First look of Dhanush-starrer ‘Vaathi’ released

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The unit of director Venky Atluri’s bilingual film, ‘Vaathi’, starring Dhanush and Samyuktha Menon in the lead, released the first look of the film on Wednesday.

Taking to Twitter, Sithara Entertainments, the firm producing the film, tweeted the first look and wrote, “Welcome the versatile Dhanush K. Raja in and as ‘Vaathi’/’SIR’. Presenting to you the ‘Vaathi’ First Look.” The production house also tweeted that the film’s teaser would be released on Thursday.

S. Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya are bankrolling the prestigious project, the shooting of which began on January 5 in Hyderabad. Dinesh Krishnan, who is known for films like ‘Soodhu Kavvum’, ‘Sethupathi’, ‘Thegidi’ and ‘Maara’, was first named as the cinematographer of the film. However, he opted out of the project, and cinematographer Yuvaraj was brought in as his replacement.

Editing for the film is being handled by National Award-winning editor Navin Nooli, and music is by music director G.V. Prakash Kumar.

Shreyas Talpade to play late former Indian PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in ‘Emergency’

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Actor Shreyas Talpade will be seen stepping into the shoes of late former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the upcoming film ‘Emergency’, starring Kangana Ranaut.

In the film, Kangana will be seen playing former PM Indira Gandhi and actor Anupam Kher, the revolutionary leader J.P. Narayan. The makers have revealed Shreyas’ look, who will be essaying the important role of late politician Atal Bihari Vajpayee who served three terms as the country’s Prime Minister.

Talking about the actor joining the cast of the film, Kangana says: He plays Atal Bihari Vajpayee who was a young and upcoming leader when Mrs. Gandhi became the Prime Minister for the first time.”

“He was one of the heroes of the Emergency. We are fortunate to have him on board as he is a versatile actor. I personally feel that his performance in the role of Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be one of the most memorable. We are lucky to have got a powerful performer like him to play this important role.”

Shreyas added: “Atal Ji is one of the most revered, intelligent, learned, influential and also one of the most loved leaders of India as well as across the world.”

He shared that to portray him on screen is “not only a big privilege but also a huge honor and definitely a bigger responsibility.”

“I hope I live up to everybody’s expectations. I am trying my best to portray the part. Kangana ma’am is one of the most versatile and finest actresses in the country. She has proved it time and again. But to see her direct a film first hand and to experience that magic first hand is simply outstanding.”

He called Kangana a fantastic and magnificent director who is extremely clear in her vision and is completely sorted.

Manikarnika films present Emergency which is written and directed by Kangana Ranaut. The film is produced by Renu Pitti and Kangana Ranaut. The screenplay and dialogues are by Ritesh Shah.

Global music fest Lollapalooza to debut in India in Jan, 2023

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Global music festival Lollapalooza is finally happening in India and will be held in Mumbai in January 2023.

The music festival will take place for two days from January 28 to 29.

The inaugural Lollapalooza India will be open to over 60,000 fans each day, featuring four stages with over 20 hours of unforgettable live music performed by some of the biggest names globally and locally.

Following many years as a touring festival, Lollapalooza found its home in Chicago, USA, and has grown to include annual editions across various culturally-rich countries including Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France, and Sweden with more than 66 editions of the festival so far, before it comes to India in 2023.

Lollapalooza is a melting pot of myriad genres comprising pop, rock, metal, punk rock, and hip-hop as well as indie, Electronic Dance Music (EDM), and techno.

The founder of the festival is Jane’s Addiction frontman, Perry Farrell. BookMyShow, an entertainment destination will spearhead Lollapalooza India as the promoter and co-producer for the festival’s Indian edition along with global producers, Farrell, WME, and C3 Present.

The star-studded artist line-up for the first-ever India edition of the coveted festival will be announced later this year.

Ahead of Lollapalooza’s India and Asia debut, Ashish Hemrajani, Founder & CEO, BookMyShow said, Lollapalooza is not just a multi-genre music festival, but an alternative music experience, having driven an entire generation of alternative rock music and grunge movement into mainstream sound. Some of the biggest names like ‘Pearl Jam’, ‘Red Hot Chili Peppers’, ‘Nine Inch Nails, ‘And Rage Against The Machine’ were brought to the world stage through their early performances at Lollapalooza and went on to make history.

“The music of India is transcendental, it draws our spirits East,” said Perry Farrell, Founder, of Lollapalooza, ahead of the festival’s first India edition.

“Lollapalooza is an instrument for unity, peace, and education utilizing the universal languages of music and art to find common ground. You may be excited, and we are equally as excited!”

“Lollapalooza has always been about exploring boundaries, musically and geographically. We are excited to introduce Indian and Asian fans to an entirely new festival experience that has been a significant rite of passage for millions of music fans around the world for more than three decades,” said Charlie Walker, Partner, C3 Presents.

Joseph Quinn’s ‘Stranger Things’ role saves him when detained by US immigration

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Actor Joseph Quinn was held in a “dungeon” by a US immigration official but was finally released when he was recognized as Eddie Munson from the popular show ‘Stranger Things.

