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Showing posts with the label IFTTT

Aamir Khan to drop a full 3-hour documentary on special needs artists of Sitaare Zameen Par

Bollywood’s Mr. Perfectionist, Aamir Khan, has once again chosen substance over spectacle. In a heartfelt move that reflects his deep-rooted commitment to meaningful cinema, Aamir has developed and shot a three-hour documentary focusing on the special needs artists featured in his upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par. This documentary is far more than just a behind-the-scenes look. It is a standalone narrative, spotlighting the personal journeys, daily struggles, and extraordinary resilience of the specially abled cast members who play integral roles in the film. Through intimate interviews, observational footage, and real-life moments, the documentary aims to celebrate their talents while fostering a deeper understanding of their lived experiences. What makes this documentary even more unique is that it has been directed by multiple young filmmakers, each bringing their own perspective and storytelling style. These individual segments form an anthology of stories, weaving together to cr...

Aamir Khan to drop a full 3-hour documentary on special needs artists of Sitaare Zameen Par

Bollywood’s Mr. Perfectionist, Aamir Khan, has once again chosen substance over spectacle. In a heartfelt move that reflects his deep-rooted commitment to meaningful cinema, Aamir has developed and shot a three-hour documentary focusing on the special needs artists featured in his upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par. This documentary is far more than just a behind-the-scenes look. It is a standalone narrative, spotlighting the personal journeys, daily struggles, and extraordinary resilience of the specially abled cast members who play integral roles in the film. Through intimate interviews, observational footage, and real-life moments, the documentary aims to celebrate their talents while fostering a deeper understanding of their lived experiences. What makes this documentary even more unique is that it has been directed by multiple young filmmakers, each bringing their own perspective and storytelling style. These individual segments form an anthology of stories, weaving together to cr...

BREAKING: Dhadak 2 FINALLY cleared with U/A 16+ certificate after EXTENSIVE cuts; CBFC changes caste slurs to ‘junglee’; replaces a doha by Saint Tulsidas; censors 2 disturbing scenes

In February this year, Bollywood Hungama was the first one to break the news that Dhadak 2 has been stuck at the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). It has now come to light that the CBFC has finally cleared the film, albeit with several changes. As per The Hindu, Dhadak 2 has been awarded with a U/A 16+ rating and it also lists the cuts given to the social drama. The dialogue “3,000 years of backlog will not be cleared in just 70 years” has been replaced with “The backlog of age-old discrimination will not be cleared in just 70 years”. Incidentally, the recently released flick Phule also had a dialogue ‘3,000 saal puraani gulaami’ and it was changed to ‘kayi saal purani hai’. Both the films are based on caste atrocities. Then, the dialogue “Nilesh (Siddhant Chaturvedi), yeh kalam dekh rahe ho....Raaj kar rahe hain” was changed to “Yeh chota sa dhakkan puri kalam ka thoda sa hissa hai aur baki ke hai hum; phir bhi hamare s...

The Mastermind review – Josh O’Connor is world’s worst art thief in Kelly Reichardt’s unlikely heist movie

Cannes film festival Reichardt’s quietist, observational style is unexpectedly successful at creating a super-naturalistic depiction of an art gallery robbery It needs hardly be said that the title is ironic. The abject non-hero of Kelly Reichardt’s engrossingly downbeat heist movie, set in 1970s Massachusetts, is weak, vain and utterly clueless. By the end, he’s a weirdly Updikean figure, though without the self-awareness: going on the run with no money and without a change of clothes, to escape from the grotesque mess he has made for himself and his family. This is James, played with hangdog near-charm by Josh O’Connor; he is an art school dropout and would-be architectural designer with two young sons, married to Terri (a minor complaint is that the excellent Alana Haim is not given enough to do). James depends on the social standing of his father Bill, a judge, formidably played by Bill Camp, and is borrowing large sums of money from his patrician mother Sarah (Hope Davis), oste...

EXCLUSIVE: Vikrant Massey begins prep to play Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in upcoming international thriller White; shares joyful picture

Acclaimed actor Vikrant Massey is all set to step into the transformative shoes of global spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in the upcoming international thriller White, and the prep has already begun in earnest. The film, which promises a gripping narrative with a spiritual core, is jointly produced by Siddharth Anand and Mahaveer Jain and directed by Montoo Bassi. The shoot is scheduled to begin in Colombia this July. In a new picture from the Art Of Living Ashram in Bengaluru, Vikrant Massey is seen soaking in the peaceful vibe as he takes part in the famous ‘Happiness Program’, the breathwork and meditation course created by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Joining him are producer Mahaveer Jain and their families, turning this into both a personal and professional journey to prepare for his role in White. The group photo captures the calmness of the ashram, with everyone dressed in simple white outfits that reflect peace. Vikrant, seen at the centre with a gentle smile, looks co...

