#jaya Bachchan has always been phenomenal

[anotherfanaccount]

So I'm watching Guddi. Interesting take on celebrity admiration.

Makes me want to rewatch FAN.

[optimisticprincepainter]

Anushka Sharma is the only actress to star in two Rs 300 crore films – PK (with Aamir Khan) and Sultan (with Salman Khan), and that too, she broke the norms with meaty parts in these films paired with superstars. And now, with the success of her recent release Sui Dhaaga (opposite Varun Dhawan), the actress, who initially wasn’t too convinced about playing the part, says, that she feels empowered with the choices she has been making. Anushka, who started her Bollywood journey exactly 10 years ago, with Aditya Chopra-directed, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, opposite Shah Rukh Khan, followed by Band Baaja Baaraat (2010, with Ranveer Singh), says in an exclusive chat with Firstpost, “I never regret when I look back. All the things that have happened in my life, the ups and downs, I have been very fortunate, very grateful that I have seen a lot of success in my career. But, at the same time whenever I have felt challenged in any way those have all been stepping stones to where I have come today.”“I am very happy with the success of Sui Dhaaga because as an actor I have always made some very unconventional choices in my career. Even when I was doing big ticket films like Sultan or PK, my characters have not been undermined or over shadowed that usually happens with female characters in big ticket films. They have been acting driven roles and those things I have always valued. Even with the choices that I have made with Sui Dhaaga or NH10 or Pari, the fact that they have been appreciated and liked I feel my choices have got validated because as an actor you want to feel encouraged for the things you do especially if you are trying to do something different. That really empowers me a lot,” says Anushka, who got married at the peak of her career (December last) and immediately rushed off her feet promoting her film, Pari. The shooting and prep for Anand L Rai’s Zero, with Shah Rukh Khan; and Sui Dhaaga  — had also started early in 2018.“I am also very excited about Zero (releases on 21 December) and hopefully again it will be a memorable role in people’s mind. It is a very, very special film, it is really something that will enthral the audience,” says Anushka, who, however believes that actresses have always been doing interesting roles since time immemorial. “Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi, Jaya Bachchan, Waheeda Rehman… they have all done such phenomenal roles and it will continue to happen,” she says.Though Anushka was confident about the content of Sui Dhaaga, she wasn’t too sure about the character she had to portray (that of an embroidery artist belonging to the heartland). “From the very beginning I was very much convinced about the film because it was making a strong point. I knew that it would connect with people but for me the conflict in my mind was will I be convincing and able to pull off as this person. I knew for the fact that I have a certain personality, people have seen me in a certain way. I knew that Sharat (Katariya, director) made realistic cinema and has Dum Laga Ke Haisha to his credit. I didn’t want to stick out looking unbelievable because so far all my characters had a profession. Here, I had to play a submissive housewife. Initially I felt the character was absent and was bland,” says Anushka, who says that Pari and Sui Dhaaga are the two most difficult films of her career.“Because these characters are very different from who I am as a person. In Pari, I played a demonic character, she is almost unstable. There is no comparison that you can make with that character but with Sui Dhaaga‘s Mamta you know people like her. You could see Anushka in her but I was very happy when people said that they didn’t see Anushka at any point in the film. For me that was the victory,” she says, furthering, “Lot of times, as actors we feel that when you work really hard on films and you have to learn certain skills, like for instance I had to learn wrestling for Sultan, one may feel that is very difficult, but for me a role like in Sui Dhaaga is far more difficult to do. It’s something which is so opposite from your personality.  It was an uphill task for me. But when Sharat explained to me that why he thinks I actually fit being Mamta, I felt I need to have more faith in myself,” she adds.Anushka says she had to exercise restraint to create the character as raw and real as had been envisioned by Katariya. “After doing Sui Dhaaga I have realised that as an actor you can do everything, and the fact that people have praised my performance in the transformation, I feel confident that you can become anybody and it is all within you. It is just that you have to control certain things of your own personality which are not that of your character,” she says. She continues, “For instance, I am more reactive as a person, you say something to me and my reaction will be much quicker, whereas my character’s quite unsure of what she is saying. She knows it all, she is very strong-willed but she doesn’t have the luxury of  expression that perhaps I have because I have lived in an environment where what I said was listened to, where I was asked for my opinion. She couldn’t express her feeling which was very difficult. Literally for me it was becoming the person.”Talking about her prep, Anushka says, “I would wear my sari and just be on sets. I would do my workshop and reading in sari. I tried to change my body language, the speed with which I speak…I had to always remember that my character is not very expressive and she will always hesitate before saying anything and even her laughter will not be out there and everything will have to be felt. But what’s shocking is that in this film I got into the character on the first day though usually I take three to four days. That’s because my prep was long and it was not just about sewing, stitching but feeling and becoming Mamta, observing women who are like Mamta. She has strength, she has courage, she has the drive but her expression is something else. Lot of people told me that you are playing such a simple person, and I would tell them that she is anything but simple, she may be simple looking. She is a dynamic woman.”Not many know that earlier a film with Anushka and Varun, which was supposed to be directed by Katariya got shelved and they were paired together for the first time in Sui Dhaaga. Anushka is all praise for Varun. “I admire Varun’s dedication as an actor. Even the choices that he has made in his career have been interesting. Not just successful but he has done very different films which is most important. I am always going to be rooting for Varun. He is a very genuine person and he is one of the nicest people I have worked within the industry that is very hard to see. He is one of my favourite co-actors. We hadn’t met before, not even socially and that helped because in the film we get to know each other along the way,” says Anushka, further adding, “Me and Varun find each other very funny and we laugh about the most bizarre things that lot of people may not find funny. We have always had lot of fun on sets and we have also been on the same page as actors,” says the actor-producer for who Box office success is extremely important. “Because ultimately you want to reach out to more and more people and that is what it shows. Also, it depends upon the kind of films you are doing, then considering the budget you must have that kind of assessment.”This brings us to her role as a producer, and Anushka is all set to make her digital debut with a Delhi-based cop drama for streaming giant Amazon Prime Video. The series produced by Anushka will have NH10 and Udta Punjab fame writer Sudip Sharma as the showrunner. Sudip Sharma was also the creative producer on Anushka’s previous production and acting venture, Phillauri. “As a producer I try and make different kind of films to give a different voice. I want to tell a story which is interesting and unique. In that sense, while NH10 and Pari were more of serious nature, Phillauri was a much lighter film. But the concept will always be very different and unique. Now I am very happy that we will be making a TV show with Amazon, it will go on floors in January. We are doing the creative work that we wanted to do. I feel it is a huge victory that even though I don’t have to act in everything I produce but the fact that the company that is investing their money with us still see us as able producers, that is what I had aimed at,” says Anushka, while revealing that her PR will make an announcement of her next film soon.The Showsha : 9th. Oct,18

