Category: ENTERTAINMENT

Top Eight Male Debutants That Made Their Mark In 2019

Bollywood is an aspiration for many and this year was a marquee year as many fresh faces proved their talent in acting. From thrillers to love stories, filmmakers explored all kinds of scripts allowing young actors to explore and showcase their talent. Some stood out as they embodied their character par excellence and carved a niche for themselves in tinsel town.

Here are the top eight male debutants that made their mark in 2019:

Siddhant Chaturvedi

One of the most special finds of this year was Siddhant Chaturvedi. Delivering an absolutely memorable performance in Gully Boy, he found instant stardom for his talent. He has also been at the receiving end of fans’ love for his fitness and boy-next-door looks.

Vishal Jethwa

One of the most surprising performances of 2019 was that of Vishal Jethwa in Mardaani 2. The actor, who started out with television, played a psychopath in the film who kidnaps, rapes and murders girls. While critics liked Rani Mukerji’s performance in Mardaani 2, it was Vishal Jethwa’s portrayal of the criminal that made people think.

Abhimanyu Dassani

Bhagyashree’s son Abhimanyu Dassani rather than taking the shorter route chose to audition for his first film. He made his debut with Vasan Bala’s Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota and received critical acclaim for his acting and action scenes. Next, he will be sharing screen space with Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Shirly Setia in Nikamma.

Vardhan Puri

With Amrish Puri as his grandfather, this young lad has acting in every cell of his body. His debut film Yeh Saali Aashiqui allowed him to showcase his talent and what a splendid job he has done!

Zaheer Iqbal

Zaheer made her debut with Nitin Kakkar’s Notebook opposite another newcomer, Pranutan Bahl. He was founded by Salman Khan during a wedding and was found of acting. His performance in the film was lauded by the fans.

Meezaan

Jaaved Jaaferi’s son Meezaan got his big debut under the banner of Sanjay Leela Bhansali Films with Malaal. The actor surprised everyone with his acting talent in the film. Meezaan played the role of a goon who falls in love with a girl who moves into their locality. Meezaan has signed his second film Hungama 2, which is the sequel to Priyadarshan’s 2003 film.

Karan Deol

Sunny Deol launched his son Karan Deol with much pomp and show in Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas. A romantic drama, the film showed Karan as a naive trekker boy who falls for a Dilli ki ladki played by Sahher Bambba. The film started making headlines even before it went on the floors but disappointed many after the release. Sunny Deol returned to the director’s chair for his son’s debut film.

Karan Kapadia

Simple Kapadia’s son Karan Kapadia started with a short film at the age of 15 and was found of acting. He made his Bollywood debut as an actor with the action thriller Blank.

For more updates from the world of entertainment stay tuned to The Brunette Diaries. 

7 Actors Who Played Important Roles In Social Subjects Films

In a world that is filled a lot of fakeness, a few films are made in cinema that deal will social issues. To portray a conscientious character is nothing short of an anomaly. Bollywood actors in 2019 worked hard at pushing boundaries, creating their own definition of what a mainstream Hindi movie star should be like.

Actors Who Essayed Roles In Social Films

Their depictions on screen are a lot more responsible as they consciously gravitate towards stories that leave behind a strong message. Surely it’s still a number game but movies in this day and age are so much more than figures that got cash registers ringing.

Here’s a look at some actors who played such conscientious characters in 2019 Bollywood films:

Richa Chadha

Debating the pitfalls and plusses of the law itself, Section 375 starring Richa Chadha and Akshaye Khanna saw the former in the role of a selfless prosecution lawyer who fights a rape case against a powerful man. Richa extends her public image to the screen as she played the vocal and indomitable Hiral Gandhi who takes on her mentor and the system to get justice for her client.

Ayushmann Khurrana

Ayushmann unarguably has a knack for choosing stories that leave a learning message for people. In 2019 alone, he featured in two wonderful films – Article 15 and Bala. He played a cop in Article 15 where he fought for rights for the Dalit community. In Bala, he promoted the idea of self-love with utmost sincerity.

Shweta Tripathi

Months before Bala was Shweta’s Gone Kesh, a film about female balding. The film about a woman’s beauty and its detrimental factors being discussed in a mainstream film was path-breaking. The challenges of Alopecia and how she eventually triumphs over her own challenges to accept herself with all her heart. She is Hindi cinema’s first bald heroine and with her solid act, Shweta nails it.

