Gorgeous at the gala.

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Akshay Kumar, whose recently released Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, is keen on exploring in different types of roles as fans love to see him in versatile characters. Among the multitude of films which are lined up for the year, is also Sky Force which features an ensemble cast. The Maddock films and Jio Studios film has everything to offer, and as per our sources, it ranges from content to action, from mass to class with it promises to have something for all kinds of audiences.

For the unversed, Sky Force was announced last year, and the anticipation for the film was palpable. Now that the film has officially wrapped up, a source close to the film has shared an exciting update on the much-awaited project. According to a highly placed industry source, Sky Force went on the floors in May 2023. Directors Sandeep Kewlani and Abhishek Kapur are said to have shot the real-life story-inspired action drama in various locations, including Mumbai, Lucknow, Sitapur, Amritsar, Hyderabad, Delhi, Pathankot, UK, USA, and several other locations.” The source further added, “The entire one-year shooting time frame was required to manage the dates of various ensemble casts, obtain permission from different government departments, and meet the standards. The team has shot some adrenaline-filled action sequences.”

Interestingly, director Sandeep Kewlani took to social media today and shared a happy video from the sets with the caption, “And it’s a wrap, Thanks team! #SkyForce 2nd October 2024.” The big-scale entertainer is locked for a worldwide release in cinemas on October 2, 2024.

And It’s a wrap,
Thanks team!#SKYFORCE
???? 2nd OCTOBER 2024 pic.twitter.com/peRDuUVuxx

— SANDEEP KEWLANI (@sandeep_kewlani) April 25, 2024

Sky Force also features debutants Veer Pahariya, Nimrat Kaur, Sharad Kelkar, and Sara Ali Khan and is produced by Dinesh Vijan, Amar Kaushik, and Jyoti Deshpande. The film is directed by the director duo, Sandeep Kewlani and Abhishek Kapur, and the script is written by Sandeep Kewlani with additional dialogues and screenplay by Niren Bhatt and Aamil Keeyan Khan.

Also Read: Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan confirmed to reunite after 14 years for a horror fantasy film

Actor Tiger Shroff has replaced Akshay Kumar as the new face of Vimal Elaichi alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn in their latest advertisement. This development comes after Akshay Kumar faced public backlash after which he subsequently apologized for endorsing Vimal Elaichi, a brand often linked to surrogate advertising of pan masala products. Ajay Devgn, however, continues his association with the brand despite criticism.

The new ad features the three actors stuck in traffic in their car. Shah Rukh Khan prompts Ajay Devgn to use a Vimal Elaichi sachet, leading to a comedic sequence with a CGI effect showering the town with the product. Tiger Shroff then appears and playfully throws the product at his co-stars. The ad concludes with Tiger joining them in the car.

The ad has garnered significant attention online, with fans jokingly referring to it as the “Vimal Cinematic Universe” (VCU). Comments reference the recent pairing of Tiger Shroff and Akshay Kumar in the film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, with one fan noting, “Bade Miyan left Vimalverse and Chote Miyan joined.” This is not the first time Vimal Elaichi and its advertising practices have courted controversy. Amitabh Bachchan previously ended his association with a similar brand due to public disapproval.

In 2022, Akshay Kumar apologized for endorsing Vimal Elaichi after facing public criticism. He pledged to donate his endorsement fees to charity and vowed to be more mindful of future brand associations. However, his appearance in a subsequent ad in 2023 led to confusion. Akshay later clarified that the ad was filmed in 2021 before he ended his association with the brand.

Also Read: Tara Sutaria praises Tiger Shroff in Bade Miyan Chote Miyan: “Proud of all that you do”

Indian television is infamous for its long working hours, and many performers who have worked non-stop in this setting have shared their experiences with the physical and mental health difficulties that are a result of such work culture. In a recent interview with Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa, actress Prachi Desai highlighted how they have seen people suffer heart attacks as a result of the lifestyle that comes with the profession. They also talked about seeing performers with drips on their arms while on site.

