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ActorAlia Bhattattended a special screening of her upcoming web series Poacher in London. Taking to her Instagram Stories on Saturday night, Alia posted a bunch of pictures from the event. Alia was accompanied by her mother, Soni Razdan and sister Shaheen Bhatt.
Alia shares pics from Poacher London event
In the first photo, Alia posed as she stood near a window. She wrote, "Today (red rose emoji)" alongside the picture. She gave different poses in the next few photos. Posting a black and white picture with Shaheen Bhatt, Alia wrote, "With my best, @shaheenb."
Alia also re-posted a picture shared by Soni on her Instagram Stories. It showed the trio sitting in the audience and smiling for the selfie. Another photo showed Alia on stage sitting with the team of Poacher.
What Alia wore for event
For the event, Alia opted for a black velvet saree with a golden border. She paired it with a black sleeveless blouse. Alia also wore a pearl necklace and earrings and tied her hair into a bun. Soni was seen in a black dress, while Shaheen opted for pink and red ethnic wear.
Actor Freida Pinto and film director Gurinder Chadha also attended the event. Prime Video India also shared several pictures from the event on Instagram. It shared the photos with the caption, "The echoes of the jungle take over London at this special screening tonight! #PoacherOnPrime, Feb 23."
Fans praise Alia
Reacting to the pictures, a fan wrote, "Fifth picture her smile looks exactly like Madhuri Dixit." "The epitome of elegance, distinction and sophistication, Alia Bhatt," read a comment. "God truly took his time while making Alia Bhatt," said an Instagram user. A person also called Alia "stunning".
About Poacher
Alia is an executive producer on the Prime Video series that marks director Richie Mehta's return to streaming space. An eight-part crime drama based on true events, Poacher uncovers the largest ivory poaching ring in Indian history. The show stars Nimisha Sajaya, Roshan Mathew and Dibyendu Bhattacharya in prominent roles. It starts streaming on Prime Video on February 23.
Ranveer Singhis currently making headlines because he is reported to start shooting for Shaktimaan after wrapping up Don 3. Although the actor is bagging projects back-to-back today, there was a time he wasn’t even the first choice for his debut film Band Baaja Baaraat. Of course, later, when Ranveer actually acted in the movie opposite Anushka Sharma, he received all the accolades and it paved way for all the kind of movies he was about to be offered. Ranveer was actually a replacement in the YRF film, for another actor, who is considered Ranveer’s biggest competitor even today, was offered the role.
Who was offered the role?
None other than Ranbir Kapoor was the original choice for Band Baajaa Baaraat. Back on Koffee With Karan 4, the actor even confessed that he regrets turning down the offer.
Karan advised Aditya Chopra against casting Ranveer
On the third season of the show, Karan revealed that he had advised Aditya Chopra of YRF films. He recalled seeing Ranveer with a group of assistant directors and being unable to distinguish him from the ADs. Karan then questioned Aditya’s choice and Anushka passed one comment – ouch. Aditya defended Ranveer back then saying he is a good actor and after watching Ranveer in Band Baaja Baaraat, Karan also ended up calling him ‘a movie star.’
The buzz with Ranveer and Don 3
Ranveer will replace the OG Mukesh Khanna in Shaktimaan. This is after replacing Shah Rukh Khan in the Don franchise. Right after Don 2 released, people were almost certain that SRK will reprise the role, for nobody can play the part better than him (except maybe the original actor, Amitabh Bachchan). However, Farhan Akhtar took everybody by surprise (a rude shock according to them) when he announced that not SRK but Ranveer will be the leading face of Don 3. We wonder how will netizens react when Ranveer actually ends up playing Shaktimaan on screen too.
Looks likeRakul Preet Singhwon't starve her fans and followers of wedding content unlike other A-lister celebrities, who recently got married. A few hours after her first pre-wedding event in Mumbai on Thursday night, Rakul dropped a bunch of pictures of her outfit for the night.
