Tag: Karan Johar

  • Thrilling trailer of Alia Bhatt’s upcoming movie, Jigra, released

    Thrilling trailer of Alia Bhatt’s upcoming movie, Jigra, released

    Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt is back with an intense, thrilling role in her upcoming film Jigra.

    The short trailer released yesterday shows Bhatt in all her intensity as she takes off on a rescue mission to free her brother. The teaser is set to a cover of the old classic song ‘Phoolon Ka Taaro Ka’ and promises intense action and emotional depth.
     
    After their parents’ deaths, Bhatt and her brother, played by Vedang Raina, had to survive on their own. Due to their father’s suicide leaving a long shadow over their lives, Alia Bhatt’s character is determined to save her brother from everybody.The film, produced by Karan Johar and written and directed by Vasan Bala Jigra, will be released in cinemas on October 11.

  • Karan Johar slammed for excluding Fawad Khan in ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ tribute

    On Friday, Bollywood’s ace producer and director Karan Johar shared pictures from the time he was filming Ae Dil Hai Mushkil in 2016. The pictures showed Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, and Aishwarya Rai having fun on set.

    Karan captioned the post with a heartwarming note and wrote, “‘The experience of filming ADHM was one of my best on-set experiences.’” He continued to praise the three actors for their talent and commitment to their roles, writing, “‘Anushka and Ranbir were such a treat to direct… I always wanted to direct Aishwarya and she gave Saba so much dignity, poise, and beauty.’”

    In the same message, Karan talked about how he learned about “the Ranbir process” and came to really respect it. “I got to know and love him as a person and appreciate his detachment from stardom or movie star trappings,” he wrote.
    Right after the Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani director posted the pictures, fans noticed that Fawad Khan’s name wasn’t there in the message, despite him playing a huge role in the movie. They shared their disappointment in the comments.

    An Instagram user commented, “The caption is so beautiful, but not a single line for Fawad? Why, Karan?” Another user wrote, “How smoothly you skipped mentioning Fawad Khan… Surely it wouldn’t have been that damaging? Disappointed here in Lahore.”
    This is not the first time Karan has been controversial when it comes to his professional relationship with Fawad. In 2017, during a session with two-time Academy Award winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the Student of the Year director subtly hinted that he would not be open to working with Fawad (and presumably other Pakistani artists) in the future.

    “It was a tough time for me. I don’t think I would want to repeat that experience ever,” said Karan when Sharmeen said she hoped to see Fawad directed by him again. Karan continued to say that he wishes Fawad would find the best platform to showcase his talents. “I have great regard for Fawad’s talent. So just like you [Sharmeen], I hope and wish he finds the best platforms because he is a prolific actor.”

    In 2018 on Koffee with Karan, in a game of rapid fire between Sonam Kapoor and her siblings, the former was asked who she pairs well with on screen. When her brother, Harshvardhan, suggested Fawad, Sonam quickly jibed back with, “But Karan sent him back!”
    The statement was met with a look of horror from Karan. He then avoided commenting on the matter and asked Sonam for another name, to which she replied, Salman Khan.

    Pakistani actors have been unofficially barred from acting in Bollywood films since the hard-liner BJP-led government of Narendra Modi took the government.

  • Animal, featuring Ranbir Kapoor, to hit Pakistani Netflix soon

    Animal, featuring Ranbir Kapoor, to hit Pakistani Netflix soon

    Pakistani fans of Ranbir Kapoor can rejoice as the Bollywood superstar’s latest movie, Animal, is coming soon to Netflix. According to Hindustan Times, the Sandeep Reddy Vanga directed venture will be available on the streaming service from January 26.

    According to India Today, the longer version of the action-packed film is set to come out on the streaming platform in 2024. Notably, Netflix’s official Instagram page has posted pictures of the popular Bollywood actor from the film’s premiere.

    Director Karan Johar has declared Animal as the best film of the year, stressing that despite his own 2023 romance Rocky Aur Rani, he strongly believes Animal is unparalleled. According to Hindustan Times, Karan stated, “I cannot disagree with you more because Animal is the best film of the year.”
    He compared it to the time when he praised Kabir Singh and faced judgment. Karan said, “I thought, ‘I’m going to say something and I’m going to get bad looks from certain people, but I don’t care anymore.”
    Karan Johar explained why he is so passionate about Animal, emphasizing its bold and conviction-driven storytelling that defies traditional norms in popular cinema. He praised a unique sequence in the film where a song is played while the hero is getting beaten up, highlighting the cleverness in the storytelling. Johar added, “Animal’s popularity and acceptance, in my opinion, are revolutionary. It is a conviction that I would like to possess.”

