Biswapati Sarkar was among the founders of TVF before he quit the team and founded Posham Pa Pictures. In an interview years ago, Sarkar mentioned that Bollywood is not relatable to the youth. When this writer met Sarkar after a panel discussion on current trends in the Indian film industry organsied by the Screenwriters Association (SWA), we reminded him of his previous statement of Bollywood and relatability. Sarkar has been associated with projects like 'TVF Pitchers', 'Permanent Roommates', 'Jaadugar', 'Kaala Paani', and 'Maamla Legal Hai' among others . "Hindi cinema losing cultural coolness": "This is a good point to mention," Sarkar states before explaining his point with his experience in changing viewing habits. Around the year 2018-19, he observed that he was watching more of Malayalam and Tamil language films. "I realized that this trend is happening more and more. I watch very few Hindi films unless somebody recommends them. 'Laapataa Ladies' came recommended, so I've seen it. Otherwise, even if I click on something, probably after 20 minutes, I'll stop it.” He feels that it is the relatable characters of Tamil and Malayalam films that attracts him to those stories. “I'm not talking about the big budget films, but normal, decent budget or mid budget or low budget films. I feel the characters are around me, like these are people I know. While the Hindi films characters feel like the characters of other pre-existing Hindi films. This is why in 2018-19 you would have seen the mid-budget, small town template. But even in that, only 4-5 films were good. Eventually, then all those films started becoming templates for each other.” Sarkar goes on to give examples of range of characters played by star actors like Fahadh Faasil, Raj Shetty and Mammotty down south and the acceptance of audience that encourages filmmakers to experiment with majors stars as the face. However, that has not been a successful formula for Hindi cinema. "I feel Hindi audience are yet to accept those kind of films,” he mulls. Biswapati Sarkar In the past year, mid-budget films like 'Laapataa Ladies, 12th Fail have been the talk of the town over big-budget multi-starrers. "Clearly there is some cultural coolness of Hindi films that we are losing. So, if 'Laapaata Ladies' is being talked about more than the big-budget films, then clearly, something is going wrong in terms of storytelling." But how can we talk about relatability factor and not mention the film 'Fighter'? After the release of the Hrithik Roshan- starrer, director Siddharth Anand's statement on the film's relatability had gone viral. He had said that most people have not sat in a flight and hence could not relate to the film. The comment became a template for memes. "It was a little of context, " says Sarkar who was the co-writer of the film. Sarkar adds that a film need not be relatable to connect with the audience. "I feel like, I would love to make a Jurassic Park. Relatability is not necessary, but I think in terms of relatability, the emotion needs to be relatable. Jurassic Park is about wonder. The characters react exactly how I would react if I had a dinosaur with me,” he said adding that the relatability fact has to be with the motion rather than plot and its location. Focus groups and predictability: The past year has surely surprised filmmaker and trade analysts with the kind of films that worked and those that did not. During the panel discussion, Sakar revealed that Panchayat was dismissed by a focus group who said that the series would not work with the audience. However, Panchayat turned out to be a hit with the audience and the third season of the show recently hit the streaming platform and registered yet another successful season. “This is one focus group which I had seen live. The screening of the pilot episode had happened in front of me. Even with Panchayat, Amazon released it as an exclusive. When it became popular, Amazon released it as their original," he said sharing that no one can exactly predict how a project will work out. When asked if he is a better understanding of what will work and what will not, Sarkar shares, "A lot of times it's just instinct. Veterans of the industry can see a film and nine times out of ten, they can guess, whether this will work or not work. Sometimes they're also surprised. But they're also surprised in terms of the volume. A good film will do good business but maybe earlier it was raking in 70 cr and now it is doing 50 cr." Posham Pa pictures vision: Biswapati Sarkar is now focusing on exploring different genres through their production house 'Posham Pa' pictures. Sharing his vision for the production house, he says that it will be nothing like TVF. "The idea is to be small and support good progressive stories. We want to explore all of genres. I think with age, you all change as storytellers. We no longer have fun in the college level shows and content. We've also become different people. So the plan is to explore a few mature themes, talking about the world that we live in."
