Shoot for Ramayana starring Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi halted due to copyright infringement case; to resume in three weeks: Reports

The highly anticipated filming of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana finally began earlier this year, albeit after facing a few hurdles. After a brief pause to rework the costumes, the production commenced at Film City in Mumbai. This followed a period of meticulous planning and adjustments, including a crucial phase of look tests with the updated outfits for the cast. Despite the change in production hands, with Madhu Mantena exiting the project, the film's journey hasn't been entirely smooth sailing. While Mantena's departure initially sparked rumours of a potential shift in direction, reports now suggest he has requested a halt in filming until he receives appropriate compensation.

According to a report in Mid-day, an inside source said the shoot of Tiwari's mythological epic was indeed stalled due to a copyright infringement case. “Filming continued for a few days after the notice, but has been on hold since last week. The legalities need to be sorted out, and filming will only resume after a consensus is reached on the matter,” revealed the source, who confirms the film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, alongside Sunny Deol, Yash, and Sai Pallavi.

While production is currently on hold, sources from the production house assured fans that the film has not been shelved. Shooting is expected to recommence within three weeks. The delay is attributed to scheduling conflicts with the lead actors.

Ranbir Kapoor is committed to Sanjay Leela Bhansali's project Love & War later this year, and Sunny Deol has filming lined up for Border 2. The production team is working on a schedule that minimizes disruption caused by their absence. The film will be shot in two parts, with a six-month gap between the release of the first and second installments.

According to a report in Pinkvilla, sources close to the production revealed that Nitesh Tiwari and his team are envisioning Ramayana as a grand two-part saga. Given the epic scale and complexity of the story, the makers have opted for this approach to effectively narrate the tale. Unlike most film productions where the success of the first part determines the green light for a sequel, Ramayana will be filmed concurrently.

Reports suggest that a grand audio-visual announcement for Ramayana is expected soon, showcasing the film's global talent pool. While the cast boasts of actors from across India, the technical team follows a similar international collaboration model. As previously reported, the music for Ramayana will be a joint composition by the legendary Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman. ALSO READ: Makers of Ramayana put curtains on set to avoid further leaks

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It’s a boy! Yami Gautam and Aditya Dhar welcome first child; name him Vedavid

Actor Yami Gautam and her filmmaker husband, Aditya Dhar, have become parents to a baby boy! The couple took to Instagram on May 20 to announce the joyful news.

In a heartfelt note, Yami and Aditya expressed their gratitude to the medical professionals at Surya Hospital, particularly Dr. Bhupender Awasthi and Dr. Ranjana Dhanu, for their expertise and care during this special time. They also shared their excitement about embarking on the journey of parenthood, expressing their hope for their son's bright future.

“As we embark on this beautiful journey of parenthood, we eagerly anticipate the bright future that awaits our son. With every milestone he achieves, we are filled with the hope and belief that he will grow to become a beacon of pride for our entire family as well as our beloved nation,” read an excerpt of their post.

 

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  A post shared by Aditya Dhar (@adityadharfilms)

The couple received a wave of congratulations from fellow Bollywood celebrities in the comments section, including Ayushmann Khurrana, Mrunal Thakur, and Neha Dhupia.

Yami had previously announced her pregnancy during the trailer launch of their last film together, Article 370. The couple tied the knot in June 2021 after dating for more than two years.

Congratulations to Yami Gautam and Aditya Dhar on this new chapter in their lives!

Also Read: Yami Gautam Dhar on the response to Article 370 on OTT: “Feels like a dream come true”

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Anurag Kashyap ropes in Bobby Deol, Sanya Malhotra for hard-hitting thriller; Malayalam actor Joju George and Saba Azad join the cast: Report

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is back with a vengeance. It was reported last month that he's gearing up for a gritty, hard-hitting thriller featuring Bobby Deol in the lead role. The project, currently untitled, has begun filming in Mumbai, and will also see Sanya Malhotra in the lead role along with Joju George and Saba Azad.

