Parineeti Chopra to sing her first song for a film(IANSLIFE)
I never really follow trends as I really don’t understand fashion as much. I am always a sneaker and comfort dressing girl and I think I will continue being that…says Parineeti
The recently concluded LFW X FCI event in Mumbai saw a lot go Bollywood glamour both on and off the runway. While many say it is a return to pre pandemic days, others say that fashion has gone back to a time in the business when stars overpowered fashion and collections were sidelined.
Be that as it may, from amongst the bevy of beauties at the event, we got a rare sighting of actress Parineeti Chopra who walked the runway for designer Ritika Mirchandani. Chopra was a picture of elegance when she stopped the show, in a shimmering, white, long, fitted, skirt with a high slit, matching bralette teamed with a structured-shoulders long-sleeved, heavily, embellished, floor-length jacket.
The “Fair La Fete” collection, was a homage to joyful fashion at Lakme Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI. Parineeti speaks about her upcoming project:
Talent or hard work, what do you think is stronger our more important?
Chopra: Neither of them can exist without the other, you could be very talented but if you don’t put in the work it’s going to take you nowhere and without talent sometimes you can work very hard and take yourself a long way, so I think they both are intervened and I always believe they go together.
Any upcoming project that’s very close to your heart?
Chopra: I recently finished shooting a film called Chamkila with Diljeet, directed by Imtiaz and I am very excited about it, because it’s the first time that I will be singing in a film. It’s a very important biopic about the greatest Punjabi singer of all time and it’s really close to my heart.
What’s your take on fashion?
Chopra: I never really follow trends as I really don’t understand fashion as much. I am always a sneaker and comfort dressing girl and I think I will continue being that.
What is your go to style and what makes you happy when it comes to fashion?
Chopra: A white t-shirt, blue shorts and white sneakers is something what I would like to wear at my own wedding. So, you can imagine how much I love it.
The song ‘Naatu Naatu’ probably reminded dance lovers of the Fred Astaire days. This one was kind of a tap dance at a fast pace with much more energy in keeping with the times!…writes Vinod Mirani
This is the time to juxtapose the various regional film industries with those in South India. Especially at a time when South Indian films not only feed Hindi films through remakes or dubbed films, but when even globally acclaimed Hollywood filmmakers are acknowledging their importance.
‘RRR’ has struck a chord with foreign audiences and its song, ‘Naatu Naatu’, with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, which awards the Oscars. Wish there was a category for choreography as well at the Oscars, for, I think, that has created the magic that ‘Naatu Naatu’ has become known for.
We had Richard Attenborough’s ‘Gandhi’ and, later, Danny Boyle’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, both of which made it big at the Oscars. We were thrilled about it. But they were not the products of any of the Indian film industries. They merely had India-related stories.
Quite a few other filmmakers tried for nominations at the Oscars
The earlier one was Mehboob Khan’s ‘Mother India’. They probably did not identify with a woman refusing to compromise even while her kids were starving. It was the post-World War II era and there were stories about women known to compromise for as little as a pack of cigarettes!
The film ‘RRR’ and its music, especially ‘Naatu Naatu’ and the way it is choreographed, caught the fancy of people all over the world. The song became a new anthem for dance lovers. Hollywood dance-based musicals with the likes of Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Gene Kelly and later films such as ‘Sound Of Music’, ‘Fiddler On The Roof’, ‘Cabaret’, ‘Grease’, ‘Saturday Night Fever’ and ‘Chicago’ are rare now.
The song ‘Naatu Naatu’ probably reminded dance lovers of the Fred Astaire days. This one was kind of a tap dance at a fast pace with much more energy in keeping with the times!
So, if the regional films from the South — in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam — have sustained over the decades and, at many times, their themes are also loved by the audience when remade or dubbed in Hindi, why have the other regional language films not been able to penetrate the audience in other regions, let alone foreign shores?
Take for example, Punjabi films. Earlier, the few Punjabi films that were produced from time to time were made by mostly regular Hindi filmmakers. From the biggest hit of the 1970s, ‘Nanak Naam Jahaj Hai’, to the recent hit, ‘Char Sahibzaade’ (animated) were produced, for instance, by Pannalal Maheshwari (he made Hindi films such as ‘Neel Kamal’ and ‘Kaajal’) and Harry Baweja (‘Dilwale’, ‘Diljalle’, etc), respectively.
