Tauba Tauba was a game changer-Karan Aujla
4:34 AM
Soumya Vajpayee (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 6, 2024)
With hit numbers like Tauba Tauba (Bad Newz), Antidote, and Admirin’ You, Karan Aujla is set to perform his maiden multi-city tour in India next month. The singer-rapper admits that the success of Tauba Tauba made him a household name.
“It was a game changer for me. The love it got was beyond anything I expected. Seeing fans from all over vibing to the song, sharing it, and making it their own was surreal. It pushed me to another level, both as an artiste and in terms of reaching new audiences,” he tells us, exclusively.
The 27-year-old also credits actor Vicky Kaushal for making the song so big: “Vicky Kaushal is a brother, and he understands Punjabi music well. His charisma and energy brought the song to life.”
While most of his Punjabi singles are chart-toppers currently, he says his journey to stardom has been a slow, difficult one. In an exclusive chat with us, he shares, “Success hasn’t been easy. The field I’m attached to is all about the flex and the glam, but there’s a lot of work behind the scenes that no one really knows about. When I moved to Canada, I had to build everything from scratch. Music was always my passion, but I had to hustle hard to make it work. I worked odd jobs to support myself while writing songs on the side. I faced a lot of rejection, but I always kept pushing and believing. So, while it might seem like things blew up fast, the reality is that it’s been years of grinding and constantly evolving.”
I never intended to have children-Radhika Apte
4:33 AM
Vinay MR Mishra (BOMBAY TIMES; November 5, 2024)
On October 16, actress Radhika Apte appeared at the BFI London Film Festival flaunting her baby bump and announcing her first pregnancy. While other celebs often choose creative Instagram posts to announce their pregnancy, Radhika decided to walk the red carpet. “I thought maybe they wouldn't notice the bump, but it was too big,” Radhika quips. She adds, “If there were no premier, you would probably have never known. I was never going to post saying, ‘Oh, I'm pregnant’. I was never going to post saying, ‘Oh, we had a child’. It's private.”
Radhika sits down to chat with us from London over a Zoom call and is candid to admit the challenges of pregnancy, which is often romanticized in popular culture. Ask her how pregnancy is treating her, and she replies, “Not very good, actually. I haven’t slept for five nights. The third-trimester insomnia has kicked in, and I just don't get any sleep, so it's been quite bad.”
‘Never had plans to have children’
Talking about her pregnancy journey so far, the Sacred Games actress shares, “I never had any plans to have children. So, this has been quite a quite a twist and quite a big turning point. It was a lot to process. I never really intended to or wanted children. (So) I also never looked into what pregnancy means or what happens when you're pregnant. What are the changes that the body goes through? There's so much sacredness attached to pregnancy that nobody tells you the truth because pregnancy is very hard. Pregnancy is not fun. Some people have a better pregnancy; for some, it's easier than other people. But it's a very subjective case. Pregnancy is very hard, and bodies constantly go through very big changes. So, it's been a hard journey. I do not wish to lie about it. It's been very hard to prepare yourself psychologically and physically for what is coming, especially if you're a very active person.”
She adds, "The first trimester I was having such a hard time. I had terrible bloating. I was terribly constipated. I had nausea. I was filming at 40 degrees for three months straight. I was having a meltdown all the time. And people were telling me you need to be happy because you're having a child. I wanted to punch them. I'm telling you that I'm suffering and you're telling me to be happy."
‘We were in denial’
The Andhadhun actress admits she and her London-based, musician husband Benedict Taylor “didn't really want to have children”, however, their initial reaction to the pregnancy was “a funny story”. “We were shocked and in denial till about two weeks ago. We don't even know how to dress a baby. Finally, it's sinking in now.”
