Actor-turned-politician Innocent says he has been asked to complete his three-year term as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA).

The 69-year-old comedian contested the 16th Lok Sabha election as a Left-backed Independent from the Chalakudy constituency in Kerala and defeated Congress strongman P.C. Chacko.

"I had expressed my desire to resign from the post of the president (of the actors' association) because I have new responsibilities as a Lok Sabha member. But it has been turned down," Innocent, who has headed AMMA for the past 14 years, told reporters.

At AMMA's executive meeting held here Saturday, Innocent expressed his desire to resign from his post, but his request was turned down.

It was decided to present the matter at the annual general body meeting, but he was asked to continue till next June, when his present three-year term ends.

When Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's "Rang De Basanti" hit the screens back in 2006, it left a lasting impact on the youth and awakened them to their rights and capability of demanding change. It is this awakening that "Rubaru", a documentary on the making and impact of the Aamir Khan-starrer, encapsulates.

Directed by Mehra's wife P.S. Bharathi, who had worked on "Rang De Basanti" as its editor, the documentary brings alive moments of struggle that the team faced while bringing the film alive.

From the process of casting, getting A.R. Rahman on board to compose the music and Maneka Gandhi's demand to remove a scene involving horses - it will show everything.

Featuring Aamir, R. Madhavan, Siddharth, Sharman Joshi, Soha Ali Khan, Waheeda Rehman, Atul Kulkarni and Kunal Kapoor, the movie traces the journey of a group of young college-goers to self-awakening.

More than the gratification of sitting back and looking at what went behind the making of "Rang De Basanti", it was the "amazing experience" and process of getting the movie off the road despite all the "tough times", Bharathi told IANS here post the screening of "Rubaru".

The documentary’s maiden screening was held here Sunday at the third edition of Ladakh International Film Festival.

Bharathi put her force behind "Rubaru" four years ago, after completing editing "Delhi-6".

What was the idea behind it?

"A lot of people told us after 'Rang De Basanti' - 'What an effect the movie has had!' So we wished to show that effect," she said.

The documentary has a montage of news clips and archived reportage on the film's success; bytes by Mehra, Rahman, Prasoon Joshi, Alice Patten, Atul Kulkarni, Ronnie Screwala and Kamlesh Pandey; footage of the effect that the movie had on the country's youth, who took to the streets in protest of injustice on various occasions since the release of the movie.

"Rubaru" also shows the fun behind the scenes activities that the team and cast engaged in during the making of "Rang De Basanti", which had a workforce of around 1,000 people.

Mehra shares that the working title of the film was "The Young Guns Of Bollywood", while Bharathi said that while they were in the planning stages of the movie and were having discussions with the general youth, they came face to face with questions like "Was Chandrashekhar Azad the father of Keerti Azad?"

It was this ignorance that strengthened their conviction to make the marvel that "Rang De Basanti" was.

The cost of sending an Indian rocket to space is less than the money invested to make the Hollywood film "Gravity", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here Monday.

"I have heard about the movie `Gravity'...the cost of sending the Indian rocket to space is less than the money invested to make the movie," said Modi after the successful launch of a rocket that carried five foreign satellites to space.

"Gravity" is a 2013 British-American 3D epic science fiction thriller film. It was directed by Alfonso Cuarón, and stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts involved in the mid-orbit destruction of a space shuttle and their attempt to return to Earth.

The budget of the movie was $100 million.

Actress Vidya Balan, who is currently busy promoting "Bobby Jasoos", says she is excited to associate with Mahesh Bhatt in "Humari Adhuri Kahaani".

"After 'Bobby Jasoos', I will start shooting for 'Humari Adhuri Kahaani' in september. I am quite thrilled and extremely happy to be associated with Mahesh Bhatt through this film. We will soon start shooting for this film," said Vidya.

To be directed by Mohit Suri, "Humari Adhuri Kahaani" will be co-produced by Bhatt under his banner Vishesh Films and Fox Star Studios.

The film also features Emraan Hashmi and Rajkummar Rao.

Having made her cinematic debut in 2005 with "Parineeta", an adaptation of a 1914 eponymous Bengali novel, Vidya has proved her versatility film after film. Her strong presence and performance in films like "No One Killed Jessica" and "Kahaani" have made her a sought after name in Bollywood.

Her next film, "Bobby Jasoos" revolves around a female character and she will be seen romancing young actor Ali Faizal. The film is directed by Samar Shaikh and co-produced by Dia Mirza and her beau Sahil Sangha.

