‘Jai Bhim’, ‘Marakkar’ make it to Oscars ‘submission list’

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‘Jai Bhim’, ‘Marakkar’ make it to Oscars ‘submission list’

Two Indian films — the controversial Tamil film ‘Jai Bhim’ starring Suriya and Lijomol Jose and Priyadarshan’s Malayalam period drama ‘Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham’ (Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea), with Mohanlal playing the titular character — are on the list of 276 movies eligible for this year’s Academy Awards.

The voting for the Oscar nominations is set to begin on Thursday, January 27, and it will continue until Tuesday, February 1. The announcement limits the eligibility year to 10 months. Last year, the Academy had extended it until February 28, 2021, because of the pandemic.

All of the presumed Oscar contenders, reports ‘Variety’, are on the list. These include ‘Being the Ricardos’ (Amazon Studios), ‘Belfast’ (Focus Features), ‘CODA’ (Apple Original Films), ‘Dune’ (Warner Bros), ‘Encanto’ (Walt Disney Pictures), ‘House of Gucci’ (MGM/United Artists), ‘The Power of the Dog’ (Netflix), ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ (Paramount Pictures), ‘Spencer’ (Neon/Topic Studios), ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (Sony Pictures) and ‘West Side Story’ (20th Century Studios).

Some of the international features from the Oscar shortlist are also eligible for best picture, in addition to the best international feature category, such as Japan’s much-awarded ‘Drive My Car’, Italy’s ‘The Hand of God’, Iran’s ‘A Hero’ and Norway’s ‘The Worst Person in the World’.

Directed by Priyadarshan, ‘Marakkar’ is one of the most expensive films in the history of Malayalam cinema. It narrates the epic tale of Kunjali Marakkar IV, a Malabar sea lord and his epic battles against the Portuguese. The movie had won three National Awards — Best Feature Film, Best Special Effects and Best Costume Design.

‘Jai Bhim’, which raised the hackles of the PMK, a political party in Tamil Nadu that represents mainly the Vanniyar community, is based on a true incident in 1993, involving a case fought by former Madras High Court Justice K. Chandru, when he was an advocate. Behind him in this legal battle was Sengeni’s wife, Rajakannu.

The only other film to make the cut from South Asia is Bhutan’s ‘Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom’, a 2019 film directed by Pawo Choyning Dorji. It had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival.

The film was selected as the Bhutanese entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, but later disqualified. It was resubmitted as Bhutan’s entry for the 2022 Oscars and was shortlisted for the awards.

Nominations for the 94th Academy Awards, according to ‘Variety’, will be announced on Tuesday, February 8. The ceremony is scheduled to be held on Sunday, March 27, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and will be televised on the American network ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.

Ranveer to Deepika: My ‘babygirl lookin like a Fazillion buxxx’

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Ranveer to Deepika: My ‘babygirl lookin like a Fazillion buxxx’

Bollywood’s livewire star Ranveer Singh seems to be in awe of his actress wife Deepika Padukone’s performance in the upcoming film ‘Gehraiyaan’ and praised her by saying his “baby girl lookin like a fazillion bux”.

Ranveer, who does not shy away from professing his love for his wife on social media, posted a picture of Deepika from the film.

“Moody, sexy and intense!!!A Domestic noir ? Sign me up! All the favs @shakunbatra @ananyapanday @siddhantchaturvedi @dhairyakarwa Naseer the Legend! and my babygirl lookin like a Fazillion buxxx @deepikapadukone produced by the sexiest of them all @karanjohar.”

Directed by Shakun Batra, Amazon Original Movie ‘Gehraiyaan’ stars Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa as leads along with Nasseruddin Shah and Rajat Kapur in pivotal roles

Jointly produced by Viacom18 Studios, Dharma Productions and Shakun Batra’s Jouska Films, the movie will have its World Premiere exclusively on Prime Video on February 11.

Hindi version of ‘Pushpa’ director’s ‘Rangasthalam’ set for Feb release

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Hindi version of ‘Pushpa’ director’s ‘Rangasthalam’ set for Feb release

The 2018 Telugu film ‘Rangasthalam starring Ram Charan is all set to release in Hindi in theatres next month.

Noted producer Manish Shah is planning the release to bring some respite for the cinema owners and to end the dry spell caused by the Covid pandemic.

A Sukumar directorial, ‘Rangasthalam’ was a colossal success at the time of its release and was Telugu film industry’s biggest hit in 2018. The film is scheduled to release for Hindi audiences in February.

