Showing posts with label Khel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Khel. Show all posts
Preity Zinta helped me step out of that darkness-Celina Jaitly
10:57 AM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; November 1, 2026)
Celina Vikram Jaitly’s return to India and back to the film industry has not been without its challenges. After returning to India in October 2025, following the end of her 15-year marriage, she was overwhelmed by the way her life had taken a dramatic turn. She tells us, “Initially, I didn’t even have a place to stay. I was in shock and had almost stopped stepping out.”
It was her friend, actress Preity Zinta, who encouraged her to step out of that difficult phase and begin rebuilding her life. “It was my darling sister Preity, who helped me step out of that darkness and encouraged me to get out, start working again and begin rebuilding my life. I will always be grateful to her for that. She has literally been the wind beneath my wings,” she adds.
After nearly 15 years away from mainstream cinema, Celina is set to return to the big screen with filmmaker Anil Sharma’s period drama Arjun Naga. The actress says the opportunity came at a significant juncture in her life.
“At the beginning of September, I attended an event as a guest of honour alongside Sunny (Deol) sir. Videos of us sitting together went viral. I had worked with him in my second film Khel back in 2003. Anil Sharma sir saw one of those videos and from what I understand, called Sunny sir to ask whether it was me in that picture with him. When he realized that I was back in India, he asked the casting director to get in touch with me,” she explains, adding, “Interestingly, this opportunity came on the very day I officially changed my name to Celina Vikram Jaitly, carrying forward my father, late Colonel Vikram Kumar Jaitly’s name and legacy as a war hero. Working with Anil ji feels like a blessing from both my late parents, as it feels like they are watching over me.”
Set against the backdrop of Dubai’s oil boom in the 1960s and 1970s, the ensemble includes Arjun Rampal, Randeep Hooda, Utkarsh Sharma, and Zarina Wahab among others. “Anil ji wanted me opposite Arjun Rampal, whom I admire so much,” she concludes.
It’s the right time for Hrithik to take Krrish forward-Rakesh Roshan
2:47 PM
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; March 29, 2025)
On Friday, the talking point in the industry was Hrithik Roshan gearing up to make his directorial debut with Krrish 4. In an exclusive chat with Bombay Times, Rakesh Roshan opened up on what led to this decision of Hrithik taking the mantle ahead of India’s beloved homegrown superhero franchise.
On handing over the reins of his most ambitious project to his son, Rakesh Roshan said, “Hrithik has always been on the forefront, right from Koi... Mil Gaya and both the Krrish series. We both have been aligned from the word go. Now is the right time for Hrithik to move ahead and take Krrish forward for decades.”
As the original creator (of the Krrish franchise), the father firmly believes there cannot be a better successor than Hrithik as a director. “Krrish is ingrained in Hrithik, and his vision is of today’s generation. I could not entrust the franchise to a more creative mind than him. He is the best choice to translate our vision to life and that’s why he is directing Krrish. Anytime he wants any suggestion, I’m always behind him. Hrithik, Aditya Chopra and I are all working in unison to make Krrish a memorable experience for our audience,” explained Rakesh Roshan.
Talking about shouldering dual responsibility – that of the leading man and the director, Rakesh Roshan says, “Yes, he will act in the movie and direct Krrish 4. Managing both these tasks won’t be easy, but he can pull it off.”
He added, “Hrithik has been my assistant director for four years for my previous films like Khel, Karan Arjun and Koyla. Also, when I was making Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, Koi... Mil Gaya and Krrish, he was always standing beside me, and we would always take combined decisions. So, it’s not going to be challenging because he knows the demands of filmmaking inside out.”
