Bollywood Hungama OTT India Fest Day 2: Richa Chadha and Sanya Malhotra advocate for sex education over sex censorship; Richa says, “If porn is a problem, then you are offering free data to a country that doesn’t have sex education”

Bollywood Hungama, the prominent entertainment platform in India, has launched its two-day OTT India Fest in Mumbai. The festival included a wide range of activities such as panel discussions, fireside chats, masterclasses, workshops, and an award ceremony celebrating talents in the OTT entertainment sector. The inaugural day of the fest began with an insightful panel discussion on the growing OTT landscape in India, involving key experts and influencers from the industry. During a session, Bollywood actress Richa Chadha and Sanya Malhotra urged for sex education in India.

During the sessions, Richa Chadha addressed a vital issue associated with OTT content, stating, “If porn is a problem, then you are offering free data to a country that doesn’t have sex education, what’s going to happen.”

She further added, “I feel this is the problem that there is an overstimulated culture.” The actress also said, “I don’t know if we need sex censorship as much as we need sex education. First of all, we need for the country to be okay to talk about sex because its not like its not happening and its not like it will go away. Its not going to go away. That’s how we got here.”

Sanya Malhotra concurred with Richa’s perspective, emphasizing the importance of fostering sex education as opposed to excessive censorship. She said, “I think as Richa said, this country needs more sex education than sex censorship and we are not doing something that is not already out there. There are Hollywood movies and international film which are already there on OTT and for people to consume. But I also truly believe if a script doesn’t require it, because sometimes people also use it like, ‘Oh this worked in the other film, so we should put this in our film too,’ even if its not fit for the character or for the story, just as a selling point. That shouldn’t happen.”

The Bollywood Hungama OTT India Fest, in association with Cinema Waale Film and Television Productions LLP and Across Media Solutions, held on the 18th & 19th of October 2023 at Taj Lands End, Mumbai were Presented by Sonata Poze, powered by TVS Jupiter and Kheloyar, Driven-by JK Tyre Blaze Rydr, alongside Matchmaking partner Bharat Matrimony, Stylish Audio partner Skullcandy, Banking partner Bank of Baroda, Healthcare partner Fujifilm Healthcare, True Chocolate partner Smoor, Astrology partner Astroyogi, Wellness Partner HCG hospitals, Cricketing Partner Metashot in association with Festival partners Satvik, Snacking partner Special Choice, Outdoor partner Bright Outdoor Media, Radio partner Radio City, and celebration partners Johnnie Walker and Heineken Silver.

Also Read: Trailer of RiAliTY: Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal give a sneak peek into their wedding documentary

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Photos: Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon snapped at the airport

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EXCLUSIVE: Vikas Bahl reveals, “While prepping for Ganapath, I used to see making videos of S S Rajamouli and Sukumar’s films” also says, “I hope we can crack the story of Queen 2”

Ganapath – A Hero Is Born, starring Tiger Shroff, Kriti Sanon and Amitabh Bachchan, is all set to release in cinemas tomorrow, that is, October 20. Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke to director Vikas Bahl about the film and a lot more.

Since the time you debuted as a director, you have never repeated a genre. How do you manage to do so? Not many filmmakers could achieve this feat…
Maybe, I just like different kinds of stories. While doing so, you have to break the genre. I think it’s a constant learning curve. When you are switching genres, you are always nervous as to whether or not you can pull it off. I like that nervousness. Maybe, the student inside me wants to constantly keep learning how to try new genres. When I was doing this film or even the next one (a horror), I used to sit for hours on YouTube and watch videos on how these films are made and how these genres are done. So, it was almost like going back to school. That’s exciting for me. I don’t want to get into a comfort zone that ‘this is my genre, this is what I want to do for the next 10-15 years.’ I’d rather try new things.

