Have you heard? Proud moment for Kartik

Kartik Aaryan

Kartik Aaryan unveiled the third poster from the upcoming sports drama, Chandu Champion, and offered a glimpse into the eight-minute long single-take war sequence in the movie. The third poster depicts pivotal war scenes shot in Aru Valley in Jammu and Kashmir, tucked away at an elevation of 9,000 feet above sea level. Sharing the poster on social media, Aaryan wrote: "This is the proudest moment of my career so far - playing a soldier of the glorious Indian Army; one of the many facets of Chandu Champion's life. Here's a glimpse of the eight-minute long single-take war sequence salute to the Indian Armed Forces." He shared that the trailer will be out soon. Aaryan plays paralympic gold medalist Murlikant Petkar in the film that has been jointly produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and Kabir Khan.

For women

Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga Kapoor and Women In Film Los Angeles (WIF) launched a new initiative to support women filmmakers in India at Cannes. At an exclusive Cannes Film Festival event hosted by the Paris Film Region and WIF (Women In Film, Los Angeles), the official launch of a new Women In Film chapter was announced. An initiative is committed to advancing gender equity in Indian screen industries, read a statement. It will be led by Monga. "From being in rooms where male colleagues have had to communicate on my behalf so I'd be taken seriously, to leading international co-productions and studio-scale projects, I've seen and been actively involved in the progress over two decades. Yet, comprehensive studies like the O Womaniya report still suggests a lack of gender diversity across key filmmaking departments. The study of 156 films reported that only 12 per cent of head-of-department positions were occupied by women. My hope for WIF: India is to help lower the systemic barriers in accessing these jobs for women, as well as excite a new era of transformation, by offering mentorship, networking, and opening up fellowships, workshops, and an industry helpline to help sustain the careers of those currently in the industry."

PM responds to Rashmika

After heaping praise on the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link bridge, and subsequently being trolled for supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party, Rashmika Mandanna celebrated the inauguration of the Atal Setu. Interestingly, her video caught the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who responded to her by stating, "There's nothing more satisfying than connecting people and improving lives." Mandanna had previously shared, "Look at the country's growth - the way it has grown in the last 10 years is brilliant. The young India is growing at a rapid pace," she said, encouraging people to vote.

New collaboration is underway

Produced by Isabella Sreyashii Sen and Olivier Dock, co-CEOs of Singapore production house Hazelnut Media, the anticipated biopic, Slow Joe - starring Jackie Shroff - will receive a boost. French filmmaker, Sandrine Bonnaire, after all, will step into the director's chair. Bonnaire brings her expertise to helm this project that sheds light on the life of the late Indian musician, Joseph Manuel Da Rocha, affectionately known as Slow Joe. Expressing his excitement, Shroff said, "I am thrilled to have Sandrine Bonnaire on board to direct Slow Joe. Her exceptional talent and vision will elevate the film to new heights."

Taking charge

The fourth chapter of the crime drama series Criminal Justice was announced yesterday with Pankaj Tripathi set to return as the uncanny lawyer, Madhav Mishra.
"In the hall of fame of on-screen lawyers, I feel that Madhav Mishra has earned his place with Criminal Justice. I could not believe how much Madhav's character in the series resembled me. Every victory felt like my own and every defeat felt like a personal loss. I'm excited to announce the new season and hope the audiences continue to shower love on this season like they have done previously," Tripathi said.

Hasao, don't pakao

At the launch of the trailer for the upcoming film, Chhota Bheem and the Curse of Damyaan, Farah Khan shared that her films have found favour among children, because they are high on the entertainment quotient. "Whatever films I have made, they were loved by the kids," she said, adding that a movie doesn't need to be labelled as one for children for it to draw this audience. "Kids love entertainment. They do not want messages to be told. They have schools for that. So, the real challenge is to make entertaining films that children can watch."

A long way to here

Set to feature in Mr and Mrs Mahi, Rajkummar Rao walked down memory lane during a recent interaction. Stating that he was not raised with a lot of money, he said, "It's not been easy. I love parents, no matter whose parents they are, [because] mine really supported me. There were a lot of tough times. I have not seen too much money in life, but I also know other parents who knew that I wanted to go to the FTII, and that there wasn't enough money at home. They would help my mother so that she could [help me]," said the actor, who has appeared in over 30 films since 2010.