Sometimes, the essence of a film can be boiled down to a single scene. And, that's the scene Basundhara Ghosh highlights on her Insta page
Ekta Mohta (MID-DAY; June 9, 2019)

When Basundhara Ghosh moved away from home, she became more attached to it. It's a stereotype from every emigrant movie, from Swades to the second half of K3G, but stereotypes are based on truths. Currently pursuing her PhD in theoretical physics from the University of Geneva, Ghosh, 27, runs a passion project called Gangs Of Cinepur. It's an Instagram page, launched in November last year, on which she freeze-frames one scene from a movie with its subtitled dialogue, and offers her take on it.

"My day involves trying to understand the cosmos a little better, so movies are my biggest mode of relaxation," she says, over email. Her captions are quite lengthy. Because Murad's feelings for Safeena (in Gully Boy) can be as hard to understand as the mysteries of the universe. "When I write a caption, I often get to revisit and ponder over valuable life lessons. For example, a dialogue from the Malayalam movie Njan Prakashan reminded me about the importance of gratitude and not taking life for granted."

In fact, it is south Indian cinema that inspired her to start this account. "I grew up watching Hrishikesh Mukherjee and William Wyler films. Over the years, I have developed a wide interest in cinema. I had just started exploring Malayalam cinema, when I was blown away by its content. I had not been to south India until very recently, but through the movies, I already [felt a sense of belonging]."

Ghosh watches nearly one movie a day, and her taste is quite diverse, as reflected in her posts. She treats the original Golmaal with the same respect as Break Ke Baad (2010); finds similarities between Apu from Apur Sansar (1959) and Murad from Gully Boy; her post on Ship of Theseus (2013) followed her post on Kuch Naa Kaho (2003). "While it is important that we appreciate quality cinema, there are always some films that we go back to because of nostalgia. I value sentimental attachment to films, which go beyond technical brilliance. Apart from highlighting critically-acclaimed films, I also include those that hold a special place in my heart because of unexplained reasons: be it a touching story, a memorable soundtrack, or an actor I love."

Her analyses are appreciated by 7.3K readers, and have found an audience in the makers as well. "Both my posts on Photograph were shared on her stories by Sanya Malhotra, and director Vasan Bala shared my post on Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota. Even Srishti Behl Arya, [from Netflix India], personally messaged me." If films can teach you about life, film criticism has taught her about film. "My respect for actors, filmmakers, writers and cinematographers has grown immensely, and I have started watching more cinema-related videos. There is a lot of talent in India waiting to be tapped by the right people."

The page is her way of maintaining ties with India. As she says, "After I moved abroad, I started re-exploring my roots and my culture, especially beyond my own state. For an amazingly diverse country like India, there can never be a shortage of novelty that cinema offers. I would like to request any cinema lover who is reading this to allow their interests to go beyond popular Bollywood movies. There are gems out there that will take your breath away." Her page has a few recommendations to get you started.

From groom Nick crooning for bride at the white wedding to PeeCee’s emotional moment at the jaimala, mid-day brings you inside details from ‘global shaadi of the year’
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; December 3, 2018)

After the elaborate mehendi and sangeet celebrations on Friday, the weekend saw India’s favourite export Priyanka Chopra tie the knot with beau Nick Jonas in two separate ceremonies — a Christian wedding and a Hindu wedding. The desi girl gave the Jonas family a taste of Indian tradition as she followed all the customs before taking the saat pheras yesterday at the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur.

One of the guests told mid-day, “The functions started as early as 8 am yesterday. The ceremonies kicked off with a puja; Nick was intrigued as he joined his bride for the mauli ceremony [where the sacred thread is tied on the wrists of the groom and bride]. Priyanka’s brother Siddharth was constantly by the Jonases’ side, explaining the significance of each ritual to them. Priyanka even indulged in a quick haldi ceremony before enjoying the chura ceremony in the afternoon. As per the custom, her uncle gifted her 21 bangles which were bathed in milk and rose petals. Her friends, including Arpita Khan Sharma, Srishti Behl Arya, Anjula Acharia and cousin Parineeti Chopra, followed it up by tying kalide.”

The Hindu wedding started at 6 pm after the Sehrabandi puja, where a family member of the groom ties the turban. The source added, “A cheer went up among the guests as the bride and groom came face-to-face at the mandap. Priyanka teared up during the jaimala session.”

