All
Politics
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Celebrities
Olympian Wrestler Vinesh Phogat joined the Congress and is all set to contest Haryana assembly elections from Julana seat. Famous for missing the silver medal by 100 gm in the Paris Olympics as she had breached the category in which she entered the contest, Vinesh had received a hero’s welcome as soon as she returned to India. She was given a grand welcome at Delhi airport by the Haryana Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son, Deepinder. Her name was finalised as soon as she formally became a member. While wrestler Bajrang Punia has been appointed as working president of All India Kisan Congress. Entry of the wrestling icons, who are both Jats, means consolidation of Jat votes behind the Congress. Former CM Hooda is determined to make a comeback with Jat vote power after 10-year BJP rule in Haryana. Phogat termed her political innings as a new chapter and said that she will continue to work for the rights of other athletes. Referring to the ongoing sexual harassment case against former WFI chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Singh, she made it clear that only the Congress had understood “our tears”. “I will work for other athletes so that they don’t have to go through what we went through,” Phogat said. “I could have quit wrestling at Jantar Mantar because the BJP’s IT cell was publicising that we were spent forces. They said I did not want to play in the nationals but I did; they said I did not want to do trials, I did that… They said I could not go to the Olympics but I did… Unfortunately, it was not God’s will,” she said.
Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule’s latest allegation against NCP MP Supriya Sule has enraged her supporters. Supriya herself has vehemently refuted the charges and challenged him to produce the evidence to substantiate it. A staunch follower of BJP heavyweights Nitin Gadkari and Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP leader has stunned the state polity with his so-called disclosure. According to Bawankule, she had said, “If Fadnavis comes back to power, we will be nowhere and this will be the last election for Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray.” Different versions of Supriya’s directions to her party’s spokespersons regarding the coming elections are floating around. The general tenor of the reports is that she has indicated to them to go soft on chief minister Eknath Shinde and avoid any statement on Maratha leader Manoj Jarange but zero in on Fadnavis. Referring to these news stories, Bawankule has attacked Supriya while making his allegation. Taking him to task over his remarks, Supriya has challenged Bawankule to produce proof that she had asked her party spokespersons to hit only Fadnavis. “Show me a video making such a statement,” she has said. Fadnavis and Supriya are the two names which are repeatedly making rounds of the political grapevine as the next CM choice. Hence Bawankule’s advocacy of Fadnavis is hardly surprising. Other major parties in the state have so far kept away from this slanging match.
In the backdrop of the Modi government releasing a Rs 100 coin to mark birth centenary of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi on August 18 and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailing him as “titan” of Indian politics, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has always been anxious to assure his allies in the secular INDIA Bloc that he is not inching close to the BJP. Away in the U.S. since the end of last month along with his wife Durga to pitch for foreign investment in his state, Stalin has been making it a point to enjoy ordinary things like working out at a gym in San Francisco or a bike ride near Lake Michigan in Chicago. His post on X, “Evening’s calm sets the stage for new dreams”, somehow caught the attention of Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi who replied to Stalin’s post with a playful comment, “Brother, when are we cycling together in Chennai?”. Responding to Gandhi, Stalin proposed a leisurely ride to explore the heart of Chennai. “Dear brother @Rahul Gandhi, whenever you’re free, let’s ride and explore the heart of Chennai together! A box of sweets is still pending from my side. After our cycling, let’s enjoy a delicious South Indian lunch with sweets at my home.” Incidentally, Rahul will also be briefly in the U.S. — September 8-10 — to interact with the Indian diaspora as well as key business and academic figures. This will be his first visit to the U.S. since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, after the Congress made significant gains. His visit precedes PM Modi’s planned appearance at the UN General Assembly later in the month. Gandhi will visit Dallas and Washington DC during his time in the U.S.
Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar’s choice for the next Maharashtra CM will not be Uddhav Thackeray. This sensational claim made by DCM Devendra Fadnavis has further dented the campaign started by the Shiv Sena leader’s followers to project him as the future chief minister. Pawar and state Congress president Nana Patole have publicly negated Uddhav’s demand to declare the name of the next Maha Vikas Aghadi CM in advance. Both have reiterated that a decision in this regard will be taken at an appropriate time. The Sena (UBT) has maintained a stoic silence ever since on this issue, unlike its practice to react to any development, big or small, instantly. Using the opportunity of his interview taken by a private news channel, Fadnavis ridiculed the efforts being made to project Uddhav as the unanimous MVA leader in Maharashtra. Fadnavis did not mention any other name in this connection but left his remark hanging, so that enough suspense pervades the opposition camp. Pawar himself has added to the guessing game. Though he had claimed that his party would not be in the race for the post, he has now added another rider by stating that the party with the largest number of MLAs will stand the chance. Fadnavis rubbed Uddhav the wrong way by remarking that the three-day recent visit of the Sena leader to Delhi had failed to obtain Sonia Gandhi’s backing to his name for chief ministership. Uddhav’s backlash is awaited.
Six decades have gone by since it was incorporated in 1959 as a company with charitable objects under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 (now Section 8, Companies Act, 2013). Ostensibly, it was set up with the object to promote the spread of knowledge across assorted areas – such as politics, culture, art, history, sports and the like – and disseminate news to the general public both about Indian and foreign affairs. United News Of India (UNI) is a multilingual news agency. Once upon a time, it was one of the largest news agencies in India with several hundred subscribers across the length and breadth of the country. Today, it is a shadow of its past. Struggling to survive, UNI has now come under the IBC (Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code) resolution process. A process to invite resolution was initiated in August last year. However, based on a decision taken by the Committee of Creditors, a “Round 2” of the entire Resolution Process for inviting EOI (Expression of Interest) for submission of Plans has been now initiated. With just about 175 employees and revenue of less than Rs 7 crore, this once iconic news agency is on the verge of extinction. With the whole media industry going through tough times, UNI is hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel. Will the resolution process throw up a Good Samaritan? Fingers are crossed, indeed.
Amid a series of electoral failures, including a hat-trick of zero wins in major elections, the CPI(M) in Bengal is facing growing internal pressure to reconsider its approach and hire an external political strategist. Alimuddin Street, party’s headquarters, has received feedback that the organization’s current state is “disgraceful” and it must consider “alternatives.” Most political parties – BJP, Cong, TMC, AAP and DMK — have from time to time roped in political strategists/consultants. For instance, the Trinamool Congress’s 2021 victory was largely credited to IPAC, led by Prashant Kishor. Likewise Congress party has benefited from strategic insights provided by Sunil Kanugolu. CPI(M) State Secretary Mohammad Salim stated that though the party cannot afford to hire a professional agency, professionalism must be increased. The party had hoped that its alliance with Congress for the Lok Sabha polls would increase its vote share. Leaders had predicted a three-way contest between Trinamool, BJP, and the Left-Congress combine. However, the reality was a two-way fight between Trinamool and BJP, leaving CPI(M) without a seat, and Congress lost key constituencies like Baharampur, where five-time MP Adhir Chowdhury was defeated by TMC’s Yusuf Pathan. Party insiders have highlighted organizational failures, including an inability to deploy agents in polling stations. Again, in the RG Kar incident relating to rape-murder of doctor, where the CPI(M) youth wing DYFI, led protests in Kolkata, the party failed to mobilize at the district levels. Also, it has alienated women voters in the state by terming the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme as “alms”.
