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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

Abhay joins Instagram

Talented actor Abhay Deol has finally joined Instagram and has shared a painting of his

When Georgia floored Gurmeet

Actor Gurmeet Choudhary was pleasantly surprised by the sweet gesture of his fans when he was shooting for his forthcoming thriller, Wajah Tum Ho, in the exotic locales of Georgia recently. Knowing that the suave actor was shooting at the outskirts of Georgia, his fans thronged in huge numbers to catch a glimpse of their favourite actor.

Kriti spotted at London

Kriti Kharbanda, who made her debut with Vikram Bhatt’s successful horror franchise Raaz Reboot, is currently in London shooting for her next project, Atithii Iin London, directed by Ashwini Dhir. For the first time, the actress will be seen sharing the screens pace with Kartik Aaryan along with veteran actors including Paresh Rawal and Tanvi Azmi. Interestingly, we stumbled upon few on-location pictures featuring Kriti spending some quality time on the sets.

...Huma and her passion for sports

What makes actress Huma Qureshi's journey in Bollywood commendable is that she managed to make a mark despite not hailing from a filmi lineage or having a godfather to make the journey smoother.

Even when it comes to the field of sports, she has pledged her support to the IGCL - Indian Gramin Cricket League, a platform that aims to identify and focus on hidden athletic talent germinating in the corners of the country and bring to the fore, regardless of strata.

Huma reworked her schedule so as to attend the closing ceremony of the league in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. The IGCL was started by the government to promote, support and encourage cricket in rural areas. While Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt attended the opening ceremony, Huma was invited as the special guest for the closing ceremony.

An open letter to Karan Johar from a Bollywood fan

Hi, this is Rajesh Malhotra and am a big fan of Bollywood. Here's an open letter to filmmaker Karan Johar on his tiffs with political parties before the releases of some of his films.

Controversy’s Child: Karan Johar’s Run-Ins With political parties’ every-time before release
The political roadblocks for Ae Dil Hai Mushkil just got sorted as Raj Thackeray of the MNS announced that they will not stop the release of the film. Of course, Karan Johar agreed to accept the clauses that were pushed to him even as he tried hard to get a smooth release. Interestingly, this is not the first time he has had a run-in with MNS and Shiv Sena. Over the last few years, the filmmaker has had multiple instances when he had to work extra hard to ensure that his film got a glitch-free release.
Here I list out some of the films where he had to deal with either the MNS or the Shiv Sena. And as it may be apparent, in each case the films raked up considerable publicity.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
Right after the Uri attacks on September 18, 2016, there was widespread protest against Indian filmmakers employing Pakistani talent for the films. Soon enough MNS noticed that Karan Johar’s latest film has Fawad Khan as one of the primary leads. This was followed by threats that they would not allow the film to release. Karan Johar finally had to toe the line of MNS as pleaded that his film be allowed a peaceful release because there were over 300 Indians who had worked on it apart from the Pakistani actor. He will be paying Rs 5 crore from the profits of the film towards Uri attack martyrs and also putting a slate in the opening credits as a mark of respect for the Indian army and the martyrs. MNS has now withdrawn the threats.

My Name Is Khan
Weeks before the release of My Name Is Khan, Shah Rukh Khan rubbed the Shiv Sena the wrong way when he made a remark in favour of Pakistani cricketers playing in the IPL. The political party, which was then headed by Bal Thackeray took out the ire on the soon to release film, calling for a ban against SRK. Karan Johar had to make a few calls before the film managed to release with police providing protection to theaters screening the film.

Wake up Sid
The protagonist of the Ayan Mukerji film used the Bombay instead of Mumbai and Shiv Sena took offense. They demanded the film not be allowed a release unless Karan Johar apologized and also redub the word as Mumbai.

Kurbaan
This time it was not any word or comment that created the stir. Instead, it was Kareena Kapoor's bareback on the posters. The poster got a lot of attention, including some that was completed unwanted. Shiv Sena objected to bareback on grounds of obscenity. Things were in headlines for some time before it cooled down and the film released. The film sunk without a trace, quickly putting all controversy to rest.

