गुरुवार, 14 फ़रवरी 2019

Cinephiles, Artists, Fans offer tribute to cult classic Rakkhosh!



After a successful screening at the Pune International Film Festival, awards at the Rajasthan International Film Festival it was a houseful show at the Orange City International Film Festival.

To top it all, top artists from India offered their own POVs on India’s first POV film Rakkhosh.

Fans went berserk at Nagpur occupying all seats at the show in the Orange City. Filmmakers and the actors came in for heavy praise and felicitation.

“We are overwhelmed by the response,” exults Srivinay Salian, the writer director of the film.

“We did not think that fans would also enjoy a film of this genre. But cinema is changing and content is king,” says producer Santosh Deshpande.

“The work of actors Sanjay Mishra, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Priyanka Bose and other actors came in for so much praise from the fans. While the gentry was praising the filmmaking efforts, the fans went gaga over the performances as well,” says Prashen Kyawal, the creative producer of Rakkhosh.

What however was humbling was the fact that artists like Tirtha Banerjee, Upendra Desai and Aditya Nibhanapudi presented their own version of the film with their point of view through art works. “All we can say that everyone has a point of view on cinema and this is a historic moment for us,” chirps Salian.

And finally, the filmmakers, inspired by the artists, have announced a contest for fans and artists and requested them to make their own POV of the film Rakkhosh.


A Blow by Blow account 
ü Nagpur's Orange City International Film Festival (OCIFF) 2019 screened to overflowing audience. The film crew had to vacate the seats for public and still some public returned as the auditorium was houseful and over-seated!

#  RAKKHOSH film was introduced to the audience by Festival Director Dr. Chandrashekhar Meshram followed by felicitation of Producer Santosh Deshpande and Writer-Director Srivinay Salian.

# Audience was hooked to the seats due to the intriguing "Whodunnit?" plot of the film and gave standing ovation to the film after completion.

# Dr. Vinay Indurkar, Dean of a fine arts college felicitated the team post screening. Inox theatre management too felicitated the Writer-Director post the screening.

# Salian was also invited as a panelist to participate in a discussion with  reputed cinema guru Samar Nakhate and acclaimed Film Director Dr. Jabbar Patel and was felicitated for the same.

# To top it all, actor and Associate Director Ravikant Soitkar was also felicitated by the festival for his outstanding performance in RAKKHOSH.

ü Such a wonderful day was preceded by coverage in international media from South East Asia and Poland to be followed by a very academic and positive review of RAKKHOSH in an US print publication. Few more critics who attended the festival screening too gave thumbs up for it.

ü Festival accolades, national and international media attention with appreciation from film critics was topped up by the ultimate gratification of positive public response. They said they were hooked till the end trying to figure out what's next and appreciate the awareness the film brings about mental illness. They applauded the unique treatment of POV technique and said they are proud that such films are being made in India.

ü Soon artists like Tirtha Banerjee, Upendra Desai and Aditya Nibhanapudi who were following the buzz about RAKKHOSH got intrigued by the concept and sent us their POV on "What is RAKKHOSH?" in painting and sketches.

 # When art begets art, it can be said to be the apostle of appreciation a film can have. The Producers and Team RAKKHOSH got overwhelmed by this gesture by the artistic community and came up with an idea to turn it into a campaign for everyone with an artistic expression to provide their Art POV on "What is RAKKHOSH?"

 # Be it a painting, a sketch, a doodle or poetry, song or audio or video recitation of their thoughts, all mediums of expression are welcome to let TEAM RAKKHOSH know what is your Art POV on "What is RAKKHOSH?" Top 3 entries will be rewarded with an entry to the premier or special screening whenever it happens.

मंगलवार, 12 फ़रवरी 2019

Jim Sarbh to debut on TV with Discovery thought provoking, first of kind series, ‘Planet Healers’



The four-part series features startups who are seeking      innovative solutions to environmental hazards
Good looking and versatile actor Jim Sarbh who has been a delight to watch on big screen in movies such as Sanju, Neerja and Padmavat is soon going to make his debut on television with Discovery Channel’s new series ‘Planet Healers’.  Jim Sarbh will host the thought provoking, first of its kind series featuring 8 start-ups who are working tirelessly to find innovative solutions to environmental hazards that we face today. 


