‘Haathi Mere Saathi is inspired by one of my trails’
When humanity serves nature, nature serves humanity! This festive season, echoing the importance of coexistence, &pictures brings a heart-warming tale of friendship, love, harmony and full-on hope with the channel premiere of Haathi Mere Saathi on 7th November at 8 pm. Translating the remarkable bond shared between humans and animals, the film narrates the heroic story of how the two races come to protect each other from people trying to destroy the ecosystem. With the premiere of this film, the channel aims to bring mindful cinema to fore and celebrate a thoughtful and spirited festive season with its audiences.
With a powerful message that strings us all together and reflects on our deeds, this adventure film is written and directed by the talented Prabu Solomon. Haathi Mere Saathi is an essential plea of great relevance and the cast including Rana Daggubati, Pulkit Samrat, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Zoya Hussain and Anant Mahadevan deliver this message with utmost dynamism. This Diwali weekend, get ready to revel in the land of the mighty elephants with the &pictures premiere of Haathi Mere Saathi on 7th November at 8 pm.
Sharing his experience, Rana Daggubati said, “The unspoken bond between humans and animals has always been special to me. Haathi Mere Saathi has taken the emotion to a new height. I have always taken something back from my projects, but this film has transformed me in ways I never thought. It helped my conscience grow bit by bit. As an actor, my focus has been to give quality content to my audience and Haathi Mere Saathi is a movie that will entertain and inspire the viewers. I am glad to be a part of cinema with a cause.”
Sharing his thought behind making this movie, Prabu Solomon said, “I have tried my best at exploring the land in its rawest form. Haathi Mere Saathi is one such story inspired by one of my trails. I believe art adds an edge to a cause and this film was my canvas to the world. I wanted this film to be a thought-provoking masterpiece and seeing the response obtained from the audience quenched my purpose to an extent.”
Haathi Mere Saathi is a heartening tale of Bandev’s (Rana Daggubati) perseverance and his deep connection with nature.
Wagle Parivaar kicks off Diwali celebrations
Sony SAB’s Wagle Ki Duniya - Nayi Peedhi Naye Kissey continues to light up India’s mood every week with a new set of struggles that the Wagle Parivaar tackles with their individualistic charisma and charm. The show caters to three different generations making it the channel's most popular and loved show on Indian television. Wagle Ki Duniya adopts the true essence of Diwali and continues to spread its heartwarming simplicity and joy through the show. This Diwali is even more special for the cast as they welcomed the festival of lights onto their sets with a fun-filled Diwali party.
What is a Diwali party without fun and games? The cast was split up into two teams, and it was time for fun activities to begin. The ladoo making activity engrossed the two teams in a healthy competition, and they were eager to see themselves as the champions. Later the atmosphere was filled with a melodious mood with an Antakshari mehfil, leading all the actors to jam to their favourite songs. Like the show, the party’s atmosphere was filled with laughter, chatter and banter which was a true celebration of their beautiful bond.
Wagle Ki Duniya - Nayi Peedhi Naye Kissey truly embodies the spirit of every Indian family and portrays their problems with positivity and optimism, much like the spirit of Diwali.
Bharati Achrekar essaying the role of Radhika Wagle, said, “Wagle Ki Duniya is loved by the audience so much, and I am really thankful to our viewers who have accepted us with open arms and are showering their love on us. ‘Wagle Parivaar’ is my second family and having this opportunity of celebrating Diwali with my family made me so happy. The concept of our show resonates with the audience, and what’s better than celebrating it with your favourite cast? This Diwali, I urge all my fans and well-wishers to spend quality time with their families and make the most of this festival. I wish my viewers a pleased and prosperous Diwali.”
Sumeet Raghavan, essaying the role of Rajesh Wagle, said, “Working on the sets is always so fun, and I relate with the stories that I’m usually portraying as I find myself thinking of past incidents from my life similar to that shown the show. This Diwali became even more special as I got to celebrate it with all my cast members. I loved the ladoo making competition; it is my favourite Diwali sweet, and to compete to make the most ladoos, brought the child in me to life. I must say I got a little too competitive. But none of this fun and merrymaking would have been possible without our viewers and our fans who keep showering their love onto us. I wish them all a happy and prosperous Diwali.”
Pariva Pranati, essaying the role of Vandana Wagle, said, “To see the set transformed with Diwali decorations was absolutely breathtaking. I’m glad I got to celebrate Diwali with my cast; we have all grown close to each other, almost like a real family. I especially had fun playing antakshari with them and reminisced about my childhood days where no party was over without a round of antakshari. So in a way, Wagle Ki Duniya reminds me of all the different stages in my life because there is always a character, young or old, who is going through something that all of us might have gone through and to see it come to life with such a lighthearted spirit is absolutely magical. We all would know a Vandana or a Rajesh or someone like Sakhi and Atharva, and I think that’s what everyone loves about the show, and I am grateful that we get to play those characters and bring a smile to people’s faces.”
