05:30Rakul Preet Singh, Neena Gupta to play domestic help in Ameeri<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="Slaving for the haves, and the have-lots" class=" articlePageImgBlk" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/neena-rakul_d.jpg" style="background-color: black; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Scada, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: auto !important; line-height: 0; max-width: 100%; object-fit: contain !important; vertical-align: middle; width: 712.609px;" title="Slaving for the haves, and the have-lots" /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>With Rakul and Neena-led comedy Ameeri examining the rich-poor divide, sources say actors play domestic help to Chunky and Simone’s snooty couple</i></div><div><b>Upala KBR (MID-DAY; March 15, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Last November, it was heard that Rakul Preet Singh and Neena Gupta were set to collaborate on a comedy, although details of the project were scarce at the time. Now, mid-day has found out that the film, tentatively titled Ameeri, is a sharp look at the rich-poor divide in society. The slice-of-life comedy sees Singh and Gupta play domestic help while Chunky Panday and Simone Singh portray an uber rich couple.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ashish R Shukla, who previously directed the popular thriller series Undekhi (2020) and Richa Chadha-led Candy (2021), has helmed the Sunir Kheterpal production. We hear the project went on floors in Alibaug last November and was wrapped up in February.</div><div><br /></div><div>A source reveals, “It’s a wild, fun movie that examines the glaring difference in the lifestyles of the rich and the poor. Simone and Chunky play a snooty, powerful married couple from the upper crust of society in a metropolis, while Rakul and Neena play their disgruntled, underpaid domestic help. After being continuously mistreated by their employers, the two decide to take matters into their own hands and change their situation. Hilarity ensues as the two classes clash against each other. Through its tongue-in-cheek humour and laughs, the movie notes how amid the constantly widening social divide, the elite turn a blind eye to the needs of the underprivileged.”</div><div><br /></div><div>The film is said to be an adaptation of a 2009 Panamanian satire that struck a chord with Kheterpal, who felt that the theme would resonate with the Indian audience. The source adds, “Ameeri has everyday incidents that Indian viewers across different strata will relate to. While Neena ji and Chunky have always been known for their comic timing, Rakul and Simone have matched them spark for spark.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Currently, the cast—also including Anant V Joshi, who was seen in Kathal and 12th Fail (2023) —are dubbing their portions, after which the team will release a teaser sometime in May. We hear the makers are planning a theatrical release in the second half of 2024.</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-64352371970055588992024-03-17T15:45:00.003+05:302024-03-18T22:45:41.343+05:30Sara Ali Khan and I finished the hot scene and went back to goofing around immediately-Vijay Varma<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="Vijay Varma: Never imagined we could have sizzling chemistry" class=" articlePageImgBlk" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/Murder-Mubarak_d.jpg" style="background-color: black; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Scada, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: auto !important; line-height: 0; max-width: 100%; object-fit: contain !important; vertical-align: middle; width: 712.609px;" title="Vijay Varma: Never imagined we could have sizzling chemistry" /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Teaming up with Sara for the first time on Murder Mubarak, Vijay says their on-screen passion is at odds with their goofy equation off camera</i></div><div><b>Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 14, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>A crafty whodunnit with many suspects—that’s Murder Mubarak for you. But director Homi Adajania has also woven an unrequited love story in it. His win lies in the casting of Vijay Varma and Sara Ali Khan as the star-crossed lovers. For the director, it was important to bring two actors, who have not been seen together, and play on their chemistry.</div><div><br /></div><div>He says, “Their characters have an intense backstory. They play childhood sweethearts grappling with an unrequited love story. Often, the anticipation of making or professing love is sexier than the act itself, and the characters constantly find themselves in this state.”</div><div><br /></div><div>The two actors make for not only a fresh on-screen pair, but also a fascinating creative collaboration as they hail from dramatically different schools of cinema. Khan, who plays Bambi, a wealthy girl about town to Varma’s human rights activist Akash, credits her co-star and director for making it look so easy. </div><div><br /></div><div>“Working with Vijay was a privilege. He is an effortless actor and brings so much spontaneity to every scene. It wasn’t difficult to have chemistry with him because of the ease that Homi sir created on set. The chemistry that people are appreciating is just us trying to do justice to what Bambi and Akash feel for each other. As soon as we heard action, we’d go from being Vijay and Sara to Akash and Bambi.”