Vivek Oberoi hires Daniel Craig's trainer for his next Rai
2:16 PM
Vivek Oberoi sweating it out with Daniel Craig's gym instructor for RGV's gangster drama, 'Rai'
Ria Lawrence (MID-DAY; August 22, 2016)
The scene in 2006 James Bond movie, 'Casino Royale', where Daniel Craig emerges from the sea flaunting washboard abs left us drooling. The man behind Daniel's envious physique in that film and 'Skyfall' (2012), Anthony Pecora is now training Vivek Oberoi for two projects — Ram Gopal Varma's 'Rai' based on former don Muthappa Rai, and upcoming web series, 'Khel'.A source says, "Vivek started rigorous training with Anthony last week. The daily workout schedule includes weight training, FTX [fitness exchange] and cardio exercises."
The actor believes that scripts of the two projects have a mass appeal and so, he doesn't want to leave any stone unturned to make his look convincing to the core.
Vivek says, "Both roles are special to me, so I want to ensure that my fans see me in a different avatar. We are spending two hours in the gym everyday; I am enjoying it. The training is on a different level altogether, but Anthony does make the process easier. Now, I know why he is called one of the best in the business."
While he will beef up for Rai, he will be seen sporting a leaner look for Khel. Considering the risks involved in the weight loss-and-gain process, the actor says he is taking due precautions.
I took a David Dhawan film to the cleaners once-Karan Anshuman
7:39 AM
Film critic-turned-director Karan Anshuman admits he'll never write a review again
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 28, 2015)
During his three-year tenure as Mirror's film critic, Karan Anshuman admits he never gave a Salman Khan film a good review. Kick was no exception. But when he greeted Jacqueline Fernandez with a cake which had 'Congratulations for Kick's 200-crore' iced on it, Karan, who makes his directorial debut with the satirical Bangistan, knew he had moved to the other side. "It was my sell-out moment," he agrees. "I will never return to reviewing films again."
"I took a David Dhawan film to the cleaners once. The review went viral. It must have affected the film's business too," he reminisces, saying that when he met David recently, for the first time, he wanted to kill himself. "He is the nicest person I've ever met. If I was to review a David Dhawan film today I'd never write it the way I did."
The former critic insists that he has tried hard to not compromise on all that he had written against in his reviews. "But it's impossible to be idealistic," Karan says. "I've disliked using sound effects to cue in humour but am doing it now because our audiences who're tuned into TV comedy shows expect it. There's no room for subtlety. Many will disagree with several things in the film, but I'm reasonably proud of it. I hope it's a memorable watch."
His script was green-lit by producer Ritesh Sidhwani immediately and though he tried to share with Zoya and Farhan Akhtar his plan on how it'd translate on screen, they were not interested. "They told me to go do my thing in Poland," he laughs.
He, however, found an unexpected brat in Genelia D'Souza who would frequent the sets and remind her husband and the film's hero, Riteish Deshmukh, how Karan had run down his performances in his reviews. "She loves to mess with Riteish's head," he laughs good-naturedly.
Pulkit Samrat plays the parallel lead and Karan admits that when his name came up, he started browsing through his reviews wondering what he had thought of him as an actor. "I realised that I had written paragraphs about his fabulous performances in Bittoo Boss and Fukrey and could trust my own judgement," Karan jokes.
He reveals that initially, he did not like the title Bangistan as he thought it was too quirky and had wanted to set the film in London or New York as he is familiar with both these cities. "The final decision was to go to Poland since it is neutral to all religions. There are around 4,231 religions in the world. I put together the obscure ones for a visually appealing climax. You might spot Darth Vader in there too, that's my religion," he chuckles.
The chuckle is replaced with a frown when you bring up the subject of Pakistan banning his film over one scene in the trailer. "The Indian censors loved it, but the ones across the border had a problem with Aarya Babbar's character measuring the size of his beard. Ridiculous! I hope they see the entire film and realise it's all about choosing your own faith," he grouses.
Towards the year end, Karan will move on to create a 12-episode miniseries, Khel, which will release only online, on an Indian streaming service like Netflix. "It is an intense, tellall sports drama that will take you behind-the-scenes of the IPL," he signs off.
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