Akshay Kumar may be currently promoting his upcoming release, ‘Bhooth Bangla’, but he will soon trade fear for festivities. mid-day has learnt that in the last week of March, the superstar will squeeze in the shoot of a Holi song for his yet-untitled film with director Anees Bazmee.

Ganesh Acharya will choreograph the number that will be shot in a Mumbai studio where a set depicting a bustling mohalla will be created. Kumar will be joined by leading lady Vidya Balan in the song.

An insider shared, “It’s a full-blown Holi sequence, the kind that brings together a lot of colour, dancers, and celebratory energy. The plan is to have around 300-400 background dancers on set, as Akshay and Vidya’s characters lead the celebrations in the gully. The mohalla-style set also includes balconies and terraces from where revellers will join the celebration. Ganesh has also designed a hook step that he hopes will catch on.”

It features on every Holi playlist, blaring from speakers around festivities. But composer Pritam has revealed that Balam Pichkari from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) was not originally conceived as a Holi track.

“Initially, it was not going to be a Holi song,” the 54-year-old says, adding that the change happened after director Ayan Mukerji attended a Holi celebration in 2012. “(Ayan) told us, ‘We have to set this song during Holi. It’ll take the vibe to another level’,” he says.

Over a decade later, Pritam is grateful for the love the song has received. “Balam Pichkari trends at the top almost every Holi,” he says, adding, “If I knew exactly what made it cut across generations, I would probably try to recreate it every time. But honestly, it’s impossible to predict these things.”

Nowadays, he feels that there is a seeming lull in iconic festival tracks. But Pritam insists, “There is always space for a good song. Platforms may change, listening habits may evolve, but emotions don’t.”

In an exclusive conversation with Bombay Times, Sidharth Malhotra talks about the kind of energy the festival of colours brings, his childhood memories of Holi and how it’s even more special now with wife, Kiara Advani.

“Holi has always been a grand celebration for me,” Sidharth says, adding, “Growing up in Delhi, my cousins and I would wake up early, load up on water balloons, and make sure we had the coolest water guns in the colony. It was all about colours, laughter, and endless fun. You’d step out knowing you wouldn’t return home looking the same.”

Talking about how important it is to make time for family and celebrations during festivals, Sidharth says, “Festivals like Holi are a reminder to pause and reconnect with family, friends, and even yourself. No matter how packed my schedule gets, I try to be home for Holi. Unlike my childhood days, when Holi was more about playing with colours and water till afternoon, running around with friends and eating all you can, now, the festival is more about the energy, the happiness it brings and just being in the moment.”

This is the third year Sidharth and Kiara are celebrating Holi together, and what makes it more special is that now the couple is all set to welcome their baby. He says, “With Kiara, Holi has been just as fun — colours, music and the whole vibe. We enjoy keeping things simple, yet festive — like playing with colours, spending time with loved ones, and of course, indulging in special Holi treats.”

The Holi song Ang Se Ang Lagana from Darr, starring Juhi Chawla, Shah Rukh Khan and Sunny Deol, remains popular to date. The track from the Yash Chopra directorial offered celebration and thrill in equal measure.

Recalling the shoot of the song, Juhi says, “We had shot the song on the lawns of a house in Lonavala. As for skin and hair care, we were young and clueless, and it was great. There were no fancy lotions, sunscreens and all that drama. The only thing was that we didn’t want to get a sunburn while shooting as there were a lot of outdoor shoots. I had a dupatta wrapped around my face for protection apart from the make-up we wore, and the big umbrellas held up by the spot boys.”

Juhi adds, “Back then, we didn’t have vanity vans, so the rooms on the upper floor of the house were used as make-up rooms, and we would come down to shoot, which was quite convenient. Shah Rukh came in for a day for his shots where he was playing drums, and Sunny ji (Sunny Deol), Anupam ji (Anupam Kher), Tanvi ji (Tanvi Azmi) and I continued with our portions. Sometimes, we would end up applying too much colour on our co-stars’ faces, but then we would realise that we went overboard and would reduce it to look pretty on screen. If you watch the song closely, you will notice jumps in continuity when it comes to the gulaal on our faces.”

