August 2017 – Page 18

Hrithik Roshan to be coached by ‘Super 30’ genius Anand Kumar for biopic

Aug 182017

Hrithik-Anand There has been much conjecture over Hrithik Roshan’s next — from the look of things, it seems the actor will soon start Vikas Bahl’s biopic on Super 30 genius, Anand Kumar. Given his streak for perfection, it’s not surprising that Roshan has been having several meetings with the math wizard — a picture from one of their meetings even went viral.

In fact, Kumar reveals that he has been overseeing the script, right from its inception.

“Both Hrithik and Vikas have kept me in the loop. They want to make the story as authentic as possible. They have taken a lot of research material from me. Vikas has promised that I will be consulted at every point during the research and writing process. I’m satisfied with the way it’s shaping up,” he says.

While he has had several takers for his biopic, Kumar is certain that Roshan is the best choice to bring his story on screen. “I understand that Hrithik cannot look like me, but that is not the point of the film. He wants to embrace the spirit of my story,” he says, adding that the actor will undergo a few months’ training before the project goes on floors.

Talking about being the subject of a Bollywood film, he says, “I was skeptical about giving out my story to anyone, but Vikas really convinced me. I could see their drive at creating something unique.”

One might suspect that his skepticism was a case of once bitten, twice shy – Anurag Basu had committed to make a film based on him, only to back out without even informing him. Reflecting on it, Kumar says, “I was hurt, but it has worked out for the best. I’m hopeful that this team will do more justice. I wanted my story to go in the right hands.”

‘Viceroy House' Review: An Absurd Film About The Partition Of India

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Aug 182017

The film opens with a line, “History is written by the victors”. It’s enough to intrigue you and you’re now looking forward to what Gurinder Chadha has in store for you. But, you’re going to be a little more than surprised!

In a Delhi mansion, you see Lord Mountbatten (Hugh Bonneville); who has arrived to decide the fate of the country. The last viceroy is seen entering his new house and with him, comes the gift of freedom for India.

In Chadha’s film, the British finally deciding to leave India is actually a benevolent act. After fighting the Germans, they are too exhausted to rule India anymore. Hence, the difficult job of letting go of the country falls into the lap of the last viceroy of India.

‘Viceroy House' Review: An Absurd Film About The Partition Of India © Viceroy House

The nation is on fire, thousands have been killed and hundreds of women have been raped in Punjab and Bengal. And hence Mountbatten decides that dividing India in two is the only solution. But little does he know that he is just a puppet, the strings are in someone else’s hands. He is just doing what he’s told.

The movie revolves around the theory of how Lord Mountbatten wasn’t responsible for the partition but it was actually Winston Churchill who decided our fate.

The whole idea of dividing two countries, one for Hindus and Sikhs and the other for Muslims was done from the perspective of controlling Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Denzel Smith) because dealing with Jawaharlal Nehru (Tanveer Ghani) could be a difficult task.

‘Viceroy House' Review: An Absurd Film About The Partition Of India © Viceroy House

And, the poor Viceroy was clueless, despite being the King’s relative. And when he was introduced to the facts, he felt devastated, guilty and miserable. Somehow, what he did makes him and his wife Lady Edwina Mountbatten (Gillian Anderson) more empathetic in the eyes of the people of India.

You do feel sad for Mountbatten when he tries to raise his voice about being used and Lord Ismay (Michael Gambon) simply states that it might be someone else’s vision but he is the man responsible for India’s division because the entire plan is called, “Mountbatten Plan”. Well, you got to give the director credit for this scene, because it does grip you.

The film also revolves around the people working in the viceroy’s house. You have Jeet Kumar (Manish Dayal) and Aaliya (Huma Qureshi) who love each other but the partition might destroy everything.

‘Viceroy House' Review: An Absurd Film About The Partition Of India © Viceroy House

Let’s not forget Mahatma Gandhi (Neeraj Kabi) whose makeup is so terrible that it hurts looking at him. People who feel there might be something about Lady Mountbatten and Nehru’s affair, well, there is literally nothing!

There is no denying that the director’s intentions are genuine, but this 1947 historical drama about the partition is nothing but a fatuous and absurd narrative. You feel that somewhere, it didn’t look like the director’s vision but more of a mouth-piece for the English.