DIWALI CLEANING- a fun activity
Diwali is here and with the festival comes the task of cleaning every nook and corner of the house. "Ziddi Dil Maane Na" producer Sudhir Sharma calls it fun as his whole family actively participates in doing it. "Diwali is the festival of lights, and togetherness. For me, it means realignment of all negative thoughts, and bringing more light in our life. I love putting lights in my house and lighting diyas and then spending time with my family with lots of sweets and other delicacies. We decorate our mandir area and have a Laxmi puja at home in the evening. It looks so beautiful and you get such positive energy from it," he said. "Of course the day starts with deep cleaning of the house, where all family members participate. It's such a fun activity. Everyone contributes and it's a great lesson for kids too because they get to know everything that happens around a festival," he added.
Sudhir, however, feels that every festival has its own charm and it's a good excuse to flaunt your best outfits. "I think every festival has its own charm and that's why I don't have one favorite festival. Having said that, Holi is something I always look forward to. I love colours and I can play with them all day long. I feel we all are very lucky that we get to celebrate so many festivals. There is something special in each one of them. Not to forget that's the time to shine and dress up," he said.
So what are your Diwali plans this year? "I will be celebrating it with my Ziddi Dil Maane Na team and my family," Sudhir concluded.
Dipali Pansare ON DIWALI
Chikoo Ki Mummy Dur Kei actress Dipali Pansare loves Diwali and says her child enjoying the festival as much as her is her best Diwali memory. "I love Diwali. I feel Diwali time has an amazing and different feel. Since childhood I have loved this festival. Lighting the diyas, making rangoli and meeting family members bring so much positivity. Being a Maharashtrian girl, I also love all the amazing farali," she said.
"I was never fond of firecrackers, but when I see Ruaan growing up I see how fascinated he is for anar and phooljhadi. Last year only he understood the meaning of Diwali, so my child enjoying Diwali as much as me is the best memory," she added.
Her husband and Ruaan are currently in Jammu. "I have taken a break for a few days. I am going to my in-laws' place (Jammu) and will be celebrating it with my family," said the actress, who features in the show produced by Herumb Kot and Nilanjana Purkayasstha.
Diwali brings LIGHT into people's lives
Chikoo Ki Mummy Durr Kei producer Herumb Khot has shared the significance of Diwali and his plans this year. "For me, Diwali is a festival that brings joy and light into people's lives," he said. Sharing his Diwali plans this year, he said, "It will be same as every year. I'll either go for a biking trip or will be at home." He is spiritual, but he is not much into rituals. Festivals are seen as occasions to get all dressed up. "It’s a part of the joy of Diwali, especially after the pandemic we need a rocking Diwali and a reason to dress up well and party hard. Work from home has spoiled everyone," he said. While growing up, his favourite festival was Diwali. "I would love the traditional sweetmeats, the new clothes and the holidays of course," he shared. We wish audiences continue loving your show!
Sneha Namanandi voiced for paw-safe Diwali
Diwali means spending fun time with family and friends, gorge on good food, decorate our houses with lights and diyas and bursting crackers the whole night. While all these make us happy, we should not forget that bursting crackers disturbs pets, says actor-entrepreneur Sneha Namanandi. Phonophobia, the fear of loud sounds, is commonly seen in a lot of pets during Diwali. Some pets may even show their anxiety by salivating too much, yawning continuously or pacing up and down.
“Diwali is a wonderful festival. It gets people together. Laxmi puja is a very auspicious occasion for all of us in India and we celebrate it with a lot of conviction. It's a belief system. We all believe so much in the Laxmi puja and we actually celebrate it with a lot of dedication and sincerity,” says the Bade Acche Lagte Hai 2 actor, adding that there are certain things concerning animals that one should keep in mind while having fun.
“It’s wonderful getting people together and enjoying the festival and praying. But, we should not be selfish while doing all of these. Animals, who are outside on the streets and also in our homes, really get affected by the sound of crackers. They get anxiety, panic and a lot of things related to crackers affect animals. Along with the sound, they go through a lot of chemical reactions because of the crackers, which is really harmful for the strays. It is our duty to be responsible and take care of the animals around us because if we don't do that who will. All I want to say is be selfless and also be responsible and take care of the strays around you. One small moment that we initiate can actually help the pets to have a happy and safe life,” she adds.
It's heartbreaking to see how crackers affect pets and strays, how they react to the sounds of crackers. “My own dog hides in the corner and sits quietly, panicking. We really don't want to see them like that. So we personally take care of it and don't use a lot of crackers, one or two phuljaris and some colorful ones. I'm sure there are chemical-free crackers, which are available in the market. Please look out for that,” she shares.