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Salaar: Part 1: The Ceasefire Review: Prashanth Neel Scripts A Worthy Comeback Film For Prabhas Despite The Cliched Trappings

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Director: Prashanth Neel

Cast: Prabhas, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shruti Haasan, Jagapathi Babu, Sriya Reddy, Easwari Rao, Bobby Simha, Tinnu Anand

Where: In theatres near you

Rating: 3 stars

The stakes are undeniably high for everyone involved in Salaar: Part 1: The Ceasefire. Filmmaker Prashanth Neel, having set a formidable standard with the monumental success of the K.G.F. franchise, understands the imperative of maintaining the expectations of his audience. Additionally, lead actor Prabhas, having transcended his status as Telugu cinema’s Darling Rebel Star to become a Pan-Indian superstar, seeks a much-needed hit after a string of disappointments with Saaho, Radhe Shyam, and Adipurush. Meanwhile, Prithviraj Sukumaran, a trailblazer in Malayalam cinema, has long embraced the foresight of exploring diverse content in various Indian languages, both as an actor and a producer. Moreover, an inevitable showdown with a reigning global superstar at the box office, this weekend, has only intensified the intrigue around the film’s release. Does the film deliver or does it crumble under the weight of expectations, let’s figure.

Salaar: Part 1: The Ceasefire unfolds the narrative of Deva (Prabhas) and Vardharaja Mannar’s (Prithviraj) friendship in the fictional town of Khansaar. Their camaraderie takes a tumultuous turn when political circumstances transform them into bitter rivals, compelling Deva to depart from the city along with his mother. Several years later, as Aadhya (Shruti Haasan) returns to India from the US, she becomes the target of Mannar’s extended family. It falls upon Deva to uphold and protect her, presenting an opportunity for the estranged friends to reunite for a cause that will reshape the destiny of Khansaar.

Neel draws inspiration from Game of Thrones, Baahubali, and his own 2014 Kannada debut, Ugramm, to craft a project that aligns seamlessly with the commanding presence of his main leads. While the screenplay could have benefited with tighter editing, given the filmmaker’s penchant for establishing Prabhas’ on-screen persona, the extended shots of the actor may become overwhelming for the audience after a certain point. Ravi Basrur’s musical composition, while not reaching the exceptional heights as observed in Neel’s K.G.F., nevertheless contributes effectively to the stylishly choreographed action sequences in the film, with his background score. Bhuvan Gowda’s cinematography and T.L. Venkatachalapathi’s skillful production design collaborate seamlessly to enable Neel in providing an exceptional world-building experience, particularly in the way Khansaar is designed. It’s a city that spells doom and dread.

Without the finely orchestrated action sequences by Anbarivu, Salaar might risk becoming a rather dull affair. The action director skillfully uses the impressive physiques of Prabhas and Prithviraj, creating exhilarating action moments that are worth cherishing at the theatres. Examining the film solely based on its script, the premise appears, quite frankly, outdated and redundant.

Salaar succeeds due to the commendable performances of both Prabhas and Prithviraj. Prabhas, openly acknowledging his own laziness in past interviews, benefits from a capable director like Neel, whose vision effectively brings out at least the bare minimum effort from the actor on screen. The man can now witness the spell of failure being broken. He exercises pain and power, in equal measure Yet, from a personal perspective, I would prefer to commend Prithviraj’s performance. He is restrained yet effective. Shruti has minimal screentime, and it remains interesting to see whether she will play a more substantial role in the subsequent films of the Salaar franchise. Jagapathi Babu, portraying Raja Mannaar, has a restricted on-screen presence, yet his effectiveness is notable. Bobby Simha performs commendably in his limited role as Vardha’s brother-in-law Bhaarava. Sriya Reddy and Easwari Rao deliver fine performances in their pivotal roles as Radha Rama and Deva’s mother.

With Salaar Part 1: The Ceasefire, Neel scripts a much-needed comeback vehicle for his leading man. Never mind the cliches though.

Bollywood

Rhiti Tiwari team reacts to ex-stepfather Ekam Bawa torture claims: Legal action initiated

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Mumbai, Sep 28: The team of ‘Bigg Boss 20 ‘contestant Rhiti Tiwari reacted to the allegations by her ex-stepfather and Punjabi singer Ekam Bawa, claiming that Rhiti and her mother, Rani Tiwari, ‘tortured’ him while they were all living together.

On Monday, Rhiti’s team shared a statement on her official Instagram Stories. Calling the claims made by Ekam ‘false’, they urged the media to verify the facts before reporting anything.

They further shared that they have initiated the necessary legal action against Bawa.

The statement read, “We are disappointed to see false claims made by #EkamBawa against Rhiti Tiwari and her family being carried across various media platforms. Rhiti is currently inside the #BiggBoss20 house and can’t respond to these allegations herself (sic).”

