The poster of "Titli" -- a film on a dysfunctional family -- featuring a family portrait, attempts to encompass the message, feel, tone and exact mood of the upcoming film, shares director Kanu Behl.

The poster has five characters from the film, and it gives a slight glimpse into their characters.

Sharing the vision behind the "poster", Behl said in a statement: "The concept of the poster revolves around family. 'Titli' explores the idea of five people of a dysfunctional family staying under a roof behaving with specific power equations with each other. The idea was to focus on the core centrality of each character."

Citing examples, the director shared that the hammer that Vikram (Ranvir Shorey) holds, describes how he psychologically hammers everyone in the film.

Clad in thick checked shirt, Bawla (Amit Sial) holding a katta gives a glance of his complex nature, while Neelu (Shivani Raghuvanshi), who is holding her bag, depicts her eagerness to run away at any moment.

Daddy (Lalit Behl) holding his medicines seems to be powerless, yet is manipulative of everyone around. Titli, stuck between all of them, has a reluctant participant's look and his own slackly pointing katta.

The film itself is essentially a young boy's struggle to escape his oppressive family.

To do justice to the film's aesthetic value, the makers of the film didn’t want to glamourise any of the characters in the poster, and so they were made to stand against the stark deep toned background.

The poster is a result of brainstorming by Dibakar Banerjee, Aditya Chopra and Kanu Behl.

Banerjee said: "After our screenings to the focus groups, we saw the audience getting provoked, engaged and also responding to the underlying humour in the scenes.

"The film’s core being the unlikely family that one has only heard of in the news, we decided that we'll give the audience a straight on portrait of the family with their pet things. And let the audience think up the story and imagine the dynamics.

"And with Adi's (Aditya Chopra) tagline - 'Har family, family nahi hoti’, we knew we had an eye grabber.”

Bollywood director Rahul Rawail, a part of the 17-member jury that collectively chose "Court" as India's official entry for the Oscars, on Wednesday resigned from the panel over differences with jury chairperson Amol Palekar.

Soon after "Court" -- a Marathi courtroom drama directed by first-timer Chaitanya Tamhane -- was announced as India's official entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 88th Academy Awards, the news of Rawail leaving the jury started doing the rounds.

When IANS asked Rawail about it, he confirmed the news over the phone from Hyderabad, saying that it's "true".

"I've been hearing that people feel that I was not happy with 'Court' being selected. It is false. I am very happy with 'Court' and I'm proud of it," Rawail said of the movie, which even won the National Film Award in the Best Feature Film category for 2014.

"I'm proud that we had a great jury and some wonderful people who have a great knowledge of cinema and love for it... There was no issue in that, but yes there was one manipulative man. His name is Amol Palekar, who is the chairman of the jury. He is a complete manipulative person."

However, Rawail -- who has directed films like "Jo Bole So Nihaal" and "...Aur Pyar Ho Gaya" -- clarified that he is not blaming Amol for manipulating for "Court".

"It is not that he manipulated for 'Court'. People are saying that Amol must have manipulated for 'Court' because 'Court' is a Marathi film. That is wrong," Rawail said and added that Amol's "general conducting of proceeding was often manipulative".

The Film Federation of India (FFI), which selects the country's official entry in the Best Foreign Film category of the prestigious Academy Awards, to be held in Los Angeles on February 28 next year, appointed Amol as the chairman earlier this year.

Amol's own directorial "Paheli" was chosen as India's official entry for the Academy Awards in 2005. But it failed to make the cut to the final nomination list.

There is no thud or bump that can deter the spirit of Aditi Rao Hydari! The actress believes “the show must go on” -- so what if she is injured.

“Mammaaaaaaaaaa!!! Thud...But! The show must go on you @SanamRatansi for being there! #InjuredSoldier #DramaQueen,” Aditi Rao tweeted on Wednesday.

The actress, who ventured into Bollywood with "Delhi-6", also shared an image in which it seems she has a bruise on her forehead. It seems she had bumped into a hard surface.

Aditi was last seen in "Guddu Rangeela" and is gearing up for "Wazir" starring Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar.

