Suhana Khan to Ahan Shetty: Five Gen-Z stars that should be on your watchlist for the year 2021 - 2022

<p>The director behind a biting look at India's entertainment industry says the backroom dealings and bold personalities of Bollywood have proven a rich target for satire.</p>

<p>Shaad Ali's latest venture is a local adaptation of a runaway hit Netflix series that follows four hapless French talent agents as they wrangle and coddle their celebrity clients.</p>

<p>'Call My Agent: Bollywood'&nbsp;trades Paris for Mumbai, the sprawling port city home to India's most lucrative production houses and its most famous megastars.</p>

<p>Ali's is the third makeover for the Emmy award-winning 'Dix Pour Cent'&nbsp;-- a nod to the traditional 10 per cent cut taken by agents in the movie business -- after earlier incarnations in Britain and Turkey.</p>

<p>"It was very easy for me to be seduced by the show," he tells AFP, crediting a career spent observing the conduct of actors, their entourages and his fellow filmmakers for inspiration.</p>

<p>But getting the show from the script to the screen was tough, with last year's Covid outbreak in Mumbai upending the production schedule.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One French critic branded Ali's version a "disaster", while Indian reviewers have also given hostile verdicts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But Ali, who before this was best known for romantic dramas starring some of Bollywood's most recognisable male heart-throbs, says he has remained "peacefully unaware" of the bad press.</p>

<p>"I keep hearing from people that there are mixed reactions -- some love it, some have hated it -- which I prefer," he says.</p>

<p>"I don't like in-between reactions... that's what is scary." Nor has he shied away from poking fun at the airy and sometimes oblivious personalities often found in any celebrity milieu.</p>

<p>"My intention was never bad, and I am part of (the industry) really, so if I am making fun, I am included in that," he says.</p>

<p>"All the celebrities who appeared on the show were very supportive in making fun of each other... it was just natural."</p>

<p>- 'We're self-absorbed' -</p>

<p>Lead actress Aahana Kumra plays the headstrong Amal, one of four celebrity talent managers fighting to keep their flailing agency alive after the sudden death of its founder.</p>

<p>Pushed into the role by her own agent, Kumra became an obsessive fan of the original French series, which even prompted her to take a critical look at her own industry.</p>

<p>"We're self-absorbed," she tells AFP.</p>

<p>"That is the nature of the job -- we are so about ourselves that we completely forget that there is an agent who has a life of their own."</p>

<p>A recurring subplot through 'Call My Agent'&nbsp;is Amal's relationship with another woman, culminating in an onscreen kiss -- a rarity in Indian cinema and television, where prevailing mores keep depictions of romantic intimacy at a minimum.</p>

<p>Kumra believes India is moving towards more candid portrayals of same-sex relationships and was indifferent to the prospect of criticism from audiences.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"For me all that really matters is what my parents think of a certain performance," she says. "It is really nice to hear from them that they were very happy to see it."</p>


The director behind a biting look at India's entertainment industry says the backroom dealings and bold personalities of Bollywood have proven a rich target for satire.

The director behind a biting look at India's entertainment industry says the backroom dealings and bold personalities of Bollywood have proven a rich target for satire. Shaad Ali's latest venture is a local adaptation of a runaway hit Netflix series that follows four hapless French talent agents as they wrangle and coddle their celebrity clients. 'Call My Agent: Bollywood' trades Paris for Mumbai, the sprawling port city home to India's most lucrative production houses and its most famous megastars. Ali's is the third makeover for the Emmy award-winning 'Dix Pour Cent' -- a nod to the traditional 10 per cent cut taken by agents in the movie business -- after earlier incarnations in Britain and Turkey. "It was very easy for me to be seduced by the show," he tells AFP, crediting a career spent observing the conduct of actors, their entourages and his fellow filmmakers for inspiration. But getting the show from the script to the screen was tough, with last year's Covid outbreak in Mumbai upending the production schedule. One French critic branded Ali's version a "disaster", while Indian reviewers have also given hostile verdicts. But Ali, who before this was best known for romantic dramas starring some of Bollywood's most recognisable male heart-throbs, says he has remained "peacefully unaware" of the bad press. "I keep hearing from people that there are mixed reactions -- some love it, some have hated it -- which I prefer," he says. "I don't like in-between reactions... that's what is scary." Nor has he shied away from poking fun at the airy and sometimes oblivious personalities often found in any celebrity milieu. "My intention was never bad, and I am part of (the industry) really, so if I am making fun, I am included in that," he says. "All the celebrities who appeared on the show were very supportive in making fun of each other... it was just natural." - 'We're self-absorbed' - Lead actress Aahana Kumra plays the headstrong Amal, one of four celebrity talent managers fighting to keep their flailing agency alive after the sudden death of its founder. Pushed into the role by her own agent, Kumra became an obsessive fan of the original French series, which even prompted her to take a critical look at her own industry. "We're self-absorbed," she tells AFP. "That is the nature of the job -- we are so about ourselves that we completely forget that there is an agent who has a life of their own." A recurring subplot through 'Call My Agent' is Amal's relationship with another woman, culminating in an onscreen kiss -- a rarity in Indian cinema and television, where prevailing mores keep depictions of romantic intimacy at a minimum. Kumra believes India is moving towards more candid portrayals of same-sex relationships and was indifferent to the prospect of criticism from audiences. "For me all that really matters is what my parents think of a certain performance," she says. "It is really nice to hear from them that they were very happy to see it."

'Love and hate': Bollywood in spotlight of 'Call My Agent' spinoff

<p>Bollywood star Preity Zinta and her husband Gene Goodenough are now parents to a baby boy and a baby girl.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The actress and her husband welcomed twins via surrogacy. Preity took to Twitter to announce the happy news.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
"Hi everyone, I wanted to share our amazing news with all of you today. &nbsp;Gene &amp; I are overjoyed &amp; our hearts are filled with so much gratitude &amp; with so much love as we welcome our twins Jai Zinta Goodenough &amp; Gia Zinta Goodenough into our family.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hi everyone, I wanted to share our amazing news with all of you today. Gene &amp; I are overjoyed &amp; our hearts are filled with so much gratitude &amp; with so much love as we welcome our twins Jai Zinta Goodenough &amp; Gia Zinta Goodenough into our family. <a href="https://t.co/wknLAJd1bL">pic.twitter.com/wknLAJd1bL</a></p>
— Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) <a href="https://twitter.com/realpreityzinta/status/1461207950232416258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>We are very excited about this new phase in our lives. A heartfelt thank you to the doctors, nurses and to our surrogate for being part of this incredible journey. Loads of love and light - Gene, Preity, Jai &amp; Gi," the actress tweeted.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We are very excited about this new phase in our lives. A heartfelt thank you to the doctors, nurses and to our surrogate for being part of this incredible journey. Loads of love and light - Gene, Preity, Jai &amp; Gia 😍🙏😍 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gratitude?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#gratitude</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/family?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#family</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/twins?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#twins</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ting?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ting</a></p>
— Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) <a href="https://twitter.com/realpreityzinta/status/1461208079345721344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Preity who starred in blockbuster films like 'Kal Ho Na Ho', 'Veer-Zaara' and 'Koi Mil Gaya', married Gene Goodenough in a private ceremony in the US in 2016. Since then Preity has been spending her time both in America and the US.&nbsp;</p>


Bollywood star Preity Zinta and her husband Gene Goodenough are now parents to a baby boy and a baby girl. The actress and her husband welcomed twins via surrogacy.

Bollywood star Preity Zinta and her husband Gene Goodenough are now parents to a baby boy and a baby girl. The actress and her husband welcomed twins via surrogacy. Preity took to Twitter to announce the happy news. "Hi everyone, I wanted to share our amazing news with all of you today. Gene & I are overjoyed & our hearts are filled with so much gratitude & with so much love as we welcome our twins Jai Zinta Goodenough & Gia Zinta Goodenough into our family. Hi everyone, I wanted to share our amazing news with all of you today. Gene & I are overjoyed & our hearts are filled with so much gratitude & with so much love as we welcome our twins Jai Zinta Goodenough & Gia Zinta Goodenough into our family. pic.twitter.com/wknLAJd1bL — Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) November 18, 2021 × We are very excited about this new phase in our lives. A heartfelt thank you to the doctors, nurses and to our surrogate for being part of this incredible journey. Loads of love and light - Gene, Preity, Jai & Gi," the actress tweeted. We are very excited about this new phase in our lives. A heartfelt thank you to the doctors, nurses and to our surrogate for being part of this incredible journey. Loads of love and light - Gene, Preity, Jai & Gia 😍🙏😍 #gratitude #family #twins #ting — Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) November 18, 2021 × Preity who starred in blockbuster films like 'Kal Ho Na Ho', 'Veer-Zaara' and 'Koi Mil Gaya', married Gene Goodenough in a private ceremony in the US in 2016. Since then Preity has been spending her time both in America and the US.

Preity Zinta and husband Gene Goodenough are now parents to twins

Wedding bells! These B-town couples to tie knot soon: Alia Bhatt-Ranbir Kapoor to Vicky Kaushal-Katrina Kaif

<p>Fans of Bollywood are convinced that Korean drama' Squid Game' is similar to the Hindi film 'Luck' which starred Imran Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Shruti Haasan.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Many of those who've watched the survival game series took to Twitter to point out that how Netflix new show 'Squid Game' is basically an elaborate version of the Bollywood film which was released in 2009.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The Korean drama, which has caught the attention of viewers worldwide, is a nine-part series that revolves around 450 contestants playing to win a jackpot amount. The contestants are all poor and in dire need of money. Six games are arranged for the participants to play. While the ones clearing the games move forward, those who fail to complete the tasks die.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/squid-game-why-is-such-a-violent-show-on-its-way-to-become-number-1-417425">Read:&nbsp;Squid Game: Why is such a violent show on its way to become number 1?</a><br />
<br />
'Luck' directed by Soham Shah, &nbsp;also followed a similar theme and Bollywood fans couldn't help but draw a comparison between the two.<br />
<br />
“If you want to see the difference between Bollywood and foreign movies/ television series, Then watch ‘squid games’ Korean drama. It has the same story as Luck film but presented way better than 'Luck' film,” a fan tweeted.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
“Ok does #SquidGames remind anyone else of that Sanjay Dutt, Shruti Haasan film LUCK?! It’s like the TV show form of the movie!” another added.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
"We already have ‘Luck’ long before ‘Squid Game’!! It looks like a Korean Version of that movie,” a user noted.&nbsp;<br />
Interestingly, 'Luck' was too inspired from another movie called 'The Condemned'.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/man-gets-flooded-with-calls-after-his-number-is-featured-in-squid-game-417401">Man gets flooded with calls after his number is featured in 'Squid Game'</a><br />
<br />
South Korean drama 'Squid Game' is being touted as the next big show on Netflix. It stars Lee Jung-jae, Jung Ho-yeon, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, Kim Joo-ryoung, Heo Sung-tae, Oh Young-soo, Lee Yoo-mi and Gong Yoo, among many others.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">🇰🇷 🇮🇳<br />
Squid Game Luck<br />
(a thread) <a href="https://t.co/x16fE787NX">pic.twitter.com/x16fE787NX</a></p>
— BRS (@daarlagyomylord) <a href="https://twitter.com/daarlagyomylord/status/1444914762609876996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bollywood did squid game first yall <a href="https://t.co/EFjgKuQjbn">pic.twitter.com/EFjgKuQjbn</a></p>
— adith🇵🇸 (@rasputinforeal) <a href="https://twitter.com/rasputinforeal/status/1443786990894215170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">People saying squid game is a really unique show haven't watched Luck</p>
— Rishit (@x2Rish) <a href="https://twitter.com/x2Rish/status/1443577373836804097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>The web series also features Indian actor Anupam Tripathi, who made his K-drama debut with the show. Tripathi revealed recently that he was familiar with the language as he had spent 10 years in Korea as a student and a theatre actor.&nbsp;</p>


Fans of Bollywood are convinced that Korean drama' Squid Game' is similar to the Hindi film 'Luck' which starred Imran Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Shruti Haasan. Many of those who've watched the survival game series took to Twitter to point out that how Netflix new show 'Squid Game' is basically an elaborate version of the Bollywood film which was released in 2009.

Fans of Bollywood are convinced that Korean drama' Squid Game' is similar to the Hindi film 'Luck' which starred Imran Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Shruti Haasan. Many of those who've watched the survival game series took to Twitter to point out that how Netflix new show 'Squid Game' is basically an elaborate version of the Bollywood film which was released in 2009. The Korean drama, which has caught the attention of viewers worldwide, is a nine-part series that revolves around 450 contestants playing to win a jackpot amount. The contestants are all poor and in dire need of money. Six games are arranged for the participants to play. While the ones clearing the games move forward, those who fail to complete the tasks die. Read: Squid Game: Why is such a violent show on its way to become number 1? 'Luck' directed by Soham Shah, also followed a similar theme and Bollywood fans couldn't help but draw a comparison between the two. “If you want to see the difference between Bollywood and foreign movies/ television series, Then watch ‘squid games’ Korean drama. It has the same story as Luck film but presented way better than 'Luck' film,” a fan tweeted. “Ok does #SquidGames remind anyone else of that Sanjay Dutt, Shruti Haasan film LUCK?! It’s like the TV show form of the movie!” another added. "We already have ‘Luck’ long before ‘Squid Game’!! It looks like a Korean Version of that movie,” a user noted. Interestingly, 'Luck' was too inspired from another movie called 'The Condemned'. Man gets flooded with calls after his number is featured in 'Squid Game' South Korean drama 'Squid Game' is being touted as the next big show on Netflix. It stars Lee Jung-jae, Jung Ho-yeon, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, Kim Joo-ryoung, Heo Sung-tae, Oh Young-soo, Lee Yoo-mi and Gong Yoo, among many others. 🇰🇷 🇮🇳 Squid Game Luck (a thread) pic.twitter.com/x16fE787NX — BRS (@daarlagyomylord) October 4, 2021 × Bollywood did squid game first yall pic.twitter.com/EFjgKuQjbn — adith🇵🇸 (@rasputinforeal) October 1, 2021 × People saying squid game is a really unique show haven't watched Luck — Rishit (@x2Rish) September 30, 2021 × The web series also features Indian actor Anupam Tripathi, who made his K-drama debut with the show. Tripathi revealed recently that he was familiar with the language as he had spent 10 years in Korea as a student and a theatre actor.

