Latest Bollywood News Today Transcript at 11:30 AM on 23 August 2023
In our top story. Speaking at The Indian Express Adda on 21st August, filmmaker Karan Johar denied there was any fear prevailing in the entertainment industry. The Hindi film industry has been subjected to much criticism and political scrutiny in recent years. Johar, who was in conversation with Indian Express Group Executive Director Anant Goenka and film critic Shubhra Gupta, shared – ” Creative people are not afraid to tell the stories they want to. We are sensitive, not afraid. Filmmakers have always wanted to make films that are sensitive to issues and that’s perhaps what the country is sensitive to. It has not been easy for me or the industry. So much of this negativity was unjustified.”
Moving on. As fans eagerly wait for Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Jawan to hit theatres, it has been revealed that the action thriller boasts an incredible collaboration involving six renowned action directors from across the globe. This dynamic team includes Spiro Razatos, Yannick Ben, Craig Macrae, Kecha Khamphakdee, Sunil Rodrigues, and Anal Arasu. Spiro Razatos is renowned for his outstanding contributions to Hollywood blockbusters such as The Fast and the Furious and Captain America. Yannick Ben, another key action figure, has crafted action sequences for acclaimed films like Transporter 3, Dunkirk, and Inception, as well as popular Hindi releases like Raees and Tiger Zinda Hai. Jawan, directed by Atlee, will hit theatres on September 7th.
Filmmakers Raj and DK, creators of hit series such as The Family Man and Farzi, denied in a recent interview that OTT platforms have begun courting stars with big money. In an interview with Film Companion, Raj shared – “There are a lot of series and movies we make, we’re not going to always keep casting stars. We need a lot more actors in a series which is the function of the content itself.” DK, seconding him, said – “When you see a star there’s something attractive about him. It becomes automatic publicity, viewership and interest. But the show has to be good, the actor has to be good.” Their latest show, Guns & Gulaabs is currently streaming on Netflix.
Meanwhile, in an interview with Mashable India, Rajkummar Rao revealed why he agreed to play a small-time goon in Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur. This was at a time when he was already earning a name for himself with films like Love Sex Aur Dhokha. The actor shared – ” Anurag watched LSD and called me. He told me he was making Gangs. The film was about my character and Nawaz’s rivalry. Then one day, Anurag called me back and told me that he’d changed the story quite a bit. My character wasn’t going to be as prominent. He told me that it was fine if I drop out, but I couldn’t think of it. So, I agreed.”
Janhvi Kapoor’s recent release Bawaal, co-starring Varun Dhawan, landed in controversy after the film was accused of trivialising the Holocaust. In a new interview with Galatta Plus, Janhvi defended the film’s intentions. She shared – “I had a lot of clarity on what we were trying to say and where that was coming from. It’s all a matter of perspective. I feel sad that what some people got from the film was that we were trivialising it. That was, in no way, the intention. I would like to understand where that opinion is coming from but I guess there’s nothing I can do as an actor right now to change the course of how people have perceived the film.”
Meanwhile, Sunny Deol, who is celebrating the success of Gadar 2, has finally spoken up on the issue of a bank sending out an auction notice for his property in Juhu. This was for an alleged non-payment of Rs 55.99 crore loan. Talking to news agency ANI, Sunny said, “I do not want to comment. These are personal matters. I’ll not say anything because people will misinterpret.” Bank of Baroda issued a notice announcing the auction of Sunny Villa for the failure of repayment of the said loan. However, the bank soon withdrew the notice citing “technical reasons”. Sunny’s team had earlier shared a statement on his behalf and had requested people to not speculate on the matter.
Actor Ameesha Patel in a recent interview, recalled enjoying similar success in 2001, after the release of the first Gadar film. Ameesha shared that after Gadar, she got a letter from director Sanjay Leela Bhansali complimenting her work. The actor said – “When I had a meeting with Sanjay ji later, he said ‘Ameesha, you should retire now.’ I didn’t understand. He then said I have already achieved in two films what most people don’t achieve in their entire career.” Gadar was released shortly after Ameesha’s debut with Hrithik Roshan, in Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, and both films were massive hits. Ameesha is yet to announce her next film after Gadar 2.
Lastly, late actors Shammi Kapoor and Geeta Bali’s son Aditya Raj Kapoor is a graduate at the age of 67. Aditya earned a graduate degree in Philosophy via correspondence. In a chat with ETimes, Aditya said that he started studying at the age of 61 and zeroed down on Philosophy, as he was spiritually inclined towards it. He shared that his daughter Tulsi saw him as a retired man who had a lot of time on his hands, and thus pushed him to pursue an online course from the Indira Gandhi National Open University. He added that he has now enrolled in a Masters program as well. He then shared – “I did this for my mother Geeta Bali.”
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