Dinesh Kamath's column 'Movie World: Priya Prakash Varrier signs second Bollywood film' that was published in Newsband

Movie World

Priya Prakash Varrier signs second Bollywood film

By Dinesh Kamath

Love Hackers: Priya Prakash Varrier has signed second Bollywood film after Sridevi Bungalow. Love Hackers, is a crime-thriller which deals with cyber crime. Priya has been roped in to play the lead role.

Love Hackers goes on floors by the end of next month and will be shot in Lucknow, Delhi, Gurgaon and Mumbai. Priya playd the protagonist, who, with her knowledge, instinct and presence of mind emerges a winner after being trapped in an unfortunate situation. The story is based on real incidents.

Priya, who became a social media sensation after her wink in a song from the Malayalam film Oru Adaar Love went viral, was the apt choice for the part.  Online security breaches have made society complex today. The number of social media users in India is staggering, but most of them are not aware of different forms of cyber-crimes. These things are explored in the film.

Never had Priya imagined that she would become a household name for her wink. The wink was just a spontaneous gesture that they had in mind while shooting. Nobody thought it would get worldwide attention in such a short span. It was more of a shock. Her family took some time to come to terms with it.

Meanwhile, Priya's debut film in Bollywood, Prasanth Mambully's Sridevi Bungalow, is in the centre of a controversy for trying to cash in on the popularity of legendary actress Sridevi. The first teaser featured a distasteful scene of Priya's feet dangling out of a bathtub, which seems to take inspiration from Sridevi's tragic demise (she died because of accidental drowning in a bathtub).

Priya wanted to stay away from the negativity and did not want her Bollywood debut to be mired in controversy. At the end of the day, everything is publicity. But still, she would rather stay away from the negativity. It's up to the director and the producer to handle those issues. She is just playing the character that has been given to her.

Priya is determined to not let her film career prove an obstacle in her education. She recently gave her exams for the second year of B.Com, and started the third year. She makes it a point to not miss any exams.

As mentioned earlier, her second Hindi film is a movie that exposes the cyber world’s dark side. She plays the protagonist, who, with her knowledge, instinct and presence of mind emerges a winner after being trapped in an unfortunate situation. The story is based on real incidents.

The teaser of Sridevi Bungalow, directed by Prashanth Mampilly, had created an uproar when it was dropped online earlier this year in January. The director is presently busy with the casting of other actors in pivotal roles. Signing an internet celebrity for the movie was the clincher for him.

Priya first shot to fame with her wink in a song from the Malayalam film Oru Adaar Love which went viral. According to the director of Love Hackers, this is exactly why she was the best choice for a film relating to cybercrime issues.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Let there be constructive opposition' that was published in Newsband

Let there be constructive opposition

An effective Opposition is very necessary in parliament. It is said that if no Opposition exists, one may have to be created. Also, if there is no Opposition outside, there is every danger that it may grow within.

Right from the first Lok Sabha, the practice has been to recognise the leader of the largest party in Opposition as the LoP provided that party has a strength that is enough to constitute the quorum for a sitting of the House, or one-tenth of the total membership of the House — at present that comes to 55 members.

In the recently concluded election to the Lok Sabha, the Opposition was decimated, but thankfully not obliterated. In fact, the largest party in Opposition, the Congress, has improved its position from 44 in 2014 to 52 now. It is short of only three members to reach the magical number of 55.

The 1977 law does not provide for the requirement of 55 members as an essential pre-requisite. As it all depends on the Speaker’s directions and discretion, it may be hoped that rightful action will be taken.

It is absence of meaningful opposition that people should be worried off not the absence of LOP. LOP is not just supposed to obstruct parliament and waste public exchequer. It must be noted that opposition doesn't mean often repeating allegations which have been replied but means rebutting with rational arguments and reliable evidence the reply given. This requires knowledgeable and well-read persons and not Government designated LOP.

There should be an understanding between ruling & opposition parties for smooth sailing. Congress has seen everything in a very narrow and communal aspects to thwart the ruling party and vice versa. Broadness should be developed by our political parties.

