
9 minute read
BEAUTY IN THE BURNS
from 2019-04 Sydney (1)
by Indian Link
Bollywood is growing up, surely. Filmmakers are increasingly tackling ‘real’ issues and daring to tell stories that aren’t always pleasant, but have a message that’s worthy of being heard. Chahapaak is one such story. Based on the life of Laxmi Agarwal, an acid attack survivor, who went through a harrowing experience of being attacked by an older man whose advances she rejected, the Meghna Gulzar film stars Deepika Padukone as the protagonist.
The actor went through a major transformation in terms of make-up for the role, a transformation that’s being lauded by everyone, including Laxmi herself.
"I was happy to see Deepika's first look. The response and the messages I got on social media was overwhelming. A lot of make-up artistes changed a natural face to acid distorted face after that (on social media). And I felt, 'see, they are finding beauty in an acid-burnt face',” she said.
Asked about her involvement in the film, Laxmi added, “I am always open about my life because I have seen several people in my journey who are doing a lot in front, but are suffering behind. I feel if you are an inspiration for someone, then you should come out and talk about these things. Laxmi is an open book."
Deepika is equally ecstatic about having landed the role, calling the role is a “character that will stay with me forever”.
We can’t wait.
KALKI PLAYING SACRED GAMES?
What’s better than Nawaz and Saif in Sacred Games? Nawaz, Saif and Kalki Koechlin together, of course. We have been wondering what was keeping Kalki away from a series that is absolutely perfect for her repertoire, don’t you agree? Well, the news is that the actor will be part of the highlyanticipated season 2. The season picks up from Sartaj Singh (Saif) pursuing his relentless battle of saving the city and Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin) facing bigger challenges to retain his position as the legendary kingpin of Mumbai.
Acting genius Pankaj Tripathi, who plays Nawaz’s father, plays a pivotal role in unfolding a chain of events that shape the next season - a development that makes us incredibly happy. However, although Anurag Kashyap will continue directing Ganesh Gaitonde's track, director Neeraj Ghaywan will take over Sartaj Singh's plot. With a powerhouse of so many talents in one series, we can’t wait to see what the next season has to offer us.
REEL REFLECTS REAL: TABU
Bollywood films have always flirted with notorious ideas, one of them being the relationship of older men with much younger women. This idea was once explored in Yash Chopra’s Lamhe and not very well-received in a conservative society. It again shocked audiences in the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Nishabd. And now, Ajay Devgn’s film De De Pyaar De, which also stars Tabu, is all set try the formula of a 50-year-old man's relationship with a 26-year-old girl. Interestingly, Tabu herself played the much younger love interest of an older Amitabh Bachchan in Cheeni Kum. Odd how it’s never the opposite, isn’t it? Someone asked the actor the same question and she had to say one thing: “If certain things are accepted in society, then I think films will reflect that. I think the older man and younger woman concept is more widely accepted in the world and in society, so, we see more of it on-screen. I am sure that societal choices and the way we live will reflect in cinema because cinema is not happening in isolation." Food for thought…
PANKAJ IN POLITICS?
Why does every actor go down the same path? Acting and politics? The latest to join this list is Pankaj Tripathi – no, he hasn’t joined a political party - yet. But he’s pretty sure he will pursue it.
“I believe that only a well-read, wellaware individual can make a great leader and build a progressive nation. I tend to read a lot of books and believe in a certain ideology. I think reading and travelling not only make us good artistes but also broaden our horizons and open our mind. It really helps us to become a good human being."
The ‘political statement’ probably follows his role as a lawyer in a new web series called Criminal Justice, which is interestingly an Indian adaptation of the British television series of the same name.
We do hope that Pankaj remains in the acting profession - mainly because we already have such excellent actors in politics already!
INDIA CALLING: CHRIS HEMSWORTH
THe is not the first celebrity to claim his love for India and he won’t be the last. But do we love him for it, anyway? Yes, we do. Christ Hemsworth, the Aussie Hollywood heartthrob, who’s filming Avengers: Endgame, says it is one of the best places on the planet.

