Arjun Kapoor : People are made fun of if they don't speak English well

New Delhi:MMNN:10 April 2017

Actor Arjun Kapoor says it is sad that people judge others on the basis of how well they speak English and those who struggle with the language are often made fun of. Arjun says there are people who will understand Hindi but will respond in English to sound cool.
"In India, if you're smart but don't understand English no one gives importance to you. If you can't speak English then you're looked at differently.This is the biggest issue in the country. You may understand Hindi but will speak in English to sound cool," he said.
The actor was speaking at the trailer launch of 'Half Girlfriend' here. The romantic drama is based on the novel of the same name written by Chetan Bhagat and also stars Shraddha Kapoor .
Arjun says there are certain actors, who also struggle with this issue but he is thankful to his grandparents for always speaking to him in Hindi.
"People are told that if you speak in English you will sound better. So, a consciousness comes in, people are made fun of, they're not taken seriously. This has personally bothered me," he said.
"The youth of today is very fluent in English but you ask them three questions in Hindi and they face a problem. We are actors so we need to learn Hindi, and thankfully my grandparents always spoke to me in Hindi so my Hindi is clean but there are many actors also (who are not fluent in the language)," he adds.
The 31-year-old actor insists Hindi is a language which one must understand as it is something which will take the country forward.

Meri Pyaari Bindu Trailer 3#: Meet Parineeti Chopra, 'Kolkata's Madonna'

New Delhi:MMNN:5 April 2017

The third chapter of Meri Pyaari Bindu, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Parineeti Chopra is out, titled Kalkatte Ki Madonna. The one-and-a-half minute video shared on YouTube, focuses on Parineeti aka Bindu's passion for singing and how Abhimanyu, played by Ayushmann supports her in her journey to become a rockstar and gets 'trapped.' Meri Pyaari Bindu, which has been shot in Kolkata, features Ayushmann Khurrana as a Bengali author.
The third trailer from the movie has the popular song Disco '82 song from the movie Khud-Daar playing in the background. The film, directed by Akshay Roy, is scheduled to release in theatres on May 12.
The first two chapters of the film, titled Samosa Aur Chutney and Gabar Aur Sambha were released on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. The makers of the film have promised to release five chapters from Abhimanyu Roy's book, in the form of trailers.
The makers of the film released the first song from the movie, titled Mana Ke Hum Yaar Nahin, even before the trailers. Parineeti Chopra made her debut as a playback singer with this song. Mana Ke Hum Yaar nahin crossed over 4 million views in a day. The 28-year-old actress received a lot of appreciation from her cousin Priyanka Chopra, Golmaal Again co-stars and other close friends.
Parineeti Chopra was last seen in 2014 movie Kill Dil.
After Meri Pyaari Bindu, Ayushmann Khurrana will be seen in Bareilly Ki Barfi. The film, directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, also stars Rajkummar Rao and Kriti Sanon. He will also feature in Aanand L Rai's Shubh Mangal Savdhan opposite Bhumi Pednekar.

'Naam Shabana' box-office collection Day 5

New Delhi:MMNN:5 April 2017

Taapsee Pannu's spy thriller 'Naam Shabana' collected approximately Rs 2.50 crore on its first Tuesday (Day 5) taking its total to Rs 22.50 crore (nett), as reported by Boxofficeindia.com.
The prequel to Neeraj Pandey's 'Baby' had opened at Rs 4.75 crore and earned Rs 17.75 crore over the first weekend.
Starring Taapsee Pannu in the lead role, the film has an extended cameo by Akshay Kumar with many key players from the cast of 'Baby' coming together for the film. While Akshay, Anupam Kher, Danny Denzongpa and Madhurima Tuli reprise their roles from the 2015 film, 'Naam Shabana' also stars Prithviraj Sukumaran and Manoj Bajpayee.
The film delves into the back-story of Taapsee's character Shabana Khan and shows the audience how she is trained to become a spy.

Why Sunil Grover might not quit 'The Kapil Sharma Show'

New Delhi:MMNN:22 March 2017

It is out in the open that Kapil Sharma assaulted and abused good friend and co-actor Sunil Grover on a flight recently. Post this, the latter has decided to quit the 'The Kapil Sharma Show', where he plays characters that are loved by the viewers - Dr Mashoor Gulati and Rinku Bhabhi. While Kapil apologised to Sunil in a Twitter post, Sunil's reaction to it has not yet confirmed the news that he would leave the show. While this hints at the possibility that Sunil might just return to do what he does best - make people laugh, his not making his exit public also suggests that Sunil might not be too confident to venture out alone after the failure of his previous stints.
Going by Sunil's career in Television, success had eluded the talented actor for a long time. He was a part of many shows that did not do well, which included Gutur Gu, Professor Money Plant, Lo Kar Lo Baat, Chala Lallan Hero Ban Ne and Kya Aap Paanchvi Fail Champu Hain?. None of his works did justice to the talent that he has, until he worked on Comedy Nights With Kapil, where he rose to unprecedented heights with his enactment of a cross-dressed woman, Gutthi. He left the audience in splits with his comic act and proved his mettle as a comedian.
However, his creative differences with Kapil Sharma when he was doing Comedy Nights made him switch to another channel with a new show. Sunil went on to do 'Mad In India', his own show, which turned out to be a dud, doing nothing for the comedian. He then returned to Kapil's show after a reconciliation and continues to receive the same adulation till date, even when he now plays an aged Dr. Mashoor Gulati, who offers unique medical treatments to his patients, on The Kapil Sharma Show.
Sunil now probably knows the result of working with Kapil and without him, as he has experienced both. Hence, his possibility of returning to the show cannot be ruled out completely. Also, this pretty much sums up the fact that just as Kapil is nothing without Sunil, Sunil is also a non-entity without Kapil. It is true that some people work best, when they work together. We can only hope that two bury their differences and shift their energies to create magic with their humour and wit.

Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif's picture from the sets of 'Tiger Zinda Hai' is perfect

New Delhi:MMNN:22 March 2017

Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif are all set to recreate magic on the big screen with 'Tiger Zinda Hai'. One of the most sought-after on-screen jodis, the two were last seen together in the film's prequel, 'Ek Tha Tiger' in 2012. And for those who can't wait till the film's release to witness Salman and Katrina's sizzling chemistry, here's a surprise from the actor.
Salman posted a beautiful picture of him and Kat on the sets of 'Tiger Zinda Hai' on his Instagram handle. The actress looks gorgeous in a blush-coloured tube gown while Salman is his dashing self in a black tuxedo. The picture sees the two caught in a romantic moment as they are lost in each other's eyes. Salman captioned the image, "Back together, in Tiger Zinda Hai."

This superstar wanted to play Ranbir's role in Sanjay Dutt's biopic

New Delhi:MMNN:8 March 2017

Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani, who is making a film on actor Sanjay Dutt's life, went to superstar Aamir Khan for a role and the latter thought that the director came to him for Sanjay's role.
Reportedly, Raju offered Aamir the role of Sanjay's father Sunil Dutt.
If reports are to be believed than Rajukumar asked Aamir that he wanted to meet him, as he was keen to cast the superstar in Sanjay Dutt's biopic. The director met Aamir with writer Abhijat, and started giving narration on Sunil Dutt's role.
The actor who was expecting that the lead role told the filmmaker that he thought that they would narrate Sanjay's role to him adding that he was not interested in playing his father.
Well, this is indeed interesting. This is known to all that actor Ranbir Kapoor is playing the lead in the film.
Though, Ranbir is a talented actor and the hard work that he is doing for the biopic is not hidden from anyone. But, things would have been different if whatever Aamir was thinking was right and he was approached for the main role.
Along with Ranbir, the biopic also features Sonam Kapoor as Sanjay's one of the love interests, Dia Mirza will be seen as his wife Manyata Dutt, and Manisha Koirala will portray Nargis Dutt.
Paresh Rawal will essay the role of Sanjay's father Sunil Dutt.

Anushka Sharma: I think I've represented ghost community well

New Delhi:MMNN:8 March 2017

Actress Anushka Sharma, who will be essaying the role of a ghost bride in her second production 'Phillauri', says she does believe in ghosts.
During media interaction to promote her upcoming flick, the 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' star revealed, "I believe ghosts exist and I have felt it too."
The 28-year-old then described her experience of becoming one and said, "It was fun to play a non-living character. Normally we play characters which are in the flesh and its boring to portray a living character in each film. You should keep doing a different thing. I think I've represented the ghost community well by presenting their feelings in front of all of you."
Anushka ventured into production with 2015 thriller 'NH-10' and is now gearing up for her banner's next project starring Diljit Dosanjh.
When asked as to what she enjoys the most, the actress replied, "I enjoy being both, an actor and producer. I have realized that with more responsibilities, I tend to perform better. It's because I get to collaborate on a film from scratch, from the beginning of it. This is creatively an extremely satisfying experience."
"For example right now when I am working on Imtiaz Ali's film, I just act and that's it. But when it's your film, there is even more involvement which I really enjoy," added the 'PK' star.

Koffee With Karan Season 5: Zoya Akhtar has many suitors, so claims Karan Johar

New Delhi:MMNN:27 Feb. 2017

Hosting the Director's special on Koffee With Karan Season 5 this week, Karan Johar was in a mood to talk cinema with people from his side of the business. With master filmmakers Kabir Khan, Zoya Akhtar and Imtiaz Ali giving him company, Karan chatted about films, critics, Twitter reviews and reactions.
Beginning the episode with what he calls himself famous for - frivolous talk, Karan calls Zoya a seductress of Koffee With Karan and someone who is wooed by many popular directors of Bollywood like Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee and Imtiaz Ali. To this, Zoya tells Karan how she is waiting for him. When Karan replies that it might never happen, she talks about hope and wait.
Talking about box office success, all the three directors confess that figures matter. Also, Imtiaz elaborated how he appreciates the experimentation that is happening in commercial cinema now. Since Hindi films are all about song and dance, both Imtiaz and Zoya opened up about their love for shooting the musicals on set.
When the topic shifted to stars walking out of their films, Zoya revealed that initially she was cocky, and that is what helped her survive. Imtiaz told Karan how he, somehow, never faced the problem of casting people after Jab We Met. Kabir had an all together different struggle. He joked that it was difficult for him to get the producer on board and not the actor. He was a documentary film maker and that came as a barrier in getting his foothold in commercial cinema.
Quick to point out things, Karan also opened up about how actors never read narrations, and that his are over-the-top, theatrical ones, where he enacts the male lead as well as the female part.
The funniest bit of the show was when Karan confessed that he was obsessed about reading every review of his movie on Twitter. Asking the directors to share their thoughts on the same, Zoya said that these days the critique is pathetic and low ground. They are competing amongst themselves to be meaner and funnier. While Zoya talked about how one critic accused her of making films about rich people. And the same one, gave Karan 4 stars for his film. Kabir, however, came easy on it.
He said he doesn't seek reviews but reads them if he comes across any. Imtiaz was all cool about it and revealed that he doesn't read anything. Karan also ridiculed the trend of live tweet reviews and Zoya called it piracy.
In the rapid fire round, from actors who came late on sets to the best actor/actress, the directors shared their favorites with Karan, without any hesitation. The hamper was won by Imtiaz Ali and Kabir Khan. But Zoya made up for the loss by winning the Koffee Quiz.