The Lok Sabha had no recognized Leader of the Opposition (LOP) until 1969. Also, the post was vacant between 1980 and 1989, simply because no party fulfilled 1/10 seat criterion. But in those times Congress was in power. Now there is so much demand for LOP post, like it was in 2014, perhaps because Congress in not in power in these times, and needs LOP post.

Any opposition should learn to become constructive opposition to criticize government actions where necessary instead of just opposing government for the sake of it with the support of their contingent in Parliament. 52 is a good number also to solidly raise any issue & defend. These people should suspend politics for good of the country and people and try to cooperate with the Government in all its initiatives, unlike in the past when they wasted hell of a lot of precious and expensive parliamentary time by raising bogus issues like Rafale & 'suit/boot'.

It is disgusting how political parties try to belittle each other. The fact is, the anti-Modi brigade tried it's best to bring Congress back to power, propping up Rahul, a failed politician. Now that they have failed for the second consecutive time, they are propping up Congress for the consolation prize of 'Leader of the Opposition' in the LS.

Dinesh Kamath's column "Movie World: Shruti Haasan to portray a trained assassin in ‘Treadstone’" that was published in Newsband

Movie World

Shruti Haasan to portray a trained assassin in ‘Treadstone’

By Dinesh Kamath

Shruti Haasan has joined USA Network’s Jason Bourne-universe series ‘Treadstone’. The show will follow fictional CIA Black-Ops program Operation Treadstone, which was the program that created superspy Jason Bourne, played by actor Matt Damon. Haasan, 33, joins Jeremy Irvine and Brian J. Smith in the show, which recently started production in Budapest. She will portray Nira Patel, a young woman in Delhi whose waitress job serves as a cover for a dangerous double life as a trained assassin. Ben Smith, a producer of the ‘Bourne’ franchise, has co-created the series with Tim Kring.

Apart from Haasan, actors Michelle Forbes, Patrick Fugit, Michael Gaston and Tess Haubrich have also boarded the cast. The covert program uses behaviour modification protocol to turn recruits into nearly superhuman assassins. The first season of the series will follow sleeper agents across the globe as they are mysteriously 'awakened' to resume their deadly missions. The pilot episode will be directed by Ramin Bahrani and he will also executive produce the series alongside Kring, Ben Smith, Jeffrey Weiner, Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas and Justin Levy.

Shruti Haasan by playing an assassin in American TV series based on Jason Bourne, joins the growing list of Indian artistes on American television. The upcoming series is a spin-off on the popular Jason Bourne series by Robert Ludlum. The actress is the latest in a line of Indian talent from Priyanka Chopra and Vir Das to make an appearance on American television. Haasan will play Nira Patel, whose waitressing job is a cover for her deadly skills.

It is well known that the gorgeous diva Shruti Haasan is multi-talented and multi-lingual too. She has aced acting and singing and has been a part of a number of movies across different languages in India. Now, Hollywood is beckoning this talented diva. She has been roped in to play a part in the TV series Treadstone, which will be set in the Jason Bourne universe. The four Jason Bourne movies saw Matt Damon playing the titular role of a superspy. The story has Jason Bourne being created, trained and deployed by the covert-ops program Operation Treadstone. Treadstone is considered to be a program which uses behaviour modification to transform newly recruited cadets into super-human assassins.

You’ve seen her grace the silver screen in Hindi and south Indian films, but now, she has a bigger canvas and she’s understandably thrilled to bits about it. She has these lovely agents in America who send over stuff to her. This character is something she found interesting right from the word go. She was in London in the middle of her music shows and was so stressed with everything when shw got the call about this role. But she is the kind of person who takes on as much as she can, so she auditioned and a couple of weeks later, she got a call saying she got the part.

The show revolves around a CIA Black ops programme called Treadstone. It’s a really nice team with a lot of action and she is really excited for it. She is a recurring guest role. The whole setup is amazing and they will start shooting soon. The preparation for the show is mostly physical. It’s an action series - if you remember the original films, it had some awesome action, so she will be doing a lot of action training.

