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For an audience that has grown up with the peppy and lyrical Jungle jungle pataa chala hai... from a TV version of The Jungle Book, the creative team behind Andy Serkis’ adventure fantasy film Mowgli is under pressure to make the movie acceptable in India with its darker theme, says actress Freida Pinto. Based on Rudyard Kipling’s widely read classic The Jungle Book, the film stars Rohan Chand, Matthew Rhys and Freida, along with voice and motion capture performances from Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomie Harris and Serkis. In India ahead of the release of forthcoming film, Tabrez Noorani’s Love Sonia, which delves into the dark world of child sex trafficking, Freida says there’s not much she can tell about Mowgli as yet. “All I can say is there’s a nice little surprise there for the Indian audience. It’s a film that I am very proud of, and also because it’s a story we all grew up on. “What the makers of Mowgli have actually realised is that the pressure of making the film acceptable in India is definitely high because we grew up on that Jungle jungle pataa chala hai (theme song)... But the film is definitely going to have to impress the Indian audience and I think they have just the right amount of creative mixture in that for doing so,” Frieda said. Serkis has already made it clear that his version of the story is not a fairy tale, and that the audience should not expect singing and dancing animals in the film, which is about human child Mowgli who is raised by a wolf pack in the jungles of India. The movie, which will see Freida play Messua, has been acquired by Netflix for release in 2019. “Fingers crossed,” said Freida, whose role as Latika in Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire opened the doors to international cinema — not just for her, but for a whole lot of Indian talent. “Slumdog Millionaire was the pioneer. The film opened people’s eyes and gave them enough curiosity about India and the fact that it’s so full of talent in every sphere. So, I first of all credit the film and not me for having opened the first bunch of doors. “I had to blaze through whatever opportunity I was given, to create more opportunity for myself and in that way, create more opportunity for other actors.” Ever since, she has collaborated with directors like Woody Allen, Michael Winterbottom, Rupert Wyatt and David O Russell on films that have appealed globally. “As a person who was first out there in the West, I was like ‘Oh my God, for people to accept me, I would have to be written as an American Indian or American woman’. But now I look at it differently. “I want to be accepted for what you see. And what you see in front of you is an Indian woman with brown skin, she’s modern, she can transform herself into various characters and is an actor who has got enough credibility, so write roles with respect to that, as opposed to roles that need to be a white person. “I am not trying to be a white person. I don’t want to be one because we need representation for brown people,” added the Mumbai-bred actress. She finds the scenario taking a positive turn with the success of a film like Crazy Rich Asians, featuring a majority Asian American cast. “It becomes even more evident that if you have a good way of telling stories, a way that actually engages the audience, it doesn’t matter what part of the world it’s coming from. If it’s done well, you will get a successful movie, and that’s exactly what Crazy Rich Asians has done at the moment. It is very successful. “I am yet to see a film with an all-Indian ensemble cast. It has not happened yet and hopefully, it will happen sometime in the near future. I think we’re not yet there, but we are getting there. They are showing us Indian storytellers and actors how it’s done,” Freida asserted. She believes a project like Sacred Games is a “right move” to get the West to open up to stories from our part of the world. “We have to be authentic. You can’t want to be a white person in order to be accepted in the West. You have to be yourself.” With Love Sonia, an India-set story about a global reality, the attempt is just that. — IANS

American singer Halsey has only good things to say about hot-shot songwriter and producer Benny Blanco. “He is hands down the most tremendous human I know. Everything about him personally and professionally is unique. He has a way of really connecting with his artistes and pulling out the special elements that make the songs one of a kind. His ear is unbeatable and he can always predict a hit.” Halsey speaks from experience. She enjoyed the benefit of Benny’s song-writing and production talents on her sophomore album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, which took pole position on the Billboard 200 in June, 2017. She is also one of the featured vocalists on Benny’s UK chart-topping debut single, Eastside. “It was so nice of Halsey to say those things about me,” smiled 30-year-old Benny, real name Benjamin Levin. “I’ve been very lucky to work with so many artists who have become my friends. I don’t know that I deserve all of Halsey’s kind words but I will say about myself that I seem to have an ability to know when a song is really good.” This particular talent has brought massive success to artists such as Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, The Weeknd, Maroon 5 and many more. It has also earned Benny the Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame, multiple BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) Songwriter of the Year Awards and the iHeartRadio Producer of the Year Award. It was 25 years ago when Benny first began taking an interest in music. “Rap was all I listened to in those days. I wanted to be a white rapper. This was before Eminem came on the scene. All my friends said I couldn’t be a rapper but when Eminem came out, I said to them: ‘See, he’s white and he’s a rapper. I can be the same.’ The problem though was I wasn’t good enough.” He did at least acquire his professional name from this period. “I went through all kinds of rap names. I was Benny Bounce at one time. I was studying Spanish and I suddenly thought I’m white so I could just call myself Blanco, that’s Spanish for white. But a friend said I should be Benny Blanco and that sounded right.” Having given up any thoughts of becoming a rapper, Benny tried his hand at producing. “I had a friend who made beats and thought I could do the same. The problem was I didn’t really have any equipment. I just had a Casio that I could mess around on and started making beats. They were so bad. I was 15 years old and had no concept of song structure.” The next two years saw Benny attempt to improve his beat making and contact every successful producer on MySpace in a bid to find work. “I actually had one of my beats used in a softcore video called Hip Hop Honeys. It was produced by Jonathan Shecter, who started The Source magazine. I got a copy of the video and showed it to my friends every day. My mom would come home and turn it off but I was just excited that music I’d made was used in a video.” His big break came when one of the people he contacted through MySpace, Disco D, real name David Shayman, invited Benny to his New York apartment. “It was a six-hour journey from my home in Virginia but this was my chance to impress an important person in the music business and ask if I could work for him. D said he was leaving for Brazil the following week but I was hired if I could book someone to work at his studio every day he was away. “I did get it booked the whole time and D was true to his word. I’d go to New York every weekend during high school and then I enrolled at the Institute of Audio Research in New York which meant I was able to work with D every day.” Disco D proved to be a hard taskmaster. “I played him all my beats and he erased everything. He said he wanted me to get better and I would only do that if I started over. He would stop work for one hour each day and teach me how to layer drums, create pre-chorus, chorus, verse, everything. I didn’t know any of these things. It was really intense but this was my musical education.” Benny then had to recover from the shock of his mentor committing suicide. “He was only 26. No-one could believe it. (Rapper) Spank Rock was friends with D and my manager, James Johnson. We all wanted to carry on D’s legacy. We freestyled over one of D’s beats. That led to Spank and I working on beats sampled from 2 Live Crew songs. We ended up co-writing a five-track EP called Bangers & Cash. That was in 2007.” His work on the EP got Benny noticed in the wider music market. He was asked to create remixes, got a publishing deal and was introduced to Lukasz Gottwald, better known as Dr Luke. “Working with Luke was like the continuation of my song-writing and production education. I learned so much from him. The time eventually came when I felt like I had to put everything I’d learned into practice and branch out on my own.” Benny’s first big hit came about almost by accident. “It was with 3OH!3. I was only supposed to help them add layers to one of their songs. But we got working on a new idea which turned into Don’t Trust Me. I produced the song and co-wrote it with Nathaniel (Motte) and Sean (Foreman). It reached number seven on Billboard’s Hot 100. I’d previously co-produced some really big hits but this was the first for me as the sole producer.” His subsequent career has been filled with a succession of smash hit songs. But Benny is also involved in artist development. He has created two labels to which he signs up and coming performers. Perhaps the best known of these is Tory Lanez whose two albums have peaked at numbers four and three respectively on the Billboard 200. After so much success writing and producing for other artists, what made Benny decide to release a song under his own name? “I was with Ed Sheeran. We’d been watching that four-part documentary, The Defiant Ones. Ed said we should be doing more stuff and I just thought maybe I could try to make my own songs. I asked friends what they thought really expecting them to say I should stick to what I’d been doing. But every single person said I should go for it.” Recruiting Halsey and Khalid as guest vocalists, Benny co-created Eastside with both artists plus other friends such as Ed Sheeran and Cashmere Cat. “It was so much fun to make and very rewarding to hear Halsey say Eastside is the favourite song that she’s ever made. We recorded it at my home studio with my dogs running around. The whole process was fun. We all made our contributions to the song. That’s how I love to work. Making music should always be fun.”

Critically acclaimed actor Sanjai Mishra, whose upcoming film Kaamyaab will have its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival in October, says with the digital boom the theatrical release of a film is becoming irrelevant for independent movies. Explaining the thought behind his words, Sanjai said: “Since the release of a film is very expensive... for a small budget film, it is difficult to survive in the theatre if it does not get good show time and number of screens. The same film earns much better visibility once released on Amazon/Netflix or TV. So, I think the theatrical release of films is going out of fashion.” “Earlier watching a film was an event in itself. These days, the practice is going away unless it’s a big canvas event film. Who wants to go to the theatre facing the bad road, traffic snarls and spend on such expensive tickets? Unless the government intervenes to limit the ticket price, the majority of the audience will opt for the digital platform.” Kaamyaab, featuring Sanjai and Deepak Dobriyal, is an ode to all the character actors of the Hindi film industry who play an important part in many successful movies and remain unnoticed. The term “character actor” annoys Sanjai to the core. “Every actor is a character that he plays on-screen. That is the job of an actor... to narrate a character that the person is not in real life. “I think calling an actor hero is to boost his ego and to give him self-satisfaction. And how do we project the hero in our mainstream films? Making him look his best, running after girls etc. If anyone is doing anything different, we are stereotyping them as ‘performance-oriented role’. “Acting is a performing art, isn’t it?” His films like Masaan, Ankhon Dekhi, Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain and Kadvi Hawa have travelled to various film festivals. What did he observe in the global audience about Indian cinema? “I think people who come to watch our films at festivals, connect to the story at a universal level. That really gives them a chance to watch stories that show the mirror of our society, rooted in our culture and go beyond Bollywood,” he said. According to him, a majority of Indian audiences does not have the temperament to watch such films. “The same film Kadvi Hawa that was celebrated by the audience abroad, got a negative reaction from the Indian audience. People said ‘Such a slow film’, ‘boring’, ‘not paisa wasool’, ‘time pass film’ etc. I think the attitude towards film watching needs to be changed,” said the 54-year-old actor. Hardik Mehta has made his directorial debut with Kaamyaab. So, from where did Sanjai gather the confidence to be a part of a debutant director’s film? “I am very happy to be a part of this film not only because the director is brilliant but also for the first time someone is making a story on ‘character actors’. When Hardik came to me with the script, I was almost watching the film during the narration.” “Fortunately, the film panned out in the same way, so we made the film the way we conceived it. Also, Hardik and my wavelength are the same. So when the director and the actor are on the same page, a good film happens,” said the actor, who is constantly trying to strike a balance between indie and commercial films. “I never get a chance to earn money from these indie films. I satisfied the actor in me through these films. Big budget commercial films give me money to pay all my bills. Do I have a choice not to balance it?” — IANS

