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Olympian Wrestler Vinesh Phogat joined the Congress and is all set to contest Haryana assembly elections from Julana seat. Famous for missing the silver medal by 100 gm in the Paris Olympics as she had breached the category in which she entered the contest, Vinesh had received a hero’s welcome as soon as she returned to India. She was given a grand welcome at Delhi airport by the Haryana Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son, Deepinder. Her name was finalised as soon as she formally became a member. While wrestler Bajrang Punia has been appointed as working president of All India Kisan Congress. Entry of the wrestling icons, who are both Jats, means consolidation of Jat votes behind the Congress. Former CM Hooda is determined to make a comeback with Jat vote power after 10-year BJP rule in Haryana. Phogat termed her political innings as a new chapter and said that she will continue to work for the rights of other athletes. Referring to the ongoing sexual harassment case against former WFI chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Singh, she made it clear that only the Congress had understood “our tears”. “I will work for other athletes so that they don’t have to go through what we went through,” Phogat said. “I could have quit wrestling at Jantar Mantar because the BJP’s IT cell was publicising that we were spent forces. They said I did not want to play in the nationals but I did; they said I did not want to do trials, I did that… They said I could not go to the Olympics but I did… Unfortunately, it was not God’s will,” she said.
Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule’s latest allegation against NCP MP Supriya Sule has enraged her supporters. Supriya herself has vehemently refuted the charges and challenged him to produce the evidence to substantiate it. A staunch follower of BJP heavyweights Nitin Gadkari and Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP leader has stunned the state polity with his so-called disclosure. According to Bawankule, she had said, “If Fadnavis comes back to power, we will be nowhere and this will be the last election for Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray.” Different versions of Supriya’s directions to her party’s spokespersons regarding the coming elections are floating around. The general tenor of the reports is that she has indicated to them to go soft on chief minister Eknath Shinde and avoid any statement on Maratha leader Manoj Jarange but zero in on Fadnavis. Referring to these news stories, Bawankule has attacked Supriya while making his allegation. Taking him to task over his remarks, Supriya has challenged Bawankule to produce proof that she had asked her party spokespersons to hit only Fadnavis. “Show me a video making such a statement,” she has said. Fadnavis and Supriya are the two names which are repeatedly making rounds of the political grapevine as the next CM choice. Hence Bawankule’s advocacy of Fadnavis is hardly surprising. Other major parties in the state have so far kept away from this slanging match.
In the backdrop of the Modi government releasing a Rs 100 coin to mark birth centenary of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi on August 18 and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailing him as “titan” of Indian politics, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has always been anxious to assure his allies in the secular INDIA Bloc that he is not inching close to the BJP. Away in the U.S. since the end of last month along with his wife Durga to pitch for foreign investment in his state, Stalin has been making it a point to enjoy ordinary things like working out at a gym in San Francisco or a bike ride near Lake Michigan in Chicago. His post on X, “Evening’s calm sets the stage for new dreams”, somehow caught the attention of Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi who replied to Stalin’s post with a playful comment, “Brother, when are we cycling together in Chennai?”. Responding to Gandhi, Stalin proposed a leisurely ride to explore the heart of Chennai. “Dear brother @Rahul Gandhi, whenever you’re free, let’s ride and explore the heart of Chennai together! A box of sweets is still pending from my side. After our cycling, let’s enjoy a delicious South Indian lunch with sweets at my home.” Incidentally, Rahul will also be briefly in the U.S. — September 8-10 — to interact with the Indian diaspora as well as key business and academic figures. This will be his first visit to the U.S. since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, after the Congress made significant gains. His visit precedes PM Modi’s planned appearance at the UN General Assembly later in the month. Gandhi will visit Dallas and Washington DC during his time in the U.S.
Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar’s choice for the next Maharashtra CM will not be Uddhav Thackeray. This sensational claim made by DCM Devendra Fadnavis has further dented the campaign started by the Shiv Sena leader’s followers to project him as the future chief minister. Pawar and state Congress president Nana Patole have publicly negated Uddhav’s demand to declare the name of the next Maha Vikas Aghadi CM in advance. Both have reiterated that a decision in this regard will be taken at an appropriate time. The Sena (UBT) has maintained a stoic silence ever since on this issue, unlike its practice to react to any development, big or small, instantly. Using the opportunity of his interview taken by a private news channel, Fadnavis ridiculed the efforts being made to project Uddhav as the unanimous MVA leader in Maharashtra. Fadnavis did not mention any other name in this connection but left his remark hanging, so that enough suspense pervades the opposition camp. Pawar himself has added to the guessing game. Though he had claimed that his party would not be in the race for the post, he has now added another rider by stating that the party with the largest number of MLAs will stand the chance. Fadnavis rubbed Uddhav the wrong way by remarking that the three-day recent visit of the Sena leader to Delhi had failed to obtain Sonia Gandhi’s backing to his name for chief ministership. Uddhav’s backlash is awaited.
Six decades have gone by since it was incorporated in 1959 as a company with charitable objects under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 (now Section 8, Companies Act, 2013). Ostensibly, it was set up with the object to promote the spread of knowledge across assorted areas – such as politics, culture, art, history, sports and the like – and disseminate news to the general public both about Indian and foreign affairs. United News Of India (UNI) is a multilingual news agency. Once upon a time, it was one of the largest news agencies in India with several hundred subscribers across the length and breadth of the country. Today, it is a shadow of its past. Struggling to survive, UNI has now come under the IBC (Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code) resolution process. A process to invite resolution was initiated in August last year. However, based on a decision taken by the Committee of Creditors, a “Round 2” of the entire Resolution Process for inviting EOI (Expression of Interest) for submission of Plans has been now initiated. With just about 175 employees and revenue of less than Rs 7 crore, this once iconic news agency is on the verge of extinction. With the whole media industry going through tough times, UNI is hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel. Will the resolution process throw up a Good Samaritan? Fingers are crossed, indeed.
Amid a series of electoral failures, including a hat-trick of zero wins in major elections, the CPI(M) in Bengal is facing growing internal pressure to reconsider its approach and hire an external political strategist. Alimuddin Street, party’s headquarters, has received feedback that the organization’s current state is “disgraceful” and it must consider “alternatives.” Most political parties – BJP, Cong, TMC, AAP and DMK — have from time to time roped in political strategists/consultants. For instance, the Trinamool Congress’s 2021 victory was largely credited to IPAC, led by Prashant Kishor. Likewise Congress party has benefited from strategic insights provided by Sunil Kanugolu. CPI(M) State Secretary Mohammad Salim stated that though the party cannot afford to hire a professional agency, professionalism must be increased. The party had hoped that its alliance with Congress for the Lok Sabha polls would increase its vote share. Leaders had predicted a three-way contest between Trinamool, BJP, and the Left-Congress combine. However, the reality was a two-way fight between Trinamool and BJP, leaving CPI(M) without a seat, and Congress lost key constituencies like Baharampur, where five-time MP Adhir Chowdhury was defeated by TMC’s Yusuf Pathan. Party insiders have highlighted organizational failures, including an inability to deploy agents in polling stations. Again, in the RG Kar incident relating to rape-murder of doctor, where the CPI(M) youth wing DYFI, led protests in Kolkata, the party failed to mobilize at the district levels. Also, it has alienated women voters in the state by terming the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme as “alms”.
Vishwajeet Kadam, who jolted the MVA alliance in the recent Parliamentary polls, is set to ruffle feathers again in the forthcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. Kadam, who backed Congress rebel Vishal Patil to victory over the MVA’s official Sena nominee, now seems to have the backing of the Congress high command this time too. The message was sent loud and clear when Rahul Gandhi flew down on September 5 to unveil his father –Patangrao Kadam’s statue in the presence of the entire top brass of Congress and even NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar. The prominent positioning of rebel Vishal Patil MP on the dais at the event, between the state Congress and NCP chief — Nana Patole and Jayant Patil — signalled Vishwajeet’s insistence to have things work his way. The high-profile event estimated to cost over Rs 50 crore, with over 1.5 lakh people housed in a Rs 8 crore canopy spread over 20 acres, was also meant to pitch Vishwajeet for the top slot in state politics. The absence of Uddhav Thackeray from the event clearly signalled that the friction between the Congress and Sena, is here to stay. Currently, of the eight legislative assemblies in Sangli, only two are held with Congress. Another two seats are held with the BJP, which is keen to wrest control of the prosperous sugar belt. The Congress, which has sensed victory in Maharashtra, after emerging with the highest tally among MVA partners in the recent LS polls, is in no mood to relent to their coalition partners’ demands. The NCP has been tamed while the recalcitrant Uddhav is being ignored. The Congress which wants to play the big brother could give Vishwajeet a free hand to chart party’s revival in the state.