Jim Sarbh will give the audience a deep dive into how these start-ups are focusing on complex and the same time extremely important issues like unplanned urbanization, electronic waste management, air pollution, fuel recycling et al. He will also be seen playing an integral role in educating viewers about the current environmental concerns and will give a reality check on how these hazards are impacting our planet. 

“I don’t believe in the separation between mankind and nature. Mankind is nature. It is only natural, that nature would find a way to heal itself, through mankind. I am excited by this Discovery’s new series “Planet Healers” and the startups on it. Hope more people stretch their imaginations in the direction of conservation and preservation of our large, wonderful, home.” said host Jim Sarbh. 

Be ready to get inspired with the host Jim Sarbh with the new series ‘Planet healers’ starting 8th March every Friday at 8 PM only on Discovery Channels.

‘Ladies Special’ gets their very own fashionista in Jia Mustafa



Sony Entertainment Television’s most loved show ‘Ladies Special’ brings forth the journey of three starkly different personalities. Apart from ace-acting and a heart-touching story line, a recent entry in the show has made all the heads turn and even though she plays the role of a sauten, her fashion sense and style aesthetics has pulled in a lot of attention not only towards her social media but also to the show and her character since our Indian audiences love the fashion statements made by TV actors both on and off screen.

Jia Mustafa who plays the role of Dr. Kangana has impressed the entire cast of Ladies Special with her fashion sense. The makers of the show were so awestruck of her real-life styling that they gave her the responsibility of styling her character Kangana for the show as well. Jia, a complete fashion enthusiast was so excited that she grabbed the opportunity and started styling herself from the very next day. Instantly, her co-actors caught on to her fashion aesthetic and in no time Jia has become their go-to for all fashion-related advice. The audiences are wasting no time to take notice of Jia and her love for fashion. Jia receives a lot of messages from her fans who want her to help them with their dressing. They also shower her with a lot of complements for the same.

Jia says, “Dressing up is in my blood since I was a teen. I would not only dress myself up but even my family members and my friends. And I am glad to help my creative team on the show now. But I had never thought that I would be known for such a thing in my life.” 

Watch the stylish Jia Mustafa on the  show Ladies Special every Monday to Friday at 9:30 pm only on Sony Entertainment Television.

Nas Collaborates With India’s Biggest Hip Hop Artists with Release of “NY Se Mumbai”


The musical and cultural influence of hip-hop legend Nas reaches far beyond New York City, as detailed in a much-anticipated hip-hop film out Thursday, produced by Excel Entertainment, and an accompanying record released by JioSaavn’s label, Artist Originals (AO). “NY Se Mumbai feat. Nas” (NY to Mumbai), a new track by Indian Hip Hop artists, Naezy and Divine, is the end credit song for Gully Boy, starring actor Ranveer Singh and directed by Zoya Akhtar. Nas is also an executive producer for Gully Boy.

Set in Mumbai, the film is a shout-out to India’s biggest hip-hop acts and the rise of Gully Rap in India. Growing up in the slums of Mumbai, Naezy and Divine found a creative outlet and empowerment in hip-hop, they watched legends, like Nas, on YouTube, and chased what would eventually become a thriving music career -- and now a main stream presence with a feature-length film.  

Gully Boy was produced by Excel Entertainment, known for iconic films like Dil Chahta Hai and the Don franchise, and more recently the Shahrukh Khan action crime picture, Raees. As the director, Akhtar yet again demonstrates her unique storytelling approach crafted from an international filmmaking career that has, coincidentally, brought her from Mumbai to New York and back again. 

She says about the music in the film: “This has been a collaborative project from start to finish, and with music playing a crucial role in this story, it was really important to me that the right music partners come on board. It’s an absolute honor to have Nas, himself, so closely associated of the film. And with JioSaavn uniquely positioned to facilitate global connections, we have musical accompaniment that is a truly special representation of the sound conceived by the authentic artists of ‘Gully Boy.’”

