The April month concert was performed by the young, multi-talented and upcoming vocalist Kum. Meenakshi S Varma from Ernakulam, Kerala. Violin Vidwan Sri Ernakulam Satheesh Varma was accompanied on violin, and the young, multi-talented and upcoming Mridangam artist Sri Jayanth Rama Varma was accompanied on Mridangam.

Sangeetha Acharyan, Tripunithura Aasthana Vidwan Prof. Kumara Kerala Varma, was the Special Guest for the function and delivered felicitation speech. Sri Kumara Kerala Varma had pointed out that in Carnatic music, Sruthi is considered as the mother and Laya as father whenever musicians render Keerthanam, Geetham or Varnam with a combination of Sruthi, Swara, Raga and Thala. Prof. Kumara Kerala Varma appreciated the trust for their all efforts and bringing the unique platform for Carnatic music globally, which will support musicians and artists located across the globe. He also blessed Kum. Meenakshi S. V. Varma and the accompaniments of the April month concert.

From the International Chamber, PK Koyickal Trust, Sri Raj Mohan Varma, the Vice-Chairman, has delivered the Welcome Speech; Sri Edappally Jaimohan, the Department Head of Violin, has delivered the Keynote Speech, Sri. Sajith Kumar Varma, the International Coordinator, has delivered Vote of thanks; and Ms Preethi Gopalakrishnan coordinated and compered the entire function and the April month concert.

The monthly concerts are focused to promote and propagate Carnatic Music along with Music Veterans, promoting Talented, upcoming and amateur Musicians and Artists Internationally. Each monthly programme will be telecasted through various Media and Channels of India and abroad. The Recorded Link of the concert also will be circulated internationally Including various Music Colleges, Music Academies, Department Authorities, Music Institutes, Sangeetha Sabhas, Music Trusts,  Fine Arts Societies & Reputed Music Organizations and Music Teachers in India and Internationally.  PK Koyickal Trust International Chamber will be rewarded and recognized each Artists with Participating Certificates.

The concerts are designed in alternative months to provide opportunities to the Artists to participate from India and abroad. The International Monthly Concerts will be organizing on EVERY 2^nd FRIDAYS, the special day of Goddesses Durga Devvi, Lakshmi Devi and Saraswathy Devi. www.pkkoyickaltrust.com

www.pkkoyickaltrust.com

The post The April month of Sruthi Mathaa.. Laya Pitha, the monthly Carnatic music concert series of the International Chamber, Parakkadathu Koyickal Trust, Tripunithura, Kerala, has been hosted from Ernakulam, KERALA. On vocals, Kum. Meenakshi S. Varma performed, and on violin, Violin Vidwan Sri Ernakulam Satheesh Varma and on Mridangam Sri Jayanth Rama Varma have been accompanied on 17-04-2026 from Ernakulam, Kerala. appeared first on The Gulf Indians.

Dr. Poornathrayee Jayaprakash Sharma

KOCHI:

Ganjira Mastreo Tripunithura N. Gopalakrishnan and well-known multilingual lyricist, musicologist, classical dancer and author Dr. Poornathrayee Jayaprakash Sharma will receive the ‘Tripunithura Aasthana Vidwan Puraskaram’ for the year 2023, according to a press release.

The award, being given away for the 10th year, was announced by the Parakkadathu Koyickal Trust, Tripnithura, which is affiliated to the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi. The awards will be given away during the 11th Annual celebration of Parakkadathu Koyickal Trust to be held at Kalikkotta Palace, Tripunithura, Kerala on August 20, 2023. The eight-member Award Jury Committee included Sri. Nedumangadu Sivanandan, Sri. Tripunithura N. Radhakrishnan, Sri. K P Raj Mohan Varma, Sri. Tripunithura K R Chandramohan, Smt. Devi Vasudevan Namboothiri, Sri. Edappally Jaimohan, Sri. Tripunithura K Kannan, and Sri. Tripunithura P. K. Sajith Kumar.

The 11th Annual celebrations of the trust will be organised this year in a grand manner along with the International Ganesha Sangeethotsavam, which will be conducted for a continuous 12 hours. Eminent artists from 12 countries will perform at the Sangeethotsavam, which will start at 8 am from Sree Balavinayaka Temple, Kannankulangara, Tripunithura physically and will be organised online from other countries. The concluding session and the award function will be organised at Kalikkotta Palace.

