Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 852
10:14 PM
DRY WEEK AHEAD AS LAST WEEK’S FILMS FLOP
A lot was expected from the Dussehra releases, namely Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video and Jigra. Sadly, both had a negative word of mouth. As predicted, Jigra opened at Rs. 4.50 crores and jumped to Rs. 6.50 crores on Saturday. But that was due to the Dussehra holiday and on Sunday, it dropped to Rs. 5.50 crores. It rang alarm bells as a Sunday drop is a very bad sign. Jigra is expected to collect around Rs. 22 crores in its first week and despite an open run, it’ll not even cross the Rs. 30 crores mark.
Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video was expected to open around Rs. 6-7 crores but it opened at just Rs. 5.50 crores. Just like Jigra, it saw a jump on Saturday (Rs. 6.75 crores) and then on dropped on Sunday (Rs. 5.75 crores). The reports were negative and surprisingly, it didn’t perform in certain mass belts though it is a mainstream comedy. The only plus for the film is that it did better than Jigra and would end up collecting around Rs. 35-37 crores.
This week was going to see the release of the classic animation film, Ramayana: The Legend Of Prince Rama. It would have got an audience but sadly, its release got postponed. The re-releases would once again take centre stage. The biggest of them is Singham followed by Khosla Ka Ghosla and Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari. The first two might get some audience. There are zero hopes from Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari. This is because there’s no recall value or popularity though it’s a lovely entertainer.
As for Hollywood, a film named The Apprentice, based on Donald Trump, was all set to be released. But its release got delayed after the makers refused to accept the Censor cuts. The biggest Hollywood film of the week is The Wild Robot. It was released in North America on October 4 and has received a humongous response. It now remains to be seen if it manages to bring some respite at the box office in India.
The other new releases from Bollywood and Hollywood are Aayushmati Geeta Matric Pass, Settlement and Goodrich. All these films will sink without a trace.
Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video collects 22.10 cr in 5 days
8:57 AM
Box Office India Trade Network
VICKY VIDYA KA WOH WALA VIDEO had a big drop on Tuesday with collections going 20% down after a low Monday. The film collected 1.85 crore nett apprx which takes the film to 22 crore nett and its looking a 25-25.50 crore nett week for the film. But this drop on Tuesday means the chance of 40 crore nett business becomes tougher, not that 40 crore nett is any good.
The film will do better than JIGRA but something has gone amiss as the gap should have been more with JIGRA in the Hindi speaking areas. It is probably something to do with the name of the film which has kept families away. The film basically should have done better especially in Gujarat and the Central belt. Delhi/UP still has respectable numbers.
The five day collections of VICKY VIDYA KA WOH WALA VIDEO are as follows.
Friday - 5,50,00,000 apprx
Saturday - 6,75,00,000 apprx
Sunday - 5,75,00,000 apprx
Monday - 2,25,00,000 apprx
Tuesday - 1,85,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 22,10,00,000 apprx
Jigra collects 19.55 cr in 5 days
8:55 AM
Box Office India Trade Network
JIGRA continued its downtrend as it dropped another 15% from Monday which itself was a big drop and a low number. The film collected 1.40 crore nett apprx on Tuesday which takes the film to 19.50 crore nett in five days. The first week will now finish at around 22 crore nett.
The film has faced rejection and that is with the metro audience too which was the audience which could take the film somewhere but it was not to be. It is a struggle for films catering to this audience as lesser people are coming out for the mid level films anyway and then you restrict it further by having content just for a few cities.
The industry will see the lifetime collections as a bit shocking as the film has Alia Bhatt but with this type of content, there is always a chance of such low numbers due to the limited appeal.
The five day numbers of JIGRA are as follows.
Friday - 4,50,00,000
Saturday - 6,50,00,000
Sunday - 5,50,00,000
Monday - 1,65,00,000
Tuesday - 1,40,00,000
TOTAL - 19,55,00,000 apprx
Mid-Day Exclusive: Despite threats, Salman Khan's Sikandar shoot to continue with enhanced security measures
8:53 AM
Bereaved superstar will return to Sikandar shoot next week—at an undisclosed location, with double the security, and a skeletal crew
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; October 17, 2024)
While the investigation into the Baba Siddique case is ongoing, the shadow of threats looms large on Salman Khan. The superstar, however, has made it clear that his Sikandar shoot cannot be delayed. mid-day has learnt that the upcoming schedule of A R Murugadoss’s film will be shot next week. A key member from the actioner’s production team told us that while the last two schedules took place at SRPF Grounds in Mumbai, the makers have now chosen some new locations for the upcoming leg.