</div><div><br /></div><div>After Dahaad (2023) and Jaane Jaan (2023), Varma hopes to continue his dream run with the Netflix film. He says shooting for the murder mystery, based on Anuja Chauhan’s book, Club You to Death, was a riot. “On paper, it is a simmering, unspoken romance. But on set, Sara and I were always cracking jokes and goofing around. So, I never imagined that we could have sizzling chemistry.” The actor was surprised by the intensity of one of their sequences.</div><div><br /></div><div>“During one passionate scene, Sara was so deep into her character, she pulled me in as well and we gave a hot take. Only when two actors share a comfortable bond and let go of their inhibitions can they create passion. We finished the hot scene and went back to goofing around immediately,” he laughs. </div><div><br /></div><div>The film also stars Karisma Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Dimple Kapadia, Tisca Chopra and Sanjay Kapoor.</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-15031103709100672532024-03-17T15:43:00.008+05:302024-03-18T22:45:11.992+05:30I ask filmmakers whether they are waiting for me to die so that they can talk about how I wasn’t used enough-Ashish Vidyarthi<div><img alt="Head to Ashish Vidyarthi's stand-up comedy in Andheri on March 31" class=" articlePageImgBlk" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/Ashish-Vidyarthi_d.jpg" style="background-color: black; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Scada, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: auto !important; line-height: 0; max-width: 100%; object-fit: contain !important; vertical-align: middle; width: 712.609px;" title="Head to Ashish Vidyarthi's stand-up comedy in Andheri on March 31" /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Recognized most as a villain, actor Ashish Vidyarthi unleashes his first ever stand-up comedy act on us</i></div><div><b>Gautam S Mengle (MID-DAY; March 17, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>This writer’s first brush with actor Ashish Vidyarthi was watching him play menacing gangster David in the Suniel Shetty-starrer Bhai. The role was a refreshing break from the rampant over-the-top-bordering-on-comical villains of the ‘90s, and the local don sent shivers down many a spine. After a career comprising over 300 films in 11 languages—most of them negative roles—the veteran is acting funny. Literally. He’s trying stand-up. A comfort with “rootlessness” lies at the heart of Vidyarthi’s desire to try out a new art form at 57 years of age.</div><div><br /></div><div>We are at his Goregaon residence, and he fusses over our comfort while figuring the best angle for the photojournalist. “I throw roots wherever I go,” he says. “I love to stride in and try out new things. I started with theatre in Delhi, moved to Hindi movies, then tried my hand at South Indian cinema. I’m a hunter-gatherer.” The exact moment his interest in comedy awakened was when he signed up for the on-going web series Sunflower, a dark comedy.</div><div><br /></div><div>“After a lifetime of mostly negative roles, I found myself enjoying a comic role and thought, why not do something here? That led to the next thought: Don’t wait for it to happen. As actors, we keep waiting for roles to come our way. I always ask filmmaker friends whether they are waiting for me to die so that they can talk about how I wasn’t used enough,” he says, breaking into a throaty laugh. Thought led to action, and he wrote the script, and zeroed in on the venue.</div><div><br /></div><div>“It’s a fledgling space,” says the Vittal Kaniya from Mahesh Manjrekar’s Vaastav. “They just started having plays. It’s a very personal trip, and is largely observational. Much of the material is about how the old perceive the young, and vice versa. I told my son and he was gung-ho. I told him he’s in some of the jokes; he just laughed and said, ‘go ahead’. I also talk about myself. And there are no curse words.” </div><div><br /></div><div>Ask him about preparation, and he responds that he’s experience with performance and the spoken word. “When I say I’ve written the piece, I actually just jotted points down and spoke them. I’ve been practicing in front of my team a lot.” We discuss whether it is necessary to use unparliamentary language in stand-up comedy… a debate as old as the art form itself. “It’s low-hanging fruit,” says the gentleman. “We’re all filled with inhibitions and when someone breaks them, it feels good. I find it unnecessary. It [foul language] can be used, I have no problem with it, but I don’t want to.” </div><div><br /></div><div><b>WHAT:</b> Sit Down Ashish </div><div><b>Where:</b> Veda Kunba Theatre, Andheri West </div><div><b>When: </b>March 31, 7 PM and 9 PM </div><div><b>To Book:</b> bookmyshow.com</div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-45173359063571021402024-03-17T15:42:00.003+05:302024-03-18T22:44:51.607+05:30At one point, we were in the zone of sex comedies. But it didn’t resonate with me at