Sonam Kapoor

A rare gem from the year, Sonam Kapoor from Ek Ladki Ko dekha toh aisa laga had her play a lesbian character stuck within the warped idea of what the world considers normal. The actress is Bollywood’s first mainstream star to play a lesbian character onscreen.

Rani Mukerji

As a cop Shivani Shivaji Roy, Rani Mukherji returns in her most thrilling avatar. The actress was seen investigating a  rape case in which the accused is a minor. The film tackles the rapid growth of crime rate amongst juveniles and how the law against crime committed by them needs to examine.

Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar

The super grannies of Saand Ki Aankh played by Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar came across with a strong message that there’s no age to learning and achieving. The film also talks about how constricting barriers of patriarchy holds back dynamic women from realising their dreams. The film leaves a strong message on Feminism. It also addresses the warped gender roles followed by society.

Bhumi Pednekar And Ayushmann Khurrana To Come Together For THIS film

After weaving magic on screen in Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, and Bala, the hit pair,  Bhumi Pednekar and Ayushmann Khurrana are all set to share screen space once again in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan.

Yes, you heard it right. Bhumi will be having a special appearance in the film. According to a birdie, the makers had written her part well in advance. 

Talking about the same, producer  Aanand L Rai said, 
“Bhumi is a part of Shubh Mangal Saavdhan family and we couldn’t imagine making Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan without her. She has a very special appearance in the narrative and we are extremely happy to have her on board.”

Producer Bhushan Kumar added, 
“We are delighted to have Bhumi join the cast as a special appearance in the film. Bhumi’s association is one that adds value to the storyline, she is an amazing actor and I am glad she is part of our film”. 

Not much information has been disclosed about her role but according to sources, Bhumi has shot for 2 days in Varanasi for her role in the film. 

Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Jeetendra Kumar among others is based on the subject of homosexuality. The family drama revolves around the central characters. The film also stars Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao and Maanvi Gagroo in pivotal roles. The film is slated to release on February 21, 2020.

Welcome 2020: Top 10 Biopic That Will Inspire You This Year

The year 2019 gave us many biopics such as PM Narendra Modi, Super 30, Saand Ki Aankh, Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi, Thackeray and more.

Bolllywood Biopic Films 2020

Fans have loved all of them and with the experiences of these personalities we have been inspired a lot. Now it’s time for 2020 to bring such stories in front of us and inspire us.

So here’s our list of the top 10 biopic that one must watch this year:

UDHAM SINGH BIOPIC

Director: Shoojit Sircar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Banita Sandhu

Watch out for: The film, hitting screens in October, documents the life of the revolutionary who assassinated former Punjab lieutenant governor Michael O’Dwyer in London in 1940.

SHAKUNTALA DEVI

Director: Anu Menon
Cast: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Watch out for: After her scientist turn in Mission Mangal, Vidya returns to theatres in May as the human computer.

SAINA NEHWAL BIOPIC

Director: Amole Gupte
Cast: Parineeti Chopra, Eshan Naqvi
Watch out for: Former World No 1 shuttler and Olympian Saina Nehwal’s story arrives in cinemas this summer.

GUNJAN SAXENA – THE KARGIL GIRL

Director: Sharan Sharma

Cast: Janhvi Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Angad Bedi, Vineet Kumar Singh, Manav Vij
Watch out for: The film is inspired by the life of Gunjan Saxena, first female alongwith Srividya Rajan Indian Air Force pilot and first Indian woman airforce pilot in combat alongwith Srividya Rajan. Janhvi Kapoor will start 2020 with the biopic of Gunjan Saxena which will narrate the story of India’s first Air Force woman officer who went to war.

RASHMI ROCKET

Director: Akarsh Khurana
Cast: Taapsee Pannu
Watch out for: Taapsee features as a Kutchi athlete in this year-end release. The film is based on the life of a runner.

MAIDAAN

Director: Amit Ravindrenath Sharma
Cast: Ajay Devgn & Keerthy Suresh
Watch out for: The film is all about the story of a football coach Syed Abdul Rahim. The film will tell the story of golden era of Indian football 1952-1962. This film marks the debut of Keerthy Suresh in Bollywood.

TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR

Director: Om Raut
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Kajol, Jagapathi Babu, Sharad Kelkar
Watch it for: The film is a historical biopic that follows the story of Maratha military leader Taanaji Malusare who is remembered for his role in the 1670 Battle of Sinhagad.

THALAIVI

Director: A. L. Vijay
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Arvind Swami, Priyamani
Watch it for: The late Dr. J. Jayalalitha was a legendary politician and film actress who also served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Her life story is set to hit the big screen with Kangana Ranaut filling in her shoes. The film will simultaneously be released in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi.

PRITHVIRAJ

Director: Chandraprakash Dwivedi
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Manushi Chhillar, Sanjay Dutt, Sonu Sood
Watch it for: The fearless king Prithviraj Chauhan is a notable icon in Indian history. The legendary Rajput ruled over Ajmer and Delhi in the 12th century. Taking on his role in a brand new biopic is iconic actor Akshay Kumar with Manushi Chhillar playing his wife Sanyukta also known as Sanyogita.

ABHINAV BINDRA BIOPIC

Director: Kannan Iyer
Cast: Harshvardhan Kapoor
Watch it for: The film is a biopic of an olymic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra. It is an adaption of Bindra’s autobiography A Shot at History: My Obsessive Journey to Olympic Gold for the big screen over the past eight months.

Do let us know about your favourite biopic in the comment section below.

Also, for more updates from the world of Bollywood Stay tuned to The Brunette Diaries.

Grammy Award 2020: And The Gramaphone Goes To…

The Gramophone Award AKA the Grammy Award took place on Sunday in Los Angelas. The Grammy’s is an award presented by The Recording Academy to recognize achievements in the music industry. The trophy depicts a gilded gramophone and the presentation ceremony features performances by prominent artists and the presentation of the awards.

The first Grammy Awards were held on May 4, 1959, to honor and respect the musical accomplishments by performers for the year 1958. Following the 2011 ceremony, the Academy overhauled many Grammy Award categories for 2012. The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards were presented Sunday in Los Angeles.

Meet the winners of the Grammy Awards 2020


Record of the Year
Bad Guy – Billie Eilish

Song of the year
Bad Guy – Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell

Best new artist
Billie Eilish

COUNTRY
Best Country Solo Performance
Ride Me Back Home -Willie Nelson 

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Speechless – Dan + Shay

Best Country Song
Bring My Flowers Now – Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth & Tanya Tucker, songwriters (Tanya Tucker)

Best country album
While I’m Livin’ – Tanya Tucker

RAP
Best rap album
Igor – Tyler, The Creator

Best Rap Performance
Racks in the Middle – Nipsey Hussle Featuring Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy

Best Rap/Sung Performance
Higher – DJ Khaled Featuring Nipsey Hussle & John Legend

Best Rap Song
A Lot – Jermaine Cole, Dacoury Natche, 21 Savage & Anthony White, songwriters (21 Savage Featuring J. Cole)

R&B
Best R&B Performance
Come Home – Anderson .Paak & André 300

Best Traditional R&B Performance
Jerome – Lizzo

Best R&B Song
Say So – Pj Morton, Songwriter (Pj Morton Ft. Jojo)

Best Urban Contemporary Album
Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) – Lizzo

Best R&B Album
Ventura – Anderson, Paak

POP
Best Pop Solo Performance
Truth Hurts – Lizzo

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Old Town Road – Lil Nas X Featuring Billy Ray Cyrus

Best Pop Vocal Album
When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? –  Billie Eilish

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Look Now – Elvis Costello & The Imposters

Best Comedy Album
Sticks & Stones – Dave Chappelle

LATIN
Best Latin Pop Album
#ELDISCO – Alejandro Sanz

Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album
El Mal Querer – Rosalía 

ROCK
Best Rock Performance
This Land – Gary Clark Jr. 

Best Metal Performance
7empest – Tool

Best Rock Song 
This Land – Gary Clark Jr., Songwriter (Gary Clark Jr.) 

Best Rock Album
Social Cues – Cage The Elephant

ALTERNATIVE
Best Alternative Music Album
Father of the Bride – Vampire Weekend 

Congrats to all the winners!

World Cancer Day: These Celebrities Have Fought Cancer Tooth And Nail

World Cancer Day, that falls on February 4, is an international day marked to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. 

