Cinema
Superstar Salman Khan’s 5 Super Hit Movies
A young artist named Salman made his first step into the Indian film industry with a supporting role in the movie Biwi Ho To Asi (1988). Was Bollywood prepared for the debut of one of India's most prominent actors? For the past 3 decades, Salman Khan has been named among the most expensive celebrities in Bollywood. Since 2000, the back-to-back blockbuster films starring this veteran actor have brought him immense popularity throughout South Asia. Let’s take a look at the 5 most popular movies of Salman Khan so far.
5 Everlasting films of Bollywood Star Salman Khan
Dabangg (2010)
If moviegoers of the Indian subcontinent are asked about the funniest police officer, everyone will say Chulbul Pandey in one breath. Thanks to Dabangg, this fictional character has been given a real veneer. Superstar Salman Khan has taken the character to a unique level in Avinab Singh Kashyap's direction. There is no way to understand from the filmmaking that this is Kashyap's directorial debut. Sonakshi Sinha made her big-screen debut by playing the role of Salman's heroine in the film.
Chulbul Panda-maker Dabangg has filled its coffers with USD 47 million worldwide. It also topped the list of highest-grossing Bollywood films in its year of release. The cinema holds the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. Salman Khan won the BIG Star Entertainment Award and Best Actor Screen Award for his portrayal of the character.
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The success of Dabangg was followed by two more sequels titled Dabangg 2 and Dabangg 3 in 2012 and 2019 respectively. Its popularity was even spawned by The Animated Series, produced by Salman Khan Films, Arbaaz Khan Productions, and Cosmos Maya. The series centered on Chulbul Pandey premiered in 2021 on Disney+ Hotstar and Cartoon Network.
‘Top Gun,’ ‘Black Panther’ advance in Oscars shortlist
Blockbusters like “Top Gun: Maverick,”“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” and pop stars like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Rihanna just got one step closer to getting Oscar nominations.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday announced shortlists in 10 categories for the 95th Oscars, including documentary feature, international film, makeup and hairstyling, score, original song, sound, visual effects and shorts.
Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths” was along the 15 films shortlisted in the international film category, one of the most competitive. The category also includes already decorated films like “Holy Spider” (Denmark), “All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany), “Saint Omer” (France), “Corsage” (Austria), “EO” (Poland), “Return to Seoul” (Cambodia), “Decision to Leave” (South Korea), “Close” (Belgium) and “Argentina, 1985” (Argentina).
The inclusion of “Joyland” marks the first time Pakistan has ever made the shortlist. Most of the directors are first-timers on the shorlist too, with the exception being Iñárritu.
India’s official submission was not S.S. Rajamouli’s popular action epic “RRR,” but rather Pan Nalin’s “Last Film Show” which made the cut becoming the first film from the country to do so in over 20 years. “RRR” could get nominations in other categories, including for the shortlisted original song “Naatu Naatu.”
Jafar Panâhi was also not put forward to represent Iran, whose selection was not among the 15 and Russia did not submit a film this year.
Read: Iran authorities arrest actress of Oscar-winning movie
Documentaries advancing to the next stage of voting include Laura Poitras’s Venice-winning “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” about photographer Nan Goldin’s work and activism, Brett Morgen’s David Bowie film “Moonage Daydream,” Daniel Roher’s “Navalny,” about the Russian opposition leader, “The Janes ” about pre-Roe v. Wade activists, “All that Breathes,” “Descendant,”“Fire of Love” and “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song.” It is a rather diverse group of stories and filmmakers: Eight were directed by women and four by people of color.
With many below-the-line categories at hand, big budget sequels like “Avatar,”“Top Gun,” and “Black Panther” were well represented in the effects and sound categories, as well as original song which included Gaga’s “Hold My Hand,” The Weeknd’s “Nothing is Lost” from “Avatar: The Way of Water” and Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther.”
Also on the original song shortlist are Swift’s “Carolina” from “Where the Crawdads Sing,” Drake’s “Time” from “Amsterdam,” LCD Soundsystem’s “New Body Rhumba” from “White Noise,” Selena Gomez’s “My Mind and Me” from the documentary of the same name and Rita Wilson’s “Til You’re Home” from “A Man Called Otto.” Diane Warren also gets another shot at a competitive Oscar with “Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman.” Doja Cat’s song from “Elvis” was not eligible.
