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'Midhunam', 'Sri Jagadguru...' recommended for Oscars?

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The Telugu Film Producers' Council is said to have recommended Telugu films "Midhunam" and "Sri Jagadguru Adi Shankara" to the Film Federation of India (FFI) as contenders for India's official entry to the Academy Awards best foreign language film category.

"I have been informed that my film ('Sri Jagadguru Adi Shankara') has been recommended by Telugu Film Producers' Council to FFI for the Oscars in the best foreign language film category. I'll be extremely happy if it gets selected for the Academy Awards," the film's director J.K Bharavi, told IANS.

"Sri Jagadguru Adi Shankara", a biopic on the iconic 9th century saint Adi Sankaracharya, features an ensemble cast of Kaushik, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Sri Hari, Pudipeddi Sai Kumar and Manchu Mohan Babu.

"Midhunam", on the other hand, is a story on the relationship of an elderly couple. It featured only two characters essayed by singer-actor S.P. Balasubramanyam and Lakshmi.

"We have also recommended 'Midhunam'. The final decision to screen the film rests with the FFI," said a member of Telugu Film Producers Council.

"Midhunam", directed by Tanikella Bharani was not a commercially successful film, but earned critical acclaim from audiences and critics alike.

All Indian films being recommended for the Oscars will be viewed by a special committee of the FFI Sep 17 onwards.

One movie will be selected for the consideration of Oscar awards in the best foreign language film category.

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Weak rupee scuttles Bollywood's shooting in alien lands

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The falling Indian rupee has led to a sharp decline of up to 35 percent of Bollywood movies being shot in exotic foreign locales in the past four months, an industry study released here Monday said.

The weakened rupee has not only restricted Indian filmmakers from shooting abroad, but compelled them to settle for locations within the country, said a study on "Weak Rupee dampens spirits of Bollywood film-makers in foreign location", conducted by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham).

"There will be more cut-down in the number of films shot abroad, especially medium/low budget films and opting for lesser expensive destinations in south-east Asia, Middle East and South Africa," Assocham secretary-general D.S. Rawat said.

For Indian filmmakers, the cost turns out to be much higher in countries like the US, Britain, Germany, France, Sweden, Italy, Ireland and Denmark. They are also reducing the number of days from packages and looking to offset those costs by opting for shorter duration stays and looking at budget accommodation options, Rawat added.

There are changes in travel patterns as a majority of the filmmakers are opting for non-dollar destinations like Sri Lanka, Dubai, Bali and Phuket or sticking to favourite domestic locales like Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Goa and Kerala, the study said.

"Due to depreciating rupee, India has become an attractive destination, especially for the Bollywood filmmakers. This has given an unprecedented focus to domestic locations within India and re-emerging as a viable option," Rawat said from the study.

According to the Assocham assessment, while there was a 40 percent increase in shooting at foreign locales by Indian filmmakers in 2012, this year it has declined by 30 percent.

In contrast, from the decline of 20 percent in shooting at domestic locales by Indian filmmakers last year, in 2013 it has increased by 35 percent.

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Tisca Chopra to walk TIFF red carpet

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Actress Tisca Chopra will walk the red carpet of the forthcoming Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) for the screening of her movie "Qissa".

Last seen in "Ankur Arora Murder Case", Tisca is in a fix about what to wear.

"Headed to TIFF 2013 with 'Qissa', a new film starring Irrfan and me, in a few days. Big stress - what do I wear on the red carpet," Tisca posted on Twitter.

"Qissa" is an Indo-European venture and Irrfan will be seen playing the role of a Punjabi man, who tries to adjust his life after the country's partition in 1947.

TIFF will be held Sep 5-15.

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'Happy New Year' time begins for Abhishek!

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Actor Abhishek Bachchan has begun shooting for director-choreographer Farah Khan's upcoming movie "Happy New Year". He urged fans to wish him good luck.

Abhishek was last seen in the 2012 movie "Bol Bachchan".

"Today, starts a new journey. Let us hope it ends in a 'Happy New Year'. Wish me luck guys. Need it," Abhishek posted on Twitter.

Abhishek shares screen space with superstar Shah Rukh Khan in "Happy New Year". This is for the second time that the duo will work together. Their first was the 2006 movie "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna".

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Punit Malhotra thanks Mumbai police

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Director Punit Malhotra, who is busy shooting his upcoming movie "Gori Tere Pyaar Mein", has thanked the Mumbai police for letting him have a smooth schedule on the city's streets.

"Chaotic, but fun day of shoot on the streets yesterday (Sunday). The crowds were uncontrollable. Big thank you to the Mumbai Police for all the help," Malhotra, whose last directorial was "I Hate Luv Storys", posted on Twitter.

