On the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor today, as India marks the triumphant strike against the Pakistan-based terror camps, production house Bihar Film Company has secured the official rights to use the title Operation Sindoor for a film. The company is backed by Ankit Singh and Sangram Singh.

The title had drawn massive interest, with over 150 applications submitted to the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA).

Confirming the development, IMPPA president Abhay Sinha says, “There were several applications for this name, but it was allocated to the first applicants who wished to register it.”

Among others who applied was filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, who had earlier announced that he had acquired the rights to make a film based on the book Operation Sindoor: The Untold Story of India’s Deep Strikes Inside Pakistan by Lt Gen KJS ‘Tiny’ Dhillon. “Vivek Agnihotri has been given two titles, Kashmir Files 2 and The Night of Operation Sindoor,” says Sinha.

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The title has been given to Bihar Film Company by producers Ankit Singh and Sangram Singh. There were several applications for this name but it was allocated to the first applicants who wished to register the title.

- ABHAY SINHA, PRESIDENT, IMPPA

Wrestler and motivational speaker Sangram Singh and actress Payal Rohatgi, who have been together for 12 years, will be getting married on July 9. The couple announced their wedding date online and are now searching for a venue. “We wanted to do a destination wedding in Rajasthan or Uttarakhand, but then realized that it would be difficult for our parents, who are very old now, to travel so much for the wedding. So, we thought that NCR would be the most convenient location for our families, and are looking at venues there. If things don’t work out in NCR, then we will have the wedding in Ahmedabad, where Payal’s family is based. Also, there will be a small celebration at my village in Haryana. People there have been waiting for my marriage as much as my parents (laughs)!” says Sangram.

Payal adds that they have decided to have an intimate, traditional wedding, followed by a reception in Delhi and Mumbai for their friends. “We are certain that the wedding will just be attended by our families and a few close friends. We are planning to host a reception in Delhi and Mumbai a few days later for our friends. Sangram initially wanted to have a court marriage or a temple wedding and surprise our families, but I wanted a traditional wedding with all the reeti-rivaaz in the presence of our families. I think every woman wants to make her wedding day special and memorable in every way possible, and look her best. So, I want all traditions and rituals to be followed. I want to look pretty as it’s going to be a life-long memory. It will be a three-day celebration, and the wedding rituals will take place during the day on July 9,” says Payal.

Both of them say that their marriage is the most-awaited occasion for their families. “There was a time when our families had given up on us. But we realize that our parents are old and we have to do things to make them happy. His mother’s dream is to see Sangram married,” says Payal.

Sangram adds, “I thought this was the right time. My mother has been waiting for this day for years. She started looking for brides as soon as I started working. Every Sunday, there would be a prospective bride’s family sitting at home. My mother would make excuses to make me come home early from work. Actually, most people in our village get married when they turn 22-24. Also, this time it was a spontaneous decision to get married. Payal was a part of a reality show, where I saw that her co-contestants would often tease her with my name and she even cried. I didn’t like that, and we have been together for years now, so I thought that let’s get married. I wanted July 21 as our wedding date as that’s also my birthday, but my mother said that there is no mahurat for weddings after July 9, so I had to agree on that.”

After a courtship of 12 years, actor Payal Rohatgi and wrestler Sangram Singh are finally set to tie the knot. We have exclusively learnt that the couple will have a simple wedding on Singh’s birthday, July 21. They are done with the pre-wedding shoot and will start shopping for the big day soon. Their wedding outfits will be styled by a Delhi-based brand, Study By Janak.

While Rohatgi maintained an “I cannot confirm or deny anything” stance, Singh, on the other hand, confirmed the news, saying, “I am extremely happy. We have been with each other for 12 years and it’s time to get married. Even our parents have wanted us to get married for a long time. I don’t think I can find a better girl than Payal. She is extremely genuine.”

He says that it will be a “simple wedding on my birthday”. Singh adds, “I believe marriage is just a thappa (stamp) that is needed for society, but I think it is important, especially for a girl’s respect. We will have a temple wedding with all the rituals as per the Arya Samaj. The wedding will take place either in Gujarat or Haryana. We will have haldi and mehendi ceremonies, too,” he says.

A new sports biopic is in the making in Bollywood and sources say that the film will be helmed by veteran director Shyam Benegal. After the success of biopics on sportspersons like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Mary Kom, a film on the life of wrestler Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav - who won the first individual medal for India at the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland, where he bagged a Bronze -  is underway. Wrestler Sangram Singh acquired the rights to make the film on Jadhav earlier this year. He will be playing the lead role in the movie and the shooting will begin in November in the state.

Sangram has already started preparing for the role and has been in touch with Jadhav's family to learn the details of his life. “This is the first time that a real-life wrestler will be playing a wrestler in a Bollywood film.

