Actress Rashmika Mandana, who swayed the nation as Srivalli in ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, celebrated the moment…reports Asian Lite News
India created history on Wednesday after its Chandrayaan-3 successfully soft-landed on the Moon’s surface at 6.04 p.m. – a feat matched only by erstwhile Soviet Republic, the US and China.
As the historic event opened up new possibilities for mankind, the film folks celebrated India’s mark on the lunar canvas as they congratulated the scientists and the brains behind Chandrayaan-3 on their success.
Bollywood superstar Ajay Devgn wrote on social media, “Proud, amazed, excited, honoured to be living this moment of history. Bharat Mata ki Jai #Chandrayaan”.
Another Bollywood icon Akshay Kumar wrote, “A billion hearts saying THANK YOU ISRO. You’ve made us so proud. Lucky to be watching India make history. India is on the moon, we are over the moon. #Chandrayaan3.”
Star actress Shraddha Kapoor took to Instagram as she shared a clip of the control room of ISRO. She wrote on the video, “Waah, what a moment.”
Vijay Deverakonda, who is awaiting the release of his upcoming film ‘Kushi’, also wrote on Instagram, “Those smilesss 🙂 That joy & pride across the country.. Kushiiii.”
Vijay’s ‘Kushi’ co-star Samantha Ruth Prabhu also took to social media to express her joy as she wrote, “Yet again, we land on the Moon! Jai Hind. Congratulations @isro.in #Chandrayaan3.”
Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “My heart swells with pride a little more today, as I witness my people soar high and give their very best. Congratulations & all my respect to @isro & the geniuses behind #Chandrayaan3’s lunar exploration mission. #IndiaOnTheMoon.”
Bollywood’s action hero Tiger Shroff wrote, “Mission accomplished…history made. Jai Hind Congratulations @isro.in @isroindiaofficial.”
Actress Rashmika Mandana, who swayed the nation as Srivalli in ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, celebrated the moment.
She wrote in her Instagram Story, “A proud moment for all of us as #Chandrayaan3 lands on the moon today… Respect and salute to each and everyone who worked on and supported this mission.”
Actress Taapsee Pannu wrote in her Instagram Story, “@isro.in and @chandrayan_3 Congratulations @isro.in We did it #Chandrayaan3.”
Coming back to ‘Gadar 2’, though the sequel comes after a gap of 22 years, the fact is, the film would have done well even if it was not a sequel. Quite a few of the generation today may not have watched ‘Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’ and for those who did, the gap is too huge…reports Vinod Mirani
The Independence Day weekend has been hogged by the veterans of the Indian screen. Be it on Hindi, Tamil or Telugu screens.
This weekend is one of the specials few in a year that filmmakers seek for the release of a new film. The other sought-after weekends are Republic Day (January 26), Diwali, Eid and Christmas.
Some of the biggest hits were released during one of these periods and it is universal knowledge that Hindi cinema’s historical blockbuster, ‘Sholay’, was released on August 15, 1975.
Actors have their favourite release slots like the Eid week is Salman Khan’s. Shah Rukh Khan chose January 26 this year for ‘Pathaan’.
If the holiday for any of these special days falls on a Friday, it assures a film of a decent opening and the rest depends on its merits. But for any film, if the holiday for one of these occasions comes mid-week, it works as a booster dose adding to its weekend collections.
Independence Day was on a Tuesday this past week and one can’t ask for a better weekend than this. Because, out of the four films released on August 11, three have opened well, though OMG2 was a slow starter. The four films are Sunny Deol’s ‘Gadar 2’, Akshay Kumar’s ‘OMG 2’, Rajinikanth’s ‘Jailor’ and Chiranjeevi’s ‘Bholaa Shankar’.
As the week progressed, as ‘OMG 2’ picked up pace, ‘Bhola Shankar’ started dropping.
I call this a week of the seniors because three of the four stars credited for these films are senior citizens. Sunny Deol is 66, Rajinikanth 72 and Chiranjeevi 68. Akshay Kumar at 55 isn’t a senior citizen yet, but is a senior-enough artiste who has been doing films for almost 33 years.
What these four have done this past week is set the box office on fire all over. These films were released on August 11 and Independence Day, which fell on the fifth day of their release, only added to their glory. It may have also helped to have the Parsi New Year, an optional holiday in certain parts of India, fall on August 16.
As far as the initial draw went, Akshay Kumar’s ‘OMG 2’ suffered because of the whimsical ways of the Censor Board. The exhibitors felt the film’s release was uncertain because the Censors had raised some silly issues about the film’s content. So, rather than not having a new release for the Independence Day week, most halls opted for ‘Gadar 2’, leaving fewer cinemas for ‘OMG 2’ than the film merited.
