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Shah Rukh Khan's trademark wit was at work when he commented on Salman Khan's new song, Pyaar karona. SRK's quip came during an interactive Twitter session with fans titled "#asksrk", when a user asked him what he thought of the new song that Salman has released on the coronavirus outbreak, titled "Pyaar karona".

"Bhai kamaal ka Single aur Singer hai..." was Shah Rukh's reply.

Many fans feel SRK was playing a pun using the word "Single" -- which could refer to the song, as well as Salman's bachelor status. "Bhai" could be a reference to Salman, of course, but Shah Rukh could also be addressing the fan.

Among several other interesting questions, SRK was asked who he would love to work with -- Martin Scorsese or Christopher Nolan. His reply, again, was a cryptic one, and many users felt he is hinting at a possible collaboration with Rajkumar Hirani in the future.

Replying to the question about Scorsese or Nolan, Shah Rukh tweeted: "Wow both are awesome and I have met them... but Raju apna sa lagta hai... nahi?"

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Ateet
On: Zee5
Director: Tanuj Bhramar
Cast: Rajeev Khandelwal, Priyamani, Sanjay Suri
Rating:  

This is how the premise of the new film on Zee5, Ateet, has been described- 'When Captain Ateet Rana goes missing and is declared dead by the army, his colleague Vishwa Karma steps forward to marry Ateet's wife and take care of his daughter. Things take an unexpected turn when Ateet returns after a decade to reclaim his family.' A majority of the filmmakers would opt to make a sloppy and screechy melodrama out of this, but writer Harsshil R Patel and director Tanuj Bhramar add a supernatural and spooky element to it, making it or intending to make it a chilling watch. It's anything but!

Three talented actors- Rajeev Khandelwal, Priyamani, and Sanjay Suri, struggle with one-note characters. The South Indian actress surprisingly delivers such a cold and charmless performance that not even once you feel any sort of empathy for the lady. A scene that involves all three of them, she angrily states that it doesn't matter whom she chooses between them, but that she can leave both of them for her daughter. It wasn't supposed to be funny, but I was left amused. That's what Ateet is basically, unintentional comedy. In another scene, when she declares she saw her daughter talking to someone unlike a human, Vipin Sharma, who plays an army doctor, quips- "You're talking nonsense." Again, the scene wasn't supposed to be funny, but I cracked a smile this time too!

But it isn't entirely unwatchable, there are moments of shock and surprise, and you may jump on your bed or your sofa or wherever you watch this drama-cum-horror. The scares aren't the kind you normally witness in a Bollywood horror film, yes, there is some display of tacky prosthetic but the director keeps the worst for the last. The execution and editing towards the early portions give the film an eery feel and so does the pace of the narrative. But all hopes go for a toss once the plot has opened all its cards.

Watch the trailer right here:

To worsen what was already beginning to get mediocre and mundane, characters take their own time to communicate and draw long pauses between one dialogue and another to show how intense this drama is supposed to be. It's also upsetting to see an actor like Khandelwal, who made a gripping debut in Aamir, stuck in the same hero-in-horrified mode. He plays an army officer but his heroism is displayed in barely one war scene that's embarrassingly choreographed and ends even more appallingly.

The scene comes when we are close to knowing the truth of these clandestine characters hiding some demonic truths, so who cares about the action set-piece that preceded it? Ateet messes up a delicious plot and makes its central characters appear lost and limp, and this time, I'm not laughing.

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A four-way conference call between us, Sharon Isbin, and Ayaan and Amaan Ali Bangash makes one thing crystal clear. The two sarod-playing brothers have unfettered respect for the Grammy-winning American guitarist, since they consider it an "honour" to be collaborating with her for an unusual concert slated for later this week. It's a word they use multiple times during the phone call. And Isbin, on her part, tells us from Kolkata that she's as enthused about the performance as anyone else.

The gig is unusual because it isn't everyday in our country that the worlds of Indian and western classical music collide on stage. Isbin is one of the world's leading lights in the latter genre. But her introduction to western classical music was wholly by accident. "We were living in Italy for a year when I was nine years old, and my older brother asked for guitar lessons. But he didn't want to study classical. He wanted to be Elvis Presley. So, I volunteered to take his place and raised my hand out of family duty," she reveals, adding that while her father was a nuclear scientist, it was her mother who ensured that she received a solid musical education.

It's a different story for the Bangash brothers, of course. It's almost as if it was preordained that they would take to the sarod, considering that their father, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, is one of the world's most prolific practitioners of the instrument. But even though they have collaborated with many different musicians — including with Derek Trucks of the rock band Allman Brothers — this is the first time that they will be playing in India with Isbin, who they have known for years.

Ayaan and Amaan Ali Bangash

Ayaan says, "Sharon and we have had mutual admiration for each other's cultures, and I think it's really important to connect with the individual with whom you'll be performing. Also, since we have known each other for a long time, it was easier to develop the music. It's taken us around six years to compose this piece, and I'm glad that everything has fallen into place for us to perform it in India for the first time."

And Isbin adds that her affinity for Indian string instruments began when she was in college. "I loved listening to the sitar, sarod and the tabla back then, and would go to raga concerts because I found them to be meditative. I have also studied transcendental meditation, which of course originated in India, and have been practising it since my teens. That's every single day for many years. So, I have a certain spiritual attraction to the culture and the music here," she says.

Amaan, meanwhile, points out how the sarod and classical guitar have a shared commonality, in that they belong to the larger family of string instruments. Think about it. The guitar, in India, has had a profile that's associated more with jazz, rock 'n' roll and electronic music. Rarely, if ever, has the western classical guitar been heard here in this kind of a collaboration, which also features tabla player Vijay Ghate and mridangam exponent Sridhar Parthasarthy. "We have never played these pieces with a guitar before. But both are string instruments. One is played with the fingertip and the other is played with the finger nails. So, the technical approach isn't wholly different," he tells us, while Ayaan adds that playing this composition will be different for the brothers because they are sticking to a written score.

He further says, "I think everyone's music is a reflection of who they are as individuals. Their soul comes out through their music. And all of us have come out of our comfort zones here to reach a meeting point. Eventually, though, things just happen on stage, you know? You might rehearse all you want, but at the end of the day, what the piece shapes us as is something that has some kind of energy and universal blessing, and we hope to reach that final destination with dignity and grace."

ON February 21, 8 pm
AT Royal Opera House, Girgaum.
LOG ON TO bookmyshow.com entry '300 onwards

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A group of protesters in Nalasopara blocked the railway tracks on Saturday morning to protest and rage out against the Pulwama terrorist attack in Kashmir that took lives of many CRPF soldiers.

Pic courtesy/mid-day Photo team


Pic courtesy/mid-day Photo team

The protesters went on to block the tracks at Nalasopara which obstructed the movement of plying trains in the area. Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) are in the process of evacuating the protesters from the tracks to ensure smooth commuting again. The protest has affected the train services on the Western line.

Pic courtesy/Vinod Kumar Menon

Pic courtesy/Vinod Kumar Menon

Pic courtesy/mid-day Photo team

Pic courtesy/mid-day Photo team

The protesters along with some office-goers gathered in large numbers and raised slogans against the terrorists. Pulwama terror attack on February 14, 2019 was one of the deadliest terror attacks on security forces in the valley in over a decade. Over 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were martyred in Awantipora area of Kashmir on Thursday. The incident took place when a convoy of 2,547 CRPF personnel were travelling in 78 vehicles from the transit camp in Jammu and headed to Srinagar. 

Also Read: Maharashtra ticket collector suspended for raising pro-Pakistan slogan

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The article has been sourced from third-party source and Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. All information provided on this article is for informational purposes only.

While digital technology often receives brickbats from the health-conscious, a 76-year-old man in Hong Kong now wants anyone with a heart problem to wear an Apple Watch after it helped him get a new lease of life by sending an alert about his elevated heart rate.

Gaston D'Aquino, a semi-retired diamond trader, was sitting in a church in April when he spotted an alarm on his timepiece telling him that his heart rate was too high, tech website Phone Arena reported on Sunday.

Although D'Aquino was feeling fine, he skipped Easter lunch with his family to go to the hospital.

That decision proved to be life-saving as a battery of tests performed on him later revealed that two of his three main coronary arteries were completely blocked, and the other was 90 per cent blocked, according to the report originally published by the South China Morning Post on Friday.

The doctors at the hospital lauded the Apple Watch for its accurate readings.

On the advice of the doctors, D'Aquino later had an angioplasty, in which tiny balloons are temporarily inserted into clogged arteries and inflated to open them.

He was sent home the following day. "It went well and I'm feeling much, much better," he told South China Morning Post.

