Sushant stars in a science fiction

It’s been almost forty years since man stepped on Moon and it’s time for history to repeat itself. NextGen Films announced its ambitious science fiction drama ChandaMama Door Ke with Sushant Singh Rajput in the lead. The film is slated to release on January 26, 2018.

Directed by National award-winner Sanjay Puran Singh of Lahore fame, the film is the story of India’s unwavering astronauts who set out on a mission that brings the nation together. Technicians from Hollywood who have worked on films like Star Trek, Armageddon, Apollo 13, Deep Impact and Robo Cop are part of the project. Producer Viki Rajani says, “We have a great combination of a powerful script, a talented director like Sanjay and a brilliant and effortless actor like Sushant who’s already carved a niche for himself with his choice of roles and performances."

Director Sanjay adds, “ChandaMama... is a tale of courage, hope and ambition, about the pursuit of India’s illustrious dream of reaching the moon. It’s a story that needs to be told. Says Sushant, “It promises to be an epic film that has not been attempted before and I am really excited to be a part of this very special project.”

Rahat and Anushka join hands with India's first transgender band

After doing India proud by winning the Cannes Grand Prix Glass Lion, the country's first transgender band, the 6-Pack Band is out with its sixth and final single, Raula paye gaya.

A collaboration with Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and actress Anushka Sharma, it’s a tribute to Yash Raj Films’ Eid release Sultan that stars Anushka with Salman Khan. The song also ends the journey of the band that has received overwhelming love from all over the world. 

The band has broken the barriers of boundaries and borders by roping in Rahat for a song that espouses the cause of love.

Disha is floored by the response to Befikra

Disha Patani's Bollywood debut MS Dhoni: The Untold Story directed by Neeraj Pandey will release soon. But the actress is already making all the right noises thanks to the response to her single, Befikra that features her with her alleged boy friend Tiger Shroff.  It's not just their affable chemistry, people also couldn’t stop raving about Disha’s dancing ability.

At the launch of the song, Disha admitted that Tiger was an inspiration. “I really look up to him. I am doing gymnastics now because of him. He is so hardworking. Nobody can reach up to his level, he’s different. It was difficult to match up to his speed and perfection.”

On sharing the screen space with Tiger for the first time, Disha said, “He has so much of energy. He walks with this aura, that you can't really see anyone else when he is there.”

Sonam has a blast with Coldplay

Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor has featured in Coldplay's second single from its latest album, A Head Full Of Dreams. As an extension of her association with the band, Sonam attended the Coldplay concert at Kensington Palace Gardens, United Kingdom.

Attired in a black crop top, leather jacket, skinny jeans and boots, the Neerja star caught up with band members Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, Will Champion and Phil Harvey backstage, before the charity show.

Says Sonam, “I love Coldplay's music and so does the world.The concert was epic with a great vibe.They played my all-time favourite track Paradise too. I went with my London girl gang, we were singing and dancing all through it.”

The actress takes off to Paris for close friends Ralph and Russo's fashion week as the chief guest. Sonam will be cheering the designers from the front row at the show in Paris.

The industry needs you Sultan

The year 2016 has been an average one for the Hindi film industry so far. We have had a couple of 100-crore films (Airlift and Housefull 3), some hits like Neerja, Baaghi and Kapoor & Sons, but the mega bucks haven’t been coming as a whole. Airlift netted around Rs. 128 crore in India and Housefull 3 Rs 108 crore.

You need blockbusters for the industry to survive. Even the likes of Shah Rukh Khan (Fan) and Akshay Kumar (Airlift and Housefull 3) may not have pleased producers, exhibitors and distributors. Actors with substance may run down the race to the multi-crore club, but money matters. And this is precisely why, Sultan is so crucial from the industry’s point of view.

Sultan is the biggest release this year (with due respect to Fan from the same production house Yash Raj Films). Salman Khan would know the expectations the industry has from him. It’s true, his films spell magic, but with Sultan, he is expected to come to the rescue of the film industry that hasn’t had an exceptional run in 2016.

It’s not sheer exaggeration to say that Salman at this point of time might be feeling like a Virat Kohli who time and again has got Team India out of precarious junctures. A situation like this isn’t anything new for the Bad Boy of Bollywood.

Over the last six years, he has had a golden run at the box-office. Even a meaningless Ready earns Rs. 120 crore in India. An out-of-place Prem Ratan Dhan Payo crosses the Rs. 200-crore mark.  His biggest hit Bajrangi Bhaijaan has netted more than Rs. 320 crore in India. No actor comes close to Salman when it comes to showing his prowess at the box-office.

And hence there is logic enough for trade pundits to look forward to July 6, when Sultan releases. We have crossed the half-way mark this year and the industry is still hunting for that multi-crore earner which will guide the way the rest of 2016 will go.

Post Sultan there are Mohanjo Daro (Hrithik Roshan), Rustom (Akshay Kumar), Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (Ranbir Kapoor), Shivaay (Ajay Devgn) and Dangal (Aamir Khan) among the biggies this year. There’s no dearth of films with big stars coming up, but none of them except Aamir can guarantee you a blockbuster in the true sense of the term. With King Khan’s dwindling magic at the box-office, the pressure on Salman is enormous.

Salman has rubbed many of his admirers the wrong way with his rape comment and insiders suspect he might lose a section of his female fan base. That would be a worrying factor for the producers. The megastar would be hoping that his fans forgive him and throng the theatres to watch him wrestle on screen.

If Sultan does well, not only will it bring a smile on everyone’s face, but it will also make the actor sit up and realise that he can’t afford to let his loyal fans down with his irresponsible statements.