Vishwajeet Kadam, who jolted the MVA alliance in the recent Parliamentary polls, is set to ruffle feathers again in the forthcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. Kadam, who backed Congress rebel Vishal Patil to victory over the MVA’s official Sena nominee, now seems to have the backing of the Congress high command this time too. The message was sent loud and clear when Rahul Gandhi flew down on September 5 to unveil his father –Patangrao Kadam’s statue in the presence of the entire top brass of Congress and even NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar. The prominent positioning of rebel Vishal Patil MP on the dais at the event, between the state Congress and NCP chief — Nana Patole and Jayant Patil — signalled Vishwajeet’s insistence to have things work his way. The high-profile event estimated to cost over Rs 50 crore, with over 1.5 lakh people housed in a Rs 8 crore canopy spread over 20 acres, was also meant to pitch Vishwajeet for the top slot in state politics. The absence of Uddhav Thackeray from the event clearly signalled that the friction between the Congress and Sena, is here to stay. Currently, of the eight legislative assemblies in Sangli, only two are held with Congress. Another two seats are held with the BJP, which is keen to wrest control of the prosperous sugar belt. The Congress, which has sensed victory in Maharashtra, after emerging with the highest tally among MVA partners in the recent LS polls, is in no mood to relent to their coalition partners’ demands. The NCP has been tamed while the recalcitrant Uddhav is being ignored. The Congress which wants to play the big brother could give Vishwajeet a free hand to chart party’s revival in the state.
Raja Randhir Singh may have triggered a fresh debate on whether administrators’ maximum tenure of 12 years is good for developing sport in India. India’s National Sports Development Code (NSDC) 2011 specifies terms, tenures, age, and cooling-off rules for sports federations. A five-time Olympian, several-time Asian Games participant in the Trap and Skeet shooting event, a gold and bronze medal winner has been an administrator for around four decades at the national and international sports bodies and is all set to become the 44th President of the Olympic Council of Asia wef September 8. In recent interactions, the 77-year-old former member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said that Yoga will become a medal sport from the 2030 Asian Games, but more significantly, he touched upon an essential aspect of the governance structure and strict rules. He believes more than 12 years is needed for administrators at the sports bodies. While the NSC stipulates a 12-year time restriction for national sports federations, the Justice Lodha Committee report that the Supreme Court has endorsed stipulates a maximum period of nine years together at the State and BCCI and with a cooling off period after six years that was initially three years. Being an experienced hand, Raja Randhir may have a point that will only get full support from the BCCI, but the Apex Council of the country believes that sports federations cannot be a fiefdom for an individual or group of people. The BCCI has been lucky to get relief from the Supreme Court on the cooling-off period restriction, but they may hope for further ease in restrictions. Given a chance, both the BCCI and the sports federations would like the cooling-off period and tenure restrictions, junked!
Now that N Srinivasan-headed India Cements has changed hands, the focus is clearly on what will happen to Chennai Super Kings Ltd. Once a division of India Cements, CSK was spun off into an independent entity following the conflict of interest issue. Post-India Cements sale, the focus obviously has turned to CSK. Where is it heading? Well, Srinivasan and his family have now consolidated their holding in CSK. They have increased their stake in CSK to nearly 42% from just above 28% in March 2023. The promoters now hold 158,016,303 shares. They had 86,726,373 shares in March 2023. The equity share has a face value of Rs 0.10 (ten paise). CSK Ltd. is the owner of the Chennai franchise of the IPL (Indian Premier League) T-20 cricket team. With the player auction for the upcoming IPL season coming up soon, the consolidation of holdings by the Srinivasan family in CSK reflects the commitment and passion of the promoter group to the cause of cricket. Not surprisingly, the board of CSK has decided to elevate K Viswanathan, popularly known as Kasi, a close loyalist of Srinivasan, as the managing director for a three-year term. Well, the context may have changed following the sale of India Cements. Srinivasan and Co, nevertheless, is focussed like a blinkered-horse on furthering the cause of cricket.
Caste dynamics has political formations of India in a tizzy for the imminent Haryana state assembly elections with the BJP set to also launch a new poll strategy to dampen the Congress dream of a clean sweep in the Nuh belt of the state along with others where the minority vote plays a dominant role. The AAP and Congress vowed to fight solo after the zero-voter verdict their alliance evoked in Delhi’s seven Lok Sabha constituencies, then kissed and yet, to make up. While AAP wants 10 seats, Congress is willing to part with only seven. The SP too wants seats to field candidates in Muslim proliferated constituencies. Congress believes minority votes will accrue to itself, particularly in three assembly constituencies in Nuh region dominated Muslim voters. Only former Congress CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda appears worried over his political future. The BJP too, worried over anti-incumbency, wants to buck the political tide and announced 16 OBC candidates, 13 from Jat community with 17 reserved SC seats. Though the OBC community is the majority voter segment in Haryana, Jat community always holds sway over political affairs be it the Lal clan troika (Bansi Lal, Devi Lal) or the Chautala clan among dominant segments of farmer leaders. The BJP elevated another community leader Kiran Choudhary to the Rajya Sabha and will also accommodate her daughter for state assemblies. Similarly, late Jat leader Ajit Singh’s son Jayant Choudhary was inducted into the NDA alliance for the Haryana assembly. The BJP has topped up its poll plans by clearing a slew of farmer packages in the state before the elections were notified in the state to include most of the crops sown in Haryana under the ambit of its MSP protection.
For the past two years, versatile actor Govinda who has given any number of hits in the past has been playing the waiting game to stage a big comeback. But alas! Luck seems to elude this talented actor who in the recent past worked in Rangeela Raja and FryDay. Surprisingly, the actor who is in popular demand for reality shows does not have the same pull today when it comes to the box office. Both the movies failed miserably. Actually, times have changed, cinema has changed and so too has audiences’ tastes. There is a place in Bollywood only for those who can reinvent themselves. Big B smartly staged a comeback via the small screen by hosting KBC. This sense of rejection has made him bitter and philosophical. He feels there is a conspiracy to keep him out. But many industry insiders say there is no merit in this argument. Well, there are plenty of guesses and theories peddled to explain what’s coming in the way for any producer wanting to sign him up. But what has added to his cup of sorrow is the public spat between his family and nephew Krushna Abhishek’s family. Producers feel Govinda who has the potential should rather focus on his career. Recognizing his talent, Salman Khan offered him a film but Govinda turned it down for reasons best known to him.
