Tamil actor Vijay likely to play lead in Super Good Films’ 100th film

Actor Jiiva has disclosed that actor Vijay is likely to play the lead in the 100th film of the well-known production house, Super Good Films.

The production house, which is known for having produced ‘Poove Unnakaaga’, a film that many consider being the turning point of Vijay’s career, is now in the process of making its 96th film.

At a recent media interaction, actor Jiiva, the son of producer R B Choudhary, who owns Super Good Films known for having introduced several top directors and actors in Tamil cinema, was asked whether Vijay, who got a big break in his career because of the production house, would agree to work in its 100th film.

Jiiva said, “Definitely. I am announcing this on stage. I believe a meeting in this regard took place only a week ago and Vijay sir has told that he would do the 100th film of Super Good Films.

“I too have requested my dad for an opportunity to act in that film even if it means acting without pay,” he said, evoking laughter.

“God willing, it looks like, in all probability, it will be Vijay sir who will be playing the lead in the 100th film of Super Good Films,” he said.

Visually impaired ‘KBC 14’ contestant is a fan of Big B’s ‘Black’

A visually impaired contestant Aneri Arya shared with megastar Amitabh Bachchan that she is a big fan of his 2005 movie ‘Black’ starring Rani Mukerji on ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati 14’.

Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali ‘Black’ was released in 2005. It also stars Shernaz Patel and Dhritiman Chatterjee in supporting roles. The film narrates the story of Michelle, a deaf-and-blind woman, and her relationship with her teacher Debraj, an elderly alcoholic who himself later develops Alzheimer’s disease.

Arya also says that she connects with the story of the film as she herself is blind and there is huge support she gets from her teacher.

She mentions: “Sir, you have played the role of a teacher in the film (Black), and with your influence, Rani Mukerji’s character was able to express herself and grow. Just like that, even I have a teacher, my Ph.D. guide, Dr. Sunil Shah.”

For Aneri nothing was more exciting than taking the hot seat and telling Big B about her favorite book movie and food.

Hailing from Surat, Gujarat, the 26-year-old ‘KBC 14’ contestant is an assistant professor of English at Shree Bhaikaka Sochitra Government Arts and Science College. During a conversation with the host, she gives credit to her parents for helping her to complete her studies and also speaks about Gujarati cuisine.

Aneri says: “Mr. Bachchan and I shared a lot of conversations, I told him about my favorite book, ‘The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, and my favorite film of his, ‘Black’. My parents also conversed with him during the show and my mother told him about sending me out of the nest while my father told him about how proud he is of my journey.”

Aneri Arya will be taking the hot seat in the quiz-based reality show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati 14’ on Sony Entertainment Television.

‘Sasural Simar Ka 2’ actress Nishi Singh gears up for OTT debut

Nishi Singh, who is known for her role in ‘Sasural Simar Ka 2’ is all set to make her OTT debut with the web series ‘Ishqiyoun’ opposite Hiten Tejwani and Vijay Varma.

The actress shared details about making a debut on a digital platform and her role.

She said: “I am playing the character of a young generation girl Kavya, who belongs to a very rich family. She always believes in truth and equality. It was great working with Hiten as he is very professional and down to earth and these are the qualities that I learnt from him. Moreover, he helps me perfecting my acting skills. So, I am learning a lot working with him.”

Like many TV actors who believe that OTT has opened many avenues for them where they can get experimental projects, play distinct characters and grow in their career, Nishi also believes that working in the web series will help her explore a wide range of opportunities.

“This was a super exciting project and I did not wait a second to say a yes to it. The script is always the king for me and I truly believe that the magic is in the writing. I am super excited to see the audience reaction to the various dimensions of the characters in the series,” she added.

Furthermore, she spoke about her hopes for the series: “The OTT space has opened so many arenas for young actors and as a performer, it’s just the best place to be. I could experiment and I could let all the creativity take over as there is so much scope to work especially because of the audience and of course a super supportive team as well.”

“The love of the audience is the only thing I look for and I hope to entertain them for as long as I can. I will give my absolute best everyday. Rest it’s all up to the almighty,” she concluded.

When Amala Akkineni made sweets for the whole unit of ‘Kanam’

Actress Amala Akkineni, whose performance in her just released bilingual film ‘Kanam’ has come in for widespread praise, said that she made sweets for her entire unit despite not having cooked for a while.

