Actor Rahsaan Islam, whose character in the forthcoming film "The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim" is inspired by Yo Yo Honey Singh, says that Arecreating the rapper's energy was a happy space to be in.

"The character of Taz is inspired from Yo! Yo! Honey Singh. We all know someone like that and recreating Honey Singh's energy was such a happy space to be in. I would constantly listen to his songs before getting on set. And I would drive Monica and Raghav nuts because I would keep singing his songs all day," Rahsaan said in a statement.

"The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim" tells the story of Taz (Rahsaan), a rapper who is blackmailed to become an undercover agent by the New York Police Department (NYPD). It is loosely inspired by real-life incidents of NYPD, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Central Intelligence Agency's use of Muslim informants.

The forthcoming unconventional Indo-American film is directed by Raghav Murali and Aalso features Monica Dogra.

"The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim" was premiered in Los Angeles on April 15 and is slated to hit the Indian screens on June 26.

Popular Bollywood singers like Mika Singh and Sukhwinder Singh, and artists including DJ Chetas came together for Royal Stag MTV Bollyland, a series of multi-city music concerts that see the fusion of popular Bollywood soundtracks with heady electronic beats, here.

After creating a stir in 12 Indian cities such as Chandigarh, Guwahati, Indore and Kolkata, Royal Stag MTV Bollyland came to an end here on Saturday.

The finale, attended by approximately 5,000 music lovers, witnessed live acts by some celebrated artists from Bollywood including the likes of Mika, Sukhwinder and Shilpa Rao.

The tour also provided a platform to reality show participants like Neha Kakkar, Shreeram Chandra and Nakash Aziz.

There were other Bollywood singers too. Shabab Sabri, Shadab Faridi, Akriti Kakar and Sonu Kakkar.

Star kids Siddharth Mahadevan, son of popular singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan, and Armaan Malik, nephew of composer Anu Malik, also made the audience dance to their tunes.

"I had a great time. It's a different platform to do different things...to take Bollywood songs and make them EDM (electronic dance music), " Siddharth, who performed "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" with DJ Anshul, told IANS.

"I finished the track today (Saturday) morning. It happened just in one day, " added the 22-year -old.

That's not all. DJ Chetas, DJ Reme and DJ Tarun also got everyone dancing.

Though Mika didn't stick to the show 's format, his performance with a bunch of musicians was the highpoint of the event, which was also attended by actress Poonam Sinha.

Donning bandhgala and pants, he made his entry with "Dama dam mast kalandar" and followed it up with "Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!". He even dedicated "Subha hone na de" to girls present at the event.

He flaunted his Bhangra and robotic moves too while singing Bollywood hits and Punjabi numbers.

The 38-year-old also picked "Dardi rab rab kardi" and "Bolo tara ra ra" from his brother and singer Daler Mehndi's collection.

The music lovers also enjoyed the performance of Sukhwinder, who sang songs like "Banjara" and "Gallan goodiyaan".

Actress Mannara Chopra, cousin of Priyanka Chopra, was not even approached for a role in superstar Mahesh Babu's upcoming Telugu family drama "Brahmotsavam", contrary to media reports.

"Mannara was not even approached in the first place. It was after the rumours circulated that her manager contacted the makers of the film to find out if she has any role," a source from the film's unit told IANS.

To be directed by Srikanth Addala, the film features Rakul Preet Singh as the female lead and is set to hit the floors in July.

Tamil actor Sathyaraj is said to be playing Mahesh's father in the film, which will be produced by PVP Cinema.

Meanwhile, Mahesh awaits the release of "Srimanthudu".

Actor Richa Pallod, who is returning to southern cinema after a long gap in forthcoming Tamil-Telugu thriller "Yagavarayinum Na Kakka", believes it's possible to do meaningful cinema despite being a mother.

Last seen in 2006 Tamil film "Something Something... Unakkum Enakkum", she has also worked in films such as "Nuvve Kavali" and "Shahjahan".

"I want to break the stereotype that when an actress becomes a mother, she can only do certain type of roles. I think it's possible to bag substantial roles in meaningful cinema despite being a mother. My role in 'Yagavarayinum...' is the best example," Richa told IANS.

