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starstriix · 2 months

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Big post explaining every little detail of the ROTI pony designs because I put thought into it okay

*You can find the pony designs here and here!!

Starting off with the Mutant Maggots:

Cameron! I decided to make him a unicorn since they tend to be more academic and yeah that’s mainly it lmao. I can imagine him not being allowed to properly use his magic which makes him weaker since he isn’t trained enough in that aspect. His cutie mark is a magnifying glass to represent his curious and analytical nature, and the glass part looks like a bubble because he’s a bubble boy!! Magnifying glasses are also close in shape to bubble wands. Idk i thought that was a neat detail that combined two aspects of his character into one.

For Zoey, I just really felt like she’d be a pegasus. It makes her commando zoey side work really well, too. Her cutie mark was quite difficult to think of, but I view her as kind and emotional so it’s a heart to represent that (and she values her romantic relationships a lot). It’s also red and blue to kinda represent her and mike tbh since a LOT of her character was related to mike anyways, with a stitch pattern since she does sewing and it tied the design together.

Jo is a pegasus for obvious reasons. I’ve seen takes on her just being a really strong earth pony but one of her biggest strengths is actually her speed (if anything, I think eva would be a really strong earth pony). Since she does track and field, I’d consider that to be equivalent to flying in the mlp world. Also she’s basically a twisted version of rainbow dash like cmon. Since I’m a big jo fan (if you didn’t know already) I put a lot of thought into her cutie mark. It’s a gold medal to represent her competitive drive, with a spiky trail to allude to her speed and aggression. The medal itself is cracked which can mean 1) Her harmful “take-no-prisoners” methods to reach her goals and 2) Her insecurities that seep through sometimes.

With Mike, I honestly just thought an earth pony would fit him best. I don’t know how to put the reason into words. I’ve already answered why I made him a blank flank before (I use the #revenge is magic tag on the posts where i talk about this au). Originally it was because i couldn’t find anything for mike himself and I didn’t want it to relate to his disorder, but now it has proper backstory reasons since it made sense the more I thought about it!

I made Anne Maria a unicorn since she’s pretty beauty oriented and I can imagine her using magic to carry her spray bottle around. With magic, she can stay lazy lmao. I kinda wish I went for a different approach with her cutie mark to show her flashiness and “class”, but the spray bottle seemed pretty specific to her anyways. And I just liked how I drew the cutie mark.

Brick, the athletic earth pony of the cast!! I consider him pretty built and physical strength-focused, so I thought an earth pony would fit really well with him. Plus Jo can tease him for not being able to fly and catch up with her. His cutie mark has a neat little detail: It’s a star symbol with army colours to represent him being a cadet (obviously), with a ribbon that looks decorative but actually alludes to his love of fashion. I actually designed this cutie mark a while ago, I just changed it up a tiny bit.

And now for the Toxic Rats:

Lightning’s design is super straight forward. He’s a pegasus since he’s a super jock and his name also happens to follow the pegasus naming conventions (being named after sky related things). I can’t NOT make him a pegasus. His cutie mark is pretty simple too: It’s a football with a lightning bolt trail since he’s a star football player and he has a lightning motif.

Scott is an earth pony because he literally grew up on a dirt farm. How can I not make him an earth pony?? His cutie mark is one of my favourite concepts tbh (thanks @brookiidookiii ) because it’s deceptive in itself. Because it’s a pitchfork, he plays it off as him having a talent for farming, but it really hints to his devious and scheming nature. Since pitchforks are usually symbolic of the devil and yeah. I might redesign the pitchfork a bit idk but I still really like the idea itself

I’ve already explained why I made Sam a pegasus in the design posts, plus a friend said he’d have the wing equivalent of his gamer thumb and i thought that’d be really funny. His cutie mark is super straight forward as well, it’s just a video game controller because…he’s a gamer!! Wow!!

Dawn is so unicorn to me, she has a connection with nature and literal powers in canon. And she also follows unicorn naming conventions!! (Being related to astronomy such as twilight, sunset, starlight, luna etc). Her cutie mark is an eye to represent her ability to see people’s auras, with a crescent moon inside because she’s spiritual and a moonchild and all that. With some sparkles for good measure.

B!!! He’s inspired by that scrapped inventor twilight concept. I thought an earth pony inventor would be really fun since he wouldn’t have magic to make things easier for himself, but he’s super smart and finds ways around that. That’s what engineering is, really (lmao). His cutie mark is also straight forward: a wrench and a cog to represent his engineering abilities, as well as his cognitive thinking and smarts!

Dakota is a unicorn since they’re usually represented to be a high class and she’s a literal rich celebrity! Also tall unicorns yay! I’ve stated this before but her cutie mark was originally meant to be a camera but I just really didn’t like how it looked on her. I made it a star because well, she IS a star, with an added lipstick mark because that’s so her.

Staciiii, staci could’ve also fit as a unicorn in my mind but idk I made her an earth pony since she felt like one. I had a hard time designing her cutie mark in paticular, I considered it making it sorta tree-like as a reference to her family tree, or I could’ve made it about lying since she does that a lot. Except she’s not that great at lying but she DOES speak a lot, so I made a speech bubble her cutie mark! The bumpy cloud pattern thing is a leftover from when i tried to make it more treelike (and i guess it does look like a stylized tree) or you can interpret it as her lies clouding her words idk.

Extra note:

The cast is super balanced in species!! There are two unicorns, two pegasi and two earth ponies on each team (If I don’t count staci since she was just made to be a first boot) and I thought that was a fair way to split the teams in universe. For things like the rock climbing challenge, the use of wings or magic would obviously not be permitted.

#revenge is magic #tdroti #total drama #td zoey #td brick #td mike #td jo #td dawn #td scott #td lightning #td B #td dakota #td sam #td cameron #td anne maria #td staci

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mors3-exists-dot-com · 8 months

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One idea that I think Total Drama missed out on is having Trent return to All Starts. Like, there could be so much potential in that.

Like imagine

-This is pretty obvious, but since the writers gave Trent OCD (or alluded to it, I can't remember if it is canon or not), at least have the representation be better. -The ROTI cast, who have seen the show or heard of him from Drama Brothers, aren't sure what to make of him. Like, he was cool on Island, but then he completely changed on Action. And since TDA was the last time he had actually competed on the show, his latter reputation proceeds him.

-During TWDT Episode 18, it is revealed that Gwen's and Trent's relationship is awkward. They two of them don't hate each other and are civil, but it is awkward. It's fragile. Imagine Gwen, having to witness her ex and compete against him like she did in TDA. Only this time, instead of throwing the competitions for her, Trent and Gwen are "true" opponents in the game. She's worried about what will happen to their relationship now, since he could hate her like Courtney does. Let their peace be put to the test.

-Going off of the above idea, imagine how Trent feels seeing Gwen and Duncan together. His worst fears during TDA came true and now he has to watch their relationship in real time. This would bring out all his insecurities and fears, making him wonder if he is really good enough. All of these would impact his game, and would allow many different relationships to develop over the course of TDAS from both teams.

-THEY COULD'VE HAD A COURTNEY AND TRENT FRIENDSHIP! Both of them were hurt and betrayed when Duncan and Gwen got together (Courtney in being cheated on and betrayed by a friend, Trent with his worst fears coming true). LET THEM BOND! LET THEM BECOME FRIENDS AND ALLIES! LET GWEN AND DUNCAN WATCH THEIR FRIENDSHIP FORM AND FEEL WEIRD, SAD, OR SOMETHING! -Imagine the tension between Trent and Duncan when Duncan joins the heroes team. Its awkward, its annoying, and they both don't like each other. -Similarly, let Trent be shocked when Courtney joins the villains team. Let him feel a smaller sense of pain, knowing someone he became so close to is now his opponent. -Let Trent slowly build trust and become friend with some of the ROTI cast, like Mike or Cameron, similar to Zoey and Gwen. Let the ROTI cast slowly warm up to him and see that he really is a cool dude. -FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, HAVE GWEN AND TRENT TALK! IDC WHAT IT IS ABOUT, HAVE THEM TALK! Let them communicate their feelings and grow their relationship. It doesn't fix their past, it allows them to start a proper friendship

Honestly, I have a lot of ideas and might just make a post on how I would rewrite TDAS

#total drama #total drama all stars #trent total drama #courtney total drama #gwen total drama #duncan total drama #total drama trent #total drama gwen #total drama courtney #total drama duncan #fuck it #we ball and rewrite total drama #lowkey/highkey total drama's writing sucked #gwent total drama #gwent #kinda?

