Satish Kaushik, newly-appointed chairperson of the governing council for projects under Haryana Film Policy, wants to improve the exhibition sector too
Hiren Kotwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 9, 2019)

Actor-director Satish Kaushik has been recently appointed as the chairperson of the governing council for projects under the Haryana Film Policy. This development is very satisfying for the Bollywood veteran who has produced a Haryanvi film, Chhoriyan Chhoron Se Kum Nahin Hoti, helmed by his assistant Rajesh Amarlal Babbar and released earlier this year in March.

Kaushik who has his roots in Danaunda village of Haryana’s Mahendragarh district, had been on board for the drafting of the policy from the onset. Pointing out that the state has come to the forefront in entertainment after the success of films like Dangal, Sultan and Tanu Weds Manu Returns, the new chairman is optimistic that they will be able to attract more filmmakers to the state with subsidies and incentives, as well as single window clearance for filmmakers, be it from the municipal corporation, roads, traffic or the police. Diljit Dosanjh’s Soorma and Rajkummar Rao’s Turram Khan have also been shot in the Northern state.

Kaushik points out that from the sports and architecture point of view, there are many heritage structures and places where films can be shot. “And the visual impact of the places you see in movies will make you want to visit them too. This will promote tourism and as more films are made in Haryana, a lot of people will get employment too,” he reasons.

The filmmaker rues that not only are lesser films being made in Haryana, even the exhibition sector is weak as there are not enough theatres. “Improving and increasing screens is on the agenda. We’ll set up a committee to look into distribution and exhibition,” he promises.

Kaushik goes on to say that there is ample talent in the state that is being nurtured through theatre in Rohtak and Hisar. “We already have a film institute in Rohtak and now want to set up a Film City in Haryana too, for which we are open to a partnership with a private firm,” he says, adding that that with its proximity to Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, there is abundant scope.

Actor supports a campaign against drug abuse, which will kick off at educational campuses across the country
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; February 10, 2019)

Actor Sanjay Dutt has been extremely open about the fact that he fell prey to drug abuse in his youth and has often spoken about it on various forums. He had even told BT in an interview that he would like to do something to uproot drug addiction from India. The actor plans to be a part of a nation-wide tirade against drug abuse for which, events are being organised at educational campuses in Chandigarh and Hisar on February 18 and 19 respectively.

At the event, Sanjay will share his experiences with drug addiction, how it negatively impacted his years as a young man, and how weaning off it helped him gain a new perspective on life. Sonakshi Sinha, Parineeti Chopra, Badshah, Sonu Nigam, Kapil Sharma and Varun Sharma will also engage with 25000 students on the campuses on each of the days, to dissuade young people from drug addiction.

Students present at the campuses, as well as another one crore students across hundreds of other educational institutions in the country will be able to watch this event through a live broadcast, and take a pledge to fight drug abuse. The plan is to follow this up by a road show featuring the celebrities.

The foundation of the activity was laid in 2016 after Sanjay was released from Yerwada Jail. His friends, producer Ajay Arora (Bittoo), lyricist Montoo Bassi and filmmaker Mahavir Jain had a conversation about the growing problem amongst the Indian youth. A year ago, they decided to approach Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Bengaluru to seek a way forward.

Not only did the guru explain the brevity of this problem in our country today, but also decided to help them make the fight sustainable throughout the year and ensured that it reaches the grassroots. Gradually, the spiritual leader’s close associates set up special clubs across college campuses in the country for awareness training amongst the youth. These clubs will comprise students, teachers, doctors and social workers who will spread the word against drug abuse and help addicts seek rehabilitation. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and his close associates are planning to guide the students at the event as well.

When we reached out to Sanjay, he confirmed the development and said, “I have experienced the menace of drugs first hand. I know the havoc it creates and so this cause is close to my heart. The aim is to make this campaign India’s largest. It’s very easy to get sucked into drug abuse, but very difficult to get out of it. It all starts when minds are young and impressionable. We have to firmly tell youngsters that drug abuse is not cool. That’s why we want to reach out to the youth of this country and spread the word through campuses.” The actor seems to have taken on this as a mission and he signs off saying, “Na karunga na karne doonga.” 

Second round of prep for Saina biopic to focus on building stamina and match choreography
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 25, 2018)

Dialogue writer Amitosh Nagpal (of Hindi Medium and Gulaab Gang fame) had shared a few days ago, “Saina’s script is locked and a new journey begins.” Confirming the development, director Amole Gupte, who has been working on the Bhushan Kumar-produced biopic on badminton ace Saina Nehwal, reveals that the pre-production work on the project is in full swing. Next up, the filmmaker will start conducting workshops with his leading lady, Shraddha Kapoor, closer to the film’s first schedule in September.

“From here on, it will be a road map for Shraddha’s badminton training, part one of which is already over in terms of her understanding of Saina’s style on the court, her grip on the racket and the ground. Saina’s style is very different from her contemporaries and we have a research team that has closely watched every match played by her. Also, since Saina is from Hisar and her family continues to use the Haryanvi dialect in conversations with each other, we got Amitosh on board who was born in Haryana and has written the dialogue wherever the Haryanvi twang was required. Amitosh will guide Shraddha with the dialogue delivery too,” informs Amole, who has been working on the film since August 2015.

Shraddha, whose first round of prep for the biopic had begun in June last year and lasted a few months before she got busy with other projects, including the Prabhas-starrer Saaho, will resume work with a focus on strengthening stamina on the court and match choreography. “From here onwards, it will go to the level of sustainability and work on the muscles to avoid injuries as we progress. Fortunately, Shraddha’s physical training for Saaho has come in handy for us,” Amole says.