Harsh told Bharti, “I have seen so many directors, creative people getting heart attacks, and many other health issues because you are not sleeping at all. You are smoking and drinking tea the whole time. Eating the same food that’s available on set. You are suffering from acidity, and you can’t control it.”

Prachi, who began her career on the television show Kasamh Se, also commented, stating that she, too, drank a lot of coffee on the sets of her show to keep herself awake. “We wouldn’t sleep enough, and we would just stand and say our dialogues with a straight face, and it would look like ‘wow, what a performance’ but that was just sleeplessness,” she said. Prachi stated that television show sets were not well designed back then, and because they were always racing against the clock, they had to work long hours.

Bharti claimed to have seen female performers on set with drips in their arms. She stated, “I have seen girls on the set of daily soaps who are sitting with a drip in their arm because they couldn’t go home.” Haarsh said that things are quite different now as he mentioned that on non-fiction shows they try and finish the shoot within the shift timings but even when they have to shoot extra, it is only extended by a couple of hours.

Previously, actresses such as Radhika Madan, Juhi Parmar, Vikrant Massey, Karan Kundrra, and Charu Asopa have spoken of working on their television series for days on end without returning home.

Also Read : Bharti Singh BREAKS SILENCE on absence from Kapil Sharma’s Netflix Show: “If I get a call then I will surely go”

Indian filmmaker Karan Johar is set to be honoured at the upcoming Third Annual Gold Gala, taking place on May 11 at the Music Centre in downtown Los Angeles. The prestigious Gold Gala, hosted by Gold House, celebrates the achievements of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) trailblazers. This year’s event will convene over 600 guests to recognize the 2024 A100, a list comprising the 100 most impactful API change makers across culture and society over the past year.

Johar’s recognition extends beyond his contributions for the year. He will be receiving the Gold Legend Honor, a special award acknowledging his lifetime achievements. Joining him as fellow Gold Legend honorees are actress Lucy Liu, Bang Si Hyuk (founder and chairman of HYBE, the entertainment powerhouse behind BTS), and others.

This recognition of Johar is a testament to his immense influence on Indian cinema and global pop culture. Over his illustrious career spanning decades, Johar has established himself as a multi-faceted talent. He is a prolific director, having helmed some of Bollywood’s biggest commercial successes and critically acclaimed films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, My Name Is Khan and most recent one, Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani. As a screenwriter and producer, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the narratives of modern Indian cinema. Beyond directing, Johar is a renowned talk show host with his show Koffee with Karan becoming a pop-culture phenomenon in India.

According to Variety, Lucy Liu, Padma Lakshmi, Dev Patel, Valkyrae, Maui First Responders, Hoa Xuande, Cynthia Erivo, Steven Yeun, and more will be honoured at the Gala. Following the Gold Gala, the energy will continue into the inaugural Gold House x Billboard Founders Party. A100 honoree Steve Aoki will headline the event as DJ, while the newly crowned winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16, Nymphia Wind, will take the stage for a performance.
ALSO READ: Karan Johar and Guneet Monga’s Kill, starring debutant Lakshay, to release a teaser tomorrow! Watch announcement video

Nine-time Grammy-nominated sitarist, producer, film composer and impassioned activist Anoushka Shankar will be awarded an Honorary Degree from the University of Oxford, it was announced today. The prestigious recognition is being conferred “in recognition of her outstanding achievements within the music industry” and underscores Anoushka’s profound influence on the global music landscape and her unwavering commitment to bridging cultural divides through her art. In a noteworthy first, Anoushka achieves the distinction of being the first musician of Indian origin to be conferred with this coveted honour.

