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Tag: Anushka Sharma

  • Sultan…….Means Salman!

    Sultan…….Means Salman!

    The name Sultan fits Salman like a T but the tag of underdog? When was the last time the actor essayed the role of an underdog? Sultan is about wrestling and romance where romance is the cause for wrestling as well as the cause to put an end to it.

    Salman Khan has been the reigning superstar of Hindi cinema since his second film, Maine Pyar KIya, but neither he nor people around him took that status seriously as a result of which, nor did his fans. It is since Wanted (2009) that he has reasserted his status as the top draw which his flowing films consolidated. However, the films so far had Salman fighting others’ wars; for example, Ek Tha Tiger was about patriotism, Bajrangi Bhajan had Being Human as the theme. Sultan is purely personal story and cause for which the hero fights.

    Salman is a waster and romps around his small town of Rewari in Haryana with boys much younger than him. If he is good at anything, it is chasing kites floating towards earth after having lost a dual of survival with another kite. His occupation as such is installing TV discs for his decent clients whose dirty minds extend only till Fashion TV and not porn! As would happen with such lads, he is his father’s main worry and grandmother’s apple of her eye! Salman while chasing a kite has his first encounter with Anushka Sharma and, for him, it is love at first sight. She has studied in Delhi, is a state level women’s wrestling champion and aspires to win an Olympic Gold someday. She finds Salman simple and a fun person and accepts his friendship. His dream is soon shattered when Anushka cuts him down to size making him realize that he did not amount to anything and she was only being friendly to him. As all such lads do, Salman decides to amount to something. Seems like in his town, where every second block houses an Akhada, wrestling is the only source or opportunity for a boy to amount to something. He joins one run by Anushka’s father. Thereafter, Salman’s strides are huge and soon is the champ. Now, Anushka is ready to accept him. While both, Salman and Anushka, are preparing to go to the Olympics, Anushka’s dream ends due to her pregnancy. Salman earns the Olympic medal but loses his head in the bargain. He behaves like a star, become arrogant and also misbehaves with people. While Salman is busy pocketing medals, Anushka delivers and loses her baby. The baby was anemic, needed blood of a very rare group which only Salman had. But, he was away, is blamed for baby’s death and Anushka decides to part ways with him. This is strange as Anushka herself is a sportsperson and would be expected to understand why Salman was away. Here onwards, the film tries to incorporate some commercial ingredients for the love story has lost its shine. Anushka has sulked permanently while Salman has a job and raises money to launch a blood bank in memory of his lost child. This is when Amit Sadh approaches him. He runs pro-fighting, a sort of free style, no holds barred fighting which has little to do with wrestling. However, Salman is talked into joining it. Randeep Hooda, a coach with a hangover of being an American coach shown in such boxing movies first refuses and then, seeing that Salman is the hero of the film, agrees to train him. After initial hurdles and taking some punches, Salman masters this fight genre. The last fight is tough so Anushka decides that Salman needs her support and breaks the ice.

    Sultan is a routine story showing passable scripting. The film sags for a long while at places. Direction complies with the script offering no flash of genius. It is only Salman all the way because of whom, the weak aspects are overlooked by enthusiastic initial audience. The film has good music which blends with the subject. For popular appeal, it has a romantic number, Jag ghoomeya…. Dialogue penned for Salman is claptrap. Editing is slack. Cinematography is good. This a Salman film all the way and his very presence is the savior. He has only Anushka to share his burden with as rest of the cast consists of unfamiliar faces. With the Eid week- Salman combine striking once again, Sultan has drawn unprecedented advance booking in a long time. Having opened today (Wednesday) the film should cash in on the festive period till Sunday.

    Producer: Aditya Chopra.

    Director: Ali Abbas Zafar.

    Cast: Salman Khan, Anushka Sharma, Amit Sadh, Randeep Hooda, Parikshat Sahni.

  • YRF launches in-house VFX studio; Pankaj Khandpur named creative director

    YRF launches in-house VFX studio; Pankaj Khandpur named creative director

    MUMBAI: YRF Studios has launched its independent visual effects (VFX) division called yFX.

    yFX has roped in Pankaj Khandpur as creative director. Khandpur was previously with VFX company Tata Elxsi – Visual Computing Labs as creative director.

    The first film under the yFX division will be Yash Raj Films’ Salman Khan – Anushka Sharma starrer Sultan.

