February 2018 – Page 27

Indian Techie Just Won An Oscar For New Camera System & Let's Just Say Desi Engineers Rock

Feb 122018

We are sure most of you must have seen movies like ‘Dunkirk’, ‘Blade Runner 2049’, ‘Rampage’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’, ‘The Hobbit’, ‘Spectre’, or ‘Spider-man: Homecoming’. While, we thoroughly loved watching them and their drop-dead striking aerial shots, I’m sure most of us barely gave a thought to the hard work and technology that went behind it.

But, Oscars did. Hence, they decided to acknowledge and appreciate their efforts at the Scientific and Technical Awards that took place over the weekend in Beverly Hills. The 90th Academy Awards aka the coveted Oscars 2018 is still a few weeks away.

Indian Engineer Vikas Sathaye Wins Oscar For Shotover K1 Camera System © Twitter

However, this is not the reason why we are jumping up and down in excitement and beaming with pride at the same time. It’s the fact that India received a great reward for its contribution in movies. In case you are scratching your heads in confusion, here’s what happened.

Vikas Sathaye, a genius Indian engineer raised in Mumbai, proved his mettle in front of the whole world and made the nation proud with his achievements; after he won an Oscar for Shotover K1 Camera System. Sathaye was a part of the esteemed four-member team that was honoured with the scientific and engineering award “for the concept, design, engineering and implementation of the Shotover K1 Camera System.” Brad Hurndell, John Coyle and Shane Buckham were the other team members.

Indian Engineer Vikas Sathaye Wins Oscar For Shotover K1 Camera System © Reuters

We realize most of you will be confused right now wondering what did they really do, but trust us, you’re not alone. So here’s how the Academy broke down the explanation. Apparently, this is a “six-axis stabilized aerial camera mount” that has an “enhanced ability to frame shots while looking straight down.”

Reportedly, Sathaye joined Shotover Camera Systems, located in Queenstown, New Zealand in 2009. He worked on the aerial mount there. In fact, Sathaye said, “One of the reasons to start this company in Queenstown was the natural beauty and stunning scenery which attract a lot of film producers and directors.”

He further explained, “The camera mount gets attached to the base of a helicopter, which carries the camera and lens. Its primary function is to eliminate any vibration from reaching the camera and thus getting steady footage. The other function for the camera mount is to move the camera head in the desired direction as required by the camera operator, who sits inside the helicopter and uses a joystick to control the camera head movement.” Isn’t this so cool?

Sathaye was born in 1967 in Pune and spent most part of his life in Mumbai. After school, he completed a diploma in instrumentation from VPM’s polytechnic, Thane. Then, he studied BE in electronics from VIT Pune and MTech in instrumentation from IISc. Sathaye was earlier a teacher, who taught at Pune Cummins College of Engineering for Women for a couple of years, during which he was sent to Italy for a project and it was there that he got inspired to take up this field.

Indian Engineer Vikas Sathaye Wins Oscar For Shotover K1 Camera System © Shotover

So what do we learn from this folks? First, Oscars 2018 is around the corner and it’s becoming difficult to contain our excitement.

Second, let’s not judge or make memes and jokes on engineers anymore guys; if they can create such brilliant and Oscar-worthy concepts, we guess they can do anything in the world and outer space and any other dimension they might have accidently found.fww

Not Turquotte, Katrina Kaif's sister Isabelle sticks to the desi surname

Celebrities

Feb 122018

Now that Katrina Kaif’s sister Isabelle is the face of a cosmetic brand and is waiting to debut in Bollywood, all eyes are on her and her surname

Katrina Kaif with sister Isabelle

Now that Katrina Kaif’s sister Isabelle is the face of a cosmetic brand and is waiting to debut in Bollywood, all eyes are on her and her surname. She is referring to herself as Isabelle Kaif. Now that’s a bit strange. When Kat began in Bollywood with Kaizad Gustad’s Boom (2003), she was Katrina Turquotte.

The film’s producer, Ayesha Shroff, rechristened her to give her a desi second name. As cricketer Mohammed Kaif was a big draw at that time, his last name was used. Ayesha had initially thought of Katrina Kazi as her screen name, but later did a rethink. The initial print material for Boom had Kat’s name as Katrina Kazi, but that was passed off by as a printing error. But then in Bollywood, a known surname matters.