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                                         After 24 years in kerala, National theatre  festival of women from all over Kerala. It’s happening first time in the history of  Capital city of Kerala. The festival organised by 

Thiruvanathapuram: A national women’s theatre festival will be organised at Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan here from December 23 to 25  to mark the 23rd annivesary of Nireeksha Women’s theatre. After 24 years in kerala, National theatre  festival of women from all over Kerala. It’s happening first time in the history of  Capital city of Kerala. Many prominent  women personalities will be spearhead by  the theatre workshop, seminar, musical events, poetry presentations.The souvenir will be released to mark nireeksha’s 23 rd anniversary.

First time in the history of Theatre in Kerala ,Nireeksha ,will showcase 14 plays by Women directors in various literary  genres over three days.  It will be a space for talented women, youth, and children in a different social and cultural groups. In the time of pandamic  situatation NIREEKSHA  was the only one group held online theatre festival in Kerala.

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Kochi: The Inter National Chamber for Indian Music and Culture Center was inaugurated by Padma Shri KG Jayan (Jaya-Vijaya) and Kendra Sangeetha Nataka Academy Board Member Vayalar Sarath Chandravarma at the Trust’s 10th Anniversary Celebration held at the Tripunithura Kalikkota Palace. International Chamber for Indian Music and Culture Center has been launched by Parakkadath Koical Trust to promote Carnatic music, dance, veena and violin artists. The center is functioning with the approval of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi to benefit the non-resident artists as well as artists from India.PK Sajith Kumar, Settler and International Co-ordinator of the Trust, said that both non resident and resident  Indian artists and artists in India will benefit from  the Trust International. Padma Bhushan Dr.TV Gopalakrishnan was elected as the patron  of the International Chamber and Padmashri KG Jayan (Jaya-Vijaya), Tripunithura N. Radhakrishnan and Nedumangad Sivanandan were elected to the Chief Advisory Committee of the International Trust. Sridevi Varma, president of Parakkadath Koical Trust, announced that  Rajmohan Varma is appointed as the  Vice Chairman and Tripunithura KR Chandramohan (Music-Vocal), Devi Vasudevan Namboothiri (Veena), Idappalli Jayamohan (Violin), Tripunithura K.Kannan, (thaalavaadyam) and Dr. Jayaprakash Sharma (Art-Literature) as Heads of  various Departments.

The International Chamber for Indian Music & Culture was launched by Parakkadath Koical Trust. The Trust has been conducting Karnataka classical music programs for the past 10 years. The Trust has also  conducted 12 hour long International Ganesha Music Festival covering more than 10 countries in hybrid model (live – online) during the  last 3 years. The trust honours musicians every year with the Tripunithura  Aasthana Vidwan award. Trust General Convener Sanjay Verma  informed that as part of Vision 2030, Trust has started its  Medical Division, Service Division and Technical Division

[Sreedevi Anil has been into Carnatic music for nearly 28 to 30 years but it’s only recently that she got an opportunity to perform for an international audience. “So far I have been teaching students and performing at the local level but the experience of being on stage, performing live for international audience sitting at Tripunithira is an altogether different experience,” said Sreedevi. This international exposure has also benefited her professionally as now she has inquiries to perform abroad besides international students showing interest in joining her classes online. There are many others like her who are set to benefit with the  International Chamber for Indian Music and Culture Center.]

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The award for the best novel went to L Gopikrishnan’s ‘Njan Ente Shatru’.

Dr Anil Vallathol has won science literary award for ‘Ezhuthachan Enna Paatapustakam’, John Samuel won the best award for the story, ‘Yadhastu’. The award for anthology of poems was shared by Deshamangalam Ramakrishnan’s ‘Enne Kandumuttan Enikkavumo’ and E Sandhya’s ‘Ammayullathinaal’.

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Mokeri was in news sometime back when he was wrongly jailed in Maldives where he was a teacher and his subsequent memoirs titled Takkijja had even won Sahithya Akademi Award. In Kadalneelam, his new book, only available in audio form for the time being, Mokeri writes about his life after he was freed. For Storytel, it was the well-known Carnatic musician Rajeev Nair has read the novel.

