In a candid new interview, Brad Pitt has opened up about one of the hardest periods of his life, revealing he once felt he "couldn't see a way out" amid painful family struggles following his split from Angelina Jolie.


Brad Pitt opens up about deep psychological battles

<p>Madhubanti Bagchi is the voice behind "Aaj Ki Raat", "Shararat", and even "Uyi Amma". If you scroll through Instagram, one of her songs will definitely show up on your feed. It’s not just limited to social media; her songs have taken over dance floors, and playlists across the country and even the world. But while social media is what made her songs and name trend, it’s not a space Bagchi herself enjoys scrolling through. In fact, she’s even set limits for herself on it, and never wishes to post a video of her dancing on her songs. So that's Madhubanti.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In a long chat with us, she spoke about so many things: the making of her big hits, her take on social media, what she loves most as a creative, and the life-changing moments along the way. In this article, we’ve focused on how &nbsp;"Aaj Ki Raat" happened, what social media means to her and what she would prefer: singing a song in a film, or creating something of her own.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Read the edited excerpts from your chat here:</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>WION: You have had two massive dance hits with "Aaj Ki Raat" and "Shararat''. From the moment you first read them to seeing how big they became, how has the journey of these songs been for you?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Madhubanti Bagchi:</strong> ''I think ''Aaj Ki Raat'' was very different because it was the first hit and super hit, if I might call it. I was not ready to record that day, is all I remember, because I had gone somewhere else and I got a call from Shashwat (Sachdeva) sir that we are in the studio and we are preparing this song. "Just come in and give it a shot." And I was in a completely different headspace to be recording that day, and I was like, "Can we do it tomorrow because I'm already somewhere?" And he was like, "All of us are here and we are really in the zone. So Just come" kind of a thing. So I came, I went to the studio and the situation was, I mean, the song was pretty much ready to be sung, and the track was pretty much made. The lyrics were being worked on; we started jamming on different ideas, and obviously it took me some time to get right there. I think we recorded till 4, 4:30 that day in the morning because it was a lot to kind of take in, a lot of information and a lot of variations we were doing. So that was Aaj Ki Raat. And of course, I kind of fell in love with that song. It really attracted me towards it. Though I didn't know that it's going to be a hit or not going to be a hit. That's not for me to think about. But I really wanted to do a good job in the song, which I would like to think that I did. And that's Aaj Ki Raat. And Shararat was quite different because it was more special in a way that I was also featured in the video, like in the movie itself.</p>

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXjxIStifty/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXjxIStifty/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><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/reel/DXjxIStifty/?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 Madhubanti Bagchi (@bagchi_mb)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

<p><strong>WION: Both "Aaj Ki Raat" and "Shararat'' really blew up on social media with reels everywhere. What was your reaction when you saw both songs going viral like that? And how big a role do you think social media plays now in making a song part of pop culture?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Madhubanti Bagchi: </strong>I think in today's times, no song can become big without social media. I think social media is the only point of discovery at this point, which I don't think is a great thing, because not all songs are made for social media, right? That's why a certain type of songs are becoming big, because only songs with hook steps or songs with something... like some songs will only be used on travel reels. It's a very, it's a very not-so-great way of discovering music, I feel. But yeah, obviously, ‘’Aaj Ki Raat'' and ‘’Shararat'' and ‘’Uyi Amma,'' and all these songs have had a great run on social media. Hence, they became very big, because they are very danceable. And we have a lot of great dancers on Instagram and Facebook and all these platforms. And they danced on it, and they made it popular. Obviously, I try to limit my time on social media, because it gets to you after a certain point of time. So, I enjoyed seeing my music doing well there. But yeah, I would just keep it to that. I would not, like, never did it cross my mind that, "okay, maybe I should also put a real dance to these songs," because I'm not a good dancer.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>WION: Do you prefer creating your own songs or the film projects that come to you? I know you had a band too. How do you look at both sides now?</strong></p>

<p><strong>Madhubanti Bagchi</strong>: Film songs are always interesting because you get to work with so many people. So many amazing people. First of all, the greatest composers in India. The best of them. The best lyricists. The best teams basically come together to make music for Bollywood and the film industry in general, not just for Bollywood. And, you get to do such varied kinds of music and so many different points of view you get to hear. So that is very exciting. But personally, I feel that when you do your own thing, that is very satisfying. In a different way. It might not get you as much fame and as much money and all that attention. Your song will not go to trending the moment you release it. But it's so truly and honestly you, and whatever decisions you have taken regarding that song, it's all yours. It's not anybody else's. No one else can ever come and take your credit that "this is all mine." This is all me. So when you do a non-film thing, it's so totally you. Whether you do a good job or a bad job or an average job, it's just totally you. So it's very authentic and very organic, and which I feel is very satisfying to an artist in general.</p>

Madhubanti Bagchi has given numerous hits. Name the song, and she’s sung it, not just peppy dance tracks, but also soulful ones too. Yet while her music has always taken over social media, her own relationship with it remains complicated. Read her interview below. 

Madhubanti Bagchi is the voice behind "Aaj Ki Raat", "Shararat", and even "Uyi Amma". If you scroll through Instagram, one of her songs will definitely show up on your feed. It’s not just limited to social media; her songs have taken over dance floors, and playlists across the country and even the world. But while social media is what made her songs and name trend, it’s not a space Bagchi herself enjoys scrolling through. In fact, she’s even set limits for herself on it, and never wishes to post a video of her dancing on her songs. So that's Madhubanti. In a long chat with us, she spoke about so many things: the making of her big hits, her take on social media, what she loves most as a creative, and the life-changing moments along the way. In this article, we’ve focused on how "Aaj Ki Raat" happened, what social media means to her and what she would prefer: singing a song in a film, or creating something of her own. Read the edited excerpts from your chat here: WION: You have had two massive dance hits with "Aaj Ki Raat" and "Shararat''. From the moment you first read them to seeing how big they became, how has the journey of these songs been for you? Madhubanti Bagchi: ''I think ''Aaj Ki Raat'' was very different because it was the first hit and super hit, if I might call it. I was not ready to record that day, is all I remember, because I had gone somewhere else and I got a call from Shashwat (Sachdeva) sir that we are in the studio and we are preparing this song. "Just come in and give it a shot." And I was in a completely different headspace to be recording that day, and I was like, "Can we do it tomorrow because I'm already somewhere?" And he was like, "All of us are here and we are really in the zone. So Just come" kind of a thing. So I came, I went to the studio and the situation was, I mean, the song was pretty much ready to be sung, and the track was pretty much made. The lyrics were being worked on; we started jamming on different ideas, and obviously it took me some time to get right there. I think we recorded till 4, 4:30 that day in the morning because it was a lot to kind of take in, a lot of information and a lot of variations we were doing. So that was Aaj Ki Raat. And of course, I kind of fell in love with that song. It really attracted me towards it. Though I didn't know that it's going to be a hit or not going to be a hit. That's not for me to think about. But I really wanted to do a good job in the song, which I would like to think that I did. And that's Aaj Ki Raat. And Shararat was quite different because it was more special in a way that I was also featured in the video, like in the movie itself.

<p>Madhubanti Bagchi has given numerous hits. Name the song, and she’s sung it, not just peppy dance tracks, but also soulful ones too. Yet while her music has always taken over social media, her own relationship with it remains complicated. Read her interview below.&nbsp;</p>

Interview | Shararat singer Madhubanti Bagchi says no song can become big without social media, but calls it a 'not-so-great' way to discover music

<p>Classical music is often boxed into a corner, seen as formal, rigid, and even out of touch with today’s generation. But when you speak to Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, they explain it in easy terms. Fresh from Lollapalooza India, and Grammy wins, the Sarod maestros are proving that classical music can be both timeless and timely.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In this exclusive interview with WION, the brothers open up about breaking stereotypes, the real lesson behind their Grammy with the Dalai Lama, a lesson from their father, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, as they also shared a story of when their project with Michael Jackson didn’t come to fruition. Other things they talked about were youth in classical music, and AI.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Read the edited excerpts from the chat:</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>WION: You've just come off performing at Lollapalooza India and working on global projects. Now you've released a conservation-driven album, Celebrating Our Tigers. How does this project feel different from everything you have done before?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Amaan Ali Bangash: </strong>It's a very humbling project to start with because it's to do with nature. It's very real. And even the music that we've produced in this with our other producers, who have helped us put the album together, is very raw. It's unlike, you know, either we go classical or we go very electronic. Which has this. This has got a very pure feel to it.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Ayaan Ali Bangash: &nbsp;</strong>The very important factor behind it has always been the fact that it's been passion-driven, be it a recent, project and collaboration with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, where one wanted to just celebrate compassion and oneness all over the world, which is so much needed, that went on to be recognised by the Grammys as well.</p><p>And then our recent collaboration with the young blood at Lollapalooza or the upcoming album with Gorillaz, all these things, it's all been passion-driven, and the desire to push the envelope of Sarod and classical music to very different arenas. So this project covers most of the inspiration. But this project is also a salutation and a homage to resilience. And it just became so wonderful that WWF made us ambassadors, which has been extremely humbling. So it all fell in place organically.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>WION: You were part of the Grammy-winning project Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. What was it like working on that project?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Amaan Ali Bangash: </strong>Basically, it's a proud moment. We were the only Indians from our country that got this big honour. Thanks to His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Because this was a very different category. It was the audiobook category, which is unlike a typical Grammy category. Kabir Sehgal, my father, Amjad Khan Sahib, Ayaan Bhai and I are the music producers of the album.</p><p><br>So, because the author, Dalai Lama, is the name of the album, but it was produced by us. So we underplayed it when it got nominated. Also, we didn't milk it because we believe in letting things happen naturally.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>And I didn't want to make it, honestly, like a trophy in terms of this is everything. A lot of people, with all due respect, who use Grammy or a Padma Bhushan or Shree as their benchmarks. These are blessings. These are not benchmarks. These are blessings in life. You receive it, you move on, you create better work. It's not that you hold on to it and you market it and milk it and say what, I am somebody, that's why I've got an award. So my father has taught us this one thing that keeps going. Whatever comes your way is a blessing, but don't brag about it too much.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>WION:&nbsp;Classical music feels like something the younger generation isn’t really connecting with nowadays; they seem more drawn to hip hop. What are your thoughts on that?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Amaan Ali Bangash: </strong>It is a fault of the performer that they're not connecting to it. A bad restaurant cannot blame its customers, who are not walking in. It's as simple as that. So there are a few that the youngsters connect with, not many, definitely not many. But we are all trying very hard to make Indian classical music popular again; there's no doubt on that, but it gets a bigger draw. From a 5000 audience that we gathered, we wanted to go to about 25,000 to 30,000. Because, see, a purist, when you say Indian classical music, you cannot do certain things to attract an audience. For example, Ayaan and I have done a lot of fusion. But after that point, we can't do anything more than that. Because we cannot. It's not that it's going to be detrimental, but coming from your family, or a responsibility, you are responsible for a situation. But I humbly request all the Indian classical musicians to make it very easy for youngsters. &nbsp;Don't put too much hardcore information on them. More than an entertainer, be an engager. That is important today. You have to engage your audience and entertain the audience.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>WION: What’s one big misconception people have about classical music? A lot of people picture it as stiff or boring. Is that fair?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Amaan Ali Bangash:</strong> Some of the musicians, when they go to college, start performing in the hardcore system. You don't have to teach. See, this is the problem with Indian musicians, that a lot of people end up teaching and giving gyaan. When you go to perform, you have to perform as an entertainer, as an engager, not as a performer to educate.</p>

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DZPCNmMymTL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DZPCNmMymTL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><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/DZPCNmMymTL/?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 Ayaan Ali Bangash (@ayaanalibangash)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

<p><strong>Ayaan Ali Bangesh:</strong> Classical music, interestingly, has had an organic way of redefining itself on its own every decade.</p><p><br>Obviously, the performers contributed a lot to it, and they have continued to contribute a lot to it and still do. But all the great legends, they kind of changed how it was perceived, how it was presented. And the youngsters today, including all of us, our generation of artists, we're all doing things our way, because no rulebook conveyed how classical music should be presented.</p>

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYYwwoSy95-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYYwwoSy95-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><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/reel/DYYwwoSy95-/?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 Ayaan Ali Bangash (@ayaanalibangash)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

<p>So that's why, you see, the main issue is every time you talk about any genre of music, we are constantly comparing it to film music, which is not a fair comparison at all. You can't, I mean, if you have butter chicken, but there's also sushi. So they're takers of both.<br>You can't say what is easily consumed, what is not easily consumed. This was always an art form for the connoisseurs back in the day; we know that. But today, it's filling up stadiums also. So the newer listener today, I think, has kept that faith and belief and a window open of wanting to hear new things and reconnecting to their roots. So this is always something, which will be a very big part of someone's life who has at least grown up in India.</p>

<p><strong>WION:You have three generations of musicians in your family: your father, the legend, you, and now your children. Do you and your father ever discuss modern music like hip hop or rap? Is he interested in it at all?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Amaan Ali Bangash: </strong>My father's always been, because his Indian classical image was so big, it's so big, that other things get underlined. So back in the day, he did collaborate with Charlie Bird, who was one of the biggest jazz musicians. Four years back, he made an album with the lead singer, Joe Walsh of Eagles, you know, Hotel California, the guy who made Eagles. &nbsp;He's worked with them. He's worked with a lot of pop stars, also back in the day. He had to collaborate with Michael Jackson. And suddenly, something came up in the family that prevented him from attending the meeting with Michael Jackson in Santa Barbara. This is the late 80s, early 90s. So my father had, and then apart from the western collaborations, he's done his symphony orchestras, he's done several concertos, he's done, it's collaborated with a lot of musicians. He's worked with Gulzar sahib. He's worked with Anand Bakshi. He's worked with Gulzar sahib on his documentary. But my father's always been a very contemporary person. H's never stopped us from working. He says just be creative.</p><p><br><strong>WION:&nbsp;As we talk about modern versus traditional, AI in music is also one of the biggest concerns for younger audiences today. How do you see AI? Is it an opportunity for creativity or a threat to it?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Ayaan Ali Bangesh:</strong> I think you see AI is a new kid on the block, obviously. As far as music is concerned, and as far as our kind of well, one will obviously have to realise how much is too much and how little is too little. You see the human touch, human emotion, which is one of the very important key factors of executing and in classical music, cannot be taken over through AI. I mean, it might co-exist. There might be a different world of AI doing classical music. But the human touch can never be replaced. It can't be replaced.&nbsp;</p>

In this conversation, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash opened up about their lives and shared many insights without hesitation as they spoke about the evolving landscape of classical music, their Grammy-winning journey, AI's role in music, and a little-known story involving their father, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, and Michael Jackson.

