Shah Rukh Khan helped team Marjaavaan with certain VFX shots for Riteish Deshmukh’s role as a dwarf!
Shah Rukh Khan has also played the role of a dwarf in Aanand L Rai’s Zero. The actor happens to own one of the best VFX set up in the country and coincidently, he was shooting for Zero around the same time Ritiesh was shooting for Marjaavan. In the interview, Riteish revealed that Shah Rukh Khan was generous enough to help Milap out with certain VFX shots because he had the best equipment and his production budget was on a bigger scale. Marjaavaan is slated to release on November 15. Also Read: Ahead of Marjaavaan’s release, Rakul Preet Singh talks about how Bollywood opened up to her after De De Pyaar Defrom BollywoodHungama.com News https://ift.tt/2rERPAO
Now, the star cast is all set to make their fans groove to the upcoming Arabic themed party song, ‘Walla Walla’. The song is voiced by Nakash Aziz, Neeti Mohan, and Nayeem Shah and is choreographed by Ganesh Acharya. John spoke about the song to a leading daily and said that the tunes of this number are completely different and it is nothing we’ve ever heard before. Director Anees Bazmee spoke about the song and said that it is quite special for him since everyone wanted to opt for a Punjabi wedding song. Since he did not want to make it stereotypical, he opted for something different and revealed that the team couldn’t stop listening to it on loop. He went on to say that it looks great on-screen and he’s certain that the audience will enjoy it too. The movie is slated to release on November 22 under Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series banner. Also Read: 
Talking about the song and her equation with Kartik Aaryan, Ananya Panday said they understand each other well. It surely makes it easier to work with someone if you have a level of understanding. Speaking further about the fun and energy throughout the shoot of the song, Ananya said that Kartik had a smile on his face the entire time and he thoroughly enjoys himself. While these two can’t stop praising each other for their performances, we can’t wait to see them on screen! Pati Patni Aur Woh is slated to release on December 6 and is produced by Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series and Juno Chopra. Also Read: 
Mala Ramdhani, a karaoke singer who worked at the same bar as Donne did, revealed that she was often stopped from watching songs or films featuring Hrithik at home as her husband would get jealous. Reports also state that the woman had moved out of the apartment where she lived with her husband, but has visited the place for some time. After committing the murder, Dineshwar allegedly texted his sister-in-law confessing that he had killed her and also directed her as to how she could find the house key. Then he left the house and committed suicide nearby. Donne was apparently abused, threatened and beaten by the husband in the past as well, and even had an order of protection from the court after Dineshwar was arrested in August, on charges of slapping and strangling her. 
Says a trade source, “There are icy vibes between the lead actor and the director as they don't talk to each other on the sets of Sooryavanshi. Apparently, Akshay and Rohit have major problems with each other and to such a degree that they have stopped talking to each other. There were massive creative differences on the script and the way the movie was being shot which apparently led to a showdown between both one day. Since that day they don't talk to each other but communicate on the sets through the assistant directors who explain the shots to Akshay before filming. Rohit has a movie to complete with a release date (March 27, 2020) looming over him so maybe he pushes things around a bit to get things done his way. While those who have worked with Rohit realise that this is his style of working, to others like Akshay, who is working with him for the first time, it may look as if Rohit is doing whatever he wants and throwing his weight around so things have been spinning a bit out of control. One has heard that these days he comes on the sets after Akshay arrives. Everybody knows how punctual the superstar is and never makes anybody wait. The director ideally is one of the first to arrive to give instructions to his team on a movie set.” The source adds that while creative differences have opened up between Rohit and Akshay, the main reason for their cold war goes way back – when the filmmaker had preponed the release date of Sooryavanshi to March 27, 2020, something which Akshay had apparently not been consulted over. “Akshay is a cool, hassle-free guy and a thorough professional. He never interferes in any decision that his director or producer makes but he was upset when Rohit decided to prepone Sooryavanshi without even informing him. Apparently, the filmmaker had made this decision talking to Salman Khan directly. A hurt Akshay kept quiet but when script