Hera Pheri 3 Row: Advocate of Akshay Kumar’s Cape of Good Films opens up about the legal notice sent to Paresh Rawal; reveals these are ‘consequences of a unilateral pullback’

We had earlier reported that in a major setback to the much-awaited Hera Pheri 3, Akshay Kumar and his production house Cape of Good Films has reportedly taken legal action against veteran actor Paresh Rawal for abruptly backing out of the project. Advocate Pooja Tidke, representing the production house, confirmed that a legal notice has been issued, citing breach of contract and damages amounting to Rs 25 crores. According to the legal team, Rawal had officially committed to the film earlier this year and even began shooting. “Stakeholders had met, confirmed the production of the film. In fact, Paresh ji had tweeted about the film sometime in the end of January, indicating very clearly that he would be associated with it. Thereafter, there were contracts entered into, the shooting for the trailer began. In fact, there was some portion about three or three and a half minutes of the film itself that had been shot,” said Tidke in a statement to PTI. Advocate Pooja Tidke, on behalf of #...

Resurrection review – fascinating phantasmagoria is wild riddle about new China and an old universe

In Bi Gan’s ambitious alternate reality, where humans can live indefinitely, a reincarnating dissident dreamer travels through history in different guises Bi Gan’s new movie in Cannes is bold and ambitious, visually amazing, trippy and woozy in its embrace of hallucination and the heightened meaning of the unreal and the dreamlike. His last film Long Day’s Journey Into Night from 2018 was an extraordinary and almost extraterrestrial experience in the cinema which challenged the audience to examine what they thought about time and memory; this doesn’t have quite that power, being effectively a portmanteau movie, some of whose sections are better than others – though it climaxes with some gasp-inducing images and tracking shots and all the constituent parts contribute to the film’s aggregate effect. Resurrection is, perhaps, a long night’s journey to the enlightenment of daybreak; it finishes at a club called the Sunrise. It is also an episodic journey through Chinese history, finishi...

‘I don’t have a relationship with my face’: Judi Dench models for a live sculpture

To raise money for lymphoedema research, the actor sat before an audience for artist Frances Segelman, who admired her youthful, ‘pixie-like’ face while rendering it in clay It began as a blob: a 12kg lump of clay the size of a watermelon. Three hours later, it had become Judi Dench’s head, 50% larger than usual, twinkle-eyed even in terracotta. At Claridge’s hotel in London on Monday evening, Frances Segelman hosted her latest ticking-clock sculpt: paying guests watch as she kneads a celebrity bust on stage, the subject sitting quietly beside her. In the past, Segelman has done Simon Rattle, Joan Collins, Joanna Lumley, Boris Johnson, Mr Motivator and major-league royals, almost always for charity. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/xlS0kJN via IFTTT

The Six Billion Dollar Man review – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s rise, fall and limbo

Cannes film festival Focusing on the rogue’s gallery of hypocrites and crooks surrounding him, Assange himself is in the background of a pretty definitive examination Julian Assange sits at the centre of this gripping account of the WikiLeaks founder’s rise, fall and protracted seven-year limbo inside the Ecuadorian embassy. Eugene Jarecki’s documentary takes its title from the price the incoming Ecuadorian government supposedly charged the Trump administration for helping furnish his extradition to the US, thereby reneging on a promise of political asylum. If The Six Billion Dollar Man doesn’t rebuild Assange, exactly, that’s because it’s more interested in comprehensively demolishing his enemies. Compared to the hypocrites, scoundrels and crooks who surround him, the man himself looks almost virtuous. Actually Assange is mostly a background presence here. He’s more talked about than talking up; a karmic victim of his own success. While even his supporters admit to his personal fai...

Tom Hanks to co-write and star in off-Broadway play

The Oscar-winning actor will bring The World of Tomorrow to the Shed in New York later this year Tom Hanks is set to co-write and appear in an off-Broadway play. The Oscar winner will bring The World of Tomorrow to the Shed’s Griffin Theatre in New York in October through December. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/nzv0gTx via IFTTT

Amid Bhool Chuk Maaf two-week OTT window row, Kamal Haasan CONFIRMS that Thug Life to arrive on digital 8 weeks after theatrical release: “It'll make the industry healthy. It's not even an experiment. It's a pragmatic thing to do”

Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam, A R Rahman, Silambarasan T R, Trisha Krishnan, Abhirami and Ashok Selvan attended the press conference of their much-awaited Pan India film, Thug Life, at a multiplex in Mumbai. A few weeks ago, there were reports that this much-awaited film would arrive on a digital platform after completing 8 weeks in cinemas. This was a significant move as most Tamil biggies opt to arrive on OTT in just 4 weeks. The national chains, that is, PVR, Inox, and Cinepolis, have a strict rule of not releasing films that don’t adhere to the eight-week rule. As a result, the trade was excited over this development. With a release in the biggest multiplex chains, the chances of Thug Life scoring, especially in the Hindi version, will be significantly higher. At the Thug Life Mumbai press conference, Kamal Haasan was asked about it and he confirmed that the reports were indeed true. He said, “It's not even an experiment. It's a pragmatic thing to do. I am glad the OTT platfo...