Classical music is often boxed into a corner, seen as formal, rigid, and even out of touch with today’s generation. But when you speak to Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, they explain it in easy terms. Fresh from Lollapalooza India, and Grammy wins, the Sarod maestros are proving that classical music can be both timeless and timely. In this exclusive interview with WION, the brothers open up about breaking stereotypes, the real lesson behind their Grammy with the Dalai Lama, a lesson from their father, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, as they also shared a story of when their project with Michael Jackson didn’t come to fruition. Other things they talked about were youth in classical music, and AI. Read the edited excerpts from the chat: WION: You've just come off performing at Lollapalooza India and working on global projects. Now you've released a conservation-driven album, Celebrating Our Tigers. How does this project feel different from everything you have done before? Amaan Ali Bangash: It's a very humbling project to start with because it's to do with nature. It's very real. And even the music that we've produced in this with our other producers, who have helped us put the album together, is very raw. It's unlike, you know, either we go classical or we go very electronic. Which has this. This has got a very pure feel to it. Ayaan Ali Bangash: The very important factor behind it has always been the fact that it's been passion-driven, be it a recent, project and collaboration with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, where one wanted to just celebrate compassion and oneness all over the world, which is so much needed, that went on to be recognised by the Grammys as well. And then our recent collaboration with the young blood at Lollapalooza or the upcoming album with Gorillaz, all these things, it's all been passion-driven, and the desire to push the envelope of Sarod and classical music to very different arenas. So this project covers most of the inspiration. But this project is also a salutation and a homage to resilience. And it just became so wonderful that WWF made us ambassadors, which has been extremely humbling. So it all fell in place organically. WION: You were part of the Grammy-winning project Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. What was it like working on that project? Amaan Ali Bangash: Basically, it's a proud moment. We were the only Indians from our country that got this big honour. Thanks to His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Because this was a very different category. It was the audiobook category, which is unlike a typical Grammy category. Kabir Sehgal, my father, Amjad Khan Sahib, Ayaan Bhai and I are the music producers of the album. So, because the author, Dalai Lama, is the name of the album, but it was produced by us. So we underplayed it when it got nominated. Also, we didn't milk it because we believe in letting things happen naturally. And I didn't want to make it, honestly, like a trophy in terms of this is everything. A lot of people, with all due respect, who use Grammy or a Padma Bhushan or Shree as their benchmarks. These are blessings. These are not benchmarks. These are blessings in life. You receive it, you move on, you create better work. It's not that you hold on to it and you market it and milk it and say what, I am somebody, that's why I've got an award. So my father has taught us this one thing that keeps going. Whatever comes your way is a blessing, but don't brag about it too much. WION: Classical music feels like something the younger generation isn’t really connecting with nowadays; they seem more drawn to hip hop. What are your thoughts on that? Amaan Ali Bangash: It is a fault of the performer that they're not connecting to it. A bad restaurant cannot blame its customers, who are not walking in. It's as simple as that. So there are a few that the youngsters connect with, not many, definitely not many. But we are all trying very hard to make Indian classical music popular again; there's no doubt on that, but it gets a bigger draw. From a 5000 audience that we gathered, we wanted to go to about 25,000 to 30,000. Because, see, a purist, when you say Indian classical music, you cannot do certain things to attract an audience. For example, Ayaan and I have done a lot of fusion. But after that point, we can't do anything more than that. Because we cannot. It's not that it's going to be detrimental, but coming from your family, or a responsibility, you are responsible for a situation. But I humbly request all the Indian classical musicians to make it very easy for youngsters. Don't put too much hardcore information on them. More than an entertainer, be an engager. That is important today. You have to engage your audience and entertain the audience. WION: What’s one big misconception people have about classical music? A lot of people picture it as stiff or boring. Is that fair? Amaan Ali Bangash: Some of the musicians, when they go to college, start performing in the hardcore system. You don't have to teach. See, this is the problem with Indian musicians, that a lot of people end up teaching and giving gyaan. When you go to perform, you have to perform as an entertainer, as an engager, not as a performer to educate.

<p>In this conversation, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash opened up about their lives and shared many insights without hesitation as they spoke about the evolving landscape of classical music, their Grammy-winning journey, AI's role in music, and a little-known story involving their father, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, and Michael Jackson.</p>

'The human touch can never be replaced': Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash on AI, Grammys and a Michael Jackson story | Exclusive

<p>In the world of animation, for Adi Shankar, there is no ceiling. In a candid conversation with WION, the creator of Devil May Cry opens up about his vision, his creative process, and the future of animation.&nbsp;</p><p><br>Saying that his creative approach is “completely intuitive,” Shankar makes it clear that his work is driven less by formulas and more by instinct. With roots in culturally rich India, he has lived a nomadic life across the world. While living in different countries, he discovered that his heart lies in animation. He is a hardcore fan of Japanese animation, and inspired by it, he wants to take the American animation to the next level.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Speaking about his version of Dante in the Netflix hit show, the director gave the example of Christopher Nolan’s version of Batman. While talking about the upcoming season 2 of the Netflix hit show, he also revealed how much he loved Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar and how his passion for animation grew.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Read the edited excerpts here:</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>WION: Season 2 of Devil May Cry is coming up. What is the one thing you are most excited for audiences to see?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Adi Shankar</strong>: ''It’s hard to pick just one thing. Today, I would say the music. The music for season 2 is on another level, it’s 10x, 100x, even 1000x. The music from season one.''</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>WION: Dante is one of most iconic characters of gaming world. As a creator, do you prioritize staying faithful to the source material or bringing your own interpretation?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Adi Shankar: </strong>My process is completely intuitive. &nbsp;I kind of look at it as almost like the Christopher Nolan approach for Batman. Where it's still Batman, but it's very much through my lens, my interpretation of it. I don't think there's really another way to properly do it justice. It's not a direct adaptation. It's a reimagining through my own filter.</p>

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DIRd9FbPUYL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DIRd9FbPUYL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><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/DIRd9FbPUYL/?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 Adi Shankar (@bootleguniverse)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

<p><strong>WION:&nbsp; Where does your passion for animation come from?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Adi Shankar:&nbsp;</strong> I was born in Calcutta (Kolkata). But then we moved to Chennai, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Rhode Island, Chicago. So the point is when you move as much as I did during your formative years, you stop accepting the world as, like, fixed, right? You start seeing how things could be instead of how it is. And then you start realizing, okay, cool. Every culture is different, but every place has its own rhythm, its own bias. And when I was living in Hong Kong specifically, there would always be adult cartoons on TV at night. Anime from Japan. And I would watch it. And it was never in English. So most of the time I had no idea what was being said. But I was like, this is amazing. Why didn't we have this in India? Like, why did we not have this where I just came from? This is weird. And then when I started spending time in the U.S., I was, like, I loved American cartoons, right? X-Men, the animated series. Batman, the animated series. Later on, Batman Beyond. Even like Wildcats and Ultra Force. There was a great Godzilla cartoon. There was even a weird awesome Men in Black cartoon. The list goes on, but these were all for kids. And then I was, like, where is this thing for adults? Like, I don't understand why it just disappears. So, sure, there's a passion, but it was also kind of born out of frustration for a hole in the market.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>WION:&nbsp;</strong> <strong>Do you watch Indian films? Any recent favorites?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Adi Shankar:</strong> I just watched Dhurandhar, the sense of geography that the action scenes had was like expert level. I thought the story was just gripping and compelling. I was warned in advance. I was told, 'hey, this movie's really long. Be prepared'. It just flew by It didn't feel like four and a half hours at all. It just it went by. So it was wonderful experience.''<br><br><strong>WION: Artificial Intelligence is becoming a major talking point in filmmaking and animation. Do you use AI?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Adi Shankar: </strong>Well, they're not in a place where I can use them. They work well on a consumer grade level. So for instance, if I want to make a fight scene between Spider-Man and Batman. I can go into a tool or someone can go into a tool and quickly generate that and throw it on. Twitter or YouTube and be like, look, there's a fight scene between Spider-Man and Batman. But I'm not making that kind of stuff. What I'm making is. The high end. Cinematic experience. For the world's. Largest, most successful streaming platform. So like. I can't just. Go in and be like AI. Give me a fight scene between Dante and Virgil. Guess what? I have a new episode. No, like they're not.That's not happening.''</p>

Adi Shankar is a creative force. Born in Kolkata, the Indian-origin filmmaker is behind the Netflix hit Devil May Cry. In an exclusive interview with WION, he talks about his passion for animation, which he said was born out of frustration over a gap in the market. Read the interview below.

In the world of animation, for Adi Shankar, there is no ceiling. In a candid conversation with WION, the creator of Devil May Cry opens up about his vision, his creative process, and the future of animation. Saying that his creative approach is “completely intuitive,” Shankar makes it clear that his work is driven less by formulas and more by instinct. With roots in culturally rich India, he has lived a nomadic life across the world. While living in different countries, he discovered that his heart lies in animation. He is a hardcore fan of Japanese animation, and inspired by it, he wants to take the American animation to the next level. Speaking about his version of Dante in the Netflix hit show, the director gave the example of Christopher Nolan’s version of Batman. While talking about the upcoming season 2 of the Netflix hit show, he also revealed how much he loved Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar and how his passion for animation grew. Read the edited excerpts here: WION: Season 2 of Devil May Cry is coming up. What is the one thing you are most excited for audiences to see? Adi Shankar: ''It’s hard to pick just one thing. Today, I would say the music. The music for season 2 is on another level, it’s 10x, 100x, even 1000x. The music from season one.'' WION: Dante is one of most iconic characters of gaming world. As a creator, do you prioritize staying faithful to the source material or bringing your own interpretation? Adi Shankar: My process is completely intuitive. I kind of look at it as almost like the Christopher Nolan approach for Batman. Where it's still Batman, but it's very much through my lens, my interpretation of it. I don't think there's really another way to properly do it justice. It's not a direct adaptation. It's a reimagining through my own filter.

<p>Adi Shankar is a creative force. Born in Kolkata, the Indian-origin filmmaker is behind the Netflix hit Devil May Cry. In an exclusive interview with WION, he talks about his passion for animation, which he said was born out of frustration over a gap in the market. Read the interview below.</p>

Interview | Adi Shankar on Devil May Cry season 2, animation born from frustration, and Dhurandhar

<p>Mumbai is often called the city of dreams, a place where countless young individuals arrive hoping to one day see themselves on posters and screens across the world. But in the entertainment industry, talent alone is not enough. Behind every breakthrough role lies persistence, patience, relentless hard work and, of course, the role of destiny. Among the many who come chasing that dream is actor Vikhyat Gulati, whose acting journey began in Delhi and who has now been recognised for playing Johnny Malang in Netflix’s <i>Kohrra season 2.</i></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>However, before landing the role, Gulati had already appeared in several OTT shows such as <i>Decoupled</i> and <i>Masaba Masaba,</i> among others. While he continued acting and attending auditions in the hope of making it big, surviving in the city of Mumbai was not easy. That is when he chose to work as a casting director. But acting remained his end goal, and landing a role in a show or film was always on his mind, even when he spent his days casting other actors for different projects. And then, one day, while doing his casting job, his talent was noticed. Destiny played its part, and he eventually landed the role of Johnny Malang in Sudip Sharma's Kohrra 2.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In an exclusive conversation with WION, Vikhyat spoke about Kohrra, how he landed the role of Johnny Malang, and his belief in the “bamboo shoot effect.”</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>When Vikhyat played Johnny, but offscreen</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In <i>Kohrra season 2,</i> Gulati plays Johnny Malang, the blue-haired dance, who is seen as the main suspect in the murder mystery. But getting the role was not something he had thought of. Telling the story of how he bagged the story, the actor said, ''I was part of the casting team for both seasons 1 and season 2 of Kohrra. For every character, especially for this character, Johnny. we auditioned about 150 people"&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>"Everywhere in Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh, Patiala, wherever we went in every city, we auditioned a lot of people. So, I was auditioning an actor for another character in front of Faisal sir and Sudip sir. And they really liked me when I was queuing for the other part. And they were pretty impressed, and they were like, you are doing great, you are doing well. I said, thank you, sir. And I told them, I am an actor also, and I don't only do casting. but I have done these projects.''</p><h2>Playing Johnny Malang happened by chance</h2><p>Interestingly, the role of Johnny Malang had already been finalised with another actor. But due to dates that actor was not finalised. Clearly, fate had other plans.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also read:</strong> <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/kohrra-2-ending-explained-a-murder-shocking-killer-reveal-and-heart-breaking-twist-1770907888183">Kohrra 2 review: Barun Sobti and Mona Singh's web series is not just a regular mystery thriller</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>''In Chandigarh, both my colleague and I were figuring out how the scene should be exactly. And we thought, let's just record. I played Johnny, and my colleague was playing Garundi. Nikita, who is the casting director, she really liked it. So, we just sent the take-ahead, and they liked it a lot. &nbsp;So after that, a lot of time passed. I would not like to name, then there was another actor who was locked for to play Johnny. But there was an issue with the dates. The team called me and asked me. Can you dance? Send your dance video. I sent it. And then they were like, 'Okay, let's ask Vikhyat to play Johnny.' So, yeah, that's how it happened.''</p>

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DUloZqTjvIg/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DUloZqTjvIg/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><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/DUloZqTjvIg/?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 Vikhyat Gulati (@gulaatimaarke)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

<h2><br>The story behind Johnny’s blue hair</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The highlight of Johnny's character was his blue hair. Before you notice anything, it's his hair that catches your eye. Speaking about that, the actor said that, interestingly, the idea came up quite casually.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>''So, that thing again was also very chance-based, where the supervising producer, Paulami, both me and her, we were just sitting and talking randomly. So, you know, when there was this TikTok era, and in the very initial period when it was started, a lot of boys' hair used to be colored. &nbsp;And in Punjab, we also used to see a lot of people who had colored their hair. Just to, you know, stand out from the crowd. So, I said in a joke, ‘Paulami, his hair should be colored. It will look good.’ And the very next day, the stylist called me in. We spent three to four hours bleaching, treating and colouring my hair blue.''</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>''They wanted Johnny to be a little different. And he should look a little different. He does things at his own will. For example, Johnny's father also says in the show, ''Johnny goes where life takes him.'' I think hair colour, tattoo, every expression, all these things, are a part of an expressive personality,'' he added.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/kohrra-2-ending-explained-a-murder-shocking-killer-reveal-and-heart-breaking-twist-1770907888183">Kohrra 2 ending explained: A murder, shocking reveal, and a heart-breaking twist</a></p>

<h2>The running sequence in Manali</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>One scene that really stood out in the show was the running sequence in Manali when Barun Sobti's character, Garundi, is chasing Johnny. The scene went viral on social media soon after the series premiered on Netflix. Speaking about the same, the actor said that the sequence was physically very demanding and they were shooting in Manali when the temperature was around minus eight to minus ten degrees.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>''I don't exactly remember the kilometres, but for three days we were in Manali. We used to wake up at 5, 5.30 in the morning. And from 6 to 4 or 5 in the evening, for almost 12 hours, we just ran.''</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Watch the scene here:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUyBdq9knrL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUyBdq9knrL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><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/reel/DUyBdq9knrL/?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 Netflix India (@netflix_in)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

<p>One of the most challenging shots involved the camera being mounted on him, and during the run, he also sustained an injury when his leg twisted during the shoot, but he continued.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>''They had mounted around 40 kgs of rings on me. I had to run with that in the hills. And it was a peak winter. It was minus 8 to 10 degrees in January. And I was wearing multiple layers, and there was a ring. I had a lot of fun, no matter how much pain I got. I twisted my leg. I went through it all, but I enjoyed every moment of it.''</p>

<h2>Vikhyat describes his journey as the bamboo shoot effect</h2><p>Talking about his career, Vikhyat believes in the bamboo shoot effect. Apart from Kohhra, the actor said that he has played characters that have always contributed meaningfully to the plot.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>‘’All the shows that I have been a part of, right from <i>Tandav</i> to <i>Masaba Masaba </i>to <i>Decoupled </i>to<i> Flames, Jamnapar,</i> wherever I was there, I am grateful, I would say fortunate enough that every part that I played had something to do with the story. Every character that I have played has added to the plot. And if it wasn't there, the plot wouldn't have been alive. I did an international film where I was taking the story ahead by being the frontrunner of the organisation. You know, there is this bamboo shoot effect where a bamboo shoot takes 5 years to only grow 5 feet, and in the 6th year it grows up to 20-30 feet. So, I think all the hard work that I have done for the last 8-10 years was probably to join such a team where a show that is running all over the world in almost 20-30 countries at No. 1 and is being streamed on Netflix in all those countries, and I got a chance to work with a creator like Sudip Sharma. So, that was a big blessing for me to collaborate with such a team.''</p>

Actor Vikhyat Gulati played the role of Johnny Malang in the much-acclaimed Kohrra 2, starring Mona Singh and Barun Sobti. In her exclusive chat with WION, the actor recalled how he got the role of Johnny Malang. 