"If someone like Jennifer Lopez, who is the mother of two children, can still play strong, independent roles, why can't Indian heroines who are mothers be treated the same way," she asked.

Although she remains tight-lipped about the role she essays in the movie, she says it's an integral part of the story.

"I'm not at the liberty of divulging details about my role. It's not the length of the role but its purpose in the story that convinced me to take it up. I'm playing an important part of the true story on which the film is based," she said.

Directed by debutant Sathya Prabhas Pinisetty, the film stars Aadi Pinisetty, Nikki Galrani and Mithun Chakraborty in the lead.

It was Sathya's faith in Richa that gave her the confidence to accept the offer.

"Sathya called me one day and said that he has been a fan of my work and has a role which he believes only I can play. Although I was sceptical, his faith in me gave me the confidence. You get convinced when somebody is a lot more confident on the other end," she said.

Richa doesn't like to see this opportunity as a comeback to acting.

"I don't know whether I want to raise the expectations by calling this a comeback film because it's the character but not the length of the role that mattered to me. I'm happy that I've been offered good strong character where I'm not dancing around trees but performing," she said.

Richa is enjoying being a mother of a six-year-old baby.

"I've been lucky that I haven't put on weight. I think it's the genes. I also make a conscious effort to eat healthy home food and support being a vegetarian," she added.

The film, which is titled "Malupu" in Telugu, is slated for release on June 26.

Having done her fair share of theatre, web series and dance performances, New Delhi girl Aneesha Madhok, who now lives in Los Angeles, says she is prepared to make a mark in Bollywood.

She studies acting with a minor in screenwriting at University of Southern California.
For now, Aneesha acting in short films, web series and also performs and dance shows in Los Angeles.

What plans for Bollywood?

"Bollywood caters to my passion as I live to act and also dance. As much as I've done films in Los Angeles, I have also done Indian productions. I am happy with the response of the web series 'Shoppingwaali Psycho Girlfriend' along with my music video, which should be out soon and is called 'Aazadi', featuring my song and my fusion dance of ballet, kathak and belly dance. So, I'm definitely ready for Bollywood," she told IANS via email.

Aneesha says it is her background in theatre which helped her improve as an actor.

"Theatre has taught me how to be a real actor and to live in the moment with the wonderful pleasure of having an audience. It has taught me how to entertain my audience through the best of my capabilities. It shall surely help me to establish myself in Bollywood," she added.

M. Manikandan-directed National Award winning Tamil drama "Kaaka Muttai", about the adventures of two street urchins for their first bite of pizza, has turned out to be a sleeper hit by setting the cash registers ringing.

"The film has performed phenomenally at the box office. Initially, the makers hoped it will be liked by the multiplexes audiences alone, but it has even floored the masses. In the first week in India, it has approximately collected Rs.7.1 crore," trade analyst Trinath told IANS.

Starring child actors Vignesh and Ramesh, the film was jointly produced by actor Dhanush and filmmaker Vetrimaaran.

Aishwarya Rajesh essayed an important role as the mother of the children.

Presented by Fox Star Studios, the film has turned out to be one of the most profitable Tamil films of the year.

Actor Rahsaan Islam, whose character in the forthcoming film "The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim" is inspired by Yo Yo Honey Singh, says recreating the rapper’s energy made him happy.

"The character of Taz is inspired from Yo Yo Honey Singh. We all know someone like that and recreating Honey Singh’s energy was such a happy space to be in. I would constantly listen to his songs before getting on set. And I would drive Monica and Raghav nuts because I would keep singing his songs all day," Rahsaan said in a statement.

"The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim" tells the story of Taz (Rahsaan), a rapper who is blackmailed to become an undercover agent by the New York Police Department (NYPD). It is loosely inspired by real-life incidents of NYPD, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Central Intelligence Agency's use of Muslim informants.

The forthcoming unconventional Indo-American film is directed by Raghav Murali and also features Monica Dogra.

"The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim" was premiered in Los Angeles on April 15 and is slated to hit the Indian screens on June 26.

The actors of "Gour Hari Dastaan - Freedom File" accepted no unprofessionalism during the shoot, says director Anant Mahadevan.

