Dhoni bared his soul in 'Roar of the Lion': Kabir Khan

Agencies
March 12, 2019

Mumbai, Mar 12: Kabir Khan has documented the fairy-tale comeback of the Chennai Super Kings last IPL season, following a two-year suspension for spot-fixing, in the upcoming, "Roar of the Lion" and the director says the series will see a "very personal" side of cricketer MS Dhoni.

CSK, the Chennai franchise of the IPL, had served a two-year ban for its management's role in the 2013 spot-fixing scandal.

The Hotstar Special docu-series, directed and executive produced by Kabir, chronicles how the Dhoni-led team made a comeback, winning Indian Premier League 2018.

In an interview with PTI, the director says the series is a human exploration, one beyond the obvious, to show what the phase did to the people involved.

"We know all about the broad strokes, the legal side and the uproar. We don't know what was happening to the individuals beyond those headlines. This is a story behind the headlines. Were these headlines affecting Dhoni? Of course they were, but he never spoke about it, until now," Kabir said.

The critically-acclaimed filmmaker said the series aims to bring out the emotional journey, which the mainstream narrative missed out.

"The controversy was hurting other players but we never heard their perspective. That's what the USP of the show is. It's a story we all know how it played out, but we don't know the details and layers of the emotional journey of the protagonist."

The episodic series was shot on a tight schedule of three months and involved a series of intense, honest and long discussions with Dhoni.

"Our interviews with him on tape lasted sometimes seven to eight hours. He trusted me and had the confidence that I'll be sensitive in the way things are going to be portrayed. He was ready to bare his soul.

"You've never seen Dhoni speak like this. He has always been silent about these matters. You'll see Dhoni in a very personal, emotional way on this series."

The "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" director said the team was conscious regarding the timing of the release, as they needed to bring out the series before the start of the next IPL season.

"Roar of the Lion" becomes the second cricket-related project for Kabir, who is gearing up to shoot his next feature, "83", which chronicles Indian cricket team's iconic first World Cup win.

The director, however, said it is "pure coincidence" that the two projects have cricket as the backdrop.

"Even if I wasn't working on '83', I would've done 'Roar of the Lion' because it was a fascinating and heartwarming story of the triumph of the human spirit. It has a classic sport story graph.

"The most successful IPL franchise has a match fixing allegations against them and the icon of the country: Dhoni. They get banned, they cope with that, come back after the allegations are cleared, build a team which is ridiculed and go on to win again. How could I not have done this?"

"Roar of the Lion" starts streaming on Hotstar from March 20.

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News Network
January 8,2020

Jan 8: Bollywood star Deepika Padukone on Tuesday visited the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to express solidarity with the students who were attacked by a mob, but she did not address the crowd.

The actor reached the university campus at around 7.40 pm and attended a public meeting, called by JNU Teacher's Association and JNUSU in response to Sunday's attack on students and teachers by a masked mob armed with sticks and rods.

Deepika stood as former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was raising azaadi slogans and left by the time current president Aishe Ghosh started speaking.

The actor's decision to not address the crowd prompted Ghosh to comment, "when you are in a position, you should speak up".

"There are many people in Bollywood who do not put forth their views when they are not be aired. They are considered role models. I appeal to them: Make inspiring films after something has happened but when you are in that position, also talk about the story that is currently happening," she said.

Later, Ghosh said that Deepika expressed solidarity with the JNU students.

Deepika is in the capital to promote her upcoming release, Meghna Gulzar-directed "Chhapaak".

On Monday, the 34-year-old actor told a news channel that she feels proud that people have come out and raised their voice without fear, in reference to the protests against the amended Citizenship Act, the National Register of Citizens and violence in JNU.

"I feel proud to see that we aren't scared to express ourselves... I think the fact that we are thinking about the country and its future.... Whatever may be our point of view, it's nice to see," Deepika told NDTV India.

