Latest news with #Parineeta
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Amar Singh Chamkila and Amy Winehouse are part of the same club, and we could have done something about it
At some point in our lives we have all felt stuck, helpless, alone and misunderstood. Maybe it was a new school or a bad breakup, or maybe you lost your job or lost someone close. When tragedy befalls our lives, we either panic or we shut down, and be it any act of our story, there are usually only two ways to go after that. One either turns to an escape that digs an even deeper hole for you to get out of, or someone hears your cries (maybe your own conscience), and you overcome that hurdle. However, the sinking human doesn't stop asking for help, maybe not in so many words, but their actions express angst and misery; they express the need for a hand. But the irony of life is that sometimes the loudest cries don't reach any ears, and singer Amy Winehouse is one of the biggest examples of this, and her exit from the stage of life is one of our biggest failures. Born Amy Jade Winehouse, she came from a family that had its roots deep in music. While her parents were both from the working class, her uncles and grandmother were products and producers of jazz, and that is how the English singer would discover music very early in her life. A beast that she would care for and a beast that would prove to be the only one standing besides her till her last breath. I remember watching the Imtiaz Ali film about the legendary Punjabi singer Amar Singh Chamkila and then reading about the man. No matter how you look at the story, it's bound to have a 'Mona Lisa effect' on you, because no matter how you try to describe it, a young strong artiste lost his life because people simply didn't agree with his lyrics. The story makes you feel queasy about speaking your mind, but even though Amar Singh and his wife were murdered, and Amy passed away due to alcohol poisoning, there are similarities in how and why these two left an unforgiving world. One was shot, one was left to die; one was silenced and one was forgotten. Amar was killed because someone decided to do something horrific about his brand of music and what he represented, and Amy was killed because no one decided to do anything about her very discernible afflictions. They were both 27 when they passed away. ALSO READ: Britney Spears and Lata Mangeshkar share the same connection that Parineeta the film and Louis Armstrong do, and it has to do with cheating Throughout her life, Amy was plagued with substance abuse and addiction issues. Cancelled shows, severe weight loss, and frequent trips to the hospital were all signs that something was extremely wrong. At one point during 2008, Amy reportedly stopped the use of illegal substances, and to deal with the withdrawal symptoms, she quickly turned to alcohol. Her marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil is believed by many to be the catalyst of her already bad addiction issues, and the singer herself called it a 'marriage based on doing drugs'. Alcohol came and never left, as the singer continued dropping riveting music, so personal and moving, you felt like she was sitting in front of you and telling you her story. She has over 30 million records sold worldwide, and not one person who bought those records paid heed to the fact that she needed to be saved from herself and that the 'modern-day Bardot' needed to be left alone by paparazzi and required attention from those close to her. She wasn't even suffering in silence; everything was on display for the world to see. Amy sang and drank till her instrument and its body stopped working altogether, and this wasn't the first time we lost an artiste to the infamous '27 Club'. Almost 17 years before Amy passed away, the world lost another great, troubled and tenacious mind, again at the age of 27: Kurt Donald Cobain of the band Nirvana. For many people out there of a certain generation, you didn't listen to Nirvana because you were a rock music aficionado; rather, it was Nirvana who opened the gates for many to one of the greatest ways of disseminating love, anguish, fear, admiration and glory. Perched on a gargoyle, the man saw the culture he built and a world so intertwined in it that they forgot the maker. With technically just 4 albums, Nirvana would go on to sell more than 