issues spiralled out of control, he could no longer keep quiet as his dates were being jostled around. He is very organised and his dates are chalked out months in advance. With re-shooting of Sooryavanshi happening, his dates were getting messed up with his other projects. Apparently, Akshay is also unhappy with the re-shoot of some major scenes in the movie.” A major fallout because of the rumoured rift between the filmmaker and the superstar, the trade source says, is a change of the promotional strategy. “Rohit and Akshay will not promote the film together. At the most they may come together for the promo launch only. But interviews and promotions they won’t be doing together. Apparently, relations have soured so much between them that one day, Karan Johar had to be called on the sets to intervene and sort things out. He is playing the mediator to make sure that the project gets completed on time.” During the shoot of Dilwale, similar rumours of a rift between Shah Rukh Khan and Rohit Shetty had surfaced, leading to speculations that the two wouldn’t work together again. Recently, there was talk that Hrithik Roshan had left Farah Khan and Rohit’s next movie and the two filmmakers had approached Akshay for it. The trade source sums it up, “As of now, the way things are between them, it’s almost impossible that they will work together again.” Also Read: 
And now she is back on the screen with a Bengali film Gautam Haldar’s Nirbaan. It was screened on November 9 as part of the Kolkata International Film festival. Says the forthright actress, “The film has been ready for some time now. I’ve no idea why its release is delayed. But it’s a very relevant subject. We’ve made it in Bengali and Hindi.” It was a triumphant homecoming for veteran actress Raakhee Gulzar when she touched down on Kolkata on November 8 as a special guest at the Kolkata International Film festival. Shockingly, Raakheeji whose breathtaking beauty inspired Sahir Ludhianvi to write the lines Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayaal aata hai ke jaise tujhko banaya gaya hai mere liye, reveals that she has never been invited by Festival before. “This is the 25th year of existence for the Kolkata Film Festival. Not once did they invite me before this. This is the first invitation I’ve got and that too because Mamtaji (Bengal’s chief minister Mama Bannerjee) wanted me to be honoured. I said yes because of her.” The honorary function went swimmingly with Bengal’s chief minister ensuring her presence throughout. Says Raakheeji appreciatively, “She was giving instructions about the Bengal cyclone on the phone while attending the function to honour me. She is a wonderful person, much misunderstood and vilified for being a powerful woman.” Shah Rukh Khan was also present at the function to honour Raakheeji. Says the veteran actress fondly, “Shah Rukh is very fond of both me and Mamtaji. Ever since I played his mother in Baazigar and Karan Arjun he has been very close to me. And he hasn’t changed one bit over the years. He held my hand and greeted me with the same warmth.” Raakheedi invited Shah Rukh to accompany her on stage. “On stage I made him recite two lines from Rabindranath Tagore’s O Amar Desher which talks about bowing one’s head to one’s motherland. Shah Rukh recited the lines like a Bengali.” So her fans have something to look forward to? She laughs her throaty laughter. “Fans? I don’t think anyone even remembers me today. Time has moved on. The young audience today is not familiar with my work…or maybe they know Kabhi Kabhie, Paroma and a few others.” Any unfulfilled wishes? “Yes, I always wanted to work with Tapan Sinha. According to me he is the best filmmaker Bengal has ever produced. So progressive, so ahead of his times. It was my misfortune that I never got a chance to work with him.” Working with Rituparno Ghosh was also a pleasure. “He was very very good with women characters. In fact I recommended Ritu to Aishwarya Rai when she was considering Chokher Bali. It is sad that he died so young. He was the most powerful emerging voice of Bengali cinema.” Also Read: 
According to sources in the know, Big B would be taking time off right after the completion and release of Nagraj Manjule’s football film Jhund in December. “The other projects that Amitji has signed would have to wait,” informs a family source. “Right now it is imperative that he take a longish break. He is physically exhausted; his body needs rest repair and healing.” This time, Big B’s family is also adamant about his time off. “Wife Jaya, daughter Shweta and son Abhishek have made it very clear to Bachchan Saab that this time he must take the medical advice seriously. He has been seriously advised to take time off on several occasions in recent years. Each time he has disregarded the warning and continued to work. Not this time. The family will make sure he takes time off for rest,” says a family friend of the Bachchan family.