Raja Randhir Singh may have triggered a fresh debate on whether administrators’ maximum tenure of 12 years is good for developing sport in India. India’s National Sports Development Code (NSDC) 2011 specifies terms, tenures, age, and cooling-off rules for sports federations. A five-time Olympian, several-time Asian Games participant in the Trap and Skeet shooting event, a gold and bronze medal winner has been an administrator for around four decades at the national and international sports bodies and is all set to become the 44th President of the Olympic Council of Asia wef September 8. In recent interactions, the 77-year-old former member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said that Yoga will become a medal sport from the 2030 Asian Games, but more significantly, he touched upon an essential aspect of the governance structure and strict rules. He believes more than 12 years is needed for administrators at the sports bodies. While the NSC stipulates a 12-year time restriction for national sports federations, the Justice Lodha Committee report that the Supreme Court has endorsed stipulates a maximum period of nine years together at the State and BCCI and with a cooling off period after six years that was initially three years. Being an experienced hand, Raja Randhir may have a point that will only get full support from the BCCI, but the Apex Council of the country believes that sports federations cannot be a fiefdom for an individual or group of people. The BCCI has been lucky to get relief from the Supreme Court on the cooling-off period restriction, but they may hope for further ease in restrictions. Given a chance, both the BCCI and the sports federations would like the cooling-off period and tenure restrictions, junked!
Now that N Srinivasan-headed India Cements has changed hands, the focus is clearly on what will happen to Chennai Super Kings Ltd. Once a division of India Cements, CSK was spun off into an independent entity following the conflict of interest issue. Post-India Cements sale, the focus obviously has turned to CSK. Where is it heading? Well, Srinivasan and his family have now consolidated their holding in CSK. They have increased their stake in CSK to nearly 42% from just above 28% in March 2023. The promoters now hold 158,016,303 shares. They had 86,726,373 shares in March 2023. The equity share has a face value of Rs 0.10 (ten paise). CSK Ltd. is the owner of the Chennai franchise of the IPL (Indian Premier League) T-20 cricket team. With the player auction for the upcoming IPL season coming up soon, the consolidation of holdings by the Srinivasan family in CSK reflects the commitment and passion of the promoter group to the cause of cricket. Not surprisingly, the board of CSK has decided to elevate K Viswanathan, popularly known as Kasi, a close loyalist of Srinivasan, as the managing director for a three-year term. Well, the context may have changed following the sale of India Cements. Srinivasan and Co, nevertheless, is focussed like a blinkered-horse on furthering the cause of cricket.
Caste dynamics has political formations of India in a tizzy for the imminent Haryana state assembly elections with the BJP set to also launch a new poll strategy to dampen the Congress dream of a clean sweep in the Nuh belt of the state along with others where the minority vote plays a dominant role. The AAP and Congress vowed to fight solo after the zero-voter verdict their alliance evoked in Delhi’s seven Lok Sabha constituencies, then kissed and yet, to make up. While AAP wants 10 seats, Congress is willing to part with only seven. The SP too wants seats to field candidates in Muslim proliferated constituencies. Congress believes minority votes will accrue to itself, particularly in three assembly constituencies in Nuh region dominated Muslim voters. Only former Congress CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda appears worried over his political future. The BJP too, worried over anti-incumbency, wants to buck the political tide and announced 16 OBC candidates, 13 from Jat community with 17 reserved SC seats. Though the OBC community is the majority voter segment in Haryana, Jat community always holds sway over political affairs be it the Lal clan troika (Bansi Lal, Devi Lal) or the Chautala clan among dominant segments of farmer leaders. The BJP elevated another community leader Kiran Choudhary to the Rajya Sabha and will also accommodate her daughter for state assemblies. Similarly, late Jat leader Ajit Singh’s son Jayant Choudhary was inducted into the NDA alliance for the Haryana assembly. The BJP has topped up its poll plans by clearing a slew of farmer packages in the state before the elections were notified in the state to include most of the crops sown in Haryana under the ambit of its MSP protection.
While the male actors of Bollywood are reluctant to experiment with their roles, it is the women brigade that has taken the lead in attempting different roles and even shouldering the risk of spearheading them too. Hrithik Roshan who was offered an adaptation of Night Manager reportedly opted out because of his comfort with conventional films versus the web series that requires long working hours. Experimental endeavours like Tubelight and Zero have forced Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan to go back to doing commercial cinema, their strongholds. Whereas Aamir Khan continues to script new hits with experimental creativity as his USP. Other names that feature prominently in the experimental genre are Saif Ali Khan, who today is one of those who play characters rather than conventional heroes in the film; and Shahid Kapoor, who has taken risks with a whole-hearted plunge into the webspace. Still, the most sought-after actors are concerned about the image and worried about losing their audiences if they drifted away from formula films. At the same time more and more actresses are coming forward to experiment; striving to “be the change” in the cinema, just like what Vidya Balan once promised to her fans. Today, a Kangana Ranaut, Taapsee, Deepika Padukone, and Alia don’t really need a hero as they prefer to play the heroes in their respective films
Mughal-e-Azam is considered a masterpiece in Indian cinema. This all-time hit epic historical drama directed by the renowned K Asif starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Madhubala, Durga Khote and Dilip Kumar was released in 1960. The character of Prince Salim played by Dilip Kumar has been immortalized. But not many know this great masterpiece was made in fits and starts. It took 10 years to complete it. And there were several reasons for it. One was director Asif fell in love with Dilip Kumar’s sister Akhtar and this incensed Dilip Kumar who refused to shoot till the matter was finally resolved. Besides, Dilip Kumar and Madhubala had an affair that ended around the making of this film and this took a toll on the shoots as their on-screen chemistry went awry. Finally, the pearls that were used in the shoot would break every time it fell on the floor, and the shooting had to be cancelled. It was then decided to import unbreakable pearls from Belgium and getting those in the sixties took months. It was finally released with all the fanfare at Maratha Mandir. By evening it was declared flop. This news depressed the cast which met at Asif’s house near Opera House after the premiere. Looking at all of them Asif said, “Kyon, Chehre Latak Gaye! Dekhna Ye Film Zabardast Hit Hogi.“ And it did.
Tamil film Master with Vijay as a hero and Vijay Sethupathi as the villain directed by Lokesh Kanakaraj turned out to be the 2021 blockbuster despite the lockdown. A very restricted cinema release and the earliest to mount the OTT platform (Amazon Prime), Master grossed, according to industry sources, Rs 300 crore with its fast and furious story and screenplay that Kanakaraj penned. A tad lengthy, critics wished it could have been trimmed to match Vijay’s fit persona! This South Indian director is no flash in the pan, as his earlier movie Managaram (now shaping up in Hindi as Mumbaikar) and Kaithee’s success proved. Salman Khan was approached for the Hindi remake of Master. Even as the pre-production details were sewn up, Salman Khan opted out. Apparently, Salman Khan was not quite happy with the story and screenplay, and suggested some changes. But, director Kanakaraj, sources say, did not agree to be involved with the project after those changes. He has taken up another assignment to direct a film featuring Vijay, Kamal Haasan and Fahadh Faasil. The producer who has the Hindi remake rights will have to wait for now. Post the release of Master, it is rumoured, Vijay’s earnings have skyrocketed to the Rs 120 crore fee bracket. Opportunity and luck do not knock often at the doors of supplicants.
Finally, the controversy-hit Rhea Chakraborty will see the release of her film Chehre this month. It was during the making of this film, the idea to act in a film opposite Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR) was mooted. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen with the mysterious death of SSR. Rhea, one of the main accused, faced trial by the media for more than a year. But the young star managed to weather it all and get her life back. Rhea is now confidently socializing, focusing on fitness and talking to producers. She seems to get her PR right as the personal attacks vis a vis SSR coverage have reduced except on Twitter where SSR continues to trend. Although the industry is not spelling it out, but it seems they have accepted her and some announcements may be made soon. Director of Chhere Rumi Jaffery may sign her for his next film. Speaking to a cross-section of people, the general thinking is: Rhea deserves a second chance – just like actor Sanjay Dutt, who spent five years in prison under Arms Act after the TADA Court acquitted him in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blast case. The audience has accepted him, and he continues to be the most sought-after actor in Bollywood. Well, Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi-starrer Chehre looks like a ‘thodi si lift kara de’ moment for Rhea, which may open up new possibilities for the budding star.
Post Chennai Express Superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s other movies like Fan, Raees, Jab Harry Met Sejal and Zero did not do well. So what does he do? Turn South and rope in one of the most successful young directors of Tamil movies, Atlee (Arun Kumar) for that magic touch, a fail-safe formula film designed to make stakeholders laugh all the way to the bank. And for added kick, two winsome and talented leading ladies have also been signed on. Tamil films’ top paid heroine Nayantara and the young bubbly Sanya Malhotra to provide the glamour quotient. Who is this Atlee? What is his track record as a hot and hip director to call the shots especially when SRK is decidedly wanting an encore of the Chennai Express? Thirty-five-year-old Atlee first worked as S Shankar’s assistant in Enthiran and Nanban, sculpted himself as a box office brand. Soon, he went solo and directed his debut film, Raja Rani with Nayantara in the lead, and secured his place as one of the most promising debut directors of 2016. For those who may be sceptical about a Tamil director’s dexterity, he made three successive films, Theri, Mercel and Bigil, all starring Vijay that rocked the box office, making Vijay the Number 2 after Rajnikant. Don’t underestimate these quiet non-flamboyant South Indian types. They know their cinema inside out.
