Under attack for ‘Tuck Jagadish’ OTT release, Shiva Nirvana says team had no alternative

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Under attack for ‘Tuck Jagadish’ OTT release, Shiva Nirvana says team had no alternative

When director Shiva Nirvana started shooting for ‘Tuck Jagadish’ with Nani and other actors in February last year, he had never imagined that the intense family drama he was making wouldn’t hit the big screen.

The director and screenwriter had grand plans of releasing the much-awaited movie in theatres, but then came two successive waves of Covid-19 and the blueprint had to be drawn up afresh.

Today, as he prepares for the film’s release on the OTT platform, Amazon Prime Video, he says, especially in reply to Nani’s social media critics, the team was left with no alternative.

With seating restrictions in force in theatres even in states where they have been allowed to be opened, and the possibility of cinemas operating at 100 per cent capacity in the near future appearing remote, the producers of the film, which was originally scheduled for an April 6 release this year, were faced with two choices: losing serious money or taking the OTT route.

They chose the second option, according to Shiva, also because an OTT platform offers a pan-Indian audience for films. ‘Tuck Jagadish’ will now be seen by Nani fans across the country at the same time. Of course, Nani won’t get the satisfaction of listening to the applause and cheers of a live audience.

Shiva recalled how Nani and he used to discuss which action sequence, power-packed dialogue or emotional scene would evoke the maximum applause from audiences in theatres. But now they know the film wouldn’t keep lying in hard disk drives.

The ‘natural star’, as Nani is popularly called in Tollywood, empathised with those targeting him. “They are my elders. I have immense respect for them. There’s nothing wrong because I understand the situation they are in. I am one of their family. I empathise with them,” the actor said.

“Some are saying they will ban my movies. If the situation is good and still I don’t go for a theatrical release, others will be justified in banning me. In fact, I will ban myself,” Nani added, justifying the decision to go for an OTT release.

Shiva, whose debut movie ‘Ninnu Kori’ with Nani was a blockbuster, is pained over the attack on the actor. He recalled that whenever Nani went to theatres for premieres, he would stand at the door to watch the reaction of audiences.

In an interview to IANS, Shiva Nirvana said a theatrical release remains his first choice, but the situation compelled the production team to take a collective decision to go for an OTT release.

“From my childhood, I used to watch films in theatres. There was no OTT even when I got obsessed with filmmaking. ‘Tuck Jagadish’ has a big cast, complex emotions, a great musical score and beautiful visuals. I never imagined it will be released on the small screen, but when things happen differently, we need to change ourselves,” Shiva said.

“Nani and I used to discuss the kind of response the film would get from audiences in theatres. We felt very disappointed. If there is one disadvantage, there will be one advantage.

“The crowd cheering, claps and whistles won’t be there when you see the movie at home, but we will reach out to more people and that is the advantage. If you want to gain some advantage, you have to accept some disadvantages.”

The director pointed out that their target audience is the 25-60 age group. “Women will like this film, but in the present situation they can’t come to theatres. The impact of the second wave is still there,” Shiva said.

He added: “There is fear in their minds, there is uncertainty in Andhra Pradesh and overseas. Some theatres have not even opened. We must accept the fact. I want more people to watch the film. People who can’t come to theatres, can watch the film on Amazon.”

Shiva revealed that in the hope that the situation would eventually get better, they kept advising the producers to wait. “We said to the producers that this film should go to theatres, there is no alternative,” he recalled. “It was originally scheduled to be released on April 16. We kept postponing, but how long can they wait? We also had to see the problems of producers, the interest (on loans) was mounting and there was no end to uncertainty. In Andhra Pradesh there are no second shows and in other places theatres have not opened. At one point, we had to take a decision and we took the decision collectively,” Shiva pointed out.

Shiva and Nani have also assured the producers that in case of losses, they will not demand the remuneration that is due to them.

Shiva believes that making a film for OTT will be a little different from films made for release in theatres. “There is so much great stuff on OTT platforms. If I want to really make some great stuff for OTT, definitely I would like to do it, but doing a film for theatre and giving it for OTT does not feel right. If you wish to go for OTT, plan for it because it involves completely different elements of filmmaking, script writing, and so one.”

Neetu Singh Kapoor reveals why she retired from Bollywood at age 20

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Neetu Singh Kapoor reveals why she retired from Bollywood at age 20

Actress Neetu Singh Kapoor has revealed why she retired from Bollywood at an early age, on ‘The Kapil Sharma Show’.

The mother-daughter duo of Neetu Singh Kapoor and Riddhima Kapoor Sahani will be the special guests and they will be revealing their life’s extraordinary moments.

In a candid conversation, when host Kapil asked Neetu about the maximum films she did between the 70s to 80s, she replied: “Yes, I did maximum films between 1973 to 1980, around 70 to 80. I started at 5 and married at 20, it was 15 years of long experience in working.”

