Rana Daggubati fires back at troll over ‘Virata Parvam’ poster

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Rana Daggubati proved he is one of the coolest actors as he gracefully shut down a troll who made an offensive remark about his presence in the upcoming movie ‘Virata Parvam’.

Quoting an insensitive remark on the recently released poster of ‘Virata Parvam’, an online user wrote, “What, these people can’t even keep a standard in their own banner’s movies? Rana’s face is chopped off highlighting Sai Pallavi’s. Trying to sell a film by showing a heroine is perhaps Rana’s style”.

Because Rana’s family-run production house was also dragged into the situation, the Twitter user’s comment is not only irrelevant but also insensitive.

Rana handled the situation calmly and effectively, effectively shutting down the troll.

“It is considered a privilege when you choose to be humble and allow the film to gain deserved attention thanks to the heroine’s well-written role. Because it is my own banner, I am able to attempt such great things,” wrote Rana.

‘Virata Parvam’ hits theatres on June 17, while the theatrical trailer for the movie will be out on June 5. Sai Pallavi and Rana will appear in titular roles in Venu Udugula’s much-anticipated directorial.

 

Historical drama ‘Nayika Devi’ granted tax-free status in Gujarat

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Mumbai, June 4 The Gujarati historical drama film ‘Nayika Devi: The Warrior Queen’ has been declared tax-free in Gujarat.

The CMO Gujarat officially tweeted that since the film keeps up with the cultural heritage of the state and illustrates the heroism of Patan’s Rajmata Nayika Devi and her bravery in defeating Muhammad Ghori, it has been granted tax exemption by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

Speaking of which, the producer of the film, Umesh Sharma, said, “The film is made for people’s knowledge and to introduce them to who Nayika Devi was and what her contribution is towards the country. And therefore, this film merited being tax-free so that more and more people could watch it.”

“We are grateful to Gujarat’s government and CM Shri Bhupendra Rajnikant Patel for taking all our requests into consideration and making Nayika Devi: The Warrior Queen free of tax. We can’t thank you enough,” he added.

The film stars Khushi Shah as Queen Nayika Devi and Bollywood actor Chunky Panday as Muhammad Ghori. The film, helmed by Nitin G, features music by Parth Thakkar with Chirag Tripathi penning the lyrics.

The film has been produced by Umesh Sharma, under the banner of A Tree Entertainment.

‘Radhe Shyam’ releases in Hindi on OTT

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Mumbai, June 4 Prabhas’ fans can now watch ‘Radhe Shyam’ in Hindi on OTT with ZEE5 announcing the movie’s Hindi premiere on Saturday.

The romantic period drama which showcased the ‘Baahubali’ star ‘Radhe Shyam’, was helmed by Director Radha Krishna Kumar. One of the big-budget movies, the movie had a theatrical release in March this year.

Produced by UV Creations and T-Series, ‘Radhe Shyam’ stars Prabhas and Pooja Hegde in the lead roles and also has actors Bhagyashree and Krishnam Raju in prominent roles.

Prabhas essays the role of Vikramaditya, a palmist while Pooja Hegde plays Prerana, his love interest in the film.

‘Radhe Shyam’ is a story of two individuals who have different beliefs. Vikramaditya (Prabhas) believes in the stars and not in love while Prerana (Pooja) believes in destiny. After meeting Dr Prerana, will Vikramaditya finally fall in love?

With the digital release on ZEE5, the film will be accessible to audiences across more than 190 countries in Hindi.

 

Get ready for a ‘paw’-erful experience in ‘777 Charlie’: Rakshith Shetty

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Bengaluru, June 4 ‘777 Charlie’, which has generated a lot of curiosity all over the country, is all set for a big release on June 10 in Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam.

Rakshith Shetty, the Kannada star and producer who is playing the lead role in the movie, while talking to IANS stated that the audience will have a surreal experience in the movie.

“This is a different genre than ‘Bahubali’ and ‘KGF’ series movies. They were larger-than-life movies. Even ‘Pushpa’ is a commercial movie. ‘777 Charlie’ is closer to life. This is a movie which one can relate to in real life,” Rakshith says.

“I had doubts on how it is going to work out at the national level. However, I know there are dog lovers throughout the country. We shot for 167 days and spent 3 years on the film. It is a very difficult job to do a dog movie. Even our same team cannot do it again.”

Rakshith explains the risks involving experimenting with larger canvas in different genres of movies, he says he has this risk-taking attitude. If 100 percent effort is made by the team as well as the producer, the film is destined to be a successful venture, he says.

People who are liking the trailer are going to love the movie. The lead character ‘Dharma’ (played by Rakshith Shetty) has been inspired by the ‘Dharmayara’ character of the Mahabharata where Dharmaraya reaches heaven alone and a dog follows him. He ensures the dog goes to heaven. Likewise, in the movie, the dog takes Dharma to heaven, he says.

Rakshith says the Indian entertainment industry has got the market of the world at its disposal. It is not that every film has to be pan-India, if the script and content are rooted in soil, it can be projected to the whole world.

