Latest news with #TheHuddle
The Hindu
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Watch: Anu Menon calls stand-up comedy ‘difficult' as people are ‘easily offended'
Indian comedy, especially political comedy, faces an existential challenge in the current socio-political climate, observed Anuradha Menon, a pioneering standup comedian and VJ of India, in a session at The Huddle by The Hindu. Best known for her Malayali-coded 'Lola Kutty' alter ego on television, Anu Menon sat down for a light-hearted session on the inaugural day of The Huddle. Read more
The Hindu
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Anurag Kashyap calls out Tamil composers for anglicising film music
Ace filmmaker Anurag Kashyap on Saturday (May 10) criticised the recent trend in Tamil cinema where lyrics and compositions of film songs are anglicised, a criticism many netizens are claiming was aimed at composers like Anirudh Ravichander. The filmmaker said this while criticising the trend of making pan-Indian movies during a session at The Huddle by The Hindu. Speaking to acclaimed film critic Baradwaj Rangan, Anurag said, 'A recent phenomenon is that Tamil has also started trying to compete with Telugu Pan-India films, because suddenly Tamil songs are in English. I'm like, why? Suddenly, they're all (sounding) like some foreign rock band, singing in English — like 'I'm coming for you. I'm gunning for you.' This is not a Tamil song. Tamil songs used to be like what we used to borrow in Hindi, like from Ilaiyaraaja and everybody, but now Tamil songs don't make sense to me.' Speculations that Anurag was indirectly calling out Anirudh aren't without reason. The music composer, who has become a staple for big-star vehicles, has composed many songs with either anglicised lyrics — like 'Ordinary Person' and 'I'm Scared' from Leo or 'Once Upon A Time' in Vikram — or have scores in the same vein as Western pop music. Interestingly, in a recent interview with journalist Sudhir Srinivasan, Anirudh had expressed his admiration for Western rock bands and said that some songs, like 'Bloody Sweet' from Leo, arise from the influence of vintage rock music on the filmmakers and composers. Anurag's criticism of pan-Indian movies It is to be noted that Anurag cited the trend as an example of filmmakers chasing a formula to make 'that elusive Rs. 1000-crore' pan-Indian movie. ''Pan-India', in my opinion, is a massive scam,' he said. The filmmaker was elucidating how only 1% of films that attempt to become a pan-Indian success end up working at the box office, and the irony in how that 1% in turn starts a new sub-trend of pan-Indian movies. The filmmaker cited how Stree — a blockbuster that had 'zero-expectations' riding on it — started a cycle of horror-comedies in Hindi cinema. 'Uri: The Surgical Strike became a success, and everyone started doing nationalistic films. Post Baahubali, everybody wanted to do these big movies with Prabhas or somebody else. KGF became a success, and everyone wants to emulate that. That's where the decline of storytelling begins,' he noted. All that such filmmakers have cited in catering to modern film-goers, like a decline in attention span of the audiences, are 'logic they give themselves,' he stressed. 'The audiences have a low attention span, and so, there has to be an item every two can't write a film like that.' Criticising Bollywood for its formulaic approach to filmmaking, Anurag praised southern Indian films for their rooted storytelling. 'The advantage of regional languages is that they know they are catering to people who speak and understand the language and its culture. A person from a rural village can also tell their story and be a filmmaker, and a lot of that is happening in regional languages,' said Anurag.
NDTV
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
What Happened When Anurag Kashyap Told Vijay Sethupathi, "Can't Afford My Daughter's Wedding"
New Delhi: Anurag Kashyap has been working more in the South films since last year. His perfect tuning with Vijay Sethupathi in the film Maharaja won him praises from the audience and critics alike. In a recent interview, Anurag Kashyap shared how Maharaja helped him to arrange his daughter's wedding fund. He credited co-star Vijay Sethupathi for helping him to get the film. Recalling his meeting with Vijay Sethupathi, Anurag Kashyap told The Huddle by The Hindu, "After Imaikka Nodigal, I turned down a lot of South films. Offers kept coming every other day. Then, during post-production for Kennedy, I kept bumping into Vijay Sethupathi at my neighbour's place. He told me there's this amazing script they've been trying to get to me. I initially said no. But he helped me find something in Kennedy, so I gave him a 'Thank You' card in the film." Anurag also shared he confessed to Vijay Sethupathi that he was unable to arrange money for his daughter Aaliyah's wedding. "I told him, 'I need to get my daughter married next year, and I don't think I can afford it.' Vijay said, 'We'll help you.' And that's how Maharaja happened," Anurag Kashyap revealed how he came on board for the film. Anurag's daughter, Aaliyah Kashyap married longtime boyfriend Shane Gregoire, in December 2024 in Mumbai. The couple's wedding reception was attended by Naga Chaitanya, Sobhita Dhulipala, Abhishek Bachchan, his nephew Agastya Nanda, Suhana Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Bobby Deol. Speaking of Maharaja, it became one of the highest grossing Tamil films of last year, minting Rs 190 crore worldwide.
