37 minute read
Angulimala: Rehabilitative vs Retributive Justice
By Paddy Krishnan
The Buddhist story about Angulimala is about understanding the root cause of evil behaviour, how to reform a violent person and the idea of forgiveness. This story is also used to explain how attaining Nirvana does not suspend past Karma. Angulimala was a brilliant student at Taxshila. His brilliance made the other students jealous. They made up stories to his teacher about how Angulimala was an evil person. The teacher believed these stories and wanted to punish Angulimala. Another version of the story is that the teacher’s wife had fallen in love with Angulimala and tried to seduce him. But Angulimala rejected her advances. So she told her husband that Angulimala had tried to rape her and wanted Angulimala to be punished. The teacher knew that Angulimala would obey him and do anything that was asked of him. The teacher also wanted Angulimala to go to hell for his alleged evil behaviour, including attempted rape. The teacher told Angulimala that Angulimala had to provide one thousand (other versions say 100) little fingers as Guru Dakshina (a fee paid to the teacher before one can graduate). Angulimala, like an obedient student, went looking for the thousand little fingers. Initially, Angulimala asked people to donate their little finger so that he could repay his teacher. But no one was willing to do so. So he hid in the forest and attacked people to get their little fingers. In most cases he had to murder them to get their fingers. People branded Angulimala as a monster and fled from the surrounding villages. This caused a lot of economic turmoil for all the villagers. Because Angulimala could not store these fingers, he put them on a string and wore it like a garland. His name Angulimala means “finger garland”. When he had collected 999 (or 99 depending on the version of the story) and was excited that he had almost reached his goal. The next step also has multiple versions. In one version, Angulimala saw a monk in the forest. In another version, Angulimala decided to kill his mother who had got him some food. But just as he is about to kill his mother, there was a bright light that illuminated the whole forest. So Angulimala let go of his mother and decided to investigate the source of light, when he saw a monk. No matter how fast Angulimala ran behind the monk, he was unable to catch up with him. Soon Angulimala was exhausted, and in anger asked the monk to stop and identify himself. The monk identified himself as the Buddha. Angulimala asked the Buddha how he was able to get away. The Buddha stated that he was not moving and it was Angulimala’s running that prevented him from catching the Buddha. Obviously, Angulimala did not understand how the Buddha stopping and Angulimala not stopping prevented Angulimala from catching the Buddha. The Buddha explained that he had stopped being violent to all living beings (both in action and in mind). However, Angulimala was always thinking of and committing acts of violence. It is in that respect that the Buddha had stopped and Angulimala had not stopped. Angulimala wanted to know more about this and became a monk and the Buddha’s disciple. Soon Angulimala started following the principle of Ahimsa and was called Ahimsaka. After sometime, the king who wanted to capture Angulimala came to the Buddha and asked him to handover Angulimala. The Buddha asked the king, how would he treat a person who is a good person and truly follows the path of Ahimsa. The king replied that he would pay homage to such a person as such behaviour was rare. When the Buddha pointed out that it was Angulimala who was now a good person and called Ahimsaka, the king was surprised. He was amazed that his police force and weapons could not tame Angulimala, while Buddha’s teachings changed Angulimala’s behaviour without the use of force. The Buddha then explained the power of forgiveness. He said that forgiveness can heal anyone however violent their past actions may have been. Once Ahimsaka encountered a woman suffering a breech birth. This moved him and he observed that all living beings were tormented. The Buddha agreed with him and encouraged him to show compassion to all. The Buddha emphasised the need to avoid making value judgments. One should not label behaviours as good and bad. There is a whole range of behaviours. Furthermore, such behaviour is connected to the behaviour of others. Showing compassion is true courage, as one needs to look beyond disagreeable human behaviour. It is also an acknowledgement that all beings suffer. Compassion, is therefore, the ability to feel other people’s pain and sorrow. A compassionate mind needs to goes beyond oneself or one’s loved ones. True kindness needs to be unselfish and be extended to all beings, including those with whom we are in conflict. Thus compassion leads to universal love, as it drives one to serve others and take care of them. Once when Ahimsaka was seeking alms, a few people threw bricks and rocks at him. Ahimsaka suffered injuries to his head, his begging bowl was broken and his robe was ripped. Ahimsaka, dripping with blood, went to the Buddha seeking counsel. The Buddha told him to bear the pain. This was Karma and the result of his past actions. The Buddha explained how he could have suffered (e.g., be in hell) for many years and how he is lucky to experience only a brief hardship at that time. This pain had save Angulimala from spending a long time in hell. While the Buddha does not talk about a deity, others usually interpret God as a strict enforcer of morality. Any deviation from this will result in severe punishment. God defines what is good behaviour. Anyone who chooses good behaviour will be rewarded (e.g., with heaven) while those who choose bad behaviour will be punished (e.g., with hell). The Buddha argues that such black and white behaviour does not attempt to identify the root cause of bad behaviour. Bad behaviour is