NAMASTE ENGLAND
ACTOR ARJUN KAPOOR:
NEVER WANTED TO BE AN ACTOR
rjun Kapoor, who is currently busy Smoking Barrels’ and I do not know why,
shooting for India’s Most Wanted, I remember I was in 10th standard and I
Asays that he never wanted to was awake at 12 at night and I was just
be an actor and instead wanted to be watching that film,” Arjun said.
become a director. Arjun, 32, added that Lock Stock and
Arjun was on Saavn’s new podcast Two Smoking Barrels in English and
“Take 2 with Anupama and Rajeev” the Hindi film Dil Chahta Hai made him
along with actor Rajkummar Rao, where believe that “you can be ambitious, you
they discussed the reasons of being in don’t have to be stuck in cliches, you
films, a statement said. can think beyond, you can move beyond
“I never wanted to be an actor. That in terms of writing. It was a big leap”.
is where it is different for Rajkummar “I don’t think without Dil Chahta Hai you
and me. He grew up with an inculcated would have actors like me and Rajkummar
thought of heading towards a direction. I sitting here because you would have to
looked like a basketball so I did not really do quintessential Bollywood as cliched
think about acting. stuff. You wouldn’t be able to have films
“I think I wanted to become a director that have conversations or banter,” he
the day I saw ‘Lock Stock and Two added.
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JANHVI KAPOOR: ONE OF MY VIVID GROWING UP MEMORIES
OF MOM IS THAT SHE WAS GOOD AT DOING MAKE-UP
ahnvi Kapoor says today every
woman should be proud of her
Jbeauty and not feel unapologetic
about it. “Every woman has a different
journey when it comes to beauty and
they should be proud of it. They don’t
need to follow anyone as no two things
can ever be same and at the same time
be unapologetic about it,” Jahnvi told
reporters here on Wednesday at an event.
“It is human nature that you want to have
a control over the way you look.. It is a
form of self expression. I take great deal of
interest in it. Even while growing up I have
seen my mom getting ready for shoots
and events. One of the vivid memories
that I have is that she was so good at
doing make up.”
The Dhadak actor prefers keeping it
simple and often indulges in home made
techniques for a healthy skin.
“Today, people are leaning towards looking
more natural and this is something I enjoy
much more. I love shades that are more
natural and simple as opposed to heavy,”
she added.
Janhvi will be seen next in Karan Johar’s
Takht also starring Kareena Kapoor Khan,
Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, Anil Kapoor,
Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar.
“I am excited (about the film),” she said,
without talking much about the film. The
period drama film is set to release in 2020.
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aKShay Kumar payS TribuTe
To marTyrS of Saragarhi
kshay Kumar has had a good run in 2018 so far with PadMan
and Gold. With the teaser of his first Tamil film 2.0 releasing
Aon Thursday, things are certainly looking up for Bollywood’s
Khiladi Kumar. But it looks like the good times will continue for Akshay
in 2019 as well as he recently shared the first poster of his upcoming
film Kesari.
Kesari is an upcoming period film based on the Battle of Saragarhi
where 21 Sikhs fought against 10,000 Afghans in 1897. Akshay plays
the role of Havildar Ishar Singh in the film. The film also stars Parineeti
Chopra.
Akshay Kumar tweeted, “On #SaragarhiDay, here’s the first look of
#KESARI – our humble tribute to the martyrs of Saragarhi! ‘Aaj meri
pagdi bhi Kesari…Jo bahega mera woh lahu bhi Kesari… Aur mera
jawaab bhi Kesari.’”
Kesari is helmed by Anurag Singh who is a popular Punjabi director.
Anurag has previously directed films like Jatt & Juliet, Punjab 1984
among others. This is his first Hindi film. He has also co-written the
film with Girish Kohli.
Kesari is scheduled to release on March 21, 2019.
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IT WAS A VERY SILLY RUMOUR: TIGER SHROFF ON
DISHA PATANI-HRITHIK ROSHAN CONTROVERSY
ctor Tiger Shroff on Wednes- about an apparent no-kiss clause in his contract
day dismissed reports of his for Karan Johar’s Student of the Year 2.
