Movies

On this momentous occasion of Independence Day 2024, we honour the legacy of India. We pay our heartfelt tributes to the commandos and armed forces who serve our nation tirelessly. We also acknowledge the versatile actors in the shows on Disney+ Hotstar who have effortlessly portrayed special officers on screen, leaving an everlasting impression in the minds of the viewers. Here are your favourite stars wishing you a Happy Independence Day! Gurmeet Choudhary The actor played the titular role of Karan Saxena in Commander Karan Saxena said, “The values of discipline and patriotism were inculcated from very early on owing to my army family background. These values have become an intrinsic part of who I am and are deeply embedded in my approach to life and work. When Commander Karan Saxen...

Despite his pedigree, Siddhant Issar, the son of veteran actor Puneet Issar, has not found the road to fame easy. The actor claims he didn’t want it any other way. He began his career as a writer, then moved on to theatre and directed short films before making his television debut with Mahima Mata Vaishno Devi (2023) and Shiv Shakti—Tap Tyaag Taandav (2023). After two mythological shows, Siddhant now plays the protagonist, Devil Maalik, in the fantasy show, Shaitani Rasmein. He claims that the character is similar to Tom Ellis’s Lucifer Morningstar in the hit show Lucifer. “This is my first supernatural fantasy show. He is the Indianised version of Lucifer. He is one of the crown princes of Hell and hopes to rule the world. My character is a mix of sugar, spice, and everything nice and bad...

She might be late to the party, but Kritika Kamra is quickly making up for lost time. Unlike countless fans around the world, the actor was introduced to Korean dramas only recently, thanks to Gyaarah Gyaarah. When she was cast in director Umesh Bist’s crime series, she learned it was a remake of the popular Korean show, Signal (2016). That was enough to pique her interest in K-dramas. “I was eager to watch the original. But I was immediately cautioned [against it] by my director because he wanted me to have a fresh take on my character. So, I haven’t watched Signal yet, but I have caught up on some other hit shows. Now, I know why everyone’s hooked on to K-dramas,” laughs the actor, who plays a cop in the ZEE5 offering that revolves around time travel. Signal is a 2016 crime thriller rev...

Gyaarah GyaarahOn: ZEE5Dir: Umesh BistCast: Raghav Juyal, Kritika Kamra Rating: 3/5 If someone who’s never visited India, let alone small-town India, got gifted an exhaustive playlist of shows and movies set in our locations—they should be permitted to believe this is a seriously cold country.  Literally, all series, movies, particularly to do with Tier II towns, are set in the winters. To the extent that film industry folks must’ve noticed, it’s hard to find cast, crew in Bombay, October onwards.  They’re all in jackets, boots, hoodies and cravats, shooting in the North, the likes of Dehradun, Mussoorie. As with the first season of Gyaarah Gyaarah.  On which the wintry set-up appears all the more apt, since this police procedural is set in the ‘cold cases’ department of the local cop ...

Prime Video announced August 20 as the premiere date of the docuseries, Angry Young Men. The intriguing three-episode Original docuseries traces the journey of the legendary writers Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, popularly known as Salim-Javed, who, brought forth a revolution in Indian storytelling, by crafting iconic characters and dialogues that have etched their influence into the hearts and minds of the audience.  Produced by Salman Khan Films, Excel Media & Entertainment and Tiger Baby, Angry Young Men is executive produced by Salma Khan, Salman Khan, Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, and marks the directorial debut of Namrata Rao.  Angry Young Men is the story of Salim-Javed, the legendary screenwriting duo behind some of the biggest Bollywood blockbuste...

Prime Video, India’s much-loved entertainment destination, today announced the premiere date for its Unscripted Original series, Follow Kar Lo Yaar. The nine-episode series, produced by Sol Productions’, Fazila Allana and Kamna Menezes and directed by Sandeep Kukreja, is an unfiltered and immersive viewpoint into the vibrant and captivating life of Uorfi Javed, India’s biggest viral sensation. Follow Kar Lo Yaar is set to premiere exclusively on Prime Video in India and over 240 countries and territories worldwide on August 23 in Hindi with subtitles in English. The unconventional and eccentric reality-follow series is a revelation to the mystery that is Uorfi Javed, a celebrity who is hated by a few, loved by many, and despite it all cannot be ignored by any. Follow Karlo Yaar will immer...

Does my character die?’ That was Abhishek Banerjee’s first question when Rana Naidu came his way. You can’t blame him for being skeptical. “In all the OTT shows I had done until then, my character always ended up dying. So, when I first heard the story from Karan Anshuman [creator-director], my first question was whether I would die in it,” laughs the actor, who shot to fame with Paatal Lok (2020). Luckily, Jaffa, his character in Rana Naidu, is an exception. The actor is set to reprise his role in the second season of the Netflix drama, led by Rana Daggubati and Venkatesh. While Daggubati plays a man who makes a living by fixing celebrities’ problems, Banerjee essays his younger brother. In the opening season, directors Anshuman and Suparn Varma explored child sexual abuse through his ...

Actors Ranvir Shorey and Kay Kay Menon, who will be seen in the upcoming detective series `Shekhar Home,` spoke about their roles and experiences working together. Speaking to ANI, the duo, who are busy promoting their upcoming series shared their enthusiasm for the project. Reflecting on his decision to take on the role, Menon said, "When an actor gets something with substantial and exciting content, it`s natural for them to be drawn to it. That`s exactly what happened with me; I said yes right away." Reflecting on their previous collaboration, Ranvir, who was recently seen in `Bigg Boss OTT 3` shared, "We have done some films together, but we weren`t as involved with each other as we are in this series. For example, in `Honeymoon Travels,` our tracks were separate...So, we might have sh...

Actor-producer Tusshar Kapoor, who practices Buddhism, says he does believe in “good and bad fortune”. He strongly feels that one can change their destiny with sincere prayers.   “I believe in good fortune and bad fortune. We have come into this world with certain karma. Some people work hard, but they don’t get beyond a certain amount of benefit because there is always something (obstacles) coming their way,” Tusshar told IANS. The actor added: “And sometimes, people are not so hardworking, but things fall into place for them.” He does believe that “in the long term, hard work pays off more,” but “luck definitely has a part to play in the short term at least.”. “It can reduce the time required to reach your goals or it can make things delayed; that depends on your luck. I believe it i...

On her way to the première of her latest short film, The Beginning, Hunar Hale gets on a call with us to talk all things career. She has been part of the television industry for 14 years and has had a few successes, including Sasural Genda Phool (2010), Chhal—Sheh Aur Maat (2012), Thapki Pyar Ki (2015), and Patiala Babes (2018). But now, she admits the industry is changing. Newcomers are preferred, an actor’s social media following determines their standing, and seasoned artistes are transitioning to digital entertainment. So, where does Hale stand amid this shift? She talks about exploring short films, and fronting the TV show, Deewani, while hoping to make inroads into the web world.      Edited excerpts from the interview. What is your short film, The Beginning, about?It is about fema...