Now the scene is totally different. Many producers have made Hindi films with a heavy bent towards the usage of Punjabi dialogue and Punjabi music, but they don’t make films especially for the Punjabi-speaking audience.
Punjabi films are mostly backed by NRI moneybags from Canada and the UK. The dollar-to-rupee exchange rate is the major lure here. Rest of the fringe benefits are the same all over: pictures in local media, friendship with stars and the urge to make a name. There is no dearth of financiers, but there is little Punjab in these films except the language. Presently, there are as many as 40 films ready for release, but there are no buyers.
The Gujarati film industry always belonged, save for a rare few, to the non-Gujarati filmmakers from Mumbai. Even the sole film processing laboratory set up in Gujarat belonged to a Mumbai lab owner who had transferred all his old machinery to set up a lab in Gujarat; laws were devised so that it was mandatory to work with a Gujarat lab!
They picked mostly Kathiawadi folklore from the Saurashtra region for both the stories and the songs of these films. What these films drew was only the lowest strata of the audience. No middle class family ever entered the cinemas screening these films. To top it all, the films enjoyed entertainment tax exemption as a rule and was not merit based.The industry survived for some years.
With the new generation and technical advances, the Gujarati films are in the process of reviving. Films such as ‘Chhello Show’ (The Last Show, India’s official entry for the 95th Academy Awards) and ‘Hellaro’ (The Outburst) won National Awards and with the success of some early releases, it looked like the Gujarati film industry was on the revival path.
India’s Entry to Oscars ‘Last Film Show’ to compete at 2022 Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia!.
Some new investors were roped in. So far so good, but the roping in of a backer has now turned into a racket. The nouveau riche and glamour struck are shown rosy pictures all the way till a film’s release.
Once a film is complete, a five-screen premiere is organised in Mumbai, instead of Ahmedabad, followed by a party. Some Rs 25 lakh goes into these premature celebrations. When the film releases, it fails to cover these costs spent on making the investor feel good.
Now the Gujarati industry is delivering flops on a regular basis.
Coming to Marathi films, they did well in the era of Ashok Saraf, Laxmikant Berde, Mahesh Kothare, Sachin, Nilu Phule and Dada Kondke, who did mostly romantic comedies. Before that, the films were based on feudal themes. As of now, there is no set trend.
A formula love story, ‘Sairat’, went on to become the biggest hit in 2016 (a rare Marahi film to cross Rs 100 crore) and it took six more years for another film, Riteish Deshmukh’s ‘Ved’, to come somewhere close with around Rs 75 crore. The major problem with Marathi films is that the producer has to also distribute the film as there are no regular distributors.
The Bhojpuri film industry has somewhat similar stories as Gujarati and Punjabi films. The backers of these films are mostly prospect hunters.
There came a phase when the Hindi films that Mumbai produced were beyond the comprehension of the audience in other states, especially in Eastern UP, Bihar and Chhattisgarh, which had their own vibant culture.
There was a time when the Hindi filmmakers tried to imitate the Western culture and even took to shooting their films abroad. This phase sort of revived some regional industries, notably Punjabi and Bhojpuri.
Then there are Bengali films. They have their own audience and rarely, if ever, go beyond the state. Yes, there was a time when a lot many Bengali producers and actors were active in Mumbai and often remade Bengali films in Hindi when not making a Hindi-Bengali bilingual. Not to forget, Bengali makers were also the favourites of the givers of National Awards!
The major drawbacks with these regional films is that they have no or limited market outside of their own state. Also, while the budgets for making a film has grown into crores, there is little support from the overseas, satellite and OTT markets.
55 years, 3 nods: Why India’s official entries rarely get an Oscar nomination
The other factor that works against them is that people in these states understand and follow Hindi films as much as their own regional films. As such, they end up competing with Hindi films.
In the South, the exploitation of movie goers is controlled as there is a restriction on admission rates charged. In other regions, they pay as much as they would for Hindi mainstream films.
The main reason is that when one regional film works, the scene gets crowded and production activities mushroom suddenly leading to oversupply much beyond demand.
Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway: Rani Mukerji shines as the protagonist in this power-packed film, writes columnist Riccha Grrover for Asian Lite International
Powerful. Superbly Enacted. Gripping. Riveting. Heartwarming. Heartbreaking. Evocative. Some of the many thoughts and emotions that the film can and may take the audiences through, this film which is based on a true incident, is one of a kind indeed, for all those reasons and more.
The film is a story of an immigrant Indian mother who fights the Norwegian foster care system and legal machinery tooth and nail to win back custody of her children. It stars Rani Mukerji, Anirban Bhattacharya, Neena Guptaand Jim Sarbh. The music of the film is composed by Amit Trivedi. Lyrics are written by Kausar Munir.
Rani Mukerji is back on the big screen in a never-seen-before character. The much-awaited film which is directed by Ashima Chibber’s Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway is all set to release on 17th March 2023.
The OG Queen of Bollywood has time and again impressed audiences with her performances.
Playing the role of a determined woman, Rani is seen challenging an entire Norwegian government to reunite with her children in this powerpacked film.
Talking about the film, Rani Mukerji says, “Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway is very special. I can’t wait to see the reactions of my fans”
Producer Nikkhil Advani (Emmay Entertainment) shares, “It is a matter of pride and responsibility with which we have made our film and are delighted to bring the inimitable Rani Mukerji to our audiences.”
Shariq Patel, CBO, Zee Studios adds, “Zee Studios is committed towards backing content-driven and provocative stories and ‘Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway’ is just the right film. Partnering with Rani and Emmay (Emmay Entertainment) on such an important film, that’s based on a true incident and conveys the hardship of a mother who went against an entire country for her children, was creatively enriching.”
Produced by Zee Studios and Emmay Entertainment (Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani & Nikkhil Advani), Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway is slated to release in theatres on 17th March 2023.
The festival programmers include Shelagh Rowan-Legg and Heidi Honeycutt, who runs her own women’s genre fest in the US — Etheria…writes Sukant Deepak
As the third Wench Film Festival, India’s first horror film festival founded by celebrity hairstylist-turned-filmmaker, Sapna Bhavnani, is set to take place physically for the first time in Mumbai from March 17-20, it will also showcase films inclusive of BIWOC, LGBTQ+ women, and non-binary filmmakers.
When Bhavnani first wrote a horror story ‘Bearlike Man’ that was selected at BIFAN (Korea), the largest genre festival in Asia, she found herself to be the first Indian woman director to be on the platform ever.
“We were practically non-existent in that space. Over the three decades I looked at, 9.9 per cent of directors were women. Horror comes with just 5.9 per cent of directors being women and Sci-fi – 2.8 per cent. I find this statistic offensive. Wench 2022 showcased 47 horror /sci-fi/fantasy films — 43 of them directed by women,” she tells.
Believing that India has not really explored horror in its truest potential or form, the filmmaker feels there is no better medium to highlight social change than this genre.
“And there are so many different ways to make them instead of the cliche knee-jerk horror that we all know of,” she asserts.
Talk to her about the fact that most horror movies from India tend to make the audience laugh, and she says it is high time that we move beyond.
“‘Tumbbad’ changed the game, but no one followed after that. We have a lot to grow and hope that in the next few years, we can be on the whole platform since our background lends to this format so naturally. India is a country of many religions and each has its own superstitions and rituals. When I hear Indians saying they do not like horror, I laugh as we are the land of spirituality which starts with spirit.”
The festival programmers include Shelagh Rowan-Legg and Heidi Honeycutt, who runs her own women’s genre fest in the US — Etheria.
Wench will open with the award-winning Mexican film ‘Huesera: The Bone Woman’, directed by Michelle Garza Cerver, and close with ‘The Nightmare’, directed by Alice Wadding.
It will screen 23 Indian and international films in competition, including Aarti Kadav’s sci-fi feature, ‘The Astronaut and His Parrot’, starring Ali Fazal, and Megha Ramaswami’s Short ‘Lalanna’s Song’ starring Parvathy Thiruvothu and Rima Kallingal.
Apart from a special screening of the award-winning cult horror film, ‘Tumbbad’, there will be panel discussions with Vishal Furia (‘Chhori’, ‘Lapachhapi’), Vikram Bhatt (‘Ghost’, ‘1920’, ‘Creature’), Anvita Dutt (‘Qala’, ‘Bulbbul’), Gauri Shinde, Kaizad Gustad.
