BREAKING: CBFC passes Deepika Padukone-starrer Chhapaak with ‘U’ certificate and ZERO cuts
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), since 4-5 years, has become too conservative or regressive at times. A lot of unfair cuts have been enforced on certain films, which has led to numerous controversies over the years. But one can’t deny that there have been also instances when the CBFC has understood the intent behind a film and have not gone for any kind of censoring in such films, despite the presence of disturbing scenes or dialogues.
Chhapaak, one of the first films of 2020, is one such film that has escaped the wrath of CBFC. Starring Deepika Padukone, it tells the story of an acid attack survivor. The powerful trailer is laced with some scenes that can be difficult to sit through for audiences. However, thankfully, the CBFC understood the motive behind those scenes in this Meghna Gulzar-directed film. And surprisingly, they have passed the film without any cut. Moreover, it has also been awarded a ‘U’ certificate!
A source close to the project says, “Though Chhapaak releases on January 10, it was ready since a while and hence, the producers thought not to waste time and get the censor certificate soon. It would have also given them time to discuss with the CBFC, if they had raised objection to any part of the film. But to the pleasant surprise to the entire team, the CBFC members made it clear that there is no need for any kind of audio or visual cut in the film at all. Also, they felt that a film like this should be seen by all age groups. As a result, they immediately decided to give the film a ‘U’ rating.”
Chhapaak got the censor certificate on December 6, four days before its trailer was out. The total length of the film is 123 minutes.
Penn Badgley accidentally confirms season 3 of You
Penn Badgley, who rose to fame for his role as Dan Humprey in Gossip Girl, is currently starring in season 2 of Netflix’s thriller, You. The first season of the series, developed by Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble, came out last year and Penn’s villainous role became the talk on the internet. As the season 2 is currently streaming on the platform, the actor accidentally revealed that we might get to see more of Joe Goldberg in future.
During the promotions, Penn Badgley accidentally revealed that the show might come back with another season. In this season, the actor is seen stalking yet another character Love Quinn, played by actor Victoria Pedretti. Speaking about the story to Entertainment Tonight, Penn said, “She doesn’t appear to be the same kind of person. She doesn’t appear to be the same kind of predator. She doesn’t appear to be the same kind of you know, dare I say, in the third season – oh, god!”
“I literally know nothing about the third season,” he added. When quizzed on the third season of the series and whether he is confirming it, he said, “Technically I can’t… I mean, like, unofficially?”
You also stars Jenna Ortega, James Scully, and Ambyr Childers.
Kwatha: Aayush Sharma and Isabelle Kaif to head to North-east for next schedule
Aayush Sharma has commenced his second project opposite debutante Isabelle Kaif, Katrina Kaif’s sister. The film, Kwatha, went on the floor just a few days ago. After a short span in Mumbai, the cast will head to Delhi for 10 days of the shoot.
Moving forward, Aayush Sharma and Isabelle Kaif will be heading to North-east for a 45-day schedule. After shooting montage scenes in Mumbai, the majority of shoot will take place in the North-east including dramatic and action sequences.
Aayush Sharma has been training for the role of Army man. Directed by Karan Bhutani, Kwatha is based on true story and will show humane side of the Indian Army.
Good Newwz star Akshay Kumar reveals at one point he gave 16 flops
Akshay Kumar has remained one of the most successful stars in the Hindi cinema. He continues to release three to four films a year which turned out to be successes at the box office. But, the actor says that wasn’t the case always.
Speaking about his method of selecting films since his 2020 slate looks pretty diverse, Akshay Kumar said that there’s no method behind the madness or planning as such. He said there’s only heart involved when it comes to work. And he says that by god’s grace, everything has been working out well. He further said that he always worked from the heart and even gave 16 flops at that time. But, that did not stop him. He kept following his heart.
Akshay Kumar films not only benefit him but also producers, exhibitors, theatres and distributors. But, does the actor feel pressurized to work in such a scenario? He said that almost 180 films are made in Hindi in a year. If one Akshay Kumar feels goes, other will come. He said that he does four films a year so there are 176 more films to watch. Akshay said that he does not feel pressurized. He just feels the film should do well so that his next year goes well too.
