PVR Movies First by pvrcinemas

PVR MOVIES FIRST VOL. 36

YO U R WI ND O W IN TO T HE WORL D OF CIN EMA

21 Little-Known Things Aboutâ&#x20AC;¦.

Benedict Cumberbatch

THE BEST NEW MOVIES PLAYING THIS MONTH: JACK & DIL, ROBOT 2.0, A PRIVATE WAR, CREED 2

NOVEMBER 2018

GUESTIEW V INTER

ush n Ma ndan Na

GREETINGS ear Movie Lovers, Here’s the November issue of Movies First, your exclusive window to the world of cinema. Christmas is in danger of being stolen yet again. “The Grinch,” featuring Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of the grumpy green guy, arrives in a new digitally animated avatar of Dr. Seuss’ classic. Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan match wits and weapons in “Thugs of Hindostan,” the year’s most awaited saga. The film’s cinematographer Manush Nandan shares behind-the-scene secrets of the actionpacked shoot.

We rewind to “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” (2001) the Oscar-winning J.K. Rowling classic that enchanted millions of muggles across the world. Join us in wishing Hollywood singing sensation Emma Stone a happy birthday. We really hope you enjoy the issue. Wish you a fabulous month of movie watching. Regards

Gautam Dutta CEO, PVR Limited

USING THE MAGAZINE We hope you’ll find this magazine easy to use, but here’s a handy guide to the icons used throughout anyway. You can tap the page once at any time to access full contents at the top of the page.

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CONTENTS

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Movie of The Month

Up Close & Personal

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MUST WATCH

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guest interview

Rising Star

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RELEASING THIS MONTH

A sneak-peek into the big release of the month!

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Thugs of Hindostan This action adventure film is so far the most expensive outdoor production in the history of Indian cinema. Shot extensively in Malta, Thailand and Mehrangarh, Thugs of Hindostan is designed to give Indian audiences the biggest visual spectacle of all time. It boasts incredible VFX effects, and to ensure maximum impact, the film has been edited on big screen in the massive YRF theatre instead of the usual studio monitors. The Plot: Set in 1795, the film follows a band of thugs led by Khudabaksh Azaad, who aspires to free Hindostan, the Indian subcontinent from the rule of the expanding British East India Company. Alarmed, British commander John Clive sends a small-time thug from Awadh, Firangi Mallah, to counter the threat. PVR MOVIES FIRST

The Cast: Wading through storms & battles, Amitabh Bachchan plays Khudabaksh, the commander of thugs,

y character in this film is the very opposite of Dangal …he’s very slippery and has no scruples at all – for money he can sell his mother out. - Aamir Khan

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with a sword in his hand, an armour on his body, a turban on his head and passion in his eyes. Aamir Khan plays a character who cannot be trusted at all. The actor has said it is the very opposite of Dangal … “He’s a very slippery character. He has no scruples at all – for money he can sell his mother out. He’s like that.” Katrina Kaif features as Suraiyya Jaan, an Indian warriror princess. She is mesmerising as a dancer who sports kohllined eyes, loose tresses and a nose pin.

The Director:

Vijay Krishna Acharya is a television and Bollywood veteran. He started his career with script writing for popular TV shows such as Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin, Just Mohabbat and Son Pari. In 2013, he directed Dhoom 3, which broke box office records and went on to become the first Indian movie to collect 500 crore. He also directed the Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor starrer, Tashan.

Fatima Sana Sheikh plays Zafira, a fiery and stunning character. She is an extremely talented fighter and specialises in combat by bow and arrow. Zafira has perfect accuracy and she doesn’t miss a target, ever.

DID YOU KNOW? • This is the first time Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan will be seen in a film together. • Two ships were built exclusively for this film in the early 18th century style when vessels would carry canons and other weapons. The ships were built by over 1,000 people working together and weighed 200,000 kg each

Thugs of Hindostan RELEASE 08 NOVEMBER Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama Language: Hindi Director: Vijay Krishna Acharya Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Fatima Sana Sheikh Studio: Yash Raj Films Pic Courtesy: @TOHTheFilm

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• Aamir Khan underwent a permanent nose and ear piercing to get into his character for the film. • Amitabh Bachchan wore a heavy armour and shot his action scenes in the rain, with the result that he suffered injuries and strain during the making of the film. • All of the action directors, visual effects team, set designers, visual coordinators and various technical staff were appointed from Hollywood. • The film was earlier titled Thug.

