‘RRR’ heroes to return for another epic battle with the British Raj

‘RRR’ director S.S. Rajamouli says the sequel to his blockbuster action hit is well underway, reports Variety’.

The filmmaker, who’s at this moment in the throes of his campaign for an Oscar, informed ‘Variety’ that his father and screenwriter Vijayendra Prasad is “seriously working on the story”, with his revolutionary heroes set to return for another epic battle with the colonizing Brits.

The three-hour action-musical epic has been in the news for earning two Golden Globe nominations last week, for the original song for the track ‘Naatu Naatu’ as well as the best non-English language film. Rajamouli was also awarded best director by the New York Film Critics Circle.

The ‘RRR’ helmer informed ‘Variety’ that a sequel wasn’t initially on the cards, but has become more of a prospect as the film has found international success.

“When we were making it, we didn’t have an idea about [a sequel],” he said. “With the initial success of it, we discussed a little bit and threw out some good ideas, but we didn’t feel there was a great idea that was worth pursuing, so we left it at that.”

Rajamouli continued: “Then, after the international success, when the topic came up again, my cousin [Golden Globe-nominated music composer M. M. Keeravani] — who is also a part of my core team — gave an idea which we felt like, ‘Oh my God, this is a great idea. This is the idea that is worth pursuing.”

The director, reports Variety’, said he asked his father — who narrates the story to Rajamouli and others, who then write up the first draft — to “immediately sit on it and expand the idea”.

“At present, he’s seriously working on the story; he’s getting it done,” Rajamouli said, according to ‘Variety’. “But once this script is done is when we will really look into how to make it, when to make it, and how to bring it onto the screen.”

Third song from NBK-starrer ‘Veera Simha Reddy’ out on Dec 24

The third single, ‘Maa Bava Manobhavalu’, from Nandamuri Balakrishna’s upcoming movie ‘Veera Simha Reddy’ is set to be released on December 24.

The makers expect that this will be the sensational special song of the year. The movie, which also stars Shruti Haasan as the female lead, is being produced by Mythri Movie Makers and is scheduled for release on Sankranthi 2023 (January 12).

The makers say Balakrishna is all set to appear in a mass and action-packed avatar he has never been seen in before. ‘Veera Simha Reddy’ is being helmed by Gopichand Malineni.

S. Thaman, who is in top form. has scored the music and the two singles released thus far — ‘Jai Balayya’ and ‘Suguna Sundari’ — have turned out to be runaway hits.

‘Suguna Sundari’, in particular, has taken audience expectations to the next level with Balakrishna’s exceptional dance moves.

Now, it’s time for what the makers describe as the “sensational special song of the year”.

Balakrishna, who plays Balayya Bava, looks uber cool in a black blazer and shades. Just with the poster, expectations will be soaring northwards, say the makers.

Duniya Vijay and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar form the rest of the main ensemble cast. Rishi Punjabi is helming with cinematography and the National Award-winning Navin Nooli is at the editing table.

The film’s shoot will be wrapped up soon with the team canning the last song. The post-production work is already underway.

Big B remembers ‘the most beautiful mother’ on her death anniversary

Cine icon Amitabh Bachchan has remembered his mother Teji Bachchan on her 15th death anniversary.

Amitabh took to his blog and recalled her last day, saying that she passed away “elegantly and quietly” at the age of 93 on December 21, 2007, following a prolonged illness.

“She slipped away as elegantly and quietly as was her temperament this morning as I watched the doctors struggle to revive her delicate heart, time and again .. pumping her delicate frame in vigorous pushes to get her to live again .. and again .. and again ..”

“We stood .. holding hands all of us near and dear .. the nieces and the children in tears .. until.”

He added: “I spoke up ..leave it doc .. leave her .. she wishes to go .. stop .. do not make any more efforts .. each effort was painful for her system and painful for us to stand there and witness .. each time that ‘straight line’ would appear .. and then shift to the graphic responses of the physical pumping .. stop it I said ..”

“And they did .. the singular tone of the straight line on the monitor .. indicating to us all and the World, that she had left .. slipped out .. as someone recently mentioned about the passing of a near one .. and gone to a ‘better place’ – words that we often hear being used in the consolation of the departure.'”

“A gentle hand on her forehead .. a million memories flashing by in the silence of the room in the hospital .. and then leaving to bring her home .. the hall in Prateeksha was cleaned and washed .. her portrait, her beautiful face, by the side of a few white flowers .. a silence about .. and she lay there for the last time ..”

He recalled that her nieces came and brought in the Granth Saheb Shabd in recitation, sitting by her side all night.

“I lay on the floor .. it was traditional .. to spend the night with her, till the cremation the next day .. and then her body to the flames .. the collection of her ashes .. and taken to the sacred places which she believed in and prayed at .. the prayer meet .. with recitations of the Granth Saheb by the recognized Granthis .. and her portrait .. by the side of Babuji, in his room .. adorning.

