Entertainment
'Maidaan': Inspiring, absorbing, uplifting! – IANS Rating: ***1/2
Mumbai, April 9 (IANS) Nearly all sports dramas have a formulaic, fluffy storyline, and usually fall flat because though the stories may be compelling, they often fall short in the department of original storytelling that goes well beyond the predictable fare.
Only a few such films are surprisingly fun to watch, mostly due to their high energy and the emotionally charged experience that they offer. This week’s release, the Ajay Devgn-starrer ‘Maidaan’ is one such rare film that has its heart in the right place and narrates the story of the marvellous journey of Syed Abdul Rahim, the Indian football coach between 1952 and 1962.
Rahim revolutionised the sport in the country and it was because of him that the Indian football team, which played in the 4-2-4 combination, was once called the “Brazil of Asia”.
It was thanks to his stewardship that the India team achieved superiority in both the technical department and tactical innovations.
The team went on to win gold medals at the Asian Games (1951 in New Delhi and 1962 in Jakarta) and even reached the semi-finals of the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, making India the first Asian country to achieve this degree of success.
Written and directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma and produced by Boney Kapoor and Zee Studios, the sports drama film stars Ajay Devgn, Priyamani and Gajraj Rao, focusing on a true story that has completely vanished from public memory. It is perhaps, all the din that surrounds cricket in our country that some fascinating tales never ever get told.
The three-hour film opens with India losing the match against Yugoslavia at the 1952 Olympic Games, largely because of injuries caused by the lack of football gear. It may come as a shock to many, but till 1952 the Indian team did not have gear of their own.
With no proper shoes on their feet, the players were asked to wrap cloth around their feet even when they were playing international matches. The Federation based out of Calcutta blamed the coach, Syed Abdul Rahim, entirely for the team’s failure.
Rahim, in his defence, pointed to the absence of gear for the team members and insisted that some young talented players could have played better. He had said he should have been allowed to choose the players. He then went on to not only select his best team, but also make sure the national football team mastered new techniques and tactics too.
A victim of internal politics and targeted by senior journalists, played in the film by Gajaraj Rao and Rudranil Ghosh, for losing the match, Rahim managed to convince the governing body that he must be given a chance to train the boys.
What follows is bound to not leave the audience dry-eyed. Focusing more on the game and the skills used by the players, the coach teaches the team members how to make their winning moves and game-clinching throws.
Witness the wild beastly chases that bring a roaring stadium crowd up on its feet. The entire journey of the players is narrated so well that even non-football fans will be able to appreciate it.
When the team takes on the might of an established team such as South Korea and then Japan, one cannot but appreciate the earnest, inspirational and respectfully told biography of an influential yet forgotten Indian sports icon.
What also add to the film’s strengths are its photography and music. Rahman does a great job of composing songs that would tug at your heart-strings and Tushar Kanti Ray’s camerawork evokes the splendour of 1950s Calcutta. In addition to Ray, lensman Fyodor Lyass captures some of the intricate and tricky sports sequences, giving viewers a ringside view of what feels like live action. This 182-minute film is inspiring, and compassionate, and comes with a sly undercurrent of social commentary.
Thanks to spirited performances, the virtually unknown but extremely talented cast members — notably, Chaitanya Sharma as P.K. Banerjee, Amartya Ray as Chuni Goswami, Davinder Gill as Jarnail Singh, Tanmay Bhattacharjee as Pradyut Burman, and Tejas Ravishankar as Peter Thangaraj — play real-life roles convincingly.
It is also buoyed by a standout performance from Devgn who underplays the real-life Rahim and adds depth to his character. Because of Devgn/Rahim’s almost self-effacing demeanour, ‘Maidaan’ becomes a touching tale of the spirit of endurance and refusal to surrender. One also gets to learn about an unsung sports hero whose single-handed unconventional approach to the game proves to be the winning formula against opponents.
The fact that after Rahim’s endeavour in 1962, it’s been 62 years since India so much as qualified for any international football tournaments, speaks volumes of the exceptional talent of this forgotten coach.
Film: Maidaan Duration: 182 minutes
Director: Amit Ravindernath Sharma Music: A.R. Rahman
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Gajaraj Rao, Priyamani and Rudranil Ghosh
Cinematography: Tushar Kanti Ray; Fyodor Lyass (sports)
IANS Rating: ***1/2
–IANS
arnab/srb
Allu Arjun is poised to dominate the box office with his highly anticipated film, Pushpa 2: The Rule, set to release on December 6, 2024. The excitement surrounding this film is phenomenal, already making headlines with an impressive pre-release collection of RS 1,085 crores! This achievement is particularly notable, given that it reached this milestone well before the movie even debuts in theaters.
