Amitabh Bachchan pulls off an 18-hour shift days after doctors advised him to cut back on work
Amitabh Bachchan had recently said that the doctors have advised him to cut back on work, keeping in mind his recent health concerns. Now, the actor, in his blog, wrote that he shot three episodes of Kaun Banega Crorepati 11 back-to-back, resulting in an 18-hour workday.
On Tuesday, the actor on his blog wrote that because of a backlog, he shot for three episodes of the reality game show in one day. “Yes, sir, I work. I work every day. I worked yesterday, it lasted 18 hours. It gave me reassurance, love, and blessings,” he wrote.
One day before, the actor had written, “Apologies for the delayed Post and the Blog .. but as we near the ending of the season of KBC .. a great amount of catch up is being required .. hence finished only by 1 AM, this morning and am setting off again to the studios ..”
The actor had previously written that doctors had warned him about cutting back on work, ‘or else’. “The tunnel at the NSSH .. indeed several tunnels and some more probing with the meter in hand that sonographs .. a few on the side injectables .. at various locations on this minefield of a body .. some venus strips punctured and the fluids dripped in .. a few hard core instructions to follow .. and back to the grind , despite the stethoscope dressed messengers from heaven giving strong warnings of work cut off .. or else,” he had written.
Sunny Leone to collaborate with Ekta Kapoor for a dance number in Ragini MMS Returns
Sunny Leone shot to fame with her performance to the song ‘Baby Doll’ from the film Ragini MMS 2 in the year 2014. Now, the actress will be seen in a special appearance in Ragini MMS returns.
Ragini MMS returns is a show on ALT Balaji and Sunny Leone will be making an appearance on the second season. The show features Varun Sood and Divya Agarwal. Leone will feature in a dance number titled ‘Helo Ji’, composed by Meet Bros.
Talking to a media house, Sunny Leone said that the song has been mounted on a large scale as the makers want to blow this one out of the park. She further said that for one year, she and producer Ekta Kapoor were planning to collaborate on something. Sunny said that Ekta has put in a lot of effort into creating the track. She also said that she and choreographer Vishnu Deva have taken efforts to make sure that it is different from her past dance numbers.
Meanwhile, Sunny Leone recently shot for a dance number with Nawazuddin Siddiqui for the upcoming film Motichoor Chaknachoor.
Farhan Akhtar left irked with Indian censorship in Christian Bale and Matt Damon’s Ford v Ferrari
The internet has had long debates pertaining to what should be censored and how much should be censored, in films. Various decisions of censorship as undertaken by the CBFC have been criticised in the past. We can’t specifically forget how the era of Pahlaj Nihalani was a much eventful one, in terms of censorship. Latest, the Prasoon Joshi-led board decided to blur out bottles and glasses of alcohol in Christian Bale, and Matt Damon starrer recent release Ford v Ferrari.
This seems to have irked many, including Farhan Akhtar who took to Twitter to question the rationality behind the censorship, and put it across quite strongly. ‘The day is not far when they’ll just have the script read out in theatres. Why the Indian adult is treated like a delinquent who can’t think for him/herself or tell right from wrong is beyond me,’ he writes. His tweet is also accompanied by the snapshot of a particular sequence. We wonder if the CBFC is going to respond to this!
The film revolves around the competition between the makers of highly reputed automobile makers Ford v Ferrari in the 1960. It hits the theatres on 15th November in India.
REVEALED: Here’s what to expect from the POWER-PACKED trailer of Rani Mukerji’s MARDAANI 2!
The official social media handles of Yash Raj Films (YRF) announced today that they will finally unveil the trailer of their final film of the year, Mardaani 2, tomorrow. It is a sequel to the 2014 action drama Mardaani, which was a box office and critical success. Just like part 1, the second instalment too features Rani Mukerji in the leading role. And a source claims that the trailer is surely something to watch out for!
