Tag Archives: Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Athiya dawns a whole new deglam look Motichoor Chaknachoor

Ever since the trailer of the film Motichoor Chaknachoor was launched, it has garnered immense positive response. Interestingly, seeing the unlikely jodi of Nawaz and Athiya together for the first time, has had the intrigue factor rising among the audience and the industry alike. Especially for Athiya who has never been seen in this pretty and simple small town girl avatar.

Essaying the role for Bhopal based Anita Awasthi aka Annie, Athiya spent alot of time understanding the character, her roots, her belief system etc. Part of that study also involved her look. In an effort to totally be one with the character, Athiya and her stylist made a few visits to Bhopal and sourced out a few local tailors who would create the look they wanted for her.

Talking about her look, Athiya says, “This was a first time experience for me so I really wanted to enjoy and showcase a truly authentic experience for the film. My stylist, Darshan Jalan and I decided on the style and color palette and then flew down to Bhopal a few times ahead of the shoot and shortlisted a few tailors to create my salmar kameez and saree look in the film. The uniqueness of the look was adding sweaters to the salwaars, and socks with sandals to give it a small town feel.I’m so glad we did it that way because once I was in those clothes, I felt like Annie and not like Athiya playing Annie. ”

Produced by Viacom18 Studios, Woodpecker Movies, Rajesh and Kiran Bhatia, the film also stars Navni Parihar, Abhishek Rawat and many more in pivotal roles. Directed by Debamitra Biswal, Motichoor Chaknachoor is set to release on Nov 15.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui shakes a leg with Sunny Leone for Motichoor Chaknachoor

Garnering millions of views and creating waves with the trailer of his new rib-tickling and off-beat romcom – Motichoor Chaknachoor, Nawazuddin now burns the dance floor with a lit-up song ‘Battiyan Bujhaado’. After trying to woo his lady love in Crazy Lagdi, Nawaz will now be seen in a never seen before avatar, as he matches steps with the queen of hearts Sunny Leone, and together they bring down the roof in this foot-stomping promotional song for the film. Motichoor Chaknachoor, directed by Debamitra Biswal uniquely showcases the marital journey of the most unusual jodi – Pushpinder Tyagi and Anita Awasthi played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Athiya Shetty.

Sung and composed by Ramji Gulati, who is joined by singer Jyotica Tangri, Battiyan Bujhaado will bring the vibe and tempo to every party, on its way to becoming the next anthem of the season when it launches today.

Setting temperatures soaring yet again, Sunny Leone said, “I was hooked to the soundtrack from the very first time I heard it. A catchy tune, that really grows on you, Battiyan Bujhaado is a full-blown dance song, that will surely be on every party’s playlist. And shooting the song with Nawaz, with whom I am sharing a screen for the first time, was an extremely enjoyable experience. He has quite surprised me with how sporting and fun he can be at dancing, on and off-screen, which the audience will see when the song launches today.”

Producedby Viacom18 Studios and Woodpecker Movies, Rajesh and Kiran Bhatia, Motichoor Chaknachoor is set to release on November 15

Nawazuddin Siddiqui honoured with the Prestigious Golden Dragon Award

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been honoured with the esteemed Golden Dragon Award at the Cardiff International Film Festival for his excellent contribution to cinema in the global arena.

Rahil Abbas, the Founder & Festival Director of Cardiff International Film Festival, who also hosted the ‘Candid Chat with Nawaz’ expressed his delightful experience with Nawaz.

CIFF India Partner & Facilitator Suhail Sayed walked the red carpet along with Rahil and Nawaz and revealed his experience of the festival. “It’s been an amazing journey with Rahil and Nawaz so far, especially the Gala Night & Candid Chat with Nawaz was outstanding. As a facilitator, I’m honoured here and will soon come up with some extra-ordinary happenings.”

The Gangs of Wasseypur actor took to his Twitter to share an image of him accepting the Golden Dragon Award at the Cardiff International Film Festival in the United Kingdom. The Counsel General of Wales, Mick Antoniw, on Sunday presented the award at CIFF in Cardiff to The Gangs of Wasseypur actor. Hollywood legend Judi Dench was likewise respected with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the event.

Nawazuddin took to Twitter and wrote, “Congratulations #DameJudiDench on receiving the Lifetime Achievement award. Thank You Mr. @MickAntoniw1 the Counsel General of Wales, UK & Cardiff International Film Festival for bestowing me with the prestigious Golden Dragon Award.”

The actor has made an imprint universally with Netflix’s Sacred Games, Ritesh Batra’s Photograph and BBC UK’s McMafia. He is the only actor in the world having 8 films being officially selected in five years at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Also, his two series were nominated at the prestigious Emmy Awards.

