MUMBAI: Despite doing several films in a career spanning over 25 years, actor Manoj Bajpayee said that he feels nervous before the shoot of any new project.

In an interview with ANI, the versatile artist opened up about his acting process and how he overcomes his anxiety ahead of the commencement of a shoot. “Script plays an important role in every film. I follow my script very seriously. I keep reading it. I keep making notes just to remind myself about all the scenes. I am fascinated with scripts that I agree to work on. I keep going through it till I know it backwards and know each and every scene. I always get nervous before the shoot…so to get rid of that nervousness I keep reading my script,” he said.

Manoj also shared that he enjoys the process of getting into the skin of a character more than the actual shoot. “I love the whole process of getting into the shoes of my character. My process is extremely extensive. I annoy my directors by asking I don’t know how many questions. I love asking questions. I love getting into the depth of my script. So, with each film, I try to follow this process only,” he added. ANI

MUMBAI: Actor Tanuj Virwani, who plays the character Major Bhau in ALTBalaji’s upcoming thriller entertainment Cartel, recently opened up on how he maintains ‘a cordial equation’ with all the people he works with. However, he specified that his Cartel co-star Rithvik Dhanjani got along so well on the sets that it helped him while shooting for the show. 

Tanuj said, “I think Rithvik and I are both very fortunate and grateful that we got along so well in real life because it doesn’t happen very often. Of course, I have a pleasant cordial equation with most of the people I have worked with. But Rithvik and I, really got along like a house on fire.” Tanuj also spoke about how their bromance stems from their sense of being secure as individuals, artists, and professionals. He mentioned that neither of them ever stepped onto each other’s toes during the shoot. “No matter how good you are as an actor or how well the scenes are written if you’re not able to bring that certain chemistry, I feel like you won’t quite be doing justice to your character,” he added. 

“I am essaying the character of Major Arjun Mhatre, and he’s part of this criminal family, the first family of crime that rules the city of Mumbai. There are three brothers, so I play one of the brothers, and he›s retired from the Army. So without divulging further, as we still have a few days up until the release, I have to say that it was one of the most unique and most challenging characters that I have essayed so far in my career,” he added.

NEW DELHI: A new medical drama show, titled ‘Mumbai Diaries 26/11’, will release on September 9 on Amazon Prime Video.

The cast features talented artists such as Konkona Sen Sharma, Mohit Raina, Tina Desai, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Satyajeet Dubey, Natasha Bharadwaj, Mrunmayee Deshpande and Prakash Belawadi.

Created by Nikkhil Advani and produced by Emmay Entertainment, ‘Mumbai Diaries 26/11’ is a fictional drama that pays tribute to the frontline workers, set against the backdrop of the unforgettable night of the 26/11 terror attacks.

‘Mumbai Diaries 26/11’ depicts the untold story of doctors, nurses, paramedics, and hospital staff who worked tirelessly to save lives during the terror attacks that ravaged the city on November 26, 2008.

Mumbai: Ahead of the release of ‘The Empire’ show, actor Dino Morea spoke about his menacing look as the antagonist Shaibani Khan.

Talking about his never-before-seen avatar, Dino said, “The look for the show is something director Mitakshara & I worked on. We needed Shaibani Khan to be deadly, and from the feedback, I’ve been getting, I think we have succeeded. Everyone who has seen the trailer so far has loved Shaibani Khan’s look. Comments like savagely sexy to delicious – quite interesting I’d say.” Fans are in awe of Dino’s look, with many of them finding its resemblance to Khilji, played by Ranveer Singh in ‘Padmaavat’.

Being compared to Ranveer Singh’s character, Dino said, “Khilji is obviously a compliment, Ranveer looked & played that part beautifully.” Director Mitakshara talked about her vision for Dino’s character, “I feel animals are a great reference point for behaviourism. Their instincts are bang on. And so, I told Dino that he should study a Panther. Regal and subtle, patiently waiting for its prey and they attack without warning. And Dino understood that so well. He has done a great job and justice to the character.”

The series marks the directorial debut of Mitakshara Kumar who has also co-written this epic saga with Bhavani Iyer with Monisha Advani and Madhu Bhojwani of Emmay Entertainment as producers.

