The re-release of Sanam Teri Kasam, a 2016 romantic drama starring debutants Harshvardhan Rane and Mawra Hocane,has been surrounded by an intriguing wave of drama and fanfare. Recently, a passionate group of fans gathered outside the office of producer Deepak Mukut, accompanied by actor Harshvardhan Rane, fervently urging him to re-release the film. In a surprising turn of events, Mukut not only confirmed the film’s re-release but also announced a sequel, generating significant buzz in the industry. Initially launched to lacklustre box office performance, Sanam Teri Kasam was deemed a disaster upon its first release. However, the film’s soundtrack, featuring hit songs, kept it alive in conversations, gradually transforming it into a cult favorite. Now, with its re-release across 400 to 500 screens, Sanam Teri Kasam finds itself in direct competition with two fresh titles: Loveyappa, starring Junaid Khan and Khushi Kapoor, and Himesh Reshammiya’s Badass Ravi Kumar. Interestingly, while both new films struggled to make a significant impact at the box office, Sanam Teri Kasam has shown promising advance bookings, leading many exhibitors to consider increasing its showtimes over the weekend. This resurgence is particularly noteworthy for a film that was initially dismissed, highlighting a curious trend in the industry where previously overlooked content receives a second chance. Adding to the irony, the film’s popular music was composed by Himesh Reshammiya, who is simultaneously competing with his own project, underscoring the unpredictable nature of audience preferences and the evolving landscape of Bollywood.

In recent times, Bollywood has seen a noticeable shift, with many newcomers struggling to leave a lasting impression on audiences. This decline can be traced back to a variety of factors, including the selection of projects that fail to resonate with viewers. Gone are the days when iconic films like Betaab, which introduced Sunny Deol or Rocky which launched Sanjay Dutt, captivated audiences and launched the careers of these stars. So too Jackie Shroff with Hero. In contrast, today’s newcomers like Suraj Pancholi, Siddhant Kapoor and Sasha Agha find themselves lost in films that do not provide them with the platform to showcase their talents effectively. The recent film Azaad featuring Aaman Devgan and Rasha Thadani serves as a case in point. Aaman Devgn, nephew of Ajay Devgn has struggled to make a significant impact, while Raveena Tandon’s daughter Rasha Thadani managed to capture some attention with her performance. Many of the films do not offer the newcomers a fair opportunity to shine; often focusing more on star power than on storytelling. For instance, in Azaad, the narrative centres around the titular horse rather than the lead pair, which diminishes the impact of the human characters. This misalignment can lead to a lack of engagement from the audience, making it difficult for the actors to connect with viewers. Aaman’s performance, despite being camera-friendly, lacks the emotional depth and histrionics that are often necessary to truly engage the audience. In contrast, Rasha stands out with her strong screen presence and impressive dance moves, showcasing a talent that could potentially elevate her career. Ultimately, even when a film does not resonate with audiences, a standout performance can create opportunities for newcomers to prove themselves.

The perception that January is a challenging month for the film industry is not without merit. Historically, this month has often been viewed as a “jinx” for film releases, primarily due to the post-holiday dynamics that affect audience behaviour and box office performance. As people transition from the festive season to their regular routines, several factors contribute to the underperformance of films released in January. Films released in December often enjoy extended viewership due to the holiday season, leaving little room for new releases.  Several films released in January have struggled to resonate with audiences, reinforcing the notion that this month is not ideal for cinematic success. For instance, Chhapak, which was released in January 2020, faced challenges at the box office despite its critical acclaim and social relevance. Similarly, in January 2023, films like Fighter and Mai Atal Hu failed to garner the expected audience turnout, highlighting a consistent trend of underwhelming performances during this month. The recent January releases, such as Emergency, featuring Kangana Ranaut, and Fateh, starring Sonu Sood, also struggled to find traction despite significant promotional efforts. This pattern suggests that even with star power and marketing campaigns, films released in January may face an uphill battle to attract viewers. Given the historical challenges associated with January releases, filmmakers and studios may need to reconsider their marketing and timing strategies. To mitigate the risks associated with January releases, studios could explore alternative strategies, such as targeting specific demographics or leveraging unique marketing campaigns that resonate with the post-holiday mindset. As the film industry continues to evolve, understanding the dynamics of audience behaviour and timing will be crucial for maximizing box office potential.

Come to think of it, one does not really see yesteryear popular stars like Reena Roy or Jaya Prada getting publicity…save for some guest appearances on reality shows. The same cannot be said of the 70-year old husky sexy popular star Rekha. From time to time she is visible in the social media space and makes dramatic appearances at the big event. The paparazzi loves her because she has struck a good chemistry with them…goes that extra mile to pose for them. But ironically, she is not friendly with any journalists. That’s why you only see her…don’t read her interview. An insider said, “She is a costly affair when she agrees to participate in an event or award function and goes into details like Amitabh Bachchan.”  Rekha who has acted in more than 180 films is nostalgic, mystical and continues to have a big draw wherever she goes. Just recently she was spotted at Raj Kapoor’s 100th birthday celebration. Here too the actress pleased all the paps… even gave a photo of Raj Kapoor sweet kiss. Sources say she is keen to get back to acting. Any Bollywood producers listening?

As Hrithik Roshan completes 25 years in the films, another 8 star kids are set to enter Bollywood. Starting this month are Ajay Devgn’s nephew Aaman Devgn and Raveena Tandon’s daughter Rasha Thadani who is already a social media star even before her launch in Azaad. Saif Ali Khan’s son Ibrahim has been making news for dating Shweta Tiwari’s daughter Palak even before the release of his first film. Ibrahim who has assisted Karan Johar has three films that are under production and will see his debut in this year. One cannot miss Ishq co-stars Aamir Khan and Ajay Devgn at the launch party of director Indra kumar’s son Aman whose  debut film Tera Yaar Hoon Main will be directed by Milap Zaveri. Sanjay Kapoor’s daughter Shanaya Kapoor who was to be launched by Karan Johar will have to wait longer as that movie has been put on hold but she will hit the big screen in Mohanlal starrer Vrushabha. She has been doing studio rounds for the last four years. Ananya Pandey’s cousin Ahan Pandey has been waiting in the wings to be launched by YRF and hopefully it will happen this year. Veer Pahariya, grandson of veteran Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde will be seen in Skyforce with Akshay kumar. Last year we saw star kids in Archies which was a disaster but both Khushi Kapoor and Vedang Raina have bagged movies. Khushi will be in Loveyappa with Junaid Khan, Aamir Khan’s son who made his debut in Maharaj. For star kids getting entry into Bollywood is easy. But, how many can make it big like Hrithik, Aamir, Kajol and Ranbir?

Salman Khan is undeniably one of the most iconic figures in the Indian film industry whose impact transcends mere box office statistics. With a career that spans over three decades, his films–regardless of critical reception — frequently surpass the Rs 100-crore mark signifying his extraordinary appeal and star power. Throughout his illustrious career, Salman Khan has found himself at the centre of numerous controversies and has come unscathed. With a net worth estimated at around Rs 2,900 crore, he is an immensely sought-after star for brand endorsements. However, in recent years, his forays into guest appearances in films such as Baby John, Singham Again, Godfather and Antim have not garnered the kind of response one might expect from the audience. While his cameo in Pathaan was well-received, his lead role in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan released on Eid, faced significant criticism and was largely snubbed by both critics and fans alike. Looking ahead, the anticipation surrounding his upcoming film Sikandar is palpable. Directed by AR Murugadoss, this film marks a significant moment in his career, as it will be his first mainstream lead release following Tiger 3. Sikandar represents a pivotal juncture in his career, especially after a series of mixed receptions for his recent projects. Rumours are rife that he is in talks with well-known south director Atlee. Despite his immense charisma and dedicated fan base, a pressing question lingers in the face of ongoing controversies, and the challenges posed by a rapidly evolving industry: whether Sallu bhai at 59 can still captivate the new generation of moviegoers?

