‘Heart of Stone’, Netflix’s new thriller starring Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt and Gal Gadot has brought out every critic’s stone heart. The spy thriller about an international secret agent who must use all means to protect the mysterious MacGuffin known as ‘Heart of Stone’ has been slammed by critics for its generic plot and poor performances with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 4.9/10.
Variety called the film “joyless, convoluted, and sludgy-looking” as well as a “degraded descendant of Bond thrillers”. Their review described the film as a laborious two hours long weary form of bloat without a plot and an endless chain of events filled with action sequences.
Mashable wrote that the film has glaring similarities with Tom Cruise’s ‘Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part One”, calling it a “flimsy action knock-off” and also said that the assemble of the star-studded cast, including ’50 Shades Of Grey’s” Jamie Dornan, failed to charm owing to a bad script that gave them little content to start with.
Giving it a meagre 2/5 stars, Indian Express wrote that Alia Bhatt’s talent had been wasted, as this was the Bollywood actor’s debut Hollywood project- pointing out how she was minimised when her talent could have been utilized better. Their review futher criticised the film’s poor dialogue and overuse of character’s talking in cliche’s like “You know what you signed up for”, and, “Behind you!” or the limited ways their roles were fleshed out throughout the film.
To masterfully execute romantic lip-syncing song for the first time in her career, actress Alia Bhatt sought tuitions from the King of Romance himself, Shah Rukh Khan.
At a special event held for the release of ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani’, the actress said director Karan Johar encouraged her to reach out to Shah Rukh Khan, because she was nervous about shooting the song ‘Tum Kya Millay’.
When she called up the Bollywood Badshah, the actor decided to give her and his daughter, Suhana, tuitions on the complicated art of lip-syncing.
“I was going back to shoot after a couple of months. First time I was doing a full lip-sync song after Ishq Wala Love. There was nervousness in me. I was discussing with Karan and he said, ‘Why don’t you call Shah Rukh up, maybe he will give you some tips.’ So I called him up to talk on the phone. I just wanted to understand because nobody lip-syncs like him.
“He said, ‘Tu ghar aaja.’ Suhana also was wanting to learn this toh dono saath mein tution kareinge. I went and I was there for 2-3 hours,” the actor said.
The ‘Gangubai’ actress hilariously recalled how at the actor’s Mannat house, the trio kept going over the song over and over again to get the lip-sync right. By the end, even Shah Rukh himself knew the lyrics to ‘Tum Kya Millay’.
“There’s this whole lip sync portion which Shreya Ghoshal has sung beautifully. The video of that extended version we will release shortly. It was quite fast and I was getting quite hyper. But the way he (Shah Rukh Khan) broke it down. He made me download some app. He said, ‘Baar baar karo.’ He had also learnt the song by the end of it. It just shows how generous and large-hearted a man he is. He is so wonderful, always willing to help.”
Karan Johar really knows how to mess with die-hard Bollywood fanatics and long time lovers of SRK. The filmmaker dropped the video for ‘Tum Kya Mile’ from his upcoming film ‘Rocky and Rani KiI Prem Kahani’. The visuals were awfully familiar to the classic song ‘Suraj Hua Maddham’, another Karan Johar classic which featured Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.
Karan Johar declared back in 2022 that Ranveer and Alia were the new Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, but Twitter stepped up with receipts to counteract his claim.
A Twitter user Ria Chopra went viral on social media when she shared a screenshot from the music video to point out how Alia flipped her hair, but Ranveer was cringing back from her, completely destroying any potential romantic aspect the film was claiming to champion.
“Exact second I realized this Rocky Rani song is NOT IT is this moment when Ranveer visibly cringes back to avoid Alia’s hair from hitting his face… in a true filmi romance the hero would allow her hair to hit him…. maybe even throw in a deep sniff… this is not my Bollywood.”
exact second I realized this Rocky Rani song is NOT IT is this moment when Ranveer visibly cringes back to avoid Alia’s hair from hitting his face… in a true filmi romance the hero would allow her hair to hit him…. maybe even throw in a deep sniff… this is not my Bollywood pic.twitter.com/6B66r22UwE
The 90s generation who grew up daydreaming that a guy would re-create the iconic ‘Suraj Hua Maddham’ have a bone to pick with the one responsible for this film.
went to university of suraj hua madham and flunked out on the first semester with a cgpa of 1.5 https://t.co/5iDhJZrImq
Yash Chopra, who invented the sari girl and highneck sweater guy in the snow fantasy, is rolling in his grave.
Everything about that song & music video is stale. Arijit needs to give us a break from his voice. Ranveer’s hair looks awful. Alia doesn’t fit into the Yash Chopra ‘sari in the snowy mountains heroine’ mould. “Aayi Hai Tumse namkeeniyan” is not a lyric but a slogan for Haldirams
— كاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكاكا (@kookykarthik) June 28, 2023
The Indian film news site ‘Moviefied Bollywood’ has reported that Priyanka Chopra has walked away from the anticipated female-led film ‘Jee Le Zaraa’, costarring Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt, after inordinate delays.
