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India.com
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet Rekha's first hero, bigger star than Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, career got ruined after he went to jail due to..., name was...
Bollywood has seen many legendary stars who have elevated Hindi cinema, including icons like Amitabh Bachchan, Raj Kapoor, Manoj Kumar, Vinod Khanna, and Dharmendra. Among them was one actor who, at his peak, even surpassed the fame of Big B and the Kapoors. However, fate took a harsh turn. From being a top star, he faced a steep downfall and was later entangled in legal trouble following his wife's suicide, which even led him to jail. Let's identify who this actor was. The First Hero Of Rekha Here we are talking about veteran actor Naveen Nischol, who ventured into modelling after finishing school and even cleared the major round of Mr. India competition held in Delhi during the 1960s. While travelling to Mumbai for the final round, he met his father's friend, renowned filmmaker Mohan Segal. After a while, Segal advised Naveen to join the Film Institute in Pune to gain proper training in cinema. In upcoming years, Mohan Segal gave Naveen his big break and featured him opposite Rekha in 'Sawan Bhadon', which became debut film for both future stars and he initially became the first hero to feature with the legendary actress. Became Bigger Than Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna Released in 1970, the debut film of Naveen became a major hit, which gave him instant fame. Filmmakers began approaching him eagerly, and he went on to star in films like 'Victoria No. 203,' 'Dhund', and 'Hanste Zakhm.' At a point, he was even regarded as a bigger star than Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra and Vinod Khanna. Interestingly, Amitabh played a negative role in 1971 romantic drama 'Parwana', while Naveen was the lead with veteran actress Yogita Baali. However, by the mid-70s, box office failures began affecting Naveen's career, pushing him toward supporting and character roles, which caused a huge downfall in his career graph. When Naveen Landed Into A Serious Legal Trouble Naveen Nischol's first marriage was to Neelu Kapoor, who was the niece of Dev Anand and sister of renowned filmmaker Shekhar Kapur. However, rumours of his involvement with actress Padmini Kapila led to the breakdown of the marriage that later turned into divorce. He later tied the knot with Geetanjali, who was previously divorced. On April 22, 2006, Geetanjali committed suicide and left a note in which she accused Naveen of mental harassment and alleged that his brother Praveen, encouraged it. The note mentioned ' I, Geetanjali Navin Nischol, am committing suicide because Shri Navinji is an alcoholic and is beyond reform, because of his alcoholism, I am mentally tortured by him and he is being instigated by Pravin Nischol to torture me and I hold Pravin responsible for all this torture to me.' As a result, both Naveen and Praveen were taken into police custody until May 6, 2006. According to India Today, their lawyer Satish Maneshinde stated that Geetanjali was battling depression and alcoholism. The two were eventually released. On March 19, 2011 Naveen took his last breath as the actor suffered a cardiac arrest.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
UP youth to get preference in jobs at film institute in Noida Film City
Lucknow: Youth from the state will be given preference in the state-of-the-art Film Institute being established in the upcoming International Film City near the Yamuna Expressway, an official spokesperson said on Wednesday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The International Film City is being developed in Sector 21 under the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA). The construction of the Film City will be carried out by Bayview Bhutani Film City Pvt Ltd—a consortium led by renowned Bollywood filmmaker and the Bhutani Group. In its first phase, the project will cover 230 acres and involve an investment of Rs 1,510 crore. It will include the construction of multiple studios and the film institute, expected to be completed within the next three years. "The film institute will be one of its kind. In the first phase, it will be built over an area of 3 lakh square feet. The institute will have modern classrooms, studios, editing suites, and a VR lab equipped with the latest technologies. Students will get hands-on experience working on real film projects and will also have access to the latest film-making technologies," said Rajeev Arora, general manager of the company. He added, "Local youth will be given priority in both training and employment. Special preference will be given to the youth from the Yamuna Expressway region and nearby areas, while young people from other parts of Uttar Pradesh will also benefit." He also mentioned that training local youth and offering them jobs will be more cost-effective than hiring staff from Mumbai. This will help create jobs within the film city in areas like studios, production, and more. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The institute will offer courses in acting, story writing, script writing, editing, camera operation, lighting, spot boy duties, VFX, fashion, and mass communication. In addition, it will provide training and facilities related to film music. There will be workshops, internships, and guest lectures in partnership with production houses, allowing students to learn directly from industry experts. The Film City will also host movie premieres, so that production houses don't have to travel to other cities to launch their films. A comprehensive resource centre will be set up with films, scripts, and academic materials, which will serve as a valuable asset for both students and filmmakers. The institute will also organise film festivals, exhibitions, and competitions, giving students opportunities to showcase their talent. The campus will also include facilities like hostels, a cafeteria, a health centre, and recreational areas for students.