This video of Varun Dhawan’s interaction with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the Aaj Tak Agenda 2024 event has gone viral wherein he respectfully said people call Amit Shah “Chanakaya in politics but I would like to call Amit Shah, the Hanuman of country as he serves the nation selflessly.” Loud clap and applause followed and this is what the 37-year old actor is hoping that his Christmas release movie Baby John too will get at the theatres. According to Girish Wankhede, Trade Analyst, “For Varun the movie holds immense significance, marking a pivotal moment in his career.” The Christmas season release is a prestigious window for Bollywood which historically has been graced by all Khans — Aamir (Dangal, PK, Dhoom 3), Salman (Dabangg 2, Dabangg 3) and Shah Rukh Khan (Don 2, Dilwale). Varun who entered Bollywood in 2012 with Karan Johar’s Student Of The Year was lucky to have 11 consecutive box-office successes between 2012 and 2018.  Post that he has faced numerous challenges. Despite his commendable cameos in films like Stree 2 and Munjya, his recent projects — such as Bhediya, Bawal and Jugjugg Jeeyo have struggled to make a significant impact at the box office. With a few flops like October and Sui Dhaaga in his filmography, it’s clear that he has not experienced a major hit since the successes of Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Judwaa 2. This makes the Christmas release of Baby John not just another film for Varun, but potentially a game-changing opportunity that could redefine his standing in the industry feels Wankhede.

Making his appearance on a reality show Indian Idol the 50-year old Fardeen Khan, son of successful actor-producer Feroz Khan, looked boyish and subdued. Indeed, he has quietly made a comeback on the big screen and OTT after 14 years of self-imposed exile. Although he was signed by Sanjay Gupta for Visfot which took a really long time to release as there were no takers for Gupta’s films; Covid-19 was the main culprit. But it helped Fardeen who got a chance to work with one of the biggest OTT shows Heeramandi directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali which signalled his comeback in 2024. This was followed by Khel Khel Mein with Akshay Kumar which didn’t do well. But Fardeen who played the role of gay man certainly impressed the audiences and critics in a big way. Fardeen made his debut in 1998 with Prem Aggan. Post that he signed up for several films. Overall his career graph did not pick up. In 2010 after the release of Dulha Mil Gaya he took a break from acting. During this long hiatus he worked on his craft. Fardeen who was married to yesteryear actor Mumtaz’s daughter Natasha now separated has a daughter and son. He often brings his children to the sets. Currently, he is working with Akshay Kumar in Housefull 6 which is set for 2025 release. He may have missed out on No Entry Mein Entry. Will Feroz Khan’s son make a big impact in his second innings?

Are the re-runs slowly becoming a revenue model both for producers and exhibitors who have been grappling to bring back the audiences to cinema halls? Diwali turned out to be decent but then again we are gone back to re-release of films. Shah Rukh Khan’s Veer Zara re-release has been appreciated. Rakesh Roshan plans a re-release of Karan Arjun with a huge number of screens after 30 years of its release. This again has Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan coming together for the first time on screen. SRK’s Kal Ho Naa Ho and Pardes too are re-releasing in cinemas. Those in the trade feel that re-release of Tumbbad, Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein and Laila Majnu have given courage to producers to cash on re-runs. The re-runs have stirred both excitement and curiosity. Traditionally, re-releases were reserved for timeless classics, but now more recent films are being revived, prompting questions: Is this trend purely nostalgic, or is there a deeper strategy at play? According to Trade Analyst Saurabh Varma, the re-release phenomenon is benefiting the cinema industry in multiple ways. For producers, re-releasing films is a cost-effective option. The marketing and distribution expenses are far lower than for new releases. Re-releases tap into the large fan bases of iconic films, giving long-time fans a chance to relive their favourite stories on the big screen. Furthermore, these revivals provide a unique opportunity for younger viewers who may have missed these films during their initial release. The combination of nostalgia and iconic music resonates deeply with audiences.

Vidya Balan struck Bollywood like a tornado in Parineeta having debuted in 2003 with a Bengali film Bhale Thaco …this South Indian star raved by audiences for her acting and beauty struck a chord. Another Hema, Rekha, Padmini, Vyjayantimala? Vidya has her unique magnetism and left behind her signature in every role. Then it happened …actually it had been building up kilo by kilo …her weight gain overshadowed all else. Though she faced body shaming with determination, even as she claimed that she had overwhelming hormonal issues. But in a super charged fashion and style world where the Manish Malhotras and Tarun Tahilianis who designed for super trim beauties, Vidya had to regain her trim figure. And you know how she lost weight, leading to OMG gasps and wonderment? As stylishly as she handled an on stage fall, oops moment while performing a dance number with Madhuri Dixit for the promo of Bhool Bhulaiya 3. Even as Vidya performed intricate Bharata Natyam steps, she just fell…and raised herself stylishly and carried on, almost as if it was a dance move. Vidya now basks in admiration for her weight loss which was through the diet change that she credits — Anura, a health center that helped her to identify her particular “inflammation” prone body response to sluggish metabolism. The born again Vidya is chirpy and cheerful and fans are going to see a lot more of the new Vidya.

Thirty-eight year old actor-director-politician Kangana Ranaut has been courting controversy on both political and professional front ever since she was elected BJP MP from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh. Her directorial venture Emergency where she plays the role of Indira Gandhi faces flak from both the Sikh community over depiction of Operation Blue Star and the Congress party over her portrayal of Indira Gandhi. The film, where she has a producer sunk a lot of money, is yet to get clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification as CBFC has received too many legal notices over the movie’s release. This delay is taking a toll on her finances. Apparently, she had mortgaged her properties to produce this film, and release delay has resulted in her selling one of her bungalows in the upscale Bandra suburb. The actress who does not have support from the fraternity needs a hit which has been eluding her for some time. Her last nine films have done well at the box office. People who have seen rushes of Emergency say the movie will do well. Meanwhile, politician Kangana seems to have irked her party leaders by speaking against the farmers twice in the last four months. So much so, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia commented, “Kangana Ranaut is not authorised to make such a statement on behalf of BJP and it doesn’t depict BJP’s view on the farm bills. We disapprove of this statement.” And falling in line, she too tweeted, “My views on farmer’s laws are personal and they don’t represent the party’s stand on those Bills.”

Controversy seems to be the middle name of this 38-year old Queen of Bollywood. Once again actor-director-politician Kangana Ranaut is making headlines over soon-to-be released movie, Emergency where she plays the role of Indira Gandhi. Even as she hops from news channel to news channel promoting her movie and giving her version of the story, the political parties like Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have sought a ban on the movie. Looks like she is a proxy for hitting the BJP.  SAD, which has sent her a legal notice wants Kangana to delete a scene which shows Indira Gandhi being assassinated by Sikh security guard.. Surprisingly, even though her party BJP is backing her, the movie is yet to receive the go ahead from the Central Board of Film Certification. Most of her movies in the last few years have not done well. Nearly six of her movies like Katti Batti, Simran Panga and Tejas have not got big numbers at the box office. According to Trade Analyst, Girish Wankhede Emergency does not look strong enough to resurrect her career. Reportedly, she has decided to quit films after being elected from the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency. It is learnt that more than Rs 80-90 crore is riding on Emergency. A hardcore nationalist, Kangana who speaks her mind and not bothered of consequences has been told by her party to not to give comments on any issues.  

 This 37–year old Bollywood actress quietly made a big splash. Shraddha Kapoor’s latest film Stree 2 has drowned both John Abraham’s Vedaa (Rs 10.5 crore) and Akshay Kumar’s Khel Khel Mein (Rs 9.95 crore) in the box office. In three days Stree 2’s collection was Rs 100 crore… Rs 150 crore on the fourth day. Movie critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweets “Indeed, #Stree2 is rewriting the rules of the game”.  Bollywood watchers say she can well be called the franchise queen. Shraddha, daughter of Shakti Kapoor, who has acted in over 38 films entered Bollywood in 2010 with Teen Patti followed it with her first leading role in the teen drama Luv Ka The End (2011). She is considered Alia Bhatt’s rival in a way. She has acted with all the big heroes. She was in Aashiqui 2 produced by Mahesh Bhatt, Street Dancer with her childhood crush Varun Dhawan and Baaghi with Tiger Shroff. In the last three–four years Shradda –– the second most–followed Indian actor on Instagram –– has made a big impression with her fans. It started with Stree (2018), Chhichhore (2019) and Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar (2023) and the action thriller Saaho (2019). Besides acting, she, like Alia Bhatt has hummed quite a few numbers. One of India’s highest–paid actresses, she has been featured in Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list since 2014. She endorses several brands and has her own line of clothing. Trade Analyst Girish Wankhede says Shraddha is at the top of the game with the stupendous success of Stree2. The franchise has rejuvenated her stardom after series of average hit films.