According to a report in Peeping Moon, Sanya Malhotra, who previously shared screen space with Deol in Shah Rukh Khan's production Love Hostel, reunites with him for this Anurag Kashyap directorial. Joining the ensemble cast for the first time in Hindi cinema is renowned Malayalam actor Joju George. This marks his foray into Bollywood. Completing the trio of new additions is Saba Azad, who garnered much praise for her role in the hit Sony LIV series Rocket Boys. All three actors, Malhotra, George, and Azad, will play pivotal roles alongside Bobby Deol, with their characters intricately woven into the plot.

While the exact details of the story remain tightly under wraps, the report suggests that it's a powerful thriller inspired by a sensitive real-life event. The film promises to be a thought-provoking exploration of a significant issue, delivered in Kashyap's signature raw and unflinching style.

Nikhil Dwivedi takes the producer's mantle. Scriptwriting duties are shared by the talented Sudip Sharma, whose credits include NH10, Udta Punjab, Paatal Lok, and Kohrra, and Abhishek Banerjee, who previously penned the script for Anushka Sharma's 2018 horror film Pari.

The team officially began filming on May 14, and the shoot will primarily take place in Mumbai, wrapping up by June 2024. With a swift production schedule, the film is aiming for a theatrical release later this year. ALSO READ: Anurag Kashyap defends Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal; says, “People will realize the film’s impact in 5-10 years from now”

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Kamal Haasan’s Indian 2 to CLASH with Akshay Kumar’s Sarfira and John Abraham’s Vedaa

The months of April and May have been quite dry for the film industry as very few films caught the attention of the moviegoers. But from May-end, the season of movies will commence with a bang. In July, an interesting clash will take place at the box office between Akshay Kumar, Kamal Haasan and Scarlett Johansson.

Yesterday, the makers of Indian 2 announced that their much-awaited film will be released in cinemas on July 12. Along with the release date, the producers dropped a stunning poster of the Kamal Haasan starrer and also announced that the first single will be out on May 22.

Indian 2 will have a multi-language release. Besides Kamal Haasan, it also stars S J Suryah, Kajal Aggarwal, Siddharth and Rakul Preet Singh and is directed by Shankar. The first part was released in Hindi as Hindustani. Taking a leaf out of it, the sequel's Hindi version is called Hindustani 2. It has music by Anirudh Ravichander.

With Indian 2 releasing on July 12, it’ll clash with Sarfira, starring Akshay Kumar and Radhika Madan. It is the remake of the acclaimed Tamil film Soorarai Pottru (2020). Just like the original film, Sarfira is also directed by Sudha Kongara. It is based on the life of the Air Deccan founder G R Gopinath, who made air travel affordable for the common man. Paresh Rawal will also be seen in a pivotal role in the film.

That’s not all. Vedaa, starring John Abraham and Sharvari, will also hit cinemas on July 12. It is directed by Nikkhil Advani and its stylishly cut teaser caught attention. It is backed by Zee Studios.

Lastly, one of the significant Hollywood releases of the year, Fly Me To The Moon, will also hit cinemas on July 12. It’ll be released by Sony Pictures and their India division recently announced that it’ll hit cinemas on the second Friday of July in India, just like in the rest of the world. Its entertaining trailer is also attached to Sony’s latest Hollywood release, The Garfield Movie.

Fly Me To The Moon stars Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum in lead roles and is set in the 1960s NASA when the USA was attempting to send astronauts to the moon. The film has the potential to pull moviegoers due to the subject and Scarlett’s casting, who has a huge following in India.

It now remains to be seen whether this four-way clash will take place and how the distributors of Indian 2, Sarfira, Vedaa and Fly Me To The Moon will share screens.

