Entertainment

OTT shows have primarily become about personal viewing experiences. As filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya forays into the OTT world with Bada Naam Karenge, he hopes the nine-episode series will take people back to the culture of family viewing. In conversation with mid-day, the showrunner talks about making content for Gen Z, why his projects always boast of green-flag characters, and how a section of OTT viewers misses family dramas. Edited excerpts from the interview. Where did the story originate from?It was narrated to us by S Manasvi; he came up with the concept in 2013. We were [struggling] with the climax then. In 2020, when we had a meeting with SonyLIV, they wanted a Rajshri show. They wanted to recreate the world of Hum Saath Saath Hain [1999] and Vivah [2006] on OTT. So we met Manasvi,...

Bollywood beauty Saba Azad, who is returning with the second season of the Amazon Mini TV series Who`s Your Gynac, encountered a troll who mocked her desire to work, citing that she doesn’t need to since she’s dating superstar Hrithik Roshan. Instead of letting it go, Saba decided to give this faceless user a piece of her mind.  Saba Azad responds to a troll  An Instagram user wrote under Saba’s post, "I thought season 2 would never come, after all, @sabazad Madam Ji is the official girlfriend of the Greek God. But now I am very excited for the next season.” Saba hit back stating, "Ok sumit ji uncle ji ji!! Maybe in your world when people fall in love they become incapacitated and landlords stop asking for rent and the need to put food on one`s own table magically evaporates!! Wah!!" H...

NOTE: The following article contains disturbing content. Please read at your own discretion. Amanda Palmer, ex-wife of author Neil Gaiman, has denied allegations of rape and human trafficking made by a woman who worked as a nanny for the former couple.Scarlett Pavlovich, the former family babysitter, filed three civil lawsuits — one against Gaiman and his ex-wife, Palmer, and two more against Palmer — in federal court in Wisconsin, Massachusetts and New York on Feb. 3.Pavlovich alleged the former couple violated laws on federal human trafficking, sexual assault and battery while she worked as the family’s nanny. She claims Gaiman assaulted her multiple times and that she told Palmer, who allegedly knew of past incidents of abuse.Palmer took to Instagram to address the allegations in a stat...

If you thought your love for lavish family dramas was a thing of your younger days, Sooraj Barjatya’s latest web offering is set to serve as a revelation. Taking viewers back on a nostalgic ride to the decade when films on familial relationships took centre-stage, the sweet romantic drama, Bada Naam Karenge, is reminiscent of some of the most celebrated Rajshri Productions offerings like Vivah (2006), and Hum Saath Saath Hai (1999).  Serving as the film’s sonic backbone is Anurag Saikia, who has been steadily climbing the rope to professional success with a string of memorable releases. Saikia, who has crafted the music and the score of the nine-part offering, discusses why the makers wanted the Ritik Ghanshani and Ayesha Kaduskar starrer to be a subtle nod to the ’90s. Pics/Instagram E...

Back when television meant three American networks and two Canadian ones, virtually everyone was aware of everything on TV. Even if you didn’t like or watch a particular show, chances are you knew about it. And one of the things that may have seeped into your mind was a show’s theme song. Even when the number of channels and programs expanded, TV theme songs were ubiquitous, with many of them becoming top 40 hits (Theme from SWAT, The Rockford Files, Greatest American Hero, Peter Gunn, Hawaii Five-O, Miami Vice, etc.) that generated additional awareness and cash.There’s a subgenre of music fans who love the subject of TV themes, the kind who were delighted when multi-volume collections like the Television’s Greatest Hits series (via the Tee-Vee Toons label) started appearing in 1985. I won...

Actor Salman Khan recently took to Instagram to send a heartfelt message to his longtime friend and filmmaker Sooraj R. Barjatya on the release of his first-ever OTT series, “Bada Naam Karenge.”  The series, streaming now on Sony LIV, marks a significant milestone for Rajshri Productions as it ventures into the digital space for the first time. The Sultan actor took to his Instagram handle to give a sweet shout-out to the filmmaker, saying this one`s going to be special. Putting up a story on Instagram, Khan wrote, “Bada Naam Karenge` streaming now only on Sony LIV! Wishing Sooraj, Devaansh and the entire team all the best - this one`s going to be special!” Salman and Sooraj have a longstanding professional relationship, having worked together on blockbusters like "Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!...

The Governor General’s office has terminated singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie’s Order of Canada. The move was announced in the Canada Gazette, the federal government’s official newspaper in which it publishes the text of new laws, regulations and other notices and decisions.The move comes after a CBC report in 2023 questioned Sainte-Marie’s Indigenous heritage, saying it found a birth certificate that indicated she was born in 1941 in Massachusetts and listed that both her and her parents as white. 4:45 Unraveling the Buffy Sainte-Marie controversy with journalist Tanya Talaga Previou...

Internet’s favourite girl-next-door, Mithila Palkar, wants to take a detour now. Having created a niche for herself with slice-of-life and romantic stories like Girl in the City (2016), Little Things (2016-21) and Karwaan (2018), Palkar now wants to play characters far removed from herself. In an interview with mid day, the actor, currently seen in Disney+ Hotstar rom-com Sweet Dreams, shares her aspirations for the next stage of her career that include playing antagonists, and why she believes that love stories need to be reimagined for the GenZ audience. Edited excerpts from the interview. What kind of prep is required for a film that is driven more by the charm of its actors than the story?I stick to both the director and the writer’s vision, which in the case of Sweet Dreams was Vict...

Because God quickly realized that humans were a thieving bunch, He made rules against stealing one of the first things downloaded to Moses’ tablet 1,500 years ago: “Thou shalt not steal.” It’s ranked at number four on the list of things we’re not supposed to do, so it’s pretty clear that this was important to The Almighty: Don’t take stuff that’s not yours. Lionel Mapleson didn’t think he was stealing. When he did what he did, it wasn’t stealing. Only later did history brand Mapleson as the father of all music piracy.Mapleson came from a long line of music librarians who can be traced to the 1700s. Before moving from London to New York in 1889, where he hoped to become a great concert musician, his father trained him in the finer points of the occupation. Good thing, too, because six years...

Actress Kriti Kharbanda, who will be soon seen in the upcoming season of the streaming show ‘Rana Naidu’, has said that the series allowed her to explore a darker, more complex character, a first for her.  The teaser of the second season was unveiled recently, and it showcases the actress in a pivotal role where she embodies a strong character with a commanding presence, exuding a boss lady vibe that is sure to surprise and captivate audiences. The actress joins the ensemble cast including Rana Daggubati, Daggubati Venkatesh, Arjun Rampal, and Surveen Chawla. It also marks her debut in the OTT space. Talking about her OTT debut, Kriti shared, "I am thrilled to be a part of `Rana Naidu` Season 2. This role is unlike anything I`ve done before, and it has allowed me to explore a darker, mo...