BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 21 (IANS) Actress Sayani Gupta is glad that her web series "Four More Shots Please!" surpassed all preconceived notions, especially that a show made by women on women would be about male-bashing. ## "The second season of Amazon Original's 'Four More Shots Please!' feels nothing less than coming back in a familiar environment and striving to do something even bigger, better, deeper than the first season. There is a special charm in reuniting and collaborating with the same gang of co-actors, makers, creators," Sayani said. ## "The first season was infinitely successful and received an unprecedented love from the fans. It truly is beyond dreams that a forward, rule-bending show like 'Four More Shots Please!' would receive so much love and craze from fans from all across the board, from all parts of the country and different parts of the world and from all age groups and gender. It also surpassed all preconceived notions that a show made by women on women, would be about male-bashing," she added. ## After the success of the first season of the Amazon Original series, the second season of "Four More Shots Please!" will release on April 17. The second part will pick-up from the previous season's cliffhanger ending, bringing back stories of four unapologetically flawed ladies who live, love, blunder and discover what it really takes to build everlasting friendships in Mumbai. Produced by Pritish Nandy Communications Ltd, the show is created by Rangita Pritish Nandy. ## Talking about the characters, the actress said: "Each character had something people could relate to and connect with. The beauty of the 'Four More Shots Please!' is that it celebrates four women who are so different, not only in the way they look but also their personalities. The women in the show are flawed but they completely own it. The show also celebrates women with agency, which is the need of the hour. That every girl out there should have the right to choose her life's course, backed my education and strive for financial independence. The second season will be twice as special. You will see the girls having more fun, the friendship growing deeper and fierceness growing stronger but also them accepting their vulnerabilities. I can't wait for the fans who have been writing in everyday for the second season, to watch the show. ## The series stars Kirti Kulhari, Bani J. and Maanvi Gagroo, with Prateik Babbar, Lisa Ray, Milind Soman, Neil Bhooplalam, Simone Singh and Amrita Puri. The series is directed by Nupur Asthana and written by Devika Bhagat, with dialogues by Ishita Moitra. ## Talking about working with Milind, she said: "We are a generation that have grown up loving Milind Soman, since 'Made in India' days! When I came on board to play Damini, I was told that Milind Soman was going to play Dr. Warsi. ## "I was obviously quite excited to meet him and eventually work with him.. cause he was after all, the most gorgeous man in the country we grew up admiring. I had met him briefly at the reading. But I properly met him on shoot, while we were filming at Indigo in town. We were shooting in location since early morning and had to vacate the restaurant by 11am. So naturally there was a lot of rush and nail biting time crunch in order to finish three scenes in that location. I was ready with my lines and had rehearsed alone and waiting for the take to happen. But here was Mr. Soman surrounded by the bunch of women who were actually running the set.. the HODs, who at this point... were giggling like little 16 year olds. It was already past 10am. You had to see the set that day. Everybody was in their best mood. It was super funny to see how these exceptionally talented strong boss-ladies had become giggly teenage girls in just his presence. It was really cute." ## For more and the latest news about Digital Media, stay tuned to us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 20 (IANS) After wooing the audience with his performance in "Gully Boy" and "Baaghi 3", actor Vijay Varma is all set to showcase his skills in Netflix's upcoming project "She", which is created by Imtiaz Ali. ## On the show, Vijay will be seen playing the role of Sasya, a narcotic dealer who embarks on a complex relationship with Aaditi Pohankar's character, a timid female police constable. ## Vijay's acting skills has left Imtiaz impressed. The filmmaker is now full of praise for the actor. ## "Vijay approaches acting from a pure intention. It's very easy to collaborate with him. He has contributed a lot to the scenes. He is technically not Sasya in real life but he has worked really well and that is why it looks so real," said Imtiaz. ## "What Vijay has done is that he has contributed to the character since he had the advantage from being from those regions. He is a pure actor and has pushed himself to be closer to the character of Sasya. Regardless of gender, when you do that in terms of your physicality, sexuality -- you need to take that journey, and that was a very interesting journey for all of us, to go at that point, say it purely, without being ashamed of it," the filmmaker said. ## For more and the latest news about Digital Media, stay tuned to us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 19 (IANS) Internet sensation Dhinchak Pooja is the latest celebrity to come up with a song about coronavirus. ## On Thursday, Pooja released her latest number titled "Hoga na corona". The song starts off with the disclaimer that it is only meant to raise awareness about the diesases and does not in any way try to work as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. ## The disclaimer also adds that anyone displaying COVID-19 symptoms should immediately consult a doctor. It even adds that no animals were harmed while shooting the video. ## The song goes: ## Corona corona kaam yeh karo na ## Dua yeh karo na ## Kisi ko yeh ho na ## Hoga na corona ## Haath tu dhona ## Jaldi se sona ## Time na khona ## Tension tum lo na ## Babu ho ya sona ## Baad mein na rona ## Mazaak mein na lo na ## The song is avaialable on YouTube, the platform that made Dhinchak Pooja a star thanks to her hits such as "Selfie maine le li aaj", "Swag wali topi" and "Dilon ka shooter". ## For more and the latest news about Digital Media, stay tuned to us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 19 (IANS) "Mirzapur" fame actress Anangsha Biswas, who recently featured in the short film "Pratibimb: A Reflection", says it is not easy for her to shoot for the film, given the fact that