When Kapil asked Neetu if she wished to do movies first or marriage to which the actress revealed: “I had nothing against fame because I was a superstar as in when I used to move out from my balcony, there were around 300–400 people standing and cheering baby Sonia. So, to be famous was not a big thing and then Rishi Kapoor came into my life who wanted my time, and due to which it was a bit chaotic to handle both films and Rishi, so I gave up on films.”

“As I wanted to rest because I had worked for 15 years in which I used to study, shoot and more. So, it was too hectic in these 15 years of struggle. I married at age 20 and later in a year Riddhima was born that’s why we are friends,” she concluded.

‘The Kapil Sharma Show’ airs on Sony Entertainment Television.

Kangana learnt Bharatanatyam for ‘Thalaivii’ song

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Kangana learnt Bharatanatyam for ‘Thalaivii’ song

The ‘Nain Bandhe Naino Se’ teaser from ‘Thalaivii’ was released on Friday. With 100 trained dancers, it showcases actress Kangana Ranaut’s classical dancing skills, learnt over a month of rigorous training for the film.

Opening up about the experience of performing Bharatanatyam for the first time, Kangana shared, “Every day working on ‘Thalaivii’ has been a learning experience for me. This song challenged me to learn a new art form – Bharatanatyam.”

“Jaya maa was an incredible powerhouse of talent, she was a trained dancer and playing her I had to look believable in my craft on screen. Taking up new challenges makes me stronger, so I took up the task to learn this traditional dance form Bharatanatyam.”

Depicting the Bharatnatyam skills for the first time that Kangana learned for the film, the song takes us to an interesting turn in the professional as well as the personal life of Jayalalithaa.

Kangana underwent hours of training to learn the classical dance for the particular song, “With innumerable hours of rehearsals, practice and finally the shoot, we have offered our sweat and blood with ‘Nain Bandhe Naino Se’ and I’m thrilled to present the song to the world.”

Shot across four days, ‘Nain Bandhe Naino Se ‘ required 15 days of set work and over a month of dance rehearsals before the shoot.

The superstar of Tamil cinema, Jayalalithaa was trained in Carnatic music, western classical piano, and various forms of classical dance, including Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Mohiniyattam, Manipuri, and Kathak.

After the release of ‘Teri Aankhon Mein’, the makers of ‘Thalaivii’ are set to unveil yet another facet of Jayalalithaa’s cinematic career with the upcoming song ‘Nain Bandhe Naino Se’.

Earlier, the trailer of ‘Thalaivii’ highlighted the varied phases of Jayalalithaa’s life, throwing light on her struggles in the early stages of her film career to her rise to stardom. The film also vividly depicts the battles of Jayalalithaa in her political career as the legendary leader who shaped Tamil Nadu politics.

Directed by Vijay, ‘Thalaivii’, presented by Vibri Motion pictures, Karma Media Entertainment, and Zee Studios in association with Gothic Entertainment and Sprint films, has been produced by Vishnu Vardhan Induri and Shailesh R. Singh and co-produced by Hitesh Thakkar and Thirumal Reddy with Brinda Prasad as the creative producer.

‘Thalaivii’ is set to be released in theatres worldwide in Hindi, Tamil and Telegu, by Zee Studios on September 10.

Lena Headey got to crush on ‘Gunpowder Milkshake’ co-star Angela Bassett

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Lena Headey got to crush on ‘Gunpowder Milkshake’ co-star Angela Bassett

‘Game of Thrones’ star Lena Headey says she got a chance to crush on co-actor Angela Bassett on the sets of their forthcoming film ‘Gunpowder Milkshake’.

‘Gunpowder Milkshake’ is a female-driven thriller laced with exquisite action sequences. The Navot Papushado directorial contains a rich mythology of multi-generational narratives that gives a fresh, 21st century perspective to the age-old assassin flick.

Heady states that she was instantly glued to the screenplay.

She said: “The film has lots of brilliant women in it and it’s just fresh and fun and I get to fight, and I’ll take anything where that happens! To see women in traditional male roles and unafraid to be violent in terms of survival and righting wrongs is great.”

Even though she looks tough from the outside, her character has many layers, notes Headey, who played Cersei Lannister in ‘Game Of Thrones’.

“Scarlet is riddled with guilt but isn’t very good at being vulnerable and with sharing her feelings,” she said.

Talking about her fellow actors, Heady said: “The cast was amazing and I fell in love with each and every one of them! I got to crush on Angela Bassett. Who doesn’t dream of that? It was so fulfilling on many levels.”

‘Gunpowder Milkshake’ also features Karen Gillan, Carla Gugino, and Paul Giamatti among others.

PVR Pictures will release ‘Gunpowder Milkshake’ in Indian theatres on September 10.

