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Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is a private Indian news agency. The IANS was founded by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the India Abroad News Service. It was later renamed the Indo-Asian News Service. The IANS has its main offices located in Noida.

Articles Written By IANS News

Sandesh Gour excited about his upcoming series in new year
1623 days ago
Digital Media

Sandesh Gour excited about his upcoming series in new year

Mumbai, Dec 30 (IANS) Actor Sandesh Gour, who has been a part of shows like 'Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya', 'Saraswatichandra', 'Shapath', and 'Badi Dooooor Se Aaye Hai', is gearing up to play a protagonist in upcoming web series 'Atrangi Ishq', 'SCAR' and 'Free Ka Bunglow'. ## He says: "I'm glad to start my new year with three big and interesting projects. In all the projects I'm playing the protagonist. 'Atrangi Ishq' and 'SCAR' are youth dramas and 'Free Ka Bunglow' is a sitcom. I'm making my debut on the digital platform and I'm really excited about it. I feel 2021 is ending on a great point for me and 2022 might be turning point of my life." ## Talking about his roles in the series he shares: "In 'Atrangi Ishq', I'm playing Kabir who's lazy, dictator and possessive guy. He is an orphan and lives with his friend and it is scheduled to be released in February. In my other project 'SCAR' I'm essaying Siddharth. He is an aspiring actor who is innocent, dedicated to his career. And 'Free ka Bunglow' is full of comedy and my audience will see my comic timing." ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For More Updates.

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Rajamouli reveals the reason he chose 'RRR' title
1623 days ago
Tollywood

Rajamouli reveals the reason he chose 'RRR' title

Mumbai, Dec 30 (IANS) Director S.S. Rajamouli has revealed the reason behind titling his upcoming film 'RRR'. He will be seen as a special guest along with the film's stars Jr NTR, Ram Charan and Alia Bhatt, on 'The Kapil Sharma Show'. ## During a conversation, host Kapil Sharma asks Rajamouli to reveal the reason for naming his film 'RRR'. ## Rajamouli shares: "In the beginning, we didn't know what to put the title as, so we thought we should refer to the project as 'RRR' because of - Ram Charan, Rama Rao (Jr NTR) and Rajamouli. We started putting hashtags as RRR and the response of the audience was overwhelming so we kept 'RRR' as the title." ## 'The Kapil Sharma Show' airs on Sony Entertainment Television. ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For More Updates.

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Suriya releases teaser of bilingual time travel film 'Kanam'
1623 days ago
Kollywood

Suriya releases teaser of bilingual time travel film 'Kanam'

Chennai, Dec 30 (IANS) Actor Suriya has released the teaser of director Shree Karthik's Tamil-Telugu bilingual film 'Kanam', featuring actors Amala, Sharwanand and Ritu Varma in the lead. ## The film, which has been produced Dream Warrior Pictures, has been titled 'Oke Oka Jeevitham' in Telugu, and is based on time travel. ## Directed by debutant director Shree Karthik, the film stars Amala Akkineni, Sharwanand, Nasser, Ritu Verma, Satish, Ramesh Tilak and M.S. Bhaskar, among others. ## Sujith Sarang is the cinematographer of the film, which has music by Jakes Bejoy. Sreejith Sarang is the editor and Satheesh Kumar is the art director. ## Talking about the film, director Shree Karthik said, "'Kanam' is a beautiful sci-fi film centered on a mother's affection. I have directed it in both Tamil and Telugu. Vennela Kishore and Priyadarshini have acted in important roles in the Telugu version while Sathish and Ramesh Thilak have acted in the Tamil version. ## "Though we started this as a small-budget film, it is now a science fiction, bilingual film with a substantial budget involved. ## "One of south India's favourite stars Amala has played the mother's role in this movie. I wrote this story with her in mind. She has not acted for 25 years but agreed to this film after hearing this story. The most important characters in the story are played by three boys." ## The director said that the film was in its final stages and that work was on in full swing. ## "Since it is a sci-fi movie, we have taken utmost care and efforts for the VFX scenes. We will soon be releasing a mother song featured in this film. The mesmerising voice of Sid Sriram in that song will definitely linger in your mind. This song will take a prominent place in the list of songs about mothers in Tamil cinema." ##

