Crime thriller Vikram Vedha has completed 50 days in theatres and its lead actor R. Madhavan, who plays an encounter specialist, says the film plans to continue its successful run in cinema halls.
Farah Khan has asked Kangana Ranaut to stop playing the “woman card”. In an interview with Navbharat Times, Khan addressed Ranaut’s recent remarks about Hrithik Roshan, without directly naming either of them. Khan said that she tried to look at such events with a different perspective.
“I won’t name anybody and I don’t want to be involved in this but every time you (Kangana) are playing the woman card. I believe feminism is about equality. I always look at these things with a different perspective — swap the woman and the man for their places and then try to understand the issue.”
“Imagine, if in this case, the man (Hrithik) spoke like the woman (Kangana), if he was the one who sent the photos, if the man had done all this, people would have made the man’s life difficult. People would have ripped him apart and sent him to jail,” she added, according to the report.
Last week, Kangana made a series of revelations in Aap Ki Adaalat show. She said that she was threatened by several prominent film industry personalities when she went public about her affair with Hrithik. She also said that the women’s commission was of no help to her, when she approached them with her problems.
There were reports of actor Vimal coming in the sequel to Kalavani which will be produced by Nasir. The actor, however, denied being a part of the film.
In an official press statement, the actor said, “There is a news in today’s daily paper that I will be acting in Kalavani 2 and I will begin shooting for it from October. This is completely baseless. I would like to clarify that I am not a part of that film. I had not given any commitments to producer Nasir regarding the film. Need not believe in such false rumours.”
Kalavani, which was released in 2010 had Vimal and Oviya in the lead roles and directed by Sargunam. Ever since Oviya became popular with Bigg Boss, many want to cash in on her popularity and there were rumours about sequels of her films. First it was Kalakalappu 2, however,there is no official confirmation about the film from Sundar C and sources close to the director said that he has no plans of doing a sequel. And now, Kalavani 2, many speculate the sequel will Oviya in it.
Actor-director Shreyas Talpade’s Poster Boys is a screw-ball comedy about three men who find themselves socially ostracised after they feature in a poster promoting a public service campaign on suture-less-vasectomy.
Adapted from the 2014 released Marathi film Poshter Boyz, directed by writer-director Sameer Patil, this film is now set in a fictitious village called Jangheti somewhere in North India.
Initially on a mysterious note, the plot unravels the lives of the three men – Jagaavar Chaudhary (Sunny Deol), Vinay Sharma (Bobby Deol) and Arjun Singh (Shreyas Talpade) in a parallel narrative.
The selfie obsessed Jagaavar Chaudhary is an ex-army man, now a farmer. He is all set for his sister’s engagement, when all of a sudden the ceremony is called off.
Similarly; Recovery Agent Arjun Singh finds himself at tethers-end when his marriage proposal to his girlfriend Riya is called off and school teacher Vinay Sharma finds himself at loose ends when his ‘son-fixated’ wife Surajmukhi gives him an ultimatum for a divorce.
No obvious reason is spelt out in each case, except that the cause of the mishaps is assigned to the trio’s misdeeds. It is only after they chance upon the objectionable poster that their paths unite. The film is their journey, from being humiliated to inadvertently becoming ambassadors of the campaign.
While the premise is wafer-thin, the frothy plot after a few minutes becomes tedious. But it is the blase writing credited to Bunty Rathore and Paritosh Painter that keeps the momentum of the narrative well-greased. With puns, film referenced dialogues, fast-paced dumb repartee and farcical situations the film is a hilarious ride.
The various social messages are astutely integrated, in a light-hearted manner, into the script, thus making the bitter pills more palatable.
The performances of the entire cast are loud and over the top. Sunny and Bobby Deol have a rustic charm and they sink their teeth into their characters with natural ease. Bobby Deol’s extra mile of histrionics to portray his quirky character seems a bit forced at times.
Shreyas Talpade as the flamboyant Vinay Sharma seems more of a side-kick than a protagonist. He does stand-out more for his costume than his performance.
The female leads; Sonali Kulkarni as Jagawaar’s wife Sunita, Samiksha Bhatnagar as Vinay’s wife Surajmukhi and Tripti Sharma as Arjun Singh’s love interest Riya match their male counterparts with equal gusto.
Bharati Achrekar as the fiery blind “Amma” is wasted in a cameo.
Technically, sound and made with moderate production values the film offers a convincing appeal. The background score by composer Amar Mohile and the songs choreographed by Ganesh Acharya add life to the jamboree.
Restaurant bouncers have allegedly beaten up two photographers for taking photos of Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra outside the eatery in Mumbai.