'Salman Khan' and 'Shah Rukh Khan' are on sale in the goat markets here in Uttar Pradesh where sellers have named goats after the Bollywood stars, hoping to woo customers ahead of Eid on Friday.

The simmering rivalry between the two Khans has found its echo in the markets of the state capital where many sacrificial goats named after celebrities can be found.

And so, in the market here is an over-sized goat named 'Salman', while a dark-coloured goat named 'SRK' too is on display.

The prices of celebrity goats hover between Rs.15,000 and Rs.1 lakh as prospective buyers ponder over their Eid buy. They have other celebrities to choose from as goats named after Bollywood and sports icons are also on the offer.

The 'Bakar Mandis' (goat markets) in the old city, Alambagh and Nishatganj and at the Jama Masjid road near Munshi Puliya in Indiranagar are also crowded.

There is a 'Sania', named after tennis ace 'Sania Mirza', vying for the attention of buyers.

The Jamnapari, Dumba and Ajmeri breeds of goats are up for sale, and like previous years, this year too they are high in demand.

Sajid, owner of many a celebrity goat from Nakkhas in old city, said he treats the goat herd with great care and affection. He owns a 125-kg goat named 'Barfi' - his fondness for the sweetmeat 'barfi' inspired the name.

The owners said that to keep the goats bulky but good looking, they feed them special diet of "chana, matar, vegetable leaves, almonds and honey".

While the celebrity sacrificial goats are in high demand, there is a category of goats with heavenly, spiritual and religious marks on them which are graded higher.

A goat from Sadatganj in old Lucknow is said to have a star and moon occurring naturally on its body and is priced at Rs.2 lakh. Another has 'Allah' inscribed on its coat and is priced at a staggering Rs.5 lakh.

Actress Neha Dhupia, who has replaced Esha Deol as a 'gang leader in "Roadies X3", hopes she can add some "action" to the MTV show.

With the thirteenth season of the popular youth-based reality show beckoning, Neha Dhupia has been roped in as one of the judges for the show.

Commenting on being a part of "Roadies X3", Neha said: “To influence youth and to be influenced by them is what excited me to take up the show. And coming from an army background, I think I’ve got a thing or two to add to its action aspect.

"I want to propagate the idea of being yourself, having faith and never giving up on your dreams.”

Actress Zoa Morani, who is gearing up for the release of her second film “Bhaag Johnny” on September 25, says she was not intimidated when she first faced the camera for her debut film "Always Kabhi Kabhi" because of her experience as an assistant director.

Zoa, who was earlier an assistant director in the Hindi film industry before stepping into the acting world, believes that learning acting from a school is like theory, but being on the sets and watching the 'how and when' of a shoot gives practical knowledge.

“From the beginning, my intentions for getting in as an assistant director was for acting purpose. I have heard that you get into acting companies and learn acting. That indeed helps, but only till a certain extent. That is like theory. I wanted practical knowledge,” Zoa told IANS.

She feels that to "see how the whole set is, how the shot is being prepared, how the director is speaking to the actor, how the actor is performing, it's all practical knowledge, which helps you so much".

"It helped me to the extent that when I faced the camera during my debut film, I was not intimidated at all,” the actress added.

"Bhaag Johnny", directed by Shivam Nair, also stars Mandana Karimi and Manasi Scott among others.

As Anupam Kher turned six in the world of Twitter on Thursday, the veteran actor said he is glad that he stumbled upon the virtual platform which acts as a bridge to connect with his fans around the world.

“Today is my 6th Twitter Birthday. Thank you @twitter for giving me a platform to come closer to people I would've never known. Jai Ho,” Anupam tweeted on Thursday.

The “Baby” actor also thanked Pritish Nandy for introducing him to the micro-blogging site.

“Thank you @PritishNandy for introducing me to @twitter. I have 52,44,102 (and counting) co-travellers with me on this journey of life,” he added.

Anupam makes it a point to update his followers about his personal and professional life through the social platform.