often a result of anger and shame which could be triggered by extreme events such as poverty, child abuse, or lack of suitable role models. There are cases where there are no external triggers and people are guilty of immoral behaviour. In Buddhism, and in Hinduism, there is no notion of sin for which one would go to an eternal hell. Sociologists have used Angulimala’s story to show how the current justice system is focused on punishment rather than reformation. A punitive incarceration-based system does not help the offender. It also has a negative impact on people related to the offenders. That is, the offenders’ friends and families are adversely affected. One must therefore, question if a system based on punishing offenders is effective and, more importantly, justifiable. A more practical approach to human weakness must be taken. The Buddha says that evil or immoral behaviour is because they are suffering from Dukkah and are not yet enlightened. Unenlightened people suffer from Dukkah and hence such people need to be treated as mentally ill patients. This will enable the cure to focus on their delusion which causes Dukkah. Of course, the story of Angulimala does not talk about the negative impact on families of the people Angulimala killed. It also does not talk about the damage caused to society caused by people fleeing their villages. Angulimala’s stoning also indicates that some people in society will always want retributive justice. Anyone who destroys the social fabric needs to be punished. However, one has to balance the punishment meted out to the criminal and the justice to those have suffered. But as the story shows, even the king was willing to let-go. The king’s point is that there is no need to punish those who have truly reformed themselves. The courts and the justice system cannot be expected to pass judgements that are based on moral arguments. Enacting laws based on moral judgements is the role of those who are framing the laws based on their philosophical beliefs. The laws need to consider how one can be reformed, balancing it with social harmony. This is especially difficult in the context of violent offenders, who cause harm to many people. A stable society depends on its members feeling safe, with a shared commitment to ethical conduct. The justice system needs to handle a small group who disrupt social harmony. The Buddha states that external violence is a symptom of some deeper cause. Violence is a manifestation of anger, enmity, and lack of rational thinking. In Angulimala’s case, he was violent because of his teacher’s orders. Because the teacher was misled by other students (or his wife), the root cause is the behaviour of the students or the teacher’s wife. In the story, these people were never punished. Angulimala is not totally blameless as he had the option to disobey his teacher. Can a justice system that looks at the root cause be designed? Expecting everyone to be non-violent is not practical. The key question is what type of justice (e.g., retribution based or forgiveness based) one wants?
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• References: • Analayo: The Conversion of
Angulimala in the Samyuktaagama, 2008 • P. J. Sangsri: A Study of Unity in
Buddhism, 2019 • D. R. Loy: A Different
Paddy Krishnan is a computer scientist, who got his BTech degree from IIT-Kanpur and PhD from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Being very interested in Hindu philosophy, he maintains a blog at www.goldcoasthindu. wordpress.com
Odisha Governor’s support for entry of foreigners into Jagannath temple, stir debate
Mumbai, Jan 14 (IANS) Padma Shri awardee and playback singer Sonu Nigam recently launched the music video of Shri Hanuman Chalisa during the Gorakhpur Mahotsav 2023, in the presence of Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath. The event witnessed a huge footfall of over 50,000 people from in and around the city. The singer shared that he would feel the presence of his mother while working on the track. With this music video featuring Sonu Nigam, the audience gets to experience a new version of the devotional hymn praising Lord Hanuman with unique video effects. The track was released simultaneously on more than 50 YouTube channels, making it the first ever such track in the history of a music asset launch. Addressing the audience, the Chief Minister said: “We just heard a line now from Shri Hanuman Chalisa sung by Shri Sonu Nigam ji. Hanuman Chalisa is a famous work composed by Goswami Tulsidas ji. Whether educated or illiterate, singing Hanuman Chalisa is as simple and easy for both. Every person, every Indian recites the Hanuman Chalisa with great reverence and respect. Here today, the famous musician Shri Sonu Nigamji has given it a new height with his voice.” He further mentioned: “I thank him from the bottom of my heart for this, that by giving voice to this chalisa of Bajrangbali Hanuman, the supreme devotee of Shri Ram, Sonu ji has not only produced his work through this medium but has also given a new direction to Lord Hanuman’s devotees. For this, I again extend my heartfelt thanks to Sonu ji.” Walking down the memory lane, Sonu Nigam said: “It was my mother who in my childhood insisted that I visit a temple every Tuesday and recite the Hanuman Chalisa. She was the one who inculcated in me the spirit of reverence to one super consciousness represented by multiple faiths. I, being a mother’s boy, did obey her always and thus Hanuman Chalisa became an integral part of my life.” “When I sat down to compose it, I could feel my mother streaming down the composition and the arrangements spiritually. It was like magic. This is my tribute to my mother, the beautiful ‘Sanskars’ of Hinduism that I was born to, the Great Saint Tulsidas Goswami and our beautiful Motherland Mother India,” the singer added. The music video of Shri Hanuman Chalisa was released under Sonu Nigam’s I Believe Music label along with Global Music Junction.
