News / Author / Deep Saxena

Deep Saxena

Deep Saxena writes on Bollywood, OTT, television, food and culture for the daily Entertainment & Lifestyle supplement, HT City.

Articles by Deep Saxena

Anubhav Sinha rustles up rustic romance with next film

After making back-to-back films at foreign locales and larger-than-life setups, ‘Tum Bin’, ‘Dus’ and ‘Ra.One’ director Anubhav Sinha debuted in his home state with the highly acclaimed ‘Mulk’.

Anubhav Sinha is ready with a story and recently camped in Lucknow for a few days to get a feel of real locations before the shoot.(Sourced)

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Updated on Dec 07, 2018 04:41 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

‘Mehrunisa’ – where Nawabi Lucknow meets reality

A meeting with ‘Peepli Live’ actor Farrukh Jaffar in Lucknow, two years back, gave filmmaker Sandeep Kumar an idea for a film. This meeting gave birth to his fifth film, ‘Mehrunisa’, in which Jaffer plays the lead.

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Published on Dec 05, 2018 02:30 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

‘Not looks, but people praising my acting skills give me a high’

Actor Vikrant Massey has no connection with Lucknow. He was born and brought up in Mumbai but still feels a special connection with the state capital. “I have had over a dozen trips to Lucknow — for work or personal visits. Not just this city, I have a special relation with UP. Door-dook tak yahan se koi connection nahi hai par kasam se lagta hai ek ajeeb sa rishta hai (Not even a remote connection with UP but I feel as if there is a strange bond),” the actor said.

“I have a lot of complaint with UPites too. Road accidents, which are avoidable deaths, happen most here. People don’t follow traffic rules, don’t give way to an ambulance and don’t keep the house and vicinity clean.”(HT)

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Published on Dec 04, 2018 04:22 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

I am still a student of Indian culture, Shekhar Sen

In around 40 years of his illustrious career, Sangeet Natak Akademy chairman Padma Shri Shekhar Sen has established himself as a veteran singer, composer, actor, writer and director. But, still he prefers to call himself “a student of Indian culture”.

Padma Shri Shekhar Sen was in Lucknow to be the part of a memorial event to mark the first death anniversary of Dr Pushpa Vati Tiwari, mother of actor-writer Atul Tiwari.(HT)

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Published on Nov 28, 2018 02:00 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

A toe in, Akhil in no hurry to claim B’wood glory

After writing, composing and singing ‘Sun Mere Humsafar’ from ‘Badrinath Ki Dulhania’, Akhil Sachdeva is in no hurry for his second Bollywood song.

Akhil Sachdeva calls his music journey unconventional.(HT Photo)

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Published on Nov 28, 2018 01:55 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

Thugs…and social media: actor’s take on how the film suffered

Zeeshan Ayyub’s role of ‘Sanischar’ in ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ has received good reviews but the actor feels disheartened with the negative feedback the film is getting. The film made a record-breaking opening at the box-office but got a negative response from the audience.

Zeeshan Ayyub in Lucknow.(Dheeraj Dhawan/HT Photo)

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Published on Nov 21, 2018 03:52 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

Getting Mumbai-type feeling in Lucknow: Bidita Baag

Lucknow is proving to be lucky for actor Bidita Baag, who made her commercial Bollywood debut with ‘Babumoshai Bandookbaaz’, as the actor feels that the state has a lot to offer and is becoming the next Mumbai as far as film shooting is concerned.

Bidita Baag in Lucknow.(Dheeraj Dhawan/HT Photo)

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Published on Nov 21, 2018 03:41 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

Saqib ‘Rangbaaz’ dying to dig into Lakhnavi food

Actor Saqib Saleem is just eight films old. His last film ‘Race3’, starring Salman Khan, notched up Rs 170 crore at the box office. Yet, he is the complete Dilliwallah by heart. “Savouring food in the local market, speaking the local dialect and doing realistic roles is what I am all about,” said the actor during his visit to Lucknow.