all-Divyenndu<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="Look who’s having the last laugh" class="articlePageImgBlk" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/Madgaon-Express-ia_d.jpg" style="background-color: black; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Scada, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: auto; line-height: 0; max-width: 100%; object-fit: contain; vertical-align: middle; width: 712.609px;" title="Look who’s having the last laugh" /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Divyenndu relieved to find a well-written laugh riot in Kunal-helmed Madgaon Express after years of saying no to sex comedies</i></div><div><b>Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; March 14, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>For someone who began his career with the buddy comedy, Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011), and followed it up with Chashme Baddoor (2013), Divyenndu took more than a decade to say yes to another comedy. But now, aboard Madgaon Express, the actor has returned to his home turf.</div><div><br /></div><div>What made him give his nod to Kunal Kemmu’s maiden directorial venture? “After a long time, I read a well-written comedy script that made me feel I had to do it,” he smiles.</div><div><br /></div><div>Starring Pratik Gandhi, Avinash Tiwary and him, Madgaon Express revolves around three friends whose dream holiday in Goa soon turns into a series of misadventures. A comedy relies as much on the actors’ timing as on the director’s vision. Divyenndu says he lucked out on both counts.</div><div><br /></div><div>Praising the first-time director’s clarity of vision, he says, “When I first read the script written by Kunal, I could see the film clearly. I felt he had a deep understanding of what he was doing. When I met him for a narration, the film became so clear that I felt even I can direct it now!”</div><div><br /></div><div>Sharing screen space with Gandhi and Tiwary was another high. “Since we are trained actors, we come with a set of principles of acting. For comedy, you need a good co-actor. Once we started doing the readings, we saw that the comedy between us was effortless.” </div><div><br /></div><div>Like his fans, Divyenndu too is happy about his return to laugh-riots. If he stayed away from the genre in the past, it was for two reasons. “The scripts weren’t that good. At one point, we were in the zone of sex comedies. But it didn’t resonate with me at all. Also, I wanted to explore other genres. Initially, people would tell me, ‘Why are you saying no to comedies? Make that your home ground.’ I’d tell them, ‘It’s the easy way out, but I don’t want that.’”</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-56389439980007489222024-03-17T15:40:00.004+05:302024-03-18T22:44:29.698+05:30Asha Bhosle was overwhelmed; she hugged me and started crying-Sandeep Singh<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="Sandeep Singh: ‘Asha tai said if she was younger, she’d play Jijabai’" class=" articlePageImgBlk" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/asha-family_d.jpg" style="background-color: black; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Scada, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: auto !important; line-height: 0; max-width: 100%; object-fit: contain !important; vertical-align: middle; width: 712.609px;" title="Sandeep Singh: ‘Asha tai said if she was younger, she’d play Jijabai’" /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Sandeep Singh on roping in the legendary singer’s granddaughter Zanai Bhosle for his directorial debut The Pride of Bharat—Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj</i></div><div><b>Upala KBR (MID-DAY; March 17, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Earlier this week, filmmaker Sandeep Singh announced that he was launching Asha Bhosle’s granddaughter Zanai Bhosle with his next, The Pride of Bharat—Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Zanai will essay the role of Shivaji’s wife Rani Sai Bhosale in the biopic. What makes Zanai perfect for the role is the fact that she is a descendant of Shivaji’s royal family.</div><div><br /></div><div>Singh says, “Everybody looks for a star, but I wanted somebody who would become a star. Sai Bai was the mother of Sambhaji Bhosale, Shivaji Raje Bhosale, and died at the age of 25. Zanai and Asha Bhosle share the same lineage. That’s why Zanai is perfect for the role of the most favourite wife of Shivaji Maharaj.”</div><div><br /></div><div>When Singh went to watch the legendary singer’s show, Asha at 90, on March 9, he saw Zanai performing. That’s when he decided to sign her. “I told [emcee RJ Anmol] to announce my name on the stage as I wanted to sign her for my movie. I called Zanai and Asha tai on the stage, and told Asha tai that I wanted to sign her granddaughter for my directorial debut. Zanai broke down on stage; after the show got over, even Asha tai was overwhelmed; she hugged me and started crying.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Asha and Singh’s friendship dates back to 2006, reveals the director. It’s an equation that was born from their shared love for music and food. “She makes a mean mutton curry, and always puts extra ghee in my rice,” Singh laughs.