Arumoured girlfriend Disha Pa- “It’s just a rumour. If you’ve seen any of my films
tani rejecting a film with Hrithik Ro- (you’d know). Not that I have deliberately done
shan as “something very silly.” Dis- it (kiss) but each film of mine has had a kiss. If
ha and Hrithik, last week, slammed the story demands, I don’t have a problem. As
reports that suggested the Baaghi 2 actors, we have to be open to things,” he said.
star refused a film with the Mohen- There has also been speculation that the action
jo Daro actor after he made her un- star will feature in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film.
comfortable by sending her flirtatious When asked about it, Tiger said that while he did
messages. meet the Padmaavat director, there’s nothing he “It’s too early to talk about that because we
“It’s part and parcel. Not just Hrithik can reveal at the moment. “He was just kind enough haven’t created that song yet. But there’s an
sir, every star faces that. Once in to meet me. There’s nothing official or anything. interesting situation in the film where we come
the limelight, you become an easy It was just a courtesy meeting. I am a big fan of together on the dance floor.
target. It was a very silly rumour. I his work,” the actor said. Meanwhile, Tiger Shroff “It has been my lifelong dream to work with
know both of them very well. They is geared up for his own film with Hrithik Roshan, him. He’s everything for me. I look up to him
are nothing like that. They are lovely which will be directed by Siddharth Anand and pro- as an actor and human being. I am his big
human beings,” Tiger told reporters duced by Yash Raj Films. Tiger revealed the yet-un- fan. I’ll get to learn a lot from him. We begin
at the launch of a new collection of titled action film will see him and Hrithik on the dance shooting from October.”
Macho innerwear. He also spoke floor in a sequence.
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104
MANMARZIYAAN ACTOR
TAAPSEE PANNU: RUMI
WILL HELP WOMEN SEE
LIFE BEYOND
‘LOG KYA KAHENGE’
When I heard the script for the first time, I was judging Rumi. I
was saying that my audience won’t like it. That was probably the
“biggest challenge for me,” Taapsee Pannu said while recalling the
first narration she received for Manmarziyaan.
The actor got candid about playing the carefree character of Rumi in
the Anurag Kashyap directorial in an exclusive chatS. “Rumi from the
outside might look like me, but on the inside, she is totally different.
I’m not a confused person in real life, I’m very clear. She is totally
confused and with full conviction she is confused!” she said.
Manmarziyaan is a love triangle, also starring Abhishek Bachchan and
Vicky Kaushal. Taapsee, who is getting to work with Anurag Kashyap
for the first time, said it will be the first time a love story will roll out from
a female perspective. “It’s an intense love story. And I think it is the
first time, from a female point of view even for Anurag. It’s so beautiful
to see two men who are not going to judge her (Rumi), who love her
equally. And she loves both of them the same way. She doesn’t believe
in the regular norms of society and wants to live life on her terms. So,
the women are going to be like, finally, nobody is judging us. I think
Rumi will help them see life beyond ‘log kya kahenge’ (what’ll people
think?) and that in a way will become aspirational for a lot of girls,” she
shared. screen space he had in Sanju or Raazi, people take his name as
Commenting on how Kashyap has been stating that Taapsee is much as they probably take for the protagonists. How frequently
indeed Rumi, the actor laughed and said, “Anurag didn’t even give do we see that? There are so many people who play supporting
me a script, until a day before the shoot. He was like, ‘just come on characters but how many of them get registered as much as he
the set the way you are.’ He said ‘I won’t even let your hairstylist did this year? I think he has proven that what matters is how
come on the set. I want your hair also to be the way it originally is. good you are as an actor, not how many scenes you have in
I don’t want anything to be diluted.’ He still believes I’m 100 percent the film,” she opined.
Rumi. Whereas, I believe I use my brain a little more than Rumi does,”
Taapsee said with a smile. Manmarziyaan is Taapsee’s fourth release this year. Her
“I was not a huge Anurag Kashyap, the director fan, but post the film previous ones were Dil Juunglee, Soorma and Mulk. She called
I’ve become a bigger fan of him as the human being. I love him to Manmarziyaan the perfect closure to 2018. “I’m trying to break
pieces now,” she added. a lot of prejudices with my every film. And it is the perfect finale
Taapsee did the award-winning film Pink with Amitabh Bachchan. of sorts for this year, which has already been so good for me so
Now, she is set to share screen space with his son Abhishek in far. So, I’m happy and satisfied with the film,’ she said.