The source elaborates, “The trailer is highly exciting and is sure to generate tremendous buzz for the film. Just like the first part, the content of Mardaani 2 is very disturbing and violent. But it is needed and is not added just for the heck of it. Mardaani was a rare adults-only film of YRF and for Mardaani 2, producer Aditya Chopra is going to ask for the same certification. Hence, whatever you see in the trailer will be retained in the film.”
The source adds, “The film has a very relatable plot and that would also add to the buzz. And watch out for Rani Mukerji! She has worked hard and has delivered a commendable performance, going by the trailer. YRF team is confident that she’ll walk away with a lot of praise for her performance. Everyone at YRF is in high spirits since their last film War was a blockbuster and biggest grosser of 2019 so far. And now for Mardaani 2, they appear very confident. It’s in fact heartening to see the sequel is not made to cash in on the franchise but because the makers had an important story to tell.”
Mardaani’s USP, besides the subject of human trafficking and Rani’s performance, was the presence of the villain, played very well by Tahir Raj Bhasin. When asked who plays the antagonist in Mardaani 2, the source states, “That’s something that the YRF team has not unveiled. Even in the trailer, only his glimpse can be seen.”
Mardaani 2 is the directorial debut of Gopi Puthran and is scheduled to release on December 13. “It releases a week before Dabangg 3 and a week after Pati Patni Aur Woh and Panipat. And it clashes with Jumanji: The Next Level, which has a huge following in India. Yet, Mardaani 2 seems to have a solid chance to excel at the box office, if the trailer is anything to go by,” says the source and signs off.
Motichoor Chaknachoor director Debamitra Biswal accused of fraud for trying to sell rights of the film
Motichoor Chaknachoor director Debamitra Biswal has been accused of indulging in fraud by trying to sell the rights of the film to a distributor in Bihar. The director has been accused of taking Rs 32 lakh from a Bihar distributor by fraudulently trying to sell the rights of the upcoming film without having authority.
Reportedly, a petition has been filed on November 6 at a court of sub-judge in Saran, Bihar. A statement in the petition states that Biswal has admitted to selling the rights of the movie and taking money fraudulently, without the knowledge of the production house and studio.
The petitioner also claimed that it happened in the presence of lead actress Athiya Shetty. Legal proceedings against the director are being processed by the production house and studio.
The film is produced by Viacom 18 studios, Woodpecker Movies, Rajesh and Kiran Bhatia. The legal counsel of Woodpecker Movies Ramesh Jain said that they are investigating the matter and approaching the honorable court for relief of the same.
Motichoor Chaknachoor is set in Bhopal and is the story about a young NRI husband-obsessed bride and a desperate groom Pushpinder (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). Athiya essays the role of an educated girl who is looking for a green card-holder groom. Pushpinder, the guy eager to get married, is supposed to be settled in Dubai.
EXCLUSIVE: Lata Mangeshkar is doing better, to be home in next 48 hours
Lata Mangeshkar gave the nation a collective scare when she fell ill and had to be hospitalized on Monday. Ill-informed portals and websites added to the anxiety by putting out false alarmist news bulletins on her health with quotes from medical sources who seem to have thrown all ethics to the winds. However, the news on Lataji’s health front is very encouraging.
According to family sources, “Her condition is improving .She is at the moment resting and at this rate of recovery she will be out of the hospital in 48 hours.”
Interestingly, in a conversation with this writer, some time ago Lataji had expressed her apprehension about the public response to her health. “Nowadays the social media has become very active. And spreading misinformation to grab attention is the easiest thing in the world. I request Twitter and Instagram users to exercise caution in putting out their own health bulletins about people in the limelight, be it Bachchan Saab, or someone else,” said Lataji, adding that she knew the panic information came out of a place of genuine concern.
“But it isn’t nice to spread panic reports on health issues. Like everyone, we also have families who get worried when they read such reports. I’d say caution discretion and restraint are the need of the hour when someone in the public domain falls ill,” Lataji had said while commenting on speculation on Mr Bachchan’s health.
