BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) Director Arati Kadav says she is proud that her film 'Cargo' has been representing India at sci-fi fests of the world.## After South By SouthWest, Arati's "Cargo" will be showcased at the Chattanooga Film Festival, Tennessee. It will kick off on April 16.## " 'Cargo' is a genre film, with a distinct Indian voice and it is nice to be appreciated by CFF, which is a really cool genre festival," Arati said.## "So many of our Indian films travel to really amazing festivals but I am happy that with 'Cargo', for the first time, we are making some in-roads in the genre fests and sci-fi fests of the world. The other films at the festival are looking exemplary as well because I've been reading up on them, I'm intrigued. The festival runs are important for exposure, growth and to create the right noise around the films so they warrantee a release they deserve," she added.## The film revolves around demon Prahastha who has been working on a spaceship for years for the Post Death Transition services with the help of a female astronaut, where dead people are recycled for rebirth. It features Shweta Tripathi, Vikrant Massey and Nandu Madhav.## Shweta plays the role of an astronaut who helps her colleague played by Vikrant, who plays a demon operating the post-death transition services in a space station.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) Actor Rahul Dev essays a totally new avatar in the web series 'Operation Parindey' that accounts the story of one of the most daredevil jailbreaks in India.## Rahul plays Monty Singh, a smooth talker with an astute mind, who is the master strategist behind the jailbreak.## On his preparation for the role, Rahul said: "The backdrop of Punjab helped me improvise my scenes, both in terms of look and the Punjabi lingo. I had absolutely enjoyed the script narration given by (director) Sanjay Gadvi and after some research, lent my best to the role."## About his current phase in career, he added: "I am enjoying my current journey, both on the film and OTT platforms. A lot has changed in the choice of subjects, resulting in very diverse and creative work. The creative growth in cinema and OTT platforms over the last few years is responsible for better products."## "Operation Parindey" streams on Zee5 Original march 7 onwards.## For more and latest news about Bollywood and Web, stay tuned with us.

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New Delhi, March 7 (IANS) Women-led films are increasingly being made in Bollywood but it seems like solo songs for female playback singers are not in focus. While women singers might be the priority for special or dance numbers in Bollywood, they are increasingly leaning on non-film songs to show versatility and for better opportunities.## Budding singer Dhvani Bhanushali of "Dilbar" and "Vaaste" fame says she is aware that there are less songs for women in films. "I feel that should change and get better but I think I make up for it by having an independent (music) career," the "Psycho saiyaan" hitmaker told IANS.## On "Dilbar", she was well complemented by Neha Kakkar, who has become the voice of recreations and fastpaced songs in the film industry.## Singer-composer Payal Dev, known for singing in films including Salman Khan-starrer "Dabangg 3", is also rooting for more songs in women's voices but not just dance numbers.## "We should have more in our movies rather than just dance numbers and party songs. Fortunately, we have been seeing that change a bit and a lot of female musicians are coming forward in Bollywood or independent music," she said.## She knows that Bollywood songs have a lot to do with what the movie script demands. So, here comes the significant role of singles.## "I myself have composed and sung singles/non-film songs, so I feel in independent songs, one doesn't face any barrier or follow a particular brief of character. With singles, one can express themselves and with the kind of digital mediums we have, it has been easy to do so," said Payal.## Singer Shilpa Rao, who is enjoying the success of her song "Ghungroo", co-sung with Arijit Singh for Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff-starrer "War", said: "I guess it's quite natural that everyone feels that there are fewer female songs but I think that is a change that is required, especially when there is a global change happening... women actresses, directors, writers, musicians all over the world are constantly talking about having a fair chance to work."## It's not just the women but also men like composer Lalit Pandit who feel that solo female songs have almost "vanished in recent times".