Talking about off-screen Holi celebrations, she says, “Holi get-togethers at Yash ji’s (Yash Chopra) home were unforgettable. They were full of fun, food, colour and camaraderie.”

It’s their first Holi together as a couple and they can’t stop grinning ear-to-ear as they pose exclusively for a shoot with HT City. Afterwards actor-couple Rakul Preet Singh and Jackky Bhagnani sit down for a chat with us, sharing their excitement of celebrating the festival as newlyweds. Excerpts:

Jackky: I am very excited because she has finally brought colour to my life.

Rakul: Arre yaar aisi baatein karke hi he takes all the brownie points! (laughs) We haven’t played Holi together before this. This shoot is the first time we have applied colour to each other because Jackky was in London for the first two years [of us dating]. And last year he was shooting for Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, so I played Holi with my friends.

Jackky: I used to play a lot. But of late, I have become conscious about water conservation. Of course we throw colours, but I haven’t played the typical kind of Holi anytime recently.

Rakul: We would love to play the colour wali Holi [as kids]. Any festival is a celebration of your closest people coming together and just having a good time. It’s all about food and feasting.

Jackky: Once my friends and I started playing Holi at nine in the morning, which went on till midnight!

Rakul: In Delhi, we used to play the dirty Holi, throw eggs at each other. When I was in school, we used to throw balloons, use pakka colour that would leave our ears red for a week!

Rakul: I don’t feel even 1% change. When we started dating three years ago, we had a chat about this. We feel complete as individuals and together we are just happier. I don’t have to call him 15 times a day saying, ‘I am getting bored’, ‘How are you?’ I have to figure what I have to do in my life and it’s the same for him. When we are together, we leave work behind. Our biggest strength is that we are best friends!

Jackky: We respect each other’s space and work. I am proud of what she does.

No matter how busy she gets, Holi is one festival that Ridhi Dogra never misses. The actress, who grew up in Delhi, hasn’t celebrated Holi in the capital in a long time. However, in Mumbai, she has never skipped the celebrations. “I love all festivals, but there is something special about Holi. For me, the celebrations have remained the same, over the years,” says the actress.

Ridhi adds, “While earlier, it used to be Holi parties with family, relatives and some friends in Delhi, in Mumbai, I am either attending a Holi party or celebrating with friends. I haven’t come to Delhi on Holi for years, as I am always busy with some work, but I make the most of one day off that I get.”

Recalling her childhood Holi celebrations, Ridhi says, “I have always enjoyed Holi with lots of colours and have never been one of those who prefer staying indoors on Holi. When we were kids, I remember we would always end up in a pool of coloured water, and there would be so many people in our colony roaming around with their faces painted silver. Also, Holi was one festival that would mostly come between annual exams, so I would start checking the calendar in advance to check which day is Holi. We would get around four days break for Holi in the middle of exams, and I always checked what exam is after Holi and how many days would I have to prepare as I would never miss celebrating Holi with my friends.”

Ridhi says she even enjoys playing with water balloons. “I think that is a part of Holi, and I enjoy that, of course, nuisance and misbehaviour of any kind are not acceptable on any day, but water balloons around Holi are predictable and fun. I also feel that we should let kids enjoy this, they should learn to enjoy every festival. I grew up playing Holi outdoors with family and friends, and it has always been so much fun; kids should also get to enjoy this way,” she says.

Growing up with two siblings – sister Surilie and brother Ojas – Holi was a lot of fun for Yami Gautam Dhar. She shares, “I remember, a night before the festival, we would decide what clothes to wear and, in the morning, our mom would apply oil on our faces and bodies so that the colour could come off easily. Once we were done playing, we would excitedly go home to see our mother’s reaction. Later, we would binge on gujiyas.”

The actress, who is celebrating Holi in Mumbai this year, is excited to try Maharashtrian delicacies. “These days, I am happy to binge on any sweets and whatever is homemade,” says Yami, who is all set to welcome her first child with husband Aditya Dhar.

Talking about her current state of mind, she shares, “I am just very happy, and it is important to be happy and healthy. We all are thrilled that next year there will be another member joining us for Holi. However, it is also said that when you are expecting, your baby is also experiencing the same emotions as you are, which is exciting.”

