Megastar Akshay Kumar, who had been shooting for ‘Atrangi Re’, recently wrapped up shooting for the film and the actor took to social media to share his first look from the film. Akshay also extended his gratitude to his co-stars Sara Ali Khan and Dhanush for their contribution in the project. Looking at the first look photo of Akshay from ‘Atrangi Re’, one can assume that the actor might be seen in the role of a magician. The photo features Akshay dressed in a black designer suit and a huge hat as he holds a king of hearts card on his palm. The actor is seen smiling wickedly as he poses for the lens. Akshay seems to bear a look that has an uncanny resemblance to a magician. He penned a note of gratitude for Sara and Dhanush, writing, “It’s the last day of #AtrangiRe and I can’t wait for you’ll to experience the magic created by @aanandlrai. Also a big thank you to my co-stars @saraalikhan95 and @dhanushkraja for letting me be a part of this beautiful film. An @arrahman musical. Written by: #HimanshuSharma.”
Tag: Akshay Kumar
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Jolly LLB 2 – MOVIE REVIEW
STORY: Jagdishwar Mishra aka Jolly (Akshay) starts out as a prominent lawyer’s sidekick in Kanpur. Driven by ambition, he hoodwinks a pregnant widow, Hina Siddique (Sayani Gupta) on the lookout for justice. He lands the murder case of her husband, but when she realises he is a fraud, she kills herself. Leaving Jolly with guilt on his conscience and an unresolved case in his hands. Now, he wants justice more than ever.
REVIEW: On the face of it, apna Jolly is a novice indulging in petty crimes because he knows the loopholes in the law. At home, he is the hen-pecked husband of lush, Pushpa Panday (Huma) who loves whisky, Gucci dresses and her chubby son in that order. But these are just asides and not the main premise of courtroom drama, which in many ways follows the template of the 2013 prequel, Jolly LLB.
Writer-director Subhash Kapoor who has studied India’s burgeoning legal system of `I-will-see-you-in-court’, definitely knows as much about the Indian Penal Code as most legal sharks because of his deep study of the subject. While the last instalment dealt with a hit-n-run case, this one deals with the case of mistaken identity of a J & K terrorist. The plot has enough laugh-out-loud situations and emotional outbursts to keep you invested especially in the razor-sharp first half. The film also provides the right dose of action inside and outside the courtroom. With cops playing villains and terrorists changing religions, legal greenhorn Jolly finds himself dodging bullets in Kanpur, Lucknow and Manali(doubling up for Kashmir.)
Post interval though, the film hits a pause button at times. The maker tries to pack in too much legal diatribe between Jolly and his adversary, the topnotch, Pramod Mathur(Annu Kapoor), in Judge Tripathy’s (Saurabh Shukla, delightful as always) Lucknow courtroom. Their weighty arguments do educate and entertain to some degree. But there are portions that seem contrived.
Akshay changes shades from crooked to straight, like a chameleon. In top-form, he puts up a perfect display of a street-smart lawyer who hasn’t read legal tomes but who has instead picked up tips from courtroom corridors to become Jolly LLB. Huma and Annu are also compelling enough. It is the fine display of histrionics by all these refined actors, which makes the movie, worth seeing.
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Shah Rukh, Aamir’s security downgraded by Mumbai Police
MUMBAI (TIP): MumbaiPolice have trimmed or withdrawn the security cover of 40 Bollywood celebrities including Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan in what it called a “routine” procedure. Senior officials said the step was taken after an assessment review which revealed the Bollywood celebs were no longer facing a threat.
Shah Rukh and Aamir’s security was heightened after the Bollywood stars commented on “rising intolerance” in India. They were given armed protocol and vehicles after right-wing organisations protested their comments, Indian Express reported.
While Aamir had said his wife, Kiran Rao, wondered whether they should leave India in the face of rising intolerance, Shah Rukh had said not being secular was the worst crime as a patriot.
However, after the assessment, the Khans will now get only two armed constables shadowing them in two shifts, the daily reported.
Security has been fully withdrawn from filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, director Rajkumar Hirani, director Farah Khan and producer siblings Ali and Karim Morani.
The officials said reviewing security cover of celebrities is a routine practice and there is nothing new in it. They also pointed out that the move was aimed at trimming unwanted security cover. Only 15 Bollywood celebs will get security cover from the Mumbai Police including actors Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and producer Mahesh Bhatt.
