He is one of the most formidable performers in Bollywood but it was "Satya" which established his reputation as a great actor and also as a writer.
The actor, who co-wrote Ram Gopal Varma's cult gangster drama with Anurag Kashyap, has fond memories of the 1998 film and considers it among his favourite films.
Ram Gopal Varma was the only director at that time who was making experimental films and many talented people wanted to be a part of that process, including Shukla.
"I was dying to act in a Ram Gopal Varma film at that time. When he said, I also had to write, I couldn't say no. I am glad I wrote that film as it made me learn so much. It established me as a writer. Writing is a tough process and it is not even paid well," Shukla told PTI in an interview.
"Ramu had been working on 'Satya' for a quite sometime. He had worked with Anurag for a year or so on it. But when he decided to make the film, he wanted another writer to come in. He had the whole world ready for that film, he had 

There is less space for humour or for reality: Saurabh Shukla

PTI Automatic

Walking hand in hand, actors Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone dazzled in their maiden appearance  on the ramp for Mijwan, a fund raiser event hosted by Bollywood veteran Shabana Azmi.
The actors walked for the fundraiser charity show, held annually to raise money for the development of craftswomen in Mijwan, a village in Uttar Pradesh.
The show was presented by ace fashion designer Manish Malhotra.
Both Deepika and Ranbir were dressed in traditional attire - while the "Padmaavat" star looked beautiful in a white, shimmery lehanga-choli, her former co-star looked  dapper in a black and ivory sherwani.
Ranbir, who walked for Mijwan for the second time, recalled what his mother once told him about treating women with respect and equality.
"My mom always told me that a man is as good as the respect he shows to a woman. A man is as good as the space he gives to his wife, sister, mother, to be whosoever she wants  to be. I genuinely try to do that," the 35-year-old actor said after ...

Ranbir, Deepika walk the ramp together for the first time

Actors Vidyut Jammwal and Shruti Haasan have commenced shooting for their untitled gangster drama, to be directed by Mahesh Manjrekar.
The script has been penned by Manjrekar and the film will also feature veteran actors Naseeruddin Shah and Amol Palekar.
According to a release, the shooting started today and is currently taking place in Mumbai.
Shruti also shared the news on her official Twitter account and posted a photo with her co-star and director.
"And here's to another one !! Day 1 of my next film directed by @manjrekarmahesh with @VidyutJammwal again!" she tweeted.
Vidyut wrote, "New day, new beginnings! Its Day 1 of my next film directed by @manjrekarmahesh."
The movie is produced by Vijay Galani and Pratik Galani through their banner Galani Entertainments.

Vidyut, Shruti start shooting for untitled gangster drama

With a story about love, longing and loss, Shoojit Sircar could have easily made his film "October" melodramatic but the filmmakers says he chose not to go overboard as he wanted to give the story a life-like feel.
"October" features Varun Dhawan as Dan, an endearing hotel trainee who undergoes a transformation when his colleague Shuili, played by Banita Sandhu, is hospitalised after a freak accident.
Sircar is elated that both the film and his "directorial craft" from cinematography, music, editing to the treatment of charactershas been appreciated.
"I had never tried this genre. To hold on to yourself, not let it go, not to play it to the gallery, not to be melodramatic while still being realistic was a challenge... I had to restrain myself," Sircar says.
In an interview with PTI, the director explains the origin of "October", why his characters behave the way they do in the film and his biggest take away from it.
Excerpts:
Q) You previously mentioned that the film draws heavily ...

In 'October', challenge was not to be melodramatic: Shoojit Sircar

Taking his foreign endeavours a step further, Anupam Kher has joined the cast of BBC One's drama "Mrs Wilson".
The period drama is inspired by the memoir of Alison Wilson.
However, the details of the character to be played by Kher, who has been a part of international projects such as "Silver Linings Playbook" (2013), "The Big Sick" (2018) and "Sense 8", have not been revealed as of yet.
Kher was recently nominated for the Best Supporting Actor TV BAFTA for his role in another BBC series "The Boy with The Topknot".
"'Mrs Wilson' is set in a very interesting background and follows a gripping storyline which had me hooked as I read it. Not to mention, it is great to be part of such a talented star-cast ensemble.  I look forward to shooting in the next month," Kher said about the project.
Alison's real-life granddaughter, actor Ruth Wilson, will play her in the series, which is set between 1940s and 1960s London.
The series follows Alison Wilson (Ruth Wilson), who thinks she is happily ..

