December 2017 – Page 14

Kajol to play aspiring singer in Pradeep Sarkar's next film

Dec 222017

Cinephiles were relieved to learn that Kajol would return with a Bollywood outing after two years when news of her next venture hit headlines in November

Cinephiles were relieved to learn that Kajol would return with a Bollywood outing after two years when news of her next venture hit headlines in November. The Pradeep Sarkar-directed outing will see her as a single mother. Now, sources have revealed further details about her character — the actor will play an aspiring singer in the Ajay Devgn production.

Kajol

Talking about the venture, tentatively titled Ela, the source says, “Kajol plays the role of a young woman, who loves to sing. She aspires to become famous, but is forced to get married instead. A turmoil in the relationship forces her to leave her husband and raise her son as a single parent. Later, she enhances her singing skills and eventually gets appreciated for her craft.”

Work on the venture, an adaptation of Anand Gandhi’s Gujarati play, Beta, Kaagdo (Son, Crow), will kick-off next month. Devgn and co-producer Abhinav Shukla have purchased the rights for a cinematic adaptation. “The team is currently looking for a suitable cast for the role of the son.”

Neetu Chandra to release her Bhojpuri production Deswa online today

Celebrities

Dec 222017

Neetu Chandra will release her Bhojpuri production, Deswa, online today. After doing the festival rounds, the actor opted for the digital platform, due to its global reach

Neetu Chandra will release her Bhojpuri production, Deswa, online today. After doing the festival rounds, the actor opted for the digital platform, due to its global reach. The social drama, written and directed by her brother Nitin Chandra, will release with English subtitles.

Neetu Chandra

Priyanka Chopra to receive honorary doctorate degree in her hometown Bareilly

Celebrities

Dec 222017

Priyanka Chopra flies to her hometown, Bareilly, to pick up an honorary PhD, give inspirational speech about career milestones

In an interview to a magazine earlier this year, Priyanka Chopra had expressed that that going back to college and getting her graduate degree is something that has always been on her bucket list. Fortunately for her, the actor is well on her way to snapping up an honorary doctorate degree. Chopra will be flying to her hometown, Bareilly, this weekend to accept the honorary doctorate degree from the Bareilly International University.

Priyanka Chopra

A source close to the actor informs, “Priyanka will be honoured by the Academic Council of the Bareilly International University on December 24. At the event, the Chancellor will also present a memento to her as she revisits her hometown after five years.” The actor is being honoured in view of her career achievements and the philanthropic work she has done in her role as UNICEF Global Goodwill Ambassador.

Also read: Priyanka Chopra charges a whopping Rs 10 Cr for a 10-minute performance?

Chopra will be accompanied by her mother Madhu and brother Siddharth. She will take the opportunity to deliver a speech on her awe-inspiring journey from the lanes of Bareilly to Hollywood.

The source adds that while Chopra had been zeroed in on as the recipient in November, her hectic schedule hadn’t allowed her to make a quick trip to accept the honour. “As soon as she realised that she has an open window during her India trip, Priyanka
insisted on visiting her hometown.”

Madhu Chopra says, “It gives me immense joy that Priyanka’s work for various social causes is being appreciated and felicitated. She deserves the honour.”

Ecommerce has it’s headaches too – selling on marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Walmart

Economy

Dec 222017

Every article you read and every TV news channel you watch is talking about the growth in ecommerce, not just in the USA but all over the world. That is correct. Ecommerce is booming. But that does not mean ecommerce does not have it’s challenges. Plenty in fact. Here is a discussion about the challenges and the opportunities for ecommerce merchants …

Expectations vs reality: Bollywood films that fell flat in 2017

Celebrities

Dec 222017

Big names, extravagant budgets, picturesque locales and brilliant promotions — and yet, insufficient box office collections. The Year 2017 has been a mixed bag for stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Kangana Ranaut and Ranbir Kapoor. While hopes were pinned high on some of their films, they fell flat in front of the audience, who had expected much more than what they got.

A still from 'Tubelight'
A still from ‘Tubelight’

Industry experts like Girish Johar and Vinod Mirani have described 2017 as a “very disappointing” and “bad” year as the Hindi film industry was rattled by failures. And amidst that came films like “Toilet: Ek Prem Katha”, “Golmaal Again” and “Fukrey Returns”, which received a good response.

IANS has compiled a mix of films that came with high expectations but failed to strike a chord with the audience.

>> “Jagga Jasoos”: A musical drama starring Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, the film had been in production for over three years. It was finally released in 2017. The film met with a lukewarm response at the box office as it collected a mere Rs 54.16 crore. The brouhaha over the film’s collection even led to Ranbir’s father Rishi Kapoor lashing out at director Anurag Basu, calling him a monkey and saying that he “indulged too much in the film”.

>> “Tubelight”: After a string of blockbusters including “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” and “Sultan”, Salman Khan failed to light up the box office with “Tubelight”, set against the 1962 Sino-Indian war. The expectations from the film were high due to the pairing of Salman and director Kabir Khan, who have in the past given hits like “Ek Tha Tiger” and “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”.