A little history:
Mustafa World Cancer Day was established on 4 February 2000 at the World Cancer Summit against cancer for the New Millenium, which was held in Paris. The Charter of Paris Against Cancer was created to promote research, prevent cancer, improve patient services and also included an article establishing the anniversary of the document’s official signing as World Cancer Day. It was signed by the then General Director of UNESCO, Kōichirō Matsuura, and then French President Jacques Chirac in Paris on 4 February 2000.
World Cancer Day is led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). 

Goals:
The primary goal of World Cancer Day is to significantly reduce illness and death caused by cancer. It is also an opportunity to rally the international community to end the injustice of preventable suffering from cancer. Multiple initiatives are run on World Cancer Day to show support for those affected by cancer.

Here’s are a list of some Bollywood actors who have fought and are still fighting to overcome it 

Rakesh Roshan- Squamous cell carcinoma

Rakesh Roshan has entertained us with many hits like Karan Arjun, Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, Koi… Mil Gaya, Krrish and more. He has been diagnosed with diagnosed with early-stage squamous cell carcinoma – a type of throat cancer. He also underwent a surgery to treat cancer. 

Sonali Bendre- Metastatic Cancer

On July 4, 2018, actress Sonali Bendre revealed on Twitter that she has been diagnosed with metastatic cancer – an aggressive form of cancer. She underwent treatment for the same in a New York City hospital.

Irrfan Khan- Neuroendocrine Cancer

Irrfan Khan has impressed us with his talent with films like Paan Singh Tomar, The Lunchbox, Piku, Hindi Medium and more. In February 2018, he was diagnosed with an ‘undisclosed disease’. On March 16, 2018, Khan announced through a Twitter post that he is suffering from a neuroendocrine tumor. He has been frequent to London for treatment.

Manisha Koirala- Ovarian Cancer

Manisha Koirala who was part of super hit films like Dil Se, Bombay, and Lajja was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 42. She got treated in New York and after several surgeries and chemo therapies, she was declared cancer-free in 2015. Manisha conquered her illness and came out of it like a true hero. 

Anurag Basu- Blood Cancer

Ace director Anurag Basu was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic Leukemia – a type of blood cancer in 2004. Although the Doctors gave him a verdict of two months, Basu fought odds and made a recovery.

Lisa Ray- Blood Cancer

In 2009, actress Lisa Ray was diagnosed with multiple Myeloma – a type of blood cancer. She kept away from any kind of media attention and fought her illness for over a year coming out victorious. In 2010, she announced that she had a full stem cell replacement and was cancer-free, but, not fully cured as this disease is treatable but not curable.

Mumtaz- Breast Cancer

This evergreen Mumtaz won many hearts with her beauty and charismatic performances. At the age of 54 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and fought the disease for 11 years survived it. She was also featured in the UniGlobe Entertainments documentary on cancer survival called ‘1 Minute’.

We offer our support to all in their fight against cancer.

Some Bollywood actor who succumbed to cancer include: 

Feroz Khan – This actor-filmmaker died of cancer at the age of 69.
Rajesh Khanna – He was diagnosed with cancer in the 2011 and after fighting it for about a year, he passed away in 2012.
Aadesh Shrivastava – Ace music composer-singer Aadesh Shrivastava fought cancer for 40 days but passed away at the age of 51.
Vinod Khanna – He passed away at the age of 70 after being diagnosed with advanced bladder cancer.
Rasika Joshi – Film and Marathi theatre actor Rasika Joshi passed away in 2011 after suffering from cancer. She was 39.
Simple Kapadia – The 51-year-old Bollywood actress-costume designer succumbed to cancer in 2009. 

Rest In Peace

Birthday Special: 5 Time Nora Fatehi Enticed Us With Her Dance Moves

Nora Fatehi has wowed us with her amazing and scintillating dance moves in a number of Bollywood movies. The actress dancer hails from a Moroccan Canadian family, who was born and brought up in Canada.

After debuting in Bollywood in 2014 with Roar: Tigers of the Sundarbans, Nora was part of the realoity show Bigg Boss in 2015. She has feature in a number of Telugu movie item songs as well as showed off her acting talent in the Malayalam film industry. 

After proving herself an amazing dancer, she has also appeared in some big budget Bollywood films like Bharat and Street Dancer 3D and the upcoming film, Bhuj: The Pride of India.

Today, on Nora Fatehi’s birthday we take a look at some of her amazing item numbers:

Dilbar – Satyameva Jayate

Nora stole our hearts with her belly dancing moves in this remake track. This song was 2018’s most-Googled track.

