MUMBAI: Abhishek Bachchan has sold his luxury apartment in Mumbai’s Oberoi 360 West. The actor got Rs 45.75 crore for the sale. Abhishek, his wife Aishwarya Rai and daughter Aaradhya would have been neighbours to Shahid Kapoor and Akshay Kumar if they had stuck with the purchase. The actor got the house in 2014 for Rs 41 crore. As per a report in Money Control, the house is 7,527 square feet and located on the 37th floor of the Oberoi 360 West in Mumbai’s Worli area. Shahid reportedly paid Rs 56 crore for his apartment while Akshay got it for Rs 52.5 crore. Shahid and his wife Mira often visit the site these days to overlook the construction work. She recently posted a video in which she checked out tiles laid out on the floor. Their flat is on the high-rise’s 42nd and 43rd floors. Other actors who have made recent property purchases are Rani Mukerji and Disha Patani. They bought sea-facing homes in the Khar West neighbourhood. While Rani Mukerji reportedly spent Rs 7.12 crore on hers, Disha Patani bought it for Rs 5.95 crore. Abhishek was last seen in The Big Bull, inspired by the life of tainted stock broker Harshad Mehta. The film did not do well amid comparisons with Hansal Mehta’s hit series on the same subject. His next two releases will be Dasvi with Nimrat Kaur and Bob Biswas with Chitrangada Sen. 

At the end of Shershaah, the recent biopic on the life of the legendary Kargil War hero Captain Vikram Batra, Vishal Batra, Captain Batra’s twin brother, avers, “When I think of Captain Batra’s life of 25 years, I realize that there is no greater honor than being a soldier. There is no great pride than wearing a soldier’s uniform. And there is no religion greater than one’s country.” Rest assured, the scene will give you goosebumps. I wish I could say the same about the whole film which can best be described as a mixed-bag affair. The film’s biggest problem is the casting of Sidharth Malhotra in a double role as Captain Vikram Batra and Vishal Batra. While Vishal is the narrator of Captain Batra’s story, one never really gets to see the twin brothers together in the film except as young kids early in the film (with Krishnay Tuteja and Kavay Tuteja playing the parts of Captain Batra and Vishal Vatra, respectively). More so, Sidharta Malhotra as an actor has many limitations. He is great if he just has to look cool and suave. But every time a character demands him to step out of his comfort zone he gets totally exposed.

Another major issue with Shershaah is that it wants to obsessively follow Captain Batra all the time like some character driven non-fiction film. As a result it fails to do justice to the other characters as well as the world around Captain Batra. In other words, Sidharth Malthotra is the Rajinikanth of Shershaah’s world. If only he were half as good as Rajinikanth in a quintessential Rajinnikanth film. Now, it’s not that Sidharth doesn’t try. In fact, he gets 100/100 for trying. But in the world of professional acting, trying is just not good enough. You either have it or you don’t. And Sidharth definitely has it in him to impeccably play Sidharth Malhotra every time. Now, anyone who has seen old videos of Captain Batra would agree that he was really one of a kind. And so it is wishful thinking to expect someone like Sidharth Malhotra with limited acting skills to plausibly play a braveheart like Captain Batra. In fact, the director and the casting department have done a great disservice to the iconic stature of Captain Batra by casting Malhotra in the part.

To quote the late American film critic Roger Ebert, as critics, we are looking for “moods, tones, fears, imaginings, whims, speculations, nightmares” in the films that we watch. He adds, “As a general principle, I believe films are the wrong medium for fact. Fact belongs in print. Films are about emotions.” Therefore, even when a filmmaker is making a biopic, he/she cannot afford to get too obsessed with facts and figures. Ebert further adds, “My notion is that ‘JFK’ is no more, or less, factual than (Oliver) Stone’s ‘Nixon’ or ‘Gandhi’, ‘Lawrence of Arabia’, ‘Gladiator,’ ‘Amistad,’ ‘Out of Africa,’ ‘My Dog Skip’ or any other movie based on ‘real life’. All we can reasonably ask is that it be skillfully made and seem to approach some kind of emotional truth”. Ebert’s astute observations perfectly apply to Shershaah. Here is a film about a beloved and revered martyr like Captain Batra and yet one doesn’t really feel the goosebumps for the most part. And therein lies the rub. One wants to clench one’s fists every time Captain Batra goes on a nigh impossible mission. One wants to feel the adrenaline. Every time he finds himself in the tight spot while facing the enemy one wants to pray for his safety. And when he triumphs one wants to make the same battle cry. Alas, such moments are few and far in the film!