Interestingly, when Shruti heard that she had bagged the role, she was spending time with her dad Kamal Haasan in Chennai. He as usual was very nonchalant and said - good job. He normally tells other people that he’s proud of her, he doesn’t tell her – typical Indian dad. But he had been a major influence on the kind of choices she’s made so far. 

In fact, the legendary Kamal was the one who asked her to take a break from doing so many films. She was doing seven of them at one point and her dad said she must re-assess her career. He’s someone who has brilliantly managed his career for several years, so she took his advice and got back to music. He’s been encouraging and has never thought that international borders are far away – he’s had a global way of thinking.

While the artiste has been busy with her music shows in London and other places, she’s in no rush to put out a half-baked project. She is enjoying playing for live audiences. And it’s amazing to see that even though her music hasn’t released – the last time she did a show, people sang along to the chorus.

On the Indian film front, Shruti has Laabam, a Tamil film with Vijay Sethupathi. Having finished one schedule, she’s thankful to be playing a modern but conscientious person.

A self-confessed TV show addict, the spunky fashionista, if she had to choose a genre she’d like to explore as an artiste, it would be sci-fi. She always loved aliens and doomsday theories where society is challenged, where they take so many things for granted including water, air and freedom.

As for her ardent set of fans who keep showering her with love on social media, the actor can’t help but beam with gratitude. They’re like her extended family. She had had the fortunate experience of meeting some of them. She plans to have a fan meet soon.

The way [our] films are made, you cannot make music leisurely. And so, the break helped Shruti. She has always been experimental in her career. Taking that break was to find a balance between music and acting. Shruti spent time in London performing gigs, even as recently as last month. She also has a debut EP (extended play) lined up for release later this year. But now she’s set to be back in front of the camera, and she’s gone global.

Talking of the Bourne film franchise, the action choreography is “different and path-breaking” than what people are used to in spy thriller films. It is really riveting, especially the close combat scenes. Filming for Treadstone is underway in Budapest, but Shruti will have her scenes filmed in India. Actors in this project are set to undergo a physical training workshop for the stunts. She has always performed her own stunts. [Treadstone] will be on another level obviously.

While the show primarily airs for the US market, Shruti is excited for her Indian followers because of the availability of digital streaming options.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Let there be constructive opposition' that was published in Newsband

Let there be constructive opposition

An effective Opposition is very necessary in parliament. It is said that if no Opposition exists, one may have to be created. Also, if there is no Opposition outside, there is every danger that it may grow within.

Right from the first Lok Sabha, the practice has been to recognise the leader of the largest party in Opposition as the LoP provided that party has a strength that is enough to constitute the quorum for a sitting of the House, or one-tenth of the total membership of the House — at present that comes to 55 members.

In the recently concluded election to the Lok Sabha, the Opposition was decimated, but thankfully not obliterated. In fact, the largest party in Opposition, the Congress, has improved its position from 44 in 2014 to 52 now. It is short of only three members to reach the magical number of 55.

The 1977 law does not provide for the requirement of 55 members as an essential pre-requisite. As it all depends on the Speaker’s directions and discretion, it may be hoped that rightful action will be taken.

It is absence of meaningful opposition that people should be worried off not the absence of LOP. LOP is not just supposed to obstruct parliament and waste public exchequer. It must be noted that opposition doesn't mean often repeating allegations which have been replied but means rebutting with rational arguments and reliable evidence the reply given. This requires knowledgeable and well-read persons and not Government designated LOP.

There should be an understanding between ruling & opposition parties for smooth sailing. Congress has seen everything in a very narrow and communal aspects to thwart the ruling party and vice versa. Broadness should be developed by our political parties.

The Lok Sabha had no recognized Leader of the Opposition (LOP) until 1969. Also, the post was vacant between 1980 and 1989, simply because no party fulfilled 1/10 seat criterion. But in those times Congress was in power. Now there is so much demand for LOP post, like it was in 2014, perhaps because Congress in not in power in these times, and needs LOP post.

