Entertainment
This breezy crew will win your hearts (IANS Rating: ***)
Mumbai, March 29 (IANS) Hindi cinema has not written very many lead female characters who have careers, although to be fair to scriptwriters, many of the roles for women have been full of substance. And depth.
It is thoroughly interesting therefore to walk into a movie that is about the story of not one but three diligent friends who are working as cabin crew for the fictional Kohinoor Airlines.
Director Rajesh Krishnan helms a 122-minute joy ride in his heist comedy film Crew starring Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon playing the leads.
Until their peaceful lives take a dramatic turn, all seems to be fine with the three rather glamorous women — Geetu (Tabu), Jasmine Kohli (Kapoor Khan) and Divya Rana (Sanon), who are a part of an airline crew aged between the 20s and the 40s — when they are unexpectedly caught in a difficult situation orchestrated by someone with ulterior motives. Now, they are trapped in a never-ending struggle, desperately trying to break free.
The owner of the airlines is Vijay Walia (Saswat Chatterjee). No prizes for guessing who he is modelled on!) Vijay Mallya, the ex-chairman of Kingfisher — a brand of that offered a line of beverages and an airline group — fled India for the UK.
Walia in the film leads a luxurious life and cons his way all the way while all along putting up a respectable front that commands tremendous admiration and deference.
The airlines staff hasn’t been paid for a year and the three women — as also other 4,000 members of the company — increasingly get impatient. A young mother cries her heart out to share that her daughter’s school fees has not been paid and that the school principal may rusticate the child.
Geeta has been the bread winner in her family while her loving husband Arun (Kapil Sharma) lives off her. As their in-flight supervisor, she is older than the rest, is tired of working so hard and is waiting for her provident fund to be cleared so that they move to Goa and start life afresh as a restaurateur.
Senior flight attendant Jasmine bonds well with her maternal grandfather (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) after her parents passed away. A sucker for life and money, she dreams of a life that’s rosy all the way. Divya Rana (Sanon) is the most educated of the lot and is a trained pilot.
When recession hit the world, she had to settle for a job as a flight attendant though she lies to her family that she has a job as a captain with the airlines. They all work very hard and their daily woes turn all the more unbearable when they don’t get their due on time.
Things hit rock bottom when they discover that their debt-ridden airline is on the verge of bankruptcy. And the three desperate women look for desperate measures to survive and fulfil their aspirations. for survival.
And they resort to crime.
The best part of the storyline credited to Nidhi Mehra and Mehul Suri is the element of unapologetic behaviour of the three who by the way, could pass of as sexy ramp models.
But they are not dishonest; they seem to be go-getters, if at all. Behaving as outrageously nonchalant, blunt and unrepentant as any Smart-alecky man would be their age, they can take on the might of anyone- man or woman to prove their righteous mind.
What’s more, they have fun all the time. Visiting pubs in their free time, shopping and cracking jokes countering sexism with loaded and equally offensive fun repartees, they live to the full.
Although, make no mistake, underneath the cheery upbeat narrative lies the handling of serious middle-class issues that all families face in our country. Be it the woman feeding her jobless brother and husband or the need for a single woman to find the right match to live with, all are mentioned in passing albeit while driving home a point.
Powerhouse performer Tabu, the veteran among the three, is not seen in too many of these light-hearted frothy films. She, like the other two, has a lot of fun and holds her own wonderfully well. Kareena too looks ravishing and performs with a dare-me-not attitude. Sanon gets a lot of action too and nails it with her spunkiness, not to mention her drop-dead gorgeous looks.
To be fair to the men, both Kapil Sharma as Tabu’s gentle understanding but jobless husband, and Diljeet Dosanjh as the customs officer Jai Singh Rathor who studied in the same school as Divya, have clearly defined roles to play.
That Sharma is a fine actor too, besides a great standup has already been proven in Nandita Das’ ‘Zwigato’. Here, he has a special appearance but manages to leave a mark. Chatterjee and Dossanjh are both well-cast and acquit themselves well.
