Despite demonetisation, Priyanka's Marathi film connects with the audiences

The demonetisation drive initiated by Prime Minister Narendrea Modi may have generated mixed views, but Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra has reasons to smile. Amid the crisis, her debut Marathi production Ventilator is quite a success at the box-office. Starring Ashutosh Gowarikar and others, the film has already earned Rs 11 crore in 11 days, which is quite an amount in view of the circumstances.

The film is co-produced by Chopra and her mother Madhu Chopra under Purple Pebble Pictures, in association with Magij Pictures and is presented by Zee Studios’s Nikhil Sane.

Says Madhu, “We are ecstatic and proud with the kind of response film is getting. Ventilator deals with human emotions and values which passes through our hearts and most importantly make you take a pause and find yourself amidst the story. I’m glad that people are connecting with it. Ventilator has got rave reviews and applause from the critics, audience and the industry people.”

Director Rajesh Mapuskar adds, “It is hard to celebrate when so many are suffering because of the demonetisation, but I am absolutely overwhelmed. I hope in some small way the film is a silver lining in a stressful situation.”

Ventilator hit the screens on November 4. It was released 258 theatres with 4165 shows per week in Maharashtra.

Parineeti to attend the closing ceremony of World Cup Kabaddi in Punjab

Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra will grace the closing ceremony of the World Cup Kabaddi to be held at the Jalalabad Stadium in the Fazilka district in Punjab on November 17. While the opening and closing ceremonies of the previous editions were attended by stars like Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Priyanka Chopra and Ranveer Singh, this year, Parineeti's presence will be worth looking forward to in this year's closing ceremony. 

Punjabi artistes like Gurdas Maan, Harshdeep Kaur, Jassi Gill, Babbal Rai, Miss Pooja, Jaswinder Bhalla and Bal Mukund Sharma will also perform at the event. The tournament is organised by Punjab Sports Council in association with Ferriswheel Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

The Rock starts the promotion for Moana

Hollywood Superstar Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock kicked off his promotional tour for Moana over the weekend. He walked the red carpet for the world premiere of the film in Los Angeles recently.

Dwayne, who plays the demigod Maui in the movie, was joined by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. He posed for selfies with his fans and flashed his winning smile. The film hits theaters on December 2 in India.

Apart from Moana, The Rock has also been grabbing attention thanks to recent reports that he’s this year’s People‘s magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive.

When a mysterious lady was spotted at the Lucknow airport

Can you guess the lady in the pictures above? Here we go, it's Vidya Balan in her Durga Rani Singh avatar at the Lucknow airport. The actress is busy promoting her forthcoming Sujoy Ghosh's Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh and don't be surprised if you bump into her at any point of time

Raveena Tandon all set to make her debut as an author

A talented actress, a doting mother and an altruistic social-worker, Raveena Tandon has too many qualities to boast. And, now the actress whose passion is child-welfare is all set to turn author. Confirming this Raveena says, “My book, which I will soon be focusing on, is neither a biography nor is it a fiction.”

Since Children’s Day is being observed today, Raveena takes a trip down memory lane. She would be watching the symbolic cultural shows on this day. “We are more excited because we have a holiday dedicated to little kids, on Chacha Nehru’s birth anniversary,” she says. Today’s super-confident kids are fortunate that they are tech-savvy right from a very tender age, she feels.

The outspoken actress has been judging an educational initiative by the Seven Seas Academy. “It’s a nationwide contest hunt for India’s young masterminds to promote the prime importance of health supplements for vital brain development among children. It’s so heartening that two winners are being sponsored for an educational trip to NASA,” she says.

“Even when I was going through a major personal crisis, decades ago, I used to often spend quality time with kids at an orphanage home. It was unconditional love that they would always give me in return,” insists Raveena who adopted two young girls whose parents had passed away.
On the film front, Raveena is waiting for the release of The Mother directed by Ashtar Sayyed, which deals with violence against women.

Befikre to be premiered at the Dubai International Film Festival

Since the day the trailer of Aditya Chopra's comeback directorial venture Befikre was launched, the film has been making the right noises. And, now the premiere of the film will be held at the 13th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). Befikre set to release on December 9, will have its premiere on December 8 in Dubai. The romantic film starring Ranveer Singh and Vani Kapoor in the lead will be the red carpet gala of the festival’s celebrations on that day.The festival will be on between December 7 and 14.