it deals with the grim subject of child abuse. ## Anangsha revealed that she would cry for hours after shooting for the film. ## "It was a challenging role for me. There are no dialogues in the film hence it's all emotion-based. This film tries to put light over Child abuse and how that child and her choices in life are thereafter impacted. I would cry for hours sitting in my vanity after a sequence was shot," Anangsha said. ## Anangsha has featured in shows such as "Hostages" and "Maaya 2" in the past. She is now gearing up for the second season of "Mirzapur". She has also worked in the Bollywood films "Luv Shuv tey Chicken Khurana" and "Benny Baboo". ## For more and the latest news about Digital Media, stay tuned to us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 19 (IANS) A lady constable poses as a prostitute to help the police nab a dreaded narcotics dealer. Will she succeed? Is she smart enough for the job? Her journey comprises Imtiaz Ali's latest creation, a web series titled "She". ## "'She' is about a female cop who becomes an undercover agent. She poses as a prostitute to aid the police investigate a certain criminal nexus. It is the journey of this woman as she goes through the experience of pretending to be a prostitute, how she deals with it and what happens to her and her sexuality. Through the series, we see many interesting and hidden aspects of society, of this city and of our own personalities," Imtiaz told IANS. ## The filmmaker, who has written the story, revealed his inspiration, saying: "I have met many lady constables. I met many prostitutes as well. I have also met women that are on different levels of this exploration. I have met a lot of women that have tried or are trying to get rid of the baggage of shame that they are suppressed by. 'She' is such a journey." ## We have always seen strong female protagonists in Imtiaz Ali's directorials like "Jab We Met" and "Highway". "She", too, boasts of a strong female protagonist, Bhumika Pardesi (played by Aaditi Pohankar). "The greatest happiness I have is that the series is called 'She'. Because it is all about the she of 'She', the femininity of a girl," he said. ## Describing the character, he added: "She is strong in many ways. One of them is the fact that she is a very 'pushable' character. She is not only gullible but you can sidetrack her. She is timid and quite okay to be ignored. That is where her strength lies. She starts from there and then she discovers what it is to actually impose and be powerful and feel the energy of a woman in her body." ## The filmmaker revealed he had written this story a while back but was unable to fit it into a movie format. With the OTT wave setting in, a web series was the obvious choice. ## "It is a much longer story. I've had this story for a long time but I could never really compromise and fit it to the duration and format of a film. Luckily, the digital revolution happened and we could make a digital series out of it. Because it takes duration to say this story," Imtiaz said. ## Vijay Varma plays the dreaded narcotics dealer Sasya, and Imtiaz is happy with the actor's performance. ## "We were very lucky to get him actually. He also spoke Hyderabadi (which the character speaks in the series) because he is from that region. That really helped. As an actor, he has really contributed to build what it (the show) has become. He has worked so well to build the character that it looks tailor-made for him," said Imtiaz. ## "She" is directed by Arif Ali and Avinash Das. The web series premieres on Netflix on March 20. ## For more and the latest news about Digital Media, stay tuned to us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 18 (IANS) The Instagram-based web series "Firsts" has created a record by garnering 26 million views including YouTube and Facebook till date. On Instagram alone, the show has 16 million views. "Firsts", a show dealing with innocent school romance, stars Rohan Shah and Apoorva Arora.## Talking about the series, director Nayana Shyam shared: "Seeing the show perform so well, just makes me feel proud of all the efforts the team has put in. I'm truly humbled that the audience loved Rohan and Apoorva's Firsts as much as we did while making it."## Sharing the experience of shooting, the director added: "Directing ‘Firsts' was honestly a nostalgic experience for me. It transported us back to the time when we were teenagers. Nothing was too childish, even romance was enjoyed in the most innocent way and moments were created naturally. The videos are just one minute each but Pranav (writer) and I along with our actors Rohan and Apoorva really challenged ourselves to bring the best out."## The makers of "Firsts" target teenagers with its story of high school romance, and also hope grown-ups will accept the show with a tinge of nostalgia about their school days and first crush!## That the web series is currently enjoying immense popularity is evident from a quick scan of the comments section of each episode. The series has garnered over 8,000 comments, of which most are fan requests demanding a second season soon.## For more and latest news about Digital Media, stay tuned with us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 18 (IANS) Actor Kay Kay Menon says his web series "Special Ops" offers a very unique perspective to the role of Indian intelligence.## Neeraj Pandey has directed the series along with Shivam Nair. The eight-episode Hotstar Specials spy action-thriller series is based on the role of Indian intelligence in a series of real terror attacks that India has faced over the last 19 years, including the 26/11 attacks. In a fictional take from the show, Himmat Singh (essayed by Kay Kay) is seen interrogating terrorist Ajmal Kasab.## "26/11 was a day when the entire country was awake. 'Special Ops' offers a very unique perspective to the role of Indian intelligence," Kay Kay said.## "Undercover agents are the true unsung heroes of our time. 'Special Ops' tries to bring forth the lives of these agents that try to capture the mastermind behind several unfortunate attacks. Indian intelligence is doing a lot for our country and we need to be indebted to them," he added.## The show also features Saiyami Kher, Karan Tacker, Divya Dutta, Vinay Pathak, Muzammil Ibrahim, Vipul Gupta, Sajjad Delafrooz, Parmeet Sethi, Gautami Kapoor, Sana Khan, Sharad Kelkar, KP Mukherjee, and many others. The show went live on March 17 in seven languages on Hotstar VIP.## For more and latest news about Digital Media, stay tuned with us.