Benedict has been a supportive partner throughout their first pregnancy, however, Radhika believes it should be the norm. “It’s also his baby, he has to be supportive. However, I do feel lucky because I feel so cared for. He looks after me. I just have to say, I feel like eating this, and that's there. But it really should be the norm. My heart goes out to those women who don’t have a supportive partner or have a dysfunctional marriage. I cannot imagine how hard it must be for them.”
During her first trimester, Radhika was working on two projects. However, her experience on set was the opposite. “There was one project which was not pregnancy friendly, in any shape or form. People were not good about it. I don't want to speak about it too much, but there was no consideration that there's a there's a pregnant person. I used to be in a difficult place, and it was not catered to at all. The other shoot that I was on was the opposite. They were so considerate. I felt so relieved and taken care of,” she recalls.
'People feel so scared to be called bad parents'
Radhika and Benedict’s baby is due in December. The actress intends to get back to work quite soon - “In March,” she mentions. Ask her if she has thought about what kind of parenting would she opt for and she says, “I'm quite old school. I believe that parents come first and not the child.”
She further explains, “People feel so scared to be called bad parents and be judged. There's so much online about what one should do and what one shouldn't do. There's so much pressure that everything becomes about the child. And I've seen a lot of my friends who have kids be unhappy for a long time. They love that they have a child but they are not very happy, they can't do anything they want to do. It's not selfish to give self-importance. There's a lot of judgement around parenting, and I don't care what people think of me and my parenting skills. My happiness is important.”
(Crisp) Movie Review: THE APPRENTICE by FENIL SETA
10:38 PM
The Apprentice is based on a young Donald Trump and his relationship with his lawyer, Roy Cohn. The film seems to be made in the 1970s and 80s, which is also the period shown in the film. Certain films have tried doing this but Ali Abbasi succeeds on this front and how. The treatment and the madness shown in the film also remind one of The Wolf Of Wall Street. The film moves at a great pace and several scenes stand out. However, a few scenes are too quick and the makers don’t show certain aspects of Trump’s life which would have added to the principal plot. The absence of subtitles is also a problem. Sebastian Stan, however, rocks the show as Donald Trump. Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn is also too good. There are times viewers would miss him when he’s not on screen. Both deserve to be nominated for the Oscars. Maria Bakalova (Ivana) leaves a huge mark. Charlie Carrick (Fred Trump Jr; Donald's brother) and Martin Donovan (Trump’s father) do well. Catherine McNally (Mary Anne Trump) is okay and she overacts in a crucial scene. All in all, The Apprentice is a must-watch film and comes at an apt time when the USA elections are just around the corner.
My rating - **** out of 5!
My rating - **** out of 5!
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 855
10:18 PM
SINGHAM AGAIN, BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3 SCORE WELL; ALL EYES ON THE WEEKDAYS
The big Diwali releases – Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 – have managed to bring cheer in the film industry and the exhibition sector. The Diwali puja was held a day before their release, on Thursday, October 31. That’s a day when the public stays away from cinemas. This saved both films.
Singham Again opened with a bang at Rs. 40 crores. After such a big opening, the film dropped to Rs. 38.25 crores on Saturday and Rs. 33 crores on Sunday. Hence, it had a weekend of Rs. 111.25 crores. On Monday, the collections were Rs. 17.50 crores. The four-day earnings are Rs. 128.75 crores and the first week will close at around Rs. 175 crores.
At this rate, Singham Again should target a lifetime of around Rs. 250 crores. The clash has affected the film and if it had been released two weeks later without competition, it could have had a record opening and probably may have crossed the Rs. 300 crores mark.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, meanwhile, benefitted big time. It opened beyond expectations at Rs. 33.25 crores. It had a slight jump on Saturday when it collected Rs. 34.75 crores. It earned Rs. 32 crores on Sunday and just like Singham Again, it also collected Rs. 17.50 crores on Monday. Its four-day collections stand at Rs. 117.50 crores and its first week will be around Rs. 147 crores. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 will cross the Rs. 200 crores mark and it remains to be seen what its lifetime would be.
