“I had no training, no mentors,” says Deepika Padukone as she recalls her start in Bollywood
Hailed as the global icon Deepika Padukone has charted the most successful journey from when she began in the industry. In the recent interview with Vogue, Deepika opened up about her journey so far. Talking about her initial days Deepika shares, “I had no training, no mentors,” she claims, recalling her start in Bollywood. “I worked it all out on my own. Sure, I had some failures, personal and professional. But sheer determination fuelled me. It was empowering.”
The actress was very young when she joined Bollywood and sharing upon how she landed up doing films she shares, “As a family, we saw maybe two films a year,” she recalls. “I don’t know why,” she shrugs, “but whenever I watched a movie, I knew that one day I’d be doing this. I’d start with modeling and then go into films. And that’s exactly how it happened.” Everyone has their own way of dealing with stardom and this is how our leading lady Deepika Padukone has dealt with it as she talks about it, “When I’m complimented for my work, but you know what’s most rewarding for me?” she says confidingly, “When people tell me I haven’t changed. That I am still myself.” Recently, Deepika featured back to back on the International covers and the actress has slayed and how. Both the magazines have given us back to back cover looks of Deepika where she continues her rule, taking the nation on the world map as always.
Deepika is known for her versatile choice of films and her role for Chhapaak of Lakshmi is proof that the actress is a perfect blend of a critically and commercially proven actor who has essayed a variety of strong and powerful roles. She has actively been involved in prepping for both the characters and is grasping the nuances so as to get into the skin of both which also happen to be in stark contrast with each other.
The year 2020 will be special as both her upcoming films are releasing in the same year and interestingly, both the characters Laxmi Agarwal and Romi Dev are real-life characters with the heavy background behind them, making it a year of promising portrayals by the actress.
After AndhaDhun, Anil Dhawan will next be seen in Coolie No. 1
Actor Anil Dhawan has played quite a few promising roles in his career. His most recent one being Pramod Sinha in Sriram Raghavan’s AndhaDhun, Anil Dhawan was lauded for his short yet impactful role. Playing one of the most pivotal characters in the film, Anil has never ceased to amaze his fans. Even though the plot revolved around Ayushmann Khurrana and Tabu, Anil’s role is quite the crux of the film since the story actually begins post his murder.
Now, if the sources are to be believed, Anil Dhawan will be seen making an appearance in Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan starrer Coolie No. 1. The first schedule of the film has already begun in Bangkok and Varun has shared a few glimpses from his role in the film. He has been a part of his brother, David Dhawan’s films earlier including Hero No. 1, Mr. and Mrs. Khiladi, Jodi No. 1, and Haseena Maan Jayegi among the others.
While there aren’t any more details revealed regarding his role in the film, we can’t wait to see how he takes on the remake of Coolie No. 1. Slated to release in 2020, Coolie No. 1 is definitely one of the most anticipated films of the year.
Kangana Ranaut stands strong in support of Priyanka Chopra Jonas over the Indian Army tweet backlash
Bollywood actress turned international icon, Priyanka Chopra Jonas found herself in the midst of a controversy, when confronted about a past tweet celebrating the Indian army’s attack on Pakistan. Priyanka though defended her tweet and her views on the situation. But her being a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Pakistan’s Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari and many others penned open letters and signed petitions to urge UNICEF to remove the Bollywood actress for her alleged “hypocrisy.”
Even in India, not many in the Bollywood film industry came out in support of the star, until now. Actress Kangana Ranaut, who was last seen in Judgementall Hai Kya, has risen in support of her peer Priyanka and even defended her views over the controversy while admitting that is “not an easy choice.” In an interaction, Kangana said, “It’s not an easy choice to make… when you are stuck between your duty and your emotions, being a UNICEF goodwill ambassador sure you can’t limit your identity to one nation, but how many of us choose heart over mind every day.”
Kangana Ranaut will next be seen playing the lead role in Jayalalithaa’s biopic and has already started her prep for the same. As for Priyanka Chopra Jonas, she will be seen in The Sky Is Pink, a Shonali Bose directorial.
