Showing posts with label Abish Mathew. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abish Mathew. Show all posts
Taapsee Pannu aims to redefine fan engagement with her NFT platform
8:30 PM
BOMBAY TIMES (July 21, 2023)
Taapsee Pannu, the pan-Indian star, believes in engaging in diverse activities. Whether it’s her film choices, the campaigns she supports, or her unfiltered presence on social media, she never fails to charm her fans. Now, to provide her followers with a deeper insight into her life and establish a closer connection, the actress has unveiled her own NFT platform called taapseeclub.com.
The purpose behind launching it is to create a positive platform for her fans worldwide and give them a glimpse into her life. By becoming a member, individuals will have the opportunity to experience being on her film sets, celebrate special occasions with her, engage in interactions and a lot more.
Taapsee has already organized an exclusive event to celebrate her birthday, where well-known comedians like Abish Mathew, Angad Ranyal and Gurleen Pannu will be present along with RJ and actor Abhilash Thapliyal. This event promises to be an unforgettable one, as she will be hilariously roasted on her special day.
Taapsee says, “In today’s cluttered world, it becomes crucial to distinguish the content we share with those genuinely interested in actors and supportive of their endeavours. This helps separate the faceless trolls from the true fans. So, I have decided to launch NFTs exclusively for genuine individuals, providing them with an opportunity to get to know me on a more personal level. I aim to present a distinct social media experience for my NFT members, one that differs from my public presence. As an extrovert who enjoys interacting with people, I find social media to be too toxic for expressing my true self. It is always beneficial to have a close-knit community of individuals who genuinely wish the best for you and contribute to personal growth.”
On the work front, Taapsee has an exciting line-up of projects, including Dunki alongside Shah Rukh Khan.
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Launching her NFTs today, Taapsee says social media toxicity made her want to build a community of positivity; plans to have personalised events with NFT members
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 21, 2023)
Her fans’ love is one of the pillars of her stardom, believes Taapsee Pannu. The actor’s desire to stay connected with them made her join social media early on, even launching her personal app in 2018. Venturing into non-fungible tokens (NFTs) then is a natural progression for her. “I had no support system in the industry. My fans and followers made me a public figure,” she recounts.
But with social media came trolls and negativity. While Pannu initially tried to stay unaffected by the social media hate, it eventually took a toll on her, like it does on most. “Everyone had their own motivations to be on social media, but I wanted to be in a community that gives an honest critique of my work. I don’t want to be around people who take a dig at me and derive pleasure from it. For long, I kept looking away from the dark side. But it was hindering my communication with people who help me grow as a human being. Given the daily pressures, I have no bandwidth to handle toxicity. I want to be in a healthy and positive environment.”
Her pursuit of building a community of like-minded people has made her look towards NFTs, which she is launching today. In the past few years, NFTs—essentially unique digital assets based on blockchain technology— have taken the digital art and collectibles’ world by storm. In the West, many, from Shawn Mendes to Emily Ratajkowski, have jumped on the bandwagon.
“Hollywood actors use social media for work, and NFTs is their way to have personal interaction. I want to take the same route. I will release limited NFTs. I want to keep a controlled community. That way, it will be easy for me to give personalized attention.”
The actor is beginning with member-level NFTs, in which events and activities will be the focus. “The members will be invited to personalized activities. The next round of NFTs will have higher values and stakes. I want them to come and attend shoots with me, and walk the red carpet with me. I am open to the idea of attending members’ birthdays and special days.”
Arjun-Ranveer-Karan weren't our first option, they were our only option-All India Bakchod
9:31 AM
A rowdy, live stand-up act that signed up filmstars for voluntary ridicule, is proof that Bollywood's newly famous are redefining stardom
MUMBAI MIRROR (February 1, 2015)
The definition of a Roast, for those who are aren't adept in the kitchen, changed when the funny men at All India Bakchod released their AIB Knockout online earlier this week. Roast (v): to cook film stars by direct exposure to deeply offensive insults, especially in front of thousands.
The Roast is a tradition that dates back to 1949, where comics invite guests of honour, who are ridiculed publicly. The goal — to have a good laugh.
Last December, the comedy collective founded by Tanmay Bhat and Gursimran Khamba, went down in comic history for hosting the first Roast of its kind in India at Worli's NSCI grounds before an audience of 4,000. Their meat of choice — Bollywood's new breed of actors; Arjun Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Roastmaster, director Karan Johar.
The three celebrities, along with film critic Rajeev Masand, and Roadies producer Raghu Ram joined standup comics Abish Mathew, Aditi Mittal, Tanmay, Gursimran, Rohan Joshi and Ashish Shakya to form the panel of Roasters. What ensued was a slew of insult comedy that spared no one, on stage or off it. Deepika Padukone's (she was in the audience) choice in men; Arjun's academic failure; Karan's sexuality and Ranveer's reputation with the ladies were all up for taking. The result — close to three lakh hits in two days.
Tanmay credits the "overwhelming appreciation" to the stars. "Bollywood's young actors and directors share the sensibility of India's youth; they are good at taking a joke," he says.