The actor, who went to India last year to shoot for his film Dhaka, said, "Our director Joe Russo has come to the beautiful country. I have come myself. It is one of the best places on the planet. Sorry couldn't be there this time. Joe thinks he can handle some spicy food and I have told him to try some rogan josh and some butter chicken... see if he can handle the heat. Lot of love guys and hope to see you soon."
"Beyond thankful for the kindness and generosity that the people of India have extended to us while making our little film here," Hemsworth had posted on Instagram along with three photographs in which he is surrounded by fans, especially children.
HOW INDIANS INSPIRED AVENGERS: ENDGAME
Surprised? We’re too. But turns out it’s the truth, says the film’s co-director Joe Russo. The filmmaker tells a rather interesting story about the making of the film.
“There was a recording of Indian audience watching the Avengers: Infinity War and the cheer when Thor lands in Wakanda... The cheers
HEMSWORTH sounded like (coming from) a football stadium. We used to listen to that recording whenever we would get tired (working) on '...Endgame' because it took us a very long time and it was a difficult movie to finish. It would inspire us. We feel very connected to Indian audiences because of that," he added.
The film is a continuation of Avengers: Infinity War, which left Marvel fans in shock with the failure of the superheroes against the supervillain Thanos. It stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson and will release in India in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
Talking about Indian fans, he said, "We are paying attention to the way people are reacting to films and it was very clear to us how India is responding especially with Infinity War. Marvel has become very popular in India very quickly."
Well, we are quite crazy about films, aren’t we?
AS CRAZY AS RANVEER: GUESS WHO?
Ranveer Singh is… nuts. We can all agree on that, even Ranveer. So if someone tells you they’re as crazy as Ranveer Singh, it’s got to be someone like…Lilly Singh!
The YouTube sensation, who recently made headlines for being the first and only woman of colour to have her own late night show on NBC, met Deepika Padukone’s husband and said she finds him as "crazy" as herself.
Lilly, popular as Superwoman, tweeted a photograph along with Ranveer and captioned it: "I never thought I would meet someone as crazy as me... and then I met Ranveer Singh. Obsessed. Such vibes."

She even shared a video in which Ranveer is seen rapping lines from his film Gully Boy, in which he plays a street rapper, and Lilly is seen with him. "That one friend who doesn't know the lyrics... Ranveer Singh," she wrote. Funny.
Well, one thing is for sure. If anyone can match Ranveer’s ‘crazy’, it’s Lilly Singh!

MODI, SANS CONTROVERSY
Sounds unbelievable, doesn’t it?
Filmmaker Umesh Shukla, however, begs to differ. His new web-series
Modi: Journey of A Common Man (why does that sound more like the title of Aam Admi Party?) does not plan to talk about the controversies attached to the man.
Why not, we wonder."I have attempted to tell the story from a humane point of view. Even if the audience keeps aside the fact that Modi is the Prime Minister, he/she can enjoy the journey of a common man who started from zero and become the hero of the new generation. My show is non-controversial," says Shukla.

He says he does touch upon the subject of Godhra, but that’s it.On whether the web series will include Gujarat's industrial development, which became a turning point in Modi's political career, and the 2002 riots that tore apart the state's communal harmony, Shukla said, "I surely have addressed the issue and his contribution to control the Godhra riots". In the 10-episode series, "My story ends in 2014 when he starts his journey as the Prime Minister."
The web series will showcase three phases of Modi's life -- his childhood, from adulthood to becoming the Gujarat Chief Minister, and his journey to become the Prime Minister in 2014.
Three actors - Mahesh Thakur, Ashish Sharma and Faisal Khan - are playing Modi in the three phases of the story.
How Shukla plans to leave out the ‘controversies’ out of this series will be interesting to watch.
On Twitter This Week
Match the following stars to the tweets below:
Priyanka Chopra, Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Anupam Kher, Sanjay Dutt
The rumor (sic) about me contesting for the Loksabha elections is not true. I stand with my country and in full support for my sister.
I grew up on #AmarChitraKatha ! The treasure trove of stories!
It’s been 20 years but I am glad Sanjay and I are finally back in his next film, Inshallah. Looking forward to work with Alia.