02 July,2024 10:01 AM IST | Mumbai | Athulya NambiarNawazuddin Siddiqui is one of the most versatile actors in the Indian film industry. From the powerful performances in 'Gangs of Wasseypur', 'Badlapur', and 'Manto' to bagging a nomination at International Emmy Awards 2021 for 'Serious Men', he has carved a stellar career for himself. But, like most of us -- Nawazuddin has also experienced a fair share of discrimination in society for his looks. In an interview with News18, he shared, “I don't know why some people hate us because of our appearance. Maybe it's because our faces are like this - so ugly. We also feel this when we see ourselves in the mirror. We also say to ourselves, 'Why did we come into the film industry with such an ugly face?' I’m the ugliest actor – physically – in the film industry. I believe this because I've been hearing all this from the beginning, and now I'm starting to believe it too.” That being said, Nawazuddin is grateful to Bollywood for not going as per societal norms and blessing him with opportunities. “I have no complaints against the film industry. I want to thank all the directors who have given me a variety of characters. If you have even a little talent, the industry gives you a lot. There is discrimination in society, not in the industry,” he added. On the work front, Nawazuddin Siddiqui is gearing up for the release of his next film, 'Rautu Ka Raaz'. He will be seen playing a cop, Deepak Negi. It is set against the picturesque village of Rautu Ki Beli in Uttarakhand. The story revolves around a town that hasn't witnessed a murder in over a decade and a half. The official synopsis of the film read, "The film revolves around the mysterious death of a warden at a blind school in Rautu Ki Beli, a sleepy town that hasn't witnessed a murder in over a decade and a half. This is where SHO Deepak Negi aka Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his team step in as they are tasked with solving this rare and high-profile murder investigation." "The film showcases a unique and jovial camaraderie between SHO Deepak Negi (played by Nawazuddin) and sub-inspector Dimri (played by Rajesh Kumar) who are forced out of their lazy state of being owing to this murder investigation. So, get ready to witness a mystery thriller unraveling the laziest murder investigation ever." The film had its gala premiere at the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) last year where it received a warm welcome and is now set for its OTT premiere on June 28th on ZEE5. (With inputs from ANI)
02 July,2024 09:25 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentSaif Ali Khan didn't follow in his father and grandfather's footsteps to become a cricketer, but he's making sure his son, Taimur Ali Khan, knows all about their family's cricket history. There are videos on Instagram showing Saif talking to Taimur about their family's cricketing past while Taimur plays at a cricket club in London. Saif Ali Khan explains cricket lineage to son Taimur in London In one of the videos, Taimur is seen batting inside a net, dressed in a white T-shirt with a blue stripe, matching track pants, and sneakers. Saif is wearing a grey cord-set, a black sleeveless jacket, and brown shoes, with a small ponytail. In another video, Saif is explaining cricket 'counties' to Taimur. When Taimur asks a question, Saif explains, “Counties are like clubs, such as Sussex and Worcestershire. Your great-grandfather played for Worcestershire, and your grandfather captained Sussex.” Taimur nods, and his cricket coach, surprised by Saif's family cricket history, asks, “Is that right?” Saif proudly nods in response. View this post on Instagram A post shared by International Cricket Masters (@internationalcricketmastersuk) Saif Ali Khan on being on Instagram After Kareena Kapoor and Ibrahim Ali Khan made their much-awaited social media debut igniting a swamp of followers within minutes of joining Instagram, Saif Ali Khan, who has steered away from having a virtual account admitted that he does browse incognito. In an interview with Hindustan Times, the actor shared, “I do have the Instagram app, and a secret account, too. I browse sometimes, but don’t enjoy it much. And every time I browse it for a little while, I keep promising to delete it and I end up not deleting it.” “I don’t want to get stuck in a position where I have to post other people’s things. I really enjoy the fact that nobody is really interested in asking me to promote something because they know that I’m not on social media. So, I get a lot of peace and quiet,” he added. Sharing his take on the paparazzi culture and how a video posted by these accounts creates controversies, Saif shared, “Every time I do check Instagram, I see an actor at the airport either showing some concern about a paparazzi guy who falls over and then the people comment saying ‘what a nice person they are’ or ‘the star is not conscious enough of a fan showing some interest who is trying to grab him and take a selfie’ and people write ‘what a not very nice person’. And this cycle goes on and on, and everyone’s very concerned with what the paparazzi think and what everybody thinks because everyone wants to be super nice, that’s hugely irritating.”
