Shah Rukh Khan Has A Contingency Plan For His Film, Zero

Said to be mounted on a budget of Rs 200 crore, Zero finds pride of place in Shah Rukh Khan's filmography as his most expensive film to date. While the mammoth budget would give sleepless nights to most producers, one can count on Khan's astute business skills to ensure that the project does not spell losses for him. With over two months to go before the Aanand L Rai-directed venture hits screens, trade sources indicate that the superstar has already recovered approximately Rs 130 crore through telecast rights, music rights and in-film branding. A trade source reveals, "The satellite rights have apparently been sold at a whopping sum to Sony Pictures. Plus, Shah Rukh's standing collaboration with Netflix has helped him bag a lucrative deal with the streaming giant for the film's digital rights."

Filmmaker Kabir Khan’s next directorial venture 83 is set to go on floors from June 5 in Glasgow, Scotland.

The film features Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev, captain of the World Cup-winning Indian cricket team of 1983.

The team will shoot at a local cricket club in the Scottish port city for a week, followed by other popular locations like Dulwich college in London, Edinburgh cricket club, Nevill Ground at Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent and the Oval cricket ground.

“Since it’s a real-life story, this film involved a lot of training and research. Now that it’s going on the floors, starting with the Glasgow schedule, everyone’s excited to recreate a journey that made history, all thanks to our cricketing heroes of the 83 team,” Kabir said in a statement.

The film will chronicle India’s win under Kapil’s captainship when the team defeated West Indies in the final to clinch their first-ever World Cup trophy in 1983.

The film, presented by Reliance Entertainment, also features Pankaj Tripathi, Saqib Saleem, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jatin Sharma, Ammy Virk and Hardy Sandhu.

Ali Abbas Zafar spent several days thinking about a perfect name for the lead character of his upcoming film and the director says he even delved into mythology until he got a perfect title in Bharat. The film, which is scheduled to release on June 2019, is a remake of Ode To My Father. Ali says he was extremely impressed with the 2014 Korean drama but the adaptation had to be in sync with the Indian sensibilities. "I didn't want to call it 'Ode to My Father.' I wasn't looking only at the promise he makes to his father but a lot of other things. I told Salman I'll make the film as not only his but the nation's journey. But I needed to know what the character should be called," Ali told PTI. The director said since Salman was headlining it, the film had to be "completely re-written", while simultaneously finding an ideal Indian name for the hero. "I thought Ram is an ideal hero from mythology. Could the character be called Arjun because he is doing it for his dharma, karma? Or should he be called Karna, a selfless hero. What do I call the film? "I felt if he is synonymous with what the nation has been over the generations, he should be named after the country. One night at 3AM, I was tossing on the bed, thinking hard, and then I had it: Bharat," he said. He immediately shared the name with Salman and producer Atul Agnihotri. "Producer Sajid Nadiadwala had the title registered under him so I told him about our film. Both Salman and Atul also jumped on it. Once I found the title, I started writing the film." The writing process for Bharat lasted almost a year and a half and Ali said, of all the Salman films, this one has gone through severe drafting. He said, "To bring out an emotion is the most difficult thing in a film. If you can crack that code, crack the reason you're making the film and how the audience will react, everything else becomes peripheral. Once I understood the emotion we were trying to show the film was set." 'Bharat' is solely a film on relationships. That was a new territory for me. At 36, I wanted to explore a man at 70. I pushed myself," said Ali. The film features the 53-year-old superstar in several looks, depicting changing decades, and Ali says Bharat has "six Salman Khan films in it." "The soul is the same throughout every look but every chapter is like a story, with a beginning, middle and an end. Like the thin moustache he sports is a hat tip to the Guru Dutt era. As we evolved, the look changed with bell bottoms, the language changed- from Urdu it become Hindustani and few English words came in. Along with the language graph, the visual tone also changes." Ali credited Salman for giving his best in the film. "If I'm calling Bharat as old as the nation, he needs to look like that, someone who has seen everything and evolved. Salman had no apprehension. He understands his audience really well. He thought that the old man look will get the maximum impact. He is bang-on in that look and with his performance," the director said.

