Showing posts with label Kutch Express. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kutch Express. Show all posts
You can be strict, but you cannot yell at a woman-Manasi Parekh
11:15 PM
Kanksha Vasavada (BOMBAY TIMES; March 12, 2026)
“For me, women’s safety isn’t a debate—it’s the bare minimum,” says actor-producer Manasi Parekh recently on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
Speaking about her experiences on film sets, she points out that basic facilities for women technicians are still often overlooked during outdoor shoots. During the filming of Kutch Express, the team consciously hired women for key roles such as director of photography, production designer and costume designer. “But representation is only half the battle,” says Manasi.
“Infrastructure is equally important. Providing separate, private toilets and safe spaces for women, especially during their periods, is a fundamental necessity that should never be up for debate,” she adds.
Manasi believes the issue runs deeper than logistics. “We face a deep-seated cultural challenge regarding authority. When a man gives instructions, they are accepted without hesitation. But when a woman is in charge, she is far more likely to be questioned,” she says, adding that many technicians and labourers are simply not used to female leadership.
To address this, Manasi ensures the tone is set early. “I hold briefing calls with the entire crew to establish clear boundaries and a zero-tolerance policy for disrespect,” she says.
At her office, there is also a firm rule about conduct. “You can be strict, but you cannot yell at a woman. When leadership sets the example, the rest of the unit follows,” she says.
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‘Women are judged for everything’
Beyond the workplace, Manasi says women today are navigating a new challenge — constant online scrutiny. “Women are judged for everything, from their walk to their age,” she says. Reflecting on women’s enduring role in society, Manasi says, “When women are given the power to express themselves, they make the world better.”
Led by Aattam, South Indian cinema walks away with top honours at National Awards
9:10 AM
Best Director Award For Barjatya Marks Bollywood’s Presence
Manash Gohain (THE TIMES OF INDIA; August 17, 2024)
New Delhi: Southern cinema grabbed centerstage winning a clutch of major awards in the 70th National Film Awards. The best feature film award went to the Malayalam movie “Aattam: The Play”, while Rishabh Shetty received the best actor award for the Kannada hit “Kantara.” Best actress prize was shared by Nithya Menen for the Tamil film “Thiruchitrambalam” and Manasi Parekh for the Gujarati movie “Kutch Express”.
Sooraj R Barjatya (Hum Aapke Hain Koun) seized the best director award for “Uunchai”, marking Bollywood’s presence among the top categories. Nina Gupta received the best supporting award for the same film while Pavan Malhotra, known for his riveting performances in films such as Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro and Bagh Bahadur, earned the supporting actor award for Haryanvi film, Fouja.
The jury members presented the list of winners for 2022 to Union I&B minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday.
Malayalam cinema led the charge, winning eight awards, including for best child actor, best screenplay, and best editing. Overall, 20 south Indian films bagged awards a cross various categories in the feature film segment. In the feature film category, out of the 24 awards, excluding the sub-category of best feature film in each language, 20 awards were shared by Malayalam, Haryanvi, Kannada, Gujarati, Tamil, and Bengali movies. Only six awards were bagged by three Hindi films, with two being shared with other regional language movies.
“Fouja” won two other awards: best debut film by a director for Pramod Kumar and best lyrics by Naushad Sadar Khan.
The award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment also went to a non-Bollywood film, the Kannada blockbuster “Kantara”, which explores the intricate connection between humanity and nature through its folklore-based storytelling. Rishabh Shetty played the dual roles of a father and son in this film.
The top honour, the best feature film “Aattam: The Play”, directed by Anand Ekarshi, revolves around a theatre troupe and the changing dynamics after its only woman member alleges she has been groped by one of the men.
The best female playback singer award went to Padma Shri awardee “Bombay” Jayashri Ramnath, a champion of Indian Carnatic music, for the track “Chaayum Veyil” from the Malayalam film “Saudi Vellaka CC 225/2009” (Saudi Baby Coconut CC.225/2009), which also won the best Malayalam film award.
A R Rahman won the National Film Award for best music director (background music) for his work in Mani Ratnam's ‘Ponniyin Selvan-Part 1’, which was also named the best Tamil film. Pritam got the award for best music director (songs) for ‘Brahmastra-Part 1’.