The technical aspects of the film are first-rate. Anuj Rakesh Dhawan’s cinematography gives us the believable feel of the insides of an aircraft as much as the razzmatazz of bars and cafes fills our eyes.
Songs by Diljeet, Badshaah, Romy, Shrushti Tawade and others that are catchy and foot-tapping. One of veteran duo Laxmikant Pyarelal’s old hits, “Choli ke peechhe kya hai”, and Ila Arun’s “Ghaghra” as remakes are already chartbusters.
The film has its wild moments throughout, but after taking off with a lot of promise, it slides to a tepid landing. Nevertheless, it’s honest, breezy and a joyride!
Film: Crew Duration: 122 minutes
Director: Rajesh A Krishnan Cast: Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kriti Sanon, Kapil Sharma Diljeet Dosanjh and Saswat Chatterjee
Music: John Stewart Eduri Cinematography: Anuj Rakesh Dhawan
Duration: 122 minutes
IANS Rating: ***
–IANS
dan/
Mumbai, July 11 (IANS) Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor, who was recently seen in the streaming movie ‘Blind’, is set to make a dazzling appearance at the Women’s Singles Wimbledon finals 2024 on July 13 in London.
The actress’s presence at this year’s event at the historic All England Club will add a touch of glamour to the iconic venue renowned for hosting legendary tennis battles.
The Wimbledon Championship, which was established in 1877, is the world’s oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament. The actress is expected to make heads turn and make a fashion statement at the event.
Sonam, who is known as a fashion icon in the Hindi film industry, has long been celebrated for her impeccable fashion sense. Her sartorial choices have made her a favourite amongst top fashion brands worldwide.
Recently, the actress enthralled the audiences at Dior’s Haute Couture Fall/Winter Show in Paris. As she gears up for her comeback after the birth of her son, Sonam has two major projects lined up: ‘Battle for Bittora’ and details of the second tentpole project is kept under wraps.
The actress and her husband Anand Ahuja welcomed their son, Vayu Kapoor Ahuja, in August 2022.
–IANS
aa/kvd/dan
Mumbai, July 11 (IANS) Bollywood star Kartik Aaryan, who was recently seen in the sports biopic ‘Chandu Champion’, has shared that his most profound break-up happened during his college days.
He said that the girl whom he was dating during his college told him that she wouldn’t be able to handle the life of an actor.
Kartik recently appeared on Season 2 of the podcast ‘Be A Man, Yaar’ hosted by Nikhil Taneja. He said on the podcast by Yuvaa, “My first heartbreak was in school. I couldn’t muster the courage to express my feelings; I simply smiled at her.”
Sharing the incident from his college life, he said, “My girlfriend told me she couldn’t be with me if I pursued acting. She said she couldn’t handle the life of an actor.”
The actor also recalled how he felt after facing rejections in his movie auditions, as he said, “It was very harsh. It’s like you don’t exist. Lagta tha ki aapki koi value hai nahi.”
The fear of being identified as “unfit” led him to be frustrated with the entire process of auditions. However, reflecting on the change that he has seen over the years, he said, “My loneliness has been compensated by my fans.”
He also spoke about getting “bitter” during his early days in the film industry because of how tough it is for outsiders to get noticed.
He said, “Main line mein laga hoon aur dusro ko line mein lagne ki zaroorat bhi nahi padh rahi (while I stand in the queue, others don’t even need to be a part of the line). Wahan chai pi rahe hain jahan main auditions de raha hoon. There was never an even playing field. Aur wo toh aaj bhi rehta hai (things are the same even today).”
Kartik also gave his point of view on the conversations around the misogyny of his monologues during ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnama’, and said if the script is good, he will do a ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnama 3’ today as well.
–IANS
aa/dan
Mumbai, July 11 (IANS) Popular television personalities Divyanka Tripathi and her husband Vivek Dahiya, who were holidaying in Europe, were robbed. The actress said that most of their essentials, passports, bank cards and expensive goods got taken away.
Divyanka took to her Instagram stories, where she posted details about the incident.
