Indo-American News: June 16 2023

Masala Radio 98.7 FM Celebrates 30-Year Journey @ Musaafer

Houston: Masala Radio 98.7

FM celebrated 30 years with 30 of their team members also know as the “Crazy Masala Crew”. The party was held at Musaafer –one of America’s most enchanting Indian restaurants & bar. The journey of 30 years seems extraordinary for Sunil & Sandhya Thakkar who started the radio show in 1993 for some fun and music. They had no idea it will turn into a multi-million dollar business 30 years later leading to the purchase their own FM channel. Sandhya said “Even more appealing than the business angle, Masala Radio has provided us with an avenue for endless excitement and positive energy…one long thrill ride.”

Sunil added “It keeps us feeling young & youthful. Radio has allowed us to be connected with thousands in Houston, all over USA & even India. What an amazing life it has been. We are so thankful to God for giving us this opportunity. Our office feels like a party every day.”

The 30th anniversary celebration at Musaafer started in their lobby downstairs, with the Masala Crew taking turns posing with the golden Doodhwala (Milkman) bicycle against black glass and Mughal-inspired golden screen. The crew were in awe climbing up the stairs to the main restaurant foyer, lit by lavish chandeliers and decorated with portraits of Indian royalty set against Sabyasachi’s antique wallpaper. Passing through the dazzling Blue Dining Room, styled after the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, the Crew convened at the Balcony Bar in the patio. Here they enjoyed exotic cocktails like Adraki Sutra, Bombay Velvet and the Mango Colada served in a coconut shell reminiscing about the shared experiences while the sun cast an enchanting hue across the Galleria skyline. Most of the crew members were not even born in 1993. Two OG radio Jockeys, Rajoo & Preanka, have been best friends with the Thakkars. Sandhya added, “We still hang out every weekend….Rajoo cracks jokes on Sunil and we all laugh insatia-

bly and Preanka has been by our side almost at every event, party, concert, cruise…capturing every memory!”

Masala Radio 98.7 FM started as the brainchild of five college friends after a casual dinner one evening at the then newlyweds Thakkars’ apartment. The Thakkars kicked around the idea with Ashish Malhotra, Tejas Choksi, Shivi Pawa and Yogesh Patel, about starting a fun radio show filled with latest Bollywood hits and comedy. Sunil had just moved back to Houston after taking a voluntary separation package from British Petroleum in Cleveland, and had a break of eight months before starting his MBA at Rice University. He set off on a mission to get a few sponsors from Hillcroft (now Mahatma Gandhi District). Their first supporters were Hememdra Pabari of HOS, Yogi Gahunia of Raja Sweets, and Nisha Mirani of Bharat Grocers. They had not even started the radio show and

By sandHya s. tHakkar

Hemendra Pabari gave Sunil a check of $501 on the spot and said “Take this and go rock Houston.” There were no cell phones in 1993 so Sunil rushed home as fast as he could and showed Sandhya the first check. She smiled and said “Ok… looks like radio is ON!”

But they didn’t have a deal with any station yet. Commercial ethnic radio was not a thing back then. After a month of calling, the All Christian 1180 AM gave us 2 hours 10AM -12PM.” The first show aired May 22, 1993, and MUSIC MASALA was born. Sunil his Mjumbai tapori personality while Tejas was the side kick and Shivi played the music. Ashish was the scriptwriter. and Sandhya managed the finances, produced the ads, and screened calls during the live show. Music Masala flourished, and later Sunil, Preanka and Rajoo’ Weekend Dhamaal show laced the airwaves with spice every Saturday for over twenty years! Music

Masala expanded from an allday format on Saturdays, to all weekend-long, and then finally seven days a week, but still on AM channels, until 2019.

The most challenging part of the anniversary celebration at Musaafer was narrowing down the selections from the fabulous menu. Delectable starters featured incredibly soft Paneer Tikkas, Chatpate table-side chaat, and the most popular, flash-fried Cauliflower and Broccoli covered with boondi paired with a tantalizing garlic yoghurt sauce.