Netizens lash out at Vaani Kapoor for wearing a bikini top with ‘Hare Ram’ printed on it
Bollywood actress Vaani Kapoor who was last seen in the recently released film War alongside Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff got embroiled in a controversy. The actress, in a now-deleted picture on her social media account, was seen wearing a bikini top with the words ‘Hare Ram’ imprinted on it.
This picture of the actress has not gone down well with several people. Many took to Twitter to lash out at the actress. Some of them called her uncultured and told her to value the sentiments of the devotees.
“Wearing Lord Sri Raam’s name on the uncultured dress code doesn’t give value to the actress Vani Kapoor @Vaaniofficial. This is hurting the sentiments of devotees of Lord Sri Raam. We urge to removed such images from the site and value the devotees sentiments,” a user wrote.
Wearing Lord Sri Raam's name on the uncultured dresscode doesn't give value to the actress Vani Kapoor @Vaaniofficial. This is hurting the sentiments of devotees of Lord Sri Raam. We uarge to removed such images from the site and value the devotees sentiments.#vaanikapoor https://t.co/v0jRJntB5w
— Pratibha Nayak (@prati_nayak) November 13, 2019
Another user wrote, “#vaanikapoor you do not have any respect for our Hindu gods you should be sorry for this and shameless women, if you can’t respect Hindu god, at least don’t disrespect them. It is an idiotic ness.”
#vaanikapoor you do not have any respect for our hindu gods you should be sorry for this and shameless women, if you can't respect hindu god, atleast don't disrespect them. It is an idiotic ness.
— Abhishek Parmar (@Abhishek12SK) November 13, 2019
“Insulting Hindu gods and practices has become a way to tell a specific section in Bollywood we are going to stoop to any lows to get work,” wrote a Twitter user.
Insulting Hindu gods and practices has become a way to tell a specific section in Bollywood we are going to stoop to any lows to get work.#VaaniKapoor #Bollywood #BollywoodNews https://t.co/7JGZDdOJ9k
— ????? ????? ??? (@AYMSays) November 13, 2019
Vaani Kapoor and her team haven’t reacted to this controversy yet but have deleted the said picture from social media.
Akshay Kumar starrer Bell Bottom is NOT a remake of Kannada namesake film
It has been a couple of days since Akshay Kumar’s newest outing Bell Bottom was announced. While the title has been intriguing indeed and takes one right back into the 70s and the early 80s, the fact that it is indeed a period affair with Akshay Kumar in a suave avatar, his swag next to an flashy Impala no less and an airplane up there in the sky only adds on to the retro touch.
There is a catch though. A namesake Kannada film was released earlier this year and that too was set in the 80s. A crime comedy, it is said to be the inspiration for the production coming from the house of Emmay Entertainment and Pooja Films, something that the people behind the film have totally denied.
“Just because the title is similar doesn’t mean that the two films are similar as well,” says our source, “Akshay’s film has absolutely nothing to do with the Kannada film. That film was about a constable with a detective mindset who manages to solve a murder mystery. On the other hand, the Hindi film which is being helmed by director Ranjit Tiwari is in a spy thriller zone. Of course, it is too early to reveal anything more about it since the film is more than a year away. However, all talks of any similarities whatsoever need to be shut down for good.”
This can well be evidenced from the fact that Bell Bottom is slated for release in the week when Republic Day, 2021, falls and hence it is also quite obvious that Akshay would most certainly bring in a patriotic flavour to the film as well. Not difficult for the team of Bell Bottom though since the film is based on true events that had taken place in the early 80s, hence ensuring that ‘deshbhakti’ element would come in this time around as well.
Our source further added, “It’s a completely original film based on true incidents that took place in the early 80s. In fact a vast amount of research has gone into the incident in question that had international ramifications and which set a standard for the way India would handle its security henceforth.”
