Despite being a commercial and critical failure, filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker calls Mohenjo Daro his favourite film
Hrithik Roshan and shutosh Gowariker
In a recent interview, filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker revealed that his 2016 film Mohenjo Daro, starring Hrithik Roshan, is his favourite, even though it turned out to be a critical and commercial failure. Apart from having a great canvas, the filmmaker says he was supported by Roshan’s phenomenal performance. He, however, acknowledged that the screenplay failed to evoke the desired emotional response from the viewer. Asserting that the story will always be more worthy than the scale on which a film is mounted, Gowariker suggested that his period film couldn’t be salvaged, regardless of the scale on which it was made. He concluded by calling the film his “favourite” and said he hasn’t abandoned it yet.
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No baggage for Zoya
Speaking at a festival, Zoya Akhtar said she and writer Reema Kagti didn’t want to cast established names for their upcoming, The Archies, as stars come with the baggage of their image. The Indian live-action musical based on the American comics of the same name marks the acting debut of Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter Suhana Khan, Boney Kapoor’s daughter Khushi Kapoor, and Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda. “We were clear that we wanted newcomers because they are such iconic characters, and getting anybody who is already very well-known would bring their baggage onto it, good or bad. Also, we needed kids who [looked like] teenagers.”
Tricks of the trade
Even before he makes his acting debut, Raj Kundra appears to have learned the tropes of teasing fans. Shilpa Shetty’s husband, who will feature in UT69, took to social media to share, “We have separated, and kindly request you to give us time during this difficult period.” Given that the duo has been showering praise on one another in the recent past, fans were quick to call his bluff, however, some speculated that the couple was indeed parting ways. Kundra subsequently shared that his message was addressed to the mask that he had been sporting since he got out of jail. “Farewell masks …it’s time to separate now! Thank you for keeping me protected over the last two years.”
Words that matter
From finding fans in cinema icon Kamal Haasan and veteran singer Usha Uthup to becoming a countrywide favourite and following it up with a National Award win, the success attained by the music of Pushpa: The Rise is something composer Devi Sri Prasad says he never anticipated. ‘‘We knew that we were making something really good in terms of the film, the music, and the lyrics. We knew that we were doing all the right things,’’ DSP said. The soundtrack of the Telugu movie became a hit with numbers like Srivalli, Oo antava, and Saami saami topping the charts. Top stars became fans of the music too. ‘’Whenever I meet Kamal Haasan sir, he hums Srivalli. He loves it. We know that he is an amazing singer,’’ the music director said, adding that the Vikram star was one of the first to call and congratulate him on the National Award win. Haasan also posted a lengthy tweet praising DSP for his work on the film. “That made me so happy. I got a call from Chiranjeevi sir, Suriya sir, and Prabhu Deva sir, so that in itself was an award for me. They all congratulated me and said, ‘You deserve it’.”
When SRK turned down DDLJ
If it wasn’t for the city’s radio stations giving us a peek into the past, we wouldn’t have even realised how much we missed the wonderful soundtrack of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which released 28 years ago. Interestingly, lead actor Shah Rukh Khan had initially rejected the film, four times. The actor was not convinced that the audience would accept him in a romantic avatar, given that he had shone in his anti-hero roles in films like Baazigar and Darr. In the documentary made on DDLJ, Khan once revealed, “By the time I joined films, I was 26. Normally, romantic films [were for those] who started off in college, and then worked their way up into romance. I thought I was too old to be a romantic hero.” It was Yash Chopra who told him he needed to “take up romantic roles” to thrive.
Voice for all
Nikita Dutta was on the panel of a recent OTT festival, and reiterated that the platform has opened new horizons for content from various regional industries. “It’s heartening to see regional industries like the Malayalam, Gujarati, and Marathi industries, thrive. The key is to ensure that everyone has a level playing field so that we can encourage the diverse voices of our country.”
PeeCee backs cousin
Priyanka Chopra Jonas extended support to her cousin, actor Mannara, as the latter set foot in the house of the reality show, Bigg Boss 17. Mannara has worked in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, and Kannada films. Priyanka, who enjoys a massive fan following of 89.6 million followers on Instagram, took to the Stories section and shared a throwback picture with her cousin. “Throwback to little Mannara. Good luck, little one”, she wrote.
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