If they stay by his side in spite of his juvenile ways, he too needs to mature. And the industry needs him!

Happy Eid in advance!

Akira has a scar on her face. Read to know the reason

Here's the secret behind the scar on Sonakshi Sinha's face in the poster of her forthcoming Akira.  According to director A R Murugadoss, he wanted to drive home the point that despite enduring so much of pain, she still has the perseverance to stand up and fight.

"In life every scar on our body has a story behind it.Similarly Akira (Sonakshi) has a past wound that has dried up and remains as scar now .The moment we see her face we should come to know that she has had a painful past. that's why I created the scar under her eyes," says the filmmaker.

Akira stars Sonakshi along with Konkona Sen Sharma, Mithun Chakraborty, Amit Sadh and director-turned actor Anurag Kashyap among others. The film will release on September 2.

Abhishek and team seek divine blessings at Jaipur

The Moti Dungri Ganesh Temple in Jaipur has been extremely lucky for the Jaipur Pink Panthers and its owner Abhishek Bachchan. The actor ensures he visits the temple whenever he is in Jaipur. Abhishek and his team visited the mandir to seek Lord Ganesha's blessings at the start of the Pro Kabaddi League season, before they gear up for a challenging time on the court.

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Let's move on Champions, time to wish the team well

Ravi Shastri and Sourav Ganguly are two of the most respected personalities in Indian cricket. What they say matters and is taken seriously. But the current spat between the two former India captains doesn’t augur well for the game especially for wannabes who have dreams in their eyes.

True, Shastri is disappointed at having lost his job to Anil Kumble and he has the right to express his sentiments. But at a time when Indian cricket is passing through a transitional phase, he would do better to put an end to this controversy for good.

Media will speculate. Reports suggest Ganguly who was not present at the time of Shastri’s presentation had a hand in pushing the latter out of contention for the Indian coach’s job. And Shastri minces no words taking his ire on The Prince of Calcutta.

But, how long will this war of words continue? Ganguly has maintained a dignified stance throughout the episode. But knowing his aggressive nature, he might as well retaliate in his own way which would be washing dirty linen in public. But in the process, Indian cricket will suffer.

Shastri who was in charge of Team India for close to two years does have his fans in the team including Test skipper Virat Kohli. This open mud-slinging will only create confusion in the minds of the cricketers especially the youngsters. This could make Kumble’s job tougher as coach and internal bickering can cost the team dear.

There’s no denying the fact that Shastri has one of the shrewdest cricketing brains in the country. The Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) may consider using his expertise for the betterment of Indian cricket. But given the current scheme of things, it’s unlikely that BCCI would be keen on giving the former all-rounder an important portfolio.

As true icons, one would expect Ganguly and Shastri to let bygones be bygones and work towards seeing better days for Indian cricket.   

Whether he likes it or not, Shastri has to come to terms with the fact that Kumble has replaced him. So the anger has to subside after a certain point of time.

So, let’s move on guys and wish the team well.          

Tenacity and Kat go hand-in-hand

What the rumour mills talk about her is irrelevant. Katrina Kaif shooting for two films simultaneously has been putting in more than18-hours every day also preparing for the Dream Tour.

The actress was busy shooting for Baar Baar Dekho in Thailand in April. She returned to Mumbai and immediately focused on Jagga Jasoos. The actress has also been rehearsing for her world tour which starts in August.

The Dream Tour will be held in six cities in USA and Canada.

Prateik auditions for a French TV show

The Global-Bollywood connection grows stronger! After Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone, actor Prateik Babbar could fly off-shores. The son of late Smita Patil and actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar has recently auditioned for a popular French TV show that has been on air for almost a decade.

A source close to the actor suggests, “The makers of the show were looking for an Indian character for a couple of episodes and they felt Prateik fits the bill. Accordingly, they approached him. The actor auditioned for the role two weeks back.”

Sultan all set to hit the theatres on July 6

The wait is almost over. A few more days and the Salman Khan-starrer Sultan produced by Yash Raj Films will say "Eid Mubaraq," to you on July 6.

Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, the film also stars Anushka Sharma opposite the biggest superstar of the film industry. The music is by Vishal-Shekhar.

Watch out for this space for more on Sultan.

Srishti portrays a Naagin on TV

After Mouni Roy and Adaa Khan, it's now actress Srishti Sharma's turn to play a Naagin on the small screen. Srishti will essay the role of a Naagin in SAB TV's show Chidiya Ghar.

To make her character look authentic on screen, Srishti had to go through hours of make-up sessions. The actress is for maintaining a fine balance between television and films and wants roles that challenge her.
Srishti, was last seen in the film Monsoon (2015) and her next release will be the horror movie Ishq Re.

Here's Shivaay's foreign recruit

The first look of the global connection in Ajay Devgn's directorial venture Shivaay, Erika Kaar is finally out. The Polish actress has appeared in the BBC television series The Passing Bells and has also starred in the Polish TV series Blondynka. Shivaay set to release on October 28 also has newcomer Sayyeshaa along with Devgn in the cast.  

Shirish Kunder's short film crosses one million viewers on social networking sites

Editor-turned-director Shirish Kunder is on a roll. And why shouldn't he be? The husband of choreographer-cum-filmmaker Farah Khan has just released his 18-minute short film Kriti that is winning rave reviews.

The director of duds like Jaan-E-Mann and Joker,  has a lot to take home from the film starring Manoj Bajpayee, Radhika Apte and Neha Sharma. The short film has already crossed 1 million views on social networking sites.

As per reported by The Hindu, talking to reporters at the launch of the film  Kunder says, "I was very relieved, not thinking about box-office numbers, or the censors. We could have made whatever we wanted. In feature films when we think of something right and by the time we make it. Here you make something and it is out in 2-3 months."