  • Alia Bhatt is done with criticism of husband Ranbir Kapoor

    Alia Bhatt is done with criticism of husband Ranbir Kapoor

    Bollywood A-list couple Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor were embroiled in several controversies due to the latter’s sexist comments. In August, the actor was slammed by netizens for being a “toxic, privileged man” following Alia’s revelation in a Vogue interview that Ranbir didn’t allow her to wear lipstick when the two were dating.

    READ MORE: ‘While we were dating, Ranbir told me not to wear lipstick’: Alia’s Vogue interview sparks outrage

    Now, Alia has addressed the criticism directed at her husband in an interview on Koffee With Karan.

    “I have a very candid way of speaking…things just get picked out of context which happened recently. My team told me ‘Ye kuch out of hand jaara hai’. There were serious articles written about how he was a toxic man.”

    Alia added that she was concerned about the criticism, as Ranbir is the opposite of toxic.

    Ranbir’s advice was to ignore what the media said about her, as long as her career was doing well, Alia narrated.

    “Ranbir says this, ‘Alia the audience owns you, they can say whatever the hell they want to say about you, as long as your movies are doing well please don’t complain sitting in your apartment in Bandra.”

    Speaking about the criticism, Ranbir revealed he was okay with being labelled as an example of ‘toxic masculinity’, because the fight was bigger than him:

    “Recently, I was reading an article about being toxic and something relating to some statement I made, and I understand. Listen, I am on your side. Whatever you are fighting against this toxic masculinity, I am on the side of people who are fighting for it. So, if they want to use me as a face, I am fine because their fight is bigger than just me feeling bad about them having an opinion on what I said.”

    READ MORE: ‘It doesn’t matter’: Ranbir Kapoor responds to label of ‘toxic masculinity’

  • Deepika finally responds to criticism of Koffee with Karan interview

    Deepika continues to live her best life while living rent free in the minds of haters.

    A few weeks back, Deepika and Ranveer raised eyebrows with their ‘Koffee With Karan’ interview where the two revealed they casually dated for a couple of months before getting engaged. The ‘Om Shanti Om’ actress recalled ending an abusive relationship not ready for a serious commitment. The two actors, therefore, kept seeing other people while dating each other. After the two got engaged, they decided to remain a monogamous couple.

    Deepika became the target of sexist jokes, and claims that she cheated on Ranveer during their relationship. Now, during an interview with Vogue India, the actress has declared she is past the point of letting trolls dictate her opinions.

    “When I feel really strongly or passionately about something, I don’t think twice about expressing myself. I’ve grown to become this person where I’m not afraid of speaking my truth or owning up to mistakes. I’m not afraid of saying sorry,” Deepika responded, as according to Mashable India.

    While social media users had Deepika’s back to protect her from the naysayers, the industry did as well. Host of ‘Koffee With Karan’, Karan Johar, did a livestream where he addressed the criticism over Deepika’s comment, and shut down her critics.

    “Do what you need to do because no one’s looking,” responded the celebrated director according to The Hindustan Times. “Trolling gets you nowhere. You are landing nowhere.”

  • ‘Reach out’: on Mental Health Day, celebrities are opening up about prioritising mental health

    ‘Reach out’: on Mental Health Day, celebrities are opening up about prioritising mental health

    International Mental Health Day is celebrated on October 10, when people are encouraged to take steps to take care of their mental well-being. Celebrities like Mawra Hocane and Bollywood director Karan Johar are opening up about their mental health issues and encouraged other people to destroy the stigma that it’s a sign of weakness.

    Actress Mawra Hocane shared a video clip on her Instagram of pictures from her childhood to present, and spoke candidly about how she spent three years trying to take care of her mental health.

    “I have spent the last three years of my life focusing on this little girl.. she needed to heal.. to rest.. to be with herself.. to walk away from the noise & the lights.. find that light within instead.. to work just enough for joy & not find validation in exhaustion… most importantly she wanted to be ‘home’ & home she was after many many many years..”

    The ‘Nauroz’ actress urged her followers to never be afraid to reach out for help, and remember to listen to their body to know when it’s time for them to take a break.

    “Don’t shy away for making yourself a priority, if 2020 taught me anything, it was to not ignore my inner voice, to listen to my body, to chase happiness & nothing else because at the end of the day it’s all that matters..
    Sending love & strength to those who still suffer in silence.”

    ‘Rocky and Rani’ director Karan Johar also took time out to speak about the anxiety attacks he suffered in 2016. In March, the director wrote that his anxiety attacks came back and he knew immediately how to address them.

    “In 2015-2016 I felt the first burst of anxiety and knew within that something was wrong… my friend guided me to a psychologist and after a series of conversations I knew what I was dealing with and adressed it medically and with a change of lifestyle…. Things got better and I weaned off the meds … This year in March this year ( I knew the trigger ) it returned and I knew I had to address it immediately….”

    The K3G director urged followers to take time out to address their mental health the same way they would respond to a physical ailment, and never be afraid to take a break from life and seek professional help if they’re suffering from depression or anxiety.

