Showbiz News

Cannes:&nbsp;Tamil actor-writer-director Radhakrishnan Parthiban was under the spotlight in the India Pavilion in the International Village of the 75th Cannes Film Festival on Sunday. His 16th directorial outing, "IravinNizhal" (Shadow of the Night), won him instant admirers."IravinNizhal" stands out among all the Indian titles unveiled in the Marche du Film Festival de Cannes. It is a phenomenal cinematic achievement a 100-minute, single-shot film with a non-linear narrative. Parthiban's daring labour of love plays out on 50-plus sets erected across an area of 64 acres and follows a deeply flawed man over 50 years of his life. "IravinNizhal" has flashbacks and intense emotions held together by a powerful narrative about a film financier on the run from the media, the police and himself. A.R. Rahman, who has scored the music for "IravinNizhal", was at hand to express his excitement at the project. I have composed music for countless movies in South and North India, but I have never worked on film quite like this one. 'IravinNizhal' has no precedent, he said. Parthiban, who is in Cannes with his budding filmmaker-daughter KeerthanaParthipan Akkineni and one of the producers of "IravinNizhal", Dallas-based Ranjith Dhandapani, admits that the film was a massive logistical challenge. It took us 23 takes to get it right, he said. Despite numerous surprises and reverses, the team overcame the challenges through improvisation and creativity, he added. On his decision to cast himself in the lead role in the films that he directs, Parthiban asserts that it eases matters for him. It is difficult to find actors who can devote months at a stretch of unwavering commitment to a film of mine. "IravinNizhal", he points out, was filmed over 90 days without a break and he needed an actor who would always be available. Parthiban the actor is a veteran of many Tamil hits.He has built his film directing career around National Award-winning movies aimed at breaking new ground. His previous film, 2019's "OthaSeruppu Size 7", a solo act featuring the director himself, fetched him a Special Jury Prize at the National Awards. In 1999, his "Housefull" bagged the National Award for best feature film in Tamil. As an actor, Parthiban will be seen next in the Mani Ratnam magnum opus "Ponniyin Selvan" (Son of Ponni) and the Gautham Vasudev Menon-directed spy thriller "Dhruva Natchathiram" (Pole Star). His trip to Cannes, Parthiban said, has been prompted by a desire to take "IravinNizhal" to major international festivals across the world.—PTI

Tamil actor-writer-director Radhakrishnan Parthiban was under the spotlight in the India Pavilion in the International Village of the 75th Cannes Film Festival on Sunday. His 16th directorial outing, "IravinNizhal" (Shadow of the Night), won him instant admirers.

New Tamil film sparks Cannes market excitement

Tamil actor-writer-director Radhakrishnan Parthiban was under the spotlight in the India Pavilion in the International Village of the 75th Cannes Film Festival on Sunday. His 16th directorial outing, "IravinNizhal" (Shadow of the Night), won him instant admirers.



Hyderabad:&nbsp;Adivi Sesh portraying the role of 26/11 martyr Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan in the movie 'Major', has so far drawn rave reviews for the theatrical trailer and other promotional stuff.The makers of 'Major' have now announced nationwide previews. "Namaste India. We are coming to you with our film, 10 days in advance.#Major Pre release Film Screenings across India from May 24th," the producers wrote, as they officially announced the advance previews of the movie, on their social media handles.Exclusive preview-screenings will happen in a number of cities across India, the details of which are yet to be revealed. The much-anticipated pan-India film directed by Adivi Sesh, will release on June 3 amid high expectations. The team is also working hard to make Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan's biographical film one of the most successful biographical films about real heroes. Directed by Shashi Kiran Tikka, the movie stars Saie Manjrekar, Prakash Raj, Shobita, and others in the lead roles.—IANS

Adivi Sesh portraying the role of 26/11 martyr Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan in the movie 'Major', has so far drawn rave reviews for the theatrical trailer and other promotional stuff.