BBC News
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'I did stunts for my own pleasure': The terrifying feats of French film legend Jean-Paul Belmondo
'I did stunts for my own pleasure': The terrifying feats of French film legend Jean-Paul Belmondo 3 hours ago Share Save Adam Scovell Share Save Alamy (Credit: Alamy) Decades before Tom Cruise was making audiences gasp, the Gallic star was getting up to even more hair-raising exploits on screen – sometimes with few safety measures. One of modern Hollywood's great leading men, Tom Cruise, is to receive a fellowship from the British Film Institute this May, alongside a season celebrating his career. Cruise is described by the institution as a "daredevil action star", and someone with a "dedication to reinventing the cinema spectacle" – traits exemplified most of all by his role in the Mission: Impossible series, the latest of which, Christopher McQuarrie's Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, is out this month. However, while it's difficult to think a star of similar stature who performs such awe-inspiring stunts today, Cruise has a forebear who is just as daring, if not more so. That star is Jean-Paul Belmondo. Alamy Peur sur la ville features vertigo-inducing scenes of Belmondo sprinting across – and sliding down – rooftops (Credit: Alamy) Belmondo, or Bébel as he is sometimes known, is familiar to many as a figure of 1960s French New Wave cinema. Though beginning his career in the early 1950s with work at Paris's Théâtre de l'Atelier, he soon began acting in films. Nouvelle Vague classics such as Jean-Luc Godard's Pierrot le Fou (1966), Une Femme est une Femme (1961) and Breathless (1960) showed Belmondo working with ease in arthouse cinema, reflecting his intellectual background: his father was a sculptor and his mother an artist. However, Belmondo had an incredibly wide range. In the same period as he was acting in Godard's avant-garde films, Belmondo worked on many different kinds of film, from French noirs such as Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Doulos (1962) and Claude Sautet's Classe tous risques (1960), to straight dramas such as Melville's Léon Morin, Priest (1961) and, most importantly, Un Singe en Hiver (1962) by Henri Verneuil. As the years went by, it would be Verneuil who would shape Belmondo's later career thanks to his underrated thriller Peur sur la ville (1975). The film turned the actor into a proto-Cruise figure whose physical prowess and fearless stunt work would ultimately define him for French audiences. His action movie initiation Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and known in English-language territories as both Fear Over the City and The Night Caller, Verneuil's film is relatively simple in terms of narrative. Belmondo plays Letellier, a Parisian police commissaire who, much like Clint Eastwood in Don Siegel's Dirty Harry (1971), doesn't play by the rules. He's haunted by a fatal incident in which criminal Marcucci (Giovanni Cianfriglia) managed to escape after a bank heist. However, Letellier and his sidekick Moissac (Charles Denner) are faced with another problem: a serial killer stalking and murdering women across Paris. It doesn't take long for the two cases to become intertwined as Letellier relentlessly pursues both villains across the city, with much derring-do and many gobsmacking stunts along the way. Getty Images Belmondo managed to bridge the gap between arthouse darling and action star (Credit: Getty Images) Peur sur la ville was not well-received by the critics at the time, who were unhappy with Verneuil following American trends in depicting cops as cowboy-ish gunslingers breaking the rules to clean up cities. "Through some odd work with the trans-Atlantic scissors," wrote Richard Eder of The New York Times, "the Franco-Italian production Night Caller by Henri Verneuil seems to be two completely different movies, neither of them up to much." Eder did say that Belmondo's stunts were entertaining, though; generally, this was the only aspect that was reviewed positively. Equally, French film criticism pulled no punches. Film magazine Positif suggested that the film "evoked the worst of American police films", in particular in its "total absence of social background". What it did have in abundance, however, was Belmondo acting as if he had a death wish. And audiences loved it. Belmondo was criticised for his shift to action films, which must have seemed to some incomprehensible. But, in hindsight, it made sense – Muriel Zagha His shift from arthouse darling to action star was considered unusual at the time by some – though it wasn't quite as stark as it appeared. "When I was young, I did stunts for my own pleasure," Belmondo once admitted. "When I was at the conservatoire, I hung from the balconies. I always had a taste for stunts." Professor Lucy Bolton, a senior lecturer in film studies at Queen Mary University of London, says Belmondo's desire for physical roles made sense, given his background. "He was very physical, very sporty, and had a short career as an amateur boxer," she tells the BBC. "Apparently, he stopped because he didn't like his face getting so rearranged!" Muriel Zagha, critic and co-host of French culture podcast Garlic & Pearls, agrees that there were seeds of Belmondo the daredevil in his earlier career. "Of