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Sonam Kapoor and sister Rhea bring the '80s back

Celebrities

Feb 122018

Sonam Kapoor and sister Rhea Kapoor set to launch collection inspired by the decade, under their clothing label

Sonam Kapoor with sister Rhea

With their previous collection featuring fun prints of stationery items and Phantom cigarettes, Sonam and Rhea Kapoor showed us that when it comes to fashion, quirky is cool. Now, the resident fashionistas of Bollywood are all set to bring back the magic of ’80s with their latest line under their high-street fashion label, Rheson. Known as ‘The 80’s Collection’, it will feature prints of elements that are reminiscent of the decade — from the now-forgotten walkman to board games like snakes and ladders.

“We are focusing on ’80s fashion as both Sonam and I were born during that time. It was a time in fashion that has been inspirational. We always saw our mother [Sunita Kapoor] dress in an incredibly cool way during those years,” says Rhea, pointing out how fashion icons then “took risks but had fun at the same time, with their clothes.”

A little over a year since they launched the label, the duo already paid homage to the ’90s with a ‘Nostalgic 90s’ collection. The new line, Rhea says, will be “more expressive”. “We have evening pieces, cocktail dresses and a lot more separates. We are playing with many bold colours this season.”

The Kapoor sisters launched the label with the idea of making fashion affordable. In an earlier interview to mid-day, Sonam had mentioned that she hopes that the brand makes a mark on a global scale. “We always have foreign brands coming here, but this is our own brand which is available on global platform. Our attitude has always been to be authentic and original, and our aim is to provide a high street fashion brand at an affordable price. It has just been more than a year since we launched the brand and the response has been phenomenal.”

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Sui Dhaaga first look: Varun and Anushka look perfect as the small town couple

Celebrities

Feb 122018

Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma transform themselves for Sui Dhaaga – a film that is set in Indiaâ??s heartland

Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma

If this picture from the sets of Sui Dhaaga: Made In India is any indication, Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharmahave seamlessly slipped into the parts of heartland characters for the Sharat Katariya-directed movie. The film, which goes on floors tomorrow, sees Dhawan playing a tailor named Mauji and Sharma essaying the role of Mamta, who makes a living by embroidering clothes. Their looks are bound to be a talking point given how authentic they have stayed to the milieu of the film.

A film about finding love and respect through self-reliance, Varun and Anushka starrer Sui Dhaaga – Made in India is a heart-warming story that is rooted in the Indian milieu and celebrates the spirit of self-reliance. The film’s plot is inspired by the hugely acclaimed Make In India campaign.

Both champion actors, Varun and Anushka have been paired for the first time and are definitely the most-awaited on-screen jodis of 2018. The National Award-winning, dream-team of director Sharat Kataria and producer Maneesh Sharma seem to have taken the bar of perfectionism several notches higher with the looks they have crafted for their leading actors.

Yash Raj Films’ entertainer Sui Dhaaga – Made in India is set to release on September 28 this year, right before Gandhi Jayanti. Varun plays the role of a tailor and Anushka plays an embroiderer in the film.

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Sonakshi Sinha: Was exciting to reunite with Salman Khan

Celebrities

Feb 122018

Bollywood star Sonakshi Sinha says it was exciting to share screen space with her “Dabangg” co-star Salman Khan once again for a song in her forthcoming movie “Welcome To New York”

sonakshi sinha

Bollywood star Sonakshi Sinha says it was exciting to share screen space with her “Dabangg” co-star Salman Khan once again for a song in her forthcoming movie “Welcome To New York”.

Sonakshi and Salman have recreated their magic in the film’s song “Nain phisal gaye”, which was shot in New York.

“It was really exciting to be reuniting with Salman for our third film together after ‘Dabangg’ and ‘Dabangg 2’. We shot the song entirely in New York. It was nostalgic in many ways. The romantic, melodious song has been filmed beautifully,” Sonakshi said in a statement.

The track has music by Sajid-Wajid and lyrics by Kaunsar Munir.

Director Chakri Toleti said: “It was an absolute delight to shoot this song. Salman and Sonakshi have such great on-screen chemistry.”

Produced by Pooja Films and Wiz Films, “Welcome To New York” is a comedy about two youngsters who land in New York and go through a series of hilarious episodes.

Releasing on February 23, it features Karan Johar in a double role, Diljit Dosanjh, Riteish Deshmukh, Boman Irani and Lara Dutta, apart from Sonakshi.

