How and why did you choose to rap?
I was born in Kurla, and grew up in Sahar with my family before my mother left for a job in the Middle East. I then moved in with my grandmother who lived in JB Nagar. My introduction to hip-hop was through a t-shirt. This friend of mine was wearing this shirt with 50 Cent on it. I was curious so I asked him who was that, and he gave me this CD which had maybe 70-80 songs on it. I heard all the songs. 50 Cents was the rage and it was the coolest thing I had heard. I started digging deeper, I would sit in cyber cafes to learn as much as I could about hip-hop. I realised that 50 Cent wasn’t even among the coolest! Tupac, Biggie, Nas, Eminem. I learnt their songs. They wrote about the world around them. It wasn’t pretty, much like my life.
I learnt more about hip-hop and writing rap when I met Abhishek Dhusia (Ace) and Amey Patkar (AP), founders of the city’s first rap crew — Mumbai’s Finest. I was about 17-18. In those days, people were active on Orkut. We had online communities like Insignia Rap Combat, who would participate in online text rap battles.
My first solo song was released in 2013 — Voice of the streets. It had lyrics like “born in the gutter, raised by a single mother”. I would write my own rap but it never felt convincing till I switched to Hindi. It was only when I started writing in Hindi that I was able to translate my thoughts into words effortlessly. In 2014, I released Yeh mera Bombay which had lyrics in Hindi and English and that racked up like one lakh views in a few months, and won me an award. That’s when I knew hip-hop was where I belonged.
How difficult is it to be a rapper?
People either didn’t know or understand hip-hop, or would assume that it’s about booze or girls or violence. I didn’t sing about any of that. I wrote songs about my neighbourhood, my friends and my life. People in the rap scene understand what goes into writing a verse, what flow is. Most importantly, if you’re authentic, people will respect you.
Would you agree that rap culture in India has come of age or do we still have a long way to go before we can catch up with the West?
Hip-hop is a form of storytelling that exists all over the world. There are certain elements that make it. But the beautiful thing about it is that you can adapt it to whatever language you want. I rap in Hindi because it helps me reach a wider section of people, it makes my story and the listening experience more authentic. The Indian hip-hop scene is documenting the 21st century in a way that books did.
Why is it that rappers choose words that are a bit crude or should we say swear words?
Well, a lot of rappers write songs about what they see, what they hear. Yes, a lot of hip-hop is also about violence and women and booze. But hip-hop came from the streets and life on the streets isn’t polite and clean.
Would you agree that rap that has found its way into Bollywood is different from hardcore rap of today? What is the difference?
Punjabi rap has been around in Bollywood for a long time, and that was the style they adopted every time a movie needed a party time. But Gully Boy is the story of hip-hop in Mumbai, and how the city was essential to its growth.
Do you think Gully Boy will help promote rap in India?
It might help people understand what hip-hop is. it will introduce new names and new sounds to people. That is a definite plus. But beyond that, I’m curious myself to see how this pans out. I know that Zoya (Akhtar) has spoken about how she hopes Gully Boy will shine a light on the indie music industry. Maybe it will help new and exciting talent shine through.
Writer & Courtesy: The Pioneer
Actor Akshay Kumar has showered artist Kriti Sanon with words of praises, for recreating the famous song Ye Khabar Chapwado from his film Aflatoon.
The recently released “Poster Lagwa Do” song from Kriti Sanon’s album “Luka Chuppi” showcases the actress shaking a leg to the remixed version of the original 90’s chartbuster.
Akshay who is not only the original actor of the song but also Kriti Sanon’s co-star in their forthcoming film Housefull 4, gave a thumbs up to the actress for her version of the song. Akshay had also earlier given a shout out to Kriti ahead of the song release.
Kriti will be essaying the role or Rashmi who is caught in an awkward situation as her live-in relationship with Kartik Aaryan in the film.
Impressing the audience with her bubbly yet rebellious character as Bitti in Bareilly ki Barfi, Kriti Sanon garnered immense appreciation for her small town avatar.
The actress now gears up for her first release of the year with Luka Chuppi.
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Writer: Team Viva
The song “Stupid Saiyyan” from Why Cheat India, grabbed the eyeballs of many for many reasons. Artist Prabhjee Kaur speaks with SHALINI SAKSENA about the debut song and how her sister helped her when the tide was high.
Tell us about yourself.
Music has always been part and parcel of my life since I was a child. To begin with, I used to sing Gurbani with my siblings, then graduated to singing songs of Bollywood legends. Slowly, my interest in music developed. After singing for years, we never realised when and how the switch to singing professionally took place. But at one point in life, we all wanted to be singers.
Did you take training in music?
Yes, we took lessons from Ustad Puran Shah Koti from Jalandhar.
Are all your siblings playback?