“We request the media to please verify facts before amplifying such defamatory claims and give the family a fair chance to be heard. Necessary legal action has been initiated against #EkamBawa in relation to these allegations,” the statement concluded.

Ekam recently posted a video on his account, claiming that Rhiti and Rani used to ‘torture’ him during the time he was living with them.

Sharing an incident, Ekam said in the clip, “Bhai, Rhiti aayi mere room mein, mere almeera se hanger se jitne kapde the mere, isne pakad ke saare zameen pe phenk diye. (Rhiti came into my room, took all my clothes from the hangers in my cupboard, and threw them on the floor).”

He claimed that, after this, Rhiti told him, “Ekam Bawa, nikal. (Ekam Bawa, get out.)”

Ekam added that he was shocked that Rhiti addressed him by his name and questioned her about their relationship. He told Rhiti, “Kya rishta hai mera tumhara, tumhe pata hai? (Do you even know what relationship we have with each other?)”

Before this, Ekam said that Rhiti’s claims about receiving a monthly allowance of Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 were absalutly false.

“You own handbags worth Rs 4 to 5 lakhs… and then there are the big cars you have. Just maintaining a Range Rover costs Rs 2.5 to 3 lakhs”, he shared.

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Entertainment

Assam CM reviews preparations at Bharat Mandapam for Bhupen Hazarika centenary finale

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Guwahati, Sep 27: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday visited Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi to review arrangements for the grand closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations of the legendary singer, composer and cultural icon Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika.

CM Sarma took stock of the facilities and preparations at the venue ahead of the concluding programme, which is being planned as a major tribute to Hazarika and his enduring contribution to Indian music and culture.

Sharing details of his visit on X, the Assam Chief Minister said the preparations were aimed at creating a memorable tribute befitting the legacy of the celebrated artiste, popularly known as ‘Sudhakantha’.

“Visited Bharat Mandapam today to review the facilities and preparations for the grand closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations of Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. We are curating an unforgettable tribute, one truly befitting the legacy of Sudhakantha,” CM Sarma posted.

The centenary celebrations have been organised to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Hazarika, whose music and literary works have had a lasting influence not only in Assam and the Northeast but across India and beyond.

Hazarika, who was born on September 8, 1926, in Assam, was known for his distinctive musical style and compositions that drew extensively from the cultural traditions and social realities of the Northeast.

His songs often addressed themes of humanity, social harmony, equality and the lives of ordinary people. The artist was conferred the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, posthumously in 2019. He had earlier received several other major national honours, including the Padma Vibhushan and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

The concluding ceremony at Bharat Mandapam is expected to mark the culmination of a year-long series of programmes celebrating Hazarika’s life, music and cultural legacy.

The Assam government has been highlighting the centenary as an opportunity to showcase Hazarika’s contribution to Indian cultural heritage and to introduce his works to younger generations. The final event is expected to bring together cultural personalities, dignitaries and artistes for a large-scale tribute to the legendary musician and filmmaker.

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Bollywood

Kareena Kapoor’s Sunday workout includes Pull Overs, Gun Slingers, Halos

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Mumbai, Sep 27: Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor enjoyed her Sunday with an intense workout session.

Providing netizens a glimpse into her latest workout routine, Bebo shared a short clip of her ‘KKK Flow’ whiteboard.

Sharing her workout routine for the day, Kareena shared that she will be performing Bell Complex, Pull Overs, Gun Slingers, Halos, and Oblique Rotations as part one of the routine, while Zone 2 will have Db Lift Over Core.

Expressing her excitement, Kareena added the text “lets Go!!!”

However, this is not the first time that Bebo has shared such a motivational post regarding her workout.

On Friday, the ‘K3G’ actress uploaded a whiteboard titled ‘KKK Flow’. An amalgamation of strength training, conditioning and cardio exercises, Kareena divided her workout into two parts. Part A included 10 step-back kettlebell chops, 10 wide-stance kettlebell lift-to-row repetitions, and two laps of sled pushes, whereas Part B comprised 200 metres on the ski erg, 200 metres of rowing and a one-minute bear hold.

Kareena has been a constant motivation for fitness enthusiasts.

Her fitness journey made headlines when she transformed for her 2008 release ‘Tashan’ and made ‘size zero’ a nationwide phenomenon.

However, Bebo has repeatedly said that she did not starve herself to achieve ‘size zero’. Kareena claims that she enjoyed her favourite foods, including parathas while on her journey to achieving that physique.

On the professional front, Kareena recently graced the screen with Meghna Gulzar’s crime thriller ‘Daayra’.

Released in theatres on September 18, the movie marked Bebo’s first on-screen association with Malayalam star Prithviraj Sukumaran.

Their co-actor, Saksham Dayma, also shared his experience of working alongside Kareena and Prithviraj in the film.

He revealed that neither of them made him feel intimidated on set. Saksham recalled the atmosphere on the set as comfortable and collaborative, which allowed him to work with the two accomplished actors without feeling overwhelmed.

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