The effort in opening different facets of the murder of 14-year-old Aarushi Talwar and her family's domestic servant Hemraj on the big screen with “Talvar” was arduous. The film's makers had to do extensive research over two years to make the film a reality, says one of the producers.

Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the film stars Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma and Tabu. According to a statement, the pre-production cost of "Talvar" is equal to post-production because of the intense research.

With Gulzar’s lyrics, Vishal Bhardwaj’s music and cinematography by Pankaj Kumar, famous for his work in "Haider" and "Ship Of Theseus", the thriller is a fictional dramatisation of true life events revolving around the investigation into the 2008 murder.

The film required extensive research as it showcases three point of views relating to the double-murder. And the makers didn’t want to leave any loose ends and hence conducted a thorough survey of the case by undertaking an in-depth recce of all the places holding importance in the murder case.

Although “Talvar” had a modest budget at the production level, the makers never wanted to compromise at the pre-production level.

"Vishal-ji and Meghna have had extensive research teams, who have researched for over two years prior to commencing shoot for the film to give all sides of the case," said Priti Shahani, president of Junglee Pictures, co-producer of "Talvar".

The film is set to release in India on October 2.

Akanksha Puri, who plays one of the lead actresses in Madhur Bhandarkar's forthcoming Hindi drama "Calendar Girls", says the film is not just about the world of modelling, but has a very strong emotional core too.

"Contrary to people's assumption, this isn't just about calendar girls and modelling. It's an emotional journey of five girls from different economic backgrounds and how their lives take a detour when they participate in a calendar shoot," Akanksha told IANS.

Brushing aside similarities with Bhandarkar's earlier film "Fashion", she said both the films are poles apart.

"What you may find similar in all his films is the element of reality. All his stories are quite realistic; easy to relate with and hence, people assume they're similar. But none of us felt so while working and I'm sure the audience won't too," she said.

Akanksha was shooting for a Malayalam film when she got a call from Bhandarkar's office.

"I didn't take the call seriously; I was under the assumption that super models will be required for the project. When I got a call from the casting director, who informed about a meeting with Bhandarkar, I dropped everything and went to see him," she said.

In the first meeting, Akanksha was sure she'd be a part of the project.

"He was very clear about each character and was extremely positive about the movie. In that instant, I knew I was part of the project. I had mentally prepared myself to become Nandita Menon, the character I play," she added.

On working with the National Award-winning filmmaker, she said it was so much fun.

"Since he had mostly collaborated with established actresses like Kareena Kapoor Khan and Priyanka Chopra, I assumed he'd be difficult to work with. But when I landed on sets, the environment was so much fun and he turned out to be extremely friendly," she revealed.

She said he gives his actors a lot of freedom and lets them be themselves while performing.

Having starred in a few southern projects already, one might get the feeling Akanksha may have waited long for her Bollywood debut. But she begs to differ.

"I've been offered several Hindi projects, but they weren't as good as the south projects. I waited as I didn't want to start my Bollywood innings with a bad film," she said.

"Calendar Girls" releases on Friday and also features Avani Modi, Ruhi Singh and Kyra Dutt.

Composer duo Manmeet and Harmeet Singh, popularly known as Meet Bros, performed for children fighting cancer at a hospital here.

The duo interacted with the cancer patients of Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital and also performed on their popular tracks like “Baby doll”, “Chittiyaan kalaiyaan”, “Hangover” and "Nachan farrate”, read a statement.

Meet Bros have delivered hits for movies like "All is Well", "Hero", "Calendar Girls", "Welcome Back" and "Singh is Bliing" and "Ek Paheli Leela"

An American woman, who was allegedly raped by Bollywood movie "Peepli Live" director Mahmood Farooqui, has testified as a prosecution witness in the case, sources said on Thursday.

The 35-year-old woman reiterated the same point which she had made earlier while filing the first information report, court sources said.

Meanwhile, Farooqui's defence counsel started cross-examination of the woman after the prosecution concluded recording of testimonies during in-camera proceedings.

Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain listed the matter for Monday for further recording of the woman's statement.