While the festival did have films like ‘My Dog is Sick’ (directed by Bhavnani) and ‘Bodies Of Desire’ (Varsha Panikar) last year, since it was mainly online, they did not publicise the BIWOC, LGBTQ+Woman, and Non-Binary angle.
However, this time, besides having a diverse team — Gaysi Family has been roped in as their community outreach partner.
“This is super for any festival that is attempting to be inclusive — to have community outreach partners who share your commitment to diversity. A diverse selection committee is also crucial in curating films and stories,” concludes Bhavnani
‘Tiki Taka’ will be one of Asif Ali’s biggest endeavour to date….reports Asian Lite News
The upcoming film Tiki Taka, featuring Malayalam actor Asif Ali, has movie fans on the edge of their seats with great excitement.
The film’s first look motion poster is now trending on social media and has already enthralled the movie buffs across the country.
The project has already grabbed attention from every corner as the distribution of rights of movie are going to be bagged by a Bollywood giant for a whopping amount.
Something huge is brewing! ⚡#TikiTaka directed by Rohith VS starring Asif Ali is getting bigger as its distribution rights are going to be bagged by a famous distribution company from Bollywood for a whopping amount. #JuvisProductions#RohithVS#AsifAlipic.twitter.com/v1BiXMMDQV
The movie, which will likely be released this year, is directed by Rohit VS, who is best known for his previous movie, “Kala,” which starred Tovino Thomas. Billed as an action drama, was produced by Siju Mathew and Navis Xavier.
According to sources, the movie will be one of Asif Ali’s biggest endeavour to date.
The movie also brings Asif Ali and Rohit back together after Adventures of Omanakuttan and Iblis. Harisree Asokan, Lukman Avaran, Wamiqa Gabbi, Nasleen, Sanjana Nataraj and Santhosh Pratap are also acting in the film.
Along with them, many prominent actors from Malayalam and Tamil are lining up in the film.
Apart from Asif Ali, a big star from Mollywood is also ropped in for the film. Also stars Wamiqa Gabbi, Nazlin, Hairsree Ashokan, Lukman, Sanjana Natrajan.
Little did she realise then that Bomman and Raghu’s story she had stumbled upon on the road to Ooty, would slowly yet steadily take over her life. Also intertwined in this heart-warming story was that of Ballie, Bomman’s helpmate whom he went on to marry…reports Asian Lite News
It was on a visit back home in Ooty five years ago that Kartiki Gonsalves first met Bomman and his baby elephant, Raghu, who had been orphaned after his herd abandoned him following his mother’s death by electrocution.
Bomman and Raghu were on their way to the Thepepakadu Elephant Camp, deep inside the Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu, home to hapless jumbos like the one happily waddling behind his caregiver. An indigenous man, Bomman, had taken charge of the upkeep of Raghu, who was living off stealing food from nearby villages, being chased away by dogs, one of whom even bit off a part of his tail.
Kartiki, a wildlife photographer, was travelling to meet her parents — Timothy Gonsalves, founder-director of IIT-Mandi, computer scientist and incubator of startups, and Priscilla Tapley, an American-born specialist in East European and Russian History, who’s now a social entrepreneur based in the Nilgiris.
Little did she realise then that Bomman and Raghu’s story she had stumbled upon on the road to Ooty, would slowly yet steadily take over her life. Also intertwined in this heart-warming story was that of Ballie, Bomman’s helpmate whom he went on to marry.
Working on her phone camera, a GoPro, and also a DSLR, Kartiki made a 10-minute reel that she shared with Netflix. Once she got Netflix interested, her only request was that she got to work with a producer named Guneet Monga, a successful young producer who had been associated with Anurag Kashyap and all his celebrated films, notably ‘Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 1’, ‘Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2’, ‘Peddlers’, ‘The Lunchbox’, ‘Masaan’, ‘Zubaan’ and ‘Pagglait’.
Back in 2019, Monga had won an Oscar for showrunning Iranian American filmmaker Rayka Zehtabch’s ‘Period: End of Sentence’. It followed, in the same way as Kartiki wished to document the lives of Bomman, Ballie and Raghu, a group of local women at Kathikera village in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, as they learnt how to operate a machine that made low-cost, biodegradable sanitary pads, which they started selling to other women at affordable prices.