The Diwali effect extended in the weekdays as well but by Wednesday, it’ll be over. This is when both films will see a major drop. Hence, the hold on the second Friday and second Monday will be crucial to understanding where the films are heading.
The big Diwali releases – Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 – have managed to bring cheer in the film industry and the exhibition sector. The Diwali puja was held a day before their release, on Thursday, October 31. That’s a day when the public stays away from cinemas. This saved both films.
Singham Again opened with a bang at Rs. 40 crores. After such a big opening, the film dropped to Rs. 38.25 crores on Saturday and Rs. 33 crores on Sunday. Hence, it had a weekend of Rs. 111.25 crores. On Monday, the collections were Rs. 17.50 crores. The four-day earnings are Rs. 128.75 crores and the first week will close at around Rs. 175 crores.
At this rate, Singham Again should target a lifetime of around Rs. 250 crores. The clash has affected the film and if it had been released two weeks later without competition, it could have had a record opening and probably may have crossed the Rs. 300 crores mark.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, meanwhile, benefitted big time. It opened beyond expectations at Rs. 33.25 crores. It had a slight jump on Saturday when it collected Rs. 34.75 crores. It earned Rs. 32 crores on Sunday and just like Singham Again, it also collected Rs. 17.50 crores on Monday. Its four-day collections stand at Rs. 117.50 crores and its first week will be around Rs. 147 crores. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 will cross the Rs. 200 crores mark and it remains to be seen what its lifetime would be.
The Diwali effect extended in the weekdays as well but by Wednesday, it’ll be over. This is when both films will see a major drop. Hence, the hold on the second Friday and second Monday will be crucial to understanding where the films are heading.
Singham Again collects $4.9 million (Rs. 40.50 cr) Overseas in 3 days; Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 $4.4 million (Rs. 36.50 cr)
8:24 AM
Box Office India Trade Network
BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3 and SINGHAM AGAIN collected similar totals in Overseas with the latter coming out with a bigger total and slightly higher collections mainly due to better business in the Gulf area. The business of BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3 is around $4.3-4.4 million which is INR 36.50 crore and the total for SINGHAM AGAIN will be $4.8-4.9 million which is INR 40.50 crore.
Both films have done well as both films won't have huge audience in Overseas but the collections of BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3 come out more impressive as its a smaller film. The worldwide numbers for SINGHAM AGAIN are 175.50 crore for the weekend while BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3 is 157 crore. Again the numbers are impressive but it all depends on where they go on from here. A $10 million total for BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3 would be very good and for SINGHAM AGAIN it would be decent as well though it probably has to do near $15 million to be good.
The collections of both films in main markets of Overseas are as follows and its practically similar in all the markets.
USA
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 - $1,225,000
Singham Again - $1,385,000
Canada
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 - C$945,000
Singham Again - C$865,000
United Kingdom
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 - £410,000
Singham Again - £360,000
Gulf
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 - $1,000,000
Singham Again - $1,200,000
Australia
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 - A$620,000
Singham Again - A$618,000
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 collects 100 cr in 3 days
8:19 AM
Box Office India Trade Network
BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3 recorded an excellent first weekend of 100 crore nett with Sunday being the lowest day which was always on the card. But the Sunday trend is also pretty good as the drop on Sunday is under 10% helped with limited drops in Mumbai circuit. Even North is good as post Diwali, it does drop more and here BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3 has held much better than SINGHAM AGAIN.
The film was better than SINGHAM AGAIN on Sunday in Delhi/UP, East Punjab, Rajasthan, CI, Mysore, West Bengal and Assam while on day one it was better only in East Punjab and West Bengal. The 100 crore nett number is simply huge for the first weekend as its not a huge budget or cast. The franchise value is such that it has easily managed to compete with a film like SINGHAM AGAIN and is practically a HIT film already. That confirmation should come on Monday as it should hold well enough.