ACTRESS ANUSHKA SHARMA SAID ‘SUI DHAAGA : MADE IN INDIA’ & ‘PARI’ WERE THE MOST DIFFICULT FILMS OF HER CAREER : Anushka Sharma is the only actress to star in two Rs 300 crore films - PK…

[lazyupdates]

Karan Johar or more commonly referred to as KJo, is the man who has played a major role in getting Bollywood to where it is. In fact, for anyone who is watched Hindi films in the 90s will find Bollywood incomplete without Rahul and Anjali’s infamous “cheater” fight from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai or Kajol’s “Aivai” from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham amongst many other things.

Basically, without Karan Johar, Bollywood would have a completely different feel to it all together. His picture perfect scenes in films like in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai with Anjali’s red dupatta and Shah Rukh Khan’s friendship band line have been ingrained in the mind of the audience so much that most of them wish to have their own love story in a similar manner. His projects without a doubt have been more aesthetically sound than his colleagues in the film industry. Not just the lead, but even every supporting actor in the film breathes life. The reason for this being Karan’s impeccable attention to detail. And his talent is not just limited to direction, over the years, Karan Johar has tried his hand at various things like producing, acting, and even costume designing.

So, we take a look at the maestro’s journey from being an assistant director in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge to being the mastermind behind Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

Kara Johar entered the industry as an assistant director working on Aditya Chopra’s Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which is considered a landmark in Hindi cinema. Karan Johar mentioned that he considers Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge to be the pillar of all love stories during an interview with a leading daily. He said, “After this (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge), a lot of love stories were made but nobody could touch that bar. It is the pillar of love stories. I have a lot of memories of ‘DDLJ’. I started my career from there… It is and will be the largest part of my career. The film with its epic love story and innocence had set the barometer.” Although not a pivotal role, Karan Johar also was seen in the film. He played the role of Shah Rukh Khan’s friend.

Karan Johar made his directorial debut with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in 1998. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai starred Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukerji in leading roles. The film was a love triangle between the three people set years apart.

The first portion of the film is about their life in college. While the second portion of the film tells the story of a young daughter trying to reunite her dad with his love. Right from his first film, Karan Johar struck gold. The performances, camera work, the music and the story telling, everything was spot on. Anyone who watched the film couldn’t have said that it is the director’s first, mainly because Karan Johar is such natural at the art. And all this work surely didn’t go unnoticed as Kuch Kuch Hota Hai won big at every award show the following year. At the 44th Filmfare Awards, the film managed to bag the Best Film, Best Director (Karan Johar), Best Actor (Shah Rukh Khan), Best Actress (Kajol), Best Supporting Actor (Salman Khan), Best Supporting Actress (Rani Mukerji), Best Art Director (Sharmishta Roy) and Best Screenplay (Karan Johar) awards.