Talking about Charlie, the dog, he says, she (dog) has come into my life at the right time. The character of Dharma is introverted, which has similarities with my personal character.

“I am a quiet person, I don’t socialize. Through the journey of ‘777 Charlie’ self-exploration has begun within me. Charlie, the dog has come as a divine entity. Innocence is as good as God himself. The audience will feel that she is a divine entity,” he explains.

Sharing about the good response to songs of the movie, Rakshith Shetty explained that music director Nobin Paul had given three years for the movie. The background score is rich, which can be experienced in theatres.

Advising young talent, Rakshith says this is the time when no one will give a break. This is the time when one has to give a break to himself or herself. “There is talent. Get together as a team. With a minimum budget make an attempt and upload it on Youtube. I am there, hundreds of producers will come forward to back the project if they are impressed,” he says.

“Dream big, do not dream for small things,” he underlines.

Get ready for a 'paw'-erful experience in '777 Charlie': Rakshith Shetty Get ready for a 'paw'-erful experience in '777 Charlie': Rakshith Shetty Get ready for a 'paw'-erful experience in '777 Charlie': Rakshith Shetty

KASHISH MIQFF 2022 opens up with glitz & glamour!

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New Delhi, June 4 The remarkable Opening Night of the KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2022 opened at the picturesque premises of Mumbai`s Liberty Cinema. Out and proud contributors of the network shimmered on the Red Carpet in all finery!

The hosts for the night had been actor Paras Tomar & TV speak display host Renil Abraham who struck a chord with the audience! The esteemed ladies’ duo of the Advisory Board such as Dolly Thakore & Arunaraje Patil had been our ‘chaar chaands’ of the night.

“It is such a joy to be back in the theater with KASHISH 2022, and share this evening with a full house of almost 1000 people! And we are truly happy to be kickstarting the June Pride Month on June 1st and the festival will continue in its hybrid edition till June 12th. We are celebrating cinema in all its diversity, with a number of films from countries where LGBTQ+ communities are still marginalized. And we are super delighted to bring 30 Indian LGBTQ+ films in the next four days,” said Sridhar Rangayan, festival director.

The stage, full of entertainment and top-notch performances, featured dancer choreographer Sandip Soparrkar and actress Babna Pani, and comedian Navin Nologna!

The opening night of the 13th edition of KASHISH was attended by senior officials who continue to be partners of the festival every year. Morgan Stanley’s Sandeep Kapoor said this year, “We are working to create a comprehensive culture where employees can feel fully committed to their work,” he said.

The winners of KASHISH Rainbow Voices were transgender actress Negha Sabapathy, The Fame Game’s Rajshri Deshpande, director and producer duo Faraz Ansari & Marijke de Souza, and the gorgeous protagonist Divya Dutta & Swara, who starred in KASHISH’s opening movie Antharam. Sheer Qorma’s Bhasker premiered at KASHISH this Saturday!

Expressing immense happiness, Divya Dutta said, “This festival which truly embraces and celebrates the LGBTQ+ diversity, has been a very special event in Mumbai, bringing together the LGBTQ+ community and their allies every year to celebrate the best queer cinema. This year in its physical avatar once again, it will be a great joy to celebrate our film Sheer Qorma with the audiences.”

The highlight was the heartfelt thanks from community members and volunteers.

Prabhas pens an emotional note on ‘Salaar’ director Prashanth Neel’s birthday

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Hyderabad, June 4 Prabhas, who became a national hero after his performance in ‘Baahubali’, will be seen next in ‘Salaar’. The ‘Varsham’ actor has written a sweet note on the occasion of his director Prashanth Neel’s birthday.

Prabhas posted a picture of himself with Prashanth Neel on Instagram.

Taking to his caption, the star composed: “Here’s wishing a very Happy Birthday to you @prashanthneel! To happiness and success, always. See you soon! #Salaar.”

In the pic, Prabhas and Prashanth Neel can be seen having a happy moment.

Prashanth Neel and Prabhas are currently filming ‘Salaar’, one of the most anticipated pan-Indian films of the year. Prashanth Neel’s ‘KGF’ franchise has made him a household name across the country, and his collaboration with a well-known actor like Prabhas has piqued widespread interest.

While Prabhas will next be seen in the mythological magnum opus, ‘Adipurush’, one of the most expensive films to be made in India, he will also appear in Nag Ashwin’s sci-fi ‘Project K’.

The high-octane action-thriller ‘Salaar’, Sandeep Vanga’s ‘Spirit’, and a comedy entertainer with Maruthi are the upcoming movies Prabhas will be a part of.

Prashanth Neel, on the other hand, will direct Jr NTR for another action movie, after his completion of ‘Salaar’.

Seventeen’s ‘Face the Sun’ album sets record, sells 2 mn copies in a week

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Seoul, June 4 K-pop boy group Seventeen’s fourth full-length album has sold more than 2 million copies in the first week of its release, a record for all albums released this year, the group’s agency said on Friday.