After learning about Nas’ involvement in the film, JioSaavn co-founders Rishi Malhotra and Paramdeep Singh pitched the collaborative record concept to Akhtar in the Summer of 2018. “NY Se Mumbai” came to life as the musical counterpart to the film’s raw and poignant visual storytelling. 

“When we first learned of Gully Boy and Zoya’s approach to telling this important generational story, we knew this was an important moment in music history. It was an opportunity to make history yet again with a global collaboration on a record that could be iconic. When Nas released “Illmatic” in 1994, it was an instant masterpiece that influenced everyone from first listen. 25 years later, Nas is influencing a new generation of hip-hop artists across the globe. Music knows no borders and it’s a creative privilege to bring together the best artists the world. “NY Se Mumbai” is a special record that proves regardless of circumstance, we can all rise.” Rishi Malhotra, CEO and co-founder, JioSaavn, said about the collaboration. 

True to JioSaavn’s track record for weaving together countries and cultures to produce highly original music, “NY Se Mumbai” was a global production. With Naezy, Divine, and actor Ranveer Singh recording out of Mumbai, the record was developed with AO producers XD Pro in Toronto; iLL Wayno of Mass Appeal Records, who worked alongside the AO A&R team in New York; and, of course, Nas in Los Angeles. 

The multi-platinum rapper and producer was among the few to herald in the Golden Age of hip-hop as a teenager in the early 1990s. His latest studio album, Nasir, was produced by Kanye West in 2018. Today’s “NY Se Mumbai” collaboration and its parent film showcases the depth of Nas’ global influence and legacy as an artist and pop culture phenomenon.

Winning big on Sunday for Best Reggae Album “44/876” by Sting & Shaggy, Grammy Award winning producer iLL Wayno said, “Working on NY Se Mumbai, for me, was an affirmation of my understanding that hip hop has a global reach and cultures around the world are more similar than they are different.  We all share similar experiences and this song was a collaborative effort to showcase that.” 

Across The Atlantic, “NY Se Mumbai” represents Naezy’s much-anticipated return to hip-hop after a brief hiatus. His first release on AO, “Azaad Hu Mai” was released in 2017 as an ode to his remarkable journey from the slums of Mumbai to rising star. 

The track is the latest example of JioSaavn’s continued evolution as a global entertainment company and preeminent content producer. It follows the February 2019 release of ‘BIBA,’ a collaborative track between electronic music sensation Marshmello and Bollywood’s legendary composer Pritam. 

“NY Se Mumbai” is available for streaming today on JioSaavn, followed by all platforms worldwide on February 19th. For more information on the film, Gully Boy, in theaters February 14th across India,

When Anil Kapoor took advantage of Madhuri Dixit’s friendshi

 

This weekend on The Kapil Sharma Show, Bollywood’s romantic and evergreen Jodi-Madhuri Dixit and Anil Kapoor will be gracing the show. Madhuri has a fan-following across age-groups and not just commoners but legends like MF Hussain, Pandit Birju Maharaj have also expressed openly about their admiration for Madhuri. So, on the show Kapil asks Madhuri how it feels when such legends call themselves your fans. Madhuri was a little overwhelmed on hearing this and said, “Both of them-Hussain Saab and Maharaj ji are legends and when they compliment me, I feel humbled and genuinely don’t know how to react because I’m their fan.”

Adding to this, Anil Kapoor who has been friends with Madhuri off-screen as well, shared a very interesting story, “Back in the days, my wife Sunita once mentioned that we have everyone’s painting in our house except for MF Hussain’s. Back then, we couldn’t afford a Hussain Saab’s painting so when I got to know that he has been trying to meet Madhuri, I met him and kind of struck a deal with him told him that I can get you to meet Madhuri but for that you will have to give me one of your paintings. He agreed and gifted me a painting which is a prized possession in my house till date and I give all the credit to Madhuri for it. So, now you know, how I have taken advantage of knowing Madhuri Dixit.” 

Their chemistry and comfort was quite evident during the shoot of The Kapil Sharma Show. Even though they will be seen together on-screen after a very long time, their charisma remains intact.  


Watch The Kapil Sharma Show for many such interesting and hilarious revelations by your favorite stars, this weekend at 9.30pm only on Sony Entertainment Television.




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