Kevin Spacey is back at Cannes. Not many people seem to care

The actor received a lifetime achievement award from the Better World Fund at an event with little fanfare and few recognisable guests Kevin Spacey’s Cannes comeback is a discreet, low-key affair. The promenade is home to a gaggle of evening sunbathers while the steps to the beach club contain neither fans nor protesters. It is what is known in the trade as a soft relaunch. Spacey is guest of honour at the Better World Fund’s gala dinner, where he is receiving a lifetime achievement award for “excellence in film and television”. It marks a return to the limelight for the two-time Oscar-winner, whose career stalled after allegations of sexual assault and misconduct by more than 30 men. This is the actor’s first visit to Cannes since 2016, one year before the #MeToo movement began. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/WFOrqQd via IFTTT

James Foley obituary

American film director best known for Glengarry Glen Ross and At Close Range The film director James Foley, who has died from brain cancer aged 71, was a self-effacing and shrewd stylist whose camerawork always served the actors and the psychology of the characters. This thespian focus was best showcased in his 1992 adaptation of David Mamet’s stage play Glengarry Glen Ross ; its heavyweight cast, which included Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon , Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris and Kevin Spacey, might have overwhelmed a less purposeful supervisor. But in his hands this dissection of American capitalism, set in a beleaguered real-estate office, became an actors’ masterclass; the cast would turn up on their days off to watch each other work. Foley had been convinced to direct it by a new version of Mamet’s script that broke down what on stage had been cerebral monologues into pithy, visceral repartee. Accordingly, the director insisted on casting “great actors, people with movie charisma, to give it wat...

OMG 3 in early development as Akshay Kumar, Amit Rai discuss ideas: Report

Amidst wrapping up the shoot for Bhooth Bangla, actor Akshay Kumar spent the weekend in Kerala engaging in creative discussions with OMG 2 director Amit Rai. The duo reportedly used the final leg of the horror-comedy shoot as an opportunity to flesh out early ideas for the third installment in the Oh My God franchise. According to a report by Pinkvilla, Amit Rai accompanied Akshay Kumar to Kerala during the three-day song shoot of Bhooth Bangla, where they extensively discussed potential narratives for OMG 3. The report quoted a source saying, “Amit Rai had multiple ideas for OMG 3, and he discussed all the plot points with Akshay Kumar throughout the stay. The duo brainstormed over various directions the story could take. The intent is to continue the most loved franchise, and take the third part on floors in 2026.” Both Akshay and Amit reportedly shared a strong creative rapport over the weekend. As of now, Amit Rai is working on developing a draft that could shape the third chapte...

Rahul Vaidya rejects Rs 50 lakh offer from Turkey amid row over country’s support to Pakistan

Singer and reality TV personality Rahul Vaidya has made headlines after revealing that he turned down a lucrative professional offer from Turkey, citing the country’s stance post Operation Sindoor. His decision comes days after actress Rupali Ganguly publicly called for a boycott of Turkey, criticizing the country’s support to Pakistan following the Indian military operation. In an interview with Bombay Times, Vaidya opened up about his choice and said that no amount of money could sway him when it came to prioritizing national interest. “The offer was lucrative—they were paying me Rs 50 lakh. But I told them that no work, no money, and no fame is bigger than the interest of the country. They even offered me more, but I made it clear that it wasn’t about the money. This issue is far more important than that. It’s not about me as an individual; it’s about the nation. And we have to stand by our nation," he said. Rahul, who gained immense popularity after his stint in Indian Idol ...

