Italian fashion brand Galvanni is making a foray into the Indian market via FashionAndYou, a fashion and lifestyle website.

The brand will be launched Friday.

Aimed at those who embrace a sporting lifestyle blended with fashion, the entire range of Galvanni shirts, sweaters, polo t-shirts and sweatshirts will be available on the online platform.

"With Galvanni, FashionAndYou has further strengthened its brand count and has bolstered its market position as the leading fashion destination offerings its customers the best of international fashion brands," Utsav Malhotra, general manager (Sourcing), said in a statement.

"Going forward, we will make the best of global names in high street and luxury fashion available to our customers in a few clicks," Malhotra added.

A special screening of Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar's forthcoming film “Baby” was organised here for real life heroes who have dedicated their lives to the nation. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was the special guest at the screening.

"Baby" director Neeraj Pandey along with Akshay and Anupam Kher, as well as producer Bhushan Kumar were present at the screening, held Wednesday.

The movie revolves around an undercover unit, formed to keep an eye on the movements of terrorist groups and to nix their plans to disrupt peace and harmony in the nation. In the film, the “Khiladi” Kumar is seen as an officer named Ajay Singh Rajput.

Parrikar was seen interacting with the team of the movie while a bevy of senior officers from the Indian Army and Navy enjoyed the screening.

BJP veteran L.K. Advani also attended the screening with his daughter Pratibha.

In an interview to IANS earlier, Akshay had mentioned that “Baby” openly talks about terrorism, which is a big consideration in today's world. He also added that “'Baby' has been inspired by real life incidents.”

The film, which also stars Rana Daggubati, Danny Denzongpa and Taapsee Pannu, will hit the theatres Friday.

Neeraj Pandey's two directorial ventures so far -- "A Wednesday" and "Special Chabbis" -- displayed his ability to take the language of Hindi commercial cinema into unexpected territory. He says his new film "Baby", on terrorism, is his effort to create awareness about the existing danger to peace.

In an interview, Pandey spoke about "Baby" and the dynamics of making films on sensitive subjects.

Excerpts:

Q. "Baby" is about international terrorism. Post the ghastly terror attack in Peshawar, do you feel cinema must become more responsible in its projection of the issue?

A. Speaking for myself, I'd like to believe I'm a responsible filmmaker. I don't have solutions. But I hope to create a renewed awareness about the situation. Any filmmaker who talks sense should be taken seriously.

Q. Your trailer tells us that "Baby" is about the efforts of a covert Indian intelligence team to nab an international terrorist?

A. The trailer had to tell us the film's DNA. We wanted to be very clear on this.

Q. You've cast actors who belong to the country of the characters' origins?

A. Yes, and that was not easy to do. Communication was difficult. What would otherwise have taken a couple of days took much longer. But having a competent casting director Vicky Sidana on board was a big help. He kept following up on all the actors from whichever country we wanted.

Q. You also shot in many foreign countries, which you haven't done before?

A. Well, I like to travel. So it isn't as if I'm not familiar with international locations. But travelling with a film crew is something else. The film needed to be shot in various countries. So we travelled to Delhi, then Nepal, Turkey and Abu Dhabi to shoot. The conditions were different at each location. But it was a great deal of fun and big challenge.

Q. You've cast a Pakistani actor as a terror mastermind. Isn't that a clear indication of where the terror hub is?

A. Terror is prevalent everywhere in the subcontinent. Let's not fool ourselves into believing it's not present in India. Just the other day we had another terror attack in Bangalore. I chose the Pakistani actor Rasheed Naaz to play the main terrorist because I wanted someone with an oratorial skill, who could sway audiences into hatred and violence. There are two villains in the film -- an Indian played by Kay Kay Menon and a Pakistani played by Rasheed Naaz. I wanted a particular accent in the speech in my Pakistani villain.

Q. Your earlier films generated curiosity but they didn't create the widespread interest that "Baby" has. Does that make you nervous?

A. Not at all. When we cut our trailer and put it out, we wanted to generate interest and curiosity. And I think we managed that. We understood that it wouldn't happen with "A Wednesday" because I was new and the trade didn't trust my ability to generate revenues. We had cut a very interesting trailer for "A Wednesday" as well. But at that time I was not equipped to put my idea into a perspective.

