Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Filmmaker Aanand L. Rai, who is gearing up to launch fresh faces Ansh Duggal and Pragati Srivastava in his upcoming film ‘Nakhrewaalii’, revealed how he discovered the two talents for the movie, which promises to bring a fresh perspective to Bollywood rom-coms.

Talking about the same, Aanand stated: “When I first saw Ansh and Pragati during the auditions, deep down I knew they would be the perfect fit for ‘Nakhrewaalii’. There are actors who act, and there are actors who live their roles in and out. That exact spark in both of them attracted me the most. I am assured that the audiences will also love what they’ve done in the film.”

Recently, the makers released the first poster of the movie, featuring Ansh and Pragati.

The poster, which shows Ansh wearing a ghagra, showcases how Rai has never shied away from breaking stereotypes and bringing uniqueness through his storytelling.

Directed by Rahul Shanklya and written by Divy Nidhi Sharma, ‘Nakhrewaalii’ is produced by Jyoti Deshpande, Aanand L Rai, and Himanshu Sharma.

The film is slated to hit theatres on Valentine’s Day, 2025.

Meanwhile, Rai, who started his career as an engineer, moved to Mumbai, where he began assisting his elder brother, TV director Ravi Rai, in various television shows.

He made his directorial debut in 2007 with the psychological thriller ‘Strangers’, starring Jimmy Shergill, Kay Kay Menon, Nandana Sen, and Sonali Kulkarni. The film was based on Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Strangers on a Train’.

In 2011, he started his production house, Colour Yellow Productions, which helmed all his future production ventures. Aanand got his breakthrough in 2011 with the romantic comedy-drama ‘Tanu Weds Manu’, starring R Madhavan and Kangana Ranaut. In 2015, he directed the second instalment of the movie titled ‘Tanu Weds Manu: Returns’.

He has also directed the romantic drama Raanjhanaa’, featuring Dhanush in his Bollywood debut alongside Sonam Kapoor, Abhay Deol, and Swara Bhasker.

Most recently, he directed the family comedy-drama film ‘Raksha Bandhan’, starring Akshay Kumar, Bhumi Pednekar, Sadia Khateeb, Sahejmeen Kaur, Smrithi Srikanth, and Deepika Khanna.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) An OTT platform is all set to bring a biographical documentary feature titled ‘Modern Masters: S.S. Rajamouli’, which takes through an immersive journey and interview with filmmaker Rajamouli, behind-the-scenes footage, and captivating narratives.

The collaboration aims to encapsulate Rajamouli’s creative universe, showcasing his profound influence on Indian and international cinema, his enduring legacy, and his innovative contributions to filmmaking.

The makers shared a poster on social media featuring the smiling face of the Baahubali director.

The post is captioned: “One man. Numerous blockbusters. Endless ambition. What did it take for this legendary filmmaker to reach his peak? Modern Masters: S.S. Rajamouli, coming on August 2, on Netflix.”

Presented by Anupama Chopra, the documentary also features insights from global celebrities like James Cameron, Joe Russo, and Karan Johar, as well as close friends and colleagues such as Prabhas, Jr NTR, Rana Daggubati, and Ram Charan.

Discussing the documentary, Sameer Nair, Managing Director of Applause Entertainment, shared: “His uniquely inventive narrative style has revolutionised Indian filmmaking, and we are excited to present his artistic development from his humble beginnings to ‘Baahubali’ and ‘RRR’. This partnership demonstrates our dedication to creating authentic Indian stories for a global audience.”

Producer and host Anupama Chopra commented: “Rajamouli is a visionary whose imagination has altered the course of Indian cinema. His craft has captivated audiences around the world. His epic narratives have redefined storytelling standards.”

Monika Shergill, Vice-President of Content at Netflix India, added: “Rajamouli is an icon whose visionary storytelling and cinematic brilliance have built a deep fandom and put Indian cinema on the global map. His adventurous spirit and mastery of fantasy and epic genres have left an indelible mark on entertainment-loving audiences globally, breathing life into iconic tales from Indian history and culture.”

Produced by Applause Entertainment and Film Companion Studios, the documentary will premiere on August 2 on Netflix.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Actors Vicky Kaushal and Ammy Virk will appear on the forthcoming “Weekend Ka Vaar” episode of the third season of ‘Bigg Boss OTT’ to promote their upcoming film ‘Bad Newz’.

Vicky and Ammy will join the “jhakaas” host of the controversial reality show, Anil Kapoor.

The three will discuss ‘Bad Newz’, chat with the contestants, and even groove to songs from the film, directed by Anand Tiwari.

‘Bad Newz’, which also stars actress Triptii Dimri, revolves around the lighter side of a rare pregnancy phenomenon called ‘Heteropaternal Superfecundation’, wherein a woman gets pregnant with twins from two different fathers.

The song ‘Tauba Tauba’ from ‘Bad Newz’ was released on July 2 and has gone viral, garnering 19,982,986 views in just three days.