R. Madhavan, who began his acting career on the small screen and went on to make his name in both the southern and Hindi film industry, says a combination of talent, hard work and perseverance is needed to cement one’s space in cinema anywhere in the world. Asked about his take on whether actors from southern India face any problem being accepted in Bollywood, Madhavan said: “I don’t think that’s the case.” “If you’re talented and hardworking, you will get what you deserve, eventually. It also depends on what actors want to do and what makes them happy. There are actors who are sticking to one genre and are happy. There are also people who are doing multiple genres, and they are happy too. “Having said that, you need to have a combination of talent, hard work and perseverance to make a name in any cinema you enter.” Known for films like Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, 3 Idiots, Rang De Basanti, Tanu Weds Manu and its sequel Tanu Weds Manu Returns and Saala Khadoos, the actor will be soon seen hosting National Geographic’s new series Mega Icons, premiering on September 24. Each episode would be a journey into the life of an iconic personality, with help of not only intimate interviews of the icons and their families, but also through research and analysis by experts. Appealing to the common man’s aspirations, the show delves on the life of celebrities from different walks of life. The list includes cricketer Virat Kohli, politician and actor Kamal Haasan, former President APJ Abdul Kalam, spiritual leader and Nobel laureate Dalai Lama, and social activist and India’s first women IPS officer Kiran Bedi. Madhavan is excited. “When we look at these personalities, we wonder whether they were born to be great, and their success defined from day one — or if their journey through life, their experiences and hard work, really shaped them into the giants we revere. “The show will not only discuss the journey of these icons, but will also help shaping the actions of millions in the country who aspire to make it big,” he said. As Kamal Haasan is one of the personalities on the show, Madhavan said: “I’ve grown up watching his films. I’ve admired his acting and him as a person ever since I’ve got into cinema. He is a powerhouse of knowledge, whose commitment to cinema is unbeatable. “I have learnt from him that you need to be your character when you enact in front of the camera. Whenever I meet him, I feel like the same 16-year-old boy, with utmost admiration for him.” Madhavan is also someone who is admired by fans all over. And his fan following increased when he came back fit and in form after a sabbatical due to a shoulder injury. “I was confident of getting back on screen. I love what I do, and work keeps me going,” he said. He is confident that Mega Icons will inspire many lives. “What is really interesting is that the show is bringing together some of the most inspiring personalities, selected carefully from varied walks of life; and I believe every story will reveal answers to many questions we have always wondered about geniuses,” said the actor. On the work front, Madhavan also did a web series Breathe, which had received a positive response. Any plans to do more web series? “Yes, that is an interesting space and, of course, if there is an exciting script, I’d love to take it up,” he said. “The digital world is a great platform for young blood, who are full of talent and energy. With so much content being produced in a short span of time, it’s a great platform for some newcomers to shine. “Of course, there are experienced people as well working for the digital business, which also gives a chance for the newcomers to work and learn with them. I think we are already seeing some great talents who are doing great on the digital platform, and then they are also bagging roles in traditional cinema,” added the actor. — IANS When Preity fought with Saif  When Preity fought with Saif  As Siddharth Anand’s directorial Salaam Namaste completed 13 years of release yesterday, actress Preity Zinta became nostalgic and recounted fond memories with co-star Saif Ali Khan. Preity took to Instagram and wrote: “Awwww! We had so much fun on this film it was insane. Saif and I fought so much on and off camera that the crew didn’t know if we were rehearsing our lines or really wanted to kill each other. I miss Saif. 13 years of Salaam Namaste.” Along with the post, the 43-year-old actress posted a short video of the title track of the film, which was a romantic comedy set in Melbourne. Apart from Salaam Namaste, the actors have worked together in several films including Kya Kehna, Dil Chahta Hai and Kal Ho Na Ho. On the work front, Preity is returning to the big screen after a long break with Bhaiaji Superhit, while Saif after playing the officer Sartaj Singh in the hit web television series, Sacred Games, is prepping for his role for tentatively titled movie, Hunter. — IANS Aishwarya receives  Meryl Streep Award    Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was honoured with the inaugural Meryl Streep Award for Excellence at the Women in Film and Television (WIFT) India Awards in Washington. She was accompanied to the event by her daughter Aaradhya and mother. The former beauty queen yesterday took to Instagram to thank her fans for their beloved wishes. She wrote: “A heartfelt thank you to all my well-wishers from India and all around the world, for being my inspiration and strength. God bless and all my love.” She also posted a few pictures in which she can be seen holding a trophy in her hand and her daughter and mother beside her. The Fanney Khan actress also penned a message for 6-year-old Aaradhya. “You my Aaradhya complete me. Divine, blissful and eternal love,” Aishwarya captioned the photograph of her daughter. Apart from Aishwarya, filmmaker Zoya Akhtar received the Wyler Award for Excellence in Direction, and Dhadak star Janhvi Kapoor was also honoured with the WIFT Emerald Award. In photographs from the event, Janhvi, daughter of late acting icon Sridevi, is seen exchanging pleasantries with Aishwarya. WIFT honours the best female talent in Bollywood and Hollywood. — IANS .

Victor Levin (Mad About You) should either buy a lottery ticket or plan a trip to Las Vegas. The writer/director of Destination Wedding took a major gamble with the way his feature film is written and performed. The result is a winner. It starts with a smart and witty script detailing the meet-not-so-cute of Frank (Keanu Reeves) and Lindsay (Winona Ryder) when they are headed to Paso Robles for a destination wedding. Frank is the half-brother of the groom who has been forced by his mother to attend the event, while Lindsay was the former fiancée of the groom. The only thing they have in common is they are both unhappy with having to make the long trip to watch the couple get married against a perfect sunset. Levin’s script is structured like a two-person play or in a similar style to the 1995 Ethan Hawke/Julie Delpy feature film Before Sunrise. Having every line of dialogue delivered by either Reeves or Ryder establishes this is a movie with a laser focus on one man and one woman. It is as if Frank and Lindsay have become the only two people on Earth, and that forces them to share time together. The dialogue they deliver is crisp, witty and occasionally biting. Levin’s script has the style and rhythms of the kind of romantic comedies of the ’40s and ’50s when actors like Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn used verbal banter like boxing gloves. Granted, the way the characters speak is far cleverer than how real people talk, but if you want to listen to a mundane conversation delivered by everyday people, stay outside the theater after you have purchased a ticket. The fanciful and funny writing is a well-crafted reminder of a time when a well-placed adjective had as much impact as a massive explosion in the movie world. It’s one thing to write a smart script, but it is another matter to find the right people to deliver the words. The performers need to bring a bit of attitude, but not so much that the audience turns against them before the couple check into the hotel. Reeves plays a penny-pinching cynic who has long given up on the idea of love, and he finds intimacy a necessary evil that is more about biology than chemistry. It is nice to see Reeves in a light romantic comedy after he has been leaning more toward hard action movies in recent years. His lack of recent exposure in the genre plays to his favour because it doesn’t look like Levin was just casting the hunk of the month as his lead actor. Reeves is also a perfect fit for Ryder. It is obvious from the opening sequence in the airport as they wait for an eight-passenger plane to whisk them away that these are two actors comfortable working with each other. They have been friends for more than three decades and appeared in three films together (Bram Stroker’s Dracula, A Scanner Darkly, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee). It is a treat for movie fans that Stranger Things has helped bring Ryder back to the attention of filmmakers. Her ability to play a character who is strong enough to trade quips with her co-star but vulnerable enough to need some protection is the exact quality required to balance the character played by Reeves. Had either not been up to the challenge or the writing been hackneyed and cloying, Destination Wedding would have left viewers saying “I don’t” instead of “I do (like this movie).” All three parts work, making this a prime destination for anyone who appreciates productions that touch the heart and funny bone at the same time. — TNS

