Nimisha Vakharia to play aunt to leading lady in ‘Pyaar Ka Pehla Adhyaya Shiv Shakti’
She is authoritative, blunt by nature and does not mince her words. Her presence is anticipated to introduce numerous unexpected twists and turns in the show.
The show stars Arjun Bijlani and Nikki Sharma as Shiv and Shakti, respectively. Shedding light on her character, Nimisha Vakharia said: "I'm thrilled to have bagged the role of Manorama in an exciting show like Pyaar Ka Pehla Adhyaya Shiv Shakti. She is a colorful Gujarati character who'll bring a lot of fun to the show. She is the one who calls the shots at home … As a mother, she cares first about her own children before she thinks of the lead protagonist – her niece Shakti who has been thrust on her as a responsibility."
She further mentioned: "Since Manorama has a funny side to her, I'm glad that I'm back in my comfort zone with this amazing role after a while. Hopefully, the audiences will love me in this avatar."
'Pyaar Ka Pehla Adhyaya Shiv Shakti' premieres on July 3 on Zee TV.
--IANS
aa/kvd
Liam Neeson to hit the big screen with new action-thriller ‘Retribution’
The new trailer for 'Retribution' promises an action and suspense driven spectacle as Liam Neeson’s whole life is turned around by a mysterious caller. The actor was earlier seen in the 2022 film 'Marlowe', and the 'Star Wars' series 'Obi Wan Kenobi' and 'Tales of the Jedi'.
Driving down the road with his kids, Matt Turner (Neeson) receives a mysterious call from a man who tells him that there is a bomb in his car and gives him instructions to drive around or else either he will be blown up, or those he cares for will. Refusal to follow the orders shows the caller bombing Matt’s associates, in a warped and sadistic mind game.
Directed by action director Nimrod Antal, 'Retribution' is a remake of the Spanish film 'El desconocido', and is produced by Andrew Rona, Alex Heineman, Jaume Collet-Serra and Juan Sola. Released by Lionsgate, 'Retribution' shall hit theaters on August 25, 2023.
--IANS
anv/aa/kvd
‘College Romance 4’ trailer is all about self-discovery, friendship, steps to adulthood
Regarding the final season, actor Gagan Arora, who plays one of the lead characters Bagga in the show, said: "College Romance' has received a lot of love from the audiences since its inception. They have seen the characters mature through the years and have been fully invested in their journey as a gang, just like we have been. So, it is an emotional moment for all of us as we bring the final season.”
He added: “The viewers will surely be reminded of their senior year of college with this season as everyone will take important decisions and prepare to step into the real world."
'College Romance' Season 4 is directed by Ashutosh Pankaj and is created by The Viral Fever.
Produced by Arunabh Kumar, the show stars Gagan Arora, Apoorva Arora, Keshav Sadhna, Shreya Mehta, Nupur Nagpal, Jahnvi Rawat, and Eklavey Kashyap in key roles.
'College Romance 4' will premiere on July 14 on Sony LIV.
--IANS
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CBFC sets record straight on ’72 Hoorain’ trailer; says reports are ‘misleading’
Reports quoting Pandit, the co-producer, about the film's trailer being refused the censor certificate now seem like being a publicity stunt for the film before its release. The film tells the story of how brainwashing by terrorists is done.
The Board said that the trailer has been examined in accordance with the Guidelines issued under Section 5B(2) of the Cinematograph Act, 1952.
"After this, the applicant was asked for requisite documentary submissions under intimation and upon receipt of the same, certification was granted subject to modifications," the Board said."A show-cause notice communicating the modifications was issued to the applicant/filmmaker on 27-6-2023 and the same is pending for the applicant's response/compliance," the Board added in its clarification.
--IANS
aa/kvd‘Aarthik Stithi Theek Na Hai Humari’ scene in ‘Aspirants’ was improvised, reveals Sunny Hinduja
Elaborating on the details, Sunny said: “Firstly, this scene wasn’t part of the script. When we started shooting, I shared with Apoorv Singh Karki (the director) the background of my character 'Sandeep Bhaiya’, and he felt that there should be a scene that showed his struggles. But we didn’t know how that would happen. We were all busy and kept shooting, and the days just passed."
He further mentioned that the scene was supposed to be shot the following day. So the night before, the actors got invited to Apoorv’s home for dinner and drinks. All of them, includingNaveen Kasturia and Shivankit Singh Parihar, were there. Eventually, Apoorv set such a vibe as if the scene was being shot right there.
He told IMDb: "I understood where we were headed. Naveen and I started improvising, and I don’t know how, but magic happened. The great thing about that magic was that the lines were in Haryanvi, but the scene was not shot the next day, because Naveen got infected with COVID-19."
