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Ayushmann wants to be anonymous?

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Celebrity status seems to be taking a toll on Ayushmann Khurrana -- or so it seems from a latest tweet from the actor, where he talks about going anonymous briefly.

"I'm so dependant on the world around me. I don't even know how to buy groceries. Need to live in anonymity for a month, to learn basic life," Ayushmann tweeted Tuesday.

The "Vicky Donor" actor has featured in films like "Nautanki Saala" and "Bewakoofiyaan". He will next be seen in "Hawaizaada".

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Casting Sadashiv in 'Ardh Satya' was best decision: Govind Nihalani

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Filmmaker Govind Nihalani was instrumental in introducing Sadashiv Amrapurkar to Hindi cinema. He says that it was the best decision to cast him as Rama Shetty in his film "Ardh Satya".

Sadashiv died early Monday following a lung infection. He was 64.

"I am proud to say that my film 'Ardh Satya' introduced Sadashiv Amrapurkar to Hindi cinema. Prior to that he was enormously active and acclaimed in Marathi theatre. How I signed Sadashiv to play the antagonist Rama Shetty makes an interesting story," said Nihalani.

Nihalani and writer Vijay Tendulkar were discussing the characters in "Ardh Satya" and the latter suggested the young actor from Marathi theatre for Rama Shetty's role.

"I had never seen Sadashiv's work before. So I went to see his Marathi play, a comedy called 'Hands Up', in which he was paired opposite the legendary Bhakti Bharve. Now, everyone knows Bhakti to be a fine actress. But Sadashiv who was relatively new stood his ground and gave a rousing performance. I noticed his great comic timing.

"My first impression of Sadashiv was that he had very expressive and alert eyes. Also, his voice had the texture that I needed for the character. Half-way through the play I made up my mind to cast him as Rama Shetty. It was the best decision I could've taken for my film. Sadashiv didn't play the role. He owned it and he lived every moment of the character. He wasn't judgemental about Rama Shetty.

"This absence of prejudice came from his years of experience as a social activist. Sadashiv met all sorts of people in the course of his social work. He could look at every character without prejudice. That's why he played every character in all kinds of films without being judgemental.

"Even the transvestite that he played in Mahesh Bhatt's 'Sadak' was given a unique spin because of Sadashiv's deep understanding of human nature. He surrendered his personality to every character that he played," said Nihalani.

Sadashiv bagged two Filmfare awards -- in 1984 he won the award for the best supporting actor for "Ardh Satya" and in 1991, the best villain trophy for his portrayal of a ruthless eunuch in "Sadak" - during his stint in Bollywood.

The actor is also known for his scintillating performances in "Mr. India", "Aankhen", "Ishq", "Coolie No. 1" and "Gupt: The Hidden Truth" among others.

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Who knew 'Bombay Talkies' would be Sadashiv's swan song: Dibakar

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Dibakar Bannerjee's short movie "Star" in the episodic movie "Bombay Talkies" was Sadashiv Amrapurkar's last appearance in Hindi cinema. The director says he is glad that he got to work with the late actor.

"Who was to know that my story in the omnibus 'Bombay Talkies' would turn out to be Sadashivji's swan song? I am so glad I worked with him in 'Bombay Talkies'," said Dibakar.

"At that time Sadashivji was very busy in Marathi theatre and his social activism. But I was adamant. The character was that of a doyen of Marathi theatre. Sadashivji fitted the bill. If I had made the film 20 years ago, I would have thought of Nilu Phuleji. Now it had to be none except Sadhashivji. I convinced him to do the role," said the director.

Sadashiv died Monday following lung infection. He was 64.

Dibakar says that the late actor infused his role with his theatre experience.

"One day I was sitting with him discussing his character when he began chatting about his experiences in theatre, about how friends who once gave up theatre because it was not lucrative now wanted his help to come back to stage. From that point onwards he took over the character. All the years of his experience in Marathi theatre and his personal interaction with colleagues who chose to go into other professions were used in the film.