Adivi's pan-India film 'Major' getting ready for nationwide previews

Hyderabad: ‘Kushi’, a romantic love story directed by Shiva Nirvana, stars Vijay Deverakonda and Samantha Ruth Prabhu as the lead pair. The team’s first schedule has now been completed in Kashmir, according to the latest information.The film’s director announced the same, as he shared a couple of pictures from the sets of the movie, on his social media profiles. “Amazing first schedule in Kashmir. Thankyou Vijay Deverakonda, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Vennela Kishore, Saranya Pradeep, and whole Kushiteam,” Shiva Nirvana said in a tweet.Audiences reacted well to the recently released first look poster from the Samantha and Vijay Deverakonda-starrer.The duo is expected to create a magical love tale in ‘Kushi’, as the audience waits to witness their chemistry on screen. Murali Sharma, Jayaram, Sachin Khedakar, Saranya Pradeep, Vennela Kishore, and others starred in the film, which is being produced by Mythri Movie Makers. The music director for this multilingual film is Hesham Abdul Wahab, and it is set to be released on December 23.—IANS

Kushi , a romantic love story directed by Shiva Nirvana, stars Vijay Deverakonda and Samantha Ruth Prabhu as the lead pair. The team’s first schedule has now been completed in Kashmir, according to the latest information.

First schedule of Samantha-Vijay Deverakonda starrer 'Kushi' wraps up

Kushi , a romantic love story directed by Shiva Nirvana, stars Vijay Deverakonda and Samantha Ruth Prabhu as the lead pair. The team’s first schedule has now been completed in Kashmir, according to the latest information.



Los Angeles: A gritty drama about a real-life Iranian serial killer titled 'Holy Spider', stunned the Cannes Film Festival, earning a thunderous seven-minute standing ovation and bringing a jolt of electricity to what's been a sleepy festival so far. The film, from Iranian-Danish director Ali Abbasi, chronicles a killing spree in the streets of the religious city of Mashhad, where 16 prostitutes were found dead from 2000 to 2001.A local journalist, Rahimi (Zar Amir-Ebrahimi), is trying to crack the case as she grows frustrated by the police's apathy toward finding the murderer. But in one of many twists in this drama, the identity of the serial killer is revealed early on -- he's a war veteran named Saeed (Mehdi Bajestani), a seemingly normal family man who spends his nights picking up women on his motorcycle and brutally strangling them in his home as a religious cleansing ritual. 'Holy Spider' will surely be one of the most talked about movies at this year's Cannes.While the movie's violence led to a handful of walkouts, it drew comparisons from attendees to David Finchera's 'Zodiac', as it sparked buzz that it could be an early frontrunner for the Palme d'Or, reports 'Variety'. The film, which was shot in Jordan, will certainly provoke a response from the Iranian government for its depiction of a bare-breasted woman in an opening scene as well as featuring multiple sex scenes.In Iran, movies are not allowed to feature such images, which Abbasi alluded to in brief remarks at the premiere. "This means a lot for us," the director said. "This means a lot to my fantastic team, my crew, my actors. But it's also a great day for Iranian cinema. There's finally at least one movie where women actually have bodies, where they don't sleep with their headscarves on." To loud applause from inside the Palais, he referenced how so many Iranians at the time sided with the serial killer in the case."And in the past 20 years, I always thought of a huge injustice that has been against the real victims of this story," Abbasi said. "And how even when people condemn this, they never mentioned those women. I feel that there is a little piece of justice here being played out tonight." The film is seeking US distribution out of Cannes, and it will likely spark a bidding war from indie distributors looking for prestige offerings. 'Holy Spider' is one of two Iranian movies playing in competition in Cannes. The other is Saeed Roustaee's 'Leila's Brothers'. Neither film has been cleared by local authorities to screen in Iran. Cannes 2022 seems to be a year that could mark the passing of the torch in Iranian cinema -- Oscar-winning director Asghar Farhadi is part of the jury.With 'Holy Spider', Abbasi makes the case for why he could be the next great Iranian director to make a name for himself at the world's biggest stage for international cinema.—IANS

A gritty drama about a real-life Iranian serial killer titled 'Holy Spider', stunned the Cannes Film Festival, earning a thunderous seven-minute standing ovation and bringing a jolt of electricity to what's been a sleepy festival so far.