Mumbai is often called the city of dreams, a place where countless young individuals arrive hoping to one day see themselves on posters and screens across the world. But in the entertainment industry, talent alone is not enough. Behind every breakthrough role lies persistence, patience, relentless hard work and, of course, the role of destiny. Among the many who come chasing that dream is actor Vikhyat Gulati, whose acting journey began in Delhi and who has now been recognised for playing Johnny Malang in Netflix’s Kohrra season 2. However, before landing the role, Gulati had already appeared in several OTT shows such as Decoupled and Masaba Masaba, among others. While he continued acting and attending auditions in the hope of making it big, surviving in the city of Mumbai was not easy. That is when he chose to work as a casting director. But acting remained his end goal, and landing a role in a show or film was always on his mind, even when he spent his days casting other actors for different projects. And then, one day, while doing his casting job, his talent was noticed. Destiny played its part, and he eventually landed the role of Johnny Malang in Sudip Sharma's Kohrra 2. In an exclusive conversation with WION, Vikhyat spoke about Kohrra, how he landed the role of Johnny Malang, and his belief in the “bamboo shoot effect.” When Vikhyat played Johnny, but offscreen In Kohrra season 2, Gulati plays Johnny Malang, the blue-haired dance, who is seen as the main suspect in the murder mystery. But getting the role was not something he had thought of. Telling the story of how he bagged the story, the actor said, ''I was part of the casting team for both seasons 1 and season 2 of Kohrra. For every character, especially for this character, Johnny. we auditioned about 150 people" "Everywhere in Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh, Patiala, wherever we went in every city, we auditioned a lot of people. So, I was auditioning an actor for another character in front of Faisal sir and Sudip sir. And they really liked me when I was queuing for the other part. And they were pretty impressed, and they were like, you are doing great, you are doing well. I said, thank you, sir. And I told them, I am an actor also, and I don't only do casting. but I have done these projects.'' Playing Johnny Malang happened by chance Interestingly, the role of Johnny Malang had already been finalised with another actor. But due to dates that actor was not finalised. Clearly, fate had other plans. Also read: Kohrra 2 review: Barun Sobti and Mona Singh's web series is not just a regular mystery thriller ''In Chandigarh, both my colleague and I were figuring out how the scene should be exactly. And we thought, let's just record. I played Johnny, and my colleague was playing Garundi. Nikita, who is the casting director, she really liked it. So, we just sent the take-ahead, and they liked it a lot. So after that, a lot of time passed. I would not like to name, then there was another actor who was locked for to play Johnny. But there was an issue with the dates. The team called me and asked me. Can you dance? Send your dance video. I sent it. And then they were like, 'Okay, let's ask Vikhyat to play Johnny.' So, yeah, that's how it happened.''

<p>Actor Vikhyat Gulati played the role of Johnny Malang in the much-acclaimed Kohrra 2, starring Mona Singh and Barun Sobti in the lead. In his exclusive chat with WION, the actor recalled how he got the role in the hit series</p>

Exclusive | Vikhyat Gulati opens up about playing Johnny Malang in Kohrra 2, recalls running in -10 degrees for the viral chase scene

Shalini Passi, a renowned art collector and philanthropist and one of the breakout personalities from the reality show: Fabulous Lives vs. Bollywood Wives, steps into the literary world with her debut book, The Art of Being Fabulous.

In an enlightening conversation with WION's Nikita Singh, she shares her extraordinary journey. From building a distinctive contemporary art collection and championing emerging artists to the life lessons that shaped her philosophy, we take you into the creative world of Shalini Passi. Her story is not just about glamour and grace, but also about courage, self-belief, and leading life on your own terms.


Inside Shalini Passi's Creative World: Redefining Success Beyond Glamour 

In an exclusive conversation with WION, The Copenhagen Test team, featuring actress Sinclair Daniel and actor Mark O'Brien, open up about the show and their roles. The series, which has Simu Liu playing the lead, is streaming on Peacock and Jio Hotstar. WION's Snigdha Bahera spoke to Sinclair and Mark about their experience of working on the show, season 2 and more.


The Copenhagen Test team speaks to WION

<p>Channing Tatum leads the absurd yet fascinating story of Roofman with a perfect blend of comic brilliance and dramatic depth. Based on a true story, the film follows real-life spree robber Jeffrey Manchester, who escapes from prison and secretly takes refuge inside a Toys “R” Us store, turning it into his home in an effort to evade capture, and surprisingly, he ends up living there for more than six months. But for the time he lives there, what he does is set up a monitor screen to look at everyday activities of the staff of the store, seeing who is doing what, when, and how.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Released in theatres in the United States on October 10 and later on Paramount Plus, the movie is set to make its debut in India on December 19 on Lionsgate Play.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>Channing Tatum says Peter Dinklage steals Roofman - find out why&nbsp;</h2><p>Ahead of the release, Channing has spoken about the movie and shared his admiration for co-star Peter Dinklage, hailing his layered and unforgettable performance in the film.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In an exclusive chat with WION, the actor called Dinklage’s performance one of the most compelling portrayals he’s seen.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>“I think Peter steals this movie. I absolutely think Peter steals this film. Like, you somehow... Because it's such a hard role to play because you're like the bad guy, I guess,'' the actor said.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also read:</strong> <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/avatar-fire-and-ash-early-reviews-out-critics-hail-james-cameron-s-cinematic-saga-with-repetitive-elements-1766044015255">Avatar: Fire and Ash early reviews out! Critics hail the cinematic saga</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Tatum plays the Roofman, and during the days he spends in that secret world from where he looks at the toy store and its employees, there is Kirsten Dunst, who plays Leigh, and then there is a manager, Mitch, played by Peter Dinklage, an authoritative manager.</p>

<p>Speaking further about the Game of Thrones actor’s performance, Tatum said,''But he plays it in such a way that's so authentic. And being like that, you know, you're not like the mustache twirling person. But he plays that mustache twirl without the ick. Like, without, you know, you're... And you just... You really love him and, like, also want something bad to happen to him. And, like, also, like, love him and want more of him. It's so strange. I don't know how he does it.”</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also read:</strong> <strong>D4vd case: Did the singer own an incinerator at his rented Hollywood home?</strong></p><h2>What is Roofman about?</h2><p>To bring you the notorious story of Jeffrey Manchester, a former Army man turned crook, but he's a good man who carries out non-violent robberies to survive and provide for his daughter. He robs McDonald's restaurants by entering through their roofs. But at the same time, he makes sure the staff where he does his theft have jackets before he locks them in the refrigerator. Directed by Derek Cianfrance, the movie, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, has earned great reviews for its funny and surprising narrative with heartfelt performances from Tatum and other actors in the movie.</p>

Channing Tatum's film is inspired by the astonishing true story of Jeffrey Manchester, a man who lived in a hidden space at a play store after he escaped from prison. 

Channing Tatum leads the absurd yet fascinating story of Roofman with a perfect blend of comic brilliance and dramatic depth. Based on a true story, the film follows real-life spree robber Jeffrey Manchester, who escapes from prison and secretly takes refuge inside a Toys “R” Us store, turning it into his home in an effort to evade capture, and surprisingly, he ends up living there for more than six months. But for the time he lives there, what he does is set up a monitor screen to look at everyday activities of the staff of the store, seeing who is doing what, when, and how. Released in theatres in the United States on October 10 and later on Paramount Plus, the movie is set to make its debut in India on December 19 on Lionsgate Play. Channing Tatum says Peter Dinklage steals Roofman - find out why Ahead of the release, Channing has spoken about the movie and shared his admiration for co-star Peter Dinklage, hailing his layered and unforgettable performance in the film. In an exclusive chat with WION, the actor called Dinklage’s performance one of the most compelling portrayals he’s seen. “I think Peter steals this movie. I absolutely think Peter steals this film. Like, you somehow... Because it's such a hard role to play because you're like the bad guy, I guess,'' the actor said. Also read: Avatar: Fire and Ash early reviews out! Critics hail the cinematic saga Tatum plays the Roofman, and during the days he spends in that secret world from where he looks at the toy store and its employees, there is Kirsten Dunst, who plays Leigh, and then there is a manager, Mitch, played by Peter Dinklage, an authoritative manager.

<p>Channing Tatum's film is inspired by the astonishing true story of Jeffrey Manchester, a man who lived in a hidden space at a play store after he escaped from prison.&nbsp;</p>

'He steals the movie’: Channing Tatum on Peter Dinklage’s authentic performance in Roofman | Exclusive

Get an exclusive look behind the scenes at the Global Garba Festival in New Delhi. Wion's Samarpita Das sits down with Bollywood's renowned music duo, Salim-Sulaiman, just before their electrifying performance at Sunder Nursery. In this special interview, they discuss the growing influence of Bollywood on traditional Garba music and share their unique insights. Discover how they're blending classic Garba beats with a modern concert experience.


Salim-Sulaiman on Garba & Bollywood's influence | WION E-Club

From producer Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions comes HIM, a chilling psychological sports horror film.  A rising football star, Cam Cade (Tyriq Withers), gets a shot at greatness when his idol, legendary quarterback Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), invites him to train at his secluded compound. 
In an exclusive conversation with WION's Samarpita Das, the director Justin Tipping deconstructed his film. 

Him director Justin Tipping: I looked at it through the lens of Gladiator | WION Exclusive 

Dive into the covert world of espionage with the new Netflix series, Saare Jahan Se Accha: The Silent Guardians, starring Pratik Gandhi as Indian spy Vishnu Shankar. The show is an Independence Day special that pays tribute to the unsung heroes who work behind the scenes. In a special conversation with WION's Samarpita Das, co-stars Pratik Gandhi and Sunny Hinduja offer an exclusive glimpse into their roles and the intense world of intelligence gathering. Streaming now, this series is a powerful reminder that not all wars are fought on the battlefield.


Saare Jahan Se Accha: Pratik Gandhi transforms into a spy in this series | WION Exclusive

<p>Jay Thakkar is gearing up for the release of his next big-screen appearance in Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi starrer <i>Bhool Chuk Maaf.</i> A romantic comedy set in a small town of India, the film takes a humorous look at a man who desperately wants to get married to the love of his life but gets stuck in a time loop, with the D-day never happening for him.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Exploring comedy with <i>Bhool Chuk Maaf </i>and <i>Kapkapiii</i>, featuring Tusshar Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade, Jay Thakkar opened up about his journey, why he loves the movies and more.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><i><strong>Here are the edited excerpts of our chat:</strong></i></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Q: Comedy requires timing and rhythm. What’s your process for finding the right beat in humorous scenes?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>A: Comedy, to me, is a dance between spontaneity and precision. Having started my journey in 2004 as a child actor in comedy shows like Devrani Jethani and Gutur Gu, I learned early on that humor isn't just about delivering punchlines—it's about embodying the moment.&nbsp; In Gutur Gu, a silent comedy – every gesture, every pause, every expression carries weight.&nbsp; This taught me to listen—not just to dialogues, but to the rhythm of the scene, the energy of my co-actors, and the pulse of the audience.&nbsp; Over the years, I've realized that the most genuine laughs come from moments rooted in truth.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Q: Was there a particular scene or moment on set that stood out for you during the making of Bhool Chuk Maaf?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>A: Honestly, Bhool Chuk Maaf felt like more than just a film—it felt like life coming full circle. I had worked with Rajkummar Rao way back in 2008 when I was just seven years old, in a film called Uss Din, where he played my father. And now, here I was, playing his sister’s boyfriend, Sushil. That reunion hit deep. During the shoot in Banaras, I had called my mom on set just for a short visit—and he remembered her instantly. He touched her feet to take blessings and shared with her how much he admired my work in Gullak Season 4. Hearing Rajkummar Rao not just remember me, but praise me to my mother, was an overwhelming and unforgettable moment. It made me feel seen, validated, and truly respected for my craft.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Another special aspect was how I was cast. Having already adapted the Banarasi dialect for my role in UP65, I could carry that authenticity into this film.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Q: You also have another release on the same day as Bhool Chuk Maaf – horror comedy Kapkapiii. Any funny or spooky stories you would like to share?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>A: Kapkapiii was an absolute rollercoaster—a beautiful blend of chills, laughs, and lots of surprises, both on and off the set. One of the most memorable moments came during the shoot of a teaser scene. I had this quirky bit inside a toilet, where my character is flipping through an erotic magazine. Shreyas Talpade’s character barges in and drops the hilarious line, “Band kar ke toh kar, yede!” That part was in the script—but what followed was pure improvisation. I suggested that I should awkwardly get up to close the door without wearing anything below, prompting Shreyas sir to add, “Arey abhi nahi, mere jaane ke baad!”</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I did encounter a spooky episode on the set. During a night shoot in this eerie old mansion, while rehearsing a particularly intense scene, the lights suddenly flickered and a prop door creaked open slowly. The entire set froze—we thought we’d summoned something for real! Turns out, it was just a mischievous crew member pulling a prank. But the reactions were so real, I think some of that fear made it into the final take.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Q: From Pavitra Rishta to Gullak 4, you've done both emotional and light-hearted roles. What type of character challenges you the most?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Characters that dwell in the grey areas challenge me the most, where the character is neither wrong, nor right. Those who aren't strictly heroes or villains but are deeply human, with flaws, dreams, and contradictions. I am deeply inspired by Vijay Verma's character in Dahaad, Abhishek Bachchan's character in Breathe.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Additionally, In Sony Liv's Adrishyam, playing a crazy maniac pyscho terrorist alongside Divyanka Tripathi helped me learn, experiment &amp; perform a dark character Muzammil.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Q: What is one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self—the one who walked into the sets of Gutur Gu for the first time?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>A: I'd tell that young boy: Embrace every moment, every challenge, every triumph.&nbsp; There will be times of doubt, times when the path seems uncertain, but trust in your passion.&nbsp; Let your love for the craft guide you, and never lose the joy that brought you here."&nbsp; Gutur Gu was more than just a show; it was the beginning of a lifelong journey, and I'd remind my younger self to cherish every step of it.&nbsp;</p><h3>Watch trailer of Bhool Chuk Maaf:</h3>

Gearing for his big-screen release Bhool Chuk Maaf with Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi, actor Jay Thakkar opened up about his love for comedy films and more. 