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Published on Oct 27, 2018 03:48 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

‘Bigg Boss stint changed perception of me’

Actor Rahul Dev has best been known for villainous roles. The roles offered to him in Bollywood films and down South too, have been largely of an antagonist. But, his stint in the reality show Bigg Boss-10 changed it all – for the masses and the people in the industry too.

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Published on Oct 17, 2018 05:51 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

Kaushik’s next is a real life story of a UP man

Actor-producer-director Satish Kaushik, who has been sitting on a particular story for last 16 years, is finally set to shoot the same from October 10 in Kandoni village in Sitapur’s Biswa area.

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Published on Oct 09, 2018 01:51 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

‘If shoot is in Lucknow, you know it’s going to be fun’

Having shot multiple films in Lucknow, it’s literally a homecoming for actor Jimmy Shergill, who lived in the state capital and studied at the premier St Francis College.

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Published on Oct 06, 2018 03:17 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

‘Good work satisfies; is fuel for boosting one’s career’

To the connoisseur, Saurabh Shukla needs no introduction. His ‘Jolly LLB2’ and ‘Raid’ set the box office afire. He is shooting back-to-back films, and three plays in which he stars, are currently doing the rounds across the country.

Saurabh Shukla was in Lucknow to wrap up his part during the shooting of ‘Family of Thakurganj’.

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Published on Oct 06, 2018 03:11 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

Designers reinvent khadi, Gandhi’s favourite fabric

Though Khadi has been one of the oldest and traditional forms of hand-spun fabrics of India which was a symbol of self-reliance of the masses since pre Independence era but somewhere it lost its sheen to the modern day textile.

Designers feel that perception for khadi needs to be changed and designers are working toward that with the government.

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Published on Oct 02, 2018 06:43 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

Trying to get into Anarkali mode, says Sonarika

From a warrior princess to a passionate dancer-lover in her new show Dastaan-E-Mohabbat: Salim Anarkali, there is a 360 degree shift in her character.

Sonarika Bhadoria in Lucknow.(Dheeraj Dhawan/HT Photo)

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Published on Oct 01, 2018 02:32 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

Today, TV is a brave, new world: Ananya Khare

Ananya Khare boasts of an impeccable small screen career of 31 years since debuting in and as Nirmala (1987). She has won a national award for ‘Chandini Bar’ (2001) and got nominated for her role in ‘Devdas’ (2002). Yet, she has done just eight films which include ‘Shool’.

“For films you need to make friends, be in that circle and keep meeting people for work. Superstars make their own film or work with like-minded people, so roles are also awarded to friends, relatives and people who remain in touch.”(Dheeraj Dhawan/HT Photo)

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Published on Sep 28, 2018 03:55 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

Funny man Rakesh Bedi displays serious side in Lucknow

For those of us brought up on the mid-80s tele-serial ‘Yeh jo hai Zindagi’ (starring late Shafi Inamdar, the lovely Swaroop Sampat and the laugh riots Rakesh Bedi and Satish Shah), the very mention of the name Rakesh Bedi evokes smiles.

Shweta Tiwari, Rakesh Bedi and Rahul Bhuchar performing at Sangeet Natak Akademi in Lucknow.(Dheeraj Dhawan/HT Photo)

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Published on Sep 27, 2018 02:41 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

‘Technology has hurt artistes the most’

Eminent classical singer Shubha Mudha, who has also rendered chartbusters like ‘Ab Ke Sawan’, said that film songs were not her specialisation.

Classical singer Shubha Mudgal in Lucknow.(Dheeraj Dhawan/HT Photo)

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Updated on Sep 25, 2018 03:25 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

‘Lucknow has more to offer than just galawati and nihari’

Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar proudly credits his hometown Lucknow for his success. But at the same time he is deeply concerned with how the food scenario is shaping up in the city of nawabs.

Today, wherever I go and meet all just relate the city with galawati kebabs. Lucknow is much more than this.(HT Photo)

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Published on Sep 20, 2018 01:30 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

I have absorbed shades of my characters in real life: Anushka Sharma

I am an amalgamation of characters I have played in films, says Anushka.

