Kareena is my favourite hero: Sonam Kapoor
Mumbai– Kareena Kapoor Khan is Sonam Kapoor’s “favourite hero” she has worked with.
Sonam and Kareena star together in “Veere Di Wedding”, which also features Swara Bhaskar and newcomer Shikha Talsania.
At the film’s trailer launch here on Wednesday, Sonam was asked that since the film does not have a male lead, what was her experience like.
She said: “My favourite hero I have ever worked with is Kareena Kapoor. I am telling you, it is the easiest thing to work with other women.
“Unfortunately, our conditioning is such that people expect women to pull other women down and compete with each other. But what’s amazing is to actually work towards the same goal and create the best possible version of something. If all girls come together, they can literally move the world.”
When asked why haven’t there been enough films about female bonding, other than “Aisha” which also starred Sonam, the actress said: “‘Aisha’ wasn’t a friendship film. It was a film about a girl and her friends. But this film is an ensemble film that is about each girl’s journey. Each of us has an equally important story to tell.
“Of course, the story is about one of the friends getting married and it is from her perspective.
“It is a story about friendship, about girls… And I don’t think such a film has been made before where it is entertaining, it is fun, it has got romance, dance and drama. It has got everything. Why can’t women headline a female commercial film which has a story about girls?
“Hopefully, with everyone’s support, I think this will bring about a change in the kind of films which are made and the kind of roles written for us.”
“Veere Di Wedding”, directed by Shashanka Ghosh, revolves around four friends attending a wedding. Presented by Balaji Motion Pictures, Anil Kapoor Films and Communication Network and Saffron Broadcast and Media Ltd, the film is scheduled to release on June 1.
I promise to do one or two films a year: Kareena
Mumbai– Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan, excited about “Veere Di Wedding”, her first release post pregnancy, has promised she will do at least one film every year.
At the trailer launch of “Veere Di Wedding” here on Wednesday, Kareena said: “Right now I want this movie to release. I wanted to be a part of (this film) and I am happy about it. I haven’t thought about what I’m going to do next. Let’s see, Taimur (son Taimur Ali Khan) is just 16 months old.
“So I want to spend more time with him. After the release of this film, I will take three months’ time to decide my next project. But I promise to do at least one or two films a year.”
There were rumours that Kareena was offered a role in “Salute”, an upcoming biopic on astronaut Rakesh Sharma. But she said; “If I sign any film, I will make a formal announcement of that.”
It was during the shooting of “Veere Di Wedding” that Kareena’s pregnancy news came out.
Asked about the experience of shooting the film, Kareena said: “I got pregnant after signing the film, so I told Rhea (producer Rhea Kapoor) about it and that they need to take someone else. As a producer, she stood by me. She decided to change the character to be pregnant.
“But then I told them that I can’t do this. However, it was Rhea’s conviction that she said, ‘Let’s just wait for some time’.”
Kareena is one of those commercially successful actresses who has not only continued her work just after marriage with films like “Ki & Ka” and “Udta Punjab”, but also didn’t shy away from flaunting her baby bump.
“I am so lucky to have a husband who is so understanding. He told me to go to the gym and go back to the studio and take my son along to set an example. Yes, we (women) can do both,” added Kareena, who is married to actor Saif Ali Khan.
It’s okay to fight for it: Deepika Padukone on pay gap
New York– Deepika Padukone, one of the highest paid actors in the Indian film industry, says women must not shy away from demanding and even fighting for the pay they think they deserve.
The actress, who attended the TIME 100 gala here on Tuesday night, spoke to Time magazine about the need for confidence among women to ask for better pay.
“You can feel a sense of – am I stepping over the line, do I deserve it? But if you believe you deserve it, then you do,” said Deepika, the only Indian to feature in the Time 100 Influential People in the World, sharing space with names like Nicole Kidman, Gal Gadot, Greta Gerwig and Lena Waithe.
“For years, we’ve been made to feel we should be okay with settling for less, with sometimes a promise of getting something more later on. But I think you should get what you think you deserve. It’s okay to fight for it, and it’s okay to feel uncomfortable initially, because that’s just the way we’ve been made to feel for so long,” she added.
