Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 942
11:38 PM
DHAMAAL 4 OPENS WELL; ALPHA HAS 30 CR+ WEEKEND DESPITE NEGATIVITY
Dhamaal 4 has released today and managed a fine opening. The advance booking of the film began, well, way in advance, in the sense that nearly all single screens got a chance to play the film with no competition from holdover releases. The spot bookings came into play; earlier, it seemed doubtful that the film would open at more than Rs. 10 crores.
However, Dhamaal 4 is set for an opening of Rs. 13 crores, which is way beyond expectations. Welcome To The Jungle had opened at Rs. 15 crores and ended up earning Rs. 60 crores in the weekend, excluding the paid preview. Hence, Dhamaal 4 should now aim to collect Rs. 48-50 crores in three days. The franchise factor and the comic nature of the film have proved beneficial.
Total Dhamaal had opened at Rs. 15.91 crores and then went on to collect Rs. 150.07 crores in its lifetime. It had a clean run and a great word of mouth, which led to such huge collections.
In the case of Dhamaal 4, the response at present seems mixed. However, this film also enjoys a clean run. There’s no competition for the next three weeks, until the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. So, if it has a strong weekend and holds well during the weekdays, it’ll have a healthy run. Even a Rs. 100 crore + lifetime will be good enough.
Meanwhile, last week’s Alpha also fared better than expected. It opened at Rs. 9 crores and then went on to collect Rs. 11.50 crores on Saturday and Rs. 13 crores on Sunday. Hence, it collected Rs. 33.50 crores in its first three days despite bad word of mouth and immense negativity on social media. It yet again proved that trolls have zero impact on the box office.
However, due to negative reports, the film did crash on Monday. Its first week collections amount to Rs. 46.25 crores. The best scenario for the film would be to earn Rs. 60 crores in its lifetime.
(Crisp) Movie Review: IKKA by FENIL SETA
10:58 PM
Ikka, which has been released today on Netflix, starts on a very promising note. The way things unfold and bring the characters together makes for an interesting watch. A few courtroom scenes are riveting. However, the film falters as the legal proceedings shown in the film appear juvenile in places. It is set in a world where CCTV cameras don't exist. A few interesting plot points are raised, but for some reason, they are never explored in the court. The last scene thankfully saves the film to some extent. The other strong point of the film is the casting. Sunny Deol doesn't indulge in fights or Damini-style dialoguebaazi. Yet, it's an impressive performance. Akshaye Khanna looks like he walked out of Dhurandhar and came on to the sets of this film. But no complaints, as it's just so much fun to see him on screen and in his element. Dia Mirza has a crucial part and does very well. Tillotama Shome is let down by the writing, but as always, she delivers a terrific performance. Daria Bedi (Samaira; Arjun's daughter) puts up a confident act. Sanjeeda Shaikh (Gauri) leaves a mark. Vijay Vikram Singh (Judge) is too good as the judge. All in all, Ikka is an average fare and worth watching only for the coming together of Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna.
My rating - ** ½ out of 5!
My rating - ** ½ out of 5!
(Crisp) Movie Review: DHAMAAL 4 by FENIL SETA
10:29 PM
Dhamaal 4 is a film which is easy to comprehend. Director Indra Kumar is a good, old commercial filmmaker and hence, the film has mainstream appeal. It is also a clean entertainer, making it suitable for the whole family. A few jokes here and there are hilarious. However, the biggest issue is that most jokes don't land as intended. The film stagnates in the middle of the first half, with the horror angle failing to work. An emotional scene at the end results in unintentional humour. Ajay Devgn is in good form and raises laughs with his antics. Arshad Warsi and Jaaved Jaaferi generate the most laughs. Riteish Deshmukh is dependable, as always. Ravi Kishan is aptly cast while Sanjay Mishra, Upendra Limaye and Vijay Patkar lend able support. Esha Gupta and Sanjeeda Shaikh are just okay, while Anjali Anand makes her presence felt. All in all, Dhamaal 4 is an average flick.
My rating - ** ½ out of 5!
My rating - ** ½ out of 5!
(Crisp) Movie Review: MOANA by FENIL SETA
12:52 PM
Moana is visually spectacular. Director Thomas Kail has made sure the characters look convincing and are as similar as possible to the animated Moana. A few dialogues are newly added and were not there in the original version. But the biggest issue with the film is that, more or less, it's the same film. The 2026 version is 'ahead of its time' as it comes too soon. The original animated film is still fresh in the minds of viewers. In fact, Moana 2 released less than 2 years ago, while Moana 3 is in the works. In the midst of this, the need for a live-action remake makes little sense. Moreover, the original gave the makers scope to add lot of humour and cuteness. The remake falls short in that regard. Even the songs were better in the animated flick. In terms of look and personality, Catherine Laga'aia is aptly cast. However, her performance is inconsistent. Dwayne Johnson is highly entertaining and, in many ways, the saving grace of the film. Rena Owen tries her best but fails to convincingly play the part of the crazy village lady. All in all, Moana should be watched only by those who have not seen the original animated film.