BY SACNILK

Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh), March 18 (IANS) Streaming platform Hotstar has unveiled a unique out-of-home initiative through a massive billboard spanning 10,000 sq. ft in Mirzapur district. ## The billboard on the arterial road joining Shastri Bridge to Jaunpur trisection in Mirzapur, was completed within one week and measures 1,000 feet in length and 10 feet in height. It has an additional two feet tall cut-outs and stands on a solid framework of bamboos and iron frames to sustain extreme weather. ## Touted as the longest ever in India, the billboard is part of Hotstar's new 360-degree marketing campaign that says, "Hotstar ka vaada, free entertainment sabse zyada", and aims at reaching out to millions of viewers in Hindi-speaking markets in tier II and tier III cities. ## With cinema halls and multiplexes closing their doors due to the Corona scare, entertainment options have moved indoors and the brand provides viewers the convenience of sitting back and exploring its extensive range of high-quality free content through these uncertain times. ## The billboard showcases Hotstar's vast library of high-quality free content, including movies. ## Mandeep Malhotra, founding Partner and CEO, The Social Street, said in a statement, "Working with Hotstar is always brilliant and fun. The brand inspires us to unlock new ideas and create campaigns that push boundaries. With the longest billboard campaign, we wanted to create something that would send out the brand's message in a way that wows people." ## The new campaign by Hotstar aims at bridging this accessibility gap for its viewers, through fresh and innovative ways to spread the word about its vast library of high-quality free content. ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 17 (IANS) Actress Aaditi Pohankar, who will be seen playing a cop in the upcoming Netlix web show "She", says it is challenging to play the central character of Bhumika in the show. ## "I believe switching characters in the same film or show is the biggest challenge an artist faces. For me, starting off as that timid and under-confident cop was tough, because that is not the kind of person I am. Then when my character transcends into being a prostitute for the undercover operation, my traits shift completely. ## "Everything from my outfit, to my walk, to my posture, and even the way I talk had to change. It was a journey for me as a whole, transforming Bhumika from that shaky, low on self-esteem female cop to a lady who discovers the power she has, and isn't afraid to use it," Aaditi said. ## Written by Imtiaz Ali, "She" is the story of a police constable, Bhumika Pardesi, who is assigned a dangerous undercover police operation in the volatile underbelly of Mumbai, and is forced to depend on her survival skills. ## For more and the latest news about Digital Media, stay tuned to us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 17 (IANS) Actress Akansha Ranjan Kapoor made her acting debut in the Netflix film "Guilty", which highlighted the #MeToo movement. She feels it is unfortunate that we need films like "Guilty" to restart the conversation about sexual harassment. ## "It's unfortunate that we need films like this for people to restart the conversation, but that was our aim. People have a very short attention span. But this (sexual harassment) has been happening forever and I feel that #MeToo is here to stay," said Akansha. ## In "Guilty", Kiara Advani essays the role of a girl whose boyfriend, a darling of the college, is accused of rape by a smalltown girl who is not quite the popular one in the campus. The film explores different versions of what might have happened before the truth is laid bare. ## Akansha plays the smalltown girl Tanu Kumar from Dhanbad, who is at the centre of all the drama. ## Asked if she expected a positive response for her first film, Akansha said: "I have dreamt of it my whole life. Before shooting for it, I would think, 'I am going to do my first film and I am going to get this kind of response', so it's a dream come true moment for me." ## Talking about her character, she claimed: "After watching the film, every girl has messaged me or reached out to me saying 'sorry' for judging Tanu, or that they all want to be like Tanu. Nobody has told me it is a very bold character. They have either said sorry or they have said they want to be as confident as Tanu, because she has given them more self esteem. Tanu has given me confidence, too. I could not dress the way she does. She is her own person and she doesn't need validation from anybody. People consider her a golddigger but she knows that she is the gold." ## Directed by Ruchi Narain, "Guilty" also features actors Taher Shabbir and Gurfateh Singh Pirzada in key roles. ## For more and the latest news about Digial Media, stay tuned to us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 17 (IANS) As per notification issued by Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association, Federation of Western India Cine Employees and other similar