Amrish Puri died 10 years ago, leaving a legacy of 200 films in a 30-year career, during which he worked with avant–garde directors like ShyamBenegal and Govind N
On his birth anniversary on 22 June here’s a checklist of his best films.
“Nishant” (1975) – Playing the eldest brother in a family of cruel zamindars who abduct and rape a schoolteacher’s wife, Amrish Puri struck a note of immediate and everlasting terror in viewers’ hearts. Though the film had other terrific actors, it was Amrish who dominated the show in every way possible. The role had apparently been written for Bengali actor Utpal Dutt who excelled at playing obdurate disciplinarians. Amrish, too, went on to make a great impression on mainstream Hindi cinema as the unrelenting patriarch.
“Phool Aur Kaante” (1992) – Though this was the launch pad for Ajay Devgan, it was Amrish Puri who stole much of the debutant’s thunder as the good-natured don who wants to win his estranged son’s respect back. Amrish admitted this film was a turning point in his career.
“Muskurahat” (1992) – In the year that “Phool Aur Kante” brought grey glory into Amrish’s black persona, he also went out-and-out benign in this wonderfully heart warming story of a sullen old man and a young woman who brings a smile on his frowning face. In the two pivotal roles, Amrish and Revathi were outstandingly synchronised. Director Priyadarshan went on to cast Amrish in most of his Hindi films, including 2004’s “Hulchul” where the actor played an obdurate village leader who’ll go to any lengths to settle scores with his enemies.
“Viraasat” (1997) – When Priyadarshan was roped in to remake the Tamil blockbuster “Thevar Magan” who but Amrish Puri could play the benign zamindar, modelled on Marlon Brando in “The Godfather”? In the Tamil original it was the theatrical thespian Shivaji Ganesan who played the main role. Amrish modelled his performance on none. He was one of his kind.
“Mr India” (1987) – Screen villainy got a new face, and so did Amrish Puri’s career. Playing the comic book bad-guy Mogambo, Puri gave a new caricatural twist to celluloid villainy. Partly comic-bookish, partly like the typical arch-villain from James Bond films (he wore a Hitlerian costume throughout), Amrish scared and amused the kids. His antagonism was unique. The role was originally offered to Anupam Kher and apparently taken away when he couldn’t quite deliver what director Shekhar Kapur had in mind.
“Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge” (1995) – Amrish’s best phase as an actor came not as a villain but as a stern disciplinarian with principles that the new generation finds impossible to uphold. More than Shah Rukh Khan, Amrish was the pivotal character of Yash Chopra’s all-time blockbuster. As the London-based Chowdhary Baldev
“Pardes” (1997) – Amrish Puri’s second famous NRI’s part spotlighted by his patriotic song “Yeh mera India”. Interestingly, Amrish was a part of every film by Subhash Ghai, from “Ram Lakhan” and “Saudagar” to “Pardes” and “Yaadein” and the just released “Kisna“. “Pardes” remains special for how different Amrish made this NRI seem from the one in “Dilwale Dulhaniya…”
“Ghaatak” (1996) – Arguably Amrish’s single most accomplished performance in a commercial film, “Ghaatak” featured him as the eccentric idealist (a role that Puri patented) from Uttar Pradesh who comes to Mumbai for medical treatment with his son (Sunny Deol) only to encounter the worst possible corruption in the city. The theme of disillusionment with corruption was reified in Amrish’s
“Nayak” (2001) – As the wily, wicked and grotesque chief minister who gets his comeuppance from a common man (played by Anil Kapoor), Amrish was larger than ‘laugh’. More than any of the other versatile and virile characters that he played, the role of the uni-dimensional corrupt politician showed how ably Amrish could transform a stereotypical role into a pageant of parody. Coolly caricatural and yet purely individualistic… that was Amrish Puri.
“Sharaarat” (2002) – As Prajapati, a cantankerous partly delusional old man thrown into an old folks’ home, Amrish was one of a gallery of veterans, and yet a natural cheerleader. Amrish’s scenes of verbal sparring with the bratty Abhishek Bachchan gave to the drama a rippling resonance.

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Why On Earth Is Sushmita Sen Smoking A Cigar In Aarya’s First Look?