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isamijoo · 3 years

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Lose

This is written for @gameofdrarry Exploding Snap 2021. My card is on ‘Fake Dating’:

Write a Drarry fic of 823-1149 words following this prompt: Harry agrees to pretend to date Draco to get Draco's father off his back.

Title: Lose

Author: isamijoo

Rating: T

Word Count: 1097

Tags: EWE, Post-Hogwarts, Auror Harry, Curse Breaker Draco

Thank you to @shigacajun for the beta!

READ ON AO3

When Harry reached the front door of Malfoy Manor and knocked, he expected to be greeted by a house-elf or, if he was lucky, Draco himself.

The last person he expected to open the door was Lucius Malfoy.

It had been seven years since the fall of Voldemort, but only six months since Lucius was released from Azkaban. His long hair fell like curtains around his face and his shoulders, his complexion sickly pallid. He glared at Harry like a hunter who is ready to pull the trigger on its prey, or cast the Killing Curse.

“Potter,” he drawled, skipping any meaningless greetings. “What intentions do you have with my son?”

Draco had foreseen this happening, so he had coached Harry on the fake backstory he had constructed, something ridiculous about them falling in love over cups of tea at the Ministry canteen. Harry found this story absurd for a number of reasons.

One, the Ministry canteen’s teas were shite.

Two, Harry had already been falling in love with Draco ever since they started working together — Harry as an Auror, Draco as a Curse-Breaker, for almost two years now. Nothing to do with tea.

Harry opened his mouth to answer, but stopped when Draco suddenly appeared behind Lucius. Draco greeted Harry with an excited “Hi!” and pushed through the narrow space between his father and the doorframe, forcing Lucius to step back with a grimace. Harry found that he enjoyed the look of scorn on the older man’s face.

Outside the manor gates and the wards, Draco smoothed back his short white-blond hair, glancing at the front door, where Lucius still stood, possibly glaring at them. "Where are we going?"

Harry shrugged. He wanted to touch Draco’s hair —it looked so silky— but he kept his hands in his jacket pockets. "Where do you want to go?"

Draco gaped, aghast. "You didn't make any reservations? Anywhere?"

"There are a couple of places I know where I don't require a reservation to get in. But I couldn't decide which one to take you."

"Is the Saviour going to flaunt his special privileges to get us a table?” said Draco incredulously, a hand over his chest. “For me?"

"Just for you, Malfoy,” Harry teased, holding out his arm.

Draco laughed as he linked his arm around Harry’s and they Disapparated.

///

Draco was indecisive, so Harry brought him to a fancy South East Asian Fusion restaurant, where they sat side-by-side in a booth filled with soft cushions.

"So,” Harry said in the middle of their meal, “what's up with your dad?"

"He wants to betroth me to Daphne's little sister," Draco answered while attempting to cut a piece of flatbread with a knife.

Harry vaguely remembered a Slytherin girl by that name in their year at Hogwarts.

"I told him I wasn't interested,” Draco continued, sighing. “But he wasn't having it. I… lost my temper and yelled that I'm a raging homosexual. That would be terribly unfair to the Greengrasses. When he asked whether I had a 'male lover', I knew if I had said no, he'd proceed with the engagement anyway. So I lied.”

Harry watched Draco closely, as he often did whenever they worked together. He couldn’t help himself; they were sitting so close together, the yellow lighting highlighting Draco’s sharp facial features, he looked stunning. “And I’m the first person that came to your mind?”

“I don’t know many people whose… inclinations,” Draco made a face, “align with mine. You’re the only openly bisexual wizard I know.”

“You don’t — I don’t know — go to gay clubs? Or something?”

Draco looked at him as though he couldn’t believe Harry could be so stupid. “No, Potter. I don’t frequent those kinds of establishments. I'm appalled that you would even suggest I partake in such activities.”

“Okay, I’m sorry!" Harry raised his left hand in surrender; he had been using his right hand to eat and he didn’t want drops of curry to fly around. “You’re posh. I get it. Old pureblood family and all that.”

“Yes,” Draco replied curtly, returning his attention to his meal. “I’m glad you understand.”

Harry watched in amusement as Draco, forehead creased in concentration, figured out how to eat roti canai using cutlery. He had refused to follow Harry’s example of using his hands and had declined his help. Harry could tell Draco enjoyed a puzzle, and this was another puzzle with which Draco had challenged himself.

“How long do we have to keep this up?” Harry asked later, when they were on their way back to the Apparition Point. “This fake dating?”

“I suppose until I find a real ‘male lover’.” Draco imitated Lucius when he said the last two words, unexpectedly making Harry laugh.

At Malfoy Manor’s front door, Draco thanked him for the meal. Before he could open the door, Harry took his hand and turned him around so that they faced each other.

“Do you think your dad is watching us right now?” Harry whispered.

Draco glanced around them. “Possibly. I wouldn’t put it past him to put surveillance charms around the manor. It’s definitely something he would do.”

Harry rubbed his thumb along Draco’s bony knuckles. “You want your dad off your back, right?”

“Yes,” Draco muttered, eyeing their clasped hands.

“Then I think we should kiss.”

Draco’s cheeks flushed adorably pink. “You think?”

“I want to,” Harry said clearly.

Draco had no witty comeback for that, only a slack jaw and wide eyes.

Harry stepped closer until their faces were only inches apart. “May I?”

Draco gazed at Harry’s lips, initially with longing, then with uncertainty and confusion. “This isn’t funny, Potter.”

“I’m being serious,” Harry countered gently, taking Draco’s other hand in his. “I would love to take you out on another date. A real one.”

“If we…” Draco left the words unspoken, licking his lips instead, “what would that make us?”

“Boyfriends? I don’t really care about labels, as long as—”

Harry had to swallow the rest of the sentence because Draco had lunged forwards and pressed his mouth against his. Pleasantly surprised, Harry quickly wrapped his arms around Draco’s waist while the blond held Harry's face. They tilted their heads so that they could deepen the kiss. Shivers shot down Harry’s spine when Draco moaned into his mouth.

They abruptly stopped when they heard a loud sound of glass breaking, followed by enraged screams.

“That sounds like my father.” Draco withdrew sheepishly. “I should get inside.”

Harry released him with great reluctance. “Good night, Draco.”

Draco smiled, effectively taking Harry’s breath away. “Good night, Harry.”

AO3

#game of drarry #exploding snap #drarry fanfic #draco x harry #isamijoo

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classyfoxdestiny · 3 years

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Excerpt: Regrets, None by Dolly Thakore

In July 1979, Rani Dube passed through Bombay. She’d brought Richard Attenborough with her. Richard’s long-cherished dream project, Gandhi, was close to realization. Rani was the co-producer, and she had brokered a meeting between Richard and Indira Gandhi. Mrs Gandhi had given the project her blessing and introduced the two of them to the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC)…

375pp, ₹599; HarperCollins

On the 25th of July, Rani brought Richard over to my apartment at around 3 in the afternoon. I was breastfeeding Quasar. We chatted for a while. The walls of our home, as ever, were covered with photographs from plays Alyque had directed. Talk turned to the theatre, to the BBC, to children and life. At half five, I rang Alyque to say, “Ahem, Richard Attenborough is here, and would you come home and we can all have dinner, because, you know, Richard Attenborough?”

I remember we went to Copper Chimney and had Kakori kebabs. But the moment Alyque walked in through the door, Richard turned to me and said, “That’s my Jinnah.”

Two days later, he rang me up.

“Dolly, it’s Richard,” he began. “We’re starting work on Gandhi, as you know. And I was wondering if you’d like to be the casting director?”

It was on the strength of the photographs and the long chat we had that day, about my years in the theatre and my work as a model coordinator and as a host. But mostly, I suspect, it was just a hunch.