It was not only empowering for the women who produced the sanitary pads, but also helped them, and in turn, the women they helped, shed taboos regarding menstruation. In the same narrative style, Kartiki wished to convey how climate change exacerbated human-animal conflicts and impacted the everyday lives of simple people such as Bomman and Ballie.
Born and raised in Delhi (she studied at Bluebells School and then pursued a Mass Communications degree at the Madhubala Institute of Mass Communications and Electronic Media affiliated with the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University), Monga was drawn to the idea because “who can resist a film on baby elephants”.
The Elephant Whisperers
That didn’t mean that she at once signed up for the project. Being a follower of Delhi’s Chhattarpur Guruji, she believed that two people have to vibe personally in order to be able to work together professionally. She invited Kartiki over to her home in Mumbai to spend time together with her.
It turned out to be a month and a half, but Monga was now convinced that here was a project that was waiting to be shown to the world. To immerse herself into the world of Bomman and Ballie, Guneet went to Mudumalai and attended the marriage of Bomman and Ballie, which is documented in the film.
The film shoot turned out to be more than an immersive project. It consumed their lives for three years and half, as Kartiki followed Bomman and Ballie, and let them narrate what Monga calls their “pure and surreal” stories themselves in their unscripted words, with nature providing the sounds, seasonal colours and vibrant textures. She ended up shooting 400 hours of film for what was to be a 41-minute film.
After putting the film to bed, the two have moved on with new projects. In her own words, Kartiki is involved in three long-term projects: one on wild cats that inhabit the mountainous higher altitudes of the Western Ghats; another on a remote village in central India, photographing and documenting the lives, stories and art of local traditional artists of the Adivasi and Bhil communities; and the third, a photo feature documenting life in the forbidding high deserts of the Indo-Chinese border in the Greater Himalayas.
Monga, meanwhile, got married to entrepreneur Sunny Kapoor in Mumbai and is busy with her next production, also for Netflix, ‘Kathal’ (Jackfruit), a comedy starring ‘Dangal’ actress Sanya Malhotra as a police officer.
The Elephant Whisperers
Then came the big news that ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ was in the race for an Oscar in the Documentary Short Film category — the first for an Indian production made in India — and finally the big moment came when Guneet and Kartiki were called on the stage to take back home those coveted statuettes.
Reflecting on ‘The Elephant Whisperers’, Monga had taken to Instagram, after the film earned its nomination, to note: “The Elephant Whisperers is an ode to devotion and love … an ode to unconditional selfless love for the beautiful baby ellie Raghu who felt all the emotions like us humans but only two could hear his whispers — Bomman and Bellie.”
Monga had then said that the nomination “strengthens my faith in stories with heart and people who tirelessly submit themselves to a larger vision. It is truly for them! It is the innocence and honesty that transcended these boundaries and made ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ travel from a small quaint town of Ooty to the biggest stage of Cinema!”
The Elephant Whisperer
In her Oscar acceptance speech, Monga said: “My heart is full of joy, love and excitement, most of it imbibed from everyone in India cheering for our win.”
And she concluded by declaring: “To women who want to tell stories, the future of cinema is audacious, the future is here. This is for my beautiful, diverse country, India.”
I think comfort meets style is something that is always going to be in the game…Kiara speaks with Tanya Banon
Actress Rakul Preet Singh is one of the most successful stars in Telugu cinema who has also managed to bag quite a few Bollywood movies over the years, and her popularity in Hindi cinema is ever growing. The star was recently spotted in Mumbai at the ongoing LFW X FDCI event where she walked the runway for designer Shruti Sancheti, dressed in a cool Khadi co-ord set. On the side-lines of the event, We spoke to the actress to get her views on fashion:
Fashion is finally moving away from athleisure and is back to glamour, what’s your take on this?
No, I think nothing is finally moving away from anything, and I think athleisure is for certain occasions, fashion or different outfits are for different occasions. I think comfort meets style is something that is always going to be in the game.
On Paris, Milan and London runways, we saw a return to the classics, glamour and clean silhouettes, is that something you would consider as your go-to style?
Absolutely, I think for me clean silhouettes, single tone of colours, more minimalistic is something I always feel is the classiest, and it’s great to see that back on runways.
How did you feel walking the runway for Khaadi India and what do you most like about their latest style?