There has always been a love-hate relationship between the Bollywood stars and scribes. Not to forget the paparazzi. A seasoned journalist covering the industry for over three decades was shocked and surprised to see the way stars are snapping at journos and their menacing tone these days. This seems more pronounced in the past few months. At the press conference of John Abraham-Sharvari starrer Vedaa, John was visibly annoyed when a reporter asked him whether he was playing safe by doing the same kind of roles. In the case of Akshay Kumar, he is avoiding giving interviews …and he is very selective to which journalist he will speak to. Before journos ask for consecutive failure of his films, Akshay preempts them and says “only five films” have flopped. But, he forgets the crores of rupees producers have lost. One producer had to put his office on the block to pay his entire crew. And the new trend is all stars are asking reporters to give questions in advance. Inspite of that Sanjay Dutt at a press conference over UK denying him visa made a boo-boo in one of the answers to a question, why he was signing for villain’s role these days? And it seems Ajay Devgn avoids promoting films and his latest movie with Tabu Auron Mein Kahan Dum saw a meagre collection of Rs 10 crore in the first eight days. Most of the Bollywood stars need to understand that they need to connect with the media to connect with their ‘audiences’. It is clear banning or shunning the media does not work for stars or scribes. In the eighties Big B had banned media for nearly a decade but finally smoked a peace pipe.

They are no longer behind the scene players. The spotlight is on them too.  A case in point is Shah Rukh Khan’s manager Pooja Dadlani, besides film dos she was seen with SRK in most IPL matches. In Bollywood, the role of secretary has metamorphosed into manager. The whole dynamics has changed with manager/professional agency handling stars. Film historian Dilip Thakur says, “Back then, the secretaries knew how the film industry functioned and worked in such a way that the entire industry benefited.” Today it seems a mercenary approach, the agencies are interested in seeing that stars fees are 40% of the budget of a film. This is one of the reasons many films are bombing. A few decades back, the star’s secretary played a different role. They ensured that their star bosses are projected well. They did not think of money. When Big B returned after quitting politics, his secretary Sheetal Jain managed to organise three muhurats in a day at Mehboob Studios. And the films were Hum, Agnipath and Luv Kush. For creating buzz around Amitabh all the credit goes to Sheetal. Rajesh Khanna’s secretary Gurnaam made sure he picked the right script; she had a role to play in his super stardom. After her death, Kaka’s career plunged. Rikku Rakesh Nath who made careers of Madhuri Dixit, Shilpa Shirodkar and Anil Kapoor also ensured that some of his star clients who had no films (read jobless) got one or two films. That speaks of his clout, commitment and dedication. Sridevi’s secretary Hari Singh went that extra mile to ensure she was presented well, bagged meaty roles, and managed to get her to the No 1 position at a time when Madhuri Dixit was ruling the roost. Today, many secretaries/managers have evolved further –turned producers albeit with the backing of the stars.

One remembers Rishabh Shetty reacting to a question, if Kantara should be remade in Hindi. “Why should it be made in Hindi when I have already made it,” came the pat reply.  Today, the success record of remakes in Hindi is only going down. Sarfira, Selfiee and Shehzada have flopped miserably. Why does Bollywood opt for remakes when there is so much original content waiting to be made? Once upon a time dubbing was not entertained with the theatre flocking audiences. Then, audiences accepted remakes and it became a hit. For example, Vinod Khanna-Shatrughan Sinha starrer Mera Apne was a remake of Bengali hit Apanjan. Rajesh Khanna-Hema Malini starrer Prem Nagar was a remake of Telugu movie Prema Nagar. Cut to the digital era, all movies are dubbed globally…and audiences have no reservations watching Bhojpuri or Telugu or Korean movies. According to Trade Analyst Girish Wankhede, there are four reasons why remakes of regional films do not work today. First, the OTT platform comprises the original content which is pushed on in all languages and its reach is mind-boggling. There is no novelty left when remakes are made. Tamil film Soorarai Pottru starring Suriya was a big hit and popular on OTT platforms too. When Bollywood made Sarfira’ majority of people had already watched it on OTT. Second, dubbed versions of South Indian blockbusters are shown on TV whose reach is astronomical. Audiences in the North are aware of the popularity of Jr NTR, Suriya, Prithviraj, Vikram and others. Third, no marketing of remakes. Fourth, sometimes the essence is lost in remakes. Marathi hit Sairat was remade in Hindi but the Hindi movie Dhadak dropped certain crucial parts as a result it flopped.

Looks like the 56-year old Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar is losing his Midas touch going by total collections of Rs 17 crore for his latest movie Sarfira. The film, a remake of Tamil movie Soraru Puttru, was based on the life of Captain Gopinath of Air Deccan fame. In fact, its budget was much less than Akshay Kumar’s film. Post Covid-19 pandemic the first Hindi film to be released was Akshay Kumar’s Sooryavanshi directed by Rohit Shetty with Ranveer Singh, Ajay Devgn in the star cast. It did well at the box office opening with Rs 25 crore. But after that Bachchan Pandey spelt disaster at the box office and opened with just Rs 13crore. From then on films like Samrat Prithviraj, Raksha Bandhan failed miserably. He bounced back with Ram Setu and OMG 2 which did decent business at the box office. OMG 2 which was a hit had Pankaj Tripathi in the main lead but the actor was appreciated for his role as Shiva. As a producer he had to battle with CBFC for release of the film as it had given it A certification.There were Selfie, Mission Raniganj which opened at Rs 2.80cr which was better than Sarfira. Mission Raniganj earned Rs 33 crore while Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’s failure almost shut Vashu Bhagnani’s office. Sources say Akshay has not signed any new films and has reduced his price by 50%. But, the actor has quite a few films in production. Khel Khel Mein is with Taapsee Pannu and Vani Kapoor and directed by Mudassar Aziz who does not have a great track record. The only hope for Akshay is Housefull 5. Maybe his South sojourn could salvage his career. 

  It was the wedding of the century. And as usual the entire Bollywood made sure they marked their attendance at the Ambani wedding. All were there with their families and they really let their hair down. There are a few observations that one saw at the wedding. For starters, the paparazzi, who are often not treated well by the top stars, were pleasantly surprised by the respect accorded to them by Bollywood folks. It looked as though the Ambanis had told them to cooperate with the paparazzi. Shah Rukh Khan who was again seen with his green umbrella covering his face to avoid being papped the next day after the wedding had posed not once but twice at the wedding with the proper salaam to the members of the media. Amitabh Bachchan was spotted waiting for his turn to pose in front of the media while cricketer MS Dhoni posed. Someone like Madhuri Dixit danced to Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai number. In fact, Salman who is very fond of Anant Ambani made sure even Shah Rukh Khan danced instead of standing and watching others dance. A photograph of Salman Khan and Arjun Kapoor together has gone viral as generally Sallu bhai prefers to stay away from Arjun. All said and done, almost all the top actors and actresses from the film industry participated in Ambani’s wedding whole-heartedly. In fact, all of them had blocked dates for the three Ambani events that took place in the last few months.