Kiara Advani, with that girl-next-door look, innocent face and endearing smile, is one of the most sought after Bolllywood actresses. Kiara who made her debut in 2014 has acted in over 14 films that includes Hindi, Telugu and Netflix. She is currently working on four films with top stars like Kartik Aaryan, Vicky Kaushal and Ranveer Singh. This 29-year-old glam doll who has a high visibility on small screen, thanks to her brand endorsements for Colgate, Myntra, among others, is considered a lucky mascot by many producers. Critics hold that what goes in her favour is that she gets her fellow actors perform to the fullest — be it in Kabir Singh or Shershaah which eventually wins audiences too. Her performance as Dimple Cheema, girlfriend of Param Vir Chakra-awardee Captain Vikram Batra (martyred in the Kargil war) in Shershaah won her accolades. Not many know that Kiara has a Bollywood connection. Legendary actor Dada Muni and Saeed Jaffrey are step-great grandfather and great-uncle. Her debut wasn’t great with films like Fugly and Machine although many liked her role as Sakshi Rawat in MS Dhoni: The Untold Story. In most movies till date, Kiara has not bagged lengthy roles nor has had the opportunities to experiment like Alia Bhatt who has been doing it right from her second film. But, for now Kiara has arrived.
While the male actors of Bollywood are reluctant to experiment with their roles, it is the women brigade that has taken the lead in attempting different roles and even shouldering the risk of spearheading them too. Hrithik Roshan who was offered an adaptation of Night Manager reportedly opted out because of his comfort with conventional films versus the web series that requires long working hours. Experimental endeavours like Tubelight and Zero have forced Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan to go back to doing commercial cinema, their strongholds. Whereas Aamir Khan continues to script new hits with experimental creativity as his USP. Other names that feature prominently in the experimental genre are Saif Ali Khan, who today is one of those who play characters rather than conventional heroes in the film; and Shahid Kapoor, who has taken risks with a whole-hearted plunge into the webspace. Still, the most sought-after actors are concerned about the image and worried about losing their audiences if they drifted away from formula films. At the same time more and more actresses are coming forward to experiment; striving to “be the change” in the cinema, just like what Vidya Balan once promised to her fans. Today, a Kangana Ranaut, Taapsee, Deepika Padukone, and Alia don’t really need a hero as they prefer to play the heroes in their respective films
Finally, the controversy-hit Rhea Chakraborty will see the release of her film Chehre this month. It was during the making of this film, the idea to act in a film opposite Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR) was mooted. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen with the mysterious death of SSR. Rhea, one of the main accused, faced trial by the media for more than a year. But the young star managed to weather it all and get her life back. Rhea is now confidently socializing, focusing on fitness and talking to producers. She seems to get her PR right as the personal attacks vis a vis SSR coverage have reduced except on Twitter where SSR continues to trend. Although the industry is not spelling it out, but it seems they have accepted her and some announcements may be made soon. Director of Chhere Rumi Jaffery may sign her for his next film. Speaking to a cross-section of people, the general thinking is: Rhea deserves a second chance – just like actor Sanjay Dutt, who spent five years in prison under Arms Act after the TADA Court acquitted him in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blast case. The audience has accepted him, and he continues to be the most sought-after actor in Bollywood. Well, Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi-starrer Chehre looks like a ‘thodi si lift kara de’ moment for Rhea, which may open up new possibilities for the budding star.
Top star Deepika Padukone lost a role in Sanjay Leela Bansali’s Baiju Bawra as she demanded more remuneration than Ranveer Singh. And Deepika is not the first heroine to do so. Kareena Kapoor Khan demanded Rs 12 crore to play the lead role in Alaukik Desai’s film Sita. Earlier, her close friend Karan Johar replaced her with Preity Zinta in Kal Ho Naa Ho for demanding more remuneration. A few years back Aishwarya Rai Bachchan lost an important role opposite Aamir Khan in Mangal Pandey because she demanded Rs 1 crore. Effectively, both Kareena and Deepika have lost opportunity to play iconic roles for asking what they deserve. This brings us back to the burning question of pay disparity in Bollywood. The general thinking in Bollywood is heroes (read men) have box office draw and female stars don’t have that kind of pull. A top producer clarifies, “Pay cheques are decided on the basis of how much business he or she rakes in. It is not based on the gender.” Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit got higher remuneration because audience went to the theatre to watch their performances. And of course, one heroine who has managed to single-handedly become a big hit is Kangana Ranaut. With Queen she proved it. She has made it clear that she prefers not to work with the Khans because “she would get over shadowed”.
A few months back, when the 30-year old Kartik Aaryan lost three films in a row there were murmurs in the film trade especially the big production houses that the actor’s career is over and he may not get work as he was ousted from both Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar productions. On the contrary, the opposite has happened. A few well-known production houses who were chasing him have quickly signed him on. Among them is well known producer Sajid Nadiadwala. Likewise Ekta Kapoor who is supposedly to be a close friend of Karan has taken over the project that was once to be produced by SRK’s Red Chillies Entertainment. Interestingly, Kartik seems to have carved a niche within Bollywood. He has support from award winning filmmakers like Hansal Mehta who is also directing him. Besides, producer-director-writer Anubhav Sinha has been praising Kartik on social media. The proof of the pudding is in eating and it is learnt that the actor’s remuneration too has gone up. This proves that he is a bankable star and his box office track record proves he is a big draw as a solo hero. Kartik who started his journey in Bollywood with multi-starrers It is his track record with Lukka Chhupi and Pati Patni Aur Who that won him the confidence of producers like Sinha, Mehta and Nadiadwala.
Everybody deserves a second chance. In Bollywood, yesteryear’s stars are padding up for a second innings. Mandakini of Ram Teri Ganga Maili fame, Kalpana Iyer who predominantly played a vamp role, and Farheen Prabhakar, a Madhuri Dixit look alike who married cricketer Manoj Prabhakar, are keen to return to acting, and don’t mind playing their age. Big B was lucky. Kaun Banega Crorepati launched him into the stratosphere and there was no looking back. But, not everybody is lucky. Superstar Rajesh Khanna tried very hard to make a comeback but alas. Ditto: Popular star Mumtaz. Versatile star Govinda who is making guest appearances on reality shows, is yet to get the big break on the silver screen. Fardeen Khan is also knocking at producers’ doors and may sign up for a web series. For Madhuri Dixit-Nene the return was not a cakewalk. She has now come to terms, and settled down to judging a dance reality show, acting in a web series for Dharma Productions and occasionally cutting an album. Effectively, she is in the limelight. Shilpa Shetty had a high visibility thanks to a reality show Super Dancer, and her Yoga album, but got a break in the big screen after a gap of 11 years. Bhagyashree of Maine Pyar Kiya fame will be seen in Thalavi, a biopic on J Jayalalithaa played by Kangana Ranaut.
