Tag: Bollywood

  • ‘Tandav’: A weak script saved by brilliant performances

    ‘Tandav’: A weak script saved by brilliant performances

    Amazon Prime’s latest Indian web series Tandav has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. After the show opened to poor reviews by critics, it sparked outrage among the Hindu right-wing for depicting Lord Shiva in poor light. Protests were arranged and threats were issued against the cast and makers of the series (police had to be stationed outside Saif Ali Khan’s house), forcing them to issue an apology. They later also agreed to remove the objectionable parts in view of rising unrest.

    However, despite the poor reviews and immense backlash, the show continues to trend and with good reason – the foremost being that the show is extremely binge-able. The episodes are short, crisp, and fast-paced. Though the plot is weak and predictable with the makers trying to fit in too many issues in just nine episodes – dynastic politics, the race for the seat, farmers’ protests, and the student protests’ – the mindblowing performances will make you forgive the producers.

    Anuradha

    Saif Ali Khan was amazing as the manipulative and ruthless Samar Pratap as was Dimple Kapadia as the power-hungry Anuradha Kishore. Let me just add that Kapadia owned every scene she was in, her screen presence was that good. Sunil Grover’s performance as Gurupal, Samar’s henchman was enough to send a chill down your spine.

    Gurupal

    Zeeshan Ayub did complete justice to his role of a morally upright and ambitious student Shiva and won audiences with his flawless performance. Playing a role like this in India’s current political climate requires guts and Ayub shone in it.

    As far as the show’s plot is concerned, there are two parallel stories running – on the one hand, we have India’s ruling party and their internal politics and quest for the Pradhānamantrī‘s ‘kursi’ and on the other, we have young students rallying for their rights and those of the farmers, who have been evicted from their land. Trouble brews when the two worlds collide and that’s what the gist of the series is.

    Director Ali Abbas Zafar, in an official statement, clarified that “Tandav is a work of fiction and any resemblance to acts and persons and events is purely coincidental” and that’s how one should also take it. While the series does appear to have been inspired by real-life incidents, it is also imperative to keep in mind that creative liberty has been taken.

    It would be pertinent to mention that some scenes of the series have been shot at Saif’s ancestral home, Pataudi Palace. This is also the first time shooting took place inside the historical palace.

    In an interview, Saif had shared that though he doesn’t mind renting the grounds of the property, he was a “little bit nervous when the crew moved inside”.

    I would also like to add here that several viewers had expressed that they found the background score to be overpowering, I felt it complimented the mood and overall setting of the show.

    Tandav is no Rajneeti but it isn’t all that terrible either. Watch it for the performances, drama and masala.

  • Sushant Singh Rajput memorial fund set up for students aspiring to study astrophysics

    Sushant Singh Rajput memorial fund set up for students aspiring to study astrophysics

    On Sushant Singh Rajput’s 35th birth anniversary i.e. January 21, his sister Shweta Singh Kirti has announced that a scholarship programme has been set up for students aspiring to study astrophysics at the Department of Physics at the University of California in the United States.

    “I am happy to announce that on the 35th birthday of bhai, a step has been taken towards fulfilling one of his dreams,” wrote Shweta on social media.

    “The Sushant Singh Rajput Memorial Fund of $35,000 has been set up in UC Berkeley. Anyone who is interested in pursuing Astrophysics at UC Berkeley can apply for this fund.”

    “Grateful to the Angels who made it possible,” she added.

    Sushant fascination and interest in science and space is no secret. The actor, who was the owner of the highly advanced Meade 14’’ LX-600 telescope, had even bought a piece of land on the moon in the region called the ‘Mare Moscoviense’ or the ‘Sea of Moscovy’. In an interview, his co-star Bhumi Pednekar revealed that Sushant would carry his telescope to his outdoor shoots so he could see the stars everywhere.

    Earlier, Sushant’s family had announced that they would set up a foundation in his name – the Sushant Singh Rajput Foundation. It would honour his memory and legacy by providing support to young talents in cinema, science and sports – three fields that were close to Sushant’s heart.

