The incidents that happen around us every day are the ones that interest Raj Kumar Gupta most. From No One Killed Jessica (2011) to Raid (2018), the director has brought to the screen hard-hitting stories that had their roots in real life. Now, for his maiden web series Pill, he has trained his lens on the pharmaceutical industry. “While I had many offers to direct web series earlier, the stories didn’t appeal to me as this concept did. We all are consuming pills every day, and we live in an environment where we are impacted by what we see and read. While these form the bases of Pill, it’s a fictional take on the medical world,” says the creator-co-director. atOptions = { 'key' : 'd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7', 'format' : 'iframe', 'height' : 90, 'width' : 728, 'params' : {} }; The JioCinema offering sees Riteish Deshmukh as a deputy medicine controller, who raises his voice against a pharmaceutical company that rolls out a drug, with grave side-effects, in the market. With the show, Gupta wants the audience to be aware of the malpractices of the healthcare industry. “How many times does an average Indian pop pills in a year? It’s important to know what goes into the pill, how it is made, and whether taking drugs is safe or not. We’ve read about fake or substandard drugs. Those are the questions we’ve raised with Pill. It’s a blend of thriller, drama, and investigative journalism,” he says of the show that was shot in Delhi, Chandigarh and Mumbai. In Deshmukh, Gupta found a perfect collaborator whose acting and directing experience enabled him to judge the material better. “Riteish is a director’s actor. Being a director himself, he knows filmmaking. So, when he comes on set as an actor, he has his own suggestions and queries. It’s always welcome if an actor comes on my set with his intellect.”
08 July,2024 12:52 PM IST | Mumbai | Upala KBRActress Maya Hawke has provided an insightful update on the filming progress of the highly anticipated fifth and final season of Netflix's hit series 'Stranger Things'. Known for her role as Robin, Hawke discussed the ambitious scale of the upcoming season, likening it to producing "eight movies," according to Deadline. The journey to bring Season 5 to fruition has been marked by challenges, with production delays stemming from external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and a subsequent strike by writers and actors in 2023. Despite these setbacks, filming for the final installment commenced in January 2024, setting the stage for a grand conclusion to the beloved sci-fi saga. In a recent interview obtained by Deadline, Hawke humorously acknowledged the series' tumultuous history, quipping, "This show has been a little bit cursed." atOptions = { 'key' : 'd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7', 'format' : 'iframe', 'height' : 90, 'width' : 728, 'params' : {} }; She praised showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer for their meticulous approach to storytelling and production, emphasising the extensive effort dedicated to crafting each season. "Our showrunners, Matt and Ross, take a lot of responsibility. They have an amazing team of writers, but they're very involved," Hawke explained, adding, "They write a lot and they are very intense and serious about the quality of the continued writing, and it takes a long time to write each season, and it takes a long time to shoot them." Regarding the structure of season 5, Hawke highlighted that the episodes will be substantial in length, contributing to the cinematic feel of the season. With eight episodes planned, she projected that filming would span approximately a year, underscoring the meticulous nature of the production process, as per Deadline. Reflecting on her character Robin's evolution and aspirations for the final season, Hawke previously expressed her desire for Robin to have a significant narrative arc, including a potential heroic moment. She also shared nuanced thoughts on Robin's storyline involving a romantic relationship, balancing the impact on character dynamics and screen time with co-star Joe Keery's character Steve. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 July,2024 02:54 PM IST | Washington | ANIAttaining success in the first few years of your acting career can be a disadvantage too, as the audience’s expectations thereon are sky-high. Surbhi Jyoti experienced it with the massive success of Qubool Hai. While she followed it up with Ishqbaaaz and Naagin 3, now she is pursuing creatively challenging roles and that has led her to Gunaah. “I pick diverse roles to satisfy my urge of doing different things. I chose Gunaah because Tara’s [her character] thought process is so different from what I have played in the past,” she says. atOptions = { 'key' : 'd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7', 'format' : 'iframe', 'height' : 90, 'width' : 728, 'params' : {} }; Jyoti plays a grey role in the Disney+ Hotstar revenge thriller, also starring Gashmeer Mahajani and Zayn Ibad Khan. “When the story was narrated to me, I had so many questions. So many times, I’d think my character’s actions were bizarre. But she lost her mother when she was young, her father is not parent material, that is why she has such a personality. I don’t look at it as positive or negative.” Does she feel the pressure of matching up to Qubool Hai’s success with this project? Not really. She says she now seeks “contentment”. “I started on a high note with Zoya [her Qubool Hai character]. It helped whatever I did after that. People started loving me [because of Zoya], so whatever I did, they’d support me.”
