Showing posts with label Karthikeya 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Karthikeya 2. Show all posts

If Amitabh Bachchan can handle stunts for Kalki 2898 AD, I can’t complain-Nikhil Siddhartha

9:16 AM

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Over the moon with Karthikeya 2’s win, says Nikhil Siddhartha

Neeshita Nyayapati (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 19, 2024)

Nikhil Siddhartha is soaring high this year. He began it with the arrival of his son, Dheera, in February. Now, with his film Karthikeya 2 winning Best Telugu Film at the 70th National Film Awards, the actor’s joy knows no bounds.

“I’m over the moon… I’m at a loss for words,” Nikhil shares, adding, “Sometimes, amid the frenzy of making a successful film, awards like this make you feel appreciated and recognised.”

Filmmaker Chandoo Mondeti’s Karthikeya has been a game-changer for Nikhil twice. The first film, released in 2014, captivated audiences with its blend of mythology and modern themes. The sequel’s recent win is a testament to its continued impact. “This win invigorates me; it fuels my desire to work even harder. We were thrilled with the positive response to Karthikeya 2 in Hindi as well, but this recognition is a delightful surprise,” he says.

Nikhil attributes the film’s success to its relatable story and characters. “The charm of Karthikeya has always been its universal appeal. Even now, when I attend events, someone always asks when we’ll start on the third film. It’s heartwarming to receive such affection from people everywhere,” he notes.

Currently, Nikhil is balancing fatherhood with filming for Swayambhu with Bharat Krishnamachari and The India House with Ram Vamsi Krishna. “I want to savour my son’s childhood while I can, as he’ll grow up soon and won’t need me as much. He also reminds me of my late father, which makes it tough to leave home, especially when he gives me those puppy eyes,” he shares.

Despite the challenges, he finds solace in his upcoming projects. “Swayambhu is shaping up to be one of those grand, must-watch films. I’ve completed a major part of the shoot and while playing a warrior is demanding, if Amitabh Bachchan can handle stunts for Kalki 2898 AD, I can’t complain,” he ends.

Led by Aattam, South Indian cinema walks away with top honours at National Awards

9:10 AM

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Best Director Award For Barjatya Marks Bollywood’s Presence
Manash Gohain (THE TIMES OF INDIA; August 17, 2024)

New Delhi: Southern cinema grabbed centerstage winning a clutch of major awards in the 70th National Film Awards. The best feature film award went to the Malayalam movie “Aattam: The Play”, while Rishabh Shetty received the best actor award for the Kannada hit “Kantara.” Best actress prize was shared by Nithya Menen for the Tamil film “Thiruchitrambalam” and Manasi Parekh for the Gujarati movie “Kutch Express”.

Sooraj R Barjatya (Hum Aapke Hain Koun) seized the best director award for “Uunchai”, marking Bollywood’s presence among the top categories. Nina Gupta received the best supporting award for the same film while Pavan Malhotra, known for his riveting performances in films such as Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro and Bagh Bahadur, earned the supporting actor award for Haryanvi film, Fouja.

The jury members presented the list of winners for 2022 to Union I&B minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday.

Malayalam cinema led the charge, winning eight awards, including for best child actor, best screenplay, and best editing. Overall, 20 south Indian films bagged awards a cross various categories in the feature film segment. In the feature film category, out of the 24 awards, excluding the sub-category of best feature film in each language, 20 awards were shared by Malayalam, Haryanvi, Kannada, Gujarati, Tamil, and Bengali movies. Only six awards were bagged by three Hindi films, with two being shared with other regional language movies.

“Fouja” won two other awards: best debut film by a director for Pramod Kumar and best lyrics by Naushad Sadar Khan.

The award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment also went to a non-Bollywood film, the Kannada blockbuster “Kantara”, which explores the intricate connection between humanity and nature through its folklore-based storytelling. Rishabh Shetty played the dual roles of a father and son in this film.

The top honour, the best feature film “Aattam: The Play”, directed by Anand Ekarshi, revolves around a theatre troupe and the changing dynamics after its only woman member alleges she has been groped by one of the men.

