MUMBAI: Here are the fresh and new happenings from the world of Bollywood.
Israeli band to perform at IIT-Kanpur
An Israeli post-rock band will perform at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur on Friday, an official of the Israeli embassy said on Tuesday.
Leading the Israeli alternative music scene, Tiny Fingers is heading to India for a five-city tour which includes slots at IIT Kanpur and the NH7 Weekender in Shillong and Kolkata.
Regarded as a forerunner of Israel's thriving and eclectic music scene, Tiny Fingers combine post-rock and live electronics with psychedelic grooves forming a powerful, super intensive musical mix, Press Officer of the Israeli Embassy in India Snehal Tripathi said.
"A festival favourite both in their home country and abroad, their live act is a mind blowing experience of futuristic sounds and visuals, which has led them to be handpicked to open for The Mar's Volta, Damian Marley, Dub Trio, All them Witched and many more," he added.
The band comprises Oren Ben David on guitar, Boaz Bentur on bass, Tal Cohen on drums, and Nimrod Bar on keys and synths.
The band has five critically acclaimed albums under their belt and tours across the world that has seen them perform at a number of clubs and festivals.
Other than their performance at IIT-Kanpur, the band will also perform at Mumbai (October 28), New Delhi (November 1), Meghalaya (November 2) and Kolkata (November 3).
Priyadarshan-Mohanlal film's shoot to begin on 1 December
After two years, the biggest names in the Malayalam industry director Priyadarshan and versatile superstar Mohanlal -- will join hands yet again when the shooting for Marakkar: the Lion of Arabian Sea begins at the Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad on 1 December.
The last time the two worked together was for the 2016 film Oppam, which was a hit.
Priyadarshan told leading publication that things are all falling in place for the new movie.
"The schedule is such that 75 per cent of the film would be shot in the Film City, with Ooty and Rameshwaram taking the rest of the film's space," said Priyadarshan, who resides in Chennai and shuttles between Thiruvananthapuram and Hyderabad.
The film tells the tale of Kunhali Marakkar, the famous naval chief of the Zamorin of Calicut, often known for organising the first naval defense of the Indian coast.
On expected lines, Mohanlal, known for his flexibility and adaptability to any character, will play the key role of Marakkar, while his son and upcoming talent Pranav plays a cameo as the 'young Mohanlal'.
The chemistry between Priyadarshan and Mohanlal has time and again proved to be superhit. Keerthy Suresh, daughter of producer Suresh Kumar and yesteryear actress Maneka, has a key role in the film.
Asked about the budget, Priyadarshan shrugged and said except that, all other things are ready.
"Sabu Cyril is working on the sets and another thing that at the moment cannot be worked out is the cost factor, as the post production is going to be held abroad. The music and background score is also going to cost a bit. Hence, we decided not to think about the budget at the moment," added the master director.
The star cast includes thespian Madhu, Manju Warrier, other actors from south India and Bollywood, besides four British actors and one Chinese actor.
"The costumes are also getting ready as the star cast has been finalised. Thiru will crank the camera and this time I have decided to do another experiment and will ask three different music directors to do one song each, while a fourth one would be entrusted to do one song where there will be no singer but only an instrumental one," added the 61-year-old veteran who has done 91 commercial films in his close to four decade-long career.
Priyadarshan signed off by saying that the shooting will end on 15 March next year and the film would be released only in 2020 as he is going to give the maximum attention to post production work.
The film is being produced by Antony Perumbavoor, Santhosh T. Kuruvilla and C.J. Roy.
Indo-British singer Juggy D might do a devotional song - for his mom
Juggy D is one of the artistes credited with popularising the "Urban desi" music genre in 2003. While dance numbers remain his forte, the Indo-British singer says he might record a devotional song as his mother wants him to.
Be it "Dance with you (Nachna tere naal)" or his latest track "Get down", Juggy D, whose given name is Jagwinder Singh Dhaliwal, has been mostly associated with fast-paced dance music.