Worst still was that this film, dealing with the sensitive issue of sex and young adults on the verge of entering the teens, was granted an Adult only certificate! Imagine, at age 12, a boy is going through his initial urges and seeking a solution, and the film can be seen only by an 18-plus. That 12-year-old and million such young adults needed to watch this movie!
With such setbacks, the film still managed to open with Rs 10 crore but the headlines were hogged by ‘Gadar 2’ grossing Rs 41 crore. It is worth seeking a legal opinion on whether the Censor Board can be sued for damages on the grounds of its nil understanding of the facts of life, whimsical ratings of films, and causing huge economic losses to films and filmmakers.
‘OMG 2’ picked up as the week progressed and it looks like it has overcome the initial setback.
Coming back to ‘Gadar 2’, though the sequel comes after a gap of 22 years, the fact is, the film would have done well even if it was not a sequel. Quite a few of the generation today may not have watched ‘Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’ and for those who did, the gap is too huge.
The reason is, the theme in the original and the sequel is the same, the cause is just incidental. And Sunny Deol’s one-man army running roughshod over the Pakistanis and whatever represents power there.
What is more, for those who are familiar with the original, ‘Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’, it was a nostalgia trip with Sunny and Ameesha Patel still continuing their romance like a couple freshly in love and, best of all, this gives the makers an opportunity to replay old melodies from the original. Today, when music and melody in films are extinct, that is an inherent advantage the film enjoys.
‘Gadar 2’ has the advantage of complying with the national mood today. The nation exudes patriotism and nationalism with Indians being deeply immersed in these sentiments. In such a situation, no better villain to humiliate than the neighbouring country.
‘Gadar 2’ had shown a drop after bountiful first three days, but the film still had the Independence Day holiday and Parsi New Year the following day to regain its ground. The film ended its first week scoring Rs 284.6 crore.
My column has been advocating the return to traditional Indian themes. Drama, melodrama, romance, music and all that.
The approach of course can be in keeping with the times we live in. If the story has a mother, sister, sahelis and other such familiar elements around, the more the fun.
Now, all we need is a few writers with ideas and a few music composers to match the melodies of the bygone era. I know it is asking for too much in today’s scenario, but it is not impossible.
Meanwhile, folks on social media are having a field day going ga-ga over ‘Gadar 2’. Most are predicting the film’s collections will go beyond the figures claimed by ‘Pathaan’! Juggling of figures and tall claims despite empty cinema theatres has been a practice much in use by filmmakers. But, in the age of social media, people know what the real picture is. You may throw up big figures, but people don’t counter you. They only take them with a pinch of salt, or a bagful of salt, depending on the claims.
Not saying that this is done by all filmmakers, but when two out of three do it, people become sceptical.
While of the subject of the box-office race between ‘Pathaan’ and ‘Gadar 2’, and of inflated figures, this does not seem to be happening in the Hindi film industry alone.
The same thing has been happening in other countries too. In South Korea, for instance, the Seoul Police has found the practice of inflating box-office figures being rampant. The numbers issued by the police are astonishing: box-office figures of 323 films were found to have been inflated over the past five years.
The Seoul Police has probed the business of 462 movies and 98 film distributors from 2018 till June this year. As a follow-up, it has referred 69 exhibitors and 24 film distributors to prosecutors, who will now decide on the action to be taken.
Now, this is a serious business. This amounts to cheating and misleading the masses and your other business associates such as the satellite and OTT rights buyers. Is this due to the GST to be paid on the amounts claimed to be collected?
How is it that when you check an online ticket booking portal, the charts show no seats available. But, if you go to the cinema theatre, there are as many available and as many as you wish to buy! Are the GST commissioners missing out on something?
Her upcoming film ‘Trial Period’ is a family drama that follows the journey of a single mother Ana, played by Genelia, whose world turns upside down when her inquisitive son demands a father on a trial period of 30 days…writesDurga Chakravarty
One of Bollywood’s most loved actresses Genelia Deshmukh or ‘Meow’, as many fondly call her courtesy her iconic character in from the 2008 movie ‘Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na’, has had a two-decade-long journey in the world of acting which she says she did not choose – it chose her.
Over her two decade long career, Genelia has not only worked in Bollywood but many other language films including Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.
Looking back at her journey in the world of cinema, the 35-year-old actress said that she fell in love with acting along the way.
“I think my journey has been amazing. It has been a journey of appreciation because it wasn’t the career that I chose, it chose me. I fell in love on the way,” Genelia told.
She added: “I’ve had the opportunity to work with a lot of people, regions and hence I feel your craft has developed so much more because a girl in the north will be different from the girl in south, and having the opportunity to play so much just makes it a wholesome career.”
