Showing posts with label Crack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crack. Show all posts
There has been no fall out with Akshay Kumar-Neeraj Pandey
8:38 AM
Neeraj Pandey discusses fate of Khiladi Kumar-starrer Crack and explains why he is holding off a Baby-led franchise on special forces
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 27, 2020)
Neeraj Pandey’s last directorial, Aiyaary, featuring Sidharth Malhotra and Manoj Bajpayee and revolving around the Indian army, did not live up to expectations. While many would blame it on the change of release date, with the espionage-drama pushed ahead by two weeks, the writer-director doesn’t mince words, observing, “It didn’t connect with the audience, so there was an obvious problem. We fell short when it came to telling the story in the best possible way.”After Special 26 and Baby, Neeraj and Akshay were to reunite for a psychological-thriller titled Crack. There has been no news on the project after it was announced with a poster in 2016. “It’s on the back-burner with no immediate plans of revival. I was not happy with the script, but if I manage to crack something good in the future, I might (revive it),” he informs.
The duo made a formidable team, delivering content-driven films which worked commercially too. Is another reunion on the cards? “There has been no fall-out with Akshay, so, why the question of a reunion? I am moving on with Chanakya (led by Ajay Devgn) and he is doing other films. It’s a great responsibility for both of us and we have to wait for the right project,” he reasons.
With Rohit Shetty creating a cop universe on celluloid with Sooryavanshi, you wonder if Neeraj, who has directed films like A Wednesday, Baby, Naam Shabana and Aiyaary, is thinking of a spy universe. Neeraj retorts that contrary to popular belief, he is interested in “great stories” and not just the ones revolving around spies and special forces. “Be it Toilet - Ek Prem Katha (which he produced), Baby or M S Dhoni - The Untold Story, it’s the merit of the story and not the genre or backdrop that matters. The idea is to chase great stories which can be shared with a larger audience,” he explains.
Prod him if there are plans to turn Baby into a Special Forces series—the film was fronted by the Khiladi Kumar, one of his frequent collaborators—and the filmmaker says, “I don’t want to take the easy route. I will do it at the right time with the right script, something that is capable of taking the franchise forward, and figure out a mechanism to work it out,” he concludes.
I’m not satisfied as a filmmaker-Neeraj Pandey
8:27 AM
Neeraj Pandey as he looks back on a decade in show business that started with the now cult film, A Wednesday
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 19, 2017)
You reunited with Naseeruddin Shah for Aiyaary, your upcoming Republic day release, a decade after your directorial debut, A Wednesday.
(Smiles) Aiyaary is closest to the film I started with, and since it belonged to the same genre as A Wednesday, it was imperative to have Naseer saab. Ten years ago, on the last day of my first film, I was shooting with him in an under-construction building. Coincidentally, I started Aiyaary with him on a similar location and in many ways it was like picking up from where we had left off.
How did the idea of this thriller-drama, set against an army backdrop and revolving around a mentor and a protégé, come about?
It began subconsciously when I was filming Baby. I interacted with a lot of people from the army and a seed was sown. Then after the release of the Dhoni biopic, my mind drifted back to a couple of incidents I’d heard at the time. ‘Aiyaary’ is a Persian word which I had first come across in Devaki Nandan Khatri’s novel in which he referred to them as shape shifters (aiyaars) and the tricks they perform as ‘aiyaary’.
Manoj Bajpayee who was brilliant in Special 26 has said that Aiyaary is one of your best scripts.
I value his opinion, but I’d like to believe that my best is yet to come.
Most of your films have a patriotic slant. Don’t you want to experiment with a no-brainer comedy or a love story some day?
I made Ouch, a black comedy, a genre not everyone is comfortable with. And my first script was a love story which unfortunately never got made as we couldn’t come up with the resources and get the actors we wanted.
Any regrets?
No, I’ve got over it. May be I’ll give it to someone else to direct it at some point.