My rating - ** out of 5!
My rating - ** out of 5!
(Crisp) Movie Review: EVIL DEAD BURN by FENIL SETA
11:49 AM
Evil Dead Burn starts on a thrilling note. The dysfunctional family angle makes for an interesting watch and a few scenes at the beginning are quite eerie. However, the gore goes to another level this time. Even though audiences are now used to excessive violence, they may still be put off by the amount of bloodshed. Agreed, this is what the series has always been known for. But it also balanced that with significant tension and nail-biting moments. That balance is missing in Evil Dead Burn. Souheila Yacoub (Alice) is great in the lead role. George Pullar (William) leaves a mark in a small part. Hunter Doohan (Joseph) and Luciane Buchanan (Thya) do well, while Tandi Wright (Susan; mother) and Erroll Shand (Edgar; father) are much better. Maude Davey (Polly) delivers the best performance in the film. All in all, Evil Dead Burn is too gory and too disappointing.
My rating - ** out of 5!
My rating - ** out of 5!
Honey Trehan breaks silence on Satluj controversy: "I genuinely don't know who objected"
9:38 AM
Just two days after its Zee5 première, ‘Satluj’ — previously titled ‘Punjab '95’ — was made unavailable in India, mid-day finds out how the film got an India release in the first place
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 6, 2026)
Four years after Punjab '95 was stopped in its tracks over objections from the censor board, Honey Trehan was finally breathing easy on Saturday morning when we got on a call with him. His film, now streaming on ZEE5 as Satluj, had arrived without a single cut.
For the filmmaker, it marks the end of a battle that often seemed impossible to win.
In his first interview since the film's release, Trehan told mid-day that there were moments when even he wasn't convinced the film would eventually see the light of day "Even till yesterday afternoon, I wasn't sure if the film would come out," he says with a laugh. "We've reached this point so many times before that I had stopped allowing myself to believe it. I kept telling myself, 'Let it go, let it go.' Then suddenly, it was just there."
The release, he says, belongs as much to the family of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra as it does to the makers. "I spoke to them immediately. They are very, very happy. It was important because we didn't get the title Punjab '95. Naturally, people assumed the film must have been released with cuts. Paramjit aunty herself clarified that this is the same film. Hundreds of people who had watched the earlier version are now saying Satluj is exactly the same film."
For Trehan, that validation mattered more than anything else. "I'm getting messages from IPS officers in Punjab asking, 'The film is without cuts, right?' They are excited to finally watch it. That means a lot."
The director admits he was initially worried that the four-year delay would burden the film with impossible expectations. "I actually felt the opposite happened. These three years became three years of publicity. Punjab '95 had become much bigger than the film itself. My only anxiety before release was whether I could live up to what people had built in their minds. But the response has been overwhelming. Every reaction has become memorable."
Trehan credits producer Ronnie Screwvala, Diljit Dosanjh and ZEE5 for refusing to compromise. "The way Ronnie sir and Diljit stood by me and stood by the film... I can't thank them enough. And what courage ZEE has shown. Hats off to them. They simply dropped the trailer, posters and the film together. There was no release date, no countdown, nothing. It was just — streaming now. I've never seen anything like that."
Throughout the film's uncertain journey, Dosanjh remained firmly behind the project, says Trehan. Recalling how the actor came on board, he says their relationship dates back to Udta Punjab. "Even before I told him I wanted to make a film on Jaswant Singh Khalra, he immediately said, 'There's only one story from Punjab worth making if it isn't about 1984'. I showed him my research book. He looked at Mr Khalra's photograph, picked up the book, placed it on his forehead and simply said, 'Waheguru ji... tell me when and where to come. You'll find me there'."
That commitment, Trehan says, never wavered. "There were days when he reported at six in the morning and I couldn't take his first shot until four in the evening because schedules had gone haywire. I kept apologizing. Every single time he would tell me, 'Paaji, no problem. Whatever you're doing, you're doing for the film. I'm here to support the film.'"