D'Aquino, who is a self-professed Apple fan, then wrote a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook informing him how the Apple Watch helped save his life.

In his email to Cook, D'Aquino recounted his story, noting that "this was the first time that my watch alert had ever gone off, but I was not feeling anything, no dizziness or pain" and "in short, I was a walking time bomb".

He told Cook how he got "a new lease on life" after the operation and also requested him to keep "promoting the use of the Apple Watch for anyone with cardiac problems".

Cook wrote back to D'Aquino saying how happy he was to learn about his story.

"Gaston, I'm so glad you sought medical attention and you're fine now. I appreciate you taking the time to share your story. It inspires us to keep pushing. Best, Tim," Cook was quoted as saying.

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Marc Chagall, Over the Town, 1918

The director of the Louvre, where collections span from 6th century BC to the 19th century AD, once estimated that 80 per cent of the museum’s visitors come there to see just one thing - the Mona Lisa. However, Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece is considered overrated and unremarkable by some. Why, then, has it captured the imagination of artists over time, with everyone from Salvador Dalí to Andy Warhol adapting it in their own works?

Edgar Degas, The Dance Class, 1874

To understand what makes a painting iconic, sign up for Art of Looking, a Western art appreciation workshop for those aged 16 and above, organised by Flying Tricycle, which aims to conduct out-of-the-box art and design workshops. Co-founder Madhumita Srivastava will conduct the workshop, comprising seven two-hour sessions.

“It’s important to understand the context behind a painting - the time during which it was made, and how it may have come about as a reaction to something else,” shares Srivastava, who holds a Masters in Architecture from the University of Michigan, and a Masters in Fine Art (Design and Technology) from Parsons School of Design, New York.

Participants will be taken through works by Michelangelo, Van Gogh, Renoir, Picasso, Frida Kahlo, and Andy Warhol, among others. The aim is to take a look at a variety of styles, media, genres and techniques, from the Renaissance era right up to the 1980s.

The workshop will involve freewheeling discussions where she will help participants interpret their feelings about a piece of art, and form an opinion about it. “This is not a history lesson. In each session, I’ll bombard you with a slideshow of around 80 artworks. We’ll stop at a few iconic pieces to talk about why we like or don’t like them, and why they’re important. When you see all the pieces in one go, you’ll start noticing a pattern to them,” she believes.

The sessions will conclude with a visit to an art gallery. Here, Srivastava hopes to strike up a hot debate. “Every person notices different elements in a painting. In fact, the more abstract a piece is, the more interpretations you’ll get.”

She adds that she wants to rid people of the intimidation that often accompanies art. “We feel like we need to have a degree to understand art. But art is subjective - it’s about how it makes you feel.”

(From left) Kamal Sidhu, Purab Kohli, Dino Morea, Maria Goretti, Cyrus Sahukar, Mini Mathur, Cyrus Broacha, Luke Kenny. Location Courtesy/The Bombay Canteen; Pics/Rane Ashish

When video killed the radio star in the 1990s, we were not complaining. Our eyes were glued to the TV as cable television made its debut. We had heard our rock and pop idols on FM, and now, we had them, in our living rooms. MTV had landed, followed by Channel V. Along with them came a glam and chatty species called VJs. On them we pinned our hope for a favourite song, crushed on them, and sought fashion wisdom during our fumbling teenage years. Suddenly, we had new pin-up stars.

At a reunion of India's first set of VJs at Lower Parel's The Bombay Canteen, we saw model-VJ from MTV and Channel V Kamal Sidhu; the brain behind Channel V Luke Kenny; mad-hatter MTV VJ Cyrus Broacha; crush-worthy Channel V VJ Purab Kohli; model-actor with dear dimples Dino Morea; MTV's effervescent Mini Mathur; MTV's Mr Comical Cyrus Sahukar and MTV VJ-turned-food TV host Maria Goretti.

Madness ensued, with a whole lot of laughter and wisecracks. There were blows below the belt but not a brow was raised. For us, the '90s kids, they were the epitome of cool. It's true that we saw them in a different light — some of them are now parents — but they are just as charming.

Launching with the '90S
Kamal: I think I speak for everyone when I say, without the '90s, we wouldn't have had a career.

Mini: I was doing TV much before music television arrived. At that time, all of it was based out of Delhi, and only fiction came out of Bombay. But the music channels made it all cool.

Cyrus S: There were a handful of these networks in operation. It was a great time to be in and we got away with murder.

Luke: One of the things that happened was that the 18 to 24 demographic was created. That's the demographic for youth programming even today. Once 2000 rolled in, the concept of the TV anchor was born, but the VJ had died.

Kamal Sidhu makes a point as Purab Kohli listens in

Kamal: While the role of the VJ was fairly new to India, around the world there were VJs we were exposed to. In Canada, we had a local music channel, which didn't allow MTV to enter the country. There was Downtown Julie Brown (who hosted Club MTV from 1987 to 1992). On the show, the light switch went on, with the camera going up her legs and under her skirt, while she went, 'Waba Waba Waba Downtown Julie Brown'. She was among the real pioneers. When MTV launched in Asia, we beamed shows from Hong Kong. And, then, we launched in India with a party at the Taj Mahal Hotel [in 1992] in Mumbai. It was called The Bombay Blast Weekend. It received a lot of backlash, I remember, because the riots (Babri Masjid) had just happened.

Where i want to be: Vjing
Maria: I used to watch Kamal and Danny [McGill] VJ, and, suddenly, I was one of them. I didn't know what I was getting into until I did. The thing about VJing in the '90s was that it let you be who you wanted to be. I was lucky to be part of something I loved. Today, everyone wants to be something more, so, a lot of people get nudged out of television. MTV put Indian VJs on air and that changed something. It was now damn cool to be Indian; there was no need to have an accent. I didn't realise I was cool but apparently, I was.

Purab: I joined Channel V as a host for a travel show, and, gradually, when other slots opened, I started VJing too. There was a serious naiveté back then and VJing wasn't thought of as a stepping-stone to other things.

Cyrus Sahukar tells a story to Luke Kenny

Cyrus S: We were all there with the knowledge that this where we want to be.

Behind the scenes
Purab: There were times when we shot close to five episodes a day. It was intense. Sophiya [Haque], Laila [Rouass] and Meghna [Reddy] would do their own make up, write their own shows and select their own music. There was a transition, when I came in 1999 to Channel V. There was one show where we were asked to write and select songs. We would run it by Luke.

Cyrus B: Luke? Was everything right?

Purab: Yes!

Cyrus B: Luke himself didn't know what his designation was.

Purab: He would approve songs and that was our process.

Maria: Producers hated it when VJs would get together because that meant no one would be working. Once a year, we did a show together for Christmas or New Year and that would be a blast. I miss all of us working together — miss the travelling, the early morning flights, sleeping at airports because we had missed our plane. When I look back I realise that what I did was part of history.

Music then, music now
Luke: What do I think of the indie music scene? It's very niche, and some of the musicians have a chip on their shoulder. But, that aside, what business are they doing? Few manage to get paying gigs, and whoever turns up to support, comes, has a drink, pays R300 and then doesn't buy the album. How does it help the artist? I have been consulting with Channel V recently, and we are trying to go back to the model where the music channel only plays music, and supports indie acts by giving their originals air time.

Cyrus Broacha monkeys around as Dino Morea greets Kamal Sidhu

Kamal: I remember they would send us pop music videos at the Hong Kong office. And most of them were bad. We had to consciously decide to help some artists with their videos. And then Rahman and acts like Indus Creed came in, and the videos changed.

Luke: Kids today love their pop as they did back in the '90s.

Kamal: It was more authentic back then.

Luke: That's because the labels saw a market and invested in it. No one sees a market in today's indie scene.

Cyrus S: They were competing with an international kind of space and knew that spending money on videos was requisite. Everybody was trying to match international standards.
Kamal: And then everything got homogenised into one game plan — the Bollywood game plan.

The '90S role model
Dino: I landed in Bombay in December 1997, looking for opportunities and I remember sharing a room, not even a flat, with a girl who wanted to be a model too. Back in Bangalore, I remember seeing Kamal. I was in college and had to go meet a photographer. There she was, shooting for some perfume or cosmetics ad, and I was like, "Whoa!" Models were these superstars then. I did stare at her.

Kamal: Did I stare back at you?

Dino: (Laughing) I don't think you noticed me.

Sinking into reality
Kamal: A big change from the '90s, well, is that reality television came about, for better or worse.

Luke: One of the earliest reality shows to come was Channel V's Popstars, from which [girl band] Viva emerged. History rewrote itself in that decade with reality television.