Top star Deepika Padukone lost a role in Sanjay Leela Bansali’s Baiju Bawra as she demanded more remuneration than Ranveer Singh. And Deepika is not the first heroine to do so. Kareena Kapoor Khan demanded Rs 12 crore to play the lead role in Alaukik Desai’s film Sita. Earlier, her close friend Karan Johar replaced her with Preity Zinta in Kal Ho Naa Ho for demanding more remuneration. A few years back Aishwarya Rai Bachchan lost an important role opposite Aamir Khan in Mangal Pandey because she demanded Rs 1 crore. Effectively, both Kareena and Deepika have lost opportunity to play iconic roles for asking what they deserve. This brings us back to the burning question of pay disparity in Bollywood. The general thinking in Bollywood is heroes (read men) have box office draw and female stars don’t have that kind of pull. A top producer clarifies, “Pay cheques are decided on the basis of how much business he or she rakes in. It is not based on the gender.” Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit got higher remuneration because audience went to the theatre to watch their performances. And of course, one heroine who has managed to single-handedly become a big hit is Kangana Ranaut. With Queen she proved it. She has made it clear that she prefers not to work with the Khans because “she would get over shadowed”.
Barely had the dust settled down on the cringe worthy indictment meted out to top Tamil star Vijay for evading tax on the import of his Rolls Royce Ghost, when the same Bench of Justice SM Subramaniam had to come down hard on actor K Dhanush for a similar tax evasion. Both these highly bankable stars had coveted the ultra-luxury Rolls Royce Ghost as their preferred wheels to match their status and style, paid Rs 5 crore plus for the car. This raises several questions amongst us, the common, run of the mill Aam Aadmi. Is tax payment selective and evasion even more selective? Why put a burden on with such preposterous pleas when the law of the land clearly states what tax is to be paid? Do film celebrities think that they are extraordinary people with extraordinary status? To add insult to injury, the highly bankable hero, Vijay (rumoured to earn the second highest of Rs 70 crore per film, next only to Rajinikant topping the spreadsheet at Rs 100 crore) baffled the judge some more. Under the question, occupation, Vijay did not think it needed a response! These are the filmy heroes whose every stunt, song and dance movement and thunderous dialogues are greeted with whistles and approval by a swarming, swooning audience. Hope they don’t emulate their heroes and evade tax!
Mani Ratnam’s cinematic genius and the late Amarar Kalki’s literary genius merge in the soon to be released magnum opus, Ponniyin Selvan (The son of Ponni). But which screen? Cinema lovers wait with bated breath for a Mani Ratnam movie; his every script and film have riveted audience to an amazing creative spark, unparalleled in Tamil cinema, and in the Hindi adaptations. So, we are justified in speculating, will Ponniyin Selvan stride the premium screens, like the cult Spartacus? Or OTT, if the pandemic plays foul? Such challenges are sleight of hand for Ratnam. Cine buffs are goggle eyed about the omnibus ensemble cast. The joke doing the rounds, except Rajini and Kamal, most Kollywood top stars are in the film: Vikram, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Sarath Kumar, Prakash Raj, Trisha, Keerthi Suresh, Nayantara, Aishwarya Lekshmi and more top rung names. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is in the lead. With AR Rahman‘s mesmerising music, palace intrigues, conquests and empire building, awe inspiring temples that still stand as testament to the Chola era artistic genius, beautiful women and intricate costumes, audience expectation is sky high. Ponniyin Selvan, we expect, will match the grandeur and scale of the Tanjore Big Temple, built by Rajaraja Chola, an architectural feat unmatched so far
A few months back, when the 30-year old Kartik Aaryan lost three films in a row there were murmurs in the film trade especially the big production houses that the actor’s career is over and he may not get work as he was ousted from both Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar productions. On the contrary, the opposite has happened. A few well-known production houses who were chasing him have quickly signed him on. Among them is well known producer Sajid Nadiadwala. Likewise Ekta Kapoor who is supposedly to be a close friend of Karan has taken over the project that was once to be produced by SRK’s Red Chillies Entertainment. Interestingly, Kartik seems to have carved a niche within Bollywood. He has support from award winning filmmakers like Hansal Mehta who is also directing him. Besides, producer-director-writer Anubhav Sinha has been praising Kartik on social media. The proof of the pudding is in eating and it is learnt that the actor’s remuneration too has gone up. This proves that he is a bankable star and his box office track record proves he is a big draw as a solo hero. Kartik who started his journey in Bollywood with multi-starrers It is his track record with Lukka Chhupi and Pati Patni Aur Who that won him the confidence of producers like Sinha, Mehta and Nadiadwala.
Everybody deserves a second chance. In Bollywood, yesteryear’s stars are padding up for a second innings. Mandakini of Ram Teri Ganga Maili fame, Kalpana Iyer who predominantly played a vamp role, and Farheen Prabhakar, a Madhuri Dixit look alike who married cricketer Manoj Prabhakar, are keen to return to acting, and don’t mind playing their age. Big B was lucky. Kaun Banega Crorepati launched him into the stratosphere and there was no looking back. But, not everybody is lucky. Superstar Rajesh Khanna tried very hard to make a comeback but alas. Ditto: Popular star Mumtaz. Versatile star Govinda who is making guest appearances on reality shows, is yet to get the big break on the silver screen. Fardeen Khan is also knocking at producers’ doors and may sign up for a web series. For Madhuri Dixit-Nene the return was not a cakewalk. She has now come to terms, and settled down to judging a dance reality show, acting in a web series for Dharma Productions and occasionally cutting an album. Effectively, she is in the limelight. Shilpa Shetty had a high visibility thanks to a reality show Super Dancer, and her Yoga album, but got a break in the big screen after a gap of 11 years. Bhagyashree of Maine Pyar Kiya fame will be seen in Thalavi, a biopic on J Jayalalithaa played by Kangana Ranaut.
Sashadhar Mukerji became a legend in his own lifetime. Popularly known as S Mukherji, his contribution to the Indian film industry remains unparalleled. Mukerji, who initially joined Bombay Talkies and went on to create Filmistan and Filmalaya Studios was known as the man with Midas touch. Everything was a hit – his movies, stars, songs. In fact, people who worked closely with Mukerji say that he had an ear for music. They say he had the knack of picking the right ones when a music director gave him a choice of 10 tunes for a song. Naturally this success created a lot of enemies within the industry, and they would spread rumours about his movie. A similar thing happened in 1954 when he released Nagin, famous for its song Man Dole Mera, Tan Dole Mera sung by Lata Mangeshkar to the accompaniment of Been music. His rivals said snakes were entering the cinema halls the moment Been music played. This rumour kept the audience away from the theatres for a few days. But, not for long. Not only was the movie a super hit but the Been music became synonymous with snakes and snake charmers. And of course, the movie established Vyjayanthimala’s career as a star.
The #MeToo movement seems to have resurfaced in Bollywood but in a new avatar with the arrest of Raj Kundra, husband of film star Shilpa Shetty, for allegedly exploiting young girls and actresses to make adult content for his mobile app. Not many cases of #MeToo were reported during the Lockdown but a couple of high-profile cases of sexual assault and exploitation were filed. FIRs were filed against Bhushan Kumar of T Series fame; and Ajit Thakur, former head of content, Reliance Industries. But, no action was taken as both have stated they were ‘victims’ of extortion. Tanushree Datta, who led the #MeToo movement against veteran actor Nana Patekar (the charge failed in the court); and Payal Ghosh against filmmaker Anurag Kashyap are trying to keep the issue alive via media. In the past names of Alok Nath, Vikas Bahl, Sajid Khan, Kailash Kher, Rajat Kapoor, Subhash Ghai and Anu Malik surfaced. Recently, actress Prachi Desai talked about her #MeToo experience. And so did Priyanka Chopra in her book Unfinished though without dropping any names. An actress confides that most people who had spoken out against big names have settled the issue for “consideration”. This is the reason the entire movement within Bollywood has gone kaput. So, will the adult stars like Poonam Pandey, Gehna Vashishth and Sherlyn Chopra revive the #MeToo movement
The raging pandemic has triggered in its wake a social distancing of an unusual kind. That has reconfigured the relationships. While relatives staying afar have become digital friends, immediate neighbours have become close relatives. Indeed, the world has changed so much since the outbreak of the virus early last year. Well, that has brought connectivity issues for many religious institutions. The Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu has now sought to overcome this by embracing the digital platform. It is all set to launch a web TV in the name and style of Kamakoti TV. Coming up with the blessings of the current Shankaracharya, it will go live on the auspicious Vyasa Puja Day – July 24. The ostensible objective of launching a TV is to reach the programmes and events of the Mutt to devotees across the globe. Also, the devotees are assured of an ad-free experience of watching the Mutt programmes. Mutt followers – young and old alike – can now hope for a round-the-clock spiritual delight with the advent of Kamakoti TV. Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham was established by Sri Adi Sankara in the year 482 BC and has the distinction of an unbroken line of 70 Acharyas.
