Would Love To Work With Shah Rukh Khan On A Film Like Gangs Of New York: Rajkummar Rao
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News18
a day ago
- News18
Rajkummar Rao, Manushi Chhillar Offer Prayers At Bangla Sahib For Maalik
Last Updated: In one of the videos, lead actor Rajkumar Rao was spotted holding flowers as he offered his prayers. Rajkumar Rao and Manushi Chillar were spotted visiting Bangla Sahib Gurudwara in Delhi during their promotional tour for their upcoming film Maalik, which is scheduled to hit the theatres on July 11. Several pictures and videos started making rounds on social media featuring the actors seeking blessings at the gurdwara. In one of the viral videos, lead actor Rajkumar Rao was spotted holding flowers as he offered his prayers with Manushi. Another clip featured the actors walking inside the gurudwara as fans gathered around to catch a glimpse. Maalik's director, Pulkit, also accompanied the actors to the gurdwara. Besides Rajkumar Rao and Manushi Chillar, the film also stars Saurabh Sachdeva in a prominent role. 'This is the first time I'm doing such a hard-hitting role. It really pushed me as an actor and let me explore a darker, more intense side," the actor stated in an official statement released by the makers. He further added, 'Playing a layered, ruthless gangster was both thrilling and challenging, and that's what made it so exciting. I can't wait for the audience to experience the gritty, gripping world we have created." Set in 1980s Allahabad, Maalik explores a world ruled by guns, greed, and loyalty. Starring Rajkumar Rao in the lead role, this gangster drama is expected to offer a gripping storyline that highlights a man's rise to power in the underworld. The film follows the relentless rise of Rajkumar Rao's character as he kills and intimidates his way to the top. The film is based on social issues and is expected to be a high-octane action film. Besides the lead actors, the film also features a versatile lineup of cast members, including Prosenjit Chatterjee, Anshumaan Pushkar, Swanand Kirkire and Saurabh Sachdeva. Previously, during an interview with Hindustan Times, Rajkumar Rao was seen opening up about his role in the film and said, 'As an actor, that's what I want—to play different people, explore different genres, and present myself in a new light." He further added, 'The external is easy; you can grow your hair and beard. But to reach the soul of the character is the real work." First Published: July 09, 2025, 18:29 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
a day ago
- News18
‘Typecasting In Films Is Both Praise And A Hurdle': Manushi Chhillar
Last Updated: Maalik starrer Manushi Chillar emphasised the importance of working with directors who are unafraid to experiment with casting. Manushi Chhillar, who recently starred in Rajkummar Rao's action thriller Maalik, opened up about one of the most common challenges actors face in the industry and that is being typecast. After making her debut with Samrat Prithviraj and continuing to land action-packed roles, the actress is now actively working to break free from the character mould and explore a broader range of roles. In a recent interview with Zoom, the Bade Miyan Chote Miyan actress said that being typecast is a double-edged sword. She shared, 'Typecasting is a reality that every actor inevitably confronts at some stage, particularly following a breakout performance. I view it as both a form of praise and a hurdle; it signifies that you portrayed something so convincingly that audiences link you to it." Manushi Chillar On Working With Visionary Filmmakers She also emphasised the importance of working with directors who are unafraid to experiment with casting. According to her, such collaborations not only give actors the chance to break out of repetitive roles but also add fresh storytelling perspectives to cinema. Manushi added, 'However, I also think that genuine artistry is rooted in adaptability. To prevent being confined, one must actively pursue roles that challenge them. The only way to break free from this cycle is to work with directors who possess a distinct vision and are willing to reimagine casting. After all, directors are the creative minds behind the films." Manushi Chillar in Maalik In Maalik, Manushi Chhillar brought a different version of herself to the screen. Directed by Pulkit, the film blends high-octane action with emotionally charged storytelling. In the film, Manushi played the role of Rajkumar Rao's character's wife. Set in late 1980s Allahabad, Maalik follows Deepak (Rajkummar Rao), a farmer's son who turns into a feared gangster after avenging his father's assault. As he builds his criminal empire, his wife Shalini (Manushi Chhillar) stands as his moral compass, urging him to leave the violent world, especially after her pregnancy. Manushi Chillar's Workslate Manushi first made headlines after winning the Miss World title in 2017. She later made her Bollywood debut in Chandraprakash Dwivedi's Samrat Prithviraj, opposite Akshay Kumar. While the historical drama didn't perform well at the box office, it marked her formal entry into the industry. She then appeared alongside Vicky Kaushal in the comedy-drama The Great Indian Family, followed by the action films Operation Valentine and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. With Maalik, released on July 11, 2025, Manushi continues to show her range and hunger for layered, meaningful roles. Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Print
2 days ago
- The Print
Maharashtra's language war reaches West Bengal. Actor Prosenjit Chatterjee is the first victim