The court framed rape charges on September 2 against Farooqui, who is in judicial custody since June 20. In July, Delhi Police chargesheeted Farooqui for allegedly raping the woman.

The woman, who is pursuing PhD from Columbia University, was in India for research work.

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who began his epochal journey on the small screen 15 years ago with STAR Plus, has once again joined hands with the channel for a unique project titled "Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi". The 72-year-old is likely to be seen in a "never-seen-before" avatar.

They have come together to "once more change the grammar of creativity and entertain and inspire a nation", read a statement from the channel.

Amitabh, who began his TV innings as the host of a popular game show in 2000 on STAR Plus, said: "I was always looking to associate with Star Plus again. However, I was keen that we come together for a befitting show that carries forward the legacy.

"When I heard about 'Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi', I instantly connected with it. I genuinely believe that media is a powerful vehicle to inspire change, but we have to achieve this in an entertaining manner."

The actor, who has connected with several fans over his four decade-long dedication to showbiz, is looking forward to the new show, and added that it "will be a thoroughly entertaining show, but has its heart in the right place".

Uday Shankar, CEO, STAR India, says "Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi", will "not only entertain but also inspire individuals and leave them with a reason to smile".

“Our vision has been to inspire a billion imaginations and we have aimed to do that with every content offering we bring forth as a network. With 'Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi', we have once again collaborated with the biggest superstar of the country Amitabh Bachchan for a unique project on Indian television," Shankar said.

To tease fans about the show, Amitabh has posted the link to a 30-second video on his Twitter page. He can be seen making the dull and and boring ride of an elevator interesting by breaking into an impromptu gig. He is seen dancing and prancing around in an elevator in a track suit with foot-tapping beats in the background.

The 72-year-old does not even say a single word in the video, but catches the attention with his agile and fun dance moves.

The show will be presented by Maruti Suzuki and powered by Cadbury Dairy Milk. And it's coming soon!

With "Court" representing India at the 88th Academy Awards, filmmaker Karan Johar hopes that the film, which opens a chapter on the legal hassles in the Indian judicial system, goes on a "victorious journey" to the Oscars.

"#Court is undeniably a great decision! One of the best films I have seen this year...finger crossed for its victorious journey ahead," Karan tweeted on Thursday.

Chaitanya Tamhane's directorial debut, "Court" made the cut as India's official entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 88th Oscars after selection by a Film Federation of India-appointed 17-member jury, led by veteran actor-filmmaker Amol Palekar.

The film has garnered plaudits at several global platforms as it was premiered at the 71st Venice International Film Festival last year, and went on to win a National Film Award in the Best Feature Film category for 2014.

The multilingual film features actors Vivek Gomber, Vira Sathidar, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Pradeep Joshi, Usha Bane and Shirish Pawar, and puts the spotlight on the Indian judicial system through the trial of an ageing folk singer in a lower court in Mumbai.

"Khoon choos le" singer Arjun Kanungo and rap star Badshah have joined their creative forces for a new song titled "Baaki Baatein Peene Baad", which marks the former's debut single.

The song, which has lyrics by Mayur Puri of "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" and "Happy New Year" fame, is backed by global music giant Sony Music.

Its video features an interesting chemistry between model Carla Dennis, Kanungo and Badshah.

Featuring with Badshah, who is one of the most sought after rappers in India today, adds to the party element of the song.

Badshah said in a statement: "I have always supported great talent and Arjun is one such. This song is stuck to my head and as Arjun says Baaki Batein Peene Baad!"

"Besharam" fame actress Pallavi Sharda is upbeat about teaming up with "Bend It Like Beckham" star Jonathan Rhys Meyers in an international project titled "Shambhala". She calls him her "biggest co-actor".

"I've returned from Australia yesterday (on Wednesday) to shoot a film named 'Shambhala'. I'll be shooting in Manali from next week. It's an international project. So I'm very excited," Pallavi said here at an event for Jabong.com on Friday.

"I'm working with Jonathan Rhys Meyers in my next film. He's a big Hollywood actor, so for me, he's like the biggest co-actor that I've had," she added.

