ENTERTAINMENT
Vol 2, Issue 11, June 16-31, 2022
Kaali poster row: Canadian MP Chandra Arya says anti-Hindu, anti-India groups active
Bengaluru, July 6 (IANS): An Indiaborn parliamentarian from Canada, Chandra Arya said on Wednesday that anti-Hindu and anti-India forces have joined hands in Canada. The Canadian parliamentarian, who originally hails from Karnataka,
made these remarks in connection with an offensive poster by filmmaker Leena Manimekalai on Hindu goddess Kaali that has created outrage and condemnation throughout the country. “Painful to see Kaali poster by
filmmaker Leena Manimekalai. Past few years, traditional anti-Hindu and anti-India groups in Canada have joined forces resulting in Hindu phobic articles in the media and attacks on our temples,” Chandra Arya stated on his social media handle. He also said that an apology from the Aga Khan Museum “is welcome and appreciated” in connection with the poster. The poster shows Hindu goddess Kaali smoking a cigarette. The offensive poster has created outrage in India. Goddess Kaali is revered across India and represents the powerful spirit which finishes off evil. Chandra Arya, earlier made news by delivering Kannada speech in the Canada Parliament. The video had gone viral on social media recently. His gesture of love for the mother-tongue was appreciated and celebrated all over the country. Chandra Arya had written on Twitter, “I spoke my mother tongue (first language) Kannada in the Canadian parliament. This beautiful language has a long history and is spoken by about 50 million people. This is the first time Kannada is spoken in any parliament in the world outside of India.” Chandra Arya hails from the village Dwalalu in Sira taluk of Tumakuru district in Karnataka.
Vikram’s first look as Aditya Karikalan in Mani Ratnam’s ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ out
Chennai, July 4 (IANS): The team of director Mani Ratnam’s eagerly-awaited magnum opus, ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ on Monday released the
first look of actor Vikram as Aditya Karikalan in the film. Taking to Twitter, Lyca Productions, the firm that is producing the film
along with Mani Ratnam’s Madras Talkies, said: “Welcome the Chola Crown Prince! The Fierce Warrior. The Wild Tiger. Aditya Karikalan! #PS1” The film, the first part of which is set to hit screens on September 30 this year, will release in five languages Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi. The film is based on the classic Tamil novel Ponniyin Selvan by eminent writer Kalki. The brilliant story, that revolves around the early life of prince Arulmozhi Varman, who on went on to be known as the great Raja Chozhan, is one of a kind. The film, called by Mani Ratnam as his dream project, features a host of top stars including actors Vikram, Aishwarya Rai, Trisha, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Jayaram, Parthiban, Lal, Vikram Prabhu, Jayaram, Prabhu and Prakash Raj. The project will be among the most expensive projects ever undertaken in the country. The film has the best in business handling each of its departments. A.R. Rahman is scoring the music for this film and cinematography is by Ravi Varman. National Award winning art director Thotta Tharani is in charge of production design while Mani Ratnam’s trusted editor Sreekar Prasad is handling its editing.
Raashi Khanna gifts plants to fans to reciprocate their love Chennai, July 5 (IANS): Raashi Khanna, who enjoys a huge fan base in both Tamil and Telugu film industries, met some of her fans in person and gifted them plants. Posting a video of meeting her fans on Instagram, the actress wrote, “Everyone’s journey has its own highs and lows and I think an actor’s courage to face uncertainties and failures comes from a long line of supporters holding their fort. “Without even remotely knowing us, you know so much! It’s this silent language of love that pushed me out of my shell to meet and greet and thank you for your unconditional love and support. “Don’t even know what I did to deserve this but my heart is full of gratitude and love. Thank you so much!” On the work front, the actress is part of several upcoming films, including the Dhanushstarrer ‘Thiruchitrambalam’ and Karthi-starrer ‘Sardar’. In ‘Thiruchitrambalam’, Raashi plays a character named Anusha, who happens to be Dhanush’s high school friend in the film.
Varalakshmi plays ‘embodiment of courage’ Premakumari in ‘Iravin Nizhal’ Chennai, July 4: Actress Varalakshmi plays a character named Premakumari in director Parthiban’s upcoming film ‘Iravin Nizhal’, its makers announced on Monday. The unit tweeted a picture of Varalakshmi from the film’s Twitter handle and said, “Get ready to meet Varalakshmi Sarathkumar as Premakumari, also known as Rajamatha, who stands out as the embodiment of courage and boldness in ‘Iravin Nizhal’, the world’s first non-linear single shot film releasing on July 15.” Earlier, the unit had disclosed that actress Brigida would be playing a character called Chilakkama in the film, which has caught the attention of movie buffs for having been made without an editor. The unit is gearing up for the film’s release on July 15. Parthiban, in an interview with IANS, had said that they would be first screening the making video of the film, which will be for almost half-an-hour, to all audiences who come to watch the film. “After the making video is screened, there will be a short five
to 10-minute break. After that, the actual screening will start and there will be no interval during the screening,” Parthiban had said.
