Director Ken Ghosh, who has helmed web series 'Haq Se' which has Kashmir as the backdrop, says that he chose the place because they wanted a cold place and one which had "constant tension".

At an event here on Thursday to promote the show, Ghosh was asked why he chose Kashmir as the backdrop.

He said: "In this project, I came in when scripting and most of the casting was already done. It was set in Kashmir and I agreed to it because we have adapted this show from Louisa May Alcott's novel 'Little Women', which was set in a cold place.

"It is because when an external environment is cold, then the family comes together to create warmth. So, that was a very layered thing and the second thing is that 'Little Women' is set against the civil war of America, so we needed a place which had constant tension and Kashmir had that."

Has he attempted to show the socio-political scenario of Kashmir though his web series?

"This is more of a story of four sisters. It's an emotional family story and the politics of Kashmir is only the backdrop of the show. We are not commenting that this is right or that is wrong. Our journey is about the people of Kashmir and what they go through, the people who want to live a full and proper life and it's about a family of four girls and their mother and what they do."

Ghosh's directorial debut was ISHQ VISHK.

Talking about the difference in shooting a web series and a film, as well as about the emergence of the digital medium, Ghosh said: "The major difference is in writing, because in films, you have one interval but in a web series, after each episode, there is one interval.

"But even for a web series, our approach towards it was that of a film. I feel both are fun. You can have fun shooting a film as much as in a web series. I feel you don't have control over fate of your final product but at least the process should be fun. I feel digital medium is not future, it's the present. Digital is here to stay."

'Haq Se' stars Rajeev Khandelwal, Simone Singh, Rukhsar, Surveen Chawla, Pavail Gulati, Aanchal Sharma and Nikeesha Rangwal. It will air on the ALT Balaji platform from mid-February.

Director Ken Ghosh, who has helmed web series 'Haq Se' which has Kashmir as the backdrop, says that he chose the place because they wanted a cold place and one which had "constant tension".

At an event here on Thursday to promote the show, Ghosh was asked why he chose Kashmir as the backdrop.

He said: "In this project, I came in when scripting and most of the casting was already done. It was set in Kashmir and I agreed to it because we have adapted this show from Louisa May Alcott's novel 'Little Women', which was set in a cold place.

"It is because when an external environment is cold, then the family comes together to create warmth. So, that was a very layered thing and the second thing is that 'Little Women' is set against the civil war of America, so we needed a place which had constant tension and Kashmir had that."

Has he attempted to show the socio-political scenario of Kashmir though his web series?

"This is more of a story of four sisters. It's an emotional family story and the politics of Kashmir is only the backdrop of the show. We are not commenting that this is right or that is wrong. Our journey is about the people of Kashmir and what they go through, the people who want to live a full and proper life and it's about a family of four girls and their mother and what they do."

Ghosh's directorial debut was ISHQ VISHK.

Talking about the difference in shooting a web series and a film, as well as about the emergence of the digital medium, Ghosh said: "The major difference is in writing, because in films, you have one interval but in a web series, after each episode, there is one interval.

"But even for a web series, our approach towards it was that of a film. I feel both are fun. You can have fun shooting a film as much as in a web series. I feel you don't have control over fate of your final product but at least the process should be fun. I feel digital medium is not future, it's the present. Digital is here to stay."

'Haq Se' stars Rajeev Khandelwal, Simone Singh, Rukhsar, Surveen Chawla, Pavail Gulati, Aanchal Sharma and Nikeesha Rangwal. It will air on the ALT Balaji platform from mid-February.

Actress Manjari Fadnis, who essays the protagonist in the short film THE COT, says it addresses problems and situations that many people in India experience.

THE COT is a humorous story that revolves around the relationship of a newlywed couple and their dilemma of not being able to consummate their marriage as their bed makes a noise every time they try to get intimate.

Manjari told IANS over the phone: "The story of the short film is something that so many people in India live through or experience. When they are living with their in-laws, in a joint family… Especially in small families.

"There are so many issues… Consummating a marriage becomes stressful because you don't know who is outside, somebody would be hearing… This happens so much. It is a humorously written script on the same."

However, Majari says when the film was being made, there was no such message that was meant to be given out in an outline.

Manjari has also worked in the short film KHAMAKHA in 2016.

On the feature film front, Manjari, who has worked in films like JAANE TU…YA JAANE NA, FALTU, MUMBAI SALSA and will soon be seen in NIRDOSH which also features Arbaaz Khan, Ashmit Patel, Maheck Chahal and Mukul Dev.

Actress Manjari Fadnis, who essays the protagonist in the short film THE COT, says it addresses problems and situations that many people in India experience.

THE COT is a humorous story that revolves around the relationship of a newlywed couple and their dilemma of not being able to consummate their marriage as their bed makes a noise every time they try to get intimate.

Manjari told IANS over the phone: "The story of the short film is something that so many people in India live through or experience. When they are living with their in-laws, in a joint family… Especially in small families.