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THE GRINCH

MOVIE OF THE MONTH

Tagline: It’s never too early to be annoyed by Christmas Release Date: 9 November, 2018 Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family Language: English Directors: Yarrow Cheney, Scott Mosier Cast: Rashida Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch, Angela Lansbury Studio: Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment, Perfect World Pictures Pic Courtesy: Universal Pictures

Funny, heartwarming, and visually stunning, it’s a universal story about the spirit of Christmas and the indomitable power of optimism.

THE BACK STORY: The Grinch is an animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ A bestselling children’s book. This classic holiday tale has been adapted twice before, once as a half-hour animated TV special in 1966 with narration by Boris Karloff, and again in 2000 by Ron Howard in a live-action film starring Jim Carrey.

When the Whose declares they are going to make Christmas three times bigger this year, the Grinch realises there is only one way for him to gain some peace and quiet: he must steal Christmas. Meanwhile, down in Whoville, CindyLou Who, a young girl overflowing with holiday cheer, plots with her gang of friends to trap Santa Claus as he makes his Christmas Eve rounds so that she can thank him for help for her overworked single mother. As Christmas approaches, however, her good-natured scheme threatens to collide with the Grinch’s more nefarious one.

THE PLOT: The Grinch tells the story of a cynical grump who goes on a mission to steal Christmas, only to have his heart changed by a young girl’s generous holiday spirit. PVR MOVIES FIRST

The Grinch lives a solitary life inside a cave on Mt. Crumpet with only his loyal dog, Max, for company. With a cave rigged with inventions and contraptions for his day-to-day needs, the Grinch only sees his neighbors in Whoville when he runs out of food. Each year at Christmas they disrupt his tranquil solitude with their increasingly bigger, brighter, and louder celebrations.

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THE CHARACTER: For his over-sized presence, his childlike need for attention and his ultimate recovery from his “holidaze” and hatred hangover — The Grinch is an unforgettably great character among a green and red legacy of Christmas characters. THE WRITER: Dr. Seuss was the pen name of American author, political cartoonist, poet, animator, screenwriter, filmmaker and artist named Theodor Seuss Geisel. His dozens of children’s books have spawned 11 TV specials, four feature films, four TV series and a stage musical. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1984. The Grinch was the first adult and the first villain to be the main character in a Dr. Seuss book. The writer derived the name “Grinch” from the French word grincheux which means “grouchy.” THE VOICE: Academy Award® nominee Benedict Cumber batch lends his voice to the infamous Grinch, portraying the character with the perfect blend of disgust and superiority that makes him so maddening. The British actor is best known for his lead role in the BBC series Sherlock. He has also appeared in Hollywood

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films such as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, War Horse, Star Trek: Into the Darkness and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. His portrayal of Alan Turing in The Imitation Game earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. THE DIRECTORS: Yarrow Cheney is an American production designer, visual effects artist, director and animator. He is best known for his works as a production designer in Despicable Me 2 (2013), The Lorax (2012) and Despicable Me (2010) for which he received Primetime Emmy and Annie Awards nominations. In 2016, Cheney co-directed Illumination Entertainment’s The Secret Life of Pets with Chris Renaud, (1) that received positive reviews and became the sixth highest grossingfilm of 2016.(2) He is currently co-directing The Grinch (2018) with Scott Mosier Scott A. Mosier (born March 5, 1971) is a CanadianAmerican film director, film producer, editor, podcaster, writer and actor best known for his work with director Kevin Smith, with whom he occasionally co-hosts the weekly podcast, SModcast.

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Trivia 01

This is Benedict Cumberbatch’s second animated film. His first was Penguins of Madagascar (2014).

The original Grinch was not green, he was black and white with red and pink splotches.

One of the cereals that The Grinch eats is called “Atomic Sugar Bombs.” This is a reference to Dash’s favorite cereal “Sugar Bombs” from Incredibles 2 (2018). This will mark the second film to be based on ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ after the 2000 live-action film starring Jim Carrey. The earlier movie was one of the top grossers from the year 2000 and emerged as the most successful movie in USA. In this new version, the Grinch has softer facial features than before, with normal eyes instead of his signature red and yellow pupils. He’s also got much less of an exaggerated potbelly.

