Showing posts with label Venice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Venice. Show all posts
Hrithik Roshan, Kiara Advani to shoot War 2 romantic song in Venice, Tuscany, Naples, Lake Como
8:36 AM
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; September 10, 2024)
Action has been the keyword ever since War 2 went on floors in October 2023. While Hrithik Roshan kicked off the shoot in March with an action-packed scene, Jr NTR joined the unit in April and the duo filmed a face-off sequence set in an aircraft (This flight’s ready to take off, April 12). Now, director Ayan Mukerji is shifting gears. mid-day has learnt that the unit will head to Italy, where they will shoot a romantic song featuring the leading man and Kiara Advani from September 18.
Keen-eyed fans would remember that War’s chartbuster Ghungroo was shot on the beaches of Positano in Italy’s Amalfi Coast. This time, even as Mukerji and producer Aditya Chopra have zeroed in on the usual haunts like Venice and Lake Como, they have discovered untapped locations in these places that they plan to bring to the screen.
A source tells us, “The Italy schedule will begin from September 18 and go on for about 15 days. Ayan has allotted the first six days for the song shoot. Considering Hrithik and Kiara are two of the hottest actors in Bollywood today, the director wants the video to do justice to their glamour. The romantic track, composed by Pritam, is being mounted on a lavish scale, and will be shot in exotic locales of Venice, Tuscany, Lake Como, Naples, Amalfi Coast, and Sorrento Peninsula. After the number, the unit will can a high-octane action sequence and some dramatic scenes before flying back to India by early October.”
Roshan and Advani’s fresh pairing is one of the highlights of War 2. The source adds that the makers have, so far, ensured that their images are not leaked in the media— something that they will keep an eye out for during the international schedule too.
“An army of local Italian security has been hired to comb these locations prior to the team’s arrival. They will also be part of the shoot to ensure that no images make their way online,” says the insider.
The sequel, slated to release on August 14 next year, will take the narrative of Roshan’s Kabir Dhaliwal, an R&AW agent gone rogue, forward. After the September stint, the director is expected to conduct two more schedules, an international one and another in Mumbai, before calling it a wrap early next year.
Not just film shoots, Indian celeb weddings have also led to a spike in tourism in Italy
7:57 AM
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; November 2, 2022)
Recently, the Embassy of Italy organized Italian Screens, a three-day film festival in several Indian metros, to present the best of Italian cinema to the country. The initiative was part “of a wider project of deepening cultural relations between Italy and India, to ensure a rapprochement with Bollywood and to stimulate meeting opportunities between producers, distributors and creatives of both countries”.
On the sidelines of the event, Roberto Stabile, Head of Special Projects of the Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual of the Ministry of Culture (DGCA-MiC) at Cinecittà , Italy, spoke about the filmy ties between the two countries, and how desi movies and ads shot in Italy, as well as Indian celebrity weddings there, have not just deepened this relationship but also led to a spike in tourists in the region. Excerpts:
‘CINEMA, ADVERTISEMENTS AND EVEN CELEBRITY WEDDINGS HAVE LED TO RISE IN TOURISTS IN ITALIAN DESTINATIONS’
Talking about how ‘cinema is a powerful tool to promote culture, lifestyle, and above all, tourism’, Roberto Stabile says, “Thanks to certain local TV series or international blockbusters, off-track spots have become exquisite and precious touristic destinations. For example, in Europe, the Swiss Alps became very popular among Indian tourists. Sometimes, the place might not even have been that mesmerising, but it gained popularity just because it was the house of the main character of a series.”
He adds, “Our target is to attract international productions to locations lesser known to the general public, instead of the usual cultural destinations, that are already overcrowded with tourists, such as Rome, Venice and Florence. A very interesting case study for this is the most recent James Bond movie No Time To Die, which features 14-minute long breathtaking shots of Matera (south of Italy).”
“We have seen a hike in the number of visits of Indian tourists to places such as Tuscany or Milano, where movies or even commercials were shot”. Not just films and ads, Stabile says that “even Indian celeb weddings celebrated in Italy are a fantastic eye-catcher for tourism,” he further says.