Not the right choice!

So, India’s greatest ever match-winner Anil Kumble aka Jumbo is set to take over as Team India’s coach. A panel comprising his former teammates Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar has closed down on the Bengaluru man for the prized job.

Needless to say, Virat Kohli, captain of the Test team has put his money on Kumble and hence, the latter gets the job. Let’s not get into the details of what actually prompted the three wise men to recommend Kumble’s name. Being a sceptic, it’s quite unlikely that Ganguly who has never been held in highest esteem by Kumble would have been comfortable at the choice.

Despite the Prince of Calcutta relying on the former leggie on the field, the latter deep down has had a score to settle with Ganguly. Overlooked in favour of Harbhajan Singh as the mainstay in the spinning department, Kumble has never been friends with Ganguly both on and off the field. Hardly have we seen Kumble showering praises on Dada (as Ganguly is fondly referred to). By the way Kumble was not even shortlisted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) when the latter trimmed the number of applicants.

No snooping on how the panel picked Kumble, but knowing Tendulkar and Laxman’s fondness for Kumble, it was a foregone conclusion that he would beat the rest of the applicants to come up trumps.

In the process, a man with better leadership qualities has been left on the sidelines. And we are talking about Ravi Shastri under whose coaching Team India hasn’t performed disastrously. A team that has got accustomed to Shastri’s way of functioning is all of a sudden left with dealing with a new individual.

Mentoring an Indian Premier League (IPL) side and coaching the Indian cricket team are not two sides of the same coin. When it comes to Indian cricket, the passionate fans outnumber the city-centric loyalty that IPL boasts. And when we talk about Kumble’s success as a captain and a mentor, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) didn’t win a single IPL while Mumbai Indians (MI) won twice but no way can the legend take credit for it. He had the likes of Ricky Ponting, Jonty Rhodes and Robin Singh as part of the support staff.

It’s said that the blueprint that Kumble produced impressed the panel. Now is he talking about the World Cup in 2019? Well, Kumble has only one year to prove his worth and during this period, India plays a lot of test matches mostly on the home soil.

A ‘match-winner’ who has encashed the amicable turning tracks in India couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to show his skills as a coach. But does Kumble have the expertise to guide the team when it is travelling, especially to places like Australia, England and South Africa?

It is precisely in this context that Shastri’s guidance would have come in handy for the team. The former Indian all-rounder has had a good run on difficult tracks facing the likes of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Len Pascoe, Shane Warne, Courtney Walsh and others. The Champion of Champions in the Benson & Hedges World Series in 1984-85 knows a thing or two about countering the challenges one faces abroad.

Shastri for one was the skipper India never had. It’s a pity that despite being the deputy to Kapil Dev, Dilip Vengsarkar and Mohammed Azharuddin, he was never trusted as a full-time captain. But even his staunchest of critics would dare not challenge his cricketing brains.

But as things would have it, it’s the King of benign home tracks Kumble who will take charge from Shastri. It remains to be seen how much he delivers as coach, but left to oneself even he would be wondering whether he deserved the job at the expense of somebody like Shastri.

Bad luck Ravi, best wishes Jumbo!            

A nation suffers, rest of the world seems 'oblivious'

Venezuela is bleeding. People are taking to the streets protesting against the abject food crisis that has thrown their future into uncertainty. Unfortunately, the international community and media seem indifferent to the misery of common people in the Latin American country.

In Venezuela, which was one of the biggest oil-rich countries, people are finding it tough to make two ends meet. Call it an absolute indifference on the part of President Nicolas Maduro, the country is neck deep into a mess that the rest of the world seems oblivious of.

Venezuela, one of the founder members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was one of the world's largest oil exporters even four years back. In 2008, crude oil production at 2,394,020 barrels a day put the country in the tenth position among crude oil producers.

But that is all history. According to CNN, there are five major reasons behind the economic crisis the nation is facing: Oil crash, plummet of its currency Bolivar, fight for political power, debt and finally food crisis. Rate of crime is on a high, big companies are closing down.

And as expected Maduro and his opponents are busy in a game of mud-slinging over looking the larger picture. Maduro's opponents squarely put the blame on him for dragging the nation into this mess. They held him responsible for his socialist policies. Taking over of private farms and food processing plants have paid no dividends. Interestingly, the opposition parties have no clue as to how to ensure better days for the country.

There is not enough food for the country’s 31 million people. Economic debt bars Venezuela from importing. The website NPR reports, "Government-subsidised groceries are cheap, but in Maracaibo they are often smuggled into nearby Colombia — just 80 miles away — where they can then be sold for big profits."

But the leaders have failed to read the writings on the wall. Says Dany Bahar, a fellow at Brookings Institution and an associate with Harvard Centre for International Development to ABC News, "The political circumstances leading up to economic collapse in Venezuela have been happening for over a decade now, but the situation has greatly deteriorated in recent years because of plummeting crude prices, environmental factors and the failures of President Nicolas Maduro's government to address the country's woes."

Unless and until, these concerns are addressed, the country will be heading for a disaster with people resorting to mayhem. It is time the international community intervenes and takes the country out of this abysmal situation. The media needs to show more responsibility towards highlighting the grave areas leading to such a crisis.

At a time when people are attacking grocery stores that have little to offer, the crisis will only aggravate if not tackled firmly.

Battle with CBFC over, Bengali film SBG hits the theatres this August

Udta Punjab is a thing of the past. The controversy it was embroiled in thanks to Pahlaj Nihalani, Chairman of  Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has died down. But little did you know that back home in Kolkata, a Bengali film Shaheb Bibi Golaam had to fight its way to clearance after a protracted battle with CBFC.