I am happy that Crazy Lagdi is getting so popular : Swaroop Khan

Singer from Rajasthan, Swaroop Khan, who also contested on one of the seasons of Indian Idol, is literally going places. After his PK song, Tharki Chokro became one of the chartbusters, the singer has recently sung a song Crazy Lagdi for Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Motichoor Chaknachoor, the song is already getting popular with viewers.  The song shows Nawazuddin trying his best to woo his neighbor Athiya Shetty and their unusual but fun chemistry will leave you in splits. Nawazuddin plays the character of an aging man in his forties who is desperate to marry a girl. He hooks on to his neighbor played by Athiya and gives his best to woo the girl into marriage. The song is sung by Swaroop Khan and the music is composed by Amjad Nadeem Aamir and the lyrics penned by Kumaar. This will be the first time Nawazuddin will be seen in a romantic comedy. The wedding-comedy was shot entirely in Bhopal and got its title from the fact that motichoor laddoos are served at weddings.

The song also gives a glimpse of some scenes from the film including the one where Pushpinder is seen following the leading lady while she is jogging, exercising, going by a rickshaw or at any possible place he could. The actor tries to woo Annie who repeatedly rejects all of Pushpinder’s ways and tactics until the two are seen wearing garlands at the end.

Sharing the song on Twitter, Nawazuddin Siddiqui hilariously captioned it saying, “It seems that you have to climb the ladder and speak in your ears…”

Swaroop is a versatile singer who has many popular songs to his credit. Ghoomar (Padmaavat), Mehndi (Dhanak), Bahut Hua Sanman (Mukkabaaz) are all interesting songs sung by the singer. He says, “I am happy that I am getting to sing different types of songs and if I sang a Tharki Chokro now I am singing Crazy Lagdi. It gives me a range that enables me to connect with viewers and get good work further.”

Bidita Bag promotes ‘Moksh to Maya’ amidst a fracture

Bidita Bag who has a release lined up this week with “Moksh to Maya” was spotted promoting her film with a cast on her leg. When enquired about the same she stated, “ I fractured my leg during   a dance sequence while shooting for my next film, we thought it was nothing serious at first but later it turned out to be a fracture, so I had to return back home.” However, this did not stop her from fulfilling her commitment to the film “Moksh To Maya”.

“I am very grateful of Bidita for continuing to promote the film even after her injury. I can see that she is undergoing a lot of pain but she is giving priority to her commitments which is commendable on her part,” said Manoj Singh who is all set to make his directorial debut in Bollywood with the drama-thriller “Moksh to Maya” which is set to release on 26th July 2019.

The story of “Moksh to Maya” revolves around the character of “Maya” that is in a hurdle of life where she decides to choose her desires and faces the consequences with pride.

‘Moksh to Maya’ stars Bidita Bag, Ehsaan Khan, Raj Premi, Neeraj Bharaddwaj, Muni Jha, Syed Raza Ahmed, Shweta Thakore, Maitrik Thakkar, Megha Bhatt, Karnam Rajani, Sima Pari and Rahul Sinha.

The movie Moksh To Maya is written by Kapil Kaustubh Sharma and produced by Antaraa creation LLP, Sweta Thakore, Neeraj Bharaddwaj, Ramesh Rajpurohit, Krishnajee. The forthcoming movie trailer has garnered a lot of recognition online and will be releasing on 26 July 2019.

No Roadblocks for actress Bidita Bag

Actress Bidita Bag ,popularly known for her sensational role in film ‘Babumoshai Bandukbaaz’ and  also for  her  performance in biographical period drama film  ‘Sholay Girl’, will now be seen in a thriller film ‘Moksh to Maya’ directed by Manoj Singh, written by Kapil Kaustubh Sharma . Bidita plays the character named ‘Moksh’, a free bird who decides to choose her desire and face its consequences with pride, depicting her bold and mysterious journey.

Director Manoj Singh recalls an incident, during the shoot, when Bidita’s passion and dedication towards her work impressed him. Manoj singh narrates that how the actress was so resolute towards the film that she once walked to the location and did not even express her agony about it. “We were shooting in Alwar, Rajasthan, and the location was around 5km from the hotel and due to some local elections, the roads were blocked so instead of going back to the hotel Bidita walked 2kms through the farms and reached the shoot location,” Quoted the director Manoj Singh.

As she reached the set all the crew members were amazed by her dedication and could not stop praising her professionalism. She believes that it takes a lot to make a film and each day in the process requires a lot of effort, by a huge no of crew members associated. Every day there is a lot of finance on stake by the makers, so she cannot afford to let them down with these minor uncalled obstacles in the making. Understanding this she chose to walk through the farms and not cancel the shoot.

Undoubtedly the actor has a promising career in the industry, with this right attitude towards her profession.

‘Moksh to Maya’ also promotes women empowerment, feminism and many different social causes which gives a wide range of knowledge about the problems faced by women in our society.