Anushka laughs off the memes that flooded the social media. “What’s not to enjoy it…they are pretty hilarious! It’s the acceptance of the character that you can find it meme-worthy.”(Deepak Gupta/HT Photo)

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Published on Sep 18, 2018 12:38 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

Strong characters stay in one’s memory: Pawan Malhotra

National Award winning actor Pawan Malhotra started with theatre. And when he came to Mumbai, he was sure that he wants to do films.

Malhotra feels that cinema in India is evolving for the better.(Dheeraj Dhawan/HT Photo)

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Updated on Aug 12, 2019 12:07 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

It’s the team that makes a project successful: Aparshakti Khurana

Dangal actor Aparshakti Khurana believes that it is the team behind any project — actors and the entire crew — that makes it successful.

Dangal actor Aparshakti Khurana at HT office Lucknow.(HT Photo)

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Published on Sep 10, 2018 02:20 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena, Lucknow

Way to people’s heart is through children: Raashul Tandon

The best way to the heart of the people is through children, feels Lucknow lad and actor Raashul Tandon.

Raashul will next shoot for Suraj Pancholi starrer ‘Satellite Shankar’.(HT Photo)

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Published on Sep 08, 2018 04:51 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

I feel connected with Lucknow: Parineeti

Actor Parineeti Chopra feels ‘third time lucky’ to be in Lucknow for the shoot of Jabariya Jodi that she is filming along with Siddharth Malhotra these days.

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Updated on Aug 24, 2018 03:32 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

Vineet enjoying his golden period

The national level basketball player from Varanasi says, “I sincerely believe that whatever you do in life never goes waste. My sport has got me two of my biggest films in life. My interaction with cross-section of people helps me in acting and adapting different characters. My medical education helps me in my fitness, injuries and any mishaps on film sets.”

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Published on Aug 23, 2018 02:48 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

‘Photography is a marriage of science and art’

By procuring a high-end gadget and clicking continuous frames does not make one a photographer, says ace photographer Pablo Bartholomew, whose photograph of a half-buried child during the Bhopal gas tragedy became globally famous

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Published on Aug 20, 2018 02:49 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

Bored with Saas-Bahu, its horror that excites Smita

Balika Vadhu actor Smita Bansal, who started acting on TV shows in late 90s, says the medium has changed completely.

The actor is playing a witch hunter in her new Star Plus supernatural show Nazar.(Dheeraj Dhawan/HT Photo)

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Published on Aug 18, 2018 02:21 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

Food and films brings this filmmaker to UP again and again

Gulaab Gang & Cheat India director in conversation with HT City.

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Updated on Aug 11, 2018 05:33 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

Atul Tiwari all excited about two back-to-back releases

Five years after Atul Tiwari wrote and acted in Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroopam, the Lucknow-born script writer-actor has returned to big screen with two back-to-back films.

While one of his just-released films Mulk is garnering rave reviews he is super excited about Vishwaroopam II in which he has written dialogues and story.(HT Photo)

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Published on Aug 09, 2018 02:27 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

Anubhav feel vindicated after his latest film gets rave reviews

Thankfully trolls too have given up, says the filmmaker.

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Published on Aug 06, 2018 02:54 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

After Bhojpuri films, Monalisa now eyes big role on small screen

After having acted in around 125 Bhojpuri films, actor Monalisa is now repositioning her career on small screen post her stint in popular reality show Bigg Boss.

The actor says she believes in energies which may be in the form of good or bad.(Dheeraj Dhawan/HT Photo)

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Published on Jul 24, 2018 03:15 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | ByDeep Saxena

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Deep Saxena

Deep Saxena writes on Bollywood, OTT, television, food and culture for the daily Entertainment & Lifestyle supplement, HT City.

After making back-to-back films at foreign locales and larger-than-life setups, ‘Tum Bin’, ‘Dus’ and ‘Ra.One’ director Anubhav Sinha debuted in his home state with the highly acclaimed ‘Mulk’.

A meeting with ‘Peepli Live’ actor Farrukh Jaffar in Lucknow, two years back, gave filmmaker Sandeep Kumar an idea for a film. This meeting gave birth to his fifth film, ‘Mehrunisa’, in which Jaffer plays the lead.