You may be aware that my elder sister is already part of Bollywood. She has sung songs like Bolna from Kapoor & Sons, Akh Lad Jaave and two songs in the movie Simbaa. My other siblings are also playbacking and very soon you will hear them as well.
You debuted with Why Cheat India. What kind of response have you got?
It was very smooth. I got so much love from the industry. It feels great to be part of such a film. I feel blessed. From the time that I understood that I wanted to be a professional singer, I wanted to give the industry my best.
Did you face roadblocks or did your sister help smooth the path?
It helped that she is part of the industry. I learnt so much from her struggle. I had a ring side view of what she went through. She has been an inspiration for me.
What has been your parents’ reaction?
They are very happy and all of us have made a mark in the industry. Maybe if one of us was not singing, they would have pushed for another profession. But the fact that all of are doing what we love has made them happy. They wanted us to pursue our dream.
Are there challenges for newcomers?
You need to have luck with you. I sent voice samples to music directors — some took note, others ignored it. I was lucky that Krsna sir (Solo) took note of the message and voice samples that I sent him. He liked it and asked me to meet him. I got a positive feedback and got my first song. Now that I have a Bollywood song to back me up, it has become easy to get my work recognised and get noticed by others. My life was easy but other have it tough.
How did you manage to deal with no response?
When I would sent a message and not get a reply, I would get sad. But my sister was a pillar for strength. She would encourage me and tell me that my time would come.
Is there competition among you siblings?
No, not at all. We are so much in sync with each other. If you listen to all of us sing together, it is one powerful voice. We are three sisters and one brother. We encourage each other.
Are the four of you working on a single?
The digital platform is great for artists with talent. We are all working on something which we can do together.
What are your plans for the next year or two?
I would like to get as many studio songs as possible. I feel that it is important to make a mark as playback before going to live performances. If my studio life is good, I will get more stage shows.
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Writer: Shalini Saksena
From Bollywood project such as Dangal, Guru or Neerja to Hollywood films such as Bohemian Rhapsody, which has been nominated for Academy Awards in five categories – biopics have been loved by one and all. SHALINI SAKSENA speaks to stakeholders to find if it’s the ultimate formula for success.
We have seen it all. From movies on sportspersons (Mary Kom and MS Dhoni) to politician (Thackeray) to businessman (Guru) to social worker (SP Chauhan) to a warrior’s journey (Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi) to even a dacoit (Bandit Queen and Paan Singh Tomar), the Indian film industry has churned out great biopics in the last couple of decades. The subjects have grabbed the eyeballs and therefore filmmakers are now looking for subjects and profiling men and women from everyday life.
Sushil Kumar Agrawal, CEO Ultra Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, tells you that India has always been historically rich in terms of stories, rulers, patrons, warriors and the various struggles it had undertaken to fight both the foreign a well as internal tyrannical rulers and the world has been in awe of the nation’s colourful history even today.
“Indian cinema, for all these years, has portrayed those tales illustriously. Many films exploring these topics had been commercially successful. Being nostalgic journeys, these tales are constantly inspiring and giving us insights into nuances we were unaware of. There is a huge set of youngsters there who over and above reading about the history in textbooks will benefit a lot watching it getting depicted on the screen and understand the opulence of the rich and the varied folklore and culture India had. Filmmakers nowadays have a special affinity for historical films. Historical films definitely will and always have a market and patronage. Case in point is the success of these films in the past two years and the 2019 and 2020 promising us gems like Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, Panipat, Kalank, Taanaji, Kesari and Takht,” Agrawal says.
Shariq Patel, CEO of ZEE Studios, tells you that it is not just India where there is a market for biopics, globally too there are takers. “Increasingly, people like to see people stories. In this context, we have been seeing movies like Manikarnika… which has done very well. In the past, there was Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Mary Kom. Uri has done well, though not a biopic but inspired by true events. There is a market for films on the big screen for subjects that we may have read in history books and in the newspapers. There is an innate desire to see a dramatised version of the subject which can entertain and be informative as well,” Patel explains.
Even internationally, we have movies like Social Network to Bohemian Rapsody, they are all related to real life characters. These movies resonate with the audience because there is already an underlining fan base and connect.
Despite reading about these characters either in books or read about them in the newspapers, the reason for the fascination of watching a movie of them is because we are curious on how it will be dealt with on the 70 mm screen.
“There is something about watching the protagonist struggle and a hero emerging. Or it could be related to wanting to know behind the scenes of making a film on Queen (Bohemian Rhapsody). Wanting to know the relationships between the four band members. There is an increased value. ‘I have read it, now want to see it’,” Patel says and agrees that it is similar to watching The Jungle Book or even Cinderella.
“That is why films based on books are doing so well too. It is someone’s interpretation of the book. It is a great source for cinema — if you have not read it, then movies is a great way to dive into them. If you have read it, then to just see how it can come alive,” Patel says.