Genelia, who is gearing up for the release of her upcoming film ‘Trial Period’, was last seen on screen in the Hindi films ‘Mister Mummy’ and ‘Ved’ which released in 2022. Before that, she was in the 2016 film ‘Force 2’.
Would we now get to see her more often on screen?
“Initially, when I did films, I liked to plan the entire year. But now, I feel when I do a film, it means taking out that much time from kids, means giving just a lot more than just doing a number of films. So, I just want to own a choice that I make. I’d like to do a lot more work but I am happy to wait it out if it takes that kind of time to wait out too,” said that actress, who is married to actor Riteish Deshmukh.
Genelia and Ritesh got married in February 2012. The two welcomed their first son, Riaan, in 2014. Their second son, Rahyl, was born June 2016.
The ‘Tujhe Meri Kasam’ actress wanted to focus on family life as her children were younger.
“I took a break initially because my kids were younger and I felt that I needed that time. I feel that I am ready now and I feel I am ready to accept a lot more work. I feel there is a lot more work that comes according to what I want also.”
She believes she would do a lot more work now.
“So, I do believe I’ll be doing a lot more work now versus how I was in the last 10 years.”
Her upcoming film ‘Trial Period’ is a family drama that follows the journey of a single mother Ana, played by Genelia, whose world turns upside down when her inquisitive son demands a father on a trial period of 30 days.
“Yeah ‘Trial Period’ is a film of humour and innocence but what caught my interest was the fact that it was about a mum and the various things that are associated with it. It’s a lovely family entertainer.”
“It has various elements of family, neighbors in a love story which is not really conventional. It is very urban and countryside, which makes it really interesting.”
Produced by Jyoti Deshpande, presented by Jio Studios, a Chrome Pictures production, produced by Hemant Bhandari, Amit Ravindernath Sharma, and Aleya Sen, ‘Trial Period’ is set to be released on July 21 on JioCinema.
Indians miss the human story, emotions, humour and music. Something closer to their heart, what they can identify with. The viewers want normal fun and entertainment in their films…writes Vinod Mirani
Looking at the first half of the year, January to June 2023, one would believe that the film industry has yet to come out of the Covid-19 lockdown effect. The films just don’t seem to work. Nor do the top-billing stars.
Were it for the Covid-19 hangover, how does one explain the blockbuster success of ‘The Kashmir Files’ and ‘The Kerala Story’? How does one account for the success of ‘Pathaan’, ‘Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar’, ‘Zara Hatkke Zara Bachke’, and the last year’s release ‘Drishyam 2’?
As against these successes, what explains the failure of such massively budgeted vehicles such as ‘Adipurush’, to cite the very recent example? Looks like the Hindi audience is not lured by films that are mainly made on computers with VFX!
Indians miss the human story, emotions, humour and music. Something closer to their heart, what they can identify with. The viewers want normal fun and entertainment in their films.
Of course, Ramayana is closest to most people but not the way it was presented in ‘Adipurush’. Just don’t take your audience for granted. People are lured by their favourite stars initially, then by the film and its content.
So, it may be wise not to make your hero fly, kick 10 people in one go. Hollywood films are doing it and so are some of the South Indian films. Only, the South Indian films make sure they include family emotions and give the hero a cause for his flying kicks.
The operative word in the film industry is ‘trend’. And the trend seems to be changing, veering towards stories that appeal to all, or what was referred to as a film with universal appeal. That is, a film that appeals to masses as well as classes, frontbenchers as well as the gentry and Hindi belt as well as the other assorted linguistic states of the country.
The 1950s, 60s and 70s had numerous hits every year. And all those films catered to audiences of all kinds all over the country. There are too many to list here. Of course, they also made action films and they were rated as B-grade cinema, made for a specific audience. More than the film and its action, what excited the viewer was the background sound of dhishoom … dhishoom in the yesteryear action films!
I think it was post ‘Zanjeer’ and ‘Deewaar’, both Amitabh Bachchan films, that the barrier between action and family films was finally demolished.
The top-billing stars did not indulge in doing such films. Their films saved action for the climax, where the hero dealt with the villain. By the time the action scene would take place, the viewer would have started detesting the villain so much that he would be cheering the hero as he beat up the bad guys. Today, it is kosher for every big actor to do action movies.
‘Zanjeer’ and ‘Deewaar’ paved the way for all actors to do action films. Still, the fact remains that even the tough guys, he men and the ones labelled as action heroes (such as Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna and Salman Khan) have had a better record with love stories or family films and not action films.
There came a phase when the so-called corporate houses came and turned the multi-lakh film production business into a multi-crore enterprise. And the multiplexes turned the film-viewing experience from a Rs 2 to Rs 5 outing to one priced from Rs 200 to Rs 2,200! The era of creative individual filmmakers was over. Films were now being made for the multiplexes; audience taste was incidental.