The Pakistani fashion industry is flourishing. Karachi’s youth game is unmatched in the competing capitals, but there is also a blazing tension between the experimental side of Pakistan fashion industry and the establishment of going classic. Going classic wins the game of sartorial fashion, well usually, but this season HUM Style Awards 2018 gives the hint of something otherwise, hurling the fashion forte with millennials. The electric tension between huge power houses and emerging designers makes for an unpredictable award show with winner list you can’t really pre-empt. The ceremony was an emotionally charged celebration as the fashion’s finest paid homage to industry veterans of the past and the bright young things of the future.   Where the perceptive Shamoon Sultan of Khaadi (Best Retail) takes the brand to a whole new level with cutting edge, practical designs and his clothes that are even more ingenious when one begins to explore the garment construction – the zany style aesthetics, it is the unassailable layering of Sania Maskatiya (Best Bridal) that protrudes her in the ceaseless list of designers existing nationwide. Sania defines bridal with her painstakingly intricate details, embroideries and sheer cuts. Playing with bridals has been an idea that seemed unfathomable few years from now, but in no time we’re all calling Sania a change – maker, for the aesthetics and volume she brings to a traditional bridal wear.  Hosted by Ainy Jaffri, Ahmed Ali Akbar, Asim Azhar and Syra Shahroze, the evening was a wonderful mesh of many elements. In the realm of artistes with an experience of hosting a show as big as this, Ainy is comparatively a new face. At times it seemed like she had forgotten she was on stage and spoke as if she was having a mundane conversation somewhere; however, others were much calmer and level headed. The spot-on script made one wonder why Faheem Azam had not taken the charge long before. I’ve seen him in theatre and stand up comedy shows he conducts, and I mean it, he deserves an ovation for all the witty humour he brings on the table effortlessly. Sometimes it comes from within and that’s exactly what defines Faheem.  HUM Style Awards 2018 did not disappoint with the glamour and the sizzling power packed performances choreographed by Shazi Khan and Abdul Ghani. The four hosts of the show opened the night with a performance on an original Pakistani music track sung by Asim Azhar himself, well the only Pakistani track we got to hear the entire evening. Spooky for an award show celebrating Pakistani fashion, content and style. It was still a fantastic night of racy performances – some of them a lot of fun, like Sadaf Kanwal, Amna Ilyas and Mohsin Abbass Haider’s rise to dance and those thumkas on Tamma Tamma Loge, Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar, Yeh Mera Dil and Mehbooba Mehbooba. These super model girls can dance, so why, not dedicate the entire style platform to them only especially when their forte - fashion is being celebrated. But why wearing green net Tinker Bell dresses for the performance? A little glamour to the outfits would’ve sparked the performance to a whole new level though.  Iqra Aziz and Farhan Saeed, the Suno Chanda duo, shaking a leg together for the first time on a very Punjabi beat, and then, Feroze Khan’s conquest of the dance floor was also a lot of fun; he always knows what he’s doing and does it well. New faces are taking over the fashion editorials, and why not. Call me biased, but it’s the dynamic diversity that makes fashion industry, the world’s best breeding ground for idea. If you’ve seen her in campaigns, you’ll agree that the new face Anam Malik brings the sexy appeal with her exotic features in the photoshoots and her earning Most Stylish Female Award was a cinch. Where Anam was game for the prize, jury had to hand the award for Most Stylish Model Male to Aimal Khan for the campaigns and appearances he has been giving lately. Is there any brand left Aimal?  Despite the umpteen designers who’ve signed up with umpteen textile mills with vast resources at their disposal, the event of year remains Elan lawn. The loyalists keep coming back to their quality; Khadija Shah ensures pure silk and pure chiffon, not synthetic material and the lawn itself wears well and lasts.  Where it was a triumph for Zara Shahjahan, who bagged the Best Pret Wear award this very season, the look of haute couture pieces of Zaheer Abbas are always touched with a sense of colour and play, glowing the sophisticated cuts, feathers, layers and silhouettes with a dash of heritage. And yes, Zaheer Abbas bagging the award for Best Demi Couture Designer is no surprise.  Men’s fashion has seen a convivial and an off-centre take thanks to HSY and Jazib Qamar, while Deepak and Fahad are the go-to designers for everyday wears. Yet there’s no denying the sharp tailoring that comes from Republic by Omar Farooq, which brought international cuts to the fore in Pakistan. He has done tremendously well for men’s wear and him walking away with the trophy yet again was not a surprise at all. The most stylish film actor male and female awards were bagged by Ali Rehman Khan and Hania Amir, respectively. Well we totally agree with the narrative of Ali winning the award, after all his one hazel gaze is enough to give you heart palpitations but Hania wasn’t really the best choice. We would’ve bet on Sanam Saeed, especially considering how her dusky complexion compliments her diva stature.Ayesha Omer grabbed the statuette for the Most Stylish TV Host; Iqra Aziz for the Most Stylish TV Actor Female and Adnan Siddiqui for the Male category. Adnan’s win did raise the eyebrows, right? Especially when heartthrobs like Emad Irfani and Mikaal Zulfiqar were nominated in the same category.  It might not have been a fair win or lose for everyone, but HUM has patently raised the bar for acknowledging the fashion and entertainment of Pakistani industry.

Actress Deepika Padukone, who made her Hollywood foray with the Vin Diesel-starrer xXx: Return of Xander Cage, will return to the franchise for its fourth instalment, according to its director DJ Caruso. Caruso, on Twitter, welcomed Chinese singer-actor Roy Wang to the xXx family. A social media user then asked: “What about Deepika Padukone. Will she be part of the film” “Yes,” replied Caruso, thereby confirming that the popular actress will be back in the action-packed franchise. Asked if there was any update on Deepika’s shooting schedule for the film, Caruso responded to a fan: “Working it out now script being scheduled.” Deepika’s foray into Hollywood had created a strong buzz. In fact, last year Diesel had made his maiden visit to India as he came down to Mumbai with Caruso and the Bollywood actress to promote xXx: Return of Xander Cage. He was welcomed with ‘desi’ fanfare. The franchise began with the 2002 film xXx, which was followed by the 2005 entertainer xXx: State of the Union. The third xXx movie, featuring Deepika as Serena Unger, had grossed over $300 million worldwide. — IANS Ray Winstone almost gave up acting Actor Ray Winstone says he almost gave up his career as he had “had enough” of acting. “For a while I felt, I’ve had enough of this. I’m getting worse. The scripts are getting worse. Let’s turn it in. Let’s retire and die gracefully,” Winstone said. The Point Break star regrets some of the choices he has made in his career, he is grateful that he received the roles at all, reports femalefirst.co.uk. “I have done some crap, I regret some, but you have to go to work to pay the bills,” he said. Winstone is set to star in King of Thieves, an upcoming British crime film based on the Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary of 2015, and Ray is honoured to have worked with the star-studded cast, which includes Sir Michael Cane, Jim Broadbent, Michael Gambon and Tom Courtenay. “They are a different class, we are lucky people. We do a job we like doing, but it doesn’t half make a difference when there’s no ego. I must be the only one with the ego.” — IANS

English duo Slaves have to be one of the most successful yet less well-known artistes in the music business. Their third studio album, Acts of Fear and Love, shot straight to number eight on the UK chart. It has given punk-rock duo Laurie Vincent and Isaac Holman another top ten hit following 2015’s Are You Satisfied? and 2016’s Take Control. But the thing about Slaves which always seems to draw most comment is not their music. “It’s always our name,” said singer and multi-instrumentalist Laurie, 25. “It came as a complete surprise to us that so many people would take offence. We wanted a name which was an abrasive sounding word. Something like Clash but that name had long since been taken.” “Our aim was to find something which sounded aggressive but definitely not to offend,” added singer and multi-instrumentalist Isaac, 27. “We weren’t trying to provoke anyone when we picked Slaves. We just thought it sounded like a good name for an act who play our style of music.” After splintering from a previous band and joining forces in 2012, the Royal Tunbridge Wells natives released their debut EP, Sugar Coated Bitter Truth, later that year. A solid concert schedule allowed Laurie and Isaac to quickly build a following. Their first single, Where’s Your Car Debbie?, was issued in 2014. Major labels had expressed their interest by now and Slaves signed with Virgin EMI. “We refer to our music as stories and observations over a rock guitar and tribal drumming,” Laurie explained. “We’ve always loved playing live because we get the instant reaction to songs. We could spend months in the studio trying to perfect a song but there’s no point if it doesn’t make people react in some way. We get this feedback when we play live.” Are You Satisfied? was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize. But the boys were not afraid to amend their style on Take Control. “We wanted to create an album which was more well-rounded than our first record,” Isaac commented. “The songs on Take Control dipped a bit further into politics and encouraged listeners to have an opinion. We also wanted the songs to be heavier and more guitar-based. “We basically tried to progress as artistes. We’ve had the same intention on our new album. The tunes are better, the sound is bigger and more expansive. Some of the song lyrics are more personal in that they’re about people we know. I think the new record has really moved on from our last album.” Their career might have progressed but there has been no let-up in the complaints about their name. “We had a few people question us about it right from the start,” Laurie remarked. “But things really snowballed after we signed our record deal and started getting a lot more publicity.” Those people who always seem to delight in being offended by anything gave Laurie and Isaac a hard time. The Fader magazine even ran an article headlined ‘Why Did a Band of White Dudes Name Themselves Slaves?’  “Someone actually wrote on our Facebook page: ‘Nobody but African Americans have a right to use the word slaves,’” Isaac stated. “Lots of words have two meanings. If you say something like ‘I’m a slave to the routine,’ that’s not being disrespectful to the slave trade. The interpretation we have of our band name is in the sense of people not being in control of their day to day lives.” Despite this, Laurie and Isaac have constantly faced accusations of disrespect and racism mostly from people who obviously have no idea about historical slavery. The terrible wrongs done to African Americans is kept fresh in the memory by African Americans themselves. But people of all races and religions have been subjected to slavery at some period throughout history. Acts of slavery still exist today with human trafficking, forced prostitution and even some ordinary people having usually young girls as house slaves. “If you look up the word ‘slaves’ in the Oxford English Dictionary, there is no mention of any racial context,” Laurie confirmed. “A slave is a person who is owned by another person and forced to work for free. Those who deem us racist are being incredibly small-minded because this type of servitude has affected all kinds of people at some time. Slaves is not a racist term.” “There have been times when we wished we’d chosen a different name,” Isaac admitted. “We wouldn’t have received so much unjustified abuse and criticism. We also wouldn’t have had to spend so much time defending ourselves. “But we actually now believe it’s a good thing that we called ourselves Slaves. We live in a time where freedom of speech almost doesn’t exist. Everything is over-analysed, certain words can’t even be used. People are pilloried for having an opinion which is contrary to what is perceived as politically correct. It’s good that people look at white guys named Slaves and maybe realise there is nothing racist about the word.” in  brief Razorlight Fans must have wondered if they would ever hear new songs from English indie-rock quartet Razorlight. It was 2008 when the band released their third studio album, Slipway Fires. Although still a big hit, sales figures did not match those of their 2004 debut album, Up All Night, or their 2006 UK chart-topping self-titled second album. But this slight downturn in the band’s fortunes did not precipitate the ten-year gap between albums. After extensive touring to promote Slipway Fires, frontman Johnny Borrell said Razorlight were working on another album and felt eager for fans to hear the new songs.  As things transpired, recording sessions during 2010 were deemed unproductive. There was also discord within the band. Drummer Andy Burrows had left in 2009. He was followed early in 2011 by guitarist Bjorn Agren and bassist Carl Dalemo. Johnny was the only remaining original member. Despite releasing no new material, Razorlight have performed numerous concerts during the intervening years. Further internal issues have also arisen with the replacements for Bjorn and Carl, Gus Robertson and Freddie Stitz, deciding to leave the band. The current line-up sees Johnny on vocals and guitar, David Sullivan Kaplan playing drums, Joao Mello on bass and David Ellis playing guitar. It is these artistes who have created the songs on Olympus Sleeping, Razorlight’s fourth studio album, which is set for release on October 26. Although no official singles have been issued, the band have released performance videos for four of their new songs. Japanrock can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4YhJca6fug. Got To Let The Good Times Back Into Your Life is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FhP50-CVa8. Sorry? is available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbMNNLfcIoQ while the album title-track is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DoW5Ar6xek BTS There seems to be no limit to the popularity of South Korean boy band BTS. The all-singing, all-dancing septet recently set a new record for the most watched music video on YouTube in the first 24 hours of release.  The visual for their latest single, Idol, notched up more than 45 million views. It comfortably eclipsed the 43.2 million mark achieved last year by Taylor Swift with her video for Look What You Made Me Do. Perhaps of even greater significance is that BTS more than doubled their own record for the most watched K-pop video in the first 24 hours. The previous mark was 21 million views for their 2017 single, DNA. Idol is the lead single from the group’s new compilation album, Love Yourself: Answer. It is one of the seven new songs which accompany 18 other tracks, 19 on the digital version, mostly taken from their previous two albums, Love Yourself: Her and Love Yourself: Tear. The new album surpassed Love Yourself: Tear as the most pre-ordered LP in South Korean music history. Love Yourself: Tear topped the Billboard 200, peaked at number eight in Britain and proved massively popular throughout much of the world. Love Yourself: Answer may well become even more successful. The video for Idol is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBuZEGYXA6E KT Tunstall KT Tunstall’s albums have always sold well. Only one of her five previous studio albums failed to reach the U.K. top ten. This was 2013’s Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon which peaked at number 14. Further chart success is anticipated when the Scottish singer / songwriter issues her new studio album, WAX, on October 5.  Singles success has proved far more elusive. A few songs have achieved reasonable chart positions but only two, Other Side of the World and Suddenly I See, cracked the UK top 20. Both were released in 2005 and came from her top three debut album, Eye To The Telescope. Perhaps KT will have more luck with her latest single, The River. A lyric / performance video can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsholeFEoR4