The guest reveals that the white wedding on Saturday was just as exquisite, with the groom dedicating a song to his better half. “The bride and the groom wrote their own vows. It was followed by a beautiful speech by Priyanka’s mother. PeeCee turned emotional during the speech as she missed her father sorely. ”

It is heard that the Christian wedding was followed by a five-course meal, prepared by chefs who were handpicked by the couple. “Since PeeCee loves flowers, each table was named after a specific flower.”

Troubled by trolls
Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas became man and wife on Saturday with the pop star's father Kevin Jonas officiating the Christian wedding. Shortly after the ceremony, the skies lit up with an extravagant display of fireworks. No sooner had the pictures gone viral on the Internet than netizens started trolling the couple. They called out Chopra for her ‘ hypocrisy’ since she was the face of an anti-pollution campaign during Diwali.

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; November 28, 2018)

Preparations for Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ grand shaadi are on in full swing at Jodhpur’s Umaid Bhawan Palace. Their respective families will fly out tomorrow to the desert city. Says a source, “They have booked a chartered flight that will take them to Jodhpur. From there, they will be taken to the hotel in a chopper.” The mehendi and sangeet will be organised on Thursday at the same venue, where Nick will perform a few songs, including some of PC’s hit numbers. Like we had earlier told you, the couple will also recreate the first date they went to. On November 30, their rishtedaars will gather for the haldi ceremony, followed by a cocktail party the next evening. Earlier, the pre-wedding ceremonies were supposed to be held at the Mehrangarh Fort, but they were later shifted due to security concerns.

INDO-WESTERN WEDDINGS
Like Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, Nickyanka, too, will reportedly take their nuptial vows twice, in sync with each other’s traditions and customs. Both the weddings will be solemnised on December 2. “The Christian ceremony will happen first, after which Nickyanka will change their outfits and get ready for the Hindu nuptials. Their outfits are colour-coordinated,” adds the source.

The couple has booked the hotel till December 3, and will relax the next day before they fly to the capital. Though speculations have been rife that no one from Bollywood has been invited for the celebrations, we have learnt that PC’s besties — Srishti Behl Arya, Mubina Rattonsey and Arpita Khan Sharma, along with hubby Aayush Sharma will be present for the D-Day. Along with that, we hear, invites have been sent to the team of The Sky Is Pink, Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif among others.

TWO RECEPTIONS
Following this, the duo will fly to New Delhi on December 3 where the Chopras have apparently organised a lavish reception for the family members at the Taj Palace Hotel the next day. A source states, “Priyanka and Nick have already chosen their outfits with the former opting for an Indian designer for the occasion.” Right after this, PC will fly back to Mumbai before zooming off to Sikkim with her mother on December 6 to attend a press conference for her regional production venture, Pahuna.

Another informer tells us, “The jodi will throw a big bash for the film fraternity and industry insiders in Mumbai, but they are yet to zero in on a particular date for the same. It’s likely to happen in the second week of December. The team is working out the logistics.”

MUMBAI MIRROR (November 28, 2018)

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, who are set to tie the knot in Jodhpur in a few days, were hanging out with a group of friends, including filmmaker Srishti Behl Arya, writer Mushtaq Sheikh and PeeCee’s actress-cousin Parineeti Chopra, at a Juhu restaurant on Monday, when cops arrived to say that they had received complaints from residents in the area. According to a source, fans and paparazzi had crowded the area, causing chaos.

An official from the Santacruz Police told Mirror that the cops reached the location at around 1.20 am. “We then intimated the restaurant authorities about the timing guidelines that required them to shut shop by 1.30 am, which they did.”

Ismat Tahseen (BOMBAY TIMES; November 6, 2018)

Priyanka Chopra, who is reportedly set to tie the knot with singer Nick Jonas on December 2 in Jodhpur, has kicked off her wedding celebrations, alright! After a bridal shower in New York last weekend that was attended by the likes of Hollywood stars Kelly Ripa and Lupita Nyong’o, Priyanka and her girl squad — Sophie Turner, Srishti Behl Arya, Tamanna Dutt, Natasha Pal, Chanchal D’Souza and Dana Supnick — brought in her bachelorette on a yacht in Amsterdam. The photos and videos have gone viral and there is one specific photo where the actress is seen wearing a cap with the initials ‘P.C.J.’ Has she added the ‘J’ officially? Well, only time will tell. In the same picture, she is also wearing a sash with the words ‘Bride to be’.