New Delhi, Jan 11 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Friday inaugurate the Tent City in Varanasi, which has been conceptualised on the banks of the Ganga to tap the potential of tourism in the region. Officials said that the project has been developed opposite the city ghats which will provide accommodation facilities and cater to the increased tourist influx in Varanasi, especially since the inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath Dham. Bhubaneswar, Jan 14 (IANS) Odisha It has been developed by Varanasi Governor Ganeshi Lal’s statement in favour of entry of foreigners into Development Authority in PPP Jagannath temple, Puri, has sparked mode. a debate in the state. The tourists will reach the Tent While addressing inaugural City by boats from different ghats function of Odisha Vision 2036 situated in the vicinity. Conclave in Bhubaneswar on It will be operational from October Thursday, the Governor had said, to June every year and will be “If a foreigner can meet Puri dismantled for three months due to Gajapati, Puri Shankaracharya rise in river water level in the rainy Swami Nischalananda Saraswati season. and servitors, he/she should get a Also on Friday, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Haldia Multi chance to pay obeisance to Lord Jagannath.” Modal Terminal in West Bengal. Stating the governments should work on this issue, Lal said, “This is Developed under Jal Marg Vikas my personal opinion... someone may Project, the terminal has a cargo appreciate it or not, but, I request handling capacity of around over the servitors, Puri Shankaracharya 3 Million Metric Tonne Per Annum and king Gajapati to consider my (MMTPA) and the berths are proposal.” designed to handle vessels up to As per tradition, only Hindus are around 3000 Deadweight tonnage allowed to have darshan of Lord (DWT). Jagannath and siblings inside the Apart from this, the PM will also Puri temple. So, this statement of the inaugurate four floating community Governor has created a fresh row in jetties at Saidpur, Chochakpur, the state.
PM to inaugurate Tent City in Varanasi Odisha Governor’s support for entry of
Zamania in Ghazipur district and foreigners into Jagannath temple, stir debateat Kanspur in Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh. Besides, foundation stone will be laid for the five Community Jetties at Digha, Nakta Diyara, Barh, Panapur in Patna district and Hasanpur in Samastipur district in Bihar. More than 60 community jetties are being constructed along river Ganga across the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal to boost the economic activities and improve the livelihoods of local communities in the region. The Prime Minister will also inau- Puri temple servitors have opposed gurate Maritime Skill Development the proposal of the Governor. Centre for North East in Guwahati, Temple servitor and member of the which will help in honing the rich Jagannath Temple managing comtalent pool in the region and provide mittee, Madhab Chandra Mohapatra for better employment opportunities said, “It is laughable. The proposal in the burgeoning logistics industry. is beyond our imagination. It is not In addition to these, the Prime possible. Nobody other than Hindus Minister will also lay the foundation should be allowed into the temple.” stone for a ship repair facility and an Another servitor Shyama Mohapatra elevated road at the Pandu Terminal also made a similar opinion. Lord in Guwahati. Jagannath and his siblings come out of the temple each year during Rath Yatra to give darshan to such (foreign) devotees. So, the age-old tradition should not be changed, Mahapatra said. Similarly, the BJP and Congress party leaders have expressed their opinions on the proposal of the Governor. Leader of opposition in Odisha Assembly, Jayanarayan Mishra (BJP) left it to the pandits of Mukti Mandap to take decision on this issue while Congress MLA Suresh Routray said the tradition should not be broken.