The filmmaker also recounts how Dosanjh recently waited nearly an hour for an Instagram Live session promoting the film despite repeated technical glitches. "He waited for almost 50 minutes. We couldn't connect because of technical issues. Finally, someone got us connected. It wasn't about publicity. Somewhere, both of us felt we would connect. That's the kind of person he is."
Even today, Trehan says he doesn't know who exactly objected to Punjab '95. "If somebody asks me who had a problem with the film, I genuinely don't know. I don't have a face. I don't have a name. Everything came through third persons or lawyers."
He reveals that communication from the censor board effectively stopped earlier this year, forcing the makers to find another route. "There came a point when there was simply no communication anymore. After everything we'd gone through, there was nothing left to discuss. That's when ZEE stepped in and made this release possible."
Yet, despite the years of uncertainty, he refuses to hold grudges. "I've never been bitter. Sometimes you feel hurt emotionally because you're not getting answers. But I also remind myself that I'm talking about one film. The people running the country have much bigger responsibilities. Sometimes there must have been helplessness. I respect the people and the positions they hold."
He points out that every legal body and community organization that watched the film responded positively. "The SGPC watched the film. The Akal Takht committee watched the film. Everywhere I went, the response was overwhelming. Today the film is available across 196 countries on ZEE5 and all I'm receiving is love. So where exactly was the problem?"
Trehan also responded to Diljit Dosanjh's recent assertion that he is "not political, but an artiste". Without commenting on the actor's statement, the director says art inevitably exists alongside politics. "Art can be different from the politics of the time you're living in. Otherwise your art cannot be truthful. Everything today becomes political."
He insists Satluj was never designed to make a political argument. "We're only talking about human rights. We're not commenting on the politics of that period. We're talking about what happens when extraordinary powers are placed in the hands of a few people. That's a human issue, not a political one."
Trehan believes that is why audiences across generations are responding to the film. "Someone messaged me saying this film doesn't reopen wounds; it heals them. That stayed with me. People feel somebody has finally told their story. That's probably the greatest compliment I've received."
At the time of going to press, ‘Satluj’ had been made unavailable on ZEE5 in India.
Statement by Zee5 “The response to ‘Satluj’ since its release has been truly overwhelming. We are deeply grateful to every viewer who chose to subscribe, watch and champion the film. Your love and support have meant a great deal to us and to everyone who brought this story to life. At Zee5, we stand firmly by ‘Satluj’ and the creative vision behind it. We believe powerful storytelling has the ability to inspire, endure, and leave a lasting impact. We remain committed to championing authentic and meaningful narratives. In light of the current developments, ‘Satluj’ will be unavailable in India until further notice. We remain committed to exploring every appropriate avenue through due process to bring the film back to our audiences at the earliest opportunity. Our commitment to creators and to stories told with conviction, artistic integrity and purpose remains unwavering.”
Aamir Khan, Gauri Spratt kept their wedding intimate with just 100-150 guests
9:36 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 6, 2026)
On one of Mumbai’s rainiest days, Aamir Khan and Gauri Spratt wrote a new romantic song as they tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at his Pali Hill home on Sunday (July 5).
Staying true to his promise of a “gharelu shaadi”, Aamir kept the celebrations away from Bollywood’s trademark extravagance. “Around 100 to 150 guests, comprising immediate family, childhood friends, and a handful of industry colleagues, attended the ceremony, which was solemnised under the Special Marriage Act before a private lunch. The signing was done by 12 pm,” a source told mid-day.
Among those in attendance were filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, politician Raj Thackeray, cricketer Zaheer Khan, and actor Rhea Chakraborty. Khan’s children — Junaid, Ira, and Azad — and Gauri’s son, Quin, were also present.
The official photograph was released by the family on social media. In one of the videos on Instagram, Khan was seen singing and dancing with his family. “The couple had hoped for a low-key vibe. The home was tastefully decorated, lit by fairy lights, and adorned in elegant white décor,” the source added. Despite heavy showers causing traffic snarls in Bandra, the festivities went ahead as planned.
Rains briefly halt Ambani convoy
Heavy rain led to a tree collapsing near Aamir Khan’s Pali Hill residence, briefly halting Mukesh Ambani’s convoy and delaying vehicles headed to the wedding venue. The obstruction was cleared soon after, allowing guests to reach the ceremony as the celebrations continued uninterrupted
Third time lucky
Aamir first married Reena Dutta in 1986. The couple divorced in 2002. He married Kiran Rao in 2005. They announced their separation in 2021
Celina Jaitly reveals her twins had to read her ‘terrible divorce notice’
9:35 AM
HINDUSTAN TIMES (July 6, 2026)
Celina Jaitly is currently caught in a divorce battle with estranged husband Peter Haag, and it has been a difficult time especially for her kids. The actor recently revealed that her 14-year-old twins, Winston and Viraaj, had to read out the divorce papers to her due to language issues.
