Page 966 - Entertainment Culture
I'm not an opportunist, want India to be as diverse as it is: Kamal Haasan on political debut
His mission is to keep India as diverse as it is now, says screen idol and politician Kamal Haasan who asserts he has arrived in politics at an opportune time but it does not make him an opportunist. Haasan, who launched his political party Makkal Needhi Maiam in February this year, does not see politics as the next step in his journey but as something "essential" to his existence. It is also something that he has been contemplating since 2000, while making the film "Hey Ram", said Haasan, careful not to disclose his party's affiliations. The actor-politician has met Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal. Asked if he is up for an alliance with them, he answers with a cryptic "anything is possible". "We have to find what is right for Tamil Nadu and who can do the best for Tamil Nadu as it stands. Who has ruined the state and who should go and to do that who can help me. These are very simple questions. If I honestly answer that, I will know my ...
Prabhudheva to choreograph Dhanush for 'Maari 2'
Choreographer-actor-filmmaker Prabhudheva will be choreographing a song for the Dhanush starrer Tamil comedy "Maari 2".
Leonardo DiCaprio invests in sustainable footwear brand
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio's latest investment will help in making sustainable, eco-friendly fashion more mainstream with his sustainable footwear company 'Allbirds'.
Hitchcock's '39 Steps' to get an Indian twist
English film director and producer Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 classic "The 39 Steps" will get an Indian twist with a new theatre production "Detective Nau-Do-Gyarah". The mafia-comedy, that will open the Delhi leg of Aadyam, a theatre initiative by Aditya Birla Group, will be staged at Kamani Auditorium here on August 4 and 5. Directed by Atul Kumar, the play revolves around Shekhar Kumar whose life is a heady whirlwind of romance, murder, deceit and suspense, organisers said in a statement. While the backdrop of the black and white era Bombay promises a throwback to smoky gangster movies, the swing and jazz tunes of a live band hope to transport the audience to the adventure, mystery and chaos of a bygone era. For Kumar, it was the "love of graphic novels, gangster films, Noir genre, Bollywood of black and white era and, of course, a major influence of Hitchcock and Chaplin" that inspired him to conceive the project. "To imagine a theatre performance that could bring all of these worlds
'Sultan' set for an August release in China
Salman Khan starrer 'Sultan', which is one of the highest grossing films in Bollywood, is all set to release in China on August 31.Film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh announced the news on his official Twitter handle.He wrote, "#Sultan goes to China... Presenting the official poster of the film for the Chinese audiences... 31 Aug 2018 release."Sultan is a 2016 Bollywood sports drama film in which Salman Khan played the titular role opposite Anushka Sharma as his leading lady.It was directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and produced by Aditya Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner.The film focuses on Sultan Ali Khan (Salman Khan), a fictional wrestling champion from Haryana whose career hits a wall when his personal life goes for a toss.The film was which was released worldwide on July 6, 2016, grossed a praiseworthy 92 million USD and it went onto become the fifth-highest-grossing Indian film of all times.
Waited for 20 years to work with Vikram Bhatt: Rohit Roy
Actor Rohit Roy is glad to be able to work with filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and says that he was waiting for this opportunity for 20 years.
I take higher cut in film profits, says Aamir
Superstar Aamir Khan says he takes a higher cut in films' profits because he risks his time on projects. But he does so only after the cost of each film is recovered in every aspect.
Don't think anybody besides me best suited for 'Mogul', says Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar may no longer be a part of "Mogul", but the actor says he does not see anyone else but him play Gulshan Kumar in the biopic. Aamir Khan is producing the biopic with Bhushan Kumar's T-Series. Akshay was finalised last year to play Kumar and his look for the film was also unveiled. He, however, backed out of the film due to differences over script. When asked who would best suit the role after his exit, Akshay told reporters, "I don't think anybody besides me." The actor was speaking at the IMAX trailer launch of his upcoming film "Gold". The Reema Kagti-directed sports drama will also be releasing on IMAX. Akshay, 50, said he is open to doing a "good series" if offered. He also said that he does not relate to the fear that the streaming giants are going to kill the theatrical experience. "The worry isn't only about that. It is more about anything else also coming up. You never know what's going to come out so you to have keep yourself updated and that's the way you take ...
