Vishal Bhardwaj to adapt Agatha Christie stories as film franchise

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Vishal Bhardwaj to adapt Agatha Christie stories as film franchise

Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj is developing a film franchise based on the works of famed author Agatha Christie. The series will feature a new pair as the lead investigators.

Bhardwaj has partnered with Agatha Christie Limited to develop the big screen franchise for the Indian audience. Some of Christie’s iconic characters include Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, and Tommy and Tuppence, but with his franchise Bhardwaj will create an entirely new pair of investigators, drawing inspiration from Christie’s timeless mysteries.

Talking about the collaboration, James Prichard, great-grandson of Agatha Christie, and Chairman and CEO of Agatha Christie Limited, said: “I’m truly excited at the prospect of developing a new Agatha Christie film franchise in India, and am delighted to be partnering with Vishal, who is a multitalented and visionary filmmaker with a terrific track record for adapting works to create memorable pieces of cinema. He has also demonstrated a real passion and understanding of my great-grandmother’s characters and stories and I very much look forward to seeing where this project takes us.”

Bhardwaj added: “Agatha Christie had a tremendous skill of defining emotional chaos, dysfunctional relationships, and the turmoil in her characters while engaging us in a riveting mystery. It is an honor to create an Indian franchise of a pair of young investigators looking to take over the world with their intelligence and charm. ACL has been such amazing partners and we are all excited to be on this journey.”

The first film will introduce a young heroine who is thrown into solving a murder, and for the case, she teams up with an unlikely companion to unravel the case. Future films will follow the duo as they continue to investigate multiple murder mysteries.

The script is currently in development, and which of Christie’s books will be adapted is still under wraps.

While the cast of the film is still to be locked, the National award-winning filmmaker is excited to dive into the project.

The first film in the franchise is scheduled to shoot from early 2021, with Basi Akpabio and Leo Dezoysa serving as executive producers for Agatha Christie Limited on the new films. Bhardwaj will also co-produce through his production house.

Rahul Dev reveals what disappoints him

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Rahul Dev reveals what disappoints him

Actor Rahul Dev has been in the industry for over 20 years. From movies to web shows, he has explored almost all mediums. However, he is still not satisfied with his journey.

Speaking to IANS, Rahul revealed, being from Delhi, what disappoints him is the fact that he has never been offered roles in the films that are based in North India.

“I would be lying if I say that I am satisfied with my journey. There’s still a long way to go. I really want to do good roles, especially the roles based in North India. I am from Delhi and I speak fantastic Hindi. It feels disappointing sometimes when makers do not cast me for such roles. I have done so many films down South. Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam — I have done so many films in these languages. If directors down South can find Tamil/Telugu nativity in me, how difficult is it to imagine me in UP or Bihar?” Rahul wondered.

He is optimistic, though. “A lot of films are being made on subjects prevailing in North India. I hope I get to work in these films. I just want to keep working hard and try new roles,” added Rahul, who is currently seen essaying the role of a cop in the Zee5 web show “Poison 2”.

When Raveena shared lunch with Big B, Govinda

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When Raveena shared lunch with Big B, Govinda

Actress Raveena Tandon was nostalgic recalling her experience of working in the David Dhawan comedy, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, which clocked 22 years recently.

The 1998 film featured Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda in double roles. Raveena essayed Govinda’s love interest while Ramya Krishnan was paired opposite Big B.

“It’s such a special film. We had a blast during the shoot. I think it’s one of my most iconic characters of all times and fans loved watching me with Govinda and Amit ji on the big screen. It truly doesn’t feel like 22 years and am so glad to be a part of ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’,” Raveena said.

She also shared her favorite memory from the set.

“There are so many (memories), but I loved how we would all spend time being goofy. Govinda and Amit ji are such amazing co-stars. It was a lot of fun shooting the film. I miss how we would share food during lunch. These memories will always be close to my heart,” Raveena reminisced.

Raveena will soon be seen essaying the role of Romika Sen in “KGF: Chapter 2”, which is a follow-up of the Kannada blockbuster “KGF: Chapter 1”. She is currently shooting for her debut web series in Himachal Pradesh.

Mumbai cops probe rape allegation against Mithun’s son Mimoh

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Mumbai cops probe rape allegation against Mithun’s son Mimoh

A woman has lodged a police complaint of rape against veteran Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborty’s son and actor Mahaakshay alias Mimoh at the Oshiwara police station here, an official said on Saturday.

“We have lodged the complaint and are investigating the matter,” Senior Police Inspector Dayanand H Bangar told IANS but declined to elaborate.

The complainant has also named Mimoh’s mother (Mithun’s wife) and former actress Yogeeta Bali as co-accused.