The “Dabangg” star had reportedly promised to return money to the distributors for the loss and later trade analyst Komal Nahta confirmed on Twitter that the actor will refund approximately Rs 35 crore.

>> “Bhoomi”: Ever since actor Sanjay Dutt was released after serving his jail term for illegal possession of arms in a case related to the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, all eyes were set for his comeback film, helmed by Omung Kumar. Though the film ran high on emotions, it failed to impress his fans.

>> “Jab Harry Met Sejal”: Great destinations, lots of travel and a very strong storyline — this is what one expects from an Imtiaz Ali film. Featuring superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma, the film, which was criticised for its incoherent storyline, didn’t mint the expected moolah. Shah Rukh too reportedly gave refunds to the movie’s distributors.

>> “Rangoon”: Directed by National Award winner Vishal Bhardwaj, the film had an ensemble cast of Kangana Ranaut, Saif Ali Khan, and Shahid Kapoor. Despite garnering good reviews, the film was a disaster at the box office as it only collected Rs 20.68 crore. After facing a setback with the failure of the period drama, Kangana, who tasted success with films like “Queen”, said that “people have a tendency to encash on someone else’s failure”, and will give a “discount” after the box office debacle.

>> “Sarkar 3”: The third installment of the popular “Sarkar” franchise saw some of the sought-after names like Amitabh Bachchan, Manoj Bajpayee, and Jackie Shroff coming together, but the film reportedly made less than Rs 20 crore at the box office.

>> “Ok Jaanu”: Released in January, the audience was looking forward to the offering by Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor, who were teaming up again after they created magic with “Aashiqui 2”. A remake of Mani Ratnam’s Tamil film “O Kadhal Kanmani”, it only raked in Rs 23.64 crore in India, and comparisons with the original didn’t work in its favor either.

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Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by mid-day online. This story is published from a syndicated feed

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Even Wolverine Looks Up To King Khan When It Comes To Singing And Dancing

Celebrities

Dec 222017

When you think of Shahrukh Khan, one of the first things that come to mind is that one pose. You know the one I’m talking about.

Even Wolverine Looks Up To King Khan When It Comes To Dancing

He does it all the time.

Even Wolverine Looks Up To King Khan When It Comes To Dancing

All the time.

Even Wolverine Looks Up To King Khan When It Comes To Dancing

Way too much, sometimes.

Even Wolverine Looks Up To King Khan When It Comes To Dancing

Sorry Leo, he’s the original king of the world.

Honestly, the pose is as iconic as he is. Maybe a little more, maybe.

Shahrukh Khan and his pose has been an inspiration for a lot of actors, but out of that long list of people, there’s one name that stands out because of how unexpected it is. Any guesses?

It’s Wolverine, himself! This is Bollywood meeting Hollywood in the best way.

Both Shahrukh Khan and Hugh Jackman are undoubtedly two of the biggest superstars in the film industry, and when the two worlds collide in such a good way, it’s always incredible to see. Even though Hugh will always be Wolverine for us, he’s venturing out into different genres now. Currently, he’s promoting his movie ‘The Greatest Showman’, which is a musical.

Even Wolverine Looks Up To King Khan When It Comes To Dancing © 20th Century Fox

Recently, during the movie’s promotion, he referred to Shah Rukh Khan as his mentor. He had nothing but praises for the King Khan, calling him “Bollywood’s greatest showman.”

Reportedly, he said, “I have done a lot of dancing and singing in this film and I had Shah Rukh Khan in mind while shooting it. He is my mentor and I need to take more dance lessons from him. I have also done the signature SRK move, spreading my arms wide. I would love to see Shah Rukh in the Indian version of the film.”

Even Wolverine Looks Up To King Khan When It Comes To Dancing © 20th Century Fox

There’s no doubt that Hugh is really fond of Shahrukh, and the feeling is mutual.

My lov & thx 2 my friend @RealHughJackman for always inspiring us with his performances. U r The Greatest Showman in Wolverine’s clothing.

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) December 22, 2017

So much bromance, we’re loving it!

Apparently, the two actually met a couple of years ago, and instantly formed a friendship. Here’s a video of both of them dancing, because we all need this kind of positivity in our lives.

Friends who dance together, stay together.

Karan Wahi: Hate Story 4 is not just about sex

Celebrities

Dec 222017

Actor Karan Wahi says he decided to be a part of ‘Hate Story 4’ because the upcoming film doesnt just feature sex and is basically a thriller story

karan wahi

Actor Karan Wahi says he decided to be a part of ‘Hate Story 4’ because the upcoming film doesnt just feature sex and is basically a thriller story.

“I think the most special thing about ‘Hate Story 4′ is that the franchise is very successful. I don’t know about the other parts because I haven’t done them, but when they came to me with this story, their entire perspective was just not to sell sex,” Karan said in a statement. “It’s a thriller, there is a quotient of sex in it, but we don’t want to make it look like erotic thriller. We rather make it look like a thriller which has a story.