Sidharth Malhotra’s last few films—Baar Baar Dekho, A Gentleman and Ittefaq— haven’t done well. Wasn’t it a risk to cast him him in Aiyaary?
When you start work on a project a year-and-a-half ago, you don’t know what the talent’s journey will be like. It’s not my business to know how these movies fared; I can only focus on my film. Besides, Sidharth is very hard-working and would come for rehearsals and readings on time. Every film is a risk on multiple levels. But once you put your faith behind a particular talent, there should be no doubt, only the confidence to play around with the talent.
Aiyaary releases on the same day as Akshay Kumar’s Pad Man. Considering that you’ll have worked together on Special 26, Baby, Naam Shabana and Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, did you ever discuss shifting one of the films?
We knew from day one that Aiyaary would come on January 26, 2018, because the subject lends itself to this date. I don’t concern myself with what other people are doing. The decisions we take involve several other people who rally behind the project and calls are taken after a lot of deliberations. I believe the films are chalk and cheese so there is no issue in them releasing together.
What’s happening to Crack, featuring Akshay?
It’s on the backburner for now as I’m not happy with the way the script has shaped up. When I find the time, I’ll go back to the material and see how it can be reworked.
There were reports of a fallout with Akshay. True?
That question doesn’t merit an answer. Why would there be a fallout? On what? There are absolutely no issues on any front.
After the release of M S Dhoni - The Untold Story, you were accused of glorifying the cricketer and not highlighting his flaws and controversies in what turned out to be an agenda film.
I had said before the film released that the Dhoni biopic was about the making of the man and the talent. It ended with the 2011 World Cup, a milestone in his life and that of Indian cricket, and most of the stuff that is in the public domain came in only after that period of time. It just seemed appropriate to end with a boy from Ranchi on the world stage achieving this big win for the country along with his teammates. That was the arch of the story.
How do you look back on your decade-long journey?
I’m not satisfied as a filmmaker as I still believe all the films I have directed have room for improvement. I have to live with that knowledge but I can learn from my mistakes and not repeat them. Fortunately it’s been a great run for our company as we have managed to work with the stories we believed in.
What do you do when you’re not working?
I like to read and I enjoy discovering new places. (Laughs) So, I just try to find an excuse to travel and sometime plan mock recces.
Check out Akshay Kumar’s strong 2018 lineup
7:19 AM
Joginder Tuteja (DNA; October 20, 2017)
Akshay Kumar continues to keep his promise of delivering multiple films every year. While in 2017 he has already delivered two superhits — Jolly LLB 2 and Toilet - Ek Prem Katha — and was also seen in an extended guest appearance Naam Shabana, there is a lot that is already in the offing for 2018 and 2019. No wonder, while his peers and contemporaries take their own sweet time to decide their next course of action, he already has five of his films in different stages of production with quite some calendar time available to accommodate at least two more films in his schedule over next couple of years.
“One look at his lineup says it all,” a prominent distributor observes, “2.0, Pad Man, Gold, Kesari and Mogul films have already been announced. Out of these, two are complete (2.0, Padman) and the third, Gold, is racing towards completion. The shoot of Kesari is expected to start by January and Mogul has its plans chalked out as well. Considering the pace at which Akshay works, it won’t be surprising if he is through with the shooting of these two films by the middle of 2018. Post that, he will have time in hand to start at least a couple of more films and have them ready for release by 2019.”
Currently, 2.0, Pad Man as well as Gold are scheduled for 2018 release, whereas Kesari arrives in 2019. There is no release date set for Mogul, though it could arrive in late 2018 or early 2019. This leaves slots up for grabs in 2019.
“No wonder, he’s the darling of exhibitors since he keeps the wheels churning for the industry,” an insider adds, “Even if his films do a business of Rs 100-150 crore, that’s good enough for all involved. Of course, films like 2.0, Gold, and Kesari are set to be much bigger and expect to bring in a lot of moolah. As for Pad Man, a Rs 100 crore total would be a major win since it’s again a social drama with humour.” Meanwhile, there is already buzz around Akshay gearing up for Housefull 4, while Crack had been announced some time back, before being put on hold.