THE SCORE: Pharrell Williams, whose Oscar-nominated song “Happy” helped turn Despicable Me 2 into a monster hit in 2013, has come aboard to be the narrator of The Grinch. Grammy nominee Tyler, the Creator has written an original song — “I Am The Grinch” — and will perform it for the film. Oscar-nominated composer Danny Elfman has written the film’s score. PVR MOVIES FIRST

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MUST WATCH BOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTERS NOV

Jack & Dil

NOV

Lupt

Genre: Comedy, Family

Genre: Horror

Language(s): Hindi

Director: Sachin P. Karande

Director: Prabhuraj

Cast: Amit Sadh, Arbaaz Khan

Cast: Karan Anand, Meenakshi Dixit, Javed Jaffrey, Vijay Raaz

Studio: Balcony Cinema

Studio: Fun Entertainments

Pic courtesy: Balcony Cinema

Movie Plot: The movie depicts the story of a carefree man, whose only passion in life is to read detective novels. Things take an interesting turn when he meets a free-spirited woman. Reason to Watch: Amit who is known for the versatility he brings to his roles, is all set for his third release this year after Gold and Amazon Prime series ‘Breathe’.

NOV

pihu

Pic courtesy: Fun Entertainments

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Plot: A family struggles to battle paranormal forces that threaten its sanity and its life. Reason to Watch: The movie is said to be a boundarypushing supernatural thriller without the cliches. Powered by a strong star cast, this eerie thriller is based on true events.

NOV

RANGEELA RAJA

Genre: Drama

Language: Hindi

Director: Vinod Kapri

Director: Pahlaj Nihalani

Cast: Myra Vishwakarma, Prerna Sharma

Cast: Govinda, Shakti Kapoor, Mahesh Anand

Studio: RSVP Movies, Roy Kapur Films

Studio: Chiragdeep International

Pic Courtesy: RSVP Movies

Pic Courtesy: Chiragdeep International

Movie Plot: This is the story of 2-year-old Pihu, who goes on an exploring spree at home. Hungry, she goes up and down the stairs looking for food and is periodically distracted by nervous phone calls from her father, who is frantically trying to reach his wife. Reasons to watch: The film is touted to be the world’s first film, where a 2 year old kid is the only character and the lead protagonist of the film. It has been screened in many film festivals across the globe and has created a huge buzz.

Movie Plot: Govinda plays the double roles of a philandering businessman who spends his time with many women and the other, a deeply pious personality. Did You Know: The film reunites the superhit actordirector pairing of Govinda and Pahlaj Nihalani after 5 years. Their last movie was Avatar.

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MUST WATCH BOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTERS NOV

Bhaiaji SUPERHIT

Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota

Genre: Comedy, Action

Genre: Action, Comedy

Language(s): Hindi

Language: Hindi

Director: Neeraj Pathak

Director: Vasan Bala

Cast: Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Arshad Warsi, Pankaj Tripathi

Cast: Abhimanyu Dasani, Gulshan Devaiah, Radhika Madan

Studio: Metro Movies

Studio: RSVP Films

Pic courtesy: Metro Movies

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NOV

Pic courtesy: RSVP Films

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Plot: It’s the amusing tale of a gangster who aspires to become a filmstar. Reason to Watch: Sunny Deol stars in a light-hearted comic caper peppered with action and drama. The Movie will see Preity Zinta in a pivotal role after many years. Ameesha Patel also makes a comeback as a prominent character in the film. Deol & Patel were seen together in the year 2001 drama ‘Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’.

Movie Plot: The story of a young boy Surya who has a rare condition of incognito sensitivity to pain meaning he can not feel pain, and sets out learn martial arts and hunt down muggers. Did You Know: Lead actor Abhimanyu Dasani, who makes his debut with this film, is the son of actress Bhagyashree. This movie is directed by Vasan Bala who is known for his movie Peddlers (2012) which was nominated at Cannes Film Festival for Critics Week Grand Prize.

Robot 2.0

P[XL] 3D

NOV

Genre: Sci-Fi Language: Tamil, Hindi Director: S. Shankar Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson Studio: Lyca Productions Pic courtesy: Lyca Productions

Movie Plot: After facing a threat that is beyond the current understanding of science, the Government seeks the help of scientists—a doctor suggests summoning Chitti to fight against it. Did You Know: Hollywood costume designer Ror Rodrigues. Who has designed signature costumes of Supergirl and Daredesire has been roped in for this film. TO BOOK TICKETS GO TO PVRCINEMAS.COM OR DOWNLOAD OUR MOBILE APP. AVAILABLE ON PVR MOVIES FIRST

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MUST WATCH HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTERS NOV

Overlord

Bohemian Rhapsody

Genre: Action, Horror, Mystery

Genre: Biography, Drama, Music

Language: English

Director: Julius Avery

Director: Bryan Singer

Cast: Jovan Adeppo, Wyatt Russell, Mathilde Ollivier

Cast: Rami Malek, Joseph Mazzello, Lucy Boynton

Studio: Paramount Pictures, Bad Robot Productions

Studio: GK Films, New Regency Pictures, Queen Films Ltd., Regency Enterprises, Tribeca Productions

Pic courtesy: Paramount Pictures

NOV

Pic courtesy: GK Films Movie Plot: On the eve of D-Day during World War II, American paratroopers are caught behind enemy lines after their plane crashes on a mission to destroy a German Radio Tower in a small town outside of Normandy. Did You Know: The film is scripted on the lines of classic World War II zombie stories.

