Filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane served as one of the mentors for MAMI Select – a unique initiative by MAMI Mumbai Film Festival where five budding directors were given the opportunity to make short films on an iPhone under the guidance of mavericks like Motwane himself. In an exclusive interaction with mid-day.com, Vikramaditya Motwane gets candid about the process of mentoring these young and raw talents to achieve something marvelous, the need for such opportunities, and more. Vikram says that when he started as a filmmaker one had to rent a camera, and a studio to edit a film, and now the same can be done on a phone and laptop which is amazing. “We've come a long way and it's terrific that you actually have that ability to actually make films in your pocket. So, I'm all for it. This is very exciting,” he says. Explaining the process, he says, “My job as a mentor here has been to read the scripts and to guide them in whatever way that one thinks. One of the things I joked about was like, why do these filmmakers need mentors in the first place, because they're so good on their own. The process is very organic. It's very, if something works, it works. If something, if you personally feel that something could be better, then you just give a suggestion. “I'm not imposing myself. I'm not forcing anyone to do anything that they don't want to do. They are all very instinctive as filmmakers and they've all got great visual senses and that's exactly what their strengths are. The script is written by the filmmakers. It's filmed by the filmmakers. I'm not on set ever. I see one part of the cut. As a mentor, you must enable other people's vision and not impose your vision on anybody,” he adds. When asked who he considers as his mentor starting in the industry, Vikram recalls, “Most of us have to kind of self-mentor each other. There was a partnership where I was a cinematographer on somebody's film, somebody was an editor on my film, and somebody did music, so there was that process. So I think the mentorship came from a collective. It came from people your own age who were trying to make themselves.” The filmmaker emphasises the availability of platforms like MAMI Select. “Had it been there for me as a younger filmmaker, yes, I would have had more practice. I would have made a lot more short films and the fact that you can actually get a showcase to be able to show it to the world is a huge deal compared to what it was when one was making films 20-25 years ago. It's a big difference today and it's all for the better,” he concludes.
19 April,2024 03:57 PM IST | Mumbai | Oshin FernandesBollywood enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the release of Aditya Roy Kapur and Sara Ali Khan's highly anticipated film 'Metro In Dino,' which has now received a new release date.Earlier slated for release this September, the rom-com is now set to hit cinemas on November 29, as confirmed by Aditya on his Instagram handle. Helmed by Anurag Basu, the anthology film stars Aditya alongside Sara Ali Khan, Ali Fazal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Pankaj Tripathi, and Konkona Sen Sharma in lead roles. Originally, the film was slated to hit theatres on March 29 this year. 'Metro...In Dino' marks Aditya and Basu's second collaboration. The duo first worked together in 'Ludo'. 'Metro...In Dino,' a film that apparently draws its title from the popular song 'In Dino' from 'Life in a... Metro', will showcase bittersweet tales of human relationships based in contemporary times. Sharing more details about the film, Basu had earlier said, "Metro...In Dino is a tale of the people and for the people! It has been a while since I am working on this one and I am glad to be collaborating with a powerhouse like Bhushan Kumar yet again who has always been like a pillar to me!" He added, "The storyline is very fresh and relevant as I look forward to collaborating with amazing artists who bring that essence of contemporary aura with them. As music plays a very important role in any film, I couldn't be happier to be collaborating with my dear friend Pritam who has literally added life to the characters and story with his work." Basu is known for his films like 'Barfi', 'Life In a Metro', 'Ludo', and 'Jagga Jasoos'.He will also be directing 'Aashiqui 3' which stars Kartik Aaryan in the lead role. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 April,2024 03:14 PM IST | Mumbai | ANIFourteen years after Love Sex Aur Dhokha shook up a storm in filmdom, Dibakar Banerjee is back with its spirit sequel, which is out in theatres today. Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2 explores life in the times of social media, and Dibakar’s objective gaze on it, since he himself doesn’t participate in it. In an exclusive interview with Mid-day.com, the filmmaker tells us what he loves about social media, and how he is hoping to ‘shake things up’ with Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2. You're not on social media, but you have made a film on the social media obsession of the current times. How does that work? I think that works best, because if I'm not on social media, but if I am actually crawling and snooping on social media, then I'll be kind of an objective viewer. I'm not participating in it, but that objectivity kind of helps if you're not associated, in terms of your own personal stakes. If you're not personally influenced by it. Then it becomes easier to be objective and make a film about it without the treatment becoming problematic, where your own gaze is actually a problem. What do you love and hate about social media? I love everything. I love the fact that people have the freedom to live many versions of their lives on social media. People have the freedom to reinvent or invent new versions of themselves on social media. And that's what LSD2 is about. It's about our versions. It's about our avatars. It's about our multiple lives. My film shows a janitor - lowest of the low - who is transgender, who's working as a metro station loo cleaner. But she also runs a love advisory YouTube channel called Pyar Ke Panchi. So it's about our lives, our fantasy lives, which are now becoming real because we are doing it in the virtual space. I don't find anything problematic in it. It's another sphere of life. So, is everything that you're showing, with respect to social media in LSD2, positive? No, no, it's very scary. I'm hoping to shake people up because I think, when we are in a space where we are trying to escape our physical lives, and then we are actually investing so much in our virtual lives, then what happens is that the distance between our virtual and the real life becomes huge. And since we still haven't - like Matrix - gotten free of our physical lives, there is a disconnect. So that's what the film is about. It's also about what fun situations emerge from this. View this post on Instagram A post shared by EktaaRkapoor (@ektarkapoor) What do you think about this whole influencer culture? You know, one possible name for LSD2 was 'The Influence'. Because it is about the influence. It's about us being influenced. It's about us influencing. It's about how many followers do we have, how many people do we follow. So it's about people chasing people and people running around in circles. I love it. What are the challenges of making fiction look like reality? Well, the first thing is that nobody wants to look at reality. You might not have a hundred crore film on your hand, so you have to make it on a very tight budget. At the same time, the reality that I'm trying to show about LSD2 is the life of virtual reality. So we've had to jump into sequences created by AI, deep fake and animation, and not shot by a camera. We've actually built a metaverse for our film. Our climax is that all our characters are in the metaverse. They're in the virtual avatars. We created a game for our film, because one of the protagonists is a gaming influencer. Why didn't you cast a trans person as Noor, instead of a straight actor, Paritosh? We had two transgender characters and we were very sure that we will have a transgender actor for Kulu's role. And we were looking at transgender actors for Noor's role also, but that's when we realized that if we have two transgender actors in one film, and if it's a theatrical release, then it's going to be a niche film. I said that, look, I'm not going to take a cisgender actress and make her act like a transgender, it's best to speak to men and figure out male actors and see how they feel about it. That's how Paritosh was cast as Noor. But our biggest success has been that there are quite a few transgender women in our film acting as cisgender women, which nobody will be able to tell. Why not release it on OTT? It probably would have given you more liberties… That's totally Ekta (Kapoor, producer). Ekta wanted this film to be a theatrical. She knew she was taking a huge risk. Ekta knows that she's put her reputation, her money on the line. She has a very special place for LSD, the franchise, in her heart. And when it came out in 2010, it set off new things for Ekta, it gave a new direction. I think Ekta is somebody who's always looking for a new direction and some kind of a provocation. And she knew that I'm the kind of filmmaker who will just jump at something like this. But it was she who dangled the bait of LSD2 as a theatrical film. It is she who's the most vulnerable in this scheme, who's had to pull out rabbits after rabbits in terms of plans and schemes out of her hat to make this film financially viable.