For the most part shortlists are determined by members in their respective categories, though the specifics vary from branch to branch: Some have committees, some have minimum viewing requirements.
“All Quiet on the Western Front” got quite a few spots on the shortlist, including original score, makeup and hair, sound and visual effects.
Read: Oscar winners cut off their hair to support Iran protests
Among the visual effects selections were “Jurassic World Dominion, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” while makeup and hairstyling includes films David Cronenberg’s body horror “Crimes of the Future.”
Other films advancing in makeup and hairstyling include “The Whale,” in which Brendan Fraser transforms into a 600-pound man, “Elvis, “Emancipation,” “The Batman” and the Marilyn Monroe film “Blonde.”
The 15 original scores selected were winnowed for from 147 eligible and include “Women Talking” from Hildur Guðnadóttir, “The Fabelmans” from John Williams, “The Banshees of Inisherin” from Carter Burwell, “Babylon” from Justin Hurwitz, “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” from Alexandre Desplat and “The Woman King” from Terence Blanchard. Also in the mix are Ludwig Göransson (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”), Nicholas Britell (“She Said”) and Son Lux (“Everything Everywhere All At Once”).
Guðnadóttir’s “Tár” score was not eligible, nor was the “Top Gun: Maverick” score, written by Hans Zimmer, Harold Faltermeyer, Lorne Balfe and Gaga.
Nominations for all categories will be announced on Jan. 24. The 95th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 12 and broadcast live on ABC.
Top 10 Upcoming South Indian Films in January 2023
The very last week of the year has also seen a busy season at the Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam movie carnivals. It is nothing but a grand celebration to welcome the new year. The south silver screen will bear this vibe from the very first week of the year. Let's look at the 10 South Indian Films set to release in January 2023.
10 Most Anticipated South Indian Movies Releasing in January 2023
Veera Simha Reddy | Telugu | January 12, 2023
This action film starring Nandamuri Balakrishna is directed by Gopichand Malineni. The subtitle 'Man of Masses' line along with the name of the movie impressed the fans a lot.
Balakrishna will be seen playing the roles of father and son in the movie. In the story of the movie, a foreign bank manager returns home to avenge his father's murder.
Apart from Balakrishna, the cinema stars Shruti Haasan, Dunya Vijay, Lal, Honey Rose, and Varalakshmi Sarathkumar. Produced by Mithri Makers, the film's music was composed and scored by S Thaman. The cinematography was done by Rishi Punjabi and the editing work was looked after by Naveen Nooli.
Read More: 'Adventure of Sundarban': Trail of children's film starring Pori Moni, Siam released
Waltair Veerayya | Telugu | January 13, 2023
This action comedy movie is another production of Mithri Movie Makers. Director KS Ravindra presents a family action drama here, where Sathyaraj will be seen living happily with two wives. One wife is from Andhra Pradesh and another is from Telangana.
Chiranjeevi played the role of the leader of the port workers association, while Raviteja played the character of a police officer. Both of them are children of those two wives of Satyaraj. Prakash Raj is the main villain of the film, who will be seen doing smuggling. The film also stars Bobby Simha, Shruti Haasan, and Catherine Tresa.
The cinematography of the film was handled by Arthur A. Wilson and Niranjan Debramane was in charge of editing. The film's music was supervised by Devi Sri Prasad.
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Vidya Vasula Aham | Telugu | January 14, 2023
The plot of this drama film revolves around the complex relationship between a young couple- Vidya and Basu. Their respective egos are mainly responsible for the conflict between them. Debutant director Manikant Geli here sheds light on the depressing and absurd micro-factors that make modern relationships suffer.
The film stars Shivani Rajashekar and Rahul Vijay in lead roles. In the movie, Shivani will be seen in the role of Vidya, a modern woman who is working hard for her career in a private firm while also juggling family responsibilities.
The film is bankrolled by Kumar Kodali and Lakshmi Navy Moturu on behalf of Ranjith Movies under the banner of Eternity Entertainment. Akhil Valluri was behind the camera and Kalyani Malik handled the film-score aspect.
