Latest news with #Kher
India Today
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Exclusive: Anupam Kher says Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge wouldn't work if released in 2025
Veteran Bollywood actor Anupam Kher is gearing up for the release of 'Metro ...In Dino', which stars Neena Gupta opposite the actor. Now, in an exclusive chat with India Today, the actor opened up about how love and its portrayal in films have evolved or perhaps, corrupted over time. He also opened up about how Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge wouldn't work if released in 2025. advertisementIn a exclusive conversation, Kher said, 'Whatever happens in the world around us reflects in our movies — whether it's in the songs, the language, or the way we communicate love. Earlier, there was a certain kashish (appeal), a longing in romance.'Recalling the old days of cinema, he added, 'In those times, we never used to speak directly. Falling in love took time. Even going to bed with someone wasn't immediate—first love, then marriage, then sex. Now it's like, fall in love today, and have sex the next day. There's nothing wrong with it, I'm not judging. But that's how it's shown now.' Kher expressed his yearning for romantic films, 'I'm longing to see a love story where there's a certain amount of kashish. That's why I felt Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam was such a beautiful romantic film — Sanjay Leela Bhansali captured that essence so well. It had all of that.."advertisementHe continued with a rhetorical pause, asking, 'But now, there's a certain ghabrahat (restlessness). Where is the beauty of a romantic film anymore? Tell me — what was the last truly romantic film you saw? Exactly. asked why love stories were easier to tell in the past, he responded, 'Samaaj badal gaya hai (society has changed). Films reflect society. If you make an old-school love story now, maybe only a few people will go watch it.'When asked if 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' released for the first time in 2025, would it have worked Anupam said, " No, I don't think it would. Today, it works because of its nostalgic value. But if it were made for the first time now, it wouldn't have had the same impact. Just like Gone with the Wind — if it were made today, it wouldn't resonate the same way. Times have changed, life has changed. Back then, in the late '90s and earlier, we had stories of couples eloping. But DDLJ was the first time when the hero said, 'I will convince your father. Only then will we marry.' That was new. The father tells his son, 'You failed in London? Good. We've all failed in India too.' These were fresh, grounded characters. Now, things are different."And yet, he believes love as an emotion has endured — it's just the expressions that have shifted. 'Love, at its core, may remain the same — but the way we express, portray, and understand it changes with every generation.' You May Also Like
India Today
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Anupam Kher in shock as Robert De Niro attends Tanvi The Great premiere in New York
The legendary Robert De Niro, hailed by Anupam Kher as the 'world's best actor', attended the New York premiere of 'Tanvi The Great', extending his support to his longtime friend. Sharing photos and videos from the memorable evening, Kher expressed heartfelt gratitude and called the moment one of the most special chapters of his the pictures and videos, Kher and Niro could be seen at the gala premiere of 'Tanvi The Great' at the New York Indian Festival held on June 19. Kher welcomed the Hollywood actor, who was accompanied by his partner Tiffany Chen, with a hug. They also posed together on the red the videos here: Kher's caption read, "THE WORLD 'S BEST ACTOR ATTENDS THE PREMIERE OF 'TANVI THE GREAT' IN NEW YORK! What else can an actor/director ask from God? Thank you dearest #Tiffany and Mr. #RobertDeNiro for attending the premiere! It is easily the highlight of my entire career. I am still in shock. But then I also say na 'KUCH BHI HO SAKTA HAI' ! Jai Mata Ki (sic)."Take a look at the pictures here: Instagram/Anupam Kher advertisement Instagram/Anupam Kher For the unversed, Robert De Niro and Anupam Kher first collaborated in 2012 for the Oscar-nominated film 'Silver Linings Playbook'.'Tanvi The Great' stars Anupam Kher alongside Shubhangi Dutt and Karan Tacker in lead roles. The ensemble cast also includes Boman Irani, Jackie Shroff, and Arvind Swami in pivotal roles, along with Game of Thrones star Iain Watch
Mint
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Oscar winner Robert De Niro attends Anupam Khers Tanvi The Great gala screening in at New York Indian Festival
New York [US], June 20 (ANI): Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro attended the premiere of Anupam Kher directorial 'Tanvi The Great' in New York on Thursday. Taking to his Instagram handle, Anupam Kher shared the photos and videos from the gala screening of his upcoming film 'Tanvi The Great' at the New York Indian Film Festival. The 'Raging Bull' actor was joined by his longtime girlfriend Tiffany Chen for the premiere. In the videos, Anupam Kher welcomes De Niro to the premiere, which is followed by a photo session with the actor and the movie's lead actress, Shubhangi Dutt. Kher expressed his gratitude to Robert De Niro and his girlfriend Tiffany Chen for attending the premiere. While sharing the photos and videos, the actor wrote, "WORLD'S BEST ACTOR ATTENDS THE PREMIERE OF "TANVI THE GREAT" IN NEW YORK! What else can an actor/director