Anoushka Shankar shares, “This is truly a pinch-me moment in my career; I never even dreamed I might receive an honour such as this, let alone from one of the most prestigious Universities in the world. I am deeply grateful to Oxford University for conferring me with an Honorary Degree. I also feel reflective and grateful for all my past teachers that got me to this point: I was fortunate to have had the most precious education in music under the guidance of my father, and unbelievable coaching and support in my career aged thirteen onwards from my mother. This is all thanks to them.”

Anoushka will be awarded her degree on June 19th at the world-famous university’s annual Encaenia academic ceremony alongside Warren East, Sir Demis Hassabis, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sir Michael Palin and Professor Salim Yusuf as part of a total 2024 cohort of six honorary degrees.

On the recent professional front, Anoushka has released the first two instalments of her mini-album trilogy with Chapter I: Forever, For Now in October of last year followed by Chapter II: How Dark It Is Before Dawn in April this year. March 2024 saw the release of her duet A Rock Somewhere with six-time Grammy(logo) Award-winning British musician Jacob Collier as part of his latest album Djesse Vol. 4.

Currently in her 30th year of performing live as a sitarist, she has been on an extensive global tour across four continents during the 2023-24 season, delivering monumental performances in sold-out venues including Sydney Opera House, Delhi’s Siri Fort, Toronto’s Koerner Hall, Pioneer Works in New York, Philharmonie de Paris and the Barbican, London.

Anoushka Shankar is a singular figure in the Indian classical and progressive world music scenes. Her dynamic and spiritual musicality has garnered several prestigious accolades, including nine GRAMMY nominations, credit as an Asian Hero by TIME magazine, an Ivor Novello Award Nomination, a Songlines Best Artist Award, becoming the youngest and first female recipient of a British House of Commons Shield and becoming an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music.

Deeply rooted in the Indian classical music tradition, she studied exclusively from the age of 9 under her father and guru, the late Ravi Shankar, and made her professional debut as a classical sitarist at 13. Immersed from a young age on the world stage, she is a singular, genre-defying artist across realms – classical and contemporary, acoustic and electronic. Through her bold and collaborative approach to composing,

Anoushka has created a vital body of work that features artists including Sting, M.I.A., Herbie Hancock, Arooj Aftab and Joshua Bell. Since her third studio album, 2005’s Rise, Anoushka has explored ways to slip the sitar into new contexts. She has used the instrument to address contemporary social issues—the Syrian refugee crisis, or violence against women in India—and make grand arguments about the interconnectedness of different musical traditions. She has also broadened her interests to include composing for visual media, scoring music for 2017’s British Film Institute restoration of the 1927 Indian silent film Shiraz and co-composing the score to Mira Nair’s BBC six-part series A Suitable Boy.
ALSO READ: Anoushka Shankar scores two nominations for the 2023 Grammy Awards; says, “It was truly a stunning moment to realize”

Film Heritage Foundation, a not-for-profit organization founded by filmmaker and archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur has joined hands with Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. to restore veteran Indian filmmaker Shyam Benegal’s national award-winning film Manthan which starred the late iconic film actress, Smita Patil. The 4K restoration of the 1976 film has been selected for the official red-carpet world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May 2024. Noteworthily, Manthan is the only Indian film to be selected under the Cannes Classic section of the festival this year. The film premiere will be attended by Naseeruddin Shah, the family of the late Smita Patil, the producers of the film and Film Heritage Foundation’s Shivendra Singh Dungarpur.

Manthan, a fictionalized version of the beginnings of the extraordinary dairy cooperative movement that transformed India from a milk-deficient nation to the world’s largest milk producer inspired by Dr. Verghese Kurien, the father of the White Revolution, is also India’s first crowd-sourced film produced by 5,00,000 dairy farmers who contributed Rs. 2 each towards the production of the film. Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Director, Film Heritage Foundation states, “I am so delighted that Film Heritage Foundation will have a red-carpet world premiere of another one of our restorations of an Indian cult classic at the Cannes Film Festival. The restoration of a Shyam Benegal film has been on the Film Heritage Foundation’s wish list for years as he is one of India’s most venerated filmmakers whose early films were iconic in India’s Parallel Cinema movement. The restoration process has been an incredible experience, especially working so closely with Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani to painstakingly bring the film back to life. Almost half a century later, the power of the narrative and the compelling performances of the actors, especially Smita Patil, remains undiminished. I wish she was here to see the beauty of the restoration.”