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Sonu Sood arranges 'Paltan' lunch with Punjab CM

Celebrities

Feb 122018

Actor-producer Sonu Sood, along with the team of his forthcoming war drama “Paltan”, enjoyed a meal with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday here

sonu sood

Actor-producer Sonu Sood, along with the team of his forthcoming war drama “Paltan”, enjoyed a meal with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday here.

Sonu is in Punjab for the extensive shooting schedule of “Paltan”.

“Captain Amarinder Singh is a great guy and he has contributed a lot to the betterment of his state. Since the schedule was getting over, I thought it would be great to make the ‘Paltan’ team feel special by organising a lunch with sir,” Sonu said in a statement.

“He is a well-read guy and has hosted us well. The entire team had a good time interacting with him,” he added.

The film is being directed by J.P. Dutta, known for war-themed films including the National Award winning “Border”. “Paltan” also features Arjun Rampal, Gurmeet Choudhary, Siddhanth Kapoor and Luv Sinha.

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Mallika Sherawat reaches out to Sushma Swaraj for help

Celebrities

Feb 122018

Actress Mallika Sherawat has reached out to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, urging her to help in facilitation of an Indian visa for a co-founder of the NGO Free-A-Girl

mallika sherawat

Actress Mallika Sherawat has reached out to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, urging her to help in facilitation of an Indian visa for a co-founder of the NGO Free-A-Girl. Mallika has made the request for Evelien Holsken, co-founder of the NGO, as her visa application has been repeatedly rejected. The actress works closely with Free-A-Girl India, which fights against human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children in India. “Ma’am Sushma Swaraj, co-founder of Dutch NGO Free-A-Girl has been repeatedly denied visa to India.

This NGO is doing superb work for trafficked children and women. Please help!” Mallika tweeted on Monday. The NGO focuses on creating awareness about the problem of child prostitution and the impunity of offenders of child prostitution, and is mobilising support of the local community to fight against this crime.

Mallika is the brand ambassador of “School for Justice”, a unique programme by Free-A-Girl which helps girls who have been rescued from brothels by providing them with education, training and support in order to help them become lawyers and work within the judicial system. “I feel very strongly about this issue and felt the urge to seek help in order to get support from the government and be granted visa allowance to the co-founder who has been tirelessly working for the benefit of Indian children and women. “Sushma Swarajji has always addressed issues such as these and I am hoping to seek a positive response from her,” Mallika said in a statement.

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Amitabh Bachchan & Kangana Ranaut Might Come Together For R. Balki's Biopic On Arunima Singh

Celebrities

Feb 122018

R. Balki is currently basking in the success of his recently released movie ‘Padman’ starring Akshay Kumar, Radhika Apte and Sonam Kapoor; but he is also low-key gearing up for another movie that has all the ingredients to become one of the biggest Bollywood blockbusters, the moment it hits the big screen.

Wonder what those ingredients are? First, take a scoop of Amitabh Bachchan’s exemplary acting and add a dollop of Kangana Ranaut’s impeccable acting prowess, sprinkle a tinge of a powerful script and garnish it with R. Balki’s creative vision; and viola, there you have the recipe for a great biopic that’s reportedly under wraps.

According to reports, Amitabh Bachchan and Kangana Ranaut are coming together for a biopic on Arunima Singh, the first Indian amputee to climb Mount Everest.

Kangana Ranaut, who is currently busy working on ‘Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi’ based on the life of Rani Lakshmi Bai; is likely to take on the challenging role of playing Arunima Singh on screen and if the reports are to be believed, then Kangana might undergo training to adapt to the body language of a differently-abled person.

As for Amitabh Bachchan, he will play a mentor or coach to Kangana’s character in this biopic. After his similar role in ‘Black’, our hopes are really high this time and the excitement is already hitting the roof. Amitabh Bachchan is one of the greatest actors Bollywood has ever seen, who till date gives actors half his age or even three-times younger than him, a run for their money. Big B is currently gearing up for his upcoming movies ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ alongside Aamir Khan and ‘102 Not Out’ with Rishi Kapoor.

Although Kangana Ranaut and Amitabh Bachchan will come together in a movie for the first time, we have already seen their crackling chemistry when the two appeared on an advertisement for BoroPlus cream. The funny antics and their epic timing was a visual treat and we hope to see the same magic in this movie too.

