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Films with budgets in lakhs suddenly started costing crores. With projects being underwritten by big-time backers, the films with stars started costing over Rs 100 crore.

This was just the beginning of the whole filmmaking industry going haywire! Creativity went for a toss and greed took over. The budgets went high but content suffered. Films depended solely on the kind of draw a star commanded!

Actors wanted to be paid in crores and so did the director. Soon, the stars started asking for Rs 100 crore or more and the ones with just a single success wanted Rs 10-15 crore. Female artistes started demanding in crores, even thought their films, at best, collected Rs 5 crore or less in lifetime business.

Somewhere along the line, the filmmaking happened with no sense of the economics. The prices the stars demanded were artificial, much against their draw or potential to recoup. This continued for a...

Abu Dhabi, May 28 (Ians) Abhishek Bachchan, who was last seen making a cameo appearance in Ajay Devgn’s ‘Bholaa’, believes every actor in the Industry is always looking for an opportunity to work with his superstar father, Amitabh Bachchan.

The actor, whose on-screen chemistry with his dad is loved by fans all over the world, has not been seen with the Big B for a long time. When asked about it, Abhishek said: “I would love to work with Amitabh Bachchan. Any actor would be greedy to get an opportunity to work with him. He is my favourite. Not just as his son, but as his fan also I would love to work with him again. But the film and the script have to be right for us to come together.”

Abhishek and Aishwarya’s fans are also eagerly waiting to see them sizzle on the big screen together. Talking about working with her again,...

Talking exclusively to Ians, Abhishek Bachchan said: "Iifa was my first stage of live performance and fortunately I was sharing the stage with my father Amitabh Bachchan and my wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on Kajrare Kajrare Song and this time, they are not present here. So, I have an emotional connection with Iifa. This year I am going to host the Iifa Awards with Vicky Kaushal."

About the pressure to hold an international show, Abhishek replied: "I always want to be under pressure – pressure to deliver the best. Work pressure is like a responsibility for actors. It will drive you towards commitment and effort for your work. This time pressure is forcing me to perform as host as best in terms of entertainment. I have my father Amitabh Bachchan and I learned from him, so I know how to handle the situation."

"I am thrilled to return to Yas Island,...

Veteran actress Zeenat Aman has reminisced about working with megastar Amitabh Bachchan and said that part of the reason they made a good onscreen “jodi” is their shared work ethic.

Zeenat took to Instagram, where she talked about working with Amitabh in the 1981 film ‘Laawaris’, which also stars Amjad Khan. The story revolves around an orphan who stumbles over reality in search for his parents.

The film became known for its song “Mere Angene Mein Tumhara Kya Kaam Hai”. The second version became very popular due to Bachchan’s comedic performance in drag.

The veteran actress shared a still from the film and wrote: “Laawaris was released 42 years ago on this day on 22nd May 1981. An old school Masala blockbuster, it’s the story of a man born from an illicit relationship, and includes themes of love, betrayal, murder and reconciliation.”

“This still is from the song “kab ke bichhde...

International drama TV shows are all the rage, and here are the best Hindi original drama series on Prime Video right now. Amazon India Originals have been slowly but steadily gaining ground for the Indian audience across the world with some nail-biting thrillers, sports dramas, and relatable slice-of-life content. The Ott platform offers opportunities to some of the best talents in the country who are eager to perform in script-driven content.

With a variety of content, the Amazon Prime Videos produced in India are fast bridging the gap between the commercial and the non-commercial. As more and more quality content is created for this platform, fans' anticipation goes up exponentially. With some of the best Korean dramas taking the foreground, Hindi dramas are often overlooked. Thankfully, streaming services have introduced the incredible genre to international audiences, and some of the best Hindi original drama series on Prime Video have taken the world by storm.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s granddaughter Navya Naveli Nanda has shared a video of herself driving a tractor in a village in Gujarat

Navya, who is the co-founder of Aara Health, a women-centric health tech company, shared a sneak-peek into her recent trip to a village in Gujarat, where she met local women and drove a tractor instead of a luxury car.

She took to Instagram where she posted a video of herself along with her team. They visited Ganeshpura in Gujarat. Navya met women at a meeting organised by Aara Health.

She captioned it: “Ganeshpura, Gujarat.”

Navya is the daughter of Big B’s daughter Shweta Bachchan and her businessman-husband Nikhil Nanda, who is the cousin of actors Kareena Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor. She also has a brother named Agasthya, who is all set to make his acting debut in Zoya Akhtar’s adaptation of ‘The Archies’.

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Mumbai, May 19 (Ians) Veteran Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who is known for often entertaining his followers on social media, recently shared a picture and notified his fans about an “arrest”.

