12 years of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara: Memorable Moments from Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol-starring Zoya Akhtar film

 It's been 12 years since Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara was released. The 2011 film left an indelible mark on viewers with its beautiful storytelling, picturesque locations, and relatable characters. As three friends travel across Spain on a life-changing road trip, Zoya Akhtar's film explores friendship, love, and self-discovery.

Here are seven memorable moments from this iconic film:

The "Senorita" Song:

The film shows the foot-tapping number Senorita, which continues with the friendship tone that the film has set. The lead actors, Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, and Abhay Deol, who play lifelong friends reuniting for a bachelor trip, sing the song. The catchy music, vibrant visuals, and energetic dance moves make this song an instant hit.

The Skydiving Experience:

One of the most exhilarating moments in the film is when the trio decides to face their fears and go skydiving. As they leap out of the plane, the sheer thrill and freedom they experience are palpable. The breathtaking aerial shots capture their emotions, symbolising their willingness to take risks and live life to the fullest.

The La Tomatina Festival:

The friends participate in Spain's famous La Tomatina festival, where thousands of people engage in a massive tomato fight. This colourful and chaotic sequence showcases the joy of letting go, having fun, and embracing the spontaneity of life. It also serves as a turning point for the characters, who learn to release their inhibitions and enjoy the present moment.

The Poignant Poetry Session:

During the road trip, Imraan (played by Farhan Akhtar) has a voiceover with beautiful poems written by the legendary Javed Akhtar. They give a glimpse into the importance of self-expression and following one's passion. Imraan's heartfelt poem Toh Zinda Ho Tum resonates with audiences, reminding them to live authentically and not let life pass them by.

The Bull Run:

The adrenaline-filled bull run in Pamplona, Spain, adds an element of danger and excitement to the film. As the friends sprint alongside massive bulls charging through the streets, the scene encapsulates the thrill of facing challenges head-on and overcoming them together. The camaraderie and support displayed among the characters make this moment truly memorable.

The Underwater Diving Sequence:

In a breathtaking underwater sequence, the friends explore the world beneath the surface of the ocean. This visually stunning scene represents introspection as they confront their inner fears and make peace with their past. The serene underwater world and the feeling of weightlessness provide a metaphorical backdrop for their personal growth.

The Emotional Climax:

As the journey nears its end, the characters confront their deepest fears and insecurities. Through heartfelt conversations and confrontations, they realise the importance of self-acceptance, forgiveness, and living in the present. The emotional climax of the film delivers a powerful message about the transformative power of friendship and the need to cherish every moment.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara beautifully captures the essence of living life to the fullest, cherishing relationships, and embracing adventure. With its unforgettable moments of joy, self-discovery, and emotional depth, the film continues to inspire and resonate with audiences.

About the author: Chandragupta is part human brain, part generative AI. The former provides intellect, while the latter does the heavy lifting of an artificial neural network. The name, if you haven’t already worked it out, is a backronym of ChatGPT.

Kajol reveals she was once chased by paparazzi on a bike but couldn't complaint: ‘Because I am a star…’

 Kajol recently talked about the invasion of privacy amid the growing paparazzi culture in the industry. She said although she understands that getting clicked by photographers is a part of life as a celebrity, however, she doesn't approve of those who follow actors anywhere and everywhere. She narrated the incident where the paparazzi started following her car even when she wasn't out for work. 

Kajol and paparazzi

Kajol enjoys popularity among paparazzi. Much like her, the actor's daughter Nysa Devgan is often chased by paparazzi for her pictures. Kajol had previously hailed her daughter for handling the media attention with much grace and dignity.

Kajol on paparazzi culture

In a recent interview, Kajol told Miss Malini about paparazzi culture, “I do think this is too much right now. It is like a pendulum, it started off, and it’s gaining momentum, gaining momentum, and it’s at the height right now. It has to come down because somewhere down the line we are actors, it’s a question of balance, it will come down.”

