Nawazuddin Siddiqui says he didn’t take Manoj Bajpayee seriously as an actor before Bandit Queen: “Pehle toh aivanyi le rahe the hum unko”

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who will next be seen in Jogira Sara Ra Ra, said that he didn’t take Manoj Bajpayee seriously when they worked on a play years before they worked on Gangs Of Wasseypur. This was way before Bajpayee had received critical acclaim for Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen.

 In an interview with Mashable India, Nawazuddin said that it was only after watching the movie that he realized the talent of Bajpayee. “I had done a play with Manoj bhai. Back then, he wasn’t this famous. He was popular in the theatre circuit. I got a part in that play and learnt that the main lead was played by Manoj Bajpayee. After that, he got Bandit Queen and then I got to know who is Manoj Bajpayee! Pehle toh aivanyi le rahe the hum unko (Earlier, I was taking him lightly). He was known in the theatre circuit though, and was among the top five best actors of the time,” he said.

“Vijay Raaz and I used to stand like a tree for two and a half hours! And Manoj bhai was so naughty, he was playing a part of a Koala and a jungle was created on stage — where men would be trees. So, as the Koala, he could come and scratch himself and we would feel ticklish but couldn’t even laugh. Iss tareeke ki badmaashiya karte the,” he added.

Meanwhile, Manoj Bajpayee will star in the ZEE5 project, Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai.

ALSO READ: Manoj Bajpayee recalls working with Shah Rukh Khan and seeing him lose everything at 26; says, “He rebuilt everything”

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EXCLUSIVE: Are Kangana Ranaut’s films flopping because of her controversial statements? Taran Adarsh says, “I genuinely feel that…”

Kangana Ranaut had acquired an image of a successful actress who had box office hits on her own. However, since recent years, her films haven’t been working at the box office. Her last film Dhaakad turned out to be a disaster. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, veteran trade analyst Taran Adarsh spoke about what actually went wrong with her films.

“I think Kangana Ranaut is a brilliant actress,” said Adarsh. “If you see her work from the very beginning, right from her first film Gangster, Woh Lamhe to Dhaakad, which didn’t work at the box office. Kangana was good in those films. Of course, in between there are films that you do because they are commercial and big films where all eyes are on the hero and heroines aren’t given that importance.”

Kangana is known for giving politically controversial statements. Taran Adarsh was asked whether this can be the reason why her films are not working. He said, “I genuinely feel that when a person goes to watch a film, the story going on the screen matters to him. What the actor had said and what is going on in that actor’s personal life is there in your mind but only to an extent. The characters on the screen matter. If the film is good, it will surely succeed.”

Speaking about Dhaakad’s failure, he said, “The writing of Dhaakad was very weak. And it was pitted against a film that became a runaway hit – Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. When Dhaakad flopped, the entire blame fell on Kangana. But I feel Kangana did very well in the movie. People weren’t going and that is a sad part. And it happens with all the actors.”

Citing other recent examples of films of big stars not working out well, Adarsh added, “For example, Akshay Kumar’s Selfiee released but people didn’t go to watch it. Even after the blockbuster success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, people didn’t go for Kartik Aaryan’s next movie Shehzada. He had never given any politically wrong statements. He is also an ‘outsider’ and not a ‘nepo’ kid. You can’t blame anything except the content of the film and the trailer. It (the trailer) is the indicator of things to follow.”

Also Read: Kangana Ranaut claims speaking against ‘anti-nationals’ cost her loss of 20+ brand endorsements and Rs. 30-40 crores per year

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Photos: Pooja Hegde spotted at the gym in Santacruz

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ZEE5 unveils over 100 titles including Huma Qureshi’s Tarla, Aditi Rao Hydari-led Taj: Reign of Revenge season 2, Manoj Bajpayee-led Silence 2 and others

ZEE5 today unveiled a highly anticipated, blockbuster content slate with a line-up of 111+ titles spanning across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bangla, Punjabi and Marathi. Keeping audiences ‘Hooked to 5’, the star-studded event held in Mumbai, celebrated the milestone of five successful years of catering to the entertainment needs of Indians and the South Asian diaspora across the globe in the presence of Bollywood celebrities and industry stalwarts. Staying true to its promise of consistently delivering compelling entertainment content, the slate features an extensive array of genres, from avant-garde thrillers and adrenaline-pumping action to captivating dramas, light-hearted comedies, and fantasy adventures.