The Times of India reports that the photographers, Sonu and Himanshu Shinde, were waiting outside a restaurant in which Shilpa and Raj were dining. When the celebrity couple exited the restaurant, the photographers began taking pictures of them. The report added that Shilpa and Raj did not mind the photographers, and even posed for them. However, as soon as the couple left, bouncers employed by the restaurant, began attacking the two photographers and beat them up.
An FIR has been registered against the two bouncers in Khar police station in Mumbai.
FIR registered against bouncers of a restaurant in Mumbai, for beating up 2 photographers for taking pictures of Shilpa Shetty & Raj Kundra pic.twitter.com/N7oyMgVkxL
Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, who has worked with A.R. Rahman for films like Rockstar, Highway and Tamasha, is of the opinion that the Oscar winner’s life is worth a biopic, but feels that it should be made later on.
At the premiere of One Heart: The AR Rahman Concert Film, Imtiaz said:
“Definitely… I think a biopic should be made on A.R. Rahman sir, but I don’t think this is the right time to make film on his life. One can start with the research but it should be made later on. He is too young and he has not even reached the middle point of his career.”
Rahman has marked 25 years of his music career in films.
The movie’s premiere was attended by celebrities like Ashutosh Gowariker, Armaan Malik, Boney Kapoor, Akriti Kakar, Javed Jaffery, Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, Raghav Sachar, Mukesh Chhabra, Roop Kumar Rathod, Lalit Pandit, Pankaj Udhas and Jubin Nautiyal.
At present, Imtiaz is hard at work on his next. “I am writing new scripts. I am trying to figure out which one is good and as usual, I am trying to find best scripts to which I can do justice.”
One Heart: The AR Rahman Concert Film released earlier this year.
AR Rahman is sad about the recent murder of prominent Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh. At the premiere of his upcoming One Heart: The AR Rahman Concert Film, the composer said:
“I am so so sad about that. I hope these things don’t happen in India. If these things happen in India, then it is not my India. I want my India to be progressive and kind.”
One Heart.. is based on Rahman’s concert tour across 14 North American cities. It also includes video interviews of Rahman, his team members and rare behind-the-scenes footage that give an insight into the life of the music composer.
“One Heart.. is probably the first concert movie in India. We wanted to give an alternate kind of movie to the audience because people have seen action, romance comedy and everything but a musical movie which have great quality and sound is something to look out for. All the numbers have been tested and people are liking all the numbers a lot. One Heart… as a film supports One Heart Foundation and profits from this film will go to foundation for elder musicians and educational cause,” Rahman said.
When asked if an AR Rahman biopic will be made anytime soon, Rahman said:
“I am still young. May be somebody will make it after I am gone.”
His long-time associate Ranjit Barot, a music arranger for most of Rahman’s concerts, said: “I can guarantee that people haven’t seen a film like this. I am not saying this because I am featuring in it or A.R. is responsible for it. No matter how much you are prepared for it, you are going to be surprised with this film.”
The film will released on Friday in Hindi, English and Tamil.
Actress Priyanka Chopra, who showcased her first northeastern film production Pahuna: The Little Visitors at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), is overwhelmed by the response she has got for the movie and says this was the reason she wanted to be a filmmaker.
Pahuna: The Little Visitors narrates the story of three Nepalese children separated from their parents and their journey back home. Priyanka on Friday shared a video on Instagram, where she and the film’s director Paakhi A. Tyrewala, are seen on a podium along with festival artistic director Cameron Bailey.
Captioning the short-video, Priyanka wrote: “Never be ok with hearing the word no…because there will always be someone who will say “yes.” I’m very proud of my first time ‘female’ director Paakhi A. Tyrewala for having the courage to not give up, when people didn’t believe this film could be made.”
She added: “Bravo for wanting to tell a beautiful story that may not be what people consider mainstream… but today had a world premiere on an international platform at TIFF, with an applause that resonated for a very long time.”
The actress, 35, said that this was the first time an audience watched the film outside of their offices at Purple Pebble Pictures. “And told us how proud they were that a story like this was told.”
The Mary Kom star also thanked her mother Madhu Chopra, with whom she shares her production banner Purple Pebble Pictures. She added: “Thank you Cameron Bailey for the opportunity to share this small film and a big message with a world audience…one about children’s rights, the refugee crisis, religious conversion and the affect of adult decisions on kids from the perspective of our protagonists, who are to young kids from a small village in Sikkim.”
“My heart swells at the thought of people standing up and applauding our effort. This is the reason I wanted to be a filmmaker. Major feels.” The first look of the film was released at the Cannes Film Festival this year.
