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Badlapur Sex Assault Accused Shot Dead In Police Van After Opening Fire On Cop | Opposition Cry Foul

Sep 24, 2024 · 12:27 AM Blog

Badlapur Sex Assault Accused Shot Dead In Police Van After Opening Fire On Cop | Opposition Cry Foul | N18GA man arrested for raping two girls at a school in Maharashtra’s Badlapur, Akshay Shinde, was shot dead by police on Monday after he snatched an officer’s weapon and opened fire at the cops. Two police officials were also injured in the incident.According to the police, the accused, Shinde, snatched a weapon from an officer and opened fire while he was being transported from jail in a police vehicle at around 5.30 pm. Several rounds of gunfire took place, during which police officers were also injured.

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OPINION: Laapataa Ladies’ entry in Oscars 2025 is a revolution— of rural tales, feminism in cinema, agency and independence

Sep 24, 2024 · 12:27 AM Blog

India has already won! This is the first thought that came to my mind when I heard that Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies has been selected as India’s official entry to Oscars 2025. Who thought that this rural, simple tale about the switching up of brides would make it this big? A story so conventional, slamming the patriarchy and paving the way for the big, bold women has beat many high-profile, big-budget movies to stand where it is today.

Let’s accept it, in Bollywood, beating movies with the likes of Animal, and Kalki 2989 AD (that have literally the brilliant star cast) is no simple feat. The celebration is even double as Laapataa Ladies beats the highly-controversial Ranbir Kapoor starrer Animal, which was branded misogynistic and crude against women for its problematic portrayal of women. So, just for that, this mention truly matters!

Laapataa Ladies was released with no buzz, no A-listers, and not a Gen-Z or youth-centric saga but still found its audience. This itself speaks volumes about the power of cinema – maybe on odd days!

Now, why I think Laapataa Ladies is a ‘revolution’— because it’s once in a generation that a film leaves such a huge impact on you. Remember the kind of movies that leave a lingering thought afterward? Where you find yourself revisiting the entire movie in your head and looking for answers. And sometimes, when we don’t get our answers, we straight head to Google and type- “Laapataa Ladies ending”.

Such are the visually striking and compelling movies that stay with you and force you to question your reality and also your surroundings. Being a 23-year-old guy myself who loves and adores his mom and sisters, Laapataa Ladies was an eye-opener for me and helped me understand how deeply problems related to women in our society still persist. We are just 100 days away from entering 2025 and seems like our society hasn’t progressed at all. Even if we might have, slightly, we still reek of sensitivity, lack of opportunity for women, their financial independence, aspirations, self-discovery, and much more.

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Several years back, I remember reading a column by Puja Kaushik that was headlined, “Aakhir kahaan chali jaati hai aapke saath padhane waali ladkiyaan? (After all, where do the girls studying with you go?)”

It struck a chord with me and made me look back and wonder that the women I grew up with actually got lost mid-way and are nowhere to be found. Laapataa Ladies showed a similar story where dreams of many women struggling with oppressive responsibilities die their own deaths and no one even heard a scream.

In the movie, Pratibha Ranta’s character manages to survive and echo her voice but that’s probably very less of what happens on ground level. The Indian cinemagoers should thank Kiran Rao for bringing this story to the big screen because the world must hear these stories that no one wants to tell (because it won’t feed them box office collections).

Another reason why I called Laapataa Ladies a revolution is exactly because of this. Ever since the cinema space has started focusing ONLY on commercialization, stories such as this one have subsided. Especially after the post-pandemic business downfall, taking a risk, or maybe I can say having the heart to put up a tale like this was a move that deserves applause.

Kudos to Aamir Khan and the entire production people for trusting Phool’s determination and Sub-Inspector Shyam Manohar’s flavor. When people thought Laapataa Ladies would maximum go to the level of being labeled as a critically acclaimed film, it also emerged as a commercial success considering its small budget. Imagine the monumental feat it received when no one believed in it!

I also called Laapataa Ladies a revolution because it redefined feminism for Indian audiences. It is saddening but the movement of equality has been highly misunderstood in cinema. Some think that women doing what they want is feminism and other sections think that breaking a stereotype will only categorize to be a feminist act. Here, Laapataa Ladies took center stage and answered all curious minds without even mentioning the word.