Bollywood did it first? Fans find similarities between 'Squid Game' and Imran Khan starrer 'Luck'

Ryan Reynolds says Hollywood is mimicking Bollywood How many international films have been 'inspired' by India? What impact can Bollywood have as India's 'Soft Power'? Experts weigh in on 'Hollywood meets Bollywood'

Hollywood meets Bollywood | WION Wideangle

<p>Boxing icon Mike Tyson is all set to make his Bollywood debut in an upcoming sports drama titled 'Liger'. The film stars South Indian actor Vijay Deverakonda and Bollywood young star Ananya Panday.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
'Liger' is directed by Puri Jagannath who is also backing the film via his banner Puri Connects along with Karan Johar's Dharma Productions.<br />
<br />
Dharma Productions made Tyson's casting announcement on its official Twitter page.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Introducing the master of the ring to the Indian screens! Kicked to announce that the dynamite <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeTyson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MikeTyson</a> has joined the cast of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Liger?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Liger</a>!🥊<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NamasteTyson?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NamasteTyson</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HbdPuriJagannadh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HbdPuriJagannadh</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZWRbQyKapX">pic.twitter.com/ZWRbQyKapX</a></p>
— Dharma Productions (@DharmaMovies) <a href="https://twitter.com/DharmaMovies/status/1442436831438512134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>"Introducing the master of the ring to the Indian screens! Kicked to announce that the dynamite @MikeTyson has joined the cast of #Liger!" the tweet read.<br />
<br />
While details of Tyson's role are yet to be revealed, as per the teaser video it appears he and Deverakonda's character will compete in the boxing ring.<br />
<br />
Considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, Tyson most famously played a fictionalised version of himself in the 2009 Hollywood hit film 'The Hangover' and its 2011 sequel 'The Hangover Part II'.<br />
<br />
He has also starred in 'Ip Man 3', the 2015 film in the popular Hong Kong martial arts film series.<br />
<br />
'Liger' will be released theatrically in five languages -- Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. The film's release date is yet to be announced.</p>


Boxing icon Mike Tyson is all set to make his Bollywood debut in an upcoming sports drama titled 'Liger'. The film stars South Indian actor Vijay Deverakonda and Bollywood young star Ananya Panday.

Boxing icon Mike Tyson is all set to make his Bollywood debut in an upcoming sports drama titled 'Liger'. The film stars South Indian actor Vijay Deverakonda and Bollywood young star Ananya Panday. 'Liger' is directed by Puri Jagannath who is also backing the film via his banner Puri Connects along with Karan Johar's Dharma Productions. Dharma Productions made Tyson's casting announcement on its official Twitter page. Introducing the master of the ring to the Indian screens! Kicked to announce that the dynamite @MikeTyson has joined the cast of #Liger!🥊#NamasteTyson #HbdPuriJagannadh pic.twitter.com/ZWRbQyKapX — Dharma Productions (@DharmaMovies) September 27, 2021 × "Introducing the master of the ring to the Indian screens! Kicked to announce that the dynamite @MikeTyson has joined the cast of #Liger!" the tweet read. While details of Tyson's role are yet to be revealed, as per the teaser video it appears he and Deverakonda's character will compete in the boxing ring. Considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, Tyson most famously played a fictionalised version of himself in the 2009 Hollywood hit film 'The Hangover' and its 2011 sequel 'The Hangover Part II'. He has also starred in 'Ip Man 3', the 2015 film in the popular Hong Kong martial arts film series. 'Liger' will be released theatrically in five languages -- Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. The film's release date is yet to be announced.

Boxing legend Mike Tyson to make Bollywood debut in 'Liger' co-starring Vijay Deverakonda and Ananya Panday

<p>September 23 is celebrated as the International Day of Sign Languages, and on this occasion, Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh has made a special appeal to the youth of the country.<br />
<br />
Basically, he urged the youth to create an inclusive space for the deaf community. "If there is anything we all have come to value and embrace in the last year and a half is the power of community and being there for each other. My message to the youth today would be to keep doing the work you are... and if in any way you can create or propagate an inclusive space by working with the Deaf community, please do. From hospitality to education to creative arts. We can only make this change together and my trust and support lie with the youth of our country," Ranveer said.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-viacom18-studios-and-dharma-productions-team-up-announce-4-projects-415206" hreflang="en">Viacom18 Studios and Dharma Productions team up, announce 4 projects</a></p>

<p>Ranveer has been working hard to help the community. He has also been urging authorities to consider and declare Indian Sign Language (ISL) as the 23rd official language of India and also signed a petition aimed at furthering awareness of this cause.</p>

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<p>Speaking about it, Ranveer emphasised, "The first steps to this milestone have been taken by the Government some weeks back when ISL was made optional for students to learn in schools from Grade 9-12 but the day ISL will be the 23rd recognized Indian language under the Constitution of India, will be the milestone that will shift the needle. I have complete faith in the leaders of our nation and know that we are on our way to achieving this milestone. For the citizens, I urge you to sign the petition so this day can be soon celebrated."<br />
<br />
Also, Ranveer and his artist collective, IncInk, have been the flag bearers of this cause."It`s a long journey that lies ahead. At IncInk we all are committed to carry through as allies of our deaf community and get to the finish line with them. There are so many levels to this. The first is supporting the Deaf community in their petition (https://incink.fanlink.to/ISLPetition_) to make ISL an officially recognised language and then as a society to be more inclusive by creating accessibility for the Deaf community on the ground level," Ranveer said.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-tiger-shroff-kriti-sanon-eli-avrram-cast-in-ganapath-a-film-set-in-2030s-415144" hreflang="en">Tiger Shroff, Kriti Sanon, Eli AvrRam cast in 'Ganapath', a film set in 2030s</a></p>

<p>Marking the International Day of Sign Languages, Ranveer`s IncInk will play ISL music videos throughout the day.He added, "At IncInk, we create art and that is what we will continue to make accessible to the Deaf community. Our ISL videos for instance - Mohabbat, Sangeet, Black, Aur Karo and Vichaar that were released today to celebrate International Day of Sign Languages. We have ideas that are brewing, to expand our relationship with the Deaf community further in interactive ways, but it`s still in the early stages.<br />
<br />
Today on International Day of Sign Languages, our IncInk YouTube Channel will be live all day (noon-midnight) playing our ISL music videos with special messages from the crew to celebrate and embrace each other."</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-ananya-birla-to-launch-her-debut--album-bombay-basement-414927" hreflang="en">Ananya Birla to launch her debut album 'Bombay Basement'</a><br />
<br />
Meanwhile, on the film front, Ranveer is busy shooting for `Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani`, co-starring Alia Bhatt, Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, and Shabana Azmi.</p>


September 23 is celebrated as the International Day of Sign Languages, and on this occasion, Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh has made a special appeal to the youth of the country.

September 23 is celebrated as the International Day of Sign Languages, and on this occasion, Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh has made a special appeal to the youth of the country. Basically, he urged the youth to create an inclusive space for the deaf community. "If there is anything we all have come to value and embrace in the last year and a half is the power of community and being there for each other. My message to the youth today would be to keep doing the work you are... and if in any way you can create or propagate an inclusive space by working with the Deaf community, please do. From hospitality to education to creative arts. We can only make this change together and my trust and support lie with the youth of our country," Ranveer said. Viacom18 Studios and Dharma Productions team up, announce 4 projects Ranveer has been working hard to help the community. He has also been urging authorities to consider and declare Indian Sign Language (ISL) as the 23rd official language of India and also signed a petition aimed at furthering awareness of this cause. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) × Speaking about it, Ranveer emphasised, "The first steps to this milestone have been taken by the Government some weeks back when ISL was made optional for students to learn in schools from Grade 9-12 but the day ISL will be the 23rd recognized Indian language under the Constitution of India, will be the milestone that will shift the needle. I have complete faith in the leaders of our nation and know that we are on our way to achieving this milestone. For the citizens, I urge you to sign the petition so this day can be soon celebrated." Also, Ranveer and his artist collective, IncInk, have been the flag bearers of this cause."It`s a long journey that lies ahead. At IncInk we all are committed to carry through as allies of our deaf community and get to the finish line with them. There are so many levels to this. The first is supporting the Deaf community in their petition (https://incink.fanlink.to/ISLPetition_) to make ISL an officially recognised language and then as a society to be more inclusive by creating accessibility for the Deaf community on the ground level," Ranveer said. Tiger Shroff, Kriti Sanon, Eli AvrRam cast in 'Ganapath', a film set in 2030s Marking the International Day of Sign Languages, Ranveer`s IncInk will play ISL music videos throughout the day.He added, "At IncInk, we create art and that is what we will continue to make accessible to the Deaf community. Our ISL videos for instance - Mohabbat, Sangeet, Black, Aur Karo and Vichaar that were released today to celebrate International Day of Sign Languages. We have ideas that are brewing, to expand our relationship with the Deaf community further in interactive ways, but it`s still in the early stages. Today on International Day of Sign Languages, our IncInk YouTube Channel will be live all day (noon-midnight) playing our ISL music videos with special messages from the crew to celebrate and embrace each other." Ananya Birla to launch her debut album 'Bombay Basement' Meanwhile, on the film front, Ranveer is busy shooting for `Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani`, co-starring Alia Bhatt, Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, and Shabana Azmi.

Ranveer Singh urges youth to create inclusive space for the hearing-impaired

<p>Actor Rashmika Mandanna has finished shooting for her Bollywood debut 'Mission Majnu', co-starring Sidharth Malhotra. Mandanna is best known for starring in Kannada film 'Anjani Putra'&nbsp;and the 2018 Telugu blockbuster 'Geetha Govindam'.<br />
<br />
The official Twitter handle of RSVP, the banner behind the film, shared a picture of the actor from the set late Saturday evening announcing the wrap.<br />
"Blessing your feed with her infectious smile. It's a picture wrap for our cutie patootie, @iamRashmika on the sets of #MissionMajnu," the tweet read.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-dwayne-johnson-to-gal-gadot-celebrities-look-alike-that-will-surely-blow-your-mind-408961" hreflang="en">From Dwayne Johnson to Gal Gadot: Celebrities look-alike that will surely blow your mind</a><br />
<br />
The film, which is the debut directorial venture of ad filmmaker Shantanu Bagchi, is produced by Ronnie Screwvala of RSVP, and Amar Butala and Garima Mehta (Guilty By Association Media).</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Blessing your feed with her infectious smile 🥰🌻<br />
It’s a picture wrap for our cutie patootie, <a href="https://twitter.com/iamRashmika?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iamRashmika</a> on the sets of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MissionMajnu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MissionMajnu</a> 💥<a href="https://twitter.com/SidMalhotra?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SidMalhotra</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RonnieScrewvala?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RonnieScrewvala</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/amarbutala?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@amarbutala</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GarimaMehta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GarimaMehta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GBAMedia_Off?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GBAMedia_Off</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShantanuBagchi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ShantanuBagchi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aseem_arora?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@aseem_arora</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Sumit_Batheja?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sumit_Batheja</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/pashanjal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pashanjal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/HasanainHooda?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HasanainHooda</a> <a href="https://t.co/th0gzXgNbr">pic.twitter.com/th0gzXgNbr</a></p>
— RSVP (@RSVPMovies) <a href="https://twitter.com/RSVPMovies/status/1431627863145398279?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Malhotra took to Instagram Stories and shared a picture of the duo. "You're a trooper. It's been an absolute pleasure, thank you, see you soon," wrote the 'Shershaah'&nbsp;star.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/akshay-kumars-bellbottom-screened-at-worlds-highest-mobile-theatre-409315" hreflang="en">Akshay Kumar's 'BellBottom' screened at 'world's highest mobile theatre'</a><br />
<br />
To which, Mandanna replied, "Sid you've been the sweetest... Truly had a blast working with you. You are awesome. The pleasure is all mine."<br />
<br />
Mandanna will be seen essaying a pivotal role in 'Mission Majnu', an espionage thriller that chronicles the journey of a RAW agent who heads India's covert operation on Pakistani soil.<br />
<br />
Penned by Parveez Shaikh and Aseem Arora of 'Bell Bottom'&nbsp;fame and 'Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana'&nbsp;writer Sumit Batheja, the film also stars Sharib Hashmi and Kumud Mishra.</p>


Actor Rashmika Mandanna has finished shooting for her Bollywood debut 'Mission Majnu', co-starring Sidharth Malhotra. Mandanna is best known for starring in Kannada film 'Anjani Putra' and the 2018 Telugu blockbuster 'Geetha Govindam'.

Actor Rashmika Mandanna has finished shooting for her Bollywood debut 'Mission Majnu', co-starring Sidharth Malhotra. Mandanna is best known for starring in Kannada film 'Anjani Putra' and the 2018 Telugu blockbuster 'Geetha Govindam'. The official Twitter handle of RSVP, the banner behind the film, shared a picture of the actor from the set late Saturday evening announcing the wrap. "Blessing your feed with her infectious smile. It's a picture wrap for our cutie patootie, @iamRashmika on the sets of #MissionMajnu," the tweet read. From Dwayne Johnson to Gal Gadot: Celebrities look-alike that will surely blow your mind The film, which is the debut directorial venture of ad filmmaker Shantanu Bagchi, is produced by Ronnie Screwvala of RSVP, and Amar Butala and Garima Mehta (Guilty By Association Media). Blessing your feed with her infectious smile 🥰🌻 It’s a picture wrap for our cutie patootie, @iamRashmika on the sets of #MissionMajnu 💥@SidMalhotra @RonnieScrewvala @amarbutala #GarimaMehta @GBAMedia_Off #ShantanuBagchi @aseem_arora @Sumit_Batheja @pashanjal @HasanainHooda pic.twitter.com/th0gzXgNbr — RSVP (@RSVPMovies) August 28, 2021 × Malhotra took to Instagram Stories and shared a picture of the duo. "You're a trooper. It's been an absolute pleasure, thank you, see you soon," wrote the 'Shershaah' star. Akshay Kumar's 'BellBottom' screened at 'world's highest mobile theatre' To which, Mandanna replied, "Sid you've been the sweetest... Truly had a blast working with you. You are awesome. The pleasure is all mine." Mandanna will be seen essaying a pivotal role in 'Mission Majnu', an espionage thriller that chronicles the journey of a RAW agent who heads India's covert operation on Pakistani soil. Penned by Parveez Shaikh and Aseem Arora of 'Bell Bottom' fame and 'Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana' writer Sumit Batheja, the film also stars Sharib Hashmi and Kumud Mishra.