</div><div><br /></div><div>Naturally, the singer is completely involved in her granddaughter’s debut movie. “She called me at home this week for a brief discussion. When I told Asha tai that Ranveer Singh is on my wish-list to play Shivaji, she was happy. She told me that if she was younger, she would have played Shivaji’s mother Jijabai’s role. She added, ‘Agar tumko lagta hai, toh main abhi bhi kar doongi!’ We all started laughing, but we appreciated her passion.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Before Singh takes The Pride of Bharat—Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on floors by year end, Zanai will undergo thorough prep that will include diction classes and script workshops. The filmmaker is planning to release the biopic on February 19, 2026 to coincide with Shivaji Jayanti.</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-88355231646778972162024-03-17T15:38:00.008+05:302024-03-18T22:43:53.716+05:30Ae Watan Mere Watan will cast Sara Ali Khan in a new light-Alexx O'Nell<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="Alexx O’Nell in Ae Watan Mere Watan" height="720" layout="responsive" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/sara-afp-march-b_e.jpg" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Scada, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: auto; line-height: 0; max-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; vertical-align: middle; width: 712.609px;" width="1280" /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Alexx O’Nell, who plays the antagonist in Sara-led Ae Watan Mere Watan, on how director Iyer fictionalised his character of a ruthless British officer</i></div><div><b>Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; March 17, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Alexx O'Nell was terrified as he read about his character, British officer John Ayre, in Ae Watan Mere Watan. But the character’s impactful nature was also a sign for him to say yes to the part.</div><div><br /></div><div>“When casting director Gautam [Kishanchandani] sent me some scenes, I was terrified and also in love with this character. He is immaculately dressed and clinical. With that clinical precision and quiet strength, he is doing some horrible things,” says the actor, who plays the antagonist in the Sara Ali Khan-led historical drama.</div><div><br /></div><div>The upcoming Prime Video offering chronicles how freedom fighter Usha Mehta established the underground radio station, Congress Radio, during the 1942 Quit India movement. While Khan essayed the real-life freedom fighter, director Kannan Iyer made O’Nell’s character fictional, a personification of the collective dark consciousness of the British Raj.</div><div><br /></div><div>“This guy was created to personify the dark intellect, result-oriented nature of the British Empire. There were few people, who were running the administration for the British, but it was the largest strength in those individuals. Also, since it was a fictional character, I had the freedom to interpret him the way I wanted to.”</div><div><br /></div><div>The actor, who was recently seen in Aarya (2020), Khufiya (2023) and Dhanush-starrer Captain Miller, says his experience on Ae Watan Mere Watan was enhanced courtesy his co-star Khan.</div><div><br /></div><div>“I know Sara Ali Khan has an image of being more of a star than an actor. But this film will cast her in a new light. We didn’t joke a lot on this one because it was an intense shoot. Maybe someday, we’ll collaborate on a comedy,” he laughs.</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-6796421473647797222024-03-17T15:24:00.009+05:302024-03-18T22:43:34.326+05:30Shoot of Tamannaah Bhatia's film at JJ Hospital stopped despite NOC<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="Mumbai: Film shoot at JJ hospital stopped despite NOC" class="articlePageImgBlk" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/Film-shoot_d.jpg" style="background-color: black; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Scada, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: auto; line-height: 0; max-width: 100%; object-fit: contain; vertical-align: middle; width: 712.609px;" title="Mumbai: Film shoot at JJ hospital stopped despite NOC" /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Was abruptly halted by Ministry of Medical Education citing 2005 advisory to stop shooting at govt hospitals</i></div><div><b>Shirish Vaktania (MID-DAY; March 14, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>The shooting of a new film starring actress Tamannaah Bhatia was stopped at JJ hospital on Wednesday afternoon after the Minister of Medical Education Hasan Mushrif issued a stay order. The shooting was scheduled to take place for approximately 10 days on the hospital premises. In 2005, the state government’s health officer had advised against filming inside government hospitals.</div><div><br /></div><div>The production house told mid-day that it had obtained all necessary permissions from the Health Ministry and a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the police station. However, it suffered significant losses after the shooting was abruptly halted by hospital authorities in the afternoon. Subsequently, the production team packed up equipment at the site and is now waiting to regain the permission.