Showing posts with label Indonesia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indonesia. Show all posts
Lakadbaggha actor Anshuman Jha meets Chile President Gabriel Boric
8:04 AM
Anshuman Jha explores Indo-Chilean film ties with President Gabriel Boric, eyeing Lakadbaggha 3 and future collaborations
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 11, 2025)
While India and Pakistan have pushed pause on their exchange of art, everyone believes that art promotes unity. On his trip to India, after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, the President of Chile — His Excellency Gabriel Boric Font — made a pit stop in Mumbai to discuss with filmmakers the possibilities of bringing the cultural diversity of Chile onscreen through cinema.
Filmmaker-actor Anshuman Jha met the President and the delegates of Chile, including Carolina Arredondo, the Minister of Culture and Arts, to discuss a cultural exchange via his production house, First Ray Films.
“I have a [background] in theatre, so any cultural exchange through the arts is an exciting endeavour. It is an honour to meet the leader of a nation who wants to encourage exchange and unity through the arts,” shared Jha, who recently wrapped up the shoot of Lakadbaggha 2 in Indonesia — the first official Indian production with an Indonesian sanction.
Sources claim that the delegation also visited YRF Studios. Jha shares, “There are concrete conversations of Pathaan 2 by Yash Raj Films and Lakadbaggha 3 being shot in Chile next year. I hope we help His Excellency’s vision of bringing the beauty of Chile to the world through our cinema.”
In under an hour, I had finished reading Monica O My Darling's script on my phone-Sikandar Kher
11:04 PM
Eyeing Best Supporting Actor: Film gong at mid-day and Radio City Hitlist OTT Awards, Sikandar on being blown away by Monica O My Darling’s story
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; February 11, 2023)
Returning to India after a shoot, Sikandar Kher intended to skim through the script of Monica O My Darling during the flight. But a few pages in, he was sucked deep into the quirky world of Vasan Bala’s neo-noir comedy.
“When I was in Indonesia shooting for a movie, Monica O My Darling’s casting team said Vasan wanted to talk to me. So, we had a Zoom call, he sent me the script, and I requested him to give me 10 days [to respond]. When I was flying back, I opened the script on my phone just to see what [it entailed]. In under an hour, I had finished reading the script on my phone,” laughs Kher, who plays Nishikant Adhikari in the Rajkummar Rao, Huma Qureshi and Radhika Apte-starrer.
On the surface, his character is an entitled, cold-hearted man, but the actor lent wit and irreverence to make him almost likeable. Kher, who has been nominated in the Best Supporting Actor: Film category for the mid-day and Radio City Hitlist OTT Awards, says Bala gave him the freedom to shape his character the way he wanted.
“Vasan ropes in actors who can bring something to the character. He likes to be surprised by his actors. I figured that Nishikant is from a broken family, and is bitter that he has not gotten his due in the company. So, I [lent him an air of] disdain.”
Kher is glad that with projects like Aarya and the Netflix film, he has been able to prove his mettle as an artiste. “I’ve been acting for 16 years. I was hoping that this day would come at some point. [Monica] had a wide reach, and people enjoyed the film.”
Cast your vote for the Hitlist OTT Awards
Sikander Kher has been nominated in the Best Supporting Actor (Male): Film category for Monica O My Darling.
The other nominees are:
- Amit Sial (Qala)
- Anil Kapoor (Thar)
- Gajraj Rao (Maja Ma)
- Naseeruddin Shah (Gehraiyaan)
- Roshan Mathew (Darlings)
There are 16 categories that the public can vote in. Log on to www.radiocity.in/hitlistott to cast your vote.
Voting lines close on February 22.
Jacqueline Fernandez, Elli AvrRam roped in for Lakadbaggha sequel?
8:34 AM
Sources say Jacqueline, Elli roped in for Lakadbaggha sequel; to train in MMA, Krav Maga before film rolls in May
Hiren Kotwani (MID-DAY; January 17, 2023)
Lakadbaggha, starring Anshuman Jha, Milind Soman and Ridhi Dogra, opened in cinemas last week to an underwhelming response. But that hasn’t deterred the makers from beginning work on its sequel. We hear Jacqueline Fernandez and Elli AvrRam are being brought on board for the second instalment of the franchise that focuses on an animal-lover vigilante.
The two actors have been chosen for their martial arts background. A source reveals, “Jacqueline started learning Mixed Martial Arts for Race 3 [2018], and has been practicing it since then. Elli, too, has trained in the form. The sequel will have a heavy dose of action, especially hand-to-hand combat scenes.”
