Showing posts with label R K Laxman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label R K Laxman. Show all posts
We are not here to offend anyone; we are here to tell a story-Manoj Bajpayee
8:19 AM
After Tamil Nadu govt seeks ban on The Family Man 2 due to its purported depiction of Tamils, Manoj Bajpayee emphasises that people should watch series before jumping to conclusions
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; May 28, 2021)
He finds himself in a paper-pushing job, far away from the exhilarating world of espionage, and his marriage is hanging by a thread. Not quite what you’d imagine about a quick-thinking spy. After a long wait, we return to Srikant Tiwari’s universe next month as he sets out on a new mission in the second season of The Family Man.
For Manoj Bajpayee who won praise for his spy act in 2019, the charm lies in his character’s simplicity. “I don’t know how to play a hero because for me, each character is a person from everyday life. I have been trained during my theatre years to make every part relatable. To me, Srikant is R K Laxman’s The Common Man, witnessing the irony and joys of life,” he says.
There have been sweeping changes in digital entertainment in the one-and-a-half years since the first season of the Raj-DK creation debuted on Amazon Prime Video. Earlier this year, the Information & Broadcasting Ministry introduced a set of regulations, including age-based content classification, and a three-tier regulatory mechanism to monitor online content. “It has been implied that it’s up to the OTT platform to self-regulate. The script comes to us at the last stage — after it is written and sanctioned. This show was shot and edited much before the self-regulation policy came into effect. So, the second season is unaffected by it.”
That is not to say the upcoming instalment has escaped the wrath of people. After the trailer — that sees Samantha Akkineni as a Tamil rebel — dropped online, the Tamil Nadu government requested the Centre to stop or ban its release, alleging that the series depicted the Eelam Tamils in “a highly objectionable manner”.
Bajpayee emphasizes, “We are not here to offend anyone; we are here to tell a story. We are trying to be honest to the content that we want to create. We have no reason to be apprehensive. People will love the series after they watch it. But they have to watch the content before forming any opinion.”
Sumeet Raghvan to play the lead in Wagle Ki Duniya; will be joined by Aanjjan Srivastav and Bharati Achrekar
8:08 AM
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 8, 2020)
Thirty-two years later, the show is set for a revival on Sony SAB with Sumeet Raghvan stepping up as the new Wagle. “When Aatish (Kapadia, writer-producer) and J D (Majethia, producer) approached me, I was happy to give my nod to a show I had grown up watching,” says the actor.
Calling it TV’s “best era”, Sumeet rued that his children, who are in their twenties, have never heard of Wagle. “I’m giving them a piece of my childhood,” he says, revealing that he will be playing Aanjjan and Bharati’s son, and the veteran actors will be returning too. “Their presence will filter out any criticism. Having them is like getting a 200-run lead in a cricket match,” he laughs. Sumeet agrees that the challenge will be to make the show relevant in today’s times since the issues faced by the common man have changed and luxuries like a maid, a car, or going to the movies have become necessities now.
“We will continue to keep it simple so people can relate to it. It will be a tightrope as I have big shoes to fill,” he admits.
The year 2021 is Laxman’s birth centenary and Sumeet believes there could be no better celebration than bringing back the legendary ‘Comman Man’. “Aatish is a brilliant writer who has conceptualized amazing characters in Khichdi, Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, and Baa Bahoo Aur Baby. Having him in our team is our biggest advantage. We also have some Marathi writers who are well versed with local households and help us make the show more authentic. For instance, I pronounce Wagle with a Marathi enunciation,” he avers.
It has been a while since Sumeet was last seen on TV. Point this out and he says he likes taking a break of a couple of years between shows when he is busy with theatre. “I don’t want to be seen every day. I like to be exclusive. I like to be missed,” he chuckles, informing that they start shooting from December-end. The show starts airing in the new year, towards the end of January. “This will be a New Year gift to myself and everybody else.”
Mario Miranda & R K Laxman come together in Priyanka Chopra's production Little Joe Kaha Ho
8:07 AM
The actress and her mother, Madhu Chopra, are working on three films, including one which pays tribute to the creator of the ‘Common Man’ and the late Goan cartoonist
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 3, 2017)
To celebrate women and children in cinema, Priyanka Chopra is rolling with three special projects this year. And since, the 34-year-old actress-singer-producer is busy in New York, shooting for the second season of her American TV series, Quantico, her mother Madhu Chopra will fly off to Sikkim on March 8 — Women’s Day, where their first production for 2017 is currently being shot.
Written and directed by debutant Paakhi Tyrewala, wife of filmmaker Abbas Tyrewala, Pahuna is a story of three courageous children who get separated from their parents while fleeing from Nepal to Sikkim. The film is set against the Maoist agitation and is presently being shot in Gangtok over a 40-day schedule. Since the dialogues are in Sikkimese and Nepali, there’s a translator as well as local assistants on set to guide the cast and crew.
“It’s a fantastic script and I was a little scared initially about filming in the region. But we have received huge support from the Sikkimese government and the locals are really gentle and very co-operative. Over 80 per cent of our cast are actors from the North-East because Priyanka wants to make the film as ‘local’ as possible. Even the music is Sikkimese folk songs,” informs Madhu.
She admits that mainstream producers are afraid of venturing into regional cinema because that’s not where the big bucks are. But she is proud that her actress-daughter has decided to throw caution to the wind.
“Priyanka has chosen to work with the best in the region and make her regional films commercially viable with a good production plan. She is passionate about these projects and will never lend her name to something just for the sake of it. There was no commercial cinema is Sikkim before this. Priyanka’s attempt is to give local talent a chance to make movies and enjoy them,” she exults.
Once Pahuna wraps, the Chopras will get started on Little Joe, Kaha Ho? which is set in Goa and is in Konkani and Hindi. Written and directed by debutant Suvrata Nasnodkar, the film is a tribute to legendary cartoonist R K Laxman and will capture the world of Goan cartoonist-writer, Mario Miranda, through the eyes of children. The light-hearted drama about friendship will be filmed over the summer in the island state. “Working with young people has been a wonderful ride for me. I think they’re far more professional and passionate. Little Joe, Kaha Ho? is a brilliant script and will feature many Portuguese songs. For the first time, the audience will see Goa as created by the Goans and not through Bollywood eyes,” Madhu promises.
The working title of the third production is Almaseer. It marks the directorial debut of Laura Mishra and is set in Agra, around the eternal symbol of love — The Taj Mahal. It is an endearing story about a young boy and his dog. Set in UP, the Hindi film will showcase the culture of the historic city.
Despite their packed slate, the mother-daughter duo, who has already produced films in Bhojpuri (Bum Bum Bol Raha Hai Kaashi), Punjabi (Sarvann) and Marathi (Ventilator), hope to finalise their Assamese film over the next six months. “It’s still in its nascent stage but talks have begun. We’ll be producing a film in Assam by next year,” Madhu asserts.
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