BOATS, BLING AND BRIDE GOALS
In Amsterdam, Priyanka kicked things off with a picture showing off her finger with a blingy ring and captioned the photo, ‘Bachelorette Vibes’, to which her soon-to-be mother-in-law, Denise Jonas, playfully posted a comment, ‘Be Good’, with a red heart emoji. That was followed by a series of fun posts.

The actress wore a short sweater dress with feather details, snakeskin boots and a cream coat and posed with her gal gang by a boat. The photo that was posted read, ‘Setting sail...#bachelorette #Squad.’ After their canal cruise, the actress switched to a colour blocked orange sweater, plaid skirt ‘Bride to be’ sash and tiara, when she hit the city for some fun.

PeeCee then shared a photo of herself enjoying a drink with the caption, ‘A day in the life of... #bachelorette.’ In another Insta post, the actress was seen later twirling around in a short, sequined white dress with a feathery cape in her hotel lobby, with a caption, ‘Bride Goals.’


WORLD, MEET THE ‘J SISTERS’
The bachelorette party went on to be a fun evening, where Priyanka and Sophie Turner announced themselves as the ‘J Sisters’. A video emerged that night of Priyanka taking her sister-in-law to-be, Sophie Turner, piggyback during her celebrations. Priyanka added the hashtags ‘#TheJSisters’ and ‘#HighHeelFails’ to the video and is seen looking into the camera and saying, “In heels! This is what you have to do for sisters-in-law these days.” Both actresses have been on double dates with the JoBros before this, but they definitely took their camaraderie to the next level with their ‘J Sisters’ shout-out to each other.

Ranveer Singh takes a break from Simmba's Goa shoot to attend pre-wedding function in Mumbai
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 5, 2018)

After Deepika Padukone flew down to Bengaluru for Nandi Puja last week, groom-to-be Ranveer Singh kicked off wedding celebrations with a Satyanarayan puja and haldi ceremony on Sunday. The actor, who was shooting Simmba in Goa, flew down to Mumbai for a day.

"When Ranveer informed Rohit Shetty that he will be taking a day off for the pre-wedding celebrations, the director happily obliged. He flew down on Saturday evening, well in time for the Satyanarayan puja that was held on Sunday morning. It was followed by a haldi ceremony. Arjun Kapoor and casting director Shanoo Sharma attended the function, apart from Ranveer's friends from outside the industry," informs a source.

The actor's Bandra residence was bedecked with flowers for the occasion. Clad in a white kurta and pyjama, Singh was spotted at his balcony as he posed with Sharma for selfies.


Ranveer Singh and Shanoo Sharma (Pic/Yogen Shah)


Ranveer Singh and Shanoo Sharma clicked while taking a selfie
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Dutch bachelorette for Priyanka Chopra; Ranveer Singh keeps it desi for haldi
MUMBAI MIRROR (November 5, 2018)

Celebrations have begun for the two big weddings of the year. While Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh’s nuptials are scheduled for November 14 and 15 at Lake Como in Italy, Priyanka Chopra will tie the knot with her American singersongwriter beau Nick Jonas in Jodhpur between November 29 and December 2.

After a bridal shower in New York organised by her besties, filmmaker Mubina Rattonsey and manager Anjula Acharia last Sunday, PeeCee has taken off to Amsterdam for her bachelorette with her girl gang of Srishti Behl Arya, Tamanna Dutt, Natasha Pal, Chanchal Dsouza, Dana Supnick-Guidoni and Sophie Turner. “They will hang out for a couple of days in the Dutch capital before the bride-to-be gets busy with a work commitment. The plan is to chill,” informs a source.

Meanwhile, Ranveer Singh’s haldi celebrations took place at his Bandra residence on Sunday. His close buddy and casting director Shanoo Sharma clicked selfies with the excited groom-to-be, who’s still sporting his Simmba mousetache, on his terrace. The strings of marigold added a festive touch and reminded one of Deepika who wore the same shade of orange during the nandi puja on Friday at her Bangalore home.

MID-DAY (December 24, 2016)

In India on a short break, Priyanka Chopra has hardly found time to chill with friends since she touched down in the city on Sunday night. The actress has been hopping from one event to another across Mumbai for award shows, chat show appearances, brand commitments and what not.

Last night, however, PeeCee took a break from her busy schedule to meet with some industry buddies at an intimate dinner hosted by TV and film producer Shrishti Behl Arya. “It was like a homecoming bash for Priyanka. It started post 10pm with only 30-35 people in attendance,” informs a source present at the party.