AIB Roast
We could not have forgotten AIB’s roast. While people who watched it had their share of laughs, the Shiv Sena was not pleased. There were FIRs against Karan Johar and everyone else involved in the show. This only helped the video break the internet faster. AIB soon took off the video from YouTube and the controversy died out slowly. The fate of those FIRs remains unknown.

Rajesh Malhotra can be reached at malhotrarajesh23@gmail.com

Bips all set for her third fitness initiative

Bipasha Basu (above with hubby Karan Singh Grover) epitomises fitness and practises what she preaches. After two successful fitness DVDs she will soon start work on another exciting fitness initiative. Meanwhile, the actress has spruced up her personal routine and the results have everyone raving! Bipasha has been making stunning public appearances with everyone asking her the reason behind her all new look.

The actress credits her new physique to a combination of weight training and high intensity cardio but reveals she still hasn't reached her ideal fitness goals. Says Bipasha,"Wherever I am going, everyone is loving my new look — be it an event or a salon or a gym. My current routine is focused on heavy weight training and cardio with high resistance. I don’t have one particular routine ever.I am trying to diet, which is tough for me. However, it’s on hold till Diwali (October 30). Post Diwali, it will begin again. Nothing happens overnight.To achieve anything, discipline and patience is required. All good things take some time.”

The second trailer of Shivaay hits the web

It's just four days to go before Shivaay hits the silver screen, and superstar Ajay Devgn has released the second trailer of Shivaay. After watching the first trailer, there was huge anticipation about the the action sequences and breathtaking locations. Well, the second trailer is distinctly different, high on emotion and drama and highlights the beautiful father- daughter relationship as seen in the song Raatein released earlier.
This trailer has shown every emotion, the pain, the fear and the length any father would go to save his daughter from every threat. Viewers can also get a sneak peek into Sayyeshaa's character as she joins Ajay in a rescue mission for his daughter.

Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsV4GiuwEsg

Dhruva's work is in full swing

The shooting of actor Ram Charan's most-awaited film, Dhruva, which stars Rakul Preet as the female lead is on at a brisk pace. Produced by Geeta Arts co-produced by Allu Aravind and NV Prasad, the film has completed its talkie portions.

With great production values and impressive technical aspects, the film is nearing completion except for two songs. The introduction song of the film will be shot in the first week of November. Meanwhile, the team has already begun post-production work so as to be able to complete the film on schedule and release in December. Audio release details will be announced very soon.

The recent teaser which reached the audience on occasion of Dussehra has left not just mega fans but also the regular audience hooked to check out the film. If the first look had generated a buzz, the teaser did manage a storm of sorts as evident from the record number of views. The film is directed by Surender Reddy.

All about friendship, Kahaani 2 and Dear Zindagi won't clash

Director Sujoy Ghosh's Kahaani 2-Durga Rani Singh will hit the theatres on December 2 as against November 25. While the movie starring Vidya Balan and Arjun Rampal, was scheduled to release on the November 25, producer Jayantilal Gada of Pen India decided to shift the date of release of Kahaani 2 in order to avoid a clash at the box office with Mahesh Bhatt, a filmmaker he has shared a close association with over the years.

It was recently announced that the Shah Rukh Khan-Alia Bhatt starrer Dear Zindagi will release on November 25 and producers Gada and Bhatt had a conversation to avoid the clash. The makers of Kahaani 2 then decided to postpone the release date.

Says Bhatt, "I have known Jayantilal Gada for several years now and we are like family. Both Kahaani 2 and Dear Zindagi are unique films and deserve a solo release. And it will also help both films in the long run."

Gada says, "Bhatt Saab is associated with us for our leading TV shows; Udann and Naamkarann but more importantly Alia and he are like family to us. There can never be any competition within families, hence I have decided to release my film on December 2."