Also Read: Kamal Haasan announces Indian 2 to release on July 12, 2024; first single by Anirudh Ravichander to drop on May 22

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EXCLUSIVE: Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi to get season 2 on Netflix? Director weighs in on the possibility of renewal

Indian filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, known for his visually stunning and emotionally charged historical epics, has recently shed light on his creative process behind the highly talked about series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. Bhansali, whose dedication extends beyond box office success, prioritizes crafting immersive experiences for his audience. This series marked his first for a streaming platform and did get mixed reactions for its historical accuracy.

In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, Bhansali discussed his vision for Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. He also talked about the series getting mixed reactions and whether it will be renewed for a season 2. Bhansali said, “First of all, thank you for loving season one. But season two happens or not happens, happens with Netflix announcing it if they want to go ahead with it. They are the producers and they're the best producers ever I have worked with in 30 years. I keep telling them as I've done some good karma that I have had the chance to work with people like y'all. But the decision to do season two comes from them not from me.”

Heeramandi, which translates to "Diamond Market," delves into the lives of courtesans within Lahore's red-light district during the British Raj. The series boasts an ensemble cast, including established actresses like Manisha Koirala and Sonakshi Sinha, alongside Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal and Sanjeeda Shaikh. The series also stars Fardeen Khan, Shekhar Suman, Taha Shah Badussha, and Adhyayan Suman. Set in 1940s Lahore, the series promises a captivating drama amidst the courtesan culture.

ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Sanjay Leela Bhansali on maintaining friendship with Salman Khan despite Inshallah fallout: “After one month, he called me and I called him and we talked”

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EXCLUSIVE: Sanjay Leela Bhansali on maintaining friendship with Salman Khan despite Inshallah fallout: “After one month, he called me and I called him and we talked”

Indian filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, known for his visually stunning and emotionally charged historical epics, has recently shed light on his creative process behind the highly talked about series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. Bhansali, whose dedication extends beyond box office success, prioritizes crafting immersive experiences for his audience. This series marked his first for a streaming platform and did get mixed reactions for its historical accuracy. In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, Bhansali discussed his vision for Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, set against the backdrop of a bygone era. He also talked about working with several stars over the years, however, he remains friends with only a few of them. Bhansali mentioned that he loves his actors a lot but one star who keeps a check on him is Salman Khan.

When asked whether he likes to stay friends with his actors, Bhansali said, “I love my actors. I see that with actors, your relationship with them should not be of friends. You have to love your actors. You have to love the characters that you're creating.”

Bhansali said that the one actor he continues to remain friends with is Salman Khan. He has worked with him on Khamoshi, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Saawariya. Interestingly, Salman Khan was also present at the premiere of Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar to support Bhansali. Though Inshallah co-starring Salman Khan and Alia Bhatt did not pan out, Bhansali added, “The only person that I'm still friendly with is Salman Khan. Even if Inshallah didn't happen, he stands by me. He'll call me; he'll care for me. ‘Are you okay? Is there anything [you need]? You've goofed up, you messed up’. I enjoy his humour so much. It [phone call] comes once in three months, once in five months, but it comes because he doesn't care about my film. He cares about me. ‘You, bro, you've done so many films with me doesn't matter. Are you okay?’ And that is what it is all about.”

He continued, “On work, we may have sparred, we may have not had our moment correct, and it didn’t fall into place. But after one month, he called me and I called him and we talked. So that is a friend. In that sense, I'm fortunate enough to have that friend who once in six months and will speak, will exactly start from where we left.”

Bhansali said, “But mostly I love them [actors] when I'm working with them. I think they move on, they forget. As an actor, you go to the next day, you're going to the next film. A director is sitting at home for six months working on the next one. So you feel lonely, but all those people who were with me work with me every day. So you feel that you should not take that too seriously. But you don't stop loving them. And you thank them because of what they've done for you and created the character and made your cinema come alive. And you should always be grateful to them.”

Inshallah was shelved after the project went on floors. While Bhansali seems to have no plans to revive it, some speculations suggest the story revolved around a businessman [Salman Khan] who, despite being in his 40s, maintained a youthful spirit. He travelled from Orlando to Varanasi, India, possibly for business or personal reasons. There, he encountered [Alia Bhatt], an aspiring actress living near the Ganges River. Their significant age difference would have become a central theme of the film.