“As always, no use speculating around his next,” a close associate of the actor adds, “For quite some time now, he has been announcing his films on the social media himself. Everything else that you hear is a rumour or not factual till he confirms it. When it is time for him to announce a new film, he will, and everyone will get to know about it. All I can say, though, is, stay tuned as some interesting developments are already underway and you will hear about them soon. After all, he is not going to rest; there is a lot more that he has up his sleeves beyond these five films.” Of course, fans are waiting.
We aren’t clashing with Shah Rukh Khan's film just for the sake of it-Toilet Ek Prem Katha producer Prerna Arora
8:23 AM
Toilet - Ek Prem Katha producer defends decision to push release date and take on SRK’s untitled film on holiday weekend
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 1, 2017)
Just as memories of January’s bitter box office clash between Raees and Kaabil were beginning to fade, it was announced that Akshay Kumar’s Toilet - Ek Prem Katha will take on Imtiaz Ali’s film starring Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma.
While Akki’s film was slated to release on June 2, producer Prerna Arora says decision to delay the film was technical, not spiteful. “We had announced Akshay-starrer Crack for August 11, 2017. Due to a few production reasons, the film took longer than expected to go on floors. In the meantime, we had starting shooting Toilet. Initially, we thought of releasing the film on June 2, but the film’s subject is such that taking it to theatres closer to Independence Day makes more sense. The film is a satire on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and has a nationalistic feel to it. It has to be pitched on the right day. We aren’t clashing just for the sake of it,” argues Prerna.
The Neeraj Pandey-produced film follows what happens when a couple cannot be together because their house doesn’t have a toilet. Prerna reasons both SRK and Akki’s films have different target audiences. “From what I know, it (reportedly titled Rehnuma) is not a usual Imtiaz Ali fare. It has a mega star like Shah Rukh Khan to pull the audience. People can watch both and like them. I hear talk about eating into each other’s business, but this is healthy competition.”
Does she intend to meet Imtiaz and SRK to change their release date? “There is no point pushing either dates and we aren’t looking at getting into a conversation on it [with them]. Anushka and I are already working on a project; we will announce it next week and start shoot in June. Expect news on how we are trying to run down each other, but in reality, everything is amicable. Both SRK and Akshay are marketing wizards and know how to reach out to fans.”
Shah Rukh Khan Vs Akshay Kumar: Here's the real reason why Akki postponed Toilet - Ek Prem Katha?
8:29 AM
Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; March 29, 2017)
This year, the Independence
Day weekend will witness the clash of two titans at the box office.
Akshay Kumar and Neeraj Pandey's collaboration, Toilet - Ek Prem Katha
will release on August 11, 2017. Shah Rukh Khan's Imtiaz
Ali-directorial, co-starring Anushka Sharma has also been scheduled for
the same date.
Incidentally, it was Akshay who had first claimed the date. After Rustom's release last August, he had announced that Crack will hit screens on August 11. However, with Crack getting delayed, the actor and his filmmaker friend reclaimed the date with Toilet - Ek Prem Katha, which was originally scheduled for June 2. In November last year, Salman Khan announced August 11 as the release date for his buddy SRK's movie.
A source associated with Akshay and Neeraj's films told BT, “The other producers of this film, Prerna Arora and Arjun N Kapoor, also felt that Toilet - Ek Prem Katha is more suitable for the Independence Day weekend. Taking into view the Prime Minister's Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, everyone felt it will connect with people.“
A face-off between Akshay and SRK was averted four years ago, when the producers of Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaraa deferred its release by a week to avoid a clash with Khan's Chennai Express.
