Shah Rukh, the goat debuts in Bollywood

September 20, 2013

Shah_RukhChennai, Sep 20: National award winning filmmaker Janaki Vishwanathan's first Hindi film 'Bakrapur' has an unusual protagonist in the movie- a goat named Shah Rukh but she has brushed off any reference to the Bollywood superstar.

"It has nothing to do with Shah Rukh Khan. You see people have a tendency to name their pet animals after actors or someone they love. The goat is integral to the story so we needed a name for it... something catchy," Vishwanathan told PTI when asked if it is an attempt to poke fun at Khan.

"You see, the name is just Shah Rukh which literally means face of the Emperor," she added.

Asked if the 47-year-old actor has reacted or tweeted about this, Vishwanathan said she has not come across any comment so far.

"I have great admiration for him and though I have not personally interacted with him, from the interviews he has done, he seems to have a great sense of humour."

Vishwanathan also said that 'Bakrapur' is not a take-off on Cyrus Broacha's MTV programme 'Bakra'. It is just an imaginary title, where everyone makes a fool of everybody else.

"The movie is a social-political satire set against the backdrop of rural India. A multi-layered film, it dwells, at the primary level, on the relationship between eight-year-old Zulfi and his pet goat Shah Rukh. It is also a hilarious take on the complex belief systems in our society and the conflicts that ensue thereon," she said.

The 90-minute film, scripted and directed by her, stars Anshuman Jha, Asif Basra, Faiz Khan, Shameen Khan and Suruchi Aulakh.

Vishwanathan has earlier made four films, three in Tamil. The first film 'Kutty' released in 2001 won her two National awards. She did 'Kanavu Mei Pada Vaendum' in 2004 and then 'Om Obama' seven years later.

Each movie dealt with social issues. 'Kutty' focused on child labour while 'Kanavu Meipada Vendum' reflected the plight of the devadasi women.

'Om Obama', about a fictional village in Tamil Nadu and the relationship the hamlet believes it shares with US President Barack Obama, was completed two years ago, but is yet to hit theatres.

The journalist-turned-filmmaker acknowledged that it is difficult to get distributors for these type of movies including 'Bakrapur'.

"'Bakrapur' does not have any item number or any masala associated with commercial films. It is tough to get distributors. Not very easy but the trend, I believe, has been changing over the past one year. The climate is changing. I am keeping my fingers crossed," she said.

"I am not focusing on getting awards or film festivals. I just pick up a subject that catches my fancy and work on it."

There are two songs in the movie and has been composed by 'Agnee', a Mumbai-based rock music band.

The movie is expected to hit theatres by year end and they are busy with the final post production work. Vishwanathan also said that they are also planing a peppy promotional song.

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News Network
June 3,2020

New Delhi, Jun 3: "This year feels relentless," actor Priyanka Chopra said urging Mumbai residents to take precautionary measures in view of Cyclone Nisarga.

The cyclone storm is approaching the north coast of Maharashtra with a speed of 11 kilometres per hour, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday.

Sharing Mumbai's famous Bandra-Worli Sea Link road picture on her Instagram story, the actor wrote: "Cyclone Nisarga is making its way to Mumbai, my beloved home city of more than 20 million people, including my mom and brother."

"Mumbai hasn't experienced a serious cyclone landfall since 1891, and at a time when the world is so desperate, this could be especially devastating," the 'Don' actor added.

"This year feels relentless. Please, everyone, find cover, take precautions, and follow the guidelines outlines. Please stay safe everyone, " said Chopra as she shared a swipe up link to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) page that details the Do's and Don'ts for Mumbaikars to take on Cyclone Nisarga.

Earlier, the IMD had stated that the severe cyclonic storm is expected to impact the Maharashtra coast by the afternoon/evening of June 3.

On Tuesday, actor Vicky Kaushal shared a picture of the cloudy sky on the photo-sharing platform and hoped that the "first showers only bring relief and joy and not too much drama." The 'Raazi' actor also urged people to stay safe.

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Agencies
January 6,2020

Kochi, Jan 6: A trial court on Monday framed charges against Malayalam film actor Dileep and other accused in the case of alleged abduction and molestation of a south Indian actress in 2017.

The actor and nine other accused were present in the additional special sessions court in Ernakulamwhen the charges were framed against them.

All of them have denied the charges.

On Saturday, the Court had dismissed a plea filed by Dileep, seeking to exclude him from the list of accused.

The Court had admitted the prosecution argument that there is prima facie evidence against him in the crime and dismissed the plea of the actor, who is eighth accused in the case.

The court had also not allowed a plea by the actor to grant him 10 days time to file the appeal in a higher court in the light of the Supreme Court order in November 2019 that the trial should be completed in six months.

The court is hearing the case in-camera.

On December 19, Dileep, along with his lawyers and a technical expert, had examined the contents of the electronic records at the closed room of the court.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed that the actor be allowed to inspect the records to enable him to present an effective defence during the trial.

In February 2017, the actress was allegedly abducted and molested by the accused.

Seven people, including the key accused 'Pulsar' Suni were arrested in connection with the actress' abduction case.

There are 10 accused in the case.

The entire act had allegedly taken place in a moving vehicle, which was filmed by the accused to blackmail her.

Dileep was subsequently arrested and arrayed as an accused in connection with offences under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and IT Act.

The top court had directed that the trial in case be concluded expeditiously, preferably within six months from the date of the judgement.

A woman judge is hearing the case.

In February 2019, the High Court, while considering a plea seeking to transfer the case to a Sessions Court headed by a woman judge to conduct the trial, had ordered the CBI special court Judge-III Ernakulam Honey M Varghese to complete the trial expeditiously.

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News Network
May 14,2020

Mumbai, Mar 14: Animal Planet has announced a new documentary "The Zoo: COVID-19 And Animals", which seeks to explore the effects of coronavirus on animals.

The special will see Dave Salmoni, Animal Planet’s big cat expert, talking to a number of experts, from the World Health Organization to wildlife biologists, in order to find out how COVID-19 is affecting animals and what pet owners can do to safeguard them.

The issue came to forefront when a four-year-old Malayan tiger tested positive for COVID-19 at Bronx Zoo in New York.

The documentary will feature chief veterinarian of Bronx Zoo, who will give an update on the big cats and their treatment, and also Dr Peter Embarek from WHO's COVID-19 Task Force, who works particularly on all aspects of the virus related to animals.

In a statement, Salmoni said, "When news about Nadia the tiger came out the questions immediately began; what about my pets? How do I keep my animals and family safe? We’re going to answer these questions and more through this documentary."

"We're speaking to a wide range of experts from the World Health Organization, to wildlife biologists, to veterinarians. We are at war with this disease and so we get down to the nitty-gritty, and discuss practical questions about daily lives with our pets," he added.

Sai Abishek, Director – Content, Factual & Lifestyle Entertainment – South Asia, Discovery, said, "We have been the forefront of busting myths around novel coronavirus with international documentaries. With this latest film, we take a hard look at how animals are being treated during such a crisis and the safety measures that can be taken to keep both, the people and their pets healthy."

"The Zoo: COVID-19 And Animals" will premiere on May 17 on Animal Planet, Animal Planet HD and Discovery Plus app.

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