You are listening to the Expresso Entertainment Update. Here is the latest news from the world of Bollywood brought to you by The Indian Express.
“Let’s begin with our top story. Late actor Irrfan Khan and acclaimed filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj shared a special bond. When Irrfan died in April 2020, Bhardwaj was one of his few friends from the industry to make it to the funeral during the height of the pandemic.
Recently, the director, who is bankrolling his son Aasmaan’s debut film “”Kuttey””, was asked about his collaboration with Irrfan. Speaking at a recent interview, Bhardwaj said that he misses Irrfan not only on his own sets, but every time he watches a good movie. “”That is the biggest loss to me, and for the whole industry,” said Vishal. Vishal Bhardwaj and Irrfan Khan had worked on a slew of successful films, including acclaimed films Maqbool and Haider.”
Moving on. The trailer of director Rajkumar Santoshi‘s upcoming film Gandhi Godse: Ek Yudh was released on Wednesday, 11th January. The trailer gives a powerful insight into the harrowing time after India’s Partition when communal riots brought the nation to its knees. The film also gives us a parallel universe where Mahatma Gandhi survived Nathuram Godse’s bullets and sets about changing the man who tried to assassinate him — with a smile and conversation. The film is set to release in theatres on January 26 and will clash with Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan, which releases a day before on January 25.
Filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi, on Wednesday,11th January, launched the trailer for his comeback directorial film Gandhi Godse Ek Yudh, in Mumbai. At a press conference, the director addressed his film’s clash with Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone starrer-Pathaan. Santoshi said, “Shah Rukh Khan is a very hardworking actor. He is one of the most respected stars in the industry. I’ve known him for years and I send him good wishes for his film. Yash Raj Films is a very reputed banner and they’ve made a very ambitious film. Our film is very different, people who have an interest in such films and like such films will watch it.”
Meanwhile, Actor Suniel Shetty, who was among the most popular faces of Bollywood in the 90s, recently reflected upon the failure of Hindi movies to bring the audience to cinema halls. He asserted that no matter how much the audience loves you, they will never pay for anything which is ‘trash’. The actor also said that people in the filmmaking business need to understand the economics of a film, as they cannot be spending more than half of their budget on celebrity fees instead of spending money on making the film better. Suniel Shetty has Hera Pheri 3 and Project K in the pipeline.
“Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh, and “”Pasoori”” fame singer Ali Sethi from Pakistan, will be performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival this April, the lineup revealed. The music festival will be headlined by the likes of Bad Bunny, Frank Ocean and the wildly popular K-Pop band Blackpink.
Both Ali Sethi and Diljit Dosanjh took to social media to share the big news. Meanwhile, Diljit’s fans could not contain their excitement at the prospect of listening to Punjabi music at the California-based festival. Diljit Dosanjh is a popular Punjabi singer and actor, known for his catchy, upbeat yet meaningful tracks. He made his Bollywood acting debut with the 2016 film Udta Punjab. “
“Meanwhile, Actor Taapsee Pannu will reprise her role of Rani Kashyap Saxena in the sequel to her 2021 film Haseen Dillruba. The actor on Wednesday, 11th January announced the title of the sequel, Phir Aayi Haseen Dillruba.
Taapsee also shared the poster of the film, in which she is seen sitting near a river, looking towards the Taj Mahal. The actor hinted in the caption that her character will go to a new city, presumably Agra. Filmmaker Aanand L Rai also tweeted that Taapsee Pannu has started shooting for the sequel. Haseen Dillruba was directed by Vinil Mathew and written by Kanika Dhillon. The film was co-produced by Aanand L Rai, Eros International and T-Series.”
“The 2001 blockbuster Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, starring Sunny Deol, is set to be re-released worldwide on June 15, an official said.
The re-release of the partition drama comes two months before the release of its much-anticipated sequel Gadar 2 on August 11. The film is directed by Anil Sharma, who also helmed the original and is produced by Zee Studios.
Reports say that the decision to release the first film on the same day it was released in 2001 was made in order to generate buzz for the sequel. Gadar was released on the same day as Aamir Khan-starrer Lagaan, making it one of the biggest box office battles of the time. However, the film opened to huge box office success.”
“Lastly, writer Javed Akhtar revealed an incident when a man mistook him for legendary writer Gulzar and the hilarity which ensued out of the confusion. During the launch of Jadunama, a book written on Akhtar by Arvind Mandloi, the former was joined on stage by Gulzar.
Akhtar narrated that a man once greeted him at the airport, thinking he is Gulzar. Akhtar said he did not correct him and went on with the confusion, making him believe that he was Gulzar! The book launch witnessed great camaraderie and warmth between the two icons, who were pitted against each other throughout their careers as songwriters. Akhtar showered praise on Gulzar’s imaginative wordplay and said both of them remain ardent admirers of each other’s works.”
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