Have you heard? Kiss and tell

Shabana Azmi

Insignificant though she may have found it, Shabana Azmi would have certainly anticipated the questions that would be raised around her on-screen kiss with Dharmendra in her recently released film, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. Inevitably then, she finds herself addressing the subject over and over again. Azmi, 72, said she is happy that audiences, especially young people, have embraced the much-discussed kiss. "The maximum comments that come my way are: ‘We would have never imagined you in this kind of role and you pull it off with such grace'. Grace is the word that comes up often. But I am like, why is this so surprising? [As] an actor who has a "strong woman image", why is it not possible for her to have a romantic person? It's not like strong women don't have any romantic bones in their body," said the actor about the scene in the film that also stars Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt.

Feel the love

Armaan Malik, who is known for songs such as Control and You, has released his new English single titled Sleepless nights, a feel-good pop song which celebrates love. The song has been shot at several locations in London but manages to weave a compelling story in its music video which also features Malik. Speaking about this song, he said, "Doing nothing with someone you love is better than doing anything with anybody. My new record is a pop song that portrays the overwhelming emotion of being deeply in love with someone. It's being in a relationship that gives you all the fuzzies, and that no matter how mundane the day is, having your partner by your side makes it a fun day."

Let's do more, says Majidi

Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi said he hopes to shoot another film in India after 2017's Beyond the Clouds, because he values Indian culture and cinema. The director, known for movies such as the Oscar-nominated Children of Heaven and The Color of Paradise, said he hopes the two countries come together once again to share their cultures with each other. "We have similar cultures and customs between Iran and India. That's why Indian cinema and Indian culture are valuable to me. That's why six years ago, I made a film called Beyond The Clouds. I hope we can get another opportunity where we can share our cultures once again," Majidi said.

Wedding bells

Malvika Raaj, who played the role of younger Pooja in Karan Johar's directorial venture, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (featuring Kareena Kapoor Khan) is ready to walk down the aisle as she is set to tie the knot with her long-time partner, Pranav Bagga, an entrepreneur. The romantic proposal took place in hot air balloons against the stunning backdrop of skies in Turkey. The actor took to her Instagram to share the news. "Here we are, we've just begun. And after all this time, our time has come. Here we are, still going strong. Right here in the place where we belong."

Gem worth preserving

The NFDC-National Film Archive has restored an old conversation between legendary actor Marlon Brando and Oscar-winning Indian auteur Satyajit Ray. The conversation, which happened in 1967, during Brando's visit to India as an ambassador for UNICEF, was believed to be lost in the layers of time. NFDC wrote: "The conversation, moderated by the acclaimed film journalist Amita Malik, was considered to be lost with only a transcript of it available to access."

KJo at TIFF

Karan Johar's upcoming production venture Kill will have its world premiere at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival, to be held from September 7 to 17. Johar's banner Dharma Productions shared the news on Instagram. "Kill is an action-packed high-octane film starring Lakshya, the next action hero to look out for. Directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, the film will premiere at Midnight Madness at TIFF 2023," the post read.

Prep for next

Excel Entertainment's new film, Friday Night Plan, starring Babil Khan, will arrive on Netflix on September 1, the streaming platform has announced. Netflix India shared the premiere date of the film on its social media pages. "Two unsupervised siblings in a room. They might have the most epic #FridayNightPlan," the post read.

Fair point

When a film like Wonder Woman is made for Indian audiences, and if it becomes as big a box-office hit as Pathaan was, is when Indian cinema will witness pay parity, said Kajol. The actor was in the capital to participate on the first day of the 2023 Jagran Film Festival. When asked about pay parity among male and female actors, she said: "India is progressing, and watches different types of cinema, thanks to social media and OTT." She subsequently went on to highlight her point with the example.