Rashmika Mandanna wraps 'Mission Majnu' shoot

<p>Did Alia Bhatt just hint at a possible collaboration with K Pop band BTS? The Bollywood superstar's tweet seems to suggest so.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Bhatt re-shared mobile brand Samsung's tweet and tagged BTS while mentioning their hit song Butter.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Sumsung India shared a tweet featuring BTS members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook grooving to their song Butter. "Is 'good' good enough? Get ready to unfold. Here comes #SamsungUnpacked like no other! When the day of August 11, 2021 comes, get it, let it roll!" The tweet&nbsp;was in reference to the brand's upcoming event in which they are expected to announce a few new products.<br />
<br />
Alia Bhatt retweeted the video and said, "Good is NEVER enough! Great is better," before she added, "those #butter smooth moves." Alia also added the #collab.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Good is NEVER enough! Great is better <a href="https://twitter.com/SamsungIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SamsungIndia</a> 😉😉<a href="https://twitter.com/BTS_twt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BTS_twt</a> 💜 those <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/butter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#butter</a> smooth moves. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Collab?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Collab</a> <a href="https://t.co/wMc1S6u6CR">https://t.co/wMc1S6u6CR</a></p>
— Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) <a href="https://twitter.com/aliaa08/status/1425385850536304649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Bhatt could be partnering with the mobile brand for an upcoming project but what got the fans excited was her tagging the K-pop band in her tweet. Most fans went on a overdrive thinking of the possible collaboration of the Bollywood actress and the the Korean boy band.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
This isn't the first time that Alia has mentioned BTS. Earlier in June, Alia shared a Yoga video on the occasion of International Yoga Da. The video had Alia performing a few yoga <em>aasans </em>while Butter played in the background.<br />
<br />
Since Wednesday's tweet, Alia has kept mum and while we wait for further announcement, here's hoping that wishes of millions of fans comes true and the actress does collaborate with BTS.&nbsp;</p>


Did Alia Bhatt just hint at a possible collaboration with K Pop band BTS? The Bollywood superstar's tweet seems to suggest so. Bhatt re-shared mobile brand Samsung's tweet and tagged BTS while mentioning their hit song Butter.

Did Alia Bhatt just hint at a possible collaboration with K Pop band BTS? The Bollywood superstar's tweet seems to suggest so. Bhatt re-shared mobile brand Samsung's tweet and tagged BTS while mentioning their hit song Butter. Sumsung India shared a tweet featuring BTS members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook grooving to their song Butter. "Is 'good' good enough? Get ready to unfold. Here comes #SamsungUnpacked like no other! When the day of August 11, 2021 comes, get it, let it roll!" The tweet was in reference to the brand's upcoming event in which they are expected to announce a few new products. Alia Bhatt retweeted the video and said, "Good is NEVER enough! Great is better," before she added, "those #butter smooth moves." Alia also added the #collab. Good is NEVER enough! Great is better @SamsungIndia 😉😉@BTS_twt 💜 those #butter smooth moves. #Collab https://t.co/wMc1S6u6CR — Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) August 11, 2021 × Bhatt could be partnering with the mobile brand for an upcoming project but what got the fans excited was her tagging the K-pop band in her tweet. Most fans went on a overdrive thinking of the possible collaboration of the Bollywood actress and the the Korean boy band. This isn't the first time that Alia has mentioned BTS. Earlier in June, Alia shared a Yoga video on the occasion of International Yoga Da. The video had Alia performing a few yoga aasans while Butter played in the background. Since Wednesday's tweet, Alia has kept mum and while we wait for further announcement, here's hoping that wishes of millions of fans comes true and the actress does collaborate with BTS.

Is Alia Bhatt collaborating with BTS for a new project? 

<p>On hoardings, Instagram, sister’s WhatsApp Status, an acquaintance’s Facebook Story… a sensuous—but within the acceptable limits of Indian sensibilities—Deepika Padukone rollicking to ‘<em>Koi Yahan Aha Naache Naache</em>’ in the basement of some abandoned establishment, caught my attention. The fact that it is an ad for the global brand Levi’s—then in troubled waters in India, financially—dawned on me about 30 seconds later. Curious, I hurriedly searched for the company’s IG handle to see more of her; the new global brand ambassador. While scrolling through pictures of the lady in jeans of all shapes and sizes—boyfriend, skinny and what not—I chanced upon Levi’s rather untimely—to me, at the time—‘Stop Asian Hate’ campaign. “Why would they promote this now? What’s the context,” I thought to myself. The date was February 26, I vividly remember. Well, Asians were about to be left gob-smacked even further with&nbsp;what was to follow—good, bad and the ugly.</p>

<p><br />
In a parallel universe, a little film called ‘Minari’ was making big noise—142 nominations across award shows, big and small—and people couldn’t stop gushing over Alan Kim’s ‘I'm not pretty, I'm good looking’ shenanigan or the fact that he sobbed uncontrollably after having won the Best Young Actor at Critic’s Choice Awards. The boy was all of eight and the last time white folks mollycoddled a (white) kid on the internet was when Oscar-winning ‘Room’ presented a raw, fine actor, Jacob Tremblay. But this is a Japanese-American boy with epicanthic folds. So, what happened? Turns out, a lot!</p>

<p><br />
‘Minari’ was also the doorway to a ‘sweet, sweet’ revelation in grandma Youn Yuh-jung. The actress’s late-blooming appeal of&nbsp;the 'Wild West' is evident when the mere sight of Glenn Close leaves her trembling with joy, in the middle of a red-carpet interview, “Oh! It’s Glenn Close!” she screams with excitement. At 73, Hollywood must really look like a spaceship showing up, unannounced, and Glenn Close, a goddess of an alien.</p>

<p><br />
Childlike glee is Jackie Chan’s forte, and the famous alter ego that gets him instant recognition. Somehow ‘the funny man’ image stuck, not his body of work. On Google, there are numerous listicles on his ‘Ten Most Brutal Injuries’ or ‘Five Most Brutal Injuries’. And yet,&nbsp;it is only in 2016, Chan’s boundless contribution to cinema and his&nbsp;world of kicks-and-punches was finally recognized by Oscars Honorary Award committee. The&nbsp;award was bestowed upon him for ‘charming audiences with his dazzling athleticism, inventive stunt work and boundless charisma’. "I'd like to say a heartfelt thank you to the Oscars for giving me this award of encouragement and recognizing my achievements while I'm still 'young'. I'm absolutely honoured to be the first Chinese in history to receive this award," Chan had said in response. If he was being sarcastic, they had it coming. Jackie Chan began his career in 1962, he is&nbsp; 67 now. You do the math.</p>

<p><br />
Just two days ago, ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ matriarch—Mama Young, played by Michelle Yeoh—landed a mainstream role in James Cameron’s ‘Avatar 2’. No, she did not bag this role like a Hollywood royalty would—she is 58, not that it’s relevant here—and had self-admittedly made desperate pleas to Cameron to cast her. “I said to James, 'I don't (know) why I'm here, I'm here because you're a genius and I am your biggest fan. I mean, I would be your coffee lady. I would just come here and sit down and watch you (sic).’” Understandable; after all, why would James Cameron hire a ‘Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur’ awardee for his money-devouring ‘Avatar’ franchise. Of course, she had to beg!</p>

<p><br />
Straight out of&nbsp;‘Crazy Rich Asians’ muzzle&nbsp;is the jaw-droppingly beautiful Gemma Chan. If good looks—slender, glossy, expensive—sells in Hollywood, Gemma should have been ‘sold out’ by now. Yes, for those of you frowning, Chan has appeared in ‘a brief role’ in one of the Marvel projects and has flashed her pretty smile a few times at Cannes and this fashion show and that red carpet event. But God forbid an Asian actor gets a full-length, meaty, central role in whitewashed Hollywood…</p>

<p><br />
<strong>SOUTH-EAST ASIANS: A LONG WAY HOME…</strong></p>

<p><br />
My theory on selective representation of <em>desi</em> distinction in cinema stems from these ideas: it is an offshoot of prejudices against immigrants, a brainchild of the propagators of ‘our land, our rent, our jobs’ dogma. “Oh, yes, I do know him. That&nbsp;dude… ‘Sound Of Metal’, right?” was someone’s social media reaction to a post on Riz Ahmed. It is appalling that&nbsp;Ahmed, a longtime British-Pakistani actor-rapper, a Primetime Emmy Award winner, and this, in 2021—Oscars nomination for ‘Best Actor In A Leading Role’— is his only claim to fame? A line from Ahmed’s own song—‘<em>Immigrants (We Get The Job Done)'</em> from ‘The Hamilton Mixtape’—lingers on my mind as I try to put a fitting conclusion to his segment:</p>

<p><br />
<em>&nbsp;“It's a hard line when you're an import/ The credit is only borrowed/ Look how far I come.” &nbsp;</em>Isn’t that always the case, eh?</p>

<p><br />
There’s a fresh wave of zeal for being global stars in Bollywood—‘the world is your stage’, like they say—which is marvelous, in all honesty. The Priyankas, and maybe even the Deepikas, of India will hold the black ladies and golden statues of America someday—hey, Nick Jonas has made that&nbsp;prediction about his wife already, and a flurry of GenZ material will suit, too. But is it worth the agent fees and expensive tickets and all that jazz for being, let’s say for example, a taxi driver in some future installment of ‘Deadpool’ where South-East Asians are a Karan Soni, and Ryan Reynolds, still the Deadpool?</p>

<p><br />
There’s a joke among my peers about Dev Patel every time an Indian or Pakistani role&nbsp;goes to some actor that is not Mr. Patel himself—which, between us, is rarely the case. “<em>Abbe</em>, Dev Patel busy <em>hoga</em>… <em>Abbe</em>, Dev Patel <em>zyada </em>charge<em> kar rahaan hoga</em>… (Man, Dev Patel must be busy…. Dev Patel must be charging more). Actors from this side of the globe have&nbsp;been synonymous to small, insignificant, nameless characters in Hollywood for so long that even Indians struggle to comprehend how—on Earth—did a new, promising actor even make it to Hollywood, or just Netflix? Isn’t that just brutally sad?</p>

<p><br />
Probably the least known controversy surrounding Steven Spielberg—and we get why; the man, the mystery, the whole shebang—is that he lifted the basic idea of ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial’ from Indian masterpiece-deliverer, the late Satyajit Ray’s unreleased&nbsp;film ‘The Alien’. Like Chan, Ray did get an honorary Oscar in 1992 for his outstanding contribution to cinema—but he was given the award in haste, while&nbsp;on his death bed, and not half as ‘young’ as Chan. Even in death, Ray’s thunder was stolen by a white man—it is believed that Spielberg, along with his other high-brow industry friends, pushed for Ray’s honorary award. For obvious reasons, you get it.&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
<strong>WHAT CHANGED?</strong></p>

<p><br />
Although some of us are puffed with pride for making Asian artists—and rightly so—a part of the global fabric that forms the very essence of cinema, a question that needs to be pondered upon: If #OscarsSoWhite triggered more nominations, and subsequent wins, for the black community, then has the unfortunate #stopasianhate played a catalyst in putting Asians on a pedestal?</p>

<p><br />
True, between haters ‘busting <em>bindis</em>’ (South-East Asian reference) and #IAMNOTAVIRUS &nbsp;hashtags, Asians have broken many artistic barriers. But, has recognition become the new form of appeasement? Hope not. No, after all these years, this better not be a fad. &nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
<em>(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)</em></p>


On hoardings, Instagram, sister’s WhatsApp Status, an acquaintance’s Facebook Story… a sensuous—but within the acceptable limits of Indian sensibilities—Deepika Padukone rollicking to ‘Koi Yahan Aha Naache Naache’ in the basement of some abandoned establishment, caught my attention.