course, Belmondo was criticised for that shift," she tells the BBC, "which must have seemed to some incomprehensible. But, in hindsight, I see continuity between those two phases of his career. Belmondo said in interviews that there was no difference between the 'pinch' (pincement) of apprehension he felt before doing a stunt and the stage fright he felt before walking on stage. And they were both feelings he enjoyed." Peur sur la ville very much embodies the former pinch rather than the latter. In spite of the criticism, Verneuil's film was a huge success. Released on Belmondo's 42nd birthday, the film stayed at the top of the French box office for two months, only falling to Ken Russell's rock opera collaboration with The Who, Tommy (1975). It was the second-most popular film in France that year, too, just trumped by John Guillermin's equally stunt-filled The Towering Inferno (1974). Clearly, the public did not share the critics' dismissiveness, and Belmondo's stunts played a huge role in the film's word-of-mouth spread. Truly authentic action For Peur sur la ville's power as a film lies not so much in the drama of its narrative as it does in the authenticity of its action. As Belmondo said in an interview about the film at the time, "I'm sure that when I do a stunt for Henri, I'll be very well filmed. People will see it's the actor doing it and it would ruin it if you couldn't see that." Initially, the film lulls the viewer into thinking that it may be another straightforward procedural, but it isn't long before the action cranks up a notch, and the actor is climbing precariously over the balcony of a flat. Zoom in on the sequence, and you can see how limited the safety measures were. Behind-the-scenes shots taken during filming by photographer Michel Ginfray show one rope attached to Belmondo, but even this is visible only in the shots where he is climbing over the balcony; his initial approach to it, sidling along a ledge, seems to be done without any precautions. Alamy The film's climax sees Belmondo being lowered down from a helicopter in order to smash through the window of a high-rise block (Credit: Alamy) Peur sur la ville is a film haunted by heights, right from its opening montage of Paris's growing business quarter. Building on some of the trends unfolding in American cinema of the period, in particular the sense of being surveyed from the new, modern towers of glass and steel in films such as Dirty Harry and Alan J Pakula's Klute (1971), Verneuil fills his screen with vertigo-including shots. However, as the film progresses, the key reason for this focus on high-rises becomes apparent: they're really a dangerous obstacle course for Belmondo's Harry Callahan-esque Letellier to tackle. As his character says to a witness early on, "You must see a lot of action in these towers…" It's a forecast for the rest of the film, especially its finale in which Belmondo is lowered from a helicopter down to a high-rise window in order to break in. He loved police procedurals, action movies and comedies as much as prestige productions, and seemed untrammelled by any expectations of demands – Lucy Bolton The film's most memorable stunts, however, take place in a surreal chase which brings the two central storylines together. The first half of the sequence is a tense sprint across the rooftops of Paris near Opéra and Galeries Lafayette, in which Letellier hunts the film's main killer after he has claimed another victim. But this chase merges with the hunt for Marcucci after he is spotted driving in another part of the city by one of Letellier's colleagues, leading Letellier to embark on a death-defying race through the Parisian Métro in pursuit of the robber. The first half of this 15-minute sequence alone would be a set piece worthy of any action film. Belmondo has a tendency to run with startling gusto towards the very edge of roofs, sometimes stopping to look down, other times jumping the gap to an adjacent ledge. It was in this part of the chase that the actor genuinely hurt himself, scarring his hand badly after the character misses his jump between the tiled roofs, grabbing a metal gutter à la James Stewart in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo (1957). The height in this instance is an illusion, with the camera angle hiding a small balcony causeway beneath this particular gap. Still, Belmondo's hand was seriously cut by the gutter. Later, he crashes through the windows of a flat, the falling fake glass also cutting the actor. However, the real death-defying moments take place outside. Alamy The Métro train sequence, in which Belmondo runs along the top of it while jumping down to avoid tunnels, is the most hair-raising of all (Credit: Alamy) In one scene, where Letellier loses control of his stepping under gunfire, he slides down a sloping roof. In this brief shot, a safety rope can just be seen around his waist. But rather than taking the viewer out of the drama, it's more likely to shock them as they think, "Is that it?!" It seems a paltry safety precaution, and does little to assure the viewer that the actor is really safe, especially as bits of tile come away chaotically with him each time he tries and fails to climb back up. If this wasn't enough, the second half of the sequence involves a different kind of danger. Clearly taking cues from William Friedkin's