Madras Cafe will turn tables for John Abraham, Nargis Fakhri: Shoojit Sircar

August 22, 2013

Madras_CafeMumbai, Aug 22: Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar feels that his upcoming film Madras Cafe, based on the Sri Lankan civil war, will change people's perception about its lead actors – John Abraham and Nargis Fakhri - as he has extracted their best performance.

After being in the industry for close to ten years and being part of hit films like Dhoom, Dostana, Housefull 2, Race 2 and Shootout at Wadala among others, John has often been written off.

Nargis who made her debut in Bollywood with Rockstar was criticised for her dead pan expressions and failed to capitalise on the film's success.

But Shoojit feels that after Madras Cafe hits cinema houses this Friday, things are going to change.

"Every person has acting ability it depends how you use it. My film Vicky Donor was purely about actor and characters. I don't leave any actor. I suck their blood and I make them act. I don't know how I do it but I manage. After this film whatever critical approach one has for John and Nargis it will change. That I can assure you in written format," Shoojit said.

John was always on Shoojit's mind for this political thriller but he did not think of Nargis at least initially.

"Since beginning only John was there in the film. Nargis was never on my mind but I knew Nargis much before 'Rockstar'. I introduced her to the film industry because I did one commercial with her. Then Imtiaz picked her up. Though he received lot of criticism," the director said.

Shoojit calls this film as a re-launch for Nargis. He is confident that people will like her in the film and that she will be absolutely a new find.

With Vicky Donor which was a commercial entertainer Shoojit attained box office success but he insists that he has not compromised on Madras Cafe.

"I have said to the marketing people don't do anything which will take away the seriousness of the subject. We are talking about people who are suffering or have suffered. So we should not take undue advantage of the film to make a gimmick of it. The film is a thriller not a documentary," he added.

Shoojit says he has no expectations from this film.

"Even if (people) they don't like it... it is okay. I am not bothered because if I get bothered I can't make films. I have to make many films... I have lot of story ideas. I have honestly made this film and I believe there is an audience to appreciate my honest effort," he added.

His previous film Vicky Donor was a light hearted one but Madras Cafe is not.

"This is a difficult script and a difficult subject for me. It took a long time to prepare the script because we were not satisfied with the script. The film is completely researched by me and my team," he said.

"Earlier we were concerned that John is there so people should not mistake it as a romantic film. But now the trailer is out and people know it's a serious film," he added.

Shoojit insists the film portrays RAW agents in a realistic manner and they won't be jumping off bikes or doing high-octane stunts.

With this film, people will come to know how real RAW agents work.

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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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News Network
January 22,2020

Patna, Jan 22: Actor Kangana Ranaut has expressedher desire to make a movie on Chandragupta, the shepherd-turned-emperor who founded the Maurya dynasty, noting that the film industry has “not done enough justice to our history”.

The national award winner was here to take part in a programme organised by the publishers of a leading Hindi daily where she performed a jig to the tunes of Bhojpuri songs along with actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan before the duo participated in a question and answer session.  Replying to the questions posed by Kishan, who is also the BJP MP from Gorakhpur, Ranaut on Tuesday said it was her second trip to Bihar.

“The last time, I was here as a child though I have not yet got a chance to explore the state with which I feel a connect as my Yoga teacher has his roots here,” she said.

Ranaut, who won acclaim for portraying Rani Laxmibai, the valiant queen of Jhansi who took on the British during the revolt of 1857 -- in ‘Manikarnika’, when asked if she would like to be associated with a film on any historical figure from Bihar, said, “It would be Chandragupta Maurya. The film industry has not done much justice to our history”.

A self-confessed admirer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the 32-year-old, who has won three National Awards in the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories, replied in the affirmative when asked about reports that she has turned producer and her first venture is based on the theme of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The Himachal Pradesh-born actress, who has courted controversy for taking on well-entrenched Bollywood “insiders” like Karan Johar and Hrithik Roshan, said she has had a rebellious streak since childhood and shared an anecdote about her breaking her teacher’s stick upon being hit for chatting with a classmate in school.

When Kishan asked why she has gained so much weight, Ranaut replied it was in preparation for her upcoming biopic “Thalaivi”, based on late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

The actress said her forthcoming release “Panga” is a family drama.

Ranaut said after landing in Patna, she gorged on ‘Litti Chokha’, a local delicacy.

She also regaled the audience by greeting them in Bhojpuri and repeating several commonly used phrases of the dialect after Kishan.

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News Network
January 2,2020

Jan 2: A young filmmaker was allegedly assaulted by an acquaintance during an argument over CAA-NRC in neighbouring Salt Lake City, police said on Wednesday.

The police have arrested the accused following a complaint by the filmmaker.

According to a senior police officer, the argument over the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) began following a social media post by the filmmaker.

The accused allegedly went to the house of the filmmaker on Monday night and picked up an argument, which led to a scuffle.

"During the scuffle, the accused attacked the filmmaker with a knife," the senior police officer said, adding that the accused has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

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