The Thakkars thanked the Crew for their many, many years of dedicated teamwork & loyalty, highlighting the 29-year friendship with Preanka and Rajoo, and the 13 years of outstanding sales management by Rinku Ghosh. Each Crew member was asked to share one magic Masala moment. Comedic, Inspirational and emotional stories followed –learning how to enjoy life and always be positive from Sunil, or learning how to set goals, organize, execute, and be self-confident from Sandhya. Two Masala Cruise dancers, Ashka and Mehran, retold how they met on a Masala Cruise, fell in love & got married. Their families call it “Masala Ne Bana Di Jodi.”

Masala Radio was always intertwined with hosting exciting events. The Thakkars, experienced from their college stints as Vice-President and Treasurer of the University of Houston’s India Students Association, held a 1993 New Year’s Eve Party at Stafford Center… the same venue they were married at just a year earlier. Tickets for the party were placed at various local Indian stores; however, when Sunil checked with them two days before the party, the stores reported that they hadn’t sold many tickets. Feeling dejected, The Thakkars went the day of the party to collect the unsold tickets only to find out that every single

ticket had been sold! They quickly posted a SOLD OUT sign on the front door of the venue. The ensuing positively wild and crazy New Year’s Party launched a lifetime of crazy events – six years of Masala New Year’s Eve parties with over 3,500 guests at the Funplex Entertainment Complex; six Masala Dandias with 2,500 to 3,500 attendees at the Astro Arena; two Bhangra Manias –featuring popular artists like B21 and The Dhol Foundation. Keeping party scene alive, The Thakkars organized over 100 Masala Parties at various clubs from the inauguration of Betty B’s in 1994, the iconic Crystal Nightclub on in 1996, Shock on Richmond Drive, Spy, Boka Bar, Toc Lounge and Oz in Downtown Houston, to Blu and Rooftop in Sugar Land. In 1999, The Thakkars expanded their horizons to launch Masala Cruises. With the first Millennium Masala Cruise, which embarked from New Orleans and circled the Gulf of Mexico, Masala Cruises set afloat on a cruise journey that included 47 sailings to destinations around the world including Mexico, Canada, Central America, Caribbean, Alaska and the Mediterranean cruise from Venice to Greece, and Turkey and Croatia.

The culinary journey continued at Musaafer with a grand family-style dinner of their famous 72-hour-slow-cooked Dal Makhani with black lentils, tomato and smoked chili, Paneer Rizala embellished with rose petals, browned onion and peppers, Jackfruit Kofta Curry – a jackfruit, apricot and pistachio dumpling served in their signature Makhani sauce with lotus stem crisps, foxnuts and yoghurt, and the consummate Jackfruit Biryani with refreshing Burhani Raita. The playfully boisterous Crew was struck in silent awe as each item was presented and tasted, a testament to Musaafer’s culinary excellence. The main course was followed by a variety of desserts, from delectably decorated cakes to Musaafer sweet creations of Misthi Doi made of faux yoghurt shrooms, raspberries and pomegranate seeds, and Tales of Kheer with cashew clusters and caramelized foxnuts paired with a sugarcane-lime sorbet. This was an event that no one wanted to leave! Each of the Masala Crew members were presented with a goody bag with funky, retro vinyl-record-shaped personalized business cards and exclusive gift of chocolates.

With an “EVOLVE or DISSOLVE” mindset, Music Masala’s next big undertaking was Houston Holi Festival of Colors, which launched in 2008 at the Oyster Creek Park in Sug-

ar Land. In a matter of just six years, the free event grew to a whopping 17,000 attendees. Beginning in 2014, the event was changed to a ticketed event and was held at locations around Houston such as the Houston Farm and Ranch, the Crown Festival Park in Sugar Land, and this year, 2023, at BR Ranch, which saw increased attendance despite a two-year pandemicinduced sabbatical. In 2012, Houston Diwali – The Festival of Lights debuted at Skeeter’s Stadium and featured a Bollywood star, Bhoomi Trivedi. The new creative concept of a Festival with a Bazaar, Kids Rides, Giveaways and a Bollywoodstyled Concert Finale, was sold out two weeks in advance of the event and tickets were even being sold “in black” on craigslist! Both, the Holi Festival and the Diwali Festival, featured prominent, well-known artists such as Bappi Lahiri, Raghav, Jay Sean, Aditya Narayan, Manj Musik, Neeraj Shridhar of Bombay Vikings, Zack Knight, Shaan, and, this year in 2023, Kanika Kapoor.

