Rajinikanth on 'Petta', Malaika on her modelling days, Salman’s win at Asian Academy Awards, and other Bollywood updates

MUMBAI: We bring you exciting updates from Bollywood Town to keep you away from Monday blues.

Golden Globes nominated Ivanhoe Pictures to back 'The Sky Is Pink'

Ronnie Screwvala's RSVP and Siddharth Roy Kapur's Roy Kapur Films have brought Golden Globes nominated Ivanhoe Pictures on board for Priyanka Chopra-starrer The Sky is Pink.

Ivanhoe Pictures, producers of the recent blockbuster Hollywood romantic-comedy Crazy Rich Asians, are now co-producers and a co-investing partner for the Hindi language family drama which is tentatively titled The Sky is Pink.

Written and directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Shonali Bose, the film is based on the true life story of the young motivational speaker Aisha Chaudhary and her parents. It marks Priyanka's much-awaited comeback to Bollywood after her appearance in a leading role in ABC's Quantico. She is also a co-producer on the film.

Alongside Priyanka, the film stars actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar and Dangal and Secret Superstar sensation Zaira Wasim in the lead roles. While Zaira plays the role of Aisha, Priyanka and Farhan play her parents in the movie.

The film's music is scored by ace music composer Pritam and the lyrics will be penned by the legendary Gulzar.

The project is already in production, with shoot schedules in Mumbai, London and New Delhi completed earlier this year. A brief schedule in the Andamans is planned for January, and the film is slated to release mid-2019.

"We have produced a variety of content for the Indian market and it is wonderful to collaborate with such highly regarded partners as RSVP and Roy Kapur Films on this compelling film. Ronnie and Sid's understanding of Indian audiences is beyond compare and I am sure that this is the start of a long association," Ivanhoe Pictures President and CEO John Penotti said in a statement.

According to Kapur, partnering with Ivanhoe will help them leverage their strong distribution prowess in non-traditional markets for Indian films.

Supriya Pathak reveals why playing a mother on-screen excites her

Veteran actress Supriya Pathak, who played an unwed mother in Masoom and an unschooled mom in Wake Up Sid, knows that she plays a mother all the time, but they are different. She says she tries to bring in variations in her roles -- and she always finds them exciting.

The quinquagenarian has attained a cult status in the country for playing Hansa Parekh in the comedy franchise Khichdi. But the audience also loves her work in films like Bazaar, Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela and Delhi-6. While she has played various characters in her Bollywood career that started in the early 1980s, one thing she accepts is that she often gets to essay a mother's role in movies.

"I know that I play a mother all the time, but different kinds of mother. Every time I get a role of a mother, I try to find a different area, person or milieu where I can put the mother... that's always exciting. That's the age bracket I am in, so I am going to get a mother's role. It's me who has to make it more interesting and find things to do in it," Supriya told leading publication

Even in Tigers, which released in India last month on ZEE5, she plays a mother.

"I found the subject to be relevant and an important issue to be brought forward. I feel that cinema, if made entertainingly with a certain meaning, reaches out to a lot more people. It makes them aware of issues or things that help people to understand what's around them," she explained.

"It was a kind of subject that needed to be told," she added about the movie that tells the story of a salesman, who works for an international company that manufactures baby formula products. When he discovers that the products have killed hundreds of children, he decides to expose the company.

Directed by Oscar winner Danis Tanovic, the film had premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival back in 2014.

"I feel that a film made with so much of hard work, if it doesn't see the light of day... that's a feeling of sadness. Being in the profession of acting, we would like our work to be watched by people. That's the reason why we work and if it is not seen, it is upsetting.

"Now that it has come out, we are happy," said Supriya.

Tigers is not her first international film. She had also featured in UNindian, which starred former Australian cricketer Brett Lee.

Asked about working on an international film, she said, "I learnt a lot from the director (Tanovic). He was very clear with what he wanted. He taught me how to look at a character and be precise."