STRENGTHENING TIES BETWEEN ITALIAN AND INDIAN FILM INDUSTRIES
He says that they plan to attract more Bollywood filmmakers to Italy, adding, “Very efficient services are being offered by the film commission. The regional funds and the tax credit policy supports up to 40% of foreign productions working in Italy. We plan to expand the trend and become one of the favourite destinations for Bollywood and Indian productions win general.”
Stabile adds that initiatives like Italian Screens are designed to promote the new Italian cinema in the huge Indian market, adding, “We will share with Indian distributors all the policies that the Italian government, through Cinecittà , offers to the distributors who buy Italian movies and screen them in Indian theatres. Not everybody is aware of the fact that, thanks to the Film Distribution Fund, we cover up to 30% of the costs of launch and distribution of the movie up to a maximum of 30,000 Euros (24 lakh, approx).”
With Italy and India having signed a co-production agreement, Stabile says, “We should constantly strengthen the exchange of information and knowledge among the creative directors and the producers. It is crucial to organize throughout the year a dialogue for authors and producers from both the countries.”
SOME CELEB WEDDINGS IN ITALY
> Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh
> Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli
> Rani Mukerji and Aditya Chopra
Among the most recent Indian films to be shot in Italy is the Prabhas and Pooja Hegde-starrer Radhe Shyam (2022), that was shot in Piedmont
The song Ghungroo from Hrithik Roshan-starrer War (2019) was shot at the Positano Beach on the Amalfi Coast in Italy
The 14-minute long sequence of Daniel Craig performing stunts in Matera (south Italy) in the James Bond film No Time To Die (2021) has cast a spotlight on the lesser-known region
I would like to wish Amitabh Bachchan the best till his next 80 years-Zeenat Aman
8:26 AM
Onkar Kulkarni and Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; October 12, 2022)
Mr Amitabh Bachchan has led his life by example in his professional and personal life. He has always been extremely dedicated, punctual, disciplined and most importantly, someone who is very easy to work with. I knew Mr Bachchan even before I started acting in films.
I knew him personally because we were all a part of his younger brother Ajitabh Bachchan’s friends’ group. So, there was never a question of getting overwhelmed or nervous in his presence. I shared a good friendship with him and his family. Even when I acted in Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), where I was not paired opposite him, it was easy working with him.
We shot for The Great Gambler (1979) in many different countries and for the song Raqqasa Mera Naam, we went to Cairo (Egypt), which is one of the most important tourist spots in the world.
But Mr Bachchan continuously kept cheering me on and saying, ‘Go India, you can do it!’ It was one of the most memorable incidents of working with him. Then again, we shot for Don in many countries and because of the beauty of Italy and Venice, the song Do Lafzon Ki was beautifully portrayed. People liked our pairing and chemistry because we gave our 100 per cent to each scene that we performed together.
Also, he has a great charisma on screen and is fabulous in each scene — whether he is doing action, romance or a tragic part. I enjoyed working with him in Laawaris and Dostana, too. There is so much to respect and admire about Amitabh Bachchan, he is a towering figure and I would like to wish him the best till his next 80 years.”
To watch our film with other people at the Venice Film Festival was a surreal experience-Chaitanya Tamhane
8:25 AM
Mihir Bhanage (BOMBAY TIMES; September 12, 2020)
It’s been a few days since filmmaker Chaitanya Tamhane returned from Venice and the jet lag is yet to wear off. “I am just getting some rest for now,” says Chaitanya, who had been to the beautiful Italian city to attend the screening of his second feature film — The Disciple — at the Venice Film Festival.
The Marathi feature film is in the running for the Golden Lion at the fest, the first Indian film to do so in the last two decades after Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding (2001).
Speaking to us about his experience of attending the screening, which happened recently, Chaitanya said, “It was a surreal feeling to just be there. Actually, we were not even sure if we would be able to fly to Venice because international flights haven’t resumed normal operations. We had bought our clothes and were prepared, but it was a very last minute thing.” So how did they make it happen? “Well, we had sought permission from the foreign ministry and the Indian embassy. Luckily, things fell into place and we managed to attend the screening,” adds the Court filmmaker.