On hoardings, Instagram, sister’s WhatsApp Status, an acquaintance’s Facebook Story… a sensuous—but within the acceptable limits of Indian sensibilities—Deepika Padukone rollicking to ‘Koi Yahan Aha Naache Naache’ in the basement of some abandoned establishment, caught my attention. The fact that it is an ad for the global brand Levi’s—then in troubled waters in India, financially—dawned on me about 30 seconds later. Curious, I hurriedly searched for the company’s IG handle to see more of her; the new global brand ambassador. While scrolling through pictures of the lady in jeans of all shapes and sizes—boyfriend, skinny and what not—I chanced upon Levi’s rather untimely—to me, at the time—‘Stop Asian Hate’ campaign. “Why would they promote this now? What’s the context,” I thought to myself. The date was February 26, I vividly remember. Well, Asians were about to be left gob-smacked even further with what was to follow—good, bad and the ugly. In a parallel universe, a little film called ‘Minari’ was making big noise—142 nominations across award shows, big and small—and people couldn’t stop gushing over Alan Kim’s ‘I'm not pretty, I'm good looking’ shenanigan or the fact that he sobbed uncontrollably after having won the Best Young Actor at Critic’s Choice Awards. The boy was all of eight and the last time white folks mollycoddled a (white) kid on the internet was when Oscar-winning ‘Room’ presented a raw, fine actor, Jacob Tremblay. But this is a Japanese-American boy with epicanthic folds. So, what happened? Turns out, a lot! ‘Minari’ was also the doorway to a ‘sweet, sweet’ revelation in grandma Youn Yuh-jung. The actress’s late-blooming appeal of the 'Wild West' is evident when the mere sight of Glenn Close leaves her trembling with joy, in the middle of a red-carpet interview, “Oh! It’s Glenn Close!” she screams with excitement. At 73, Hollywood must really look like a spaceship showing up, unannounced, and Glenn Close, a goddess of an alien. Childlike glee is Jackie Chan’s forte, and the famous alter ego that gets him instant recognition. Somehow ‘the funny man’ image stuck, not his body of work. On Google, there are numerous listicles on his ‘Ten Most Brutal Injuries’ or ‘Five Most Brutal Injuries’. And yet, it is only in 2016, Chan’s boundless contribution to cinema and his world of kicks-and-punches was finally recognized by Oscars Honorary Award committee. The award was bestowed upon him for ‘charming audiences with his dazzling athleticism, inventive stunt work and boundless charisma’. "I'd like to say a heartfelt thank you to the Oscars for giving me this award of encouragement and recognizing my achievements while I'm still 'young'. I'm absolutely honoured to be the first Chinese in history to receive this award," Chan had said in response. If he was being sarcastic, they had it coming. Jackie Chan began his career in 1962, he is 67 now. You do the math. Just two days ago, ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ matriarch—Mama Young, played by Michelle Yeoh—landed a mainstream role in James Cameron’s ‘Avatar 2’. No, she did not bag this role like a Hollywood royalty would—she is 58, not that it’s relevant here—and had self-admittedly made desperate pleas to Cameron to cast her. “I said to James, 'I don't (know) why I'm here, I'm here because you're a genius and I am your biggest fan. I mean, I would be your coffee lady. I would just come here and sit down and watch you (sic).’” Understandable; after all, why would James Cameron hire a ‘Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur’ awardee for his money-devouring ‘Avatar’ franchise. Of course, she had to beg! Straight out of ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ muzzle is the jaw-droppingly beautiful Gemma Chan. If good looks—slender, glossy, expensive—sells in Hollywood, Gemma should have been ‘sold out’ by now. Yes, for those of you frowning, Chan has appeared in ‘a brief role’ in one of the Marvel projects and has flashed her pretty smile a few times at Cannes and this fashion show and that red carpet event. But God forbid an Asian actor gets a full-length, meaty, central role in whitewashed Hollywood… SOUTH-EAST ASIANS: A LONG WAY HOME… My theory on selective representation of desi distinction in cinema stems from these ideas: it is an offshoot of prejudices against immigrants, a brainchild of the propagators of ‘our land, our rent, our jobs’ dogma. “Oh, yes, I do know him. That dude… ‘Sound Of Metal’, right?” was someone’s social media reaction to a post on Riz Ahmed. It is appalling that Ahmed, a longtime British-Pakistani actor-rapper, a Primetime Emmy Award winner, and this, in 2021—Oscars nomination for ‘Best Actor In A Leading Role’— is his only claim to fame? A line from Ahmed’s own song—‘Immigrants (We Get The Job Done)' from ‘The Hamilton Mixtape’—lingers on my mind as I try to put a fitting conclusion to his segment: “It's a hard line when you're an import/ The credit is only borrowed/ Look how far I come.” Isn’t that always the case, eh? There’s a fresh wave of zeal for being global stars in Bollywood—‘the world is your stage’, like they say—which is marvelous, in all honesty. The Priyankas, and maybe even the Deepikas, of India will hold the black ladies and golden statues of America someday—hey, Nick Jonas has made that prediction about his wife already, and a flurry of GenZ material will suit, too. But is it worth the agent fees and expensive tickets and all that jazz for being, let’s say for example, a taxi driver in some future installment of ‘Deadpool’ where South-East Asians are a Karan Soni, and Ryan Reynolds, still the Deadpool? There’s a joke among my peers about Dev Patel every time an Indian or Pakistani role goes to some actor that is not Mr. Patel himself—which, between us, is rarely the case. “Abbe, Dev Patel busy hoga… Abbe, Dev Patel zyada charge kar rahaan hoga… (Man, Dev Patel must be busy…. Dev Patel must be charging more). Actors from this side of the globe have been synonymous to small, insignificant, nameless characters in Hollywood for so long that even Indians struggle to comprehend how—on Earth—did a new, promising actor even make it to Hollywood, or just Netflix? Isn’t that just brutally sad? Probably the least known controversy surrounding Steven Spielberg—and we get why; the man, the mystery, the whole shebang—is that he lifted the basic idea of ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial’ from Indian masterpiece-deliverer, the late Satyajit Ray’s unreleased film ‘The Alien’. Like Chan, Ray did get an honorary Oscar in 1992 for his outstanding contribution to cinema—but he was given the award in haste, while on his death bed, and not half as ‘young’ as Chan. Even in death, Ray’s thunder was stolen by a white man—it is believed that Spielberg, along with his other high-brow industry friends, pushed for Ray’s honorary award. For obvious reasons, you get it. WHAT CHANGED? Although some of us are puffed with pride for making Asian artists—and rightly so—a part of the global fabric that forms the very essence of cinema, a question that needs to be pondered upon: If #OscarsSoWhite triggered more nominations, and subsequent wins, for the black community, then has the unfortunate #stopasianhate played a catalyst in putting Asians on a pedestal? True, between haters ‘busting bindis’ (South-East Asian reference) and #IAMNOTAVIRUS hashtags, Asians have broken many artistic barriers. But, has recognition become the new form of appeasement? Hope not. No, after all these years, this better not be a fad. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Asian representation in Hollywood: Better now than later

<p>We have often seen Hollywood movies using desi songs. Now, Marvel's immensely popular web series 'Loki' also used a popular Bollywood song in the finale episode.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
<br />
If you have watched the finale episode of the series then you must have noticed a&nbsp;Bollywood song playing in the background in one of the scenes. The series episode 6 on Wednesday surprised Indian fans as it featured the song 'Swag Saha Nahi Jaye' starring Sonakshi Sinha from the 2018 movie 'Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi'.<br />
<br />
The series finale episode opens with multiple incidents happening&nbsp;around the universe, and we hear lines spoken by our favourite MCU characters Thor, Falcon, Black Panther, Ant-Man, Black Widow, Star-Lord, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Loki. Apart from Marvel heroes, we also hear some words spoken by real-life personalities like Alan Watts, Neil Armstrong, Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzai and others. In the same sequence with heavy beats, if you listen carefully it includes&nbsp;the song 'Swag Saha Nahi Jaye'<br />
<br />
The Bollywood twist was not a mistake but it was actually added on purpose and Marvel even gave&nbsp;the end credits to the makers of the Bollywood song. Penned by Mudassar Aziz, the song is sung by Sohail Sen, Shadab Faridi, Neha Bhasin.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Naturally, Indian Marvel fans took to Twitter to express their excitement.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Moved me to the core. 😭 The references to Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai were amazing. Then the Bollywood music! (Was that about the Eternals? Can someone explain this?) 😍😍😍 It just kept getting better and better! <a href="https://t.co/BeekKLO3kp">https://t.co/BeekKLO3kp</a></p>
— Ava Y | LOKI Spoilers (@hawasahary) <a href="https://twitter.com/hawasahary/status/1415511348843253761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Me hearing the 1 second of Bollywood music in the Loki season finale <a href="https://t.co/RhT3zcttlT">pic.twitter.com/RhT3zcttlT</a></p>
— Tara Sim ☾ (@EachStarAWorld) <a href="https://twitter.com/EachStarAWorld/status/1415498171212451852?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Yo they really added a Bollywood song in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LOKI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LOKI</a> finale...</p>
— tysonc (@briefperfection) <a href="https://twitter.com/briefperfection/status/1415488070086840321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>The first season of 'Loki' concluded recently on Disney Plus Hotstar in India. The series has been renewed for a second season.&nbsp;</p>


We have often seen Hollywood movies using desi songs. Now, Marvel's immensely popular web series 'Loki' also used a popular Bollywood song in the finale episode.

We have often seen Hollywood movies using desi songs. Now, Marvel's immensely popular web series 'Loki' also used a popular Bollywood song in the finale episode. If you have watched the finale episode of the series then you must have noticed a Bollywood song playing in the background in one of the scenes. The series episode 6 on Wednesday surprised Indian fans as it featured the song 'Swag Saha Nahi Jaye' starring Sonakshi Sinha from the 2018 movie 'Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi'. The series finale episode opens with multiple incidents happening around the universe, and we hear lines spoken by our favourite MCU characters Thor, Falcon, Black Panther, Ant-Man, Black Widow, Star-Lord, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Loki. Apart from Marvel heroes, we also hear some words spoken by real-life personalities like Alan Watts, Neil Armstrong, Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzai and others. In the same sequence with heavy beats, if you listen carefully it includes the song 'Swag Saha Nahi Jaye' The Bollywood twist was not a mistake but it was actually added on purpose and Marvel even gave the end credits to the makers of the Bollywood song. Penned by Mudassar Aziz, the song is sung by Sohail Sen, Shadab Faridi, Neha Bhasin. Naturally, Indian Marvel fans took to Twitter to express their excitement. Moved me to the core. 😭 The references to Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai were amazing. Then the Bollywood music! (Was that about the Eternals? Can someone explain this?) 😍😍😍 It just kept getting better and better! https://t.co/BeekKLO3kp — Ava Y | LOKI Spoilers (@hawasahary) July 15, 2021 × Me hearing the 1 second of Bollywood music in the Loki season finale pic.twitter.com/RhT3zcttlT — Tara Sim ☾ (@EachStarAWorld) July 15, 2021 × Yo they really added a Bollywood song in #LOKI finale... — tysonc (@briefperfection) July 15, 2021 × The first season of 'Loki' concluded recently on Disney Plus Hotstar in India. The series has been renewed for a second season.

Loki: Did you notice the Bollywood connect in the finale episode?

<p>Legendary actor Dilip Kumar was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday morning. The Bollywood star is undergoing treatment in Mumbai's Hinduja hospital.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Confirming the news to ANI, Dr Jaleel Parkar informed that the 98-year-old star is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital. He refused to give any more health updates about the actor.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Media sources state that the actor complained of breathlessness and was rushed to the hospital.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
This is his second visit to the medical establishment in the month of June. On June 6, the veteran actor was hospitalised after a similar complaint.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Dilip Kumar`s family friend has informed the media that the former`s condition is `stable`.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, we are still waiting for the official health update to come from Dilip Kumar`s wife Saira Banu, and their spokesperson.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Known as the `Tragedy King` of Bollywood, the veteran actor`s career spanned over six decades.</p>

<p>He has acted in over 65 films in his career and is known for his iconic roles in movies like `Devdas `(1955), `Naya Daur` (1957), `Mughal-e-Azam` (1960), `Ganga Jamuna` (1961), `Kranti` (1981), and `Karma` (1986). He was last seen in `Qila` in 1998.&nbsp;</p>


Legendary actor Dilip Kumar was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday morning. The Bollywood star is undergoing treatment in Mumbai's Hinduja hospital. Confirming the news to ANI, Dr Jaleel Parkar informed that the 98-year-old star is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Legendary actor Dilip Kumar was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday morning. The Bollywood star is undergoing treatment in Mumbai's Hinduja hospital. Confirming the news to ANI, Dr Jaleel Parkar informed that the 98-year-old star is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital. He refused to give any more health updates about the actor. Media sources state that the actor complained of breathlessness and was rushed to the hospital. This is his second visit to the medical establishment in the month of June. On June 6, the veteran actor was hospitalised after a similar complaint. Dilip Kumar`s family friend has informed the media that the former`s condition is `stable`. However, we are still waiting for the official health update to come from Dilip Kumar`s wife Saira Banu, and their spokesperson. Known as the `Tragedy King` of Bollywood, the veteran actor`s career spanned over six decades. He has acted in over 65 films in his career and is known for his iconic roles in movies like `Devdas `(1955), `Naya Daur` (1957), `Mughal-e-Azam` (1960), `Ganga Jamuna` (1961), `Kranti` (1981), and `Karma` (1986). He was last seen in `Qila` in 1998.

Veteran actor Dilip Kumar hospitalised after complaining of breathlessness 

The entire world is celebrating Father's Day today. Marking the special occasion, Bollywood celebs celebrated the day and shared some precious and unseen photos that are winning the internet.

The entire world is celebrating Father's Day today. Marking the special occasion, Bollywood celebs celebrated the day and shared some precious and unseen photos that are winning the internet. Father's day: Movies & shows that will make your dad's special day more entertaining Here's how they wished their fathers and celebrated the day! From Anushka Sharma, who took Instagram to wish her dad and her daughter's dad Virat Kohli, to Akshay Kumar, who celebrated the day with a special memory of his father Hari Om Bhatia. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) × Taking to Instagram, The 'Bell Bottom' actor shared a collage of three photos featuring his dad, son Aarav and daughter Nitara. "My father gave me an ocean of love and wisdom. If I’ve been able to pass on even a few drops to my kids, my work here is well done! Happy #FathersDay to all." He captioned the photo. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AnushkaSharma1588 (@anushkasharma) × Anushka shared a series of photos featuring his father and Virat. In the first photo, Anushka shared a throwback photo with her dad. In another post, she shared a throwback photo of her pregnancy days with Virat on the beach, in which she can also be seen holding her baby bump. "The two most exemplary men . The two who 'get me'. Filled with bountiful of love and grace . The best father's a daughter can have #happyfathersday." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) × Kareena Kapoor Khan shared a picture with her father Randhir Kapoor and husband Saif Ali Khan. In the caption, she referred to them as her "Superheroes". View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yami Gautam (@yamigautam) × Newly married Yami Gautam took her social media and shared a picture of herself with her father from her wedding. ''Happy Father's Day papa...Love you'' Yami captioned the post. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) × Karan Johar posted Father’s Day wishes for not only his children– Yash and Roohi– but also for Alia Bhatt, who considers him a father figure. ''Blessed to be a father…. My endeavour is to raise them as individuals and never Stereotype them by gender … teach them inclusivity and humanity in equal measure… we are in a world that needs Conscious parenting and I aspire to be that parent…. Children are extremely impressionable so what we say around them truly matters! #happyfathersday to every understanding, supporting but never controlling father…..'' He wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Janhvi Kapoor (@janhvikapoor) × Janhnvi Kapoor also wished her father with the throwbacks. ''The best man I know. And I’m the luckiest because I get to be your daughter 💕 Happy Father’s Day'' She captioned the post.