The site has also reported that Anushka Sharma and Kiara Advani are being considered for the role.
Since the post went viral on social media, fans are jumping in to recommend their ideal Bollywood actress to do justice to the role, with the majority of people wanting to see Deepika Padukone in the role.
Chopra had taken to Instagram in 2021 to announce the film ‘Je Lee Zaraa’ which was inspired by the idea of having an all-girls movie which would celebrate friendship, and then she had later shared this idea with her two real-life close friends Alia Bhatt and Katrina, who had agreed to come on board.
The most anticipated awards in Bollywood. the IIFA awards, took place in Dubai with a lot of celebration and joy. The creme de la creme of the Indian entertainment industry showed up dressed to the nines, including celebrities like Hrithik Roshan, Salman Khan and Farah Khan.
There were entertaining performances with Hrithik Roshan shaking a leg with Vicky Kaushal on his 90’s hit ‘Ek Pal Ka Jeena’, Anil Kapoor’s captivating opening speech, Abhishek Bachchan and Kaushal driving audiences to hysterics with their infectious energy and charisma.
Among the films that won accolades at the festive night, ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ reined as the star of the evening as Alia Bhatt walked home with the Best Actress award while Hrithik Roshan was awarded Best Actor for his performance in ‘Vikram Vedha’.
Here is a complete list of the winners from last night:
Best Actor: Hrithik Roshan for ‘Vikram Vedha’
Best Actress: Alia Bhatt for ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’
Best Actress In Supporting Role: Mouni Roy in ‘Brahmastra Part One: Shiva’
Best Actor In Supporting Role: Anil Kapoor in ‘JugJugg Jiyo’
Best Director: R Madhavan in ‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’
Best Original Story: Jasmeet K Reen and Parveez Sheikh for ‘Darlings’
Indian filmmaker and television personality Karan Johar marked 25 years of working in Bollywood with an Instagram post celebrating some of his best films throughout the years. In the accompanying caption, he expressed his gratitude to all those who had supported him in the journey and shared a video of some behind the scene clips from famous films like ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum’ and ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’.
“Nothing but gratitude for the magical 25 years I have spent in the director’s chair. I learnt, I grew, I wept, I laughed – I lived. And tomorrow, another piece of my heart will be yours to see and I could not be more ecstatic as I celebrate my birthday with you all. With a kahaani that has prem written all over it.”
Met Gala is considered as fashion’s biggest night of the year, with celebrities coming out in droves wearing the most elaborate costumes.
The event is hosted by the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour, and is actually a fundraiser benefit for the Metropolitan Museum Of Art’s Costume Institute. Each year a new theme is decided upon for invitees to adhere to.
This year, the Met Gala theme was ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty’ which was a celebration of the life and career of the late German fashion designer, who was the head of Chanel.
Celebrities from all over the world came to celebrate the occasion with wild and creative choices that definitely ensured that the biggest night of fashion lives up to its name. We had some old faces making a comeback, Bollywood stars who graced the red carpet and even some of Lagerfeld’s own muses who made an appearance.
Let’s go through all the biggest stars of the night and what they had worn to celebrate the occasion:
Bollywood starlet Alia Bhatt made her debut wearing a dreamy white gown designed by Prabal Gurung, which was embroidered with pearls. In her Instagram post, the ‘Gangubai’ actor wrote that her look was inspired by supermodel Claudia Schiffer’s 1992 Chanel bridal look.
The ruler of the fictional lanf of Genovia and queen of our hearts, Anne Hathaway, was the star of the evening with a stunning Versace gown, which was decorated with swarovski crystals and paired with a coin necklace by Bulgari.
But what makes the Met Gala live up to it’s name is that there is no strict dress code demanding beautiful gowns and polished appearances, with attendees allowed to go as wild as they want with the theme.
Actor Jared Leto decided to wear a full animal suit, honoring Lagerfeld’s beloved cat, Choupette.
Rapper Lil Nas X took a creative spin on the theme with his bold look: wearing a metallic colored thong and covering his body with silver paint, along with embellished jewels and pearls on his face and neck.
Among the A-listers were also some of the iconic super models of the 90’s, who had opened and closed for the late German designer’s fashion shows. Super model Naomi Campbell, who had began working with the late German designer when she was 16 years old, chose to wear a salmon pink silk sari from Chanel’s spring/summer 2010 collection.
Iconic 90’s supermodel and actresss Devon Aoki made her debut at the Met Gala along side with designer Jeremy Scott, wearing a custom Moschino designed by him.
Aoki had been famously hand-picked by Lagerfeld to be the ‘Chanel bride’, his choice ‘it girl’ who would close out Chanel couture shows.
Famous sports figures had also shown up dressed to the nines to celebrate the glamorous night.
Tennis legend Serena Williams attended the Met Gala alongside her husband Alex Ohanian, wearing a custom Gucci gown, where she also announced that she was expecting her second baby.
Tennis champion Roger Federer, who was also one of the co-hosts of the night, made a stunning comeback after attending last in 2017. He had worn a sleek black tuxedo paired with black sunglasses, and posed at the event with his wife, Mirka.