Manmarziyaan. She revealed how the two actors were similar, yet
different. “Because he is the son, you end up seeing glimpses (of his Taapsee’s next project is Badla. After trying out almost every
father). And because I’ve worked with both of them, the energy and possible genre, what’s left for her to try now? “X-Men or
high of an actor were exactly the same between both of them. Other Avengers! I want to be a mutant or an Avenger. That’s what
than that nothing is common. They both are very different actors. I is left. I want to play whoever is opposite Iron Man. I want to
would love to learn Abhishek’s impeccable sense of humour,” she romance Robert Downey Jr,” she signed off.
shared.
And what about working with Vicky? “How magical it is that in whatever
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bursting into flames whenever things spiral out of control, with a little nudge
from the sisters. And there’s nothing that their loving father Bapu (Raaz) nor the
respective men in their lives (Duhan and Das) can do which will change things.
This is a wonderful ensemble cast. The village rich guy (Verma), festooned with
gold chains, who lusts after the two feuding sisters; the Naarad Muni type ‘fami-
ly friend’ called Dipper (Grover); the googly-eyed ‘vaid’, the wise old ‘daadi’; the
two who play the lovers-cum-spouses of the two sisters; Raaz, pitch–perfect as
the father, all work in tandem.
Bharadwaj’s touch with names is in evidence here too. One of my all-time fa-
vourites, Billo Chaman Bahaar, from Omkara, is almost trumped here by Dipper,
movie review called thus because he has a lazy eye, which keeps ‘dipping’. And in the way
Genda is called ‘Marigold’ by her besotted lover.
The girls take some getting used to: you have to suspend disbelief to take these
dusty, filthy-mouthed sisters seriously. But once they start settling into their roles,
you cross a hump, and then you swing, as they do, from one fight to another,
as they cross from their parental home to their
marital ‘aangan’, and discover, to their horror,
that they are together again. Both Madan, who
Pataakha movie cast: is quite a sparkler again in her upcoming Mard
Vijay Raaz, Sanya Malhotra, Radhika Madan, Namit Ko Dard Nahin Hota, and Malhotra, have their
Das, Saanand Varma, Abhishek Duhan moments, even if they make you want to reach
out and wipe the grime off their faces, and tell
Director: Vishal Bharadwaj them to calm down, enough already.
This film reminded me a little of Matru Ki Bijli
Review: Ka Mandola. Clearly, Bharadwaj has a thing for
Somewhere in rural Rajasthan, two sisters are born cows. Matru had a hallucinatory pink one; here
fighting, and they keep fighting. With everything there are your regular ‘desi’ ones, which Badki
they’ve got: imaginative ‘gaalis’, fists, kicks, wres- loves. But unlike Matru, Pataakha doesn’t lose
tler-style moves. Their fights are the stuff of village sight of its suitably nutty comic tone (there’s
‘tamasha’, with people gathering and cheering, a nice sly dig about ‘swacch Bharat’). Who
as the two beat, punch and fling each other to the doesn’t know that homes can be the most vi-
ground, and have to be pulled apart, mostly by their cious battle-grounds?
hapless father. I’ve always maintained that Bharadwaj is great with set-up and dwindles as a fin-
It took me a while to fully get into the film. Why do isher. Happy to be proved wrong this time around. Pataakha’s ending is a crack-
these sisters look as if they do not bathe for days er. Why do Badki and Chutki fight? The no answer is the answer which powers
on end? Their matted hair and unwashed faces dis- this parable, which keeps referring in a fairly simplistic one-track manner to India
tracted me, as did their thick accents which feel faux and Pakistan whenever Badki and Chukti are at each other’s throats. Like the
in the beginning. Why are they fighting in the first two sisters, why do the countries fight? Why did they start in the first place? Why
place? can’t they ‘do jhappi’ and for-
But soon enough, it is clear that everything is work- give each other their real and
ing to a design. Vishal Bharadwaj’s Pataakha, based imagined sins and live hap-
on Charan Singh Pathik’s short story Do Behnein, pily ever after? Bharadwaj’s
has managed to pull off a rousing parable. placing Israel-Palestine, and
Bharadwaj, who has also written the film, doesn’t North and South Korea in the
waste a second in centre-staging the two sisters same forgive-and-forget cat-
Badki Champa (Madan) and Chutki Genda (Malho- egory is a huge stretch, but
tra) and their animosity, which simmers all the time, what are movies for if not for
wishful thinking?