On the other hand, a journalist by profession, Rajeev Sivasankar is an established novelist now with titles including Thamovedam, Maraporul, Praanasancharam, Nagaphanam, Deivamaratthile Ila, Pennarash, Kalpramanam and Kunjalithira. Of these, Kunjalithira, Nagaphanam, Thamovedam and Pranasancharam were already available in audio forms in Storytel. The novel was read by Sreelakshmi Jayachandran, an RJ. Rebecca is a thriller spun around an actual incident that shocked Kerala sometime back. The protagonist the novel is named after, a twice-widowed septuagenarian, lives in a remote hamlet of Punchakurinji, in her Pathekkar house flanked by high-walls with a pack of mysteries around her.

Storytel is an audiobook and eBook app streaming service launched in India on 27th Nov 2017. The company is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden and currently present in 22 markets across the globe with a subscriber base of over 1.5 million globally, hosting titles for every age group across a diverse set of genres such as personal development, history, business, romance, thriller, spirituality, horror, drama, adventure, etc. In India, the app currently hosts more than 2 lac+ audiobooks and eBooks across 10 languages namely English, Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Assamese, Kannada. The Storytel app can be subscribed at INR299 per month. Under the monthly subscription, the subscriber gets access to unlimited stories in 10 languages ( English, Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, Bengali, Assamese, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada)

Storytel is one of the world’s largest subscribed audiobook and e-book streaming services and offers listening and reading of more than 500 000 titles on a global scale.

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Faruqui was released from the Indore Central Jail late on January 6 after prison authorities checked Friday’s bail order of the Supreme Court on its website, a jail official earlier said.

In a brief video message after he was set free, the 32-year-old comedian said, “I don’t want to comment (on the case again him) now. But, I have full faith in the judiciary and I am hopeful of getting justice.”

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The 1936 work in Chinese ink, gouache and watercolour, was destined as a cover for The Blue Lotus, the fifth volume of the Belgian journalist’s adventures. But it never sat on any book store shelves because it was rejected for being too expensive to reproduce on a wide scale – a victim of its own rare craftsmanship.

“They had to do a four-colour process printing, with an additional colour. (But the publisher) thought that the comic albums were already expensive. Reproducing this cover art would increase the production costs,” said comics expert Eric Leroy at Art Curial auction house by the Champs-Elysees avenue.

As the name “Blue Lotus” suggests, the art workplaces Tintin in Asia. A huge red dragon appears on a black background by the Belgian reporter’s petrified face. It is a prized addition to the universe of Tintin, the subject of recent shows in London and Barcelona, a 2011 Hollywood adaptation, a videogame and an app.

In “Blue Lotus,” Tintin travels to China during the 1931 Japanese invasion to investigate and expose – along with his dog Snowy – Japanese spy networks, drug-smuggling rings and other crimes.

But the huge interest in this work has raised a host of questions among French media regarding the work’s provenance – whether it was a gift to the son of Tintin’s printer or a drawing simply never returned to the artist.

There is no question, however, of its authenticity. On Thursday, Hergé, whose real name was Georges Remi, could break the record for the most expensive piece of comic book art at 2.6 million euros that was previously set by himself.

“We set the previous record for the ‘Pages de Garde’ in 2014 ..it would be fair for this piece to break this record. Hergé had done only five comic covers using this technique of direct color so it’s very rare,” Leroy said.

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On December 14, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated an amphitheatre and a waterfall at Khorfakkan. The first screening of the historical cinematic epic ‘Khorfakkan’ – produced by the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority (SBA) – was also held on the occasion. The film was adapted from a book authored by Sheikh Sultan called “Khorfakkan’s Resistance Against the Portuguese Invasion of September 1507”.

The amphitheatre, a major artistic addition to Sharjah’s cultural landmarks, is located at the foot of Al Sayed mountain facing the Khorfakkan beach.

The amphitheatre is the largest development project undertaken in the city so far. Built on an area of 190,000 square feet, it has the latest technology in lighting and acoustics. It can accommodate 3600 visitors. It also has provisions to accommodate people with special needs.