The knowledge of these venues will be restricted to only a few people to avoid security breach. The source reveals, “Earlier, the plan was to shoot in Hyderabad, but the team has decided to finish the Mumbai leg first. New locations are being zeroed in on for this stint. A week of robust shooting has been planned, where leading lady Rashmika Mandanna will can her portions with the superstar before she flies down south to finish her work on Pushpa 2 - The Rule.”
We hear Khan’s security, which had been beefed up to a 10 to 15-member team since April following a round of firing outside his Bandra residence, will now be doubled.
The source elaborates, “The number of security personnel will be increased, while that of people on set might be reduced. Intensive security measures—like thorough checking of people stepping on the set, and securing the venue—will be put into place. Salman doesn’t want the production to be halted.”
Siddique and Khan enjoyed a decades-long friendship, with the politician encouraging the actor to bury the hatchet with Shah Rukh Khan at his 2013 Iftar party. Even as the probe is underway, the Mumbai Crime Branch is considering the politician’s association with the superstar as the primary motive for his murder that took place on October 12. It is being viewed as a warning from Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang to anyone close to the superstar.
No selfies, 24x7 police patrols outside Salman Khan's house
8:51 AM
Amid threat to his life, 60 policemen have been stationed outside Khan’s residence and security at his Panvel farmhouse intensified
HINDUSTAN TIMES (October 17, 2024)
Actor Salman Khan’s security cover was beefed up after his close friend, Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Siddique was shot dead by three assailants on October 12. Now, more layers have been added to his Y plus security amid aggressive threats from gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
As per an India Today report, Khan’s security detail now includes an additional eight to ten armed police officers. The Mumbai Police has also set up a dedicated command centre for the actor’s residence, Galaxy Apartments. The eight-floor building now has 24/7 police patrols and AI surveillance cameras at all entrances to detect if an individual is recognised in the vicinity more than thrice. With barricades outside the building, unauthorised visits, gathering around the building or clicking selfies have been banned.
SALMAN’S SHOOTS NOT CANCELLED
Khan is currently in the middle of shooting for his next film Sikandar, directed by AR Murugadoss, along with hosting a reality show. The actor had cancelled all shoots to attend Siddique’s funeral on Sunday, leading to speculation that the rest of his schedule might be affected. However, when we contacted the actor’s manager, he said this was “not true”.
A source close to the film confirmed that the actor’s security has been beefed up even on sets. “Salman sir always had security around him but lately additional 8-10 personnel have been added. They come for recce before he arrives. Abhi 1-2 din ka schedule aage peeche hua tha, but nothing major. If shooting was earlier expected to wrap up by December, it will now finish by January,” the insider said.
Tension between Khan and Bishnoi dates back to the 1998 Blackbuck shooting in Rajasthan. Since then, the gangster has demanded that the actor apologize for killing an animal that is sacred to the Bishnoi community.
With inputs from Yashika Mathur
SECURITY MEASURES IN PLACE
- An additional layer has been added to Khan’s Y plus security detail. Khan’s movements are coordinated with local police stations to secure his destination before arrival
- AI-enabled security surveillance cameras installed at all entrances at Galaxy Apartment and all visitors to the building are thoroughly screened
- Barricades around the complex to prevent unauthorized entry or selfies with fans
- 24/7 police patrols and 60 plainclothes policemen stationed outside the building.
- Security around Khan’s farmhouse in Panvel has also been intensified
I will be the first to watch Singham Again-Anees Bazmee
8:49 AM
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 director Anees Bazmee bats for the success of both Diwali releases; says it was a delight to unite Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit for the horror comedy
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; October 17, 2024)
When Anees Bazmee had wrapped up Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022), he had no intention to build the franchise further. By his admission, the director likes to move on to a new story after wrapping up work on one. But the horror comedy’s runaway success made him rethink his plans. “I had cracked five-six stories, but I wasn’t convinced about any of them. The day we cracked this idea, I felt excited about giving my one year to the film,” he begins.
What was this big idea? To have two Manjulikas. From there was born Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, fronted by Kartik Aaryan. Bazmee naturally thought of the OG Manjulika aka Vidya Balan to play one of the leads. The next choice became Madhuri Dixit-Nene.
“The best thing about this film is that we have two fantastic actors, Vidya ji and Madhuri ji, in the same frame. It wasn’t difficult to convince them because their characters are fleshed out. Such big actors always look at the material that’s offered to them. They were excited to share screen space with each other and be part of the film.”
Often when two A-list actors work with each other, the director feels the pressure of balancing their screen time. But Bazmee had no such worries. “I’m honest about each actor’s role in a film. I don’t cheat or lie when I narrate a film to an actor. I have directed many multi-starrers and never faced such a problem.”