The film fought a six-month-long battle with CBFC to finally rid itself of the archaic though process imposed on the makers by CBFC. Directed by Pratim D Gupta and starring Swastika Mukherjee in the lead, it had applied for a certificate in mid-December 2015 and after as many as five screenings (four in CBFC alone), the film got the certificate on June 16, 2016 with just a small cut and six muted words thanks to the intervention by Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT). 

The film is finally ready for release on August 26, seven months beyond the original release date of January 22, 2016.

Happy Bhag Jayegi to release on August 19

After the hugely-successful Tanu Weds Manu Returns comes another laugh riot from Eros International and Anand L Rai. Happy Bhag Jayegi starring Diana Penty, Abhay Deol, Jimmy Shergill and Ali Fazal hits the theatres on August 19. 

The motion poster of the movie was launched recently sharing the first glimpse of Happy. The movie is directed by  Mudassar Aziz.

Kanika leaves for Madrid for IIFA

Bollywood playback singer Kanika Kapoor, who left for Madrid, Spain for the 17th IIFA Awards 2016, was spotted at the Mumbai airport sporting a casual white T-shirt perfectly teamed with black pants. The singer-composer punctuated the look with black boots adding an interesting twist to the regular combination and makes it worth for an airport outing!

The singer also flaunted her new customised travel bag imprinted with her initials ‘KK’!  

Logo of Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai launched

The logo launch of Bibia Films' debut venture Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai was held in Mumbai recently. The movie directed by Keshav Pannerly stars Arbaaz Khan,  Ashutosh Rana, Rati Agnihotri, Prem Chopra, Supriya Pathak, Manjari Phadnis and Himash Kohli among others. The film releases on November 18.

The logo was unveiled by renowned film producer TP Aggarwal in the presence of Purnima Mead of Bibia Films and the cast and crew of the film. Talking about her decision to back this project, Mead said, “Getting a real good script these days is not an easy task. Having worked with Keshav before, we had absolutely no hesitation in green lighting it."

Director Pannerly said, “Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai for me is a very special film as it would be my first full-length Hindi commercial film. More importantly the story of this film is very intriguing.” The film is at the the last leg of its schedule. Jeena.... has been shot at Mumbai, the royal palaces of Udaipur, New York, Manhattan and the constitutional hall in Washington DC.

The film presents the naïve vulnerability of human life, the sincere saga of love and pain, and the glimpse of human emotions in raw form. The story travels from a small town of Rajasthan to Mumbai and then New York.

Shooting for Baadshaho to start from August

Filmmaker Milan Luthria’s Ajay Devgn-starrer Baadshaho is set to hit the floors this August. A fifteen day-schedule in Mumbai will be followed by a two-month- schedule in Rajasthan.

The film stars alongside Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Vidyut Jammwal, Ileana D'Cruz, Esha Gupta and Sanjay Mishra.  Baadshaho, co-produced by Luthria and Bhushan Kumar of T-Series and written by Rajat Aroraa, is a thriller set in the Emergency era in the '70s.

The director spent three months researching for the plot. Sources say that an acclaimed action director from abroad will be in charge of the fight sequences. The music by Ankit Tiwari will have a touch of Rajasthani folk with a funky twist.

This is the second time that Hashmi and Devgn are coming together for Luthria after Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai.

Gulshan joins the Spielberg team

Acclaimed filmmaker Steven Spielberg is back with the fantasy adventure film Big Friendly Giant set to release in India on July 15. And guess what--- Bollywood Bad Man Gulshan Grover lends his voice for the Hindi dubbed version of the film. Gulshan was an obvious choice to play the main baddie Fleshlumpeater played by Jemaine Clement.

BFG the screenplay of which has been penned by Oscar nominee Late Melissa Mathison and is based on the novel of the same name by Ronald Dahl, stars Mark Rylance of Bridge of Spies fame in the title role. He plays an elderly giant who kidnaps the orphan Sophie played by Ruby Barnhill.

The film premiered on May 14 at the Cannes Film Festival. Reliance Entertainment has a pan-India release for the movie in four languages – English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

Enough of tweeting Kejriji, time to deliver

The picture above doesn't tell the true story.

Call him a chief minister who has so much of spare time or somebody who has taken the practice of taking swipes at his opponents to new heights, Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is a man on a mission. And his obsession with Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues, as on the slightest of pretexts he   takes to social media and attacks Modi.

And Modi is once again at the receiving end. The Delhi CM creates a hue and cry over Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Maheish Girri sitting at a dharna outside the former’s residence. The issue is simple: Girri protests against Kejriwal’s accusation that the MP had a role in the murder of estate officer MM Khan on May 16. And Kejriwal passes the buck to the Delhi police under the central government. The law will take its own course, but the incident has once again got Kejriwal trending on social platforms and he has our Prime Minister to thank for.

Since taking charge as the Delhi chief minister last year, Kejriwal has devoted most of his time crossing swords with the PM. Whether it was on the authority of Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung or Modi’s academic qualification or President Pranab Mukherjee withholding the Parliamentary Secretary Bill, the IIT alumnus seems to have ample time to tweet and take the battle to the BJP camp. Even during the AgustaWestland chopper scam, Kejriwal accused Modi of shielding Sonia and Rahul Gandhi something no other Modi baiter had come up with.    

But why can’t Kejriwal divert his attention to issues Delhi is afflicted with? He has enough on the table: pollution, water problem, power cuts, crime and others. It’s not that he hasn’t delivered, the odd-even scheme has earned him praise, but beyond that there’s hardly anything he can tom-tom about.

