Anirban Roy’s humane side got him a gifted artist for Shorts

SRK’s dialogue of “when you put your heart to something, the entire universe conspires with you,” came to life in the case of a 13-year-old kid for Anurag Kashyap and Tumbhi’s Shorts.

Seems, an enthusiastic casting director chased director Anirban Roy with the profile of a kid, and insisted that she was the right choice for the character of Lily in the film Audacity in Shorts. Having already locked his cast, Roy was not willing to go through the rut to please a casting director and an enthusiastic kid actor.

But the man just wouldn’t give up and the child was just too enthusiastic. Exasperated, Roy decided to take an audition.

This little kid was a bundle of talent indeed. Roy’s explanation of the character seemed to sink in fast into the kid. And soon, she began to mouth the dialogues and the director in Roy got the better of the disgruntled man that he was at the moment. He began to see a dawn of a new sunrise in the casting guy’s words. And Preety Singh was in. Sometimes, it is best to give in to your heart than your head, wot say!

Shorts, a series of short films by Anurag Kashyap’s protégés, brought to you by AKFPL and Tumbhi, is all set for a theatrical release with Cinemax on July 12.

Khoobsurat set converted into an ice cream parlour

Here’s some yummy news from the sets of Sony Entertainment Television’s popular show Khoobsurat. The female lead on the show Soumya Seth is lately indulging herself into some scrumptious food. During the shoot of an upcoming sequence on the show Aaradhya will go to pick up Ehsaas from his school. On the way Ehsaas locates an ice cream parlour and hassles Aardhya for an ice cream treat. Our sources from the sets reveal that this treat was more relished by Aaradhya  than young Ehsaas. In no time Soumya slurped down 10 ice creams.  This sudden indulgence of hers created a little problem as she couldn’t even deliver her dialogues properly. It seems like shooting with a young one all day Soumya could not control her inner child and set herself on an ice-cream eating spree.

“I want to be the first one to get the crown to India”, Mrs. India Internatio​nal 2013 Amita Motwani gears up for Mrs. Internatio​nal Pageant to be held at Chicago

“I want to be the first one to get the crown to India”, Mrs. India International 2013 Amita Motwani gears up for Mrs. International Pageant to be held at Chicago.

Born& Brought up in Bangalore & happily married & settled in Hyderabad, psychologist by profession Amita Motwani waving Indian flag in USA by bagging the Mrs. India International 2013 title in Atlanta, USA & she proudly represents India, Being the only Indian contestant to compete for the Mrs. International title to be held on 19^th & 20^th July at Chicago.  

The yummy mummy is in high spirits bagging the prestigious title & all the more representing India at an international platform grabbing eye balls & support from everybody, Amita Motwani talks about her preparation for the international pageant & the urge to be the first one to get the crown to India.

Amita, highlighting the significance of the International pageant she mentions, “The International Pageant system has been developed to promote today's married women, their accomplishments, and commitment to family and marriage. Around the world women are finding this system to be the opportunity to work with their husband and family to become positive role models. It is beyond just a beauty pageant…It is so much more.”

Behind the title there has been tremendous effort & perseverance by the stunning& fit Amita who is a mother of two lovely daughters & balancing between her professional& personal life. Putting further light on the pageant, Amita mentions, “I am still trying to sink in the feeling of me contesting at the prestigious pageant. I am proud, excited, nervous, anxious & all the emotions that exist. I am going to put my best foot forward.”

Amita briefs us about the pageant furthermore, “I’ll soon be flying down to Chicago for our first official press meet, then begins the orientation & grooming before kick starting the pageant.”

“We are around 80 in the beginning, then it goes down to top 16, top 10 & then will be announced the top 3 winners which I hope the most to be a part of”, chuckles Amita.

While Amita Motwani gears up for the win, she has her cocktail dresses & gowns designed by International designer, Amita explains its significance, “The contestants won’t be wearing their national costumes, rather there will be equality, moreover unlike other pageants there is no bikini round considering the sanctity of marriage, where we shall all don aerobic wear.”

Mrs. International Pageant have stringent measures to decide the winner, it includes personal interviews by the entire jury which are timed & in that stipulated period each contestant has to make a mark for herself, special auditing for each contestant takes place & they announce the results during the final round.

Amita concludes, “I want to be the first one to get the crown to India & make everyone proud.”

I did the film Shorts for the sake of friendship- Vineet Kumar Singh

Actor Vineet Kumar Singh who has been seen in films like City of Gold, Gangs of Waseypur, Bombay Talkies (Murabba) and so on started his career as an Assistant Director despite being a medical student. After struggling for several years in film industry, he got noticed in Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur as Danish Khan and then went on to win accolades for his performance in Bombay Talkies. This actor’s next film, Shor, one of the five short films in SHORTS, an AKFPL and TUMBHI venture, is slated to release on 12^thJuly, 2013. 

Here are excerpts from an interview with Vineet:  

Q: How did AKFPL & TUMBHI’s SHORTS happen to you?

A: When we were shooting for Gangs of Wasseypur in Baranas, Neeraj came to me with the offer of acing in his film Shor, one of the short films in SHORTS. Initially, I ignored his offer and then he started chasing me on an off-day by rickshaw. After a while I gave up and decided to hear him out out. And soon after he narrated the script to me, I decided to do the film. 