02 July,2024 09:07 AM IST | MumbaiSeasoned actor Tabu, who is currently on a promotional spree for her upcoming film 'Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha' with Ajay Devgn recalled shooting for the 1997 film ‘Virasat’ alongside Anil Kapoor. The film directed by Priyadarshan saw Tabu play the role of a village woman named Gehna. In an interview with Zoom, she revealed how the director poured an entire bottle of coconut oil on her head to achieve the right look. She said, “Priyan (Priyadarshan) wanted me to have oily hair and a village look. So, the hairstylist told me to take a little gel and apply it to make it look oily. When I went on set, he said, 'I asked you to put oil.' I said, 'Yeah, a little. Nice shine is coming.' So he let it go and then came back with a bottle of coconut oil from behind and poured the entire thing onto my head." "This is what I mean by having oil in your hair,' he said. But then it was very easy for me. I didn't have to do any hairstyling. I used to get ready in five minutes. Long hair, apply oil, braid it, and go to the set,” added Tabu. ‘Virasat’ is a remake of the Tamil film ‘Thevar Magan’ and also featured Pooja Batra. Tabu started her career as a teenager in Dev Anand's 1985 release, ‘Hum Naujawan’. She has won two National Awards, for ‘Maachis’ (2001) and ‘Chandni Bar’ (2001). Over the years, she has impressed in a variety of roles in films across genres including ‘Haider’, ‘Maqbool’, ‘Life Of Pi’, ‘The Namesake’, ‘Astitva’, ‘Hera Pheri’, and ‘Andhadhun’. Coming to 'Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha', the film stars Ajay Devgn, Shantanu Maheshwari, and Saiee Manjrekar. The film promises to be a unique musical love story with an epic romantic drama spanning 20 years, set between 2002 and 2023. The film is set for a theatrical release on July 5, 2024. Ajay and Tabu have shared screen space in films including 'Vijaypath', 'Haqeeqat', 'Thakshak', 'Fitoor', 'Drishyam', 'Golmaal Again', 'De De Pyaar De', 'Drishyam 2' and 'Bholaa'. Meanwhile, Tabu has landed a big role in the international series 'Dune: Prophecy'. She will essay the role of Sister Francesca. The series was originally commissioned in 2019 under the title 'Dune: The Sisterhood'. It is inspired by the novel 'Sisterhood of Dune' written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. (With inputs from Agencies)
02 July,2024 08:19 AM IST | MumbaiWhen Ajay Devgn announced Son of Sardaar 2 almost 12 years after the original’s release, the questions about the cast were inevitable. Earlier, reports suggested that neither leading lady Sonakshi Sinha nor Sanjay Dutt would feature in the action comedy’s sequel. But now, mid-day has exclusively learnt that Dutt has been signed on for Vijay Kumar Arora’s directorial venture. So, will the actor reprise his role of Balwinder Singh Sandhu aka Billu to Devgn’s Jassi? Yes and no. It turns out that the sequel is a fresh story, and doesn’t pick up where the original ended. A source reveals, “That said, since the characters of Billu and Jassi were loved by the audiences, the two actors are expected to stick to their characters’ names. Their dynamics, however, will be different. While the two were at loggerheads with hilarious results in Son of Sardaar, this time, their rivalry will be intense, with Sanjay’s role leaning towards the antagonist. Off screen, the two actors are close friends, and Ajay has made sure that Sanjay has a fantastic role in the second part.” Mrunal Thakur Arora, who is a successful Punjabi director and served as the director of photography on Devgn’s Action Jackson (2014), plans to take the action comedy on floors around July-end. “Ajay, Sanjay and Mrunal Thakur, who has been roped in as the female lead, will kick off a 50-day schedule in Scotland. It is famous for its castles, historic towns, lochs, and beaches, with many episodes of Game of Thrones, and much of the Harry Potter franchise having been shot there. The direction team had done a recce earlier this year, and finalised the scenic towns of Glencoe and Glenfinnan, as well as sites such as the Culross Palace, Doune Castle, Preston Mill and Falkland Palace. The locations form a fitting backdrop for the kind of action and drama that the director has in mind. A few romantic songs featuring Ajay and Mrunal will also be shot in the country’s picturesque locales,” adds the source. Devgn is expected to wrap up the shoot of Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again next week, after which he will focus single-mindedly on Son of Sardaar 2. After the Scotland schedule is complete, the actor will start filming De De Pyaar De 2 in London.
