Entertainment: Amitabh Bachchan turns 75 and ‘not out’ of filmdom

Age is just a number for Amitabh Bachchan, who turns 75 on Wednesday. His work diary is already spilling into 2019, but he remains firmly “not out”, continuing a glorious journey that has lasted over four decades.

In an industry where roles are seldom written for veteran actors, Bachchan is experimenting with looks, characters and themes with an enthusiasm and passion of a newcomer.

“When he comes on the set, he is always in character. I never feel like I'm directing Mr Amitabh Bachchan. I feel I am directing the character,” said Umesh Shukla, who is working with the living legend in 102 Not Out.

“When he steps out of his vanity van, he comes out in the type of mood that is required for a scene and makes the atmosphere like that. It's fun to work with him,” added Shukla, who has cast veteran actor Rishi Kapoor as a 75-year-old and Bachchan as his 102-year-old father in the movie.

Another challenging role that Bachchan has taken up is in Thugs of Hindostan, which will see him in an armoured look with a heavy beard. His co-star Aamir Khan, who will be sharing screen space with Bachchan for the first time, has been a long-time admirer.

“His aura, action, every nuance of his acting was such a fulfilling experience in cinema,”Aamir said of watching Big B's films in theatres in his younger days.

But as he rings in his milestone birthday, Bachchan wants no celebrations.

He is off to the Maldives for a vacation with wife Jaya, son Abhishek, daughter Shweta, daughter-in-law Aishwarya and granddaughter Aaradhya. And he will be back to work soon.

Karan V Grover flaunts rugged look for Spotlight 2

The first look of actor Karan V Grover in the role of a rockstar in Vikram Bhatt's web series Spotlight 2 is out. He is sporting a rugged avatar standing on a stage and strumming his guitar.

He sports long hair and a beard for the Viu web series in which he essays a talented and successful musician who faces a downfall in his career.

Karan said in a statement: “My role in Spotlight 2 is of a young musician who is flamboyant and sees both sides of the spectrum from success to failure. The tale of his journey through the peak of his career to the downfall will be extremely interesting.

“My role is quite intense, so I am thoroughly enjoying preparing for it. It's a lot of firsts for me with this show, my first digital show, the first ever musical, my first role as a musician, so I am really excited about this project.”

Bhatt said: “Being the first ever musical digital series, I am excited about this project. I am sure 'Spotlight 2' will have the same fate as the first successful part. The digital savvy audience is always on the lookout for content similar to the vibe of a movie but in a shorter format, 'Spotlight 2' is all of that and more.”

The exquisitely lit lawns of the India International Centre here resounded with classical ragas rendered with both flair and fidelity by young vocalist Nandini Bedekar in a touching tribute to the life and times of her Guru, the legendary Kishori Amonkar.

Touching tribute to music legend Kishori Amonkar

Ganasaraswati Kishori Amonkar, who passed away in April this year at the age of 84, was one of the towering figures of the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana; but she transcended the conventional framework of gharanas evoking various feelings or ‘bhaavas’ within the ragas in her renditions.

Bedekar picked up the finer aspects of the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana through her tutelage under Amonkar as per the guru-shishya tradition, often accompanying her on the tanpura during concerts.

The concert on Monday evening, organised by the Raza Foundation as part of the IIC's ongoing Festival of the Arts, was a befitting homage to this tradition.

The audience witnessed the young, promising vocalist render Raag Puriya Dhanshree in a meditative state at dusk with the tanpura resting over her shoulder.

“The tribute was a reminder that musicians like Kishori Amonkar will remain immortal because of their body of work and disciples like Nandini Bedekar are tasked with carrying forward that legacy,” the organiser, Raza Foundation said in a statement.

Bedekar was ably accompanied by Vinod Lele of the Benaras Gharana on the tabla and Vinay Mishra on the harmonium.

With inputs from IANS