‘Viceroy House' Review: An Absurd Film About The Partition Of India © Viceroy House

There is nothing in Chadha’s partition that we aren’t aware of. You might feel engulfed at times, looking at how a lot of people suffered but that’s just temporary.

This film’s focus more on the idea to prove that the Viceroy was not responsible for the tragedy. Which it actually does is misguide the Indian audience as the Hindi dubbed releases with the name, ‘Partition 1947’.

Chadha’s tries to present a dark chapter from Indian history in such a simple and unsubtle manner that it’s too difficult to digest.

Check out the trailer below:

Don’t care which film as long as there’s Salman Khan: Jacqueline Fernandez

Celebrities

Aug 182017

salman-khan-and-jacqueline-fernandez In industry parlance, bagging the female lead in a Salman Khan starrer is quite a coup and by those standards, Jacqueline Fernandez is in an enviable spot.

The actor had been roped in for Remo D’Souza’s dance drama, Go Daddy, opposite Khan. However, recent developments suggest that the superstar has allotted those dates to Race 3, which is also being helmed by D’Souza. Buzz is that Fernandez may land a role in Race 3 as well.

Talking to mid-day, Jacqueline Fernandez reveals, “I’m doing a film with Salman, but I’m not sure which one. The line-up of the film has changed. Right now the slot is open, and Salman and Remo are debating which film to go ahead with.”

While the script may be the barometer to choose a film on other occasions, the actor says she’ll happily make an exception for Salman Khan. “I’m okay with any of the films as long as I get to work with Salman,” she laughs.

Her fondness for Khan is evident. Having worked with him in Kick (2014), she is glad to share screen space with him again in Judwaa 2, where he will be seen in one of the songs. “Having him on the sets was so amazing. He brings in so much of energy. David sir and Sajid Nadiadwala became nostalgic, it was like a mini reunion. Varun [Dhawan], Taapsee [Pannu] and I just kept listening to their stories.”

'Annabelle: Creation' Will Haunt You For Days

Celebrities

Aug 182017

When it comes to horror movies, most of them never fail to frighten and entertain us, at the same time. With the onset of filming dreadful plots along with a captivating storyline, the filmmakers have used every opportunity to scare the audience. The essence of fear and what might go wrong is in itself, a thrilling experience. With a reliance on special effects and 3D sound effects, such movies can be extremely potent film forms, tapping into our dreams and invading our nightmares.

Director David Sandberg is here with his new film ‘Annabelle: Creation’, another terrifying story to the paranormal demon-hosting doll franchise. ‘Annabelle: Creation’ is the third time the doll has been on the silver screen, after a guest appearance in ‘The Conjuring’ (2013) and as the lead in ‘Annabelle’ (2014). In many ways, this film is probably the scariest of the lot.

‘Annabelle: Creation' Is Not For Faint Hearted © New Line Cinema

Back in 1940’s, a doll-maker and his wife, played by Anthony LaPaglia and Miranda Otto living in the demonic bungalow in the suburbs, suffers the loss of their only daughter in a tragic accident. The wife, Esther Mullins is a simpering loner and Samuel Mullins is in a bizarre state of lament. Still grieving the death of their daughter, they both decide to open up their California farmhouse as an orphanage to young girls.

The couple don’t realise that they are giving the demon exactly what it wants, more hosts! Finding the house open to the victims of its terrifying tricks, the doll starts terrorizing the youngsters using jump scares, deafening audio stabs, flickering bulbs and more supernatural events. As it is in most movies, the evil doll preys on the weak first, and this one is no different.

‘Annabelle: Creation' Is Not For Faint Hearted © New Line Cinema

Mr. Mullins seems to be a good man but his wife is more discreet, injurious and bed-ridden. The focus falls on Janice, who finds the damned doll in an abandoned room and feels connected to the dark side. The possessed doll tries to contact her and preys on her. Before they know it, souls are being fought over and crosses are being subverted everywhere. It is revealed later in the film, the same doll was in the hands of their little daughter when she died. Her tormented spirit is hijacked by the demon who uses the same doll to get a foothold on Earth. The movie shows a trail of monstrously awful instances affecting the lives of those girls and their family.

However dark or primitive the plot may be, viewers are always attracted to the horror genre. And, for the most part, ‘Annabelle: Creation’ keeps the fear alive.