The tale subtly indicates that Jaya’s ambition to study and make it big was as important as Phool’s longing for her husband and a household. Both acts allowed the women to choose what they wanted to do and what was best for them and that’s feminism redefined for you. It’s not always a trumpet of equality or one gender above the other, it is always- if a man is free of judgments in doing or being allowed to do a certain thing, women should also be freed from such apprehensions.

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Not to forget, as much as we need more pure souls like Phool and Jaya in our society, we also deserve Manju Maai (played by Chhaya Kadam). Women who weren’t able to see a great future for themselves but are a ‘girl’s girl’ in their own way. She truly proved that not all harsh words are meant to hurt you but some might build you for better.

I have called Laapataa Ladies a revolution because this movie takes a dig at society and sets certain boundaries around women. Kiran Rao’s returning to the director’s seat after 14 years couldn’t have been better than this because no one could have justified this story better than her vision.

A moment of appreciation for Biplab Goswami as well because he was the brain behind writing the original story which was developed for the film by Sneha Desai and Divyanidhi Sharma – again two wonderful women who sensed the need of the hour and made sure that they left no stones unturned in crafting this beautifully.

Even if Laapataa Ladies wins a nomination or not, India has already won. The kind of movies that it beat in the running of becoming the country’s official entry at the 97th Academy Awards is to look out for. Over the years, I am sure, Laapataa Ladies would stand tall as a testimonial of the feminist movement in Indian cinema and people of our age will sip a tea of pride that we were a part of history in making.

My best wishes to the entire team of Laapataa Ladies and Kiran Rao, you should make movies more often (though the wait was truly worth it).

But don’t forget, be it Phool or Jaya, we must remember that ‘Woh Stree hai, kuch bhi kar sakti hai’.

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Bade Miyan Chote Miyan producer Vashu Bhagnani takes legal action against Ali Abbas Zafar over ‘misappropriating funds’ during shoot; REPORT

Sep 24, 2024 · 12:27 AM Blog

There has been an ongoing controversy over Vashu Bhagnani’s production company Pooja Entertainment’s non-payment of dues to filmmakers, artists, workers and more. Recently, Ali Abbas Zafar filed a complaint against Bade Miyan Chote Miyan producer Vashu for not paying him his ‘director’s fee’. Amidst this, if a new report is to be believed, Vashu Bhagnani has taken legal action against Ali Abbas Zafar over ‘misappropriating funds’.

According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, Vashu Bhagnani and Jackky Bhagnani of Pooja Entertainment filed a complaint at Bandra Police Station against Ali Abbas Zafar. In their complaint dated September 3, 2024, the Bhagnanis accused Ali Abbas of allegedly siphoning off subsidy funds required for the film shoot. The funds were received from Abu Dhabi authorities, the report suggested.

As per their complaint, the producers claim that Ali Abbas Zafar allegedly diverted the funds meant to support the production of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan for his personal or unauthorized use. Bhagnani’s allegation against Ali Abbas has sparked concern within the film fraternity.

The report, quoting sources, further claimed that news of non-payment of dues has been circulating since the producers officially filed the complaint at Bandra Police Station. While no action has been taken, Ali Abbas Zafar is expected to be summoned for questioning as the police continue the investigation, the report added.

Meanwhile, on September 22, 2024, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) received a complaint from Ali Abbas Zafar against producer Vashu Bhagnani over non-payment of dues. According to the organization, Ali Abbas hasn’t received his fees for helming Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff’s film from Pooja Entertainment.

On the work front, filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar made his directorial debut with Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, starring Imran Khan, Katrina Kaif, and Ali Zafar. The director has also helmed Tiger Zinda Hai, Gunday, Sultan, Bharat, Jogi, and Bloody Daddy. His latest film, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, was released on April 11, 2024. Starring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff in the leading roles, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan tanked at the box office during its release.

As a producer, Jackky Bhagnani has backed films like Bell Bottom, Cuttputlii, Mission Raniganj, Ganapath, and more.

ALSO READ: After Ali Abbas Zafar and Tinu Desai file non-payment complaints against Vashu Bhagnani, FWICE says, ‘producer will have to pay’

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