Cyrus B: There was also MTV Bakra, which started towards the end of 1999.

Kids with an edge
Kamal: I think it was the time of the Asian liberation. Everything was booming. Also, it was a time for adjustment. Parents of '90s kids looked at people like us and questioned our place as role models. They said, we need to control the remote control.

Luke: No, there was no parental control at all.

Purab: I think it was because those kids were the first movers into the globalisation space.

Cyrus S: Even I used to come home and watch TV. It was a time when I had a VCP, not even a VCR.

Luke: Do you know why those kids had an edge over today's? Because they didn't have these. (Points to a mobile phone).

Maria: I think it was because there was a more organic interaction between people. The communication was real, which I don't see today. These days, it's about the phone. My kids just asked me why they don't have the blue tick on Instagram. Everyone is looking into their phones. We have become tech-savvy but have lost a bit of the soul. (Snapping her fingers). It's now all about reaching a place and changing the game.

Your fav music video of the '90S was?
Luke: Pretty Child by Indus Creed
Cyrus Sahukar: Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice
Dino: Can't Touch This by MC Hammer
Kamal: Anything by AR Rahman
Maria: Freedom by George Michael
Mini: All Sukhbir and Lucky Ali videos

Aquaman

U/A: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: James Wan
Cast: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Nicole Kidman
Rating: 

Aquaman - a largely underwater flight of fancy, amounts to a herculean attempt by custodian Warner Bros. to right its wonky DC cinematic universe and it's success is moderate at best. A large part of the credit should necessarily go to the charismatic Jason Momoa( ex Baybatch ) who got promoted to this leading role after showing face in 2016's Batman v. Superman : Dawn of Justice and Justice League.

This superhero saga is mostly origin story myth building through fantasy VFX, so don't expect real characters, adherence to the laws of physics or conversations beyond the monosyllabic. In this film, anything goes - even a ring(chasm) of fire in the midst of a deep blue sea and an ocean of wealth under the Saharan desert. Reality rarely pokes its ugly head into this gamey underwater universe that heralds the dawn of a new King Arthur(Momoa), a half-breed(Human-Atlantean mix) who is expected to prove his worth against the might of his firmly ensconced younger half-brother Orm(Patrick Wilson).

Aquaman's tall-tale is embellished in Royal shenanigans, incorporates themes of environment pollution and engineers a war between the water world and the land world under the pretext of righting the wrongs of a selfish civilization. The attempt here is to create an underwater 'Lord of the Rings' but without the majesty, profundity or significance of that telling.

Check out the trailer here:

Making an oblique nod to 'Splash,' the film opens with Queen Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), fleeing Atlantis, getting washed ashore at Amnesty Bay, Massachusetts, meeting solitary lighthouse keeper (Temuera Morrison), falling in love and subsequently birthing the said, Arthur and then going right back to Atlantis- the underwater city, in order to save the lives of her loved ones. Punctuating the drama is Orm's attempts to amalgamate the seven wondrous oceanic kingdoms and become undisputed Ocean master. Vulko (Willem Dafoe), Princess Mera(Amber Heard) and to a lesser extent King Nereus (Dolph Lundgren) put a spoke in his wheel, so-to-speak.

The film has some stunning imagery but most of the action feels random and incoherent. The narrative is overlong in its desire to include every embellishment possible. There are a few engaging moments but the in-between humdrum is pretty much taxing. Weighed down by its watery excesses, the narrative feels terribly labored and over-done. James Wan ( with his Horror oeuvre) was probably not the right man for this DC recreation. He makes this watery epic a kitschy showboat instead of lending it acuity and memorability. This is a story of excess but even so, it's hard to resist the charms of the lead actors, their outlandish costumes and some wondrous aqua sequences.

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Amavas
U/A: Horror
Dir: Bhushan Patel
Cast: Sachiin Joshi, Nargis Fakhri
Rate: 

The experience of watching a Ramsay Brothers horror is unique. It's almost synonymous to buying a ticket for a comedy. Dealing with Amavas, is pretty much the same. It's the modern-day equivalent to a Ramsay product. Do you love it? Yes, to bits! It's a laugh riot. But, that's not how director Bhushan Patel designed it to be, which is why, it's disappointing.

Patel, who previously directed the Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover-starrer Alone, takes the tomfoolery a notch higher with this film. We are introduced to the familiar 'praacheenkal' knowledge of 'bhooth-pret'. There is a haunted mansion - resembling a cross between that in The Conjuring and Sushmita Sen's Vaastu Shastra.

Familiar tactics - creaking doors, spooky scores and shadows - are employed to evoke fear. Yet, the idiocy on display doesn't occupy my mind. What does is the fact that viewers could have been spared from the goings-on had the cast simply travelled to Paris. Let me explain. Karan Ajmera (Sachiin Joshi) is coaxed by girlfriend Aahana (Nargis Fakhri) to take a trip to the former's Brit mansion, instead of taking off on a romantic getaway to the French capital. On arriving, skeletons begin to tumble out, and they learn the reason behind the house being locked up for eight years. All hell breaks loose.

Even the slightest mention can be a spoiler in a horror, so we'll leave the details aside should you wish to catch this one. But, we can reveal that this uninspiring story ticks every clichéd check box in the horror rule book, including possessed bodies, hapless spirits, barren trees, a grave and temple bells. In addition, there's a half-faced doll, and a bored ensemble of supporting actors who look more clueless than the doll in question. As lovers, Joshi and Fakhri certainly lack chemistry. In fact, the latter's visible disinterest even overshadows Joshi's ineptness.

What is really horrifying is the depiction of the psychiatrist, played by Mona Singh. 'Calm down' or an increase of medicinal dose, are apparently appropriate responses to paranoia and migraine. While the boyfriend battles serious issues, the girlfriend busies herself by exploring the estate, and playing hide-and-seek.

The incoherence is baffling, and one is only compelled to wonder why a team of qualified artistes would create this kind of cinema. But since the movie doesn't take itself too seriously -the quality of VFX and continuity being obviously ignored - it is best relished as a comic caper.

As for Fakhri, who makes a comeback of sorts to Bollywood with this film, she had more meat in her five-minute act in the American thriller, Spy (2015) than she does here. Pro tip for the writers - Just send them to Paris next time. It's always a good idea!

Also Read: Nargis Fakhri annoyed with press prying into personal life; leaves Amavas promotions midway

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Total Dhamaal
U: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Director: Indra Kumar
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Arshad Warsi, Jaaved Jaaferi, Riteish Deshmukh, Sanjay Mishra
Rating: 

The first thing you notice about this Hindi film (or at least I did) is that it plays with English subtitles. Not that most need it; but great relief, nonetheless. For I had returned from the same Mumbai theatre only the evening before, within the first minute of a Malayalam film (a heavily recommended Kumbalangi Nights), having realised that the pic had no English subs, and people were laughing at jokes (presumably), that I couldn't access.

Would Total Dhamaal, in a language you didn't understand, be watchable still? Technically there is hardly a plot/story. So you'll follow what's going on, regardless. But this is the sort of deliberately-sasta, kaam chalau comedy that works on simplest set-ups, and pay-offs - or punch-lines - that you ought to be in sync with. Some jokes work - at a pure comic timing level. Several don't. But that's really what you walked in for. For the record, the first Dhamaal (2007) had entered theatres hot on the heels of the fab Golmaal (2006), with Arshad Warsi common to both - making the former seem like pretty much a sequel to the latter. Modelled along the lines of the Spencer Tracy epic It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963), Dhamaal actually had a lot of dhamaal going for it.

Ever since, Golmaal has turned into a four-part, money-spinning franchise (or as Devgn calls it, his "retirement plan"). As have similar all-star comedies from the time - Housefull (the fourth instalment is on its way), Kya Kool Hain Hum (in the screwball, sex-com space), Masti (there've been three so far - directed by Indra Kumar, as well).

This is the third in the Dhamaal series, and as a ride, perhaps mainly intended for kids, if you consider the amount of slapstick (instead of adult) humour, stereotyped 'Madrasi', Bihari, Gujju kinda gags, and tonnes of fine VFX paraphernalia - collapsing bridge, rickety helicopter, cute animals bumbling around in the farm, folk either hanging or flying off ledges… This is besides a lot of self-referential Bollywood one-liners that appear as stuck in time as, of course, the picture itself.

And so the password to open a door is 'one-two ka four; four-two ka one' as Lakhan, or Anil Kapoor, jumps off a wall. 'Ek do teen' as in the Madhuri Dixit Nene song is referred to, since Dixit is in the movie, along with Kapoor. Rohit Shetty is summoned in a line while cars fly. Ajay Devgn is of course the dude. His sidekick, Sanjay Mishra, whose refrain, "Dhondu, just chill," made him a superstar with Shetty's All The Best (2010), a similar mad-cap comedy, gets, "Bro," a new takia-kalaam here.

