Fun with Function Entertainment.........26,27

25 Austin South Asian | November 2022 Combining Fun with Function: Easy Home Office Updates

Brightening up your home office can bring a sense of fresh energy to your workspace, but making changes can seem overwhelming if you’re not sure where to begin. Family organizing expert Jessica Litman, also known as “The Organized Mama,” shares her pro tips to creatively update your home office without stress.

Unique Storage Options, Large plastic tubs can offer practical storage solutions, but for a more stylish look, change things up with woven baskets or colored boxes instead. “Regular tubs can be a quick way to organize,” Litman offers. “But if you’re looking to create a chic appearance, try storing your files in a wire-framed basket for texture, or collapsible storage cube for a cool burst of color.”

Label the baskets to keep things organized. Make bright, removable labels with multipurpose Duck Masking Color Masking Tape, so finding office supplies is a breeze.

Power of Plants. Add nature-inspired hues to your office with a houseplant, either fake or real. Faux plants require no maintenance at all (which removes a task from the to-do list) and can brighten a workspace to bring some color to a room. Real plants provide the added benefit of clarifying the air and can be tailored to the environment of your office, whether you have a sunny window or a more shaded space. reduce stress, especially during those winter months! Adding a fresh, easy-to-care-for plant is a great way to help boost morale on long work-from-home days.”

Case Closed. Create a tablet or laptop case

Litman adds, “Plants have been proven to that’s completely customized to you. “So many people like to personalize phone cases or bags,” Litman offers. “But creating laptop or tablet cases with colorful, printed Duck Tape can add personality and vibrance to office equipment.”

Duck Tape brand prints are fun, trendy and available in a huge variety of colors and patterns to craft almost anything you can imagine.

Shifting Schedules. Schedules are a part of everyone’s life, but that doesn’t mean getting your calendar organized has to be a chore. Use acrylic or dry erase boards, poster boards or cork as a blank slate to customize into a weekly or monthly chart. Adding items with colored markers or tape can be a way to stay ahead of due dates and meetings, as well as highlight important assignments or contacts.

Pens & Pencils Down. Who says students get to have all the fun? Jazz up your desk décor with some pencil cups, a stapler or sticky note holder to keep office supplies organized and fabulous. There are no rules when it comes to how artistic you can get – make your home office as unique as you. (StatePoint)

Bidens Host Largest Ever Diwali Reception At White House

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden on Monday hosted a Diwali reception at the White House in what they called the largest since the People’s House started celebrating the festival during the George Bush administration.

More than 200 eminent Indian Americans attended the reception at the East Room, a venue which has witnessed some of the landmark events related to the India-US relationship, including the signing of the nuclear deal and the joint press conference by then US President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2008.

The reception saw some enthralling cultural events, including performances by sitarist Rishab Sharma and dance troupe The Sa Dance Company. The guests, dance troupe The Sa Dance Company. The guests, dressed in traditional Indian attires such as saree, lehenga and sherwani, relished some mouthwatering Indian delicacies.

“The room is full at the East state dining room... This is a real celebration of what the Indian American community has achieved in the United States. It’s a wonderful recognition by the President and by the White House to host all of us on Diwali. I feel very privi-

leged to be here as an Indian American,” Atul Keshap, president of US India Business Council told PTI during the reception. President and the First Lady for this,” said H R Shah, chairman and CEO of TV Asia, the largest South Asian television channel in the

US.

Ajay Jain Bhutoria, a member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Ame ricans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, said the event was held to recognise the South Asian community’s contributions in economic development and managing Covid crisis among others.

Biden has appointed a record number of over 130 Indo-Americans at various levels of the administrations, he said.

Lauding the Diwali celebration, Bhutoria said it sent a message “how much President Biden and this administration loves and respects the South Asian community”.

Earlier, welcoming the guests, Biden said it was the first Diwali reception to be held at the White House on such a scale.