In an interview with a leading portal, Karan Johar spoke about how the idea for the story of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai came about. He said, “It existed in various versions in my mind. I first wrote a story, which was a love triangle between a tomboy, a very pretty looking girl and a slightly insensitive boy but I was not very satisfied with it. So I kept it aside. Then I thought of another plot about a widower and his child. Again, I was not very happy with that and so I kept it aside. Then I started work on a third idea but simply could not get things in place. But, frankly I was not even thinking of making a film. Till Aditya Chopra told me: Don’t be silly, you must make this film. It is a lovely story. It will work. I was worried about the child aspect, whether Shah Rukh would be accepted as a father. But that seems to have worked in my favour. People have loved him in a different kind of role.” The film became a major blockbuster at the box office and received mostly positive reviews from critics.

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was also a turning point for Dharma Productions. The film managed to breathe new life into the company which was helmed by Karan Johar’s father Yash Johar.

His next directorial venture was Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham which boasted of a star-studded cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor Khan. This film was also produced under the Dharma Productions banner. Like the title suggests the film showed us that in life, there will be moments when we are happy and feel that everything is perfect and there also will be moments where you will hate everything. But, life goes on. With Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Karan Johar just didn’t rely on the big star cast to carry the film to success. The fine writing, excellent direction were equally if not more important for the film’s success. Every Karan Johar is always so full of life and with features so subtle that you don’t even realise that how it is influencing you. Like Rani Mukerji’s character’s unrequited love with Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol’s chatterbox character… they stay with you. The film became Karan’s second major blockbuster at the box-office and received mostly positive reviews from critics.

After Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Karan Johar took a five year long break before he directed a film again. In the meanwhile, he also began focusing on growing Dharma Productions as a brand by producing films like Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) and Kaal (2005).

In 2006, we saw his next directorial venture Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna hit the screens. The film dealt with the controversial subject of marital infidelity of people set in the backdrop of New York city. In the film, we see Dev (Shah Rukh Khan) who is always ignored by his wife, Rhea (Preity Zinta) as she is too involved in her work and Maya (Rani Mukerji) who just never happened to love her husband Rishi (Abhishek Bachchan) have an affair. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was not only a success at the Indian box office but also did phenomenally well abroad. It was also screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival. The script which was co-written by Karan Johar received recognition by a number of critics and was invited to be included in the library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

In his biography, An unsuitable boy, Karan Johar spoke about what made him take such a risk with this film since Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was based on infidelity, something that our society didn’t even speak about openly at that time. He wrote, “I wanted to be very modern about it because there was so much talk about marriage being a crumbling institution and how divorce was the new marriage and infidelity was a part of every home. I experienced it around me, with friends, with family. At the time when it released, a lot of scenes in the film were, I realized, uncomfortable viewing for many couples. I remember a couple came up to me and said, ‘If my wife says she liked it, I would say why did you like it? Similarly, if I say I liked it, she’d say what did you like about it?’”

He even mentioned that all the actors in the film except Abhishek Bachchan, had doubts for their character during the shoot of their film as well. For example, Rani would say, “Arre, give me one scene to justify my behaviour… Itna achcha husband hai. Main kyun affair karoon?’. Getting Bollywood’s lover boy to cheat in a film is a risky move. This feeling was shared by Shah Rukh Khan as well which is why during shooting he said things like, “I can’t do this. What is this nonsense!”

He also mentioned that the audience couldn’t get why many things happened in the film. He wrote, “I was so angry. I kept trying to tell people, ‘Can’t sexual chemistry be a reason for people to leave? Maybe she wasn’t aroused by him. He may have been a great guy but she was not turned on by him. She found a crabby, crotchety, angry man attractive.”

His fourth directorial venture was My Name is Khan, which also marked his fourth collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan and his third with Kajol. The plot of the film revolves around a Muslim suffering from Aspergers syndrome. He is living a happy and normal life in the United States of America until the dreaded 9/11 takes place. After which, the entire country begins treating Muslims badly. His wife even loses her son as he was killed by his classmates only because his mother was married to a Muslim. So, he decides to take matters into his own hands and decides that he will personally go the President of United States and tell him that, “My Name Is Khan and I’m not a terrorist.” This is obviously easier said than done, since meeting one of the most powerful men in the world isn’t a cakewalk for sure. Shah Rukh Khan was so convincing in playing the part that you actually buy into the idea that this guy will stop at nothing to fulfil the promise he made to his wife.