    Shweta also wished her late brother by sharing baby pictures of him and their mother.

    “This smile can melt every heart. Happy Sushant Day,” said Shweta. “Happy Birthday my little brother. I hope you always stay happy wherever you are! Love you.”

    Besides the fund, it has also been reported that a road in south Delhi will soon be named after Rajput as the area’s civic body has cleared a proposal for it.

    Read more – Sushant Singh Rajput’s death has highlighted India’s frantic press and the inside world of Bollywood

    Meanwhile, Sushant’s friends, colleagues and other members of the entertainment industry including Kriti Sanon, Preity Zinta, Rajkummar Rao, Kiara Ali Advani, Parineeti Chopra and Shraddha Kapoor celebrated the late actor’s life by sharing photographs, memories and moments from his life.

  • After ‘Tandav’, case filed against ‘Mirzapur’ for ‘damaging social harmony’

    After ‘Tandav’, case filed against ‘Mirzapur’ for ‘damaging social harmony’

    A case has been filed against the producers of Mirzapur, as well as Amazon Prime Video, for allegedly hurting “religious, social and regional sentiments” and “damaging social harmony”.

    As per the reports, the complainant, Arvind Chaturvedi, has alleged that the Amazon Prime Video show hurts religious, social, and regional sentiments and damages social harmony. Chaturvedi also claimed that the series has hurt religious beliefs and feelings by focusing on abusive and illicit relationships. It is pertinent to add here that Chaturvedi is a local journalist, who has also written a book on the life of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    The makers of the superhit web series have also been accused of spoiling the image of Uttar Pradesh (UP).

    An FIR has also been reportedly filed against Mirzapur producers Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, and Bhaumik Gondaliya. They have been charged under IPC sections 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or reli­gious beliefs), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the IPC along with sections of the Information Technology (IT) Act.

    This is not the first time that the show has found itself embroiled in a controversy. Last year, a day after its release, Mirzapur’s MP Anupriya Patel had also demanded action against the show.

    In a tweet on October 24, 2020, MP Anupriya Patel had written that under the leadership of PM Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the city of Mirzapur has shown development and is “a centre of harmony”.

    The complaint against Mirzapur comes days after an FIR was lodged against the makers of Tandav. The recently-released show is facing backlash for its portrayal of Hindu Gods and it has been alleged that the show depicts them in a poor light. Several BJP leaders have called for a complete ban on the show.

    Tandav creator Ali Abbas Zafar on Tuesday announced that the cast and crew of the show has decided to implement changes in the series in order to pacify viewers who have been hurt because of the content.

    Zafar shared an official statement from the cast and crew of Tandav on Twitter and asserted that the team had no intentions to hurt or offend the sentiments of any caste, race, community, or religion.

    “We have the utmost respect for the sentiments of the people of our country. We did not intend to hurt or offend the sentiments of any individual, caste, community, race, religion or religious beliefs or insult or outrage any institution, political party or person, living or dead,” read the statement.

    The team also thanked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for guiding and supporting them in the matter.

    “We thank the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for guidance and support in the matter. We once again apologise if the series has unintentionally hurt anybody’s sentiments,” it added.

    Earlier on Monday, the cast and crew of the political-drama had extended their apologies to the viewers for “unintentionally” hurting their sentiments.

  • Fresh allegations of sexual misconduct emerge against Sajid Khan

    Fresh allegations of sexual misconduct emerge against Sajid Khan

    More than two years after Sajid Khan was first accused of sexual harassment and misconduct, Sherlyn Chopra has leveled fresh accusations against the Bollywood filmmaker, alleging he had flashed his genitals in front of her and asked her to feel his penis.

    Recounting an incident that took place back in 2005, the Indian actress wrote, “When I had met him in April 2005, a few days after my father’s demise, he had taken his penis out of his pants and had asked me to feel it. I remember having told him that I know how a penis feels like and that the purpose of my meeting with him was not to feel or rate his penis.”

    Sherlyn went on to say that she is not accusing him but disclosing facts, adding that their phone record is proof of the incident.