"I'd say Sadashivji played the cynical, but not desperate veteran actor through his own experiences. He even wrote all the lines himself to suit the character. He gave so much of himself to the role, I was left speechless by his dedication.

"He not only dug into his own consciousness to create the character's inner life, he went into classics of Marathi theatre to give his character an edge beyond what I had imagined. When we started shooting Sadashivji was all there. He would come fully prepared. The only distraction was the emu bird which played a character in the film.

"Every time Sadashivji said his lines, the emu would come and stand next to him. Nawazuddin and I would burst out laughing. I am so glad Sadashivji would be remembered by this swan song," he said.

Despite giving award winning performances, the actor had become selective about his roles in Bollywood.

"I don't think he depended on Hindi films for sustenance. He said he did those potboilers to keep his kitchen going. Marathi theatre was his life and breath. I wish I had time to work with him again," said Dibakar.

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Capital to host children film fest Nov 14-16

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The capital will host a National Children Film Festival (NCFF) Nov 14-16, coinciding with Children's Day. Seemaa Desai's "Pappu Ki Pugdundi" will open the extravaganza, the theme for which is 'Swachhta'.

To be organised by Children's Film Society India (CFSI), which has been engaged in providing value-based entertainment to children through films over the years, the fest will now happen every alternate year, just like the International Children's Film Festival, said a statement Tuesday.

The fest will be held at the Siri Fort Auditorium, and the opening ceremony will be followed by the premiere of "Pappu Ki Pugdundi",” CFSI's newest film. Extensively shot in Himachal Pradesh, it stars Hardik Khanna as Pappu, Atul Parchure as Genie and Amitabh Bhattacharya and Jaswinder Gardner as Pappu's parents.

The opening events would have cultural programmes by children and a performance by Shiamak Davar's troupe on the theme of 'Swachhta' or cleanliness, which is being widely promoted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Entry for the film's screenings will be free. However, the entry for children will be regulated through the educational institutions on a first come first serve basis.

During the NCFF, select children's films will be screened, providing an opportunity to the children of Delhi to experience some qualitative and purposeful films.

Plans are also in place for film workshops to get kids acquainted with the basics of filmmaking. These workshops will be conducted by experts from the film institutes for a group of talented and deserving children between the age group of five to 16 years.

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Modi lauds Vivek Oberoi's work for Clean India

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded Vivek Oberoi's effort towards the Clean India campaign after the Bollywood actor was spotted with a broom on the streets of Mumbai.

"I appreciate the work of @vivek_oberoi towards creating a Swachh Bharat," read a post from Modi's Twitter handle @narendramodi.

Vivek, also known for his philanthropic efforts, was over the moon with the appreciation.

"@narendramodi feel honoured & humbled by your appreciation. Shall be committed to the cause of #swachhbharat through various means," he tweeted.

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Shekhar Kapur to direct 'Tiger's Curse'

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Internationally known Indian director Shekhar Kapur of "Elizabeth" fame has been roped in to direct an adventure saga titled "Tiger's Curse".

The project will be introduced by Lotus Entertainment at the American Film Market, reports variety.com.

Based on the first in a series of novels by Colleen Houck, "Tiger's Curse" has been adapted by Julie Plec, creator of "The Vampire Diaries" and "The Originals".

The project will be produced by Ineffable Pictures's Raphael Kryszek and Jesse Israel along with Lotus Entertainment's Bill Johnson and Jim Seibel and Kapur.

The novel centers on a woman who learns that she has a powerful connection with a white tiger named Ren, while working at a circus in Oregon over the summer. When a mysterious stranger arrives to reclaim Ren and return him to his native India, the woman learns that the tiger is a prince who is the victim of a 300-year-old curse.

