Ann Augustine

Sandeep Reddy Vanga offered prayers at Tirupati Balaji Temple in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday morning. However, what caught fans attention was his bald avatar.In the videos captured by the paps, Sandeep was seen on the premises of the Tirumala temple. He can be seen wearing a dark blue kurta with a pink scarf. He sported a bald head and a clean, clean-shaven look. He happily posed with fans. Reportedly, he offered hair to the deity.After his darshan, Sandeep Reddy Vanga shared about his next project.During media interaction, when asked about his next project, the filmmaker said, "I will be directing a movie called Spirit with Prabhas soon."Recently, Sandeep Reddy Vanga bagged the Best Director award for his film 'Animal' at the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2024.Animal' was one of the biggest blockbusters of 2023. However, it was also criticised for its alleged depiction of misogyny.The film starred Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor, and Bobby Deol in the lead roles.'Animal' revolves around a troubled father-son relationship and has Ranbir in the role of Rannvijay Singh, who goes on to exact revenge after there's an assassination attempt on his father. The film raked in over Rs 800 crore at the box office.

Suniel Shetty on Saturday showered praises on Indian cricketer Yashaswi Jaiswal for scoring his maiden Test double century.Taking to Instagram, Shetty shared a picture on his story and captioned it, "Mentally strong, determined, Fearless and Pure talent. Yashaswi: Jaisa naam waisa kaam."Jaiswal on Saturday became the third-youngest Indian player in history to score a Test double hundred.He accomplished this feat during India's second Test against England at Visakhapatnam.In the match, he played a marathon knock of 209 in 290 balls, with 19 fours and seven sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of 72.06. He was eventually dismissed by pace veteran James Anderson. The next highest score for India is by Shubman Gill (34).Aged 22 years and 37 days, Jaiswal is the third-youngest Indian to get a double ton in Tests. The youngest player to get a double century for India is Vinod Kambli, who was aged 21 years and 35 days when he smashed 224 against England in Mumbai back in 1994. India batting icon Sunil Gavaskar held the record of youngest Indian player to get a double ton before Kambli, scoring 220 against a ruthless West Indies attack at Port of Spain in 1971 aged just 21 years and 283 days.Jaiswal is only the fourth Indian left-hander besides Sourav Ganguly, Gautam Gambhir and Kambli to smash a Test double ton.He has taken just 10 innings to reach his maiden double-century. Karun Nair notched his maiden double ton for India in just three innings, being the fastest Indian to do so.In six Tests and 10 innings so far, he has scored 620 runs in 10 innings at an average of 68.88 and a strike rate of 63.85. He has scored a century, a double century and two fifties. With the batter having smashed 502 runs in 16 T20I innings at an average of 33.46 and a strike rate of 161.93 with a century and four fifties, Jaiswal could very well become India's newest all-format star once he receives his ODI cap.At the age of just 22, Jaiswal has already notched double tons in the Irani Cup, Duleep Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Tests. This speaks a lot about his temperament and hunger for big runs.Coming to the match, the second session of the first Test, day two is in progress. India is well on its way to making 400 runs in the first innings thanks to Jaiswal's marathon knock.

Vir Das is all set to perform at the iconic Apollo Theatre in London on 16th December.The Apollo Theatre is a venue steeped in musical history having witnessed performances from iconic acts like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Iron Maiden, and contemporary music royalties such as Selena Gomez and Kylie Minogue.Excited to perform at the Apollo Theatre as part of his Mind Fool tour, Vir Das said, "Stepping onto the Apollo Theatre stage is not just a personal triumph; it's a momentous occasion for Indian comedy. The energy of this historic venue, which has hosted musical legends and comedy icons alike, is both exhilarating and humbling. As I stand before a live audience of almost 5000 people, I am driven by a desire to connect, to bring joy, and to be a bridge between cultures. The Mind Fool tour is my way of spreading laughter across borders, and I can't wait to share this experience with audiences around the world."Vir Das is currently basking in International Emmy win. Last month, Vir Das won the prestigious International Emmy Award for Comedy for his standup special 'Vir Das: Landing'Talking about winning at the International Emmy Awards, Vir expressed his excitement and said, "I have immense gratitude, holding the International Emmy for Best Comedy for 'Vir Das: Landing.' This one is for my team and for Netflix without whom this wouldn't have been possible. This journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, and to win this accolade for my fifth special with Netflix feels like a culmination of passion, perseverance, and the undying support of people around the globe who have given so much love to "Vir Das: Landing". He added, "This award is not just a recognition of my work but a celebration of the diverse stories and voices from India. Stories that make us laugh, reflect, and, most importantly, unite. This one is for India, for Indian comedy and for the community of artists at large."'Vir Das: Landing' premiered on the OTT platform Netflix.