"There are so many issues… Consummating a marriage becomes stressful because you don't know who is outside, somebody would be hearing… This happens so much. It is a humorously written script on the same."

However, Majari says when the film was being made, there was no such message that was meant to be given out in an outline.

Manjari has also worked in the short film KHAMAKHA in 2016.

On the feature film front, Manjari, who has worked in films like JAANE TU…YA JAANE NA, FALTU, MUMBAI SALSA and will soon be seen in NIRDOSH which also features Arbaaz Khan, Ashmit Patel, Maheck Chahal and Mukul Dev.

Actor Samir Soni, who is making his debut as a director with MY BIRTHDAY SONG, says it was filmmaker Karan Johar who encouraged him to helm the film.

Asked if shifting gears from acting to direction is a natural progression, Samir told IANS: "I have always had an interest in suspense thriller and dark, intellectually stimulating stories. I wrote one of them and my friends said that it is a good story.

"Being a realistic man, with the interest to know the opinion of industry people, I narrated the story to Karan (Johar) and at the end of the story, the first reaction that came from him was, 'Samir, direct the film'. Though he mentioned that Dharma Productions cannot produce the film because it is a dark film, he encouraged me throughout."

However, he found his producer and actor of the film when he went to one of his friends, filmmaker Sanjay Suri.

Samir said: "Since Sanjay also said that I should direct the film, I asked him if he is interested to play the role in it. Surprisingly, he was not only ready to act in the film but also to produce it. Our sensibility matches so well and it is a very exciting project."

While Samir found it quite a challenging and interesting process to write a thriller, according to him, "this is the genre where the story plays the real hero".

"If the plot is good and engaging, the film will work. Yes, of course, it is very tough to crack the deal and perhaps that is why in our country, thrillers are so few and far between," said the fanboy of filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock and Christopher Nolan.

Interestingly, most of the experimental content is coming up on the digital space. Why then did he choose the medium of cinema instead of a web-series?

Samir said: "You see, a film can be available on digital platforms, but a web series cannot be available in a theatre. Since the medium of digital entertainment is new, I am yet to understand the pulse of the audience there. I have seen some of the really bad Indian content on the web too.

"When it comes to the story of my film, it is already a risky genre, thriller. After working for 20 years in cinema, because I know the audience of this medium, I think it is better to put it out on a conventional medium of cinema rather than the web. If the film fails, at least I would be sure it is for the story and not for the medium," said Samir.

The film MY BIRTHDAY SONG, also featuring Nora Fatehi, is releasing on January 19.

Actor Samir Soni, who is making his debut as a director with MY BIRTHDAY SONG, says it was filmmaker Karan Johar who encouraged him to helm the film.

Asked if shifting gears from acting to direction is a natural progression, Samir told IANS: "I have always had an interest in suspense thriller and dark, intellectually stimulating stories. I wrote one of them and my friends said that it is a good story.

"Being a realistic man, with the interest to know the opinion of industry people, I narrated the story to Karan (Johar) and at the end of the story, the first reaction that came from him was, 'Samir, direct the film'. Though he mentioned that Dharma Productions cannot produce the film because it is a dark film, he encouraged me throughout."

However, he found his producer and actor of the film when he went to one of his friends, filmmaker Sanjay Suri.

Samir said: "Since Sanjay also said that I should direct the film, I asked him if he is interested to play the role in it. Surprisingly, he was not only ready to act in the film but also to produce it. Our sensibility matches so well and it is a very exciting project."

While Samir found it quite a challenging and interesting process to write a thriller, according to him, "this is the genre where the story plays the real hero".

"If the plot is good and engaging, the film will work. Yes, of course, it is very tough to crack the deal and perhaps that is why in our country, thrillers are so few and far between," said the fanboy of filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock and Christopher Nolan.

Interestingly, most of the experimental content is coming up on the digital space. Why then did he choose the medium of cinema instead of a web-series?

Samir said: "You see, a film can be available on digital platforms, but a web series cannot be available in a theatre. Since the medium of digital entertainment is new, I am yet to understand the pulse of the audience there. I have seen some of the really bad Indian content on the web too.

"When it comes to the story of my film, it is already a risky genre, thriller. After working for 20 years in cinema, because I know the audience of this medium, I think it is better to put it out on a conventional medium of cinema rather than the web. If the film fails, at least I would be sure it is for the story and not for the medium," said Samir.

The film MY BIRTHDAY SONG, also featuring Nora Fatehi, is releasing on January 19.

Activists of the Shree Rajput Karni Sena on Friday gathered outside the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) office here on Friday to protest against the coming release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's PADMAAVAT.

A few were taken away by the police.

Members of the Rajput outfit, under the leadership of Sukhdev Singh Gogameri, gathered outside the CBFC office to express dissent over the censor board's decision to allow the release of the controversial movie.

Jeevan Singh Solanki, a Karni Sena member, told IANS: "We will not let the film release in the country under any circumstances. Some states have already agreed with us and therefore banned it. We want the film to be banned in the whole country.