A Decade Of The Kardashians: From A Sex Tape To A Billion Dollar Empire

Celebrities

Aug 182017

Almost ten years ago, an unknown family from Los Angeles hit the headlines of every newspaper and became the new talk of the town. The Kardashians came and conquered Hollywood, an industry that never extended any hands to outsiders. This family wrote its own definition of “how to become a celebrity” during that time. The mastermind behind everything unconventional that happened to Kardashians was and is, till date – Kris Jenner, the super Kardashian mom. For years, the success of the family remained a mystery and yet inspired so many lives. By then, Kris, Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, Kendall and Kylie hit the zenith of fame and glamour. ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ is now one of the longest running reality shows in Hollywood.

It is a lesser known fact that behind their extravagant lifestyles, there is a ton of planned commercialization, self-aggrandizement and PR techniques. Those who know about the Kardashians, view them as badass career-focused women, and there is no denying the fact that whatever they have achieved has beaten back many conventions and is in arrant contradiction to stereotypical stars in Hollywood.

It all started way back in 2010, when Kim and Ray J’s (now her ex) sex tape was released over the internet. In no time, the tape went viral and was widely viewed. The credit goes to Kris Jenner, who by then had discovered the probability of it being one of the factors that could make their journey to stardom an easier one.

A Decade Of The Kardashians: From A Sex Tape To A Billion Dollar Empire © Facebook

E! Entertainment’s approval to produce a show on the lives of Kardashians was a new thing a decade back. The Kardashians had absolute clarity about their formula of being original. The show is less about faking things and more about their stories unveiling layer by layer. Each episode focuses one by one on each of their lives, their everyday chores and emotional aspects. With a viewership from over 167 countries now, the show has become the Kardashian’s identity.

With the show, evolved Kardashians’ ability to endorse brands, establish their own brand extensions (Kylie Cosmetics, Good American by Kylie Jenner and Khloe Kardashian respectively) and create an unparalleled social media presence. It is insane that Kim earns a whopping $500,000 per sponsored post. All thanks to the brilliant entrepreneurial skills the diva is born with. From Kim and Khloe’s paid appearances to Kendall’s supermodel status, the Kardashian clan’s success is a well planned game. In the age of digitalization, when the Kardashian wave could make millions of people download their shows and apps, so much so that their fandom crashed the Apple store, it would be right to say that this family is just not about showing off their shaped body types and garnering attention through nudity but their brains have worked faster than any other celebrity could even think of. The last decade is a testimony to their immense success.

A Decade Of The Kardashians: From A Sex Tape To A Billion Dollar Empire © Facebook

Salman Khan, Aamir Khan are more accessible than Shah Rukh Khan: Saira Banu

Celebrities

Aug 182017

SRK-Suhana-Dilip-Kumar-l Shah Rukh Khan recently visited Dilip Kumar to wish the legend good health. Wife Saira Banu took to Twitter to share photos from the evening. She wrote, “Sahab’s mooh-bola beta visited him. Sahab’s doing much better since return from the hospital.” King Khan was accompanied by daughter Suhana. He spent considerable time with the thespian and kissed him on his forehead while leaving. However, in an interview with Mumbai Mirror, Saira Banu has said how SRK’s contemporaries, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan are more accessible than him.

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She says that Aamir Khan is always just a call away in case of an emergency or even a request from some member of the family to a meeting. “He goes out of his way to comply with such requests and is constantly in touch. So is family friend Salim Khan and his son Salman. They often drop by, on festivals and occasions like saab’s birthday. Shah Rukh was the one who was difficult to reach over the last two-three years. When I pointed this out to him, he admitted that he has been out of the country on shoots a lot but promised to be more connected now. Saab’s taught me that it’s important to be accessible to senior actors when they are old and ailing,” says Saira, recalling visits with Dilip saab to Raj Kapoor, Om Prakash and Ashok Kumar when they were unwell. “These youngsters are good boys, God bless them.

Veteran actor Dilip Kumar was last seen in the film ‘Qila’ which released in 1998.

Rajkummar Rao Looks Eerily Similar To Subhash Chandra Bose In The Trailer For 'Bose: Dead/Alive'

Celebrities

Aug 182017

Delivering critically acclaimed movies like ‘Shahid’, ‘Citylights’ and ‘Aligarh’, Hansal Mehta and Rajkummar Rao together have always been a deadly combination. And they’re back again, but with a web series this time.