'Holy Spider' stuns Cannes by showing nudity, sex strangling scenes

Hollywood

Mumbai: In a career spanning several decades, legendary playback singer Lata Mangeshkar has regaled millions with her songs. One of the biggest tributes ‘Naam Reh Jaayega’ has been capturing viewer attention from all corners with the prominent personalities from the music industry bringing up their voice to pay a homage to the ‘Queen of Singing’ Lata Mangeshkar. They are revealing incidents from the great singer’s life.One such incident was shared by singer, Sonu Nigam on the show when Lata Mangeshkar sang at Royal Albert Hall, London. “When Lataji got an opportunity to perform at the Royal Albert Hall, she was a bit confused. It was one of the most prestigious places to perform and it was a matter of pride for any singer to perform at that iconic place. Lataji was the first Indian singer to perform at the Royal Albert Hall. It was an honour not only for her but also for all Indians as well,” said Sonu Nigam.Javed Ali also shared an incident which shows why Lata will remain a legend. “There was a huge concert at Royal Albert Hall in London where Lataji was supposed to perform and Dilip saab was supposed to introduce her. As soon as Dilip saab introduce her Lataji came on stage without slippers. When Dilip Kumar saw this, he told Lataji that this is England, its cold you may get sick but Lataji refused and said I never sing a song wearing slippers as for me its a prayer,” said Javed Ali.With Star Plus’ 8-episode series Naam Reh Jaayega’, 18 of the biggest Indian singers including Sonu Nigam, Arijit Singh, Shankar Mahadevan, Nitin Mukesh, Neeti Mohan, Alka Yagnik, Sadhana Sargam, Udit Narayan, Shaan, Kumar Sanu, Amit Kumar, Jatin Pandit, Javed Ali, Aishwarya Majumdar, Sneha Pant, Pyarelal Ji, Palak Muchhal and Anwesha join hands to pay tribute to the legendary Lata Mangeshkar.—IANS

In a career spanning several decades, legendary playback singer Lata Mangeshkar has regaled millions with her songs.

Why Lata Mangeshkar Performed Barefoot At Royal Albert Hall

Music

Los Angeles: Hollywood star Tom Cruise says landing the role of Navy pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in 'Top Gun' was "life-changing." The Hollywood star had always dreamt of being either a pilot or an actor growing up, and when he could combine both careers in one film, it was a big thrill for him, reports aceshowbiz.com. The 59-year-old actor told HELLO! magazine: "All I ever wanted to be was a pilot or an actor, so 'Top Gun' was a huge moment in so many respects, including my passion for aviation."He further gushed, "It was life-changing for me." "I got to actually fly in an F-14 jet which was a dream come true, and play a character I loved in Maverick," Cruise shared. For the latest movie in the blockbuster series, 'Top Gun: Maverick', he got to do more plane stunts than ever before. Cruise said, "The P-51 Mustang you see in the movie is actually my plane, so I got to pilot in those sequences." He continued, "I also got to be in the jet fighter a lot more this time, which was thrilling. It was something I had been working up to."The sequel to the 1986 action-drama comes with an epic soundtrack by Oscar winner Lady GaGa in 'Hold My Hand'. On how the pop megastar came to record the song, he said: "I had seen one of Lady GaGa's shows in Las Vegas and been amazed, so I called her to ask if she could help us." He added, "She sent the song over and it was perfect. It really is the heartbeat of the score."—IANS

Hollywood star Tom Cruise says landing the role of Navy pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in 'Top Gun' was "life-changing."

Tom Cruise reveals 'life-changing' role in 'Top Gun'

Hyderabad: Nandamuri Balakrishna and Boyapati's hit commercial treat 'Akhanda' has now run for 175 days at Chilakaluripeta's Ramakrishna theatre in Andhra Pradesh.According to reports, the theatre owners want to celebrate the occasion privately, and Nandamuri Balakrishna is expected to attend. While most people believe that the days of films being honoured for running for 50 or 100 days are over, Balakrishna proves otherwise by achieving this rare feat.Following the pandemic, the Telugu box office has seen a proper hit for the first time in a long while, and it all started with Balakrishna's 'Akhanda'. In some theatres, the film also completed a 100-day run at the box office in March. Balakrishna is now working under Gopichand Mallineni of 'Krack' fame for their highly-anticipated mass entertainer.—IANS

Nandamuri Balakrishna and Boyapati's hit commercial treat 'Akhanda' has now run for 175 days at Chilakaluripeta's Ramakrishna theatre in Andhra Pradesh.