Whoever watched Kalki 2898AD is all praise for Amitabh Bachchan …for his role as Ashwathama. And interestingly, the box office numbers prove that Big B is a big draw. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted that Kalki2898AD is the third Telugu film, dubbed in Hindi, after Baahubali2 and RRR to cross the Rs 200-crore mark in 10 days. Big B who has worked in over 248 films — 12 waiting to be released – hasn’t really got this kind of response to his films in recent times. In the last few years he acted in a number of multi-starrers like Unnchai, Goodbye, Runway 24 and Jhund but none of them impressed the audience save for Brahmastra. Bachchan, at 81, seems to be a big draw as he is constantly reinventing himself. At the peak of his career in the 70s, 80s, he with his angry young man image was a phenomenon; a one-man industry whose name drew the audience to theatres. Then on the advice of an investment banker he set up ABCL which drove him to bankruptcy. He got a lifeline from the late Subrata Roy of Sahara Group and a break in small screen to host Kaun Banega Crorepati?  On TV Salman Khan may be getting bigger money than Bachchan but the kind of respect Big B commands after hosting KBC is unbelievable and it continues for two decades now. According to an election affidavit, he and his wife Jaya Bachchan’s combined net worth is Rs 1,578 crore. Industry observer Girish Wankhede says, “Mr Bachchan rewrote the history with his performance and the enormous box office numbers consolidate his eternal domination. He has been the king of box office in the past and with Kalki 2898AD, he is again back with the bang.”  Big B has proved that age is just a number.

Bollywood’s successful producer Vashu Bhagnani is cash-strapped and has put one of his properties on the block. Reportedly, he has not paid Rs 65 lakhs to his crew who worked in three of his films. Besides has also not paid the stars like Akshay Kumar who has agreed to wait. Incidentally, most of his films in recent times starring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff have bombed at the box office. In the case of Akshay, all his four films with Vashu have done badly. Industry insiders say a film bombs because of poor script or high cost of stars or lavish production cost. It is an open secret that some of the popular stars take about 40% of the cost of production of the film.  Vashu Bhagnani who entered Bollywood in 1995 has given a series of superhits, so it’s surprising he landed in a financial mess. He invested about Rs 1,000 crore in Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan Mission Raniganj, Ganpath and Cutputli. But earnings have been very poor. Also, signing big stars does not guarantee box office success. In the past Raj Kapoor landed in financial trouble after Mera Naam Joker flopped; Prakash Mehra after Bal Brahmachari and Zindagi Ek Jua and Manmohan Desai after Anmol and Toofan. But, these producers failed not because of the high cost of stars but because the audience did not like their stories. In the case of Bhagnani’s high cost of stars is also one of the reasons. There is surround sound that actors should cut their price. Will they?

  In his career spanning over 40 years, the 67-year old Anil ‘Jhakas’ Kapoor has smartly kept out of controversy. But, in recent times found himself dragged into two controversies. He is being trolled for agreeing to host Bigg Boss OTT, a reality show which has become synonymous with Salman Khan. Bhai’s fans are mightily upset that Anil has replaced Sallu Bhai in one of the most controversial reality shows. Anil is not perturbed by criticisms and trolls.  Meanwhile, he seems to be in the news for other reasons — fallout with his elder brother Boney Kapoor. Sources say that producer Boney has decided to cast his son Arjun Kapoor in the sequel No Entry Mein Entry without informing Anil and this has upset him. But when some reporters quizzed Anil, he quickly responded “Ghar Ki Baat Ghar mein hi rehne do”. Anil, one of the non-controversial actors in Bollywood, has acted in over 100 films and his career graph, like Dharmendra, Jeetendra, has been steady. The actor is constantly reinventing himself to keep in sync with changing times. He is identified for some of the interesting roles he essayed in Hindi films like Mr India, Mashaal, Tezaab, Ram Lakhan, Nayak, Welcome, English movie Slumdog Millionaire and English TV serial 24. As regards to his producer brother, he has worked with him in over nine films and has acted opposite Sridevi, his sister in law in eight films.

Thirty-seven year old popular Bollywood star Sonakshi Sinha is being trolled for getting married to her Muslim boyfriend.  Reportedly, her family also does not seem very happy about her marriage to Zaheer Iqbal, an actor who was launched by Salman Khan but did not make it big in the tinsel world. Incidentally, Sonakshi was also launched by Salman Khan in Dabangg. Actually, her family’s reaction is surprising because the news she was dating Iqbal has been mentioned in the media off and on.. Be that as it may. But nothing will stop Sonakshi from marrying the man who she has been dating for seven years now. Media reports claim that her father Shatrughan Sinha and brothers were taken by surprise about the wedding date and they have blessed her through the media. But Sonakshi is not the first or the last actress to rebel against their parents.  In the past too stars have rebelled or eloped and got married. The Maine Pyaar Kiya girl Bhagyashree married Himalaya Dasani as her parents did not approve of him. Bhagyashree comes from a royal family and the family felt the status did not match. Aamir Khan and Reena Dutta had a quiet marriage as their families did not approve of the relationship. Gurmeet Chaudhary and Debina only had friends who attended their wedding and kept it under wraps for many years.  And not many know that Jennifer Kendall left her family to be with Shashi Kapoor and later had a traditional Hindu wedding.

Did you know that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was supposed to play Mastani in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani but turned down the offer when she realised Salman Khan would play Bajirao. The reason she had turned the offer –the movie was a box office hit – was her real life romance had turned sour.  Salman Khan and Aishwarya who had fallen in love on the sets of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam split and the actress didn’t want to work with him anymore.  Bhansali’s next choice was Kareen Kapoor instead he approached Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone. The rest is history. The duo who fell in love and got married became Bhansali’s favourite; they worked in three super hit films Ram Leela, Bajirao Mastani and Padmavat. Somebody’s loss is somebody’s gain. Likewise Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor started dating while working on Jab We Met and they broke up by the time the film was completed. Reason: Kareena fell in love with Saif Ali Khan while shooting with him for Tashan. The two did not work until Udta Punjab in which they were cast opposite different actors, not each other. Ranbir Kapoor who was dating Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif finally married Alia Bhatt. Both he and Deepika conducted themselves in a very dignified and professional manner and did not let their personal relationship come in the way of promotion of Tamasha.  In the past Raveena Tandon and Shilpa Shetty were dating Akshay Kumar but post their split, they never worked in each other’s films.  Likewise Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit never worked with each other after Dutt went to jail.

  Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan makes his debut with Maharaja that will be released on OTT. Guess what, Junaid already has completed shooting for his second film even before his debut film releases. Clearly, those are the perks of being a star kid. Both the films that Junaid has worked in have been produced by outside banners — Yash Raj Films and Phantom Studio have a good equation with Aamir Khan. Junaid hasn’t really been trolled for being Aamir Khan’s son. Probably because he is well behaved on the sets and with Paps. Reportedly, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s niece Sharmin Segal got trolled for bagging the central part in Heeramandi series. Tongues were wagging that she landed the role because of being Bhansali’s niece. But, the truth is she did go for an audition and screen test. In politics, business or films nepotism is the uncomfortable truth — it happens openly or subtly. Yes, it makes easy entry possible but post that he/she has to prove their mettle. Suhana Khan is all set to make her debut with her father Shah Rukh Khan to be directed by Sujoy Ghosh. Sanjay Kapoor’s daughter, Shanaya Kapoor is a big social media influencer even though she signed her first film. Saif Ali Khan’s son Ibrahim Khan who has two films seems to be throwing his weight if one goes by what Paps have to say. In the case of Rajesh Roshan, niece Pashmina Roshan, a good dancer, makes her debut in Ishk Vishk Rebound. Producer Ramesh Taurani has clarified that he chose Pashmina purely on merit with three other fresh faces. He says Rajesh Roshan, the music composer with whom his relationship goes back in time, did not call to push his niece’s case. Sounds good.

Salman Khan has got Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal heroine for his next film Sikandar. Yes, Rashmika Mandanna is going to play his love interest in the film that goes on the floor next month. It came as a surprise for a lot of people in the trade as the names of other heroines were floating around before Animal heroine was signed for the role. Historically, Salman Khan has been choosy of signing up a heroine unless he is in a comfort zone with them. Katrina Kaif holds the record having worked with Salman in eight films. Well, earlier he and Madhuri Dixit worked in six films; it was because they were contemporaries…that’s all. But, stars like Jacqueline Fernandez got on like a house on fire. She has worked with Salman in about three films and reportedly during lockdown spent a long time at his farmhouse. Waluscha De Sousa who was also a kind of favourite of the actor; she worked in two films — Time to Dance and Antim: The Truth. With Sonakshi Sinha also twice. Interestingly, Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai whose romance is well known worked with each other only in one film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Likewise Twinkle Khanna, Urmila Matondkar and Sonali Bendre. Salman Khan has worked with Katrina Kaif even if he didn’t like her brief involvement with Ranbir Kapoor. There has been a chemistry issue between him and Ranbir since then. But, looks like Alia Bhatt may just play a role to bring Kapoor and Khan together. If one recalls, Ranbir Kapoor had mentioned in the Kapil Sharma show that Salman Khan had chipped in during his sister Riddhima Kapoor’s wedding by taking care of the bar.