Akshay Kumar to Anushka Sharma:, Bollywood extend Father's Day greetings

<p>The year 2020 has triggered a paradigm shift in the way films are made, shown and received by the viewers. &nbsp;We all know about the lockdown effect on the Bollywood blockbusters &amp; superstars and the effect the STATUE game wreaked on Masala-land. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Salman Khan – Bollywood’s Most&nbsp;Wanted&nbsp;– with trademark swag and dare did something no production house or star dreamt of doing. He released his ambitious Radhe across several digital platforms &amp; theatres, at home &amp; abroad. While reports everywhere indicate that it probably was the DABANGG dasher's most disappointing release in years, to the critical eye and astute Bollywood observer, does this signal the beginning of the end for our star-system?</p>

<p>Is the unconditional love and support from their fans, across decades, suddenly on tricky ground? &nbsp;Has the combination of the lockdown [out-of-sight out-of-mind] and enriching OTT fare [vigorous, vibrant, varied] altered perceptions, taste &amp; choice of what is good and what-is-not? Will Radhe be an example for Bollywood to pull back and deeply introspect about their traditional, rock-solid affair with stars &amp; content? &nbsp;Has the rising chorus mirrored the fact that their moment of truth, litmus test and hour of reckoning has indeed arrived?&nbsp;</p>

<p>And finally, has the time come for mainstream Bollywood to unleash their [forever in the dark] brilliant galaxy of actors &amp; celebrate them through powerful, attention-worthy storm-centre roles that portray, with passion &amp; purpose, the linear truth, not glamorously inane armpit rhetoric &amp; hysterical posturing dramabaazi?</p>

<p>For some time now, powered by a magnificent mafia of young, new, daring, exciting directors &amp; story-tellers, this new lot has served notice that to ring out the old and ring in the new is their agenda. &nbsp;It was never about confronting, challenging or competing with the superstars or the movie moguls. &nbsp;It was about not being slung out as lonely sentries against the gated Bollywood border. About not being perceived as a one-off curiosity without garnering a decent audience base. This they did by clearly defining the difference between the mainstream and their content profile.</p>

<p>Bollywood manufactured movies. OTT made films. Bollywood sold fantasy and escapism, OTT was into realism with engagement. Bollywood avoided controversy, OTT embraced it. Bollywood strip-mined genres and made movies out of cookie-cutters OTT was passionate about expressing personal vision. &nbsp;</p>

<p>If Bollywood made movies by committees, their product was the result of individual sensibilities. While Bollywood hired directors to do a job, they worshipped at the altar of a process that popularised art in intelligent and relatable fashion. While Bollywood went for spectacle, action and special effects, OTT worked on an intimate scale focussing on misc-en-scene. If Bollywood pandered to popular taste, OTT worked without any set audience in mind, only inner calling. If Bollywood products were embedded in a system that cushioned risk, OTT films flew without a safety net. &nbsp;</p>

<p>So, basically, the OTT films exist in the huge and available space between the shots of Bollywood movies!</p>

<p>To the evolved lover of both Hollywood &amp; European cinema, the similarities are striking. While the world’s most glamorous movie industry Hollywood – like our Bollywood – was&nbsp;preoccupied with all that is grand and big, offering seductive star dazzle that paralysed the senses, European films – like OTT – worked with small budgets, outside hierarchies, producing content that was visually &amp; thematically innovative. Harking back to the older times like our present-day powerhouse actresses, [Neena Gupta, Rasika Duggal, Tisca Chopra, Divya Dutta, Tilottoma Shome, Sahana Goswami and of course the amazing Konkona Sen Sharma, among others] before Simone Signoret’s Room at the Top, could a head honcho imagine that a middle-aged, plump woman could also be desirable?</p>

<p>Before Jeanne Moreau, the idea of a sexy woman with small bosom and experience written on her face was unthinkable! Individuality was the key and names like Anouk Aimee, Monica Vitti &amp; gang were names to reckon with.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Not typically STAR types, they were womanly in their luminous and unique personalities. Wasn’t American society flexible in allowing women alternates to traditional role–playing and life-styles? How does one account for discrepancies in cultural association, myths and movie images? Did Americans polarise their women as Good or Evil? Or in their exuberant lack of introspection did Hollywood caricature and categorise, overplay &amp; overdress?&nbsp;</p>

<p>European films [like our OTT films] didn’t give such easy signals because they broke barriers and silos to reveal themselves as complex creatures containing &amp; combining every element of unpredictability. Audiences thus, saw a range of emotions – not histrionics or performance – and were a riveted party to her fears &amp; fantasies. Nothing stagnated and no one was readable at a glance &amp; yet movies like those compelled us by expanding &amp; sharing the female complex identities, rather than limiting them. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Sophia Loren was a dazzling example. Had it not been for Two Women, - and despite both American &amp; British Academy awards - she would still be wandering about in tattered blouses flashing a tempestuous surface [Boy on a Dolphin, El Cis, Lady L] ignored by the establishment despite the European made Boccacio 70, Yesterday, Today &amp; Tomorrow, Marriage Italian Style, Sunflower, The Priest’s Wife. &nbsp;</p>

<p>At the end of the day, OTT- like European heroines- present her like a woman, not a little girl and refused to surrender to clichés. Since its less sugar n’ spice and more fire n’ ice, viewing it could be – for the uninitiated – like undergoing surgery without anaesthesia! Its cathartic because it cuts you while it cures, enriches and empowers you, re-focusing on the human viscera, probing the dynamics of women’s relationship with each other [Ajeeb Dastans, Lipstick under my Burkha] giving it a vitality &amp; magic, unknown in mainstream fare. &nbsp;Their perception, conversation and gestures indicate an intelligence which star-driven projects can never dream of because introspection without snappy wit or glibness leans heavily on their concept of mass-entertainment &amp; femininity.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These actors&nbsp;represent anti-box office intellect. They care two hoots for designer clothes, exotic locales or big box-office leading men/directors. Bollywood, like Hollywood, therefore continues to &nbsp;be totally zapped about how to use these amazingly gifted stars just like the sublime Moreau and Liv Ullman were used as “imported products for exotica appeal” in Monte Walsh &amp; 40 Carats.</p>

<p>So what’s the future? Have these heroines fighting for liberation [equality, choice, opportunity] brought on their own quarantined isolation? They refuse to be fantasy friends and refuse to confuse fame with talent. For them, Cinema is the best way at getting back at life. Everyone creates their own signposts. For these OTT stars the invisible frontier has been lowered, no matter how little. Let’s hope and pray, the angels are on their side.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)</strong><br />
&nbsp;</p>


The year 2020 has triggered a paradigm shift in the way films are made, shown and received by the viewers. We all know about the lockdown effect on the Bollywood blockbusters & superstars and the effect the STATUE game wreaked on Masala-land.

The year 2020 has triggered a paradigm shift in the way films are made, shown and received by the viewers. We all know about the lockdown effect on the Bollywood blockbusters & superstars and the effect the STATUE game wreaked on Masala-land. Salman Khan – Bollywood’s Most Wanted – with trademark swag and dare did something no production house or star dreamt of doing. He released his ambitious Radhe across several digital platforms & theatres, at home & abroad. While reports everywhere indicate that it probably was the DABANGG dasher's most disappointing release in years, to the critical eye and astute Bollywood observer, does this signal the beginning of the end for our star-system? Is the unconditional love and support from their fans, across decades, suddenly on tricky ground? Has the combination of the lockdown [out-of-sight out-of-mind] and enriching OTT fare [vigorous, vibrant, varied] altered perceptions, taste & choice of what is good and what-is-not? Will Radhe be an example for Bollywood to pull back and deeply introspect about their traditional, rock-solid affair with stars & content? Has the rising chorus mirrored the fact that their moment of truth, litmus test and hour of reckoning has indeed arrived? And finally, has the time come for mainstream Bollywood to unleash their [forever in the dark] brilliant galaxy of actors & celebrate them through powerful, attention-worthy storm-centre roles that portray, with passion & purpose, the linear truth, not glamorously inane armpit rhetoric & hysterical posturing dramabaazi? For some time now, powered by a magnificent mafia of young, new, daring, exciting directors & story-tellers, this new lot has served notice that to ring out the old and ring in the new is their agenda. It was never about confronting, challenging or competing with the superstars or the movie moguls. It was about not being slung out as lonely sentries against the gated Bollywood border. About not being perceived as a one-off curiosity without garnering a decent audience base. This they did by clearly defining the difference between the mainstream and their content profile. Bollywood manufactured movies. OTT made films. Bollywood sold fantasy and escapism, OTT was into realism with engagement. Bollywood avoided controversy, OTT embraced it. Bollywood strip-mined genres and made movies out of cookie-cutters OTT was passionate about expressing personal vision. If Bollywood made movies by committees, their product was the result of individual sensibilities. While Bollywood hired directors to do a job, they worshipped at the altar of a process that popularised art in intelligent and relatable fashion. While Bollywood went for spectacle, action and special effects, OTT worked on an intimate scale focussing on misc-en-scene. If Bollywood pandered to popular taste, OTT worked without any set audience in mind, only inner calling. If Bollywood products were embedded in a system that cushioned risk, OTT films flew without a safety net. So, basically, the OTT films exist in the huge and available space between the shots of Bollywood movies! To the evolved lover of both Hollywood & European cinema, the similarities are striking. While the world’s most glamorous movie industry Hollywood – like our Bollywood – was preoccupied with all that is grand and big, offering seductive star dazzle that paralysed the senses, European films – like OTT – worked with small budgets, outside hierarchies, producing content that was visually & thematically innovative. Harking back to the older times like our present-day powerhouse actresses, [Neena Gupta, Rasika Duggal, Tisca Chopra, Divya Dutta, Tilottoma Shome, Sahana Goswami and of course the amazing Konkona Sen Sharma, among others] before Simone Signoret’s Room at the Top, could a head honcho imagine that a middle-aged, plump woman could also be desirable? Before Jeanne Moreau, the idea of a sexy woman with small bosom and experience written on her face was unthinkable! Individuality was the key and names like Anouk Aimee, Monica Vitti & gang were names to reckon with. Not typically STAR types, they were womanly in their luminous and unique personalities. Wasn’t American society flexible in allowing women alternates to traditional role–playing and life-styles? How does one account for discrepancies in cultural association, myths and movie images? Did Americans polarise their women as Good or Evil? Or in their exuberant lack of introspection did Hollywood caricature and categorise, overplay & overdress? European films [like our OTT films] didn’t give such easy signals because they broke barriers and silos to reveal themselves as complex creatures containing & combining every element of unpredictability. Audiences thus, saw a range of emotions – not histrionics or performance – and were a riveted party to her fears & fantasies. Nothing stagnated and no one was readable at a glance & yet movies like those compelled us by expanding & sharing the female complex identities, rather than limiting them. Sophia Loren was a dazzling example. Had it not been for Two Women, - and despite both American & British Academy awards - she would still be wandering about in tattered blouses flashing a tempestuous surface [Boy on a Dolphin, El Cis, Lady L] ignored by the establishment despite the European made Boccacio 70, Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, Marriage Italian Style, Sunflower, The Priest’s Wife. At the end of the day, OTT- like European heroines- present her like a woman, not a little girl and refused to surrender to clichés. Since its less sugar n’ spice and more fire n’ ice, viewing it could be – for the uninitiated – like undergoing surgery without anaesthesia! Its cathartic because it cuts you while it cures, enriches and empowers you, re-focusing on the human viscera, probing the dynamics of women’s relationship with each other [Ajeeb Dastans, Lipstick under my Burkha] giving it a vitality & magic, unknown in mainstream fare. Their perception, conversation and gestures indicate an intelligence which star-driven projects can never dream of because introspection without snappy wit or glibness leans heavily on their concept of mass-entertainment & femininity. These actors represent anti-box office intellect. They care two hoots for designer clothes, exotic locales or big box-office leading men/directors. Bollywood, like Hollywood, therefore continues to be totally zapped about how to use these amazingly gifted stars just like the sublime Moreau and Liv Ullman were used as “imported products for exotica appeal” in Monte Walsh & 40 Carats. So what’s the future? Have these heroines fighting for liberation [equality, choice, opportunity] brought on their own quarantined isolation? They refuse to be fantasy friends and refuse to confuse fame with talent. For them, Cinema is the best way at getting back at life. Everyone creates their own signposts. For these OTT stars the invisible frontier has been lowered, no matter how little. Let’s hope and pray, the angels are on their side. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Opinion: OTT stars are to Bollywood what European actresses were to Hollywood

<p>&nbsp;As Bollywood star Varun Dhawan ringed in his 34th birthday on Saturday, actors including Arjun Kapoor, Riteish Deshmukh, Madhuri Dixit Nene, and others extended heartfelt wishes on social media to make the day even more special.<br />
<br />
Arjun broke the internet with his hilarious birthday wish for his dear friend, calling Varun the `shirtless wonder` of Juhu. He took to his Instagram handle and uploaded a video montage with funny pictures of Varun in his various shirtless avatars, comparing him to Mowgli. Arjun captioned the post as, "To the shirtless wonder of Juhu, Happy Birthday! @varundvn."<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p><br />
<br />
Bollywood`s `Dhak Dhak` girl Madhuri Dixit Nene also wished the birthday boy on her Twitter handle by sharing a photo with him, along with the tweet, "Happy Birthday, @Varun_dvn. May your year ahead be as charming as you. Lots of love."Anushka Sharma posted an Instagram story featuring Varun`s photo along with the message, "Happy Birthday VD! Wishing you a safe, healthy and happy year@varundvn."<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Happy Birthday, <a href="https://twitter.com/Varun_dvn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Varun_dvn</a>. May your year ahead be as charming as you. Lot's of love 🤗❤️ <a href="https://t.co/wh0431GSLB">pic.twitter.com/wh0431GSLB</a></p>
— Madhuri Dixit Nene (@MadhuriDixit) <a href="https://twitter.com/MadhuriDixit/status/1385827654956314624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p><br />
<br />
Actor Riteish Deshmukh took to his Instagram handle and shared a custom animated portrait of the `October` actor. In the caption he wrote, "Wishing the energy &amp; talent ki dukaan @varundvn a great great birthday! Stay healthy, stay safe."<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Happy Birthday, <a href="https://twitter.com/Varun_dvn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Varun_dvn</a>. May your year ahead be as charming as you. Lot's of love 🤗❤️ <a href="https://t.co/wh0431GSLB">pic.twitter.com/wh0431GSLB</a></p>
— Madhuri Dixit Nene (@MadhuriDixit) <a href="https://twitter.com/MadhuriDixit/status/1385827654956314624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p><br />
<br />
Meanwhile, on the work front Varun, who was last seen in his father David Dhawan`s `Coolie No. 1`, co-starring opposite Sara Ali Khan, recently completed shooting for the horror-comedy `Bhediya` along with Kriti Sanon in Arunachal Pradesh.<br />
<br />
The movie that is slated to release in cinemas on April 14, 2022, will mark the `Badlapur` star and `Heropanti` star`s third collaboration with each other after sharing screen space in 2015 rom-com `Dilwale` and 2019 `Kalank`.<br />
<br />
`Bhediya` will bring together the dynamic duo of producer Dinesh Vijan and director Amar Kaushik, who also helmed the 2018 blockbuster movie `Stree`.Starring Kriti Sanon, Varun Dhawan, Abhishek Banerjee, and Deepak Dobriyal, the story is written by National Award Winner, Niren Bhatt who also wrote intriguing scripts for `Bala`, `Made In China`, `Wrong Side Raju`.<br />
<br />
Apart from `Bhediya`, the actor will also be seen in `Jug Jugg Jeeyo` alongside Anil Kapoor, Kiara Advani, and Neetu Kapoor.&nbsp;</p>


As Bollywood star Varun Dhawan ringed in his 34th birthday on Saturday, actors including Arjun Kapoor, Riteish Deshmukh, Madhuri Dixit Nene, and others extended heartfelt wishes on social media to make the day even more special.