I jumped at it. Although no one I knew really knew what ‘casting’ entailed. So, it was just like every other job I ever had.

By November of 1979, Quasar and I moved to the Ashoka Hotel in Delhi. We lived there for the next six months. I was casting director for Gandhi, but I was also the unit publicist and PR liaison.

Richard had already decided on his Gandhi: Ben Kingsley. He was going to cast all the white parts from Britain (and in the case of Martin Sheen and Candice Bergen, the US). I had to find all the Indian actors.

I also worked as a theatre critic at the time, and I watched almost every play on the boards, across the city. I spotted Rohini Hattangadi and called Richard in Delhi.

“There’s a young actress I want you to see,” I said.

“Kasturba?” he asked.

“Kasturba,” I agreed.

Richard was leaving Delhi for London that night. But he would stop in Bombay if he could meet this actress. Would I be able to take a room at the Airport Centaur? He’d nip out, see her and then go back across the street for his flight to London. International flights operated from the same terminal.

Rohini had a show that night. It was past 11.30 before she made it to the Centaur. Richard and I were sitting on the couch, and the moment Rohini walked in through the door, he clutched my thigh.

“This is it, Doll!” he whispered.

Richard had seen something intangible – a quality, an essence. He had a hunch about Rohini. She’d fit into his vision and further it. He could see her on screen. That was what casting was about. That was what one half of filmmaking was.

…”If she can lose about eleven kilos, that’s my Kasturba.”

This, then, was the other half of filmmaking: the journey from casting to the shoot. I rang Rohini the next day. Together, we went to see a Dr Vishnu Khakkar at Kemp’s Corner. He was a dietician…He examined Rohini, heard the brief and then told her that she could eat two chapattis and a bowl of dal for lunch and dinner, and nothing in between. And she had to walk for an hour and a half every day.

Rohini lived in Wadala at the time. Right or wrong, I was convinced that she might follow the dal-roti diet but, left to her own devices, there was no way she was going to take a walk every day. So she’d come to mine, we’d go to Vishnu’s office and lock ourselves into the second room. I’d sit in the chair and she’d walk around the table for an hour and a half. We did this every day for three weeks. She lost five kilos, and I called Richard with a progress report.

“Send her,” he said.

The delegation to London comprised Rohini, Smita Patil, Bhakti Barve and Naseeruddin Shah.

Smita Patil was very much the trendy pick. She was quite a big star by then. She was critically acclaimed and shared, in particular, a wonderful creative relationship with Shyam Benegal. But she wasn’t right for the role. She was too sultry, too aware, had too much spark for that version of that story. It would’ve been bad casting.

My pick – so much water under the bridge now – was actually Bhakti Barve. She was a fine actress. And I felt that she looked like Kasturba. That was enough to seal the deal in my mind.

Naseer’s trip was a political move. He’d made it clear that he was only interested in playing Gandhi. And Richard was set on Ben. But Naseer was a star, a name in the Bombay film industry, and Richard wanted to pitch a host of other parts to him – Nehru, in particular. Which shows how well he knew Naseer. Because that was never going to happen.

Money wasn’t a problem. We put this group of actors on a flight to London to shoot some tests. In fact Gandhi, as my first film, was a bit of a ruinous experience. The producers allowed – “empowered”, I think, is the right word – me to take decisions and paid for them without asking any questions. In other words, they trusted me to do the job they’d hired me to do. They delegated and left it at that; if I screwed up, that was completely my responsibility. No other job has come close.

Richard said ‘no’ to Naseer playing Gandhi. Naseer, in turn, said ‘no’ to Nehru. He wasn’t part of the film which – to this day – feels odd, given that I cast 498 Indian actors. A lot of people remember him being in the film! They’ve ghosted him in, because it feels logical that he would’ve been there. Naseer would have to wait about two decades to play Gandhi in Feroze Khan’s stage production.

Richard called from London to say that Rohini was his Kasturba. He loved her simplicity and naivety – things that are difficult to fake on screen.

The next step was to better her English. I got Kusum Haider to be her teacher in Delhi. I suppose that would be her ‘dialect coach’ in this day and age. Rohini was a model pupil. She maintained her diet and her exercise routine, and she was serious about her English lessons and the spinning class she took with Ben.

Wait. What I mean is that both Rohini and Ben learnt how to weave cotton. They weren’t on exercise bikes, peddling madly.

One of the major criticisms at the time was that Ben Kingsley was too ‘muscular’ to play Gandhi. Ben did all he could to remedy that. He was on a strict diet, and he did a lot of yoga. When he arrived in India, we removed all the furniture from his hotel room so he had to sit and sleep on the floor. The walls were covered with pictures of the Mahatma.

The backlash to the casting decision was inevitable. We were always going to have to confront the question: How could a foreigner play Gandhi? Bizarrely, the makers of ‘parallel cinema’ were the only ones who raised the issue. They showed up on the first day of shoot, waving black flags. I spotted my friend Shama Zaidi amongst the picketers. On our side of the fence was Govind Nihalani, one of the leading lights of the parallel movement but also our second unit cameraman. The protests were orderly. No one ran around breaking things; there were a number of write-ups and opinion pieces. Richard was polite, but firm – Ben Kingsley was his Gandhi. All said and done, Ben was of Indian stock. His grandfather had migrated from India. I mean, we were really straining the boundaries of credibility with his Indian ancestry, and everyone knew it. But we had Mrs Gandhi’s backing. Doors opened for us, trains ran on time and locations were a cinch. Gandhiji’s contemporaries, Ramkrishna Bajaj and Bharat Ram, were closely involved. The NFDC had given us nine crores.

The protests made it to the newspapers and were duly praised; the film rumbled on.

At the pre-shoot party for the Indo-British unit, Roy Button turned to Kamal Swaroop, both third ADs, and asked for a glass of water. Kamal replied, “The Raj went a long time ago.” That was about it for on-set strife.

Would we get to make it the same way again? Today? With a British director and a British lead? I don’t know. That’s dinnertime conversation. Would they get to make Apocalypse Now the same way?

We rolled on the 26th of November 1979. And it really was an army on the move. It had taken Richard decades to get to that moment, and you could see how much it meant to him, because every single minute on that production had been accounted for. People knew exactly what they were supposed to be doing.

Amal and Nissar Allana worked as set decorators. Their universe ranged from trains to cars to jewellery, costumes, shoes. Every detail had a separate team, and all roads led back to Richard – casting meetings, production meetings, lighting meetings, script meetings. And somewhere within that maelstrom, Richard found time to concentrate on the performances, to create a work of great integrity and beauty that has stood the test of time.

We shot in Porbandar, Bombay, Pune. Never Ahmedabad. The scenes set in South Africa were shot in Okhla. The shot of Gandhi silently giving a poor woman his safa by letting it drift across to her in the river was shot in Udaipur.

…In a strange way, I became the doorkeeper for the production. The outside world had to get through me before they got to the film, for anything. The requests ranged from the routine to the ridiculous. Everyone wanted a slice of the pie: producers, hangers-on, friends, politicians. People wanted to visit the set. People wanted to meet the actors. People wanted a say on the screenplay.

We were lucky that Richard had been dealing directly with Mrs Gandhi. That meant we could be firm. Sometimes, we just had to buy peace. Ben occasionally wanted a beer at the end of a day’s work, and we had to ensure he wasn’t seen by the press. We’d already had one headline: ‘Ben Kingsley, Gandhi, drinking beer.’ He was also an attractive man in the middle of a career-defining performance, so we had to shield him from the ladies. If he did stop to speak to someone, the press couldn’t get wind of it. For a while, I was his minder in the modern sense – the advance party, the bodyguard, the person pulling strings, just out of shot.

It was an exhilarating time, but it was bloody hard work. Luckily, Richard and I had found our wavelength early with Kasturba, and I had a strong sense of what he was looking for.

My old friend Roshan Seth played Nehru. We’d tested Victor Banerjee as well but Roshan had the sophistication of Nehru and won hands down.