Most of the people never agree when they could have done something better even when they know it themselves. But, as you might have guessed by now, Karan Johar is not one of them. During an interview with Filmfare, Karan was asked if he would like to change anything in the film. To which he replied by saying, “Har film jab bant jaati hai, to ek evaluation ka mauka mil jata hai. Hum use film ke bare mein sochte hain ki kya sahi tha aur kya galat. In all my films I find some flaws. Like there was a section of hurricane in My Name Is Khan which I feel directorially I didn’t handle nicely. Which was my mistake. If I have to go back in 2009 when we were making My Name Is Khan, I would have shot perhaps those fifteen minutes differently. Apart from that, I have to say I’m very proud of that film, I’m proud of communication of that film, I’m proud of the context of the film was made for. More than anything else, I’m proud of Rizwan Khan, which Shah Rukh Khan did. I’m very greatful to Shibani Bhathija who wrote that film for me.”

Next up for Karan Johar was Student Of The Year (2012). This was the first film in which he didn’t cast Shah Rukh Khan. Also the first film in which three of the main characters of his film were making their debut. The plot of the film revolved around three friends who are fighting for the title of Student Of The Year in their college. The film was a moderate success at the box-office and received mixed reviews from the critics.

Karan also teamed up Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, and Dibakar Banerjee for Bombay Talkies (2013), a film that celebrated the century of Hindi cinema by collaborating some of the best talents in the business at the time. The plot of Johar’s film followed a magazine editor (Rani Mukerji) who discovers that her husband (Randeep Hooda) is gay after an interaction with an intern at her office (Saqib Saleem). The film did not perform very well at the box office but earned positive reviews from critics.

His next and also the last film he directed was Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016) which starred Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Anushka Sharma and Fawad Khan in leading roles. The film gained positive reviews from the critics and also went on to be a success at the box-office.

Not just directing, Karan Johar has also tried his hands at acting. He made his full-fledged acting debut with Anurag Kashyap’s Bombay Velvet (2015) which also starred Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma. Although, the film failed to impress the viewers, Karan earned some appreciation for his performance. A leading critic commented, “The only consolation in the film is Karan Johar who brings a lot of dignity to the character of Khambatta… which is commendable since this is totally outside his comfort space.”

Karan Johar has also worked as a costume designer in many of Shah Rukh Khan’s films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Duplicate (1998), Mohabbatein (2000), Main Hoon Na (2004), Veer-Zaara (2004), and Om Shanti Om (2007).

Besides becoming one of the most renowned directors in the film industry, the biggest achievement of Karan Johar has to be the way he’s carried forward the legacy of Dharma. After the death of his father, the entire responsibility of the company fell upon his shoulders. While many would crumble under the burden, it made Karan even more stronger and determined to take Dharma to the position they are at today.

So, on his birthday we thank him for all the contributions to the film industry and hope that we get to see many more of his films in the future.

The post Birthday special: Karan Joharâs magical journey in Bollywood appeared first on Lazy Updates.

[pinkvilla]

WATCH: Abhishek Bachchan chides a photographer for trying to click Aishwarya Rai’s inappropriate photos

Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan are B-Town’s power couple. They completed more than a decade of matrimony and are going stronger than ever. Last night, we saw the couple at designer Manish Malhotra’s house. They caught up with Karan Johar and Manish Malhotra last night.

Papparazzi clicked the lovely couple while they left the venue. While leaving the venue, some photographers tried to click Aishwarya Rai from an uncomfortable angle, while she was getting in the car. On noticing this, Abhishek Bachchan called the photographer and chided him. He also asked the photographer to delete those photos.

Recommended Read:  Photos: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's look for Fanney Khan is all things glamourous

Abhishek has always been protective about his family. In earlier instances too, the actor has supported wife Aishwarya. When Aishwarya was body-shamed after giving birth to daughter, Aaradhya, Abhishek had said, “I just think it’s extremely insensitive and no one has the liberty to speak about her like the way they sometimes do. Yes, she’s a public figure, but people forget she’s also a woman and now a mother and there’s a line that’s not to be crossed. I don’t talk that way about any woman ever and it’s obviously not graceful for anyone to talk about her like that either.”

The couple may soon be working together. The two are reportedly coming together after a long time in the remake of the 1973 classic film, Abhimaan. The original film starred Abhishek's father and mother, Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri (Bachchan) in the lead. According to a leading publication, the remake of this phenomenal film by Hrishikesh Mukherjee will be helmed by Tamil cinematographer-director Rajiv Menon. 

Check out the video!