NOV

A Private War

Genre: Biography, Drama, War Language: English Director: Matthew Heineman Cast: Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan, Stanley Tucci Studio: Acacia Filmed Entertainment, Thunder Road Pictures, Denver and Delilah Productions, Kamala Films, Savvy Media Holdings Pic courtesy: Acacia Filmed Entertainment Movie Plot: War journalist Marie Colvin embarks on the most dangerous mission of her life in the beseiged Syrian city of Homs. Did You Know: The film is based on a real life story— Marie Colvin died in 2012 while covering the siege at Homs in Syria.

Movie Plot: The film traces the meteoric rise of the band “Queen” through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound. They reach unparalleled success, but in an unexpected turn Freddie, surrounded by darker influences, shuns Queen in pursuit of his solo career. Did You Know: The title is taken from Queen’s biggest UK hit song “Bohemian Rhapsody,” written by Freddie Mercury, the lead singer and pianist of the band.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2

NOV

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy Language: English Director: David Yates Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures, Heyday Films Pic courtesy: Warner Bros. Pictures

Movie Plot: To thwart Grindelwald’s plans of raising pure-blood wizards to rule over non-magical beings, Albus Dumbledore enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Did You Know: Johnny Depp signed on without reading a script. The movie is 2nd instalment in Fantastic Beast series.

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MUST WATCH HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTERS The Girl in the Spider’s Web

NOV

Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-it Ralph 2

NOV

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Language: English Director: Fede Alvarez

Language: English

Cast: Claire Foy, Vicky Krieps, Sylvia Hoeks

Directors: Phil Johnston, Rich Moore

Studio: Metro-GoldwynMayer (MGM), New Regency Pictures, Sony Pictures

Cast: Kristen Bell, Gal Gadot, Mandy Moore Studio: Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures

Pic courtesy: New Regency Pictures, Pascal Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions. The Catillion Company, Yellow Bird

Pic courtesy: Walt Disney Pictures

Movie Plot: Young computer hacker Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist find themselves caught in a web of spies, cybercriminals and corrupt government officials.

Movie Plot: Six years after the events of “Wreck-It Ralph”, Ralph and Vanellope, now friends, discover a wi-fi router in their arcade, leading them into a new adventure.

Did You Know: The film is based on the novel of the same name by David Lagercrantz, continuing the “Millenium”series created by Stieg Larsson, who passed away in 2004.

Did You Know: Director Rich Moore and Producer Clark Spencer both previously won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature with Zootopia (2016).

NOV

Creed 2

Genre: Drama, Sport Language: English

NOV

WIDOWS

Genre: Drama, Thriller, Suspense

Director: Steven Caple Jr.

Language: English

Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson

Director: Steve McQueen Cast: Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Colin Farrell

Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, New Line Cinema

Studio: Regency Enterprises, Film4 Productions, See-Saw Films

Pic courtesy: New Line Cinema

Movie Plot: The film follows Adonis Creed training in order to defeat the son of Ivan Drago, the powerful athlete who killed his father in the ring more than 30 years ago. Did You Know: Sylvester Stallone has written the script for this movie. He was also supposed to direct it but backed out. This movie is a sequel of Creed (2016) which won may awards including Golden Globe and Oscar nomination.

Pic Courtesy: Film 4 Productions

Movie Plot: Tensions build when four women facing a debt left behind by their dead husbands’ criminal activities conspire to forge a future on their own terms. Did You Know: The film’s screenplay has been written by Academy Award-winning director Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) and bestselling author Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl).

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Up Close & Personal

21 Little-Known Things About….

Benedict Cumberbatch PVR MOVIES FIRST

Benedict Cumberbatch was born on 19 July 1976 in London. His birth name was Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch.

Both Benedict’s parents, Timothy Carlton Congdon Cumberbatch and Wanda Ventham, are actors themselves. They’ve even starred alongside him as his onscreen parents in the third season of Sherlock.

