Entertainment

Karan Johar On Bollywood Gender Politics, Working With Your Critics & Reema Maya’s ‘Student Of The Year’ Series – Deadline

Published

3 weeks ago

April 25, 2024

By Liz Shackleton
Contributing Editor, Asia
Indian director-producer Karan Johar wrapped up the conference section of the first Cinevesture International Film Festival with a lively conversation that ranged from working with the right people and Bollywood’s shifting gender politics, to letting slip a few new projects from his Dharma Productions slate.
Johar, who’s having a busy year as a producer with Love Storiyaan on Prime Video and Showtime on Disney+ Hotstar, started the session by talking about how he surrounds himself with people “who know all facets of cinema, not just the mainstream” – even if they’ve been outspoken critics of his work in the past.

He used the example of indie maverick Anurag Kashyap, and producer Somen Mishra, now head of content at Dharma and its OTT division Dharmatic Entertainment, who used to slate him on the popular ‘Passion of Cinema’ blog.
“I think I was their favorite target. But when Rensil D’Silva suggested Anurag was the perfect person to write dialogues for Kurbaan, I said sure let’s call him! How does it matter what he thinks of me? And Anurag eventually walks into my office with a lot of trepidation, wondering if a whole gang was going to assault him. But I gave him a big hug.”
As for Mishra – the outspoken producer once told Johar that he’d slept through his 2001 Bollywood blockbuster, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. “But I wasn’t offended, I laughed. It’s a three hours, 32 minutes film and not an easy watch. You need the patience of the Dalai Lama to see it all the way through.”
Johar added that Mishra deserves all the credit for Love Storiyaan, an anthology directed by six new filmmakers, among which Shazia Iqbal and Vivek Soni are now both making their feature debuts for Dharma. Another of the six, Collin D’Cunha, is working on a series, Call Me Bae, for Dharmatic and Prime Video.
He also let it slip that Reema Maya, whose short film Nocturnal Burger played at Sundance Film Festival last year, is working on a series version of his 2012 hit Student Of The Year: “But it will be done her way, and definitely not mine. I just want it to be her voice and for her to make it her own.”
In a conversation peppered with funny anecdotes and more honest moments, Johar also talked about how his portrayal of women has shifted throughout his career – from the traditional female roles of early blockbusters Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham – to his last film as director, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, which pokes fun at both patriarchy and cancel culture.

“Kuch Kuch Hota Hai has a lot of flawed gender politics, but I didn’t know better then because I was still growing as a human being. Now we know that a man chasing a woman is not romantic, it’s stalking. And you realise over time that you just followed the norms because of the commerce that surrounded it.”
But he has his limits, such as when Shabana Azmi asked to wear a plain cotton sari and go without make-up for some scenes in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, requests which he absolutely refused. “I put a fan on her and she was like ‘what is the source of this wind? where is it coming from?’, and I said it’s coming from me!! She said ‘none of this is making sense to me’, and I told her it’s not supposed to make sense. If you agree to work with me, then that in itself is not a very sensible decision.”
Johar also talked about Kill, directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, a violent action film produced with Guneet Monga, which is totally out of character for Dharma. The film premiered in Toronto’s Midnight Madness section last year and was picked up by Lionsgate for North America and the UK. India release is scheduled for July 5 with the rest of the world releasing on July 4.
Describing the film as the “biggest challenge and risk” that Dharma has ever invested in, Johar also said he hopes it’s the beginning of many such genre films in India: “We’ve seen Train To Busan, we’ve seen The Raid, we’ve seen that genre movies like this get immense love globally. But it’s never happened before in India.”
Johar’s conversation was the final session of the first Cinevesture International Film Festival, which ran March 27-31 in the city of Chandigarh in northern India. The new event, which has a focus on producers and film finance, presented 20 projects to potential partners and investors, hosted four days of seminars, workshops and masterclasses, and screened a programme of recent festival films.
Speakers also included Shekhar Kapur, actor-producers Richa Chaddha and Ali Faizal, SonyLiv content head Saugata Mukherjee, who talked about the streamer’s commissioning strategy, and actors Survinder Vicky, Rasika Dugal, Rajshri Deshpande, Roshan Mathew and Jaideep Ahlawat.
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Entertainment

‘She was magic’: ‘Grease’ actress passes away – WJW FOX 8 News Cleveland

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3 hours ago

May 18, 2024

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‘She was magic’: ‘Grease’ actress passes away WJW FOX 8 News Cleveland
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Entertainment

Three-Time Emmy-Winning Actress Uzo Aduba Named Commencement Speaker at Chapman University's Dodge … – Chapman University: Happenings

