Have you heard? Plagiarism hell for tale that’s made in heaven

Tarun Tahiliani

Designer Tarun Tahiliani has criticised the makers of Made in Heaven for falsely attributing his creations to a "fictitious designer" in an episode of the show's second season. Tahiliani took to his Instagram Stories and said his eponymous label had provided clothes for the second episode of season two that featured actor Mrunal Thakur. He claims he wasn't aware of the makers' decision to attribute the creations to a fictitious character. "It is most unfortunate when a popular OTT series violates the understanding behind the provision of clothing in the first place," he shared, adding, "Unfortunately, a fictitious designer [actor] representing a fictitious label presented our garments!" He said the production house should have engaged a "costume designer and proceeded" if their intentions were not to give credit to him. Only days ago, the Prime Video show, created by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, was criticised by author Yashica Dutt for appropriating her life story and work as a Dalit activist in the series "without permission or credit". Akhtar and Kagti, along with directors Alankrita Shrivastava and Neeraj Ghaywan, released a statement categorically denying Dutt's claims.

Homework?

Zoya Akhtar, who serves as a creator on Made in Heaven, addressed a viewer's question on her intention to portray a Muslim character as one who is not oppressed. "Zoya, can you [show] normal Muslim characters in your shows? One positive story that is not oppressed," read the question. Akhtar was quick to respond with a list of characters from her past films that showed Muslims favourably. "Zaffar Khan and Tanveer in Luck By Chance. Imran and Laila in ZNMD. Farah Ali in Dil Dhadakne Do. Practically everyone in Gully Boy," she said. Akhtar has been battling a slew of criticism for her show, since its release.

The most important role

The efforts he took to ease the life of the common man affected due to the pandemic-led lockdown did not go unnoticed. And now, Sonu Sood is revealing the transformative experience he encountered while serving the nation's people. "Real life is the life you live with an ordinary person; when you change the life of a stranger, and bring them happiness. The satisfaction I get from that is priceless. The most important role of my life was the one I got to play during the lockdown," says the actor, who subsequently launched several initiatives to help those in need.

Larger than life

Dulquer Salmaan said the Coronavirus pandemic and the OTT (over-the-top) boom have pushed the Malayalam industry to make big-scale spectacle films. The actor, who stars as an alcoholic gangster in the upcoming drama King of Kotha, said the Malayalam film industry is changing. "Post-OTT, if you want to draw people to theatres, you have to offer a theatrical experience. There has to be some kind of spectacle. The Malayalam industry now has a lot more courage to push ourselves."

Celebrating a friend

Filmmaker and veteran actor Anupam Kher, who will be seen in the upcoming Kangana Ranaut-directed venture Emergency, took to social media yesterday to share a short video clip wishing his friend, Hollywood star Robert De Niro on his birthday. The clip features several pictures of Kher with De Niro from their meet-ups. "Happy birthday to my dearest friend and the world's best actor, Mr Robert De Niro. May you have a long and healthy life and keep inspiring actors all over the world! Your friendship means a lot to me," he wrote.

Bring them together

Alia Bhatt took to social media to share a string of pictures featuring her and her sister-in-law, Kareena Kapoor Khan. While details of the shoot were undisclosed, Bhatt wrote: "Can it get any better? PS: Can someone please cast us in a film together, although we may spend most of our time on set reflecting?" A bunch of actors, including Arjun Kapoor, approved of the idea. "Poo square," he wrote, referring to Khan's popular character from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. "The casting we didn't know we needed," wrote a fan.

Soch ke bolo?

With trolls getting a free hand to spew venom at celebrities, social media has often been the cause of anguish for several individuals. Over the past two days, however, users were quick to criticise a statement that appeared to reek of patriarchy. Sunny Deol's decision to apparently take a dig at Katrina Kaif did not go down well with netizens, who questioned why "men feel so entitled to a woman's labour". While commenting on the second instalment of Apne, Deol stated that a few actresses who were part of the first film were unwilling to play the role of a mother. Netizens were convinced he was referring to Kaif. Another fan wrote: "This is the dumbest [comment]. She wasn't the lead in that film. Also, why would she do a cameo simply because she played a small part in the first instalment?"