Anupam Kher to star in BBC One's 'Mrs Wilson'

Budding Marathi director Sarika Mene has alleged the National Award-winning director Shoojit Sircar's latest venture "October" is a copy of her film.
Sarika claims the makers of "October" have picked up the main plot point and characters from her 2017 production "Aarti  The Unknown Love Story".
The Varun Dhawan-starrer romantic drama hit the theatres last week.
"When the trailer was out, I did get a gut feeling that it would be same, I was wondering such a big name would not do this to me so I thought it will be (just a) little  glance of my film.
"When the film released and I saw it, it was 90 per cent same. He (Shoojit) is such a respected person... I have seen his films like 'Piku', 'Vicky Donor' I was like he has a  (story) sense I am shocked he did this," Sarika told PTI.
She first filed a complaint with the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Chitrapat Maha Mandal, that represents Marathi filmmakers, and later approached the Indian Motion Pictures  Producers' Association (IMPPA) and Screen .

'October' faces plagiarism heat; Marathi filmmaker cries foul

Hollywood star Natalie Portman has cancelled her trip to Israel where she was set to receive the Genesis Prize as she "disagrees with the policies of the government of Israel."
The Genesis Prize, which honours notable individuals "who inspire others through their dedication to the Jewish community and Jewish values," has cancelled its annual ceremony in Israel after Portman's decision to not take part in the event, scheduled to happen in June.
The actor had been announced as the honouree in November by the organisation.
"Ms Portman is a highly accomplished actress, a committed social activist and a wonderful human being. The staff of the Foundation enjoyed getting to know her over the past six months, admires her humanity, and respects her right to publicly disagree with the policies of the government of Israel.
"However, we are very saddened that she has decided not to attend the Genesis Prize Ceremony in Jerusalem for political reasons. We fear that Ms Portman's decision will cause .

Natalie Portman cancels Israel trip to accept Genesis Prize

Expressing concern over the  brutal rape and murder of an an eight-year-old girl in Kathua,  veteran screenwriter and poet Javed Akhtar said he is afraid  that "bad things" have started to happen too frequently and  one needs to be worried.
"What can be an opinion about a brutal rape and  murder? Can there be any other opinion? The society doesn't  move together, it remains in different time zones, cultural  zones. Some good things happen, some bad things happen.
"I am afraid that many bad things have started  happening rather too frequently and we, as a society, should  be bothered about it," Akhtar told reporters.
The 73-year-old lyricist-writer, who spoke on the  sidelines of "The Walk of Mijwan" event last night, said  better values should be instilled in boys.
"There are long-term and short-term remedies. Short-  term (remedy) would be to make law and order smarter and pro-  active, and long term would be that our boys get better value  system, which perhaps they aren't getting ..

"Bad things" happening too frequently: Akhtar on Kathua case

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian West has announced that she and her siblings -- Kourtney  and Khloe -- have decided to close all of their DASH storefronts.
The 37-year-old TV personality shared the news on her app.
"After nearly 12 years, my sisters and I have decided to close the doors of our DASH stores. We opened our first store as a family in 2006 and since then we have made so many lifelong memories. From opening locations in Los Angeles, Miami and New York, to having our Dash Dolls spin-off show, it's been such a huge part of our lives.
"We've loved running DASH, but in the last few years we've all grown so much individually. We've been busy running our own brands, as well as being moms and balancing work with our families. We know in our hearts that it's time to move on," she said.
Kardashian West is busy managing her own makeup line, KKW Beauty, while sister Khloe launched her jean line, Good American, last year. Kourtney is about to launch a new line with younger sister Kylie .

Kim Kardashian West announces All DASH stores are closing

Actor Michelle Williams is set to star opposite Julianne Moore in "After the Wedding" remake.
Bart Freundlich is directing the film from his own script, reported Variety.
The movie is based on the 2006 Oscar-nominated film of the same name directed by Susanne Bier and starring Mads Mikkelsen.
Joel B Michaels and Silvio Muraglia are producing the remake.
The new film follows the director of an Indian orphanage on the verge of bankruptcy, who discovers that her organisation is in contention to receive a large charitable donation from a wealthy American businesswoman, forcing her to travel to New York City, where she is confronted by a past she tried to forget.
The movie will start production next month.

