Bollywood versatile actress Richa Chadda, who will be seen as a flirtatious law student in Main Aur Charles opposite lead actor Randeep Hooda discussed about bad guys vs. good guys.
When asked does she find bad guys more attractive and good guys boring, the Fukrey actress exclusively told ANI, “Bad guys are great to have affair with but it’s the good guy you want to marry.” The talented Bollywood actress then added that it would be wrong to say that good guys finish last.
Main Aur Charles is based on the infamous ‘bikini killer’ Charles Shobhraj, who is currently serving his life imprisonment in Kathmandu Jail, Nepal.
The movie is directed by Prawaal Raman and is all set to enthrall audience on October 30.
The upcoming epic flick Bajirao Mastani is all set to hit the theaters as the real-life couple Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh is done with the shooting.
The Piku actress took to Twitter, sharing “And it’s a wrap on my most incredible film experience…!#MASTANI #BajiraoMastani
#18thDecember”, along with her still shots from the movie.
Interestingly, there were news surfacing over the internet that Ranveer continued shooting for the film despite falling extremely sick in Wai, Maharashtra. Bajirao Mastani is set to be released on 18 December.
BAJIRAO MASTANI : The tale of romance between an Indian General, Peshwa Baji Rao I & his second wife, Mastani.
STORY: A Punjabi girl and a Sindhi groom are to have a destination wedding in Britain. Simultaneously, the bride’s sister also gets romantically entangled with the wedding planner.
REVIEW: Shaandaar has a fun plot. However in his attempt to spoof destination weddings of the bankrupt and the famous, Vikas Bahl, (who also directed that gem, Queen) forgot to take a script along.
You can defend the director’s indulgence or even forgive him for borrowing Tarantino’s Kill-Bill, part-animation, part-live narrative style to tell you the tale of an orphan girl who is given shelter by an affluent businessman, Bipin (Pankaj Kapur). The tycoon’s harridan mum (Sushma Seth) and ambitious wife (Nikki Aneja) do not take a shine to the child. Even worse, the bechari anath is an insomniac. The story-telling attempt is wearisome. Years later, Bipin’s belligerent mother decides to get his daughter, Isha (Sanah Kapur) married into a rich Sindhi family called Fundwanis (howlarious!). This ‘deal’ has to go through or they will remain cash-strapped for life. Everyone is scared shit of ‘mummyji” so they abide by what she says.
The ridiculous plot, allows one real romance to also blossom. This one is between Alia (Alia), who we later discover is Bipin’s illegitimate daughter (damn, one should have known) and the wedding planner, Jagjinder Joginder, JJ (Shahid).
A happy coincidence—like Alia, JJ also suffers from a sleep disorder. So the two of them take midnight swims, befriend a frog, go horse-riding, and befriend bugs or even better, they dance to an array of songs— like the catchy ‘Gulabo’ or the all-time favourite 50s ditty, ‘Eena meena deeka.’
If you think this review is incoherent, feel free to blame it on the film. Apart from some LOL jokes when the characters resort to abbreviations like PP (pairi pauna) or FTB (father-of-the-bride), this film serves up trite. Shahid, Pankaj and Sanah (the Kapur khandaan) went along for an all-expenses-paid vacation. And Alia, who saw Queen before she boarded the flight, was none the wiser.
Seriously, how was anyone to guess that this is a cruel joke played by Bahl on his investors and perhaps on an unsuspecting audience.
New York Emmy nominated filmmaker Tirlok Malik was honored with the special Outstanding Achievement in the Multicultural Arts in Acting, Filmmaking, and Immigrant Advocacy at the International Film Festival Manhattan in New York held on October 22, 2015. IFFM shows films, which deal with social issues. The festival has the most diverse selection of world class films and a focus on social issues and advocacy as part of the programming and goals. Malik has made many films starting from Lonely In America, Khushiyaan, On Golden Years and many more. They all deal with the effects of migration in America. Malik has given chances to many new talents in front or behind the camera as well. Tirlok Malik said, “I am happy to be a part of this festival and I feel honored for this awards.”
Tirlok Malik with awards for the best feature film and for his contribution to Cinema
There was another award given to Tirlok Malik at the festival by winning the ‘best film award for On Golden Years.’ Luis Pedron, co-founder of the festival, said, “The film On Golden Years deals with social issues of retirement that millions of first generation immigrants face in their lives.” Films from many countries such as Israel, Australia, Philippines, Sweden, Singapore, USA, etc. were shown at IFFM. Tirlok Malik accepted the award on the behalf of the whole team of On Golden Years. Malik said, “It was a team work to make this film.”