How difficult was it to get the futuristic element right, especially for a Hindi film considering that we don’t have many reference points in our cinema?
More than just about the future, I was trying to pen a story that any calamity in the world leads to inequality in the sense that the rich get richer as they benefit from it. But the poor get poorer. This happens during any catastrophe, whether man-made or a natural disaster. This is the basic premise of the film. Since it is based on the hypothetical situation of the next biggest calamity that happens on the planet, I had to set it in the future because it couldn’t happen earlier. Hence, the idea was not just to make a futuristic story.

Years ago, Shekhar Kapur attempted a film called Paani. It was also set in the future and was about the water crisis. Were you inspired by its plot maybe at the back of your mind?
Shekhar sir is too senior and I think too brilliant (smiles). I don’t know much about Paani. I know about it just as anybody else knows. But I am sure he would have made an unbelievable spectacle. Even if I am remotely close to what we set out to do, I think I’d be good!

You became a force to reckon with, with Queen (2014). The same year, Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon debuted with Heropanti (2014) and became overnight stars. How was it to collaborate with two fellow artists for whom 2014 was also a defining year?
Now that you told me and I realize it, it feels good (laughs)! I don’t think any of us thought about it. We never sat and discussed this connection.

Tiger Shroff is not seen doing typical action in the film. Kriti Sanon, meanwhile, is attempting action for the first time. How exciting was it for you and them as well?
Yes. The good thing about Ganapath and hopefully it’ll also be a surprise for the audience is that Tiger is just not doing action in the film. He has done a lot of humourous, emotional and dramatic scenes. He has a big character arc. Action is the base of it but is not the primary characteristic. I always found him very innocent. He has his own little world of action, exercises and workouts. I loved that innocence. I wanted him for his innocence as much as I wanted him for his action. Even though I had never worked with him or even met him before, I was correct about how he is.

As for Kriti, she’s a great actor. She has a lot of action in the film and has done a great job. She has this ability that she can pierce through your eyes and deliver the dialogue. She’s also tall and looks absolutely convincing while taking on the goons.

You worked with Amitabh Bachchan, first in Goodbye (2022) and now Ganapath. It must have been a high, wasn’t it?
Everyday, he walks on the set, you have to pinch yourself that he knows me and he knows my name, forget the fact that he’s in my film. He was extremely generous. He knew I was trying to put up a film like Ganapath together. He knew it was ambitious. He saw the art and mood boards and told me, ‘Vikas, if I can help you make this film in any way, tell me’. I pounced on the opportunity and told him, ‘Sir, ek role karenge mere liye’! He did it purely out of love. He said, ‘Anything for you. Just go and make this film’.

The film’s post-production took a year. There are a lot of green-screen shots. And this is your most VFX-heavy film. Please tell us about your experience…
It has been a phenomenal learning experience when it comes to VFX. I just hope that everyone supports this fact. When you are doing it for the first time, you are just learning. You are not a master at the craft. I remember for days, I used to see making videos of S S Rajamouli’s films. I used to understand how he used to use the green screen and used to check out the ‘before VFX’ and ‘after VFX’ shots. I also used to watch Sukumar sir’s making videos. It’s almost like a tutorial put up on YouTube. By now, the fear of VFX has gone away. Now we can write stories without any boundaries. You can imagine anything and you can pull it off on the screen.

Earlier, Ganapath – A Hero Is Born was called Ganapath – Part 1. Is a sequel in the pipeline?
It’s still part 1. We just decided to call it ‘A Hero Is Born’. There’s the intention of doing a sequel. We hope it’s received well and people love it because this is the start of the journey of the protagonist.

Will the sequel be called Ganapath – A Hero Rules?
After you watch the film, why don’t you send me the title of the sequel? (laughs)

This is the age of sequels. Would you like to make a sequel to Queen? We would love to know what happened to Rani (Kangana Ranaut) and what she’s doing 10 years after the events of the first film…
Queen 2 is always a very tempting option. But the temptation should be that we find a great story to tell and not just exploit the commercial benefit out of it. I really hope we crack the story for the sequel so that I can make Queen 2. I would love to do that.