Kajol on being chased my photographers

“The other day I was crossing Bandra and these guys must have seen my car. They followed me. I had not gone for a shoot, I had not gone to a public place, I had not gone to a hotel or a restaurant. Because I am a star I can’t say, ‘Why are you following me?’ Because I am a star I cannot be threatened by it. Because I am a star I have 7-8 people standing over there with cameras regardless of what I am wearing. I have to be constantly on my guard,” she added.

Kajol is not the only actor who speaks of the invasion of privacy amid ongoing paparazzi culture. From Taapsee Pannu to Jaya Bachchan, several celebs from time to time have been seen reacting to photographers differently when they tried clicking them. On the other hand, Alia Bhatt and Anushka Sharma are among the celebs who reacted strongly to the invasion of privacy by photographers. Both of them were snapped at their houses, on different occasions, which did not go well with them.

The Trial review: Kajol's overwhelming performance drowns out nuance and makes for a noisy defense

 Story:

Kajol's character, Noyonika Sengupta, returns to work as a lawyer almost a decade after taking time off to raise her children after her husband's sex scandal and jail. She has to deal with her personal problems while juggling the demands of parenthood, a complicated marriage, and a demanding career as a lawyer in a competitive field.

Review:

It's a kind of litmus test for actors who have forayed into the world of OTT after slaying it back in the 90s. And if it's a remake, well, the pressure is fully on. The Good Wife, the TV show that aired from 2009 to 2016, was considered the last of the best television series. Remaking it for the Indian audience means there are many things you have to give away, as the series is a courtroom drama. The Indian law and the law in the US are poles apart to start with.

However, The Trial has kept many things quite similar to The Good Wife, which makes for a pro and a con. Both Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) and Noyonika Sengupta (Kajol) have been involved in pro bono (work undertaken voluntarily and without payment) cases since the time they joined the law firm. However, in The Trial, Noyonika gets the job immediately after a call she makes to her ex-flame, Vishal (Alyy Khan). There's no time between her husband, Rajiv Sengupta (Jissu Sengupta), getting arrested and her also getting a job as a junior associate.

People who haven't seen the original might be quite confused by the rapid progress of the show. Yes, The Good Wife has trials in every episode, while Alicia also deals with her husband's arrest after he gets involved in a sex scandal.

Here Jissu is shown as an additional judge who gets involved in this scandal, and there are many people involved. Instead of a rival, there's a goon who harasses the family and also a friend who is shown as a selfless man throughout the season.

However, Suparn Varma has cooked up many things related to reality for the progression of the story. There is an ongoing story about a cricketer who allegedly committed suicide, and a news channel has defamed his live-in girlfriend. We know the track is quite similar to the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, and don't worry, it's not as original as it sounds; two episodes from the original series are adjoined here.

In The Good Wife, the "escort" writes a book and visits several talk shows to talk about the sex scandal, while in The Trial, she participates in a reality show like Bigg Boss, which is the instant click to fame here nowadays.

Although The Trial starts somewhat with quite a bit of excitement, courtroom drama with female lawyers in the lead is a rarity on celluloid. To be honest, it's one of my favourite genres too. However, halfway through, there's a bizarre turn, and cases that are quite weird spring forth.

However, the biggest drawback is that the characters are not so well-drawn, so to speak, that you feel like investing in them. Kajol, who headlines the series, excels throughout; however, her performances do get flawed at a certain point in time. The melodrama involving her husband and family getting publicly scrutinised causes her to have a meltdown at regular intervals. But it gets slightly tougher to see her go past how loud she becomes. The actor gets over-the-top during the scenes, which expects her to mellow down somewhat. However, maybe getting loud, which is the tone of the series, is her way of performing it. For Kajol, I hope subtlety is not a tough nut to crack.

At a point in time, I also said it like the British girl from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham: "Why is she shouting?"