Celina shared that her husband took her to the post office to collect some documents. She thought they were about her residency as they were in German, but Peter refused to translate. So, when she reached home, she had to ask her twins to read it to her. “My twins had to read that terrible divorce notice in which there were all sorts of weird allegations against me. I was being divorced for not being enough for my husband’s needs and for the irretrievable breakdown of our marriage. I thought it was a joke,” the 44-year-old told India Today.
Celina further revealed that she wanted joint custody of their kids — twin boys Winston and Viraaj (born in 2012) and son Arthur (born in 2017) — but her husband’s lawyer told her to find a job in Austria if she wanted access to the children.
I was not allowed to tell Salman Mamu that I was doing this song for Bobby uncle’s film-Ayaan Agnihotri
9:33 AM
Mahima Pandey (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 6, 2026)
Musician Ayaan Agnihotri, who is the nephew of actor Salman Khan and goes with the stage name Agni, made his Bollywood playback debut this year with C’mon Baby in the Bobby Deol-starrer Bandar. But before the release, he had to keep the project a secret from his uncle.
“I was not allowed to tell Salman Mamu that I was doing this song for Bobby uncle’s film. Nikhil (Dwivedi, co-producer), swore me to secrecy. He said, ‘When this song goes through, then I will play it to your Mamu and tell him I’ve discovered a new voice. What do you think of this guy?’,” Ayaan recalls.
Salman’s response, he says, was encouraging. “He liked it, and when he met me the next time, he told me I did a good job and should stay at it,” the 33-year-old shares.
The son of Salman’s sister Alvira Khan Agnihotri and filmmaker Atul Agnihotri, Ayaan had once planned to become an actor but life had other plans. He shares, “I went to university to do acting and world theatre. As I went on, I realized that it’s just performing in general that I enjoy. Around the same time, I started writing and found a special connection with music. I felt I could express things that I wanted to through my writing. Music helped me relate to things I was going through and get through them. That really made an impact on me.”
While music is taking up all his time currently, acting is still on his radar. “Maybe sometime in the future. It’s definitely not off the agenda because I do love acting. But right now, the focus is on the music,” he ends.
My talent is still untapped-Farida Jalal
9:32 AM
The veteran actor talks about the success of Welcome To The Jungle and the unfulfilled wish she still has in her long and illustrious career
Medha Shri Dahiya (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 6, 2026)
Few actors can boast the longevity and continued relevance that Farida Jalal has enjoyed, remaining one of the most enduring and active performers in the industry till date. Her latest film, Welcome to the Jungle, is a testament to her prowess, and she is enjoying the immense love that it has brought to her. “God’s kind! Compliments are flowing in from everyone... This is our reward as actors,” says Jalal.
The veteran actor recalls her character was fleshed out quite spontaneously. “Akshay (Kumar, actor), Ahmed (Khan, director) and I were sitting together when Akshay suddenly got a call and the girl on the other end kept jabbering. After the call ended, Akshay said ‘everyone knows you for your dialogue delivery.. Let’s have you do something without proper dialogues now’, and I thought, let’s give it a shot,” shares the 77-year-old.
The film was as much a laugh riot behind the scenes as it is on screen. “It was one royal picnic. Everyone had fun and took care of each other, especially Akshay and Ahmed who looked after everyone,” she says.
The film’s success just adds to her feeling of gratitude. “The world still remembers my first film Aradhana (1969). People come to me, hold my hands and share how my character in various films impacted them or their lives. It’s rewarding. If God asks me, I’d say in all my next lives too, I’d want the same life, the same career,” she gushes.
Jalal has some iconic films to her name, including Bobby (1973), Henna (1991), Mammo (1994) and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), among others. Yet, there is still one unfulfilled wish she has in her long and illustrious career.
“Many times, I felt I was boxed in as a mother figure. I wanted to play challenging roles, maybe a lawyer, a doctor, or something unexpected. Nobody has really touched that side of me at all, my talent is still untapped. Hardly anyone has seen what I can really do. I want to tell filmmakers that let me show you what I am capable of. Give me a negative role, let me surprise you. But I am not the kind of person who doesn’t go out and ask for work. So, there is a slight pain there,” she ends.
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“Welcome To The Jungle shoot was one royal picnic. Everyone had fun and took care of each other, especially Akshay and Ahmed (Khan, director), who looked after everyone... Compliments are flowing in from everyone, and this is our reward as actors.”
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