The #MeToo movement seems to have resurfaced in Bollywood but in a new avatar with the arrest of Raj Kundra, husband of film star Shilpa Shetty, for allegedly exploiting young girls and actresses to make adult content for his mobile app. Not many cases of #MeToo were reported during the Lockdown but a couple of high-profile cases of sexual assault and exploitation were filed. FIRs were filed against Bhushan Kumar of T Series fame; and Ajit Thakur, former head of content, Reliance Industries. But, no action was taken as both have stated they were ‘victims’ of extortion. Tanushree Datta, who led the #MeToo movement against veteran actor Nana Patekar (the charge failed in the court); and Payal Ghosh against filmmaker Anurag Kashyap are trying to keep the issue alive via media. In the past names of Alok Nath, Vikas Bahl, Sajid Khan, Kailash Kher, Rajat Kapoor, Subhash Ghai and Anu Malik surfaced. Recently, actress Prachi Desai talked about her #MeToo experience. And so did Priyanka Chopra in her book Unfinished though without dropping any names. An actress confides that most people who had spoken out against big names have settled the issue for “consideration”. This is the reason the entire movement within Bollywood has gone kaput. So, will the adult stars like Poonam Pandey, Gehna Vashishth and Sherlyn Chopra revive the #MeToo movement
For star kids getting entry into Bollywood is easy. But, how many make it big – like Hrithik, Aamir, Kajol and Ranbir in past three decades? The cine fans are pinning hopes on a new crop of star kids. Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter Suhana who has performed in plays will soon face the camera; while son Aaryan who has done a voice over for The Lion King is keen to stay behind the camera, for now. Suniel Shetty’s son Ahan who debuts in Tadap may be signed for Aashiqui3. Producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s son Subhan is all set to debut. Shashi Kapoor’s grandson Zahan (Kunal’s son) has just started shooting for Hansal Mehta’s film. Meezan Jaffrey, son of actor Javed Jaffrey, made his debut in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Malal, and is already into his second film Hungama2.. Abhimanyu Dassani, son of Bhagyashree of Maine Pyar Kiya fame, who made his debut in Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, eagerly awaits the release of Nikamma with Shirley Setia as heroine. Sanjay Kapoor’s daughter Shanaya gets a lead role in a Karan Johar film. Salman Khan’s niece Alizeh and nephew Nirvaan are all set to dab the grease paint. Waiting in the wings are Sridevi’s daughter Khushi and Saif Ali Khan’s son Ibrahim. So, who will survive the star race? Only talent will tell!
Is it chemistry or mental harassment or the classic story of doosra aadmi or pati, patni aur woh? The morality in most of us is intact because of sheer lack of opportunities but in the case of celebrities — film stars and cricketers — they have opportunities galore. Money, fame and with that comes women and men. So, Aamir Khan-Kiran Rao deciding to go in for a divorce should not raise eyebrows. They have more than survived a seven-year itch. Well, one can say… 16-year itch. Insiders say it has been simmering for over two years now. So much so that Kiran moved to Goa. So, what was the final nail in the coffin? Again, close circles point out it is another woman. In the past many marriages were almost on the rocks because of linkup — Shah Rukh Khan-Priyanka Chopra, Amitabh-Rekha. In the case of yesteryear’s superstar Rajesh Khanna, it was one too many affairs. Again, in the case of a well-known star, his wife’s affair rocked his marriage of two kids. Women alone cannot be blamed. A respected star confessed: “It is difficult not to have an affair with our co-stars as we work in close proximity.” Some stars did not call off their marriages because of sheer societal pressure and kept it under wraps. Others did not: Hrithik Rohan, Karishma Kapoor, Arjun Rampal.
The lockdown seems to be a boon for Bollywood actresses, especially the newcomers who are active on social media. Ananya Panday who has 19 million Instagram followers has been cashing on it by running some social media campaigns. Sara Ali Khan has been promoting fitness videos through a fitness app, Power. But on Instagram she has been regularly promoting brands like Vivo and Colgate. Janhvi Kapoor posts only activity videos like dancing and fitness apart from paid partnerships like Nykaa. Sara Ali Khan’s Hello Darshako which predominantly posts shayaris and random videos has gained her good many followers. Encouraged by this response, Sara has roped in her mother Amrita Singh, a former actress on this platform. And today we see mother-daughter doing commercials together. Disha Patani actively engages with her followers by posting action video almost every hour. Her popularity has gone up ever since she has been dating Tiger Shroff. Interestingly, a new starlet has been openly saying that she makes enough money (Rs 3-5 lakh per month) to pay her entire year’s rent by being active on social media. No, wonder these starlets are heavily focused on social media. Incidentally, most of the top actresses may not be getting big billing from films they sign but on social media they have more followers than the Khans and the Kumars.