ask from the God! Thank you dearest #Tiffany and Mr. #RobertDeNiro for attending the premiere! It easily is the highlight of my entire career. I am still in shock. But then I also say na 'KUCH BHI HO SAKTA HAI' ! Jai Mata Ki!" The two actors were last seen together on the big screens for the movie 'Silver Linings Playbook' in 2012. It also starred Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in the lead roles. Before the gala screening at the New York Indian Film Festival 2025, the film was screened at Cannes 2025 where Anupam Kher met Robert De Niro after a long time. As per the press note by the team of Anupam Kher, the two long-time friends took the opportunity to catch up during the festival, where Kher spoke about his film with him. He also introduced debutante Shubhangi to Robert De Niro, who graciously offered her his best wishes. Their warm interaction highlighted the spirit of mutual admiration and cross-cultural support that festivals like Cannes continue to inspire. As for the film debut at Cannes, Kher recently opened up about the reaction received by the audience at the film festival on the world premiere of his 'Tanvi The Great'. While speaking to ANI about the reaction at Cannes, Kher said he was "overwhelmed" by how deeply the crowd connected with the film. The actor also shared how people in the theatre clapped, laughed, cried, and stayed back to ask questions after the screening. "I was very overwhelmed by the reaction of people. They were clapping in between because the theme of the film resonated with them. They were crying, laughing at the end of the film. They didn't want to leave. They were asking questions. It's a beautiful feeling." When asked what the recognition means to him and his team, especially after the struggles the film faced during its making, Kher said, "The success of the film on an international platform like Cannes and then in London proves that if you do something with conviction against all odds, it is the most gratifying feeling, and it will reach people's hearts. The film was made with great difficulty because people who were supposed to finance the film backed out at the last minute, but then I said, 'I have to make it because it's my conviction." 'Tanvi The Great' follows 21-year-old Tanvi Raina, a woman with autism who discovers her late Indian Army officer father's unfulfilled dream--to stand at Siachen, the world's highest battlefield, and salute the Indian flag. Despite societal pushback and institutional barriers against autistic recruits in the military, she becomes determined to fulfil this mission, according to Variety. The film stars debutant Subhangi Dutt in the lead role. Karan Tacker, Boman Irani and Anupam Kher also plays a prominent roles in the film. The movie is set to release on July 18. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Anupam Kher reunites with Robert De Niro at New York premiere of Tanvi The Great: ‘Highlight of my entire career'
Anupam Kher's new film Tanvi The Great just premiered at the New York Indian Film Festival 2025 in New York, and in attendance was none other than Hollywood icon Robert De Niro. While Kher is no stranger to milestones, this was a big deal for him since later, the veteran actor took to social media to express his gratitude. 'WORLD'S BEST ACTOR ATTENDS THE PREMIERE OF TANVI THE GREAT IN NEW YORK! What else can an actor/director ask from the God! Thank you dearest #Tiffany and Mr. #RobertDeNiro for attending the premiere! It easily is the highlight of my entire career. I am still in shock. But then I also say na 'KUCH BHI HO SAKTA HAI'! Jai Mata Ki! ❤️❤️❤️❤️,' he wrote on Instagram. A post shared by Anupam Kher (@anupampkher) The connection between the two actors is longstanding. They first shared the screen in Silver Linings Playbook (2012), which earned an Oscar nomination and was a significant crossover moment for Kher. The duo reunited again at the 78th Cannes Film Festival when De Niro was honoured with the Palme d'Or for Lifetime Achievement. 'It was the most amazing feeling to meet my friend Robert De Niro, his graceful wife #Tiffany, and their beautiful daughter Jia in Cannes! Their love and affection touched me deeply,' Kher had posted after that meeting. A post shared by Anupam Kher (@anupampkher) 'Told him about the #WorldPremiere of #TanviTheGreat in Cannes! He met #Shubhangi (Tavi) and our other crew members very warmly! Showed him the first poster (to be released tomorrow) of our film! He LOVED it. Thank you dearest Mr. De Niro for your love, warmth, that wonderful hug, the delicious lunch and your infectious BRILLIANCE over the years! Having you as a friend is the biggest blessing I could have ever asked for! 🕉🙏 Also a big THANK YOU to dearest #Tiffany for your hospitality and generosity! And for shooting this video! Jai Ho! ❤️😎😍,' he had written. Kher's directorial, Tanvi The Great, stars an eclectic ensemble with leading lady Shubhangi Dutt alongside Boman Irani, Jackie Shroff, Arvind Swami, Karan Tacker, and Game of Thrones star Iain Glen. Just a few days ago, Kher shared a new poster of his film on social media saying, 'This poster is more than a collage of stars. It is a canvas of stories, all revolving around one young girl who defies labels, limits, and every easy definition of greatness. In a world that tries to fit her into a box, she dares to colour outside the lines. She is #TanviTheGreat who is coming to meet you in cinemas on the 18th of July, one month to go! ❤️🌸.' The film made its Cannes debut on May 17 in the Marché du Film section and will be releasing in India on July 18.