07 July,2024 02:54 PM IST | Mumbai | Letty Mariam AbrahamActor Gurmeet Choudhary is all set to mark his web series debut with ‘Commander Karan Saxena’. He will be seen portraying a R&AW agent who packs a punch in a never-seen-before avatar. In an exclusive interaction with mid-day.com, Gurmeet opens up about his role and why this series ticked all the boxes for his debut on the OTT platform. atOptions = { 'key' : 'd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7', 'format' : 'iframe', 'height' : 90, 'width' : 728, 'params' : {} }; Gurmeet, who flaunts a ripped physique in the show underwent a dramatic fitness transformation for the same. The actor, who has not had a samosa, his favourite, for the last 14 years, shared, “Playing the commander was very challenging because you had to stay fit. We did on-location shoots with many intense action sequences. I knew it wouldn't be easy. I generally stay fit, but training for the role of a commander was different. It involved sprinting, and kickboxing. My dad has been in the army, so I took some training tips from him. Luckily, I documented it because everyone needs to know that we have to go through this entire journey to embody a character.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gurmeet Choudhary (@guruchoudhary) Gurmeet rose to fame for his portrayal of Rama in the television series 'Ramayan'. It is also where he found his wife Debina Bonnerjee, who played Sita. Over the years, the actor has worked in shows like ‘Geet – Hui Sabse Parayi’, ‘Punar Vivaah - Zindagi Milegi Dobara’, as well as movies like ‘Khamoshiyan’, ‘Wajah Tum Ho’, ‘Paltan’, and ‘The Wife’. The actor, who comes bearing a body that is fit to be an action star reveals that he’s never done anything that suits the genre up until now. He asserts, “I love action, but I've never had the opportunity to do an out-and-out action entertainer. There's quite a lot of action in this role, which I really enjoy. When you start liking something a lot, you eventually get it. For the past year or two, I have felt like I’ve had enough. Now, whatever I want to do, I will do it; otherwise, I won't. “This marks my debut on OTT. I hadn't done anything like this before. I kept rejecting offers. It's not like I wasn't approached for a series before. But nothing that interesting ever appealed to me. I was looking for a role with a larger-than-life character. This one has action, it's commercial, it's patriotic, it's emotional, and it has a mother's angle. So I feel there couldn't have been a better opportunity than this. Therefore, I believe this is my best debut on an OTT platform,” he concludes. 'Commander Karan Saxena' is based on a character created by acclaimed writer Amit Khan. It also stars Iqbal Khan and Hruta Durgule and will be out on Disney+ Hotstar from July 8.
07 July,2024 02:54 PM IST | Mumbai | Oshin FernandesIn Asim Abbasi’s world of creativity, there is space for stories of magic realism as well as children’s adventure. The Pakistani filmmaker recently directed an episode of BBC’s screen adaptation of Enid Blyton’s much-loved children’s book series, The Famous Five. “It’s my second project in the UK. I had to pick it up because the books and Enid Blyton are a big part of my children’s lives. It was fun, murder mystery, and kids saved the day sort of a story. It’s so different from what I direct,” starts the filmmaker. atOptions = { 'key' : 'd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7', 'format' : 'iframe', 'height' : 90, 'width' : 728, 'params' : {} }; It is surely at odds with Barzakh, Abbasi’s upcoming series. The Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed-starrer is an expansive world rooted in shamanism, as it revolves around a 76-year reclusive man who invites his children and grandchildren to celebrate his union with the spirit of his true love. “Barzakh means a state of limbo. It’s a metaphor for the series’ supernatural theme. But even the humans in the series are in limbo. They haven’t dealt with their past and are unable to move forward. I wanted to take forward the idea of toxic masculinity from Churails [2020]. Now, it’s from the gaze of the men who carry these toxic traits,” he explains. Making the show is also his way of moving forward. “On a personal level, this show is my closure. I had written Cake [2018] as a response to my father’s ageing. I was halfway through Churails when I lost him. Barzakh is me trying to deal with him leaving. This is my most personal work.” Asim Abbasi The show is shot in Hunza Valley, which is called the Land of Nowhere. The director admits to being indulgent with this story. “People had to hold me back because we had to write a finite number of hours. It’s hard to structure such a story. I believe the characters speak to me, and then I tweak the original story depending on that.” Abbasi is working with his favourites Khan and Saeed, but he maintains that their casting was influenced by the story. “When I am writing, I don’t have an actor’s face. The market pressure and bringing [stars] together is not allowed into my domain. I don’t want to think, ‘Am I showing Fawad the way audiences want to see him? Am I filming Sanam right?’ I don’t want to do any disservice to the story.”