India Today
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Anurag Kashyap says Vijay Sethupathi helped him bag Maharaja, afford daughter's wedding
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap recently opened up about the financial challenges he faced while planning his daughter Aaliyah's wedding. He revealed that he could not afford the expenses until actor Vijay Sethupathi helped him secure a role in the Tamil film 'Maharaja'.During a session with The Huddle by The Hindu, Kashyap expressed his gratitude towards Sethupathi, crediting him for the opportunity that eased his financial burden. He recalled bumping into him during the post-production of his film 'Kennedy'. He said, "After Imaikka Nodigal, I turned down a lot of South films. Offers kept coming every other day. Then, during post-production for Kennedy, I kept bumping into Vijay Sethupathi at my neighbour's place."advertisementHe continued, "He told me there's this amazing script they've been trying to get to me. I initially said no. But he helped me find something in Kennedy, so I gave him a 'Thank You' card in the film." Kashyap then mentioned discussing Aaliyah's wedding expenses with him and how the actor helped him bag a role in 'Maharaja'. "I told him, 'I need to get my daughter married next year, and I don't think I can afford it.' And Vijay said, 'We'll help you.' And that's how Maharaja happened," he by Nithilan Swaminathan, 'Maharaja' also stars Mamta Mohandas and Natty Subramaniam. The story follows Maharaja, a barber in Chennai, who visits a police station to retrieve his stolen dustbin, leading to unexpected developments. The film set the highest opening weekend of Tamil cinema in 2024 and emerged as the third highest-grossing Tamil film of Aaliyah Kashyap married her longtime boyfriend Shane Gregoire in Mumbai on December 11, Watch
Hindustan Times
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Anurag Kashyap says he 'couldn't afford' daughter Aaliyah's wedding until Vijay Sethupathi helped him bag Maharaja role
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is in the middle of a prolific spree as an actor. The filmmaker has played an antagonist or supporting role in several films over the last 3-4 years, most prominently the Vijay Sethupathi-starrer Tamil hit Maharaja. The filmmaker has now revealed that working in the film was crucial for him as he wanted to fund daughter Aaliyah's wedding. During a session at The Huddle by The Hindu, Anurag Kashyap spoke on stage about working in the South films as an actor. Anurag revealed he bumped into Vijay Sethupathi when he was working on the post-production of his Rahul Bhat and Sunny Leone-starrer, Kennedy. 'After Imaikka Nodigal, I turned down a lot of South films. Offers kept coming every other day. Then, during post-production for Kennedy, I kept bumping into Vijay Sethupathi at my neighbour's place. He told me there's this amazing script they've been trying to get to me. I initially said no. But he helped me find something in Kennedy, so I gave him a 'Thank You' card in the film," the filmmaker said. Anurag added that he spoke about the expenses of daughter Aaliyah's wedding to Vijay Sethupathi and the actor helped him get a role. 'I told him, 'I need to get my daughter married next year, and I don't think I can afford it.' And Vijay said, 'We'll help you.' And that's how Maharaja happened," revealed Anurag. Maharaja, directed by Nithilan Saminathan, was released in June 2024. Apart from Vijay Sethupathi and Anurag, the film also starred Mamta Mohandas, Natty Subramaniam, Abhirami, and Divyabharathi in key roles. A sleeper hit, Maharaja grossed ₹190 crore worldwide, becoming one of 2024's highest-grossing Tamil films. Anurag's daughter, Aaliyah Kashyap, tied the knot with longtime boyfriend Shane Gregoire, in December 2024 in Mumbai. The couple's wedding reception was attended by Naga Chaitanya, Sobhita Dhulipala, Abhishek Bachchan, his nephew Agastya Nanda, Suhana Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Bobby Deol.
