Here’s why Ira Khan does not plan on working with father Aamir Khan anytime soon
Aamir Khan’s daughter Ira Khan will soon be making her directorial debut with a play based on the adaptation of Euripeides’s Medea. In a recent interview, the young director spoke about directing her father.
Talking to a daily, Ira Khan said that she will direct her father when she has a better understanding of the craft. She said that working with someone you know personally can be complicated. Ira wants to be sure of herself before she works with her dad because he is well-read like everybody else in the family. Talking further about her father, she said that she and Aamir Khan are both control freaks but in a good way. She added that once they are given a project or work to do they are focused on it and forget about everything else.
Meanwhile, Ira Khan’s play will be held in Mumbai in December. Hazel Keech is the protagonist of the play. Talking about why she chose Hazel Keech she said that when the actress auditioned for the paly she got the subtleties and Ira knew that she would go extremes to do the part.
AR Rahman collaborates with U2 for single titled Ahimsa
Music maestro AR Rahman has time and again collaborated with Western artists. This time, he has collaborated with Irish band U2 for a single titled ‘Ahimsa’. The band is set to perform in India for the first time on December 15. The song will drop before they come to India.
AR Rahman shared on Twitter, “‘I’ll meet you where there is no sleeping… But we wake up to dream…’ Here is my latest collaboration ‘Ahimsa’ with @U2.” The opening of the song has his daughters Khatija and Raheema singing in Tamil. Then, comes Bono’s verse which is truly amazing.
AR Rahman said in a statement, “Ahimsa requires courage and strength. A quality that is impervious to weapons or power. It’s a mission which is most needed to heal the modern world and it is incredible timing to collaborate with U2, with their amazing legacy, to revive this movement.”
U2 is set to perform in Mumbai for the first time at DY Patil Stadium on December 15.
Mardaani 2: Rani Mukerji to meet India’s police force and their families
Rani Mukerji will be celebrating the ever vigilant and self-sacrificing police force of our country during the promotions of Mardaani 2! Rani, who is currently promoting her much-awaited thriller, is on a promotional spree and she will be travelling to 8 states to spread the message of Mardaani 2. The film that throws light on the rise of violent crimes committed by juveniles on women, also salutes the unsung police force of our country and their everyday daredevilry that saves innocents.
An informer reveals, “Rani has always championed the heroics of the police force and spoken about their selfless service to the society. Mardaani 2 also highlights the bravery of the cops and how they put themselves at risk to protect the people of their motherland. Rani will be seen celebrating the Indian police force during her promotional campaign that will spread across the country.”
When contacted, Rani confirmed saying, “Mardaani 2 celebrates the bravery of our country’s super efficient police force across the country who risk their lives to save us. For the promotions of Mardaani 2, I will be travelling to various states to spread the message of the film to the people. This will give me the opportunity to meet these incredibly courageous police officers of these states and celebrate their valour. From meeting super cops, to interacting with the traffic police officers, to meeting night patrol teams, to visiting training centres for women cops, to going to the control room to learn how our police officials maintain 24×7 vigil to protect us day and night from any and every possible harm, I will be doing various activities with the police force of India to salute their tireless work and their sacrifices to keep India safe.”
Rani Mukerji’s Mardaani 2 trailer has gripped the nation with his brilliant storyline. The edge-of-the-seat thriller will see Rani in a race against time to capture a brutal serial rapist who systematically targets women. Mardaani 2 focusses on the rise in violent crimes by juveniles in India and has definitely sparked a conversation on the threat this poses on young girls.
Rani is reprising the role of the fearless and committed Superintendent of Police, Shivani Shivaji Roy in Mardaani 2. She had delivered a knock-out performance in the superhit and hugely acclaimed prequel, Mardaani, in which she took on the kingpin of a child trafficking racket. In Mardaani 2, Rani has been pitted against a very young yet dangerous villain who can be called pure evil.
Will Shahid Kapoor and Vishal Bhardwaj collaborate for the fourth time?
Shahid Kapoor and Vishal Bhardwaj have given the industry some of the finest films of the Indian cinema. Their director-actor pair has always marvelled us and we can’t get enough of them. After giving us hit films like Kaminey and Haider, they even gave us an average release with Rangoon. It looks like, the duo might be collaborating on their fourth project together.
Shahid Kapoor has been spotted visiting Vishal Bhardwaj’s office, stirring rumours around the city that they might be collaborating for another kickass project. Shahid and Vishal even posed for the paparazzi after one such meeting and we’re already too excited for this power duo to collaborate.
Shahid is currently prepping for the remake of Nani’s Jersey and even posted a video of himself hitting it out of the park during one of the practise sessions.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Shikara to go straight to OTT?