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2.0 TeaSer phoToS: rajiniKanTh and aKShay Kumar
looK fierce aS chiTTi and crow man
he Rajinikanth and Akshay had earlier stated that the film is a
Kumar starrer 2.0’s teaser “socio-fantasy.” Not only is 2.0 the
Twas released recently. The most expensive film of the country,
promo is a visual spectacle and but it is also being touted as the
this really shouldn’t be a shocker second-costliest film of Asia. The
since the budget of the movie is movie also stars Amy Jackson in a
reportedly over Rs 540 crore. 2.0 significant role.
will see Bollywood star Akshay
battle against Rajini’s Chitti.
Interestingly, the film marks Khiladi
Kumar’s foray in the South film
industry.
The movie is set to release on
November 29, 2018, and has 2.0 will see Bollywood star Akshay battle against Rajinikanth’s Chitti.
been directed by S Shankar who Interestingly, the film marks Khiladi Kumar’s foray in the
South film industry.
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AYUSHMANN KHURRANA:
NO POINT IN PLAYING
SAFE AS THE AUDIENCES
LOVE SOMETHING THAT
IS CRAZY
As someone who has made a career out of playing regular guy roles,
Ayushmann Khurrana believes it is a great time to be an actor in Bollywood
where the space to experiment has grown like never before.
The actor, who has cemented his standing in the industry by featuring in
middle-of-the-road films such as Vicky Donor, Dum Laga Ke Haisha and
Bareilly Ki Barfi, says not playing safe has worked in his favour.
“This is the best era to be an artist in the industry. You get to explore a
lot of things which were not possible earlier. Parallel films did not make
money but in this day and age, content films are doing commercially
great. The trend probably started with Vicky Donor. was familiar about the geography. But a new place becomes
“These films give confidence to not just actors but also directors, writers difficult to navigate. So, I spent a lot of time researching and
and producers. They know that one can put their money on such films. rehearsing.
Actors get to experiment a lot because viewers seem to like that,” he said “In all the characters I have played before this film, there is
in an interview. something that I have taken from the people around me but
Ayushmann says he is always looking to reinvent himself and his next, I had no reference for this character. It has been my most
Sriram Raghavan-directed AndhaDhun, is a thriller that will see him challenging role so far,” he says.
playing a blind pianist. Ayushmann believes he has become a more assured artiste
“I started my career with an unconventional film. There is no point in and he credits his experiences, both good and bad, for that.
playing safe because the audiences love different quirks, something that “It only comes with experience and it has been six years for
is crazy and out-of-the-box. I think that’s what my space is and if you are me in the industry. I have seen both highs and lows. It gives
going to have your own space in the industry, this is where I want to be.” you a perspective about life, your career and everything.
Working with Raghavan, who has best thriller films in India to credit, be The confidence about a certain product or a character
it Ek Haseena Thi, Johnny Gaddar or Badlapur, was on Ayushmann’s comes from there and then there are directors who you
bucket-list. really trust like Sriram Raghavan, who is a credible name in
The actor approached Raghavan when he heard about “AndhaDhun”. the industry.”
They met and Ayushmann offered to take a screen test, his first as an Ayushmann’s brother Aparshakti is also finding his feet
actor. in the industry and the actor is happy that he has already
“When I got to know that he was looking to cast his film, I met him. He told featured in films like Dangal and recent release Stree.
me ‘This is not a slice-of-life film’. And I told him, ‘This is why I have come “I’m really proud of him. He has made a mark for himself and
to meet you. I don’t want to do a slice-of-life film with you. I want to do a is doing good stuff. Both Rajkumar (Rao) and Aparshakti
thriller’. Working with him was on my bucket list,” he recalls. and all the other actors in Stree are so good. Aparshakti has
To perfect his role, Ayushmann decided he would not see any film, Indian his own journey and as a sibling, I can only wish him good
or Hollywood, for reference. He and Raghavan visited a blind school luck. I would also love to work with him as an actor,” he says.
and in a case of life imitating art, ended up meeting a blind pianist, who Also starring Tabu and Radhika Apte, AndhaDhun releases
helped the actor in understanding the world. October 5.
