Amitabh Bachchan is killing it at being the cool father-in-law.
When asked to comment on Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan's purple lips controversy, he simply asked "What is wrong with that?"
Speaking to Bollywood Life, he said that he hadn't seen Ash's look himself, but felt that it is the age of expressing oneself, and her purple lips were just that.
"No, I didn’t see it, but what is wrong with that?," said Big B. "Social media gives someone the opportunity to express themselves. You’ve never had that opportunity before, you never knew what others were thinking about you, at least now you know. And the good part is, it lasts for a day or half-a-day; the next day, something else comes up."
Ignores the good or bad being said about the controversial lip, Bachchan instead reflected on social media itself. "Things move so rapidly in today’s life that you don’t have time. One’s attention span is so limited and so small. Whether it is watching the news on TV, every two minutes you hear a bang in the middle of the most sincere news, purely because they don’t want you to get to your remote and change the channel. That’s how life has become. Social media gives everybody a voice, everybody an opportunity, everybody a democratic opportunity to express themselves. What’s wrong with that?"
Amitabh Bachchan will next be seen playing John Biswas in the film TE3Nopposite Vidya Balan.
It seems like Shah Rukh Khan is not one to turn down a challenge.
The superstar has done a variety of roles during his reign in Bollywood, which includes a younger lookalike of himself in Fan. And now, Khan has already signed on to play a dwarf in Tanu Weds Manu director Aanand L Rai's next.
In an interview with Mumbai Mirror, director Rai dished on Shah Rukh's role.
“Shah Rukh plays a dwarf and it is going to be a lot of hard work and patience.”
The director reflected on casting SRK, “Meeting the man makes you believe that nothing can beat experience!" says Rai, "He has seen life not just as an actor but also as a person. He is large-hearted, intelligent and has a great understanding of human beings. I am in love with him. It's the story of a man who is just three-feet-one-inch tall. Nobody understands ordinariness better than Mr Khan. I'm looking forward to seeing him in the dwarf avatar.”
The film will be "a full-fledged love story or a family entertainer with lots of romance.”
There’s a scene in X-Men: Apocalypse, where Professor X’s young new recruits sneak off to watch The Empire Strikes Back (the movie is set in 1983). On the way out, Jean Grey (Game of Throne’s Sophie Turner) snidely remarks, “At least we can all agree the third one is always the worst”.
Though intended as a dig at Brett Ratner’s disastrous X-Men: Last Stand, Grey's dialogue proves ironically prescient: Bryan Singer’s third film in this semi-rebooted universe is its weakest, often stumbling upon its series' strengths, taking too long to do not very much with far too many characters. Apparently, Sansa Stark knows things.
First, some plot
X-Men: Apocalypse revolves around the godlike titular villain attempting to destroy humanity and guide his “lost children” aka all mutants, back to the right path; Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac in blue-face) is the original mutant, also referred to as En Sabah Nur. Worshipped as a deity in Ancient Egypt, he rules through four powerful acolytes dubbed the 4 Horsemen.
Betrayed by his followers in the opening scene, he is trapped under the ruins of a pyramid. That is, until he is accidentally re-awoken 6000 years later, by CIA agent Moira McTaggert (Rose Byrne, returning in a forgettable turn as Professor X’s love interest).
Soon Apocalypse sets about recruiting new Horseman, including the seemingly retired Magneto to help him conquer the world and put mutants in charge. The X-Men obviously, must come together to stop him.
The setting
Apocalypse possesses multiple powers which he has enhanced with alien technology —Photo courtesy: comingsoon.net
The set-up harkens back to the very first X-Men, where super powered individuals who find themselves shunned by society at large, must overcome their isolation and unite to save the very people who ostracize them.Apocalypse ditches the time-hopping of the two previous films and thankfully sticks to one time period, namely the 1980s.
Though it certainly puts the setting to good use aesthetically, drawing skilfully from the era's fashion and music, (one character adopts Michael Jackson's jacket from 'Thriller' as his uniform), it ultimately lacks the sexy intrigue and political overtones of the 60s and 70s era.
One notable exception was Magneto’s powerful return to the Auschwitz Concentration camp, in one of the movie's most stirring sequences. However, for the most part, the setting ultimately has little impact on the movie's direction.
Who had it worse: the super villain or the superhero crew?
The movie unfortunately forgets to imbue Apocalypse with anything resembling originality. And so one of the comics’ most compelling villains becomes more of a reason to toss what feels like a hundred more mutants into the mix. Storm! Cyclops! Nightcrawler! Arch Angel! Purple lady? Wait, who? The sheer number of characters makes them difficult to keep a track of, let alone care deeply about.