Priyanka Chopra has a new role, as tech Investor

In one of her first acts as a startup investor, actress Priyanka Chopra recently toured the San Francisco home of her new portfolio company, a coding education company called Holberton School. The campus resembles a WeWork more than a school, with open-plan rows of desks, decorative neon lights and meeting rooms named after famous people. The school uses projects and group learning instead of more traditional courses, to teach software development. “You just hang out and you’re learning,” Chopra said. “It’s amazing.” Chopra, 36, has been doing a lot of hanging out and learning in technology circles lately. In between presenting at the Emmys, sitting in the front row at New York Fashion Week, celebrating the birthday of her fiancé, Nick Jonas, in Texas, and darting to her native India to act in a movie, she has squeezed in meetings with startup founders and lined up future investments. “Geeks are taking over the world,” Chopra said. “If they haven’t already,” she quickly added. There’s no shortage of celebrities investing in tech startups. So far, deals from male actors, athletes and musical artists have garnered much more attention than those from famous women. Ashton Kutcher is a regular at tech conferences; Carmelo Anthony and Nas have their own funds; Leonardo DiCaprio has been an adviser to at least three venture firms. Tyra Banks, Beyoncé and Demi Lovato have participated in startup deals. But few women have built robust portfolios. Chopra said she did not yet know how many deals she will do or how much money she would invest, but she does plan on building a portfolio. On Wednesday she announced her second investment, in Bumble, a dating and social media app founded by Whitney Wolfe Herd, one of the most prominent startup founders in tech.Chopra plans to help promote Bumble’s launch in India in the coming months. Chopra was introduced to tech investing by her manager, Anjula Acharia, a founder and angel investor who spent time as an entrepreneur-in-residence and partner at Trinity Ventures, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Acharia has worked with Chopra since 2010. Acharia was the first investor in ClassPass, a fitness booking startup; she made a return on the company’s most recent round of funding. She’s also invested in Bulletproof Coffee, Health-Ade Kombucha and The Muse. She said Jimmy Iovine, a mentor who backed her entertainment startup, DesiHits, taught her how to anticipate cultural trends. Acharia has straddled Hollywood and Silicon Valley says that, as an Indian woman, she has been a rarity in both worlds. On weekends, at the Hollywood parties she has frequented with Chopra, Acharia noticed they were often the only South Asians in attendance. Then, on weekday meetings with entrepreneurs and partners at Trinity Ventures, she was often the only woman. “I was always a minority,” she said. With Holberton involvement, Acharia and Chopra are making an effort to help change the tech industry’s gender disparity. After the musical performer Ne-Yo invested in Holberton and began to promote the school to his fans, applications from underrepresented minorities increased. Now, two thirds of Holberton’s students are people of color, and 30 percent are women. Chopra plans to promote the school to her fans as well. “If one day, because of Priyanka, it became 100 percent women, I’d be cool with that,” Acharia said. Founded in 2015, Holberton teaches students to code for free, then charges 17 percent of their paycheck for 3 1/2 years after they graduate. All of its graduates have found jobs. Chopra’s investment is part of an $8.2 million round of funding for Holberton which closed in April. She will join the company’s board of advisers. Chopra emphasized her support for Holberton’s mission to educate people from underprivileged backgrounds. Her investments will skew heavily toward companies with an element of social impact, and companies founded by women. “I don’t want to just be one of those people who’s like, ‘Yeah, I want to be on the tech bandwagon — how are they making so much money,’” she said, surveying the Holberton workspace in a cream pantsuit and snakeskin stilettos. “It’s not about that.” Chopra has worked with UNICEF to advocate for children since 2006, focused mostly on developing nations. But a dinner conversation with Acharia around the time of the 2016 election turned to education in America. That led Acharia to introduce Chopra to the Holberton School’s founders. “I think Holberton was the gateway drug for Priyanka,” Acharia said.

