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Tag: Actor

  • Weekend Unwind’ with: BYJU’S senior director of Film Crew Bhupinder Pal Singh Raina

    Weekend Unwind’ with: BYJU’S senior director of Film Crew Bhupinder Pal Singh Raina

    Mumbai: With another weekend upon us, it is time to unwind with the latest Q&A edition of Indiantelevision.com’s Weekend Unwind — a series of informal chats that peek into the minds of corporate executives through a fun lens in an attempt to get to know the person behind the title a little better.

    In this week’s session, we have BYJU’s senior director of film crew, Bhupinder Pal Singh Raina, opening up the windows to his thoughts.

    Bangalore-based filmmaker, actor, and tutor Bhupinder leads the direction pod at BYJU’S and is involved in setting production processes and quality benchmarks when a new product is conceived. He also tutors teachers, actors, and directors in the art of using film as a medium to better educate.

    Having graduated from an Australian university-affiliated film school in 2010, Bhupinder took up an acting course with The Actor’s Truth in Mumbai in 2018. He has been a part of a variety of audio-visuals, ranging from corporate to educational films to feature films like 777 Charlie, Sarvasva, and commercials with multiple brands. 

    So without further ado, here it goes…

    • Your mantra for life

    Don’t count the days. Make the day count.

    •     A book you are currently reading / plan to read

    I am currently reading “Ride of a Lifetime,” a memoir by the ex-CEO of Disney, Bob Iger. I highly recommend it to anybody who’s in the creative business field.

    •     Your fitness mantra, especially during the pandemic

    Theatre training and playing cricket twice a week kept me active and occupied throughout the pandemic.

    •     Your comfort food

    I enjoy a variety of foods. I just feel blessed to find edible food when I need it.

    •     When the chips are down a quote/ philosophy that keeps you going

    I firmly believe in the famous Hindi saying, “neki kar, dariya mein daal,” which loosely translates to doing everything with a good heart and expecting nothing in return.

    •     Your guilty pleasure

    I’ve had a sweet tooth since forever, so much so that I am genuinely worried about my health now.

    •     When was the last time you tried something new?

    I have recently learnt to swim, well, float to be honest, from a teammate at BYJU’S.

    •     A life lesson you learnt the hard way

    Being nice is cool, being naive isn’t.

    •     What gets you excited about life?

    The prospect of new experiences gets me excited. Like learning something new, meeting new people, hearing a good story and many more such things.

    •     What’s on top of your bucket list?

    I am a simple-minded man who likes to live in the moment, so I haven’t really set any goals for the future. 

    •     If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?

    I wish I had learnt how finance and investment work early in my life, so I’d not have to worry about survival. I am convinced that one can truly start living only when your key motivation is not money.

    •     One thing you would most like to change about the world

    Aahh… There are way too many things. I am glad I am able to contribute to one of those actively through my work at BYJU’S, by enabling better education for the next generation.

    •     An activity that keeps you motivated / charged during tough times

    I wouldn’t know how to define “tough times.” I guess I’ll just give my best without really worrying about the circumstances or consequences. That has really helped keep things calm inside.

    •     What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?

    Kindness Somehow, spotting even the smallest acts of kindness around me has always managed to refill my cup of positivity.

    •     Your go-to stress buster

    My cricket sessions and an engaging movie or series do the job.

  • Akshay Kumar issues public apology for endorsing pan masala brand

    Akshay Kumar issues public apology for endorsing pan masala brand

    Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar often remains in the discussion for his films. The actor has been in talks on social media again for the past several days. Nonetheless, the discussion is not a film but an advertisement, which he recently did for a tobacco company.

    Kumar was recently seen in an ad of Vimal, after which he was trolled fiercely on social media. The actor is constantly facing criticism from the people, has now come forward and issued an apology for hurting his fans’ sentiments.

     

     

    He took to instagram and twitter to write an apology to his fans and followers. His post reads, “I am sorry. I would like to apologise to all my fans and well-wishers. Your reaction over the past few days has deeply affected me. While I have not and will not endorse tobacco, I respect the outpouring of your feelings in light of my association with Vimal Elaichi. With all humility, I step back. I have decided to contribute the entire endorsement fee towards a worthy cause.”