The D Gang’s clout was all pervading. All top stars – heroes, heroines and producers – were forced to fly to Dubai and perform for bhai’s events. There is video footage of stars hobnobbing with the Don at a Sharjah cricket match. A ‘No’ was not an option. And the job of terrorizing the film industry was entrusted to the handsome gangster Abu Salem, now languishing in Taloja jail, on the outskirts of Mumbai. Abu Salem almost threatened every top actor and producer. One of the early victims was Rajiv Rai, son of Gulshan Rai of Trimurti Films fame. He fled to the UK with his wife Sonam and son after a failed attempt on his life by Abu Salem’s henchmen. Gulshan Kumar of T Series fame was chased and gunned down. Bollywood biggies – producer-director Subhash Ghai, Manmohan Shetty, and Rakesh Roshan received threatening calls from Abu Salem. Rakesh Roshan survived a brutal murderous attack, and luckily recovered from gunshots wounds. Not unlike Haji Mastan, Abu Salem too needed his share of Bollywood beauties – and he got Monica Bedi. His threat forced producers to cast her opposite big stars in movies like Jodi No 1, and Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat. In September 2002, Monica Bedi and Abu Salem were arrested in Portugal. After serving prison sentences there, they were deported to India. To cut to the chase, the gangsters had paid informers in the film industry who tipped them about stars’ financials – movie signing amount, movie release date etc. Armed with this information, the underworld would make extortion calls. The Bollywood-Underworld nexus became apparent when Mumbai serial blasts of 1993 was investigated. READ PART 4
High on money and muscle power, the underworld started dominating Bollywood. The money was routed through financiers and big stars who often visited Dubai to meet the Don. In the late 90s, early 2000s photographs of top actors, musicians and singers performing at Dawood’s Darbar were published by the media. These photographs exposed the nexus between Bollywood-Underworld. And proof of that was tapped telephonic conversation between Dawood’s right hand man Chhota Shakeel and various film personalities. This nexus pressurised Mumbai police to arrest diamond merchant cum film financier Bharat Shah under MCOCA. Reportedly, Shah was arrested for aiding Chhota Shakeel. Somebody like Rakesh Roshan had a narrow escape on the eve of the release of Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai, his son Hrithik’s first movie. The sharp shooters fired two rounds at him for not paying Rs 5 crore. This incident shook the film world. The Mumbai police came forward to provide them protection. But, things started ebbing with Dawood not keeping well; Abu Salem incarcerated, and Chhota Rajan too cooling his heels in Tihar jail. Insiders say the extortion cases have come down. Though there were sporadic incidents like gangster Ravi Pujari trying to take advantage of the situation. Now, he too has been arrested. Now the underworld has almost stopped extortion but continues with its piracy business. Ironically, the fraternity which complains about the underworld are the same people who glamorize the underworld, making them larger than life. CONCLUDED
Karim Lala was one of the three dreaded dons of Mumbai till the early 1980s. The other two dons were: Haji Mastan and Vardabhai or Varadarajan Mudaliar. This Pashto speaking Pathan who had moved to Mumbai from Afghanistan in the early 1920s was operating from Mumbai’s Dongri area. He ran two hotels and a travel agency – which was just a façade. As a leader of the Pathan gang his real job was extortion, kidnapping, contract killing and narcotics. Many people instead of going to the police went to Karim Lala’s court to get instant justice. During his peak, Lala frequently invited several film personalities to his parties and Eid celebrations. One of his close friends was a well-known Pathan — Mohammad Yusuf Khan aka Dilip Kumar (who hailed from Peshawar in British India – now in Pakistan). At one such party, cabaret sensation Helen tagged along with Dilip Kumar to meet Lala and casually complained about her manager PN Arora, who had allegedly duped her of large sums of money. All that Karim Lala did was make a phone call. By the time the party was over and Helen reached home, a sweating Arora was standing outside her building with a briefcase full of money. For many producers, it was an Open Sesame moment. They started paying the underworld to put a stop to starry tantrums and ensure stars report to their sets on time. In south India, stars are time-conscious and report on sets with full make up. There are stories galore about top stars keeping the entire crew waiting for hours. Producers’ myopic vision and actors’ indiscipline paved the way for the entry of the underworld into the film world. For the goons not only the money was good but they were more than rubbing shoulders with stars and starlets. Guns and roses were a deadly combination. READ PART 2
Neither dreaded don Karim Lala nor Vardarajan Mudaliar were glamour struck. For them looking at other women was a taboo – well, that was the image they had arduously cultivated. But, not so for Mastan Mirza aka Haji Mastan, the man from Salem, Tamil Nadu. He was besotted by actresses. So much so that he financed quite a few movies with well-endowed stars. He was particularly infatuated by Madhubala. And in her memory, married an upcoming starlet Sona, a look alike of Madhubala. There are photographs of well-known film makers paying obeisance to Haji Mastan by touching his feet. It was fear and money. Mastan’s diktat ran large. There are stories of how well-known actors and actresses were forced to complete movies. A top leading actress, on her arrival from London, drove straight from the airport to the set as she was confronted by Mastan’s men. Similarly a thespian actor was physically picked up by the goons from his bungalow taken to Hyderabad and brought back after completion of shooting. Parallely, even as Mastan was going about his filmy business, Dawood Ibrahim’s notoriety was fast rising for contract killing, gold smuggling, extortions, drug trafficking and real estate deals. After fleeing to Dubai he had corporatized illegal activities under the umbrella D Company, paid his henchmen monthly salaries. For D Company, which was spreading its tentacles, the film industry was the low hanging fruit. Of course, like all Dons he and his brothers too sought to have their own harem of heroines and starlets. A case in point is Mandakini of Ram Teri Ganga Maili fame. With the D gang entering the scene, stars started reporting to sets on time. Producers were happy. But, not Dawood. This protection money was small beer for him. He saw huge business opportunities in acquiring distribution rights in India, then he moved to acquiring overseas rights before becoming a producer. Of course, Dawood’s brother Noora penned songs for Hindi films. TO BE CONTINUED – PART 3 & PART...
Thirty-year-old Kartik Aaryan, considered one of the most bankable NextGen stars, has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. First, Karan Johar’s Dharma Production dropped him from Dostanna2 for his ‘alleged misbehaviour’. Now, comes the news that Shah Rukh Khan promoted Red Chillies Entertainment has dropped him from Good-Bye Freddie. Is it coincidence or a coterie at play? There has been no official confirmation but people close to Kartik say that he has returned the signing amount of Rs 2 crore. His exit seems to have evoked mixed reactions. His rivals that include few producers and stars who were unhappy with his meteoric rise are elated. They are wishing he goes down like the yesteryear’s superstar. But it’s wishful thinking as there are producers after producers eagerly waiting to sign this most bankable star. The news brings to fore once again the raging debate about nepotism and outsider vs insider in Bollywood which started with the untimely death of Sushant Singh Rajput in June 2020. Reportedly, Karan Johar is playing safe and is looking for Kartik’s replacement from ‘outside’. So what are the reasons for Kartik’s exit? Sources say in both cases he asked for scripts to be changed – a theory that has not many takers. But is it the first time a star has made such a request? All stars have made changes while at the peak. Luckily, two production houses have offered Kartik a three-film contract worth Rs 70 crore, but he is yet to sign on the dotted line. For now, millions of his fans need not worry, they will see more of their hero.
It does seem like Salman Khan has set the trend of hybrid releases in India. Even if the net business is Rs 125 crore, Radhe has set a new yardstick for tangible recoveries, proportionate to Box Office (BO) returns. Overseas, the theatre numbers of the film are very encouraging, given the currently restricted footfalls in the cinemas. In the past Zee had released Khali Peeli which didn’t work but a Tamil/ Telugu film released on the same day worked wonders. So, the writing is on the wall, that in the coming months when cinemas will start opening, the hybrid formula of the revenues via Transactional Video on Demand (TVOD) will continue. It has raised the bar, which will only add to the BO number game. There are middle-order films that are now released directly on OTT like Hungama 2 and Bhoot Police and we also hear that some big films that are in the pipeline are looking to keep a TVOD window for their films.