    YRF Studios vice president and Yash Raj Films finance and business affairs Akshaye Widhani said, “The Indian film industry is pushing the envelope with every film and visual effects will play a bigger part than ever before in Indian cinema. Like Hollywood films, Indian films too will become an event by itself, which means more effects and larger than life imagery. This state of the art facility will be housed in YRF Studios making YRF a fully integrated studio in every sense of the word.”

    Khandpur added, “With yFX, the Indian visual effects industry finally comes of age! Visual effects will now be treated on par with all the other critical departments in filmmaking, contributing to the process from day one: from the ideation of the script itself, all the way through to final world-class execution, thanks to our experienced, skilled and passionate team of designers, supervisors and artists.

  • YRF launches in-house VFX studio; Pankaj Khandpur named creative director

    YRF launches in-house VFX studio; Pankaj Khandpur named creative director

    MUMBAI: YRF Studios has launched its independent visual effects (VFX) division called yFX.

    yFX has roped in Pankaj Khandpur as creative director. Khandpur was previously with VFX company Tata Elxsi – Visual Computing Labs as creative director.

    The first film under the yFX division will be Yash Raj Films’ Salman Khan – Anushka Sharma starrer Sultan.

    YRF Studios vice president and Yash Raj Films finance and business affairs Akshaye Widhani said, “The Indian film industry is pushing the envelope with every film and visual effects will play a bigger part than ever before in Indian cinema. Like Hollywood films, Indian films too will become an event by itself, which means more effects and larger than life imagery. This state of the art facility will be housed in YRF Studios making YRF a fully integrated studio in every sense of the word.”

    Khandpur added, “With yFX, the Indian visual effects industry finally comes of age! Visual effects will now be treated on par with all the other critical departments in filmmaking, contributing to the process from day one: from the ideation of the script itself, all the way through to final world-class execution, thanks to our experienced, skilled and passionate team of designers, supervisors and artists.

  • YRF casts Anushka Sharma opposite Salman Khan in ‘Sultan’

    YRF casts Anushka Sharma opposite Salman Khan in ‘Sultan’

    MUMBAI: Yash Raj Films has cast Anushka Sharma opposite Salman Khan in the upcoming movie Sultan. 

    The movie, which is slated to release on Eid this year, is produced by Aditya Chopra and written-directed by Ali Abbas Zafar.

     

    Sultan will see Khan essaying the role of a wrestler and the actor has been training with international action director Larnell Stovall for the same.

     

    After being paired opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Aamir Khan in PK, this is the first time that Sharma will be sharing screen space with Salman Khan.

     

  • Aditya Chopra casts Ranveer Singh in ‘Befikre’

    Aditya Chopra casts Ranveer Singh in ‘Befikre’

    MUMBAI: Yash Raj Films’ chairman Aditya Chopra has cast actor Ranveer Singh in his next directorial film titled Befikre. The film’s tagline is – “Those who dare to love.”

     

    Chopra will be donning the director’s hat again after a span of seven years. His last film was Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ in 2008 starring Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma.

     

    YRF unveiled a video that showed Singh on the fourth floor of the studio’s office building. In the video spanning more than three minutes, Singh reveals that he will be part of Chopra’s next movie – Befikre.

     

    It may be recalled that Singh began his acting career in 2010 with YRF’s Band Baaja Baraat, which was directed by Maneesh Sharma.

     

    Chopra made the announcement of his next film on the eve of his father and veteran filmmaker Yash Chopra’s 83rd birth anniversary on 27 September. According to Chopra, Befikre is his “riskiest” and “youngest” film.

  • Zee Cinema HD to premiere ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’

    Zee Cinema HD to premiere ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’

    MUMBAI: It’s raining movie premieres on television and the latest one that will soon have its world television premiere is Dil Dhadakne Do, which is directed by Zoya Akhtar.

     

    Zee Cinema HD will premiere the movie on 19 September at 8 pm. 

     

    Shot across the Mediterranean Sea on a cruise ship, the film stars Anil Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra, Farhaan Akhtar, Anushka Sharma and Shefali Shah. Additionally, the film has narration by Aamir Khan.

  • Pantene appoints Anushka Sharma as brand ambassador

    Pantene appoints Anushka Sharma as brand ambassador

    NEW DELHI: Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma is the face of the “new and best ever” Pantene (#AnushkaforPantene).

