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By Rinku Gupta The super talented music director Devi Sri Prasad is a world renowned powerhouse of musical talent with a humungous fan base. But due to the corona lockdown, a different facet of his creative talent has come to the fore with his recent trending video  for the #BeTheRealMan challenge on social media. The video came in for huge praise from industry folks apart from fans. Even Kamal Haasan called DSP personally to convey how much he enjoyed the video and how on point the message pertaining to the importance of women, especially the mother in the family was. ( click here to view what Kamal said). It so happens that DSP has not only acted in the clip, but also conceptualised,  directed, shot and edited  it himself,  all at his home studio, under the lockdown period!  When we quizzed him about how he made the video which features various camera angles, several people and all with a dose of humor and emotion in perfect measure, DSP gave us an...

By Rinku Gupta In the time of the corona pandemic, the already struggling film industry has taken a huge hit, with theatres being shut indefinitely. The fate of several films hangs in the balance, especially those under production. Mounting interest rates, loans and the like are adding to the woes of producers giving them sleepless nights. In such a scenario, cost reduction of projects plays a vital role in reducing the burden on struggling producers. One of the constant demands even in the past has been reduction of huge salaries paid to heroes and lead technicians which could make a difference to a project's overall cost and ultimately the profits if any, from box office collections. Now, actor,  producer and music director Vijay Antony, who recently gave a hit in 'Kolaigaran ' and also has substantial reach among the Telugu audience, has taken the first step in this direction. Vijay Antony is currently part of three films namely Tamizharasan for Producer FEFSI...

By Rinku Gupta When ace music director Devi Sri Prasad took up the # BeTheRealMan ch allenge thrown at him on social media and made a video of his Corona Lockdown activities   little did he imagine the response. The quirky , fun video with a beautiful message in the end, was trending and the phone didn't stop ringing for the next few days.( click here to view video ). Devi Sri Prasad is overwhelmed with the response from friends, fans and industry folks. Says he, " I am surprised everyone is so loving this video.. It was on trending too and on all the media ! All directors like Sukumar , Harish Shankar , Prabhu Deva master, everyone appreciated. Even Shruthi Haasan." Even as he was soaking it all in,  he recieved a bigger surprise. It was a call that left him feeling on cloud nine! An elated DSP reveals, "And the most unbelieveable thing was,  Kamal Hassan Sir called and  said he loved my video! The dedication to the Mother, is the highlight he said...

By Rinku Gupta The sad demise of Actor Irrfan Khan left the nation heartbroken, with condolence messages pouring in from all parts of the country on social media. Now Irrfan's spouse Sutapa has written a moving eulogy in memory of her husband. Here are the words from Irrfan Khan’s Family - His wife Sutapa and sons Babil, Ayaan... " How can I write this as a family statement when the whole world is taking it as a personal loss? How can I begin to feel alone when millions are grieving with us at the moment? I want to assure everyone that this is not a loss, it is a gain. It’s a gain of the things he taught us, and now we shall finally begin to truly implement it and evolve. Yet I want to try to fill in the things that people don’t already know.  It’s unbelievable for us but I would put it in Irrfan’s words, “it’s magical” whether he is there or not there, and that’s what he loved, he never loved one dimensional reality. The only thing I have a grudge against hi...

By Rinku Gupta Cinema lost two gems this week, both gone too soon. Just when fans were reeling under the shock of power house performer Irrfan Khan's sudden demise at 54, came news of the tragic loss of another actor.               Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor Irrfan's last release Angrezi Medium The very next day came  the shocking news of the demise of the charming,  vibrant, handsome Rishi Kapoor ( 67) grandson of Prithviraj Kapoor,  hailing from the first family of Hindi cinema.  Both losses felt extremely personal to people, who came out from across strata, age groups  and industries to express their grief and mourn the loss on social media.  While Irrfan rose from the ranks and by his sheer talent went on to become  an internationally acclaimed actor, Rishi Kapoor had worked across  decades, right from the Black and White era to the present. Starti...

By Rinku Gupta Tollywood heartthrob Vijay Deverakonda seems to have his heart in the right place. A first generation actor, who has made it big as a star,  he has used his platform  time and again for  philanthrophic activities as well. Now, during the tough days of the corona pandemic lockdown,  Deverakonda has set up a Middle Class Fund ( MCF) as part of The Deverakonda Foundation ( TDF) which he had started last year. He explains on the Foundation website,  "We’ve set up a dedicated fund with an aim to provide relief to affected middle-class families during the COVID crisis. The fund will help affected families buy basic groceries and essential food items. We're currently able to provide relief only in AP and Telangana. Update on relief in other states will be announced shortly" HOW IT WORKS Step 1:  Visit the   ‘Ask for Help’  form below Step 2:  Fill the form fields to the best of your knowledge Step 3:...