Football: Australia to host Cup of Nations ahead of FIFA Women’s World Cup
Canberra, Jan 12 (IANS) Australia’s onational women’s football team will play home games against Spain, the Czech Republic and Jamaica ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Football Australia (FA) announced on Thursday that the Matildas will participate in the Cup of Nations, a four-team tournament comprising three match days in February’s international window. Games will be played at Central Coast Stadium on February 16, Parramatta Stadium on February 19 and McDonald Jones Stadium on Feb 22, with the Matildas to play the Czech Republic, Spain and Jamaica in order. For the Matildas, the match against seventh-ranked Spain will offer a chance to make amends for a 7-0 defeat last June. Tony Gustavsson, head coach of the Matildas, said playing matches at home is crucial ahead of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20, reports news agency Xinhua. “The teams have been carefully selected for the Cup of Nations to ensure we have the right preparation heading into the FIFA Women’s World Cup,” he said in a media release. “Not only are all three nations filled with quality, but they also provide a difference in playing style and approach with the three-match days aiming to mirror tournament group play to the best of our ability.” The Matildas are on a four-game winning streak, including a 4-0 win against third-ranked Sweden last November. They will compete in Group B at the World Cup alongside Ireland, Nigeria and Canada.
Australia, India players gain big in latest ICC Player Rankings
Dubai, Jan 11 (IANS) Australia’s star performers from their Test series win against South Africa have been richly rewarded in the latest ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings released on Wednesday while India stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were also the big gainers in the ODI section. Usman Khawaja was the biggest mover, following his stunning century in the third and final Test against South Africa in Sydney -- he moved up to 8th in the Men’s Test batters’ rankings. Khawaja was unbeaten on 195, missing out on his double ton as skipper Pat Cummins declared to force a result in a rain-curtailed contest. Khawaja’s exploits saw him gain four spots and break into the top 10. Performers from the drawn Test between Pakistan and New Zealand also made big gains, with Tom Latham, Devon Conway and Saud Shakeel making big moves. Latham scored 71 and 62 in the second Test in Karachi and has gained a place to move to 19th. Conway’s century in the first innings also saw him move up three spots to 21. Shakeel, who scored his maiden Test ton, has gained twenty spots to move to 30. Marnus Labuschagne continues his reign at the top of the rankings chart in the batters rankings. In the bowling charts, Josh Hazlewood, who made a comeback in the Sydney Test, is the biggest mover. He scalped five wickets in the contest, which saw him gain six spots to move to No. 10. Cummins continues to remain the top-ranked Test bowler. Meanwhile, Virat and Rohit moved up in the ODI batting rankings. Kohli, who scored a stunning century in India’s victory against Sri Lanka in the first ODI in Guwahati, has moved up two spots to 6th. On the other hand, Rohit also scored an aggressive 83 and has gained a spot to sit at 8th. Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka scored a fighting ton despite his side losing and has gained 20 spots to move to 61. Meanwhile, in the bowling charts, Mohammed Siraj is the biggest gainer after scalping two wickets in the first ODI, moving up four spots to 18. In the T20I rankings charts, Suryakumar Yadav continues his reign at the top of the batting charts, driven by his brilliant century in the third T20I against Sri Lanka. Shakib Al Hasan remains the topranked all-rounder in the shortest format, while Wanindu Hasaranga is displaced by Rashid Khan as the top-ranked bowler following his struggles in the series against India.
Suryakumar extends lead on top of the table, closes in on all-time ICC T20I batting rankings
Dubai, Jan 11 (IANS) Star India batter Suryakumar Yadav, who is making a habit out of breaking records, is inching closer towards the all-time ICC men’s T20I batting rankings, extending his lead on top of the table from 883 rating points to 908 in the latest update on Wednesday. Following up his 36-ball 51 in the second T20I, Surya blasted a majestic century -- his third in six months -- in the series decider in Rajkot recently. The 51-ball 112 not out was laced with seven fours and nine sixes, not sparing an inch of the stadium with his sublime 360-degree hitting. Unsurprisingly, he was the Player of the Match as India put on a colossal total of 228/5 and went on to register a massive 91-run win. His stunning returns in both games puts him second in the all-time T20I batters bankings, just seven rating points behind England’s Dawid Malan (915). Suryakumar was placed fifth in the all-time list during the previous update of the rankings but has now leapfrogged Babar Azam (896), Virat Kohli (897) and Aaron Finch (900) over the last week, as per ICC. The right-hander batter had to wait for a long time for the India cap, making his T20I debut after turning 30. But there has been no stopping him ever since as he has gone to rack up runs consistently at a rate not seen before. In 45 T20Is, Surya has accumulated 1578 runs at a phenomenal strike rate of 180.34, the highest for any batter with more than 250 T20I runs. In the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, he finished as the third-highest run-getter with 239 runs in six matches while striking at an eye-watering 189.68. All three of his fifties -- against South Africa, Zimbabwe and Netherlands -- proved to be crucial knocks under the circumstances and in the case of the latter two, turned the tide in favour of India. Suryakumar will not have to wait for too long to gun for Malan’s record as New Zealand are set to travel to India for a white ball tour consisting of three ODIs and three T20Is later this month.The T20I series will kick off on January 27 in Ranchi and good returns against the fifth-placed Kiwis could see Surya break yet another record, something he has made a habit of.