The best performance for the film is probably Delhi/UP, West Bengal and CI and the huge plus is Mumbai circuit as on a normal day release, the collections could have been less. But because of Diwali, it has come out with excellent collections even though SINGHAM AGAIN is there. The Diwali release decision has been proved right for this film as despite the clash, it has done more business than it needed to do while that is not the case for SINGHAM AGAIN.
The collections of BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3 are as follows.
Friday - 33,25,00,000 apprx
Saturday - 34,75,00,000 apprx
Sunday - 32,00,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 1,00,00,00,000 apprx
Singham Again collects 111.25 cr in 3 days
8:16 AM
Box Office India Trade Network
SINGHAM AGAIN scored a good first weekend as it comfortably crossed the 100 crore nett mark in 3 days and picked up 111 crore nett plus which is a big number considering another film released alongside and which also picked up 100 crore nett. The bigger films are now doing weekend business in excess of 150 crore nett but that was never going to be the case for SINGHAM AGAIN due to the clash, unless the other film was not collecting.
There is a drop on Sunday which was expected but maybe its a little more here as the film goes down 15%. This is mainly due to a drop in East Punjab and Delhi/UP as BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3 edged past in the latter. The film was much better in Mumbai circuit where the drop was well under 10%. Gujarat continued to be extraordinary as it stood around 20 crore nett in just 3 days.
The film has probably suffered due to the clash as far as the weekend goes as it could have done without another film especially in the North and East where maybe the franchise is not as strong. Even Mumbai circuit would have been higher though that has got very good collections with the clash. Basically SINGHAM AGAIN has done well enough in the weekend considering the potential to collect but the issue is its high budget and post the opening day, it trended weaker than the other film BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3.
The film has managed to stay ahead of BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3 on each day over the weekend but that may well be harder over the weekdays looking at the trend though better collections in Gujarat will help. The problem looks to be Delhi/NCR and East Punjab for the film.
The collections of SINGHAM AGAIN till date are as follows.
Friday - 40,00,00,000 apprx
Saturday - 38,25,00,00 apprx
Sunday - 33,00,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 1,11,25,00,000 apprx
Ajay Devgn's Naam to release in theatres 20 years after shoot; producer reflects on financial challenges
8:11 AM
Two decades after actor-filmmaker duo Ajay Devgn and Anees Bazmee’s thriller was largely completed, a new producer addresses financial obstacles to facilitate a theatrical release this month
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; November 5, 2024)
For Ajay Devgn and filmmaker Anees Bazmee, life quickly transitioned from Jaani Dushman to Hum Saath Saath Hai. After all, even as the duo’s films are currently embroiled in a box-office tussle (both Devgn-starrer Singham Again and Bazmee’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 released on November 1) it is their joint venture, Naam, that will hit cinema halls on November 22.
If the film’s title seems all too familiar, that wouldn’t be inappropriate. Bazmee had teased about his directorial venture back in 2019 while sharing a picture with Devgn on social media. “This was taken in Switzerland while shooting for an unreleased film, Naam. It was a suspense thriller that you would have enjoyed. I hope the film releases someday,” he had shared of the movie that never made it to theatres due to production-related issues.
Anil Roongta, now a co-producer of the film that was then backed by Dinesh Patel, says it was pushed to the back-burner following the latter’s demise. “He passed away before post-production work was completed. I came on board in 2020, after his daughter and wife approached me to complete it. We got the required permissions and addressed the financial issues. But then, the pandemic hit, and the film got delayed further. When film business resumed, the market was still [dwindling]. We decided to go ahead only when the time was right,” he shares.
Touted to be a psychological thriller, the movie, a source shares, follows an individual who loses his memory and sets out to find his identity. “It was shot in Mumbai and Switzerland. They began filming in 2004, with the title Benaam. Priyanka Chopra [Jonas] was part of the cast then, but left the project citing date issues after shooting for three days. Sameera Reddy stepped in her shoes, but in 2013, the film ran into financial issues,” says the source, adding that now, Bazmee is delighted that the release may also serve the late producer’s family well.
