Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech today urged the country to switch off their lights at home and light a candle, diya, flashlight or mobile flash at their doorsteps and balconies on 5th April at 9 pm for 9 minutes – adding that we have to dispel the darkness spread by Coronavirus. Heeding to this clarion call, 1.3 billion Indians will stand in solidarity – a tribute to discipline and spirit of service the nation has exhibited during the lockdown. A leading light of the music and entertainment industry,  Kailash Kher has come forward with a novel initiative to salute the spirit of the nation. Kailash will go live for concert from his home from 9.10 pm on 5th April for 30 Minutes. Echoing the Prime Ministers sentiments,  Kailash Kher mentions, “Even though we are in our homes, we are not alone. The country’s 1.3 billion people are together during this lockdown period. Prakash Alokan is my humble salutation through music.” Various digital platforms have expressed support to broadcast Prakash Alokan. These include OTT platforms Jio TV, MX Player, Sony Liv, Idea Movies and TV and Vodafone Play. Sukrit Singh of Be.Live says, “this initiative has unprecedented support from OTT Players – we are expecting more to join the movement. Even an e-commerce player like Flipkart has offered to broadcast Prakash Alokan through their video platform” The idea is conceptualised to be the first in a series of virtual events – India Cares – in support of the PM Cares fund. Manish Bardia, founder of Moving Pixels who has been a part of many such campaigns says, “In this difficult time as communicators and entertainers we must spread the light of hope and stand behind our leader and the nation.” The Prakash Alokan concert is an initiative led by. Kailash Kher and supported by Moving Pixels Digital, XP&D Be.live , Multi TV and Kaizzen. The concert will begin at 9.10 pm on 5th April 2020. It will be free to view and will be available on the following platforms – Jio TV, MX Player, Sony Liv, Idea Movies, Vodafone Play and Flipkart. More OTT platforms are likely to join and will be announced later. The concert will also be available on social platforms such as Facebook Live, Youtube, Twitter   and instagram

ZEE5, the largest creator of Original content in India announces its next Original film ‘Bamfaad’. If you thought Shakespeare’s ode to love has been exhausted, the duet of talented actors Shalini Pandey and Aditya Rawal will shake your basics. The term ‘Bamfaad’ is North Indian slang for an explosion, which is a perfect terminology to allude to the lead pair. Presented by Anurag Kashyap and Ranjan Chandel’s directorial debut, the film premieres on 10th April, exclusively on ZEE5.

Based in Allahabad, the film is set in a romantic volatile backdrop which will bring out an unusual yet raw and edgy love story on the screen. The intensity and depth of Shalini as ‘Neelam’ and the assertiveness of Aditya as ‘Nasir Jamal’ is depicted throughout the movie.

Adding to the announcement, Anurag Kashyap presented the character poster of Nasir and Neelam on his social media [IG: @anuragkashyap10] to kickstart the journey.

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Jahaan dil lagaana nahin asaan wahan aashiqi hogi bamfaad! Introducing @aditya___rawal as Nasir Jamal and @shalzp as Neelam, directed by @ranjanchandel. Premieres 10th April on @zee5premium #ZEE5Original @itsvijayvarma @thejatinsarna @raiajayg @jar_pictures @pradeep1staug

A post shared by Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap10) on Apr 2, 2020 at 11:40pm PDT

When asked about his acting debut, Aditya said, “I am glad that I got the chance to be a part of such a thrilling film. Though the driving force of the film is the love story, it has many more layers to it. I want to make my own mark as an actor in the industry, and it feels great to begin my journey by playing Nasir Jamal, a character that fascinated me ever since I read the script. I hope that people watch the film in huge numbers on Zee5, and I am eager to hear their feedback.”

Shalini, who is making her Bollywood debut shares, “Neelam is a bold & strong 24 year old girl, but has that vulnerability to her which spoke to me instantly. As an artist, I look forward to projects that challenge me and this project really pushed me and I learnt a lot while playing this part. Bamfaad has a phenomenal storyline and it is getting the perfect exposure with a massive video streaming platform like ZEE5!”

Ranjan Chandel, Director, shares, “Bamfaad is a heartfelt script to be brought to life on the screens. Aditya and Shalini are the perfect match for the characters we envisioned. I still remember, the casting director Taran Bajaj and I reached out to many experienced actors as well but Aditya and Shalini just made it feel apt and looked refreshing together. While we are currently living in challenging times with the pandemic, I feel like releasing this film on a digital platform like ZEE5 will give it the reach it deserves.This film is made with a lot of love and will touch many hearts.”

Bamfaad, produced by JAR Pictures and Shaika Films will also star Vijay Verma and Jatin Sarna along with Aditya Rawal and Shalini Pandey.