Arjan Bajwa to headline an international film Demon Hunters; says, "It's an exhilarating character"

Arjan Bajwa, a seasoned performer renowned in both pan-Indian and Southern cinema, has now secured a prominent role in an international production.  Expanding his horizons to the international stage, Arjan takes the lead in the South Asian international production titled Demon Hunters, an enchanting action-comedy produced by the global company Light House Productions.

This venture is helmed by director Mei-Juin Chen (known for Gangster’s Daughter and National Geographic's Kung Fu Secrets) and celebrated director-cinematographer Tony Cheung, renowned for his work in Jackie Chan's The Legends of Drunken Master, Dragon Blade, and the recent release Hidden Strike, featuring John Cena on Netflix.

When asked about his selection for this pivotal role, Arjan expresses, "It's an exhilarating character, and I'm thrilled to have been chosen to portray a computer geek seeking vengeance for his grandfather's death. The casting team reached out to me about six to eight months ago. They carefully reviewed my body of work, and after meticulous and detailed meetings, things fell into place. We engaged in workshops and training before the shoot, which was an amazing learning experience."

Demon Hunters is currently in production, featuring popular stars like JC Lin (known for series like What the Hell is Love and the film Some Day or One Day) and Regina Lei (known for Antikalpa on Netflix), along with the seasoned actor Jack Kao from the Assassin and Gatao series on Netflix.

Arjan has an intriguing lineup of diverse projects in both series and films, and he quips, "I am eagerly anticipating an exciting 2024." Demon Hunters is set to premiere globally in the autumn of 2024.

Also Read: SIIMA 2022: Arjan Bajwa talks about working with all actresses; says, ‘Kisi ke gaal ache hain kisi ke baal’

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Sushmita Sen starrer Aarya 3 to premiere on November 3; actress teases new season: “Sherni ke lautne ka waqt aa gaya hai”

Bollywood star Sushmita Sen is all set to return with the third season of Disney+ Hotstar series Aarya. The series from filmmaker Ram Madhvani wrapped earlier this year and is ready for the premiere in November. The actress teased that the first look might come soon. However, she teased the premiere date to be November 3, 2023.

In the show, the actor portrays a fierce mother who tries her best to keep her family safe from the world of crime after entering the vicious network following her husband’s demise. Sharing the release date, the actress shared a teaser video and wrote, “Sherni ke lautne ka waqt aa gaya hai.”

 

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  A post shared by Sushmita Sen (@sushmitasen47)

Earlier, Sushmita Sen had said about the new season saying, “It is a new dawn for Aarya Sareen, and she is fierce. In Season 3, she is going places and starting her own story free from the obstacles of her past. Reprising the role of Aarya is like slipping into old jeans but for a brand-new journey.”

Aarya premiered in 2020 followed by the second season in 2021. ALSO READ: Sushmita Sen on being offered Taali, “It was a big shock that they brought me this and it wasn’t just a script”

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Mahadev betting app case: Huma Qureshi, Kapil Sharma seek more time to appear before ED

Bollywood actors Huma Qureshi and Kapil Sharma have sought more time to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in the Mahadev betting app case. The ED had summoned Kapil and Huma on Thursday in connection with its money laundering probe linked to the betting app case.

According to the probe agency, Huma Qureshi had allegedly promoted the app and Kapil Sharma entertained guests at a wedding of a promoter of the app that was held abroad. The probe agency also issued summons to actors Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor and Hina Khan. It is unclear whether these actors are accused in the case. Ranbir Kapoor had also sought two weeks' time to appear for questioning.

According to the ED, large-scale hawala operations were carried out to siphon off the proceeds of betting to offshore accounts. The agency alleged that Ranbir Kapoor promoted the app through social media ads and accepted payments in cash, which is being treated as proceeds of crime. The ED had summoned him to their Raipur office on October 6. He has asked for two weeks’ time to appear before the central agency. It is not known whether the ED will grant his request.