</div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking with mid-day, Mushrif said, “We received information that a film shoot was taking place at JJ hospital, and we immediately informed the hospital management and dean to stop it. We also sent a letter to the hospital to stay the permission they had granted. We are currently investigating who gave the permission to the production house for the shoot.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, JJ hospital Dean Pallavi Saple said, “We had received letters from the health department and a NOC, and based on these documents, we granted permission for the shoot. Actress Tamannaah Bhatia was present with her team, shooting for an upcoming film. On Wednesday, we received a letter from the health ministry ordering a stay on the shoot. We immediately informed the production team and halted it.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Mateen Khan, the location manager for the production house, told mid-day: “We obtained permission from the health department and also an NOC from the police. Suddenly, on Wednesday, we received a letter from the hospital authority stating that we were not allowed to continue shooting. We have incurred a significant loss of Rs 1.5 crore-Rs 2 crore. We had created a set of a courtroom and other scenes at JJ hospital. We carried out our work with all the necessary permissions.”</div><div><br /></div><div>In 2004, some scenes for the film ‘Bunty Aur Babli’—starring Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan—were shot at St George’s Hospital. During the shoot, patients were disturbed and complained to the authorities. Subsequently, in 2005, the former director general of health services, Dr Subhash Salunkhe advised against filming in government hospitals. As a result, several Bollywood directors sought permission to shoot at Cama hospital in 2006 but were denied.</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-69127867012626833872024-03-17T15:16:00.005+05:302024-03-18T22:40:41.874+05:30Waqt aa gaya hai; Shah Rukh, Salman and I should work together now-Aamir Khan<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt=" Waqt aa gaya hai; all three of us should work together now: Aamir" crossorigin="*" height="400" src="https://asset.harnscloud.com/PublicationData/TOI/toim/2024/03/16/Photographs/217/16_03_2024_217_008_004_toim.jpg?v=20240316121331" style="background-color: white; border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: LibreBaskerville; font-size: 16px; max-width: 600px; vertical-align: middle;" width="375" /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; March 16, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Fans of the Khans – Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman – may soon have a huge reason to rejoice. During an Instagram Live interaction with his fans on his birthday (March 14), Aamir revealed that the trio discussed the possibility of a collaboration, when they met at Jamnagar, recently.</div><div><br /></div><div>At Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s recently held pre-wedding festivities in Jamnagar, the three Khans came together on stage and grooved to the RRR song Naatu Naatu – a video of which went viral.</div><div><br /></div><div>The video also had the trio performing the hook steps of their own hits. Aamir Khan during an Insta Live interaction on Thursday, “Mujhe bhi lagta hai ki hum teeno ko ek film karni chahiye. Hum log jab saath mein thay — Shah Rukh, Salman, aur main — hum log baat bhi kar rahe thay ki apne careers mein hum teeno ko koshish karni chahiye ki hum ek film saath mein kare. Hamare liye bhi aur audiences ke liye bhi. Yeh thought hum logon ko aaya. Ab dekhte hain kya hota hai. Achhi kahani aayegi toh hum log zaroor karenge. All three of us are very keen to work with each other. It’s been quite a while now. Ab humko karna chahiye. Waqt aa gaya hai."</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-22800424594593156972024-03-17T15:11:00.007+05:302024-03-18T22:40:09.719+05:30As long as I have the strength and my mind is working, I’d like to make movies-Shyam Benegal<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="‘As long as I have the strength and my mind is working, I’d like to make movies’" crossorigin="*" height="400" src="https://asset.harnscloud.com/PublicationData/TOI/toim/2024/03/15/Photographs/202/15_03_2024_202_026_011_toim.jpg?v=20240315093559" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: LibreBaskerville; font-size: 16px; max-width: 600px; vertical-align: middle;" width="297" /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; March 15, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Shyam Benegal, 89, the filmmaker who’s the director behind several National Award-winning feature films, numerous documentaries and short films, released his twenty-third feature, Mujib: The Making Of A Nation in 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div>Talking to us about how he is still passionate about making films, Benegal says, “As long as I have strength in my limbs and my mind is working, I would like to make movies. I have a lot of subjects, but you see when you make a film, you are making it with somebody else’s (producer) money. So, naturally, if people still trust me at my age to make a film, I would love to do it.”