    “The brand might continue airing the ads till the legal duration of the contract that is binding upon me, but I promise to be extremely mindful in making my future choices. In return, I shall forever continue to ask for your love and wishes,” he added.

    It is worth noting that this advertisement of Akshay Kumar was released recently. The ad features actors Shahrukh Khan and Ajay Devgan too, who were seen welcoming Akshay Kumar in this advertisement. This was the first time that three big Bollywood actors had come together in an ad. Ajay Devgan has already appeared in many pan masala brand advertisements for a long time. There was not much ruckus when Shahrukh Khan appeared in this advertisement. But as soon as Akshay came in this ad, people criticized him fiercely and trolled him.

  • ‘Jugaad Mania’ fame Chandan Anand shares about his journey

    ‘Jugaad Mania’ fame Chandan Anand shares about his journey

    Mumbai: In a quick chit chat session with IndianTelevision.com, the anchor of “Jugaad Mania” Chandan Anand shared his experience of being a part of the Epic channel show. He also opened up about how this show turned into an opportunity for him to meet some of the talented and creative minds of the nation.

    “Jugaad Mania” is a show about unique innovators, who have made an immense impact on society by their unique innovations with minimal or near to none resources. “It was an opportunity for me to share my real self and that’s what you will see in the show – the real me, I am thankful to the entire team and my director Ranjeet for believing in me,” stated Anand.

    From his first film “Mr Ya Miss” to “Gunjan Saxena,” we have seen Anand in some really impressive characters. On being asked how “Jugaad Mania” fit in among the characters he has played so far, he said that he’s trained to create different characters on screen. “As a trained actor, I have honed my skills to create different characters on screen and so far I have been lucky to portray varied roles,” he highlighted.

    He believes that actors get guided by the script and director’s vision and as an actor, his job is to bring out different shades of human characters to make them enthralling and justify the character that he plays.

    Talking about “Jugaad Mania,” Anand feels it is a unique show by Epic channel, and he has been lucky to be part of the channel with “Dharmkshetra” and “Rabindranath Tagore Stories” by Anurag Basu as he always loved its content.

    “When I was asked to test for the anchor’s part in ‘Jugaad Mania’ with just a few lines, I liked the concept and wanted to be a part of it. It was my gut feeling that the journey would be fun-filled with learnings for life,” he said.

    Sharing how he conducts himself with this show, Anand said, “actors are dreamers, each one has a dream to make it big in this ‘Maya Nagari’ and it’s just their belief that makes them strive for bigger things in the city.”

    He elucidated his points by sharing his story. “When I came to Mumbai in 2004, I had just Rs 2000 in my pocket. I just knew one thing: I have the skills of an actor and I need roles, I need platforms to showcase my skills and I will achieve it. So there was an idea, a dream and how would that happen I didn’t know. Just the belief had made me stick to my work, this city. So, a dream is a common thread with this show – Jugaad Mania. All the Jugaadus are dreamers; they had an idea and wanted to make it a reality without any professional training or knowledge, but it was their belief that kept them going and not give up. Stories of their struggle and success are what makes this show unique,” Anand said.

    Furthermore, he also shared how this show allowed him to explore different territories as a professional with the variety of new content offered on the platform. 

    Anand thinks that there’s a wave of unique content around the world and it’s the best time for all the artists and creatives to explore and experience all the unique content creation happening on various platforms. “So far I have explored many varied characters and roles and this show is definitely on top of my list. It’s a blessing and I am very much hopeful for a fulfilling future,” he noted.

    From a maker’s perspective, there are various factors that play a crucial role in deciding the success of  a particular show. But from an actor’s perspective, how do you decide what works for a particular show? Anand answered, as an actor, the first lesson we are taught is not to ‘decide,’ but just be. Where you are not performing but are living the part, role, or character; and that comes with years of training.

    Sharing his experience of preparing for “Jugaad Mania,” he said, before every story, it was really important for me to listen and understand the life journey of every person. I used to ask a million questions, which might not be used in the show but I wanted to know the emotion which ignited each one of them to achieve who they are today.

    Despite all the efforts, audiences’ mood remains unpredictable and with remote control in their hands, you never know what the audience is looking for!

