Special Screening of “Kashmir Daily”

The movie of the valley “Kashmir Daily –Story of the Journalist” is based on the drugs abuses and unemployment had its special screening at suburban multiplex. This is the first ever movie to be releasing outside J&K, which  has all the cast and crew of Kashmir and the film is shot and edited in Kashmir itself. The screening was attended by directed, producer, writer Hussein Khan, Actor Mir Sarwar, Veteran Theatre actor K K Raina, Late Om Puri’s wife Nandita Puri with her son Ishan Puri, Lateef Binny, Director Aijaz Khan, Shameem Ahmed, Mohomed Ali Shah  and director Rahat Kazami.The film high-lightens the social issue of Kashmir. Kashmir Daily is starring Mir Sarwar, Neelam Singh, Sanam Ziya, Rajinder Tickoo, Hussein Khan and Zameer Ashai. Mir Sarwar said “ whole crew is very excited with the release of the movie as it’s the first ever independent movie of Kashmir releasing outside J & K. He said mostly the people in Kashmir depends on Doordarshan, and very few shows their interest in the filmmaking due to the aslack and non functioning of cinema hall. But he believed that they have the potential to make good and inspiring movies and they should come forward. . He wants to pave paths for the coming filmmakers of Kashmir to flourish the Kashmir Film Industry.”

I get under the skin of my character, broken glasses, hurt co-actor on set: Sanjay Gagnani on role in Kundali Bhagya

Actor Sanjay Gagnani, who is part of the show Kundali Bhagya, says his role is very special. The actor is playing a negative character and adds that he is lucky to have bagged the part. “I feel blessed and special to be the chosen one to play the negative lead of the top show on Indian television produced by the top production house of the country,” he says.Talking about his character, he says, “I play the role of Prithvi, one of the most complex, dark character that I’ve ever seen and played. He’s unpredictable and has just one motive which is to destroy the Luthra family. Though negative, he’s fashionable, smart, intelligent, has his own individuality. Anyone who becomes an obstacle for him becomes his enemy. The beauty of playing Prithvi is, there are no limitations and no boundaries that have to be kept in mind. Prithvi is a free bird and so as an actor, I’m free to shape him the way I want to,” he says.He adds, “Because Prithvi is very violent when he’s angry, I’ve broken glasses and bottles on the set while enacting a scene. I’ve hurt a co-actor while holding her neck and I’ve hurt a crew member. That’s because I get into the skin of the character and don’t realise reality sometimes.”In fact, the actor sports a special look for the role as well. “I've grown my beard specially for this character. This is the first time I’m seen with a beard onscreen. Also, I wear a black stud on of my ear and I do my own hair and I select my own combinations of jackets and T-shirts to make Prithvi look stylish. I believe a villain should look as stylish as a hero,” he says.Meanwhile Sanjay is looking forward to doing some great work this year. “The best is yet to come. 2018 I believe is going to be the highlight year of my career journey as I have a couple of films lined up for release,” he says.Ask him if he is satisfied with the way his career has shaped up, and he says, “Yes, I feel blessed and lucky. 2017 has been magical and I feel I’m starting to get my due now.” Sanjay also believes that the industry has grown a lot over the years. “There have been a lot of positive changes. Things have been improving on the creative as well as the production side,” he says. Although there are so many actors in the TV industry, Sanjay is not someone who gets bogged down by competition. “I’ve always considered myself as my biggest competition. I compete with no one but myself. Whenever I’m out of work, I work harder and polish myself to get a role instead of thinking about others,” he says.

Before Kangana Ranaut's Manikarnika, This Rani Of Jhansi Film?

When a film is a labour of love, a passionate filmmaker gets into the soul and saree of her character. That’s what director Swati Bhise, who recently wrapped principal photography of ‘Swords and Sceptres’ - the most definitive biopic on the Rani of Jhansi, had to do to prepare for this historical magnum opus.  The project demanded meticulous and multi-lingual research on the life of Rani Lakshmibai to ensure complete authenticity of her character and the cultural milieu of the subject.

The character of the Rani had more than 50 made-to-order special design nauvari (the traditional nine-yard Maharashtrian) saris. Swati designed and custom-made the costumes for the Rani and the character of Nana Saheb (played by Deepal Doshi) with her friend Vidhi Singhania. They researched the patterns prevalent in the era and wove each costume in a process that took over a year. Vidhi also created custom shoes to match the outfits. This was supplemented by Riyaz Ali Merchant who also created costumes and riding boots for the principal and secondary cast, including the characters of Jhalkaribai (Auroshika Dey), Mandar (Siyaa Patil), Sundar (Mangal Sanap), Kashi Kunbin (Pallavi Patil) and Motibai (Naina Sareen). Opinions were sought from Vikram Gaekwad, India’s leading make-up artist who also designed the Khopa, and Marathi and Sanskrit experts like Madhave Apte, the former Indian test cricketer, Girish Murudkar for the exact style and design of turbans, and Usha Gupte who read and translated many of the Sanskrit and Marathi texts, the primary one being Maza Pravas by Vishnu Godse (a first hand eyewitness to events) in 1890.

Before the process began, there was a search for the correct fabrics (Chanderi, Paithani, Kota) and deciding the precise drape and fall of those fabrics, so as to create the appropriate silhouette that would also prove comfortable for the actress during the action scenes. The result has been a stunning array of resplendent ready-to-wear nine-yard saris literally fit for royalty.