Jay Thakkar is gearing up for the release of his next big-screen appearance in Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi starrer Bhool Chuk Maaf. A romantic comedy set in a small town of India, the film takes a humorous look at a man who desperately wants to get married to the love of his life but gets stuck in a time loop, with the D-day never happening for him. Exploring comedy with Bhool Chuk Maaf and Kapkapiii, featuring Tusshar Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade, Jay Thakkar opened up about his journey, why he loves the movies and more. Here are the edited excerpts of our chat: Q: Comedy requires timing and rhythm. What’s your process for finding the right beat in humorous scenes? A: Comedy, to me, is a dance between spontaneity and precision. Having started my journey in 2004 as a child actor in comedy shows like Devrani Jethani and Gutur Gu, I learned early on that humor isn't just about delivering punchlines—it's about embodying the moment. In Gutur Gu, a silent comedy – every gesture, every pause, every expression carries weight. This taught me to listen—not just to dialogues, but to the rhythm of the scene, the energy of my co-actors, and the pulse of the audience. Over the years, I've realized that the most genuine laughs come from moments rooted in truth. Q: Was there a particular scene or moment on set that stood out for you during the making of Bhool Chuk Maaf? A: Honestly, Bhool Chuk Maaf felt like more than just a film—it felt like life coming full circle. I had worked with Rajkummar Rao way back in 2008 when I was just seven years old, in a film called Uss Din, where he played my father. And now, here I was, playing his sister’s boyfriend, Sushil. That reunion hit deep. During the shoot in Banaras, I had called my mom on set just for a short visit—and he remembered her instantly. He touched her feet to take blessings and shared with her how much he admired my work in Gullak Season 4. Hearing Rajkummar Rao not just remember me, but praise me to my mother, was an overwhelming and unforgettable moment. It made me feel seen, validated, and truly respected for my craft. Another special aspect was how I was cast. Having already adapted the Banarasi dialect for my role in UP65, I could carry that authenticity into this film. Q: You also have another release on the same day as Bhool Chuk Maaf – horror comedy Kapkapiii. Any funny or spooky stories you would like to share? A: Kapkapiii was an absolute rollercoaster—a beautiful blend of chills, laughs, and lots of surprises, both on and off the set. One of the most memorable moments came during the shoot of a teaser scene. I had this quirky bit inside a toilet, where my character is flipping through an erotic magazine. Shreyas Talpade’s character barges in and drops the hilarious line, “Band kar ke toh kar, yede!” That part was in the script—but what followed was pure improvisation. I suggested that I should awkwardly get up to close the door without wearing anything below, prompting Shreyas sir to add, “Arey abhi nahi, mere jaane ke baad!” I did encounter a spooky episode on the set. During a night shoot in this eerie old mansion, while rehearsing a particularly intense scene, the lights suddenly flickered and a prop door creaked open slowly. The entire set froze—we thought we’d summoned something for real! Turns out, it was just a mischievous crew member pulling a prank. But the reactions were so real, I think some of that fear made it into the final take. Q: From Pavitra Rishta to Gullak 4, you've done both emotional and light-hearted roles. What type of character challenges you the most? Characters that dwell in the grey areas challenge me the most, where the character is neither wrong, nor right. Those who aren't strictly heroes or villains but are deeply human, with flaws, dreams, and contradictions. I am deeply inspired by Vijay Verma's character in Dahaad, Abhishek Bachchan's character in Breathe. Additionally, In Sony Liv's Adrishyam, playing a crazy maniac pyscho terrorist alongside Divyanka Tripathi helped me learn, experiment & perform a dark character Muzammil. Q: What is one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self—the one who walked into the sets of Gutur Gu for the first time? A: I'd tell that young boy: Embrace every moment, every challenge, every triumph. There will be times of doubt, times when the path seems uncertain, but trust in your passion. Let your love for the craft guide you, and never lose the joy that brought you here." Gutur Gu was more than just a show; it was the beginning of a lifelong journey, and I'd remind my younger self to cherish every step of it. Watch trailer of Bhool Chuk Maaf:

<p>Gearing for his big-screen release Bhool Chuk Maaf with Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi, actor Jay Thakkar opened up about his love for comedy films and more.&nbsp;</p>

Bhool Chuk Maaf actor Jay Thakkar on his life coming full circle with the comedy film

<p>The Cannes Film festival 2025 will kickstart from May 13 and will go on till May 24. Like previous years, our focus will not only be on fashion but also on films that make a splash on the world stage. Good news is, Indian film<em> The Second Wind </em>will screen at the festival and the director Indira Baikerikar alongwith the cast is extremely thrilled to be walking the prestigious red carpet to represent their film.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Indira Baikerikar was inspired by her daughter Mallika&rsquo;s journey and translated that into a short film which tells how Mallika recovered after a life-altering event. We got in touch with Nandinee Khosla who is an integral part of the film as she tells us what we should expect from her and <em>The Second Wind</em> team at the Cannes.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Excited to walk the Cannes red carpet, here are the excerpts from our chat:&nbsp;</em></p>
<p><strong>Q: Is this your first Cannes? How does it feel?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>A: Yes, this is my first Cannes. IGetting this opportunity at just 24 years old feels like a dream come true for me as an aspiring actor. It is actually my first festival ever, where I get to represent my film. I have always been an actor at heart, acting out scenes from my favourite movies as a child. Getting invited for Cannes is a great honour.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Q: Since Cannes is a lot about fashion, who wore what for the red carpet, have you decided for your first appearance? &nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>A: Given the vast influence that fashion has on this film festival, I&rsquo;m taking my wardrobe very seriously. I have an excellent stylist on board, Aakruti Sejpal, who is helping me with my looks. We will be there for seven days, so we have lots of opportunities to play around with my looks and make them unique. We have finalised an amazing Shantanu &amp; Nikhil look for the red carpet, and we&rsquo;re working with House of CB, Archana Jaju, Payal Jain, and more for my other outfits.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/cannes-2025-award-winning-filmmaker-payal-kapadia-joins-as-jury-member-9012939">Cannes 2025: Award-winning filmmaker Payal Kapadia joins as jury member</a></p>
<p><strong>Q: Will you walk the famous Cannes red carpet?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>A: Yes, all of us in the cast have the opportunity to walk the red carpet this year. Mayura Shivalkar, Mallika Baikerikar, Indira Baikerikar (who is also the director), and I will all be there to represent our film, <em>The Second Wind.&nbsp;</em></p>
<p>I met Mrs. Indira Baikerikar three years ago during my theatre workshop, and from there we just connected. We both share a mutual love and passion for acting, theatre and films. Also, a special shoutout to her for patiently waiting for me to recover from my injury, despite the delays.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/anupam-khers-directorial-film-tanvi-the-great-to-premiere-at-cannes-film-festival-2025-8961884">Anupam Kher&rsquo;s directorial film Tanvi The Great to premiere at Cannes Film Festival 2025</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/cannes-film-festival-2025-neeraj-ghaywans-homebound-featuring-ishaan-khatter-selected-in-un-certain-regard-section-8947511">Cannes Film Festival 2025: Neeraj Ghaywan&rsquo;s Homebound, featuring Ishaan Khatter, selected in Un Certain Regard section</a></p>
<p><strong>Q: What is the film about?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>A: <em>The Second Wind</em> is a beautiful and simple story of four women who find a second chance in life through sports. This is an all-female-led and driven film that emphasises the importance of mental and physical health. Our director, Indira Baikerikar, wanted to put across the message that &lsquo;Nothing in life is over until it&rsquo;s done.&rsquo; The film is unique, considering that authenticity is at the forefront of the entire filmmaking process.&nbsp;</p>
<p>We shot the film primarily in Mumbai, capturing beautiful shots of the Sea Link and the Dadar Phool Market. The film also covers actual marathons and triathlons, which have been shot in real time. Along with that, we also shot a part of our film in the beautiful city of Belgaum, Karnataka.</p>
<p><em>The Second Wind</em> is extremely special for me. The opportunity came at time when I was personally at a low point in my life. After a freak injury left me with a slipped disc and on bed rest for two months, I was very demotivated. This project came like a breath of fresh air. Not only did it get my creative wheels churning, but while living my character on screen, I got the chance to look at life from another perspective and pick myself back up. And of course, my amazing cast members were my biggest sources of inspiration.</p>
<p><strong>Q: India usually has a large contingent at Cannes every year. It started with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and now more and more Indians attend the festival. Do you hope to meet some at the festival?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>A: For Indian cinephiles, the Cannes Film Festival has become one of the biggest film festivals in the world. There have been incredible films displayed, from Payal Kapadia&rsquo;s <em>All We Imagine As Light </em>last year, to Ritesh Batra&rsquo;s <em>The Lunchbox</em>. Apart from that, Indian actors and actresses have always made a strong presence on the red carpet. It's a huge honour for me to walk the same carpet as icons like Aishwarya Rai. I&rsquo;ve grown up seeing her there. Other than that, being able to meet and get to know more Indian directors and producers, and getting the opportunity to connect and network with them, is amazing.</p>
<p><strong>Q: Are you excited to watch some films at Cannes?</strong></p>
<p>A: I&rsquo;m really excited to watch Neeraj Ghaywan&rsquo;s <em>Homebound</em>. I&rsquo;m a big fan of his work especially after <em>Masaan</em> and <em>Geeli Pucchi.</em> It makes me so proud to see an Indian film make it to an international platform again, and I'm personally excited to cheer for them.&nbsp;<br>I have also been hearing a lot about <em>Alpha</em> by Julia Ducournau, and I'm looking forward to watching it myself.</p>

Entertainment In an exclusive interview, Nandinee Khosla shares how it feels to get invited to walk the Cannes red carpet and watch her film The Second Wind at Cannes.

The Cannes Film festival 2025 will kickstart from May 13 and will go on till May 24. Like previous years, our focus will not only be on fashion but also on films that make a splash on the world stage. Good news is, Indian film The Second Wind will screen at the festival and the director Indira Baikerikar alongwith the cast is extremely thrilled to be walking the prestigious red carpet to represent their film. Indira Baikerikar was inspired by her daughter Mallika’s journey and translated that into a short film which tells how Mallika recovered after a life-altering event. We got in touch with Nandinee Khosla who is an integral part of the film as she tells us what we should expect from her and The Second Wind team at the Cannes. Excited to walk the Cannes red carpet, here are the excerpts from our chat: Q: Is this your first Cannes? How does it feel? A: Yes, this is my first Cannes. IGetting this opportunity at just 24 years old feels like a dream come true for me as an aspiring actor. It is actually my first festival ever, where I get to represent my film. I have always been an actor at heart, acting out scenes from my favourite movies as a child. Getting invited for Cannes is a great honour. Q: Since Cannes is a lot about fashion, who wore what for the red carpet, have you decided for your first appearance? A: Given the vast influence that fashion has on this film festival, I’m taking my wardrobe very seriously. I have an excellent stylist on board, Aakruti Sejpal, who is helping me with my looks. We will be there for seven days, so we have lots of opportunities to play around with my looks and make them unique. We have finalised an amazing Shantanu & Nikhil look for the red carpet, and we’re working with House of CB, Archana Jaju, Payal Jain, and more for my other outfits. Cannes 2025: Award-winning filmmaker Payal Kapadia joins as jury member Q: Will you walk the famous Cannes red carpet? A: Yes, all of us in the cast have the opportunity to walk the red carpet this year. Mayura Shivalkar, Mallika Baikerikar, Indira Baikerikar (who is also the director), and I will all be there to represent our film, The Second Wind. I met Mrs. Indira Baikerikar three years ago during my theatre workshop, and from there we just connected. We both share a mutual love and passion for acting, theatre and films. Also, a special shoutout to her for patiently waiting for me to recover from my injury, despite the delays. Anupam Kher’s directorial film Tanvi The Great to premiere at Cannes Film Festival 2025 Cannes Film Festival 2025: Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, featuring Ishaan Khatter, selected in Un Certain Regard section Q: What is the film about? A: The Second Wind is a beautiful and simple story of four women who find a second chance in life through sports. This is an all-female-led and driven film that emphasises the importance of mental and physical health. Our director, Indira Baikerikar, wanted to put across the message that ‘Nothing in life is over until it’s done.’ The film is unique, considering that authenticity is at the forefront of the entire filmmaking process. We shot the film primarily in Mumbai, capturing beautiful shots of the Sea Link and the Dadar Phool Market. The film also covers actual marathons and triathlons, which have been shot in real time. Along with that, we also shot a part of our film in the beautiful city of Belgaum, Karnataka. The Second Wind is extremely special for me. The opportunity came at time when I was personally at a low point in my life. After a freak injury left me with a slipped disc and on bed rest for two months, I was very demotivated. This project came like a breath of fresh air. Not only did it get my creative wheels churning, but while living my character on screen, I got the chance to look at life from another perspective and pick myself back up. And of course, my amazing cast members were my biggest sources of inspiration. Q: India usually has a large contingent at Cannes every year. It started with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and now more and more Indians attend the festival. Do you hope to meet some at the festival? A: For Indian cinephiles, the Cannes Film Festival has become one of the biggest film festivals in the world. There have been incredible films displayed, from Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light last year, to Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox. Apart from that, Indian actors and actresses have always made a strong presence on the red carpet. It's a huge honour for me to walk the same carpet as icons like Aishwarya Rai. I’ve grown up seeing her there. Other than that, being able to meet and get to know more Indian directors and producers, and getting the opportunity to connect and network with them, is amazing. Q: Are you excited to watch some films at Cannes? A: I’m really excited to watch Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound. I’m a big fan of his work especially after Masaan and Geeli Pucchi. It makes me so proud to see an Indian film make it to an international platform again, and I'm personally excited to cheer for them. I have also been hearing a lot about Alpha by Julia Ducournau, and I'm looking forward to watching it myself.