Taking to Instagram, he shared a cryptic post after being reprimanded by the Mumbai Police for not wearing a helmet while riding pillion on a bike in the city. Taking to Instagram, on Friday, Big B posted a photo of himself, standing disappointed near a police jeep. In the caption, Amitabh wrote, “arrested”.

In the picture, the actor can be seen standing dejected near a police jeep in a chequered shirt and pair of black pants that he paired with white sports shoes and transparent glasses.

Amitabh’s post tickled fans and colleagues’ curiosity in no time. One of the users wrote: “Don ko pakadna Mushkil hee nahia Naamumkin hai Sir.”

“It must be a joke..!! arrest karne ki taakat kisi mein nhi.

Mumbai, May 15 (Ians) Vijay Varma, who has been receiving a positive response to his work in the streaming series ‘Dahaad’, shared that he has spent his formative years being influenced by Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Big B and Srk essaying negative parts with absolute finesse.

The actor said that he naturally gravitates towards playing dark characters as they are quite a fertile territory for any actor. The actor shared that he loves playing negative parts as it gives him a better range and scope to put his skills to test.

Talking about his affinity to grey characters, the actor told Ians: “Dark characters always excite me. I grew up on a staple diet of Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, who have played such incredibly delicious negative characters with aplomb.”

In the series, Vijay plays the role of a serial murderer, who targets young women from lower castes,...

Mumbai, May 15 (Ians) Ditching the luxury of his expensive cars, megastar Amitabh Bachchan took a lift from a stranger, whom he fondly called his “ride buddy”, to reach his work location on time.

Amitabh took to Instagram, where he shared a picture of himself riding pillion as an elderly gentleman can be seen riding a Harley Davidson.

“Thank you for the ride buddy .. don’t know you .. but you obliged and got me on time to location of work .. faster and in avoidance of the unsolvable traffic jams .. thank you capped, shorts and yellowed T – shirt owner,” he wrote as the caption.

On the film front, Amitabh will be seen in Project K, which also stars Prabhas and Deepika Padukone. The film is directed by Nag Ashwin.

He will also be seen in the courtroom drama ‘Section 84’ by Ribhu Dasgupta.

–Ians

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Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather has inspired and influenced many filmmakers throughout the world, with Indian filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma being a fan in particular. During the '90s and early 2000s, Varma was at his creative peak and was considered by many as one of the best directors in the country. With a bag of blockbusters under his belt, Varma decided to pay homage to Coppola’s The Godfather with his very own gangster epic titled Sarkar, starring India’s equivalent to Brando, Amitabh Bachchan.

That being said, Sarkar’s comparison to The Godfather only goes to show the deep impact the American masterpiece has had on cinema by and large. Though there are some similarities and some differences, Sarkar is in no way a direct competitor to The Godfather’s brilliance. Rather, it serves as an ode and homage, to one of the best gangster movies ever made.

The film is a remake of a 2016 Spanish mystery thriller.

Chinese streamer iQiyi is to commence sales on a Chinese remake of mystery thriller The Invisible Guest and crime action film Suspect, starring Nick Cheung, at the Cannes market next week.

The Invisible Guest is directed by Chen Zhuo and stars Greg Hsu from recent time-travel romance hit Someday Or One Day alongside Janine Chang (The Soul) and Yin Zheng (Post Truth). It follows a woman who must work with a police officer to clear her name after her lover is found dead in a locked room.

The Spanish original,...

Mumbai, May 11 (Ians) Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone has featured on the cover of Time Magazine.

With this, Deepika joins the elite club of global figures like Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey and several other personalities who’ve featured on the noted magazine.

It was in 2022, when Deepika was named in ‘The Time100 Impact Award’ for her achievements in cinema and work in mental health advocacy.

On the acting front, Deepika’s latest release ‘Pathaan’ with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan turned out to be a blockbuster. She is now gearing up for her next ‘Fighter’, where she will be seen starring alongside Hrithik Roshan and Anil Kapoor.

She will also be seen in ‘Project K’ starring Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan.

–Ians

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Actress Charrul Malik, who used to be a journalist before she started acting, says that the various changes in her career have involved a lot of struggle. However, she says that she loves the way her career has shaped up.

“I’m very happy with my career right now because I have come a long way, from different backgrounds and after doing different things. I should say I have experimented a lot. From a law graduate to a mainstream news anchor to an entertainment producer and anchor and now an actor. I’m very happy with my career graph and I think it has shaped up very well and I have really worked hard on it and I’m still working hard and shall be working hard tomorrow as well. Each day is a learning day,” she says.

She adds, “When I look back, there were a lot of struggles.

Warwick Thornton’s “The New Boy” has been set as the opening title of next month’s Sydney Film Festival, which will celebrate its 70th edition, June 7-18. The film, a tale of sprituality and survival in 1940s Australia, starring Cate Blanchett, Deborah Mailman, Wayne Blair and Aswan Reid, will also play in the festival’s competition section.

