Mumbai, July 26 (IANS) Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan has extended warm wishes to the Indian athletes, who are participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics, saying ‘more strength to all you Champions’.

Kartik, who recently essayed the role of India’s first Paralympics gold medallist Murlikant Petkar in the biographical sports drama ‘Chandu Champion’ took to Instagram, and shared a still from his movie, holding onto a medal, and smiling proudly.

He wrote in the caption: “Wishing All the best to the athletes representing our nation at the Paris Olympics 2024. Playing an Athlete in #ChanduChampion has been an incredible experience and honour. The feeling of holding the medal and seeing the Indian flag on top cannot be expressed in words. More strength to all you Champions!! Give your best and make us proud.”

A fan commented on the post and said: “Soon we will see Indian athletes with Olympic medals”. Another user said: “This particular scene gave goosebumps and tears of joy. Proud Indian.”

A fan said: “Champion.”

India has sent a huge contingent of 117 sportspersons to Paris for the Olympics, aiming to surpass the historic seven medals won at the previous edition in Tokyo.

India will compete in 16 out of the 32 sports featured in this year’s Olympic Games.

‘Chandu Champion’ is written and directed by Kabir Khan, and jointly produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and Kabir.

Kartik made his acting debut in 2011 with the romantic comedy buddy drama ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnama’.

He then went on to feature in movies like ‘Akaash Vani’, ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2’, ‘Guest in London’, ‘Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety’, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’, ‘Dhamaka’, ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’, ‘Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar’, and ‘Satyaprem Ki Katha’.

The handsome hunk next has ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ in the pipeline.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 26 (IANS) The Canadian singer-songwriter, and musician, Bryan Adams is all set to bring his full-fledged electrifying musical journey ‘So Happy It Hurts’ world tour to India in December, this year.

The musical tour will kick start on December 10 in Shillong and Meghalaya and will visit cities like Gurugram, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, finally wrapping up in Hyderabad on December 16.

The tour will mark Bryan’s sixth visit to India after the 1993-1994 tour, multi-city gigs in 2001, 2006, and 2011, and his last outing being with the ‘Ultimate Tour’ in 2018.

This massive tour promises a night of unforgettable music, spanning the music icon’s illustrious career. The audiences can expect a career retrospective from his catalogue like ‘Summer Of ’69’, ‘Everything I Do I Do It For You’, ‘Please Forgive Me’, ‘Run To You’, ‘18 Till I Die’. The tour will also have an introduction to his Grammy-nominated 2022 album ‘So Happy It Hurts’.

The India tour is an extension of Adams’ global run in the US, UK, Europe, and Canada.

“I’m incredibly excited to be coming back to India! There’s a unique connection I feel with the Indian audience. Your passion for music is truly inspiring, and I can’t wait to perform all your favourite songs– the old ones and some new ones too. This tour is a celebration of music that has connected people across generations. Get ready to rock,” Bryan said.

The show is presented and produced by SG Live in collaboration with EVA Live.

Deepak Choudhary, Founder & Managing Director, EVA Live said: “There’s a definite resurgence of interest in legendary acts across India. Fans are rediscovering the power and emotion of the timeless classics, and legendary artists like Bryan Adams are proving that great music truly transcends generations. This tour is a testament to this reality.”

The tickets will be available to HSBC Visa credit cardholders from August 4. The general sale of the tickets will commence on August 7, which will be available on the Live tab on the Zomato app.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 26 (IANS) After a successful theatrical run, ‘Mr. and Mrs. Mahi’ has now begun its OTT journey. Directed by Sharan Sharma, the film tried to mix all the sauces necessary for a quintessential Bollywood drama – sports, romance, and complicated family equations! The filmmaker fits all the boxes in an almost two-hour-long cinema in an attempt to replicate ‘Mahi’ Sixer at the last ball.

The storyline follows a couple, Mahendra and Mahima, and their shared passion for cricket. Mahendra, whose dream of becoming a cricketer had faded, finds a renewed sense of purpose in his wife’s natural talent for the sport. Thus starts the journey of training, selection, fame, and frustration. Drawing parallels with films like ‘Aashiqui 2’ and ‘Abhimaan,’ ‘Mr. and Mrs. Mahi’ also explores the male ego wounded by a wife’s increasing stardom. And it is where Rajkummar Rao shines the best!

If anyone, Rajkummar Rao is actually the ‘Dhoni’ of the drama as he carries the entire film on his shoulder like a solid player. From mastering the timid walk of an underconfident man to showcasing the frustration of watching his wife become successful – the actor doesn’t miss a single beat. Janhvi Kapoor has big shoes to fill in front of the FTII-trained actor. However, she looks all sincere in the scenes. Kumud Mishra is absolutely sharp in the drama. The scenes between Rajkummar Rao and Kumud Mishra are a bliss to watch.