“We called him to Sriram’s office and recorded his body language and I Ayushmann will follow it up with another release, Badhaai
realised the space was completely alien to him because in his school he Ho, which is slated to hit the screens on October 12.
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rajKumar hirani: never ThoughT nawazuddin
Siddiqui would become Such a huge acTor
ational award-winning filmmaker
Rajkumar Hirani, who worked with
NNawazuddin Siddiqui in the early
days of the actor’s career, says he never
imagined that he would become such a
prominent name in the film industry.
Recalling the time when he worked with
Nawazuddin in the 2003 film Munna Bhai
M.B.B.S, Hirani said here on Wednesday.
“He acted really well and I told him that
‘Nawaz, you are a very good actor’. But in
my head, I never thought that Nawazuddin
Siddiqui would become such a huge actor
that he is today.”
In the film, Nawazuddin played a thief who
pickpocketed from late actor Sunil Dutt’s
Rajkumar Hirani says he never imagined that Nawazuddin Siddiqui would become such a prominent name in the film industry.
character, who in turn saved him from public Nawazuddin played the role of a thief who pickpocketed from late actor Sunil Dutt’s character in Hirani’s Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. .
rage and taught him a life lesson. According
to the filmmaker, the introductory scene of Sunil Dutt was initially not a part of the script but he added it after a suggestion from the film’s
producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra.
Interestingly, the scene was inspired by his real-life incident of a childhood memory of his father. Sharing the story during an interactive
session titled ‘Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association
(IFTDA) Masterclass’, Hirani said, “Once a young man from
Raipur came to my father saying that his money had been stolen
and he needed Rs 2,000 to go back home, and asked if my
father could lend the money. My father gave it to him.
“Later when he came back home in the evening and shared the
story with our uncles, they said that the man is a fraud and that
he goes to people and borrows money telling the same story but
never pays back.”
“My father found out the man and instead of taking him to the
police station or beat him up physically; took him to the Sindhi
Panchayat; which consists of some of the who’s who of our
Sindhi community of the town.
“While they tried to beat him up, my father saved him and said
‘Look, everyone here is stealing something and doing scam in
their business, but they never got caught because they are smart
thieves. Be a smart thief, not an idiot thief that you are’.”
“I applied the same story in that scene,” said the Sanju director.
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baTTi gul meTer chalu acTor yami gauTam:
iT iS imporTanT To be Seen on Screen buT iT
maTTerS on whaT conTenT
ami Gautam has experienced failures in her career
but she never feared being written off. The actor says
Yshe will keep giving her best till the time she fulfills her
dreams.
Yami made a successful debut with the National Award winning
Vicky Donor in 2012, post which some of her projects except
for Badlapur and Kaabil did not work at the box office.
“When the films didn’t work, I never feared being written off. I
had other fears to deal with. What if I attend an event and the
media asks me ‘so and so’s film did well, yours didn’t’, what
will I say, how will I handle it. I was too vulnerable, sensitive,”
Yami said.
“I didn’t know how to be myself or be comfortable with the fact
that it happens. You just have to accept it. I never bought my
ticket to Mumbai, I earned it. I believe I was called for this and
I won’t leave till I achieve my dreams,” she adds.
The actor believes when her movies don’t do well, it reflects in
the kind of work coming her way.
The 29-year-old actor is happy that she is finally playing a
“If your films don’t do well, the kind of films you’re offered, different character, which does not have any Bollywood
you’ve to choose from only that parameter. May be you’re heroine cliches.
capable of doing much more but at that point of time you’ve to
make best decision out of what has been offered,” she adds. “What I’m doing here is something I haven’t done in any other
film. I’ve realised it’s very dated to calculate your role or your
Post the success of Vicky Donor, Yami was suddenly in the screen presence. The impact of your role matters.”
spotlight, but the actor says it took her time to adapt to the new
life. Going forward, the actor also has Uri a film based on the Uri
attacks co-starring Vicky Kaushal and Yami says her sense of
“I think adaptability is really important in the industry specially picking up a film has evolved.
when you’re a newcomer and are not conditioned to this kind of
setup. I was never the street-smart kind, I would never express “It is important to be seen on screen but it matters on what
myself so easily.” content. Doing films for the heck of it is simple, easy too.