Thirty-eight year old Bollywood star Jacqueline Fernandez has gone below the radar ever since her link to the conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar hit national headlines. She religiously avoids media, ducks from paparazzi and avoids socialising too. The conman link has cost her dearly — personally and professionally. Though she is fighting Sukesh in the court but because of his obsession with her, she prefers to keep quiet and work hard. What has damaged her reputation and put her on the backfoot is the intimate pictures released by Sukesh. Not surprisingly, the film industry and friends have not openly supported her in terms of sympathy or contracts but there are well wishers like Sonu Sood who signed her for Fateh which is ready for release. She does not have many projects but has two big films, Welcome to the Jungle with Firoz Nadiadwala and Housefull 5 which is yet to go on floors. Jacqueline does manage to get court permission to go abroad for shoots. Akshay Kumar, Sajid Nadiadwala and Salman Khan are her friends who still support her but not in the public. From a rank outsider, Jacqueline’s rise in Bollywood was meteoric. The Sri Lankan model-turned actor, who entered Bollywood in 2006, has acted in over 25 films already. In 15 years she has starred opposite top heroes. Her northbound career graph was halted when news of her involvement with conman Sukesh who was arrested for extortion and money laundering came out in open. She claims Sukesh lured her with Bollywood offers even as he showered her with costly gifts, even a high end car.

Historically, the Hindi film industry has been dominated by north Indian heroes and south Indian heroines. Now, a new trend is emerging. In the last three-four years it seems to be the hegemony of south films. Witness this, in the first four months of 2024, the traditional north Indian heroes Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, Ajay Devgn seem to have come a cropper going by the box office collections. Reportedly, total collection is less than Rs 800 crore. To make matters worse, Khans are conspicuous by their absence. Salman Khan’s ritual — Eid release was missing this season. Given this scenario, one is seeing the south stars coming to the rescue of Bollywood big time. For instance, Allu Arjun’s film Pushpa 2 is learnt to have got a commitment of Rs 1,000 crore before its release on August 15. It is expected to break all kinds of records. Then there is multi-starrer Kalki showing Amitabh Bachchan in a teaser promo. This movie which is a perfect example of cross-pollination of stars is speculated to garner Rs 100 crore on Day One of its release. Trade Analyst Girish Wankhede says, “The line up of South Indian films is a mix of class and mass. It has its focus on larger than life entertainment which works for celluloid. They are not spoilt for OTT choices and are more inclined to make mass entertainment.” The momentum in this year was started with Hanuman which scored big on the box office followed by Manjummel Boys and The Goat Life winning great critical acclaim. The upcoming slate looks super impressive with Kamal Haasan’s Indian 2 and Rajnikanths’s Vettaiyan. Besides, Devara, the movies in the pipelines are: Kanguva, Thangalaan and Mr Bachchan.

  Sixty-one year old yesteryear’s superstar Govinda is back in the news, well not for signing a big budget film but for re-entering politics by joining Shiv Sena led by the Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde. Govinda has made it clear that he will not be contesting any elections. It may be recalled that he won the 2004 Lok Sabha election on a Congress ticket. Then, what’s his compulsion to re-enter politics? Does he feel that if he is part of a political party, then movies will come his way? Not really. A seasoned insider says that Govinda has been trying to make a comeback to films since 2015 but strangely, this exceptionally talented and accomplished star has not been able to win the faith of the producers to bet on him, once again. His past seems to have caught up with him; not reporting to the set on time has got the goat of producers, directors and co-stars. Says another source, lack of work for Govinda is not because the industry has lost faith in him but he has developed a trust deficit with them. His superstitious nature has made filmmakers uncomfortable. Both David Dhawan and Salman Khan did give Govinda a second chance. But, Govinda has this feeling that the world is against him. Recently, he overreacted to a comment by Vashu Bhagnani on his late coming on the sets of his films. Govinda who has acted in more than 165 Hindi and language films can become the favourite of producers and directors once again only if he reinvents himself.

Akshay Kumar may be one of the few actors in Bollywood who completes his films in record time. Ironically, his record of flops seems to be beating that. The ‘Khiladi’ Kumar’s latest film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan has opened to lukewarm response at the box office despite the fact it was released on Eid. The Day 1 collection was Rs 16.07 crore.  Movie critic Taran Adarsh commented on X: “With a dream cast + lavish making + holiday factor + aggressive promotions + terrific track record of its director, #BMCM should’ve opened anywhere between Rs 25 cr and Rs 30 cr [even higher] on Day 1.” Trade pundits feel that Akshay Kumar’s poor numbers at the Box Office both pre- and post-Covid has in a way dented his bankable star image. It is likely that filmmaker makers will definitely think twice before signing him. The films that have not worked for Akshay Kumar are Selfie, Mission Raniganj,  Samrat Prithviraj, Ram Setu, Cutputli and  Bachchan Pandey. Trade Analyst Girish Wankhede says, “This sixth flop in a row is a sorry state for Akshay kumar, who has been the favourite of producers. His over exposure or the choice of films, or his experimentation with various genre could be some of the reasons for his films not finding takers. He was always a bankable star, but with several flops, his filmography seems to be losing its sheen.”  The trade will be closely watching how his films like Skyforce, Housefull 5, Welcome To The Jungle and JollyLLB 3 fare.

This happens, frequently in Bolly, Kolly or any wood, when top stars suddenly face a drought. Salman Khan has lived through it for nearly three years. Popular Tamil film hero Suriya Sivakumar seems to be going through a similar predicament. He has had no new outings after the super success of Soorarai Pottru (Sudha Kongara directed biopic on Captain GR of Air Deccan fame). Then was followed by Jai Bhim in 2022, also critically acclaimed but politically a sensitive theme that brought unease to Suriya. His highly publicised Kanguva is under post production. Meanwhile Suriya had another setback. The much expected second Sudha Kongara creation, Puranaanuru has been shelved. So when Suriya and Karthik Subburaj jointly announced a new venture under Suriya’s home production 2D, it raised the excitement levels of his fans. Suriya and Subburaj have agreed to work for free and will share profit once the film does well at the box office. Subburaj is said to have written the story for Vijay originally, but many say it was scripted keeping Suriya as the hero in that suave and strong role that he excels in …will it be another Kaakha Kaakha or the Shaolin, Ezhaam Arivu? Suriya and his wife Jyotika have endured much gossip lately, when they shifted out of Chennai to Mumbai. In-laws issue? No, insists Jyotika, it’s just for kids’ schooling and her professional needs. Jyotika has resurrected her career in a big way. Can Suriya do likewise?

Once again Bollywood’s two big stars Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar are going to clash at the box office. And the film trade is not at all surprised as it is not the first time their films are releasing on the same day – it is the fourth time.  When it comes to business they are strong rivals even though both have worked together in three films together. They worked in Suhaag, Insaan and Khakee. Insiders say it was after Khakee Ajay blamed Akshay Kumar for chopping his role. Post Ajay’s comment, Akshay Kumar in one of the award functions took a jibe at Ajay indirectly by saying that he is being called the “editor” of the film.  Ajay almost got his film Golmaal 4 to be released the same day as Robot and Aamir Khan’s Secret Superstar; but Robot got postponed at the last minute due to VFX. Once again, both Ajay and Akshay were making a film on the same subject — Battle of Saragarhi. Ajay announced the film first but Akshay got Karan Johar to break the news about the movie. Salman Khan was co-producing the film with Karan but Ajay, it is learnt, convinced him to opt out of the project. If Akshay Kumar got Vipul Shah to screen Action Replay to coincide with Golmaal 3 release then Ajay got his Toonpur Ka Superman to coincide with Akshay Kumar’s Tees Maar Khan. Not many know that Ajay Devgn wanted the movie rights of Jaswant Gill on whose life the film Raniganj was made with Akshay Kumar as the lead. Now one needs to see what happens with Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan and Maidaan both releasing on Eid.