The French Connection (1971) and its own chase scene across New York, Verneuil shoots a pursuit around Paris' Métro system. Unlike Friedkin's scene, in which Gene Hackman's Popeye Doyle is behind a wheel, first following a car, then a train, Verneuil's chase is conducted on foot. As Letellier closes in on Marcucci, he takes ever more risks, to the point where he jumps onto the back of a moving Métro train as it leaves the station, and from there proceeds to climb onto its roof. While several sequences of this scene are evidently filmed in the studio with a projected backdrop, several others are very much real, filmed when the train was travelling at around 35mph (55kmh). Belmondo runs along each carriage rooftop before jumping down flat to avoid the coming tunnels, and then carefully walks across the train roof as it trundles over the Pont de Bir-Hakeim. It's utterly hair-raising. As Eder wrote for The New York Times, "Perhaps it is an advertisement for the new high-speed Paris subways." The man behind the stunts Just to add to the apparent danger, Belmondo is jumping and scampering around rooftops and trains in less-than-suitable 1970s attire: a wide-lapelled blazer and flared trousers, patent leather penny loafers, and a Rolex Daytona 6263 so valuable that, in 2013, it was sold by his F1 driver son Paul Belmondo at Christie's for €165,000 (£140,000). However, Belmondo was more than prepared for the challenges of the film, having been put through his paces by one of the industry's top stuntman, Rémy Julienne. Julienne had been in the stunt world for some time before Peur sur la ville. He was a specialist in vehicle stunts more than anything else, having been a professional motocross rider. He was Michael Caine's stunt double in Peter Collins' The Italian Job (1969), as he went on to do an array of stunts for the James Bond franchise, starting with John Glen's For Your Eyes Only (1981) and its car chase involving Roger Moore's iconic, disintegrating yellow Citroën 2CV. "I always like to have an accelerator," Julienne once told a French TV show, "and always brush against the limits". Julienne worked prolifically throughout the 1970s in French and Italian crime and action cinema as well, and this is when he first met Verneuil and Belmondo. Getty Images Belmondo, pictured with his brother Alain, testing his balance on the set of another of his action films, 1983's Le Marginal (Credit: Getty Images) In 1971, Julienne worked with Belmondo and Verneuil on Le casse (The Burglars), which also starred Omar Sharif. It was a testing ground for Belmondo's daring, with several equally gobsmacking stunts including an incredibly aggressive car chase around the cramped streets of Athens and a remarkable stunt in which Belmondo is rolled out of a lorry's tipper down a steep cliff edge followed by an avalanche of debris. It was the beginning of a fruitful working relationship, with Belmondo and Julienne collaborating on 14 other films. Ultimately it is Belmondo's daredevilry that cemented him as a cultural institution in France Belmondo's technical skill with stunts and his propensity for danger feel more than a little proto-Cruise. At the same time, it's impossible to imagine Cruise agreeing to work under such risky conditions, even if modern health and safety measures allowed him to, a factor which makes Belmondo's stunts even more thrilling. But Cruise is undeniably his closest successor. "[Belmondo had a] Cruise level of stunt bravery," says Bolton. "He loved police procedurals, action movies and comedies as much as prestige productions, and seemed untrammelled by any expectations or demands. He was, however, resolutely French, always resisting advances from Hollywood, and so his influence is more national than international." Verneuil directed only two films with Belmondo after Peur sur la ville , but the spirit of their collaboration lived on in an array of French action policiers. Films such as Georges Lautner's The Professional (1981), and Jacques Deray's Le Marginal (1983) and The Loner (1987), further cemented his position in French popular culture. "He is forever the insolent young criminal from Breathless," Bolton concludes, "but he definitely came to be one of the biggest, most versatile and enduring stars of French cinema." The relationship that really mattered was Belmondo and Julienne's; the stunts they conjured up together defined Bébel's career. Celebrating their collaboration now feels especially apt considering the Academy's recent accepting of stunt work as a creative part of cinema, via its decision to create a new Oscars category starting next year. Julienne and Belmondo would have almost certainly won such an award, had stunt work been acknowledged as an artform in their day. Paramount Tom Cruise is Belmondo's spiritual successor – though he would never be as risky (Credit: Paramount) While Belmondo is remembered in some circles today for his arthouse cinema, ultimately it is his daredevilry that cemented him as a cultural institution in France. "My sense is that his Nouvelle Vague incarnation is one for cinephiles in France," says Zagha, "but that for the majority of French people he was – and remains in the collective memory – a huge star of action films. Those are what made him a monument, a national treasure." The post-Peur sur la ville career of this national treasure is best summarised by the film's final exchange. "Bravo! What you did was marvellous!" enthuses Letellier's chief (Jean Martin) after the cop has been lowered from a helicopter, smashed into the window of a high-rise block and defeated the serial killer by repeatedly ramming him against a table. "Nah," he quips back. "No brains, all muscle." Belmondo undeniably had both and was one of the most adept actors of his era. But his versatility is rightly remembered as a physical one in the minds of a whole generation of viewers, and his stunts have the power to leave us breathless to this day. -- If you liked this story sign up for The Essential List newsletter, a handpicked selection of features, videos and can't-miss news, delivered to your inbox twice a week.