Have you heard? The play must go on

A still from Do Aur Do Pyaar

The play must go on

Even as Pratik Gandhi is working on his web series, Gandhi, with director Hansal Mehta and geared up for his Friday release, Do Aur Do Pyaar, with Vidya Balan, the actor continues to strike a balance with theatre. Today evening at NMACC, he will perform his play, Mohan No Masalo, in which he essays Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Admitting that his heart lies in theatre, Pratik says, "There is nothing like the rush of performing in front of a live audience. Each applause fuels my gratitude towards the audience, while every criticism fuels my determination to better my performance." The play delves into Gandhiji's life before he became a Mahatma, offering audiences a unique perspective. Interestingly, actor-wife Bhamini Oza, who portrays his reel-life wife Kasturba in the upcoming web series, also has her stage commitments this weekend. Coincidentally, she essays the historical character Rattanbai Petit, wife of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, in the bio-drama Bombay Flower at Prithvi Theatre. Terming being on stage as "pure fulfilment," Bhamini says, "It is like feeding my soul, embodying characters, and captivating audiences for those precious hours. Each performance fuels my growth and deepens my passion for the craft." She believes that theatre is Pratik and her sanctuary, as their love story blossomed within its walls and strengthened their bond through their shared devotion to the stage. She adds, "It is where we thrive, constantly evolving as actors and gain insights."

New house khaas

It appears that Pooja Hegde is the new big spender on real estate. The actor, who is currently working on Deva with Shahid Kapoor, is said to have bought a sprawling sea-facing home in Bandra. Apparently, she has splurged R45 crore on the expansive 4,000 sq ft property nestled in the prime location. "Not only does it offer panoramic vistas of the Arabian Sea from every part of the house, it also serves as a sanctuary of comfort and elegance for Pooja in the heart of Mumbai," said a source. The actor, who also has Sanki with Ahan Shetty lined up, has ensured to incorporate her flair for design and aesthetics into her new mansion. #EkBanglaBaneNyaara

No controversy please

Annu Kapoor and Ashwini Kalsekar's new film, Hum Do Hamare Baarah, reportedly had a tough time getting clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The Examining Committee (EC) referred the film to the Revising Committee, which recommended almost a dozen alterations. For starters, the makers were told to make the title women-centric. So, it is now called Hamare Baarah. Then, they were reportedly directed to include a disclaimer and give references to the Board about dialogues on women's marriage in the Quran and Islamic culture. The word ‘Islam' was sought to be replaced with ‘mazhab' and it was suggested that a few controversial dialogues be deleted. The ‘F' word was muted, as was the word ‘Allah' in the line, "Maa ko Allah se upar darja diya hai." Moreover, the poster of a political leader was blurred, and the anti-smoking static disclaimer had to be added in the smoking scenes. Subsequently, the movie, with a runtime of two hours and 28 minutes, was cleared with a U/A certificate.

Making of a film now

Basking in the success of his last film, 12th Fail (2023), filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra announced his next project, Zero Se Restart. Being developed by his team, the new film revisits the behind-the-scenes journey of his much-acclaimed biopic on IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma, played by Vikrant Massey. "Zero Se Restart narrates the journey of 12th Fail, right from its inception to all the hurdles that came in its way, from no one believing in the film to the team being advised against a theatrical release. The movie will not be a lecture on how to make movies, but a fun story of how it all actually happened," shares Vidhu.

Classes on feminism, anyone?

Nora Fatehi stirred a hornet's nest with her take on feminism during a recent podcast. The dancer-actor said, "This idea of ‘I don't need anybody' [is] feminism. I don't believe in this sh't. The idea of being inherently completely independent and not having to get married, have kids and not having the male and female dynamics at home where the man is the provider, a breadwinner, and the woman is the nurturer, [is not me]." She further stated that "when feminism becomes radical, it becomes dangerous for society." Sure enough, she received a lot of flak for her comments. One netizen said, "Someone, tell her to shut up." Another commented, "Please take the mic away. Because if feminism didn't exist, she wouldn't have a voice to speak her opinions in the first place." One of the users wondered, "Why is she talking like men?" and another user suggested, "She needs to learn the basic meaning of feminism."