The Thakkars and Masala have had many pivotal moments – challenges which they simply turned into opportunities. One of the first occurred in 1999, when they opened Planet M, a CD/ DVD/Coffee and Cake shop in Sugar Land. It was their first and last venture in retail space, and a financial disaster opening in August and closing in November… They realized that it was impractical to run a retail store with Sandhya managing the radio show and a newborn, and with Sunil working full-time at Shell, no matter how much of a dream project it may be. The financial misadventure cloud had a silver lining… Planet M caught the attention of successful businessman, Farid Virani. Virani was impressed with the store’s design and agreed to finance another one of Sunil’s dream projects – making a movie. The subject of the movie was essentially about his own life story, a FOB (Fresh-Off-The-Boat) transforming to Party Promoter. It was titled “Where’s the Party Yaar?” However, Virani’s one stipulation was that Sunil work

full-time on the project. After a well-publicized theatrical release in US and India, the movie was bought out by Lions Gate. While it made just enough profit to buy a used Toyota Camry, It received acclaim locally and internationally, and is still popular on Youtube today.

The Thakkars will forever be grateful for Farid Virani’s support of the film and influencing the paradigm shift to focusing full-time on adding Masala to people’s lives in Houston. Gaining national media attention, CNN interviewed Sunil in 2003 on the film release and in 2008 he appeared on Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown. Sunil was also featured in Houston Chronicle’s 41 Most Interesting People. Sunil was approached by Star TV’s The Great Indian Laughter Challenge and was featured in 16 episodes as a stand up comedian to a world wide Indo American audience. During these episodes, Sunil had the privilege to interact with celebrity judges such as Shatrughan Sinha, Navjot Sidhu, Vidya Ballan Mahima Chaudhry and Manoj Bajpaye.

The latest defining moment in Masala’s entertaining journey came in 2019 when their 22year relationship with 1110 AM ended with the Station’s sale to a Hispanic-only format. With no other radio station offering them prime airtime, The Thakkars were faced with the heartbreaking possibility of shutting down Masala Radio. But then, as if by Divine Intervention, an opportunity to buy an FM radio station came up. They poured all their personal lifetime savings into the cash only purchase of 98.7 FM closing the deal on March 30, 2020. However, as luck would have it, merely 15 days before closing, the COVID pandemic hit the entire US. The Houston Holi Festival of Colors, which was scheduled on March 28, 2020, was cancelled and all tickets and sponsorships had to be refunded. Sandhya says, “It was a huge financial crisis for us - we had just poured $1.5 million of our savings into buying this radio station and now the future of radio seemed uncertain.” Despite 60% of their advertisers cancelling due to the lockdown, somehow, Masala survived. It is now proudly thriving as the number one Indian Bollywood Station with over 100,000 listeners, and with tens of thousands of listeners worldwide via the free iPhone and Android apps. Moreover, with the help of their social media team, the have several tens of thousands followers on both FB & INSTA. Follow them @ Masala Radio 98.7 FM.

Masala Radio would like to deeply thank Musaafer and their extremely hospitable team: owners – Mithoo and Shammi, Manager – Ishrat Randhawa, Event Coordinators – Humberto and the smiling Khadijah, Chef Mayank, and the wonderful bartenders and servers. Their service and special attention to detail with each and every item from the crafted main courses to the most delicious chutneys and sauces, was simply impeccable. The décor was unmatchable!