“The incredible South Asian community all across America has helped the country emerge stronger from this pandemic, building an economy that works for everyone, teaching children and caring for elders, responding to the cry for action on climate, working to fix immigration system, defending rights and freedoms, building a more just and equitable country, serving and protecting our communities and the nation, informing, entertaining and inspiring,” he said. (Courtesy: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)

26 Austin South Asian | November 2022 ‘Varisu’ Makers Confirm That Movie Will Release For Pongal 2023

Vijay just completed shooting for his Tamil and Telugu bilingual film ‘Varisu’. The movie is set for its release in January 2023 on Pongal. The film makers on Diwali, October 24 finally made the official announcement that the movie will be released for Pongal.

The poster had Vijay in a full-on action mode. Earlier last month, the production house had reportedly informed that the fans that the movie has two important action sequences and also stated that it will be high on energy.

The movie went on floors earlier this year and the final leg of the shooting has been wrapped up and it is currently in its post-production. The music for the film has been composed by Thaman S. It was also earlier confirmed by the music director Thaman that the first single from the movie is set to release today. However, there has been no update on that.

‘Varisu’ features Vijay, Rashmika Mandanna, Sarathkumar, Prabhu, Prakash Raj, Yogi Babu, Shyam, Jayasudha, Sangeetha Krish, Srikanth and Samyuktha Shanmuganathan.

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‘Ponniyin Selvan 1’: Movie That Broke All Box Office Records

It has been three weeks since the release of Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus ‘Ponniyin Selvan’.

The movie is a blockbuster and it has become the highest-grosser Tamil film this year.

‘Ponniyin Selvan’ was made with a budget of Rs 500 crore and the film film will be released in the Summer next year.

The biggest opening of Mani Ratnam’s films

‘Ponniyin Selvan’ has reportedly marked the biggest opening ever in 20 years for Mani Ratnam.

The film on its opening day made a box office collection of Rs 80 crore worldwide and nearly Rs 25 crore in Tamil Nadu.

The film also became the first highest-grosser Tamil film to cross the Rs 100 crore mark at the box office.

A big hold in the overseas market

‘Ponniyin Selvan’ has reportedly surpassed all Indian films to become the first Tamil film to top all big box office collections.

The film also overtook Rajinikanths’s ‘2.0’ collection in the US, UK, Singapore, and Australia.

Still running in theatres

Even at the end of the third week, the film is still running with a substantial number of shows in theatres that are running houseful.

The demand for the movie has not slowed down even after 20 days and it is expected that the film will continue to perform well till the month’s end amidst Diwali releases.

500 screens in the third week

Over the years, films that perform well in theatres in the first and second week will have the number of shows reduced.

However, even at the beginning of the 4th week, ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ is being released on nearly 500 screens around the world. (Courtesy: https://timesofindia.indiatimes. com/)

has made more than Rs 450 crore at the box office.

The movie makers took to social media to announce that across the country, the film is performing well and added that ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ has not compromised on the story while focusing on visuals. Movie fans and audiences were pleased with the film’s adaptation of the novel. Karthi, Trisha and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the lead roles along with Jayaram, Sarathkumar, Parthiban, Rahman, Prakash Raj, Aishwarya Lekshmi and Sobhitha Dhu-

lipala in supporting roles, the film has broken many box office records as well as created new ones.

The music for the movie is composed by AR Rahman. It is expected that the second part of the

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Sooraj Barjatya Moves Away From Family-Dramas With ‘Uunchai’

The trailer of the upcoming film ‘Uunchai’ was unveiled on Tuesday.

The trailer packs in a surprise in

terms of genre from director Sooraj Barjatya, who is otherwise known for telling stories with the backdrop of family drama.

The trailer of ‘Uunchai’ presents a story of four friends in their old age.

It features the characters played by Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher,

Boman Irani and Danny Denzongpa, who are longtime friends. The trailer establishes Danny’s wish to take his friends to the Everest Base Camp, wanting to relive his childhood with his friends. But, disaster strikes when Danny’s character passes away because of old age. After this, the three friends decide to take the trek in his memory. Parineeti Chopra plays the character of a trek guide, and explains the difficulties of the trek but unsure of the group of friends’ possibility of completing the trek.

