Showing posts with label Latur. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Latur. Show all posts
The most exciting part is all of us going to Latur on Diwali; we travel by train-Genelia Deshmukh
3:45 PM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; November 7, 2026)
Genelia Deshmukh, who grew up in Mumbai and is married to actor Riteish Deshmukh, looks forward to the festive season for a reason that has now become a cherished family tradition — their annual trip to Latur, Riteish’s hometown in Maharashtra. The couple, who have two sons, Riaan and Rahyl, make the journey with their extended family, turning the celebrations into an occasion for the children to reconnect with their roots.
Talking about what Diwali looks like every year, Genelia says, “The most exciting part is all of us going to Latur. We’re going to spend one week there. Every year we take the train, so all the cousins can travel together.”
‘Pehli anghol is the most fascinating part of Diwali’
The festivities begin with rituals that are deeply rooted in tradition. “We land there and have the first bath, which we call the pehli anghol. That is the most fascinating part because all the boys sit there in their shorts sitting and the girls apply the utna. It’s made at home, so the whole night goes into preparation. Honestly, for us, Diwali is very homely affair. It’s also the time when I break my diet. We have all the faral, junk and chatpata food. I don’t enjoy sweets as much,” she says.
For Genelia, the trip is also a reminder of how different childhood experiences can shape a family. While she grew up in the city, Riteish would often tell her about the freedom and joys of his childhood in Latur. Today, she sees those same experiences unfolding for their children. “The openness of a field — something as simple as being able to run on a field, climb trees — is pure joy for them. As parents, we are so much more relaxed. You don’t need to tell them to eat more because they are hungry after running so much,” she says.
‘I love wearing Paithani saris’
Embracing tradition also extends to what she wears during the festive season. The actress has a special fondness for the traditional Maharashtrian paithani sari, which she sees as a cherished part of her festive wardrobe. “I remember talking to my mother-in-law about it because she has such a wide variety of saris. When I asked her about them, I learnt so much. I love wearing a paithani and I think my children will learn about it by seeing me wear it. I think it will help them carry it forward to the next generation,” she says.
‘My children get to experience the best of both worlds’
Genelia admits that she initially struggled to understand what Riteish meant when he spoke about having the best of both worlds. “I always said that I was a city girl. Riteish used to keep telling me, ‘I’ve had the best childhood.’ I would ask him…what do you mean? I’ve also had the best childhood! He would say, ‘I would get the mix of both — city life and village life (in Latur)’. Today, I understand what he meant because my children are getting a chance to experience that.”
I grew up bursting crackers, but for my kids, it’s always about ‘Aai, we shouldn’t cause pollution’-Riteish Deshmukh
8:17 AM
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; October 23, 2022)
This year, Bollywood is celebrating Diwali in full swing and the excitement is palpable. Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh, who have been soaking in the festive spirit at various Diwali Bollywood parties, say, “Diwali is the essence of India as it’s a culturally and traditionally strong country. This year, the festival is going to be more exciting as compared to the muted celebrations in the last two years of the pandemic. In fact, even people from our film fraternity have opened their homes. We have been to a couple of pre-Diwali parties at their homes in the last few days.”
Diwali, for the Deshmukhs, however, is a sign to head to their favourite place — their hometown in Latur. Riteish shares, “Having a big family is a bonus in many ways. The fact that we go from Mumbai to Latur to celebrate this festival in our village makes it even more special. It’s just us — no work, calls and parties. Those three-to-four days are spent with family and kids. We are three brothers, and each one takes a day to do something special with the kids. So, this is a nice time when the Deshmukhs and Genelia’s family celebrate it under one roof and the kids have a blast.”
Genelia and Riteish feel that the significance of Diwali is a lot different today. Genelia says, “Initially, the festival was more about crackers, food and parties, especially while growing up. However, today, it’s family-oriented, rooted and cultured. We look forward to this festival because it is about going home, going through the farms, meeting people, making rangolis and indulging in sweets and faraal. To be precise, Diwali to us means our home, our village, family, traditions and customs.”
What has also changed over the years is the way they celebrate the festival of lights. Genelia shares, “Our kids (sons Riaan and Rahyl) are actually our conscience and have taught us more. Even the step to go eco-friendly came from them. I grew up bursting crackers, but for my kids, it’s always about ‘Aai, we shouldn’t cause pollution’. Even while choosing our car, I remember them going to Riteish and telling him, ‘Baba, we should have an electric car because it doesn’t add to the pollution’. So, I think the whole thought is something our kids taught us, and we follow it with them. Honestly, I think that today’s generation is quite aware, and they want to do the right thing all the time, which I think is beautiful. During Diwali, no matter how small or big it is, we try to recycle the decorations like sheets of paper to make little diyas and rangolis. It’s these little things that add up to the beauty of the festival.”