Based on Stephen King’s similarly titled novel, director Andy Muschietti’s It termed as ‘Chapter One’, sets the ball rolling for a series of horror films to follow. This one is a popcorn flick. It is an adventurous tale of seven friends who bring closure to the cases of missing children in town.
Set in Derry, a fictional small town in the cinematic universe, the film begins with a promise. with a young boy Georgie (Jackson Robert Scott) frolicking in the rain. He sets sail a paper boat, made by his older brother Bill (Jaeden Lieberher) and follows it into a storm drain, where he meets a sinister figure calling itself “Pennywise the dancing clown” (Bill Skarsgard), who befriends him only to violently attack him. This scene is disturbingly effective and sets a bench mark of the brutalities and horrors to follow.
Roughly eight months later, we are informed that like Georgie several other kids are missing and believed to be dead. While the entire town is casual about the missing kids, Bill burdened with guilt of sending his younger brother out alone that rainy night, makes an earnest effort to find his younger brother, despite being told off by his father.
As the school breaks for the summer vacation, Bill enlists his clique of dorky friends to help scout out the drains and nearby streams for clues. Though Bill’s friends; Richie (Finn Wolfhard) – a crass bespectacled know-it-all, Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer – an inhaler-wielding hypochondriac and Stanley (Wyatt Oleff) a sceptic slow learner, are all initially reluctant to help him out, they agree to be supportive because they learn there is a rhythm to the mysterious tragedy that appears to strike the town every twenty seven years.
The group gradually grows to include Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor) – a shy new kid who spends his time in the library, Mike (Chosen Jacobs) – a lonely black kid and Beverly (Sophia Lillis) – the only girl, a tomboy who is eager to escape her abusive home life.
The seven friends call themselves “The Losers’ Club”. How they confront the shape-shifting demonic monster, forms the crux of the tale.
The plot is packed with scenes that are a collection of interchangeably terrifying, hallucinatory and absurd nightmare imagery. They range from jarring moods to gruesome haunted-house horror set-pieces. With no smooth transitions, the film seems like a disjointed messy narrative. What makes the tale seem shallow is the casual attitude of the adults as the burden of solving the case lies squarely on the shoulders of these young kids.
On the performance front, the actors are charming and they are in sync with the characters they portray. Unfortunately with hardly much screen time, Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise though intriguing and menacing is ineffective and wasted.
Overall, the film excels in the horror perspective with few stand-out horror-moments that are spine-tingling and blood-curdling and these action sequences are accompanied by composer Benjamin Wallfisch’s enchanting notes that elevate the viewing experience.
And finally, the film seems like an episode from Enid Blyton’s adventures of the Secret Seven.
Junior NTR’s highly anticipated film, Jai Lava Kusa‘s third teaser is out, introducing the audience to Kusa — the third character. The teaser reveals Kusa as a modern man who likes to party, a contrast from the subservient, goody-two-shoes Lava and the dark Jai.
Sporting longer hair, stylish clothes, and with a background music perfect for Holi parties, Kusa is like the fun-loving local don who perhaps has a heart of gold and really likes Devi Sri Prasad’s music. Junior NTR even shows off his dancing skills here.
Directed by Bobby (KS Ravindra), the film has Junior NTR in triple roles. Raashi Khanna, Nivetha Thomas play the female leads in this project. Other actors include Posani Krishna Murali, Brahmaji, Pradeep Rawat, Jayprakash Reddy, Prabhas Sreenu, Praveen and Hamsa Nandini, with music by DSP.
Actress Jyothika, who awaits the release of her Tamil film Magalir Mattum, will team up with filmmaker Mani Ratnam next for a yet-untitled bilingual multi-starrer project.
In a media interaction ahead of the release of Magalir Mattum, Jyothika confirmed signing Ratnam’s film.
“After Naachiyar, my next film will be with Mani Ratnam sir. I have taken the permission to announce but I can’t divulge more information at this moment,” Jyothika said.
Mani Ratnam’s project is also rumoured to star Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil.
Having made a strong comeback to acting with 2015 Tamil drama 36 Vayadhinile, Jyothika will be seen playing a documentary filmmaker in Magalir Mattum, a film about women empowerment.
In Bala’s Naachiyar, she plays a police officer.
Jyothika also said she’s leaving on a trekking trip this weekend with her family.
“We are really looking forward to this trip. We will be trekking as a family for the first time,” she said.
Aishwarya Rajesh on her Bollywood debut – Daddy – and stepping out of her comfort zone.