It’s here!! Go watch go watch! #JustOneThing
A kashmiri welcome, kashmiri food, kashmiri conversations last night in New York had its own healing qualities.
Last Issue Caption Contest Winner
KirronKher: “We both belong to the drama profession!”

Monica P Nanda
Congrats Monica, you win a free movie ticket.
For more caption entries, see YOUR SAY Page 9
BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA
Our mission at Indian Link is to see kout Indian links in Australian life. One such major link can be found in street names in all of Australia’s major metropolitan centres. Sydney’s roads for instance are replete with references to India that tell us a lot about the links between our two countries (and in some cases, reveal the real nature of the people who live on them – example, you know the average weight of the residents of Motu Place, Glenfield).
There is some dispute about whether Indian settlement in Sydney began at Indus Place (Kearns) or on Indus Rd (Erskine Park). There are those who will tell you it all actually began at Hind Place (Chipping Norton).
Yet others will swear that the largest Indian ghettos in this metropolis are to be found along Currey Place (Fairfield), Currie Ave (Annangrove), Curry Rd (Forestville), Currey Rd (Oakville), Curry Lane (Artarmon), Curry St (Rooty Hill), Curry St (Eastern Creek) and Currie Place (Seven Hills).
Legend has it that the early town-planners had a number of Indophiles amongst them, who are responsible for names such as Delhi St (Chatswood, Lidcombe), Bombay St (Lidcombe), Anduman St and Nicobar St (both in Kings Park), Lucknow St (Willoughby), Agra Place (Riverstone), Baroda Place (Elizabeth Bay), Himalaya Cr (Seven Hills), Kashmir Ave (Quakers Hill), Orissa St (Cammeray, Campsie, Doonside), Simla Rd (Denistone, Lidcombe), and Malabar Ave (Dural, Coogee, Maroubra, Canley Vale).
Perhaps some of these early townplanners had served as officers of the British Raj. How else would you explain Gymkhana Place (Glenwood), Motorkhana Rd (Lippington), Burrawalla St (Caringbah), even Durbar Ave (Kirrawee)??
These very same culprits (or heroes, as the case may be), filled with nostalgia for the days of the Raj, gave us nomenclature such as Bangalee Place (Bangor), Bindi Place (Beacon Hill), Bindee Close (Glenmore Park), Naranghi St (Telopea), Sitar Place (Plumpton), Guru Place (Glemnore Park), Wazir St (Bardwell Valley), Mynah Close (St. Clair), Myoora St (Pymble), Koel Place (Ingleburn) and Bulbul Ave (Green Valley).
And when their imagination was running low, they picked random Hindustani words they could remember, falsely believing they were safe from the scrutiny of Hindustanis who would never travel to their shores. And so we got Besant Place (Rooty Hill), Canoon Rd (Turramurra), Garema Ct (Kingsgrove), Geewan Ave (Kellyville), Hera Place (St. Clair), Kalyan Ave (Bradbury), Kanya St (Frenchs Forest), Lodi Close (West Hoxton), Patanga Rd (Frenchs Forest), Mahan Way (Minto), Mera St (Guildford), Milon St (Prestons), Pukara Place (Cromer), Tarana Ct (Casula), Cuscus Place (St. Helens Park) and Biman Place (Whalan).
While these may still sound exotic, how about this sample: Atka St (Tregear), Bunda Place (Glenmore Park), Pyalla St (Northbridge), Carrara Rd (Vaucluse), Maida Rd (Epping), Milmil St (Milson’s Point), Gully Gully Rd (Mooney Mooney), Dilkara Ct (Menai), Nyari St (Kenthurst), Nada St (Toongabbie), Mulla Road (Yagoona), Mowla St (Jamiesontown), Tambu St (St.