Australian director Summer Nicks will reportedly be helming the project, which may even star Bollywood's action star Akshay Kumar.

Having been born in Australia, Pallavi keeps travelling there.

"I'm actually writing a book right now in Australia, which is why I'm there very often. It's very non-Bollywood, so everybody is like, 'What is she doing?' So that's what I'm doing!"

The makers of superstar Rajinikanth-starrer Tamil drama "Kabali", which is currently on the floors, are planning to release their film in April 2016 to coincide with the Tamil New Year.

"The exact release date is not yet locked, but the plan is to release the film during the Tamil New Year week in April. The shooting will be wrapped up by January next year and the next two months will be spent on post-production work," a source from the film's unit told IANS.

Directed by Pa. Ranjith, the film also features Radhika Apte, Dinesh, Dhanshikaa and Kalaiarasan in important roles.

Rajinikanth will be seen essaying the role of a gangster, reportedly based on the life of a don.

"The team is currently shooting here (Chennai). As soon as this schedule is wrapped up, they'll leave for Malaysia where most of the film will be shot," the source said.

Produced by Kalaipuli S. Thanu, the film will have music by Santhosh Narayanan.

Known for his quirky and frank humour, actor-comedian Vir Das feels that delivering news in a “comedy format” while sitting in a toilet makes the digs more "honest and edgy".

According to Vir, who started a new series called "Vir Das' POTCAST" on his official YouTube channel where he is seen delivering news while sitting in a toilet, he can have a “live relationship with the audience" on the digital platform because it is something he can do from any part of the world.

“It's something I can do from wherever I am in the world. I love a news comedy format and I feel like doing it digitally and from a toilet is the only way it can be honest and edgy. This way, along with having a film and a live relationship with my audience, I can continue a digital loyalty relationship as well,” Vir said in a statement.

“When you remove the news desk and television set, there's room for more comedy that engages in a simpler way,” he added.

In the second episode of his new series, which was shared by Vir on Thursday, he took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's US visit, Ahmed Mohamed's arrest in US for making a clock in school and other issues.

Sarcastically addressing the kind of articles that newspapers publish, Vir has taken a humorous dig at the media, saying “every single broken building is not Nepal.”

Besides the normal video that the actor has posted on Facebook, this time a new section has been added, which is called the “Crappy Ads”, wherein the 36-year-old has made fun of “power capsules” for one's sexual libido.

In the first episode of “Vir Das' POTCAST”, the “Go Goa Gone” actor had taken a dig at India's burning issues like current Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) row, the Sheena Bora murder mystery, the meat ban in Mumbai and more.

Kalki Koechlin, popular Indian actress of French descent, was styled up in all-black ensemble for a guest appearance at the Lights Of Colour - spring/summer 2016 collection showcase of Italian brand Furla at the Milan Fashion Week.

Kalki, who has carved a niche in Indian cinema with films like "Dev D", "Shaitan", "Margarita With A Straw" and "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani", was spotted carrying the all-new Furla 'Fantasia' bag from the brand's latest collection.

Other global names present at the event were model Candela Novembre, musician Santurnino, show girl Filippa Lagerback among others.

Furla's new line has a splash of colours. Shell, onyx, acid green, turquoise, sienna brown and lots of deep red bond to artsy effects with an optical art twist for deconstructed shapes.

Practical twists to design reveal a two-in-one inventiveness for which detachable mini bags on roomy totes and clutches serve as both an extra pocket or as the perfect standalone evening style.

The brand's footwear is an exchange between formal-informal, ultra-colored and enriched with precious artisanal details. The new sneaker perfectly embodies the unisex concept.

Mandira Bedi is upset over not being a part of the second season of “24”. The actress-designer says as the upcoming season has taken on a fast forward mode to the third installment of the international show, her role has been chopped off.

“I'm not in the new season of '24' because they have done the time leap and they have got season three of the original which is going to be season two (in India). There is no role of my character,” Mandira told IANS.

Mandira was seen in an action avatar with the Indian adaptation of the American show along with Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor. She left an everlasting impression on the minds of the audience as a RAW agent.

