MARATHI’S MEGA WEB SERIES, ‘RAANBAAZAAR’

All geared up to set screens ablaze, ‘Raanbazaar’, Marathi entertainment’s biggest web series till date is ready to stream from 20th May, 2022 . The drama’s power-packed storyline is brought to life with a stellar cast including Prajakta Mali, Sachin Khedekar, Mohan Agashe, Tejaswini Pandit, Mohan Joshi And Urmila Kothare to name a few. It is being touted as a gamechanger for Marathi OTT, having been made to fit global standards.

 

 

 

The explosive trailer hit everyone like a storm, with a nail-biting, edge of the seat show it put on. Superlative performances from actors with a dubious, mysterious vibe, captivates and stuns at the same time. Viewers are given a glimpse of hard-hitting dialogues and gut -wrenching scenes which make up the gritty world of Raanbaazaar.

 

 

 

The series is set to launch on 20th May, 2022  on leading Marathi Entertainment OTT, Planet Marathi, A Every week three episodes from the series will be released keeping audiences on the edge of their seat with this thriller.

 

 

 

After the poster release, the makers have decided to lift the veil on the series plotline.  Written and directed by Abhijit Panse who is well known for his fiery, burning work including ‘Rege’ and ‘Thackeray’, this is yet another revolutionary story he will be involved in. Speaking on the eve of its launch Writer-Director Abhijit Panse comments “This series is unlike any of the work I have done in the past or for the fact marathi entertainment has seen. The aim was to create a locally rooted drama on international standards. It was a tough task but I am happy we emerged successful. The audaciousness and bravado of this series is sure to set high benchmarks for thrillers in Indian entertainment”

 

 

 

Raanbaazaar’ is a peek into the diabolical world of power and politics.  Revolving around riveting, gripping turn of events, the series follows the coming together of two unidentified prostitutes who unknowingly shake the very core of Maharashtra’s politics. It brings to fore dark secrets, gray characters  and the frightening game of power in which humans are mere pawns. Producer Akshay Bardapurkar fresh off the blockbuster success of his recent production ‘Chandramukhi’ was equally elated “We have not created the Raanbaazaar universe for mere shock value. The idea behind backing such a strong drama is to tell an extremely potent story that will catapult us in the big league players of political, thriller content. I am happy the final product has come out so beautifully and I cannot wait till audiences get a chance to watch it”

 

 

 

The makers released the first look of the movie earlier this week and are already being flooded with rave reviews. Actress Tejaswani Pandit who plays a prominent role in the series shared  “When I first heard the narration I got goosebumps. It was a great challenge to get under the skin of the character, but the lessons it taught me as an actor will stay with me forever. I hope audiences have the same experience watching the series that I had on just hearing the story” .

 

 

 

Veteran actor Sachin Khedekar who has also joined the cast expressed his confidence in the series  “Raanbaazar is a once in a lifetime series.  It was extremely important to get each tone of the character right, because the storyline lies heavily on the back of its characters and you need to do justice. The series is our labour of love and I am impatiently waiting for it to release and see how the audience react” Actress Prajakta Mali, who has another major part of the series commented on the launch “It was a humbling experience as an actor shooting for Raanbaazaar. Each nuance, every move whether captured on screen on no, was rehearsed in my mind. It brought out the best in me as an actor, and even though I knew the storyline , each time we shot a scene it was surreal. Honestly, I cannot wait for it to be released!”

 

 

 

Raanbaazaar has been presented by Planet Marathi OTT; a Vistas Media Capital company, Akshay Bardapurkar and produced by Ravana Future Productions, Abhijit Panse and Anita Palande.

The upcoming film ‘First Second Chance’ presented by Streetsmart Production announces its song ‘Haanji Naaji’

The recently announced film ‘First Second Chance’ by the renowned CEO & Founder of Streetsmart Productions, Lakshmi R Iyer, is joyous to announce the song ‘Haanji Naaji.

 

The song is immaculately voiced by singer Hamsika Iyer, who have given us songs like Raabta and Chammak Challo. The composition of the music is done by Anand Bhaskar.  He has sung amazing songs such as 'Munna Rap,' in web series Mirzapur, ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 Official Anthem with singers Amit Trivedi and Sharvi Yadav. 'Oru Dinam' from the Malayalam action film Big Brother starring Malayalam actor Mohanlal, actor, and producer Arbaaz Khan, and many more. The simply beautiful lyric for the song is provided by Shraddha Sehgal.