Talking about the little joys of life that the festival brings along, the couple says, “We have always taught the kids to value their little gifts. It’s more about significance vis-à-vis noise.”
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‘DIWALI IS ALSO ABOUT PASSING ON TRADITIONS TO THE KIDS’
At the Deshmukh household, there are certain traditions that Genelia prefers to execute on her own, like the decorations, applying ubtan and pehla paani. “Cleaning the house is followed as a ritual before Diwali, and I look into it personally. There is a lot of thought and preparation that goes into gearing up for the festival. For us, it’s also about passing on a few traditions to the kids and getting them involved in little things,” shares the actress, adding, “Well, the day primarily is about family and with family. We wake up in the morning, shower, get dressed in our finery and touch the feet of our elders. Then we have a puja in the evening. There’s authentic Maharashtrian food on that day, which we binge on. It’s a day just for the family.”
State to probe out-of-turn land allotment to Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh
8:22 AM
Prafulla Marpakwar (THE TIMES OF INDIA; October 22, 2022)
Mumbai: Latur-based BJP politicians Gurunath Mage and Pradeep More demanded a probe into the MIDC land allotment to Desh Agro Pvt Ltd, a firm controlled by Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh. Deshmukhs refuted the allegation and said the “allocation was in accordance with existing rules”.
According to Mage and More, the Deshmukhs applied for land on April 5, 2021. Their application was considered at an MIDC meeting on April 9; land was allotted on April 15. Shiv Sena leader Subhash Desai was industries minister at the time. A total of 2,52,726 sq mts was allotted to Desh Agro, which paid Rs 15. 28 crore for it.
Mage and More said while the company’s share capital was Rs 7. 5 crore, it deposited Rs 15 crore with MIDC. Desh Agro was allotted a plot under the priority category while 16 other applications were still pending with MIDC in the same category, they said.
The firm had secured loans from the Pandharpur Urban Cooperative Bank and Latur District Central Cooperative Bank. The Pandharpur bank sanctioned Rs 4 crore, while the district cooperative bank sanctioned Rs 61 crore, and a second loan of Rs 55 crore.
The Deshmukhs have denied allegations of misconduct, saying there was nothing illegal in the allotment of land intended to be used for agri processing. Riteish Deshmukh, son of former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, said the firm had complied with the rules and intended to use the land to support agri industries to benefit farmers cultivating soyabean.
BJP alleges out-of-turn land allotment to Riteish Deshmukh
8:23 AM
Prafulla Marpakwar (THE TIMES OF INDIA; October 20, 2022)
Mumbai: The BJP has demanded a probe into alleged out-of-turn allotment of a plot by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) to a Latur-based firm run by actor Riteish Deshmukh and his wife Genelia Deshmukh. The two are equal partners in the firm, Desh Agro Pvt Ltd.
“Entire land allotment process should be probed, since it appears that the MIDC has favoured members of the Deshmukh family,’’ Latur BJP president Gurunath Mage and vice-president Pradip More told media persons on Wednesday.
BJP said it secured information on land allotment, loans secured and other details of the company under the Right to Information Act. The actor is the son of the late Vilasrao Deshmukh, who held two terms as chief minister of Maharashtra. As per information released by Mage and More, the firm was set up on March 23, 2021 with Riteish and Genelia as 50:50 partners. It had applied to Latur MIDC for a plot on April 5, 2021, following which a meeting of the corporation was held in Mumbai on April 9.
On April 15, 2021, the plot measuring 2,52,726 sq meters was allotted at a rate of Rs 605 per sq ft. The firm deposited Rs 15.28 crores with the MIDC for it. BJP’s contention is that with a share capital of Rs 7.5 crores, the firm should not have been able to buy a plot for Rs 15. 28 crore. “MIDC allotted the plot under the priority category while 16 other applications are pending under the same category,’’ the BJP leaders said.
MIDC handed over the plot to the Deshmukhs’ firm on July 22, 2021, following which it applied on October 4, 2021 for a loan to Pandharpur Urban Cooperative Bank; it was sanctioned Rs 4 crore. On October 5, 2021, Latur District Central Cooperative Bank sanctioned Rs 61 crore, and later a second loan of Rs 55 crore. In all, the firm secured loans for Rs 120 crore.