He tells you that it is not just the CGI or the props that are part and parcel of biopics. “It depends on the subject matter. “For example, in Manikarnika…, if one was showing the battlefield, people come to watch the visual spectacle. But if it is a movie like Mary Kom, besides whatever they did in terms of boxing, there were no props. It was a single girl’s journey which was fairly simple when compared to Manikarnika… where everybody enjoys the recreation of the past,” Patel says and opines that each biopic comes with its challenges.
“Take Manikarnika… for example. The battle that she is known for is the battle she lost and escaped from with the child tied at the back from Jhansi to Gwalior. This scene is what has caught our imagination — the imagery of her leaping off — which is the more grandeur battle that the battle at the climax where she dies fighting. Even Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. We have heard how he lost the Olympic medal because he looked behind. This was done with right at the beginning. The challenge is to then take the movie forward intelligently and engaging for the audience. Hence, a lot of creative liberties are taken and can be taken given the subject,” Patel Says.
A prime example of this is Bohemian Rhapsody where an interesting infographic has been made related to which song came out first and which concert was done when and where. This is not what is shown in the film. The main idea here is not to be chronologically correct but to entertain and give a gist of what happened. The challenge is what to show, what not show, how much to dramatise and getting the costumes correct. To ensure that if it is a period film, to get rid of the roads and the electrical towers down to the minutest details like the pens used during that time.
“Risks are involved when it comes to each movie not just biopics. The biggest is when it comes to making a biopic on the person who is living so that it doesn’t become like an ode to that person. Since the person is alive, a lot of negatives and positives have to be taken into consideration so that the person doesn’t come across as a shallow person and the living person has to approve it. This is where creative problem crop up. That was the problem with Azhar. A lot of criticism came because even though he was exonerated, he was flawed. If mistakes were done, they should have acknowledged. A film should be as true to life as possible,” Patel explains.
Atul Mohan, editor of Complete Cinema and a trade analyst tells you that the fascination for biopics stems from the change in the storytelling pattern. “The taste of the audience has changed. They are looking for content that is inspiring and finds a connection that is realistic. The old kind of cinema will not work. They want larger than life cinema or biopics and are not fictionalised,” Mohan says and tells you that at best a biopic can have 15-20 per cent dramatisation.
“Like in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, it had a fictional story in the form of a song. Even MS Dhoni… was fictionalised to keep the interest of the viewers till the very end. Otherwise, it would end up like Sachin: A Billon Dreams,” Mohan says and is quick to point out had any other movie been made on the lines of Sachin… would not have worked.
“Therefore, it makes for a viable formula for filmmakers to pick up a biopic subject that is inspiring and be well made,” Mohan says.
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Writer: Shalini Saksena
Saimi Sattar sat down for a chat with Actor, Anil Kapoor, who will be seen next in Total Dhamaal.
Actor Anil Kapoor Kapoor is conversing with the chef and asks him to send some meethi chutney to accompany the really delicious Delhi samosas. Eating fried, oily snacks is quite contrary to the idea of the actor’s diet, who seems to have drunk from the fountain of eternal youth, but he lets us in on his mantra. “The body is like a bank balance. It needs a certain number of calories to run. If you’ve burnt more calories and eaten less, then you have the bank balance which can be withdrawn when it is needed. Today is one such day when it is okay to indulge myself,” says the actor, who, except the fine lines and creases here and there, looks not a day older too when he had made his debut in 1979.
Dressed in all black, he is promoting his new film Total Dhamaal, where he reunites with Madhuri Dixit, his popular co-star of the 90s. “It has been a long career. I have been quite lucky. And there is the bonus of being able to work with beautiful girls like Madhuri,” he guffaws.
As to what kept him invested in the adventure comedy film, he tells us, “First of all, I laughed reading the script. That did it for me. This is an ensemble cast and the biggest advantage is that the entire film is not on your shoulder, which reduces the pressure. As a result, we enjoyed acting in the film more and did better. This is also apparent in the trailer and people are liking it,” he says. And the subject of mature romance worked well for him and Madhuri. “When you are younger, you can take the pressure because you are fresh, the songs are great and as a pair, you are also looking good together. We are not Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. We should stay in our auqat.”
Of course, he points out that there are other factors that prove to be clinchers. “The script, director, co-stars, producers, distributors, and the money make me decide,” says the 62-year-old. But whichever genre he is working in, preparation is essential. “In today’s time when the stakes are so high, every detail including performance, dialect design, art, and clothes have to be prepared in advance. If you are prepared, your work will be faster, easier and better.”
Having worked in comedy franchises quite a bit, Kapoor believes that the foremost role is played by the writers. “Only a few people can work on punches and understand them in a manner that it works pan-India, with people from villages to those in the cities, students, children, intellectuals. The dialogues should make everyone or at least 70 per cent of the population laugh. These days there is a surfeit of comedy for various categories of audience, be it TV, YouTube and even stand- up acts. So in a film, you need to add scale and adventure. We have got in an animal farm like scenario in Total Dhamaal, which is not possible in a TV show, for instance, to make sure that people feel that they’ve got their money’s worth,” he says.