Talking about her acting career so far, Vidya says that she "keeps on hunting for different roles" and that she never understood the difference between "conventional and unconventional films."

"I don't understand conventional and unconventional things (films). There are different kinds of people (in Bollywood) and some people have the guts to pull off different roles. I keep hunting for different roles," she said.

"'Parineeta' was an unconventional debut and it happened instinctively...I get bored easily and for me, an actor is someone who lives different people's life with different roles. With each film I get to do different films," she added.

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap loves to put society's underbelly under a scanner and his films like "Black Friday", "Dev D" and "Gangs Of Wasseypur" are a case in point. Now he has come up with another dark drama "Ugly", saying he delves into such themes because he believes in showing "real" things.

"I think there's a certain honesty and truth in dark themes. Rest everything else is a camouflage - like they decorate a cake with icing. I believe in real, and that's what I show," Kashyap told IANS during a tete-à-tete here.

That's precisely what he does in "Ugly", which had its Asia premiere at the recently concluded third edition of the Ladakh International Film Festival (LIFF) in this Jammu and Kashmir region and was well-received.

He put together "Ugly" after coming across multiple true-life stories during his research.

Kashyap requested the media not to reveal anything about the film, but one can't resist from saying that the edge-of-the-seat thriller keeps you engrossed from the word go.

"Ugly", which was initially screened at the Cannes International Film Festival earlier this year, is set for a Sep 19 release.

Apart from enjoying accolades for "Ugly" here, the 41-year-old loved soaking in the sun and being in the breathtaking landscape of Leh.

Meanwhile, the moviemaker's "Yudh", his ambitious TV project, which is 71-year-old Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan's first fiction show for the small screen, is ready to go on air. He says that there are many factors about the show that excite him.

"There's this whole excitement...the whole idea that Mr. Bachchan is wanting to do (fiction on) television and he's taking chances - an actor who is in his 70s and is taking chances and redefining things and doing things himself...it's amazing," he said.

"And that I'm getting to participate in it is a high in itself for me," added Kashyap, the creative director of the show, which is slated to go on air on Sony Entertainment Television in July.

The Big B-Kashyap partnership doesn't end here. Amitabh will be seen in a cameo in "Ghoomketu", which is co-produced by Kashyap, who also stars in the film.

There's another film that Kashyap and Amitabh have joined hands for.

On that, the filmmaker said: "It's still in its writing phase. Mr. Bachchan has become very busy right now."

Thanks to his past successes, Kashyap's plate is full and he is also roping in big names for his projects.

For instance, there is Ranbir Kapoor- and Anushka Sharma-starrer "Bombay Velvet", which has entered the "editing" stage, he said.

"Now it is in post-production. We take a lot of time in that," he said.

Instrumental in introducing a new style of content, presentation and genre to the Indian cinema, Kashyap is sure that he would "continue making films" he wants to.

Nevertheless he is glad that between him and his partners in Phantom Films, Vikramaditya Motwane and Vikas Bahl, they are offering a "balanced" dose of entertainment to cinema aficionados in the country.

"I make 'Ugly', Vikas makes 'Queen' and Vikram makes 'Lootera'. It's a good balance," he said.

Creativity is not the only thing that keeps him busy.

Till some time back, Kashyap was also fighting a case to show a smoking scene without the disclaimer - 'Smoking is injurious to health'. But he lost it.

He however hasn't given up!

"We have to continue fighting it - at least I will continue the fight in the hope that some day someone will understand that if I don't want an anti-smoking logo running on my movie that doesn't mean that I am encouraging smoking," he said.

Kashyap says that running a disclaimer is not a bad idea, but the current format is not right.

"People need to see that. It is fine to put an ad before and after the film, but on the film - it's not just distracting, it's insulting," he said.

The third edition of the Ladakh International Film Festival (LIFF) has concluded here with "Kaafiron Ki Namaaz" by two Mumbai-based youngsters winning the maximum accolades.

The movie, shot in Kashmir, won the best feature film, best screenplay, best actor (shared by Alok Chaturvedi and late Chandrahas Tiwari) and best debut director for 26-year-old Ram Ramesh Sharma at the closing ceremony held at the Sindhu Sanskriti Kendra here Sunday night.

The film's producer, Bhargav Saikai and Sharma, are dropouts of Subhash Ghai's Whistling Woods International film institute. They left their course midway to make "Kaafiron Ki Namaaz".