Dabangg 3: Salman Khan wants high walls built around set for this reason
Salman Khan is very busy with the last leg of the Dabangg 3 in which he reprises the role of quirky cop, Chulbul Pandey. Sonakshi Sinha, who debuted with Dabangg, is also returning as Rajjo. The two of them are in Rajasthan currently shooting for the film. But, many leaks have happened in the past few days that has reportedly left Salman Khan miffed.
Many photos and videos from the sets of the film have made its way to social media in which their song sequence and other moments have leaked. The film will have two tracks – present track and flashback portions. Since his younger look and many other moments have leaked online, the actor called for a meeting with production, marketing, and creative teams to discuss the current situation.
Not only that, Salman Khan has reportedly asked to construct huge walls to avoid more leaks when the Pune schedule begins. There is already no mobile policy on the set and even the security has been increased.
Directed by Prabhu Deva, Dabangg 3 will release on December 20, in Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu.
Dream Girl: Riteish Deshmukh to join Ayushmann Khurrana in ‘Dhagala Lagli Kala’
When it comes to music tracks, the makers of Dream Girl are on a roll with it. After a fun-filled musical track like ‘Dil Ka Telephone’ and getting us into the festive mood with ‘Radhe Radhe’, they will be welcoming the festival Ganesh Chaturthi with their yet another music track ‘Dhagala Lagli Kala’ which is a recreation of the original Marathi song and the makers are planning to give their interesting take on it. The song will feature the lead pair Ayushmann Khurrana and Nushrat Bharucha. Now, there’s a new addition to the song and it is none other than Riteish Deshmukh.
On the request of the director Raaj Shaandilyaa, Riteish Deshmukh came on board to be a part of the song. The actor said that the song is all time favourite dance number. The original featured Dada Kondke which itself was a motivation for him. He said that both Ayushmann Khurrana and Nushrat Bharucha are fantastic actors and dancers so it was a fun experience for him to be a part of the song. ‘Dhagala Lagli Kala’ has been composed by the Meet Bros, penned by Kumaar and choreographed by Ganesh Acharya. The makers will be giving the youth the best nostalgia by giving it a dash of live guitars and electronic programs which would make the song even more dynamic.
Boasting of a crackling ensemble cast of Annu Kapoor, Vijay Raaz, Manjot Singh, Nidhi Bisht, Rajesh Sharma, Abhishek Banerjee and Raj Bhansali, Dream Girl is directed by Raaj Shaandilyaa, and is produced by Shobha Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms. The film is all set to release on 13th September 2019
Exclusive: Amit Kumar to pen his father, legendary singer Kishore Kumar’s exciting biography, revealing aspects of his personal and professional life!
Playback singer, actor, music director, lyricist, film story writer, film director, producer and screenwriter, Kishore Kumar Ganguly, was a multi-faceted personality, whose voice rules over hearts even today. Now, his son, versatile film playback singer, actor, entertainer, producer and director, Amit Kumar Ganguly, is all set to write his biography, revealing interesting and exciting information about his father, which hasn’t been revealed yet. Earlier there was talk of Anurag Basu directing Ranbir Kapoor in Kishore Kumar’s biopic but the project is apparently, on hold.
Says a trade source, “Few knew the fabulous, scintillating personality that Kishore Kumar was. While some talked about him as being quirky with a sense of humour, apart from being a fabulous singer, he was an extremely intelligent, practical and kind-hearted man, who knew what he was saying and doing. His elder son, singer Amit Kumar, was one of the main judges in Sony Entertainment Television’s reality music show K For Kishore (2008). Amit Kumar also launched his own music production company, named Kumar Brothers Music, released many music videos on YouTube and sung many Bollywood and regional film songs since the 1970s, and worked closely with his father on many of his movies, so who better than him to pen his father’s biography?
Amit Kumar plans to bring out some of those untold stories in his biography, including his marriages to some of the most beautiful actresses of India. Kishore Kumar was married to Ruma Guha Thakurta (Amit Kumar’s mother), Madhubala and Yogeeta Bali. Kishore Kumar was married to Leena Chandavarkar when he passed away leaving behind their young son Sumit Kumar. Buzz is, Sumit Kumar may also help in writing a few chapters in the book and music director-singer Bappi Lahiri who was very close to Kishore Kumar.”