Aishwarya Rajesh shot for Daddy, her Bollywood debut with director Ashim Ahluwalia and actor Arjun Rampal for just about 40 days. But, she promoted the film for 25 days, the time it would have taken to complete work on a small film. Last week, a video of her dancing at a college during the promotions went viral. She says her conviction in the importance of promoting a film well has only been reaffirmed. “I don’t understand why some people don’t promote their films. A film’s your baby, and if you don’t promote it, who will?” she asks.
In many ways, Daddy has been a huge learning curve for Aishwarya, the actress who had an unconventional debut, and topped it up with equally unusual choices. She’s a city girl, but known for her rustic roles, which she infuses with a rare everydayness, be it in the innocent exuberance, and later, the abject disappointment in Dharma Durai, or someone who forces herself to live with dignity despite the weariness of it all in Kaaka Muttai. Incidentally, she won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress for playing the mother of two boys in Kaaka Muttai. Ashim roped her in for the biopic on Mumbai gangster Arun Gawli, popularly called Daddy, to play his wife Asha Gawli. And, Aishwarya knew what the role would entail. A lot of preparation to work in a language she was not familiar with and to essay a larger-than-life character who was known to many and still around. “This was a rare opportunity, and I knew that if I did not make the most of it, it was my mistake alone,” says Aishwarya, who’s back in Chennai to watch the movie in her city with her family.
The actress used some prosthetic to look like Asha Gawli, and modelled her character based on the director’s inputs. “There is no reference material for Asha. I banked on what Ashim Sir told me. I met her 20 days ago, and she said she was very happy with what I’d done. Her daughter told me she saw her mother on screen. After that, I breathed easy,” smiles Aishwarya.
She says that both Ashim and Arjun helped her get out of her comfort zone to play Asha, constantly encouraging her and stepping in to nudge her into the zone they wanted her to inhabit. “They took such care. Even during promotions, they did not really need me, because Arjun is a huge draw himself. But, I was a vital part of the exercise, and Arjun introduced me as this ‘wonderful’ actress from Chennai. It was a lovely experience,” she says. And, irrespective of how the film fares at the box office, Aishwarya says it will be very special.
The actress is known to speak her mind, and she says she dipped into that part of her to play Asha. “I’m bold. I’ve come up the hard way. I’ve made my choices and stuck by them,” says Aishwarya, who is working on Vetrimaaran’s Vada Chennai and Gautam Vasudev Menon’s Dhruva Natchathiram.
In many ways, Aishwarya’s film choices reflect her ethos. She refuses to take up films where she has no real role to play. “I don’t mind if I appear in just a scene, but that scene must be important. I don’t see the point of working in projects that will not make an impact,” she says.
And, though she’s very stylish in real life, experimenting with cuts and fabric, she’s rarely been seen on screen in that avatar. “Hopefully soon,” she says.
*****
The Aishwarya Rajesh interview is a Silverscreen exclusive.
Priyanka Chopra, in a recent interview with Vogue India magazine, opened up about how she felt insecure about her looks, particularly because she was a dusky, gawky teenager. Her insecurities even made her try some of the products and took a step further when she featured in one of those skin-lightening commercials. Needless to say, she admits regretting it.
“A lot of girls with a darker skin hear things like, “Oh, poor thing, she’s dark.” In India they advertise skin-lightening creams: “Your skin’s gonna get lighter in a week.” I used it [when I was very young]. Then when I was an actor, around my early twenties, I did a commercial for a skin-lightening cream. I was playing that girl with insecurities. And when I saw it, I was like, “Oh sh*t. What did I do?” I started talking about being proud of the way I looked. I actually like my skin tone.”
At a time when people continue to be judged for their skin tone, Priyanka’s regret comes as no surprise especially considering how other celebrities have also disassociated themselves from endorsing such products in the past.
In April, Abhay Deol, in a series of posts on social media, put up screenshots of actors/actresses in fairness cream commercials.
Rajkummar Rao, too, asserted that he would never endorse a fairness cream thanks to the wrong notions about beauty they promote. Rao’s and Deol’s comments came on the heels of the racist attacks on Nigerians in New Delhi, and Tarun Vijay’s remarks on South Indians earlier this year.
Actress Yami Gautam, who is known for featuring in several ‘Fair And Lovely’ ads, around the same period, said that there was no harm in endorsing fairness creams.
In April, speaking to Hindustan Times, she said, “When we talk about individuality and choice, it’s my life, my decisions… why question my credibility? I am a self-made girl. I will not run my career on somebody else’s decision or ideology. I have my own mind.” She also added that not being fair isn’t an “upsetting thing”.
Incidentally, several ads of the brand she endorses, show a slightly dark-skinned girl upset with her complexion.