It was a mixed reaction for Salman Khan-Disha Patani starrer Radhe released on Eid. A few film critics and some in social media platform were quite negative. A video of youtuber sharing her expert opinion on the movie in a typical Bhojpuri flair just added to the suspense and curiosity. If it was the plant of rival camps and certain multiplexes to ensure that the film is not a hit, it clearly didn’t succeed. “Radhe has experienced positive response from viewers, right from the first day of its release, wherein it clocked 4.2 million views across platforms. The film has also received encouraging box office collections in the overseas markets. The film has reinforced the fact that the viewers in India are ready for the Pay Per View model and ZEE has been at the forefront of this change,” said Shariq Patel, CEO of Zee Studios. Pay Per View is a very old model. DTH platforms have this. You could also compare it with VCR which one hired in the eighties to watch movies; it is just that the mode of delivery has become digital. Interestingly, the popular IMDb gave Radhe, a rating of 1.7 – the lowest this season. Yet the brand pull of Salman Khan saw the movie reportedly gross over Rs 250 crore. This figure more than covers its production cost and earns the producers tidy profit. Only digital approach may not work for big ticket films. But there is no denying the fact that hybrid model is here to stay. One must commend Salman’s production house for innovative marketing and distribution of Radhe. He has shown the industry a new path. And perhaps his confidence stems from the fact that 50 million plus fans on social media will not let him down.
Sacred Games apart, the actor who, arguably set the OTT platform on fire is Pratik Gandhi with his 10-part web series Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story. Its signature tune went viral. So much so that Abhishek Bachchan’s movie The Big Bull evoked very poor response. Other actors making waves in the OTT world are: Jaideep Ahlawat, Abhishek Banerjee, Divyendu Sharma, Shobhita Dhulipala, Arjun Mathur and Amit Sial. As for film stars’ OTT entry, Abhishek, Saif Ali Khan, Amit Sadh, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Manoj Bajpayee, among others, could not attain the success of Pratik Gandhi or Jaideep Alhawat (Paatal Lok). During the first lockdown, the big screen stars and filmmakers resisted OTT release. Looking at the performance of films like Laxxmi, Coolie and Gulabo Sitabo, the OTT was labelled a dumping ground for films that would have failed at the box office. But, realizing that OTT is here to stay, the film makers are now sending Press Releases that mentions TRP ratings besides box office figures. Effectively, this TRP will measure Akshay Kumar or Pratik Gandhi by the same yardstick – pointing to a new litmus test for the concept of Superstars. OTT is a medium dominated by actors and not superstars. With OTT gaining currency even big ticket stars like Hrithik Roshan and Shahid Kapoor are getting ready to make digital debut. Salman Khan is also releasing his movie Radhe on OTT platform. OTT is the new way of life.
The second lockdown has hit Bollywood real hard. With shoots cancelled everybody from producers to spot boys have been financially impacted. To avoid further cost over-runs and meet with new release dates many producers are shooting in states where there are no lockdowns. Producer-actor Aamir Khan is no different. He missed the release date of Laal Singh Chaddha last Christmas because of lockdown beginning in March 2020, followed by Kareena Kapoor’s pregnancy and finally he tested positive. To make up for the lost time Aamir and his team are furiously shooting the war and climax scenes at Ladakh. The new release date is this Christmas – considered to be his lucky day. Salman Khan is no different. He too has the tradition of releasing all his movies on Eid. But, the second wave has delayed the release of Radhe directed by Prabhu Deva. Being Salman he knows how to market himself. He has appealed to his fans to watch Radhe which will be released on multiple platforms. And his fans never disappoint him. In the case of Shah Rukh Khan, he has been maintaining a deliberate low profile barring his social chats with acid victims via his Meer Foundation. Shah Rukh was shooting for Pathan in full swing but the second lockdown stopped it. However sets at both YRF Studio and Film City have been kept standing. Meanwhile, he is taking no chances; all ad films are shot at Mannat. What also kept him busy was watching IPL Season-14 before it was suspended.
Versatile star Ranveer Singh seems thrilled after signing the Hindi remake of the 2005 hit Tamil movie Anniyan (dubbed version Aparichit). It shows. Immediately on his Instagram handle he wrote: “Proudly announcing my collaboration with the pioneering visionary of Indian cinema, the maverick master craftsman SHANKAR, powered by veteran film producer Dr Jayantilal Gada.” But the movie is already shrouded under controversy with the south producer S Ravichandran claiming that he owns the right to the film and the director Shankar cannot really sell the story of the film to Bollywood. The two producers – Gada and Ravichandran – are locked in a legal battle over the film rights so the chances of the film release date getting postponed cannot be ruled out. Meanwhile, various theories are floating around as to why Shankar and Ranveer came together for this remake. Some say Ranveer fell in love with script and was keen to make inroads in the south and this movie would be a perfect platform. Another theory doing the rounds is that Shankar was keen to sign Ranveer as he has not really worked with Bollywood’s leading stars save for Akshay Kumar and Anil Kapoor. But everybody agrees that Ranveer is the right man to play the lead role in the Bollywood remake – just like actor Vikram who played the lead role in the original Tamil film.
Is it starry tantrums, strategy, or success that saw Kartik Aaryan playing hide-and-seek with shooting dates for Dharma Production’s Dostana2. Infuriated by his alleged ‘indiscipline’, producer Karan Johar decided to scrap the film even though Rs 20 crore has been spent on shooting nearly 50% of the movie. The reason for this stalemate, say insiders, could be because Kartik has become hypochondriac after he got infected with Covid-19. So, giving into his demand, the shooting of the film was shifted from London to Rajasthan; a good portion was already shot in Chandigarh. Besides that, trade circles believe Kartik apparently had issues with the second half of the script and wanted changes. This is what got Karan Johar’s goat; he couldn’t take orders from newcomer Kartik. Besides Dostana2, he has cancelled two other projects with Kartik and blacklisted him. If this episode had happened in the south, the producers would have boycotted the star. Not, here. Bollywood producers are making beeline to Kartik’s house. Not surprising, in a short span of time this ‘outsider’ has risen to become Top 10. Currently, he has three films contract worth Rs 75 crore. Brand pundits say this episode will not erode his brand value. On the contrary, a number of big brands have signed him on. There is no disputing the fact that he is one of the most popular faces today. For now, Kartik is maintaining a studied silence even though Karan is getting heavily trolled by Twitteratis and the loudest voice being none than Kangana Ranaut.