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Sunidhi Chauhan sings for Yuvraj Singh's campaign

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Singing sensation Sunidhi Chauhan enthralled the capital's music aficionados with a livewire performance in support of cricketer Yuvraj Singh's social initiative YouWeCan.

The 31-year-old star took to the stage at the Siri Fort Auditorium Tuesday evening and said she is happy to do her bit for the initiative, which aims to fight cancer by spreading awareness about the fatal disease.

“I am really very happy and excited to be here for YouWeCan,” said the vivacious and versatile singer before she started performing.

The show started late, but Sunidhi, who looked gorgeous in a sparkling green gown, more than made up for the delay by crooning her famous tracks including “Yaaram”, “Bin tere”, “Beedi”, "Sajna ve sajna”, “Ishq sufiyana”. Her fans in the audience grooved and cheered on.

Apart from her originals, Sunidhi also sung two evergreen melodious numbers including “Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko” and “Kabhie kabhie”.

While Yuvraj Singh, who battled cancer himself, was not present for the event, his mother Shabnam Singh marked her attendance at the event, where the audience rocked on to Sunidhi's tunes.

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Embracing nudity is a big responsibility: Nandana Sen

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Actress Nandana Sen has gone bold on the screen to play renowned painter Raja Ravi Varma's muse in forthcoming "Rang Rasiya". She admits doing nude scenes is a huge responsibility and she had talked it out with her parents before giving her nod.

After remaining in the cans for more than five years, the period drama, based on Ranjit Desai's novel titled "Raja Ravi Varma", will unfold riots of colours and passion on the screen on Nov 7 with Randeep Hood in the role of the father of modern Indian art, and Nandana as his creative inspiration.

The film is set to revisit an era that was revolutionised by the painter who not only gave faces to gods and goddesses in his work, but also painted nudes.

AS the muse, Nandana have done some bold scenes in the intense love story and she says that "nudity is a complicated issue."

"It is something one need to think about a lot. I spent a lot of time discussing it with my patents, family before making the decision to do the part. The reason is not that I was afraid. When an artist decides to embrace nudity, it is a big responsibility. If nudity is portrayed with beauty and aesthetically, then it's fine," added the actress.

She admits that it was not an easy decision.

"It was not an easy decision for me. I had long conversations as I wanted my parents to give me their thoughts on the scenes. They are connected to art and culture. They were excited about the script. They support me and by the time I said yes, I had over come all the fears," she added.

Talking about her character in the film she said: "I am playing Sugandha who is a combination of strength and softness and this is what makes her Ravi Varma's muse."

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'Blue Blood' not about 1998 blackbuck poaching case: Director

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The 1998 blackbuck poaching case involving a few Bollywood stars, including Salman Khan, is not the premise of new supernatural thriller "Blue Blood", says Pawan Kripalani, who is set to direct the movie.

"The movie is not about the poaching case. In no way do I mention the 1998 case or any actors involved (in the case) in my film. It's a general and larger take on the fact that poaching is illegal," Kripalani told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

Salman along with some other actors was accused of hunting the protected blackbuck in Rajasthan while they were there to shoot the film "Hum Saath Saath Hain" (1999).

The case was reported in September 27, 1998, in Kankani village near Jodhpur.

"Blue Blood", produced by Sunil Bohra and Ravindra Singh, is also set in Rajasthan, and is based on a big fat royal family.

"It is coincidentally set in the same environment. It's not about the blackbuck case and not specific about a matter. The idea was to try to do a film on the poaching issue, which has been going on for years," reiterated Kripalani, who wished to work on a topical subject.

The film, which is likely to go on the floors early 2015, is neither a "documentary" nor a "dramatic piece". But it has taken a good amount of research on blackbucks, Rajasthan, the local Bishnoi community which worships blackbucks, and their beliefs.

The supernatural element in the film will be added by a "role reversal", said the director of "Ragini MMS" fame.