Shershaah’s greatest strength is Kamaljeet Negi’s splendid work in the cinematography department. Negi’s camerawork helps bring the Kargil War to life. Also, the film’s editing and sound design are its strong areas. Even as Malhotra struggles throughout the film to get a hold over his challenging character, actors around him succeed in leaving their mark. While Raj Arjun is mesmerizing to watch during his special cameo appearance, Sahil Vaid is solid as ever as Captain Batra’s elder brother. Also, Mir Sarwar looks menacing during his short but powerful portrayal of the head of a Kashmiri militant outfit backed by Pakistan. Shiv Pandit also impresses in the limited screen time that he gets. As for Kiara Advani, she somewhere seems to be playing the extension of her character from Kabir Singh. At this stage in her career she needs to be very careful of getting typecast and so she cannot afford to play the shy, homely girl with little or no agency over and over again. Shershaah isn’t a bad film but it hardly has anything new to offer. For some reason, Indian filmmakers just can’t seem to go beyond the scope of ‘Border’ or ‘Lakshya’. At this rate we might have to wait until the next century for our own ‘Saving Private Ryan’ or ‘The Thin Red Line’ to arrive on the film scene.

Radhika Apte is one of the most critically acclaimed actors in our country. The actress keeps leaving the jaws dropped with her unique film choices and boldness to pull off every character with ease. However, ‘Boycott Radhika Apte’ has been trending on Twitter on Friday. While the actress has no latest film releasing or an upcoming project, still she has found her way to top social media trends. The reason is her old leaked pictures from the film Parched.

Twitterati has been objecting to Bollywood celebrities behaviour on staying tight-lipped when a person from the industry does something ‘wrong’ while they raise their voice on every other issue. The said pictures from Ajay Devgn’s Parched film show Radhika’s nude and lovemaking scenes with Adil Hussain and Tannishtha Chatterjee.

A Twitter user said, “They are against our culture.” Another tweeted, “Their movies are so bad that I can’t even put a photo video. The issue is that they have spread obscenity, boycott them in the interest of the country. “ 

Talking about her lovemaking scene with Adil Hussain in Leena Yadav’s Parched, Radhika Apte had earlier said, “It wasn’t easy because I was contending with my own body image issues at the time. So, having to be nude on screen was a little intimidating. Now I can bare it all anywhere. I’m proud of my body shape and size. I really needed a role like this because when you’re in Bollywood you’re constantly told what to do with your body and I always maintained that I would never do anything to my body or face.”

A major tea company has joined hands with a startup to promote the work of local artisans. TATA Tea Premium, in partnership with Rare Planet, will help artisans make exquisite hand-painted kulhads, the proceeds of whose sales will help to lend support to the artisan community that has been severely impacted in the current Covid-19 times

These special kulhads have been hand crafted with region-specific art forms like Madhubani folk art from Bihar, Warli art form from Maharashtra, Phulkari patterns from Punjab, Patachitra from Odisha, Sanjhi Art from UP, etc.

The #Deshkakulhad collection comprises 26 distinct kulhad designs, each representing different regions of India. Themed around popular motifs and landmarks from each region, each kulhad celebrates a specific art form of that region.

These special hand-painted kulhads thus serve as a unique canvas showcasing India’s diverse culture and rich heritage.

As part of raising awareness for this initiative, a digital film too has been released showcasing this diversity. The musical video sung by singer and composer—Rituraj Mohanty—a popular artist, takes you on a colorful joyride across the length and breadth of the country, showcasing India’s vivid art forms through the perspective of the local artisans and their hand-painted Kulhads.

Commenting on the initiative, Puneet Das, president, Packaged Beverages (India and South Asia), Tata Consumer Products, says, “Kulhads are an intricate part of Indian culture across the country and most of us would have enjoyed an occasional kulhad-waali chai. We used kulhads as a unique canvas for showcasing India’s regional diversity and to continue our support towards India’s artisan community. These kulhads celebrate and showcase the talent of these artists and give a unique chance for all of us to own such a vibrant and colourful art collection, while supporting the local artisans.”