Cannes Exclusive| Nandinee Khosla on her film Second Wind screening at festival

<p>Sonali Kulkarni has dabbled with films, TV shows, OTT series and has now ventured into something new &ndash; voice acting for an audio series titled <em>His Majesty's Tiger Season 1 </em>by Audible. It&rsquo;s a Hindi language audio series in which Sonali plays Rani Sukanya, who is tasked with something important. How she overcomes personal struggles to help solve a mystery, Sonali effortlessly transitions into Rani in the audio series.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Discussing her evolution as an actor, following her Guru&rsquo;s advice of &lsquo;finding own voice&rsquo; and why she thinks its important for cinema to have new filmmakers who challenge the norm, Sonali Kulkarni opens up in an exclusive chat.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><strong>Here are the edited excerpts:</strong></em></p>
<h2><strong>From TV to Podcasts</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Q: Having worked in TV, films and now audio shows, what was it like to explore a new domain?</strong></p>
<p>A: From a time when we only had Doordarshan and Akashwani to now getting spoilt for choices, we have come a long way. Audio has picked up as a great medium, with the viewing time getting shorter by the day. I feel people binge-watch less these days. That&rsquo;s where podcasts come in. I am glad that Audible approached me for Rani Sukanya&rsquo;s role.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Q: What can you tell us about voice acting?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>A: You know Zeba, I still remember my theatre workshop with Pandit Satyadev Dubeji, who was my mentor, guru, friend, philosopher, guide. We lost him 10 years ago. But when I was in the 11th standard, I asked him something and he said that I should speak in my own voice. I kept portraying a sweeter self, but he was never convinced. When he kept telling us to speak in our own voice, out of my frustration, I asked him one day what it meant. He said, "find your own voice."</p>
<p>I took a big learning from that. I realised that if I imitate someone, I will lose myself in the crowd. So when Audible asked me to play Rani Sukanya, I knew that they had something in mind because this casting was very interesting for me. People have seen my plays, they have seen my web series and films in a variety of languages but to come in an audio series was definitely unique.</p>
<h2><strong>No one-size formula for films</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Q: Sonali, why do you think filmmakers can no longer do away with a one-size-fits-all formula for all films, since most of the mega-budget films are tanking at the box office?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>A: Having one formula would serve a lot of purpose and would solve all the problems because we put in a lot when we are making a film. It is time, it is talent, and apart from everything, filmmaking is a business of emotions. So if we knew the formula, success would have come easily, but then why is it, even though everyone knows the formula in an exam, not everyone makes it to the topper&rsquo;s list? Every filmmaker is trying to explore something new, and that&rsquo;s important because how else will we have variety?</p>
<h2 class="gh-archive-page-post-title"><a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/interview-prajakta-koli-i-have-100-been-hopelessly-romantic-for-years-as-she-spoke-about-audiobook-too-good-to-be-true-9010272" aria-label="Interview| Prajakta Koli speaks about love, audiobook Too Good To Be True: 'I was hopelessly romantic....'">Interview| Prajakta Koli speaks about love, audiobook Too Good To Be True: 'I was hopelessly romantic....'</a></h2>
<h2><strong>No language barrier</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Q: As someone who has worked in different languages of different films, how do you feel about the Indian audience no longer having a language hitch while watching films?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>A: Thanks to lockdown, everyone explored a variety of content in different languages. I thankfully have a wide variety of experience because I started with a Hindi film, Cheluvi, then did one in Tamil called Me Madam. Then I worked in Marathi which is my mother tongue. I worked in Gujarati, Telugu, Italian, English, and many other languages.</p>
<h2 class="gh-archive-page-post-title"><a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/babil-khan-interview-people-think-qala-was-my-debut-but-thats-not-true-i-debuted-in-dad-irrfan-khans-8989821" aria-label="Babil Khan Interview: Qala was not my debut film. I debuted in dad Irrfan Khan's........">Babil Khan Interview: Qala was not my debut film. I debuted in dad Irrfan Khan's........</a></h2>
<p>I am so happy that people can distinguish between South Indian films now. There is nothing like South, there are Malayalam, Tamil or Telugu films. They are all very distinctive.&nbsp;</p>
<p>I feel we are all global stars today. Today, talent matters and not the language.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

Entertainment Bollywood Interview Sonali Kulkarni shared insights in this interview on her journey as an actress, emphasising her commitment to developing her unique voice, a principle she learned from her mentor.

Sonali Kulkarni has dabbled with films, TV shows, OTT series and has now ventured into something new – voice acting for an audio series titled His Majesty's Tiger Season 1 by Audible. It’s a Hindi language audio series in which Sonali plays Rani Sukanya, who is tasked with something important. How she overcomes personal struggles to help solve a mystery, Sonali effortlessly transitions into Rani in the audio series. Discussing her evolution as an actor, following her Guru’s advice of ‘finding own voice’ and why she thinks its important for cinema to have new filmmakers who challenge the norm, Sonali Kulkarni opens up in an exclusive chat. Here are the edited excerpts: From TV to Podcasts Q: Having worked in TV, films and now audio shows, what was it like to explore a new domain? A: From a time when we only had Doordarshan and Akashwani to now getting spoilt for choices, we have come a long way. Audio has picked up as a great medium, with the viewing time getting shorter by the day. I feel people binge-watch less these days. That’s where podcasts come in. I am glad that Audible approached me for Rani Sukanya’s role. Q: What can you tell us about voice acting? A: You know Zeba, I still remember my theatre workshop with Pandit Satyadev Dubeji, who was my mentor, guru, friend, philosopher, guide. We lost him 10 years ago. But when I was in the 11th standard, I asked him something and he said that I should speak in my own voice. I kept portraying a sweeter self, but he was never convinced. When he kept telling us to speak in our own voice, out of my frustration, I asked him one day what it meant. He said, "find your own voice." I took a big learning from that. I realised that if I imitate someone, I will lose myself in the crowd. So when Audible asked me to play Rani Sukanya, I knew that they had something in mind because this casting was very interesting for me. People have seen my plays, they have seen my web series and films in a variety of languages but to come in an audio series was definitely unique. No one-size formula for films Q: Sonali, why do you think filmmakers can no longer do away with a one-size-fits-all formula for all films, since most of the mega-budget films are tanking at the box office? A: Having one formula would serve a lot of purpose and would solve all the problems because we put in a lot when we are making a film. It is time, it is talent, and apart from everything, filmmaking is a business of emotions. So if we knew the formula, success would have come easily, but then why is it, even though everyone knows the formula in an exam, not everyone makes it to the topper’s list? Every filmmaker is trying to explore something new, and that’s important because how else will we have variety? Interview| Prajakta Koli speaks about love, audiobook Too Good To Be True: 'I was hopelessly romantic....' No language barrier Q: As someone who has worked in different languages of different films, how do you feel about the Indian audience no longer having a language hitch while watching films? A: Thanks to lockdown, everyone explored a variety of content in different languages. I thankfully have a wide variety of experience because I started with a Hindi film, Cheluvi, then did one in Tamil called Me Madam. Then I worked in Marathi which is my mother tongue. I worked in Gujarati, Telugu, Italian, English, and many other languages. Babil Khan Interview: Qala was not my debut film. I debuted in dad Irrfan Khan's........ I am so happy that people can distinguish between South Indian films now. There is nothing like South, there are Malayalam, Tamil or Telugu films. They are all very distinctive. I feel we are all global stars today. Today, talent matters and not the language.

Interview| Sonali Kulkarni: 'We are global stars. Talent matters, not language'

<p>US President Donald Trump has said in an interview with The Atlantic magazine that he &ldquo;runs the world&rdquo; and is &ldquo;having a lot of fun&rdquo; in his second term.&nbsp;<br>When asked if his second term felt different from his first, Trump said it did. &ldquo;The first time, I had two things to do&mdash;run the country and survive; I had all these crooked guys,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;<br>&ldquo;And the second time, I run the country and the world,&rdquo; Trump added in the interview published on Monday.</p>
<p>The interview was conducted after the magazine, which Trump once ridiculed as &ldquo;failing,&rdquo; called his cellphone and the president answered.</p>
<p>Trump touched on several sensitive issues, including the controversy surrounding his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth&rsquo;s use of the Signal chat app and the deportations of some Americans.</p>
<p>He expressed his confidence in Hegseth, telling The Atlantic&mdash;which exposed Hegseth&rsquo;s Signal leak of information&mdash; &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s gonna get it together...I had a talk with him, a positive talk.&rdquo;<br><br><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Also Read |<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-donald-trump-xi-jinping-call-us-president-trade-war-9011352" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">'First stop threatening, blackmailing China': Beijing calls out Trump over 'fake' Xi call. Was US prez bluffing to end trade war?</a></span></strong></p>
<p>When queried on the possibility of his administration accidentally ejecting an American citizen in its mass deportation push, Trump said, &ldquo;Let me tell you that nothing will ever be perfect in this world.&rdquo;</p>
<p>He also praised the tech tycoons Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos as &ldquo;great,&rdquo; while suggesting that they and others with great wealth are friendlier with him in his second term because they have &ldquo;a higher level of respect ... maybe they didn&rsquo;t know me at the beginning, and they know me now.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/another-pakistan-about-to-emerge-in-uk-scottish-leader-anas-sarwar-exhorts-pakistanis-to-take-power-watch-9011598">&lsquo;Another Pakistan about to emerge in UK&rsquo;: Scottish leader Anas Sarwar exhorts Pakistanis to &lsquo;take power&rsquo; | Watch</a></span></strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m having a lot of fun, considering what I do ... you know, what I do is such serious stuff,&rdquo; Trump said when asked if the observation made by one of his allies that he was &ldquo;blowing it up with a twinkle in his eye&rdquo; was correct.</p>
<p>Trump has repeatedly bashed The Atlantic, including in the weeks leading up to the interview after its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was inadvertently included in the Signal chat in which top Trump officials discussed national security secrets last month.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Also Read |<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.wionews.com/health-and-wellness/ultra-processed-food-multiplies-risk-of-early-death-reveals-new-study-9010874" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Ultra-processed food multiplies risk of early death, reveals new study</a></strong></p>
<p>Trump initially denied the magazine&rsquo;s request for an interview by publicly bashing writers Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer on Truth Social.</p>

World: When queried on the possibility of his administration accidentally ejecting an American citizen in its mass deportation push, Trump said, “Let me tell you that nothing will ever be perfect in this world.”

US President Donald Trump has said in an interview with The Atlantic magazine that he “runs the world” and is “having a lot of fun” in his second term. When asked if his second term felt different from his first, Trump said it did. “The first time, I had two things to do—run the country and survive; I had all these crooked guys,” he said. “And the second time, I run the country and the world,” Trump added in the interview published on Monday. The interview was conducted after the magazine, which Trump once ridiculed as “failing,” called his cellphone and the president answered. Trump touched on several sensitive issues, including the controversy surrounding his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the Signal chat app and the deportations of some Americans. He expressed his confidence in Hegseth, telling The Atlantic—which exposed Hegseth’s Signal leak of information— “I think he’s gonna get it together...I had a talk with him, a positive talk.” Also Read | 'First stop threatening, blackmailing China': Beijing calls out Trump over 'fake' Xi call. Was US prez bluffing to end trade war? When queried on the possibility of his administration accidentally ejecting an American citizen in its mass deportation push, Trump said, “Let me tell you that nothing will ever be perfect in this world.” He also praised the tech tycoons Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos as “great,” while suggesting that they and others with great wealth are friendlier with him in his second term because they have “a higher level of respect ... maybe they didn’t know me at the beginning, and they know me now.” Also Read | ‘Another Pakistan about to emerge in UK’: Scottish leader Anas Sarwar exhorts Pakistanis to ‘take power’ | Watch “I’m having a lot of fun, considering what I do ... you know, what I do is such serious stuff,” Trump said when asked if the observation made by one of his allies that he was “blowing it up with a twinkle in his eye” was correct. Trump has repeatedly bashed The Atlantic, including in the weeks leading up to the interview after its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was inadvertently included in the Signal chat in which top Trump officials discussed national security secrets last month. Also Read | Ultra-processed food multiplies risk of early death, reveals new study Trump initially denied the magazine’s request for an interview by publicly bashing writers Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer on Truth Social.

‘I run the country and the world,’ Trump brags in interview

<p>Prajakta Koli thrives in a dynamic space. She enjoys the &ldquo;lack of monotony&rdquo; that her job offers. From starting as a content creator on YouTube, to acting in films and shows, to becoming a published author with her book, and now working as a voice actor to narrate her audiobook, <em>Too Good To Be True</em> on Audible, Prajakta Koli is popular among her fans as MostlySane on YouTube.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Prajakta, overwhelmed with the love <em>Too Good To Be True</em> has been receiving, got talking about the process of writing a book with an idea she conceived during the pandemic, if she considers herself a hopeless romantic in real life, and what advice she has for people who want to publish a book in the future.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><strong>Here are the edited excerpts of our chat:&nbsp;</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Q: Prajakta, congratulations on your marriage and your new book. How does it feel to be a published author?</strong></p>
<p>A: Thank you so much! Honestly, it's got to be one of the most challenging things I've done in my life so far as a creator. I was very, very happy when I finished writing the book. So, recording for my book was even more special. When I stood in that studio recording for Audible, it was the first time I said those words aloud after having worked on it for more than a year. This has been a huge learning curve for me &ndash; from writing scripts to writing a book and recording an audiobook.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Q: When did you think of the idea for your book, Too Good To Be True?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>A: During COVID, I was working on a few original ideas, and this was one of those. I wanted to develop this as a show, so when I started work on this, I realised I was very close to this idea and wanted to see if I could do it myself without a writer&rsquo;s room. I have no training in screenplay or dialogue writin,g so I started writing excerpts, which then became chapters for my book.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="prajakta" alt="" style="width: 0px;"><img src="https://img-cdn.publive.online/fit-in/580x0/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/post_attachments/8a1306e4-221.jpg" alt="prajakta" style="width: 580px;"></p>
<p><strong>Q: Do you draw from yourself for Avni in your book?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>A: I drew a lot from myself for Avni because, as a first-time author, for me, that was the lowest hanging fruit. It was the easiest for me to look for inspiration in myself and my personality when it came to Avni.</p>
<p>But beyond that, I worked a little longer, harder to build from scratch as fiction.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Q: Prajakta, would you call yourself a hopeless romantic?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>A: A 100 per cent. I&rsquo;ve been that for years. I have always gravitated towards it growing up. I used to be all heart for a very long time growing up. Now, I think I have reached a sweet spot where my heart and my mind meet midway. So, I go with my gut.&nbsp;</p>
<p>I used to be all heart for a very long time until I realised that self-preservation is also important. Now, I feel my heart and mind are pretty much in the same place. So I don't have to battle it out anymore.</p>
<p><strong>Q: Is your husband too good to be true for you?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>A: I wouldn't call him that because he's perfect. I have been with him for a very long time, and I can say that he is everything that he shows. He is very much true in the way I want him to be. &nbsp;</p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media publive-iframes-block publive-Instagram-block" contenteditable="false" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DI6Y6YKoqSu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-ma0xufoj-6wk4cg95-3esbv6hf">
<div style="padding: 16px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DI6Y6YKoqSu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div>
</div>
</a>
<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/DI6Y6YKoqSu/?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" rel="noopener">A post shared by Vrishank Khanal (@vrishankkhanal)</a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Q: Did writing happen because you&rsquo;re a reader? Is that the usual route we have to take to develop writing as a skill?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>A: I don&rsquo;t know what approach one can take when it comes to writing. I feel like it's a very, very personal process. I think everyone has a different way of approaching the first word or the first line, or the first chapter. For me, as much as I enjoyed writing romance, and I always wanted to write romance and develop it into shows and stuff like that, writing a book was never an idea I had. It wasn't until I read about 100 books that I realised that I now know how to tell a story. So the whole idea of writing a book, that is a dual POV book, came to me from reading all these beautiful novels that I ended up reading a few years ago.</p>
<p><strong>Q: What would you suggest to people who want to start writing but are not able to?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>A: The only thing that's worked for me is actually putting the work out without being too self-critical of it. It could be a YouTube video, a book or anything else. You would have a way of learning or steering towards the right place unless you put it out.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Also, even if I wanted to be critical, I couldn&rsquo;t be because I don&rsquo;t know better. It&rsquo;s good to have a little faith in yourself and take that leap.</p>
<p><a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/what-is-ozempic-are-celebrities-really-using-this-drug-side-effects-uses-and-more-all-you-need-to-know-8948876" aria-label="Ozempic: Are celebrities using this drug? Is it available in India? Side effects, uses, and more - all you need to know">Ozempic: Are celebrities using this drug? Is it available in India? Side effects, uses, and more - all you need to know</a></p>
<p><strong>Q: We haven&rsquo;t seen you on screen in a while. Should we expect something new in the works?</strong></p>
<p>A: Yes, I shot something exciting for Prime Video that should be coming out sometime this year. It's a supernatural thriller. It's very different from anything I've done before. It's called Andhera. I also finished shooting another project for another OTT platform. I am currently shooting another project for the same OTT, and then there are a couple of other announcements that I am not allowed to speak about yet. Also, there&rsquo;s definitely more writing.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Prajakta's audiobook <em>Too Good To Be True</em> released on March 24.&nbsp;</p>

