Latest news with #SalaamBombay
India.com
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Remember Chapu from Salaam Bombay? His film was once nominated for an Oscar, won a National Award for…, now struggles to make ends meet, works as a…, his name is…
Cinema has become not just a medium of entertainment but also a means of emotional bonding across the world. Every year, countless films of different genres are released, sometimes romantic, sometimes action, and sometimes based on true events. Some films do wonders at the box office, while some are remembered even after years due to their depth and sensitivity. One such film is 'Salaam Bombay', released in 1988. Directed by Mira Nair, this film did not get much discussion at that time, but with time it started being counted among the cult films of Indian cinema. After all, Bollywood's veteran actor Irrfan Khan got recognition in the cinema world through this film. Could not get recognition even after becoming a hero Although Irrfan was not the lead actor in this film but a supporting actor, the soul of this film was a 12-year-old boy, played by Shafiq Syed. He had entered the hearts of the audience as the main character of the film 'Chapu'. Even though the film had the support of big stars Nana Patekar, Raghuveer Yadav, Irrfan Khan, Anita Kanwar, but the whole story of the film revolves around Chapu i.e. Shafiq Syed. Shafiq was awarded the National Film Award for Best Child Artist for this film, which showed the bitter truth of Mumbai's streets through an innocent child's eyes. People thought that Shafiq's luck had shone, and he would emerge as a big name in the cinema world and become the new star of Bollywood. Away from the glamour, towards the struggles But the sad thing is that despite the success of this film, Shafiq Syed's life was not what it should have been for a child artist. Neither did he taste financial growth nor did he get many films. Even today he is travelling a journey full of struggle away from glamour. Shafiq was born and brought up in the slums of Bangalore. As a teenager, he ran away with his friends to Mumbai, where he spent his days on the footpath near the railway station. Mira Nair noticed him then and he was cast in 'Salaam Bombay'. For the film, he was paid 20 rupees daily and a vada as lunch. Now he is driving home by auto After 'Salaam Bombay', Shafiq worked in another Mira Nair film 'Patang' in 1994, but after that he disappeared from the film world. He returned to Bangalore to his family, where he started living a normal life. Today Shafiq Syed drives an auto rickshaw. To feed his family and fulfill their needs, he also works temporarily with small production houses, especially in the Kannada TV industry. In an old interview to the Telegraph, he had said, 'I had to take responsibility of my family. There was no such responsibility in 1987. Now I have the burden of many people on my shoulders.' The battle between family and dreams Shafiq is the head of a family today. He lives with his wife, mother, three sons and a daughter in a small town 30 km from Bengaluru. He may be remembered for 'Salaam Bombay', but the glamour of films is now far away from his life. In 2008, when 'Slumdog Millionaire' gained international popularity, people remembered 'Salaam Bombay' and Chapu, but by then Shafiq had returned to a normal life, where every day is a struggle for him. Shafiq Syed's story highlights the reality of Indian cinema, where art gets recognition, but the future of an artist is often lost in the fog. This child who once won millions of hearts as Chapu is still looking for a better life.