On the work front, post-marriage, Yami and Aditya, who collaborated earlier on Uri: The Surgical Strike, are also working on their new film together called Dhoom Dhaam. In the last couple of years, Yami has been seen in movies like A Thursday, Dasvi, Lost and Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga. This year, she headlined Article 370, for which she won appreciation.

Speaking about the roles coming her way, she says, “I see a major shift in the way filmmakers are approaching me. Having said that, I believe the power of the script comes first.”

The actress is currently enjoying her pregnancy. She shares, “I am not calling it a break. Yes, in this phase, you certainly need time for yourself, but I am already reading scripts. There’s also a soft commitment for another film, and they have been kind enough to wait and have asked me to take my time. That is a welcome shift when we talk about the evolution in the industry. And the credit for that goes to many other actresses. As it took generations to reach where we are today.”

Actor Meera Chopra, who got married to boyfriend, businessman Rakshit Kejriwal on March 12 in Jaipur, says he brings “stability” to her life.

“There has to be more than one reason to get married to somebody. For me, my husband is my strength. Every time I feel weak or I am not sure of things, he is the one person I go to. He brings stability to my life,” the Safed (2023) actor says in her first interview after her wedding.

It was a two-day wedding and for Chopra, it has not sunk in yet. “On the third day, when I was sitting with my husband, I asked him ‘Is it really over?’ Time just flew,” says the 40-year-old.

Kejriwal’s identity was kept a secret until Chopra revealed it through the wedding pics she posted on Instagram.

“He is a very shy and introverted person and didn’t want any media glare. He has a corporate life, away from showbiz, which is why we wanted to wait till the wedding pics got out. Now, his images are out, but he wants to continue staying away from the spotlight.”

On Holi plans, Chopra says: “It will be my first Holi with his family. I will first go to Delhi to my place for a puja and then head back for a big celebration with my in-laws in Mumbai.”

The festival of Holi is here, and actor Shweta Tripathi Sharma can’t keep calm. Calling it her “favourite festival”, the actor says she prefers celebrating the festival of colours in a traditional way.

“Holi is my favourite festival. Saare festivals ek taraf aur Holi ek taraf. This is one [occasion] jahan masti and maza hota hai. We can go junglee in the most civil way. Playing Holi in Delhi was all about bonding with my colony friends,” says Sharma.

“I have observed that many kids nowadays don’t have colony friends, and I don’t blame them. But, I have such fond memories of playing Holi with my colony friends,” shares Sharma.

Walking down the lanes of Bengali Market and Khan Market in Delhi to shop for the festival makes the Mirzapur actor nostalgic about her growing up years in the city.

With excitement, the 37-year-old recalls, “We loved shopping for Holi from Khan Market and Bengali Market, and eating chole kulche in Chandni Chowk.”

This year, the actor is celebrating Holi in Goa with her husband-rapper Chaitnya Sharma, aka Slow Cheeta.

Talking of her Holi wishlist, the actor shares, “I can imagine how Holi will be celebrated with fervour in the temple town of Vrindavan. I wish to go and experience it one day. Also, I wish to play Holi on screen, just Iike what we saw in the song Balam Pichkari (Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, 2013). It would be really fun.”

From playing “dirty and naughty” Holi during his younger days to now sticking to only dry colours, musician Yo Yo Honey Singh goes down memory lane and relives his memories of the festival of colours. “I have loved Holi since childhood, when it used to be all wet and wild. We used to start at 7 am and go on till 6 pm, and it’d be really filthy, with grease, dark colours, eggs and water balloons. But now, it’s mostly with gulaal. I miss that fun a lot,” says Singh, for whom “eating gujiya and dahi bhalle” is the most exciting part about the day, though he confesses he has “never tried bhang”.

While the concept of Holi parties is quite famous in Bollywood, Singh prefers celebrating the festival with friends. “I like to celebrate all the festivals — Diwali, Holi, Dussehra or Gurupurab — in my hometown (Delhi), with my friends, rather than attending flashy Bollywood parties,” he asserts.