Despite their own success, his parents did not want young Benedict to become an actor. They sent him to Harrow public school, where he had been awarded an arts scholarship. But the boy, destined to be an actor, found himself drawn to theatre.

The actor nearly froze to death as a baby when his half-sister left him outside in the snow.

Cumberbatch’s first role was as a woman. He played Titania, Queen of the Faeries, in the William Shakespeare play A Midsummer’s Night Dream.

After Harrow, Cumberbatch spent a year teaching English in Tibet, and then returned to England to study drama at the University of Manchester.

Before becoming an actor, Cumberbatch toyed with the idea of becoming a criminal lawyer or a neurosurgeon.

He has a good singing voice and would love to star in a musical.

Cumberbatch is a fan of extreme sports. In his spare time, he’s taken part in skydiving, hot-air ballooning, skiing, high-speed motorcycling and scuba diving. PAGE 18

Cumberbatch has an embarrassing and amusing childhood story. “When I was six, I got stung by a wasp in a Greek market. A widow pulled down my pants, held me upside down and rubbed an onion on my bum,” he recalls.

He filmed his Star Trek: Into Darkness audition in a friend’s kitchen on an iPhone.

He was once held at gunpoint and kidnapped in South Africa. After being tied up, thrown in a car boot and driven to the middle of nowhere, he was released with no explanation for what had happened.

Benedict’s hypnotic eyes are the result of heterochromia, which causes unique colour variations in each eye. His irises are a mixture of blue, green, and gold.

He keeps a collection of stuffed owls in his boudoir.

Benedict attended Harrow school on an arts scholarship and worked on huge oil paintings in his spare time. Since gaining fame, the altruistic actor has donated several small, self-portrait drawings of himself to charity auctions.

The actor owns a five-bed Victorian villa in Camden, North London, which he bought for £2.7 million.

The actor adores his labrador retriever Spinee, and often tweets about his beloved dog.

In 1994, when he was 18 and in the final year at Harrow, he was at home in Kensington studying for his A-levels in his bedroom when terrorists attack on the Israeli Embassy nearby. A car packed with 30lb of explosives blew up and injured 30 people, shattered Benedict’s window pane.

Benedict is really good with impersonation of Alan Rickman and even voiced Rickman (as Snape) for a special Valentine’s Day episode of The Simpsons in February 2013. He

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does great impressions of Sean Connery, Jack Nicholson, Owen Wilson and Chewbacca.

He was once cyber-stalked, with the stalker livetweeting all of his actions within his home.

Cumberbatch has proved himself as a real life hero, too. He fought off a gang of four muggers as they beat up a defenceless delivery boy on a cycle. The actor leapt from an Uber cab and beat up all four.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Emma Stone One of Hollywood’s hottest singing stars, Emma Stone turns 29 on the 6th of November. Here are 5 fun facts about Emma, who shares her birthday with Sally Field and Ethan Hawke. 1. Her first job was baking dog treats at a dog bakery. 2. Her real name isn’t Emma. She was born Emily Jean Stone but changed her name while registering for her Screen Actors Guild card, because “Emily Stone” was already taken. 3. She lived with anxiety and panic attacks when she was a kid, which inspired her to write a book called I Am Bigger Than My Anxiety. 4. She attributes her trademark raspy voice to screaming herself hoarse as a baby due to painful stomach aches. 5 She shares a tattoo of bird feet on her wrist with her mother because “Blackbird” by the Beatles is their favourite song. McCartney, who wrote the song, drew the bird feet for Emma after she wrote him a letter asking him to do so.

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TI S E U

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VIE R E T

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Manush Nandan

GUEST INTERVIEW

Director of Photography

Besides a stellar star cast, the year’s most awaited blockbuster “Thugs of Hindostan” boasts spectacular visuals. We asked Manush Nandan, the film’s cinematographer, to take us behind the scenes: What did it take to shoot a film of this scale When we first saw the script on paper, the idea of making it happen on celluloid seemed too grand, even impossible. It took us one whole year to do the ideation and storyboarding, location hunting and shot breakdown. So meticulous was our planning that the shoot itself was done in exactly 140 days, which is remarkable for a film of this scale. Where did you shoot We shot in Malta, Thailand, Jodhpur and Mumbai. All the high-octane ship sequences were set in Malta, where we stayed for two months. We chose the destination for many reasons— the Malta Film Commission has a surface water tank for shooting, the ships we built were the size of real ships so they needed to be anchored in the ocean and permissions were easier. You blew up a ship… Yes, an entire ship. A real one, which had been designed for actual sailing in the ocean. It took 200 technicians, 4 PVR MOVIES FIRST

