Entertainment
Black Fridays in store (IANS Column: B-Town)
Mumbai, Feb 18 (IANS) A Friday is the day when a new film releases in India. The exhibition trade plans its calendar of 52 weeks according to Fridays. Box Office is the term that gets bandied around. The entire film industry awaits positive box-office returns starting every Friday. That is where the wealth is created, the wealth that refuels the industry and keeps it going.
A cinema is the vehicle that carries your films to the people. Earlier, the word was masses, but because of the kind of exhibition trade that exists now, the word masses can no longer be used. Masses included people from all strata of society and gave a film the initial fillip. Watching a film was affordable and these masses made provision to watch a new film every Friday or during the weekend.
The multiplex culture has put paid to the aspirations of the masses, yet the kind of films that are made these days are more likely to attract masses — they come loaded with action and computer-generated special effects that also help make heroes look much younger than their 55 years or so.
Talking of 50-plus actors, they were never a deterrent for the people to watch a film. Stars such as Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar continued to work into their 50s. With much younger heroines at that! There were no computers to make them look younger and they did not need them either.
But then, thanks to special effects, even the romantic heroes have taken to action films. The fact is, an action hero is readily accepted in a romantic film, but it doesn’t work when a romantic hero switches character.
Dharmendra, who was dubbed the ‘He Man’, carried the image of an action hero, but gave his most successful films with romantic or social themes. The same was true of Vinod Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan.
In more recent times, Salman Khan’s career was launched as a romantic hero, he did some social films (the Rajshri Pictures kind) and even played a second fiddle to Jackie Shroff in ‘Bandhan’. He was equally at ease with a comedy like ‘Judwa’, but when he came up with an action film, ‘Wanted’, he was readily accepted. The film went on to become a major hit and Salman was slotted as an action hero.
Now, all in all, the scene in the production of films is quite muddled. If Shah Rukh Khan thinks action films will further his career, Hrithik Roshan does a ‘Super 30’, a real life story! To add to the irony, during the promotion of the film, the real life character of the story is also brought in along with a 6-foot tall, fair and handsome Hrithik who plays the lead. Why darken his face and give him a beard and spoil his looks! That was not necessary, really. And Punjabi lyrics and tunes for the theme and background of the film!
This amounts to taking your audience for granted. If you want to take such liberties, you have to create a convincing situation for that. Like Manmohan Desai did in film after film. Besides, the makers don’t only lift sequences, especially action, from Hollywood films, but they even write their script and dialogues in English.
As a Bihar exhibitor puts it, we are just trying to ape Hollywood and distanced the masses from movie going! Our makers have become ‘angrez’, he adds. He believes the makers need to revisit the 1990s and not only make films like they made in those days, but also recall the directors of that era.
He cites the example of ‘Gadar 2’ and Anil Sharma who could come out with a super hit even now. He questions why Hrithik and Shahid Kapoor’s films don’t get initial footfalls, while a virtually unknown Teja Sajja’s ‘HanuMan’ does well. What good are the multi-crore charging Hindi stars?
Some makers think it is chic to have the film peppered with English dialogues. And they are the same as when you are watching a Hollywood film. When not, a lot is lost in the translation. Where are those claptrap one-liners that the dialogue writers penned in the past!
This overdose of computer-generated action films, lifted from Hollywood, don’t seem to excite our viewers anymore.
The other day, I happened to watch Ajay Devgn’s film ‘Runway 34’. I have watched hundreds of films for professional reasons, but this one lacked story sense, logic and therefore any appeal it could have had. A passenger plane pilot boasts of his experience of flying hours to a comparatively new co-pilot and defies all advice and odds to land his flight in a storm-struck city.
Much of what you see in this film was already done and dusted in the 1970 Hollywood film, ‘Airport’, and many other such films, not to forget popular TV shows based on air disasters that have been running on various channels since 2003. The concept and execution was poor, at best.
Can someone explain to me this craze to produce Hollywood films and also try to do better than them?
What, then, is the situation at present? People are rejecting just about every aspect of the film trade, from admission rates to the kind of films being made.