And while some actors condemn or even regret the use of such products, actors like Uday Chopra continue to insist that there’s nothing racist about fairness creams: “What is this nonsense with fairness creams. If fairness creams are racist then so is hair color. It’s a personal choice!” he said.
Singer-actress Miley Cyrus was invited by host Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to help her better understand millennials.
“One thing people my age don’t understand are millennials,” said DeGeneres, 59, reports eonline.com.
“And I don’t like ignorance. So, I want us all to be open and try to understand one another. So, I asked one of my friends to help me bridge the gap between millennials and my generation.”
In a segment, the host referred to as “Mileyennial,” DeGeneres asked Cyrus, 24, a series of questions about the younger generation.
Here are a few things they covered:
Millennials taking pictures of their food on Instagram:
“Food photos are just kind of like a celebration of life,” Cyrus explained.
“I think we take, you know, food for granted and a photo helps remind us of the beauty that’s in front of us every single day.”
Cyrus told DeGeneres that she shared her own food photo this summer to celebrate the fact that she’s vegan.
Millennials liking musical festivals:
DeGeneres questioned the “Malibu” singer on why millennials like “dirty” festivals when they’re so “hot and crowded”.
“For a lot of people, it’s about being seen,” Cyrus said.
“Everybody goes. There’s tons of celebrities there, you know.”
DeGeneres asked, “So if someone posted a picture of themself at Coachella with food, Instagram would just burst into flames?”
The TV host also asked Cyrus if people always seemed so happy at these festivals because they’re “high on life”, to which Cyrus responded with a smile, “Definitely”.
In a series of anguished tweets, Pawan Kalyan condemned the murder of noted journalist and activist, Gauri Lankesh. He said that killing of one Gauri in a cold blooded manner is going to a create million Gauris.
The Karnataka-based senior journalist was shot dead outside her home in Bengaluru. The 55-year-old editor and activist had reportedly stepped out of her car and opened the gates when the assailants fired at her seven times. Four bullets hit her, one in the forehead.
Many reports have suggested that her murder was similar to the murder of other free thinkers like renowned scholar MM Kalburgi killed in 2015, Leftist thinker Govind Pansare in 2015, and rationalist and anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar in 2013.
Celebrities have since condemned her killing, with some even calling it the death of free speech and democracy.
Kamal Haasan on Thursday tweeted that silencing a voice with a gun is no solution to a debate.
Silencing a voice with a gun is the worst way to win a debate. Condolence to all those who are grieving Gauri Lankesh’s demise.
Actor John Travolta says he loved Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and Katharine Hepburn because of their “incredible physical sexuality”.
Travolta shared a list of names when asked about the female celebrity he looked up while growing up.
“Females, oh, I loved Liz Taylor. I loved Marilyn Monroe. I loved Kate Hepburn. I loved Fellini’s La Strada film when I was very young – Giulietta Masina, she broke my heart. She just had this incredible vulnerability I loved,” Travolta said in a statement.
“Sophia Loren because I thought she had it all. I thought her and Liz Taylor had it all going on. They had this incredible physical sexuality and also this talent so they could be great actors and be that. If you think of Liz in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?— she’s all of that. She’s being a great actor and a sex symbol,” he added.
The actor is seen on the small screen with American Crime Story, which airs in India on Star World and Star World HD.
Talking about the show, he said: “Well, it took a long time (for him to decide about the show) to decide. It took four months from my first meeting. I wanted to know if it was going to be a sensational, kind of tabloidy thing and if it were I wasn’t interested in it but then I realised there was a lot of gravity to it and it was reflective of what’s happening also today.
“And the mix of social significance, with the level of artistry that Ryan (Murphy) offers and Nina (Jacobson) offers.”
Travolta says he asked around before giving his nod for the show.
“I asked four people — who I will not name who they are but I would not even arguably say they are the four most powerful people in the movie industry — I asked their opinion and they all agreed that I should do it. I needed encouragement to do pulp fiction.”
Velaikkaran, starring Sivakarthikeyan and Nayanthara, which was scheduled to release on September 29, has now been postponed to December. Apparently, director Mohan Raja, who is at the helm, needs some more time to complete the film.
“We have no choice but to postpone the film to December,” said its makers in an official press statement. Bankrolled by RD Raja of 24AM Studios, the film’s release date was announced when the project was launched a year ago. Makers claim that they are not able to release the film as per the plan.
According to the press statement, the filmmakers said, “There are two songs to be picturised. After Thani Oruvan, there is a huge responsibility on Mohan Raja and his team. So, they are working very hard in fine tuning each and every aspect of the film. Also, the new online censor certificate will take two to three weeks to get. So, considering all these reasons, we are postponing the release date.”