Once upon a time in Bollywood, there were only popular actors like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand. Then, there was no concept of superstars till Rajesh Khanna burst onto the scene like a tsunami, giving seven hits in a row. He was a phenomenon, a rage who whipped up mass hysteria wherever he went. People emulated his hair style and mannerisms. Every girl wanted to marry him. Sadly, Kaka could not hold on to his title for long. Soon, he was dethroned by Amitabh Bachchan with his angry young man image. Big B, as he is popularly known, held the title for nearly three decades. Bachchan’s spell continued till the coming of the Khans – Shah Rukh (SRK), Salman and Aamir. During this time, Bollywood movies were going global, and this worked for SRK like magic. He became the heart throb for the younger generation world over. Everybody drooled over him. King Khan had arrived ruling the heart, mind and wallet space. Even as he continued to hold his sway, Hrithik Roshan entered the scene with Kaho Naa Pyar Hai. This movie made him an overnight sensation. Old cinema buffs say the frenzy around Hrithik is reminiscent of Rajesh Khanna’s days. Now, everybody is asking who will be the next superstar after Hrithik? Today, there are exceptionally talented actors like Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Tiger Shroff and Kartik Aaryan but they haven’t really made that super impact. According to industry observers, in this digital age with multiple platforms, stardom has got so fragmented that there may be no next superstar in the immediate future.
Film stars are in great demand during election time. It is a star parade in West Bengal; some are fighting elections, some canvassing for the TMC or the BJP. Ditto: Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Stars are magnets, drawing the huge crowds. But once elected, are they able to serve their constituencies? A simple analysis shows that 90% of the reel stars fail to play the role of political leaders in the real world. Amitabh Bachchan, Govinda, Rajesh Khanna and Dharmendra won elections with convincing margins but eventually retreated after failing to make an impact. However, there are a few who successfully occupied centre stage: MGR and Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu; and NTR in Andhra Pradesh had a splendid journey to the top. Vinod Khanna is remembered for being the only Bollywood star to win Lok Sabha polls four times – he won from Gurdaspur in Punjab on the BJP ticket; he also served as a minister. Among the living legends, Dream Girl Hema Malini who was first nominated to the Rajya Sabha won both 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls. So did singer Babul Supriyo. Raj Babbar has been active since 1989, having changed three parties. He won the Lok Sabha seat thrice and was also once nominated for the Rajya Sabha. Backed by the Samajwadi Party, Jaya Bachchan is also making her presence felt at the Upper House. Bihari babu Shatrughan Sinha, who won two terms and became a minister, is acknowledged for his fiery debate. Jaya Prada, Khushbu, Manoj Tiwari and Ravi Kishan continue to hog the limelight. In the south, Rajinikanth’s much anticipated political debut didn’t materialise – but Kamal Haasan has taken the plunge.
It is no more signing amount or territory sharing in Bollywood. According to the industry insiders, the top 13 actors today not only charge a fee but also get a share in profits of their films. Thus, by the new model, Aamir Khan earns around Rs 100-300 crore per film. It is also learnt that he takes profits only after the producer has earned his money from the film. Salman Khan earns about Rs 100-150 crore per film; he has been making double of what he earns from a film from the reality show Bigg Boss. Akshay Kumar either co-produces a film or takes an outright price of Rs 90-135 crore for a film. Interestingly, Shah Rukh Khan — the superstar who scored a record number of blockbusters in the 90s — charges Rs 75 crore plus profits per film. Hrithik Roshan charges in the range of Rs 75-100 crore per film plus profits. The actor was offered Rs 100 crore for the web series Night Manager which is yet to go on floors. Ranbir Kapoor earns about Rs 60-75 crore for a film. Ajay Devgn produces most of his films but if he is involved as an actor, he takes Rs 50 crore. In the past, Ajay, Salman, Big B, Jeetendra opted for certain territories. Amitabh took Bombay Circuit, Jeetendra CP Circuit. The newcomers are no different; they have swung into the game by charging fees plus profits. Thus, Ranveer Singh earns about Rs 20-30 crore which includes profits; Shahid Kapoor Rs 35-50 crore plus profits. Tiger Shroff earns Rs 18-20 crore per film. New sensation Kartik Aaryan’s seems to be moving in the big league amazingly fast, having already hit the Rs 15-20 crore mark.
Unlike yesteryear’s stars today’s stars are business-like. They put the money where their mouth is. Alia Bhatt who has turned producer for the movie Darlings will charge Rs 15 crore for her lead role. So, besides acting fees, she will make big numbers if the movie does well at the box-office. Ditto: Deepika Padukone who is a joint producer of 83, a sports drama film that focuses on India’s 1983 World Cup win by Kapil Dev. Directed by Kabir Khan, she plays the role of Kapil Dev’s wife Romi. Deepika, who has already signed on with a couple of big banners, is the highest paid star in the industry, commanding a price of Rs 21 crore, according to the industry insiders. Kangana Ranaut, who has four films in the pipeline, reportedly commands around Rs 11-12 crore per film. Besides, there are four stars who fall in the Rs 7-crore bracket. They are: Shraddha Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma. Shraddha Kapoor has Naagin and Luv Ranjan film. Katrina Kaif who has signed Phone Booth launched her own beauty line. Kareena and Anushka consciously signed less films as they were in the family way but managed to keep their cash registers ringing with series of brand endorsements. And the ‘desi girl’, Priyanka Chopra Jonas today commands around Rs 6 crore.
Just when Rhea Chakraborty thought the nightmare was behind her and that she could focus on her acting career comes the news that her name figures in the Narcotics Control Bureau chargesheet linked to the Sushant Singh Rajput case. Trouble, they say, never comes alone. Earlier, she found to her dismay that her name was missing from the credit list of the mystery thriller Chehre directed by Rumi Jaffery. Yet, this 28-year-old starlet did not lose hope. She, according to sources, flew to Hyderabad to meet a producer and almost bagged the film. One does not know if Jaffrey will ever revive the film he had planned with Rhea and Sushant. But some film makers have decided to give her a second chance. However, those who know her say that Rhea is treading cautiously; not signing films till there is clarity in her case. Nikhil Dwivedi has already announced that he is open to working with her. People from Bollywood are asking why she shouldn’t get a second chance when Sanjay Dutt has got more than three chances. In fact, she recently met Salman Khan’s former talent manager Reshma Shetty who helped Salman resurrect his career after two big court cases. Looks like Rhea is working towards a gameplan!