However, if one has to remember Kejriwal, it would be more because of his rivalry with Modi than his performance as the CM. Indian politics over the years has had loquacious politicians who have hit headlines with their vocal skills, but Kejriwal seems to have left all of them behind. And he deserves ‘kudos’ for the hatke angle he takes to take on his opponents as exemplified by his attack on Modi over the VVIP chopper scam.

Call it sheer populism, his efforts may pay him some dividends as the author found out while talking to an auto-rickshaw driver in Delhi. “Modi doesn’t allow Kejriwal to work and he is soon going to topple the Delhi government,” he had said. But looking at the larger picture Kejriwal might just end up on a low in electoral politics.

If Kejriwal’s aggression is aimed at getting maximum mileage and pushing himself as the face of the Federal Front, as a challenger to BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he is day dreaming. While Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee are wooing voters with prohibition and development respectively, Kejriwal is found wanting.

With the BJP on a drive to spread its wings all across the country, it’s time for the AAP convener and Delhi CM to get down to business and challenge his rivals (read Modi and team) through performance and not words.

With 21 AAP MLAs facing a probable disqualification after the President’s decision, Kejriwal is on a sticky wicket. To make matters worse the Delhi Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) may question Kejriwal on the Rs 400-crore water tanker scam that took place when Sheila Dixit was in power. The FIR has been filed against both the governments (Dixit and Kejriwal's). So, the AAP leader should be ready to face some fierce bouncers from his enemies. And only political maturity and not words will see him through.

So, Kejriji, are you listening?

Anurag's Raman Raghav 2.0 releases this Friday

Phantom Films' Udta Punjab has left the acrimony with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) behind and is riding high at the box-office. Having taken up the cudgels for the film against CBFC, producer Anurag Kashyap must be a happy man.

And now Anurag is ready with his directorial venture Raman Raghav 2.0 produced by Phantom Films. Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vicky Kaushal, Sobhita Dhulipala, Amruta Subhash and others, the film set in present day Mumbai, tracks the life of serial killer Ramanna who idolises himself on Raman Raghav, another serial killer in the '60s. Written by Anurag and Vasan Bala, the film has music by Ram Sampath.

The film releases on June 24. 

Ajay praises his find Sayyeshaa

Actor-turned-director Ajay Devgn has only good things to say about his co-star Sayyeshyaa who makes her debut in Shivaay directed by the former. Devgn who is launching a newcomer for the first time as a director and producer is impressed with Sayyeshaa. "Talent speaks for itself. When I saw Sayyeshaa's screen test I saw great potential in her. It's rare to find a beautiful face who is a great performer. Shivaay is a performance-oriented film and I needed a strong performer," says Devgn.

Sayyeshaa plays Anushka in the film slated to release on October 28.

Rajan and the power of politics

We saw it with Udta Punjab. We saw it with the Gulberg verdict and now Raghuram Rajan, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor unwilling for a second term says it all. Politicians call the shots and even the mightiest of lawmakers give in to their decisions.

On one hand, former union home minister P Chidambaram expresses his resentment at the way Rajan has been treated. On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongmen slowly and steadily create a situation whereby Rajan is left with no option other than looking beyond the RBI, post the completion of his tenure.

When the ever vociferous Subramanian Swamy, a BJP Rajya Sabha MP launches a tirade against Rajan over the latter’s failure to curb inflation, Swamy’s party mates (read Narendra Modi and Arun Jaitly) play a hide and seek game with the media. Their final opinion remains as elusive as Amitabh Bachchan’s love for Rekha.

Finally, the people in the corridors of power have the last laugh. Rajan says in not as many words that enough is enough. And once again a bureaucrat (if one can call him so) throws his hands in despair before power.

It was interesting to note how union finance minister Jaitley reacted to Rajan’s decision. And if Modi, the reverent PM decides to break his silence on critical issues as grave as the RBI governor looking beyond a second term, headlines will be grabbed. “Dr Raghuram Rajan has announced his intention to go back to academics at the end of his current assignment. The government appreciates the good work done by him and respects his decision,” says the FM in a Facebook post. Interestingly, he shows no inclination towards asking Rajan to renege on his decision.

Why should Jaitley? After all, he stands to benefit from the luxury of enjoying a coveted post that makes him his party’s trouble-shooter.

Time and again, political leaders with their way of handling situations have made their intentions clear. Elected directly or indirectly by the people, they continue to hold sway over the electorates. If mass exodus from Uttar Pradesh’s Kairana is lapped up by the BJP president Amit Shah to make political capital, Rajan’s discomfiture with the current regime is one more example of political might scoring over truth that’s thrown into oblivion.

Once in power, you have the final say. And political compulsions have no alternative. The government is not run by the servants of the nation, but by greedy politicians for whom power means all.

Poor Rajan! He has been coerced into giving up for transgressing boundaries. He shouldn’t have spoken up on intolerance and instead he should have said yes to anything that massaged the ego of his bosses. It was the earlier United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government that brought him back from Chicago. Once the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) took charge in New Delhi, Rajan should have read the writings on the wall. Change with time and circumstances. Then only will you be in the good books of the rulers.  
And once again Bharat Mata ki Jai!!      

Ram Charan learns Japanese martial art

Telugu superstar Ram Charan is learning  Aikido, a modern Japanese martial art for his next. The actor who plays an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer in the film is undergoing intense training in the martial art form.

The major  goal is to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves. Aikido techniques consist of entering and turning movements that redirect the momentum of an opponent's attack and defend
oneself.  The actor has hired a trainer who is guiding him in the best possible manner.

