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Raghu-Rajiv to host new reality show

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Raghu-Rajiv to host new reality show

Raghu Ram and Rajiv Lakshman of MTV Roadies fame will host "Skulls and Roses", a reality show about romance and adventure.

Amazon Prime Video announced the unscripted Amazon Prime Original series, "Skulls and Roses", in collaboration with Raghu and Rajiv's Monozygotic, on Wednesday.

The show will blur the lines between romance and adventure reality shows to take contestants through a daring journey.

Participants are invited to form couples and bonds of love on 'Rose Island', they are then tested for their authenticity and fortitude on 'Skull Island'.

The test is to find out which is stronger – the instinct to love or the instinct for self-preservation.

"After announcing our foray into reality shows with comedy and music, we have seen great enthusiasm from Prime members," Vijay Subramaniam, Director, Content, Amazon Prime Video India, said in a statement.

"We are excited to add even more variety to our offering and in collaboration with Monozygotic, bring a new bold concept to the unscripted content space that will continue to reinvent the way customers consume content in India."

Speaking about the show, Raghu said: "In today's age of dating apps, young couples are finding it increasingly difficult to deal with the problems of a committed relationship."

"Consequently, more and more youngsters are making 'stress-free' life-choices of self-love and self-growth. This generation is increasingly facing a dilemma of 'we vs me'. 'Skulls and Roses' magnifies both aspects of this dilemma as well as the consequences of their choices."

"What will you choose if 'love' is the best chance to stay in paradise, but 'survival' can only happen alone? I think that is an intriguing concept for us to delve into," he added.

On the collaboration, Rajiv said: "It's a first-of-its-kind format where the best of two opposite worlds come together on a reality show. With this venture we bring the excitement of reality shows, on-demand, to a personal screen at your home, college or commute." Play weebly hacked unblocked games . First and the biggest hacked weebly unblocked website.

"The concept is very intriguing and bold and we are thrilled to be able to breathe life into this project in collaboration with Amazon Prime Video."

R Balki: The term gender equality is a cliche

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R Balki: The term gender equality is a cliche

All humans are equal and there's no reason to be loud about one specific gender, says acclaimed filmmaker R. Balki, whose PAD MAN — about a man focused on women's menstrual hygiene — is releasing on Friday.

Whether it was PAA or KI & KA, Balki has always projected women characters as exceptionally strong, and without having the tag of a woman-centric film.

Asked if that is his way of celebrating feminism and gender equality, Balki told IANS: "I think the term gender equality is a cliche. People are equal. Whether it is rich or poor, black or white, man or woman, and people with different beliefs — we are equal.

Pointing out that a relationship is about the dynamics between two people, Balki said society tends to stereotype the roles. "We have preconceived notions" about how a man and a woman should behave.

"I don't think about making a woman-centric film that way. Women are the progressive thinkers — some of them are outspoken, some are not, but in their heart, they all think progressively. I see no reason to project them as backward in a few films and then as progressive in other films."

Citing an example, Balki, who turned from a successful ad man to director, said: "The other day, I was reading somewhere that a mother-in-law motivated and encouraged her daughter-in-law to finish higher education and pursue a career. So you see, these people exist. We stereotype a mother-in-law."

Does he make an effort to project the man-woman equation as complementing each other?

"(It is) not exactly a conscious effort, but that is how I think. My films are a reflection of my thoughts. I want to capture things the way they are because that is the beauty of life," he said.

"For instance, in PAD MAN, Radhika (actress Radhika Apte) is playing a conservative housewife. But if you look closer, she is not a backward-thinking woman. She is just living in a society where even though she knows certain things are wrong, she cannot change the world.

"We tend to show people are fighting to come out of a situation, but no, that is not always true. We don't have to find one wrong thing in a person, and highlight it. It does not have to be that loud all the time. It is about how we can complement each other to find a way to celebrate life… that's the beauty."

The narrative of PAD MAN is based on the short story titled 'The Sanitary Man of Sacred Land', about the real-life hero Arunachalam Muruganantham, who invented a low-cost sanitary pad-making machine.

