Showing posts with label Farrey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Farrey. Show all posts
Salman Khan always suspected that I wanted to be an actor-Alizeh
10:05 PM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; February 8, 2024)
Alizeh made an unconventional and impressive Bollywood debut last year with Farrey. While she is guided by her parents Atul and Alvira Agnihotri and mamu Salman Khan, this youngster seems to know the path she wants to tread on. Alizeh talks to us about how she does not want to pick up projects just to gain momentum and her showbiz learnings from the experiences of her star-studded family. Excerpts:
You made your Bollywood debut with Farrey, which was far from the typical large-scale debut one would expect someone from a starry film family to make. What pushed you to step into Bollywood with such an unconventional film?
I was auditioning for ads, shows and films, and I got shortlisted for a lot of projects, but nothing was really working out. We had seen this movie Bad Genius (it’s a Thai film) and were working on it for a while. We never planned for it to be my first film, but it was always a project we were interested in. As actors, you need to know your strengths and weaknesses and work with the right people at the right time, and that’s exactly what happened with this project. I felt like I didn’t have to change myself much for this role. I could relate to my character, and I felt that while she’s not very likeable, she’s endearing, and you wanted to support her.
How much did growing up in a film family influence you to become an actor? Did you have any other career path in mind?
I have always wanted to do something in the creative field, like production, direction or writing. My family always thought I would pursue a career in acting, but I didn’t. I wasn’t sure. There’s so much extra baggage that comes with this profession. You have to deal with a lot of people’s opinions and advice. For me, that’s very intimidating because I am an introvert. But over the years, I realized that many creative people are introverts, and you need a different skill set to handle a large crowd and be a public speaker. Look at Ranveer Singh, when he enters a room, the energy changes. Whatever little bit of work I had done, be it showreels or projects, I would show it to my parents and they would give their honest opinion. Gradually, I began auditioning. I would get rejected, and though that was disappointing, I would pull myself together and get back on my feet. I don’t give up easily.
Your family (Salim Khan, Helen, Salman, Arbaaz, Sohail, Atul Agnihotri) has been associated with the industry for decades and has seen success and failure closely. Has that toughened you for your journey in showbiz?
I feel like I have the experience of someone who has been in the business for 50 years (laughs!). We have a Salman Khan in the family who’s a superstar, my dad is a producer, my nana is a screenplay writer. I have all the combinations around me. Each of them has had their own complicated journey and has seen good and bad days. One lesson my family has taught me is that everyone has good days and bad days, and as simple as it sounds, it is something you need to keep reminding yourself of.
You have stepped into showbiz at a time when there’s plenty of young talent seen across platforms. How do you look at the competition around you?
I have always believed that the more, the merrier. You can’t get everything and can’t keep fighting for everything. It’s not a positive approach. There is work and space for everyone. Cinema is changing and the audience is changing. This is an amazing time to be a young actor in this country right now.
You were appreciated for your performance in your debut film. Does that put pressure on you to pick your next one wisely?
I had put in a lot to get the characterization of Niyati right. I am always eager for constructive criticism. I am a bit of a sceptic and wasn’t expecting anyone to praise my performance. Having received the kind of appreciation I did, now I don’t want to rush into anything or pick roles just to keep the momentum going. I am a sustainable actor, and I prefer quality over quantity.
‘Salman mamu always suspected that I wanted to be an actor’
Just by observing and listening to the conversations in the family, I have picked up a lot of tips and advice. The biggest privilege of hailing from a film family is the knowledge and insight you get based on their experiences because you don’t need to go through the trial-and-error process as there are people who have done that for you already. Salman mamu would always ask me if I wanted to get into movies, and I would say I don’t know if I had the right personality. He used to encourage me by saying, ‘You can always find your way by finding your niche.’ He always suspected that I wanted to be an actor, and when I told him that I wanted to, he just laughed.
(Crisp) Movie Review: FARREY by FENIL SETA
9:33 PM
Farrey is the story of a group of students who design an innovative way of copying in exams. It is a remake of a 2017 Thai film Bad Genius and is inspired by true events. The film is directed by Soumendra Padhi of Jamtara fame and his execution is stylish and classy. The film has some nail-biting moments that keep the interest going. The pre-climax is great. But there's a shift in tone in the climax. The finale is a bit abrupt and it dents the impact. Alizeh, however, makes a superb debut. Prasanna Bisht (Chavi) is an actor to watch out for. Sahil Mehta is decent initially but makes his presence felt in the second half. Zeyn Shaw is fair. Ronit Roy, Shilpa Shukla and Juhi Babbar Soni leave a mark. All in all, Farrey is a decent entertainer.
My rating - *** out of 5!
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 805
7:19 PM
A DRY WEEK FOR BOLLYWOOD BEFORE THE GRAND RELEASE OF ANIMAL
As discussed in last week’s edition, Tiger 3 has underperformed. The collections were affected on Sunday, as expected, though the weekend collections were decent. The normal drop happened on the weekdays too and now, it seems like the film’s lifetime will be around Rs. 275 crores. Khichdi 2, meanwhile, opened at Rs. 1 crore, as predicted. But due to mixed word of mouth, the collections didn’t jump. It had a drop in the weekdays and it now remains to be seen if it can cross the lifetime of the first part, that is, Rs. 5.95 crores.
This week will see the release of two Hindi and Hollywood films. Farrey marks the debut of Atul Agnihotri and Alvira Khan Agnihotri’s daughter Alizeh. It is directed by Soumendra Padhi of Jamtara fame and is also produced by Salman Khan. The film is an official remake of the Thai film Bad Genius. The trailer is interesting and it is inspired by real events. The film had a premiere at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, where it got a lot of appreciation. The buzz, however, is very low. Hence, the first day won’t be huge but if positive reports pour in, the film can jump from day 2.