The cinemas are the place where it shows. There is no audience and, hence, no collections. (Unless, the maker or the star of the film concerned has the capacity or the knack to show the crores of business the film never did!)
There are multiplex properties and there are privately owned single screens. The latter are not built on public funding. The multiplex properties are rented spaces; single screens are not.
The most worried lot are the single screen owners. Here are the laments of some. There is this theatre owner from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. He invested Rs 4 crore to build a new cinema in 2020. He recounts how poorly films are faring, adding that he built the cinema with his own money, but had he depended on bank loans, he would have been finished by now.
The show tax that the local government levies used to be Rs 20, but it has now been raised to Rs 500 per show. Now, Ravi Teja’s film ‘Eagle’ collected just Rs 400, which was not enough to cover even the show tax, let alone electricity, staff and projection costs.
As for ad revenue, who gets it? In the good old days, there were agencies that booked ads for cinemas. I remember Blaze was the pioneer in the field. The understanding was practical. The agency got its commission while the rest went to the cinema. Now, the cinemas pay for power bills and the rest while the entire ad revenue is gobbled up by the distributor.
The 3D films they make, like ‘Fighter’, need the updation of bulbs that costs almost Rs 2 lakh more than what is required for 2D projection.
Then there’s this former filmmaker from Mumbai who is the cinema controller of two theatres in Hyderabad and one in Aurangabad. He should be happy because he does not depend on Hindi films alone. Sadly for him, even the recent South Indian films have proved to be letdowns.
Two major films, Ravi Teja’s ‘Eagle’ and Mahesh Babu’s ‘Guntur Kaaram’, have failed to sustain. One would think that these booking agents working on behalf of cinemas had nothing to lose if a film did not work. But they do. They lose both prestige and the contract.
The advent of multiplexes coupled with cockeyed policies of the various state governments sounded the death knell for single screens, which actually drew and catered to the masses.
Now, the impractical admission rates and poor cinema content are bound to tell on the survival of both, the single screens as well as the multiplexes. So get back to Indian themes like in the good old days.
These computer heroes are failing even in Hollywood. There was a generation that was brought up on the American culture of comic books and Marvel spun the best superhero fantasies at that time.
Finally, what about release strategies? Last Friday we had just one film out in the theatres. But on March 1, as many as seven films have been lined up for release. This at a time when even one film is not capable of drawing crowds.
Soon, there will be many obstacles for films. Exam season, IPL24, general elections and Ramzan. These spells many black Fridays in the offing.
–IANS
vinod/srb
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Actress Anu Aggarwal, who rose to fame with “Aashiqui”, and “King Uncle”, recalled the time when filmmakers would come to her with money for signing a film and would not have a script ready.
In a conversation with Lehren shared on Instagram, the actress could be seen talking about it.
“I was shocked to see that people who don’t have their scripts are not ready when they would come to sign me up for a film. They would have the money ready and I would say I don’t want to sign with the money. I would like to hear the script.”
“They would say the script will be made so you can sign,” she added.
“This was the way and because I am an actor I would like to see what my role, story is. Everything is important. Nobody would have a script… 98 per cent of people would not have the script,” she said.
Anu Aggarwal gained immense popularity in the 1990s after featuring in the musical romantic drama “Aashiqui” directed by Mahesh Bhatt.
She starred alongside Rahul Roy and Deepak Tijori.
The film was known for its music, by composer duo Nadeem–Shravan establishing their careers.
The soundtrack album has been rated fourth by Planet Bollywood on their “100 Greatest Bollywood Soundtracks”.
It was the best-selling Bollywood album at the time of its release.
The film was remade in Kannada as “Roja” in 2002.
A sequel to the film, “Aashiqui 2”, with a completely new theme, directed by Mohit Suri, with Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor, was released in 2013.
–IANS
dc/khz
Entertainment
Ram Charan's daughter Klin achieves this milestone on grandfather Chiranjeevi's birthday
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) On the 69th birthday of actor and politician Chiranjeevi, his son Ram Charan has shared a peek into their family vacation to Paris, France, which is also the first trip of his daughter Klin Kaara with her grandparents.