Mint
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Artistic encounters: How animals inspire contemporary artists
Some years ago, Bharti Kher wanted to see the heart of a sperm whale. She couldn't find a photograph online or in libraries—which came as a surprise since the contemporary artist, like most of us, thought there's nothing one can't find online anymore. Whales, she learned, sink to the bottom of the sea when they die, and the bodies are not preserved even if they die on shore. Her quest to see the massive creature's heart became the subject of her 2007 work An Absence of Assignable Cause, which depicts a two-chambered, red-andturquoise heart in fibreglass decorated with her signature bindis. 'The idea was that we need the beating heart of this incredible creature to heal the world." Kher often uses animal forms in her works that contemplate ecology, myth, gender and the body. In The Skin Speaks a Language Not Its Own (2006), a female white elephant, covered in white snakeshaped bindis, slumps to the floor in death throes, signifying human folly and hubris that leads to ecological disaster. 'For me, animals are both the motif and the medium," says Kher. Like Kher, several contemporary artists draw inspiration from the animal world. Animals become totems for environmental destruction, urbanization, policy failure, migration, loss of tradition and history, even conflict and war. A drowning elephant was part of Sheba Chhachhi's Water Diviner (2008), an installation to comment on the pollution of the Yamuna. Amitesh Shrivastava uses feral brush strokes to evoke fur and the sense of lurking animals in his semi-abstract works. The presence of animals in artwork is never accidental, unlike an encounter with a wild creature in real life. Artists turn to animal motifs to balance the pictorial space, depict a multitude of emotions from danger or despair, to create a portal to the strange or the uncanny, or to evoke a sense of illusion. It is both a reflection of our connection to nature as well as a symbol of the fact that we have moved so far from the natural world. The themes may differ but in each of these works, animals serve as a muse for artists. Also read: 'Something like Truth': Staging four monologues around truth and justice Even here, a politics of preference based on human perception is involved. 'Some of the animals used in modern art form an alternative persona to the artist's own imagination," says art historian and author Yashodhara Dalmia. She gives the example of Krishen Khanna's monochromatic charcoal drawings—a man with a bandaged face with a falcon on his wrist, an elephant wrestling a tiger, a pack of buffaloes wading—that represent the bloodshed and displacement of Partition. 'Khanna was influenced by the plight of the common man and for him the jungle symbolised the alternative persona of the common man," explains Dalmia. His falcons, elephants and tigers are drawn from the miniature tradition but recontextualised through scale and expression. On the other hand, Tyeb Mehta reinvented the myth of Mahishasuramardini through his bull paintings to expose the challenges of a new state and the struggle between good and evil. 'For Tyeb Mehta, the primary concern was India being beset by corruption, communalism and poor governance," says Dalmia. 'The trussed and falling bulls were symbols of the demonic state of things and power imbalance." It was not merely to allude to the idea of the nation state but also to construct the qualities of an ideal man that the symbolism of animals was used—MF Husain's horses being a case in point. 'Husain's horses represented a kind of male prowess through their speed, facial expressions and body language," says Dalmia. ' They were a symbol of virility. Husain depicted horses in various ways—the treatment and expressions changed over the years." Contemporary artist Amit Ambalal uses animals to poke fun at human foibles. '[They] are a visual device through which I traverse the unknown," says the artist. He paints animals in expressionistic colours like emerald green, ultramarine blue, inspired by Nathdwara paintings—you can spot a red golden retriever or a blue monkey in his works. 'Human situations can be expressed effectively through the body language of birds and animals," he says. Also read: 'Materialists' review: Love and other banalities Like Ambalal, several others have one eye on the past while speaking in a contemporary language. In the work of American artist Waswo X Waswo you can spot black bucks, nilgai, gazelles and deer, a reflection of the landscape of Rajasthan where he lives and practices in collaboration with Indian artists. His Heaven depicts a golden-hued grove where he and his partner, Tommy, who passed away recently, are seen feeding carrots to black bucks. 