Rakul's pre-wedding look
Rakul Preet Singh looked gorgeous in a green sharara with mirror work and thin straps. She wore kundan jewellery – a choker, large studs and a bracelet – with the green outfit and styled her hair in luscious waves. Sharing the pictures on Instagram on Friday, Rakul Preet captioned her post, “Mai koi aisa geet gaun? (Shall I sing such a song),” which is a song from Shah Rukh Khan's hit movie Yes Boss.
Fans love the look
Husband-to-be, filmmaker Jackky Bhagnani dropped a like on her post but shied away from leaving a comment. Her fans, however, showered her with compliments.
“Mat karo shadi yaar (Don't get married),” said a fan with crying emojis. Another person wrote, “She's the prettiest actress right now... U can't convince me otherwise.” “There is no one is better than you in the whole film industry. you are the most beautiful and gorgeous,” read another comment.
Jackky also shared a picture of his own look for the night. He wore a black velvet kurta with asymmetrical hemline and black pants.
Rakul Preet Singh arrived all dolled up with her family at Jackky Bhagnani's house for the pre-wedding festivities on Thursday night. In the videos captured by Mumbai-based paparazzi, Rakul Preet can be seen making her way towards the Jackky's house with her family in a car. Ready and glammed up for her wedding festivities. Jackky's house is seen beautifully lit up in golden lights.
About the wedding
Rakul Preet and Jackky Bhagnani set to tie the knot on February 21 in Goa are going all out to ensure they have a eco-friendly wedding, according to sources.
Reportedly, the couple's 'green' wedding preparations include digital invites to save paper waste, a prohibition on fireworks, and a pledge to plant trees to offset their event's carbon footprint.
The wedding celebrations will go on for three days, beginning on February 19, with the major ceremony on February 21. The pair, according to sources, has hired carbon footprint specialists to guarantee that their big day is environmentally friendly.
These specialists will evaluate the impact of the wedding celebrations and advise Singh and Bhagnani on how many trees should be planted to offset their carbon footprint.The couple intends to participate in the tree-planting effort shortly after their wedding vows are exchanged.
Abhishek Kumarand Ayesha Khan have shared intimate photos with one another just a day after they made a reel on Saanware. The two are seen holding hands and getting touchy-touchy in their Instagram stories. This happens soon after news about AbhiZaadi aka Abhishek Kumar and KhanZaadi breaks. Was Abhishek and Ayesha’s post a hint at a new collaboration or a confirmation that they are out of the friendzone? That is one question everybody has.
The posts
Ayesha took to Instagram to share a photo of her holding the hand of a man. She was seen in a red lipstick and he was seen with a white watch. On observing closely, one can also see Abhishek’s beaded bracelet. Meanwhile, Abhishek’s Instagram story was about a girl touching his shoulder. She had a red nail paint, which is exactly what Ayesha was seen wearing.
What about AbhiZaadi
AbhiZaadi fans were in for a rude surprise. KhanZaadi stopped following Abhishek Kumar on Instagram, hinting that all is not well between them. This happened around the time of Abhishek’s cryptic post. The story spoke about his never-dying love for someone. Abhishek did not name anybody but the post was assumed to be for Isha, who, it is speculated, might have broken up with Samarth Jurel.
The Ayesha Khan connection
Ayesha is Munawar Faruqui’s ex. She became friends with Abhishek on Bigg Boss 17 through Munawar. Now, seeing Abhishek and Ayesha’s posts, fans are not very happy with Abhishek, for they feel he could have backstabbed Munawar. Nonetheless, Munawar continues to support Abhishek through everything, which was evident through his posts and praises for Saanware. More than Mannara Chopra, Munawar showed appreciation towards Abhishek after the music video’s release. For the uninitiated, Munawar himself has recently shot for a music video. He will be seen in the single with Hina Khan. Munawar and Hina shot for the same in Kolkata and were seen holding hands when coming back from Kolkata airport to Mumbai airport.