As for plans this year, the De Taali (Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2; 2022) singer informs that he has lot of work to finish on his album Honey 3.0, “so I would be in my studio, working on Holi”. He adds, “For almost 10 years now, I’ve been celebrating Holi and performing in Dubai. Wahan Holi ka mazaa hi kuch alag hai. It’s a very multiracial place, where people across castes, religions and cultures come together and play Holi. It’s organized well, usually in a water park, where 10,000 to 15,000 people gather and play Holi while we perform,” shares the singer, urging everyone to have a safe Holi.

“Saari duniya ek ghar-parivaar hai, so don’t cross the line. Nashe se door raho, Holi ko maze mein enjoy karke, khushi se manao,” advises the Brown Rang singer, adding, “Make sure you don’t make women uncomfortable.”

For Singh, this is also his birthday month, as the singer turns 40 on March 15. While he has been celebrating Holi and his birthday in Dubai for many years now, he happens to be in India in Holi this time around. But he’ll travel to Dubai on his birthday. “I got a show to perform, so despite my packed schedule, I will be travelling to Dubai for a day on my birthday,” Singh signs off.

Be it Makar Sankranti, Halloween, Diwali or Holi, actor Ankita Lokhande loves to celebrate every festival. She indulges in merrymaking not just with her family, but friends too.

“Vicky (Jain; businessman, her husband) and I are planning a big bash on Holi tomorrow. Like our last year’s Holi party, Anky ki raas leela, we will be calling friends and family for some dhamaal. Vicky and I both love to celebrate Holi and we love the festival. We will celebrate with people who love Holi. Aur jinko Holi pasand nahin hai, unko bhi bula kar unke saath Holi khelenge. Wahi mazaa hai is festival ka. I am super excited,” she tells us.

Last year was her first Holi after her wedding. “We called people over as it was our first as a married couple. And this year, humein phir sabke saath Holi manani hai. Pandemic mein, I remember, I celebrated Holi in my house with pichkaris. Everything was wet and colourful once we were done,” the Baaghi 3 (2020) actor laughs.

In Maharashtra, Holi will be celebrated on March 7, while other states will play Holi on March 8. Lokhande, too, was confused about the day. But ultimately, she went by the Maharashtrian calendar and planned the bash on March 7 (tomorrow). “Some people are playing on March 7 and some on March 8, but we locked March 7,” she shares.

Talking about throwing parties for festivals and special days, the actor says, “For me, life is all about celebrating every occasion. That’s my funda in life. Main chahoon bhi toh chote functions nahin ho paate. I know so many people and I am so connected to my friends that I can’t miss inviting even one of them.”

Actor Swara Bhasker took everyone by surprise when she registered her marriage in court with politico Fahad Ahmad on February 16. Soon after, she announced her plans to have a traditional wedding ceremony. A source close to the family reveals exclusively to us that the functions will be held from March 11 to 16. The couple has planned to go all out with the festivities and will host haldi, mehendi and sangeet, among other ceremonies.

“Swara is giving the destination wedding a miss and opting for an intimate and emotional wedding at her nana and nani’s house in Delhi. The preparations have already started, and she has been planning them to perfection. With Holi and her wedding ceremonies lined up one after the other, there is a lot to celebrate,” shares the source.

Bhasker, who was busy shooting for her next, Mrs Falani, in Chhattisgarh, has wrapped up the shoot and reached Delhi to help with the preparations. 

Wedding invites that have been sent to friends, read, “Join us and share the happiness we celebrate, the madness that is ‘us’ this Basant.” The source adds, “The couple is excited about celebrating their union with family and friends.”

Earlier, the Jahaan Chaar Yaar (2022) actor had also dropped hints on Twitter about her wedding plans: “Confessions of a to-be-bride/new bride! We still have a full set of wedding celebrations to plan… can’t decide how frugal I’m gonna be (sic)”.

Ankit Tiwari was recently in Lucknow. Charting a successful journey from Kanpur to Mumbai, in an exclusive chat with us, the Sun Raha Hai Na Tu singer reminisced about the festival of Holi and the wild celebrations they have in his hometown Kanpur.

Ankit shared, “We used to have a big aluminium tub where we would mix all the different colours and anyone who used to pass from our lane had to stop and take a dip in that tub. Chahe jo bhi insaan ho. Kanpur’s Holi has a different whole vibe and colour to it.”

Ankit went on to add, “Back when we used to play Holi in Kanpur, we would rub black colour on our teeth and our friends’ too which used to be so much fun.”