Q. When you came to your second film, you were much better placed in the film mart?

A. It was slightly better during "Special Chabbis". Budget-wise, and in terms of scale and scope my two earlier films were smaller. I feel the scale of a film must match the plot. I took 'baby' steps to get to my new film from where I started in "A Wednesday".

Q. There is the danger of a big film like "Baby" being perceived by the audience as a documentation of real life terror-politics. That would limit the viewership?

A. But "Baby" is an authentic take on a very real and disturbing danger to global peace. There's no room for flights of fancy here. It's set in a real incident. The purpose of the film is to recreate a specific real life situation. We can't control the take-outs from the plot. It's up to the audience to carry home what they like. We have a very real story to tell. How it is perceived is not in our control.

Anupam Kher's forthcoming movie on terrorism, "Baby", is releasing Friday, just days before the country celebrates Republic Day and ahead of US President Barack Obama's India visit. The veteran actor says the movie's release couldn't have been better timed.

"'Baby' is releasing at a perfect time as it's Republic Day and US President Barack Obama is visiting India to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi-ji to talk about (things including) terrorism. 'Baby' is also awakening people about the same issue, and talks about how we can all deal with this big issue together," Anupam told IANS here.

Directed by Neeraj Pandey of "A Wednesday" and "Special 26" fame, the movie stars Akshay Kumar in the lead role of an undercover agent.

Anupam, who has worked in all of Pandey's films so far, says the experience of collaborating with him is "always very special".

"He comes up with the most amazing themes and his own stamp of brilliance. So whether it was 'A Wednesday' and 'Special 26', both the characters (I played) were very different.

"Similarly, my role as Om Prakash Shukla in 'Baby' is very meaty and an exciting role of an undercover agent. He is the technical support to the field members of the unit named Baby. The film is about patriotism, it's about terrorism and how to deal with it...how it affects our lives.

"'Baby' is about the unknown faces of so many undercover agents, who play a very important role in unification of the country," added the 59-year-old.

Talking about his co-star Akshay, he said: "'Baby' is Akshay's life's best performance. I don't think anybody could have played the lead better than him. He is improving with every film. It's an international level performance by him."

Shreyas Talpade-starrer Marathi film "Baji", a superhero entertainer, will feature a unique shadow fight sequence.

In order to make the scene look interesting, action directors Stunt Silva and Nikhil Mahajan came up with the idea of shadow fighting. The scenes are shot in such a way that the action is showcased via shadows.

Though the whole sequence was difficult to shoot, the way it was executed is something which will pique the audiences' interest.

Shreyas is all praise for the act.

"When Stunt Silva and Nikhil Mahajan told me about the idea of shadow fighting, I was very excited and it was something which I have never done before and was challenging. In order to get the sequence correct, we had done intense training not only practising shadow fighting but also my body posture, my stance and sword training," Shreyas said in a statement.

The film boasts some never before seen action sequences. All the stunts in the film have been performed by Shreyas himself.

Baji, the lead character, is an action-adventure laced superhero-vigilante who takes it upon himself to protect the common man against oppression and injustice in this small village of Shrirangpur.

Presented by DAR Motion Pictures, in association with Virtue Entertainment, "Baji" is produced by Arun Rangachari, Vivek Rangachari, Amit Ahirrao, Deepti Talpade, Suhrud Godbole, Hrishikesh Kulkarni and Nikhil Mahajan. The film is scheduled to hit the screens Feb 6.

"The Future of Fashion Forum", a platform here, will give an overview of the industry to aspiring creative minds.

Organised by Whistling Woods - Neeta Lulla School of Fashion (WWNL), the event will be held in Goregaon here Saturday.

National Award winning designer Neeta Lulla and filmmaker Subhash Ghai will inaugurate the event along with Meghna Ghai Puri and fashion veteran Hemant Trivedi.

The forum is aimed at offering an in-depth perspective to the fashion aspirants and answering their doubts over how to launch a career in fashion across vocations like fashion designing, styling and trend spotting.