The news of Big B admitted to a city hospital went viral on WhatsApp and a news website of a TV channel and a news aggregator carried the story. In fact, Amitabh Bachchan called his health scare news, a fake. Nobody knows who started this rumour mongering but needless to say, it did worry people who are betting on Big B. If a star gets married or is hospitalised it does derail all the schedules leading to cost overruns. Mercifully everybody can relax. Eighty-one year old Bachchan is a complete workaholic and going by the IMDB report there are 14 films in the pipeline — some of them Aankhen 2 and Hasmukh Pighal Gaya are on hold. Meanwhile, he is busy shooting with south actors like Prabhas, Rajnikanth. With Deepika Padukone he is doing The Intern. It may be recalled that Amitabh Bachchan’s sign off note after the last season of KBC was looked at his exit from the show but then Sony Television quickly issued a statement that Bachchan is definitely going to be there in the next season—so to his millions fans and well-wishers Amitabh Bachchan is not going anywhere at least for now. You will see Big B on the small screen and on the big screen.

In this election year not one but several films with political themes will hit the screens. Yami Gautam starrer Article 370, a real life story on abrogation of Article 370 seems to have created enough ripples to keep the cash register ringing. Now, ready to be released is Randeep Hooda’s Swatantra Veer Savarkar which could well be driving the BJP’s agenda and work-in-progress is The Sabarmati Report. Do these patriotic themes help filmmakers and politicians? Actually, patriotic films have been made off and on – Manoj ‘Bharat’ Kumar was a pioneer. But in recent times Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir File created controversy that saw him making big money –Rs 350 crore. So did The Kerala Story which did well at box office. With audiences craving for more such movies, filmmakers are going full blast. Most of these films generate controversies which helps these films to create curiosity and the much-needed publicity. In March 2024, one will see almost 3-4 films based on the political subject released. Accident Or Controversy? Godhra, which was to release on 15th March has been postponed by a week or two. Swatantra Veer Savarkar is releasing on 22nd March and is already in news owing to its innovative marketing strategies. Bastar: The Naxal Story, another political drama, is releasing soon. Most of them will be released before elections are over. According to Girish Wankhede, Film Trade Expert, “Anything pertaining to the film’s issue can feed the much-needed controversy for these films which in turn will help them to generate eyeballs and eventually footfalls.” For the filmmakers it is a pure business decision; they may be or may not be aligned with the ruling party.

There was a time in the eighties when South Indian stars like Kamal Haasan, Rajnikanth tried their luck in Bollywood – they bought a house in Mumbai and learnt Hindi too. But, sadly they could not survive because of Bollywood politics; they were bullied and finally went back to Chennai. Maybe the producers were not willing to take risks because of their south Indian accent, skin tone and average height. But not anymore. Today, South stars like Ram Charan, NTR Jr, Allu Arjun are bigger than the Khans; their fan base is bigger than all the three khans put together. Most stars from the south are money making machines. Reacting to the way Shah Rukh Khan said “Idli Ram Charan” at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant pre-wedding celebration at Jamnagar, a Bollywood insider said, “Ram Charan does not dance to anybody’s tune and nobody dares address him the way Shah Rukh Khan did…”  Ram’s associate Zeba found it insulting and expressed her displeasure by walking out. On the contrary, Ram Charan did not react negatively, he was cool. But the fans of Ram Charan have been trolling King Khan. Today, the tables have turned, south actors are not desperate to shift lock, stock and barrel to Mumbai. They are signing up films on their terms which is breaking records in the Hindi belt. Surely, SRK who is always politically right and measured in his talks must have said it in a lighter vein but this seems to have not gone well with South Indian audiences.

It is happening…ancient Indian ethos and its myriad mythologies are mined for breathtaking cinema, to combine scale, complex story plots, heroism, venality and religious fervour into spectacular cinematic art. Most would agree that after Lord Rama, Karna is the most recalled warrior hero. Bollywood director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has zeroed in on this epic character, Karna and plans to create a pan India screen extravaganza at a cost of 500 crore. Popular Tamil hero Suriya has been signed for the same. Suriya is now striding the pan India scene with his about to release Kanguva, another period drama. Sudha Kongara of the Surarai Pottru fame is directing Suriya in Purananuru.. Suriya’s leading lady in Karna is late Sridevi’s daughter Janhavi Kapoor, a choice that is bound to add value to this Kapoor who is yet to snag that super hit status her mother repeated in many films. Karna is a character with a gold mine potential to explore his many facets …a first born whose mother Kunti does not acknowledge him, his five Pandava brothers who are unaware of Karna’s blood bond, and a warrior who stands by Duryodhan for all the wrong life decisions, and how Lord Krishna cajoles him to part with his life guarding Kavach appealing to Karna’s legendary largesse. Even the most cynical audience is bound to be moved by his charisma. A hero like Karna and a talent like Suriya’s ….waiting to happen. POWERED BY : IDFC FIRST BANK

Action hero Vidyut Jammwal who has completed 13 years in the film industry with 24 films to his credit has turned a producer with his latest film Crakk. The 43-year old model turned actor, a rank outsider, has a loyal band of followers due to his own dedication and martial art skills. He is a keen practitioner of Kalaripayattu, a form of martial arts popular in Kerala. Vidyut made his debut with John Abraham in Force in 2011. The turning point of his life was Vipul Shah casting him in the successful franchisee Commando. One of the fittest actors Vidyut built his loyalty like south actors. As a trade expert said, “His films are a safe bet as he has a loyal audience that watches his films both in cinemas and TV. His IB 71 was a well appreciated film. His film Crakk with co-star Arjun Rampal is on the lines of Mission Impossible. The day is not far away where we will see Vidyut taking the crown of the best action hero of Bollywood.” Girish Wankhede, Movie Trade Analyst says, “With movies like Commando he carved a niche for himself as an action star and created his own fan following. I personally believe that he has got a great potential as a star but to achieve Stardom he needs to work on his diction and hone his acting skills further.”  The actor who hasn’t worked in any multi-starrers turned producer to focus on the action genre. Vidyut who has managed to keep himself out of controversy was engaged to fashion designer Nandita Mahtani but things didn’t work out. POWERED BY : ICICI LOMBARD

  Janhvi Kapoor, daughter of Sridevi-Boney Kapoor, has in a short span of time matured as an actress. The new generation looks up to her for her choice of films, fashion sense and visibility quotient. She entered Bollywood in 2018 with Dhadak, a remake of a Marathi film Sairaat and then went on to be nominated for Filmfare Award for Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl and Mili. The 27-year old actress has been working on big screen as well as on OTT. Of the dozen films she has acted in, many like Roohi have bombed at the box office but that has not deterred her from trying even harder. That confidence perhaps is seeing her being signed by various brands and even big producers. The latest rumour is that she may replace south star Sai Pallavi to play Sita in Nitish Tiwari’s Ramayana featuring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram. Her line-up is pretty impressive; she will be seen along with Rajkummar Rao in Dharma Production’s Mr and Mrs Mahi. Besides, she has signed three biggies in South out of which one is Devara with junior NT Rama Rao Jr which is releasing in April. Her energy, her willingness to challenge herself, keeping herself updated and being media friendly is standing her in good stead. She may be an insider but in the end it was her talent, hard work and adaptability that won her recognition in the Hindi film fraternity.

