Bihari actor creates a buzz in Latin American film industry

Agencies
January 2, 2018

Washington, Jan 2: Patna-born Prabhakar Sharan has become a rising star in the Latin American film industry with his first Spanish movie "Enredados: la confusion" (Entangled: The Confusion), becoming one of the most popular films of the year in Costa Rica.

Said to be the first Latin American film made in typical Bollywood style of songs and dance, it was shot in Costa Rica, Mumbai and Panama.

Prabhakar, who plays the lead role opposite Nancy Dobles, a popular Costa Rican television hostess, plans to release his dream project in English, Hindi and Bhojpuri as "Ek Chor, Do Mastikhor" in March-April.

Ex-world wrestling champion and Hollywood actor, Scott Steiner plays a lead role in the movie, which has been produced by Costa Rica-based Pacific Investment Corporation.

The supporting cast includes local actors Mario Chacon and Jose Castro in the film. Panamanians, Colombians and Argentines have also collaborated on the project.

Released in February last year, and distributed by Cinepolis in six countries Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and San Salvador, the movie registered box office success.

Cinepolis is now planning to release the movie in more than a dozen Latin America countries in March or April this year and also in the US.

"Khiladi 786" fame Ashish Mohan initially directed the movie. However, Prabhakar himself ended up directing the movie after he and Mohan parted ways following differences.

"It is a film that bonds the two communities (Indian and Latins) together," Prabhakar said in an interview.

Jose Castro, film commissioner Costa Rica said it was for the first time that a Costa Rican cinema had such kind of production and entertainment.

"This movie is not a just a movie for theatre it has become a milestone in the Latin movie industry for the new difference and changes by its style," Prabhakar said.

But the journey to making the movie has not been easy.

Prabhakar landed in Costa Rica as a student for studies at Universidad Panamericana in 2000. After completing his studies, he started a chain of Indian clothing and restaurants.

By 2006, he started bringing Bollywood movies to Costa Rican theatres and Monster Truck shows from the US.

"My company was the first to bring Bollywood movies commercially to Central America," he said.

However, his endeavour in business was not successful.

He moved back to India between 2010 and 2013, during which he divorced from his wife.

With nothing working for him in India, Prabhakar decided to move back to Costa Rica in 2014 and revive his passion of making the first Bollywood movie in Latin America where he met Teresa Rodriguez Cerdas, a university owner, educationist and philanthropist.

"She took my dream as her own and helped me generate a sum of USD 1.5 million for the movie," he said.

He is a successful businessman now but cinema remains his passion. His next project is "Borders without Life", about people who risk their lives to come to the US illegally.

Prabhakar's parents Prabhunath Sharan and Subhadra Prasad are retired bankers from Motihari.

He was born in Patna and did his schooling from Bhurkunda and Ramnagar which is now in Jharkhand. He went to Rohtak for his college education and moved to Costa Rica to complete his studies.

Top Indian diplomats stationed in Latin America have praised Prabhakar for his effort in promoting Indian films.

"The movie is a proud step which will create the landmark in the Latin cinema industry, it promotes our culture and it's a fusion of Indian and Latin cinema...," said Sandeep Chakravorty, the former Indian Ambassador to Peru and the Consulate General of India in New York.

"Prabhakar Sharan is the flower of my garden and he has taken the first step to open a big market in Latin America for Bollywood. The movie entertains local community in our big Bollywood style," said Shamma Jain, Ambassador of India for Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua.

"Very entertaining and a big step for the two cultures and the two industries. 'Enredados: la Confusion' is just not a movie, it's the first step where we can see the local community enjoying Bollywood culture," said Sandeep Babu Kurup, Ambassador of India to Guatemala.

According to Mariela Cruz, Ambassador of Costa Rica to India, the film is an important initiative because of its fusion of two cultures.

"As an ambassador of Costa Rica to India, I am very proud of this great effort that will serve as a platform to enhance the beauty of our country and to make known in other latitudes the first Bollywood-style film produced in Costa Rica for all of Latin America," he said.

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News Network
May 1,2020

May 1: Rubbishing reports of hospitalisation, veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah on Thursday said he was "fine" and at home observing the nationwide lockdown.

Shah, 69, in a Facebook post, thanked people for their concern and reassured them about his health.