The event will comprise various panel discussions where distinguished names from the industry will share their views on the rapidly evolving fashion and retail industry.

The panel will include some of the renowned names from the world of fashion like Sonaakshi Raaj and Falguni and Shane Peacock.

“This is the second year of the 'Future of Fashion Forum' and the forum this year is going to be grander with stalwarts from the industry interacting with aspirants wanting to create a niche in the fashion industry,” Lulla said in a statement

The topics for panel discussion include “Developing the Fashion Eco System”, “Changing Face of Fashion”, “Insight by New Age Designers”, “Visual Merchandising”, “Masterclass - Indian Textiles Blend with Contemporary Fashion” and “Master Haute Couture”.

Actors Gurmeet Choudhary, Sapna Pabbi and Ali Fazal are going to host a joint screening of their film "Khamoshoyan" for their families this weekend here.

While the masses will get to watch it when it hits the screens Jan 30, the actors will show their work to their families first.

"It's important that we see the film first with the families and friends and get their best wishes. We have worked very hard on this project and have promoted the film as much as we could," the movie’s director Karan Darra, a debutant, said in a statement.

“We want our near and dear ones to see the effort we have put in. They want the best for us and it would be great to have their reactions,” he added.

The supernatural erotica, which has abundant steamy and bold scenes, has got an 'A' certificate.

Actress Jacqueline Fernandez's busy schedule rarely leaves her with time for herself. No wonder then that she says she doesn't mind having a pedicure done on the go for dainty feet.

The Sri Lankan beauty, who endorses foot care and hygeine brand Scholl, launched its new electronic foot file -- Velvet Smooth, here Thursday.

"As a girl, I love the joy, luxury and effortlessness of experiencing a pedicure on the go. Beautiful feet are coveted by all women, everywhere of all ages, especially when they want to look their best and show off those strappy heels," Jacqueline, 29, said in a statement.

On the film front, the "Kick" star will be seen pulling off a double role in forthcoming romantic thriller "Roy" opposite Ranbir Kapoor and Arjun Rampal. The film will hit the theatres Feb 13.

YuppTV, a subscription-based internet TV provider, has announced the launch of Indian TV channels Sony Entertainment Television (SET), Sony Max and Sony SAB, in the Singapore and Malaysian markets.

The channels deliver a variety of choices for all segments of the audience, including drama, theatrical films and more.

Sony features popular shows like “ C.I.D”, “Crime Patrol” and “Adaalat”, while Sony Max, a Hindi movies and special events channel, telecasts “Sunday Housefull”, ‘Ab Tak Bachchan” and “Extraaa Innings”.

On the other hand, SAB TV focuses on entertaining with a line-up of comedy programmes. The channel airs shows including “Baal Veer”, “Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah” and “Chidiya Ghar”.

“Meeting the high demand for Indian television offerings, we are pleased to take three of India’s most popular channels to the TV viewers in Singapore and Malaysia.

"We are confident that the Indian diaspora will be delighted to watch their favourite shows on Sony Entertainment Television, Sony Max and Sony SAB,” Uday Reddy, CEO of YuppTV, said in a statement.

The toon duo Motu Patlu are set for a new comic adventure with the TV premiere of "Motu Patlu Aur Khazaane Ki Race", the fifth movie from the franchise slated for Republic Day Jan 26.

The film, which follows the success of its last instalment "Motu Patlu Kung Fu King" in October 2014, will be televised on Nickelodeon, which is part of Viacom18's kids cluster.

The franchise has grown and regaled children, says Nina Elavia Jaipuria, executive vice president and business head (Kids Cluster), Viacom18.

“The Motu Patlu franchise has grown from strength to strength through providing enhanced experiences and engaging kids across platforms like television, movies, digital assets and now consumer products.

"The dynamic duo Motu Patlu have become an intrinsic part of the daily lives of children. With the fifth movie 'Motu Patlu Aur Khazaane Ki Race', we are sure we will further fortify this circle of trust between Motu Patlu and the children," she said.

The film will show Motu Patlu saving a dog from villain Mr. Chamko's men. Later, they realise that the goons were after a locket around the dog's neck which has a map to a hidden treasure on the Christmas mountain. What follows is a race among the characters to find the treasure.

