September 2017 – Page 27

Stalwarts come together to discuss future of films at Jagran Cinema Summit

Sep 122017

Kangana Ranaut and Varun Dhawan

As the world of cinema is at a cusp of a revolution, industry stalwarts come together to discuss its future at the first Jagran Cinema Summit, to be held at JW Marriott, Juhu on Friday, 15th September’17. This conference would bring together community partners from across creative industries and examine the most pressing issues facing the industry today.

The swift shift from single screen theatres to multiplexes to laptops and more recently on mobile phones, calls for changes at all levels of a film including production, revenue and distribution models. The day-long series of events would focus on this change through conversations, panel discussions and presentation talks.

The afternoon will begin with the opening ceremony followed by a talk on Future of Heroine with actor Kangana Ranaut in conversation with Mayank Shekhar.

Next would be an hour-long panel discussion on Does size (of the screen) matter? with Madhu Mantena (Founder, Phantom Films), Ajay Chacko (Founder, Arré), Sameer Nair (Former CEO, Balaji Telefilms), Shrishti Behl (Vice President of the Film and Television Producers Guild of India & Producer, Rose Movies) and Actor Vivek Oberoi. These thinking heads would closely look at the changing consumption patterns of on-screen entertainment, and its effect on not just filmmaking, but allied industries like television, Internet, smartphones, and OTT platforms – how at the intersection of it all, filmmaking has transformed heavily with respect to distribution and production model and how top production houses and actors aren’t shying away to shift to smaller screens. The competition to grasp audience attention now that viewership has moved to handheld devices is even more strategic and fierce.

This would be followed panel discussion and conversations hosted by Mayank Shekhar, followed by a presentation Looking back as we look ahead on the heritage of Cinema and restoration of films to preserve our rich legacy by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur (Founder, Film Heritage Foundation). Subsequently, the Changes in the economics of filmmaking would take up intense topics like variation in film budget, stars turning into producers, production houses cutting down on costs, and the impact of theatrical footfall. On the panel will be Siddharth Roy Kapoor (Producer and President of the Film and Television Producers Guild of India), Mukesh Bhatt (Founder, Vishesh Films), Sajid Khan (Director and Box Office Guru), Amrita Pandey (VP, Studios, Disney India), Alok Tandon (CEO, Inox Leisure Ltd) and Guneet Monga (CEO, Sikhya Entertainment).

The session will conclude with a Conversation on the Future of Stardom with actor Varun Dhawan and Mayank Shekhar.

With high profile filmmakers, marketers and distributors sharing their insights on the imminent future of cinema, this exclusive summit will explore new trends and opportunities across all areas of the Indian film industry.

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Here Are The 10 Best Bollywood Films Of 2017 So Far

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Sep 122017

Movies today can be considered one of the best ways to convey a social and historical message. 2017 has been all about specific genres, out of the box storylines and a great shift towards more thought-provoking scripts.

From mocking the Indian legal system and the conventional societal norms to inflicting vengeance, the first half of the year gave us some of the most unusual films. Here is a list of top 10 movies which have created their own niche all this time.

10. Haraamkhor

A teacher falling for a student is not something uncommon, but from the Indian cinema’s frame of reference, this was a bold attempt. Characters played by actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Shweta Tripathi unveils the reality and shocking truths.

9. Kaabil

The perfect married life of a blind couple ends when the wife commits suicide. ‘Kaabil’ serves the revenge story on-screen where the lover seeks revenge against the corrupt system after his life turns upside down.

Best Bollywood Films Of 2017 So Far © Filmkraft Productions Pvt. Ltd

8. Raees

Shah Rukh Khan plays the role of a brutal murderer and a reigning gangster who controls the booze trade. The film is said to be inspired from the life of gangster Abdul Latif, however, the film-makers have denied any such links. The film is a sure treat for Khan lovers and promises a good script.

7. Jolly LLB2

Uninspired sequel of the first hit, it is a story of a lawyer satirizing the Indian legal system. The foremost reason for the movie emerging a winner at the box office was Akshay Kumar’s magnetic appeal and the plot strong enough to hold the viewer’s attention.

Best Bollywood Films Of 2017 So Far © Fox Star Studios

6. Mom

This film is a clear portrayal of a mother’s love. After an unfortunate accident with the daughter, the mother has to choose between what’s right and wrong.