Big B tells Sourav how he sang National Anthem before India-Pak WC Match

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Big B tells Sourav how he sang National Anthem before India-Pak WC Match

The ‘Shaandaar Shukravaar’ episode on ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati 13’ will see cricket legends Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag as the special guests. Both the ex-cricketers take the hotseat and play the game with host Amitabh Bachchan.

During the show, Sourav Ganguly requested Amitabh to switch roles and sit on the hotseat and answer some of the questions. During the question-answer round based on pictures and while doing so they shared fun and interesting anecdotes making the segment interactive.

One of the pictures showcased was of Amitabh wearing a cricket outfit. The megastar then reveals the story behind the image that was clicked at Eden Garden during a match between the Bombay Film Industry and the Bengal Film Industry. He then mentions that he gets a lot of positivity from the people of Bengal and even requests his peers from the film industry to visit the state and interact with the people there.

Further in the show, Sourav Ganguly also thanked Amitabh for singing the national anthem during the India vs Pakistan World Cup match, to which Amitabh said that it was one of the most unbelievable moments for him in his career and he was overwhelmed to see the excitement of thousands present there who sang the anthem in one go.

‘KBC 13’s ‘Shaandaar Shukravaar’ will air on Friday on Sony Entertainment Television.

Deepika contributes to save acid attack survivor’s life

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Deepika contributes to save acid attack survivor’s life

Struggling for life, acid attack survivor Bala has found a new hope as star actor Deepika Padukone has extended a helping hand to save her life.

The acid attack survivor, who is suffering from a life-threatening kidney ailment, urgently needs a kidney transplant to survive. After the word reached Deepika, she donated a generous amount of Rs 10,00,000 to the ‘Save Bala’ campaign.

Bala is a real-life star who was also featured in the Deepika Padukone-starrer movie ‘Chhapaak’, directed by Meghna Gulzar, besides appearing on ‘The Kapil Sharm Show’.

Her condition is deteriorating every day due to the failure of both her kidneys and she’s somehow surviving on dialysis. Being an acid attack survivor, her weakened immunity is already a threat to her life.

Bala still requires further monetary help to come out of this tragedy and hence the Chhanv Foundation is seeking as much support as possible.

The fundraising campaign called ‘Save Bala’ has been started on the crowdfunding platform ‘Milaap’.

Tamil director Atlee’s next film with SRK, Nayanthara all set to roll

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Tamil director Atlee’s next film with SRK, Nayanthara all set to roll

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has joined hands with the multi-award-winning Arun Kumar, who’s better-known professionally as Atlee, for the Tamil director’s next as-yet-unnamed film.

The news has been doing the rounds for quite some time, but now it is being reported that SRK, who was in Spain shooting for Siddharth Anand’s ‘Pathan’, has started work on the film in Pune.

SRK is said to be playing a double role — that of a father and a son. This, incidentally, won’t be Atlee’s first film featuring Bollywood stars. His 2019 Tamil sports action film, ‘Bigil’, a Vijay-Nayanthara star vehicle, had Jackie Shroff as one of the principal actors.

Atlee is famous for his 2017 action thriller, ‘Mersal’, with A.R. Rahman’s music and a star cast comprising Vijay, S.R. Suryan, Samantha Akkineni and Kajal Aggarwal.

The film’s cast also includes Nayanthara, popularly known as the ‘lady superstar’ of South Indian cinema, and Sanya Malhotra, who played Babita Kumari in ‘Dangal’ and later also essayed memorable roles in ‘Shakuntala Devi’ and ‘Ludo’.

Also cast in it is Sunil Grover, seen most recently in the web series ‘Tandav’, but who first came to the people’s notice as Gutthi in ‘Comedy Nights by Kapil’.

Indie film ‘Runt’, starring late Disney descendant, releases on Oct 19

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Indie film ‘Runt’, starring late Disney descendant, releases on Oct 19

Late actor Cameron Boyce’s ‘Runt’ is set to release on October 19.

1091 Pictures released the trailer on the Instagram page announcing the release date, “What happens when everything and everyone just seems to be against you? Do you let it ride or take a stand? See what happens in #RUNT 10/19.”
Runt
The indie drama stars Cameron Boyce, the star of Disney Channel’s ‘Descendants’ franchise, and HBO’s ‘Mrs Fletcher’, who died in July 2019 at the age of 20 following an epileptic seizure.

The film, directed and co-written by William Coakley, centers on a group of neglected and misguided high school seniors who are pulled into a downward cycle of violence when the adults in their lives fail them. Boyce portrays Cal, who after a troubling incident takes a stand, resulting in devastating consequences, according to Deadline.com.

1091 acquired the film in June. It will be released on VOD and digital platforms on October 19.

