Hindi
Akshay Kumar, Ashvini Yardi unveil lead stars and trailer for ‘Fugly’
MUMBAI: Actor Akshay Kumar and partner Ashvini Yardi have together launched the trailer for their forthcoming film Fugly, the latest big-screen initiative from their production company Grazing Goat Pictures. The event took place at Reliance Digital Express store in Prabhadevi.
The launch was special made special for the media as they were encouraged to take a fugly ‘selfie’ (fuglies) with the props as well as be a part of the poster.
During the event, Akshay gave a quick insight into the plot of the film to the media and showcased the film’s stylish poster.
The trailer has already received a roaring applause from various Bollywood celebrities and veteran media. Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan, tweeted his comments on the trailer saying “Loved the trailer of @FuglyTheFilm well done @Kabirsadanand and @AshviniYardi and all the best.”
Speaking about the event, Akshay Kumar said, “I am so thrilled to have been here today. It is a great moment for Ashvini and I and all those involved in the Fugly project.”
Ashvini Yardi added, “Fugly is a film that is very close to all of our hearts. It is a vibrant, youth centric entertainer. It is funny and witty and packs a major punch. Akshay and I are delighted to introduce such a talented cast in this film, and feel that they have done a fantastic job in the film. We are all very proud of Fugly, and we hope audiences will love it as much as we do.”
“Fugly is a script which has been very close to me and my team of writers. It’s an awesome feeling and we are glad that Akshay Kumar came on board as he brings the edge and with Ashvini came the focus to target good content. Fugly represents today’s independent youth who are ready to take a stand and challenge the status quo. We have had a phenomenal time making this film and the response we have received on the trailer and poster has been overwhelming. This is just the beginning of our journey called Fugly!” announced director Kabir Sadanand.
There is already tremendous buzz in the industry around Mohit, Kiara, Arfi and Vijender’s film debut.
Speaking about their debuts, they jointly said, “We are delighted to have had the opportunity to be part of Fugly and are thrilled with the response we have had on the trailer and poster – it’s really encouraging. Kabir is an excellent director and no one else could have done better justice to the script. We had a superb time working with each other and learnt so much from Jimmy. Akshay and Ashvini have been extremely inspiring for all of us and we have learnt a lot from them. We are fortunate to be launched by them.”
Fugly releases on 13 June 2014.
Hindi
Remembering Gyan Sahay, the lens behind film, television and advertising
From a puppet rabbit selling poppadums to Hindi cinema, he framed it all.
MUMBAI: There are careers, and then there are canvases. Gyan Sahay, the veteran cinematographer, director, and producer who passed away on 10 March 2026 in Mumbai, had one of the latter. Over several decades in the Indian film and television industry, he turned lenses, lights, and the occasional puppet rabbit into something approaching art.
A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Sahay built his reputation as a director of photography across a career that stretched from the early 1970s all the way to the digital age. He was the kind of craftsman who understood that a well-composed shot is not merely a technical achievement but a quiet act of storytelling.
For most Indians of a certain age, however, Sahay will forever be the man behind the rabbit. His direction of the iconic long-running television commercial for Lijjat Papad, featuring its now-legendary puppet bunny, gave the country one of its most cheerfully persistent advertising images. It was the sort of work that sneaks into the national subconscious and takes up permanent residence.
His big-screen credits as cinematographer include Anokhi Pehchan (1972), Pagli (1974), Pas de Deux (1981), and Hum Farishte Nahin (1988). In 1999, he stepped behind a different kind of camera altogether, making his directorial debut with Sar Ankhon Par, a drama that featured Vikas Bhalla and Shruti Ulfat, with a cameo by Shah Rukh Khan for good measure.
On television, Sahay was particularly prized for his command of multi-camera production setups, a skill that made him a go-to technician for large-scale shows and reality programmes. In an industry that has never been especially patient with complexity, he was the calm hand on the rig.
In later life, Sahay turned teacher. He participated regularly in masterclasses and Digi-Talks, often hosted by organisations such as Bharatiya Chitra Sadhna, sharing hard-won wisdom on cinematography, the comedy of timing in a shot, and the sweeping changes brought by the shift from celluloid to digital. He was also said to have been involved in a project concerning a biographical film on Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy.
Tributes from the film industry poured in following the news of his passing, with colleagues remembering him as a senior cameraman who served as a rare bridge between two entirely different eras of Indian cinema. That is, perhaps, the finest thing one can say of any craftsman: he kept up, and he brought others along with him.