…

Dolly Thakore with her son Quasar Thakore-Padamsee (L) and Alyque Padamsee (Courtesy the publisher)

Richard cast Saeed Jaffrey as Sardar Patel. I didn’t agree with that call. I still don’t. He just wasn’t right for the role. Harsh Nayyar played Godse. He was another Indian actor from the West (America or England, I forget) who wrote to Richard and won the part.

I had a hand in everything else. From Supriya Pathak to Neena Gupta, and Om Puri (God rest his soul, that brilliant, brilliant man) to Shekhar Chatterjee, who played Suhrawardy and whom I’d spotted in Calcutta. I mostly cast actors from the theatre. I mentioned Bhanu Athaiya to Richard, and she went on to win the Academy Award for costume design. She was a very well-established designer before Gandhi. What I loved, though, was her mumbled complaint at one point, “All I’m making is kurta pyjamas.” But then, that’s all the Congress leaders wore at that time, with the sole exception of Jinnah, who had some rather excellent suits. Alyque was hopeful that he’d get to keep his clothes from the shoot and was most disappointed when they were on the next flight to England.

Of course, when Bhanu won the Oscar, it was all “… yes, Jodhpuri pyjamas but, you know, I had to cut them in a very specific way.” Ah, show-business.

…The Indian premier was at Regal. I can confirm that Indira Gandhi did not, in fact, attend. At the time, I thought it the most exhilarating moment of my life, the crowning glory. With the passage of years, I’ve gained a little perspective. But that film taught me so much and gave me a set of memories I’ll never forget, some of them the proudest of my career. …And that funeral scene – one of the greatest ever filmed.

It went to the Oscars and won so many awards. But, by then, it was a British film, Richard’s film, and seemed very far away indeed.

Richard and I remained friends until his death in 2014. Ben Kingsley visited India again in 1990, and I had everyone over for a meal at my house. It was lovely. He’s now a Knight of the Realm. And I hear he prefers to be called ‘Sir Ben’.

I’m glad I was there; I’m glad I was part of it.

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joemerl · 6 years

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This probably won't surprise you, but Total Drama for the fandom meme list.

…See, this is hard, not only because there are close to 100 characters separated into four different casts, but because each season and the writing varies so much in quality. If I say “I like this character,” I have to qualify “well, in season 1, because in season two they were Flanderized and in season 3 they did this awful thing, but then in season five…”

Also, for simplicity I’m just gonna focus on the actual show, not the superior headcanon/fanfiction versions where minor characters actually get to live up to their potential.

Favorite character: Gwen in season 1, not really anybody in season 2, Cody in season 3, Cameron from the “Revenge” cast, Shawn from the “Pawkitew” cast and a tie between the Goths and the Adversity Twins in RR.

Worst character: Probably Lightning. ROTI was kind of a slow grind as it became clear that he was never going to get character development, and I don’t find him particularly funny, either. Duncan and Alejandro have also gotten on my nerves when they become Gary Stus, but at least they occasionally have okay stories to redeem them.

OTP: Too many to list, but the fact that I’ve written 90,000+ words for Cody/Courtney probably says something.

NOTP: AleHeather throughout season 3. I’m also not fond of Gwen/Duncan, not only because of the cheating/love triangle thing, but also because it’s kind of boring.

Greatest emotional moment: I’m just gonna list Shawn and Jasmine’s relationship in general.

Most excitable moment: Cameron winning season 4, I guess.

Favorite series trope: Not really sure if this counts, but I like how each cast provides a variety of very different characters. Even ones who are a lot alike (say, Cody and Harold) are somehow still very distinct. (…Except for Katie and Sadie.)

Series pet peeve: Bad guys managing to not get eliminating in ridiculously contrived ways/Chris just rewriting rules as he sees fit, and couples constantly breaking up because the writers don’t know what to do with them once they’re together.

Opinion on the writing: Ranges from “great!” to “I want to stab the person who subjected me to this.”

Overall review of series: Well, I keep coming back for more.

#Total Drama #Fandom meme #Meme #FruitcakeFiona

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zeldaspeaksmindfulness · 3 years

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Lookingglass Theatre Company

In Collaboration with WBEZ Chicago present the World Premiere Audio Play of

Her Honor Jane Byrne

Written and Directed by Ensemble Member J. Nicole Brooks

Thanksgiving Day at 11am and Saturday, November 28 at 2pm

Chicago, IL–Lookingglass Theatre Company, in collaboration with WBEZ 91.5 Chicago, presents a World Premiere audio play of Her Honor Jane Byrne, written and directed by Ensemble Member and Mellon Playwright in Residence J. Nicole Brooks. Her Honor Jane Byrne will air on Chicago’s NPR news station WBEZ 91.5 FM and wbez,org on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26 from 11am-1pm CT and Saturday, November 28 from 2pm-4pm CT.

Chicago is “The City That Works”—but does it work for everybody? It’s 1981, the city’s simmering pot of neglected problems boils over, and Chicago’s first woman mayor is moving into Cabrini-Green. Is this just a P.R. stunt, or will it bring the City together? For the next three weeks, residents, activists, media, the “Machine,” and the Mayor herself will collide as the City’s raw truths are exposed. Tune in to find out who will come out on top in Lookingglass Ensemble Member J. Nicole Brooks’ bold new work, Her Honor Jane Byrne?

Her Honor Jane Byrne premiered on the Lookingglass stage in March 2020 just five days before the Theatre had to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lookingglass Theatre Company has partnered with WBEZ, Chicago’s National Public Radio Station, to present Her Honor Jane Byrne as a radio play.

The cast features Ensemble Members Christine Mary Dunford (Jane Byrne), Thomas J. Cox (Alderman Roti, Swibel, Photographer, Evidence Tech) and Tracy Walsh (Reporter, Kathy, Claudia) with Robert Cornelius (Black Che, Seller), Nicole Michelle Haskins (Tiger, Rival Kid), Renee Lockett (Mabel Foley), Frank Nall (O’Donnell, Jay McMullen, Daley, Spilotro), Josh Odor (Superintendent Brzcek, Tavern Owner, Bodyguard, Pilot, Host), Taron Patton (Marion Stamps), Willie “Mudlife Roc” Round (Kid, Tral).

The creative team includes Michael Huey (composer), Christopher M. LaPorte (sound designer), Artistic Associate Wendy Mateo (associate director) Jason K. Martin (dialect specialist), Sarah Burnham (production manager), Jeremy Phillips (production assistant) and Ensemble Member Philip R. Smith (casting).

“Our play joins history to myth. Some of it is dramatic interpretation, and some of it is real,” comments J. Nicole Brooks. “When you grow up in a city that’s hyper segregated, run amuck with corruption, and political stunts and discord, you have to work hard to love it. I love the city of Chicago. I love the history. I’m fascinated by ethnic clans. I’m curious about patronage, councils, aldermen, and committeemen. Who gets elected and how? Who gets to lead us, and will they actually listen to us? Though I was very little, I can remember when it was announced that Mayor Jane Byrne was moving into Cabrini-Green. Can she stop the violence? Well, no one person can. Here we are decades later, asking the same questions. I hope our audiences walk away with a bit of the past, so they may know how to shape our future.”

““It was devastating to close Her Honor Jane Byrne last Spring just after it opened. A play takes years of work to get it to the point of production, and this play was speaking directly to our city about our city. So we are thrilled and grateful to WBEZ for giving us a new platform to share J. Nicole Brooks’ timely and brilliant play in its new audio form,” comments Artistic Director Heidi Stillman. “Over the past months since the show closed, it’s subject matter has only become more relevant. Her Honor Jane Byrne is ambitious, timely, and an important piece of work about the way geography, race and inequality line up in Chicago – and how choices made in the past are still playing out in our city today.”

This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. The following sponsors generously supported the premiere of Her Honor Jane Byrne on the Lookingglass stage last spring: Production Sponsors—National Endowment for the Arts and Edgerton Foundation; Lead Sponsors—Melinda McMullen and Duncan Kime; Production Support—Leigh and Henry Bienen, Linda Karn, Rachel E. Kraft and Douglas R. Brown, and Abbie Roth.