 

In the words of Music Composer Anand Bhaskar, “I had an absolute blast working on this music for ‘First Second Chance.’ I truly got to work with people I love and look up to. An overall extremely talented bunch of people. Starting with Lakshmi, the director of the film and the CCO – The Chief Chatterbox Officer - as I like to call her. I also got to work with my friends, Keshav Parthasarathy and Shravan Sridhar who added their own bits to the music. It’s a dream come true to work on the same project as Resul Pookutty Sir. My long-time friend Shraddha Sehgal who has written a bunch of songs for me. One of my favourite singers from the country and probably one of the best – Hamsika Iyer – who is such a bright spark for everyone. It was an amazing experience working with Renuka ma’am and Ananth sir who are absolute sweethearts and legends in their own rights. A wholesome family experience, and that is the film all about as well. I cannot wait for the film to come out and have people hear our music as well.”

 

On the other hand, Lyricist Shraddha Sehgal says, “_Haanji, Naaji Me Umar Guzaari, Mile Hum Abki Baari_. These lines sum up the essence of the song and the film ‘First Second Chance,’ that the super talented Lakshmi Iyer is about to bring to the world. I am so glad to get to write the song. Do hear it, it’s a marvel created by Anand Bhaskar. Hamsika ma’am’s voice is the perfect voice for it. It has created magic and every word is expressed meaningfully. It will surely reach your heart. Anand is an amazing talent and he trusted me to write this song on a sensitive topic and I am so glad that it fits the plot beautifully. I remember being at Lakshmi’s and being stunned to see so much energy and positivity in her. She is so much fun to work with and I can’t wait for more. We have grown watching Renuka Ji and Ananth Ji on screen and now to work with them on the same project seems like a fantasy. I feel blessed to work with such experienced and renowned bunch of artists. The cast and crew of the film has put in a part of themselves in it and we hope the audience love it just as we did while making it.”

 

Singer Hamsika Iyer shares, “Did I enjoy my song? _Haaji_. Was I stressed while working on the song? _Naaji_. I’ll never forget the day when I got the call from Lakshmi R Iyer for her film. I was even happier when she conveyed that the music composer is Anand Bhaskar – a person whom I have always admired, his musicianship, vocals, energy, a very hardworking and a cool guy. I’d also like to extend my thanks to Shraddha Sehgal for the amazing yet simple lyrics. Shravan Sridhar and Keshav Parthasarathy, you guys are amazing. The kind of vibe that these guys bring into any songs is just infectious. Thank you, Prathamesh, for putting all the elements beautifully in all places. I have always been a huge admirer of Renuka Shahane and Ananth Mahadevan, and it feels amazing to be a part of a project that has incredible talent. Once again, thanks to Lakhsmi for giving me _Haanji_ and _Naaji_.”

 

The film will be released on 5th June 2022. The film consists of stellar cast such as Renuka Shahane, Ananth Mahadevan, Devoleena Bhattacharjee, Saahil Uppal and Nikhil Sangha. The story behind the film is inspired by real life. The film is produced by Streetsmart Production with immaculate direction by Lakshmi R Iyer.

Holi track in film Prithviraj

Akshay Kumar’s next is Yash Raj Films’ first historical, Prithviraj, which is based on the life and valour of the fearless and mighty King Prithviraj Chauhan. He is essaying the role of the legendary warrior who fought valiantly to protect India from the merciless invader Muhammad of Ghor in this visual spectacle.

 

The film will also focus on the beautiful love story between Prithviraj and his beloved Princess Sanyogita, played by the ethereally gorgeous debutant Manushi Chhillar, former Miss World 2017. In keeping with their strategy to only release teasers of the songs to hold back the visual extravaganza of the film to create more anticipation, Yash Raj Films today teased a glimpse of the first song of the film, Hadd Kar De – a Holi track that promises scale and a peak into the romance of Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan and Princess Sanyogita.

 

Akshay loves the fact that all songs used by Yash Raj Films in Prithviraj are original compositions, a rarity in the Hindi film industry today that belts out remix after remix and have been criticised for its lack of originality. He says, “What I love about the songs in our film based on Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan’s life is that they are all original music! Today, hardly any film can boast of this and I love the album dearly because the songs are not in the film just for the sake of it.”