Ranbir Kapooris one of the most loved actors in the country. 2023 was a special year for his fans. He featured in two theatricals namely Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar and Animal – both of which became blockbusters and minted over Rs 500 crores in India. Recently, he was spotted at an awards function in Mumbai, wearing a dashing black sherwani. However, the actor’s fans not only noticed him but also chivalry in action. The 41-year-old actor was heartwarmingly seen escorting veteran actor Jeetendra, 81, towards his car.
One more reason to shower praises to Ranbir Kapoor
Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor showcased a touching act of kindness by guiding and safeguarding veteran actor Jeetendra, aged 81, through a bustling crowd after the latter attended an awards ceremony in Mumbai. As Jeetendra made his way to the car, Ranbir, aged 41, warmly embraced him, exemplifying respect across generations. Grateful for Ranbir's thoughtful gesture, Jeetendra expressed his appreciation for the younger actor's consideration towards the elderly. This heartwarming moment has captured attention online, rapidly gaining traction.
One social media on Instagram commented, “Ranbir is a gentleman.” Another Instagrammer said, “Ranbir Kapoor has changed so much after the birth of his daughter Raha. He is so kind and loving.”
One more social media user commented, “Chivalry in display, love it!”
Ranbir Kapoor and his professional life
Though reports suggested that Ranbir Kapoor would be on a professional break as he desired to spend quality time with his newborn daughter – Raha, fresh developments suggest that his professional life is super busy currently.
At first, he will begin working on Nitesh Tiwari’s directorial which would be based on the mythological epic, Ramayana. Ranbir Kapoor is expected to play the role of Lord Rama in the film.
After wrapping up work commitments for this project, Ranbir Kapoor will prepare to feature in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s directorial, Love and War. He is expected to play a titular role in it alongside his wife Alia Bhatt and actor Vicky Kaushal.
Later, Ranbir Kapoor will work on Ayan Mukerji’s projects, Brahmastra 2 and Brahmastra 3 respectively.
Days after Neetu Kapoor reshared an edited photo of her late husband Rishi Kapoor withRanbir Kapoorand Alia Bhatt's daughter Raha, a new AI-generated picture of the late actor and Raha is here. A fan took to Instagram to not only share the edited photo, but also how he created it by using Rishi's old picture with Neetu and Raha's recent photo with dad Ranbir.
Rishi Kapoor holds Raha in his arms in edited photo
Rishi Kapoor died in 2020. His son Ranbir Kapoor married Alia Bhatt in April 2022. They welcomed their daughter Raha in November 2022. In the new edited photo of Raha with late grandfather Rishi, the veteran actor is holding the one-year-old in his arms.
While Rishi was in a grey suit, Raha wore a pink and white dress. The picture of Raha was from Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor's first public appearance with their blue-eyed daughter that broke the internet back in December 2023.
"Heartwarming," wrote an Instagram users in the comments section. "This video deserve millions of likes," wrote another about the making video of Rishi and Raha's photo. One more joked, "Neetu ji be like 'Why did you crop me out of the picture?'" Some fans also tagged Neetu Kapoor's Instagram account, saying, "You should see this."
Rishi and Raha's earlier edited pic
Recently, Alia Bhatt's mother, actor Soni Razdan had re-shared an edited picture of Rishi holding Raha, and wrote on Instagram Stories, "This is such a great edit. It fills our hearts with happiness. Thank you (folded hands and purple emojis)."
Rishi wore a blue T-shirt in the edited picture, while Raha was seen in a white dress and a tiara. Re-sharing Soni's post, Neetu Kapoor had written on Instagram Stories, "This is too adorable (smiling face with hearts emoji)."
Rishi Kapoor died at the age of 67 on April 30, 2020 after years of battle with leukaemia. He had also gone to New York to receive treatment. His and Neetu's son Ranbir Kapoor married actor Alia Bhatt on April 14, 2022. They welcomed their daughter Raha Kapoor on November 6, 2022.
Bramayugam story:Thevan, a folk singer who is on the run, finds shelter in a mysterious mana headed by Kodumon Potti. While the veteran welcomes him as guest, Thevan soon finds out that all is not what it seems in the house, whose only other inhabitant is a caretaker who warns him of Potti’s deceptions. Can Thevan escape from his captor or will he accept his cruel fate?