But my favourite guys in this movie have got to be Adi, and his man-child partner Manav (Arshad Warsi, Jaaved Jaaferi). Glad they've survived the franchise's original line-up (the only ones to, besides the perennial ensemble-com favourite, Riteish Deshmukh).

The entire lot is after a Rs 50 crore booty. All they know is that it's kept at a zoo. And with presumably someone called OK, which is what you must feel like - never mind what happens in the movie thereafter. Anything I say about this expectedly total dumb maal, should be construed as boring old me, coming in the way of your heightened, harebrained entertainment. Already have; read no further!

Also Read: Exclusive: Ajay Devgn on Total Dhamaal: It's very difficult to make people laugh

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The Least Of These
U/A: Drama
Dir: Aneesh Daniel
Cast: Sharman Joshi, Stephen Baldwin, Shari Rigby
Ratings: 

Aneesh Daniel's attempt to relook at real-life events that triggered the grisly murder of Graham Stuart Staines - Australian born evangelist/poor leprosy patients' caregiver, living and working in the remote regions of Orissa - is a rather tame experience.

It's obvious the filmmakers were eager to avoid any confrontations with right-wing fanatics, who had a major role to play in triggering the gruesome killing of Staines (Stephen Baldwin) and his two sons. Don't know how much of a spoiler the censor board played in this regard, but needless to say, this is a largely sanitised version of the truth and does a great disservice to the lives lost in the throes of a communal crossfire. Defanged of the court ordained facts, including the name of the convicted killer (Dara Singh) and his right-wing Hindu fundamentalist political affiliations, this film merely plays around with the 'conversion' issue.

The narrative device employed here is in itself flawed. It's the late 1990's. Journalist Manav Banerjee (Sharman Joshi) moves with his pregnant wife to a small town in Orissa. The editor (Prakash Belawadi) of the New Orissa Daily treats him like a stringer and expects him to coerce stories about forced conversions from the villagers. Manav, who shuns lepers and is clearly biased against Christian groups, would rather do the exposé without being personally involved. But his editor deems it necessary that Manav himself play victim to the conversion hoax to expose the Australian missionary's so-deemed unlawful activity. With his wife delivering prematurely and costs of hospitalisation mounting by the day, Manav is forced to toe the line.

While forgiveness plays an important part in this misrepresented drama, it doesn't have the effect of a great act here. It is depicted so ineffectually that there is little impact on the viewer. The actors are either over-the-top or inconsistent. Joshi overstates his eagerness by repeating phrases like 'I am a journalist' and 'He is a leper'. Scripting by Andrew E Mathews is so slack that his turnaround defies logic. Even Baldwin and Shari Rigby fail to arouse empathy. Technically too, this film is not upto the mark. The direction, editing and cinematography lack distinctive focus. This unaccomplished production doesn't amount to anything!

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The Palghar pot is boiling with the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) saying they are going to file defamation cases against a couple of BJP leaders for defaming CPI-M, by making baseless claims against them for the lynching of the two priests and their driver in Gadchinchale village. Mumbai's Ashok Dhawale, Central Committee member, CPI-M said, "We will file the case shortly. When the CPI-M says something, it always goes ahead and never backwards."

The roots
Dhawale explained that the Communists have had their imprint in the whole of Dahanu and Talasari tehsil. "It has been our base since 1945 when Comrade Godavari Parulekar led the revolt of the tribals against landlordism and bonded labour. This is how deep our roots go into this land. We have the MLA seat in Dahanu, with the dashing Vinod Nikole defeating the BJP sitting MLA in 2019."

Work done
On accusations that it is the Communists and this party that foment violence, leading to mob frenzy and agitation, Dhawale shot back, "We have worked for drinking water and water for irrigation. We drive movements for uplifting the health infrastructure in the region, we have schools, colleges and hostels in Talasari district. We have worked for women's issues, rations..."

Long march
Dhawale added as a Mumbai example, "It was the CPI-M that was at the forefront of the long march of farmers from Nashik to Mumbai in 2018. One of the demands was better implementation of the Forest Rights Act. There was no violence on that march, not a single car window was smashed. It was during this time that a BJP leader spoke about Urban Naxals and that term has stuck."

Bullet train
Another name swirling in the Palghar blame game is that of the Kashtakari Sanghatana. Dhawale said, "The Kashtakari Sanghatana and the CPI-M have had a prickly relationship.

However about three years ago, we came together to galvanise people in the area against the Bullet Train project. We have buried the hatchet so to speak, since."

Parliamentary process
In the end, Dhawale said that the CPI- M was totally against the Maoist violence in fringe pockets, "We have always been part of the Parliamentary process, right from Independence. We have unequivocally condemned the Palghar lynching; for the right wing to link it to us, to defame us, is simply nonsensical."

Go and file
Mumbai's Shriraj Nair, national spokesperson Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), slammed the CPI- M saying, "If any villager is innocent we support him. We are for tracking down the culprits of this crime. For years though, the CPI-M has been brainwashing villagers and conducting anti-Hindu activities. They are also anti-development."

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Three time MLA from Bandra West, politician Baba Siddique and son Maharashtra's youngest MLA from Bandra East Zeeshan Siddique reach out during the outbreak of the coronavirus where the city is experiencing a lockdown which is affecting lakhs of families. Zeeshan and his dad Baba Siddique are immensely contributing and working round the clock to provide relief to lakhs of needy families who are affected due to the lockdown.

Their efforts have reached an important milestone of 1.25 lac families across Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra. Recognition has also come from none other than Salman Khan , who has tweeted about their efforts. "We are running 5 community kitchens which are feeding approximately 4000 people daily, around 32 tons of groceries come in daily and a team of 150 people which includes, drivers, loaders, packers and delivery men work together for this cause. We are also reaching out to needy people from different parts of Maharashtra" says Baba Siddique.

The father and son duo have provided grocery kits to 50,000 families in Bandra West and 58,000 families in Bandra East. While Zeeshan who on his part is leaving no stone unturned, said "We are giving grocery kits with essentials like rice, dal, salt, oil, tea and sugar which is being packed and delivered by my team in my constituency and across the city ." he adds that "I'm also getting lot of requests on social media from different states, different political parties and social activists, we make sure these requests are fulfilled in Mumbai."

Though it's a never-ending task, Baba and Zeeshan's charity distribution network, supported by a dedicated team are putting in every effort to keep their social commitment of endeavouring no one sleeps hungry.

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Over a 100 goons led by the deputy sarpanch of Kalamb village in Vasai attacked the house of a vegetable vendor who had been helping migrant workers fill forms online and register with the state government to go back to their villages, on Tuesday night.

Vasai police have registered a case against 12 people, including the deputy sarpanch Anand Gharat, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and arrested one person.

The goons, armed with iron rods and bamboo sticks, first started throwing stones at the bungalow of Brijesh Chauhan in Nirmal village, Vasai West. The house's glass windows were shattered and Chauhan's wife, Reema, got injured by little shards of glass.

The incident happened after Chauhan registered a Non-Cognisable (NC) complaint against one of the accused a day before the attack.

"My husband has been helping migrant workers fill forms online. On May 4 at 8:30 pm, two migrant workers came to my house to get themselves registered online. My husband told them to collect the details of at least 10 people and then one or two can come to submit the details as it also maintains social distancing," said Reema.

"But the duo got angry and told my husband that they belong to Kalamb village and their work should be done on priority. They screamed at us and then left, only to return 15 minutes later with Darshan Gharat and 20 other people from Kalamb village. They shouted and abused everyone in our family, including women. My senior citizen father-in-law was also manhandled," she added. "After abusing us, the mob returned to Kalamb village. Around 10 minutes later, they came with deputy sarpanch Anand Gharat, who too abused us. Somehow we managed to send them away," Reema said.

Brijesh then registered an NC against the group. "On May 5 at 9 pm, Anand and goons riding triple seat on motorcycles, armed with iron rods, bamboo sticks, etc. came shouting and started pelting stones at my house. I got injured. Neighbours came to our rescue and police also came on the spot just 10 minutes after we called them," she added.

Deputy sarpanch flees
An officer from Vasai police said, "We have registered a case against 12 people and other unidentified people and arrested one person. In all, 12 people, including deputy sarpanch Anand are wanted. We are trying to trace him."

