ShowBiz

New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANSlife) Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ananya Birla, is preparing for her debut in the international fashion world. She is well-known for her eclectic sense of style and will be walking the runway for celebrated Indian couturiere, Archana Kochhar.

The designer will be showcasing for the first time at prestigious London Fashion Week.

Ananya Birla states: "I'm looking forward to being a part of the London Fashion Week and supporting the Make In India campaign on the world stage. Archana Kochhar is a talented designer and I can't wait to walk for her."

The show, in collaboration with the British Fashion Council, will take place on September 17, 2022, at the Hyatt Regency, London - The Churchill. Kochhar, who has worked with Bollywood stars, is also the first Indian designer to be designated to propel the Make In India campaign, which was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in 2014 on global territories.

Alongside Kochhar, Elizabeth Emanuel, a British designer best known for designing late Princess Diana's wedding gown, currently on display at Kensington Palace London, will appear during the nightfall slot.

Kochhar's collection 'Le Gehna', focuses on emerging bridal trends from the modern world. The collection will be a vibrant showcase of royal hues, avant-garde cuts, and seamless textures, with a striking medley of artisanal Indian embroidery and western silhouettes. Birla is expected to dazzle in a bespoke emerald saree gown, with an emphasis on promoting Indian heritage on the global stage.

Archana Kochhar states: "Craft and handiwork are at the core of my work and I'm pleased to associate with Ananya Birla who enjoys a distinct cultural and artistic lineage. My collection's overall theme is all about inclusivity and consciousness and to inspire forward-thinking fashion conversations in the bridal fashion circuits."

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)

--IANS
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Los Angeles, Sep 6 (IANS) Actress Jennifer Aniston teased her fans that "something's coming" with a nude shower picture.

The 53-year-old actress, who is known for her long shiny hair, promoted an exciting addition to her LolaVie hair care line. With her back to the camera, she stood naked in the shower as water and shampoo foam streamed down over her body, reports aceshowbiz.com.

The 'We're the Millers' star wrote in the caption: "Something's coming 9.8.22," adding a shower emoji.

In the comment section, many praised and gave Jennifer support. "Aww mama, very happy for your achievement with this new step #LolaLove (heart emoji) CONTINUE TO SHINEEE!" one person wrote.

Another penned, "I'm sooooo excited!!!!"

A third said: "The best hair products and our best girl yeahh this team #LolaLove rocks."

Aniston, who has nearly 41 million followers on Instagram, once resisted social media for so long. Seemingly knowing how to play the social media game, she then set a record for the fastest Instagram account to reach one million followers in 2019.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last December, Jennifer insisted that she understands the power the platforms bring to the entertainment industry, noting the tabloids are out but "now you've got social media".

"It's almost like the media handed over the sword to any Joe Schmo sitting behind a computer screen to be a troll or whatever they call them and bully people in comment sections," so said 'The Morning Show' star. "So it's just sort of changed hands in a way. And I don't know why there's such a cruel streak in society."

--IANS
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Mumbai, Sep 5 (IANS) Actress Kangana Ranaut, who is currently busy with her film 'Emergency', recently shared her thoughts about the craft of filmmaking and how the film has made her understand the nuances of storytelling. In her opinion, "a movie makes a maker" and it's not the other way round.

'Emergency' is Kangana's second directorial after 'Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi' and the actress is leaving no stone unturned to make the film a compelling watch.

Taking to her Instagram, Kangana shared a picture of herself briefing someone off the camera about a particular close-up/mid close-up shot.

Captioning the picture, she wrote: "Filmmaking is a fine blend of prep, practice and spontaneity. That's why it can be the most difficult or the easiest thing to do, depends how efficiently you can be rigid and fluid both at the same time."

She went on to share that despite all the preparation, a story or a sequence may demand to ditch all things that were a part of the prep and start afresh with a different approach, "If you know how to prepare hard to shoot what must be shot yet in the last moment you demolish that mental structure/road map/blue print and be free to find something entirely different based on your instincts then you know how to make a movie .... And if you know how to make a movie you will know in actuality one can't make a movie."

In her opinion, the terms film-maker is nothing but a myth as a story finds its true expression and the maker is merely a vehicle for the story.

"Film-maker is a myth, there is no such thing. If anything, a movie makes a maker because story has its own seed and soul which finds expression and manifests and so-called maker simply watches bewildered, enchanted as she finds herself transform in to a role she must play #setstories #Emergency."

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 5 (IANSlife) On September 16, National Cinema Day, the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) and theatres all over India invite moviegoers to spend the day at the movies for a special admission fee of Rs 75.

More than 4000 participating theatres, including those operated by PVR, INOX, Cinépolis, Carnival, Miraj, Citypride, Asian, Mukta A2, Movietime, Wave, M2K, Delite, and many others, will host National Cinema Day.

India has a vibrant local film industry and has experienced one of the fastest global recoveries in the movie theatre industry. On the strength of international and domestic tentpoles that connected with the Indian public, the first quarter of FY'23 saw remarkable figures among theatre operators. Some of the biggest domestic hits, including KGF: Chapter 2, RRR, Vikram, and Bhool Bhulaiya 2, as well as Hollywood blockbusters Doctor Strange and Top Gun: Maverick, were released during the third quarter.