Asked if he would like to use music to convey messages, Juggy D told a leading publication in a telephonic interview, "There's a song that I did called 'Akheer'. The message is that if you are feeling low and you feel like your life is over, then don't feel like that.
"My mum really wants me to do a devotional song. So yeah, maybe I will do that also. But I will do that on a different platform just to keep my mum happy. Even if others don't get to hear it, I will just record it and send it to her."
But for now, he enjoys making dance tracks.
"(I like) the energy. It represents me. I am an up-tempo kind of a guy. I have a lot of energy and I like to portray that in my music, to make people smile and dance," said the "Sohniye" hitmaker, who has been professionally in the music scene since 2002.
And he doesn't care if he gets stereotyped.
"If people say 'This guy makes dance numbers'. That's what I do. It's cool. Sometimes I do romantic, mid-tempo tracks. As an artiste, you experiment with a few other things but yeah, I am known for pop Punjabi music, urban Indian music, and that's what people love to hear from me.
"So, I don't care if people stereotype me. As long as I deliver a good song and they like it, it's cool," he said.
His love for music goes back to his childhood days.
"I was more into Punjabi folk music, but being in the UK, I listened to a lot of reggae and pop music. So, my influence is from all over. Rishi Rich (music producer) was working on one song. Then he decided to work with (rapper) Jay Sean. We ended up creating a genre which kind of shook the music industry.
"The song 'Dance with you (Nachna tere naal)' became an iconic track. Even today, 15 years after the song released, people still love that song."
Talking about his party song "Get down", he said, "The response has been amazing. It is growing nicely. People are loving the vibe."
For this, he again teamed up with Rishi Rich. Doesn't he feel bored of working with him?
"No. I'll never get bored," Juggy D said with a laugh.
"We have so much fun. We bring out the best in each other. He gave me my break, so how can I leave him? I work with other people, but the chemistry that we have, I don't get it from elsewhere.
"Sometimes, when we work together for four to five days, we start getting on each other's nerves. We say, 'I won't be around you anymore'. But then we get back together."
They are responsible for delivering many chartbusters, including "U 'n' I" from the National Award-winning film Hum Tum. Isn't there any pressure on them while working with each other?
"No. We work on a vibe. When something good is made, you get the feeling. The main thing about music is to have fun with it. If you are under pressure and say 'Okay, we need to make a song like dance music'. That's not going to happen."
Recounting his experience of collaborating with Rishi, he said, "I had gone to Atlanta, where Rishi was staying. In six days, we recorded seven songs. We didn't release any of those songs. After that, we worked on other stuff also."
He has so much material that he can release an album as well. But he won't.
"I want to do singles. You make a good song and a video. Sometimes, you may have eight songs on an album, but only three videos. Nobody even listens to the rest (the ones without videos) so, what's the point of doing an album? I will make songs one by one," shared the artiste, who launched his self-titled album in 2004 and followed it up with two more.
His other frequent collaborator is Jay Sean.
"I have already started working on a song with him. Normally, when we do a song with Jay and Rishi, it's known as the Rishi Rich Project song. This time, I called him up and said, 'I have a song. You have to feature in it'. He is my brother. He can't say no to me," said Juggy D.
Don't get carried away by what you see: Model Diva Dhawan tells aspirants
Supermodel Diva Dhawan, who was born and brought up in New York, feels the Indian fashion industry is actively promoting diversity, and says aspiring models should opt for this career without getting carried away by the glitz and glamour that they see.
"I'm just happy that people are paying more attention to what's happening in the modelling industry in India and models in India. I will suggest that all upcoming models do it for the right reasons, do it for yourself! Don't get carried away with what you see," Diva told leading publication over an e-mail when asked about her take on the industry.
She also feels that the industry has now become very diverse.
"The Indian fashion industry has been very actively promoting diversity. I'm super proud to say that and stand for it too. You see these changes in magazines and all over social media. It's amazing," she said.
Diva landed on the ramp when she was just 14. It was charity shows for Manish Arora and JJ Valaya in New York which introduced her to the Indian fashion alleys and there was no looking back after that. She was seen walking for country's top designers at leading fashion weeks.