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A Pakistani Siren in Bollywood
NEW YORK (TIP):
Meera, a brilliant Pakistani film actress associated with Bollywood for sometimes now, was on short visit in New York in connection with a charitable hospital that she is setting up in Pakistan. In New York, accompanied by her United States’ Attorney, Anand Ahuja, she attended some press conferences and community events. At the blood donation and bone marrow donation camp organized by the INOC (I) Tamil Nadu Chapter, on Saturday, December 07, 2017 in Hicksville, NY, Meera stopped by as a guest of Attorney Anand Ahuja. Addressing the gathering in Hicksville, Meera emphasized on the community service and importance of camps such as blood donation and bone marrow. She also spoke about her own charitable works in Pakistan.Later in the evening, while addressing at a press conference in Jackson Heights, she reiterated the importance of charitable works particularly in the field of health care. On Tuesday, December 10, 2013, Meera addressed Desi media at Attorney Anand Abuja’s office. In response to a TV’s reporter’s question, she gave some details about her upcoming Bollywood movie “Bhaddas” which is releasing in the 3rd week of December 10, 2013. “Bhaddas is a Bollywood’s murder mystery movie inspired by Hollywood flick Basic Instincts”, said Meera while addressing media at Attorney Ahuja’s office.
Further responding to media, she said, “Of course there are some bold scenes in Bhadaas. It’s inspired by Hollywood, does not have songs like other Bollywood movies, out and out on Hollywood pattern, and naturally with some bold scenes”. She was excited to inform the media that next Bollywood movie signed by her is with Akshay Kumar. Meera, as the first Pakistani actress to be seen in India after a very long gap, did her first movie in India, named Nazar about 8 years back. Nazar was a film directed by Soni Razdan and it was the first Indo-Pakistani joint movie venture in 50 years.
The film introduced Pakistani actress Meera to Bollywood and it also featured a kissing scene. She became the target of many conservatives for doing a kissing scene with her Indian co-star. Her second movie was Kasak starring Lucky Ali. Her third film Paanch Ghantey Mien Paanch Crore managed a decent opening with its limited cinema release. However, The Times of India listed the film in Bollywood’s Top 10 Bold Film category of 2012. Born and raised in Lahore, Punjab, she studied at the Kinnaird College and started her modeling career in television in 1995. She briefly modeled for various multi-international companies, including Pepsi and LUX which helped her to come to national prominence.
She made her first motion picture debut in 1995, but she earned nationwide critical in 1999 for her leading performance in Khilona, which was released in 1999. Khilona earned her first Nigar Award and earned critical acclaim for her work. With the release of Inteha, another critical and commercial success, Meera won the second consecutive Nigar Award for Best Actress of the year for her breakout performance. In 2004, she played a prominent role in Salakhain which lifted her image internationally.
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Movie Review- Special 26
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher, Manoj Bajpayee,Jimmy Sheirgill, Kajal Aggarwal, Divya Dutta
Direction: Neeraj Pandey
Genre: Thriller
Duration: 2 hours 24 minutesSTORY: Four feisty heroes posing as a CBI team, fifty heists and one real CBI officer on the prowl to nab them.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Ready for a fake ‘Foursome’, with some ‘real’ stuff. Here it goes. With cool conmen, cops, chases, mind, matter and maal. But first, meet the members of the con-club. The asli khiladi Ajay (Akshay), quickwitted, daring and strong-willed – he’s the masterplanner. Sharmaji (Kher), a wee-bit weak-hearted, but the real ‘loin of Punjab’ (with 8 bachchas and going strong).Add in, Iqbal (Kishore Kadam) and Joginder (Rajesh Sharma) – who add muscle to the master-mind. In the late 1980’s these conmen pose as CBI officers and raid malaamal matris, business magnates and jewellers.
With no records or FIRs – they escape after every heist with a clean (white) conscience and loads of black money. A (real) CBI inspector, Waseem (Manoj) along with sub-inspector Ranveer (Jimmy) get on a deadly chase to nab them while they’re faking it. Well, if you want to figure out con-asli, con-nakli, go ahead, wear Sherlock’s (Holmes) suit and crack this one. With an ingeniously layered role and a brilliant act, Anupam Kher truly ‘steals’ the show. Akshay hits hard, with pure, unadulterated acting, minus action.
Manoj is always in command, fiery and fantastic. Jimmy lends strong support; Kajal Aggarwal (Ajay’s love-interest) flashes smiles in interludes, and Divya Dutta throws in laughs. Inspired by a real incident, Neeraj Pandey cuts to the chor-police chase and weaves an intelligent, mind-racing thriller, keeping you tightly strapped to your seats. It captures the 80’s era beautifully; and the cinematography ( Bobby Singh) is a cut above (special mention: scenes in Connaught Place, Delhi, and Kolkata streets).
The powerful background score enthuses the pace. The only place he loses momentum is the romantic track and dance number, kinda unwarranted, we must say. Interestingly, this con-job story is not superbly-stylish or stealthily serious. It doesn’t stun you with a social message like Pandey’s ‘A Wednesday’, but it grips, excites and ahh…climaxes too! And no … you can’t fake this one! Catch it for pure cinematic orgasm.