02 July,2024 06:50 AM IST | Mumbai | Upala KBRPout like this! Kriti Sanon indulges the paparazzi with a variety of expressions and poses during a brand event in the city Let’s score some goals Tiger Shroff, Aparshakti Khurana, Bunty Walia and son Yoan get together for a game of football in Bandra Looking serious Bobby Deol and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde get together to unveil the poster of a Marathi biopic Moving forward Varun Dhawan seems mighty pleased with the reactions his T-shirt is getting as he returns home from a work meeting in Juhu Baal baal dekho We spotted Yuvraj Singh sporting a new hairstyle experiment. No choti baat this! Just in Keep it simple: Anupam Kher; Twinning: Sunny Leone and Daniel Weber; Checkmate: Kartik Aaryan; Mask up: Rashmika Mandanna; Flying solo: Sussanne Khan; Kaala chashma: Triptii Dimri To auspicious beginnings Namish Taneja, Shruti Bisht and Megha Chakraborty launch their new television show at the ISKCON Temple in Juhu Health first It seems Ranbir Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor prefer to begin their day with their exercise regimen
02 July,2024 06:36 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist TeamThe inroad Actor-singer Ammy Virk has credited Diljit Dosanjh, who is considered to be a sensation in the field of music and showbiz, for breaking the stereotype of Punjabi actors in Bollywood. Ammy, who will soon be seen in the film Bad Newz, said, “Earlier, Diljit paaji came and broke the stereotype of Punjabi actors, which allowed us to get good work here. I hope to make Punjab and all of you proud with my work,” said the 83 actor, who called Bad Newz his first commercial entertainer in Bollywood. He also jokingly drew a parallel between the Punjabi and Hindi film industries. Dosanjh made his Bollywood debut with Udta Punjab (2016). No film talk Junaid Khan, who made his acting debut with Maharaj, shared that his father Aamir Khan and he “don’t have deep talks about films”. Talking about his dinner table conversations with his superstar father, he said, “It is not much about films. Dad liked [Maharaj] when he saw it a few months ago. But, beyond that, there has not been much of a conversation,” said Junaid. The young actor’s statements align with a light-hearted conversation that Aamir had with a chat-show host, when he revealed that his kids “don’t listen” to him. Khan had alluded to the fact that his contemporaries request him to guide their children, but his kids pay little heed to his advice. Maharaj is based on events related to the 1862 Maharaj Libel Case. Date with viewers A release date has been set for Kareena Kapoor Khan starrer, The Buckingham Murders. The makers have shared the poster for the film along with its release date on Instagram. “We’re thrilled to announce that #TheBuckinghamMurders is coming to theatres on September 13, 2024 (sic),” it read. Hansal Mehta’s directorial venture will also mark Kapoor’s debut as a producer. The murder mystery follows Kapoor’s last comic offering, Crew, which also featured Tabu and Kriti Sanon. The Buckingham Murders had its world premiere at the 67th BFI London Film Festival in October 2023. It was the first film to open at the MAMI Film Festival 2023. The official Instagram page of MAMI Film Festival called it “a great start to a much-awaited festival” and said it received a “great reception” at the ceremony. Up next Oscar and Grammy award-winning composer AR Rahman’s documentary Headhunting to Beatboxing, which is directed by Rohit Gupta, is set to have its world premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2024 in Australia. Speaking about the film’s premiere at the festival, Rahman said: “The film is very special to us, as it throws light on the beautiful state of Nagaland and highlights the rich cultural and musical history it contains. Rohit and I are looking forward to the premiere and showcasing it to the audiences in Melbourne.” No surgery for Shatrughan Amid speculation that Shatrughan Sinha has undergone surgery at a city hospital, the actor’s son has issued a statement. Taking to social media, he wrote, “In regard to my father’s health, I’d like to clarify that there was no surgical procedure, and one shouldn’t believe unverified news. We took my father to the hospital for his annual check-up and because he had a [high] fever. Thank you to everyone who has been concerned,” Luv shared. Questions relating to Sinha’s health began to be raised after his daughter Sonakshi was spotted at the hospital. Scarred, not scared Days after revealing that she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, Hina Khan shared a motivational note for her fans. “This is to all those courageous women and men who are fighting this tough battle. I wish my journey could be courageous and motivating enough for people out there to turn a page in their own stories for good. We may be scarred, but we must not be scared,” she wrote. On June 28, the actor took to social media to update her fans about her diagnosis. The tough life Walking down memory lane, Chunky Panday recalled how he struggled to create a name in the industry. Revealing that he had to wait in long queues in front of producers’ offices, he spoke of the jobs he took up to make ends meet. “My struggling days were very different; there were no casting directors or digital media, so we had to wait in long queues in front of producers’ offices. Apart from going to meet them and showing them albums with photographs, we also had to dance in front of them and enact scenes from popular films. It was not easy, but it was fun. I was a part-time car dealer, so I used to get the chance to drive cars around. Every day, I was in a different car, visiting producers’ offices,” said Panday, who started his acting career with the 1987 multi-starrer film, Aag Hi Aag.
02 July,2024 06:28 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist TeamWith Kill, director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat has designed a relentless action thriller that plays out over 115 minutes. The physical prep for such a film would naturally be gruelling. But Raghav Juyal, who plays the antagonist to Lakshya’s hero, says the mental preparation for his role was far more challenging than the physical aspect. “Playing Fani was a transformative experience for me. This character is ruthless and menacing, which required me to dig deep into a psychological space I had never explored. The action was intense, but the real challenge was preparing myself mentally for this role’s darkness,” says the actor. After starting out with dance reality shows, Juyal featured in Street Dancer 3D (2020) and Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023). Kill, produced by Karan Johar and Guneet Monga Kapoor, required the actor to move away from light-hearted roles. He shares, “I had to set aside my comedic and light-hearted persona to embody this character. It was crucial to understand Fani’s motivations to portray him convincingly. This role allowed me to grow as an actor.” The action thriller premièred at the Toronto International Film Festival last September.