As Bollywood star Varun Dhawan ringed in his 34th birthday on Saturday, actors including Arjun Kapoor, Riteish Deshmukh, Madhuri Dixit Nene, and others extended heartfelt wishes on social media to make the day even more special. Arjun broke the internet with his hilarious birthday wish for his dear friend, calling Varun the `shirtless wonder` of Juhu. He took to his Instagram handle and uploaded a video montage with funny pictures of Varun in his various shirtless avatars, comparing him to Mowgli. Arjun captioned the post as, "To the shirtless wonder of Juhu, Happy Birthday! @varundvn." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Arjun Kapoor (@arjunkapoor) × Bollywood`s `Dhak Dhak` girl Madhuri Dixit Nene also wished the birthday boy on her Twitter handle by sharing a photo with him, along with the tweet, "Happy Birthday, @Varun_dvn. May your year ahead be as charming as you. Lots of love."Anushka Sharma posted an Instagram story featuring Varun`s photo along with the message, "Happy Birthday VD! Wishing you a safe, healthy and happy year@varundvn." Happy Birthday, @Varun_dvn. May your year ahead be as charming as you. Lot's of love 🤗❤️ pic.twitter.com/wh0431GSLB — Madhuri Dixit Nene (@MadhuriDixit) April 24, 2021 × Actor Riteish Deshmukh took to his Instagram handle and shared a custom animated portrait of the `October` actor. In the caption he wrote, "Wishing the energy & talent ki dukaan @varundvn a great great birthday! Stay healthy, stay safe." Happy Birthday, @Varun_dvn. May your year ahead be as charming as you. Lot's of love 🤗❤️ pic.twitter.com/wh0431GSLB — Madhuri Dixit Nene (@MadhuriDixit) April 24, 2021 × Meanwhile, on the work front Varun, who was last seen in his father David Dhawan`s `Coolie No. 1`, co-starring opposite Sara Ali Khan, recently completed shooting for the horror-comedy `Bhediya` along with Kriti Sanon in Arunachal Pradesh. The movie that is slated to release in cinemas on April 14, 2022, will mark the `Badlapur` star and `Heropanti` star`s third collaboration with each other after sharing screen space in 2015 rom-com `Dilwale` and 2019 `Kalank`. `Bhediya` will bring together the dynamic duo of producer Dinesh Vijan and director Amar Kaushik, who also helmed the 2018 blockbuster movie `Stree`.Starring Kriti Sanon, Varun Dhawan, Abhishek Banerjee, and Deepak Dobriyal, the story is written by National Award Winner, Niren Bhatt who also wrote intriguing scripts for `Bala`, `Made In China`, `Wrong Side Raju`. Apart from `Bhediya`, the actor will also be seen in `Jug Jugg Jeeyo` alongside Anil Kapoor, Kiara Advani, and Neetu Kapoor.

Bollywood pours in birthday wishes as Varun Dhawan turns 34

<p>Bollywood stars Akshaye Khanna and Raveena Tandon have been roped in as rivals on screen for the first time in Vijay Gutte`s upcoming web series `Legacy`.<br />
<br />
Film critic and movie trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to Twitter and shared the news along with the pictures of the trio. He wrote, "AKSHAYE KHANNA - RAVEENA TANDON IN WEB SERIES... #AkshayeKhanna and #RaveenaTandon will share screen space for the first time... Titled #Legacy... Directed by Vijay Gutte [#TheAccidentalPrimeMinister]... Starts 2021-end... Produced by After Studios, AA Films and Sunny Bakshi."Being mounted on a monumental scale for a global audience, the exciting drama series would be shot across multiple countries bringing to screen the feud between the characters being portrayed by these two stars.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">AKSHAYE KHANNA - RAVEENA TANDON IN WEB SERIES... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AkshayeKhanna?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AkshayeKhanna</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RaveenaTandon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RaveenaTandon</a> will share screen space for the first time... Titled <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Legacy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Legacy</a>... Directed by Vijay Gutte [<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheAccidentalPrimeMinister?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheAccidentalPrimeMinister</a>]... Starts 2021-end... Produced by After Studios, AA Films and Sunny Bakshi. <a href="https://t.co/07zXmaoIHs">pic.twitter.com/07zXmaoIHs</a></p>
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) <a href="https://twitter.com/taran_adarsh/status/1381813618405040130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p><br />
<br />
Directed by Vijay Gutte, known for his critically acclaimed venture `The Accidental Prime Minister`, `Legacy` marks the filmmaker`s maiden outing on the OTT space and the director`s second association with the `Tees Maar Khan` star.<br />
<br />
Talking about the project, Akshaye shares, "It is refreshing to work on the content that challenges our boundaries as an industry as a whole. Given the massive scale of the show, we are cognizant of the immense responsibility to deliver our bests to create a content piece the audience looks forward to. I`m glad legacy is going to be my first web series."<br />
<br />
The Mohra` actor expressed her excitement saying, "Legacy presents an interesting tale of a power struggle with an entertaining amount of drama, which grasped my attention. It is a fine work of content articulated interestingly to resonate with a global audience. I am excited to be associated with the show and looking forward to beginning this journey."<br />
<br />
"I`m extremely excited about `Legacy` for multiple reasons. It is an aspirational project mounted on a large scale reflecting upon the dark realities of the professional world. I am thrilled to be reuniting with Akshaye for this and exhilarated to have Raveena Tandon on board with us on this one. This talent powerhouse is set for an epic rivalry," said director Vijay Gutte. Produced by After Studios, AA Films and Sunny Bakshi, `Legacy` starring Akshaye Khanna and Raveena Tandon in the leading roles, is directed by Vijay Gutte.</p>


Bollywood stars Akshaye Khanna and Raveena Tandon have been roped in as rivals on screen for the first time in Vijay Gutte`s upcoming web series `Legacy`. Film critic and movie trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to Twitter and shared the news along with the pictures of the trio.

Bollywood stars Akshaye Khanna and Raveena Tandon have been roped in as rivals on screen for the first time in Vijay Gutte`s upcoming web series `Legacy`. Film critic and movie trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to Twitter and shared the news along with the pictures of the trio. He wrote, "AKSHAYE KHANNA - RAVEENA TANDON IN WEB SERIES... #AkshayeKhanna and #RaveenaTandon will share screen space for the first time... Titled #Legacy... Directed by Vijay Gutte [#TheAccidentalPrimeMinister]... Starts 2021-end... Produced by After Studios, AA Films and Sunny Bakshi."Being mounted on a monumental scale for a global audience, the exciting drama series would be shot across multiple countries bringing to screen the feud between the characters being portrayed by these two stars. AKSHAYE KHANNA - RAVEENA TANDON IN WEB SERIES... #AkshayeKhanna and #RaveenaTandon will share screen space for the first time... Titled #Legacy... Directed by Vijay Gutte [#TheAccidentalPrimeMinister]... Starts 2021-end... Produced by After Studios, AA Films and Sunny Bakshi. pic.twitter.com/07zXmaoIHs — taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) April 13, 2021 × Directed by Vijay Gutte, known for his critically acclaimed venture `The Accidental Prime Minister`, `Legacy` marks the filmmaker`s maiden outing on the OTT space and the director`s second association with the `Tees Maar Khan` star. Talking about the project, Akshaye shares, "It is refreshing to work on the content that challenges our boundaries as an industry as a whole. Given the massive scale of the show, we are cognizant of the immense responsibility to deliver our bests to create a content piece the audience looks forward to. I`m glad legacy is going to be my first web series." The Mohra` actor expressed her excitement saying, "Legacy presents an interesting tale of a power struggle with an entertaining amount of drama, which grasped my attention. It is a fine work of content articulated interestingly to resonate with a global audience. I am excited to be associated with the show and looking forward to beginning this journey." "I`m extremely excited about `Legacy` for multiple reasons. It is an aspirational project mounted on a large scale reflecting upon the dark realities of the professional world. I am thrilled to be reuniting with Akshaye for this and exhilarated to have Raveena Tandon on board with us on this one. This talent powerhouse is set for an epic rivalry," said director Vijay Gutte. Produced by After Studios, AA Films and Sunny Bakshi, `Legacy` starring Akshaye Khanna and Raveena Tandon in the leading roles, is directed by Vijay Gutte.

Akshaye Khanna, Raveena Tandon to share screen for first time as rivals in Vijay Gutte's 'Legacy'

<p>Neena Gupta has joined the cast of `Goodbye`, which went on floors recently.<br />
<br />
The `Badhaai Ho` star will be seen sharing screen space with megastar Amitabh Bachchan as his wife. The film also stars&nbsp;Rashmika Mandanna.<br />
<br />
This is the first time Neena and Amitabh will be seen opposite each other in a film. Both Neena and the `Sholay` star share mutual admiration for one another and Neena has been a huge fan of his work.<br />
<br />
Thrilled to be a part of the film, she said, "When Vikas narrated the film to me, I was so happy. It is a wonderful script and one doesn`t think about anything else, when the script is this exciting. Even the role is beautifully written and I am very excited to be sharing the screen space with Mr. Bachchan. It is a dream come true for me and I am quite ecstatic about it."<br />
<br />
The `Agneepath` star had showered praises for the `Pinni` star in a hand-written note appreciating her performance in the 2018 film `Badhaai Ho`.<br />
<br />
Neena had earlier worked with Ekta Kapoor in `Veere Di Wedding and now `Goodbye` marks the second film for the duo.<br />
<br />
Helmed by Vikas Bahl, whose last directorial was `Super 30`, `Goodbye`, is produced by Balaji Telefilms and Reliance Entertainment.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Neena Gupta has joined the cast of `Goodbye`, which went on floors recently. The `Badhaai Ho` star will be seen sharing screen space with megastar Amitabh Bachchan as his wife.

Neena Gupta has joined the cast of `Goodbye`, which went on floors recently. The `Badhaai Ho` star will be seen sharing screen space with megastar Amitabh Bachchan as his wife. The film also stars Rashmika Mandanna. This is the first time Neena and Amitabh will be seen opposite each other in a film. Both Neena and the `Sholay` star share mutual admiration for one another and Neena has been a huge fan of his work. Thrilled to be a part of the film, she said, "When Vikas narrated the film to me, I was so happy. It is a wonderful script and one doesn`t think about anything else, when the script is this exciting. Even the role is beautifully written and I am very excited to be sharing the screen space with Mr. Bachchan. It is a dream come true for me and I am quite ecstatic about it." The `Agneepath` star had showered praises for the `Pinni` star in a hand-written note appreciating her performance in the 2018 film `Badhaai Ho`. Neena had earlier worked with Ekta Kapoor in `Veere Di Wedding and now `Goodbye` marks the second film for the duo. Helmed by Vikas Bahl, whose last directorial was `Super 30`, `Goodbye`, is produced by Balaji Telefilms and Reliance Entertainment.

Neena Gupta to play Amitabh Bachchan's wife in 'Goodbye'

<p>Actor Rajkummar Rao says he is a big fan of Irrfan Khan, and adds that he would love to achieve something like the filmography the late actor had.<br />
<br />
"I am a huge fan of Irrfan sir. The kind of filmography he had, the work he has done and the performances he has given -- I would love to achieve something like that. That would be great," Rajkummar told IANS.<br />
<br />
Irrfan is one of many actors he would love to take a masterclass from. However, although Rajkummar regularly garners accolades for his roles, he feels he is not in a position to give masterclass to aspiring actors.<br />
<br />
"Trust me I am not in a position to do that, and honestly I don`t feel that I have done anything special to give a masterclass. I think there are way better actors, there are way more people out here from whom I would like to take a masterclass," the actor said.<br />
<br />
Rajkummar, who was recently seen in the horror-comedy "Roohi", will next be seen in "Badhaai Do", a follow-up to the 2018 comedy film "Badhaai Ho". The film co-stars Bhumi Pedenkar.<br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Actor Rajkummar Rao says he is a big fan of Irrfan Khan, and adds that he would love to achieve something like the filmography the late actor had. "I am a huge fan of Irrfan sir.

Actor Rajkummar Rao says he is a big fan of Irrfan Khan, and adds that he would love to achieve something like the filmography the late actor had. "I am a huge fan of Irrfan sir. The kind of filmography he had, the work he has done and the performances he has given -- I would love to achieve something like that. That would be great," Rajkummar told IANS. Irrfan is one of many actors he would love to take a masterclass from. However, although Rajkummar regularly garners accolades for his roles, he feels he is not in a position to give masterclass to aspiring actors. "Trust me I am not in a position to do that, and honestly I don`t feel that I have done anything special to give a masterclass. I think there are way better actors, there are way more people out here from whom I would like to take a masterclass," the actor said. Rajkummar, who was recently seen in the horror-comedy "Roohi", will next be seen in "Badhaai Do", a follow-up to the 2018 comedy film "Badhaai Ho". The film co-stars Bhumi Pedenkar.