Rivals Deepika and Katrina to come together for film with SRK?

New Delhi:MMNN:27 Feb. 2017

Aanand L Rai's ambitious dwarf film with Shah Rukh Khan has been making headlines for a while now. While we know that the film will have two leading ladies, the speculation about who will essay the roles is never-ending. According to a report in DNA, Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif have been finalised to star opposite SRK.
When Ranbir Kapoor reportedly cheated on then-girlfriend Deepika with Katrina, he set the stage for the cold war between the two. Katrina was asked on Koffee With Karan if she was friends with Deepika, and her only response was an awkward silence. The two also go out of their way to ensure that they do not come face-to-face at public events.
"Aanand has been in talks with a few actresses, and has finally sealed the deal with DP and Kat. While there were reports about Deepika replacing Katrina and vice-versa, the film will have both the heroines working together for the first time," DNA quotes a source as confirming.
Adding that they both are reluctant to let go of a plum project due to personal differences, the source said, "Both the roles in Aanand's film are extremely strong and totally different from the other. The team is planning a big announcement soon. The modalities are being worked out currently."

Not OK, Jaanu: Why we don't dig the title track of the latest Aditya Roy Kapur-Shraddha Kapoor-starrer

New Delhi:MMNN:21 Dec. 2016

The video for the title song of Ok Jaanu released online today. The film is the Hindi remake of Mani Ratnam's OK Kanmani and is directed by Shaad Ali and co-produced by Karan Johar. The audio version of the track was out on Saavn at least a week before the video came out. Which gave us enough time to listen to and gauge how we felt about it.

The audio

What you probably are aware of, is that It's a direct lift off music director AR Rahman's own Mental Manadhil, which he composed for the OK Kanmani soundtrack. That much is known. And while we'd like to tell you that we were looking out for this track because it's the Hindi version of Mental Manadhil, a track that we've been in love with, even a year after OKK released, we have to say that the OK Jaanu title track left us underwhelmed.

Lost in translation?

For starters, Jonita Gandhi (who, by the way sings in Hindi as well as Tamil) was replaced by Srinidhi Venkatesh. Which seems absolutely unnecessary, considering how well Gandhi nailed the original song. But yes, we understand it's ARR's call and we would respect it had Srinidhi not got the 'aa lakeerein padhte hain' line as mangled as for it to sound like 'aale-keede padte hain'.

In Gulzar's words

And while Mani Ratnam and ARR are credited with the Tamil lyrics -- seen in context of the film are apt, for the Hindi version, they have on board the grand old poet who gave us such gems such as Horn Ok Please (Dedh Ishqiya), Kiss Of Love (Jhoom Barabar Jhoom) and Ticket To Hollywood (JBJ), Gulzar.

For better or verse

Rahman's accented first word sounded less like Jaanu and more like Chainu ('Shotgun' Sinha, much?). It's followed up with these lines Jaanu... chal na kuch karte hain, Aa lakeerein padhte hain (whatever that is supposed to mean). And with verses that go thus (from what we could make out from the audio): Yeh... aayu, Yeh... vaayu, Yeh mangal pe dangal, badi na ye kisi se, tu lucky lagti hai, your guess is as good as ours about what that is supposed to mean. Never thought I'd say this, but take away the words and the OKJ team have a winner with this song.

The video
Now, the Ok Jaanu video. It's jerkily cut to such effect that you're left wondering if there's something wrong with your bandwidth (nothing's wrong with ours, hence the inference). There's an otherwise easy chemistry between the lead pair Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor, something that comes across as awkward and a little too staged here.

Real vs manufactured

OK Jaanu's video revisits most of the places Mental Manadhil did. But seen with a different eye, it does seem a little fresher and updated, thought not as raw as Mental Manadhil. If you see the Tamil video, it's real, it's relatable. There's a scene where Dulquer Salmaan and Nitya Menen (OKK lead pair) almost get run over by a bus and the reaction cannot be acted out, and we imagine, probably happened and made it to the final cut. Compare that to Shraddha's riding the Enfield and (fake) endangering the lives of at least three bystanders at Horniman Circle.
Counter that with the over-the-top-ness of OKJ's title track video. They're selling it as the 'coolest date ever' video. We don't deny its unbearable cuteness, but we take aversion to it seeming so manufactured, especially the Gateway of India selfie scene. For reference, please compare it to the original. You are encouraged to. To this writer, OKK had something, which going by the video OKJ doesn't, that makes it stand out.

Normal vs abnormal

Dulquer and Nitya's characters do things that normal people do on a date. Not like pulling a bottle of Coke off a moving vehicle (it's not an ad, guys). And if you need to know, you can open a bottle with your teeth. It's how Shraddha does it that seems...readymade. She uses her lips to pry open the bottle. Go ahead and try doing that, if you're in the mood. Just have an ambulance on speed dial. Also, good luck with the rest of the day with the sticky remnants of Coke on you.

Yeh kya tha?

On an aside, we know the best eyewear off the streets is to be found at DN Road, so there's no grouse there. We like it that in OKJ did more with the Asiatic Library that OKK did, but random band with amps and shiny mics there for your Snapchat story satisfaction? That's someone else's performance. These two -Aditya and Shraddha were being douches about crashing in.

Word to the 'wise'

And please... those sitting on your high horse about roaming around the city of Mumbai, without a helmet, spare us. On any given day, we've all seen one of these fools. Name the last time you saw an actor wear a helmet while on a bike (the Dhoom series doesn't count and even that franchise has bike scenes without helmets). At least, these actors in either OKJ or OKK aren't doing anything even remotely dangerous.

Finally...

There's the argument that one should enjoy both the original and the remake on their own merits. So far, the latter is found lacking. The other argument being made is that those who haven't watched the original will enjoy the remake. And while that isn't an entirely bad thing, we have a sneaky feeling that we're right about the remake. At least, going by what we've seen so far.

Second Trailer of 'Kaabil' is emotionally charged

New Delhi:MMNN:21 Dec. 2016

The trio behind 'Kaabil' - the father-son duo of filmmaker Rakesh Roshan and superstar Hrithik Roshan, and director Sanjay Gupta - are constantly finding innovative ways of presenting their labour of love goes.
Made under the banner of FilmKraft Productions India Pvt Ltd, the film releases on January 25, 2017. While public expectation would be to have an intense and high voltage second trailer, the filmmakers have come out with one that is emotionally-charged and portrays a beautiful love story.
Talking about it, Sanjay says, "Our second trailer cuts through the clutter and is based on an emotional song that is the backbone of our film. It's easy to make high-voltage trailers, but to make one as impactful without showing any fighting or intense action is a challenge."
Following Sanjay's vision, the team has done, released a poetically cut trailer that conveys Rohan and Supriya's pain and suffering which will move you. This trailer also peels yet another layer of the movie While the first one highlighted the pure love shared by the protagonists and some brave-heart ballistics that Gupta is famous for, the second one conveys their anguish.

Ranveer Singh is all set to make his TV debut in 2018!

New Delhi:MMNN:17 Dec. 2016

We all have seen how energetic Ranveer Singh is in his real life. Be it when he hit a reality show for his movie promotions, the most recent being when he met Salman Khan in Bigg Boss house. Or when he met Karan Johar over a cup f Koffee in the last episode. It seems there's no stopping for the 31-year-old actor.
The Bollywood hero is soon planning to hit the television aswell!
Excited much?
According to a report in Pinkvilla, Ranveer expressed his desire in entering the small screen and was quoted as saying, "I am dying to do television. I think I have the skill set for this. I have been offered TV shows in the past three years. There were multiple television shows which they wanted me to host. But for one reason or the other-mostly date issues-things have not worked out. But it's definitely on my radar. It's something I am strongly considering."
"There have been novel concepts, some concepts that have worked internationally that people are trying to introduce in India and some popular existing shows that I have been asked or offered to take the mantle of. Nothing has worked out. But I think I am targeting 2018." 'Lootera' actor further added.
On the professional front, 'Bajirao Mastani' actor is currently busy filming Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directorial 'Padmavati' that also stars Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor in pivotal roles.

Tamannaah Bhatia: 'Baahubali' most unexpected thing of my career

New Delhi:MMNN:17 Dec. 2016

Tamannaah Bhatia says the most unexpected thing of her decade-long career so far has been being part of S.S Rajamouli's magnum opus 'Baahubali: The Beginning'.
"It came to me when I was going through the lowest lows of my career. After a series of failures, to be part of a project like Baahubali: The Beginning is dream-like, and it's easily the most unexpected thing of my career," Tamannaah told.
In the first part of 'Baahubali', she played a rebellious warrior, Avantika. She says she has an even better role in the second installment of the franchise.
"It's a really good role. We still have some minor portion to shoot which will be wrapped up in December," she said, adding she'd do anything to be part of such a proud project.
"I would die and even kill if required to be part of Baahubali," she quipped.
Tamannaah, who has had three back-to-back hits in 2016, is gearing up to reprise Kangana Ranaut's role in the yet-untitled Tamil remake of 'Queen'.

Parineeti Chopra: Priyanka is going to be fantastic in 'Baywatch'

New Delhi:MMNN:14 Dec. 2016

Actress Parineeti Chopra says she has loved the recently released trailer of her sister Priyanka Chopra's Hollywood film 'Baywatch' and insists she will be fantastic in the film.
After garnering an overwhelming response to her American debut television show 'Quantico', Priyanka is set to make her acting debut in Hollywood with 'Baywatch'.
Recently the makers released a teaser of the much awaited film which had a blink and miss appearance of Priyanka. And this small appearance of hers has made headlines in the country.
"Of course I have seen the trailer and it's amazing. I have seen the show. 'Baywatch' is a big brand and she is part of it and it's the proudest thing," Parineeti said.
When prodded further that Priyanka does deserve to be seen more in the trailer, the 'Ishaqzaade' actress said, "I think a trailer is cut according to the story. I don't think we can get involve in it. I think she is going to be fantastic in the film. I have seen some stills of the film and she is looking amazing."
"I am sure she will be amazing in the film as well," quipped Parineeti. 'Baywatch' is an upcoming American action comedy film directed by Seth Gordon, based on the television series of the same name.
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, Kelly Rohrbach, Ilfenesh Hadera, Jon Bass, Priyanka Chopra, the film is set to release on May 26 next year.

