Anindita Bose opens up on working in web series ‘Mafia’

Bengali actress Anindita Bose, who plays a pivotal in the upcoming web series “Mafia”, says a big reason why she was enthused to take up the show is that she has loved playing the game Mafia since she was a college kid.

“I have been playing Mafia since my college days. So, it holds a sense of nostalgia, takes me to those happy days. When the story was narrated to me by (creators) Rohan Ghose) and Arista (Sen), it really intrigued me. That apart, this is the first time I have got a chance to be part of a physiological thriller,” Anindita told IANS.

About the show, she lets on: “It is a mystery drama that turns into a physiological thriller, and it involves six friends. As the story of each character is unveiled, another game begins.”

“Mafia” also features Namit Das, Tanmay Dhanania, Isha M. Saha, and Madhurima Roy in pivotal roles.

Is it tough for an actor to stand out amid an ensemble cast? “Standing out or being overshadowing is never my point of concentration. I prefer to be part of the process in the group. For instance, ‘Mafia’ is a show about six friends. My character Neha has to be part of the group, the sync between all the characters has to be there not only in the script but also in my performance. So the idea was never to outshine my co-actors,” she replied.

She added: “What was challenging for me, though, was the fact that Neha is quite transparent in the beginning. She is the most black-and-white character among the others, who are all quite grey. For the audience, grey is sexy! For a performer, making such a character engaging is a challenge! That kept me on my toes.”

The show streams on Zee5 on July 10, and is directed by Birsa Dasgupta.

Over 150 international films at Mumbai Queer Film festival

The 11th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival is going virtual this year due to the COVID-19 lockdown. The festival is coming up with a full slate of 157 films from 42 countries.

Tipped as South Asia’s biggest LGBTQIA+ film festival, it is the first Indian film festival to come up with a slate of new programs for this year.

The slate of films includes 30 films from India, as well as films from countries like Belarus, Iran, Iceland, Lebanon, Macedonia, Malaysia, Puerto Rico, Tunisia, etc.

“We are extremely delighted to launch the registration for the KASHISH 2020 Virtual with a full slate of films as well as panel discussions, filmmaker Q&As, etc, almost replicating the ground event. Only this year not only Mumbaikars but people across India and the world can participate in the festival and enjoy amazing LGBTQIA+ films, discussions and performances!”, said Sridhar Rangayan, festival director.

“We are thrilled by almost 95 percent of the filmmakers whose films were selected to screen at the ground festival, agreeing to screen with us at our online festival. We are overwhelmed by the response from the filmmakers, and we are really glad to reach their films out to the world. This speaks a lot about their trust and support towards the festival”, said Saagar Gupta, Director, Programming.

The registrations to attend the festival is now open and details can be viewed at the festival website http://mumbaiqueerfest.com/attend/ along with information about the film line-up. There are early-bird full-festival passes at a modest price in India and outside India. The early-bird offer will be open for a week.

Paul Weller does not want to go back to normal life

Veteran singer Paul Weller is loving his lockdown life.

In an interview with The Times magazine, Weller spoke about his life amid the COVID pandemic, and why he does not want life to go back to “normal”, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

“Hasn’t that be nice? Haven’t you noticed all the things you don’t really need and don’t really miss? I love clothes, which is no surprise to anyone, and I thought I’d be tearing my hair out with not being allowed to go shopping. Instead, I’ve been thinking, ‘I’ve got enough clothes, so I’ll do with the ones I have. If nothing else the last few months have given us time to assess and reflect on what’s really important. We’ve seen new working methods spent more time with our families, see how nature can repair itself without us being around. I kind of hope we don’t go back to normal,” said Weller.

He also urged people to maintain a balance in their lives.

“I was in America in January and just seeing the size of the people, man . . . they’re slowly killing themselves. It made me sad, to be honest with you. They are being marketed to eat more, supersize everything, have as much Coca-Cola as they can. It is like the systematic destruction of your own people. Excess doesn’t make us happy. Poverty doesn’t make us happy either, but there has to be a middle ground. Look at how much waste there is in the West. Now is the time to make the changes,” the 62-year-old singer concluded.

Arjun Kanungo: Nobody is interested in making original music for a film

Singer Arjun Kanungo, who is known for belting out hits like “Khoon Choos Le”, “La la la” and “Baaki baatein peene baad”, says what is lacking in Hindi cinema is the focus on musical artistes.

“I think what’s lacking is focus on musical artists. Everything is focused on actors and scripts. I have done a few films in my life and I can tell you that nobody is truly interested in making original music for a film. It’s always in the confines of the script,” Kanungo told IANS.

He added: “While that is a good thing and a bad thing, we should have more films which work the other way around, more around the artists that are making the music, and I think that will happen soon.”

The singer feels the lockdown has helped bring back creativity.

“You are going to find a lot of scripts next year with a lot of original music because the one thing that the lockdown has done is it has shown us where we were lacking in creativity and I think that it is going to change,” he said.

Kanungo says he has been “super productive” amid the lockdown and has penned 12 tracks.

“It’s amazing how self-sufficient I have become in lockdown. The thing is the lockdown makes you more focused. I didn’t have anything else to do right now so I have been super productive, and I have written around 12 tracks that I am dying to release now. I am ready for 2021,” Arjun told IANS.