Musaafer’s philosophy is simple – “Food is a journey, travel it as well as you can,” serving the best dishes from all corners of India. The Thakkars felt this paralleled their own philosophy. Quoting Sandhya, “Music is a journey, travel it well… we have teamed with the best talent from all over Houston and India, collected the best music, and put in our best efforts. At Masala Radio, there is always something new and exciting around the corner!” Sunil added, “I love my life and my work. I have a special bond with my team, my sponsors and the listeners. They are like an extension of my friends and family. I am, indeed, fortunate to be living in Vasudeva Kutumbakam – The World Is One Family”. He added “Being the artist, I sometimes get all the glory. But I want everyone to know that all this was possible because of Sandhya’s business acumen, leadership & organizational skills. In 1993 when we wanted to start the radio show and could not come up with the name, it was Sandhya who suggested Music Masala. She is our CEO, CFO & COO. I also want to thank our sponsors & supporters without whom all this fun would not be possible and the South Asian community of Houston for taking part in the Masala fun over the last 30 years. And above all thank you God for writing our beautiful story.”

Masala Radio 98.7 FM can be reached at 281-277-MUSIC, 866-3-MASALA, www. MasalaRadio.com or admin@ masalaradio.com. FB & IG masalaradio98.7fm. The Thakkars express special thanks to their current amazing crew: Office: Rinku Ghosh (Sales), Jigisha Desai (Accounts), Bhavisha Thakkar (Events), Chaitali Adhikari (Producer), Aahil Virani (Video & Social Media), Nikheel Asodia (Marketing). Radio Jockeys: Preanka Desai, Rajoo Waddy, Dilip Kanabar, Priya Chokshi, Ina Patel, Swati Chowdhury, Pankti Fadia, Anees Lakhva, Amit Godbole, Shilpi Sharma and Rishi Ramcharan. Events: Ruchir Patel, Ninad Gupte, Dinesh Adhikari, Suji Baskaran, Mrugesh Wani, Shivangi Shrivastav, Alisha Makani, Sangeeta Gupte, and countless others who have come and gone, but will always remain in their hearts and will always be part of the Crazy Masala Crew.

Houston Celebration of International Day of Yoga 2023 with Theme “Yoga for Humanity”

Houston: The Consulate General of India, Houston in collaboration with several organizations across the Greater Houston area join to celebrate the 9th International Day of Yoga.

This ancient Indian practice received unprecedented global attention nine years ago when the United Nations recognized June 21st as the International Day of Yoga. An initiative of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who himself starts his morning with yoga, the first IDY in 2015 saw people turning out in huge numbers stretching and breathing mindfully at public parks, convention centers and open spaces. Yoga’s soaring popularity can be seen from the crowds that join in the celebration every year. From serious yoga practitioners to curious beginners, each successive IDY has been drawing bigger crowds and garnering greater interest. As with every year, this year too will feature a lineup of common yoga practices, relaxation techniques and guided meditation by well-known yoga instructors. Houston will celebrate IDY on Wednesday, June 21 on the lush green of Discovery Green 1500 McKinney St., Houston, Texas. The Event Chair Saumil Manek adds, “International Day of Yoga symbolizes Peace and Harmony. I’m truly honored to be organizing an event representing love to everyone without boundaries and building bridges so we can unite to create all cultures.” The event will begin at 6:00 pm with a dem-

onstration of some of the more difficult yoga postures or Asanas and a cultural program. the guided

group yoga (Asanas or Postures), Relaxation, Pranayama and Meditation will be led by different yoga

832-766-6662

Houston’s yoga events and a firm believer in yoga for optimum health, expressed his appreciation for the cooperation from Houston’s yoga community in celebrating IDY for the past eight years. Yoga is a precious gift given by Indian sages to humanity, he noted, and emphasized the importance of practicing yoga for good health every day.

This year’s theme for IDY is Yoga for Humanity, which perfectly fits with the multilocation IDY program of Houston. We have more than 17 events covering all areas of Houston metro including the whole Harris & Fort Bend County. All events are totally free for all. We will be including webinars to train Yogis / instructors to understand & encourage to practice Ashtanga Yoga.

There will be five main events open for all to attend will be Pearland Town Center on Saturday June 17th at 6pm., India House on Tuesday 20th June at 6:30pm, Wednesday June 21st at Discovery Green at 6-30pm, Yoga Community of Sugarland on June 24th from 7:30AM and Hindu Temple of the Woodlands on Saturday June 24 from 7:00am-10am.