The complainant claimed that she was in a relationship with Mimoh since 2015 and he had promised to marry her but backtracked. She alleged that Mimoh called her home at that point in time and spiked her drink, before forcibly making physical relations with her.

She alleged that when she became pregnant, Mimoh forced her to abort and when she refused he gave her some pills that terminated her pregnancy.

The woman also claimed that she was threatened by Mimoh’s mother when she was to lodge a police complaint.

Married to television serial actress Madalasa Sharma in 2018, Mahaakshay, 36, made his Bollywood debut with “Jimmy” (2008), besides acting in films like “Haunted 3D”, “Loot”, “Enemmy”, and “Ishqedarriyaana, etc.

Shreya Chaudhry on how ‘Bandish Bandits’ changed her life

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Shreya Chaudhry on how ‘Bandish Bandits’ changed her life

The recent web series, Bandish Bandits, is a hit and Shreya Chaudhry, its budding heroine, is happy that people have recognized her efforts.

Shreya, who played a pop star in the series, said: “I think the most significant change post ‘Bandish Bandits’ in my life is that people are identifying me for my work. I wake up every day to messages from people, and there is nothing more rewarding than the love of fans.”

Speaking on how the success of the show changed her life, Shreya said: “‘Bandish Bandits’ gave me much more than expected. It’s been a huge source of happiness amidst these trying times and it fills me with immense joy when people say they felt the same while watching it.”

The musical web series follows the story of two lovers from different musical backgrounds. It also features Naseeruddin Shah, Atul Kulkarni, Sheeba Chaddha, Rajesh Tailang, and Kunaal Roy Kapur, and casts Shreya opposite Ritwik Bhowmik, who essays a classical singer.

“I have been receiving many offers and hopefully when the time is right, we can talk about my future projects,” Shreya added.

Before “Bandish Bandits”, Shreya was featured in filmmaker Imtiaz Ali’s 2018 short ” The Other Way” and the feature film “Dear Maya”.

‘DDLJ’ started behind-the-scene trend in Bollywood: Uday Chopra

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‘DDLJ’ started behind-the-scene trend in Bollywood: Uday Chopra

The Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol starrer, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, is all set to complete 25 years in Hindi cinema on October 20. Actor Uday Chopra, who was an assistant on the set, recalled how the film started the trend of Behind The Scene (BTS) videos in Bollywood.

DDLJ, as the film is popularly known, marked the directorial debut of Uday’s elder brother Aditya Chopra, known as Adi in Bollywood circles.

“Adi wanted to do something that no one had ever done before in India with DDLJ. He asked me to be in charge of directing the ‘making’, and since this had not been done before, I had to pretty much invent how to go about it. Having just returned from film school in California, I decided this would be a great opportunity to try my hand at another aspect of filmmaking,” Uday said.

He added: “The first thing we needed was lots of footage on set and back then S-VHS was the only viable option. So, apart from being an assistant on the set I also became the videographer for the BTS footage!”

Uday shared that he would literally have a camera in one hand and the clap in the other, with a utility belt to keep batteries, charging cables, and other spare parts.

“I was quite a sight on the set! The advantage, which I later discovered was that all artists were very comfortable with me being right in their faces! This made for some really interesting and intimate shots, which helped the BTS footage tremendously,” he recalled.

“DDLJ was the film that started a trend which is now popularly called BTS or Behind The Scenes. Back then, we just called it ‘The Making’,” informed Uday.

Released in 1995, the film is directed by Aditya Chopra. The story revolves around the characters Raj and Simran, who meet during a trip across Europe and fall in love.

Arjun Mathur pledges to be an organ donor

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Arjun Mathur pledges to be an organ donor

Actor Arjun Mathur has pledged to donate his organs and says he also wishes to encourage young people and bust myths around the cause.

For Arjun, getting associated with a cause of organ donation was more of a personal affair. His elder brother suffered from an ailment that left him in the need of a kidney. They had to wait for many years to find a donor. In early 2020, the actor’s family managed to find the right match, and his brother was operated on.

“Organ donation is a cause I feel strongly about. It’s disturbing to see a noble cause like this still being clouded by myths and misinformation that is leading to reluctance and apprehension among people. It is about time we, as a society, work towards fixing this issue and trigger a positive change,” said Arjun, who is the cause ambassador for “MTV-ORGAN Daan”.

Recently, Arjun was nominated for an International Emmy Award at the upcoming 2020 edition of the global gala. He made the cut in the Best Performance By An Actor list for his role of the gay wedding planner Karan Mehra in the web series “Made In Heaven”.