Michelle Williams to star in 'After the Wedding' remake

"Jett", starring Carla Gugino, has been given a straight-to-series order by Cinemax.
The 46-year-old actor will play world-class thief called Daisy 'Jett' Kowalski, who soon after her release from the jail, is forced to go back into the dark world of crime to make ends meet, Variety reported.
Gugino will also executive produce.
The show will be directed and written by Sebastian Gutierrez, Gugino's longtime partner and collaborator.
Gutierrez, Mark Stern, Stuart Ford, and Dana Brunetti will also executive produce with Stacey Levin co-executive producing.
Global Road Entertainment will produce.

Drama series 'Jett' featuring Carla Gugino green lit

Actor Taron Egerton has been roped in to star as Elton John in "Rocketman," the biopic about the legendary singer.
Paramount Pictures is close to lock a deal to finance and distribute the project worldwide, reported Variety.
Dexter Fletcher, who is also directing the Freddie Mercury biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody," is attached to helm the project.
Matthew Vaughn and his Marv Films will produce, along with John and his Rocket Pictures partner David Furnish.
The film, penned by Lee Hall, will include John's emergence as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music to becoming a music superstar and his partnership with songwriting collaborator Bernie Taupin.
John became a star with the 1973 album 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road',  which topped the charts for two months in the US and UK.
Vaughn and Egerton have teamed on both "Kingsman" films and on "Eddie the Eagle,"  which Fletcher directed with Egerton starring.
Fletcher and Vaughn have previously worked together on "Lock, Stock And Two Smoking ...

Taron Egerton to play Elton John in biopic 'Rocketman'

"Deadpool 2" helmer David Leitch has been roped in to direct "The Division" starring Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal.
"Gold" director Stephen Gaghan was previously attached to helm the video game adaptation, but has since left the project, reported Variety.
Based on the best-selling video game, the story is set in a near future where a pandemic virus is spread through a paper money on Black Friday, decimating New York City and killing millions. By Christmas, what is left of society has descended into chaos. A group of civilians, trained to operate in catastrophic times, is activated in an attempt to save who and what remains.
The news comes few months after it was announced that Leitch was also on board to direct the "Fast and Furious" spin-off starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham.
According to the sources, the Universal spin-off will shoot first, as that film is already set to go into production this year, and Leitch would move on to prepare for "The Division" some time in .

David Leitch to direct Jessica Chastain, Jake Gyllenhaal in 'The Division'

Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro has signed an exclusive deal with DreamWorks animation to write, produce and direct animated family films for the studio.
This is the latest deal for the filmmaker, who earlier this month signed an overall deal with Fox Searchlight to write, produce and direct live-action feature projects, reported Variety.
"Animation is an art form that has influenced my work greatly since childhood. To me, it's the perfect medium to bring to life any and all ideas, no matter how outlandish or wild. I am eager to work with (DWA Film Group president) Chris (deFaria) and the talented artistes at DreamWorks  some of the most talented people in the business  to make these images a reality. I have worked with DreamWorks for about a decade, and the horizon just keeps getting wider," del Toro said in a statement.
In the past, del Toro has acted as a creative consultant for DreamWorks' "Kung Fu Panda 2" and "Megamind" and other input earned him executive producer ...

Guillermo del Toro signs with DreamWorks animation

Rapper-singer Kanye West has announced two new albums both releasing in June.
After returning to Twitter from an 11-month absence, the Grammy award-winning musician tweeted that the first album will be released on June 1 and will feature just seven songs and the second LP will be a collaboration with Kid Cudi called 'Kids See Ghost'.
The announcement comes after the rapper tweeted that he is penning a philosophy book that is set to be called "Break the Simulation".
West's last album 'The Life of Pablo' was released in 2016, featuring guest appearances from Rihanna, Chris Brown and Frank Ocean.
The rapper, however, has kept a relatively low profile since cancelling the last 21 dates of the 2016 tour in support of the album after he was hospitalised in Los Angeles for psychiatric evaluation.
Not much is known about the new album, which he said in March 2016 would be called 'Turbo Grafx 16' after 'one of my favourite gaming systems when I was a kid'.

Kanye West announces release dates for two new albums

Paramount Network has given a 10-episode series order to "First Wives Club", a half-hour comedy based on the popular 1996 film from Paramount Pictures.
The film was based on the 1992 book of the same name by Olivia Goldsmith.
The order comes less than two weeks after the network ordered the project to pilot, reported Variety.
The series will follow a group of New York women who band together after their marriages fall apart, and find strength in their sisterhood and a little revenge.
Tracy Oliver, who co-wrote the screenplay for the hit comedy film "Girls Trip," will write and executive produce.
"Tracy Oliver is a brilliant writer and the perfect visionary to bring this unforgettable story from the big screen to the small screen in a fresh and contemporary way," said Keith Cox, president of development and production for Paramount Network, TV Land, and CMT.
The project was originally in development at fellow Viacom network TV Land before moving over to Paramount Network.