The Khorfakkan Amphitheatre is linked by elevators and a walkway to the waterfall. There is a restaurant and café that can accommodate over 80 visitors, while the outdoor area can accommodate another 30 visitors.

The new development projects in Khorfakkan are the largest of their kind in the city. They are part of a series of projects that the Ruler of Sharjah wants implemented to enhance the tourism and cultural potential of the city.

His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, were among the dignitaries present at the grand function.

The post Khorfakkan now has an amphitheatre appeared first on The Gulf Indians.

The panel includes Dr. S.S. Awasthy as the Vice Chairman, Naveen Gupta the Treasurer and Asoke K. Ghosh continuing as the Chief Mentor and Advisor of the esteemed organization.

Speaking at this occasion, Pranav said: “If the authors and literary rights owners do not get their fair share, what will be their incentive to write better? It won’t encourage new writers. I feel elated and extremely humbled to accept this honour in an organization like IRRO. The youth need to understand how important it is curb the threat of piracy in the literary works and what are its consequences.”

Dr. Ashok Gupta in his statement said: “I feel honoured to be selected as the Chairman of IRRO and look forward to extending my contribution in strengthening the rights of owners of literary works. For the next two years, we are going to work together to create a transparent and fair ecosystem in literature. I would like to thank everyone for their support”.

Registered by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, IRRO is committed to preventing piracy of literary work and is affiliated to IFFRO, the global organization for literary work and copyright.

The society is responsible for developing an ecosystem wherein authors and publishers get their fair share by inhibiting reprography. While this approach has gained traction in industries such as software, music and movies; its implementation in the literary work has left much to be desired.

Along with this panel, other noted members from the Publishing industry were elected as Executives of the governing body.

The post Pranav Gupta elected as the Secretary General of IRRO, Dr Ashok Gupta Becomes the Chairman appeared first on The Gulf Indians.

For the past many months, there have been numerous initiatives by artistes and institutions to create awareness on COVID-19 pandemic, which has taken numerous lives from across the world.
The International Centre for Kathakali Delhi put up performance, ‘The Corona’, that showed what the pandemic is all about, and how people can stay safe from the infection. This Kathakali Padam described how it has disrupted normal life. The artistes were able to create innovative and referential works that captured this crucial moment in time.

While Thiruvattar B Jagadeesan donned the role of Corona, Kalamandalam Anilkumar was successful in portraying the Public Coordinator. He also scripted the story for the performance. Kalabharathi Kalyanakrishnan’s role as doctor was quite realistic and brought out all the tribulations of a doctor faced with a real-life situation. Another convincing performance was by Surabhi Nambissan as the Nurse who assisted the doctor.

Both Sreejith C.J. and Sahil Suresh portrayed their roles well as Police and Vaccine respectively. Kalamandalam Manikandon and Sadanam Suresh sustained the interest in the performance till the end.

Kalamandalam Thambi, Kalamandalam Sumesh at the chenda were quite supportive of the music. The Chutty Pakalkkury Unnikrishnan and Kalanilayam Nitheesh did an excellent job assisted by: Sathyanarayanan.

All in all, it was a good performance at The International Centre for Kathakali on the evening of October 26 attended by a discerning crowd during these testing times.

The post ‘The Corona’ Kathakali staged in New Delhi appeared first on The Gulf Indians.

Amongst the most revered classical dance forms prevailing in South India, Bharathanatyam is considered to be the oldest and its social status seems to be elite with its high caste founding. The origin of this highly technical art form flooded with abhinaya/rasas(facial expressions) belongs to Devadasi community(Issai Vellaala community) who used to perform in temples to entertain upper caste temple clan.

Veteran writer and journalist TJS George in his book ‘MS -A life in music’ published by Harper Collins has portrayed the life story of legendary singer M.S Subbualakshmi, the first woman who was awarded with Bharat Ratna. He has narrated that this great singer belonged to Devadasi community and she strived enormously to get out of the tyranny of being a Devadasi. Unlike her mother, she desired to be a singer rather than a dancer chiefly to get out of the temple extravaganza in front of the landlords and upper caste people which made her abscond at the age of sixteen and reach Madras. The rest is the nation’s musical history.

