Entertainment
With 'Sarfarosh' to be screened 25 after its release, a look at where its cast is today
Mumbai, May 9 (IANS) The Aamir Khan-starrer ‘Sarfarosh’ has completed 25 years since its release. The film emerged as the first ray of meaningful cinema after the singularity of the redundant narratives prevalent in the Hindi cinema of the 1990s.
It broke the clutter and cultivated a wide and ardent fan following owing to its excellence in all departments of filmmaking, with the taut screenplay and its casting sharing the top spot.
The film starred some of the finest talents from Hindi cinema. Interestingly, all the actors who starred in the film went on to carve a niche for themselves.
As the film prepares for a special screening on Friday, IANS takes a look at the actors from the film and how their journeys have unfolded in these 25 years.
Aamir Khan played the role of a cop hot on the heels of a cross-border terrorism case, catching the trail of an arms trade. The film marked an important chapter in the actor’s filmography as it cemented the audience’s faith in Aamir’s choice of scripts, a decision that not just established him as a bankable superstar but also course-corrected the commercial Hindi cinema in terms of better scripts.
Currently, Aamir has the cleanest track record at the box office compared to other superstars of his league, barring a few misses like ‘Thugs of Hindostan’, ‘Mela’, and his passion project, ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’.
If the film had a commercial star with Aamir, it put the perfect antagonist to him across the spectrum with one of the biggest cinematic forces of the Indian parallel film movement, Naseeruddin Shah. The actor essayed the role of a Pakistani Ghazal singer who turns into a terrorist to avenge what happened to him after the partition of India. The actor, who is an NSD graduate, boasts a stellar body of work today and across the genres in Hindi cinema.
Gen Z might know Mukesh Rishi from his ‘Gunda’ meme, but the 1990s kids used to shudder whenever he walked into the frame given his negative roles. ‘Sarfarosh’ gave a chance to the actor to explore the other side, and he set off like a sprinter on the track with lightning speed. He served as the perfect partner to Aamir’s cop in chasing down the criminals in the film. If Aamir was the brain behind cracking the case, Salim, played by Mukesh, provided the muscle to the police machinery. Mukesh went on to do many films across the film industries of the country and also explored the mediums of television and streaming. He was most recently seen in superstar director Rohit Shetty’s OTT debut, ‘Indian Police Force’.
Sonali Bendre, another favourite of the 1990s generation, brought much relief to the tense narrative with her character as she played the love interest to Aamir in the film. It’s a delight to watch her in the song ‘Is Deewane Ladke Ko’. Who could forget the sensuous track ‘Jo Haal Dil Ka’? The track not just boasted one of the earliest electric guitar riffs in Hindi film music but also featured a heady romance between Sonali and Aamir. The actress rose up as a true fighter as she battled cancer and came out victorious on the other end. She recently returned with the second season of her hit streaming show ‘The Broken News’, where she reprised her role as Amina Qureshi, the head of a news channel.
Actor Pradeep Rawat, who essayed the negative role in the film, went on to work with Aamir in ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Ghajini’, in the latter, he essayed the titular role of a villain who kills Asin’s character of Kalpana. The actor has worked across many film industries in India, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Bengali.
Actress Surekha Sikri, who was a theatre veteran, essayed the role of Pradeep’s mother in the film, who is questioned by the cops from Aamir’s team. Though she had a limited role, she made a huge impact with her performance. The actress went on to work in one of the biggest television shows in the country, ‘Balika Vadhu’ and the Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer ‘Badhaai Ho’. She was also seen in the streaming anthology ‘Ghost Stories’. The actress died at the age of 76 in Mumbai after suffering a cardiac arrest.
While the film saw terrific performances from its stellar cast, it also gave Hindi cinema one of its finest actors in the form of Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The actor played an uncredited role in the film of a goon, who is tortured by the cops from Aamir’s team in order to extract the information. Nawaz, upon seeing his friend get almost killed by the cops after they fire the gun from close range, gives away the information to Aamir and his team. Nawaz played many small roles in his career to stay afloat in the testing city of Mumbai before he broke out on the scene with the Anurag Kashyap directorial ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’.
He went on to work with all the leading Khans of Bollywood, having reunited with Aamir in ‘Talaash: The Answer Lies Within’. He worked with megastar Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Raees’ and with superstar Salman Khan in ‘Kick’. Nawaz, who came from nothing, having worked as a watchman as well at one point to make ends meet, owns a swanky bungalow in the Yari.
John Matthew Matthan, the director of the film, got the inspiration for ‘Sarfarosh’ in the aftermath of the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai. John, who worked as an assistant to Govind Nihalani, was intrigued by the idea of Pakistani ghazal singers coming to India on the pretext of performance but carrying out shady jobs in the back end. His narration to Aamir was so intense that the 30 minutes of borrowed time from the superstar stretched beyond 3 hours in the narration table because the latter was completely hooked by the film’s story. Before working on the film, he worked on several advertisements as the new economic policy of globalisation and liberalisation bolstered the boom in the advertising sectors, with television still being in its nascent stage in India at the time. The filmmaker has been away from the limelight for quite some time.