Say Abdulhamid Juma, Chairman, DIFF, “The World Premiere of the eagerly anticipated Befikre from Yash Raj Films and directed by the incredibly talented Aditya Chopra following a hiatus of seven years is a major scoop for DIFF. This refreshing new film will appeal not just to the expatriate community but also to Arabs who have a strong affinity for Bollywood films.”

This will also be the fourth time that a film from Yash Raj Films will be premiered at DIFF. Earlier Kabul Express, Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year and Ladies vs Ricky Bahl were premiered at the prestigious film festival.   

Vidya attends a college fest to promote Kahaani 2

Actress Vidya Balan who is busy promoting her forthcoming Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh at the NMIMS College Festival at Mumbai

Bhansali's proteges take him by surprise

Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali is currently busy with his dream project Padmavati. Somebody who shares great rapport with his technicians, Bhansali was in for a surprise when a group of assistant directors with whom he worked for Saawariya dropped in at a Mumbai studio to wish him luck.

According to a source, "Sanjay Leela Bhansali was extremely touched and overwhelmed when he saw them on the sets. They wanted to come and wish him luck in person as soon as they heard that Padmavati went on floors. Bhansali has been like a mentor to them and they owe everything to him. Very few people know the filmmaker personally and those who do truly love him. On the sets Bhansali always ensures that his crew is taken care of and are treated to the most lavish of dishes. He is very protective of his team and constantly encourages them to do their best."

Now, another first for Yash Raj's Befikre

Setting the trend for entertainment conversations in India, Twitter has launched the first-ever emoji for a Bollywood film. And Yash Raj Film’s Befikre starring Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor slated for release on December 9 is the lucky one.

From November 10, fans in India have been given an opportunity to join the conversation around the film and simply Tweet by using #UdeDilBefikre, #Befikre, #BefikreOn9th, #BefikreOn9thDec and #BeBefikre to use the specially designed emoji curated by Twitter. The emoji appears next to the hashtag in the Tweet and is designed like the Eiffel Tower of pink hearts, bringing alive the Parisian essence of the film.

Befikre directed by Aditya Chopra had its trailer launch at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Using Periscope, the Befikre team live-streamed the launch from Paris to give their fans back home in India an interactive, real-time experience and a chance to engage with the leading actors. More than 3000 fans participated in the conversation with Ranveer and Vaani using the hashtag #BefikreTrailer.

Slice of life with Brown Nation

Netflix, a popular content streaming platform has closed in on an Indian- American show Brown Nation, directed by Abi Varghese, an established television and film writer of Malayali origin. The show will release on Netflix on November 15.

Brown Nation is an entertaining, slice of life series focused on a struggling small IT business owner in New York. The series is created and written by Matt Grubb, George Kanatt and Varghese. As shows targeted typical Indian American issues like Master of None gain popularity, the concept of Brown Nation holds significant promise. Starring Rajeev Varma, Omi Vaidya, Shenaz Treasurywala and Melanie Chandra, Brown Nation promises to deliver a slice of typical Indian life with ironies intact.

Says Varghese, "We have tried to develop universally appealing humour by using situations of a quirky business owner working to make it in the competitive world of New York. Netflix is the best platform that we could have asked for to maximize its reach.”

To watch the trailer of Brown Nation, Click on: https://youtu.be/tdU2leWQoo8

Here's hoping that he will be a mature US President

Never before has the whole world been so baffled with a US President-elect. So, Donald Trump will be the 45th US President. The rest of the world is busy anticipating the outcomes of his reign. Will he really be strict on immigrants or will he stand by his plank of temporarily banning Muslims from entering his country? And his brash attitude and aggression have been matters of concern for political leaders, experts and commoners. Yet he has usurped all calculations and beaten his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the race to the White House.

Yes, it's a Triumphant moment for the real-estate tycoon who also earned laurels as a TV host. His slogan, "Make America Great Again," has reaped him rich benefits. The rural Americans have voted for him, so have the unemployed youths. The slogan has worked big time for a man who has faced allegations of being a misogynist. But leave aside his chequered history with the fairer sex and his aversion towards immigrants, the fact remains that he will be taking over from Barrack Obama in January next year.