Though Chaitanya has been at the festival twice before, once for the screening of Court and then as a jury member, this visit was entirely different compared to the previous ones. He shares, “This was not a virtual event. People were physically present and our film was screened in a cinema hall on the big screen. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t have been such a big deal, but given the current scenario, a big screen world premiere was exhilarating.”
Chaitanya, who is in compulsory home quarantine after returning to Mumbai, says that the entire process of going to Venice, partaking in the festival and returning was something none of them had experienced before. “We got Coronavirus tests done before leaving India. Another a swab test was done when we reached Italy. Social distancing and strict hygiene protocols were followed at the festival, and once we returned, we are now adhering to the 14-day home quarantine. Even the cinema hall where The Disciple was screened was only half-full as per the new norms,” he says. At the fest, the team, which also included producer Vivek Gomber and lead actor Aditya Modak, was allowed to lower their masks only during the photo-call.
Despite the representation on a global stage and raving reviews that the film received after its premiere, there was hardly any buzz around it back home. Did that bother Chaitanya? “The Disciple not getting any press coverage in India is the least of my concerns. We got enough coverage in the international media, in fact, beyond our expectations, and we are happy with that. Frankly, there are many other issues that the Indian media should be focussing on and it isn’t. So, I am not complaining at all,” he says.
With the world premiere done, the team of the film, which has Gravity and Roma director Alfonso Cuaron as its executive producer, is bound to be looking at showing the film to the Indian audience. Chaitanya agrees and shares, “We can’t wait to show it to the Indian audience because it’s a film set in India, with Indian cultural contexts and Indian classical music at its core.” And will they stick to a theatrical release? “We would love to do that. But we are in no hurry. Right now, everyone’s focus should be on flattening the COVID curve. When it’s safe, people can and will venture out to catch a movie. Till then, it’s all about waiting and watching,” he concludes.
#Coronascare: Virus outbreak hits global film industry
8:33 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (March 5, 2020)
With over 91,000 cases and over 3,000 deaths, the effects of the coronavirus are now being seen worldwide. The virus has affected not just tourism, education and work life, but even the film industry. China, where the virus first broke out, is the second-largest moviegoing market, and it plunged by nearly $2 billion as compared to January and February 2019. Last year, the country’s box office hit a record $9.2 billion, more than 20% of worldwide revenues. This year, the key holiday period (from January 24 to February 12), generated just $3.94 million in sales, compared to the $1.76 billion last year, according to Artisan Gateway, a consultancy that follows the Chinese film industry.
According to a report by a Hollywood magazine, the global film industry is facing a $5 billion loss amid the coronavirus outbreak. The virus has impacted moviegoers of China, Japan (the third-largest moviegoing market) and South Korea (the fifth-largest moviegoing market). In February, revenue in South Korea slid nearly 70%. According to KOBIS, South Korea’s national box office service, ticket sales for last month totalled $52 million, as compared to the $158 million over the same period last year. In Japan, while official data has not yet been released, local analysts are expecting a slide of around 10-15%.
Tapas Pal was dancing in Venice, says Buddhadeb Dasgupta
8:13 AM
National Award-winning director Buddhadeb Dasgupta on his Uttara actor Tapas Pal
Hiren Kotwani and Jayatri Nag (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 19, 2020)
Sixty-one-year-old actor and former TMC MP Tapas Pal passed away on Tuesday at 3.30 am. He is survived by his wife Nandini and daughter Sohini.
Pal had a history of heart ailments and was also suffering from nerve-related problems. He was on his way to the US to meet his daughter when ge fell ill and was admitted to a Mumbai hospital on February 1. The funeral will be held in Kolkata this evening.
Pal started his journey in Bengali films with Dadar Kirti (1980) opposite Debashree Roy and entered Bollywood with Abodh (1984) with another debutante Madhuri Dixit. His memorable films include Guru Dakshina, Amar Bandhan, Parabat Priya, Bhalobasa Bhalobasa, Anurager Choyan and Amar Bandhan. Veteran actor Soumitro Chattopadhyay was shattered by his death and Debasree was so distraught she couldn’t say a a word.