The actress, who won hearts by gesturing a ‘namaste’ at the red carpet where she dazzled in an embellished ivory ensemble, also spoke about her struggle with clinical depression at the gala.
“February 15, 2014, I remember waking up that morning with a strange pittish feeling in my stomach. I had no idea what I was feeling. Life all of a sudden just felt meaningless and there were days when I just wanted to give up. And couple of weeks later I was diagnosed with clinical depression.
“Four years on, I stand here in front of all of you with a slightly better understanding, I think, of life and my feelings and the person that I am, but I feel like more importantly, I think all of you will agree with me when I say that we’re going through some pretty challenging times all around the world,” said the 32-year-old.
She said it’s the power, strength and courage that she derives from the people around her that encourages her to go on every day.
“And for some of us I think who do think of giving up once in a while, I want you to know that we’re all in this together, and most importantly that there is hope, because in the words of Stephen Fry, “We’ll be sunny one day’,” she said.
Ranveer Singh set for summer break in Switzerland
Mumbai– Bollywood’s livewire actor Ranveer Singh says Switzerland is his kind of country and he is all set to jet off for a summer break there.
Ranveer, who is the first Indian ambassador for Switzerland Tourism, will be visiting the Lake Geneva region.
“Switzerland… It’s my kind of country! No matter how many times you visit, there’s always something new to explore. This time around I’m visiting the Lake Geneva region… This part of Switzerland is quite a hidden gem that I can’t wait to discover,” Ranveer said in a statement.
The region includes the Montreux also called “the pearl of Swiss Riviera”, Lausanne — the Olympic capital, surrounded by vineyards, a trio of hills rolling down to the lake and a medieval cathedral; and Lavaux, a Unesco world heritage site.
The actor, 32, says he is looking forward to a “relaxing vacation”.
“While gorging on some amazing food and as always letting my hair down and having some fun under the Swiss sun,” he added.
On the acting front, Ranveer has just wrapped up shooting for director Zoya Akhtar’s “Gully Boy”, which also stars Alia Bhatt.
Kangana Ranaut to debut at Cannes red carpet
Mumbai– Actress Kangana Ranaut will be making her debut at the red carpet of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival this year.
The “Queen” star will attend the fest in association with liquor brand Grey Goose as part of its global celebration of cinematic craft — Vive Le Cinema.
“It is overwhelming to witness the recognition and appreciation for Indian cinema at international platforms like Cannes,” Kangana said in a statement to IANS.
“Grey Goose has created a unique platform of celebration to toast the game changing films at Cannes this year and I’m thrilled to partner with this global icon of luxury in the country of its origin,” she added.
Anshuman Goenka, Marketing Head of Bacardi India, feels Kangana “embodies the cinematic expression of Grey Goose through her passion for the field and ability to fly beyond the realm of commercial cinema”.
The 71st Cannes Film Festival will be held from May 8-19.
This year, acclaimed Indian actress-filmmaker Nandita Das’ directorial “Manto”, a biographical on controversial Urdu writer Saadat Hasan Manto, has made its way to the Un Certain Regard segment of the fest. “Nakkash”, featuring Inaamulhaq, will also be part of the film gala.
Tillotama Shome-starrer “Sir” will be screened at sidebar Cannes Critics’ Week.
Mansoor Khan shot two climaxes for ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’
Mumbai– Filmmaker Mansoor Khan says the film “Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak” was supposed to initially have a happy ending but looking at the drift of the film, he gave it a sad climax.
Directed by Mansoor, written and produced by his father Nasir Hussain, the film released in 1988. It was a blockbuster which catapulted Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla to stardom. The plot was a modern-day take on classic tragic romance stories such as Laila and Majnu, Heer Ranjha and Romeo and Juliet.
“Although my father had initially planned to end the movie on a sad note, he seemed sceptical about the climax and asked us to shoot another ending. However, the flow of the movie gave a feeling that there might be some tragedy soon. Hence, I opted to close the movie the way Romeo and Juliet ended,” Mansoor said in a statement.
The film will be aired on Zee Classic to commemorate its 30th year of release on Sunday. (IANS)