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Zain Imam prays for success of 'Fanaa - Ishq Mein Marjawaan' at Ajmer Sharif shrine
1623 days ago
TV

Zain Imam prays for success of 'Fanaa - Ishq Mein Marjawaan' at Ajmer Sharif shrine

Mumbai, Dec 30 (IANS) TV actor Zain Imam talks about his recent visit to Ajmer Sharif Dargah while shooting a sequence in Rajasthan for the upcoming romantic thriller 'Fanaa - Ishq Mein Marjawaan'. Zain will be seen as a businessman and tech genius. ## This series features Zain Imam, Reem Shaikh and Akshit Sukhija in pivotal roles. ## Zain says: "There cannot be a better start to the new year than visiting the Ajmer Sharif Dargah. I always wanted to come to visit the holy shrine and I am so happy that I finally did." ## The 'Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 9' star further shares his experience of visiting the holy shrine of Ajmer Sharif to seek blessings. ## "It was a surreal experience as we bowed and prayed for the show and the well-being of friends and family in the coming year. I am very excited and having a great time shooting in Rajasthan. The promos of the show are looking very promising, and I hope the viewers like it too," he adds. ## 'Fanaa - Ishq Mein Marjawaan' will air soon on Colors. ##

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Rajesh Khanna biography author charts the superstar's rise and fadeout
1623 days ago
Bollywood

Rajesh Khanna biography author charts the superstar's rise and fadeout

Mumbai, Dec 30 (IANS) The rise of Jatin Khanna, better known as Rajesh Khanna, Bollywood's first superstar who commanded a colossal female fan following, reflected the socio-political changes simmering in India of his time, according to his biographer, Gautam Chintamani, whose book is the starting point for Nikhil Dwivedi's just-announced biopic. ## The 1962 Sino-Indian War, said the author of 'Dark Star: The Loneliness Of Being Rajesh Khanna', led to the questioning of the Nehruvian worldview and his version of socialism, and for the first time since Independence, the vote share of the Indian National Congress dipped in the third general election. The rise of the actor mirrored the growing sentiment against the status quo. ## In a conversation with IANS, Chintamani shared anecdotes from the actor's life, demystified the enigma that Rajesh Khanna was and spoke about the subsequent dethroning of the actor by Amitabh Bachchan, who continues to be very much a part of India's showbiz story. ## Explaining why he chose Rajesh Khanna as the subject of his book, Chintamani said: "If you think of filmstars or cultural icons such as Rajesh Khanna, then there are very few people whose life warrants to be told like a story. For me, he's someone who captured the zeitgeist, redefined it and left such a big impression that for generations, film actors have followed that template. That's what got me interested in Rajesh Khanna." ## Despite his success, the superstar never meddled with the scripts or the director's vision. "He never forced filmmakers to change their scripts for the purpose of accommodating his stardom," Chintamani said. "He was a very confident actor."## Talking about the skills of the superstar, Chintamani underlined two of them. One was the actor's way around with silences and the other was how he blended seamlessly with the staging, blocking and overall arrangement of a scene. ## "An actor's prowess also comes across in his silences," Chintamani said, adding: "And if you see some of the best Rajesh Khanna films, he is a part of the whole mise en scene, where he may not have dialogues at times, but his presence is so powerful that you get an idea of what a confident actor he is." ## For all his superstardom, Khanna couldn't escape a dramatic reversal of fortunes. Khanna had a falling out with the screenwriter duo Salim-Javed, who, just like Khanna, changed the rules of the game (in terms of writing) and played a huge part in the creation of Amitabh Bachchan as a subsequent superstar. ## Chintamani explained: "The writing on the wall became clear with the arrival of Amitabh Bachchan as the angry young man in 1973 and the falling out Mr Khanna had with screenwriters Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar combined somewhere. It was very clear that Rajesh Khanna's romantic films would no longer be the mainstay of the industry. The emergence of Amitabh Bachchan, along with the popularity of Rishi Kapoor as a young hero, all happened at the same time." ## Chintama added: "Between 1973 and 1975 there were films such as 'Aap Ki Kasam' and 'Roti', which were very big hits, but post-1975, with the success of 'Deewar' and 'Sholay', the entire scenario changed." ## It is not that Rajesh Khanna did not keep in touch with the changing times. What changed was how the audience perceived him. And it coincided with the rise of a new and brighter star. Bollywood's first superstar soon found himself being sucked into a black hole. ## "He did try to shift gears and keep up with the times, but he was so good in what he did as a romantic hero or a dramatic star that it was difficult for people in the industry to imagine him doing action films. If you see the transition between 1975 and 1980, it was a very difficult phase for Rajesh Khanna," Chintamani pointed out. ## The author concluded by talking about the man behind the superstar. "He was very close to his daughters and he counted that as one of his greatest achievements," Chintamani recalled. "Although my book doesn't look at Rajesh Khanna as the family man because it doesn't focus a lot on that, he was very fond of his grandchildren and children." ##