"I feel proud about it that people are coming out -- be it on the streets or wherever they are -- they are raising their voice and expressing themselves as it is important. If we want to see a change in life and society, it is important that a point of view be put forward," she added.

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News Network
July 12,2020

Mumbai, Jul 12: Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek have tested positive for Covid-19, according to separate tweets by the two. The 'Sholay' actor shared the news about his positive status on his Twitter handle on Saturday and said he has been admitted to Nanavati hospital here where he is being kept in an isolation ward.

Shortly afterwards, Abhishek Bachchan also confirmed the news and revealed that he and his father both had "mild symptoms."
The Big B said he has been shifted to hospital, and the other family members and staff have undergone tests for the virus. However, the results are awaited.

The 77-year-old actor also requested those, who have been in "close proximity" to him in the last 10 days to get tested for COVID-19.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan among others wished the "iconic star" a quick recovery to the 'Gulabo Sitabo' star.

"Dear Amitabh ji, I join the whole Nation in wishing you a quick recovery! After all, you are the idol of millions in this country, an iconic superstar! We will all take good care of you. Best wishes for a speedy recovery! @SrBachchan @juniorbachchan#AmitabhBachchan #COVID," Health Minister tweeted quoting Amitabh Bacchan's tweet.

Abhishek Bachchan too tweeted shortly afterwards. "Earlier today both my father and I tested positive for COVID 19. Both of us having mild symptoms have been admitted to hospital. We have informed all the required authorities and our family and staff are all being tested. I request all to stay calm and not panic. Thank you."

Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis wished the senior Bachchan a speedy recovery.
A slew of filmstars and celebrities including Kailash Kher Sonam Kapoor, Sonu Sood, Paresh Rawal, Pariniti Chopra Adnan Sami, Mahesh Babu etc were among those who wished the Bachchans a speedy recovery.

Mumbai, reported a total positive COVID-19 cases of 91457 with 22,779 active COVID-19 cases, with 5,241 people succumbing to the deadly infection so far, according to the Municipal Coroporation of Greater Mumbai.

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News Network
April 6,2020

New Delhi, Apr 6:  In an attempt to pump up Indians with positivity amid the testing times of coronavirus, Bollywood's most prominent actors like Akshay Kumar, Kartik Aaryan, Tiger Shroff, Taapsee Pannu, Kiara Advani, joined hands and launched a hope anthem - 'Muskurayega India.'

The song is set on the optimistic theme that sends out the message that the country will smile again if the country supports each other in the current crisis situation.

An initiative of Akshay Kumar's Cape of Good Films, the video of the song features all the lead actors of the industry including Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar, Sidharth Malhotra, Vicky Kaushal, Raj Kumar Rao, Ananya Panday, Kriti Sanon, Jacky Bhagnani, and Rakul Preet.
Curated by Jackky Bhagnani's music label JJust Music and composed and sung by the talented Vishal Mishra, 'Muskurayega India' is a symbol of India's spirit of solidarity, battling against the coronavirus pandemic.

The soulful song penned by Kaushal Kishore also features cricketer Shikhar Dhawan and famous Mumbai based Radio Jockey Malishka.
The video of the song starts with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's televised address in which he is seen assuring the country that every Indian will come out victorious from the coronavirus crisis.

The video then features all the prominent faces of the cinema industry giving out the message of hope from their balconies, terrace and other spots of their houses.

The song urges people to stay home and support the people who are working to combat the virus, like police officials, and medical practitioners on duty amid the lockdown.

A locked-down view of some of the most prominent spots in the country like the India Gate, Hawa Mahal, and Mumbai's beaches are also featured in the video.

The song also spreads the message of social distancing and washing of hands to keep the infection away.

The video ends with a rhythm of the national anthem with the celebrities standing still to honour it and finally fades away with the Indian national flag.

As the country battles the novel coronavirus, the song is an attempt to uplift the spirit of togetherness of every Indian during the unprecedented crisis.

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