The film also stars actress Neena Gupta and Sarika. ‘Uunchai’ is Sooraj Barjatya’s 7th film as a director, who is known for largerthan-life sets, costume dramas and musicals. But, this time he has chosen a different mood and settings with ‘Uunchai’.

Shot at 17000 plus feet above sea level, with a senior star cast, and produced by Rajshri Productions in association with Mahaveer Jain Films and Boundless Media, ‘Uunchai’ is set to arrive in theatres on November 11. (Courtesy: https:// timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)

Ram Setu Movie Review : A Lopsided Argument On Mythology Versus History

Ram Setu for commercial gain, but there’s a catch. He needs evidence that can prove in the Su-

preme Court, that the bridge is not man-made (or Ram made), instead naturally formed. If proven so, no religious sentiments would be hurt on its destruction.

Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali Declared The Best Indian Film Of All Time By FIPRESCI

He ropes in atheist Aaryan assuming his verdict would definitely go in his favour. However, surprisesurprise, that’s not the case. Even a five-year-old can tell what Aaryan discovers on this mission.

A lop sided argument on mythology versus history, Ram Setu is the kind of film, where you can precisely tell the final outcome in the first scene.

There is no joy of discovery because it plays out like a poorly scripted reality show that isn’t even discreet about its agenda. The film is painfully predictable and blatantly manipulative. Even if you overlook the motive, the supposed survival- drama, is way too dull and farfetched for a mythical adventure movie.

A poll conducted by the India chapter of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) has decided the top 10 films in the history of Indian cinema. Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali has topped the list.

Based no Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s 1929 Bengali novel of the same, Ray’s 1955 film marked his directorial debut, and was the first installment in his Apu Trilogy of films.

The film drew from the Italian Neorealism movement started by filmmakers such as Vittorio de Sica, Michelangelo Antonioni and Roberto Rosselini. Pather Panchali is often regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, and has admirers in Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese and Wes Anderson. synonymous with the parallel film movement in India, which focused Bhuvan Shome. The number four, five and six films

on social strife and politics and not mainstream entertainment.

Ritwik Ghatak’s 1960 drama Meghe Dhaka Tara was the number two film on the list, and was followed by Mrinal Sen’s 1969 drama on the list were Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s 1981 Malayalam film Elippathayam, Girish Kasaravalli’s 1977 film Ghatashraddha, and MS Sathyu’s Garm Hava, which was released in 1973. Ray’s 1964 film Charulata took the seventh spot, and was followed by Shyam Benegal’s 1974 film Ankur, Guru Dutt’s 1954 film Pyaasa, and the Hindi blockbuster Sholay, directed by Ramesh Sippy and released in 1975.

The FIPRESCI was founded in 1930, and gives out awards at film festivals such as at the Vienna International Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Cannes Film Festival, the Venice Film Festival, the Warsaw Film Festival, and the International Film Festival of Kerala).

The poll was conducted in secret, and involved 30 members of FIPRESCI – India.

No Tamil language film found a spot in the top 10, which included five Hindi films, three Bengali movies, and one each from the Malayalam and Kannada languages. (Courtesy: https://indianexpress. com/) Characters locate ancient hidden caves, floating rocks, manuscripts, sanjeevni booti and Ravana’s Lanka faster than services of food delivery apps.

There’s also a poor man’s, Iron Man like (minus Jarvis) underwater suit that Akshay slips into for this expedition that fails to heighten your curiosity and awe. If the build-up is disappointing, the climax only gets worse.

Set in a courtroom, Aaryan rants about ‘progress not at the cost of sanskriti’. In its desperate attempt to reframe mythology as history and vice versa, it does a lot of disservice to Shree Ram’s legacy and faith in general.

Barring a few decent chase sequences, Ram Setu has no spark and is way too preachy. Lord Rama doesn’t need a salesman or films acting as Instagram influencers for him. (Courtesy: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)