Having captivated millions with her enchanting beauty, Bollywood 'dreamgirl' Hema Malini is all set to conquer the hearts of music lovers with "Mon Piyasi", a music album in which she has rendered Bengali songs.

A brainchild of singer-turned-politician Babul Supriyo the album, to be released on Valentine's Day this year, will see BJP MP Hema Malini recreate her two Bengali songs that she had rendered in 1973 under the aegis of the legendary Kishore Kumar.

The songs "Kande re mon piyasi" and "Goon goon goon kore je mon", that were originally set to tune by Kishore Kumar with lyrics from Mukul Dutta, have been recreated with contemporary musical arrangements. Besides that, the album will also have a 'Hema-Babul' duet, composed by Indradip Dasgupta.

"It all happened when Babul and I were going for a poll campaign to Jharkhand, and I told him about the two songs. He immediately liked the songs which I played on my mobile and he did manage to cajole me to sing once again," Hema, the Lok Sabha member from Mathura, said here.

"Much like Kishore-da used to guide me at every step during the recording of the original songs, Babul has been doing the same. I am grateful to him for helping me to relive those cherished memories," said the actor.

Admitting that singing was surely a challenge for her, Hema asserted she was not afraid of taking up challenges. Efficiently juggling the role of a homemaker, politician and actor, the internationally acclaimed Bharatnatyam dancer said she is working on a dance ballet, bringing the Ganges river and the issues surrounding it onstage.

Supriyo, also the union minister of state for urban development, is ecstatic at being able to work with the actress whom he described as the perfect dreamgirl.

"They way she handled Gabbar Singh and the guns in 'Sholay', I was very confident that she will handle the gaan (song) with similar elan. And she has already proved it. We have finished recording the first song," said Supriyo, who would be heard wooing the dreamgirl in the duet.

Saregama India Chairman Sanjiv Goenka said there are plans to launch the album in Hindi also.

Meanwhile, Supriyo also revealed that he was planning to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to launch the album.

"There is no harm in dreaming big and I have this dream to see Modiji launching this album," added Supriyo.

Actor Dhanush, who is awaiting the release of Hindi film "Shamitabh", has been appointed the new brand ambassador of soft drink brand 7up.

The brand has also launched new creative campaign "Tu Up Toh Duniya Up" and a refreshed visual identity in line with the global effort around the world, "Feels Good To Be You".

"We are thrilled about our association with Dhanush as he embodies the spirit of our brand inherently," Ruchira Jaitly, senior director, Marketing, Social Beverages, PepsiCo India, said in a statement.

Dhanush said he was glad to be part of this "interesting and exciting campaign".

"We all change ourselves to suit the usual norms but I am glad that this campaign encourages people not to lose their original self to celebrate their authentic self," he added.

Renowned lensman Rajeev Menon has directed the brand's new video featuring Dhanush.

The rejuvenated visual identity for 7up, including logo design and packaging, is rolling out in more than 140 countries in 2015.

Telugu comedian M.S. Narayana, who had over 750 films to his credit, passed away Friday due to kidney-related ailments, family sources said. The last rites will be performed at his farmhouse Saturday.

Narayana, 63, was undergoing treatment at the Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) here.

"The last rites will take place tomorrow (Saturday) at his farmhouse in Vikarabad," a family source told IANS.

On Thursday, doctors at KIMS performed dialysis on Narayana, who was later put on ventilator support.

The veteran comedian started his career as a writer.

Some of his best films include "Indra", "Sontam", "Dookudu" and "Shivamani".

He had penned dialogues for films such as "Alexander" and had also directed "Bhajantrilu" and "Koduku".

In mid-1990s, when renowned artist M.F. Husain became infatuated by Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit, he decided to watch the blockbuster 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun' movie 50 times and then create some paintings on the actress.

He chose the iconic Liberty Cinema in south Mumbai where the movie was premiered in August 1994 and occupied a paid upper stall seat. And, whenever Madhuri danced on the screen, the elated Husain himself would start dancing to her steps in the aisle,

The other patrons were irritated and complained to the theatre management. The owner, Nazir Hoosein, offered Husain his private box minus the seats, where he could dance to his heart's content - but the celebrated artist rejected it.