Director Om Raut said that Ajay Devgn was his first choice for the role. He started writing the film in 2015 and gave the narration to Ajay two years ago. He said that he was fascinated by the story since he was a child. Om Raut also said that Ajay has the persona, eyes, and physic that exudes power. For the filmmaker, it was difficult to recreate the 17th century without any visual references but at the same true they had to stay true to the characters and mileau. Saif Ali Khan and Ajay Devgn are all set to face off in the film. Om Raut further added that during the filming they realized that this was a battle royal between the two stars. Kajol will be essaying the role of Savitri Bai, Tanaji Malusare's wife who stayed by his side through thick and thin. She will be playing a Maharashtrian role for the first time. The epic battle will be released in 3D on 10th January 2020. Ajay Devgn starrer, Tanhaji – The Unsung Warrior is produced by Ajay Devgn’s ADF and Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series and is directed by Om Raut.
A source clued in to the unfortunate setback reveals, “The cast and crew couldn’t breathe. Visibility was so low that the camera couldn’t capture the shots properly. It was a no-win situation. The team decided to disperse until the weather improves.” Interestingly a while ago, Priyanka Chopra, who starred in the original Dostana film in 2008, was shooting in Delhi with Rajkummar Rao for The White Tiger. She posted a message about the hostile climate of Delhi and got trolled for it. But the suffocating air in Delhi has begun to impact Bollywood’s Delhi plans. A number of filmmakers are either waiting for the smog to clear or seriously thinking of re-locating their films to another city.
Sources in the know reveal Jaan, to be directed by Radha Krishna Kumar, would feature minimal action. “Prabhas feels his fans have had their fill of action in Saaho, at least for a while. Jaan will be a romantic film with a large number of songs to be composed by Amit Trivedi.” More significantly there will be no Hindi version of Jaan. According to sources, Prabhas is done with trying to woo the Hindi belt for now. “He will focus on his primary market for the next couple of films. The Hindi market can wait. Prabhas won’t lose his core audience for a pie in the sky,” says the source. The Hindi version of Saaho lost a huge amount of money, thereby providing a lesson to all actors from the non-Hindi language making a crossover into the mainstream. Baahubali was an isolated instance.
Bihar’s prominent distributor Kishan Damani comments, “The collections of Bala are better and has opened stronger than Ayushmann Khurrana’s previous release Dream Girl with better reviews all across. Yes, collections were hit in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh where theatres were closed to government orders.” Another prominent exhibitor-distributor from Mumbai who wishes to go unnamed says Bala was initially affected by the release of a similar film a week earlier. “After Ujda Chaman last week audiences felt it was too much to see another film about premature balding. But they went nevertheless only because of Ayushmann Khurrana who has become synonymous with quality products.”
This phenomenon of films meant for theatrical release releasing directly on OTT platforms instead is already giving sleepless nights to the actors. One might argue that these platforms also stream web series featuring popular actors like Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, R Madhavan etc. But that’s different since web series like Sacred Games, Breathe, Bard Of Blood, The Family Man etc were always meant to come directly online. It wasn’t like it was supposed to release in cinemas and that the makers then changed their mind. Hence, in that regard, these OTT portals can be quite lucrative. Even a mega star like Akshay Kumar is expected to soon come up with his Amazon Prime original. Also, blockbuster film director Ali Abbas Zafar is coming up with a web series, Tandav, starring Saif Ali Khan, which will be aired on Amazon Prime. Coming back to Drive, sources say that Sushant Singh Rajput wasn’t happy with this development. He insisted on a theatrical release and tried his best to persuade them for it. But ultimately, Karan had to take a decision that was practical for him. Sushant was hurt and no wonder, that he never posted anything related to Drive on his Instagram handle. On Twitter, he merely retweeted three tweets of Tarun Mansukhani pertaining to the film. Jacqueline Fernandez, meanwhile, regularly shared updates of the film with her million plus followers. Another source, who has seen the rise of OTT from the inside, says, “At the scripting stage, it becomes difficult for producers at times to know how the film will ultimately shape up. At times, they believe the script has potential and there are times when they refuse to see the reality and end up approving a bad script. It’s only when the see the final product do they realize that they have created a bad film that can entail losses. Earlier, a producer would have no choice but now, OTT platforms are giving them a chance to recover the costs.” This source further adds, “The producer is relived that he didn’t make a loss, notwithstanding the immense trolling that he might receive, as it happened in the case of Drive. But in the process, the actors of that film can suffer. They sign a film with the hope that it’ll make it to cinemas. A direct OTT release harms the film and also their track record. Sushant, for instance, must have hoped that a film with Dharma Productions would add to his brand. And it was a given that the film will first release in theatres. Hence, he felt shortchanged but there’s nothing he can do about it.” But going forward, actors will now be careful of this aspect. This source says, “From now on, most of the major and mid-level actors will add a ‘no digital release’ clause in their contracts when they want to do a film. It simply means that the producer will be legally bound to release the film in cinemas and not straightaway on Netflix or Amazon Prime, failing which the actor can sue the producer.” He also states, “The whole industry has observed what happened to Drive and don’t want to be in Sushant’s shoes. As a result, this clause will become commonplace in the days to come.” 