The movie features names like Konkona Sen Sharma, Rajit Kapur, Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Asrani, Saurabh Shukla, Vikram Gokhale and Tannishtha Chatterjee.

While he was happy to have the "biggest team of award winners ever put together in a film", Mahadevan said that the expectation of the team from the production house and him as a director was his biggest concern.

"They wouldn't accept unprofessionalism as they were trained in a particular way," he added.

To keep it all in check and avoid any disappointments, the director and the crew members worked hard on maintaining minute details like sending them call sheets as early as 20 days in advance.

"Which scene to be done before break time, which to be shot post. We also conducted workshop. I had to make sure the quality of production matched their expectation since people like Tannishtha come from a Hollywood background as well, and for them these eye for details make more impact that other issues," Mahadevan in a statement.

The story of the film is based on the story of freedom fighter Gour Hari Das.

Produced by Bindiya and Sachin Khanolkar, the biopic encompasses the past in a stinging modern-day satire on free India through the eyes of Das.

The film is scheduled to release on August 14, the eve of Independence Day.

Actress Sneha Ullal, best remembered for "Lucky: No Time For Love", her debut film with Salman Khan in 2005, is back to Hindi films after a long gap with "Bezubaan Ishq". She admits she is nervous.

"I never wanted to be an actress back then, so I never felt any pressure. I didn't have anything to prove.

"But now, I need to prove myself as an actor. So now I am feeling that pressure and nervousness. I wish I had this feeling back then. Not many actors get to make a comeback, so I am really lucky in that sense," Sneha told IANS.

Post "Lucky: No Time For Love", Sneha did few more movies, but nothing created magic on box office. She made her way into Telugu films, where she found much needed boost to her career.

Directed by Jashwant Gangani and presented and produced by CJ Gadara and Dinesh Likhiya, the film also stars Mugdha Godse playing an important role.

Producer Rajesh Sharma will demand Rs.50 lakh in damages from Israd Ahmad, the director of his production "Lateef", starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, as his name is missing from the credits.

He was surprised as he is said to have had a formal agreement notifying the terms with Ahmad. Sharma has now consulted his lawyers and will lodge the case by Tuesday.

Sharma told IANS: "Israr wasn't even the director of the film when I was associated with it. After I completed the first copy, I put it in the cans. But then, when 'Gangs of Wasseypur' did well at the box office, he (Ahmad) gave me an offer to sell 'Lateef'. Since we had good relations, I sold the film to him for Rs.13 lakh."

The only condition Sharma put in front of Ahmad was to display his name as a producer in the film credits.

"When I saw the film's poster, I was satisfied that my name was showing as a presenter. But when I saw the film, I was shocked that my name didn't feature in the credit rolls," said Sharma, who doesn't want to keep calm and has now embarked on a mission to claim justice.

Director I.A. Siddique and lead actor Gabriel Vats of upcoming film "I Am Mr. Mother" have penned a letter, requesting superstar Aamir Khan to lend support to the issue of pregnancy deaths.

Pregnancy deaths form a core theme of the film, highlighting the pain and anguish that women feel during childbirth.

Excerpts of the letter: "Sir, you have displayed extreme dedication towards social causes, including (via) your popular TV show ‘Satyamev Jayate’ where you’ve highlighted serious issues like female foeticide and violence against women. Similarly, my film shows the importance and difficulties associated with giving birth to a life. Several women lose their life during pregnancy and my film addresses this situation and conveys a message about these deaths."

Siddique wants Aamir to not only support the issue, but also to watch their film and share his feedback on social media.

The dirctor Siddique feels this way, people will come to watch the movie, and there will be more awareness of the sensitive subject of pregnancy deaths.

Siddique is certain that Aamir’s feedback will enrich him as an individual and as a filmmaker.

The film, produced by Raju K. Sontakke under the banner Shri Raja Productions, is gearing up for release this July. It is a dark, emotional story about pain, anguish, love and sacrifice involving a pregnant man.

At 33, he has managed to carve his own niche in the west as Raj Koothrappali in popular TV sitcom "The Big Bang Theory". Actor Kunal Nayyar believes scope for niche Indian actors has widened a lot in international market, and so, they are taking acting a lot more seriously.