The best female playback singer award went to Padma Shri awardee “Bombay” Jayashri Ramnath, a champion of Indian Carnatic music, for the track “Chaayum Veyil” from the Malayalam film “Saudi Vellaka CC 225/2009” (Saudi Baby Coconut CC.225/2009), which also won the best Malayalam film award.

A R Rahman won the National Film Award for best music director (background music) for his work in Mani Ratnam's ‘Ponniyin Selvan-Part 1’, which was also named the best Tamil film. Pritam got the award for best music director (songs) for ‘Brahmastra-Part 1’.
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Rishabh Suri, Mugdha Kapoor, Soumya Vajpayee, Yashika Mathur, Akash Bhatnagar (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 17, 2024)

I was not expecting it: Manoj
It’s Manoj Bajpayee’s fourth National Award and this time it’s a Special Mention for the actor for the film Gulmohar (2023). We break the news to him, and he exclaims, “Wow! Best Hindi film too! I must call my director (Rahul V Chittella) right away. I was not even expecting an honour. He is deserving of it, as he made such a beautiful film.” Bajpayee feels grateful that his work is getting recognised now: “There have been performances and films that went unrecognised.”

I am still processing it: Manas
Manasi Parekh, who bagged the Best Actress award for Kutch Express (2023), says, “I am shooting for my new film, and got a message from (actor-filmmaker) Anand Tiwari: ‘Congratulations on the National Award’. I exclaimed, ‘What!’ I am still processing it, I can’t believe it.” The actor looks at the award as a vindication for her hard work: “I love what I do. What makes this win sweeter is that my husband and I produced Kutch Express. I want to do the best work and make the best of films.”

Kantara is a tribute to our land: Rishab Shetty
Rishab Shetty, who won Best Actor for Kantara (2022), with the film also winning the Best Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment award, tells us exclusively, “The win feels overwhelming. I wanted to bring authenticity and a raw portrayal of our heritage. The film is a tribute to our land and the deep-rooted stories that have been part of our cultural fabric for many years, true to the essence of the Kannada culture. I’m thankful to the Daiva for their divine blessings and dedicate this award to the Daiva Nartakas.”

This feels so special: Pritam
Pritam Chakraborty, who won the Best Music Director award for Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva (2022), says, “This feels so special. I am really grateful to the jury. I want to thank the makers and everyone who was associated with the movie for their support and trust in me. But, most importantly, a big thank you to the audience for their love to our music.”

’This is such an auspicious day’
“I didn’t know that the National Awards were going to be announced today!” says director Chandoo Mondeti, whose film Karthikeya 2 won the National Award in the Best Telugu film category. Mondeti also tells us how he heard of the win after a friend called to congratulate him. “It is such a happy day for us. Karthikeya 2 is a very special film. This is such an auspicious day,” the filmmaker beams, adding that celebrations will follow right away: “It is such great news for me and everyone associated with the film.” This is Mondeti’s first ever National Award.

Like a pat on the back, says Pavan Raj Malhotra
Actor Pavan Raj Malhotra, who won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in the Haryanvi film Fouja, says, “This is my second award, and it feels really good. I remember the first time around, there used to be a rehearsal before the main ceremony without the President and I was wondering how to greet him. Suddenly, I uttered the words ‘Jai Hind’ and it was perfect. This kind of recognition is what every artiste works for. It’s like a pat on the back and as far as I know, these awards are not manipulated. Fouja is actually close to my heart as it is about the desire to join the army; it is a great honour to be a part of the Indian Army. I don’t know how much of an impact this might have, but I have been working for 40 years now. If you keep working and doing what you like, these awards just make you feel appreciated.”