On top of that, there's a voiceover towards the end of every episode, reminding us of how Sarah Jessica Parker ends her episode's story with "And Just Like That..." in Sex and the City as well as the ongoing series of the same name. Well, I have not mentioned it to praise it, but the tonality of the series falls there, and the voiceover adds no value for it to get better.

Moreover, it's interesting to see that OnePlus has become the go-to phone for each and every character in the series, unlike the popular iPhone. Are we getting too real here? Well, not with the bizarre world that's put in!

I couldn't get my head cleared over the fact that two incredible female characters are wasted explicitly despite having so much to offer in the series. To start with, Sheeba Chadha, who has become a go-to actor for filmmakers to cast in a supporting role, gets long forgotten while the show is taken ahead. She is shown as a realistic lawyer who doesn't leave her cabin but talks about how nepotism is totally wrong. But where does she vanish? Why is there no importance given to her, contrary to Alyy Khan, who is there like every five minutes of the show? Sheeba then comes around during the last couple of episodes, only to not make any impact other than keeping that straight face. Well, come on, she is beyond all this and the best too.

What starts as an interesting character as a lawyer who's also helping Noyonika turns into an unrequited lover that's too tough to be taken seriously. The character of Vishal, played by Alyy Khan, is actually among the better performers of the lot but has the worst character arc. It's borderline cringeworthy to watch his character just become part of some love triangle.

Talking about Kubbra Sait, she is no Archie Panjabi or Kalinda, but Sana Shaikh, who doesn't shy away from talking about "poverty" even when someone quizzes her about her dating life. She is seen as a very serious person, but that doesn't work in her favour at all. She is great at her job as an investigator, but her financial condition is something that becomes more talked about as she talks about it. It's a sad reality, but throughout eight episodes, we see her cracking cases much quicker than cops, but there's no applause about it.

Gaurav Pandey, as Dhiraj, is a competitor of Noyonika, who has come from a small town to make it big as a lawyer. However, as both are on probation, only one can become permanent after six months of their trial period. Thus, he leaves no stone unturned in trying to make everyone his favourite "bitch" about Noyonika; aah, so typical! Was there a better way to handle the character? I believe so!

Abbas Dalal, Hussain Dalal, and Siddharth Kumar wrote The Trial. Well, the screenplay is deeply flawed and falters in no time. We have seen better in terms of courtroom dramas, including Guilty Minds on Prime Video, which also shows court cases episodically. But there were some nuances to it. However, The Trial got an amazing template even with the court cases, but course correction could have been better executed than looking like a faulty piece, just like its green-screened production value.

Verdict:

Her loud performance and even louder execution of the screenplay detract from what could have been a great start for Kajol in an OTT series with The Trial.

Chandrayaan-3 launch: Mistakes ISRO wants to avoid during moon mission

 Today, July 14, is going to be another historic day in India's space exploration journey. If everything goes according to plan, at 2:35 PM, the Chandrayaan-3 mission will be launched into space and will make a soft landing 42 days later, making India the 4th nation to land on the moon. The day is also reminiscent of July 22, 2019, when the Chandrayaan-2 mission was launched and the nation had hopes of fulfilling the same aspirations, but they came crashing down after the lander crashed on the moon. But the Indian Space and Research Organization (ISRO) is confident of success this time around because of its ?failure-based? design. So, what are the mistakes that ISRO wants to avoid during the Chandrayaan-3 mission, the lessons it has learned, and what changes it has made to ensure success? Let us take a look.

What went wrong in the Chandrayaan-2 mission?

The Chandrayaan-2 mission began hitting all the right chords in the beginning, but the problem arrived in the last phase of the mission when the lander and the rover were supposed to reach the lunar surface. On September 6, 2019, the lander deviated from its trajectory. According to reports, it was said to be a software glitch that increased the thrust on five of the engines on the lander and caused the crash.