Several exhibitors have welcomed the decision to release the film. Producer Shah has also cut down on terms and conditions to ensure that the revenue sharing formula is in favour of the cinema owners.

Sukumar, whose recent release ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ has been ruling the box office, told the story of a deaf man played by Ram Charan in ‘Rangasthalam’, which also starred several popular actors like Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Jagapathi Babu and Prakash Raj.

Lakshmi Manchu urges Telangana govt to institutionalise digital education

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Lakshmi Manchu urges Telangana govt to institutionalise digital education

Welcoming the Telangana government’s decision to implement the ‘Mana Ooru-Mani Badi’ programme in all government schools, actress Lakshmi Manchu has urged the state government to focus on “institutionalising digital education”.

In a statement, the actress said, “As an individual who has been actively working in the government schools of our country for the last seven years through our organisation, Teach for Change Trust, I wholeheartedly welcome and applaud the announcement by the Government of Telangana which will rapidly change the face of public schools and mitigate the dropout rates by providing quality education to all the children of Telangana.

“I truly believe that this visionary move by the Government of Telangana is going to transform the education system in the state over the next three years and pave the path for creating educational equity in our country,” she said.

Requesting the Telangana government to focus on institutionalising digital education, the actress said, “We, at ‘Teach for Change’, have seen positive impact in government schools by providing ICT infrastructure and dedicated ICT trainers. We would be more than happy to share our processes and curriculum to strengthen the foundational learning for primary school children with the Education Ministry if it would help the community at large.”

Tovino Thomas, Keerthy Suresh-starrer ‘Vaashi’ wrapped up

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Tovino Thomas, Keerthy Suresh-starrer ‘Vaashi’ wrapped up

The team of director Vishnu Raghav’s Malayalam film ‘Vaashi’, featuring actors Tovino Thomas and Keerthy Suresh in the lead, on Thursday announced that it had wrapped up the film.

Actor Tovino took to his Instagram page to make the announcement.

He said, “And it’s a wrap at ‘Vaashi’! Super happy to have joined hands with buddy Vishnu Raghav in his first venture as director. I wish the world for you brother! And thanks to the amazing co-star Keerthy Suresh and the cast and the crew for making ‘Vaashi’ most memorable.”

Heightening the suspense factor, the actor said, “This film portrays something that’s super relevant and it will all reach out to you soon!”

The film, which had gone on floors on November 17 last year, had its lead cast Tovino and Keerthy Suresh joining the sets on November 28.

The film has raised expectations as this is the first time that Keerthy Suresh has worked with Tovino Thomas.

‘Squid Game’ propels South Korea to Netflix’s No. 2 content supplier

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‘Squid Game’ propels South Korea to Netflix’s No. 2 content supplier

South Korea remained the No. 2 supplier of popular content to Netflix in the fourth quarter of last year, US online media have reported.

According to What’s On Netflix, a private online site that provides information on Netflix content, on Wednesday (US time), South Korean-made shows accounted for 11.8 per cent of the top 10 films and TV series in the final three months of 2021.

Korean content thus ranked No. 2 for the second consecutive quarter after the United States, which accounted for 59 per cent, reports Yonhap News Agency. The figures are based on data by the streaming analytics firm FlixPatrol, it added.

It marked a sharp increase from its share of 5.4 per cent for the third quarter, thanks to the breakout hit ‘Squid Game’, released on September 17, and other hit series.

“The fourth quarter of 2021 is likely to be an outlier with the arrival of ‘Squid Game’, but Korean content has been on a slow march up the charts regardless of ‘Squid Game’,” the report said.

‘Squid Game’ became the most successful Netflix show in history, with its total viewership reaching a record 1.65 billion hours in the first four weeks of its release.

Two subsequent series, the fantasy horror ‘Hellbound’ and the sci-fi thriller ‘The Silent Sea’, also topped Netflix’s official weekly viewership chart for non-English TV shows.

Malayalam actress Anna Ben tests positive for Covid

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Malayalam actress Anna Ben tests positive for Covid

Malayalam actress Anna Ben has announced that she has tested positive for Covid.

The actress took to social media to make the announcement. She said, “Tested positive for Covid with all the symptoms except the loss of smell. Whoever came in contact with me, please get tested and I hope you are safe. In home quarantine at the moment.”

The actress further went on to point out that the virus, which she had managed to dodge for two years, had finally got her.

Anna Ben’s upcoming film, ‘Naradan’, directed by Aashiq Abu and featuring Tovino Thomas along with her, has also been postponed because of the onset of the third wave of Covid.

Numbers of those testing positive have been going up ever since the new year began, during the third wave of Covid.