Also Read: Ganapath: A Hero Is Born director Vikas Bahl praises Kriti Sanon, Tiger Shroff and Rehman for shooting action sequence in Ladakh under harsh conditions

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When Sunny Deol played a Pakistani Army officer

Sunny Deol has, over the decades, become a specialist in the action genre. He is considered a master when it comes to delivering powerful punches and kicks to the baddies. He has also been someone who has acted in films where a villain or a group of villains are Pakistanis. He acquired this image after the stupendous success of Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and continued the same with Indian, Maa Tujhe Salaam, Hero: Love Story Of A Spy, Jaal: The Trap, etc. Just earlier this year, he revived that image with the blockbuster success of Gadar 2.

In other words, Sunny came to be known as Pakistan’s onscreen nemesis. But what if we tell you that after starring in a series of anti-Pakistan films, Sunny went onto play a proud Pakistani Army officer in a movie? Let’s have a look at this lesser-known aspect about him on his 66^th birthday, which is today.

Punjabi filmmaker Amitoj Maan came up with his second Hindi film called Kaafila in 2007. The movie was based on the issue of illegal immigrants. It told the story of a group of Indians eager to relocate to England but are unable to get visas due to some reason or the other. As it is very important for them to get to the European country, they decide to become illegal immigrants.

Surprisingly, in this 2 hour 27 minute movie, Sunny Deol makes an entry after almost an hour. Before that, Kaafila focuses on the Indian travellers, including a Sikh gentleman played by Sudesh Berry and others. They manage to contact people who are experts in trafficking humans illegally to foreign lands. As per the plan of the traffickers, the group of Indians enter Russia and from there they are to reach England after passing through a few other countries.

But they meet one obstacle after the another and there comes a time when even their lives are in danger. This is when Sunny Deol walks into the picture and becomes their saviour. He introduces himself as Sameer, an expert in trafficking people to foreign countries. He knows all the tricks on how to hoodwink the authorities of various countries.

And since he is Sunny Deol, he is also an expert fighter who also knows how to use different types of weapons like a walk in the park. Hence, the film has a number of scenes where he either beats up people or shoots the dead, as he helps the group of immigrants enter England.

After a lot of twists and turns (and a few deaths), the group of Indians realize that there is no point in migrating to another country. They are suddenly enlightened on how they can lead good lives even while staying in India. So, Sunny then helps them return to India. For that, they land in Afghanistan and then Pakistan.

Once the Indian ensemble reaches Pakistan, they realize that Sunny is a Pakistani Army officer Sameer Ahmed Khan. He had gone underground due to some reason. He firmly raises the slogan ‘Pakistan Paindabad’ (may Pakistan live forever), but at the same time doesn’t consider any difference between Indians and Pakistanis. In the end, he happily helps the group of Indians return to their homeland.

Kaafila also starred two Pakistani actresses in the form of Sana Nawaz and Sara Loren. The latter was also seen in Bollywood films like Murder 3, Barkhaa, Fraud Saiyyan, etc.

Kaafila also has a funny Border connection. The 1997 JP Dutta movie saw Sunny play an angry Sardar who shouts at Sudesh Berry’s character Mathuradas at a crucial point in the film. In Kaafila, Berry plays a Sardar, who angrily screams at Sunny.

If not anything else, Kaafila helped Mathuradas avenge his decade-old insult.

Also Read: Here’s why Sunny Deol is unwilling to enormously hike his fees after Gadar 2 success; says, “I am not that kind of person”

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National multiplex chains won’t release Leo’s Tamil and Hindi versions in West, North and East India; first show in the country to be played in Gandhinagar at 12:05 am

Thalapathy Vijay’s next film, Leo, will hit screens two days from now, on Thursday, October 19. The excitement is tremendous due to the superstar’s presence and also due to blockbuster filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj’s association as a director. The announcement video and trailers got a rocking response. Down South, the film is all set for a historic opening. Even up North, the advances in certain pockets and theatres is very encouraging. However, Leo will get a limited release in West, North and East India as the three major national multiplex chains – PVR, Inox and Cinepolis – have refused to release the action entertainer.