cameras and drones and a lot of emotional strength to destroy a vessel we had built and called our home for two months. Must have been risky, too The blow-up had to be done in one single take. Safety was our prime concern, because no matter how much you plan, anything could have happened during the actual destruction; we couldn’t risk people and things falling. So we had a team of underwater divers for safety at all times. Tell us about the Thailand shoot We shot for a month in the rainforests of Chiang Mai. Every day the entire cast, including Mr. Bachchan, trekked for 40 minutes to get to the location, which we chose for its incredible pristine beauty. In the film, you’ll see these beautiful blue-green sequences as visual relief from the fierce canvas of the ship. On working with Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan It was a privilege and a delight. They are not only the industry’s biggest names, but thorough professionals and perfectionists. For one particular sequence, I needed them to be on set between 7 and 10 am. They arrived there ahead of time, and that’s how I was able to get the kind of light for the shot I wanted. PAGE 22

Claire Foy R ISING PVR MOVIES FIRST

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Claire Foy

Claire Foy first drew attention for her role as Anne Boleyn in BBC’s Wolf Hall, then played the life-changing role of young Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown. Her compelling portrayal of the Queen won her a Golden Globe – and Hollywood’s full attention. Her performance opposite Ryan Gosling in First Man, as the wife of astronaut Neil Armstrong, is drawing rave reviews. The unstoppable Foy is also winning accolades for her upcoming The Girl in the Spider’s Web. Critics say she has transformed dramatically from her image of the posh Queen and is “unrecognisable as Salander. She’s got the piercings, the choppy black haircut, the leather-daddy apparel, and the Swedish accent down pat, swinging into action mode to wreak the character’s very particular brand of havoc.” Against All Odds: The youngest of three siblings, she was eight when her father, a salesman for Rank Xerox, and her mother, an administrator in pharmaceuticals, divorced. This left young Claire struggling with anxiety and a permanent sense of insecurity. Her first love was ballet, and aged 13 she was training hard when ill health struck – inflammation, stiffness and pain – which was diagnosed as juvenile arthritis and put her on crutches for a while. PVR MOVIES FIRST

RISING STAR

Soon after, another illness struck – a benign tumour behind one eye, which disfigured her face and required treatment with steroids. The eye tumour worked in her favour, helping her express “a sea of repressed emotions” with only one eye.

laire has a very powerful ability to do very little and speak volumes. When in doubt, I just put the camera on Claire. Even in silence, she can say a million things. — Stephen Daldry, Director, The Crown

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The University of Leeds refused her admission into journalism, so she went to Liverpool John Moores University, to do drama and film studies, before enrolling for a postgraduate year at the Oxford School of Drama. She moved to London, sharing a house with five other drama students. During those years of struggle, she worked in a park, in a café, was a waitress at weddings, a security guard, a film caterer, a piano teacher. She also worked in a hat factory, a box factory, was a salesperson on the phone, and gave away free newspapers.

She lives in a small house in North London. Her greatest extravagance is a second-hand Bechstein piano on which she can hardly ever play because the only space for it is directly underneath her daughter’s bedroom. But this is the way she likes it – keeping life simple, and baking cakes in her leisure time. Despite her celebrity persona, Claire hates to be photographed.

The Rise: Her big break came in 2008 when she was chosen to star in Little Dorrit, a BBC adaptation of the Dickens novel. “What stood out was her fragility and her extraordinary eyes,” remembers director Dearbhla Walsh. “Big saucer eyes that were like a window into her soul.” By the time Foy went to audition for The Crown some seven years later, she had built up an impressive CV made up of mainly television roles – Peter Kosminsky’s The Promise, Upstairs Downstairs, White Heat and Wolf Hall. Poised for even greater heights, rising star Claire Foy now has an A-list Hollywood agent who also represents Anne Hathaway. True Grit: “After I had my first child, I only had enough money to stay home for three months, so I had to go back to work,’ says Foy. ‘So I had 12 weeks to lose the baby weight, find a job and childcare, and conquer motherhood — all after having a Caesarean. ‘I look back on that time and think, How on earth did I do it?” UP CLOSE: Claire knows every line of Pride and Prejudice by heart.