The film On Golden Years is written and directed by New York Emmy nominated filmmaker Tirlok Malik. The film is produced by Golden Movies. The idea of the story is inspired from the book Seeking Roots by Iggy. Iggy Ignatius is also the codirector of the film. The film stars Ranjit Chowdhry, Jyoti Singh, Reeves Lehmann, Shetal Shah, Noor Naghmi, Tirlok Malik Shruti Tewari, Farokh Daruwala, Indu Gajwani, Prof. Indrajit S. Saluja, Lovllien Kaurr, Sandeep Suri, Iggy Igantius, Kamlesh Gupta and many more. The film has been shot at the Indian retirement community Shantiniketan in Florida. Other credits of the film are Director of Photography Christo Bakalov B.A.C., Music by Peter Lobo, Art Direction by Sunita Babber, Editing by Tom Knight and others.
Some actors in the film “On Golden Years” at the special screening of the film at the Festival on October 25. Seen from L to R: Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, Reeves Lehmann, Indu Gajwani, Luis Pedron, Co-founder& Festival Director of IFFM, Tirlok Malik, Jyoti Singh, Ranjit Chowdhry, Lovllien Kaurr, Sunita Babber
Tirlok Malik has recently launched the website which is the first ever streaming of Indian American movies www.nritvfilmclub.com. The purpose of the website is also promoting the new talents. One can go on the website and become a member. Malik’s dream is to create NRI-wood just like Hollywood and Bollywood. He invites everyone to join his vision.
www.nritvfilmclub.com.
In a recent development, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan has landed himself in trouble for the 3rd time as Enforcement Directorate summoned him over forex violation after it was found that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team shares were undervalued.
SRK has been served summons by Enforcement Directorate in connection with allegedly irregular sale of shares of Knight Riders Sports Pvt Ltd (KRSPL) to a Mauritius-based company of actor Juhi Chawla’s husband Jay Mehta.
The case pertains to 2008-09 regarding the share sale of KRSPL owned by Khan’s Red Chillies along with Chawla and her husband.
“This is the third time that summons have been sent to Khan and we are expecting him anytime soon as his presence is needed for some information that is in his exclusive knowledge,” said ED sources.
Khan had faced ED once in 2011 when he was questioned about alleged foreign exchange violation of around Rs 100 crore.
The agency has already recorded the statements of Chawla and Mehta.
At the time of incorporation in 2008, Red Chillies had 9900 shares of KRSPL. The valuation report, made by ED’s external agency last year, said that when the equity shares of KRSPL were issued to Sea Island Investments, the fair value per equity share of KRSPL should be between Rs 70-86. However, the shares were issued at a value Rs 10 each.
According to Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), the price of shares issued to persons residing outside India should not be lower than the price worked out under the guidelines set by stock market regulator SEBI, in case of a listed company or on the basis of fair valuation of shares by a chartered accountant as per guidelines of the erstwhile Controller of Capital Issues (CCI).
When contacted, a spokesman of the actor said “no comments.”
Indian stand-up comedian and actor Vir Das will debut his new show, ‘Unbelievablish’ in the United States, at the popular venue Carolines on Broadway, in New York City, Thursday, November 19, through Sunday, November 22.
The show has been a roaring success in over 17 cities in India and has toured in Dubai and Singapore. With over 35,000 tickets sold, it is the largest domestic comedy show tour ever by an Indian comedian.
Vir’s debut of “Unbelievablish” at Carolines on Broadway will be his first United States tour.
Vir Das’ performance schedule at Carolines on Broadway is:
Thursday, November 19 at 7:30 PM
Friday, November 20 at 7:30 PM and 10:00 PM
Saturday, November 21 at 7:30 PM and 10:00 PM
Sunday, November 22 at 7:30 PM
Vir Das started his on-screen career in Indian cinema with the hit film “Badmash Company.” Since then, he has been in nearly 10 films, including blockbusters such as “Delhi Belly” and “Revolver Rani.” His comedy career began with his own stand-up comedy late night show, “Ek Rahin Vir,”where he was noticed and was immediately put on the comedic map in India.
While Pakistani actors Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan have been banned in Maharashtra by Shiv Sena, Begum Kareena Kapoor Khan is considering to work in a Pakistani film.
The Tashan actress has been in talks with Pakistani filmmaker, Shoaib Mansoor, for quite some time now and while the lady is in Dubai for a Ki And Ka event, it is rumoured that she might also sign on the dotted line for the Pakistani film, as reported by Bollywoodlife.com. It is believed that Kareena has a very strong role in the film which will be her next release after her Arjun Kapoor-starrer Ki And Ka.