'Mrs Funnybones' Twinkle Khanna returns to films

New Delhi:MMNN:14 Dec. 2016

After she hung up her acting boots following E Niwas's 2001 crime comedy, 'Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega', Twinkle Khanna dabbled in interior decoration, and film production by serving as a co-producer on 'Tees Maar Khan', 'Thank You', 'Patiala House' and 'Holiday: A Soldier is Never Off Duty', featuring her husband Akshay Kumar, before she stumbled upon her true calling as a columnist in 2014.
While her writing, generously peppered with witty and astute observations about daily life, grew popular, Twinkle went on to become a bestselling author with the eponymous 'Mrs Funnybones' hitting stands last year and quickly followed it up with her fiction debut, 'The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad', which released last month.
Now, 'Mrs Funnybones' is looking at another innings at the movies, this time, from behind the scenes. Mirror has learnt that Twinkle has conceptualised her first film, R Balki's next directorial that features Akshay, Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte in lead roles and also has Balki regular Amitabh Bachchan in a special appearance. The film also marks the debut of the actress-turned author's production house, 'Mrs Funnybones Movies'.
A source informs Mirror, "It's Twinkle's concept that will be entirely developed by Balki who is writing the script, screenplay and dialogues. Twinkle will not be involved in the writing process. The film goes on the floors in March next year." When asked about the film, Akshay said jokingly, "She (Twinkle) is the producer and I will work on a salary."
Twinkle has always been credited as a co-producer on all 'Hari Om Productions films' (founded by Akshay and named after his late father), as is Gauri Khan for 'Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd.', and Kiran Rao for 'Aamir Khan Productions'. But unlike the other star wives, Twinkle was never involved in any aspect of her home productions. This time, however, it's entirely her baby. "There are two kinds of slates being planned for 'Mrs Funnybones Movies' for 2017 - one for mainstream films and the second for off-beat fare. All the films will be presented by Twinkle," reveals a source close to the actress-writer.
Meanwhile, Akshay's association with his partner Ashvini Yardi's 'Grazing Goat productions', which was founded in 2011 and also had Twinkle as one of its co-producers, ended with 'Singh is Bliing' in 2015, even though no formal announcement has been made by the actor.

Befikre Box Office Collection Day 1: Ranveer Singh, Vaani Kapoor's Film Collects Rs 10 Crore

New Delhi:MMNN:10 Dec. 2016

Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor's Befikre started off well at the box office with its single day earnings in double digit, says trade analyst Taran Adarsh. He shared Befikre's Day 1 box office collection and said that the Aditya Chopra-directed film is a going strong at the multiplexes. Ranveer's Befikre collected Rs 10 crore on the first day, he tweeted.
Set in Paris, Befikre is a love story more suited for today's youth looking for no-strings attached relationships. Befikre released to fairly decent reviews on December 9 and is Vaani Kapoor's second film after her 2013 debut in Shudha Desi Romance.
Taran Adarsh has only shared Befikre business in India. The film simultaneously released in USA, France and other European countries, and UK. Befikre also released in UAE during the Dubai International Film Festival.
With Befikre, Aditya Chopra made a comeback as director after eight years. This is his fourth film as director and the film marks a significant change from his style of cinema. In his previous three film, Aditya only picked Shah Rukh Khan as his lead actor. This time, he made an exception for Ranveer Singh, who according to Aditya was in the film even before he knew he would direct it. "I would not have made Befikre if an actor called Ranveer Singh did not exist," he wrote in a press statement.
In a Twitter chat with Arjun Kapoor, Ranveer said that Ranveer Singh feels 'incredibly blessed' to be called an 'Aditya Chopra hero.' Ranveer's performance made headlines thanks to the film's trailer and songs. Apart from the underwear scene, for which Ranveer said he 'slaved in the gym,' there were some incredibly funny moments.
Meanwhile, Ranveer Singh also attended a special screening of Befikre on Friday night with Deepika Padukone and Anushka Sharma. Aditya Chopra's mother Pamela Chopra and actor Arjun Kapoor were also at the screening.
Post the release of Befikre, Ranveer Singh, will get busy with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati co-starring Deepika and Shahid Kapoor.

Koffee With Karan: Aamir Khan to follow Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan and get grilled on the show?

New Delhi:MMNN:10 Dec. 2016

No one dares to ignore the wish of Bollywood's Mr. Passionate (as Aamir Khan wants people to address him). Not even ace filmmaker Karan Johar. While attending a fashion event in Mumbai with his Dangal daughters, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra, Aamir told reporters that he wishes to go to Karan Johar's celebrity talk show, Koffee With Karan but Karan is not inviting him. Here Aamir said this and there Karan took no time to send an invite to the Dangal actor.
And as per reports, even Aamir readily accepted the invitation and will be shooting for the celebrity chat show during this weekend. Also, he will not go solo. The actor will be accompanied by his Dangal onscreen daughters Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra for one particular segment. The episode will be aired on the next weekend around the release of Dangal.
This weekend. the century episode of Koffee with Karan will be adorned by Salman Khan, along with his brothers Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan.
Aamir Khan has earlier said that he will not promote Dangal on any television shows. The actor said, "We will, of course, promote Dangal on TV but not on TV shows. TV is an important medium for us. I have a different logic.
There are two aspects of marketing - one is to inform people about film's release date and the other is creating a desire amongst them to watch the movie. Being part of a big TV show doesn't ensure that people will watch your movie. Instead, our goal is to create a desire. Sometimes disappearing can create a desire."
Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao who have always kept their personal life very personal spilled the beans about each other and their love life during the previous season of Karan's show.
Aamir who is known for staying politically correct in his statements during interviews remained undiplomatic on the sassy couch as he admitted that he hadn't liked host Karan Johar much when they met for the first time.
It will be interesting to watch whether Aamir will make for an entertaining guest as compared to the previous season.

Before Shah Rukh Khan's Raees: Who was Abdul Latif, the real Raees?

New Delhi:MMNN:7 Dec. 2016

Raees Alam i.e Shah Rukh Khan's character in Raees is a gangster in Gujarat who starts his criminal empire by dealing in illicit liqour. The character, though not confirmed by the film's makers, is rumoured to be based on real-life gangster Abdul Latif who was a terror throughout Gujarat.
Latif was shot and killed by the police in Ahmedabad in an alleged 'encounter' in 1997. Reportedly, Shah Rukh Khan visited Abdul Latif's son Mustak Ahmed Abdul Latif Shaikh in Gujarat, at least twice, to research on his character and understand Abdul Latif, the person who was the backbone of Shah Rukh's Raees character.
However, when Shah Rukh noticed that meeting Latif's son was being given political overtones, the actor began maintaining a distance from Mustak. Mustak reportedly felt snubbed by Shah Rukh and demanded money up to Rs 10 crore from the actor and only then, would he allow Raees to release.
While these maybe rumours, hearsay and gossip, that Shah Rukh's character Raees and Abul Latif seems to have a lot of similarities is undeniable.
BUT WHO WAS ABDUL LATIF?
Abdul Latif began his journey in the bylanes of Ahmedabad. He began waiting on tables in gambling danes where as a teenager, he would serve liquour.
From there, Latif started his business as a bootlegger and through murder, extortion and political patronage, slowly grew big enough to monopolise the illicit liquour business of Gujarat. As Latif's business empire grew, so did his ambition and consequently, the scale of his operations. Latif soon got involved in hawala, contract killings and land dealings. He would allegedly recieve smuggled arms and ammunition brought in through the villages of Gujarat's western coast.

SAINT FOR THE MINORITIES?
It is said that Abdul Latif had a Robin Hood-like image among the Muslims of Gujarat. According to rumours and anecdotes, Latif would help underprivileged and backward Muslim youth get jobs and would provide the impoverished with food, shelter and other aid.
Latif was also known for running a parallel justice system. A large section of Gujarat's Hindu population believed that Latif was strongly communal. The gangster always ensured that his criminal associates were predominantly Muslim and in the words of a Gujarat police officer, after his arrest, "There were fireworks in the Hindu areas."
CLOSE CONNECTION TO DAWOOD IBRAHIM
Abdul Latif is known to have had close connections to Dawood Ibrahim, one of the world's most dreaded terrorists and currently wanted by the Interpol. Although Latif's name did not figure among the 198 accused in connection to the 1992 Bombay blasts, after his arrest, Latif revealed to investigators that during his 15-month stay in Karachi between August 1993 and December 1994, he would meet Dawood "almost daily."
ARREST AND EVENTUAL DOWNFALL
Abdul Latif was arrested from Delhi's Jama Masjid area on October 10 after a well-coordinated operation that lasted two months.
Reportedly, Latif, who was absconding from the police, made a crucial error which led to his arrest. While in Delhi, he was using the same public telephone booth to track his operations in Gujarat and Rajasthan and in his telephonic discussions, he would be heard saying "aisa" a lot, a word Latif was known to punctuate his conversations with.
For two months, the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Gujarat Police kept trying to trace the calling number and finally they zeroed in on a public phone booth in an old Delhi locality and arrested Latif while he was making a phone call.
CASES AGAINST LATIF
A total of 97 cases were lodged against Abdul Latif in his lifetime. 10 of them involved murder, some of them were about his bootlegging business and there were some serious charges under TADA i.e Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act as well.
Apparently, one of the reasons Latif's son Mustak had a problem with Raees was director Rahul Dholakia's representation of Raees's businesses. The Latif family's lawyer Harsh Gajjar told Indian Express earlier this year, "There were 97 cases lodged against Latif in his life time. These cases were for bootlegging and serious offences under TADA, however, at no point he ran a brothel or used women for delivering liquor. By attributing such false claims in the movie trailer, the respondents have defamed the family's image in the society."
DEATH BY ENCOUNTER
In 2008, a retired director general of Gujarat Police told Times of India, "It would not be wrong to say Abdul Latif laid the foundations of the BJP's climb to power on its own strength in Gujarat."
Latif had close ties to the Janata Dal government (1990-1995) led by Chimanbhai Patel. His business flourised during Chimanbhai's regime but in 1995, the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) government came into power in the state. Latif became a symbolic target for the BJP government and around the time of the 1995 elections, Latif had fled to Pakistan. Reportedly, around this time, no election speech of a BJP leader was complete without a mention of Latif and his ties with Dawood Ibrahim and the Congress.
After Latif's arrest, Gujarat CM Keshubhai Patel was commemorated as a 'Hindu Hriday Samrat' and was fecilitated by his party in many districts of the state.
Latif, since his arrest, had been lodged in the Sabarmati Central jail. On November 29, 1997, Latif allegedly tried to escape after he was brought back to his jail following an investigation. The police shot him dead.