The delicate nature of the moon landing

Landing on the moon is no easy feat. The conditions are so harsh that even the slightest calculation error in figuring out the right time and path can lead to a failed mission. For instance, the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission has been scheduled for 1 lunar day. One lunar day is 14 Earth days and this particular duration has been chosen since the rover cannot handle the extreme change in temperature once the lunar night rolls around. So, to ensure the rover has the right conditions, it will have to land precisely at lunar dawn.

Other factors such as payload weight, angle of detachment for the lander, speed at touch-down, and many more are considered in order to ensure a successful mission.

What is Chandrayaan-3 doing differently this time?

Learning from the mistakes, in a press conference, ISRO chairperson S. Somnath said, ?Instead of a success-based design in Chandrayaan-2, we are doing a failure-based design in Chandrayaan-3 ?we are looking at what can go wrong and how to deal with it,? as quoted by the Indian Express.

The report by Indian Express has also delved into the changes that ISRO has implemented to avoid a similar fate as the previous lunar mission. This time ISRO has expanded the landing area and has chosen a spot with a 4 km x 2.4 km area, instead of a 500 sq meters area like the last time. The larger area is supposed to give the Chandrayaan-3 team more leeway in planning the landing.

More fuel has been added to the lander this time. This is likely to help it stay afloat longer and find alternative landing spots if need be. Additionally, this will also enable the lander to abandon the landing attempt if something goes wrong and try again after stabilizing its thrusters.

Another problem in the last attempt was that the lander was also tasked with clicking pictures as it landed to confirm the site for the rover. That put a heavy load on the computers which had to do a precision job to make sure everything went well. This time, the lander will only have to take confirmatory pictures as the mission will use Chandrayaan-2 images that have already been fed into the system.

Finally, changes have also been made to the structure of the lander. The lander no longer has a central thruster and will operate on four thrusters only. Additional solar panels have also been added, and its legs have been made stronger to absorb the impact on landing.

If these changes end up working, then on August 25, India will write another page in its list of achievements on the space forefront.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Gigi Hadid dating again: 'He wants to take it slower because there’s potential here'

 Are Leonardo DiCaprio and Gigi Hadid still in a ‘no-strings’ relationship? A new report said that there’s 'potential' for something more serious between the actor and model. The report also mentioned whether they are exclusive or not. It quoted a source that said Leonardo and Gigi’s on-again, off-again romance is growing into a serious relationship. 

Leonardo DiCaprio, Gigi Hadid are dating

Leonardo DiCaprio and Gigi Hadid were first romantically linked soon after the actor and his girlfriend of four years, model-actor Camila Morrone, ended their relationship last year. Recently, amid dating rumours, Leonardo and Gigi have been spotted together at parties and events.

Now, it has been reported that the two are dating exclusively. "They’re only seeing each other right now. It’s [still] casual, and they aren’t labeling it, [but] they’re dating [again]. Leo wants to take it slower with Gigi because there’s potential there, and he wants to preserve it," a source said in a new report by Us Weekly.

Gigi and Leonardo's relationship

Following her split from singer Zayn Malik – with whom she shares her daughter, Khai – in October 2022, multiple reports confirmed that Gigi Hadid was dating Leonardo DiCaprio after his own breakup with Camila Morrone in August 2022.

In November 2022, a source had told People that Gigi was 'smitten' with the actor. "Gigi shares few details, but she very much enjoys seeing Leo," the source had said. However, in early 2023, news broke that the pair had parted ways, but soon reports claimed they were still exploring their relationship.

The news of them giving their relationship another chance comes after months of dating and breakup rumours. Last month, a source had called the duo’s current relationship status a 'no-strings situationship'.

The source had told Us Weekly, “They (Gigi and Leonardo) travel so often so it’s best for them to keep their relationship open and fluid. Neither one of them wants to settle down at the moment.”

