One of the popular rituals of Krishna Janmashtami is Dahi Handi. The event reenacts the playful and mischievous childhood antics of Lord Krishna.
Macaulay Culkin claimed astonishing fame as a child star in the late 80s and early 90s who was also one of the most bankable child actors with several blockbusters to his credit. As the actor turns 44, these seven best movies of the actor deserve attention, they are diverse yet capture the consistent performance of Culkin with his charismatic charm.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York does not mess with the original movie of the franchise. The sequel followed Culkin’s character in New York stranded alone as his family spent Christmas in Florida. The plot is similar to the first one, most of the cast from the original, including Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern return as bungling crooks who, this time just happened to be in New York.
While the movie which was released in 1992 could not capture the immaculate charm of the original, the movie remained a fun family film worth watching even today with the slapstick violence formula accomplished for Culkin’s character.
Directed by Pixote Hunt and Joe Johnston, The Pagemaster starring Culkin, is one of the most underrated movies in his career. It’s a creative story where the live-action persona of Culkin turns into his animated version after he runs into a library to take shelter from a storm.
He enters and gets right into the middle of a most exciting, terrifying, and fantastic world. The catchy idea of this film is advanced with an excellent voice cast featuring Patrick Stewart, Christopher Lloyd, and Whoopi Goldberg. They give flesh to the storyline through their performances and make this odd live-action-animation hybrid all the more worthy.
Party Monster is not like Culkin’s other movies, here the actor has the space to experiment with a unique role portraying the true story of Michael Alig. Based on the memoir of James St James who was a friend of Alig, the narrative centers on Alig who is boarding a Greyhound bus and leaving his boring Midwestern life behind.
He comes to New York City full of dreams. He quickly becomes friends with powerful nightclub owner Peter Gatien, played by Dylan McDermott, and downtown club youngster James St. James, played by Seth Green. Alig begins planning some of the most contentious and lavish parties in the city for fame.
But in a matter of years, Alig’s spiraling drug abuse and erratic conduct start to put the empire he has established in jeopardy. His once-quick rise is now in danger of collapsing, bringing his luxury and celebrity empire to an end. Despite the critical bombing, the movie deserves attention for Culkin’s brilliant performance in the movie.
Directed by Howard Zieff, Culkin starrer My Girl is more grounded which in a way contradicts his role in the Home Alone franchise adding new layers to his prowess as an actor. Despite the comedic nature of his character on the surface with mild humor, the movie is much more realistic than his previous works as a child actor.
My Girl revolves around the life of an 11-year-old hypochondriac named Vada Sultenfuss, raised in her father’s funeral home. She glides through traumas in her childhood, like the loss of her mother and best friend, Thomas J. These played by Macaulay Culkin, ultimately bring her closer to her distant father, helping her heal and grow.
Joseph Ruben’s The Good Son has again given young Culkin a chance to show his capability as an actor with a pretty serious role. Starring alongside Elijah Wood who plays a young boy, Mark who stays with his aunt and uncle after the death of his mother as his father was away on a business trip. He becomes friends with his cousin Henry played by Culkin. He is a boy of the same age but has increasing signs of violent and psychopathic behavior.
Culkin’s character in The Good Son introduces the actor to a dark world of a disturbing child’s psyche but it is a treat for the audience as he nailed the role.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles actor, late John Candy’s collaboration with Culkin in Uncle Buck is a fun ride. The family-friendly comedy follows Candy, a bachelor forced into the role of guardian for his brother’s rebellious teenage daughter and her younger siblings while the parents are abroad.
The famous John Hughes written script allows every character to have their moment in the sun. The role was among the finest performances from Culkin, his strong portrayal paved the way for his future success in big-budget films.
Even though Culkin was just a child while signing these movies, Home Alone has to be the best movie of his career. Directed by Chris Columbus, the 1991 movie turned out to be an evergreen, classic family comedy that still holds a huge fan base.
In this first film of the Home Alone franchise, Culkin became Kevin McCallister, a resourceful little guy who got separated from his family to spend Christmas in Paris. He then tries to fend off his suburban Chicago home from two thieves but makes it into a subtly comic encounter where he can outwit them at every turn.
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After a photo showing actor Darshan, currently lodged in a Bengaluru jail, smoking a cigarette surrounded by three others in an open lawn went viral, a video has surfaced showing the Kannada actor on a phone call with a man.
NDTV cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video.
The video opens with a man in a yellow t-shirt smiling at another man on a video call. The second man then walks away with his phone, pointing the camera away from his face and hands it over to someone else. Darshan’s face comes on the screen as he cheerily waves his hand to greet the man. The man gestures towards his mouth, asking if the actor has had anything to eat. A smiling Darshan responds with a nod and after exchanging a few words, both wave goodbye to each other.
The 25-second video shows the actor sitting in a brightly lit room. Behind him a large curtains cover the wall and a few clothes hang on hooks.
The Kannada actor is among 17 people, including his friend actor Pavithra Gowda, who are in judicial custody in connection with the murder of his fan Renukaswamy.
The 33-year-old fan had allegedly sent obscene messages to Gowda after which his body was found near a stormwater drain in Bengaluru’s Sumanahalli on June 9.
On Sunday, a photo purportedly showing the actor seated on a lawn chair next to three men including gangster Wilson Garden Naga and his manager went viral. The video has raised doubts over the actor and his aides allegedly getting special facilities inside the jail.
The jail authorities have been asked to conduct an internal inquiry into the matter.
Renukaswamy’s father has demanded a CBI probe and punishment for those responsible after the photo went viral on social media. “With such things there is a feeling that a CBI probe should happen… Looking at the picture I’m surprised to see him (Darshan) with others holding a cigarette and drinking tea. We get a doubt whether he is in jail or not. Jail should be a jail and should not become something else. He should be treated like other normal prisoners, but here it looks like he seems to be sitting in a resort,” he said.