bodies, shooting for films, TV shows, digital shows and all other entertainment formats will be stopped between March 19 and 31 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. While filmstars, filmmakers and other celebrities get to spend quality time with their families and also relax for a few days, what happens to the grassroots-level workers of the film industry, who get paid per day? What happens to technicians, spotboys, camera and crane operators, freelance makeup artists or hairstylists? ## Unfortunately, the picture is far from rosy for these people, and most of them are already worried. For most of them, one day's work -- which might last upto 16 hours -- normally means just a few hundred rupees, and a lot of them are the sole breadwinners of their families. Bollywood shutting down would mean even that paltry income will stop. ## Freelance hairstylist Snehal told IANS: "I am a single woman. I stay in a rented apartment and have to bear all my costs. If shoot stops for so many days, how will we survive? I don't have much savings to last for a long time." ## Snehal, a Mira Road resident, added: "Normally, hairstylists like us get around Rs 2,000 on a daily basis. Most of us get to work for 10 to 15 days a month. That's how the industry works. If you working a full month -- like in TV serials -- then you get Rs 1200 daily. If that also stops coming, how will we manage? As it is, there are too many people and too less work and it is not easy to get work. Due to the current situation, even pre-shoot meetings and auditions are getting postponed. If shoots do not start, we won't get work." ## As per the notification, shooting is expected to stop from March 19. Owing to panic, half of Goregaon's Film City had already stopped shooting by Tuesday, March 17. Most people declared they were in no mood to take risks. Celebrities as well as junior artistes are routinely absent from pre-scheduled shoots. ## Casting coordinator Prince Sheikh revealed: "I am casting for a mythological show right now but I am not getting good response from actors owing to this coronavirus scare. If earlier, a hundred people responded to an ad posted by me, now hardly 10 are turning up." ## Big stars have already started cancelling shoots. Reveals a source: "A couple of days ago, shoot for an advertisement was scheduled with an A-lister actress in Film City. She did not turn up owing to the coronavirus scare, and the entire shoot was cancelled. A celebrity can afford not to turn up, but if a technician, a spotboy, a lightman, a cameraman and a junior artiste does not turn up, they stand to lose their job. Junior artists get paid as less as Rs 300-400 and other workers get Rs 600-700 for working upto 16 hours." ## While shooting scheduled to be stopped for 13 days at a stretch, the lockdown could be extended depending upon circumstances. How will these people manage? Not coronavirus, but the question of running their households is right now the bigger concern for these people Bollywood's lower-rung professionals. ## For more and the latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned to us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 17 (IANS) It is a huge responsibility to portray on screen a person who is alive. The responsibility gets bigger if the person being essayed is a cop and is still in service, Mohit Raina tells you from personal experience, after working in the web series "Bhaukaal". ## The show is based on a real-life cop named Navniet Sekera. In the show, Mohit's character is called Naveen Sikhera. ## "It's a very raw and rusty subject inspired by true life events. It's based on a real life IPS officer who still holds a very important position in the Uttar Pradesh police force. This was in the early 2000s when he completely cleaned up several places in Uttar Pradesh including Muzaffarnagar, which was known as the crime capital of the country at that time," Mohit claimed whole speaking to IANS. ## The actor added: "The story is based on his life. He is a very famous name over there and has completely changed the meaning of police force, in Uttar Pradesh especially. 'Bhaukaal' is a 10-episodic series where I play him." ## Quizzed if it is an added responsibility playing a police officer who is still in service, the actor replied: "Yes of course. It is an added responsibility because you are portraying someone who is still in service." ## "Before shoot commenced, I met him, spent some time with him and his family. He comes from a very simple farming background. After meeting him I realized that he is very passionate, dedicated about his work and has a daredevil nature. Women's safety has been his top priority over the years. I realized that my responsibility is too much because he is still in service. I have tried to give my best and he is satisfied," informed Mohit. ## Directed by Jatin Wagle, the crime drama web series stars Mohit Raina, Abhimanyu Singh, Siddhant Kapoor, Bidita Bag and others. "Bhaukaal" has recently premiered on MX Player. ## For more and the latest news about Digital Media, stay tuned to us.