Another row happened last year with Saif Ali Khan whose film on stock market, Baazaar, almost made it to Netflix directly. “The producer Nikkhil Advani wasn’t finding a studio to back the film as Saif had given back-to-back flops. But the actor was dead against skipping a theatrical release. Fortunately for him, his web series Sacred Games, which incidentally streamed on Netflix, did very well and improved his track record. Viacom18 Motion Pictures then came on board and released the film,” says the source and further adds, “The perception in the industry was that Baazaar is not getting buyers and hence, it must be a pretty bad movie. However, all that changed once the trailer was unveiled. It indicated that the film can be quite an entertaining ride. Even at the box office, it wasn’t a huge hit but wasn’t a flop either.” Not just actors, even directors can soon add this clause in their contracts. Another recent case is that of Lootcase, a comic caper starring Kunal Kemmu, Rasika Dugal, Ranvir Shorey, Vijay Raaz and Gajraj Rao. It is directed by Rajesh Krishnan whose Soda Films is a co-producing banner along with Fox Star Studios. The source says, “Fox was happy with the film but had doubts over its commercial prospects. Hence they took the decision to cancel its theatrical release, scheduled for October 11. Rajesh Krishnan however wasn’t happy with this decision and protested. He also had the right to do so since he was a co-producer as well. This was also a reason why Fox Star Studios management then announced that they’ll go back to their original decision of releasing the film in cinemas as the tussle was becoming too ugly.” The source then opines, “Even for a director, it can be a harrowing experience if his film, which was to hit cinemas on the big screen, is instead seen by viewers on their laptops or mobile phones. Also, it can affect his remuneration for his next project. And for a director who already has few hits or important films under his belt, a direct-OTT release of his film can be humiliating. A ‘no digital release’ clause will prevent such a situation.” But isn’t it impractical for an actor or director to expect a theatrical release when the situation warrants a release on digital platforms instead? The source says, “That’s debatable. The producer might argue that actors should put themselves in his shoes and only then they’ll understand why he’d go for a release on OTT. But even the actors and director make the same argument. To avoid such problems and most importantly, to avoid any bad blood, signing the said clause is the best solution.” Also Read: 
The shooting of the film s underway and will finish by March 2020. As the film is VFX heavy, the makers want to ensure that the film has top quality VFX. The VFX supervisor has been flown in from LA for this purpose. Maidaan is based on the Golden years of Indian Football and will see Ajay Devgn essay the role of the legendary coach Syed Abdul Rahim who is also known as the father of Indian football for his achievements in making India a top nation in Football during his lifetime. Produced by Zee Studios, Boney Kapoor, Akash Chawla, and Arunava Joy Sengupta, Maidaan is directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma, screenplay and dialogues are written by Saiwyn Quadros and Ritesh Shah respectively.
Sabbir Khan had three different sets prepared for the shoot - one in Madh Island, another at the Garden Retreat in Kandivali and one at Ellora Studios in Mira Road. Sabbir revealed that they had recreated interiors of the house at Madh Island but everything was ruined due to Friday morning rain. They had week-long stint to shoot but they have now postponed it. The set was insured. Sabbir Khan revealed that they will now head for the Lucknow schedule. Upon returning, they will shoot the remaining portions that could not be shot due to the rains. Nikamma is jointly produced by Sony Pictures International Productions and Sabbir Khan Films and is scheduled to release in the summer of 2020.
