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Johnny Depp was very gentle with me: Alison Sudol
By Sugandha Rawal
Los Angeles, Nov 16 (IANS) Alison Sudol was nervous about shooting with Johnny Depp, but her nervousness went out of the window when she met him on the sets of the “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”. The actress says he immediately put her at ease.
“I was really nervous going into it for many reasons — I didn’t know him, I didn’t work with him. He is quite a legendary actor. He immediately put me at ease,” Sudol said during a roundtable discussion here while promoting the Warner Bros Pictures project, which opened in India on November 16.
“He was very gentle with me. He was very kind after every take. He was generous and said lively things about my performance, which was great because I was very vulnerable — not in the whole movie but in some scenes,” she added.
“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” explores the story of Gellert Grindelwald (Depp), showing his power to influence people to embrace the dark world. Sudol essays the role of mind-reading Queenie in the franchise.
Talking more about her experience with Deep, she said: “At the end of the movie, there is a scene which is particularly painful for me and we had to do it over and over again. I was like yelling in the scene.
“It was awful and at a certain point, I couldn’t stop crying. I went to a corner. He came over and he just started telling me a story about him being invited to some weird political party thing. It was hilarious. The stuff he was saying and the way they were reacting. He completely, without making any note of the state I was in or making me self-conscious, genuinely distracted me. It was a kind thing to do. He didn’t have to do it.
“He knew where I was at and I really respect that and appreciate that.”
“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is the second in the planned five movies spin-off franchise from the “Harry Potter” films. The first part “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” came out in 2016.
With the franchise, J.K. Rowling went back in time to introduce a thriving world of magic, magical creatures and wizards in New York. It brought forward new characters like Tina (Katherine Waterston), Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), Grindelwald, Queenie and Kowalski (Dan Fogler).
“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” takes forward the story, bringing a more darker and complex view of the world and sets the foundation of the events leading to the universe of the popular “Harry Potter” world.
Her character was introduced as a friendly and lovable character, who went on to have a cute love story with Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler). But in the second part, Queenie will be seen treading the darker path.
Did she know about the progression of her character?
“I was told certain things way before when the script got to us. I was prepared in certain way for the arch. But I couldn’t wrap my head around that.”
“You have this young woman who desperately wants to have a family. She has been an orphan and it has always been her and her sister. She falls in love which alienates her from her sister because her sister is a rule follower. So the foundation of her family is ruptured. It is not solid anymore and she wants to solidify it so badly. She makes some decisions which may be in hindsight aren’t necessarily the wisest but she is doing what she can out of a lot of fear.”
(Sugandha Rawal was in Los Angeles at the invitation of Warner Bros. Pictures. She can be contacted at [email protected])
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.