शुक्रवार, 13 मई 2022

“I wanted to become an actor because of how movies made me feel! There was never a plan B…” Cover girl Kiara Advani talks about life, movies, and relationships in Femina’s May 2022 issue

 


A stellar talent who has slowly but steadily climbed the ladder to stardom in the last eight years, Kiara Advani’s journey is what dreams are made of. In its May 2022 issue, Femina presents the journey of this woman of substance who is currently the poster girl of the Hindi film industry. All set to appear on screens on May 20, 2022, with her latest movie Bhool Bhulaiya 2 alongside Kartik Aaryan, the busy actor made time for an exclusive chat on her journey so far, her early memories of watching movies that shaped her acting dreams, her tumultuous entry into Bollywood, and how the rough patches in her career have only made her stronger.

 

 

 

Kiara reveals that she was an out-and-out movie buff as a child. “Growing up, watching movies was my favourite thing to do,” she told Femina. “Every time I watched a movie, it transported me to a different place. It made me feel good. It felt aspirational… This was something I loved and that brought me a lot of joy. I wanted to become an actor because of how movies made me feel! There was never a plan B or an alternative career path.”

 

 

 

Kiara is a firm believer that love is at the epicentre of all things good.  “I love to be in love, I feel like the world is a happier place when people are in love,” she enthuses. “A relationship is between two people; it is not a community project…” The freewheeling but intimate chat is full of such gems and revelations and makes for imperative reading.

 

 

 

Deepak Lamba, CEO of WorldWide Media Ltd, said, “Femina is all about the never-settle attitude and Kiara certainly subscribes to that school of thought. With her hard work and astute project selection, in a very short time, she has carved her own identity in the fiercely connected Indian film Industry. We are delighted to have one of the most promising faces in the Indian Entertainment industry, Kiara Advani, on the cover of Femina Magazine for our May issue."

 

 


 

Ambika Muttoo, Editor-in-Chief of Femina, said, “Kiara Advani is the kind of talent that Femina appreciates and lauds. It's her strong willpower, calm demeanour, and positive approach that never let rough patches create boundaries around her. Her choice of films, which led to a diverse range of performances makes her a potent package. Kiara Advani's existence reiterates an important message to all women that the world is their biggest playground and that anyone can achieve great heights if they aim for it”

 

 

 

Grab the latest issue of Femina - on stands and online now - to read about Kiara Advani’s journey into the world of movies, her team being her biggest cheerleaders and pillars of support, an insight into her previous roles, and her take on love.


American Actress Emily Shah makes her Bollywood Debut opposite Abhay Deol with Jungle Cry





Having studied acting at Lee Strasberg and being part of the global industry on the technical side under the wings of thespians like Clint Eastwood, has grounded Emily Shah’s understanding and love of the silver screen uniquely…

 

 

 

American actress Emily Shah is all set for her Bollywood debut, opposite Abhay Deol, in the film Jungle Cry, scheduled to release in India and subcontinent this June on Lionsgate Play, while the film will get a theatrical release overseas (the UK, US and UAE) on 20th May, 2022. The attractive and graceful actress plays the role of a Rugby physiotherapist in the film, based on true events, that tells the story of 12 underprivileged tribal orphans from Odisha, who play sports barefoot, and yet, go on to win the prestigious Rugby World Cup in England! Emily's first international film was Fortune Defies Death, directed by Jennifer Hulum. Interestingly, Emily has assisted Clint Eastwood on Jersey Boys and later went on to assist in other blockbusters such as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Monster Trucks, and Fast & Furious 7.

 

 

 

Chicago-born, New Jersey-raised Emily’s early exposure to movies has had an interesting effect—she has developed a love for both production as well as acting. And that explains her interesting choice for acting and being the Executive Producer in Jungle Cry. What’s remarkable is when Emily read the script as an Executive Producer, she noticed a lack of strong female roles, so she had the role of ‘Roshni Thakkar’ written in which she ultimately decided to take on.