The fun lasted for a few years as some films worked and many did not. The economics of filmmaking had gone haywire! Every actor wanted to make an action film. Even the romantic hero as he was branded, Shah Rukh Khan, came up with his personal version of ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ with ‘Pathaan’!
The problem was the ‘Baahubali’ effect on the Hindi filmmakers. Each one of them wanted a ‘Baahubali’-like blockbuster of his own. Though dubbed from Telugu films, the franchise shattered all box-office records. The idea was to make visually grand films, preferably with top stars.
There, however, came the catch: The film had to have a huge budget to afford the extravaganza. Top stars and top budgets were expected do the trick along with spectacular visuals and special effects.
So we had the first project, ‘Thugs Of Hindustan’ (2018) followed by ‘Padmavat’, ‘Vikram Vedha’, ‘Sooryavanshi’, ‘Samrat Prithviraj’, ‘War’, ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’, ‘Bajirao Mastani’, ‘Kalank’, ‘Samshera’, ‘Brahmastra: Part 1’ and the recent ‘Adipurush’. Some makers preferred to make films based on a chapter from history or mythology; at least that would provide a semblance of a story.
As it turned out, the bigger the budget, the louder the thud with which they fell. Ironically, while many top-billing Hindi films failed, the intermittent dubbed versions from the South, such as ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, ‘RRR’ and ‘KGF’ grossed in multiples of crores.
You may want your multi crore grosser and invest high. But, with high budgets, such projects also entail high risk. You make a big film for the sake of it, Thugs Of Hindustan or Brahmastra, but if the viewer does not identify with the subject, a disaster is guaranteed.
That makes one think. Why are films such as ‘Zara Hatke Zara Bachke’ or ‘Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar’ are scoring big at the box office? If one takes films from the time ‘Baahubali’ released in 2015 and some filmmakers tried to match it, there have been a number of smaller films that have proved to be hits.
These films are: ‘Tanu Weds Manu’, ‘Drishyam’ and ‘Drishyam 2’, ‘Aye Dil Hai Mushkil’, ‘Hindi Medium’, ‘Toilet Ek Prem Katha’, ‘Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya’, ‘Sanju’, ‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story’, ‘Golmaal’, ‘Chhichhore’, ‘Badhaai Ho’, ‘Padman, Good Newwz’, ‘Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan’, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’ and ‘Jugjugg Jeeyo’.
‘Zara Hatke Zara Bachke’ is a nice mix of the old and the contemporary. The problem a newly-wed couple face in a small accommodation was seen in Rajshri Production’s ‘Piya Ka Ghar’, which has been very well done in this film, and blended with the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana to give it a contemporary touch.
These films are acceptable to all, family and youth, middle class and upper class. The advantage with these kind of films is that it limits the risk factor, and quickly recovers the investment. What is more, it need not be viewed on the big screen. They are as much fun to watch on an OTT platform, where they can be enjoyed with family and kids.
It is time to go back to your roots — to films like ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, ‘Jab We Met’, ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’.
Alia Bhatt wears a blush pink dress by which features a corset-style bodice and a flowing, semi-sheer pink chiffon trail…writes Olivia Sarkar
Itsnot just Hollywoodthat’s been hit with Barbie fever, Bollywood has been quick to take to the much awaited film too. It’s Barbie energy everywhere, and top celebrities have chosen to wear pink all everything, from dresses to accessories and bejewelled shoes, pink in all its shades it is. Take a look:
Katrina Kaif
Katrina Kaif chose a blush pink Alex Perry gown this occasion featuring an over the shoulder pleated sleeve.
Ananya Panday
Ananya Panday appeared as her Barbie alter ego in a stunning pink bodycon dress. Pink nails and complimentary makeup were her go to style.
Kriti Sanon
In a sizzling hot pink dress that caught everyone’s eyes, Kriti Sanon made it clear she’s India’s answer to Barbie. The body-hugging, one-shoulder beauty was embellished with cascading ruffles that swirled down its length, and a pair of light pink heels.
Janhvi Kapoor
Our hearts skipped a beat when Janhvi Kapoor made an entrance in a pink sequinned halter dress that accentuated her curves.
Sara Ali Khan
Sara Ali Khan, shows off her fit figure in a one-shoulder Jacquemus design featuring a daring thigh-high slit.
Alia Bhatt
Alia Bhatt wears a blush pink dress by which features a corset-style bodice and a flowing, semi-sheer pink chiffon trail.
Kiara Advani
Here comes the hot stepper as Kiara Advani stuns in a hot pink jumpsuit by Manish Malhotra, worn with silver sequin boots.
