Mumbai, July 11 (IANS) Actor Rajeev Khandelwal has spoken about the dark side of the glitzy world of glamour and said that manipulation is a “part and parcel of the industry.”

Rajeev, who made his Bollywood debut with the action-thriller ‘Aamir’ in 2008, plays a superstar Armaan Singh in the ‘Showtime’, which is directed by Mihir Desai and Archit Kumar. The show takes a deep dive into the world of Bollywood, actors, production houses and how they function.

Talking about manipulation being a part of the industry, Rajeev told IANS: “Manipulation is something we all have seen from our school days to till now to whichever industry we are working in. Manipulation is a part of every industry and human nature.”

The 48-year-old actor said that it is the entertainment industry where money is involved.

“Everyone is out there to make a living for themselves and their families. For us to think about producers to manipulate for making more money and aligning themselves with certain favourable people who they think are going to bring them more success is very natural,” added the actor, who hails from Rajasthan.

Saying it out loud could be scandalous, said the actor, who began his television career with a negative role in the 2002 show ‘Kya Hadsaa Kya Haqeeqat’.

“I have seen it. But just to say it probably could be scandalous. From the time when I was not part of the industry or from those years when the industry came into existence these manipulations could have been there… Manipulations are a part and parcel of our industry,” he said.

Is there a dark side to the industry and does ‘Showtime’ showcase it?

Pat came the reply: “Yes, it has.”

“There is a side of the industry, which I am sure everyone knows must be existing because we hear stories of depression, suicides, someone going cuckoo in the head, drugs and so many stories that come out from the industry that people must be having some kind of impression that these things must be having in the industry and they will be curious to know why…”

He said that his show has tapped into that side.

“Showtime has tapped into that side, which you see and have a little idea about. It is fiction but not a figment of someone’s imagination. It is actually different incidents that happened in the industry and presented in the form of a storyline, where you see the truth about the industry in some sort of entertaining way,” he said.

Talking about playing Armaan in the show, he said: “It is very exciting to play this character because I have seen these characters in the last 20 years in the industry.”

He added that he has met people from the industry, who have the kind of attitude he showcases in the show.

“I have encountered a lot of people who have this attitude or who are like this because stardom brings a lot of elements in your personality which are probably missing in others; and to play a character like this — which I am clearly not — was challenging and easy as well,” he said.

‘Showtime’ streams on Disney+ Hotstar.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 11 (IANS) Actress Pranoti Pradhan has opened up on the challenges she faced in portraying Madhumita in the show ‘Ishq Jabariya’. She said that as a Maharashtrian, she had never used Bihari accent or language, which was both stressful and challenging.

Pranoti is known for her work in the Marathi and Gujarati entertainment industry. In the show, she portrays Madhumita, Gulki’s stepmother, who tries to control Gulki and prevent her from following her dreams.

Revealing what excited her to take up the role, Pranoti shared: “When I consider a new role, I look for something that is meaty and worth my time and effort. The character needs to have depth, especially when it requires long hours and extensive travel.”

“When I received the audition script for my role in ‘Ishq Jabariya’, I was immediately drawn to it. I play Madhumita, who is a strong woman from Bihar who forces young men into marriage—a real ‘Dabangg’ lady. They even suggested I ride a Bullet for the role, which added to its appeal,” she said.

Talking about the challenges she faced, Paronti commented: “As a Maharashtrian, I had never used a Bihari accent or language before. It was both stressful and challenging, but it excited me.”

“The curiosity to wake up every morning and explore something new was energising. I wanted to see how much I could push myself as an actor to play a Bihari character,” she added.

‘Ishq Jabariya’ is a touching love story about Gulki, a lively young woman who dreams of becoming an air hostess. Despite facing tough times with her mean stepmother, Gulki stays hopeful and positive. Her journey is full of unexpected events, and she might even find love where she least expects it.

It stars Kamya Panjabi, Siddhi Sharma, and Lakshya Khurana in key roles.

The show airs on Sun Neo.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 11 (IANS) Actress Swati Sharma has opened up on her admiration for the rainy season, sharing that she loves going for long drives, eating popcorn, and spending time with family during monsoon.

Swati, who is known for her role as Aashi in the show ‘Chaahenge Tumhe Itnaa’ said: “For me, the best thing about the rainy season is that my birthday falls in July. Besides, I simply love the rainy season. Summers are too hot, and winters are too cold—both extremes are hard to bear. But rain is different. No matter my mood, it always cheers me up. Even if it rained all year long, I wouldn’t mind.”

Despite her busy schedule shooting for ‘Chaahenge Tumhe Itnaa’, Swati confessed: “I wish I could enjoy the rain more, but I don’t get much free time due to my shooting schedule for ‘Chaahenge Tumhe Itnaa.’ Whenever I do get a day off and it’s raining, I make sure to get out of the house. I love going for long drives, eating corn and popcorn, and spending time with my family. I just can’t stay indoors during the rainy season—if I do, I might feel down.”

Reflecting on what she learns from the beautiful season, Swati added: “The rainy season teaches us to wash away our worries, just as rain cleans everything around us. It reminds us to make our lives pleasant, just like the weather becomes pleasant. Keep positive vibes and eliminate negativity—that’s the message I take from the rain.”

‘Chaahenge Tumhe Itnaa’ recently witnessed major drama with the entry of Raghav, whose actions created a lot of turmoil in the lives of Aashi and Siddharth. It will be interesting to see how Raghav’s actions will affect Aashi and Siddharth.

The show also stars Bharat Ahlawat as Siddharth, Mayank Malik as Raghav, Arzoo Govitrikar as Neelima, and Khyati Keswani as Amrita.