NATIONAL AWARDS 2024: BRAHMASTRA, GULMOHAR, KANTARA WIN BIG

When 30 or 40 years later, people will say, ‘Cinema before The Kashmir Files and after The Kashmir Files’-Anupam Kher

8:38 AM

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‘BOX OFFICE IS City NOW A BIGGER BAROMETER THAN ACTING’
Anupam Kher on 2022, ‘the most successful year’ of his career
Monika Rawal Kukreja (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 27, 2022)

Having spent almost four decades in the film industry, with 532 films to his credit, actor Anupam Kher’s body of work speaks volumes. Unstoppable at 67, he continues to reinvent himself and 2022 proved to be a game changer for him, with three hits — The Kashmir Files, Karthikeya 2 and Uunchai. He feels glad that these films allowed him to present Anupam Kher 2.0 version to his fans. As 2022 nears the end, the actor talks about “the most successful year” of his career. Excerpts:

At a time when most Hindi films didn’t do well, you had a great year. How does it feel?
It’s been an amazing year with the success of the unconventional films I did, and that makes it more joyous, as they weren’t typical films. I am not looking down upon regular Hindi films, but to get success with The Kashmir Files, Karthikeya 2 and Uunchai, is a delightful feeling. Though I feel I’ve survived for 38 years because of the kind of actor I am and the roles I’ve done, this year proves that box office is now a bigger barometer than acting and performance.

Though each film must have been instrumental in your career, The Kashmir Files would be extra special, also because it took you back to your roots. Isn’t it?
The Kashmir Files is a turning point in Indian cinema. When 30 or 40 years later, we’ll talk about Indian cinema and its growth, people will say, ‘Cinema before The Kashmir Files and after The Kashmir Files’. As a film, it’s cinematic brilliance, something India should be proud of. Also, the subject of exodus of Kashmiri Pandits is close to my heart. We’ve been talking about this for the last 32 years, but people weren’t believing it. The film made people realise the truth. Also, besides its heart-touching story, people also embraced the film because of the guilt.

Despite being made on a low budget, it turned out to be one of the most profitable films of 2022. Is it all because of the audience?
Audiences have always been intelligent. We only underestimate them due to our insecurities. A good film either does well commercially or becomes cult after a few years. With all the propaganda and opposition, the film collected more than Rs. 75 crore overseas.

You also did a Telugu film, Karthikeya 2, which got rave reviews. How was working on the project like? 
I only have two scenes in the film, but I liked the concept. Interestingly, just before I was to give my first shot, I asked the director (Chandoo Mondeti), ‘What if I say the lines as a blind man?’ It was a last-minute thing, but he was kind enough, and that worked. When I watched the film in the theatre, I couldn’t hear any dialogue, as people were whistling, screaming and shouting. Every dialogue was getting so much applause. It was fascinating.

Uunchai also got positive reviews. At this stage of your career, how important was the film? And do you think it would have worked if it released 15 years ago?
This film would have worked any day. Also, my personal philosophy of life matched the philosophy of the film, which is: Life starts at 60 and all of us have a Mount Everest in our hearts and we need to conquer that. The movie was endearing because we had all gone through so much in the last two years [of the pandemic], and we were all trying to find our strength, hope, compassion and dreams. Uunchai gave us that.

What is in store for 2023?
My upcoming releases are IB 71, Kaagaz 2, The Signature and Emergency. These are very fascinating and different kind of films. 2022 was a great year because these non-clichéd films worked. Next year, I may not have this kinds of success, but life is beautiful.

Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 739

3:59 PM

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LAAL SINGH CHADDHA AND RAKSHA BANDHAN FAIL AND HOW

A lot was expected from the biggest Bollywood clash of 2022. Sadly, both Laal Singh Chaddha and Raksha Bandhan didn't impress the audiences. What was worse was that not many people turned up to watch the film on day 1, which shows that audiences were just not interested.

In last week's edition, we had predicted that though Laal Singh Chaddha can open at Rs. 14-15 crores, one should be prepared for a poor opening of Rs. 11-12 crores, since times are quite unpredictable today. And the worst fears came true as it opened at just Rs. 11.50 crores. Had the word of mouth been positive, it would have got more footfalls on the evening of the first day. It was released on Thursday, August 11 and had the advantage of a five-day weekend. Yet, it managed to collect just Rs. 46 crores in 5 days while the industry and trade had hoped that the film would be able to cross the Rs. 50 crores mark in 2 or 3 days in the worst case scenario. On Tuesday, once the holiday period got over, the collections fell to Rs. 2 crores as compared to Rs. 6 crores the previous day. Laal Singh Chaddha's lifetime is expected to be less than Rs. 60 crores.