19 April,2024 02:33 PM IST | Mumbai | Bohni BandyopadhyayVidya Balan is one of the most versatile and talented actors in India. The actress has been a part of several hit films over the years and before joining movies also worked in theatres and TV. Recently, she revealed a hilarious anecdote from a movie set. It is well known that several members of the film industry sometimes resort to superstitious beliefs in the hopes of making their films work. Vidya shared one such incident from the sets of a film she worked on. During an appearance as a panelist on comedian Raunaq Rajani's show 'Relationshit Advice', Vidya opened up about a bizarre superstition by her director. "I was on a film set where the director wore the same pair of shorts for 42 days because he was superstitious. Actually, I didn’t notice because I wasn’t looking, but I heard about it. " When the host gathered that it was a superstition, he asked if the film worked at the box office. To this, Vidya promptly said, "The film bombed". When asked about the name of the movie or the director, Vidya laughed and added, “Actually, I’ve forgotten the name.” Vidya Balan being termed bad luck : Vidya made her acting debut in the 2005 film 'Parineeta' alongside Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt. However, long before 'Parineeta', she was all set to make her debut with the Malayalam film titled 'Chakram'. However, the film got shelved and Vidya was labelled a bringer of bad luck. This resulted in Vidya getting replaced from a dozen Malayalam movies she had signed. Vidya started her professional acting career with the TV show 'Hum Paanch' and commercial advertisements. Her first big break came in the form of a Malayalam film offer with a chance to work opposite superstar Mohanlal. While pursuing her education, Vidya was cast as the female lead in director Kamal’s 'Chakram'. She became the talk of the town. Even before the release of the film, thanks to the announcement of her role opposite Mohanlal she secured 12 film offers. However, Chakram was called off due to some alleged production issues. Mohanlal walked out of the project. A project of the superstar getting shelved was a rare phenomenon and left producers baffled. Balan was the only new person on the team and was eventually labelled bad luck resulting in her losing all the other 12 films as well. Later, she was offered 'Parineeta' which changed her fate. She went on to deliver memorable performances and even won the National award for Best Actress for Dirty Picture. She later found a spit in the Cannes Film Festival Jurybas well. She has shouldered several female-led films like Kahaani, Tumhari Sulu, Dirty Picture, Sherni, Jalsa, and Neeyat among others.
19 April,2024 02:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentArshad Warsi, the versatile actor known for his impeccable comic timing and memorable performances, continues to be a fan favorite in Bollywood. With a career spanning decades, he has etched his name in the hearts of audiences with his iconic characters and unforgettable dialogues. As he celebrates his birthday, let's revisit some of his epic lines that never fail to make us smile: "Bhai ne bola karne ka toh karne ka" - Munna Bhai MBBS Remember Circuit's loyalty to Munna Bhai? This line sums it up perfectly! When Bhai says it, you gotta do it, no questions asked! "Yaha pata nahi kya kya phata hua hai. Tere ko kapde ki padi hai" - Welcome 2 Karachi Warsi's got us cracking up with this one! The chaos and confusion caused by his character added the to film’s storyline and depth. "Uncle aunty ki shaadi ... sunne mein kitna odd lagta hai" - Golmaal 3 Madhav, played by Warsi, is a quirky guy with a hilarious take on life. In 'Golmaal 3', he brings his unique charm to the screen, making us giggle with his offbeat observations. "Crore ki baat kar rha hun aur aap chutta jama kar rhe ho" - Golmaal Madhav, portrayed by Warsi, is the guy who's always one step away from losing his cool. His frustration in 'Golmaal' is both relatable and incredibly funny, adding spice to the chaos of the film. “Pichwade mein itni goli maroonga ... ki uske bachche pittal ke paida honge" - Zila Parishad In Zila Parishad, Warsi's character delivers threats with a twist. He's tough yet hilarious, mixing humor with intensity effortlessly. "Apun ne ek-sau-pandhra ghar khali karwaya … baavan kidnapping kiyela hai … kam se kam dhai-sau haddi toh torela rahenga … pan kabhi andhar nahin aaya … first time, first time kisi ko sorry bola … direct andhar."- Munnabhai MBBS While behind bars, a dejected Warsi says this to Dutt. "Full confidence mein janeka aur ekdum vinamrata ke saath baat karneka"- Munnabhai MBBS Arshad Warsi through his dialogue delivery as Circuit sure made the word 'vinamrata' popular.