Popular Tamil star Suriya’s Soorarai Pottru boldly released on Amazon Prime in November 2020 brought him and his home production house, a number of accolades. While most were left trying to understand the esoteric Tamil title (Hail The Brave), the film’s treatment of the subject Simply Fly and its impact on the audience was terrific. Suriya played the role of Capt GR Gopinath, who introduced the concept of low-cost flying experience to the not so well-heeled, his struggles for raising the money, get the needed approvals to get Air Deccan on flight mode. Suriya struggled just as much with his ambitious movie which Sudha Kongara Prasad directed so brilliantly. Apart from Paresh Rawal and Urvashi, the other actors were not so well known. Suriya has just announced a pan Indian Hindi version, with Kongara to direct this intense subject that has transited to cinema with telling impact. So far, the cast and other components have not been finalised. May be he wants to keep it a suspense and reveal all once the project is buttoned up. Sudha Kongara had a fully ready script before shooting started for the Tamil version. The Hindi version of Simply Fly, Capt Gopinath’s dream airline will take off before long with Suriya’s determination and passion for perfection. Any takers for a campaign to guess the cast from Bollywood?
For star kids getting entry into Bollywood is easy. But, how many make it big – like Hrithik, Aamir, Kajol and Ranbir in past three decades? The cine fans are pinning hopes on a new crop of star kids. Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter Suhana who has performed in plays will soon face the camera; while son Aaryan who has done a voice over for The Lion King is keen to stay behind the camera, for now. Suniel Shetty’s son Ahan who debuts in Tadap may be signed for Aashiqui3. Producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s son Subhan is all set to debut. Shashi Kapoor’s grandson Zahan (Kunal’s son) has just started shooting for Hansal Mehta’s film. Meezan Jaffrey, son of actor Javed Jaffrey, made his debut in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Malal, and is already into his second film Hungama2.. Abhimanyu Dassani, son of Bhagyashree of Maine Pyar Kiya fame, who made his debut in Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, eagerly awaits the release of Nikamma with Shirley Setia as heroine. Sanjay Kapoor’s daughter Shanaya gets a lead role in a Karan Johar film. Salman Khan’s niece Alizeh and nephew Nirvaan are all set to dab the grease paint. Waiting in the wings are Sridevi’s daughter Khushi and Saif Ali Khan’s son Ibrahim. So, who will survive the star race? Only talent will tell!
Sai Pallavi, all of 29 years, is on a high. Why not? Her chartbuster 2019 Rowdy Baby from Tamil film Maari2 with Dhanush as her lead garnered 5 million likes (and over a billion views), an unheard of popularity for a Tamil film song and dance. This racy, raunchy and rambunctious number has amazingly inane lyrics…For Sai, Dhanush is her Goli Soda (the flying fizz), and she, his Kari Kuzhambe (spicy hot curry)! Who cares for such over the top lyrics? Sai has danced her way in frame to frame, all the way to fame. Dhanush who has sung the song and played the lead, comes off as a timid foil to the high voltage Sai Pallavi. From a Badaga family of Nilgiris with an MBBS from Georgia University, this youthful charmer has already tucked away two Filmfare and several other film awards, for her electrifying performances in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu films. Premam, Fidaa, Athiran, Kali, and Maari2 have zoomed her to the top. She comes across as innocent and sparkling as a mountain stream, hardly needs any makeup as her envious skin is inner lit. Watch out for this bubbly.
Dilip Kumar was not just a legendary actor but was also a writer and producer who made the blockbuster movie Ganga Jamuna in 1961 and played the title role of Ganga in that film. The heroine was Vyayanthimala. It was a tale of two brothers one — an uneducated, simple human being who is forced by the circumstances to take the law in his own hands and the other Jamuna who is educated, urbanized and who tilts on the side of the law of the land. The movie Ganga Jamuna was inspiration for the famous duo Salim-Javed while scripting for Deewar. So too it was for Amitabh Bachchan. Well, when Ganga Jamuna was to be released it went to the Censor Board for clearance. They recommended a cut of the scene where Ganga is shot and utters Hey Ram! When asked why should it be cut? The Sarkari Babu said it was Gandhi who uttered Hey Ram…so how can you utter the same words? Dilip Kumar was shocked by his logic and said every Hindu when he dies might utter Hey Ram! Come to think of it one must admire the creative guys from Bollywood who have had to put up with idiosyncrasies of babus and politicians for decades now.
Is it chemistry or mental harassment or the classic story of doosra aadmi or pati, patni aur woh? The morality in most of us is intact because of sheer lack of opportunities but in the case of celebrities — film stars and cricketers — they have opportunities galore. Money, fame and with that comes women and men. So, Aamir Khan-Kiran Rao deciding to go in for a divorce should not raise eyebrows. They have more than survived a seven-year itch. Well, one can say… 16-year itch. Insiders say it has been simmering for over two years now. So much so that Kiran moved to Goa. So, what was the final nail in the coffin? Again, close circles point out it is another woman. In the past many marriages were almost on the rocks because of linkup — Shah Rukh Khan-Priyanka Chopra, Amitabh-Rekha. In the case of yesteryear’s superstar Rajesh Khanna, it was one too many affairs. Again, in the case of a well-known star, his wife’s affair rocked his marriage of two kids. Women alone cannot be blamed. A respected star confessed: “It is difficult not to have an affair with our co-stars as we work in close proximity.” Some stars did not call off their marriages because of sheer societal pressure and kept it under wraps. Others did not: Hrithik Rohan, Karishma Kapoor, Arjun Rampal.
Some may mark Wednesday, June 30 as the day of “Justice for Black America” when Bill Cosby — an American stand-up comedian, actor and author famous for his TV show, The Cosby Show — walked free after serving just three years of a 10-year sentence on three counts of aggravated sexual attack. Half the world will mourn it as the day the #metoo movement died. When “America’s Dad” was convicted in 2018, it seemed a landmark moment when a famous and powerful man was held to account for abusing his position to exploit women. Women exulted as their movement gained traction with the Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby cases. Cosby used the classic Black card, much like American football legend OJ Simpson did to exploit racial divisions splitting the court of public opinion. The court decided that Cosby had been unfairly prosecuted three years ago but a 12-person jury had found him guilty. The climax in this cause celebre shows the American legal system is flawed and that the rich and famous can find their way out. But what it does for the women’s movement against sexual assault is a sad commentary on what is still a man’s world in which power and money can make a mockery of justice.
Dadasaheb Phalke Chitra Nagari, famously known as the Film City, is getting ready for a makeover in phases. This integrated film studio complex, spread over 520 acres, is located in Mumbai’s western suburb at Goregaon East. It has over 42 outdoor shooting locations and 16 studios of various sizes. Now, the latest news is that Maharashtra Film, Stage & Cultural Development Corporation (MFSCDC) is keen to equip the Film City with technologically advanced infrastructure. According to squarefeatindia.com – a leading real estate website, MFSCDC intends to undertake the development of 22 acres of the Film City via the PPP route. It will develop sound stages, post production facilities, and related infrastructure. It has invited Expression of Interest and the cost envisaged is around Rs 391.6 crore. With big demand coming from commercial cinema, TV and now OTT, most state governments see business opportunities in creating a hub for film shooting. It may be recalled that UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met with several leading Bollywood bigwigs when he was in Mumbai a few months back, inviting them to shoot in UP. Perhaps not wishing to lose out business to other states, the Maharashtra government is going all out to ensure that the Film City is equipped with latest state-of-art technology that makes life easier for film makers. About time too.
The lockdown seems to be a boon for Bollywood actresses, especially the newcomers who are active on social media. Ananya Panday who has 19 million Instagram followers has been cashing on it by running some social media campaigns. Sara Ali Khan has been promoting fitness videos through a fitness app, Power. But on Instagram she has been regularly promoting brands like Vivo and Colgate. Janhvi Kapoor posts only activity videos like dancing and fitness apart from paid partnerships like Nykaa. Sara Ali Khan’s Hello Darshako which predominantly posts shayaris and random videos has gained her good many followers. Encouraged by this response, Sara has roped in her mother Amrita Singh, a former actress on this platform. And today we see mother-daughter doing commercials together. Disha Patani actively engages with her followers by posting action video almost every hour. Her popularity has gone up ever since she has been dating Tiger Shroff. Interestingly, a new starlet has been openly saying that she makes enough money (Rs 3-5 lakh per month) to pay her entire year’s rent by being active on social media. No, wonder these starlets are heavily focused on social media. Incidentally, most of the top actresses may not be getting big billing from films they sign but on social media they have more followers than the Khans and the Kumars.
