Hindi
Politicians inspiring film roles
MUMBAI: For long, politicians have been an interesting subject for filmmakers. Years ago, Suchitra Sen played a character similar to the late Indira Gandhi in Gulzar’s Aandhi.
Years later, politicians and politics continue to inspire Bollywood. Two films based on politicians have been recently announced – Ek Bura Aadmi based on UP chief minister Mayawati and Democrazy that has a character similiarising ex-Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
The first film will have veteran Kitu Gidwani essaying the UP chief minister in debutante director Ishraq Shah’s Ek Bura Aadmi. The film also features Arunoday Singh and Raghuvir Yadav.
Admitting that she’s playing the CM of UP in the film, Gidwani reveals that she’s also speaking in the appropriate dialect. “Ishraq, the director is from Itara in UP. So he’s coached me on the diction, mannerisms and other nuances that I have to incorporate for Rukmi Devi,” she explains.
Anjan Srivastav, better known as Wagle from the immensely popular DD show Wagle Ki Duniya, will essay the role of former prime minister Vajpayee.
Srivastav director Babloo Sheshadri claims that no one else could have played this role better than me. When I heard the character resembled that of Atalji and when I was finally given the make-over for the character, I looked completely like him. “I knew it then that I could do the role to perfection,” he said.
It may be remembered that Jagmohan Mundhra is in the process of making a film based on the life of Sonia Gandhi.
Hindi
Rashmika Mandanna, Shanaya Kapoor and Naila Grrewal climb IMDb’s Indian celebrity rankings
Upcoming films and returning shows are driving fan interest across Bollywood and streaming
MUMBAI: Bollywood’s popularity contest has a new weekly scorecard, and the numbers are telling. IMDb’s Popular Indian Celebrities list for this week places Shanaya Kapoor at number six, buoyed by buzz around her film Tu Yaa Main. Naila Grrewal slots in at seven on the back of the returning comedy series Maamla Legal Hai, while Rashmika Mandanna climbs to eighth, riding mounting anticipation for Cocktail 2.
The list, available exclusively on the IMDb app for Android and iOS, tracks trending Indian entertainers and filmmakers each week, drawing on data from more than 200m monthly visits to the platform worldwide.
Further down the rankings, Raaka is keeping two of its biggest names in the spotlight. Deepika Padukone holds 11th position, with Allu Arjun close behind at 13th, as the film continues to find traction with audiences.
The list offers fans a weekly pulse on who is breaking through, who is holding steady, and who is fading. It is a barometer as unsparing as the box office itself.