'First Wives Club' TV reboot lands series order

Sony Pictures has roped in directing duo of Aaron and Adam Nee to helm the He-Man movie "Masters of the Universe".
The film will be based on the popular Mattel toyline, which spawned a successful animated TV series (1983-85) as well as a 1987 film, reported Variety.
Dolph Lundgren starred in the original pic as the title character, while Frank Langella played the antagonist Skeletor.
The story focuses on the warrior He-Man, the last and only hope of a magical land called Eternia.
The film is written by David Goyer, who is also an executive producer.
Escape Artists' Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Steve Tisch will produce with DeVon Franklin.
Sony has already set the movie for 2019 release, with executive producer Matt Milam overseeing it for the studio.

Nee brothers to direct He-Man movie

Pakistani singer-actor Meesha Shafi has accused Ali Zafar of sexually harassing her, saying the decision to share her #MeToo story was difficult but she felt it was important to break the culture of silence.
Singer-actor Zafar, a well-known face in Bollywood, has "categorically denied all claims of harassment" and said that he "intends to take this through the courts of law".
Shafi, who belongs to a family of actors, dropped the bombshell on Twitter where she posted a lengthy statement.
"Sharing this because I believe that by speaking out about my own experience of sexual harassment, I will break the culture of silence that permeates through our society. It is not easy to speak out.. but it is harder to stay silent. My conscience will not allow it anymore #MeToo," she tweeted.
Shafi said she had been subjected to sexual harassment "of a physical nature at the hands of a colleague" on more than one occasion.
The actor-singer, who has produced a number of successful tracks and acted in .

Pak singer Meesha Shafi accuses Ali Zafar of sexual harassment

Bollywood actor Kim Sharma today  recorded her statement in connection with a Range Rover car  case, at suburban Khar police station.
The actress is accused of illegally driving the  high-end vehicle and not returning it to its owner, a  businessman from Rajasthan.
"Sharma came to police station at around 12:30 pm and  recorded her statement for over 15 minutes," said Khar police  station senior inspector Ramchandra Jadhav.
He, however, refused to divulge details, saying the  matter is under investigation.
According to police, the businessman, Dilip Kumar, had  parked the luxury car at Sharma and her now estranged husband  Ali Punjani's residence in suburban Khar in good faith since  he doesn't have a house in Mumbai.
However, he later discovered that Sharma had been  using his car and was refusing to return it, police said.
Kumar then filed a complaint with police in this  regard in September 2017.
However, Kumar by mistake named Sharma's estranged  husband in his complaint, an ...

Actress Kim Sharma records her statement in Range Rover case

The Dubai International Film Festival, the top cinematic event in the Arab world, has been cancelled for 2018 but will be staged from 2019 every two years, organisers said today.
The announcement came a day after neighbouring Saudi Arabia, a close ally of the United Arab Emirates, unveiled its first cinema after a decades-long ban.
"The strategic shift aims to embrace the significant changes taking place in the region's creative and entertainment landscape," organisers said on the festival's website.
The 14-year-old festival will now be held every other year, according to organisers, with the 2019 dates yet to be determined.
International theatre chains have long eyed Saudi Arabia as the Middle East's last untapped mass market with its more than 30 million residents, the majority aged under 25.
Saudis have been splurging billions of dollars annually to see films and visit amusement parks in neighbouring tourist hubs like Dubai and Bahrain.

Dubai scraps 2018 film festival after cinema comes to Saudi

Madhya Pradesh has been selected for the  'Most Film-Friendly State' award by the government for its efforts towards creating a comfortable environment for film shooting.
A jury headed by "Sholay" director Ramesh Sippy also awarded a Special Mention Certificate for Film Friendly Environment to Uttarakhand.
The awards are conferred by the central government for "creating a well-structured web site, film friendly infrastructure, offering incentives, maintaining databases, undertaking marketing and promotional initiatives", an official release said.
A total of 16 states participated in the Most Film Friendly State Award 2017 and Madhya Pradesh received positive feedback from filmmakers who have shot in the state.
Sippy said the jury members also appreciated the efforts made by Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat towards creating a film friendly eco system.
"This year Madhya Pradesh where a lot of filmmakers have shot over the years, has won the award due to the ease of filming that the state ...

Page 748 -