Not that I haven’t made wrong choices but I stand by them.
The actor will be next seen in Batti Gul Meter Chalu directed Patience has been one of my virtues, so I’ve always waited to
by Shree Narayan Singh and produced by Bhushan Kumar. do the things I want,” she said.
The film tells the story of electricity theft in rural India and will
feature Yami as a lawyer.
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PEOPLE WARNED ME NOT TO WORK WITH
KANGANA RANAUT: KANIKA DHILLON
Writer Kanika Dhillon, of Manmarziyaan fame, who has penned actor Kangana Ranaut’s upcoming film Mental Kya Hai as well, says
she was told it wouldn’t be a good experience to work with the star given the controversy over Simran’s writing credit.
The Simran row began last year in August after the release of the film’s first poster, in which Kangana was credited as the ‘additional
story and dialogue writer’ ahead of its writer Apurva Asrani’s ‘story, screenplay and dialogue’.
In no time, Apurva took to Facebook where he debunked Kangana’s claim of converting the movie from
“one line screenplay to a full-fledged story”.
When asked if this incident left her wary of working on Mental Kya Hai, which features Kangana and Ra-
jkummar Rao in lead roles, Kanika said while people around her warned her against doing the film, she
had a great time collaborating with “a sharp” mind like Kangana’s.
“There’s this huge perception (about Kangana). Yes, people did warn me that it’s not going to be a good
experience, as a writer, to work with her. ‘You don’t know what will hit you,’ they said. But Kangana is a
sharp, fiery and an interesting mind. I had a lot of fun collaborating with her. That’s all I can say,” Kanika
told indianexpress.com in an interview.
Mental Kya Hai has been directed by Telugu filmmaker Prakash Kovelamudi and produced by Ekta Ka-
poor. It will release next year in February.
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RISHI KAPOOR,
JUHI CHAWLA
TO RETEAM FOR
FAMILY COMEDY
AFTER 22 YEARS
ong-time collaborators
Rishi Kapoor and
LJuhi Chawla are set
to reunite on screen after
over two decades for a
family comedy. The duo
was last seen together in
Daraar (1996). The untitled
film will be co-produced by
Sony Pictures International
Productions in India and
MacGuffin Pictures, a press
release said.
The movie will be directed
by debutante Hitesh Bhatia. Set in Delhi, the production on
the film has just begun. Bhatia has co-written the film with
Supratik Sen.
Vivek Krishnani, Managing Director, Sony Pictures
Entertainment, India said they are excited to collaborate with
Kapoor after the success of 102 Not Out.
“As we continue to ramp up our local production slate with a
keen focus on stories that audiences have never seen before,
we are extremely thrilled to get started on this family comedy.
The moment our partners Abhishek Chaubey and Honey
Trehan brought the story to us – we were sold on the idea,”
Krishnani said.
Abhishek Chaubey, Partner, MacGuffin Pictures said he is
looking forward to their association with SPIP and is doubly
excited about “working with Rishi ji and Juhi ji on a delightful
script penned by Hitesh and Supratik”.
Honey Trehan, Partner, MacGuffin Pictures added, “As
producers, we’ve always been interested in making films
across the genre spectrum, and I feel this is the perfect film for
MacGuffin Pictures to break into the comedy / family drama
genre – a pitch perfect entertainer that the whole family can
sit and watch together.”
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LOVE SONIA
Cast:
Mrunal Thakur, Richa Chadha, Frieda Pinto, Manoj Bajpayee, An-
upam Kher, Adil Hussain, Sai Tamhankar
Director:
Tabrez Noorani
Review :
The trafficking of girls keeps returning as a theme in films. How
village ingénues are lured to the red-light areas, how they are
beaten and threatened into submission, and how they survive,
are familiar tropes. Love Sonia revisits the territory with an inter-
esting cast, but doesn’t come up with anything remarkably new,
plot-wise, or treatment-wise, ending up like a latter-day Salaam
movie review
Bombay.
