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Time of India
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Vicky Donor's return to the big screen is a boon: Shoojit Sircar
For , the re-release of Vicky Donor is not just a moment of nostalgia - it's an emotional ride. "I can't control my excitement as a director, that the film is re-releasing," he says with disbelief and joy. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "This thought itself is addictive to me because aisa hua nahi hai. I'm in awe. Aise hota nahi hai normally that a film is a director and a technician, and for everybody associated with the film, the film coming on the big screen is like a boon. I'm over-excited, not excited. I'm over-excited," he says, Thirteen years later, the humour in Donor still lands, the warmth is still felt - but what remains for him as a director when he returns to it now? He says, "Somehow, it doesn't feel like a 13-year-old film. It just feels like - Abhi yaar, kuch saal pehle hi banaya hai. It doesn't feel 13–14 years have gone by." In conversation, he walked us back through the film - what it was, what it became, and the nostalgia of seeing it again. 'I was just watching the film and I was thinking -did I make this film? Shoojit Sircar watched the film again while preparing for the re-release, and says it stirred more than just excitement. He says,"I was just watching the film and I was thinking - did I make this film? Am I the same person I made this film?I was really amazed." he says. Talking about the cast, he says,"Such an amazing cast, such amazing performances, such exuberance in their performances. There's so much joy," he says, crediting the film's energy to the team behind it. "The way Juhi wrote the film, the way Ayushmann came and the way my friend Ronnie came to produce the film, the way Annu Kapoor came, Yami was cast, Dolly ji and Biji came, and the songs. The entire thing - I think ho gaya hoga. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Ho jata hai na kabhi kabhi," he adds. 'After Vicky Donor, a question came up in conversations - are you a Punjabi?' Shoojit Sircar shares that he hadn't anticipated the film's success. He says,"Three things happened. The film became quite a talk of the town, which I didn't expect. I was really scared when the film was released because I thought this film is not a regular subject to deal with." The film on sperm donation, touched on a taboo subject. He adds,"Second, a lot of conversations came up tha - are you a Punjabi? That question came up - 'how do you know Punjabi, how do you know Punjabi culture so well?" He reveals, "Then I tell people that I have spent time in Delhi, I have so many Punjabi friends. Somewhere I'm a ghost Sardar. Even after being a Bengali, somewhere there is a lot of punjabiyat in me. The cultural richness of Delhi - particularly the Punjabiyat of Lajpat Nagar - flowed into the film naturally. 'Those little things that we picked up in the Punjabiyat of Delhi, especially among Delhi Punjabis and Lajpat Nagar. All my friends are from there. And they actually got married to a girl from CR Park, so that has we actually start showing culture clashes (in movies), it can be much bizarre than this. We have shown it in a very conservative way (in Vicky Donor), but actually mein toh abuses aa jayenge, gaali-galauj aa jayega.' He says,"Third was Dolly ji and Biji drinking one scene was talked about a lot - how beautifully Juhi had written it, and what the two of them brought to it. I often look back at that scene - Will I be able to pull off that scene today or not?I think we all go through everyday drills. But at the end of the day there is some kind of warmth in relationships that also exists." 'If we actually start showing culture clashes (in movies), it can be much more bizarre than this' That cultural clash in Vicky Donor - between the Punjabi and Bengali families, especially the wedding scene really stuck with people. The 'Rum rum whiskey' has become a go-to track on reels. Talking about the scene where the families meet, he says,"What Jayanto Da (who played 's character's father) has done – and between him and Dolly ji and Ayushmann and Pishi (Swaroopa Das) - she is too good. I think what happened there in that room that day was amazing. Jayanto Da has actually lived in CR Park in Delhi. He knew that elite Bengali – talking about culture." He says that the cultural contrast between Biji (Kamlesh Gill) and Dolly Ahluwalia on one side, and the Bengali family on the other, required no forced staging. "It was naturally flowing because Dolly ji and Biji were as frivolous as they could be. They were just talking. When we were writing the character of Dolly ji, we told her – we are writing you. I think that cultural clash, we live with that. Even in Bengal, and when I talk about Punjabi, there is an understanding, love, criticism – everything. You can understand when a Bengali girl is married to a Punjabi, and in this kind of marriage discussion, this is just evident," he says. 'Lajpat Nagar is in my blood' In Lajpat Nagar, almost every house has a biji and Dollyji - small houses, interconnected terraces. Vicky Donor took out Lajpat Nagar from Delhi and made it a city in itself in Hindi movies. How did he create that identity for Lajpat Nagar. Shoojit Sircar recalls his good old Lajpat days,"Lajpat Nagar ke chhole kulche, chhole bhature and all the garment shops, all the ladies being there for that salwar and dupatta shopping. My school was KV, Andrews Ganj, a short walk away. From my school days, every Friday, Saturday, Sunday I used to spend in Lajpat Nagar." During his theatre days, he would frequent the area with friends, jamming, writing at Piyush Mishra's place in Lajpat Nagar. 'I'm a south Delhi boy. My upbringing was in CR Park and in other parts of Delhi, but Lajpat Nagar never left me. I knew every house there. 