Ankit has lived in Mumbai for the past 15–16 years. When asked how it feels to celebrate Holi in Mumbai, the Tu Hai Ki Nahi singer shared, “The celebrations are almost the same everywhere. Even in Mumbai we go for Holika dehen. But in UP the festival doesn’t end, it goes on and on. Meanwhile, in Mumbai, there is a time till which people play Holi, and then the post-Holi party starts but for UP, yahan hoti hai huddang wali Holi. Holi ka mazaa UP mein hi aata hai!”

Talking about his journey so far, Ankit shared about the moment when he felt he had finally carved his name in the music industry. “Everybody began to know me after Aashiqui 2. I remember eating pani puri on the streets of Mumbai after the release of Aashiqui 2, where I was standing along with a group of girls and boys. They were talking in front of me about the songs from the movie and saying ‘Bahot achha gaan hai. Kaun hai ye jisne gaya hai, etc’. And I was hearing them praise my compositions and really enjoyed that moment.”

Known for his romantic songs , Ankit said he is now experimenting with other genres in his compositions and singing. “Ab toh saare genre tootenge. Now I am going to try different genres in my own compositions.”

Sriram Raghavan found the perfect way to celebrate Christmas last year as he took Merry Christmas on floors with a week-long schedule. After a long break, south superstar Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif have reunited for the second schedule of the thriller. The actors, who are collaborating with Raghavan for the first time, recently kicked off the 45-day stint at Filmistan Studios in Goregaon.

The director of Andhadhun (2018) fame is known to craft slick thrillers, where the characters find themselves pushed into a corner, wriggling their way out by ingenious moves. Merry Christmas is no exception. A source from the set reveals that the crime drama tells the story of a seemingly uneventful day that turns the protagonists’ world upside down.

“The edgy thriller is about an event that takes place on Christmas Eve. For the current stint, the makers have built the set of a house. Over the past few days, Vijay and Katrina have been shooting their portions in the bathroom — it sees them having a dramatic argument. While they took a day’s break on account of Holi, the team will resume work today,” says the source. Happenstance is a staple in Raghavan’s movies, as are morally ambiguous characters. “Both actors play characters with grey shades,” adds the source.

Confirming the shoot, co-producer Ramesh Taurani says, “We will wind up the second schedule in April, after which the final leg will be filmed in May and June. The entire movie will be shot in Mumbai, on sets as well as at live locations.”

The Hindi-Tamil bilingual marks Sethupathi’s Bollywood debut. Heaping praise on the actor, Taurani says, “Vijay is a superstar, but off-camera, he is down-to-earth. I have worked with Katrina in Race [2008] and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani [2009], but you will see a different side to her this time around.”

This Holi, actor Mrunal Thakur will be flying off to Bikaner (Rajasthan) with her family to relax and spend some quality time with them. “I have been working non-stop. I heard so many people are flying back to their hometowns for Holi, and that made me want to take my first vacation with my family in two years,” she tells us.

Reminiscing about her childhood memories of the festival of colours, the 29-year-old shares, “The competition between us kids would be ki sabse badi pichkaari kiski hai. We would throw water balloons at each other. Kahin na kahin se kisi na kisi ko pakadke maarna hota tha (laughs). We would dance so much!”

Thakur continues, “The biggest fear back then was being smeared with silver and golden colours. Hafte beet jaate the, but the colour would just not come off. We were also scared of someone picking us up and throwing us in the water tub.”

Quiz her about her favourite Holi delicacies and the actor, who will be next seen in Jersey, says, “We make puran polis at home on Holi. We also eat aamti bhaat, kurdai papad and bhajiya. We only have steamed food on the night of the bonfire, but the next day, we devour desserts. I’m looking forward to my cheat meal!”

From reimagining retro burlesque posters to painting Albert Einstein in water colour, farmer’s protest and more, Abhay Deol’s social media posts have given us enough reasons to appreciate his inclination towards art. The actor recently visited to Kolkata to be part of his friend, artiste Harshit Agarwal’s solo exhibition. The exhibition came to an end with a talk, The Arts They Are A-Changing, in which Abhay was one of the speakers. In a quick chat with us, the actor talks about his recent picture with friend Shilo Shiv Suleiman that went viral, his love for arts and more. Excerpts:

(Laughs out loud) Please don’t take me seriously is what I would say.