     

    Sharma said, “I love experimenting with my hair! Whether it’s my current wob, or a fringe cut or colouring my hair, but with my busy schedule and hectic lifestyle, my hair is exposed to a lot of chemicals, styling treatments and worst of all pollution, dust and heat.”

     

    “When Pantene approached me with what they claimed to be the new and best ever Pantene, I had my doubts – is this new Pantene really the best ever? Will it give me my desired hair? Well I had to put it to test and I was definitely surprised! After using Pantene, I have to admit I saw a change in my hair. My hair looked visibly healthy and felt so soft! And what’s more? I saw these results almost immediately. From the first wash itself I felt it works from within. My hair just soaks it all up and over time I’ve noticed how my hair has gotten stronger, shinier and more manageable. The new best ever Pantene has given me my best ever hair – which is stronger inside and shinier outside,” she added.

     

    Sharma has been known for her natural beauty and style of experimenting.

  • Star Gold HD to premiere ‘Bombay Velvet’ on 25 July

    Star Gold HD to premiere ‘Bombay Velvet’ on 25 July

    MUMBAI: Star Gold HD, continues to deliver as promised, an elevated television experience with yet another star-studded World Television Premiere of Bombay Velvet on 25 July, at 9:00 pm.

     

    With a stellar star cast comprising of Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Karan Johar, Bombay Velvet is a film about jazz clubs, a passionate love story, a growing metropolis and a phenomenal hunger for a good life.

     

    Directed by the acclaimed filmmaker, Anurag Kashyap, Bombay Velvet is a period crime drama film which is a tale of an ordinary man’s journey who goes against all odds and forges his identity to make it big in the city of dreams. Set in 1960s Bombay, the film tells the story Balraj (Ranbir Kapoor), a street fighter who is in love with the jazz singer Rosie. To become rich and woo Rosie, Balraj impresses a wealthy businessman Kaizad Khambatta (Karan Johar) who offers him to manage his club “Bombay Velvet”. The suspense unfolds as the dark secrets of the illegal tasks and activities of the club get disclosed. Stay tuned to find out how each character is related to the club and the on screen chemistry between Johnny and Rosie.

  • Sony LIV to premiere Aamir Khan’s ‘PK’

    Sony LIV to premiere Aamir Khan’s ‘PK’

    MUMBAI: Sony LIV, Multi Screen Media’s (MSM’s) digital video entertainment brand serving and streaming content both on mobile & web, is all set to bring the movie that created history.  An exceptionally well crafted movie ‘PK’ directed by Rajkumar Hirani will be premiered on 22 June onwards for a week at Sony LIV app and web. So now one can watch their favorite movie end number of times for free!

     

    Cinema lovers and Aamir Khan fans now have the chance to delve into the rib-tickling histrionics of the lovable alien played by the superstar as he questions the religious dogmas and superstitions that plague India. With Anushka Sharma, Sushant Singh Rajput, Boman Irani, Saurabh Shukla, and Sanjay Dutt in supporting roles, viewers will journey with PK as he makes satirical observations about the peculiarities of human behavior and beliefs.

     

    So whether you missed the film on the silver screen or you’d like to immerse yourself in its comical moments and applause-worthy dialogues all over again, don’t forget to tune into Sony LIV!   

  • Dil Dhadakne Do: Alas, not the box office registers

    Dil Dhadakne Do: Alas, not the box office registers

    MUMBAI: Dil Dhadakne Do is a sort of Page 3 of a high end Delhi group of Punjabi families; just about every family having a bunch of not very glorious secrets. It is kind of Nukkad (a very popular, classic TV serial that captivated the Doordarshan audience between 1986-88). This serial brought together characters from a chawl settlement together at the street corner and told their stories. 

     

    Dil Dhadakne Do brings together a group of some upper-class Delhi Punjabi families together on a cruise ship; only here, even as this friendly group demonstrates bonhomie and love, each one is hiding a dagger behind the back. Bitching and backstabbing is the way of life here. Because, just about every participant in the jamboree represents a dysfunctional family.

     

    Anil Kapoor is a self-made man rolling in millions. His favourite pastime is to tell and retell his success story.  His wife, Shefali Shah, like all such rich men’s wives, has little to do except deck up and meet with the wives of other such rich men. These women thrive in bitching about and badmouthing anyone of them who is not around. Anil has pinned all his hopes on his only son, Ranveer Singh, whom he expects to take over as the next boss of his company. He has married his daughter off to Rahul Bose, a Mumbai businessman. 