The source adds that everything will be done with lots of research and presented in an extremely sensitive way that will preserve and respect the emotions of all those mentioned. “There is no hurry to publish the biography and the research itself will take a few years. This will not be a scandalous, gossip-driven book at all, but one based on facts and meticulous research, and where Kishore Kumar’s friends and family may also be spoken to. Amit Kumar himself acted in many films directed by and starring his father, including Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein (1964), Door Ka Raahi (1971), Badhti Ka Naam Dadhi (1974), Shabhash Daddy (1979) and Chalti Ka Naam Zindagi(1982). Amit Kumar took over as director and completed the film, Mamta Ki Chhaon Mein, for release in 1989, after his father’s death (1987). Kishore Kumar was a prolific personality so his creative side as a director may also be highlighted in the book. While he was known to be strict about his payment process, there were those he gave away generously to and sometimes worked for free so all those aspects will be highlighted too. Amit Kumar has been approached by various publishing houses and is in the process of deciding which one to go ahead with. Once the deal is finalised, he will figure out the creative process.”
Priyanka Chopra to star in Netflix superhero movie, We Can Be Heroes
Priyanka Chopra Jonas has joined the Netflix’s superhero fantasy feature We Can Be Heroes, written, directed and produced by Robert Rodriguez. Robert last directed Alita: Battle Angel. The story revolves around alien invaders who kidnap Earth’s superheroes, their children must team up and learn to work together if they want to save their parents and the world.
Besides Priyanka Chopra, the cast of the superhero movie includes Christian Slater, YaYa Gosselin, Akira Akbar, Andrew Diaz, Andy Walken, Boyd Holbrook, Hala Finley, Isaiah Russell-Bailey, Lotus Blossom, Lyon Daniels, Nathan Blair, Sung Kang, Vivien Lyra Blair, Adriana Barraza, Christopher McDonald and Pedro Pascal.
Up next, Priyanka Chopra Jonas will appear in The Sky Is Pink, based on the motivational speaker Aisha Chaudhary, which will premiere at The Toronto International Film Festival in September. The “Gala Presentation” film, which she additionally co-produced is the only official selection from Asia at the festival this year. The actress will also produce and star in an untitled wedding comedy set in India, co-produced by Mindy Kaling and Dan Goor for Universal.
Renuka Shahane of Hum Aapke Hai Kaun fame has no regrets in her three decade long career
Renuka Shahane is well known for her role as Salman Khan’s sister-in-law and Madhuri Dixit’s sister in the 90s film Hum Aapke Hai Kaun. The actress then went on to become a popular name on television with her various shows. The actor has now completed three decades in the industry. She said that she has no regrets about her career.
In an interview, the actress revealed that her three-decade journey has been great. The actress has worked on all mediums- theatre, films, television, short film, web series, and advertisement. Shahane does not have any regrets as she has worked with many talented and respectable personalities from the industry. She has a lot of gratitude for the love she gets from her audience, even though she has been in the limelight for a long time.
She believes that if one does good work, it sustains in the hearts of people and her TV show Surabhi and her film Hum Aapke Hai Kaun are landmarks in her career. She said that she still reaps benefits from them as the new generation remembers her for her role in them.
Renuka Shahane’s last Hindi film was the 2018 release 3 Storeys. The actress is open to work but she is not interested in doing roles which she has done previously. That is one of the reasons that made the actress switch from films to television as after Huma Aapke Hai Kaun she started receiving similar roles.
BREAKING: Saaho passed by CBFC with U/A certificate; film’s runtime and other details inside!
One of the biggest or arguably the biggest film of the year, Saaho, is now less than 10 days away from the release. The trailers have made it evident that the kind of action showcased in the film is the first of its kind in Indian cinema. The presence of Prabhas, who became a pan-India superstar with Baahubali, has further added to the hype. Hence, the makers took the brave decision of not dubbing the film in Hindi but instead to shoot it in Hindi simultaneously.
The film sadly got delayed due to extensive VFX and post-production work. But now the film is ready and as per the latest update, the film has managed to get a censor certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The action packed entertainer has got a U/A certificate. The source says, “The film has been passed by the CBFC. Very few cuts have been ordered and these were mostly because of the action. Some action scenes are too violent and the CBFC members felt it was not needed. The makers understood their point and agreed to tone down these violent sequences. Once that was done, a U/A certificate was awarded.”
