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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

Shehnaaz Gill on exploring Bengali culture through ‘Singh Vs Kaur 2’: ‘I enjoyed it a lot’

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Mumbai, Sep 3: Actress Shehnaaz Gill has opened up about her character Jasneet Kaur in “Singh Vs Kaur 2.”

Speaking exclusively to media, she shared what made portraying the Bengali-rooted character an interesting experience for her. Jasneet Kaur comes from a Bengali background, while the story of the film travels across Punjab, Kolkata, and Canada. Speaking about the character, Shehnaaz shared that the role gave her an opportunity to explore different cultures, languages, and personalities.

Gill stated, “It was a lot of fun, and it was a very interesting character. And I enjoyed living in that culture. And seriously, when you watch the film, the way we have presented Kolkata so beautifully, you will find it very interesting. When you watch the film on 11th September, you tell me how much you found my character interesting. I enjoyed it a lot.”

Shehnaaz has opened up about being part of the ‘Singh vs Kaur 2’ franchise and addressed the possibility of comparisons with the first film. The actress said she does not feel any pressure, as her character Jasmeet is different from the one portrayed in the original. The actress explained that while the first installment featured a different character named Jasmeet, the sequel introduces her in the role.

“I think, as far as comparisons are concerned, in Singh Vs Kaur, the first character was a girl named Jasmeet, who was someone else. Now, it’s me. So, I don’t have any pressure about this at all. And I don’t think there will be any point of comparison because, of course, some things have a lot of impact on the audience’s minds. But when people see me, trust me, they will fall in love with me too,” said Shehnaaz.

Directed by Navaniat Singh, ‘Singh Vs Kaur 2’ stars Gippy Grewal and Shehnaaz Gill in the lead roles. The film is slated for a worldwide release on September 11, 2026.

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Bollywood

Priyanka Chopra recalls summer of 2017 when she gave Nick Jonas her number

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Mumbai, September 3: Global icon Priyanka Chopra Jonas took a trip down memory lane as husband Nick Jonas and his brothers Joe and Kevin released their latest song “Listen When Sad”.

She shared a nostalgic compilation of their relationship and recalled the summer when she gave Nick her number, in the summer of 2017.

Priyanka shared a video featuring a series of pictures capturing happy moments from her journey with Nick, including their early days together, travels and family memories. The actress captioned the post as,“Oh yes!

I do remember, the summer, I gave you, my number… circa: summer 2017 Sound on New Song Out Now | #ListenWhenSad @jonasbrothers.”

For the uninitiated, the post comes as the Jonas Brothers’ new single “Listen When Sad” was released on August 28.

The song nostalgically revolves around memories of young love, including the line about a summer when a girl gave someone her number.

Priyanka’s compilation also included a picture from a family holiday in Goa, featuring her cousin and actress Parineeti Chopra, brother Siddharth Chopra and other family members posing together.

Parineeti, who seemed thrilled, also took to the comments section to reminisce about the trip, writing, “Dayum that Goa trip was THE ONEEEE”.

Talking about the Priyanka and Nick’s love story, while the couple’s first face-to-face meeting took place at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party in February 2017, Nick apparently had already made the first move months earlier.

On September 8, 2016, he had sent Priyanka a Twitter DM saying, “I’m hearing from a few mutual friends that we should meet.” Priyanka replied asking him to text her instead considering her team had access to her social media account, which is how Nick got her number.

The two later met for drinks in New York and were subsequently invited to attend the 2017 Met Gala together by Ralph Lauren.

Their relationship eventually turned serious in 2018. Nick proposed to Priyanka and the couple tied the knot in a lavish wedding ceremony in Jodhpur in December 2018.

The couple are parents to their daughter Malti Marie.

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Crime

Bombay HC orders CBI probe into Disha Salian death case

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Mumbai, Sep 2: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday ordered a CBI investigation into the death of Disha Salian, former manager of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who died by suicide in June 2020.

The court clarified that no individual should be treated as an accused unless the Investigating Officer finds sufficient material against them during the probe.

The order came while hearing a petition filed by Satish Salian, Disha’s father, alleging lapses by the Mumbai Police in the investigation into his daughter’s death.

Speaking to media after the order, advocate Nilesh Ojha, counsel for Satish Salian, said the court had directed the CBI to record the petitioner’s statement, register an FIR, appoint a senior officer to conduct the investigation, and take custody of all relevant records from Malvani Police Station.

“The court has made it clear that action must be taken against anyone against whom evidence is found. At the same time, no person should be named as an accused without evidence. It has also clarified that if the CBI files a closure report, we will have the right to object and file a protest petition. We have full faith that truth will prevail.” Ojha told media.

Earlier, Ojha had alleged that influential individuals and certain senior police officers were involved in suppressing the case despite legal provisions mandating the registration of an FIR.

Reacting to the order, Disha’s father Satish Salian expressed confidence that the truth would emerge through the investigation.

“It has been a six-year fight. I always had faith that the truth would come out. Action should be taken against whoever is found guilty. Anyone who has done wrong must face the consequences,” he told media.

Disha Salian died on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai’s Malad area.

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