In the 19th century, the colonial British government started trouncing the devadasi dance performed in temples. Little did they know that this art form had a divine power and it would blossom into one of the most fascinating dance form in the whole world.

Giving birth to the term Bharathanatyam, E.Krishna Iyer saved this art form from getting demolished. Although he was arrested and sentenced to prison for raising voice in favour of this classical art form, legendary dancers like Rukminidevi Arundale succeeded in growing and spreading Bharathanatiyam across the world and in 1940, it started flourishing outside the temples too enhancing the ‘aahaarya’, ‘abhinaya’. Illustrious legends like Padmabhushan Padma Subramaniam triumphed in nourishing this art profoundly.

It started sprouting more and more, even foreign dancers like Esther Sherman joined the movement to save ‘natya’, ‘nritha’ and ‘nrithya’. But the Britishers could succeed in provoking some of the upper caste nationalists who then manipulated the origin of devadasi art form ultimately sowing the seeds of caste bias in this angelic dance form too.

But while striving to make the history forget it’s devadasi foundation, they failed to grasp the fact that Bharathanatyam would have nurtured its divinity even if it was not given an upper caste origin. For this artistic yoga never knew the difference between a ‘vellaala’ and a Brahmin. The ragas would have had the same melodies even if it was not snatched from the ‘isai vellaala’ community(lower caste). Thaalaas would have remained rhythmic even if it was revealed that this art form has peer and solid relation with devadasi culture as it has with Natyashastra. The purity and richness would have been the same even if Bharathanatiyam was not alloyed.

The enchantress of ‘bhava’ remains the same in a Brahmin girl’s and a devadasi girl’s face. Its marvellous ‘lasya’ would haven’t changed even if there was not an involvement of caste in this auspicious art form. The gracious gestures in ‘vaishnavism’, ‘shaivism’ and ‘shakthism’ would have blossomed even if its roots had a ‘dasi’ foundation. It would have been more robust if the femininity of devadasis was not suppressed. It would have been great if the world appreciated their outstanding talent. The history of Bharathanatyam would have still been one of the most fascinating one even if it was not remodeled.

The post Biased Roots Of Bharathanatyam appeared first on The Gulf Indians.

‘International-Ganesha Music Festival 2020’ Ganesha Chaturthi Day (22 August 2020) jointly organised by Thripunithura Sri Poornathrayesa Sangeetha Sabha and Parakkaduthu Koyikkal Trust has become a historic event in the world of Carnatic music with 21 concerts held online for 12 consecutive hours from eight countries.

Carnatic musicians from Dubai and Sharjah in the UAE, Michigan, New Jersey and Dallas in the United States, as well as seven countries from Canada, Singapore, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait, as well as India from Tripunithura, Mumbai, Chennai and Palakkad had participated in the concerts by online.  The live broadcast on various social media channels was a new experience for music lovers all over the world.

After the Ganapati Homam at Kannankulangara Sri Balavinayaka Temple, the music festival was inaugurated by Tantri Thottakkat Sreekumaran Namboothiri by lighting the Bhadradeepam at 8.30 am. The first concert started by Sangeetha Vidushi Tripunithura Girija Varma and the music festival last concert by Sangeetha Vidwan Sree Moozhikkulam Harikrishnan ended at 9.30pm.

As a part of co-commemorating function for late Tripunithura Asthana Vidwan Rama Varma Kochunni Thirumulpad and Omana Nambishtathiri, 7th Tripunithura Asthana Vidwan Puraskaram distributed by Trust Patron Bhagavathacharya Nandini Nambishtathiri to violin Vidwan Sree Nedumangad Sivanandan.

Trust President PK Sreekumar honoured Sivanandan with a Ponnada and he was felicitated by renowned Ghat Vidwan Tripunithura Radhakrishnan in person and renowned Mridanga Vidwan Shri Kuzhalmandam Ramakrishnan by online. Trust Secretary P.K. Jayakumar, Treasurer PK Sreedevi Varma and Shree Balavinayaka Temple Secretary Chandrika Rama Narayanan were also present. The Ganesha Sangeetharchana was performed according to the COVID-19 protocol.