The year 2018 also saw her making her debut in Telugu filmdom with Aravindha Sametha Veera Raghava, helmed by Trivikram Srinivas.

"I really enjoyed working with the people. It was wonderful. My director was a wonderful person. I hope I get an opportunity to work there again," said the actress, who had starred in the 1985 Malayalam movie Akalathe Ambili.

"Those days, a lot of Hindi films were made in south India. Then also, it was much more organised than in Mumbai or north India. My idea of south (Indian film industry) was always that it was more organised and that attracts you because it has got discipline. People are professionals and, still, there is a kind of basic emotion surrounding it and very work-oriented," said Supriya, whose mother tongue is Gujarati.

She wants to experiment more as an actress.

"I am very fond of acting. My only interest, love and passion is acting. Wherever you put me, if you ask me to act, I will be the happiest. I am ready to explore any avenue, any role. Anything given to me which I feel I can do something with, I will take it up," said the theatre actress

It's an entertaining throwback to my 90s' films: Rajinikanth on 'Petta'

Superstar Rajinikanth has revealed that his upcoming Tamil action drama Petta, directed by Karthik Subbaraj, is an entertaining throwback to the kind of films he did in the 1990s.

At the audio launch of Petta, Rajinikanth opened up about the project and described it as an "action-packed entertainer".

"When Sembian and Kannan from Sun Pictures came home and requested me to act in their production, I immediately gave my nod. Karthik Subbaraj had pitched a story to me. It was on my mind and as I listened to stories from other filmmakers, I wasn't quite satisfied," he said.

"Then, I called Karthik again this year and asked him to narrate. This time, he stunned me with an excellent, well-developed version of the story he pitched earlier," Rajinikanth said, recalling how Petta started.

Petta marks the first collaboration of Rajinikanth and Karthik Subbaraj.

The 67-year-old star was all praise for Karthik and said he has directed him like a hardcore Rajinikanth fan.

"Karthik has a very different style of storytelling. He directed this film like a true Rajinikanth fan. Petta is an entertaining throwback to the kind of films I did in 1990s. Karthik has extracted from me the kind of work I used to perform three to four decades ago," he said.

Rajinikanth went on to describe Petta as a "beautiful film" best suited for a festival release.

The film marks the southern debut of Nawazuddin Siddiqui in a pivotal role. He plays a character called Singaar Singh in Petta.

"Every time he appears on-screen, he has delivered something different. In Petta, he has turned in a versatile performance," Rajinikanth said.

The film, gearing up for a Pongal 2019 release, also stars Vijay Sethupathi, Trisha, Simran, Megha Akash, Malavika Mohanan and Sasikumar in key roles.

Heaping praise on Vijay Sethupathi, who plays the film's antagonist, Rajinikanth said, "I wasn't quite sure who would be perfect for the role of Jithu. Karthik suggested Vijay Sethupathi, and I'm glad he agreed to be part of the project. He's no ordinary talent. I've seen his films and he is an extraordinary actor. After a long time, I felt like I worked with a good actor."

Rajinikanth also thanked audiences for the grand success of 2.0, which has emerged as a blockbuster with over Rs 500 crore in gross earnings.

"I need to thank audiences across the globe for the success of 2.0. The entire credit for the victory goes to director Shankar, producer Subaskaran of Lyca Productions and the technicians," he said.

In Petta, which has been produced by Sun Pictures, Rajinikanth is rumoured to be playing a professor with a violent past.

Pranutan, Zaheer starrer 'Notebook' to release on March 2019

Superstar Salman Khan announced on Monday that debutants Pranutan Behl and Zaheer Iqbal's upcoming film titled Notebook will release on 29 March 2019.

Salman who has previously launched fresh faces like Sooraj Pancholi, Athiya Shetty, Warina Haussain and his brother-in-law Aayush Sharma, took to Twitter to share the first look of the new actors.