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Sai Pallavi secretly watches her movie 'Shyam Singha Roy' in theatre wearing 'burqa'
1623 days ago
Tollywood

Sai Pallavi secretly watches her movie 'Shyam Singha Roy' in theatre wearing 'burqa'

Hyderabad, Dec 30 (IANS) Actress Sai Pallavi, who allured the audience as Rosie in 'Shyam Singha Roy', visited a crowded theatre in Hyderabad while wearing a 'burqa' to hide her identity. ## The 'Fidaa' actress wanted to witness the audience's reaction to her movie, hence she paid a secret visit to the theatre, where she sat with the audience and watched their reactions during the screening. ## A video was released, in which Sai Pallavi is seen entering the theatre wearing a 'burqa', as she sits along with the audience. ## The video also features her looking at the audience cheer during one of her dance performances in 'Shyam Singha Roy'. ## "Maam, how was the movie?", her team member asked on a witty note, as she walks out of the theatre after the screening. ## No one recognised her while she was watching the movie, even though it was heavily crowded. ## Sai Pallavi then returned to her vehicle, as she slightly opens her veil, smiling all the way. ## 'Shyam Singha Roy' has been running successfully at the theatres. ## Nani plays a dual role in the movie, while Sai Pallavi appears as a 'devadasi' in Rahul Sankrityan's directorial. ##

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Ajay Devgn-starrer 'Tanhaji - The Unsung Warrior' biggest hit of the last two years
1623 days ago
Bollywood

Ajay Devgn-starrer 'Tanhaji - The Unsung Warrior' biggest hit of the last two years