Several Bollywood personalities, including Salman Khan and Nushrratt Bharuccha, were seen grooving to the track by sensation Karan Aujla.

Upon sharing the music video of the track on Instagram, Vicky captioned it: “Punjabi gaana aur main dance na karu.”

‘Bad Newz’ is set to hit the big screen on July 19.

Last week’s first ‘Weekend Ka Vaar’ episode featured rapper Raftaar and actors Raghav Juyal and Lakshya Lalwani as special guests, who came to promote their upcoming projects.

‘Bigg Boss OTT 3’ airs on Jiocinema Premium.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Veteran Bollywood star and diva Zeenat Aman took a stroll down memory lane, recalling her school days after posting a picture of herself dressed as a “70+ schoolgirl.”

Zeenat took to Instagram and shared a picture of herself in a long black cotton dress paired with a white full-sleeve shirt.

The actress completed her look with sunglasses, black socks, and Mary Jane heels.

For the caption, Zeenat shared an anecdote from her school days.

“A friend of mine likes to joke that a wonderful childhood only sets you up for disappointment later in life. They’re being silly, of course, but there is a grain of truth in the statement. If those early years are filled with love, insulated from cruelty, and soaked in camaraderie, the inevitable realities of adulthood can come as a shock!”

The actress added that, despite being separated from her school days by many decades, the memories remain clear.

“Don’t we all know someone who was the very best version of themself in school, and then struggled uncharacteristically later on? I am separated from my schooldays by so many decades, but the memories remain sublime.”

The 72-year-old star reminisced about playing hockey, picking strawberries, and being called to the parlour.

“Playing hockey on tableland (I was usually the goalie), strawberry-picking field trips to Mahabaleshwar, clandestine midnight feasts in our dorm, the thrill of being called to the “parlour” because I had a visitor (usually mummy and uncle Heinz, laden with tuck)… there must have been squabbles and gossip too, but truth be told I can’t remember a single slight from those years,” she said.

She praised her school’s routine and discipline.

“St. Joseph’s was run by the Daughters of the Cross and they were wonderful, compassionate and firm mentors. Routine and discipline were paramount and this rigour advices my work ethic till date.”

The actress talked about growing innocently wayward in her teens.

“In my teens, when I grew innocently wayward – sneaking out of campus to go to town with my friends and other such antics – they countered in the most delightful way. Instead of punishing me, they gave me more respect and responsibility! It was an invite to rise that I happily accepted.”

Zeenat also spoke about making international friends at her school.

“My school friends came from an international milieu. Girls from India, Australia, the Middle East… I’ve lost touch with them all, but such a diverse crowd taught me so much about respecting differences and finding commonalities.”

She concluded, “So! Here I am dressed as a 70+ schoolgirl, and asking to hear your defining boarding school memories.”

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Ahead of ‘World Biryani Day’, celebrity chef Harpal Singh Sokhi has shared some biryani cooking hacks taught to him by Ustad Habib Pasha, emphasising that it is one dish that represents the country.

Harpal, who is part of the show ‘Laughter Chefs’, shared: “I think biryani is a complete food in itself. It’s a one-pot meal with protein, carbs, and the right kind of flavours. Biryani is one dish that represents India very well and is a well-sought-after dish across the country.”

“Each state or place has its own flavour depending on how they have adapted themselves to biryani. So it is, in a way, I think, the perfect dish that represents Indian culture and the country itself,” he added.

When asked about a specific biryani hack, the chef said; “Few cooking hacks that Ustad Habib Pasha taught me is that biryani is actually mutton biryani. There is no other biryani, I don’t think so. Chicken is more like a pulao. It never existed in the early days. The first cooking hack that Habib Pasha taught me was, ‘you need to select the right kind of meat and marinate it with dry spices, and you actually have to kind of hammer them by lifting the meat up’.”

“After mixing the dry spices, you have to lift the meat up and throw it back into the pot. This thumping, which keeps happening for at least 20-25 minutes, breaks up the protein structure of the meat and adds to the cooking time. And the second thing Habib Pasha would do is, when he would cook the rice, he would add a little bit of milk to it. This would brighten up the basmati rice and add to the end flavour and consistency of the biryani,” he said.

Harpal continued, “He would also always say, chef, you need to boil the water with shahi jeera and add salt to it. And the salt taste of the water should be higher so that the rice absorbs the right kind of salt in it. And then the end product gets the right taste of salt. It is not salty, but it brings in the right taste of salt. And that is the most important. Layering of Biryani should be such that the end product gets you a fluffy rice Biryani.”

The chef added: “I learnt to make Biryani in Nizam’s kitchen. It is the epitome of perfection. The true Biryani, in my opinion, comes from the Hyderabadi tradition. Begum Mumtaz Khan taught me the art of using spices. The Hyderabadi Biryani stands out because it has just the right amount of spices, providing great flavour without being overpowering, unlike the Awadhi or Calcutta Biryanis.”

–IANS

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