    “For someone who does battle anxiety or depression “simple solutions like “ … go for a drive !!! Meet friends !! Go for a holiday …. Get a massage … these are red flag conversations to have and you must be educated enough in this zone to even offer advice…
    To family members my advice is simply to make sure that the person going through it seeks professional help…
    We tend to address blood pressure , diabetes , etc with so much instant ease then why neglect mental health….
    More power to those brave ones who acknowledge the issue and address it head on…”

  • Indian director has a wish related to Pakistani actors, musicians

    Indian director has a wish related to Pakistani actors, musicians

    After viral videos showed the Pakistani cricket team getting a warm reception at Hyderabad from fans and media alike, its clear that the politics of hate failed to diminish the love and respect Indian fans have for Pakistani celebrities, and vice versa. Given this, Indian director Rahul Dholakia has suggested that it’s about time Pakistani actors were given permission to act in Indian films.

    “Now that Pakistani cricketers are officially here, can we also invite Pakistani actors to act in our films? Or musicians to perform?” the ‘Raees’ director wrote in a viral tweet.

    Rahul Dholakia’s film ‘Raees’ starred Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Pakistani actress Mahira Khan. Recently, in a podcast FWhy with Freiha Altaf, the actress spoke at length about the backlash she received after the ban was imposed, preventing Pakistani actors from working in India, and how it impacted her mental health. The ‘Razia’ actress revealed that she was diagnosed with manic depression and has been on medication for the past six to seven years.

    READ MORE: ‘Psychiatrist told me I had manic depression’, Mahira opens up about mental health

    “I talk it every chance I get. This is the first time I’m opening up about the fact that I’ve been taking medicine for so many years. And when I tried leaving it like I said it was bad… And I was again in and out of hospitals trying to get help. But yes, everybody has ups and downs, bad times and happy times, but clinical depression is real like any other mental illness or physical illness.”

  • Jubh hum sub ko pyaar hua tha: the KKKG scene we’ll never forget

    If we ask y’all when did your love affair with the superstar Shah Rukh Khan begin, we’d get a lot of different responses but mostly it is the cult classic ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum’ that struck the hearts of fans. It is remembered as one of Karan Johar’s most iconic rom-com’s of all time, and the pairing of SRK with Kajol to be one that can outshine all the Hollywood romcoms ever created.

    But looking back at the song from the film ‘Shava Shava’ a scene continues to find its way back on Twitter once again, when Rahul dreams up Anjali dancing at his father’s party and then re-calls how he fell in love with her at first sight. You know which scene we’re talking about, and yes it completely set the bar for how superior the SRK-Kajol chemistry is.

    No matter how many rom-coms Bollywood will keep churning out, the beauty and simplicity of this heartfelt confession within 25 seconds will never ever be matched by any Bollywood films. Once more Twitter users began falling back in love with the film.

  • Aditya Roy Kapur says nepotism has nothing to do with his success

    Aditya Roy Kapur says nepotism has nothing to do with his success

    Bollywood actor Aditya Roy Kapur has made a string of successful movies like ‘Aashiqui 2’ and ‘Ye Jawaani Hai Deewani’, but he has been met with plenty of criticism that his career has a lot to do with nepotism.

    The actor, who’s eldest brother Siddharth is the CEO of UTV Motion Pictures and other brother Kunaal is an actor, comes from a family of Bollywood royalty, dating back to his grandfather who was a film producer in the 1940s.

    Speaking to Filmfare to finally address the issue, ‘The Night Manager’ actor said his career wasn’t influenced by his brothers, who did not help him in getting movies as he began his acting journey.

    “I think people know that I have kind of made my way into the industry. I started with supporting roles in films my brothers weren’t involved with.”

    Kapur, who has gone public with his relationship with Ananya Panday, also pointed out that his career progress has been incredibly public, with people noticing how slowly he went from supporting roles to getting leading roles in films:

    “My journey has been a public one. People saw my career develop slowly. By the time I did my first leading role, I had already done three supporting parts. So I think that journey is clear for people to see.”

    The issue of nepotism within the Bollywood industry has been a much discussed topic, with several actors like Karan Johar, Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor being subjected to intense scrutiny for the arguments they made in favor of nepotism.

    Johar, who had been publicly called ‘the flag bearer of nepotism’ by Kangana Ranaut on ‘Koffee With Karan’ said in an interview with Man’s World India:

    “I never said I was running an NGO. I’m running a bona fide commercial entity. I’m very excited to introduce new talents. Some will be from the fraternity, some will not. I’m done with being apologetic about it”

  • Karan Johar celebrates 25 years in Bollywood

    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.”

    Celebrities like Kajol, Alia Bhatt and Abhishekh Bachchan replied to the showman with facilitations and offered congratulations.