Jean Grey and Cyclops are just a couple of the new recruits featured in the flick —Photo courtesy: comingsoon.net
Unlike Civil War, the movie manages them inefficiently; sacrificing them at the altar of spectacle, even while displaying promising sparks of dynamism.
Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) and Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee) play well off each other providing some of the movie's comic relief. Professor X (James McAvoy) and Beast (Nicholas Hoult) fall right back into their comfortable dynamic. Neither of them have much time to shine though, as the show must go on.
Even Jennifer Lawrence couldn't be the saving grace
Sophie Turner is serviceable as Jean grey, though her arc feels entirely unearned by the end of it. Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique is consistently grim, and consequently one note. Worse still, fan favourite Wolverine is reduced to the X-men equivalent of a carnage-filled item number. However, Evan Peters makes a welcome return as the infectiously fun Quicksilver. Unfortunately, he too, is let down by some odd plotting choices, particularly concerning his relationship with Magneto.
The biggest problem though lies with Apocalypse's chosen followers, dubbed his Four Horsemen. The new Storm (Alexandra Shipp inheriting the role from Halle Berry) though promising, is ultimately given little time to develop. Psylocke (Olivia Munn), for all her physical prowess, is more of a bouncer for Apocalypse rather than a fleshed out character. Arch Angel is present, which is about all I can say.
The Four Horsemen, pictured above. —Photo courtesy: comicbookmovie.com
Magneto (Michael Fassbender) is the one true saving grace here. He gives us a vulnerability to match his gravitas, adding a new dimension to a now familiar character, imbuing him with a tragic sense of purpose. One wishes him and Professor X had more time together.
The whole enterprise moves forward rather unevenly. We jump from Upstate New York to Berlin to Frozen Tundra to Cairo with little regard for coherence or audience interest. The structure, an echo of the original X-Men, doesn’t hold well when overburdened with so many characters and events. The film’s supposed centre, Apocalypse lacks what it takes to keep it all together.
This dulls the impact of the otherwise gigantic action pieces to the point of numbness. At times, it feels like a Transformers movie, complete with giant pyramid destruction scenes. Don’t get me wrong though, this isn’t a Michael Bay level fiasco. It’s just disappointing to see from Bryan Singer, a man behind films such as The Usual Suspects.
In conclusion
Singer deserves due credit for playing a big role in resurrecting the flagging superhero genre, giving it maturity. He understood the allegorical heft of The X-Men as a case for civil rights. But here his familiarity and respect for the enterprise let him down. Even an updated version of the beloved Quicksilver slow motion sequence from the previous movie, though entertaining, fails to give us the same thrills as the first time around. It’s still pretty cool to behold, if nowhere near as thrilling.
Evan Peters appears in the movie as Quicksilver —Photo courtesy: uk.yahoo.com
All told, it’s the cinematic equivalent of a once great 80s band trying to stage a comeback, complete with substitute members, hoping to capture its former glory. Unfortunately, what it ends up feeling like is a pale imitation of its best days, familiar and yet lacking that old magic, burdened by the weight of its former greatness.
What better way to combat those midweek blues than a dose of Salman Khan in a power-packed trailer?
The first look of the biographical sports drama, Sultan was finally unveiled yesterday and it's got us feeling all kinds of giddy!
Watch it here:
The movie chronicles the rise, fall and rise of a small town wrestler, Sultan Ali Khan (played by Salman Khan) and his journey to attain global fame. Sultan not only faces obstacles in his career but also in his personal life.
It's fairly evident that even at 50, Khan is at his physical best; the actor went through intensive training for the movie with international action director, Larnell Stovall.
Come on, look at all those bricks!
Anushka Sharma plays his love interest, Aarfa, also a wrestler. In the trailer, we see him spot her and be smitten at first sight: "Like a doctor marries a doctor, an engineer is paired with an engineer, similarly, I will marry this girl."
All Anushka had to do to win Salman's heart was defeat a male opponent.
The movie additionally features Randeep Hooda as Sultan’s coach, Amit Sadh as Sultan’s brother, as well as UFC competitor, Tyron Woodley and real-life grappler, Kurt Angle, as wrestlers.
The upcoming flick seems to be a heartwarming tale of how one must never give up on their dreams; Sultan has been directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and will hit cinemas this Eid.
Kalki Koechlin has returned from a two-week road trip with her father to three North Eastern states for an upcoming travel show.