(Laughs) It is a hobby and I paint every now and then. Not as often as I would like to. I put it up on my Instagram. I am not a professional though.

Honestly speaking, art is a luxury. Of course, there is a reason why richer nations invest a lot more in art than poorer nations. You can only appreciate the beauty when you are not worried about putting food on your plate. That’s the truth. But yes, we have the middle class who are doing well. There are people who are doing well. It’s not like we don’t have business that runs successfully, not like there isn’t infrastructure. We have had a lot more success in the past couple of decades than before. That has led to people having money to spend. So, you do see a lot of art and appreciation for it today than before I think.

We are, as a family, not so ritualistic. From a very early age I’ve noticed that on Diwali days, we burst a lot of crackers that end up irritating in my throat and spreading a lot of smoke in the atmosphere. On Holi, a lot of colours have chemical ingredients harmful for the body. So, I have always questioned since my childhood that if it’s not good for the environment, is it really good for god? I am very objective with festivals. In Indian culture, gods and goddesses represent the elements. It is one rare culture that worships nature. I think that is a beautiful part. We worship elements and our gods and goddesses represent those elements. I hope to see festivals that celebrate a clean environment and community.

I haven’t participated in Durga Puja. But any festival that brings communities together, treats them equally, talks about harmony and peace between everyone is one that should be celebrated.

Amyra Dastur had been shooting for her upcoming web series when the announcement to stall shoots came about. Though worried about the uncertainty looming large, she says that she has happily accepted the lockdown-style restrictions imposed in Maharashtra. “I’ve two perspectives on the move, one as an actor and working girl and the other as the daughter of a doctor who is working on the frontline every single day,” she says.

She adds, “I am definitely saddened by the news. Shoots help me earn my bread and butter and so, seeing the projects I am in, like Dongri To Dubai, being halted in the middle of shooting definitely upsets me.”

Dastur reveals that the current situation takes her back to 2020 and once again. “Looking at my dad stressing out because his hospital has no beds with more and more patients coming in just breaks my heart,” she states.

Vexed at the recent gathering at the Kumbh Mela, she cannot stop expressing her disappointment in people and their tendency to take the pandemic lightly. “People are really not listening and I do not just mean those in Maharashtra. Images of people celebrating Holi in Banaras, the gathering at the Kumbh Mela and political rallies have really angered me,” she says. 

Talking about the need to stay safe and act in a responsible manner, she says, “I understand Maharashtra has insanely high cases and our state is awaiting the restocking of the vaccine. But if the rest of the country acts like Coronavirus does not exist, then it is going to be a never ending cycle of infection.”

Kajal Aggarwal has a lot of “messy” childhood memories of Holi. But now, the actor is looking forward to creating some new ones with her husband Gautam Kitchlu as she gets ready to celebrate her first Holi after marriage.

The ongoing Coronavirus pandemic might have taken the fun out of celebrations, but not the essence. Aggarwal says they will be making the most of the day with their family and close friends, while taking all the precautions.

“This year, it is going to be a rather quiet Holi. We will do lunch with the family, a puja and then apply some organic colour on each other, and enjoy thandai and kachoris,” Aggarwal says.

It was amid the Coronavirus pandemic last year when Aggarwal started a new chapter of her life by getting married to her long-time boyfriend Kitchlu in a lavish wedding ceremony on October 30. And the actor says being together on special occasions makes them memorable.

“Every festival is special especially when it’s the first after marriage. We are excited to be celebrating it together and will be hosting some friends as well, after everyone’s tested, including us,” says the actor.

Ask her about the Holi traditions, and she says, “The burning of the Holika and playing messy Holi are our childhood memories and traditions, and I hope to do this soon. My special memories have to be the rain dance Holi parties with my friends and eating yummy food with my family. And, also, waking my cousins up early in the morning by throwing colour and water balloons when they are in bed,” she says, adding that it was all about “who does it first”, which many times meant waking up early to outwit the others.

