Latest Bollywood News Today Transcript at 11:30 AM on 23 June 2023
In our top story. A Nepal court on Thursday, 22nd June, lifted the ban on Hindi films, including Prabhas-starrer Adipurush, asking authorities not to halt the screening of any movie passed by the country’s censor board. A dialogue of Adipurush, in which Sita is mentioned as “India’s daughter”, led to the ban on all Hindi films, which was announced by Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah. Shah has said he is ready to face any punishment but will not allow the film’s screening as the matter pertains to “Nepal’s sovereignty and independence”. Bhaskar Dhungana, president of the Nepal Motion Picture Association, in the meanwhile, told media persons that the petitioners are waiting for a written order from the court.
Moving on. Actor Vidya Balan is all set to make her big-screen comeback with the upcoming murder-mystery film Neeyat, which reunites her with her Shakuntala Devi director Anu Menon. The trailer of the film dropped on Thursday, 22nd June. In Neeyat, Vidya plays a detective, Mira Rao, who investigates a murder at a billionaire’s party in the Scottish countryside. The suspects are played by Rahul Bose, Shahana Goswami, Prajakta Koli, Neeraj Kabi and Shashank Arora, among others. The trailer teases a story that seems similar to Agatha Christie’s classic, ‘And Then There Were None’, which has been adapted for film and television several times. Also starring Ram Kapoor, Neeyat is slated for a July 7 release in theatres.
Actor Randeep Hooda on Thursday, 22nd June, took to social media to announce that he has wrapped up the film Veer Savarkar. The actor plays the role of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in the movie. Hooda shared a montage of pictures and videos from the sets. In the video, the cast and crew are seen celebrating the film’s completion by cutting a cake. The actor was also seen wearing a knee brace on the set, due to recent knee surgery. Randeep wrote, “It’s a wrap for Veer Savarkar. I have been to death and back for this film but that’s a topic for another day. For now, big heartfelt thanks to my team who made it happen.”
Meanwhile, Actors John Abraham and Sharvari are set to team up for director Nikkhil Advani’s upcoming film “Vedaa”. The makers announced on Thursday, 22nd June that the movie will be “a thrilling experience filled with high-octane sequences and gripping action”. Also starring Abhishek Banerjee, “Vedaa” is backed by Zee Studios, Emmay Entertainment, and JA Entertainment. Abraham, whose last release was the blockbuster movie “Pathaan”, said he is looking forward to the project. The actor-producer said in a statement – “This riveting story will leave an imprint in your mind as it did for me. I am honoured to play the part and excited for kickstarting this journey.” The shooting of “Vedaa” is underway in Rajasthan.
National Award-winning filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari‘s Bawaal, starring Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Dhawan is all set for its international premiere at the Salle Gustave Eiffel in Paris before it drops on Amazon Prime Video in July. With a love story set in World War 2, the film’s gripping narrative will take the audience on a never-seen-before journey through Europe. A source close to the project told indianexpress.com – “Paris plays an important part in Bawaal’s story. Bawaal will be first shown at the iconic theatre in Salle Gustave Eiffel. The film’s premiere will happen close to its release date in July. Some French dignitaries are also expected to attend. This is the first Indian film to be screened at this celebrated venue.”
Meanwhile, Sobhita Dhulipala, in a new interview reflected on the early days of her career. The actor, who was crowned Miss India Earth 2013, was subjected to mean comments— but that never deterred her from pursuing her acting dreams. Sobhita transitioned to acting with Anurag Kashyap’s 2016 thriller Raman Raghav 2.0. She went on to star in films like the recent Mani Ratnam’s two-part Tamil epic Ponniyin Selvan. She was also seen in hit shows, Made in Heaven and The Night Manager. Sobhita told indianexpress.com – “When you’re starting, everything is a battle. I was told many times that I’m not fair enough. That’s when you start thinking out of the box, instead of waiting for someone to ‘discover’ you.”
Amitabh Bachchan debuted in the movies with Saat Hindustani but it wasn’t until Zanjeer that the film industry started taking him seriously. Prem Chopra, who worked with Big B in films like Trishul and Kaala Pathhar, recently recalled that the veteran actor was “ready to do any role” in his early days. In an interview with News18, Chopra shared – “When he was struggling, Amitabh was ready to do any role. In a couple of films, in the beginning, he was replaced because the producer said that it was a commercial business and he couldn’t sell him as a hero. But he was not disappointed. Amitabh was determined that he will make it.”
Lastly, Neena Gupta is back with the upcoming Netflix anthology, Lust Stories 2. Neena plays an octogenarian in R Balki’s segment in the series. The veteran actor, for years, has struggled to get age-appropriate roles in films and stayed away from playing a mother in films if the character didn’t have any substance. In an interview with indianexpress.com , Neena opened up about her role in Lust Stories 2. On why she chose to play a ‘grandmother happily’ in the film, Neena shared, “See, because if it was not a Dadi maa saying all these things, what I am saying, then it would not have any impact. That is why it was important.”
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