Biker gear is being aired and suitcases are in various stages of unpacking in her new apartment. The interview is repeatedly interrupted by the delivery of dresses, gowns and designer bags since the week is all about promotions for her May 27 release, Waiting. The afternoon is muggy, but Koechlin is as articulate and lively as ever.
What can you share about the documentary with Sabiha Sumar?
We met at the MAMI film festival last year and then she called me to chat about this idea she had for a documentary where two women discover their own countries and we visit each other’s countries too. With India and Pakistan we did not want to make it political but explore what normal people are doing, thinking and feeling about their own countries and circumstances. I was excited to go to Pakistan and visited in January for the first time. I was with Sabiha during some of the documenting. Then she came over and we shot in Delhi and Mumbai too.
The idea is to look at what democracy means to people in both these countries and what it means for the common man – from the poorest of the poor to a rich industrialist to feudal landlords. Food is a common theme throughout. It’s a work in progress and we are continuing to discuss new ideas and continuing with crowdfunding.
You have been having a busy year – apart from the India-Pakistan collaborative documentary with Sabiha Sumar, you're involved in the Fox Life travel show, a potential web series, a role in Konkona Sen Sharma’s debut, and Waiting. And yet you recently said there isn’t much work for ‘white Indian confused Bollywood actresses’.
There are so many directors who love me but they are like how do I cast you. There are a few roles where I can be realistic and convincing but then it depends on the film and treatment. A big Bollywood film is elaborate and larger than life and there isn’t too much emphasis on not authenticity of accent or a person’s origins. For example, in Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani we didn’t explain my character’s origins. But if it’s a raw, gritty film, then it matters.
I do think there are limited roles for me, but at the same time I am not afraid to break that also. For example, I could try to play a Kashmiri girl which would mean working on it, but that excites me. There are plenty of roles for modern Indian women now with web series. I am looking at a playing a Parsi, a Catholic girl and in this Goa web series, I play a half Indian half Spanish girl. I have also been able to play a French hippie [Kaash] and now an Anglo-Indian in Konkona’s [A Death in the Gunj] film. At the same time I cannot do the Bihari gaonwali ladki though I would want to do that too. As an actor you want to take any opportunity that comes your way. I suppose I have been lucky that people find me interesting and I keep getting work. What can I say? I guess I am just amazing!
"With India and Pakistan we did not want to make it political but explore what normal people are doing, thinking and feeling about their own countries and circumstances." - Kalki on her documentary with Sabiha Sumar
How much value does a strong co-star, like Naseeruddin Shah in ‘Waiting’, affect or add to your performance or to the film?
We hardly talked about or discussed our characters. We were not intellectual with each other but we would read and rehearse together. I learnt a lot from observing him. Normally, I do all my prep before I go on set and then once I am there, I blindly trust the director. Whereas Naseer gets on set and starts having ideas. It’s great to see that process of collaboration with your director.
You invested a great deal in preparing for your character in ‘Margarita With A Straw’. Did you do much prep for Tara for Anu Menon’s Waiting?
I started off by wearing kajal all the time and I dyed my hair dark and would dress like her – in heels and matching bags; more proper. It started with the physical changes. However, when it comes to the emotional process I read the script many, many times and then have lots of questions for the director. And then once I am there, I am in it. When you are doing a scene you cannot plan how you will react. There are a hundred ways in which you could react so in that moment I will react as honestly as I can as that character and if it is not working then the director, in this case Anu [Menon] will tell me and we will try another one.
Although you won the Special Jury award at the National Film Awards for your performance in ‘Margarita With A Straw’, did you feel the film deserved more accolades?
Of course I am grateful I received the award. I think it is a big boost to get a national award for a film like this. An acknowledgement on a big scale gets the film attention on a bigger scale and increases interest in the film; otherwise in general, the other awards do not really impact the audience flow. I don’t find myself passionate about awards. There are thousands of films around the world that are worthy of awards, but only one can win. The idea of awards does not make sense to me, unless you are giving money, which will help with the person’s next project. I can’t say oh, the film should have got more recognition. I think it’s great if Margarita has the reach and impact on society. That people have been watching this film and it’s still reaching out to the people.
"I don’t find myself passionate about awards. There are thousands of films around the world that are worthy of awards, but only one can win. The idea of awards does not make sense to me, unless you are giving money, which will help with the person’s next project."
So then what do you consider a measure of your effort and achievements?
Someone in Toronto met me after the screening and said they could not believe I was not really disabled. That was an achievement for me – to have convinced the viewer of the character and people being so moved that they want to talk to their parents about their sexuality. I am a huge fan of Daniel Day Lewis and sometimes I don’t recognise him till I am halfway through something. That ability to transform is an achievement.