Confirming the presence of the 35-year-old actress in Dubai, her friend Faraz Manan revealed that she is still reading the script, so her acceptance is not yet confirmed, reports the Dawn.
However, Mansoor has denied any plans of working with Kareena. He says, “She (Kareena) had written to me praising my films and expressed her wish to work with me, and that’s it. There is nothing concrete as yet.”
On the possibility of collaboration with India, Mansoor had said, “I’d like that. I feel the predicament regarding religious bigotry is the same in both the countries. I feel Pakistan and India are casualties of wrong policies. I wish to address these issues through my films. It’s important to bring about an awakening in people…. Not that I feel cinema can change mindsets.”
Mansoor admits he has encountered cultural and religious discrimination all across the world. “If you and I travel together, you can sail through customs. But I’ll be grilled although I dress conventionally. Intolerance is a way of life in every culture,” he adds.
Sonam Kapoor is the darli’ng of social media. From shutting off trolls to indulging in self-deprecating humour, sharing fashion tips and funny videos to turning common people into celebrities — the Kapoor girl knows how it’s done.
The vivacious actress is currently high on the title track of her forthcoming film Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, which has taken the internet by storm. Fans have been posting adorable videos of them imitating Sonam’s traditional dance moves and one of them happens to be actress Richa Chadha, who totally nailed it. We are in love with this ‘Prem-bhara’ initiative, Sonam.
MUMBAI (TIP): Movie actor Sanjay Dutt, serving time until next year for his alleged role in the 1993 Bombay blasts, has bought a franchise in the UAE-based Masters Champions League (MCL). Dutt’s wife, Maanyata, who’s been looking after his business interests in his absence, worked on the deal with the new league for retired international cricketers that will get underway next year.
On Oct 20, former India batsman Virender Sehwag was in Dubai, alongside Brian Lara, Graeme Smith and others, to announce his participation in the league for ex-cricketers. Speaking to TOI about the move to buy the franchise, Maanyata said “As a family, we have always been passionate about sport. Sanjay, in particular, has been an avid sports enthusiast since childhood.”
Highlights
Sanjay Dutt’s wife, Maanyata, who’s been looking after his business, worked on the deal with new league.
The MCL is for retired international cricketers that will get underway next year.
Dutt’s first foray into sport was with Super Fight League that was formed in 2012.
Dutt is expected to finish his prison sentence next year and until he’s back, talent management company CAA KWAN will run the team. “Like most Indians, we are extremely passionate about cricket and just the thought of owning a team with legends like Sehwag, Lara, Kallis being part of it is tremendously exciting. We are sure MCL is a unique concept and will prove to be a valuable investment,” Maanyata added.
Dutt’s first foray into sport was with the Super Fight League that was formed in 2012 along with actor Shilpa Shetty’s husband and former Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra. India captain MS Dhoni’s good friend and manager Arun Pandey, who runs Rhiti Sports, has also invested in a MCL franchise. Digital agency Everymedia is also buying an MCL franchise.
Actress Parineeti Chopra, the brand ambassador for Haryana’s ‘Beti Bachan Beti Padao’ campaign, says she is not a “feminist” but strongly voices for gender equality.
The 26-year-old actress said she would like to be seen as a role model rather than a “feminist”. When asked if her understanding on women issues developed more after joining films, she said, “I am very often confused to be a feminist but I am not. I am really not. Coming into Bollywood, I think definitely it has made me stronger and more responsible.
“I do feel proud of my gender, of being a woman. I do speak against gender inequality. I am the brand ambassador for Haryana’s ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padao’ campaign. And I think it is very important for me personally to strive for equality, especially the industry that I come from,” said the actress, who was in the city today.
The Ishaqzaade star feels her entry in Bollywood has reaffirmed her belief in gender equality and that there is a need in the society to fill gaps of inequality among men and women.
“Now, I understand and accept that anything that I do, could and I hope should inspire young girls. Now, I am very particular about what I say or do. If that makes me half a feminist, then that’s okay. I want girls to be treated the way
Actress Priyanka Chopra, who is starring in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus Bajiao Mastani, says the film is a “milestone” in her life.
“And it’s a film wrap! Being a part of #BajiraoMastani is a milestone in my life! Thank you Sanjay Sir for being a dream. Thank you team. Left a part of me behind,” Priyanka wrote on her Instagram page along with an image of the film’s set. The 33-year-old, who is receiving rave reviews for essaying the role of an FBI recruit in the international TV show ‘Quantico’, will portray the role of Kashibai, the first wife of Peshwa Bajirao, in Bajirao Mastani.
The movie features Ranveer Singh as Maratha warrior Peshwa Bajirao I, while his love interest Mastani’s role is played by Deepika Padukone. Bajirao Mastani is slated to hit the theatres on December 18, 2015.