'Paltan' trailer to be out tomorrow
The trailer of upcoming Bollywood war drama film 'Paltan' will be out tomorrow.Bollywood star Arjun Rampal announced the news on his official Twitter handle.He tweeted, "Attention Platoon! #PaltanTrailer out tomorrow. Over and out???? #Paltan @ZeeStudios_ #JPFilms @RealNidhiDutta @bindasbhidu @SonuSood @gurruchoudhary @SiddhanthKapoor @harsha_actor @LuvSinha @eshagupta2811 @sonalchauhan7 @Monica_Gill1 @ms_dipika"'Paltan' is based on the 1967 Nathu La military clash that took place along the Sikkim border. The film portrays an untold story of the Indian forces facing an intense battle to thwart a Chinese infiltration.With 'Paltan' JP Dutta is returning to direction after a 12-year long gap. The national-award-winning director had earlier treated the audience with war films like 'Border', 'LOC Kargil', and 'Refugee' among others.Presented by Zee Studios and produced by JP Dutta Films, the flick is slated to hit the silver screen on September 7.
Alia's latest pic by Ranbir gets Neetu's approval
Neetu Kapoor is impressed with son Ranbir Kapoor's photography skills; proof - Alia Bhatt's latest Instagram picture.The 'Raazi' star on Wednesday took to social media to share a black-and-white picture of herself in which she can be seen in a pensive mood. Dressed in a denim jacket, Alia is looking through what appears to be an iron gate.Rumoured beau Ranbir's mother Neetu, who has been routinely approving Alia's posts, commented on the picture, "Fab pic of YOU. by RK"Interestingly, the 25-year-old also chose to put the same photo as her profile picture on the photo-sharing application.Meanwhile, the actors are currently in Bulgaria shooting for their upcoming film 'Brahmastra'.Directed by Ayan Mukerji, the film also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy and Tollywood star Nagarjuna.The flick will hit the big screens on August 15, 2019.
DC Books publishes Malayalam novel 'Meesha'
Less than two weeks after Malayalam weekly, Mathrubhumi, withdrew writer S Hareesh's serialised novel, another publication, DC Books, has published the same.Mathrubhumi retracted the serialised novel 'Meesha' after allegations of hurting religious statements surfaced, with regards to a specific paragraph of the book.Hareesh had to subsequently withdraw his serialised novel from Mathrubhumi weekly, after protests by Hindutva outfits and social media outrage over the content.However, the novel has now been published by DC Books, with copies being circulated in the market."We have always been with writers and readers. If we do not publish 'Meesha' now, we may reach a situation where we can longer publish a story or a novel," DC Books said in a statement.According to media reports, 'Meesha' is the first novel by Hareesh, who is known for his short stories.
Audiences will see the authentic Pooh bear in 'Christopher Robin', says Hayley Atwell
Actor Hayley Atwell has said her upcoming film "Christopher Robin" will provide the "authentic" Winnie-the-Pooh character with its trademark naivety and innocence. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the "Captain America: First Avenger" star said the Disney film beautifully captures the personalities of all of its beloved characters. "Audiences will see the authentic Pooh bear that they know, and you have all these kind of typical Pooh-isms of like, 'People say nothing's impossible, but I do nothing every day'," Atwell said. "They're kind of very naive but actually very profound words of wisdom that (are) also very funny. His lack of self-awareness is also very charming and funny, you know. And he doesn't mean it, but he says things that you can almost come out the idea of like a Zen master would say," she added. The film also stars Ewan McGregor, Bronte Carmichael and Emmy winner Mark Gatiss, besides featuring the voices of Jim Cummings as Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, Brad ...