Fans are eagerly looking forward to Allu Arjun’s return as Pushparaj, the character that earned him a National Award for Best Actor in the first installment, Pushpa: The Rise. The buzz surrounding Pushpa 2 is unparalleled, and the film is expected to break even more records upon its release. The pre-release collection includes a record-setting deal for theatrical rights, sold for ₹640 crores, making it one of the most lucrative film deals in Indian cinema.
Additionally, Pushpa 2 has secured a significant digital distribution agreement with Netflix, which acquired the rights for ₹275 crores, highlighting the high demand for the film. The overall pre-release earnings have been impressive across various regions, with ₹220 crores collected in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, ₹200 crores in the North, ₹50 crores in Tamil Nadu, ₹30 crores in Karnataka, ₹20 crores in Kerala, and ₹40 crores from overseas markets. The music rights were sold for ₹65 crores, while the satellite rights fetched ₹85 crores, contributing a total of ₹425 crores from non-theatrical rights.
Directed by Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, Pushpa 2: The Rule features a talented cast, including Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil alongside Allu Arjun. The film’s music will be released by T Series, further adding to the anticipation.
With Allu Arjun’s National Award win and the remarkable pre-release collections, it’s clear that Pushpa 2 is set to be a blockbuster. As the release date approaches, fans are excited to see how this film will perform at the box office. If the pre-release collections are any indication, Pushpa 2 is bound to shatter records and become a massive success!
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Actress Anu Aggarwal, who rose to fame with “Aashiqui”, and “King Uncle”, recalled the time when filmmakers would come to her with money for signing a film and would not have a script ready.
In a conversation with Lehren shared on Instagram, the actress could be seen talking about it.
“I was shocked to see that people who don’t have their scripts are not ready when they would come to sign me up for a film. They would have the money ready and I would say I don’t want to sign with the money. I would like to hear the script.”
“They would say the script will be made so you can sign,” she added.
“This was the way and because I am an actor I would like to see what my role, story is. Everything is important. Nobody would have a script… 98 per cent of people would not have the script,” she said.
Anu Aggarwal gained immense popularity in the 1990s after featuring in the musical romantic drama “Aashiqui” directed by Mahesh Bhatt.
She starred alongside Rahul Roy and Deepak Tijori.
The film was known for its music, by composer duo Nadeem–Shravan establishing their careers.
The soundtrack album has been rated fourth by Planet Bollywood on their “100 Greatest Bollywood Soundtracks”.
It was the best-selling Bollywood album at the time of its release.
The film was remade in Kannada as “Roja” in 2002.
A sequel to the film, “Aashiqui 2”, with a completely new theme, directed by Mohit Suri, with Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor, was released in 2013.
–IANS
dc/khz
Entertainment
Ram Charan's daughter Klin achieves this milestone on grandfather Chiranjeevi's birthday
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) On the 69th birthday of actor and politician Chiranjeevi, his son Ram Charan has shared a peek into their family vacation to Paris, France, which is also the first trip of his daughter Klin Kaara with her grandparents.
Ram took to his Instagram account, where he has 23.9 million followers, and shared a family picture from Paris.
The snap shows his parents– father Chiranjeevi, mother Surekha, his wife Upasana Kamineni, and their furry friend–pet dog. We can see Chiranjeevi holding his granddaughter Klin adorably in his arms.
Ram looked dapper in a black shirt, matching trousers and an olive green jacket.
They are posing against the backdrop of Eiffel Tower.
The post is captioned as: “Klin Kaara’s first trip with her grandparents!!! Memorable”.
In another post, Ram dropped a photograph with his father, wearing matching South Indian ethnic outfits.
He wrote in caption: “Happpiest birthday, Appa!!”
Meanwhile, on the occasion of Chiranjeevi’s birthday, UV Creations and director Vashistaa Mallidi have unveiled the highly anticipated first look poster for ‘Vishwambhara’, a fantasy adventure film.
Sharing the poster on social media, the makers wrote: “When darkness and evil take over the world, a Magnanimous Star shall shine bright to fight, Happy birthday, MEGASTAR @KChiruTweets, Let the world witness your aura with #Vishwambhara, Get ready for a MEGA MASS BEYOND UNIVERSE, In cinemas from January 10th, 2025.”