Interview Entertainment In an exclusive interview, Youtuber, actor and now author Prajakta Koli opens up about trying new things, acting and how she gravitated towards writing a romantic fiction.

Prajakta Koli thrives in a dynamic space. She enjoys the “lack of monotony” that her job offers. From starting as a content creator on YouTube, to acting in films and shows, to becoming a published author with her book, and now working as a voice actor to narrate her audiobook, Too Good To Be True on Audible, Prajakta Koli is popular among her fans as MostlySane on YouTube. Prajakta, overwhelmed with the love Too Good To Be True has been receiving, got talking about the process of writing a book with an idea she conceived during the pandemic, if she considers herself a hopeless romantic in real life, and what advice she has for people who want to publish a book in the future. Here are the edited excerpts of our chat: Q: Prajakta, congratulations on your marriage and your new book. How does it feel to be a published author? A: Thank you so much! Honestly, it's got to be one of the most challenging things I've done in my life so far as a creator. I was very, very happy when I finished writing the book. So, recording for my book was even more special. When I stood in that studio recording for Audible, it was the first time I said those words aloud after having worked on it for more than a year. This has been a huge learning curve for me – from writing scripts to writing a book and recording an audiobook. Q: When did you think of the idea for your book, Too Good To Be True? A: During COVID, I was working on a few original ideas, and this was one of those. I wanted to develop this as a show, so when I started work on this, I realised I was very close to this idea and wanted to see if I could do it myself without a writer’s room. I have no training in screenplay or dialogue writin,g so I started writing excerpts, which then became chapters for my book. Q: Do you draw from yourself for Avni in your book? A: I drew a lot from myself for Avni because, as a first-time author, for me, that was the lowest hanging fruit. It was the easiest for me to look for inspiration in myself and my personality when it came to Avni. But beyond that, I worked a little longer, harder to build from scratch as fiction. Q: Prajakta, would you call yourself a hopeless romantic? A: A 100 per cent. I’ve been that for years. I have always gravitated towards it growing up. I used to be all heart for a very long time growing up. Now, I think I have reached a sweet spot where my heart and my mind meet midway. So, I go with my gut. I used to be all heart for a very long time until I realised that self-preservation is also important. Now, I feel my heart and mind are pretty much in the same place. So I don't have to battle it out anymore. Q: Is your husband too good to be true for you? A: I wouldn't call him that because he's perfect. I have been with him for a very long time, and I can say that he is everything that he shows. He is very much true in the way I want him to be. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vrishank Khanal (@vrishankkhanal) Q: Did writing happen because you’re a reader? Is that the usual route we have to take to develop writing as a skill? A: I don’t know what approach one can take when it comes to writing. I feel like it's a very, very personal process. I think everyone has a different way of approaching the first word or the first line, or the first chapter. For me, as much as I enjoyed writing romance, and I always wanted to write romance and develop it into shows and stuff like that, writing a book was never an idea I had. It wasn't until I read about 100 books that I realised that I now know how to tell a story. So the whole idea of writing a book, that is a dual POV book, came to me from reading all these beautiful novels that I ended up reading a few years ago. Q: What would you suggest to people who want to start writing but are not able to? A: The only thing that's worked for me is actually putting the work out without being too self-critical of it. It could be a YouTube video, a book or anything else. You would have a way of learning or steering towards the right place unless you put it out. Also, even if I wanted to be critical, I couldn’t be because I don’t know better. It’s good to have a little faith in yourself and take that leap. Ozempic: Are celebrities using this drug? Is it available in India? Side effects, uses, and more - all you need to know Q: We haven’t seen you on screen in a while. Should we expect something new in the works? A: Yes, I shot something exciting for Prime Video that should be coming out sometime this year. It's a supernatural thriller. It's very different from anything I've done before. It's called Andhera. I also finished shooting another project for another OTT platform. I am currently shooting another project for the same OTT, and then there are a couple of other announcements that I am not allowed to speak about yet. Also, there’s definitely more writing. Prajakta's audiobook Too Good To Be True released on March 24.

Interview| Prajakta Koli: 'I have 100% been hopelessly romantic for years' as she spoke about audiobook Too Good To Be True

<p>Pratyush Dua is like any other boy who wants to make quick bucks via social media popularity. He is your everyday social media influencer whose life revolves around content for his social media. He&rsquo;s so busy making money and increasing followers that he forgets to zoom out and take a pause before a stalker gets access to his phone and turns his life around.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This is the plot of the recently released ZEE5 film<em> Logout,</em> directed by Amit Golani. Starring Babil Khan as Pratyush, the film takes a look at the modern world problems of being too active on the internet and letting everyone on social media know about your whereabouts.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Logout</em> is now earning all the praises for its intelligent storyline and acting. Amit Golani shares what he feels makes the movie stand out. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s all in the writing,&rdquo; said Amit when questioned about Logout&rsquo;s unique point.&nbsp;</p>
<h2><strong>Amit Golani in an exclusive chat on Logout</strong></h2>
<p>In an exclusive insight into the making of the film, the director opens up about the creative choices, the importance of scripting, and how Logout was shaped, frame by frame, long before the cameras started rolling.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/babil-khan-interview-people-think-qala-was-my-debut-but-thats-not-true-i-debuted-in-dad-irrfan-khans-8989821">Babil Khan Interview: Qala was not my debut film. I debuted in dad Irrfan Khan's........</a></p>
<p>Amit said, &ldquo;Writing was the real work,&rdquo; reflecting on the film&rsquo;s journey. &ldquo;I think everything comes back to the writing. In the past, and even with our upcoming projects, we dedicate more time to writing than to post-production, shooting, or anything else,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p>He added, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re also kind of famous in the industry for taking a really long time with our projects.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p>He went on to explain, &ldquo;The small details and nuances you see in the scenes&mdash;we crack them during the writing stage because we genuinely enjoy bringing them out. If the audience notices and appreciates them, that&rsquo;s a win for us.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Watch Babil Khan's interview on Logout, his dad Irrfan Khan and more:</strong></p>
<p><iframe width="600" height="auto" style="width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 4/3;" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="external-video publive-iframes-block" src="https://cdn.thepublive.com/wion/static/kaltura_player/wion_video_player_iframe.html?thumbnail=wion/media/post_attachments/screenshot/2204_BABIL_KHAN_INTERVIEW_WEB/00000002.jpg&amp;videourl=https://vodakm.zeenews.com/vod/WION/2204_BABIL_KHAN_INTERVIEW_WEB.mp4/index.m3u8&amp;duration=426&amp;tags=babil khan, irrfan khan, zee5, logout, interview" title="Babil Khan on films, ZEE5 show Logout and Irrfan Khan's secret to looking ageless on screen" id="PL_iframe_block-m9ux8971-4uivdtoc-hgxgpi67"></iframe></p>
<h2><strong>About Logout</strong></h2>
<p><em>Logout</em> follows the story of Pratyush Dua (played by Babil Khan), a rising social media influencer on the verge of hitting 10 million followers&mdash;a milestone that could land him a major brand deal. But his world spirals out of control when his phone is stolen during a night out, and a seemingly helpful fan turns out to have darker intentions.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Logout</em> is currently streaming on ZEE5. Directed by Amit Golani, <em>Logout</em> is written by Biswapati Sarkar</p>

Entertainment Bollywood Logout director Amit Golani shared exclusive insight into the making of Babil Khan starter Logout, what sets it apart from other similar films and more.

Pratyush Dua is like any other boy who wants to make quick bucks via social media popularity. He is your everyday social media influencer whose life revolves around content for his social media. He’s so busy making money and increasing followers that he forgets to zoom out and take a pause before a stalker gets access to his phone and turns his life around. This is the plot of the recently released ZEE5 film Logout, directed by Amit Golani. Starring Babil Khan as Pratyush, the film takes a look at the modern world problems of being too active on the internet and letting everyone on social media know about your whereabouts. Logout is now earning all the praises for its intelligent storyline and acting. Amit Golani shares what he feels makes the movie stand out. “It’s all in the writing,” said Amit when questioned about Logout’s unique point. Amit Golani in an exclusive chat on Logout In an exclusive insight into the making of the film, the director opens up about the creative choices, the importance of scripting, and how Logout was shaped, frame by frame, long before the cameras started rolling. Babil Khan Interview: Qala was not my debut film. I debuted in dad Irrfan Khan's........ Amit said, “Writing was the real work,” reflecting on the film’s journey. “I think everything comes back to the writing. In the past, and even with our upcoming projects, we dedicate more time to writing than to post-production, shooting, or anything else,” he said. He added, “We’re also kind of famous in the industry for taking a really long time with our projects.” He went on to explain, “The small details and nuances you see in the scenes—we crack them during the writing stage because we genuinely enjoy bringing them out. If the audience notices and appreciates them, that’s a win for us.” Watch Babil Khan's interview on Logout, his dad Irrfan Khan and more: About Logout Logout follows the story of Pratyush Dua (played by Babil Khan), a rising social media influencer on the verge of hitting 10 million followers—a milestone that could land him a major brand deal. But his world spirals out of control when his phone is stolen during a night out, and a seemingly helpful fan turns out to have darker intentions. Logout is currently streaming on ZEE5. Directed by Amit Golani, Logout is written by Biswapati Sarkar

'Writing was the real work' explains Logout director Amit Golani sharing insights into making the film

After delivering a praiseworthy performance in his debut film Qala, Babil Khan made a splashing entry into the world of OTT with ZEE5 film Logout. 

Babil Khan on films, ZEE5 film Logout and Irrfan Khan's secret to looking ageless on screen

<p>Babil Khan understood the assignment when he made his debut in Hindi cinema with <em>Qala.</em> It&rsquo;s not easy being the son of a truly masterful actor like Irrfan Khan, but he had to do the job, now that he had volunteered for it. With his latest OTT movie&nbsp;<em>Logout </em>streaming on ZEE5, Babil Khan plays a character who is in stark contrast to his offscreen personality but when you mention that to him, he agrees and disagrees both.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In <em>Logout,</em> Babil plays a digital influencer named Pratyush who is obsessed with social media and can&rsquo;t get enough of his phone in Logout. His life takes a turn when a stalker gets hold of his phone and his life.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In an exclusive interview, Babil Khan spoke about playing Pratyush, tapping into his inner darkness to play different roles, even the ones that might seem very different from his &lsquo;real&rsquo; personality, on his father Irrfan Khan, his favourite films of the legendary actor and whether he&rsquo;d be open to play him in a biopic in the future.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><strong>Here are the edited excerpts of our long and fun chat:</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Q: </strong>You come across as a private person in real life. Whereas Pratyush is someone who is outgoing and always on social media. How did you get to play that character?&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Babil: </strong>I genuinely believe that we, when we define ourselves, and we give ourselves an identity, we're just creating another image. Do you know of Carl Jung. He was a pioneer in psychology. He spoke about this idea of a darkness within us, which we deny because we need our identity to be good, because of our moral relativism, right? We want to label everything as black and white or good or bad or right or wrong. But the truth is that we are all in the middle. From there, we can choose to go anywhere.&nbsp;</p>
<p>We all have a serial killer inside us, but we choose not to be that. So, to play a character, all you have to do is look inside. You have to look inside and be aware of your demons.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Q: </strong>What&rsquo;s the one advice you&rsquo;d give Pratyush if you happened to meet him in real life?&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Babil:</strong> I think I wouldn't be able to reach his heart if I met him in the first half of the film. But I hope I would meet him in the second half because there&rsquo;s a kind of redeeming arc of his soul, of his spirit and empathy. &nbsp;I wouldn't give him any advice. The film and the journey&hellip;.his life taught him enough. I would just like to see that transition in him.</p>
<p>Wow, it&rsquo;s so ironic and strange. It&rsquo;s me, but it&rsquo;s not me (sic).</p>
<p><img src="https://img-cdn.publive.online/fit-in/580x0/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/post_attachments/61e7eede-662.jpg" alt="Babil" style="width: 580px;"></p>
<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/web-stories/entertainment/bollywood/6-inspirational-quotes-by-late-actor-irrfan-khan-1727516918905">6 Inspirational Quotes By Late Actor Irrfan Khan</a></p>
<p><strong>Q: </strong>In the film, Pratyush loses his phone to a stalker. How would you react if you lost your phone to a fan in real life?</p>
<p><strong>Babil:</strong> I don't keep my phone anywhere near me.I hate my phone. It gives me a lot of anxiety. So, I would be very grateful to that fan. I would send her a letter saying, &lsquo;thank you for my freedom&rsquo;.&nbsp;</p>
<p>All my secrets are in my heart and not on phone.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Q: </strong>Are you someone who keeps a diary?&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Babil:</strong> I write notes, but it&rsquo;s not something serious. It&rsquo;s mostly bad poetry. It&rsquo;s mostly brain farts that I don&rsquo;t want to share with the world. I don&rsquo;t want to share, not because I am afraid of sharing something but because it&rsquo;s for me to keep. These are ideas that I would rather let grow than expose and let opinions filter it or dilute the intensity of that thought.</p>
<p><strong>Watch Logout trailer here:</strong></p>
<p><iframe width="1280" height="554" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GOKaA2H2PgA" title="Logout | Official Trailer | A ZEE5 Original Film | Babil Khan | Watch Now on ZEE5" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>Q:</strong> Babil, I have to mention that I am a huge fan of your father. His death felt like a personal loss. He was magical on the screen. I can watch his films on repeat. What&rsquo;s your favourite film of his?</p>
<p><strong>Babil:</strong> Giving a favourite would be too tough, but I can give you a top five if you want. <em>Paan Singh Tomar, Lunchbox, Madaari,</em> this HBO series<em> In Treatment, Life of Pi</em>&hellip;.these are just five and not the top five. &nbsp;If I am in a bad mood, I can pick up <em>Qarib Qarib Single</em> any day and watch it. It was my debut film and not <em>Qala.</em> I have one shot in that film because I was an assistant cinematographer. While I was an intern for the cinematography department, one day the extras didn&rsquo;t show up. I pitched in. I don't think my PR team would be okay with this, but I told you anyway.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="https://img-cdn.publive.online/fit-in/580x0/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/post_attachments/9eb285b5-089.png" alt="Babil Khan" style="width: 580px;"></p>
<p><strong>Q: </strong>Babil, how do you like the idea of starring in a biopic on your father Irrfan Khan&rsquo;s life?&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Babil:</strong> I would actually and it would be an honour but the thought is too scary for me right now. My dada was someone who lived that darkness I was talking about. He actually lived that life. I am just talking about them at the age of 26. He dedicated his entire life to these ideas.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This is why he could play all these characters without ever ageing on screen. You could never say how old he was. He could be a hundred years old or 20 years old. He never needed VFX. Hence, he could play a serial killer and a hopeless romantic with such ease.</p>
<p>Babil Khan starrer <em>Logout</em> is currently streaming on OTT platform ZEE5.&nbsp;</p>