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Madrid, Spain, Jan 7 (IANS) World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Australian Open due to a right leg injury. The 19-year-old Spaniard, who last year became the youngest player to finish year-end No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, would have held the top seed at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in his career. Alcaraz tweeted: “When I was at my best in preseason, I picked up an injury through a chance, unnatural movement in training. This time it’s the semimembranosus muscle in my right leg.” “I’d worked so hard to get to my best level for Australia but unfortunately I won’t be able to play the Care A2+ Kooyong or the Australian Open. It’s tough, but I have to be optimistic, recover and look forward. See you in 2024 @AustralianOpen.” The withdrawal imperils Alcaraz’s hold on World No. 1, with Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Novak Djokovic all having an opportunity to rise to top spot the Monday after the Australian Open. Despite his breakout season, Alcaraz had a frustrating end to 2022, being forced to withdraw from the quarter-finals of the Rolex Paris Masters with an internal oblique muscle tear that also sidelined him at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. On September 12, Alcaraz became the youngest World No. 1 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. He finished 2022 with a 57-13 record and five tour-level titles, including his first two ATP Masters 1000 victories (Miami and Madrid) and his first Grand Slam trophy at the US Open. Last year Alcaraz lost 7-6 in the fifth set to Matteo Berrettini in the third round of the Open.
RELEASE DATE: 26th January 2023 LANGUAGE: PRODUCER: Manila Santoshi, Ram Santoshi DIRECTOR: Rajkumar Santoshi CAST: Deepak Antani, Chinmay Mandlekar, Tanisha Santoshi & Others
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RELEASE DATE: 25 January 2023 LANGUAGE: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu (With English Subtitles) PRODUCER: Aditya Chopra DIRECTOR: Siddharth Anand CAST: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Dimple Kapadia, John Abraham
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Actress Rakul Preet Singh, who is gearing up for her upcoming romantic comedy film ‘Chhatriwali’, feels that just like mental and physical health, it is important to have conversations around sexual health and wellness too. The film, which will be released on OTT, sheds light on the importance of sex education and how it can shape the future generations with regard to empathy and awareness. Elaborating her thoughts, the actress said: “For me it’s not about the subject being bold, I think the entire conversation is that it is not bold it is as normal as it can be and I am a believer that if we talk about key health, mental health, emotional health then why not sexual health. You know It’s not an option, it is compulsory.” “I truly believe this is the only thing we don’t have an option for in life so why should education related to it be an option. I think it’s very important and it’s a need of the hour.” Sharing what she felt after reading the script, the actress further mentioned: “When I read the script, I connected with it so much that I felt...you know sometimes, you have certain beliefs but it comes to you in the form of the script it just re-intrigues the fact that yes I think I should do something which will help people, obviously, entertainment being on the forefront.” “I connected with it so much that nobody has ever spoken about the effects of it on women’s health like talking about abortion, miscarriages but can anyone of us tell how many abortions can a woman’s body take and what are the ill effects and how does it traumatise women you know mentally, emotionally, physically and these are the conversations we need to have for a society to hope and to move forward,” she added. ‘Chhatriwali’ is set to release on January 20, on OTT platform ZEE5.
