Abu Dhabi like second home, says Salman Khan after 'Bharat' shoot

Agencies
November 4, 2018

Mumbai, Nov 4: For superstar Salman Khan, Abu Dhabi has been like a second home and the shooting of his next "Bharat", which concluded in the UAE capital recently, was a thrilling and an enjoyable experience.

The star-studded cast and crew of the Bollywood film completed their shoot in Abu Dhabi after an intensive 15 days of filming which included 10 Indian superstars and spanned across three locations.

"There are close cultural ties between India and Abu Dhabi, which is one of the reasons I love coming here. Having spent more time in Abu Dhabi than in India over the last year, it certainly feels like a second home for me. It has been an exciting, thrilling and enjoyable experience to shoot 'Bharat' here," Salman said.

The production shot in the stunning Liwa desert and purpose-built sets that replicated an oilfield in the 1970s were situated at Al Wathba and Al Ain. The production also made use of award-winning backlot of twofour54, which is home to the Gulf city's media and entertainment industry, at KIZAD, where they created an Arabian marketplace.

A locally-sourced cast of 10 talents from Germany, France, Ireland, Russia, Iran and Pakistan also feature in the scenes shot in Abu Dhabi, while twofour54 partner company Media Mania helped source the 1,400 extras needed for the production, a statement by twofour54 said.

"Abu Dhabi is home to extraordinary filmmaking talent, as well as world-class facilities, locations and services that are drawing the best in the business to our shores, and I'm delighted that Salman Khan and his team have enjoyed another smooth and seamless shoot here," said Maryam Eid AlMheiri, CEO of Media Zone Authority Abu Dhabi and twofour54.

"It has already been a remarkable year with four international productions shooting in Abu Dhabi. I believe it is a testament to the vision of our country's leaders and the dedication and passion of our thriving media professionals that we have built a creative ecosystem that is attracting so many world-class filmmakers," she said.

According to "Bharat" director Ali Abbas Zaffar, Abu Dhabi is a "filmmakers' paradise thanks to the diverse array of locations you can choose from and the incredible support and talent twofour54 provides".

Due to release in cinemas during Eid Ul Fitr 2019, "Bharat" is an official adaptation of the 2014 Korean film "Ode to My Father", which depicted modern Korean history from the 1950s to the present day through the life of an ordinary man.

The cast also includes Katrina Kaif, Tabu, Jackie Shroff, Sunil Grover, Disha Patani and Nora Fatehi.

The movie is being produced by Reel Life Production Pvt Ltd, owned by Salman's sister Alvira and brother-in-law Atul Agnihotri.

"Bharat" is the seventh major Indian movie to be shot in Abu Dhabi, and the third this year. "Race 3" was shot earlier in the year as well as "Saaho", which features Prabhas.

Other major productions in Abu Dhabi this year include Paramount Pictures' "Mission: Impossible - Fallout", which saw Hollywood legend Tom Cruise leap from 20,000 feet in the Emirate's sky for the daredevil HALO parachute jump.

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News Network
March 5,2020

Bihar, Mar 5: A complaint has been filed before a court in Bihar against lyricist Javed Akhtar over his remarks on the FIRs being registered against expelled AAP councillor Tahir Hussain in the wake of Delhi riots.

The complaint was lodged on Wednesday by Amit Kumar, a local advocate, before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Thakur Aman Kumar.

On the basis of a newspaper report, the complainant has alleged that Akhtar's remarks were seditious and promoted religious hatred.

The media report was based on Akhtar's tweet of February 27 that "So many killed, so many injured, so many houses burned, so many shops looted so many people turned destitute but police has sealed only one house and looking for his owner. Incidentally, his name is Tahir. Hats off to the consistency of the Delhi police."

The violence in northeast Delhi claimed at least 42 lives and left over 200 injured. The former Rajya Sabha member was heavily trolled for the tweet.

In a subsequent tweet, Akhtar who asserted that he is a non-believer and a rationalist, had clarified that he was not asking "why Tahir but why ONLY Tahir and not even an FIR against those who have openly threatened violence in the presence of the police".

The matter is likely to come up for hearing on March 25.

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Agencies
July 19,2020

Mumbai, Jul 19: Mumbai Police have registered an FIR against two Instagram account holders for allegedly threatening actor Rhea Chakraborty, an official said on Sunday.

The location of the two accused is yet to be traced, the official said, adding that the investigation in the case is at primary stage.

Chakraborty on Thursday requested the cyber crime cell to look into the rape and murder threats she has been receiving ever since the death of close friend, actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Rajput, 34, was found dead in his apartment in suburban Bandra here on June 14, leaving people in the film industry and audiences shocked.

Chakraborty, in particular, was subjected to online hate with users blaming her for Rajput's suicide.

"We registered the First Information Report (FIR) on Saturday under Indian Penal Code Sections 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication), 509 (intending to insult modesty of any woman) and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act," Santacruz police station's senior inspector Shriram Koregaonkar said.

"No arrest has been made so far. We are conducting an investigation in the case," he added.

On Thursday, sharing a screenshot of a hate message she received on Instagram, Chakraborty said while she had ignored many abusive texts sent to her in the past month, the harassment was now unbearable.

The 28-year-old actor eventually disabled the comments section of her Instagram page.

Chakraborty, known for films such as "Mere Dad Ki Maruti" and "Jalebi", had tagged the cyber cell and requested the authorities to look into the threats.

On June 18, she was called to the Bandra police station to record her statement in connection with Rajput's death.

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News Network
June 2,2020

Kolkata, Jun 2: Artistes of the Bengali film industry are trying to get the best out of their creative side amid the lockdown, with many of them giving shape to innovative concepts and ideas to hook the audience.

A short film 'Grub Ne Bana Di Jodi', with RJ-actor Mir Afsar Ali in the lead, transcends boundaries to bring couples from around the world together on one platform, as they engage in discussions on food and culture.

The shot-at-home film, directed by Satrajit Sen, has Ali giving couples tasks to test their culinary skills.

"This is the time to try new concepts and that, too, without the usual technical support. There is no box office pressure, and people can take their own sweet time to watch the film on YouTube," he said.

Actor Vikram Chatterjee, who recently completed the shoot of 'Pabitra Puppies', a web series about seven friends bonding over video games, said it was an "altogether different experience" with no crew to assist him at home.

"The shooting process was complicated but we had a lot of fun. I was in Mumbai when the lockdown was imposed.

Coordinating with the director and other cast members wasn't easy, but this phase has taught us how to overcome challenges," Chatterjee said.

The series, also starring Sohini Sarkar and Saayoni Ghosh, will be streaming on Hoichoi soon.

Director Shieladitya Moulik's third outing on YouTube, amid the lockdown, has garnered good reviews.

The short film 'Eye Candy' tells the story of a blind couple who had been finding ways to connect with each other.

"I wanted to talk about long-distance relationships, and the problems faced by couples in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, but not without a twist. I hope the viewers enjoy the short," Moulik said.

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