When asked about the film’s duration, the source answered, “The film’s runtime is 2 hours 54 minutes. It shouldn’t be a problem as the narrative is quite fast-paced and there’s lots happening in the film. Also, this is the year when two of the biggest blockbusters – Avengers: Endgame and Kabir Singh – had duration of 2 hours 55 minutes and 3 hours 2 minutes respectively. So let’s not raise eyebrows due to a film’s supposed long length. If the content is strong, there’s no reason why Saaho shouldn’t work with the audiences, notwithstanding the duration.”
Besides Prabhas, Saaho stars Shraddha Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Murali Sharma, Chunky Panday, Mandira Bedi and Mahesh Manjrekar. Jacqueline Fernandez features in a special appearance in a song. It is directed by Sujeeth and releases worldwide on August 30.
John Abraham to team up with his Batla House director Nikkhil Advani for period sports drama titled 1911
After the success of Batla House, the director-actor pair of the film is once again getting ready to team up for another project. The duo is going to work together to make the period sports drama 1911.
The director revealed that the shooting of the film will commence at the end of 2020. The film is based on a true story. It is about a football match that took place between the Mohun Bagan Club of India and the East Yorkshire Regiment in the year 1911. It is said to be one of the most important events that ignited the freedom movement in India.
Advani said that John Abraham and his team have been working on the film script for the last five years. He also said that initially Shoojit Sircar was supposed to direct the film but it did not work out between him and John. However, Nikkhil loved the idea and the period of the film. Nikkhil Advani was talking about the film during the media interaction at the eighth-anniversary celebration of his production house, Emmay Entertainment.
Nikkhil added that 1911 is a patriotic and nationalistic film. “The eleven men did not realise how they were energising an entire country to take up a kind of a movement which led to the freedom of India in 1947,” he said.
He further said, “Mohun Bagan’s 2-1 win over East Yorkshire Regiment happened in 1911 IFA Shield final. It was a pivotal moment for Indian football as well as an action that triggered off a surge of patriotism all over the country. The Mohun Bagan players who achieved the feat are often referred to as the Immortal Eleven.”
John Abraham and Nikkhil Advani’s film Batla House is currently enjoying a successful run at the box-office. Nikkhil has also directed John in the 2007 film Salaam-e-Ishq and produced the 2018 film Satyameva Jayate starring John Abraham.
Police complaint filed against Sacred Games director Anurag Kashyap for hurting religious sentiments
Days after the second season of the much-awaited web series Sacred Games was released, a BJP leader filed a police complaint against Anurag Kashyap. He alleged that the director of the series has hurt the sentiments of Sikhs through his web series. BJP legislator Manjinder Singh Sirsa also accused Kashyap of “disrespecting” Sikh and Hindu sentiments through portrayals in the web series directed by him.
Anurag Kashyap has not yet responded to the allegations. Delhi BJP spokesperson Tajinderpal Singh Bagga said he filed a complaint against Kashyap at Parliament Street police station for “insulting” Sikh sentiments. He said that in one of the scenes in the series, a Sikh character essayed by Saif Ali Khan threw his Kara which is one of the Kakaars revered by the Sikhs.
Sirsa said he had complained to the Information and Broadcasting minister against Kashyap demanding “strict action against him”. He said that they cannot let Bollywood stars “play with their religious faiths and sentiments”. He also said that Kashyap should have at least studied the scriptures of Sikhs and Hindus before he portrays the characters so negatively in his projects just for “entertainment or sensationalism”.
Sirsa who is an MLA from Rajouri Garden and also head of the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) said that he will also explore options for initiating legal actions against Kashyap.
Salman Khan’s Dabangg 3 to release in multiple languages simultaneously
Salman Khan and Sonakshi Sinha starrer Dabangg 3 has been in the news over the last few days as the crew was shooting the last leg of the film in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The previous two installments of Dabangg witnessed a massive box-office hit and Salman Khan’s character Chulbul Pandey became very popular. The third installment is all set to release on December 20. This will be the first time that a film from the Dabanggseries will be simultaneously releasing in multiple languages.