    On being asked what extra he has made to ensure that the audience is not switching to other channels, Anand took a hilarious route. He jokingly said, “Agar main kahun, ek second bhi nazar padi to hata nahi paoge.”

    Further, keeping the jokes aside, he said it is true even if for a second someone tunes in to “Jugaad Mania” on the Epic channel, they will watch it not for me but for such amazingly interesting, motivating stories from varied regions of India.

    “India is a nation of all seasons and all reasons. This show has some unique creative talents, their real stories, with different colourful locales, music, and of course me. So don’t miss it. Phir mat kehna bataya nahi,” he uttered.

    While the world has been on a halt ever since the first lockdown was imposed and no doubt film and TV is one of the severely hit industries during this time. During such hard times, it was the urge of going out and traveling which motivated Anand to be a part of this show. 

  • TV and film actor Sidharth Shukla passes away at 40

    TV and film actor Sidharth Shukla passes away at 40

    Mumbai: Popular TV and film actor Sidharth Shukla has passed away at the age of 40. He was admitted to Cooper Hospital on Thursday after suffering a heart attack. The hospital confirmed his death on arrival and post mortem and police procedures are underway, according to a PTI report.

    Shukla made his TV debut on the Hindi show “Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na” in 2008. He has appeared on shows like “CID” and “Love U Zindagi”. He is best known for his appearance on “Balika Vadhu” where he played the lead.

    Shukla has also made several appearances on reality TV including shows including “Jhalak Dikhla Jaa 6″, “Khatron Ke Khiladi 7″, and “Bigg Boss 13″.

    He made his film debut with Dharma Productions’ “Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania” where he played a supporting role.

    The actor was last seen in Ekta Kapoor’s “Broken But Beautiful 3” in which he played the role of Agastya.

    He is survived by his mother and two sisters.

  • Content evolves, but the heart of storytelling remains the same: Boman Irani

    Content evolves, but the heart of storytelling remains the same: Boman Irani

    New Delhi: Almost two decades after making his debut in the Hindi film industry, renowned actor Boman Irani is now all set to don the writer’s cap for his first movie as writer-director. “Writing is the way to go,” says Irani emphatically, as he begins to share his vision of filmmaking on the first day of the Content Hub 2021.

    The three-day mega event being organised by Indiantelevision.com began on Wednesday, with a series of insightful sessions with producers, writers and directors, and brand representatives, who shared their thoughts on the evolving media and entertainment industry.

    In a fireside chat with Indiantelevision Group founder and CEO, Anil Wanvari, Irani shared his thoughts on the new-age of content, and how it has influenced the craft of film-making. “We are on the threshold of a big bang of OTT. There has been an evolution. However, the storytelling, the heart of it, kind of remains the same, with a certain amount of originality,” says the noted actor, who won the audiences’ hearts with his portrayal of Viru Sahastrbuddhe in 3 Idiots.

    According to Irani, the content may evolve, but it will continue to be created by the same age-old principles of writing. “It will always boil down to good writing,” he smiles.

    Irani forayed into films in 2003 after spending years doing theatre – from where he drew most of his knowledge as an actor. Unlike movies, where actors are mostly focussed on their scenes, a theatre teaches one to look at the entire visual piece. “You can only make an impact as an actor, if you know the piece that you are working on. What is it saying? If you don’t empathise with the entire piece, then by the time your scene comes, you realise nobody is really paying attention. That’s what theatre does. It teaches you to be there for all the scenes,” he adds.

    After delivering some of the finest performances in movies like Munnabhai MBBS, 3 Idiots, Main Hoon Na, the noted actor is now also devoting a lot of his time to honing his skills as a writer, and helping other budding writers. He is also gearing up to debut as a writer-director with his first script that has been in the making for the last eight years.

    “It looked beautiful in the first 24 hours, but then I realised something was missing. I had met a playwright in New York, who made me realise that I had got a whole bunch of lovely scenes together, but needed a structure. I needed to weave all those scenes together in the form of a necklace and present it to the audience. I made him my guru,” shares Irani. The playwright he was referring to was Alexander Dinelaris, one of the four screenwriters who won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the 2014 film Birdman.

    The lockdown provided an opportunity to share his learnings gained over the years, with budding writers through virtual sessions, and that led to his special initiative- Spiral Bound. A series of virtual webinars and workshops, where he engages with budding writers and together, they dissect scenes and movies to understand the art of writing a perfect script.