5. Anaarkali of Aarah

Playing a dancer who performs on lewd numbers, Swara Bhaskar has impressed the audience with her accent and raw acting skills. The protagonist is an epitome of valiant feminism. This film stands out both in terms of performance and script.

4. Lipstick Under My Burkha

The highly opinionated film ridicules the male chauvinist society. Blatantly bold, this movie points out the depth of women issues.

Best Bollywood Films Of 2017 So Far © Prakash Jha Productions

3. Toilet- Ek Prem Katha

A critically acclaimed film, a satirical comedy emphasizing the elimination of open defecation. The story takes an interesting turn when the female protagonist played by Bhumi Pednekar leaves her husband’s house after discovering that there is no toilet in his village.

2. The Ghazi Attack

Based on true events during the Indo-Pak war of 1971, the film is based on mysterious sinking of PNS Ghazi. With a praise-worthy plot and amazing water action sequences, the movie is a technical brilliance.

1. Hindi Medium

The movie has a bitter-sweet storyline of the middle-class parents struggling to admit their daughter to a good English medium school. This film clearly mocks the excessive importance given to the English language in our country.

Best Bollywood Films Of 2017 So Far © T-Series

All these movies have not only raised the bar of Indian Cinema but they have made us believe that people are moving back to good scripts and thought-provoking themes. We wish Bollywood continues to film original and strong content.

Daniel Dae Kim in talks to replace Ed Skrein in Hellboy reboot

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Sep 122017

Picture courtesy/Daniel Dae Kim Instagram account

Actor Daniel Dae Kim is in negotiations to join the cast of “Hellboy” reboot after Ed Skrein left the project.

Skrein dropped out of the reboot following public outcry against whitewashing in Hollywood, saying it was important to “honour ethnic minority stories and voices in arts”.

If the deal gets finalised, Kim will play Major Ben Daimio, a rugged military member of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, the role which Skrein was supposed to play.

Skrein had nabbed the role in August but, after a social media protest, made the unprecedented move to step down later that month.

David Harbour is playing the titular role in “Hellboy”. Neil Marshall is directing the movie, which also features Ian McShane and Milla Jovovich.

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Anil Kapoor goes off salt and sugar to achieve lean look for 'Fanney Khan'

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Sep 112017

Anil Kapoor

Besides having an appetite for experimental roles, Anil Kapoor doesn’t shy away from experimenting with his looks either. The actor recently unveiled his look from his next, Fanney Khan. While the first look showed the actor sporting salt-and-pepper hair, those in the know say that he is sporting a lean look in the Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra film.

The physique didn’t come easy for the 60-year-old actor. A unit hand informs that ahead of the film going on floors a week ago, Kapoor had to adopt a special diet to step into the role of a struggling musician. “Anil was required to achieve a haggard look for the musical. To perfect the look, he completely went off salt and sugar for 20 days,” reveals the source.

Considering the actor suffers from bursitis (inflammation of the tendon near his ankle) — a condition that aggravated during the shoot of Mubarakan in April this year, it was difficult for him to hit the gym with a vengeance. “Anil had to adopt methods other than a regular gym routine to lose weight, as he was nursing an ankle injury at the time. So it was suggested that he go off salt and sugar. He did light workouts twice a day.”

Many drew parallels between this look and the one he sported in Dil Dhadakne Do (2015). Kapoor says, “Fanney Khan’s similarity with Kamal Mehra [his character in Dil Dhadakne Do] ends with the salt-and-pepper hair. The difference in their personalities and circumstances, makes these two characters poles apart.”

Also see: Photos: Sussanne Khan saves herself from ‘oops’ moment

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Riya Sen reveals why she won't dare to bare in 'Ragini MMS Returns'

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Sep 112017

Riya Sen

Requesting that explicit content be muted in an adult film may seem ludicrous, but Riya Sen, close on the heels of her wedding last month, has approached the makers of Ragini MMS Returns with a request of similar nature.

Sen, who tied the knot with long-time beau Shivam Tiwari in an intimate ceremony, “had reservations” about certain scenes in the third instalment of Ekta Kapoor’s horror sex franchise, which sees her in a prominent role.