"We shot it a month later, but that night at Apoorv’s, I don’t know why but I felt like writing it down because I felt like the lines were magical and should not be lost. So, thankfully, I wrote it and I remembered it as well. Then, on the day of the shoot, we shot the entire scene in one take. That was yet another beautiful moment," he added.
The actor was recently seen in the film 'Shehzada' and has his own spin-off series coming up based on his 'Aspirants' character.
--IANS
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Sonam Kapoor Ahuja plays a visually-impaired key witness to crime in ‘Blind’ trailer
The trailer of ‘Blind’ was unveiled on Thursday and it presents a riveting tale of a blind girl, played by Sonam, who helps unravel a crime committed by Purab Kohli’s character.
Clocking 2 minutes in length, the trailer starts off with the reference to ‘Pulp Fiction’, as a woman named Mia Wallace goes missing. Sonam’s character goes to the authorities to report the missing woman saying that she has a strong feeling that the taxi she boarded had the girl in its boot. From there begins the cat and mouse chase with hints of Sonam’s house invasion.
‘Blind’ also stars Vinay Pathak, Lilette Dubey, and Shubham Saraf, and has been directed by Shome Makhija. It is a story of a visually impaired resilient woman (played by Sonam) who becomes a key witness to a crime. In her efforts to trace the unusual turn of events and give testimony about the incident, she is forced to confront the killer on her own.
Presented by Jio Studios, in association with RV Motion Pictures & Lead Films, a Kanai, Avma and Kross Pictures Production, ‘Blind’ will premiere on July 7 on Jio Cinema.
--IANSaa/kvd
‘Adipurush’: A tacky production of epic proportions
By Arnab BanerjeeFilm: Adipurush Duration: 179 minutes
Director: Om Raut Cast: Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, Saif Ali Khan, Devdatta Nage and Sanjiv Singh
Cinematography: Karthik Palani Music: Sanchit Balhara, Ankit Balhara
Songs: Ajay-Atul, Sachet-Parampara
IANS Rating: **
When disclaimers go beyond the perfunctory three-liners and go on to justify the inclusion or absence of some vital facts, rest assured the filmmakers have a lot to hide and explain, or maybe fear a backlash that might result in a disaster.
The disclaimer also says that the original names of the characters have been changed. That said, what's a film made on such a grand scale without a minor controversy?
In any case, any hullabaloo helps in adding the right buzz to a film. The nth adaptation of the Indian mythological epic Ramayana, 'Adipurush', written and directed by Om Raut, produced by T-Series and Retrophiles, and shot simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu, is a modern take, but, thankfully, the epic, time-tested tale has not been tampered with. One minute short of three hours, the film is full of tacky computer-generated graphics that come in the way of storytelling, but that's not its only flaw.
The film begins with Prince Rama on a 14-year exile to the forest urged by his father, King Dasharatha, on the request of his stepmother Kaikeyi. It focuses on his travels across the forests in the Indian subcontinent with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana.
Soon, it is time for the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana, the king of Lanka, and what follows is the war between Rama and Ravana.
One has seen many versions of umpteen legendary tales told with a lot of passion, each one aiming at a fresh approach, and that alone is the reason why most of their novel treatment becomes a hit. The producers and director are aware that they have to have a faithful adaptation and don't digress from the storyline (thank God for small mercies!).
In this version of the Ramayana, not much on paper can be blamed. Neither the mythical theme, nor are any of the characters unreal. Prabhas, who plays Rama, is closest to doing justice to his character. The rest playing the fabled roles perform with either hyper-sensitivity or deadpan expression.
Saif Ali Khan as Ravana wants to have fun, and roars "Ha ... hahaha" the loudest, but looks most unconvincing in his anglicised Hindi. With the help of technology, he is made to look larger than his five-feet-something frame, helping him tower over all characters.
To woo North Indian Hindi speaking audiences, Rama's voice has been dubbed by Sharad Kelkar, which is half the performance. Rama here is as affable as possible, but he can be fiercely determined as well, leaving no stone unturned to accomplish his mission.
Kriti Sanon is unsure of what she is supposed to be doing; her tall frame and inexpressive impassive face is a distraction. It is the same Krito who was so impressive in 'Mimi' last year. And like the other actors, she is not helped by the fact that she has to deliver unimaginative, almost prosaic, lines that sometimes are laughable.
What is missing is the divinity one looks for in such films. There are many massive visual effects to enhance the effect of wonderment, but sadly, one is not overawed by any of this gimmicky flashiness.
Cinematographer Karthik Palani, though a competent technician, has to deal with too many colours, black and blue in particular, to make way for dazzle and amazement that the film demands.
The songs by Ajay-Atul and Sachet-Parampara, and the background score by Sanchit and Ankit Balhara, is expectedly loud and spoils the viewing even more with decibel levels that create noise pollution.
