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Women's Day: OTT series that have redefined portrayal of female protagonists

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Women's Day: OTT series that have redefined portrayal of female protagonists

New Delhi, March 8 (IANS) The disruptive OTT space in the country has seen an unprecedented rise in women-centric shows scripted by a new generation of talented women storytellers. The shows not only celebrate femininity, but also have sparked conversations around gender equality, female identity, and social norms.

Series such as ‘Delhi Crime’, ‘Maharani’, ‘Dahaad’ and ‘Scoop’, among many others, offer a nuanced exploration of the struggles, triumphs and aspirations of women. From gripping dramas to heartwarming tales of ambition and self-discovery, each series reflects the diverse strengths of women in our society.

Here’s an IANS listing of seven titles you may want to watch on International Women’s Day:

‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’: Marking the OTT debut of the auteur Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the series stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal and Sanjeeda Sheikh.

It explores the cultural reality of Heeramandi, a dazzling district, through the stories of its courtesans and their patrons set against the backdrop of the freedom struggle in the 1940s. It is slated to premiere on Netflix.

‘Maharani’ (Seasons 1, 2 and 3): Huma Qureshi has won hearts and earned fame with her portrayal of Rani Bharti, a character inspired by Rabri Devi, in the political drama series ‘Maharani’, which exposes the seamy underside of the corridors of power.

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The show is partly inspired by incidents that took place in Bihar in the 1990s, when Lalu Prasad, who had to resign as Chief Minister after he was arrested in the fodder scam, announced his homemaker wife Rabri Devi as his successor and got it endorsed by his party’s legislators.

The series also stars Amit Sial, Vineet Kumar, Pramod Pathak, Kani Kusruti, Anuja Sathe, Sushil Pandey and Dibyendu Bhattacharya in pivotal roles. The show is available on Sony LIV.

‘Delhi Crime’ (Seasons 1 and 2): Shefali Shah as Delhi Police DCP Vartika Chaturvedi is a character who embodies a sense of calm, composure and unwavering rationality in the face of intense job stress, challenging the way the male-dominated profession of policing is seen by the general public. Addressed as ‘Madam-Sir’ by her staff in the tradition of the Delhi Police, Shah’s character shatters gender barriers.

The International Emmy-winning show also features Rasika Dugal as Neeti Singh, IPS.

Season One delved into the harrowing events of the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape in Delhi and the second season focused on the ‘Chaddi Baniyan’ gang that wreaked terror in the national capital. Written and directed by Richie Mehta, the series is available on Netflix.

‘Scoop’: The Mumbai-based crime drama headlined by Karishma Tanna as Jagruti Pathak, inspired by ex-journalist Jigna Vora, who was falsely charged with being connected to the murder of crime journalist Jyotirmoy Dey and was booked under MCOCA.

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Karishma’s character, an established crime reporter and Deputy Bureau Chief of the fictional ‘Eastern Age’, brings out her versatility as an actress. She conveys the essence of Jigna and navigates the complexities of her profession in a male-dominated industry.

Karishma elevates her character beyond mere stereotypes, showcasing the resilience and inner strength of women striving to make their mark in the world.

The show also stars Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Harman Baweja and Prosenjit Chatterjee in pivotal roles. It is streaming on Netflix.

‘Aarya’ (Seasons 1, 2 and 3): Sushmita Sen, who has had a brilliant second innings on OTT, plays the titular role and truly comes across as the symbol of strength and determination in the series. Set in the world of organised crime, Aarya transforms from a loving wife and mother into a confident decision-maker after her husband’s mysterious death. She goes on to uncover his illegal activities and that’s how the narrative unspools.

Nominated for International Emmys, the series has been co-created by Ram Madhvani. It also stars Ila Arun and Aarushi Bajaj in pivotal roles.

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It is available on Disney+ Hotstar.

‘Dahaad’: Sonakshi Sinha’s portrayal of Inspector Anjali Bhaati in this police procedural crime thriller series is nothing short of electrifying. With her fiery determination, Sonakshi breathed life into the character, bringing a perfect blend of toughness and charm, exuding confidence and authority.

The show is inspired by Mohan Kumar (known as Cyanide Mohan), a serial killer who preyed on women looking for marriage. Created by Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar, and directed by Reema Kagti and Ruchika Oberoi, the show’s male protagonists are Gulshan Devaiah, Vijay Varma and Sohum Shah.

It is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

‘Karmma Calling’: Raveena Tandon, who marked her return to the screen with her kick-ass role in ‘Aranyak’, explored a very different aspect of herself as an artiste with her portrayal of Indrani Kothari in the ‘Karmma Calling’.

Indrani is the reigning queen of Alibaug, the enclave of the elite near Mumbai. She is powerful, strong-headed and wants to maintain her position in that well-heeled society.

Produced by RAT Films, adapted for India and directed by Ruchi Narain, the series also features Namrata Sheth and Varun Sood, along with Gaurav Sharma, Waluscha D’Souza, Amy Aela, Viraf Patel and Piyush Khati.

It is available on Disney+ Hotstar.

–IANS

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Pushpa 2 earns RS 1085 CR in pre-release collection

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Pushpa 2 Allu arjun

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.

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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!

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'Aashiqui' star Anu Aggarwal recalls how filmmakers would come to her without scripts

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'Aashiqui' star Anu Aggarwal recalls how filmmakers would come to her without scripts

'Aashiqui' star Anu Aggarwal recalls how filmmakers would come to her without scripts

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.

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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

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Ram Charan's daughter Klin achieves this milestone on grandfather Chiranjeevi's birthday

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Ram Charan's daughter Klin achieves this milestone on grandfather
 Chiranjeevi's birthday

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.

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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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Rani Mukerji: Shivani Shivaji Roy shows how a woman can lead from front in a male-dominated field

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Rani Mukerji: Shivani Shivaji Roy shows how a woman can lead from
 front in a male-dominated field

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.

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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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Sonam Kapoor flaunts her ‘minimal, bold and effortlessly on point’ look

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Sonam Kapoor flaunts her ‘minimal, bold and effortlessly on point’ look

Sonam Kapoor flaunts her ‘minimal, bold and effortlessly on point’ look

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.

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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”.

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“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

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