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    Books, movies and music you should watch out for in 2018

    Synopsis

    Rajinikanth will be back in 2018, on the big screen at least if not in the political arena, with his film 2.0. The year will also see a slew of politicians bringing out books, from autobiographies to political analyses.

    booksAgencies
    Congress MP and former Union minister Shashi Tharoor examines one of the world’s oldest religions, starting with a close examination of his own belief in Hinduism.
    Rajinikanth will be back in 2018, on the big screen at least if not in the political arena, with his film 2.0. So will Ocean’s Eight, taking off from the highly successful Ocean’s trilogy of heist films except this one will have an all-woman gang, led by Sandra Bullock.

    The year will also see a slew of politicians bringing out books, from autobiographies to political analyses, at least some of which are likely to be hotly debated. Literary fiction, too, will see some exciting releases, whether it’s Pakistani writer Mohammed Hanif’s next novel or a translation of Marathi writer Baburao Bagul’s short stories, Why I Hid My Caste. ET Magazine takes you through the books, films and music you should keep an eye — and ear — out for in the new year:

    BOOKS
    Citizen Delhi: My Life, My Times
    Sheila Dikshit | Bloomsbury

    In her autobiography, Sheila Dikshit gives the reader a glimpse of her journey from a girl who loved cycling on the tree-lined roads of Delhi to becoming the chief minister for 15 years, from 1998 to 2013. This book details her political career spanning over three decades, from the time she started assisting her father-in-law Uma Shankar Dikshit.

    My Kashmir
    Omar Abdullah | Aleph

    Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah’s first book is part memoir, part history and part analysis of the problems that have beset his state in the decades since Independence. He tries to offer the reader clarity about the situation in Kashmir today, and gives an insider’s view of the Abdullah family, which has played a huge part in the politics of the land.

    Sanjay Dutt
    Yasser Usman | Juggernaut

    In this no-holds-barred book about Sanjay Dutt, Yasser Usman tells the story of the actor’s life. From his drug addiction and the tragic death of his mother Nargis, to his affairs with Bollywood actors and his flirtation with the underworld, it is the uncensored story of Sanjay Dutt’s life, which might sound stranger than any Bollywood film.

    Leadership Lessons from the Man Who Helped Build Silicon Valley
    Eric Schmidt & Jonathan Rosenberg | Hachette

    A new book from the former CEO of Google about the coaching secrets of Bill Campbell, the legendary mentor and executive coach to many of Silicon Valley’s luminaries, including Schmidt, Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

    When I Hid My Caste Baburao Bagul
    Translated from Marathi by Jerry Pinto |
    Speaking Tiger
    Baburao Bagul’s debut collection of short stories, Jevha Mi Jaat Chorli Hoti (1963), revolutionised not only Marathi but Indian literature, bringing to it raw energy and a radical realism. Through the lives of street vendors, thieves, sex workers and slum-dwellers, he exposed the pain, horror and rage of the Dalit experience. This landmark book has been translated into English by author Jerry Pinto.

    Why I Am A Hindu
    Shashi Tharoor | Aleph

    Congress MP and former Union minister Shashi Tharoor examines one of the world’s oldest religions, starting with a close examination of his own belief in Hinduism. He analyses Hindutva, explains its rise and dwells at length on the philosophy of Deendayal Upadhyaya, its most significant ideologue. While Tharoor is unsparing in his criticism of extremist bhakts, he also makes the point that it is because Hindus form the majority that India has survived as a plural, secular democracy.

    All The Lives We Never Lived
    Anuradha Roy | Hachette

    A saga about people trying to make sense of their lives, this is the story of Myshkin and his mother Gayatri, a rebellious, alluring artist, who is driven to abandon home and marriage and follow her instinct for freedom. This will be the fourth novel of Anuradha Roy, whose Sleeping on Jupiter was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2015.

    Red Birds
    Mohammed Hanif | Bloomsbury

    From the prize-winning author of A Case of Exploding Mangoes, comes a new novel about war, family and the things love makes us do. In Red Birds, Hanif explores war, refugee camps and the tensions between America and the Muslim world.

    MOVIES
    Mukkabaaz
    Director: Anurag Kashyap
    Starring: Vineet Kumar Singh, Zoya Hussain

    Releasing on January 12, Anurag Kashyap’s latest film is about a boxer who takes on a boxing association that wants to destroy his career and falls in love with his antagonist’s daughter. It stars Vineet Kumar Singh in the lead role, Kashyap has termed the film a “socio-political story about a sportsman in contemporary India”. The film also stars Jimmy Shergill and Zoya Hussain.

    2.0
    Director: Shankar
    Starring: Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar

    Superstar Rajinikanth might not have officially announced his political debut yet, but his next magnum opus, the sequel to the 2010 film Robot, will be releasing early next year. With a budget of `400 crore, it is reported to be the most expensive film made in India yet. It will also see Bollywood star Akshay Kumar in a lead role.

    Thugs of Hindostan
    Director: Vijay Krishna Acharya
    Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif

    It will be the first film where Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan will share screen space. Scheduled to be released in Diwali 2018, this Yash Raj Films production is based on an 1839 novel, Confessions of a Thug, about a group of thugs who posed a challenge to the British in India. The film also stars Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh, last seen in Dangal.

    The Accidental Prime Minister
    Director: Vijay Gutte
    Starring: Anupam Kher

    This is a biopic of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, based on the book by his one-time media advisor Sanjaya Baru. Actor Anupam Kher, whose wife Kirron is a BJP MP, will be playing the Congress PM. The script of the film, which is set to be released in late 2018, has been written by Hansal Mehta.

    Solo: A Star Wars Story
    Director: Ron Howard,
    Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke

    The Last Jedi has just released (to mixed reviews) but 2018, again, will see a Star Wars film, although a spinoff. While it is set in the fictional Star Wars world, it does not centre around the Skywalker family. Instead, this space Western film will recount the adventures of the smuggler Han Solo and Chewbacca before they joined “the Rebellion”.

    Ocean’s 8
    Director: Gary Ross
    Starring: Sandra Bullock, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Katie Holmes

    The Oceans Trilogy about ambitious robberies starring George Clooney turned out to be a huge success. The upcoming spinoff, while different, holds out a lot of promise. For starters, the gang of slick thieves this time will be an all-woman star cast, led by Sandra Bullock. The venue of the latest heist is the legendary Met Gala in New York.

    Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
    Director: David Yates
    Starring: Eddie Redmayne Jude Law, Johnny Depp, Katherine Waterston

    Harry Potter fans have another film to look forward to. The second instalment, after Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, in the five-film series, this has already seen some controversy with fans criticising JK Rowling for continuing to support the casting of Johnny Depp, who has been accused of assaulting his ex-wife.

    MUSIC
    Arctic Monkeys
    The boys from Sheffield, who released their fifth album in 2014, are scheduled to bring out their next in 2018, according to interviews. The English rock band shot to fame with their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not topping the charts.

    Nicki Minaj
    “This album is everything in my life coming full circle and me being truly, genuinely happy,” hiphop artist Nicki Minaj told the New York Times, about her upcoming release.” The yet-to-betitled album will be her fourth.

    Joe Satriani
    Legendary guitarist Joe Satriani will be releasing his 16th solo album in 2018, titled What Happens Next. The new album will see him collaborating with Red Hot Chilli Peppers drummer Chad Smith and Deep Purple bassist Glenn Hughes. The year will also see Satriani on tour, where he will be joined by Dream Theater’s John Petrucci and Def Leppard’s Phil Collen.

    ( Originally published on Dec 30, 2017 )

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