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Race Of The Heroes

Seven Bollywood actors who have got us super excited for their upcoming releases

2021 seems to be a good year for movies as we have some exciting and big projects lined up from some of our favourite stars. Right from Aditya Roy Kapur’s ‘OM’ to Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Brahmastra’ and Ranveer Singh’s ‘83’ - we have upcoming films which feature these actors in a never seen before avatar. Even though the current coronavirus situation has led to the theatres shutting down, it’s said that towards the end of the year, one can expect the theatres to reopen. Not just this, with the rise of digital, there’s a comfort of watching great performances at the comfort of our homes.

Let’s take a look at seven actors who are racing to the frontline on the OTT domains.

Ranbir Kapoor

Last seen in Sanju (2018) for which he even earned himself a Filmfare Award, critics and audiences favourite Ranbir Kapoor is all set to make his comeback on the big screen with ‘Brahmastra’ and ‘Shamshera’. While ‘Shamshera’ is a period drama set in the 1800s and is helmed by Karan Malhotra, ‘Brahmastra’ is touted to be one of the biggest Bollywood, the film will be a trilogy and co-stars megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Mouni Roy, and Nagarjuna Akkineni. Cinelovers can barely contain their excitement to watch RK take over the big screen like never before this year.

Vicky Kaushal

Over the years, Vicky Kaushal has not only climbed up the ladder of success but also managed to make a solid place for himself in the industry. The good looking actor now seems to be ready to surprise the audiences with his upcoming projects which include ‘Sardar Udham Singh’, ‘The Immortal Ashwatthama’ and ‘Takht’. The star who was last seen in ‘Bhoot-Part one: The Haunted Ship’ has also been working on Meghna Gulzar’s upcoming biopic on India’s first Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.

Ranveer Singh

Rightly called Bollywood’s power bank, Ranveer Singh is known for taking up interesting and challenging roles from time to time. The talented actor is currently gearing up for his three big upcoming releases including Kabir Khan’s ‘83’, Rohit Shetty’s ‘Cirkus’ and Yash Raj Films’ ‘Jayeshbhai Jordaar’. Apart from this, he will also be seen in ‘Sooryavanshi’, a part of Rohit Shetty’s copuniverse. He will be seen alongside Khiladi Akshay Kumar.

Tiger Shroff

Popularly known for his high octane action sequences and impressive dancing skills, Tiger Shroff has been busy with ‘Heropanti 2’. He will be seen playing the lead in this sequel of his debut film ‘Heropanti’. Directed by Ahmed Khan and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, the film also stars Kriti Sanon, Rakesh Krushna Joshi. In addition to this, Tiger Shroff will also feature in Vikas Bahl’s next ‘Ganpath’ and Rohit Dhawan & Siddharth Anand’s ‘Rambo’.

John Abraham

Known for his action packed cinema, Bollywood heartthrob John Abraham leaves no stones unturned to get into the skin of his characters. The actor is known for his solid preps and rather more impactful performances. Here to win hearts of the audiences once again, John will be next seen in action thriller ‘Ek Villain 2’ and ‘Satyameva Jayate 2’. Last seen in the Sanjay Gupta directorial ‘Mumbai Saga’ and the Netflix film ‘Sardar Ka Grandson’ which premiered on May 18, we are excited for his upcoming projects.

Varun Dhawan

Last seen in Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Coolie No. 1’, Bollywood’s very own Varun Dhawan had been busy shooting for ‘Jug Jugg Jeeyo’ until the nationwide lockdown happened. The romantic drama co-stars Neetu Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Kiara Advani in the lead alongwith Prajakta Koli and Maniesh Paul. Other than this, Varun also has horror comedy ‘Bhediya’ lined up with Kriti Sanon.

Aditya Roy Kapur

Hailed as one of the most bankable, talented and versatile actors in the country today, Aditya Roy Kapur is all set to shatter all box-office records with his highly anticipated next ‘OM’. Touted to be an out-and-out actioner, the film will present Aditya in a fierce, never seen before avatar, where he will be seen performing some deadly high octane action sequences. ‘OM’ is directed by Kapil Verma and co-produced by Ahmed Khan, Shaira Khan and Zee Studios. The film is slated to hit the screens this year.

AlUlA is the newest ‘shooting’ location for Bollywood!

Melanie deSouza, Executive Director Destination Marketing for the Royal Commission for AlUlA insists AlUlA provides the ultimate filming destination.