Besides various Hindu Temples and Organizations will hold Yoga sessions all around the Houston area.

experts. The event will wrap up at 7:30 pm.

Sharad Amin, Coordinator of

The events are free and open to all. Bring your yoga mats and plan to arrive 20 minutes ahead to find a comfortable spot. More information visit yogadayoftexas.org or call 713-854-0633

COMMUNITY

Dr. Amit Samarth Bike Racing for Akshaya Patra

oceanside, ca: Akshaya Patra’s angel and Brand Ambassador, Dr. Amit Samarth. Dr. Samarth actively raises funds for Akshaya Patra USA, a charity partner dedicated to providing mid-day meals to over 2 million underprivileged children in classrooms in India daily.

Dr. Amit Samarth, from India will be racing in the “World’s Toughest Bicycle Race”-Race Across America. Flag-off is on Tuesday June 13, at 12:00 PM PST from The Strand and West Community Center parking lot in Oceanside, CA, and will end at Susan Campbell Park at City Dock in Annapolis, MD, around June 25th. Below is the link where you can find the route and more information regarding the race. https:// www.raamrace.org/route

Dr. Samarth was the first Asian ever to complete this race back in 2017. He is back in 2023, racing to feed the dreams of 2+ million Akshaya Patra Children.

Akshaya Patra is the world’s largest NGO school meal program, providing hot, nutritious lunches to over 2 million children in 22,000 schools across India every day. Akshaya Patra means the unlimited bowl of abundance and sustenance.

Over the 22+ years, Akshaya Patra has scaled to serve meals to over 2 million children in 22,000 schools in 15 States and 2 Union Territories in India daily. We source local produce, operate 67 kitchens, and transport hot, nutritious meals in custom-designed vans up to a distance of 25 miles. Often being the only meal in the day for the child, it serves as a critical intervention addressing hunger and education.

Dr. Amit Samarth, a renowned cyclist, and Ironman athlete, has achieved remarkable milestones in

the international sports arena. He gained recognition as the first Indian rookie to conquer the challenging Race Across America (RAAM) in 2017. He successfully completed the unprecedented RedBull Trans Siberian Extreme, a 5654 miles stage race, in 2018, a feat no Indian or Asian had ever attempted before.

Within India, Dr. Samarth holds multiple world records. In February 2021, he set a Guinness World Record by completing the 3728 miles Golden Quadrilateral of India in 13 days and 9 hours. His recent achievement includes the Race Across India in March 2023, where he covered the entire stretch from the north to the south of India in 6 days, 23 hours, and 39 minutes, making him the fastest cyclist in the history of Indian sports.

At the upcoming RAAM 2023, he will race against time while raising funds for the “Race Against Hunger - A Mile, A Child challenge,” inviting individuals to donate $20 per mile to provide meals for a child throughout the year. According to Dr. Samarth,” The race must achieve a higher purpose, and I race for the children of India and their education”

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EDUCATION AYM 2023 Graduands and DAVSS Students Celebrate Annual Day

By acHarya Bramdeo

islamaBad: AYM graduands

Class of 2023 & DAVSS students and their relatives & friends as well as DAVSS teachers & volunteers and Arya Samaj Greater Houston (ASGH) members & well-wishers joined for an in-person celebration. Acharya Surya Nanda Ji led the Havan and gave his blessings to the graduands.

Shri Sanjay Ahuja ji welcomed all present and left the floor to …. and Lakshya to be the Emcees for the day. The chanting of Veda mantras and Sanskrit shlokas by DAVSS Students, after the Yajna and blessings enthused the audience. The graduands Aastha Bharati, Anjai Gupta, Arjun Kumar, Maya Bindal, Hemakshi Mahajan, Vir Sehgal took turns to relate their path at DAVSS and AYM. referred to the learning at DAVSS/AYM as cherished parts of their lives, the living values would surely be a compass for ethical living, and the other topics empowering them to have a wellrounded personality as well as be a better person in life. All concurred that initially, waking up to be at the Arya Samaj for Sunday School seemed a chore but it really turned out to be an enriching life experience with opportunities to unfold the latent potential within the self.