Created in conjunction with National Award-winning filmmaker Nikkhil Advani of Emmay Entertainment, the series, which traces the origins of a dynasty, promises a magnificent visual spectacle mounted on a grand scale. Starring Dino, Kunal Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Drashti Dhami, and others, ‘The Empire’ releases on August 27 on OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar.

Mumbai : Ahead of the release of the latest season of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, megastar Amitabh Bachchan expressed his happiness to host the show in the presence of a live audience.

Last year, ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ had taken place without the involvement of a live audience on the sets owing to the coronavirus pandemic. Excited about the upcoming season, Big B said, “It’s the 21st year of my association with Kaun Banega Crorepati and I can never get enough of this show. It was probably for the first time, last season, that the studio audience wasn’t a part of the show and we saw a major change in the lifelines as well.”He added, “I for one, truly missed them and their energy… it’s infectious! I am happy that the studio audience is back this season with a newfound vigour and so is the lifeline – Audience Poll. It’s an enriching experience for me, each year, to be surrounded by contestants from all walks of life and I look forward to engaging and fulfilling gameplay. These contestants inspire me in every way.” The ‘Agneepath’ star started hosting the quiz show in the year 2000, and since then he has been a constant part of the show except for one season.

Speaking about the new season, a lot of changes have been implemented. As per a statement, Fastest Finger First, with which the show commences, has been modified to Fastest Finger First – Triple Test.

While it may seem challenging, it does hold a gamut of opportunities for the contestants. Instead of one question, the answer to which had to be chronologically aligned, contestants will now have to answer three GK questions.

A leaderboard will showcase the time taken by each contestant to answer the respective questions and the one to answer all three questions correctly in the shortest amount of time will head straight to the Hot Seat! When it comes to lifelines, yes, the Audience Poll is making a comeback this season! With the studio audience being reinstated, the entire vibe of the show has been raised a few notches higher. The other three lifelines include 50:50 (wherein 2 incorrect answers will get deleted from the four options); Ask The Expert (wherein the contestant can seek help from one distinguished professional) and Flip The Question (wherein the contestant will get an opportunity to change the question altogether and choose a topic for the replacement question). The 13th Season of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ is scheduled to start on Sony Entertainment Television from August 23.

Mumbai: Jonita Gandhi, the vivacious voice behind hit film songs Chellamma, The Breakup Song, Dil Ka Telephone, OMG Ponnu and many others is back in the urban Punjabi music space with a new single ‘Na Na’ in collaboration with Mickey Singh. With so much love coming her way, Jonita’s recent Punjabi record ‘Mera Jee karda’ in collaboration with Deep Jandu was a hit amongst Punjabi music aficionados.

The singer surprised everyone with teaser of ‘Na Na’ where she is seen in a new avatar. This news comes in after Jonita stunned her fans with a picture of herself at Times Square in NYC with Mickey Singh sporting custom outfits by Julian Ruiz Men’s Wear + Lois Spencer as they spot themselves on the iconic billboard ahead of the launch. Sung by Jonita and Mickey, the track is a perfect blend of east and west. The pop star turns jetsetter in this swanky music video directed by Jay Skilly, featuring Mickey Singh and Jonita Gandhi. Her vocals and suave styling is all set to capture your attention.

Talking about the song to The Daily Guardian, Jonita Gandhi says, “Na Na is our baby. This song was such an adventure, from ideation to execution and I’m beyond excited to share it with you all. I’m thrilled to have collaborated with Mickey Singh for the first time, and working with the entire team on this song was such a memorable experience. From dance practices to wardrobe and even the vocals, I got to experiment and you all know how much I love to step outside my comfort zone. A huge shoutout to Jay, Aman, Shivaani, Evan, and the entire team from choreography to promotions – mad love to you all!” Jonita Gandhi who’s been instrumental in collaborating with global music stars for her songs is elated to collaborate with Mickey Singh in Na Na, she further adds, “Mickey is a talent bomb and I’m so happy to call him a friend! I’m looking forward to collaborating with him again in future.” Jonita Gandhi is known for her effortless delivery across languages and genres for her songs like Chellamma and The Breakup Song amongst many. Recently, the singer was also part of the Tamil soundtrack for AR Rahman’s film ‘99 Songs’.