“It is Ajay who always kept a tab on the film. He has never forgotten that it was Dinesh Patel who launched him in Phool Aur Kaante (1991). In the past few years, he has also allotted time from his busy schedule to complete the post-production work.”
Reddy, who is seen in Naam as a glamorous girl with shades of grey, looks at this release as an opportunity to support Patel’s family. “His family put their strength, love, and money into making it. I will do whatever they want me to, to promote it. Bazmee was at his peak in 2004, and this film definitely [showcases his prowess],” she says of the offering that also featured Bhumika Chawla.
The actor speaks highly of both Bazmee and Devgn, who share a “magical and unspoken bond”. “There is brotherhood. They understand each other without saying a word to one another.”
Roongta is hopeful to find the support of Bazmee and Devgn in the film’s promotional work. “They said they will think about it later, because they are busy promoting their individual films. Ajay Devgn said he will connect with me after a week. If they give me some time after November 15, that would be fine. [Even if they don’t], it will still be alright. I liked the film. It’s an edge-of-the-seat thriller.”
Interestingly, the release date of the film coincides with that of Devgn’s debut movie, Phool Aur Kaante.
Bazmee and Roongta
Weekend dhamaka at Box Office: Collections from Singham Again, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 top Rs 230 cr, lift exhibitors’ hopes
8:09 AM
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; November 5, 2024)
Mumbai: Encouraging response to the much-awaited big-budget releases-Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 on the Diwali weekend has provided some respite to exhibitors who were struggling with a dry spell of no fresh release for a few weeks.
According to early reports from the trade circuit, the combined collection of these two releases for the last weekend (Friday to Sunday) was Rs. 231.4 crore. While Singham Again made box-office collections of Rs. 121.2 crore, Bhool Bhulaiyaa collected Rs. 110.2 crore, they said.
"After a long period, two big films released in theatres on the same day. The festival period provided the much-needed boost required at the box office in terms of strong collections," said Girish Wankhade, a movie trade analyst.
These films, however, are not competing at the box office, he said. "Screens were not proportionately shared between these two films. The ratio of screen count between the two films is 60:40 with Singham Again receiving 60% of the total screens..."
Singham Again is distributed by PVR Inox Pictures, the distribution arm of multiplex giant PVR Inox, which runs 1,747 screens. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is distributed by AA Films, which is owned by Anil Thadani, a pan-India distributor. Besides higher share of screens and huge star cast, the scale and production quality of the Singham cop universe or franchise have worked in its favour and resulted in higher collections. Due to this, according to trade analysts, the budget of Singham Again is estimated to be in the range of Rs. 300-Rs. 350 crore, while Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is made at a cost of Rs. 150 crore.
Film distributor and trade analyst Shaaminder Malik said: "Though the opening weekend of both these big-budget films have generated good collections, one must also bear in mind that collections of both these films on Monday and Tuesday will be the litmus test."
Collections had dropped for both on Sunday after they secured high interest from audiences for the first two days, he said.
Exhibitors will decide on increasing or decreasing shows of these films based on how they fare on Monday and Tuesday, analysts said. A trade analyst who wished to be unnamed said: "At present, there is a drop in collections of both films on Sunday. So, exhibitors will not favour any one of these two films immediately." He added that through word-of-mouth publicity it will be clear only by either Tuesday or Wednesday as to which film will get more shows in the coming weeks.
Interestingly, amid their release, these two films have successfully sold their streaming or digital rights.
Rupali Ganguly’s husband defends her after an old post by his daughter resurfaces online
8:06 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (November 5, 2024)
A 2020 Facebook post by Rupali Ganguly’s step-daughter, Esha Verma, resurfaced online two days ago, sparking a controversy. In the post, Esha had alleged that Rupali had an affair with her father, Ashwin K Verma (who the actress is currently married to) for 12 years, leading to his separation from her mother. The Anupamaa actress & Ashwin tied the knot in 2013 and have a son together.