However, currently she has taken a break from modelling.
"I've had an excellent career as a runway model but I've chosen to take a backseat on participating in fashion weeks for now... What's keeping me busy is something I've always been super passionate about -- TV. I've just wrapped a style show with Fox Life.
"TV presenting/hosting has always been something I've wanted to pursue and I'm so grateful that I've got a break in that space," she said.
So, why not Bollywood on the mind?
"Nothing has kept me away. I don't think I've ever moved to Bombay (Mumbai) with the intention of making any kind of Bollywood entry but as they say, never say never," said Diva.
She has been roped in as a part of fitness brand HRX family along with another model, Gabriella Demetriades. With this association, the brand is set to grow its HRX family with some of India's flagbearers of fitness and fashion.
From the runway to the gym, Diva and Gabrielle push the limits to break boundaries and prove that nothing is impossible. They are seen in HRX womenswear campaigns.
But being a model, how difficult or easy is it for her to stay fit and healthy at the same time?
"It is not easy, but I make time for work-outs. I work out four-five days a week and my favourite classes are Pilates, yoga and ballet barre. I like doing exercises that mostly use your own body weight and also things you can do anywhere -- not just a gym. That's how I balance myself," she said.
‘Nutcracker and The Four Realms' gets India release date
Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms will release in India along with the world on 2 November.
Inspired by both ETA Hoffmann's classic story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" and Alexandre Dumas' retelling in the 1892 Tchaikovsky ballet "The Nutcracker", the film is directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston.
"‘The Nutcracker' inspired my daughter to take up dancing," said Hallstrom in a statement.
"This film combines all of the best film-making elements-drama, comedy, music, special effects and dance. It was a heavenly experience," he added.
The live-action movie follows life of a girl named Clara who is tasked by her parents with taking care of a toy Nutcracker doll, which comes to life and defeats an evil Mouse King with seven heads.
Stars like Mackenzie Foy, Morgan Freeman, Jayden Fowora-Knight, Helen Mirren and Keira Knightley are attached to the project.
Samir supports LGBTQ documentary
Actor Samir Kochhar will be funding a documentary which revolves around the life of people from the LGBTQ community.
Some students from a university in Ranchi approached Samir with the idea of funding the documentary. It will be about how people from the community deal with their issues after the Supreme Court decision to de-criminalize homosexuality.
"I think in today's time people have become more receptive and open about such topics. I believe what matters is a story and this is something which needs to be told. I feel proud to be part of this change and help them get the recognition they deserve," Samir said in a statement.
"I can't talk in detail about it right now. But all I can say is that this is basically an effort to bring a small change in the life of people after the decision on Section 377 (of the Indian Penal Code) by highlighting their stories and struggles through that phase so they get their place in the society," he added.
Samir feels that "change has already taken place".
"The fact that people are now openly accepting their relationships and rights is a sign that it is only moving forward. And now they can claim their rights and don't have to be shy about anything. Also, such documentaries can add up to this in a big way," he added.
I strongly believe stories come from small towns: Rajkumar Hirani
Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani has said he strongly believes stories come from small towns.
Hirani was interacting with the media at the announcement of the second edition of Cinestaan Script Contest along with Anjum Rajabali and Juhi Chatuvedi on Monday in Mumbai.
"I strongly believe stories come from the small towns. People have more exposure to life there. In big cities, especially like Mumbai, all the time goes in travelling," he said.
"I grew up in a small town and we could just walk into a neighbor's house. Here, in Mumbai, we don't have the time to even meet our friends. Stories are out there. It's just that we have to find them and I feel writing needs to be taught in a way that they can become proper screenplays. I think it's an extremely good initiative where the start has been made."
Talking about circumstances of writers while writing a film script, the maker of PK said, "I think writers need to be respected a little more financially. They are foundation of every film and unless you pay the writer probably the maximum amount of money in your film, you won't find good writers because it's a big struggle for writers."