Starfish stars Khushali Kumar, Milind Soman and Ehan Bhat. It is adapted from a novel, Starfish Pickle by Bina Nayak. The film looks visually stunning. But at the same time, it also seems niche. Both Starfish and Farrey will open at less than Rs. 1 crore and will depend on strong word of mouth for that big Saturday jump.
As for Hollywood, Disney, like every year, will release an animation film to coincide with Thanksgiving celebrations in North America. This year, they’ll present Wish. It has chances to score among the target audience, that is, families in urban areas. Napoleon, meanwhile, stars Joaquin Phoenix of Joker fame and is made by acclaimed filmmaker Ridley Scott. Just like Wish, it targets a niche audience though it has chances to score in IMAX.
The film which will surprise this week is the Marathi flick Jhimma 2. It is the sequel to the 2021 much-loved women-centric Jhimma. The first part collected around Rs. 14 crores despite pandemic restrictions. The sequel is also produced by Aanand L Rai and Jio Studios. Its advance booking was thrown open way back on Sunday, in a rare instance. Despite releasing majorly just in Maharashtra, it is all set to collect more than Farrey and Starfish, looking at the strong ticket sales.
As discussed in last week’s edition, Tiger 3 has underperformed. The collections were affected on Sunday, as expected, though the weekend collections were decent. The normal drop happened on the weekdays too and now, it seems like the film’s lifetime will be around Rs. 275 crores. Khichdi 2, meanwhile, opened at Rs. 1 crore, as predicted. But due to mixed word of mouth, the collections didn’t jump. It had a drop in the weekdays and it now remains to be seen if it can cross the lifetime of the first part, that is, Rs. 5.95 crores.
This week will see the release of two Hindi and Hollywood films. Farrey marks the debut of Atul Agnihotri and Alvira Khan Agnihotri’s daughter Alizeh. It is directed by Soumendra Padhi of Jamtara fame and is also produced by Salman Khan. The film is an official remake of the Thai film Bad Genius. The trailer is interesting and it is inspired by real events. The film had a premiere at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, where it got a lot of appreciation. The buzz, however, is very low. Hence, the first day won’t be huge but if positive reports pour in, the film can jump from day 2.
Starfish stars Khushali Kumar, Milind Soman and Ehan Bhat. It is adapted from a novel, Starfish Pickle by Bina Nayak. The film looks visually stunning. But at the same time, it also seems niche. Both Starfish and Farrey will open at less than Rs. 1 crore and will depend on strong word of mouth for that big Saturday jump.
As for Hollywood, Disney, like every year, will release an animation film to coincide with Thanksgiving celebrations in North America. This year, they’ll present Wish. It has chances to score among the target audience, that is, families in urban areas. Napoleon, meanwhile, stars Joaquin Phoenix of Joker fame and is made by acclaimed filmmaker Ridley Scott. Just like Wish, it targets a niche audience though it has chances to score in IMAX.
The film which will surprise this week is the Marathi flick Jhimma 2. It is the sequel to the 2021 much-loved women-centric Jhimma. The first part collected around Rs. 14 crores despite pandemic restrictions. The sequel is also produced by Aanand L Rai and Jio Studios. Its advance booking was thrown open way back on Sunday, in a rare instance. Despite releasing majorly just in Maharashtra, it is all set to collect more than Farrey and Starfish, looking at the strong ticket sales.
Salman Khan, Sara Ali Khan, Karan Johar, Vidya Balan, Rani Mukerji, Sunny Deol to grace IFFI, Goa this year
8:58 AM
Monika Rawal Kukreja (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 16, 2023)
As Goa gears up to host the 54th edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) starting November 20, there’s a lot in store for movie buffs to look forward to. While the film screenings, masterclass and in-conversation sessions with the members of the film fraternity are the high point of the 9-day film extravaganza, the star presence at IFFI is going to be on an all-time high this year.
Starting from Salman Khan who will be attending the gala premiere of his production Farrey that marks the debut of his niece Alizeh Agnihotri, Sara Ali Khan and Karan Johar bringing their film Ae Watan Mere Watan at the festival, to Pankaj Tripathi at the screening of his film Kadak Singh, IFFI has quite a glitzy line-up of celebs present for their respective film premieres. Others names that are going to be present for their film premiers include actors Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjana Sanghi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Urvashi Rautela, Prachi Desai, Parvathy Thiruvothu and Akshay Oberoi.
Not just the red carpet premiers, the masterclass and in-conversation sessions, too, are going to be driven by star power and some extremely meaningful conversations on a variety of subjects pertaining to film business. Some of the speakers would include Sunny Deol, Vidya Balan, Rani Mukerji, Manoj Bajpayee, Boney Kapoor, Dolly Ahluwalia and the cast of web show The Railway Men - actors R Madhavan, Babil Khan, Kay Kay Menon and Divyenndu Sharma, alongside filmmaker Rahul Rawail, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, directors Kartiki Gonsalves, Jasmeet K. Reen and Raj & DK, producers Guneet Monga and Apoorva Bakshi and sound designer Resul Pookutty.
Besides members from the Hindi film industry, several top names from the South film industries are also going to make their presence felt at the film festival. Vijay Sethupathi will be in conversation with actor Khushbu Sunder, while Naga Chaitanya will be in attendance for the gala premier of his project Dhootha.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)