In around 40 years of his illustrious career, Sangeet Natak Akademy chairman Padma Shri Shekhar Sen has established himself as a veteran singer, composer, actor, writer and director. But, still he prefers to call himself “a student of Indian culture”.

After writing, composing and singing ‘Sun Mere Humsafar’ from ‘Badrinath Ki Dulhania’, Akhil Sachdeva is in no hurry for his second Bollywood song.

Zeeshan Ayyub’s role of ‘Sanischar’ in ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ has received good reviews but the actor feels disheartened with the negative feedback the film is getting. The film made a record-breaking opening at the box-office but got a negative response from the audience.

Lucknow is proving to be lucky for actor Bidita Baag, who made her commercial Bollywood debut with ‘Babumoshai Bandookbaaz’, as the actor feels that the state has a lot to offer and is becoming the next Mumbai as far as film shooting is concerned.

Actor Rahul Dev has best been known for villainous roles. The roles offered to him in Bollywood films and down South too, have been largely of an antagonist. But, his stint in the reality show Bigg Boss-10 changed it all – for the masses and the people in the industry too.

Actor-producer-director Satish Kaushik, who has been sitting on a particular story for last 16 years, is finally set to shoot the same from October 10 in Kandoni village in Sitapur’s Biswa area.

Having shot multiple films in Lucknow, it’s literally a homecoming for actor Jimmy Shergill, who lived in the state capital and studied at the premier St Francis College.

To the connoisseur, Saurabh Shukla needs no introduction. His ‘Jolly LLB2’ and ‘Raid’ set the box office afire. He is shooting back-to-back films, and three plays in which he stars, are currently doing the rounds across the country.

Though Khadi has been one of the oldest and traditional forms of hand-spun fabrics of India which was a symbol of self-reliance of the masses since pre Independence era but somewhere it lost its sheen to the modern day textile.

From a warrior princess to a passionate dancer-lover in her new show Dastaan-E-Mohabbat: Salim Anarkali, there is a 360 degree shift in her character.

Ananya Khare boasts of an impeccable small screen career of 31 years since debuting in and as Nirmala (1987). She has won a national award for ‘Chandini Bar’ (2001) and got nominated for her role in ‘Devdas’ (2002). Yet, she has done just eight films which include ‘Shool’.

For those of us brought up on the mid-80s tele-serial ‘Yeh jo hai Zindagi’ (starring late Shafi Inamdar, the lovely Swaroop Sampat and the laugh riots Rakesh Bedi and Satish Shah), the very mention of the name Rakesh Bedi evokes smiles.

Eminent classical singer Shubha Mudha, who has also rendered chartbusters like ‘Ab Ke Sawan’, said that film songs were not her specialisation.

Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar proudly credits his hometown Lucknow for his success. But at the same time he is deeply concerned with how the food scenario is shaping up in the city of nawabs.

I am an amalgamation of characters I have played in films, says Anushka.

National Award winning actor Pawan Malhotra started with theatre. And when he came to Mumbai, he was sure that he wants to do films.

Dangal actor Aparshakti Khurana believes that it is the team behind any project — actors and the entire crew — that makes it successful.

The best way to the heart of the people is through children, feels Lucknow lad and actor Raashul Tandon.

Actor Parineeti Chopra feels ‘third time lucky’ to be in Lucknow for the shoot of Jabariya Jodi that she is filming along with Siddharth Malhotra these days.

By procuring a high-end gadget and clicking continuous frames does not make one a photographer, says ace photographer Pablo Bartholomew, whose photograph of a half-buried child during the Bhopal gas tragedy became globally famous

Balika Vadhu actor Smita Bansal, who started acting on TV shows in late 90s, says the medium has changed completely.

Gulaab Gang & Cheat India director in conversation with HT City.

Five years after Atul Tiwari wrote and acted in Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroopam, the Lucknow-born script writer-actor has returned to big screen with two back-to-back films.

Thankfully trolls too have given up, says the filmmaker.

After having acted in around 125 Bhojpuri films, actor Monalisa is now repositioning her career on small screen post her stint in popular reality show Bigg Boss.

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