I have seen, in Mumbai, people are trying to write four scripts at the same time because they are not sure which one will start and which one will work. A small token money is given to them for experimenting by saying that "you work on this script and if it turns out to be good, then we will make a film out of it".
So, the writer doesn't have idea whether the film will be made of his story or not. "At the same time, he is getting paid less, so he starts writing for another script. But you cannot write four scripts at the same time."
About Cinestaan Script Contenst, Hirani said, "First, I want to thank Rohit Khattar and Anjum Raajabali for having this initiative. For years, we as filmmakers have been trying to tell this to corporates and this is something that we are not equipped to do at an individual level and we really don't know how to do it as filmmakers to go out and hunt for stories."
Aamir Khan, Rajkumar Hirani, Juhi Chaturvedi and Anjum Rajabali, who were on the jury for the first edition, will continue in the same capacity for the second edition as well.
Child abuse not taken seriously by Indian men: Shweta Pandit
Singer Shweta Pandit, who has accused veteran music composer Anu Malik of sexual misconduct, says child abuse is not taken seriously by men in the country.
Pandit on Monday tweeted: "All these 'young men' on Twitter, who keep asking 'so what happens next' in a few days of my tweet are forgetting that I kept this in my heart for 17 years. We live in a country that constantly questions 'only women' on the silliest of things. We don't want any more dumb questions."
"Post my tweet I've also realised that child abuse is not taken seriously by most men (mindset is totally wrong) in India. 'Just a peck', 'oh it must be like uncle', 'it must be on cheek' came across some disturbing mentalities/replies online India #MeToo Maneka Gandhi."
Pandit, in a Twitter post, had recounted her ordeal with Malik in an incident dating back to 2000. She claims once in a cabin at a studio, he told her he would give her a song with Sunidhi Chauhan and Shaan "but first give me a kiss now".
"He then smiled, what I would recall the most evil grin I've seen," Pandit said of the incident when she was all of 15 years old.
Malik has denied allegations that he sexually harassed Pandit, who has called him a "pedophile" and "sexual predator".
She then wrote that if "you guys are trivialising my experience as a 15-year-old as 'just a peck' or no big deal, you need to be slapped by your mother at home and also know that you have the germs of becoming a predator yourself!"
Huma Qureshi's friends call her 'kebab royalty'
Actress Huma Qureshi says she loves Mumbai, but the city is a "little sad" when it comes to the food scene.
"I love kebabs. Therefore, my friends affectionately call me 'kebab royalty'. I love Mumbai but when it comes to food it is a little sad, the tikkas are not as great as what we get at home. They need a little makeover," Huma, whose family owns a restaurant in Delhi, said in a statement.
Huma expressed her love for food when she appeared on "Midnight Misadventures with Mallika Dua" hosted by comedienne Mallika Dua. The show is aired on TLC.
Asked from where she gets kebabs in Mumbai, Huma said, "I have a vendor in town who sells best meat ever. So, sometimes we get it from him or otherwise whenever we fly down to Delhi either me or my brother get it from home."
On her equation with bother Saqib, Huma, said, "My brother and I are really close to each other. We can talk about our relationships and life. He is amazing but when it comes to household work, he is a pig. We live together, but he does not cook and always leaves the room in a mess. I am like his housekeeper or governess at home. I also enjoy it because I have someone to look after."
Mallika said she loved shooting with Huma.
"She has so much spunk, warmth and a hundred percent game to play along with the Halloween theme. It was super fun to shoot with her," she added.
Drama comes more naturally than comedy to Sharman Joshi
Sharman Joshi's filmography is a mix of comedy, thriller, horror and romance movies, but it's the actor's comic timing that is often appreciated. Surprisingly, he says drama comes more naturally to him rather than comedy.
Going by the trailer of his forthcoming film Kaashi in Search of Ganga, he plays an intense character in it.