"I thank all those enquiring after my health and reassure them I am fine," he said.

"I'm at home and observing the lockdown. Please don't believe any rumours," he added.

"A Wednesday" actor's younger son Vivaan Shah also dismissed rumours about his father's health.

"He's alright. These are just rumours," Vivaan said.

Reports about Shah's health started surfacing on social media as the industry was coming to terms with the deaths of Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor.

Rishi Kapoor, aged 67, died on Thursday in a hospital here after a two year-long battle with lukaemia, while Irrfan, 54, passed away on Wednesday due to neuroendocrine tumour, a rare form of cancer.

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News Network
April 6,2020

New Delhi, April 6: Acknowledging on being scared and talking of not seeing his family for three weeks, actor Salman Khan along with nephew Nirvaan on Sunday shared their lockdown experience in a video message.

The 54-year-old star, without disclosing where the actor actually is, shared a video message on Twitter along with his brother Sohail Khan's son, Nirvaan.

Salman began the one-minute and 26-seconds long video, by saying: "We came here for a few days and now we're stuck and scared"

The 'Bharat' actor then introduced Nirvaan and asked him "How long has it been since you saw your father?", to which Nirvaan replied, "It must have been three weeks."

"I have not seen my father for three weeks. We are here and he is alone at home," Salman added.

The 'Sultan' actor then asks the boy: "You remember the film dialogue, 'the one who got scared, died.' It does not apply here in this situation. We are scared and bravely we admit that we are scared. Please don't be brave in this situation."

Nirvaan also further requested everybody to stay safe and maintain social-distance.

"I think it's better for everyone to stay home, avoid contact and I think the longer we stay indoors the faster this ends," he added.

The 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' star concluded the video by saying: "The one who got afraid saved himself and lives of others around him. Moral of the story, 'We're all scared'."

Urging people to take the government's advisory of self-isolation seriously amid the rising cases of coronavirus in the country, the megastar had earlier shared a video message for fans. 

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News Network
July 26,2020

Washington, Jul 26: Regis Philbin, the iconic television personality best-known for his hosting duties on 'Live!' with co-hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Kelly Ripa, and 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,' has died. The beloved star was 88.

According to People Magazine, the longtime television host died on July 24. His family shared a statement on Saturday, "We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night of natural causes, one month shy of his 89th birthday,"
"His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him - for his warmth, his legendary sense of humour, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about. 

We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss," the Philbin family says.

Philbin began his iconic career in 1988, as the host of 'Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee' alongside TV presenter Kathie Lee Gifford. After 15 years, Gifford left the ABC show but the pair remained close after her departure.

In 2001, the franchise became 'Live! with Regis and Kelly', co-starring Kelly Ripa before he left in 2011 after 23 years on-air.

From 1999 to 2002, Philbin also served as the original host of the widely popular game show 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.' In addition, the New York City native's hosting credits include 'Million Dollar Password', the first season of 'America's Got Talent', as well as a reoccurring co-host seat on 'Rachael Ray'.

Born on August 25, 1931, Philbin was raised in the Bronx and graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in 1949 before attending the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a sociology degree in 1953.

After serving in the Navy, Philbin began his career in show business as a writer and made his way in front of the camera in 1961 with a local talk show in San Diego called 'The Regis Philbin Show'. Then in 1967, he became widely known as Joey Bishop's sidekick on 'The Joey Bishop Show'.

After a string of local talk shows, including 'A.M. Los Angeles' and 'Regis Philbin's Saturday Night in St. Louis', the star moved to New York in 1983 to host 'The Morning Show', which was renamed three years later as 'Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee'.

His accolades include Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding talk show host for 'Live!' in 2001 and 2011 as well as an outstanding game show host for 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'. He also received a Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmy Awards in 2008.

Throughout his career, Philbin had various health issues. He underwent an angioplasty in 1993, followed by triple bypass surgery due to plaque in his arteries in March 2007. In December 2009, the television personality had his hip replaced.

Married twice, Philbin is survived by daughters J.J. Philbin and Joanna Philbin, whom he shared with his wife of 50 years, Joy Philbin. He was also father to daughter Amy Philbin, whom he shared with his first wife Catherine Faylen. Philbin and Faylen had another child, son Daniel Philbin, who died in 2014.

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