Bramayugam review: It’s almost amazing that director Rahul Sadasivan, who had previously helmed the arresting Bhoothakaalam, believed that a black-and-white film in today's age would captivate the audience, purely with its engrossing storytelling and riveting performances. Such confidence in a film’s content often results in negating any hurdles that would accompany an experimental film in the minds of the viewers – even when it tries to delve deep into a pertinent subject. Mammootty's Bramayugam proves exactly that.
In a nutshell, the film, set in the 17th century in South Kerala when ghouls, demons and dark magic held sway, revolves around a young folk singer who finds shelter in a dilapidated mana – only to realise that he has ended up somewhere more threatening than what he was trying to flee. After unwillingly betting his life in a game of dice, his attempts to escape the ancestral Brahmin house form the plot.
But Bramayugam is more than just a survival thriller, because through its protagonist’s attempts to flee, it also explores the politics of power; not just its imminent corruption but its extent as well. Through the characters of two lower-caste members, who are trapped in the house, which is full of secrets, mysteries and a tyrant, Rahul tries to explain why sometimes seeking too much power can only result in decay of the mind and morality – even if it starts out as a noble cause.
If you keep aside the tense atmosphere, which is prevalent throughout the film, and limited visual gimmicks of a black-and-white film that give the audience the freedom to imagine something even worse, the movie’s structure and story-telling keeps the viewers on their toes for most parts of it.
Though the film is a period supernatural drama, it could have so easily become a time-loop sci-fi film steeped in Kerala’s history. And yet Rahul never quite uses ‘time’ in Bramayugam in the conventional sense of a time-loop film. The narration is linear, but through its characters of Thevan and the caretaker, the audience get a sense that they are not just stuck in this space, but also the time. If the dialogues of Sidharth Bharathan and Mammootty’s characters don’t signify it, the grey in Arjun Ashokan’s beard does – as the film progresses.
The movie’s Achilles Heel is its second half, after the mysteries are cleared and the path is set. Here the filmmaker has to rely on constructs of space, the demon’s mind games and inherent nature of humans – all of which somehow takes away the edge the film had in its first half. There’s also a reversal in roles in the second half of the film that once again doesn’t quite hit the mark the makers would have liked to. That said, some scenes, especially those about the mana’s past and its inhabitants, make this phase interesting.
Casting Mammootty in the role of Kodumon Potti was a masterstroke; not because of his proven brilliance in pulling off even the toughest of roles, but due to his current run of diverse characters that have enabled the audience to truly enjoy what he can offer. This layer lets the audience appreciate Potti’s fiendish nature. He doesn’t have to resort to diabolical laughs (except in the end), but his monstrosity radiates throughout. This gets a literal unravel in the end, making it even more appalling.
Arjun and Sidharth, who have roles that are of equal importance to Mammootty’s, rise up in the movie, showing a side that has rarely been explored in the previous films. Arjun is almost a reflection of people, who are oblivious to the manipulation of those in power until it begins to threaten them. How ignorance becomes gratitude and then transforms to fear and leads to distrust – all comes through his character’s arc. The mystery in Sidharth’s character also has a rewarding payoff.
Shehnad Jalal’s cinematography deserves a special mention along with Jyotish Sankar’s production design. TD Ramakrishnan’s dialogues also doesn’t feel like it’s toned down in any way to ensure that the contemporary audience relate to it, which has been the case for several recent period films in Malayalam. Just minutes into the black-and-white Bramayugam, you are transported into a thick jungle and a decaying mana, where you care little about the absence of colours and let the storytelling add the layers to this movie. That alone should make this Mammootty-starrer a definite watch in theatres.
Bramayugam verdict: Mammootty’s Bramayugam benefits richly from its engaging screenplay, cinematography and performances, which makes the viewer forget that it’s a black-and-white film and lets you enjoy the magic of cinema.
