NEW DELHI, Sept 15:
Actor-director Satish Kaushik, who is returning to stage with a new play, feels presence of Bollywood faces contributes significantly towards the growth of theatre audience.
“With many known people like Anupam (Kher), Shabana (Azmi), Saurabh Shukla in the theatre circuit working regularly on stage, we realize the audience for theatre has grown,” the actor said.
Recalling his initial days as a performer in Mumabi’s Prithvi theatre, Kaushik, who was last seen in “Udta Punjab” shares how after a show, actors would rush out to gather money from the audience.
“When Prithvi theatre was inaugurated, as soon as the show got over, we all rushed out ‘aur jholi phaila ke khade ho jaate they’ and people would throw in Rs 4-5.
“Today people are spending money to buy tickets worth thousands of rupees to watch us perform live because they have grown fond of watching theatre,” he says.
The actor,60, however feels that the momentum of the growth can be maintained only if the number of shows as well as performing centres are increased, not just in metro cities but also in smaller towns.
“We must raise the number of theatres for staging plays in the country. The more, the merrier. Apart from big cities like Mumbai and Delhi, every state should make an effort and encourage plays by increasing the numbers of theatres.”
Talking about his new play titled, “Mr and Mrs Murarilal”, directed by playwright Saif Haider Hasan, Kaushik says that the plot attempts to highlight the realities of different aspects of life – old age, friendship and love.
Kuashik as Mr Murarilal will be seen romancing actress Meghna Malik. He says both the script and the performances aim to strike an emotional chord with the audience while keeping the humour alive.
The play comes after a long gap of over 14 years, during which the actor performed several re-runs of Feroz Khan’s “Salesman Ramlal,” an adaptation of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” before taking a break from theatre.
“I needed a gap obviously. Although there were offers for plays but I was looking for some meaty content. I found Hasan’s theme very attractive and something that people can relate to. So, I decided to come on board.
“It defies the stereotypes of old age and attempts to inspire that one should not lose hope and just give up when they grow old,” he says.
The play is scheduled to be staged here on September 17 and 18. (AGENCIES)
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SAMSUNG
Galaxy Note 7 recall shows challenges
of stronger batteries
SEOUL, Sept 15:
Samsung’s recall of 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 phones after several dozen caught fire and exploded may stem from a subtle manufacturing error, but it highlights the challenge electronics makers face in packing ever more battery power into ever thinner phones, while rushing for faster release dates.
Announcing the recall on September 2, Samsung confirmed dozens of cases where Note 7 batteries caught fire or exploded, mostly while charging. It plans a software update that will cap battery recharging at 60 per cent capacity to help minimize risks of overheating.
But it is urging owners to keep the phones turned off until they can get them replaced, beginning September 19.
The Note 7 debuted to rave reviews in August thanks to its speed, new software features and not least the estimated nine hours it would run between charges.
But all that power comes at a price: users began reporting the phones were catching fire or exploding, in one case incinerating the SUV it had been left in.
Aviation authorities in the US, Australia and Europe have urged passengers not to use or charge Note 7s while flying and not to put them in checked baggage. On Monday, Canada issued an official recall.
Koh Dong-jin, Samsung’s mobile president, said in announcing the recall on September 2 that an investigation turned up a “tiny error” in the manufacturing process for the faulty batteries in the Note 7s that was very difficult to identify. The end of the pouch-shaped battery cell had some flaws that increased the chance of stress or overheating, he explained.
That kind of manufacturing error is unimaginable for top-notch battery makers with adequate quality controls, said Park Chul Wan, a former director of the next generation battery research center at the state-owned Korea Electronics Technology Institute.
Samsung and other experts should search for factors outside the battery cells that could have led to overheating, he said.
“If Koh’s argument is right, that makes Samsung SDI a third-rate company,” Park said. “But it does not appear to be a simple battery problem.”
Time also is a factor in marketing and making the phones. In 2015, Samsung moved up its unveiling of its new Galaxy Note model to August from September, seeking a leg up on Apple’s September iPhone upgrades.