On Wednesday, Malayalam actor and MP from Kerala, Suresh Gopi, also said he had tested positive for Covid.

Hrithik shares glimpse of his 68-year-old mother’s intense workout

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Hrithik shares glimpse of his 68-year-old mother’s intense workout

Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan has shared a glimpse of his 68-year-old mother Pinkie Roshan’s intense workout. The actor says it gives him hope that everyone can continue to get better no matter what the age.

Hrithik on Thursday posted a slew of video clips, where his mother is seen doing high intensity workout.

He wrote as the caption: “To see her giving her all to fitness and wellness at the age of 68 gives me hope that we all can continue to get better no matter what the age. A big, big hug to all of you out there for supporting and sharing this relentless, joyful passion with my mom.”

The actor said that he knows his mother has bad days “we all do, and time and again I have seen how hard it is for her to get into the gym and get started.”

“But she does it because of the sense of community she has started feeling with all of you supporting her on insta. So this really is a thank you post for all of you helping my mom get stronger. I wish and pray that everyone out there who is pushing themselves to get better has that support from friends and family. I wish you all a beautiful day.”

Hrithik shared that his mother started working out at the age of 58.

“Just thought I should add that fact for other parents who feel it’s too late for them. It’s NEVER too late. Do it for your kids. They will love you for it,” he wrote.

On the work front, Hrithik will next be seen in ‘Vikram Vedha’.

The film stars Hrithik and Saif Ali Khan in lead roles, with Radhika Apte in a crucial role. Pushkar and Gayatri, the original writers and directors, are donning the director’s hats for the Hindi remake as well.

A cult film in its own right ‘Vikram Vedha’ is a neo-noir action crime thriller film. Based on the Indian meta-folktale ‘Vikram aur Betaal’, the film tells the story of a tough police officer who sets out to track down and kill an equally tough gangster.

This original Tamil blockbuster starred R. Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi.

He also has ‘Fighter’ with Deepika Padukone.

Salman Khan, Pragya Jaiswal star in Guru Randhawa, Iulia Vantur’s music video

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Salman Khan, Pragya Jaiswal star in Guru Randhawa, Iulia Vantur’s music video

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and south actress Pragya Jaiswal are going to feature in the love track ‘Main Chala’ sung by Guru Randhawa and Iulia Vantur.

It is going to be a treat for music lovers and Salman fans. Guru Randhawa is all parise for singer Iulia Vantur.

He says: “I’m very excited that I could share this song with Iulia Vantur, who is not just a wonderful artiste but also a warm person. Her tone is very distinct and takes the song to the next level. The track has turned out to be beautiful and I’m confident people will love it.”

Starring Salman Khan and Pragya Jaiswal, the love song has been directed by Shabina Khan. It has been composed and penned by Shabbir Ahmed.

Adds Iulia Vantur about her experience of working with Guru Randhawa: “Main chala’ is a very soulful song, written with a lot of love. We’ve put our hearts in it and I hope it will touch people’s souls. I’m grateful for it, I’m grateful to Guru for believing in it, for making this song special, in his voice. He is an amazing artiste, I appreciate him very much as a singer and as a person as well. I believe love will be welcomed in everyone’s hearts with ‘Main Chala’.”

Produced by Salman Khan and Bhushan Kumar, the song will be released on T-Series’ YouTube channel on January 22.

Amaal Mallik’s ‘Tum Ho Toh’ features in ‘Family Guy’

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Amaal Mallik’s ‘Tum Ho Toh’ features in ‘Family Guy’

Musician Amaal Mallik’s superhit song ‘Tum Ho Toh’ featured in ‘Family Guy’, one of the funniest and long-running international animated series.

The music composer is excited that the vibe of the song resonated with the makers of his favourite series.

Amaal said: “I’m thrilled that a show that popular and global looped ‘Tum Ho Toh’ in for one of its episodes. What’s more rewarding than having makers resonate with your creative work. Watching the episode refreshed my memories of creating the song with Shaan & Rashmi Virag.”

The original is a love song that has been sung by Shaan, written by Rashmi Virag and it features Taapsee Pannu and Saqib Saleem.

The instrumental of Amaal’s song appears in Episode 11 of Season 20. The part that has Mallik’s piece of music looped in shows the notorious infant Stewie and his mother Lois at a drum circle.

Amaal added: “A lot of my music is heard and seen on very popular fiction and non-fiction shows in India but this is a special first for me and I thank all those who so proudly brought the episode to my notice. Gratitude to those rooting for my music.”

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