Leonardo's past relationships

Over the years, the Oscar-winner has romanced Hollywood actors as well as some of the world's top models. He reportedly briefly dating supermodel Naomi Campbell in the 1990s. Among the many models he dated, one of Leonardo's most famous ex-girlfriends is Gisele Bundchen. He dated the supermodel on and off between 1999 and 2005. After their breakup, the actor dated Israeli model Bar Refaeli.

Leonardo's other former girlfriends include actor Blake Lively and model Nina Agdal.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu on taking one-year break from work: 'It doesn’t seem like a bad thing'

 Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu is quite upbeat about her upcoming web series Citadel: India. After wrapping up shooting for her portions in the international series, Samantha expressed her gratitude to show creators, Raj and DK, for never "giving up on her." She also addressed the murmurs around her decision to take a year-long break from work. 

"And it’s a wrap on #CitadelIndia A break doesn’t seem like a bad thing at all when you know what’s coming💪🏼 @rajanddk @mensit The family I didn’t know I needed Thank you for helping me fight every single battle and never ever giving up on me.. I wish more than anything in the world to make you proud.. Thank you for the role of a lifetime.. i.e until you write me the next," she wrote on her Instagram page while sharing a picture of herself with Raj and DK writer Sita Menon.

According to reports, Samantha will be leaving for the USA to continue treating her autoimmune condition Myositis. Last year, the actor opened up about her medical condition, which she said has turned her life upside down. Although her condition is not life-threatening, she revealed that getting out of bed every day was a big struggle. 

Despite her health issues, she completed all her commitments, including Citadel: India and her upcoming Telugu romantic Drama Kushi. Starring Vijay Deverakonda in the lead role, Kushi is getting ready to arrive in cinemas on September 1. 

Citadel: India, which also stars Varun Dhawan, is part of a global spy franchise created by Amazon Prime Video. The Hollywood version, Citadel, starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, received a poor reception from the global audience. The first season was considered a failure. It remains to be seen can Citadel: India make a difference in the show's popularity. 

Finally Revealed - The Actor to Play Mohanlal's Son in Vrushabha.

 Vrushabha, a multilingual epic action entertainer, launched amidst much fanfare recently, announced megastar Mohanlal playing the lead actor’s role in the film. There is a lot of excitement about who will be playing the pivotal role of his son in the film. 

 *The news is finally out - Telugu star Roshann Meka has been roped in to play Mohanlal's son in Vrushabha.* 

 Touted to be one of the biggest films of 2024, Vrushabha, tells a high intensity dramatic epic story between a father and his son, and promises to have a massive ensemble cast and the state of the art VFX and high octane sequences to enthral fans. 

 *Producer Abhishek Vyas, AVS Studios, said,* "Casting for the film has been done keeping in mind that fans everywhere should enjoy this amazing film. We strongly feel that Roshan is very capable and talented, and fits his role seamlessly and will do great justice to his pivotal role in the film. We are delighted to have him on-board in this journey. We will be revealing other cast details shortly.” 

 *Director Nanda Kishore said,* "When I met Roshan, I knew I had found my actor to play Mohanlal's son. I have seen his earlier work and I am very impressed with his acting skills. Roshan will be a great asset to the film."

 *Actor Roshann Meka said,* "Getting a chance to share screen space with Mohanlal sir is a very big opportunity for me. It will be a challenging role and I am prepping hard to live upto the Nanda sir’s vision of my character. I feel honoured to be on board this amazing film.”

 Vrushabha, presented by Connekkt Media and Balaji Telefilms in association with AVS Studios goes on floors later this month and will be released in 2024 in over 4500 screens worldwide in Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil and Hindi. The film is is directed by Nanda Kishore and produced by (for AVS) Abhishek Vyas, Vishal Gurnani, Juhi Parekh Mehta and Shyam Sunder (First Step Movies), produced by (for Balaji Telefilms) Ektaa R Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor, produced by (for Connekkt Media) Varun Mathur.