Mumbai, Dec 30 (IANS) Filmmaker-actor Ajay Devgn's movie 'Tanhaji - The Unsung Warrior', which also stars Kajol and Saif Ali Khan, has become the biggest hit of the last two years with numbers closing at Rs 280 crore in the domestic market and it grossed Rs 3.67 billion worldwide. ## 'Tanhaji - The Unsung Warrior' in the last two years did the closing at Rs 280 crore in the domestic market, while Akshay Kumar's latest film 'Sooryavanshi' also touched Rs 195 crore, giving the Indian exhibitors reason to smile. ## According to reports available, 'Tanhaji - The Unsung Warrior' grossed Rs 3.67 billion ($49 million) worldwide and was declared a blockbuster at the box-office, thus having the distinction of being the highest grossing Bollywood film of 2020. ## Talking about 'Tanhaji' dominating the box-office for two years, Ajay told IANS: "'Tanhaji' was special because it stayed true to the patriotic spirit, it had superb dialogue, it had awesome performances from Kajol and Saif Ali Khan. And I put in my sincere efforts." ## The star is happy that the warrior got his due. ## He added: "I'm so happy this unsung warrior got his due at the Indian box-office and got appreciated globally as well." ## Trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared with IANS that from the very beginning, Ajay Devgn's 'Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior' promised to be a huge success. ## "It had all the elements that pulled audiences to the theatre - great story, visionary execution, incredible star cast, class apart VFX and the list could just go on. The film grossed Rs 3.67 billion ($49 million) worldwide and was declared a blockbuster." ## Adarsh added that not only did it create a national stir but it also received international recognition. ## He shared: "It's been two years since we have seen the kind of success 'Tanhaji' achieved not only at the box-office but also acclaimed by the audiences globally. The Indian film industry is waiting to go back to the time when films would break records like Ajay Devgn's 'Tanhaji' did." ## Directed by Om Raut, the film also stars Saif Ali Khan, Kajol, Sharad Kelkar, and Luke Kenny. ## Set in the 17th century, 'Tanhaji - The Unsung Warrior' revolves around warrior Tanaji's attempts to recapture the Kondhana fortress once it passes onto Mughal emperor Aurangzeb who transfers its control to his trusted Rajput general Udaybhan Singh Rathore. ##

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'Maayon' team changes phrase in song that sparked debate
1623 days ago
Kollywood

'Maayon' team changes phrase in song that sparked debate

Chennai, Dec 30 (IANS) The team of 'Maayon', which features actors Sibiraj and Tanya Ravichandran in the lead, has changed a phrase in a lyric video of a song from the film after it became a point of debate on social media. ## The single track 'Maayone Manivanna' from the film 'Maayon', set to tune by Isaignani Ilaiyaraaja and sung by Carnatic legends Ranjani and Gayatri, was released recently. It became a huge hit garnering over a million views in a short period of time. ## However, a particular phrase from the song turned into a point of controversy. It even become a subject of debate among fans of music director Ilaiyaraja. The line 'Thaal Panindhom' sung by Ranjani and Gayatri was mentioned as 'Thaazh Panindhom' in the lyrical video. Comments on the video questioned the makers as to which phrase was appropriate with some urging the team to clarify. ## 'Thaal Panindhom' means surrender to the feet of Almighty. Whereas 'Thaazh Panindhom' translates to complete surrender. ## The 'Maayon' team has now clarified that according to the ancient text 'Poorananooru', 'Thaal Panindhom' and 'Thaazh Panindhom' both mean surrender to the Almighty's feet. ## However, following requests from fans and music lovers, they have changed the lyrics in the video as 'Thaal Pananidhom'. "This is going to stay forever in the digital medium and hence we thought we should make appropriate changes as requested by fans and music lovers," says a member of the team. ## The film is produced by Arunmozhi Manickam of Double Meaning Productions who has also written the screenplay for the film. It is directed by a debutant filmmaker N. Kishore. ##

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Kannada film industry eyes a pan-India footprint in 2022
1623 days ago
Sandalwood

