Aryan Khan walks out of jail

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Aryan Khan walks out of jail

Ending a 29-day long vigil, Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan and his producer wife Gauri, finally walked out of the Arthur Road Central Jail (ARCJ) here on Saturday.

With thousands of fans, admirers, a huge posse of police and mediapersons camping here for the second day, Aryan’s much-anticipated exit out of the ARCJ to the waiting vehicle lasted barely a couple of seconds.

All that the waiting crowds managed to grab was a glimpse of Aryan sporting a bright blue shirt with his stark mane visible, but face covered by a dark mask as he stepped inside the car without looking around.

Whisked off by a bevy of bouncers and bodyguards to the white SUV with dark glasses on all sides, Aryan was immediately driven toward his Bandra home via the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.

At least 100 metres ahead of his Arabian Sea-facing bungalow, fans had organised a band of drums which started playing furiously on seeing his vehicle, some admirers began dancing with joy, others waved banners and posters with pictures of the father-son actor duo, followed by a burst of loud fire-crackers, signalling the arrival of Diwali at the megastar’s residence, ‘Mannat’.

Aryan reached well in time for a piping-hot home-cooked lunch, 29 days after he left ‘Mannat’ on October 2 for the fun-filled Mumbai-Goa luxury cruise which ended in an unexpected jail sojourn.

Earlier in the day, Shah Rukh Khan sped out in a motorcade to the ARCJ, around 15 km away in Chinchpokli, eager to welcome and hug Aryan.

However, after the ARCJ Superintendent Nitin Waychal told waiting newspersons that Aryan would be out only after another three hours, the actor’s motorcade slowed down and diverted to a five-star hotel en route.

To calm his jumpy nerves and curb his palpable excitement, he waited in the vehicle at the hotel, partook in some light refreshments, all the while hoping for a reunion with his son, who he last met inside the ARCJ on October 21.

The Mumbai Police deployed massive security, barricades and roadblocks at vantage points outside the jail, in the ‘Mannat’ vicinity and on the Bandra-Chinchpokli road to control the jostling fans of both SRK and Aryan, the media hordes and curious onlookers, too.

SS Rajamouli on ‘RRR’: Actors, audiences have risen above language barriers

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SS Rajamouli on ‘RRR’: Actors, audiences have risen above language barriers

Veteran Filmmaker SS Rajamouli says that he doesn’t categorise actors or audience based on their language, for him there is just the Indian audience and actors that fit the part.

The filmmaker was interacting with the media on the sidelines of a special collaboration with multiplex chain PVR cinemas. Rajamouli is known for making Telugu cinema and his forthcoming film ‘RRR’ features main-stream Hindi actors such as Ajay Devgn and Alia Bhatt.

When asked about casting on the basis of full inclusion, he said: “I stopped looking at actors as south or north, Hindi or Tamil or Kannada, I have stopped looking at stars like that, and ever before that I’ve stopped looking at audiences in that manner – Hindi, Tamil, Bengali or Malayalam like that, I just look at them as Indian audience. That is something I have been doing for a very long time.”

Releasing multi-starrer mega-budget films in theaters post pandemic is turning into an issue with filmmakers as the cost-recovery is difficult, if not nearly impossible.

With ‘RRR’ gunning for theatrical release, SS Rajamouli believes that one can curb the issue by just making a better product.

“It’s not just the problem of my film, it’s not just the problem of film field, it’s the problem of entire humanity, the pandemic. So there is no scope of sitting and crying about what’s going to happen to me or my film. This is the situation; it is what it is, and how do you make the most out of it, how do we overcome the obstacle, and how to make it exciting for the people to visit theaters and watch it again and again. So you have to make your film much better,” he added.

‘RRR’ starring Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn and Alia Bhatt, will release in January 2022, and will lock horns at the box-office with ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ and ‘Radhe Shyam’.

Kannada star Puneeth’s last rites on Oct 30, condolences pour in

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Kannada star Puneeth’s last rites on Oct 30, condolences pour in

Popular Kannada film star Puneeth Rajkumar’s last rites will be held on Saturday after the return of his elder daughter Vanditha from the US.

Karnataka Revenue Minister R. Ashok stated that the actor’s last rites will be conducted with government honours.

His mortal remains were taken to his residence from the hospital. Later, his body will be kept at Kanteerava stadium in Bengaluru after 6.30 p.m. for final viewing till late Saturday evening.

Raghavendra Rajkumar, elder brother of Puneeth, said that his younger sibling took him to hospital when he had suffered heart attack twice earlier. “He got the pacemaker for me. He brought me back from the hospital safely. But I could not bring him back. He went to see my parents,” he said.

Raghavendra Rajkumar stated that nothing has been decided yet on the last rites.

“Puneeth’s spouse is inconsolable and not in a position to talk. We will decide after discussion with all relatives. We have requested to make arrangements for public ‘darshan’. We all know what happened at the time of the death of our father (Kannada film legend Rajkumar) (Seven people were shot dead in the large-scale violence that followed after his death) That should not happen,” he stated.

