Have you heard? No rajneeti for Dutt

Sanjay Dutt

Should he contest elections, Sanjay Dutt would probably draw huge crowds. However, the actor put speculation about his political aspirations to rest yesterday by stating that he is "not joining any party or contesting elections". Taking to social media, he shared, "If I do decide to step into the political arena, then I will be the first one to announce it. Please refrain from believing what is being circulated in the news about me as of now." There were social media posts claiming that the 64-year-old actor would be contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as a Congress candidate from Haryana's Karnal. In 2009, Dutt was part of the Samajwadi Party (SP), but resigned as the general secretary of the party.

Back the girls, says Kriti

Days after the release of her film, Crew, also starring Tabu and Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kriti Sanon weighed in on notions that female-driven films fail to "pull" viewers to cinema halls. "A film doesn't have to be led by a man to pull the audience to the theatre. For the longest time, people have not taken the risk of scaling female-oriented films as they do for male-centric ones. They feel audiences won't come to the theatre, and they won't recover the money. This is the start of a change. I hope people will risk putting money into a woman-led film because that also translates to the same amount at the box office," she said.

The real celebration

After three long years, Sai Tamhankar will return to the comfort of her hometown Sangli to celebrate Gudi Padwa, the Maharashtrian New Year. "It's been three years since I last visited my hometown, and the realisation struck me hard when my mother mentioned it," the actor said, adding, "The feeling of going home is calming, giving me a sense of peace and satisfaction." For her, Gudi Padwa holds special significance - an opportunity to cherish traditions and indulge in the warmth of family bonds.

Small steps for big change

There is universality to women's experiences across classes, and a lot of it goes unrepresented in cinema, says director Kiran Rao, who has attempted to tell a story of self-discovery through two brides in her critically acclaimed Laapataa Ladies. Rao, who promoted her second directorial venture across tier-one cities and small towns, said the women she met have probably not experienced being under the veil, but they could still identify with the issues explored in the movie, set in rural India in the year 2001. "It's possible to change the status quo with small interventions, and reclaim some space for ourselves," said the director.

Guess who's back

Kahin Kisii Roz actor Mouli Ganguly is back on the scene with Janani AI Ki Kahani, a show that she describes as a "fresh, and unique" take on the tale of a single mother. "I have been offered many roles before, but nothing like this. Mrinal Jha is one of the best writers in television. I have worked with her and know her potential, so I was really thrilled and hope this new breath of fresh air works for television," she said, adding that the show isn't like the regular "saas-bahu" dramas seen on television.

Addressing film's failure?

Addressing her under-performing film, Bhumi Pednekar-starrer Thank You For Coming, producer Ektaa R Kapoor said in an interview with Variety, "It has left a very strange pain in my heart. The way that film was, and the kind of reception it got in India, vis-a-vis the reception it got overseas, I don't know what happened." Speaking about the response to the film, based on female sexuality, she added, "And the hate spamming we went through [was immense]. Our walls used to be spammed every day with hatred, because we attempted to discover and make a movie on female sexuality. I can only imagine what's gonna happen when LSD 2 [Love, Sex Aur Dhokha] comes out. I'll have to hide again."

A long road for women

Raveena Tandon feels that despite the existance of progressive laws, patriarchy is prevalent in the current times, with women needing to bear the brunt of it in their personal and professional lives. Elaborating on the subject, Tandon, who plays a lawyer in her recent outing, Patna Shuklla, said, "The film is a journey of a woman commanded by patriarchy and one who breaks away from it. My character doesn't see patriarchy as a challenge; she chases justice and breaks the glass ceiling of patriarchy along the way."

First glimpse of next edition

The makers of Pushpa 2: The Rule unveiled the teaser of the anticipated film on the occasion of lead star Allu Arjun's 42nd birthday. Directed by Sukumar, the film follows the first installment, which sets up a clash between Arjun's titular character and that of Malayalam star Fahadh Faasil.