For years we have witnessed these art forms. The hard work and labour that go behind creating these products is impeccable. Our main goal at Rare Planet is to provide a platform for these talents as well as create a financial forum for them,” say Rare Planet co-founders Ranodeep Saha and Vijay Kumar.

The hand-painted kulhads are available on indiakichai.com for you to shop and support the Indian artisans.

The essence of being Indian is difficult to explain in words, yet comes forth easily through the language of music. This Independence Day, ‘Synthesis—The Indian Muse’, a unique collaborative song made by sixteen artists is doing just that.

Set to be released across streaming platforms, at 11 am on August 15, the song has been spearheaded by ShowCase Events, a company known for putting artists and their welfare above all else. Speaking about the idea behind this one-of-a-kind song, CEO Nanni Singh says, “The concept of the song arose from the desire to create a sound that expresses what our country stands for—unity in diversity. We believe that music is beyond all barriers, and this song is an amalgamation of the various sounds and moves of our country.”

The music for this song has been composed by Ravi Iyer with lyrics by K.C. Loy. It has been mixed and mastered by Aslam Khan at Headroom Studio, Mumbai, and numerous artists have come together to create it. The vocals have been performed by Dhanashree Pandit Rai, a leading singer of ‘Thumri’, Sonam Kalra of the Sufi Gospel Project, Kutle Khan, a highly acclaimed Rajasthani folk musician, Anushree Gupta, a talented artist from Bengal, and Sunita Bhuyan, the popular Assamese folk singer and violinist from Assam.

Instrumentalists in this song include the likes of Ustaad Hidayat Hussain Khan on the Sitar, Ambi Subramaniam on the Violin, three-time Grammy nominee Pt Ajay Shankar Prasanna of the Benares Gharana on the Flute, Nazir Ganaie, the famous Kashmiri Rabab Player, and Sunita Bhuyan on the folk Violin. The Percussionists are Ustaad Fazal Qureshi on the Tabla, Sridar Parthasarathy on the Mridangam, Kanjira, and Morsing, Vijay Chavan on the Marathi Dholki, Nathulal Solanki on the Nagara, and Kutle Khan on the Khartaal.

The virtual production for this song was assembled in Delhi-NCR’s RRE Studios, with the video boasting performances by renowned dancers Aditi Bhagwat for Kathak, and Sohini Roychowdhry for Bharatanatyam, allowing India’s varied cultural traditions to shine simultaneously.

Composer Ravi Iyer states with pride, “Synthesis for me is an anthem of love, peace, harmony and togetherness. I’m very proud to be an Indian and extremely proud to be a part of this anthem which brings to you our unity in diversity in one voice together.”

Interestingly, the song was completed in the span of just one month, from conception of the idea to its implementation and execution. Singh says it was the driving spirit of patriotism that pushed this ambitious project to completion in record time. She distinguishes this underlying spirit of patriotism from ‘desh bhakti’, as it focuses instead on the appreciation of our country’s rich cultural heritage. Naviin Gandharv lauds the song for showcasing the unity of Indians, and Anushree Gupta believes it attempts to spread the message of love and peace through music. “I’m humbled to be a part of this beautiful project which is a collaboration of fabulous artists and musicians,” she says.

Singh believes the song reflects the tremendous spirit of the artist community, who have suffered numerous difficulties during the pandemic, yet refused to let their sound or spirit be diluted. Hidayat Khan agrees with her and says, “I’m honoured, proud and so fortunate to be a part of this project and to work with these amazingly talented musicians, composers and singers. It’s also special because I’m able to reach out to all of you from the United States and I miss my country very much.” Ambi Subramaniam calls this special composition a labour of love, which he is grateful for being part of, and Fazal Qureshi claims the song represents the emotions of India.

Perhaps the biggest moment of pride however, is the international interest that has been showered on this song even before its official release. The Embassies of Spain, China, Malta, Germany, Turkey, Singapore, France, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Philippines and the US will be sharing it within their communities to mark India’s Independence Day. It will also be played at the Arab Cultural Centre in UAE, Nehru Centre London, as well as FICCI FLO and the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.

