Latest news with #Tughlaq
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
HT City Delhi Junction: Catch It Live on 5 June 2025
What: Sheila Bharat Ram Theatre Festival | Tughlaq (Directed by K Madavane) Where: Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts, 4, Safdar Hashmi Marg, Mandi House A post shared by Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts (@shriramcentre) When: June 5 Timing: 7pm Entry: Nearest Metro Station: Mandi House (Blue & Violet Lines) What: 12th Edition of Dialogue to Develop a Vision for the Environment of Delhi – Bikram Singh Sajwan, Vivek Saxena, Prof Akshay Kaul, Yogita Shukla, Suhas Borker, and Justice Abhay S Oka Where: Conference Room I, India International Centre, 40 Max Mueller Marg, Lodhi Road When: June 5 Timing: 6pm Entry: Free Nearest Metro Station: Jor Bagh (Yellow Line) What: Taekwondo, Facing the World Where: Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI), 25-A, Ring Road, Vikram Vihar, Lajpat Nagar IV When: June 2 to August 1 Timing: 9am to 6pm Entry: Free Nearest Metro Station: Moolchand (Violet Line) What: Bollywood Night ft Aakarshakh Band Where: The Terrace, Plot-01, Sector-5, Vaishali, Ghaziabad When: June 5 Timing: 8pm Entry: Nearest Metro Station: Vaishali (Blue Line) What: Kal Ki Chinta Nahi Karta ft Ravi Gupta Where: Studio XO Bar, Trillium Avenue, Sector 29, Gurugram When: June 5 Timing: 8pm Entry: Nearest Metro Station: Millennium City Centre Gurugram (Yellow Line) What: 2nd Dr BR Ambedkar Craft Mela Where: Noida Haat, D-10, Sector 33A, Noida When: June 5 to 9 Timing: 4pm to 10pm Entry: Free Nearest Metro Station: Noida City Centre (Blue Line)
Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Kesari Veer movie review: Sooraj Pancholi, Suniel Shetty film marred by weak plot, over-the-top performances and garish visual effects
What is worse than filmmakers latching on to a trend? The answer: Willfully undermining the audience's intelligence for the sake of making mass entertainers. How else does one explain a prolonged battle scene in Kesari Veer in which a beheaded warrior with a sword in each hand, goes on slicing his opponents before sending one of the weapons flying at an evil guy standing afar and killing him. This sequence, perhaps, would have worked in a bizzare video game. But 'Kesari Veer' is based on tragic historical events. Set in the late 14th century, the movie narrates the story of Hamirji Gohil, a brave warrior who fought against the Tughlaq empire to protect the Somnath temple. The film draws from the widely-known historical accounts that Somnath temple, located on the coastline of Saurashtra, faced multiple attacks by invaders and rulers. The temple was demolished as well as rebuilt several times in the past. The present-day Somnath temple was reconstructed following the directions of India's first Deputy Prime Minister Vallabhbhai Patel and its consecration ceremony was held in May 1951. As an homage to Hamirji Gohil, his statue was installed near the temple in 2009. Driven by the aim of piggybacking on the current trend of infusing nationalistic fervour in a cinematic narrative, Kesari Veer tries to position itself as an entertainer by weaving some historical facts, legends and myths around the Somnath temple into the screenplay. Yet, it will be futile to look for historical accuracy in this fictionalised narrative. Instead of attention to detail, the film banks heavily on gimmicks as well as tries to arouse patriotic feelings. It also relentlessly talks about veerata (bravery), which is mainly defined by masculine aggression. Small wonder Hamir (Sooraj Pancholi), who is constantly hailed for his 'veerata', is made to look fierce. He rarely gets to relax his facial muscles. The overdose of valour also indicates that a section of filmmakers are still nursing a Baahubali hangover. Hamir's love interest Rajal (Akanksha Sharma) too is presented as a 'veer' and her love language is putting a dagger on his throat when the latter is going away. The cast features Suniel Shetty, who appears as an ardent Shiv-bhakt with dreadlocks and rudraksh, and Vivek Oberoi as a ruthless Mughal attacker, who is seen holding a wine glass when not killing people. Kesari Veer movie trailer: Kesari Veer (which literally translates into 'saffron-hued warrior') is clearly influenced by the recent spate of patriotic and nationalistic tales. It tries to accentuate the nationalistic feel through dialogues when our land is referred to as 'kesariya Bharat'; by giving a saffron tint to a battle scene; or, making the Hindu warriors wear saffron-hued pagdis. The makers, however, appear lax when it comes to working on the film's entertainment quotient. The plot is wafer-thin; storytelling flat; and the performances are unnecessarily over-the-top. The film dishes out one gory action sequence after another with some family scenes or romantic encounters briefly breaking the monotony. This limits the scope of the narrative to develop the characters or add depth to them. As the storytelling remains firmly focussed on 'good versus evil' without leaving any room for nuance, the scenes become repetitive and, even, illogical. If the absence of logic does not leave the audience banging their head in frustration, then the overuse of CGI would. It almost gives the impression of certain scenes being made using AI tools. With a runtime of 161 minutes, the film becomes tiresome. Kesari Veer movie director: Prince Dhiman Kesari Veer movie cast: Suniel Shetty, Sooraj Pancholi, Vivek Oberoi, Akanksha Sharma, Barkha Bisht, Kiran Kumar, Aruna Irani Kesari Veer movie rating: 1.5 stars
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First Post