Moksh to Maya is slated to release on 26th July 2019 and is produced by Antaraa Creations LLP, Shweta Thakore, Neeraj Bharaddwaj, Ramesh Rajpurohit and Krishnajee.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui wins ‘Best Performance By An Actor’ award for Manto

It was Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s conviction in the script of Manto that he agreed to portray the life of the late Urdu writer Saadat Hasan Manto.

Known for his fearless opinions, writer, playwright and author, Manto was known to write about the atrocious truths that no one dared to talk about. The film and Nawazuddin’s stellar performance was highly appreciated and it’s no surprise that the prolific actor won ‘Best Performance By An Actor’ award at the recently held Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) ceremony.

Having made an impact at the prestigious 71st Cannes Film Festival and Sydney Film Festival this year, Viacom18 Motion Pictures’ Manto, directed by Nandita Das, was also selected for the special screening at the BFI London Film Festival 2018 in October this year.

The powerhouse performer and multinational award winner who is currently shooting for his forthcoming web series in Nairobi couldn’t be part of the prestigious film festival, APSA held on 29th November in Brisbane (Australia).

Accepting Nawazuddin’s Best Actor trophy on his behalf, acclaimed filmmaker Nandita Das said, “Manto is a film which is very close to Nawaz and my heart and everybody who has worked on it. Through this film, we hope to spread a lot of Manto-ness all around the world. It’s much more than labour of love; it’s a labour of commitment and passion. Thank you Nawazuddin for being a part of this project.”

Manto is produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, HP Studios, FilmStoc, Nandita Das Initiatives and co-produced by Magic If Films & En Compagnie des Lamas. The movie released on 21st September, 2018.

Manto wins accolades in Hyderabad & Kolkatta!

Nandita Das’s highly-anticipated film, Manto premiered at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival this year and was celebrated at both Sydney and Melbourne Film Festivals.

Headlined by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the movie that traces the life of the revolutionary writer Saadat Hasan Manto was highly appreciated at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2018 held recently.

After winning accolades at various prestigious several film festivals across the globe, the makers held the special screening of the movie in Hyderabad and Kolkatta, appreciated by the acting stalwarts of the South and Bengali film industry.

Manto is produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, HP Studios, FilmStoc, Nandita Das Initiatives and co-produced by Magic If Films & En Compagnie des Lamas. Releases on 21st September 2018.

I am happy that I have a mentor in Anurag Kashyap : Sukhmani Sadana

When you have a mentor in ace director Anurag Kashyap, you should thank your lucky stars. And that’s what Kashyap’s latest film heroine Sukhmani Sadana is doing these days. The actress who started off as a writer and model, working in TV shows like Khote Sikey, worked with Abhishek Bachchan in Kashyap’s Manmarziyan. She enacts the role of Lovely, a sweet, homely dentist, who Abhishek’s mother wants him to marry.

While this has a very sweet role Sukhmani had been offered, the actress is happy that she has found a mentor in Kashyap. Apparently, Anurag had casted her in the web series Sacred Games, where Sukhmani was part of the cast that included Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. She says, “Kashyap sir had seen my work in the film and he found me appropriate for this role in Manmarziyan. It’s a small role but I enjoyed being part of the film. I feel that it is a delight to work in his films as the characters and roles in his films are very well-written and edgy. They have a definite role to play and I am not just someone in the film.” Sukhmani was portrayed as the ‘ideal’ marriage material girl any boy would want to marry and any parents would want as their daughter-in-law.

The actress, who was in Sacred Games, feels that the digital world has opened up doors for Bollywood actors who do not have Godfathers in the industry. “Many actors do not want to be part of saas-bahu type shows and therefore when Sacred Games was offered, I was very happy.”

Apart from films and web series, Sukhmani is also a writer and is currently penning a feature film and a web series. She is also about to start acting in a web series soon. She says, “I like writing because the target audience for films and web series is progressive. It reaches to the right people.”

The actress has also worked on the scripts of Bollywood films like Creature, Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum and 1920 London. On a parting note she tells us that she wants to keep working. She says, “As an actor or writer, I just wish to keep getting really great work. I always keep telling everyone that it hardly matters if you are doing small projects or big projects. You should not get out of practice.”

Nawazuddin Siddiqui masters another onscreen transformation with Manto

Netflix’s highly anticipated show “Sacred Games” is already the talk of the town and audiences have been raving about Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s nuanced portrayal of gangster, Ganesh Gaitonde,  ever since.

The Mumbai-set drama on India’s dark underworld based on Vikram Chandra’s 2006 novel , has taken the digital space by storm with Nawaz’s character being hailed as one of the best TV villains of all time.

While the National award winner has never failed to deliver one fine performance after another, the trade and industry believe that he will outdo himself with his upcoming film Manto.

Nawazuddin’s shocking transformation as writer Saadat Hasan Manto is already a subject of heated discussion, not surprising since the actor has always enjoyed getting under the skin of his characters.