Now we bring to you yet another exciting as well as exclusive information about this much awaited flick. The film in question is a remake of a very successful and entertaining South film. A source says, “The Akshay Kumar starrer is an official adaption of a Kannada film, titled Bell Bottom. It released earlier this year and was directed by Jayathirtha with Rishab Shetty and Haripriya playing the lead roles. It was one of the biggest Kannada hits of 2019 and was loved for its entertainment quotient and for bringing the 80s era alive beautifully on screen. Nikkhil Advani saw the film and instantly decided to buy its remake rights as he saw immense potential in the film. He also decided to let Ranjit Tiwari handle it. Though his first film Lucknow Central failed, Nikkhil trusts his capabilities. And then Akshay came on board too. The scripting of the film is underway and is expected to be completed before the end of 2019.” The source further adds, “Along with Akshay Kumar, Nikkhil Advani and Vashu Bhagnani, even Bhushan Kumar of T-Series is expected to come on board as producers. They are planning to name the remake as Bell Bottom as well but will take a final call in a while since they have few more titles in mind too.” The original Bell Bottom film is set in the 80s and is about a police constable who gets a chance to fulfil his childhood dream of becoming a detective when a mysterious robbery takes place at the local police station. Interestingly, the Tamil remake of this flick is already underway and is being directed by Sathyasiva. A Telugu remake is also in the pipeline. Meanwhile, the producers of the original film are so thrilled with the response that they have already planned a sequel to the film. It will be called Bell Bottom 2 and is expected to go on floors in the beginning of 2020. Also Read: 
On Thursday's episode, Amitabh Bachchan asked the contestant on the hot seat a question based on the Indian history. The question put up by the host was, “Which of these rulers was the contemporary of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb?” The four options were, Maharana Pratap, Rana Sanga, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Shivaji. Soon after netizens criticized the show and Amitabh Bachchan for referring the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb as Samrat and calling the historical ruler of Maratha just by his name-Shivaji. Several people asked the channel and the actor to issue an apology for not using a salutation before taking the Maratha ruler's name. After the outrage, Amitabh Bachchan took to Twitter to apologise to all those whose sentiments were hurt. He wrote, "No disrespect meant at all .. apologies if it has hurt sentiments .." https://twitter.com/SrBachchan/status/1192901784911532032 Sony TV too issued an apology through their Twitter handle. “There was an inaccurate reference to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj during Wednesday’s KBC episode, due to inadvertence. We deeply regret the same and being mindful of the sentiments of our viewers have carried a scroll expressing regret during our episode yesterday. #KBC11” https://twitter.com/SonyTV/status/1192736487554478080 Also Read: 
It has now come to light that Rahat Fateh Ali Khan understood why Salman Khan took this decision of replacing his voice and has no hard feelings. Rahat’s producer and global promoter Salman Ahmed confirmed this fact to Pakistani newspaper Dawn and also revealed that Rahat Fateh Ali Khan sung not one, but two songs for Dabangg 3. “Basically two songs were recorded for Dabangg 3. Everyone wanted the songs and they're really good. This song ‘Naina’ is lovely and everyone misses the fact that Rahat sahab's version couldn't go on. But at the end of the day of course he (Salman Khan) has to see the interests of his country, so I don’t think the artist has choices there given the circumstances,” says Salman Ahmed. Salman Ahmed further adds, “If the song (Rahat’s version) would’ve been released, there’d be controversies, the film would have been affected and nobody wants that. That’s why we didn’t do the song,” and also makes it clear, “It’s not bad blood. It’s not like Salman Khan purposely dropped the song.” Salman Ahmed signed off by stating, “At this moment, (given) the emotions and sentiments of that industry and the country, he (Salman) only adhered to them. Otherwise we all know there are people who want a reason to damage Salman Khan’s reputation by creating a fuss and having needless controversies. There’s no bad blood, nothing intentional. I would say it is more circumstantial than anything else and that’s about it.” Also Read: 
According to reports, director Milap Zaveri and his team felt that the song hampered the pace and decided to edit out the song. The decision was taken after holding meetings with the producers Bhushan Kumar and Nikkhil Advani along with Nushrat and Siddharth. The report further states that Nushrat had no issues with it as she understood the intent. However, all the effort will not go in vain as the makers have decided to release the song independently after a few months. On the other hand, the makers have retained another dance number featuring Nora Fatehi. The song is a recreation of Jaanbaaz chartbuster ‘Pyaar Do Pyaar Lo’. Marjaavaan is slated to release on November 15 with Sidharth Malhotra and Tara Sutaria in lead roles. The film also features Riteish Deshmukh in a negative role. Also Read: