Entertainment
Sri Lankan film with Malayalam stars shows hell can be next door to 'Paradise'
New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) As Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage’s award-winning film ‘Paradise’, featuring Malayalam star Roshan Mathew and Darshana Rajendran in the lead roles, is set to be released in India on June 28, he is excited that finally, the general public will get to see it.
The movie set in the backdrop of Sri Lanka’s 2022 economic, and which won the Kim Jiseok Award for Best Film at the Busan Film Festival, is being presented by Mani Ratnam’s production and distribution house, Madras Talkies.
‘Paradise’ revolves around a visiting Indian couple — Amritha (Darshana Rajendran), a video blogger, and her film-producer husband Keshav (Roshan Mathew) — who arrive in the economic crisis-wracked but picturesque Sri Lanka to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary and experience a ‘Ramayana tour’.
A robbery in their bungalow jettison their plan, for they lose their mobile phones and laptops.
When they approach the local cop, Sergeant Bandara, and put pressure on him to act fast, he produces three unemployed men as suspects, and Keshav identifies them as culprits, even though their faces were covered during the robbery.
One of the suspects lands in hospital after police torture and ultimately dies. The couple are forced to confine themselves to the bungalow and that is when they realise how far they had moved away from each other. While Amrita cherishes the beautiful surroundings, Keshav, with a permanent frown, gets increasingly frustrated and cannot digest how she is so ‘unaffected’.
The climax sees people from the village of the dead suspect attack the bungalow. Keshav and Amrita are forced to defend themselves. What transpires in the end — the force of ‘Sita’ — is bound to shock the viewer. The director maintains that “personal is political and vice versa”, hence the backdrop of the economic crisis.
A certain stillness envelops the film, its story, and treatment, making it truly very ‘international’. “Yes, the movie has been loved by the critics, but now comes the real challenge — will we be able to communicate what we want to the general public? And do not forget, we will be up against some big-ticket films,” Vithanage, for whom Chennai is a second home, told IANS.
Considering it is the first time that a Sri Lankan director’s film is getting a worldwide release, it is also an Indian film produced by Newton Cinema and the languages spoken in it include English, Malayalam, Tamil, Sinhala, and Hindi.
“Though the territory is Sri Lanka, it is an Indian movie,” the director reaffirmed.
Admitting he has been nurtured and groomed by Indian cinema, with the post-production of his films always going to Indian labs, not to mention working with Indian technicians for the past 27 years, Vithanage, who is considered one of the pioneers of the third generation
of Sri Lankan cinema, has directed eight feature films and won 30 major national and international awards, besides enjoying commercial success.
“I think this is a natural step, working with Indian actors in Indian languages,” Vithanage said. “This story could not have happened to a European couple.”
Stressing that even while the two countries are distinct in many ways, they are deeply connected by history and culture.
The reasons for the scenario in which the Indian couple are pushed were manifold.
“As a filmmaker, I also want to bring forth my politics,” Vithanage said. “One must remember that politics does not confine itself only to elections. It comes into play in a marriage and in other interpersonal relationships. The larger politics of the economic crisis could creep into institutions such as marriage. These two are interconnected, not separate.”
While on the subject of politics, Vithanage said reconciliation between the Sinhalese and the Tamils in his country “remains a distant mirage”. And he should know, having made three films on one of the bloodiest civil wars in the world (between the Sri Lankan Army and the LTTE) — ‘August Sun’, ‘Death on a Full Moon Day’, which was the subject of a full-on censorship war, and ‘With You, Without You’.
“Yes, we have shown the need for reconciliation in the three films, but there’s an absence of it on the ground,” Vithanage said. “Let us not forget that reconciliation is a political situation and to achieve it, political steps are paramount. There need to be solid political solutions. Artistes do not have the power for political solutions. They can only amplify the need for them.”
Immersed in theatre since childhood, this Sri Lankan director admits that the art form has been instrumental in shaping him as a filmmaker. He says that besides other things, it has taught him how to work with actors and bring out something that is not from his own experience or of the actors’.
“In a way, we try to bring forth a certain truth, an exercise that can be enigmatic. My understanding of how difficult the craft of acting is comes from theatre,” the director explained, adding that he expects nothing but spontaneity from his movie actors.