Now, the film has been scheduled to release on December 22. “As this is a budget film, we are looking for a festival release. As other big films are scheduled to release for Diwali and there are no big festivals in November. We plan on releasing during the Christmas holidays.”
“Karuthavanellam Galeeja”, a single track, composed by Anirudh, from the film was released on Vinayaka Chathurthi.
Parineeti Chopra had a good start in Bollywood but slowed down after facing back-to-back setbacks. With projects like Golmaal Again and Dibakar Banerjee’s upcoming directorial Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar in her kitty, the actress says she is in “the most exciting phase” of her career.
Parineeti has also been appointed as the first Indian woman Ambassador of the “Friend of Australia” (FOA) advocacy panel by Tourism Australia.
“I am in the most exciting phase of my career. I have just been appointed as the Friend of Australia and I feel humbled to be given this honour,” Parineeti told IANS in an email interview.
“On the movies front, I am in prep work for Sandeep Aur Pink Faraar, which is a physically and mentally challenging project. I am very excited about it as it is an intense movie. After this, I will begin shooting for Namaste Canada, which is a light film. I will be working with Arjun Kapoor in both these movies.”
Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar is about a man and a woman who represent two completely different sides of India – and they are united in their mistrust, suspicion and hate for each other.
This film and Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s Namastey Canada have found a spot in the list of anticipated projects as they reunite Arjun and Parineeti after the 2012 hit film Ishaqzaade. The actress has faced failures with films like Kill Dil, Daawat-e-Ishq and Shuddh Desi Romance. She received mixed response for her drastic weight loss, with some praising her dedication and with some criticising her for sending out a negative message.
Parineeti, whose Meri Pyaari Bindu failed to elicit expected response at the box office this year, says Arjun is a close friend, and she can’t wait to begin working with him.
“More than me, Arjun should be happy as he will get to spend almost a year with me since we are shooting for two back-to-back movies. I am very excited and looking forward to both the films as he is one of my closest friends in the film industry. I am happy he is my co-star,” said the cousin sister of globally popular star Priyanka Chopra.
Away from the film world, she is happy to push tourism for Australia. The “Friends of Australia” programme has been devised as a way for Tourism Australia to foster mutually beneficial and long-term “friendships” with those they regard as unique, positive and influential story-tellers.
In her capacity, Parineeti will work towards strengthening ties between India and Australia. She will also explore Australia’s aquatic and coastal experiences, wildlife and its variety of food and wine offerings.
Talking about the association, she said: “I had never imagined that one day I would reach such a stage in my life where I would be chosen as a ‘Friend of Australia’ and become the first Bollywood ambassador to promote Tourism Australia. I will be flying to Australia to explore the country and I will get to experience a lot more new things.”
Recalling her memories of Australia, the Hasee Toh Phasee star said: “Last year, the most memorable moment for me was doing deep-sea diving when I was in Gold Coast.” The actress, who has shown her singing talent, will also be seen in Rohit Shetty’s upcoming comedy-actioner Golmaal Again.
Golmaal Again is the fourth installment from Shetty’s popular Golmaal franchise. The film, also starring Tabu, Ajay Devgn, Shreyas Talpade and Neil Nitin Mukesh, is slated to release on Diwali.
Popular singer Shaan feels the scenario in Bollywood right now is very unstable, and very little is in the “control of singers and composers”.
“Most of the calls are taken with external factors in mind rather than creative or artistic,” he tells IANS, who recently released his own mobile application.
Shaan, 44, began his musical journey at a very young age. After doing some jingles, he forayed towards the pop scene with his sister Sagarika in the 1990s. He made a place for himself in the music industry with hits like ‘Jab se tere naina‘ and ‘Chand sifarish‘.
He has released the application in collaboration with New York-based tech firm escapeX, and will enable fans to access Shaan’s social media handles and connect with him through the in-app social feed.
The film, produced by RD Paneerselvam, has music composer Sam CS of Vikram Vedha fame on board. Other technicians include AR Surya, and stuntmen duo Anbariv.
This title announcement comes a little over a month before the release of his upcoming film Nenjil Thunivirundhal. All set to release this Diwali, along with Mersal, the film stars Sundeep Kishan in the lead, along with Harish Uthaman and Mehreen Pirzada.
Said to be a social drama, the film marks Suseenthiran’s 10th as a director. D Imman takes care of the music while Kasi Viswanathan takes care of the editing.
Suseenthiran’s last release was Maaveeran Kittu, which released last year.
Actor Arjun Rampal was very stressed out while shooting for Daddy.