The closing ceremony started with the screening of much-awaited Hollywood film "Transformers: Age Of Extinction".

The ceremony, hosted by actress Shilpa Shukla, saw the presence of names like Deepti Naval, Rajit Kapur, and Shaji N. Karun.

Meanwhile, festival director Melwyn Williams was conspicuous by his absence.

Members of the jury, which was presided over by Govind Nihalani, had praised "Kaafiron Ki Namaaz" for its gripping, powerful narrative and interesting storytelling format.

Nihalani had left on the second day of LIFF, which was held in this Jammu and Kashmir region for three days starting Friday.

The festival, this year, began with Kamal Swaroop's "Rangbhoomi" and it also saw the Asia premiere of Anurag Kashyap's "Ugly" and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's "Bollywood - The Greatest Love Story Ever Told".

Bindiya Dutta, known for doing wholesome family dramas such as “Golmaal” and “Khatta Meetha”, wants her daughter to follow in her footsteps as an actress.

Bindiya, who is married to filmmaker J.P. Dutta, is ready to launch their daughter Nidhi under their banner J.P. Gene.

According to sources, Bindiya said that even today, she can sit with her daughters and watch any of her films, and she wishes the same for Nidhi as well.

Bindiya, who has been missing from the silver screen after tying the knot with Dutta in 1984, was active behind the camera and kept herself busy with her family as well as her husband's projects as a costume designer.

Currently, she is so excited about Nidhi's first film that she is overseeing pre-production work as well as the shooting of the yet-to-be-titled film.

In the last three decades, Bollywood content has undergone a sea change and actors and filmmakers have become bolder on the screen, but Bindiya hopes her daughter focuses on scripts that allow her to show her craft.

The three-day box office collections indicate that movie buffs are loving “Ek Villain”. The Balaji Motion Pictures' latest offering has set the cash registers ringing ever since it hit the screens June 27.

“Ek Villain” has so far collected Rs. 50.70 crore (Friday Rs. 16.72 crore, Saturday Rs. 16.54 cr., Sunday Rs. 17.44 cr.). Released on 2539 screens nationwide, the romantic thriller has emerged as one of the biggest openers of the year in terms of screen average, said a statement.

Tanuj Garg, CEO Balaji Motion Pictures, said: “Not only is this opening the biggest for the studio, but for the industry too in light of the screen count. We scored big despite no advantage of a bank holiday weekend."

He predicts that with "compelling content, strong word of mouth and exemplary marketing", the Riteish Deshmukh, Sidharth Malhotra and Shraddha Kapoor starrer is poised to "sustain and enjoy a glorious run" at the box office.

Revenues from the overseas markets and non-theatre streams are additional.

Distributor Anil Thadani said: “The film has found universal acceptance. It is one of those rare films that worked as well in a remote single screen as it did in an up-market multiplex. It is a blockbuster and game-changer in the real sense of the words. Hats off to Balaji and Mohit Suri!”

The film's success means a lot to director Mohit Suri as this is his first film outside his home banner Vishesh Films and he is “delighted” that it has opened to “such a path-breaking response”.

“The stupendous figures are testimony to the power of conviction, content and passion,” he added.

Actor Ali Fazal doesn't regret choosing Bollywood projects over American TV series "Homeland".

He had to let go "Homeland" because of the date issues as he had already committed his dates for "Khamoshiyan", which is being produced by Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt, and his forthcoming film "Bobby Jasoos" in which he will be seen with Vidya Balan.

"I was approached for 'Homeland', and it was a great opportunity. But when they asked me for my dates, those were given to Mukesh sir's film and my promotions for 'Bobby Jasoos'. Thus there was no question of any talks because these films were important,” Ali, who was seen in films like "3 Idiots" and "Fukrey", said in a statement.

The makers of "Homeland" wanted Ali to fly down to the US in the first week of July for the workshop and the shoot was set to start soon after.

In the last three years “Homeland” has become one of the most popular TV series across the globe. It has so far won five Golden Globe Awards and 10 Emmys.

But Ali has something to feel happy about. He has got a chance to work in the forthcoming edition of the “Fast and The Furious” series, which will release next year.

Filmmaker Mohit Suri says his wife Udita Goswami is "musically inclined" and wanted to be a rock star but ended up being an actor.

His cousin Pooja Bhatt had launched Udita in Bollywood with her 2003 film "Paap" and two years later Suri directed the actress in her second film "Zeher".