The NH10 star recently gave an interview to Vogue Magazine where she spoke about her controversial lip job from two years ago.
“I have nothing to hide," she said. "So when I spoke about my lip job, a lot of people called me brave for coming out. But I did what I had to [for my role inBombay Velvet]. I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t; I had to take ownership. I wanted fans to know that I’m human and not perfect.”
The star was was trolled when she debuted her new lips at Bollywood talk show Koffee with Karan in February 2014.
Anushka's new lips provoked quite a reaction from fans
Back then, she had come up with a different explanation for her look, "For a short while now, I have been using a temporary lip enhancing tool and that along with make up techniques (I have learnt over the years) is the reason why there might be a change in the appearance of my lips. Having stated this fact let me very vehemently assure everyone that I have by no means gone 'under the knife ' or done any kind of 'plastic surgery' or undergone any intrusive procedure. This was my decision and was done for the sake of my look in my upcoming film Bombay Velvet, a period drama where I play a jazz singer in the 1960s - 70s . And it was taken from the referencing of that time."
Now, she admits that she messed up.
"The drastic change in my appearance on KWK is due to lot of factors put together and not just my lips. Everyone goes through good and bad days. Did I think I looked good on the KWK episode? NO. I do feel I could have done things differently."
We hope Anushka's latest statement puts an end to the furore about her lip job once and for all.
At one point in Hotal, Meera’s newly released thriller, Meera’s character Kashika says: “Mujhey kuch samajh nahi arahi.”
Readers, the feeling was mutual. There were several times during Hotal that I had to check my ticket stub to make sure I was not in fact watching a film David Lynch made when he was a teenager. There were moments when I couldn’t figure out whether I was watching something incomprehensibly clumsy or… genius.
I went in to Hotal with extremely low expectations. The movie has been through a tumultuous production cycle, taking over two years to reach audiences in Pakistan. Combine that with a first time writer-director (Khalid Hasan Khan) working with the infamous Meera and you get a mess of a movie which is as confused about its genre as most of its characters are about what’s going on around them!
The plot
The film is essentially a local spin on avant-garde cinema fused with strong characteristics of cult exploitation movies from 1950s Hollywood, an influence director KHK may have picked up during his days in the US as a film student.
Hotal is about a woman fighting to save the life of her unborn daughter in a world where things aren't what they seem.
Even though the film is set wholly in India, its subject matter attempts to tackle a controversial social issue which viewers from both India and Pakistan may relate to. The director has often stressed the fact that he wishes to bridge the gap between Pakistani and Indian cinema by taking on projects that highlight similarities between the neighboring countries.
Meera is definitely the star of the film
Hotal revolves around Meera’s character Kashika and make no mistake about it; she is the star of the film. Kashika is trapped in a cycle of mystery and confusion as her character slowly learns more about the malicious forces in the ‘Hotal’ where she has come to spend a few peaceful days with her husband, as advised by their doctor if they are ever to conceive a child. Things are not as they seem; both in terms of the husband’s intentions and in the film’s narrative.
Usually in movie reviews, it is advised to stay as far away from spoilers as possible. In this case, however, I feel it’s important to reveal the social message at the heart of Hotal. If left solely to the film, I fear the message may be lost.
So, in her own words (I caught up with her after the movie, more on that later), Meera explains the issue at the heart of the film is how “parents from areas across India and Pakistan are putting an end to their unborn daughter’s lives due to the social pressures to bear a son”. In short, the film is about a woman fighting to save the life of her unborn daughter in a world where things aren't what they seem. This is an important social issue that is worth debating. It is ironic that the director chose to realize his intention to bring an important social issue to the mainstream by choosing a genre which has never worked with mainstream commercial interests. This continues to be my biggest criticism of the film as many of its shortcomings may have been connected to it.
What went wrong at Hotal
Throughout the film it is evident that production went through serious financing issues.
Some scenes in the film seem to have been left out of the post-production process altogether, while some suffer a serious lack of set design. The audio is inconsistent throughout the runtime of the film and there are three full-length songs that have been forced into the film for no apparent reason other than… well, maybe in an attempt to increase financing by adding elements of song, dance and sex appeal.
There were some impressive moments in the film
These songs are so low budget they bring to mind old jhankaar clips or thosemujras you laugh at on Youtube, no kidding! What makes matters worse is that no effort has been made to fit these songs into the story arc; they simply make no sense. At one point during the film, I noticed the room number signs on the doors of the ‘Hotal’ were simple paper cut-outs stuck on with scotch tape. Shocking.