Raksha Bandhan, too, faced rejection. As predicted last week, it opened at Rs. 8 crores. It was not a huge opening but the film could have gone anywhere from here if public reports were in their favour. But the word of mouth, though not entirely negative, was average. Hence, the film fell and crashed after the holidays. It’ll be able to collect around Rs. 43-44 crores at best in its lifetime.

A lot of trolls started celebrating after Laal Singh Chaddha flopped. They took credit for it which is laughable as regular moviegoers never took the ‘Boycott Bollywood’ campaign. They didn’t go for the film as they were plainly not interested.

Meanwhile, Karthikeya 2 came out of the blue and attracted audiences. It had a weird release as it came in cinemas on Saturday, August 13. The first-day earnings were just Rs. 6 lakhs. But the film’s earnings jumped to Rs. 25 lakhs on Sunday followed by a huge Rs. 1.25 crores on Monday, Independence Day! Even the number of shows increased from 50 to more than 1000. The film came down a bit on Tuesday, which was unexpected as it could have grown more. The first week’s collections are expected to be around Rs. 4-4.50 crores.

In week 2, it’ll be released in many more cinemas and if all goes well, it can collect more in Week 2 than in Week 1. It’s still not a big hit and won’t do as much as Laal Singh Chaddha and Raksha Bandhan as people are made to believe. But the fact that it jumped from Rs. 6 lakhs to more than Rs. 1 crore in 2 days shows that the audience wants to see the film.

Surprisingly, Karthikeya’s first part wasn’t a big hit in Hindi. Many have not even seen and don’t even know whether Karthikeya 2’s story is connected with part 1. Yet, they are going for it in hordes.

The major Hindi release of the week is Dobaaraa. It is the remake of the Spanish film Mirage and stars Taapsee Pannu, Pavail Gulati and Rahul Bhat. The film is directed by Anurag Kashyap and produced by Ekta Kapoor. The trailer is intriguing and the film seems to rest on a great plot. Sadly, the buzz is negligible. When Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan’s films are not finding an audience, a niche film of Taapsee Pannu, unfortunately, stands no chance. Her last film, Shabaash Mithu, which was released last month, had opened at just Rs. 40 lakhs. This film will open in the same range. If the word of mouth is positive, it can grow and surprise.

(Crisp) Movie Review: KARTHIKEYA 2 by FENIL SETA

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Karthikeya 2 rests on a great story and pays a fine tribute to our mythology and culture. The film has a neat amalgamation of science, religion, Indiana Jones-style adventure and thrill. The manner in which the story travels to different parts of India keeps the interest going. Sadly, the direction is poor and even the editing is not upto the mark. A few developments are not explained properly. The villain track is weak. The first part was simpler and much better. Speaking of performances, Nikhil Siddhartha plays the part of the hero well and adds to the mass element. Anupama Parameswaran is decent while Anupam Kher leaves a mark in a cameo. Srinivasa Reddy and Harsha Chemudu raise laughs. Adithya Menon is strictly okay as the villain. All in all, Karthikeya 2 is an average fare. Its Hindi version has emerged as a surprise, with collections jumping from Rs. 7 lakhs on Saturday to Rs. 1.10 crores approx. on Monday. Most cinemas are playing the film with sufficient shows and hence, if you are interested to see it, it’ll be easy to find a show time as per your convenience.

P.S.: It’s not connected to the first part but it’s advisable to see it before Karthikeya 2 as certain character traits are similar. And these traits are never properly established in the second part. Karthikeya part 1 is available on Amazon Prime and is just 1 hours and 54 minutes long.

My rating - ** ½ out of 5!

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