Other titles in competition include: the world premiere of Australian documentary feature “The Dark Emu Story,” directed by Allan Clarke; Christian Petzold’s previously announced “Afire”; Charlotte Regan’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner “Scrapper”; Kore-eda Hirokazu’s “Monster”; Aki Kaurismäki’s compassionate comedy “Fallen Leaves”; Kim Jee-woon’s “Cobweb”; Asmae El Moudir’s “The Mother of All Lies”; Alice Englert’s directorial debut “Bad Behaviour”; Celine Song’s Sundance and Berlinale 2023 selected romance “Past Lives”; Liu Jian’s 2023 Berlinale-selected animation “Art College 1994”; Devashish Makhija’s “Joram,” a thriller about an...

Brings a barrage of memories, doesn’t it?

It was the era of good music playing across the Indian mainstream as opposed to the current times when barring a few exceptions, all you hear are singers setting their voices to melodyne or auto-tune, and composers heavily synthesising their melodies to make it “audience friendly”.

However, true art and artistic integrity always make their way around as they transcend the boundaries of space and time, and Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan, professionally known as Xulfi, is a true testament of this fact.

Xulfi is the lead singer of the Pakistani band ‘Call’ and is the one who sang ‘Laree Chootee’ and even featured in its music video which cross-cuts between two worlds of ‘Call’ performing for the screen and Abhay and Neha Dhupia dancing to the tune.

While in India, the larger audience may remember him for just ‘Laree Chootee’, across the border,...

NewsThe actor who spoke in Telugu, said that the first film he watched of Ntr was Patala Bhairavi and it left a deep impression on him.File Photo: PTITamil superstar Rajinikanth said his past experiences stopped him from speaking about politics, but he still wanted to. Addressing a huge gathering at the centenary celebrations of Telugu icon Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao or Ntr in Vijayawada on Friday, April 28, he said, “Looking at this huge crowd, I feel like talking about politics. My (past) experience tells me I shouldn't, yet I must speak.” Rajinikanth – who dropped his plans to enter politics in 2021 citing his frail health – recalled how he was inspired by Ntr. He showered praise on his son and leading Tollywood actor Balakrishna and appreciated the vision of former chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (Tdp) president N Chandrababu Naidu. The actor praised Naidu for his vision and said the world knew about it.

The 68th Filmfare Awards 2023, is all set to be a celebration of the artistry and ingenuity of filmmakers, actors, and artists. Gearing up for the biggest awards night of the year with high-calibre performances, Filmfare unveils the illustrious list of nominations to recognize the best in Hindi cinema, for the year 2022. This year, the glorious Filmfare awards night will be held in majestic honour with a live on-ground show on April 27th, 2023, at the Jio World Convention Centre, Bkc in Mumbai.

Celebrating the finest of Hindi cinema, this year’s grand event will witness some of the greatest acts, stellar wins and stimulating performances. Leading the pack with an astounding 16 nominations across categories is Gangubai Kathiawadi, a biographical film that tells the riveting tale of a woman’s rise to power in Mumbai’s red-light district. This is followed by the movie Badhaai Do, with a whopping 15 nominations, which is...

Mumbai, April 24 (Ians) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has a savage response to the verified tick mark of a few Twitter accounts getting restored for free.

The micro-blogging website has restored the blue tick verification for accounts with more than one million followers on the platform, but Amitabh, who has a whopping 48.4 million followers, paid for the subscription.

Now, he has asked the platform in a hilarious way about why he had to make payments despite having such a huge following on the website.

Amitabh tweeted: “Are maare gae Gulfam, biraj me maare gae Gulfam. Ae Twitter mausi, chahchi, beheni, tai, bua… jhauaan bhar ke ta naam hain tumhaar.”

He added: “Paise bharwa liye hamara neel kamal khaatir. Ab kahat ho jekar 1 m follower unkar neel kamal free ma. Humar to 48.4 m hain, ab? Khel khatam, paisa hajam?”

It was just last week, when the micro-blogging website took away the blue marks from several verified accounts.

Mumbai, April 22 (Ians) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan thanked Twitter CEO Elon Musk in his own unique way after his blue tick on the micro-blogging website was restored.

Taking to Twitter, Amitabh wrote: “T 4624 – ae Musk bhaiyya! Bahut bahut dhanyavaad det hain ham aapaka! Uu, neel kamal lag gava hamaar naam ke aage.”

He then gave a hilarious spin to the song ‘Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast’ from the 1994 film ‘Mohra’. The song is originally picturised on Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon.

