Mumbaikar is the Lucky Mascot for Actors Vikrant Massey & Vijay Sethupathi

Mumbaikar has braved the pandemic and made headlines all through its making. But this Santosh Sivan-helmed film has also proved to be lucky for its actors. Vikrant Massey has signed back to back movies post Mumbaikar! Vijay Sethupati, on the other hand, has been signed by Sriram Raghavan and two Hindi mega web-series and is touted to be one of the highest paid actors in the Hindi OTT space. In the meantime, the ace director-cinematographer Santosh Sivan-helmed Mumbaikar, completed its shoot schedule, non-stop, at the busiest city, despite the pandemic wave with 200 plus blessed crew and shooting day-night with multiple cameras and multiple locations on every single day from start to finish. The film has captured the spirit and the never-say-die attitude of Mumbai, in a full-fledged commercial and flavourful avatar.

This edge of the-seat action thriller has an ensemble cast of glittering stars like Tanya Maniktala, Sanjay Mishra, Ranvir Shorey, Sachin Khedekar, Brijendra Kala and the promising new face Hridhu Haroon, is another lucky star in Mumbaikar, who is also working in a prestigious Amazon web series and has also been signed by a leading filmmaker for another Hindi film.

Insiders swear that Mumbaikar will be a different theatrical experience, both in terms of content narrative and its unique Santosh Sivan style of filming.

Hopefully, Mumbaikar will be very lucky for our film industry, as till date, any movie fully shot in Mumbai, has always raked in the mega bucks, and set the box office ringing!

Dolly Thakore, Shaina NC & Arzoo Govitrikar Grace the Release of Dr. Aneel Kashi Murarka's Biography, Uncommon Dreams Of A Common Man

Dr. Aneel Kashi Murarka wears many hats! An industrialist, educationist, environmentalist and a philanthropist, he has generously and selflessly contributed to the society through his social awareness organisation, Ample Missiion, with which he works tirelessly to bring a meaningful change in the lives of the underprivileged.

As billionaire Warren Buffet says, “If you’re in the luckiest 1% of humanity, you owe it to the rest of humanity to think about the other 99%.” Dr. Aneel Kashi Murarka’s actions are inspired by the same! As the MD of Mirachem Industriies, he always strives create a positive impact on peoples’ lives. For his invaluable efforts, he has been conferred upon with an honorary doctorate for the same!

With blessings of the Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, actors Boman Irani and Dalip Tahil and comedian Raju Srivastava, Dr. Aneel Kashi Murarka had officially released his biography, ‘Uncommon Dreams Of A Common Man’ for online distribution. Today, in the presence of theatre veteran Dolly Thakore, fashion designer-social worker Shaina NC and actress Arzoo Govitriker at Crossword Bookstore, Kemps Corner, the book became available for distribution in bookstores across India. The illustrious biography is published, marketed and distributed by Times Group.

Under his Social Enterprise - Ample Missiion, Dr. Aneel Kashi Murarka has organized and lauded several heroes who have had the courage to do what is necessary while exhibiting extraordinary feats! In Awards Zindagi Ke, brave martyrs and true unsung heroes of the Indian Armed Forces were felicitated. With ‘Bharat Prerna Awards, those have risen above their condition, whether it be a physical disability, a mental illness or sensory deprivation, and shown extraordinary feats of courage were lauded. With Shoorveer Awards, common people who have done uncommon things were honoured for the same. All in all, a lot has been done by the Ample Missiion to recognize our national heroes.

This man, as his book’s apt title, has lived the uncommon dreams of a common man. “Philanthropy can be our greatest asset, if we let it!” signs off Dr. Aneel Kashi Murarka.

This World NGO Day, CWATY Launches Out Of Home Adoption Movement– OOHA

Urges everyone to come together and support OOHA, a solution based animal welfare movement to co-exist with innocent animals

 

27th February 2021, Mumbai: Today on World NGO day, CWATY, the world’s first digital animal influencer, in association with Nargis Dutt Foundation, Sparsh Trust, Make Earth Green Again MEGA Foundation and Cowin launches the animal welfare movement – OOHA (Out Of Home Adoption) a solution based animal welfare movement for human beings and Indian street animals to coexist with love and care.