The next stop was Jewellery. Swati has used her own family heirlooms to supplement the traditional royal jewellery required to dress the Rani. The Shindeshahi todas, Maharastrian nath (nose ring) and traditional diamond kudis (earrings) were procured from Swati’s own collection while the rest were made to order.  Pune jewelers P. N. Gadgil advised and curated the period jewelry of Maharastra, and Vinay Gupta of Shri Hari Diagems created the uncut diamond pieces. Military historians and chroniclers of the East India company advised Swati on uniforms worn by East India Company officers and the Board Room artwork (for which a copy was commissioned) in London.

Rani Lakshmibai, the historic queen of Jhansi, invokes a well-deserved reverence amongst us – she was the one who fiercely led her army against the British East India Company in the ill-reputed mutiny of 1857, with her child strapped to her back. Her history is redolent of grace and courage in the face of impending death – a truly empowered woman fighting against all odds, an icon of inspiration for all modern women. For Swati, it is not enough to just tell the story. She wants to tell this story right.  “If one has to invoke the persona of a legend that has inspired generations of women, it is important to portray her spirit and her courage in the right manner. She did not wait for a man to come to the rescue, she took control of a situation and became a statesman, general and warrior. This is not just about the glamour of the period, it’s also about grit of an extraordinary woman.  With Swords and Sceptres, you will get to see the real Rani of Jhansi”.

Swords and Sceptres is co-written, produced and directed by Swati Bhise with Charles Salmon as co-producer. It stars Devika Bhise (who also co-wrote) and whose credits include The Man Who Knew Infinity, Impossible Monsters, The Accidental Husband. British actors Derek Jacobi (Gladiator, Murder On Orient Express, I Claudius), Rupert Everett (The Importance of Being Earnest, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Dunston Checks In), Nathaniel Parker (Stardust and The Body Guard) and Ben Lamb (Divergent and Now You See Me 2). Jodhi May (Defiance, Let Me Go) plays Queen Victoria. Completing the lineup are prestigious Indian actors including Nagesh Bhonsle (Sarkar, 24: India), Yatin Karyekar (Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., Iqbal), Milind Gunaji (Devdas, Virasat), Arif Zakaria (My Name Is Khan, Lootera) and Ajinkya Deo (Avgat, Aan: Men At Work). The shooting successfully wrapped in December and the film is currently in post production in London.

17TH MACAO CITY FRINGE FESTIVAL TAKES “TREASURES HUNTING” AS THEME EXPLORING THE CITY’S OVERLOOKED VALUES

Art breaks free from performance halls and invades all corners of the city, creating unlimited possibilities. The 17th Macao City Fringe Festival, organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, is themed “Treasures Hunting” and will be held from 12 to 21 January 2018, featuring a total of 23 wonderful programmes, as well as 10 outreach activities, such as workshops, talks and art critique, among others, leading the public to uncover the city’s treasures and explore overlooked values in the interaction between people.

The 10-day long Macao City Fringe Festival offers creativity and surprises: Jin-Tang, departing from a name , the name of Taiwan creator Ma Wei Yuan’s grandfather, lets the audience take a peek at the most intimate anatomy of an individual’s life experience through body language and instant synthetic images; the show Idiot - Syncrasy, presented by Igor and Moreno from the United Kingdom, who believe they can change the world by presenting a performance, uses rhythmic body movements and common elements of two ethnic dances to express a yearning for the purest human nature; My Old Man is a Bus Driver, presented by the Dream Theater Association, takes the audience on a two-hour drive with a retired bus driver, wandering around areas of Macao that have likely been forgotten.

The Festival also features other excellent programmes, including The Auction of Love Stories, a performance inviting the public to submit items and love stories for auction, allowing the audience to give each one a value; Niyaro: Yearning for Homeland, calls for the identity recognition buried deep within each person through chanting, dancing and ritual ceremonies held at Hac Sa Beach; You Can Sleep Here, converts streets into beds and invites the public to gather in a mysterious place (known as abandoned public places), thereby tearing down the barriers between private and public spaces; and in Bear with Us, three giant bears stroll around the city and may suddenly appear next to you, causing pleasant surprises.

In addition to an array of creative performances, the Macao City Fringe Festival also offers workshops, talks and art critique, among other outreach activities, aimed to offer the public an even richer and varied arts experience. It also sets up the “Fringe Intelligence Division” to train Fringe reporters who, under the guidance of instructors from Macao, Hong Kong and Taiwan, will be able to learn about the different methods of cultural and art production works and explore the possibility to create local media dedicated to arts and culture.

Veerey Ki Wedding to release on 9th March 2018

Veerey Ki Wedding starring Pulkit Samrat, Jimmy Shergill and Kriti Kharbanda is all set to hit the theaters on 9th March 2018.This Bollywood rom-com is directed by Ashu Trikha and also stars Satish Kaushik, Supriya Karnik, Rajesh Bakshi, Yuvika Choudhary in pivotal roles. The film has been extensively shot in NCR Delhi.  Veerey Ki Wedding is a family entertainer with music from the Meet Brothers that will make it every party and wedding song playlist.Make My Day Entertainments, A Panorama Studios release, Veerey Ki Wedding is produced by Rajat Bakshi, Parmod Gomber and co-produced by Chandan Bakshi and Karan Gomber, written by Dilip Shukla.