Did he not think of casting Tabu again, considering her act as Manjulika was among the highlights of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2? “Tabu ji is a fantastic actor and a dear friend of mine. Her performance had a huge role to play in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’s success. But the point where I left her character—where the ghost and the villain were left together in a room—taking that forward would not be appropriate. I felt that character would remain memorable with the way I left it in the second part.”
With barely 15 days left for the Diwali release, the team is gearing up for a box-office clash with Ajay Devgn and Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again. Bazmee hopes that both releases fare well. “In the past, two big films have released on the same day and become hits. I don’t believe in words like ‘clash’. A lot of people associated with Singham Again are my friends. I am sure they’ve made an expensive film with terrific action. I will be the first to watch Singham Again, and I hope the audience watches both the films.”
Kareena Kapoor says Taimur ‘doesn’t even know all the drama’ around his name
8:48 AM
HINDUSTAN TIMES (October 17, 2024)
Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan recently opened up about the uproar that erupted when she and husband, actor Saif Ali Khan revealed their elder son Taimur’s name in 2016. While she admitted that the scrutiny exacted its toll on her, Kareena noted that Saif “was very relaxed and calm about it”.
“Of course, it affected me that people were talking about his name. He probably doesn’t even know that there was a whole drama. But he also got a lot of love for the fact that people were so interested in him. I was like, ‘But why? You don’t even know him, he is so small’,” she said in an interview with MissMalini, adding, “I feel that now he will slowly understand the fact that people follow him or he is being clicked.”
She also recalled her late grandfather actor Raj Kapoor’s advice on how to deal with being under the scanner. “My grandfather always told us, ‘They are talking about you, good or bad, they are talking about you. Because, why wouldn’t they talk? You have to take it in your stride if you want to be a superstar. Otherwise, this place is not for you’,” she said, adding that her grandfather advised her to have a “patthar ka dil”.
Talking about how she keeps seven-year-old Taimur grounded amid the public attention, Kareena added: “But I have to obviously keep reminding him that, ‘It’s important that you do something, your parents have done something.’ So he has figured it out slowly.”
Raveena Tandon says mob attacked Richa Chadha a day after attacking her
8:47 AM
Actor Raveena Tandon recently revealed how her friend, actor Richa Chadha had to face the same ordeal with a mob
HINDUSTAN TIMES (October 17, 2024)
Actor Raveena Tandon and her driver were attacked by a mob in Mumbai in June amid rash driving claims against the driver. Recently, the 49-year-old actor has revealed that the attack was pre-planned, as per the Mumbai Police investigation, since actor Richa Chadha also faced a similar mob incident the following day.
“Unfortunately, this has been going on in Mumbai, which is a planned thing — jo ki darane ki baat hai. Jab ye mob ka incident hua, in fact, the next day, my friend Richa Chadha called me. She said, ‘Raveena, you won’t believe it, the same thing happened [with me]!’ Unfortunately, no CCTV cameras were there to record the truth. So, she had to pay up and settle the matter,” she said in her interview with NewsX.
“Toh mere saath jo incident hua, wo shayad daraane, dhamkaane ki koshish kar rahe the. [Taaki] main settle kar dun aur main paise de dedun,” the actor reasoned.
Opening up about the nature of the incident, she said, “I remember, the mob was so aggressive. They were entering my house, my children were upstairs and my husband wasn’t at home. Jo mere male members of staff dikh rahe the unko, wo kheech ke maar rahe the. So hum (she and her staff) gate par khade ho gaye so that no one enters the house. But woh dhakka de de ke bol rahe the, ‘aap bas driver ko bahar bhej dijiye.’ Toh maine kaha, ‘uski galti hai toh police ko aa jane dijiye, fir aap le jaye usko.’”
Rohit Shetty wanted Ajay Devgn’s civilian look to be different from previous Singham editions-Navin Shetty
8:45 AM
From reflecting the strong persona of Ajay Devgn’s character to accentuating Tiger Shroff’s muscular frame, Singham Again’s costume designer on giving a distinct look to each cop
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; October 17, 2024)
Costume designer Navin Shetty has worked on the Singham franchise since its inception. But with Singham Again bringing together the three established super cops—Ajay Devgn’s Bajirao Singham, Akshay Kumar’s Sooryavanshi, and Ranveer Singh’s Simmba—he had the task of lending a different look to each on-screen hero.
“Rohit sir’s [Shetty, filmmaker] brief was that he wanted Ajay’s civilian look to be different from the previous Singham editions. At the same time, he didn’t want me to lose the strong, tough persona of Bajirao Singham. We have given him solid colours with denims,” says the stylist, breaking down Devgn’s look in the Diwali release.
