Mrunal Thakur to be feted with Diversity in Cinema Award at IFFM
Mumbai– Actress Mrunal Thakur is set to be honoured with the prestigious Diversity in Cinema Award at the upcoming Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.
This award is in recognition of her outstanding performances across diverse roles and languages in the world of Indian cinema.
Speaking on this, Mrunal said, “I am truly honoured and humbled to receive the Diversity in Cinema Award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. This recognition reaffirms my belief in the power of storytelling that transcends languages and cultures.”
She added: “As an artist, I’ve always aimed to explore a wide spectrum of characters, and this award motivates me to continue pushing boundaries and taking up roles that challenge and inspire me. I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and excited for what the future holds in this incredible journey of cinema”.
The Diversity in Cinema Award is set to be conferred upon Mrunal during the festival’s highly anticipated annual gala award night scheduled for August 11. This recognition comes as she marks a pivotal milestone in her career – one year of successful foray into the world of South Indian cinema.
From the impactful portrayal of Sonia in ‘Love Sonia’ to her captivating performance as Sita Mahalakshmi in her debut Telugu film, Mrunal has effortlessly crossed linguistic boundaries to make her mark. Her cinematic journey has transcended linguistic barriers, with notable contributions in Hindi, Telugu, and Marathi cinema.
She has also worked in acclaimed OTT projects such as “Ghost Stories” and “Lust Stories 2”.
Mrunal’s remarkable rise in the southern film industry has seen her share screen space with Dulquer Salmaan. Her impressive journey continues with a slew of exciting projects in the pipeline, where she is set to collaborate with names like Nani and Vijay Deverakonda, further cementing her position as one of the foremost actresses in South Indian cinema.
The 14th edition of IFFM will be held between August 11 and 20.
Ektaa R Kapoor says she doesn’t like to stick to genres in films
Mumbai– Ektaa R Kapoor, who has given some of India’s most iconic television shows and films, and is awaiting the release of her upcoming production, ‘Dream Girl 2’, said that she doesn’t like to stick to any particular genre in films as she has television for that.
Ektaa is all set to captivate the audience with a diverse array of stories, offering a refreshing change. ‘Dream Girl 2’ is a mass comedy that promises to tickle funny bones and serve as a delightful respite from the ordinary.
Talking about dabbling with different genres in films, Ektaa said: “I’m doing a film with Rhea Kapoor, which is a coming-of-age story of a girl in her early thirties who is fighting conditioning versus individuality. It stars Bhumi Pednekar. The Hansal Mehta-Kareena starrer is an untitled Nordic Noir thriller. We are bringing back one of my favorite franchises, ‘LSD 2’. ‘The Crew’ is a comedy with three top actresses headlining the film.”
She further mentioned: “‘Dream Girl 2’ is a mass comedy. I don’t like to stick to genres in films. I have to do a lot of that on television. So, this gives me a break from doing the same kind of content.”
‘The Crew’ which stars Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon as the leads. The film follows the story of three women who work and hustle to move on with life. But as they try to make their way forward, their destinies lead them to some unexpected and unwarranted situations, leading them to get caught in a web of lies.
The film also marks the collaboration between Ektaa R. Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor, following their successful film, ‘Veere Di Wedding’.
Directed by Rajesh Krishnan, ‘The Crew’ is produced by Balaji Telefilms and Anil Kapoor Films Communication Network. The film will debut in theatres on March 22, 2023.
Raveena Tandon dubs for ‘Ghudchadi’, shares a sneak-peek
Mumbai– Actress Raveena Tandon has started dubbing for her upcoming film ‘Ghudchadi’ and shared a glimpse from the session.
Raveena took to Instagram stories, where she re-shared a video of her from the dubbing session. The video was originally posted by director Binoy Gandhi.
In the video, Raveena is seen in a dubbing studio dressed in an all black ensemble. She is seen making funny faces as Gandhi takes a candid video of her.
Ghudchadi is a romantic comedy film written and directed by Binoy Gandhi. It stars Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon with Parth Samthaan, Khushali Kumar and Aruna Irani and Achint Kaur in pivotal roles.
The film will mark Parth Samthaan’s debut as an actor in Bollywood.
In her three decade long journey in Hindi cinema, Raveena has been feted with several honours including a National Film Award in 2023, she was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian honour.
The daughter of director Ravi Tandon, she made her acting debut in the 1991 action film Patthar Ke Phool. She was then seen in films such as Diwale, Mohra, Ziddi, Laadla, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Dule Raja and Anari No.1, Ghulam-E-Mustafa and Shool.
She was last seen on the big screen in the Yash-starrer ‘KGF 2’. She made her digital debut with the Netflix series ‘Aranyak’.
Ayushmann Khurrana gets lauded by Samastipur Police for spreading message of cyber frauds
Mumbai– Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who will be soon seen reprising his role of Pooja in the upcoming theatrical film ‘Dream Girl 2’, set the momentum for the humour with the film’s trailer and his witty responses to the media.
The film’s buzz seems to be snowballing as the Samastipur Police took to their X, former Twitter handle, recently, to share a clip from the film as they lauded the actor for his ‘Dream Girl’ avatar and have shared that Ayushmann, as his character Pooja in the film, has helped them in spreading the word on cyber fraud.