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
WAVES 2025: Chiranjeevi says he drew inspiration from Amitabh Bachchan, Mithun Chakraborty while starting out
Mumbai is currently witnessing a powerful gathering of India's biggest cinema stars at the Waves 2025 Summit, a grand event to celebrate the spirit and future of Indian entertainment. Held at the Jio World Centre, the summit began with a panel discussion moderated by Bollywood legend Akshay Kumar . The session brought together superstars Chiranjeevi, Mohanlal, Mithun Chakraborty , Hema Malini , and Rajinikanth, each sharing personal stories and insights about their journeys and the film industry. During the session, Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi opened up about his early struggles and inspirations, sharing how, in his early days, his biggest inspiration was megastar Amitabh Bachchan , particularly for his stunts and honest acting. He also mentioned Mithun Chakraborty's dance performances, which taught him that even an "average-looking" person could shine on screen with talent. "Slowly, my inclination towards acting developed. That's when I went to Chennai, and right from the beginning, so many legends were already there. More than half a dozen superstars were already present. What extra could I contribute? My aim was to hit the bullseye," he said. "In 1977, I was a student at the Film Institute, and I saw Mithun Da, and the performance for which he won a National Award. I took inspiration from him to not wear makeup and look like an average boy. From Sholay, I learned to do all my stunts myself. I took inspiration from the great Amitabh Bachchan. For dancing, I took inspiration from Kamal, my senior. I molded myself," the actor said during the session. The Waves 2025 Summit was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi , who declared the event a historic milestone in India's cultural and creative journey. The four-day event, which began on May 1, will run till May 4.
United News of India
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- United News of India
How Mithun Chakraborty, Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan inspired Chiranjeevi
Mumbai, May 1 (UNI) Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi, known for his iconic performances and powerful screen presence, has revealed how legendary actors Mithun Chakraborty, Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan, and Kamal Haasan played a crucial role in shaping his career and stardom. Speaking at Waves Summit 2025 on Thursday, Chiranjeevi recalled his early days in the film industry, stating how he drew immense inspiration from these icons to carve his own identity in an already competitive industry. "When I entered the industry, there were already legends like NT Rama Rao, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, and Krishna garu. I often wondered, 'Can I ever become a star like them?' But rather than feeling intimidated, I decided to ask myself: What extra can I bring to the table?" he said. Chiranjeevi's biggest influences came from a blend of actors known for their versatility, dedication, and immense popularity across different film industries. "In 1977, I was a student at the Film Institute, and Mithun Chakraborty's National Award-winning performance in 'Mrigayaa' moved me deeply. It was so natural, so real, without any makeup. I decided to avoid heavy makeup and instead, project myself as the boy next door, someone who audiences could relate to," he shared. The actor also spoke about the action films that shaped his understanding of cinema, particularly 'Sholay', where Hema Malini's portrayal of Basanti left a lasting impression. "In those days, many actors used body doubles for stunts. But I made a commitment to do my own stunts, however risky. This was inspired by Amitabh Bachchan's own fearless approach to action roles, and Madam (Hema Malini) also was there in 'Sholay'," he revealed. In the world of dance, Chiranjeevi was deeply influenced by Kamal Haasan, whom he referred to as an exceptional performer. "I looked up to Kamal sir, who was slightly senior to me. I always aspired to reach his level in dance, and that became a driving force for me," Chiranjeevi said. Drawing inspiration from the best in the industry, Chiranjeevi said he shaped himself as an actor and performer over the years, blending different elements from his icons to create a unique screen persona. "Whatever you see in me today, it's a result of that journey — a journey built on inspiration, hard work, and self-determination," he said. UNI BDN RN