It was the quietest of birthdays for the emerging superstar of Tamil cinema. In normal times, his fans would also have indulged in shows of grand affection by holding charity events in honour of Vijay. In pandemic times, the star has been content to keep a low profile but his phenomenal record in the 2010s marks him out as the industry’s undisputed money spinner. His co-stars held a Twitter chat event on his 47th birthday that was a super hit in terms of numbers. As Total Unlock nears with the second wave waning, Vijay awaits the opening of theatres to continue his domination of the big screens. In the last decade, he churned out nine films that grossed over Rs 100 crore, a record that surpassed the industry’s ageing Superstar, the one and only Rajinikanth who is now in the US for medical checkup. Vijay’s last four releases – Bigil, Sarkar, Mersal and Master – saw business in excess of Rs 350 crore worldwide with Master a Superhit even in the pandemic year of 2020. And now Beast is getting ready as the star’s next with Pooja Hegde and Yogi Babu in supporting roles. Beast may usher in the next wave of theatre-going cinema fans.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu, now Samantha Akkineni, has put in a once in a lifetime performance as the LTTE woman in a very highly acclaimed Season 2 of The Family Man, on Amazon Prime. The central antagonist, Srikant Tiwari who carried Season 1 entirely on his talent and skill, playing the role of a covert operator of TASC (a fictional NIA), is pushed to play second fiddle to Samantha as Raji. In trying to tar her in sepia tones as a Sri Lankan, the brown make up has totally gone haywire…but this does not diminish from her brooding, menacing , almost other worldly countenance as she takes on the suicide mission of bombing the venue for a crucial meet of the two neighbouring country’s Prime Ministers. Her kill skills, spycraft and totally frigid inhuman approach to the enemy spies and mission…chilling. Samantha has pirouetted through many inane films that showcased her good looks. In The Family Man Season 2, she conveys every nuance needed to prove what it takes to be a suicide missionary, whatever the cause.
The D Gang’s clout was all pervading. All top stars – heroes, heroines and producers – were forced to fly to Dubai and perform for bhai’s events. There is video footage of stars hobnobbing with the Don at a Sharjah cricket match. A ‘No’ was not an option. And the job of terrorizing the film industry was entrusted to the handsome gangster Abu Salem, now languishing in Taloja jail, on the outskirts of Mumbai. Abu Salem almost threatened every top actor and producer. One of the early victims was Rajiv Rai, son of Gulshan Rai of Trimurti Films fame. He fled to the UK with his wife Sonam and son after a failed attempt on his life by Abu Salem’s henchmen. Gulshan Kumar of T Series fame was chased and gunned down. Bollywood biggies – producer-director Subhash Ghai, Manmohan Shetty, and Rakesh Roshan received threatening calls from Abu Salem. Rakesh Roshan survived a brutal murderous attack, and luckily recovered from gunshots wounds. Not unlike Haji Mastan, Abu Salem too needed his share of Bollywood beauties – and he got Monica Bedi. His threat forced producers to cast her opposite big stars in movies like Jodi No 1, and Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat. In September 2002, Monica Bedi and Abu Salem were arrested in Portugal. After serving prison sentences there, they were deported to India. To cut to the chase, the gangsters had paid informers in the film industry who tipped them about stars’ financials – movie signing amount, movie release date etc. Armed with this information, the underworld would make extortion calls. The Bollywood-Underworld nexus became apparent when Mumbai serial blasts of 1993 was investigated. READ PART 4
High on money and muscle power, the underworld started dominating Bollywood. The money was routed through financiers and big stars who often visited Dubai to meet the Don. In the late 90s, early 2000s photographs of top actors, musicians and singers performing at Dawood’s Darbar were published by the media. These photographs exposed the nexus between Bollywood-Underworld. And proof of that was tapped telephonic conversation between Dawood’s right hand man Chhota Shakeel and various film personalities. This nexus pressurised Mumbai police to arrest diamond merchant cum film financier Bharat Shah under MCOCA. Reportedly, Shah was arrested for aiding Chhota Shakeel. Somebody like Rakesh Roshan had a narrow escape on the eve of the release of Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai, his son Hrithik’s first movie. The sharp shooters fired two rounds at him for not paying Rs 5 crore. This incident shook the film world. The Mumbai police came forward to provide them protection. But, things started ebbing with Dawood not keeping well; Abu Salem incarcerated, and Chhota Rajan too cooling his heels in Tihar jail. Insiders say the extortion cases have come down. Though there were sporadic incidents like gangster Ravi Pujari trying to take advantage of the situation. Now, he too has been arrested. Now the underworld has almost stopped extortion but continues with its piracy business. Ironically, the fraternity which complains about the underworld are the same people who glamorize the underworld, making them larger than life. CONCLUDED
Karim Lala was one of the three dreaded dons of Mumbai till the early 1980s. The other two dons were: Haji Mastan and Vardabhai or Varadarajan Mudaliar. This Pashto speaking Pathan who had moved to Mumbai from Afghanistan in the early 1920s was operating from Mumbai’s Dongri area. He ran two hotels and a travel agency – which was just a façade. As a leader of the Pathan gang his real job was extortion, kidnapping, contract killing and narcotics. Many people instead of going to the police went to Karim Lala’s court to get instant justice. During his peak, Lala frequently invited several film personalities to his parties and Eid celebrations. One of his close friends was a well-known Pathan — Mohammad Yusuf Khan aka Dilip Kumar (who hailed from Peshawar in British India – now in Pakistan). At one such party, cabaret sensation Helen tagged along with Dilip Kumar to meet Lala and casually complained about her manager PN Arora, who had allegedly duped her of large sums of money. All that Karim Lala did was make a phone call. By the time the party was over and Helen reached home, a sweating Arora was standing outside her building with a briefcase full of money. For many producers, it was an Open Sesame moment. They started paying the underworld to put a stop to starry tantrums and ensure stars report to their sets on time. In south India, stars are time-conscious and report on sets with full make up. There are stories galore about top stars keeping the entire crew waiting for hours. Producers’ myopic vision and actors’ indiscipline paved the way for the entry of the underworld into the film world. For the goons not only the money was good but they were more than rubbing shoulders with stars and starlets. Guns and roses were a deadly combination. READ PART 2
Neither dreaded don Karim Lala nor Vardarajan Mudaliar were glamour struck. For them looking at other women was a taboo – well, that was the image they had arduously cultivated. But, not so for Mastan Mirza aka Haji Mastan, the man from Salem, Tamil Nadu. He was besotted by actresses. So much so that he financed quite a few movies with well-endowed stars. He was particularly infatuated by Madhubala. And in her memory, married an upcoming starlet Sona, a look alike of Madhubala. There are photographs of well-known film makers paying obeisance to Haji Mastan by touching his feet. It was fear and money. Mastan’s diktat ran large. There are stories of how well-known actors and actresses were forced to complete movies. A top leading actress, on her arrival from London, drove straight from the airport to the set as she was confronted by Mastan’s men. Similarly a thespian actor was physically picked up by the goons from his bungalow taken to Hyderabad and brought back after completion of shooting. Parallely, even as Mastan was going about his filmy business, Dawood Ibrahim’s notoriety was fast rising for contract killing, gold smuggling, extortions, drug trafficking and real estate deals. After fleeing to Dubai he had corporatized illegal activities under the umbrella D Company, paid his henchmen monthly salaries. For D Company, which was spreading its tentacles, the film industry was the low hanging fruit. Of course, like all Dons he and his brothers too sought to have their own harem of heroines and starlets. A case in point is Mandakini of Ram Teri Ganga Maili fame. With the D gang entering the scene, stars started reporting to sets on time. Producers were happy. But, not Dawood. This protection money was small beer for him. He saw huge business opportunities in acquiring distribution rights in India, then he moved to acquiring overseas rights before becoming a producer. Of course, Dawood’s brother Noora penned songs for Hindi films. TO BE CONTINUED – PART 3 & PART...
She oozed oomph in the most unselfconscious manner. Maybe she herself was not aware of the magnetic sexuality she projected when she came alive on the screen. If fate had consigned her to the backwaters of Eluru in Andhra Pradesh as Vijayalakshmi Vadapatla, this seductive actor launched as Silk Smitha in the Tamil film, Vandichakram in 1979, would have remained yet another anonymous villager. Silk fought her way out of abject poverty and struck out to conquer the arc lights of Kodambakkam as the Rani of raunch. This dark skinned, scintillating, and striking woman careened across the filmy scape, like a meteor, acted in over 300 films in just a span of 17 years, before she died by suicide in 1996. Whatever a lecherous audience spoke about her in trashing terms, few had the integrity to speak about the goodness of Silk Smitha. Bayilvan Ranganathan, a film actor, critic and chronicler talks about Silk as a generous, dignified person, who was punctual and disciplined. If a producer was in dire straits, she would not insist on immediate payment, cooperated with all on the sets, never asked for exotic meals to be catered. Even when the skimpiest costumes were given, she would robotically perform. Director Bharathi Raja cast her in a memorable role in Alaigal Oyvadillai. But Late Balu Mahendra exploited her raw sensuality to the maximum in Moonram Pirai (Sadma ). Even when Rajnikant or Kamal Haasan were signed as leads, the distributor/ financier would insist on at least one dance by Silk, guarantee for repeat audience. Three biopics, including Dirty Picture (Vidya Balan as lead) were made on Silk Smitha.