–IANS
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New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) Actor Varun Sharma, who plays a heartbroken ‘Rajesh Khanna’ in the upcoming movie ‘Wild Wild Punjab’, has opened up about his character and its traits, sharing that there’s a very thin line between going caricaturish and doing it right when portraying a character in a drunk state.
The movie, which stars Varun, Sunny Singh, Manjot Singh, and Jassie Gill in key roles, revolves around the story of four best friends on a wild breakup trip.
Talking about his character, Varun told IANS: “The character of Khanna is very volatile. He is standing on a very fertile ground. He is like water, with a lot of alcohol in it. So, he flows but is tipsy. He is on a different rant altogether. He is the most persistent ranter I have read, seen, or got a chance to play.”
On the challenges he faced portraying Khanna, the ‘Fukrey’ actor said: “The toughest part about playing Khanna was that he was drunk throughout. So, I think to perform in a drunk state, there is a very thin line between going caricaturish and overboard and doing it right.”
“So, I am keeping my fingers crossed and hope it connects with the audience, and they feel for Khanna. I hope I have done justice to the most beautiful writing,” said Varun.
Speaking about the movie, Varun said it is very close to his heart.
“When I heard the storyline for the first time, I found it relatable and felt it was a story of every group. Every group has a ‘Khanna’, a ‘Maan Arora’, a ‘Jainu’, and a ‘Honey Singh’. There is madness in how the characters come together on different paths; it’s a very beautiful journey,” Varun said.
He added, “The way Patralekhaa’s character joins the group, and the adventures she brings, along with Ishita Raj, create a beautiful blend of so many journeys coming together for one basic line: ‘I am over you’.”
“I think there are many people who have said ‘I am over you’, or want to say this line, so this concept is very relatable. This is a different take on what happens if somebody wants to say ‘I am over you’, or someone who hasn’t got closure.
“How a set of friends go on a wild trip is beautifully portrayed. This is a film about a bunch of friends, made by a bunch of friends, for all the bunch of friends. So that’s ‘Wild Wild Punjab’,” said Varun, who was last seen in the movie ‘Tera Kya Hoga Lovely’.
Presented by Gulshan Kumar and Bhushan Kumar, ‘Wild Wild Punjab’ is a Luv Films production directed by Simarpreet Singh and produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg.
The film is set to premiere on Netflix on July 10.
–IANS
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Entertainment
‘Understanding law of anti-gravity’, actress Deepti Sadhwani drops pics of aerial yoga
Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) The ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’ (TMKOC) fame actress Deepti Sadhwani on Saturday gave fitness goals to her fans, by dropping pictures of doing aerial yoga.
Deepti, who has 4.2 million followers on Instagram shared some pictures of herself performing aerial yoga. The snaps show Deepti wearing a yellow crop top and matching shorts.
The post is captioned as: “Just hanging out to understand the law of anti Gravity #aerialyoga practice. #deeptisadhwani #flexibility #motivation.”
A fan commented on the post saying, “wohhhhh”. While many users dropped fire and heart emojis in the comment section.
Deepti made her debut at the Cannes red carpet this year and attended the screening of the movie ‘Oh Canada’ in the 77th edition of the prestigious film festival.
She had won the title of ‘Miss North India’, and had participated in ‘Femina Miss India’ where she was a regional finalist.
Sadhwani also hosted a reality show named ‘Hasya Samrat’, which aired on Zee Marathi.
She has also appeared in movies like ‘Nazar Hati Durghatana Ghati’ and ‘Rock Band Party’, in which essayed the lead role.
The diva has also featured in music videos like ‘Harayana Roadway’, ‘Toot Jaayein’, ‘Lalla Lalla Lori’, ‘Butterfly Waale’, and ‘Tu Aag Ka Gola Chori’.
–IANS
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Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Bollywood’s ‘Khiladi’ Akshay Kumar on Saturday shared a fun dancing video with Ranveer Singh on his 39th birthday, expressing his hope that the actor’s infectious energy will always keep him going places.
Taking to Instagram, Akshay shared a Reel video in which he and his ‘Singham Again’ co-star can be seen dancing to Karan Aujla and Ikky’s song ‘Softly’.
Ranveer is wearing a black sleeveless T-shirt and matching joggers, complemented by a black cap and sneakers.
The birthday boy holds his boombox on his shoulder while grooving with Akshay on the street at night.
Akshay, on the other hand, is dressed in a black half-sleeve T-shirt and lavender pajamas.
The duo candidly dances to the tunes of ‘Softly’.
The post is captioned: “Happy birthday Ranveer Singh, you powerhouse of a man! Hope your infectious energy always keeps you going places. Enjoy your day. Love and prayers.”
Actress Rakul Preet also took to Instagram Stories to pen a birthday note for Ranveer.