    The initiative that started with four members is now running into its second year, and the team of 400-500 has already completed as many as 375 sessions. Apart from budding writers, there are cinematographers, and production designers who have also expressed keen interest and joined the sessions.

    According to Irani, it takes a robust technique to be a good writer. “It has taken me eight years to understand the power of technique and science. We write with the heart. But everybody has a heart, and a mind, and many people can come up with concepts. But how can you take that concept to a producer and narrate it for two hours. That requires technique. It frees you to think better,” he shares.

    The new age of content has already made content creators realise the tremendous need to evolve. But that transformation hinges on the most crucial element – a well-written script!

    “Now, the scripts will have to be written with a certain amount of momentum, and the entire onus is on the writer. So, if you really want to create content, you need to have writers who have technique in their DNA, who are writing from their heart. Writing is the way to go!” the actor signs off.

    The Content Hub 2021 is co-presented by IN10 Media Network and ZEE5, and co-powered by Applause Entertainment and Tipping Point, the digital content unit of Viacom18 Studios. PTC Network is the supporting partner.

    Centred on the theme – ‘The New Dynamic’, the three-day event will witness insightful sessions with industry stakeholders deliberating on how the new forces are transforming the way content is created and stories are told. It will also delve upon the impact of these changes on the business models for the world of films, TV and OTT.

    For more details, visit: https://www.thecontenthub.in/

  • Sonu Sood named brand ambassador of Krishna’s Herbal & Ayurveda

    New Delhi: Krishna’s Herbal & Ayurveda has roped in Bollywood actor Sonu Sood as brand ambassador following his instrumental role in providing help and support to people during the pandemic.

    Krishna’s Herbal & Ayurveda founder, Shrawan said, “We are so motivated by his actions. In the process of communicating with him to provide any help from us, we were informed that he contracted the virus. To our wonder, he was already using

    All products made by Krishna’s Herbal & Ayurveda are produced under stringent quality control norms following industry best practices, said Shrawan. The brand’s immunity booster Jeevan Sanjeevani Kwath is a herbal juice that must be had with warm water.

  • Biotech firm Mylab signs Akshay Kumar as brand ambassador

    New Delhi: Pune-based Biotechnology firm Mylab Discovery Solutions has roped in Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar as its brand ambassador.

    The molecular biology company is focused on developing tests for human diagnostics, food safety, agriculture, and veterinary. It had recently launched the country’s first Covid-19 self-test kit, CoviSelf.

    The partnership aims at creating awareness about the company’s instruments and kits for laboratories and individuals, including CoviSelf, it said in a statement. According to Mylab, Kumar will play a vital role in educating people about the use, safety, and efficacy of products, thus making people well equipped to fight against Covid.

    “Through this association, I am hoping to support their goals of solving difficult problems in healthcare and empowering every citizen to lead a healthier life. I look forward to a long and fulfilling association with the brand,” said Kumar.

  • Starkut.com – mushrooming destination for talent & opportunity providers

    Starkut.com – mushrooming destination for talent & opportunity providers

    MUMBAI: Starkut.com is probably the first and arguably the best online platform for the media & entertainment industry. It caters to the needs of over 30 different talent professions along with that of opportunity providers.

    For the talent, it is the need to showcase their credentials on a platform that will reach far and wide, the need to network, apply for appropriate opportunities and share updates in text, pictures and video formats.

    For the opportunity providers – that is film production houses, advertising agencies, casting directors, model coordinators, event agencies and corporates etc. – it is the need for posting an opportunity on a robust platform, search and identify the right talent for their projects and managing all of it online.

    Starkut provides a platform for 32 professions, including Actor, Model, Dancer, Singer, Band, Choreographer, Cinematographer, Fashion Costume Designer, DJ, VJ, RJ, Make-up Artist, Musician, Music Composer, Photographer, Stand-up Comedian, Voice-over Artist, VFX Expert and Writer, among others.

    In a very short span, over 7000 talented professionals across all verticals have signed up. Over 70 registered opportunity providers such as feature film production companies, TV-serial and Ad film production companies, advertising agencies, event agencies, casting directors, fashion designer, photographers and others are enjoying the Starkut experience. Over 100 audition opportunities of varied requirements have been posted so far across various regions and languages, and talents are getting short-listed for the same.