Easy to speculate: did Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala’s cult CM look over his back after watching Mammootty in the just released Malayalam movie 1? Every Malayalee worth his pips as an educated political would wish… if only Mammootty stood for election, if only he could lead our state to that Camelot. This Mammootty showcase has a laudable theme…the Right to Recall your elected representative if he is proved corrupt, self-serving and insensitive. Many films have taken inspiration from this kernel….unbridled corruption, and unpatriotic representatives. But the ideal is beyond the best intentions of the idealists. 1 too tries and weaves a few commonplace incidents to ignite that fire of selfless service to the people. Even as the CM, Kadakkal Chandran played by Mammootty, moots the bill to Recall the Elected, the expected outcry, posturing and malevolent reactions from his own party and the opposition erupts. And in a telling comment, the ruling party MLA hits out, “we will face elections every two years.” The ganging up of the plundering and profiteering is quick. Even as the well-intentioned plot touches a chord, no viable or practical solutions are given. In fact, 1 leaves the viewer mystified, baffled: why so many loose ends including those memory losses the CM suffers? But it is Mammootty who carries this me-too motivational effort on his towering self. And makes 1 worth a watch…who knows some young contenders may come up with an ideal of politics.
The 1957 romance-drama Pyaasa starring Guru Dutt and Waheeda Rehman is widely considered one of the best Indian films. Produced and directed by Guru Dutt, it was a box office hit too. And of course who can forget the melodious songs like Jaane woh kaise log they jinake pyaar ko pyaar milaa or ye mahalo, ye takto, ye taajo ki duniyaa… Guru Dutt not only perfectly fitted the role of a sensitive poet, he immortalized the character! But Guru played the role not because he wanted to but because he was left with no option. How? Actually for the main role of the poet, the actor finalized was Dilip Kumar. Guru Dutt briefed him about the story and finalized the deal. But strangely as promised, Dilip Kumar never reported to the set for shooting. The entire crew was kept waiting and a totally exasperated Guru Dutt decided he will put on the make-up and do the role. And what a momentous decision he took. It turned out the best thing that could have ever happened to him, the movie and also the Indian audience. Even today Pyaasa is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. It frequently features on world cinema’s greatest films lists. It was one of the earliest films to have achieved a healthy blend of artistic as well as commercial mainstream traits. One may ask, was it destiny or luck that played the role here!
It was quite a popular song of the 1970s Do Bichaare Bina Sahaare, Dekho Puchh Puchhkar Haare sung on screen by Ashok Kumar and Pran in the 1972 comedy movie Victoria 203. The movie, produced and directed by Brij Sadanah, had Navin Nishchol and Saira Banu in the lead roles. Those days most of the films were shot with the original sound recorded simultaneously at the time of shooting. There was no post-production concept. The shooting of the movie was in full progress at a Mumbai studio with Ashok Kumar (Raja) and Pran (Rana) in full flow…delivering their dialogues. But there was a problem. Every time the camera rolled it would capture the cooing sound of pigeons. The sound recordist said that pigeon cooing noise was interfering with the dialogues. After three takes everybody was exasperated as to how to overcome the pigeon noise issue. Ashok Kumar said, “Okay, don’t worry, I will manage.” No one understood what he meant by ‘manage’. When the director said lights, camera, action, Dada Moni effortlessly added a line before his actual dialogue, ”Kya zamana aa gaya hai Rana, aajkal raat me bhi kabootar bolte hain!” This thinking on the feet or ad-libbing as it is popularly known saved the day and the director Brij could finally say cut and pack up.
Thirty-year-old Kartik Aaryan, considered one of the most bankable NextGen stars, has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. First, Karan Johar’s Dharma Production dropped him from Dostanna2 for his ‘alleged misbehaviour’. Now, comes the news that Shah Rukh Khan promoted Red Chillies Entertainment has dropped him from Good-Bye Freddie. Is it coincidence or a coterie at play? There has been no official confirmation but people close to Kartik say that he has returned the signing amount of Rs 2 crore. His exit seems to have evoked mixed reactions. His rivals that include few producers and stars who were unhappy with his meteoric rise are elated. They are wishing he goes down like the yesteryear’s superstar. But it’s wishful thinking as there are producers after producers eagerly waiting to sign this most bankable star. The news brings to fore once again the raging debate about nepotism and outsider vs insider in Bollywood which started with the untimely death of Sushant Singh Rajput in June 2020. Reportedly, Karan Johar is playing safe and is looking for Kartik’s replacement from ‘outside’. So what are the reasons for Kartik’s exit? Sources say in both cases he asked for scripts to be changed – a theory that has not many takers. But is it the first time a star has made such a request? All stars have made changes while at the peak. Luckily, two production houses have offered Kartik a three-film contract worth Rs 70 crore, but he is yet to sign on the dotted line. For now, millions of his fans need not worry, they will see more of their hero.
It does seem like Salman Khan has set the trend of hybrid releases in India. Even if the net business is Rs 125 crore, Radhe has set a new yardstick for tangible recoveries, proportionate to Box Office (BO) returns. Overseas, the theatre numbers of the film are very encouraging, given the currently restricted footfalls in the cinemas. In the past Zee had released Khali Peeli which didn’t work but a Tamil/ Telugu film released on the same day worked wonders. So, the writing is on the wall, that in the coming months when cinemas will start opening, the hybrid formula of the revenues via Transactional Video on Demand (TVOD) will continue. It has raised the bar, which will only add to the BO number game. There are middle-order films that are now released directly on OTT like Hungama 2 and Bhoot Police and we also hear that some big films that are in the pipeline are looking to keep a TVOD window for their films.
Covid 19 has overturned our ethos and lifestyles in ways that we haven’t fully fathomed. OTT is one of the most significant changes in our entertainment spectrum. Whichever the platform, the content and creative genius still remains supreme. Without sounding partisan, Tamil content has made that OTT transition, a much more creative, smooth as silk experience …whether in its earliest Anthology…Putham Pudhiya Kaalai, of five stories brilliantly directed by five outstanding directors among them Gautam Menon, Sudha Kangana, Suhasini Maniratnam. This showcased how the characters handle a corona ridden milieu. Urvashi, Jayaram, Kalidas, Prakshraj are memorable for their performances. Another anthology, Paava Kathaigal did fairly well. Two cute Hindi movies, Pagglait and Choked were super entertainers on a small budget. Bombay Begums is a pretentious me too. Big budget producers and mega vista directors like Shanker have to wait patiently for cinemas to come to life. In the meanwhile, new stars, new trends and more appealing entertainment in the privacy of your home are gaining big currency. One such OTT star is predicted to be Aishwarya Lekshmi, the stunning Malayalam actor from a hit movie, Maayanadhi. Her Jagame Thandiram with Dhanush, directed by Karthik Subburaj, is expected to raise the OTT bar even higher when released in June. Lekshmi is also in the ensemble cast of Mani Rathnam’s Ponniyin Selvan. No wonder OTT’s are in a keenly run race to garner gripping content. Reportedly, Zee5 claims their subscriptions have jumped 50% during Covid lockdown. Bloomberg analysts also estimates that multiple OTTs, Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Netflix are cashing in on an 82% increase in viewership.
It was a mixed reaction for Salman Khan-Disha Patani starrer Radhe released on Eid. A few film critics and some in social media platform were quite negative. A video of youtuber sharing her expert opinion on the movie in a typical Bhojpuri flair just added to the suspense and curiosity. If it was the plant of rival camps and certain multiplexes to ensure that the film is not a hit, it clearly didn’t succeed. “Radhe has experienced positive response from viewers, right from the first day of its release, wherein it clocked 4.2 million views across platforms. The film has also received encouraging box office collections in the overseas markets. The film has reinforced the fact that the viewers in India are ready for the Pay Per View model and ZEE has been at the forefront of this change,” said Shariq Patel, CEO of Zee Studios. Pay Per View is a very old model. DTH platforms have this. You could also compare it with VCR which one hired in the eighties to watch movies; it is just that the mode of delivery has become digital. Interestingly, the popular IMDb gave Radhe, a rating of 1.7 – the lowest this season. Yet the brand pull of Salman Khan saw the movie reportedly gross over Rs 250 crore. This figure more than covers its production cost and earns the producers tidy profit. Only digital approach may not work for big ticket films. But there is no denying the fact that hybrid model is here to stay. One must commend Salman’s production house for innovative marketing and distribution of Radhe. He has shown the industry a new path. And perhaps his confidence stems from the fact that 50 million plus fans on social media will not let him down.