"It's about hunters getting haunted. We will touch upon a role reversal of sorts where the apex predator -- man -- realises that he's not on top of the food chain, and that there's a demon on top of him too," he said.

The cast of the film is yet to be locked, but it should be done soon in time to begin the project.

Kripalani is happy to be working with producers who are giving him the freedom and space to make the movie his way.

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Woman who cheated actress Sana Khan arrested

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Poonam Khanna, who allegedly cheated actress Sana Khan and her beau Ismail Khan, has been arrested, said an official.

"Yes, she has been arrested and is in police custody right now," said the official from Oshiwara police station.

Sana and Ismail had filed an FIR against Poonam, said to be a media consultant, for duping them of Rs. 9 lakh. If reports are anything to go by, Poonam had promised the two to get them two shanties in a slum that was about to be redeveloped.

Ismail told IANS: "She was absconding, but today (Wednesday) police found her at a hotel here and she was arrested and taken to Oshiwara police station. She will be taken to the court today."

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Varun Dhawan turns rapper for ad

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An actor's life is about wearing different hats. Young talent Varun Dhawan has proved it by turning rapper for an advertisement.

"Did my first rap ever in a ad for Panasonic working with a super team. All you gotta do is blink. Wait for it," Varun tweeted to his fans on a micro-blogging platform.

Having made his Bollywood debut with "Student Of The Year" in 2012, the son of filmmaker David Dhawan has since starred in films like "Main Tera Hero" and "Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania".

A flexible dancer, Varun will next be seen in "Badlapur".

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Beauty pageants have social responsibilities too: Noyonita Lodh

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Noyonita Lodh, who will represent India at the Miss Universe contest in Miami, says beauty pageants have a lot of social responsibilities and her wish is to rid society of "gender discrimination".

The winner of Yamaha Fascino Miss Diva Universe 2014, Noyonita Lodh also wants to work towards women empowerment.

Dismissing association with a social cause as a fad, Noyonita says "pageants are not only about beauty but also about brains and your role in social awareness".

"Beauty pageants have a lot of social responsibilities attached to it and that is why contestants work towards a cause. Apart from this, it is also very important to look into social issues and work towards the betterment of the country," Noyonita told IANS over phone from Mumbai, where she has started preparing for the Miss Universe pageant to be held next year.

The Bangalore girl feels that "gender discrimination" should be eradicated to make the world a better place and thinks, "It can happen only through education".

With Lara Dutta, the last Indian to get the crown in 2000, mentoring the contestants of Yamaha Fascino Miss Diva Universe 2014 including Noyonita, hopes are high this year.

"It is my duty to work hard and get the crown back. It's been 14 years since we got the crown and I am sure everyone in India is also looking forward to the same," said the 21-year-old.

Noyonita thinks that "lack of focus and time given for preparation for the world beauty pageant" is the reason for the dry spell.

"I will give my 100 percent to it," she said.

A slew of beauty contest winners like Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra, Sushmita Sen, Yukta Mookhey and Dia Mirza turned to Bollywood after winning the pageants. Some hit the jackpot and some just faded away with time. But with all her focus on the Miss Universe crown, Noyonita is not thinking about that right now.

"Bollywood is a far-fetched thought. Right now I am just concentrating on the beauty pageant and have not thought about Bollywood," she said.

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Vivaan mum over relationship status

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Actor Vivaan Shah, who is reportedly in a relationship with Kamal Haasan's younger daughter Akshara, refused to talk about his relationship status.

When asked about the rumours that he is dating Akshara, he said: "Sorry, I would not like to comment on that." According to the grapevine, the two were reportedly seen together at various spots.

He may not talk about his link-up, but he loves to talk about his film "Happy New Year", which he got without any recommendation. Directed by Farah Khan, the potboiler with an ensemble cast, headlined by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, has rocked the box office.

"Farah (Khan, the director) had called me to audition for 'Happy New Year'. At that point, I didn't even know it was a Shah Rukh starrer and I didn't know what the film was about either, but I went ahead and did my best," said Vivaan.