"International market has widened scope for Indian actors a lot. We were making movies a lot longer than the rest of the world. The quality of movies coming out of India is fantastic. I think it has opened the eyes of the world regarding the quality of movies and the quality of talent that not only filmmakers and directors but even actors and actresses in India have," Kunal told IANS over phone from US.

"Indians are definitely taking acting a lot more seriously. A lot of change has happened in the past 15 to 20 years, where people from small town, who do not belong to any film backdrop, have got success in the industry. We are on par over the rest of the world when it comes to our talent in making films," he added.

In recent times, a lot of Indian stars including Nimrat Kaur, Irrfan Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Ali Fazal have made a foray into the international film industry as Kunal says now Indians are being approached for better and meaty roles.

Kunal said: "I'm honoured to be on the number one TV show in US as I play one of the lead characters in it. I feel blessed that I'm working as an actor here, but then I know how difficult it is to crack characters in any industry - Bollywood or Hollywood."

Asked why Indian actors are only approached for character-based roles, Kunal added: "I don't want myself to get caught up in those sorts of discussions because I don't have the luxury to do it. I think if I was a huge Bollywood star, I would have understand why it will be tough to leave everything that I'm going through and then move on to Hollywood, though not stuck in the bottom, but have the same brand that I've in India. So, it's something that I haven't faced yet.

"But, the Indian persona is changing. Here, we have a lot of characters, especially in TV shows where we have an Indian playing the role of an American. So it's something that has never happened previously."

Apart from "The Big Bang Story", Kunal has also appeared in films like "Ice Age: Continental Drift", "The Scribbler" and "Dr. Cabbie". He has also been part of TV shows like "NCIS", Sullivan & Son". He was even seen hosting "The Late Late Show".

Talking about his career graph, he said: "I'm lucky to be working in Hollywood. If I look back and watch some of the things that I've done in the past years, I see a long journey with 'The Big Bang Theory' and hosting 'The Late Late Show' -- under the lights of David Letterman and Craig Ferguson -- it was quite unprecedented for an Indian."

He cast a newcomer along with Ayushmann Khurrana for "Dum Laga Ke Haisha", a medium budget wonder which delighted the viewers with its simple yet message-backed content. Director Sharat Katariya says a film can be a success sans A-listers and a mega budget, provided it has a strong script.

The 36-year-old, who has scripted critically acclaimed films like “Bheja Fry”, “Hum Tum Shabana” and “Titli” in the past, received an “overwhelming” response for "Dum Laga Ke Haisha", which released earlier this year.

“A film’s success depends upon its merit and not on its budget and name of big actors involved in it. It’s not that commercial cinema is only getting more and more popular. Small budget films are also getting better response nowadays. The audience has more choice now to watch the film they want to,” Katariya told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

He says the idea for the small town-set “Dum Laga Ke Haisha”, which is about the marriage of an overweight woman and an unsuccessful man, had been in his mind for a long time.

Katariya, who earlier directed "10ml LOVE", said: “Ideas are like small packets of joy. When you are living your life the way you want to, you get better ideas in mind and it just happened so with ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’. I was planning to make this film since a long time. The idea was there in my mind, but I was looking out for a better opportunity."

And it couldn't have got a better timing, considering how Bollywood is opening up to unique subjects.

The movie also struck a chord with the audiences as Katariya took "inspiration for the film from real life".

Most Indian filmmakers try their level best to increase the glamour quotient in their film, but that was not the case with Katariya, who roped in debutante Bhumi Pednekar to play Sandhya Verma, the bulky wife of Prem, essayed by Ayushmann.

Plagiarism in the fashion industry has long been a bane for designers not only in India, but internationally too. Ace fashion designer Rohit Bal says such cheap copies are not only a crime, but these parallel markets are also harming their business.

Bal agrees that people "lust" for designer wear, but he sees that as no reason to "copy" anyone's designs.

"Copying is a crime... I have been lusting a Rolls-Royce all my life, but that doesn't mean that I will copy one... everything with a certain kind of value is aspirational. Unfortunately, in my business what I do is not for everybody and everybody who wants it... and that doesn't mean they buy cheap copy. I can't stop them... but they must understand that it harms our business," Bal told IANS.

