PITCHING IN: Amitabh Bachchan, left, and Sonakshi Sinha.

Bollywood’s young star Sonakshi Sinha will spread the message of the need to save the girl child along with megastar Amitabh Bachchan on his TV show Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi.
After Alia Bhatt, Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Kapil Sharma, Sonakshi will be coming on the Star Plus show for a cause, read a statement.
According to a source, the actress shared that the cause has a special place in her heart. “She said that in a country where the birth of male child is celebrated and the birth of a girl is often associated with disappointment — a small but powerful step to alter that notion is really commendable,” said the source.
The father of Shweta Nanda was all praise for daughters as he said “My first child was a daughter, my daughter’s first was a girl and my son’s first child was a girl as well and I’m proud and blessed to have so many daughters in the family.”
Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi celebrates uncommon people’s kindness towards society and will showcase the journeys of people, who went against all odds to help the society improve and worked as an inspiration for others to change their outlook. — IANS

It’s a wrap for Gurinder Chadha’s next film

Popular British filmmaker of Sikh origin Gurinder Chadha has completed filming Viceroy’s House. She’s geared up for “a great editing ride now”.
The film stars English actor Hugh Bonneville as Lord Mounbatten — the last Viceroy of British India, Gillian Anderson, veteran Indian actor Om Puri and Gangs of Wasseypur actress Huma Qureshi.
The film is centred on events of India’s Partition. It is an emotional story set in the kitchens and staff of the viceroy’s house. “It’s a wrap! @ViceroysHouse phew long exhausting shoot but I am thrilled with what we shot! #chardikala,” Chadha tweeted.
“It’s going to be a great editing ride now,” she further wrote on the micro-blogging site. It is produced by Deepak Nayar, Chadha and her husband Paul Mayeda Berges. – IANS
Vidya Balan inspires Saanvi Talwar on-screen
Actress Saanvi Talwar, who is currently seen as classical singer Maanvi Sharma in new TV show Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum, says her character is inspired from the role Bollywood actress Vidya Balan played in 2005 musical romantic drama film Parineeta.
Saanvi’s looks in the show have been modeled on Vidya’s in Parineeta as she is playing a Bengali character in contemporary times. This is quite similar to the one Vidya played in Pradeep Sarkar directed film.
“Vidya Balan in Parineeta is among the most awesome roles ever, not only for her looks but also as a character. And my character in the show is quite similar to her’s,” Saanvi said in a statement. Saanvi, who has previously appeared in shows like O Gujariya: Badlein Chal Duniya and Qubool Hai, stars alongside actor Karan Kundra in Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum, which is aired on &TV. — IANS

Role in Aligarh made me a better person: Bajpayee

Actor Manoj Bajpayee, who has essayed the role of a professor in Hansal Mehta’s Aligarh, says it changed him and made him a “better person”. “My role in Aligarh is so gentle and pure hearted that it made me a better person. I have not seen a noble human like him (the character in Aligarh). It is a great story to tell. You will be moved by the character,” Manoj told IANS in an interview.
The actor also said that “acting is the most difficult job in the entire world”. “It is always tough to get into somebody else’s skin and to understand somebody else’s soul or his journey when you are doing serious acting. So nothing gives you immense pleasure when you resemble the role you are playing,” he added.
Talking about his character in Aligarh, Manoj said he felt the story moved the audience which primarily focuses on the treatment of homosexuality in Indian society. Set in a town in Uttar Pradesh from which the film takes its name, Aligarh is the story of a professor (Manoj Bajpayee) fired for his sexuality and a young journalist (Rajkummar Rao) who tells his story to the world.
As the film garnered applause and received a standing ovation following its screening at the 20th Busan International Film Festival and London Film Festival, an elated Manoj said: “We got huge appreciation at Busan and London Film Festival. Critics and audience admired the film and e-mailed me, left messages. So this proves that Aligarh is a great film and doesn’t matter whether it is about sexuality or not, but it is a great story to tell.”
Aligarh will open the 17th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival on October 30. — IANS

Subhash Ghai felt honoured to present A R Rahman an award

Filmmaker Subhash Ghai says it was an honour to confer the Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award on Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman. Rahman was presented with the award by the filmmaker on the birthday of Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar, the younger brother of legendary playback singers Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle.
“It was a great honour to honour A R Rahman with Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award last night with the background music of Taal with thundering applause from the audience,” Ghai, who worked with the composer on films like Taal, Yuvvraaj and Kisna, tweeted on Tuesday. Ghai says Rahman knows “how to win hearts”.
He thanked the composer for “your generous words at the award function for me”.
The filmmaker also shared a 12-second video online of Rahman in which he is seen saying how people quickly associate him with the 1999 hit film Taal and that “it’s like a rubber stamp”. — IANS