Sikkim cop Eksha Keirung to play femme fatale in ‘Lakadbaggha’
The upcoming animal vigilante film ‘Lakadbaggha’ will see in action the real life cop from
Sikkim - Eksha Keirung. Eksha will make her debut with the film as the ruthless femme fatale. Interestingly, she is also a professional boxer and has represented Sikkim nationally many times. In the film she will be seen doing hand to hand combat with the protagonist. The film is directed by Victor Mukherjee and produced under the banner First Ray Films. When asked about casting Eksha, he said: “I am a huge fan of Kill Bill and female assassins in action movies. When Alok was writing ‘Lakadbaggha’, we intentionally decided to have a femme fatale. He suggested this cop in Sikkim who has been a super model. I reached out to Eksha. She was kind enough to audition.” He further mentioned: “Being a martial artist and a kickboxer, she really fitted the world of the film. She is ‘the girl with no name’ & we are so proud to introduce her. Fun fact: she actually ended up hurting me physically during our action scenes because she didn’t know how to hold back or act. She went all out. And it was thrilling. She is the surprise packet in the film.” ‘Lakadbaggha’ also stars Anshuman Jha, Ridhi Dogra, Paresh Pahuja and Milind Soman. The film is set to release in cinemas on January 13 worldwide.
Kartik Aaryan reveals his 2023 New Year resolution: ‘More and more travel’
Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan has revealed his 2023 resolution - a lot of travelling. Kartik took to Instagram, where he shared a slew of pictures from all the travels he has done. “More and More Travel... that’s my 2023 resolution,” he captioned the image. As soon as the actor dropped his pictures, his fans and friends took to the comment section. Filmmaker Kabir Khan wrote: “Nothing better than travel.” A fan wrote: “The heartthrob of Bollywood, winning hearts of fans with his humbleness on the streets of London. Your fanceptions from London will be always the most emotional and special one!” In 2022, Kartik delivered two blockbusters - one horror comedy ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’, which raked in Rs 200 crores, and ‘Freddy’ which was widely appreciated after its release on OTT. He is currently busy shooting for ‘Satyaprem Ki Katha’ with Kiara Advani. Kartik will also be seen in ‘Shehzada’, which also stars Kriti Sanon. He has ‘Captain India’ and Kabir Khan’s yet-untitled next.
Yami would love to play her ‘favourite actress’ Madhubala in biopic
Actress Yami Gautam Dhar envisions doing a biopic of the iconic and her “favourite” actress Madhubala. When asked whose biopic she would like to do, Yami said: “The most beautiful one would be Madhubala ji. I know that there are some films being announced, but it’s nothing to do with those announcements.” She added: “I have always said this in my makeup room, because I used to watch her songs at night. So at night, I have this habit till date, of watching either some old songs or some old interviews.” “It could be Madhubala ji’s to Smita ji’s interviews, and my God! How well-spoken they were. I wish again, one of those actors were still alive. There was so much more that was left to be seen and I wish she was here today, because she’s one of my most favourite actors.” Meanwhile, on the work front, Yami has more power-packed performances lined up with projects like ‘Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga’, ‘OMG2’ and ‘Dhoom Dham’ among other unannounced projects.
‘Pushpa: The Rise’ set to become No. 1 all-time Indian film hit in Russia
Ayear after its theatrical release around the world, the Allu Arjun-led ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ continues to hold its own, not just in India, but also internationally. The blockbuster directed by Sukumar, which was released in Russia last month, has collected more than 10 million roubles or about Rs 12 crore. The Allu Arjun-starrer saw its grand Russian-language release on December 8 and after shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg, the film has been running successfully in 774 screens with no drop reported in the number of screens till date, according to the makers. ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, which is in the third week since its release, is on track to becoming Russia’s mostloved Indian film of all time. And the Russian satellite rights to the film will be sold soon for another Rs 2 crore, unit sources said. Given the current trend, ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ is expected to outperform all other Indian film collections and set a new high. The highest collection for a Russiandubbed Indian film thus far has been the Hrithik Roshan-Tiger Shroff-starrer ‘War’, which grossed around 15 million roubles or about Rs 17 crore. Now, ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, given the kind of response it has been getting, is expected to surpass this figure and become the most successful Russian-dubbed Indian film of all time.