Kapoor feels there are as many styles of comedy as there are directors, writers and actors. “Chameli ki Shaadi was situational. Indra Kumar does a combination of situational, gags and physical comedy. Similarly, Priyadarshan is different and so is Rohit Shetty or the old guard like Basu Chatterjee and Hrishisda. Directors need to have a sense of humour inherently and that makes a difference. Their thinking, the way of writing and the editing can make a comedy work or fall flat. The physical comedy that Jim Carey does was fantastic. The way Ben Stiller works is different. Steve Martin, Mehmood, Kishore Kumar traverse similar territory. Amitji is more poker and physical while Govinda and Johnny Lever have their own streetsmart way of executing it. Coming to the writers, the kind of comedy that was penned by Kader Khan was distinct.”
Kapoor is categorical that if the writing is flat, then even a Charlie Chaplin or Laurel Hardy cannot make a script work. “Gags have to be well-written and thought out. When the writing is good, it is easier for the actors,” he says and goes on to give the example of American show Modern Family as brilliantly written.
We rely on his experience to talk about the progression of content in cinema and inevitably talk revolves around Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga. “The audience is evolving. The educated, sensible youth of the country are exposed through the internet and are engaging with sensible content.” And he loves the next generation. While most actors do not like carrying work back home or vice versa even when they have spouses or parents from the industry, Kapoor has no qualms admitting that shooting with his daughter Sonam was a blast. “During the shooting of Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, we were preparing for marriage and in between shots we discussed everything related to it,” he says of the film which she suggested to him. Even earlier, while choosing his international outing Slumdog Millionaire, it was his son Harshvardhan, who pushed him. As for his much-acclaimed TV series 24, he went with his wife Sunita’s gut feel. “When we started 24 about seven to eight years ago, I had trouble explaining to people that there can be a season and a daily soap is not necessary. I had to convince the producers that we could pitch it well for TV and if the casting was good with mainstream actors like me, then people would accept quality content on Indian TV. I wanted a certain amount of money because I knew I couldn’t make it in a lesser amount,” he recalls as he keeps his fingers crossed for a third season of the show.
The fast-paced show won a lot of fan following. “Some people even said it should be slowed down because it was so edge-of-the-seat,” he says. But there are other problems too while shooting in the series format as opposed to a film. “There are 24 episodes which represent an hour in one day. While the films are for two hours, the content that we needed for each episode is 40 minutes which adds up to 20 hours for the entire season. That means 10 films in a year! It was strenuous and a roller coaster ride. Sometimes we even worked for 18 hours.”
Besides the content, another way that Kapoor has seen the industry change is the way it treats women. He believes that #Metoo has changed the work environment. However, he believes, “I was fortunate to work in films where there was a healthy atmosphere. Whether it was my Telugu debut as Bapu in Vamsa Vruksham (1980) or with MS Sathyu with whom I was a part of Kahan Kahan Se Guzar Gaye, our assistants and newcomers were women. In Parinda, Renu Saluja was the editor and she controlled everything. Much later in Ayesha, Rhea was the producer and she was 21. On the sets of Veere di Wedding, I had to look for a boy as there were 50 girls. In this film, the photographer is a Japanese girl. We are consciously creating an atmosphere.”
Courtesy: Pioneer
Writer: Saimi Sattar
A marriage of convenience has ensued between Politics and Bollywood ever since the business of ruling over the mass consciousness and creating a narrative wave became profitable. And no political party, be it the Congress and the BJP at the national level, or the regional parties, has been immune to fronting them for some shiny piece of propaganda. Of course, much water has flowed from when parties sought the help of celebrities during campaigning to draw in the crowd, using them to publicise social welfare programmes or including these ideas in nation-building films to now giving them party tickets and on them winning, gifting bonafide Ministries. Of course, everybody leverages celebrities to galvanise support and grab eyeballs. Or as someone like George Clooney said while working assiduously on the genocide in Darfur, “Celebrities can help focus news media where they have abdicated their responsibility. We can’t make policy, but we can ‘encourage’ politicians more than ever before.” But if a latest sting operation is to be believed, then more than 30 Bollywood celebrities, including biggies like Jackie Shroff, Kailash Kher and Vivek Oberoi, have allegedly been caught on camera for agreeing to promote not only the agenda of parties on social media platforms but even make controversial and inflammatory posts on their social media handles in exchange for money ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and create a certain environment. Quite the polar opposite of the ambassadorial role that Clooney has mentioned about.