Ram took to his Instagram account, where he has 23.9 million followers, and shared a family picture from Paris.
The snap shows his parents– father Chiranjeevi, mother Surekha, his wife Upasana Kamineni, and their furry friend–pet dog. We can see Chiranjeevi holding his granddaughter Klin adorably in his arms.
Ram looked dapper in a black shirt, matching trousers and an olive green jacket.
They are posing against the backdrop of Eiffel Tower.
The post is captioned as: “Klin Kaara’s first trip with her grandparents!!! Memorable”.
In another post, Ram dropped a photograph with his father, wearing matching South Indian ethnic outfits.
He wrote in caption: “Happpiest birthday, Appa!!”
Meanwhile, on the occasion of Chiranjeevi’s birthday, UV Creations and director Vashistaa Mallidi have unveiled the highly anticipated first look poster for ‘Vishwambhara’, a fantasy adventure film.
Sharing the poster on social media, the makers wrote: “When darkness and evil take over the world, a Magnanimous Star shall shine bright to fight, Happy birthday, MEGASTAR @KChiruTweets, Let the world witness your aura with #Vishwambhara, Get ready for a MEGA MASS BEYOND UNIVERSE, In cinemas from January 10th, 2025.”
The movie promises to be a cinematic spectacle, featuring Chiranjeevi in a lead role. The film also stars Trisha Krishnan, Ashika Ranganath and Kunal Kapoor.
The film will be released on January 10, 2025.
Chiranjeevi was last seen in Telugu action drama ‘Bhola Shankar’ directed by Meher Ramesh. It also featured Tamannaah Bhatia, Keerthy Suresh and Sushanth.
Meanwhile, Ram Charan last appeared in action drama ‘Acharya’, directed by Koratala Siva. The film starred Chiranjeevi, alongside Pooja Hegde, Sonu Sood and Jisshu Sengupta.
He next has ‘Game Changer’, and ‘RC16’ in the pipeline.
–IANS
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Entertainment
Rani Mukerji: Shivani Shivaji Roy shows how a woman can lead from front in a male-dominated field
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Actress Rani Mukerji has talked about why she loves her character Shivani Shivaji Roy from “Mardaani,” which has completed 10 years in Hindi cinema on Thursday.
She said: “Shivani Shivaji Roy is my most favourite on-screen character. She is a defiant, fierce force of nature who will stand up for what is right no matter what. She is someone who subverts gender norms in cinema and shows how a woman can also lead from the front in a male-dominated field.”
As the film celebrates its 10th anniversary, Rani is grateful for all the love and acclaim that she has received.
She said: “I’m truly proud of my ‘Mardaani’ franchise. It is a franchise that keeps on giving. The love, adulation, and the respect that I have received from Mardaani is truly humbling.”
On Thursday morning, the makers of the film teased fans about the next chapter of the franchise.
Production Yash Raj Films banner took to YouTube, where they dropped a teaser of sorts, which begins from the first installment, which first released in 2014.
The production company captioned it: “10 years of #Mardaani and the next chapter awaits… Celebrating the feisty, daredevil cop #ShivaniShivajiRoy and the spirit of #Mardaani today. Thank you for a decade of love and appreciation for our beloved franchise. We are inspired… again… thanks to you. #RaniMukerji #10YearsOfMardaani.”
Rani is too excited to reprise the role and don the cop uniform once again.
She said: “I’m looking forward to bringing back Shivani Shivaji Roy on the big screen soon. It’s been a while since I have donned the cop uniform and paid tribute to the women police force of our country.”
“Each (woman cop) one of them relentlessly works hard to keep our families safe and I have always loved to salute these fearless women. Shivani will be back and I hope you will give as much love to her as you have always showered for 10 years now!” added the actress.
–IANS
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Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Bollywood actress and fashionista Sonam Kapoor brought out her A-game in fashion, where she flaunted “minimal, bold and effortlessly on point” look.