The new slate is designed to elevate the content viewing experience with enhanced choices across formats, genres and languages. The lineup also showcases ZEE5’s significant focus on regional content with titles in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bangla, Punjabi and Marathi. Pushing the boundaries of creative storytelling to democratize access to quality entertainment, ZEE5 has expanded its ecosystem through partnerships with prominent content creators and cinematic maestros such as Dharma Productions, Salman Khan Films, Guneet Monga’s Sikhya Entertainment, Bhanushali Studios, The Viral Fever (TVF), Applause Entertainment, Goldie Behl’s Rose Audio Visuals, Vikas Bahl, Vivek Agnihotri, Nagraj Manjule, and Sudhir Mishra, along with powerhouse performers like Manoj Bajpayee, Pankaj Tripathi, Huma Qureshi, Arya, Parambrata Chatterjee, Vijay Sethupathi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Radhika Apte amongst others. The platform’s content portfolio builds a high level of excitement as it brings the world of entertainment to consumers’ screens across the globe, in multiple languages, with diverse emotions and endless experiences to get hooked on to.

Talking about the slate, Mr. Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India said, “2023 holds a significant meaning for us, as we mark the fifth anniversary by presenting a carefully curated line-up featuring the best of talents from the entertainment industry across languages. ZEE5 clocked 100 bn+ streaming minutes in FY’23. This is a testament to the fact that we have grown exponentially by investing in creativity and innovation, enhancing viewing experiences and offering increased value to the viewers. Following the consumer-first philosophy, we are broadening the spectrum of content offerings with a diverse array of genres, formats, languages, and stories. As the platform of choice catering to a wide audience base, we will continue to focus on quality storytelling, & making it accessible across multiple touchpoints. The year has started on an encouraging note, and we are looking forward to audience response to the exciting slate of 111 new titles.”

Punit Misra, President – Content & International Markets, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. said, “As we celebrate ZEE5 @5 and reflect upon why and who we exist for, we realize that today’s youth celebrates life for its variables as opposed to its constants. They seek not to be bracketed with singular identities set in stone, but to be multi-dimensional and ever-evolving. At ZEE5, it is our unwavering mission to stand shoulder to shoulder with our viewers on this path, celebrating their multi-dimensionality through stories that ignite their imagination, stoke their dreams, shape their beliefs and inspire their very being.”

Commenting on the new slate, Nimisha Pandey, Chief Content Officer – Hindi Originals, ZEE5 said, “As ZEE5 reaches its 5-year milestone, we are creating ourselves, one story at a time. It is our endeavour to take our viewers on a journey where they explore multiple dimensions within themselves. It gives us immense joy in bringing stories and characters that take our audiences to new worlds and emotions, that they can sometimes relate to and sometimes escape with. The new slate that we’ve curated brings forth fresh seasons of our most loved series and some new titles that we hope audiences will enjoy. We’re working with some brilliant creators who share our vision and passion of broadening the horizons of storytelling.”

Bringing a bouquet of genres, the much-awaited line-up features sequels of prominent original series like Sunflower S2, Taj: Reign of Revenge, TVF’s Humorously Yours S3 and Aam Aadmi Family S4, The Kashmir Files Unreported, Duranga S2, Mithya S2, The Broken News S2, Guneet Monga’s Gyarah Gyarah (11:11), Sudhir Mishra’s Crime Beat, Direct to digital movies Manoj Bajpayee’s Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai and Silence 2, Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Haddi and Love is Blind, Pankaj Tripathi’s Kadak Singh, Huma Qureshi’s Tarla, Sunny Deol’s post-theatrical Gadar 2; and power-packed regional titles like Vetrimaaran and Vijay Sethupathi’s Viduthalai – Part 1, Arya’s Kathar Basha Endra Muthuramalingam, Nagraj Manjule’s Ghar Banduk Biryani, and more. ZEE5 has bolstered its library with marquee content across languages to solidify its presence across markets and establish a stronger connect with audiences across age groups.

ALSO READ: Manoj Bajpayee on Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai monologue, “I rehearsed more than 100 times”

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EXCLUSIVE: Bhumika Chawla reacts to re-release of her film Simhadri with Jr NTR and SS Rajamouli on the actor’s birthday

While we recently saw her sharing screen space as the wife of Venkatesh Daggubati in the Salman Khan starrer Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, Bhumika Chawla also has a rather impressive South repertoire. The actress has acted with some of the biggest stars in the industry including Mahesh Babu, Thalapathy Vijay, Suriya, Jr NTR, among others. On the occasion of the RRR actor’s birthday, as fans rereleased one of the biggest action entertainers that brought together Jr NTR and S.S. Rajamouli, Simhadri which featured Bhumika Chawla as one of the leading ladies, the actress opened up to Bollywood Hungama about her plans of rewatching it on the big screen.