The celebrities, most of them second rung TV and film stars, agreed to tweet content on various issues to be provided to them before posting the same on their social media handles and make it look as their own. And given the fan following of even TV stars in a flat world these days, the hit value is a harvestable option for marketers. The sting showed how they would allegedly defend the government even on controversial issues and fatal accidents such as bridge collapses. They were even willing to sign a dummy contract for endorsement of products to disguise the real nature of the proxy political campaigning that they were willing to do. Not only that, while some agreed to share their PAN number and banking details, most preferred cash, clearly oblivious of the efficacy of digital India or black money-free drives. The fees have been astounding too, from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 50 lakh per message, going up to Rs 20 crore for an eight-month contract. There is nothing wrong in getting paid for endorsement but getting paid to endorse mindlessly and without a conscience is a new low. And while fans on social media, post the expose, commended Vidya Balan, Arshad Warsi and Raza Murad, for not falling into the trap, fact is being on the right path is not about heroism at all, it is the most normal reaction to be expected of celebrities, who are making easier money these days through endorsements, live shows, writing books and delivering lectures on life lessons. The trouble with Bollywood is that it has, by virtue of many allied businesses of its leading lights in such diverse areas as sports, begun to believe it can influence policy in every sphere. But the fact is if we use them as sources of insight on political issues, then we are more likely to be misled than finding the truth. Hopefully, the Indian voter is still mature enough to see through such orchestrated shenanigans.
Courtesy & Writer: Pioneer
Gully boy
*ing: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt
Rated:5/10
If one doesn’t have any angst in life; if they are a chilled out person without any rage or resentment, would they still relate to Gully Boy? If one is past the age for rap and the anger and aggression it spews have become things of the past, will they like Gully Boy? Most probably not and definitely not in the long form that Zoya Akhtar presents the story of a rapper.
Despite the realism around youth frustrations and existential problems of the not so rich Dharavi populations, the film stretches the limits of storytelling much too farther than required. Despite Ranveer Singh’s stellar performance, the monotony of his journey gets to you in ways that it should not have.
The entire culture of rap, we understand, is largely underground (why I wonder) and encompasses all the negativities of growing in a modern unequal ills-ridden society.
As Murad, whose cubicled and claustrophobic existence complements his push to the entire rap scene budding in the depressing alleyways of the slum, Ranveer delivers well. He is aptly irreverent, simmering with potent anger, portrays the frustrations in a menacing and contained manner.
And yet the film has gaps that stare at you with queries writ large on the efficacy of such a long film sparsely sequenced.
Coming to the lyrics and the film’s anthem Apna time ayega showcases the rage hallowed with hope and reconciliation with the circumstances as are the other rap contests that brought out the applause from the youngsters in the hall.
Overall, the film could have been shorter, better sequenced and more happening, despite the crackling chemistry that Ranveer shares with his friends, his music and his girlfriend Alia Bhatt, who incidentally is the sunshine in this dark and unforgiving film.
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Writer: Meenakshi Rao
Celebrated comedian Kapil Sharma to host host Bollywood heartthrobs Madhuri Dixit and Anil Kapoor on his show, on the upcoming weekend. The star cast of Total Dhamaal will be seen on show to elevate the laughter levels. During her chat with Kapil, Madhuri talks about the large heartedness of MF Hussain and how great a person he was, who had no inclinations for materialistic pleasures. She also shares an interesting story when she was in Denver.
“I was in Denver and Aryan was just born. So, one day, Hussain Saab called me and expressed his desire that he wants to paint me in the role of a mother as he has seen me acting, in the role of a heroine and now he wants to see me in the role of a mother and how I take care of the house and the child. He came to Denver carrying a small roll-away bag, seeing which I asked him if I need to get his baggage collected. He mentioned that he isn’t carrying any baggage and the roll-away bag is all he has got. He didn’t waste any time and started planning on going out to get a canvas and start off with the painting to which I asked him to relax and rest during his stay. To which Hussain sahab said aap mujhe punishment de rahi hai, relax karne ko bol kar, jab main paint karta hoon to main relaxed rehta hoon. I gave in and told him that we need to get canvas as well as paints, but he pointed towards his bag and said that paints are all here. I was a little surprised to see that the only bag he was carrying was full of paints, so I asked him about his clothes to which he said ye shirt pehna hai aur pyjama.
Arjun to host kitchen champion
Food is always a serious business! To spruce up the afternoon slot with some great cooking and an unlimited dose of entertainment, COLORS gears up to treat its viewers to an all-new season of Kitchen Champion season 5. Known to bring popular celebrities under one kitchen for a cook off, COLORS’ homegrown cooking show has a major line- up of celebrities who will be joined by one family member.
Hosting the show will be Arjun Bijlani. Having successfully hosted his first show — Dance Deewane, Arjun is ecstatic at being part of a show that will not only help him taste various delicacies from the kitchen but also share the screen space with kids who will be judging the show. Being a foodie Arjun loves experimenting with various cuisines. He exclaims, “My new found love for anchoring has got me really excited about hosting Kitchen Champions.