75 gaj wala ghar hota tha wahan pe – chhota se entrance, straight lamba sa. Then there was Nirula's below the flyover – so Lajpat Nagar never left Nagar is in my blood.' (laughs) The writer of Vicky Donor, Juhi Chaturvedi, also lived there. 'Lajpat Nagar and Connaught Place – I don't think I will ever forget Lajpat Nagar,' he says. Back then, many of his friends from Lajpat Nagar were just starting out. 'Some have become actors, writers, directors, some big producers. Lajpat Nagar is a city in itself.' The interiors for the film were shot in Rajouri Garden. 'We actually shot in Rajouri Garden. We shot exteriors in Lajpat Nagar and we shot interiors somewhere in Rajouri Garden because there are many parts of the city that actually look like Lajpat Nagar.' He says glimpses of Delhi can be found across his work - in Piku, October, and beyond. 'You will get a reflection of Delhi in all my films.' 'Vicky of Vicky Donor is so much Ayushmann than Ayushmann being Ayushmann' In an interview, Naveen Kasturia said that when Vicky Donor came out, he would tell people, 'This is my story,' because he identified so strongly with Ayushmann's character as he is also from Lajpat Nagar. How did Shoojit Sircar create such a Lajpat Nagar boy? Shoojit Sircar says,"The character of Vicky that we created - he knows jugaad, he knows where to get his things done, but he is clueless about his life. Some kind of jugaad work he will do and he will manage." And then there's Ayushmann Khurrana - for whom Vicky Donor was a breakout. He says,'Ayushmann will always be known as Ayushmann for Vicky Donor. I had a very strong feeling about it.' What stood out, Shoojit Sircar says, was the sensitivity of his performance. 'It's not just the loud Vicky that he played, but it's his delicate performance. Vicky of Vicky Donor is so much Ayushmann than Ayushmann being Ayushmann, I would say." He remembers Ayushmann once telling him - 'Dada, that will always be there. I'm also doing a lot of films that seem inspired from Vicky Donor.'
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Blood, time and monetary donations encouraged throughout March, Red Cross Month
The American Red Cross helped respond to 197 emergencies in Utah last year, including bringing aid to families and individuals following over 150 fires. The organization also installed around 1,300 free smoke alarms to help people be safe. "When disasters strike, our volunteers respond, providing critical support to families and neighbors when it's needed most," Heidi Ruster, CEO of the Red Cross Utah/Nevada Region, said in a statement on Tuesday. March is American Red Cross Month, which has been celebrated since a proclamation from United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox issued a declaration this year — as he has in other years — commemorating the charitable organization's efforts. "The Red Cross aims to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies through emergency preparedness preparation, blood donation and by offering life-saving skills and services," the declaration says. There are at least 1,154 volunteers for the Red Cross in the state of Utah, it says. "In Utah, we deeply appreciate the Red Cross volunteers who consistently step up during emergencies to help their neighbors," Cox said. Ruster said home fires and natural disasters are becoming more frequent so "local heroes are more important than ever." She said the partnership between Utah and the Red Cross shows a commitment to being a prepared, resilient community. A unique blood drive in Clinton on Thursday will honor 13-year-old KcKay Hansen, who fought stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma for a decade before his death last year. Between the ages of 3 and 13, he had 244 blood and platelet transfusions, each extending his life. McKay's mother, Shae Hansen, said donations allowed their family to create memories with him that would not have been possible without the transfusions. "Our family is forever grateful to the selfless blood donors who gave McKay the gift of more time," she said. Blood donations in honor of McKay Hansen can be scheduled on the Red Cross Blood Donor app or on the Red Cross website using sponsor code "clintonwest." Part of American Red Cross Month each year is Red Cross Giving Day, which falls on March 26. The Red Cross is encouraging Utahns to donate time, financial support or blood on that day. Organizers hope to have 30,000 supporters. Over the winter, storms led to over 1,000 canceled blood drives across the United States, so the blood supply is facing challenges that donations this month can help solve, the Red Cross said. Throughout March, the organization is offering a free screening test for diabetes and prediabetes, along with a $10 Amazon gift card to anyone who donates.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Support for Binghamton Firefighter's family continues to pour in
BINGHAMTON, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – Since the death of Binghamton Firefighter John JR Gaudet, the community has come together and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for his family. Gaudet, who died battling a blaze at 1 Main Street on February 12th, left behind a wife and three children. There are several ways to donate, including the GoFundMe page, which has already raised over $286,000, memorial T-shirts, and the Syracuse Fire Department setup a fund through the Syracuse Fire Department Credit Union, providing 100% of the donations directly to the Gaudet family. You can donate online through the platform 'Donor Box' by clicking this link. Or mail a check to the Credit Union at 211 Wilkinson Street, in Syracuse, zip code 13204. Make the checks payable to Syracuse Fire Department Credit Union, and in the memo, write Firefighter Gaudet. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