    It seems the industry is just loving it, as the subscriber-base is growing in thousands per month and within just a few days of the Android mobile app launch there have been close to 10,000 downloads. Very soon the iOS App will also be available.

    With the launch of the android mobile app, the talents can do many things on the go, such as creating and updating profiles and portfolio, getting real-time audition notifications and applying for opportunities online. Talents can also enjoy features such as posting updates, reading blogs, networking, and sharing Starkut profiles on other social networking sites. 

    In its endeavour to build and nurture a healthy relationship between the various stakeholders in the media & entertainment industry, Starkut is committed towards introducing various innovations. This will be with a vision not just to build a strong bond between talents and the opportunity providers, but also to benefit the entire Indian as well as global media & entertainment industry.

  • Starkut.com – mushrooming destination for talent & opportunity providers

    Starkut.com – mushrooming destination for talent & opportunity providers

    MUMBAI: Starkut.com is probably the first and arguably the best online platform for the media & entertainment industry. It caters to the needs of over 30 different talent professions along with that of opportunity providers.

    For the talent, it is the need to showcase their credentials on a platform that will reach far and wide, the need to network, apply for appropriate opportunities and share updates in text, pictures and video formats.

    For the opportunity providers – that is film production houses, advertising agencies, casting directors, model coordinators, event agencies and corporates etc. – it is the need for posting an opportunity on a robust platform, search and identify the right talent for their projects and managing all of it online.

    Starkut provides a platform for 32 professions, including Actor, Model, Dancer, Singer, Band, Choreographer, Cinematographer, Fashion Costume Designer, DJ, VJ, RJ, Make-up Artist, Musician, Music Composer, Photographer, Stand-up Comedian, Voice-over Artist, VFX Expert and Writer, among others.

    In a very short span, over 7000 talented professionals across all verticals have signed up. Over 70 registered opportunity providers such as feature film production companies, TV-serial and Ad film production companies, advertising agencies, event agencies, casting directors, fashion designer, photographers and others are enjoying the Starkut experience. Over 100 audition opportunities of varied requirements have been posted so far across various regions and languages, and talents are getting short-listed for the same.

    It seems the industry is just loving it, as the subscriber-base is growing in thousands per month and within just a few days of the Android mobile app launch there have been close to 10,000 downloads. Very soon the iOS App will also be available.

    With the launch of the android mobile app, the talents can do many things on the go, such as creating and updating profiles and portfolio, getting real-time audition notifications and applying for opportunities online. Talents can also enjoy features such as posting updates, reading blogs, networking, and sharing Starkut profiles on other social networking sites. 

    In its endeavour to build and nurture a healthy relationship between the various stakeholders in the media & entertainment industry, Starkut is committed towards introducing various innovations. This will be with a vision not just to build a strong bond between talents and the opportunity providers, but also to benefit the entire Indian as well as global media & entertainment industry.

  • Tata Sky targets 16 interactive services by March 2016

    Tata Sky targets 16 interactive services by March 2016

    MUMBAI: It was earlier this month that Tata Sky launched its Actve Fitness service at the hands of Bollywood super star Salman Khan. Targeted at health enthusiasts, it provides fitness and yoga videos produced and curated by Adarsh Gupta’s Brilliant TV and actor Suneil Shetty.

     

    Now India’s leading operator says that it is going to launch one new interactive service every month between now and end FY-2016, to take the total to 16. Currently, it runs 10 such services ranging from cooking to Vedic maths to learning English to Urdu poetry renditions byJaved Akhtar.

     

    Speaking to news agency PTI, Tata Sky CEO Harit Nagpal said that interactive services is a “focus area” for the DTH operator. “Now we are shifting to newer audiences, both in cities and rural areas. We need to add more services relevant to these areas.”

     

    The content of these new services will be relevant to its subscribers, said Nagpal.

     

    Tata Sky has around 10 million active subscribers and has earned the reputation as being amongst the innovative DTH players in India. The interactive offerings are priced anywhere between Rs 0.75 per day to Rs 7 a day, depending on the period and the type of service that the customer subscribes.