Geared up for 2023, Bhumi Pednekar will exhibit her versatility as an actor
Actress Bhumi Pednekar has six releases in 2023 including ‘Bheed’, ‘The Ladykiller’, ‘Afwaa’, ‘Bhakshak’, ‘Mere Husband Ki Biwi’, and says that this year will be hers as an artist. Bhumi said: “With six films releasing this year, I’m putting it out in the universe that 2023 will be my year in cinema as an actor! Given the diversity of these films and the powerful women that I will essay in the film, I don’t think I could push myself any further to showcase the variety of roles that I can play as an artist.” “People will get to see six different Bhumi’s on screen in one year which is what is most exciting for me. I live to play out different lives on screen. It excites me, challenges me and stimulates me as an artist. I’m fortunate that I’m an actor living out my dream every single day. I couldn’t have manifested anything better to happen to me,” she added. Bhumi said that her wish for 2023 is very simple. “I want to entertain everyone with these six films and move a few notches higher to realising my personal goal, which is to be regarded as one of the best actors that India has ever seen. I know it’s a lot of hard work and I’m prepared to put in everything for this because I’m in it to be amongst the best. This has driven me so far and I hope this
‘Vadh’ director Jaspal Singh Sandhu revealed that there are possibilities of a sequel to the movie as it got a good response from the audience and he also appreciated the work of Sanjay Mishra and Neena Gupta in the film. He said: “Yes, there is a chance of ‘Vadh 2’ because we have left the story open-ended. We do have a further story to come up with. And the newness would be more edgeof-the-seat narrative and powerful performances. I am kind of excited but let’s see what happens.” Jaspal further spoke about Sanjay and Neena and shared that everyone liked their acting skills and appreciated them for their roles. “Everyone spoke about the impact of casting Sanjay Mishra and Neena Gupta and praised their natural acting. When you have such actors your job becomes a little easier because they are able to do full justice to the character and story. Audiences were surprised and thrilled to watch their characters in the film.” The director recalled memories from the sets and shared how the shooting happened in extremely high temperatures: “I remember it was very hot and the temperature was around 46 degrees and we were shooting in a very small claustrophobic location. Even though the location was very inside and we had to keep our vanities on the main road, Neena ma’am used to walk long distances and never complained. Manav was very amazing and cheerful. Saurabh Sachdeva was so much into his character that everyone was afraid to go to him and ask for tea.”
Hollywood producer Jason Blum says ‘RRR’ will win Oscar for best film
Hollywood producer Jason Blum is sure that Indian filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli’s magnum opus ‘RRR’ will be feted with the Best Film honour at this year’s Oscar awards. The founder of Hollywood studio Blumhouse, who has produced Oscar-winning movies such as ‘Get Out’ and horror movies such as ‘Paranormal Activity’ and ‘Insidious’ took to Twitter and wrote: “I’m going with RRR winning best pic. You heard it here first. Mark it down, please.” “If I’m right, I am awarding myself my own Oscar,” he added. ‘RRR’ stars NTR Jr., Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Shriya Saran, Samuthirakani, Ray Stevenson, Alison Doody and Olivia Morris. It centres around two real-life Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, their fictional friendship and their fight against the British Raj. Set in the 1920s, the plot explores the undocumented period in their lives when both the revolutionaries chose to go into obscurity before they began the fight for their country.
Child welfare body asks UP DGP to get ‘Pathaan’ song removed from social media
The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district has advised the Director General of Police (DGP) to get the clippings of ‘Pathaan’ movie song ‘Besharam Rang’, and other obscene contents, removed from the social media as it was having a ‘detrimental impact on the psyche of adolescents’. Using the powers given under the relevant section of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015, the Child Welfare Committee, Bahraich (bench of magistrate), has written to the DGP that it has taken a suo moto cognizance of obscene contents, including the ‘Besharam Rang’ song, being circulated on social media. In the letter sent to the DGP, Bahraich CWC President Satish Kumar Srivastava and four-member bench consisting of Deepmala Pradhan, Archana Pandey and Navneet Mishra has said that smart mobile phones had been provided to the teenagers by the Uttar Pradesh government for their all-round development and they cannot be stopped from watching easily available contents. In such a situation, it is necessary in their best interest that obscene contents should be removed from social media, the letter says.