About the Artists

J. NICOLE BROOKS (Playwright/Director/Lookingglass Ensemble Member) is an actor, playwright, and director. Recent theatrical credits include Lottery Day (Goodman Theatre), Beyond Caring (Lookingglass Theatre Company), and Immediate Family (Mark Taper Forum, Goodman Theatre). Directing credits at Lookingglass include: Thaddeus & Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure (co-directed with Krissy Vanderwarker), Mr. Rickey Calls A Meeting, and Black Diamond. J. Nicole is author of Fedra: Queen of Haiti, Black Diamond: The Years the Locusts Have Eaten, The Incredible Adventures of Yuri Kochiyama, HeLa, and Her Honor Jane Byrne.

ROBERT CORNELIUS (Black Che, Seller) is making his Lookingglass Theatre debut with the world premiere of Her Honor Jane Byrne. Other Chicago credits include the world premiere of Lottery Day at Goodman Theatre; The Total Bent at Haven Theatre in association with About Face Theatre; Rightlynd, Spiele 36, On the Block and Whitley at Victory Gardens Theater; Picnic with American Theatre Company, W;t with The Hypocrites, Raisin with Court Theatre, Taming of the Shrew at First Folio Theatre, Hamlet at The Gift Theatre, and Aida at Drury Lane Theatre. Regionally, Robert has worked at Indiana Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Madison Repertory Theatre, Montana Repertory Theatre, and St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre. Film/TV credits include: Chicago PD, South Side, Shameless, Hoodlum, and The Chi.

THOMAS J. COX (Alderman Roti, Swibel, Photographer, Evidence Tech/Lookingglass Ensemble Member) most recently appeared at Lookingglass in 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas. A founding Ensemble Member, Thom has appeared in many productions since 1988, including: Cascabel, The Jungle, The Odyssey, West, The Arabian Nights, The Master and Margarita, The Great Fire, Nelson Algren: For Keeps and a Single Day, 1984, The Old Curiosity Shop, and Peter Pan (A Play). Regionally, he has appeared at Goodman Theatre, Writers Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Northlight Theatre, The House Theatre of Chicago, Court Theatre, The Gift Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, and Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Most recently, Thom was seen in Bernhardt/Hamlet and A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre) and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Writers Theatre). TV/Film: Brotherhood (Showtime), Chicago Fire (NBC), Since You’ve Been Gone (Miramax).

CHRISTINE MARY DUNFORD (Jane Byrne/Lookingglass Ensemble Member) has appeared in nearly two dozen Lookingglass productions. Christine’s three most recent productions include Blood Wedding, Trust, and Our Town. For Lookingglass’ 25th Anniversary Season in 2013, she directed her own original adaptation (Jeff nominated) of Still Alice, based on the book by Lisa Genova, which has been translated into multiple languages and is being produced in small theatres across the world. Over the years Christine has served the company as managing director and director of development, and she co-founded and taught with Lookingglass’ Education and Community program. Christine is Director of the School of Theatre and Music at the University of Illinois at Chicago; and she co-founded and helps run the Memory Ensemble—a partnership between Lookingglass and Northwestern’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center (CNADC)—that uses improvisational performance activities to improve life for people with memory loss.

NICOLE MICHELLE HASKINS (Tiger, Rival Kid) is making her Lookingglass debut! Acting credits include: The Color Purple (Drury Lane Theatre), U.S. Premiere of Hopelessly Devoted (Piven Theatre Workshop, Jeff nomination: Best Actor in a Play), Caroline, or Change (Firebrand Theatre, Black Theatre Alliance Award nomination: Best Supporting Actress in a Musical), Spitfire Grill (Refuge Theatre Project, Jeff Award Nomination: Best Supporting Actress in a Musical), World Premiere of HeLa (Sideshow Theatre Company); Music Man, Father Comes Home from the Wars Parts 1,2 & 3, and How to Catch Creation (Goodman Theatre), The Wiz (Kokandy Productions, Jeff Award nomination: Best Supporting Actress in a Musical), Parade (Writers Theatre), and RENT (Theo Ubique Caberet Theatre). Proudly represented by Shirley Hamilton. School at Steppenwolf Acting Fellow 2014, Associate Artist with Black Lives, Black Words, International Theatre Collective, and MOSAIC Youth Theatre of Detroit Alum.

RENEE LOCKETT (Mabel Foley) is making her Lookingglass debut. Last seen in First Floor Theater’s Jeff recommended Sugar in our Wounds. Other Chicago credits include: Familiar (Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Jeff nomination: Ensemble), Surely, Goodness and Mercy (Redtwist Theatre, Jeff nomination: Performer in a Drama, Black Theatre Alliance Award nomination: Best Actress), A Wonder in My Soul (Victory Gardens Theater), Crowns (Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, Black Theatre Alliance Award nomination: Best Ensemble). Renee has also worked with Babes with Blades, Court Theatre, Northlight Theatre, MPAACT, Prologue Theatre, Collaboraction Theatre Company, Three Cat Productions, Black Ensemble Theater, ETA Creative Arts, and Black Lives, Black Words. Renee is an ensemble member of MPAACT and an Artistic Associate with Black Lives, Black Words. Most recent Film credits include: The Plow and Freelancers Anonymous, as well as TV roles on The Chi and a recurring guest star role on Comedy Central’s South Side. Renee is represented by DDO Artists Agency.

FRANK NALL (O’Donnell, Jay McMullen, Daley, Spilotro) is making his Lookingglass debut in this powerful piece by J. Nicole Brooks. A member of the Artistic Home Ensemble, Frank was last seen in their production of Vanya on the Plains as Elijah. Other Chicago credits include: Frankenstein (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, Jeff Award winner) and Traitor as Howard (A Red Orchid Theatre, Jeff Award winner). Film and TV credits include: the CNN reporter from Spygame, Transplant surgeon on Empire, Carlisle on Boss, and assorted commercials. Frank has an MFA from the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign.

JOSH ODOR (Superintendent Brzcek, Tavern Owner, Bodyguard, Pilot, Host) is working with Lookingglass for the first time. Chicago credits include: To Catch a Fish and Blood and Gifts (TimeLine Theatre), El Grito del Bronx (Goodman Theatre/Collaboraction Theatre Company), Oorah! (Steppenwolf Theatre Company/LiveWire Chicago), Scientific Method and The Firebirds Take the Field (Rivendell Theatre Ensemble), Welcome to Jesus (American Theater Company), Moment, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, and The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui (Steep Theatre), You on the Moors Now (The Hypocrites), Life On Paper (Jackalope Theatre), Hit the Wall (The Inconvenience), Winterset (Griffin Theatre), The Nutcracker (The House Theatre of Chicago) and Sweet Bird of Youth and The Time of Your Life (The Artistic Home). Regionally Josh has worked at the Long Wharf Theatre. TV/ Film credits: The Chi, Chicago Med/PD/Fire, Boss, Betrayal, Janie Jones, Empire, and The Express.

TARON PATTON (Marion Stamps) returns to the stage in Her Honor Jane Byrne. Producer credits includes: N (Greenhouse Theater Center) and Misty Tanner (Q&A Productions). Directing credits: N (Greenhouse Theater Center) Saturday Night, Sunday Morning (Steppenwolf Garage Rep), Bulrusher and Nativity Tribute (Congo Square Theatre). Acting credits: Meet Vera Stark (Goodman Theatre), Hot L Baltimore (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); The Bluest Eye (Steppenwolf Theatre Company and New Victory Theater), King Hedley II (Congo Square Theatre), and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Goodman Theatre). Television credits: The Chi, Empire, Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, A Different World.

WILLIE "MUDLIFE ROC" ROUND (Kid, Tral) is a songwriter, playwright, videographer, mentor, and hip-hop artist hailing from the West Side of Chicago, who has performed across the country and opened for Grammy Award-winning artist Lil Wayne as well as Gucci Mane. He does extensive outreach in the North Lawndale neighborhood in Chicago (also known as “The Holy City”) and has mentored inner city youth as part of the College Mentoring Experience, as well as his own youth movement called MUD LIFE (Motivating the Urban to be Determined). He holds a B.A. in Communications, Radio, and Television Broadcasting from Central State University. His play Broke Down Drone (also co-written with G. Riley Mills) played during the 2019 Peacebook.