“Deshmukh’s firm was allotted the plot out of turn. Against a share capital of Rs 7. 5 crore, it obtained a loan of Rs 120 crore. All these issues need to beprobed by an independent agency,’’ Mage and More said.
Responding to the allegations, Riteish said, “the plot has been accorded to my firm in accordance with the existing rules…allegations made by BJP leaders Mage and More are not based on facts. Desh Agro has been set up to help local farmers and strengthen agriculture-based industries. Soyabean processing and soyabean units will be set up on the plot, which has been allotted as per MIDC’s existing policy. ” He said the promoters have fully complied with rules and believe in social commitment. “Even financial assistance has been given to the firm as per provisions of law,” he added.
Lara Dutta, Soha Ali Khan, Ruskin Bond join forces to kick off libraries across schools in Latur
8:24 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 26, 2022)
Producer Deepshikha Deshmukh has kicked off the initiative, Read Latur, to inculcate the habit of reading among the children of Latur. As part of the endeavour, she will set up libraries across the schools in the region, thus encouraging children to immerse themselves in the world of fables, adventures and fairy tales. Bollywood actors Lara Dutta Bhupathi, Soha Ali Khan, Neelam Kothari and celebrated author Ruskin Bond have lent their support to the project by donating their favourite books.
Deshmukh says the idea took shape when she noticed that children in Latur had limited access to reading material, most of it restricted to textbooks. “Stories, fables, and tales written for children are essential to give wings to their imagination. As a mother, I have seen that regular reading can improve language skills, make children more curious and confident, and shape their perceptions. I am a firm believer of the circular economy and how environmentally friendly it is to share. This is how Read Latur started,” she says.
Over the next few months, she aims to build libraries in 12 to 15 schools in the city.
Zombivli's team talks about creating zombie epidemic in middle-class Mumbai
8:12 AM
The team behind the first Marathi zombie film say their biggest challenge was placing a gory genre aced by Americans and Koreans in middle-class Mumbai
Nidhi Lodaya (MID-DAY; January 30, 2022)
A suburb in Thane district has become the seat of a fantastical phenomenon that was born as far back as 17th century in a Caribbean country. Marathi film director Aditya Sarpotdar is proudly taking credit for helming the first zombie film in Marathi, and that too, based on a story set in Dombivli. Zombivli, which released on January 26, stars Amey Wagh, Vaidehi Parashurami and Lalit Prabhakar, and is the story of Sudhir (Wagh), an engineer who, with his pregnant wife Sapna (Parashurami) moves into a housing colony that’s plagued by acute water shortage. The storyline leads up to a zombie attack which is sparked in a hospital due to infected water.
Historians say that the first references to the walking dead culture could date back to Ancient Greece where bodies were found held down by rocks. But it became popular in Haiti when West African slaves were brought to work in the sugarcane fields, and although death seemed dearer than the conditions they lived and worked in, the slaves resisted suicide for fear of turning into zombies, human in form, physically strong, but soulless and devoid of self-awareness. Their only aim, to feed on human flesh.
Sarpotdar, who has previously directed The Sholay Girl, Classmates, Satrangi Re and Mauli, says he was keen to keep the gore in check to make the tale a convincing one. He threw in humour, calling the horror comedy effort “zom com”. While Hindi films are seeing the genre slowly picking up in popularity with the success of Go Goa Gone, Stree and Roohi, Marathi cinema hasn’t had a serious brush with it. The mix of humour and thrill is one that he believes holds the promise of success. But it is a challenge “because, it is very difficult to scare the audience by building up the tempo to a moment of fear and then suddenly making them laugh.”
This, according to Sarpotdar is possible if you create a convincing world in which to place the characters. The humour crept in naturally because the universe in which the film is based is unfamiliar with zombies, and the manner in which the characters react to the walking dead, is unique and funny.
While one of the first references to a zombie film can be traced back to the 1930s, it’s the early 2000s when the genre once again took hold inspired by Japanese low budget films that were aping video games.
Sarpotdar was clear that he wouldn’t make the prosthetics and makeup over the top. “We wanted to make our zombies convincing for the Indian audience. They should not be grossed out; they should find them intriguing.”