 

He adds, “The songs in our film take forward the narrative of the script and it has been written and strategically designed to express the said scene way, way better. The Holi song (Hadd Kar De) is a track that comes when the audience is told about how beautiful Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan and Princess Sanyogita’s romance was.”

 

Akshay further explains, “Theirs was a relationship of equals and I love that both parties strived to have a straight-forward relationship that was built on trust, mutual admiration and respect. It is a crucial song that shows the pure relationship that the two share and tells the audiences to see the film also as a romance and not just an epic historical film.”

 

Manushi says, “Hadd Kar De was the very first song we shot in the film! While prepping for the movie in general, I was learning a little bit of Kathak and practicing a little bit semi-classical. For Hadd Kar De, it is mostly semi-classical. There are few elements of Kathak in it. It is a very beautiful song about celebrating Holi. I still remember it was a wet Holi on the sets. So, I was wearing a lehenga and it was soaking up all the water so it was getting heavier and I was dancing with 250 dancers and I was matching their energies.”

 

She adds, “On the day of the song shoot I was very nervous and I had called my parents to come watch the shoot! They came on set and it was a really good experience because they got to know how movies are made and what actually happens behind the scenes. That was also the first time they came on any film set.”

Cannes 2022: Pooja Hegde brings her Pan-India queen energy to the red carpet

While the most prestigious film festival, the Cannes Film Festival 2022 celebrated India as the country of honour, our very own Pan India queen Pooja Hegde graced it with utmost dignity and pride. Making a debut to remember, the Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo actor represented the cinematic force of India and stepped onto the festival's red carpet in a beautiful gown by Geyanna Youness.

 

The jaw-dropping glamour she worked with the resplendent ensemble was the star attraction of the Cannes red carpet. With an unrivalled filmography spanning across languages to her credit, Pooja has charmed her way into everyone’s heart with her onscreen prowess. Aligned with that, her presence at the annual festival not only underlined her contribution to Indian cinema, but also extended a lens into her take on its future.

 

In the presence of the brightest stars of Indian cinema Pooja said, “I've not come (to the Cannes Film Festival) with a brand, but I've come with brand India. I've come (here) as a representative. There cannot be a bigger honour for me to be very honest to come (here) as an Indian actor celebrating Indian cinema.”

 

She added, “Representing Indian cinema at a global platform as prestigious as the Cannes Film Festival is a dream come true. It's a great validation of the direction I'm heading in my career.”

 

Post the Cannes Film Festival, Pooja will continue shooting for Salman Khan's Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali while also promoting Rohit Shetty's Cirkus. She also has SSMB28 with Mahesh Babu on her schedule.

Payal Rohatgi christened Lioness of OTT!

The Tigress of Lock Up, in front of whose roar all the prisoners used to sweat, in front of whose vicious game, the conspiracies of the worst used to fail, Payal Rohatgi has truly emerged the real winner of Lock Upp.

 

 Yes, after the show, everyone's eyes are on actress Payal Rohatgi, what is she doing different now?  Let us tell you, that a lot is happening in Payal's life after  Lock-upp.  Recently Payal Rohatgi was honored with the Cinema Aaj Tak Award as the Tigress of OTT.  Post the show, actress Kangana Ranaut and producer Ekta Kapoor's favorite Payal Rohatgi are still getting the love of the people.

 

 Payal is extremely happy to receive so much love and respect and says, "I played Lock Upp with all sincerity and integrity. The Lock Upp experiences opened my eyes. It is said that every experience takes you forward. I  have learned a lot from this show. Some life lessons, I will always remember and carry forward in my journey. I strongly believe in Yoga. It has helped Gay steady through the worst   I have tried my best to keep the faith that my mother and Sangram had in me. I am very happy at this time, I am with my family. And there is so much more to do in life. The best is yet to come," she avers.

Rahul Khanna lends voice to a video highlighting “Being Comfortable in one’s own skin” featuring people from different walks of life!

Rahul Khanna has lent his voice for in for a brand new video for a campaign to communicate being comfortable in one’s skin. This is an initiative by the apparel brand Cottonworld which is synonymous with comfortable clothing, celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. To make this milestone memorable, the brand has launched a unique video ‘It’s My Nature’, with the voiceover of actor Rahul Khanna. Shot by Gautam Kohli, this new brand film in every true sense epitomizes a celebration of comfortable clothing.