In his address, Shri Aseem R. Mahajan, the Houston-based Consulate General of India and Chief Guest for the day expressed his appreciation for the work done by ASGH through DAVMES and DAVSS, leading the way for the young generation to have the best of both US education and the Liv-

Values of Indian culture.

In the convocation address, Acharya Bramdeo emphasized on the need for the graduands to connect to their roots, the Universal Living Values of Sanatan Dharma that would empower them to stay on the righteous path of life, and later give back to society by continuing the tradi-

tion of teacher-taught, spreading these values around them, and as role models inspire generations to come. Wishing the graduands well in their life and thanking all the teachers, volunteers, parents, and students, he expressed the wish to see more parents engaged as volunteers.

DAVSS students from Pre-k to

8th graders demonstrated their resourcefulness on stage: reciting poem, Yoga demonstration, tabla performance, dance, Vedic Mathematics, and Science project. The program concluded with Bhajans under Ms. Smriti Ji’s guidance, Aarti and Shanti Paatha (prayers for universal peace.)

Announcements:

DAV Sanskriti School Registration for Year 2023-24 is now open. See link: https://tinyurl. com/davssreg2023-24

DAVSS Summer School: Sundays July 2, 9, 16, 23 & Thursday 27 to Sunday 30. This registration will also give access to the Arya MahaSammelan Youth Camp during the last weekend of July. See link: https://www.jotform. com/build/231268584412154

- Activities during Summer School (July 2, 9, 16, 23) : Yajna/ Havan, Vedic Culture, Yoga, Music, Team Building (collaboration) activities, Creativity & Fun games

- Activities during the Arya MahaSammelan Youth Camp (July 27-30) include cultural programs, interactive sessions, fun activities..., and a tour is being planned for the Youth participants for Saturday July 28 to the Eternal Gandhi Museum and Texas Typhoon.

2023 AYM President’s Volunteer Service Awardees with Consul General Aseem Mahajan and Sanjay Ahuja.

AYM graduands Class of 2023: Aastha Bharati, Anjai Gupta, Arjun Kumar, Maya Bindal, Hemakshi Mahajan, Vir Singhal, Director Sanjay Ahuja and Acharya Bramdeo ing

Beware! In ‘97 Minutes’, Your Life Could Change in Midair!

By JawaHar malHotra

Houston: This city usually doesn’t have a rush of movie premieres, especially after the disastrous two COVID years that hurt attendance at the theatres. So it was a big splash when the movie “97 Minutes” premiered over the past weekend on Sunday, June 11 at the Star Movie Grill in the far western suburb of Richmond. And it was an even bigger event as the movie was written by one of the Desi community’s most passionate filmmaker, Dr. Pavan Grover.

Some of the movie’s key players were out to mingle with the cream of South Asian society at the glittery event held in the lobby of the movie theatre where they could express themselves at two backdrops with camera crews recording their sentiments.

It was mini-Hollywood meets mini-Bollywood, as the clapper board said that Grover’s 14-yearold nephew Amit posed with. Befitting the occasion, there was champagne and hors d’oeuvres in the social hour before the premiere at 7pm.

“We actually did this for all our supporters and close friends”, explained Nimi Grover, Pavan’s mom, as she circulated. What was slated to be a screening in auditorium 1 got bigger very quickly. “We actually had to open up another auditorium”, explained Pavan, “and eventually a third one too! Over 500 people came for the opening night!”

They came to see the latest movie produced from the mind of Pavan Grover, who is as passionate about the cinematography and entertainment business as he is about

his steadily expanding spinal surgery and pain management practice in west Houston. He has had stars in his eyes for years, which

led him to write several scripts, one of which became the 2002 movie “Unspeakable” that he produced and acted in, opposite veteran ac-

tor Dennis Hopper. Next came the 2013 movie “Odd Thomas”. The opportunity to make “97 Minutes” came about after Pavan

was able to shop his script to Hollywood producers and his company finally connected with Lighthouse Pictures.