Asked if he made any changes to the story while adapting it for the big screen, Balki said: "Yes, there are some major changes. I introduced the character of Sonam (actress Sonam Kapoor) in the film. I added some funny incidents in the story and some other little changes. I took some amount of cinematic liberty.

"Look, the film is not a documentary. It is a feature film. When I spoke to Muruganantham, I told him that I want to make a film that, after watching, you should feel, 'I wish I led my life like this.' So as a director, I kept the core of the story and his personality intact, but made certain changes to make it more interesting to watch as a film."

This is the first time Balki has worked with Akshay. He calls him an effortless actor.

"Akshay is cool. I have so much love and respect for him. He is one of those actors who does not talk about world cinema and intellectualise the process of acting and filmmaking; but when on set, as the camera rolls, he is up with his best game. He is a so sharp and effortless as an actor, I love that about him," Balki signed off.

PAD MAN is releasing on Friday.

R Balki: The term gender equality is a cliche

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0
R Balki: The term gender equality is a cliche

All humans are equal and there's no reason to be loud about one specific gender, says acclaimed filmmaker R. Balki, whose PAD MAN — about a man focused on women's menstrual hygiene — is releasing on Friday.

Whether it was PAA or KI & KA, Balki has always projected women characters as exceptionally strong, and without having the tag of a woman-centric film.

Asked if that is his way of celebrating feminism and gender equality, Balki told IANS: "I think the term gender equality is a cliche. People are equal. Whether it is rich or poor, black or white, man or woman, and people with different beliefs — we are equal.

Pointing out that a relationship is about the dynamics between two people, Balki said society tends to stereotype the roles. "We have preconceived notions" about how a man and a woman should behave.

"I don't think about making a woman-centric film that way. Women are the progressive thinkers — some of them are outspoken, some are not, but in their heart, they all think progressively. I see no reason to project them as backward in a few films and then as progressive in other films."

Citing an example, Balki, who turned from a successful ad man to director, said: "The other day, I was reading somewhere that a mother-in-law motivated and encouraged her daughter-in-law to finish higher education and pursue a career. So you see, these people exist. We stereotype a mother-in-law."

Does he make an effort to project the man-woman equation as complementing each other?

"(It is) not exactly a conscious effort, but that is how I think. My films are a reflection of my thoughts. I want to capture things the way they are because that is the beauty of life," he said.

"For instance, in PAD MAN, Radhika (actress Radhika Apte) is playing a conservative housewife. But if you look closer, she is not a backward-thinking woman. She is just living in a society where even though she knows certain things are wrong, she cannot change the world.

"We tend to show people are fighting to come out of a situation, but no, that is not always true. We don't have to find one wrong thing in a person, and highlight it. It does not have to be that loud all the time. It is about how we can complement each other to find a way to celebrate life… that's the beauty."

The narrative of PAD MAN is based on the short story titled 'The Sanitary Man of Sacred Land', about the real-life hero Arunachalam Muruganantham, who invented a low-cost sanitary pad-making machine.

Asked if he made any changes to the story while adapting it for the big screen, Balki said: "Yes, there are some major changes. I introduced the character of Sonam (actress Sonam Kapoor) in the film. I added some funny incidents in the story and some other little changes. I took some amount of cinematic liberty.

"Look, the film is not a documentary. It is a feature film. When I spoke to Muruganantham, I told him that I want to make a film that, after watching, you should feel, 'I wish I led my life like this.' So as a director, I kept the core of the story and his personality intact, but made certain changes to make it more interesting to watch as a film."

This is the first time Balki has worked with Akshay. He calls him an effortless actor.

"Akshay is cool. I have so much love and respect for him. He is one of those actors who does not talk about world cinema and intellectualise the process of acting and filmmaking; but when on set, as the camera rolls, he is up with his best game. He is a so sharp and effortless as an actor, I love that about him," Balki signed off.

PAD MAN is releasing on Friday.

Michael B. Jordon: We knew BLACK PANTHER is relatable, accessible to today’s people

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Michael B. Jordon: We knew BLACK PANTHER is relatable, accessible to today’s people

Actor Michael B. Jordon, who essays Erik Stevens a.k.a Killmonger in the film BLACK PANTHER has said that he and the film's director Ryan Coogler knew that the project was relevant and in sync with today's individuals.

