Pain gives birth to something stronger, deeper: Nandita Das

Agencies
November 12, 2018

Kolkata, Nov 12: Actor and director Nandita Das on Sunday said that the beauty about art is that pain gives rise to something stronger and deeper.

Das, whose 2018 film 'Manto' on famous Urdu author Saadat Hasan Manto would be screened at the 24th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), said the writer had produced his best stories in his worst times.

"It is true artistes, writers, filmmakers flourish most when they go through really bad times," the actor said.

At the same time, she came up with the reference of Ritwik Ghatak and Satyajit Ray as a counter-point and exceptions to her initial argument.

"I don't know if there is a direct connection. Because great filmmakers such as Ritwik Ghatak and Satyajit Ray, processed life differently and reacted to life differently.

"However, the beauty about art remains that pain gives rise to something stronger, something deeper," she observed while delivering the Satyajit Ray Memorial Lecture at the 24th KIFF.

Speaking on the present situation in the world, Das said, "In a way for me, doing Manto was a great pain. As the world today is so full of strife, which is constantly dividing us and telling us how we are different." 

Stating that sectarian violence was causing fissures in humanity, she said, "We are divided in the name of religion, caste, gender and colour of skin." 

Tracing the life of Manto, who died in 1955 in Lahore at the age of 43, Das said, "Manto had spoken the inconvenient truth and faced hardships in his life. It happens to many of us till this date, when people get imprisoned and I am trolled." 

She said to do a film on 'Manto' was not just to introduce viewers to the man he was.

"It is rather to support the Mantos that exist today.

The film will make us uncomfortable collectively as a society," she said.

Saying that the concern, struggle and dilemma of Manto resonated deeply in her own dilemma, struggle and concerns, Das said, "Both my directorial films - Firaaq and Manto - were borne out of compulsions to tell these stories of struggle." 

Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays the character of writer Saadat Hasan Manto in the film.

Describing Manto as "one of the pioneers of progressive writing," Das described him as a "deeply sensitive and secular human." 

Manto was "very free spirited", she said.

The "only time he did not write (was) during partition.

Some of his famous partition violence stories were written later, Das said during her lecture.

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News Network
March 5,2020

New Delhi, Mar 5: Urging netizens to adopt traditional salutation styles like 'namaste' and 'salaam' to greet everyone in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, megastar Salman Khan on Thursday shared a picture from his workout session.

Flaunting his perfectly chiselled body, the 'Sultan' actor shared a picture of himself sitting on a pull-down machine with folded hands as a mark of Indian tradition 'namaste'.

"Namashkaar ... hamari sabhyata mein namaste aur salaam hai! Jab #coronavirus Khatam ho jaye tab Haath milao aur gale lago...." he captioned the picture.

Khan recently touched the mark of 30 million followers on Instagram on Saturday and shared a short video on the platform thanking his fans for it.

In the video, he first thanked fans with folded hands and then a salute.

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News Network
June 20,2020

Washington, Jun 20: American actor Angelina Jolie has now opened up about her 2016 divorce announcement with Brad Pitt, which shocked fans.

Fox News said the 45-year-old Jolie opened up about leaving the father of her six kids,18-year-old Maddox, 16-year-old Pax, 15-year-old Zahara, 12-year-old, Shiloh, and 11-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

"I separated for the well-being of my family. It was the right decision. I continue to focus on their healing," the Oscar-winning star told Vogue India magazine.

The 'Maleficent' star added, "Some have taken advantage of my silence, and the children see lies about themselves in the media, but I remind them that they know their own truth and their own minds. In fact, they are six very brave, very strong young people."

Since 2004, Pitt and Jolie were together but only married in August 2014 at their estate in France.

The 'Mr and Mrs Smith' star previously told Harper's Bazaar magazine how the last few years have been physically, emotionally and mentally turbulent for her.

"My body has been through a lot over the past decade, particularly the past four years, and I have both the visible and invisible scars to show for it," Jolie said.

"The invisible ones are harder to wrestle with. Life takes many turns. Sometimes you get hurt, you see those you love in pain, and you can't be as free and open as your spirit desires. It's not new or old, but I do feel the blood returning to my body," she added.

Besides her marriage ending on the public stage, Jolie underwent a preventative double mastectomy in 2013 followed by breast reconstruction after testing positive for the BRCA gene. In 2015, the actor 'Girl, Interrupted' star also had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed.

She admitted it has taken a while for her to feel like her old self. She said, "The part of us that is free, wild, open, curious can get shut down by life. By pain or by harm."

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News Network
April 5,2020

New Delhi, April 5: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Sunday in a written message urged people to stay kind to each other and support each other in the testing times amid coronavirus crisis.
The message was shared by the actor's production company - Red Chillies Entertainment.

"At a time when the human race is facing an immense crisis, there can only be one true response: The expression of Humanity itself. This is a moment for all of us to come together in a collective effort to make each other kinder, stronger and braver to face the days ahead," said Khan.

The message from the megastar can be seen as an attempt to instill positivity and calm amidst the current situation of chaos.

"This crisis is not going to pass in a hurry, it will take its time and its toll on all of us. It will also show us that there isn't really a choice between looking out for ourselves and looking out for one another," he said.

"There's nothing more obvious in the spread of this pandemic than the fact that each one of us is inextricably connected to each other, without any distinction," he added.

He urged people to stay compassionate towards each other and also said that how we deal with this pandemic will define India as a Nation.

"So, while we do whatever we can to support each other in our own small ways, the compassion we show to those who are likely to face the most brutal brunt of both, the pandemic and its economic consequences will define us as a generation and as a Nation," the 'Kal Ho Na Ho' actor said.

"The scourge we are up against. is fearsome and unknown to us. Like all uncharted paths, our journey to overcome every new challenge it throws at us will be arduous. There will be times when the best intentions might yield the wrong results. There may also be times when we accidentally stumble upon important solutions," he added.

The 54-year-old actor urged people to confront each challenge with courage and said that he will do his best it.

"All we can really do is try our utmost to adapt and confront each challenge with courage. As a nation, and as a people, it is our duty to give it all we've got. I am going to try my best and I know each one of you will do so too. Only together we will able to fight through these difficult and unimaginable days. Together. we will overcome," he said.

He also added short poetry which said that a bright day follows this dark night and new beginnings of the day are awaiting.

"Raat ke baad naye diin ki sahar aayegi, Din nahi badlega, tareekh Badal jayegi..." read the message.

King Khan ended the message by urging people to ta maintain a physical distance with others.
"I pray for you and your families, please do the same for me. And follow Physical Distancing..........Physical Distancing.. Physical Distancing...PLEASE," said Shah Rukh Khan.
Earlier on Saturday, the Padma Shri awardee along with his wife Gauri Khan offered their personal office space in Mumbai for quarantine purpose for children, elderly and women.
The couple has also made donations to the PM CARES Fund and shared that his companies -- Kolkata Knight Riders, Red Chillies Entertainment, Meer Foundation, and Red Chillies VFX -- are taking several initiatives to support the relief efforts.

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