"Udita wanted to be a rock star but ended up being an actor. She is more musically inclined," said Suri who tied the knot with Udita in 2013 after dating her for about nine years.

"Right now she is doing her music production course. She is already working it out to perform as a DJ," he added.

Suri says that in Udita's family everyone has a passion for music.

"When I go to her place and tell her folks, 'let's play some music' after dinner, everyone gets the guitar and starts playing. They all are super talented. They make their own song and record it.

"And they are into corporate jobs and not connected to the entertainment industry at all. Udita has inherited the same," said the director whose recent offering "Ek Villain" is running successfully in theatres.

"I don't know how to play any instrument," he said.

When it comes to music, Suri too has an ear for it as the songs of his film always turn out to be chartbusters. For instance "Agar tum mil jao” from "Zeher" is still on people's favourite list. In recent times, "Tum hi ho" from "Aashiqui 2" and "Galliyan" from "Ek Villain" wowed music lovers.

But interestingly Udita prefers Ayan Mukerji's films' music.

"She finds Ayan Mukerji film songs better. She is more commercial than I am. I told Ayan once that my wife is a fan of your music than mine," said Suri.

Fitness freak Ajay Devgn certainly knows how to take care of his toned body amidst his busy schedule. He turned one of the vanity vans into a gym while filming "Singham Returns" here.

Ajay is currently shooting in Ramoji Film City for Rohit Shetty's directorial and he ensured he gyms regularly.

"The shooting schedule in Ramoji for 'Singham Returns' is quite long and thus he has converted one of the vanity vans into a gym, which has all the equipment. The film has high octane action and requires Ajay to be extremely fit and toned, therefore, he works out in between the shots as well," said a source close to the actor.

Also starring Kareena Kapoor, "Singham Returns" is the second instalment of the 2011 Bollywood blockbuster "Singham" and is scheduled to release in August.

Ace designer Tarun Tahiliani is all set to host the sixth edition of his couture exposition starting July 11 in Mumbai and it will be followed by the Delhi leg from Aug 2.

“The two-day Mumbai edition will take place at Four Seasons hotel, while Delhi edition will go on for three days at my couture studio in Chattarpur,” Tahiliani told IANS.

Titled Modern Mughals, the collection for the sixth edition draws inspiration from the splendour of the Mughal Era - impressions from the arts, jewellery, architecture, literature and magnificent processions.

“An unabashed modern glamour in fit and finish will be manifested in exquisite designs and jewel colours in bridal wear for men and women at the exposition this year,” said the designer.

Tahiliani, a known name in the fashion world around the globe, opened India's first multi-designer boutique Ensemble in 1987.

His first solo show was held in September 1994 at the Dorchester Hotel in London.

In September 2003, Tahiliani became the first Indian designer to get an invitation to showcase his work at the prestigious Milan Fashion Week and has since shown his collections in New York, London, Milan, Tokyo, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Moscow, South Africa and Karachi.

It hosted the maiden Asia screening of "Ugly", showed "Transformers: Age Of Extinction" and even welcomed heavyweights from Indian filmdom. But logistical hassles and lack of government and locals' support turned spoiler for the third Ladakh International Film Festival (LIFF), thereby raising doubts about its next edition.

When the curtains came down on the three-day fest Sunday night sans the festival director, Melwyn Williams' presence, visitors pondered if LIFF would return for another edition or not at an after-party.

Although, the event had some high scoring points - like the Asia premiere of Anurag Kashyap's "Ugly" and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's "Bollywood - The Greatest Story Ever Told" as well as the screening of Hollywood's latest actioner "Transformers: Age Of Extinction" - there were mismanagement issues at the fest held in the peaceful and serene surroundings of this Jammu and Kashmir region.

A children's workshop was to be hosted by filmmaker and Children's Film Society of India chairperson Amole Gupte; a book reading session was announced with Deepti Naval; the screening of "Transformers: Age Of Extinction" was planned to be held at the Druk White Lotus School, popular as Rancho's School post "3 Idiots" - but only on paper, not in reality.

Since "Transformers..." couldn't be shown at the school due to technical glitches, the students and the audience, situated in Shay, close to Leh, had to instead watch "Bollywood - The Greatest Story Ever Told", which was made by Mehra when Indian cinema clocked one hundred years.

Later "Transformers..." was screened on the closing day, and it saw a curious audience of army men who were disappointed when the film was stopped midway to accommodate a haphazardly organised closing ceremony.