The features stars Nicole Elizabeth Berger, Aramis Knight, Brianna Hildebrand, Cyrus Arnold, Jason Patric, Charlie Gillespie and Tichina Arnold.

‘Runt’ was scripted by Coakley, Christian Van Gregg and Armand Constantine. Its producers were Carl Rumbaugh and Gregory Thomas. The film had its world premiere at the 2020 Mammoth Film Festival, where it received the Audience Award for Best Feature Film.

“This film is very important in the climate we live in today,” said Cameron Boyce’s parents, Victor and Libby Boyce. “Cameron was incredibly proud of this film, and we believe his powerful performance will resonate deeply with all his fans throughout the world.”

“We are grateful to be working with 1091 Pictures, which understands the relevance and power of this story,” added the producers. “We have also partnered with The Cameron Boyce Foundation and its Wielding Peace initiative to promote peace instead of violence and spread awareness of the consequences of gun violence. We are excited for audiences to see this powerful and thrilling picture.”

The Cameron Boyce Foundation was founded in July of 2019, to continue the philanthropic legacy of the late Cameron Boyce. Its mission is to raise awareness and research dollars for epilepsy and SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy) through digital campaigns and programmatic partnerships, according to Deadline.com.

Kichcha Sudeepa’s first look in ‘Vikrant Rona’ unveiled

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Kichcha Sudeepa’s first look in ‘Vikrant Rona’ unveiled

The makers of the much-awaited multilingual film ‘Vikrant Rona’ released the first look of actor Kichcha Sudeepa on Thursday. The day also marks the actor’s birthday.

The glimpse follows the narration of a world that sees the entry of ‘Vikrant Rona’ striking fear into his enemies’ hearts. The narrator describes the actor’s character as ‘Lord of the Dark’.

Talking about the first look, director Anup Bhandari says: “I am very happy that we got to celebrate Sudeepa sir’s birthday with ‘Deadman’s Anthem’ first glimpse reveal of Vikrant Rona. Vikrant Rona is a mysterious character and the first glimpse captures that. While making the film, I was aware of its humongous scale, but Sudeepa sir’s embodiment of the titular hero has elevated it even further. Happy birthday to him.”

The film will also have a special part of Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez.

Producer Jack Manjunath says: “We wish Sudeepa sir the warmest birthday wishes with the First Glimpse of Vikrant Rona. It’s incredible and we’re raring to go on such a positive note. His energy, passion and his will to make cinema that’s big enough to withstand the test of time is what makes Vikrant Rona special.”

‘Vikrant Rona’ is a multilingual action adventure that will see a 3-D release in 14 languages and 55 countries. Directed by Anup Bhandari, produced by Jack Manjunath and Shalini Manjunath, co-produced by Alankar Pandian, music by B Ajaneesh Loknath, the film features sets designed by award-winning art director Shivkumar and frames lit up by DOP William David.

It stars Kichcha Sudeepa, Nirup Bhandari and Jacqueline Fernandez.

Sidharth’s first director recalls his rise from ‘a non-actor to a TV star’

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Sidharth’s first director recalls his rise from ‘a non-actor to a TV star’

Ratna Sinha is the director who launched late actor Sidharth Shukla in the television series titled ‘Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na’, released in 2008. And since then, there was no looking back for Sidharth.

After his sudden demise, Sinha recalled the upcoming model who had that spark that turned him into a successful actor. Here’s her first-person account, shared exclusively with IANS, of her first meeting with the late actor:

It was around 2007 onwards when I think I saw him in a shopping mall. Sidharth was a ramp model back then when me and my team was looking for a new face for a new show that I was working on.

One of my assistants walked towards him and approached him for acting and he was so skeptical about the idea of acting. He really was a non-actor and when we auditioned, even the channel rejected the audition.

He was actually quite happy with modelling. But we thought there is something in him that will work! We kept on working on his skill and eventually I cast him as the male protagonist for my show ‘Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na’.

As the show received a good response, since then the world of acting opportunities grew for Sidharth. You know I really have seen Sidharth growing from a model, non-actor to a television star that he became. I had a mixed feeling of pride and happiness that this fellow is growing from strength to strength.

It is not easy at all to make it big here in the industry and staying relevant for 13 years! There were many youngsters back then started as a model and stepped into acting but maintaining success is a task that Sidharth was doing successfully. I think ‘Balika Vadhu’ was the breakthrough for him.

When I spoke to him last time, before lockdown, he was saying how keen is he to do more films. He was very keen on expanding his horizon in Bollywood. He did one film (‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’) and he nurtured the hope of acting in more films.

In the morning, when I woke up to the message of his sudden demise, I was numb. Just numb.

In the past one year, we lost so many young talents really. This is hard to process … life is so unpredictable really. I knew how emotionally close Sidharth was to his mother … my heart goes out to her.

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