They’re both playing wrestlers in their next films. Buddies Aamir Khan and Salman Khan are getting ready to wrestle with their souls and soul brothers in Nitesh Tiwary’s Dangal and Ali Abbas Zafar’s Sultan, respectively.
Salman Khan and Aamir Khan’s friendship hit a rough patch ever since the Dabangg Khan signed on for YRF’s Sultan.
But now that the two first look posters of the respective films are out, fans have picked their favorite – Salman Khan
Winning by a huge margin, Salman Khan’s Sultan look has beaten Aamir’s Dangal look. Seems Salman is a better bet at playing a wrestler.
The first look of Sultan that’s just out shows Salman with close-cropped hair and a moustache, looking defiantly from a titled angle at the camera. This is not the nice guy we saw in Bajrangi Bhaijaan, and we will soon see in Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. This guy is mean and filled with secret angst about his past that threatens to burst open at the seams.
But there is a difference. While Aamir has chosen to pile on loads of lard to look like an aging pehelwaan with two grown-up daughters, Salman has decided to make the character look fab without the flab.
STORY: Flaunting wacky clothes, bright turbans and cool sunglasses, the ever happy and popular munda – an adorable Raftaar Singh (Akshay Kumar), is a no do-gooder in the eyes of his disciplined father (Yograj Singh) as he’s jobless. He is thus sent off to Goa from Punjab, hoping he’ll find ways to fend for himself. In Goa Raftaar bumps into Sara (Amy Jackson), daughter of a Romanian don (Kunal Kapoor) and falls in love but she is being chased by a psycho drug lord Mark (Kay Kay Menon). Do Raftaar and Sara live happily ever after?
Singh is Bling
REVIEW: Since Raftaar cannot speak English and Amy, Hindi, they seek the help of a translator Emily (Lara Dutta). Chaos ensues when Sara provokes the supposedly dangerous goons (Murli Sharma, Kay Kay), who seek revenge.
Like Singh is Kinng (2008), SIB too revolves around how the central character (Akshay) gets embroiled in a battle with the criminals, while safeguarding his lady love.
Don’t go expecting logic in the story, as this is a quirky comedy that solely relies on superstar Akshay’s swag to keep you entertained. Amy Jackson is a revelation as she plays her feisty character well and so do the supporting actors. However, it is Akshay, who makes you giggle. Be it by his innocence, seasoned comic timing or bizarre fashion sense – Akki steals the show, hands down.
Lara goes a tad OTT with her funny expressions but manages to garner a few smiles nonetheless. Kay Kay plays the Prakash Raj-esque comic villain, who keeps mouthing, “I am good.” He really is.
After a hilarious first half, a few inconsequential scenes and random songs follow but Prabhudheva smartly reverses the gender roles of his lead cast, thus adding some novelty to the proceedings. Amy is the femme fatale, who convincingly kicks ass, while Akshay unlike his studly image, is the one, who gets beaten-up quite often. Fortunately, Amy’s voice has neither been dubbed, nor has she been forced to speak Hindi.
This Singh is silly but cute and endearing. Do not miss his starry entry on the beats of a foot-tapping bhangra number Tung Tung Baje… Akshay Kumar, you are the dude.
Rai is screaming and screeching her way through the film desperate for a comeback
Sanjay Gupta’s Jazbaa has been the talk of the town since quite some time now. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has received a grand welcome at the box office, as her comeback film “Jazbaa” has opened to good occupancy.
“Jazbaa”, which is a remake of South Korean film “Seven Days”, is directed by Sanjay Gupta and features Aishwarya Rai, Irrfan Khan, Shabana Azmi, Jackie Shroff, Siddhanth Kapoor and Priya Banerjee in important roles.
STORY: Anuradha Varma (Aishwarya), a reputed criminal lawyer, agrees to defend a convicted felon to save her missing daughter. What follows is a moral and social dilemma between the hardened lawyer and the hapless mother.
REVIEW: Aishwarya goes for the jugular in this crime thriller. Inspired by the South Korean thriller Seven Days, Jazbaa revolves around a divorced lawyer, who dotes on her pre-teen daughter. With a 100 per cent success track record, she knows how to get any criminal ‘justice’. However, her world crumbles when her daughter goes missing. The kidnapper makes it clear that he is not interested in money. Rather, he tells her that the only way she will ever see her child again is to free a felon (Chandan) who faces rape and murder charges.
Enters Inspector Yohan(Irrfan), a decorated but suspended police officer, whose heart beats for this lady-lawyer. He accompanies her on her mission to ferret out missed clues and check out alibis.