In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Bhumika Chawla said, “If I get time definitely I would love to see it in theaters,” said the actress as she heard the news of Simhadri re-release. Talking about how she would often watch her movies that rereleased, Bhumika recalled watching Okkadu (2003) starring Mahesh Babu. “I went for Okkadu when it re-released. And when Khushi re-released, I was in the US, so I couldn’t attend. But I saw the reaction videos made and the euphoria that people had; it was beautiful to see,” stated the actress

Further adding about the madness she has experienced during re-release of blockbusters, Bhumika added, “It was so heart-warming that it brought a smile on my face. It is great to know that after two decades, people watch the film and the euphoria is still there.”

For the unversed, Simhadri is an action drama starring Jr NTR in the titular role along with Ankitha Jhaveri also as one of the leading ladies. The film also starred Mukesh Rishi, Nassar, Rahul Dev among others and released on July 9, 2003. It was also later remade in other languages like Kannada, Tamil, and Bengali.

Also Read: S.S. Rajamouli, Jr NTR film Simhadri to re-release in May 2023

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Radhika Madan wins Best Actor Female at UK Asian Film Festival: “It is a surreal feeling”

After Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo and rounds of international film festivals for her film Sanaa, and the release of Kacchey Limbu, Radhika Madan is on the prowl to make a mark with her varied and versatile choices of projects. Winning the Best Actress Award at the UK Asian Film Festival, Radhika Madan also received a standing ovation at the New York Indian Film Festival for Sanaa. At the 25th UK Asian Film Festival, Radhika Madan bagged the Best Actor Female Award for her performance in Sanaa.

Radhika Madan shares, “It is a surreal feeling! The overwhelming response to the film has been truly gratifying and humbling and winning the Best Actress Award for Sanaa at the UK Asian Film Festival is one of my most special personal victories. To go for Sanaa is closest to my heart and most importantly it is a story that needs to be told and heard. I am glad that the film has been resonating with the audience across the globe.”

Recently, filmmaker Sudhanshu Saria’s introspective drama Sanaa starring Radhika Madan opened the UK Asian Film Festival, wherein the film also received a special shout-out from Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the UK.

Sanaa follows the story of a headstrong and ambitious woman (Madan), who is raging against an internal battle that is rooted in unhealed trauma. The film also stars Sohum Shah, Shikha Talsania, and Pooja Bhatt.

Radhika Madan has an interesting lineup of films this year including Soorarai Pottru’s remake tentatively called Production No. 27 co-starring Akshay Kumar, Maddock Entertainment’s Happy Teacher’s Day and Rumi Ki Sharafat.

ALSO READ: Radhika Madan starrer Kacchey Limbu completed its shoot in just 18 days!

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Varun Dhawan–Kriti Sanon starrer Bhediya to premiere on JioCinema on May 26

The wait is finally over as Bhediya finds its OTT destination. The world digital premiere of Bhediya will be on JioCinema and it will be streaming free from May 26. The film stars the dynamic duo Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon. The film released in the theatres in November 2022.

While the movie is set for the digital premiere, a sequel is in the works. At the Jio slate announcement in April 2023, Varun Dhawan confirmed that Bhediya 2 is in the works. He was on stage and performed a song from the movie. Once the rap ended, the title logo of the sequel was shown on the screen. Later, in a sizzle video, it was revealed that Bhediya 2 will release in cinemas in the year 2025.

As Bhediya, the actor will have a crucial role in Stree 2. A source told Bollywood Hungama, “In Bhediya, the characters of Stree enter towards the very end and had nothing to do with the main conflict in the narrative. But in Stree’s sequel, Varun Dhawan will have a crucial role to play. It will be a special appearance but it’ll be something that will add to the fun and madness in Stree 2.”

Bhediya is part of a horror comedy universe, backed by Jio Studios and Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films, which also comprises Stree (2018), starring Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao.

Bhediya also starred Kriti Sanon and was the story of a man who turns into a wolf after being bitten by a wild creature. It was directed by Amar Kaushik, who also directed Stree and he will also direct Stree 2.

ALSO READ: Varun Dhawan to play a CRUCIAL but brief role in Stree 2; Unlike Bhediya, the crossover in the Shraddha Kapoor-starrer to be an important part of the narrative

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