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
Kesari Veer movie review: Suniel Shetty-Vivek Oberoi-Sooraj Pancholi's visual grandeur is long & exhausting
Kesari Veer is a wasted potential opportunity, which could have turned out into an engaging magnum opus read more Star cast: Suniel Shetty, Vivek Oberoi, Sooraj Pancholi, Akanksha Sharma, Aruna Irani, Kiran Kumar, Barkha Bisht, Himanshu Malhotra Director: Prince Dhiman Set in the 14th century, the action-period drama, which is based on a true story, starts with a small tale of how Somnath Temple was constructed. In the kingdom of Arthila, a mother (Barkha Bisht) tells his little youngest son Hamirji Gohil that Lord Shiva will always protect people and guide them towards kindness. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, soon after some time, the Tughlaq dynasty invades the country and starts ruling India. They not only steal gold and precious things but also showcase their tyranny towards women and children. Now, Hamirji Gohil who is a grown-up man (Sooraj Pancholi) does what he can do best to protect his people from Tughlaqs. Apart from looting people, Tughlaqs also try to destroy Hindu temples and force them to convert to Islam, however, the Bhil community (who are devotees of Shiva) and their head Vegdaji (Suniel Shetty) prevent a Shiv temple from getting destroyed. Now, the Sultan of the Tughlaq dynasty (Kiran Kumar) wants to attack Saurashtra as it has a lot of precious ornaments including gold. He handles this responsibility to his menacing and cruel vizier Jallaludin Zafar Khan (Vivek Oberoi), who also wants to be the Sultan eliminating the current one. He challenges Hamirji that not only he will loot all the gold but will also destroy Somnath Temple. Now, Hamirji along with Vedgaji and his Bhil community come together and fight against Zafar's huge army to protect their sacred temple. Who will win this epic battle? Kesari Veer is filled with visually appealing moments, which shows the grandeur of the movie but unfortunately, the Prince Dhiman directorial, which is co-directed by Kanubhai Chauhan, fails to turn it into a gripping or an engaging affair. The screenplay looks dull and longtime with no highlights. The unnecessary songs further hamper the storytelling as they break the rhythm of the narrative. After a runtime of over 2 hours and 40 minutes, you feel exhausted. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Talking about the performances, Sooraj Pancholi has put his best foot forward as Hamirji, on the other hand, debutant Akanksha Sharma as Rajal has a luminous screen presence but has a long way to go. Suniel Shetty has done his part well while Vivek looked menacing as Zafar though it does not match up to his previous path-breaking performances. On the whole, Kesari Veer is a wasted potential opportunity, which could have turned out into an engaging magnum opus. Rating 2 (out of 5 stars) Kesari Veer is playing in cinemas
Indian Express
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Read these 6 Girish Karnad works before you say you know Indian theatre
(Written By Prachi Mishra) Girish Karnad, wore many hats, and he wore them well. While many readers may recognize Karnad for his roles in films like Ek Tha Tiger, Chalk N Duster, and Shivaay, for him, these were merely commercial commitments, undertaken for financial reasons. His true passion and creative soul were always rooted in the world of theatre and literature. On this day, May 19, we remember the man who taught us that mythology is not dead, that history is not static, and that theatre is not just performance. Born in 1938, Karnad was not just a playwright. He was a time-traveler, a translator of gods into men and kings into symbols, a mirror-holder who turned epics into existential crises and legends into living, breathing truths. His pen didn't write plays, it set the stage on fire. Let's take a look into some of his literary works. Tughlaq, considered the chef-d'oeuvre of Karnad, is not simply about a medieval ruler. It is about every utopianist whose dream turned sour. Set in the 14th century, yet it seems fresh from the contemporary politics' perspective. It follows Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq, a visionary who thought too far ahead of his time. But the brilliance dims and the dream fades pretty soon, and the king is left stranded, exiled in his own mind. It highlights how there is a fine line between insanity and geniusness of a ruler's mind. Exploring the themes of reality vs idealism, the play traversed through concepts of idealism turning into despair and tyranny. The dreams of Tughlaq having a secular India came crashing through when hit with the religious orthodoxy of his own people. 'I am not mad. I am merely a dreamer.' And in this line lies the tragedy of every misunderstood genius. 'Where is the mind in a human being – in the head or in the body?' Published in the year 1971, Hayavadana uses Yakshagana (a traditional folk theatre form of Karnataka) elements in style and presentation. Karnad spins a tale from Indian and Western mythologies and turns it into a carnival of questions. The play revolves around the story of Padmini and her two lovers Devadutta and Kapila. But, it's not simply any other love triangle, it comes with a major twist. Two men, one woman, a divine mix-up of heads and bodies, but what follows is not confusion, but clarity. Who is Padmini's true husband – the man with her husband's head or her lover's body? The half-man, half-horse character of Hayavadana becomes more than myth, it becomes a metaphor for fractured identity in a fragmented world. Along with comic elements scattered throughout, the play explores the theme of absurdity and irony. With the straightforward line, 'Perfection is a negation of life', Karnad presents to its readers the philosophical depth of this story. 