An exhibition source told Bollywood Hungama, “Earlier, it had come to light that Leo’s Hindi version won’t release in the national chains as it’ll be out on OTT in 4 weeks. Since August 1, 2022, the multiplexes have gone back to the rule of allowing a film to release in their properties if it will be released on a digital platform after 8 weeks. In recent times, the Hindi version of Rajinikanth-starrer Jailer was also released only in non-national chains and single screen theatres as the makers wished to bring it out on an OTT platform in 4 weeks.”

The source continued, “However, the multiplexes allowed the original version to be released in their theatres despite the 4-week rule. With Leo, they have made an exception. They asked the makers to follow the eight-week rule. When they declined, the national chains made it clear that they wouldn’t be able to release the much-awaited film.”

The source remarked, “Interestingly, PVR, Inox and Cinepolis are releasing Leo down South in the original Tamil version.” Another source said, “The makers of Leo asked for 80% share. This is also not acceptable. Nevertheless, the discussions are on and hopefully, the matter will be resolved soon.”

Meanwhile, Leo won’t have midnight or early morning shows in Tamil Nadu due to a government rule. Amusingly, the first show of Leo will take place in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, that too in the Hindi version. Sanelite Cinemas will screen Leo at 12:05 am.

Also Read: Rajinikanth gives his best wishes to Thalapathy Vijay and Lokesh Kanagaraj for Leo: “I wish the film great success”

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Photos: Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and others snapped at Kalina airport

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Kirti Kulhari to make her international feature debut with Sach is Life

Actor Kirti Kulhari is set to go international with her latest feature Sach is Life. The slice-of-life film, based on the extraordinary true events of an Indian immigrant family based out of the US, will mark Kirti’s international debut. Written and directed by Harsh Mahadeshwar, Sach is Life is based on the original life story of the Munshi family. The film is produced by Romila Saraf Bhat, Rahul Bhat, Red Bison Productions located in Princeton, New Jersey.

According to the makers, Sach is Life narrates the compelling tale of a devoted couple who remain united in their determination to provide their three-year-old son, diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a life that he deserves. Kirti Kulhari, who plays the role of the mother, Daisy Munshi, said she is thrilled to star in the film and feels special that Sach is Life marks her international debut.

The actor—known for her powerful performances in projects like Four More Shots Please!, Criminal Justice, Pink and Human—said Sach is Life chronicles a story of rising above one’s circumstances to unleash the “power of unconditional love, celebrate human spirit and to always hold on to that little thing called hope”.

“The makers are from the US but it’s an Indian story. I’m extremely excited to collaborate with a crew from the US and to work in an environment outside of India. I’ll do my best to make it a film that we all are going to be proud of,” Kirti said in a statement.

Sach is Life is gearing to go on floors next year around April. The film will be shot in Kashmir, New Delhi, New Orleans, New Jersey and New York. Kirti said she’s currently in New York and has been prepping for the film for the last two to three months.

“I was in Houston, Texas in August where my writer-director lives. We met up a few times. We started going through the script scene by scene, totally going into the depths of every scene and getting to know the characters and the tone of the film.”

Before Sach is Life goes on floors, Kirti said the plan is to “extensively workshop” and relentlessly work on the script, to bring the inspiring story to life. As part of the prep, she is also scheduled to meet Daisy Munshi, whose character she is set to portray.

“This is also the first time I am playing a real-life character. The family lives in Albany. We are meeting the whole family, especially Daisy ji whose character I am playing and her son, Sachin Munshi. That’s a big part of the prep that I am really looking forward to. I think it will give me a lot of understanding of her story.

“I will also get to understand her personality, just by observing her, her mannerisms. It’s a very challenging, tough, intense role and I know that the only way I can do this is by going all in,” she added.

Sach is Life also co-stars actor Jim Sarbh. Further details about the film are awaited.

Also Read: Kirti Kulhari confirms Khichdi 2; promises sequel will be “tastier, spicier and funnier”

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