Together, they meet the young murdered victim’s mother (Shabana Azmi). They befriend her to learn more about her daughter’s rape and brutilisation. As she fills them in with details of the gruesome act, Ash is tormented that she is actually fighting to free an animal! However, her maternal instincts overpower all sense of right and wrong. Into this mayhem comes a politician (Jackie Shroff), who is hiding a drug-addict son (Siddhant Kapoor). Fingers now point in yet another direction. As Ash attempts to piece the jigsaw puzzle together, the film takes some sharp curves and ends in a nail-biting climax.
Gupta, known to be sounder with technique than story-telling (many of his films have been foreign inspirations), has got it right this time.
Jazbaa’s narrative has pace and power. From screeching car sequences to emotionally-charged showdowns between his accomplished lead cast; the film throbs. Which is not to say that there are no flaws. The green hue overshadows Mumbai’s skyline. Aishwarya is rusty at the start but eventually takes charge of the dual aspects of her character. Once in the groove, her eyes breathe fire. Irrfan breezes past with clap-trap Kamlesh Pandey dialogues, such as –Mohabbat hai is liye jaane de raha hoon, zidd hoti toh baahon mein hoti. Shabana is flawless. Aishwarya has made a judicious screen choice after that five-year hiatus!
Kareena Kapoor Khan has been one of the most popular actors in Bollywood for over a decade now. She says that, even today, she is as passionate about her work as she was when she was a newcomer, because cinema is her greatest passion. She made her debut at the age of 20 (with Refugee, 2000), and till date has starred in around 50 films. Yet, she shows no signs of slowing down.
“I want to act all my life. It’s something that I do and love. I just want to try out different things. I’m glad that I am in a position to choose. I’m happy because my journey in the industry has been amazing so far. I enjoy what I do and I’m very passionate about it. Even 25 years down the line, I want to give an interview and say that there’s still something that I haven’t done; that there’s that one movie I can still do,” says Kareena.
“A hue and cry is raised on the disparity between the pay cheques of male and female stars in Bollywood, and so many figures go around. But I’ve never had an issue. I’m not complaining about the fact that I’m not paid well. I don’t know what others get, but I know what I get paid, and the fact is, I’m very happy with that,” she adds.
Deepika Padukone has now taken a step further to help people battle depression and has raised the importance of spreading awareness about mental health at the launch of her NGO here.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday launched Deepika’s NGO “Live Love Laugh”, which will deal with the issue of mental health.
Famous and Top Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone had faced depression in the past. She had decided during the drepression that he will form the foundation to help the people get out of depression.
She thinks that depression is a major health issue in the country today which needs to be addressed.
“We need to stigmatize mental illness and spread awareness about mental health. I know in the current scenario we lead stressful lives but you have to keep reminding yourself that it is important to live, love and laugh. After all that is what life is all about,” Deepika said during the launch.
“Most importantly for people like me who have had an experience with anxiety and depression, I think it is important to know that there is hope,” she added.
Deepika also talked about her depression and how her parents and loved ones helped her.
Talking about the depression of her elder daughter, Deepika’s mother Ujjala Padukone said: “I detected the symptoms in Deepika and I thought it may be due to some boyfriend issue. But then I knew the depression is due to mental and physical stress and we realized that we should take help from a psychiatrist”.
Deepika’s father Prakash Padukone added: “I was worried about the health of my daughter and we wanted her to be fine”.
The Piku star agreed that depression has changed her.
“A lot of experiences we go through in life makes you learn something and it makes you into a better person,” she said.
Biopics are definitely ruling Bollywood trends these days. After releasing his biopic on painter Raja Ravi Varma (Rang Rasiya), Ketan Mehta has now announced a film on renowned ghazal and thumri singer Begum Akhtar, Ae Mohabbat. While Irrfan Khan has been roped in for the film, the female lead is yet to be finalised. Kangana Ranaut is one of the top contenders for the role. Shri Anup Jalota Productions and Ae Mohabbat Productions on Tuesday announced the film on the life and times of Begum Akhtar, also the recipient of Padmabhushan and an icon of Indian classical music. Directed by noted filmmaker Ketan Mehta, the film will have actor Irrfan Khan in the main lead with Oscar winner AR Rahman giving the music of the film.
Although the female lead if yet to be finalised but Kangana might end up doing the project.“We are trying to get Kangana Ranaut to play one of the stages of Begum Akhatar in the film. We have grown up listening to and idolising Begum Akhtar. I have been wanting to initiate such project and a tie up with Ae Mohabbat Productions and associating with Rita Ganguly who knew her personally, is a real blessing,” he added.