## "Even if it's a background song and is picturised on a woman, the voice of the song is of a man! This should be from a music company's point of view as they might be feeling male songs make more money. This could be a fact and a bitter truth. And for that reason, songs are more male-oriented in female-oriented films," said Lalit, who has given some great hits with brother Jatin especially in the nineties.## In fact, he thinks that dance numbers like "Munni badnam hui" are where female voices have "excelled".## Kumar Taurani of Tips Industries also shared examples of Bollywood dance numbers that work in women's voice.## "They (men) bring in the numbers, so a little more priority is there but then there have also been songs like 'Chikni Chameli' and 'Chamma chamma', so female lead songs also work," he shared.## One of the 90s' favorite singers Alka Yagnik, who is currently seen in the role of mentor in the show "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs", shared that back then the trend was different. It was more about one or two singers recording the entire soundtrack of a film.## "The kind of songs they were, those types of songs used to suit the singers' voices. We used to sing the entire album, so an identity used to be made. There used to be a face with a voice, and the songs were good ones. They used to be soulful songs, good composition. We all used to have an identity," the "Aaye Ho Meri Zindagi Mein" singer told IANS.## "Nowadays there are so many singers and musicians of that caliber are not being made, so if there are six songs in one album then every song is sung by different singers. There is a crowd of singers. They get lost in the crowd," she added.## But Shilpa says women don't need special treatment. "In fact, nobody needs special treatment. All we need is proper and equal opportunities for work."## So, if not more then let's start with equal number of solo songs sung by men and women in Bollywood.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) Superstar Shah Rukh Khan wished the entire team of 'Kaamyaab' luck and said that it is a small film with a big heart.## Shah Rukh, whose Red Chillies Entertainment will be presenting the movie, took to Twitter, were he shared a photograph go himself along with the cast of the film.## "A small film with a big heart...and some heart breaks. Hope it finds love from those who see it. All the best to the team....and bas ab enjoy life aur option hi kya hai... #KaamyaabInCinemas," he captioned the image.## Directed by Hardik Mehta, "Kaamyaab", deals with the story of a character actor in Hindi cinema.## It features Sanjay Mishra and Deepak Dobriyal in lead roles.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) Actress Urvashi Rautela has cancelled her event n Athens, Greece due to the outbreak of COVID-19.## Urvashi, who represented India at the Miss Universe 2015 pageant, was supposed to perform at a grand wedding in Athens, Greece.## Till March 5, mainland China reported 139 new cases, up from 119 a day earlier, as well as 31 new deaths. More than 92,000 people globally have tested positive and 3,100 have died.## The number of confirmed cases outside China were reported in South Korea (5,766), Italy (3,089), Iran (2,922), Japan (1,023, including 706 on Diamond Princess), France (285), Germany (262), the US (154), Spain (151), Singapore (112), Hong Kong (104), the UK (85), Kuwait (56), Norway (56), Australia (52), Malaysia (50), Bahrain (49), Thailand (47), Taiwan (42), Switzerland (37), Canada (33), Sweden (32), Austria (29), India (29), the UAE (27), Iraq (26), Netherlands (24), Belgium (23), Iceland (16), Vietnam (16), Lebanon (13), Oman (12), Algeria (12), San Marino (10), Israel (10), Macau (10), Croatia (nine), Greece (eight), Qatar (eight), Finland (seven), Ecuador (seven), Ireland (six), Mexico (five), Pakistan (five), Czech Republic (five), Russia (four), Senegal (four), Romania (four), Portugal (four), Belarus (four), Philippines (three), Azerbaijan (three), New Zealand (three), Georgia (three), Brazil (two), Indonesia (two), Slovenia (two), Hungary (two), Estonia (two), Egypt (two), and one each in Poland, Latvia, Nigeria, Dominican Republic, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Luxembourg, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Andorra, Jordan, Tunisia, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Armenia, Argentina and Chile, according to figures issued by the South China Morning Post.## The deaths outside China were recorded in Italy (107), Iran (92), South Korea (35), Japan (12), the US (11), France (four), Hong Kong (two), Australia (two), Spain (one), San Marino (one), Taiwan (one), Thailand (one) and the Philippines (one).## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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New Delhi, March 6 (IANS) Sona Mohapatra left a corporate job over a decade ago to be a musician. She now has a film of her own. She says she has never seen herself just as a singer and definitely not as somebody who wanted to be the biggest playback singer.## Also, no two days are the same for her.## "I wake up every day so excited. I feel like I am a three-year-old. I cannot believe the blessed life that I have," Sona told IANS.## She believes that people are living in very interesting times right now.## "Nobody needs to be restricted as an artiste. I have never seen myself just as a singer and definitely not somebody who wanted to be the biggest playback singer. I always saw myself as an artiste, (as) somebody who will express herself in different ways, be a storyteller," she shared.## She finds films a powerful medium where "so many of my interests came together, be it traveling or love for Indian folk music or exploring more about the kind of artistes across the centuries in India who have inspired me like Kabir, Mirabai, Amir Khusro, at the same time tied in this very contemporary milieu of where I inhabitate".## "I live in fancy five stars (hotels) as a pop star. I get two lakh people showing up at my concerts, I get trolled, I get acid attack threats, I am morphed onto porn sites - all of that exciting stuff alongside the fact that India is such a generous and beautiful country," she added.## Along with her, Deepti Gupta, the director of her documentary "Shut Up Sona", has a love for the country's roots.## "We made this journey of three years, 300 hours of footage, and in terms of a genre, I think it's first of its kind," said Sona.## The film's premiere at a Mumbai film festival last year was a significant event for her.## "As an artist, I wanted to start with my own country. That''s where I wanted an impact. This whole idea of going abroad and taking validation ''we have won so many laurels that's why you should watch us'', was something like no, we should be celebrated at home," she said.## "People were laughing so much through the film. People in India have this misconception about documentaries that it''s very serious, a niche thing and everything is very slow. Mine is a "masaledar" documentary. It''s a total fun ride and it made a lot of people emotional too. So I felt there must be something honest and true in it," she added about the film that the Delhi audience also got to watch at the Asian Women's Film Festival on Thursday.## "Shut Up Sona", which was screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, revolves around her journey as a rock star, her brand of music, love for her country's roots and culture and how she has become symbol of hope of a larger movement.## Sona feels glad that she got to express herself in another medium.## "I had no one telling me that ''iska gaana nikaldo'' (remove her song) , ''iski awaz bhaari hai'' (her voice is heavy). I hope many more artistes, women take charge of the narrative and tell their stories. There should be much more of a feminine perspective in the mainstream," said Sona.## "We need to see more of us in the open and not just by being the pretty face or waiting for a break or waiting for somebody else to give us an opportunity. I thought the opportunities for me were drying up. No one was giving me the next opportunity. I said ''okay either I start believing that I am not talented enough and sit down at home or I make my own journey happen''. That's the reason why I said ''let''s just make a film''," said the artiste, known for songs such as "Bolo na" and "Ambarsariya".## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) Bollywood diva Kareena Kapoor Khan is finally on social media. On Friday, the 'Jab We Met' actress surprised her fans by making her debut on Instagram.## The recent post she uploaded on the social media application is a picture of herself in an all-black and golden tracksuit.## "The cat''s out of the bag. #HelloInstagram," she captioned the image.## Her Instagram account has already got a blue tick, and has a profile picture of a very young Bebo.## Welcoming Kareena on Instagram, her sister and actress Karisma Kapoor posted a cute post for the former.## "Brace yourselves @instagram She's here !@kareenakapoorkhan. Welcome to the gram bebo," Karisma wrote.## Kareena''s Instagram handle goes by the username of "KareenaKapoorKhan". Earlier, she had revealed that she had a secret Instagram account, just to stalk people.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Bhopal, March 6 (IANS) The International Indian Film Academy Award (IIFA) ceremony, which was scheduled to take place in Indore city of Madhya Pradesh by March-end, has been postponed due to coronavirus scare.