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Rishabh Suri, Mugdha Kapoor, Soumya Vajpayee, Yashika Mathur, Akash Bhatnagar (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 17, 2024)
I was not expecting it: Manoj
It’s Manoj Bajpayee’s fourth National Award and this time it’s a Special Mention for the actor for the film Gulmohar (2023). We break the news to him, and he exclaims, “Wow! Best Hindi film too! I must call my director (Rahul V Chittella) right away. I was not even expecting an honour. He is deserving of it, as he made such a beautiful film.” Bajpayee feels grateful that his work is getting recognised now: “There have been performances and films that went unrecognised.”
I am still processing it: Manas
Manasi Parekh, who bagged the Best Actress award for Kutch Express (2023), says, “I am shooting for my new film, and got a message from (actor-filmmaker) Anand Tiwari: ‘Congratulations on the National Award’. I exclaimed, ‘What!’ I am still processing it, I can’t believe it.” The actor looks at the award as a vindication for her hard work: “I love what I do. What makes this win sweeter is that my husband and I produced Kutch Express. I want to do the best work and make the best of films.”
Kantara is a tribute to our land: Rishab Shetty
Rishab Shetty, who won Best Actor for Kantara (2022), with the film also winning the Best Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment award, tells us exclusively, “The win feels overwhelming. I wanted to bring authenticity and a raw portrayal of our heritage. The film is a tribute to our land and the deep-rooted stories that have been part of our cultural fabric for many years, true to the essence of the Kannada culture. I’m thankful to the Daiva for their divine blessings and dedicate this award to the Daiva Nartakas.”
This feels so special: Pritam
Pritam Chakraborty, who won the Best Music Director award for BrahmÄstra: Part One – Shiva (2022), says, “This feels so special. I am really grateful to the jury. I want to thank the makers and everyone who was associated with the movie for their support and trust in me. But, most importantly, a big thank you to the audience for their love to our music.”
’This is such an auspicious day’
“I didn’t know that the National Awards were going to be announced today!” says director Chandoo Mondeti, whose film Karthikeya 2 won the National Award in the Best Telugu film category. Mondeti also tells us how he heard of the win after a friend called to congratulate him. “It is such a happy day for us. Karthikeya 2 is a very special film. This is such an auspicious day,” the filmmaker beams, adding that celebrations will follow right away: “It is such great news for me and everyone associated with the film.” This is Mondeti’s first ever National Award.
Like a pat on the back, says Pavan Raj Malhotra
Actor Pavan Raj Malhotra, who won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in the Haryanvi film Fouja, says, “This is my second award, and it feels really good. I remember the first time around, there used to be a rehearsal before the main ceremony without the President and I was wondering how to greet him. Suddenly, I uttered the words ‘Jai Hind’ and it was perfect. This kind of recognition is what every artiste works for. It’s like a pat on the back and as far as I know, these awards are not manipulated. Fouja is actually close to my heart as it is about the desire to join the army; it is a great honour to be a part of the Indian Army. I don’t know how much of an impact this might have, but I have been working for 40 years now. If you keep working and doing what you like, these awards just make you feel appreciated.”
Ratna Pathak Shah has poor tolerance to false notes while performing. She won’t let you lag in a scene-Viraf Patell
8:06 AM
Penning film that marks Ratna Pathak’s Gujarati debut, Viraf Patell says actor made his job easy
Hiren Kotwani (MID-DAY; December 31, 2022)
Following a 12-year journey in front of the camera, The Verdict — The State vs Nanavati and Bestsellers actor Viraf Patell is expanding his horizons as a writer. His maiden Gujarati film, Kutch Express, marks the first venture in the language that actor Ratna Pathak Shah will be part of. It also features Manasi Parekh in a woman-centric drama that sees the female protagonists tackle patriarchy.
It is owing to Parekh — who is co-producing the film with her husband — that Patel made his foray into Gujarati cinema with this venture that releases on January 6. “She asked me to test for it as an actor, and they eventually got me on board. Only when we had a reading session with all the actors did I get a sense of the whole script.”
When shoots were suspended due to the pandemic, he had the chance to mull over the screenplay. “We put in several hours over Zoom, and came up with a revised draft. Kutch Express is about being courageous.”
Referring to Pathak as the master on the set who was “a source of wisdom and joy,” Patell says, “Ratna ben has poor tolerance to false notes while performing. She won’t let you lag in a scene. The most important thing I learnt from her was that it is not enough to be good in a scene. The scene works if your co-actor also performs magically. Her interest lies in getting the entire scene right, not her performance alone.”
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