STORY: Teenager Shruti Tandon and domestic help Khempal are murdered – but who did it? And while the truth unravels, what else gets slashed?
MOVIE REVIEW: Straight away, Talvar is super-sharp, a sword swipe at Bollywood’s song-and-dance, mehendi-fuelled escapism. Inspired by 2008’s Aarushi Talwar double murder case, for which Aarushi’s parents are serving a life-term, Talvar takes reality head on -and turns it on its head.
In neatly separated segments, Talvar presents contrasting views on who killed Shruti Tandon and Khempal. Was it Shruti’s outraged parents? Khempal’s outrageous friends? Or did botched investigations butcher Shruti and Khempal, even after they were slain?
Talvar gets your mind ticking along the murders’ mysteries while it moves your heart at two lives – and one truth – lost.
The acting is superb. Irrfan absolutely smashes it as Central Department of Investigation (CDI) officer Ashwin Kumar, whose sharp intelligence, dark humour and melting tenderness towards his wife Reema (luminous Tabu) light up every frame. Irrfan displays whiplash-like control, casually drawling to a dim-witted cop, “Agli baar koi khoon bhara haath chor jaye, toh dhyan dijiyega…” As bumbling Inspector Dhaniram, whose laziness extends to overlooking a rotting corpse, Gajraj Rao presents a perfect paan-chewing foil, dismissing a blood-stained sheet with, “Tumhari chadar hai, locker mein daal do, hamein kya?”
While the screen crackles between Irrfan and Gajraj, Konkona and Neeraj play the Tandons as a muted pair -whose acting changes subtly as murderers, then victims. Neeraj’s eyes speak while with flashing malevolence, Konkona hisses to her husband, “Chalo, rona shuru karna hai!” The acting’s further enlivened by creepy Kanhaiya (Sumit Gulati), whose slyness adds shades of grey to this hair-raising tale.
With layers of truth and lies, TV reporters shrieking, “Yahi hai woh ghar!”, hazy narco-tests and back-stabbing office politics, Talvar’s frames are relentless, edgy portraits. Pankaj Kumar captures dusty suburbia and the tension of a tight little flat, intercut with heart-rending shots – the cheery sparklers of a Delhi baraat -that emphasise the grimness of the Tandons’ lives. Taut editing (Sreekar Prasad) is excellent while Vishal Bhardwaj’s writing haunts, cluttered with facts, buzzing with theories – yet, strangely stark.
Talvar’s compared to Rashomon but while that wandered through forests of fantasy, Talvar boldly tackles reality. It offers totally different takes on two murders. But it is unambiguous about a third – fairness, slashed to pieces by incompetence and callous crassness.
In wiping away stains from the sword of justice, Talvar shines.
Inside Mattel’s headquarters just south of Los Angeles International Air port, Christine Kim grabs a shield and fires a plastic disc from it across a conference room. “I’m going to be playing with all my boys, deflecting their bullets and then be like, `I’m going to shoot you,” says Kim, one of Mattel’s top toy designers. Kim has in her possession what Mattel sees as a groundbreaking idea, one that could help end the years of malaise that sunk its sales and stock price and sent the company’s last chief executive packing.
But even more important is that this may mean the toymaker has reconnected with its most important customer: little girls. For the shield is not Captain America’s -it belongs to Wonder Woman. And it’s a Wonder Woman designed by women for girls, not one crafted by men for boys. To show what a huge difference that makes, Kim picks up examples of the top-heavy Wonder Women and Batgirl action figures found on shelves. “Beautiful, but really sexualized,” Kim says.
“There’s a very direct emphasis on a womanly part.”
The new Mattel characters, created through a partnership with Warner Bros.’ DC Comics, are aimed at a 6 year-old girl.The DC SuperHero Girls line, which launches this spring, will include 12-inch dolls, 6-inch action figures, and gadgets such as a Batgirl utility belt.
Some of the products will be unveiled for the first time this week at New York Comic Con. The two companies joined forces last year after seeing a hole in the market, one Warner Bros. wants to help fill with girl-oriented books and animated Web series. The studio also is pushing female superheroes into the mainstream with Supergirl, a television show airing this month on ABC, and a Wonder Woman movie slated for 2017.Mattel’s research has found that girls already purchase about 9%of action figures–and that’s despite the fact that most movies, TV shows, and toys aren’t made with them in mind.
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ (TIP): Share and Care Foundation (SCF) held its 33rd Annual Gala on Sunday, October 4th at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ. The sold-out show packed 1,800 people into the theatre to help Share and Care cross $1,000,000 in donations in 2015 towards its Signature Programs in Education, Healthcare, and Women Empowerment.