Years later, a Husain classic of Madhuri, celebrating his artistic series of woman as 'Shakti', still adorns the foyer of Liberty Cinema.

Now, 68 years after it was built (in 1947) by the late Habib Hoosein and named Liberty to celebrate India's Independence, the cinema, which had seen some glorious days, is now donning a new avatar - an elite cultural centre, courtesy businessman and culture czar Neville Tuli's Osianama Group.

"Osianama has taken up nine cultural clubs (within the theatre) which will be gradually inaugurated over the next 15 months. These clubs will be meant for appreciating and discussing areas like vintage automobiles cinema, antiques and fine arts, books and poetry, photography, architectural heritage and preservation, animal welfare, design craft and popular cultures, and sporting heritage," Tuli told IANS.

The Osianama Cinefan Club will premier at least 50 top films and the best of global cinema this year and organize a dozen exhibitions on Orson Welles, Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Marlon Brando, Buster Keaton and the Marx Brothers et al.

This will help revive the 1,200-seater Liberty Cinema, among the hundreds of single-screen cinemas which were sidelined by posh small-capacity multiplexes since 2005.

"Many cinema halls were built to satisfy the entertainment needs of allied forces based in and around Bombay (now, Mumbai) during World War II. But all the cinemas in south Mumbai screened only English movies," the 74-year old Nazir Hoosein told IANS.

Hindi movies were screened in cinemas on Lamington Road and beyond, barely five kilometres away, considered congested middle-class, down-market localities. A majority of them have closed down over the years or have become sad reminders of their erstwhile glorious days.

Post-WW II, the Indian film industry desperately needed good cinema halls in south Mumbai and businessman Habib Hoosein quickly envisaged Liberty Cinema as the "showpiece of the new nation".

His friend Manu Subedar, who was guiding the fledgling Indian government's economic issues, had acquired certain land in south Mumbai from which he gave one plot where Liberty Cinema took birth in 1947.

Designed by British architect Ridley Abbott, who died in an air crash en route home to London, it was completed by an Indian, J.B. Fernandes.

The interiors and the eye-catching Plaster of Paris work within and outside the cinema were the brainchild of the artistic Hoosein and his friend Waman Namjoshi.

At the Liberty Cinema's inauguration on March 20, 1949, the maiden movie screened was Mehboob Khan's "Andaz" starring Dilip Kumar, Nargis and Raj Kapoor - the only time the legendary trio ever worked together.

Liberty Cinema suddenly acquired a new halo and all top film-makers vied to screen their new movies here, making it a sort of socio-cultural hub.

By the 1960s, Liberty alone could not cater to the burgeoning demand of the Indian film industry, Hoosein explained.

This spurred Namjoshi to create other icons like Maratha Mandir and Naaz cinemas in central south Mumbai which originally screened movies of A. R. Kardar and V. Shantaram.

Early in 1970, due to his failing health, Habib Hoosein hired out Liberty Cinema to a group of distributors for 20 years, but its neglect and decline started.

The dispute between the owners and tenant was finally resolved in the Supreme Court which reinstated the property to the Hoosein family.

Liberty is described as "an exquisite jewel box of rococo decoration enhanced by a coloured-lighting scheme suggesting a fairyland far away from the bustle and tumult in the streets outside," by David Vinnels & Brent Skelly in their book, 'Bollywood Showplaces: Cinema Theatres in India'.

Besides, there is a small 30-seater called 'Liberty Mini' richly decorated with pre-Independence artefacts, and used for media previews, private or exclusive screenings.

After stopping screening commercial movies, Liberty offered its magnificent heritage interiors for musicals, stage events, film shoots and other major activities, and now it will be transformed into an incredible cultural hub through Osianama Group.

"Total Siyappa" couldn't click with the audiences but the film's writer Neeraj Pandey says the team tried a different subject.

The 2014 comedy that dares to poke fun at a border issue didn't perform well at the box office.

Asked Pandey what went wrong with the E. Niwas directorial, he told reporters: "It was a different film. We tried a different subject. Chances are that you will not always be right. It didn't work, but when we started we felt that we were on the right track."