It was all because of one post from senior BJP leader Dr Subramanian Swamy about the possible role of superstar Shahrukh Khan in release of 8 Naval officers who were on death row in Qatar that got the actor all worked up. Swamy who has been continuously undermining all the achievements of the Modi government and taking potshots at PM Modi decided to credit India’s diplomatic victory entirely to SRK’s clout and even suggested that PM Modi should take the Bollywood actor along with him when he visits Qatar on Wednesday (Feb 14). While SRK is hugely popular in the UAE and Qatar, to credit him for the efforts of our MEA and influence of PM Modi in the region would be a travesty. SRK’s office promptly issued a statement clarifying that the actor had no role in the release of the Indian naval officers. “Execution of this successful resolution rests with Indian government officials. All matters of statecraft and diplomacy are best executed by our able leaders,” his office said.  Earlier in the day, Swamy had suggested in a post that  “Modi should take cinema star Shahrukh Khan to Qatar with him since after MEA and NSA had failed to persuade the Sheikhs of Qatar, Modi pleaded with Khan to intervene , and thus got an expensive settlement from the Qatar Sheikhs to free our Naval officers”. UAE was anguished when SRK’s son Aryan was picked up in Mumbai cruise drug case in October 2021.

In the last few years, several star marriages have turned sour. Many of them opted for a divorce/separation. A few got remarried – Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. And some like Karishma Kapoor, Pooja Bhatt and Sohail Khan prefer to remain single again. The latest separation announcement came from Esha Deol — Hema Malini-Dharmendra’s eldest daughter. She is the first person from Deol family to separate from her husband Bharat Takhtani after 12 years of marriage. Reason: she could not come to terms with various restrictions imposed by her hubby like wearing shorts at home. The first star marriage that turned rocky and hit national headlines was that of superstar Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia. The reason given was Kaka’s numerous affairs. But, most Bollywood marriages have not worked out primarily because of the ‘other’ girl/boy in their partner’s life. Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora separated after reports about her affair with Arjun Kapoor came out in the open. He recently married Raveena Tandon’s stylist Shura Khan. Some stars did not call off their marriages because of sheer societal pressure and kept it under wraps. A case in point is Sunny Deol inspite of his proximity with Dimple has managed to keep his married life intact. In some cases, it has been the substance abuse. Aamir Khan divorced twice is married for the third time. Model turned actor Arjun Rampal separated from super model Mehr Jessia after 21 years of marriage and is now living with Gabriellia Demetriades. Most marriages in Bollywood have turned sour largely because of “torrid affairs”.

After Dev Anand one can safely call the 67-year old Anil ‘Jhakas’ Kapoor, Bollywood’s Evergreen hero. He has constantly reinvented himself. The Woh Saat Din actor has come a long way. In a career spanning over 40 years, Anil who is recognised for playing all kinds of roles has acted in over 100 films.  He is identified for some of the interesting roles he essayed in Hindi films like Mr India, Mashaal, Tezaab, Ram Lakhan, Nayak, Welcome, English movie Slumdog Millionaire and English TV serial 24. And in recent times, he has managed to give two consecutive superhits – Animal and Fighter.  So be it TV, OTT or big screen, his works have always been noteworthy. The Night Manager on OTT has always been the talk of the town and his portrayal of a shrewd, cunning businessman was well received. With Fighter he has reached an altogether different zone. According to Trade Analyst Girish Wankhede, his energy and intensity are palpable, we can see Anil Kapoor 2.0 or 3.0 because of his versatility and his understanding of each medium. The fitness freak has consciously kept out of controversy or linked up with his female co-stars. Like Big B, Anil too is very disciplined and professional. He never went out of circulation like many stars of his time and who are desperately trying to make a comeback. His career graph, like Dharmendra, Jeetendra, has been steady. Clearly, Anil is a smart actor who can easily write a book, ‘How To Stay Relevant’ all the time.

Looks like the 41-year old actor Ranbir Kapoor is on a roll. He returns to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s camp after a gap of 23 years with his wife Alia Bhatt signed up as the leading lady for Love and War. Ranbir was launched by Bhansali in Saawariya. The subject of the new movie seems to be a love triangle and Vicky Kaushal too is part of the cast. Besides, Ranbir will start shooting for Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayan in March with south heroine Sai Pallavi. Meanwhile, the actor is getting trolled for being a meat eater and criticized for playing Ram. To top it all his successful film like Animal has got extreme reactions from the feminist group. But that has not stopped filmmakers from casting him in their films. Film Trade Analyst Girish Wankhede says, “Ranbir Kapoor is on a roll because he has given one of the biggest hits of last year and the entire trade and filmgoers think that it was a long due from a Superstar like Ranbir.” He has been in the industry for more than a decade but was not able to deliver the blockbusters, but with Animal he has proved that he is a bankable star. Ranbir is slated to do the sequel of Animal. Ranbir who has acted in 38 films in the last 23 years charges around Rs 30 crore for a film. Today, he is one the most sought after actors. Going by this trend Ranbir could well emerge as the next Superstar.

The optics seemed to suggest that he had changed. Shah Rukh Khan who won the CNN-News18 Indian of the Year 2023 award was at his charming best, regaling the audience with his gig and humour. In his speech, Khan said that he is not just the Indian of the Year, but of all years. “I am the Indian of all ages.”  His demeanour gave indications that from now all is going to be well between him, film scribes and paparazzi. But, it did not. Recently, the actor stepped out of a building in Bandra covering his face with a hoodie and seemed to be in a bad mood. When a paparazzi tried to click his photo, the Superstar for no reason snapped at him; he hit the phone of the pap and walked away, and surprisingly, even his long standing manager Pooja Dadlani did likewise. A pap said, “He behaves well with the media when he wants to or when he is at a big event like an award night, wedding or Eid function.” King Khan was one of most media friendly superstars. He set the trend of celebrating birthdays and festivals with scribes and paparazzi. What changed him? Some say, the media went overboard while reporting on his son Aryan Khan’s drug case. Plus many had written him off for not giving good hits. In 2023 he proved his detractors wrong with a series of hits like Pathaan, Jawan and Dunki.

One of Bollywood’s prettiest star Katrina Kaif seems to have transformed herself post her marriage to Vicky Kaushal. Katrina who has completed 20 years in the film industry is not the same standoffish, arrogant and introvert person, says trade people who are closely watching her career graph. She is now accessible, affable and exudes a certain sense of warmth when she meets paps and film journalists. The new Katrina was visible at the sneak peek of the Tamil version of the trailer of her upcoming film Merry Christmas in Mumbai. The star who was once dating the likes of Salman Khan and Ranbir Kapoor always had a shield around her. Was it because she was not comfortable with Hindi language? Katrina who started her odyssey in 2003 with Boom has acted opposite all top stars and is remembered for her item number chikni chameli in Agneepath. Salman Khan with whom she has done one too many films became a mentor and friend. He played a big role in her career. Salman Khan had an aversion with the media so maybe it was rub-off effect on his girlfriend. Even Ranbir Kapoor whom she dated always kept the media at arm’s length. But, to her credit insiders say she is a thorough professional who stays away from Bollywood politics. But when Vicky Kaushal came into her life he was quite open and he helped her to break the shield around her.

2023 was definitely the Year of the Phoenix for Bollywood. From the troughs of box office damp squibs, despair and taunts about learning from south filmmakers, Bollywood regained its respectability, and above all bankability. Movies like Jawan, Pathan, Gadhar 2 and Animal brought cheer to stakeholders with the box office jingling. Even as established stars were basking in the glory, quietly, almost sneakily a less known hero, Vikrant Massey vaulted onto the screen with 12th Fail! This just about Rs 20 crore budget film has set the audience agog, amazed and astonished. Not for impossible stunts and a fantasy formula but a riveting reality check that has set the country talking. Abhishek Bachchan wrote on X, “12th Fail is the best film of 2023”. The stormy siren of Bollywood, Kangana Ranaut who had earlier referred to Massey as a cockroach, now says Vikrant is the new Irfan Khan. There are others who say “A leaner Sanjeev Kumar, Massey is incredible “. Briefly 12th Fail is the poignant story of Manoj Kumar Sharma from the wilderness of Chambal who dares to dream of becoming an IPS officer. Massey and his portrayal are bound to launch many such aspirants from the heartlands of rural India.  It is quite known that UPSC is one of the toughest exams to crack. We predict that Massey’s compelling performance may inspire many youths. Who knows 12th Fail may be a case study at the Academy in Mussoorie.