She wrote: “Cheers to the man who brings boundless energy and unparalleled passion to everything he does. Happy birthday Ranveer Singh.”
Filmmaker Aditya Dhar shared a monochrome selfie with Ranveer and posted: “Happy birthday to the man whose energy can light up an entire city! You’re a supernova of an actor. Keep dazzling the world with your awesomeness!! Love you, my brother!!”
On the work front, Ranveer made his Bollywood debut in 2010 with the romantic comedy ‘Band Baaja Baaraat’, alongside Anushka Sharma. The film was directed by Maneesh Sharma in his directorial debut and produced by Aditya Chopra for Yash Raj Films.
He has since featured in movies like ‘Ladies vs Ricky Bahl’, ‘Lootera’, ‘Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela’, ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’, ‘Bajirao Mastani’, ‘Gully Boy’, and the most recent film ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’.
Ranveer’s next project is ‘Singham Again’, which also stars his wife, actress Deepika Padukone.
The multi-starrer film features Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Tiger Shroff, Arjun Kapoor, and Jackie Shroff in lead roles.
It is directed by Rohit Shetty, who co-produced it under Rohit Shetty Picturez with Reliance Entertainment, Jio Studios, and Devgn Films.
The movie is set to be released this Diwali.
–IANS
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Los Angeles, July 6 (IANS) Hollywood star Eddie Murphy has said that he does not wish to have a funeral and would like to go “quietly”.
Murphy shared a video, where he revealed that he doesn’t want a funeral after joking that people should play the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ theme music at the event to make people “smile.”
He re-enacted his own acapella version of the jingle, saying that it should be played as he is being buried, reports people.com.
“That’s just a joke, ’cause I’m never having a funeral,” he clarified in the video.
Murphy further explained his preference: “I mean, I’m gonna die like everyone else. But (my loved ones) know…no funeral. Just let me go quietly.”
The actor was promoting his latest film, ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’, the fourth instalment in the action-comedy franchise, which was released on July 3.
In the film, Murphy returns as Axel Foley, a cop who returns to Beverly Hills after his daughter’s life is threatened, marking a return to the role after a decade since the third film.
Murphy quipped that he’s been asked how he feels about playing “the Black James Bond” and tells whoever asks him: “I don’t have to be some Black James Bond. I have Axel Foley, and he has theme music and everything.”
After the success of ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ and its sequel, the Oscar-nominated star featured in the 1998 classic ‘Coming to America’. The sequel, ‘Coming 2 America’, was released in 2021.
In 1996, he was seen essaying the role of Professor Sherman Klump in ‘The Nutty Professor’.
Murphy was then seen in the ‘Dr. Dolittle’ franchise, playing the titular character, who can talk to animals. Most recently, Murphy voiced Shrek’s sidekick Donkey in four ‘Shrek’ films.
–IANS
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Entertainment
Aakkash Ahuja shares his plans of settling down: 'My current focus is on doing good work'
Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Aakkash Ahuja, the lead actor of ‘Badall Pe Paon Hai’, has shared insights about the recent wedding sequence in the show and discussed his future plans regarding settling down.
The grand wedding celebration in ‘Badall Pe Paon Hai’ has not only added a new dimension to the storyline, but has also drawn significant attention from the audience.
The lead actors — Aakkash and Amandeep Sidhu, have left fans in awe with their stunning wedding attire, creating a perfect on-screen couple that fans are eagerly shipping. Weddings hold a special place in the hearts of Indian families, making the sequence highly relatable and emotionally resonant for viewers.
Reflecting on the wedding sequence, Aakkash said: “We have been putting in a lot of effort and giving our best. I can also relate because Indian families believe in a lot of traditions, which is why they can relate more. On set, shooting wedding sequences is hectic, but I must say it’s a lot of fun.”
Speaking about his own plans for marriage, the actor added: “In real life, I haven’t thought of settling down at the moment. My current focus is on doing good work, and that’s about it. When I do decide to get married in real life, everyone will get to know.”
Produced by Sargun Mehta and Ravi Dubey under their banner Dreamiyata Entertainment Private Limited, the show features Amandeep in the lead role as Bani.
The ensemble cast includes Bhaweeka Chaudhary as Lavanya, Shefali Rana as Poonam Khanna, Raman Dhagga as Satish Arora, Swati Tarar as Charan, Aasim Khan as Cherry, Sooraj Thappar as Bishan, Mansi Sharma as Shilpa, Lokesh Batta as Gaurav, Gurnoor Sodhi as Minti, and Aman Sutdhar as Balwant, among others.
‘Badall Pe Paon Hai’ airs on Sony SAB.
On the work front, Aakkash made his Bollywood debut in the 2019 romantic film ‘Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas’, starring Karan Deol and Sahher Bambba in the lead roles.
He has also featured in shows like ‘Thapki Pyar Ki 2’, ‘Qubool Hai’, and ‘Dil Buffering’.
–IANS
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