Balakrishna's 'Akhanda' completes 175-day run in AP theatre

Mumbai: &nbsp;As Kangana Ranaut and R. Madhavan's film 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns' has completed seven years of its release on Sunday. The film's director Aanand L. Rai feels great that the movie has amazing re-watch.Speaking about the film completing seven years, maverick filmmaker Rai said: "It's great to see that Tanu Weds Manu Returns has amazing re-watch value! I'm humbled and grateful for all the love that this film has continued to receive through the years!" 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns' released in 2015 it is a sequel to the 2011 film 'Tanu Weds Manu'. Kangana Ranaut, R. Madhavan, Jimmy Sheirgill, Deepak Dobriyal, Swara Bhaskar and Eijaz Khan reprise their roles from the original film. Kangana also portrays the additional role of a Haryanvi athlete in it. Rai is currently busy with his next production 'An Action Hero' starring Ayushmann Khurrana.—IANS

As Kangana Ranaut and R. Madhavan's film 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns' has completed seven years of its release on Sunday. The film's director Aanand L. Rai feels great that the movie has amazing re-watch. 

Aanand L. Rai elated over Tanu Weds Manu Returns' re-watch value

As Kangana Ranaut and R. Madhavan's film 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns' has completed seven years of its release on Sunday. The film's director Aanand L. Rai feels great that the movie has amazing re-watch.

Bollywood

Thiruvananthapuram:&nbsp;Noted South Indian playback singer, Sangeetha Sajith passed away in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday morning. Sangeetha was undergoing treatment for kidney-related ailments for quite some time and passed away at her sister's residence. She was 46.The noted playback singer was active in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu movies. She has sung over 200 songs in the South Indian languages.Her song 'Thannerai Kathalikkuma...' in the Tamil movie 'Mr Romeo' composed by A.R. Rahman was a big hit. The theme song for Prithviraj-starrer 'Kuruthi' was her last song in a Malayalam movie.Her funeral will be held at Shanthikavadam public crematorium at Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday evening.—IANS

Noted South Indian playback singer, Sangeetha Sajith passed away in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday morning.

 Playback singer Sangeetha Sajith passes away

Mumbai: Singer Kanika Kapoor could not be happier as she married her "prince" Gautam Hathiramani in London on May 20. Taking to Instagram, Kanika penned a heartfelt post, expressing her gratitude to the universe for helping her meet London-based businessman Gautam. "And I said YES. Fairy tales can happen to you, just never stop believing in them. Dream because one day those dreams do come true. I found my prince, I found my co-star. So grateful to the universe in making us meet. Excited to start our journey together; to grow old with you, to love you and learn with you. But most important to laugh with you. Thank you for making me smile every day. My best friend, my partner and my hero," she wrote.Along with the post, Kanika dropped a string of images from her dreamy wedding.In one of the pictures, Kanika is seen smiling and looking at the camera as she held Gautam's hand. The other image features Kanika and Gautam sealing a special moment with a kiss. For the occasion, Kanika wore a pink, silver and golden lehenga and accessorised with traditional jewellery. Gautam opted for a cream coloured ethnic outfit and added a neckpiece. Kanika was previously married to Raj Chandok. They got divorced in 2012. She is a mom to three kids - Aayana, Samara and Yuvraj.—ANI

Singer Kanika Kapoor could not be happier as she married her "prince" Gautam Hathiramani in London on May 20.