'If we could co-exist with the natural world, that would be heaven to me," says Waswo. In Dream of Hiroshi series, a stream of green parrots fly free. The Indian miniature artists he works with told him that green parrots in this artistic tradition act as guides. 'Following them tells you the direction that you're supposed to be viewing the miniature from," he explains. Zebras, giraffes, crocodiles and hawks are common in Paula Sengupta's works, inspired by African safaris and frescoes in Egyptian tombs. She combines these with ideas from the Jataka Tales, and places a zebra with a tiger or a hippopotamus in a river with a rhinoceros. 'I introduce creatures that are contrary to that landscape or juxtapose different times in our environmental history to upset the balance," says Sengupta. 'I am stressing that through mindless interventions, we are jeopardizing the whole ecosystem." Similar ideas come through in Arun Kumar H.G.'s recurrent use of the varaha (boar) and nandi (cow). Animals leave the zone of reality and become phantoms of the mind in Ratheesh T's works. He transforms autobiographical vignettes into phantasmagoria; a boar encountered during a night vigil is the voracious, muddling monster in the head or a birdman is the self image of a misfit. Often animals act as a synonym for a distinct feeling or as a proxy for sound. The animal world can also depict inner, emotional, very human landscapes as Mahesh Baliga does. 'The animal form itself is able to denote certain emotions or certain tensions that you think is not possible with painting just a human figure," he says, pointing out a frightened black cat brooding outside a rat hole in one of his works. In Backyard (2023), green and white peacocks perch on branches of a dying, shrouded tree. 'There is the ache of losing something," says Baliga. 'At that time, several things like the CAA-NRC and Kashmir issue were going on and I wanted to convey that something beautiful, even the idea of a nation, can go awry." Vivan Sundaram too painted a weapon-wielding rhinoceros and a beetle with a human head and bullets as wings in the 1970s to refer to the excesses of the Emergency. 'When I make animals, I am usually talking about the state of human affairs, and when I make humans, I make them animalistic to show their vulnerabilities or hubris," says Kher. 'The animal is a carrier… I burden (it) with narrative, mythology and cultural tropes." The human gaze on animals is the theme of Ravi Agarwal's current Natural History Museum project in which he critiques dioramas. 'Natural museums other non-humans, categorizing, classifying and putting them on display," he says. 'Within the display, there is a hierarchy. Large animals are spectacular trophies, smaller or less likeable ones are hidden." This stems from the way we perceive animals in the real world: some serve purposes of labour, others are conserved as charismatic species. 'In a museum all signs of the origins of animals, their relationships with local ecologies or cultures are erased. They are depicted in typical dioramas like the 'family' of lions, which is not how lions live in the wild. We imprint them with human structures," he explains. All of these ideas, notions and prejudices are also reflected in society around us—felines as symbols of prowess, horses for virility, gazelles for a sense of the feminine. 'Unlikeable' animals like scorpions, snakes and lizards rarely feature in Westernised art though they abound in forms of indigenous art. These ideas have a commercial fallout as well. Waswo explains that he added snakes to one series of miniatures, but could not find buyers for the works. Initially, his series featuring owls did not sell because the bird has mixed connotations in Indian culture. 'Owls are considered an auspicious presence as they are the vehicle of Lakshmi but some people consider them an omen," says Waswo. In one landscape, he paints himself mid-air with wings, about to descend a garden, which has a Jeff Coons-poodle standing in front of a pool. 'The owl in the foreground is looking at the viewer with a conniving expression and kind of asking, 'Isn't this silly?' In my works, the owl is always making eye contact with the viewers, drawing them in." Like this owl, for artists, animals act as a friend, cipher, phantom and guide. Shweta Upadhyay is an arts journalist and co-author of the photobook 'I'll be looking at the moon, but I'll be seeing you'. Also read: 'Second Chance' review: Assured debut takes the time to sit with grief