After the death of Himanshu Roy in 1940, one of the pioneers of Indian cinema and husband of Devika Rani, the burden of running Bombay Talkies side fell on his partner Sashadhar Mukherji, who also became a legend in his own lifetime. The new found responsibility saw Mukherji hiring directors to complete the film under his creative supervision. Last film he produced in Bombay Talkies was Kismat directed by Gyan Mukherjee starring Ashok Kumar, his brother-in-law and Mumtaz Shanti. It was in Kismat that he gave the ‘lost and found formula’ to Bollywood. Kismat’s release was at the backdrop of Quit India movement 1942. The film was ready for release when Mukherji got a novel idea to include a song that captures the country’s political sentiments. Lyricist Kavi Pradeep wrote the song Door Hato Aye Duniya Walo Hindustan Hamara Hai which became popular. At Mumbai’s Roxy Theatre, Opera House where the film was released, the audience gave a standing ovation to the song. People’s patriotism was aroused. The British authorities got jittery and police were asked to investigate everyone connected with the film. The song was so cleverly written that they couldn’t find anything objectionable. Kismat was his swan song at Bombay Talkies, post that Mukherji formed a cooperative and created Filmistan Studio with 11 partners — including Ashok Kumar, Kavi Pradeep, Madan Mohan’s father and othe
Thirty-five year old Shruti Haasan, Kamal Haasan’s elder daughter pirouetted into the arc lights with much promise…a child star, singer and multilingual artist, this apple has not fallen far from the tree…the legendary Kamal Haasan. Shruti inherited not just drop dead gorgeous looks from her actress mother Sarika, but also immense talent and electrifying screen presence from Kamal. But after 15 films, a few hits, some flops, she has yet to get that role of a lifetime and come anywhere near her father’s mesmerising performance in innumerable box office hits. What has held her back? Cinema trackers say that she has also inherited her dad’s famous talent for falling in and out of love with fleeting flings. At the start of her career, actor Siddharth was much touted as her arm candy. Seems her co-star and music partner Dhanush was also smitten by her. Then came Michael Corsale, Shruti’s London amour de cour. A South Indian firang wedding was almost on the drawing board. Shruti and Corsale broke up, and stories of her plunging into alcoholic nirvana were bandied around. Shruti herself admitted that she had to be hung out to dry. More than a year later, she emerged from the hibernation, radiant and ravishing. But a new beau is in the wings: Santanu Hazarika, tattoo and doodle artist from Assam. Shruti Haasan has Uber loads of talent. Will she get back on her promising film track?
There is a silver lining to be sighted even in poll defeat. Cinema fans are thrilled that two big stars of the silver screen have been denied a place in Tamil Nadu’s star-studded politics. While Rajinikanth left even before a single vote was cast, the thespian Kamal Haasan faces the same fate as Sivaji Ganesan in failing badly at the polls. Both matinee stars can now concentrate their energies on acting in the autumn of their film careers. Kamal Haasan’s party, formed in 2018, is facing an existential crisis after being wiped out electorally — 2.5% vote share and 0 seats — in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls. Kamal, at a loose end after the poll crash, confided to friends that he is free to pursue all his film projects while he intends to keep one eye on his political presence with statements on issues. Rajini, advised by the Marans to resist pressure from Delhi to take on a political avatar, will be acting in more Sun Films ventures after Annatthe. Kamal has Project 232, Indian 2 and Thalaivan Irukkindran to finish as well think of unfinished projects like Madhuranagayam which caused such a stir that even the British Queen visited the set. The one certainty to emerge from 2021 TN polls is that the cinema stars are totally free to act full time.
Sacred Games apart, the actor who, arguably set the OTT platform on fire is Pratik Gandhi with his 10-part web series Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story. Its signature tune went viral. So much so that Abhishek Bachchan’s movie The Big Bull evoked very poor response. Other actors making waves in the OTT world are: Jaideep Ahlawat, Abhishek Banerjee, Divyendu Sharma, Shobhita Dhulipala, Arjun Mathur and Amit Sial. As for film stars’ OTT entry, Abhishek, Saif Ali Khan, Amit Sadh, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Manoj Bajpayee, among others, could not attain the success of Pratik Gandhi or Jaideep Alhawat (Paatal Lok). During the first lockdown, the big screen stars and filmmakers resisted OTT release. Looking at the performance of films like Laxxmi, Coolie and Gulabo Sitabo, the OTT was labelled a dumping ground for films that would have failed at the box office. But, realizing that OTT is here to stay, the film makers are now sending Press Releases that mentions TRP ratings besides box office figures. Effectively, this TRP will measure Akshay Kumar or Pratik Gandhi by the same yardstick – pointing to a new litmus test for the concept of Superstars. OTT is a medium dominated by actors and not superstars. With OTT gaining currency even big ticket stars like Hrithik Roshan and Shahid Kapoor are getting ready to make digital debut. Salman Khan is also releasing his movie Radhe on OTT platform. OTT is the new way of life.
The second lockdown has hit Bollywood real hard. With shoots cancelled everybody from producers to spot boys have been financially impacted. To avoid further cost over-runs and meet with new release dates many producers are shooting in states where there are no lockdowns. Producer-actor Aamir Khan is no different. He missed the release date of Laal Singh Chaddha last Christmas because of lockdown beginning in March 2020, followed by Kareena Kapoor’s pregnancy and finally he tested positive. To make up for the lost time Aamir and his team are furiously shooting the war and climax scenes at Ladakh. The new release date is this Christmas – considered to be his lucky day. Salman Khan is no different. He too has the tradition of releasing all his movies on Eid. But, the second wave has delayed the release of Radhe directed by Prabhu Deva. Being Salman he knows how to market himself. He has appealed to his fans to watch Radhe which will be released on multiple platforms. And his fans never disappoint him. In the case of Shah Rukh Khan, he has been maintaining a deliberate low profile barring his social chats with acid victims via his Meer Foundation. Shah Rukh was shooting for Pathan in full swing but the second lockdown stopped it. However sets at both YRF Studio and Film City have been kept standing. Meanwhile, he is taking no chances; all ad films are shot at Mannat. What also kept him busy was watching IPL Season-14 before it was suspended.
Inderjeet Singh Johar, popularly known in Bollywood as IS Johar, was a versatile actor, writer, producer, and director. His talent took him to Hollywood where he acted in movies like Lawrence Of Arabia, Death On The Nile. But, for a man who made it big in Bollywood, he was deeply disturbed by the 1947 Partition as he was born in Talagang in Punjab in British India (which became a part of newly created Pakistan). The rape, murder of lakhs of Hindus shook him very badly. He felt such violence could be done by only those who have lost faith in God. So, he went to his mentor S Mukerji to make a film on a subject that could restore people’s faith in God. Mukerji read Johar’s script and told him, if you want to appeal to the masses then tweak the script; don’t take the problem head on but do it subtly. Heeding to his mentor’s advice, Johar rewrote the script and directed the film. Nastik, produced by S Mukerji (Filmistan) in 1954, is a film set against the backdrop of Partition with its ensuing riots and violence, and using actual footage of refugees. The movie was phenomenally successful at the box office and completed Golden Jubilee. Even today it is known for its “immortal” song Dekh Tere Sansar Ki Haalat Kya Ho Gayi Bhagwan, Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan. Married five times, Johar died in 1984 at the age of 64.
Generally speaking, no trip to Pune is complete without visiting one of the city’s oldest and best-known bakeries — Kayani Bakery — to buy Shrewsbury biscuits for families and friends. Set up in 1955 by two brothers Hormuzdiar and Khodayar Irani, the bakery has tickled the palate of millions of people from all walks of life. Not many know that one of the early fans and patrons of these unmistakable cookies was the tragedy king of Hindi screen, Dilip Kumar. He relished Shrewsbury biscuits. It was around 1970; Dilip Kumar was doing a BR Chopra movie Dastaan. Those days it was not easy for those passing out of the Film & Television Institute Of India (then Poona Film Institute) to get work in mainstream cinema. But sound recordist BK Chaturvedi was lucky to be picked by BR Films and given the assignment of Dastaan. During the course of shooting, when Dilip Kumar came to know that Chaturvedi had passed out of the FTII, he told him whenever you go to Pune get me Shrewsbury biscuits from Kayani Bakery. It was an honour for Chaturvedi that the legendary Dilip saab was making such a request. Since that day till the shooting of Dastaan was complete, Chaturvedi would religiously go to Pune to get biscuits for Dilip Kumar. On his part, the thespian actor would offer him tea in his lavish, impeccable style at his Pali Hill bungalow. So it was chai, biscuits and filmy charcha.
Versatile star Ranveer Singh seems thrilled after signing the Hindi remake of the 2005 hit Tamil movie Anniyan (dubbed version Aparichit). It shows. Immediately on his Instagram handle he wrote: “Proudly announcing my collaboration with the pioneering visionary of Indian cinema, the maverick master craftsman SHANKAR, powered by veteran film producer Dr Jayantilal Gada.” But the movie is already shrouded under controversy with the south producer S Ravichandran claiming that he owns the right to the film and the director Shankar cannot really sell the story of the film to Bollywood. The two producers – Gada and Ravichandran – are locked in a legal battle over the film rights so the chances of the film release date getting postponed cannot be ruled out. Meanwhile, various theories are floating around as to why Shankar and Ranveer came together for this remake. Some say Ranveer fell in love with script and was keen to make inroads in the south and this movie would be a perfect platform. Another theory doing the rounds is that Shankar was keen to sign Ranveer as he has not really worked with Bollywood’s leading stars save for Akshay Kumar and Anil Kapoor. But everybody agrees that Ranveer is the right man to play the lead role in the Bollywood remake – just like actor Vikram who played the lead role in the original Tamil film.