Well, this more than just drops a hint or two about what Bell Bottom has to offer. Considering everyone at Emmay Entertainment (Nikkhil Advani, Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani) and Pooja Films (Vashu Bhagnani, Jackky Bhagnani, Deepshikha Deshmukh) are keeping all cards close to their chest currently and Akshay Kumar is yet to begin shooting for the film, guess audiences would have to wait to see what really happens when the real plot unfolds.
EXCLUSIVE: THIS actress is going to play Akshay Kumar’s sister in Good Newwz
Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor Khan are reuniting on-screen after almost a decade with Karan Johar’s Good Newwz. The story revolves around two couples who opt for surrogacy and IVF treatment to conceive. Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kiara Advani and Diljit Dosanjh will be playing the respective couples in the film.
However, here’s an addition. It was a few weeks ago that Anjana Sukhani was announced as the latest addition to the star cast but her role in the film was still not clear. Now, Bollywood Hungama has an exclusive report which says that Anjana Sukhani will portray the role of Akshay Kumar’s sister on-screen. A source close to the project revealed, “Yes, Anjana Sukhani will be playing the role of Akshay Kumar’s sister in the film.”
More details about the plot and roles of the other characters are awaited. Slated to release on December 27, Good Newwz is surely going to be a roller coaster ride.
Anil Kapoor talks about his first period film Takht; says has mixed emotions
Anil Kapoor is currently prepping for his first period film-Takht. Reportedly, Kapoor will be seen playing the role of Shah Jahan in the film set in the Mughal era. The film is directed by Karan Johar and produced by Dharma.
In an interview with a news agency, the actor spoke about working on the historical drama. He said that he is slowly getting into the film and at the moment he is experiencing mixed emotions. He is excited, apprehensive and confident at the same time. Anil Kapoor further said that he would be able to tell his exact feelings closer to the date of filming. The Ram Lakhan star said that it takes time to build the character and that he is processing it now.
Takht is the story of two warring brothers in the Mughal era. The film also features Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar and Janhvi Kapoor.
Meanwhile, Anil Kapoor will next be seen in Anees Bazmee’s directorial Pagalpanti which is slated to hit the theatres on November 22. This will be the actor’s third release this year after Total Dhamaal and Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga. Pagalpanti is a comedy film that also features John Abraham, Ileana D’Cruz, Pulkit Samrat, Kriti Kharbanda, Urvashi Rautela, and Arshad Warsi.
Janhvi Kapoor’s compliments for Bala to Yami Gautam were the most special to the actress for this reason
Yami Gautam is being hailed as a breakthrough performance for her role in Bala. Having been part of some massive blockbusters in the past including the 2019 superhit film, Uri the actress has had a great year at the movies. While Bala was highly anticipated, the audiences were blown away by a brand new avatar of Yami excelling the role of Pari Mishra, a small town Tik Tok star turned model from Lucknow.
The actress had previously mentioned that when she was offered the role she took to finding inspiration from some of the most iconic comedic actresses of earlier eras, especially the late Sridevi.
With her role being touted and hailed as an incredible performance, compliments have come in galore for the actresses from audiences and members of the industry and peers. She reveals that it was, in fact, Janhvi’s compliment which really made her truly sentimental.
She reveals, “When I started filming Bala, it was actually the part of Sri ma’am across her iconic roles. You don’t see many parts for women in comedy nowadays. But it was her and many actresses then who truly were an inspiration for me. Sridevi ma’am was a legend in such roles, she had the knack of doing a film like Chaalbaaz and also do a Sadma. Her comedic presence was truly a delight. So it was actually when Janhvi messaged me, it had a great sentimental value for me”.
Here’s when the trailer of Deepika Padukone’s Chhapaak will hit the internet
Meghna Gulzar’s Chhapaak will feature Deepika Padukone in a never-seen-before avatar. Deepika, who got into the shoes of the acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal for this one, had said that this was her career’s most difficult film so far, and we agree. Ever since her first look from Chhapaak came out, we are eagerly waiting to see more of her.