Talking about the show that will release on Kapoor’s digital platform Alt Balaji, a unit hand says, “Riya, who essays the pivotal role of Simran in the show knew that the series would involve intimate scenes featuring her and co-star Nishant Malkani. They were meant to be explicit, but Riya was uncomfortable while filming them.” The actor, the source adds, raised her concerns with director Suyash Vadhavkar, who keeps his cast’s comfort in mind. “He toned down the intimate scene and shot it aesthetically. Although Riya has done a fair share of steamy roles, she wasn’t at ease this time since she is now married.”

Sen confirms the news to mid-day, saying, “I had reservations while shooting the intimate scenes and convinced Suyash to tone them down.”

Given that this series will exploit the horror genre more than the sexual content, abiding by Sen’s request wasn’t difficult, the source says. “The director worked his way around with cheat shots.”

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Kangana Ranaut: I'm considered the leading face of Hindi film industry

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Sep 112017

Kangna Ranaut

On Sunday, the unstoppable Kangana Ranaut attended the press conference of her upcoming film ‘Simran’ and as usual spoke her mind and heart fearlessly.

The National award-winning actress tasted horrible failure with her last release ‘Rangoon,’ which also featured Saif Ali Khan and Shahid Kapoor.

Finally, sinking into it, she shared the experience saying, “Rangoon’s failure was a tragic one, there’s no hiding to it that I was drastically affected by it. I started to expect a lot with that film, but, later I got a much-needed reality check. I thought that when I escaped from my house, I thought of achieving a goal, and I have achieved more than that. Then, I started to realise that my expectations from my own self is rising higher, which is wrong. In that case, I’ll start turning greedy. So, somewhere, the failure gave me a sense of freedom. Now, I have a beautiful house of my own in Manali, which I’d never thought about.”

READ MORE: Kangana Ranaut’s sister Rangoli defends her; slams Zarina Wahab and KRK on Twitter

Further talking about her films not doing well, she stated, “If tomorrow, my films don’t work well, I’ll go to Manali. I’ve received three National Awards. I’m considered the leading face of the Hindi film industry. All this is a lot for me. When failure hit me, I thought it’s the end, nothing worse than this can ever happen to me, because people look down on you. However, it teaches you to be strong and gives you the much-needed push, and also makes you realise that nobody can pull you down than this because you’ve already tested the worst. So, it’s a kind of a relief to me.”

READ MORE: Kangana-Hrithik controversy publicity stunt for Simran? Actress responds

“For a girl like me, who was nothing and now, has achieved everything, I think nothing is impossible for me, I can achieve everything in this world. I’m not insecure in any way. I’m content with what I have,” signs off Ms Ranaut.

Her film ‘Simran’ will hit the screens on September 15.

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Diljit Dosanjh Will Romance Taapsee Pannu In The Film Based On Ace Hockey Player Sandeep Singh

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Sep 112017

Diljit Dosanjh might be two films old in Bollywood, but he has already proved with his acting prowess that he is here to stay for a really long time. After winning our hearts with ‘Phillauri’ and ‘Udta Punjab’, the actor is all set to don the hat of a hockey player and not just any player, but former captain of Indian hockey team, Sandeep Singh. Earlier, speculations were rife about who will play his leading lady, but now all those doubts have been put to rest as actress Taapsee Pannu will be reportedly seen romancing Dosanjh in this movie, which is being directed by Shaad Ali.

Diljit Dosanjh & Taapsee Pannu To Star Together In A Movie © Reuters

The shooting of this film will apparently start in October in Punjab. Both Diljit and Taapsee will undergo extensive training by professionals for their respective roles. Also according to a report in The Times Of India, Diljit might get training from none other than the legendary Sandeep Singh himself. Yes, the ace player is expected to help the actor gain more knowledge of the game and might show him some of his key on-field moves. In fact, Sandeep has earlier trained some actors for a Punjabi movie. The two are expected to meet soon t discuss further about this project, however, the discussions are still at a very nascent stage.