Now too many questions are being asked. If at all, Trump sticks to his pre-poll calls, then the world is in danger. If he decides to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, Syria and other places, terrorism will get a boost. What would be his approach towards China and Russia? And how would he deal with China over the South China Sea conundrum? And from Indian's point of view, how would he deal with Pakistan and its bonhomie with China? And will he really be tough on the Haqqani network that has put Pakistan on a sticky wicket?

Well, Trump says in his victory speech, "It’s time. I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans, and this is so important to me...I want to tell the world community that while we will always put America’s interests first, we will deal fairly with everyone, with everyone — all people and all other nations. We will seek common ground, not hostility; partnership, not conflict."

Now, that's quite noble enough. He means unity and he means no harm to anybody yet if anybody tries to take America on, his policy is simple: Push US's enemy to the back foot.

There's a huge difference between pre-poll strategy and post-poll ones. Once you are on the hot seat, you are in charge and you have to shed all your inhibitions as a candidate. There are issues that need to be dealt with logically and the immature stance of building walls should be thrown into oblivion. It remains to be seen how Trump behaves once he reaches the White House. There is a sense of fear not just in USA but also in other parts of the world that a Trump Presidency can usher in an era of mayhem and pandemonium.

It's left to Trump to assuage such a notion and behave like a true statesman. He was courteous enough to acknowledge his rival Clinton's contributions to his nation in his victory speech. Well, for once he was decent enough. One prays he maintains such a dignity and doesn't come up with statements that don't quite deserve a mention from the President of the United States of America.

Fingers crossed!

PM's historic step, Saansein's release postponed

Thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement that notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 would be demonetised, Bollywood is feeling the heat. The news is that Saansein-The Last Breath starring Rajniesh Duggall and Sonarika Bhadoria in the lead that was supposed to hit the screens on November 11, will now have to wait. Producer Goutam Jain has decided to postpone the release date.

Confirms Jain, “We are very much pleased with Mr. Narendra Modi’s step towards demonetisation of 500 and 1000 currency notes and hence our team has decided that the movie should be postponed as we do not want the audiences to spend their money behind watching a movie this weekend. I want people to spend money on basic necessities as of now rather than incurring in other expenses. The step taken by the Prime Minster is surely in favor of the citizens.”

Kunaal's forthcoming to be shot in Kanpur

The talented Kunaal Roy Kapur's next Hum Dono Honge Kamyaab is set to hit the floors on November 12. Directed by Vishal Mishra, the romantic comedy also stars Tara Alisha Berry. The film will be shot entirely in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

Says Kunaal, “It's a pleasure to work with new people on a film which will be shot at a place completely new to me. Kanpur's humour and the freshness of the story should result in something really entertaining.” Adds Tara who made her debut with Vikram Bhatt’s Love Games, “Vishal Sir has given me the opportunity to work with a brilliant actor like Kunaal. I am having sleepless nights and just waiting to reach Kanpur and start shooting.”

On choosing Kanpur, Vishal says, "This film deserves no other city than the busy nature of this
town's culture."

Madhavan's Irudhi Suttru screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival

This Diwali couldn't have been better for actor R Madhavan. The Tamil version of his film Saala Khadoos, Irudhi Suttru was screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival. As per sources, the movie based on boxing was applauded by the audiences.Madhavan’s fans were quite excited to interact with him. Says the actor, “I’m really overwhelmed and touched with all the love and affection that the people of Japan have showered upon me and my film Irudhi Suttru. I had never anticipated this.” Irudhi Suttru is directed by Sudha Kongara and stars Ritika Singh apart from Madhavan and others.

Mouni for an item song in Tum Bin 2

Popular TV actress Mouni Roy will be seen in a special song in the upcoming Tum Bin 2 directed by Anubhav Sinha. Mouni will dance to the Punjabi folk number, Nachna Aunda Nahin. The track will be crooned by Hardy Sandhu, Neha Kakkar and Raftaar, while Remo D'souza will choreograph the dance item. Mouni will be shooting for this club dance number this week along with the singers and the lead cast Neha Sharma, Aditya Seal and Aashim Gulati.