The 68th annual Fimfare awards took place yesterday with several A-listers like Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal gracing the red carpet and Salman Khan playing host. Some of the biggest winners of the night were ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ and Baddhai Do, the two films that walked away with the most awards. Here is a list of all the winners from last night:
Best Actress: Alia Bhatt for Gangubai Kathiawadi
Best Actor: Rajkummar Rao for ‘Badhaai Do’
Best Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali for ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’
Best Actor In Supporting Role: Anil Kapoor in ‘Jug Jug Jeeyo’
Best Actress in Supporting Role: Sheeba Chaddha in ‘Badhaai Do’
Best Screenplay: Akshat Ghildial, Suman Adhikary and Harshavardhan Kulkarni for Badhaai Do
Best Dialogue: Prakash Kapadia and Utkarshini Vashishtha for Gangubai Kathiawadi
Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt made it to the cover of Vogue India’s May-June 2023 issue. In the accompanying interiew, the star opened up about rumors surrounding her dramatic weight loss, and addressed pressure to snap back in to shape after giving birth.
The ‘Brahamastra’ actor announced the birth of her and Ranbhir Kapoor’s daughter, Raha, in 2022. Bhatt talked to Vogue about the pressures society places over mothers to revert back to their old bodies after giving birth:
“I wasn’t hard on myself because I was so proud of what my body had done when I delivered Raha. I know everyone believes that I lost weight unnaturally but the truth is that I can’t even get my wisdom tooth extracted at the moment since I’m breastfeeding and can’t be given anaesthesia. Many folks are under the impression that individuals who work in the visual medium do unnatural things to their bodies to get back in shape post-delivery. That’s why I felt like it was important to document parts of my fitness journey on Instagram. I didn’t put any pressure on myself. The doctors advised me to only push harder in my workouts post 12 weeks, and I did that.”
In December 2022, the ‘Darlings’ actress shared a picture of herself performing yoga, urging mothers to keep listening to their bodies and to never be hard on themselves after what their bodies had gone through:
To my fellow mamas, listening to your body post delivery is key. Do NOT do anything your gut tells you not to. For the first week or two during my workouts, all I did was breathe… walk… find my stability and balance again (& I still have a long way to go). Take your time – appreciate what your body has done. After what my body did this year I have taken a vow to never be hard on myself again. Childbirth is a miracle in every way, and giving your body that love and support that it gave you is the least we can do.”
Describing herself as a healthy person to Vogue, Bhatt said that she worked out six days a week, but during post-partum recovery, she refused to check her weight to avoid getting pressurized by unrealistic expectations.
“I avoided checking my weight every day like many people do when they work out religiously. I would step on the scale maybe once in two weeks. You need to be consistent and let change happen at its own pace. My mother-in-law even made me those gond ke laddus which I ate for six weeks. People need to understand that putting on weight during pregnancy is not a result of eating too much; it’s because you’re making life inside you and that life needs that extra weight. It has to be in sync with your BMI, of course, and you should consult a professional if you have questions but you’re supposed to put on a certain amount of weight. It’s completely okay!”
Along with taking care of her own mental health and well being, Bhatt revealed that she ensured her newborn’s mental well-being was her biggest priority, a process that included diswoing the stereotype that a crying baby is an unhappy baby:
“As a new mom, you don’t want your baby to even frown; you just want them to be happy all the time. But I’m very clear about not having anyone tell Raha that she shouldn’t cry. Nobody should pacify her by saying, ‘Don’t cry, you’re a good girl’. I get very upset about that. Just because she’s crying, doesn’t mean she’s a bad child. Her tears help me understand whether something is wrong. Crying is good. Crying is communication. And sadly, that goes away with time because the minute you start talking, crying becomes something to be embarrassed by. Even as adults, crying is your body’s way of saying that something is up and you need to deal with it.”
On Saturday, a clip of the Bollywood power couple Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor went viral over social media in which they were spotted arriving at the house of late screenwriter Pamela Chopra, who had passed away recently. A clip posted by Indian entertainment page Viral Bhayani showed Kapoor picking up Bhatt’s sandals and placing them inside the doorway, a gesture which has divided the internet.
This simple but moving gesture did win over some parts of the internet, who felt that the ‘Tu Jhooti Mein Makkar’ actor was being a gentleman by taking care of his wife’s shoes.
Ranbir Kapoor was trynna put Alia’s slippers inside so that others could pass easily & they don’t accidentally step on ‘em. It was a sensible act— not romantic & not for publicity & yes everyone went inside w their shoes on! Y’all really need to think out of the box sometimes fr.
However, not everyone agrees, with some users slamming Kapoor for insulting religious beliefs by placing Bhatt’s sandals right in front of the mandir, rather than leaving them outside.
Others trolled Kapoor for staging such a move in an attempt to stop the backlash to his recent comments about his wife. During a press conference, Kapoor had received criticism for complaining that the ‘Gangubai’ actress talks a lot.