Before the project rolls in May, Fernandez and AvrRam will undergo a month-long training with action directors Vicky Arora and Kecha Khamphakdee. “Beginning in April, they will be trained in Krav Maga. Kecha is a National Award-winning action director with Baahubali 2: The Conclusion [2017], and Ponniyin Selvan: I [2022] to his credit. Vicky and he are planning to take the action a few notches higher from the first instalment,” adds the source.
The central characters from the first edition will be retained in the sequel that will be shot in Indonesia and other parts of south Asia.
I had given up acting; had travelled to Indonesia for six months and lived there-Mrunal Thakur
8:12 AM
Clocking a decade in showbiz, Mrunal Thakur looks back at the time she felt acting was not working out for her
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 10, 2022)
Among the challenges showbiz poses, Mrunal Thakur has struggled against losing hope, too. The actor reveals that it was after she gained fame on TV and wanted to get into films. “I had confidence in myself, but there was a time when I felt it’s not working out,” she shares.
“Many don’t know that I’ve been facing the camera for 10 years now. I started acting in 2012. I gave up at one point, after four-and-a-half years... The fun part is that I gave up, travelled to Indonesia for six months and lived there,” says the Jersey actor, who started off with TV shows like Mujhse Kuchh Kehti...Yeh Khamoshiyaan and Kumkum Bhagya. Thakur was also seen in the 2016 Indonesian show Tuyul & Mbak Yul Reborn.
“I was thinking of how to wipe off that image of a TV actor. It had become a stereotype. Logon ke dimaag mein ban jaata hai, along with a lot of walls — she can’t do this because she did that, she shouldn’t do this because she is doing that. People have these permutations and combinations of assumptions. It’s really disheartening sometimes,” elaborates the actor, whose initial plan was to become a journalist. “But my first and only love was the camera,” she tells us.
It was the 2018 film Love Sonia which turned her career around, as the 29-year-old admits, “I needed to be seen in a character where it’s not someone wearing kilos of makeup to look pretty. It is one of the biggest challenges for an actor — yes, she is pretty, but can she act? It was amazing to work with an international crew and Demi Moore (actor, in Love Sonia). I felt, that was the moment. It was my ticket to Bollywood,” Thakur concludes.
As an actor, I think what works for me is my love for risk taking-Sobhita Dhulipala
8:19 AM
Sobhita Dhulipala, who recently shot for Dev Patel’s Hollywood directorial debut, says this “is the greatest era for potent crossovers in all fields”
Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 17, 2021)
She has a Malayalam film, a Telugu-Hindi bilingual movie, a Tamil magnum opus, a Hindi film and the second season of an OTT show up and coming, but that is not all for Sobhita Dhulipala. “I worked my lungs out for years to be worthy of these opportunities and now that I am here, I choose to pour my blood and soul into it,” says the actor revealing that Hollywood was always on her mind. And, now, we have learnt that she is starring in the Hollywood actor, Dev Patel’s debut directorial, Monkey Man.
“I am happiest when I am creative and this is a very special and passionately made project. As an actor, I think what works for me is my love for risk-taking,” she says.
Talking about the project, Dhulipala reveals, “I had auditioned for it almost five years ago and I got a call back in a few days for a screen test with Dev. I remember, it was on the day I was leaving for the Cannes Film festival with my first film Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016). All these years later and many turns in the journey of the film and our individual lives later, looks like we belonged with each other all along. What appealed to me about the project is that it’s a collaborative spirit, a young and rather eccentric approach to the story and most certainly the people involved.”
With the Coronavirus pandemic last year, the Made In Heaven actor shot for Monkey Man in Indonesia for four months. She states, it was “incredibly wholesome and introspective”. She adds, “Last year was the closest I have been to my own self, my family and my pursuits. I shot for Monkey Man during a global health crisis, which has its share of inconveniences but that aside, I didn’t find my journey during the film particularly challenging or difficult.”
With a number of Indian actors making their presence felt globally, ask her if expectations are a concern and she replies: “It is the greatest era for potent crossovers in all fields. I am too much of a wayfarer to feel bogged down by expectations on any front. It’s a short, short life. Gratitude and passion will light my path,” she concludes.