BLACK PANTHER is among the first films by the house of Marvel Studios which predominantly has a black cast and also shows a number of strong women of substance who work as the protagonist T'Challa's (Chadwick Boseman) allies.

Jordon told the media in a group interview here: "It is unique to our relationship. When it comes to the laying our trust, I know he (Coogler) will not put me in a situation that is not beneficial for me or for us. When it comes to that stuff… We knew that this project… The significance, our culture, our history… African American history and culture and we want to put it in a vehicle that could be relatable and accessible to the people of today.

"Killmonger's perspective and TChalla's perspective… two sides of an argument of a conversation and both have a valid argument, depending where you are sitting on the table and what you are taking from it."

Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, BLACK PANTHER also features Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Forest Whittaker and Martin Freeman among others.

The film is scheduled to release in India on February 16.

Michael B. Jordon: We knew BLACK PANTHER is relatable, accessible to today’s people

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Michael B. Jordon: We knew BLACK PANTHER is relatable, accessible to today’s people

Actor Michael B. Jordon, who essays Erik Stevens a.k.a Killmonger in the film BLACK PANTHER has said that he and the film's director Ryan Coogler knew that the project was relevant and in sync with today's individuals.

BLACK PANTHER is among the first films by the house of Marvel Studios which predominantly has a black cast and also shows a number of strong women of substance who work as the protagonist T'Challa's (Chadwick Boseman) allies.

Jordon told the media in a group interview here: "It is unique to our relationship. When it comes to the laying our trust, I know he (Coogler) will not put me in a situation that is not beneficial for me or for us. When it comes to that stuff… We knew that this project… The significance, our culture, our history… African American history and culture and we want to put it in a vehicle that could be relatable and accessible to the people of today.

"Killmonger's perspective and TChalla's perspective… two sides of an argument of a conversation and both have a valid argument, depending where you are sitting on the table and what you are taking from it."

Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, BLACK PANTHER also features Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Forest Whittaker and Martin Freeman among others.

The film is scheduled to release in India on February 16.

Ajay Devgn: Staying relevant in industry is difficult

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Ajay Devgn: Staying relevant in industry is difficult

Bollywood actor-producer Ajay Devgn, who has spent over two decades in filmdom, says staying relevant in the industry is a constant struggle.

"It is difficult to stay relevant in industry. You just cannot take things easily. You have to work hard for it and if you achieve something, it doesn't mean it will last with you forever. You have to keep struggling and be where you are and try to move forward till you can because there will be point where you will start moving backwards," Ajay said at the trailer launch of RAID here.

Ajay has been setting benchmarks with his roles in films like SINGHAM and DRISHYAM.

On RAID, he said: "I don't know about the benchmark or perception that this movie might create, but the real struggle with film was that the character is very heroic, but real at the same time. We tried to keep it real even with the punchlines. It doesn't feel you're watching a movie. The challenge was to follow the character as realistically as possible."

The film, which also features Ileana D'Cruz, is set in the 1980s era. It tells the story of an income tax officer.

"Especially during 1980s' era, when the environment wasn't good, it was not easy. I am sure Ritesh (Shah) and Rajkumar Gupta can tell you incidents when income tax officers were brutally murdered. They use to go through a very hard time," he said.

Ajay said the film's makers interacted with real income tax officers to establish the part.

As the movie is based on income tax, sharing some tips for fans on paying their taxes, Ajay said: "I am sure people will cuss me later for saying this, but the film is right on the point, where it says that you should be fair about tax. If you earn, then pay the tax. Sometimes the fault lies on both the sides, tax payer and government, but both should be fair about it."

RAID is scheduled for a worldwide release on March 16.

Ajay Devgn: Staying relevant in industry is difficult

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Ajay Devgn: Staying relevant in industry is difficult

Bollywood actor-producer Ajay Devgn, who has spent over two decades in filmdom, says staying relevant in the industry is a constant struggle.

"It is difficult to stay relevant in industry. You just cannot take things easily. You have to work hard for it and if you achieve something, it doesn't mean it will last with you forever. You have to keep struggling and be where you are and try to move forward till you can because there will be point where you will start moving backwards," Ajay said at the trailer launch of RAID here.