Before the issue of battery explosions emerged, supplies were not keeping pace with demand for the Note 7.(AGENCIES)
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ENT-PRIYANKA
Priyanka Chopra among world’s
highest paid TV actresses
LOS ANGELES, Sept 15:
Priyanka Chopra has become the first Indian star to enter the Forbes list of highest paid television actresses in the world, after starring on American series “Quantico”.
Priyanka ranks eighth in the coveted list, which has retained American actress Sofia Vergara at the first position fifth year in a row.
The 44-year-old Colombian-American actress brought home a whooping USD 43 million before management fees and taxes, but not all came from her hit TV show “Modern Family”.
Vergara has an impressive array of endorsement deals as well as her line of products.
Priyanka, meanwhile, has earned USD 11 million. She made her international acting debut last year with ABC’s “Quantico” and now is gearing up for its second season.
Back home, the 34-year-old actress has starred in two Bollywood films in the past one year — “Bajirao Mastani” and “Jai Gangaajal”– and will make her Hollywood film debut with “Baywatch” alongside Hollywood heavy-hitters including Dwayne Johnson, the world’s highest-paid actor.
But like most television actresses (and actresses, in general), her millions are not made from screen time alone. Priyanka is one of India’s top picks for advertisers, reported Forbes magazine.
“The Big Bang Theory” actress Kaley Cuoco is at the second position, with an earning of USD 24.5 million.
Mindy Kaling came up third with USD 15 million, followed by a tie for fourth place between Ellen Pompeo and Mariska Hargitay, who both made USD 14.5 million.
“Castle” star Stana Katric, who like Priyanka makes a debut on the list, is placed at seventh position. Another newcomer on the rankings is Julia Louis-Dreyfus (‘The Good Wife’).
Kerry Washington of “Scandal” fame finds herself at sixth position, with USD 13.5 million earnings. The list comprises 15 highest paid actresses.
Before Priyanka, Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone also made the country proud by entering the 2016 Forbes list of world’s highest paid actresses.
The list, which saw Jennifer Lawrence sitting at the top, placed Deepika at the 10th position. Deepika, who shared screen space with Priyanka in “Bajirao Mastani”, is like the “Quantico” star, set for her Hollywood debut next year.
She will be seen alongside Vin Diesel in “xXx: Return of Xander Cage”. (AGENCIES)
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ENT-PINK
Indian cricket stars attend ‘Pink’ special Delhi screening
NEW DELHI, Sept 15:
Stars from the Indian cricketing world like Kapil Dev, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh were in attendance at a special screening of megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s upcoming thriller “Pink”, in the capital.
The screening was organised by former Indian cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi, whose son Angad stars in the Shoojit Sircar-produced film.
Sehwag came with wife Aarti, while Yuvraj attended the show with fiancee Hazel Keech and mother Shabnam Singh.
Also present at the star-studded screening, last evening, were actor Irrfan Khan, who worked with Shoojit in “Piku”, former Indian bowler Murali Kartik and Minister of state for information & broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore.
Angad, along with his father, welcomed the guests.
The film’s team, including Bachchan, Shoojit, director Anirudhha Roy Chowdhury, was also present at the show.
There was also a separate screening held for the family and friends of the cast.
The leading ladies of the movie– Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tariang– shuffled between the two venues and Shoojit met the families of the cast post the show.
Shoojit celebrated his birthday with the cast, post the screening.
He thanked everyone for praising the effort. Bachchan, 73, could not make it to the screening for family members as he had to leave because of a foot injury, Shoojit was seen informing them.
While Taapsee and Kirti were seen mingling around with their family members and clicking selfies with them,
Bachchan, 73, also got clicked with his fans from the arena of sports. Post the screening the celebrities took to Twitter to praise the film.
“Pink”, which is shot in Delhi, revolves around three independent working girls and their fight with power.
The film will hit the theatres tomorrow. (AGENCIES)
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