"The most beautiful love story has a release date... Notebook hits the cinemas on March 29, 2019. Trailer coming soon," Salman captioned the image.

Pranutan is late actress Nutan's granddaughter and actor Mohnish Bahl's daughter. Zaheer doesn't come from a film family, but his father and Salman have been childhood friends.

The love story is set in Kashmir.

Salman Khan Films is producing the film along with Murad Khetani and Ashwin Varde of Cine1 Studios. It is directed by Nitin Kakkar.

Other details related to the films are still under wraps.

Rishi Kapoor keeps you on your toes as a performer: Omkar Kapoor

Actor Omkar Kapoor, who will soon be seen sharing screen space with Rishi Kapoor in the upcoming film Jhoota Kahin Ka, says the veteran star is a spontaneous actor and keeps everyone on their toes as a performer during scenes.

Talking about working with Rishi, Omkar told a publication, "It was amazing to have Rishiji play my father in the film. He is such a phenomenally spontaneous actor that he keeps you on your toes as a performer during the one on one scenes. He was extremely helpful and supportive throughout the shoot in every manner."

The 32-year-old actor said he was like a "kid learning from all the experiences he used to share with me."

Directed by Smeep Kang, Jhoota Kahin Ka also stars Lillete Dubey, Manoj Joshi and Sunny Singh.

Asked about the film, Omkar said, "It is a mad house comedy about lies told for good reasons but situations that arise due to them."

He added that the movie explores a different side of a father son relationship which you will see me playing in and how I get stuck between my father’s wishes and the love of my life."

Jhoota Kahin Ka re-unites Omkar with Sunny, with whom he starred in Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2.

"I team up with my buddy Sunny Singh once again in this so it was a breeze to shoot together. Smeep Kang (director) is a master at such stories and he has etched out another mad cap in this one," he said.

Human ears prefer 'auto-tuning' of voices today: Shaan

One must not belittle the present day singers for using "auto-tuning", as there is a great demand for it among the audience, says popular Bollywood singer Shaan (Shantanu Mukherjee).

"Auto-tuning that you are talking about is actually what the audience prefers these days, so I don't think one should belittle them for using it," Mukherjee said on the sidelines of Bhubaneswar Fest (cultural cum food festival) organised alongside Men's Hockey World Cup.

"Human beings are listening to so much of digital content, I think our ears have become used to listening to such processed digital songs," he added.

Talking about his children's musical inclination, the man who started his career singing advertisement jingles told a publication, "I started singing almost at the age of four, but won't encourage my son Shubh to sing professionally at the moment. He is in his teens, his voice is changing, so he is learning classical music."

Shubh Mukherjee has lent his voice to a song in YRF's web series Sex Chat with Pappu and Papa and also the Hindi version of singing the title track for Disney's DuckTales.

He revealed his elder son Sohum Mukherjee is good with music production who is more into electronic music rather than Bollywood music.

During his gig, he also attempted the hockey anthem Jai Hind Hind India composed by A.R. Rahman hoping the best for the national team.        

The audience of Odisha was treated with one of his old hit Odiya song Sei borosa sei raate mone pore (Do you remember that rainy night?) which he sang almost 15 years back.

While singing Jab se tere naina (Saawariya) he said 'aaj ke thirkate gaano jaisa nahi hai lekin mai khush hu ki ismein ek sadaa bahaar baat hai' (these are not latest peppy numbers of mine but am happy that they are evergreen in nature).

Radhika Apte is magical: Stana Katic

Former Castle star Stana Katic, who will be seen sharing screen space with Radhika Apte in a World War II spy drama, says the Indian actress is magical.

"She (Radhika) is magical. It was quite a lot of fun working opposite her. She is a very special gift. I know why Indian audiences love her dearly," Katic told leading publication.

Talking about the film, she said, "We wrapped that film in June. It's in the stage of editing. The film centres on a story of three real women who were spies during World War II. It focuses on their efforts to free Nazi-run France.