Hospitalised Dilip Kumar assures fans that he is 'feeling much better'

New Delhi:MMNN:7 Dec. 2016

Veteran actor Dilip Kumar was admitted to Lilavati Hospital on Tuesday after he complained of swelling in his right leg and fever. The thespian was rushed to the hospital by his wife Saira Banu.
Now, the legendary actor, who is days away from celebrating his 94th birthday, has informed his fans on Twitter that his condition is stable. "Feeling much better now. Was admitted to Lilavati hospital for routine checkup. Your prayers are with me," he posted.
In a series of tweets, the Padma Vibhushan awardee credited the able doctors for their treatment and thanked his fans for their best wishes.
The actor has been hospitalised quite a few times over the last few years, following major and minor ailments.

Box Office: Kahaani 2 collects 4.25 cr. on Day One, Dear Zindagi collects 2.25 cr on Day 8

New Delhi:MMNN:3 Dec. 2016

Kahaani 2 has seen fair collections on Day One as Rs. 4.25 crores came in. This is actually pretty much on the expected lines as the buzz was just about decent for the film which didn't quite see great hype enroute release.
Considering the fact that the film was coming off the super success of Kahaani, there could have been much more heat generated but that was not really the case. Nonetheless, the collections are still decent to begin with and it would all boil down to how the footfalls increase today and tomorrow.
When compared to the opening day of films belonging to similar genre (suspense dramatic thrillers) that have released in 2016, this is how Kahaani 2 stands:
Wazir - Rs. 5.57 crores
Kahaani 2 - Rs. 4.25 crores
TE3N - Rs. 2.61 crores
Madaari - Rs. 2.25 crores
The film has seen mixed range of reviews which have ranged from average to very good. Though the film doesn't have as high impact as Sujoy Ghosh's last, Kahaani, it is not the kind which would be ignored either.
There are ingredients in the film which promise a good viewing but for that the word of mouth needs to spread really fast. The film gains from the fact that there is not much of a competition from anything around it and if there are enhanced footfalls today with increase in collections by 30% - 40%, it would lead to a healthy weekend overall.
Dear Zindagi brought in Rs. 2.25 crores more on its second Friday. It is clearly slowing down after a good first five days and now stands at Rs. 49.25 crores. Ideally, the Rs. 50 crore mark should have been surpassed in the first week itself.
Considering the fact that there is no major film running alongside and there are good number of shows still reserved for it in the second week, the Gauri Shinde directed affair should have been even more stable.
Though at one point in time it had seemed that Rs. 70 crores would be a possibility for the film, currently it seems that Alia Bhatt and Shahrukh Khan starrer would be aiming at Rs. 65 crores.

Jolly LLB 2: Akshay Kumar reveals first look, film to release on February 10, 2017

New Delhi:MMNN:3 Dec. 2016

Akshay Kumar has revealed the first look of his much-awaited movie Jolly LLB 2. We have to say that Akshay has nailed the look of a small town lawyer. What stands out is his complete new avatar for the role.
Be it carrying a tiffin box to the office or wearing a pair of sports shoes or riding a scooter, the film's new poster has reinvented the look of a common man. So will we see Akshay Kumar in a funny avatar once again?
The film starring Akshay as a lawyer will release on February 10, 2017. Akshay took to Twitter and shared," And here is the first look of #JollyLLB2 as promised. Ready to meet this Jolly good fellow on 10th Feb. 2017?" The film will release on February 10, 2017.
Remember, how Akshay entertained us all with his impeccable comic act in films like Hera Pheri and Housefull? Well, Akshay seems to do it again over here. The actor is seen smiling.
What also caught our eye is this- The State vs. Jolly LLB 2-written on the poster. Going by this line, one can expect some really gritty courtroom arguments filled with hilarious moments.
Written and directed by Subhash Kapoor, Jolly LLB 2 is mostly shot in Lucknow. Jolly LLB 2 is a sequel to 2013 courtroom drama Jolly LLB starring Arshad Warsi and Boman Irani.
The film saw a small time lawyer played by Arshad struggling to win a case defended by the high-profile lawyer Boman Irani. Arshad also faces threat by local goons everytime he tries to collect an evidence or finds out the truth.

Kahaani 2: Vidya Balan slept through the film, reveals Arjun Rampal

New Delhi:MMNN:30 Nov. 2016

It has been years since Vidya Balan's Vidya Bagchi unleashed the power of a lone hairpin. The audience gasped, and gasped again as Sujoy Ghosh introduced that unexpected twist in the tale and made Kahaani one of the best thrillers in Indian cinema.
Now, Vidya and Sujoy are back with Kahaani 2, this time called Durga Rani Singh. There is a new entrant in the mix and it is Arjun Rampal. Can the trio leave us gasping in the theatres again? While we will have to wait till Friday to get an answer to that, what new has Vidya tried with Kahaani 2? Because, innovation is the name of the game, isn't it?
Before Vidya could reply, Arjun had the answer ready: "Vidya will be seen sleeping in the film, throughout. Now this is something no one has ever done." It took Sujay to explain that since Vidya is in a coma in the film, she will be seen sleeping through the film.
Vidya added that Kahaani 2 gave her a chance to do action scenes, which is something she was yet to try in her career. "There is an accident sequel in the film in which I got a chance to try some stunts, something I always longed to do. Post the shoot, everyone on the set asked me was it difficult, but I actually enjoyed the process," she said.
But while Vidya enjoyed the action, there was one scene which left her traumatised. The scene is where the child actor who plays Vidya's daughter in the film jumps from the roof.
"Vidya was very badly affected by the scene. Post shoot, she cried so hard and I am sure that is something she has never done in the past," Arjun said.
On being asked how Arjun felt working with Vidya, he said, "I though Vidya would be a very serious and intellectual kind of a person, but she is a complete baby at heart. She is best in her work but as the scene gets over, there is a twinkle in her eye that brings a positive vibe on the sets. Working with her was all pleasure."
Vidya too said that she had her doubts as she had only met Arjun at social events and this was the first time that they were working together. "I never expected to gel with him so well. He has a beautiful smile and thus I love to make him smile, which is the best part of working with him," said Vidya.

Golmaal 4 to NOT clash with Rajinikanth's 2.0, producer thanks Rohit Shetty

New Delhi:MMNN:30 Nov. 2016

The 2.0-Golmaal 4 clash has been in the news for the longest time now. Earlier there were rumours, that the two wouldn't clash for various reasons but then recent reports stated, that the clash was confirmed for Diwali 2017.
But now, the final verdict is out - Golmaal 4 will NOT clash with Rajinikanth's 2.0. And we can confirm this because the producer of 2.0, has taken to social media to thank Rohit Shetty himself for the support given to 2.0 -
"Rohitji, thanks for the magnanimous support given for 2.0 !!! You are Indeed a great fan of our @superstarrajini!!!" Hey Rohit Shetty, That sure is the coolest way to show you are a big Thalaiva fan. Reports state, that Golmaal 4 will release two week prior, but no official announcements have been yet. We can only confirm that the clash is NOT happening.
Golmaal 4 bring back together the old team of Arshad Warsi, Ajay Devgn, Tusshar Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade. This time, Parineeti Chopra has been finalised as the female lead. As for 2.0, it a big budget sci-fi starring Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson.
Although certain elements of Enthiran- The robot will repeat itself in this film, the storyline is entirely different. The first look launch was held ina grand event in Mumbai. Along with 3D motion poster, three first look posters were released on social emdia. Akshay Kumar's scary avatar as DR richards stunned everybody.
Also, the face off between Rajini aka Chitti and Akshay Kumar aka Dr richards in 2.0's first look poster was epic. There are too many reasons to be excited about 2.0 - Rajinikanth's alleged triple role, Akshay Kumar's villain role, the graphics, VFX, and Amy Jackson's secretive role.

Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor to promote 'Befikre' on 'The Kapil Sharma Show'

New Delhi:MMNN:23 Nov. 2016

The handsome Ranveer Singh and gorgeous Vaani Kapoor are all set to appear on 'The Kapil Sharma Show' to promote their upcoming movie 'Befikre'.
The good-looking pair will be creating a laughter riot on Kapil Sharma's funny show.
While Ranveer will be looking dapper in a dark blue suit, Vaani will be sizzling in a blue dress.
From Kapil's comic timings to Ali and Kiku dressed as Mastani from 'Bajirao Mastani', will make you roll on the floor laughing.
The episode has been shot and will be aired soon.
Befikre is set to hit the theatres on December 9 and is directed by Aditya Chopra.

John Abraham's Force 2 beats demonetisation lull; makes Rs 20 cr on opening weekend

New Delhi:MMNN:23 Nov. 2016

Films released in past two weeks may not have garnered the revenues anticipated by trade gurus because of demonetisation, but the situation is improving now, experts maintain.
And with John Abraham starrer Force 2 raking in a decent opening week collection, things seem to be looking up.
Trade experts say the situation is relatively normal compared to the previous week and that audiences have started to walk into theatres. Single-screen theatres are the ones that had to bear the burnt, as the bulk of the audience prefers to buy tickets with cash and not online.
"There has been a huge dip. I feel sorry for the film Rock On 2 which released the week when Prime Minister Narendra Modi made this announcement. But this Friday was relatively better. I can't say good, but it was decent," Manoj Desai, Executive Director of Gaiety Galaxy and Maratha Mandir Cinema.
"Here in Gaeity Galaxy, most of the people book their tickets in cash -- which was one of the problems for them. Due to demonetisation, their priorities were different, so they preferred to sort those issues out rather than watch films," he said.
This Friday Force 2 and Tum Bin 2 had a clash at the box office. But the John Abraham starrer managed to pull in a fair amount of business.
"Overall in the first weekend, there was a huge fall in the collection, but now things are getting back to normal as Force 2 had a decent amount of crowd. We hope going ahead, things should get better," Devang Sampat, Director - Strategic Initiatives, Cinapolis India.
Force 2 was released in 1800 screens and according to this Indian Express report, gained momentum at the box office due to word of mouth publicity.
Meanwhile, the director of the film Tum Bin 2, Anubhav Sinha, is happy with Modi's move, he is also hugely disappointed as his film has been affected.
"It has affected very badly. As a producer-director, I am feeling sad as you give your blood and sweat to a film and everything is going right when suddenly an outside force, which you have no control over, actually affects the prospects. This is heart breaking,".
Gauri Shinde's Dear Zindagi is all set to hit the screens this Friday and Manoj Desai hopes for a good opening for the film.
"I am hoping that things will be far better for Dear Zindagi. The only problem now is that it's high time we get the new Rs 500 notes back in action so it gets easier to exchange the money. If someone comes with a Rs 2,000 note, it is not easy to give them change," said Desai.