 

 

 

Elaborating on the film, Emily, who speaks Hindi and Gujarati fluently, says, “Jungle Cry is a heartfelt story that displays the determination and heart of underprivileged tribal children, who rise to the occasion under extreme circumstances. I play the sports physiotherapist Roshni and I chose the name as she brings light to the film. I had Roshni written in as an effervescent character who uplifts the story and supports the children’s journey and growth with compassion.” Emily prepared for the role by not only researching Rugby extensively but also shadowing rugby physiotherapist Purvi Desai to better understand what the job entails. Emily further imparts, “I was mindful of the first film I chose as a Bollywood actress as it’s one thing to act and another to act in such an impactful story. That’s what drove me to be a part of Jungle Cry. It’s a story that needed to be told and I wanted to be a part of it in every way possible.”

 

 

 

Directed by Sagar Ballary, and featuring Abhay Deol, Atul Kumar, Stewart Wright, and Julian Lewis Jones, Jungle Cry also has interesting cameos by renowned Rugby names such as referee Nigel Owens, Wales and British Lions fly half Phil Bennett, and Colin Charvis, former captain of Wales. While she loves the entire team, Emily has glowing praise for Abhay Deol. “Abhay is incredible to work with - I know acting is all about reacting and, hence, the most realistic acting is when you’re present with your scene partner/s and react to what they’re saying and doing. Every single take that Abhay and I performed was different because of our varying emotions, actions, and reactions. We hardly rehearsed so each take was authentic and unique. He also gave me elements to work with, which is a first for me. Shooting for Jungle Cry made me realise why he is such a respected talent.”

 

 

 

Having assisted Clint Eastwood, Emily considers that as one of her most incredible life experiences: “Mr. Eastwood taught me something unforgettable. He never says ‘action’ on-set because while working on his western films whenever he yelled the word, the horses would go crazy. So, he says, ‘If that happens to a horse, imagine what happens to the human mind.’” Therefore, during an emotional scene on the sets of Jungle Cry, Emily “...asked Sagar if we could try the Eastwood way and he immediately agreed; I believe it helped draw my best performance in the scene.”

 

 

 

 

Emily wears her heart on her sleeve and has represented the UN for the World Polio Eradication Initiative in India and, among other charities, is also an Autism Awareness Ambassador for UNICEF. Add to that the fact that despite having spent 13 years studying at Lee Strasberg she insists she’s not a method actor and you know she is a cut apart from the rest. So, when she says “I think everyone charts their own path and I have no regrets about making my Bollywood debut with a non-commercial film as it shows my acting abilities; I can always cross over to masala films, and I hope to dance in them soon,” all you want to say is “we will be waiting!”


SHERDIL: THE PILIBHIT SAGA

 




T-Series and Reliance Entertainment joined hands with Match Cut Productions in making this dark humour laced satire titled, ‘Sherdil: The Pilibhit Saga’. The film is inspired by true events.

 

 

 

 

Writer & Director of this film, Srijit Mukherji, has brought forth an insightful story about the adverse effects of urbanization, man-animal conflict and poverty leading to a bizarre practice in a village that resides on the edge of a forest.

 

 

 

 

Srijit Mukherji, winner of multiple National Awards, has directed critically acclaimed films like Autograph (2010), Jaatishwar (2014), Chotushkone (2015), Rajkahini (2015), Ek Je Chilo Raja (2019) in the Bengali language among others. ‘Sherdil – The Pilibhit Saga’ will be his second Hindi film after the 2017 period drama, Begum Jaan.

 

 

 

 

Not only has Srijit’s films won acclaim at Indian Film Festivals, but have also travelled to prominent International film festivals like Palm Springs International Film Festival in California, Abu Dhabi International Film Festival, MIAAC Film Festival in New York, Glasgow International Film Festival, London Indian Film Festival among others.

 

 

 

 

This being Srijit Mukherji’s dream project, he says, “I am glad to re-unite with Reliance Entertainment to make ‘Sherdil: The Pilibhit Saga’. I got inspired by the real incident of tragic practises in villages bordering the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve and I knew I had to capture it in my next. It takes great courage to sacrifice one’s life to save the family and my film revolves around this heroism with a focus on man & nature conflict. This subject is really close to my heart and I hope it will ignite the same emotions with the audiences regarding various social issues in our society.”