Facing the questioning when he arrived in New York City for an appearance on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’, the ‘Stranger Things’ was grateful when the man’s colleague intervened and recognized him as the leader of the Hellfire Club from the show, reports aceshowbiz.com.

“It’s so nice to be here because I very nearly didn’t make it,” the 28-year-old actor told the show’s host Jimmy Fallon.

“I was taken into, I guess what you could call more of a dungeon. And I was asked to wait there for about 20 minutes and then I was summoned to this desk where someone asked me, ‘What are you doing in the United States, sir?’ ”

“I said, ‘I’m actually here to meet Jimmy Fallon on ‘The Tonight Show.’ And he didn’t believe me,” he went on recalling.

“One of his colleagues looked over at him, looked at me, and said: ‘Leave Eddie alone!’ And then (the colleague) said, ‘It’s Eddie from ‘Stranger Things, and he was like, ‘You’re Eddie Munson?’ ”

The officials eventually let Joseph go, but not before quizzing him for some spoilers.

He continued, “(The man asked), ‘Do you come back next season?’ I was like, ‘I don’t know,’ and he said, ‘You better,’ and gave me my passport.”

During his debut appearance on the talk show, Joseph presented Jimmy with a Hellfire Club t-shirt, much to the delight of the talk show host, who said he was “honored” to receive the gift.

He said, “I am honored. I’m part of the Hellfire Club? I will wear this. I cannot wait.”

Joseph previously admitted he felt like a “sociopath” when trying to perfect an American accent for the show.

He said, “You feel like a sociopath. After a while I was so far down the rabbit hole, at points I’d be like, ‘Do I sound good? Do you like this? Do you like what I’m doing?’ ”

“I was talking to Joe Keery and at one point I was so deep in it,” the actor added, “and he was like ‘Dude, I can’t save you, but I promise you it’s gonna be fine.'”

J-Hope pinned at 17th on US Billboard main albums chart

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K-pop superband BTS member J-Hope has made a good start in the US Billboard’s main albums chart for this week.

He placed 17th on the Billboard 200 with his first formal solo album, ‘Jack in the Box’, Billboard said on social media Tuesday, reports Yonhap, a news agency.

‘Arson’, one of the two main singles from the album, landed at 96th on the Hot 100 main singles chart.

‘Jack in the Box’, featuring 10 songs, is also the first-ever official solo album from BTS, which recently announced a new chapter of its career with a focus on individual projects.

The album topped iTunes’ top album charts in 49 countries around the world, including the US, Britain, France, and Japan, upon its release on July 15.

J-Hope left for the US on Monday to headline the main stage of the annual Lollapalooza music festival at Grant Park in Chicago on July 31, the first time for a K-pop idol singer.

Rakul to star in pan-India single ‘Mashooka’ presented by beau Jackky Bhagnani

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Bollywood actress Rakul Preet Singh will be seen in a pan-India single titled ‘Mashooka’ presented by her boyfriend-producer Jackky Bhagnani and the label Just Music.

Adding to this, Rakul says: “The shoot of Mashooka has been an exemplary experience for me. The producers had one of the brightest ideas for the shoot. Not only is the song a party anthem but the video is one of a kind. The video is bold, quirky, and sexy. It has all the elements that are required to make a great music video”.

‘Mashooka’ is sung by Asees Kaur, Aditya Iyengar, and Devansh Sharma. The track will be released in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil.

The music video for ‘Mashooka’ promises a very distinct pop world. The colors used to create the set are vibrant, giving the video a cutting edge. ‘Mashooka’ is the boldest and quirkiest song that transforms Rakul into a sassy pop-queen.

Talking about the music video, the makers say: “We are grateful that we joined hands with Rakul Preet Singh for our latest venture. Her energy is unmatched. Our goal is to create great music and with the help of talented singers like Asees Kaur, Aditya Iyengar, and Devansh Sharma, we were able to achieve that. Rakul is a talented actress and an extraordinary performer. She has done an impressive job in the music video.”

The music video is the result of several creative minds such as director Charit Desai, D.O.P, Adil Afsar, and art director Madhusudan N.

Sasikumar-starrer ‘Common Man’ renamed as ‘Naan Mirugamai Mara’

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The title of director Sathyasiva’s upcoming action entertainer, featuring actors Sasikumar and Haripriya in the lead, has now been changed to ‘Naan Mirugamai Mara’.

Earlier, the film had been titled ‘Common Man’.

In a statement, Chengdu Film International, the production house producing the film, officially announced that they had changed the title from ‘Common Man’ to ‘Naan Mirugamai Mara’ because of a few disputes that had erupted.

Expectations from the film, which features Vikranth as the villain, had increased ever since the unit chose to release a small video clip on Vikranth’s character, titled, ‘Glimpse of Satan’.

Describing his role, the team had then said, “Every story has a villain but we have a Satan and the Glimpse of Satan has been unveiled.”

The film, which is being bankrolled by T D Rajha of Chendur Films International, has Ghibran scoring its music.

The movie is being cinematographed by Raja Bhattacharjee and edited by Srikanth N B.