I found my prince: Kanika shares post after tying the knot

Mumbai: May 21 holds a special place in actor Sushmita Sen's life as she was crowned Miss Universe 28 years ago on the same date. Recalling the glorious moment, Sushmita, on Saturday, took to Twitter and penned a heartfelt note. "Beautiful is a feeling. Happy 28 years of INDIA winning Miss Universe for the very first time!!Time flies...Beauty remains!!!#Love #Pride #Motherland #MissUniverse1994 #INDIA. Mahal Kita #Philippines," she wrote.Alongside the nostalgic note, Sushmita dropped a stunning picture of herself in a red outfit. She also shared a string of fans' congratulatory messages on her Instagram handle.The beauty-queen-turned-actor competed against contestants from 77 countries around the world and became the first Indian woman to clinch the Miss Universe title in 1994. That same year, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was crowned Miss World 1994.—ANI

May 21 holds a special place in actor Sushmita Sen's life as she was crowned Miss Universe 28 years ago on the same date.

Sushmita Sen celebrates 28 years of her Miss Universe win

Mumbai: Filmmaker Anees Bazmee's latest release 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' has minted Rs 14.11 crore at the box office making it actor Kartik Aaryan's biggest opening. The film marks the first collaboration between Bazmee, who is known for giving hit comedy films such as 'Welcome', No Entry' and 'Ready', with Kartik, Tabu and Kiara Advani. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to Twitter, where he shared that the film marks a miles stone in Kartik's life. He wrote: "'BB2' IS KARTIK AARYAN'S BIGGEST OPENER... #KartikAaryan versus #KartikAaryan... *Day 1* biz... 2022: #BhoolBhulaiyaa2 ? 14.11 cr 2020: #LoveAajKal ? 12.40 cr 2019: #PatiPatniAurWoh ? 9.10 cr 2019: #LukaChuppi ? 8.01 cr 2015: #PyaarKaPunchnama2 ? 6.80 cr."'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' has also broken the first day record of films such as 'Bachchhan Paandey' starring Akshay Kumar and Alia Bhatt-starrer 'Gangubai Kathiawadi'. "TOP 3 - *Day 1* Biz - 2022 Release� 1. #BhoolBhulaiyaa2: ? 14.11 cr [non-holiday] 2. #BachchhanPaandey: ? 13.25 cr [#Holi; shows from post-noon] 3. #GangubaiKathiawadi: ? 10.50 cr [non-holiday] #Hindi films. Nett BOC. #India biz," Adarsh mentioned. The film follows the story of Ruhan, a fraud psychic who is brought in to deal with the apparent return of Manjulika in the Thakur palace, but he unintentionally aggravates problems. 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2', produced by Bhushan Kumar, Murad Khetani, Anjum Khetani, and Krishan Kumar under the banner of T-Series and Cine 1 Studios.—IANS

 Filmmaker Anees Bazmee's latest release 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' has minted Rs 14.11 crore at the box office making it actor Kartik Aaryan's biggest opening.

'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' makes Rs 14.11 cr on Day 1, biggest for Kartik