I think what I love about the whole Khaadi concept is that we are breaking the mould of what we believe Khaadi is; a lot of people believe it is a serious sort of a material for a saree, kurta, but through this Fashion week collection, I think the change is Khaadi created for different sort of occasions –like what I am wearing can be worn for anything modern, contemporary, or as separates. I think if the younger generation is more aware of how we can style Khaadi differently and make it more relevant in today’s fashion sense and that’s the most amazing thing about this collection.
Any upcoming projects that you are excited about?
Ofcourse, all upcoming projects of mine I would be excited about, there are 2 films in Hindi that will release this year and 1 film which is PAN-India film.
The audience loved Rahul and Kaala’s performance as they all stood up from their seats and applauded them…reports Asian Lite News
History has been scripted! Dreams of so many Indians have finally come true as team ‘RRR’ brought glory to the country. RRR’s power-packed song ‘Naatu Naatu’ took India global as it won the Oscar for ‘Original Song’. ‘Naatu Naatu’ has won the award tumping big names like Rihanna and Lady Gaga. Composer MM Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose accepted the award on behalf of the team. Singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava and composer along with director SS Rajamouli and lead actors Jr NTR and Ram Charan are all present at the big event.
‘Naatu Naatu’ is the first Telugu song to be nominated in the ‘Original Song’ category at the Oscars. Earlier, the singers gave a live performance. It was a goosebump moment for all when Naatu Naatu took over the Oscars stage with American dancers doing full justice to the track.
American actor-dancer Lauren Gottlieb also grooved on the track. Actress Deepika Padukone introduced the song to the audience and called it a ‘banger’. The audience loved Rahul and Kaala’s performance as they all stood up from their seats and applauded them. Talking about ‘Naatu Naatu’, the song, as mentioned, the lyrical composition by MM Keeravani, high energy rendition by singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava, unique choreography by Prem Rakshith, and lyrics by Chandrabose are all the elements that make this ‘RRR’ mass anthem a perfect dance craze.
The song competed against ‘Applause’ from the film ‘Tell It Like A Woman,’ ‘Hold My Hand’ from the movie ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ ‘Lift me Up’ from ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,’ and ‘This Is Life,’ from ‘Everything, Everywhere All At Once’.
The film is a fictional story based on the lives of two Telugu freedom fighters, Alluri Seetharama Raju and Komaram Bheem. Ram Charan and Jr NTR played lead roles, respectively. The film collected over Rs 1,200 crore worldwide. Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn and Shriya Saran also starred in the film.
Earlier the Indian documentary film ‘Elephant Whisperers’ won the Oscar in the ‘Best Documentary Short Film’ category. Producer Guneet Monga along with director Kartiki Gonsalves took centre stage to accept the honour. (ANI)
Homage to India
It’s Oscar time and the RRR team reached the Dolby Theatre in full style on Monday. Director SS Rajamouli, actors Jr NTR and Ram Charan, and singer MM Keeravani graced the Oscars 2023 red carpet before attending the awards ceremony, where their track ‘Naatu Naatu’ is nominated in the ‘Original Song’ category. Ram Charan and Jr NTR twinned in black bandhgala ethnic velvet outfits. Rajamouli opted for a kurta that he paired with dhoti. The trio, undoubtedly, paid homage to Indian culture. Take a look at the trio’s Oscar 2023 red carpet look Jr NTR’S black velvet custom-made bandhgala with gold metallic embroidery by Indian fashion designer Gaurav Gupta.
Ram Charan, Rajamouli, NTR Jr are ‘Oscar ready.
The delicate gold embroidery on the black velvet traditional bandhgala drew parallels to the national animal of India – The Tiger. It also is an ode to the iconic interval scene from RRR. And so befitting is this symbolic attire for The Young Tiger, a moniker popularly used for NTR Jr.
The outfit was custom made for the global Icon keeping his sentiments in mind. The bandhgala was paired with Brue & Bareskin leather shoes and a Vacheron Constantin watch. Ram Charan was present on the red carpet with his wife Upasana Kamineni. He said he was having a fanboy moment on the carpet, and that he was nervous ahead of the awards. “She (Upasana) is six months pregnant as well; I think the baby is already bringing us so much luck… from the Golden Globes to standing here!”