CNN
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Zohran Mamdani was a disruptor in the New York City mayoral primary. His mother did something similar in Hollywood
If Zohran Mamdani looks comfortable on camera, there's a reason for that. The 33-year-old democratic socialist stunned the political world after he was backed by voters in the Democratic mayoral primary Tuesday. The formal outcome won't be known until at least July 1, when New York City releases the initial ranked-choice results. But Mamdani held a clear lead Tuesday night, and his top challenger Andrew Cuomo told supporters he had called Mamdani to concede. If he wins in November, Mamdani would make history as the first Muslim to serve as mayor of New York City. Mamdani is no stranger to the limelight. In addition to having moonlighted as a rapper, Mamdani is the son of director Mira Nair, known for films like 'The Namesake,' 'Queen of Katwe' and 'Monsoon Wedding,' a movie that won the coveted Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival. 'Salaam Bombay!' was her first hit. The 1988 drama, which depicted the daily lives of children living in slums in India's most populous city, was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA. Nair followed that up with 1991's 'Mississippi Masala,' a groundbreaking film that centered on an interracial romance between leads Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury, a storyline not often seen at the time in the industry. In 2022, Nair talked to Slate about the challenges of getting the movie made, recounting one particular meeting with a studio head at the time. 'I had already got Denzel to say yes. He loved 'Salaam Bombay!' and that was the reason (the studio head) wanted to meet me,' she recalled. 'I pitched the story, and the head of the studio says to me, 'Can you make room for a white protagonist?' That was his exact line.' The Indian-American director said there was the 'novelty of seeing Black and brown skin in the one frame, that was a big thing.' 'Frankly, I have not seen it in 30 years since, as much as it should be celebrated,' Nair said. Mamdani can thank the movie, in part, for his existence. Nair met writer and political scientist Mahmood Mamdani while in Uganda conducting research for the film. The couple married, had their son and eventually settled in New York City. His mother has shown herself publicly to be equal parts proud and supportive. 'Eid Mubarak to all who love humanity. All New York wallahs, listen to this mama: If you want a progressive mayor, remember to vote for our son @zohrankmamdani!,' she wrote in a post on her social media. Two days prior, she encouraged people to come to a screening and Q&A of 'Monsoon Wedding' 'but only after you have voted for Zohran Mamdani for Mayor,' she wrote. 'Dance with me in the aisles to herald this historic mayoral campaign that has brought such dignity and joy to New Yorkers,' she wrote. 'Aaj mera jee karda! Today my heart desires!' CNN's Eric Bradner contributed to this report.
CNN
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Zohran Mamdani was a disruptor in the New York City mayoral primary. His mother did something similar in Hollywood
If Zohran Mamdani looks comfortable on camera, there's a reason for that. The 33-year-old democratic socialist stunned the political world after he was backed by voters in the Democratic mayoral primary Tuesday. The formal outcome won't be known until at least July 1, when New York City releases the initial ranked-choice results. But Mamdani held a clear lead Tuesday night, and his top challenger Andrew Cuomo told supporters he had called Mamdani to concede. If he wins in November, Mamdani would make history as the first Muslim to serve as mayor of New York City. Mamdani is no stranger to the limelight. In addition to having moonlighted as a rapper, Mamdani is the son of director Mira Nair, known for films like 'The Namesake,' 'Queen of Katwe' and 'Monsoon Wedding,' a movie that won the coveted Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival. 'Salaam Bombay!' was her first hit. The 1988 drama, which depicted the daily lives of children living in slums in India's most populous city, was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA. Nair followed that up with 1991's 'Mississippi Masala,' a groundbreaking film that centered on an interracial romance between leads Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury, a storyline not often seen at the time in the industry. In 2022, Nair talked to Slate about the challenges of getting the movie made, recounting one particular meeting with a studio head at the time. 'I had already got Denzel to say yes. He loved 'Salaam Bombay!' and that was the reason (the studio head) wanted to meet me,' she recalled. 'I pitched the story, and the head of the studio says to me, 'Can you make room for a white protagonist?' That was his exact line.' The Indian-American director said there was the 'novelty of seeing Black and brown skin in the one frame, that was a big thing.' 'Frankly, I have not seen it in 30 years since, as much as it should be celebrated,' Nair said. Mamdani can thank the movie, in part, for his existence. Nair met writer and political scientist Mahmood Mamdani while in Uganda conducting research for the film. The couple married, had their son and eventually settled in New York City. His mother has shown herself publicly to be equal parts proud and supportive. 'Eid Mubarak to all who love humanity. All New York wallahs, listen to this mama: If you want a progressive mayor, remember to vote for our son @zohrankmamdani!,' she wrote in a post on her social media. Two days prior, she encouraged people to come to a screening and Q&A of 'Monsoon Wedding' 'but only after you have voted for Zohran Mamdani for Mayor,' she wrote. 'Dance with me in the aisles to herald this historic mayoral campaign that has brought such dignity and joy to New Yorkers,' she wrote. 'Aaj mera jee karda! Today my heart desires!' CNN's Eric Bradner contributed to this report.