Bigg Boss 10 November 18 highlights: Rahul Dev lashes out at Lokesh, calls her ill-mannered

New Delhi:MMNN:19 Nov. 2016

Rohan is enjoying his privileges as a captain but at the same time, he is making the lives of other contestants miserable, especially for those who didn't vote for him. On being asked by Bigg Boss two names whom he thinks deserves jail punishment, he takes Manveer and Manoj's name. Though the young man had his own reasons for doing so but the viewers and the contestants of Bigg Boss 10 are well acquainted with his reasons. It was only a day before that he had a major fight with the duo as they passed comments on his masculinity.
Lopamudra tries to reason with Rohan but he refuses to listen. He is adamant about his decision of not defining reasons for sending Manveer and Manoj to jail. The verbal spat got uglier as both yelled at each other uncontrollably. Lopamudra was irritated to a level that she banged the kitchen tray and asked Rohan to not point fingers at her.
Lokesh Kumari has shown a completely different side of hers after getting nominated for evictions this week. She has been snapping at people every now and then. Even yesterday she irritated Rahul Dev, the calmest man in the house. Rahul told her not to sway the tissue box in front of his face and went ahead to call her mannerless.
After being asked by Bigg Boss to abide by the rules of the house, Manveer and Manoj agree to take the jail punishment. But the punishment is getting severe with each passing week inside the Bigg Boss house. They had to stand in a box and had to take permission from the captain if they had to use the washroom.
Swami Om looks sad on seeing Manoj and Manveer in the jail. He tells them that he can't see his sons in the jail and he used to cry for them in the secret room. Manoj and Manveer jokingly pacify Swami by saying that the show will become dull if both of them will not act like devils.
Some respite comes in as Bigg Boss introduces a task for deciding who is the most good looking man in the house. Girls unanimously decide Gaurav and Rohan as the top two contenders. Now the fight is between Gaurav and Rohan. The one who will be the first to collect three medallions will win the tag of the most good looking man in the Bigg Boss house.

After Twinkle-Akshay, KJo Is All Set To Bring Shahid And Mira On His Koffee With Karan Couch!

New Delhi:MMNN:19 Nov. 2016

After an explosive episode with Khiladi Akshay Kumar and his wife Mrs Funny Bones aka Twinkle Khanna, looks like Karan Johar is all set to show the love story of another Bollywood couple to the world.
For the first time ever, Shahid Kapoor is all set to make an appearance on a chat show with his wife Mira Rajput and it is KJo who has done the unthinkable.
While a lot of rumours were rife that Shahid will be gracing this season with Padmavati co-star Deepika Padukone, a report carried out by DNA has managed to spill cold water on these speculations.
This will be Mira's official TV debut and what can be more interesting than doing it with your man by your side right? At the moment, the lovely couple is basking in parenthood as they welcomed their baby girl Misha in August.
The duo will shoot for the Koffee With Karan soon and the episode will be aired in mid-December after Shahid completes his first schedule of Padmavati.
Come to think of it, this season of Karan's talk show is turning out to be a big basket of surprises. Not only did he manage to rope Twinkle Khanna, he even brought Ranveer Singh and Ranbir Kapoor together for an episode. With Shahid and Mira next in the line, it keeps getting better!

Here's Everything You Should Know About Salman-Irrfan's Rs 300 Cr Film On Sikh Hero Gurdit Singh

New Delhi:MMNN:16 Nov. 2016

Even though professional rivalry has always kept Salman Khan and Irrfan Khan away from each other, there is a big news that will make fans of both the stars super happy. According to reports, Irrfan Khan and Salman Khan have joined hands for the first time for a mega-budget film project.
Based on the life of Sikh lawyer Gurdit Singh who battled for the rights of Kamagata Maru passengers to enter Canada. While Salman will be co-producing the film along with Toronto-based Indian tycoon Ajay Virmani, Irrfan Khan will be seen in the lead role. Here are all the major details about the film that looks like a promising deal in every possible way.
1. The super-expensive film will star Irrfan Khan in the lead role and will be produced by Salman Khan and Toronto-based Indian tycoon
Amar Butala, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Salman Khan Films was quoted as saying, "It's a powerful human story of struggle and triumph in which Irrfan will play a Sikh named Gurdit Singh. The story of those Sardars, Muslims and Hindus is relevant even today as we hear and read about the refugee crisis and racial profiling constantly. We have begun work on the pre-production and will announce the director and the rest of the cast in the next few days."
2. The film has been tentatively titled Lions of the Sea.
The film will impart a strong religious message and will go on the floors in 2017.
3. Irrfan will reprise the role of a real-life Sikh businessman Gurdit Singh, who in 1914 chartered the Japanese ship Komagata Maru to carry 376 south Asian passengers to Canada to challenge the anti-immigration policies.
Based on a true-life drama about 376 South Asian ocean passengers who were denied entry to Canada in 1914, this incident involved the Japanese steamship of the same name that consisted 24 Muslims, 340 Sikhs and 12 Hindus, escaping from the harrowing British Raj. It was their bold attempt to immigrate from the country and flee to Canada via Shanghai, Hong Kong, Yokohama and Vancouver.

Families of former RAW agents to watch 'Force 2'

New Delhi:MMNN:16 Nov. 2016

There is a lot of anticipation around 'Force 2', which opens in cinemas this Friday, especially since the first instalment of the action thriller was quite successful.
Starring John Abraham and Sonakshi Sinha in lead roles, the film revolves around the evil intention of one man who wants to put India under threat by killing agents of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), which is the country's leading intelligence agency.
The writers did extensive research to pen the script, which is inspired by true events. During this process, they were moved by the plight of the families of those agents who are on field for covert operations.
John and the makers of the film empathised deeply with them due to the perils that they face. As an ode to them, the actor-producer wants to arrange a special screening of the film for the families of former RAW agents.
John and Sonakshi have also taken the initiative and signed an online petition by Vinod Sawhney, President of Jammu Ex Sleuths Association that works for the welfare of these agents.
'Force 2', presented by Viacom18 Motion Pictures in association with Sunshine Pictures Pvt Ltd and JA Entertainment Pvt Ltd, releases on November 18.

Here's Everything You Should Know About Salman-Irrfan's Rs 300 Cr Film On Sikh Hero Gurdit Singh

New Delhi:MMNN:12 Nov. 2016

Director Gauri Shinde says actress Alia Bhatt's character in Dear Zindagi will have an instant connection with the youth.
"Alia's character in the film is one with which the youth will instantly connect and relate to. The situations she faces, people she meets and her attitude to love and relationships is reflective of the way norms in our society are evolving today," Gauri said in a statement.
The makers of Dear Zindagi have collaborated with popular dating app Tinder for the film. And in one of the teasers, Alia can be seen using it and finding her match on the app.
Gauri said: "The film deals with love and relationships in the time of Tinder. This collaboration is, therefore, perfectly synergistic."
Dear Zindagi, which also stars superstar Shah Rukh Khan, is a collaboration of Red Chillies Entertainment, Dharma Productions and Hope Productions. The film is slated to hit the cinemas on November 25.
Venky Mysore, CEO of Red Chillies, said: "Tinder is undoubtedly one of the most trending dating platforms and we are happy to associate with the platform."

Koffee With Karan: Kapil Sharma to debut on the show and get grilled by Karan Johar?

New Delhi:MMNN:12 Nov. 2016

The guest list of Karan Johar's show, Koffee With Karan is getting bigger and better every day. The brazen host of the celebrity chat show, KJo has got an exciting guest list up his sleeves in the newly premiered fifth season. Though only the first episode has been aired, but the small screen audience is already going gaga over the latest season being high on gossip.
It was only yesterday that we informed you about Deepika Padukone's former love interest Ranbir Kapoor and current beau Ranveer Singh are coming together to share the sassy couch on the show. Now, buzz around comedy king, Kapil Sharma sipping coffee with Karan are all over the entertainment columns. Though Kapil will not share the couch with anyone, the episode is still expected to be high on humor and entertainment. Well, he really doesn't need anyone for a company. After all who will dare to bare all infront of Kapil, known for his high wit and one-liners
Until now the audiences have only witnessed Kapil taking a pinch of his guests with his spot-on comic timing in his popular the Kapil Sharma Show. But never have we seen what can happen when the king of comedy himself is on the other side of the couch. His appearance on Koffee With Karan will surely be one of the best episodes to watch out for when we'll see Kapil getting a taste of his own crackling punches as KJo too, is no less in embarrassing the heck out of his guests with his witty questions.
But one thing is for sure, the audience will roll out in laughter when these perfect TV hosts will come together. It will be interesting to see who will end up getting grilled. And for those who are still doubting the entertainment quotient of the upcoming episode, can watch out videos of the Filmfare Awards of 2015 where Kapil Sharma and Karan Johar shared the podium, and believe us they were beyond limits of humour.

Badrinath ki Dulhania first look: Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan have fun in Singapore

New Delhi:MMNN:9 Nov. 2016

Last time we met Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt in the same frame, the film was Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and the scene was set firmly in Delhi. Now a sequel is in the works and we already have the first look, courtesy Karan Johar.
The producer took to Twitter to share the first look and wrote, "First look!!!!! #BadrinathKiDulhania @Varun_dvn and @aliaa08 taking the. #humptysharmakidulhania franchise forward!!!"
Varun and Alia are at present shooting for the film in Singapore. The first look is also from this particular schedule from the film.
Earlier, both Alia and Varun had shared images of the shooting from Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The film is directed by Shashank Khaitan.
The fun didn't end there. Alia and Varun also took a Segway to the streets of Singapore and shared the images on Twitter.
Badrinath Ki Dulhania is a love story of Jhansi boy Badrinath and Vaidehi. While the couple will be reprising their roles as the lead couple, the film is said to be a dark love story with unexpected twists and turns.
Talking about the film, Varun had said earlier to Filmfare, "Badrinath Ki Dulhania is not a sequel but a second installment. It's about Badrinath from Jhansi and what happens in his world. It's a bit more grown up than HSKD. It gets dark with twists and turns, which people won't expect in a Dharma movie. Director Shashank Khaitan is from theatre. So he insisted on rehearsals and workshops for Alia Bhatt and me."
Badrinath Ki Dulhania which also stars Gauahar Khan will be released on March 10 next year.

Twinkle Khanna, Karan Johar: Who's to Blame For That 'Dangerous' Koffee?

