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...

Loveyatri Story:: Sushrut’s (Aayush Sharma) only passion in life is to teach garba to kids in Vadodara, but this time, the 9-day Navratri festival changes his life. He falls head over heels in love Michelle (Warina Hussain) and does everything he can to win her over.

Andhadhun Story: Residing in Pune, Aakash a blind pianist (Aayushmann Khurrana) is privy to an aftermath of a murder. His conscience urges him to report the crime he has technically not ‘witnessed’, but is there more to him than meets the eye?

REVIEW: Sriram Raghavan is known for his knack of dishing out twisty neo-noir, and he lives up to his reputation with AndhaDhun — a dangerously wicked thriller with dollops of dark comedy. Very few filmmakers manage to crack this genre and Sriram is adept at it. His film smartly questions your faith in ‘seeing is believing’. Honestly, blind protagonists make for scrumptious thrillers and Raghavan ensures he doesn’t miss a beat either. Inspired by a French short film L'Accordeur or The Piano Tuner (2010) by Olivier Treiner, AndhaDhun is a nerve-racking tale of fear, deceit and crime, that keeps you on the edge of your seat as it teases your mind. A ‘Scream’ (Hollywood slasher) scene in particular, acts as a classic jump scare. Boasting of a brilliant screenplay and masterfully crafted narrative by Raghavan, the story’s audacious characters and constant twists, keep you riveted. Atmospheric and moody, an underlying fear of what lies ahead grips your imagination. While the first half is replete with a blend of palpitating tension, suspense and comedy in classic Raghavan style, the second half slumps a bit. The plot gets a tad chaotic and convoluted as opposed to its terrific build-up. The long-winded conversation between characters slackens the pace and eases out the tension a bit, which you don’t expect at that point. However, a spectacular climax makes up for it. Ayushmann Khurrana in the lead role is a revelation. While he lends that effortless ease to every role he portrays, AndaDhun is the most definitive role of his career so far, that proves his versatility. Tabu is outstanding as always in a conflicted role that expects her to be erratic, vulnerable and deceitful. Sairat (Marathi blockbuster) actress Chaya Kadam and Ashwini Kalsekar leave an impact. Yesteryear actor Anil Dhawan makes a memorable appearance and Amit Trivedi’s music gives an haunting edge to the film. The interesting background score adds as a perfect layer to the ongoing proceedings. Open to various interpretations and unpredictable from beginning to end, AndhaDhun is an engaging thriller that keeps you on your toes and leaves you guessing all the way.

Pataakha Story: Badki (Radhika Madan) and Chhutki (Sanya Malhotra) live in a small town in Rajasthan. They are sisters who squabble about anything and everything from stolen bidis and clothes to broken phones and TV sets. Dipper (Sunil Grover) is their nosy neighbour, who is always on the lookout for an opportunity to make the sisters go to war, while their father (Vijay Raaz), a single parent, is always trying to make peace between the warring sisters.

REVIEW: Pataakha is the story of sisters who love to hate each other. This isn't your average sibling rivalry; this is passionate and spiteful hatred for your kin. The sisters literally want to strangle and choke the life out of each other. This strange sibling relationship forms the crux of Vishal Bhardwaj’s film, where the Rajasthani language and the rustic setting present a side of Rajasthan that you haven’t seen before. But for all its novelty, Pataakha is a film that’s a bit too hard to take in. Grasping the strong Rajasthani dialogues might prove to be a challenge for the average viewer. For 2 hours and 15 minutes, the sole focus of the screenplay stays on the fact that the sisters can’t live without getting into a brawl and while the uniqueness of the story is admirable, after a point, it does get a tad monotonous. Badki and Chhutki’s bickering and battles become spectacles for local crowds as their wily neighbour, Dipper, never misses a chance to instigate a war between the two sisters. Vishal Bhardwaj’s Pataakha, comes from an original short story by writer Charan Singh Pathik, and the sheer audacity of the sisters’ relationship, makes this idea interesting. As a viewer, the most pertinent question that you feel while watching Pataakha is ‘why do the sisters fight so much?’ At some point in the film, the father (Vijay Raaz) poses the same question to Dipper, who explains that it’s just like the one between India and Pakistan, where the sisters and the countries cannot survive without conflict and combat. Vishal Bhardwaj has set the film in Rajasthan and the sights and sounds are nothing like the usual, castle-heavy landscapes of Jaipur and Udaipur, which the audience has seen before. While he’s kept the story realistic to an extent that the characters speak only in the local language, which also becomes one of the biggest problems for the audience. You will often find yourself grappling to comprehend the dialogues. Perhaps, more lines in Hindi would have made it easier for the audience to connect with Pataakha’s excellent physical and situational humour. The performances by Radhika Madan and Sanya Malhotra are top-notch to say the least. Both actresses have dug deep into their earthy characters and their feisty and animated performances are worthy of applause. During the second half, the actresses put on weight too, and their physical transformations are impressive. The two sisters are nothing short of firebrands. Vijay Raaz, Sunil Grover and Saanand Verma are equally adept with their comic timing. Vishal Bhardwaj, as he always does with his films, has tried to put many quirky spins into this comedy. The music is rustic, but very pleasing. He has also provided an interesting background score. During the second half, as the film briefly explores a psychological reason for the sisters’ tendency to fight, the sci-fi sounding background music adds a delightful touch to the proceedings. But for all its wonderful and creative touches, Pataakha still feels like a story that stretches a short concept, for a little too long.

Sui Dhaaga Story:Egged by his wife Mamta (Anushka Sharma), Mauji (Varun Dhawan) decides to ditch his demanding bosses for his own tailoring business. But amidst naysayers, unscrupulous relatives and lack of support, will his dream of turning into an entrepreneur become a reality?

REVIEW: “Sab badhiya hai,” is Mauji’s response to daily struggles for a mediocre existence. In them, is a commute-heavy job, bosses who use him for personal errands and entertainment, a resentful father, an ailing mother and a marriage sans romance. His wife has no time for love between household chores. Following a very realistic confrontational scene with his bosses, Mauji quits to start something of his own. Sui Dhaaga is full of such simple daily conflicts and solutions that are seamlessly woven into the narrative. The film revolves around a handful of characters. While Varun Dhawan delivers an honest performance, almost never going overboard, Anushka Sharma’s restrain is effortless. She lives the character, clad in a simple sari, sporting sindoor and minimal make up. Together their romance is understated to the point of being non-existent, but that doesn’t take away from their partnership as a couple while fighting the odds in life. Among the supporting cast, Raghubir Yadav is spot on as a cynical father, taunting his son with sarcastic one-liners that will often make you chuckle. But the actor to watch out for is Yamini Dass, who plays Mauji’s mother. She justifies every moment of her screen-time. She is adorable even when she’s doling out daily chores to her bahu from the hospital bed. Director Sharat Katariya does take a few cinematic liberties, but there are enough real moments to move you. In a winning first half, he successfully establishes his main characters and their problems. Smart usage of humour in dialogues ups the entertainment quotient, even when the going gets tough for the characters. Film’s songs and background score lend gravitas to the story. While the narrative doesn’t get too preachy or predictable, the second half is simply convenient. Also, while Mauji’s struggle for self-employment finds ample mention, there isn’t much to justify his excellence in the craft, except his failed legacy. However, these are minor patches in the overall fabric of the film that is cut for entertainment. Sui Dhaaga is sewn together with strong performances and moments that tell a convincing story.

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.