Dr Ranganath Nayak who treated Puneeth, explained that he developed chest pain after two hours of workout at a gym. He has consulted a family doctor and undergone ECG test.

“When, ECG results showed his condition was serious he was referred to our hospital. En route to hospital he suffered a massive cardiac arrest. When he was brought to hospital, there was no cardiac activity,” he explained.

He further stated that the doctors tried to resuscitate Puneeth for three hours. “We have made all attempts to revive cardiac activity, but he could not be revived,” he said.

Meanwhile, shocked by the untimely death of Puneeth, cricketers and Telugu film stars have expressed their condolences. Yash and other Sandalwood stars rushed to Puneeth’s residence to console his family.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai appealed for peace, and maintenance of law and order in the state. “Puneeth’s last rites will be held as per wishes of the family at their choice of place. We all should pay respects peacefully,” he said.

“I spoke to him yesterday (Thursday) regarding launching his website,” he remembered.

Chief Minister Bommai has also cancelled all his programmes for Friday and Saturday.

State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar stated that he knew Puneeth since childhood. “He was a good friend. Puneeth absolutely had no bad habits. He had no greed. Even though I have tried to pull him into certain habits he declined. He was totally determined and did not budge an inch,” he said.

Bengaluru South MP Tejaswi Soorya stated that Puneeth was a fitness freak, saying “His videos of workouts during the lockdown period served as an inspiration for all of us.”

Cricketers Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag, Venkatesh Prasad, and Telugu film stars Chiranjeevi, Balakrishna, Junior NTR, Pavan Kalyan and Mahesh Babu also expressed their condolences.

OTT release of Mohanlal’s ‘Marakkar’ runs into rough weather

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OTT release of Mohanlal’s ‘Marakkar’ runs into rough weather

The OTT release of Malayalam superstar Mohanlal’s blockbuster film ‘Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea’, directed by ace filmmaker Priyadarshan, has hit a roadblock as Kerala Minister for Films Saji Cherian insisted that films should be released in theatres.

Cherian said that the OTT aspect was thought of when the movie halls were closed and the government is of the firm view that films should first be released in theatres and he expects the same with ‘Marakkar’.

On Wednesday movie halls in Kerala finally started screening films after a gap of six months and with stringent Covid guidelines allowing only 50 per cent of the total seating capacity, which is a dampener for producers and theatre owners.

‘Marakkar’ producer Antony Perumbavoor first broke the news that the makers are exploring all options including a possible OTT release and they have now practically closed the deal for releasing it on Prime Video.

This decision has irked the theatre owners in the state who are passing through bad times and they fear if a blockbuster film like ‘Marakkar’ goes on OTT, then they will be in trouble.

According to a source, Perumbavoor wanted a minimum guarantee from theatre owners but the amount that Perumbavoor is asking is very high.

This film has cost Perumbavoor a staggering Rs 85 crore and hence he is unwilling to come down and with now Cherian also batting for a theatrical release, it remains to be seen, what’s in store.

At the recent National Film Awards, ‘Marakkar’ was selected as the Best Feature Film for 2019.

The film tells the tale of Kunhali Marakkar, the famous naval chief of the Zamorin of Calicut, often known for organising the first naval defence of the Indian coast.

Mohanlal, known for his flexibility and adaptability to any character, plays the key role of Marakkar.

The star cast includes thespian Madhu, Manju Warrier, actors from south India and Bollywood besides four British actors and one Chinese actor.

A top producer said there are 90 Malayalam films and an additional 50 English, Tamil and Hindi films all waiting for release and with a few films that were released through the OTT platforms during the Covid period fetching reasonable profits, all eyes are on how the government is going to tackle the issue as many families are dependent on movie halls for their livelihood.

Rajinikanth undergoes surgical procedure, to be discharged in a few days

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Rajinikanth undergoes surgical procedure, to be discharged in a few days

Megastar Rajinikanth successfully underwent a surgical procedure called Carotid Artery Revascularisation at a hospital here on Friday.

The actor is recovering well and is likely to be discharged in a few days, said a top official of the Kauvery Hospital.

Rajinikanth was admitted to Kauvery Hospital here on Thursday following an episode of giddiness.

“He was thoroughly evaluated by the expert panel of doctors and was advised to undergo Carotid Artery Revascularisation, said Dr Aravindan Selvaraj, co-founder and Executive Director, in a statement.

“The procedure was performed successfully today (October 29) and he is recovering well. He is likely to be discharged from the hospital after a few days,” Dr Selvaraj added.

Rajinikanth, who was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award on Thursday, had tweeted that he had watched his yet-to-be released movie ‘Annatthe’ with his grandson on Wednesday.

Last year, Rajinikanth decided against taking a much-awaited political plunge citing his health condition.

