As the calendar flips to September, it’s not just another day for the vibrant filmmaker, Manisha Ranawat. The industry’s youngest and most colourful talent is all set to celebrate her 29th birthday on September 4, and you can bet it’s not going to be an ordinary affair. Birthdays are when dreams come alive, and Manisha Ranawat has a bucket list filled with dreams that are set to dazzle the world.

One of India’s most dynamic filmmakers, Manisha, envisions a celebration like no other. She is determined to bring iconic Sushmita Sen – in a way that’s bound to rewrite the rules of cinema. It’s not just a collaboration; it’s a creative collision that promises to be a historic journey, showcasing the best of two remarkable individuals.

At the very top of Manisha’s bucket list is the dream of taking Sushmita Sen on board for a film that will not just resonate but also triumph. Winning a national award for this collaboration is the pinnacle of her ambitions. It’s a dream so profound that it’s destined to touch the hearts of audiences nationwide and secure a well-deserved National Award.

Manisha Ranawat is a force to be reckoned with, and her journey to this point is nothing short of inspiring. After completing her filmmaking education in Pune in 2015, she embarked on her path by interning with Four Line Productions, contributing to the immensely popular show ‘Qubool Hai’. It wasn’t long before she made her directorial debut as an assistant director, setting the stage for her ascent in the film world.

But Manisha didn’t stop there. She took a giant leap by launching her own production company, MD International, early in her career. Her conviction and belief in her craft paid off handsomely as her production house churned out one path-breaking content piece after another, leaving an indelible mark in the industry.

Now, Manisha Ranawat is gearing up for the grand release of her feature film ‘Jahaan’. This isn’t just another love story; it’s a love story with a twist, promising a cinematic experience like no other. The film’s narrative, coupled with groundbreaking technological innovations, guarantees that viewers will be treated to something truly extraordinary. And the music? Expect nothing less than greatness. In a cinematic first, a single song has been choreographed by not one, not two, but five choreographers. ‘Jahaan’ is poised to captivate and surprise its audience in equal measure.

But Manisha isn’t just about filmmaking; she’s also about making a difference. She’s a trustee of the First Humanity Foundation, an organization dedicated to philanthropic activities for the underprivileged. From building schools to constructing hospitals, this organization has been a beacon of hope for those who struggle to meet their basic needs. And as a filmmaker, Manisha is committed to telling stories that have a positive impact on society.

Manisha Ranawat’s birthday is not just a celebration; it’s a glimpse into the dreams and aspirations of a young filmmaker who is poised to make history. With her bucket list in hand and her passion as her compass, Manisha is blazing a trail that will leave an indelible mark on the world of Indian cinema. Happy birthday, Manisha – here’s to turning dreams into reality!

 

Modasa is a small town in Gujarat that many might not have heard of. However, the town is now recognized for being the birthplace of Jeet Rajpurohit, a young man who has made a mark with his talent as a rapper and actor on several national platforms. A couple of years back, Jeet realized got drawn to hip-hop music and rap and that led him towards exploring the artist within himself. While many would believe being in a small town would have made certain things inaccessible to an artist like him, Jeet thinks otherwise.

Talking about the same, he says, “Being from a small town like Modasa was my strength and not weakness. I had my family and friends around me who supported me in everything I wanted to. Also, in today’s times, when the internet is available to everybody, nothing is inaccessible. A few years back, a friend of mine showed me a video of a hip hop artist and I was hooked. Introduction to hip hop music changed my life completely. I always thought I had a lot of things to say and express but didn’t know how to. I became a rapper and that was the most liberating thing for me ever.”

Jeet believes every artist has multiple facets and they must try to explore each of them. Apart from being a well-known rapper, Jeet is an accomplished actor as well. He also has a YouTube channel on which he uploads short films, original music and cover versions of several popular tracks. All the music Jeet has created can be heard on all the leading audio streaming platforms as well. Some of the most acclaimed short films in which he has acted are ‘Ustara’, ‘No Parking’ and ‘Chai-Chai’. Jeet has also been a part of several popular advertising campaigns including one with Roadies fame Prince Narula.