Ajay has been setting benchmarks with his roles in films like SINGHAM and DRISHYAM.

On RAID, he said: "I don't know about the benchmark or perception that this movie might create, but the real struggle with film was that the character is very heroic, but real at the same time. We tried to keep it real even with the punchlines. It doesn't feel you're watching a movie. The challenge was to follow the character as realistically as possible."

The film, which also features Ileana D'Cruz, is set in the 1980s era. It tells the story of an income tax officer.

"Especially during 1980s' era, when the environment wasn't good, it was not easy. I am sure Ritesh (Shah) and Rajkumar Gupta can tell you incidents when income tax officers were brutally murdered. They use to go through a very hard time," he said.

Ajay said the film's makers interacted with real income tax officers to establish the part.

As the movie is based on income tax, sharing some tips for fans on paying their taxes, Ajay said: "I am sure people will cuss me later for saying this, but the film is right on the point, where it says that you should be fair about tax. If you earn, then pay the tax. Sometimes the fault lies on both the sides, tax payer and government, but both should be fair about it."

RAID is scheduled for a worldwide release on March 16.

Kriti Sanon: Failure makes you realise the value of success

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Kriti Sanon: Failure makes you realise the value of success

Actress Kriti Sanon, who featured in some of the biggest hits of 2017 but also experienced a few disappointments, says that failures make her realise the value of success and keeps her grounded.

"I think when you go through a failure, you also realise the value of success and it also somewhere keeps you grounded," Kriti told IANS in an e-mail interview when asked how she coped with the bad times in her life.

"It also gives you a reality check — that there are going to be ups and downs in life and it's not going to be smooth always; but as long as you're doing what you believe in, you're doing things for a right reason. I'm taking up a film because I genuinely love it or genuinely want to work with those people, or I love the character — as long as I'm true to that, it doesn't matter.

"I feel successes and failures are easily forgotten and you move out of it… what you learn in the process is much more important," added the actress, whose films DILWALE and RAABTA did not do great business at the box-office, but whose BAREILLY KI BARFI was a roaring success.

"There are too many people around who will try to pull you down. Who will try to discourage you and tell you it's too big a dream and you can't do it… but I think you need to have a filter and constantly remind yourself how much you love doing what you do so that you never give up on hope," she said.

Kriti is currently a part of Parachute Jasmine's "Love Jatao, Shine Jagao" campaign which intends to make people realise that when you invest in something and show love to it, it shines — be it your talent or your hair.

"I think this campaign is actually something I completely believe in and that has been my motto in life — 'to love jatao' to your talent and, if you really want to achieve something in life, it will eventually blossom and get you there," said Kriti, who made her Bollywood debut with HEROPANTI in 2014.

Talking about the hurdles that she faced in making it big in the industry, she said the main thing was the "mental hurdle".

"It was all about insecurities… about having a safe career. And me being a good student and all… to leave the job offers and go into an industry which was so uncertain, where so many people are trying out their luck," said Kriti.

"So, I guess the first hurdle was to believe in myself; that I could do it and I really wanted to do it. While I was modelling and doing TV commercials, I realised that I could act and that I enjoyed doing that. So, I wanted to give it a chance and go ahead with what my heart wanted to do."

So what has been her shine mantra?

"I think I'll say my shine mantra has been giving all my heart and expressing love for whatever I do in life… and putting in my 200 per cent, and also enjoying the process.

"I think it's very important to enjoy what you're doing and ensure you invest in your talent because when you are happy doing what you do, you give it a lot more and you gain a lot more from it," said Kriti.

[By Nivedita]

Kriti Sanon: Failure makes you realise the value of success

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0
Kriti Sanon: Failure makes you realise the value of success

Actress Kriti Sanon, who featured in some of the biggest hits of 2017 but also experienced a few disappointments, says that failures make her realise the value of success and keeps her grounded.

"I think when you go through a failure, you also realise the value of success and it also somewhere keeps you grounded," Kriti told IANS in an e-mail interview when asked how she coped with the bad times in her life.

"It also gives you a reality check — that there are going to be ups and downs in life and it's not going to be smooth always; but as long as you're doing what you believe in, you're doing things for a right reason. I'm taking up a film because I genuinely love it or genuinely want to work with those people, or I love the character — as long as I'm true to that, it doesn't matter.