Among the first to arrive were filmmakers Anurag Kashyap, Tarun Mansukhani, Shaad Ali and Kabir Khan. Srishti’s brother, producer Goldie Behl also came in with actress-wife Sonali Bendre. “The menu had a mix of Indian and Continental dishes. But, food was secondary. The guests were engrossed in deep conversation with Priyanka. It was a night to just kick back and chill with her industry pals and colleagues,” adds the source.

'Quantico' takes off and critics go rara over PeeCee; Anil Kapoor, Preity Zinta, Kerry Washington and Jay Sean celebrate with the actress
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 29, 2015)


Last year, when ABC President, Paul Lee, approached Priyanka Chopra for the lead role in the network's FBI drama, Quantico, which went on air in the US on Sunday, the actress hopped on board, having loved the "ethnically ambiguous" Alex Parrish, who has since become her "alter ego". And when she got the all-American cast and crew to dance to "Bang Bang" on Good Morning America, Lee was assured he'd bet on the best horse. "Priyanka's a star and we think the entire world will be talking about her," Paul told Mirror from the red carpet premiere of the TV show in Los Angeles, on Sunday evening.

He isn't the only one going gaga over the "brown beauty" as PeeCee likes to describe herself. British songwriter-composer, Jay Sean, exults, "So proud of my home girl, for her lead role. Massive breakthrough for South Asians." And Bryan Adams quipped, "Hoot hoot, time to make some music together." Even mom Madhu Chopra had a fan-moment with Tony Goldwyn. Tony, who plays American President Fitzgerald Grant in the popular TV show Scandal, raved, "Ah! So now I know where Priyanka got her other worldly beauty and really big brain from."

The pilot episode, Run, which attracted considerable global attention, opened to mixed reviews, but all critics unanimously applauded Priyanka's performance.

The Hollywood Reporter said, "If you're a fan of How To Get Away With Murder (which Quantico borrows from heavily) and Scandal, you'll be right at home with Quantico, which, in future, will likely have plenty of Grey's Anatomy sexy-time moments as well."

Variety praised PeeCee for being an "arresting lead" but wondered whether it was possible to do "a Shonda Rhimes-like show without her brand of pixie dust".

People Magazine praised Priyanka for her, "poise and sexual spark as Alex that suggests a formidable potential FBI agent whose mind and beauty are equally stunning". However, the review stated that the pilot didn't spark much excitement. An opinion endorsed by The New York Times which described the pilot as "competently OK TV" but praised PeeCee as "the strongest human asset in Quantico who is immediately charismatic and commanding amid the otherwise generic ensemble".

However, Priyanka's 3am buddy, filmmaker Srishti Arya, insisted that the Indian audience has yet to gauge the magnitude of her best friend's debut. "The show is airing in the primetime slot across 180 countries. Priyanka could have easily stayed in her Bollywood cocoon given that she's one of the top stars here, but she took a risk and put herself out there like a debutante, leaving herself open to criticism and judgement," Srishti reasoned, adding that starting over in a new industry has been her favourite part of this journey.

Srishti caught an episode of the show which Priyanka had shared with close friends via a private link from Montreal, and reveals that Priyanka's a young girl, who loves burgers and her taste in music is similar to that of Srishti's 10-year-old son."

"You'll never see her carrying her global stardom on her sleeve. She'll be back to doing a Hindi film soon and will live her life the way she always has, with a lot of hard work and commitment" she asserted.

Meanwhile, Viola Davis who is the first African-American to win an Emmy Award for the best actress, raved about how PeeCee had "aced Bollywood's towel dance". She was referring to her performance to the Salman Khan-trademark number, "Jeene ke hain chaar din" from Mujhse Shaadi Karogi. Viola, plays Annalise Keating on the show How To Get Away With Murder.

With Quantico, which begins airing in India on October 3, on Star World, Priyanka becomes the first Indian to headline an American series. Representing Bollywood at the bash, were Preity Zinta and Anil Kapoor. Priyanka introduced Kapoor as "an actor who has paved the way for Indian actors in Hollywood". He reciprocated with "Ekdum jhakaas". Preity was google-eyed after she was referred to as "another sizzling beauty from India." Sonakshi Sinha, who really wanted to make it to the LA premiere, filmed a video, ending with a signature Akshay Kumar 'good luck' kick. And PeeCee replied saying that they needed to get Sona in action on the show soon. Well! The girls are out to conquer the world!