"In this film, I play a British spy mistress. The creator of the James Bond series had said that in the real world of spies, Vera Atkins was the boss. So since we started telling that tale, we learned about these extraordinary women who just stood out as epic heroes from World War II. I have come to admire them very much."

Radhika plays Indian-origin British spy Noor Inayat Khan in the movie.

Katic also shared that she would love to work on an Indian feature film.

"I was in talks to do a beautiful romance film set in India, but ultimately the timing didn't work out. I would love to work on an Indian feature. As for working with people from different cultures, that's one of the elements of filmmaking that I enjoy," she said.

"I have worked with people from Canada, Hungary and Jordan. We have actors and crew members from across the globe working on Absentia (her new series). The languages you can hear, the ones spoken on the set at any given day remind me of the UN conferences," she added.

She is currently shooting for the second season of Absentia in Bulgaria.

Modelling will always be special: Malaika Arora

Actress Malaika Arora, who will be one of the judges for the auditions of models for the forthcoming edition of Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Summer/Resort 2019, says that she is extremely nostalgic about her modelling days.

"Modelling will always hold a special place in my life. It marks the start of my journey in this industry. I am extremely nostalgic about my early days as a model. I owe everything that I have learnt to my mentors," Malaika said in a statement.

LFW announced the model auditions for its Summer/Resort 2019 edition. It will be held on 14 December at St. Regis in Mumbai.

"Lakme Fashion Week is a platform that provides aspiring models a launchpad that one can only dream of. I am thrilled to be a part of the hunt for fresh talent," said Malaika.

The actress along with designer duo Shantanu and Nikhil, show director Anu Ahuja, Head of Innovations, Lakme -- Ashwath Swaminathan and Vice President and Head of Fashion, IMG Reliance -- Jaspreet Chandok will be judging the show.

The fashion week is credited with launching some of India's most successful models including Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Anjali Lama, Bhumika Arora, Pooja Mor and Kiara Advani.

Swaminathan says that he is looking forward to the upcoming edition where new talent spotted in these auditions will sport the latest trends in beauty and fashion at the fashion gala.

Vice President and Head of Fashion at IMG Reliance, Chandok, said, "Every season, we at Lakme Fashion Week aim at introducing new and fresh talent by providing the ideal platform to make a promising debut. This season too, we continue our commitment to present fresh talent on the runway."

'Stree' actress Flora, Sudhanshu shoot for short film

Actress Flora Saini of Stree fame and actor Sudhanshu Pandey have shot for a short film titled Seasoned with Love by director Lakshmi R. Iyer.

"It's officially my first time with Sudhanshu. I say officially because we were supposed to do a film together which was to be shot in London long time ago.

"It was going to be my next release after Love in Nepal (2004 film), but somehow it didn't happen back then," Flora told leading publication.

"I'm happy that we finally met and worked together this time on a wonderful short film. He hasn't changed a bit. The grace, the charm, the ethics... he is one amazing soul you just love to have on set.

"He is a friend for all times. We had a super fun shoot considering he was the only guy in the cast," she added.

Seasoned with Love, produced by iRealities, is expected to release early next year.

Salman Khan, Anurag Kashyap win at Asian Academy Creative Awards

Bollywood star Salman Khan won the best entertainment host/presenter for Bigg Boss, and Anurag Kashyap won best direction (fiction) for season one of Netflix's original series Sacred Games at the inaugural Asian Academy Creative Awards here.

Aarti Bajaj also won best editing for Sacred Games, reported the leading publication.

Other winners from India included Discovery Communications India, which got the best comedy programme for Queens Of Comedy. One Life Studios won best telenovela or soap opera series for Porus. Cartoon Network India's Lamput won best 2D animated program or series.

Apart from this, NGC Network India won best current affairs program or series for The Last Drop: India's Water Crisis, and Greymatter Entertainment won best non-scripted entertainment for The Remix.

Miss Sherlock won best drama series at the event, which was spread over two evenings at Singapore's Capitol Theatre.