They tagged Ayushmann and tweeted: “Your appearance in this movie has proven to be incredibly appealing in our fight against cyber fraud. Your act was remarkably close to the real cyber fraud calls. Please continue to spread such awareness. Best wishes, and welcome to Samastipur.”
‘Dream Girl 2’ promises to be an out-and-out entertainer and at the same time will bring about a larger awakening in the mindsets of audiences at large. Ayushmann Khurrana is known for his knack for content-driven cinema in India and his films right from his debut with ‘Vicky Donor’ to ‘Article 15’ serves as a powerful testimony to the same.
The actor earlier spoke about the experience of stepping into the role of a woman, as he told the media, “It was challenging because were shooting in 45 degrees Celsius, as I say in the film, I was ‘fully assembled’, wearing a wig in such blistering heat tested me as an actor”.
“I hope people love the Ayushwoman too in addition to Ayushmann. I also want to say that I wish to get nominated in the Best Actress category as well this time during the award season “, he added.
‘Dream Girl 2’ also stars Ananya Panday, Abhishek Banerjee, Rajpal Yadav, Annu Kapoor and Paresh Rawal. It has been directed by Raaj Shaandilyaa and is a sequel to Ayushmann’s 2019 superhit film ‘Dream Girl’.
Akanksha Puri on ‘Honey Trap Squad’ character: She’s bold, beautiful, sharp and tough
Mumbai– Akanksha Puri, who was last seen in ‘Bigg Boss OTT 2’, will be seen in the web series, ‘Honey Trap Squad’. She will be seen playing the prime character which the actress describes as bold, beautiful, sharp and tough.
“I am playing Riya Roy, who is a Honey Trap Squad agent. She is bold and beautiful, sharp and tough. I enjoyed playing this role; I haven’t done anything like this before. I have got an amazing response, and people love my performance in it,” she said.
However, Akanksha does not relate to the character at all.
“Riya is not like me, but it was fun as I got to play something challenging, which is the fun part of being a performer. It was a good experience shooting this thriller,” says Akanksha, who became the centre of discussion after her surprise entry into ‘Mika Ka Swayamvar’ that she won as well.
About working with her, your co-stars Sharad Malhotra and Karanvir Bohra, she added, “I met Karanvir for the first time, and we immediately connected. Our first scene was the bedroom scene, but he is quite experienced and professional, so nowhere does it feel like we are seeing each other for the first time.”
“We had that comfort level, and it was fun shooting with him. Sharad and I have worked together earlier, and we get along very well. I just had action scenes with him; I didn’t get to romance him in this project, but it’s always a pleasure shooting with him. We have an ease of working with each other, and we save a lot of the director’s time.”
What would you like to say about your glam image that precedes you?
“I am glad I am one of those few artists accepted as Goddess Parvati in a television show and loved as Riya Roy in ‘Honey Trap Squad’. I am confident that I can carry anything, and I want to keep experimenting with my characters in the future as well,” she replies.
Talking about the kind of web series she would like to do in future, the actor says, “I have already finished shooting for four other series, but I would definitely love to do something more romantic and intense in the future. Since I have some projects releasing soon on different platforms, and I have many song shoots back to back, so I have a lot on my plate.”
Neha’s initiative to bring forth conversation on breastfeeding with Bipasha, Soha and Dia
Mumbai– Actress and mother Neha Dhupia is set to make a significant impact with her inspiring initiative ‘Freedom To Feed’, aiming to break the stigma around breastfeeding. Joining her will be actresses and mothers Bipasha Basu, Soha Ali Khan and Dia Mirza.
“As a mother of two wonderful kids, Guriq and Mehr, I have personally experienced the challenges and joys of breastfeeding. It’s an incredibly empowering journey, but it’s also essential to recognise that every mother’s journey is unique and should be celebrated without judgement or shame,” Neha said.
She added: “Through my initiative, ‘Freedom To Feed,’ I aim to shed light on this crucial aspect of motherhood and break the barriers that prevent mothers from openly embracing this natural process. This cause is incredibly close to my heart, and I am determined to educate, dispelling the myths, and fostering a more supportive and inclusive environment for all mothers”.
In honour of Breastfeeding Awareness Week (first week of August) and Breastfeeding Awareness Month (August), Neha is spearheading a series of initiatives under ‘Freedom To Feed’ to promote education, support, and empowerment for mothers.
The initiative, which started as an idea to normalise breastfeeding, has turned into a strong community of over 55,000 mothers, parents, experts. The initiative has become a voice for topics beyond including the topics of parenting, Co parenting and other such children led issues and topics.
As a devoted mother to two wonderful kids, Guriq and Mehr, Neha Dhupia intimately understands the challenges and joys of motherhood.
Through the power of social media, Neha will be hosting live sessions with prominent celebrity mothers, including Bipasha Basu, Gauhar Khan, Masoom Minawala, and Dia Mirza.
These live discussions will shed light on their personal breastfeeding journeys, sharing insights, and addressing common misconceptions related to nursing. Neha has receoved support from people like Kalki Koechlin, Kajal Aggarwal, Surveen Chawla, Neeti Mohan and others.
Moreover, ‘Freedom To Feed’ will reach beyond the virtual realm as Neha Dhupia plans to host an in-person conversation on August 7.
This event will feature renowned personalities such as Soha Ali Khan and Geeta Phogat. (IANS)