“In ‘Hate Story 4’, I am playing the son of a very affluent tycoon who works with his father. His name is Rajveer and is in his mid-20s. He is more flamboyant and expressive than his father or his brother,” he added. Directed by Vishal Pandya, ‘Hate Story 4’ will also feature Urvashi Rautela, Vivan Bhatena and Gulshan Grover.

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Salman Khan: Casting of a star doesn't mean film will run. Tubelight proved that

Celebrities

Dec 222017

After Tubelight debacle, Salman Khan acknowledges that his mere presence doesn’t guarantee film’s success

There was a time when people would say, ‘Salman sirf khada ho jayega screen pe toh movie chal jayegi,'” Salman Khan tells mid-day during this interview. Like most stories that kick-off on that note, we understand where this one’s heading. Close on the heels of the debacle of his last outing, Tubelight, Khan acknowledges that the presence of a superstar in a film, doesn’t guarantee success anymore.

Salman

“It has been proven that no one can take stardom for granted. The casting of a star doesn’t mean the film will run. [The failure of] my last release proved that. So, there is a pressure [to perform] at all times.” Several months after Tubelight hit screens, the actor seems to have deciphered the reason behind its debacle. Having established himself as an action hero, his fans, Khan says, hate to see him teary-eyed.

“Whenever my fans watch my movie, they want to have a great time. With Tubelight, they were shocked. They were crying, hurt and disturbed, as they couldn’t digest the fact that someone was beating their Bhai, and that I was crying. So, even though they watched it in theatres, they didn’t go back again. The film lacked the repeat value that Sultan (2016) or Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) had.” That the Eid release also hit screens during the festive period was another dampner. “It’s a beautiful project, but it should not have released on a festival. I had warned people to not expect dhamaal and masti.”

He has his hopes pinned on his upcoming release, Tiger Zinda Hai. He promises that the film has enough “soul” to appeal to masses. “We already established the characters in our last film, so, taking them to the next level was not a problem. But, finding the right plot was. The film needs to have a soul, and that’s what this one has.”

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10 Reasons Why Salman & Katrina's 'Tiger Zinda Hai' Is A Paisa Vasool Entertainer

Celebrities

Dec 222017

Tiger is alive and so is entertainment!

With ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’, Salman Khan is back to impress his fans like never before. The film will make you forget all the torment you went through while watching ‘Tubelight’. A sequel to blockbuster ‘Ek Tha Tiger’, the story begins from where it left off.

Tiger Zinda Hai Movie Review And Rating © YRF

Inspired by a real-life incident of the rescue mission organised when the Indian nurses were held hostage in Iraq by a terrorist group, Indian RAW agent Tiger (Salman Khan) is called to intervene and take charge of it. Because he is the only one who can do what other agents can’t.

Without giving any spoiler, we say that ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ is an absolute entertainer and a paisa vasool film and here’s why:

1. Tiger is the universe of this action-packed film. But the director Ali Abbas Zafar treats his script as importantly as Bhai.

Tiger Zinda Hai Movie Review And Rating

2. Salman Khan once again proves why he is the Sultan of the box office. Even if you are not a Salman Khan fan, watch it. Maybe he will surprise you this time.

Tiger Zinda Hai Movie Review And Rating

3. Be it emotions, actions, or patriotic feel, everything is at the right place and done at the right time.

Tiger Zinda Hai Movie Review And Rating

4. Katrina Kaif oozes hotness and performs some kick-ass stunts with roaring confidence.

Tiger Zinda Hai Movie Review And Rating

5. ‘Aman ki asha’ becomes a fair discussed topic giving you a ‘meh’ feeling. Running time and a shabby screenplay are few loopholes, but still, Tiger is a delight to watch!

Tiger Zinda Hai Movie Review And Rating

6. Paresh Rawal is enthralling. Even in intense situations, the man cracks you in laughter. Angad Bedi and Kumud Mishra score brownie points as well.

Tiger Zinda Hai Movie Review And Rating

7. The film is a visual treat and Salman Khan is an unmitigated and roaring Tiger.

Tiger Zinda Hai Movie Review And Rating

8. Bhai fans, get ready for some torso show. *woot woot*

Tiger Zinda Hai Movie Review And Rating

9. All hail the sizzling chemistry of Katrina and Salman.

Tiger Zinda Hai Movie Review And Rating

10. Go watch ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ if you love action entertainers minus logic!

Tiger Zinda Hai Movie Review And Rating

Ranbir Kapoor Just Revealed 25 Things No One Knows About Him In A Super Secret Twitter AMA

Celebrities

Dec 222017

Ranbir Kapoor is one of the most loved celebrities but unlike others, he doesn’t have social media presence. Not much is known about him; so when he decided to make an appearance on a social platform, fans just couldn’t keep calm.

The official Twitter account of Ranbir Kapoor’s fan club, @RanbirKapoorFC hosted a special chat live session with the actor, where he revealed 25 surprising facts about him that we bet no one knew.

hiiii. its me. really happy to be here and talk to all of you. super excited. I’m reading all your msgs. thank you thank you thank you. I’m going to try and answer as many q’s as possible. fire away.
ps – I love you