What Deepika Padukone Thought Of Ranveer Singh The First Time She Met Him

Despite the swirling wedding rumours, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh have not yet admitted to their relationship. Though they are said to wed in November, there is no announcement. On Friday, the two were asked about their wedding at an event in New Delhi. Ranveer quipped that they would tell the world when it happens. Fans were quick to point out that since they are not denying the nuptials means it is happening. Dippy also revealed at the event that when she first met Ranveer, she felt he was not her type. Talk about opposites attracting each other.

Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone have been all over the headlines recently for their stunning appearance at the Met Gala 2019. Both the actresses walked the red carpet perfectly suited for the theme of "Camps: Note on Fashion". However, no one could stop gazing at Priyanka Chopra who made jaws drop with her spooky attire. Another Bollywood actress, Kangana Ranaut is all set to make her second red carpet appearance at the prestigious Cannes film festival in France. The actress has opted for leading celebrity stylist, Ami Patel to style all her looks at Cannes this year. Reportedly, the actress will wear a unique saree which will bring the forgotten weaves to the fore so that the world is more aware of India's rich fabrics and culture. Talking about her Bollywood counterparts Deepika and Priyanka dazzling the red carpet at the Met Gala 2019, Kangana said that it's wonderful how Priyanka and Deepika are making their mark there. However, the 'Manikarnika' actress said veteran actor Rekha really defines the real meaning of ‘Camp’ in India. On the work front, Kangana Ranaut will be next seen in 'Mental Hai Kya' starring alongside Rajkummar Rao. The film is slated to hit the screens on July 26.

Thoughts ON HUMANITY

It’s happening! Salman Khan’s Kick 2...

REVIEW:Two stars and firm favourites of the action genre, Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff, lock horns in War. It’s a juicy proposition for fanboys and girls of both actors. A sort of millennial throwback to the 90s showdown between Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff in Subhash Ghai's Khalnayak. But apart from this talking-point premise, War, serves up a lot more for the action-movie buffs. It has lots of stunts, thrills, twists and just enough masala and explosions to keep you engaged in the first half, but once the big reveals happen in the second half of the story, it goes awry. Where the film excels in action set pieces, it genuinely falls short on the story front.

But the story is in all fairness, secondary to the idea of watching two handsome hunks squaring off in a duel of high-octane stunts (action directors — SeaYoung Oh, Parvez Shaikh, Franz Spilhaus and Paul Jennings). It’s like the two heroes, Hrithik and Tiger, known for their bulging muscles and crisp six-pack abs are out to beat each other in a competition of pure brawn. Kabir and Khalid, punch, kick and pound each other to a pulp, and watching the two actors put on a show of their chiselled good looks is a sight for the fans. Hrithik Roshan is in top form as the anti-hero and Tiger matches up to his senior in both smouldering on-screen intensity and the high-flying action. Both actors feed off each other’s ability to ace good-looking action. And when they’re not fighting for supremacy, they’re trying to out-dance each other in foot-tapping numbers. Vaani Kapoor has a small role, where she mostly manages to up the glamour quotient of the movie. Ashutosh Rana brings his usual dialled-up intensity to his performance, as well.
Like the quintessential entertainer, War serves up a little bit of everything in its narrative — action, drama, music, romance, exotic locations and car chases. The screenplay makes room for every commercial movie element. In a bid to make it Hollywood-esque, director Siddharth Anand and his team have designed the many stunts of the film to recreate thrills that you’d usually watch in movies like Mission Impossible and Fast And Furious. The relentless action and the dialogue baazi is entertaining, but the predictable storytelling and the not-so-original screenplay leave a lot to be desired in this desi action flick. On the back of films like Hrithik's Dhoom 2 and Tiger's Baaghi 2, War is a decent addition to both actors' action film legacy. But this high-profile bang bang show is at best, popcorn entertainment for action movie buffs.