Karishma Tanna will host the 54th edition of the International Film Festival in Goa.Excited about her hosting stint, Karishma said,I'm thrilled to be here in Goa, especially on such an exciting day with the World Cup final happening. Hosting the 54th IFFI in this beautiful destination just feels incredible. We have lots of exciting things planned and some incredible cinema to look out for, so stay tuned."The 54th IFFI will start on November 20th and conclude on November 28th. The nine-day festival, showcasing an eclectic array of world cinema to audiences worldwide, will commence with the international premiere of Catching Dust, thriller by award-winning British filmmaker Stuart Gatt.About Dry Grasses directed by French Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, will be the mid-fest film and The Featherweight directed by Robert Kolodny is the closing film for IFFI 54, according to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting press release.Hollywood actor-producer Michael Douglas will receive the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award.

Opening up about the various shades of her character, Kritika said, "Habiba is a woman of many shades. She is stubborn like her father, courageous like Dara and is fiercely loyal like him. At the same time, being the youngest and the only woman amongst the siblings. She idolises her brother Dara and shares a special bond with him which influences his decisions and actions as well.She added, "Just like him, she shares the ambition for power. Right from the beginning you see that she is an alpha. As the show progresses, we get a glimpse of how she thinks and what her ambitions are, making it an absolute delight for me as an actor.'Bambai Meri Jaan' is streaming on Prime Video. It also stars Kay Kay Menon, Avinash Tiwary, Nivedita Bhattacharya and Amyra Dastur among others.

Karan Verma-starring Ajmer 92 tells the harrowing tale of a group of teenage girls who were sexually assaulted and what occurs when a brave journalist tries to reveal the truth.From horrifying crimes and protests to misuse of power, the movie attempts to bring out many harsh realities and also emphasizes the importance of women taking a stand for themselves.After releasing the teaser, now the makers have released the trailer of the film. It starts with a man enquiring about his future daughter-in-law and asking another man to find out if she has been raped or not.The trailer further shows how a journalist asks what happened in Ajmer in 1992 and then tells the story of 250 girls who were blackmailed and raped.It also shows the involvement of politicians and other influential people, the suicide of a girl, and the protests.Ajmer 92 depicts heart-wrenching suicides of minor girls who were assaulted sexually, creating widespread panic among people, the use of power by influential persons, and the role of police and media in such cases.Moreover, it highlights how important it is for girls to break the silence and speak for the truth and justice.It is directed by Pushpendra Singh and stars Karan Verma and Sumit Singh in the lead role.A Reliance Entertainment presentation, a U&K Films Entertainment, Sumit Motion Pictures and Little Crew Pictures production, Produced by Umesh Narwadeshwar Tiwari.The film is all set to hit the screens on July 21.

Akshay Oberoi was recently honoured by his alma mater and he shared his gratitude for the respect and recognition given to him by them. From sixth to twelfth grades, Akshay attended middle and high school in 2003.He shared, "I am extremely honoured to be awarded the Artistic Achievement Alumni Award by Newark Academy in LivingstonNew Jersey. This is a very special place for me because it was foundational, and I also met my partner, Jyothi, there. This award is important because it makes me feel like I have made my teachers and faculty proud of what I have achieved today."The 38-year-old actor, who made his debut as a child actor in 'American Chai', later worked in 'Isi Life Mein', 'Pizza', 'Piku', 'Fitoor', 'Laal Rang', 'Thar', 'Love Hostel' and now is all set for his next project which is a mystery thriller 'Gaslight' starring Sara Ali Khan in the lead role, playing a differently-abled woman, Misha.His latest project is 'Fighter', which is directed by Siddharth Anand. Akshay is playing the role of an air force pilot. The film also stars Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone as Indian Air Force pilots. It is slated for release on January 25, 2024.