Alpha review – Julia Ducournau’s disjointed body horror is an absolute gamma

Cannes film festival The winner of the Palme d’Or for Titane delivers Cannes’ first true turkey: the tonally inept tale of a girl with a dodgy tattoo and a disease that turns people to marble Strident, oppressive, incoherent and weirdly pointless from first to last … Julia Ducournau’s new film Alpha has to be the most bewildering disappointment of this year’s Cannes competition; even an honest lead performance from Mélissa Boros can’t retrieve it. I admit I was agnostic about her much-acclaimed Palme d’Or winner Titane from 2021 but that had an energised purpose lacking in Alpha and Ducournau’s excellent 2016 debut Raw is still easily her best work. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/VaClJcw via IFTTT

Highest 2 Lowest review – Spike Lee and Denzel Washington remake Kurosawa in fine style

Cannes film festival Akira Kurosawa’s downbeat noir High and Low is retooled with Washington on magnificent form as a record producer whose godson is kidnapped by mistake Spike Lee has made a brash, bold, big-city movie with this pulsing New York adventure that doubles as a love letter to NYC’s sports and its music. It is a remake (or maybe cover version) of Akira Kurosawa’s classic downbeat noir High and Low from 1963, transplanting the action from Yokohama to New York – or rather returning it there, because the original source material, Ed McBain’s novel King’s Ransom, is set in a fictional city based on the Big Apple. It’s got a terrific throb of energy and life, moving across the screen with the rangy grace of its superstar Denzel Washington – though a little of the minor-key sombreness and complex pessimism and cynicism of the first film has been lost and the modern technology of GPS (unknown in Kurosawa’s day) has indirectly left it with a very small plausibility issue. Cont...

Nicolas Cage: ‘I don’t think a day goes by where I’m not mistaken for Nick Cave’

As psycho-thriller The Surfer is released, the actor answers your questions about eating rats, loving pickled eggs and scaring Terry Wogan What do you remember of that appearance on Wogan? What was Terry like in real life? Have you still got that leather jacket, and the snakeskin jacket from Wild at Heart? johnnysmooth, EddieChorepost and BigAl65 I remember Terry Wogan was a very nice man and I enjoyed the interview with him, although I thought I was both obnoxious and somewhat wild. I guess it’s no secret that I was promoting a movie called Wild at Heart , so I was sort of play acting to that. I remember, as a child, I was in a car, a guy was walking down the street, and he had a leather jacket on and no shirt on underneath. I thought: “Well, that’s an interesting look.” I don’t know why that came back to me when I went on Terry’s show, but I thought: “I’m going to create that look again.” It was incredibly absurd and irreverent. I don’t have that leather jacket any more. I found...

The Love That Remains review – startling tragicomic portrait of a fractured family

Cannes film festival Icelandic director Hlynur Pálmason examines a broken marriage through stunning imagery and quirky fantasy visions, but his new comic tone undermines the pain Icelandic film-maker Hlynur Pálmason gave us the haunting historical drama Godland and the challenging and bizarre thriller A White, White Day ; now he has changed things up with this startling, amusing, vaguely frustrating movie. The Love That Remains is a portrait of a fractured family and a sundered marriage which, with its dreamy piano score, fantasy visions and quirky sequences to go with the dead-serious scenes of purported emotional pain, introduces a slightly disconcerting but certainly intriguing new comic tone. Pálmason’s visual and compositional sense is as commanding as ever, with some stunning imagery of the Icelandic landscape. But it is flavoured with a new tone of persistent, playful unseriousness, which finally morphs into a tragicomic spectacle of male loneliness. In some places this film ...

The Phoenician Scheme review: Mia Threapleton shines in Wes Anderson’s muted new confection

Benicio Del Toro and Michael Cera are essentially wingmen to Kate Winslet’s daughter, making a breakthrough big screen turn in Anderson’s enjoyable yet airless ensemble romp Wes Anderson has contrived another of his elegant, eccentric, rectilinear comedies - as ever, he is vulnerable to the charge of making films that stylistically resemble all his others, and yet no more, surely, than all those other directors making conventional films that resemble all the rest of their own conventional work. The Phoenician Scheme is enjoyable and executed with Anderson’s usual tremendous despatch, but it is somehow less visually detailed and inspired than some of his earlier work; there is less screwball sympathy for the characters, and it is disconcerting to see actors of the calibre of Tom Hanks, Willem Dafoe and Scarlett Johansson phoning in tiny, deadpan, almost immobile cameos. But there is a likeable lead turn from Mia Threapleton, an eerie visual and aural echo of her mother, Kate Winslet....

BMC issues notice to Mithun Chakraborty over alleged illegal construction in Malad

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sent a show cause notice to actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty for allegedly building an illegal structure in Malad’s Madh area. The notice says that a ground-floor structure was built on a plot in Erangle village without the required permission from the authorities. The BMC has asked Mithun Chakraborty to explain the changes made to the property. If he fails to give a proper explanation, the structure could be demolished. The BMC has also warned of possible legal action. This action is part of a larger crackdown on unauthorised constructions in the Madh area. So far, the BMC has identified 101 illegal structures in the locality. These include bungalows built using fake documents. The civic body plans to demolish all illegal constructions by the end of May. According to civic officials, during a recent inspection near the Hira Devi Mandir in Erangle village, they found two one-plus-mezzanine-storey buildings, one ground-floor str...