After Karan Johar’s made-for-large screen saga Drive went straight to the OTT platform we now hear Vidhu Vinod Chopra directorial Shikara A Love letter From Kashmir , his first since Eklavya in 2007, is also going to release on the OTT platform
Shikara… about the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pundits was to release on November 9 in movie theatres but was postponed to February 2020. One now hears that the film will go straight to the streaming platform.
Vinod Chopra who has produced three of the most successful films of the past decade (3 Idiots, PK and Sanju) has not directed a film in India since 2007 when Eklavya bombed badly. In 2015 he directed a Hollywood film Broken Horses featuring Vincent D’Onofrio that was a disaster.
Shikara a semi-autobiographical film (Vinod Chopra is a Kashmiri pundit) was being looked forward to as Vinod Chopra’s return to direction. It looks like we would have to be content seeing his Kashmiri epic on the minuscule screen.
Fatima Sana Shaikh opens up about Anurag Basu’s untitled anthology
Fatima Sana Shaikh recently wrapped up Anurag Basu’s untitled crime anthology which pairs her opposite Rajkummar Rao. The film also stars Abhishek Bachchan, Aditya Roy Kapur, and Sanya Malhotra.
Speaking about the film, Fatima Sana Shaikh said that for the first time she is playing a normal woman in a saree rather than battling for a medal in a ring or performing gravity-defying stunts like a superhuman. She said it was a breezy shoot which was quickly completed. Even the director would break into dance during breaks and they would join in.
Basu is known to make some interesting music for his films. Fatima Sana Shaikh has assured that this film will have his signature music with a fun vibe to it. She said that they shot for the songs but haven’t heard it since they are recorded much later.
Anurag Basu’s untitled next comedy will now release on 13th March 2020. Directed by Anurag Basu, starring Abhishek Bachchan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Rajkumar Rao, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra and Pankaj Tripathi is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Divya Khosla Kumar, Anurag Basu, Tani Somarita Basu and Krishan Kumar.
Jr NTR declined the offer to play his grandfather in Kangana Ranaut starrer Thalaivi?
Reportedly, actor Jr NTR has declined the offer to feature in the upcoming Jayalalithaa biopic starring Kangana Ranaut. The actor was offered to play the role of his grandfather Nandamuri Taraka Rao (NTR) in the film titled Thalaivi. The former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa has featured in several films along with NTR. The makers of Thalaivi had approached Jr NTR with the offer to play his grandfather but he politely declined it.
Apparently, in the past, Jr NTR has said that he will never be able to play his grandfather on-screen. He had said it would be impossible for him to pull off the role as it’s very tough to replicate the veteran’s aura and charisma. Though, the actor in several of his movies has paid tribute to his grandfather but believes that he cannot play a full-length role.
Meanwhile, the makers are yet to finalise on the rest of the cast in the film where Kangana Ranaut will be seen playing the role of Jayalalithaa. The film stars Arvind Swami as former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and legendary actor MG Ramachandran.
Kangana Ranaut spent nearly six months prepping for the role. She trained in Bharatanatyam during the period and also underwent hours in the prosthetic make up sessions. The project directed by Vijay was announced along with its title and first look poster on February 25, on the 71st birth anniversary of Jayalalithaa.
T-Series becomes the first channel to cross 100 million subscribers on YouTube
There’s no stopping T-Series! Achieving yet another significant milestone and making India proud at the global level, the No. 1 music label of the Hindi film industry has officially become the first YouTube channel to reach 100 million subscribers on the video platform, racing ahead several noteworthy competitors including the internet sensation PewDiePie, with his subscriber base at 96 million.
From a rapidly-growing music company to a leading production house, the growth of the music giant T-Series has been tremendously impressive and certainly an inspiration to many. The company’s honcho, Bhushan Kumar has successfully transformed T-Series to a global entertainment production, ensuring the company’s efforts to stay relevant to a fast-evolving audience.
Having taken over the reins of the huge empire from his father Gulshan Kumar, Bhushan redefined the Indian music industry and meticulously chalked out a path for the company, increasing its reach and making it one of the biggest corporate giants in the music industry today.
As per a report published in Los Angeles Times recently, “T-Series’ channel includes Hindi and regional music, children’s programming, religious songs, and fitness. Its total subscribership dwarfs that of Justin Bieber (47 million), Ed Sheeran (43 million) and Taylor Swift (36 million).”
Today, T-Series is a one-stop-shop offering everything from music production, music acquisitions, movie production, to marketing and distribution, all under one roof. Set on reviving the independent music scene, the dynamic entrepreneur, Bhushan, has also directed a large amount of his production to make singles and non-film music.
With an exceptional run of box office hits this year, T-Series has an envious and impressive line-up in the coming year in which they will be collaborating with some of the biggest names in the industry to deliver new, interesting and varied content to the audience.
Aayush Sharma and Arpita Khan Sharma’s second child to be born on Salman Khan’s birthday?