07 July,2024 02:54 PM IST | Mumbai | Mohar BasuKota Factory is one of the most loved Indian series, with its relatable story managing to keep the audience hooked. Another factor, or person if I may say so, who has kept the audience glued is Jeetu Bhaiya, played by Jeetendra Kumar. In an exclusive chat with mid-day.com, the director of Kota Factory Season 3, Pratish Mehta, talked about the significant change in Jeetendra Kumar’s character arc. Additionally, Mayur More, aka Vaibhav, revealed a cute anecdote about his life. After two successful seasons directed by someone else, taking the helm for the third season was not an easy task. Talking about it, Mehta shared, “It was difficult. But I always take this type of opportunity, and I was very happy with this one. So, it was difficult, but I enjoyed it a lot.” The series had two successful seasons with Jeetu Bhaiya being the fun guy, but by the end of Season 3, we see a very different side of him. His character arc changes significantly in Kota Factory Season 3. Talking about how he ensured that this new change didn’t lose the relatability aspect, Pratish shared, “Jeetu Bhaiya is loved by people, and he continues to be loved not only because he makes you feel good. We have tried to look at things in a way that shows not only students but also teachers, having their own mindsets. Everyone prepares things in their own way.” Pratish Mehta concluded by saying that for him, Jeetu's behaviour is not of a ‘depressed mindset’ but rather, ‘it's the mindset which you think is right for you.’ Further in the chat, we switched to Mayur More and asked him if he thought not getting romantically involved with Revathi Pillai’s character could take away the relatability. To which he revealed a personal story. More shared, “I have studied in such a way that I had a crush on a girl. We used to spend a lot of quality time together because of studying together. I used to enjoy maths because she taught me so well. In my life, there was a Vartika who used to teach me Maths. She was from Hindi medium, and I was from Marathi medium. But still, she made efforts to teach me.” Kota Factory Season 3 continues to follow the journey of students as they navigate the intense pressures of Kota's coaching centers. The show is streaming on Netflix. The series also stars Jitendra Kumar and Tillotama Shome in the lead roles.
07 July,2024 08:53 AM IST | Mumbai | Shachi ChaturvediActor Iqbal Khan, best known for his role as Angad Khanna in the show ‘Kaisa Ye Pyar Hai’, will be seen portraying the antagonist in the web series ‘Commander Karan Saxena’ alongside Gurmeet Choudhary. In an exclusive interaction with mid-day.com, Iqbal gets candid about his role, journey in showbiz, and staying away from social media. Sharing deets on his role in the series, Iqbal states, “The name of my character is Nasir and he's a patriot. He can do anything for his country. The only difference between him and Commander Karan Saxena is that there's an evil streak. But he's not a typical villain and that makes him interesting. It's very easy on the eyes in terms of performance, nothing over the top, very regular, very basic, even when it comes to his clothes and the way he talks. He's an extremely cool guy with really, really bad intentions.” Over the years, Iqbal has been featured in shows like ‘Kkavyanjali’, ‘Kahiin To Hoga’ and, ‘Karam Apnaa Apnaa’ among others. He opted for versatile roles with projects like 'Jalsa' and 'Crackdown'. When asked if it was a conscious choice to experiment with roles and not be repetitive, the actor answers, “I've just gone with the flow in terms of the work I've got. I have to be very honest that I've been very lucky. I've never been the kind of person who would probably get into agendas and have backup plans and make a strategy of those sorts. God has been very kind to me and things have fallen into place at the right time. I'll give zero credit to myself.” Iqbal, who comes bearing a massive fan following, especially among women is surprisingly not on social media. He does have a locked Facebook account. The reason? Iqbal simply says he is lazy. “I think a lot goes into it. It takes up your time. You also need to kind of enjoy doing it, which I don't do. I'm nothing against it. I think it's amazing. I sometimes envy people who do it,” he concludes. 'Commander Karan Saxena' is based on a character created by acclaimed writer Amit Khan. It also stars Hruta Durgule and will be out on Disney+ Hotstar from July 8.