 

 

 

 

‘Sherdil: The Pilibhit Saga’ is presented by Gulshan Kumar, T-Series Film and Reliance Entertainment, produced by Bhushan Kumar and Reliance Entertainment and production by Match Cut Productions Private Limited. The film stars Pankaj Tripathi, Neeraj Kabi, and Sayani Gupta and is directed by Srijit Mukherji.

 

 

 

 

The film will hit the big screens on 24th June, 2022.

The Late Alyque Padamsee is All Set to Hijack Your Mind Again with His Last Book



 

Even from the great beyond, the maverick Alyque Padamsee continues to share mind-blowing life hacks for yet another generation, in his latest book ‘Let Me Hijack Your Mind’, co-authored by Vandana Saxena Poria, to be released at Crossword Bookstores, Kemps Corner, Mumbai, on 18 May, 2022. The soiree will also witness an interesting conversation between actors Jim Sarbh and Dalip Tahil, choreographer Shiamak Davar, Raell Padamsee and Vadana Saxena Poria and live music by Chirag Agarwal.

 

 


Theatre and advertising doyen, the late Alyque Padamsee in his last book ‘Let Me Hijack Your Mind’ invites readers to debunk many deep-rooted societal beliefs and think afresh about so many extremely serious matters such as love and marriage, money, gender, leadership, and faith. Co-authored by Vandana Saxena Poria, and published by Penguin India, in the words of proud daughter Raell Padamsee, this work is Alyque’s legacy for the future—it teaches people how to question their innermost thoughts and follow only those that lead to a flourishing life.

 

 



According to Raell, her father believed “Most of us are living with one foot in the past, holding onto thoughts made up by people we never knew. Think about all the social conventions we follow without a question—from getting a University degree, to marriage, to how we dress and how we work.” Through this book, Alyque wanted people to realise this fallacy and question themselves about how they’re to live their lives, by codes set by others or by being true to oneself!




About working with the co-author, Raell elaborates that Alyque had been meaning to write another book but had not yet decided on the theme. “When he met Vandana in 2015,” Raell continues, “he quickly realised she was on the same wavelength.  She had lived across the world and balanced the world of Arts with a successful career in Chartered Accountancy; the right mix for him. Vandana has done a fabulous job of sifting through 173 hours of conversation, and distilling its essence to come up with simple, striking prose. She worked with him until his death and then continued to help our family and Penguin to finish the book.” The foreword to the book has been given by Ronnie Screwvala. 

 



Alyque was affected when people around him were unhappy and this book is his heartfelt attempt to commandeer one from what makes one unhappy and journey with them by way of finding new ways to solve old problems in his patent racy, non-preachy manner. The book is deliberately designed to throw one off-balance and then help one find a new, more relevant centre with the help of notes on how to dream, live and love afresh.

 

 



Taking the ideas of the book forward, there are plans for an interaction between Bollywood actors Jim Sarbh and Dalip Tahil, co-author Vandana and Raell Padamsee on the day of the release. “It’s going to be a lot of fun!  The four of us will be in conversation about what we learnt from Alyque over the years, how we have applied those skills in various areas of our lives, and how young people can take these ideas to make their lives easier. We will be discussing some of the chapter topics from the book we found interesting, such as ‘Should marriage change to a renewable 5-year licence?’, ‘Should education become edutainment to ensure lifelong learning?’, and ‘Can Theatre teach you what’s necessary to be successful in Business?’ I, for one, am really looking forward to it,” Raell states.

 



 

For the uninitiated, the father of Indian advertising, Alyque Padamsee was the CEO responsible for building up Lintas India to become one of the greatest ad agencies in the country. He was the brains behind such iconic ad campaigns as the Liril girl, Surf’s Lalitaji, the MRF Muscle Man, and the unforgettable ‘Hamara Bajaj’. In theatre, his English language productions such as Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Tuglaq broke the box office. Conferred with the Padma Shree and the Lifetime Achievement Award for Theatre by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, his portrayal of ‘Muhammad Ali Jinnah’ in Sir Richard Attenborough's Oscar-winning movie ‘Gandhi’ was well appreciated by the international audience.