Is it starry tantrums, strategy, or success that saw Kartik Aaryan playing hide-and-seek with shooting dates for Dharma Production’s Dostana2. Infuriated by his alleged ‘indiscipline’, producer Karan Johar decided to scrap the film even though Rs 20 crore has been spent on shooting nearly 50% of the movie. The reason for this stalemate, say insiders, could be because Kartik has become hypochondriac after he got infected with Covid-19. So, giving into his demand, the shooting of the film was shifted from London to Rajasthan; a good portion was already shot in Chandigarh. Besides that, trade circles believe Kartik apparently had issues with the second half of the script and wanted changes. This is what got Karan Johar’s goat; he couldn’t take orders from newcomer Kartik. Besides Dostana2, he has cancelled two other projects with Kartik and blacklisted him. If this episode had happened in the south, the producers would have boycotted the star. Not, here. Bollywood producers are making beeline to Kartik’s house. Not surprising, in a short span of time this ‘outsider’ has risen to become Top 10. Currently, he has three films contract worth Rs 75 crore. Brand pundits say this episode will not erode his brand value. On the contrary, a number of big brands have signed him on. There is no disputing the fact that he is one of the most popular faces today. For now, Kartik is maintaining a studied silence even though Karan is getting heavily trolled by Twitteratis and the loudest voice being none than Kangana Ranaut.
The song, Why This Kolaveri Di sung by popular Tamil film hero Dhanush, rocked music lovers globally in 2011. Dhanush now has hit another big-time chart buster anthem that is sure to be a global foot tapper. Kandaa Vara Sollunga Karnana Kaiyoda Kuttivarunga belted out by an unknown folk singer, Kidakkuzhi Mariyammal, has already garnered five lakh hits in just under a month. Dhanush turns ballistic in this just released movie Karnan, a powerful story on caste oppression. Mariyammal’s powerful voice, the rustic flavour and her no pretensions attitude has cast a spell on the audience. It is as though the audience wants to see the movie just to savour the setting and touching folk poetry. The Dravidian Parai beat and the poignant lyrics have made this folk song haunting. Director Mari Selvaraj, composer Santosh Narayanan, and of course lead actor Dhanush are all basking in the popularity of the song and the singer. And another unplanned fallout, this song featured as a satirical election anthem for many campaigners who played it to taunt the opponent – “bring him if you see him”. Just shows that Indian polity and society has come off age. Oppression is showcased powerfully, with unforgettable narratives.
South’s diva, Nayanthara, the acknowledged female super star is worth all that big moolah paid to her. She has acted in over 75 films –in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam – and is the only south Indian female actor to have made it to the Forbes India Celebrity 100 2018 list. She is quite professional. She has not allowed her stormy love life to come in the way of hits like Naanum Rowdy Thaan, Aram, Ram Rajyam and Darbar. She has been in and out of love several times. Simbu and Prabhu Deva have gone through those revolving doors. Nayan turned wary and watchful after these breakups even as she held on to that top slot. And then came Director Vignesh Shivan. They have been in a relationship ever since they worked together in Naanum Rowdy Thaan. Nayan, it seems, is smitten by him. But the couple have still not announced wedding plans. Recently she was offered a whopping Rs 10 crore for an OTT movie. But when she heard the script and some over-the-top scenes in the movie, she coolly turned down the drool worthy offer. Has she finally found her anchor in Vignesh Shivan?
The untimely death of Sushant Singh Rajput last June kicked off a national debate about nepotism and outsider vs insider in Bollywood. The uncharitable lines one heard was: “Oh! Karan Johar is the son of a successful producer Yash Johar; Aditya Chopra is the son of an eminent director Yash Chopra; Sonakshi is daughter of a super star Shatrugan Sinha; Ranbir comes from the most celebrated Kapoor family so on and so forth. And this is why they made it big! Actually, all these so-called “insiders” had skills, which was a cut above the rest and proved their mettle to emerge successful in their own rights. Pedigree gave them entry, but it does not guarantee success. Or else how do you explain sons and daughters of successful stars not being able to make a mark. What about Feroz Khan’s son Fardeen; what about Abhishek Bachchan? What about BR Chopra’s son Ravi Chopra? What about the sons of Guru Dutt? What about the sons of Chetan Anand and Dev Anand? In the cricket world one can think of Sunil Gavaskar’s son Rohan and Kumar Mangalam Birla’s son Aryaman. The list is endless. People forget that in any creative field or even in sports it is the performance that finally speaks. Of course, luck too plays a major role. Rajendra Kumar may not have been considered a great actor but he was popularly known as Jubilee Kumar as all his movies ran for 25 weeks in theatres.
The Shammi Kapoor-Sharmila Tagore starrer Kashmir Ki Kali directed by Shakti Samanta was not only a box office hit but also renowned for its popular songs composed by OP Nayyar and sung by Mohammed Rafi. Remember the famous number, Yeh Chand Sa Roshan Chehra, shot on Dal Lake shikara which became an eternal boat ballet to remember with the song reaching a striking crescendo – Tareef Krun Kya Uski Jisne Tujhe Banaya What’s not known to many is an interesting story behind the song. At the recording studio, as is customary, the hero, Shammi Kapoor, was present. But he did not like the way music director OP Nayyar had composed the song – especially the end part of it. Being a popular star, Shammi Kapoor requested Nayyar if he could quicken the pace of the song at the end to a crescendo and sync the last line Tareef Karun Kya Uski with the music. Nayyar, it seems, turned down Shammi’s suggestion. Seeing a sulking Shammi, Rafi saab asked him what the matter was. Shammi told Rafi saab about his suggestion and how Nayyar saab refused to entertain him. Rafi was convinced; he told Nayyar saab, “Looks like Shammi has something in his mind as to how he will perform on this song. Why not listen to him and compose the ending as per his wish.” With Rafi also making a request, Nayyar relented. The picturisation is dramatic as you see Shammi serenading Sharmila in the middle of the Dal Lake, as she’s rowing her shikara, full of flowers. The performance has become immortal. What would have happened had Nayyar saab not given in?
Once upon a time in Bollywood, there were only popular actors like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand. Then, there was no concept of superstars till Rajesh Khanna burst onto the scene like a tsunami, giving seven hits in a row. He was a phenomenon, a rage who whipped up mass hysteria wherever he went. People emulated his hair style and mannerisms. Every girl wanted to marry him. Sadly, Kaka could not hold on to his title for long. Soon, he was dethroned by Amitabh Bachchan with his angry young man image. Big B, as he is popularly known, held the title for nearly three decades. Bachchan’s spell continued till the coming of the Khans – Shah Rukh (SRK), Salman and Aamir. During this time, Bollywood movies were going global, and this worked for SRK like magic. He became the heart throb for the younger generation world over. Everybody drooled over him. King Khan had arrived ruling the heart, mind and wallet space. Even as he continued to hold his sway, Hrithik Roshan entered the scene with Kaho Naa Pyar Hai. This movie made him an overnight sensation. Old cinema buffs say the frenzy around Hrithik is reminiscent of Rajesh Khanna’s days. Now, everybody is asking who will be the next superstar after Hrithik? Today, there are exceptionally talented actors like Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Tiger Shroff and Kartik Aaryan but they haven’t really made that super impact. According to industry observers, in this digital age with multiple platforms, stardom has got so fragmented that there may be no next superstar in the immediate future.
Remember childlike, seductive and that infectious smile of Dev Anand with that small gap in his upper left denture that sent women swooning. What became a selling point was actually a bone of contention between Dev Saheb and his director. Well, it’s a ‘painful’ story. Dev Anand got the first break in the movie because of his smile. Baburao Pai, producer of Prabhat Films part of the Pune-based Prabhat Studio (founded by the likes of VG Damle and V Shantaram was), was mesmerized by Dev’s smile and signed him to play a hero’s role. But, when the shooting began director PL Santoshi (father of Rajkumar Santoshi) and the cameraman did not like the gap in Dev’s teeth. It ‘looked odd’, they both felt, in close-up shots. So, it was suggested Dev put cotton buds and fill the gap. After few days of shooting the gum got infected and Dev Saheb could not bear the pain and he complained. Giving to hero’s complaints, the cotton buds were removed and it was status quo ante. The smile took him more than a mile. No wonder he was called the Evergreen Hero till he passed away in 2011 at the age of 88 in London.
Bollywood camp seems to be divided over some of the winners of the 67th National Film Awards for 2019. Kangana Ranaut, who bagged the National Award for Best Actor for Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, and Panga, is being compared to Priyanka Chopra’s performance in The Sky Is Pink. Similarly, some veteran critics are comparing Sushant Singh Rajput starrer Chhichhore that won the coveted award with their own choices: Section 375, Art 15, Batla House and Uri: The Surgical Strike. The Jury could have selected from one of these four films, the seasoned critics hold, suspecting that the awards are being given to score political brownie points. All awards, be it national or independent ones, attract such endless criticism. This brings to mind the story told to the undersigned by the Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner Manoj Kumar aka Mr Bharat. His movie Upkar (1967) was a runaway hit. Mr Bharat got a call from a babu in New Delhi to attend the National Films Awards function at Vigyan Bhavan as his film Upkar was the winner. When the announcement was made, he found much to his dismay that a south Indian film had bagged the award and his film got the Award for the Second-Best Feature Film. Seeing a visibly irritated Manoj Kumar, the babu, in question, quickly whispered into his ears: “Sir, please understand the politics of balancing!” After reluctantly collecting the medal, Manoj Kumar quietly walked out, went to the refugee camp in Delhi where he had grown up (after Partition 1947), and threw the medal into a nullah.
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.
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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.