Adinia Wirasti won best actress for Indonesia's Critical Eleven, while China's Yu Hewei won best actor for The Hunter.

Indonesia's Michael Kho won best supporting actor for Kenapa Harus Bule?, while Taiwan's Candy Yang won best supporting actress for Roseki.

CNN won a tally of five awards, and so did Singapore's Mediacorp.

Banita Sandhu prefers to focus on craft over PR

Where is Banita Sandhu after October? The London-based actress says she would love to work more in India, but is disappointed that there isn't much for her to do in the industry as of now.

Banita, seen recently with Diljit Dosanjh in his music video, is busy with assignments in London.

"There is nothing for me in Mumbai right now. Since I am working in London, it makes more sense for me to be based here than in Mumbai," she said.

She did visit Mumbai a few months ago.

"Yes, I went in August. But there was no work for me at all. I was keen for something to work out. I came back to London disappointed.

"I'd really love to work in India again after October. But it seems there literally isn't much for me to do there right now. So I'd rather make myself more useful here in the West, trying more successfully for representation on-screen," she added.

Banita admits the in-house debutantes in Bollywood eclipsed her performance in October.

"But my biggest problem is PR. I like to focus on my craft rather than promoting myself. But even Varun Dhawan told me that to survive in the film industry, you have to be businesslike.

"But if it helps me get work I would consider improving my PR relations in Bollywood," she said.

It was strange that Banita vanished from Mumbai despite her impressive debut as Varun Dhawan's comatose 'significant other' in Shoojit Sircar's October.

One reason is of course the nature of her role.

The effort that went into portraying the comatose girl in October, with each twitch of the eye and lip medically monitored, went unnoticed.

"I wish more people had seen the effort that went into the performance. I have been interviewed where I have been asked why I don't have a full-fledged role in October.

"My answer is, 'Well, I did have a full-fledged role. I am glad my team and I made it look so simple because it really wasn't'," she said.

(Source: IANS)

Singer Palak Muchhal recorded song for Hindi Film Jaan Abhi Baki Hai

The versatile singer Palak Muchhal has won our hearts with her melodious voice and given some chartbusters in Bollywood. Recently, she recorded song for upcoming Bollywood movie Jaan Abhi Baki Hai at Empire Studio Mumbai. Hindi Feature film Jaan Abhi Baaki Hai is being produced by IJM Productions Pvt Ltd. Debutant Director Satyajeet Mishra told that shootings were scheduled from 11 December in Uttarakhand. The film is written by Dr. Indrajeet Mishra, a President Award winner and a renowned Theater Writer from Uttar Pradesh along with Satyajeet himself.

Music has been given by Mahesh Matkar and lyrics by Dr. Indrajeet Mishra. Director Satyajeet believes that content of this film will thrill people and it will provide full entertainment. The soulful music is a strong aspect of this project which gets the magical touch of famous choreographer Vishnu Deva. Satyajeet insists that he is going to enrich the Hindi cinema through his film.

Actor Sanjay Mishra in Jabariya Jodi

Renowned and talented actor Sanjay Mishra, who was last seen in Bhaiyaji Super Hit,  now will be seen in Jabariya Jodi, which is an upcoming  Indian comedy film starring Parineeti Chopra and Siddarth Malhotra. Directed by Prasant Singh and co-produced by Ekta Kapoor, Jabariya Jodi is set to hit the screens on 17 May 2019.

Talking about his role in Jabariya Jodi, Sanjay Mishra says, "This movie is a middle class family drama set in a small town. I'm playing the role of Parineeti Chopra's father. My character is similar to all middle class Indian fathers, and I enjoyed playing this role. We had a lot of fun while shooting."

His upcoming project is Kaamyaab in which he is playing a lead role along with co-actor Deepak Dobriyal. Directed by Hardik Mehta, the movie is based on the life of an actor. It is a character actor film. The movie is expected to release soon as it is travelling Film Festival these days.