Actress Kangana Ranaut was considered the best person to take over the mantle to complete patchwork and to direct a few additional scenes for Manikarnika - The Queen of Jhansi, when director Krish moved on to his new film, says producer Kamal Jain. The movie has been in the midst of a controversy ever since the news of Kangana stepping in behind the camera for it emerged. Clearing speculations about the film, Jain said in a statement: “The additional shoot of the film is presently underway at ND Studios at Karjat, near Mumbai. After the last schedule was over, we saw the line-up of the film. On seeing it, we decided that apart from the patchwork, we also needed a few additional scenes. “Once the scenes were written, we approached Kangana for additional dates. But Krish had moved on to his next project by then. Given how driven and creatively involved Kangana has been on this project since its inception, we realised she would be the best person to take over the mantle. “Hence, there is no hijacking of the project. Whatever decisions are being taken are with the full support of the producer and the studio.” Jain said they have an aggressive production schedule planned as they are committed to releasing the film on January 25, 2019. Jain explained: “While we managed to get matching dates from Danny Denzongpa, Jishu Sengupta, Ankita Lokhande and others, we got stuck on Sonu’s combination dates and continuity look as he has grown a beard for Simmba. “Hence, we had to let him go. Zeeshan Ayub now plays the character of Sadashiv”. Meanwhile, film writer-editor Apurva Asrani has, via a cryptic social media post, taken a dig at Kangana for “hijacking a film” and called it the worst form of “hara-kiri”. Asrani, who took to Twitter to take a jibe at Kangana on Saturday, had earlier spoken about how the Queen actress took over the entire filming and the script of Simran, which released in 2017. “A star hijacking a film and running down the hard work of crew member/s is the worst form of hara-kiri there is. When affected filmmakers cannot control this and instead put on a facade of a ‘dignified silence’, they allow a monstrous ego to go on a rampage and eventually kill the film,” he tweeted. A user then asked: “But what is the choice?” “Zero tolerance. From day one. If the actor refuses to abide by the contract, threaten/get legal intervention. I know many directors who have replaced tantrum throwing stars early on. And the studios have supported the courage and conviction of the maker,” Asrani tweeted. The writer then said that “if someone else is directing your film and you are unable to stop him/her, then just quit!” “Before your self-esteem is eroded. Unless of course you are greedy for a commercial ‘hit’ and are prepared to sacrifice your team. I think in the current hijacked film the director has bowed out,” he added. As Manikarnika... director Krish became busy with another film, Kangana has stepped in to direct the patchwork of her movie, which tells the story of Rani Laxmibai. The film is currently in news as actor Sonu Sood has walked out of it owing to his professional commitment towards Simmba. However, Kangana hit back at him, claiming he left the movie as he “refused to work under a woman director”. On his part, Sonu has denied this. — IANS  Atif’s rendition O Meri Laila  perfect, says composer Joi Barua wanted the song O Meri Laila to be carried forward with heroism which was innocent, and its singer Atif Aslam delivered that perfectly, says the composer. “I think it was very easy working with him (Atif). He had been travelling for a while, but once he got down to it, it just came together so beautifully. Even though this was a title track, I wanted this to be carried forward with heroism which was innocent. “Because the context of love here is timeless, beyond life or death...beyond feelings of sadness, cynicism or even mere contentment. Just to celebrate the fact that love existed, that it could all be love. To celebrate the fact that one could be completely immersed in it. That feeling. That is what Atif delivered perfectly,” Barua said in an interview. The song is from the forthcoming film Laila Majnu. “(Filmmaker) Imtiaz Ali and his brother Sajid Ali have been cognizant and appreciative of my music for a while now. We’ve worked together in the recent past. They loved my Assamese music. About three years ago when they were working on the script of Laila Majnu, they got me involved in it,” he said. It came as a surprise to him. “Considering it was set in contemporary Kashmir, a place I had never experienced, a culture I was not aware of, the story was a bit alien to me. But it just meant I had to dive deeper into what I didn’t understand. “As Kashmiris are, we people from the northeast India are also far from the central perspective of most things ‘Indian’. I understood the importance of representing a culture and people. And I think they understood this,” he said. The Assamese artiste, who had worked in the 2014 Bollywood film Margarita with a Straw and Sanjay Suri’s My birthday song last year, does not frequently compose or sing songs for Hindi movies. “I wanted to do other things and also wanted my music to find more meaning within and without. My time in Mumbai, all the work with advertising, movie backgrounds, songs, my own personal music, there was a time I felt that the music I was doing, needed another direction. “I wanted to break away and explore things which were completely different from the route I had taken so far. Certain things do come to happen to your life, and you feel like the sky going grey, but only briefly, before new horizons clear up for you. “I wanted to learn other things, explore other music, other cultures, get back into reading and redefine my core passion again. And this, in ways explains absence from certain sections, but journeys into others.” — IANS