Being a hardcore foodie, I’m part of the group who lives to eat. The concept of Kitchen Champion entices viewers of all generations as they watch their favorite celebrities cook traditional recipes. Since the show will have celebrities as contestants, the cook-off is going to be intense. The best part is the panel of judges, we all know how tough it can get to please kids. Everyone who knows me is aware that I love playing with children and I get along very well with them, therefore I’m sure this will be an enriching experience.”
Cute and quirky lil’ champs
Zee TV’s singing reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs is back with its 7th season and is all set to entertain the audiences. The upcoming Mega audition episode will give the show its Top 16 contestants who have left behind the shackles that restricted their dreams and delivered impeccable performances setting them on a path of accomplishing their goal of becoming the next Li’l Champ.
This time the Li’l Champs decided to do something fun and quirky as the top 16 contestants curated a special video where they recreated Ranveer Singh’s super hit rap song Apna Time Aayega from the film Gully Boy. Just like the mantra of this season #MusicSeBadhengeHum, Gully Boy embodies the same philosophy about music being one of life’s key propellers that help you grow and channelise your creative energy towards achieving your dreams. Through innovative twists to the lyrics such as Tu singer bankar aaya tha, kya medal leke jayega, the contestants bring alive their journey on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa in a unique and fetching manner.
Moreover, this is definitely the cutest version of Apna Time Aayega that we have heard. Kudos to the Top 16 contestants and we are excited to see what they bring to the table with their upcoming performances.
riddhima gets rohit’s swag
Television’s popular actress, Riddhima Pandit has set a benchmark in Khatron Ke Khiladi 9 by performing the stunts with utmost confidence and grit. As she’s been taking on tough challenges, Riddhima has been coming out as one of the toughest contenders of this season.
The host, Rohit Shetty, is always seen encouraging and motivating the contestants with his quirks. In one such instance, Rohit Shetty promised Riddhima that if she does a stunt he thinks she cannot do and is successful, then he would gift her his personal glares which she was fond off. And this did not take long, as she impressed the stuntmaster in one of the task named ‘Catapult Net Jump’.
After her impressive stunt Rohit gifted Riddhima his glares, that he was wearing and it did not took Riddhima too long to try the glares on herself.
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Writer: Pioneer
Roma’s story is a reflection of director Alfonso Cuarón’s childhood memories. Read on as the man himself shares some insights on the project with Team Viva.
Roma is a beautiful film. How did you not go crazy planning every detail?
I did go crazy (laughs). Even the crew had gone crazy. Nobody knew what was there in the screenplay. I wrote a very precise script but no one had it. We shot the film in a chronological order so that the crew could learn it day-by-day about the film’s story.
So the actress who played Cleo had no idea what was going to happen? Not to give spoilers for anyone but that scene is so heartbreaking.
No, she didn’t know. Without ruining it for anyone, she doesn’t know how to swim.
The movie is stunning and moving at the same time but at the crux of it, it’s such a traditional story. What made you want to do this?
Everything comes out of my memory of Libo. She is one of the women who raised me. I decided to shoot at the places where it happened. I made people dress in the same way how they used to dress. The same cars were kept which used to be in our streets. Every extra looks like the neighbours. If the places didn’t exist anymore, we recreated them.
The lead character, Yalitza Aparicio apparently didn’t even think she was going to audition for this role. Is that true? Is she an actor?
No, she had just finished her school to become a teacher. She was not really interested. Her sister made her give the audition for the film. She came to Mexico to meet me but she didn’t know who I was so she had browse the web to know about me. She didn’t believe it was me because apparently I was healthier in the photographs. She was amazing in the film and when I offered her the role. She said, ‘I don’t have anything better to do so let’s do it’ (laughs).
How personal is this project to you?
I had the story in my mind for a very long time but in 2006, I seriously considered doing it and I am happy that I did. I don’t think I had the tools at that point. I am not just talking about the technical aspect but also the emotional sensibility to do it. But it is very personal. In a way, 90 percent of the scenes come out of my memory.
Considering Mexico city doesn’t look the same anymore, how difficult was it to recreate that period?
It was very difficult. That’s our testament to Eugenio Caballero, our production designer. It was a real challenge. The important thing was to make the memory work. We had references and photographs but more than anything it is the memory that brings all the details like the little cracks in the walls, the objects that were used. The challenge for Eugenio was to bring real occasions back to period. We shot in most of the original places and transforming some of them. Mexico is a big city but it also has a third world which has no urban setup. For one scene, we had to produce around five blocks of the city, where Eugenio Caballero had reproduced the same kind of avenue, wedding dress shop, cinema, and even pharmacy. Everything was identical.