‘Iravin Nizhal’ (which means ‘Shadow of the Night’) has music by Oscar winner A.R. Rahman and cinematography by Arthur A Wilson.
Sona Mohapatra draws Twitter CEO’s attention to sexism in his alma mater Mumbai, July 5: Playback singer Sona Mohapatra, who has crooned hit numbers such as ‘Bedardi Raja’, ‘Ambarsariya’ and ‘Rangabati’, has addressed a lengthy tweet to Parag Agrawal, CEO of the microblogging site, slamming the practice of not inviting women as headliners for cultural events at his alma mater IIT Bombay. In her tweet, Sona wrote, “Dear @paraga, Ur alma-mater has for decades, mostly never hosted women as headliners in their cultural festival. IITB alumni, even CEOs slammed me on fb for writing this letter.”
Sona urged Agrawal to watch her film �Shut Up Sona’ to get a glimpse of what female artistes have to go through to get equal respect, representation, and remuneration. She added: “I hope U watch my film #ShutUpSona to see what our reality as female artists in the 21rst century is. Love & Light.” She also attached screenshots of her viral open letter on Facebook. The tweet serves as a reminder to what even the most successful women have to face when they come up against systemic sexism. ‘Shut Up Sona’ is streaming on Zee5 and Zee 5 Global.
London, July 3 (IANS): Peter Brook, the British-born director who won Tonys and Emmys, and was conferred the Padma Shri last year, and is best known for his theatre work ranging from Broadway’s “Marat/Sade” and “Irma La Douce” to experimental productions such as “The Mahabarata”, has died, reports ‘Variety’. He was 97. Brook’s death was confirmed by his long-time publisher, and later the BBC, on Sunday. He died in Paris, where he has lived since the 1970s. The auteur is best known in India for his production of the French play “Le Mahabharata” (“The Mahabharata”), which was based on the Sanskrit epic, by Jean-Claude Carriere. The masterpiece was first staged in 1985 by Brook, who later translated it into English in 1987, in a quarry just outside Avignon in France. The play was nine hours long in performance (11 with intervals) and it toured the world for four years. For two years the show was performed both in French and in English. One of Brook’s final works, at 92 years old, was “The Prisoner”, which
he wrote and staged in Paris as well as at the Edinburgh festival and London’s National Theatre. Just this year, he staged and directed “The Tempest Project” with Marie-Helane Estienne, his long-time collaborator, ‘Variety’ reports. Brook’s career spanned eight decades and included opera, plays, musicals, as well as film and TV productions. After decades of bringing an unorthodox approach to traditional works from the likes of Shakespeare and Puccini, he moved to Paris, where he became even more daring and experimental: In one piece, audiences watched a French theatre troupe perform in a language the actors had invented themselves, informs ‘Variety’. Brook was born in London and educated at Westminster and Magdalen College, Oxford. His first job as director was for a 1943 production of “Dr. Faustus” in London. From 1947 to 1950, he was director of productions at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Among his productions was Richard Strauss’ “Salome”, featuring sets by Salvador Dali.
Wamiqa Gabbi says language, genre no longer matter in pan-India cinema Peter Brook, theatre genius who staged ‘The Mahabharata’, dies at 97 Mumbai, July 3: Language and genre are no longer restrictions, and actors across different regional industries are working together in Bollywood as one unit today.
Popular actress Wamiqa Gabbi, who was seen in ‘Jab We Met’, ‘Mausam’, ‘Love Aaj Kal’ and other Bollywood movies, believes that this is a good and much-needed change in the industry. Wamiqa says: “I feel that prominent names of cinema have a fresh formula to win the pan-Indian audience. They have learnt that the divide between vernacular and national films can be obliterated.” “Not only regional stars are making their way to mainstream Bollywood but vice versa too. Today, actors from across regional industries are coming together with a single aim -- to make good content,” she adds. Wamiqa was last seen in the official Indian adaptation of the hit American anthology series, ‘Modern Love’, by the name of ‘Modern Love: Mumbai’. The show is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
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‘Variety’ notes that Brook directed operas for the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and the Aix en Provence Festival. He also worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1950 through 1970, and his stint included directing Paul Scofield in “King Lear”, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh in “Titus Andronicus” and John Gielgud in “Measure for Measure”.
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