Of the 67 film screenings announced by the organisers, most played on to an empty hall or auditorium - barring the ones that had some hype about them.

There were three movie-screening venues. Besides one auditorium, the other two were makeshift theatres in adjacent halls filled with plastic chairs with the movie being shown on a projector.

When this visiting IANS correspondent asked a few locals in the markets why they were not coming for the festival, most showed ignorance saying, "Which festival? We don't know."

What was more surprising was the fact that although LIFF's aim is to nurture filmmaking talent in the region, there were no Ladakhi filmmakers present for any of the activities.

The reason?

A festival official told IANS: "Filmmakers in Ladakh make movies as a part-time profession. They have their main jobs to attend to and since the 33rd Kalachakra Initiation is coming up, they are busy with that as it means more business to them."

The picturesque city is right now gearing up for the 12-day event to be initiated by the Dalai Lama from July 3-14.

A source said on condition of anonymity that support from the locals was missing as the dates were not fixed to avoid it being close to the Kalachakra.

Nevertheless, some names from Bollywood added some weight to the festival.

Among the known faces from filmdom, those in attendance included Govind Nihalani, Deepti Naval, Gupte, Mehra, Rajit Kapur, Shaji N. Karun and Shilpa Shukla.

Kashyap too came to present his film "Ugly" and Vikas Bahl of "Queen" fame was also present briefly.

Acclaimed filmmaker Mani Ratnam and veteran writer-lyricist Gulzar were scheduled to attend the gala but they didn't turn up.

On the jury panel were Nihalani, along with Klaus Eder, general secretary of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) and Maxine Williamson, head of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Most celebrities believe the festival will take its due time before it takes off in a big way as the venue offers a novel experience.

It is undoubtedly a brave effort on the organisers' part to bring together a film festival at an altitude of over 11,000 feet - and in territory where the filmmaking culture is at a nascent stage and where film viewing options are limited.

But given that the past two editions had smoother sailing with better attendance, the third edition of the event turned out to be disappointing.

Actress-businesswoman Preity Zinta, whose current legal conflict with ex-beau Ness Wadia scorched the headlines, is set to make a comeback with Neeraj Pathak's "Bhaiyyaji", in which she plays a ferocious bandit.

The film will also feature Sunny Deol as a gangster from Uttar Pradesh.

According to Pathak, Preity has pulled it off with aplomb.

"Preity plays a Uttar Pradeshwali. She plays a gangster's daughter. She's no-nonsense UP gangster and Sunny Deol's wife," he added.

Apparently Preity's transformation into a foul-mouthed rustic bandit was so convincing that Sunny wants to cast her as Sohni's Punjabi mother in the remake of "Sohni Mahiwal", a film that the actor reportedly wants to do with his son in the lead.

Pathak said: "Preity's interpretation of the firebrand wife's character is bang-on. She will not be seen as only for urbane sophisticated roles after 'Bhaiyyaji'."

"We've 12 days' shooting left. We will complete the shooting post-monsoon," said the director.

In the past Preity had worked with both Sunny and Bobby in "The Hero: Love Story Of A Spy" and "Soldier". Interestingly, both the films were hits.

Armaan Jain, who has teamed up with Deeksha Seth in his debut film "Lekar Hum Deewana Dil", says he was very nervous working with his co-star because of her experience of "seven films".

Directed by Arif Ali, "Lekar Hum Deewana Dil" hits theatres July 4.

"Initially, I was under a lot of pressure about Deeksha having done seven films. I was nervous about how I was doing? Whether I was good or not? How would I do a certain thing? So, I was breaking my head about everything. So I was very nervous," the 23-year-old said here Monday in an interview.

However, workshops and his experience as assistant director helped him sail through.

"But with time, I shared my assistant experience with her, she shared her acting experience. Acting is reacting and as the friendship between us grew, it became very easy. We were on the same page, had common goals, and had done a workshop in Goa. So it slowly became a lot of fun," said the grandson of legendary Raj Kapoor.

Deeksha, a finalist in the 2009 Femina Miss India contest, has so far featured in Tamil and Telugu films, while Armaan assisted Karan Johar on "My Name Is Khan" and "Student of the Year" and Shakun Batra on "Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu."

Meanwhile, Armaan's aspires for appreciation for his work more than the female attention.

"More than a following or attention, it is always good when people appreciate your work. It motivates you. So I hope that happens," Armaan said.

After two back-to-back hits, Varun Dhawan is looking forward to his forthcoming "Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania" and says the movie is a modern-day version of the 1995 cult film "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" (DDLJ).