Any opposition should learn to become constructive opposition to criticize government actions where necessary instead of just opposing government for the sake of it with the support of their contingent in Parliament. 52 is a good number also to solidly raise any issue & defend. These people should suspend politics for good of the country and people and try to cooperate with the Government in all its initiatives, unlike in the past when they wasted hell of a lot of precious and expensive parliamentary time by raising bogus issues like Rafale & 'suit/boot'.

It is disgusting how political parties try to belittle each other. The fact is, the anti-Modi brigade tried it's best to bring Congress back to power, propping up Rahul, a failed politician. Now that they have failed for the second consecutive time, they are propping up Congress for the consolation prize of 'Leader of the Opposition' in the LS.

Dinesh Kamath's column "Movie World: Priyanka Chopra all set to return to Bollywood with ‘The Sky Is Pink’" that was published in Newsband

Movie World

Priyanka Chopra all set to return to Bollywood with ‘The Sky Is Pink’

By Dinesh Kamath

Priyanka Chopra, who has been busy making giant strides in the West, is all set to return to Bollywood with Shonali Bose's The Sky Is Pink. According to one of her fan clubs, her look from the much-awaited film has been leaked online. However, there is no confirmation on the same.

In the black-and-white picture, Priyanka is seen wearing a white sleeveless shirt with a black waistcoat and a bow-tie. The photo is being widely shared by several fan clubs on Instagram, and has been getting a lot of love from fans.

Priyanka Chopra is all set to mesmerize her fans with her performance in her comeback Bollywood film The Sky Is Pink. The diva has already wrapped up the shooting of the film at many beautiful locations

A fanpage of Priyanka Chopra shared a still from her upcoming film The Sky Is Pink and it went viral in no time. In the picture, PeeCee is seen pouting her lips as she looks sideways.

Earlier reports also suggested that Priyanka Chopra will be seen donning four different looks for The Sky is Pink. For the unversed, Priyanka Chopra will be seen playing the role of Aditi Chaudhary, mother to motivational speaker and author Aisha Chaudhary (played by Zaira Wasim), who passed away at age 21 in the film. Earlier as well, PeeCee treated her fans with a BTS picture of her from the sets of The Sky Is Pink in which she was seen sporting a short hairdo.

Recently, Priyanka Chopra also attended the wrap up party of the film which also stars Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim and Rohan Saraf.  Nothing has changed since the time when Farhan and Priyanka were working together on Don (2006). When working on The Sky is Pink the two were friends who were teaming up.

Priyanka’s career graph has witnessed only an upswing and “she has constantly grown from strength to strength and has reinvented herself.” The Sky Is Pink will hit the screen son October 11, 2019.

Priyanka Chopra has not been seen in any other Bollywood movie post her marriage. Priyanka, who has now become a famous global icon, has been able to carve a niche for herself in Hollywood movies too with her brilliant acting skills. She rose to fame internationally when she portrayed the role of Alex Parrish in the popular American TV series Quantico.

Priyanka Chopra makes her Bollywood comeback with The Sky is Pink. It feels like she has been gone for way too long. Bharat would have been her last release in Bollywood but the actress had pulled out of the movie a few months back.

For your information, PeeCee was recently in news for getting a brand new waxed replica of herself at the Madame Tussauds in London.

This movie ‘The Sky is Pink’ is special to Priyanka on so many levels. Not just because @roykapurfilms and @rsvpmovies (Sid and Ronnie) partnered with her on her first Hindi production but also took the chance on her to bring to life a character and a true story that needed to be told.

The film completed shooting in March. “The Sky is Pink" is a love story of motivational speaker Aisha Chaudhary's parents. Aisha was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. "October" writer Juhi Chaturvedi has penned the story.

Though the film is about parents losing their child to an incurable disease, it's a unique take on death — one that celebrates people's lives instead of mourning their death. It was a challenge to go from 22 to 60 after 7 Khoon Maaf (2011). She was able to sink her teeth in the part.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Debate on ‘one nation, one election' that was published in Newsband

Debate on ‘one nation, one election’

At an all-party meeting on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he wanted a debate on “one nation, one election”, saying a lot of time, energy and money was spent on holding elections as each State goes to the polls at different times.