Salman Khan announced on his social media page that the film will be released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada on December 20. The actor shared the news with a cool picture of him posing with the director Prabhu Dheva.
Sonakshi Sinha had made her debut with Dabangg and plays a vital part in the franchise. Dabangg 3 will mark the debut of Mahesh Manjrekar’s daughter, Saiee.
Dabangg 3 will also star Arbaaz Khan, Pramod Khanna and South star, Kiccha Sudeep. The film’s shooting had kicked off in Madhya Pradesh and then moved to Mumbai. Sudeep will be the antagonist in the film and Dabangg 3 will have two parallel tracks of Chulbul’s past and present. The action sequences between Salman and Sudeep were shot in Mumbai.
Here’s what Farhan Akhtar has to say about the clash between Sye Raa Narasimhaa Reddy and War
With nearly 200 films being made each year in the Hindi film industry alone, films are bound to clash at the box-office. Recently, two big films Mission Mangal and Batla House saw a clash at the box office. Despite the fact, both films managed to do well.
Now, the upcoming Telugu film Sye Raa Narasimhaa Reddy and the Hindi film Warare headed for a box office clash as both the films are scheduled to release on October 2.
After the Kannada film KGF, Farhan Akhtar will be distributing the Hindi version of Sye Raa Narasimhaa Reddy. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Chiranjeevi, Sudeep, Tamannaah, Vijay Sethupathi, and Ravi Kishan. The makers recently dropped the teaser of the film and a grand launch for the same was held in Mumbai.
At the teaser launch when Farhan Akhtar was asked about the box office clash with the Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff starrer, he said, “Who said two films cannot release on the same day? I think there are enough screens and enough audience for two films to release on a day to do well. The people who have made that film are absolutely happy with that and I’m sure it’s a great film. I wish them all the best. We just hope the audience will go and see both films. I don’t look at it in any other way.”
Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy is directed by Surender Reddy and produced by Ram Charan, while War is directed by Siddharth Anand.
After 5 consecutive hits, Ayushmann Khurrana finally takes a much-needed holiday
Ayushmann Khurrana is not only the man of the moment with his big National Award win as the Best Actor but he is also arguably the busiest star in Hindi cinema today. He has four back to back movies, all of them will have the unique ‘Ayushmann quirk’ in scripts. He has just wrapped the shooting of Shoojit Sircar’s Gulabo Sitabo in Lucknow. He has shot for three films in Lucknow (Bala and Dream Girl being the other two) within a span of five months and has not taken any break. Which is why he will take a much-needed week off work, to go on a holiday with his family. He leaves for the week-long break in the last week of this month.
A source informs, “Ayushmann has delivered five back to back hits with each one featuring him in a completely different kind of role. His popularity has soared and so has the pace of him bagging brilliant films. As an artist, you are always looking to get to work immediately when you get a great script and this has been Ayushmann’s life for the last couple of years. He is a bonafide star now and all his dates are booked. After finishing Gulabo Sitabo, he shot for his new brand commitments for nine back to back days! It has been very hectic for him over the last six months and he needs to unwind for a week.”
The source adds, “Once he returns from this week-long holiday with his family, he will begin promoting Dream Girl extensively and will also begin prepping for his next film, Shubh Mangal Zyaada Savdhaan. He will have no time till the end of the year again. So, he wants to maximise every minute of his off days and spend as much time with his wife and kids.”
Shocking: Sleazy Sridevi titled film to receive restraining order
How far can a filmmaker go in pursuit of the audiences’ attention without seeming intrusive? Sridevi Bungalow is the title given to a film directed by some unknown chap named Prashanth Mambully. It was announced a few months ago with Priya Prakash Varrier and immediately invited the wrath of Sridevi fans. The teaser showed Priya Varrier lying inert in a bath-tub, a distasteful reference to the real Sridevi’s tragic end.
The utterly reprehensible attempt to cash in on the legendary iconic Diva’s name and reputation must be condemned by all her fans and admirers and must be discouraged by film industry which hero-worships the late actress. Instead we have out-of-work actors like Arbaaz Khan pitching in with their two-bit. The latest to join the cast of this corny anti-homage is a certain foreigner named Georgia Andriani whose only claim to fame is her proximity to the aforementioned Arbaaz Khan (whose only claim to fame is that he is Salman Khan’s brother).