New Delhi:MMNN:9 Nov. 2016

Now, now Twinkle Khanna. In a tweet on Tuesday, the 42-year-old author has blithely dismissed her NFSW answers on Koffee With Karan as being of host Karan Johar's making.
"What does Akshay Kumar have that the Khans don't?" Karan asked Twinkle in the sneak peek of episode two of the chat show, to be aired this Sunday. Twinkle's uncensored response left husband Akshay, who was sharing the couch with her, blushing.
In Tuesday's tweet, Twinkle wrote: "Dangerous to drink Koffee with Karan Johar. He always asks me this very question on every public platform! But I put him on the spot too."
Twinkle and Akshay were trending on Monday, after the promo of their episode was released.
At the launch of Twinkle's book Mrs FunnyBones last year, Akshay confessed that he lived in fear of what his outspoken wife might or might not say in public, especially on shows like Koffee With Karan. If memory serves, he was particularly worried that she would use the word penis on air - she doesn't in the promo but she says enough to make it clear that episode Khanna-Kumar will be hilariously explosive.
"I cannot tell you what I go through," Akshay says. We're about to find out, it seems.
Here's the promo. Oh, how do we love thee, Twinkle Khanna? Let us count the ways. Props to Akshay for keeping a suitably straight face despite clearly being knocked for a six.
We're going to be super disappointed if Twinkle doesn't win this rapid fire.
Koffee With Karan 5.0 opened with Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt on the couch. Twinkle, who is a very close friend of Karan's, makes her first appearance on the show. Akshay has already been on Karan's guest list in Season 4.

Benedict Cumberbatch and the curious case of saying 'sorcerer' in American accent

London:MMNN:5 Nov. 2016

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch says he had a tough time saying sorcerer in an American accent in Doctor Strange.
The 40-year-old actor plays the lead role as the Marvel superhero Doctor Stephen Strange in the fantasy film, reported Female First.
"Funny enough 'sorcerer' is really hard (to say) for some reason. And that is a very important word for the character. There's a lot of Rs going on in that one," Cumberbatch said.
The British star took help from film's director Scott Derrickson to get the accent right.
"Probably Scott Derrickson, because he was there all the time. The majority of the crew were English. We had American producers and Scott, and that was sort of it."

Looks like even Akshay Kumar can't escape ageing

MMNN:5 Nov. 2016

Raising kids is not for the faint-hearted and even Akshay Kumar hailed as one of B-wood's few A-listers, defying age even at 47 thanks to a single-minded focus on healthy living, seems to have turned a little gray, even lost a little bit of hair, bringing up two young Kumars.
Mr Khiladi who flew out to Cape Town for a Diwali break, recently shared a picture of himself with his firstborn, Arav, bonding on the beach.
"That feeling when you realise your little boy is not that little anymore... almost my height and borrows my shoes," reflected the proud dad who routinely indulges his four year-old daughter Nitara, letting her accessorise his hair with cutesy rubber bands.
But all the pulling and plaiting seems to be having an adverse effect on our Samson's strong locks.Even as father and son seem mesmerised by the view, we can't peel our eyes off the fast growing bald patch.

Shivaay box office collection day 5: Ajay Devgn film is rock steady, earns Rs 56.96 cr

New Delhi:MMNN:2 Nov. 2016

After a good Diwali, things are getting even better for Ajay Devgn's Shivaay at the box office. On Monday, the film saw a serious spike in footfalls, translating into Rs 17.35 crore in box office collection and Tuesday was no different. Earlier, the film has been going steady at the BO despite mixed reviews.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared the exact numbers on Twitter. He tweeted saying, #Shivaay Fri 10.24 cr, Sat 10.06 cr, Sun 8.26 cr, Mon 17.35 cr, Tue 11.05 cr [part holiday]. Total: 56.96 cr. India biz. ROCK-STEADY! With Tuesday being a holiday in many parts of India due to Bhai Dooj, the film earned Rs 11.05 crore. The expected earning of the film from the extended first weekend is likely to be over Rs 60 crore.
Until now Shivaay has done well on the single screens in comparison to the multiplexes, where Karan Johar's directorial Ae Dil Hai Mushkil has been ruling. The movie made a quiet opening with a collection of Rs 10.24 crore but it has been picking up since then.
Ajay Devgn has returned as a director with this movie after eight long years. Before Shivaay, his directorial U Me Aur Hum tanked at the box-office. But the trade experts are hoping that this action-thriller will not face the same treatment.
Meanwhile, Ranbir-Anushka starrer Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is not only doing a superb business in India but is also attracting a lot of attention of the international markets. Interestingly, ADHM too has almost similar numbers on its first Monday which is 17. 75 cr.

Love You Zindagi: An ode to the uplifting message of Alia Bhatt-SRK's Dear Zindagi

Hyderabad:MMNN:2 Nov. 2016

The new track from Dear Zindagi - 'Love You Zindagi' - is a hummable song that is in harmony with the theme of this slice-of-life film. Composed by Amit Trivedi, the song carries forward the mood of the two "takes" released by the filmmakers which show Shah Rukh Khan's character playing life coach to Alia Bhatt's character, an aspiring filmmaker.
Trivedi has used western musical instruments like violin in the song which lend it a soothing air. They complement the vocals of Jasleen Kaur Royal, whose last song 'Raatien' from the film Shivaay was appreciated for her bubbly and childlike voice. Her voice adds a layer of much-needed innocence to the song which turns that frown upside down.
While Royal's rendition of the stanza makes you fall in love with life, Trivedi's rendition of the chorus delivers the exclamation point. Kausar Munir has kept the lyrics minimalistic as the song reflects the thought of taking life with a pinch of salt. As a befitting ode to life, the words penned down by Munir bring home the point that life is all about embracing hope and letting go of everything that pulls you down.
Given its simple yet catchy lyrics and silvery music, the song reminds us of the title song of the director Gauri Shinde's last film English Vinglish, which was sung by Shilpa Rao.
We got a teaser of this melodious song in the two 'takes' of the film that were released last month but now that the entire song is out, we can safely say that it feels like a breeze and makes us look forward to the film.
Dear Zindagi stars Alia Bhatt and Shah Rukh Khan in the lead roles and is produced by Red Chillies Entertainment, Dharma Productions and Hope Productions.
Dear Zindagi is slated to release on 25 November.

At the time of Sholay, I didn't have a budget: Ramesh Sippy

New Delhi:MMNN:26 Oct. 2016

Veteran filmmaker Ramesh Sippy, who directed the 1975 Bollywood classic Sholay, says that he did not have enough money to finance the film at that time and had to depend on his late father, G.P. Sippy for it.
"While making Sholay, I was very lucky to have my father back me," Sippy said here on Tuesday at the fifth edition of CII Big Picture Summit 2016.
"I remember, when Dilip Kumar took Rs 1 lakh for doing a film, everybody said that the industry would close down," said Sippy.
"At the time of Sholay, I didn't have a budget. I had something in my mind which I shared with my father. The last film he did was 'Seeta Aur Geeta', which costed him Rs 40 lakh.
It turned out to be a hit. I told him that I want a crore to make a film and ended up with Rs 3 crore," he added.
Ramesh remarked that a lot of people doubted that Sholay would not do well at the box office.
"The actual cost of the star cast in the film was Rs 20 lakh, as compared to those Rs 3 crore. People even doubted our sanity at that time."
"Today if you make a film of Rs 150 crore, out of that Rs 100 crore goes to actors. There is something lopsided about the movie-making business today," he said.
Sholay, starring Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini and Jaya Bachchan in the lead, was a massive box office success and is considered as a cult classic in Indian cinema.
At the summit, Ramesh took part in a session, titled "Indian Cinema - Making the Journey from Volumes to Valuation". He was joined by actor-filmmaker Shekhar Kapur; Shobu Yarlagadda, co-founder and CEO, Arka Media Works; Karan Ahluwalia, Senior President & Country Head, Media and Entertainment, Fine Arts, Luxury and Sports Banking Group, Yes Bank; and Raj Kumar Akella, Founding Member, Telangana Intellectual Property Crime Unit (TIPCU).
The session was aimed at discussing monetisation and valuation of Indian films.
While Shekhar Kapur, who was moderating the session, pointed out that China is increasing its number of screens faster than India, Ramesh said, "There is a huge government support in China. The private sector is also there, and the government backs those private companies in building theaters. We don't have that kind of a system in India."
He added that more than Hollywood films, Indian regional films are giving a competition to Bollywood in India.
"It's not just the Hollywood films, a lot of regional films are also doing great business today. There are very good films coming out of various regional film industries. 'Sairat' has done a business of Rs 100 crore in Maharashtra alone. Similar things are happening in other states as well," he said.

Kaabil: Hrithik Roshan's next to be dubbed in Telugu as Balam

Hyderabad:MMNN:26 Oct. 2016

Hrithik Roshan and Yami Gautam-starrer Kaabil is set to be dubbed in Telugu with the title Balam. The first look poster and trailer for the Telugu version will be out on Diwali.
The film is set for a grand release on January 26 clashing with Shah Rukh Khan's next, Raees. The Hindi trailer was out on Tuesday.
The film is produced by Rakesh Roshan under his banner FilmKraft Productions and directed by Sanjay Gupta. After successful hits including Krrish, Krrish 3, Koi Mil Gaya and Kaho Na Pyar Hai, the Roshan duo are trying to make another blockbuster, especially after Hrithik's last outing with Ashutosh Gowariker, Mohenjo Daro, couldn't get numbers.
Many Bollywood flicks starring Hrithik, including Dhoom 2 and Krrish, had a big release because of his immense fan base in the two Telugu speaking states.
Kaabil is a drama thriller written by Vijay Mishra. Hrithik Roshan and Yami Gautam are playing the lead roles. Both the actors are visually impaired in the movie.
"My character is different from what I have done. Hrithik and I are playing blind people in the film. It required a certain kind of homework. It is challenging not just for the actors but also for the director and the rest of the crew.
But everyone is so much into their zone and they know exactly what they want. I think everybody is working really hard to rise above the script," Yami Gautami had said earlier in an interview, sharing her excitement.
Ronit Roy, Rohit Roy and Girish Kulkarni will be also playing supporting roles in the film.
Urvashi Rautela is making a special appearance in a song. Rajesh Roshan is rendering music for songs and background score of Kaabil and its Telugu version, while Sudeep Chatterjee will handle the cinematography.

Every producer who has cast Pakistani artist must pay Rs 5 crore to Army relief fund: Raj Thackeray

MUMBAI:MMNN:22 Oct. 2016

Decks were cleared for the smooth release of 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' on Saturday after a meeting of film producer Karan Johar with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and MNS chief Raj Thackeray in Mumbai.
Film 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil', that features Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, ran into trouble after Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) said it won't allow release of any movie in India that featured Pakistani artistes. It is due for release on October 28, ahead of Diwali.
Film & Television Producers Guild of India president Mukesh Bhatt, producers Sidharth Roy Kapur, Sajid Nadiadwala and Vijay Singh of Fox Star Studios were also present in the meeting.
"Every producer who has cast a Pakistani actor must contribute Rs 5 crore to the Army welfare fund," MNS chief Raj Thackeray said after the meeting.
The MNS chief also raised a question over casting Pakistani actors in Indian films. "While Pakistan has banned Indian content, why do we give them a red carpet here," Raj Thackeray asked.
Thackeray said that "producers will have to give in writing that they will not take Pakistani actors in their films in future."
Claiming victory for MNS agitation, Raj Thackeray said: "We have always protested against Pakistani artistes but Bollywood never understood earlier. Now they have realised."
Earlier, speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mukesh Bhatt said that it was "positive and constructive and 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' will release as per the schedule."
"We discussed the unfortunate events related to the film's release. I shared the film industry's emotions regarding the entire issue. We are Indians first and then comes our business," he said.
Bhatt also said that they have assured the CM that neither the Producers' Guild nor any filmmaker will work with any Pakistani artiste or technician in the future.
Also, the (Producers') Guild will call a meeting to pass a resolution on not working with Pakistani artists. A copy of the same would be sent to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry as well as the chief minister, he said.
Besides, Johar has decided to put a special mention in the beginning of the film paying homage to martyrs.
"Karan Johar will display a slate of tribute for Uri martyrs before 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' starts playing out in the screens. It is a tribute from us to our soldiers," Bhatt said.
The makers of the film starring Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Anushka Sharma in lead roles, will also contribute a portion of its revenue to the Army welfare fund, he said, adding "We owe this to the Army."