He wrote: “Ab ka batayi bhaiyya! (gaana gaye ka mann karat hai hamaar! Sanbo ka? Ee leo suna: “Tu cheez badee hai musk musk … too cheez badee hai, musk.”

On the work front, Amitabh will be seen in ‘Project K’. Directed by Nag Ashwin, the film also stars Prabhas and Deepika Padukone. It will hit the screens on January 12, 2024.

Amitabh will be seen in the upcoming movie ‘Section 84’, a...

B-town celebrities including Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and Alia Bhatt and politicians like Cm Yogi Adityanath, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, and cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma among others have lost their verified blue ticks from their Twitter accounts.

Earlier in March, Twitter posted from their official handle, “On April 1st, we will begin winding down our legacy verified program and removing legacy verified checkmarks. To keep your blue checkmark on Twitter, individuals can sign up for Twitter Blue.

Twitter first introduced the blue check mark system in 2009 to help users identify that celebrities, politicians, companies and brands, news organizations and other accounts “of public interest” were genuine and not impostors or parody accounts. The company didn’t previously charge for verification.

Among many who lost their verification tick on Twitter, one was megastar Amitabh Bachchan who on Friday took to the micro-blogging website and said that he has already folded his hands for getting the “neel kamal.”

Amitabh took to Twitter, where he wrote in Awadhi: “Ae twitter bhaiya! Sun rahe hain? Ab toh paisa bhi bhar diye hai hum… toh ou jo neel kamal hot hai na… Hamaar naam ke aage ou toh waapas laga de bhaiya.”

“Taaki log jaan jaayein ki hum hi hai Amitabh Bachchan. Haath toh jor liye rahe hum abka gorwa jode padi ka. (So that people know that I am Amitabh Bachchan. I have already folded my hands in front of you. Now do I fold my feet as well?)”

Apart from Amitabh Bachchan, others who have lost their verification tick include Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Ranveer Singh, Ajay Devgn, Yogi Adityanath,...

Mumbai, April 21 (Ians) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan took a trip down memory lane and recalled the “music sittings and homely get togethers” he spent with noted playback singer and widow of filmmaker Yash Chopra, Pamela Chopra, who passed away yesterday.

Amitabh took to his blog and wrote: “The first days are ever a day of expectation and unknown elements .. and the first day today was no different .. the look the people the crew the work it self all alien and in a wonder .. and the topping , the very first scene of the film and a demanding appearance ..”

“In the middle of the efforts made to achieve .. comes the sudden news of the passing of Pamela Chopra, wife of Yash Chopra .. and life comes to a standstill.”

“So much to have spent with her and the film making and the music sittings and the outdoors and the homely get togethers .. all gone...

A panoply of Bollywood celebrities came together throughout Wednesday to mourn the death of producer-singer-writer Pamela Chopra, who was also the wife and brains trust of celebrated filmmaker Yash Chopra, founder of Yash Raj Films. After she was cremated in the morning hours on Thursday, members of the Hindi film fraternity made a beeline to the Chopra mansion on the Juhu-Tara Road area of Mumbai to pay their respects to the departed soul.

Among the industry stalwarts who came calling were Amitabh Bachchan, whose association with the Chopras dates back to the days of the blockbuster ‘Deewar’, followed by son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, who came with son Aryan, Aamir Khan and his ex-wife Kiran Rao, and Shabana Azmi. They were all received by Yash and Pamela Chopra’s younger son, Uday Chopra.

Srk recently delivered the blockbuster ‘Pathaan’ for Yrf, just as he had...

Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan’s 11-year-old granddaughter has sued YouTube for circulating “fake news” about her “life and health”.

According to local reports, there are videos of Aaradhya Bachchan being circulated on YouTube containing fake information about her health.

The plaintiff, who is the daughter of actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, filed her complaint at the Delhi High Court on Wednesday (19 April).

In response, the court restrained nine YouTube channels and completely restricted them from creating, publishing, uploading or sharing any content related to Aaradhya’s health.

The high court also directed Google to delist and deactivate videos that are the subject of the case.

“Every child is entitled to respect, be it a child of a celebrity or commoner,” Justice C Hari Shankar said, as per India Today. “Dissemination of misleading information to a child, especially as regards physical and mental health, is completely intolerable in law.

NewsAaradhya, the granddaughter of Amitabh Bachchan and a minor, had sought an injunction against the media which was spreading fake news on her.IansThe Delhi High Court on Thursday restrained a number of YouTube channels from spreading or continuing to broadcast videos that make false claims regarding Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan's daughter Aaradhya Bachchan. Aaradhya (11), the granddaughter of Amitabh Bachchan, has sought an injunction against such reporting by the media about her as she is a minor. While issuing notice on the plea, Justice C Hari Shankar restrained the YouTube channels and their affiliates from spreading or continuing to broadcast the videos mentioned in the plaint. "Defendants 1-9 are also restrained from creating, publishing, uploading or disseminating any videos which are identical or similar in content to the videos forming subject matter of the aforesaid URLs. It is clarified that this would encompass all videos that deal with...