"We will not stop here. We are going to urge our Prime Minister to ban the film because the movie will ruin the heritage and culture of Rajput community. The filmmaker has played with the sentiments of the Rajputs," Solanki added.

Asked if they were ready to watch the film pre-release to clear their doubts, Solanki said: "The whole projection of our community is wrong. We do not want to see the film. It should be banned."

Virendra Singh, the spokesperson of Karni Sena, on Friday told IANS that members from the outfit and even other Rajput associations assembled here to protest.

The film, cleared by the CBFC after five modifications and renamed from PADMAVATI to PADMAVAT and now titled PADMAAVAT, is scheduled to release on January 25 across India. The film will, however, not be released in Rajasthan.

CBFC gave it the green signal with a U/A certification in consultation with a three-member advisory panel.

The Rajput outfit had first expressed concern after Ranveer Singh, one of the three lead actors of the movie made a casual statement back in July 2016.

He was reportedly asked if he was playing the role of a villain in the film, and he had said that he could go two notches beyond playing the role of a villain if he was given two intimate scenes with the film's leading lady Deepika Padukone.

This led to the question whether the movie showcases any intimacy between Khilji and Rani Padmavati. Subsequently, Karni Sena activists assaulted Bhansali on the film's set in Jaipur and another set in Kolhapur was vandalised.

They even threatened Deepika and Bhansali.

Activists of the Shree Rajput Karni Sena on Friday gathered outside the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) office here on Friday to protest against the coming release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's PADMAAVAT.

A few were taken away by the police.

Members of the Rajput outfit, under the leadership of Sukhdev Singh Gogameri, gathered outside the CBFC office to express dissent over the censor board's decision to allow the release of the controversial movie.

Jeevan Singh Solanki, a Karni Sena member, told IANS: "We will not let the film release in the country under any circumstances. Some states have already agreed with us and therefore banned it. We want the film to be banned in the whole country.

"We will not stop here. We are going to urge our Prime Minister to ban the film because the movie will ruin the heritage and culture of Rajput community. The filmmaker has played with the sentiments of the Rajputs," Solanki added.

Asked if they were ready to watch the film pre-release to clear their doubts, Solanki said: "The whole projection of our community is wrong. We do not want to see the film. It should be banned."

Virendra Singh, the spokesperson of Karni Sena, on Friday told IANS that members from the outfit and even other Rajput associations assembled here to protest.

The film, cleared by the CBFC after five modifications and renamed from PADMAVATI to PADMAVAT and now titled PADMAAVAT, is scheduled to release on January 25 across India. The film will, however, not be released in Rajasthan.

CBFC gave it the green signal with a U/A certification in consultation with a three-member advisory panel.

The Rajput outfit had first expressed concern after Ranveer Singh, one of the three lead actors of the movie made a casual statement back in July 2016.

He was reportedly asked if he was playing the role of a villain in the film, and he had said that he could go two notches beyond playing the role of a villain if he was given two intimate scenes with the film's leading lady Deepika Padukone.

This led to the question whether the movie showcases any intimacy between Khilji and Rani Padmavati. Subsequently, Karni Sena activists assaulted Bhansali on the film's set in Jaipur and another set in Kolhapur was vandalised.

They even threatened Deepika and Bhansali.

Director Mohit Suri along with EMI Records India on Friday announced the launch of VYRL Originals to promote independent singers, music producers, lyricists and composers.

The property will see the release of one song every month which will launch simultaneously across music streaming services worldwide and on radio.

It aims to bridge the gap between film and non-film music.

Suri will be curating and mentoring every aspect of each track that is being produced. Right from the composers, lyricists to the singers, each of them will be carefully worked on and handpicked by the director himself.

"I hear songs from so many talented musicians that don't always get a chance to be featured in Original Soundtracks. With VYRL Originals, we aim to provide a platform for independent music artistes to showcase their music and add to the whole independent music scene here," Suri said in a statement.

"The songs will get the same treatment and level of production any film song would get and that's what gives it even more potential to grow," he added.

The first track launched under VYRL Originals is 'Teri Yaad', composed by Ajay Vas and sung by Yash Narvekar, who is best known for singing 'Mere Dil Mein' from Suri's film HALF GIRLFRIEND.

'Teri Yaad' is a contemporary love ballad which carries the baggage of emotional pain.

The track has been produced by Bollywood music producer Abhijit Vaghani, who has produced music for films like BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN and AIRLIFT.

Vaghani said: "In a landscape where Bollywood is considered the ultimate platform, it takes a huge amount of effort to promote independent artistes."

"I've been a music producer in Bollywood for over two decades now, my long association with Mohit Suri led them to me. I believe in promoting all kinds of talent when it comes to music, they need to be heard the process needs to start."

With this project, he knows he will be able to "help put this process in place and in turn I will be able to showcase my own expertise on an independent platform away from Bollywood"