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Delhi Gang Rape Accused Says Police Tortured Him
NEW DELHI (TIP): One of the five men charged with the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman said police tortured him in custody and he and at least three of his co-defendants say they are innocent, lawyers said on. The five accused arrived in court for a closed hearing with their faces covered by scarves, and accompanied for the first time by defense lawyers. The physiotherapy student died on December 29, two weeks after being beaten and raped on a moving bus in New Delhi, then thrown bleeding onto the street. Nationwide protests followed against the government’s perceived failure to stem rising violence against women. One of the men, Mukesh Singh, the brother of a bus driver who police say was the leader of the gang, will base his defense on police brutality, his lawyer said.
“Mukesh was illegally tortured in the custody of the police,” said the lawyer, Manohar Lal Sharma. The five face charges of murder, gang rape and abduction, prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty. A sixth suspect is being investigated separately to determine if he is below the age of 18, as he says he is. The case has shone a light on a widespread problem of violence against women but also the failure of the criminal justice system to bring the guilty to justice in a country where official statistics show a rape is reported every 20 minutes.
The bus driver and alleged gang leader Ram Singh said he was innocent during a two-hour meeting with his lawyer, VK Anand, in Delhi’s Tihar jail, the lawyer said. Two other accused, gym assistant Vinay Sharma and bus cleaner Akshay Kumar Singh, say they were falsely implicated, said their lawyer, AP Singh. ‘I will … prove their innocence,’ the lawyer said after the hearing. The fifth man has yet to be assigned a lawyer and it is not known what he has told court or how he intends to plea. Charges against the sixth member of the group have not been brought while police complete an inquiry to confirm his age. If he is found to be below 18 he will be tried in a juvenile court and if convicted will go to a correctional home, not a prison, to serve a maximum term of three years.
GROUNDS FOR APPEAL?
For days after their arrest, soon after the December 16 assault on the woman and a male companion, none of the men had a lawyer. Most members of the judiciary refused to represent them because of the outrage over the attack. Police conducted extensive interrogations of the men in the absence of any lawyer and they say they have recorded confessions. The hearings, which are closed to the media, are taking place in a court across the street from a cinema where the victim watched a movie before boarding the bus with a friend who was also severely beaten. Prosecutors say they have a large file of evidence, including statements and DNA samples taken from blood-stained clothing recovered by police. But legal experts had said the earlier lack of representation for the five suspects could give grounds for appeal if they were found guilty. Convictions in similar cases have often been overturned years later. The woman lived for two weeks after the attack but died in a Singapore hospital where she had been taken for treatment. She was identified by a British newspaper on the weekend but Reuters has opted not to name her. Indian law generally prohibits the identification of victims of sex crimes to protect their privacy in a country where the social stigma associated with rape can be devastating. -
Movie Review: Khiladi 786
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Asin, Himesh Reshammiya, Mithun Chakraborty, Raj Babbar
Direction: Ashish R Mohan
Genre: Action
Duration: 2 hours 20 minutesSTORY: Akela hai Mr. Khiladi, Ms. Khiladi chahiye. It’s that simple, really.
MOVIE REVIEW: Barah baras baad, Khiladi ka number aa gaya. Bollywood’s original Khiladi is back from selfimposed exile; still with a heart of gold, the pride of a true-blooded Singh and mighty-muscles of steel.
And of course, a truck-load of even more Singhs – welcome the players. But before we lose count, let’s ‘count’ the global Singhs – each of them with a Number for a name.
To start with, Bahattar (read: 72) Singh, aka Khiladi bhaiyya ( Akshay Kumar), his father Sattar Singh ( Raj Babbar) with his Canadian wife and African mother. Add on Ikhattar Singh ( Mukesh Rishi) and his Chinese wife.
Just in case you realize number 73 is missing, keep guessing. The Singhs are a family of proud con-cops (partly for a cause), and while 72 Singh can single-handedly thrash thugs at supersonic speed, he believes in driving women around in what he calls a mardon ki sawaari – a vibrantly colourful truck – on date nights.
No wonder, matrimonial rejects are aplenty (everyone wants a sawaari in a Ferrari, you see) and Khiladi bhaiyya is left ‘lonely-lonely’, with little or no action in his love life.
Enter Mansukh Desai (Himesh) a weddingfixer, who takes on the challenge of finding a girl to match his machismo. And he finds one in the feisty Indu Tendulkar (Asin) – Mumbai’s wanted don, TT’s (Mithun) sister. Well, she turns out to be nothing short of a psycho baiko, in love with a parttime- prisoner called Azad. Akshay is in his top-form, his punches are as powerpacked as his one-liners.
With kurtas as colourful as his character, nonchalant charm and playful references to recent hits (Rowdy Rathore, Housefull 2, Singham), he proves to be sabse bada khiladi, yet again. Asin has, without a doubt, looked her best in this film.
As Ms. Khiladi, she’s pulled out a few guns, stepped on the gas (crashing and speeding up cars) and romanced her balma. Mithun, dons the role of goonda, but with his funny liners, he leaves us with a lot of laughs. Himesh is decent as a caricature-ish Gujju boy.