Earlier this month, at the trailer launch of his Hindi film Maalik in Mumbai, Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee asked a reporter a simple question: 'Why do you need to talk in Bengali?' Chatterjee, the only Bengali among the actors on stage, said this when a journalist asked him a question in Bengali. In today's Bengal, it seems it is not enough to be Bengali, you will also have to sound Bengali. While the language war in other states is targeted at those who can't speak the local language, in Bengal, even those whose mother tongue is Bengali have to constantly prove their Bengali-ness. Even Prosenjit Chatterjee, who has spent decades playing the lead in Bengali films, is not exempt from this farman . What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow. This old adage has gotten so crusty with overuse that it's time for a new one. How about: What Maharashtra thought yesterday, Bengal thinks today? Before my fellow Bengalis jump at me, this is about the language war and its unsuspecting victims. In the Bengal chapter of that war, the victim is not a hapless economic migrant from another state, but the state's biggest superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee. At this point, Chatterjee's Maalik co-star, Rajkummar Rao, translated the reporter's query into Hindi, drawing loud cheers from all present. Chatterjee's reason for asking the reporter why she was speaking in Bengali may have simply been out of regard for her co-stars who were not Bengali, and also the event was not taking place in Kolkata but Mumbai. But his line 'Why do you need to talk in Bengali?' led to non-stop trolling. 'Why such allergy in the Bengali language?' a Facebook user asked, adding: 'Not too long ago, Chatterjee had given explosive comments on the poor state of the Bengali film industry. He had lamented that the market for Bengali films has not expanded. And now he is ashamed of speaking in Bengali.' When days passed and the trolling did not stop, Chatterjee issued an apology on Instagram, saying that a Bengali journalist had asked him a question in Bengali and that he had known her for a while and was quite fond of her too. 'Since most of the people there did not understand Bengali properly, I thought that if I responded in the language, people present there might not understand me,' he wrote. Chatterjee said that's why he asked her why she was asking the question in Bengali. But only that particular clip was picked out and shared widely online. 'As a result, many have been hurt by this. I, too, was hurt and continue to feel hurt… I believe this misunderstanding started from that day. Because I can't imagine insulting my mother tongue. Bengali is the language of my soul. And the feelings of people from my native place will always matter the most. This thought will continue to exist till my last breath.' This should have cleared up matters, but it didn't. Trollers were not over with attacking Chatterjee yet. Quoting Chatterjee's response in a Facebook post, Bengali actor Joyraj Bhattacharjee wrote that a post written to address hurt Bengali sentiment should not have had spelling mistakes. Bhattacharjee then went on to put out the correct spelling of the Bengali word that Chatterjee had spelt wrongly, saying that in other times this would not have been a big deal, but in the current circumstances, it was. Why would an innocuous comment put a matinee idol in such a spot you wonder. And didn't incidents like this happen in Maharashtra? Language war everywhere While language racism may be relatively new to West Bengal, Maharashtra's homegrown political parties like the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have long had issues with migrants who come to Mumbai. These parties have attacked Hindi speakers who they allege take over jobs of the Marathi manoos (Marathi people) while not caring to learn the local language. Their grouse was reignited after the Maharashtra government, in April, issued a resolution making Hindi a compulsory third language for students of Classes 1 to 5 in English and Marathi medium schools. But amid allegations of Hindi imposition by the Opposition, the state government issued a revised resolution on 17 June making Hindi an optional language. However, later the resolution was withdrawn. The language war in Maharashtra made global headlines. 'A rickshaw driver was assaulted after refusing to speak in the state language Marathi, a shopkeeper was slapped by political activists for using Hindi, and a bank employee was threatened for defending his use of Hindi and English,' The Independent wrote on 15 July. And it is not just Maharashtra, but in southern states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu too, the Centre's three-language policy outlined in the National Education Policy 2020 has created political storms. While Tamil Nadu has opposed Hindi imposition since the 1930s, Karnataka recently declared that it intended to continue with the two-language model of Kannada and English, particularly in government schools. In West Bengal, though, there is a different dimension to the language war against Hindi and for Bangla. Also read: India's language policy failed Hindi, not Stalin or Thackeray brothers 'Bengalis harassed in BJP states' On 16 July, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to the streets in Kolkata and warned that there would be protests across the country if Bengali migrant workers are harassed in BJP-ruled states. Banerjee said around 1,000 people from West Bengal have been arrested and put in 'detention camps' in BJP-ruled states and that the central government had surreptitiously issued a notification to BJP-ruled states to harass Bengali-speaking people and detain them at the slightest suspicion. While reports of the targeting of Bengali-speaking migrant workers have come from several parts of the country, including Odisha, Maharashtra, and Delhi, stressing on the issue of Bengali identity had helped Banerjee with the 2021 Assembly polls. It is in such politically-charged times that Prosenjit Chatterjee innocuously asked a Bengali reporter in Mumbai why she was speaking in Bangla. But beyond politics, historical sociologist Satanik Pal told me that the Chatterjee incident is a symptom of deep-seated insecurities that has affected the Bhadralok psyche in Bengal. 'The diminished Bhadralok can only direct his ire at those who digress from the predetermined path of cultural domination in the diminishing space of cultural supremacy. Such incidents are best ignored,' Pal said. Hardly any consolation for Prosenjit Chatterjee who is still getting trolled. It is often said about Bengalis that they are like frogs in a well. They fail to acknowledge there is a world outside. And as the language war rages on and hatred for other tongues reaches new levels, Bengal should turn to Rabindranath Tagore. While the bard had strongly advocated for the primacy of Bangla, he understood the importance of other languages for wider perspectives and deeper knowledge. Deep Halder is an author and journalist. He tweets @deepscribble. Views are personal. (Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)