REVIEW: Based on a true story, ‘The Sky is Pink’ touches an emotional chord from the word go. As Aisha’s (Zaira Wasim) lively voiceover takes over from the start of the film, we are drawn into Aditi (Priyanka Chopra) and Niren’s (Farhan Akhtar) life instantly. A life that turns upside down almost right after Aisha’s birth. It is heart-wrenching to watch Aditi and Niren stay determined, hopeful and keep their spirits intact as they go through a grueling time as a middle-class couple trying to raise funds for their child’s treatment in London.
Aditi at one point lives alone in London for months, for Aisha’s treatment while Niren goes back to Delhi to work and be with their other child, Ishaan. The one phone call, where Ishaan tells his mom who is away, that he was scolded in class for coloring the sky pink and Aditi assuring him that the sky can be any color he wants it to, will move you to tears. And there are many such tender moments in the film that linger on.
However ‘The Sky is Pink’ not your typical tear jerking ride. The narrative and dialogues in film do a good balancing act of keeping some tough emotional scenes light-hearted, with a quirky touch. Aditi and Niren’s love story add some genuine fun moments and so does their overall chemistry as a couple, which is ultimately the soul of the film. And the sensitively dealt with moments add their heft to the emotional ride that the family goes through together. But as different aspects of Aisha, Aditi and Niren’s lives find their way into the narrative, the pace slackens, making it a lengthy watch. In fact, one wishes the screenplay was more focused and some portions given more breathing time and delved into deeper.
However, the emotional arc and the stellar performances will keep you invested. Priyanka Chopra is remarkable as Aditi, a mom determined to the point of being obsessed with making her child live life to the fullest. Her grief and pain is palpable in every scene as her character graph spans across two decades. Farhan Akhtar as Niren, also pulls off a commendable performance as the supportive husband and the father whose emotions are not always on display, but is chipping away nonetheless. There is an amazing restraint in his act. Zaira Wasim breathes life into every moment she is on screen, with her vibrant energy adding the much needed poignant touch to her character.
‘The Sky is Pink’ is definitely a stirring watch as your heart goes out to the Chaudhary family and their zest for making every moment count, despite the trying times they go through. This one scores high on the emotional quotient.

REVIEW: In its fourth edition the Housefull franchise ensures that it takes its brand of over the top and mindless humour forward. Actually, it's more like the reverse, since it rewinds back six hundred years to the 15th century.
But first, it's London of 2019, where Harry (Akshay Kumar) is a hairdresser who alternately has bouts of memory loss and flashes from his past life. Max (Bobby Deol) and Roy (Riteish Deshmukh) are his brothers. Together they hatch a plan to marry Kriti, Neha and Pooja (Kriti Sanon, Kriti Kharbanda and Pooja Hegde respectively), the three daughters of a billionaire, Thakral (Ranjeet), to be able to pay off the loot money of a mafia don Michael that they have misplaced. When the marriage destination is inadvertently fixed as Sitamgarh in India, the couples head there and Harry meets his past life friend Aakhri Pasta (Chunky Pandey) and recalls everything from that time. The three pairs of lovers - Rajkumar Bala Dev Singh (Akshay Kumar) and Princess Madhu (Kriti Sanon), Bangdu Maharaj (Riteish Deshmukh) and Princess Mala (Pooja Hegde), Angrakshak Dharamputra (Bobby Deol, yes the pun is not lost here) and Princess Meena (Kriti Kharbanda) are killed, leaving their love stories unfinished when they get caught up in an evil design to eliminate them. Although, Bala himself is 'shaitaan ka sala' and has laid a trap to marry Mala, so that he can become the king of Sitamgarh.
The main hitch now is that, in 2019 the couples are mixed up, and Bala (Akshay Kumar) decides that the pairings must be set right so none of them end up with their sister or brother-in-law from their past life.
So with this central plot point in hand, Housefull4 takes off. Of course, this mission to set things 'right' leads to confusions galore and a deluge of characters, who spring in and out of the narrative and from their last life to present life. There is a sprinkling of mindless comic moments owing to the general silliness all around. And a dollop of low- brow, crass humor. A special low point is when Princess Meena pretends to be molested to convince Dharamputra to marry her. Add to that, there are portions that drag and jokes that feel dated.
The film's increasingly loud background score (especially in the second half) and the CGI in the period setting leave a lot to be desired. And a running joke on three pigeons named Neil, Nitin and Mukesh that doesn't actually fly.
Overall, Housefull4 ends up as a complete mad caper. Which, if you're a fan of the Housefull brand of comedy, might appeal to you. But if you are not, then proceed with caution.