At that time, Rajinikanth said the doctors had advised him that fluctuating blood pressure would affect his transplanted kidney.

Varudu Kaavalenu Movie Public Talk | Naga Shaurya

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Varudu Kaavalenu Movie Public Talk | Naga Shaurya

Akash Romantic Movie Public Talk

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Akash Romantic Movie Public Talk

Director Amit Kasaria on Adhyayan Suman-starrer ‘Bekhudi’

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Director Amit Kasaria on Adhyayan Suman-starrer ‘Bekhudi’

Bollywood actor Adhyayan Suman-starrer ‘Bekhudi’ released Friday. The movie is directed by Amit Kasaria. This is his second movie after ‘I Don’t Luv U’.

Amit talks about the idea behind this romantic thriller, saying: “‘Bekhudi’ came to me when I was trying to make sense of why romantic films follow a set pattern. Hero meets the heroine, falls in love, breaks up and then they get back together. There is so much scope of going creative with this.”

He goes on explaining that it is an interactive movie which is different from the other romantic films: “I wanted to bring a man’s perspective into the narrative. One night he hears all about her past and understands her from his own context. There are no familial quarrels. A film of this nature has never been attempted. It’s an interactive film and there is a crucial element of thrill. There is a good mixture of entertainment and thrill. It wasn’t an easy film to plan because there’s no reference point. I did a lot of research and homework to shoot it in a planned and viable way,” he adds.

Amit started working on the movie in 2018 but release was delayed due to the pandemic. He says: “We cracked the idea by the end of 2018 and we started filming in 2019. We were done with the film by end of the year. The pandemic really played spoilsport for the release. It took 10 months to finish the film but releasing a film in pandemic times is dependent on multiple factors.”

‘Bekhudi’ stars Adhyayan Suman, Angel and Anurag Sharma. While opening up about the cast and music of this movie, he says the music is the most important factor for him and he got some best singers on board.

“When you are making a film of this nature, it’s important to have producers like mine. They understood my vision and allowed me my creative space. I have to mention that music had a special part in the film. I was very choosy about the songs because the tracks needed to share the film’s soul. Rahul gave a brilliant soundtrack. We got the best singers from Sonu Nigam to Dev Negi to Jubin Nautiyal who came on board. We did a special number with Avni Joshi who delivered a crackling number.

The whole film was shot across Delhi and NCR, with key sequences being filmed in Noida and Gurgaon. The second half of the film was shot in Nainital.

The director recalls: “The film was shot in two schedules, over 45 days. I am glad I had a team that supported my vision and we worked seamlessly together. In two months, we’d gone from planning to shooting to finishing the film. Adhyayan Suman was my stronghold through shooting. We used to have a blast on set together. I remember we used to make light of him a lot. During this action scene, he roughed up his co-star Anurag because he was so consumed by his character. This one time, one of our female actors broke down on set after a scene. We had to play some light music to cheer her up.”

Ana de Armas circling lead role in ‘John Wick’ spinoff ‘Ballerina’

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Ana de Armas circling lead role in ‘John Wick’ spinoff ‘Ballerina’

Actress Ana de Armas is in talks for the lead role in the upcoming ‘John Wick’ spinoff film ‘Ballerina’.

‘Ballerina’, which has been in the works for several years, follows a young female assassin as she seeks revenge against those who killed her family, reports variety.com.

The action-thriller will be helmed by ‘Underworld’ director Len Wiseman from a screenplay by Shay Hatten, who has also penned ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’ and is attached to write ‘Chapter 4’ and ‘Chapter 5’ of the franchise as well.

Golden Globe-nominated de Armas most recently appeared in the latest James Bond installment ‘No Time to Die’ as Paloma, a CIA agent who helps Bond played by Daniel Craig in his mission.

She is also the star of the highly-anticipated Marilyn Monroe biopic ‘Blonde’, which is set for release in 2022.

De Armas’ other credits include ‘Knives Out’ and ‘Blade Runner 2049’. ‘Deep Water’ and ‘The Gray Man’ are also on de Armas’ slate of upcoming projects.

‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ is set to release on May 27, 2022.

The fourth installment in the action franchise stars Keanu Reeves as the titular character, as well as Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick and Rina Sawayama.

Production on the film began in the summer, with Chad Stahelski directing.

Rajinikanth admitted to hospital for routine checkup

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Rajinikanth admitted to hospital for routine checkup

Actor Rajinikanth on Thursday was admitted to a private hospital here for a routine check up.

According to his publicist, Rajinikanth has been admitted to Kauvery Hospital here for routine checkup on Thursday evening.

The actor’s wife Latha Rajinikanth told a Tamil news channel that the 70-year-old veteran actor was admitted for a day for routine checkup.

On Thursday Rajinikanth who was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award recently tweeted that he had watched his yet to be released movie Annatthe with his grandson on Wednesday.

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