Rajkummar Rao would 'love to achieve' filmography like Irrfan Khan's

<p>Rani Mukherji has a birthday treat for all her fans. The actor who turns 42 today, is set to play the lead in&nbsp;Zee Studios and Emmay Entertainment's 'Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway'<br />
<br />
<br />
Touted as an untold story about a journey of a mother's battle against an entire country, the movie will be directed by Ashima Chibber, known for 'Mere Dad Ki Maruti'. Mukerji said the announcement has made her birthday special. The actor said, "Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway" is one of the most "significant films" of her career spanning 25 years. She made her debut with the 1996 drama "Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat".<br />
<br />
"I started my career with 'Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat', which was a woman-centric film, and coincidentally in my 25th year, I'm announcing a film that is also centered around a woman's resolve to fight against all odds and take on a country. 'Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway' is a story of true human resilience and it is a film that is dedicated to all the mothers out there. It is truly one of the most amazing scripts that I have read in a long time and I immediately decided to do this special film," Mukerji said in a statement.<br />
<br />
The actor was last seen on the big screen in the 2019 action-drama 'Mardaani 2'&nbsp;and is gearing up for the release of 'Bunty Aur Babli 2'&nbsp;next month, where she will be seen doing&nbsp;a cameo alongside Saif Ali Khan.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Mukerji said she is thrilled to collaborate with filmmaker Nikkhil Advani of Emmay Entertainment, who she has known since her breakthrough 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'&nbsp;(1998) on which he served as an assistant director to then debutant director Karan Johar. "I am happy that Zee Studios has collaborated with them on this powerful script. To partner with Ashima Chibber, my director, is something I am looking forward to, whose vision for the film and intent with this project has truly bowled me over," she added.<br />
<br />
Inspired by a true story, the film will mark Mukerji's first collaboration with Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani (Emmay Entertainment), and Zee Studios. Monisha Advani, partner, Emmay Entertainment is happy to back the "extremely potent drama" and said the film has a sensitive script.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
(With Inputs fro9m PTI)</p>


Rani Mukherji has a birthday treat for all her fans. The actor who turns 42 today, is set to play the lead in Zee Studios and Emmay Entertainment's 'Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway' Touted as an untold story about a journey of a mother's battle against an entire country, the movie will be directed by Ashima Chibber, known for 'Mere Dad Ki Maruti'.

Rani Mukherji has a birthday treat for all her fans. The actor who turns 42 today, is set to play the lead in Zee Studios and Emmay Entertainment's 'Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway' Touted as an untold story about a journey of a mother's battle against an entire country, the movie will be directed by Ashima Chibber, known for 'Mere Dad Ki Maruti'. Mukerji said the announcement has made her birthday special. The actor said, "Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway" is one of the most "significant films" of her career spanning 25 years. She made her debut with the 1996 drama "Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat". "I started my career with 'Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat', which was a woman-centric film, and coincidentally in my 25th year, I'm announcing a film that is also centered around a woman's resolve to fight against all odds and take on a country. 'Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway' is a story of true human resilience and it is a film that is dedicated to all the mothers out there. It is truly one of the most amazing scripts that I have read in a long time and I immediately decided to do this special film," Mukerji said in a statement. The actor was last seen on the big screen in the 2019 action-drama 'Mardaani 2' and is gearing up for the release of 'Bunty Aur Babli 2' next month, where she will be seen doing a cameo alongside Saif Ali Khan. Mukerji said she is thrilled to collaborate with filmmaker Nikkhil Advani of Emmay Entertainment, who she has known since her breakthrough 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' (1998) on which he served as an assistant director to then debutant director Karan Johar. "I am happy that Zee Studios has collaborated with them on this powerful script. To partner with Ashima Chibber, my director, is something I am looking forward to, whose vision for the film and intent with this project has truly bowled me over," she added. Inspired by a true story, the film will mark Mukerji's first collaboration with Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani (Emmay Entertainment), and Zee Studios. Monisha Advani, partner, Emmay Entertainment is happy to back the "extremely potent drama" and said the film has a sensitive script. (With Inputs fro9m PTI)

Rani Mukerji to play the lead in child welfare drama ‘Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway’

<p>American model Chrissy Teigen, on Sunday, treated her Indian fans to a video where she was seen grooving to Bollywood`s party number `Jaaneman Aah`, while on a date night with husband and American singer John legend.<br />
<br />
The 35-year-old celebrity shared a video on Instagram from her date night with husband and singer John Legend where she was seen grooving to the famous dance number of Bollywood`s 2016 action comedy movie `Dishoom`. The song was `Jaaneman Aah` which originally features Varun Dhawan and Parineeti Chopra.</p>

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<p>In the video, she mentioned the location of the restaurant which turned out to be an Indian restaurant called `Panna II`.Soon after she posted the video, scores of fans chimed into her comments section, with Varun and Parineeti also leaving exciting messages for her.</p>

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CMGs4lZhjW5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen)</a></p>
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<p>Varun wrote, "It`s time u bust some moves here Chrissy". While Parineeti wrote, "Song choice APPROVED Chrissy!".<br />
<br />
The video hogged a lot of attention especially from the Indian social media users and made it garner more than two million views within a few hours of being posted.</p>


American model Chrissy Teigen, on Sunday, treated her Indian fans to a video where she was seen grooving to Bollywood`s party number `Jaaneman Aah`, while on a date night with husband and American singer John legend.

American model Chrissy Teigen, on Sunday, treated her Indian fans to a video where she was seen grooving to Bollywood`s party number `Jaaneman Aah`, while on a date night with husband and American singer John legend. The 35-year-old celebrity shared a video on Instagram from her date night with husband and singer John Legend where she was seen grooving to the famous dance number of Bollywood`s 2016 action comedy movie `Dishoom`. The song was `Jaaneman Aah` which originally features Varun Dhawan and Parineeti Chopra. View this post on Instagram A post shared by chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) × In the video, she mentioned the location of the restaurant which turned out to be an Indian restaurant called `Panna II`.Soon after she posted the video, scores of fans chimed into her comments section, with Varun and Parineeti also leaving exciting messages for her. View this post on Instagram A post shared by chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) × Varun wrote, "It`s time u bust some moves here Chrissy". While Parineeti wrote, "Song choice APPROVED Chrissy!". The video hogged a lot of attention especially from the Indian social media users and made it garner more than two million views within a few hours of being posted.

Chrissy Teigen grooves to Bollywood party number 'Jaaneman Aah', here's how stars react

<p>After piquing the curiosity of movie buffs by sharing a teaser with actor Ranbir Kapoor`s powerful voiceover, the makers of 'Animal'&nbsp;have finally revealed the release date of the upcoming film.<br />
<br />
Apart from Ranbir, the film also stars Anil Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, and Bobby Deol in the key roles. It is set to hit the theatres on Dussehra 2022. Taking to his Twitter handle, Anil shared the news of the release date with his fans.<br />
<br />
He tweeted, "ANIMAL Coming Dussehra 2022! #RanbirKapoor @ParineetiChopra @thedeol Directed by @imvangasandeep Animal is produced by #BhushanKumar @VangaPranay @MuradKhetani #KrishanKumar #TSeriesFilms @VangaPictures @Cine1Studios @TSeries."The `Taal` actor also posted the same teaser which was shared during the announcement of the film in January, this year.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">ANIMAL Coming Dussehra 2022!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RanbirKapoor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RanbirKapoor</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ParineetiChopra?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ParineetiChopra</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/thedeol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thedeol</a><br />
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Directed by <a href="https://twitter.com/imvangasandeep?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imvangasandeep</a><br />
<br />
Animal is produced by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BhushanKumar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BhushanKumar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/VangaPranay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VangaPranay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MuradKhetani?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MuradKhetani</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KrishanKumar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KrishanKumar</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TSeriesFilms?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TSeriesFilms</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/VangaPictures?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VangaPictures</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Cine1Studios?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cine1Studios</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TSeries?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TSeries</a> <a href="https://t.co/HuSEzAyndT">pic.twitter.com/HuSEzAyndT</a></p>
— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnilKapoor/status/1366260882280390656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
<br />
Going by the teaser, it looks like Anil will be seen playing Ranbir`s father in the movie. In the teaser video, Ranbir`s voiceover hints at `Animal` as an intense drama. Towards the end of the clip, the audience also gets to hear incessant gunshots which tease some good action sequences. Helmed by `Kabir Singh` fame director Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the movie is being produced by Bhushan Kumar, Pranay Reddy Vanga, Murad Khetani, and Krishan Kumar.&nbsp;</p>


After piquing the curiosity of movie buffs by sharing a teaser with actor Ranbir Kapoor`s powerful voiceover, the makers of 'Animal' have finally revealed the release date of the upcoming film.

After piquing the curiosity of movie buffs by sharing a teaser with actor Ranbir Kapoor`s powerful voiceover, the makers of 'Animal' have finally revealed the release date of the upcoming film. Apart from Ranbir, the film also stars Anil Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, and Bobby Deol in the key roles. It is set to hit the theatres on Dussehra 2022. Taking to his Twitter handle, Anil shared the news of the release date with his fans. He tweeted, "ANIMAL Coming Dussehra 2022! #RanbirKapoor @ParineetiChopra @thedeol Directed by @imvangasandeep Animal is produced by #BhushanKumar @VangaPranay @MuradKhetani #KrishanKumar #TSeriesFilms @VangaPictures @Cine1Studios @TSeries."The `Taal` actor also posted the same teaser which was shared during the announcement of the film in January, this year. ANIMAL Coming Dussehra 2022!#RanbirKapoor @ParineetiChopra @thedeol Directed by @imvangasandeep Animal is produced by #BhushanKumar @VangaPranay @MuradKhetani #KrishanKumar#TSeriesFilms @VangaPictures @Cine1Studios @TSeries pic.twitter.com/HuSEzAyndT — Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) March 1, 2021 × Going by the teaser, it looks like Anil will be seen playing Ranbir`s father in the movie. In the teaser video, Ranbir`s voiceover hints at `Animal` as an intense drama. Towards the end of the clip, the audience also gets to hear incessant gunshots which tease some good action sequences. Helmed by `Kabir Singh` fame director Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the movie is being produced by Bhushan Kumar, Pranay Reddy Vanga, Murad Khetani, and Krishan Kumar.

Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor-starrer 'Animal' to release on this date

<p>For Bollywood, beautiful women have fair skin, according to an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based computer analysis which reveals that conception of beauty has remained consistent through the years in the film industry centred in Mumbai.<br />
<br />
The automated computer analysis was led by Indian-origin researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in the US.<br />
<br />
The research revealed that babies whose births were depicted in Bollywood films from the 1950s and 60s were more often than not boys; in today`s films, boy and girl newborns are about evenly split.<br />
<br />
In the 50s and 60s, dowries were socially acceptable; today, not so much.<br />
<br />
The researchers, led by Kunal Khadilkar and Ashiqur KhudaBukhsh of CMU`s Language Technologies Institute (LTI), gathered 100 Bollywood movies from each of the past seven decades along with 100 of the top-grossing Hollywood moves from the same periods.<br />
<br />
They then used statistical language models to analyse subtitles of those 1,400 films for gender and social biases, looking for such factors as what words are closely associated with each other.<br />
<br />
"Most cultural studies of movies might consider five or 10 movies," said Khadilkar, a master`s student in LTI.<br />
<br />
"Our method can look at 2,000 movies in a matter of days."<br />
<br />
For instance, the researchers assessed beauty conventions in movies by using a so-called cloze test.<br />
<br />
Essentially, it`s a fill-in-the-blank exercise: "A beautiful woman should have BLANK skin."<br />
<br />
A language model normally would predict "soft" as the answer, the researchers noted.<br />
<br />
But when the model was trained with the Bollywood subtitles, the consistent prediction became "fair".<br />
<br />
The same thing happened when Hollywood subtitles were used, though the bias was less pronounced, said the study.<br />
<br />
To assess the prevalence of male characters, the researchers used a metric called Male Pronoun Ratio (MPR), which compares the occurrence of male pronouns such as "he" and "him" with the total occurrences of male and female pronouns.<br />
<br />
From 1950 through today, the MPR for Bollywood and Hollywood movies ranged from roughly 60 to 65 MPR.<br />
<br />
Looking at words associated with dowry over the years, the researchers found such words as "loan," "debt" and "jewelry" in Bollywood films of the 50s, which suggested compliance.<br />
<br />
By the 1970s, other words, such as "consent" and "responsibility," began to appear. Finally, in the 2000s, the words most closely associated with dowry -- including "trouble," "divorce" and "refused" -- indicate noncompliance or its consequences.<br />
<br />
"All of these things we kind of knew," said KhudaBukhsh, an LTI project scientist, "but now we have numbers to quantify them. And we can also see the progress over the last 70 years as these biases have been reduced."<br />
<br />
The findings were presented at the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence virtual conference earlier this month.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>


For Bollywood, beautiful women have fair skin, according to an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based computer analysis which reveals that conception of beauty has remained consistent through the years in the film industry centred in Mumbai.