Aayush Sharma and Arpita Khan Sharma’s marital bliss recently completed five years. The couple, who tied the knot in 2014, was blessed with their first son Aahil in March, 2016. Aayush and Arpita are now set to embrace parenthood once more, as they await the arrival of their second child.
Reportedly, the baby arrives in December. But that’s not all! If a recent report is to be believed, then the couple has chosen 27th December i.e. Salman Khan’s birthday, for Arpita’s C section. We all know that Salman is Arpita’s lifeline, and in turn, the superstar loves his sister and his nephew to no end. It would be so wonderful if the yet-to-be-born shares its birthday with the uncle!
Earlier, at this year’s IIFA, Aayush had opened up on embracing parenting bliss for the second time. “I think the new arrival is always exciting. Arpita and I are expecting our second baby. Ours has been an amazing journey, so it starts all over again. We just can’t wait for the baby to arrive,” he had said.
On the work front, the actor will be next seen in Kwatha alongside Katrina Kaif’s sister Isabelle Kaif.
Rani Mukerji to head to Eden Gardens for the 1st day-night Pink Ball Test Match
Rani Mukerji is actively promoting her much-awaited next titled Mardaani 2 and she will be in Kolkata this Friday to meet thousands of college students to discuss the message of her hard-hitting film that deals with the rise of violent crimes committed by juveniles in India. Given that she will be in the city of joy on the same day as the inaugural Pink Ball Test Match that is set to happen at the Eden Gardens, it gives the makers a big opportunity to also promote Mardaani 2.
“Rani will be at Eden Gardens when India takes on Bangladesh for the first test match to be played with the pink ball. Since she will be anyway in the city to promote Mardaani 2, this gave the team a huge opportunity to spread the message of the film to everyone who would be watching this much-hyped match,” reveals an informer.
Rani confirms saying, “This is the first time I will be watching a match at Eden gardens, I have always heard from my parents that the atmosphere at Eden is electrifying. It’s going to be quite an experience for me to watch it live. I am hoping that I too can make wonderful memories out of this day. It’s another happy occasion since I am going to be presenting the message of Mardaani 2 to the people present there and million others who will be watching the match through the broadcaster.”
Rani Mukerji’s Mardaani 2 trailer has gripped the nation with his brilliant storyline. The edge-of-the-seat thriller will see Rani in a race against time to capture a brutal serial rapist who systematically targets women. Mardaani 2 focuses on the rise in violent crimes by juveniles in India and has definitely sparked a conversation on the threat this poses on young girls.
Rani is reprising the role of the fearless and committed Superintendent of Police, Shivani Shivaji Roy in Mardaani 2. She had delivered a knock-out performance in the superhit and hugely acclaimed prequel, Mardaani, in which she took on the kingpin of a child trafficking racket. In Mardaani 2, Rani has been pitted against a very young yet dangerous villain who can be called pure evil.
Produced by Aditya Chopra, Mardaani 2 will be Rani’s next release after the global blockbuster Hichki that delivered 250 crores worldwide. Mardaani 2 is set to hit theatres on 13th December.
“It’s a dream come true for me to play a role that is so strikingly similar to Karisma Kapoor’s in Biwi No 1,” says Bhumi Pednekar
Six-film-old young but highly acclaimed actor, Bhumi Pednekar, is doing the most commercial film of her career with Pati, Pati Aur Woh and it seems like she was inspired by Karisma Kapoor’s outstanding act in Biwi No 1. While speaking about this, Bhumi also revealed that she has always been a huge fan of Karisma Kapoor.
Bhumi said, “I have been a huge fan of Karisma Kapoor since I was a child. I even bought a dress that was similar to the one she wore in Raja Hindustani. For me, she is the epitome of a commercial film heroine and I have seen and loved her films.“
The actress adds, “A fabulous actor, she was outstanding in comedies and Biwi No 1 was a huge inspiration for me while I was preparing myself for Pati, Patni Aur Woh. Karisma as a simple bahu to becoming the firecracker in the film had bowled me over and she was my most definitive reference point to nail my role in this film.”
Bhumi says she is thrilled to play a character so similar to Karisma’s in Biwi No 1. “It’s a dream come true for me to play a role that is so strikingly similar to hers. I thoroughly enjoyed playing the commercial film heroine for the first time in my career and I realized my childhood wish in the process,” she said.
EXCLUSIVE! Priyadarshan to make a comeback to Bollywood with HUNGAMA 2
The super-prolific Priyadarshan, the master of mirthful comedies and father-figure to Anees Bazmee, Sajid Khan and others of the comedic ilk, is coming back to Hindi cinema after 2013 when he made the unsuccessful non-comedic Rangrezz. Says Priyan emotionally, “It’s been six years since I directed a Hindi film. Now I am back with a full-on comedy. But no vulgarity no double meanings. Hungama 2 will be as clean and family-oriented as all my comedies.”