Published

13 hours ago

May 18, 2024

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Uzo Aduba, the three-time Emmy-winning star of Orange Is the New Black and Mrs. America, has been named the 2024 Commencement speaker at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, the No. 4-ranked film school in the nation. The ceremony will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 18 at Chapman University’s Wilson Field.
A formidable and celebrated talent whose work spans television, film and theater, Aduba gained national prominence for her portrayal of Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren in Netflix’s critically acclaimed series Orange Is the New Black.  Her performance garnered a sweep of honors including SAG Awards as Best Actress in a Comedy in 2015 and 2016, a 2015 Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and a 2014 Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy, joining Ed Asner to become only the second actor ever to win Emmys for the same role in the comedy and drama categories. She was also honored as part of the show’s Best Ensemble in a Comedy wins at the SAG Awards in 2015, 2016 and 2017. With her SAG and Emmy honors, she became the first Black actress to win the award in each category.
“Uzo Aduba is one of the exceptional talents of our time,” said Stephen Galloway, dean of Dodge College. “She represents everything we most cherish at Dodge College: a fierce intelligence, originality and the highest commitment to excellence. We are thrilled to have her as our Commencement speaker this year.”
Aduba also starred in the Emmy-winning HBO drama series In Treatment, and Amazon Studios’ anthology series, Solos. In 2020, Aduba earned her third Emmy and a Critics Choice Award for her portrayal of Shirley Chisholm in the limited series Mrs. America, opposite Cate Blanchett.
Currently, Aduba can be seen with Matthew Broderick in the Netflix limited series Painkiller, which dramatizes the origins of the opioid crisis.  She is in production on the upcoming Shondaland Netflix series The Residence, and she recently wrapped Searchlight’s The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can Eat, as well as the independent comedy/mystery Providence.
On the big screen, Aduba’s credits include Disney Pixar’s Lightyear, National Champions, Miss Virginia, Beats, Candy Jar, My Little Pony: The Movie, American Pastoral and Tallulah.      
A Boston native, Aduba studied classical music at the Boston University School of Fine Arts. She began her professional career on the stage, making her Broadway debut in 2007 as Toby in Helen Edmundson’s adaptation of Coram Boy, followed by the hit musical revival of Godspell in 2011. She made her West End theater debut in The Jamie Lloyd Company’s contemporary adaptation of Jean Genet’s The Maids. Aduba was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Play for her work in the Kennedy Center/Olney Theater production of Translations of Xhosa. Other theater credits include Dessa Rose, Turnado: Rumble for the Ring and Abyssinia. In 2022, she received Tony Award and Drama League Award nominations for her performance in Second Stage Theater’s Broadway production of Lynn Nottage’s play Clyde’s, opposite Ron Cephas Jones.
Aduba recently launched her production company, Meynon Media, and signed a multi-year producing deal with CBS Studios where she is set to produce All Her Little Secrets as a limited series starring Aduba for Showtime from writer Aurin Squire, based upon the best-selling novel by Wanda M. Morris. With a growing Meynon feature slate as well, Aduba produced Marianne Farley’s live action short film Frimas, which was shortlisted for the 2022 Academy Awards.
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About Dodge College of Film and Media Arts
Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, the No. 4-ranked film school in the nation, is committed to empowering aspiring filmmakers and media artists by providing a transformative educational experience. We foster creativity, innovation and critical thinking, equipping our students with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in the dynamic world of film and media. Through comprehensive programs, cutting-edge facilities and industry partnerships, we cultivate a collaborative and inclusive community that nurtures artistic excellence, fosters cultural understanding and prepares our graduates to shape the future of the entertainment industry.
About Chapman University
Founded in 1861, Chapman University is a nationally ranked private university in Orange, California, about 30 miles south of Los Angeles. Chapman serves nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, with a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Students can choose from 123 areas of study within 11 colleges for a personalized education. Chapman is categorized by the Carnegie Classification as an R2 “high research activity” institution. Students at Chapman learn directly from distinguished world-class faculty including Nobel Prize winners, MacArthur fellows, published authors and Academy Award winners. The campus has produced a Rhodes Scholar, been named a top producer of Fulbright Scholars and hosts a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honor society. Chapman also includes the Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus in Irvine. The university features the No. 4 film school and No. 60 business school in the U.S. Learn more about Chapman University: www.chapman.edu.

Media Contact:
Molly Thrasher. Director of Public Relations | [email protected] | Mobile: 657-561-4359
Carly Murphy, Public Relations Coordinator | [email protected]| Desk: 714-289-3196 | Mobile: 714-497-968
© 2023 Chapman University
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Entertainment

Music Week – Music Week

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23 hours ago

May 18, 2024

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Warner Music Group has signed singer, dancer and actor Nora Fatehi. It is her first agreement with a major global record company.
The partnership is to promote Fatehi’s global music career, working with teams in the US and across the world. She will remain signed to T-Series, the Indian music label and movie studio, for her Bollywood projects.
Based in India, Fatehi was born in Toronto to a family of Moroccan heritage. She first made her name as a Bollywood actress, appearing in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films.
She has built a fanbase all around the world, with more than 46 million followers on Instagram and 21 million on Facebook. Her music has generated more than 1.2 billion streams and five billion-plus YouTube views on her featured videos.
In 2018, she appeared in the movie Satyameva Jayate, in which she performed a version of the classic Bollywood song Dilbar, which generated more than 20 million views on YouTube in the first 24 hours of its release. She then recorded and sang an Arabic version of the song, in collaboration with the Moroccan group Fnaïre, expanding her audience across the Arab world. She went on to become the first Arab-African artist to hit one billion views on a single music video on YouTube.
Fatehi’s other ventures into international music include collaborations with performers such as Tanzanian singer-songwriter Rayvanny for the track Pepeta, as well as British singer Zack Knight for Dirty Little Secret.
Her latest film, Crakk – Jeethegaa Toh Jiyegaa, was released on Friday (February 23).
Nora Fatehi said: “I’ve enjoyed great success in my career so far, but this deal is a significant step forward in my musical journey, a new chapter in my international career. My ambition is to be a global music star and performer, connecting with fans all over the world. I want to use my diverse cultural background to create music and dance that brings everyone together! I’m excited to work with Warner Music to leverage their experience and expertise to help me fulfil this goal.”
Robert Kyncl, CEO, Warner Music Group, said: “Nora is an extraordinary talent, electric performer, and cross-cultural superstar whose music reflects the rich diversity of her background. Her passion and ambition are infectious and we’re excited to help her reach new audiences, places, and heights across the globe.”
Alfonso Perez-Soto, president, emerging markets, Warner Music, said: “I’ve been blown away by Nora’s starpower. She has the creative ability and sheer stamina you need to become one of the world’s biggest artists. We can’t wait to put the global resources of Warner Music at her disposal as she starts the next chapter of her music career.”
PHOTO: Apoorv Maurya Photography

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