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Thunivu | Tamil | January 11, 2023
Produced by Boney Kapoor under Bayview Projects LLP, this is an action-thriller in which a cunning criminal with his gang designs masterplans for bank robberies across Chennai. Writer and director H Binoth has filled the story of the movie with twists and mysteries.
The film stars Ajith Kumar, Manju Warrier, Samuthirakani, Prem Kumar, and Ajay in lead roles.
The film's cinematography, editing, and music are handled by Nirav Shah, Vijay Velukutty, and Gibran respectively.
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Varisu | Tamil | January 12, 2023
Produced by Dil Raju, and Sirish under PVP Cinemas, this Sri Venkateswara Creations is made with every element of drama. As seen in Hari and Ashishor Solomon's screenplay, everything around a happy-go-lucky youth begins to change after his foster father dies unexpectedly.
Directed by Vamshi Paidipally, the movie stars Vijay Rajendran, Rashmika Mandanna, A Sarathkumar, Prakash Raj, Prabhu, Ganesh Venkataraman, Srikanth, and Anandaraj in lead roles.
Karthik Palani, Thaman S, and Praveen KL were in charge of Cinematography, music direction, and editing respectively.
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Kranti | Kannada | January 26, 2023
This cinema starring Darshan is going to be quite influential as it focuses on the education system in India. An NRI goes back to his childhood Kannada medium school to overhaul the education system.
V Harikrishna did the all works of writing, directing, and composition of the film. Shailaja Nag and B Suresha bankrolled the movie on behalf of the production company Media House Studios.
Along with Darshan, Rachita Ram and Ravichandran also played the lead roles.
The cinematography was done by A Karunakar and Prakash Karinja made the edits.
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Shivaji Surathkal 2 | Kannada | January 16, 2023
Shivaji is the name of an honest and unscrupulous police inspector who takes up the challenge of solving the mystery of serial killing. Just as he is in the final moments of his investigation, it begins to affect his personal life.
This is the story of the upcoming version of the movie Shivaji Surathkal, starring Ramesh Aurobindo in the title role. Directed by renowned filmmaker Akash Srivatsa, the movie also stars Nasser, Meghna Gaonkar, Radhika Narayan, Aaradhya Chandra, Purnachandra Mysore, Raghu Ramankoppa, Vinayak Joshi, Ramesh Bhatt, Sri Sundar, Vidya Murthy, and Srinivas Prabhu.
Rekha KN and Anup Gowda were the film producers under Anjanadri Cine Creations. The film's score was composed by Judah Sandhi, while Guru Prasad MG Kumar and Darshan M Ambat were the cinematographers.
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Orchestra Mysuru | Kannada | January 12, 2023
Directed by Sunil Mysuru, the main character will be seen as passionate about performing with an orchestra in this musical movie. Purnachandra Mysuru and Rajalakshmi played the lead roles in the film.
This entertaining film is going to be released by KRG Studios, Dhanjaya Dali Pictures, Karthik Gowda, and Yogi G Raj. Ashwin Creations and Raghu Dixit Productions assisted in the overall financing of the film. The music composer of the cinema was Raghu Dixit and Rahul Roy worked behind the camera. Ritvik made all the edits to the film.
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Ayisha | Malayalam | January 20, 2023
It is an Indo-Arabic film directed by Aamir Pallikal and written by Ashif Kakodi. This is the first time that an Indian film has been produced in Saudi Arabia.
The film stars Manju Warrier in the lead role, who is accompanied by actresses like Radhika, Sajna, and Purnima. Besides, foreign stars like Latifah from Tunisia, Salama from UAE, Jennifer from the Philippines, Sarafina from Nigeria, and Sumair from Yemen have also worked in this movie.
The film's finances were overseen by Cross Border Camera, Feather Touch Movie Box, Imagine Cinemas, Movie Bucket, and Last Exit Cinemas. Prabhu Deva, Vishnu Sharma, and Appu N Bhattathiri were involved in the choreography, cinematography, and editing of the cinema respectively.