Ishita Dutta is enjoying doing her favourite things

Actress Ishita Dutta has been engaging in painting and sketching lately, which are part of her favorite things.

“I am sketching and painting. They are among my favorite things. I am also binge-watching my favorite shows online and trying out my cooking skills. It’s such a bliss to be able to find time to do things that you love,” she said.

“I have been asked to cook less as my family is gaining weight because of all the amazing food I am making so I take that as a compliment, but yes I do miss going out to restaurants with friends and family,” she added.

She is aware that it is very important for people to stay home right now, and not go out unless absolutely necessary in times of the COVID pandemic.

“So guys please stay at home and be safe,” she said.

Ajay Bhupati has filed a complaint against some miscreants and fraudsters

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After director Tharun Bhascker who took severe action against the online trolls for trying to defame him and twist his words, now it is the turn of RX 100 director Ajay Bhupati.

Ajay Bhupati has filed a complaint with the Cyberabad Cyber Crime Police Station alleging that some miscreants and fraudsters are using his name to “cheat” and “trap” women on his name. He alleged that some online fraudsters are claiming his identity to cheat budding talent.

He asked actors to verify such information and cross-check twice before trusting such rumours. He asked them to believe information only from official sources. He said he got to learn about this when a girl had approached him on his official FB page and said she got messages from an unknown phone number and offered her a role in his next project.

Ajay gave a big break to actors Karthikeya and Payal Rajput after RX 100 became a sleeper hit. Since then, there is a craze among young talent to be cast in Ajay’s film. As Ajay is working on his next Mahasamudram which will see Sharwanand and Siddharth in the lead roles, the director said he himself would make official announcements related to his movie if any.

Ajay Devgn Next Movie will be Based on Indian Army

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The clash between the Indian Army and the Chinese PLA has led to the death of 20 jawans last month. The nation has mourned this and PM Modi who visited Ladakh yesterday paid tributes to them. Now a film is going to be made based on the clash at Galwan Valley.

Bollywood hero Ajay Devgn will produce the film however it is yet to be known whether he would star in this flick. The story narrates the sacrifice of the 20 jawans who were martyred and we hear that the script work has just begun. The cast and crew are not finalized yet.

Earlier, ‘Uri’ was made on the terrorists attack on Indian army and how India retaliated. We have to see how this film shapes up.

On the work front Ajay Devgn will be next seen in director SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus ‘RRR’ and there is also ‘Maidan’ which is expected to hit the box office for Independence Day 2021.

Kangana Ranaut picnics with family in Manali

Kangana Ranaut is enjoying some time in Manali before the onset of monsoons. The actress organized a picnic for her family in the picturesque mountains of the area.

“Kangana organized a picnic for her family. Even though they are in the green zone, they appreciate all the permissions given by the Himanchal Pardesh authorities,” the actress’ team tweeted.

They also shared a video where Kangana can be seen enjoying herself as she rolls on the green grass while laughing her heart out. Clearly, she is spending quality time with her sister Rangoli and nephew Prithvi.

The other family members also enjoy themselves as they sit for a meal together, chat, laugh, sing, and dance. Kangana can also be seen joining her mother while she dances happily.

“Kangana Ranaut organized a picnic for her family, and because of lockdown, there are no tourists in the valley. The result? A freedom-filled and happy time in the valley that she hasn’t seen in years. Nature has a way of healing us and everything has a silver lining, we need to look for it!,” reads an Instagram post by the actress’ digital team.

On the work front, Kangana Ranaut is all set to turn director and producer for the film “Aparajita Ayodhya”, which revolves around the Ram Mandir case.

Alia Bhatt’s cat Juniper can take selfies!

Alia Bhatt’s new pet kitten Juniper can take selfies! The actress took to Instagram on Saturday to introduce her new pet to the world, a black kitten she has named Juniper. Alia shared a selfie with her new pet and sister Shaheen Bhatt.

“This girl duo just became a girl trio. Meet our new baby Juniper. Her skills include biting, selfie-taking, and being generally adorable,” captioned the actress.

In the selfie, Juniper can be seen curiously looking at the camera as if striking a pose.

On the work front, Alia Bhatt will next be seen in her father Mahesh Bhatt’s directorial, “Sadak 2”, which also stars Pooja Bhatt, Sanjay Dutt, and Aditya Roy Kapur in the lead. The film has been produced by Mahesh Bhatt’s brother Mukesh Bhatt and is set for an OTT release.

Soha Ali Khan, Kunal Kemmu catches up on some ‘us time’

When it is nap time for Inaaya, it is mask time for her parents, actors Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Kemmu.

“It’s nap time!! For the baby I mean not us… but that means it’s also a window for us somewhat frazzled parents to get some much-needed me-time “us-time”,” Soha posted on Instagram along with a picture of herself and her husband pampering themselves with a beauty mask.

“We love to put on a serum sheet masks and just chill for 15 minutes whilst catching up on some “reading”… It gives us a chance to relax, and the serum from the masks makes our skin feel and look great too! #masktimemetime #MaskTimeUsTime,” she added.

The actress had previously shared that the lockdown has brought her closer to her family than ever. She asserts that she tries to do interesting activities with Kunal and Inaaya. She also captures the moments and uses social media to put them out.