“I do feel bad. I loved playing that character and I don’t think anything else that I have done on TV except 'Shanti' that matches up with that role,” she added.

The show brought a refreshing change in the world of television with a new concept and production values. Mandira may not be a part of the show, but Anil shared with IANS earlier that the new season of the Colors show will have a string of new faces.

Mandira believes in letting bygones be bygones, and asserted that there is no dearth in offers for TV as “lovely work is coming my way”.

The mother of one said: “There is new show on Zee TV that I am doing, which I have already started shooting for. There is really nice fiction show that has been offered to me, but I don’t know if I have time for it. It will start in November, so lovely work is coming my way."

"It's nice that I am actually saying 'no', but it's also not nice that I am saying no to that work that I want to do, but that’s unfortunate.”

The actress, who also made her way in the cricket world as a host, will be seen in ZEE TV reality show “I Can Do That”, which challenges contestants to get out of their comfort zone. Mandira is excited to walk into unknown arenas with the show.

“It’s a reality show that I'm participating in and we will be given challenges that we are doing in real life - juggling or magic. Magic was my first challenge. We learn new skills in the show,” she said.

Mandira, who showcased her sari collection here last week for the first time as the second in the "The Spirit of Zoya Woman" series, is eager to present a glimpse of her fashion sense through her collection on the ramps of fashion weeks.

“I want to do one fashion week in a year. God has been very kind to me as every year the second season, I get the chance to showcase in different formats. I am yet to do Amazon India Fashion Week so that’s there in my mind probably in February or March,” she said.

Swedish-Greek actress Elli Avram, who has been trying her luck in Bollywood, feels the Hindi film industry is happy accepting non-Indians, and has built a "very unique, positive and interesting image" abroad.

"Bollywood is famous the world over. Not only is it recognised, but it also has a great following. In Sweden itself, Bollywood has big fan base. There have been so many Greek adaptations of old Bollywood songs. In Stockholm, there is an Indian festival that is celebrated every year where Indian stories and culture is depicted beautifully," Elli, who made her Bollywood debut with 2013 film "Mickey Virus", told IANS.

"Bollywood has a very unique, positive and interesting image abroad," she added.

The 25-year-old says "there has been a huge change" in Bollywood in terms of acceptability of foreign talent.

"Today, the industry is accepting a lot more people who aren’t of Indian origin. Compare it to the scenario about 10 years ago and you’ll see a great difference. Personally, I’m really happy to see this transformation," she said.

She also said that Bollywood is "a big industry which is popular in a lot of foreign countries".

"There are so many people, just like me, who connect with the Indian culture and sentiment, and would love to be part of this field and nation,” she said.

Has she witnessed any difference in her off-screen image since joining showbiz?

“The change in my life that I have gone through has been tremendous. This holds true for anyone who gains popularity after leading a life away from the limelight. There are a lot of little things that you need to start paying attention to; appearance and conduct being the most noticeable of them all," she said.

The actress says she is also paying "closer attention" to her wardrobe and style.

“Personally, I have become more conscious not only about my looks, but also my health. While I always was driven towards a healthy lifestyle, now I have become stricter about my diets, workouts, etc," she added.

She is also taking formal lessons in Hindi to polish her language skills and improve her acting.

"Delivering dialogues becomes very difficult without having a proper understanding of Hindi. In order to get the right emotions, you not only need to know what you’re saying but understand it too," she said.

Elli, who came into limelight through her stints in popular TV shows like “Bigg Boss 7” and “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa”, will next be seen in Abbas-Mustan's romantic comedy "Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon" alongside comedian-actor Kapil Sharma.

Talking about the film, she said: "It has a suspense element to it which makes the story interesting, but is primarily focused at making people laugh and enjoy themselves.”

She also called her co-star Kapil "jovial and light-hearted" and "a very easy person to work with."

"When he is on the set, you’ll find him joking and laughing which helps in giving a relaxed vibe even at work. If you’re feeling uncomfortable he’ll do something funny to make you comfortable," she added.