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Contrary to expectations there weren’t fireworks in the Lok Sabha when the government took up Waqf Bill (Amendment) for passage. It even saw some lighter moments between Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the selection of the next BJP president. Speaking in the House, Akhilesh Yadav mocked the “biggest political party” for its inability to elect its own president.” To which Shah quipped that the process in the BJP was unlike other parties, where presidents were selected from few family members.” Akhileshji made his remark with a smile, so I will respond in the same manner. The parties sitting across from us in this House all have national presidents who are selected from just five family members. But in our party, we have to conduct a process involving 12-13 crore members, so naturally, it takes time,” said Shah. “In your case, it will not take much time. I am saying that you will remain president for 25 years,” Shah said in jest. The process to elect the next BJP president has been pending for 10 months after incumbent JP Nadda was inducted into the Narendra Modi Cabinet following the BJP’s win in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Yadav also took a veiled dig at PM Modi over his visit to the RSS headquarters on March 30, saying the “yatra” (pilgrimage) was to save his chair. While the banter showed that the Opposition had no real issue against the bill, Yadav claimed that the Waqf Bill would hurt India’s secular image in the world and that it was being brought as part of the BJP’s “divisive agenda”.
If the IPL, had among a number of awards along with the Orange Cap to the leading run-getter and Purple Cap to the leading wicket-taker, founded the best talent scout award over multiple seasons, it would have been won by John Wright hands down. The former New Zealand opener and a former coach of the Indian team should get the credit for recommending Jasprit Bumrah to Mumbai Indians for the 2013 season after seeing him bowl for Gujarat in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 tournament. Bumrah has to be deemed the find of the IPL and India in the last decade having taken 443 wickets across formats and 165 wickets for the MI. The Ambani family owned MI has a pool of talent scouts — and so do the other nine teams — and this season, the five-time winner introduced three raw talents in left-arm wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur, seamer PVSN Raju, batter Robin Minz for a trial by fire start in the unforgiving world of IPL competition. While Puthur created a buzz in Kerala and across the country, it’s the Punjab left-arm seamer Ashwani Kumar, a tyro in Indian cricket’s domestic tournaments, who demanded compelling attention with his 4 for 24 in the team’s first home match; it was a peach of an effort that won MI its first match of the Tata-IPL-18 against Kolkata Knight Riders. The talent scouts of the 10 franchisees spot talent, travelling to the nook and corners of the country. These are early days for the likes of Puthur and Ashwani, and only a good run in the hectic IPL season can enable them to crash open the doors of the national team.
In his interactions with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai had reportedly made it very clear that the BJP should enter into a pre-poll alliance with the AIADMK only if it did not agree to projecting to anyone from the regional party as CM candidate. Armed with facts and figures, he explained to Shah that the AIADMK under Edappadi K Palaniswami’s (EPS) leadership had been steadily declining including its vote share. Annamalai insisted that the BJP must work on stitching up a NDA alliance in TN that builds on gains that the BJP made in 2024 Lok Sabha elections by going alone. It may be recalled that it was the AIADMK that had walked out of the NDA alliance in Sep-Oct 2023 months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Yet, the BJP managed to double its vote share from 3.66% to 11.1% though it did not win a single seat. It would be interesting to see how the AIADMK chief EPS responds to this precondition from BJP. EPS has been pushing for the NDA to project him as the CM face. BJP sources say EPS has been playing tricky. Soon after his meeting with Shah, EPS reached Chennai and repeated charges against Modi government that the DMK government has been making regarding the NEP and Centre not clearing state’s dues. His comments surprised some Congress leaders. So, will Annamalai who has been TN BJP chief since 2021 be eased out? Such posts are for three-year terms only. For the sake of caste dynamics — as there are one too many Gounder community leaders like Annamalai and Mahila Morcha chief Vanathi Srinivasan, it is felt the party may go for a Thevar leader Nainar Nagendran, a BJP MLA from Tirunellveli. A final call on Annamalai, who has opted to work as cadre, will of course be taken post PM Modi’s TN visit on April 6.
Indo-US political compatibility will witness preferential tariff rates worked out for India by the latter with clear bias against China. Well-placed sources explained, “China faces a 60% tariff rate imposed on exports by the U.S. President Donald Trump. Disparity will be evident when similar exports from India will face sub-40% tariff rates. Prime Minister Narendra Modi bargained hard, on pain of cutting off exports to the USA, taking Indian goods to the European Union instead.” This worked tremendously in favour of Indian exporters who won’t face sudden spikes in duty rates levied. President Trump is now eager instead, to up bilateral trade between our two nations to scale up to $500 bn by 2030. Sector specific negotiations are currently underway even as nations like Canada, China and the European Union experience trepidation over Trump’s tariff war against them. The U.S. conceded to India’s demand for technology transfer under long pending agreements for fifth and sixth generation fighter planes. Sharp negotiations progressing with Russia and France encompassing a wider arena of joint collaborations including marine drone technology, space missions helped tremendously. The proposed visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India will focus upon enhanced business in the wake of sanctions against Russian crude on the verge of being lifted. Strong winds are also blowing to foster cultural relations between India and Russia as a new coalition of global players is being disrupted to include the USA, France, Italy and Israel for a new world order. Ukraine and Hamas (in Gaza) stand relegated to minion status on the world stage in the meanwhile.
After 15 seasons in the IPL as Chennai Super Kings’ talismanic personality, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has drawn attention for all the wrong reasons. He evoked encomiums for his lightning stumping of Suryakunar Yadav of Mumbai Indians and Phil Salt of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the ongoing Tata-IPL-18, but after a 50 run defeat i against the RCB, Dhoni aka “Thala” is under flak for coming to bat at No 9 (with CSK at 99 for 7) against RCB which had set a formidable target of 197. Dhoni scored a quick 30 not out off 16 balls with 3x4s and 2x6s, but his blitzkrieg has far from convinced the CSK fans of his value to the team. While the majority of them go to the extent of hero-worshipping him, there were voices of dissent about him batting at No 9. One cricket lover said that a genuine CSK fan like him cannot be fooled anymore. “He should have come ahead when the target was 197,” he said. Dhoni will turn 44 coming July and once again the grapevine is rife with the news that he will hang his boots at the conclusion of this season. Australian Brad Hogg was 45 when he played his last IPL match in 2016 for KKR and Pravin Tambe was 44 when he played his last match for Gujarat Lions in 2016; this makes Dhoni the third oldest player in the league. He has featured in 138 winning matches for the CSK, averaging a little under 45 in these matches and scoring 1000-plus runs at No 4 and 5. He has batted at No 9 only twice and the CSK fans are, naturally, angry!
