Following Oscar triumph, MM Keeravani tests positive for COVID-19, “I am under complete bed rest”

The extensive travel and the ongoing excitement in the USA leading up to the Oscars seem to have taken their collective toll on maverick music maker M M Keeravani. He is now down with COVID-19. The veteran music composer took home the Best Original Song award for ‘Naatu Naatu’ for filmmaker SS Rajamouli’s Telugu action entertainer RRR.

Speaking exclusively to Bollywood Hungama, Keeravani said, “All the travel and excitement have caught up with me. I am down with COVID and under medication and complete bed rest.”

He looked back at all the excitement leading up to the Oscar with exhaustion and exhilaration. “It was all very unreal,” he said. “We would keep winning at every awards ceremony in the US. ‘Naatu Naatu’ became a global phenomenon in no time at all!”

While he is still to decide what to do with his newly-earned global fame, he knows what he is not going to do. “No more ‘Naatu Naatu’ compositions. I’ve never repeated myself in any of my compositions. I don’t intend to do so now, no matter how tempting the offer,” says Keeravani resolutely.

Apart from the Oscars, ‘Naatu Naatu’ also won the Best Original Song at the 80^th Golden Globes earlier this year.

For the unversed, RRR starred Ram Charan and Jr NTR in leading roles. The film, based in the 1920s India, was a fictional tale about revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem and their valiant efforts at rescuing a tribal girl abducted by the British.

Also Read: S.S. Rajamouli and M.M. Keeravani turn emotional as Richard Carpenter dedicates a special message to RRR team

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Rani Mukerji opens up on the cynicism Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway faced before its release; says, “It was really scary because…”

Bollywood actress Rani Mukerji, who has been in the business for more than 20 years, has always displayed her mettle via her potent performances. She has portrayed a variety of remarkable characters, ranging from the girl next door to a fearless and ferocious officer. Adding another addition to the same, in her recent release, Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway, Rani essayed the role of a doting mother. Rani spoke out about the cynicism around the movie’s release along with other obstacles the film faced.

In a recent interview, Rani told Variety, “I truly believe that a good film will always find its audience, regardless of what the genre is. There was a lot of challenge for our film, because the new fashionable word that is going on is OTT ‘content’ – it is something that has bothered me a lot. Because I do believe that cinema is an experience to be had in the theaters.”

Further speaking about the cynicism, the film faced she said, “There was so much cynicism before the release of the film and so many naysayers saying that fashionable term OTT content. So, it was really scary because when you are all alone, fighting this cynicism, I was just hoping and praying that the audience validates my belief in good cinema. And the audience has done that.”

For those not in the know, Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway is directed by Ashima Chibber which is inspired by the real-life story of Sagarika Chakraborty and her husband. The film talks about the two year battle of a mother, who fought with the Norweigan Child Welfare Services to retrieve her own children, who were taken away from her. The case had gained attention globally with the Indian government and embassy also intervening in the matter. The film released in theatres on March 17, 2023.

Also Read: Rani Mukerji on Pradeep Sarkar’s death, “This is just so unexpected, we were planning to meet”

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BTS’ Jungkook announced as new global brand ambassador for Calvin Klein, see photos and videos

BTS’ singer-songwriter Jungkook has been announced as the new global brand ambassador for the luxury brand Calvin Klein. Under the lens of Park Jong Ha, the pop sensation has not only flaunted his ab-tastic body in the new campaign, but he also exudes oomph in the denim-on-denim look from Calvin Klein’s Spring 2023 collection. The 26-year-old singer will be seen in Calvin Klein Keans and Calvin Klein Underwear campaign shots.

As reported by Vogue Hong Kong, the singer said, “I have been a fan of Calvin Klein for a long time, and I’m thrilled to be their newest global ambassador. This partnership is very special, as Calvin Klein’s heritage and brand values resonate with me. My music is how I communicate with my fans around the world, and I see this partnership as an opportunity to connect with them in a new way. I’m incredibly excited for people to see a new side of me in this first campaign for the brand.”

 

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The teaser announcement was made on Monday with glimpses of Jungkook in Calvin Klein Keans and Calvin Klein Underwear. The official announcement will be made by the brand on Tuesday.

 

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Following BTS’ J-Hope’s Louis Vuitton collaboration, Jimin became the global ambassador for Tiffany & Co. and Dior, and SUGA’s collab with Valentino, Jungkook becomes the fourth member to bag a luxury brand partnership.

Meanwhile, on the music front, BTS members are on working on solo ventures after halting group activities last year. Three members have released solo albums till now while others are prepping for the same.