The real find is Mrunal Thakur who plays Sonia, the younger of
two sisters, both victims of the vicious men and women who trade is ‘readied’ to get her ‘seal broken’, and sent overseas as mer-
in flesh. Sonia gets ensnared in a brothel even as she struggles to chandise, one looks for newness, but finds mostly clichés, geared
discover the whereabouts of her sister Rashmi. She has no idea towards foreign eyes.
where to start, but she has no intentions of giving up. As Sonia Along the way, she encounters the ruthless guy (Bajpayee) who
runs his house like a ‘business’, the
other girls with tragic back-stories, in-
cluding one played by Chadha. And
the well-intentioned Manish `bhaiya’
(Rao) who works with a NGO com-
mitted to the cause of rescuing and
rehabilitating the women.
More focus on what happens to the
girls when they are yanked from that
life would have made Love Sonia
fresher, and given the characters
more to play with. That is not some-
thing we see too often, and there is a
tiny glimpse of it in the film. The rest
of it is same-old.
114 |DALLAS | OCTOBER 2018 | VOL 157 www.thebmagazine.com
richa chadha: i Scoff when
beneficiarieS of caSTing couch
SpeaK abouT #meToo movemenT
icha Chadha, who was one of the first actors to talk about the existence of sexual harassment in Bollywood, says she finds it
ironical when people who have benefited from the practice of casting couch, begin calling it wrong on public platforms in the
Rpost #MeToo time.
“Now I see a lot of beneficiaries of casting couch talking about it. They go like, ‘Oh! It’s so wrong!’ I scoff,” the actor told in an interview.
Since multiple allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein surfaced last November, the social media campaign ‘#MeToo’
has brought to the fore alleged incidents of sexual harassment across the world. The campaign, however, never picked up steam in
India.
The Love Sonia actor blames it on the lack of
infrastructure in Bollywood to protect its women.
“Indian actors don’t have a strong union. They
don’t have a legal help. If some woman gets up
one day and says a name, I can write it down on
a paper and sign it that no one will hire her again.
“For your scoop, she will give out a name and
then who will support her? Who is going to take
care of her family? No one’s going to do it till you
put that cushioning, safety net. Even if there is a
working actor (who speaks about it), they will be
people who get royalty for the stuff that they have
done, assuming they will not get hired again,”
Richa Chadha said.
The actor further said that no one realises
the opportunity cost for a woman to name her
abusers. “I have written about the opportunity
cost of sexism. It takes six Oscar winners to tell
the world that this guy (Weinstein) is a douche.
Didn’t we know that already? As a journalist, you
also know who these dirty scumbags are.”
While she cannot speak for the rest of the industry.
Richa is clear that she doesn’t collaborate with
men who are known predators. “I don’t work with
those people. I just feel I could not (compromise).
I just can’t. What will I lose? Money? Doesn’t
matter.”
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Singer Shaan and
hiS Son To recreaTe
The ducKTaleS TiTle
TracK in hindi
inger-composer Shaan and his 13-year-old
son, Shubh, have collaborated to recreate the
Siconic title track of comedy series DuckTales
in Hindi.
Disney Channel India will be launching DuckTales,
which tells adventures of Duckburg’s family of ducks
– Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck, and the triplets
Huey, Dewey, Louie on October 1. Shaan and
Shubh have now joined the world of adventure by
singing the Hindi version of the popular DuckTales
music sequence.
“I am a huge fan of the original series and really happy
that a new generation of kids, including my son, will
have the opportunity to grow up with ‘DuckTales’.
The title sequence absolutely complements the
sense of adventure and excitement of the show and
it was fun recording the Hindi version; especially
because I could share the experience with my son
Shubh,” Shaan said in a statement.
Devika Prabhu, Executive Director and Head-
Product, Media Networks, Disney India, also said:
“DuckTales holds a very special place in Disney’s
storytelling history, especially in India. The new
series brings the same energy and adventurous spirit
for a whole new generation of young fans. Shaan
and Shubh coming on board to reprise the iconic
DuckTales song in Hindi will excite kids and adults
alike, move to the beat and join in the adventures of
Uncle Scrooge and the three nephews.”
Featuring a distinct animation style inspired by the
classic Carl Barks’ comic designs, the new series’
adventures will once again take viewers along as
Scrooge McDuck, his curious and mischief-making
grandnephews – Huey, Dewey, and Louie and the
optimistic-yet-temperamental Donald Duck embark
on high-flying adventures worldwide. It celebrates
the importance of family and friendship, with
comedy, mystery and adventure at every turn.