Asked how difficult or easy it is for him to play a role like this, Sharman told a leading publication in a telephonic interview, "Emotions and drama come naturally to me. They are more of interest to me as an actor. Comedy is kind of...now I am fairly comfortable with it also. But to do comedy, I had to spend a lot of time on myself and work on myself."
His experience in theatre helped him to work on his comic timing.
"I was well prepared by the time I came to cinema," said the Lajja actor, who made his debut in cinema in 1999 with the biographical drama movie Godmother and later showcased his comic skills in films like Style, Golmaal and 3 Idiots.
"I had done a couple of plays which required comic timing. The audience became my tutor. But yes, emotions and drama come more naturally and easily. That is why Kaashi was fun to play," he added.
He "absolutely loved" the script of Kaashi in Search of Ganga.
"I feel that generally in thrillers, the last 20 minutes are very crucial. Of course, the whole movie has to be engaging but the last 20 minutes, especially when the story unveils itself... the story (of 'Kaashi...') was holding itself beautifully. The surprise element of the story is shown in a logical and systematic fashion, which makes it even more special," he said.
The film's shooting location, Banaras, added depth to the film's story.
"The script of 'Kaashi...' is very layered. It has a lot of depth in it and the backdrop of Banaras just added to the narrative," said Sharman.
He also learnt the accent spoken by the people of the city, which is in Uttar Pradesh.
What about trying his hand at regional films?
"I think next year, I should be able to do something in Gujarati. I have not signed anything till now, but there is a script, which I might do," said the Super Nani actor.
He is also looking forward to the release of Babloo Bachelor, a romantic-comedy.
But his one film, Tom, Dick, and Harry 2, is "stuck".
"The producers had some financial issues. So, it is stuck at the moment," he said.
"You put in energy and time into a project and when it gets stalled, it definitely impacts you. If they decide to revive it after many years, then the film will lose out and then you will lose out. That impacts you as an actor," he added.
Still, he has more to look forward to - his debut in the digital space.
"I have met a couple of people. I don't know which one will get locked first. AltBalaji is one of them. Nothing is finalised," he shared.
Shammi Kapoor deserved title 'Elvis Presley of India': Shatrughan Sinha
Veteran actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha remembered late actor Shammi Kapoor on his 87th birth anniversary, saying he truly deserved the title of "Elvis Presley Of India".
Shatrughan on Monday tweeted: "Remembering the legend and the super energetic actor Shammi Kapoor who carved an extraordinary niche for himself... Especially for his grooving dancing style."
The 72-year-old actor added that Shammi "was ahead of his times in everything and was the first among contemporaries to have mastered the Internet. He was truly deserving of the title ‘Elvis Presley of India'. You live among us with your unforgettable songs, dances and movies! RIP."
Shammi was a prominent lead actor in Hindi cinema. He made his Hindi film debut in 1953 with the film Jeevan Jyoti. He was later seen in films like Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Dil Deke Dekho, Junglee, Kashmir Ki Kali, Janwar, Teesri Manzil, An Evening in Paris, Bramhachari and Sachaai.
He died in 2011 after suffering chronic renal failure, aged 79.
‘Kaagaz Ki Kashti' to release on 2 November
Kaagaz Ki Kashti, which traces the life of legendary ghazal singer and composer late Jagjit Singh, will release on 2 November.
Kaagaz Ki Kashti will release exclusively under PVR LIVE at PVR cinemas, read a statement.
Born Jagmohan Singh in Rajasthan and belonging to a Punjabi Sikh family, Jagjit Singh left an indelible mark in the world of music with his treasury of ghazals, many of them sung jointly with his wife Chitra Singh.
The duo, credited with the revival of and popularising ghazals, also composed music for several Bollywood films including Arth, Saath Saath, Sajda and Prem Geet.
During his musical career starting 1961 till his demise, Jagjit Singh released around 80 ghazal albums which are popular even today. He passed away on 10 October 2011.
Kaagaz Ki Kashti is an evocative film of not just Jagjit Singh's life, but also of the monumental legacy he has left behind. The film includes in-depth conversations with friends, family, colleagues and archival footage.
(Source: IANS )
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