Exclusive| Entertainment Bollywood In this interview, Babil Khan speaks about the secret behind Irrfan Khan looking ageless on screen, his recent ZEE5 show Logout & more.

Babil Khan understood the assignment when he made his debut in Hindi cinema with Qala. It’s not easy being the son of a truly masterful actor like Irrfan Khan, but he had to do the job, now that he had volunteered for it. With his latest OTT movie Logout streaming on ZEE5, Babil Khan plays a character who is in stark contrast to his offscreen personality but when you mention that to him, he agrees and disagrees both. In Logout, Babil plays a digital influencer named Pratyush who is obsessed with social media and can’t get enough of his phone in Logout. His life takes a turn when a stalker gets hold of his phone and his life. In an exclusive interview, Babil Khan spoke about playing Pratyush, tapping into his inner darkness to play different roles, even the ones that might seem very different from his ‘real’ personality, on his father Irrfan Khan, his favourite films of the legendary actor and whether he’d be open to play him in a biopic in the future. Here are the edited excerpts of our long and fun chat: Q: You come across as a private person in real life. Whereas Pratyush is someone who is outgoing and always on social media. How did you get to play that character? Babil: I genuinely believe that we, when we define ourselves, and we give ourselves an identity, we're just creating another image. Do you know of Carl Jung. He was a pioneer in psychology. He spoke about this idea of a darkness within us, which we deny because we need our identity to be good, because of our moral relativism, right? We want to label everything as black and white or good or bad or right or wrong. But the truth is that we are all in the middle. From there, we can choose to go anywhere. We all have a serial killer inside us, but we choose not to be that. So, to play a character, all you have to do is look inside. You have to look inside and be aware of your demons. Q: What’s the one advice you’d give Pratyush if you happened to meet him in real life? Babil: I think I wouldn't be able to reach his heart if I met him in the first half of the film. But I hope I would meet him in the second half because there’s a kind of redeeming arc of his soul, of his spirit and empathy. I wouldn't give him any advice. The film and the journey….his life taught him enough. I would just like to see that transition in him. Wow, it’s so ironic and strange. It’s me, but it’s not me (sic). 6 Inspirational Quotes By Late Actor Irrfan Khan Q: In the film, Pratyush loses his phone to a stalker. How would you react if you lost your phone to a fan in real life? Babil: I don't keep my phone anywhere near me.I hate my phone. It gives me a lot of anxiety. So, I would be very grateful to that fan. I would send her a letter saying, ‘thank you for my freedom’. All my secrets are in my heart and not on phone. Q: Are you someone who keeps a diary? Babil: I write notes, but it’s not something serious. It’s mostly bad poetry. It’s mostly brain farts that I don’t want to share with the world. I don’t want to share, not because I am afraid of sharing something but because it’s for me to keep. These are ideas that I would rather let grow than expose and let opinions filter it or dilute the intensity of that thought. Watch Logout trailer here: Q: Babil, I have to mention that I am a huge fan of your father. His death felt like a personal loss. He was magical on the screen. I can watch his films on repeat. What’s your favourite film of his? Babil: Giving a favourite would be too tough, but I can give you a top five if you want. Paan Singh Tomar, Lunchbox, Madaari, this HBO series In Treatment, Life of Pi….these are just five and not the top five. If I am in a bad mood, I can pick up Qarib Qarib Single any day and watch it. It was my debut film and not Qala. I have one shot in that film because I was an assistant cinematographer. While I was an intern for the cinematography department, one day the extras didn’t show up. I pitched in. I don't think my PR team would be okay with this, but I told you anyway. Q: Babil, how do you like the idea of starring in a biopic on your father Irrfan Khan’s life? Babil: I would actually and it would be an honour but the thought is too scary for me right now. My dada was someone who lived that darkness I was talking about. He actually lived that life. I am just talking about them at the age of 26. He dedicated his entire life to these ideas. This is why he could play all these characters without ever ageing on screen. You could never say how old he was. He could be a hundred years old or 20 years old. He never needed VFX. Hence, he could play a serial killer and a hopeless romantic with such ease. Babil Khan starrer Logout is currently streaming on OTT platform ZEE5.

Babil Khan Interview: Qala was not my debut film. I debuted in dad Irrfan Khan's........

<p>Indian actor Kuldeep Sareen who is currently making waves for his haunting role as Taau in <em>Chhorii 2 </em>recently opened up his role that people love to hate, why actors like him still have to prove their mettle in the industry after being a part of it for decades now.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Kuldeep has not had it easy even after dabbling with successful projects both in TV and films. In Chhorii 2, which released on Amazon Prime Video, Kuldeep plays a crucial antagonist named Taau. Reflecting on his standing in the industry, Kuldeep exclusively spoke about the darker realities of being a long-time actor in an industry that rarely lets you settle.</p>
<h2><strong>Kuldeep reflects on challenges of working in showbiz</strong></h2>
<p>While <em>Chhorii</em> <em>2 </em>explores psychological terror, Kuldeep&rsquo;s real-life challenges reflect a different kind of intensity&mdash;the emotional rollercoaster of navigating a career in an ever-changing industry. &ldquo;There is no stability in work in this industry. Every day, you're asked to prove yourself again&mdash;and it&rsquo;s a saddened state,&rdquo; says Sareen.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Directed by Vishal Furia, <em>Chhorii 2</em> promises a gripping blend of supernatural horror and powerful social commentary. Starring alongside Nushrratt Bharuccha and Soha Ali Khan, Kuldeep steps into a key role that drives the film&rsquo;s fear and suspense.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Sareen adds, &ldquo;Even after 20 years of work, from one-day TV roles to full-fledged film scenes, the pressure doesn&rsquo;t ease up.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Watch the trailer of Chhorii 2 here:</strong></p>
<p><iframe width="1280" height="588" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d4VVkwTw3x4" title="Chhorii 2 - Official Trailer | Prime Video India" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<h2><strong>Kuldeep's previous projects</strong></h2>
<p>Kuldeep Sareen is a popular name in both traditional and digital formats. With iconic roles in <em>Don, Talaash, Lamha, Karz, and Saand Ki Aankh,</em> and recent digital work in <em>Delhi Crime Season 2, Shoorveer</em>, and <em>Rafuchakkar</em>, he&rsquo;s proven himself to be a powerful, flexible performer. But the hustle, he admits, never quite ends.&ldquo; You might be praised today and forgotten tomorrow,&rdquo; he reflects.</p>
<h2 class="gh-archive-page-post-title"><a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/fake-paneer-at-shah-rukh-khans-wife-gauri-restaurant-viral-iodine-test-sparks-online-debate-8971740" aria-label="Fake paneer at Shah Rukh Khan's wife Gauri's restaurant? Viral iodine test sparks online debate">Fake paneer at Shah Rukh Khan's wife Gauri's restaurant? Viral iodine test sparks online debate</a></h2>
<p>Sareen adds, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve made peace with the fact that stability isn&rsquo;t coming, you have to keep upgrading, improving, and reinventing yourself. The pace of change is unreal, and you either flow with it or fall behind.&rdquo;</p>
<h2 class="gh-archive-page-post-title"><a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood-actors-most-jaw-dropping-body-transformations-in-pics-8971603" aria-label="Bollywood Actors' Most Jaw-Dropping Body Transformations In Pics">Bollywood Actors' Most Jaw-Dropping Body Transformations In Pics</a></h2>

Entertainment Despite a diverse portfolio in films and digital series, Chhorii 2 actor Kuldeep Sareen has had to prove himself for every role. In an exclusive chat, actor highlights the industry's instability.

Indian actor Kuldeep Sareen who is currently making waves for his haunting role as Taau in Chhorii 2 recently opened up his role that people love to hate, why actors like him still have to prove their mettle in the industry after being a part of it for decades now. Kuldeep has not had it easy even after dabbling with successful projects both in TV and films. In Chhorii 2, which released on Amazon Prime Video, Kuldeep plays a crucial antagonist named Taau. Reflecting on his standing in the industry, Kuldeep exclusively spoke about the darker realities of being a long-time actor in an industry that rarely lets you settle. Kuldeep reflects on challenges of working in showbiz While Chhorii 2 explores psychological terror, Kuldeep’s real-life challenges reflect a different kind of intensity—the emotional rollercoaster of navigating a career in an ever-changing industry. “There is no stability in work in this industry. Every day, you're asked to prove yourself again—and it’s a saddened state,” says Sareen. Directed by Vishal Furia, Chhorii 2 promises a gripping blend of supernatural horror and powerful social commentary. Starring alongside Nushrratt Bharuccha and Soha Ali Khan, Kuldeep steps into a key role that drives the film’s fear and suspense. Sareen adds, “Even after 20 years of work, from one-day TV roles to full-fledged film scenes, the pressure doesn’t ease up.” Watch the trailer of Chhorii 2 here: Kuldeep's previous projects Kuldeep Sareen is a popular name in both traditional and digital formats. With iconic roles in Don, Talaash, Lamha, Karz, and Saand Ki Aankh, and recent digital work in Delhi Crime Season 2, Shoorveer, and Rafuchakkar, he’s proven himself to be a powerful, flexible performer. But the hustle, he admits, never quite ends.“ You might be praised today and forgotten tomorrow,” he reflects. Fake paneer at Shah Rukh Khan's wife Gauri's restaurant? Viral iodine test sparks online debate Sareen adds, “I’ve made peace with the fact that stability isn’t coming, you have to keep upgrading, improving, and reinventing yourself. The pace of change is unreal, and you either flow with it or fall behind.” Bollywood Actors' Most Jaw-Dropping Body Transformations In Pics

Exclusive| Chhorii 2 actor Kuldeep Sareen reveals the dark truth of acting world

<p>Indian-American actor Paras Patel plays Matthew in <em>The Chosen, </em>a highly rated American historical drama television series which is created, directed and co-written by filmmaker Dallas Jenkins. The multi-season series enjoys huge fandom all over the world as it tells the life and story of Jesus of Nazareth. The Christian historical drama show enjoys huge popularity as it depicts the life of Jesus through the eyes of people who met him.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Paras plays Matthew, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus who goes on to write The Gospel of Matthew, the first book of the new testament of the bible. Ahead of <em>The Chosen</em> latest season's release in India on April 17, Paras opened up about his character, the crazy fandom The Chosen enjoys over the world and why he thinks faith-based shows strike a special chord with audiences.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><strong>Here are the edited excerpts of our chat:&nbsp;</strong></em></p>
<p><em>Q: You play Matthew in the show. Who is he and why did you say yes to this project?</em></p>
<p>A: Previously an ostracised tax collector, Matthew became one of the 12 apostles of Jesus and went on to write The Gospel of Matthew, the first book of the new testament of the bible.</p>
<p>I said yes to this project because of the writing and the character. I was truly moved by the writing of showrunner/creator Dallas Jenkins, Tyler Thompson, and Ryan Swanson. In many ways, I felt like I was reading something that was on Game of Thrones level. The character of Matthew really stood out to me, as being portrayed as on the spectrum through the show. I felt immediately connected to his story.</p>
<p><img src="https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/fit-in/580x0/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/post_attachments/f599c11a-e62.jpg" alt="Paras" style="width: 580px;"></p>
<p><em>Q: What&rsquo;s something you really like about this role?</em></p>
<p>A: There is so much that I love about portraying Matthew. As an actor, I think it is really rare to be portraying a role that is impacting you and inspiring you on a personal level. The journey of Matthew on the show from who he was (unaccepted, not seen, disrespected, misunderstood) to where he is now (confident, self assured, strong) has been such a beautiful story to tell. Matthew is someone who leans into challenges and obstacles, because he knows at the end of the day, it will lead to growth. He always strives to be the best version of himself.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Q: How do you feel about religious TV shows and films that promote a religion? Why do you think they enjoy so much popularity?</em></p>
<p>A: The Chosen is a historical drama based on the life of Jesus as seen through his disciples and those closest to him. What I love about the show is that it is not promoting a religion or saying it is better than another, but it is simply telling a story. I grew up hearing stories about Jesus and also grew up watching popular Indian series such as Mahabharat and Ramayan. I feel that shows with a religious theme can also surprise you, in that you may connect to and relate to it more than you think.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Chosen shows these historical figures as real people with challenges that we as an audience can connect and relate to, and that is why it has made such a global impact.&nbsp;</p>
<h2 class="gh-archive-page-post-title"><a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/emma-watson-top-7-most-memorable-roles-ranked-good-to-best-8963486" aria-label="Emma Watson: Top 7 Most Memorable Roles, Ranked Good To Best">Emma Watson: Top 7 Most Memorable Roles, Ranked Good To Best</a></h2>
<p><em>Q: Did you know The Chosen would become such a big deal, so many seasons and a film later?&nbsp;</em></p>
<p>A: When we filmed season one almost 7 years ago, The Chosen only crowdfunded enough to film 4 episodes. We had no idea if we would be able to finish the last 4 episodes of the season. At this point, I just say, expect the unexpected when it comes to The Chosen, because it keeps blowing my mind. It truly is a worldwide phenomenon and I am lucky to be a part of the journey.</p>
<p><em>Q: What can the audience have a takeaway from the show?&nbsp;</em></p>
<p>A: You as the audience can take what you need from it. Whether it is just watching a beautiful story, to finding your faith, deepening your faith, there is something for everyone on the show with the storylines we weave leading into miracles and events that take place in the Bible. I think this adds such a rich backstory that allows us to visualize and really connect to the show and its characters and the source text.</p>
<p>I hope the main takeaway people have from the show is a message of hope. I hope people are driven to lead by example from these historical figures and their journeys and are inspired by that and implement that into their lives.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Q: Where is the latest season shot?</em></p>
<p>A: We filmed in Goshen, Utah and Midlothian,Texas</p>
<p><em>Q: Lastly, what&rsquo;s something that people don't know about you that your fans would be excited to know about?</em></p>
<p>A: As a kid, I would spend all my summers in India. I have a deep connection to my motherland and I have always wanted to work in the Hindi Film Industry. &nbsp;Nine out of ten times, I am always listening to 90s Bollywood music and I also love cooking Indian food, especially biryani.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Chosen season 5 will release in India on April 17, 2025.&nbsp;</p>

In an exclusive interview, Indian-American actor Paras Patel spoke about playing Matthew in The Chosen, discussing the fandom the TV show enjoys and much more.

