Entertainment: Big B is pure addiction, says Taapsee

Actress Taapsee Pannu says she is addicted to sharing screen space with megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

She once again shared screen space with Big B in his game show Kaun Banega Crorepati 9 after the 2016 film Pink.

Taapsee took to Twitter on Thursday to share a photograph of herself with the 75-year-old actor from the set of the Sony Entertainment Television show.

“This man is pure addiction! Can never have enough of sharing screen space with him. Watch me exercising my brain cells on Kaun Banega Crorepati,” Taapsee captioned the image.

Pink, directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, is a courtroom drama with a strong socially relevant message about the choices young women of today make and about respecting those. The film also featured Kirti Kulhari, Andrea Tariang, Angad Bedi and Piyush Mishra.

Wasn’t affected by Newton controversy: Rajkummar Rao

National Award winning actor Rajkummar Rao said he was never affected by the controversy on his film Newton, which has been selected as India's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nomination.

After Newton was announced as India's Oscar entry earlier this year, some media reports indicated a similarity in its plot with Iranian film Secret Ballot. The comparisons were put to rest by the makers.

Rajkummar told the news agency IANS, “I was not affected by the controversy of 'Newton' because I knew that these two are two different films. I knew it from the script. However, I am happy that everyone who created the controversy, has got an answer when the producer made a statement mentioning that the film is different from Secret Ballot.”

The actor will next be seen in the film Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana opposite Kriti Kharbanda. The story of the film revolves around two young people and their journey of five years.

Giving an insight to his character, Rajkummar said: “My character has a journey that travels the phase from a college pass out of a small town to falling in love with a girl and to becoming a successful, rich guy. It is a revenge story and how love makes you do things that you cannot do otherwise.”

Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana is yet another of Rajkummar's films to be set in the small town milieu after Behen Hogi Teri and Bareilly Ki Barfi.

Does he find it interesting to work on such film as this genre is working at the box office?

He said: “See, for me, experience counts first, and then the numbers. I have to like the film enough to invest my time. Rest will fall in place. Yes, Bareilly Ki Barfi worked and I am happy. See, I am trying to say that at the end of the day, I do not want to say that ‘I shouldn't have done this film’. Therefore, liking the film from my end is important.”

Interestingly, well-known male actors are becoming a part of a women-centric films and playing small yet significant parts -- like Aamir Khan in Secret Superstar and Manav Kaul in Vidya Balan-starrer Tumhari Sulu.

What does he think?

“I see no harm in playing small parts in a female-centric film if the role is pivotal. I have done it in Queen. For me, it is the importance of the character and not the length of it. So yes, I will be doing that in future.”

Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana will release on November 10.

Javed Akhtar receives Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award

Veteran writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar has been honoured with the Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award.

Akhtar received the honour here last night at an event which marked the 28th anniversary of Hridayesh Arts and the 80th birthday of veteran music composer Hridaynath Mangeshkar.

Akhtar said that receiving the award was one of his highest honours as it comes from the Mangeshkar family. Akhtar, 72, recalled how Lata Mangeshkar played a pivotal role in his journey as a lyricist.

“Yash Chopra sahab came to my house and said he was making Silsila and I should write the songs... I refused, saying I write poetry only for myself and script writing is enough. But he insisted and made me write the lyrics.”

Akhtar said he got to know that it was Lata Mangeshkar, who had suggested his name to Chopra as lyricist for Silsila as his frequent collaborator Sahir Ludhianvi had passed away.

“She (Lata) said ‘My friend has heard ghazals of Javed, so since you have good relations with him, make him write’. So the reason why I started writing songs, was Lata didi and my first song was sung by her and Kishore da,” he said.

Hridayesh Arts, in association with Jay Satya Charitable Trust, organised a music programme titled Amrut Hriday Swar Lata, presented by Annu Kapoor Films Pvt Ltd to salute and celebrate 75 glorious years of Lata Mangeshkar.

Lata said she was fortunate to sing songs written by people like Akhtar and her favourite song of his is Ye Kaha Aagaye Hum from Silsila.

“Whenever I meet him, we laugh a lot. I felt very happy giving him the award... I've completed 75 years in the industry, but it's not a big deal. I sang for the first time when I was nine with my father. Then I started singing in films and the journey has been wonderful,” she said.

With inputs from PTI and IANS