On the work front, Akshay Kumar is currently seen in Good Newwz. He has three releases next year – Sooryavanshi, Laxmmi Bomb, Bachchan Pandey.
Peaceful protests take place across Punjab against Farah Khan, Raveena Tandon, Bharti Singh for hurting religious sentiments
On an episode that aired on Farah Khan’s show, Bharti Singh and Raveena Tandon, ended up inadvertently hurt the religious sentiments of Christians. While they took to their social media to apologise for unintentionally hurting the sentiments, there were several peaceful protests held across Punjab against Farah Khan, Raveena Tandon, and Bharti Singh.
Take to her social media, Farah Khan posted, “I’m extremely saddened that some sentiments have been inadvertently hurt by a recent episode of my show. I respect all religions, n it would never be my intention 2disrespect any.On behalf of the entire team, Raveena Tandon, Bharti Singh and Myself.. we do sincerely apologise.”
While Raveena tweeted, “Please do watch this link. I haven’t said a word that can be interpreted as an insult to any religion. The three of us (Farah Khan, Bharti Singh and I) never intended to offend anyone, but in case we did, my most sincere apologies to those who were hurt.”
Protests in Jalandhar and Gurdaspur saw a great presence of the Christian community.
Malang stars Disha Patani & Aditya Roy Kapur to share a kiss during underwater sequence
Disha Patani and Aditya Roy Kapur will be seen in the upcoming film Malang. Fitness enthusiasts Disha and Aditya have done underwater scenes in the film and now we hear that the leading actors shot for an extended kissing sequence in the Mohit Suri directorial.
Earlier in May, Disha Patani had teased fans with a cool picture from the sets of Malang in which she and co-star Aditya Roy Kapur posed in diving suits. Now, they both will be seen underwater performing a kissing sequence. The duo was prepping for an extended underwater kissing sequence in the film. Director Mohit Suri had sent the actors packing for two days of prep in May ahead of the shoot.
The sequence required Disha and Aditya to be underwater for at least a minute, so the training focused on strengthening lung capacity moreover the sequence was shot during the Goa schedule of the film in a day. It was a difficult shoot as Aditya and Disha had to sync their breathing patterns accordingly.
Malang is a revenge drama, helmed by Aashiqui 2 director Mohit and produced by Bhushan, Luv Ranjan, Ankur and Jay Shewakramani. The film also stars Anil Kapoor and Kunal Khemmu in pivotal roles. The flick is set to hit theatres on February 7, 2020.
Abhimanyu Dassani heads to Turkey to master Capoeira for his next, Nikamma
The director who introduced mega action star Tiger Shroff is now all geared to present Abhimanyu Dassani in a larger than life action entertainer. Nikamma being an action love story Abhimanyu was the first name that popped in contention and on hearing the script the actor instantly gave his nod. To prepare for the action scenes, Abhimanyu Dassani flew to Turkey to master hand to hand combat, as the film boast of actual fight sequences. He returned just before the start of the first schedule.
When Abhimanyu Dassani got an insight in regards to the action he is expected to do in the film, he went and mastered the art for the same in Turkey. The actor likes doing the action scenes on his own. A major chunk of action of the movie was recently filmed in Lucknow.
Talking about the same, Abhimanyu shares, “There is a lot of action in Nikamma. Sabbir sir, and I both were keen that I do all the action & stunts myself. We wanted all the action sequences to look authentic. We decided that I should learn Capoeira before starting the shoot. We traveled to Turkey especially to learn this fighting form and it was an amazing experience. I trained with the armed forces there which were extremely engaging because it wasn’t just fancy film fighting, but moreover real-life protection and takedowns.”
Nikamma is jointly produced by Sony Pictures International Productions and Sabbir Khan Films and is scheduled to release on 5th June 2020.
Ramesh Sippy makes a comeback after 25 Years with Shimla Mirchi
In a sudden turn of events, producers Viacom 18 have decided to release the long-delayed Hema Malini – Rajkummar Rao – Rakul Preet Singh starrer Shimla Mirchi. The film about a romantic relationship between a young man and an older woman played by Rao and Hema, was shot in 2014. The film then got into serious production issues and was shelved for all practical purposes.