Shah Rukh will be next seen in the upcoming action thriller film ‘Jawan’ which is all set to hit the theatres on September 7. Helmed by Atlee, the film also stars Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi in the lead roles…reports Asian Lite News
Shah Rukh Khan is called the King for a reason. The actor – who has been entertaining millions since 1988 has created a niche for himself in the Bollywood industry. SRK’s journey is an inspiration for all his fans.On Monday, the ‘Pathaan’ actor conducted an #AskSRK session on Twitter, where he answered all his fan’s questions. When a user asked him about his journey in the film industry by coming from a middle-class background. “Sir coming from a middle-class background how difficult was this journey for you?”
To which King Khan responded, “Life overall has been very good to me. Audience and everyone have given too much love…so not difficult at all really.”
Shah Rukh Khan has a great sense of humour and mostly throws witty replies while being questioned. His humour only gets better and better. On Monday, he gave a hilarious reply to a fan who asked him what he has and what other actors don’t.
Pathaan actor conducted an #AskSRK session on Twitter to engage with his fans directly. During the interaction, one user asked, “What do you have or other actors don’t.” Replying to this SRK, he said, “Mere paas DDLJ hai….KKHH hai, Devdas hai Swades hai Chak se India hai…Pathan hai…Om Shanti Om hai….ohh need to stop showing off!! Ha ha”
Mere paas DDLJ hai….KKHH hai, Devdas hai Swades hai Chak se India hai…Pathan hai…Om Shanti Om hai….ohh need to stop showing off!! Ha ha https://t.co/FE7JRfjHJB
Meanwhile, on the work front, Shah Rukh made his comeback after a hiatus of 4 years with Siddharth Anand’s action thriller film ‘Pathaan’ which was released in January this year. The film also starred Deepika Padukone and John Abraham in the lead roles. It is the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time.
SRK’s charismatic personality radiates in the massive fan following. The superstar has given the audience memorable films like ‘Baazigar’, ‘Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’, ‘Veer Zara’, and many more. Shah Rukh made his comeback after a hiatus of 4 years with Siddharth Anand’s action thriller film ‘Pathaan’ which was released in January this year.The film also starred Deepika Padukone and John Abraham in the lead roles. It is the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time.The film is now ready to release in dubbed versions across Russia and CIS countries including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.As per a statement shared by YRF, the dubbed version will release on July 13 across 3000+ screens.
Shah Rukh will be next seen in the upcoming action thriller film ‘Jawan’ which is all set to hit the theatres on September 7. Helmed by Atlee, the film also stars Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi in the lead roles. The film is billed as an event film with high-octane action sequences. Shah Rukh’s production company Red Chillies Entertainment has produced it. Apart from that, he also has director Rajkumar Hirani’s next ‘Dunki’ opposite actor Taapsee Pannu. The official release date of ‘Dunki’ is still awaited. (ANI)
In her last release, ‘Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway (MCVN)’, Rani again played a fiesty woman who took on a country to win back her children. The film was a resounding hit at the box-office and it brought back belief that content cinema could pull in people to theatres in this post pandemic world…reports Asian Lite News
Actress Rani Mukerji has shared her vision to represent women correctly in Hindi cinema. She said that women are the backbone of a family and the society and that she has a responsibility to show this to people across the world.
Rani says, “As an actor, your vision for cinema and roles will constantly evolve but one thing that’s constantly stayed for me is the way I wanted to portray and represent women on screen. Women are the backbone of a family and the society, and I think, as an actor, I have a responsibility to show this to as many people as possible across my country and the world.”
She added: “Cinema can have a lasting impression on the minds of people. It is a very powerful tool to trigger a national conversation and I became conscious very early on in my career that I could make a real change in the way women are projected on-screen, that could be positive.”
Rani wanted to show girls as fiercely independent and self-reliant in films.
She says, “I made it a point to choose films where the girl is also pivotal to the plot, where the girl is projected with dignity and power.”
“For me, women have always been agents of change. They have been independent, courageous, caring, pursuers of dreams and the best multitasker you can ever find. I wanted to highlight these facets of a woman by choosing characters that echo this belief system of mine.”
Rani adds, “So, if you see films like ‘Black’, ‘Veer Zaara’, ‘Mardaani’ series, ‘Yuva’, ‘No One Killed Jessica’, ‘Hichki’ or even my latest film ‘Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway’, to name a few, the girls I play are central to the plot, the sheroes that people have adored and accepted for being who they are.”
In her last release, ‘Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway (MCVN)’, Rani again played a fiesty woman who took on a country to win back her children. The film was a resounding hit at the box-office and it brought back belief that content cinema could pull in people to theatres in this post pandemic world.
Rani says, “The fact that MCVN is a hit today is because people want to see strong woman protagonists like this on the big screen. There is constant chatter whether women-centric films are box office draws? That concerns me, of course they are box office draws.”