07 July,2024 07:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Oshin FernandesMirzapur 3 Twitter review: The first season of Mirzapur hit us like a rush of adrenaline in 2018. It had action, deceit, politics, and a lot of power. Vikrant Massey's portrayal of Bablu Pandit's death made fans cry, while Pankaj Tripathi's intimidating role as Kaleen Bhaiya left audiences in awe. atOptions = { 'key' : 'd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7', 'format' : 'iframe', 'height' : 90, 'width' : 728, 'params' : {} }; Mirzapur season 2 picked up right where the first season left off, with the aftermath of the brutal wedding massacre. Guddu and Golu, now vengeful warriors, underwent significant character development. Meanwhile, a pregnant Beena managed to convince Kaleen Bhaiya that the child was his. A new character, Madhuri (Isha Talwar), the widowed daughter of the UP chief minister, entered the frame. Now, after a four-year wait, fans were finally treated to Mirzapur 3 at midnight today. Let's see what netizens have to say about the latest season! #Mirzapur3 #Mirzapur is not much intresting without Munna bhaiya 💔 No True fan of Munna bhaiya will pass without liking this 👇 #MirzapurOnPrime #MirzapurS3 #PankajTripathi #AliFazal pic.twitter.com/CtTUch98o1 — Op Choudhary🦅 (@Op_Choudhary13) July 5, 2024 Unreal downfall : #Mirzapur3 pic.twitter.com/mgwYwpqA7e — UmdarTamker (@UmdarTamker) July 5, 2024 #Mirzapur3Review: Perfectly written & executed, everyone did their job, plain story.- Kaleen joins hands with CM Against Guddu & Golu in the next season. - #Mirzapur season 1 is still the best Expected more, lag scenes.#Mirzapur3 #MirzapurOnPrime #MirzapurS3 #MirzapurSeason3… https://t.co/VTGMRhEFI0 pic.twitter.com/xqPLEVe5U4 — Vishnoi Ram (@Bishnoi93r) July 5, 2024 #Mirzapur 3 REVIEW |Expectations bohot tha but😭Gun aur violence bohot tha but S*x scene kam rakhna chaiye tha !Prime video failed to serve storyline but action baap !Quite lengthy series !2.5/5stars#MirzapurOnPrime pic.twitter.com/9EqVyWiKbb — JeetReview1 (@nishitTiwari16) July 5, 2024 Watched 7 episodes of #Mirzapur Such a disaster; #PankajTripathi acts as a showpiece #Mirzapur Munna bhaiya ki thi, hai aur rahegi, munna bhaiya nahi tho Mirzapur nahi🙏#Mirzapur3 #Mirzapur3Review #Mirzapur #MirzapurOnPrime #kalinbhaiya #Mafin pic.twitter.com/CryhC9MPjc — 𝐀𝐝𝐯 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐊𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐡𝐚 (@NeeleshTax) July 5, 2024
05 July,2024 05:54 PM IST | MumbaiActor Emraan Hashmi, who plays Raghu Khanna in the streaming series ‘Showtime’, has shared that this time around, his character will become more like his on-screen father. Raghu Khanna, a film producer, didn’t like certain traits of his late father, but is becoming exactly the same. Call it the nature of showbiz or genes. Earlier, the audience saw the brutal and ruthless side of Raghu Khanna in the show. However, the unseen side of Raghu awaits the audience in the new season. “Even though on the face Raghu seems like a brash guy, he has a vulnerable and softer side to him. It comes from a certain vulnerability of his past, of certain dysfunctionalities in the family that he is not able to connect with his father and is always trying to rise up to the moment and prove something to his father. "At the same time, he doesn't respect him much because of the dysfunctional relationship of his father and mother. He has always been a vulnerable kid, the only thing in life on which he has some sense of control is the work that he does and the films, and he's very good at it,” Emraan said. “However, that vulnerability is something that he always carries with him. It was something that I worked on in the first half also. The audience will probably see it in very few places but over here, I think it's there in the construct of the scenes. "It is a self-realisation that probably he's becoming more of something that he shouldn't be, which is getting closer to his father, things that he didn't like about his father and that's where the turning point takes over. And that's where the vulnerability and the emotional side come in, especially with his relationship with his girlfriend," he added. All episodes of ‘Showtime’ will be streaming on Disney+ Hotstar from July 12. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 July,2024 12:48 PM IST | Mumbai | IANSMirzapur Season 3 reviewDirector: Gurmmeet Singh and Anand IyerCast: Ali Fazal, Anjumm Shharma, Rasika Dugal, Pankaj Tripathi, Vijay Verma, Shweta TripathiRating: 3/5 Very few Indian web series have been able to sustain the intrigue and curiosity in subsequent seasons. Mirzapur is one of them, but not without its flaws though. One of the problems of bringing back a series with such a large scale and so many contenders after such a long gap is that one tends to have disassociated with many of the characters, and forgotten plot points. Season 3 begins where the second one ended. All questions that arose from season 2 are answered in the first two episodes. Once that is done, the makers embark on this season's narrative. A lot has changed - Munna (dead) and Kaleen (not going to reveal) are out of action and two different people are facing off now. The fight is now between Sharad Shukla and Guddu Pandit. Both of them want to win 'Mirzapur ki gaddi'. Sharad also wants to avenge the death of his father, who was killed by Guddu. The latter has removed Kaleen Bhaiya from the position, but has to prove himself worthy of the chair. Sharad plays his game with his brains, with the help of CM Madhuri Yadav. Guddu, known for using his brawn over brains, has two women advisors – Golu and Beena. Golu tries to be his brains, while Beena is slowly trying to establish control. While there is ample bloodshed and little regard for human life in this season, too, as is usual in the world of Mirzapur, the action scenes aren’t impactful enough. Even the villainy on display is not as impressive as the previous seasons. Sharad Shukla (Anjumm Shharma) lacks the grit and intensity of a feared villain, and so his face-offs with Guddu too seem rather lacklustre. There's no palpable tension between them. Ali Fazal, however, is a delight to watch as Guddu. From the walk to the body language and the dialect, he has the character down pat. With Pankaj Tripathi receding to the background and Divyenndu's madness missing, it is Fazal’s scenes that one looks forward to the most. Another person who deserves applause is of course Shweta Tripathi as Golu. Her petite frame walking about with authority, gun in hand and flanked by a bunch of goons, is a rare yet delightful sight. The daredevilry of her character, bordering on foolhardy, is remarkable but not advisable. Another woman whose steely reserve and subtle villainy add more layers to his series is of Isha Talwar as CM Madhuri Yadav. She has her own scores to settle, and though far from the action on the ground, she is very much involved. Vijay Varma, Rajesh Tailang’s characters also get enough screen time in the aftermath of season 2’s events. While one is dealing with a life in jail, the other is living like an imposter and seeking revenge. This season we see more women in charge and taking control of matters – Golu, Beena, Shabnam, and Madhuri Yadav. The storyline has ample fodder and edginess to keep the audience hooked, except for a couple of episodes in the middle.
05 July,2024 08:47 AM IST | Mumbai | Bohni BandyopadhyayOscar winners and friends Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are re-teaming for new crime thriller "RIP", from writer-director Joe Carnahan. The film, which will debut on Netflix, will be produced by Artists Equity, the artist-led studio that Damon and Affleck founded in 2022. Carnahan, known for "Narc" and "Smokin' Aces", will direct "RIP" from his script. The plot details of the project are being kept under wraps, reported Deadline. The duo have collaborated on several projects, including "Good Will Hunting", in which they co-starred and shared an Academy Award for best screenplay in 1998. Damon, 53, and Affleck, 51, also featured in "Dogma" (1999), and more recently in Ridley Scott's "The Last Duel" and "Air", which Affleck also directed.The first film under their banner was "Air", which released in 2023. They have also produced documentaries such as "The Greatest Love Story Never Told" for Amazon MGM Studios and "Small Things Like These", which had its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival 2024. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
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