 

Rahul Khanna was the perfect representative of an individual to lend a voice to the campaign that speaks strongly of comfort in one’s own skin. The videos featured individuals who are living their life on their own terms, on their own rules, and reflect the promise of the brand of absolute comfort. Featured in the video are students, MMA fighters, people in the professional and creative world, and creative artists like dancers and content creators.

 

Shedding light on this importantly unique video, actor Rahul Khanna said, “Comfort is deeply rooted in the foundation of the brand. Their new collection features timeless garments, characterized for their comfort and versatility, which offer us style in our daily routines. Their new film titled “It’s my nature” is narrated by me. It’s a liberating message that states no matter who we are & what we do, to be comfortable with ourselves. The narrative is compelling & everyone cast in the film is real, and relatable & staying true to themselves & their part of the story. Lending my voice to this film & celebrating these unique individuals was a great experience.”

Double excitement, double action and double entertainment in ALTBalaji's Apharan 2 trailer

After leaving the audiences on a cliff-hanger with the astounding global success of Apharan season 1 on ALTBalaji, the streaming platform is back with yet another sizzling, action-packed season of the thriller drama, Apharan 2. ALTBalaji dropped the trailer of the much-loved series on Thursday, 19th May and it promises a livewire season. A mix of quirky humour, big-ticket action sequences and foot-thumping music, Apharan 2 is all set to revive the success of its first season.

 

Mounted on an epic scale, Apharan 2 has Arunoday Singh, aka Rudra Shrivastava, travelling from the ghats of Haridwar to the icy locales of Serbia to accomplish a super-secret mission that will leave the viewers wanting for more. The trailer also features Nidhi Singh as Ranjana Srivastava who plays Rudra's wife battling drug addiction. Also featuring in the trailer is Snehil Dixit Mehra as Gillauri. Again, a mysterious yet entertaining character wins us over with her funny punches! 

 

Saanand Verma as Satyanarayan Dubey Ranjana's ex-lover also provides comic relief as he joins forces with Rudra in Serbia.

 

Besides the gripping narrative, whistle-worthy dialogues, and breath-taking performances, the show has also been hugely appreciated for its music, with a 'retro' feel that ups the excitement level. Featuring popular songs from the 70s, the show's creators have tried to uplift every scene and dialogue graph, making it an exciting watch. If you don't believe us, dialogues such as "Khudko jiss 'Deewar' ka Amitabh Bachchan samajhte aaye hai, aaj pata laga, ki saala hum toh uske Shashi Kapoor bhi nahi hai." and "Aap aadmi bohot ache ho, par gaali kam diya kijiye!" will get you up to speed on the roller-coaster ride.

 

Talking about playing Ranjana, Nidhi Singh said, "My character Ranjana finds herself in a world of trouble this season, and her husband Rudra will move heaven and earth to help her. Be it complex plot twists, exciting characters, or a foot-thumping soundtrack, the makers have outdone themselves this time. The show takes off from the very first episode itself! I am thankful to Ektaa for casting me again in the second season of this brilliant show. Viewers are in for a treat with this second season."

 

Talking about her role, Snehil Dixit Mehra aka Gillauri, said, "From being a creative director in the first season to essaying such a fun, quirky yet important role in the second season, this has been an absolute joyride for me. Playing Gillauri was a lot of fun! My character is very irreverent and funny adds to the show's entertainment. Besides, the twists and turns in the show this season will take the viewers by absolute surprise. I can't wait for ALTBalaji viewers to embark on this binge-worthy journey of action, drama and adventure. Also, I would like to thank Ektaa R Kapoor for trusting in me. She was the one who made this possible."

 

The second instalment of the super successful Web series Apharan has double the threat, double the edge, and double the risk. Is baar sabka katega, dobara as Rudra reaches Serbia to kidnap Bir Bahadur Singh (BBS), a dangerous criminal which has never been seen before in the OTT space. Menacing and ruthless, Rudra seems to have found his biggest challenge in life as he faces Bir Bahadur Singh. To find out what happens in Serbia, who is bbs and why Rudra is being kidnapping?

 

Produced by Ding entertainment, directed by Santosh Singh. The trailer for Apharan 2 makes clear that ALTBalaji viewers can expect something exceptional.

 

Watch all the action unfold in the thriller drama Apharan 2 streaming from 24th May on ALTBalaji.