Season 3 of Aarya is being shot as you read this, and naturally Sushmita Sen is super-kicked about it, so kicked that she has put out a video where she is seen in the best Lady Boss version of herself.
Alarmingly, she is seen puffing away at a cigar, to complete her Badass Lady Boss image.
There was a time when women smoking cigarettes in Hindi cinema signaled vampishness. If a female actor was shown smoking it meant she had evil designs over the hero, and life in general.
Sushmita being Sushmita, a cigarette won’t do. A cigar it is, to go with her formidable image. The last Bollywood actor I saw smoking a cigar on screen was Premnath in the 1970s. Back then so many people didn’t die of cancer by smoking.
These are different far more dangerous and deadly times.
Sushmita is an iconic actor.She needs to be more careful about the image she projects . Smoking a cigar doesn’t enhance a woman’s(or a man’s) muscle power. Nor does it make her look cool.
About shooting for the third season of Aarya Sushmita says, “Aarya is synonymous with my name. I have lived as Aarya for two whole seasons and the love received by the audiences has only encouraged me to do more. Walking on the sets of Aarya Season 3 makes me feel at home and gives me a sense of empowerment. I’m grateful to the entire team at Disney+ Hotstar, Ram Madhvani Films and Endemol Shine India for the vision of creating Aarya and taking it to newer heights with every season.”
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Shah Rukh, Deepika, John Will Meet The Media On Monday At 4 pm(But There’s A Catch)

Pathaan has effectually discredited the efficacy of media interactions to promote a film. The film’s lead actors Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham did not conduct any press or portal interviews to promote the film.
And yet Pathaan is a blockbuster.
This weekend the Pathaan producer Aditya Chopra of Yash Raj Films took a call on behalf of the Pathaan team to do one media meet at the Taj Land’s End in Mumbai on Monday January 30 at 4 pm.
The three principal actors and director Siddharth Malhotra will address the media.
But here’s the catch: the media will not be allowed to ask any questions. There will be no Q& A s or one-on-one interactions.This basically means that the Pathaan team will have an opportunity to say what it wants to the media. But the media will have no say.
Make what you will of this one-way traffic.
A source close to Yash Raj informs me that this is the pattern regarding the media that Yash Raj will follow for future releases: no press meets no promotional engagements.
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Fake Projects of Pathaan Director Being Planted In Media

Siddharth Anand Denies Considering Any Project With Deepak Mukut
A word of caution to those marketing and publicity wizkids who think it’s okay to plant fake stories on (fake) projects with the Pathaan director.
It is not.
Such baseless announcements are meant only to raise the equity of the producers with whom Siddharth Anand’s name is linked. One such producer whose name has cropped up after the spectacular success of Pathaan is Deepak Mukut.
There were reports everywhere that Siddharth Anand’s next would be with Mukut.
Turned out to be a false rumour.
A source in the know informs, “Siddharth now has to complete Fighter starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone for Yash Raj.Then he is committed to direct the sequel to War 2 for Yash Raj films. They will then start work on the next film in the Pathaan franchise. There is no scope or room for any outside projects for Siddharth Anand. So every announcement that you read of a new film to be directed by Siddharth Anand for an outside producer is likely to be a hundred percent fake.”
When I asked Siddharth Anand about the supposed project with producer Deepak Mukut he promptly replied, “NOT AT ALL.”
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Pink Director’s Next Featuring Yami As A Crime Reporter To Stream From February 16

Anniruddha Roy Chowdhury whose Pink featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu was one of the most important films of 2016, is all set to release his next Hindi film.
Entitled Lost, Anniruddha’s film , based on true events, will see Yami Gautam Dhar(that’s what the actress calls herself after her marriage) as a crime journalist. LOST is an emotional social thriller that represents a higher quest, a search for lost values of empathy and integrity.
Inspired by true events, Lost is a story of a bright young woman crime reporter in her relentless search for the truth behind the sudden disappearance of a young theatre activist.

Lost
Says Aniruddha “The shoot of LOST has been an incredible journey. I have been eager for the release of our hard-worked venture. The film is a realistic highlight of media in a social context and I am sure that it will give the audience a compelling watch. I am curious about its release and see the responses it shall get. I hope they will welcome it with open hearts.”
Yami Gautam Dhar who plays the lead of the crime reporter says, “I can’t be happier and more proud of the film’s selection for the opening night at CSAFF. I feel like its one that the people will connect to and will be the one that you cannot miss, especially in the current age and time. I have loved playing this role because it was such a special experience, it allowed me to explore so many layers of emotions as an actor and the entire team has worked really hard on it. I genuinely cannot wait for the film’s release, especially to see the reactions of the audience to it.”
The crime investigation drama boasts a stellar cast. Along with Yami, the film will feature Pankaj Kapur, Rahul Khanna, and an ensemble of younger talent, including Neil Bhoopalam, Pia Bajpai, and Tushar Pandey, in pivotal roles.
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