Sharma’s directorial vision is evident in his use of various cinematic elements to heighten the drama. The use of colour tones effectively conveys Mahendra’s jealousy and anger, with the prominent use of red symbolising his desperation for recognition.

Symbolism is artfully employed, such as the gate representing the couple’s divergent paths during Mahima’s interview after being selected for the Rajasthan Cricket Team. The shaky camera work during the confrontation scene enhances the overall tension. Meanwhile, the flickering light over Dhoni’s picture in an early sequence captures the hero’s wavering dream of playing cricket.

However, the film occasionally relies heavily on familiar tropes seen in sports dramas – the montage sequences of training, slow-motion shots, and hyper-positive voice-overs like those done in many sports dramas, including ‘Chandu Champion’, ‘Dangal’, ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, and even ‘Gunjan Saxena’.

‘Mr. and Mrs. Mahi’ is embellished with beautiful songs and picturesque visuals of romantic sequences between Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor, echoing the signature style of Dharma Productions’ love sagas. Overall, it is a perfect watch to witness Hindi cinema in its true essence.

You can watch ‘Mr. and Mrs. Mahi’ on Netflix.

(The writer is a film critic)

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 26 (IANS) Actor Ayushmann Khurrana has shown his support for the Indian contingent participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics, urging everyone to cheer for them and showcase India’s grit, determination, and passion for the games.

Takhing to Instagram, Ayushmann shared a video featuring himself with the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya.

In the video, the minister is heard saying, “Paris me hamare khiladi Olypmics ke liye tayaar hain (Our athletes are ready for the Olympics in Paris).”

Ayushmann adds, “Hamare Bhartiya khiladi bahut hi karmath hain or asha karte hain is baar bhi Olypmics me wo acha perform karenge. Chaliye unka hausla badhaye (Our Indian athletes are highly capable, and we hope they perform well this time too. Let’s boost their morale).”

The actor captioned the video: “Olympics is the greatest sporting event of the world, and those who compete in it are nothing short of Titans at their disciplines. We have 117 such brilliant athletes who are ready to fly our flag high at this year’s #Paris2024 Olympics!”

“Let’s cheer for them to make Bharat proud. Let’s cheer for them to show the world our grit, determination, and passion for the games. Deeply honoured to have met Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, today to start a campaign to cheer for the Indian contingent. Jai Hind,” he added.

Ayushmann was also presented with a commemorative Indian team T-shirt by Mandaviya to mark the beginning of this campaign.

India has sent a large contingent of 117 sportspersons to Paris, aiming to surpass the historic seven medals won at the previous Tokyo Olympics.

The country will compete in 16 out of the 32 sports featured this year.

On the work front, Ayushmann was last seen in the comedy-drama ‘Dream Girl 2’, directed by Raaj Shaandilyaa and produced by Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor under Balaji Motion Pictures.

The film also stars Ananya Panday, Paresh Rawal, Annu Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav, Vijay Raaz, Asrani, Abhishek Banerjee, Manjot Singh, and Seema Pahwa.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 26 (IANS) Actress Ayesha Takia lashed out on Friday against the discrimination faced by a farmer in Bengaluru, who was denied entry to a mall for wearing a dhoti, calling the incident “upsetting and shameful.”

Ayesha, who has 1.7 million followers on Instagram, shared a viral video showing an elderly farmer, Fakirappa, being denied entry to GT World Mall on Magadi Road in Bengaluru because of his traditional attire.

Fakirappa was wearing a dhoti.

In the caption, the actress wrote: “This is so upsetting… Does western attire have more respect and value? Do we blatantly disrespect and shun our own people for wearing clothing that belongs to us, to our very own people? In a diverse, cultural nation, deeply rooted in wonderful traditions, we discriminate against our very own… Shameful.”

After the incident, which happened on July 16, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike sealed the mall over non-payment of tax arrears and issued a notice seeking clarification about the farmer’s incident.

The mall management was asked to submit a statement regarding the incident within 24 hours.

For the unversed, Fakirappa, who was accompanied by his son Nagaraj and wife Mallamma, was denied entry to the mall when they went to watch a Kannada movie, citing his attire.

The incident sparked outrage among netizens as the video went viral on social media.

The mall management has since issued an apology, and the security guard involved also apologised for the incident.

On the work front, Ayesha made her debut in 2004 with the action thriller ‘Taarzan: The Wonder Car’.

The actress has appeared in movies like ‘Wanted’, ‘Dil Maange More!!!’, ‘Socha Na Tha’, ‘Shaadi Se Pehle’, ‘Salaam-E-Ishq’, ‘Cash’, ‘De Taali’, and ‘Mod’.

She is married to restaurateur Farhan Azmi, son of Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi. The couple has a son.

–IANS

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