It appears that no death — be it that of Mahatma Gandhi, John F Kennedy, John Lennon or Lady Diana — has been as hysterically covered that too non-stop for over 100 days by the Indian media as that of Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput who died under mysterious circumstance on June 14, 2020. The CBI has been on the job but their findings are yet to be made public. The glimmer of hope came in December 2020 when the CBI, in response to a letter written by the BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Dr Subramanian Swamy to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The CBI is conducting investigation in a thorough and professional manner using latest scientific techniques. During investigation, all aspects are being looked at and no aspect has been ruled out as on date,” Dr Swamy was informed. Meanwhile, the diehard fans of Sushant are keeping the issue alive by posting relentlessly on Twitter: it was trending at #7 with 129,000 tweets on 3 March 2021.
Unlike yesteryear’s stars who hid their married status and pregnancy, today’s stars are going to town on both the counts. Both Kareena Kapoor Khan and Anushka Sharma have smartly cashed on their pregnancy by endorsing advertisements showing their baby bumps. Result: both made money hands over fist. Kareena, according to industry sources, earned about Rs 12 crore from brand endorsements. Interestingly even brands are keen for such endorsements by celebrities. It was a hush-hush affair when Sridevi was pregnant with Janhvi while shooting for Judaai, produced by her husband Boney Kapoor. Though one did get a glimpse of it in one of the songs in the movie. Similarly, Aamir Khan’s marriage was kept a secret although the audience saw the glimpse of his wife Reena Dutta in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was probably the first Bollywood actress who had the courage to show her baby bumps. She was spotted at fashion shows when she was pregnant with Aaradhya. She walked the ramp and did invite snide remarks, but she was unfazed. Today, pregnancies have become just a minor bump in a female actor’s career. Rani Mukherjee made a successful comeback; so did Kareena after her first baby. Even Neha Dhupia is back in the business with her talk show besides making guest appearances on TV shows and Page 3 events. Come to think of it, today’s stars are having the best of both the worlds – motherhood and career.
This model turned actress-producer-social worker has never changed her narrative. She is one woman who stands up for women’s rights and children’s rights and has never cared about political correctness. Bhumi Pednekar may be called the climate warrior and Taapsee Pannu has begun speaking up on the subject now. But the original voice of dissent from Bollywood and the person who took on the mantle of activism in this generation is the 39-year old Dia Mirza. Dia is unique in her own way – elegant, charming yet understated. She went through a painful divorce but nobody got a whiff of it. She compartmentalised her personal and professional life smartly. There was no mudslinging and neither did she look up for any sympathy. Even if we look at her PR, it is not about publicising her role in a movie but about the good work she does outside films. Her work on the Yamuna clean up and the Ganga documentary are well-known. That is why when she was appointed as an official Sustainable Development Goals’ advocate it made sense because we know this woman will do justice to her role. Everybody needs a second chance. Professionally, Dia is making a comeback on big screen and web series, and personally she got married for the second time. We wish her luck on both fronts.
When Bollywood stars tweeted against international pop star Rihanna they were targeted by the Maharashtra government. Now Big B and Akshay Kumar are being targeted by the Congress in Maharashtra for not tweeting against rising petrol prices. Guess one meeting or a phone call to Sharad Pawar might just solve Big B’s problem. Recently, Sonu Sood bought peace from Sena after talking to NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. Earlier Sunil Dutt sought blessings of Balasaheb Thackeray after Sanjay Dutt was arrested in the Mumbai bomb blast case. Also, Manisha Koirala went to complain about Shashilal Nair who had used her body double in a controversial scene without taking her consent. Karan Johar had to frequently meet politicians — once for My Name Is Khan, the second time for Ae Dil Hai Mushkil when the film got into trouble for featuring Fawad Khan, a Pakistani national. Even Dev Anand had to call on Balasaheb Thackeray as he had a Pakistani actor Anita Ayub in his film. Of course, one cannot forget that Mani Ratnam had to screen his film Bombay for Balasaheb Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. Looks like politicians have always been a different kind of censor board for films even after approval from the CBFC.
Looks like Priyanka Chopra Jonas has started her own #MeToo movement as a marketing tool for her memoir Unfinished. There has been some leaked content from the book since the day it was published. The content points fingers at Bollywood. The PR strategy seems to be highlighting all the sections which make headlines – basically being spicy. Every section is infused with some spicy scoop. It is more like the film Sanju, where a lot was spoken but nothing really confirmed. Sensationalism sells and Priyanka is doing just that by exposing filmmakers whom she met at the early stage of her career. The actress in her memoir has written that a director-producer made her twirl around and asked her to get a boob job, fix her jaw and cushion her buttocks. Those who have worked with her and the filmmaker know who she is talking about. But she has kept the media and others guessing as she continues to make headlines. There is one review that states that Priyanka has chosen to leave out far more than she chooses to record. Priyanka is rather honest that she could not give time to her relationships. The actress has dated some of the top actors of Bollywood but she does not name them. However, she doesn’t mind mentioning a boyfriend named Bob who she hid in her closet and was caught by her aunt. Her strategy of not naming names seems to have unnerved a whole lot of people in Bollywood and many are hoping she does not come with a sequel titled Finished.
TRENDS & VIEWS
Editor’s Note: Big Punch In Small Pack
It is the Third Anniversary of Short Post and as a news media startup launched during the Covid-19 pandemic it certainly feels better than good to find ourselves where we are today. Here, I must cite the unstinted support of our seasoned contributors, all senior editors in the country, who brought a great degree of maturity and sagacity to the Short Post newsroom. But for them, our tagline “Authentic Gossip”, an Oxymoron, would not have matured viably. Our user numbers may be small but our stories have created the desired impact among people who matter — decision makers and influencers. We offer a big punch in a small pack and Short Post with its 225-word stories has been punching above its weight category. Having posted close to 3,000 stories in the last 36 months, Short Post, I feel, is an idea whose time has come.
And this is vindicated by our two marquee advertisers – IDFC FIRST Bank and ICICI Lombard. Both believed in our story and have supported us from Day one. A big thank you to both.
If you look at the media landscape – print, TV and digital — it is a mixed bag. There are job losses as some outfits have closed down while a lucky few were bailed out by large corporate houses. Yes, there is a lot of action in the digital space. However, the entry of corporate houses has raised the question of independence of news media outfits. Sadly, there are just a handful of independent media outfits in the country that are highly respected for their neutrality. At Short Post, our credo is not to take sides, prejudge issues or be biased but, informing readers of behind-the-scenes happenings. In essence, Short Post strives to be a neutral editorial platform — neither anti-establishment nor pro-establishment.
As I said last year, disruptions in the media world are moving at a fast and furious pace. Technology is playing a very big role in how content is generated and consumed. But, we are neither alarmed nor perturbed as it is all a part of the evolution process. What gives us comfort is that AI is unable to create original gossipy content. And that is the news arena where we have achieved a distinction.