Indian-American actor Paras Patel plays Matthew in The Chosen, a highly rated American historical drama television series which is created, directed and co-written by filmmaker Dallas Jenkins. The multi-season series enjoys huge fandom all over the world as it tells the life and story of Jesus of Nazareth. The Christian historical drama show enjoys huge popularity as it depicts the life of Jesus through the eyes of people who met him. Paras plays Matthew, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus who goes on to write The Gospel of Matthew, the first book of the new testament of the bible. Ahead of The Chosen latest season's release in India on April 17, Paras opened up about his character, the crazy fandom The Chosen enjoys over the world and why he thinks faith-based shows strike a special chord with audiences. Here are the edited excerpts of our chat: Q: You play Matthew in the show. Who is he and why did you say yes to this project? A: Previously an ostracised tax collector, Matthew became one of the 12 apostles of Jesus and went on to write The Gospel of Matthew, the first book of the new testament of the bible. I said yes to this project because of the writing and the character. I was truly moved by the writing of showrunner/creator Dallas Jenkins, Tyler Thompson, and Ryan Swanson. In many ways, I felt like I was reading something that was on Game of Thrones level. The character of Matthew really stood out to me, as being portrayed as on the spectrum through the show. I felt immediately connected to his story. Q: What’s something you really like about this role? A: There is so much that I love about portraying Matthew. As an actor, I think it is really rare to be portraying a role that is impacting you and inspiring you on a personal level. The journey of Matthew on the show from who he was (unaccepted, not seen, disrespected, misunderstood) to where he is now (confident, self assured, strong) has been such a beautiful story to tell. Matthew is someone who leans into challenges and obstacles, because he knows at the end of the day, it will lead to growth. He always strives to be the best version of himself. Q: How do you feel about religious TV shows and films that promote a religion? Why do you think they enjoy so much popularity? A: The Chosen is a historical drama based on the life of Jesus as seen through his disciples and those closest to him. What I love about the show is that it is not promoting a religion or saying it is better than another, but it is simply telling a story. I grew up hearing stories about Jesus and also grew up watching popular Indian series such as Mahabharat and Ramayan. I feel that shows with a religious theme can also surprise you, in that you may connect to and relate to it more than you think. The Chosen shows these historical figures as real people with challenges that we as an audience can connect and relate to, and that is why it has made such a global impact. Emma Watson: Top 7 Most Memorable Roles, Ranked Good To Best Q: Did you know The Chosen would become such a big deal, so many seasons and a film later? A: When we filmed season one almost 7 years ago, The Chosen only crowdfunded enough to film 4 episodes. We had no idea if we would be able to finish the last 4 episodes of the season. At this point, I just say, expect the unexpected when it comes to The Chosen, because it keeps blowing my mind. It truly is a worldwide phenomenon and I am lucky to be a part of the journey. Q: What can the audience have a takeaway from the show? A: You as the audience can take what you need from it. Whether it is just watching a beautiful story, to finding your faith, deepening your faith, there is something for everyone on the show with the storylines we weave leading into miracles and events that take place in the Bible. I think this adds such a rich backstory that allows us to visualize and really connect to the show and its characters and the source text. I hope the main takeaway people have from the show is a message of hope. I hope people are driven to lead by example from these historical figures and their journeys and are inspired by that and implement that into their lives. Q: Where is the latest season shot? A: We filmed in Goshen, Utah and Midlothian,Texas Q: Lastly, what’s something that people don't know about you that your fans would be excited to know about? A: As a kid, I would spend all my summers in India. I have a deep connection to my motherland and I have always wanted to work in the Hindi Film Industry. Nine out of ten times, I am always listening to 90s Bollywood music and I also love cooking Indian food, especially biryani. The Chosen season 5 will release in India on April 17, 2025.

Interview: Paras Patel on The Chosen being more than just a faith-based show

<p>Indian actors Eijaz Khan and Pooja Gor have gotten together for a thrilling new ride, Sony LIV&rsquo;s <em>Adrishyam 2- The Invisible Heroes.</em> The spy thriller brings back the thrill and action as Eijaz returns as Ravi Verma, and Pooja joins him in the sequel as a new character named Durga, on a dangerous mission of fighting against terrorists to save the nation.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Eijaz Khan and Pooja Gor got together to chat about their new show<em> Adrishyam 2- The Invisible Heroes</em>, what they like about their characters and taking on a new journey together in the show.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><strong>Here are the edited excerpts of the chat:&nbsp;</strong></em></p>
<p><em>Q: Eijaz and Pooja, what&rsquo;s something you like about your characters in Adrishyam 2- The Invisible Heroes?&nbsp;</em></p>
<p>A: Eijaz: What I like about this character is his humane approach to every living thing. Also, what I like about Ravi is how he operates from a space of very dynamic intelligence. He minimises risks as a philosophy of his life. He minimises risks everywhere, even if he has to lie. Even when it comes to interrogation, when it comes to getting information out and bartering information, he will try his level best &ndash; primarily to safeguard the country and secondly to safeguard every human&rsquo;s right.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Pooja: What I like about Durga is that she's a no-nonsense agent. While Ravi will be more compassionate with an enemy operative, Durga will give him just one chance to turn around. She will point a gun at him and probably give him one chance. But after that, she will neutralise him. And that is why she's just as important.</p>
<p>She's intelligent, she's fierce, very strategic in her way, but she is also someone who's less of a team player and has her plans to strategically take decisions on her own. She can detach herself from her emotions. She's most focused on her work.&nbsp;</p>
<h2><strong>Physical training</strong></h2>
<p><em>Q: How did you two prepare for your roles since we&rsquo;re aware Adrishyam 2 is very heavy on action?</em></p>
<p>A: Eijaz: I have always had an interest in the thriller genre, and I have studied about guns and bullets. We tried to keep the action as authentic as possible. We lived those characters for almost a year.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Pooja: I wanted to portray Durga as a woman who is strong physically, mentally and emotionally. She thrives in a male-dominated profession by relying on her intuition, intelligence and her resilient nature, which I consciously tried to imbibe in the portrayal of her character. I immersed myself in research on real-life operatives and their emotional journeys.</p>
<h2 class="gh-archive-page-post-title"><a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/will-blow-his-car-salman-khan-gets-new-death-threat-8959524" aria-label="Will blow his car with a bomb: Salman Khan gets new death threat">Will blow his car with a bomb: Salman Khan gets new death threat</a></h2>
<h2><strong>Switch off between roles</strong></h2>
<p><em>Q: How do you actors unwind after an action-heavy show like Adrishyam? Is it easy to move to another character after something like this?&nbsp;</em></p>
<p>A: Eijaz: People have a big misconception about filming action. Doing action is not only physically tiring, but it's also mentally exhausting because you have to be aware of your safety and of everyone else's safety. You have to really be present in that moment completely so that nothing goes wrong.</p>
<p>Most of the time, when I end up doing action sequences, I think what really works for me is cutting off from that character for a little while, and I think my biggest strengths are my friends who bring me down to earth and bring me back to reality. Having said that, it&rsquo;s difficult to move on from one character to another. This is why I don&rsquo;t do two shows or films or anything overlapping. Unfortunately, with Adrishyam 2, I had to. I had to start shooting for Exorcist Bahadur simultaneously.</p>
<p>Luckily, nowadays, whenever we start a new project, we end up doing a workshop. We end up doing table reads. We end up doing mock shorts. We end up doing some kind of physical workshop that needs to be done to open up with different people.</p>
<p>Watch the trailer here:</p>
<p><iframe width="848" height="477" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0I7PwBoIcuU" title="Adrishyam 2 - The Invisible Heroes | Eijaz Khan | Pooja Gor | Streaming from 4th April" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Pooja: Fortunately, I am a very switch-on-switch-off actor. So once the cut happens, I'm out of it. Once action happens, I'm in it. I haven&rsquo;t faced trouble switching between characters so far. For me, what works best is not doing anything. My favourite activity to do is nothing, literally. No phone, no books, nothing. I can actually just be there in the room and stare at the ceiling or stare at the TV that is switched off and be in my own thoughts or not even actually think about anything. That helps.</p>
<p>It's okay to not do anything at all. It's okay not to have work.&nbsp;</p>
<h2 class="gh-archive-page-post-title"><a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/short-what-is-ozempic-are-celebrities-really-using-this-drug-side-effects-uses-and-more-all-you-need-to-know-8952216" aria-label="Ozempic: Are Celebrities Using This Drug? Is It Available In India? - All You Need To Know">Ozempic: Are Celebrities Using This Drug? Is It Available In India? - All You Need To Know</a></h2>

Entertainment Eijaz Khan and Pooja Gor play secret operatives in a chilling spy thriller series Adrishyam 2- The Invisible Heroes. The show is currently streaming on SonyLIV.

Indian actors Eijaz Khan and Pooja Gor have gotten together for a thrilling new ride, Sony LIV’s Adrishyam 2- The Invisible Heroes. The spy thriller brings back the thrill and action as Eijaz returns as Ravi Verma, and Pooja joins him in the sequel as a new character named Durga, on a dangerous mission of fighting against terrorists to save the nation. Eijaz Khan and Pooja Gor got together to chat about their new show Adrishyam 2- The Invisible Heroes, what they like about their characters and taking on a new journey together in the show. Here are the edited excerpts of the chat: Q: Eijaz and Pooja, what’s something you like about your characters in Adrishyam 2- The Invisible Heroes? A: Eijaz: What I like about this character is his humane approach to every living thing. Also, what I like about Ravi is how he operates from a space of very dynamic intelligence. He minimises risks as a philosophy of his life. He minimises risks everywhere, even if he has to lie. Even when it comes to interrogation, when it comes to getting information out and bartering information, he will try his level best – primarily to safeguard the country and secondly to safeguard every human’s right. Pooja: What I like about Durga is that she's a no-nonsense agent. While Ravi will be more compassionate with an enemy operative, Durga will give him just one chance to turn around. She will point a gun at him and probably give him one chance. But after that, she will neutralise him. And that is why she's just as important. She's intelligent, she's fierce, very strategic in her way, but she is also someone who's less of a team player and has her plans to strategically take decisions on her own. She can detach herself from her emotions. She's most focused on her work. Physical training Q: How did you two prepare for your roles since we’re aware Adrishyam 2 is very heavy on action? A: Eijaz: I have always had an interest in the thriller genre, and I have studied about guns and bullets. We tried to keep the action as authentic as possible. We lived those characters for almost a year. Pooja: I wanted to portray Durga as a woman who is strong physically, mentally and emotionally. She thrives in a male-dominated profession by relying on her intuition, intelligence and her resilient nature, which I consciously tried to imbibe in the portrayal of her character. I immersed myself in research on real-life operatives and their emotional journeys. Will blow his car with a bomb: Salman Khan gets new death threat Switch off between roles Q: How do you actors unwind after an action-heavy show like Adrishyam? Is it easy to move to another character after something like this? A: Eijaz: People have a big misconception about filming action. Doing action is not only physically tiring, but it's also mentally exhausting because you have to be aware of your safety and of everyone else's safety. You have to really be present in that moment completely so that nothing goes wrong. Most of the time, when I end up doing action sequences, I think what really works for me is cutting off from that character for a little while, and I think my biggest strengths are my friends who bring me down to earth and bring me back to reality. Having said that, it’s difficult to move on from one character to another. This is why I don’t do two shows or films or anything overlapping. Unfortunately, with Adrishyam 2, I had to. I had to start shooting for Exorcist Bahadur simultaneously. Luckily, nowadays, whenever we start a new project, we end up doing a workshop. We end up doing table reads. We end up doing mock shorts. We end up doing some kind of physical workshop that needs to be done to open up with different people. Watch the trailer here: Pooja: Fortunately, I am a very switch-on-switch-off actor. So once the cut happens, I'm out of it. Once action happens, I'm in it. I haven’t faced trouble switching between characters so far. For me, what works best is not doing anything. My favourite activity to do is nothing, literally. No phone, no books, nothing. I can actually just be there in the room and stare at the ceiling or stare at the TV that is switched off and be in my own thoughts or not even actually think about anything. That helps. It's okay to not do anything at all. It's okay not to have work. Ozempic: Are Celebrities Using This Drug? Is It Available In India? - All You Need To Know

Interview| Adrishyam 2 cast discuss spy thriller, characters and what they love about their secret operatives

Actor-singer Paresh Pahuja opens up about his viral track Dooron Dooron and working with Imtiaz Ali. He shares how music, patience (Sabr), and gratitude (Shukar) shaped his journey. Paresh reveals the story behind his Sabr Shukar tattoo and his belief in manifestation.
From reels to real life—this is the man behind the music and the mindset.

Paresh Pahuja on 'Dooron Dooron' going viral, Imtiaz Ali & power of manifestation

For 75 years, Finland's expectant mothers have been given a box by the state. It's like a starter kit of clothes, sheets and toys that can even be used as a bed. And some say it helped Finland achieve one of the world's lowest infant mortality rates. Watch this report for more details!

Finnish Baby Box tradition, a symbol of social security system in Finland

interview

Interview, News on Interview, stories on Interview, articles on Interview, Interview stories at Wion, Interview news, Interview latest news