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Poovan | Malayalam | January 06, 2023
Not only does losing his sleep, the new rooster next door starts to change the whole daily life of the insomniac Hari. With such an interesting story, the screenplay of the film is written by Varun Dhara and directed by Vineet Vasudevan. Vineet himself is playing the lead role in this film. He is accompanied by Antony Varghese, Vineet Vishwam, Sajin Cherukail, and Varun Dhara.
The dramatic movie presents some of the important conventional problems of society in a humorous way. The comedy film is produced by Shebin Backer of Shebin Backer Productions and Girish Eddy of Stuck Cows. Sajith Purush worked behind the cinematography and Midhun Mukundan was the music director. Akash Joseph Varghese has done the overall edits of the film.
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Wrap Up
These best 10 upcoming South Indian movies in January 2023 are expected to mark a great intro to the year. The schedules of the movies have already been announced. Now the cinephiles can plan their movie day outs. Not to mention, the first quarter of 2023 is waiting with tons of surprises from the Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam film industries. In that sense, these January movies will give a proper warm-up to the moviegoers.
'Adventure of Sundarban': Trail of children's film starring Pori Moni, Siam released
The trailer of children's film "Adventure of Sundarbans" based on Muhammad Zafar Iqbal's novel "Ratuler Raat Ratuler Din" was released on Tuesday.
Zafar Iqbal not only wrote the children's novel but also composed a song for the movie.
The government-sponsored film is directed by Abu Raihan Jewel. The screenplay is written by Zakaria Soukhin and Adventure of Sundarbans is co-produced by Bongo.
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Siam and Porimoni have starred in the lead roles. Shahidul Alam Shacchu, Azad Abul Kalam, Kachi Khandkar, Abu Huraira Tanveer, and a group of child artists also played different roles in the movie.
The movie is based on a group of children who go on a trip to the Sundarbans along with several celebrity writers and film directors. Trisha (Porimoni) and her assistant Ratul (Siam) are in charge of taking care of everyone.
They plan to return from the Sundarbans before sunset. However, things turn out differently than planned. Their ship gets stuck in the tide, and it gets dark after sunset. Soon, a group of ruthless robbers arrive and take over the ship. Ratul and the children come up with a plan to fight back.
The movie was shot in the world's largest mangrove forest. The beauty of the Sundarbans will be evident on the silver screen in all its natural glory. Suman Sarkar has done cinematography.
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The movie features four songs – "Tui Ki Amay Bhalobashish," "Aay Aay Shob Taratari," "Ashol Chhaira Nokol Premey," and "Shareng Chara Jahaj Choley." These songs are sung by Imran, Emon-Joyita, Shamim Hasan, and Shofi Mondal.
Adventures of Sundarbans is set to hit the theatres this January.
5 Best Movies of Hollywood Superstar Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt is one of the most heartthrob actors that the 21st-century movie generation thinks of when it comes to Hollywood. Starting his acting career in 1987, Brady Pitt has reached the pinnacle of success in the American entertainment industry. Besides the marvelous performance on the silver screen, the accomplished actor captivates the fans with his chiseled abs, handsome face, and attractive look. This brilliantly flexible performer has showcased his acting charisma in a variety of movies. But which are the best among his works? Let’s take a look at the 5 most popular movies of Brad Pitt.
Top 5 Movies of the Veteran Hollywood Star Brad Pitt
Moneyball (2011)
Sport Genre / IMDb: 7.6
Directed by Bennett Miller, this American sports movie is written by Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian. They adapted the entire screenplay from a story by Stan Chervin. Chervin's story was originally based on Michael Lewis' 2003 nonfiction book "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game." The story of the film revolves around the Oakland Athletics baseball team and their manager's efforts to build a successful baseball team.
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Brad Pitt's performance here was more like a mild spice in the curry. His ability to portray a guardian character was unprecedently impressive. The strength to take on such a role can only come from direct real-life experience.
10 Netflix Shows to Watch during Christmas & New Year Holidays
As the Christmas and new year vacations are approaching, people are making plans to spend these days joyously. The silver screen mingled with the Christmas vibe always doubles this expectation. The web-series and movie lovers are looking for exciting shows to watch. Popular OTT platform Netflix has brought a bunch of new shows targeting these festivals. Let’s take a look at 10 Netflix movies and web series to watch on Christmas and New Year vacation times.