When asked about rumors that she had made sweets for the entire crew of ‘Kanam’, Amala said with a laugh: “Yes. In the movie, I play the role of a mother, and one day, when I was asked, ‘Ma, will you cook for us,’ I didn’t know what to say.”

“How can I tell them that I don’t know how to cook? So, I did it wholeheartedly. But it doesn’t come as easy when you don’t cook daily.

“The entire crew came home and ate the whole thing. Poor things, everyone ate in silence. But I doubt if it actually tasted good. You just have to ask them.”

The actress, who ruled the Tamil film industry with her brilliant performances before marrying Telugu star Nagarjuna and settling down in Hyderabad, said that her dubbing in Tamil for the film surprised director Shree Karthick.

She said: “I can speak Tamil well if given as a dialogue. But when I converse normally, I think in English and translate word by word into Tamil. So it will seem slow. As Telugu is my spoken language now, I mix it up with Telugu words too. But while dubbing, Shree Karthick was surprised. Because I will speak in Tamil first and it will be spot on. It was easier than Telugu.”

Choreographer-turned-director Brinda is the real thug, says Khushbu

Stating that directing an action film like ‘Thugs’ wouldn’t have been difficult for her good friend and director Brinda master, well-known actress and politician ‘Khushbu’ said that in fact, it was dance choreographer-turned-director Brinda, who was the real thug.

Participating in an event called by the makers of the Tamil film: ‘Kumari Mavattathin Thugs, Khushbu said: “There is another side to Brinda that only we know of,” she said laughingly indicating that the lady director had a formidable side that only those who had worked with her knew of.

“She never delivers anything less than the best. If some task requires 100 percent, you can be sure Brinda will give it her 200 percent. She is going to enthrall everyone by proving that women filmmakers can make such action-packed movies,” she said.

Director Design Periyasamy said: “Brinda master has completed shooting this movie in a short span of time. I know the story of this movie, and it is an intense action thriller. I wish the entire team the success of this movie.”

Actress Poornima Bhagyaraj said: “Director Brinda Master has a long and futuristic vision and always delivers the work perfectly. She will definitely win the laurels as one of the finest filmmakers in the Indian film industry. I wish the entire team the success of this movie.”

Big B recalls how his father sent home memorabilia during Queen’s coronation

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has paid his tribute to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on Thursday aged 96.

Amitabh took to his blog and wrote: “.. and as we live another day, the life of another has ended .. the Queen, has passed away .. the Queen of England .. and a host of moments and memories go along with her and her presence.”

He recalled how his father and legendary poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan was in England when the Queen was crowned.

“Babuji was in England for his Ph.D., when she was crowned and the Coronation was the huge event of the moment in 1952 .. and the news and the books and the curios designed then were dutifully sent to me in Allahabad.”

“Sets of make your own Coronation coach and the various monuments and the finery of a crowning in England were among us at 17, Clive Road, Allahabad, and hours spent in building them and getting books and information presented in colorful books were our prized possession ….”

He added: “A private handshake with her when she was a State Guest during my University days, to India and that exclusive moment at Rashtrapati Bhavan, among the four or five of us.”

“The select group of invitees at Buckingham Palace during the time of Babuji’s stay in Cambridge when at a private Tea he was called along with, other country guests .. the Indian Cricket team in particular – the likes of Vinoo Mankad, and Hazare and more .. and the signed autographs of them sent to us on the invitation card from the Palace .. now all lost or misplaced when we shifted from Allahabad to Delhi.

“The letters the books and objects of remembrance all lost .. pity .. because the idea of documentation or of reserve and storage in collectibles was never a consideration .. .. now as you look back .. the regret and remorse

Action, gore, good acting: ‘Vikram Vedha’ trailer promises a feast

The trailer of the upcoming film ‘Vikram Vedha’, which stars Saif Ali Khan and Hrithik Roshan in the titular roles, was released by the cast here on Thursday.

Giving a sneak peek of the story, the trailer makes for a compelling watch as it challenges the notion of what’s right and what’s wrong and highlights the grey area that human beings are known for.

The trailer opens with medium shots of Saif and Hrithik with different frame directions as Vijay Raaz spins magic with his voice-over. It introduces us to the characters and their world before it spirals into a full-blown action spectacle with several high-speed shots and cinematic gore for dramatic effect.

Hrithik, who plays the titular character of gangster Vedha, seamlessly gets into the skin of his character with body language, mannerisms, and diction. Saif, on the other hand, looks amazing as the tough cop Vikram, who is in hot pursuit of Vedha.