The Oscar-nominated song ‘Naatu Naatu’ from S.S. Rajamouli’s RRR will also be performed at the 95th Academy Awards by singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava in their Oscar debut. Before entering the Oscars, the song bagged awards on the global stage. In January, ‘Naatu Naatu’ won the Golden Globes in the ‘Best Original Song’ category. Five days later, ‘RRR’ bagged two more awards at the 28th edition of the Critics Choice Awards. One is for the best song and another is for ‘best foreign language film.’ Since then, ‘RRR’ and ‘Naatu Naatu’ are riding high on the global chart. (ANI)
‘Naatu Naatu’ rocks Oscars night
Global musical sensation, ‘Naatu Naatu’ from the S.S. Rajamouli-directorial ‘RRR’ burnt the stage at the 95th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre.
The song took the form of a performance after actress Deepika Padukone made an introduction to the song for those in attendance at the venue.
The actress said, “An irresistibly catchy chorus, electrifying beats and killer dance moves to match with, have made this next song a global sensation. It plays during a pivotal scene in ‘RRR’, a movie about real-life friendship between Indian revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaran Bheem. In addition to being sung in Telugu and illustrating the film’s anti-colonial themes, it’s also a total banger.”
She further mentioned, “It has earned millions of views on YouTube and TikTok, has audiences dancing in movie theatres all around the world and is also the first song ever from an Indian production to be nominated for an Oscar. Do you know ‘Naatu’ because if you don’t you’re about to.”
The song was crooned on stage by Kaala Bhairava as the international dancer grooved to the electrifying beats and the livewire lyrics of the song.
After clinching the honour for the Best Original Song at the Golden Globe Award and at the Critics’ Choice Awards, the song is in the race for Best Song at the 95th Academy Awards as well. The song has been composed by M.M. Keeravani, who is the cousin of Rajamouli.
‘RRR’, which stars NTR Jr., Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt and Shriya Saran is a historical fiction and tells the fictional story of two real-life Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem and their fight against the British Raj.
The 95th Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, are happening at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and are available to stream on Disney+ Hotstar.
In 154 films he has done and 42 years he has been working, he has been to the Oscars in the 80s and that too for an appearance, and that also he felt was a huge achievement…reports Asian Lite News
With the Oscar Awards night inching closer, the expectations around ‘RRR’ are on the rise. Actor Ram Charan who is in the US summed up his thoughts on the ‘RRR’ journey to Sam Fragoso of the ‘Talk Easy’ show in Los Angeles.
“RRR is a platform where this journey is going to come. It’s a way of achieving what all the hardworking directors and people in the movie industry in India wanted to see for the last 85 years. The final goal is to be recognised on a world platform.
"I want Naatu Naatu to win": Academy Award winner AR Rahman
On the historic Oscar nomination for the ‘Naatu Naatu’ song from ‘RRR’, Ram Charan said, “It is emotional for all of us. It is emotional for my dad who is waiting there. Before taking my flight, he was so sentimental that I was coming here. In 154 films he has done and 42 years he has been working, he has been to the Oscars in the 80s and that too for an appearance, and that also he felt was a huge achievement.
“But today we have been nominated and in the list, and now waiting. He told me the value for it as younger actors, we don’t know the value of this so early in our career but he knows the value and I truly believe, that we are praying for this for everyone in India too, not just actors but it’s like India winning an Olympic gold medal, I do not run but I know the feeling when my Indian sportsperson holds that medal, The Oscars is like an Olympic Gold medal equivalent for us.”
Ram opened up to Fragoso on various aspects of his life. From the Ayyappa deeksha which he has been observing religiously for the last 15 years to his upbringing in a filmi household under the watchful eyes of his father and Tollywood superstar Chiranjeevi.
“He thought it was very glamorous, tempting as an industry and he wanted us to be as normal as possible, he did not want us to know that we had a superstar father and to take it for granted that it would all come easy for us. Whatever he did was right as till today, I am able to pay my EMIs and keep it going and I am doing well because of his upbringing and the way he was.”
He talks nineteen to the dozen, forcing her to start liking him too. Soon, the two grow very close to each other and further cement their bond by sleeping with each other on the premise that sooner or later they would formalise their association…reviewed by Arnab Banerjee
xxx Luv Ranjan, who has often been accused of being misogynistic as nearly all his female characters (‘Pyar Ka Punchnama’ 1 and 2; ‘Aakashvani’; ‘Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety’ and ‘De De Pyar De’) are substantial, but mostly negative. The women in his films have been manipulative and the men have suffered in their hands.