New Delhi, April 20 (Ians) The Delhi High Court on Thursday restrained a number of YouTube channels from spreading or continuing to broadcast videos that make false claims regarding Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan’s daughter Aaradhya Bachchan.

Aaradhya (11), the granddaughter of Amitabh Bachchan, has sought an injunction against such reporting by the media about her as she is a minor.

While issuing notice on the plea, Justice C. Hari Shankar restrained the YouTube channels and their affiliates from spreading or continuing to broadcast the videos mentioned in the plaint.

“Defendants 1-9 are also restrained from creating publishing, uploading or disseminating of any videos which are identical or similar in content to the videos forming subject matter of the aforesaid URLs. It is clarified that this would encompass all videos that deal with the physical condition of the plaintiff. In other words, Defendants are completely restrained from disseminating on any platform...

New Delhi, April 19 (Ians) Amitabh Bachchan’s granddaughter Aaradhya Bachchan has moved the Delhi High Court against a YouTube tabloid for reporting fake news about her health.

Aaradhya (11), the daughter of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, has sought an injunction against such reporting by the media about her as she is a minor.

A Delhi High Court bench will hear the matter on Thursday. The petition filed by 11-year-old Aaradhya has asked 10 entities to “de-list and deactivate all videos” about her.

Google LLC and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Grievance Cell) have also been made parties in the case.

–Ians

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Exclusive: Leading Indian filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his banner Bhansali Productions have signed with U.S. agency WME.

One of the most well-known filmmakers out of India, Bhansali has worked as a screenwriter, music composer, editor, and producer across his three-decade career.

His 2002 film Devdas, an adaptation of author Sarat Chandra’s novel of the same name, premiered at Cannes and received a BAFTA nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

In 2005, his film Black, inspired by the life of Hellen Keller and starring Bollywood titans Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji, won the Indian National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.

Since beginning to compose music for his own films back in 2010, Bhansali has been recognized in the music space as well. In 2019, he won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for his work in his film Padmaavat. He also recently released an album of self-composed...

Mumbai, April 17 (Ians) The popular show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ with megastar Amitabh Bachchan is all set to return with its 15th season.

The makers have dropped the promo making an announcement that registration for the show will start from April 29.

In the promo, Big B can be seen sitting on the host’s seat while a woman looks at the map to find a way to reach the hotseat. Finally, she reaches the hotseat by digging into the ground. She asks Big B to play the game to which he responds, “hotseat par pahuchne ke liye ulool-julool haathkande mat apnaayiye”.

He says just pick up the phone as this is the only way with registration starting from 9 p.m. on April 29.

“Answer my question and your registration will begin,” says the host.

The 14th season had started on August 7, 2022 which marked the celebration of 75 years of Independence. It was attended by Aamir Khan,...

Westland Books announced the acquisition of ‘The Imperfect Prince’ by acclaimed critic and filmmaker Khalid Mohamed today. The Imperfect Prince will be published in October 2023. A powerful novel about murder, conspiracy and justice, and what it means to be family.

The Imperfect Prince gives us Shifa Syed Qureshi, an investigative journalist who sets out to unearth the mystery behind her half-brother’s death. Unlike her, the titular prince Rao Raja Jaiveer Singh had grown up in the royal household of Aryagarh after the death of their parents. Their worlds couldn’t have been more distant – until his shocking murder sends shockwaves through her own life, sending her on a quest that will change everything around and within her.

One of India’s best known film critics, Khalid Mohamed has written a trilogy of films – Mammo, Sardari Begum and Zubeida directed by Shyam Benegal. The last of the three films is...

We have an incredible sneak peek into Jio Studios exciting content slate of films and series that feature stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Amitabh Bachchan and so many more! The studio has over 100+ stories across genres of films and original web series in multiple languages including Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, South and Bhojpuri. Collaboration with some of the best creative minds in the country including Raj Kumar Hirani, Sooraj Barjatya, Dinesh Vijan, Ali Abbas Zafar, Aditya Dhar, Prakash Jha, Amar Kaushik, Laxman Utekar to name a few. Featuring stories with some big superstars as well as new talent, be it actors or filmmakers. this slate will capture every emotion and genre of storytelling- Action, Drama, Thriller, Comedy, Romance, Biopics, Horror, and Musicals to name a few. That is just touching the surface of what’s to come.

Here’s an incredible sneak peek!

Ms. Jyoti Deshpande,...