Share & Care Foundation President Arun Bhansali introduces the Foundation and welcomes guests to 33rd Share & Care Annual Gala
SCF highlighted its Education programs in particular this year, with the theme “Bringing Education to India’s Forgotten Children.” The importance and benefits of investing in education were emphasized. The speakers raised awareness about the startlingly high school dropout rates in India, and spoke of SCF’s Signature Program, Educate to Success (E2S), which works to bring dropouts back to school and help them complete their high school education.
The audience was filled with many of SCF’s top donors; accomplished doctors, lawyers, and businesswomen. Arun Bhansali, the president of the organization, asked them to remember their own path to success and all those who may have helped them along the way. “I urge you to consider how you may now provide a helping hand to those who need you,” he said. “In today’s rapidly changing philanthropic space, we invite you to use your time, talents, and resources to address society’s problems.”
Time for presentation of awards. TV Asia Chairman H.R. Shah holds his award
Deven Parekh, a successful New York based investor and philanthropist, served as the evening’s keynote speaker. He motivated the audience to find ways to give back to their community at large in any capacity they can, and spoke on the long-term impacts of supporting education programs. “In terms of returns,” he said, “I can think of no better investment than education.”
SCF’s Education programs, Educate to Graduate (E2G) and Educate to Success (E2S) collectively support over 1,600 students over all ages. Both programs boast unique models, and empower marginalized student populations who are often looked over. E2S targets rural villages, where over 40% of students drop out before reaching eighth grade. E2G supports impoverished, yet brilliant students who cannot afford their college tuition to complete their degree and acquire a good job, effectively breaking out of the cycle of poverty in a single generation.
The funds the gala raised ensured that these programs, along with SCF’s other Signature Programs, can expand in the coming years. “This year, Share and Care passed an important milestone,” Dr. Shirish Patrwalla, the organization’s treasurer said.
Kanika cast a spell with her melodious singing
Sukhwinder Singh and Kanika Kapoor, two of Bollywood’s top singers, entertained the excited crowd with song after hit song well into the night.
New Delhi, 6th October, 2015: Hero Cycles, world’s largest bicycle manufacturer, witnessed the highest monthly sales by any cycle company in India after managing to sell 5.39 lakh cycles in September. The jump in sales saw the company, already India’s largest cycle seller, clock 41 percent of the sales generated by the entire industry in September, thereby strengthening its leadership status in the market. The latest monthly sale for the cycle industry in India is pegged at approximately 13.14 Lakh units.
Hero Cycles’ marquee brands Sprint and Jet witnessed highest sales which also makes them world’s top selling cycle brands with combined sales of more than one and half million units per year. While Jet belongs to roadster category, Sprint caters to the premium cycle category which in itself has seen a significant growth from past few years in India.
According to Mr Pankaj Munjal, Chairman and Managing Director, Hero Cycles, “We are pleased to announce that this month we have not only maintained our dominance in the market but have also become the first ever company to achieve sales of 5.39 lakh units in a month. Recovering rural and semi-urban demand along with newer customer initiatives has helped Hero Cycles to clinch this mark. Last few months have witnessed our aggressive sales and acquisition strategy and we are hopeful that the next few quarters will continue to bring the good news for the company.”
Speaking on the achievement, Mr Raman Awasthi, National Sales Head of Hero Cycles said, “Our customer centric approach and practice of setting highest benchmarks for product quality and technology have helped us reinforce our brand among the customers. We have witnessed growth in both rural as well as urban areas. While mainstream cycle brands like Jet continue to attract significant sales, premium cycle brands such as Sprint have started contributing considerable share of sales.”
Hero Cycles had posted turnover of around Rs 3000 crore during the last financial year. Last year, the company produced around 5.5 million cycles. With its recent announcement of entry in European market and acquisition of Firefox in India and Avocet Sports in UK, Hero Cycles aims to grow by Rs 8000 crore by 2018. It has also recently announced Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor as its brand ambassador.
Shah Rukh Khan is irked by social media users taking the virtual route to abuse other celebrities in order to show unethical support for their favorite star. The superstar requested all his fans to refrain from belittling his colleagues and other films.
The 49-year-old actor took to Facebook to express his views, and termed people’s acts “uncool.”
The post read: “On social media you do/say what you feel, free expression blah blah, But will request my people not to deride or abuse other films and colleagues. Not cool.”
The actor, who is busy shooting for his next “Dilwale,” said that he is not active on the social networking site to teach manners, but wants to keep “idiots” away from the his circle of fans.
“But your life your rules. Am not here to teach manners. But I deal with idiots with sarcasm. ‘M*d*r B*h*n’ users are low on vocabulary and status,” he shared further.