'You can kill a man. But can you kill an idea?' One of Karnad's most thought-provoking works, Taledanda (literal translation beheading) takes us back to the 12th century, to the Bhakti movement and the radical Lingayat sect. But in Karnad's hands, it's not a history lesson, it's a blazing elegy. Set during the rise of Basavanna's egalitarian philosophy, the play questions caste, orthodoxy, and fanaticism. Trying to marry a dalit girl, Kalyana, a passionate reformer, just sees the tragic collapse of the so-called structured society. Published in the year 1990, at a time when India grappled with communal politics, it felt like a mirror and a warning. The flowers of reform withered and the fire of hatred burned. The play ends with a tragic realization that radical social change invites violent backlash, raising the question – Can true reform happen without a price? 'Let me carry his soul to the heavens, even if my own burns in hell.' This line from the play will surely strike some chords even in the hard hearted people. Karnad picks a very simple plot, a tale of brothers, betrayal, ego, and endurance; emotions that are universally human. But, what sets it alight is his theatrical genius. The setting is a seven-year fire sacrifice to bring rain. But the real drought is in the hearts of men. The story revolves around Paravasu, the head priest, his father Raibhya, his brother Aravasu, and Yavakri, who returns after years of penance for divine knowledge. 'The fire burns because we feed it with lies.' With this powerful statement, Karnad tries to present critique of the hypocrisy within ritualistic religion. The play doesn't preach. It performs. It chants. It burns slowly, and when the rain comes, it isn't water, it's pure catharsis. The play later got adapted into a film titled 'Agni Varsha' (2002), directed by Arjun Sajnani and starring Nagarjuna, Jackie Shroff, Raveena Tandon in lead roles. Before the world knew Karnad through his awards, and before he achieved his fame, there was Yayati. Karnad was just 23 when he wrote his debut play. He reimagines the story of a king from the Mahabharata who traded his son's youth for his own aging body. But the king doesn't grow wise. The son doesn't gain enlightenment. The wife, Chitralekha, dies not for love, but for dignity. When realization dawned upon Yayati, he expressed that, 'Desire is like a fire. The more you feed it, the more it hungers.' Through this metaphorical statement Karnad underscores the unending nature of human wants. The play delves into alienation, existentialism, and intergenerational trauma, themes that now dominate literature, but he did this way ahead of the time in the year 1961. Simply put, Karnad's Yayati is not a myth retold; it's a myth re-lived. Karnad's posthumously published memoir, This Life at Play, offers a candid window into his mind. The book covers his childhood in Sirsi and Dharwad, family life, especially his relationship with his mother, his time as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, the making of his early plays, including Yayati, Tughlaq, and Hayavadana and especially his involvement in Indian theatre, cinema, and cultural institutions. All in all the book revealed the man who never feared complexity. A Rhodes Scholar who wrote in Kannada, an actor who stood at protests, a rationalist who dared to be spiritual, and a dramatist who became history. Also, we find a lot of behind the scenes or the insights into his creative process and how he strategized his work. 'Theatre gave me a life I had never imagined possible — a life at play.' This quote from the book beautifully explains his life as well as the title of this book. To conclude, Girish Karnad didn't just write plays, he sculpted mirrors of our existing society. He turned the stage into a battlefield, a confession, which always left the audience with a temple of thought, and his words still hold the same magic that it possessed years ago. (The author is an intern with The Indian Express)
Hans India
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Eatala's outburst against CM a carefully scripted show, says Cong
Hyderabad: The Congress on Sunday came down heavily on BJP MP Eatala Rajender, calling his remarks against Chief Minister Revanth Reddy 'foul, desperate, and dripping with political frustration'. The party accused Eatala of using abusive language to grab attention from the BJP leadership in hopes of landing the post of State BJP President. Party senior leader Mujahid Alam Khan in a strongly worded statement said, 'Eatala's rant has nothing to do with the welfare of Telangana or its people. It's just a performance – the outburst of a politician trying to stay in the game. Let's not forget, this is the same Eatala who once stood firmly beside KCR, backing every policy and brushing off every failure of the BRS government. Now, he's suddenly recast himself as a BJP firebrand, slinging insults at Revanth Reddy just to impress his party bosses.' Mujahid's response followed Eatala's recent press conference, where the BJP leader referred to the Chief Minister as a 'psycho' and 'sadist,' and likened the Congress-led government to a 'Tughlaq regime.' Pointing fingers at Eatala's moral authority, Mujahid said, 'This is the man who, as Finance Minister for five years under KCR, helped drive Telangana from a revenue-surplus state into Rs 7 lakh crore in debt. If anyone laid the foundation for our economic troubles, it's him.'