QUICK FACTS BIRTH NAME: Claire Elizabeth Foy _______________________ OCCUPATION: Actress _______________________ BIRTH DATE: 16 April, 1984 _______________________ PLACE OF BIRTH: Stockport, Greater Manchester, England _______________________ YEARS ACTIVE: 2008–present _______________________ Alma mater: Liverpool John Moores University

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HISTORY

This Month 17 Years Ago

Harry Potter and the Sorcererâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stone (2001) *Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith DIRECTOR: Chris Columbus

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HISTORY “Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, Teach us something please, Whether we be old and bald, Or young with scabby knees...” Seventeen years ago this month, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone hit the screen. Nominated for three Oscars, the film grossed $974.8 million at the box office, becoming the first in a series of blockbusters based on the worldwide bestselling books by J.K. Rowling. The Plot: On his 11th birthday, a boy called Harry Potter learns that he is the orphaned son of two powerful wizards and possesses unique magical powers of his own. He is summoned from his life as an unwanted child to become a student at Hogwarts, an English boarding school for wizards. There, he makes several friends who help him discover the truth about his parents’ mysterious deaths. A MAGICAL WORLD: Young Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint shot to superstardom as the golden trio, instilling hope in the hearts of muggle children everywhere waiting for their acceptance letters to Hogwarts. THE NAME: Philosopher’s Stone was changed to the Sorcerer’s Stone for US audiences, out of fear that children might find the word “philosopher” boring. Every scene in which the words Philosopher’s Stone had to be re-shot with the cast saying Sorcerer’s Stone instead. HARRY & HERMIONE: While thousands of kids auditioned for the coveted role of Harry, Daniel Radcliffe was on a theatre trip with his father when producer David Heyman and screenwriter Steve Kloves spotted him. The young boy with dark hair caught Heyman’s eye. “I realised that he had an old soul — the quality we were looking for.” Emma Watson landed the role of Hermione Granger after an audition in her school gym. “It was exactly like a drama lesson…it was just fun,” says the actress. THE ONE WHO SAID “NO”: The filmmakers wanted J.K. Rowling to play Harry’s mother, a brief role in which she just had to appear when Harry stands in front of the mirror. However, Rowling declined, saying: “I really am not cut out to be an actress, even one who just has to stand there and wave. I would have messed it up somehow.” PVR MOVIES FIRST

This Month 17 Years Ago SET SECRETS: Though much of Hogwarts was constructed with plaster, the Great Hall really is as majestic as it appears onscreen. The Sorcerer’s Stone production designers modelled the Potter films’ signature set after the dining hall of Christ Church College in Oxford, complete with the same massive physical dimensions and York stone flooring. Almost 80% of the owls seen in the movie were real. “We added some CG owls to fill the room only because we didn’t want the real ones running into each other,” said director Chris Columbus. In the book, Harry has green eyes. The filmmakers gave Radcliffe green contact lenses, which they eventually scrapped when the actor developed an allergy to them. In the film, the scar on Harry’s forehead is off-center. This was done at J.K. Rowling’s request. Due to the artwork on the covers of her books, many people have assumed that his scar is supposed to be in the center of his forehead. The books, however, never specify exactly where on his forehead the scar is located. They also gave up on Hermione’s prosthetic buckteeth, which prevented Watson from delivering her lines clearly. THEY SAID: “I headed to Scotland and spent about three hours explaining my vision for the movie to J.K. Rowling and at the end, she said, ‘Well that’s exactly the same way I see the movie.’ When she said that, it took away all of my fear and my anxiety. I was able to put my head down and make the best movie possible.” Chris Columbus, Director. “I was in the bath at the time ... My dad came running in and said, ‘Guess who they want to play Harry Potter?’ and I started to cry. It was probably the best moment of my life.” Daniel Radcliffe, lead actor. NAUGHTY NUGGETS • Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint often entertained themselves on set by pranking their A-list co-stars, including Robbie Coltrane, also known as Hagrid, who was reportedly not too pleased when they reprogrammed his cell phone to Turkish. • The child actors and actresses would do their actual schoolwork in the movie, to make the school setting more real. PAGE 27

FILM FESTIVALS Denver Film Festival

UK Film Festival

FESTIVAL DATE: October 31 – November 11, 2018 VENUE: Denver, Colorado, USA OPENING FILM: The Favourite CLOSING FILM: ?

FESTIVAL DATE: November 22 – 26, 2018 VENUE: London, UK OPENING FILM: Eighth Continent CLOSING FILM: Tell Tale Heart

ACCLAIMED MOVIE: Everybody Knows

ACCLAIMED MOVIE: Stand Down

PLOT: Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, and Ricardo Darín star in this suspenseful tale of love and betrayal, secrets and lies set during a wedding amid the vineyards of Spain. Two-time Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi directs.