---------------------------
Upala KBR (DNA; March 29, 2017)
Akshay Kumar’s next Toilet — Ek Prem Katha will release on August 11 instead of June 2, leading to a head-on clash with the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Rehnuma. Trade analysts attempt to predict the outcome of the clash.
And here’s what the issue essentially is. Of late, Akshay is consistently churning out successful films, with most managing Rs 100 crore returns. SRK’s past few films have met with middling success for a star of his stature.
But the two have a history of clashes between them. Their first was in 1993 between Khan’s Maya Memsaab and Kumar’s Waqt Hamara Hai. Their last one was in 2013, when Chennai Express went up against Once Upon Ay Time In Mumbai Dobaara, which released a week after CE. AK won the first clash, SRK the last and the ones in between.
Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi opines, “While Akshay will rock it in India, Shah Rukh will do that overseas. They also have powerful distributors behind them, so it will be a clash of equals. Eventually of course, depending on the content, the better film will win — as it always does!”
Super Cinema editor Amul Vikas Mohan admits it’s a big clash (SRK’s third in a row) but believes it’s too early to predict the box-office outcome as not a single frame of both films is out. But he does suggest a remedy. “What we do need is to have more screens in India and that’s what will really help. We have around 200 films releasing a year, but only 52 weeks to release them, so it’s almost impossible to have solo-week releases always unless you are a solo star but that line, too, is blurring now,” he says.
The date is important, too, he says, as it offers the films releasing on August 11 a five-day weekend ending on Independence day (Aug 15). He admits, “While Toilet could have been postponed because it was due to release in the middle of Ramzan, there’s no reason to make a fuss about August 11 as he and Neeraj Pandey had picked the date for Crack way before Shah Rukh and Imtiaz Ali announced their release date. All AK & Co are doing is coming with a different film on the same date. That’s all.”
Trade analyst Girish Johar adds, “It all depends on the content. If the content of both the films is good they will find their audiences. It’s a long holiday weekend and people will see both the films. Also, both SRK and Akshay are great actors and the genres are different. It’s true that Akshay has a good successful track record with four back-to-back hits but it’s nothing for SRK to be worried about.”
Incidentally, it was Akshay who had first claimed the date. After Rustom's release last August, he had announced that Crack will hit screens on August 11. However, with Crack getting delayed, the actor and his filmmaker friend reclaimed the date with Toilet - Ek Prem Katha, which was originally scheduled for June 2. In November last year, Salman Khan announced August 11 as the release date for his buddy SRK's movie.
A source associated with Akshay and Neeraj's films told BT, “The other producers of this film, Prerna Arora and Arjun N Kapoor, also felt that Toilet - Ek Prem Katha is more suitable for the Independence Day weekend. Taking into view the Prime Minister's Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, everyone felt it will connect with people.“
A face-off between Akshay and SRK was averted four years ago, when the producers of Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaraa deferred its release by a week to avoid a clash with Khan's Chennai Express.
---------------------------
Upala KBR (DNA; March 29, 2017)
Akshay Kumar’s next Toilet — Ek Prem Katha will release on August 11 instead of June 2, leading to a head-on clash with the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Rehnuma. Trade analysts attempt to predict the outcome of the clash.
And here’s what the issue essentially is. Of late, Akshay is consistently churning out successful films, with most managing Rs 100 crore returns. SRK’s past few films have met with middling success for a star of his stature.
But the two have a history of clashes between them. Their first was in 1993 between Khan’s Maya Memsaab and Kumar’s Waqt Hamara Hai. Their last one was in 2013, when Chennai Express went up against Once Upon Ay Time In Mumbai Dobaara, which released a week after CE. AK won the first clash, SRK the last and the ones in between.
Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi opines, “While Akshay will rock it in India, Shah Rukh will do that overseas. They also have powerful distributors behind them, so it will be a clash of equals. Eventually of course, depending on the content, the better film will win — as it always does!”