Deputy sarpanch Anand Gharat

Anand, who is planning to seek anticipatory bail, told mid-day that Brijesh had assaulted a student residing in Kalamb village. "I had gone to resolve the matter but they have registered a case against me. An officer from Vasai police asked me to surrender but I am innocent," said Anand, who is out on bail in a rape and kidnapping case registered against him at Vasai police station last year.

May 5
Day the incident occurred

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Brit boxer Amir Khan's wife Faryal Makhdoom feels this year's holy month of Ramadan which will end on May 23, is special considering they can focus on getting closer to the almighty, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. She reckons since the world has come to a standstill, everyone is able to concentrate on pray and fasting.

Faryal recently shared this picture (below) on Instagram and wrote: "How are you guys finding Ramadan this year? I'm finding it super chill. Especially during this time while nothing else is going on—we can focus on praying, fasting and being closer to Allah."

 

 

 

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How are you guys finding Ramadan this year? I’m finding it super chill🌸 Especially during this time while nothing else is going on— we can focus on praying, fasting and being closer to Allah🙏🏼 @deluxe.collections

A post shared by Faryal Makhdoom Khan (@faryalmakhdoom) onApr 30, 2020 at 8:47am PDT

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Amanda D'Souza

Riding on Amanda D'Souza's brace, St Joseph's (Bandra) beat St John The Evangelist (Marol) 2-0 in the MSSA-organised Ahmed Sailor inter-school U-16 girls hockey tournament at Kandivli on Saturday.

In the very first minute, St Joseph's Rachel Michael beat her opponents with her dribbling skills, but the ball missed the target. However, Amanda put her stick in the way of the ball and the ball deflected towards the goal post. Amanda was in the thick of the action again in the 13th minute of the rain-marred game when she netted her second goal.

Telugu actress Samantha Akkineni turned a year older on April 28, 2020, and she was seen celebrating her special day with near and dear ones. Samantha's husband Naga Chaitanya hosted a sweet little party for the birthday girl at their home.

Chaitanya also baked a cake for his wife, and the actress shared a time-lapse video on social media. She wrote, "baking my birthday cake." Take a look at the series of photos and video shared by the birthday girl on Instagram.

 

 

 

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Family ❤ï¸Â .... (no points for guessing what I am praying for )

A post shared by Samantha Akkineni (@samantharuthprabhuoffl) onApr 27, 2020 at 12:29pm PDT

For the uninitiated, the 33-year-old actress has a solid fan-following not only in India but globally too and has given us two very memorable films- 24 and Eega, both brimming with imaginative ideas and smashing entertainment. Samantha has come a long way and carved her own niche in Indian Cinema. Her work in the Telugu and Tamil industry continues to resonate with audiences and critics alike.

Speaking of her professional journey, some of her most remembered works as an artist are 24, Oh Baby, U-Turn, Super Deluxe, and Rangasthalam.

On the other hand, talking about her personal life, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya tied the knot in both grand South Indian and Christian ceremony in October 2017.

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When author turned filmmaker Ram Kamal Mukherjee decided to make the big switch he knew that it wouldn't be a cakewalk.Now with his second Hindi film Season's Greetings he emerges as a confident story teller, who can intrigue audience with simple and thought provoking narrative. In an exclusive chat with Midday he talks about his films and beyond...

Probably you are amongst few film journalist from Bollywood who have successfully switched from print to movie making. Was is a pre planned transition?

It might sound like a 'cakewalk' but unfortunately it was not. I had to go through the grind. After my tenure as Editor in chief of a film magazine. I co-produced a finite series Bin Kuch Kahe for Zee TV with director Rajshree Ojha. It was a learning experience for me. During that time, I realized that I would like to make films. But never in my dream I had imagined that I will become a director. In fact it was Esha Deol who literally forced me to become a director with Cakewalk. She said, "It's your vision, and you are doing everything that a director does. I think you will be a good filmmaker!" Esha stood by me and my production house like the Rock of Gibraltar.

You have been a senior journalist, with almost 20 years experience. Did any of your industry friends help you? Or did you approach them?

No. I didn't approach anyone. I wanted to make a film on my own terms and condition. I knew that once I achieve in making a decent movie, industry will support and stand by me. Cakewalk broke all possible records. It became India's first short film to be premiered in a satellite television Cineplex with Colors, the first look was launched in London by Hema Malini, the music rights was acquired by Zee Music, the film was acquired by Viacom18, I was invited at the BBC studios in London for live chat show, it got selected at 21 film festivals and won at 17 film festivals. It also become India's first short film to be premiered at Inox Insignia one of the biggest theatre chains in India. The film was promoted in 6 major metro cities in India and Dubai. We treated it like a feature film, and I give credit to my team and my friends from media and film industry.

Your second film Season's Greetings seems to have created a much bigger news. With United Nation Free and Equal and legends like Amitabh Bachchan endorsing the film it seems to be one of the much awaited movie of this year on OTT?

I am thankful to Mr Bachchan for being so gracious, he spoke so beautifully about the film in his video message. My film is a tribute to the legendary filmmaker Riruparno Ghosh, and I am grateful that Lillette Dubey maam and Celina Jaitly Haag who agreed to be a part of this venture. It was Celina who connected me with the United Nations Free and Equal, and I had to organize special screening for them in Geneva. It took almost two months to bring them on board as our social cause partner. This wouldn't have been possible without our friend and well wisher Charles Radcliffe. Zee5 had initially decided to release it on March but now due to Corona pandemic we had to reschedule everything. But I am glad that we released on April 15, and the film has become the most watched short film on Zee5. The film got selected at seven prestigious international festivals including Cardiff International Film Festival. It won Best Director Jury award at Rajasthan International Film Festival this year. I am eagerly waiting to show the film to all. This film also marks the debut of young and talented actor Azhar Khan. The film deals with LGBTQIA issue in a very subtle manner. The film has been selected at the prestigious Kashish Film Festival 2020 in Mumbai, Asia's largest LGBTQIA Film Festival. I am glad the film is getting appreciated by all, my film celebrates love beyond gender.

Director Ram Kamal Mukherjee with lead cast Celina Jaitley and Lillette Dubey in Season's Greetings

How does it feel when your film gets thunderous applause from media and film fraternity?

I feel blessed. When veterans like Khalid Mohamad, Shoma Chatterji, Nandita Puri, Ananth Mahadevan, Taran Adarsh, Rajeev Masand and Suman Ghosh writes about your film, its a reassurance. But I would like to thank my team for making this possible. My producers Aritra Das and Shailendra Kumar, my associate producers Mohammad Jameel and my wife Sarbani Mukherjee. You might dream big, but you need a producer who will stand by your vision. And of course Celina Jaitly who worked like a team member all the way from Austria in the middle of lockdown crisis. She would manage her household responsibilities and maintain all her work commitment. She interacted with all leading media over Instagram and Skype, she gave telephonic and email interviews. She actively pushed the film on social media. Lillette Dubey maam though she is not on any social media platform, she would record her bytes for channels and send. Her daughter Ira Dubey would record her interview on phone and we would give those bytes to electronic and web media. Azhar Khan supported us from Pune, while Shree Ghatak in Kolkata went all out to spread the word. My singers Sayani Palit and Jaan Kumar Sanu did radio chats and facebook live performance of the song. It was very tough to promote a 47 minute film in the middle of lockdown. But we all need to keep reinventing ourselves.

In a span of two years you have managed to direct almost five films. That's a decent number...

After Season's Greetings, I wanted to make a short length Bengali film. That's when the idea of Rickshwala came to my mind. I am launching Avinash Dwivedi in as the protagonist in the film. It was a tough project for me. We had to do workshops and shoot in the bylanes of North Kolkata in summers. Avinash gave his blood and sweat for this film. Rickshawla already won Best Actor and Best Director at 13th Ayodhya International Film Festival this year. Then we made Broken Frame, which is based on my fiction Long Island Iced Tea. Yet again I was fortunate enough to work with extremely professional and talented actors like Rohit Bose Roy and Ritabhari Chakraborty. The film deals with martial issue and infidelity. After that, I made Shubho Bijoya with Gurmeet Choudhury and Debina Bonnerjee, which is a romantic film loosely based on O Henry's classic A Gift of Magi. Now I am working on my first full length feature film Binodini Dasi, a biopic on Bengal's famous theatre actress. My first attempt to make a period drama.

Ram Kamal Mukherjee and Esha Deol receiving Society Iconic Award for Cakewalk from Ramesh Sippy, Kiran Sippy and Krishika Lulla

Do you feel that any of your skills as a journalist comes handy when you are donning the hat of a director?

Yes it does! My writing skill helps me in fine tuning my screenplay and dialogues, my editing experience helps me in keeping the scenes precise and save the cost of extra shifts and shoots. My photoshoot experiences helps me in visualizing a character, their costume, hair and makeup. And my nose for news, helps me in creating content that people would like to see on screen. I guess we all use our past experience to enhance our future endeavors.