19 April,2024 11:49 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFarah Khan Kunder is known to host her friends from the film industry at her home every now and then. She also shares videos and pictures from these wholesome get-togethers. Recently, she planned a get-together with four friends but a few more turned up turning it into a magical evening. Farah Khan shared a video from the get together n her Instagram feed. The video features Sonu Nigam and Anu Malik sitting on either side of veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar and signing the song 'Main Hoon Na' from the film directed by Farah Khan. Enjoying the live music are newly engaged couple Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth, Huma Qureshi, Rajkummar Rao, Patralekhaa, Suleiman Merchant, Sajid Khan, Dipika Kakar and Shoaib Ibrahim. Take a look at the video: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Farah Khan Kunder (@farahkhankunder) Farah Khan is a choreographer and filmmaker in the Hindi film industry. She made her directorial debut with the 2004 film 'Main Hoon Na'. The film starred Shah Rukh Khan, Sushmita Sen, Zayed Khan, Amrita Rao, Suniel Shetty, Naseeruddin Shah, Kirron Kher in pivotal roles. The film was a big hit and Khan went on to direct 'Om Shanti Om' in 2007 with SRK and Deepika Padukone. The film marked the debut of Deepika who is one of the biggest superstars of the country today. Farah Khan took the risk of launching a newcomer in her big-budget film. Launching a new actress alongside an actor like Shah Rukh Khan in a big-budget film requires guts, and Farah took on that challenge. Do you know whom she was banking on while making that decision? It was none other than King Khan, SRK, because of whom Farah could take the risk of launching Deepika Padukone. In a recent interview with Mashable India's show "The Bombay Dream," Farah Khan opened up about her decision. The filmmaker, while talking to casting director Mukesh Chhabra, shared, "To launch a hero is on another level because who will give you the money? I launched her because Shah Rukh Khan was there. So, I could take that risk."
19 April,2024 11:02 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentActress Kajol and her husband Ajay Devgn's daughter Nysa will turn 21 on Saturday, April 20. Ahead of her birthday, Kajol took to social media to pen a post about motherhood and the joy her child brought her. Kajol gave birth to her first child in 2003. The couple also has a son named Yug. Kajol shared an old picture of her holding a younger Nysa on her lap and giving her a tight hug. Sharing the picture, Kajol wrote, "Tomorrow is Nysas 21st birthday but today is about me and how I became a mom. How she made my greatest wish come true and how she makes me happy every single day since then just by being herself. How she makes me grateful and awed by her love and her unflinching support. I can be wrong but I can never be in the wrong." The actress further wrote, "How she makes me laugh and laugh and how I love to stand on my soapbox and boast about what all my baby does and says. How I felt for the first time and every time since when she calls me " mama ". Its like a call to arms for a very loved cause. How I wish sometimes I could wrap her up and store her back in my stomach for a day just to feel my heart back in the body it started out from. Love is such an ordinary term to describe what you feel for your children. Its so much much more. So yes today is about me. Taking a bow, now". View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kajol Devgan (@kajol) Kajol's work front Meanwhile, on the work front, Kajol recently wrapped up shooting for 'Do Patti'. The film also stars Kriti Sanon. Directed by Shashanka Chaturvedi, 'Do Patti' is set to take viewers on a thrilling suspense-filled ride like never before and transport audiences to the mesmerising hills of North India, which serves as a backdrop for the mystery and intrigue to unfold, read a statement. The thriller is also the maiden project as a producer for writer Kanika Dhillon and actor Kriti Sanon. 'Do Patti' also marks Kriti and Kajol's second collaboration after 'Dilwale'. Earlier, sharing her thoughts on the film, Kajol said, "I couldn't be more thrilled to team up with Netflix once again after 'Tribhanga' and 'Lust Stories 2', this time for an exhilarating ride that does Patti." "The opportunity to be on streaming has been truly exciting, as it allows us to venture into unexplored territories and present captivating stories to audiences across the globe. 'Do Patti' has a standout script that promises a unique blend of adventure and mystery. It is a story that is not only rooted in India but also promises the thrill that can be enjoyed by entertainment enthusiasts across borders," Kajol added.