He explained that the film showcases contemporary Indian family and is devoid of melodrama that used to dominate the screen earlier.

"It is a modern-day tribute to DDLJ... it is a modern 2014 version of DDLJ... so there's no melodrama... today's youth reacts very differently to authority. So, it's not a copy... it's a humble, small tribute," Varun told reporters Tuesday while promoting the film here.

"This is a 2014 family film. India has progressed a lot...almost a revolution happened... the youth brought about a big change...there's a lot of fire...lots of angst... so we are bringing out that part. So we are trying to show what a modern-day family film is...” he said.

Produced by Karan Johar, and directed by Shashank Khaitan, "Humpty Sharma..." hits theatres July 11.

"Bobby Jasoos" is coming out during Ramadan, but actor Ali Fazal says that the fasting period will not affect the thriller's box office prospects.

Starring Vidya Balan in the title role, the film is coming out Friday. Samar Sheikh has directed the movie.

"I don't think Ramadan will affect 'Bobby Jasoos' because we have a surprise element in the film. There is a special Eid celebration in the film, which is a huge part of the film. I am sure all the movie goers will watch this film."

The young actor, who is working with a veteran like Vidya in the film, says it has been a "learning experience" for him.

"I know it might sound a bit selfish, but when you are in font of Vidya you don't act, you just react because she makes you feel so comfortable," the 27-year-old said.

The actor, however, was earlier skeptical about the project.

He said: "Yes, I was skeptical before saying yes to this film but the moment I read the script, I just said yes to it. It was a mind blowing script and a well executed film."

Actress Swara Bhaskar, who was appreciated for her performance in "Tanu Weds Manu" and "Raanjhanaa" among others, says she is done with supporting roles.

"I am through with supporting roles. Only if I get something very exciting like 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo', I will do it or else I am concentrating more on the lead kind of roles," Swara told IANS.

Director Sooraj Barjatya's "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo" stars Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor as the lead pair. It went on the floors in the last week of June.

"I am very excited to be part of Rajshri Productions. Sooraj sir is a credible director. He has given some iconic films ('Maine Pyar Kiya' and 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!') in the industry and Salman is the biggest superstar in Bollywood.

"Besides, I also get to work with Sonam again post 'Raanjhanaa'. I am happy to be part of this project," she said.

Movie buffs in the capital are gearing up to catch a glimpse of Anurag Kashyap's yet to release dark drama "Ugly", which will open the fifth edition of the Jagran Film Festival (JFF) here Saturday.

"Ugly", a thriller and emotional drama starring Ronit Roy, Rahul Bhat, Tejaswini Kolhapure, Vinit Kumar Singh, Surveen Chawla and Vipin Sharma, has already been screened at the Cannes International Film Festival and the New York Indian Film Festival.

The movie, the Asia premiere of which was recently held at the Ladakh International Film Festival, is officially scheduled to release Sep 19.

The film opens with the kidnapping of an aspiring actor's 10-year-old daughter and the search for the kidnapper and the girl is what forms the rest of the story.

While "Ugly" will keep audiences at JFF on the edge of their seats on the opening day, the gala also promises an interesting line up.

Actor-filmmaker Amol Palekar and Bengali filmmaker Goutam Ghose head the film's juries. Amol will head the Indian Showcase as well as the feature films jury while Goutam will lend his expertise in judging the international short film competition, said a statement.

Since JFF is a travelling fest and will be held in 14 Indian cities including Mumbai, Kanpur, Lucknow, Agra, Meerut and Varanasi, the juries will meet during the Mumbai leg of the festival in September and the results will be announced at a gala in Mumbai before a star-studded audience.

Young actress Alia Bhatt, whose singing talent was first showcased through "Highway", has now used her vocal skills for a new song, "Samjhawan Unplugged". She will sing it live here Wednesday.

"Samjhawan Unplugged" is a melodious rendition of Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal's "Samjhawan" from Alia and Varun Dhawan's forthcoming movie "Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania".

Filmmaker Karan Johar, who has produced "Humpty Sharma...", pushed Alia to take her singing a step further with "Samjhawan Unplugged". Now her song is ready to be released Wednesday on select online portals followed by an exclusive video Friday.

She will also stage a special live performance Wednesday in front of a select audience and media. The event will be presented by Varun, to whom Alia has dedicated this song.

"Humpty Sharma...", directed by Shashank Khaitan, is releasing July 11.