In my opinion, there was a film within Hotal but it was never realized, either due to production hurdles and difficulty raising financing for a movie that departs from the commercial checklist of things to do or due to a lack of depth and clear vision on part of the filmmakers. It should be noted that besides the three aforementioned songs, there is not a single one featuring Meera, something she spoke proudly about when we spoke after the screening.
She made it a point to stress that she has “no sexy shots” in the movie.
Was there any genius among the ruins of Hotal?
Scattered throughout the film were moments – few and far between -- when I was genuinely impressed by the cinematography and the dead-pan dialogue, bringing to mind films like Mulholland Drive or the Lost highway. At these moments I can confess that I’ve never been so confused and intrigued by a local film. These moments, however, were short lived as the overall film seemed more like a work in progress than a finished product.
After the film’s screening I sat down with Meera to see what she had to say about Hotal and how she expected audiences to react. I was surprised by how she wanted to focus on deconstructing the movie’s flaws more so than its strengths.
The conversation turned out to be even more enlightening when I steered it towards the film’s story and message, once again enforcing the idea that the production team failed to bring forth its underlying theme.
About Meera: here is an artist, once hailed as one of the first Pakistani stars to work in India, now struggling to find roles that can help her break out of her image. In my personal opinion, I do believe Meera could be a good actress if she finds a director willing and able to create a role where she can embrace her strengths and indubitable screen presence.
In the end, while Hotal’s plot failed to connect on any emotional level, it raises important questions about our film industry, the mainly homogeneous titles it brings forth and the lack of diversity in roles offered to female leads.
It’s clear from her words that she wishes to take part in something other than the usual Lollywood formula pictures. It is perhaps social differences that prove to be hurdles for her breaking into the new age of Pakistani cinema. The new breed of film star is equipped with a more western charisma, one that Meera has often tried to mimic, only to become the butt of our jokes on social media.
My conversation with Meera seemed all too familiar, like Billy Wilder’sSunset Boulevard in which an aging film star struggles to finds her niche in a new industry even as she clings to a previous incarnation of fame and outdated skills. Perhaps that would have been a better film to make.
In the end, while Hotal’s plot failed to connect on any emotional level, it raises important questions about our film industry, the mainly homogenous titles it brings forth and the lack of diversity in roles offered to female leads.
There is a dire need for filmmakers to tackle different genres and broaden their cinematic canvases but in order for that to become reality… well, as Meera puts it: “More brands and sponsors need to support independent productions and new ideas.”
Director Nandita Das announced this at the 69th Cannes Film Festival, reports Times of India. She revealed that Siddiqui has already done costume tests for the role of Saadat Hasan Manto.
"I have Nawazuddin in mind from the very outset," said Nandita Das, who was in Cannes to finalise the film's shoot plan in Mumbai and Lahore at year end.
"But in India, economics always interferes with art and there was pressure on me to cast a more mainstream star," she continued. "But I absolutely need the kind of nuances and depth that only Nawazuddin can deliver."
About the film, Das said, "It's not a cradle-to-grave biopic but a drama celebrating the life and work of a writer who was a natural rebel, a man who went against the tide without being a conscious activist."
"The film will cover a period of seven years between 1946 and 1952, which was an important phase in the history of the subcontinent," added Das.
The 33-year-old actress made full use of her Bollywood skill set on Tuesday afternoon at ABC’s Upfront show, when she danced at the network's annual show for advertising executives in New York.
Her performance also squeezed in a tribute to the late musician Prince, as a parody of Bruno Mars' 'Uptown Funk' segued into a few seconds of the iconic number 'Kiss'.
Priyanka Chopra at the annual ABC Upfront show in New York
PC's dancing prowess ensured that she pulled the number off really well.
However, the performance was not without flaws. The Prince tribute lacked context, particularly since it followed a parody performance of Bruno Mars' 'Uptown Funk'.
This may as well be a Bollywood award show!
Priyanka kicked off the show with an act that introduced the new ABC tagline. After getting a cryptic message about 'The End of Entertainment as We Know It', she interrogates some ABC prime time stars, only to find out 'It All Begins With ABC', that is, the new tagline. She then launched into her dance performance, where only seconds were devoted to the Prince tribute. It all makes the tribute seem quite perfunctory.
PC dazzled the crowd with her groovy moves
Still, Priyanka pulled off a thrilling performance. The song-and-dance was quite alien to her American audience, so she made sure to quip during her act, "In India we always start important events with a dance party."
You have to give Priyanka props for repping home so well. Now we have more reasons for why she made it to the list of 100 most influential people by Times.