The movie promises to be a cinematic spectacle, featuring Chiranjeevi in a lead role. The film also stars Trisha Krishnan, Ashika Ranganath and Kunal Kapoor.
The film will be released on January 10, 2025.
Chiranjeevi was last seen in Telugu action drama ‘Bhola Shankar’ directed by Meher Ramesh. It also featured Tamannaah Bhatia, Keerthy Suresh and Sushanth.
Meanwhile, Ram Charan last appeared in action drama ‘Acharya’, directed by Koratala Siva. The film starred Chiranjeevi, alongside Pooja Hegde, Sonu Sood and Jisshu Sengupta.
He next has ‘Game Changer’, and ‘RC16’ in the pipeline.
–IANS
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Entertainment
Rani Mukerji: Shivani Shivaji Roy shows how a woman can lead from front in a male-dominated field
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Actress Rani Mukerji has talked about why she loves her character Shivani Shivaji Roy from “Mardaani,” which has completed 10 years in Hindi cinema on Thursday.
She said: “Shivani Shivaji Roy is my most favourite on-screen character. She is a defiant, fierce force of nature who will stand up for what is right no matter what. She is someone who subverts gender norms in cinema and shows how a woman can also lead from the front in a male-dominated field.”
As the film celebrates its 10th anniversary, Rani is grateful for all the love and acclaim that she has received.
She said: “I’m truly proud of my ‘Mardaani’ franchise. It is a franchise that keeps on giving. The love, adulation, and the respect that I have received from Mardaani is truly humbling.”
On Thursday morning, the makers of the film teased fans about the next chapter of the franchise.
Production Yash Raj Films banner took to YouTube, where they dropped a teaser of sorts, which begins from the first installment, which first released in 2014.
The production company captioned it: “10 years of #Mardaani and the next chapter awaits… Celebrating the feisty, daredevil cop #ShivaniShivajiRoy and the spirit of #Mardaani today. Thank you for a decade of love and appreciation for our beloved franchise. We are inspired… again… thanks to you. #RaniMukerji #10YearsOfMardaani.”
Rani is too excited to reprise the role and don the cop uniform once again.
She said: “I’m looking forward to bringing back Shivani Shivaji Roy on the big screen soon. It’s been a while since I have donned the cop uniform and paid tribute to the women police force of our country.”
“Each (woman cop) one of them relentlessly works hard to keep our families safe and I have always loved to salute these fearless women. Shivani will be back and I hope you will give as much love to her as you have always showered for 10 years now!” added the actress.
–IANS
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Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Bollywood actress and fashionista Sonam Kapoor brought out her A-game in fashion, where she flaunted “minimal, bold and effortlessly on point” look.
The actress took to Instagram, where she shared a string of pictures. In the pictures, she is seen wearing a powder pink shirt, paired with a blazer and long skirt. She completed her look with sunglasses.
“Celebrating @perniaq season 2 podcast drop with that sleek @phoebephilo energy—minimal, bold, and effortlessly on point. Shoutout to the squad for keeping the vibe,” she wrote and also mentioned that she is styled by her sister Rhea Kapoor.
Recently, Sonam shared several glimpses from her son Vayu’s vintage car themed cake as he turned two on August 20.
Sonam took to Instagram, where she shared a reel of the two-tier toddler friendly, refined sugar free chocolate cake. It featured a vintage ice blue car atop of the cake with the number 2 written on it.
The actress had also penned a heart-felt note for her son Vayu.
“My baby turns two today!!! Happy 2nd Birthday to our sweet, precious Vayu! W Being your mom is the greatest gift I could ever receive. You’ve filled our lives with so much joy, laughter, and wonder,” Sonam said.
The actress shared that with her son, everyday is an adventure filled with “your boundless curiosity, your infectious laughter, and your sweet, loving nature.”
“You’ve brought so much light and happiness into our world, making every moment more beautiful and every relationship stronger. You’ve deepened the love between your dadaa and me in ways we never imagined, and you’ve brought pure, unfiltered joy to everyone who loves you-your nani and nana, dadi and baba, kaaa masa, Masi and chachu,” she said.
“Your sweet spirit and playful energy make our family complete, and we are so blessed to have you in our lives.”
She tagged Vayu as her sunshine, music, little genius, and their endless “source of happiness”.
“We love you more than words can say, and we can’t wait to see all the amazing things you will continue to bring into our lives,” Sonam said.
–IANS
dc/
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