The actress took to Instagram, where she shared a string of pictures. In the pictures, she is seen wearing a powder pink shirt, paired with a blazer and long skirt. She completed her look with sunglasses.
“Celebrating @perniaq season 2 podcast drop with that sleek @phoebephilo energy—minimal, bold, and effortlessly on point. Shoutout to the squad for keeping the vibe,” she wrote and also mentioned that she is styled by her sister Rhea Kapoor.
Recently, Sonam shared several glimpses from her son Vayu’s vintage car themed cake as he turned two on August 20.
Sonam took to Instagram, where she shared a reel of the two-tier toddler friendly, refined sugar free chocolate cake. It featured a vintage ice blue car atop of the cake with the number 2 written on it.
The actress had also penned a heart-felt note for her son Vayu.
“My baby turns two today!!! Happy 2nd Birthday to our sweet, precious Vayu! W Being your mom is the greatest gift I could ever receive. You’ve filled our lives with so much joy, laughter, and wonder,” Sonam said.
The actress shared that with her son, everyday is an adventure filled with “your boundless curiosity, your infectious laughter, and your sweet, loving nature.”
“You’ve brought so much light and happiness into our world, making every moment more beautiful and every relationship stronger. You’ve deepened the love between your dadaa and me in ways we never imagined, and you’ve brought pure, unfiltered joy to everyone who loves you-your nani and nana, dadi and baba, kaaa masa, Masi and chachu,” she said.
“Your sweet spirit and playful energy make our family complete, and we are so blessed to have you in our lives.”
She tagged Vayu as her sunshine, music, little genius, and their endless “source of happiness”.
“We love you more than words can say, and we can’t wait to see all the amazing things you will continue to bring into our lives,” Sonam said.
–IANS
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Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Senior actress Neetu Kapoor on Thursday took a trip down the memory lane, as she shared a childhood picture of her daughter and fashion designer Riddhima Kapoor Sahni.
Neetu took to her Instagram Stories, where she has 2.1 million followers, and re-shared a post by her daughter Riddhima.
In the throwback photo shared by Riddhima on her Instagram Stories, we can see young Neetu holding her little baby girl. She captioned it as: “Oldie but goldie”.
Neetu wrote in the caption: “My ridz at 9 months”, followed by a heart emoji.
On the personal front, Neetu was married to late Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor. The duo had tied the knot in January 1980. They have two children–daughter Riddhima, and son and actor Ranbir Kapoor.
Ranbir is married to actress Alia Bhatt, and the couple have a daughter named Raha.
Neetu made her debut in the 1966 swashbuckler film ‘Suraj’. The Ruritanian romance film directed by T Prakash Rao, starred Rajendra Kumar and Vyjayanthimala, with Ajit, Mumtaz, Johnny Walker, Lalita Pawar, Gajanan Jagirdar, David Abraham Cheulkar, Agha, Mukri, Mallika and Niranjan Sharma in the pivotal roles.
She played a dual role in the romantic comedy ‘Do Kaliyaan’.
Neetu’s transition to mature roles came with the vigilante film ‘Rickshawala’. She got her breakthrough with Nasir Hussain’s masala film ‘Yaadon Ki Baaraat’, where she appeared as a dancer.
She rose to fame with roles in the crime drama film ‘Deewaar’, the thriller film ‘Khel Khel Mein’, the musical film ‘Kabhi Kabhie’, the masala film ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’, and the fantasy film ‘Dharam Veer’.
The 68-year-old actress has been a part of movies like — ‘Doosra Aadmi’, ‘Kasme Vaade’, ‘The Great Gambler’, ‘Jaani Dushman’, ‘Choron Ki Baaraat’, ‘Ganga Meri Maa’, ‘Love Aaj Kal’.
She last appeared in family comedy drama ‘Jugjugg Jeeyo’, directed by Raj Mehta and produced by Dharma Productions and Viacom18 Studios. The film starred Anil Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani, Manish Paul, and Prajakta Koli.
Neetu next has ‘Letters to Mr Khanna’ in the kitty.
–IANS
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