New Delhi: South star Kichcha Sudeep has said he had no intention to spark a debate with his comments on Hindi as he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for calling Indian languages the soul of 'Bharatiyata'. Last month, Sudeep was involved in a Twitter exchange with Bollywood star Ajay Devgn over his remarks that Hindi is ''no more our national language'' which later snowballed into a larger debate about Hindi imposition vs preserving India's linguistic diversity. On Friday, during his virtual address to BJP office-bearers, PM Modi said the party considers all Indian languages worthy of reverence, a statement that overwhelmed Sudeep. ''I didn't mean to start any riot or any kind of debate. It just so happened without an agenda. It was an opinion I voiced. It was an honour and a privilege to see the certain lines come out of the Prime Minister's mouth,'' Sudeep told NDTV in an interview. ''When he himself makes a statement... Everybody who looks upon their language with regard and respect, it's an overwhelming thing to see him speak this way,'' he added.The 48-year-old actor said PM Modi's statement was a ''warm welcome towards all languages''. ''I am not just representing only Kannada, I'm talking about... everybody's mother tongue has been respected today with those few statements from the Prime Minister and that is where I was coming from that day. We don't look at Narendra Modi as just a politician, we look at him as a leader as well,'' Sudeep said. In his virtual address, the prime minister said it is the BJP that has linked India's cultural and linguistic diversity with national pride. ''Giving priority to local languages in the National Education Policy manifests our commitment to all regional languages. The BJP considers Indian languages the soul of Bharatiyata and the link to a better future for the country,'' PM Modi said. ''I want to mention this especially because attempts have been made in the recent past to create new controversies on the basis of language. We have to constantly alert the people of the country about this,'' he added. In the interview, Sudeep said his remarks about Hindi, which led to a sharp reaction from Devgn on Twitter, were not directed towards any language or anybody particular. ''I come from a film fraternity and we don't feel nice only when South films are called pan-India. It's got nothing to do with Hindi per se. It is our country and we are trying to reach out to everybody as cinemas have opened to all languages and every viewer and every state wants to see a film as long as it is good,'' he added.Sudeep said when ''certain segments'' were called pan-India, it didn't go ''well with me''. ''It had nothing to do with ego or any kind of emotions. It's just the fact that pan-India, whether it is coming from south or from Hindi industry, as long as you're dubbing your films in other languages, it should be called pan-India,'' the actor said. Sudeep, who is popular for starring in South films like ''Sparsha'', ''Huchcha'', ''Nandhi'', ''Veera Madakari'', ''Eega'' and ''Pailwaan'', is also known for his performances in Hindi movies like ''Phoonk'', ''Rann'' and ''Dabangg 3''. He is currently awaiting the release of 3D mystery thriller ''Vikrant Rona''. Directed by Anup Bhandari, the movie will be released in six languages -- Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and English.—PTI

South star Kichcha Sudeep has said he had no intention to spark a debate with his comments on Hindi as he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for calling Indian languages the soul of 'Bharatiyata'.

Didn't mean to start any riot, debate: Kichcha Sudeep on language row

Mumbai: Known for his out-of-the-box ideas, Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has chalked out a big, interesting and unique plan for the trailer launch of his eagerly awaited film 'Laal Singh Chaddha'. Cricket and cinema enthusiasts are in for a twin treat as the trailer of 'Laal Singh Chaddha' will be launched on May 29 -- the day of the IPL finale. A source close to the development reveals: "When it's Aamir Khan, it has to be grand and never heard before. The trailer of 'Laal Singh Chaddha' will be launched on May 29, the day of the IPL finale. Cashing in on the IPL fervour, the makers of the Aamir Khan-starrer has consciously decided to launch the trailer of their film, much to the surprise of the fans of cinema and cricket."Expecting Aamir to do the unexpected has become the norm over the years. Be it experimenting with distinct characters, interesting subjects and out-of-the-box movie promotional ideas, the marketing genius of Bollywood likes everything to be perfect and puts a lot of thoughts into his marketing and promotional strategies of his films. "It is the first time in the history of marketing and advertising world that the audience is going to witness a promotional asset launch during such a big live cricket ceremony. The trailer will stream live on television on Star Sports during the second strategic timeout of the finale match to be held on May 29 creating a revolution and new benchmark in the ad and marketing world. This is the first time ever that a film is going to have a grand trailer launch on the world television platform and sports world," the source adds.Aamir is adept at making well-projected moves. Recently, the superstar had a fun and hilarious banter with the former Indian coach Ravi Shastri which opened a new space for memes and conversations on the internet. Unveiling the trailer at the IPL finale can be said as one of the biggest and remarkable moves made by any producer in the history of cinema. Meanwhile, the songs from 'Laal Singh Chaddha' have already taken over the hearts and souls of fans. Both 'Kahani' and 'Main Ki Karan?' are among the popular and most played songs in India today. Aamir's fans have lapped the music and lyrics of both the songs as they are eagerly awaiting to watch the film's trailer.—IANS

Known for his out-of-the-box ideas, Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has chalked out a big, interesting and unique plan for the trailer launch of his eagerly awaited film 'Laal Singh Chaddha'. Cricket and cinema enthusiasts are in for a twin treat as the trailer of 'Laal Singh Chaddha' will be launched on May 29 -- the day of the IPL finale.