Presently working on a script (in Hindi) based on Fyodor Dostoevsky’s ‘The Gambler’, to be shot in Sri Lanka, Vithanage looks up to several Indian directors from diverse generations. “Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Ritwik Ghatak, Shyam Benegal, Anurag Kashyap and Gurvinder Singh are some of them,” he concluded.
–IANS
sukant/srb
Mumbai, July 30 (IANS) Actress Huma Qureshi, who has recently turned 38, has shared a peek into her birthday celebrations with her ‘best family’, and it includes her brother Saqib Saleem, and actors Rajkummar Rao, and his wife Patralekhaa.
Huma celebrated her 38th birthday on July 28, and now on Tuesday, she has shared celebratory birthday pictures on her Instagram account, where she has 8.3 million followers.
The selfies feature Huma in a black dress, Rajkummar in a blue T-shirt, Patralekhaa in a black tank top, and her brother Saqib.
The pictures also show actor Rachit Singh.
The actors are currently holidaying in Europe.
Huma captioned the post as: “Blessed with the best #mafamily… only remember laughing and singing the whole trip… #love #family #friends #blessed.. Thank you all for making it sooo special.”
On the work front, Huma had made her film debut in 2012 with a supporting role in Anurag Kashyap’s directorial two-part crime drama ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’.
The movie featured Manoj Bajpayee, Richa Chadda, Reema Sen, Piyush Mishra, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Pankaj Tripathi, and Tigmanshu Dhulia.
She has then starred in movies like ‘Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana’, ‘Ek Thi Daayan’, ‘Badlapur’, ‘Jolly LLB 2’, ‘Bell Bottom’, ‘Double XL’.
Huma was last seen in the biopic ‘Tarla’, which is based on Indian chef and cookbook author Tarla Dalal.
It features Huma in the titular role, and is directed by Piyush Gupta and produced by Ronnie Screwvala, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Nitesh Tiwari.
The film is streaming on ZEE5.
She also featured as ‘Madness ki Malkin’ in the comedy show ‘Madness Machayenge-India Ko Hasayenge’.
Huma will next be seen in comedy film ‘Jolly LLB 3’, starring Akshay Kumar, Arshad Warsi, Amrita Rao and Saurabh Shukla.
She also has ‘Pooja Meri Jaan’, ‘Gulabi’, and ‘Bayaan’ in the pipeline.
On the other hand, Rajkummar was last seen in romantic sports drama ‘Mr. & Mrs. Mahi’. He next has ‘Stree 2’, ‘Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video’, and ‘Bhul Chul Maaf’ in the kitty.
–IANS
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Los Angeles, July 30 (IANS) Actor Josh Hartnett hopes he has “learned a lot” since his days of early stardom he achieved as a teen idol in the late 1990s.
Hartnett found fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s as he featured in several popular films such as “40 Days and 40 Nights” and “Pearl Harbor”.
“I hope I’ve learned a lot since then. It was all just brand-new, very shiny, and very interesting. I look back on it all fondly, but I also see someone just trying to figure it out,” the actor told Men’s Health, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
Following the years where he was known as a teen idol, he decided to take further control of his career.
He said: “I never wanted to chase the hottest property and be one of the guys who could have gotten it but didn’t get it, or whatever… don’t want to be a part of that game. As soon as people see that you’re working in movies that are getting more attention, you become more viable.”
“It’s probably just a reflection of who I am. I’m annoyed by people that play the numbers and game the system and just do the safe thing. Generally, I find that kind of… I’ve always wanted to try to do things that are a little bit more off-centre.”
Recently, the actor appeared in a string of blockbusters such as “Oppenheimer” and “Wrath of Man”.
However, he said he would love to make something like an animation so his children could be involved in his career.
–IANS
dc/khz
Mumbai, July 30 (IANS) Director David Dhawan, who ruled the Bollywood of the 1990s, has revealed that it was Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt who motivated him to take up direction.
David Dhawan, who is an Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) graduate, went through many courses during his career.
Although he initially thought of becoming an actor, he enrolled in FTII Pune for the course of film editing.
However, it was during the editing of the film ‘Naam’ when Sanjay told him to explore possibilities as a director.
David, who appeared on the chat show ‘The Invincibles’, told show host Arbaaz Khan, “‘Naam’ has another very big thing in my life. I was editing ‘Naam’, the actor in the film ‘Naam’ was Sanjay Dutt, and Sanjay used to always be extremely friendly, he would come and watch the rushes and one day he said, ‘David yaar tu director Kyun nahi Banta?.'”