And for all those who are just as eager as us, the trailer of the film is reportedly coming out in the first week of December. That’s just a few weeks away! The film, also starring Vikrant Massey, is slated to release on 10th January 2020 and will lock horns with Ajay Devgn’s Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior.
After Chhapaak, Deepika will be seen in Kabir Khan’s sports drama ’83. The film, revolving around India’s historical cricket World Cup win in 1983, features Ranveer Singh as legendary cricketer Kapil Dev and Deepika as his wife Romi Dev.
Meanwhile, the couple is also set to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. They will be heading to Tirupati to seek blessings at the Balaji and the Padmavati temples, and will then visit the holy Golden Temple in Amritsar, accompanied by their family members.
It’s official! Kriti Sanon joins Akshay Kumar for Bachchan Pandey
After the smashing success of Housefull 4, Kriti Sanon is ready to move on to her next already! We were the first ones to tell you that Kriti was signed to play the leading lady in Akshay Kumar starrer Bachchan Pandey, helmed by Housefull 4 director Farhad Samji. It just got official since the makers have taken to Twitter to welcome Kriti on board.
‘We’re extremely happy and elated to announce the charming @kritisanon is here to make our Christmas 2020 merrier than ever!Welcome back to the #NGEFamily with #BachchanPandey,’ the post read.
In the film, Kriti will be romantically paired with Akshay. The film was apparently first named Land of Lungi (LOL) since Akshay will be seen playing a lungi-clad hero in the backdrop of a village who will fight with plenty of goons for the sake of his ladylove. While the makers haven’t revealed this yet, a source earlier informed us that Bachchan Pandey is a Hindi remake of Tamil flick Veeram. We also learned that Akshay will be seen speaking Tamil, as well as performing some intense hand-to-hand combat scenes.
Bachchan Pandey is slated to release on 25th December, 2020.
Sara Ali Khan’s mom, Amrita Singh, up in arms against her relationship with Kartik Aaryan
Sara Ali Khan’s mother Amrita Singh is none too pleased with her daughter’s special friendship with Kartik Aaryan. The two young people are said to be blindly in love and Sara finds every opportunity to spend time with Kartik, no matter where he is shooting. In fact, the two are now planning to bring in the New Year together, provided they can find the time to spare. This budding romance has left Sara’s mother fuming and fretting.
Says a source in the know, “Amrita feels now is the time for her daughter to consolidate her career and not get distracted by matters of the heart. Sara, on the other hand, is way too spontaneous to make calculated career decision. She thinks with her heart. And her heart tells her it’s okay to mix work with a personal life.” Apparently, the mother and daughter have numerous arguments on this subject. To her dismay, Sara’s mom is not able to stop her daughter from letting her heart rule her head.
And where does Saif fit into this domestic disharmony? Apparently, the father of the girl in love is quite okay with whatever makes her happy. Says a source close to Saif, “Both Kareena and Saif are fond of Kartik, specially Kareena who shot for a show with Kartik recently and has since then been telling her friends what a well-behaved boy he is.”
Sushant Singh Rajput’s The Fault In Our Stars remake, Dil Bechara, to go straight on DIGITAL?
After the execrable Drive, another film of Sushant Singh Rajput is apparently being denied a theatrical release. The film titled Dil Bechara is the official remake of the Hollywood 2014 tearjerker The Fault In Our Stars about two young terminally ill people who fall in love.
Apparently, the Hindi remake was found to be ‘too depressing’ for mass consumption and may go straight to the OTT platform. This would be a big blow for Sushant Singh Rajput who had to deal with the disastrous OTT premiere of his feature film Drive. He is said to have given a moving performance in the treacly drama Dil Bechara.
Sushant stars opposite newcomer Sanjana Sanghi for whose career a digital debut may prove disastrous. A source close to the development says, “After Drive, producer Fox may offload Dil Bechara on an OTT platform. It would be a double blow for Sushant Singh Rajput. Several careers are at stake. Debutante Sanjana Sanghi, and casting director Mukesh Chhabra makes his directorial debut. The OTT platform would be doom for all concerned.”