National Award-winning filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta (right), who collaborated with Pal in Uttara and Mondo Meyer Upakhyan, described him as one of the finest actors he’s worked with. “A director only had to find an interesting role for Tapas. He grasped what was required during the narration itself,” he raved, recalling that after the premiere of Uttara, when he was honoured with the Special Director Award at the Venice Film Festival in 2000, an excited Tapas was dancing on the streets. “It was his way of expressing his joy. I had to go out and stop him. We spoke six months ago, he was losing his memory. It made me so sad.”Pal graduated in EOM Bio Science. He joined the Trinamool Congress in 2000 and was elected from the Alipore Assembly seat as MLA the following year. He was elected to the Parliament (MP) from Krishnanagar for two consecutive terms. He was arrested by CBI in connection with multi-crore Rose Valley chit-fund scam in December 2016. Following his release from jail, after 13 months, he had distanced himself from both films and politics.
I am perpetually listening to Punjabi songs. Even my lullabies are Bhangra songs-Vicky Kaushal
8:29 AM
Actor Vicky Kaushal on his journey as an actor, importance of me-time, and Punjabi beats
Deebashree Mohanty (TIMES LIFE; November 18, 2018)
From engineering to acting, you’ve said your journey has been an organic one. Could you elaborate?
I am not a man with a plan. Everything in my life just fell in place. During an industrial visit (I was a student of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology, Versova), I realised something significant; I was not meant to be that man sitting behind computer screens for hours. But I had to complete my engineering course because that is what my parents wanted. “Graduate ban jaa, phir dekh lengey”, my father would say. My family had thought I’d lead a normal life with a white collar job and move to the US. Alas, I was meant for other things.
Would you say you were always a star in the making?
Far from it. I don’t remember visiting film sets with my father (action director Sham Kaushal). I must have been about 10 when he took me to the sets of Fiza, where Hrithik Roshan was shooting. That was my first fanboy moment. I was super excited to just watch Hrithik perform.
At home, my father would discuss scripts with directors over aloo ke parathe, and I would eavesdrop on their conversation. But I never thought much of it at that time.
When I told everyone at home I wanted to try my luck at the movies, they told me the decision should be a well-thought-out one – that I shouldn’t be attracted to cinema for the glamour.
How are you dealing with your newfound stardom?
I am over the top! Every actor wants to be in the limelight. For an actor, all the love and affection comes in the form of attention though it’s not permanent. I have to keep reminding myself that. I am trying to be humble but it’s a challenge at times.
How do you begin your day? Are you a fitness enthusiast?
In the past year, I have only been hitting the gym and following a fixed diet for my roles. After these films get over, I take a break from strict regimes. Right now, I am just eating healthy, home-cooked food – no gym, no diet.
I’m a nocturnal person, a habit that I would like to change. My day gets over pretty late and when I am through with dinner I cannot hit the sack immediately. I cherish my ‘me-time’. I watch a film or talk to my friends who are not from the industry. My mornings usually start around 10 am. If there is no work scheduled for that day, I am very happy just being at home.
What’s on your playlist right now?
I am perpetually listening to Punjabi songs. Even my lullabies are Bhangra songs. However, when I am driving alone, I listen to old Hindi film songs.
What do you generally do during festivals?
I make it a point to attend regular industry parties because you meet a lot of different people under the same roof, which is fun. But on the day of the festival, I’m with my family.
Where was the last place you travelled to?
For my last film Uri, I spent three months in Serbia. When I came home, my house became my reboot place. I didn’t want to leave home at all.
Have you made any time to date, fall in love…?
I think love finds you and you find love. One doesn’t have to search for it. Love becomes your life. Love is not work that you have to schedule. It’s either there or not there.
Would your heart and mind be both involved when you decide to get married?
Both play an important role. I have turned 30, and would ideally like to marry in the next two years. I definitely don’t want to marry when I am 40 or 50. I believe har cheez ka ek time hota hai... It is better that way. But I am not going to marry just because I have to. I will wait for love to find me and I am hoping that happens soon.
What is it that you are looking for in a partner?
I am quite old school. Trust and understanding are very important factors. For me, the beauty of any relationship is when I can sit with my partner in complete silence for hours and never feel awkward about it. When that happens, I’ll know she is the one.
Are you an adventurous traveller or do you prefer a lazy holiday?
I am more of a relaxed traveller. I don’t understand how people want to go someplace and party. I am more of a let’s-go-there-and-check-the-culture kinda guy.