Why did you choose to do it in black and white?
It was a part of the DNA of the film. When I decided to make the film, I didn’t want a nostalgic black and white. I didn’t want a period film.
We shot 65 mm in digital so it was in black and white that could not have been done at that time. It’s a very pristine grainless black and white. It’s a very contemporary photography to look into the past.
(Oscars will air on February 25 at 6.30 am on Star Movies and Star Movies Select HD.)
Writer: Team Viva
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Receiving an Oscar is a dream for every actor. As the who’s who of the world film industry come together under one roof to celebrate this moment, the sheer excitement of the event often leads to some of the most memorable Oscar moments for the world remember. As the stakes run high, the event lends itself to moments that consist of thrill, anxiety and anticipation even among the highly cautious celebrities. Very often, their rare moments of candour, sometimes heartwarming and often hilarious, go on to become some of the best water cooler conversations for years to come. Read: pizza fiestas, celebrity selfies and red carpet faux pas.
Truly a world event, the Academy Awards, now in its 90th year has enjoyed some of the most iconic moments and here are some of them.
Which actor would refuse the movie industry’s heftiest honour? Well, here’s news – the legendary Marlon Brando would and that too for a very unexpected reason.
Instead of attending and collecting his statue in 1973 for his gut-wrenching role as Vito Corleone in The Godfather, he decided to boycott the event altogether and send the Native American civil rights activist Sacheen Littlefeather to the podium instead. While there, she read a letter from the actor that explained why Brando was rejecting the Oscar – due to “the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry.”
Not only did Brando’s rejection of the Oscar go down in history as one of the most memorable moments of the awards’ history but this incident has been etched onto the minds of audiences because The Godfather, a legendary film, saved Brando’s career from hitting a point of no-return.
Hattie McDaniel had broken many stereotypes when she won the award for her portrayal of Mammy, a slave in the Georgian plantation in the classic film — Gone with the Wind. For the 1940 awards, she was made to sit at the back due to segregation and in an irony her Oscar win ensured that she came to the front and on-stage to receive the award. It also paved the way for many more people of colour to be nominated and even win thereon.
Hearts were shattered world-wide at the shocking demise of one of Hollywood’s most iconic and versatile actors. Heath Ledger not only captured the true essence of every character that he portrayed but introduced quirks that became iconic and memorable. The Joker in The Dark Knight was one such role and it came as no surprise that he won the award for best supporting actor posthumously at the 2008 Oscars ceremony. His daughter going on-stage on his behalf to collect the award didn’t leave a dry eye in the auditorium, or for that matter anywhere in the world. Undoubtedly, this was and has been one of the most heart-wrenching moments in the awards’ history.
Winning an Oscar is every director and producers dream and when they make movies, they hope their hard work will get acclaim. But Paul Haggis was left truly stunned when his movie Crash ended up winning the best film at the Oscars over everyone’s favourite and critically acclaimed movie Brokeback Mountain. Jack Nicholson, who was the presenter of the award, was shocked when he opened the envelope. This moment went on to prove that the outcome of the world’s most esteemed film award ceremony can never be predicted.
Winning an Oscar can be overwhelming and mar one’s sense of judgment. While, every Oscar Winner is given exactly 45 seconds to make their Oscar Speech, for Cube Gooding Jr it fell short by a minute. The star won his first Academy for his portrayal of sportsmen Rodney ‘Rod’ Tidwell in the romantic comedy Jerry Maguire in 1997 and over shot his 45 second timeframe by a minute when he continued his speech over the Orchestra.
Though Hattie McDaniel was the first black recipient of an acting Academy award, it was Halle Berry’s win in 2002 for her role in Monsters Ball that was the first ever for the coveted title of ‘Best Actress’, won by a woman of colour. Her heart-warming speech had diversity at its crux.
What happens when you get a world famous comedian and a dozen movie stars in one frame? A social media meltdown. When Ellen Degeneres invited few of the nominees and winners for a selfie and posted it on her Twitter handle, it resulted in the in a temporary breakdown of the social media site it was retweeted over 3.4 million times. A memorable world-event that many audiences around the globe have saved on their smartphones or systems.
Winning the award for Best Actor is a dream for most but for Leonardo Dicaprio, it remained a dream for far too long, despite his path-breaking and multi-faceted performances. After being snubbed five times over a period of 23 years as his first Oscar nomination was at the age of 20, the actor was finally called on-stage to collect the golden statute for his performance in The Revenant. The speech that he delivered was nothing short of magic and went down in Oscar history to become more important than the actual win.
A blooper is what made this one memorable. The film, La La Land not only won hearts around the world but also went on a winning spree at the 89th Academy Awards. So, it was not a surprise when they were asked to come on-stage to collect the most sought-after title of ‘Best Picture’. Only this time around, they didn’t win.