Union Home Minister Amit Shah came down heavily on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for his criticism of the Parliament’s functioning, saying at the allotted time to speak in the Lok Sabha, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi was in Vietnam. He also pointed out how the Congress had got 40% of the time to speak on the Budget. He said it was possible that the LoP in the Lok Sabha was perhaps not aware there are rules for speaking in the House, which cannot be run through whims and fancies. “His (Rahul’s criticism of the functioning of the Parliament) were completely misplaced. Parliament proceedings can’t be conducted like party office meetings,” pointed out Shah. Last week, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had made oral observations about improper conduct of the LoP. Rahul had walked into the House even as the proceedings were on. Instead of walking directly to his seat, Rahul had indulged in some PDA with his sister Priyanka, drawing sharp observations from the Speaker Om Birla. It was later pointed out that Rahul was not being respected as LoP as he was not allowed to speak as the House was adjourned immediately after the Speaker’s observations. Rahul had apparently wanted to speak soon after PM Modi’s statement on Mahakumbh on March 18 and wasn’t given the floor. Interestingly Shah made his remarks on Rahul at Times Now Summit. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had also mentioned about Rahul’s preference for Vietnam in the Lok Sabha.
It was the trailer launch of AR Murugadoss directed Sikandar. Salman Khan with childlike enthusiasm brought Kollywood’s grizzly actor Sathyaraj to meet his dad Salim Khan — the iconic script and screenplay writer, celebrity half of Salim-Javed. “Pappa, Kattappa,” said Salman while introducing Sathyaraj to his dad. Sathyaraj, who plays the role of a transgender villain in Sikandar said, “Salim Sir has been my hero from my college days. I have worked for 47 years in 258 films. Today, I have fulfilled the wish to meet him in person.” He was delighted that Salman introduced him by his famous character’s name. Sathyaraj reiterated that his multi-dimensional role in Sikander may well be another Kattappa. At the event Salman got an opportunity to unburden his angst. “We see Rajni and Chiranjeevi films and welcome South Indian productions wholeheartedly. But find that though Bollywood stars are celebrated down South, our films don’t get the same overwhelming reception.” Bahubali made the Pan India trend into vogue. So, is Salman on the cusp of another EID Mubarak? His future is riding on Sikandar. He must have longed for that thumping box office success of earlier times when his career seemed it would never tank. But five years of a barren streak, and his efforts to keep his premium slot intact have been obvious. Sikandar’s muqaddar is set to change. At the Press meet Salman said that “Kitna bhi log bole…mere fans 100 crore toh pahuncha dete hai”.
Odisha’s Opposition leader Naveen Patnaik, former chief minister and head of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) seems to have got a jolt from his man Friday ex-IAS officer VK Pandian. The big news is Pandian has left Naveen Nivas vis a vis politics for good thereby putting his master in a spot. So, what made the influential Pandian leave Navin Nivas? Sources say, even though Pandian holds Naveen babu in a very high esteem but he sees no future for BJD nor for himself within the party. The power corridor in Odisha is buzzing with the news that Pandian is in talks with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for a senior level position to handle some part of their India ops. If he does join, it makes eminent sense, because as a seasoned IAS officer he has considerable clout both in Delhi and Odisha. Also, Bill Gates Foundation is known to hire top notch ex-IAS talents. It may be recalled that sometimes back Bill Gates while meeting both Naveen Patnaik and VK Pandian had praised Odisha’s health initiatives, sanitation intervention, effective management of Mission Shakti and Pandian’s administrative capacity to solve issues and getting proposals cleared by respective ministries. The latest news is Pandian’s wife Sujata Karthikeyan, an IAS officer who was working as special secretary – Finance Dept in Odisha has opted for VRS. The Centre has not only accepted her resignation but also waived her notice period. Is she entering politics?
The simultaneous release of three films, Tumko Meri Kasam directed by Vikram Bhatt, Pintu Ki Pappi by Shiv Hare and Baida by Sudhanshu Rai seems to have skidded at the box office. These films are emblematic of a troubling trend in the industry, characterized by poor marketing, lack of visibility, and minimal audience excitement. Tumko Meri Kasam features Adaah Sharma, Ishwak Singh, Isha Deol and Anupam Kher. However, it suffers from a lacklustre promotional strategy that fails to generate buzz. The film’s dark and dull poster does little to entice potential viewers, making it feel like a B-grade production rather than a cinematic offering worth watching. Similarly, Pintu Ki Pappi is struggling with a title that fails to convey its essence, leaving audiences confused and uninterested. With Ganesh Acharya as the producer and newcomers Sushant and Jaanya Joshi in leading roles, this film too lacks the marketing push to draw the audience. A title like Pintu Ki Pappi may be catchy, but without context or appeal, it risks alienating potential viewers. In the case of Baida, a supernatural thriller that despite its intriguing premise, has not garnered attention. Directed by Sudhanshu Rai who also stars in the film, it suffers from a lack of awareness and visibility. All three films represent small-budget productions that have entered the market without effective marketing strategies or brand recall. The absence of excitement and visibility raises serious questions about how these films expect to attract audiences to theatres. The only commonality among these releases is their dismal box office performance, highlighting the urgent need for filmmakers to prioritize marketing and audience engagement if they hope to succeed in an increasingly competitive landscape.
What made the BJP-AIADMK alliance, now being talked about freely, come about was Vijay’s refusal to tag along with anyone on the Tamil Nadu political scene and to go it alone in the 2026 polls. And he made that decision based on Prashant Kishor’s advice. It was known that Vijay had virtually decided to go with the AIADMK in an alliance to try and gain power quickly in his political career for which he was ready to be Edappadi K Palaniswami’s (EPS) deputy CM if that scenario came good. It was Prashant who told him not to do that and to go on his own as he was guaranteed to pull in at least 20% of the vote, much of it expected from youth willing to give a new idea a try and women who determined to look for change from the tired Dravidian major party scene of the DMK and the AIADMK. Prashant was said to have postulated that either he could become the kingmaker in any split decision in a hung Assembly or even king if the tide turned all in his favour. Otherwise, he would have been only second fiddle if his alliance with AIADMK did well enough to get the majority. EPS made his move to go to Delhi and seek out Amit Shah only when he came to know that Vijay was unwilling to get into an alliance with his AIADMK. It does appear then that Prashant has made this 3-way scenario come about with DMK+, AIADMK-BJP and TVK in the fray with Seeman likely to join the mega alliance with AIADMK. Having lost his banker in Vijay as an ally, EPS will soon be firmly in BJP’s lap.
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?
The sizzling pair of shirtless Shah Rukh Khan and daringly bared Deepika Padukone have raised the sagging, down in the dumps spirit of Bollywood to unimaginable heights, despite all the pre-release boycott threats, raves, rants and reprimands. Is Deepika’s bright orange costume too “besharam” for Jhoomta Pathaan? Besharami is in the eyes of the beholder! Director Siddharth Anand, the alchemist has peppered Pathaan with enough spills, thrills, chills and on screen sizzling chemistry of the lead pair. It is an immersive cinema experience (ICE). The first to be made in this format. Boycott calls and anti-Muslim propaganda filled pre-release. King Khan was silent. The entire industry was mobilised. And then that whispered fiat from the PM happened…Don’t make public comments to rake up controversy on films, Bingo! The movie’s destiny changed. Released simultaneously in 100 countries, it is the first Hindi Movie on BookMyShow to hit 10 lakh bookings of which 30% was from the South. First Khan movie to have a 6 am show, with producers opting for more screens apart from the 5500 screens in India and 2500 overseas, selling over 8500 tickets in Germany worth 1.5 crore euros, beating KGF‘s full take. The first day collection at the Box Office was Rs 60 crore! Now the hot debate on media…did this boycott threat make Pathaan a forbidden fruit? Once again Pathaan has proved…leave artistic expression severely alone…the audience is the sole judge to applaud or trash.
At a recent healthcare company’s Press Conference, John Abraham seemed irritable when scribes asked him questions about ‘Pathaan’ again and again. His answer: “next question”, “next question”. Finally, he got up and left rather angrily. Why is the 50-year old actor- producer-scriptwriter behaving in this fashion? Some say he didn’t want to speak about a film at a health event. Perfect. But, not once did he talk in favour of Shah Rukh Khan who was being hemmed in from all sides over Pathaan. To this, those who know John said he wants the film to do the talking; that’s what he said after he was trolled and called arrogant. Has his relationship with SRK soured? Nobody knows. Industry insiders say he has had a fallout with Salman during a world tour and both have not come together. John who has been in Bollywood for nearly two decades has not made many friends in the industry. Many say, he also take things personally; he closes communication channels with the directors if the film flops. Inspite of acting in over 20 films his strike rate in box office is poor. People remember him for Jism, Dhoom, Shootout At Wadala. Of late everybody is jumping on the OTT bandwagon but not John. Reason: He does not want to be available at Rs 299. That’s being gutsy.
Ok, India and particularly Tollywood is still drenched in the acclaim for winning the prestigious Golden Globe for the iconic song Naatu Naatu from S S Rajamouli’s magnum RRR with music by M M Keeravani. Soon the Choreographer Prem Rakshit who put in grinding hard work to make this hit sizzle on screen is also going places. He is over the top when talking about the congratulatory phone call from none other than Dance Wizard Prabhudeva. “All that blood sweat and tears while getting the hook step just right, seemed worth it. We were in Ukraine’s Kiev in August of 2021, roasted by heat…a few of my team suffered with burst veins, but practiced relentlessly for two months,” says Rakshit. He recollects the joy of choreographing the award winning song. Who inspired him? With a chuckle of mirth and joi de vivre, he says “My inspiration came from Tom & Jerry, and Charlie Chaplin”. Now it becomes clear that the frenzied dance steps and the foot tapping beats could only be inspired by the likes of Tom wantonly chasing Little Jerry, and that master super mimic, Chaplin. S.S Rajamouli, his heroes Jr NTR and Ram Charan have collaborated for an unforgettable film, RRR which raked Rs 1500 crore globally, along with great entertainment.
The verbal combat between TV star Urfi Javed and BJP leader Chitra Wagh has taken a serious turn since a lawyer has written to the police that Urfi can be subjected to mob lynching. In a communication to the police by advocate Nitin Satpute, BJP’s Chitra Wagh has been instigating people over the attire of Urfi and Chitra’s followers are tarnishing her image. Moreover, Chitra has threatened to thrash Urfi publicly, the lawyer has said. Chitra and Urfi have been engaged in verbal duels day in and day out. Urfi has taunted Chitra repeatedly and occasionally dared her to take action. An oblique statement by Amruta, wife of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, is perceived as supporting Urfi. Still, the war of words between the two continues. Quoting Chitra’s previous statements, Satpute says in his complaint, “Chatra announced that she would present Urfi with a sari but warned that if Urfi’s behaviour did not change, she would smash the actress. Such provocative language can cause violent attacks against Urfi. Therefore, the authorities should initiate action against Chitra.” Wagh retorted, “I don’t care who has written to the police. I will not allow such a naked dance in Maharashtra.” Although Chitra has been extremely vocal about the issues concerning women, her stance against Urfi is not to the liking of the party bosses, who have distanced themselves from the controversy so far.
The Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) is said to be an autonomous body. But it isn’t. It has always been influenced by the ruling dispensation. Recall Gulzaar’s movie Aandhi which was banned in 1975 as it was based on the life of Indira Gandhi. Censor board now CBFC always had members who were political appointees. One remembers Mahesh Bhatt saying that the board objected to the word “randi” (prostitute) in his movie Arth, decades later it was beeped in Raaz but during Murder 2 the word stayed in the film. Looks like the board is slowly turning into a toothless body. There have been umpteen times when objections have been taken after the film was cleared by the CBFC. Prakash Jha faced it. At the time of Aarakshan his office was vandalised. He went to the court and got an order in the industry’s favour. In this social media age the board seems to be getting influenced/pressured by the trolls and Pathaan is a case in point. So much so chairman of CBFC Prasoon Joshi, a government appointee, had to issue a statement defining the role of the board. Despite the beeps, replacement and cuts the trailer of Pathaan rocks. Now, it is learnt that the government will come out with new guidelines that will give the CBFC chief power to withdraw a film even after certification. Very tricky days ahead for Bollywood?
This Pongal should be very rewarding and exciting for the fans of Ilaya Dalapathi Vijay and Thala Ajit Kumar. The huge legions of crazed fans will finally get to see their heroes in action. Vijay’s Varisu and Ajit’s Thunivu hit big screens on January 11. Even though Brand Rajini and Brand Kamal are still eulogised as Superstar and Ulaganayagan for decades now, Vijay and Ajit too command the same kind of adulation and following. But the only difference is these two superstars’ fans have turned confrontationist. Reportedly, the price of a ticket, in black, for the opening shows were around Rs 1000-1300. This could climb to Rs 4,000 when fan craze becomes intense. New releases for Pongal are particularly star struck and of course, fans clash too over which hero commands more from at the Box Office. Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Red Giant has distribution rights for both the movies, so it is: “Heads I Win, Tails I Win“. Vijay, it is learnt, has tried every trick in the trade to promote his film — launch of Varisu music in the Nehru Stadium, getting pre-release snippets in every media handle. Boney Kapoor, the producer of Thunivu has much more at stake in terms of finance. Kapoor has spread himself thin after Ajit’s last outing disappointed.
Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown have hit the fortunes of several lines of businesses. But some businesses have got a leg-up too. A case in point is OTT. In India, during lockdown we have been entertained by superlative themes and extraordinary Indian creativity via various web series like Delhi Crime, Mirzapur, Panchayat to name a few. Netflix and Amazon, the pioneers who brought entertainment to homes, have garnered a binge audience for their serials and films. Now, Amazon Prime Video is all set to bring the 8-episode ‘Farzi’ from February 10 onwards. It is directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK of ‘The Family Man’ fame which brought international acclaim to Manoj Bajpayee and Samantha Prabhu. The creators of Farzi, D 2 K Films are ready with a sizzling star cast of Vijay Sethupathi from Kollywood and Shahid Kapoor from Bollywood, Raashi Khanna, Kay Kay Menon, Regina Cassandra, Zakir Hussain, Bhuvan Arora, Amol Palekar, and Kubbra Sait. Raj and DK have set their story in the middle class milieu /ethos of middling everything, soaked in comedy. The talented twins claim that Farzi will truly reflect the sweat and slick creativity of this team and make it binge worthy.
She is one of the sought-after heroines. Thirty-seven year old Deepika Padukone who entered Bollywood in 2007 and made quite a mark, seems to be courting controversies these days. The right wing has called for a boycott of her soon-to-be-released Pathaan starring superstar Shah Rukh Khan. Earlier it was Padmavat. And in both the cases she has remained unfazed. During Padmavat release when a section of the saffron brigade threatened to cut her nose, she wasn’t really scared. In fact, at the height of student’s agitation, Deepika landed up at JNU to show her solidarity with the student’s union. In fact, her visit had nothing to do with the release of her film Chhapaak based on acid attack survivor. The film bombed because of a boycott by right wing or bad execution of script nobody knows. The actress hasn’t really had a good run at the box office in the recent past. Chhapaak, Gehraiyan, 83, Cirkus all failed to draw audiences. One of the top paid actresses, Deepika also seems to be fighting gender bias. Reportedly, for Baiju Bawra she asked Sanjay Leela Bansali for more fee than Ranveer Singh. He quietly signed up Alia Bhat. According to Duff & Phelps 2022 report, Deepika’s brand value stood at $ 51.6 mn. As of now, Deepika has five films in the pipeline which includes Pathaan, Fighter with Hrithik Roshan and Rohit Shetty’s Singham 3.
There is a lot of surround sound over the release of Shah Rukh Khan starring Pathaan with right wingers protesting over Deepika Padukone’s saffron coloured skimpy dress. Yet, the trade is very optimistic and feels irrespective of the controversy and boycott Pathaan will be a huge hit at the box office. In fact, King Khan and Salman Khan together have four films releasing in 2023 and looking at the fan followings, and the crowd outside their homes, it clearly indicates their popularity has not waned on the contrary it is on the rise. SRK has Atlee directed Dunki while Sallu Bhai has Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan and Tiger 3. These movies will log at least 15% revenue growth via theatres because people will flock to movie halls to watch larger than life movies like Avatar and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and this will be Advantage SRK as he is known to make larger than life movies. OTT will co-exist with content driven space. It will be more on experimental content and stories from small towns — they will thrive on pulp fictions like Good Luck Jerry and Darlings. It won’t be a challenge as the cinema will cater to MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) and action-packed world. Trade feel, Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus failed because it was due to poor content but the Khans will resurrect Bollywood in a big way.
Four Tamil films which hit the big screens on the last Friday of 2022 are expected to do well at the box office. The movies are: Trisha’s Raangi, Aishwarya Rajesh’s Driver Jamuna, iconic comedienne Kovai Sarala’s Sembi and glamour bomb Sunny Leone’s Oh My Ghost (OMG). These films rest their gripping, relatable and down to earth story lines on the confident shoulders of the women who anchor these films. This trail-blazing trend that has anchored Kollywood through 2022, is based on realistic story lines and solid skill directors who get the best of seasoned performers. This is a business model that does not depend on overrated star heroes, unrealistic budgets and tiresome plots that cannot redeem such films from failure. A case in point Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar’s back to back flops. Trisha, has chosen to go makeup free in Raangi. Prabhu Solomon who excels in wild life /rural themes is all set to melt hearts by Kovai Sarala’s touching portrayal in Sembi. Driver Jamuna is anchored by talented Aishwarya Rajesh, who takes up cab driving when her dad dies. Ok, we agree Oh My Ghost story is not exactly original, based on Korean TV. Sunny Leone’s role as Sou Chef Na Bong Sun who gets possessed by a revenge seeking ghost. Clearly, Kollywood film makers have a talent for making movies that entertain the audience and moolah for their producers.
Poor response to Rohit Shetty’s latest film Cirkus seems to have shocked the Bollywood fraternity. Generally his movies generate Rs 100 crore in the first week of release but Cirkus managed only Rs 21 crore in the first three days. It is a setback, perhaps for the first time, for the man known for his Midas touch. Forty-eight year old Rohit known for his action, comedy and masala films has worked with all top stars and given hits like Golmaal, Singham... Sure, he has his favourites – Ajay Devgn with whom he has done 10 films. So what went wrong with Cirkus? Analysts say that Rohit went wrong with the trailer; the audience did not like it so decided not to watch the film. Movie critic Taran Adarsh who gave it two stars rating, tweeted “Cirkus: Outdated”. Sure, one flop does not damage the equity of a large-hearted filmmaker like Rohit Shetty. He shot Cirkus deliberately during the lockdown so that hundreds of technicians, junior artistes could keep their kitchen fire going. Joint Commissioner of Mumbai Police Vishwas Nangare-Patil has gone on record saying Rohit paid off the hospital bill totaling Rs 97 lakh of policemen who were being treated for Covid-19. Cirkus has failed but it is a minor blip in Rohit’s illustrious career. Given the goodwill he enjoys across all classes of people Brand Rohit is here to stay for a long time.
State-owned Nandan movie theatre continues to be the most coveted halls for film release in Kolkata. Amid growing political heat in West Bengal due to upcoming panchayat polls, the Opposition has blamed the ruling Mamata Government for not giving permission to screen the Bengali film Prajapoti starring Dev and Mithun Chakraborty at Nandan theatre. Though Dev is Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP, Mithun switched from TMC to BJP. Significantly, Dev is the producer of the movie which was released on December 23, along with two other Bengali films — Hatyapuri and Haami 2. And both got permission to screen at Nandan. Interestingly Dev’s official Facebook page read “Will Miss You Nandan this time. No Issue. Will meet again… End of Story.” The post had a caption saying “Only Legends can understand this.” The producers said that they were the first to submit the application for screening while TMC says that application for screening of the film came late. BJP National Vice President Dilip Ghosh took a jibe stating Dev was also forced to contest the election; he wasn’t willing to do the same and in Bengal, if one doesn’t support the TMC, the prestigious Nandan remains out of reach. But, the murmur is loud and clear, was this move of the ruling government a clear message to Ghatal MP that Mithun dada remains an opponent even in art.
Recently, Bollywood’s new sensation Kartik Aaryan was seen at Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak temple. It is quite commonplace to see film stars visiting religious places before the release of their movies. Amitabh Bachchan is an ardent devotee of the famous Siddhivinayak temple. He has walked nearly 12 km from his home in Juhu to this temple in Prabhadevi. He has donated a big silver rat and lent his voice for mantras and aartis for Bappa. In the early eighties when he was battling for his life special aartis were conducted at the Siddhivinayak temple. Producer-actor Jeetendra is a big devotee of Tirupati Balaji so much so in the mid-eighties when his career was down he went to Tirupati and got tonsured. Soon followed hits like Himmatwala, Tofa and since then he has never looked back. In fact, he has named his company Balaji Telefilms. Jeetendra is also a great believer of Vaishno Devi and often greets people with “Jai Mata Di”. Shah Rukh Khan visited Vaishno Devi secretly along with the director of Pathaan Siddharth Anand. His religious side surfaced only recently. Superstar Rajinikanth is a great bhakt of Raghavendra Swamy and visits the mutt located at Mantralayam, Andhra Pradesh very often. Even SS Rajamouli of Bahubali fame visits this mutt. Katrina Kaif, Govinda, Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn often visit Ajmer Sharif. Actor Manoj Kumar is known to be an ardent Sai Baba follower.
He knows how to market himself and emote with his audience. That’s what makes superstar Shah Rukh Khan very special. But at 57 he is battling on several fronts. His movie Pathaan to be released on January 25, has been dragged into controversy over the saffron-colored bikini worn by Deepika. The right wing has called for a boycott of the movie. And to make matters worse, the media has been going whole hog reporting it. Why not? SRK has been avoiding the media like a plague. Reason, he feels the entire tribe went overboard while reporting on his son Aryan Khan’s drug case. Now, he feels he could do without them. It may be recalled that in the eighties Big B was banned by the media but it made no difference to his career. SRK does not have that luxury. He needs a box office hit. So he is using different ways to reach his audience. At the Kolkata International Film Festival the actor spoke about the social media negativity that put spotlight on his film. He also visited Mecca and then Vaishnodevi. He has kept pushing the envelope. He landed at Sports18 studio just before Argentina-France final kick off. Besides, he is talking to social media influencers like Faye Dsouza to put his points across to the audience. In the past inclusion of Pakistani cricketers almost led to the ban of his film My Name is Khan. Now, all eyes on January 25.
Even as the much delayed ( almost shelved) shooting of Indian 2, directed by Shankar resumed, Kamal Haasan ensured that a striking still of himself as the hero of Indian 2, in his old man get up posing opposite the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose statue at Marina Beach was splashed across social media. This artfully shot still does not show him facing the camera, but no one can miss Kamal in his Indian 2 avatar. “This statue of the great warrior Netaji was inaugurated by Kalaignar on the same day 25 years ago. I am standing under the statue while shooting for Indian 2. Great humans, great memories,” Kamal tweeted. Resurrecting his film career is not his only agenda. The awesome success of Vikram has given Kamal a much needed shot of adrenaline tinged testosterone. His floundering political outfit, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) had to be resurrected too. What better than the chance to join Rahul Gandhi’s super optics road show, Bharat Jodo Yatra. With the likes of Raghuram Rajan giving the yatra heft, Kamal has said yes to Rahul’s invite. The President of MNM and his cadre will join the March in New Delhi on December 24. Kamal has got his much needed insurance for Indian 2 at the box office, and may be a slot for MNM in an omnibus alliance.
Well known Odia star Anubhav Mohanty and youngest BJD MP is focusing on his first love — movies. It may be recalled that the Odia actor and his actress wife Varsha Priyadarshini made headlines when their marital discord became ugly. This popular star and sitting MP from Kendrapara, made a big splash two decades ago on the silver screen with his film “I Love You “. It was a super hit and made him a star overnight. Recently, the Odia star was seen in London shooting for his film Love In London. Film’s Director Tapas Sargharia who is also a well-known screenwriter and actor is thrilled that he was able to sign Anubhav for this project. “A large chunk of the film is shot at the iconic places – London Eye, London Bridge and Thames River”, said Sargharia. “It’s a love story with a difference,” he assures. Poulomi Das is the heroine. Anubhav revealed that the film’s climax is “unusual and the audience will have Goosebumps.” This love story is deep-rooted in the social values, culture and tradition of Odisha. Film will hit the big screen in 2023. “It’s a huge balancing act between the Parliament and dates to shoot,” says Anubhav. “But I never lose a single day in the Parliament”, he says. That’s work-life balance for him.
The general impression was Pathaan was the comeback ticket for superstar Shah Rukh Khan. But, it seems to happen the other way round. Like it or not Deepika Padukone seems to be all over, grabbing headlines not King Khan. Deepika has not only been getting bad press but also heavily trolled for ‘Besharam song’ promo from soon-to-be released Pathaan movie. The so-called right wing moral police has labelled Deepika ‘besharam’. In fact, her action has stumped everybody? Insiders feel that Deepika is one of the top actresses of Bollywood who has proved her skills and does not have to cavort in skimpy clothes like a newcomer. Is Deepika feeling insecure? Is she doing this to project herself as an international star? Insiders are saying that Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif are not showing their skin to prove their stardom so why is Deepika an established successful star doing this? Her hubby Ranveer’s full monty was not appreciated at all. Just a few days back, her fans appreciated her song in Cirkus and now they are thrashing her. For now Deepika has two films Fighter, an action packed drama and Rohit Shetty’s cop series where she plays female Singham on her plate. But, going by the backlash of Besharam song she certainly needs to revisit her PR strategy.
The denizens of the Bollywood would be heaving a sigh of relief as 2022 draws to close. It has been a bad year for most producers, directors and actors. There was great expectation from Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus which releases at the end of the year. But early reports based on its trailer says it has got mixed reviews and as of now it is tracking Rs 15 crore. The saving grace could be Avatar. There is no denying the fact that the confidence of Hindi film industry is shaken. Barring two or three films like Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Brahmastra, Drishyam 2 other films have bombed. A trade source said, “2022 has been a losing year. We are almost 1000 crore down as an industry. If you want to single out then this year has been favorable for Ranbir Kapoor and Kartik Aaryan. Particularly the year has not gone well for Ayushmann Khurrana. Because he was on a huge high before the pandemic. And after that his films have not done well.” The year actually belonged to the films more than the stars as two franchisees worked and another franchisee in the making was Brahmastra. The source says that 2023 could be Shah Rukh Khan’s year as the actor has three big releases. Although he is shunning the media but is making sure his presence is felt even if it is at religious places.
Superstar’s event management for his birthday rocks. Rajini has done it again. The nail-biting anticipation of his fans rekindled for his political entry, yet again. Like the now iconic Vadivelu dialogue, “Varum Aana Vaaradu” and people are left wondering, “I may come, I may not.” Rajini’s earlier movie Baba, not a box office success, was relaunched two days before his 72nd birthday. It was enhanced digitally and made more appealing. Baba’s message still remained same….Rajini is the spiritual icon, whatever his commercial calling. Today’s birthday greeting crowd at his doorstep is staring, jaw dropped at the blue Baba poster. The subliminal message, this is a promo for the relaunched film. But, is there a hidden political agenda in this re-release? Thalaiva is a born showman, master of the art of obfuscation, teasing and titillating. His literal last minute back off from active politics still rankles his fans. What if another bid is made, as insurance, commercial and political. Relaunched Baba is the sum of all these facets. Rajini is adept at keeping his crazed fan following intact….a lot of money rides on the films in the pipeline. And yes, he wants to equal the success of Kamal’s Vikram. What better way than the teaser “I am still a force to reckon with…alliance or all by myself.” Showmen are masters of show and tell. Often, the message itself is the show.
Is Malaika Arora trying to create buzz around her so that her new show on OTT ‘Moving In With Malaika’ gets good traction? Recently, she was all over with stories about her pregnancy, why she parted ways with Arbaaz Khan, or trolled on social media for wearing a Balenciaga dress — the brand which was in controversy over its ad campaign. The pregnancy story was denied by her family. But, those in the trade feel that Malaika gets publicity even while walking her dog out or for her yoga session. Forty-seven year old fitness freak, single mom, carved a distinct place in Bollywood with her item numbers. She has confessed she is avoiding acting roles in the films. But insiders feel she should focus on acting as the new item girl of Bollywood is Nora Fatehi and she is here to stay. But there is no denying that Malaika’s latest item number “Aap Jesa Koi” in Action Hero has resonated well with the audience. Right now one is overdosed with her plug-ins of the show in which confesses about marrying Arjun Kapoor and several other confessions but one is waiting to hear from her about how she dropped the Khan surname and indirectly took on Salman Khan by posing and parading with Arjun Kapoor. But one interesting observation by a colleague is that she has moved on from one AK to another AK.
Actress-model-dancer Nora Fatehi got upset with the waiting photographers as she stepped out of the Enforcement Directorate’s office after her interrogation in the Sukesh Chandrashekhar money laundering case. She is the same Nora who is ever ready to oblige eager paparazzi but this time it was different. She is a witness in the case in which actress Jacqueline Fernandez is an accused. Thirty-year old Nora, a Canadian citizen, has made waves in Bollywood as an item girl. She is invited to reality TV shows either as a judge or as a guest. So what’s her claim to fame? According to insiders, she is considered to be the hot favorite of a music baron and he has signed her for any number of item songs and music albums. She started with item numbers in south Indian films and then moved to Hindi films. Luckily for her all her item songs have been a hit and that was used to draw audiences to theatres. But, her rounds of ED’s office and her name dragged into the Sukesh money laundering controversy could be a temporary setback for her career. Many may not sign her for the fear of shooting dates clashing with her hearings. Incidentally, Jacqueline is still not out of trouble but has not vented her anger with the media who has been tailing her day in and day out.
Michellin Star Chef Vikas Khanna is on a roll as far as directing social impact films are concerned. His film Last Colour produced by Jitendra Mishra on Amazon Prime has had good reviews. Not one to rest on his laurels, he managed to get the world renowned speaker-author Deepak Chopra and Oscar nominated social impact filmmaker Doug Roland as Executive Producer and Producer for his latest documentary Barefoot Empress co-produced by Mishra . The short documentary follows the journey of 96-year-old Karthyayani Amma as she joins a first grade class, to realize her lifelong dream of receiving an education. The film is inspired by Khanna’s grandmother who was not given an opportunity at an education. Khanna who has partnered with non-profit Leap to Shine, said, he will “use the film to raise funds in service of providing high quality education for girls in underserved communities in India.” Barefoot Empress has helped rehabilitate 11 classrooms in India. According to Dr Deepak Chopra, “Barefoot Empress carries a universal message of hope and perseverance that has the power to move viewers, and the momentum to impact the lives of thousands of girls in India.” Barefoot Empress has qualified for the Oscar shortlist, won at the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, where it picked up the Biogen Award and the Best Short Documentary at the Big Apple Award.
His 73rd birthday is on December 12, and true to form, Rajini posters have mysteriously sprung up at vantage points of Poes Garden. This time with a difference. The swashbuckling film hero, larger than life images on the posters have given way…to a visibly aged man, sparse hair and spectacles, scoping out the horizon. But this poster is perhaps meant to hint at a new avatar? On closer scrutiny, this “misinformation poster “reads “, governor and people, our Thalaivar is worthy of worship”. The operative hook here is Governor! Who knows? This is typical Rajini, teasing, hinting, rousing expectations and when it comes to the crunch, backing out! After his last few films faring poorly, and Kamal’s Vikram zooming to the top, Rajini, intent on a super hit as his swan song, worked hard at choosing a new film, director and story for Jailer, now under progress. But the buzz is Rajini wanting a youthful comeback film, chose a youthful director Nelson, even as his old reliable director P Vasu coaxed him hard to accept Chandramukhi 2, to revive that 2005 hit which sent the cash registers jingling! Now Rajini is rumoured to be regretting saying no to Chandramukhi2. A theory doing the rounds is that the 2002 flop Baba may be re-released after it is cosmetically enhanced with more digital audio heft.
Being an insider Varun Dhawan always had a foot in the door. Son of Bollywood’s most successful director David Dhawan, he worked with Karan Johar as an assistant director before he was launched in Student Of The Year by Karan Johar in 2012. Lady Luck was benevolent; he had 11 consecutive box-office successes between 2012 and 2018 but close industry watchers are saying that the 35-year old star may lose his edge given the kind of films he is signing these days. Says an insider, the kind of films he is choosing is not really working in his favour. His latest outing Bhediya has been appreciated by the critics but hasn’t really translated into big numbers. His well-wishers feel that he needs to reinvent himself; focus on the kind of cinema his father is known for. Remake of Judwaa, Coolie No 1 was liked as one saw a Govinda in him. Varun is a sincere and emotional actor and is keen to do something out of the box and that has not worked in his favour. Badlapur was good but October failed and in the case of Bhediya his fans don’t really want to see him playing those kinds of roles. They are looking for a Govinda in Varun. Varun, darling of the media, needs to buckle up as newcomers like Kartik Aaryan, signed by his own brother Rohit Dhawan, have raced ahead of him. About time Varun does introspection.
Last week Kamal Haasan had just returned from a trip to Hyderabad when he felt uneasy and feverish. He got himself admitted to the Ramachandra Medical Centre in Chennai. Though the Ulaganayagan tried to play it down as just fever and cough, no one was taking a chance with a 68-year old who constantly flits from super busy work schedules in films, his weekend shoots for the hugely popular reality show Bigg Boss 6 and his political commitments. The recent success of his film Vikram which totted up Rs 450 crore business worldwide came through as a big shot in the arm for the star who had been smarting under recent cinematic and political setbacks. So Kamal had a rip roaring occasion to celebrate his 68th birthday by announcing a team up with ace director Mani Rathnam, a reunion after 35 years. With A R Rahman creating music, jointly produced by Kamal and Udhayanidhi Stalin. Even this announcement sent his fans into a tizzy of feverish anticipation. As much as the resumption of shooting for Indian 2, much delayed and much-awaited even as magnum director Shankar anticipated this film’s restart. Whatever bug sent him to hospital, his fans, family and financiers must be praying for a quick recovery. Bouncing back with energy to health and back to back action is what Kamal loves best. Hospital sojourns are intermissions during a show.
The Kashmir Files was amongst the 24 films that did not win any award at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held in Goa. Which is why utterances of the Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, the head of the IFFI jury, describing The Kashmir Files as “vulgar” and “propaganda” has completely taken the I&B ministry by surprise. While ministry sources point out that the film was one of 25 films short-listed for competition on the recommendation of Indian Panorama Feature Jury, only one film Cinema Bandi by Praveen Kandregula (Director) won Special Mention. So then why did Nadav Lapid pick only The Kashmir Files at the closing ceremony? If The Kashmir Files did not bag any award was there compulsion on the jury to give some award to the film? The film directed by Vivek Agnihotri has been backed by the BJP. Absolutely no pressure, said jury member Sudipto Sen. “In fact, we never even got to meet the festival director. We were left to ourselves,” he said. Which means it was clearly Lapid’s own politics. As Israeli ambassador Naor Gilon contended that Lapid may have been influenced by his views on Israeli politics. He cited Lapid’s interview with Israeli news website Ynet. “From your interview to Ynet the connection you make between your criticism of “Kashmir Files” and your dislike to what is happening in Israeli politics is quite evident.”
One thing was loud and clear at the 53rd edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held in Goa from November 20, 2022 that the crowd is thinning. The craze and eagerness among film buffs to attend such festivals seem to be waning. So this raises the question: Is digital viewing killing the film festival market? According to one of the film enthusiasts seen in this circuit, “I have been attending film festivals for ages now, and I can say that this year the crowds were less. Some of the regulars were missing too.” The opening day didn’t have much of the enthusiasm one has seen in the past. Has the pandemic changed everything for the festival? Another regular at these festivals says “The magic has gone out of the festival. Netflix and others seemed to have kept quite a few cinema-goers away. Why would anyone come to the festival when they can see it at home?” Also, the focus at IFFI has now shifted to marketing India as a shooting destination and not about the experience of cinemas. One could see a huge pavilion which had stalls of countries like Russia, France and others trying to sell their country as a “shooting destination”. It seems to have become a B2B marketplace not a place to showcase talent and creativity. This year’s edition of the film fiesta showcased a collection of 280 films from 79 countries.
Suddenly, Samantha Ruth Prabhu (35) has faced a number of personal setbacks. The much publicised marriage with Nag Chaitanya ended on the rocks. In Koffee With Karan show, Samantha was candid to say, “If you put us in a room, better hide all sharp objects “. Whew! It couldn’t get any more cathartic! And then came the gut wrenching diagnosis that she had Myositis, an auto immune disease. Even as the stars were shining on her, the evil eye had cast a dark cloud on this beautiful, talented star. Her latest release Yashoda did good business, grossing Rs 30 crore in 10 days. Rumours are rife that she is in Apollo, Hyderabad though people close to her deny it. This Kollywood comet streaked across the filmy firmament, fiery and feisty, the envy of many South Indian film peers. Making her entry in 2010 in Tamil cinema, she quickly rose with hits like Kathi, Mercel, Theri, Mahanadi and the recent one, Kaathuvakkile Oru Kaadal. In this film, she stole the show from right under the nose of South siren, lady super star Nayanthara. Her sizzling solo dance number in Pushpa: The Rise was over the top hot, justifying the astronomical Rs 4 crore rumoured to be her remuneration. Her OTT serial, The Family Man Season 2 brought her global acclaim. Will this femme fatale get back her fame and fortune?
2023 Pongal will see one of the most anticipated clashes of the Kollywood Titans, Vijay and Ajit when their films, Varisu and Thunivu are to be released simultaneously. Cinephiles of these two super heroes are waiting to clash, to establish the box office draw of their heroes. Tamil Nadu witnesses an opening day craze that’s like no other in terms of fan hysteria and foot stomping action. For instance, Rajini fans do a milk abhishekam on larger than life cut-outs. Vijay just amps up such maniacal following with his hit song Ranjithame which cornered 5.5 crore hits in a fortnight. Apart from his super dancing skills (Rahul Gandhi is a self-confessed fan of Vijay’s dance moves), this action hero is a crooner too, trained by his mother Shobha. In his 28 years Vijay has belted out many hit songs. His very first film song, “Bombay city, Sukha roti” was an instant hit. Dirty dancing his way to woo Rashmika Mandanna, Vijay belting out Ranjithame Ranjithame is on his way to launch yet another Kollywood anthem. Vijay’s voice, the double entendre lyrics are mere foils. It is sexy Rash who rivets as she transforms into Ranjithame. From that Sami Sami song of Pushpa fame, Rash has zoomed up to pan India popularity. Kollywood sure aces in cinematic masala for a rush of testosterone.
The billion rupee question everybody in Bollywood is asking: Can Ranveer Singh and Rohit Shetty recreate the magic at the box office this Christmas? Forty-eight year old director-producer-TV host Rohit Shetty is one of the most successful filmmakers who has had a 90% success ratio at the box office with his movies like Singham and Golmaal series. But this Christmas he returns with a period comedy that is reportedly inspired from the 1982 comedy movie Angoor directed by Gulzar starring Sanjeev Kumar and Deven Varma. But, Rohit denies it. One of the highest paid stars, 37-year old Ranveer Singh has been signed for Cirkus. It may be recalled Ranveer Singh’s Jayesh Bhai Jordaar was a disaster and the trade is a little sceptical about him currently, but has full faith in Shetty who seems to have a Midas touch. Those in the trade say that all said and done Cirkus and YRF’s Pathaan starring Shah Rukh Khan are two films that the exhibitors and the entire trade is banking on and hoping that these two films will revive Bollywood. A trade pundit said that both the films come with a good mix of star power and entertainment value and SRK and Ranveer Singh are the last of the superstars the film industry has and there may not be another after them.
He is popularly known as the Alwarpet Aandavar in Kollywood lingo — the God of Alwarpet. One is not sure of his divine provenance. But his enduring charisma and box office draw is never in question, a contemporary of the other superstar, Rajini. Kamal Haasan recently celebrated his 68th birthday. The whispers that buzzed around him, “OMG, 68? This guy has luck tucked into him in every way. Even age falls flat “. This film icon has dabbled in many fields with his abundant talent — acting, singing, Bharat Natyam dance, script writing, politics, opinion maker and now businessman. Oh, and still had time for extramarital dalliance, never a reputation impediment for Kamal, but only added macho and magnetism for his huge fan following which applauds and approves his lifestyle. Kamal, the multifaceted artist also has a knack of keeping his various personas, distinct, one not intruding or intervening on the others. Of late he is focused on his Khadi Fashion Apparel business in the U.S., and the Internet is rocking with pictures of his youthful models, Kamal leaning on them, literally. How many 68‘s look so youthful, clued in on contemporary fashion? After a bad patch in politics, the Kamal of Devar Magan, the Nayakan of Mani Rathnam, the unforgettable Michael Madana Kamaraj and now Vikram, the super hit hero is back with a bang.
Rajshri’s high profile star cast movie Unnchai released with a slow start but saw a jump on the second day of its release. Sooraj Barjatya, the filmmaker who is known to make family films has this time returned with a film that is outside his comfort zone but has the underline thread of friendship Rajshri style. Those in the trade would not like to criticize Barjatya’s film but those who have watched say it is not an extraordinary story. Yes, his name gives them a reason to not run it down and this has translated into a cash register ringing. A visit to Barjatya’s office, Rajshri which is India’s leading film, TV, music and digital studio set up in 1947, gives you the feeling that cinema is still alive and their functioning reminds us of the Indian values. All what he shows in his films is from families around him. For him to show the stars drinking in a song was full of reluctance. He is a gentleman director of the film industry who never raises voice or gets upset with any actors or people around him. Only once he lost his cool by his own admission with Abhishek Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor. He is humility personified. Nobody likes to hurt him. Salman Khan is one of his best friends and looks like he will return in his film as Prem very soon.
It has never happened before in Bollywood. Three actresses-led films releasing simultaneously. Katrina Kaif’s Phone Bhoot was the highest scorer at the box office in last week’s release of women-centric films. Katrina’s film earned about Rs 10 crore; the other two films Janhavi Kapoor’s Mili and Huma Qureshi-Sonakshi Sinha’s Double XXL had dismal collections. According to a trade pundit, the audiences are becoming increasingly discerning and don’t enter the cinema hall unless it’s a family fare and has a fun quotient like Phone Bhoot. Mili was a remake and although Janhvi worked hard the audience didn’t want to see her in a freezer. Her last film Goodluck Jerry was appreciated but it was on OTT and people didn’t have to pay for it. Huma Qureshi and Sonakshi Sinha chose a subject close to their heart; but the subject is passe as today‘s girls are not embarrassed by their bodies and nobody wanted to spend money to watch them in cinemas. Most of the films that are now released in cinemas could’ve been released on OTT directly but the OTT platforms now want the producers to release their films in cinemas and only after that they are picking up those films at their cost. The last women-centric film that did well at the box office was Alia Bhatt’s Gangubai Kathiawadi and it was because of the songs and it was larger-than-life cinema.
The Hindi feature film, The Kerala Story, directed by Sudipto Sen has kicked up a row. In the teaser now on YouTube, a burkha-clad woman states that her name is Shalini Unnikrishnan and she wanted to become a nurse. “Now I am Fatima Ba, an IS terrorist held in a jail in Afghanistan.” She goes on to state that 32,000 girls like her have been converted and many buried in the deserts of Syria and Yemen. The teaser has received both criticism and praise. Sen has claimed that former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had stated, “Every year 2800 to 3200 girls are converted to Islam and so it worked out to 32,000 in 10 years. CPM MP John Brittas has requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take “swift action” against the “mischievous” teaser of the film. A Chennai-based journalist has written to the state Chief Minister seeking an enquiry. Some politicians in the state have called for a ban on the film. The Trivandrum City Police Commissioner has sought legal advice on the letter on what action could be initiated. Adah Sharma, the actress in question, has tweeted the teaser of the movie with the hashtag #TrueStory. The producer, Vipul Shah, has been silent on the controversy.
The award-winning Indian singer and composer Shankar Mahadevan is to receive an honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University (BCU) for his outstanding contribution to music and the arts. West Midlands Mayor Andy Street made the announcement on behalf of the University before the globally acclaimed Mahadevan is formally invited to receive the University’s highest honour at a ceremony in 2023. The announcement follows a BCU India and West Midlands India Partnership-organised visit by Mahadevan to BCU’s 400 mn pound campus featuring creative industry facilities, including Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC). Shankar had toured RBC with fellow Indian musicians including Zakir Hussain earlier this year, meeting with students, staff and partners, and committing to exploring links and opportunities between the Bangalore-based Shankar Mahadevan Academy and the Conservatoire. “When I started my career, never did I expect that one day I would be awarded a doctorate for music,” said 55-year old Mahadevan, part of the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio. The honorary doctorate announcement underlines BCU’s commitment both to their strategic partnership work in India as well, reflecting a recent call to urge policymakers to place greater emphasis on the value of the Creative Arts in higher education and recognise the role universities play in strengthening the sector’s growth and innovation.
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Editor’s Note: Short Post Noticed By People Who Matter
Four years have zipped by and we are crossing another milestone on 31st January 2025 – it’s our 4th Anniversary. It feels good.
Looking back at the 1460 days, I must say Short Post has made its mark with people who matter via 4000 stories published in the areas of politics, business, entertainment and sports. All made possible by the unflinching commitment and dedication of our senior editors, most of whom have been part of this journey from Day One.
Small pack, big impact is in essence the story of Short Post which was launched at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. It shows our conviction. In all humility, I can say, we have created a new niche in the news segment space like Hindustan Unilever which created a new segment, when it launched CloseUp Gel.
Yes, we have created a brand (in a limited sense), created demand (readers) and created supply (senior journalists). But we are facing teething problems like all start-ups. What makes us happy and confident is the recognition of our efforts. For instance, we have an arrangement with the OPEN Magazine, part of the $4.5 billion Kolkata-based Sanjiv Goenka-RPG Group. This arrangement sees around 10 Short Post stories posted on OPEN Magazine website every week. This arrangement is testimony that our content has been well received! Also, I may add that the Maharashtra government has recognised Short Post and has allowed our senior editor to cover the Assembly sessions. Ditto: Odisha.
Our goal is to ensure that Short Post becomes a habit. I would like people to keep checking their smartphones to know the latest Authentic Gossip. As regards AI and the fear of it disrupting all businesses including media. On that, personally, I have no such fear as I am confident AI cannot smell news particularly Authentic Gossip. That’s the place we are well entrenched.