While Sridevi’s hurt and incensed husband Boney Kapoor who has just returned from a wedding in Bali is looking at what further legal remedy he can seek a source close to Boney says, “He is disgusted by all those who have chosen to be associated with this lurid project. When he saw the first look of this shady film showing a woman in a bathtub and the film’s title Sridevi Bungalow Boney had sent a legal notice to the producer. But so far they’ve ignored the notice. Boney intends to take even more strict legal action asking for a restraining order against using Sridevi’s name in the title. They can make what they like—it’s a free world. But they can’t use that iconic name.
It is disgusting to see star-siblings and now even girlfriends of star-siblings being given roles in Hindi films. Nepotism never flourished more brazenly in Bollywood.
Aditya Roy Kapur heads to Mysore for Sadak 2
Aditya Roy Kapur, who has spent the last 5 months juggling between three films and back to back shoots, is now heading to Mysore for a short schedule for Sadak 2. He will be starring in the remake of the 1991 cult classic, touted as one of the most highly anticipated films that brings Mahesh Bhatt back to the direction and will also feature Alia Bhatt and Sanjay Dutt in lead roles.
After kicking off the Ooty schedule recently, Aditya Roy Kapur is quite excited to head to Mysore. He will be shooting with Makarand Deshpande and Gulshan Grover. A source close to the actor says,” Some very crucial scenes are going to be shot in the Mysore schedule. Right now, Aditya, Gulshan, and Makarand are shooting but Alia Bhatt might join the cast in Mysore later.”
Aditya has an interesting line up of projects including Anurag Basu’s untitled next opposite Sanya Malhotra, which also stars Abhishek Bachchan, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, and Fatima Sana Shaikh. The movie will be releasing on February 21 next year.
He will also be seen sharing screen space with Disha Patani, Anil Kapoor and Kunal Kemmu in Mohit Suri’s Malang which is supposed to release on Valentine’s Day next year.
“Rape and mutilation stories are horrific and alarming” – Richa Chadha on Section 375
Richa Chadha has taken on herself the mammoth task of playing a prosecution counsel in her upcoming film, Section 375, a film that furthers the dialogue around the importance of the law in a country like India. But the film puts into light the fact that the law is widely misused, triggering a valid and much-needed conversation required in India. Chadha explains, “The law is clear that the burden of proof lies with the accused. In this case, the law is friendlier so that women can report their sexual harassment cases. Any law is as strong or weak as the society it exists in and the facet of the Government that executes in.”
After extensive research for her role, the actress gauged, “There are myriad problems in India when it comes to reporting gender crimes. The statistic is worrying that rape cases often don’t get reported because of the social stigma attached to rape. The phrases used to describe rape are like “izzat lootna” or “naak katna”. There needs to be a multifaceted approach to fix this so we need to fix this on multiple levels. The society needs to be more aware. One wonders why cops are reluctant to register FIR. No law is made without context so after the Nirbhaya rape case, there were amendments to the clauses of rape law. But to what extent is it followed and implemented is crucial to determine how successful rape law is. The conviction rate of rape in India is fairly high contrary to popular belief. The film doesn’t take any sides.”
For the actor said that it could well be her career’s most challenging role. “It has to start with wearing black and white and turning up in tied hair neatly. Female lawyers dress plainly to not attract attention in order to be taken more seriously. Mentally, I did extensive research and Ajay had a lot of material on reported versus unreported rape cases. The UN women foundation material was available for reading. Some great women lawyers guided me on how to approach cases of sexual violence. I met private defense lawyers and public prosecutors and I was surprised to read so much about gender violence in the country. It starts with female foeticide then there are marital rapes which legally doesn’t stand. There are dowry deaths and honour killing. Rape and mutilation stories are horrific and alarming.“
Gulshan Kumar and T-Series presents, a Panorama Studios production, produced by Bhushan Kumar, Kishan Kumar, Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak, Co-produced by Aditya Choksi and Sanjeev Joshi, Section 375 will hit theatres in September.