Their reference for the execution were Korean zombie films, but more specifically, The Train to Busan (2016). However, the biggest challenge continued to be getting the makeup and look right. Yasmin Rodgers, the makeup artist who worked on the film, says, “Indian skin tones are dark unlike the Koreans who have fair skin. So, when we were creating the effects on the body, we realised that they were getting lost.”
She worked at making the “veins visible”. We did a lot of look and camera tests and tried different shades of green and red for the veins,” says Rodgers, who worked with a 15-member makeup crew. It would take about an hour to get a zombie ready and some scenes required as many as 80.
Sarpotdar says getting the makeup right makes the job of the special effects team a bit easier. For VFX artiste Ryan Mascarenhas, “my biggest challenge was to get the whitening of the eyes right.”
It was a first for many on the cast too, most of them have never worked in a fantastical film. Prabhakar had to learn to work with an out-of-control right hand his character had. “Getting the body language right was quite tough,” he says of the emotionless stance. “We also came up with some new words that sounded like cuss words but actually weren’t.”
That the film was born during the Coronavirus pandemic and shot between June and October 2020, meant that the team worked while having to honour lockdown restrictions. They chose not to shoot in Dombivli, they settled for Latur in Maharashtra. “A lot of the sequences have background replacements because we could not shoot in Dombivali since the Coronavirus cases were high in the area,” says Sarpotdar.
Director Aditya Sarpotdar (third from left) with the cast
It’s important to bring something different to a franchise every time-Riteish Deshmukh
7:47 AM
Abhimanyu Mathur (BOMBAY TIMES; October 20, 2019)
For someone who started his career as a romantic hero, Riteish Deshmukh has done quite well in other genres of cinema. In recent years, he has been a part of some of the highest-grossing comedies in Hindi films and has another big-budget comedy lined up for release with the multi-starrer Housefull 4. Speaking to us while promoting his film in the capital, Riteish talks about the dangers of doing comedy, saying ‘no’ to crackers on Diwali, and the inevitability of being trolled on social media. Read on...
You often come to Delhi to promote your films, but the journey this time was a bit different. You came here in a train and not in a flight like you usually do. Do you remember the last time you took a train journey?
Last week, actually. I am a regular when it comes to train journeys. I often visit my native place Latur and I go there by train. Last month alone, I went to Latur two-three times. It’s quite a comfortable overnight journey. You get on the train, go to sleep and the next morning you reach your destination. But, this journey (the Housefull Express) started in the afternoon and we reached here the next afternoon. So, there is a lot of daytime journey. All of us get along really well and it was extremely exciting.
You have done quite a few comedies over the years. When you do similar content time and again, you run the risk of getting repetitive. How do you make sure you bring something new to the table each time?
When it’s a franchise, it becomes very difficult because people come to see you be a part of the film in the same tone and goofiness that they have already seen. So, it comes down to the characterisation. The writers have to figure out how different you can make it.
Is that where the reincarnation theme in Housefull 4 comes in? So far, reincarnation films have either been revenge sagas or romantic dramas. There haven’t been many reincarnation comedies.
I don’t think there has been one, at least in Hindi cinema. See, I’m not sure of the exact number, but across various budgets, every year, there will be 10-15 comedies on various issues. But eventually, there has to be that one big idea that makes people say, “Arre, yeh socha nahin tha.” It’s the same set of people in a franchise so you have to bring something new. And then, we are coming on Diwali so we knew we wanted to make a big film.
Your festive season is being spent in promotions for the film. What was it like when you were growing up?
Growing up, for me, Diwali was about the family coming together and probably bursting crackers. Today, when I look back, I think, “Why did I do that?” I don’t want to impart this to my children. We were not conscious enough then. Now, people are talking about being eco-friendly and I hope and pray that this year, the spending on and usage of crackers goes down considerably. Maybe one day we can go back to the original concept of Diwali being all about the lights.
Coming from a family that is quite active in politics, did you never think of a stint in politics?
It was happening all around me. In terms of actively taking part, no. Election mein khada hona itna aasaan nahin hota. It’s not like one day you wake up and decide “I’m going to contest the elections”. There are a lot of other dynamics that are involved, like where are you going to contest from, who are the people who will vote for you, do they trust you, and so on. When it comes to elections, being an actor can only get you to a certain point. Building a bond with the people takes time.
So I haven’t thought about entering politics yet. But then, I never knew I was going to be an actor. I have never been the kind of person who decides I’ll never do this or never do that in terms of opportunities in life. Tomorrow, I could be a businessman, a farmer, I don’t know.
Do you think the film industry as a whole has become more vocal about politics of late?