If 2023 belonged to Shah Rukh Khan whose three films grossed around Rs 3,000 crore then there are every chances that 2024 could see the return of Akshay Kumar. The 56-year old actor has three big releases including Bade Miyan Chote Miyan directed by Ali Abbas Zafar. The movie with Tiger Shroff is not a comedy but an action-packed film that could be a big draw. Kumar also has Skyforce and a multi-starrer Welcome to the Jungle to be released in December 2024. It may be recalled that Lady Luck had been eluding actor-producer Akshay Kumar for the last two-three years; he had series of flops. But, Trade Analyst Girish Wankhede says, “With nearly Rs 1,000 crore riding on Akshay Kumar …the total earnings of his four releases could cross the Rs 4000-crore mark.”  The first to hit the big screen will be Bade Miyan Chote Miyan in Eid in April with an approximate landing cost of 300 crore. This will be followed by Singham Again’ in August wherein he has a cameo along with Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh. It is Rohit Shetty’s cop universe which is unlikely to fail with an estimated budget of 350 crore. His third release, Skyforce will be in October. Its cost is around Rs 150-200 crore. And Akshay’s big release of 2024 — Welcome to the Jungle, will happen during the Christmas season. This multi-starrer movie budgeted around Rs 300 crore is expected to do well.

Has the Ranbir Kapoor starrer Animal changed the palate of the audience? There are people in the trade who have blamed Animal for the lukewarm response to SRK’s Dunki at the box office. They say Dunki is a social film and does not have any high-octane violence voyeurism or blood and gore like Animal. In the same breath the trade people blame Shah Rukh Khan for changing audience taste with Pathaan which earned Rs 1000 crore. Dunki looks weak as it collected only Rs 30 crore on day one while SRK’s other two films Pathaan earned Rs 57 crore and Jawan Rs 75 crore on day one. Both the movies had a hero and an anti-hero in them but Animal has come and changed the idea of hero and today a complete anti-hero is being lauded by the audience in a big way. Sociologists feel that the subject is connected with youth and they have identified with the character of Ranbir Kapoor who speaks their language. It’s common knowledge that audience preference and taste keeps changing. In the late seventies romance themes worked with Rajesh Khanna becoming an icon; in the eighties it was an angry young man image portrayed by Amitabh Bachchan.

Star children and their “entitled“ film status debate has been done to death but still rages on even after the disaster that The Archies and the omnibus “heirlooms” turned out to be. Abhishek Bachchan is a special star heir, and entered the film firmament with a heft very few have — Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan for parents. It couldn’t get better than this. But in 23 years, 50 films under his belt the 47-year old star has had more flops than box office rockets except the Dhoom franchises, Bunty aur Babli, Bol Bachchan and Housefull. The recent critically acclaimed sports drama Ghoomer directed by R Balki did not do well. The latest buzz is that Abhishek is in talks with South production powerhouse AGS Movies to be signed up for Thani Oruvan2 — the 2015 hit which is still remembered not so much for hero Jayam Ravi but more for the mark left by Arvind Swami, the suave and intense villain. Arvind Swami is dead at close of the film. So when AGS announced Thani Oruvan 2, people wondered who would fill the villain’s menace, suave and intense. Nayanthara remains unchanged for the new story directed by Mohan Raja (Ravi’s brother). Can Abhishek take on the role played by Arvind Swami? Even born heirs get challenged to fill the shoes of the mighty. The dare only gets more daring.

Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal has hit the box office like a tsunami with the film crossing the Rs 100-crore mark in Day 2 in India and over Rs 200 crore worldwide. Movie critic Taran Adarsh took to X to say it’s a “box office monster”. And this is Ranbir’s biggest hit at the box office ever since he entered Bollywood in 2007 with Saawariya. This Sandeep Vanga Reddy film did face criticism on the portrayal of women — almost objectification of the heroine and a pronounced male alpha. But that has been the way Vanga Reddy has told his stories. Trade circle say this factor has worked in favour of director Vanga Reddy and actor Ranbir. Forty-one year old Ranbir, who has acted in over 21 films in the last 16 years, has taken pains to pick up scripts which are different for every movie as he did not want to be typecast. His life goal is to be recognised as an actor and is confident with that stardom will follow. Historically, Kapoor’s films have not been very extraordinary at the box office; his last film Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar was a semi hit and the only blockbuster was biopic Sanju. But Animal is leagues ahead. Animal is one film that has broken all the norms of a hero in Hindi cinema

Historically, audiences went to the theatres to see stars for their looks. Rewind to 60s, 70s, 80s and you will see all Bollywood actors were handsome, good looking, macho. Dharmendra, Rajesh Khanna, Shashi Kapoor, Vinod Khanna to name a few. In the case of actresses it was their ravishing beauty, the dream girl of every man. Sadhana, Saira Banu, Hema Malini, Rekha, Madhuri Dixit and Dimple Kapadia. Chocolate heroes and dream girls were synonymous with Bollywood. It was only in the art cinema that looks were secondary – Amol Palekar, Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah. The advent of hinterland cinema brought the ordinary looking boy and girl center stage. Says a Bollywood’s senior casting director, “Those days of having a conventionally good looking actor are gone. If you see most of the actors today who are doing well especially on the OTT are far from being that.” Today the audience is more open to looking at realistic characters whom they can connect, relate and identify with. Today being a good actor is far more important than good looks. “Acting and talents are the first two criteria of casting today, if the actor is good looking then it’s an added advantage,” says the casting director. Hrithik Roshan called the Greek God did not mind to wear brown make up for Super 30. If you look at OTT stars — Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Jitendra Kumar, Pankaj Mishra –then it is clear today acting matters not looks. Powered by: IDFC First Bank

Evergreen hero Dev Anand had planned two versions of Guide (1965) — English for international audiences and Hindi for India. The English version was written by Pearl S Buck and directed and produced by Tad Danielewski. Dev wanted his elder brother Chetan Anand to direct the Hindi version. Unfortunately, he was busy with his own movie Haqeeqat. So Dev’s next choice was his close friend — the celebrated director Raj Khosla. But the heroine Waheeda Rehman categorically told Dev that she will not work with Khosla. Reportedly, Khosla while making Solva Saal (1957) with Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman insisted Waheeda wear a particular dress which she refused. Post that movie Waheeda vowed never to work with Khosla ever again. As a result, the choice fell on his younger brother Goldie-Vijay Anand. Vijay Anand totally discarded the idea of making a film on RK Narayan’s novel. He said this is ‘no good’ for a film. Dev had to cajole Goldie. Finally, he agreed on the condition that he will write the screenplay. Dev gladly agreed. Goldie went to Khandala, locked himself up for 20 days and wrote the script. The rest is history. Incidentally, the Hindi version was a runaway hit and later achieved a cult following; it has since been deemed one of the best Bollywood films produced of all time. The English version flopped. This version was then screened again at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, 42 years after its release. Powered by: IDFC First Bank

Every controversy that breaks always has a celebrity quotient to it. The drug cases came into the limelight because of Sushant Singh Rajput and Aryan Khan; the Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) made an example of them. From Deepika Padukone to Shradda Kapoor, Rakul Preet Singh, Rhea Chakraborty, Sara Ali Khan were under NCB scanner. Some like comedian Bharati Singh and her husband were arrested. Besides, many actors and actresses were issued summons by the Enforcement Directorate. Says an insider, time and again Bollywood has been targeted and some of them have been called anti-national. Looks like we are an easy target for police and politicians. Take the case of conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, the case was hyped because names of Jacqueline Fernandez and Nora Fatehi were linked to him. Now the latest case is that of the Mahadev App which again is more about the celebrities who danced at the wedding of the promoter Saurabh Chandrakar and endorsement of the app. Ranbir Kapoor has been summoned by ED for endorsing the app. So too many actresses and singers are being investigated by the ED for accepting cash for attending the event. Sources say, it was a pure professional and commercial deal. Mumbai police have registered FIR against 32 people including promoters for ‘fraud’ of Rs 15,000 crore. Be it the drug case or now Mahadev App scam the end result is that most of the allegations on the celebrities haven’t really yielded any results.