Being a wrestler himself, Sangram understands the techniques of the game and the body language of a wrestler, but he has been working a lot on his body and speech. He has already lost around 6 kg in the last three months, and will be losing another 10 kg in the months to come. He is also being trained in acting by a teacher from the National School of Drama,“ says a source associated with the film.

Sangram has also been reading about Jadhav and how he trained himself to win an Olympic medal for India. Jadhav got his share of fame first at the 1948 London Olympics, when he finished sixth in the flyweight category. He then joined the police force as a sub-inspector in 1955.

“Despite 27 years of service, Jadhav had to struggle to get his pension. His entire life is an inspiring and motivating journey. But the idea of the film is not to just highlight his achievements as a wrestler, but to also focus on how he fought the odds to win laurels for his country,“ adds the source.

NO SMOKING, NO NON-VEG
The 'no smoking' rule applies to the sets of many TV shows, since the sets are made of wood and there's always the chance that they could catch fire if someone throws a cigarette. So me producers want non-vegetarian food and cigarettes as far away from the sets as possible. Himanshu Soni, currently seen in Neeli Chhatri Waale, says, “Our producer has a rule that nobody can bring or order non-veg food. The rule book says anybody caught eating non-veg food has to pay a fine of  Rs 200. There was an artiste on the show who had brought non-veg food and ended up paying the fine. We also asked him to give us a party and order veg food for us. I am a vegetarian, so I don't face such issues, but non-vegetarians sometimes get hassled. Perhaps some of the actors have their food in their vanity vans.“ The same rule applies to the sets of shows like Diya Aur Baati Hum, Ek Rishta Aisa Bhi (which went off air on February 13) and Mere Rang Mein Rangne Waali.

KEEP YOUR PHONE ON SILENT
It's really irritating when a phone rings in the middle of an important meeting, right? It turns out, directors feel the same way if something like that happens while they are shooting a dramatic scene. Ravindra Gautam, who is currently directing the upcoming show Begusarai, says, “I have this rule on my new show that nobody's phone should ring while the scene is being filmed. If it does happen, the person is supposed to pay a fine of  Rs 500. If the phone rings loudly, it disturbs everyone and sometimes, if we are shooting an intense scene, it ends up disrupting the entire mood. So, I have created this rule. In fact, even I have ended up paying the fine a couple of times! When I was directing Madhubala ­ Ek Ishq Ek Junoon, I remember Vivian Dsena and Drashti Dhami also had to pay fines because their phones would ring during the shoot. It's because of this rule that actors and other crew members have started keeping their phones on silent mode or leaving their phones with someone.“

It seems that this rule is applicable on the sets of other shows as well, including Humsafars, which went off air on February 20. Payal Rohatgi, who is a part of Humsafars, says, “I am very particular about keeping my phone on silent, but once it happened that my phone rang loudly, while a shot was being taken. It so happened that Sangram (her beau) had said that he would call me in five minutes and during that time, when I was waiting for his call, I forgot to keep the phone on silent mode. It rang in the middle of a shot and I was quite embarrassed. I treated the entire unit, which comprises 120 members, to ice creams. The place where we shoot is near an ice cream factory, and there's nothing else available.“

JUMPED TO A CONCLUSION? PAY UP!
We're all guilty of leaping to conclusions and later trying to get out of them with the excuse, 'I felt like it was the right thing'. But what if there was a fine on jumping to conclusions? Something similar exists on the sets of Mere Rang Mein Rangne Waali.Samridh Bawa, who plays LD on the show, says, “On the sets, our director has created this rule that no one is allowed to say 'Sir, mujhe aisa laga' ya `maine aisa socha'. If we utter this phrase, we have to pay a fine of `10. Our director says, `If you have any doubts, come and clear them. Don't assume things'. In fact, I have already deposited `100 with my director, because I have a habit of saying these words.Pranali (Ghogare, his co-star in the show), has already paid Rs 150 for the same. This rule even applies to our director, who has to pay `50 if he utters these words. He has paid the fine a couple of times. We have a box kept on the sets and the fines are stored in it. Jab bahut saara jama ho jaayega, we will have a huge party with that money.“

Actress Payal Rohatgi and fiancé Sangram Singh, who got engaged in February last year, hope to get married this November. Initially , the couple had intended to tie the knot in November 2014. “That couldn't happen since Sangram needed to focus on the upcoming professional wrestling competition in South Africa. Having said that, I finally have a stable guy in my life and I wish to get married by this November. I hope it doesn't get pushed further,“ says Payal. Surprisingly, the actress has never seen Sangram wrestle in the three years that they have been together. She adds, “I can never be mentally prepared to see him being hit. Also, I cannot go to South Africa as I'm working on a reality show."