    “It’s not an accusation but the disclosure of a fact. Our phone records of the past may be checked regarding the same. After flashing his penis, he had not only asked me to touch it and feel it but also asked me if I had ever seen a penis as well endowed as his.”

    She further said: “I was emotionally broken at the time as in early April 2005, I had lost my father, late Dr Prem Sagar Chopra. A few days after my father’s demise, I was called for a meeting by the filmmaker. Little did I know that the meeting would be centred around his penis!”

    Later, when a Twitter user asked why she did not file a complaint about her own experience, Sherlyn replied: “He has the ‘superstars’ of Bollywood to vouch for his ‘character’. It’s my word against theirs.”

    Chopra’s “disclosure of facts” come days after BBC released Death in Bollywood. The three-episode documentary series traces the mysterious death of late actress Jiah Khan who allegedly died allegedly by suicide in 2013. It has only been released in the United Kingdom for now.

    In the second episode of the series, Khan’s sister Karishma made explosive revelations, saying that Khan subjected her sister to sexual abuse. She alleged that the filmmaker had asked Jiah to remove her top and bra while shooting for Housefull movie. The film also featured prominent actors such as Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Riteish Deshmukh, Arjun Rampal, Lara Dutta, Boman Irani, Randhir Kapoor, Chunky Pandey, and Malaika Arora.

    Jiah is the sixth woman from the showbiz industry to have accused the director of sexual misconduct.

    Read more – Mariyam Nafees shuts up man looking to ‘buy sex’

    Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar, in 2019 had said that he would work with Sajid if he is acquitted.

    “I don’t know exactly what has happened in his case but if everything goes well and if he is acquitted, I will surely work with him in the future,” Kumar had said.

  • ‘Tandav’ makers issue ‘unconditional apology’ after series sparks outrage

    ‘Tandav’ makers issue ‘unconditional apology’ after series sparks outrage

    The cast and crew of Amazon Prime show Tandav have offered an “unconditional apology” after the political drama was accused of hurting Hindu sentiments. The official apology was tweeted by the creator of the show Ali Abbas Zafar.

    “Our sincere apologies,” read the statement. “We have been closely monitoring viewer reactions to the web series Tandav and today during a discussion, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has informed us regarding a large number of grievances and petitions received on various facets of the web series with serious concerns and apprehensions regarding its content hurting the sentiments of the people.”

    “Tandav is a work of fiction and any resemblance to acts and persons and events is purely coincidental. The cast and crew did not have any intention to offend the sentiments of any individual, caste, community, race, religion, or religious beliefs or insult or outrage any institution, political party, or person, living or dead.”

    “The cast and crew of Tandav take cognizance of the concerns expressed by the people and unconditionally apologise if it has unintentionally hurt anybody’s sentiments,” it added.

    In a follow-up tweet, Zafar said: “We just want to share a quick update with everybody. We are in further engagement with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to resolve concerns that have been raised.”

    He added that they “should have a solution shortly”.

    Directed by Zafar, the political drama stars Saif Ali Khan, Sunil Grover, Dimple Kapadia, Sarah-Jane Dias, Gauahar Khan, Kritika Kamra, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, and Dino Morea in lead roles.

    Khan and the makers of Tandav have been at the receiving end of backlash and outrage after a local official from India’s ruling Hindu nationalist party registered a police complaint against Amazon Prime’s latest web series alleging it insults Hindu gods and goddesses.

    Following the outrage and backlash, Saif was given police security. A set of policemen were seen guarding his building to ensure all the safety required to the star and his family.

    Meanwhile, Kangana Ranaut has been having a field day on Twitter, lashing out at the actors and web series and demanding strict action against them.

    In a now-deleted tweet, Ranaut even said: “Because even Lord Krishna forgave 99 mistakes of Sheshupala…. pehle Shanti phir Kranti (First calm, then revolution)…. time to take their heads off.”

