Latest news with #Ajji
New Indian Express
07-08-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Lakshmi Baramma : Sandalwood celebs on Varamahalakshmi preparations
For me, all festivals are linked to my Ajji. She was the one who brought the entire family together. After her passing, my uncle, aunt and all of us started celebrating all festivals together, no matter how occupied we are. When I was young, I didn't understand why we celebrated Varamahalakshmi, because it felt like it had more to do with cooking. But now, I feel that the way we look at goddesses and women in society has changed, and that I think kind of seeps into the importance of celebrating or worshipping women goddesses. The whole point of a festival like this is to show the importance of being together as a family – to be there for each other. For all festivals, we make Ambode, which is made with Bengal gram mainly – it's like masala vadae with different herbs, and that's my favourite. There are a lot of festivals to come, so I see Varamahalakshmi as one of the beginnings of the celebrations that are about to start. You're welcoming a new season, so you're welcoming new things into your life. I feel celebrating it is a way of connecting with people.
New Indian Express
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
I'm sitting on 16 ready screenplays, says director Devashish Makhija
Having directed critically well-received and socially conscious films for decades, national award winning director Devashish Makhija is well-known as a screen-writer and director with films like Bhonsle (2018), Joram (2022) and Ajji (2018) under his belt. While film enthusiasts know him as the creator of stories that typically follow a character locked in a fight against the system, be it a tribal man labelled as a maoist trying to escape with his baby daughter in Joram, an older Mahrashtrian cop forced to retire in Bhonsle, or a grandmother seeking justice for a sexually assaulted child, the film personality is also a prolific fiction writer and now a published poet set to take part in a panel at Bengaluru Poetry Festival. Titled 'Serenading in 70 mm', the panel will see Makhija, media professional Archana Vasudev and young lyricists Neeraj Pandey and Ritwik Kaikini discuss how poetry elevates narratives in cinema. Makhija says, 'We are hoping to explore how poetry finds its way into cinema beyond lyrics and how being a poet shapes our approach to storytelling in cinema.' Reflecting on his own approach to writing poems, recently released as a collection Bewilderness, and for film, he notes a vast difference, 'Because a film reaches so many people, writing for cinema is trying to reach out to an audience. But poetry, for me, is inward and a lot more intimate. If it reaches out to people, it's a bonus.' However, he also finds that one form has influenced the other, saying, 'I work really hard to ensure that every word is earning its place in my poem. All of that informs my film writing. The other way around, because film is primarily an audio and a visual medium, I've seen my poems have started becoming more image heavy and sound heavy in the last 15 years.'
Khaleej Times
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Pooja Hegde remembers her grandmother as she wears a 70-year-old saree
Actor Pooja Hegde took a trip down memory lane as she picked up a very special saree from her vintage closet. Taking to her Instagram account on Sunday, the actress posted a series of pictures as she posed in a beautiful 70-year-old green Kanjivaram saree. The actress, who looked stunning in traditional wear, paired the saree with a matching blouse. Along with the pictures, the actress added a caption that read, "From the vintage closet, a 70-year-old stunning saree... It took me back to the images of my beautiful Ajji (grandma) in her Kanjivarams going about her day, the fresh smell of mallige in the house before getting ready to go for a wedding, and the aromas of the wet Mangalore mud after the first rains... Oh, the beauty in the simplest things." On the work front, Hegde will next be seen in Retro alongside Suriya.
Khaleej Times
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Taapsee Pannu, Kanika Dhillon finish shooting for revenge drama 'Gandhari'
Actress Taapsee Pannu and producer Kanika Dhillon have finished filming for revenge drama Gandhari. The film is written by Dhillon and produced under her banner, Kathha Pictures. It is directed by Devashish Makhija, known for films such as Bhonsle, Joram, and Ajji. The release date of the film has not been revealed yet. Dhillon announced the film's shooting wrap by sharing a series of behind-the-scenes photos from the sets of the upcoming film. She also shared pictures with Pannu, Ishwak Singh and director Devashish. While announcing the end of filming, Kanika wrote, "It's a wrap! The final take may be done, but the story is just beginning. Gandhari, coming soon !! See you at the movies." Gandhari marks another collaboration between Dhillon and Pannu following their successful projects Manmarziyaan, Haseen Dillruba, and Phir Aayi Haseen Dillruba. The film also stars Paatal Lok's Ishwak Singh. This intense revenge drama was filmed over 50 days in and around Mumbai and Maharashtra, according to the makers. Speaking about the film, Kanika shared in a press release, "Gandhari has been both an enriching and challenging experience for us. It's a heroic story that I am extremely proud of. Taapsee has put her heart and soul into the film, as has the entire team. We can't wait to bring it to audiences." Pannu adds: "It's been not just [a] mentally but also a physically demanding film. We tried to achieve so much against all odds which wouldn't have been possible if the entire team was not aligned together and driven enough to complete this film at break neck speed. We have pushed the envelope a bit with this film. She says, "I felt like a newcomer who wants to give it all in every shot. My job as an actor is over, so now i am waiting with bated breath to see the results of this hard work." She was last seen in Khel Khel Mein, alongside Akshay Kumar.