“I said, ‘Kaun banayega Mujhe director’ and he said ‘Ban Gaya tu, 3 days ago I signed a film and Tu usko Direct karega’, can you believe it?,” he added.
At this point in the episode, Arbaaz said, “Kya baat hai! Unbelievable but were you prepared for that when this happened? Were you already talking about it?”
David said, “No nothing.”
Arbaaz then said, “So Sanjay Dutt came as a blessing in disguise.”
To which David said, “He was like ‘Tu Kar na yaar, I will be there’.”
–IANS
aa/khz
Entertainment
Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Nikeet Dhillon-starrer 'Tujhpe Main Fida' S2 revolves around mystery hidden in Cole Town
Mumbai, July 30 (IANS) The makers of Rudhraksh Jaiswal and Nikeet Dhillon-starrer ‘Tujhpe Main Fida’ Season two on Tuesday unveiled the trailer of the modern-day fairytale show, which is a journey filled with love, heartbreak, and mystery.
The one-minute and 35-second trailer takes the audiences back to Cole Town, featuring Rudhraksh as Marcus, and Nikeet as Aaira.
The video gives a peek into how the spark that had once burned so brightly between Marcus and Aaira still lingers.
It further shows the characters mending their hearts post breakup.
Speaking about the series, Rudhraksh said in a statement: “I am stoked to embark on Marcus’s journey once again in Season two. My character experiences profound growth, diving deeper into his personal life and the intricate mysteries of Cole Town. As Marcus navigates the painful process of healing from a severe heartbreak, he must reconstruct and redefine himself before he can fully embrace his path forward.”
“My passion for storytelling and unwavering dedication to my craft propel me to infuse Marcus’s journey with genuine authenticity and intensity, ensuring that every moment resonates deeply with our devoted audience,” he shared.
Rudhraksh added: “I am deeply committed to bringing a rich, nuanced performance that captures the essence of Marcus’s evolution, and I am eager to share this compelling chapter with our viewers. Thank you for all the love and support you have showered us with, it means the world to us.”
Amogh Dusad, Head of Content, Amazon miniTV, commented: “The second season of ‘Tujhpe Main Fida’ is the perfect blend of intense romance, mystery, and intrigue. The narrative and the plot will definitely keep the viewers at the edge of their seats with the evolving mystery that hides in the silent lanes of Cole Town. A stellar cast, engrossing story, and excellent screenplay will undoubtedly appeal to audiences.”
Sameer Gogate, General Manager, BBC Studios Productions India, added: “‘Tujhpe Main Fida’ has really captured the hearts and minds of our viewers and we’re excited to bring Marcus and Aaira back for more romance and intrigue.”
Produced by BBC Studios Productions India, ‘Tujhpe Main Fida’ S2 will stream on Amazon miniTV from August 2.
–IANS
sp/khz
Mumbai, July 30 (IANS) Renowned celebrity photographer Rohan Shrestha recently completed an exclusive photoshoot with Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds.
This is not the first time Shrestha has clicked pictures of global head-turners, including names such as Lionel Messi, Kevin Hart and Oprah Winfrey.
The photographer, who has worked with Bollywood bigwigs such as Shah Rukh Khan, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Priyanka Chopra and Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli, ‘White T Series’ features celebrities in simple white T-Shirts, has become particularly iconic, capturing the essence of stars like Oprah Winfrey with striking simplicity.
The series began in 2012 with actor Abhay Deol, reports variety.com.
For Reynolds’ shoot, Shrestha implemented his signature style, creating a series of black and white portraits.
The photographer shared an anecdote about bonding with the star over his early role in “Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place”.
“The first thing I spoke to him about was a show that he was a part of when he was much younger,” Shrestha said.
“I told him about his character Berg and how I used to watch that growing up in India. He laughed and said, ‘Oh, that’s awesome, man, that’s still one of my most favorite roles that I’ve played.'”
Shrestha added that Reynolds is “genuinely nice and funny”.
He added: “He made everybody on the crew laugh. For me personally, I was kind of nervous just because it’s always nervy to shoot someone you’re in awe of.”
–IANS
dc/khz
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