For Bollywood, beautiful women have fair skin, according to an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based computer analysis which reveals that conception of beauty has remained consistent through the years in the film industry centred in Mumbai. The automated computer analysis was led by Indian-origin researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in the US. The research revealed that babies whose births were depicted in Bollywood films from the 1950s and 60s were more often than not boys; in today`s films, boy and girl newborns are about evenly split. In the 50s and 60s, dowries were socially acceptable; today, not so much. The researchers, led by Kunal Khadilkar and Ashiqur KhudaBukhsh of CMU`s Language Technologies Institute (LTI), gathered 100 Bollywood movies from each of the past seven decades along with 100 of the top-grossing Hollywood moves from the same periods. They then used statistical language models to analyse subtitles of those 1,400 films for gender and social biases, looking for such factors as what words are closely associated with each other. "Most cultural studies of movies might consider five or 10 movies," said Khadilkar, a master`s student in LTI. "Our method can look at 2,000 movies in a matter of days." For instance, the researchers assessed beauty conventions in movies by using a so-called cloze test. Essentially, it`s a fill-in-the-blank exercise: "A beautiful woman should have BLANK skin." A language model normally would predict "soft" as the answer, the researchers noted. But when the model was trained with the Bollywood subtitles, the consistent prediction became "fair". The same thing happened when Hollywood subtitles were used, though the bias was less pronounced, said the study. To assess the prevalence of male characters, the researchers used a metric called Male Pronoun Ratio (MPR), which compares the occurrence of male pronouns such as "he" and "him" with the total occurrences of male and female pronouns. From 1950 through today, the MPR for Bollywood and Hollywood movies ranged from roughly 60 to 65 MPR. Looking at words associated with dowry over the years, the researchers found such words as "loan," "debt" and "jewelry" in Bollywood films of the 50s, which suggested compliance. By the 1970s, other words, such as "consent" and "responsibility," began to appear. Finally, in the 2000s, the words most closely associated with dowry -- including "trouble," "divorce" and "refused" -- indicate noncompliance or its consequences. "All of these things we kind of knew," said KhudaBukhsh, an LTI project scientist, "but now we have numbers to quantify them. And we can also see the progress over the last 70 years as these biases have been reduced." The findings were presented at the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence virtual conference earlier this month.

Bollywood still links women's beauty to fair skin: AI

<p>Once in the mid-70’s, when both Bollywood’s mainstream movies and parallel cinema were booming, I happened to ask the late Manmohan Desai [Amar Akbar Anthony, Naseeb, Coolie, Mard] his views on the issue. &nbsp;The definitive super-hit masala film-maker’s response was as transparent, unapologetic and entertaining as his gems. &nbsp;</p>

<p><em>"Jab bhi critics aur pundits mera film ko tareef karta hai, ghabrahat hota hai. &nbsp;Mutlab, pucca flop! Jab bhi kass ke gaali deta high English mein, English akbaar aur magazine mein, main solid khush hota hoon ... mutlab, pucca super hit!!”&nbsp;</em></p>

<p>(Whenever critics and Pundits praise my film, I get scared because it's a sure sign of the film tanking at the box office. But when they pans my films in their write-ups in English newspapers and magazines, I feel overjoyed as it means that the film will do great in theatres)</p>

<p>Diametrically opposite was the view of Actor-Director Rahul Bose [English August, Mr. &amp; Mrs Iyer, 15 Park Avenue, The Japanese Wife, Jhankar Beats, Pyar Ka Side Effects].&nbsp;</p>

<p>“For me, critical appreciation is way more important than ra-ra from the masses and it reflects in the films I participate in. &nbsp;Appreciation certainly has its place, but hosannas from the evolved and thinking section makes my day. It allows me to explore newer frontiers of opportunity,” he said.</p>

<p>Cut to a reality check.&nbsp;In Bollywood-crazed India, not even the most [rare?] analytical and insightful reviews from film critics seem to make the slightest cut with the janata.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Why? Simply because conditioning is the key and unlike the critics gaze, these films do not represent their path to Xanadu; nor do they symbolise a space when massive changes have occurred and all bets are off &amp; definitely not the moment when everything has hit the ceiling &amp; all the old rules of the game have undergone a cataclysmic transformation furiously, fast &amp; forever.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/opinion-ok-you-watch-arthouse-films-but-does-it-make-you-superior-361949">Opinion: Ok you watch arthouse films, but does it make you superior?</a></strong></p>

<p>The masses have a clear idea of what they are looking for and what role a Bollywood film plays in their lives. Also, contrary to popular belief, big-ticket endorsement, testimonials or high praise from the most respected or celebrated names – be it Scorsese, Tarantino, Ray, Sen, Aparna, Benegal or Shabana &amp; Adoor – matters zilch. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Brand loyalty is big and movies that are slow, grim and celebrate Realism [art house?] are totally off their radar. &nbsp;They have little knowledge or interest in these products, secure and blissed-out as they are in their familiar world of glamorous, sexy heroines, macho, dashing heroes &amp; the accompanying hi-octane <em>dramabaazi</em> that goes with it.</p>

<p>In this scheme of things, does a critic have a hope in hell of breaking through and making a difference? &nbsp;Why not hit the basics and go back to an iconic film critic who defined their calling with rare honesty, passion &amp; purpose? &nbsp;Who better than the Big Mamma of film critics, hymned and celebrated as the finest voice of her generation, the late Pauline Kael</p>

<p>“The role of a critic is to help people see what is in the work, what is in it that shouldn’t be, what is not in it that could be. He is a good critic if he helps people understand more about the work than they could see for themselves. He is a great critic if by his understanding and feeling for the work, by his passion, he can excite people so that they want to experience more of the art that is there waiting to be seized. &nbsp;He is not necessarily a bad critic if he makes errors in judgement. &nbsp;He is a bad critic if he does not awaken the curiosity, enlarge the interest and understanding of his audience. &nbsp;The art of the critic, then, is to transmit his knowledge and enthusiasm for cinema to others.”</p>

<p>Admittedly, in a land like ours where entertainment is Bollywood and Bollywood means stars, it is a huge challenge BUT if we actually had a critic who was between being a snooty, high-brow type and a frivolous entertainer out to give you a good time, that would be perfect. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Someone like Kael who combined dazzling style that mesmerised readers, with deep knowledge, intelligence and genuine desire &amp; concern to connect with readers in a fashion that engages, entertains, enriches, enlightens, even empowers , it is a well known fact that Kael’s clout, reputation &amp; status was so huge and her reviews were so impactive that box office reports frequently swung with her opinions. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/opinion-is-2021-the-year-of-actor-vs-star-showdown-360345">Opinion: Is 2021 the year of Actor vs Star showdown?</a></strong></p>

<p>Do we have a single reviewer of that class? &nbsp;The day that happens (and it will require a commitment along with a rare blend of marketing savvy &amp; scholarship) the fate of little gems like Masaan, Waiting, Aligarh, No Fathers in Kashmir, Manto, Omerta, Newton, City Lights ... will alter forever.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Like the recent OTT phenomenon, there will be a healthy co-existence and an equal opportunity/level playing field scene. After all Cinema, the youngest of the arts, lives on discussion, experiment, curiosity, variety, exchange of views and the comparison of standpoints.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If these critics discussed less art and more substance, more Sociology less aesthetics, all in an interesting reader-friendly manner, they would be making an immense contribution in smashing the gated community, advance the cause of cinema &amp; generally uplift content that needs exposure.</p>

<p>What better way to take this critical issue forward than re-visiting the memorable words of another iconic film critic, the late James Agee, when he took over as critic of The Nation, describing to readers his state as a “would-be-critic” with rare humility &amp; clarity he wrote, “I suspect that I am far more than not, in your own situation: deeply interested in moving pictures, considerably experienced from childhood in watching them, thinking and talking about them &amp; totally without experience or even much second hand knowledge of how they are made. &nbsp;</p>

<p>If I am broadly right in this assumption, we start on the same ground under the same handicaps and I qualify to be here – if at all – only by two means. It is my business to conduct one end of the conversation as an amateur critic among amateur critics and I will be of use &amp; interest only insofar as my amateur judgement is sound, stimulating &amp; illuminating.”</p>

<p>Contrary to popular belief, a real critic can and does de-code &amp; de-mystify both arthouse &amp; mainstream commercial in a way that hits the AIDA button – Attention, Interest, Desire, Action! &nbsp;The finest examples (Roger Ebert, Peter Travers, Kenneth Turan, Andrew Savis, John Simon, Chris Stuckman, Philip French, Scott Tobais) have demonstrated this with class. In the Indian film scene, alas, one mostly has the reviewers, the serious critics [of the zzzzzzz variety] or the exhibitionist who gives you less insight and more entertainment. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The day we have critics who are open, inclusive, pluralistic with a vision &amp; mission to break borders and build bridges by intelligently describing, analysing &amp; interpreting movies, without any baggage ... then both the breath of life &amp; kiss of death will fuse to present the ultimate surround-sound of tumultuous joy!</p>

<p><strong>(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)</strong></p>


Once in the mid-70’s, when both Bollywood’s mainstream movies and parallel cinema were booming, I happened to ask the late Manmohan Desai [Amar Akbar Anthony, Naseeb, Coolie, Mard] his views on the issue.

Once in the mid-70’s, when both Bollywood’s mainstream movies and parallel cinema were booming, I happened to ask the late Manmohan Desai [Amar Akbar Anthony, Naseeb, Coolie, Mard] his views on the issue. The definitive super-hit masala film-maker’s response was as transparent, unapologetic and entertaining as his gems. "Jab bhi critics aur pundits mera film ko tareef karta hai, ghabrahat hota hai. Mutlab, pucca flop! Jab bhi kass ke gaali deta high English mein, English akbaar aur magazine mein, main solid khush hota hoon ... mutlab, pucca super hit!!” (Whenever critics and Pundits praise my film, I get scared because it's a sure sign of the film tanking at the box office. But when they pans my films in their write-ups in English newspapers and magazines, I feel overjoyed as it means that the film will do great in theatres) Diametrically opposite was the view of Actor-Director Rahul Bose [English August, Mr. & Mrs Iyer, 15 Park Avenue, The Japanese Wife, Jhankar Beats, Pyar Ka Side Effects]. “For me, critical appreciation is way more important than ra-ra from the masses and it reflects in the films I participate in. Appreciation certainly has its place, but hosannas from the evolved and thinking section makes my day. It allows me to explore newer frontiers of opportunity,” he said. Cut to a reality check. In Bollywood-crazed India, not even the most [rare?] analytical and insightful reviews from film critics seem to make the slightest cut with the janata. Why? Simply because conditioning is the key and unlike the critics gaze, these films do not represent their path to Xanadu; nor do they symbolise a space when massive changes have occurred and all bets are off & definitely not the moment when everything has hit the ceiling & all the old rules of the game have undergone a cataclysmic transformation furiously, fast & forever. Also Read | Opinion: Ok you watch arthouse films, but does it make you superior? The masses have a clear idea of what they are looking for and what role a Bollywood film plays in their lives. Also, contrary to popular belief, big-ticket endorsement, testimonials or high praise from the most respected or celebrated names – be it Scorsese, Tarantino, Ray, Sen, Aparna, Benegal or Shabana & Adoor – matters zilch. Brand loyalty is big and movies that are slow, grim and celebrate Realism [art house?] are totally off their radar. They have little knowledge or interest in these products, secure and blissed-out as they are in their familiar world of glamorous, sexy heroines, macho, dashing heroes & the accompanying hi-octane dramabaazi that goes with it. In this scheme of things, does a critic have a hope in hell of breaking through and making a difference? Why not hit the basics and go back to an iconic film critic who defined their calling with rare honesty, passion & purpose? Who better than the Big Mamma of film critics, hymned and celebrated as the finest voice of her generation, the late Pauline Kael “The role of a critic is to help people see what is in the work, what is in it that shouldn’t be, what is not in it that could be. He is a good critic if he helps people understand more about the work than they could see for themselves. He is a great critic if by his understanding and feeling for the work, by his passion, he can excite people so that they want to experience more of the art that is there waiting to be seized. He is not necessarily a bad critic if he makes errors in judgement. He is a bad critic if he does not awaken the curiosity, enlarge the interest and understanding of his audience. The art of the critic, then, is to transmit his knowledge and enthusiasm for cinema to others.” Admittedly, in a land like ours where entertainment is Bollywood and Bollywood means stars, it is a huge challenge BUT if we actually had a critic who was between being a snooty, high-brow type and a frivolous entertainer out to give you a good time, that would be perfect. Someone like Kael who combined dazzling style that mesmerised readers, with deep knowledge, intelligence and genuine desire & concern to connect with readers in a fashion that engages, entertains, enriches, enlightens, even empowers , it is a well known fact that Kael’s clout, reputation & status was so huge and her reviews were so impactive that box office reports frequently swung with her opinions. Also Read | Opinion: Is 2021 the year of Actor vs Star showdown? Do we have a single reviewer of that class? The day that happens (and it will require a commitment along with a rare blend of marketing savvy & scholarship) the fate of little gems like Masaan, Waiting, Aligarh, No Fathers in Kashmir, Manto, Omerta, Newton, City Lights ... will alter forever. Like the recent OTT phenomenon, there will be a healthy co-existence and an equal opportunity/level playing field scene. After all Cinema, the youngest of the arts, lives on discussion, experiment, curiosity, variety, exchange of views and the comparison of standpoints. If these critics discussed less art and more substance, more Sociology less aesthetics, all in an interesting reader-friendly manner, they would be making an immense contribution in smashing the gated community, advance the cause of cinema & generally uplift content that needs exposure. What better way to take this critical issue forward than re-visiting the memorable words of another iconic film critic, the late James Agee, when he took over as critic of The Nation, describing to readers his state as a “would-be-critic” with rare humility & clarity he wrote, “I suspect that I am far more than not, in your own situation: deeply interested in moving pictures, considerably experienced from childhood in watching them, thinking and talking about them & totally without experience or even much second hand knowledge of how they are made. If I am broadly right in this assumption, we start on the same ground under the same handicaps and I qualify to be here – if at all – only by two means. It is my business to conduct one end of the conversation as an amateur critic among amateur critics and I will be of use & interest only insofar as my amateur judgement is sound, stimulating & illuminating.” Contrary to popular belief, a real critic can and does de-code & de-mystify both arthouse & mainstream commercial in a way that hits the AIDA button – Attention, Interest, Desire, Action! The finest examples (Roger Ebert, Peter Travers, Kenneth Turan, Andrew Savis, John Simon, Chris Stuckman, Philip French, Scott Tobais) have demonstrated this with class. In the Indian film scene, alas, one mostly has the reviewers, the serious critics [of the zzzzzzz variety] or the exhibitionist who gives you less insight and more entertainment. The day we have critics who are open, inclusive, pluralistic with a vision & mission to break borders and build bridges by intelligently describing, analysing & interpreting movies, without any baggage ... then both the breath of life & kiss of death will fuse to present the ultimate surround-sound of tumultuous joy! (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Opinion: Why film critics are breath of life but a kiss of death for the masses

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