Q: What’s your expectation from SHORTS?

A: I never expected that SHORTS will get a theatrical release. I did the film for the sake of friendship.  All the five films have been made in a wonderful way and we praised each other for our works.

Now, we are happy that the film is releasing in theatre. From actor to director, everyone needs a platform in every field which is difficult to get. So many directors, actors, DOPs and writers have got that opportunity with SHORTS. I am happy for each one of them. 

Q: What is the specialty of short films?

A: One of the significant specialties of short films is that it gives you an opportunity to experiment with characters every time. In case of feature films people are scared of experimentation with new actors and prefer to cast them in roles similar to the ones in their previous films.  

Q: Tell us something about your film in SHORTS?

A: Shor is my film in SHORTS of which Neeraj Ghaywan is the director. The film is about a poor class couple in the city, Mumbai. It is an intimate and gripping portrayal of dissonance in relationship that unsettles with its raw and restless energy.

We shoot in real locations, sometimes in dangerous situations. But it was a wonderful experience to work with Neeraj and my co-stars Ratnabali Bhattacharjee, Amardeep Jha. This film gave me an opportunity to play a different kind of character.

In future, I will love to do more short films. SHORTS has opened that path for me. 

Q: What next to expect from you?

A: Issaq and Ugly are my upcoming films. I am playing vital roles in both these films.  

अनुराग  कश्यप  की फिल्म गैंग्स ऑफ़ वासेपुर में `दानिश खान बन कर बॉलीवुड में अपनी खास पहचान बनाने वाले टैलेंटेड अभिनेता विनीत कुमार सिंह के संघर्ष की लम्बी कहानी है . जी हाँ , फिल्म  इंडस्ट्री में बतौर  सहायक फिल्म  निर्देशक अपनी पारी का आगाज़ करने वाले  विनय कुमार सिंह आज इंडस्ट्री के जाने - माने   चेहरों में शामिल हो चुके हैं. विनीत की आने वाली फिल्म 'शोर' जो फिल्म 'शॉर्ट्स' की पांच कहानियों में से एक है, १२ जुलाई को रिलीज़ होने जा रही है , फिल्म का निर्माण किया है अनुराग कश्यप प्रोडक्शन और ‘तुमभी’ ने मिलकर. तो चलिए बात करते हैं  विनीत कुमार सिंह से और जानते हैं उनकी आने वाली फिल्म ‘शॉर्ट्स’ के बारे में .

१. 'शॉर्ट्स' की  प्लानिंग कैसे हुई ?

जब हम लोग बनारस में गैंग्स ऑफ़ वासेपुर की शूटिंग कर रहे थे तो नीरज ने मुझे एक स्टोरी सुनाई. लेकिन उन्होंने  जिस तरह से स्टोरी सुनाई वो काफी मज़ेदार है , उन्होंने रिक्शे से मेरा पीछा किया और बताया कि  उनके पास एक स्टोरी है क्या मैं करना चाहूँगा. मैंने स्टोरी सुनी और मुझे ये कहानी काफी अच्छी लगी और मैं फिल्म के लिए तैयार होगया गया .

 २.  ‘शॉर्ट्स’ से क्या उमीदें हैं ?

देखिये मुझे उम्मीद नहीं थी की फिल्म को थियेट्रिकल रिलीज़ मिलेगी. लेकिन फिल्मथियेटर्स में रिलीज़ हो रही है और इस से अच्छी बात हो नहीं सकती. 'शॉर्ट्स'  की पांचों ही फिल्मे काफी अच्छी बनी है, साथ ही शॉर्ट्स के साथ कई यंग टैलेंट्स को अपना हुनर दिखाने  का मौका मिलेगा।
३. शॉर्ट्स फिल्मों की  खास बात क्या लगती है आपको ?

शॉर्ट्स फिल्मों में आपके पास एक्सपेरिमेंट करने के ज्यादा मौके होते हैं. लेकिन फीचरफिल्मों के साथ ऐसा नहीं है, यहाँ पर लोग एक्सपेरिमेंट करने से डरते हैं .

४. 'शॉर्ट्स' में आपकी फिल्म की स्टोरी क्या है ?

शॉर्ट्स में मेरी फिल्म का नाम शोर है जिसे डायरेक्ट किया है नीरज घेवान ने। ये एक गरीब कपल की कहानी है जो सिटी मुंबई  में रहते हैं . खास बातये है की फिल्म को हमने रियल लोकेशन पर शूट किया है… और शूटिंग के समय कई यादगार घटनाये भी हुई. फिल्म के डायरेक्टर नीरज के साथ काम कर के काफी मज़ाआया .

५. आपके आगे के प्रोजेक्ट्स कौन से हैं ?
'इशाक ' और 'अगली' मेरी आने वाली फ़िल्में हें,  जिसमे मई काफी इम्पोर्टेंट भूमिका में हूँ। करण जोहर के साथ भी एक फिल्म कर रहा हूँ 'गोरी तेरे प्यार  में '.

BAJATEY RAHO DHOL POSTER

Watch as we unveil the face of the antagonist of the film Bajatey Raho with its new Dhol poster.  Bajatey Raho is set to release on 26 July and stars Dolly Ahluwalia, Tusshar, Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Ravi Kissen and Vishakha Singh.