The idea to host a Roast happened by chance. "In August, we were discussing the possibility of making a video with Ranveer. I met him at a dance studio where he was practising, and we got talking about the Roast format. He said he was in if we ever did it." That proceeds from the NSCI show, minus venue rental and production cost, went to charity, made it easier," says Vijay Nair, CEO of Only Much Louder (OML), a live music and entertainment conglomerate that handled production. "We weren't just taking their pants off for fun. It was for a good cause," smiles Tanmay.
It was Ranveer who suggested AIB approach Arjun, who agreed instantly. "We wanted Karan Johar to be the Roastmaster because he would lend legitimacy. Besides, he is known for his wit and sarcasm," he continues. Once Johar was on board, the date was set.
What the creative team didn't know was who would turn up in the audience.
Actors Deepika Padukone, Sonakshi Sinha, Anurag Kashyap, Sanjay Kapoor and Alia Bhatt booked a seat each for Rs 4,000. "Stars invited their colleagues and friends, but we had no idea who would turn up," says Tanmay, who calls the gang "just four middle-class kids with no connections". "The three stars weren't our first option, they were our only option".
But, over the last two days since the Roast ambushed the Internet, it isn't being celebrated for its stellar content, but for the ease with which stars are lending themselves to be the butt of jokes.
Bollywood enthusiasts will recall an awards function in 2010, hosted by Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan, where Shah Rukh cracked a joke about actor Neil Nitin Mukesh's triple-barrelled name. It backfired, when Neil snapped (his singer-father Nitin Mukesh was beside him), asking him to "shut up".
In 2013, veteran actor Manoj Kumar filed a criminal case against Shah Rukh and Farah Khan, director of Om Shanti Om (2007), in which the superstar had mimicked Kumar. Khan, who together with brother Sajid Khan, had a made a career of parodying old-school Bollywood, had apologised to the veteran. That sort of move, explains Tanmay, "is to avoid going to jail". AIB couldn't follow the no-holds barred approach of a conventional Roast. "As comedians, we had to find the line. In a conventional Roast, it doesn't exist," he says.
And so, they had to stick to script. The team of six comics wrote all 300 jokes that made it to the show. After thinking of 60 jokes a day for more than a fortnight, they had a bank of 1,000. Following which, it was the question of sifting to stay with the best.
The grammar of a joke means they needed to allow for all permutations and combinations — for instance, jokes that were about Karan, a rebuttal from him, transitions that could mean taking a joke forward later, etc. After the material was ready, it was sent out to the stars for vetting, unlike in a traditional Roast where no one has a clue of what's coming at them. Jokes that a star wasn't comfortable about were deleted; these included those that a star believed would upset someone else in the fraternity. "For the online video, another round of editing was put in place because some stars didn't want all of it going out," explains Tanmay. This included jokes that played on ruling politicians and party.
Of the Roastees, Karan, says Tanmay, encouraged AIB to go all out. "We were surprised when he later said his mother and maasi were going to be in the audience. He was a great sport."
The point of a Roast, he says, is consent. It is not the same as picking on someone on Twitter.
After vetting, the players could prep themselves on delivering humour with comic timing. This made things simpler for Rajeev, for instance, who was nervous about his bit. "I wanted to explore humour, let people see a side of me they usually don't on TV. I knew what they would be going for; being fat, being paid for reviews, etc. I wanted to see how good I was at giving it back to them," he says, adding, "But nothing prepares you for what happens on stage."
What industry observers are asking is if the young stars have, in effect, defanged their critics and hecklers.
The trend was set, say some, by the Alia Bhatt Genius of the Year video which was a game-changer. After becoming the butt of jokes when she wasn't able to name India's President on the rapid fire round in Karan Johar's chat show, in August last year, she collaborated with AIB to silence Internet bullies with a video that showed her taking IQ classes. With self-deprecating humour as tool, the 21-year-old, six-film-old actor, silenced her detractors. It's also likely that no one will joke about Arjun's battle with weight and nepotism after this. "That was a shrewd move," says Rajeev.
Filmmaker and critic, Raja Sen, says, with this, the demystifying of stardom is complete. Other than Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, almost every star is on social media. They are accessible, available to fans, killing the established practice of a star talking to a select few. "There used to be so many holy cows in the industry. This show managed to do away with quite a few. Even if it was scripted and they were all role-playing, this kind of role-playing was important," he says.
But, offering themselves to the mercy of a punch line isn't everyone's choice. When one of the guests met Priyanka Chopra after the Roast, curious if she would have participated, her answer was, no. "Why would I subject myself to this?" she asked. Those who know Shah Rukh and Saif say that the two are game at laughing at others, but they wouldn't enjoy it if the joke was on them. Rajeev agrees that the old guard would rather steer clear.
It's definitely not hurting business, though. "Bollywood has helped open up the scene to a wider audience and more people have discovered the Indian English comedy genre," believes Nair.
While the Roast went off smoothly, to a standing ovation, in fact, the challenge for the AIB team came after.
"A Roast is filthy, offensive, hilarious. The point isn't just to shock but also make people laugh. I expected more backlash, but fans have taken it well, except a few. But then, taking offence is our national sport," says Tanmay.
Audience reaction can be difficult to judge. "For instance, I think Mr Bachchan may have a spectacular sense of humour but the audience might be offended. It's a weird culture where supporters go crazy, saying, 'how dare you!'"
How does one top a show like this? "Mr Bachchan would be a spectacular Roastmaster," is all Tanmay will say.
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