With his latest rom com, ‘Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar’, Luv Ranjan seems to be on a remedial course, for this time his female lead is all-independent, modern and carefree but with a solid sense of commitment. For a change, it is the male lead who is a bit of a brat and a tad unscrupulous. Now, coming from Luv Ranjan, this story is definitely a complete turnaround!
Mickey (Kapoor) leads a lavish lifestyle that his parents (Boney Kapoor, in his first screen appearance, and Dimple Kapadia) with their multiple business interests (automobiles, jewellery, and so on) have provided him with.
His constant companion is childhood friend Anubhav Singh Bassi, who is facing commitment phobia just before his engagement. The two also make money on the side by being experts on solving issues and manipulating ‘break-ups’ between young couples who are dating but have relationship issues.
Mickey falls for Tinny (Shradha Kapoor) at first sight and swears undying love for her. What follows is complete madness when Mickey, considered to be a skilled specialist player in the world of romantic affairs, finds Tinny irresistible and engages with her in a battle of wits.
He talks nineteen to the dozen, forcing her to start liking him too. Soon, the two grow very close to each other and further cement their bond by sleeping with each other on the premise that sooner or later they would formalise their association.
When Mickey’s parents get to know of her, they immediately decide to celebrate, much to Tinny’s amazement. It isn’t just the rapidity of events that surprises her, she is overawed by and snowed under so much love and interference into her privacy. Micky’s family begin to decide what all arrangements need to be done on her behalf and even suggest that she leave her job and join their family business. That leaves her exhausted.
Tinny dials the break-up service number and ends up calling Micky and his team for help. Unbeknownst to who the caller is, Mickey starts offering his golden pieces of advice for a hefty sum of money of course. What follows ensues is not funny, but much more complicated as their engagement ceremony date gets confirmed, and the two go about making all the required arrangements too.
The 164-minute film has nothing concrete in terms of story development and the first half is spent on Mickey displaying his charm and trying every trick in the book to impress Tinny. In a script that expects him to talk the hindlegs out of a donkey, he is perfectly cast as the wooer. A natural performer, he also looks great and easily gets into the skin of his character.
Shradha, on the other hand, is hardly the drop-dead gorgeous that she is made out to be, though her bikini bod is sexy enough. Their onscreen chemistry sizzles at times and falls flat the next moment when the two seem to be trying too hard. What is clearly in favour of the thin storyline is the fast-paced occurrences that leave little room for any breathing space.
But the film defies logic — not that one is looking for any — and is too focused on absurdities that remind us of the 1970s drama in films when two people, failing to identify the caller, could be easily fooled. And to think that there’s so much ongoing drama could be so exhausting, makes you struggle to firmly remain seated.
If Ranjan’s motive is to win back not just feminists, but even other movie watchers who just hated his one-sided interpretation of the so-called modern young woman as the ‘chaloo gold digger’ or the fickle unfaithful all out to have her way and call the shots, he manages to turn the tables this time.
Towards the end, the jaded film lets go of its romantic overtone and transforms into a family drama with the protagonist asserting his everlasting abiding love for his parents, grandmother, sister and everyone else in the family.
The woman too, after exhibiting an independent mind and flaunting her self-governing, self-regulating free and liberated spirit has a change of heart — after all, she is an Indian woman. And when she is quick to get into bed with a man, she’d better remain devoted to him and not come across as too progressive here!
Tu jhoothi main MakkarTu jhoothi main MakkarTu jhoothi main Makkar
Veteran Dimple Kapadia screams her head off throughout and should have been used in a better way. Her onscreen husband Boney Kapoor, who makes his screen debut, is almost non-existent and mostly merges with the background.
Had it not been for Ranbir Kapoor, most of the jokes would have been tiring and fallen flat. It is his spontaneity and ability to perform effortlessly that keep the audience engrossed. If only there was some substance and material to play around with!
What also works for the film are Santhana Krishnan Ravichandran’s brilliant camerawork and also Amitabh Bhattacharya’s lyrics and foot-tapping numbers in Arijit Singh’s velvety voice set to music by Pritam.