Shyam Benegal states, “I was absolutely delighted when Shivendra told me that Film Heritage Foundation was going to restore Manthan in collaboration with the Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. Manthan is a film that is very close to my heart as 500,000 farmers funded it and was instrumental in the growth of an extraordinary cooperative movement that was aimed at breaking the shackles of economic inequality and caste discrimination whilst empowering the farmers. It will remind the world of the power of cinema as a vehicle of change and also the legacy of the great Verghese Kurien, the Father of the White Revolution. Govind Nihalani and I have been following the progress of the restoration closely and I am amazed by the meticulous approach to the restoration. It is wonderful to see the film come back to life almost like we made it yesterday. Film Heritage Foundation has been doing remarkable work in film restoration. Not only are they beautifully restoring films from every region of India, but bringing them back to the public at festivals and screenings around the world in a way that showcases our unique film heritage to contemporary global audiences.”

Naseeruddin Shah states, “I started my career as an actor with ‘Nishant’ followed by ‘Manthan’, both directed by Shyam Benegal. Manthan was a runaway success when it was released almost 50 years ago and it is a film that is remembered even today. I remember that during the shooting of ‘Manthan,’ I lived in the hut, learnt to make cow dung cakes and milk a buffalo. I would carry the buckets and serve the milk to the unit to get the physicality of the character. I am so glad that the Film Heritage Foundation has restored this remarkable film and that this small film made with the support of the farmers has been restored with so much love and care. It is thanks to the persistence, hard work and efforts of the Film Heritage Foundation that the film will be premiered in its second life, as it deserves to be, at the Cannes Film Festival and I am so glad that I will be there to present it myself.”

Govind Nihalani states, “It is remarkable that the Film Heritage Foundation is restoring Manthan nearly fifty years since it was made. Being involved in the restoration has been an emotional experience. It has taken me back to 1976 when the entire unit lived like a family in the village of Sanganva in Gujarat for 45 days during which the film was shot. The shooting was challenging because we had to use a patchwork of different film stock– Eastman and Gevacolor besides Kodak, 35 mm for the film and 16 mm for the film within the film. I began my career as a cinematographer with Shyam Benegal first shooting ad films and then his early feature films. We’ve had an immensely creatively satisfying relationship over the years as Shyam involves you as a partner in the creative process of the film and not just as a cameraman. I am so happy to hear that the restoration of the film will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this year.”

Presenting at the Cannes Film Festival for the third time in a row, the Film Heritage Foundation has previously premiered Thamp̄ (2022) and Ishanou (2023) at the prestigious film festival.

Film Heritage Foundation used the best-surviving elements for the restoration – the original 35 mm original camera negative and the 35 mm release print preserved at the NFDC – NFAI. Unfortunately, the sound negative was not available. The sound was digitized from the 35 mm release print preserved at the Film Heritage Foundation. The film elements were repaired by the Film Heritage Foundation conservators and the scanning was done in Prasad Lab in Chennai. They found that due to the deterioration of the print, there were vertical green lines on many parts of the film. While the scanning and digital clean-up were done at Prasad under the supervision of L’Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna, the grading, sound restoration and mastering was done at the lab in Bologna. Both Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani, the cinematographer of the film, have been involved in the restoration of the film.

Restored by Film Heritage Foundation at Prasad Corporation Pvt. Ltd.’s Post – Studios, Chennai and L’Immagine Ritrovata Laboratory, in association with Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd., the cinematographer Govind Nihalani and the director Shyam Benegal. Funding supported by Gujarat Co-Operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd.