In a star-studded event held at the prestigious Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, Jio Studios, the media and content arm of Reliance Industries Limited, for the first time unveiled its spectacular content slate, the single largest slate ever produced by an Indian studio in any given year. The studio has lined up ready to release over 100+ stories across genres of films and original web series in multiple languages including Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, South and Bhojpuri, capturing every emotion and genre of storytelling – Action, Drama, Thriller, Comedy, Romance, Biopics, Horror, Musicals et al.

The depth and width of this marquee offering promises to be a game-changer in the world of Indian entertainment, delivering high quality content that is both entertaining and thought provoking, with unheard of scale. This has been achieved through meticulous collaboration with some of the best creative minds in the country including Raj Kumar Hirani, Sooraj Barjatya,...

Jio Studios, the content arm of Reliance Industries Limited, has unveiled a huge slate of 100 new films and TV shows that will play on Reliance’s streaming platforms.

They range from the previously-announced Shah Rukh Khan-starring Bollywood movie project “Dunki,” through Adil Hussain’s Bengali-language art-house picture “The Storyteller,” which appeared at the Busan Film Festival last year, to a range of web originals and mini-series.

Contents are made as originals in a range of local languages including Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati and Bhojpuri. Genres range from action, drama, thriller and romance to horror and musicals.

The company called the lineup “the single largest slate ever produced by an Indian studio in a given year” while also calling it a “game changer” and “explosive.”

The hype may be justified as Mukesh Ambani’s Ril pushes its way further into the entertainment and streaming spaces, having already powered its way to...

Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan’s daughter, Suhana Khan is the new face of the New York-based beauty brand, Maybelline. The announcement was made officially following Suhana’s first media event in Mumbai.

She will be making her Bollywood debut this year with filmmaker Zoya Akhtar’s next The Archies and her association with the international brand looks quite perfect for her portfolio.

For the event, Suhana who is known for her sartorial choices, opted for an all-red look in a powersuit. Several pictures and videos of her from the event has surfaced online. She also addressed media briefly.

She is waiting for the release of her first Hindi film The Archies. It also marks the acting debut of Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda and Sridevi’s younger daughter Khushi Kapoor.

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Actress Rhea Chakraborty has joined Prince Narula and Gautam Gulati as a gang leader in the 19th season of the youth-based reality show ‘MTV Roadies’. Talking about being part of the latest season, Rhea said: “I am thrilled to be a part of MTV Roadies Karm Ya Kaand, which is an iconic cultural phenomenon. I look forward to working with Sonu Sood and my fellow gang leaders, as I get to showcase my resolute and fearless side during this thrilling journey. I hope to receive love and support from fans for this incredible new adventure!”

The brand-new season’s theme is of ‘Karm Ya Kaand’ and is hosted by actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood.

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Adding to this, Deborah Polycarp, Associate Vice President and Head – Content Originals, MTV, commented: “The show has become a cultural mainstay in youth entertainment.

Actress Disha Patani, who worked with legendary Martial arts star Jackie Chan in ‘Kung Fu Yoga’ in 2017, wished the legend on the occasion of his birthday on Friday. The actress took to her social media and shared a bunch of pictures and video from her time shooting with him for the movie.

The pictures range from a young Jackie Chan, his autograph to Disha, his animated avatar to an on-location picture of the actress and the Martial Arts star.

She wrote in the caption: “Happy b’day to the living Legend& taguu there will never be anyone like you. You’ve constantly put your life at risk just to entertain us, I’m grateful to have met you and known you as the most beautiful human being!! Keep spreading your love and light and inspiring all of us.”

Meanwhile, on the work front, the actress will be next seen in...

Navya Naveli Nanda, the grand-daughter of veteran Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, was spotted at the Mumbai airport leaving the city on Wednesday.

Navya, who is known for her streaming podcast ‘What The Hell Navya’, chose a nerdy look for the outing.

She sported an olive coloured graphic t-shirt paired with loose fitted jeans, celadon coloured jacket and canvas shoes. She left her tresses open and rounded up her look with a pair of spectacles.

Meanwhile, Navya’s podcast tossed aside the generational gap through the course of 10 episodes, as the women of the Bachchan family indulge in leg pulling and banter even as they covered a wide range of topics, such as financial independence, menstrual health, mental health, parenting and love.

Ajay Devgn’s deep love and devotion for Lord Shiva is no secret, as it shines through in his films from Omkara to his latest, Bholaa. The film pays homage to Lord Shiva, with Bholaa taking on the role of the human embodiment of the God of Destruction. However, not just Ajay Devgn, Lord Shiva’s name and image have been a source of inspiration for artists and writers for long for their content.

Many artistic and literary works, including movies, series, and audio series, draw inspiration from his name and image to depict his remarkable power, wisdom, and compassion.