Bollywood is always on the lookout for new locations, which locations would you suggest from here?

AlUla is a unique destination with endless possibilities, it is only now being discovered by filmmakers and the world at large. It is a region of outstanding natural and cultural significance featuring some of the world’s most sensational scenery and yet undiscovered historical monuments across an area the size of Belgium. The extraordinary sweeping vistas are the perfect backdrop for a wide genre of films such as historical epics, fantasy adventures, extra-terrestrial worlds, and dramatic war movies and stand in for an array of different locations, countries, and cities, or even another period in time. It is home to the ancient city of Hegra, the country’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and 200,000 years of history untouched wilderness, several microclimates, fascinating wildlife, and desert oases. The extraordinary diverse landscapes feature breath-taking rock formations, volcanic craters, luscious oasis and vast sandstone canyons. The soaring red-rock canyon area of Sharaan is a designated Nature Reserve committed to preserving the natural environment and re-establishing the rich diversity of plant life and wildlife including acacia woodland, Nubian Ibex, Red-Necked Ostrich, and Idmi Gazelles as well as the elusive Arabian Leopard.

Would it be feasible for Bollywood producers to shoot in AlUla? Are there any sops or rebates being given especially for them?

AlUla is now in a position to offer the ultimate filming destination and welcomes Bollywood productions offering financial incentives, location diversity, production resources, and professional support for international and local feature film, TV drama, commercial, and documentary film production. Production companies are encouraged to get in contact with the Saudi Film Council and Film AlUla team directly to discuss the competitive financial incentives. Interested producers can get in touch with the team: filming@rcu.gov.sa Production companies can also benefit from a range of incentives such as free bespoke production support; location scouting; expert knowledge of filming in Saudi; assistance in sourcing equipment and professional crew locally and regionally and, of course, year-round sunshine. With a temperate climate nine months of the year, Saudi presents filmmakers with an uninterrupted extended period of time during which to shoot their productions. Producers can expect a production-friendly setup location, a range of accommodation options with a skilled English-speaking team of experienced and established production experts to guide and support them every step of the way.Production companies can access the Film Production and Location guides on the website that provides a comprehensive overview of all the benefits of choosing AlUla as your next production destination

Has there been any film shooting there?

Yes, both local and international productions have already shot in AlUla. They include: Cherry directed by the Russo Brothers, Piaget commercial, AlUla brand campaign commercial directed by Bruno Aveillan, Discovery Channel documentary on AlUla narrated by Jeremy Irons, National Geographic about two shoot 2 programmes on AlUla, Extreme E in AlUla coverage, Andrea Boccelli concert coverage, Travel programmes for MBC and SBC and Exhibition with Steve Backshall.

AlUla looks beautiful, why haven’t we heard more about this beautiful place in terms of tourism promotions - before?

AlUla, a region in northwest Saudi Arabia, is a place of extraordinary human and natural heritage. AlUla is certainly a new and interesting destination for Indian travellers. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia opened its doors to tourism and launched the tourist visa in September 2019. The Royal Commission for AlUla has opened offices for tourism across the world in the USA, Asia, EU and Australia with a sole focus on developing AlUla as a holiday destination. Beautiful Planet Destination Marketing has received the mandate to promote AlUla in India from September 2020. And since then, we havebeen promoting AlUla through trade and consumer activities.We expect as soon as the borders open, AlUla will be an interesting destination to explore due to the vast open spaces, outstanding landscape, natural beauty and highest standard of visitor experience. The Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz has a vision to turn AlUla county into a living museum, creating memories that visitors will share with the world. We are bullish about AlUla and see a great potential to promote tourism to AlUla from India. KSA has great flight connections from Indian cities. Pre-pandemic Saudia Airlines operated 68 flights a week from India. Besides Saudia, Air India, Spice Jet and Indigo were also well connected to Saudia Arabia.

Starry Sashay

Super cool or fabulously hot, white is indeed the most perfect brunch-to-night look. No wonder, most of our super stylish stars love to slay in the hues of white. So though the skies are grim, white is the perfect elixir to lift up the spirits for the fashion conscious, which is why so many stars choose white as their OOTD. In fact, wearing white in this grey weather just makes the stars shine a lot brighter. …That’s why perhaps it looks like white is a fan favourite at the moment. It adds that extra touch of sophistication that one expects a star to have and still makes the person look delectably cool. Here are some of our top snaps of celebrities wearing white. Rate and tell us who wore white better?