80 million records worldwide. Also riddled with problems of substance abuse, Kurt would make many round trips to the hospital due to several overdose episodes. After an intervention hosted by his wife, the singer would agree to a detox trip to a facility, but the walls caved in and he escaped. He flew to Seattle, sitting beside Guns N' Roses' Duff McKagan, which probably was his last connection to music before he killed himself in his Lake Washington residence with a weapon he had bought for 'protection'. In 1971, 23 years before this, the world lost Jim Morrison of The Doors, and just a year prior to that, Jimi Hendrix was gone, both at the age of 27. Two of the most influential musicians of all time, two men who will never truly be able to fathom the kind of effect they still have on the world, why every guitarist's first instinct is to grow out their hair, and why all of them dream of playing in front of the crowd at Woodstock Festival. ALSO READ: Justin Bieber album Swag review: Bieber needs to take notes from Pritam and keep it simple There are some artists who acknowledged this 'club' and even mentioned their possible membership, like Mac Miller and Juice WRLD. In his song 'Brand Name' from the album GO:OD AM, Miller called out all the people who sell him drugs and asked them to make sure that they don't spike it because he doesn't wish to die at 27. Juice talks about the club in his song 'Legends' and states, 'What's the 27 Club? We aren't making it past 21.' Miller passed away at age 26 while Juice was 21 at the time of his death, and both men died from accidental drug overdoses. All of these artists, their lives, and the eerily coincidental troubles they had with addiction, co-dependency and loneliness reveal a deeper and a much more problematic picture. Accepting defeat in companionship was never truly looked at from such an isolated lens until Amy's 'Back to Black'. Hendrix inspired someone who will go down as probably the greatest guitarist of all time. Eric Clapton, The Doors didn't just become one of the most influential bands of all time but the closet from Narnia that takes you back to 1967. How did we miss all the signs, and why do we continue to do so? Look at the way we depict our artistes in films, songs or through any kind of medium. Filled with pain, maybe one absentee parent, maybe both, can't handle relationships but has no problem writing, singing or painting about it. The film Kodachrome by Matt Raso has a scene where the characters of Ed Harris, Jason Sudeikis, and Elisabeth Olsen are riding in a car. Jason asks Harris, 'Are you ever happy?' and he replies, 'Happiness is bulls**t; it's the great myth of the late 20th century. Do you think Picasso, Hemingway or Hendrix was happy? No art worth a damn is ever created out of happiness.' If artistes claim to be this unique piece made by God, then 'not being happy' cannot be the one thing they collectively decided to agree upon. I get that being out of your comfort zone and being challenged pushes an individual to fight, but that can't be a fight unto death. There is also the argument that once the artiste stops fighting, they won't be creating art that truly galvanises people or tells them to get up and keep going. But if the bout needs to continue until the final bell of these people's lives, then why can't some of us fight with them? Whether you criticise them or appreciate them, we end up putting them on such a high pedestal that they are automatically dehumanised, and hence a leaked picture which has them drinking or smoking or taking drugs won't induce concern in your brain, but curiosity. Would you react the same way if the person in the photograph was someone you knew? The relationship we have with the people who provide us with art is a toxic one, and we are the red flags, people. It's sad to think about the number of great lives that could have been saved if their fans, the media covering them, and, in some cases, the people managing them had even a modicum of empathy for them. Eminem got out; so did Sir Elton John, and Clapton made it to the other side just like Keith Urban. We have good examples as well, examples which tell us that it is possible to come out of that pit we talked about, no matter how deep you have dug yourself. So this is to all the greats who felt alone while being watched by the whole world; here's to you.