The writer is a lawyer who pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be reached on nooranand@gmail.com.

There is no denying that Indian arts, crafts, and local traditions are unparalleled the world over, often inspiring global fashion trends. Bunaai, launched in 2016, is a popular Indian brand that has made its presence felt by creating ethnic fashion in a contemporary format. On the eve of the Independence Day, founder Pari Choudhary speaks exclusively to The Daily Guardian about her intrinsically Indian fashion label. Excerpts from the interview:

Q. When did you launch Bunaai and what was your vision for it?

A. My love for fashion began when I was a teenager; I would create beautiful versions of clothing for myself. At the age of 17, I dreamt of being an entrepreneur and even started my personal blog in 2014. Once I finished college in 2016, I launched Bunaai.

My vision with this ready-to-wear brand was to offer versatile yet powerful casual wear for women of all ages. Right from childhood, I have been inspired by the culture and traditions of my homeland—Rajasthan. Hence, experimenting with textiles, vibrant prints, and detailed craftsmanship, came easily to me.

As women, we have always been pitted against beauty standards set by society. As the female founder and creative head of a women-oriented brand, I create designs that let every woman look and feel beautiful, just as she is.

Q. Has it been difficult for you to set up your business in an overly competitive industry?

A. It hasn’t been a cake walk for sure! We retail exclusively on our website www.bunaai.com, and as an e-commerce business, we were up against other online stores as well as brick and mortar brands. Initially, this made it difficult to gain the trust and confidence of customers.

However, my amazing team worked diligently over the years. We learnt digital marketing techniques and left no stone unturned when it came to customer servicing. We have now delivered over a million orders around the world and are counted as one of the most trusted brands and an inspiration for others.

Q. What sets Bunaai apart from its competitors?

A. Our USP has always been to provide our valued customers, or the #WomenOfBunaai as we lovingly refer to them, the latest styles while remaining true to our roots and heritage. Collections crafted from traditional designs and prints in a modern format, set Bunaai apart. We believe in embracing the essence of our ethnic beauty.

Q. Indian homegrown brands are enjoying their moment in the sun. Have you seen a surge in growth since the pandemic? Why do you think that is?

A. Yes, this is true. We have witnessed a surge since the pandemic in terms of sales, crossing a million followers on Instagram, and numerous famed collaborations. Earlier, Indians were smitten by foreign brands but never really admired homegrown labels. Fortunately, this has changed. Indian fashion labels collectively came together to help the artisan community and preserve our heritage as far as possible.

Q. Which is your most popular offering? Why do you believe it is so popular?

A. Even though we have varied categories ranging from ethnic ensembles to home accessories to jewellery and footwear, which are all popular in their own right; our Suit Sets receive the maximum love from our customers.

We really love to experiment with these, while focusing on comfort and on-trend demands. Our Suit Sets are fabricated with the best available cotton, silk doriya, and georgette, and in a host of prints and designs from traditional Bagru to contemporary polkas or florals. I believe our wide range that is suitable for various occasions, makes this our most popular offering.

Q. How do you ensure that your pieces appeal to the younger generation?

A. In my opinion, being fashionable doesn’t mean shunning traditional prints and styles of clothing. Rather, it means carrying those styles with confidence and beauty. At Bunaai, we offer every woman, regardless of her age, a one-stop destination for exquisite style and the latest fashions.

With every collection, we try our best to stay updated with the market trends. So, whether it is traditional Suit Sets, new age Jumpsuits or Dresses, or quirky jewellery, we aim to cater to a variety of women.

Q. What celebrities have favoured your designs?

A. I feel Bunaai has been lucky in terms of receiving love from famed celebrities. Bollywood actresses like Sonakshi Sinha, Bhumi Pedneker, Shivaleeka Oberoi, as well as leading faces of television like Ridhi Dogra, Divyanka Tripathi, Dipika Kakkar Ibrahim, Shivangi Joshi, Nisha Rawal and many others have been spotted in Bunaai. Though each moment is memorable, I am particularly proud of our recent collaboration with actress Surbhi Jyoti.

Over the years, numerous celebrities have reached out to us, expressing their interest in collaborating with us. This is such a delightful feeling and takes me back to my 17-year-old self who dreamt of all this day and night.