10 New Netflix Shows to Celebrate Christmas and New Year
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol
Release: November 18, 2022
The famous 1970 film Scrooge has been remade by director Stephen Donnelly. The screenplay for this 2022 version of A Christmas Carol was written by Donnelly and Leslie Bricks. Leslie has also written a new theme song for this fantasy musical film.
The computer-animated film features voiceovers by Luke Evans, Jessie Buckley, Olivia Colman, Jonathan Pryce, Trevor Dion Nicholas, Johnny Flynn, and James Cosmo.
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Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio
Release: November 24, 2022
Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro has adapted this time Carlo Collodi's famous 1883 Italian novel The Adventures of Pinocchio. Matthew Robbins and Del Toro himself jointly rewrote the 1930 story of the renowned character. Toro then turned their story into a screenplay, collaborating with Patrick McHale.
Mark Gustafson teamed up with del Toro to direct the film with stop-motion animation based on Grease Grimley's designs for the 2002 version of Pinocchio. The animated characters in the musical film are voiced by Ewan McGregor, Gregory Mann, David Bradley, Bern Gorman, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Finn Wolfhard, Tim Blake Nelson, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, and Christoph Waltz.
Lady Chatterley's Lover
Release: November 25, 2022
Lady Chatterley's Lover is originally a 1928 novel by English author D. H. Lawrence, which was the last work of his life. Based on the novel, David Magee wrote the screenplay of this romantic film. Directed by Laure de Clermont-Toner, the movie stars Jack O'Connell and Emma Corinne.
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It is the story of a depressed aristocratic woman who develops an unorthodox relationship with the gamekeeper of her husband's estate. The solid performances of the actors and the freshness of the mature story have made it stand out.
The Noel Diary
Release: November 24, 2022
Noel's Diary is the story of a man who returns to his village home for Christmas and encounters a forgotten past. The main focus here is a diary where an important chapter of his life is carefully hidden, all of which is covered by a beautiful woman.
The screenplay of the Christmas-themed movie was done by a team of four writers- David Golden, Rebecca Connor, Richard Paul Evans, and Charles Shire. Directed by Charles Shire, the casting of the romantic comedy film includes Essence Atkins, Justin Hartley, James Reimer, Barrett Doss, and Bonnie Bedelia.
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The Swimmers
Release: November 11, 2022
This biographical film is set against the backdrop of war-torn Syria. Yushra and Sara, two sisters, embarked on a terrifying adventure with the dream of becoming a swimming champion. Sally El Hosseini did the screenplay as well as the direction for the drama movie.
In the screenplay, she was accompanied by Jack Thorne. In the role of Yushra and Sara, the film casts Nathalie Issa and Manal Issa, who are also sisters in real life. Moreover, the film stars Kinda Alosh, Ahmed Malek, Matthias Schweiger, James Krishna Floyd, Ali Suliman, and Elmi Rashid Elmi.
Entergalactic
Release: September 30, 2022
Entergalactic is a must-watch TV special for fans of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The animated film was created by Kid Cudi, who is a musician and actor at the same time. This movie has basically served as the visual representation of the album which was released prior to this film.
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Fletcher Moles directed the musical film in which Cuddy himself lent his voice in the title role. Other voiceover artists include Jessica Williams, Timothée Chalamet, Laura Harrier, Jaden Smith, Ty Dolla Sign, Vanessa Hudgens, 070 Shake, Christopher Abbott, Teyana Taylor, Macaulay Culkin, Keith David, and Arturo Castro.
Wednesday
Release: November 23, 2022
It is a standalone series based on the character Wednesday Addams from the popular TV series The Addams Family. Alfred Gough and Miles Miller created this comedy horror series. The title role is played by Jenna Ortega, who is seen trying to solve the mystery of her school's monster.
The coming-of-age series also stars Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzman, Christina Ricci, Isaac Ordonez, Riki Lindholm, Gwendoline Christie, Jamie McShane, and Fred Armisen. Acclaimed horror and thriller filmmaker Tim Burton directed four out of the eight episodes of the supernatural mystery show.