Akshay's patriotism continues with Gold, story of India's first Olympic medal

New Delhi :MMNN:22 Oct. 2016

Continuing his patriotic fervour post Airlift and Rustom, Akshay Kumar recently announced his upcoming venture Gold, that depicts the story of India's first Olympic medal as a free nation. Set in 1948, the historic story of India's first Olympic medal as a free nation, #GOLD coming to you on 15th August, 2018!
Produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani's Excel Entertainment, Gold will be Reema Kagti's third directorial venture, after Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. and Talaash, which will hit the screens on the 2018 Independence Day.
Going by the history, the Indian hockey team, captained by Kishan Lal, won its first gold at the 1948 London Olympics as an independent country, defeating Great Britain in the final. The 49-year-old actor, known for his Independence Day releases, will hit the screens with Neeraj Pandey's Crack on August 15, next year.
The story of when India won its first Olympic #Gold medal as an independent nation. Coming 2018.
He is also gearing up for the release of his Tamil debut 2.0, alongside Thalaiva Rajnikanth, where he will be seen portraying a baddie.

Dear Zindagi take 1: Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt gives us the ride of our life

New Delhi:MMNN:19 Oct. 2016

Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt's Dear Zindagi is that oasis of peace in the middle of a crazy, fast'paced life. It is that moment when you meet yourself. It is the feeling you get when you play with a child. It is the mood that envelopes you when you land in Goa on a hard'earned vacation.
Alia Bhatt wants to be free, SRK is wrestling with the ocean and we are just happy after watching Dear Zindagi's Take one, read first teaser. The video of Dear Zindagi is about 1.31'minutes long and that is enough to give you an idea what to expect from the Gauri Shinde film. Her next after Sridevi'starrer English Vinglish is again about its female protagonist.
Alia Bhatt is a girl with the questions, Shah Rukh Khan is the man with the answer. He also seems to be her shrink. Can we have what she is having too?
The film's tagline: 'Life is a ride, you gotta keep moving' is already trending. Alia and SRK's earlier videos had us all intrigued too. She came with questions such as why are Mondays blue or why are Tuesdays impatient.
Shah Rukh's quirky answers were delivered from shower or when he was just up after good night's sleep. He then promised an orange Wednesday and the vibrant colour has truly taken over our day with Dear Zindagi teaser.
Earlier, it was said that will see Pakistani actor Ali Zafar - who is playing a key role in the film - in the film's trailer. However, it has now emerged that there will be no trailers at all, instead the film will have a series of teasers.
Film's director Gauri Shinde told a tabloid, "We have decided not to take the conventional route for this movie. We will release small videos titled Dear Zindagi take 1, take 2, take 3 and so on... The idea is to invite the viewer bit by bit into the experience of the film... It was Shah Rukh's suggestion and I was with him on that."
The film stars Alia Bhatt, Shah Rukh Khan, Kunal Kapoor, Angad Bedi and Aditya Roy Kapur other than Zafar. Alia Bhatt plays Kaira who is out searching for a perfect life.

Amitabh Bachchan starts shooting for 'Sarkar 3'

New Delhi :MMNN:19 Oct. 2016

Amitabh Bachchan started shooting for Ram Gopal Varma's upcoming film 'Sarkar 3'.
After the success of Ram Gopal Varma's Sarkar in 2005 and its sequel Sarkar Raj in 2008, the director is launching the third installment in the series, 'Sarkar 3'.
The film will see Amitabh Bachchan reprising his role as Subhash Nagre. Big B took to his official Twitter account and wrote, "SARKAR 3 ka pehla din !! First day !! Larger, intriguing and oh so unpredictable !!"
'Sarkar 3' also stars Manoj Bajpayee and Yami Gautam. In the film, Yami Gautam plays the role of Annu Karkare, who wants to take revenge on Sarkar for killing her father, whereas Manoj Bajpayee plays Govind Deshpande. Manoj's character is loosely based on a very cranky and slightly violent version of Arvind Kejriwal.
The film also stars Ronit Roy, who plays Gokul Satam in 'Sarkar 3', whereas Amit Sadh plays the role of Shivaji alias Cheeku.
'Sarkar 3' also stars Jackie Shroff, who plays one of the main antagonists in the film. In 'Sarkar 3', his character is referred to as 'Sir'.

'Befikre' trailer records whopping 10 million views in 24 hours

New Delhi:MMNN:12 Oct. 2016

Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor starrer 'Befikre' seems to be celebrating the season the 'Befikre' way, as the recently released trailer garnered 10 million views in the first 24 hours.
'Befikre' took to its official Twitter handle to post an update of how the trailer is faring after a day. "Dare to Love, this December! Spreading the #Befikre zest all over the internet with 10 MILLION VIEWS in just 24hrs!" it tweeted.
The trailer shows a carefree couple living their life to the fullest. Through the teaser, Aditya Chopra promises high energy, masala and a lot of pleasant drama.
Set in vibrant and unconventional style, the characters Dharam and Shyra do not just look great together but also create magic with their no strings attached chemistry.
Ranveer and Vaani were in Paris for the trailer launch at a special ceremony at the Eiffel Tower. 'Befikre' releases on December 9.

Release date of Ranveer'Deepika'Shahid starrer 'Padmavati' finalised and no, it's Christmas this time!

New Delhi :MMNN:12 Oct. 2016

Padmavati has been in news for more reasons than one. And many a times, it's only been grabbing headlines for the wrong reasons.
Now, the makers have finally zeroed in on a date for the big budget period film.
Starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in the lead, the film was speculated to hit screens on Christmas next year.
Now that would have meant a box office clash with Salman Khan's Tiger Zinda Hai. The makers have decided to avoid the clash and hence fixed another date for the release.
The film will not hit theatres on November 17, 2017. This is almost the same time around which Ram Leela too had released three years ago.

Mirzya box office collection: Harshvardhan'Saiyami's romantic tragedy gets a tragic opening

New Delhi:MMNN:8 Oct. 2016

After the critical verdict, the audience verdict is out as well. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Mirzya starring debutants Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher budgeted at Rs 35 crore earned only Rs 2.2 crore on the day of its release (October 7).
Earlier Mr Adarsh had said that the morning and afternoon box office trends of Mirzya was pretty week and that the movie would need to pick up on Saturday and Sunday to reach a respectable total at the box office.
The film based on the Punjabi folklore of Mirza Sahiban has been noted for its visual brilliance and rich music (Shankar'Ehsaan'Loy and Gulzar). However, the film has been criticised for the performances by its lead actors and the film's overall stale pace.
Mirzya is Harshvardhan Kapoor's first Bollywood film. Born to Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor, Harshvardhan has had a great start to his career on pen and paper ' a novelty project by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra ' but the box office figures of Mirzya will definitely need some improvement if Harshvardhan hopes to become a marquee name in the industry.

Finally, real supari for James Bond

New Delhi :MMNN:8 Oct. 2016

Hollywood actor Pierce Brosnan, who has acted in four James Bond movies, has become the new face of the pan masala brand, peddling a product many doctors consider only slightly less harmful than its poorer cousin, gutkha.
Those behind the ad campaign indicated that they got Brosnan to sell their "mouth freshener" to try and make a splash and earn their product new respectability.
In the blizzard of jokes that buffeted social media, not too much attention was paid to one question: what if more Hollywood actors ' ageing and not'so'ageing ' look for brand endorsement opportunities in India? What will it mean for the Bollywood brigade that makes most of its money by selling products?
While the pan masala print ad, splashed across several dailies on Friday, shows Brosnan posing with a Pan Bahar can instead of a gun, the TV ad has all the trappings of a Bond film ' a sports car, smartly dressed men, gorgeous women and stunts.
Shot in Austin, Texas, it shows the 63'year'old actor beating back enemies with a tin of Pan Bahar. It ends with the tag line: "Pan Bahar - Class never goes out of style."
"We had Bollywood actors like Saif Ali Khan promoting our brand, but this time we thought of going international to enhance our product's appeal and make it look classy," said Akhil Jain, CEO with Ashoka and Company, the manufacturer and a subsidiary of the DJ Group.
"It's an elitist viewpoint that pan masala is a pedestrian product: people sitting in corporate boardrooms consume it too," said Sambit Mohanty, creative head of ad agency DDB Mudra North, which prepared the campaign.
"Our idea is to bring respectability to the product and bring it out of pockets and onto the table. It turned out to be very easy to get Brosnan: he readily agreed to promote the brand."
Brosnan's UK'based agent, Rose Parkinson, had till last night not answered an email seeking comments. The Irish actor had earlier endorsed a fabric brand with an Indian connection, Reid and Taylor, but whose roots are Scottish.
"We wanted a strong, mature and stylish face. With the response we have received with the launch of the ad campaign, I think we made a very good choice," Jain said.
Many social media users, though, trolled the pan masala ad with jokes, memes and photo'shopped images of the front'page ads, some showing Brosnan with a pan'stained white beard.
"Can advertising and brand experts tell us if going viral but becoming a laughing stock is a good brand 'strategy'?#PanBahar," tweeted cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle.
Writer and journalist Sadanand Dhume posted a tweet with a video link to the TV commercial: "In case you were wondering what happens to James Bond after he retires. Hint: It's not a happy story."
Some brand strategists were cautious in assessing the ad's possible impact.
"Getting Brosnan may have generated a lot of attention but the comments on the social media have mostly been negative or have expressed surprise," said ad maker and brand expert Santosh Desai. "Only time will tell if drafting in a Hollywood actor will be worth the money."
Health activists chided the company for getting a global celebrity to endorse a "potentially harmful" brand.
"While pan masala brands sell themselves as zero'tobacco products, they have areca nut and some other ingredients that are thought to be carcinogenic. Therefore, no sensible celebrity should endorse them," said Monika Arora, director of the health promotion and tobacco control division at the Public Health Foundation of India.
"We have appealed to Bollywood actors in the past not to endorse these products. It is unfortunate that an internationally recognised face will now promote a pan masala product."
Jain would not say how much the company had spent on its one'year agreement with Brosnan to promote the brand, whose turnover is Rs 230 crore.