Let’s take a look at these 5 films/series that have the blessings of Lord Shiva’s name. Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva

A film that bears the name of Lord Shiva in its title, Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva, follows the journey of Shiva, a young DJ in Mumbai...

Actor-casting director Abhishek Banerjee known for his work in ‘Mirzapur’, ‘Pitchers’, ‘Stree’ and ‘Paatal Lok’, has joined the cast of courtroom thriller film ‘Section 84’. The film stars veteran Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role and is being helmed by Ribhu Dasgupta of ‘Teen’ fame.

Expressing his excitement on joining the film and working with Mr Bachchan, Abhishek said: “‘Section 84’ is my moment of Eklavya meeting Dronacharya. When I knew nothing about acting, I only knew one name, Amitabh Bachchan. From a boy who’s hypnotised by him to actually getting the opportunity to stand alongside him in one frame, life has truly completed a circle for me.”

Recently, the makers also announced Diana Penty in one of the key roles.

He further mentioned: “This is what dreams are made of, as the Bachchan mania continues for me. This time I am a part of it !! Thank you, thank you Ribhu sir,...

Actor Sanjeev Jotangia, who plays the role of Radheshyam Yadav in ‘Sapnon Ki Chhalaang’, said that he aspires to be known globally and is inspired by megastar Amitabh Bachchan, veteran singer Kishore Kumar, and Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal.

Talking about his dreams and aspirations, he said: “My aspiration is to be globally known as one of the best actors of our great nation for which I’ve been trying relentlessly. I am inspired by Kishore Da, Bachchan Saab and Rafael Nadal. God willing, I’ll fulfill this aspiration one day and continue being a student of art, be it acting or writing or producing or directing later on.”

“I keep reading, keep myself abreast with regional and world cinema. I also watch good theatre and have a lot of interactive sessions with interesting actors and colleagues. I also dabble in selective voice acting assignments,” he adds.

Elaborating more about...

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan was impressed by an old man wearing a solar powered fan on his head to keep himself cool and shared his video on social media.

Amitabh took to Twitter, where he shared a video of the old man wearing a helmet with an attached fan at the front and solar panel at the back of it.

An impressed Amitabh captioned it: “India the Mother of invention. Bharat mata ki jai.”

On the work front, the cine icon on Monday announced his next film, a courtroom drama thriller ‘Section 84’, which also stars Diana Penty. He also has ‘Project K’ with Prabhas and Deepika Padukone.

Mumbai, April 3 (Ians) Director-writer Hardik Mehta, who is known for his work in Ott series ‘Decoupled’ and the film ‘Kaamyaab’, feels that while directors and actors come with an expiry date, it’s the writers who transcend the boundaries of time as their creations stay relevant for a long time.

Hardik recently took to the story section of his Instagram and shared a collage of the posters of the Akshay Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Ajay Devgn-starrer ‘Khakhee’ and the Shah Rukh Khan, John Abraham and Deepika Padukone-starrer blockbuster ‘Pathaan’.

Drawing the parallels between the two films, he wrote on the picture, “Both ‘Khakhee’ and ‘Pathaan’ are written by screenwriter Shridhar Raghavan. In both the films, the antagonist is a rogue from within the system and also a fab star casting. Both films have their female star protagonists side with the antagonists of the film at a very crucial juncture.

Mumbai, April 3 (Ians) Actress Diana Penty will be seen sharing screen space with megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the upcoming courtroom drama thriller ‘Section 84’ directed by Ribhu Dasgupta.

Diana expressed her excitement about working with Bachchan and collaborating with Ribhu Dasgupta.

“Section 84 is very special to me. Not only because it is a riveting story, but also because it is a privilege to work with the legendary, Mr Bachchan. A dream finally realised, to be honest! Ribhu Dasgupta has a very clear vision of what he wants and I am so happy to be collaborating with him on this film. I know this is going to be an experience I will remember, with much to learn from the very best!” Diana said.

Filmmaker Ribhu Dasgupta’s next film, a courtroom drama thriller, ‘Section 84’ stars the legendary thespian Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role.

‘Section 84’ is presented by Reliance Entertainment in association...

There is ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, where people dream of hitting a jackpot, and then, there are other reality shows such as ‘Indian Idol’, which promotes young singers, besides ‘India’s Best Dancer’, which shows little of dance, least of all the dances as we know in India, and more of aerobics and acrobatics.

Kbc is, of course, a quiz programme where general knowledge questions are posed and the winnings increase with every right answer. There are lifelines for outside help and the programme is very popular, thanks to host Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic status and to the huge amounts in prize money.

Also popular is ‘Indian Idol’, where Indian youth show their singing talent and get breaks in the entertainment industry. The dance programme may not be as popular, but is made watchable with huge sets and, now, even special effects added, the kind not possible outside a television studio.