Bringing people of all ages together for a day of movie-going. National Cinema Day is a "thank you" to the moviegoers who helped with the successful reopening of theatres.

The participating theatres' websites and social media pages will have further information about the special incentives.

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)

--IANS
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Mumbai, Sep 5 (IANS) Actress Katrina Kaif, who will be seen on 'Koffee With Karan' with her 'Phone Bhoot' co-stars Ishaan Khatter and Siddharth Chaturvedi, has spoken about the concept of "suhaag raat" in the tenth episode of the chat show.

While Alia Bhatt dismissed the concept of suhaag raat as a myth, recently married Katrina, who is the wife of actor Vicky Kushal, shared a smarter solution for tired couples to follow.

"It does not always have to be a suhaag raat. It can also be a suhaag din," the actress said.

Made under the production of Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar's Excel Entertainment, the upcoming adventure comedy 'Phone Bhoot', is a horror comedy.

Stream Hotstar Specials' 'Koffee with Karan Season 7' on Disney+ Hotstar

--IANS
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Los Angeles, Sep 5 (IANS) Comedian Chris Rock has tagged Hollywood star Will Smith's online apology for slapping him at the Oscars as "hostage video".

The 57-year-old comic made the statement during another of his stand-up sets alongside Dave Chappelle as part of the pair's new joint comedy tour, reports aceshowbiz.com.

Referring to 53-year-old Smith's apology video released in July, Chris said, "F*** your hostage video".

The comic also used the set to refer to Will as "Suge Smith", in reference to the thuggish and imprisoned Death Row Records executive Suge Knight.

Rock told fans, who attended his and Dave's performance at Liverpool's M and S Arena, Will had managed to do an impersonation of a "perfect man for 30 years" before showing he is "just as ugly as the rest of us".

This is the first time the comic had extensively shared his feelings about being slapped by Will at this year's Oscars.

Dave asked Chris in front of the crowd, "Did that s**t hurt?" prompting Chris to exclaim, "Goddam right... the motherf**ker hit me over a bulls**t joke - the nicest joke I ever told."

He added, "Will did the impression of a perfect person for 30 years, and he ripped his mask off and showed us he was as ugly as the rest of us. Whatever the consequences are... I hope he doesn't put his mask back on again, and lets his real face breathe. I see myself in both men."

Earlier this year, Smith stormed the stage at the Academy Awards in March and whacked Chris after the comic compared his wife's shaven head to actress Demi Moore's buzzcut in the 1997 film 'G.I. Jane'.

Smith then twice howled from his seat in front of stunned A-listers and while watched by millions of film fans around the world, "Keep my wife's name out your f**king mouth".

It was then revealed that Smith's wife of 25 years Jada Pinkett Smith had shaved it as she suffers hair loss-causing alopecia.

While issuing a grovelling apology in his online video in July, Will admitted Rock has not responded to his attempts to reach out.

He said, "So I will say to you, Chris, I apologise to you. My behaviour was unacceptable and I'm here whenever you're ready to talk."

--IANS
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Hyderabad, Sep 4 (IANS) Megastar K. Chiranjeevi on Sunday revealed that he set up Chiranjeevi Blood Bank as he was moved by the death of many people due to blood shortage in 1998.

Stating that he had many fans who were ready to do anything for him, he said he wanted to use this love and affection for the benefit of people.

Chiranjeevi was speaking at an event at Raj Bhavan, where Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan felicitated and distributed free life insurance policies to volunteers for donating blood for more than 50 times at Chiranjeevi Eye and Blood Bank.

The actor said so far 9.30 lakh units blood has been collected and 70 per cent of this was provided to the poor free of cost while the remaining was given to private hospitals.

He said the problem of blood shortage has been resolved to a large extent in the two Telugu states.

Chiranjeevi revealed that 2,000 to 3,000 people are frequently donating blood. He said the 'Chiru Bhadratha' scheme was started by the Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust (CCT) to provide security to donors.

Under the scheme, each frequent blood donor has been insured for Rs 7 lakh and the premium was being paid by the trust.

The Governor, in her speech, said that blood donation is a noble cause. She recalled that when she was the house surgeon, even family members of patients were reluctant to come forward to donate flood

She lauded Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust for immense efforts in collecting 9,30,000 units of blood and 4,580 pairs of eyes.

Appreciating Chiranjeevi for being inspirational and brand ambassador for blood donation, she said that this is an unprecedented monumental initiative by any film star in India for encouraging their fans to contribute to a noble cause for the betterment of society.

She said a blood donation programme was being undertaken by Raj Bhavan. An app has been developed to ensure that the needy get the blood on time. She requested the CCT to become part of this initiative.

--IANS
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Chennai, Sep 4 (IANS) Calling the working with A.R. Rahman as a great experience, ace director Gautham Vasudev Menon has disclosed that the situations for two songs in his upcoming film, 'Vendhu Thanindhadhu Kaadu' (VTK), featuring Simbu in the lead, was created by none other than the Mozart of Madras himself.