 Aamir to release 'Laal Singh Chaddha' trailer at IPL final on May 29

Mumbai: As his film, 'Bhul Bhulaaiya 2' got released , actor Kartik Aaryan shared a couple of images from his visit to Sidhivinayak Temple on his social media account, on Friday. Taking to his Instagram handle, the 'Luka Chuppi' actor shared two snaps of his visit to the Siddhivinayak Temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha, wherein he wrote, "vkrtunndd mhaakaay suurykotti smprbh / nirvighnN kuru me dev srvkaaryessu srvdaa "Fans and admirers poured in their love for the support of the movie, as the comment section is all swamped with heart and fire emoticons, including singer Armaan Malik' who wrote, "This is going to be a massive opening bro! congrats to you and the team in advance"The young star went to Siddhivinayak temple to seek blessings for his film, continuing a tradition he has been following.For all of his films, the actor has been known to follow this pattern. Meanwhile, on the work front, Kartik's upcoming projects include 'Captain India,' 'Freddy,' 'Shehzada,' and Sajid Nadiadwala's untitled next.—ANI

As his film, 'Bhul Bhulaaiya 2' got released today, actor Kartik Aaryan shared a couple of images from his visit to Sidhivinayak Temple on his social media account, on Friday.

Kartik Aaryan seeks blessings as "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2" release

Mumbai: Savi Thakur, who essays the role of Amar Vidrohi, is thrilled to be joining the cast of 'Maddam Sir'. "I was intrigued by Amar Vidrohi's character, and as the show progresses, it has the potential to grow while adding value to the storyline of the show," he said."I share similar character traits to that of SHO Amar, along with our extreme respect for women, knowing well that the show inspires young girls to dream big and work hard to make their dreams come true," adds the actor who was part of shows such as 'Guddan Tumse Naa Ho Paayega', 'Porus', 'Sethji' and 'Namah'."'Maddam Sir' is not another typical cop show; it's an adventure with action and emotion, and my character is here to shake things up at the MPT. And I know viewers will stay tuned as we double on its entertainment quotient," concludes the actor.'Maddam Sir' airs on Sony SAB.—IANS

Savi Thakur, who essays the role of Amar Vidrohi, is thrilled to be joining the cast of 'Maddam Sir'.

 Savi Thakur joins the cast of 'Maddam Sir'

Television

Mumbai: R. Madhavan's directorial debut 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect', which is India's official selection for its world premiere at the 75th edition of Cannes Film Festival, saw its grand premiere at the convention centre of Palais des Festivals. Madhavan and ISRO genius and space scientist Nambi Narayanan, on whom the film is based, walked the red carpet.The screening of the film was greeted with a thunderous applause as it received a standing ovation from the full-house for 10 minutes. Responding to the appreciation that his film received at the film festival, actor-turned-director Madhavan said in a statement, "I'm overwhelmed and exhilarated. It's a surreal moment for all of us at Team 'Rocketry'. Humbled and grateful By God's grace. Thank you for all your love and support. Now to prepare for the release on July 1." Staged on a mammoth scale, 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect' has been shot in India, France, Canada, Georgia and Serbia. The cast comprises international actors like Phyllis Logan, Vincent Riotta and Ron Donachie with special appearances by superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Suriya. 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect', produced by TriColour films, Varghese Moolan Pictures and 27th Investments, and distributed in India by UFO Moviez and Red Giant Movies in India and internationally by Yash Raj Films and Phars Film Co, will be released in six languages worldwide, including Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada, on July 1.—IANS

R. Madhavan's directorial debut 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect', which is India's official selection for its world premiere at the 75th edition of Cannes Film Festival, saw its grand premiere at the convention centre of Palais des Festivals.