When the entire cast and crew of the movie came on-stage to give their speech, award presenter Warren Beatty clarified that it was an incorrect announcement and went on to declare that Moonlight, was the winner that night. While everyone laughed it off, the shock that came with the second announcement has cemented itself as one of the biggest goof ups yet and is right up there in the most iconic moments in the 91 years of Oscar history!
Writer: Team Viva
Courtesy: The Pioneer
They say theatre is a reflection of society, no matter where it comes from or the characters who are in the spotlight. The stage can have multiple interpretations and sides to it, depending on a director’s perception. While the 20th Bharat Rang Mahotsav celebrates theatre and its various colours, the international directors are showcasing their culture and their perceptions of the world, theatre and arts, with “An Iliad” bring one of the most anticipated presentations to be made in the event.
Most of them feel that the space has been very ‘well-worked upon’ to showcase the best of drama. “I am still learning, but it is appealing to see the festival’s extravaganza and how wide it is. It’s very well organised and has turned out to be exactly the way that we had imagined a grand theatre festival should be,” says director Guy Roberts from Czech Republic, who is a first-time visitor to India.
As he recreates Homer’s greatest epic Iliad as An Iliad with Rebecca Greene Udden, he talks about how he focuses on the story of fighters, Achilles and Hector, which is told from a poet’s point of view. This is the character of Homer himself. “He is here to tell the story of the Trojan war and about rage, anger and hatred and how we cannot get past that. It is a modern take on how fights have been going on since forever. It just gives a reference of the wars that collide with the ancient epic of the Greeks and Trojans,” shares he.
He explains that the play has moments of both traditionality and modernity, “There are moments in the play where I act out the traditional text and sometimes where I explain it in a very easy-to-understand modern language.”
A theatre is a just a play of characters, or so believes Roberts. Since his play is a depiction of an after-war destruction scene, he says that this could be anywhere and fought over anything. “It is not just about the Greek war, it examines the human nature through the two characters. People are the same all across the world. It could be today’s Syrian war, or a civilian war in some other country. The play is everywhere and nowhere, all at the same time,” says he.
For him, it’s simply storytelling that makes all the difference even if one is devoid of any costumes, stage or props. He feels that “they have the simplest show but sometimes even being simple could be the most difficult thing.” So there is only a small team of five people who are both on stage and at the back.
While Roberts feels that theatre examines the human nature and tries to “present” the reality to the audience, director Sara Zaker from Bangladesh also believes that it “reflects” that part of the society which is in front of people but they don’t accept readily.
Zaker, who adapts Dario Fo and Franca Rame’s The Open Couple at the festival, feels that theatre is important to make the society realise that there are things that are important and need to be delved into deeply rather than simply overlooking them.
Her play is a story of a couple where the husband has multiple affairs. This disturbs the wife to such an extent that she tries to kill herself each time that she finds out about his newest affair with a different woman. She says that in our society polygamy has been very prevalent. “It has had a vast historical background, not just in Bangladesh but universally. There have been kings who have had numerous wives and partners. Here, everytime the man has an affair, he tries to pacify his wife by saying that she was at a liberty to do the same,” says she.
The director says that “it was time we articulated our thoughts about the polygamous relationship that permeates all levels of society.”
Even though the original play had been written during the early 1980s, she feels that what makes theatre special, “is that it is timeless. It depends on the narrative and the message that it tries to portray. It’s not time-specific. It tries to show how the couple’s relationship is not functioning well and that is true with many others as well.”
The husband, in her play, tries to comfort his wife by telling her that they could call it an open relationship and even she could go out looking for affairs. He soon finds out that his wife has fallen in love with another man and is furious just like she used to be. The play, Zaker tells us, ends with a gunshot after the husband goes inside the bathroom. “No one knows whether he really died or he was pretending. It’s open to the audience’s interpretation and the way they perceive it. However, I wanted to give a substantive message to the audience which they could take back,” says she.
It’s the first time that she is showcasing at the festival and Zaker feels that they have displayed “excellent professionalism. The festival’s arrangements are enough to inspire you to tell your story with complete determination. They give a time which we have to follow. We had given them all the architectural measurements for our props and explained the way they had to be constructed. And indeed, they were exactly what we had wanted. There are so many plays and each of it is given equal importance. It’s a wonderful experience.”
About how theatre has evolved over the time, she says that it hasn’t become a regular activity or as a medium of survival and livelihood. She says, “That way, we are not doing good. Either it will have to become a medium of business and go places. If one looks at Bangladesh, it’s not something that provides bread at the end of the day. One can’t survive just by acting.”
While Roberts feels, “Theatre is becoming more and more technically advanced with gadgets coming into the space. But theatre will always be about people sharing a space and experience. It happens only for that moment and then it goes away, hence it’s very unique.”
Writer: Chahak Mittal
Courtesy: The Pioneer
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