CannesSundance, Hong Kong, Austin, and Nashville.He is currently producing top-tier projects for producers in the United States and India, and in this interview, we discuss his journey thus far and his goals for the future.Could you briefly discuss what brought you to follow a creative path?Growing up, I was always interested in art and literature. I discovered world cinema a little late in life, also because I grew up in a boarding school in a pre-internet era, so access was an issue. But I loved the library and read all sorts of writers. Eventually, I discovered the world of Dostoevsky, Marquez, Kiarostami, Kieslowski, and the likes, and everything changed from then on. Art is a conversation, both with oneself and with the world around. It's an insatiable curiosity to understand why we do the things we do. An urge to understand our actions, beliefs, and behavior. I suppose this curiosity is what brought me to a creative path.How did you go about charting this extraordinary journey thus far?I come from a film school background. I attended the much-mythologized UCLA graduate filmmaking program. Which sort of is my real starting point. From there on, it has been building on multiple fronts all at once. The industry has shifted a great deal even from when I started, less than a decade ago.Fortunately, I have had the chance to work on some very outstanding projects with accomplished and notable names attached to them. Successes aside, these helped me expand my horizon. I saw how exceptional people do their work in this field, and that has been one of the greatest teachers.One of the bigger questions for me is if I am getting better at my craft. I'm always searching for ways to be a more honest and direct storyteller. I think as time has passed, I have become more and more interested in the minutiae of things, the little things of a story interest me the most - a particular moment in the character's life, a specific decision they have to make. Because it's from there on out that the big things, the overall arcs get built. It's the same way in our lives, isn't it?What kind of projects are you working on now? What's your approach to a story?I approach any story from the point of view of the character first of all, without letting any externalities get in the way of that. I think if we have a solid character the audience can understand, and the rest can follow.Where do you see the film and TV world heading next? Should we expect the world's industries to become more unified?I think I'm not alone in saying this - but nobody really knows! There are tectonic shifts happening in the industry, or rather industries around the world, and we're in the middle of these plates moving. Where will it settle, and when, is anybody's guess. What remains certain is only one thing - there will be good films, and the audiences will love those films whenever and however they see them. The trick part is - if they'll get to see them. In the age of streaming, may good films get buried in the maze of algorithms? There are so many wonderful films that come out, and even audiences who'd love that sort of film don't know of its existence. I think we're overdoing the algorithm business when it comes to individual taste because art really can't be broken down into data points. It's far more subjective than that and far more mercurial.But we definitely should expect to see global filmmaking come together. We will watch a lot more cross-cultural productions, and slowly they'll inform our own storytelling. That will truly be wonderful. It will see all of our art, and all of us grow and learn.

Vidyut Jammwal never leaves a chance to surprise his fans with his daredevilry and death-defying stunts. He pulled off a real-life stunt to meet a fan who was working on the construction site.Taking to his Instagram handle, Vidyut dropped a video on Friday showcasing his bravery and affection to meet a fan and climb down scaffolding from a balcony.In the video, he can be seen speaking to a construction worker who is perched on scaffolding at a neighbouring job site while standing on a balcony.As the fan lauded Vidyut's work, Vidyut asked which of his action movies he had seen. Then Vidyut assured the fan that no one could pull off stunts in movies as he does at his construction job. He asked the fan if he has his phone with him and is ready to take a photo with him.The person holding the camera requested Vidyut not to jump out of the balcony onto the scaffolding. In response, Vidyut declared that he adored his followers and wants to meet them desperately.The actor responded, "I love you meri Jaan (I love you my life)," as the fan praised Vidyut for providing him with the opportunity to meet him. The fan kissed Vidyut's hand, and the actor also did the same in return by kissing the fan's hand.He captioned the video and wrote, "NORMAL IS BORING...#TheRealStuntMen".Fans praised Vidyut showcasing his love for his fans on social media and referred to him as a man with a "golden heart."A fan commented, "This is why we appreciate you every time. So humble." Another wrote, "Bhai meko to lagta hai maut (death) aapase darta hoga ulta (I think even death must be scared of you)."Meanwhile, on the work front, Vidyut is all set to come up with ' 'Khuda Haafiz Chapter 2 Agni Pariksha', which will be out in theatres on 8th July 2022. He also has IB 71 and Sher Singh Raana in his kitty.

Nushrratt Bharuccha turned up the glam quotient, exuding 'Weekend' vibes with her latest social media pictures looking stunning as usual. "Knock Knock. Who's there? WEEKEND!" captioned the 'Pyar Ka Punchnama' star on Instagram, with a butterfly emoji at the end. Nushrratt donned a pretty pink-hued blouse and palazzos having intricate prints, matching her attire with a similar printed shrug. She struck an elegant pose, leaning onto a wall, looking down. The 'Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety' actor clicked the second picture in a sitting pose, with one hand running through her curly brunette hair. She had a hint of a smile on her face, looking quite graceful. In the third picture, Nushrratt posed, keeping one hand on the wall, while her other hand revealed two pairs of golden-coloured bangles which suited well with her attire. She had sported a pink shade of lipstick while her bare minimum makeup seemed flawless.The actor looked like a pretty belle in the fourth image as she raised up her arms, letting the sheer pink shrug fly in the wind, as she walked on a small pathway, a few feet up from the ground. Nushrratt's infectious smile made the picture look perfect. Nushrratt has established a name for herself in the Bollywood film industry with many noteworthy movies. She made her debut in Bollywood with the film 'Love Sex aur Dhokha' in 2010. However, she rose to fame with her film, 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama' in the year 2011.Some of the actor's most well-known films include 'Chhorii", 'Dream Girl', and 'Chhalaang'. Meanwhile, speaking on the work front, Nushrratt is bathing in the success of her latest film 'Janhit Mein Jaari', a light-hearted comedy on safe sex. The film also features actor Anud Singh Dhaka and is directed by Jai Basantu Singh.Further, Nushrratt has also started shooting for her upcoming project 'Selfiee' in Bhopal. Actors Akshay Kumar, Emraan Hashmi and Diana Penty star in this movie as well.