</div><div><br /></div><div>In his repertoire that spans 60 years, Benegal’s work has been conferred with several National Awards and the veteran filmmaker was also honoured with titles like Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ask him if he’s satisfied with all the accolades he won in his career, and he says, “All these acclaims have only thrilled me. But the fact is that there are different times in your career. Ultimately, as you grow older you want to make films that satisfy you. It might not necessarily satisfy everyone else, but when it does satisfy everyone including you, then you feel blessed.”</div><div><br /></div><div>The filmmaker, known for films like Ankur, Manthan, Zubeidaa, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero among others, feels that some of his socially relevant films, couldn’t garner the kind of attention that he expected them to.</div><div><br /></div><div>He explains, “I haven’t made any films that I did not enjoy making. Those films may have collapsed and disappeared, but that didn’t make any difference to me. When I was filming them, I just loved the whole experience. I feel that most of the films I made didn’t work, but then that is how it is.”</div><div><br /></div><div>For Benegal, films have always been beyond a source of entertainment. “I cannot separate the individual stories from the sociological circumstances. If I take it out, then I would not be true to the subject. A film is not a mere poster. It is not just unidirectional, but a part of the whole historical circumstance and as a story has connections to the past, the future and the present. It’s only then that it comes to life,” he explains.</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-48959694267503121782024-03-17T15:10:00.003+05:302024-03-18T22:39:36.672+05:30Shabana Azmi lists her five special films from her 50-year career<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt="‘I don’t like directors showing me how to act; one has to inspire, not imitate’" crossorigin="*" height="640" src="https://asset.harnscloud.com/PublicationData/TOI/toim/2024/03/15/Photographs/201/15_03_2024_201_014_011_toim.jpg?v=20240315093559" style="background-color: white; border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: LibreBaskerville; font-size: 16px; max-width: 600px; vertical-align: middle;" width="483" /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Natasha Coutinho (BOMBAY TIMES; March 15, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Five decades in the movies – and what a glorious journey it has been for Shabana Azmi. “But then, acting can’t be taught in 15 days or a month, that’s not even touching the tip of the iceberg. The greatest resource for an actor is life itself. Getting into the world of the character is not an easy task, just learning your lines is not enough,” she says.</div><div><br /></div><div>It’s a 50-year career marked with several milestones, from winning a National Award for her debut in Ankur (1974) to choosing to play a queer character in Fire (1996). Here are five movies from her 50-year career that she exclusively spoke on during an hour-long chat.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #660000;">ANKUR (1974): ‘I TOLD MY MOTHER THAT IT WAS LIKE SHOOTING A SATYAJIT RAY FILM’</span></b></div><div>I had started shooting for Faslah and Parinay, but it was Shyam Benegal’s Ankur that was my first release (Shabana won the Best Actress National Award). I was an urban, city-bred girl who spoke English and had never gone to a village. Then, Shyam Babu got Lakshmi’s costumes ready and we started working on what her gait would be like. It was interesting working with Shyam Benegal and I told my mother that it was like shooting a Satyajit Ray film. We went to the Berlin Film Festival and it was so glamorous. We got special treatment because Satyajit Ray’s film had been screened there in the past and were widely appreciated. Richard Dreyfuss and I were announced as the talented newcomers. The journey afterwards was a dream, and I was lucky as I faced no struggle.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #660000;">ARTH (1982): 'EVEN TODAY PEOPLE TELL ME THAT THE FILM CHANGED THEIR LIVES’</span></b></div><div>One could give up an arm or a leg for my role in Arth. Mahesh Bhatt and I were friends and he excited me as a director. It’s like he would press a button and I would become the character. When the film released, people said it was nice, but objected to the ending – how could a woman not forgive her husband when he was apologizing? We said that we had made the film with that specific ending in mind and thank god for that! I won the National award, and it was a big hit. Even today people tell me that the film changed their lives and gave them courage. It was a small-budget film and many of the clothes I wore were my own. It didn’t have a bound script and kept developing even as we were shooting. One day, I was shooting for another film and Bhatt asked me to come over for 10 minutes. When I reached, he started shooting the important telephone call scene, with just one technical rehearsal. I started trembling, but today I’m glad it turned out that way and I did not over-prepare.