But why Hungama after so many years? “I know Hungama came 16 years ago. But people have still not forgotten it. Besides, I share a wonderful rapport with the producers Venus Records & Tapes. I’ve made many wonderful films with them including Garam Masala and Hulchul. I like all of my films with Venus except Tezz which I personally think was a misfire.”
So is Hungama 2 going to be continuing the story from Hungama in 2003? “No. It will be a fresh story. We decided to title the new comedy Hungama 2 because the mood of masti, mischief and hungama remain unchanged.”
What also remains unchanged is some of the core cast of Hungama. “Paresh Rawal will be back in the film, so will Shakti Kapoor and Rajpal Yadav. Only the lead pair Akshaye Khanna and Rimi Sen will change. We will announce the new romantic lead of Hungama 2 very shortly.”
As for the plot, “It will be young, vibrant, warm, funny and family-oriented. In brief, a typical Priyadarshan comedy,” he promises.
Shershaah: Sidharth Malhotra was approached by the family of Captain Batra to play their son’s role
Actor Sidharth Malhotra was last seen in the recently released film Marjaavaan. The actor is currently shooting for his next film Shershaah. The film is a biopic based on the Indian army officer, Captain Vikram Batra.
As per reports, Sidharth Malhotra underwent military training for his role in the film. He revealed that he has been involved with the film throughout the writing of its script and that he has also been in touch with the Batra family.
Talking to a media house, Sidharth said that he has met the family of Captain Batra several times and said that they are the ones who approached him to play the part of their son. The actor said that he has been working actively on the script for almost three years now.
Sidharth said that Shershaah has a more pan-India appeal than Marjaavaan. Captain Vikram Batra was a Kargil Martyr who was also awarded the Param Vir Chakra.
Has Hrithik Roshan hiked his price after two blockbusters Super 30 and War?
Hrithik Roshan is riding an all-time career-high after two back-to-back blockbusters in 2019. First came Super 30, the bio-pic on mathematician Anand Kumar which belied all expectations by becoming a blockbuster. Then, doing a volte face, Hrithik played a suave intelligence officer in the actioner War which is expected to be the biggest hit of 2019.
He is now being wooed by almost every major filmmaker in the country, including Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Aanand Rai, Farah Khan, Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar and Sajid Nadiadwala. Understandably the Superstar’s price tag has become inflated. While the exact figure being demanded by Roshan is not known (no actor reveals his actual fee to anyone—not even to his wife—only his chartered accountant), a source working closely with the Superstar tells this writer that Roshan’s remuneration has increased “substantially”.
And the new price applies to all, including Yash Raj films. This means, if Aditya Chopra wants to sign Hrithik for the sequel of War, he would have to pay Hrithik his enhanced remuneration.
With every A-lister from Akshay Kumar to Ayushmann Khurrana charging through the roof, the time has come for the film industry to look for a new generation of stars.
“When we sit inside a dark hall we never ask the caste, creed, colour of the person sitting next to us,” says Amitabh Bachchan at the launch of IFFI 2019
A retrospective of films of the recipient of the most prestigious film award of the Country, Dadasaheb Phalke Award is showcased during IFFI (International Film Festival of India). This year, the 50th edition of Asia’s biggest film festival is showcasing a retrospective of Amitabh Bachchan as he was honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke award this year that also makes him the 50th recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Mr Bachchan inaugurated the retrospective at Kala Academy in Goa today.
Speaking at the launch Mr Bachchan said, “I feel deeply humbled and would thank the Government of India for this prestigious award. I’ve always felt that I’m not deserving of such recognition but I humbly accept this with a lot of grace and affection.”
On the 50the edition he said, “This is the 50th edition of IFFI and I compliment the Government of India and IFFI for conducting themselves in such a wonderful manner. Each year we find a growth in the number of delegates and the choice of films giving us the opportunity to see the works and creativity from different parts of the world.”
Calling cinema a universal medium ‘that is beyond language’ he added, “When we sit inside a dark hall we never ask the caste, creed, colour of the person sitting next to us. We enjoy the same film, laugh at the same jokes and cry at the same emotions.”
He warned that there are “very few mediums left in this fast-paced disintegrating world that can claim such integration.” He was hopeful that “we continue to make films that will bring people together.”
He called for the disintegration of “this rather odd system of keeping sides due to colours, caste, religion, bringing us together in one community, hold hands together to appreciate the creativity and take a step forward to make this world a peaceful place.”
Bachchan who has a close connection to Goa fondly recalled shooting his first film here. He said, “Coming to Goa has always been like coming home and I’ve had many wonderful opportunities to work in this place and receive the hospitality from the people of Goa during our various stints of shooting.”
While Paa will be the opening film, the other films that are being screened of his are Sholay, Deewar, Black, Piku and Badla.