Economic Times
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Vidya Balan gets candid about awkward on-screen intimacies, recalls actor who didn't brush after eating Chinese: 'Could smell garlic, soy sauce…'
Agencies Vidya Balan recently shared humorous and uncomfortable early career experiences in an interview. She recounted an intimate scene complicated by a co-star's garlic-laden breath and her debut film, Parineeta, where Sanjay Dutt eased her nervousness during their first on-screen kiss. When viewers see passion unfold on screen, little do they realize the strange—and sometimes smelly—realities behind the camera. In a light-hearted yet revealing conversation with Anupama Chopra for The Hollywood Reporter India , Vidya Balan opened up about some of the most personal, humorous, and uncomfortable moments of her journey in cinema. Among the anecdotes that surfaced was a particularly awkward incident early in her career. Without naming names, Vidya recalled shooting an intimate scene with a co-star who, just before their romantic moment, had gorged on Chinese food—and skipped brushing afterward. 'I could smell garlic, soy sauce, everything… and he hadn't brushed,' Vidya quipped, laughing. 'In my head, I was thinking, 'Do you not have a partner?'' Despite the urge, she didn't offer him a mint. 'I was too new, too scared,' she admitted with a smile. Her honesty, delivered with characteristic wit, strikes a chord with many young professionals navigating early career awkwardness, especially in industries like acting where physical proximity is part of the job description. The tone of the interview shifted when Vidya reminisced about shooting her debut film Parineeta —the movie that launched her into the public eye and into hearts. In a particularly emotional moment, she recounted shooting her very first on-screen kiss with none other than Sanjay Dutt. Despite being a seasoned actor, Dutt surprised her with his vulnerability. 'He came up to me and said, 'I'm nervous. How do we do this?' And I thought, he's so seasoned… and he's saying this!' she laughed. But it wasn't nervousness—it was kindness. Dutt's gesture, Vidya explained, was aimed at easing her discomfort as a newcomer. 'He made me feel safe. It put me at ease because I didn't know what I was doing.' What stayed with her most wasn't just the scene, but what happened after. 'He kissed my forehead and said, 'You're doing great.' That's why Sanjay Dutt is Sanjay Dutt.' Marking two decades in cinema, Vidya remains unshaken by the industry's harsh beauty standards. 'I think I am shamelessly optimistic,' she said during the same interview. 'I've had people tell me I need to lose weight. But I've always believed there is nothing wrong with me.' That self-belief, she emphasized, helped her stay grounded through the pressures of stardom. 'I was still playing leads. Those insecurities have never really weighed me down.' Now, for the first time in years, Vidya finds herself in a state of peace. 'I'm not experiencing stress. I'm reading scripts, meeting people… I've locked in two films,' she shared, though remaining tight-lipped about the details.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Vidya Balan gets candid about awkward on-screen intimacies, recalls actor who didn't brush after eating Chinese: 'Could smell garlic, soy sauce…'
When viewers see passion unfold on screen, little do they realize the strange—and sometimes smelly—realities behind the camera. In a light-hearted yet revealing conversation with Anupama Chopra for The Hollywood Reporter India , Vidya Balan opened up about some of the most personal, humorous, and uncomfortable moments of her journey in cinema. Among the anecdotes that surfaced was a particularly awkward incident early in her career. Without naming names, Vidya recalled shooting an intimate scene with a co-star who, just before their romantic moment, had gorged on Chinese food—and skipped brushing afterward. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Project Management Data Science Cybersecurity CXO Artificial Intelligence Others Digital Marketing Leadership Data Analytics Management Healthcare Data Science healthcare Operations Management Public Policy Product Management Degree PGDM Technology MCA MBA Design Thinking others Finance Skills you'll gain: Project Planning & Governance Agile Software Development Practices Project Management Tools & Software Techniques Scrum Framework Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business Certificate Programme in IT Project Management Starts on Jun 20, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Portfolio Management Project Planning & Risk Analysis Strategic Project/Portfolio Selection Adaptive & Agile Project Management Duration: 6 Months IIT Delhi Certificate Programme in Project Management Starts on May 30, 2024 Get Details 'I could smell garlic, soy sauce, everything… and he hadn't brushed,' Vidya quipped, laughing. 'In my head, I was thinking, 'Do you not have a partner?'' Despite the urge, she didn't offer him a mint. 'I was too new, too scared,' she admitted with a smile. Her honesty, delivered with characteristic wit, strikes a chord with many young professionals navigating early career awkwardness, especially in industries like acting where physical proximity is part of the job description. A First Kiss and Sanjay Dutt's Gentle Grace The tone of the interview shifted when Vidya reminisced about shooting her debut film Parineeta —the movie that launched her into the public eye and into hearts. In a particularly emotional moment, she recounted shooting her very first on-screen kiss with none other than Sanjay Dutt. You Might Also Like: No workout. How Vidya Balan lost lot of weight only through diet Despite being a seasoned actor, Dutt surprised her with his vulnerability. 'He came up to me and said, 'I'm nervous. How do we do this?' And I thought, he's so seasoned… and he's saying this!' she laughed. But it wasn't nervousness—it was kindness. Dutt's gesture, Vidya explained, was aimed at easing her discomfort as a newcomer. 'He made me feel safe. It put me at ease because I didn't know what I was doing.' What stayed with her most wasn't just the scene, but what happened after. 'He kissed my forehead and said, 'You're doing great.' That's why Sanjay Dutt is Sanjay Dutt.' The Vidya Balan Way Marking two decades in cinema, Vidya remains unshaken by the industry's harsh beauty standards. 'I think I am shamelessly optimistic,' she said during the same interview. 'I've had people tell me I need to lose weight. But I've always believed there is nothing wrong with me.' You Might Also Like: How to earn more? Billionaire Harsh Goenka shares actress Vidya Balan's tailor lesson That self-belief, she emphasized, helped her stay grounded through the pressures of stardom. 'I was still playing leads. Those insecurities have never really weighed me down.' Now, for the first time in years, Vidya finds herself in a state of peace. 'I'm not experiencing stress. I'm reading scripts, meeting people… I've locked in two films,' she shared, though remaining tight-lipped about the details.