Arjun will soon shoot for season two of “The Gone Game”.

Manushi Chhillar: Was excited to be on sets with Akshay sir

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Manushi Chhillar: Was excited to be on sets with Akshay sir

Former beauty queen and Bollywood debutante Manushi Chillar says she was excited to be on a film sets with superstar Akshay Kumar.

Manushi makes her Bollywood debut opposite Akshay in the upcoming historical drama, “Prithviraj”.

“I’m thrilled to be back on the sets of ‘Prithviraj’ as I awfully missed the set life. I look forward to being on shoot every day because I’m absorbing a lot and I’m loving it. I was excited to be on sets with Akshay sir because I’ve learned so much from him and there is so much more to learn,” Manushi said.

Manushi revealed that Akshay is very encouraging of her work and she is grateful for it.

“I consider myself fortunate to be working with the team and everyone has been wonderful. It is daunting when you debut and you want to do your best and give it you’re all. Everyone including Akshay sir is very supportive and encouraging,” she said.

“Prithviraj”, based on the life and heroism of Prithviraj Chauhan. The film had completed a major chunk of its filming before the coronavirus pandemic hit the nation.

The film is directed by Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi, who helmed television epic “Chanakya” and the period drama “Pinjar”.

Homegrown PLAY launches new audio products for festive season

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Homegrown PLAY launches new audio products for festive season

Domestic consumer technology brand PLAY co-founded by Vikas Jain, Founder of Micromax, on Friday launched two new affordable audio products.

The wireless neckband ‘PLAYGO N82′ and in-ear ultra-light earbuds ‘PLAYGO T20; are priced at Rs 2,999 and Rs 1,999, respectively.

“Both our new products are engineered to include ANC or ENR features to enhance the experience of today’s millennials and Genz and cut out the noise from their uninterrupted quality auditory experience,” Jain said.

PLAYGO N82 comes with active noise cancellation (ANC) and features 13mm enhanced bass, extra loud (EBEL) drivers, dual equalizers, IPX5 water, and sweat-resistant feature.

PLAYGO T20 features an in-ear silicon design, claims to support up to 16 hours of playtime.

It comes with IPX4 water-resistant feature, sensitive touch controls, voice assistant feature and Bluetooth 5.0 makes it a necessary buy for any audiophile.

In addition, the company also announced film actor, producer, and humanitarian Sonu Sood as its brand ambassador.

“Sood has been an inspiration for the youth of India with his work, both on and off-screen and we are hopeful that our products will follow a similar journey in the active lifestyle of our consumers,” Jain said.

Mohit Suri: Every content will choose its medium

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Mohit Suri: Every content will choose its medium

As theatres start re-opening on Friday, most of what is on offer are re-releases. Among them in Malang, the musical action thriller directed by Mohit Suri.

Talking about re-releasing “Malang” in theatres at this stage, Mohit Suri told IANS: “Re-releasing of films in theaters is something which used to happen really long time back. It has not happened in the recent past. There are other films that are re-releasing too. I speak on behalf of (the film’s producers) Luv Ranjan and Ankur (Garg) that we are glad we could contribute to helping the exhibition centers in whatever way we can. In the end, we want people to come to the theatres because they have been bearing the brunt of the lockdown all these months.”

While theatres are reopening after almost seven months, a lot of big, medium, and small Bollywood movies have already signed up for OTT releases. What is left for theatres then? The filmmaker replied: “No one planned this scenario. The scenario was such that films that were supposed to release in theatres went to OTT. Even producers had their justifications because films are perishable products. Rather than sitting on the money, they release their films.”

Quizzed if he is open to releasing his films directly on OTT, Suri shared: “I am very open to doing something on the OTT platform, but now once the theatres open, you will have content that will be made for the theatre as well. I think the content will choose its final position — be it will theatre or OTT or television. That’s a great opportunity for filmmakers because you get to make your content reach the viewers in different ways. It doesn’t have to be only through one platform.”

On the work front, the filmmaker is busy with the pre-production of his next film “Ek Villain 2”. Throwing light on the John Abraham starrer, he shared: “Our shoot begins in January next year. We are currently working on the pre-production of the film. We are going slow because not everybody is there in the office. We are having lesser meetings and more video calls.”

Does he feel pressure to live up to the audience’s expectations after “Ek Villain”? Suri replied: “I have made sequels in the past like ‘Aashiqui 2’ and ‘Murder 2’. The pressure is always there to live up to the original film. What we are trying to do this time, besides having a bigger scale and bigger actors and taking the story forward, is to try and make it more contemporary, given the new digital age we are living in. It has got a lot more zing.”

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