Soha Ali Khan film in legal trouble?

New Delhi:MMNN:5 Oct. 2016

A petition was filed in the Delhi High Court to stop the release of 31st October, starring Soha Ali Khan and Vir Das. The film is reportedly about the aftermath of the assassination of Indira Gandhi, which led to the 1984 anti'Sikh riots.
The PIL said that the movie "is an attack on the secular fabric of India and and is contrary to the ideology of the country's oldest political party."
It added, "From whatever little is shown on trailers, it is clear that the action and words used by the characters are of offending nature; they have all ingredients to tarnish the reputation of such persons. Apart from the fact that same can't stand the test of fair comment or that of social interest, they appear to be provocative."
The plea filed by a person called Ajay Katara also sought direction to delete some offensive scenes before the release, saying there were various scenes in the movie which are aimed and targetted against a political figure of the country. The petitioner has, however, not named any leader in the petition.
The plea said that the movie's producer, Magical Dreams Production Pvt Ltd, has used a look'alike of the unnamed political figure "who has been painted in bad light.
That movie has transgressed the right of expression, in as much as a particular person has been targetted so as to invite contempt and hatred against him."

Irrfan adds mystery to India's special trailer of 'Inferno'

New Delhi :MMNN:5 Oct. 2016

Irrfan Khan is seen doing some hardcore action scenes, shows streaks of being the bad guy and then flaunts a discerning smile in the special India trailer of forthcoming Hollywood film 'Inferno', which maintains the mystery element around his character.
The special trailer was launched on Tuesday here in the presence of Irrfan and the actor quipped that the film can now be called 'Irrfano' instead of 'Inferno'.
The trailer is packed with action, suspense, mystery and thrill as the visuals are used to sketch a brief about Irrfan's character, and leaves the audience with more unanswered questions.
In the Sony Pictures Entertainment's film, Tom Hanks will be seen reprising the role of Robert Langdon, a professor of symbology at Harvard University. Irrfan is playing Harry 'The Provost' Sims, head of The Consortium, in the movie.
The film will present a trail of clues tied to the great Dante himself. When Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Sienna Brooks (played by Felicity Jones), a doctor he hopes will help him recover his memories. They race across Europe and against the clock to foil a deadly global plot, and Irrfan joins their mission to save the world.
The special trailer opens with Hanks laying out the plot of the film which also touches upon overpopulation issue. And Irrfan makes his first appearance with dialogue " 'Where is professor Langdon now?'
There are also cues that Irrfan, who has made a name for himself in India as well as West, might just be the bad guy in the film. As Irrfan's dialogue of asking someone to remove Langdon might come as a blow to the people rooting for the actor's character in the film.
However, the trailer leaves one guessing as to what's the actual intention of Irrfan's character.
After hitting jackpot with Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels & Demons', Ron Howard returned to infuse life to his popular 2013 book 'Inferno'. The film is releasing in India on October 14 " two weeks before it opens in the US.
Irrfan is excited over the hype being generated around the film. He said: "It (India special trailer) is a very interesting move and they know how to do business. So it something amazing. You also feel very nice the way it is placed."
While Irrfan is all praise about the film and the marketing strategy, Vivek Krishnani, Managing Director, Sony Pictures Entertainment, India, hopes that the buzz reflects on the box office collections.
"We thought of coming out with a special trailer because a. India is to be perceived as a very important market for Hollywood and second because Irrfan plays a pivotal role in it...That also gives us the ability to release two weeks in advance. We are hoping combination of all these things gives us a huge box office," Krishnani said.
'Inferno' will release in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu along with English in more than 1000 screen in India. And Krishnani says they have planned a number of 'specific activities in regional markets' so that the film establishes a connect with audience from around the country.

MS Dhoni's fan reviews his 'untold story': A few mishits, but man'of'the'match Sushant Rajput hits a six

New Delhi:MMNN:1 Oct. 2016

Virat Kohli has just been dismissed. Mahendra Singh Dhoni senses an opportunity and decides to promote himself to counter the threat of Muralitharan. You can make out it's the dressing room at the Wankhede Stadium; there is a picture of Dilip Vengsarkar in action adorning the wall with Dhoni's famous No 7 jersey hanging next to it. You know it's Dhoni from his familiar gait, the way he holds his bat, his idiosyncrasies and mannerisms. It's a pivotal moment in the match and your heart is racing as you mutter under your breath, "Come on, Dhoni."
Of course, this is just a movie, but you can swear you are going through the same emotions and excitement you feel when watching a similar scene unfolding on your TV screen in a real match. Sushant Rajput already looks the part. There is a full house at the theater chanting "Dhoni Dhoni", creating a stadium'like atmosphere. Excited, you buckle in for the ride.
Spread over three hours, Dhoni: The Untold Story takes you through various events and places in the life of "Mahi", as everyone calls him in the movie. I have always been a Dhoni admirer. A movie on his life was an emotional, at times almost spiritual experience for me.
But despite the initial excitement, the ride didn't end as well as I expected, which is a shame for a movie about the greatest finisher in the modern game, and one that had promised so much. As a lifelong sports fanatic, I have always looked forward to movies based on sports. If it is based on cricket, then it almost becomes my responsibility to watch it. I remember watching Aamir Khan's Awwal Number on Doordarshan all those years ago, and how despite a poor script, incessant hamming, and technical flaws, I felt gratified in seeing people talk about cricket in a movie.
Aamir Khan finished that movie with a six, a feat he will repeat many years later - or earlier, if you go by the period in which the movie was set - in Lagaan, easily the best cricket movie ever made.
By the way, ever wondered how every Bollywood cricket movie ends with a six? Even Harman Baweja ended Victory with a six off Brett Lee that sailed so high, it broke a light bulb in the giant floodlights at the MCG!
It's a shame that Bollywood hadn't explored sports movies as eagerly as it should have before. Sports gives you the perfect recipe for dramatic stories where you can witness a winner and a loser, pure joy and pure agony, inspiration and shame, all unfolding at the same time, overlapped with each other.
I am glad that Bollywood is now making up for it with fictional stories, biopics, and even biopics riddled with fiction that revolve around sports. One area where we weren't at par with Hollywood sports movies was the depiction of the sport itself. Dhoni: The Untold Story addresses that part and sets the bar for future productions to emulate.
In Rajput, we have an actor who has the physique, fitness, and grace of an actual cricketer. To a trained eye, it's always easy to differentiate between an actor who is just repeating a batting motion he has just been taught, as was the case with Emraan Hashmi in his portrayal of Azhar, and one who can actually hold a bat, like Sushant can.
You fall in love with the way Sushant stands at the crease, wipes his forehead under the grill, and then throws both his hands up and bends down to take his stance. He raises his bat high every time he taps it on the ground. Every mannerism reminds you of Dhoni. Even when he is shown giving a post'match interview for the first time, he speaks just like Dhoni used to at that time, with trite remarks and deliberate pauses.
And of course, there is the famous helicopter shot, and it gets a lot of attention. From how Dhoni picks it from a friend in a local tennis ball match at Ranchi, to every time they show him batting in the middle, you are never far away from a helicopter shot. But if I had to nitpick on the technical aspects, I can point out that Sushant's grip on the bat could have been more bottom handed, to make it appear more Dhoni'like.
The first half of the movie takes you through the inspiring story of Dhoni's childhood and early cricket career. Father Anupam Kher is back in his Bend it like Beckham avatar, trying to keep Dhoni off the playground as much as possible. The way young Dhoni fights adversities, setbacks and frustrations at every step to steadily climb the ladders of success is heartwarming and should easily be the high point of the movie for a dedicated Dhoni fan.
His tongue'in'cheek remarks as a kid while walking in to bat or talking to his school coach are genuinely funny and you can almost imagine Dhoni, with his dry sense of humour, talking like that in his early days. Apart from the portrayal of the titular character, Neeraj Pandey has paid a lot of attention to detail to ensure everything in the movie looks authentic. To depict a Cooch Behar trophy match from 1999, they actually show Keenan stadium in Jamshedpur, where the match was played.
They even manage to find a proper Yuvraj Singh lookalike who scored a mammoth 358 in that match. Every match detail from Dhoni's U'19 days to his Deodhar trophy and India A performances seems well researched and accurate.
The second half of the movie is mainly about Dhoni's love interests, with brief glimpses about his life as an Indian cricketer. The major challenge in making a biopic is not what to show but what to exclude. In this case, Dhoni's India career is mostly ignored, something I already expected given the title had the words "untold story" in it. Dhoni's encounters with women in his life are fun, to begin with, but get dull and needlessly long with a few too many songs and trademark Bollywood big budget on'location scenes.
From time to time, they keep showing Dhoni shooting an ad for some product. Doing it once would have been fine, but doing it for several products, including the fairness cream that Sushant himself endorses, gets seriously annoying. All this takes a toll on the length of the movie, which is now over three hours, and all you want now is to go back to the 2011 World Cup final.
Eventually, they do go back to the match, with Ravi Shastri in his booming voice trying to add to the drama. They show actual footage from the match, but the pictures all look grainy. In an effort to overlay Sushant's face over Dhoni's, it seems they had to compromise on the resolution of the pictures and you seem deprived of watching World Cup final properly on a big screen, which would have been an experience in itself for cricket fans.
I am no movie critic, so I will refrain from out star ratings. Instead, I would like to hand out a "man'of'the'match" award to Sushant Singh Rajput for a memorable portrayal of Dhoni. The movie had set out to chase a stiff target set by Dhoni fans and despite falling short, it can claim a moral victory and take a lot of positives from it. Cricket is the real winner at the end of the day!

Karan Johar Starts Shooting For Koffee With Karan

New Delhi :MMNN:1 Oct. 2016

Filmmaker Karan Johar is all set to return to television which freshly brewed Koffee. Shooting of his popular television show Kofee With Karan has started.
Karan Johar's Koffee guest list is highly anticipated and rumour has it that his close friend and actor of films like My Name Is Khan and kuch Kuch Hota Hai Shah Rukh Khan will open the upcoming fifth season. Alia Bhatt. Karan's Student and SRK's Dear Zindagi co'star, may accompany him.
Shah Rukh, who was Karan's first guest in seasons 1 to 3 failed to make an appearance last time.
Instead, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan made their Koffee debut.
Salman was joined by his father Salim Khan while Kiran Rao kept company to Aamir.
Other popular duos from last year were Kareena Kapoor Khan and cousin Ranbir Kapoor,
Gunday co'stars Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh and Bajirao Mastani actresses Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone.