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It’s a regular affair in Bollywood. Big stars launching their kids with fanfare. In the last decade we saw Alia Bhatt, Tiger Shroff, Jahnvi Kapoor and Ananya Pandey being launched. This tradition continues with slight change. For instance everybody was expecting Shah Rukh Khan to launch his daughter Suhana Khan via his home production Red Chillies. Instead she along with Agastya Nanda and Khushi Kapoor are making their debut in a Netflix project produced by Zoya Akhtar. Hrithik Roshan’s cousin Pashmina is being launched by Ramesh Taurani in a love story. Hrithik was launched by his dad’s home production company Filmkraft. Likewise Salman Khan’s niece Alizeh Agnihotri is being launched in a very unconventional film directed by Somendra Padhi. But, some stars prefer the traditional route. Sunny Deol and Poonam Dhillon are launching their son and daughter through Rajshri Production run by Barjatyas. Interestingly, Rajveer Deol and Paloma will be directed by Sooraj Barjatya’s son Avnish. Industry insiders say that ever since the untimely death of Sushant Singh Rajput Bollywood has been stung by Insider Vs Outsider debate. With a view not to become an easy prey for the media, the new generation star kids prefer their skills to speak for them. Suhana Khan has already started making impressions with public and press appearances. Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda is already being talked about as he has replaced Varun Dhawan in Sriram Raghavan’s Ekkis.
After romancing Shraddha Kapoor in Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar, 41-year old Ranbir Kapoor returns with a crime drama Animal directed by Sandeep Vanga Reddy and the teaser has been highly appreciated by the audience. Even the trade is upbeat about the film and surely sees Ranbir in the top bracket with the release of Animal. Forty-one year old Ranbir, whose family has been part of Bollywood for four generations now, is a natural actor who made his debut in 2007. Acting is in his genes and he has done all kinds of roles. Perceived as a critically acclaimed popular hero of Bollywood, Ranbir has never followed a set trend of playing safe with the choice of subject and this approach saw him work with directors like Anurag Kashyap, Anurag Basu and Imitiaz Alia. Even his last romantic film was not a regular love story. Ranbir Kapoor seems to be on a journey to being an actor and exploring various facets of himself as an actor. Married to Alia Bhatt, the reigning queen of Bollywood, Ranbir babysits when Alia is on shoot. Both have worked together in Brahmastra which was well appreciated but the latest news is that both have opted out of Ramayan. But that does not stop them from shooting together for a steel brand along with King Khan.
Siddharth was addressing the press in Bengaluru, talking about his latest film Siddha, which deals with the incendiary theme of child sex abuse. Suddenly a team of Cauvery activists walked in and literally shooed him out. “Pack up your film promotion. Even as the two states are in headlong confrontation, your Tamil rhetoric is not welcome here“. A cool Siddharth just thanked the media and walked out. This act of chicanery is shocking in a state run by Congress, best buddies and allies of the DMK, a party that is in total denial that the TN farmers are deeply agitated and frustrated by Karnataka refusing to open the Cauvery hatch. Siddha is a small budget film with a heart rending message in which Siddharth plays the role of a family man taking care of his deceased brother’s 8-year old daughter. How he gets into the vortex of alleged sexual abuse and what really happens to this child is a heart rending story. SU Arunkumar, director of low budget hits like Pannayarum Padminum , Sethupathi and Sindbadhas crafted a meaningful story. And a powerful social message. Shockingly, this political interference in artistic entertainment is condoned by leaders …shows how hollow political alliances and their fulsome social platitudes are, in reality. Who cares if more children are brutally assaulted?
Impressed by the success of south films pan India, the Punjab film industry is thinking of emulating it and releasing all Punjabi films pan India. What has given them confidence to go mainstream is the super success of Carry On Jatta 3 which has grossed Rs 150-crore plus at the box office. Actor-producer Gippy Grewal is planning to release his next film Maujan Hi Maujan in over 150 screens in Mumbai circuit. Like the South industry which roped in north Indian producers and actors like Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt for Bahubali and RRR to gain entry into the Hindi belt, the Punjabis are planning to enlist the support of the Khans to draw the attention of the Hindi movie goers. Salman Khan was at the trailer launch of Maujan Hi Maujan has promised to work in Punjabi films. This cross pollination of stars across the country will give a big boost to the country’s film industry. Aamir Khan was seen at the trailer launch of Carry on Jatta 3. Of course Punjabi comedian Gurpreet Ghuggi had his film Mastney released in Mumbai and the reason was that the subject had a pan India appeal; they wanted the country to know about Punjab’s martyr’s story. Given these new dynamics, it will not be surprising to see SRK come out and support the next Punjabi film. Ironically, Punjabis who dominate Bollywood have not supported movies made in their own mother tongue.
Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan is creating records at the box office. The audience has connected with the film as it has raised all the relevant points that the Opposition parties have been asking the Modi government. A WhatsApp message has gone viral saying how the movie is a campaign for the Congress party. Jawan was released at a time when the whole world was busy with the G20 Summit. To avoid any backlash like Pathaan, SRK played it smart by congratulating PM Modi for the success of G20 Summit. Those in the trade feel it is too late for politicians to do anything now as Jawan has turned out to be a tsunami at the box office. The Badshah of Bollywood has made a big comeback and is not going anywhere for the next 10 years. The kind of subject he has chosen gives him ample scope like Rajnikanth who continues to rule the roost at 72. On a personal level, SRK is a hurt man after what happened to his son Aryan Khan in the drug case and the way the media hounded him. Post that he has kept the media at arm’s length. Of late, he prefers to connect with his audience through appearances at Mannat and social media. In the case of Jawan his move to get an accomplished South director, Atlee has enabled him to create an impact in the South.
AR Rahman, the slumdog millionaire and Oscar holder dreamt of a grand music concert, planning to belt out his immortal songs in Tamil to delight a mammoth crowd. Passionately he named the concert Marakkuma Nenjam(will this heart forget). Sure enough the 50,000 odd crowd that pushed into the venue which could accommodate just 20,000 ticket holders swear they would never forget the stampede, women and kids screaming in alarm, people pushing their way through and genuine ticket holders of Rs 5000 left high and dry, unable to get to their assigned seats. The blame game is in full swing…most blame the organisers ACTC events who seemed to have only focused on raking in the money at any cost. The sound system was so poor that even those near the stage could not hear much. People in the know are putting the onus squarely on the maestro himself for trusting an event organiser like ACTC. Incidentally, the maestro himself was grounded in the traffic grid near the venue. The negative publicity saw Rahman tweeting, “Dearest Chennai Makkale, those of you who purchased tickets and weren’t able to enter owing to unfortunate circumstances, please do share a copy of your ticket purchase to arr4chennai@btos.in along with your grievances. Our team will respond asap.” Will this tweet be music to the ears of Rahman’s fans? Not really.
While the Khans are seen all over the media we have Hrithik Roshan, one of the last actors to get superstar tag, shooting quietly for his next film Fighter. The 49-year old actor who has worked with Siddharth Anand in War wants to work with him even more especially after Fighter. In the pipeline is Krish 4 but nothing has been finalised. Hrithik, one of the highest paid stars, is an insider both from paternal and maternal sides but he started from the bottom to eventually become a superstar. He formally entered Bollywood in 2000 with Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. Post that he has had one too many hits like Fiza, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Koi Mil Gaya, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara sequels Krrish, Dhoom. Hrithik who has had his own share of controversies both personal and professional is known to be shy; he avoids parties preferring to spend more time with his children and girlfriend Saba Azad. Besides, he is also deeply involved with his father Rakesh Roshan’s banner. Maybe he is toying with the idea of becoming a director. Trade circle says that Hrithik is definitely one of the most dependable stars who has carved his own place by not being part of any camps. He is also quietly growing his HRX brand by opening gyms and eateries serving healthy food.
Bollywood seems to have got its mojo back. After a series of flops, sequels seem to have given Bollywood a new lease of life. Sunny Deol’s Gadar 2 is a runaway hit, earning close to Rs 450 crore thus surpassing KGF 2 collection’s record. Interestingly, Sunny Deol travelled around promoting Tara Singh, the character and not himself… and that worked. In the case of Akshay Kumar, now an Indian citizen, he has finally got a hit after a string of flops. OMG 2 has earned Rs 120 crore till date and counting. And for Ayushmaan Khurrana Dream Girl 2 got the biggest opening of his career. All these three hits indicate its boom time for Bollywood. Audience is back to theatres. And what is also giving the leg up to the whole industry is the OTT platform. Some of the characters like Vartika played by Shefali Shah in Delhi Crime, Kaalen Bhaiya by Pankaj Tripathi in Mirzapur have made them a household name. No wonder they are thriving on Season 2, 3…Earlier, Bollywood which thrived on remakes of Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil movies is now encashing on sequels. Some of the successful sequels were: Munnabhai by Raju Hirani, Krrish by Rakesh Roshan, Singham, Phir Hera Pheri by Firoz Nadiadwala. Get ready to see Salman Khan’s Tiger 3 this Diwali and also in the pipeline is the confrontation between two Khans in Tiger Vs Pathaan. Happy days are here again!
Radhika Sarathkumar chugged into the film scene in Bharathiraja’s Kizhakke Pogum Rail in 1978. Today, she is the Bullet train of Kollywood, trail blazing her way through over 200 films and Tamil mega serials that have spun money and enduring fame for this superb actor. Her very first film (ran for 365 days in theatres) and its success brought her the sobriquet Rail Radhika, and the SUN TV serial, Chithi made her the family icon of thousands of women who waited for the prime time slot of Chithi. Significantly, Radhika would have not aced any star test…she herself once acknowledged that she is a plain Jane, no sultry siren nor sexy screen sizzler. But she was the master of transformation to the character she played and the audience remembered her performance even in average films. Her only claim to fame at her debut was that she is the daughter of late MR Radha, a controversial and stormy petrel of Kollywood in his heydays. She went through three marriages, her second one to Prathap Pothan, actor-filmmaker. Finally she has found her anchor in actor Sarathkumar. Her vast experience in show biz motivated her to start her own company, Radaan Mediaworks which has produced a number of TV shows. Radhika still remains the iconic rail Radhika, a woman who scripted her life on her terms. Happy birthday Radhika.
Superstar Rajinikanth’s latest movie Jailer has crossed the Rs 500-crore magic figure. Having scripted one of the most telling comebacks, the superstar climbed the Himalayas to worship at Badrinath, even as he laughed all the way to the bank with his producers. The comeback seems to have boosted Thalaiva’s morale enough to think of a political comeback too. No, he has not made any announcements. But, his actions and touching base with key players in UP and Jharkhand have raised the speculation balloon sky high. He met Jharkhand Governor Anandiben Patel, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. His mercurial enthusiasm must have waned a tad when Yogi deputed his deputy CM for the special screen of Jailer. But the most visible and talked about optic was Rajini touching the feet of Yogi — a 72-year old falling at the feet of a 52-year old! His avid rabid followers were visibly upset and condemned this “slavery attitude”. The talk that Rajini is back to teasing his followers, dangling the political entry bait is sweeping the fan clubs. But a more practical, sane voice says, with marked desperation levels, the BJP could have dropped the clickbait again…if not openly joining the party, at least give your charismatic voice. For the superstar, spouse pressure could well be the major push towards a political entry, yet again.
There is no stopping this 66-year old Deol who has in a way created history at the box office for Bollywood. Sunny Deol is not stopping the promotion, and is city hopping post release of Gadar 2 which is only adding to the collection numbers. Gadar 2 has crossed the Rs 200-crore mark and is not stopping at that. Trade pundits are betting that it may surpass SRK’s Pathaan collections. Interestingly, the weekend in the metro cities also saw his father’s film Rocky aur Rani ki Prem Kahaani getting Housefull boards in the multiplexes. The legendary actor Dharmendra received maximum applause when he came on screen. The 87-year old actor has signed a couple of more films. Younger brother Bobby Deol, who could not carve a niche for himself on the big screen, is one of the most sought after OTT stars. Gadar 2 also saw the public appearance of Hema Malini daughters – Esha and Ahana — with the Deol brothers. The sisters and mother were not seen at the marriage of Sunny’s son Karan and an apologetic tweet by Dharmendra just confirmed it. Esha also is an OTT star. And the third generation of Deols are already here; Sunny’s eldest son Karan is two films old while younger one Rajveer is making his debut with Rajshri Productions.
Those who predicted another crash landing at the Box Office for superstar Rajini are now silently swallowing their dire forecast as Jailer has reportedly crossed the Rs 300 crore mark worldwide box office in the first five days of its release. Trade circles are predicting that it could overtake Kamal’s Vikram and Vijay’s Beast. Reportedly, Rajini has already worshipped at Badrinath temple — his Himalayan escape — a routine so familiar to him on the release of a new film. After the lukewarm response to his Darbar and Annathe, he must have vowed to make a serious course correction and reclaim his place as the superstar in the filmy firmament. What a course correction it turned out to be! SUN Pictures’ strategy of signing on brand each from Bollywood (Jackie Shroff), Mollywood (Mohanlal ) and Shiv Rajkumar from Karnataka ensured that the legion of fans from each region would watch Jailer for their chosen icon. Anirudh and his peppy music made magic out of Kaavallaa, a track that Tamannaah ensured would leave the audience gasping; an overdose of violence to elicit a cathartic release of anger and angst and a family-centered story where revenge overcomes all else. And not to forget the promo blitz and pre-release publicity barrage that super-hyped the star Rajini’s dialogue, “inimey pechu ille, veechu thaan” (no more talk, just hack). Love him or hate him, but you cannot ignore Thalaiva.
Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani seems to be the game changer for Bollywood which has been a series of flops in the first half of 2023. The film has crossed the Rs 100-crore mark at the box office and continues to rake in the moolahs. More good news. Akshay Kumar’s OMG 2 and Sunny Deol’s Gadar 2 are only looking at adding big business to the Bollywood’s box office. The trade pundits feel that good times are ahead for Hindi films and the month of August has franchisees that definitely promise a decent opening at the box office. The trade has also given thumbs up Dream Girl 2.If August has franchisees then SRK returns with Atlee’s Jawan in September which trade feels may have a bigger opening than his previous film Pathaan. And Salman Khan who has not had a great run in the recent past is strongly depending on Tiger 3 which has a strong recall value and will see Katrina and Salman Khan come together and mind you there is Pathaan in a special appearance which is going to be the highlight of the film. Ranbir Kapoor too returns with Animal, one of the most anticipated films of Sandeep Vanga Reddy followed by Vicky Kaushal’s Sam Bahadur. The month of December is expected to end on a high note with Merry Christmas that will see Katrina Kaif in a different role with Vijay Sethupathi.
Have you ever seen Indian women wearing a saree, bindi, and a Derby Hat at the Mahalaxmi Race Course? But in the UK last year several Indian women displayed the saree with swag and were seen at the reputed Ascot Racecourse in large numbers. Following this saree swag, a first-ever Saree Walkathon led by the British Women in Sarees Group will be held in London on August 6, 2023, to raise awareness about the handlooms of India. Women in London will walk a day before the ‘National Handloom Day’ in India on 7th August to voice solidarity with India’s Swadeshi movement. Around 500 women representing different states of India and draping different handloom weaves from their states are expected to walk past the iconic and historical London monuments, beginning from Trafalgar Square to the historic Parliament Square in Westminster, London via 10 Downing Street. The event is hosted by British Women In Sarees – a group under Dr Dipti Jain’s leadership with several Indian women’s organisations. The Kerala team is coordinated by Dr Deepa Hegde, Dr Hema Santhosh and Shirley Gibson with around 30 members. The Kerala team will be showcasing handloom settu mundu and sarees from Kuthumpully handloom, Chendamangalam kaithari, Balaramapuram kaithari, Kuthampully kaithari, Karimpuzha kaithari. They will also do a traditional Kerala dance at Parliament Square before finishing with a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
Even as Rajini’s Jailer opening song, Kaavaalaa has set the internet and fans on fire, Anirudh Ravichander, the music director is going places in just 11 years. After his notable success in South films, his very first song Vanda Idam he has created for Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan, to be released on September 7 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu is expected to be a rage. The Hindi version of the song is titled “Zinda Banda“, apt for Anirudh whose music is now a rage in Kollywood, Bollywood. His infectious tunes are converted into visual treat videos that titillate and tease the senses. Tamannaah’s Kaavaalaa dance stoked collective frenzy. It helped that Tamanna and her Lust Stories 2 had already broken OTT records. Anirudh known as ‘single haddi’ when he came to films is fast turning into a music director of substance with successive hits. For added measure, this nephew of Rajinikanth is making more news in the industry. Director Shankar who journeyed with AR Rahman for over 20 years has now shifted his loyalty to Anirudh, signed him up for Indian 2.
A mere 14 people (that too his relatives) participated in the last rites of legendary film producer SA Rajkannu who was celebrated and feted sky high when 16 Vayadinule produced by him in 1977 under the banner Sri Amman Films was a super hit. Kamal Haasan as the protagonist, chapani (the village idiot) is now Ulaga Nayakan. The late Sridevi as Mayilu (just 14 then) sizzled and skyrocketed to stardom post that film. And who can forget Rajnikanth’s Parattai, the negative role ruffian who confronts Kamal in this Tamil hit directed by Bharathiraja! The late MR Radha’s daughter, Radhika is even today known as Rail Radhika, a throwback to her debut film Kizhakke Pogum Rail. The multi-faceted artist Bhagyaraj was Rajkannu’s hero in Kanniparuvathile. But all these super marquee names of Kollywood forgot this man who gave them their debuts. Rajkannu spent the fag end of his life in a rented house, and died an unsung producer. His close family were hoping that these celebrities would at least turn up to pay their salaams on his final journey. However, stars were content to tweet their sorrow. Clearly, filmdom and politics celebrate only success and status. Reminds one of Rajesh Khanna immortal dialogue, “Yeh duniya badi kuthi cheez hai. “
Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor starrer Bawaal directed by Nitesh Tiwari of Dangal fame is a direct OTT release. The trade feels that producer Sajid Nadiadwala took a wise decision on this front as its trailer is unimpressive. But, Nadiadwala has defended his decision by saying that the film needs global reach and OTT is the best platform in today’s time. But nobody is buying it. Thirty-six year old Varun, son of the well-known director David Dhawan and one of the highest paid Bollywood stars (Rs 20 crore), has not had a big hit for quite some time now. His last two releases Jugjugg Jeeyo was an average film while Bhediya a disaster. Ironically, the star who had 11 consecutive box-office successes between 2012 and 2018 (Rajesh Khanna had seven) is finding it difficult to draw audiences to his movies of late. Clearly, Varun seems to be having a bad run. And he is trying to make up for it. He has signed up for Bhediya 2 and the Indian version of Citadel. Besides, he is also donning the producer’s hat and for that project he has roped in the renowned Tamil film director Atlee. It is rumoured that Janhvi may be paired opposite him. People in the trade feel that Varun should focus more on commercial cinema not on OTT platform.
The latest in the Indiana Jones franchise, Dial of Destiny is attracting droves of Harrison Ford admirers, just to relive their enduring fascination for Ford as the intrepid adventure archaeologist. Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, the creators of Indy Jones (which took on the Bond brand) ensure the 80-year old Ford looks and pulls punches like he is 45 in the action sequences. All the amped up action of the Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Temple of Doom and the Lost Crusade are served up in spades, even as he is transformed to his youth apt for the time Travel theme. Dial of Destiny too harks back to historical religious uprisings, holy symbols and royal treasures buried in the caves of time. This film digs, dives even deeper to discover the science behind what Archimedes created, a Cypher driven dial, Antikythera that enables time travel. In this fast paced gig, full of chases and chill thrill action that whirls you through Morocco, Greece, Sicily peppered with back to back surprises. Ford fans love his comeback…for those befuddled by the overwhelming action and unbelievable theme, an IMAX screen, the buttered popcorn and the sheer amazement of going back to the time of Archimedes promises a definite Eureka moment.
Tamil film superstar and aspiring politician Vijay’s 49th birthday on June 22 turned out to be a rambunctious, rocking event. It was the release of the first song of Leo which featured Vijay singing this peppy number himself sending his fans into rapture. The furious pace of the song, Naa Ready only amped up the boozy, inebriate kick of the lyrics, the double entendre lyrics and the sizzling music meant to be a clarion call to his huge fan did not sit well with conservatives. Amongst all those who protested stoutly via videos and media, a case filed by Rajeshwari Priya, founder chair of Anaithu Makkal Katchi, a breakaway from Dr Ramadoss’s PMK, managed to hog more optics…she went in person to meet Chennai DGP Shankar Jiwal to file her case. Later, Priya claimed that she had netted 70 lakh hits for her videos of the expose. Then started what she claims as the Vijay incited reprisal…filthy memes, Facebook threats and a host of ugly protests that sent her scurrying for cover. Though the police are wary about Priya’s vociferous protests which could well be for political gain, TN has a number of conservative influencers who object to film stars morphing as political leaders .Why glorify addictions like drinking and smoking ? This kind of cheap entry strategy to build up political impact is not inspiring.
Is Kamal Hasaan, a part time politician and full time film star or is it the other way round? Ever since he floated his party Makkal Needhi Mayyam in 2018 and cast himself as a significant political force, this question has been raised often. His party did not win a single seat in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election in 2021, little wonder he persisted in riding the elliptical of films and politics. Vikram’s success gave new life to a mothballed Indian 2 with ace director Shankar bent on repeating the success of the first Indian. Out of the blue, Kamal has been offered a meaty role in the prestigious director Nag Ashwin’s sci-fi Project 2 with Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone and Disha Patani. His rumoured remuneration for the film is Rs 20 crore. Recently, he gave a cheque to TN’s first woman bus driver Sharmila. Driving a private bus on the Coimbatore-Somanur route Sharmila was over the top when two women VIPs — Vanathi Srinivasan of the BJP and DMK MP Kanimozhi — travelled in her bus. But, the bus owner was unhappy with the publicity and Sharmila lost her job. Even as Kanimozhi, the DMK’s alter ego leader promised her a job, Kamal stepped in. Wags are now busy speculating that Kamal is already in election mode for 2024. Riding two horses simultaneously is a rare talent.
Om Raut’s film Adipurush seems to have disappointed Bahubali Prabhas’ fans. There are conflicting reports about collections and footfalls in the theatres even as Prabhas tweeted “Adipurush continues its roaring success at the box office! With a mind boggling collection of Rs 375 crore (sic)”. But movie critic Taran Adarsh tweeted “Disappointing”. So how does the future look for the first pan India star Prabhas? Not bright, feel some trade analysts. They say it is his third flop after Saaho and Radhe Shyam. Adipurush ran into controversy from Day One when the trailer was released and for its poor dialogues after release. Son of a Telugu film producer, the 43-year old Prabhas entered the Telugu film industry in 2002 and all his seven films were hit. What changed his life and catapulted him into the big league –making him the highest paid star in the south — was the title role he bagged in SS Rajamouli’s Bahubali and its sequel grossing. The film was an all time hit and the rest is history. Prabhas has a couple of projects in the pipeline; one with Deepika Padukone and Big B. Also releasing this year is action thriller Salaar. Interestingly, like Salman Khan even Prabhas is the most eligible bachelor… and heart broken. Anushka Shetty turned down his marriage proposal and the latest grapevine he is dating Adipurush co-star Kriti Sanon.
In south India film stars dabbling in politics is commonplace. So Tamil Nadu superstar Vijay signaling his entry into politics is not surprising. But, his entry strategy is. Thalapathy, as he is fondly known, chose to launch his political entry with a unique event. He hosted a gala lunch to felicitate top three rankers from every constituency in Chennai’s Neelankarai. The student’s community were ecstatic to be honoured by their youth icon. The star picked the most impressionable group, Gen Z to motivate and build allegiance. This box office vasool Raja has quietly pursued his political persona, interacting with his legion of fans, engaging them in social service like blood donation camps, flood hit relief camps and helping the differently abled people. The AIADMK, DMK, AMMK and other parties have found their political calling thanks to film stars. Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar has not openly claimed his religious faith. Vijay is strong and self-willed… father, director S A Chandrasekhar was in a hurry to launch Vijay the politician, leading to a family split. At the felicitation meet, the 48-year old Vijay exhorted the merit scholars, “If there is one crucial thing you can all do, it is to influence your parents DO NOT VOTE for money “. Vijay, who has set his sights on 2026 assembly polls, knows he has miles to go…but for now it is a good beginning.
After many hiccups and pickups, Prabhas led Adipurush is all set for release. One would think Bahubali Prabhas as Ram, Kriti Sanon as Sita, and hold your breath, Saif Ali Khan as Ravan would fly high even in the pre-release teasers and publicity pleasers. But controversy and caustic carp is already being tossed like hailstones. Prabhas, it seems, does not fit into that beloved divine mould of Lord Ram. Even his dialogue is dead pan. The cast and crew visited Tirupathi Balaji temple for a Big Bang trailer release, and director Om Raut stirred up a salacious controversy…he publicly kissed Kriti, the Sita Ma whose chastity is the anchor of the epic ballad. Ram devotees taunted Kirti’s claim that she had observed Vrat for the film. But the arrow that hit the jugular was the one liner of Censor Board Member and film critic, Umair Sandhu: ”Adipurush…Torture“.To add more grist to this devilish mill Kangana Ranaut, the self-styled moral police, critic and media high priestess has poured out her anger at yet another Ramayan in the works, which has Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Alia Bhat as Sita and the KGF rough Yash as Ravan. Is Bollywood drained and devoid of compelling stories? Or is this artistic hara-kiri, to relive again and again the beloved epic of our land to indulge the egoistic fantasies of top stars?
MS Dhoni’s popularity in Tamil Nadu is beyond belief…if he were to contest an election, never mind the party, he would win hands down. If there is a popularity contest between TN’s other Thala, star Ajitkumar and Dhoni with the same sobriquet Thala, all bets are off for who would win. Maybe Dhoni’s wife Sakshi was well aware that such high profile fame could easily be monetised; start any venture…sports goods, eatery, clothing with the Dhoni brand and harvest profits. Dhoni being Dhoni hit upon filmmaking, Tamil films in particular. Remember M S Dhoni: The Untold Story it was a box office hit and was ranked as the 5th highest Bollywood movie for 2015. The couple have started their own production house Dhoni Entertainment, and just released the teaser of their maiden film Let’s Get Married. Ramesh Tamizh Mani directs a cast of popular actors. Harish Kalyan, Ivana, Nadia the evergreen beauty, Yogi Babu and other entertainers. The teaser clearly reflects the film’s theme – a wholesome family entertainment. Dhoni’s humility and never-say-fail attitude is sure to sustain this new venture of the Chennai King.
South’s popular actor Trisha Krishnan is still in royal mode after her superlative performance as the Chola Princess Kundavai in Mani Ratnam’s two-part magnum opus, Ponniyin Selvan. After the slick success of her film with Vijay Sethupathi, 96 in 2018, her career was on a downward plunge. And then after her 40th birthday, she hit the mother lode with Ponniyin Selvan, a role she carried with much elan, and grace even when pitted against beauty queen Aishwarya Rai. Post Ponniyin Selvan, Trisha is the most sought after star. She has signed six new films with all top heroes. Just shows what a legendary director and his talent to showcase an actor as a living character of the story can do to falling ratings. Trisha is already in Leo with superstar Vijay, a pairing that reminds of their earlier super hit, Gilli. She has Vidamuairchi with hero Ajit. She has signed up for a Mani Ratnam directed Kamal Haasan movie, ready to pit her acting skill against Dhanush in his 50th film and has a hot Malayalam film with Mohanlal. Besides, first web serial The Road. Looks like her 40th birthday was the turning point of her life. K Town is in awe of this petite pack of dynamite who leaves an unforgettable impression. Despite talk of romantic links after she walked out of two engagements.
In the name of religion one more movie that has created a mild stir is the Tamil film Farhana starring Aishwarya Rajesh in the lead. So much so the protagonist had to be provided police protection by the Tamil Nadu government. Earlier it was The Kashmir Files, followed by The Kerala Story. It seems Farhana has raised the hackles of Tamil Nadu Muslim women who are worried that Muslim women may seek emancipation like the heroine. Farhana is the simple story of a Muslim wife, mother and daughter of conservative Aziz who owns a footwear shop, leading a modest life. Her husband Kareem is trying for an overseas job. Farhana opts to work at a Call Centre much against her very conservative family’s will. The Call Centre environment of modernity, female freedom and openness is both daunting and exciting for Farhana. A change in assignment, puts her in the chat room for a week. Farhana is revolted by the quirky, kinky and smutty talk in the chat room. Is the film a metaphor for freeing Islamic women from stifling bonds? Director Ameer, a well-known name in Kollywood has heaped praise on Nelson Venkatesan for his sensitive handling of a woman centric story. He says by giving protection to Aishwarya, a wrong impression is conveyed about the film. Time to allow creative artists the freedom to chisel ingenious films.
BJP’s Mumbai president Ashish Shelar held a special screening of The Kerala Story at Gaiety- Galaxy in Bandra which was well attended by BJP party workers and others. What made it special was that the movie’s lead actress, co-stars, producer and director were present at the screening and they shared their experiences with the audience. Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur, said that the film exposes the sinister nexus of religious conversions which “Every sister and daughter must watch”. When was the last time we saw a political party openly promoting a film? Earlier, we have seen protests for Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmvat and for the trailer of Om Raut’s Adipurush. It may be recalled that Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files too was promoted by the BJP government to indicate that they empathised with Kashmiri Pandits. Interestingly, both the movies have made big money at the box office. During Emergency Gulzar’s Aandhi starring Suchitra Sen and Sanjeev Kumar was banned by the Congress regime. Generally, the government’s way of supporting a movie is to give it a tax break. Now, all eyes are on Adipurush. Its music was launched at Ayodhya. It is widely rumoured that some filmmakers who are aligned with the ruling establishment’s ideology have been commissioned to do movies on certain subjects that will show the ruling party in good light.
Generally, all film stars prefer to release their movies on an important festival day. But Shah Rukh Khan is different; he has chosen a non-festival day to release Jawan, his second release this year. Those close to the actor feel that he didn’t want to upset those who have already announced release dates of their movies in the third quarter of the year which includes Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal and Ajay Devgn’s Maidaan. It is probably after Fan which was released in April 2016, the actor has chosen a non-festival release date – Janmasthami, which is not a big ticket film day as far as exhibitors are concerned. But they are fine as SRK’s Pathaan released on Republic Day was a runaway hit creating box office history. Those in the trade feel that releasing films on festivals became fashionable in the nineties after globalization, and Indian movies becoming favourites of the Indian diaspora. A senior trade person said, “Earlier, Shah Rukh Khan had regular releases in between the Diwali releases as he used to work in many films but once he cut down on his films Diwali became synonymous with Shah Rukh, Eid with Salman Khan and Christmas with Aamir Khan. ” Coming back to Jawan the real reason for SRK delaying the release from June 2 to September 7 is the film is still not complete and the film is VFX heavy and after the success of Pathaan he does not want to take a chance.
Rumour mills are doing the rounds that superstar Shah Rukh Khan may do a repeat of Pathaan. That is, keeping media at bay during the release of his forthcoming film Jawan directed by Atlee. The action film which releases in June has just been wrapped up and the heroine of the film Nayanthara was in Mumbai for dubbing and surprisingly did not oblige the waiting paparazzi with poses as is generally the practice. All stars including those from south are always cooperative with paps. It may be recalled that King Khan has distanced himself from the media for quite some time for two reasons. First, there was no film release, and second, he is quite disturbed by the fact that media literally hounded his son Aryan Khan when he was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau in a drug case. The way media mishandled the case upset him. Although the actor has stopped covering his face with an umbrella but he refuses to pose for the media. This was evident at Congress leader Baba Siddiqui’s Iftaar party where he refused to stop even for a minute. The moot point is how long can SRK shun the media?
The Bengal film industry which saw the likes of Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, Tarun Majumder and others, today struggles to hold on to its glory. There is a marked shift from big screen content to OTT platforms — Hoichoi, Zee5, Klick, Addatimes. Moreover, several renowned actors are also seen in Bollywood movies and regional movies of South. All top stars and directors like Prosenjit Chatterjee, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury feel that the Bengali film industry requires the much-needed investment and passionate people to surge ahead. Films Manobjamin, Projapoti, Kaberi Antardhan, Maayakumari, Dilkhush, Ghore Pherar Gaan, Mitthye Premer Gaan and others released in the first quarter of 2023. While Projapoti could turn box office collections into gold, others failed as they were replaced by Pathaan at the theatres. Interestingly, actors like Jisshu Sengupta, Anirban Bhattachajee, Tota Roy Chowdhury, Saswata Chatterjee, Churni Ganguly, Swastika Mukherjee, Parambrata and recently veteran actor Prosenjit are taking up projects from Bollywood and those from the South. Mardaani, Manikarnika, Sadak 2 famed actor Jisshu pointed out that the emergence of OTT platforms have blurred the lines between regional industries. For Parambrata, directing Bengali movies is passion and acting in Bollywood contents such as Bulbull, Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi, Aranyak, Mithya gave him national exposure.
Compared to his own standard Salman Khan’s Eid release Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan was ordinary, exactly as trade had predicted. They say the Rs 15.81 cr opening collection is the actor’s star power and Eid numbers going by his past track record could have been better. In a way his fans saved the day with collections on the first three days touching Rs 78.34 cr. His well-wishers feel that Sallu bhai is being misled by the mutual admiration society around him. They praise his film even though the content is not upto the mark like Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. And he easily trusts and believes people around him. Analysts say that post Covid-19 Pandemic the viewers have become very discerning. Thanks to OTT they don’t just walk into a theatre because of star power. The content has to be top gun like RRR, Pushpa etc. King Khan’s Pathaan seems to be an aberration, maybe because of controversy surrounding its release. Salman has always had a decent opening on Day 1 with all his Eid releases. Dabangg (2010) Rs 14.50 cr, Bodyguard (2011) Rs 21.60 cr, Ek Tha Tiger (2012) Rs 32.93 cr, Kick (2014) Rs 26.4 cr, BajrangiBhaijaan (2015) Rs 27.25 cr, Sultan (2016) Rs 36.54 cr, Tubelight (2017) Rs 21.15 cr, Race3 (2018) Rs 29.17 cr and Bharat (2019) Rs 42.3 cr. Although the trade is disappointed with KKBKKJ there is hope for Salman this Christmas with Tiger 3.
Netflix, the California-based OTT player, is rejigging its business strategy. To start with it has done away with its initial business of mail order DVDs. The DVD postal service was launched as an alternative to DVD rental stores. This business generates only $ 126 mn of Netlfix’s annual turnover of $ 31.6 bn. Besides, it is also aggressively cracking down on free password sharing among its subscribers. Recently it launched a new password sharing policy in the U.S. which includes paid sharing. This policy is being introduced to all its 231 mn paid subscribers across 190 countries. Also, on the anvil are more streams, like subscription only and ad driven streams. In the first quarter of 2023 Netflix added 1.75 mn new customers as against 7.66 million customers last quarter. Though the customer additions look lower, it is considered a significant turnaround as it had lost 200,000 customers in the first quarter of 2022. Netflix’s India business too is looking up with engagement growing nearly 30 % in the first quarter of 2023 vis a vis last year. This follows lowering of prices by 20% to 60 % in December 2021, leading to deepening the penetration of the market. This also led to a revenue growth of 24% in 2022 as against 19% in 2021. Netflix now plans to replicate the India model to 116 other countries.
Bollywood’s powerful producer-director-host Karan Johar was spotted at a Juhu venue meeting the busiest star Kartik Aaryan. The meeting has led to speculations whether it was a peace-making deal or professional meeting to revive Dostana 2 which was 40% shot. Those close to the Gen-Next star say it was just a professional meeting. One wonders if Karan is keen to revive the project after all around Rs 20 crore has already been spent on the film. The other speculation doing the rounds is that he is likely to sign on the bankable star for a new film. It may be recalled that the outspoken actress Kangana Ranaut has been vociferously defending “outsiders” and has been targeting Karan for being unfair to outsiders including the late Sushant Singh Rajput and Kartik Aaryan. When Karan, one of the most influential filmmakers, dropped Kartik from Dostana 2 even Shah Rukh Khan and Anand L Rai dropped Kartik from their projects. But, 32-year-old Kartik was lucky as the “outsider” gang of producers supported him; today he is one of the most sought after actors commanding a price of Rs 30 crore which is almost at par with Varun Dhawan and other senior stars of Bollywood. His guest appearance in Ranbir Kapoor’s film is a clear hint that Kartik has a big fan following. So it will not be surprising if Karan Johar announces the revival of Dostana 2.
The latest Tamil offering Viduthalai-Part 1 directed by Vetri Maaran is drawing crowds and appreciation for almost every dimension of its story. When Vetri Maaran narrated B Jeyamohan’s story to producer Elred Kumar, he laid out a simple Rs 4 crore project, but then they cottoned on to making it in two parts that added a zero to the 4 crores. Not that Vetri and team haven’t had hiccups. Viduthalai was immediately slammed as a copy of ‘Solagar Thotti ‘, a similar themed novel. The South film makers have the courage to cast the plot /story as the hero, and dare to experiment with actors who don’t need glamour and unbelievable stunts to prove their machismo, they are super confident enough to deglamourise even female leads. Focus is on the story unfolding with its relatable grip, and most important ….keep the cost down, cinema is an uncertain medium. Why pour the lion’s share of the money on a hero (with back to back flops) and end up in creative and financial penury? Viduthalai is a period crime thriller. The film stars Soori and Vijay Sethupathi.
Priyanka Chopra (PeeCee) has revived the topic of victimization of outsiders in Bollywood. The actress who is promoting her global spy series Citadel, admitted why she was forced to leave Bollywood and go to Hollywood. “I’m not a nepo baby. I didn’t have the kind of support that exists in a big way in Bollywood movies,” she said on an episode of Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard. Many are attributing her raking “outsider” issue to promote her spy series. Some have supported her. Kangana Ranaut and writer Apurva Asrani said that the insider camps don’t allow those who want to work on their own terms. Kangana tweeted: “…This is what @priyankachopra has to say about bollywood, people ganged up on her, bullied her and chased her out of the film industry, a self-made woman was made to leave India. Everyone knows Karan Johar had banned her (sic).” She further added, “Media wrote extensively about her fall out with Karan Johar because of her friendship with SRK and movie mafia Cruella who is always looking for vulnerable outsiders saw a perfect punching bag in PC and went all out in harassing her to a point where she had to leave India.” Shekhar Suman and his son Adhyayan who are also victims tweeted: “Priyanka Chopra’s sensational revelation has not come as a shocker. It is well known the way the cabal within the film industry functions. It will oppress, suppress and persecute you till you are finished. It happened with SSR.”
Is Kapil Sharma losing his charm? It certainly seems like from the kind of guests invited to his shows these days. Most of them are friends like Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar, and singers who are easily accessible to him. The show which started in 2016 had a good mix of comedians like Krushna Abhishek, Bharati Singh, Sudesh Lehri and Sunil Grover. In its latest avatar all the above artists have left. The only saving grace is Kiku Sharda but his appearance time has been reduced. It is learnt that even the creative team has been reshuffled which is clear from the script of the show. The general feedback is that people love Kapil but are not quite happy with the programme mix. His constant flirting with female stars, poking fun at Archana Puran Singh seems to be getting repetitive and predictable. And this is reflected in its TRP. According to BARC ratings in March 2023 (Week 12) Rupali Ganguly-led Anupamaa topped the TRP list with a 2.9 rating while at 1.1 rating The Kapil Sharma Show ranked 18. In 2019 it ranked No 2. Apparently, to boost its rating, Kapil had tried to reach out to Shah Rukh Khan during the release of Pathaan but King Khan declined the offer. Unless he calls back some of the comedians and rejigs his offerings, the show will find less and less takers.
A close confidant of the late Kalaignar, and now a father figure to his son, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, PWD Minister Duraimurugan is well-known for his wit and wisecracks that evoke laughter…sometimes silent resentment. Recently Duraimurugan was the chief guest at the launch of Ponniyin Selvan – 2 Trailer & Music with Lyca chairman Subhaskaran Allirajah presiding over the event. Duraimurugan started off reminiscing about what he told the producer before Part 1. “I was fascinated by Kalki’s epic as a student and read it with interest. But when Subhaskaran told me that he is bringing it to the big screen at a mammoth budget, I had reservations. I even tried to talk him out of it. Then I asked him, “Who is the director?” I was told it was Mani Ratnam, “I asked Mani Ratnam…The one who shoots all his films in the dark? No, don’t“. But, after the super success of the film with its ensemble cast, Duraimurugan changed his views. He praised the film, and talked about a particular character, Vandiya Devan played so endearingly by Karthi. He is particularly fond of this character, who is supposed to be from Thiruvalam, part of Duraimurugan’s constituency. Even history gets linked to politics!
The #MeToo issue surrounding the famous dance school Kalakshetra, run by the Union Culture Ministry in Chennai have blown up into a massive controversy. The brave girls of the school, who had voiced their misgivings and complaints about at least four male teachers at the school of sexual harassment, came out in protest defying the school closure order given by the director Revathi Ramachandran. The State government was compelled to take note of the goings on as complaints aired over social media for months coalesced into a movement akin to the one against Harvey Weinstein in Hollywood that blew open the issue of inappropriate male behaviour. The school director, an appointee with political influence in New Delhi, was seen protecting the accused rather than take the side of the hundreds of girls with grievances against the male teaching staff. Only the lack of a specific complainant was holding up a police probe but after the issue came up in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, the hands of the State government have been forced to act. It may set up an independent probe soon under the aegis of the State Women’s Commission as the NWC tried to sweep the issue under the carpet after an inadequate internal probe. Only a powerful probe panel that can set up a safe channel to receive complaints can bring any justice to hundreds of affected girls.
Are the lines between the south Indian film industry and north Indian film industry (read Bollywood) blurring it? It seems so, as both the territories are very important for them. And incidentally, factoring these north-south audiences the film makers are doing casting that will appeal to both the worlds of cinema. Whether it is Oscar winner RRR or now Sriram Raghavan casting Vijay Sethupati in Merry Christmas with Katrina Kaif is certainly going to help both the industry. Now that’s just the operation part but we notice that the south is making that attempt of bridging the divide that was there in the earlier days. Now south stars have Pan India appeal but a few decades back actors like Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna were not easily accepted. Today, satellite and dubbed films of south are being lapped in the north and the south’s overall business has grown by 20%. Perhaps Bahubali, KGF triggered this trend. Karan Johar was the distributor of Bahubali 1. One may not hear so much from Bollywood honchos but south actors have been vocal about calling it as one big industry. While talking to media Telugu star Nani said “Pathaan hamara hai aur Dasara (his film) aapka hai.” But all this conversation of one film industry started with KGF 2 when Yash fondly called Rocking Star said that we should stop talking about various industries and consider cinema in totality. And celebration of the victory of RRR in the international world and by the whole country means we are now one.
This filmi family is constantly in the news by design or by accident. Last month, Tamil star Dhanush was in the news for his newly built Rs 150 crore home in Poes Garden, close to his father-in-law Rajinikanth’s oft vaunted residence. The latest news is about Dhanush’s estranged wife, the feisty Aishwarya who lodged a complaint at the Teynampet police station in February about valuables –jewels, silver utensils, gem stones — missing from the locker. Apparently, it was discovered by her, four years after her sister Saundarya’s wedding when the jewels were worn. In her complaint Aishwarya mentioned that the valuables had moved lockers and locations three times as she had moved from their family home to her current apartment and frequent visits to parent’s home. Naturally, suspicion for the theft pointed towards house maid Eashwari and driver Venkatesh. Both have been grilled by police, in the course of which some suspicious real estate deals and jewellery pledging trails have been unearthed. Reportedly, her maid has bought a plot worth Rs 95 lakhs at Sholinganallur with a bank loan. The police are investigating the money trail. Meanwhile, Aishwarya is busy producing-directing Lal Salaam in which Daddy dear is doing a cameo, rumoured to be fast emerging as more substantial.
Bollywood queen Kangana Ranaut has the art of staying in the news. Recently when the Khalistan movement played up in Punjab she took to social media to say she had predicted this problem two years ago. A hardcore Modi supporter, she has been nursing political ambitions and reportedly made it known that she was not averse to standing for elections from her home state, Himachal Pradesh. Her outspokenness cost the 35-year old actor dearly when the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government headed by Uddhav Thackeray gave orders to demolish her house. Even her reel life role has been reflecting her political ambition, the kind of role she cherry picks or produces. She has played the role of modern leaders like Indira Gandhi and Jayalalithaa. Besides, she has also donned the role of legendary and religious characters in movies like Manikarnika 2, Sita: The Incarnation. Kangana is now busy shooting for Chandramukhi 2, a sequel to Rajnikanth’s horror comedy directed by P Vasu. Of late, she is more focused towards the south film industry. In Bollywood where she is known for not mincing words, she gets along with people who are right-winger like Anupam Kher; but one was surprised to see her making fun of Selfiee which had Akshay Kumar. And another surprising factor was her support for Nawazuddin Siddiqui and it may be because she is working with him. After fighting courting too many battles including a defamation suit filed by Javed Akhtar, Kangana, according to industrywallahs is now careful and measured in her talks and social media message. Is it?
Malayalam superstar Prithviraj Sukumaran, who was supposed to direct and act in the web series Biscuit King, a biopic on Rajan Pillai, seems to have put the project on the back burner. Yoodlee Films, a subsidiary of Saregama, had announced in December 2021 that it was backing the project on Rajan Pillai who died a gruesome death in Tihar jail in 1995. Recently, when Prithviraj and actor Suriya got together for a photo shoot it was speculated that the Tamil superstar was in discussion to act in the biopic. However, Prithviraj’s PR team has now clarified that there is no biopic project and that the director’s next two projects are Empyrean and Tyson. Suriya is now expected to do a cameo role in Empuraan or Prithviraj could star in the Tamil actor’s upcoming movie. It may be recalled that in 2021 when the web series Biscuit King was announced, Prithviraj had said, “This story has it all; ambition, success, a jet-setting lifestyle and then a hubris-induced fall. It will be very interesting to discover what made this charismatic personality tick and to relive his intriguing, complex life”. It now looks like the project has been dropped. The biopic since its announcement had his critics as it was not clear whose version it was — Rajan Pillai’s wife Nina, Nusli Wadi/Sunil Alag combine who dethroned him or Rajan’s brother Rajmohan Pillai.
Celebrities across the world have to put up with pesky paparazzis. Bollywood is no different. Recently, a freelance Paps clicked Aliya Bhatt sitting by the window in her house. It was not scandalous but Alia raised ‘the right to privacy’ stink and it became a headline. Interestingly, sometimes back when Alia told Paps to avoid taking photos of her daughter they readily agreed. But Anushka Sharma was not that lucky, her child’s photo went viral. And everybody knows Jaya Bachchan’s aversion for Paps. Do Bollywood stars have love-hate relations with paparazzis? In Bollywood there are two kinds of Paps: professional, organized ones and freelancers (mobile phone wielding ones). The organised ones are officially tipped by the PR guys about film stars’ schedules like visits to malls, theatres, restaurants or airports. But, freelancers are not part of this loop. Since they are paid only if they deliver. And their KRA is how far you can go to get those exclusive photos/videos. This sheer fight for survival to take money home sees them break barriers of decency; at times pass lewd remarks against female stars. Basically, they lack etiquettes and manners. In the last three years, especially after Covid-19 pandemic, some of these freelancers have crossed the Laxman-Rekha and have intruded into the star’s privacy. This has irked many female stars.
Bollywood’s most successful star Akshay Kumar is experiencing failures; all his releases in the last two years have bombed badly. His latest Selfiee collected just Rs 20 cr in the first four days of its release instead of earning at least Rs 20 cr per day. Selfiee made at a cost of Rs 150 cr and shot in 40 days could perhaps be Akshay’s biggest flop of his career. Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan in spite of controversy collected around Rs 70 cr per day to touch Rs 509 crore in 36 days. Earlier, Kartik Aaryan’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa2 broke the Bollywood jinx by grossing over Rs 200 cr. In comparison Akshay’s figures are: Bachchhan Paandey Rs 52 cr, Samrat Prithviraj Rs 68cr, Bell Bottom Rs 32 cr and Raksha Bandhan Rs 48 cr. Says an industry insider, Akshay Kumar needs to reinvent himself. Most of his choices of subjects have been super flops. Basically, his fans are showing him the mirror. But is he looking at it? In spite of back-to-back flops, the 55-year old is not being written off by the producers. He has a couple of big projects in the pipeline — Hera Pheri 4 (promo shot), Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan with Tiger Shroff, Capsule Gill completed in the UK, a remake of Sorarai Pottaru (under production). Currently, he has taken a short break for a show in the USA with four glamorous stars. Reportedly, the New Jersey show has been cancelled.
It is a big setback for the bankable star of Bollywood Kartik Aaryan. His latest release Shehzada has bombed at the box office and this has raised concerns in the film trade whether Shah Rukh Khan’s movie Pathaan was an aberration. Its collection has crossed the Rs 500-crore mark. The weekend collection for Shehzada was around Rs 20 crore and the reason for poor footfall is that film music has not appealed to his fans. Also, last minute postponement of its release also affected the collections. Surprisingly, there were takers for Pathaan’s marketing strategy; it reduced ticket price to Rs200 but when Shehzada offered one ticket free on buying one ticket the audience did not lap it up. A worried Bollywood fraternity is hoping that Akshay Kumar’s Selfiee does well. Though the early numbers is around Rs 5 crore. The trade feels it is going to be difficult for Akshay who has had a series of flops to get a good opening even though the old song ‘Tu anari mein khiladi’ has gone viral. Now all eyes are on Ranbir Kapoor’s Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, Ajay Devgn’s Bholaa. But, of course, the biggest expectations will be from Salman Khan’s Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan that will be released on Eid day. That will be a real acid test.
Malayalam and Tamil cinemas sexy and outspoken star Malavika Mohanan is hissing like a cat on a hot tin roof. And no one can miss her direct and indirect references to Lady Superstar Nayanthara, now elevated as King Khan’s heroine in Jawan under production. Nayan has proved her versatility in movies like Aram, Naanum Rowdy Thaan, Raja Rani. Malavika was on the warpath last year too, baiting Nayan in veiled ways. There was the reference to Nayan’s scene in a movie where she had full makeup on for a hospital scene in which she played the patient. Mohanan shot her sarcastic arrow, “Guess even in a death scene such stars will flaunt full makeup”. Ouch! Now Mohanan is busy giving gyaan about why female stars should not use titles like Lady Superstar. Reportedly, Nayan is the highest paid heroine in south charging around Rs 10 crore per movie. Malavika herself is a drop dead gorgeous looker, and has been noticed in Petta, Master and Maaran. She is young, sought after and has miles to go before she takes off her makeup. Then why the barbed arrows? Currently shooting for Christy, maybe she is seeking publicity, even getting trolled by Nayan fans. Malavika has made social media handles sizzle. Is she eyeing the Lady Superstar title?
Finally, Shah Rukh Khan’s controversial movie Pathaan has broken the Bollywood jinx. It’s a runaway hit with collections crossing the Rs 475-crore mark. But for Pathaan the last two years have been a disaster for the Hindi film industry with all movies involving top actors like Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Ranveer Singh, Rajkummar Rao bombing at the box office. The only saving grace was Kartik Aaryan’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. Has the success of Pathaan emboldened producers to announce new projects? Not really. No producer is confident to invest in Hindi films because here, the stars walk away with a major portion of the budget by way of their fees. It may be recalled that the Telugu Film industry went through a similar phase; they hit the pause button, did some introspection followed by correction. Now, they are up and running. In the case of Bollywood, producers have hit the pause button and hoping there will be correction. Seeing the writing on the wall a worried Karan Johar while hosting Bigg Boss – Season 16 made off the cuff remark requesting young actors from Kartik Aaryan to Varun Dhawan to Ranbir Kapoor to cut their fees. Will they? Meanwhile, statistics show that there has been a significant drop in the number of new films announced in the last one year; those films released in 2023 are only backlogs. Clearly, it’s a wakeup call for Bollywood stars.
Once upon a time in Bollywood it would have meant hara-kiri. Not anymore. At the peak of their career Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra got married. This seems to be the new trend in Bollywood. Most of the actors and actresses are not really working on their image post marriage; it is simply because the audience and the fans continue to follow and fantasise about their stars. According to social media expert there is so much of them out in the public domain that fans are fine with marriage and even children (Kareena Kapoor). The mysticism of the stars of the earlier days used to generate curiosity and fans fanaticised about them and these worked in the favour of the actors those days. Then stars had to project a certain image – they are single. Age, marriage and children were taboo. Then popular heroes or heroines were not seen with their families in public function or filmy event. For instance, both Juhi Chawla and Aamir Khan hid their marriage. But times have changed; Bollywood topguns have got married – Ranveer Singh-Deepika Padukone, Anushka Sharma-Virat Kohli, Ranbir Kapoor-Aliya Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal-Katrina Kaif. Those in the trade feel that it is only working in favour of the married celebrities as they get more opportunities for endorsements, ground events and even films and other projects.
The heroes of the 90s are making a comeback in a big way. Ajay Devgn started the return trip to the box office with Drishyam 2 which grossed Rs 343 crore worldwide and is still running in cinemas. His arch-rival and Badshah of Bollywood has broken records with Pathaan’s worldwide collection crossing the Rs 600 crore mark and is still counting. Shah Rukh Khan who had a super flop like Zero is back with super dialogue hitting out at the newer stars who think they have replaced them. Pathaan’s popularity is affecting new releases. Kartik Aaryan’s Shehzaada was to release on February 10 but has now been postponed. Does it signify solidarity? Though the makers say it is out of respect for SRK, it seems more out of concern for Kartik who has taken himself to be a ‘Shehzada’ of the industry. Likewise Salman Khan had a big flop in Antim is returning with Kisi Kaa Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan on Eid. Trade is saying it will open to about Rs 40 crore on day one. Akshay Kumar who had strings of flops has about 10 films in the pipeline. His film Selfie, a remake of the South film Driving Licence, looks interesting and could be a box office hit. Aamir Khan has taken a back seat as an actor and is now focusing on production and knowing the man he is definitely going to make a comeback in a big way.
Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Pathaan gave a big push for the reopening of closed single-screen theatres in Kolkata. At least nine such halls including Bijoli, Prachi and Orient were reopened after they closed down due to stiff competition from multiplexes. However, Bengali films, including Dev and Mithun Chakraborty’s ‘Projapoti’, and superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee’s ‘Kaberi Antardhan’, celebrated actress Rituparna Sengupta’s ‘Maayakumari’ which were running at the box-office had been unceremoniously brought down owing to Pathaan release. Single Theatre Distributors’ law which clearly states that the single theatre owners will have to screen all four shows if the film has to be played on a single screen. While a section of the single-theatre owners chose Pathaan over the Bengal movies, another section chose to stand by the regional films. Owner of iconic single theatre Priya Cinema, Arijit Dutta said that his decision was purely from a business point of view where Pathaan pre-release booking surpassed the box-office collection of Bengali movies. Generally, one show used to be allocated to Bengali movies in case of big banner Hindi films but now there are no shows. Superstar Dev cautioned that it will soon become a “black Friday or black Wednesday for Tollywood” on the release date of a big Hindi film. On the contrary, owner of renowned single-theatre Navina, Navin Choukhani continued with Dev’s Projapati instead of Pathaan, saying that it had been his conscious decision to stand by Tollywood.
After a gap of nearly 10 years Bollywood’s super hit director Rajkumar Santoshi is on a comeback trail and that too with a vengeance. That was obvious at the various media interactions he has had. The 66-year old Santoshi, is in throes of controversy, over his latest movie Gandhi Godse Ek Yudh with a non-star cast film. The only star is AR Rahman who scores music for the film. Santoshi has been struggling to make Gandhi Godse for a long time but had no takers; even finance remained an issue. He managed to convince Rahman and that set the ball rolling. Rahman calls Santoshi courageous for making the film. Santoshi’s daughter Tanisha makes debut in the film which seemed unconventional for a celebrity kid. Santoshi has directed over 16 films and most of them have been big hit. His first film Ghayal in 1990 starring Sunny Deol and Meenakshi Seshadri was a runaway success. So too his film Damini whose dialogue “tarek pe tarek” became famous. He was besotted by Meenakshi Seshadri and wanted to marry her but she decided otherwise, packed her bags and settled down in the U.S. Similarly, he seems to have had fallout with several people including Big B and Sunny Deol. With Sunny it was after Damini. But now they have patched up and will be making a film together titled Lahore 1947. So will the second innings of this maverick filmmaker better his first one?
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.