Diljit Dosanjh & Taapsee Pannu To Star Together In A Movie © Instagram (Diljit Dosanjh) / Twitter (Bollywood World News)

The film which is yet to be titled is not a biopic on ace hockey player Sandeep Singh, instead it will focus on his love life and apparently Taapsee Pannu too will be seen in the role of a hockey player. Diljit has already floored us all with his portrayal of a police officer, entangled in the growing abuse of drugs in ‘Udta Punjab’. Taapsee has already impressed us with her impeccable acting in ‘Baby’, ‘Naam Shabana’ and ‘Pink’ and is now all set to sizzle on the silver screen with her upcoming movie ‘Judwaa 2′ which also stars actors Varun Dhawan and Jacqueline Fernandez. He is sharing screen space with Taapsee for the first time and we are really excited and looking forward this movie because both the actors are extremely talented.

9 Celebrities With Habits So Weird That It'll Make You Feel Better About Yourself

Celebrities

Sep 112017

Celebrities are just like us. No matter how glamorous their lives seem to be and how flawless they look, they too have some or the other habit that they’d like to get rid of. Of course, they like to keep this side of their personality hidden from the paparazzi and their fans, but some way or the other, information gets out.

You might be aware about some of these or not, but these unusual habits of superstars might just make you feel better about yours:

1. Johnny Depp

This ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star is extremely passionate about collecting star figurines. That isn’t even the weird part. Apparently, he owns dozens of limited edition Barbie dolls. He’s got dolls based on Beyoncé, Lindsay Lohan and even the High School Musical cast.

We are kinda creeped out by this.

2. Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage was once worth $150 million and could afford pretty much anything he wanted. But his habit of purchasing eccentric things ultimately led him into debt.

The actor once purchased 15 residences, 2 castles, a deserted island in the Bahamas, shrunken pygmy heads, luxury cars and a pet octopus and still wasn’t satisfied with his outrageous purchases. He then outbid Leonardo DiCaprio for a 7-million-year-old dinosaur skull. The $276,000 artifact turned out to be stolen, however, and Cage had to return it to the government.

3. Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise is currently 55 years old but he definitely doesn’t look like a man in his 50s. He spends a lot of time and energy on maintaining his physique but for his skin, the star relies on nightingale poo facials. The absurd facial involves mixing poo from a nightingale with rice bran and water which is then applied as a face mask.

4. Megan Fox

Chances are that you must have already read about the extremely weird habit of this bombshell. In case you haven’t, be prepared to be disgusted. Megan herself admitted to the fact that she doesn’t flush the toilet after she poops which is gross, to say the very least.

5. Shah Rukh Khan

How can we talk about superstars and not mention the King of Bollywood?

SRK has an obsession with jeans and footwear; so much so that he happens to own somewhere around 1500 pairs of jeans. And for footwear, the star revealed in an interview that he only removes his shoes once a day and sometimes, even sleeps with his shoes on.

6. Amitabh Bachchan

This megastar’s unusual habit is rather adorable. Big B is often spotted wearing two wristwatches, which somehow also became a style statement. This habit, however, started long back, when Abhishek Bachchan was studying abroad and Big B wanted to keep track of the other time-zone. He also wears two wrist watches when daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is traveling abroad.

7. Sunny Leone

While shooting for ‘Jism 2′, Sunny caused delay in shoots quite a number of times. The reason? The actress is a cleanliness freak of sorts, especially when it comes to her feet. In fact, she used to clean her feet with water, almost every 15 minutes, annoying everybody on set.

8. Sushmita Sen

The former Miss Universe left everyone in shock when she revealed that she likes to take a bath on her terrace and that’s where she has her bath tub placed. Too hard to wrap your head around this one, isn’t it?

9. Manisha Koirala

Manisha Koirala has removed the door to the bathroom in her room as it provides her a “bohemian feel”. This decision obviously led to a major problem. She revealed that whenever a guest has to use the bathroom, the room has to be locked.

“Whats worse is that my Afghan Hounds – Deliah and Mustafa- just stroll into the bedroom and park themselves in the bathtub when it gets too hot,” she said.

Race To Oscars: Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott Are Ready To Compete For Academy Awards 2018

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Sep 112017

The Oscar season is round the corner, and this year, it is going to be a tough competition between some of the most popular names in the industry, both in acting and directing categories. 2017 saw some phenomenal performances in technical and major categories. The year also saw the return of the 70mm screening after Quentin Tarantino’s ‘The Hateful Eight’, Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkirk’ is seen to be the most significant film of the year. The previous year’s ‘La La Land-Moonlight’ mix-up clearly indicated that there may be scope for even last minute developments at the Oscars. When it comes to direction category, five popular names of all time will be competing with each other. The race to Oscars has already begun.