Read More: 10 Best South Indian Movies Releasing in December 2022
Enola Holmes 2
Release: October 27, 2022
Harry Bradbeer has already introduced the sister of Sherlock Holmes, the world-famous fictional character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The main story was taken from American author Nancy Springer's book The Enola Holmes Mysteries. By this time, this is the second feature-length screen appearance of Enola Holmes under the screenplay by Jack Thorne.
The popular drama series Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown played the title role. And Superman-fame Henry Cavill has played the role of Sherlock Holmes. The mystery movie also stars Louis Partridge, Helena Bonham Carter, Susie Okuma, and Adil Akhtar in other roles.
The Good Nurse
Release: September 11, 2022
Christy Wilson-Kearns Charles screenplays the drama film based on the story of Graeber's 2013 book The Good Nurse. Here, director Tobias Lindholm shows from a nurse’s point of view how a notorious caregiver becomes a serial killer in a hospital.
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The movie stars Oscar-winning actresses Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne in lead roles. Other performers include Kim Dickens, Nnamdi Asomugha, and Noah Emmerich. The film received the most views in Netflix history on October 27, 2022, the day after its release on Netflix.
Along for the Ride
Release: May 6, 2022
One summer before college, Auden met fellow insomniac, Eli. While the entire seaside town sleeps, they embark on a strange adventure to experience a free and independent life.
This is the story of Sarah Dessen's novel Along for the Ride. And Sofia Alvarez used this novel to come up with the screenplay for her own directed romantic-comedy film. She kept the title of the novel unchanged for the movie. The film stars Belmont Cameli, Emma Passaro, Kate Bosworth, Andy McDowell, Laura Kariuki, and Dermot Mulroney.
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Summing Up
These 10 new Netflix shows for Christmas and New Year can make the holiday season exhilarating for any cinephile. Not just a mere time pass, watching these movies and series with loved ones can be an everlasting memory. These shows can surely serve as great companions for introverts to laugh, cry, fear and wonder.
5 Must-Watch Movies of Rajinikanth
Dadasaheb Phalke and Padma Bhushan-awarded South Indian Star Rajinikanth is the most successful actor in the Indian film industry. The original name of this man from Karnataka was Shivaji Rao Gaekwad who got his acting chops through Kannada mythological plays. And it was the time when he caught the attention of Tamil film director K Balachander.
Then with the 1975 Tamil film Apoorva Ragangal directed by Balachander, Rajinikanth's film career began. And it was this Balachander who gave Rajinikanth his stage name ‘Rajinikanth’. Almost all of Rajinikanth's films have an impeccable style of punchlines.
Let's check out the most popular movies of this veteran actor on his 72nd birthday.
Top 5 Most Memorable Films of South Indian Star Rajinikanth
Billa (1980)
This R Krishnamurthy-directed action-thriller is a remake of the 1978 Hindi film Don starring Amitabh Bachchan. After this movie, Rajinikanth became the Tamil version of Bachchan in the Kollywood industry. He manages to master Bachchan's angry young man style quite well. However, Rajinikanth himself took Bachchan as his inspiration. Rajinikanth started acting in dual roles for the first time through this cinema.
Read More: 10 Best South Indian Movies Releasing in December 2022
This blockbuster movie was a major turning point in his acting career. Since the release of the film, a new Rajinikanth has emerged in the eyes of critics. Billa’s highest-grossing figure in 1980 established Rajinikanth as the top star of southern cinema.
This movie started the gangster hero trend in Tamil cinema. In old movies, the audience was usually shown the hero's backstory where the hero was a victim of social problems and committed crimes. Billa, on the contrary, is a complete exception to that, where the hero enjoys committing crimes. And Rajinikanth played the character flawlessly.
Chandramukhi (2005)
This commercially successful horror comedy film was written and directed by P Vasu.
The 1993 Malayalam movie Manchitrathajhu was remade by Vasu himself in Kannada in 2004 as Aptamitra. And this Chandramukhi is the Tamil version of that Aptamitra. Rajinikanth's co-artists here were Jyothika and Nayanthara.