Khan said he treats the social medium as a bridge to connect with his fans and admirers by giving out information about his personal as well as professional life.
This is not the first time that an actor has come forward to warn fans against abusing other celebrities. Salman Khan also spoke up about the issue and even warned fans in June that he will quit Twitter if the practice is continued.
The reigning queen of Bollywood Kangana Ranaut is all set to make her debut as a designer. The actress has worked closely with the brand to design the couture-like VERO MODA MARQUEE AW’15 collection. With vibrant colours, impeccable designs and avant garde silhouettes, the clothing line will be unveiled tonight.
There will be a high octane fashion show where the actress herself will walk the ramp in her favourite pieces from the collection. Kangana, who is very excited to have turned designer, said, “My fashion philosophy is to follow my mood for the day and wear what makes me feel good. I am not a blind follower of fashion trends, instead, I carve my own fashion niche and this line is a true representation of that. I am happy that my collection for VERO MODA MARQUEE is inspired by my very own personal sense of style.”
Interestingly, last year Kangana made a stunning showstopper for the launch of MARQUEE ’14 collection designed by Karan Johar. Perhaps, that inspired her to try her hand at designing a line that is an extension of her personality.
Full on Tacky & as fake as it can get – Calendar Girls fails to impress but some feel its better than ‘Fashion’. From anti-Pakistan sentiment to Bigg Boss and match-fixing in IPL etc.
STORY: Five women with big dreams become Calendar Girls – but how does time treat them?
MOVIE REVIEW: Small-town schemer Mayuri (Ruhi), rebellious Paroma (Satarupa), free-spirited Sharon (Kyra), naive Nandita (Akansha) and Pakistani Bollywood aspirant Nazneen (Avani) are ‘calendar girls’ for industrialist Kumar (Suhel), whose glamorous almanac, with itsy-bitsy bikinis and sprawling white sands, is ‘India’s symbol of success’. Shot by ace photographer Timmy (Rohit), the ladies wear lip-gloss, attitude and little else, dreaming of fame, love and success.
Calendar Girls has a surreal, slightly dated quality. Characters resembling other characters – Neha Dhupia, Akshaye Khanna, Mamta Kulkarni, even a cop like Shatrughan Sinha – float in and out. The story resembles other Madhur Bhandarkar stories – a note from Page Three, a stroke of Fashion, far too much from Heroine. There’s even Bhandarkar himself, but sans his once-sharp eye, mouthing, “Meri heroine se ek hi expression mil raha hai” – which describes Calendar Girls too. Despite this layered story of ambition, manipulation and desperation, where betting, bedding, broads and broadcasting meet, not much changes on the Calendar Girls’ faces.
When Nandita’s in-laws say cheating is their ‘family parampara’ or Timmy enquires, “When was the last time you really felt a man?”, not an eyelash flickers, not a lip quivers. Only Keith Sequeira stands out as Paroma’s boyfriend Pinaki and Ruhi as fiesty Mayuri makes passing impact. Over-acting as a high-class madam, giving Kathakali-style glares, Mita Vashisht tries tilting the feeble dramatic balance – and fails.
Dialogues don’t help. Nazneen’s boyfriend snarls she’ll become a ‘bleddy cheapo’ while Mayuri is constantly praised, “Tum bahut aage jaogi” – which is not something you can say for this film that, despite all its curves, stays flat.
It’s a pity because this story could have broken new ground. With glimpses of his original flair, Bhandarkar puts cricket enthusiasts, prostitutes, ‘pahwa’ brokers, philanderers, builders and bewildered middle-class mata-pitas together. He has his trademark touches of glamour, pathos and personalities but lacks power-packed acting to hold this together. Instead, between scintillating skin, syrupy sympathy and sheer sloppiness, the film loses grip, bite – and plot.
Actress Deepika Padukone hopes that the team of Tamasha is able to live upto the expectations that the trailer of the Imtiaz Ali directorial has generated.
“There are a lot of expectations from the film. I hope we live up to all those expectations,” Deepika said on the sidelines of an event here. The actress was last seen in the role of a Bengali architect who cares for her hypochondriac father in Shoojit Sircar’s comedy-drama Piku.
Talking more about Tamasha, in which she stars with Ranbir Kapoor, the 29-year-old actress said: “Tamasha is a very different film from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. For me, this is a dream team. “I always wanted to work together with Imtiaz and to have Ranbir as a co-star… As the trailer has earned positive feedback, I hope the audience would enjoy the movie as much as they enjoyed Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.”
Tamasha will release on November 27. Meanwhile, she’s also filming Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s historical romance Bajirao Mastani, in which she plays Mastani. The film is scheduled to be released on December 18.
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