“A film is a hit when producers make money from it and it is not just about how much it collects at the box-office because one should also factor in the cost of the film.”
She adds, “There is a lot of misconception about what a hit means and I think people should pay attention to this before passing judgement if a film is profitable. A good film will always bring people to the theatres and their gender has no role to play.”
Believing that making movies is an art, and not just about money, the actor feels it is about putting the right people together, marketing, and creative packaging…writes Sukant Deepak
One of the few mainstream Hindi film actors of his generation to constantly plunge himself into uncharted territory, and opt for unconventional roles — like in ‘Omkara’, ‘Go Goa Gone’, ‘Parineeta’, ‘Sacred Games’ and ‘Laal Kaptaan’ among others, Saif Ali Khan says while at one point, he wanted to play it safe and survive, but soon realised the importance of trying new things and offering something novel to the audience.
“If you are having fun playing such roles, chances are the audience will enjoy watching you too. In the case of ‘Omkara’ and ‘Go Goa Gone’, I agreed to essay the roles which many people did not want to. For me, the idea is always to do something new each time,” he tells.
Stressing that the OTT allows for much space to experiment, Khan opines that when it comes to making content for the digital medium, it is important to be completely honest about contemporary realities and human conditions, and then dramatise the situations. “Only then will you be able to move people. Let us not forget that whatever we make for this medium is immediately compared to international work.”
Even as he agrees with the evolution of content and treatment with the advent of OTT, the actor maintains that it would not really have an impact on how mainstream cinema in terms of storytelling. “Though mindsets are bound to change, I am unsure of the actual impact as it depends on how much of a chance mainstream is willing to take in terms of evolving scripts and not playing it very safe.”
He may have worked with a diverse set of directors, but now he does not really think on terms of script or the person behind the camera. “I now approach work as a producer. My thought process is — what kind of movies I would like to make?”
When it comes to signing the dotted line, it is about how he feels at that moment in time. “It has to be instinctive. Your gut tells you if it is worth the time and energy. Now, I prefer the comfort of home, so, if the project is going to take me away to a hotel room for weeks, it has to be worthwhile in every way, otherwise, I might not want to do it. It has to be something that I would want to be part of my history.”
Believing that making movies is an art, and not just about money, the actor feels it is about putting the right people together, marketing, and creative packaging.
The actor, who is the first-ever brand ambassador for Lay’s Gourmet and was associated with the brand for several years, says he is thrilled to rejoin the Lay’s family. “I am a firm believer in freedom of choice and believe all things in moderation are fine. And if it’s legal and I am fond of it too, I will endorse it,” says the actor who is currently working on a romantic comedy titled ‘No Kids’.
“I am also shooting for a big action-packed South Indian movie. Besides that, a film for Siddharth Anand’s production which is a Netflix original. So, there are a lot of things in the pipeline,” he concludes.
A live musical spectacular with DJ MASHA, a well-known Ukrainian DJ from Dubai, and Random Order was started by Ajay Bijli, the founder of PVR Cinemas, who also led his band. The show combined memories for the past and beats from the future…reports Asian Lite News
In its fourth edition, Chivas Glassware Alchemy, a captivating symphony that celebrates the blend’s skilled craftsmanship and originality with luxury connoisseurs, acknowledged the chemistry of time. Through a contemporary “Kaleidoscope of Time,” the breathtaking visual representation of this voyage between tradition and modernity was brought to life. In collaboration with 18 eminent experts from the fashion, art, music, and food industries, Chivas Alchemy presented their distinctive pieces that fused two periods in the realm of luxury.
Chivas Alchemy co-curated by Sunil Sethi, the founder of Sunil Sethi Design Alliance, and renowned designer Ashish Soni, was an extraordinary evening where connoisseurs slipped back and forth through the layers of time in luxury as they unveiled the layers of fashion, art, music, and gastronomy.
Presenting the collage of creations with couture, it showcased over 25 signature styles of 9 eminent designers that have defined fashion through the years. While the fresh fits of today were curated by new-age experimental powerhouses Bloni, Anvita Sharma, Dhruv Kapoor and Human, the couture line that redefined the vocabulary of the design was showcased by distinguished designers Namrata Joshipura, Shantanu & Nikhil, Falguni Shan Peacock, Rajesh Pratap Singh and JJ Valaya. Their ensembles were a testament to the time and embodied the word luxury and richness of India’s fashion scene.
Art lovers were treated to a lovely painting of recollections spanning the past and the present. Vibha Galhotra and Viraj Khanna’s works were on show in a variety of mediums, including digital, paintings, sculptures, and 3D installations. Vibha Galhotra, an internationally renowned artist who has gained notoriety for her performances all over the world, incorporated traditional hand-sewn ghungroos—metal ankle bells worn as feminine adornment in Indian culture—in her finely produced sculptures and installations. While intriguing artist Viraj Khanna, the son of renowned fashion designer Anamika Khanna, explored the complexity of human nature through textile art, he gave a reflection of his personal experiences that prompted people to ponder on their own lives, ideologies, and behaviours.