  • National Stock Exchange of India accidentally tweets steamy photoshoot of Bollywood actor, deletes later

    National Stock Exchange of India accidentally tweets steamy photoshoot of Bollywood actor, deletes later

    Netizens are continuing to brutally troll the National Stock Exchange (NSE) of India for erroneously tweeting a “breathtaking” photoshoot of Bollywood actor Mouni Roy from its official handle on the social networking website.

    The post, which remained on the NSE handle for seven hours, showed Roy in a black sleeveless top with hashtags like “#sexydiva”, “#hotgirl” and “#mouniroyhot”.

    The tweet was later deleted and an apology was issued for what was termed by NSE as “human error”.

    “Today there was an unwanted post on NSE handle at 12:25 pm. It was a human error made by the agency handling NSE account and there was no hacking. Our sincere apologies to our followers for the inconvenience caused,” read the subsequent tweet.

    However, screenshots of the tweet went viral as Twitterati did not let go of the gaffe easily.

    https://twitter.com/Srivis125/status/1348154621651419137

    https://twitter.com/GabbbarSingh/status/1347921085199568896

    What do you think of the blunder? Let The Current know in the comments…

  • Anushka Sharma slams photographer for invading her privacy

    Anushka Sharma slams photographer for invading her privacy

    Anushka Sharma has had enough of the paparazzi.

    The Bollywood actor recently slammed a photographer and publication for capturing and posting her and husband Virat Kohli’s private moment.

    Taking to Instagram, the mom-to-be posted the picture taken by the photographer and wrote, “Despite requesting the said photographer and publication, they still continue to invade our privacy.”

    “Guys! Stop this right now,” added a furious Anushka.

    Ever since Virat and Anushka announced their pregnancy in August, pictures of the couple and their baby bump have gone viral on social media. However, this time the actor decided to take a stand.

    Earlier, in an interview to a fashion magazine, Anushka had said that she wants to raise her child away from media attention as she does not want to “raise brats”.

    Anushka and Virat are expecting their first child this month. Their announcement tweet was the most-liked tweet of 2020.

    Read more – Anushka Sharma glows as she poses with her baby bump

    Meanwhile, later when a fan lashed out at celebrity photographer Viral Bhayani for sharing pictures of the couple on a lunch date, Bhayani said Anushka “was concerned that her private home pictures were leaked and that is what irked her”.

    He added that he is constantly in touch with her management to “check if there is any concern as distress is caused to them”.

  • Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming project to reportedly be on Lahore’s Heera Mandi

    Filming for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s (SLB) passion project based on Lahore’s Heera Mandi is all set to commence from Spring 2021.

    According to reports in the Indian media, the period drama titled Heera Mandi will revolve around the lives of sex workers, working in Lahore’s red-light district.

    Vibhu Puri who is Bhansali’s former assistant will direct the project, which will feature Alia Bhatt in the lead. However, other names like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Deepika Padukone, Parineeti Chopra, Manisha Koirala, and Vidya Balan are also under consideration.

    “Bhansali is personally overlooking for the casting [for the project],” stated the report. “Though officially his former assistant Vibhu will be directing Heera Mandi, SLB’S stamp will be evident in every frame.”

    Meanwhile the film is expected to debut digitally on Netflix. It is not yet clear whether Heera Mandi will be a web series or a film.

    Besides Heera Mandi, Bhansali is working on another film Gangubai Kathiawadi which also tells the story of a prostitute.

  • Urmila hits back at Kangana, asks her to share names of drug addicts in Bollywood

    There is never a dull moment in the life of Kangana Ranaut, whose favourite past time includes picking fights with colleagues and others on social media.

    After a Twitter feud with Diljit Dosanjh, Ranaut is now engaged in a row with Urmila Matondkar, accusing her of illegally purchasing her new offices.

    On January 3, Kangana accused Urmila of buying property worth three crore through illegal means soon after entering politics.

    “Dear Urmila Ji, the houses I built from my hard-earned money are being demolished by the Congress,” wrote Kangana on social media. “By impressing BJP, I have only gotten 25-30 legal cases against me.”