Salman, The Perfectionist

Bhaijaan has his own style. And when it comes to perfection, he can give even Mr. Perfectionist Aamir Khan a run for his money. 

The moustache that you see Salman don in Sultan is his real moustache which took more than a month to grow. He also got the buzz cut look for his character. He went through an extensive research process to look like a real wrestler in the film produced by Yash Raj Films set to release this Eid.

Teaser poster of Budhia Singh out

Here goes the teaser poster of Viacom18 Motion Pictures’ biopic, Budhia Singh - Born To Run. The production house which has earlier produced films like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Mary Kom and Manjhi – The Mountain Man, pays tribute to the world's youngest marathon runner Budhia Singh through this biopic.

Budhia ran 48 marathons including one from Bhubhaneshwar to Puri covering a distance of 65 km in 7 hours and 2mins, a record held by the five-year-old boy. Directed by Soumendra Padhi, the film stars Manoj Bajpayee alongside Master Mayur and Tillotama Shome.

The film will hit the theatres on August 5.

Kanika and Sunny team up again for Hug me

Bollywood playback singer Kanika Kapoor rose to fame with Baby Doll from the film Ragini MMS 2 featuring Sunny Leone. Now, the singer-composer, who has also belted out chart busters like Chittiyaan kalaiyaan (Roy), Desi look (Ek Paheli Leela), Kamlee (Happy New Year) and Main super girl  is back with Hug me from Sunny’s movie, Beiimaan Love.

Sung by Kanika and Raghav Sachar, the foot-tapping number features Sunny in a sizzling avatar! While the video has been penned by Kumaar, it’s choreographed by Vishnu Deva. The song has gone viral and the audiences especially the youth are bowled over by Raghav’s composition and Kanika’s  voice.

Vivek's body transformation for RGV's Rai

If Aamir Khan can experiment with his physique to look the character in Dangal, Vivek Oberoi is not to be left far behind. The actor who will play former underworld don Muthappa Rai in Ram Gopal Varma’s Rai, will go for a complete body transformation for the movie.

Says Vivek who starts shooting from June onwards, “Yes I need to undergo a full body transformation as that is what the role requires. I will have to lose a significant amount of weight and then again gain for several portions.” As per sources Vivek will have to put on approximately 10 kg to resemble the present look of Muthappa Rai and later will be losing around 18kg to achieve a younger look.

And he adds, “I will be doing this under the supervision of a nutritionist and a certified trainer. As an actor I always give what a role requires and this role requires me to look a certain way.” Vivek will be short listing nutritionists and trainers to help him with his body transformation. He will start an intense workout regime and follow a special diet.

Elaborating on his physique for the film, Vivek says, “In a movie based on a real-life character, you need to look like the character so that the audiences relate to it even physically. I definitely don’t encourage this as a lifestyle example but I'm doing it for the film. But, yes I always advise people to stay healthy and stay fit.”

Rai will be shot in Mangalore, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Dubai and London and will be released in Hindi, Kannada, Telugu and Tamil.

Sayyeshaa's first look in Shivaay out

Debutante Sayyeshaa's first look from the Ajay Devgn-directed Shivaay has garnered curiosity. Beautiful and talented with dreams in her eyes, the actress seems to be in for a long run in the industry. 

The daughter of veteran actors Sumit Saigal and Shaheen Banu and the grand-niece of legendary actress Saira Banu, the newbie is also an exceptional dancer. The extremely confident actress is also of the opinion that she is not here to compete with her contemporaries as there is enough work for everyone.

Shivaay releases on October 28.

Sonam inaugurates Neerja Bhanot Chowk in Mumbai

Sonam Kapoor who had the entire country rooting for her with her sensitive portrayal of Neerja Bhanot in Neerja, joined Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray to inaugurate the Neerja Bhanot Chowk (junction) in Mumbai.

Located near Bombay Scottish School in Mahim, where the late air-hostess studied studied , the chowk named after the Pan AM 73 braveheart is a tribute to her valour in the face of adversity. Neerja sacrificed her life to save passengers on the ill-fated hijacked flight on September 5, 1986.

We can't afford another Chappell, can we?

When Greg Chappell quit his job after the disastrous World Cup campaign in 2007, he cited personal reasons. Yet, there were stories that in his internal report to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), he questioned the loyalty of some senior cricketers (mainly Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly).

The Chappell episode or to elaborate his stint with the Indian cricket team as its coach, will be etched in our memories for all the wrong reasons. True, he didn’t get along well with Ganguly and most senior cricketers including Tendulkar. But the ultimate victim was Indian cricket.

In Chappell’s case it was ego and his ambition to have the final say that did him in. He was lucky to have an obedient captain in Rahul Dravid who let the former work on his ‘vision for Indian cricket.’ But the Chappell-Dravid era threw more off-the field tales than on-the-field which added grist to gossip mills that all was not well within the team. Ask any cricketer who played under his coaching, rest assured hardly a word of appreciation for the former Aussie great will greet you.

As the date for the selection of Team India’s new coach draws closer, BCCI needs to have a look at the past and then decide on the name. Captaining and coaching the Indian cricket team are the most arduous jobs in the country apart from the Indian Prime Minister’s. With constant media vigilance and the passion associated with the game, grey hairs are an inevitable by the time one calls it a day.

It’s important that the coach knows where to draw the line. By meddling in everything in the team, he only draws his own nemesis. What Chappell did, his predecessor John Wright didn’t, neither did the former’s successor Gary Kirsten. Both Wright and Kirsten knew what was expected of them and commanded immense respect from the players. Though Wright was more vocal than Kirsten, yet the former developed a great working relationship with the then captain Ganguly. Kirsten on the other hand hardly spoke to the media and concentrated on his job. He brought to Indian cricket a breath of fresh air that was missing during the Chappell era.