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Over 25 Toyota Qualis and 30 stunt artists were used in Rajinikanth's fight sequences in the film. It ran in theaters for 890 consecutive days, making the movie the longest-running South Indian film. The film was released in several languages, including German and Turkish. However, the entire credit behind this was due to Rajinikanth's stardom.
Rajinikanth won a Tamil Nadu State Film Award for his portrayal of Vettaiyan Raja. The film won four more awards at the Tamil Nadu State Film Festival. The movie also showcased two Filmfare Awards and four Film Fans Association Awards. The film is one of the limited numbers of South Indian films to have grossed over Rs 100 crore at the worldwide box office.
Jaya Ahsan’s Bollywood debut confirmed as photos emerge with Pankaj Tripathi, other co-actors
Popular Bangladeshi actress Jaya Ahsan, who was rumoured to be making her debut in Bollywood soon, is now officially confirmed as a cast member of Indian filmmaker Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury's next project.
The actress was seen in photographs with her co-actors including Bollywood actor Pankaj Tripathi, actress Sanjana Sanghi, Malayalam blockbuster film ‘Charlie’-famed actress Parvathy Thiruvothu and others, alongside the director and producer on Wednesday.
Read more: Jaya Ahsan bags 'Black Lady' again!
Jointly written by Viraf Sarkari, Ritesh Shah and Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, shooting for the film began on Wednesday. The film is being shot in Mumbai and Kolkata. It is an investigative drama with a heart-warming story, centred around the coming together of a dysfunctional family.
Regarding her Bollywood debut, Jaya Ahsan said to the Times of India that she is excited to be a part of the film. “This is my first film in Hindi and my character is an integral part of the movie. When this offer came to me, I was thrilled and said yes immediately because Aniruddha is the director, and I have Pankaj Tripathi as one of my co-actors. I have always wanted to work with them and the fact that it’s my first Hindi film doubles the delight.”
Read more: Is Jaya Ahsan making her debut in Hindi cinema?
Director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury said, “This film has a story layered with intrigue which reveals itself over time - how faced with odds, people come together to form a strong unit. I am so happy to collaborate with Wiz Films and an eclectic cast like Pankaj Tripathi, Sanjana Sanghi, Parvathi Thirovothu and Jaya Ahsan along with crew Avik Mukhopadhyay, Ritesh Shah, Shantanu Moitro and Arghyakamal Mitra.”
The yet-to-be-titled film is produced by Wiz Films, KVN and HT Content Studio, in association with Opus Communications.
Will Smith’s ‘Emancipation’ role taught him lesson post-slap
While filming “Emancipation,” Will Smith routinely drew inspiration from the words “sacred motivation” that were written on the front page of a script. But the Oscar winner heavily leaned on the phrase even more in recent months, as he tried to overcome the backlash to his Oscars slap and banishment from the ceremony.
“It’s like when you can locate and center yourself in your divine purpose, you can withstand anything and everything,” Smith said of the phrase that greeted him when he took on the lead role in Antoine Fuqua’s “Emancipation,” which is currently in theaters and will be available to stream Friday on Apple TV+. “Sacred motivation” became like a theme for him and his castmates, Smith said.
The film, completed months before Smith strode onto the Oscars stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock for a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, was a grueling shoot. Inspired by an iconic 1863 photo of the scarred back of “Whipped Peter,” Smith portrays the character Peter — a man who attempts to escape slavery while he uses his wits to dodge slave hunters and brave alligator-infested Louisiana swamps in his quest for freedom.
READ: Apple to release Will Smith's 'Emancipation' post-slap
The photos of “Whipped Peter” were taken during a Union Army medical examination that first appeared in Harper’s Weekly. An image known as “The Scourged Back” showed countless mutilated whip marks on Peter’s bare back that were delivered by his enslavers. The photo contributed to the growing opposition to slavery.
Smith said his character taught him a lesson in overcoming adversity after he faced condemnation, memes and a 10-year Oscars attendance ban. The “slap” seemingly overshadowed his own biggest career milestone, which came later in the night: winning his first-ever Academy Award, best actor for “King Richard.”
The backlash rocked Smith, but Peter ultimately helped steer him back on track too.
“Peter has absolutely helped me through these last few months, just reestablishing within myself in what my purpose is in this world,” Smith said in a recent interview, one of his first since the Oscars. He has repeatedly apologized for his behavior after accepting his ban.