"It was done by another director. It would be terribly wrong on my part to pass a judgement about it," he added.

Pandey's latest directorial "Baby" hit the screens Friday and he is all praise for its lead actor Akshay Kumar, with whom he teamed up for "Special 26".

"He is a good actor. He is in my films not because we enjoy working together. He fits the bill and that's the reason we are working together," said Pandey.

Indian film "Roar: Tigers Of The Sundarbans" has been nominated by the Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) for the 62nd MPSE Golden Reel Awards and the film's sound designer Resul Pookutty is delighted.

The film, which has found a spot in the Feature Foreign Language - Effects/ Foley/ Dialogue/ ADR category, will be competing against "Human Capital" (Italy), "The Liberator" (Venezuela), "The Raid 2" (Indonesia) and "Uzumasa Limelight" (Japan).

"Guys big news: myself and Amrit Pritam nominated for the 62nd Golden Reel Award by #MPSE of America for best sound design for "Roar"! Wahhh!" Oscar-winning sound engineer Pookutty tweeted Friday.

Directed by Kamal Sadanah, the supervising sound editors and designers of the film were Pookutty and Amrit Pritam Dutta. The supervising foley editor was Vijay Kumar.

The foley artists were Karnail Singh Virdi and Sajjan Chowdhry. The sound effects editors were Amrit, Kumar, Arunav Dutta and Abhishruti Bezboruah.

The awards will be announced at a ceremony at the Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles Feb 15.

Though the film, which revolves around tigers of Sundarbans, failed to create ripples at the Indian box office, it was praised by critics for its novelty concept-wise.

The film, which starred Abhinav Shukla, Achint Kaur, Nora Fatehi, Ali Quli Mirza and Subrat Dutta, released Oct 31 last year.

Gulshan Grover, known for playing negative characters in Hindi films like "Ram Lakhan" and "Bullett Raja", will be seen essaying an important role in upcoming Tamil drama "Thanneer" about the water crisis.

The film, which will be directed by Vasanth Sai, was officially launched Friday.

"I have immense respect for Vasanth and have admired his work. I'm really honoured to have got this opportunity to work with him," Gulshan told reporters here.

Based on a popular novel by Ashokamithran, the film features Chandini Sasha in the lead role.

The film's director said the film is "very close to my heart" and he hopes "it creates the awareness about water crisis".

Film: "Baby"; Actors: Akshay Kumar, K K Menon, Tapsee Pannu, Anupam Kher, Rana Daggubati, Mikaal Zulfikar, Rashid Naaz; Writer-Director: Neeraj Pandey; Rating: ****1/2

Don't move! The concept of the edge-of-the-seat thriller seems to have been invented for Neeraj Pandey's enormously engaging take on international terrorism. It takes guts to make a film which calls a spade a spade...Or Pakistan the hub of terrorism in the Asian subcontinent.

With "Baby", Pandey immediately and irreversibly joins the ranks of the finest contemporary filmmakers of our times.

Outwardly "Baby", with its theme of a bunch of bravehearts apprehending international terrorists at the risk of their own lives and their family's well being, has nothing to offer that we haven't seen in several films in the counter-terror genre before. What places "Baby" far above the routine thrillers is its refreshing lack of circumvention in the storytelling.

Straight away Pandey's film takes us inside the life of counter-terrorism expert Ajay (Akshay Kumar) as he grapples to locate a colleague who has been betrayed by one of their own and taken hostage by terrorists.

In "Baby" there is a palpable predilection for building unbearably suspenseful action sequences without losing the essential authenticity of the situation. All through the riveting drama, Ajay and his team (Tapsee Pannu, Rana Daggubati and other splendidly in-character actors who show up with him in different sections of the narrative) push the envelope of counter-terrorism without toppling into the abyss of self-congratulation.

We sense we are in the midst of a very important docu-drama on the violence of our times. A part of the film's edifying mood of bridled energy comes from Akshay Kumar's screen presence. He is in control, powerful and effective without throwing his muscles around the screen to prove his heroic stature.

One of the film's most interesting sub-texts is its attitude to heroism and machismo. Ajay and his team are doing a job. They want to do it as any professional. The difference lies in the mortality level: this hero and his team could get killed at any time. And you know what? They don't care!