“A proper response on such a sensitive and serious subject like the ‘one country, one election’ in such a short time would not do justice to the subject it deserves. The matter requires consultations with constitutional experts, elections experts and above all the party members.” This was Mamata Bannerjee’s reaction.

In the last election of 2019, estimate of rough expenditure including all political parties was around Rs. 50000 crores. Should these parties save money of the country? Do they harbor fear of losing election? Don't they expect vote from a countryman on basis of their work? Does only money matter in winning an election?

It is estimated that recently held Lok Sabha election had cost about 60 k cr. Election to state assembly and local bodies cost about 40 k cr. Thus an election costs about 100 k cr and services of tens of cr polling officials and security forces are required. Further due to moral code of conduct, several welfare schemes are deferred for considerable period. One nation on poll will help in decisive mandate to a party. Support to parties in local election could be in contrast in state or national election. Thus proposed agenda is a welcome gesture for development.

But there are people who say that there is no need for this. Centre will have a control and the people at large will be the losers, they argue. They say that it is not workable for the following reasons: 1 election commission is incompetent to hold such a huge exercise e.g. it conducted parliament elections in 7-phases  2 it does not have sufficient manpower including security 3 what about no confidence motion which is a national right; if one government falls due to no confidence motion option is governer rule or disband all other governments for no fault of theirs; to conduct fresh elections all over India  just due to one motion in one state it will be a hugely expensive and laborious process.

It is true that certain parties don’t want the country to save money at the cost of tax payers’ money. It is true that simultaneous elections can save thousands of crores of tax payers’ money but we have to know our nation is far different from other nations and USA where they have g.election once in four years, and if the ruling party fails, it can be thrown out in four years. India is unique, mainly no correction can be made for five long years. The centre thus gaining power for long five years, holding state election serves as a good check-mate and warning for the Centre. No change should be made on the 70 year practice, notwithstanding the overloading of election commission. It is duty bound to keep the commission engaged through the years on.

But all the Indian politicians should remember one thing. If just to oppose the ruling party they will go against everything it says, the country will suffer because of their egos.

Dinesh Kamath's column 'Movie World: SRK and his son Aryan to dub for film' that was published in Newsband

Movie World

SRK and his son Aryan to dub for film

By Dinesh Kamath

Aryan Khan is all set for his debut movie with his father Shah Rukh Khan. Aryan Khan is finally ready for his big screen debut. SRK himself had just dropped a huge hint about his kid’s break in his latest Instagram post. On the occasion of Father’s Day, the superstar posted a photo of himself sharing a father-son moment with Aryan, as they sport team India jerseys with Mufasa and Simba printed on their backs.

Will the film they are dubbing for be like the epic animated Disney movie ‘The Lion King’ or will there be something more to it than what meets the eye? Shah Rukh and his son were recently spotted at a recording studio, dubbing for this project. Thus Aryan is dubbing for the live-action film that is set to hit screens in July.

SRK will lend his voice to Mufasa and Aryan to Simba in the Hindi dubbed version of the film. The son of Shah Rukh Khan is currently studying to be a filmmaker and writer, and has no plans to come in front of the camera. The 21-year-old, however, has already gone behind the microphone.

This film will be a Hindi version of upcoming Hollywood film, The Lion King. This is the live-action version of the animated film that released in the year 1994. The 1994 film, directed by Jon Favreau of Iron Man and The Jungle Book fame, is a “family favourite” at SRK’s Mumbai home, Mannat.

Voicing the father-son duo of Mufasa and Simba has been a wonderful personal and professional moment for Aryan and Shahrukh who hopes families can make some happy memories together, watching The Lion King,

 Simba is the central character of The Lion King. Mufasa, Simba's father who dies early into the film remains a guiding force in his troubled son's life. And Aryan Khan, best-known for being SRK's son, plays him in the Hindi dub.

In 2004, Aryan, then seven-years-old, dubbed for Dash in The Incredibles - Shah Rukh Khan voiced Mr Incredible - and that's pretty much his only experience till date, barring a scene in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham in which he appears as the toddler version of his dad's character.