19 April,2024 10:41 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentKnown for serving iconic fashion looks, actress and fashionista Sonam Kapoor on Thursday dropped a series of pictures from a new photoshoot, leaving fans in awe of her outfits. Sonam, who enjoys 35.2 million followers on Instagram, shared photographs from her recent photoshoot. In one picture, Sonam is wearing a golden coloured outfit with a multi-coloured long cape. The second snap shows her wearing a body hugging black gown with long sleeves. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sonam A Kapoor (@sonamkapoor) The 'Delhi-6' actress is sporting a bright blue outfit in the third picture. The last snap shows her wearing a black long satin coat and matching stockings. The post is captioned as: "Brightening up the world, one outfit at a time." One user wrote, "Fashion icon for a cause", another said: "Slayyyyy." A fan said, "fabulous." On the work front, she was last seen in 2023 crime thriller movie 'Blind', directed by Shome Makhija. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 April,2024 07:36 AM IST | Mumbai | IANSJanhvi Kapoor, who is all set to be seen in the action thriller film 'Ulajh', has treated her fans with her new pic flaunting her beautiful hair. Taking to her Instagram handle, she posted a picture of herself, which grabbed the eyeballs. She gave a quirky caption to the picture, "pls roze aise achhe hair days de do..shubh baal diwas" (Please give these good hair every day..Happy Good Hair day) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Janhvi Kapoor (@janhvikapoor) After her post, many fans reacted to it. One of them wrote, "Day by Day you are transforming and becoming more beautiful stylish and Elegant" Another mentioned, "Whatever u wear nd whts your mood.........u look perfectly beautiful" While the other wrote, "So beautiful" Talking about her film, 'Ulajh', makers recently dropped the teaser of the film. In the 56-second video, Jahnvi is shown determined to seek revenge against those who betrayed her and her country. Sharing the teaser on her Instagram, the 'Mili' actress wrote, "Enter the world of lies, deceit and betrayals- # Ulajh in cinemas on the 5th of July." Directed by National Award winner Sudhanshu Saria, the patriotic thriller film also stars Gulshan Devaiah and Roshan Mathew, of 'The Poacher' fame, in lead roles. Produced by Junglee Pictures, the project follows the journey of a young IFS officer, belonging to a prominent family of patriots, who gets embroiled in a dangerous personal conspiracy while far from her home turf, at a career-defining post. Written by Parveez Shaikh and Sudhanshu Saria, with dialogues by Atika Chohan, this new-age thriller promises to be unlike anything else audiences have seen in this genre. It also stars Rajesh Tailang, Meiyang Chang, Sachin Khedekar, Rajendra Gupta and Jitendra Joshi in pivotal roles. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 April,2024 07:31 AM IST | Mumbai | ANIRajkumar Hirani is one of the most loved directors in Bollywood, known for touching the hearts of audiences with his films. While the director has carved out a distinct place in the industry, it's now time for his son, Vir Hirani, to make his debut in the entertainment industry with 'Letters from Suresh', directed by theatre veteran Feroze Abbas Khan. Vir Hirani is all set to step into the entertainment realm with the iconic play 'Letters from Suresh', directed by theatre veteran Feroze Abbas Khan, narrates a hauntingly beautiful story of human relationships through letters. Presented for the very first time in India, Rajiv Joseph’s ‘Letters from Suresh’ is a rare dramatic gem that tells the story of four unique characters, tethered by love, loss, tenderness – and a yearning for human connection. Interestingly, Vir Hirani is a recent graduate of the prestigious RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art). Vir has been making short films since his teenage years. Vir Hirani made his directorial debut with 'Return Gift', which premiered at the 18th edition of the International Children's Film Festival of India in Hyderabad.
19 April,2024 07:22 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAjay Devgn-starrer 'Maidaan' has left actor Taapsee Pannu in awe. On Thursday, Taapsee took to Instagram and shared a picture from the theatre. "#Maidaan then lets not say our big films lack soul and heart," she wrote. Taapsee also gave a shout out to her friend Abhilash Thapliyal, who plays a pivotal role in the film. "@abhilashthapliyal cheers to adding one feather at a time to the filmography hat," she added. Many other stars including Shahid Kapoor, Karan Johar and Varun Dhawan also took to their Instagram Stories to share their opinion about the film. Shahid wrote, "Really enjoyed watching Maidaan today. Such a well made well performed film. Go watch it guys. This is a genuine candid post you all. Good films deserve to be seen. All the best to the entire team." Karan Johar wrote, "Have heard the most incredible things about MAIDAAN!! I also can't wait to watch what is universally touted as @ajaydevgn's career best performance! @iamitrsharma @boney.kapoor @zeestudiosofficial." Varun Dhawan also gave a shout-out to the film while expressing his eagerness to watch it after wrapping the shoot for Baby John."Hearing such incredible stuff about this film and the performances specially the last 30 minutes booking my tickets today," the 'Bhediya' actor penned on his IG stories. Directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma, 'Maidaan' is a poignant portrayal of Syed Abdul Rahim's unwavering dedication to football, which brought tremendous pride to India. Ajay Devgn essays the role of Rahim in the film. The movie also stars Priyamani, Gajraj Rao, and Bengali actor Rudranil Ghosh in pivotal roles. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 April,2024 07:12 AM IST | Mumbai | ANIADVERTISEMENT