Pandey keeps the proceedings tightly wound, and yet we never feel the weight of the epic plot as it coils and recoils through a labyrinth of subverted idealism and crushed diabolism. The narrative is structured as a spiral of dread, doom and a kind of romantic hope of heroic redemption from the cesspool of terror-violence that grips the world.

Though nothing in the film's design suggests any conscious attempt to create a mood-specific thriller, the film keeps us spellbound from first frame to last. Yes, the airport climax where our heroes (standing ovation for them is in order) make their getaway from a middle-eastern country seems inspired by Ben Affleck's "Argo". No harm in that...Creativity is never self-generated.

Helming, navigating and controlling this bridled exposition on anarchy is Akshay Kumar with his career's best performance. His interpretation of an unsung hero's stubborn determination to rescue the world from chaos, is mature and restrained, even when pitched against veteran actors with a formidable history of one-upmanship.

Watch him in the dexterously designed sequence where he exchanges ideological barbs with a terrorist Taufeeq (Jamal Khan).

Watch out for the solid supporting performances. Each actor, even in the smallest role, knows he is part of a work that attempts to project the grim reality of our violence-ridden world without losing the inherent cinematic quality in the narration. In various sections of the film Danny Denzongpa, Sushant Singh, Tapsee Pannu (as a desi Lara Croft, she is a delight), K K Menon and Anupam Kher appear to excel without trying to.

Rashid Raz as the rabble-rousing Pakistani radical leader with his eyeball-rolling act may seem over the top. But then whoever said religious fundamentalists were controlled in their emotions?

What could have been avoided is the over-punctuated background score by Sunjoy Choudhary which tries to pound every scene to a pulp. If the narrative escapes from the assault on the soundtrack it's because the timely plot gives us no room to crib over trespasses.

Pandey gets immense support from his technicians. Sudeep Chatterjee shoots every nook of the locations as though it were the end of the world. There is a throbbing urgency to every sequence. The editing (Sree Narayan Singh) does away with punctuation marks to create a seamless world where danger lurks in every corner and only the brave are allowed to survive.

"Baby" is one helluva roller-coaster ride . Miss it at your own risk.

Telugu film actor Rana Daggubati Friday condoled the demise of veteran Telugu comedian M.S. Narayana.

Narayana, who had over 750 films to his credit, passed away Friday due to kidney-related ailments. He was 63.

Rana, whose last Tamil outing was the Ajith Kumar-starrer "Arrambam", took to micro-blogging site Twitter to mourn the loss.

“RIP MS Narayana Garu,” he tweeted Friday.

Some of Narayana's best films include "Indra", "Sontam", "Dookudu" and "Shivamani". He had also penned dialogues for films such as "Alexander" and had directed "Bhajantrilu" and "Koduku".

Meanwhile, Rana's new Tamil project is yet-untitled, and will go on the floors March 2015.

In Bollywood, Rana is seen in Neeraj Pandey's "Baby", which also stars Akshay Kumar and Anupam Kher. “Baby” hit the theatres Friday.

Melody queen Lata Mangeshkar Friday paid tributes to freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 118th birth anniversary, to Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.

“Greetings. Today is the birth anniversary of great freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Ji. My salute to such a great personality (Namaskar. Aaj mahan Swatantrata Senani Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Ji ki Jayanti hai. Is Mahan vibhuti ko mere Koti koti pranam),” she tweeted.

Netaji Bose was born Jan 23 in 1897.

In another post, the 85-year-old Bharat Ratna paid tributes to Thackeray, who too was born Jan 23.

She wrote: “Greetings. Today is great Hindu Shivsena leader Balasaheb Thackeray ji's birthday. I pay a generous salute to such great person (Namaskar. Aaj Hindu Hriday Samrat Shivsena Pramukh Balasaheb Thackeray ji ki Jayanti hai. Is Mahan vibhuti ko mera vinamra abhivadan).”

The "Nightingale of India" has given hit numbers like “Aye mere watan ke logon”, “Lag ja gale”, “Inhi logon ne” and “Aye-dil-e-nadan”.