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Nizhalgal Ravi is one of the finest actors in Tamil cinema who has played varied roles. He hogged the limelight dubbing for Amitabh Bachchan for the Tamil version of Big B's Kaun Banega Crorepati, a game a year ago. Nizhagal Ravi was appreciated for his voice aptly suited that of Amitabh. Now Ravi has been entrusted the job of dubbing for Nana Patekar for the Tamil version of Bharathiraja's film Cinema. The movie stars Nana Patekar in the lead role. Titled Bommalattam in Tamil, the film has Arjun playing a prominent role.
Pahlaj Nihalani: Filmmakers must be sensitive to religious sentiments
Starring Hrithik Roshan and newcomer Pooja Hegde, the movie is set in the ancient city of Mohenjo Daro in the era of the Indus Valley civilisation. "This was a make believe world so when I started my research, during the initial phase, I came across Jonathan Mark Kenoyer's books 'Ancient India: Land of Mystery' and 'Excavations at Mohenjo Daro'. I immediately got in touch with Kenoyer, Dept of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin, to seek his assistance," Gowariker said in a statement. "He has worked at the Mohenjo Daro excavation site for the past 35 years. To my good fortune, he agreed to help me realise the true potential of the story on film," he said. The "Jodha Akbar" helmer said he was then suggested names of various individuals who could give him "inputs on the undeciphered Sindhu script, culture, the town planning and any and every other aspect" surrounding the era. Gowariker shot the film in Bhuj, Kutch and had to keep in mind certain facts to give authenticity to the film. The 52-year-old director shared instances like how the architecture was basic, with the tallest house in Mohenjo Daro just two-storey tall, and since there was no iron used, all the tools, implements and weapons were made of flint stone. The filmmaker said even though gold was just discovered in that era, precious stones like Carnelian beads, Steatite beads, and many other river stones were used in ornamentation. He said another thing they kept in mind was that there was barter system in the era and there was no currency of any kind. 'Mohenjo Daro' is set to release on August 12.
15-Year-Old Nihal Bitla, The Face Of Progeria In India, Passes Away In Telangana
The indomitable Nihal Bitla, the prominent face of progeria in India and arguably one of actor Aamir Khan's biggest fans, has passed away at a hospital in Telangana at the age of 15. He was diagnosed at the age of one and since then has campaigned to dispel misunderstandings about the rare condition and help other patients living in the shadow. Bitla's bucket list included a trip to Disneyland, seeing the Honda Asimo Robot, and meeting Khan. One of his wishes was fulfilled when the boy met Khan, whose film ‘Taare Zameen Par’, based on a child with learning difficulties, was a big inspiration in his life. "Nihal, your contagious smile, positive attitude, inspiring chats, optimistic outlook will give us strength for years to come. You have left us behind with heavy hearts for a higher place, Rest in peace our dear friend. Our thoughts and condolences with family and friends," Team Nihal, the Facebook page that manages the progeria campaign, posted last night.
Anurag Kashyap: 'Haraamkhor' ban: Senile and incapable Nihalani getting back at court
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who feels it's a waste of time and energy to wrangle with the Indian censor board for certification of adult films, says it's important that in a scenario when the censor body is chaired by a "senile" and "intellectually incapable" person such as Pahlaj Nihalani, movie makers must be empowered to approach the court directly. "Give us the power that if we are making an adult film, and we are seeking an adult certificate, we can go straight to the court or straight to the Tribunal (Film Certification Appellate Tribunal - FCAT). Why should we go through the humiliation of going through him (Pahlaj Nihalani) and waste time," Kashyap, 43, told IANS in a no-holds-barred interview here. Kashyap's co-production "Udta Punjab" -- a movie on the drug menace in Punjab -- could release in India only after the Bombay High Court intervened and overruled the Central Board of Film Certification's (CBFC) directive to make 89 cuts. Now another of the filmmaker's co-productions, "Haraamkhor", is left in the lurch for a certificate as its theme of a teacher-student romance has been deemed unfit for the Indian market. There are more films -- Sunny Deol's abuse-laden "Mohalla Assi" and Manoj Bajpayee-starrer "Saat Uchakkey" which is also laced with expletives. According to Kashyap, one of the most outspoken filmmakers of his times, the recent hassles on certification are a result of one man's ego. "He's a very strange man who hates that somebody took his power away. What the court said to the censor board was that 'You can't cut a film and if you have a problem, refuse the censor certificate'. So in four days, he refused certificate to some films randomly... including 'Haraamkhor' and 'Saat Uchakkey'. "His ego is so big that he can't take the fact that someone took his powers away," stressed the filmmaker, who is acclaimed for handling dark themes deftly, and had earlier hit out at Nihalani by calling him an "oligarch". After the Examining Committee suggested 89 cuts to "Udta Punjab", it went to the Revising Committee which scaled down the cuts to 13. Kashyap says filmmakers are now increasingly skipping going through the latter and reaching out straight to the FCAT. "There's no difference left. The same people sit there and the same mindset follows. So, it's a waste of time and energy. Pahlaj-ji dictates terms," he said, adding that he finds Nihalani "intellectually incapable of the position" he holds. "He is an ancient mindset. Cinema has grown beyond him. The world of internet has changed the way information flows. People are well-informed and they are much more mature... He doesn't understand that cinema has far more responsibility now than just to entertain," Kashyap said of Nihalani, who has earlier produced films like "Shola Aur Shabnam", "Aankhen" and "Andaz". Kashyap hopes the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting acts upon recommendations of the Shyam Benegal Committee -- which has suggested a revised system of certification and abolition of censorship. Meanwhile, he is happy that "Udta Punjab" released intact -- the way it was meant to -- in India. "I am happy that the film has resonated well with the people, especially in Punjab. And when people see the movie, the only thing that I'm happy about is that now they can see what was being cut out. They can imagine what it would have been like (with the CBFC-suggested cuts)," he said.