Author: Madhuri Prabhu
Madhuri Prabhu
Madhuri Prabhu is a post-graduate degree holder in Electronic Media (Department of Journalism & Communication, Mumbai University) and the brain behind Cutting Shots. She began her journey in showbiz with an internship under a TV producer and worked on a couple of daily soaps. Post her brief stint as an executive producer and assistant casting director for a YouTube channel, Hindi Kavita, Madhuri hopped into the world of entertainment journalism.
From reflecting upon his journey in showbiz to giving us a peek into how he brings his characters to life on screen, Rajeev Siddhartha gets chatty in an exclusive conversation with Cutting Shots. As Bala, the vengeful assassin in Abhinay Deo’s 24 (2016), Rajeev Siddhartha literally proved that he is here to ‘slay’. In a course of time, he build his acting resume with shows like Romil & Jugal, Four More Shots!, Marzi, Hundred, Aashram, amongst others. This year, he ‘whipped’ up a delicious performance in the Zee5 film Love Sitara, followed by a slimy act in Jio Cinema’s crime…
Rekha, in a throwback interview, shared fond memories of filming ‘Saare Niyam Tod Do’ song for Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Khubsoorat. Late filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee was one of the few storytellers whose movies steered away from masala clichéd troupes and violence, and yet managed to tick all the boxes when speaking about entertaining the audience. No wonder, many directors in today’s age often seek inspiration from his works when they make a slice-of-life film. Among the many gems that Hrishi da directed, who can forget his 1980 comedy drama, Khubsoorat, starring Rekha, Rakesh Roshan, Ashok Kumar and Dina Pathak? Rekha’s rock-solid performance…
Devara Part-1 movie review: Koratala Siva’s ambitious idea fails to translate effectively on the big screen in this Jr NTR-Saif Ali Khan starrer. Cast: Jr NTR, Saif Ali Khan, Janhvi Kapoor, Shine Tom Chacko, Prakash Raj, Srikanth, Ajay, Shruti Marathe, Zarina Wahab Director: Koratala Siva Writers: Koratala Siva There is a ‘superhero’ scene in Devara Part-1 where a bunch of men try to stop Devara (Jr NTR) from pushing a container truck, filled with ammunition, off the cliff, but our man manages to achieve the ‘explosive’ feat. This is somewhat the literal representation of Koratala Siva’s latest action drama. Here, the…
Lakshmi Manchu, in an exclusive tête-à-tête with Cutting Shots, shows us why she stands out from the crowd. “The world’s prerogative is to say no. How you are going to say yes to yourself is only up to you,” Lakshmi Manchu tells me when I ask her about how she sails through opinions and judgements that crosses her way. As someone who believes that being yourself is the most real thing, expect no sugar-coated confessions here! Excerpts- Q. After completing your UG in acting, you moved to LA to sharpen your skills further at Beverley Hills Playschool, where you believe…
Farida Jalal recalled how Gulzar would often ask her to cut down on glamour on the sets of their 1975 film, Khushboo. Hear the film name, Khushboo, and immediately, Kishore Kumar’s haunting ‘O manjhi re, apna kinara’ song flashes through your mind! The Gulzar-directorial, based on Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s popular novel, ‘Panditmashai’ dropped a surprise for the audience when it released as it presented the film’s lead pair- Jeetendra and Hema Malini in a deglamorized avatar. Be it the bespectacled Jeetendra or Hema ditching her bonnet hairstyle and glamorous outfits for non-coiffed hair and cotton saris, the film’s director Gulzar made…
Tanuj Virwani, in an exclusive conversation with Cutting Shots, breaks down how he it all comes together for him when changing skins for his characters on screen. Further, he also unpacks more; from his only ‘regret’ about his last theatrical release, Yodha to spilling the beans about the person who is his harshest critic. “Game badalna toh meri fitrat mein hain.” Remember Vayu Raghavan aka Tanuj Virwani’s famous dialogue from Amazon Prime’s Emmy-nominated series, Inside Edge? Off screen too, the actor refuses to let the knockdowns in his life define him. “I know there will be many more ups and downs…
Gunaah headlined by Gashmeer Mahajani, Surbhi Jyoti and Zayn Ibad Khan is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. Cast: Gashmeer Mahajani, Surbhi Jyoti, Zayn Ibad Khan, Shashank Ketkar, Darshan Pandya Director: Anil Senior Writers: Based on Turkish series ‘Ezel’, Adapted Screenplay by Sanjay Kumar, Sweta Mishra, Dialogues by Sanjay Masoom, Shailesh Pratap Singh Showrunner: Anirudh Pathak Like the title of the first episode says, ‘Hell Hath No Fury Like A Man Wronged’, Gashmeer Mahajani as Abhimanyu Nayak introduces you to the cards (characters) in this deck (show) as he gears up to extract his revenge. His introductory scene- a close-up shot…
Mr. & Mrs. Mahi movie review: Rajkummar Rao-Janhvi Kapoor’s romantic sports drama deserved a better pitch (writing) Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Janhvi Kapoor, Arjit Taneja, Kumud Mishra, Zarina Wahab, Rajesh Sharma, Purnendu Bhattacharya Director: Sharan Sharma Writers: Nikhil Mehrotra, Sharan Sharma When Mahendra (Rajkummar Rao) confronts his father about feeding a bunch of lies to his prospective bride and her family on their way back home, the latter equates him to goods and says, “Main hoon salesman, tum defective piece ho. Mujhe mere tareeke se bechne do.” Despite being packaged as an ‘all-rounder’ entertainer, Mr. & Mrs. Mahi fails to hide…
Srikanth movie review: Based on the real-life story of visually-impaired entrepreneur Srikanth Bolla, this Rajkummar Rao-Jyotika starrer makes for an inspirational watch. Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Jyotika, Alaya F, Sharad Kelkar, Jameel Khan Director: Tushar Hiranandani Writers: Sumit Purohit, Jagdeep Sidhu When a young Srikanth’s father asks him why he didn’t flee away when he was getting bullied by his classmates under the pretext of a cricket match, the blind boy intrepidly replies, “Kahan bhaagta Nana, main bhaag nahin sakta sirf ladh sakta hain.” Likewise at several instances throughout the film, it is pointed out to us how the visually-impaired Srikanth…
Crew movie review: Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon sneak a smile onto your face in this heist comedy. Cast: Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kriti Sanon, Diljit Dosanjh, Kapil Sharma, Rajesh Sharma, Saswata Chatterjee Director: Rajesh A Krishnan Writers: Nidhi Mehra, Mehul Suri “Iss coffee ke sau dollars diye hain. Main toh iska jhaag bhi pee kar jaongi,” Geeta (Tabu) says nonchalantly and continues to take a sip while her partners-in-crime, Jasmine (Kareena Kapoor Khan) and Divya (Kriti Sanon) rise to their feet for their next plan of action. Rajesh A Krishnan’s latest heist comedy Crew glitters the most in such relatable…