The violent grunts of the world’s best tennis players have joined the Big Apple’s city symphony with the year’s final Grand Slam. The US Open is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Well, kind of. The fanfare is strictly for the tournament as we know it. While it was first played in 1881, it wasn’t open to professionals until 1968. From Newport to Forest Hills to Philadelphia, back to Forest Hills and then finally to the ash dump of Flushing Meadows, it has been a long and fascinating journey. The first tournament was held in August 1881 at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island and was initially open only to members of the US National Lawn Tennis Association. This was more of an upper crust, society event and the bests of tennis were pariahs in a sport in which they should have been pillars. With the beginning of the ‘Open Era’ in 1968, the name changed from the US Championships to the US Open. Arthur Ashe won as an amateur, and the main stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the largest tennis-specific stadium in the world, was later named after him. Virginia Wade won the women’s singles title. Before moving to the hard courts at the Flushing Meadows, US Open used to be a clay and before that a grass court tournament, making it the only major tournament to have been played on three surfaces. Tennis icon, Jimmy Connors, who celebrates his 66th birthday today, is the only player to have won the US Open on grass (1974), on clay (1976) and on hard courts (1978). For the most men’s singles titles in the Open Era at the US Open, he shares the record with Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. King Roger won his five in consecutive years, 2003-2008 By virtue of his long and prolific career, the birthday boy Connors still holds three prominent Open Era men’s singles records: 109 titles (Roger Federer is next with 98), 1,535 matches played, and 1,256 match wins.  The US Open made history with gender equality. Men and women receive the same amount of prize money, a tradition that started in 1973 after Billie Jean King threatened a boycott if the pay wasn’t equal. The tournament gave in, designating tennis as the first major sport to pay equal prize money for men and women. Prize money continued to climb astronomically. In 2018, it has reached a record $53 million, with the men’s and women’s champions receiving a whopping $3.8 million each. “To have a chance to play for $3.5 million, I would have played at 12 noon in the Sahara desert,” tweeted Connors on the extreme heat that affected the Queens last Tuesday. The US Open trophy is designed by Tiffany & Co. A Pineapple, adorns the top of the Wimbledon’s Men Singles’ Trophy. Welcome to ‘Nutty’s Infotainment. YAYS!’ Your time starts now. Arthur Ashe was still a lieutenant in the US Army when he won the first US Open. Ironically, instead of collecting the $14,000 winner cheque, how much did he receive? $280, a $20/day per day for the 14 days of competition. Who is the only person in the US Open history to take part in the Men’s Circuit as well as in the Women’s Circuit? Dr Renee Richards, who had previously played as Richard Raskind.  Jimmy Connors was engaged to a fellow tennis pro from 1974 to 1975, and they each triumphed in the singles events at the 1974 Wimbledon Championships. This feat was labelled “The Lovebird Double” by the media. Name her. Chris Evert  What is the current year in North Korea? 107. The North Korea or Juche calendar was adopted in 1997 and begins with the year Kim Jong-il was born, which was 1912. Hugh Hefner paid $75,000 for the burial vault next to that of a very famous personality at the Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles. Name this famous personality. Marilyn Monroe  Prior to the Amiri decree in June 2007, Qatar National Day was annually celebrated on 3rd September. What is the historical significance of this date? Qatar gained independence from British rule on 3rd September 1971 and declared itself a sovereign state.  What is Kakistocracy? A system of government which is run by the worst, least qualified or most unscrupulous citizens. On 21st December 1913, The New York World as the first newspaper to print a creation of a journalist named Arthur Wynne. What was it? Crossword Puzzle  Why does cat urine glows under a black light? It contains large amount of phosphorus, which glows yellowish green in the presence of oxygen, with or without black light. Light imparts additional energy that make the chemiluminescence easier to see. Identify this revolutionary leader. A capital city is named after him. (Answer next week. Answer to last week’s photoquiz: Paavo Nurmi) TENNIS ICON: Jimmy Connors, who celebrates his 66th birthday today, is the only player to have won the US Open on grass (1974), on clay (1976) and on hard courts (1978). 1. The brainchild of Scottish inventor Shepherd-Barron, this was first set-up in Enfield, London in 1967. English actor Reg Varney was the first person to use it. The world’s most northerly is at Longyearbyen, Norway and the most southerly located is at the McMurdo station at the South Pole. What is this? ATM (Mohammed Ismail, RasGas, Doha) 2. “If watching is all you’re gonna do, then you’re gonna watch your life go by without ya”. Who said this and in which movie?  Laverne in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. (Helen P, The Charter School, Kochi) Do you have some interesting bytes to share? And, does yourvibe attract you to the ‘Tribe NI.yays!’ Every week two of your best questions will be featured here. Please do write to us at [email protected] What’s the Good Word? What’s the Good Word? 1. Congius: (a) surprising (b) insane (c) influential (d) a gallon    2. Famulus: (a) assistant (b) negative emotions (c) death (d) enlightenment   3. Lodestar: (a) inspiration  (b) legal (c) hit man (d) business school    4. Hogwash: (a) hindrance (b) nonsense  (c) underlying pain (d) suffering    5. Sequacious: (a) controlled (b) trained (c) intellectually servile (d) accomplishing    6. Pejorative: (a) illusory (b) selective (c) persuasive (d) disparaging    7. Exculpate: (a) dig (b) declare not guilty (c) identify (d) transmute    8. Oleaginous: (a) distastefully complimentary (b) vulnerable (c) personal problem (d) enabling    9. Charlatan: (a) perception (b) mountebank (c) dominating (d) imprisoned  10. Probity: (a) integrity (b) presence (c) ugliness (d) deterioration    Answers: 1 (d); 2 (a); 3 (a); 4 (b); 5 (c); 6 (d); 7 (b); 8 (a); 9 (b); 10 (a)

You can tell a lot about neo-blaxploitation thriller Proud Mary by the way that lead actor Taraji P Henson,  coming off the back of her role in Hidden Figures, and her predominantly African American cast members are either over- or under-lit. This may seem like a negligible detail, but it’s a dismal sign that the makers of Proud Mary don’t know what to do with their terrific ensemble cast. Henson may be due for a Taken-style career boost (and Proud Mary may very well be it). But she deserves so much better than this. Proud Mary starts going downhill slowly during an opening credits sequence that hints at a fun time that director Babak Najafi (London Has Fallen), and the film’s three credited screenwriters almost never deliver. It’s a poorly paced attempt to introduce the film with a retro bent, with no-nonsense mobster assassin Mary (Henson) dressing up and arming herself before heading out to kill an anonymous mark. The Temptations’ Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone blares. But the mood is ruined by sloppy direction and an offbeat rhythm. You can’t help but feel like you’re watching a parody rather than a sincere tribute to female-led blaxploitation films like Foxy Brown, Cleopatra Jones or Coffy. Then the plot kicks in, and things get a lot worse before they get marginally better. Mary feels bad after she kills an anonymous guy, and makes an orphan out of his son Danny (Jahi Di’Allo Winston). A year later, Mary rescues Danny from a life of crime by taking out his cartoonishly evil drug dealer boss Uncle (Xander Berkeley). Unfortunately for Mary, Uncle was protected by the Russian mafia-esque rivals of her surrogate gangster dad Benny (Danny Glover). Mary wants to keep her involvement with Uncle’s death a secret from Benny, but his biological son Tom (How to Get Away with Murder’s Billy Brown) wants to go to war. And taking care of Danny is at least a part-time job As a result, a sizable chunk of Proud Mary is superficially concerned with Mary and Danny’s relationship. There are hints that these two under-developed characters share a special bond since neither she nor he takes themselves too seriously. She scolds him with tongue slightly in cheek while he gives as good as he gets before and after he tells her “You know I’m just messing with you, right?” Unfortunately, Najafi and his colleagues don’t develop this bitter-sweet melodramatic subplot very well. There are a handful of scenes that could have been, with a little more care and finesse, rather touching. But many of Proud Mary’s crucial emotional sequences, including their concluding pre-end credits scene, and their first heart-to-heart talk set at a windy Boston harbour, aren’t thoughtful enough to be moving. And unfortunately, while there’s nothing theoretically wrong with an over-abundance of cornball sentimentality, you have to be competent enough to sell that. Najafi and his colleagues’ biggest mistake was not putting the camera down long enough to highlight Henson, and her equally talented co-lead’s performances. Even Glover, a formerly great leading man who has delivered too many unworthy performances recently, is at his peak in two later scenes that, on paper, are almost rather good. Too bad it’s almost impossible to appreciate his performance during these darkly-lensed sequences. At one point, Glover stands directly in front of a window during harsh day-time sunlight. At this point, it becomes comically impossible to make out the expressions on Glover’s face. This creative decision would at least make sense if we weren’t supposed to know, in this moment, what Benny was feeling. But no, putting Glover in front of an over-exposed, naturally lit window just feels like a result of imaginative ineptitude since this sequence is one of the only ones that is paced well enough to be effectively moody. It robs Glover, and the film, of one of their only highlights. Henson is also rarely given the attention she deserves. Proud Mary only comes to life at its close, when its heroine finally gets to look like the badass that her justly adoring fanbase want her to be. She’s got enough sheer presence that she makes you believe she’s a real person no matter what she’s doing, everything from scolding Danny (Language!) to walking down a hallway and killing a bunch of anonymous eastern European bad guys. She even makes the film’s poorly choreographed climactic shoot-out look good just by strutting confidently down a couple of hallways, and looking ferocious when she pulls the trigger. — The Guardian DVDs courtesy:  Saqr Entertainment Stores, Doha

Actors often wax eloquent about how certain projects and timeline impacted their lives, but Iqra Aziz means it. Her breakout role for television with premiere entertainment channel, HUM Tv’s Kissey Apna Kahein (2014) is only half the story of her success, the other, and more significant half is Iqra’s fierce energy that has been her bedrock support in the struggling industry. She started her career when she was just 14.   In the flesh, the actress is at once ordinary and extraordinary swaddled as she was in a tangerine cashmere V-neck. You might pass her in the corridor and not realise until some moments afterwards that she was the same girl who played the cheeky Jiya in the successful serial Suno Chanda (2018). She is slight in physique at 5ft 3in and takes a dress size 8. She is neither taut nor diva-honed; her hair is straight, short and thick to the top of her shoulders. She wears no make-up or look-at-me accoutrements, so she is bare of necklaces and rings. Just a nail polish and black shades. Thwarting fame is a tiring work. Describing the aftermath of her first television gig, Iqra says, “My mother was a makeup artist and she took part in one of the makeup competitions on a morning show. She had no female model to take to the show and that’s how I came into the picture. I volunteered for her and Waqar Hussain, makeup artist, spotted me there. He asked me if I was interested in pursuing modelling or acting professionally and I was. So he referred me to his couple of friends at Citrus Talent and luckily things just shaped up. I did a couple of television commercials with them before landing up a role on a drama serial.” The 20-year-old who’s having a very successful year with hit television dramas such as Khaamoshi (2018), Tabeer (2018) and the massively popular Suno Chanda (2018), all on HUM TV, already has six years of experience and 15 television dramas under her belt. Nominated for the Most Stylish Television Actress at HUM Style Awards 2018, Iqra recently appeared in Suno Chanda alongside Farhan Saeed, that did exceedingly well, taking over the primetime viewership during Ramadan. “We had only two months to shoot 32 episodes which had to go on air every day,” she said in a statement. “We had to shoot up to 19 scenes per day and work till three to four in the morning. It was done in a complete panic.”  Although Suno Chanda Season 2 is already in the works, Iqra is also looking forward to making her silver screen debut soon as she goes through the scripts, juggling between a tortuous decision whether to sign it or not. “I’m looking forward to an extremely well written script. Story does matter, but all of it goes in vain if the script is not written to detail. I want something that can give me goosebumps just by reading it. So, let’s see,” she says.  On talking about the Pakistani film industry that has seen a bit of a revival lately, Iqra believes it’s team work that drives the industry in raising the bar for quality and content. “It’s not only dependent on the actor. It’s team work. From a DOP (Director of Production) to director and even the light guy – the work is interdependent, and the beauty comes out on screen when it’s all perfectly synchronised.” She adds, “We can only produce a film of international appeal when we have a team working closely with each other, employing professional skills and expertise. It’s a team work that’s going to ultimately contribute to revolutionise the Pakistan film industry. It’s not a one man show.” So how does she find inner peace? Is there something she does to get away from all the action in her life? “I unwind every day. After working non-stop for thirteen hours or more, I just spend time with myself and people in my life, people who matter – other than people who are there for me just because I’m an actress,” says the young starlet. Drawing a parallel between Bollywood and fledgling Pakistani film and drama industry, Iqra says, “We have a thriving drama industry here and a fledgeling film industry, whereas in India they have such longstanding and huge film industry. There’s no comparison really.  “I think in Pakistan we are living in a bubble. Someone comes up and takes a few snaps with you and you start thinking you’re a star. No love! You’re not a star. A television commercial actor in India gets that kind of fame and stardom that we get here.  “The thing is, they have a huge fan following and they have worldwide viewership. Well the best thing about the Indian film industry is the unity they possess and unfortunately, we don’t. And the moment we start pulling each other up, it’s going to change the game.” Iqra Aziz will be performing on HUM Style Awards 2018 for the first time.