Kannada film industry eyes a pan-India footprint in 2022

Bengaluru, Dec 30 (IANS) The Kannada film industry, following in the footsteps of Tollywood, is all set to leave its mark on the pan-India market in the upcoming year. ## Kannada films were once known for being mainly arthouse productions and festival circuit favourites, but with the commercial success of the action drama 'KGF-1', Sandalwood can claim to have arrived on the national screen. The industry is looking up to the sequel, 'KGF-2', which is slated to be released in July next year, to give it the boost it is so looking forward to. ## After enjoying an exalted reputation for quite some time in the second half of the 1900s, when directors such as G.V. Iyer, M.S. Sathyu, Girish Karnad, B.V. Karanth and Girish Kasaravalli made headline news, the Kannada film industry has lived with the ignominy of being dubbed as the inferior cousin of Tollywood (Telugu), Kollywood (Tamil) and Mollywood (Malayalam) in terms of budgets, market penetration and content. ## But it has been given a new lease of life by the rise of a pan-India superstar in the form of the 'KGF-1' star, Yash. The actor has also spoken about the Kannada film industry on various platforms and how he took it upon himself as a challenge to prove that it's on a par with other language film industries. ## In the year going by, the Kannada film industry received a jolt when its superstar Puneeth Rajkumar met with a sudden death on October 29. With the entire state in a state of mourning over the loss of a beloved star, the producers of the big-budget movie 'Bajarangi' had to suffer huge financial setbacks. ## The industry, however, managed to get the box office cash registers ringing again as large crowds welcomed 'Kotigobba-3' and 'Salaga'. Later, 'Garuda Gamana Vrushaba Vahana', 'Madagaja', 'Badava Rascal' and 'Rider' also managed to put up a good show at the box office and drew huge crowds despite the Omicron variant fears. ## The much-anticipated events in the coming year will be the posthumous release of the Puneeth Rajkumar-starrer documentary 'Gandhada Gudi', directed by the popular wildlife documentary filmmaker J.S. Amoghavarsha, and the commercial movie 'James' directed by Chetan Kumar. 'Gandhada Gudi', meanwhile, is expected to make a mark at the national level. ## The producers and actors are now focusing more on pan-India presentations and expanding the canvas of their movies. After 'KGF-2', the Kichcha Sudeep-starrer 'Vikranth Rona' is slated to be a pan-India movie. This Anup Bhandari directorial is said to be one of the biggest releases of the Kannada film industry in the upcoming year. ## Super Star Upendra, who's popular in Tollywood, is ready to make a grand entry on the national scene with 'Kabja', which is being produced in five languages, including Hindi. 'Home Minister', 'Trishulam' and 'Lagaam' are Upendra's other big movies which will be released in 2022. ## 'Banaras', starring Zaid Khan and Sonal Monteiro, has also been made on a huge canvas. The film is being released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. The movie is directed by Jayatheertha. ## Rakshith Shetty, known for his experiments, is rolling out '777 Charlie', which is about the journey of a dog named Charlie. The movie is to be released in Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil. Shetty's 'Sapta Sagaradache Yello' has also generated a lot of curiosity and is most likely to make a mark nationally. ## Director Prem is ready with his new experiment with newcomers 'Ek Love Ya' and Rishab Shetty is all set to rock with 'Bell Bottom 2'. Super Star Darshan is quietly busy with 'Kranthi'. After the success of the Telugu version of 'Robert', the actor is expected to expand the footprint of the Kannada film industry. ## Dhruv Sarja's 'Martin', Abhishek Ambareesh's 'Bad Manners', Niranjan's 'Super Star', Dr Shivarajkumar's 'Veda', Srimurali's 'Bagheera' and Darling Krishna's 'Love Mocktail 2' are the most eagerly awaited movies of Kannada cinema in 2022. ## Speaking to IANS, Umesh Banakar, a film producer and actor, stated that there is a steady increase in the number of pan-India projects led by the Kannada film industry. "There is still scope for content-oriented films," he stated, pointing out that the number of cinema theatres in Karnataka has come down to 650 to 675 from 1,700. "I owned three theatres. I had to close them down. It is difficult to compete with multiplexes and after digitization theatres are struggling," Banakar said. ## Ba. Ma. Harish, former secretary of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, explained that even after the return of Covid-19, the Kannada film industry is abuzz. 'KGF-2' and 'Vikrant Rona' are all set for pan-India rollouts and even newcomers are taking up big projects. The Kannada film industry will soon be on a par, Harish said, with its Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam counterparts. ## Kannada movies are also making their presence felt on OTT platforms. Dhananjay's 'Ratnan Prapancha' was the first big Kannada release on OTT and it managed to get a good response. 'Love Mocktail', 'Diya', 'Ikkat', 'French Biryani' are the movies that became popular on OTT. ##

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Dibyendu Bhattacharya to play nuclear physicist in 'Rocket Boys'
1623 days ago
Digital Media