Several other celebrities are also under the ED’s scanner. They were reportedly hired to perform at app promoter Sourabh Chandrakar’s lavish UAE wedding. Chandrakar has been accused of spending Rs 200 crores on the wedding in February 2023. This included payments to celebrities who performed at the wedding, five-star accommodation for guests and private jets to ferry relatives from India to the UAE. All payments were made in cash.

Also Read: Shraddha Kapoor receives ED summons over involvement in online betting app case: Report

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EXCLUSIVE: Lata Mangeshkar recorded Ram bhajans during her final days for Ayodhya Ram Mandir inauguration

Lata Mangeshkar may have left us physically. But her voice will continue to resonate for as long as civilization exists. In a surprising development, this writer has come to know that Lataji recorded some Ram bhajans, shlokas and chants in her final days.

“These Ram bhajans are the last recordings of Lataji. She could barely stand on her feet. But she summoned composer Mayuresh Pai and told him she wanted to do some handpicked Ram bhajans, shlokas and chants for the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. She wanted them played at the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya expected to happen in January 2024,” informed a source very close to the Mangeshkar family.

Confirming this historic recording, composer Mayuresh Pai who was very close to Lataji said, “She was singing and working right till the end. She wanted her voice to be part of the Ram Mandir. She made sure she did her recordings even as her health was failing. She is the bravest person I have ever known,” he said.

Also Read: PM Narendra Modi remembers Lata Mangeshkar on her birth anniversary: “Her soulful renditions evoked deep emotions”

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EXCLUSIVE: Vishal Bhardwaj reveals why Priyanka Chopra Jonas has been mentioned under ‘Special Thanks’ in Khufiya

Vishal Bhardwaj’s Khufiya was released on Netflix on Thursday, October 5 and has received rave reviews. The gripping thriller stars Tabu, Wamiqa Gabbi and Ali Fazal and interestingly, Priyanka Chopra Jonas has been mentioned under ‘Special Thanks’ in the opening credits. The actress doesn’t have a cameo in the film and hence, many wondered why the global actress got the mention.

Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke to Vishal Bhardwaj and he revealed that Priyanka Chopra Jonas helped immensely with the visa process when the unit went to shoot in the province of Alberta, Canada.

Vishal Bhardwaj said, “When we went to Canada to shoot for Khufiya in 2022, there was a concern on the visa front, post the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We only got 9 visas, even though we had applied for 40 visas. We had been hoping to get more till the last moment, but that didn’t happen, and we were terribly short-staffed. You can imagine our stress levels at that time.”

Vishal Bhardwaj continued, “So I called my friend Priyanka, and despite it being a weekend, she helped us organize the required crew overnight. We began our shoot on Monday morning and wrapped the shoot as initially planned.” Needless to say, the government of Alberta is also thanked by the makers.

Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan’s production house Red Chillies Entertainment, too, has got listed under ‘Special Thanks’. This is possibly because they let the makers use a clip from their much-loved film Main Hoon Na (2004) for an important scene in the film.

Also Read: Tabu on reuniting with Vishal Bhardwaj in Khufiya: “From Maqbool to Haider, our creative journey continues to evolve”

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Khakee: The Bihar Chapter director Bhav Dhulia to work on two film projects with Abundantia Entertainment: "I felt that now is the right time to make the transition to feature films"

Abundantia Entertainment, the producer of some of the films and series of recent times, such as Jalsa, Sherni, Ram Setu, Shakuntala Devi, Chhorii, Toilet – Ek Prem Katha, Sukhee, Airlift, Breathe and Breathe: Into The Shadows to name a few, is now set to collaborate with one of the most explosive, young voices in the Indian content world, Bhav Dhulia. Bhav has been at the helm of critically acclaimed and popular originals like Khakee: The Bihar Chapter on Netflix, the fan favourite, Rangbaaz which inspired multiple spin-offs on Zee5 and the recently released blockbuster, The Freelancer on Disney+ Hotstar.

Abundantia Entertainment and Bhav Dhulia have begun work on two exciting feature film projects – an engaging, large-scale, action-thriller tinged with a deep patriotic flavour and an equally thrilling underdog story, inspired by true events set to introduce Indian fans to a whole new style of investigative storytelling. Scripting on both these projects is underway and the first film is expected to go on floors in the first half of 2024.