Next came Kumar and Singh’s avatars. Navin says he thoroughly enjoys working with Kumar. “When you have a fit actor like Akshay sir, you get an upper hand to play around with styles and cuts. Ranveer used to be flamboyantly dressed [in his personal appearances]. Rohit sir wanted to break that image with Simmba [2018].”
Deepika Padukone and Tiger Shroff are the latest entrants in the cop universe. “The youth looks up to Tiger when it comes to fitness. Rohit sir wanted Tiger to look muscular and tough.”
The designer’s brief for Arjun Kapoor’s antagonist was simple—depict him as an all-evil being. “He is the Raavan of the story. We experimented a lot with Arjun’s hair, make-up and costumes. Black was the colour for this guy—strong, wild and deadly.”
I wish I hadn’t taken such a long break from work-Fardeen Khan
8:43 AM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; October 17, 2024)
The year 2024 marked Fardeen Khan’s comeback to the movies. In a conversation with us, the actor talks about how he struggled to make a re-entry into showbiz after a hiatus of 14 years, his moments of self-doubt, and how his father, Feroz Khan’s death deeply affected him. Read on...
‘I wasn’t sure if filmmakers would be able to slot me in a role’
Fardeen, who spent most of his time away from the limelight living in London with his family, says that making his way back to the industry was a struggle.
Fardeen says, “A lot went into these last three years… just sitting at home, believing in yourself and keeping that hope. It’s been a struggle, especially because I wasn’t coming back after a couple of years, but 14 years and that too, after turning 50. I had a lot of questions like, will filmmakers be able to slot me in a role? Do people even want to see me? Today, the content is very different from what it was in the 2000s. The protagonists have changed. Different parts of our country are being represented so beautifully now. The times are very different. So, I came back with the mentality of literally starting off a new career.” The actor was recently seen in the web show Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar and films Khel Khel Mein and Visfot.
‘I made a conscious decision to take a break from work’
While he’s happy to face the camera again, when asked what led him to step away from the industry at an important juncture of his career, he says, “It was a conscious decision. We had challenges having children at that time, so we moved to London. There, we had an incredible doctor, and soon after, my daughter was born (through IVF) in 2013, followed by my son in 2017. After my daughter was born, I intended to take a two-year break to enjoy parenthood. I enjoyed being a father so much that it ended up being a break that lasted more than a decade. I wish I hadn’t taken such a long break from work. The only brownie point is that I have two beautiful children with whom I could spend so much time.”
‘Dad’s death and my surgery affected me deeply’
The other reason he stayed away from the limelight was his father’s (Feroz Khan) demise in 2009 due to lung cancer, after which he faced a health scare himself. It’s a phase of his life that he doesn’t want to recall. “Let me just say that I had a surgery that also affected me. Also, my father’s illness was very serious, as his prognosis was not good from the beginning. Those two years were very tough. I needed time for closure. Dad’s death affected me deeply,” he shares.
‘I realized that there was an audience that wanted to see me’
Fardeen, who would shuttle between Mumbai and London, was heavily trolled for his weight gain in 2016. Those comments shook him. “I was like… why are they after me? However, that version was the heaviest version of me. I realised that there was an audience that wanted to see me. I saw some love in all that criticism. Then, when I decided that I needed to make a comeback, I started losing weight.”
‘There’s no other greater form of self-love than to look after your health’
Fardeen’s kids, Diani and Azarius, he says, are loving this fitter version of him. “They called my belly, Tungu (laughs). So now they are like, ‘Daddy, your Tungu’s gone!’ I don’t think there is any greater form of self-love than to look after your health. Now, I enjoy playing sports with my kids. My son is just about starting out and he’s showing interest in football. I’m introducing him to Jiu-Jitsu.”
‘I miss my kids terribly’
While the actor lives here now and is totally focusing on his career, his kids continue to live in London. There were reports of his separation from his wife, Natasha. While he doesn’t want to talk about his personal life, he does open up about missing spending time with his children.
He says, “It’s not easy. I don’t want to get into why they’re away, but yes, it’s not easy. I miss them terribly. I see them every four to six weeks and we talk over video calls daily. But I definitely miss being a part of their daily life, watching them grow up, be a part of their decision-making process and help them find their own identity. My kids paint and I have put up their artwork on the walls of my house in Mumbai. I miss their hugs, cuddles and kisses. I keep working to keep my mind distracted. And whenever they come down to Mumbai, I clear my entire schedule and be with them 24/7.”
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