“Bollywood is the next destination for me. I want to do films both as a rapper and an actor. I feel an artist should not be bound by any limits or restrictions. My motherland has given me a lot and I want to represent India on an international platform. Divine and Kr$na have been two of my biggest inspirations. Having said that, every artist has their own journey and I have mine too. I guess what makes me different from others in this space is that I have worked equally hard towards honing my skills as a rapper and actor”, says the 25-year-old.

Being from Gujarat, Jeet has a sharp entrepreneurial mind as well. Currently based in Bengaluru, a city which is said to be the hub of start-ups and entrepreneurs, Jeet owns multiple businesses that are driven by his interest in innovation. He also runs a production house which works towards producing content that is rooted and original. ‘Toll Plaza’, a short film which he recently wrapped upshot for, is slated to release on Disney+ Hotstar and MX Player soon.

The position of female performers in Bollywood films’ big dance numbers is the focus of new research at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Bollywood is a multi-million-dollar industry with huge cultural influence and popularity worldwide. Dr. Kooshna Gupta, Faculty of Arts, examined how the dance item in these movies became big business.

The ‘item dance’, one of the main musical numbers of the film usually performed by a female dancer, has become increasingly important for a film’s success. The role has changed over time, says Kooshna whose research covers films from 1988 to 2015.

She examined the characters played by female performers, focusing on the type of dance that is not related to the narrative but is more of an erotic display of women – just there for entertainment purposes. In other words, If you removed the song, the film would still make sense.

She found that the traditional item song, from as far back as the 1950s, used to be performed by actresses who were often newcomers rather than established performers. They were never the heroine of the film, but rather the ‘vamp’ who could be seen drinking, smoking and being openly sexual in ways the heroine couldn’t.

“Because it wasn’t seen as acceptable in Indian society for the heroine to dance or be presented in such a provocative way in a public space,” she says.

These actresses could become an instant success, so the item song was seen as a gateway to popularity. There were some movies which would have been a big flop, but the item song saved the film which of course gave these female performers some power.

This started the process of film companies spending serious money on the production of that one song because selling the rights to TV channels represented around 50 percent of their profits.

Leading actresses, known for their other more ‘serious’ work like Priyanka Chopra, starting to perform these songs, which in turn increased the film’s budget, as they had to be paid more.

Add to that the cost of hundreds of people working behind the scenes – as musical directors, composers, choreographers, dancers, set designers, wardrobe, special effects and lighting – and the item song has become very big business.

Kooshna says there’s long been a paradox between the agency of the item dance performer and her power to earn money and fame, and the way she is achieving it; by performing in hyper-sexualised dances that objectify her for a largely male audience and create an unrealistic image of the ‘perfect woman’.

“We’re always going to have this tension between agency and subjectivity, but if you look at actresses in Bollywood, they have gained something; it’s a space, one place, where they are dominating, making a lot of money and becoming famous.”

However, with increasing attention to rape and violence against women in India and the Nirbhaya case in 2012, several feminist movements and humanitarian organisations pushed for a ban on item songs.

As a result, Kooshna says the censor did at one point ban the songs from TV, but you still have YouTube channels playing 24 hours a day.

However, the fact that these performers are now considered professionals, like any other professional, is progress, she believes.

“So, you can be in a serious film or a Bollywood film and cross genres as a female performer in India now. There’s a kind of flexibility to switch roles, from being a heroine to an ‘item girl’. I think that’s a positive thing.”

This is Kooshna’s second PhD. She first combined her interest in linguistics and the Indian socio-cultural context by focusing on code-mixing in Bollywood films (2009-2014). Code-mixing is a linguistic term that refers to the use of more than one language, in this case Hindi and English, in the course of a single conversation or written text.