The 53-year-old believes that plagiarism is not justified as their work requires a lot of brainstorming.

"Everything what we do requires a lot of hardwork, research, development and extreme amount of patience, time and effort. For somebody, who just takes that idea and convert it into a cheap thing, is very harmful for us. It's harmful for our business and it's harmful for the entire fashion fraternity," he added.

Bal, however, does not find the customers who are purchasing such copies at fault.

"It's not the customer who is at fault... the people who are copying it are at fault," said the veteran designer, who is credited with changing the face of Indian fashion with his design sensibilities since launching his debut menswear line in 1990.

Bal says the plagiarised designer wear market is a racket, and that women come over to the stores, try on ensembles in the trial rooms and click photographs of their designs and then pass it on.

It needs to be stopped, says Bal, who hopes to start taking legal action against plagiarism, with the help of Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI).

"I think the design fraternity through the FDCI is going to take a strong stand against plagiarism... and make sure these people stop doing it now," Bal said.

Over the years, with the popularity of high-end Indian designer wear, even the demand of the 'fakes' and replicas has gone up, as they are available at a fraction of the prices of the original creations.

Meanwhile, Bal, whose designs are available in India and abroad for exhorbitant prices, is also hopeful to make something for the country's middle-class. To this end, he has collaborated with labels like Biba, and e-commerce platforms Jabong and Amazon to give a touch of his magic to everyone.

"I have been selling clothes for Rs.5,000 and upwards at Biba; I have sold clothes for Rs.4,000 upwards on Jabong. We have a full collection which will start from Rs.3,000 up at Amazon. That is not 'Rohit Bal' label, it's 'Balance', a sub brand. So, if anyone really wants to wear my clothes, can afford to but it from any of these places," said the designer, known for his signature peacock and lotus motifs.

Signing off on a very positive note, the designer said that if something is of high amount or value, it should be a driving force for people to work towards it.

Bal said: "I think something that is worth a certain amount, money, value or perceived value, become aspirational to work harder and to try and achieve them and to own that. I am working very hard to buy myself a beautiful car, so I think it's a driving force."

Former Miss India and actress Sayali Bhagat, who has shifted to Delhi after getting married, says her vigilance has gone up since the time she shifted here and she takes extra precaution while moving out from house on any evening.

“I do take extra precaution moving out in evening in Delhi. From informing everybody about my whereabouts, be on the tracker with my family to keeping my phone charged, I keep an account of everything. I will be less bothered in Mumbai, so yes the vigilance is up here,” Sayali told IANS.

She married Delhi-based businessman Navneet Pratap Singh over a year-and-half back, but she says she's still going through her honeymoon period.

"It was an arranged marriage, but we took about eight-to-nine months to get into matrimony. We are still discovering each other. My husband is not a Bollywood fan and he didn't even know me before he met me. His interest lies in playing tennis, going out with friends and travelling," she said.

Speaking about her upcoming projects, Sayali shared that she is working on multiple projects.

"I am working on the film 'Homestay'. It's a paranormal thriller in Hindi and will be out in September. Apart from that, I am doing Kannada version of 'Homestay' too. I am even doing a Marathi film called 'Sketch' and this is my debut Marathi film," she said.

Actor Deepak Dobriyal, known for his effective supporting roles in films, says he was offered a role in Sooraj Barjatya's "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo" after his part in Tanu weds Manu"

"Sooraj-ji gave me a role in 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' and he told me, 'I gave you this role after watching your performance in 'Tanu Weds Manu'. So, I feel the response has been great and few characters leave a strong impact on the audience," Deepak said.

The actor is once again receiving plaudits for essaying the role of Pappi Singh in the latest hit "Tanu Weds Manu Returns". Kangana Ranaut's double-role may have turned out to be the star of the Aanand L. Rai-directorial, but Deepak's role as R. Madhavan's on-screen close friend has also been roundly applauded.

Rapper Badshah's songs like "Abhi toh party shuru hui hai", "Saturday-Saturday" and "Dhup chik hori se" created waves in Bollywood, but he says he's not keen to compose albums for the Hindi film industry.

"I don't want to compose Bollywood albums. I'll concentrate on being (an) independent (music artist)," Badshah, whose real name is Aditya Singh, told IANS.