SRK's Fan set to release in China

As a birthday gift to Shah Rukh Khan (November 2), Yash Raj Films (YRF) will release the King Khan starrer Fan in China this weekend. Avtar Panesar, Vice President International Operations, YRF said, “Shah Rukh Khan is adored in all over the world and of course, equally in China. With the release of Fan across China, we are delighted to offer his fans a chance to experience the movie in their language. In our ongoing endeavours to take Indian cinema to all corners of the world outside of India, we are confident that his growing audiences in China will embrace this film as here as well and continue to build a solid base for Indian cinema.”

The movie will be screened in major Chinese cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Chengdu and Chongqing. The German fans of the actor are also in for a treat as well, since a German language DVD and Blu Ray of the film will also release across Germany this weekend.

Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai at the White House

Keshhav Panneriy’s upcoming Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai has become the first Hindi film to be shot at the White House (Washington DC). The high point of the shoot was that it was shot inside the Constitutional Hall of the White House.The Constitutional Hall is between the George Washington Memorial and the Vice-President Joe Biden’s residence. The sprawling white-marbled ballroom was lit up for the first time
for a Hindi film sequence.

Keshhav says, “It took us almost a year to get permission. I applied more than 15 times before we were allowed, only because some of my line producers were Americans.” The film has been shot West Virginia, New York City, Washington and Maryland in US and in Rajasthan, Udaipur, and Mumbai in India. The film stars Arbaaz Khan, Ashutosh Rana, Prem Chopra, Supriya Pathak, and Manjari Fadnis. The film releases in January, 2017.

Huma's affair with Game of Thrones in Croatia

Huma Qureshi currently shooting in the Eastern European country of Croatia, is literally living out a dream in the picturesque location. The actress is shooting for a Delhi based cosmetic brand at the old town in Dubrovnik and at Rector's Palace where the fantasy show Game of Thrones was also filmed.

After Karan, it's another producer's compromise over casting a Pakistani star

Producer Durgesh Paul can heave a sigh of relief as Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil starring among others Pakistani actor Fawad Khan has hit the screens. Durgesh has been on the same boat as Karan since the former's film RedruM features Pakistani actress Saeeda Imtiaz (pic above). Thanks to the ongoing tensions between the two nations Durgesh has been facing a tough time to release the film. However, he is still hopeful and has plans to donate 70% of the film’s profits to Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. Incidentally, Karan got his film released after agreeing to donate Rs 5 crore for the benefit of soldiers.

He says, “I haven’t announced the release date yet as the movie is still getting filmed. However I am positive to get a release just like Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. We still hope that the content of the film wins and the audience enjoy this psychological thriller." says writer-director Dhruv Sachdev. Durgesh's decision to introduce a fresh face from across the border has hit the film hard due to the current political situations.

RedruM is a tale of murder based on Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story The Tell Tale Heart. The film also stars Vibhav Roy and veteran actor Tom Alter in pivotal roles and is directed by the duo Dhruv-Sourabh.

Many firsts for the latest Befikre number

Ude Dil Befikre, the latest song from Aditya Chopra's Befikre features many firsts. Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor ‘dare’ each other to pull quite a few stunts, it also captures fun and quirky moments in rare Parisian locations.

Sporting bejewelled underwear, Ranveer walks into a posh red tie affair in this song. Vaani, who steals this piece of expensive inner gear for men as part of a dare, dares him to wear this garment.

The song also features quite a few Paris heritage spots onscreen for the first time ever. A source from the film’s unit said, “In the song when Vaani strips atop a table, you see the National Public Library, a historic spot from Paris that has never been seen onscreen before. Ranveer and Vaani shake a leg on the terrace of the Opera Garnier, the city’s famous historic house. A location that has been seen onscreen for the first time, only a four-member crew along with the actors was allowed to film at this tricky high spot.”

Ranveer also steals the ball from a premier football match just before it begins. The daring shenanigans continue in the song. From scaling views of the French capital as seen from it’s rooftops, to a beautiful historic bridge in a Parisian Park, Ude Dil Befikre is a visual treat.