“Vivek & I are safe and sound but most of our essentials, passports, bank cards, and expensive goods are gone from our car in a resort property. Just hoping for prompt help from the embassy,”Divyanka confirmed.
She then added that her car was parked in a “secured resort property” when the incident took place.
“The car was parked in a secured resort property when the break-in happened. Please do not trouble us suggesting how the care should have been taken. The resort knew about the ‘luggage in car’ status and they were cool about it.”
“This can happen to anyone… But I hope it doesn’t! Be of help if you can, or empathise. If that’s seemingly difficult… Please go ahead doing your business,” she added.
It was on July 10, when the couple arrived in Florence for their vacation and had planned to spend a day there. According to media reports, the robbers just left some old clothes and food items.
–IANS
dc/kvd
Entertainment
Hruta Durgule learnt how to ride a bike in just six sessions: 'It feels so liberating'
Mumbai, July 11 (IANS) Hruta Durgule said that she had a phobia of riding bikes, however, she overcame that as she prepared for her role in ‘Commander Karan Saxena’. The actress said that she learnt the skill in just six sessions and finds it “so liberating.”
Hruta Durgule, who essays the role of Rachna Mhatre in the show, said: “I went for our show’s meeting, and they asked me if I could ride a bike. I said I could do everything but ride a bike, but I’d learn it. After 10-12 days, I got confirmation that I was playing Rachna Mhatre’s character in the series, and I started my classes in April.”
“It took six sessions, and because of my height, my feet were not reaching the ground,” she said.
The actress said that when she learned the skill, she understood it well.
“It’s also an addition to my skill set, and I’m going to continue riding a bike because it feels so liberating. I’ve been driving a car since I was 18; it’s been 13-14 years. I can ride a rickshaw, I can drive an ambulance, everything—I can drive anything,” Hruta said.
“But with a bike, I had a major phobia. Somehow, I managed, and the bike we used was very heavy, so I was worried about that too. But I’m super glad that I could do this for Commander Karan Saxena.”
‘Commander Karan Saxena’ traces the story of a RAW agent as he dives into a political mystery to save the country. The show is directed by Jatin Wagle and is based on a character created by writer Amit Khan.
‘Commander Karan Saxena’ airs on Disney+ Hotstar.
–IANS
dc/kvd
Mumbai, July 11 (IANS) Actor Manmohan Tiwari shared that he has put on weight and has even coloured his hair to make himself look older in the show ‘Mishri’.
Speaking about the preparations he did for his role, Manmohan shared: “To prepare for the negative lead in this show, I have gained weight and even grown a belly. I dye my hair daily to make myself look older and meet the character’s demands.”
“This effort is to ensure that the character stands out and truly comes to life, conveying exactly what it needs to and leave a strong impression on the audience,” he said.
Manmohan has mostly played negative roles on-screen, however, he mentioned that he has done positive roles as well in shows like ‘Gudiya Humari Sabhi Pe Bhaari’, ‘Hum Hain Na’, and ‘Jai Bharati’.
He added: “In ‘Kumkum Bhagya’, and ‘Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya’, I have played negative characters. I also have another show coming up on Dangal where I’ll be playing a negative role. I enjoy playing negative characters more.”
Talking about his future plans, Manmohan concluded, saying, “My future plans are to continue acting and doing my best work. I want to keep entertaining you all.”
‘Mishri’ stars Shruti Bhist as Mishri, Namish Taneja as Raghav and Megha Chakraborty as Vaani in the lead roles.
Set in the cultural hub of Mathura, the show follows the intertwined journeys of Mishri, Vaani, and Raghav. The show revolves around the rollercoaster journey of a girl who brings joy and sweet fortune to others while grappling with her own bitter destiny.
Residing in Mathura, Mishri is the town’s sweetheart, invited to every auspicious occasion to spread her good luck. The plot thickens when her conniving chachi schemes to marry her off to her shady middle-aged brother, swapping out the groom she was supposed to wed.
‘Mishri’ airs on Colors TV.
–IANS
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