## The organisers of the festival on Friday released a statement, confirming the changes in the festival''s dates.## "#IIFA2020 postponed ...With due regard to the growing concerns around the spread of the COVID-19 virus and keeping the health and safety of IIFA''s fans and the general community at large, after consulting the Madhya Pradesh government, the IIFA management, and stakeholders from the film industry it has been decided to postpone to a later date the much-awaited IIFA Weekend and Awards 2020 celebrations which were originally scheduled at the end of March 2020," it read.## Now, "fresh date and plans for hosting IIFA in Madhya Pradesh will be announced at the earliest," it added.## "IIFA is fully committed to ensure the safety of the citizens and legions of IIFA fans who travel from across the globe to attend and experience the magic of IIFA. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused, and hope that all concerned understand the sensitivity of the situation," the statement concluded.## The IIFA awards 2020 were to be hosted by superstar Salman Khan in his hometown Indore.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Hyderabad, March 6 (IANS) Southern superstar Allu Arjun penned a heartfelt note for his wife Sneha on their ninth marriage anniversary. He said that the time is getting over fast but love grows every day.## Allu Arjun took to Instagram, where he shared a photograph from their wedding.## "Nine years of marriage. Time is getting over fast. But love grows every day," he captioned the photo.## On his Instagram story, he shared a photograph of the anniversary celebrations, which also features their son Ayaan, 5, and daughter Arha, 3.## He wrote: "Thank you for giving me the cutest gifts in my life, cutie."## The actor was last seen on screen in "Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo", an action drama directed by Trivikram Srinivas. The film also features Pooja Hegde, Tabu, Jayaram, Sushanth, Navdeep, Nivetha Pethuraj, Samuthirakani, Murali Sharma, Sunil, Sachin Khedekar and Harsha Vardhan.## For more and latest news about Tollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Chennai, March 6 (IANS) Tamil star Vishal's first release of 2020 is going to be 'Chakra', which will hit screens on May 1.## Directed by MS Anandan, 'Chakra' also stars Shraddha Srinath and Regina Cassandra. The pictures from the film were released recently, and it seemed to show Vishal and Shraddha in intense avatars. The pictures taken in a police station suggest that they will be playing sincere individuals, who are on a mission to unlock a mystery. It is said to be a cyber-crime thriller.## In November 2019, the title and the first look posters were released by filmmaker Gautham Menon on his social media handle.## Speaking to Times Of India, director Anandan shared how he pitched the film to Vishal "I was so nervous the night before meeting him. It was a big opportunity for me, and I didn't want to waste it. But the way Vishal treated me boosted my confidence. He quietly listened to the whole story and didn't even take a coffee break in-between'. He said, "The story is good and the characterizations are strong. Don't change anything for me." He believes in the script and doesn't believe in promoting the hero and downgrading the villain. I think both of them have to be equally strong if the face-off sequences have to come out well." Shraddha Srinath said "When I shot my opening sequence, I was so nervous. I thought it would look unnatural for me to do stunts. I was wondering if I was even physically fit to do it. But Anbariv masters were so good. I've seen the edited scene, and I''m so excited to see the film for my own action sequence!"## The team had completed a schedule in Coimbatore then in Chennai. "Chakra" is said to have Vishal playing the role of an army officer. The music of the film is by Yuvan Shankar Raja and cinematography by Balasubramaniem. Produced by Vishal, under his banner Vishaal Film Factory, the film also has Srushti Dange, Manobala and Robo Shankar in important roles.## For more and latest news about Kollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) As remixes and reboots of old songs in new films become a fad, Supermodel, actor and fitness enthusiast Milind Soman turns serious when you ask him how he would feel if his iconic indipop video of 1995, 'Made In India', was remade.