"At 24 years, I've had the privilege of sharing screen space with Priyanka Chopra in '7 Khoon Maaf' and Deepika Padukone in 'Happy New Year'. How many actors my age can boast of that!" said the son of Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak.

The actor is currently enjoying the success of "Happy New Year".

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Bollywood films aren't my taste: Adil Hussain

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Versatile actor Adil Hussain, known for his performances in high-on-content films, including "English Vinglish" and "Life Of Pi", says he has hardly watched any Bollywood films for over three decades. He says they're not to his "taste".

Since "Happy New Year" is the latest Hindi entertainer to hit the jackpot at the box office, IANS asked Adil what he thinks of the film.

To that, he said: "I haven't seen Bollywood films since 1983, except for four to five. I haven't been watching films, I have no clue. I saw 'Rang Rasiya', which is a Hindi film, not really a Bollywood film. I don't look down upon Bollywood films, but it's just not my taste."

But then how come he featured in a film like "The Xpose"?

"I had to do 'The Xpose' for a different reason. As an actor, I try to practice, not to judge. In order to not to judge, I have to put myself in the shoes (of others) and see it how easy is for someone to go that way," he said and added that doing "The Xpose" was a conscious step.

Adil, who hails from Assam, believes "there has to be space for those films" too, and so he was "sincere doing that film as well".

Meanwhile, the 51-year-old is currently busy promoting his film "Zed Plus", a socio-political satire. It takes a humorous stand on existing polity, where the protagonist is the common man.

The film also features Mona Singh, Mukesh Tiwari and Sanjay Mishra. Directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi, "Zed Plus" will hit the cinemas Nov 21.

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Pitaraah - capital's newest designer hub

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If you love Indian designer brands, head to Pitaraah, a newly-opened multi-designer store by fashion aficionados Akhil Verma and Deepti Verma, who have put together a cohesive mix of designerwear from top-notch names of the industry.

The store offers contemporary fashion and exclusive collections from brands like Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, Nachiket Barve, Rahul Mishra, Suneet Verma, Rohit Bal, Sahil Kochchar, Shehla Khan, Ridhi Mehra, Raw Mango, India Textiles, Meera Muzaffar Ali and Nikhil Thampi, read a statement.

Also available at the store will be a bespoke range of accessories by Rose Jewelers, Prerto, Ra Abta, Risa, Tanya Rossi, Rohan Arora and Namrata Kumar.

Spread over 2,200 sq ft in the capital's Defence Colony, the store showcases Indian-wear and ready-to-wear collections.

Pitaraah will also offer in-house, personalized styling services and trousseau management to help patrons put together a unique look.

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Big B, SRK wish fans Happy Gurpurab

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On the occasion of Gurpurab - the birth anniversary of Sikhism's founder, Guru Nanak Dev - Bollywood celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Lata Mangeshkar and Shah Rukh Khan Thursday took to Twitter to wish their friends and fans.

Here's what they had to say:

Amitabh Bachchan: Happy Gurupurb! Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev ji...6th Nov... lakh lakh vadhaiyaan !!

Lata Mangeshkar: Namaskar. Guru Nanak Dev ji ki Jayanti par aap sab ko bohot shubh kaamanaayein.

Shah Rukh Khan: May the peace & kindness that came to this world today prevail all over. A Happy Baba Guru Nanak Birthday to all. Serenity & Love.

Akshay Kumar: Nanak Naam Chardi Kalaa Tere Bhane Sarbat Ka Bhala. Wishing you all a very Happy Gurupurab.

Bipasha Basu: Happy Gurpurab :)

Vivek Oberoi: On the auspicious occasion of Shri Guru Nanak Dev ji's birthday, may guru bless you with happiness and prosperity.