 

Pledging their support with CEP (Celebrating Excellence in Philanthropy), a not-for-profit event IP, where senior and upcoming philanthropists are honoured based on their contribution and dedication shown towards making a better tomorrow, the day marked the announcement of the second edition of the event CEP 2.0 as well.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Priya Dutt, a popular social activist and politician, who believes in the cause of humanity for all said “Animal welfare to me is coexistence and respect of all living beings on earth and the environment.” She is the daughter of Legendary actors Sunil and Nargis Dutt, and sister to actor Sanjay Dutt. “Earth is our habitat. In ours, I don't mean only humans. It is also for the animals, the birds and every being living and coexisting.” She is also the co-founder of Nargis Dutt Memorial Charitable Trust (NDMCT) which was started in memory of her mother, Nargis Dutt. “To all the people out there, welfare is not what you do for others in need, but for yourself! It makes you happy and gives you inner peace that you were able to make a difference. So make yourself happy by bringing that change around you,” she added.

 

According to CWATY, Coexistence and equality is the essence of life. “I believe in the concept of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ a philosophy that inculcates an understanding that the world is one family and we are all part of one life energy. We can do this by simply imbibing the practice of sharing and exchanging good energies in every aspect of our lives. For me, animal welfare is a way of life and I aim to raise donations and do good throughout my immortal life by becoming the biggest celebrity influencer for the cause. And to achieve this, I need your support to do the OOHA to coexist because, after all, it is a world for all.” CWATY has been brought to life by Jagrat Desai – a writer – philantropreneur who is also the founder of the CWAT app, a platform that donates 100 per cent of net profits to NGOs of the users’ choice.

 

Maharshi Dave, one of the founding members of Sparsh Trust commented, “I believe in any cause that helps spread Smiles and encourages sharing, be it animals, humans or environment!” He is a renowned activist who has done more than his bit for humanitarian and animal welfare! He adds, “For me, animal welfare is the purest form of sharing. My take on Co-Existence is the realization that we Humans are a creation of Mother Nature, just like millions of other creatures.” He cannot stress enough on the need to respect and realize that our own existence depends on healthy coexistence! “Or as they say, ‘To take less, to share more’!”

 

Philanthropist Anusha Srinivasan Iyer, and founder of Make Earth Green Again MEGA Foundation, an egalitarian Earth organisation that has been working towards leaving green footprints besides taking care of more than 200 rescue animals in their very own Pawsitive Farm Sanctuary as well at other  rescue homes, is excited. "The OOHA movement, the brainchild of Jagrat Desai, is a breath of fresh air needed for our street animals. Such initiatives do not just help animals. They help restore humanity, and that is the much-needed quality in such pandemic moments," she reasons, adding that CEP is again an amazingly empowering initiative.”

 

Alet Viegas is the founder of a Canadian Not-for-profit, Collective Win that delivers social impact projects through strong partnerships with NGOs across the globe. We firmly believe in the need for improved animal welfare & our communities to co-exist with them, especially since animals do not have a voice & typically ignored in our everyday life. Whether you are fighting inequality, eliminating poverty, or protecting our planet - your organization’s impact is vital. The Collective Win Initiative empowers community leaders, locally & globally to create the future they want. We believe creative problem-solving is best when it involves a diverse group of people. That's why we bring leaders together from all walks of life through our community hubs and partnerships. Today, our partnership with CWATY & participation in CEP 2.0 aims to bring attention & act on problems that can deliver impact through OOHA initiatives.

 

In a bid to inspire and urge people to help street animals in and around the neighbourhood, OOHA strives to change the mindset of the people to adopt animal welfare behaviour in their day to day life while CEP strives to bridge the gap between givers and doers.

A Star Studded Launch For Hariharan & Bickram Ghosh’s Ishq – Songs Of Love!

Composer Bickram Ghosh and singer Hariharan have teamed up to bring to audiences myriad shades of Ishq, the much needed emotion post pandemic. With music by Maestro Bickram Ghosh and set to vocals by Legendary playback singer Hariharan, Ishq – Song Of Love features music video directed by Arindam Sil and lyrics by Sugata Guha. It features Abhisek Mallick on the Sitar and, interestingly, features Bickram Ghosh himself for live percussion and Tabla.