‘Bhagyalaxmi’ and ‘Naagin 6’ fame Aditi Shetty has shared how she was initially auditioned to play the female lead in ‘Pyaar Ke Saat Vachan Dharmapatni’, but later was asked to portray a negative lead.

She told Ians: “I was approached for Pratiksha’s role and I auditioned for the same but right after that I got a call that Ekta ma’am wants me to play a negative lead in the show. I didn’t even ask a second question because I felt like okay, this is something absolutely different from what I’ve been doing. I have that image of bubbly, sweet, cute, so I thought that this would be a perfect way to, you know, explore more, and to also understand what I’m capable of. When the story was narrated, I felt like the character was super strong. There are a lot of shades of this character.

And this was recognised by his peers. There is a story that once he and Raj Kapoor were at the Calcutta airport in 1973, when a cinema fan went to the latter to get his autograph and was told to approach Dutt first, with the master showman saying that he was only a "star", but Dutt was an actor!

While Dutt’s sense of timing, the funny intonation, and the maniacal gleam and laughter he could produce at will, served him well in comedy as "Gol Maal" (1979), "Rang Birangi" – with its slapstick chase through a children’s playground, "Kissi Se Na Kehna" (both 1983), "Lakhon Ki Baat" (1984), et al, attest, he could deftly turn the same mannerisms to display a marked unrepentant villainy.

Be it as the leader of the 40 thieves in "Marjina Abdulla", the crafty munim Ghoshal who drives the hero (Uttam Kumar) to utter despair in "Amanush", as corrupt and...

Agastya Nanda the grandson of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan was seen escorting Suhana Khan after party of Tania Shroff’s birthday celebration.

In a viral video, Agastya was seen blowing a kiss to Suhana Khan as she leaves. As Suhana Khan was about to leave the venue, Agastya Tania and her boyfriend Ahan Shetty came to drop her off at her car.

Suhana shook hands with Tania and laughed as she walked towards her car. Agastya who stood nearby helped Suhana to her car.

Suhana and Agastya will make their Bollywood debut with director Zoya Akhtar’s upcoming film The Archies. The film will also mark the Bollywood debut of Khushi, Yuvraj Menda, Vedang Raina, and Mihir Ahuja. The film is the Indian adaptation of the iconic comics The Archies.

Watch | #SuhanaKhan’s rumoured Bf #AgastyaNanda blows a flying kiss as he sweetly escorts her post #TaniaShroff’s birthday...

Mumbai, March 29 (Ians) Veteran Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, who is known for his engaging social media posts, recently shared a video of five planets aligned in a straight line. Taking to his Instagram, the ‘Don’ star shared the video which shows Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus making a trail.

He wrote in the caption, “What A Beautiful Sight…! 5 Planets Aligned Together Today… Beautiful And Rare… Hope You Witnessed It too”.

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty commented, “Wow”.

“Amazing this was so so beautiful , captured this by Stellarium this amazing App. I posted this too sometime back (sic),” wrote ‘Haseena Parkar’ actor Siddhanth Kapoor.

Since being posted, the Instagram video accumulated more than 2.2 million views, one lakh likes, and numerous reactions in the comment section.

Earlier in March, Big B suffered an injury during the shoot of ‘Project K’, in Hyderabad. The 80-year-old suffered a muscle tear in his right rib...

Mumbai, March 27 (Ians) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan greeted his fans outside his house for the first time since he injured himself on the sets of ‘Project K’.

The cine icon was seen wearing a “home made sling” as he did namaste on meeting his fans on Sunday, something he would do religiously every week.

The actor took to his blog where he shared a slew of pictures in a white kurta pyjama paired with a jacket. He also wore an ivory coloured hand sling to give support to his arm.

He wrote on his blog: “And the work continues .. the Sunday blessings of the well wishers .. my love affection and gratitude .. they still come .. me in homemade sling and the grey.”

It was earlier in March when Amitabh suffered an injury during the shoot of ‘Project K’, in Hyderabad.

The actor shared his health update on his blog. After consulting a...

Mumbai, March 26 (Ians) Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has shared another health update on his recovery after he injured himself on the sets of his upcoming film ‘Project K’.

Amitabh, who religiously has a meet-and-greet with his fans outside his home on Sundays, took to his blog to share the update.

He wrote: “The injuries heal slowly and today hope the effort is enough to climb the board and wave to the well wishers at the Gate… being away from them that have such sincerity with them is not approved in any manner… the life and the breath of the well-wisher is supreme… they live so I live.”

It was earlier in March, when Amitabh suffered an injury during the shoot of ‘Project K’, in Hyderabad.

The actor shared his health update on his blog. After consulting a doctor and Ct scan at Aig Hospital in Hyderabad, he left for Mumbai,...