As Ben Kingsley talks about his new movie Operation Finale, he’s trying to digest the news, just relayed by his agent, that he may soon have a chance to play Groucho Marx. Nothing definite and he can’t say much (there is a movie in development by Rob Zombie, of all people), but what he can say is that he’d like to do more comedy, and playing a comedian would be a good place to start. The Oscar winner is known for his serious roles (he took home his statuette for Gandhi), Operation Finale (opening today) being an example. He plays Nazi war criminal Adolph Eichmann in a movie based on Eichmann’s capture in Argentina by Israeli agents. Eichmann to Groucho? It’s a transition worthy of a punchline that only Marx himself could conjure. But it’s the kind of challenge actors crave, and it’s especially appealing to Sir Ben. Playing the twitchy, restless slapstick legend would give Kingsley a chance to move around a bit. I mention to Kingsley that he’s one of cinema’s most motionless performers, comfortable in stillness the way most actors are not. “It’s a vital part of my currency as an actor. I liken it to grace notes in music. In the course of a performance, it may be in that moment of stillness that the viewer gets a view into whatever process is going on inside the character,” he said. “I think those spaces in movies are precious. They invite the audience to come in and rest in the space created by it, to appreciate the story being told.” On screen, Kingsley is a “less is more” kind of guy, and he said so to Finale director Chris Weitz. “I told him, very modestly, that if he wanted two takes, I will probably give him less on the second, and that if he wanted five takes I might give him even less on the fifth, and so forth,” Kingsley said. Not less effort, but less wasted motion. “When I feel very insecure in a role,” he said, “it’s usually when my stillness tends to elude me.” I asked him if stillness becomes even more important in close-up, the aspect of cinema that makes film so different from theatre, where Kingsley got his start. He said the great dramatists had a way of addressing the difference. “The first crucial years of my journey as an actor occurred on stage, sometimes with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and I was able to eventually play Hamlet, amongst other challenging roles. And of course the plays included the device of the soliloquy, and I think that was Shakespeare’s version of the close-up. ‘To be or not to be.’ Those moments when the character revealed himself to the audience, opened up his mind to the audience. Certainly, working with Richard Attenborough on Gandhi, I don’t think I could have come anywhere close to those moments of stillness without having explored them on stage doing Shakespeare,” he said. That skill comes in especially handy in Operation Finale. As Eichmann, he is captured by Israeli agents and held in a safe house in Argentina, blindfolded and tied to a chair. In the role, Kingsley must find a way to project Eichmann’s evil, his predatory nature, without moving a muscle. Much of the film involves the psychological gamesmanship that defines his back-and-forth with Israeli agent Peter Malkin (Oscar Isaac), who is trying to get him to sign a document while Eichmann pursues his own perverse agenda. “He is determined to manipulate Malkin for his own ends, even if it gives him just a moment of satisfaction.” Kingsley also starred in Schindler’s List, and he played Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal in Murderers Among Us. After all of that, he’s entitled to a turn at comedy. Though to hear Kingsley describe it, comedy is no picnic for an actor. “It’s like the Edmund Kean observation — dying is easy and comedy is hard. It’s very technical. It’s not the slow burn of drama. It’s a quick, rapid fire. The repartee can be highly technical. And I think there is something else at work. Great comic actors have great timing, and I think they also have a hidden rapport with the audience, and that may be part of comedy, too.” Kingsley has been funny, of course, perhaps most memorably — and unexpectedly — playing the “villain” in the Marvel movie Iron Man 3. His character, the Mandarin, was a failed actor named Trevor playing a part. He remembers meeting with Marvel honcho Kevin Feige and being immediately excited by the idea of playing “a mediocre actor who reaches the zenith of his power for criminal gain. And I must give Kevin and Marvel praise keeping that whole side of the plot completely secret until the film opened.” I asked whether being around actors for several decades helped Kingsley understand and play the vainglorious Trevor. “There are several little sketches of people I’ve worked with,” he said. “And a few of myself.” All’s well that ends well. Kingsley sneaked into a theater to see Iron Man 3 with his wife and was pleased with the results. “The woman in front us practically collapsed with laughter. What a lovely character to play on my journey. I hope there are many more.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Six-second video clips on the now defunct Vine Internet website hardly seem enough upon which to build a successful career. Yet this is exactly the route to music fame taken by 22-year-old Jack Johnson and 21-year-old Jack Gilinsky, better known collectively as Jack & Jack. “We actually started on YouTube in 2007,” recalled Jack Gilinsky. “We made short comedy videos as a hobby during our free time after school in fourth, fifth and sixth grade. We used to get a pretty good number of hits but we stopped doing these when we started high school.” School has played an important role in Jack & Jack’s lives. They met on their first day of kindergarten in Omaha, Nebraska, attended the same elementary and high schools and have remained the best of friends since their first meeting. “We were both wearing the same shirt on that first day in kindergarten,” Jack Johnson laughed. “I guess that made us think we must be kindred spirits.” Jack Johnson made his first posting on Vine during the summer of 2013. “It was July 4th to be precise. I did the first few Vines under my own name but Jack (Gilinsky) would make guest appearances so we rebranded the account as Jack and Jack.” “Things really began to happen for us after our Nerd Vandals comedy Vine went viral,” Jack Gilinsky stated. “As Eric and Winston, a couple of hard-core nerd criminals, we’d vandalise stuff. The Vine that went viral and got praised by the Huffington Post saw us write 16 after the 4x4 sign on the back of a Jeep.” In addition to their comedy clips, Jack & Jack’s Vines also included six-second song covers. Their first original song, Indoor Recess, was developed with the assistance of brothers Turner and Travis Eakins, better known as Barrington Park. Although the song could be heard in full and purchased at iTunes, there was much confusion among Jack & Jack’s Vine followers. “We had about 700,000 followers at that time,” Jack Johnson explained. “They knew us for comedy but our music was serious. We were afraid that any song we made wouldn’t be taken seriously so we decided to disguise our identities under the name of Indoor Recess for a track called Chill Pad Deluxe or CPD. “But the fans knew it was us and thought Indoor Recess was part of the song title. It ended up with people being so confused that we dropped the Chill Pad Deluxe and just called the song Indoor Recess even though this was supposed to be our group name.” Although Indoor Recess made no great impression on the charts, it marked the beginning of Jack & Jack’s progression from comedy to all-round entertainers. They crossed America with other notable Vine personalities on the Magcon Tour, were featured performers at the INTOUR social festival and headlined their own Jack & Jack DigiTour. A film was made chronicling their performances. This also included behind-the-scenes footage. The boys have also developed mobile app games in partnership with their local Omaha-based mobile games company, SkyVu Entertainment. The first of these was downloaded by more than one million users within the opening month after release. After moving to Los Angeles, Jack & Jack have concentrated more on their music career. Their 2015 four-track EP (Extended Play Record), Calibraska, shot straight to number one on the US iTunes Albums chart and reached number 12 on the Billboard 200. This came on the back of singles success, most notably with Wild Life. The track peaked at number 87 on the Hot 100, number 25 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart and number 16 on the Hot Rap Songs chart. But their expected rise to true music stardom did not materialise. “Our stuff has sold pretty well without setting the charts alight,” Jack Gilinsky reflected. “We play sold-out concerts and the number of our social media followers keeps increasing. We’ve also done a lot of tracks with other artistes.” One of those other artistes is London-based producer, songwriter and remixer Guy Robin, better known as Jonas Blue. He heard Jack & Jack being interviewed on a Los Angeles radio station and felt they were perfect to provide the vocals for his house-pop track, Rise. The song has become an international smash hit going top ten in numerous countries including a number three spot in Britain.  “The style of the song was really foreign to us,” Jack Johnson admitted. “We’ve never even previously done a feature on an electronic dance music song like Rise. But we are huge fans of feel good music so doing the song was a no brainer for us.” “It wouldn’t have seemed as genuine if we’d just come out with this sort of dance song,” Jack Gilinsky added. “I think we’d also have felt really self-conscious because we’re not DJs. But with Jonas behind the song and us just providing the vocals, everything is totally authentic.”

