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Vikas Khanna’s directorial debut film to premiere in US

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Los Angeles, Dec 15 (IANS) Celebrity chef Vikas Khannas directorial debut feature film “The Last Color”, starring Neena Gupta, will have its world premiere at the prestigious 30th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival 2019.

The film will be screened thrice during the festival being held from January 3-14, 2019. The film is under the competition category – New Voices New Vision.

The movie, which marks Vikas’ debut as a director and screenwriter, is based on his bestselling book by the same name.

“The Last Color” is the story of Chhoti (Aqsa Siddiqui) – a nine-year-old flower seller and tightrope walker who befriends Noor (Neena Gupta), a 70-year-old widow living a life of complete abstinence.

Chhoti promises to bring a ray of hope in the life of Noor. Besides Neena and Aqsa, the film also stars transgender activist Rudrani Chettri.

The teaser of the film was unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year and marked Vikas’ fourth appearance at the fest.

The film has been shot by Subhranshu Das, and produced by Bindu Khanna, Poonam Kaul and Jitendra Mishra under the banner of House Of Omkar.

“The Last Color” is inspired by the real-life experiences observed by Vikas while researching around food and culture for his books and TV shows. He was shooting for Holi for his book “Utsav: A Culinary Epic of Indian Festivals” in Vrindavan when he witnessed a desolate sight – everyone was playing with colours during the festival except for the widows who were dressed in white and watching the celebrations from their balconies and terraces.

However, in 2013, the Supreme Court of India allowed the widows in Vrindavan to get rehabilitated and live a life of dignity which included being able to participate in festivals such as Holi. This coupled with Vikas’ experience of meeting a nine-year-old flower seller girl inspired him to tell this compelling story.

“This is a story that had to be told and I am glad that I am finally getting an opportunity to do so. This story not only moved me deeply, but also motivated me to pen it into a book and subsequently make it into a film,” Vikas said in a statement.

“From writing the book to making the film, the journey of ‘The Last Color’ has been a long and eventful one. We feel honoured that the film is having its world premiere at the 30th Annual Palm Springs International Festival 2019. I am eagerly looking forward to the audience’s response and hope that they will experience a similar sentiment that I did while writing and making the film.”

Jitendra Mishra, the producer of “The Last Color”, said: “The world premiere at the 30th Annual Palm Springs International Festival 2019 is a milestone in the film’s journey. It has also reassured us of the faith and confidence we had placed in the project.”

–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

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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.

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