"Gori Tere Pyaar Mein" stars Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor in the lead.

The team is slated to shoot in Gujarat this week.

"Exciting week ahead. The cast and crew are headed for a small shoot to Bhuj! Looking forward to some fun," he added.

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Separatists call for shutdown over Zubin Mehta concert

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Separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani Monday called for a complete shutdown in the Kashmir Valley of Jammu and Kashmir Sep 7 to protest the scheduled Zubin Mehta concert in the state capital.

Geelani also called for a shutdown in Chenab valley region of Jammu.

The 90-minute concert would be telecast live in over 50 countries. Zubin Mehta is scheduled to arrive in a special plane along with his 100-member orchestra Sep 5.

In a statement, Geelani said imams (clerics) of various mosques should lead the post-prayer protests Sep 6 against the holding of the concert in Kashmir.

"On September 7, people should close all businesses and stay indoors as a mark of protest against the holding of the musical programme in Srinagar," he said.

Geelani and other separatist leaders have already issued statements against the concert, saying they are not against the cultural event as such, but holding of an international event like the Zubin Mehta concert tends to consolidate Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir.

Authorities have already made elaborate arrangements for the concert and over 1,500 invitees, including 700 from outside the state, are likely to attend the event.

The Shalimar Garden, the venue of the concert, is a 17th century garden laid by Mughal emperor Jahangir. The emperor used the garden as his summer residence during his stay in Kashmir with his queen Nur Jahan.

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Judi Dench wears Indian creation at Venice fest

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Legendary British actress Judi Dench chose a pristine ivory gown defined by intricate Lucknowi chikan embroidery - a creation by Indian designer duo Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla - for the red carpet of the Venice Film Festival.

Dench, 78, mirrored an elegant look in the attire at the event over the weekend. The actress, popular as M from the James Bond movies, was at the film extravaganza for the screening of the film “Philomena”.

“An actress we revere, the iconic Dame Judi Dench, who dazzled Venice in our chikan outfit. What a fabulous feeling this is,” the designers jointly said in a statement.

Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, who have completed 25 years in the fashion world, have a regular celebrity clientele, including Bollywood's famed Bachchan family.

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Rajesh Khanna's last film 'Riyasat' gets U/A certificate

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Veteran actor Rajesh Khanna's last film "Riyasat" has got a U/A certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The delayed film is now likely to release around the late superstar's 71st birth anniversary Dec 29.

The film was supposed to come out on Rajesh Khanna's birth anniversary in 2012 but it was then pushed to his death anniversary July 18 this year. However, it did not manage a release even then. But everything is in place now, says director Ashok Tyagi.

"Rajesh Khanna represents life. Therefore, it was inappropriate to release his film on his death anniversary. The film is now absolutely ready for release with a U/A censor certificate," Tyagi told IANS.

"We have issued pages in the trade magazines requesting the entire industry to support us in bringing this film to the audience," he added.

"Riyasat" also features Gauri Kulkarni, Aryan Vaid, Aryeman Ramsay and Raza Murad.

Tyagi feels it will be ideal to release the film Dec 27, two days before the actor's 71st birth anniversary.

Rajesh Khanna, the first superstar of Hindi films, died after a prolonged illness in 2012. He is known for hits like "Aradhana", "Kati Patang", "Anand", "Amar Prem", "Do Raaste" and "Aan Milo Sajna" among others.

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'Satyagraha' team to engage youth in discussion

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Prakash Jha and the cast of his latest release "Satyagraha" have been invited to take part in a discussion with college students in Pune. The filmmaker hopes to get the pulse of the youth on the country's current state.

Jha, along with Arjun Rampal and Ajay Devgn, will visit Symbiosis institute and Maharashtra Institute of Technology in Pune Tuesday.

"I'm delighted to have got the invitation from two of the most prestigious educational institutions in India - Symbiosis and MIT in Pune," said Jha.

"We will engage in a discussion with the students - the youth and the future of the country on what they see the state of affairs in the country as, and how they are reacting to the situations today," he added.

The invitation comes at a time when "Satyagraha", a socio-political thriller which reflects the uprising of the middle-class against a corrupt and unjust system, is doing well at the box office. The film minted Rs.39.12 crore within the first three days of its release.

"Satyagraha" also features Amitabh Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee and Amrita Rao.

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New film city for Seemandhara on anvil

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Following the decision of soon-to-be new state of Telangana to set up a separate film council and chamber, members of Seemandhra have now expressed desire to start a new film city in their region for the benefit of filmmakers.