Anupam Kher: Gurupurub di lakh lakh vadhaiyan.:) #GuruNanakDevJi

Farhan Akhtar: Wish you all a Happy Gurupurab.

Anubhav Sinha: Happy Guru Nanak Dev Jayanti. Specially to Bank Employees!!!

Manish Paul: Happy Gurupurab to all. Stay blessed.

Madhur Bhandarkar: May The Name Of WaheGuru Be Enshrined In Your Heart. May Guru Ji' s Divine Love and Blessings be with u Always. HAPPY GURPURAB !!

Neha Dhupia: DHAN DHAN SHRI GURU NANAK DEVJI de parkash utsav aate guruprub diyan aap sab nu lakh lakh vadhayeeyan .... #HappyGurpurab

Kapil Sharma: Dhan Guru Nanak pargatiya.. Miti dhund jag chanan hoiya.. Happy gurpurab.

Rohit Roy: Happy gurupurab..

Divya Dutta: Happy Gurpurab to all

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Bhandarkar resumes 'Calendar Girls'

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fter a whirlwind travelling schedule, filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar Thursday resumed the shoot of his next project, "Calendar Girls", in Mumbai.

"Been a HECTIC month! Mauritius, US and London. But it's great to be back where d action is! MUMBAI! Resume shooting #CalendarGirls from today," he tweeted.

After starting the shoot of the movie with five new faces in July, Bhandarkar managed to complete fifty percent of its shooting by early September.

Bhandarkar, who has helmed films like "Fashion" and "Corporate", last directed the 2012 movie “Heroine” featuring Kareena Kapoor.

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Arjun in pain, courtesy wisdom tooth

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Actor Arjun Kapoor is caught in a dilemma! Excruciating pain due to his wisdom tooth is to be blamed.

"To extract or not to extract that is the question!!! My wisdom tooth that is...painful couple of nights...think it's time to make a decision," Arjun tweeted.

Last seen in "Finding Fanny", Arjun's next will be "Tevar".

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Shoojit Sircar thanks Kolkata police

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Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar has thanked the Kolkata police and traffic police for smooth facilitation and management of traffic to accomodate the shoot of his movie "Piku".

"#Piku ..really grateful to the Kolkata police & traffic police for managing one of the most busiest Shyambazar crossing for our shoot," Sircar posted on Twitter.

The filmmaker is busy taking shots of megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Irrfan Khan and Deepika Padukone for the film. Big B has been regularly updating fans about the film's progress by sharing glimpses from the shooting schedule.

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Special cut of 'Trishna' to come out before release

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Film producer Sunil Bohra has revealed plans of launching a 10-minute cut of the Freida Pinto-starrer "Trishna" online - much ahead of the feature film's release in the country.

Directed by the internationally acclaimed Michael Winterbottom, "Trishna" will hit the theatres Jan 30, 2015. But before that, Bohra of Bohra Bros has come up with the unique idea to let the public know what the film really contains.

The special cut of the movie will go online Nov 15.

Talking about the plan, he said: "I want the people to know what the film is all about. This has not been done before in the industry, and if everything goes well, it will become a trend to showcase 10 to 12 minutes of a film's story through which the public can get to know what content they are buying tickets for."

Is he being over-confident about "Trishna"?

"This is not my over confidence, but it is a sincere effort to be honest about the product. I really want people to buy tickets after they are sure and convinced about the story.

"Though the film has some really high erotic content, yet it will be very little in this cut of the story as I feel that more should be left for the cinema cut.

"I strongly believe that the story is very strong in itself," he said.

Based on Thomas Hardy's novel "Tess of the d'Urbervilles", "Trishna" tells the story of a woman whose life is torn between love and circumstances.

The story revolves around Trishna (Freida) meeting a wealthy young British businessman Jay Singh (Riz Ahmad) who has come to India to work in his father's hotel business. After an accident destroys her father's jeep, Trishna goes to work for Jay, and they fall in love.

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