     

    The group has internal jealousies and enmities, all hidden behind a mask of smile. All the women know whose husband is having an affair with whom but are never willing to accept stories in their own backyard.

     

    Imagine what can happen when a horde of such couples come together on a cruise for a fortnight with nowhere to escape. 

     

    Despite his ego and posturing, Anil is on the verge of bankruptcy. He can’t repay loans to banks, his products have become substandard. He urgently needs to infuse funds to save his enterprise and, more so, his face in the ‘society.’ However, this does not stop Anil from putting on a show. Though he or Shefali are never seen communicating without rancour, if at all, he decides to celebrate his wedding anniversary on a cruise ship, all expenses paid by him for all his friends.

     

    Anil’s two friends, Parmeet Sethi and Manoj Pahwa, are sworn enemies and the initially discarded Parmeet needs to be added to the list of invitees, feels Shefali. For Parmeet is loaded. His only daughter, Ridhima Sud, has been humiliated when her prospective fiancé failed to attend their engagement ceremony. It was headline news in Delhi Times, it is said (a Times of India subsidiary, Junglee Pictures happens to be the partner in this film venture with Excel Entertainment). Hence, it is tough to find another suitor for her despite Parmeet’s riches. After all, marriage market is not OLX. 

     

    But, Anil has a plan. He counts on a barter with Parmeet: Ranveer as a dulha for Ridhima against 49% stake by Parmeet in to Anil’s sinking company to salvage it. But, in matters of heart, business deals don’t figure. While Ranveer has already fallen in ‘love at first sight’ with Anushka Sharma, a contracted singer/dancer on the cruise ship, Ridhima has found her mate in Parmeet’s sworn enemy, Pahwa’s son, Vikrant Massey.

     

    More skeletons come out of the closet as Priyanka declares she could never come to love her husband, Bose. In fact, she still has the hots for Farhan Khan whom her father sent to US to study to keep him away from her. Anil’s business tours were all about his womanising. Farhan is the son of Anil’s manager and not quite a match for Priyanka in Anil’s society. But, to add to the drama, he arrives on the cruise too to grace the occasion and add some life to it.

     

    The young ones prove to be smarter than their elders as they make a pact. Ridhima spends her nights in Vikrant’s cabin while Ranveer spends his with Anushka but Ridhima and Ranveer agree to pretend to be in love. The deal almost materialises as Ranveer’s engagement will be announced with Ridhima against Parmeet’s buying of 49% stake in Anil’s company. To use the social media phrase, ‘it’s complicated’!

     

    Come out of the mess they all do, I mean writers and director with an easy solution that all such films adopt: everybody sees sense suddenly and it is QED!

     

    Dil Dhadakne Do risks filling the screen with numerous characters but you never figure out who is what, especially to Anil and his family or in the story; in a while you stop caring. Except for a concerned few of them, none of the character is defined or explained. The script is loose and the director takes a 1970s art film approach like filming inconsequential scenes endlessly. Also, in an unsuccessful attempt to justify the horde of characters, limelight jumps from one character to another abruptly. 

     

    What kind of script have you worked on where a lot of the story is in verbal narration and, not funnily, told by Anil’s family dog (voice of Aamir Khan)! The first half looks warped in a balloon; even if the film moves a bit in the second half, it is partly and haphazardly towards the end. Dialogue is mundane.The editing needs a second go. Music as in songs are no help. Background fails to pace up the proceedings. Visually, the film is good. 

     

    Nobody really has a role to make an impact. However, Ranveer and Priyanka emerge the best triers. Anushka’s romantic pairing with Ranveer is a miscast and against public perception. Anil Kapoor’s character is sketched as an illogical one… with his throwing a lavish cruise party while facing bankruptcy to his shouting spree at his grown up children don’t make sense. Shefali is convincing. Farhan is good and so is Vikrant. Rest fill the bill.

     

    Dil Dhadakne Do is an expensive project by all standards with a cast not known to justify such a cost besides being limited in content. Its theatrical take home will be limited to a great extent.

     

    Producers: Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar with Junglee Pictures

     

    Director: Zoya Akhtar

     

    Cast: Anil  Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma, Shefali Shah, Farhan Akhtar, Rahul Bose, Ridhima Sud, Parmeet Sethi,Zarina Wahab, Vikrant Massey, Mohan Pahwa, Aamir Khan (as Pluto’s voice)