    “I wish I was as smart as you and would’ve kept Congress happy. How foolish of me, no?,” she added.

    In response to Kangana’s allegations, Urmila posted a short video in which she hit back at Ranaut and asked her to meet her so that she can share the property documents with her.

    “Namashkar Kangana Ji,” said Matondkar in the video. “The high regards that you have for me, I have heard them. In fact, the whole country has heard them.”

    “Today, in front of the entire country, I request you to set a place and time and I will bring all my documents there. The documents will carry all the papers of my property,” continued the actor.

    “In 2011, after working hard in the industry for a short span of 25-30 years, I purchased a flat in Andheri,” said Urmila. “I will bring the documents of that flat. I sold that house in the first week of March and I will bring those papers too. And there will also be documents of the flat that I have now purchased from the money that I got. I bought this flat much before I entered politics. I wanted to show you that.”

    Urmila, in the video, also asked Kangana to share a list of people from the industry who she claimed were involved in drugs, as promised.

    “In return what I want is this. Using the money paid by lakhs and crores of taxpayers like me, you were given the Y-plus security by the government because you said you had names of many people whom you wanted to report to the NCB. The whole country is waiting for it today.”

    “I’ll be waiting for your answer,” she concluded.

    Matondkar joined the Indian National Congress on March 27, 2019, and contested from Mumbai North constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha Election. But she lost the election. On September 10, 2019, she resigned from the party, citing petty internal politics. On December 1, 2020, she joined Shiv Sena.

    Last year in September, Urmila and Kangana were engaged in another Twitter feud after Ranaut referred to Matondkar a ‘soft porn star’ over her political affiliations.

  • Shah Rukh Khan promises fans a surprise for 2021

    Shah Rukh Khan promises fans a surprise for 2021

    Shah Rukh Khan, known for his wit and humour, recently released a short video in which he wished his fans a ‘Happy New Year’ and promised that he has a big surprise lined up for them in 2021.

    The hilarious video begins with the King of Bollywood in a night suit fighting mosquitoes. Khan adds that had to record the video all by himself as he had no staff available to record it.

    “Hi everybody,” said the actor as he started his video. “It is that time of the year again where the old year is on its way out and the New Year is waiting at the entrance. Actually, it has entered because I am late in conveying my wishes to all of you.”

    Reflecting on the past year, the actor said: “I am sure 2020 has been the worst of years for everybody. In these awful times, for most it is difficult to find a ray of hope and positivity. But I have a way of looking at bad days, difficult times, and awful years. I believe when one is at the lowest, at the most bottom-est of their life, the good thing is there is only one way to move – upwards, higher to better places. So, 2020 whatever it has been is in the past now. 2021 is going to be bigger, better, brighter and more beautiful.”

    Elaborating on the lessons 2020 taught him, SRK emphasized on how important it is to have your loved ones by your side.

    “Real fun is with real people. Your family, your friends, your loved ones. All the friends and enemies you make virtually, taking sides or fighting against you online, is good fun, time pass, but it’s not for keeps,” said the actor.

    Wishing his fans “happiness, joy and peace”, Shah Rukh joked that he sounded like a “cheap greeting card” while saying this.

    He also requested everyone to be “romantic, emphatic, pragmatic, democratic, fantastic” in 2021 and not be “mathematic as it’s very boring and also very difficult to rhyme with the other words.”

    Khan also gave his fans some advice on partying.

    “Go party hard, but not too hard in moderation. Don’t get too drunk, don’t take off your clothes and run on the street, because chances are you’ll get arrested and even worse you will wake up in the morning and realize you have lost your phone and that really sucks,” said the superstar.

    The Fan actor concluded his video with a promise.

    “See you on the big screen in 2021,” confirming reports that his upcoming film Pathan is in the works.

    Pathan, which marks SRK’s return to the big screen after a long break, will see him play a special agent. Deepika Padukone and John Abraham are also part of the film while Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan are expected to have cameos.

    SRK was also recently spotted outside Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai sporting a new look for the film.

    Pathan is expected to release on Diwali 2021.