Actress-model Lisa Haydon was widely trolled for sharing a photograph of herself as she breastfed her son Zack last year. She says there were many times she faced “uncomfortable” questions and comments, but she still stands by the fact that it is healthy for mothers to breastfeed their babies. New mothers across the globe have been shamed for breastfeeding their babies in public. Lisa, who gave birth to Zack last year, said: “I certainly felt uncomfortable at times when I was asked if I was still breastfeeding my baby and it had only been four months. Some people told me I am not a cow, my baby should not feed off me and there were many things that made me feel uncomfortable to do it, not so much ashamed.” The Aisha and Queen actress said that for her, it was “not necessarily a responsibility or duty”, but it’s something that came naturally. “I know that a lot of people struggle to breastfeed for various different reasons,” she added. Lisa, 32, says she thought if she had the ability and the time where she didn’t have to go to work immediately, she had a choice to stay home. “I know that a lot of mothers don’t, but I did. I felt very fortunate and blessed to be able to breastfeed my kid for as long as I did. I would definitely encourage every mother to do so and it is something I definitely stand by,” she added. Lisa says she couldn’t breastfeed her baby for one year “but I would definitely always aspire to do the best that I can and I recommend other mothers to do so”. Describing it as an “incredibly bonding”, Lisa also said “it is very healthy”. Asked what has changed for her on the professional front after becoming a mother, she said: “I had to learn how to pick and choose more than what I would usually do because I had the time to do it.” So, she is juggling and picking the best of what is offered. Now, she says, it’s all about “giving a 100 percent when you are at work, and then of course when you go home and you’re being a mom, you really focus on being the best mother you possibly can”. Lisa was here as the showstopper for the label Mishru on the last day of Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2018. On her showstopper garment, which was a silver innovative bridal lehenga with a touch of modernism and vintage feel, Lisa said she felt “beautiful”. Asked what does she enjoy more — walking the ramp or working in films, Lisa said: “The more films you work on, the more you get to walk the runway these days as showstoppers seem to be quite a craze. I always enjoyed my modelling days but it was a natural sort of evolution after about eight to ten years of walking the runway. To want to experiment, do films and making films is my passion.”  — IANS Neha was ‘frowned upon’ for not going public about her pregnanc Actress Neha Dhupia, who is expecting her first child with actor husband Angad Bedi, says she was frowned upon for not going public about her pregnancy. A day after Neha and Angad announced the news on social media, the couple walked the ramp at designer Payal Singhal and Lakme Salon’s show ‘The Showstopping Bride’ at the Lakme Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2018 edition. This is not the first time a pregnant actress did catwalk. Earlier, actress Kareena Kapoor Khan had famously flaunted her blooming baby bump at a fashion show. Asked how does she see women not shying away from flaunting the bump or working during pregnancy, Neha said: “That is amazing. I read an article about a woman who was eight months pregnant and was shooting Black Panther and one more... Gal Gadot came back for a patchwork of her films... So I have also continuously been working, and did not go public about my situation, and I was frowned upon on ‘Why is she wearing loose clothes or why is she putting on weight?’” Neha, 37, says she wasn’t concerned about the comments. “For me, it doesn’t matter what other people think of you as long as you are healthy and being respectful to your personal and professional life and striking that balance. And you should. I know that no one can do it better than a woman,” she added. Walking the ramp this time was a memorable experience for Neha, a former beauty queen. “It has been amazing to be on the ramp looking and feeling like this... A lot of people take a break and won’t come to work, but that’s not true,” she added. Neha married Angad in a hush-hush ceremony at a Gurudwara in New Delhi on May 10. She says her husband was “is rock solid and funny”. “We have so much to talk about. He is going to become a father soon and we are very excited about it... I like his relaxed attitude and which is the right kind because neither he is laidback nor does he take life too seriously.” — IANS I always hoped to get accepted, says Kangana National Award winning actress Kangana Ranaut, who walked as the showstopper at the Lakme Fashion Week ramp, says during her growing up days, she used to impersonate models and always hoped she would be accepted in showbiz. Asked if she thought she would make it big in the fashion world too, Kangana said: “When I was young I didn’t have any guarantee, but I hoped that I get accepted. I remember I used to rehearse at night... I was a science student and I was hard working. “I used to wake up in the nights and wear heels and try and impersonate the catwalk I used to see on Fashion TV. I remember working very hard and hoping I make it someday.” The 31-year-old actress says every time she walks the runway, it takes her back to her days of Fashion, the Madhur Bhandarkar directorial in which plays a supermodel. “That’s the only time I played a supermodel and I used to rehearse a lot because I never had a modelling background. I never modelled before. So, now when I do these walks it definitely takes me back to my Fashion days,” she said. — IANS

Legendary singer Asha Bhosle will pay tribute to four legendary Indian film music composers – Sachin Dev Burman, Hemant Kumar, Salil Chowdhury and Rahul Dev Burman – by performing at The Bengal Tigers, a show to be held here on September 1. Asha will share her experiences about all four ‘Bengal Tigers’ during the show at the Shanmukhananda Hall, read a statement issued on behalf of the organisers Badaam Raja Productions, owned by Vinayak Gawande, Ninad Karpe and Poonam Torgal. Compositions of the four composers will be presented featuring young artistes like Shailaja Subramanian, Anindita Paul, Adish Telang and Hrishikesh Ranade on vocal and a troupe of 15 musicians on melody and percussion instruments conducted by Kamlesh Bhadkamkar. Conceived and directed by composer Rahul Ranade, The Bengal Tigers is aimed at taking the audience on a trip of nostalgia and history behind each of their iconic songs. The concert will present the choicest of each of the composer’s compositions in Hindi, English and Bengali, woven through a narrative describing their journey and evolution of music. Actor Sumeet Raghavan will host the show.  Rahul Ranade, Creative Director of the show, said in a statement: “My idea was to go beyond the routine orchestra drill. The Bengal Tiger promises to bring forth the most popular songs along with some rare and unheard melodies composed by each of the gems. “While we have regaled their melodies for decades now, it would be important to know the process and journey behind each composition. I also think, the current generation needs to be aware and educated about the glorious musical history of Indian film music. As a die-hard fan and deriving musical inspiration all throughout my career from them, I am glad to pay a tribute to them.” – IANS

With Eid al-Adha finally here, we have myriad things to look forward to. In the plethora of designer Eid collections and Eid festivals happening around us, the new Pakistani films coming out to the silver screen is undoubtedly one of the things we’re most hyped for. Surely last year was full of favourites – from Balu Mahi to Punjab Nahin Jaungi and Verna – but if the trailers and teasers for this year’s potential hits are any indication, we’re bound to have even more memorable films to add to the list of our ever-running Pakistani films. We all loved the entice of Punjab Nahin Jaungi that even after a hard day at work brought smiles with Humayun’s a-typical dialogue “Help me Durtana”,and there’s no doubt that well-made romantic, comedy and never-ending drama films are always high on our list of must-watches. That said, we couldn’t be more ready to see the fledgling Pakistani film industry making a bit of a revival. Check out these two Pakistani movies that we won’t be missing, as they release this Eid al-Adha. Load Wedding Apart from taking roots from cultural heritage and Punjab picturesque giving film the aesthetic backdrop, there are plenty of things that are having us count down the days until Load Wedding comes out. From the trailer, the film seems to be as eccentric as the name suggests, offering tongue-in-cheek and chillingly calm humour with Fahad Mustafa and Mehwish Hayat in the lead roles. We’ve seen Fahad and Mehwish share on-screen chemistry before in Actor in Law as well, following the same comedy genre. They have bawdy chemistry, and a kind of hanging-out comedic naturalism that makes Load Wedding seem better than it is. The recently released music album of the film hints that the romance and drama takes the centre-stage as the film-makers Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza steps out of their comfort zone, touching the boundaries of a family drama, dealing with societal and family pressures with a pinch of humour. Load Wedding’s latest song release, Kooch na Karein might just be the one on everyone’s playlist lately. Sung by Azhar Abbas, the song offers the best combination of lyrics, music and vocals, capturing the feelings of love and emotions of Raja and Meeru way too perfectly. Plus, it’s suffused with a warm, summery light and is genuinely funny in places. If you intend spending some quality time with your family. This is your catch!  Parwaaz Hai Junoon There’s no way that this big tribute to Pakistan airforce isn’t going to be awesome. Although there have been many Pakistani films to come out, related to Pakistan military, but PHJ obtrudes as the first film of the sort to cater the air force crowd. Hamza Ali Abbasi is in it. We could stop there, but we’ll add that other cast members include the young starlet who made her acting debut with Jaanan (2016) and later shot into prominence for being the part of Na Maloom Afraaad 2 (2017), Hania Amir, and the new boy in town who has taken over the show businesses industry with storm, Ahad Raza Mir.  But wait, if you think this is a routine schmaltz and struggle about an airforce officer who wants to serve the country, then there’s more here to feast on, confirmed Ahad Raza Mir in a statement, “We’ve stepped back from all the action and have tried to look at the real emotional and human side of the airforce. It shows that our soldiers and our pilots seem like superheroes but they’re also human at the same time. And that’s the human factor we’ve touched upon. That’s the best part about the film and the aspect we’ve tried to explore.”  The film overall seems to offer some good music soundtracks. The shaadi song, Naache Re and Thaam Lo gets one tap-tapping compulsively to the song lyrics. Where former is sung by Atif Aslam, empowering a beautiful, soft melody with stunning visuals, the later employs some husky vocals of Zeb Bangash with all the fun and colourful wardrobes taking over the silver screen.