When one says, never cross the line, he harps on the importance of sharing of responsibilities that the coach and the skipper need to follow. The job of a coach is to train the boys and advise the skipper on the shape his players are in. Yes, he is part of the team management, but a coach can never ever impose his thoughts on the team something which Chappell did. At the same time Indian cricket will ill-afford another Duncan Fletcher whose baffling ways did more harm to Indian cricket than good.

Both Wright and Kirsten were accomplished cricketers during their days, but never did they coerce their boys into emulating their feats. They played to the strength and weakness of their players and shared excellent rapport with superstars like Dravid, Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, MS Dhoni and Ganguly as well as newcomers (during Wright’s days) like Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan and others.

BCCI president Anurag Thakur stresses on the knowledge of Hindi as one of the criteria to be India’s next coach while the Indian skipper in the truncated versions, Dhoni is of the view that the coach should understand the diversity of Indian cultures. It’s not a question of the language barrier, but the latter which should be of foremost importance. In Virat Kohli and Dhoni, the country has two leaders who earn utmost confidence from juniors and seniors alike. Both are great team-men with impeccable leadership qualities and adept at handling adversities.

It is here that the next Indian coach’s role becomes crucial. Going by the stature Kohli and Dhoni enjoy, the next coach must not be over assertive. He shouldn't intervene unless required. A good coach should know that it’s the captain who calls the shots on the field and not him.

Coaching Australia or England is far easier than coaching a team on the sub-continent where the passion runs high. Coach-captain fall-outs are a common feature in India and Pakistan.

As Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman get ready to go through the rigorous process to pick the next Indian coach they need to look into this aspect before choosing the man for the coveted job. It doesn’t matter whether he is from India or abroad, a healthy equation with the skipper and the rest of the team is what will guide Team India to greater heights in the future.

“I am your elder brother who is with you through thick and thin,” let these be the assuring words from the next coach to his boys. We can’t afford another Chappell.

Evelyn's promise to her fans

Indo-German actress Evelyn Sharma has reached the 7 lakh milestone of followers on Instagram. To celebrate the occasion, she conducted a contest for her followers on social media asking them to upload their favourite picture of hers and tell the world why they follow her. The gorgeous actress also promised that she would follow back 10 of her most amazing fans. According to a source, “Usually, fans follow their favourite stars on social media but for the first time a Bollywood celebrity is following her fans back to interact with them.” The actress starred in hit movies like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Yaariyan.

Mika gets into the love groove with 440 volt from Sultan

After innumerable peppy numbers singer Mika turns romantic with 440 volt  from the Salman Khan- Anushka Sharma starrer Sultan. The song makes you envisage a romantic wrestler wrapped in the rustic flavours of Haryana, as he lets his feelings for his darling completely take over.

The number is composed by Vishal-Shekhar and the lyrics are by Irshad Kamil. Produced by Yash Raj Films, Sultan directed by Ali Abbas Zafar is slated to release this Eid.    

Bholi surat from Ekk Albela is out

After launching the new version of the Bhagwan Dada-Geeta Bali jodi's Shola jo bhadke from Albela (1951), the makers of the Marathi film Ekk Albela have launched the second song Bholi surat dil ke khote featuring Vidya Balan as Geeta Bali and Mangesh Desai as Bhagwan Dada.

Sung by Vinay Mandke and Anwesshaa and composed by C Ramchandra and arranged by Santosh Mulekar, Bholi Surat is a beautiful recreation of eponymous song. Ekk Albela is the untold story of India’s first dancing and action hero Bhagwan Dada and his journey to stardom. The film is directed by Shekhar Sartandel and produced by Monish Babre. It releases on June 24.

Pic courtesy: Google

'Thank you Pahjajji,' Kashyap might be wondering deep down

There’s no stopping Anurag Kashyap and his team. A film many were not even aware of a month back, is now on everybody’s lips. Udta Punjab starring Shahid Kapur, Kareena Kapoor and Alia Bhatt is trending on social media. Thanks to the producers’ stand-off with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) over the cuts ordered by the latter, the film has unexpectedly got unprecedented publicity. The tiff may be uncalled-for much to the anger of Kashyap (one of the producers), yet deep down he must be elated at the fact that he hasn’t had to put that extra effort to promote the film.

Perhaps, if Udta Punjab goes on to break box-office records, everyone associated with the film should thank CBFC’s chairman Pahlaj Nihalani. Had he not raised objections to some scenes in the movie, it wouldn’t have garnered so much of attention. Let’s not get into the details of what actually transpired since it has already been written about, what is noteworthy is the undue publicity Nihalani has given to the film.

Call it political pressure or misuse of office, Nihalani unknowingly with his actions has everybody talking about Udta Punjab. Mahesh Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Shatrughan Sinha, Amarinder Singh, Arun Jaitley, Arvind Kejriwal—the list is endless. Such an impact the film has had, that the Prakash Singh Badal government in Punjab has introduced a programme called Ubharda Punjab (Rising Punjab) to tackle the drug menace in the state, Udta Punjab talks about. As per reports, the programme was launched on April 16 a few days after the film’s trailer launch.

If we rewind, never before a Hindi film in recent times, has created such a hype the ripples of which are felt cutting across professions. Rest assured, Udta Punjab will have a big opening whenever it releases-- perhaps the biggest so far this year. And if the contents (the point of the debate) are lauded by the audiences, Kashyap and his co-producers will be smiling their way to the bank.