ALSO READ: BTS members RM, SUGA, J-Hope and Jungkook reunite with Jin during his military vacation; Jimin and V miss photo session, see pic

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Netflix gets legal notice over derogatory remark on Madhuri Dixit in The Big Bang Theory episode; action demanded to remove episode

Author and political analyst Mithun Vijay Kumar has sent a legal notice to Netflix asking the streaming giant to remove one of the episodes of its popular show The Big Bang Theory. In the first episode of season two, the character Raj Koothrapalli, played by Kunal Nayyar, uses derogatory remarks against Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit.

In the legal notice, Mithun Vijay Kumar pointed out that the remarks made by Raj Koothrapalli are not only offensive but also defamatory. The notice states that such content can have a negative impact on society, particularly in perpetuating harmful stereotypes against women. He further states that the content promotes sexism and misogyny which is not acceptable in any form.

The legal notice demands that Netflix remove the episode immediately and failure to do so would result in legal action for promoting discrimination against women. The legal notice has been sent to Netflix’s office in Mumbai. If Netflix fails to respond or does not comply with the demands made in the legal notice, Mithun Vijay Kumar has stated that he will take further legal action against the streaming giant.

On Twitter, he wrote, “Recently, I came across an episode of the show Big Bang Theory on Netflix where Kunal Nayyar’s character uses an offensive and derogatory term to refer to the legendary Bollywood actress @MadhuriDixit. As a fan of Madhuri Dixit since childhood, I was deeply disturbed by the dialogue. I found it highly derogatory and offensive towards Indian culture and women. So I asked my lawyer to send a legal notice to Netflix, requesting that they remove the episode from their platform. It’s important to hold media companies accountable for the content they distribute, and I hope that @NetflixIndia will take this matter seriously.”

Recently, I came across an episode of the show Big Bang Theory on Netflix where Kunal Nayyar’s character uses an offensive and derogatory term to refer to the legendary Bollywood actress @MadhuriDixit. As a fan of Madhuri Dixit since childhood, I was deeply disturbed by the… pic.twitter.com/pvRCKd5Ne4

— Mithun Vijay Kumar (@MVJonline) March 22, 2023

Speaking about the matter, Mithun Vijay Kumar said, “It is important to hold companies like Netflix accountable for their actions and to ensure that they are sensitive to the cultural values and sentiments of the communities they serve. I strongly believe that streaming service providers have a responsibility to carefully curate the content that they offer on their platforms. It is their duty to ensure that the material they present does not include derogatory, offensive, or defamatory content. I was deeply troubled by the use of a derogatory term in one of the shows on Netflix – Big Bang Theory. This term was used in reference to the acclaimed actress Madhuri Dixit, and it was not only offensive and deeply hurtful but also showed a lack of regard for her dignity. I strongly believe that streaming service providers must take such issues seriously and act quickly to address any instances of offensive or defamatory content. Furthermore, streaming service providers should be proactive in preventing such content from being streamed. This can be achieved through clear guidelines and rigorous screening processes for all the content published. Ultimately, streaming services have a significant influence over the content that is consumed by millions of individuals, and with this influence comes a responsibility to ensure that the content they offer is respectful, inclusive, and free from harmful stereotypes. I hope that this incident will serve as a wake-up call to all streaming services providers to work towards creating a more equitable and respectful media landscape.”

The Big Bang Theory, which was created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, premiered in 2007 and ran for 12 seasons. It ended in 2019.

ALSO READ: Snehalata Dixit, mother of Madhuri Dixit passed away today

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20 Years of Ek Aur Ek Gyarah EXCLUSIVE: “We used to provide different type of performance then,” recalls Ashish Vidyarthi

The pair of filmmaker David Dhawan and actor Govinda in the 1990s and early 2000s created a number of comedies that are remembered even today. Films like Raja Babu, Hero No. 1, Coolie No. 1, Saajan Chale Sasural, Deewana Mastana, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, etc, succeed in tickling our funny bone even today when we come across them on TV.

David Dhawan also brought the pair of Govinda and Sanjay Dutt together successfully in films like Haseena Maan Jayegi, Jodi No. 1 and Ek Aur Ek Gyarah.

Today marks 20 years for Ek Aur Ek Gyarah. Produced by Subhash Ghai’s Mukta Arts, the film saw Govinda and Dutt play two good-hearted conmen Tara and Sitara who are forced to run away from baddies Cobra (Ashish Vidyarthi) and Panther (Gulshan Grover) after entering their bad books. Tara and Sitara take temporary refuge in the bungalow owned by Major Ram Singh (Jackie Shroff) and his family. But they are soon required to face their demons in unexpected ways.