After 'Bareilly...', Swati Semwal to feature with Rajkummar again
Swati Semwal, who played Kriti Sanon's friend Rama in "Bareilly Ki Barfi", will share the screen space with Rajkummar Rao once again in "Fanney Khan". She says she will be seen in a bold and modern avatar.
Acting has finally made me beautiful: Rajkummar
National Award-winning actor Rajkummar Rao feels that acting has finally made him beautiful as well.
Important for new director to have big banner's backing: Atul Manjrekar
"Fanney Khan" director Atul Manjrekar believes it is necessary for a new filmmaker to have support from an established production house, which has resources to reach out to a larger audience. The film, which features Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Rajkummar Rao, Divya Dutta and newcomer Pihu Sand, is produced by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. The director says it was Mehra's trust in him that gave him the strength to helm a movie with some of the biggest names in the film industry. "I have been associated with Rakyesh sir for 20 years. It was he who believed in me and carried me through this journey of making this film. "For a new filmmaker, it is important to have support from a big banner. Content is the king nowadays, but for it to reach a certain number of people one needs to have a backing from people who are known," Manjrekar told PTI in an interview. The director says he never felt nervous while making his first feature as "the best people in the industry were working with ...
Trai makes recommends on spectrum pricing for next auction
Telecom regulator Trai today recommended rules and prices for the next round of spectrum auction which will include radiowaves for 5G mobile services. The regulator has recommended that base price for bidding should be higher of the two figures 80 per cent of the average valuation of spectrum band in the licensed service area or the price realised in the October 2016 auction. The government is yet to finalise the timing of the next round of auction. The regulator has recommended base price of Rs 3,285 per megahertz for 1800 Mhz band on pan India basis. In a relief to industry, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has suggested that the "reserve price of 700 MHz band should be equal to 2 times of reserve price of 1800 MHz spectrum band" resulting in about 42 per cent reduction in price of this band at Rs 6,568 crore per Mhz. For 2016 auction, government had fixed base price of 700 Mhz band at Rs 11,485 crore per Mhz. The price of spectrum in premium 700 megahertz band was fixed ..
'Dhadak' crosses Rs.100 crore mark worldwide
Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khattar starrer 'Dhadak' has crossed the Rs.100 crore mark with its worldwide earning, 10 days after its release.Producer Karan Johar took to his Instagram to confirm the news, writing, "The heart beats worldwide! Worldwide gross 100 cr! @shashankkhaitan @janhvikapoor @ishaan95 @apoorva1972 @zeestudiosofficial @dharmamovies."The flick raked in Rs. 8.71 crores on its opening day.Directed by Shashank Khaitan, 'Dhadak' is a remake of Marathi hit 'Sairat'.Released on July 20, the movie marked the much-awaited Bollywood debut of Sridevi and Boney Kapoor's daughter Janhvi and Shahid Kapoor's half-brother Ishan Khattar.The flick also stars Ashutosh Rana, Kharaj Mukherjee, and Aditya Kumar..
'Karwaan': Takes us on a journey of life, death (Review)
Film: "Karwaan"; Director: Akarsh Khurana; Cast: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salman and Mithila Palkar; Rating: ***1/2
Netflix won't air documentary on controversial Louis Farrakhan
Streaming giant Netflix has clarified that a documentary on controversial Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan will not be released on its platform. The documentary, titled "My Life's Journey Through Music", was reported to be on the list of films coming to the streaming service in August. However, Netflix said the film will not be available on its platform and blamed the gaffe on "an internal miscommunication". "This film will not be released on Netflix," the company said in a statement, obtained by Variety. "Due to an internal miscommunication, it appeared to be scheduled for release on Netflix, but it is not. We apologize for any confusion this has caused," it added. Farrakhan had tweeted about film's debut on the platform. "As-Salaam Alaikum! I am looking forward to your thoughts after you watch my documentary 'My Life's Journey Through Music' on Netflix. It will be premiering on August 1st," he had tweeted. Farrakhan is considered a controversial in the US and his detractors ...
SC refuses to stall 'Fanney Khan' release
The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to stay the release of Anil Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starrer Hindi film "Fanney Khan".