‘Chaahenge Tumhe Itnaa’ airs on Shemaroo Umang.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 11 (IANS) Playback singer Abhay Jodhpurkar, known for his song ‘Mere Naam Tu’ from the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer ‘Zero’, said that his recently released track ‘Cham Cham Karti Baarish’ transports the listeners to the nostalgia of the 1990s.

The track is titled ‘Rimjhim Rimjhim Brishtira’ in Bengali, and has been composed by Rangon.

Abhay also shared that the song blends traditional and contemporary elements. The song captures the essence of the monsoon with its lush instrumentation, featuring a delightful blend of guitars, mandolin, various strokes, drums, dholak, and flute.

Abhay told IANS: “‘Cham Cham Karti Baarish’ has a rich and evocative texture that beautifully captures the essence of the monsoon. The melody transports you to a world of nostalgia, reminiscent of the magical era of the 90s. It’s melodically satisfying and envelops you in a sense of warmth and longing. The song seamlessly blends traditional and contemporary elements, creating a soundscape that feels both timeless and fresh. The intricate arrangement and heartfelt lyrics add depth to the song, making it a perfect companion for rainy days.”

Talking about his collaboration with Rangon, the singer said: “Independent music offers a wonderful platform for artistic freedom and expression, which I realised in my collaboration with Rangon. The melody of ‘Cham Cham Karti Baarish’ transports you to the magical era of the 90s—it’s nostalgic, and executed brilliantly by Rangon. I had the pleasure of singing this song with Antara, whom I have admired since her Indian Idol days.”

For Abhay, recording the song with Antara in both Hindi and ‘Rimjhim Rimjhim Brishtira’ in Bangla was a delightful experience.

“Each version has its unique charm, and we had a fantastic time recording it. I hope listeners can feel the magic we aimed to create. This song perfectly sets the mood for the monsoon season, and I am thrilled to share it with everyone,” he added.

Talking about the elements used in the track, Rangon told IANS: “To capture a classic 90’s vibe, we incorporated instruments like the mandolin and ukulele for the intro and music parts. We used a lot of flute to enhance the romantic mood of the song, and of course, the signature dholak to evoke that quintessential 90s Indian feel. To blend modernity into the track, we included synth-based sounds, electric guitars, and some electronic beats.”

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) This week the OTT platforms are set to stream titles like a supernatural comedy ‘Kakuda’, to action thriller ‘Maharaja’ and others for you to binge watch.

Here is a list of five titles that have caught the attention of IANS this week:

‘Vanished into the Night’

Directed by Renato De Maria, it is written by Patxi Amezcua, Alejo Flah, and Luca Infascelli, the movie stars Annabelle Wallis, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Massimiliano Gallo.

Elena is an American psychiatrist who came to live in Italy, in Puglia, for the love of Pietro, a man with a stormy past. They got married, and had two children, with the dream of restoring a Masseria farmhouse and turning it into a hotel. But things didn’t work out, and soon Pietro and Elena broke up.

The film is releasing on July 11 on Netflix.

‘Kakuda’

The spooky comedy ‘Kakuda’ stars Riteish Deshmukh as Victor, Sonakshi Sinha as Indira, and Saqib Saleem as Sunny in the lead roles, while Aasif Khan is seen in the pivotal role of Kilvish.

The film is a rollercoaster ride of laughter and chills, revolving around the cursed village of Ratodi. It features spine-tingling moments intertwined with side-splitting humour.

Directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, and produced by Ronnie Screwvala, it will be released on July 12 on ZEE5.

‘Maharaja’

The Tamil-language action thriller film is directed by Nithilan Swaminathan. The film stars Vijay Sethupathi in the title role, alongside Anurag Kashyap, Sachana Namidass, Mamta Mohandas, Natarajan Subramaniam, Abhirami, Aruldoss, Munishkanth, Manikandan, Singampuli and Bharathiraja in pivotal roles.

The movie revolves around a barber who tells the police that his ‘Lakshmi’ is missing after a home robbery, but the police begin to suspect his true intentions.

Produced by Passion Studios, The Route and Think Studios, the film released theatrically on June 14, 2024. It will now stream on Netflix from July 12.

‘Exploding Kittens’

Based on the best-selling card game, it is an animated comedy series from showrunners Shane Kosakowski and Matthew Inman (co-creator of the card game). The series is also executive produced by Mike Judge, Greg Daniels and Dustin Davis of Bandera Entertainment; Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping for the Chernin Entertainment Group; and executive producers and creators of the Exploding Kittens franchise, Elan Lee and The Oatmeal’s Inman.

Earth sucks, so God (Tom Ellis) gets fired and sent to Earth to reconnect with humanity. The catch? He’s trapped in the body of a chubby house cat. As part of his rehabilitation, he moves in with a dysfunctional family and tries to solve their problems, but ends up spending a lot of time chasing laser pointers.

The key voice cast are Tom Ellis, Sasheer Zamata, Suzy Nakamura, Mark Proksch, Ally Maki, and Kenny Yates.

It will be streaming from July 12 on Netflix.

‘The Yara Gambirasio Case: Beyond Reasonable Doubt’

It retraces in five episodes the tragic story of Yara Gambirasio, who disappeared when she was just 13 years old one evening in November 2010, in Brembate di Sopra (BG) while walking the 700 metres that separate her home from the gym where she did rhythmic gymnastics.

The docuseries reconstructs the investigation into the girl’s disappearance, which culminates with the arrest of Massimo Bossetti. The lengthy investigative and judicial process reveals the truth about some of the family ties of the Bossetti family, while bringing to light intricate and often controversial details about the investigation.

It will be streaming from July 16 on Netflix.

–IANS

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