The film, which also stars Rohit Saraf, Radhika Apte, Yogita Bihani, Sharib Hashmi, and Satyadeep Mishra, is an action-thriller written and directed by Tamil director duo Pushkar-Gayatri.

The story unfolds a cat-and-mouse chase, where Vedha – a master storyteller helps Vikram peel back layers through a series of stories leading to thought-provoking moral ambiguities.

Presented by T-Series and Reliance Entertainment in association with Friday Filmworks and Jio Studios, ‘Vikram Vedha’ is a YNOT Studios Production. The film will hit the big screens globally on September 30.

Kajol stuns audience with her first look as lawyer in OTT series debut

Bollywood actress Kajol’s first look from her upcoming digital debut series, the Indian adaptation of ‘The Good Wife’ titled ‘The Good Wife — Pyaar, Kanoon, Dhoka’ was unveiled on Thursday. The actress will play a lawyer.

Talking about playing a lawyer in the web series, Kajol, one of Bollywood’s most loved actresses, said in a statement, “I have been playing multiple characters throughout my acting journey, but the firsts are always special.”

The first look was released on the occasion of Disney+ Day.

Commenting on the upside of the medium of OTT, the actress said, “The beauty of OTT platforms is that they give creators and actors an opportunity to reinvent and experiment with different formats, and with Disney+ Hotstar’s ‘The Good Wife’, that’s exactly what I got.”

She added: “As a career first move, I will be playing a lawyer in my first-ever series, directed by the fabulous Suparn Verma.”

The original series, ‘The Good Wife’, was created by CBS Studios, in association with Scott Free Productions and King Size Productions.

The format rights are distributed globally by Paramount Global Content Distribution and it has been licensed in China, India, Japan, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia, Turkey, and Vietnam.

Directed by Suparn Verma of ‘The Family Man’ fame and produced by Banijay Asia, ‘The Good Wife — Pyaar, Kanoon, Dhoka’ will release soon on Disney+ Hotstar.

Anushka Sharma reveals ‘moment from a story that needs to be told’

Bollywood star Anushka Sharma took to social media to reveal a glimpse of ‘Chakda Xpress’, which is inspired by the life and times of women cricket’s all-time greatest fast bowler Jhulan Goswami.

In the image, Anushka is seen recreating a moment from Jhulan’s life.

A thoughtful Anushka as Jhulan is seen making an important phone call while pouring rain beats down on everything around her.

She captioned it: “A moment from a story that needs to be told!”

Anushka has always strived to be a perfectionist in her career and she is doing the same for ‘Chakda Xpress’. She is currently prepping before she starts another schedule of the film.

The Netflix Film, which is tracing the glorious journey of one of the fastest female pacers in the history of world cricket, will showcase how Jhulan moves up the ladder despite countless hindrances to fulfill her only dream: to play cricket.

Jhulan went on to captain the Indian women’s national cricket team and is a role model for aspiring cricketers in the country. In 2018, an Indian postage stamp was issued in her honor.

She holds the world record for the highest number of wickets taken by a woman in an international career.

Ranvir Shorey opens up on playing negative lead in ‘Midday Meeal’

Bollywood actor Ranvir Shorey talks about playing a negative lead in the movie ‘Midday Meeal’ and the actor says he feels satisfied to be part of a movie that deals with social issues rather than just focusing on usual subjects of romance or action.

He says: “Working on ‘Midday Meeal’ has really been one of those projects in my life which have touched my heart. We often make big movies which have lots of action, drama and many more. But we never focus on social issues, which are very important for each one of us to know.

“This movie has undoubtedly taught me the importance of food, and I really hope that the audience will like this movie as it has something that has never seen me in such a character”.

Ranvir, who had worked in films such as ‘Jism’, ‘Lakshya’, ‘Bheja Fry’ and also hosted the celebrity dance reality show ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 7’ and had also been part of out-of-the-box projects like ‘Kadakh’.

For him, working with Anil on his recent project is quite a fulfilling experience.

He comments: “Anil is such a hardworking soul, who made sure that what message he wanted to send to the audience should be told over the big screen. He has made sure to bring the best from each actor to spread this strong message massively to the audience. I really loved working with him.”

The poster of the film is already out featuring actor-director Anil Singh on it. It is all set to be released on October 14.