"Following the state's divide, we are concerned about that fate of our film industry. We need a parallel film city in Seemandhra as we fear if Hyderabad is taken over by Telangana, then we are likely to miss out on lot of benefits," producer Natti Kumar, who is heading the campaign for a new film city, told IANS.

Hyderabad is home to the famed Ramoji Film City, and all other big ticket film studios.

On July 30, it was announced that Andhra Pradesh would be divided to carve out a separate Telangana state.

"Our focus is not to compete with our counterparts, but to protect our industry that runs into hundreds of crores. We have raised concerns to make places such as Vizag, Tirupathi and Vijayawada as the next shooting spots and also sanction lands to set up new studios and labs in Seemandhra," he added.

Not long ago, a group of filmmakers from Telangana region expressed interest to set up a separate committee called Telangana Cinema Task Force, which would protect the rights of filmmakers in their region.

A memorandum on the concern of Seemandhra filmmakers has been submitted to a special committee, which is overlooking issues related to the state's bifurcation.

"We have submitted a memorandum with respect to the issues we are likely to face as an industry in the wake of the state's divide. We have also sought the support of Seemandhra politicians in making this effort a success. We only want to set up a parallel film capital with all the basic facilities," said Kumar.

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Lions on the sets of Buniyaad

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Alok Nath who was known as Master Haveli Ram through Ramesh Sippy’s Buniyaad shares some moments from the sets of Buniyaad. Ramesh Sippy had to show a Lahore backdrop for a few scenes for which they had scheduled the shoot at Filmcity. And one the areas in Filmcity was designed as Lahore. Most of the parts of Filmcity were covered by jungles and often wild animals would visit the sets. Alok Nath recalls an incident, “I remember once we had a lion on our sets with a dead dog in his mouth and we were all panicked and started running to save our live. But then when we think of it now we burst out laughing.”

This classic TV serial is aired again these days on Doordarhsan every Thursdays and Fridays at 8.30 pm.

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The Lunchbox to screen at the Telluride film festival

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Having won rave reviews and accolades across the Globe, The Lunchbox, directed by Ritesh Batra has now been officially selected to screen at the Telluride film festival.

Held annually in Telluride, USA, the festival is regarded amongst the most coveted and exclusive film festivals in the world. “I am thrilled to be in Telluride and in a line-up that includes my favourite filmmakers the Coen brothers and Robert Redford. I hope The Lunchbox continues to bring accolades to India,” says director Ritesh Batra

Films such as Slumdog Millionaire, Amour, The Artist, Argo, The Kings Speech, The Crying game, Lost in Translation, Breaking the Waves, among numerous others. Critics have referred to the festival as a springboard to the Oscars.

Karan Johar who is presenting the film says, "The Lunchbox has been on a streak of amassing rave reviews and numerous accolades at various film festivals. Other films playing at the festival alongside The Lunchbox will include the Inside Llewyn Davis, Blue is the warmest colour, Gravity, Nebraska, The Past and Labor Day."

The film is being readied for a September 20 release and is being presented by UTV, Karan Johar and DAR Motion Pictures.

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Jacqueline excited to play film director in 'Roy'

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Jacqueline Fernandez, who will be seen in a double role in her upcoming film "Roy," is excited that one of her characters in the film is of a movie director. She says she plans to take some tips from some director friends.

"I am lucky enough to be playing a double role in the movie, one of them being a director! So I am excited about that. I will take some tips from directors I know," the 28-year-old said here at the launch of a coffee table book.

She also said that the shoot for the film begins by the end of 2013.

"We haven't started shooting for 'Roy' yet. We will start by end of the year. It's really interesting, I am working opposite two amazing actors," she said.

"Roy" stars Ranbir Kapoor and Arjun Rampal.

To be directed by Vikramjit Singh, it is currently slated for release in June 2014.

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Ronit enjoyed 'deadly' action with Akshay Kumar

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Actor Ronit Roy says he had fun playing villain in Akshay Kumar-starrer "Boss", but what he enjoyed more was performing daring action stunts with the Bollywood 'khiladi'.

"I enjoyed doing a villain's role, but the best part, I did deadly action sequences with Akshay Kumar. I enjoyed doing them so much that I didn't realise how the film shoot got over," said Ronit.

He even said that Akshay eased out the atmosphere when they were shooting in harsh working conditions.

"We were shooting at 47 degree temperature in Thailand. On the first day itself, Akshay told me, 'Don't worry, we will pull it out while having fun'," said Ronit, who has worked in films like “Student of the Year” and “Shootout at Wadala”.

Directed by Anthony D'Souza, "Boss" is the remake of Malayalam film "Pokkiri Raja". The film will release Oct 16.