## "I cannot think that the song can be made in any other way, in any better way. It''s a lovely song that everyone loved. I really cannot imagine a recreation of that. I am not interested in a reboot or recreation, but if there is a composer who can come up with something interesting, I''d want to know, what it is. For me, it is a perfect song and I cannot imagine it differently. I am not against it but I cannot imagine a recreated version of ''Made in India''," he told IANS.## Soman recently released the aptly-titled "Made In India: A Memoir", which outlines his life story. It is apt that the book should be named after the song because its video, in which he appears with the singer Alisha Chinai, really made him a household name back in the day when DD Metro ruled, and satellite television was just making inroads into Indian homes.## The book is co-authored by Roopa Pai and it captures the journey of Soman who started out as a trained swimmer who represented Maharashtra at the National level, and went on to become a supermodel, and later a record-holder marathon runner. A jewell in his crown was when, in 2015 at the age of 50, Soman completed the Ironman challenge in 15 hours and 19 minutes in his first try. Two years later, the fitness enthusiast successfully completed the prestigious Ultrathon in Florida, the only participant to have completed the challenge barefoot.## At 54 today, the ultra-fit and dashing Soman still gets a lot of female attention. Talking of handling so much attention and validation from women across ages for years, he said: "How I look never mattered to me, but it was a part of my profession as a model. They said that I am handsome, I never looked into the mirror. Also, I was in a boys'' school. But I got my first validation at the age of 14 that I am ''good looking''."## In 1995, Soman made his acting debut in one of India''s first English TV shows, "A Mouthful Of Sky" and he would go on to appear in the first Indian sci-fi TV Series "Captain Vyom". Although he acted in several Bollywood films, he has been absent from the showbiz scene lately.## "I like acting but that is not my fulltime career. I also noticed that work is given to actors who are regular, who are visible in the scene as an actors. I am not ambitious to do so. I will not act in a film just to maintain visibility. I have other avenues for that. That is why I only work as an actor if the script or the director is interesting to collaborate with," said the actor, who has appeared in films like "Bheja Fry", "Tarkieb", "Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula", "Agni Varsha", ''16 December" and "Baajirao Mastaani".## In his memoir in one of the chapters, Soman shares an anecdote on how he left the shooting of an Aamir Khan-starrer because healthy food was not served on time.## "Oh my God! It is not like I was throwing a tantrum. My point is we all should eat healthy food, and eat on time. It is basic. Now the way you are saying it, (it) sounds like I intimidate people. Not at all! All I need is healthy food, whether during shooting or when I am travelling. I eat healthy," Soman laughed.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Bhopal, March 6 (IANS) The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) award ceremony, to be held for the first time in Bhopal on March 21 and in Indore on March 27-29, is most likely to be postponed due to Covid-19 scare. The new dates would be announced soon, say state government sources.## Preparations have been going on in Indore and Bhopal. Recently the films to be nominated at IIFA have been announced, and its invitations were also released. The Madhya Pradesh government is fully backing the preparations for the gala event to take the state on the international tourist map. It is only for the second time that the event is to be hosted in India. The previous event was held in Mumbai.## Meanwhile, there is no positive case of coronavirus reported in Madhya Pradesh, according to Additional Director of Health Services Dr Veena Sinha. The Chief Minister and Health Minister held a review meeting on Thursday to monitor the measures being taken to check the occurrence of coronavirus in the state.## Dr Sinha said 484 passengers arriving from the affected countries have been screened for the virus as a precaution. Of these 107 have asked to stay in isolation at their homes. Samples of 15 suspected cases were sent to Pune for examination and all have been reported negative, Dr Sinha said. Airports at Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, and Jabalpur have been equipped with screening facilities.## Two new suspected coronavirus patients have been identified -- a 23-year-old youth who has returned from Dubai and a 23-year-old girl from Italy. They have been admitted to a hospital for investigation.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.