However, while these reports hint at a movie in the making, R Balki earlier told in an interview that this isn’t true, “I approach Mr. Bachchan ever day for a film. But whatever you’re hearing now is not true, they are all rumours. There’s nothing on cards. The film people are talking about is not mine, but a friend’s. I am just helping him do it. I’m not directly involved.”

Well, we don’t know whether to fall for this trick again, given how during Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma’s wedding too, everyone denied while they secretly got married in Italy. So let’s be hopeful that R. Balki gives in to our wishes and makes a movie already.

Let’s hope for the trio to wave their magic wand on this movie.

When Shah Rukh Khan went UNDERWATER in a tuxedo, gave a HEARTFELT Message

Celebrities

Feb 122018

srk Superstar Shah Rukh Khan dived into a pool and went underwater after garnering over 33 million fans on Twitter.

Shah Rukh, who was sporting a tuxedo paired with dark sunglasses and completed his look with gelled hair, took to Twitter, where he shared a video and captioned it: “This didn’t go as planned… But on a lazy Sunday afternoon, with my limited floatation expertise, this is the best I could do! Judge nahi karna, feel karna (don’t judge, just feel). Thanks.”

This didn’t go as planned…but on a lazy Sunday afternoon, with my limited floatation expertise..this is the best I could do! Judge nahi karna, feel karna…Thx. pic.twitter.com/50miTK7QKK

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) February 11, 2018

Before jumping into the pool, Shah Rukh said: “Hi guys, this is me and I thought every time we reach a big number… I should always do something special for you but normally I do not get the time. But today I have got the time so I gelled my hair back, wore my coolest dark glasses and I am even wearing a bow tie.

“A full tuxedo and today I want to give the most overwhelming loving message that I’ve given you in the last decade. So listen to it carefully because this is very heartfelt.”

After he dived into the pool, popular dialogues said by the star from his over two decade-long journey, played in the background, like “pyaar dosti hai” and “bade bade deshon mein aisi choti choti baatein hoti rehti hai”.

Once he came out of the pool, the “Raees” star said: “I hope you heard every word I said it was right from my heart and so overwhelming that I am running out of breath and where are my glasses. Lots of love to you all.”

Once the video got over, the caption came: “Thank you 33 million”.

Shah Rukh is an avid user of social media platforms.

On the work front, he is busy shooting for Aanand L Rai’s “Zero”, which also features Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma.

Scheduled to release in December, “Zero” will feature Shah Rukh in a dwarf avatar.

Aditi on playing Ranveer’s Wife, being BILLED as a guest appearance

Celebrities

Feb 122018

ranveer_aditi Aditi Rao Hydari is dazzled by the compliments she has received for her brief yet evocative role as Mehrunisa in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s epic drama “Padmaavat”. The actress says she is overjoyed by the positive response.

“I never expected so much praise for such a brief role. But then Sanjay sir had told me I’d be happy with my role. I am not just happy. I am overjoyed. The response has been tremendous. And I can see why. My character Mehrunisa comes across as the only source of positivity that’s pure and honest in Khilji’s life,” she said.

Aditi played wife to Ranveer Singh’s character as Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khilji in the film — which is on its way to cross Rs 250 crore at the box office.

“Ranveer’s Khilji is such a dark evil character. There’s no light in his life, except for his wife. Played by me. She is the light in that deep well of Khilji’s consciousness,” says Aditi, who is billed as a guest appearance in the credits of “Padmaavat”.

The actress added: “That’s Sanjay sir’s decision to give me that respect because of the limited footage I had. While shooting also I felt I was hardly there since I was hardly called to shoot. I never realised until I saw the film what a brilliant director can do to a character even in the limited space provided by the plot.”

Aditi feels the impact of her character in “Padmaavat” is due to the writing.

“You see, there is so much to Mehrunisa than meets the eye. She marries the monster knowing what he’s like. There’s a back story to their alliance. They’re supposed to be childhood friends.”

What Aditi really loved about her character was its progressiveness.

“She knows her husband is a monster. She knows he is a bi-sexual. But she is not scared of him. She looks into his maniacal eyes without flinching and she wears the crown that her father once wore and which has now been usurped by her unscrupulous husband, with dignity even if is too large for her petite head.”

Aditi gives all the credit for the impact of her role to her director.

“Sanjay sir made Mehrunisa much more than just a victim of a sadistic marriage. She understands her responsibilities as royalty and fulfils them with great dignity under pressure.”

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