116 |DALLAS | OCTOBER 2018 | VOL 157 www.thebmagazine.com
badhaai ho acTor neena gupTa: female acTorS of our Dangal actress said: “It was an
age don’T geT To play Such inTereSTing characTerS instant ‘yes’ from my end when I
heard the narration of the story.
That does not happen so easily
Veteran actor Neena Gupta, who is playing a pivotal role in with us more than the character, I wanted to be the part of this film because of its
the forthcoming multi-starrer Badhaai Ho, says she agreed subject. I am so lucky to share screen space with some great actors like Neena
to do the film even without reading the script as its subject Gupta, Gajraj Rao and Surekha Sikri.” Ayushmann said: “As I go by my instinct,
is very real and entertaining at the same time. this was one of the stories that I wanted to be a part of because of the story. I felt
“I did not even read the script of the film because the the same during Dum Laga Ke Haisha when I took no time to agree to do the
subject was so interesting. Female actors of our age don’t film. I think such a quirky subject and story-driven films are my zone.”
get a chance to play such interesting characters. This So, how would he react if he knows that his parents are expecting a baby at a
phase of our life is not addressed only in our Hindi cinema. later stage of their lives?
“But I think the change is happening because of the youngsters who are writing He said: “I think I would react like the way my character in the film reacted
such scripts,” Neena said. The film also features Ayushmann Khurrana and because it is really awkward and embarrassing to know that at the age of 50 our
Sanya Malhotra. The story of the film revolves around an elderly couple who are parents are becoming parents again ”
expecting a child in their late 40s. Asked about Sanya’s response to the script, the
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Sui Dhaaga
movie cast:
Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav, Namit Das
Director:
Sharat Katariya
Review:
Sui Dhaaga delivers exactly what it promises: a tale stitched
together with ‘sui-dhaaga’, dipped in desi ‘silaai’ and ‘kadhaai’.
Small-town town couple wins big, pushing aside wily, wicked,
unscrupulous townies and greedy rivals: the film’s single-point
agenda is drenched in both sweetness and earnestness. The
only trouble with the film is its total predictability: you know
what’s coming miles before the characters do.
That Mauji (Dhawan) and Mamta (Sharma) will become partners
in their own enterprise which involves sewing machines and
design wizardry and indomitable will, is something we know
right when the film opens.
The constantly complaining elderly father (Yadav) retiring
from a no-account job, the always delivering homilies homely
movie review
It’s not as if Dhawan hasn’t tried his best to become Mauji. With
each appearance, his level of commitment is clearly on the
upside, and he is a very likeable actor, striving to win us over,
if he does miss a couple of beats here and there. Sharma is
excellent, from the arranging of the ‘pallu’ on the head just so,
to some of her fulsome exchanges with Dhawan: the kindling of
feeling between the two – something people who live in cramped
quarters in joint families will immediately cotton on to – is one of
mother, the elder brother with a shrewish wife, will first put up the highlights of the film. But there’s altogether too much of the
resistance to the younger son and daughter-in-law’s plan to let’s-berate-the-feckless-and-foolish-Mauji-and-Mamta-ki-jodi
better their collective future, and after several easy conflicts, among the family: that’s the flat, repetitive part of the film.
will become cheerleaders for Team Sui Dhaaga. This we also As has become almost the norm these days, the solid supporting
know. cast deserves a film of their own. Yadav, the veteran, is of
What I was expecting was a little more surprise, and yes, a little course the stand-out. So are the actors who play the dumpy
more fun, given Sharat Katariya’s utterly captivating previous mother, and the USA-returned designer who steals from ‘desi’
outing Dum Laga Ke Haisha, which had so many unexpected talent in the art of self-promotion. And a bunch of other parts.
touches that were pure pleasure. Could it be that there was Sui Dhaaga is well made. It’s nice and safe and staid. There
more leeway possible with the practically new leads of Dum, are several moments that warm the heart, and you cheer when
and the big stars in Sui Dhaaga made it a more careful film? sui-dhaaga win over needle-and-thread. But you always knew
Or was it because the idea flowed from a ‘sarkari , sanskari’ they were going to, didn’t you?
programme?
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