A live musical spectacular with DJ MASHA, a well-known Ukrainian DJ from Dubai, and Random Order was started by Ajay Bijli, the founder of PVR Cinemas, who also led his band. The show combined memories for the past and beats from the future. Bijlee’s Random Order featured music that was evocative of bygone times, from lyrical to musicality, and it drew inspiration from that time period. DJ Masha, who is renowned for her varied aesthetic, offered party music with its own special appeal that was twisting, strange, and unpredictable.
The culinary affaire was a palette of passions celebrating the two worlds through creative food expressions of memory, ingredients, and technique, by innovative F&B brands in the country and internationally acclaimed bar and mixologist. While the concept of memory evoked nostalgia, technique deployed unconventional gastronomical craft, and ingredients were those that have stood tall across generations. Chef Eric Sifu of KOKO, a quintessential Asian fine dine set in bustling midtown brought modern pan-Asian fare, and Chef Niyati Rao of Mumbai’s famous ingredient-first restaurant, EKAA served interpreted cuisine inspired by ingredients, people, and cultures. For an elevated bar experience, mixologist extraordinaire, Giovanni Depergola aka Mr. G (Co-founder of Liquid Alembic, Dubai) and world-famous bar Salmon Guru came in from Dubai, concocted exotic and sophisticated cocktails with balanced blends.
Speaking on the occasion, Kartik Mohindra, Chief Marketing Officer, Pernod Ricard India said, “Chivas Alchemy is an extraordinary embodiment of craftsmanship & luxury, much like its timeless blend. This year’s edition was a celebration of the seamless alchemy in time between heritage and modernity, in collaboration with 18 maestros of couture, art, music, and cuisine. Through this kaleidoscopic experience, we aim to inspire our consumers to embrace the timeless richness of the legacy as well as the possibilities of the new age, unlike ever before.”
Sunil Sethi, Founder, Sunil Sethi Design Alliance, and co-curator said, “This year, with Chivas Alchemy, we wanted to celebrate the complexity of time in luxury. We created an exquisite convergence of art, design, and luxury, and it was fascinating to see how each of the 18 alchemists brought their splendid style of creativity to the table, making this an unparalleled experience. I am honoured to bring the brand’s vision to life and showcase a curation inspired by heritage and new-age eras of luxury.”
“Chivas Alchemy was a magnificent celebration of craftsmanship and substance, and it was inspiring to see 18 alchemists come together to display their unique perspectives that flit everyone back and forth in time. Through a melange of genres, Chivas Alchemy delivered a swirl of nostalgia, and it has been my pleasure to curate an experience that seamlessly blends art, couture, cuisine and music for those who appreciate the finer nuances of luxury”, said designer Ashish Soni, co-curator of Chivas Alchemy.
Some prospect hunters with an aim to make quick bucks misread the demand for films on the video format. They started making feature films in the video format with budgets of as little as Rs 3-5 lakh at a time when the budget for a Hindi film went up to Rs 50-60 lakh…writes Vinod Mirani
The business of cinema has come a full circle. OTT platforms, which majorly depend on films as their prime content provider, are now facing a shortage of supply. Feature films carry a universal appeal and are the biggest draw for eyeballs on the OTT platforms.
People may have followed some web series on OTT, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic lock down and explored content from all over the world. That was because the supply of new films had halted. Still, feature films ruled the OTT platforms, mostly the old ones.
Now that the world was coming closer, thanks to the Internet, people explored all the options available to them during the lockdown. But films remained the main attraction.
So, two major players, Apple and Amazon Prime, have decided to invest up to a billion dollars in film production with the aim to give them a theatrical release. People love to watch a movie in a cinema, but high admission rates combined with the pandemic-borne lockdown drove the entertainment seekers to OTT streaming.
BHediya 2.
What worked here too were the films, except occasional web series. The catch here is that a movie is a movie only when it is released in cinemas and not directly on an OTT platform. A theatrical release is like an endorsement for a feature film. Also, when a film releases in a cinema, it gets publicity as well as media exposure. In short, it creates public awareness about the film.
In India, we learnt this lesson the hard way very early, a few decades back. This was when the video format came to India. Anybody who could afford a video player (others could get one on rend), rented video cassettes to watch films. Cassettes were available on rent as video piracy thrived.
Some prospect hunters with an aim to make quick bucks misread the demand for films on the video format. They started making feature films in the video format with budgets of as little as Rs 3-5 lakh at a time when the budget for a Hindi film went up to Rs 50-60 lakh.