Shri Poornathrayesa Sangeetha Sabha Secretary Mavelikkara S R Nadeshan, President Rajmohan Varma, Joint Secretary KR Chandramohan, Tripunithura Kannan and Dr Poornathrayi Jayaprakash Sharma from India and Managing Trustee Sajith Kumar from Dubai led the concerts.

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Reacting to the development, President Ram Nath Kovind expressed condolences and said: “Music legend and unparalleled classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj’s passing makes me sad. Spanning a distinguished career of over 8 decades, Padma Vibhushan Pandit Jasraj, enthralled people with soulful renditions. Condolence to his family, friends and music connoisseurs.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also remembered the Indian classical music legend: “The unfortunate demise of Pandit Jasraj leaves a deep void in the Indian cultural sphere. Not only were his renditions outstanding, he also made a mark as an exceptional mentor to several other vocalists. Condolences to his family and admirers worldwide.”

Indian classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj had turned 90 in January this year.

Pandit Jasraj was honoured with Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awards diring his lifetime.

Last year, the International Astronomical Union had named a minor planet, located between Mars and Jupiter, after Pandit Jasraj, regarded as the doyen of Indian classical vocal music.

Minor planet 2006 VP32 (number-300128) was named as ‘Panditjasraj’.

The citation had read: “Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj is an exponent of Indian classical vocal music. A life dedicated to music, Jasraj is recipient of many awards, honours and titles. His distinctive voice traverses remarkable four and a half octave.”

Earlier this year, upon turning 90, Pandit Jasraj had in an interview to a news agency said that he is one who walks with time.

The post Pandit Jasraj is no more appeared first on The Gulf Indians.

It was on August 13 that legendary singer SP Balasubrahmanyam was hospitalised after he tested positive for coronavirus infection. Unfortunately, his condition worsened two days back, and he was put on life support. According to latest reports published in an entertainment portal, the legendary singer is getting music therapy to bring down stress and depression.

The report published in Indiaglitz also claimed that the songs used for music therapy are the ones sung by SPB in his golden career. MGM Hospital is apparently playing a mix of emotional, duet, romantic, and philosophical songs to reduce the anxiety level of the singer.

A few hours back, his son SPB Charan had updated that SPB is conscious and is slowly recovering from illness. The singer has also started identifying people, and medical experts believe that it is a positive sign of recovery.

As SPB’s health continues to worry fans and friends, several celebrities are praying for his quick recovery. A few hours back, Superstar Rajinikanth had also conveyed his prayers for the wellbeing of SP Balasubrahmanyam.

“SPB has sweetly sung songs for over 50 years and entertained millions of people. I am glad to hear that he is overcome from the critical stage of Covid-19 and I pray the God that he recovers completely, soon,” wrote Rajinikanth.

On August 13, after testing positive for coronavirus, doctors had asked SPB to undergo isolation in his home. However, SPB himself decided to get admitted to avoid future complications.

The post Music therapy for SP Balasubrahmanyam in hospital appeared first on The Gulf Indians.

The story behind the origin of the Supremo is as interesting as the comic book. IBH publisher Pammi Bakshi was standing in the balcony of her flat. A group of children was playing in the compound of a neighbouring building. One boy declared he was Superman and could fly. Another said he was Batman and could scale any building. However the third declared he was Amitabh Bachchan and could beat up ten baddies with one hand. Bakshi was suddenly struck with an idea, but she needed the permission of the man himself- the Big B.

In 1983, Bakshi met Bachchan on the sets of the movie Pukar in Goa, where she convinced him to lend his name to the comics. Bachchan’s co-star, Randhir Kapoor, used to call the actor Supremo. Bakshi was determined to call her superhero Supremo, as the moniker seemed like a memorable name for a comic book character.

Bakshi recruited her friend, the writer and director Gulzar, to be a script consultant for the series. However, Bakshi’s major challenge was to convince Pratap Mullick, an illustrator with Amar Chitra Kadha, to draw the comics. Mullick was not interested in popular cinema and had not even watched any of Bachchan’s movies.

Out of eight to 10 costumes for Supremo’s character, Bachchan approved one- a pink, fitting outfit with a wrap and holster and a pendant around his neck.

Unlike the western superheroes, Supremo does not have any obvious superpowers, but simply happens to possess the right combination of strength and intelligence. At that time, Phantom comics were among the most popular in India, and several elements in the Supremo series was inspired by The Ghost Who Walks.