The director, during the audio and trailer launch event of the film, shared his experience of working with Rahman. "I think it is the easiest thing that has ever happened to me - the working process. We discuss only work, only films and only that particular film."

"It could be at 2.30 in the morning. Suddenly, I would get a phone call. I think Rahman sir doesn't check the time. At 2.30 a.m., he'd call me and say, 'Lyricist Thamarai is on line. Can we talk?" That conversation would go on for about two hours. We'll talk about the mood of the song and its lyrics," he elaborated.

"In this film, in two places, the situations where songs appear are ones that Rahman sir himself created for us.

"It is not a song-heavy film but very beautifully, he looked at the film and said, 'At this place, I see a song Gautham. Why can't there be a song here? It is exactly the movement that you say it should be but I see it as a song. Why don't we treat this musically?' Rahman sir said and created two such situations for songs," Menon added.

"Thamarai wrote beautiful lyrics for these two songs. But because of the lockdown and the pandemic, a lot of discussion happened online. It happened over Skype, Zoom and phone calls. Of course, we went to the studio and got it recorded. But it was a great experience as always," he said.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS) Dheeraj Dhoopar, who received many accolades for playing Karan Luthra in the TV soap 'Kundali Bhagya', is now a part of the celebrity dance reality show 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10', which is altogether a new experience for him.

It is challenging, too, for along with it he is doing a fictional show 'Sherdill Shergill' opposite Surbhi Chandna.

On how he is juggling between the two, Dheeraj told IANS: "It is tough. But I have prepared myself mentally to put in all of my efforts towards the success of these shows.

"It is physically and mentally very demanding to be a part of two big shows but I feel that God put one in such a situation only because they know they can do it."

After doing several TV shows like 'Sasural Simar Ka', 'Kuch Toh Log Kahenge', 'Naagin 5' and many more, he finds 'Kundali Bhagya' closest to his heart.

He said: "Every show for me has been special. I cannot put a finger on that one show. But 'Kundali Bhagya' gave me a different identity and I will always remember it. 'Jhalak' too is special for me because it is my first ever reality show."

The actor furthermore shares about how he prepares himself for giving his best as a dancer in front of the judges like Bollywood star Madhuri Dixit, filmmaker Karan Johar and actress and dancer Nora Fatehi.

Dheeraj added: "More than physical preparation I feel preparing myself mentally is very important. And I believe that if I am mentally prepared then nothing is impossible. Also, despite my tough schedule I make it a point to go for my rehearsal no matter what."

Dheeraj recently embraced fatherhood and the couple posted pictures on social media. When asked about how he views fatherhood, he replied: "Nothing can be compared to the feeling of becoming a father. It is one of the purest feelings on this planet.

"Honestly speaking, it is difficult to be away but I would also like to say that seeing my baby after I come home makes me forget all my problems."

He is all praise for his dance partner on the show and choreographer Sneha Singh. "Sneha is an amazing choreographer and we have a gala time rehearsing," he said. "It is a perfect blend of hard work and fun that we as a team have. On the sets we are very focussed towards our performance."

Dheeraj at first was not interested in becoming an actor. "Initially I wanted to become a ramp model, but soon I realised that I was not tall enough," Dheeraj said. "This made me focus on prints modelling and shoot and through that I got my first ever show. I have had a smooth journey in the industry actually and there has been no struggle.

"After every show that I finished, I got my next show. Today I am happy that I am known for more than just my good looks. And with Jhalak I hope people see my journey as a dancer."

Talking about his future projects, he said: "I have been in talks for a few OTT and Bollywood projects but I don't want to do it for the sake of it. If I am doing an OTT project or a Bollywood film it will be something out of the box and something worth it."

--IANS
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Mumbai, Sep 4 (IANS) After composing music for Aanand L. Rai's 'Good Luck Jerry', Parag Chhabra has come on board for his next production 'An Action Hero', starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Jaideep Ahlawat in the lead roles.

Talking about the reunion, Aanand said: "It really surprises me the kind of conviction and clarity Parag brings in his composition at such an early stage of his career. I think he is one of the few composers with whom Hindi music will see the beginning of a new era."

Born and raised in Indore, Parag is known for composing music for films such as 'Mom', 'Mohenjo Daro' and 'Viceroy House' along with A.R. Rahman.

Working with Aanand, he said, is a blessing for him and it is really a big opportunity. "Working with Anand Sir has been an extremely rewarding experience for me," Parag said. "I was truly fortunate to have a person of his stature place his trust and belief in me and give me the freedom to fearlessly exercise creative choices."

"He empowers young talent through continuous guidance and steers them in the right direction without limiting their artistic expression. He has an exceptionally strong sense of melody and a sharp instinct, which is of great help to shape up the entire album," Parag added.

Directed by Anirudh Iyer, 'An Action Hero' is produced by Bhushan Kumar,Krishan Kumar and Aanand L Rai. It will be released on December 2.

--IANS
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