For Ridhi Dogra, the medium doesn’t really matter
Actress Ridhi Dogra, who is all set for her movie ‘Lakadbaggha’ starring Anshuman Jha to release, said that mediums don’t really matter to her as long as she is a part of a good story, character and team. Speaking about films and her debut with ‘Lakadbaggha’, Dogra said: “There’s no system, clean slate. I don’t think that okay now I am doing a film, my process on whatever I have done is that I ask many questions, I would like to know everything, I would like to make as much logical sense and it continues to whichever set I am on.” “I think when I saw myself on the big-screen in Kolkata I felt like Oh my God! I don’t look bad at all, I sound good, I should do more films. But the mediums don’t really matter to me as long as I am part of a good story, a good character and a good team; that’s all that truly matters.” Lately, the actress has been making noise for her work in the recently released web-series ‘Pitchers 2’, a second season of the cult show Pitchers. 2023 is a very exciting year for Ridhi Dogra with several big releases in the line. She is all set and steadfast for big ticket films like ‘Jawan’, ‘Tiger 3’, shows like ‘Asur 2’. The owner of Hombale Films Vijay Kiragandur has shared information regarding ‘KGF Chapter 3’, the next part of the superhit KGF Series. Talking about his plans, Vijay Kiragandur has stated that the ‘KGF Chapter 3’ project will kick off in 2025 and release only after 2026. The pre-production work for the sequel has not begun yet, he stated. Interestingly, Vijay Kiragandur has said that as the James Bond movies have different heroes, KGF sequels will also have different heroes. “There will be five sequels to the KGF series, the heroes will keep changing,” he added. Sources explain that Prashanth Neel, the director of the movie is busy with ‘Salaar’ presently and he would take up a movie starring Jr NTR later. Only after that, ‘KGF Chapter 3’ work would begin. Sources also state that there is a connection between ‘KGF Chapter 2’ and ‘Salaar’. They also reveal that ‘Rocking Star’ Yash will also be seen in the movie.
Actor Chahatt Khanna records statement in conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar case
TV actor Chahatt Khanna on Tuesday recorded her statement before Delhi’s Patiala House Court in connection with Rs 200 crore extortion case related to conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar. Chandrasekhar’s close aide Pinky Irani, who was arrested by the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in November, had, as per sources, had allegedly contacted models and actresses, on behalf of the conman, asked them to meet him or talk to him on the phone, and also given expensive gifts to actresses. According to sources, Nikki Tamboli of “Big Boss” fame, Khanna of “Bade Acche Lagte Hai” fame, Sophia Singh, and Arusha Patil met Chandrasekhar in the jail premises and he introduced himself as a producer of the southern film industry. “Irani had facilitated their meetings with Chandrasekhar. All these four actresses were given expensive gifts of renowned brands such as Gucci, Versace, and Louis Vuitton,” said a source. “Chandrasekhar also transferred some Rs 5.20 lakh into the account of Patil, who has admitted to have met him but not in the jail. When Irani introduced Khanna to Chandrasekhar, the actress was allegedly given Rs 2 lakh and a blue-coloured Versace watch,” the source added. Chandrasekhar had also allegedly deposited Rs 2 lakh into the account of Singh and later gifted her an LV bag. She was, later on, given Rs 1.5 lakh more. Irani got an amount of Rs 10 lakh from Chandrasekhar for introducing him to Tamboli, and she gave Rs 1.5 lakh to Tamboli. Later on, Chandrasekhar gave her a Gucci bag and Rs 2 lakh on their first meeting, said sources.
Akshay Oberoi on ‘Fighter’: My character is a tribute to real-life heroes
Mumbai, Jan 4 (IANS) Actor Akshay Oberoi, who will be seen in the upcoming Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone-starrer ‘Fighter’, said that his character in the film is a tribute to real life heroes. Akshay, who will be seen playing the role of an Air Force officer, said that it’s an honour for him to play his part. He said: “It’s an honour to be playing the part of someone who has served the nation. My character is a tribute to all those real life heroes who have fought for their country. As actors, we might imitate their actions, but the grit and courage that they would have shown in real life situations are unfathomable. All thanks to the director Siddharth and Mamta Anand for picking me for the part.” Recently Akshay posted on Instagram, a picture of himself along with the director Siddharth Anand and co-star Karan Singh Grover to announce his association with the film. ‘Fighter’, which sees Hrithik and Deepika as Air Force pilots, is slated for release on January 25, 2024. The film is said to be shot across the world and will pay tribute to the sacrifice of the country’s armed forces.
After hand pump, Sunny Deol lifts giant wheel in most-awaited ‘Gadar’ sequel
He is remembered for uprooting a hand pump in ‘Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’ in 2001, and over two decades later he will be seen lifting a giant wheel in the sequel of the film.
The first look of ‘Gadar 2’ has been unveiled and Sunny and Ameesha Patel are in the leading roles. The film is slated for a 2023 release, directed by Anil Sharma.
The first glimpse of the film hints that the movie will be action-packed.
In the video, Sunny is seen lifting a giant wheel over his head as he shouts.
‘Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’ was a blockbuster, it is a partition-time drama that followed the story of Tara
Singh, a Sikh who falls in love with a
Pakistani Muslim girl Sakina.