Kamariya – Stree

Seeing Nora Fatehi sharing her hips to this Sachin-Jigar foot-tapping number made us all want to shake our kamariyas as well. 

O Saki Saki – Batla House

Another remake, Nora looked sensual as every with some crazy belly dancing moves in O Saki Saki.

Ek Toh Kum Zindgani – Marjaavaan

In this action-drama, Nora was a breath of fresh air and we totally love the bad girl vibe she has in it.

Garmi – Street Dancer 3D

Even though it’s winter she got the thermometers breaking with her hot, hot, hot performance in Garmi alongside Varun Dhawan. 

Happy Birthday Nora, have an awesome day and year ahead.

Meet The Oscars 2020 Winners!

The 92nd Annual Academy Awards – Oscars 2020 – were held yesterday, 9th February at the Dolby Theater at Hollywood. The event was also aired LIVE on ABC.

South Korean film Parasite took home four awards including Best Picture. 1917 won three awards, and Ford v Ferrari, Joker and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood won two awards each.

Parasite became the first ever foreign-language film in the ceremony’s 92-year history to take the top prize – Best Picture. Joaquin Phoenix won best actor for Joker while Renée Zellweger won best actress for Judy

Here’s a look at all the winners of the prestigious Oscars 2020

Best actor
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker  

Best actress
Renée Zellweger, Judy  

Best director
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite

Best picture
Parasite

Best supporting actor
Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood  

Best supporting actress
Laura Dern, Marriage Story  

Best animated feature
Toy Story 4  

Best animated short
Hair Love  

Best original screenplay
Parasite

Best adapted screenplay
Jojo Rabbit  

Best live action short
The Neighbours’ Window

Best production design
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best costume design
Little Women

Best documentary
American Factory

Best documentary short
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl) 

Best cinematography
1917

Best sound editing
Ford v Ferrari

Best sound mixing
1917

Best film editing
Ford v Ferrari

Best visual effects
1917

Best makeup and hair
Bombshell

Best international feature film
Parasite

Best original score
Joker

Best original song
I’m Gonna Love Me Again, Rocketman

Congratulation! You guys deserved it!!!

Maha Shivratri Special: Top 5 Bollywood Songs That Celebrate Lord Shiva

Maha Shivratri is celebrated as the Great Night of Shiva. It has been one of the most celebrated festivals in Hindu traditions.

Maha Shivratri

From the long line of people who please Lord Shiva with milk and bael leaves to fasting in the name of Lord Shiva, the traditions and practices for Maha Shivaratri are numerous.

Lord Shiva and his charisma have always been appreciated. There are various versions of Lord Shiva’s stories, which make him one of a unique God who is worshiped by a large group of people.

Lord Shiva, with a snake around his neck and dreadlocks, is known for being just and strong headed. The celebrated Hindu God has also been remembered and celebrated in various Bollywood movies. As we begin the celebrations of Maha Shivratri, here are five Bollywood songs on Lord Shiva that will rejuvenate you:

Jai Jai Shiv Shankar:

This song is from the film Aap Ki Kasam, featuring Rajesh Khanna. It is sung by Kishore Kumar & Lata Mageshkar, Lyrics by Anand Bakshi and it’s music is composed by R D Burman.

Bhole O Bhole Tu Rutha Dil Tuta:

This song is from the film Yaarana, featuring Amitabh Bachchan. It is sung by Kishore Kumarm, Lyrics by Anjaan and music composed by Rajesh Roshan.

Kaun Hain Voh:

This song is from the film Baahubali, featuring Prabhas. It is sung by Kailash Kher & Mounima, Lyrics by Manoj Muntashir and is composed by MM Kreem.

Bolo Har Har Har:

This song is from the film Shivaay, featuring Ajay Devgan. It is sung by Vishal Dadlani, Benny Dayal, Lyrics & Rap by Sandeep Shrivastava and it’s music is composed by Mithoo.

Jai Jai Shivshankar:

This song is from the film War, featuring Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff. It is sung by Mithoon, Lyrics by Kumaar and it’s music is composed by Vishal and Shekhar.

You can also shares the list of your favourite Lord Shiva track in the comment section below. For more updates from the world of music stay tuned to The Brunette Diaries.