Even the President of Indonesia chose to go bald after seeing me-Syed Kirmani
8:17 AM
Naturally gifted Syed Kirmani, wicket-keeper of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning team, on his look and the committed Sahil Khattar, who plays him in Kabir Khan’s next
Hiren Kotwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 27, 2020)
Former cricketer Syed Kirmani, who was adjudged best wicket-keeper of the 1983 World Cup, is thrilled about his screen avatar in Kabir Khan’s ’83. In the Ranveer Singh-fronted sports-drama, the 70-year-old veteran is essayed by YouTube sensation Sahil Khattar who, like him, sports a bald pate and routinely experiments with his facial fuzz. “His look is the most accurate among the cast,” Kirmani asserts, adding that even family, friends and fans agree Sahil is definitely “Kiri bhai”.
He admits it’s “difficult to copy someone” and recalls how in their first interaction Sahil told him with great humility, “I cannot even get close to you, but it is an honour to play you on screen.” To help him prep up, Kirmani familiarised the debutant actor with his unique wicket-keeping style and all-natural talent. “In those days, there were no videos to see how different individuals played. We had to watch it live and remember.”
His look was quite the talking point in the 1980s with the wicket keeper being compared to Yul Brynner, the Hollywood superstar, and Telly Savalas, who did the film Kojak, after he went bald in 1981. “Once, I was gardening when three youngsters asked me if I was Syed Kirmani. The next day, all three turned up bald. (Filmmaker) Rakesh Roshan, who used to wear a wig in films, threw it away when he realised that being bald was in vogue. Even the President of Indonesia chose to go bald after seeing me. I’d once grown my hair, but my fans didn’t appreciate it, so I went back to my ‘original’ look,” reminisces the veteran cricketer who, like his team-mates, is looking forward to the film, which is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, Madhu Mantena, Deepika Padukone, Kabir and Vishnu Vardhan Induri, having heard a lot of good things from Sunil Gavaskar who was present at the practice sessions.
Incidentally, the original team of 1983 keeps in touch through a WhatsApp group and Kirmani informs that Balwinder Singh Sandhu, who has coached the actors, keeps them updated on the progress of the film with regular pictures. “The film’s team played on many of the grounds where we did and will the World Cup of ’83 will be revived in everyone’s minds,” Kirmani promises.
Salman Khan to take Da-Bangg The Tour to Africa, Indonesia, Fiji Islands and Malaysia
7:41 AM
As Bharat earns praise in overseas markets, Salman Khan takes Dabangg tour to new territories
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; June 13, 2019)
Banking on the success of his last Da-Bangg The Tour Reloaded, and the subsequent acclaim that recent release Bharat continues to earn, Salman Khan is set to embark on a longer tour this year. With Ali Abbas Zafar's directorial venture performing well in East Africa, Indonesia, Fiji Islands and Malaysia, Khan will apparently enthral his new fan-base at these venues.
A source tells mid-day, "His fans in Africa and Fiji have been requesting that his shows be conducted there and Salman is keen to oblige them. The success of his previous gigs in the US, Canada and New Zealand implies more performances will be conducted. Apart from Salman, frequent collaborators Sonakshi Sinha, Jacqueline Fernandez, Katrina Kaif, Prabhudheva, Maniesh Paul, Daisy Shah and Guru Randhawa are expected to join him this year as well. There may be some new faces too."
Tour managers Sohail Khan Official Entertainment and JA Events are considering places like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, South Africa, Singapore, Nepal and Malaysia. "The team is also working on a Europe tour. Dates are being chalked around the shoot of Bigg Boss 13, which is hosted by Salman. The tours are expected to begin in August."
Anil Kapoor on a vacation with staff to Indonesia, Singapore
8:28 AM
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 3, 2018)
Anil Kapoor, who worked non-stop for 88 days while shooting for three films — Fanney Khan, Total Dhamaal and Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga — has left for a four-day vacation to Singapore and Indonesia. Accompanying the 61-year-old actor on this trip is his staff, who had been travelling with him throughout the erratic schedules.
A source close to the actor reveals, “Anil recently decided to gift a holiday to his manager, spot boy, bodyguard and hair and makeup artist. They left for the trip on Monday which begins in Bandung. He has also briefed them that it is going to be four days of letting their hair down and no mention of work.”
Besides his work commitments, Anil’s entourage had also helped ease the work load during the prep for his daughter Sonam’s wedding with Anand Ahuja in May. “He wanted to thank his staff and decided a holiday would be the best way to do it,” the source adds.
Upon his return to the city, Anil is set to resume work on the three films.
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