TRACY WALSH (Reporter, Kathy, Claudia/Lookingglass Ensemble Member) is a Lookingglass Ensemble Member where she has performed in, choreographed, directed, and written many plays on the Main Stage and for the Lookingglass Young Ensemble. In recent seasons at Lookingglass, Tracy provided dances for The Steadfast Tin Soldier, wrote, directed, and choreographed Cassandra for the Young Ensemble, provided intimacy choreography for Beyond Caring, movement for Acts of God, and choreographed Blood Wedding. She appeared in and choreographed Iphigenia in Aulis (Court Theatre/Getty Villa in Los Angeles), choreographed Agamemnon (Court Theatre) and appeared in and choreographed Electra (Court Theatre). Other Chicago choreography credits include: Arcadia and All’s Well that Ends Well (The Goodman Theatre), The Jewel Box and Don Giovanni (Chicago Opera Theatre), Carmen (Court Theatre) and the Napoleonade (Eclipse Theatre Company). Tracy and her husband own and teach at Lighthouse Yoga in Evanston.

FACT SHEET

Her Honor Jane Byrne will air on Chicago’s NPR news station WBEZ 91.5 FM and wbez,org.

Title: Her Honor Jane Byrne

Written and Directed by: Ensemble Member J. Nicole Brooks

Featuring: Ensemble Members Christine Mary Dunford, Thomas J. Cox and Tracy Walsh with Robert Cornelius, Nicole Michelle Haskins, Renee Lockett, Frank Nall, Josh Odor, Taron Patton, and Willie “Mudlife Roc” Round.

Creative Team: Michael Huey (composer), Christopher M. LaPorte (sound designer), Artistic Associate Wendy Mateo (associate director) Jason K. Martin (dialect specialist), Sarah Burnham (production manager), Jeremy Phillips (production assistant) and Ensemble Member Philip R. Smith (casting).

Dates: Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26 from 11am-1pm CT and Saturday, November 28 from 2pm-4pm CT.

Also happening online with Lookingglass

The Steadfast Tin Soldier

Lookingglass Theatre Company presents the holiday stream of Ensemble Member Mary Zimmerman’s The Steadfast Tin Soldier. Experience Chicago’s beloved holiday tradition with your family this holiday season, as the production streams into your home this December! Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s story about a little tin soldier who never gives up, this production is a gorgeous spectacle of music and movement that is perfect for the whole family.

Online access to the production is $25 and includes Livestream and On Demand. An Opening Night Livestream will take place December 1, 2020 at 6:30PM Central. Opening night is $75 and includes a pre-show event with live music hosted by Ensemble Member Kasey Foster, who plays the Ballerina in The Steadfast Tin Soldier. Following the show, Artistic Producer Kareem Bandealy will host a Q&A with Adaptor/Director and Ensemble Member Mary Zimmerman, Co-Sound Designer, Composer and Ensemble Member Andre Pluess, and Costume Designer Ana Kuzmanic.

Tickets are on sale now at www.lookingglasstheatre.org.

The cast of The Steadfast Tin Soldier features Ensemble Members Kasey Foster (Ballerina) and Anthony Irons (Goblin), with Joe Dempsey (Nursemaid), John Gregorio (Rat), and Alex Stein (Steadfast Tin Soldier).

Original music for The Steadfast Tin Soldier is composed by Ensemble Member Andre Pluess and Amanda Dehnert. Musicians include Leandro López Várady (Music Director/Piano), Greg Hirte (Violin), Juan Horie (Cello), and Constance Volk (Flutes).

The creative team includes Todd Rosenthal (scenic design), Ana Kuzmanic (costume design), TJ Gerckens (lighting design), Ensemble Member Andre Pluess and Christopher M. LaPorte (sound design), Leandro López Várady (associate arranger), Ensemble Member Tracy Walsh (choreography), Ensemble Member Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi (circus choreography), Chicago Puppet Studio (puppet design), Amanda Herrmann (properties),Rigability Inc. (rigging design), Katrina Herrmann (stage manager) and Liz Anne Larsen (assistant stage manager). The production was filmed in 2019 by HMS Media.

The Secret Passage

The Secret Passage is a digital membership that reveals a corridor of hidden doors. And behind each door lives an exclusive peek into the Lookingglass process. From mind-expanding artist conversations to first-ever play workshops to archival audio recordings of our former glories to discounts on classes and public Lookingglass events, the perks of the pass will cast you as a true “insider” and a key player in preserving our future.

The Secret Passage memberships are $50, for access through August 2021, or $8 monthly. Members will receive a discount to The Steadfast Tin Soldier, along with access to the following monthly programming, plus more to be announced:

The Jungle Radio Play by Upton Sinclair, adapted and directed by Ensemble Member David Schwimmer

The Master and Margarita Radio Play, by Mikhail Bulgakov’s adapted by Artistic Director/Ensemble member Heidi Stillman, directed by Heidi Stillman and Ensemble Member David Catlin, featuring many Ensemble Members including David Schwimmer, Philip R. Smith, Joy Gregory, and our beloved friend and Steppenwolf ensemble member Mariann Mayberry.

The Scarlet Letter Radio Play by Nathaniel Hawthorne, adapted by Ensemble Member Thomas J. Cox

Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon Sneek Peek, a new musical by Artistic Associate Matthew C. Yee

The Hidden Door: Artist Conversations: Online conversations featuring exclusive conversations with Ensemble Members David Schwimmer, Kevin Douglas, Mary Zimmerman, Mellon Playwright in Residence J. Nicole Brooks, Anthony Fleming, Kareem Bandealy, and David Catlin, among others.

Live Concerts: Coffeehouse and House Party, features Artistic Associates Matt Yee and Sully Ratke, with a special appearance by Ensemble Member Kareem Bandealy. House Party is an intimate concert by Ensemble Member Kasey Foster and partner Charlie Otto.

For more information on The Secret Passage, visit lookingglasstheatre.org/secret-passage

About Lookingglass Theatre Company Inventive. Collaborative. Transformative. Lookingglass Theatre Company, recipient of the 2011 Regional Theatre Tony Award, was founded in 1988 by eight Northwestern University students. Now in its 32nd Season, Lookingglass is home to a multi-disciplined ensemble of artists who create story-centered theatrical work that is physical, aurally rich and visually metaphoric. The Company, located in Chicago’s landmark Water Tower Water Works, has staged 70 world premieres, received 161 Joseph Jefferson Award Nominations, and produced work all across the United States. In 2016, Lookingglass received the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions and in 2017, was the recipient of the League of Chicago Theatres’ Artistic Achievement Award.

Lookingglass continues to expand its artistic, financial, and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Artistic Director Heidi Stillman, Executive Director Rachel L. Fink, a 29-member artistic ensemble, 22 artistic associates, an administrative staff, and a dedicated board of directors led by Chair Nancy Timmers and President Richard Chapman. For more information, visit lookingglasstheatre.org.

About WBEZ Chicago

WBEZ, Chicago’s NPR news station, serves the community with fact-based, objective news and information. WBEZ’s award-winning journalists ask tough questions, dig deep for answers and expose truths that spark change and foster understanding. In addition to its local and national news programming, WBEZ Chicago is home to a growing portfolio of popular podcasts, including the “Making” series of Making Beyoncé, Making Obama and Making Oprah; an investigative podcast series, Motive; 16 Shots: A podcast about the fatal police shooting of Laquan McDonald; Nerdette; and Curious City. WBEZ Chicago has a legacy of innovation as the birthplace of nationally acclaimed programs such as This American Life, and Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me! and the ground-breaking podcast, Serial.

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lazyupdates · 6 years

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The handsome hunk of Bollywood, Arjun Kapoor turns a year older today. Coming from a film family, Arjun has grown up amongst some of the biggest stars of the Indian film industry. He is the son of producer Boney Kapoor and the late Mona Shourie Kapoor. He is also the grandson of producer Surinder Kapoor and is the nephew to actors Anil Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor. Many might not know this but Arjun Kapoor had an extremely tough childhood. His parents got divorced when he was very young and then throughout his childhood he faced a battle with obesity. In an interview with a leading daily, Arjun mentioned that despite being separated from his father, he always maintained a good relationship with him.