REVIEW:Sisters-in-law Chandro (Bhumi Pednekar) and Prakashi (Taapsee Pannu) are accustomed to the patriarchal ways of the society that they live in. They don’t agree with it or like it, but they are conditioned to put up with it, but at the same time, the ladies find their own little escapes to keep themselves going. At the age of 60, the two senior citizens, who live in Johri village (Uttar Pradesh), with their big family, accidentally discover that they have a flair for shooting. With some help from doctor-turned-shooting instructor Dr Yashpal (Viineet Singh), who sets up a shooting range in the village, they participate in various competitions and win medals. While they are busy honing their skills, the men in their house are oblivious to the new happenings in the lives of these ladies. They also inspire their granddaughters to follow suit. However, a twist in the tale leads them to bring a stop to the hide-and-seek, and face the men in the clan head-on.
Right at the beginning of the film, director Tushar Hiranandani sets up the stage, giving the viewers a glimpse of a household, where a woman's identity depends on the colour of the dupatta that she drapes. In a scene, Bhumi explains to a newly-wed Taapsee that the women of the house stick to wearing a 'ghunghat' of a specific colour as it helps avoid confusion among the men in the house.
Bhumi and Taapsee are in great form as grandmothers, who are willing to do anything to inspire and help their granddaughters. The two leading ladies carry the film on their shoulders effortlessly. Their indomitable spirit shines through even when the going gets tough. Whether it's sipping on many glasses of champagne or standing up when they are bullied by a bunch of teenagers, the two walk the road hand-in-hand and prove to be equally competent. At a few places, Taapsee steals an edge over Bhumi, but the latter quickly makes up for it. Filmmaker Prakash Jha, who turns antagonist here, does a good job and is menacing enough to evoke fear and contempt. Of the film’s songs, 'Womaniya' and 'Udta Teetar' add to the entertainment quotient and stay with you even after you leave the theatre. It's a good thing that the dialogues aren't preachy, but there's nothing memorable about them either.
It’s the poor prosthetic make-up that ends up distracting you. The silver streaks in leading ladies' hair and patchy make-up is an eyesore. It’s to Bhumi and Taapsee’s credit that they overcome this hurdle and get you to look beyond it. While there is no doubt that this is an inspirational tale, it meanders a bit too long in the first half of the film, before finding stable ground. A tighter edit would have made it a far more gripping watch. The narrative also stumbles a bit when the game of hide-and-seek between the two daadis and their family starts getting a tad repetitive. Luckily, the director escapes that trap soon and sets things in motion when the two major face-offs in the film unfold. The characterisation seems unidimensional; there are exactly four good men, and no mean women in this tale. The film drives home the point of women empowerment, celebrates the bonhomie among women wholeheartedly, and attempts at every point to hit the bull’s eye.

Several of his friends and filmi folks, who haven't seen him on the big screen in four years, have been congratulating him for attempting to play a teacher who speaks shudh Hindi, a tribute to his father Dharmendra's character in 'Chupke Chupke'. Now that the film, which centres around vasectomy, is all set to hit the screens, the actor will start looking at the other projects he has been offered. For Bobby, his dad has always been a huge inspiration. He says, "I am hungry for work. I want to collaborate with good directors on interesting scripts. I am happy that Poster Boys has got me back on everyone's minds. I am looking forward to new subjects and roles." The upcoming comedy, the remake of a Marathi film of the same name, also features macho Sunny Deol as one of the victims of a campaign that promotes vasectomy. The reason an actor with a repertoire of action films agreed to be a part of this light-hearted project is that today, meritorious content seems to have outshined big-budget projects. 'Poster Boys', produced by Sony Pictures Networks Productions, Sunny Sounds Pvt Ltd, Shreyas and Deepti Talpade, releases on September 8.