Known for critically acclaimed hits like Chants Of India with Ravi Shankar and George Harrison, The Music Room with Sonu Nigam, Pulsating Drums with Zakir Hussain and Taufiq Qureshi, and several other iconic tracks with Pandit Ravi Shankar, Bickram Ghosh – arguably one of the greatest Tabla exponents of all times and the composer of Ishq, talks about the album. “The idea of love changes over generations of time. We keep hearing people say, ‘woh puraane zamaane ke gaane hai’ (those are songs of the old times). I’ve really wanted to make an album of love songs with different nuances of love,” avers the Tabla maestro.  “These have been difficult times! Unexpectedly, we’ve achieved something musically. During the pandemic, we’ve completed an entire album as well as the videos,” he adds!

Speaking about the same, veteran playback singer Hariharan shares that he has been super excited to see the album get ready for release as, he adds, creating an album is a lot of hard work taking hours, days and months of an artist’s time! “Here, we have six songs with six stories! The kind that tells its own story. The nuances behind each song are as different as the stories behind them. All in all, the outcome of love is different.”

Interestingly, the song ‘Baaton Baaton Mein’ already crossed millions of views on YouTube. It is available on other platforms including Apple Music and Spotify as well!

The industry DOYENS including Anupam Kher, Shankar Mahadevan, Sanjeev Kapoor, Roop Kumar Rathod, Kavita Seth, Lesle Lewis, Kaavya Jones, Sandip Soparrkar, Sharbani Mukherjee, Salim Merchant, Akshay Hariharan, Karan Hariharan, Shilpa Rao, Pratibha Singh Baghel, Purbayan Chatterjee, Gurneet Jolly, Anusha Srinivasan Iyer, Yogesh Lakhani among others made their presence felt for the EP launch at Tap, Juhu. Besides celebs of the likes of renowned chef, chocolatier and cake sculptor Harneet Jolly’s live sculpture cake added more energy to the musical evening.

Yogesh Lakhani of Bright Outdoor avers, “Hariharan and Bickram Ghosh are phenomenal musicians and it is a pleasure for Bright to be associated with ‘Ishq – Songs Of Love’.”

Need we say more!

Digital Star Satish Ray starrer 'Pandeyji Zara Sambhalke!' Free To Watch On MX Player

Today’s urban life is full of stress and strife and there is a need for some comic moments! Latest in the comical offerings is ‘Pandeyji Zara Sambhalke’, a quirky yet fast-paced Hindi web-series based on a young urban take on life hat revolves around a young man named Manoj Pandey, portrayed by actor-writer-YouTuber Satish Ray. The character of Pandey is in a live-in relationship with his long time girlfriend Deboshi, portrayed by Dolly Chawla. He has always wanted to marry Deboshi, but finds himself attracted to her childhood friend Ishita, portrayed by Kanika Khanna. Enters Naresh, played by Prakash Jais, who is keen on Ishita! This love quadrangle leads to a funny turn of events, offering the audience side-splitting entertainment, thanks to Pandeyji's discomfort.

Satish Ray, whose characters, like Imandaar Sharma, Alpha Pandey and Baban Bhola from the digital universe, are sought-after, is extremely popular among the Indian youth because of his show Imandaar Interview with his unique dialogue delivery style in UP and Bihari accent! Pandeyji’s character sees him pushing beyond his comfort zone in an interesting avatar!

Satish Ray avers, “I’ve had a great time shooting! It is a distinct pleasure to be present on a set, especially after the lockdown. The director was from my hometown so we could converse in Bhojpuri! The producers and the crew were extremely helpful and shooting in Pune was a first time for me and the experience was surreal!”

Actor Dolly Chawla adds, “I particularly loved the concept of this web series! My character in this web series gave me the feels when I was shooting and I am sure that the viewers will experience the same. Working with my two co-stars and director, Vinay ji, in the series has been an enjoyable journey.”

Nikhil Raibole and Bhupendra Nandan share, “This is our first experience with Hindi web-series. We’ve written this series while keeping the youth in mind. In this series, viewers will get to see romance as well as comedy in a new style and we are sure they will find it relatable!”