A pity since Shimla Mirchi was the great Sholay director Ramesh Sippy’s first directorial venture in 25 years. The super-gifted Ramesh Sippy last directed Zamaana Deewana with Shah Rukh Khan and Raveena Tandon in 1995. The film was a disaster and the director of such neo-classics as Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay, Shakti and Saagar went into a self-imposed hibernation.
Only to return in 2014. When Shimla Mirchi was completed and remained unreleased, Ramesh Sippy sadly said, “I don’t think that film is going to get released.” Happily, Sippy was wrong.
The film’s leading lady Hema Malini, who has not been seen on screen since Aman Ke Farishtey in 2016 is surprised to know about the sudden release of Shimla Mirchi. The unbeatable director-actress combo of Ramesh Sippy and Hema Malini created history three times over with Andaz, Seeta Aur Geeta and Sholay.
Would they again generate the same hysteria with their fourth outing together in Shimla Mirchi?
Says Hema, “I am working with Rameshji after nearly 40 years. But it seems like just the other. We picked up the threads of our association as if the big time-gap didn’t happen in-between. He is very mischievous with me. There is a glint in his eyes and a secret smile that haven’t faded with time. He is still the same. Shooting with Rameshji again was l a lot of fun. Let’s see if this time around we again emerge with something special. Rameshji has given me another very important role in Shimla Mirchi. Rameshji insisted. And when I heard the script I knew why. At my age actresses don’t get such important roles that easily.”
SCOOP: Shah Rukh Khan green lights Rajkumar Hirani’s next, makers looking for 2021 release?
Millions of Shah Rukh Khan fans have been waiting with bated breath for his next film announcement. Speculations around have been rife about his next project which will either be Rajkumar Hirani directorial or Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK’s next or South director Atlee’s next. The superstar continues to stay mum on his next project ever since the debacle of his last release, Aanand L Rai’s Zero.
But, it seems like the actor has given a go-ahead to Rajkumar Hirani. As per grapevine, “The talks about his project began earlier this year. Shah Rukh Khan has okayed filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani’s next. This seems to be a huge project and sets will be mounted by April or May 2020. Following this, the makers are looking for 2021 release for the film. As of now, the cast and subject of the film is kept under wraps.”
Shah Rukh Khan, on his birthday in November, confirmed that he will announce the project once it goes on the floor. He did say that he will have a release in 2020 itself.
Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan has been meeting up with many directors from the South industry. He has already produced this year’s success Badla which starred Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu. He has also produced Netflix series Bard Of Blood starring Emraan Hashmi. He has another two shows coming up – Class Of ’83 and Betaal.
EXCLUSIVE: Kartik Aaryan to play Punjabi singer Amar Singh Chamkila in Imtiaz Ali’s production
Kartik Aaryan is on a roll and how! The actor had two successes this year with Luka Chuppi and Pati Pati Aur Woh. The year 2020 looks pretty interesting as his slate of films includes Imtiaz Ali’s next tentatively titled Aaj Kal, Anees Bazmee’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Collin D’Cunha’s Dostana 2. With that being said, it seems like his collaboration with Imtiaz won’t just stick to one film only.
Kartik Aaryan will be finally be doing a biopic. The actor has been reportedly approached for the role of Punjabi singer Amar Singh Chamkila. As per grapevine, “Kartik Aaryan has been reportedly approached to play the role of popular Punjabi singer late Amar Singh Chamkila. This would be another collaboration between Kartik and Imtiaz. But, the filmmaker won’t direct it. The film will be produced by Imtiaz Ali and Reliance Entertainment and directed by Imtiaz’s brother Sajid Ali who made his directorial debut last year with Avinash Tiwary’s Laila Majnu.”
For unversed, Amar Singh Chamkila was a songwriter, musician, and composer. Hailing from Punjab, he became popular with the stage name Chamkila and was regarded as one of the best performers Punjab has ever produced. His music was very much influenced from his surroundings. The songs were a commentary on Punjab and it’s culture. His best-known hits include ‘Takue Te Takua’, ‘Pehle Lalkare Naal’ among others.
But, in the most tragic turn of events, Chamkila and his wife Amarjot were brutally assassinated and gunned along with the two members of his band on 8 March 1988. As it was reported, a group of armed youths on motorcycles fired several rounds fatally injuring all of them. No arrests were made at the time and the case has been unsolved till date.