“Everyday, there was a pressure while shooting of the film. This film (‘Daddy’) is like a pressure cooker because it’s a tense subject. We had to take permissions and rights of a lot many people before making this film,” Arjun said on Wednesday night at a special screening of the movie.
“This film has a huge cast and it is set in many different periods, so to bring authenticity in that part was a difficult task, but I am very happy with the end result,” he said.
Directed by Ashim Ahluwalia, the movie is based on the life of Arun Gawli, a real-life Mumbai don. Rampal says that it was the most difficult film he’d ever done.
“It’s the most difficult film that I have done. It’s a tough character to play because it’s a portrayal of a person who is living. So, I hope I’ve justified it and audience will like this film,” Arjun added.
Ahluwalia said it’s not a typical gangster film, but a movie on real characters.
“I’m really happy and proud of this film. I hope everybody loves it because it’s a different film. It is not a typical gangster movie. It’s a real film of real character.”
At another event, Rampal revealed that he was starstruck when he met Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt. “With Amitji. For the first time when I saw him, I really got starstruck. And once when I saw Sanjay Dutt. I remember it was in 1990, when I had just passed out of school. And we had gone to this small club called RG’s, which was then located in Natraj Hotel. I don’t even know whether Natraj Hotel exists now or not.
“But (it was) on Marine Drive, and I had come out and I saw that Sanjay Dutt who was at his prime and one of the most good looking personalities, was on the phone and was talking. Because at that time you know you used to put these coins and then rotate it, not a mobile phone, in the PCO, he put those coins and he was talking to someone.
“And I was like in awe wondering, this is Sanjay Dutt. And I was like let’s go meet him. And I stood there and stood there and after two minutes he said ‘hold on’. And was like ‘huh?’. And I was so shocked, imagine the question I asked, ‘Sanjay Dutt?’ And he was like ‘What do you think?’ and was on call again.”
Arjun Rampal’s next release is Daddy, in which he shares screenspace with Aishwarya Rajesh. Rampal plays Arun Gawli in the film scheduled to release today.
Namastey Canada, which will mark Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s return to direction after seven years, has been locked for release on December 7, 2018.
The movie will feature Ishaqzaade actors Parineeti Chopra and Arjun Kapoor.
It was the box office run of Namastey London, which prompted Shah to announce Namastey Canada. But it is not a sequel to the former, the makers said in a statement issued on Thursday.
It will go on the floors early next year, and will be shot in the serene locations of Punjab and Canada. Shah, who has joined hands for the project with Jayantilal Gada, is currently consumed in the pre-production process of the movie.
On World Actors’ Day, a look at what goes on inside acting workshops that are helmed by instructors who impart unique lessons, and who vouch for theatre over cinema
“Acting is not just an art. Adhu oru thavam [it’s a penance],” booms the acting teacher in Karthik Subbaraj’s Jigarthanda, played by Guru Somasundaram. Poised, with a serious demeanor and a life dedicated to acting, he instructs the gangster and wannabe actor, Assault Sethu (Bobby Simha) and his men to attend lessons at five in the morning. When they protest, he changes the timing to four AM.
In reality, acting or drama schools aren’t too far from what we see in Jigarthanda. They are intensive, emotionally-draining, and often time-consuming, owing to the fact that acting, as easy as it looks, cannot be learnt in a few days. Or months.
Aadhira, who runs Naveena Koothupattarai in Valasarvakkam, runs a stringent yet meticulous enough schedule at her acting school. Focusing on movements, expressions, and paying tribute to the environment in almost all her works, Aadhira believes that one has to let go of inhibitions to get into acting.
“You are born with shackles. You are expected to take part in the drudgery of life. You’re born, nurtured, expected to study, finish school, start working, get married, have kids, work more, get old, retire, and then, you die. You don’t really live with that life. You form blocks inside you with each role in life you take part in. And these blocks continue to build up,” she explains.
That is where she steps in. “There are so many blocks from ages 1 – 25, and it all starts with subconscious fear. Fear, shyness, and then voice. Parents tell us to keep quiet or say something quietly when we’re younger. But here, we focus on voice more. We never use the mic,” she asserts confidently. “Human body has so many aspects and we need to use them. It just lies wasted – eyes, breath, voice…these contribute to the nava rasas. All these nine emotions have variations. Anger towards a person, thing, society we focus on these aspects.”
It’s really method acting here, there’s no place for anything superficial, she assures me.
Aadhira Pandilakshmi during a performance
With over 15 years of experience, a lot of her teachings combine modern and folk.