02 July,2024 06:19 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar BasuActor Bipasha Basu, who often shares happy moments with her husband, Karan Singh Grover, and their adorable daughter, Devi Basu Singh Grover, dropped another adorable family picture on social media. The 'Raaz' actor took to Instagram Stories and shared a selfie where Bipasha can be seen with Karan and Devi. Bipasha also posted a video of her daughter Devi where she can be seen playing with balloons. Devi looks like a princess in a white gown with a bow. Bipasha always treats her fans with a glimpse of Devi's adorable moments. Earlier, she gave fans a glimpse into her daughter's family time as she dropped pictures of little daughter Devi's adorable moments on her Instagram Stories. In the heartwarming post, Bipasha shared a picture of little Devi, dressed in an all-white frock, peering out of a glass window with innocent curiosity. Bipasha and Karan's journey of love began on the set of Bhushan Patel's film 'Alone' in 2015, where they first met and later tied the knot in April 2016, after a year of dating. The couple welcomed their daughter, Devi Basu Singh Grover, on November 12, 2022. Announcing the arrival of their bundle of joy, Bipasha took to Instagram to share the joyous news along with the name of their daughter, signifying her as the physical manifestation of their love and blessings. Meanwhile, Karan Singh Grover, on the professional front, was last seen in Siddharth Anand's upcoming aerial action thriller film 'Fighter', starring alongside Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
02 July,2024 06:05 AM IST | Mumbai | ANIIra Khan, daughter of Aamir Khan, has posted some adorable pictures with her grandmother Zeenat Hussain. On Monday, Ira dropped pictures with Zeenat on Instagram and wrote, "Our faces when we whoop your bums at court piece!" In the pictures, Zeenat can be seen wearing a white salwar suit while Ira wears an off-white saree with a heavy embroidery green blouse. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ira Khan (@khan.ira) Mom-to-be Richa Chaddha reacted to the post and wrote, "Beautiful smiles." Ira's husband Nupur Shikhare dropped heart emojis in the comment section. Netizens also bombarded the comment section with lovable comments and heart emojis. A user wrote, "Both of you look lovely. It looks especially graceful in a sari and of course, Zeenat ma'am carries her 90 years beautifully." Another fan commented, "Lovely pic, stay blessed." Actor Aamir Khan was earlier married to Reena Dutta but separated in 2002. He has a daughter Ira and a son Junaid from his first marriage with Reena. Ira married her long-time boyfriend Nupur in a traditional Christian wedding in Udaipur, Rajasthan, after solemnising their relationship via a registered marriage at Taj Lands End, Bandra, in Mumbai on January 3. Reportedly, Nupur and Ira met during the COVID-19 lockdown. The duo had engaged in November last year. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
02 July,2024 05:56 AM IST | Mumbai | ANIAamir Khan Productions has always delivered some of the most engaging and entertaining films. With their extensive filmography, they have brought forth many stories encapsulating various emotions. Continuing this streak, they introduced the action comedy 'Delhi Belly', which arrived with a plethora of entertainment. The film, released in 2011, has now completed 13 years. To celebrate this milestone, the makers have shared an interesting video that takes us back into its world full of quirky comedy. Aamir Khan Productions took to their social media and shared a video encapsulating the journey of delivering these interesting stories, maintaining the streak with 'Delhi Belly'. Marking the 13th anniversary of the film, they captioned it - "13 years ago on this day" View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aamir Khan Productions (@aamirkhanproductions) Made under the banner of Aamir Khan Productions, Delhi Belly was released in 2011 and was directed by Abhinay Deo. The film starred Imran Khan, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Vir Das, Poorna Jagannathan and Shenaz Treasurywala. The film garnered immense love from all across and was also a theatrical success. What makes this film more sparkling is the groundbreaking music by Ram Sampath, especially the throbbing ‘Bhaag DK Bose’, that may have compelled all the people with this moniker to despise what they are named. With his nuanced understanding of music, his creations masterfully blended with this dark comedy’s roaring storyline. This is that rare Hindi film that sounds cooler and funnier when viewed in English. The writing and the language feel more natural and crisp. ‘Delhi Belly’ taught us two things- Always be careful while consuming orange juice, and shit happens (which is also its tagline). If shit can be so much fun, let’s have some more. Recently, in a conversation with Mid-day, director Abhinay Deo confessed that a sequel to Delhi Belly has been on his mind. "I have thought of a sequel every week for the past 10 years. As much as we love the film, we also know how meticulously it was made. Under the garb of comedy and [expletives], we had a sharp movie. To put all those factors together and make a movie that is relevant today will take time. In some time, we hope to put pen to paper and see where it takes us.”
01 July,2024 10:05 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