Super Cinema editor Amul Vikas Mohan admits it’s a big clash (SRK’s third in a row) but believes it’s too early to predict the box-office outcome as not a single frame of both films is out. But he does suggest a remedy. “What we do need is to have more screens in India and that’s what will really help. We have around 200 films releasing a year, but only 52 weeks to release them, so it’s almost impossible to have solo-week releases always unless you are a solo star but that line, too, is blurring now,” he says.
The date is important, too, he says, as it offers the films releasing on August 11 a five-day weekend ending on Independence day (Aug 15). He admits, “While Toilet could have been postponed because it was due to release in the middle of Ramzan, there’s no reason to make a fuss about August 11 as he and Neeraj Pandey had picked the date for Crack way before Shah Rukh and Imtiaz Ali announced their release date. All AK & Co are doing is coming with a different film on the same date. That’s all.”
Trade analyst Girish Johar adds, “It all depends on the content. If the content of both the films is good they will find their audiences. It’s a long holiday weekend and people will see both the films. Also, both SRK and Akshay are great actors and the genres are different. It’s true that Akshay has a good successful track record with four back-to-back hits but it’s nothing for SRK to be worried about.”
Akshay Kumar's Crack to miss Independence Day weekend 2017?
8:19 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (December 14, 2016)
Buzz in the trade circuit
is that Akshay Kumar and Neeraj Pandey's new collaboration, Crack, may
not make it to the Independence Day weekend of 2017. The actor had
announced their new venture barely a few days after their last, Rustom
released this Independence weekend. While Akki and Neeraj are working on
their upcoming venture Toilet - Ek Prem Katha, reports are rife that
Crack has been a little delayed. As a result of this, the film may not
make to the cinemas as announced. This development is likely to leave
the Independence weekend clear for Shah Rukh Khan's next, co-starring
Anushka Sharma. A few weeks ago, on social media, Salman Khan announced
August 11, 2017, as the release date of his buddy SRK's film. In the
meanwhile, Akshay has reportedly confirmed R Balki's next film, that
also stars the latter's favourite actor, Amitabh Bachchan in a special
role. There is no indication yet if this movie will take Crack's release
date.
We tried contacting Neeraj Pandey, but he remained unavailable till the time of going to press.
We tried contacting Neeraj Pandey, but he remained unavailable till the time of going to press.
Elli Avram roped in for Neeraj Pandey's Crack
8:16 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (December 5, 2016)
For sometime now, rumours
have been rife over Elli Avram starring in a Neeraj Pandey film with
Akshay Kumar. Well, the actress has now confirmed the news. She says,
“When I was approached for the role, I was overwhelmed and thrilled at
the same time. Neeraj is a fantastic filmmaker, so I didn't think twice
before saying 'yes' to him. I'm also grateful for this opportunity to
share screen space with an accomplished actor like Akshay Kumar. Though I
have done two ads with Akshay, working in a film is a different
experience altogether.“
Crack vs Shah Rukh Khan-Imtiaz Ali film clash: An analysis
10:48 AM
Box Office India Trade Network
The RUSTOM vs MOHENJO DARO clash has just happened and another big clash is waiting to happen next year. The Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma starrer (untitled) directed by Imtiaz Ali is scheduled for an August 11th 2017 release date and an Akshay Kumar starrer CRACK seems to be announced for an Independence Day 2017 release. This date falls on a Tuesday so it may not be clash in the truest sense but the dates are the same vicinity and the screens issue will be there if this was to happen and they release four days apart. It could be that CRACK is actually 11th August and the poster is not portraying the actual date. This year saw the Akshay Kumar starrer easily get the better of the Hrithik Roshan starrer MOHENJO DARO but to take on a Shah Rukh Khan starrer is a different ball game.
Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar have clashed twice before with DAAVA vs YES BOSS in 1997 and DON vs JAAN E MANN in 2006 with Shah Rukh Khan coming out on top both times. The last time that Shah Rukh Khan actually lost a clash was 2001 with ASOKA vs INDIAN and in those days Sunny Deol, the lead of INDIAN, had a huge initial pull. There was the DILWALE vs BAJIRAO MASTANI clash at the end of last year where the Shah Rukh Khan starrer DILWALE did less business in India but here the defeat was not Shah Rukh Khan's but of the film as far as domestic business was concerned. The clout of the star ensured a far bigger opening in India and Worldwide it was still a bigger grosser despite the film not being liked as to BAJIRAO MASTANI which was said to be hugely appreciated.
The Shah Rukh Khan starrer is an Overseas musical love story on a big canvas. So if CRACK was a potential action blockbuster a la ROWDY RATHORE this clash could have been a real battle but it seems a Neeraj Pandey film from the poster who has made films like SPECIAL 26 and BABY which did not find appreciation at the box office with 65 crore and 82 crore respectively and also found no appreciation on television being among the worst Akshay Kumar performers. They were targeted at the multiplex audience and so it will probably be the same again but it would be tough to survive on just multiplexes if it comes up against the Shah Rukh Khan film.
Though it has to be noted that the last two Shah Rukh Khan starrers Dilwale and Fan have also not done well at 140 crore nett and 84 crore nett respectively. But these are still way ahead of BABY and SPECIAL 26. In fact DILWALE is ahead of all Akshay Kumar starrers including ROWDY RATHORE in raw numbers though obviously not inflation adjusted figures. The Shah rukh Khan starrer has just gone on the floors a few weeks back while the Akshay Kumar starrer CRACK is yet to start shooting.
Akshay Kumar now ‘owns’ Independence Day
2:35 PM
After back-to-back releases on two ID weekends, he will return next year with Crack
Subhash K Jha (DNA; August 22, 2016)
The great Indian holiday weekends are now squarely and
sharply booked. As the entire entertainment industry knows, the
festival of Eid is reserved for Salman Khan starrers. Shah Rukh Khans
films are released during Diwali, while Aamir Khan’s films are scheduled
for Christmas. And now, Akshay Kumar has taken over the long, box
office-friendly Independence Day weekend.
In 2015, Akshay’s Brothers released on August 14. In 2016, Rustom, which released on August 12, has already earned over Rs 90 crore. Akshay has now teamed up with producer-director Neeraj Pandey for Crack, which has been scheduled to release on Independence Day next year.
Trade pundit Taran Adarsh welcomes the trend of superstars patenting public holidays as their release date. “Actors, along with their respective film producers/Studios, are eyeing holidays plus extended weekends. That helps the film recover a big chunk of money during the initial weekend itself and continue the glorious run if the film is accepted by moviegoers beyond the weekend, too.” Says trade analyst Atul Mohan, “Well, you can say Akshay is the new Manoj Kumar — the patriotic hero of our times — after Baby, Gabbar Is Back, Airlift and Rustom. It’s not that Akshay has discovered this new release strategy now. If you look closely, his major films have coincided with Republic Day or Independence Day weekends from the beginning of his career.”
How Akshay Kumar got the title Crack
8:09 AM
DNA (August 17, 2016)
Akshay Kumar has announced his next film Crack. The actor wanted that
title for his film, but unfortunately it was already registered with
actor-producer Sachiin Joshi. So, Akshay reached out to Sachiin for the
title. Akshay was even willing to pay for it, but Sachiin gave it away
without taking a penny. Incidentally, the two share an interesting
history. A few years ago, Akshay was to do a film with Karan Johar
called Gutka Wars. At that time too, Karan didn’t have the rights to the
title, which coincidentally was also with Sachiin, who gave it to KJo,
but the film never got made. This time, while giving away the title,
Crack, Sachiin was hoping that the film will get made at least this
time. Well, there shouldn’t be any worry on that account as the film has
not only been announced, Akshay has even revealed that the film will be
a 2017, Independence Day release.
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