On the film’s 20^th anniversary, Ashish Vidyarthi, who played one of the baddies in the film named Cobra, told Bollywood Hungama while going down memory lane, “It (Ek Aur Ek Gyarah) was an extraordinary experience. When Ek Aur Ek Gyarah was being made, at that time we used to provide a different kind of performance. It had slapstick comedy, and the story moved ahead with this type of comedy.”

Highlighting the special requirements of baddies in such David Dhawan movies, he added. “You are a villain, but you also need to do comedy. All these films are close to my heart. Today when people come to me and praise my work for these films, I feel like, oh we did some good work back then. It’s a great feeling.”

Vidyarthi is also all praise for the experience of working with Govinda and Sanjay Dutt in the bygone era. “It was amazing,” he said. “I did a lot of films with them in that period. I also played Vitthal Kanya (in Vaastav) with Sanjay Dutt. There are lovely memories.”

Throughout his career, Vidyarthi has acted in hardcore serious films and at the same time not shied away from doing mindless comedies with the likes of David Dhawan. He tells us that doing diverse type of roles is important for him as an actor. “I always feel that every time an actor has to keep showing his different avatars. I am very happy that I am able to do that,” he said.

In a 20-year-old pre-release interview with Rediff, Govinda had spoken about the chances of Ek Aur Ek Gyarah working. He had said, “A lot depends on how Subhashji promotes the film and how the audience receives it. I would say David has recaptured the likable quality of his early films like Shola Aur Shabnam and Aankhen in Ek Aur Ek Gyarah. I think it will work. We have no more films on the floor. He kept re-working the script and re-editing the film. He is very sincere. You know, when I saw Shola Aur Shabnam and Aankhen, I did not anticipate that they would become such hits. They looked like B-plus projects.”

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Ashish Vidyarthi has a message for casting directors; says, “Main zinda hoon dost, don’t wait for me to die”

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How Gangs of Wasseypur ended the feud between Manoj Bajpayee and Anurag Kashyap

Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya (1998) turned out to be a turning point in Manoj Bajpayee’s career. His role as Bhiku Mhatre announced his big arrival in Bollywood. Similarly, years later, Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012) brought another change to his career and his quirky character of Sardar Khan became immortal.

But not many people would know that before Gangs Of Wasseypur, there was a feud between Bajpayee and Kashyap and it ended because of the 2012 film.

Bajpayee revealed this during a conversation with Humans of Bombay. He said, “I got a call around 10:30 pm. That was the time I was about to retire for the day. It was a call from Anurag Kashyap, who I had not spoken to for many years. We had some conflict issues which had not been sorted out, but that one call kind of demolished all the issues.”

Sharing further, he added, “Anurag said he has something to offer to me and would I like to read it. So, he sent me his car, I went to his office, he read out the script to me. And I said, ‘Please order a red wine bottle.’ He ordered two bottles instead. We toasted and that is how Sardar Khan happened.”

Interestingly, Gangs Of Wasseypur helped a lot of actors get noticed, other than Bajpayee. These include, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Richa Chaddha, Pankaj Tripathi, Huma Qureshi, Jaideep Ahlawat, Rajkummar Rao, Vineet Kumar Singh, etc.

Bajpayee was last seen in the film Gulmohar, which also starred Sharmila Tagore, Amol Palekar, Simran and Suraj Sharma.

Also Read: Anurag Kashyap claims that he was fired from Tere Naam as he did not want Salman Khan to shave his chest

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Amitabh Bachchan cannot wait to get back to shooting

The process of healing after Amitabh Bachchan’s recent injury on the sets of Nag Ashwin’s Project K in Hyderabad, is taking longer than expected. “Even when the ribs are repaired, he won’t be allowed to shoot for a while,” says a close family friend. Mr Bachchan who will turn 81 in October, is raring to get back on his feet.

“He is getting extremely restless. It’s been three weeks since he has been advised complete bedrest. He’s done with his quota of binge-watching and reading. He wants to get back to shooting ASAP, which doctors have advised him against,” the family friend reveals.

It is likely that the mega-star, known to have suffered near-fatal accidents and illnesses in the past, would get back on his feet and resume shooting against doctors’ advice.

In an interview in the past Mr Bachchan had said this writer, “It is only when I am at work shooting that I feel a complete sense of being alive. There is something about the smell of a studio, the sound of the camera and that magical moment when the director calls, ‘Action’ that is indescribable.”

Also Read: Amitabh Bachchan resumes work already post rib cartilage injury, “There must be desire and effort to repair”

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