“The sound of shlokas and prayers each day and the flowers keep them company .. her and his books of prayer alongside.. in reverence .. the room remains so .. permanently .. and she remains permanently with us .. Amma ji .. the most beautiful Mother in the entire Universe.

Teji Bachchan was born in Faisalabad of Punjab in Pakistan in 1914 and was married to Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan for 62 years till his death in 2003. She played Lady Macbeth in Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s Hindi adaptation of Shakespeare’s play and did a cameo appearance in the 1976 romance drama ‘Kabhie Kabhie’, starring Amitabh as one of the leads.

PM Modi, MPs enjoy millet-only lunch

Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar hosted a special ‘Millet-only’ lunch for the Members of Parliament on Tuesday to mark the ‘Millet Year’. The United Nations has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also attended this special lunch.

From Bajre Ka Raabri (pearl millet soup) to Ragi Roti, Foxtail Millet Bisibelebath, and Jowar Halwa, the lunch menu boasted an array of scrumptious delicacies cooked with millets. Special chefs were brought in from Karnataka to make ragi specialties such as Ragi Dosa.

PM Modi along with Members of Parliament from both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha were seen enjoying the food.

After the lunch, PM Modi tweeted, “As we prepare to mark 2023 as the International Year of Millets, attended a sumptuous lunch in Parliament where millet dishes were served. Good to see participation from across party lines”.

PM Modi said that millet items can be placed for G20 guests at dinners or wherever possible so that they can understand the importance of the millet, BJP parliamentary meeting on Monday.

The lunch menu also included Kalu Palya (moth bean and coconut curry), Kadhi (buttermilk made with gram flour and garnished with green chilies, curry leaves, and coriander), Joladha Roti, and Foxtail millet curd rice.

Amitabh Bachchan asks ‘KBC 14’ contestant to sing a song

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan appreciated 14-year-old ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati 14’ contestant Shivaksh Shukla for his classical singing talent and asked him to sing a song on the show.

While talking to the host, Shivaksh told the host about how he developed an interest in learning classical singing. As his brother, Rudraksh used to learn classical singing, sometimes he used to accompany him, and looking at him he developed an interest in learning classical singing too.

Big B got impressed knowing he is learning classical music and asked him to show his talent by singing a song. He performed ‘Rashke Kamar’ in front of him and told the host that he started learning when he was in 3rd class and now he has completed 5 years of training in classical music. ‘KBC 14’ airs on Sony Entertainment Television.

Varun Dhawan to headline Indian installment of Prime Videos’ ‘Citadel’

Bollywood star Varun Dhawan is all set to headline Prime Video’s Indian original series within the ‘Citadel’ franchise created by Raj & DK.

The untitled Citadel series based out of India will be led by renowned creator duo Raj & DK (Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK), who are the showrunners, and directors of the series, and will feature Varun Dhawan in the lead role.

Varun Dhawan said, “Citadel is an exceptionally ambitious and exciting franchise, and to be part of this magnificent universe, conceptualized by the Russo Brothers’ AGBO and Jennifer Salke, is a landmark moment in my career. I have been a big fan of their work and I am beyond thrilled to be a part of this project, and can’t wait to start shooting it.”

“The storyline of the Indian Citadel chapter is fantastic, and when you have creators like Raj & DK on board, one can be certain that a spectacle is in the making.”

Written by Sita R. Menon along with Raj & DK, the local Original spy series, which starts filming in January 2023, will mark Dhawan’s streaming debut.

As previously announced, Richard Madden (Bodyguard) and Priyanka Chopra Jonas (Quantico) will star in the first-to-launch series within the Citadel universe, which comes from the Russo Brothers’ AGBO along with David Weil (Hunters) and is set to premiere in 2023.

Alongside Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, the first-to-launch ‘Citadel’ series will also feature Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games saga). Additional local-language Citadel productions are also in the works, including an Italian Original series starring Matilda De Angelis (The Undoing).

“The Citadel universe from the Russo Brothers’ AGBO is a truly innovative and ambitious approach to storytelling, and we are super excited to begin production on the Indian chapter. With this project, we are building on our mission of borderless entertainment to produce local Original content that can be enjoyed by audiences across the world. Citadel is a truly global franchise, with local productions, across countries, that build back to an inter-connected storyline�a first-of-its-kind innovation in storytelling,” said Gaurav Gandhi, vice president, of Prime Video India.

“We are delighted to have Varun Dhawan play the lead in this super exciting Indian installment of the franchise. With Raj and DK at the helm of creating this action-packed spy series, and Varun playing the lead, we believe the Citadel India chapter will not just raise the bar in terms of Original productions in India, it will also bring global attention to India’s incredible pool of creators and talent. We can’t wait to share it with our audience in India and around the world.”