He said, “It’s easy for me to sit here and speak all these years later. Back then, when we were kids, it was difficult. But what can you do? How long will you complain? You have to accept what is, take it on your chin, and move on. I don’t grudge him anything. I told him, ‘do whatever makes you happy’. He’s my father. How can I not love him? I don’t get too much time with him because we don’t live together. He’s busy with his production company, and now, me with my movies. But we speak more often now because he knows so much about this industry. I respect him for that. Mum was the friend. He’s always been the protective father, watching over us, providing.”

Arjun began his journey in the film industry as an assistant director in Nikhil Advani’s Kal Ho Naa Ho back in 2003. He also worked as an assistant to Advani in Salaam – E – Ishq (2007). He later worked as an associate producer on two films of his father’s production house which were No Entry (2005) and Wanted (2009). Arjun initially didn’t plan on becoming an actor but wanted to pursue a career in directing. In fact, it was Salman Khan who told him that he should consider acting. Salman felt that Arjun was cut out for acting. But, before he could even consider any film, he had to get in shape. In an interview with a leading daily, when Arjun was asked about the same he said, “I’m not really sure, but Salman Khan had a chat with me one day and said he thought I was cut out for acting; that I should give it a try rather than regret I hadn’t. I was obese then, and didn’t see myself as an actor. But I think, in a way, I took up his challenge. I thought, let’s see if I can become that. Loosing 50 kilos in four years was tough and seeing six-pack abs-sporting actors in papers every day doesn’t make it easy. It’s intimidating. I’m still fat in my head. If I eat a bit more, I imagine I am bloating. I’ve won the challenge, now I must sustain it. It’s ongoing. I can’t stop eating, but now I’m careful. I’ll pick a roti over a bowl of rice.”

Arjun Kapoor went on to sign a three film contract with Yash Raj Films and made his Bollywood debut in Habib Faisal’s Ishaqzaade (2012) which was Parineeti Chopra’s debut film as well. In the film, Arjun played Parma, a chauvinistic brat who seduces the daughter of a rival family. Arjun received massive praise for his performance in the film as many claimed that the role in Ishaqzaade fit him like a glove. Arjun had clearly got the nod from the audience as his film went on to collect 87 crores. Arjun’s next was another Yash Raj production titled Aurangzeb (2013). Arjun Kapoor played a double role in the film but that wasn’t enough to attract the audience to the theatres. Made on a budget of 22 crores, the film could only rake in a total of 35 crores.

2014 went on to be an extremely successful year for Arjun Kapoor. His first release was Yash Raj Films’ Gunday. Along with Arjun, the film also featured Ranveer Singh and Priyanka Chopra in leading roles. Despite receiving poor reviews, the movie became a part of the prestigious 100 crore club as the lifetime collections of the film amounted to 120 crores. In the same year, Arjun was seen in the romantic comedy, 2 States, alongside Alia Bhatt. The film was an adaptation of a Chetan Bhagat novel by the same title. It told the story of two students of IIM Ahmedabad who find trouble trying to convince their parents for their marriage due to their different cultural backgrounds. While we have seen many such plots in Bollywood before, the terrific chemistry and effortless performances by the lead actors made the film click with the audience. Arjun received praise for his gritty and multi-layered portrayal of his character, Krish in the film. 2 States went on to collect a total of 172 crores at the box office. Interestingly, the makers of the film went through many casting changes for both the leads before they locked in on Arjun and Alia and we are glad that they took this decision.

Arjun Kapoor’s third film in the year was Homi Adjania’s Finding Fanny. Along with Arjun, the film starred Deepika Padukone, Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia and Pankaj Kapur in leading roles. The film revolves around five rather dysfunctional characters on a road trip to find ‘Fanny’. However, Finding Fanny was not about the story but about its characters and their conversations. Everyone’s performance in the film received massive praise from critics. The film also went on to have a rather decent run at the box office despite not belonging to the commercial masala genre. The film’s lifetime collections amounted to 51.2 crores.

In 2015, Arjun returned to the big screen with Tevar, which was a remake of the South-Indian Film Okkadu (2003). Produced by Arjun’s father, Boney Kapoor, the film also starred Sonakshi Sinha while Manoj Bajpayee played the villain. Arjun plays the character named Pintoo who is a young kabbadi player. In a turn of events, Pintoo ends up saving Radhika (Sonakshi Sinha) from Gajendar Singh (Manoj Bajpayee). Gajendar Singh was a gangster trying to get Radhika to marry him against her wishes. So, Pintoo takes up the responsibility of Radhika’s well-being upon his shoulders and decides to go against Gajendhar Singh himself. The film couldn’t impress the audience as it tried to rely on cliché Bollywood formulas which quite frankly the audience has grown over. The film had an extremely poor run at the box office. It could collect only 57 crores, which was just over its entire making budget of 56 crores.

In 2016, Arjun Kapoor was seen opposite Kareena Kapoor Khan in Ki and Ka. A film, which challenged society’s norms regarding duties of a married couple. Arjun Kapoor played a house-husband while Kareena Kapoor Khan’s character was the breadwinner. Ki and Ka provided a refreshing change from the typical commercial masala flicks that we have got used to in recent years. R Balki’s writing in the film provided enough scope for humour and some drama in the film. Kareena and Arjun’s chemistry was exciting and was an important factor behind the success of the film. Arjun’s character was extremely likeable as the loving, supportive husband. A role of a stay-at-home-husband would put off many actors but Arjun took the risk and was able to shine. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the film went on to be a commercial success and managed to enter the coveted 100 crore club.

In 2017, he was seen with Shraddha Kapoor in Half Girlfriend. Directed by Mohit Suri, this was another film which featured Arjun and was inspired by a Chetan Bhagat novel. In Half Girlfriend, Arjun Kapoor played a rustic, rural young man who cannot speak English well. He manages to get admission in a prestigious university through the sports quota. During his time there, he comes across a girl named Riya (Shraddha Kapoor). The two bond over basketball and eventually become good friends. Secretly, Madhav always liked Riya and eventually asks her out on a date. Madhav asks Riya about the nature of their relationship. Riya says that she is not his girlfriend, but they can maybe reach a compromise and she offers to be his ‘Half Girlfriend’. The two eventually separate and end up leading different paths in life. Years later, he briefly meets her and realises he hasn’t gotten over her yet. He recalls that she had mentioned she wanted to become a singer in New York, so Madhav secures himself an internship with United Nations in New York with an aim to find her and win her back. He looks for three months but doesn’t succeed. After his internship, his friend Sailesh (Vikrant Massey) throws him a farewell party. At the farewell party, he overhears a song which sounds familiar to the one which Riya used to sing. He then finds out the singer is indeed Riya. And the pair is reunited. The film received mostly negative reviews but had a pretty moderate run at the box office with the collections amounting to 89 crores.

Arjun Kapoor’s last film was Mubarakan. Arjun was seen alongside his uncle Anil Kapoor as well as Illeana D’Cruz and Athiya Shetty. Like Aurangzeb, Arjun played a double role in this film as well but while former was a revenge thriller, the latter was a light hearted rom-com. Arjun played the characters of twin brothers called Karan and Charan. The film revolves around the confusions and misunderstandings that occur during a grand Punjabi wedding. The film had a lukewarm response by the audience and only could collect 89 crores at the box office.

Arjun Kapoor also recently made a special appearance for a song in his cousin, Harshvardhan Kapoor’s Bhavesh Joshi Superhero. The track was titled Chavanprash and proved to be quite a hit number.

Talking about the future, Arjun definitely has a few exciting films lined up ahead. First, we will see him in Vipul Shah’s Namastey England. He’s paired opposite Parineeti Chopra in the film. The film has already been wrapped and will release towards the end of this year. A source close to the film had revealed to a leading daily that Arjun Kapoor will be seen playing a farmer in the film. He said, “Arjun Kapoor will play a farmer who has completed his M.Sc. in agriculture in the film.” The film is not a sequel to the Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif starrer Namastey London (2007). The source further added, “It’s a totally fresh script and a new story. There’s a possibility of the title working out really well, but it’s not a sequel.”