"I feel successes and failures are easily forgotten and you move out of it… what you learn in the process is much more important," added the actress, whose films DILWALE and RAABTA did not do great business at the box-office, but whose BAREILLY KI BARFI was a roaring success.

"There are too many people around who will try to pull you down. Who will try to discourage you and tell you it's too big a dream and you can't do it… but I think you need to have a filter and constantly remind yourself how much you love doing what you do so that you never give up on hope," she said.

Kriti is currently a part of Parachute Jasmine's "Love Jatao, Shine Jagao" campaign which intends to make people realise that when you invest in something and show love to it, it shines — be it your talent or your hair.

"I think this campaign is actually something I completely believe in and that has been my motto in life — 'to love jatao' to your talent and, if you really want to achieve something in life, it will eventually blossom and get you there," said Kriti, who made her Bollywood debut with HEROPANTI in 2014.

Talking about the hurdles that she faced in making it big in the industry, she said the main thing was the "mental hurdle".

"It was all about insecurities… about having a safe career. And me being a good student and all… to leave the job offers and go into an industry which was so uncertain, where so many people are trying out their luck," said Kriti.

"So, I guess the first hurdle was to believe in myself; that I could do it and I really wanted to do it. While I was modelling and doing TV commercials, I realised that I could act and that I enjoyed doing that. So, I wanted to give it a chance and go ahead with what my heart wanted to do."

So what has been her shine mantra?

"I think I'll say my shine mantra has been giving all my heart and expressing love for whatever I do in life… and putting in my 200 per cent, and also enjoying the process.

"I think it's very important to enjoy what you're doing and ensure you invest in your talent because when you are happy doing what you do, you give it a lot more and you gain a lot more from it," said Kriti.

[By Nivedita]

PAD MAN co-producer Prernaa Arora: Zero tolerance for gender prejudices

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PAD MAN co-producer Prernaa Arora: Zero tolerance for gender prejudices

It's not such an easy journey to make for a woman in Bollywood, says Prernaa Arora, who has established her name as a producer with two back-to-back hits RUSTOM and TOILET: EK PREM KATHA to her credit. As her third project PAD MAN is about to be unveiled, she looks at the future not as a female producer but as direct competition for the other Bollywood producers.

Prernaa's father Virendra Arora was a producer to reckon with. But she had to start from scratch. There were no successful female producers before her. Except maybe Shabnam Kapoor.

"Yes, I've heard of her. This is a very tough job for a woman. There are no female producers per se, unless you count the actresses like Priyanka Chopra and Anushka Shrma who have turned producer after attaining success as actors," Prernaa said.

Prernaa had no such transitional plans. "It was straight to production for me. Luckily, I started with a superstar as disciplined and generous as Akshay Kumar sir in 'Rustom'. It can't get any better than him."

On the journey ahead, she said: "No one is going to be extra-kind to you just because you are a woman producer. It's all for himself or herself in the entertainment industry. And I'm proud to say I am making my way through my chosen profession without having to play the feminine card."

She has no patience with gender discrimination.

"One hears so much these days about women in the entertainment business being exploited. Of course, there are Harvey Weinsteins in Bollywood too. One of my ambitions is to make our film industry a safe place for women to work in," she said.

A part of her dream scheme to eradicate gender discrimination is to do films that address themselves to the issue of discrimination.

"PAD MAN is about menstrual hygiene, a topic that a large population of our women shy away from addressing. We hope to open up a debate, eliminate the inhibitions that obstruct a healthy conversation on the subject of sanitary napkins.

"Thanks to the presence of Akshay sir in PAD MAN and R.Balki sir as our director, so many known faces have come forward to promote our cause. This is the kind of cinema I want to do."

On the anvil are projects with Shah Rukh Khan, Ranveer Singh, Varun Dhawan, Shahid Kapoor.

"And why are you forgetting Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Deepika Padukone, the female superstars of Bollywood ? They are both playing the lead for my productions in solidly-written films that do justice to their presence. I'll never produce a film where the woman is weak, whiny or wimpy, because that's not the way I am in real life."

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