Like in politics, there’s no permanent friendship or enmity in the world of showbiz. Don’t be shocked if Kashyap and Nihalani bury the hatchet and jointly produce a film in the future-- may be a sequel to Udta Punjab. After all, the CBFC chairman has done such a big favour to Kashyap.

On the other hand, if the film bombs at the box-office, all hell will break loose. But, let’s stay positive and pray for peace and harmony…

Ishq Click to release next month

The Adhyayan Suman-Sara Loren starrer Ishq Click will release on July 22. A musical love story where Adhyayan plays an ambitious photographer and Sara a super model, the film is directed by Anil Ballani.

Ishq Click has been shot in Darjeeling and Mumbai. The producers Satish and Ajay have scored the film’s music. Ankit Tiwari, Neeti Mohan, Mohammed Irfan, Shalmali Kholgade, Anamika Singh, Ajay Jaiswal, Avinash Singh, Amanat Ali Khan, Madhuri Pandey, Sameera Koppikar and Hricha Narayan have crooned for the movie.

Jagran Film Festival will be a treat for movie lovers

Diligently browsing through a list of over 3,000 film entries the Preview Team of the 7th Jagran Film Festival has concluded its selection process. The films include the best of Indian and world cinema. The festival begins in New Delhi next month and will travel to places like Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Agra, Meerut, Dehradun, Hisar, Ludhiana, Patna, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Raipur, Indore, Bhopal and Mumbai.

An initiative of the Jagran Group, the festival will screen films like Mahana (New Zealand), Thank you for bombing (Austria), Discordia (Romania) Chatô - The King of Brazil (Brazil) among others.
Talking about Discordia (still above), the festival’s Strategic Consultant, Manoj Srivastava says, “It’s a unique film that actually impressed the preview team because of its great cinematic treatment. The film is low on intensity but high on attraction.”

Director Lee Tamahori renowned for films like Die Another Day (2002) and State of the Union explores in Mahana, the lives of two Maori families, the Mahanas and the Poatas, in New Zealand in the 1960s who make a living out of shearing sheep on the east coast.

So plenty to look forward to this year.

Wake up Pakistan, it's time

Pakistan has a perennial habit of envying India. If we look back, every accolade the world’s largest democracy earns makes our neighbours sulk.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aggressive diplomacy resulting in a likelihood that India may enter the Missile Technology Control Regime (MCTR) and Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) hasn’t gone down well with Pakistan. Islamabad’s last-moment efforts backed by China to stall India’s membership only give credence to the hatred Islamabad harbours for New Delhi.

Whether Pakistan likes it or not, India is now a global power to reckon with. On the contrary, despite riding piggyback on China, Pakistan has hardly reaped any benefit. But does the Pakistani establishment ever ponder over the real reasons behind the nation losing ground?

The problem comes from within. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan suffers from too many archaic practices which don’t stand it in good stead. Any discussion on Pakistan centres around its ‘clandestine’ support to terrorists. Facts and figures substantiate it. But deep down, extreme conservatism leading to brutality puts the country in the dock.

Take a note of three latest incidents which defamed Pakistan. A school-teacher in Murree is killed because of her refusal to marry a man much elder to her. The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) recommends that men can lightly beat their spouses if they don’t obey their orders. A woman from Lahore burns her daughter alive for marrying the person she loved.

These incidents are good enough to show Pakistan in an abysmal light on various international forums. At a time when India’s presence globally is being acknowledged, Pakistan is severely afflicted by fundamentalism that is bereft of any logic.

And it is these obsolete ideas that are encashed by outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Taliban, IS and others to foment trouble on the Pakistani soil. There’s a trend to raise the name of religion and impose meaningless ideas on people and it’s all engineered by the Mullahs. But who has the audacity to stop them? In the process innocent lives are taken.

The problem with Pakistan is its fragile democracy. Anybody with modern thoughts has to acquiesce to the whims and fancies of religious elements. Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy had to face flak back home for supporting women’s cause through her short documentary A Girl in the River. Neither the Nawaz Sharif government nor the army shows any strong urge to take the bull by its horns. The result is: rampant human-rights violations.

Compare Pakistan to India and the latter is on a much better platform because of its civil society. Religious radicalism meets with vehement protests from intellectuals and students. The Dadri lynching incurred so much of wrath that awards were returned by distinguished personalities. The media doesn’t mince words when deceptive blasphemy is propagated by religious ‘messiahs’. However, it would be wrong to say there are no human rights violations in India, but vis-à-vis Pakistan, the incidence is lesser.

On the contrary, Pakistan continues to be a pawn at the hands of extremists. The religious minorities in the country live in a fear zone unlike in India. Indian Muslim women can actually stand up against the triple talaq system. According to a report by the Amnesty International on Pakistan, “Religious minorities, both Muslim and non-Muslim, continued to face laws and practices that resulted in discrimination and persecution…. Blasphemy laws remained in force, mostly in Punjab province; they applied to people of all religions but were disproportionately used against religious minorities.”

Given this scenario, it’s not surprising that Pakistan is making more enemies than friends. Iran, Afghanistan and USA prefer India to Pakistan. And that leaves Pakistan with only China to bank on. But let’s not forget a strong anti-China block is on the cards which certainly puts the Chinese government in a no-win situation. Apprehending isolation China may not hesitate to walk out on Pakistan. If that is to happen, Pakistan will be in a tight spot without friends.

Can Islamabad afford it? Instead of taking India on, Pakistan should now focus on strengthening democratic values and open the windows for fresh air to enter. In a country where a minister makes objectionable remarks at a lady lawmaker in the parliament and still gets away with it, there’s a lot to worry about.

Wake up Pakistan, it’s time!