Oscar winner recalls encounter with Aamir Khan

November 25, 2014

Kolkata, Nov 25: After her documentary 'Smile Pinki' won an Oscar, American director Megan Mylan now wants to take her second project 'After My Garden Grows', set in rural West Bengal, to short film festivals across the globe.megan mylan

After My Garden Grows (AMGG), was premiered at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival and is produced by Principe Productions.

The film got an award in the just-concluded Kolkata International Film Festival in the short film category.

Mylan said she had arranged a special screening of the film for Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran in New Delhi a fortnight back, and recalled how the actor talked about the adolescent crisis Indian girls face and confided to their mother.

"We were bowled over by the couple's humility and dedication to the cause," she said.

The documentary touches deeply-ingrained traditions like dowry and archaic customs in rural Bengal and takes notice of how the present generation is coming out of the cocoon, Megan says, observing that such subjects are topical everywhere.

"There is drinking water shortage and problems like this, but what strikes you immediately is that there is no sad face on account of this," she noted.

Having witnessed the change in Bengal's society in the past six years, Megan recalled, "During Smile Pinki the people treated me and the crew as aliens. There was no mobile phones and electricity in those times. It took time to earn their trust."

"But here, this time, my protagonist in AMGG Monika is more tech-savvy. She can see latest Tollywood films on her mobile. It seems they have moved on with time," Megan, who has shot the film in a remote hamlet in the state, explained.

Megan, in this context, complimented the Kanyasree project instituted by the West Bengal government, a project which accords the supreme place to the woman at the household.

"I was amazed to see how daughters are now considered as assets to their families They are learning, helping and aiding their families like their fathers. They are the present generation women of Bengal," she said.

Mylan, who regrets not being able to watch the interesting KIFF package this year due to late arrival, is, however, charmed with the knowledge and experience of film goers who seem to be well-versed with all the trends and techniques of world cinema including short films.

"It is apparent from the type of questions you face during the post-screening discourse. The progressiveness also manifests in the exclusive women's only section of the festival. A very novel concept. I heard about your Farah Khan and here I can see a whole lot of them. All so independently minded," she said.

Mylan, who in a lighter vein, talked about the surge of humanity, the crowd and the "hanging lights from trees" so typical and magical of Kolkata, did not rule out shooting her next short film on this festival crowd.

"It will be a cross between fantasy and reality as seen in the eyes of your people," she said.

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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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News Network
May 20,2020

Mumbai, May 20: Doing his bit to help people in need during the ongoing coronavirus crisis, and the lockdown 4.0 phase, Bollywood actor Salman Khan has initiated ''Being Haangryy''- food truck facility to distribute, provide ration to needy.

To feed the affected people in Mumbai, the food truck with the words ''Being Haangryy'' written on it, was seen in Mumbai roads on Wednesday, where volunteers are providing huge bags of ration. A long queue of people was standing near the truck to get the essentials.

Many videos of the truck moving around the city providing ration kits to the people in need, surfaced on the internet from earlier this month.

However, the Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor has not announced this initiative himself on his personal social media accounts.

The Sultan actor is staying at his Panvel farmhouse with his nephew Nirvaan Khan and other family members ever since the lockdown was announced.

Earlier, the 54-year-old actor urged people to take up the ''Anna Daan'' challenge and donate to the underprivileged ones who are worst affected by the COVID-19 lockdown.

After urging people to take up the ''Anna Daan'' challenge, the actor posted a video on Twitter, that features him and Iulia Vantur, Jacqueline Fernandez among others loading the bags filled with ration on to a truck.

Khan actively posts videos on his social media handles to raise awareness about the importance of social distancing during COVID-19.

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

@jacquelinef143 @vanturiulia @rahulnarainkanal @imkamaalkhan @niketan_m @waluschaa @abhiraj88

A post shared by Salman Khan (@beingsalmankhan) on

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News Network
January 30,2020

Mumbai, Jan 30: A day after a woman filed a complaint against Ganesh Acharya alleging that he had forced her to watch pornography, actor Tanushree Dutta said Bollywood should boycott the choreographer.

A 33-year-old woman, an assistant choreographer, has written to the National Commission for Women (NCW) alleging that Acharya used to make her watch porn videos whenever she visited his office in suburban Andheri.

She also alleged that Acharya and two women assaulted her during a function of the Indian Film and Television Choreographers Association (IFTCA) held in suburban Andheri on Sunday. A complaint has been filed in this regard with Amboli police.

"It's time Bollywood and the other Indian film industries boycott choreographer Ganesh Acharya completely. Hiding behind the male superstars who work with this despicable man, he has been abusing his power and position to harass, bully and take advantage of vulnerable young newcomers to the industry," Dutta said in a statement here.

Dutta had alleged that her co-star Nana Patekar harassed and misbehaved with her while shooting for a song for their 2008 film "Horn Ok Pleasss", and Acharya, who was the choreographer, introduced new steps which were "intimate".

Recalling the trauma she faced, Tanushree said even though Acharya was party to all the harassment she faced on the 'Horn ok Pleasss" set, he went on to spoil her name and reputation.

"Nobody had any regard for me and how much I had suffered psychologically and financially because of the turmoil I went though due to these people. I left the industry because I was so scared and hurt over the atrocious treatment meted out to me on 'Horn ok Pleasss' set.

"I had worked very sincerely to get to where I got in life and so went in shock for many years, over the whole episode on that set almost 12 years ago, that led to an attack on my car. They didn't just break my car, they broke my spirit that day," Dutta said, in reference to the attack on her car in 2008.

She expressed her displeasure over how "leading men" and "heroes" of Bollywood continued working with Acharya, whose most recent work includes "Simmba", "Zero", "Sanju" among others.

"Even after all the information of fraud, non payment of dues, sexual harassment of dancers, bullying and intimidation and even physical abuse of dancers is coming out about Ganesh Acharya in the media, if the actors, directors and producers still work with him, it would mean that they themselves are engaging in such acts also.

"It's a warning to the film industry to stay the hell away from Ganesh Acharya otherwise your own reputation will be joined to his character. I'm sure many more girls and boys will come out about his misbehaviour and shady business, opening floodgates in the future," she added.

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