The market was flooded with over 5,000 video films. Sadly, there were no takers, though the market was gradually going legit, because neither the video rights buyer, nor the viewer cared for films shot on video format. Nobody wanted a film that was not a regular feature film made for cinemas. As a result, investments in about 5,000 video films went down the drain.
This fact now seems to have dawned on the OTT big shots in the US of A. They plan big-time investments in feature films, give them a regular theatrical release, which would add majorly to a film’s recovery and also qualify it for the OTT platform as a regular film. This will also help the cinema chains survive, considering the deficit of supply which has forced the cinemas to reduce admission rates by a third of the original.
Closer home, the good news for the trade in general and the exhibition trade in particular is that the entertainment arm of Reliance Industries, Jio Cinema, which has been working on putting together a slate of entertainment content for some time, has finally announced an extensive slate of 100 productions in various languages, which include films as well as OTT content.
Jio Cinema has been working on content gathering, but, probably, did not want to announce this till they had a substantial repertoire on hand. Although the company’s initial plan was to expand itself in the news media with a channel dedicated to each city or town, an idea one would think was far-fetched and would serve no real purpose, this shift to the entertainment media is welcome. Entertainment has takers all around.
Jio Cinema has been making its moves gradually, one at a time. From the Jio mobile network to acquiring interests in television news media, its progression from a small smartphone screen to the big screen and 5G will finally be all-encompassing: from handphone to television to the big cinema screen.
A lot of producers have announced or launched more than one project at a time. Some were just publicity gimmicks; some meant it. But what Jio Cinema is planning is a 100-project slate to start with.
Jio Cinema has interests in all kinds of content. These include films such as ‘Dunki’ (Shah Rukh Khan), ‘Bloody Daddy’ (Shahid Kapor), ‘Bhediya 2’ (Varun Dhawan), ‘Stree 2’ (Rajkummar Rao- Shraddha Kpoor) and many such regular star cast films. Stars in the company’s acquisitions / joint ventures are from all regions. They include Vijay Sethupati, R. Madhavan, Pratik Gandhi, and Arvind Swamy, among others.
Similarly, Jio Cinema’s web content includes ‘Laal Batti’, ‘Union: The Making Of India’, ‘Inspector Avinash’, ‘Rafuchakkar’, ‘Bajao’ and others offering varied content and actors.
Along with Jio Cinema, the Viacom18 OTT platform, Voot, is also reported to be on a content acquisition spree. Reliance has an interest in both Viacom and Voot.
Jio planned to release ‘Stree’ directly on OTT, but, as an afterthought, decided to give the film a theatrical release; the risks were not high. The film worked wonders and registered a good business. Similar was their experience with ‘Luka Chuppi’.
In all probability, had these films been released directly on OTT, they may not have worked or not met with the same success. As I mentioned earlier, a feature film is not accepted till it is screened in cinemas. Web series are fine, but for OTT to succeed, the route is through movies. What Apple, Amazon and Jio Cinema are doing will benefit and assure the survival of all channels of entertainment.
Government wakes up to 51-year-old problem
It has been more than 50 years since the video cassette recorder / player brought home viewing of films to India. It is also the time when video piracy also took roots. Owning a VCR was a luxury and watching a feature film at home was a privilege. Unfortunately, the films which were available on video cassettes were mostly pirated.
There were various ways of pirating a feature film. These included hijacking a film print for a few hours while it was being dispatched to nearby cinemas, or copying prints being sent to overseas markets (usually dispatched a week before a film’s India release as it needed to complete censor and other formalities in the respective country), but the cheapest and crudest way to copy a film was to make a camera print while watching a film. The format was new and people did not mind even watching such copies.
Is it not odd that the government has woken up after so many year to the issue of piracy and unauthorised exhibition of films? What is the provocation, 51 years since the problem first reared its head? The government has labelled camcording of a film in a theatre as an offence. Does it still happen? I don’t think so.
The piracy as it was done in the 1970s and 80s does not happen now. Yes, unauthorised exhibition of films happens big time and, no, these are not pirated prints as the government believes. The prints are acquired through unauthorized means without the acquisition of rights and are made available through the Internet.
The Government has amended the Cinematograph Act 1952. The new legislation is the Cinematograph Amendment Bill 2023. It provides for blocking websites transmitting unauthorised content.
Films from 1932 onwards, mostly from the later eras, are available on the Net. How does the government plan to determine which film is authorised and which one is not? Most of the OTT platforms operate from countries other than India and blocking a popular portal may not solve the problem because blocking does not guarantee no access. Yes, maybe you could try blocking the revenue flows to such portals.
The Bill does not mention piracy of music, which, probably, generates much more revenue for the pirates and other unlawful content providers.