PLOT: Billy Bob Thornton (Fargo and Monster’s Ball) stars as a haunted ex-soldier in a movie set to a new and searing rock song of the same name.

Over the past four decades, the Denver Film Festival has striven to elevate film as an art-form, reflect the social conversations of the day and work with those in the community to create an engaging and entertaining environment.

St. Louis International Film Festival

Held in November, this prestigious festival is now in its 27th year and presents the finest in recent international, American independent, and documentary film. FESTIVAL DATE: November 1 - 11, 2018 VENUE: St. Louis, Missouri, USA OPENING FILM: Destroyer CLOSING FILM: Narrative Shorts: Dark Comedy ACCLAIMED MOVIE: Heaven Without People

PLOT: Josephine, the matriarch of a sprawling family, is delighted to gather everyone for Easter lunch for the first time in two years. While they all share a joyful meal, an incident ignites underlying tensions between the family members and leads them gradually into chaos. PVR MOVIES FIRST

The UK Film Festival aims to champion great films but in particular is seeking work from those film-makers who might not yet have had the chance for a prestigious public screening of their work.

AFI FEST

The American Film Institute’s annual celebration of international cinema from modern masters and emerging film-makers takes place each fall in Hollywood, CA, and features nightly red-carpet galas, special screenings, conversations and tributes. AFI FEST remains the first and only festival of its stature that is free to the public, offering the best of current cinema in Hollywood. FESTIVAL DATE: November 8 - 15, 2018 VENUE: Los Angeles, USA OPENING FILM: On the Basis of Sex CLOSING FILM: Mary Queen of Scots ACCLAIMED MOVIE: One Day

PLOT: This astounding debut feature follows 24 hours in the life of a harried mother as she navigates family work and betrayal. Anna struggles with kids, work and everyday life — but it’s an unspoken menace that really threatens this family. PAGE 28

Out This NOVEMBER MOVIE NAME (LANGUAGE)

GENRE FORMAT

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RELEASE DATE

JACK & DIL (HINDI) COMEDY , FAMILY 02 NOV __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ LUPT (HINDI) HORROR 02 NOV __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THUGS OF HINDOSTAN (HINDI) ACTION, ADVENTURE, DRAMA IMAX / P[XL] / ATMOS 08 NOV __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ OVERLORD (ENGLISH) ACTION, HORROR, MYSTERY 09 NOV __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE GRINCH (ENGLISH) ANIMATION, COMEDY, FAMILY 09 NOV __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PIHU (HINDI) DRAMA 16 NOV __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (ENGLISH) BIOGRAPHY, DRAMA, MUSIC ATMOS 16 NOV __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ RANGEELA RAJA (HINDI) DRAMA 16 NOV __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ A PRIVATE WAR (ENGLISH) BIOGRAPHY, DRAMA, WAR 16 NOV __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM 2 (ENGLISH) ADVENTURE,FANTASY 3D / IMAX 3D / 4DX 16 NOV __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BHAIYAJI SUPERHITTT (HINDI) DRAMA 23 NOV __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE GIRL IN THE SPIDERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WEB (ENGLISH) CRIME, DRAMA, THRILLER 23 NOV __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET: WRECK-IT RALPH 2 (ENGLISH) ANIMATION / ADVENTURE / COMEDY 3D / IMAX 3D 23 NOV __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ MARD KO DARD NAHI HOTA (HINDI) ACTION, COMEDY ATMOS 23 NOV __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ROBOT 2.0 (TAMIL / HINDI) SCI - FI 3D / ATMOS / P[XL] / IMAX 29 NOV __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ CREED 2 (ENGLISH) DRAMA, SPORT 30 NOV __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ WIDOWS (ENGLISH) PVR MOVIES FIRST

Crime, Drama, Thriller Subject to release at PVR. Movie schedule is subject to last minute change.

30 NOV PAGE 29

Delhi | Gurgaon | Mumbai

IN THE NEXT ISSUE:

EDITOR Shubhra Krishan DESIGNER VIJAY Features Writer Chetna Srinivasan Conceptualized by Ranjeet Ahluwalia The views, ideas and content of this magazine are not of PVR’s. PVR shall not be held responsible for the outcome of any action or decision based on the information contained in this publication. PVR does not give any warranty for the completeness or accuracy for this publication’s content, explanation or opinion. To share your feedback about the magazine, write to us at pvrmoviesfirst@gmail.com