Normally, “Emancipation” might earn Smith some serious Oscars buzz. He’s still eligible for nominations and awards, but can’t personally accept them. Given backlash to “The Slap,” Smith mainly hopes that audiences will still watch Fuqua’s film.
“This movie was so grueling. Literally across the board, everybody had to devote a hefty amount of suffering to what you see on that screen,” Smith said. “So my greatest wish, and I guess I can talk about my greatest fear, is that my team would be penalized for my actions. I’m out with this film that I love and strictly want my people to get their flowers.”
Fuqua knows Smith made a mistake, but he hopes audiences can move past it. The director believes the story about Peter’s search for freedom, fighting to get back to his family and being a catalyst in highlighting the horrific side of slavery in “Emancipation” is much bigger than “The Slap.”
“Peter’s story is so inspiring, especially as a Black man. We go through a lot of things daily, just being Black,” said Fuqua, known for directing “Training Day,” “Equalizer” films and “The Magnificent Seven.” He said his new film tackles how certain elements of racism in America that still occur today.
READ: Will Smith resigns from film academy over Chris Rock slap
“For me, it’s a mistake,” Fuqua said of Smith striking Rock on live television. “Hopefully everybody can get back on track and God bless everyone. But we’re talking about 400 years of brutality.”
Bingwa, who plays Peter’s wife Dodienne, credits Smith’s ability to endure the adversity while pushing forward through it.
“It’s in line with the film. I imagine it’s been a tough period,” said Bingwa, who hopes audiences can learn more about Peter’s determination to return home after making a promise. “I don’t want to speak on Will’s behalf, but he’s been an inspiration to so many for so long. I love seeing him with his head held high. Everyone can learn from his experience. I just love the way you took it on the chin, you’re wearing it and walking forward. We’re all human.”
While promoting the film, Smith held private screenings for several influential figures including Rihanna, Tyler Perry, Dave Chappelle, LeBron James and his Los Angeles Lakers teammates along with students at Morehouse College. He garnered a great amount of support from those individuals, giving him somewhat a sigh of relief.
Each time Smith harkened back to Peter’s story, the more he became empowered to share his character’s journey.
“I feel very comfortable in this current situation with this project, with these people,” he said. “I feel cleansed. I feel purified and transformed in many ways. And as one of the lessons from Peter is, ‘Suffering leads to salvation.’ So I am comfortable taking my medicine.”
Two-time Emmy winner Kirstie Alley dies at 71
Kirstie Alley, a two-time Emmy winner whose roles on the TV megahit “Cheers” and in the “Look Who’s Talking” films made her one of the biggest stars in American comedy in the late 1980s and early 1990s, died Monday. She was 71.
Alley died of cancer that was only recently discovered, her children True and Lillie Parker said in a post on Twitter. Alley’s manager Donovan Daughtry confirmed the death in an email to The Associated Press.
“As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother,” her children’s statement said.
She starred opposite Ted Danson as Rebecca Howe on “Cheers,” the beloved NBC sitcom about a Boston bar, from 1987 to 1993. She joined the show at the height of its popularity after the departure of original star Shelley Long.
Alley would win an Emmy for best lead actress in a comedy series for the role in 1991.
“I only thank God I didn’t have to wait as long as Ted,” Alley said in her acceptance, gently ribbing Danson, who had finally won an Emmy for his “Cheers” role as Sam Malone in his eighth nomination the previous year.
She would take a second Emmy for best lead actress in a miniseries or television movie in 1993 for playing the title role in the CBS TV movie “David’s Mother.”
She had her own sitcom on the network, “Veronica’s Closet,” from 1997 to 2000.
In the 1989 comedy “Look Who’s Talking,” which gave her a major career boost, she played the mother of a baby who’s inner thoughts were voiced by Bruce Willis. She would also appear in a 1990 sequel “Look Who’s Talking Too,” and another in 1993, “Look Who’s Talking Now.”
John Travolta, her co-star in the trilogy, paid her tribute in an Instagram post.
“Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had,” Travolta said, along with a photo of Alley. “I love you Kirstie. I know we will see each other again.”