Sara Ali Khan has been approached by Vishal Bhardwaj for his next
Sara Ali Khan’s performances in both her films, Kedarnath and Simmba, have been highly impressive for a newcomer in the industry. From being one of the goofiest kids off-screen to being one of the finest actresses on-screen, Sara Ali Khan surely has a charm like no one else. She has managed to become the audiences’ favourite in a very short span of time and is clearly here to reign.
While she has two other projects in her kitty including Imtiaz Ali’s next with Kartik Aaryan and Coolie No. 1 with Varun Dhawan, she might be seen in Vishal Bhardwaj’s next project. All the details regarding the project are kept under wraps as of now.
According to a trusted source, Vishal Bhardwaj has narrated his next script to Sara. The source close to this project revealed, “Yes, Sara Ali Khan has been approached by Vishal Bhardwaj for his next. He has narrated the script to her a while ago and is awaiting a nod from the actress to lock things on paper.”
As of now, Sara Ali Khan is currently vacationing with her best friend in Kerala. We’re quite excited to know more about this project and we’re sure that Sara and Vishal’s actor-director duo will not let the audience down. Watch this space for more updates regarding the same.
Ryan Reynolds confirms Deadpool 3 is in works
Happy Holidays indeed for Ryan Reynolds fans as the actor has confirmed that Deadpool 3 is in works. The actor, who was recently seen in Netflix’s actioner 6 Underground, recently appeared on Live With Kelly and Ryan where he told Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest that the team is currently working on the third installment.
“Yeah we’re working on it right now with the whole team,” Reynolds said. “We’re over at Marvel [Studios] now, which is like the big leagues all of a sudden. It’s kinda crazy. So yeah, we’re working on it.”
A lot of speculation was around the future of Deadpool following Disney’s purchase of Fox, the studio which made Deadpool and Deadpool 2 and whether Disney would be okay with making R- rated film. The previous films were highest-grossing R-rated flicks until this year when Joker released.
Now that Ryan Reynolds has confirmed Deadpool 3, there’s something to look forward to.
Deepika Padukone speaks about Shah Rukh Khan supporting acid attack survivors through his foundation
Over a decade ago, Deepika Padukone made her debut in Om Shanti Om opposite Shah Rukh Khan. Since then, she has worked with him in Chennai Express and Happy New Year. The actress has been aware of Shah Rukh Khan’s philanthropic side as he supports acid attack survivors through his Meer Foundation. Deepika Padukone, who is playing acid attack survivour in Chhapaak, recently opened up about SRK’s work.
Talking about the same, Deepika said that she remembered during the shooting of Happy New Year or Chennai Express, Shah Rukh Khan had expressed that he’d like to support acid attack survivours. She said he had already started helping on an individual level but never spoke about it. She mentioned the actor has been financially supporting the survivors at an individual level but wanted to do it at a much larger level. She said she hasn’t met him in a while but started to hear about Meer Foundation around the time when she began filming Chhapaak. She said something he would talk about had actually taken shape. He believed in it and followed through and they are doing incredible work.
Chhapaak, directed by Meghna Gulzar, is set to release on January 10, 2020.
Farah Khan apologises for inadvertently hurting religious sentiments on her show
A day after Raveena Tandon, Farah Khan and comedian Bharti Singh were booked by Amritsar police, Farah Khan has apologized for inadvertently hurting religious sentiments on her show, Backbenchers.
Farah Khan, on Friday, took to Twitter to apologize on behalf of the entire team of her show and wrote, “I’m extremely saddened that some sentiments have been inadvertently hurt by a recent episode of my show. I respect all religions, n it would never be my intention 2disrespect any. On behalf of the entire team, Raveena Tandon, Bharti Singh and Myself.. we do sincerely apologise.”
On Thursday, even Raveena Tandon apologized on Twitter and wrote, “I haven’t said a word that can be interpreted as an insult to any religion. The three of us (Farah Khan, Bharti Singh and I) never intended to offend anyone, but in case we did, my most sincere apologies to those who were hurt.”
A case was registered on Wednesday after the complaint was filed by Sonu Jafar, President of Christian Front of Ajnala Block. The video was also provided which aired during Christmas eve. The FIR was registered in Amritsar at Ajnala police station under section 295-A of the IPC.