This pair will be reuniting once again for Dibakar Banerjee’s Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar. Arjun has wrapped up shooting for this film as well. In an interview with a leading daily, Arjun spoke about how excited he is about the fact that a director like Dibakar Banerjee is directing his 10th film. He said, “It’s my 10th film. Dibakar Banerjee is such an acclaimed filmmaker. He has tremendous clarity about what he wants. Some directors have this ability to articulate beautifully and he is one of those.”

Arjun will also be seen along with Kriti Sanon and Sanjay Dutt in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Panipat, a high-octane period film which is based on the third battle of Panipat. Panipat is slated to release on December 6.

Arjun Kapoor also was recently confirmed in director Raj Kumar Gupta’s next which is titled India’s Most Wanted. He recently spoke to a leading daily during which he mentioned how excited he was for the project. He said, “As actors we all search for rare stories that have the potential to inspire. India’s Most Wanted is one such story based on true events that will make every Indian proud, like an instance from the pages of Indian history that will make us want to salute the unsung heroes who put their country before their lives. India’s Most Wanted’ is our tribute to the valour of those who devote their lives protecting ours.”

Recently in an interview with a leading daily, Arjun was asked about how he feels when he looks back at his career. To which the actor replied, “There is no reason to complain. The excitement is to do better and more. That’s the energy that keeps me going. You have a quest for more. Like I said, I can’t complain. The highs were amazing and the lows were a teaching phase. It’s been surreal to say the least, and I hope it continues this way.”

We too hope it continues this way!

#lazy #lazy updates #Updates #trending #news #bollywood #recipes #entertainment

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cookinginhouse-blog · 6 years

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how to make roti/chapati

welcome and learn how to cook

learn:how to make roti?

what we need: 3 cups chapatti flour OR 1½ cups whole wheat flour + 1½ cups all-purpose flour ½-1 teaspoon salt (optional) 1 tablespoon ghee or oil 1-1½ cups warm water 1: Choose your flour. Traditional roti recipes call for chapati (sometimes spelled “chapatti”) flour, which is also known as durum wheat atta. Some recipes just list “atta” in the ingredients list; they are typically referring to chapati flour (indeed, the terms “roti” and “chapati” are sometimes used interchangeably—they are both unleavened wheat flatbreads). •Atta/chapati flour is a finely ground whole wheat flour.[3]It's the traditional choice for making roti. •If you can't find chapati flour or don't have it on hand, you can substitute whole wheat flour. Because it is a heavier flour, though, you should consider using a mixture of half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour to more closely approximate the texture of chapati flour. •You may even use only all-purpose flour in the recipe if that's all you have available. If you go this route, though, you may need to use less water. Be sure to pay attention to the consistency and texture of the dough as you mix; we'll explain more about this in the following steps. •Additionally, if you use only all-purpose flour, your roti won't have as chewy and nutty of a flavor as traditional roti. 2: Choose your oil. You'll need to have a small amount of oil on hand to brush the finished rotis with, and optionally, a bit to add to the dough. You can use any cooking oil: olive oil, vegetable oil, melted butter or ghee, but ghee is recommended. •Ghee is a clarified butter which has been simmered until all of the moisture has evaporated and the milk solids have begun to brown. Ghee has a nutty, carmel-like flavor and color. Ghee has a very high smoke point (almost 375°) and is thus well-suited for frying. It's readily available at Middle-Eastern and Indian markets and specialty food shops, or you can make your own ghee at home 3: Sift the flour and the salt. Place the flour in a large mixing bowl, your mixer, or the bowl of your food processor (fitted with a dough blade). Add the salt, and mix thoroughly. 4: Add the ghee (or oil) to the flour. Not all roti recipes call for adding oil to the dough, but doing so can add a bit of flavor to this otherwise simple bread and can also soften it a touch. Add ghee to taste, up to approximately 1 teaspoon. Slowly mix the dough until flakes appear. •Make sure that you hands are clean if you are mixing the dough by hand. If using a mixer, mix on low speed, and if you are using a food processor, pulse a few times until you see flakes. 5: Add the water to the flour. Slowly begin to add lukewarm water to the dough. The dough will be sandy at first, but as you add more, it should start to pull together to form a ball. •Be sure not to add the water too quickly; you don't want your dough to be too sticky or you won't be able to roll it out. •If you are using a mixer or a food processor you may have to stop on occasion to scrape down the sides of the bowl before mixing/pulsing more. •The finished dough should be soft and slightly sticky, though you should be able to peel it off your hand. If it sticks to your hands, it is too wet, and you should add a bit more flour. 6: Knead the dough. Once your ball of dough has formed, let your mixer or food processor run for another couple of minutes and/or knead by hand for about five minutes. This will help gluten proteins form. •The amount of time you need to spend kneading the dough is flexible, and depends upon the strength of your kneading or your kitchen appliance. You are aiming at producing a pliable, stretchy dough that you'll be able to roll out. 7: Let the dough rest. Once you've finished kneading the dough, brush it lightly with oil or ghee, and cover it with a damp paper towel or cloth. Let the dough rest for approximately 30 minutes (it's fine to let it rest longer). •Letting the dough rest will result in softer rotis. The gluten you formed during the kneading process will relax, and any air bubbles will have a chance to be worked out of the dough. 8: Heat up your cooking surface. To cook your rotis, you will need a griddle, a cast-iron skillet with a diameter of at least 8-9 inches, or a traditional iron tawa. Place the griddle on medium-high heat. •You can test the heat of your griddle by dropping a pinch or two of flour on the surface. When the flour browns, you'll know that your cooking surface is hot enough. •Most roti recipes recommend heating your cooking surface while you are rolling out the dough. If you are new to this, though, the rolling process may take a bit of time, in which case you don't want your griddle to get too hot or start smoking. If that is the case, you can wait to heat up your griddle. Helpful? 9: Prepare your rolling surface. You will need a large flat space for rolling the dough. A marble slab or traditional chapati block are ideal choices, but a large wooden cutting board or even a countertop will work. Lightly dust the rolling surface with flour, and keep a small amount (about a ¼ cup) nearby for dusting on your hands as you work with the dough. Powder your rolling pin as well 10: Knead and divide the dough. Take the rested dough and knead it for a minute or two until the dough relaxes. Divide the dough into even balls of the same size (approximately 2" in diameter). 11: Roll out the balls. Take one ball and begin to flatten it between your palms. Lightly dust both sides with flour, and begin to roll out the ball on your powdered surface with your powdered rolling pin. •Move your rolling pin constantly in order to get as circular of a shape as possible. Envision a clock when you roll: Roll up from six o' clock to twelve o' clock, then up from seven o' clock to one o' clock, etc. •Be sure to flip the dough circle regularly so that the underside does not stick to the surface, and be sure to sprinkle more flour on the dough and the rolling surface as needed. •Aim for a circle that is about 6-8" in diameter, but be sure not to roll the dough too thin. If it's too thin, holes will develop or the dough will stick. 12: Begin cooking the roti. Place your flattened dough on the hot pan or tawa for about 15-30 seconds. The roti will be ready to be flipped when you start to see bubbles form on the top side. Observe the texture on the upside as well: it will begin to appear more dry when the underside is cooked. You can also peek at the underside using a spatula or a pair of tongs: flip it when you see brown spots. 13: Finish cooking the roti. Cook the other side of the roti for about another 30 seconds. The roti will begin to puff (which is good!), but take a clean, dry towel and gently press the roti, focusing on areas that are puffing (this will help the air pass more evenly through the dough and help it puff more uniformly) and any areas that aren't touching the griddle. •Don't be afraid to rotate the roti so that it doesn't stick or overcook in any one area. You can also flip it back over to brown up the other side a bit more. •Depending upon how hot your cooking surface is, you may need to take more or less time in between flips. Pay closer attention to how the roti is browning as opposed to how long it has been cooking. 14: Enjoy the product of your labor! For a complete Indian feast, try your hand at making raita, curry, and Tarka Dal. Serve with your freshly-made rotis!

#how to make roti

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