Changes of musical direction do not always work out for the best. Long-term fans will frequently search elsewhere for the type of music they specifically want to hear rather than remain loyal to old favourites who decide to try something new. But a debut spot at number eight on the UK Albums chart for English alternative rock quintet Deaf Havana suggests their fan base have taken kindly to the more pop-orientated songs on the band’s fifth studio album, Rituals. “The change of style was not a conscious decision,” explained frontman and songwriter James Veck-Gilodi. “I wrote Ritual as the first song. It was completely natural and not contrived in any way. But it was a pop song rather than rock. I didn’t realise I had that kind of song in me. But I thought it sounded really good so I decided to keep going and the result was more pop songs.” Despite the UK top five success of Deaf Havana’s 2017 album, All These Countless Nights, James did not want to follow the same songwriting pattern.  “It would have been very easy for us to make another album which sounded like the last one. We could have may be changed one or two things here and there to give the impression that we’d progressed to some degree. But I wasn’t interested in doing that kind of thing. I knew I wanted to do something radically different. I just didn’t think it would turn out to be an album of predominantly pop songs.” James initially tried a new method of creating the songs. He firstly chose a set of titles before writing tracks to fit around them. He also worked on a computer rather than his acoustic guitar. “I worked with Phil Gornell, our long-time sound engineer and great friend, at his studio in Sheffield. The comfort of this working relationship meant I had the freedom to not feel embarrassed about showing these different song ideas to Phil.” Convincing his bandmates was another matter. “The reaction of my brother (lead guitarist Matthew Veck-Gilodi) was typical of all the guys. I sent him a song called Holy. He said it was a great song but we couldn’t use it because it wasn’t what the fans would expect from us. A week later, he messaged me saying he’d changed his mind. The song was so good that we should go with it.” Bassist Lee Wilson, drummer Tom Ogden and keyboardist Max Britton all had their doubts but eventually agreed to the change of style. “I completely understood how they felt. All of our albums have been different to some degree but the basis of our music has always been the same since the band was formed in 2005. The truth is that I was scared about what the fans would think. We’d spent 13 years building up our fan base and we might have thrown it all away because I wanted to try a radical change of style.” James, Lee and Tom had formed Deaf Havana while at The College of West Anglia in King’s Lynn, Norfolk. They were joined by James and Lee’s schoolfriend, guitarist Ryan Mellor, and lead guitarist Sebastian Spitz. Chris Pennells replaced Sebastian in 2006. Ryan left in 2010 but was not replaced. Matthew and Max joined in 2013 making Deaf Havana a sextet for two years before Chris decided to leave. They self-released six EPs before signing with A Wolf At Your Door Records in 2008. The band’s 2009 debut album, Meet Me Halfway, at Least, did not chart but attracted enough industry attention for Deaf Havana to be offered a major label deal with BMG/Chrysalis.  2011’s Fools and Worthless Liars reached number 49 on the UK chart and topped Britain’s Rock chart. 2013’s Old Souls also took pole position on the UK Rock chart and became their first major mainstream success peaking at number nine on the Albums chart. Despite clearly being a band on the rise, Deaf Havana experienced a number of problems with their record label. The conflict was such that they were dropped by BMG/Chrysalis and signed to So Recordings. All These Countless Nights was eventually released early last year. “That was a very frustrating period in our history. We almost broke up. I did some solo stuff but had a couple of songs which were too heavy for my solo project. I sent one to the other guys asking what they thought and they all replied saying let’s get back together and play. “I think spending the time apart made us realise how much we enjoyed playing our songs and hanging out together. In a strange way, I think we needed to fall apart to make us really appreciate what we have together because the band are now stronger than we’ve ever been.” in  brief Kenny Chesney American country music superstar Kenny Chesney won’t be earning a penny in royalties from his smash hit 17th studio album, Songs for the Saints. His share of the proceeds will be donated to Hurricane Irma disaster relief funds. The 2017 hurricane left a trail of destruction as it passed through the islands of the Caribbean. The US Virgin Islands, where Kenny has a home, was hit to such a degree that virtually no building was left undamaged. Kenny was heartbroken by the devastation and poured out those feelings in writing songs for the new album. But he quickly gave practical help by setting up his Love for Love City Fund which has been providing relief to those who were most in need. Although Songs for the Saints stemmed from a disaster, the tracks do not all reflect the sadness invoked by Hurricane Irma. Kenny wanted the album to also encompass the recovery process and hope for the future. “With the way I felt, it would have been very easy for me to make an entire record about the destruction and the devastation,” Kenny remarked. “But I’ve always felt that music is the biggest healer that we have. I’m proud that there is a thread of hope, a thread of love and a sense of moving forward on the album maybe with some strength that we didn’t even know we had. “When people listen to the album, I hope they get healing out of it in whatever way they need. I hope they get as much healing from hearing the record as I did from making it.” Kenny has posted official audios of every track from Songs for the Saints on his YouTube channel. They can all be heard at www.youtube.com/channel/UCB1W3WXbDmsEG_hQLxYALgg The official video for lead single, Get Along, is also posted here. Cloak Atlanta has become synonymous with the hip hop music scene. The city is home to so many of rap’s major names. But Atlanta also has other less well-known but still thriving music cultures. One of these has produced blackened rock-metal quartet, Cloak. Their debut album, To Venemous Depths, has drawn rave reviews from the critics. All nine tracks can be heard in full at www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGWcifLk9mQ Two songs, In The Darkness, The Path, and lead single, The Hunger, were initially heard on Cloak’s 2016 self-titled EP. Their official video for The Hunger is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpq05qINVTc The band have now released their second single, Beyond The Veil. Singer / guitarist Scott Taysom said of the track: Beyond The Veil is a song that’s grown in meaning and importance the longer it’s been with us. It’s a song about both the fear and comfort of knowing there is something much greater in charge here and the empowerment that it can bring.” The accompanying video can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHXSgMU7Z2U Passenger Singer / songwriter Michael Rosenberg, better known as Passenger, returns with his latest studio album, Runaway, on August 31. Despite his English nationality, Michael believes many of the songs on Runaway have a strong sense of Americana. He also felt they would work well if accompanied by American visuals. To that end, he spent three weeks travelling across America with his video collaborators filming videos for each track along with extra footage to match acoustic renditions of each song. Michael’s idea is to release a song every three weeks sharing both the official and acoustic videos plus behind-the-scenes footage. Pursuing this pattern, he has now released To Be Free as the fifth single from Runaway. It follows Hell or High Water, Why Can’t I Change, the album title-track and Heart To Love. The official song videos, acoustic and behind-the-scenes videos can all be accessed from the Passenger YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/channel/UCFHtCB_FWXQ8GpjgfYcD8-g

Manoj Bajpayee, who features in first-time director Dipesh Jain’s Gali Guleiyan – the gritty trailer of which came out on Saturday – says he has always chosen independent movies over big budget entertainers as it is his comfort zone. Just the content is what attracts him to films, Manoj said while he was at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) where he won the Best Actor Award for his performance in Gali Guleiyan. “I have done many films with all the newcomers. Though I have had the choice of working with all the established ones but I chose all these filmmakers over so-called established filmmakers and chose these independent films over the offers of mega budget films because this is what I always wanted to do, and this is what I feel comfortable doing,” he added. The widely acclaimed and awarded actor said independent movies allow him a certain freedom. “This is where I feel I can express myself, I can utilise myself, and somewhere I feel I can break so many limitations of mine while doing these films and when I am performing these characters. And though these films have not fetched the big numbers, these are what I have made a career out of. “So, today it has been over 20 years in this industry and I am doing what I wanted to do. Films like Gali Guleiyan, Aligarh, Gangs of Wasseypur, I would say God is giving me all the right things for me to feel proud of myself,” Manoj said. Gali Guleiyan has travelled to several film festivals and won accolades. “It all started with an e-mail and this film has reached here. Sometimes, God is really kind and pushes right things towards you and it is upto you to mark those as right things and grab it. These words have just been true,” he said of the movie, which will release in theatres worldwide on September 7. Its trailer underlines Manoj’s heart-wrenching portrayal of a man (named Khuddus) trapped within the walls and alleys of Old Delhi and his own mind. He attempts to break free to find a human connection. The movie features an ensemble cast of actors like Ranvir Shorey, Neeraj Kabi and Shahana Goswami, along with debutant child actor Om Singh. Shot entirely on locations, Gali Guleiyan is directed by the Los Angeles-based Jain. Manoj has said he plays one of his most complex roles ever in this movie. “The film promises to be an immersive cinematic experience, where the audience will themselves feel the psychological aspects of the story,” he said in a statement. For Jain, the film is in many ways an ode to his growing up years in the alleys of Old Delhi – “to my personal fears and a feeling of entrapment that I had experienced as a child”. – IANS

Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One gives us an amazing amount of ingenuity and imagination focused on a C-level idea. Set in 2045 – aka “the future” – it introduces us to a rusty, ramshackle planet where countless residents of Columbus, Ohio – the planet’s largest metropolis – live in unkempt shipping containers piled up like slummy Jenga towers. It’s not a full-on post-apocalyptic dystopia, but you wouldn’t want to live there. Civilisation has lost the will to clean up. What makes this hooky is the near-universal fixation on an addictive distraction, the freaky virtual game world of The Oasis. Slip on your head-mounted display, and you’re in a cosmos packed with adventure, competing against other players’ online characters and big, bad non-player opponents. There your avatar is way cooler than real-life you, and players around the world compete to mine millions in Bitcoin-like change. If you’re really skilled, you might even win the keys to the kingdom. The game’s late designer (Spielberg favourite Mark Rylance, decades younger thanks to computer effects) has filled it with pop culture strings of digital puzzles and Easter eggs (the computer variety, not this weekend’s seasonal ones) that could make you inherit the creator’s fortune and become the CEO of Innovative Online Industries, his infinitely profitable company. Game on, right? You will understand this because the first quarter-hour of the film is devoted to voice-over exposition narrated by Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) in “welcome to my world” detail. Other than clunky writing, the rationale of having Wade deliver a colour-by-numbers instructional speech is unclear. But get used to it. There’s more ahead. Adapted from Ernest Cline’s bestseller, the half-live/half-animated film follows nerdy, awkward Wade (and his smooth, computer-generated online stand-in, Parzival) through adventures in two parallel dimensions. In real life, with the help of several player friends, Wade resists scheming game company CEO Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn, every bit as nasty as he was the last Star Wars sub-villain) who will keep those young brats from winning control by any means necessary. Online, the team tries to beat menacing VR characters and competing players with their identities drawn from ‘80s’ pop culture. It’s a nonstop artefact avalanche. Every VR scene is packed with cameo characters designed to trigger fanboy euphoria, which is both the movie’s blessing and curse. There are one-second walk-ons by Beetlejuice, Pac-Man, the Iron Giant, DC superheroes, motorcyclists from Akira and Tron, John Cusack and his romantic boombox from Say Anything, the Jurassic Park Trex, Gigantor, various Gundams and thousands more. Wade’s VR car looks a lot like the flying DeLorean from Back to the Future, and he dresses up for a zero gravity disco in the dapper suit the title character wore in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai. There’s even an extended trip to the creepy Overlook Hotel from The Shining. Herein lies the central problem: Why? If you are too young to be insatiable for this era-specific nostalgia bait, a lot of the movie is hitting points you won’t follow. If you’re old enough to catch them, you have more important things to do. This approach of making a raucous animated comedy feel like an underage rave party worked wonderfully four years back in The Lego Movie. That was packed full of pop-up faces from entertainment franchises and meta gags and juicy jokes that pretty much anyone could get. Here, the relentless references to yesteryear are visually amazing but rapidly reach the point of diminishing returns. Eventually the affair turns into an animated “Where’s Waldo.” Is spotting Freddy Krueger for a second the highlight of your day? – Star Tribune (Minneapolis)/TNS