Entering her school, I hear her students, the Vaayushastra troupe, talk about their upcoming performance. All aeronautical engineers, they discuss cardboards, thermocols, and other material that could ‘fly’ on stage.
The stage – where practices and performances take place – is located in a building on a narrow yet perpetually noisy road in Valasarvakkam. As big as a terrace with stage curtains, lights, and also surprisingly cooler despite the scorching heat, it has nurtured several theatre and a few silvers screen artistes.
Naveena Koothupattarai’s Acting School
“Actors tend to get isolated from the society, and the most honest people you’d ever meet are actors. But, at the same time, there are so many fake actors,” she points out.
Another harsh reality is the fact that cinema has a better economy than theatre.
“Cinema is a business centre, really. Take Baahubali for instance. Everyone’s focusing on the business. A lot of money is invested and a lot of money is earned. Theatre lacks that, we barely have an economy and there’s a lot of ego clashes,” she says. Add to that, there are embellishments in cinema that are often forgone in theatre.
Among modern day actors, Aadhira finds Vijay Sethupathi among the best. “His acting comes close to Kamal Haasan’s. He’s a natural and doesn’t resort to fake acting or hamming. Apart from them, I don’t think anyone else is doing a good job,” she says.
Her favourite example for bad acting is Vikram Prabhu.
“Ask him to attend one of my acting workshops and you’ll see how I rip him apart. He’s so wooden. Same expression for everything. It’s pathetic,” she laughs.
Her acting school has no specific batches or seasons when admissions start. “We like to pay attention to every individual and hone their skills accordingly. With a batch, it’s difficult to improve,” she says. And the best part about her classes – no specific time really. “But when you’re in my school, there can’t be endless time spent on phone conversations. I tend to go on talking, but they all stay,” she smiles.
Entering Jayarao’s Theatre Lab is like entering another realm. Mirrors and silence. Posters of popular actors, theatre masks, and motivational sayings adorn the school’s walls. A group of boys walk around. Sometimes in circles, sometimes waddling like ducks.
It’s a form of movement exercise, I learn. It’s the 10 AM class, and the group faces themselves in front of the mirrors and practice expressions. Jayarao, the man behind the school, with his Gandalf-like beard, sports a smile. An intelligent smile; someone who seems to know everything.
Essentially a theatre artiste and a social worker, Jayarao is also a great conversationalist. “I don’t give you actors. I give you performers,” he declares. With several directors depending on him to hone their actors’ skills, Jayarao’s students form an impressive list of known faces from the industry. Srikanth, Atharvaa Murali, Reshmi Menon and Aadhi are some of his past students. His current students, or the 40th batch, are also upcoming actors, while at the same time, pursuing different careers.
“I believe that as performers, they need to bear in mind four things – information, recreation, social relevance, and responsibility. Actors need to function on those four ideologies,” he says.
Jayarao via Theatrelab Actors Workstation FB page
Jayarao has decades of experience in theatre. He was also associated with West Bengal-based dramatist Badal Sircar. “Less dialogue, more performance” is something he implements in his teachings.
“I’d say an actor has no identity. It’s the performers who make an identity. You can make out who an actor is the minute he/she enters the room. The way they stand, they give off vibes. But a performer is more than that,” he observes.
His batch comprises of former software engineers, physiotherapists, upcoming actors, students, and what not. They’re passionate, he says, just like the five kinds of people who are truly passionate about performance. “Writers, painters, musicians, dancers, actors. They are the ones who truly love the world and make the world a better place,” he says, pointing to the numerous photos and quotes by famous people of these five professions.
Employing a combination of Zen and Kabuki Theatre, Jayarao also tries to cultivate a reading habit among his students. “There’s so much to read and learn! Reading helps in changing yourself within, sharpening your skills and method of storytelling. I tell them to read anything, anyone. And present it in the class.”
Vikram, a student, tells me he chose Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Shadows. Another had decided to tell his own story in a different style. “He knows what we’re good at. But first, when we begin, he wants us to identify our shortcomings. We all work on it together, even if it takes a long time,” adds another student.
The 40th batch’s typical class:
On the kind of acting that currently takes place in cinema, Jayarao rues that there are many who are born with a silver spoon. “It’s dominated by bad actors. That’s why we end up hearing about so many struggling actors. [If] You have money and contacts, and you contribute to this idiotic business. Good talent goes wasted.”
His classes happen in the morning and evening for three months. There are tests too, but not the nerve-wracking ones back in school. “Towards the end of three months, I would’ve conducted three tests. They’re all to do with your comfort and how much you challenge yourself. I want to hear the way you tell your story, your way, and convince me. And finally, everybody puts in a performance.”