“We used to happily wake up at 5am, on a holiday, just to do this. These are some of my favourite memories for sure,” says the actor, known for featuring in Live Telecast, Magadheera (2009) and Singham (2011).

While this year, she has an intimate celebration planned, she hopes to unite with her loved ones to enjoy the festival of colours next year.

“This pandemic has made it difficult to meet family and friends and we will miss celebrating with everyone we love but hopefully, next year everything will get normal,” she ends on a hopeful note.

The audience is back in the South with MASTER and KRACK and obviously the calls will be there now for major Hindi films to come back. The dynamics of the Hindi film industry are slightly different but SOORYAVANSHI on Holi can be a start as long as the Coronavirus pandemic does not see another wave.

The Hindi film industry still needs a little time as it would be catastrophe if a film releases in the next month or so but the public does not come in numbers. The big film in the South is being led by Vijay who is a bonafide superstar in Tamil Nadu. Now we have bigger superstars in Hindi cinema as our cinema has a reach across most of the country but our superstars do not have the level of superstardom that Vijay has in Tamil Nadu in any area.

Salman Khan has strongest following in Rajasthan and CI but its not at the level of Vijay in Tamil Nadu. Shah Rukh Khan is best in Kolkatta but again not at the level of Vijay in Tamil Nadu. Also these areas where there is a certain amount of blind following for a certain star are nowhere near as big as Tamil Nadu in terms of collections.
 
This is not just the case today but earlier also as Amitabh Bachchan is probably the biggest superstar that India has seen but the level of stardom in his strongest area of Mumbai city was not at the level of a Rajnikant in Tamil Nadu. 
 
In our industry, the dynamics are different with different regions and tastes differ where the superstar plays a part but other factors also come in. If a superstar had the pull Vijay has in Tamil Nadu across the Hindi markets from North to East to Maharashtra, you could release that film next week and it will be at allowed capacity houses across the board even in a pandemic. But this has never happened and probably never will as its much easier to hold that sort of stardom in one state but not across 10 or 12 states.

The films released in South including MASTER are being driven by the youth mass audience and with family audiences in much lower numbers compared to 2019. This is the case in multiplexes in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai which have seen good turnouts and our collections are heavily multiplex lopsided and a big film needs that neutral family audience to get big numbers. At the moment there is a reluctance for this audience to come out and the 50% cap does not help as it shows something is not quite right.

So despite MASTER, bringing back the audience in the South there will still be fear in the Hindi film industry as major studios will be aware of the dynamics but a start has to be made somewhere and Holi looks best bet. This gives a little time for things to improve and on top its a mass holiday and this audience will be more eager to return back to the theatres. Also there could be a change in the capacity rule by then which would be a huge help and Rajasthan and Jharkhand will be allowed to open cinemas. Obviously it has to be a mass film and SOORYAVANSHI is the one which is ready and waiting.

The Friday release could give jitters but then the film can release on Sunday 28th March which is a holiday and then next day is the Holi holiday with the week having mini holidays in many states which will no doubt aid collections. Also there are around 10-12 major films which have a chance of releasing in the rest of the year ('83, SATYAMEVA JAYATE 2, RADHE, SHAMSHERA, BELLBOTTOM, PRITHVIRAJ, ATRANGI RE, JERSEY, JAYESHBHAI JORDAAR, LAAL SINGH CHADDHA and BACHCHAN PANDEY) and these films can take care of business from May onward.

These film releases with a gap between them will keep the flow and cinemas occupied for most of the year. Then there is KGF 2 which is the white horse and is sure to do huge numbers in Mumbai circuit and if its huge satellite craze plays out in other circuits then its going to be a huge bonus for the Hindi markets. After all, it is the top 10 films amount for around 65-70% of the yearly business.

Obviously most of these films are a year late and the biggest of them SOORYAVANSHI had a trailer release last year and now has to start again which is not easy. It basically means no real event film but those will come next year with PATHAN, TIGER franchise and FIGHTER, maybe another one or two. The long in making and hugely budgeted BRAHMASTRA may also have to wait till next year although has outside chance of coming this year depending on when the film can get finished.

It is SOORYAVANSHI which will have to make the start and Holi would be the best bet at the moment and that is assuming there is not another Coronavirus wave. But its going to be a studio call and remains to be seen what happens.