Esha’s 2020 post read: “Does anyone know the real story of Rupali Ganguly? She has had an affair with Ashwin K Verma for 12 years while he was in his second marriage. Ashwin has two daughters from his previous marriages. She is nothing but a cruel-hearted woman who has done nothing but tried to separate me and my sister, his own daughters from their father.”
Reacting to the post which resurfaced, Ashwin put out a statement on X, which read, “I understand that my younger daughter still holds a lot of hurt about the dissolution of her parent’s relationship, as divorce is a difficult experience that can greatly affect and harm the children of that marriage.”
In his post, Ashwin added, “Marriages end for many reasons, and my relationship with my second wife had multiple challenges that led to our separation — challenges that were between she and I and that had nothing to do with any other person.”
Soon after this, on Monday, Esha, who is based in New Jersey, put out a statement saying that she stands by the claims she made in 2020. Excerpts from the post read, “This isn’t just a headline; it’s my life, my childhood, and the pain I endured then and still feel today. I’m choosing to stand by my experiences, because some truths need to be heard. Although I first spoke out about this four years ago, I’ve grown, matured and healed a lot since then.”
She added, “My father and his wife may deny these claims, but I believe their response is rooted in fear of the truth finally surfacing. I love my father deeply and idolized him, but he chose to exclude me from his life. Watching her rise in the entertainment world with a public image so far from reality has added to the hurt, especially as she plays a character who champions the values she disregarded in real life.”
When we reached out to Ashwin, he said that he has nothing more to say on the subject. Rupali did not comment till the time of going to press.
-------------------------------------
Esha Verma’s old post calling Rupali Ganguly ‘psychotic’ went viral, prompting her father to negate the claims. But Esha says it’s her truth
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 5, 2024)
On Sunday, a Reddit post went viral after a user shared snippets of an old Facebook comment made by Esha Verma, the daughter of businessman Ashwin K Verma. In the comment, Esha accused actor Rupali Ganguly of having an affair with her father while he was still married to her mother, describing Rupali as “cruel-hearted”. The post quickly made waves online, leading Ashwin to issue a statement on X denying the claims. In response, Esha posted on Instagram (see top right), saying, “There’s a darker side to this story... All I ask for is compassion as it unfolds.”
As we reach out to her, Esha reiterates, “My parents got married in 1997 and didn’t divorce till 2008. We have documentation to show that... Rupali has posed as if they (she and Ashwin) were friends and in love earlier than that. There are pictures of (Rupali) as an actor in the commercials my father directed. That’s where the affair began; he would film for three months at a time and come home (to New Jersey) for a short time. We didn’t know about it then, but Rupali pretty much knew about all of us.”
Ashwin and Rupali got married in 2013.
Esha’s post from 2021 with Rupali and Ashwin has also raised questions. The 26-year-old explains, “I posted that picture because I wanted to show he is my dad. He doesn’t acknowledge it; there are only pics of him with Rupali and their son on his account, but nowhere is a picture of me and my sister. They say they are a happy family, it’s like we are non existent.”
Esha wanted to keep contact with her father, but says, “Rupali threatened my mother. If I spoke to him on call, she’d scream in the background. She even cornered me when I went to visit him in Mumbai. She told me, ‘You will regret if you ever do this again or say you want your parents to meet’. I was always afraid to go to India and couldn’t stay longer than two days with him.”
The last message she got from her dad was a WhatsApp text telling her to take down the 2020 post, after which she deleted the app. She adds, “Rupali has no contact with me. The biggest risk is my father wouldn’t want me in his life at all, so it’s not much of a difference. I’m going to lose more than I gain from this. But this is my truth.”
We reached out to Rupali and her team for a reaction, but didn’t get a response till the time of going to press.
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