Meanwhile, Heeramandi, which translates to "Diamond Market," delves into the lives of courtesans within Lahore's red-light district during the British Raj. The series boasts an ensemble cast, including established actresses like Manisha Koirala and Sonakshi Sinha, alongside Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal and Sanjeeda Shaikh.

ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Sanjay Leela Bhansali addresses glorification of courtesans; historical accuracy of Heeramandi: “My work is not supposed to be seen as if rooted in reality”

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EXCLUSIVE: Sanjay Leela Bhansali addresses glorification of courtesans; historical accuracy of Heeramandi: “My work is not supposed to be seen as if rooted in reality”

Indian filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, known for his visually stunning and emotionally charged historical epics, has recently shed light on his creative process behind the highly talked about series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. Bhansali, whose dedication extends beyond box office success, prioritizes crafting immersive experiences for his audience. This series marked his first for a streaming platform and did get mixed reactions for its historical accuracy.

In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, Bhansali discussed his vision for Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, set against the backdrop of a bygone era.  While the narrative unfolds within a historical context, Bhansali emphasized that the series is driven by his artistic imagination. He aspires to create a world that resonates with viewers on a deeper level, even if the specific details deviate slightly from historical records.

When asked what fascinates him about depicting stories of courtesans, Bhansali said, “These women are, number one, beautiful. These women were very sophisticated and trained in etiquette and they knew the art of living in terms of poetry. They knew tradition, and they knew the art of classical dancing and classical music, but they also had stories of suffering that went through a lot of turmoil. And that was the fun of showing them all dressed in those diamonds and the things that they were saying something. They had their own inner politics; they had to help fight as much to survive as a middle-class woman would be or a lower-class woman, a woman or a man has to survive and they go through their own struggles.”

He continued, “So, I have not only shown the glamorous part but there is a lot of inner suffering of every close-up of every move of why she's reacting like this, what she went through, or what she wants to achieve. Or to stand by the tradition of every daughter having to be a tawaif as the girl protesting and saying I don't want to. So as a mother (Mallikajaan played by Manisha Koirala), she gives us the supreme sacrifice of getting out of it.”

“These are turmoil stories that we created, some from hearsay; some from real characters,” he stated. “Not my work is not supposed to be seen as if rooted in reality, in a documentary on Lahore and Heeramandi. It's an impression of Lahore. It is an impression of Heeramandi. It's an impression of artisans and living that life. I cannot understand how it can be realistic because I have not lived in that era. I have not seen that world, I cannot document it as, as clearly as the Heermandi of today from the Heeramandi of the 30s or 20s. So when you're creating a work of fiction, it is just to create an experience for you to say what maybe those women went through. That is the joy of filmmaking. I like to create an atmosphere and an impression on your mind of what I perceive that moment to be.”

He added, “These women fought for freedom. They were all trapped – Gangubai was trapped, Mastani was trapped. Women who are used for their beauty or their bodies, and have to survive because of that, or women who want to escape that lack of dignity. The lack of dignity is the worst punishment granted to a human being because dignity is every human being’s right. Every woman should be granted dignity. This is what Gangubai said even if I'm because of whatever circumstances forced into prostitution, then be proud. I'm proud that I'm a prostitute; I give my profession dignity. I will do it with commitment. So these women when they found a purpose in Azadi and freedom, people should understand that these are multi-layer women, they're just not about clothes and fancy songs and song picturisation. There is a lot more.”

Heeramandi, which translates to "Diamond Market," delves into the lives of courtesans within Lahore's red-light district during the British Raj. The series boasts an ensemble cast, including established actresses like Manisha Koirala and Sonakshi Sinha, alongside Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal and Sanjeeda Shaikh.

ALSO READ: Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar rakes in 8.5 million views within just 12 days of its release on Netflix

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