Last destination you fell in love with…
I had gone to an island called Burano – a 40-minute boat ride away from Venice. It’s a vehicle free island. There are no cars, no honking and every house on that island has a different colour. I spent an evening with a friend there just watching the sunset with our feet in the water and a bottle of wine by our side. Bliss!
Are you fashion conscious?
I am actually a fashion handicapped person. All the pictures that you see where I look amazing is because of my stylist Amandeep Kaur. Otherwise, my cupboard is filled with basic white, black and blue T-shirts.
Who would you take fashion advice from?
I like Ranveer Singh’s style because he owns whatever he wears. But I would like to take advice from Ayushmann Khurrrana. He is not very experimental like me but he knows how to present himself.
A positive role model?
I like the way Ranbir Kapoor keeps challenging himself and doesn’t give up. His positive energy is infectious.
Do you cook?
Only maggi and tea.
Vidya Balan to go backpacking through Italy all alone
8:06 AM
The actress plans to go backpacking through Italy but minus husband Siddharth Roy Kapur
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 12, 2015)
Vidya Balan who has been busy with Mohit's Suri's love triangle, Hamari Adhuri Kahani, is yearning to go off on a holiday. The actress who brought in the New Year with husband Siddharth Roy Kapur in Los Angeles, wants to fly solo this time.
The actress told Mirror dreamily, "I want to go backpacking alone through Italy - Milan, Florence, Naples, Venice and Rome. It would be perfect right now."
The actress insists that a vacation after every film is a new must-do on for her. The idea first occurred to her in 2011, when she was promoting No One Killed Jessica and shooting The Dirty Picture simultaneously.
"Immediately after the latter wrapped up, I started filming Kahaani with Sujoy Ghosh. I'm always energetic when I'm around people and at events. But at the end of the day, when I was back home, I would be completely drained out," she reminisces. To pep herself up, she packed her bags and took a family vacation in New Zealand. "It was revitalising,"she smiles.
That was 2012. A similar outing is now on the anvil, except this time she wants to be alone. "Little noises irritate me after a long day's work. I become very sensitive to sound. Even the clatter of heels on a wooden floor can have me pulling my hair out," she admits.
That's what necessitated the breakaway to New York after the release of Bobby Jasoos. This time she wants a holiday under the Tuscan sun and the itinerary is all charted out.
"I've also decided that I will do only one film this year," says the actress who opted out of Sujoy Ghosh's Durga Rani Singh over creative differences with him.
Buzz is, the actress will be seen playing former Pakistani Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, who was assisinated in 2007, next. But the actress denies the rumours saying, "No, I have not signed the film. Everybody is making a biopic these days or is acting in one. I have lots of autobiography-style scripts with me at the moment, I will select one."
---------------------------------
Subhash K Jha (DNA; February 12, 2015)
Stories of Vidya Balan playing various real-life
characters have surfaced during the past one year. We first heard she
was playing the mythical singer MS Subbulakshmi. Now we hear she is
playing the slain Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto.
Unfortunately, making a film on controversial Ms Bhutto is not an offer open to any filmmaker. Says a source, “The rights of making a film on Benazir Bhutto are with her family. After her gruesome assassination in December 2007, Shabana Azmi was picked to play the slain stateswoman in an Indo-Pak co-production to be helmed by Mahesh Bhatt.”
Bhatt was chosen to produce and direct the Benazir film because of his close cultural links with Pakistan. Shabana, who bears a cultural and physical resemblance to Benazir, had been chosen to play the gutsy Pakistani leader of 25 years ago in a film that was to be made by British-Pakistani author Tariq Ali. However, the project about which both were equally enthusiastic has been stopped by Benazir’s widower Asif Ali Zadari — the former President of Pakistan. Apparently, Zardari and his family would personally like to supervise any consummate Benazir biopic. All films on Benazir, including one that was to feature Sushmita Sen some years ago, have been called a halt.
Given the backdrop, it seems unlikely that Vidya will step in to play Benazir. Earlier, her biopic with singer MS Subbulakshmi which cinematographer Rajiv Menon was to direct, was shelved. It looks like it would be a while before Vidya gets to play another real-life character.
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