Anthony and Joe Russo said that they are thrilled to see yet another production within the ‘Citadel’ universe commencing, this time in India.

“We, and all of AGBO, consider it an honor to be collaborating with filmmakers as inspiring as DK and Raj, who bring a unique vision, style, and tone to our collection of global series. And, we can’t wait to see how this remarkable cast brings their and Sita’s imaginative characters to life,” they said.

Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK under their banner D2R Films will also serve as executive producers.

The series is produced by D2R Films, and Amazon Studios, with AGBO’s Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Mike Larocca, Angela Russo-Otstot, Scott Nemes, and David Weil (Hunters) overseeing production on the Indian Original and all series within the global Citadel universe.

Josh Applebaum, Andre Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg serve as executive producers for Midnight Radio on the untitled Indian Original and all series within the global Citadel universe.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas takes daughter Malti out to show Christmas lights

Indian actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas is currently holidaying with her American pop star husband Nick Jonas and daughter Malti.

Priyanka took to Instagram, where she shared a slew of pictures and jokingly took a dig at Nick for not showing any interest in getting clicked. The first picture showed Priyanka in a black and white outfit, clicking a mirror selfie.

Nick Jonas is also seen in the frame but with his head down while he checks out his cell phone.

Sharing the pictures on Instagram, Priyanka wrote, “Perfect winter days. Ps: 1st pic- hubby is really interested in my mirror selfie.”

In the other pictures, Priyanka is seen with Malti as she carries the little one in a baby carrier to show her the Christmas decor in the area. Malti’s face is partially visible.

The actress will next be seen in Hollywood films like Love Again and Ending Things. She will also make her OTT debut with the ‘Citadel’. She will also be seen in Farhan Akhtar’s ‘Jee Le Zaraa’ in which she will be co-starring with Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif.

‘Bigg Boss 16’: Shalin wants to hit MC Stan for nominating Tina Datta

The upcoming episode of ‘Bigg Boss 16′ will be a memorable one as equations between Tina Datta and MC Stan will change after the rapper nominates the actress for eviction.

A promo shared on the channel Colors’ Instagram also shows a heated fight between Stan, who is the new captain of the house, and Shalin Bhanot.

In the clip, Stan and Tina have a war of words after he nominates her. However, Shalin jumps into it and reacts to Stan nominating Tina.

Shalin and Stan were seen almost getting into the fight, while fellow contestants had to intervene to stop them.

During the task, Tina said, “Mukhaute pehne huye hain jewellery ke piche.” Stan replies saying that: “Don’t talk about my jewelry, it is worth more than your house.”

Shalin gets into it and asks him not to act smart. Stan replies saying that he will give one “lafa (slap)”.

Shalin then told Stan, “Tereko maar dunga yahin khade khade.” Both of them get abusive. Stan walks towards Shalin, yelling at him, “Ma-baap pe mat ja”.

When Shalin told Stan that it was him who had started the fight, Stan told him in Hindi, “All my friends are watching this, do you want to live or not?”

FIR for morphing Yogi’s picture in ‘Pathaan’ song

The Lucknow police have lodged an FIR against a Twitter handle named, ‘AzaarSRK’, for sharing a snippet of the song ‘Besharam Rang’ from Pathaan with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s face in place of Deepika Padukone.

An FIR has been registered under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 66 of the Information Technology (IT) Act.

Several BJP leaders and Twitter users found this objectionable and disrespectful and demanded strict action against the accused. The cyber team of the DGP headquarters is currently investigating the matter.

The song ‘Besharam Rang’ from Pathaan has courted controversies ever since it was released. Starring Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, the song received heavy backlash on social media and from several political leaders.

Madhya Pradesh minister Dr. Narottam Mishra fumed over the use of saffron costume in the song. He found several scenes from the song objectionable and obscene.

He even threatened to ban the movie in Madhya Pradesh if those shots are not replaced.

Aishwarya pinches Ranveer Singh’s nose at PKL final, video goes viral

A video of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in a chat with Bollywood livewire star Ranveer Singh at the Pro Kabaddi League(PKL) final has taken over the Internet for all the right reasons.

Ranveer had joined Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya, and their daughter Aaradhya Bachchan at the PKL final in India before he jetted off to Qatar for the FIFA World Cup final. The kabaddi championship was held in Mumbai.

A clip featuring Aishwarya, Aaradhya, and Ranveer indulging in banter is doing the rounds. It also was posted on Reddit, a discussion website.

The video shows Ranveer and Aishwarya in a conversation. Dressed in a black floral jacket and hat, Ranveer’s back can be seen towards the camera. The ‘Devdas’ actress is seen in a Pink Panthers’ white jersey. She cutely pinches his nose while talking to him.

On Sunday, while Ranveer was in Qatar for Argentina vs France, his actress wife Deepika Padukone unveiled the FIFA World Cup trophy.