Director Vinay Sandilya shares that the moment he got his hand on the script, he thought bringing it to life on-screen would be very difficult. “A genre as distinct as this type of comedy¬ needs a lot of improvisation. I met all of the artists and started working on their characters. There was a lot of struggle with the character build-up as Pandey Ji’s friends, Vimal, who was predominantly a gutka addict. Casting the artist who would do justice to his character was a difficult job. We didn’t want him to look like just another actor from the film industry. The entire creative team was of the opinion that the friend’s character should be as real as it gets! I met my friend and actor Prakash Jais and told him about the role and we agreed on how he was the right fit! Everyone has put in their best effort for the characters in the web-series and have done justice to the roles!”

Produced by Ganu dada and Amol Bhosale of Maitree Films Production, directed by Vinay Sandilya, written by Nikhil Raibole, Bhupendrakumar Nandan, under the banner Cafe Studios, Pandeyji Zara Sambhalke premiered on 17th February and is now available free to watch only on MX Player! Watch out this space for more…

Rob to throw kids the KGAF DIY Day challenge!

 

 

Rob aka Harun Roberts may have said, "Imagine that!" to kids scores of times, but nothing touched him more than when a pair of gleaming eyes held his hand and excitedly exclaimed, “Don’t you remember? We were watching the show together…” 

 

It took a few nanoseconds for the popular television and radio host to realise that he was the child's imaginary friend who looked at him and spoke to him through the television screen. "In his innocent, imaginary world, I was very much present with him. That’s the kind of relationship I share with kids. And I simply love it,” grins Rob, who in his latest avatar, is joining the kids’ section of the digital version of Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (KGAF) to the virtual world of kids.

 

Adds Rob, "KGAF is a phoenix. While the nation is confined within four walls, KGAF has transcended continents with effortless ease and how! I am privileged to be a part of it, this year too." Rob will also challenge the creativity of kids a la Rob style.

 

Says Brinda Miller, Honorary Chairperson of the Kala Ghoda Association, "Rob's USP is making the process of bringing together elements to create a unique piece of art, seamlessly effortless to kids.  Now, he is here with us connecting to his twinkling audience. And we are proud that he is an integral part of KGAF."

 

 

 

 

 

Neena Gupta-Vikas Khanna come together to make history at Varanasi Ghat

 

Actor Neena Gupta was excited that finally the lighting classes at the National School of Drama helped her look all radiant with no makeup and just a kajal and lipstick. The actor who is part of the virtual edition of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (KGAF) this year on Insider.in with her film The Last Colour, along with her director, celeb chef Vikas Khanna, expressed her happiness to be part of the festival that is on with all its resplendence despite the pandemic. Neena Gupta was as excited about the festival as she was for her film.

"I love the feel of getting back to normalcy,” she expressed her wish to be at the festival physically next year.

Expressing her connection with art, Neena Gupta spoke of her favourite piece of art, Lalita Lajmi's painting, that is, the piece of art in her house that she purchased as it touched her heart, Neena expressed how she loves it. Vikas Khanna spoke of how he has a museum of old vessels in Manipal with over 10000 vessels.

The duo spoke of how they met at a flight, and Vikas Khanna talked about how his grandfather spoke of Neena Gupta as he watched Mirza Ghalib because of her and felt that she had an amazing ‘noor’ (aura). 

Noor, incidentally is the character of Neena Gupta's name. Vikas Khanna confides that she had an amazing light on her face though she wore no makeup in the film."

Vikas Khanna confided that he took Anupam Kher's advice on how to approach her. Anupam Kher told him “Go approach. She is an emotional actor. She will tell you what she thinks without mincing words.” An early morning narration to Neena Gupta who after a night shoot gave him time, and then gave the nod.

"If I love a script and love my role, I say yes immediately. Some films are very close to me. It has made me sad. As some stop midway, others don't get the release they deserve. Like Woh Chokri, where I won a National Award for Best Supporting Actress but it did not get its due. But I never look down upon any one as we carve our own destiny with our work!"

Vikas expressed how he decided to take the risk and take up a story of a little untouchable child who asks a widow on Varanasi ghat to play Holi with her!

"Nothing teaches you the way you work on the sets. And Neena ji's experience as director helped me."

Vikas Khanna who has made over nine documentaries on food and religion before, expressed that his discipline as a chef helped him let Neena Gupta to rest and look radiant despite using no makeup on the sets.

Neena Gupta spoke of the time she made baigan bharta and Irish Coffee at Prithvi Theatre to make ends meet. And hence the cooking connection between the duo.

An interesting experience indeed.