Vijay Deverakonda tells KJo he wouldn’t mind a threesome

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Telugu star Vijay Deverakonda and his Liger co-star Ananya Panday will be seen as the guests in the upcoming episode of ‘Koffee With Karan’, which promises a laugh riot and some eyebrow-raising moments.

In a teaser clip for the show, Karan is first seen teasing Vijay and asking him whether or not he likes ‘cheese’. For those who don’t know, in the third episode, actress Sara Ali Khan mentioned that she would like to date Vijay. The Telugu star was tagged as ‘cheese’ in banter.

Karan then asks Ananya about ‘what’s brewing’ between her and actor Aditya Roy Kapur.

The conversation then moves to Vijay, who is asked when was the last time he had sex, to which he replies ‘Abort’.

Vijay then makes a revelation that he has “done it in a car” and says: ‘desperate times’.

Karan then follows up with a question if Vijay has had a threesome?

Vijay replies: ‘No’ but adds “Wouldn’t mind” when Karan asks if he wants to be in a threesome.

Koffee With Karan Season 7 breaths of air on Disney+ Hotstar.

Second look of Vijay Antony-starrer ‘Ratham’ released

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The team of director C. S. Amudhan’s much-awaited action entertainer ‘Ratham’, featuring actor Vijay Antony in the lead, on Monday released the second look of the film.

The second look has a picture of actor Vijay Antony seated, holding a walking stick. Next to him, is a sentence written in Tamil. It reads, “Sambal malai may nindru album Nari kootathai Keeley sarikkaamal personal, tho room varum kaalathai.” (Standing on a mountain of ash, if we do not deal with dancing wolves, we will lose the future).

The second look was released just a day after the team released the first look poster of the film. The first look poster too featured Vijay Antony but with an English that read, “When the land was plunged into darkness, one man stood up to fight.”

Only recently, the unit had announced that it had completed shooting the Indian portions of the film. The crew is to soon start work on its foreign schedule. However, before the foreign schedule, which is to happen in Spain, the unit chose to commence the dubbing work of the film.

Tweeting the second look at the film, director Amudhan said, “The time has come.”

Produced by Kamal Bohra, Lalitha Dhananjayan, B. Pradeep, and Pankaj Bohra of Infiniti Film Ventures, ‘Ratham’ will feature actresses Mahima Nambiar, Nandita Swetha, and Remya Nambeesan as the female leads.

Apart from these actors, the film will also feature stand-up comedian Jagan, Nizhalgal Ravi, John Mahendran, Kalai Rani, Mahesh (Family Man), OAK Sundar, Meesha Goshal, and Ameya among others.

The music for the film is by Kannan and the cinematography is by Gopi Amarnath. Suresh takes care of editing and Dhilip Subbarayan is responsible for the film’s stunts.

‘Ratham’ is just the first of many projects that Vijay Antony and Infiniti Film Ventures are working together on. Apart from ‘Ratham’, Vijay Antony and the production house have also teamed up for films like ‘Kolai’ and ‘Mazhai Pidikatha Manithan’, which are in different stages of production. The team of director C. S. Amudhan’s much-awaited action entertainer ‘Ratham’, featuring actor Vijay Antony in the lead

Dulquer Salmaan’s ‘Sita Ramam’ Telugu trailer offers a glimpse of classic love story

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Set in the 60s and ’80s, Dulquer Salmaan-starrer ‘Sita Ramam’ has the makings of a classic love story. The movie’s Telugu trailer was released Monday and promises a beautiful story that will remain fresh for a long time.

The Telugu theatrical trailer of ‘Sita Ramam’ highlights the crucial events in the love story. An orphan soldier Lieutenant Ram’s life changes when he gets a letter from a girl named Sita. He meets her and love blossoms. When he comes back to his camp in Kashmir, he sends a letter to Sita which doesn’t reach her. Twenty years later, actors Rashmi Mandanna and Tharun Bhascker are given the task of giving the letter to Sita.

Director Hanu Raghavapudi is in his element with the beautiful love story. Both the journeys- the love story of Ram and Sita in the 60s and the search to find them in the 80s are authentic.

Dulquer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur are charmed with their screen presence, wherein the chemistry shared by the two is magical. Rashmika Mandanna’s heroic role and Sumanth’s negative-shaded role are other positive aspects.

P.S. Vinod’s cinematography deserves special mention, wherein Vishal Chandrashekhar’s re-recording work is phenomenal. Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao wins brownie points for narrating the story of two different timelines in an easily comprehensible manner. Visuals look like the paint of a great artist, thanks to the grand production design of Vyjayanthi Movies and Swapna Cinema.

Sita Ramam will have a simultaneous release in Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam languages on August 5th. Producers: Produced by Ashwini Dutt under the Swapna Cinema banner and presented by Vyjayanthi Movies, the movie has music by Vishal Chandrasekhar.

The cast includes Dulquer Salmaan, Mrunal Thakur, Rashmika Mandanna, Sumanth, Gautam Menon, Tharun Bhascker, and Prakash Raj.