‘Face the Sun’ has sold 2,067,769 units since it hit music stores a week ago, Pledis Entertainment said, citing data from Hanteo Chart, a local album sales tracker. It was the most first-week sales of all albums released this year to date, reports Yonhap News Agency, quoting Pledis.

The album had widely been expected to become a big hit, as it sold 1.75 million copies on the day of its release, well over the group’s personal first-week sales record set with its ninth EP, ‘Attacca’.

‘Face the Sun’ has become the band’s sixth album to have sold more than 1 million copies with its third full-length album, ‘An Ode’, being the first one upon its release in September 2019.

“BTS and Seventeen are the only artists in K-pop history to have scored more than 1 million copies on the first day of releasing an album and more than 2 million copies in a week,” Pledis said in a release.

‘Face the Sun’, which portrays the band’s hope to become an existing presence as essential as the sun in the world, consists of nine group songs without solo or unit numbers.

Debuting in May 2015, Seventeen has become one of the top K-pop groups with hit songs such as ‘Very Nice’, ‘Pretty U’, ‘Oh My!’ and ‘To You’. The 13-piece group is set to hold its third world tour starting on June 25-26 in Seoul.

‘9 Hours’: Taraka Ratna headlines bank heist thriller set in the ’80s

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Hyderabad, June 4 The series titled ‘9 Hours’, which is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, is based on a fictional story written by Malladi Venkata Krishna Murthy in the 1980s.

The series’ story is also set in the ’80s.

The story begins with the introduction of a jail breakout. Three inmates of Hyderabad’s Central Jail not only break out from the jail but also try to rob a large sum of money from a bank branch.

When targeted by the police, with no other option, the robbers try to take advantage of the situation by threatening to kill the bank’s hostages if the police engage in action. The cops (led by Taraka Ratna’s character) are on edge as a result of this.

Taraka Ratna’s character, an irritable cop, enters the scene and attempts to control the situation. The basic plot of the show revolves around how he will save everyone.

Coming to roles and performances in ‘9 Hours’, everyone appears to be very involved. The series has no particular hero, heroine, or antagonist.

Thanks to showrunner Krish Jagarlamudi, the casting proves to be capable. The series spans a wide range of performances, from expected (Taraka Ratna, Vinod Kumar, and Banerjee as cops) to unexpected (Ajay and Madhu Shalini have compelling character arcs), from supporting (Preethi Asrani, Ankith Koyya, Sameer, and Raj Madiraju) to cliched (Ravi Varma, Jwala Koti).

The setting, production design, star cast, and visuals are all very realistic and add to the show’s overall appeal.

Overall, ‘9 Hours’ is a suspenseful hostage drama with a few tense moments. The viewing experience for viewers improves as well-known actors play key roles. This web series ends as a passable watch this weekend if you ignore the lengthy runtime.

 

June 5 pre-release event to herald Sai, Rana-starrer ‘Virata Parvam’ rollout

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Hyderabad, June 4 ‘Virata Parvam’, starring Sai Pallavi and Rana Daggubati, is set to hit theatres. The filmmakers are now working hard to promote the film ahead of its release.

The most recent information received from the film team is that a pre-release event will be held in Kurnool on June 5, with some notable guests.

Sai Pallavi and Rana Daggubati play a fascinating love couple caught in the midst of a revolution.

‘Virata Parvam’, directed by Venu Udugula, will be released on the 17 of this month. The release of a few promotional posters and a couple of songs from the film has piqued Telugu fans’ interest.

Priyamani, Nandita Das, Nivetha Pethuraj, Priyamani, Eshwari Rao, Ravi Anand, Naveen Chandra, Zareena Wahab, and others have played pivotal roles in this film.

Produced by Suresh Babu and Sudhakar Cherukuri under Suresh Productions and Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Cinemas banners, the movie has Suresh Bobbili’s music.

India reports 3,962 fresh Covid cases, 26 deaths

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New Delhi, June 4 India on Saturday reported a marginal decline of 3,962 fresh Covid cases in the last 24 hours, against the 4,041 infections registered the previous day, the Union Health Ministry said.

In the same period, the country reported 26 new Covid fatalities, taking the nationwide death toll to 5,24,677.

The active caseload of the country also increased to 22,416 cases, accounting for 0.05 percent of the country’s total positive cases.

The recovery of 2,697 patients in the last 24 hours took the cumulative tally to 4,26,25,454. Consequently, India’s recovery rate stands at 98.73 percent.

While the daily positivity rate slightly dropped to 0.89 percent, the weekly positivity rate stood at 0.77 percent.

Also in the same period, a total of 4,45,814 tests were conducted across the country, increasing the overall tally to over 85.22 crores.

As of Saturday morning, India’s Covid-19 vaccination coverage exceeded 193.96 crores, achieved via 2,47,05,065 sessions.

Over 3.43 crore adolescents have been administered a first dose of Covid-19 jab since the beginning of the vaccination drive for this age bracket.