Pink Villa
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Vidya Balan reveals doing intimate scene with actor who had Chinese food and didn't brush, recalls working with Sanjay Dutt
It is nothing new to hear actors discuss their intimate scenes and reveal that they are nervous while filming them. During a recent interview, Vidya Balan spoke about one such moment when she had to go through an unpleasant experience while shooting an erotic scene with an actor who did not brush after eating Chinese. What she said will leave you stunned. The actress also spoke about how Sanjay Dutt, on the other hand, made her comfortable while she was filming her first kissing scene. Vidya Balan narrates an unhygienic intimate scene experience Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Vidya Balan shared a story about an unhygienic moment she experienced while filming a romantic scene for a movie. Without naming her co-star, the actress quipped that he had just eaten Chinese food and she could smell garlic, soy sauce, and everything. She also went on to add that he had not brushed. Laughing uncontrollably, Vidya revealed, saying in her head, "Do you not have a partner?" The actress then said that she did not offer any mints to her co-star as she was new in the industry and too scared. Vidya Balan recalls filming an intimate scene with Sanjay Dutt Recalling the time when she had to film an intimate scene with Sanjay Dutt in Parineeta, the actor had come to meet her in the morning. Dutt told her that he was too nervous and asked her how they should do it. Tumhari Sulu actress laughed and said, "he's so seasoned, seasoned in every way, and he is telling me this." Revealing why he said this, Vidya explained that he just wanted to make her comfortable, which took the load off her. This was her first intimate scene, and she didn't know how to do it. "You always feel like you're going to expose a part of you, but that puts me at ease." What stayed with Balan was Dutt's gesture after filming the scene. He came to her and assured her that she was doing okay. "He kissed my forehead and left. That's why Sanjay Dutt is Sanjay Dutt." She also laughed and revealed that he smells excellent.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Vidya Balan recalls doing an intimate scene with an actor who had Chinese and didn't brush: 'Do you not have a partner?'
Vidya Balan has just completed 20 years in the industry. The actress made her debut with 'Parineeta' which starred her opposite Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt. In a recent interview, the actress was asked if she's got any practical advice as an actor or things that she takes care of before every scene or a making an appearance. The actress responded and said that as women, generally one takes care of their teeth, nose, basic hygiene and how they're smelling. But that reminded her of an old incident. She said during this chat with The Hollywood Reporter India, "I've had an actor who had chinese, he didn't brush and I had an intimate scene with him." She further laughed, "I said in my head, 'do you not have a partner?' I didn't offer mints, I was too new, too scared." In the same interview, Vidya spoke about not being insecure as an actor and being quite optimistic always. She said, "I think I am shamelessly optimistic. I have so much self-belief. I have put myself out there at my biggest and not batted an eyelid. I've had people tell me I should work on myself, that I should shed weight. But I actually believe there is nothing wrong with me. And I think that is a great attitude because it helped me sail through. I was still playing the lead, so I don't think those kinds of insecurities have ever weighed me down." The actress further spoke about her current state of mind and said, "For the first time in my life, I am not experiencing stress. Knowingly or unknowingly, we go through a lot of stress. I am enjoying this period. I am reading scripts, meeting people, and I have decided on two films. Unfortunately, I am not able to talk about it right now."