At the end of the drama, one minute short of three hours, as Rama returns to Ayodhya, it is
a real test of patience to even wait for the credits to roll. So bored one is of the deadpan and uninspired account of a classic heroic grand tale!
--IANS
arnab/kvd
Karan Deol, Drisha Acharya make a grand entry at their sangeet ceremony
Mumbai, June 16 (IANS) Karan Deol and Drisha Acharya made their first official appearance as groom and bride at their pre-wedding sangeet ceremony at the Deol residence in Mumbai on Friday night.They are raring to tie the knot on June 18 and the celebrations were in full flow with the entire Deol clan in attendance, starting with Dharmendra, enjoying every moment of the evening; a turbaned Sunny Deol, who looked every bit a Punjabi gentleman farmer from his Lok Sabha constituency, Gurdaspur; Bobby Deol, looking very much a Yash doppelganger with his thick black beard, wife Tania and son Aryaman, who was also celebrating his 26th birthday; and Abhay Deol.
Drisha was wearing an ornate black lehenga with an off-shoulder blouse and Karan arrived in a heavily embroidered sherwani. The couple stepped out to greet the media and posed for the paparazzi.
Karan and Drisha have been dating for a while; she works in Dubai. The wedding will be an intimate affair, only family and close friends have been invited to it. It will be followed by a grand reception, which promises to be yet another big Bollywood bash.
--IANS
newsline/srb
Kiara Advani joins Hrithik, NTR Jr in ‘War 2’
Mumbai, June 16 (IANS) Actress Kiara Advani has been roped in by Aditya Chopra for the spy thriller 'War 2' starring Hrithik Roshan and NTR Jr.A source said: "Kiara Advani fits the bill to the T as far as YRF Spy Universe and 'War 2' is considered. The YRF Spy Universe is a league of all-time blockbuster films like 'Ek Tha Tiger', 'Tiger Zinda Hai', 'War' and 'Pathaan', and the expectation from each movie coming out from this franchise is sky high.
"Look at the superstars who have graced this Universe. It's the most coveted film Universe in India that stars the biggest superstars of the country. Kiara is right now at the top of the heap and Aditya Chopra taking her for 'War 2' loudly signifies that."
The source also said that 'War 2' right now has the 'hottest' cast.
"You have three superstars like Hrithik Roshan, NTR Jr and Kiara Advani in the film! Then you have the brightest young director of the country, Ayan Mukerji, directing 'War 2'! Aditya Chopra is going all out to make this film the coolest action entertainer that this country has ever seen. It will be really exciting to see Kiara in this Universe and how Ayan and Adi present her in 'War 2'."
--IANS
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Actor Adarsh Gourav is also a trained Hindustani classical vocalist
Mumbai, June 16 (IANS) Actor Adarsh Gourav is a fine acting talent, it's no secret. But, he also commands an equal prowess in another art form -- singing. The actor, who impressed the audience with his work in 'The White Tiger' and will soon be seen in 'Kho Gaye Hum Kahan' and the Scott Z. Burns directorial 'Extrapolations', is also a trained Hindustani classical singer.The actor, who essays the role of Devan in the audio streaming series 'Desi Down Under', spoke with IANS about nuances of voice acting and how his background in music helped him to a great extent.
The actor "never particularly attended a workshop for voice acting". "But I've been doing it for some time now," he told IANS.
"Apart from that, I'm a trained Hindustani classical vocalist and I've done some playback as well. I have the basic awareness that's required for voice acting. But of course, it's a process where the more mistakes you make, and the more experience you have, the more you learn. I'm really hoping that I get more opportunities in this space, and I get to work more on my voice acting skills. As you know, I have always desired to be the voice of an animated character and I hope that I get to do that one day," he added.
Talking about how he landed the show, the actor said: "Mantra (the director) and Audible, both of them got in touch with me and it was right at the beginning when the script was being written. The episodes were shared with me and I thought it was a refreshing, light and enjoyable story of these three friends. After shooting two films back to back, which had me playing intense characters, I was looking for something that felt more conversational, light, and not very stressful. And that's exactly what I felt about Desi Down Under. The moment I got the opportunity I was sure that I wanted to be a part of it."
The actor also mentioned that audio streaming is not a new concept and that the audience has already cherished audio storytelling since the days of radio.
He said: "I think audio storytelling has always been a big part of not just India, but the world at large. Before television, there was radio which had lots of programmes that aired on it. I think that it has found its space again, after many years. In a few years, we'll probably be headed towards a direction where it will become more of a sensory experience and not just audio, making the entire consumer experience more holistic. So, we're in a very exciting space. I would actually like to do something in the horror space when it comes to audio storytelling because I'm a big horror buff. I feel that it will be very, very effective."
'Desi Down Under' is streaming on Audible.
--IANS
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