Latest news with #D-Town
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
I am more confident about experimenting with roles now: Mitra Gadhvi
Mitra Gadhvi Mitra with Salman Khan on the set of Sikandar 2025 has been a happening year for Mitra Gadhvi so far. While both his D-Town releases, Bhram and Mithada Maheman, fared well at the box office, he also shared screen space with Salman Khan in Sikandar. Mitra shares, 'Last year was good for me too, as people loved my character in Fakt Purusho Maate and the film did really well. I also enjoyed doing The Great Gujarati Matrimony . I am happy that the first half of 2025 has been so good for me. Mithada Maheman was a very different film, and I was eagerly waiting for Bhram to hit the screens. With Bhram doing so well and audiences accepting my character whole-heartedly, I am more confident about experimenting with roles now. I was disheartened when Bhram didn't do well initially, as we knew we had made a good film. Thankfully, things changed completely from the third day onwards. Fans sent me messages like 'This is Mitra 2.0' and 'You are not Loy (from Chhello Divas) anymore'. People have told me that they want me to play more such roles. ' The actor, who did bungee jumping in Ladakh last year, is also looking forward to taking a break. He says, 'I travel to new destinations with friends every year. In September-October, we plan to explore the beauty of Munsyari (in Uttarakhand).' 'I am keen to do an action film now' Althoughpeople have loved him incomedies like 3 Ekka, Shu Thayu? and Chhello Divas, Mitra says he is now keen to explore different genres. He shares, 'I will still do comedies, as I love the genre, but I will experiment a lot more and explore different genres now. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo I am very keen to do an action film, and I also want to play a negative lead. I have always wanted to explore different genres and now, I am finally being offered a variety of roles. ' He adds, 'I am excited about Naankhatai, my upcoming Gujarati film, which has a very heartwarming story. I am also in talks for a few other exciting projects. Usually, we see one or two big hits in a year in D-Town. But this year, we have already seen five-six movies doing well at the box office, and a few more big releases are in the pipeline. 2025 promises to be the biggest year for Gujarati cinema.' 'Salman Khan is one of the most chilled out co-stars' Sharing his experience of sharing screen space with Salman Khan in Sikandar, Mitra says, 'On the first day of the shoot in Hyderabad, my first shot was with him, where he had to slap me. Initially, I was a bit nervous, but Salman sir is one of the most chilled out co-stars. He kept cracking jokes and was singing in between the shots, which made things pretty easy for me. I never felt I needed to behave in a certain way because I was working with such a big star. '
Time of India
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Hit films, strong content: D-Town aces first half of 2025
All The Best Pandya While there were apprehensions at the beginning of the year about how the Gujarati film industry will fare at a time when it's not easy to draw audiences to theatres, the first half of 2025 has certainly calmed everyone's nerves. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to distributors and industry insiders, this has been one of the best years for D-Town in recent times. Film distributor Vandan Shah says, 'It has been a very good first half for Gujarati cinema. Films like Umbarro and All the Best Pandya have done exceptionally well. Also, Jai Mata Ji Let's Rock was a hit. Even movies like Mom Tane Nai Samjay and Jija Sala Jija have done good business.' Says another distributor, 'Umbarro, All the Best Pandya and Jai Mata Ji Let's Rock have been the biggest winners at the box office. It's also heartening to see films like Bhram, Faati Ne? and Jija Sala Jija , which were not big-budget projects, have done well too.' Jai Mata Ji Let's Rock 'It is clear that audiences are eager to watch Gujarati films' Filmmakers say that they feel encouraged with the audience response this year. Rahul Bhole, co-director of All the Best Pandya, says, 'It has been one of our best films in terms of box office performance and the huge success of this film and Umbarro makes it clear that audiences are eager to watch Gujarati films. In a year when even Bollywood has struggled, except for huge hits like Chhaava, it gives us hope. Even films like Bhram, which had a slow start, later did well due to positive word-of-mouth publicity. Already, this has been one of the best years for the industry.' Sonaalee Lele Desai, who played the lead role in Bhram and was also a part of Mithada Maheman, which has done well too, agrees, 'Post pandemic, thriller has been a popular genre but Bhram had a slow start at the box office. But Sunday onwards, the film started doing really well not just in Gujarat, but in Mumbai too. It shows that if you have a good story, audiences are willing to invest in Gujarati films.' Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'Films belonging to different genres found their own audience' Industry experts are glad that films belonging to different genres have worked, which means audiences are giving a thumbs up to experimentation. Abhishek, director of Umbarro, says, 'While making a film, you can never predict the box office numbers. However, we were confident about our film and right from the beginning, the intent was to tell an entertaining story that will make audiences laugh as well as cry. We wanted to make a film that would appeal to all age groups. ' He adds, 'Be it our film, Faati Ne?, Bhram or the other movies that have done well, films belonging to different genres found their own audience. Having such a dedicated audience for Gujarati films means a lot to us. It's wonderful to see that films that are very different from each other found their own audience. At least six-seven Gujarati films have done really well at the box office in the first six months of 2025. It proves there is a dedicated audience for good Gujarati films, which is a huge thing for us. ' Bhram Best performing D-Town films of 2025 Umbarro All the Best Pandya Jai Mata Ji Let's Rock Bhram Faati Ne? -Source: Local distributors
News18
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
A Look At BTS' Suga's Journey Ahead Of His Military Discharge
Last Updated: BTS announced their plans to enlist in 2022. Jin, the first member of the group, was discharged in June 2024. Now, Suga's time in service is almost complete. Suga, a member of BTS, is nearing his military discharge date, which is set for June 21. His enlistment is part of South Korea's mandatory military service, which all able-bodied men must complete before turning 28. As BTS prepared to enlist, there was much speculation about how the group would handle the situation, and the South Korean government even conducted a poll asking citizens what they thought should be done. But BTS made their decision and announced their plans to enlist in 2022. Jin, the first member of the group, was discharged in June 2024. Now, Suga's time in service is almost complete. Ahead of Suga's military discharge, let's take a look at his journey. Suga, born Min Yoon-Gi, grew up in Daegu, South Korea's third-largest city. His love for hip-hop began at a young age when he heard South Korean rappers Epik High and Stony Skunk. Before joining BTS, Suga was part of the underground rap scene and performed with a group called D-Town (Daegu-Town) under the name Gloss. Suga initially joined Big Hit Entertainment as a music producer. Along with BTS members RM and J-Hope, he trained under the company for three years. In 2013, Suga debuted with BTS and performed their track No More Dream on Mnet's M Countdown. Over the years, Suga has written, produced and composed numerous tracks for BTS. The K-pop idol has made his mark as a solo artist under the name Agust D. His mixtapes Agust D (2016) and D-2 (2020) were critically acclaimed. In April 2023, he released his first full solo album, D-Day. He has written for and collaborated with other artists like Suran, for whom he wrote the track Wine which won Best Soul/R&B track at the 2017 Melon Music Awards. Suga is known for his contributions to various charitable causes. According to Tatler Asia, over the years, he has donated to organisations such as the Korean Paediatric Cancer Foundation, Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital and the Hope Bridge Association for National Disaster Relief. Despite his fame, Suga has been open about the difficulties he faced in his early years, especially during his trainee period. In the Burn the Stage documentary series, he shared how tough it was mentally and financially. The rapper said that he used to buy lottery tickets in hopes of winning each week. He also opened up about how he would have to choose between taking the bus and eating. Apart from his music career, Suga also has a passion for football. In fact, he was named as a brand-new NBA Ambassador for the 2022/23 season. His stage name, Suga, is actually inspired by his love for basketball. When he played as a shooting guard on his team, he opted to merge the first syllable of each word to form SUGA. First Published: May 15, 2025, 15:39 IST
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Great to do a Gujarati film after so many years in showbiz: Helly Shah
Helly Shah Helly Shah , who made her D-Town debut with Surprise recently, says that she is 'really happy to have finally done a film in my mother tongue.' The popular TV actress, who has done shows like Diya Aur Baati Hum, Laal Ishq and Sufiyana Pyaar Mera, was in Ahmedabad recently. Helly, who made her OTT debut with Gullak 4 last year, adds, 'I was telling Vatsal (Sheth, her co-actor in Surprise) that it's wonderful to have finally done a Gujarati film after so many years in showbiz. I guess there is a right time for everything; der aaye durust aaye. Vatsal is a gem of a person and working with him was really easy.' She adds, 'During the promotional activities of my debut film, I visited Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad. It was great fun because my extended family stays in Ahmedabad. I am a big foodie and love the local delicacies in every city. In Rajkot, I had bhakri with butter and it was mouth-watering.' 