This year three major projects inspired by true events may change the course of Academy Awards forever, Oscars 2018 is going to be the most anticipated year after 2016, especially after Leonardo DiCaprio’s much awaited win. Let’s throw light one by one on who all are the strongest contenders in the direction category for Oscars 2018.

The year’s beginning saw a performance oriented psychological thriller titled ‘Split’ directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Getting twenty-three different personalities out happened to be the most challenging task both for McAvoy and Night. The film is believed to be a key player in the race to Oscars, due to its out of the box story and a theme which remained untouched for long when it comes to mainstream cinema.

Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkirk’ already saw a record-breaking opening and almost $412.6 million grossed till now. The harrowing narrative of survival and resistance set at the backdrop of World War ll has received positive reviews through and is termed as ‘A Time Bending Masterpiece’. Who would have believed that Nolan, who holds an expertise in taking us through the most unbelievable tales or fantasy and fiction, would nail the most crucial of the genres with a dash. ‘Dunkirk’ is a film that appears once in a while and changes the cinematic experience forever. Nolan, like every other time added a new meaning to what a film could be.

Yet, there are three other veteran directors, whose works have transcended boundaries. Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood and Ridley Scott are currently working on their ongoing projects. December is going to be merrier than ever for movie buffs.

Steven Spielberg’s ‘The Post’ was recently renamed to ‘The Papers’. Inspired by true events, the film tells the story of Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep) and Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee’s (Tom Hanks) scandalous decision to publish a series of leaked articles entitled “The Pentagon Papers” in 1971. The papers were crucial due to the fact that they contained classified information related to the Defense Department’s plans for the Vietnam War. The film is crucial from two aspects – Firstly, it throws light on an important event in the history press freedom and secondly, for the first time ever, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep are working together in a film despite of the fact that both are now veterans. The film is aimed for a December 22 limited release.

On the other hand Ridley Scott and Clint Eastwood are aiming for Oscars through their upcoming films ‘All the Money in the World’ and ‘The 15:17 to Paris’ (inspired by true events). Both films are coming from the hands of seasoned veterans and the appearance of all five directors together in Oscars is going to be a tough task for the jury as well.

Jhanvi Kapoor & Ishan Khattar To Star In 'Sairat' Remake & Shooting Will Begin In November

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Sep 112017

Last year, the box office was primarily ruled by Marathi movie ‘Sairat’ and if the song ‘Zingaat’ still rings in your head, then you will know that this movie’s popularity is no joke. Well, fast forward to the present time and ‘Sairat’ is still making headlines, this time for its Bollywood remake starring Sridevi’s daughter Jhanvi Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor’s brother Ishan Khattar. Reports of the movie being remade in Hindi had been doing rounds for quite some time and will be produced by Karan Johar, under his banner Dharma Productions.

Well, in recent developments, according to a report in DNA, the shooting of the movie will begin in November this year and Jhanvi has already started preparing for the role, attending dance and acting classes. Time and again people have blown the trumpet of Nepotism in the negative direction, but that does not deter the star kids from showing what they are capable of. Apart from Jhanvi, Saif Ali Khan’s daughter Sara Ali Khan too is having her dream debut opposite Sushant Singh Rajput in Abhishek Kapoor’s directorial venture ‘Kedarnath’, shooting of which started last week.

Nagraj Manjule’s film ‘Sairat’ has already set the benchmark really high and the credit entirely goes to the exceptional acting of the cast and their interesting take on honour killing and caste system. While actors Rinku Rajguru and Akash Thosar nailed it in the original, it will be interesting to see how Jhanvi and Ishaan stand out in this film. The film talks about two college sweethearts who belong to different castes and the struggles they go through when their relationship falls prey to the stringent practices of casteism. Jhanvi will be debuting with this remake, Ishaan is a film old as he has already completed shooting for Majid Majidi’s ‘Beyond The Clouds’. This film is being directed by Shashank Khaitan, who is known for making ‘Badrinath Ki Dulhania’.

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