India.com
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet actor, who gave Rs 3000 to Nana Patekar when he was facing financial crisis, has not asked for money so far
Nana Patekar is one of most renowned faces in the industry. The veteran actor started his journey at age of 13 in theatre, where he mastered his craft as an artist. However, after featuring in Salaam Bombay, Nana gained significant momentum, marking the beginning of his impressive acting journey. But, did you know before becoming a phenomenon name in the industry, there was another actor who helped Nana during his most challenging time? Let's identify who this person is. The Veteran Actor Of Bollywood Here, we are talking about actor-comedian Ashok Saraf , who has worked in more than 200 films in Hindi and Marathi industry. His notable work includes Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya, Joru Ka Ghulam, Gupt, Singham, Yes Boss, Ashi Hi Banwa Banwi and many others. At the starting phase, Ashok was doing two jobs, one was as banking employee, while the other was in theatre due to financial burden as well as his love for cinema. Meanwhile, Ashok used to work in the same theatre where Nana started his journey. During that time, Ashok became a known face and was senior to Nana. He used to earn Rs 250 for play, while Nana used to get Rs 50 at that time. However, this difference did not create any impact on their friendship. When Ashok Helped Nana Patekar Recently, during an interview with ETimes, Nana shared an interesting story about the time when he was facing financial hardships and then how his beloved friend Ashok helped him. He recalled, 'Once I was in dire need of money and when Ashok came to know about this, he went to his house and gave him a blank cheque and told me that he had Rs 15,000 in his account and I could withdraw as much as I wanted. I took Rs 3,000 from his account, which he has not asked for back till date.' More about Nana Patekar and Ashok Saraf Nana Patekar is currently gearing up for this year's highly-anticipated release, Housefull 5 , which has star-studded cast including Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa, Nargis Fakhri, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Chitrangada Singh, Fardeen Khan, Chunky Pandey, Johnny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, Dino Morea, Ranjeet, Soundarya Sharma, Nikitin Dheer, and Akashdeep Sabir. Helmed by Tarun Mansukhani, the film is all set to hit theatres on 6th June 2025. On the other hand, Ashok Saraf has recently been felicitated with Padma Shri for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.
India.com
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet Nana Patekar's wife, quit IIT for films, won many awards, left acting after..., made a comeback with blockbuster film, her name is...
Screen grab from Agnisakshi (1996) Nana Patekar is one of the most respected and enigmatic figures in both Marathi and Bollywood cinema. He made debut in 1978 with the film Garman , and gradually established himself as one of the most versatile actors through terrific performances in movies like Salaam Bombay, Parinda, Krantiveer, Prahaar: The Final Attack, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Angaar, Agni Sakshi, and Khamoshi: The Musical (1996) . While a lot is known about the National Award winner, but quite less information is out there about his wife Neelakanti Patekar. Nana and Neelakanti first during a Marathi play where she was a bank officer, receiving a salary of two and a half thousand rupees. Soon, their friendship blossomed into love, and they decided to tie the knot in 1978. After few years, they stepped into parenthood as their first born son, who tragically passed away at the age of two and a half. Later, the couple was blessed with another son, whom they lovingly named Malhar. Born in Pune, Maharashtra, Neelakanti's father was in central excise department due to which she had spent most of her childhood in different cities, as her father used to get recurrently transferred. A graduate in Physics, she sat for IIT entrance due to her father's insistence, and was succeeded with a top score. However, her inclination was always towards acting, and she actively worked in many plays thereafter. Neelakanti won many awards for her immense contribution in theatre and films. She bagged Gold Medal for best actress in the Maharashtra State Drama Competition 1973. Moreover, in 1989, she also won Best actress award from the Maharashtra State Government for film Aatm Vishwas . She starred as a lead actress, opposite Sachin Pilgaonkar who directed the film himself. Neelam, however, stepped away from acting to focus on her marital life. In 2024, she made a powerful comeback in Vicky Kaushal's historical drama Chhava . With her impeccable portrayal of Dharau, she made an impactful return to the silver screen after nearly a decade.