'This is an exciting phase for Gujarati cinema ' Helly feels 'this is an exciting phase for Gujarati cinema.' She adds, 'I immediately said yes to Surprise because I found the story intriguing. It was not your typical suspense thriller and playing a thief on screen was great fun. Gujarati cinema is coming up with very good content now, and the production value is excellent too. I like the vision that the makers have for the industry.' She adds, 'I have completed shooting for another Gujarati film, Deda, which may release later this year. It is an emotionally enriching story that is completely different from what I have done in my debut film. I am also in talks for another Gujarati film. My mom and I love enjoying Gujarati films together. We have loved films like Kutch Express, Hellaro, Dear Father, Vash and Chhello Divas . I feel this is a great time for me to enter the industry.' 'Doing comedy for the first time was challenging but fun' Helly, who took a break from TV after Ishq Mein Marjawan 2 (2021), recently made her small screen comeback with Zyada Mat Udd. She says, 'I always wanted to do a sitcom and it's not often that you see a TV show based on the aviation industry. Also, I had never done a comedy before. While it was challenging, I had great fun because I got to work with some terrific co-actors. It's very different from typical saas-bahu serials. ' She adds, 'There are people who have told me that the show has not done as well as we had expected. However, we feel we should be proud because we tried something different. Times are changing and I hope shows that try something new are accepted. I have a couple of interesting OTT projects lined up this year, and I am very excited about them.' Asked about whether TV is exploring new concepts often enough, she shares, 'It's not happening regularly. Saal-do saal mein aisa ek show aata hai, which is completely out of the box. Sometimes, a good show is not appreciated enough when it is released and the audience appreciates its true worth after a few years, like it happened in the case of Sarabhai vs Sarabhai. I want to see more experimentation on TV. It would be great if makers take more risks.' Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Thoda late hua, but I am finally here: Vatsal Sheth on D-Town debut
Vatsal Sheth , who recently made his D-Town debut with Surprise, says he felt 'very nervous' about it. Vatsal, who has done TV shows like Just Mohabbat, Haasil, Ek Hasina Thi and films like Taarzan: The Wonder Car (his Bollywood debut) and Adipurush, says, 'Although I am a Gujarati and speak Gujarati, it is a different industry. I hope people in Gujarat will accept me as their own.' 'Unfortunately, nobody offered me a Gujarati film earlier' The actor has also shot for another Gujarati film with Esha Kansara and Vrajesh Hirjee. He says, 'It's amazing to see Gujarati cinema doing so well. It is on the rise, and the talent here is amazing. There is Mallhar, Yash (Soni) and many National Award winners. Gujarati films are being remade in Hindi, and even my family watches Gujarati films now. I am happy to be entering the industry; thoda late hua, but I am finally here. ' So, why did it take so long? He shares, 'I've always wanted to do a Gujarati film, but unfortunately, nobody offered me one. Probably they thought that I am not a Gujarati. Also, the budgets in Hindi films and television are very different, so they must have thought, 'Yeh Gujarati film karega ya nahi?'' 'I worked on my Gujarati accent for my D-Town debut' Vatsal, who has worked in Bollywood for almost 22 years, says, 'I speak Gujarati at home. But when it comes to performing in front of the camera, there is a bit of a struggle as I am so used to speaking in Hindi. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trekking pants for mountain sports and adventure travel Trek Kit India Shop Now Undo I become conscious when I have to speak in Gujarati, and I worked hard for my role. I attended workshops for language training and diction. People in Gujarat speak very differently but that's the challenge for actors, and it was fun to portray the character. My accent is very urban in the film.' He wants to work in all mediums and says, 'I enjoy all the mediums. I also have a web series slated for release later this year. For me, the character and role are most important. When I did Adipurush, I put in a lot of effort and it was also released in many south Indian languages. So, language doesn't matter for me.' 'I do whatever my heart tells me' I was reading an amazing book recently, which talks about how to stop overthinking. I've actually applied that. If I really enjoy doing Gujarati films, I will do it. I won't stop myself, thinking that agar main Gujarati film karunga toh mujhe Hindi ya Tamil offers nahi aayenge. When I took up Ek Hasina Thi, many people told me that I will not get films anymore. But that didn't happen, and I learnt many things by doing TV. Ek Hasina Thi became the number one show and I got several offers after it. So, I do whatever my heart tells me. 'Will take some time off when the baby arrives' Vatsal and his actor-wife Ishita Dutta Sheth are expecting their second child soon. Vatsal says, 'I am not taking up any new projects now, since Ishita is due in June. I want to take a paternity break and spend time with Vaayu (their son) and Ishita. A lot is happening in my life right now. The release date of Surprise was preponed. It is an exciting time in my life, and I will take some time off when the baby arrives.' Asked about how they plan the journey ahead with two kids, he adds, 'I like to live in the moment. We know we'll figure out a way when the baby arrives. I always take inspiration from my parents, and everyone else around me.' Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