Dibyendu Bhattacharya to play nuclear physicist in 'Rocket Boys'

Mumbai, Dec 30 (IANS) Actor Dibyendu Bhattacharya, who is known for his performances in films like 'Black Friday', 'Dev D' and 'Lootera', will soon be seen playing a nuclear physicist in the upcoming sci-drama series 'Rocket Boys'. ## The series, which also stars Jim Sarbh and Ishwak Singh, marks Bhattacharya's first brush with the genre. Talking about his role, Dibyendu says, "It is a very interesting character. I'm a nuclear physicist in the series." ## He adds, "All I can say is that it's a role I've never played before and India hasn't seen too many real scientists being portrayed on screen, so it gives me a free hand to dig into my craft. I'm honoured to have been offered this part. I'm excited, it's a story of how brilliant minds changed the course of history." ## The series celebrates the architects of the future of India, Homi J. Bhabha (essayed by Jim Sarbh) and Vikram Sarabhai (played by Ishwak Singh), the renowned scientists who pioneered India's nuclear programme. Directed by Abhay Pannu with Nikhil Advani as the showrunner, 'Rocket Boys' produced by Roy Kapur Films and Emmay Entertainment, will be available to stream on SonyLIV. ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For More Updates.

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Punjabi film 'Shooter' to finally release two years after ban
1623 days ago
Pollywood

Punjabi film 'Shooter' to finally release two years after ban

Mumbai, Dec 30 (IANS) Punjabi crime film 'Shooter' starring Jayy Randhawa, based on the life and crimes of notorious gangster Sukha Kahlwan, will finally see the light of day two years after it was banned by then Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, citing its violent content. ## The film is set to release in theatres on February 4. ## Speaking on the occasion, producer K.V. Dhillon said, "I just want to thank God and the judiciary for allowing our movie to be shown in cinemas. I am happy for my whole team. We all waited for this day and finally after two years this day has come." ## Talking about any changes made in the movie he reveals, "We have not made any changes in the movie but there are some additional surprises which you will come to know when you will watch this movie in theatres and yes there are few cuts which are unnoticeable (sic)." ## Responding to the ex-Chief Minister's opinion of the film promoting violence, he said, "We respect their opinion, but only by watching the 3-minute trailer one should not pass the judgement. We should know the whole story before saying anything, I believe. We are here to produce and promote entertainment, nothing else. One should expect entertainment because we go to watch movies to entertain ourselves, nothing else." ## "We are not showing any violence, movies are made from moments/things which happen in society, so we have not created any thing which has never happend or never shown. It's a normal action, you can go with your family to watch," he concluded. ##

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'Bigg Boss 15': Dharmendra to appear as special guest during 'Weekend Ka Vaar'
1623 days ago
Bollywood

'Bigg Boss 15': Dharmendra to appear as special guest during 'Weekend Ka Vaar'

Mumbai, Dec 30 (IANS) The upcoming 'Weekend Ka Vaar' episode will see veteran Bollywood star Dharmendra as the special guest on 'Bigg Boss 15'. ## Salman Khan will be seen having some fun moments with the 'He-Man' of Bollywood. The 'Dabangg' actor has once mentioned his admiration for Dharmendra's fitness regime and how he looks at him. ## Meanwhile, Bigg Boss has announced survival tasks for nominated contestants including Karan, Tejasswi, Umar, Rashami and Abhijeet which they cannot cancel by any means, like they tried to do with Ticket To Finale. ## The nominated contestants have to go inside a box and stay for 28 minutes. The contestants must count 28 minutes and end the task when the time is up according to them. The other competitors and housemates can distract them without making loud noises from outside. ## Devoleena tries to put 'mirchi' powder smoke inside the box, Shamita sprays perfume from the small holes to distract them. When Abhijit enters the box, Karan tries to instigate him. ## There is no elimination till now, so coming episodes may see sudden eviction. ## 'Bigg Boss 15' airs on Colors. ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For More Updates.

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