The rapper, who launched his first track in 2006, says that the reason behind his not composing Bollywood albums are the underground artists who look up to him.

"A lot of underground artists look up to us (talent like me) because we have done so well for ourselves independently... Otherwise, Bollywood is a tough place to be in and a tough place to reach," he added.

Famously known for his singles like "Get up jawani", "Chull" and "Bandook", Badshah feels that the time for independent albums is good, as popular labels are supporting the release of these albums.

"Big labels like T-series and Sony have started releasing independent albums again. It's a beautiful time right now, a nice opportunity... independent artist have this courage to bring exciting and new stuff," Badshah said.

Having shot to fame with his single "Proper patola", he says that he has a bunch of Bollywood projects, which have been keeping him very busy.

Badshah has rapped a few lines in "Selfie le le re" from Salman Khan's latest venture "Bajrangi Bhaijaan".

"I have done a song for 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' ... Pritam da called and he said, 'We need you to rap a few lines'," said the singer, who has even crooned a number for "Hero".

Actor Ali Fazal, who will essay a negative role in his upcoming yet untitled film, will attend two international metal music festivals to absorb the essence of his character.

Ali will start off with attending Rock for People in the Czech Republic and after that, he will attend the Wacken Festival in Germany in the coming months.

"The character requires a kind of craziness. My way of attending the same is in the loud head-banging music that such concerts will give me. It's like finding calmness in the loud zone to attend the emotion of craziness that the character demands,” Ali said in a statement.

The movie will mark the directorial debut of actor Raj Singh Chaudhary, who according to Ali is "one of the most sorted director" he has worked with.

"Being an actor himself he has his own ways and tricks to get us going," said Ali of Chaudhary, who has acted in films such as "Gulaal" and "Antardwand" in the past.

Ali has earlier featured in “Bobby Jassos” and in the American action film “Furious 7”.

Music producer Manjeet Ral, known for party numbers like “Mere naal tu whistle baja” and “Party like a Punjabi”, is all set to leap to showbiz for a film as a director and producer.

He says he will unite musicians from across the globe to present a musical hoopla on the silver screen.

“I will be featuring everyone influential from the music industry -- right from Badshah to Mika to Sunidhi Chauhan to Vishal-Shekhar to Vinay Virmani. My agency is in talks with Ludacris and Snoop Lion for a special appearance since we want to cater to the global market,” Ral said in a statement.

The film will be produced under Ral's music label Manj Musik, which he manages along with his wife Nindy Kaur. With a 2016 slated release, the film will be shot in Britain and Miami over a period of three months. The film will feature 15 prominent names from the Indian and overseas music industry, said a statement.

Ral is not only planning to infuse different musical influences in the film, but incorporate dance forms to bring the world of dance and music out through camera lens.

He shared that with the film, he will be catering to the world audience.

“I aim to get some of the dancers from 'So You Think You Can Dance' to jam for the dance numbers. The film is for the masses, but will be shot in Hinglish and dubbed in Punjabi, Tamil, French, Spanish and Russian since we aim to have a worldwide release," he added.

Ral has a struck a chord with music lovers with their hook lines turning them into party anthems. They have also doled out music for Bollywood films like “Namastey London”, “Singh Is Kinng”, “Kambakkht Ishq”, “Tanu Weds Manu”, “Yamla Pagla Deewana”, “Bullett Raja” and “Gabbar Is Back”.

Ral, who was earlier a member of bhangra global band RDB, will co-produce the film with Ankit Khanna, DNH artists and Loud Talent Hub.

Popular southern actor Prakash Raj is in talks for a pivotal role in superstar Rajinikanth's yet-untitled 159th film, which is set to go on the floors in August in Malaysia.

"Prakash Raj sir has been approached and talks are currently going on. He's kicked about his role. An official announcement can be expected in a week's time," a source from the film's unit told IANS.

Prakash has worked with Rajinikanth only once in a brief role in the latter's 1999 film "Padayappa".

To be directed by Pa. Ranjith, the film is said to feature the superstar in a role of an ageing gangster.

Kalaipuli S. Thanu is producing this project, which will have music by Santosh Narayanan.