The series also included the actor’s most iconic characters, Vijay and Anthony. When Supremo is not in his superhero avatar, he was seen shooting films with Manmohan Desai or Prakash Mehra, the directors who shaped Bachchan’s career. There were even appearances of Gulzar, whose partnership with Bachchan in Bollywood is iconic.

Supremo existed in the limelight for two years. Bakshi got married and left India, the series came to a halt. The series inspired similar comics in southern India featuring Rajanikanth in Tamil Nadu and Mammootty in Kerala

The post When Amitabh Bachchan became Supremo appeared first on The Gulf Indians.

“…so from today onwards I am a Independent film maker. I will use all the money I raise from cinema to fuel better cinema and nothing else,” he wrote.

He added that he will screen his cinema anywhere he feels is right. “We are in the middle of a pandemic -a war-jobless people – identity crisis- poverty and religious unrest.people are walking a 1000 miles just to reach home .Artists are dying out of depression. so …These are times to create great art just to inspire people to feel alive. Just to give them hope in some form to stay alive (sic),” he further wrote.

Pellissery had earlier announced that he will be shooting his film , titled A, from July 1, and released a poster. The Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA) had issued a warning against the production of new movies until the release of 66 films which were hit due to the covid-19 lockdown. Pellissery’s announcement comes against these restrictions set by the film association, and seems to have clearly irked the body.

“Don’t ask us to stop working. Don’t ask us to stop creating. Don’t question our integrity. Don’t question our self respect. You will lose terribly because we are Artists,” he wrote on Facebook.

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After Trivandrum Lodge, Anoop Menon and director VK Prakash unites for a new project titled ‘Oru Nalpathkarante Irupathiyonnkari’. Anoop Menon plays the lead role in the movie. The ‘wink girl’ Priya Prakash Varrier will be essaying the female lead. Anoop Menon himself will be scripting the movie. The title of the movie suggests that male lead is 40 and the leading lady is 21.
Announcing the surprise, Anoop Menon penned, “Teaming up with vkp after Trivandrum Lodge….announcing the title..bless us with your love..(sic).”

https://www.facebook.com/AnoopMenonOfficial/photos/a.359944194149665/2175762282567838/?type=3

Anoop Menon’s earlier collaboration with V K Prakash Trivandrum Lodge was a hit. Priya also has earlier worked with V K Prakash for a Kannada movie Vishnupriya,which is yet to be released. VK Prakash was filming Oruthee a movie with Navya Nair in the lead, prior to lockdown. VKP’s last Mollywood release was Pranaa. Starring Nithya Menen, the movie was quite experimental, as it had only a single cast, sync sound and many other interesting features. Beautiful, Silence and Natholi Oru Cheriya Meenalla  are some of his popular Malayalam films.

The post Anoop Menon announces new movie,Priya Varrier as female lead appeared first on The Gulf Indians.

Director Sujeeth,who helmed Prabhas’ Saaho, has been roped in to direct the Telugu remake.The film’s team confirmed the same and revealed that the film will go on floors once Chiranjeevi completes his another film Acharya. Currently,Sujeeth is working on the film’s script and the pre-production work is going on in full swing.The original film was the the directorial debut of actor Prithviraj Sukumaran.

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Roy Kapur said he intends to put together a team of international writers and show-runners to create a series that will be “path breaking in scale and quality“.“I believe that stories that are compelling, relevant and authentic have the potential to resonate with audiences across all nationalities and cultures. William Dalrymple’s epic tale of The East India Company is one such story,” the producer said in a statement.Roy Kapur is planning a big budget ,grand scale,series of adaptation of the book.

Author-historian Dalrymple,who is on board as a consultant for the project, said he hasn’t written a book more “obviously crying out to be adapted” than “The Anarchy”. “I’m very excited looking at the initial treatment note, talking about the various ways to bring this book alive and to bring the characters I’ve been living with over the last 6 years onto the screen,so that everyone else can see them in flesh and blood.It’s an incredibly exciting moment and I have high expectations of this project,”he said.

The Anarchy was recently listed by former U.S President Barack Obama as among his top 10 recommended books of 2019.

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