'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect' receives standing ovation at Cannes

Paris: Information and Broadcasting, and Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur experienced the next generation of filmmaking on Thursday when he donned VR headsets to watch the music maestro A.R. Rahman's multi-sensory virtual reality film, 'Le Musk', sitting in an immersive VR chair designed by the Los Angeles-based company Positron at Cannes XR.The minister was joined by the two-time Grammy winner, Ricky Kej, and the celebrated lyricist and Censor Board chief Prasoon Joshi. Cannes XR is the segment of the Cannes Film Market focusing on cinematographic content that uses immersive technologies."'Le Musk' is a technical masterpiece with inter-disciplinary expertise coming together from around the world," the minister commented after his immersive experience.The minister also delivered the keynote address on 'India: The content hub of the world' at the India Forum, where he pointed out that "the advent of AI, virtual reality and immersive technology such as the metaverse presents immense possibilities to India's IT-enabled services and IT-skilled workforce."Declaring that the "land of storytellers," in the "spotlight of the cinematic world today," is "ready to engage and collaborate," the minister reiterated: "We will take all the necessary measures to speed up co-production collaborations from around the world and also offer the best locations and historical locations in India for film shoots."Earlier, the minister began his address by saying: "I stand here before you honoured to represent a civilisation that is over 6,000 years old, a youthful nation of over 1.3 billion Indians, and the world's largest film industry that produces over 2,000 films annually."And he added: "India's red carpet presence captured the diversity of its cinematic excellence not only in terms of representation of actors and filmmakers from various languages and regions, but also the OTT platforms."—IANS

Information and Broadcasting, and Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur experienced the next generation of filmmaking on Thursday when he donned VR headsets to watch the music maestro A.R. Rahman's multi-sensory virtual reality film, 'Le Musk', sitting in an immersive VR chair designed by the Los Angeles-based company Positron at Cannes XR.

Anurag Thakur experiences A.R. Rahman's VR film 'Le Musk' at Cannes

France: Indian celebrities are leaving no chance to spread colours of desi culture at the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. On Wednesday, Bollywood divas including Deepika Padukone, Tamanaah Bhatia, Urvashi Rautela, and Pooja Hegde turned heads with their impromptu dance on Rajasthani folk singer Mame Khan's 'Ghoomar'.During the inauguration of the Indian pavilion at Cannes 2022, Mame Khan, who is part of the Indian contingent, broke into a beautiful song at everyone's request. The moment became more captivating when Deepika, Pooja, Urvashi, and Tamannaah came in front and started dancing together to Mame Khan's soulful melody. In a video captured by ANI, Deepika, Tamannaah, Pooja, and Urvashi looked smitten by Mame Khan's voice. The festival is special this year for India as it has been chosen 'Country of Honour'.—ANI

 Indian celebrities are leaving no chance to spread colours of desi culture at the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival.

Cannes 2022: Deepika, Tamannaah, Pooja groove to Ghoomar

Mumbai: &nbsp;'Scam 1992' fame Pratik Gandhi is all set to play Mahatma Gandhi in the multi-season series. Based on the writings of renowned historian and author - Ramachandra Guha, a premium, multi-season series will be adapted from his two books - 'Gandhi Before India' and 'Gandhi - The Years that Changed the World'. The life story of Mahatma Gandhi will be made under the production banner Applause Entertainment. Excited about the project, Pratik said, "I deeply believe in the Gandhian philosophy and his values that echo simplicity in its purest forms. Personally too, I strive to achieve and imbibe many of his qualities and teachings in my daily life. Moreover, playing the role of Mahatma is very close to my heart ever since my theatre days and now it is a huge honour to yet again essay the role of this legendary leader, on screen. I believe it's a huge responsibility to essay this role with dignity, grace and conviction and I can't wait to embark on this journey with Sameer Nair and his team at Applause."Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment, too expressed his excitement about the series. ' "Ramachandra Guha is a historian and storyteller par excellence, and we are honoured to adapt his classic books - Gandhi before India, and Gandhi - The Years That Changed the World - to screen. We couldn't think of anyone better than the incredibly talented Pratik Gandhi to bring alive the Mahatma, and his philosophies of peace and love that shook the world. We believe that only a richly layered, multi season drama series will do real justice to Gandhi and to all the great personalities that embed the proud and illustrious history of India's Freedom Struggle. This is a story of the birthing of modern India for a global audience," he shared.The other details of the project have not been revealed yet.—ANI

 'Scam 1992' fame Pratik Gandhi is all set to play Mahatma Gandhi in the multi-season series.