 

 



Raell Padamsee has the last word, “Dad, I am so proud that your thoughts are finally out in the world! You were a real icon, and you still live to be one.”

 


 

Attend the book release of the Penguin-published ‘Let Me Hijack Your Mind’ by the late Alyque Padamsee, co-authored by Vandana Saxena Poria on 18 May, 2022, at Crossword Bookstores, Kemps Corner. The book will be available at all Crossword Bookstores outlets and across all major digital platforms such as Amazon.in

Perfect Sufi Inspired Songs, Totally Timeless Creating Soothing Magic



 

Since our growing years, we have come across the various versions and variations of music that have created the following respectively. The genres of the song that we certainly get attracted to or the tune that gets tucked in our mind are something that keeps us piped with the experience of music.

 



 

Music that connects to our hearts and touches us emotionally. Music can pump up energy within us and also at the same time, it holds the ability to swing our vibrations towards the other phase.

 



 

Speaking of genres of music, one such angle is Sufi-themed songs. Sufi music is moreover considered soulful that invites a sense of peace and positivity in the mind. So here, we have enlisted the best Sufi songs that also actively retain the modern touch of music overlooked by the music labels like Photofit Music, that people have loved over time.

 



 

JOGAN. First up we have this song JOGAN, produced by Mr. Suresh Bhanushali and Photofit Music, in the soulful voice of Mujtaba Aziz Naza who has beautifully built the Sufi and soft aura of the song that aligns with the music.

 




Mujtaba Aziz Naza has given his voice to amazing songs from the movies by Sanjay Leela Bhansali like Padmavat and Bajirao Mastani.

 




Talking about the lyrics given by Mumtaz Aziz Naza have also in a way curated the stack of emotions that spells love. The music video is directed by Amit K Shiva, Photofit Music which visualizes the grand and royal theme featuring Nishant Singh Malkhani, Saba Khan, and Vinit Kakar who have added their own flair to this soulful track, JOGAN released under the banner of Photofit Music, a marvelous project headed by Mr. Rajiv John Sauson, Photofit Music.

 






 

DHOKHA - Down the line, Dhokha is yet another music video backed with the royal theme in the most melodious voice of Arijit Singh. The factor that binds together both music and rhythm is the amazing lyrics of the song, which reveal the theme of Betrayal. The music video features Parth Samthaan and Khushalii Kumar who have elegantly pulled out the catchy theme of the song. With the exceptional direction of Mohan Vairag, Dhokha has received much love from the audience.




 

 



 

MASHALLAH - Next up we have Mashallah a song produced by Mr. Suresh Bhanushali, Photofit Music that spills a true love story that breaks the barriers as they unite their love. The song Mashallah by Photofit Music has a wonderful Sufi touch that binds the audience to its music. Released under the banner of Photofit Music, Mashallah has that authentic touch that embraces the topic of Love in the voice of D Sanz. The project has moved with the close speculation by the head Mr. Rajiv John Sauson, Photofit Music. The music video features Kanchan Rai and D Sanz who have portrayed their divine chemistry making this song more soulful.





 

 



 

JODAA - Mentioning soulful tracks looking back to the past release is surely a must, this song Jodaa marks the perfect theme of Sufi music, that audience has adored over the past time, this song is sung by an icon from the Punjabi music industry Afsana Khan, who has also given her voice for yet another amazing Punjabi track KOKA produced by Mr. Suresh Bhanushali, Photofit Music.

 




The Male singer Jitender Shah has given his beautiful angle to the track. The music features the pair of love Mouni Roy and Aly Goni. The song binds the audience with its stunning Sufi angle that leaves the audience amazed.

 



 



 

 

So these were a few of the Sufi songs that have elated a unique perspective in the music industry and producers like Mr. Suresh Bhanushali, and Photofit Music attempt to introduce such soulful track that retains the authenticity of good music adored by the audience. 

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