Fingers crossed.
Climate Warrior: Bhumi Pednekar teams up with climate activist Afroz Shah for beach conservation!
Actress Bhumi Pednekar has always been a socially conscious actress and she has started a pan India campaign – Climate Warrior, to raise awareness on Environmental Conservation and Global Warming. Climate Warrior is a concerted social media initiative that Bhumi will use to highlight the incredible work done by tireless environmental activists and citizen groups across India. The first Climate Warrior being featured by Bhumi on her platform is the dynamic activist Afroz Shah, a young Indian lawyer from Mumbai, who is synonymous with the world’s largest beach clean-up project in Versova, Mumbai!
Bhumi and Afroz planned to meet on the Versova beach recently and they discussed the need for beach conservation in India. She also shot the elaborate work put in by Afroz and all the Mumbaikars to keep their beach clean. Of course, Bhumi too participated in the clean-up that lasted over 2 hours. Talking about the episode, Bhumi says, “Versova beach clean-up is the largest beach clean-up in the world and I was proud to be a part of the exercise to raise awareness on climate preservation. What I saw has changed my life and I will continue to support Afroz in any and every way possible.”
In October 2015, Shah and his neighbour Harbansh Mathur were frustrated with the piles of decomposing waste that had washed up and completely overwhelmed the city’s Versova beach. Determined to do something about it, the pair started cleaning up the beach themselves, one piece of rubbish at a time. Every weekend since, Shah has inspired volunteers to join him – from slum-dwellers to Bollywood stars, from schoolchildren to politicians. They have been turning up at Versova for what Shah calls “a date with the ocean”, but what in reality means labouring shin-deep in rotting garbage under the scorching Indian sun. So far, the volunteers have collected well over 4,000 tons of trash from the 2.5-kilometer beach.
Afroz has vowed to continue his beach clean-up crusade until people and their governments around the world change their approach to producing, using and discarding plastic and other products that wash up onto beaches all over the world.
Ileana D’Cruz wishes to have a sea-facing home by next year
Ileana D’Cruz is clearly a water baby and her Instagram is proof of that! Her profile is loaded with pictures of her soaking the sun in all its glory by the poolside. She hails from Goa and her love for the ocean is justified! The actress currently lives in a lush apartment a minute away from the sea, but she clearly is not satisfied with it.
She wishes to move to a sea-facing apartment the next year. In a recent interview, she revealed that her first apartment in Mumbai overlooked the sea and her current house, being comfortable and cosy, is just a minute-long walk away from the sea but clearly, she wishes for more. She revealed that she is very grateful for all that she has in her life right now, but it is her dream to have a sea-facing house.
Ileana D’Cruz will next be seen in Anees Bazmee’s Pagalpanti.
Shah Rukh Khan helped team Marjaavaan with certain VFX shots for Riteish Deshmukh’s role as a dwarf!
Riteish Deshmukh will be playing the role of a dwarf for the first time in Milap Zaveri’s Marjaavaan. The actor is also the antagonist in the Sidharth Malhotra, Tara Sutaria, and Rakul Preet Singh starrer film. Marjaavaan being a full-fledged masala film, the expectations are quite high from the same. The star cast is promoting the film in full swing and Ritiesh spoke about getting help from Shah Rukh Khan for certain VFX shots in an interview with a leading daily.
Shah Rukh Khan has also played the role of a dwarf in Aanand L Rai’s Zero. The actor happens to own one of the best VFX set up in the country and coincidently, he was shooting for Zero around the same time Ritiesh was shooting for Marjaavan. In the interview, Riteish revealed that Shah Rukh Khan was generous enough to help Milap out with certain VFX shots because he had the best equipment and his production budget was on a bigger scale.
Marjaavaan is slated to release on November 15.