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'Romance' with Rishi Kapoor was toughest for Sushant

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Actor Sushant Singh Rajput will be seen with two actresses in "Shuddh Desi Romance", but he says creating 'romance' with veteran actor Rishi Kapoor was challenging for him.

The film, releasing Friday, features Parineeti Chopra and debutant Vaani Kapoor.

"When I met both of them, they already knew and were ready to create that romance. But the real problem I had in creating romance was with Rishi Kapoor," the 28-year-old said here Sunday in an interview.

"It was toughest to create romance with Rishi-ji," he added.

Rishi plays a Marwari wedding planner in "Shuddh Desi Romance", which is directed by Maneesh Sharma.

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Youth will connect with 'Mickey Virus': Manish Paul

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Popular TV anchor Manish Paul, who is foraying into Bollywood with "Mickey Virus", a film set against the backdrop of hacking, says youngsters will find a connect with the film.

Directed by debutant Saurabh Varma, "Mickey Virus" is a comedy-thriller and features Manish as a computer hacker named Mickey Arora.

"I think so far, no film has been made on hacking, and youngsters will really connect with the film because today everything is online. People shop online, even education is online," Manish told reporters here Sunday during promotion of the film.

At the event, he was accompanied by his co-stars Puja Gupta and Swedish actress Elli Avram.

Puja revealed that in the film, she plays a tomboy, who helps Mickey in all his odd jobs.

"I have a tomboyish character in the film and I am basically one of the boys in the movie. In the film, you will see me doing all guys kind of activities," she said.

She calls it more like a "Tom and Jerry" (popular animated cartoon films) relationship.

"Mickey (Manish's character in the film) and my friendship, I take it as more like a 'Tom and Jerry', neither we can live without each other nor with each other," said Puja.

Shot entirely in Delhi, "Mickey Virus" is slated to release Oct 25.

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Taramay launches its first store in capital

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Luxury accessories brand Taramay has grown from an online store to a brick-and-mortar shop. Its first store has opened in the capital.

The store, which is designed in a palette of black, white, and gold, is located in the capital's Meherchand Market.

"I love the way the store has turned out, its clean lines are inviting while the details make it feel like an old-world living room," Nayantara Sood, creative head and founder of Taramay, said in a statement.

The entire Taramay collection, including shoes and handbags, will be available at the store. The brand's online store was launched in 2012, and the products will be available there as well.

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Vidyut Jammwal in Rajkumar Santoshi's next?

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Actor Vidyut Jammwal, often called the new age action hero of Bollywood, has reportedly bagged a key role in filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi's next.

A source close to the filmmaker told IANS: "Rajkumar wants to make an out-an-out action film, and Vidyut Jammwal fits the bill perfectly. He will lead the film and soon after 'Phata Poster Nikla Hero' releases, this film will go on floors."

However, more on the project, will be revealed later.

"Right now they are still finalising the rest of the star cast for the film," added the source.

The movie is likely to be produced as well as directed by Santoshi, who is currently busy promoting his "Phata Poster Nikla Hero". It stars Shahid Kapoor and Ileana D'Cruz in the lead.

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Shrujan exhibition, a platform for Kutch embroidery

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A new exhibition, starting here Tuesday, will showcase products designed by 3,500 craftswomen living in more than 100 remote villages of Kutch.

Shrujan, a 44-year old organisation which works for the uplifment of Kutch hand embroidery techniques, is behind the exhibition.

The five-day event will showcase original hand embroidery fashioned into high-quality products including saris, accessories, bags and home furnishings, said a statement.

Shrujan enables nine communities that practice 16 styles of hand embroidery from Kutch. Craftswomen, who are part of the Shrujan family, work from home.

The organisation's production team reaches the threads and fabrics to the craftswomen even in remote villages. The women do not have to pay for these materials, but they are paid for their skill and their time.

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Raj Kundra tells 'How Not to Make Money' via book!

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Actress Shilpa Shetty's businessman-husband Raj Kundra has made his debut as a writer. He has penned a book titled "How Not to Make Money", which will hit the stands Oct 12.

The book, published by Random House India, is based on a true story.

"It has taken five years to put it together and I am honoured Random House has picked it up. Releasing October 12, the book is based on a true story and set in the backdrops of UK," Kundra posted on Twitter.

"So, here it is, the moment you have all been waiting for my debut as a writer," he added.

Raj and Shilpa co-own the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals.

Shilpa was equally excited about the news of the launch of her husband's book.

"So excited to announce my multifaceted husband Raj Kundra's first book. So proud of you my darling. It's called 'How Not To Make Money'. A must read," she added.

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