Released in 1976, Manthan (Hindi for “The Churning”) is a film by director Shyam Benegal that explores the challenges and triumphs of social change in rural India. Set against the backdrop of a village struggling with poverty and exploitation, the film chronicles the arrival of Dr. Rao (Girish Karnad), an idealistic veterinarian, who attempts to establish a milk cooperative movement.

The narrative unfolds in Sanganva, a village rife with social inequalities. The villagers, particularly the Dalit community (considered “untouchables” in the caste system), are forced to sell their milk at meagre prices to Mishraji (Amrish Puri), a local businessman with a monopoly on the dairy trade. The village headman (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), representing the upper caste, upholds the status quo, fearing a loss of power if the established social hierarchy is disrupted. Bhola (Naseeruddin Shah), the leader of the Dalit community, initially views Dr. Rao with suspicion, a sentiment echoed by Bindu (Smita Patil), a strong-willed milkmaid.

Dr. Rao’s vision is one of equitable distribution of profits, free from the exploitation of middlemen. This radical idea disrupts the existing power structures, sparking mistrust, anger, and resistance. The village headman and Mishraji, threatened by the potential loss of control, actively oppose the cooperative movement. Bhola’s initial scepticism gradually gives way to cautious support as Dr. Rao’s commitment to fair treatment becomes evident.

As Dr. Rao gains the trust of the villagers, particularly Bindu, Mishraji resorts to underhanded tactics. He exploits the existing social divisions, manipulating Bindu’s husband to fabricate a false accusation of rape against Dr. Rao. Devastated by the betrayal, Dr. Rao contemplates leaving the village. However, Bhola, inspired by Dr. Rao’s vision, steps forward to continue the cooperative’s development. With the villagers’ support, and Bindu’s eventual vindication, the cooperative flourishes, offering a glimmer of hope for a more just future.

Manthan is a richly layered film that transcends the boundaries of a mere social commentary. The stellar cast delivers powerful performances, bringing depth and complexity to their characters. The cinematography by Govind Nihalani captures the stark beauty of rural India, while the music by Vanraj Bhatia complements the narrative effectively.
ALSO READ: Nawazuddin Siddiqui applauds Smita Patil’s enduring beauty; says, “The West was drawn to her”

Priyanka Chopra Jonas continues to expand her real estate portfolio, with her family recently leasing out a bungalow they own in Pune, India. As per reports and documents accessed by Zapkey, Chopra’s family, including her mother Madhu Chopra and brother Siddharth Chopra, have entered into a lease agreement with The Urban Nomads Community Private Limited.

The agreement involves their bungalow located in the prestigious Koregaon Park area of Pune. The lease details include a security deposit of Rs 6 lakh and a monthly rent of Rs 2.06 lakh. The reports further reveal details about the property itself. The bungalow boasts a plot size of 3754 sq ft, with a built-up area of 2180 sq ft on the ground floor.

Additionally, it features a spacious garden area of 2232 sq ft, a basement measuring 950 sq ft, and a dedicated parking space of 400 sq ft. This news comes alongside recent reports of PeeCee and her husband Nick Jonas returning to their Los Angeles mansion following renovations.

Beyond real estate ventures, the ‘Desi Girl’ remains active in the entertainment industry. She is currently filming the action-comedy film Heads of State alongside renowned actors and is attached to projects like The Bluff.  She recently narrated the Disney nature documentary Tiger and is a producer on the upcoming documentary Women of My Billion (WOMB).

While fans await her return to Bollywood, talks continue to swirl about her role in Farhan Akhtar’s Jee Le Zara, though there haven’t been any recent update on that front. The upcoming film will also star Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt.

Also Read: Priyanka Chopra Jonas opens up about her documentary Women of My Billion (WOMB); says, “It is a rallying cry and call for solidarity and action”

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