You have penned five books and directed five movies in a span of three years. You are extremely active on social media, you also conduct special classes for film students and talk shows with celebrities. How do you balance every act?

Huh! Now that you have spelled it, I am feeling breathless. But frankly speaking, I have learnt multitasking from Hemaji (Malini) She inspires me a lot. I think if we can focus on our work then we can distribute our time evenly. Now that we are locked down for almost 40 days, I will be finishing the draft of my Bengali film, work on the story board and first look. I am also working on two non fiction with leading publishers, so my research and drafting is on. I am also working on my Hindi feature film, which will hit the floor by 2021. I don't like to waste time. Even when I am not doing something, I am watching a film or a series. The hunger should never die. And now with lockdown and quarantine, we all have learnt how to multitask, because when you are pushed to the edge then you either learn to fly or you die.

Why do you call Season's Greetings a homage to director Rituparno Ghosh? And how is it different from any other tribute?

Well, this is a different kind of homage to any director. Mostly when we pay tribute, we tend to either make a biopic or remake classics. But I thought of giving him a tribute through multiple ways. Suchitra Bhattacharya was Ritu da's favorite author, veteran Tagore vocalist Suchitra Mitra acted in his film Dahan, so I decided to name Lillette ji's character Suchitra. Celina's character Romita was Rituparna Sengupta's name in Dahan, which was a popular novel written by Suchitra Bhattacharya. The house where they stay is called Utsab, which was yet another film by Ritu. The househelp is Chapala inspired from his film Aarekti Premer Galpo (he acted), where he played a transgender filmmaker and enacted life of theatre actor Chapal Bhadhuri. Transgender actor Shree Ghatak plays the role of Chapala in my film.

There is a sequence between Lillette and Celina where they talk about fragrance of a particular perfume, which is inspired from Aparna Sen and Debasree Roy's kitchen scene from Unishe April. Lavish display of food and characters talking over dinner table has been Rituparno's favourite narrative style, which is a part of preclimax sequence.

Tagore music and Maithili language is yet another aspect which Rituparno had often used in his films. Infact there is a portrait of Tagore used in the film from Balmiki Pratibha, which was prominently used as a metaphor in his film Ashukh. Then references like Banalata pishi is from Bariwali, Abhirupa is again Rituparno's character name from Chitrangada.

Rabindranath Tagore's song Gahana Kusum Kunj Majhe, was used in his film Abhohoman, which has been recreated in the film by singers Jaan Kumar Sanu and Sarbani Mukherjee.

In a scene we see Suchitra is reading Devdutt Patnaik's novel Shikhandi. That's again referring to Rituparno's film Chitrangada, a character from Mahabharata. In fact we have also shown the exterior of Rituparno's house Tasher Ghar in Kolkata which only very few people will relate. There are shots of Ardhanarishwar, that depicts the presence of bisexuality since vedic age.

The entire character graph of boy child Chapal undergoing sex change and becoming Chapala also talks about his films like Memories of March and Chitrangada. But none of it is underlined, everything is subtle. You need to be a Rituparno fan to appreciate or understand. The scene where Romita talks about unexpected rains and letters from her mother is a fleeting reference to his film Tithli.

And of course the climax that would jolt you as an audience, and will remind you of Rituparno in a much prominent way.

In fact the first day and first shot of the movie between Celina and Azhar was shot in Grand Hyatt Presidential suite. After the shot the manager came to meet me. He said, "It's irony that Rituparno had shot Sob Charitro Kalpanik scene with Bipasha Basu and Prosenjit in the same room!" We knew that Rituda is blessing us from the word 'action'!

This film marks return of Celina Jaitly after motherhood, why did you opt for her since she was away and settled in Dubai?

I wouldn't have taken effort if she would habe settled in Mars or Moon, but to not consider an artist for geographical reason in an archaic thought. I knew that she would be my perfect Romita, for three reasons, she never got an opportunity to play a role like this. She shared a very close bonding with her parents whom she lost recently, and she has been associated with LGBTQIA movement for last two decades. I remember Celina broke down before shoot. She went to severe depression and I guess this film was her fulcrum to spring out of the situation. Ritu da once mentioned, every artist comes with their own qualities, as a director you need to utilize that aspect and mould them into your narrative.

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Pakistani actor Saba Qamar, who starred opposite Irrfan Khan in 2017's "Hindi Medium", said she is at loss of words with the untimely demise of her co-star. The 53-year-old actor lost his battle with a rare form of cancer and died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday.

He was buried at the Versova graveyard in the afternoon. Saba said she does hope things were better between India and Pakistan as she wants to meet Irrfan's wife Sutapa and their two sons Babil and Ayaan. "I'm numb today. I still cannot accept the loss of a brilliant co-actor Irrfan. I really am at a loss for words. It's very heart wrenching for me to say rest in peace Irrfan. "I really hope things were better between our countries and I could go see his family but my heartfelt condolences to his family," Saba told PTI.

 

 

 

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Deeply disturbed to hear about the passing of Irrfan Khan. I still can’t absorb the news. It feels like yesterday coming back from the sets of Hindi Medium. You taught me a lot as an actor and a mentor. It is indeed a huge loss to the cinema world. Such a brilliant actor gone too soon. You left a huge irreplaceable void in Cinema Irfan. My heartfelt condolences to his family. May Allah give them strength to bear this loss. RIP Raj 💔 Yours Only, Meeta. 🌸

A post shared by 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐚 𝐐𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 (@sabaqamarzaman) onApr 29, 2020 at 2:07am PDT

She said Irrfan's death is a huge loss to world cinema. "We lost a gem today. It's a huge loss to the cinema world and I hope we become able to bear that," she said. "Hindi Medium"', directed by Saket Chaudhary, marked Saba's debut in Bollywood. She received critical acclaim for her portrayal of a nouveau riche in the 2017 comedy drama. The actor had also paid tribute to Irrfan on Twitter. "Deeply disturbed to hear about the passing of Irrfan Khan. It feels like yesterday coming back from the sets of 'Hindi Medium'. You taught me a lot as an actor and a mentor. Such a brilliant actor gone too soon. I'm at a loss for words. RIP Raj Yours Only, Meeta #IrrfanKhan" she had posted.

Meanwhile, many other actors from Pakistan have also condoled Irrfan's sudden demise. Pakistani actor Imran? Abbas, who was seen in a cameo appearance in Karan Johar's "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil:, said art has no boundaries and he can feel the pain of his sudden demise. "Rest in peace the legend Irfan Khan!! You will surely be missed forever¿Since art has no boundaries, we can feel the pain and are equally grieved by your sudden demise...May Allah bless the departed soul. Undoubtedly, we all belong to Allah all mighty and have to return to HIM," he tweeted. Pakistani singer and actor Ali Zafar, who has acted in quite a few Bollywood films such as "Tere Bin Laden", "Mere Brother Ki Dulhan" and "Dear Zindagi", posted, "RIP #IrrfanKhan. You were inspirational and unparalleled." Pakistani actor Sajal Ali wrote, "Shocked and sad. What a brilliant actor he was! Rest In Peace #IrrfanKhan."

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Welcome aboard! But before you read this one, let us be clear that the next few paragraphs are filled with nothing but spoilers. If you are nerd enough to gorge on all the sci-fiction shows the web throws at you, you've landed on the perfect page. Amazon Prime Video released a good sci-fi show, that has a hint of comedy and a dash of romance and drama, on May 1, 2020, and we couldn't help but binge on this one.

Black Mirror, the popular Netflix show, which gave us some good dark and gritty content to watch out for, has kind of an uncanny resemblance to this show. How, you ask? An episode on Black Mirror showed an alternate world where people who die can move to a place named San Junipero, and live an afterlife on their own terms. Watching Upload, you'll surely be reminded of that episode.

Here we have four reasons that make Upload a good watch:

A futuristic approach

As the lockdown extends, and so does our watch-list (of course, it is a never-ending one), we have got you the scoop on one more show, and this time, it is a futuristic approach towards the afterlife of a human. In the new show Upload, our loved ones or us, 'upload' our memories and special moments on a database, which will help you to experience everything, just like a living person. Even the seven sins of a human -  pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth, have been shown by the great brains who work on the artificial intelligence of this 'afterlife heaven'.

A life, after life

Okay, so the essence of this entire show lies in the afterlife of people who have decided to 'upload' themselves, and live a kingsize life in a virtual world. This manmade heaven is no less than a fairyland, where everything is just happy and the way we want it. But, the only glitch in this virtual world is the bugs and the viruses. Just like our real-world has problems, the digital world created beyond the horizon by some great nerdy minds have to face multiple technical difficulties.