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #660000;">MANDI (1983): ‘I VISITED THREE BROTHELS TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD OF THE FILM’</span></b></div><div>There was no question of saying no to Shyam Benegal and I gave 40 days for Mandi. My secretary was baffled and told me that I could’ve finished more films in that time. Most people on set were from FTII or NSD and we had a great time. Smita and I were given cars, but we gave it up to travel by bus with the others. Ila Arun would keep us entertained with her songs. I visited three brothels to understand that world. Faaroq Shaikh took me to Peela House and I noticed the girls were not garishly dressed; they wanted to look like film stars. Amrita Singh’s mother Rukhsana Sultana took me to GB Road, Delhi, that had tawaifs. Shyam Benegal took me to Heeramandi, where the madam asked one girl to perform on Dil Mein Tujhe Bitha Ke (from Fakira, that stars Shabana opposite Shashi Kapoor). Afterwards, she went back to being the person she was, a woman who had to support a family of eight. Pankaj Kapur had one scene but Shyam Babu would like the actors to be around. So he built a volleyball court and a carrom space so that we wouldn’t get bored.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #660000;">FIRE (1996): ‘IT WAS NANDITA DAS’S FIRST FILM BUT SHE HAD THE COURAGE TO SPARKLE’</span></b></div><div>People still talk about Fire. It was Nandita Das’s first film but she had the courage to sparkle. We shot in a small house in Lajpat Nagar in Delhi and I knew there would be different reactions. People would be disturbed and overwhelmed, as these subjects were generally shoved under the carpet. The final confrontation between the characters played by Kulbhushan Kharbanda and me, where I talk about desire, was memorable. Deepa (Mehta) described my character as a ‘centred woman’ and for me, that’s when the penny dropped in my head. I don’t like directors showing how to act; one has to inspire the actor – not make them imitate. Having said that, the director is the most important person on the film, it’s their vision. But actors get more credit because we are on camera.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #660000;">ROCKY AUR RANI KII PREM KAHAANI (2023): ‘KARAN JOHAR WOULD SAY ‘TRUST ME’ AND I WAS HAPPY TO SURRENDER’</span></b></div><div>Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani was a very different world for me. Karan Johar would just say ‘trust me’ and I was happy to surrender. Karan has kept up with the times and also wanted to bring in the world of Yash Chopra. The film raises such important points on gender roles. On one side I was playing Jamini and on the other side I was shooting for R Balki’s Ghoomer, I was also shooting for Shekhar Kapur’s What's Love Got To Do With It? In the same period.</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-236306988123244655.post-38841352380032025892024-03-17T14:58:00.003+05:302024-03-18T22:38:58.091+05:30Even today a woman is dependent on her husband to buy the tickets for a theatrical film-Ekta Kapoor<div style="text-align: left;"><div><img alt=" Post-pandemic, it is difficult to make a woman-led film: Ekta " crossorigin="*" height="640" src="https://asset.harnscloud.com/PublicationData/TOI/toim/2024/03/14/Photographs/203/14_03_2024_203_010_006_toim.jpg?v=20240314110757" style="background-color: white; border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: LibreBaskerville; font-size: 16px; max-width: 600px; vertical-align: middle;" width="442" /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; March 17, 2024)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>One of the sessions held at FICCI Frames this year celebrated women’s contribution to the world of films and television. Talking about how it is difficult to back stories headlined by female actors, producer Ekta Kapoor, known for films like The Dirty Picture, Veere Di Wedding and Thank You For Coming, who was a part of the panel discussion, said, “I am making a film about three women and there are so many people who ask if people will go to theatres to watch a film about women. TV has always been about women, with men doing smaller roles, but in films the commerce changes.”</div><div><br /></div><div>She further added, “I feel that is mainly because even today a woman is dependent on her husband to buy the tickets for a theatrical film. And after the pandemic, it has become far more difficult to make a film led by women because a film with a big male star is where the commerce works.”</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #660000;">‘It is time to stop putting people on a pedestal’</span></b></div><div>Sharing what urged her to make the kind of films that she does, Ekta Kapoor explained, “We should stop dividing women into bad and good. Women should not try to fit into a particular category. Nobody should be judged. I remember coming across many women who refused to do things because they would be judged as bad women, and this inspired me to make bad-girl stories. It is time to stop putting people on a pedestal. They need to just be.”</div></div>Fenil Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13524163233404936143noreply@blogger.com0