Talking about the association with Bhav Dhulia, Founder & CEO of Abundantia Entertainment, Vikram Malhotra says, “Enabling unique, disruptive storytelling voices is at the core of what we do at Abundantia Entertainment. I have known Bhav for a long time and have been a great admirer of his work and his ability to craft impactful stories in an effortless manner. I am delighted to join hands with Bhav to commence his journey in a new universe with two powerful ideas.”

On making his directorial feature-film debut and partnering with Abundantia Entertainment, Bhav Dhulia says, “I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity to work on some high-quality streaming content and have thoroughly enjoyed creating for the longer format. I felt that now is the right time to make the transition to feature films. As I get ready to embark on this new journey, I am delighted to partner with Abundantia Entertainment and Vikram Sir as I have loved what they have done with their content and creators in terms of empowering each one to do their respective best.”

Abundantia Entertainment’s upcoming line-up features films like the Hindi remake of the critically acclaimed blockbuster, Soorarai Pottru, directed by National Award winner Sudha Kongara Prasad and jointly produced with superstar Suriya’s 2D Entertainment; the sequel to the successful, genre-defining horror film Chhorii; and the remake of the critically acclaimed film, Angamaly Diaries, Suresh Triveni’s (Jalsa) next as well as originals like The End marking the streaming debut of Akshay Kumar, a multi-season crime drama, based on the bestselling ‘Rita Ferreira’ books and the remake of the Israeli hit YA series, ‘The Missing’ and ‘The Hood’. ALSO READ: Producer Vikram Malhotra and Breathe director Mayank Sharma reunite for thrilling, action film

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Not-so-sanskaari-anymore: Dono is Rajshri’s FIRST film to feature kissing scenes

This Friday saw the release of Dono, which marks the directorial debut of Sooraj Barjatya’s son Avnish S Barjatya and the acting debut of Sunny Deol’s son Rajveer Deol and Poonam Dhillon’s daughter Paloma. It is backed by Rajshri Productions and as expected, it is a clean family entertainer. However, Dono is not the typical Rajshri film as it features kissing scenes. This makes Dono the first film of the banner to show a liplock.

Interestingly, the kissing scenes form a crucial part of the story. It is not added for the heck of it. In fact, it takes the story forward. At the same time, it’s shown in an aesthetic and pleasing manner and is not explicit. Hence, families will still be able to sit through the kissing scenes without feeling uncomfortable.

At the trailer launch of the film, Sooraj Barjatya was also present and he revealed, “When Avnish narrated the concept (of Dono), I told him you are free to make what you want but I told him to remember that tumhari film dekhne Rajshri ki audience bhi aayegi.”

Dono is the story of a boy and a girl who meet at a destination wedding abroad and fall in love with each other. Sunny Deol spoke highly of Rajshri Productions at the trailer launch event. He stated, “You all know about Rajshri Productions. Like Disney, they make films for the whole family. That’s what they have been doing ever since. Kabhi behke nahin. This film is also on the same lines. You might say ‘Inn logon ne phir se shaadi ke upar film banayi’. Their films are about extended families coming together during a marriage. Dono is also about marriage, families and emotions. But the difference is that it’s today’s film. It’s a film about today’s generation. I can vouch for it as I have seen the film.”

Sooraj Barjatya then revealed that Sunny Deol asked him to launch Rajveer with Dono saying, “Then Sunny ji called me ki 'Suna hai ki aap bete ki picture bana rahe ho'. I don't know if Rajveer knows about this episode. Main ghabra gaya and the first thing I told Sunny is that ‘Lekin iss film mein action nahin hai’! He told me, ‘It’s ok. I want a subject which my son will love and it should be from the heart’.”

He also added, “Then Poonam ji spoke to my sister, Anuradha. The first pictures we saw of Paloma was where she was holding a gun! Yet, both Avnish and I realized that she’ll suit the part of Meghna.”

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Rohan Khurana shares his experience of working with Dono director Avnish Barjatya; says, “I used to give him my suggestions”

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