It is a relatively low budget, $7 million movie about terrorists who hijack a plane, and relies on two sets – the interior of a plane and the NSA headquarters – with plenty of CGI to make tell the story. Two big name actors – Alec Baldwin and Jonathan Rhys Meyers – carry the cast, and Pavan even plays a bit role as the head of the terrorist group. Pavan did the final edits and directed and worked on the sound design and music himself.

Pavan insisted on having Baldwin, who is in his first movie role since he was charged with involuntary manslaughter in 2021 on the sets of the movie “Rust”, charges which were later dropped.

He plays the part of the NSA director, a role he reprises from a similar role in two “Mission Impossible” movies. The bulk of the film stands on the performance of Meyers as an Interpol agent. The Swedish actress MyAnna Buring plays the other lead role as a doctor onboard the plane, who volunteers to save lives.

“97 Minutes” has had a limited release, opening up in theaters in 10 major markets across the country. Next week it will become available on demand through Amazon and Apple TV, with a debut on Hulu in the fall.

Pavan is already looking to his next project, a sci-fi TV series reimagining of “The Wizard of Oz” which he has already written and is currently negotiating with various studios. He expects other spinoff projects too.

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‘Bloody Daddy’: Predictable Plot, ‘Been There’ Thrills

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Solution Next Week

By sHuBHra Gupta

More than anything else, an actioner unfolding over 24 hours needs to gallop along at break-neck speed. Bloody Daddy, a remake of the French language Nuit Blanche, which in turn was adapted in Tamil as ‘Thoonga Vanam’ starring Kamal Hasan, has all the ingredients of a pacey thriller. But, despite the occasional burst, it slumps back into a been-there-seen-this category, and that’s got a lot to do with its run-time of over two hours, flattening a plot that isn’t as unpredictable as it thinks it is.

fusion with those working on the other side of the law. There’s Ronit Roy, flaunting a scarlet designer jacket, lording it in his den conveniently located in his own ‘seven star hotel’. And Sanjay Kapoor, in matching red glares, accompanied by a right-hand man who aces both the sniff-and-tell and loyalty test. Other assorted goons periodically march through the hotel, where a big-ticket wedding is taking place, and where the guests are waiting for the singer Badshah to take the festivities a notch higher.

nating between a leather jacket and a formal black suit, goes through his paces. The few moments where Shahid appears vulnerable and in pain stand out, and Roy gets some scenes he makes his own. A couple of running jokes – the young lad’s insistence on ‘lactose-free milk’ and ‘gluten-free bread’ causes mild amused horror among his daddy and the mobsters alike — raise their head and then lie back. Just like the film.

At stake is a bag of cocaine worth Rs 50 crore, and a bunch of cops and crooks are after it, chasing each other through Delhi and Gurugram. The film makes it a point to tell us that it is set after the second phase of the pandemic, when things had started opening up. After months of forced abstinence, people want to get back to partying hard, and that, of course, translates into a surge in demand for drugs. The suspense of not knowing which cop is a crook takes the film only that far, because all the signs are visible from the beginning, when an early morning shoot-out leaves two drug runners dead, and the two people who recover the bag, on the run.

So who amongst the narcotics cops are working for the bad guys? Could it be Sumair (Shahid Kapoor), who acquires a bullet wound within the opening five minutes, and nurses it through the film, as he plays buddy with his young son who is, of course, going to be used as bait in short order? Or Samir (Rajeev Khandelwal) who keeps getting mysterious calls on his phone? Or Aditi (Diana Penty) who ricochets between the two, trying to be tough and on-point?

There’s no such con-

It is we, the viewers, who are left waiting for the excitement to ratchet up, as Sumair-Shahid, sporting a spiffy hair cut, and alter-

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Recent Winners

Kumud Athavale, Krishna R. Vuddagiri, Sanchali Basu, Yudhveer Singh Bagga, Prabha Barvalia, Arup Gupta, Ramesh Shah, Pothiraj Bethanasamy, Aadhya Pantam, Taranjit Singh, Mihir Kumar Chakraborty, Ramana Vadrevu

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