Watch the trailer of Upload here:

A gamer's show

The show Upload starts with a brat Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell), who is deeply in love with his girlfriend Ingrid (Allegra Edwards). The duo sees their future together, but Nathan's death faults Ingrid's plan. To keep him forever, she uploads his memory and avatar in an afterlife - Horizen - and what comes next is AI personified! Video game lovers will connect with this show for real. The only difference is one doesn't have to sit with a joystick to select the next move.

A reimagined heaven

Upload shares a materialistic world which many people mistake for life and realise it once everything is gone for real. Nathan experiences the same thing when he meets his angel, Nora (Andy Allo), given by Horizen, to guide him. She not only becomes his 'guiding angel' but also helps him solve the mystery behind his sudden death caused due to a technical glitch in his auto-driven car. What comes next is kind of predictable.

The entire struggle to maintain a lifestyle in the afterlife will make you cringe about the world's perception of leading a good life, and also an afterlife. This show will actually make you think about what went wrong with these people.

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Actress Rakul Preet Singh has relived her childhood days in a new post she shared on social media. Rakul took to Instagram and shared a video where she plays games like "dog and the bone", "Kabbadi" and "chidiya ud" with her brother Aman Preet.

"When time takes you back to your childhood #quarantinediaries," the actress captioned the video. 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

#quarantinediaries with @amanpreetoffl ❤ï¸Â

A post shared by Rakul Singh (@rakulpreet) onMay 2, 2020 at 12:28am PDT

On the acting front, Rakul will soon be seen in a cross-border romantic-comedy with actor Arjun Kapoor. The film is directed by debutant Kaashvie Nair and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Nikkhil Advani and John Abraham.

Rakul will also be seen in Kamal Haasan's ambitious upcoming film "Indian 2", which also stars Kajal Aggarwal and Vidyut Jammwal.

Her brother Aman Preet Singh is all set to make his Bollywood debut with the film "Ram Rajya". It also stars Shobita Rana, Salman Sheikh, Shashwat Pratik, Rajesh Sharma, Govind Namdev, Manoj Bakshi, Sandeep Bhojak, Mukhtar Dekhani and Mushtaq Khan.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Among the most promising shows on Amazon Prime's slate this year is Nikkhil Advani's Mumbai Diaries 26/11. The eight-part series, starring Konkona Sensharma and Mohit Raina, offers a fictionalised account of the terror attack that took place at the Cama Hospital, among other venues, on November 26, 2008. Though the show was earlier titled Bombay Hospital, Advani says it was a unanimous decision to rechristen it. "There is a hospital in south Bombay called Bombay Hospital. Our show is not only about what happened at the [Cama] hospital that night; it also deals with the overarching theme of humanity. We had to come up with a title that sums up the theme," reasons the director.

With the release of Dev Patel-starrer Hotel Mumbai last year, the recreation of stories as sensitive as the 26/11 terror attacks has been widely debated. Is it judicious to tap into those memories? "We Mumbaikars still discuss where we were on that [fateful] night. I hope we have treated the story with sensitivity. The show plays out in a hospital, and little has been said about the hospital staff in our stories of 26/11. I wanted to celebrate the brave doctors who had saved the day."

The drama, which went on floors last August, was wrapped up only days before the lockdown was announced across the country. Counting himself among the fortunate few whose projects remain unaffected, the director is working with his post-production team remotely to meet the deadline.

"Luckily, the show was shot in sync sound, so we don't have the problem of dubbing. Given the subject, it is likely to release around November 26. People talk about how editing from home is a challenge, but it isn't. My editor puts the edited content on Vimeo for the post-production supervisor and me to see. We are constantly on Zoom calls, telling each other what works, and what doesn't," he shares, adding that his 2013 offering, D-Day, too was edited remotely.

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Veteran Gujarati actor Arvind Trivedi, who became a household name all over India playing Raavan in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, got emotional while watching the re-run of the popular mythological serial.

In a video circulating on social media, Trivedi, who is in his eighties now, is seen watching the 'Sita Apaharan' (Kidnapping of Sita) episode with great attention. The video has gone viral on the internet.

In the video, Trivedi folds his hands in the end. The scene got him very emotional, as per a report by timesofindia.indiatimes.com.

Have a look:

 

 

 

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So touching. 84 year old veteran #ArvindTrivedi ji watched his #Ravana role after 30 years & seeks forgiveness from others 🙏🙏

A post shared by @ koro_na_hunter onApr 12, 2020 at 7:54am PDT

Amid the ongoing 21-day nationwide lockdown, the popular mythological series is being re-telecast on Doordarshan.

Ramayan aired in 1987-1988 and is created, written, and directed by Ramanand Sagar. The show was a television adaptation of the Indian Hindu epic of the same name.

The show was a game-changer for Indian television, hooking the nation to the show. Sunday mornings were never the same for families in India after the first episode of "Ramayan" aired on television. The impact was such that the actors associated with the show, continue to live under the shadow of their characters, with people remembering them for the roles they played in the show, which narrated the life story of Lord Ram and Sita.

The role of Ram was played by Arun Govil, Sita played by Deepika Chikhalia, Lakshman was played by Sunil Lahiri, and Hanuman by late Dara Singh. It also featured Sanjay Jog, late Vijay Arora, Sameer Rajda, late Mulraj Rajda and late Lalita Pawar.

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The years 1987 and 1988 were nothing less than revolutionary for television. We saw Ramayan on tv, one of the grandest shows in history, and also one of the most spectacular and memorable, and of course, iconic. And since no shootings are happening due to the Coronavirus pandemic, all the episodes have resurfaced on Doordarshan for the viewers' entertainment.

It was reported that the reruns of Ramayan fetched a staggering 1.4 million views within four days and the data is likely to go higher. But given everything that's classic invites memes on social media, how could Ramayan stay away? In case you have not seen them, watch them right here and have a great laugh.

The first one was all about the patience level once can have in today's times, have a look:

The patience i have vs The patience i need.#Ramayana #Ramayan #Laxman pic.twitter.com/UlsGDHkuaQ

— Sameera Khanam (@SameeraKhanam11) April 8, 2020

If you thought Amitabh Bachchan in the 70s and Shahid Kapoor in recent times are the prime examples of the 'Angry Young Man', think again, or rather watch the original Angry Young Man:

Best angry young man in universe#ramayan #Laxman pic.twitter.com/ng5UlCRxb4

— Ankit Singh (@AnkitSi80834082) April 6, 2020

And another user followed up to the same meme and introduced us to the first Angry Young Man:

First angry young man #laxman #Ramayan #DDNational pic.twitter.com/0xwF4R3HKJ

— Sameer Gargey (@gargeys) April 13, 2020

What will you do if you get the opportunity to eat Gol Gappas, Momos, and every possible junk food once the lockdown is over? This video is the answer:

When I get to eat Golgappas, Momos and junk food that are bad for me after this lockdown is over:#RamayanOnDDNational #Ramayanmemes #Ramayana #Laxman pic.twitter.com/qTy8Z83nWN

— AnonymousGirl (@Anonymo99859659) April 13, 2020

And remember a meme that became very famous on social media a few months back that was all about 'The Art' and 'The Artist'? Now Ramayan has the same one too:

#Ramayan #laxman
The Art... The Artist pic.twitter.com/QRaqahYsWW

— Tony AS (ଘରେ ରୁହନ୍ତୁ ସୁରକ୍ଷିତ ରୁହନ୍ତୁ) (@TonyASOnline) April 7, 2020

Last but not the least, how has Doordarshan benefited from Ramayan as far as their TRPs are concerned? All hail Lord Ram!:

 

 

 

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Hum karte hain prabandh, aap chinta mat kijiye

A post shared by Sagar (@sagarcasm) onApr 11, 2020 at 11:54pm PDT

We expect more such memes in the coming days since Ramayan will continue to hook the viewers for a longer period now!

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You all must have seen those tons of memes that came on Ramayan and will continue to flood social media as long as the serial is airing on Doordarshan. These memes have only been made because Ramayan is a classic show that cannot and will never be forgotten! And that's precisely what Sunil Lahri feels, the actor who played the role of Lakshman.

In an interview with Koimoi, he spilled the beans on what he thinks of these memes and his reaction on seeing them. "I have seen many memes that a lot of people have sent. Even my brother's children in the house send me the memes. I am liking it. I am enjoying it. It's said that you are popular and that's why they make these memes. I am honoured. I feel honoured to be a part of the memes."

Talking about his character and why he cannot imagine himself don the role of another one, he said, "Lakshman had a lot of shades to perform, as an actor. If you go to see any other character, it didn't have that kind of performance. Maybe, Raavan but it's a negative character. I am slightly uncomfortable at the moment because my face doesn't permit me to play anything negative. I can play that character but I prefer not to."

He added, "That's why I prefer playing the same character and now I feel I can perform 10 times better because, at that time, I think I didn't have experience. I didn't have an idea of what reaction and action one should do. Now, with experience in the industry for such a long time, I feel, I can perform much better."

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Veteran actor Arvind Trivedi, who is best known for his role of Ravana in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, has joined Twitter. His debut on the micro-blogging site comes after his former Ramayan co-stars Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhila made their Twitter accounts.

The actors are back in the limelight after Doordarshan started the re-run of the mythological show amid the Coronavirus lockdown.

With Arvind's Twitter debut, fans got excited and showered him with love and praise. They even started trending #RavanonTwitter.

"Due to my kids and because of your unconditional love, I have joined Twitter. This is my original ID. Whoever retweets my tweet with #RaavanOnTwitter on April 18, I will follow them without second thoughts. Jai Shri Ram. Om Namah Shivaay," Arvind tweeted.

He also tweeted a picture of himself from the show as his character and his picture now, rightly captioning it- Then and now, and wrote- "Finally I Am on twitter." (sic) Have a look right here:

Finally I Am On twitter#RavanOnTwitter pic.twitter.com/3CqPFAUI3X

— Arvind Trivedi (@Arvind_Trivedi_) April 19, 2020

Apart from thanking fans for their love, Arvind also urged people to stay at home.

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Fans of Beyhadh 2, who are eagerly awaiting the next plot twist in Jennifer Winget and Shivin Narang's on-screen love story, may be in for a disappointment. Word on the street is that the top brass at Sony Entertainment and the producers of the revenge saga are contemplating pulling the plug on the show, given the current scenario. A source informs, "It's a big budget show, and with the set at Green Valley studio in Mira Road standing unused, the makers are incurring heavy losses with every passing day. So, the channel and production house may not resume the shoot of the daily soap post the lockdown. Even though the script for the next 50 episodes is ready, the show is likely to have an abrupt ending."

While the channel officials remained mum on the subject, an insider informed that the decision is not prompted by the monetary losses. "There is no clarity on when the shoots will resume. If the studio decides to pick up the story from where they left off, the channel will have to rejig its entire line-up of shows to accommodate the series."

When mid-day reached out to Ashish Chowdhry who is one of the leads, he said, "While I haven't received official communication about this yet, I won't be surprised if they have taken this decision. Jennifer, Shivin and my remunerations are high. Plus, [the makers must be struggling] to maintain the lavish sets."'

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A lot of Bollywood filmmakers and actors have said that the legacy of Hindi Cinema will now be split into pre-Corona and post-Corona. And during this lockdown, nobody will forget the fact that it was all also the time when we got the opportunity to see some unseen and amazing throwback pictures of Television and Bollywood celebrities. Joining the bandwagon is Ramayan's Sita aka Dipika Chikhlia.

For all those who grew up in the 90s, this picture will surely put a smile on your face. But here's a genuine question- How many of you knew that Superstar Rajesh Khanna also graced her wedding reception? In case you feel it's not true, here's some proof.

Have a look at the picture right here:

 

 

 

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Rare Rajesh khana attending Dipika Chikhliya Marriage photo #90s #Ramayan #ramayan #dipikachikhlia #sita #bollywoodmovies #rajeshkhanna

A post shared by The90sIndia (@the90sindia) onApr 20, 2020 at 6:02am PDT

Such was the legacy of the TV show that they all got a call from the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and he personally wanted to meet the team and facilitate them. And the actress even took to her Instagram account to share a picture with him, have a look:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

This is the 1st time we were felicitated ....we realized we were a part of a legacy Ramayan ..we created history ...remember the day vividly when we got a call from delhi to meet the PM ...#rajivgandhi#feliciate#delhji#ramayan#ramayanworld#sagarworld#shivsagar#lockdowndisriessa

A post shared by Dipika (@dipikachikhliatopiwala) onApr 25, 2020 at 8:39pm PDT

Ramayan and Mahabharat were truly historic in their own ways, and the reruns have been phenomenal with never-seen-before TRPs. Well, as they say- Old Is Gold!

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Ramanand Sagars popular TV serial 'Ramayan' which is re-airing on Doordarshan became the world's most-watched show on April 16 with 7.7 crore viewers, DD India posted on its official Twitter handle on late Thursday night. 'Ramayan' is being telecast again since March 28 on public demand. In fact, when it was telecast for the first time, the serial had broken all records of popularity, and the show has repeated its history again. Ramanand Sagar had made a total of 78 episodes of this serial based on Valmiki's Ramayana and Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas.

For the first time in the country, the serial was originally broadcast from January 25, 1987 to July 31, 1988. Then, every Sunday, at 9.30 a.m. the show was aired on TV. From 1987 to 1988, 'Ramayan' became the most watched serial in the world. Till June 2003, it remained recorded in the Limca Book of Records as "the most watched mythological serial in the world".

Interestingly, when the serial started airing in the country for the first time, people used to remain glued to the TV sets. Since there were less TVs at homes then, most of the people used to gather at some neighbour's place to watch 'Ramayan'.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Ramanand Sagar's epic "Ramayan", a show re-telecast almost three decades later, has become the most-watched entertainment show in the world. Actress Deepika Chikhalia, who gained popularity playing Sita, is ecstatic with the love that the serial has received yet again. She feels the magic created 30 years ago has helped make the re-run very successful.

On Thursday, a tweet from the official account of channel Doordarshan read: "WORLD RECORD!! Rebroadcast of #Ramayana on #Doordarshan smashes viewership records worldwide, the show becomes most-watched entertainment show in the world with 7.7 crore viewers on 16th of April"

According to media reports, the show has overtaken the popular "Game Of Thrones" in terms of viewership.

"I am really overjoyed that it has overtaken 'Game Of Thrones'. I thought it was one show that everyone has viewed and when I looked into it that 'Ramayan' has overtaken 'Game Of Thrones', I was really very happy. I am really very happy about it. It is great news," Deepika told IANS.

What according to Deepika is the reason behind the smashing success? "I have not analysed. I am not the sort of person who sits down and analyses. The only immediate thing I can think of is -- it has always had a story and a background. It always had a legacy and an era. When people started watching I would get messages that 'now, we are also part of that legacy and the magic'."

She added: "I think the word of mouth that people had loved it 30 years ago was the first kick-off. And once they started seeing and watching I think they kind of believed in the magic. I think that is how the circle moved. The series already had a name for itself and I think that the re-telecast rode on the success of original success. That's how I see it."

Deepika credits all the hard work of all departments for the show's success.

"I see it as a genuine labour of good work when it comes to performances, narration, direction. As an actor, when I see my own performances, I am baffled that at the age of 18, I had so much maturity to carry forward the lines, dialogue and there was so much patience in me. I performed with my eyes. Ramanand Sagar said that I want someone who emotes with her eyes because the body language should be that of Sita."

"Today, I see his vision. He had a vision and it's really, really wonderful. It is a genuine piece of work in every department. They all added to the success," she said.

Would she like to be a part of "Ramayan" again, if re-made? "If I am Sita I would like to," she said.

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StarPlus is all set to enthral audiences with the legendary show – Ramayan. Written, produced and directed by Ramanand Sagar, Ramayan, first aired in 1987 and acquired a cult status over the years. The show boasts of a talented ensemble comprising of Arun Govil as Lord Rama, Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala as Goddess Sita and Sunil Lahri as Lakshman.

It also starred veteran actors Lalita Pawar as Manthara, Arvind Trivedi as Ravana and Dara Singh as Hanuman. The popular mythological show has successfully garnered record-breaking viewership even today due to its engaging and simple narrative which has earned a memorable place in the audience's minds.

Dipika Chikhlia who essayed the role of Sita in Ramayan said, "The role of Sita has been one of the most memorable moments in my life. I have received much love and affection over the years from audiences not only in India but also overseas. With the show now being telecast on StarPlus, viewers will once again to get relive the epic mythological tale."

Sunil Lahri who is known for his portrayal of Laxman said, "Ramayan has received adulation from audiences across age groups. This narrative has engaged people all over with its entertaining narrative and life lessons making it one of the best offerings on Indian television. It's a happy moment for all of us as the show will now be telecast on StarPlus for entertaining viewers once again."

Tune in to the epic mythological tale of Ramayan at 7.30 pm everyday only on StarPlus!

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