I think in the world of social media, it has become easier to voice your opinions. Earlier, one’s opinion never reached the public because one didn’t have these avenues that are available today, whether to vent or to praise. Of course, once you have a political opinion, you are going to get trolled. But there are some brave people who do it. And when I say brave I don’t mean only those who criticise the government. Even those who speak in favour of the government get trolled. And I feel it’s not only our industry. Be it in sports, business or any other field where one is an influencer, people have found a voice and have become political, which is a great thing.
And that comes with a fair share of trolling, like you said, and that can get pretty intense and ugly.
It’s not necessary that everyone has to talk about every issue. But when you talk about the one thing you want to, they ask you why you didn’t speak about it the last time. We’re actors, not newspapers. It’s not necessary or possible to pick every issue. If someone feels that we spoke about one issue so we should also speak about another issue as well, it’s their take.
Our plane was not equipped to fly through bad weather-Sunny Leone
8:05 AM
Actress Sunny Loene recounts horror of a near-crash near Aurangabad yesterday following turbulent weather
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 1, 2017)
Last afternoon, Sunny Leone and her team were returning to Mumbai from Latur after a promotional activity when they encountered unexpected air turbulence, leading their plane to descend sharply near Aurangabad. Having escaped a crash landing, they were so traumatised that they decided to hit the road to reach the city.
Recalling the horror, Sunny told mid-day, “We had to take a smaller plane because Latur doesn’t have a long enough runway. It was not equipped to fly through bad weather. We were supposed to stop in Aurangabad for refueling, but the plan almost crash landed.” Shocked and shaken, Sunny and her team got in touch with a car service there. “We are driving back to Mumbai because everyone was too scared to fly,” she said while driving back.
“If it wasn’t for our pilots and their expertise, I don’t know where we would be right now. I am thankful to them for saving us and tackling the situation. I am a pretty calm person. Although it was a really bad situation, it’s not my time to leave this world yet. There is still so much to do and live,” she added.
I vote for Latur; hence, I have some responsibility towards it-Riteish Deshmukh
7:43 AM
Riteish Deshmukh is happy to discuss his initiative to solve the water problem in his hometown and the 'Housefull' franchise but won't discuss the home front
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 25, 2016)
On a recent visit to Latur,
Riteish Deshmukh donated Rs 25 lakh to 'Jalyukta Latur', a people's
initiative started by the locals to make his hometown water sufficient.
“I vote for Latur so I thought I had some responsibility towards it as a
citizen,“ reasons former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh's son, who
had agreed to be the face of this campaign.The actor points out that water scarcity has been plaguing the state for the last four years. “Summer should be over by May 31 and hopefully, after that, we will get some welcome rains. But there aren't enough water catchment areas and that's the reason for this recurring problem,“ he reasons, adding that as part of this endeavour, they are de-silting the Manjira River, deepening and widening up the site to 80 metres across an 18-km stretch. “This will help contain the rain water and take care of Latur city's water supply through the year.“
Mirror (March 30) had earlier reported how after his meeting with the Governor of Maharashtra, Ch Vidyasagar Rao, and his wife Vinoda, to discuss, among other things, the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup initiative, Aamir Khan had invited some friends for a dinner at his residence to discuss his plans for water harvesting and address the water scarcity problem. Representing the Marathi film industry were Riteish Deshmukh, Sai Tamhankar, Reema Lagoo and Atul Kulkarni. What's happening on that front? There's been talk of actors adopting villages to resolve the crisis? “Aamir should be the one to talk about this first since it is his initiative. But I don't think adopting specific villages is the answer. From the government to the NGOs to the aam aadmi everyone is doing their bit,“ he asserts, pointing out that for his upcoming film, Banjo, in consultation with the entire team, they changed a rain sequence to a gulal revelry. “It was an avoidable situation so we could come up with a replacement which did not involve water wastage.“
Meanwhile, yesterday, the trailer of Housefull 3 was unveiled and for Riteish the biggest high was working with Abhishek Bachchan and Akshay Kumar together and three lovely leading ladies, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri and Lisa Haydon. “We put our best foot forward for Part 1 and 2 and for Part 3 we are hoping the likability factor we established will bring them back to the theatres,“ he says, clamming up when you wonder if being directed by Sajid-Farhad was as enjoyable as Sajid Khan. He is equally reticent when asked about his soon-to-arrive child, unwilling to even reveal the expected due date, simply saying, “Both of us (wife Genelia and him) are really excited.“
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