Showing posts with label Kesari Veer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kesari Veer. Show all posts
I don’t expect Salman Khan to resurrect my career-Sooraj Pancholi
10:11 AM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; July 14, 2025)
In April 2023, Sooraj Pancholi was acquitted of abetment charges in the Jiah Khan suicide case. Two years after that, Sooraj, who says he is a “different person today,” saw the release of his fourth film, Kesari Veer. Having endured a decade of uncertainty, the actor who was launched by Salman Khan with Hero (2015), talks about how he is ready for new challenges in his career.
‘My fourth film felt like my first real film’
Sooraj says, “Within two to three months of my acquittal, I got Kesari Veer. It was quite surprising because after the verdict, I went to the Somnath Temple to seek blessings. Once I got back, I bagged the film, which is based on the temple. I was under a lot of pressure during my first, second and third film due to the legal case. So, my fourth film felt like my first real film.”
‘Now, I am a different person inside out’
In his decade-long Bollywood journey, Sooraj acted in only four films. Reflecting on it, he said, “I never went to producers for work. The one question they always had was when would the case end? If I were a producer, I might have the same reservations. But that’s behind me now. In this industry, patience is key. The ones who are patient make it, the rest don’t. I’m patient. After my acquittal, I didn’t expect things to change overnight. I know I have to prove myself, and I’m ready for that. Peace is what I longed for because my 20s were a big chaos. If I went through that battle (the case), this battle won’t be as difficult. I am a different person now, inside and out. The worst is over, and I only see a good future now.”
‘I am seeing my parents get older, and I need to spend time with them’
Sooraj also wants to focus on spending time with his family now. “Apart from my career, I am also focusing on other aspects of my life - my family. I am seeing my parents get older, and I need to spend more time with them. Professionally, I am now able to focus more. I have a blurry vision of the past. It did take me a long time to move on as the case had become a part of my day-to-day life for 10 years,” he said.
'Sooraj on his bond with his mentor Salman Khan'
Sooraj continues to share a warm and strong bond with Salman. “I’m in touch with Salman sir, but I don’t want to disturb him. He’s a superstar, and I know my limits. Though he launched me in Hero, I don’t expect him to resurrect my career. What he’s done for me is more than enough, asking for more would be greedy. I’m very grateful for everything he’s done for me.”
On his friendship with his first co-star Athiya Shetty
"I’ve stayed in touch with Athiya, and we often talk about how we should’ve waited a couple more years before making our debut with Hero. We were both young, and our faces hadn’t matured yet. I think 25 is the right age to make your debut."
(Crisp) Movie Review: KESARI VEER by FENIL SETA
3:10 PM
Kesari Veer is based on an extraordinary team of brave men who try to save the Somnath Temple in the 14th century. The premise is promising but the film is badly made. The VFX is tacky, the action is disturbing and the execution is amateur. On top of it, the film has scenes of a character lifting a Shivling and lovers using a bow and arrow to fight the baddies while romancing. It makes you wonder whether the makers didn't realize that their film would be dubbed as a cheap copy of Baahubali. A certain climax portion and the religious undertones also give a déjà vu of Chhaava. What stands out are some action scenes and performances. Sooraj Pancholi genuinely delivers a sincere performance. Suniel Shetty is terrific and looks cool doing fight scenes. Akanksha Sharma springs a surprise. Vivek Oberoi is superb, as always. All in all, Kesari Veer is a poor man's Chhaava and Baahubali.
My rating - * ½ out of 5!
My rating - * ½ out of 5!
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 883
4:27 PM
FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES IS A SURPRISE HIT; MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING UNDERPERFORMS; ALL EYES ON THE CONTROVERSIAL BHOOL CHUK MAAF
The supernatural film Final Destination Bloodlines has emerged as a surprise success. The industry expectation was that it would open at Rs. 3 crores max. But it opened at Rs. 4.25 crores. On Saturday, it was going to face competition from a Hollywood film. Everyone was sure that it would drop. Instead, Final Destination Bloodlines had a decent jump. The target for the film was to cross the earnings of Evil Dead Rise; it earned Rs. 30 crores. Final Destination Bloodlines was able to reach this figure by Wednesday itself. If it holds well in the next two weeks, it has the potential to cross the Rs. 50 crore mark.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, meanwhile, has underperformed. It opened well at Rs. 16.50 crores on Saturday. Ideally, it should have jumped to Rs. 20 crores on Sunday. Instead, it settled at Rs. 17.75 crores. The film fell on Monday to Rs. 5.75 crores. It collected Rs. 5.50 crores and Rs. 4.50 crores on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. The first week will end at around Rs. 54 crores. With such trending, crossing the Rs. 100 crore mark will be impossible.
Meanwhile, all eyes are now on Bhool Chuk Maaf. The film was all set to release on May 9. But on May 8, its producers, Maddock Films, called off the theatrical release and announced that the film will release directly on Amazon Prime Video on May 16. PVR Inox didn’t take this U-turn kindly and they knocked on the doors of Bombay High Court. The court stopped Maddock from premiering Bhool Chuk Maaf on Amazon. A few days later, both the parties had an out-of-court settlement. As per the settlement, Bhool Chuk Maaf will be released in cinemas on May 23 and it’ll then premiere on OTT two weeks later, on June 6.
With such an arrangement, it was assumed that viewers might not turn up to see the film in large numbers. However, the advance booking has been decent. It can still open in the range of Rs. 2.50-3 crores.
There are two more films this week - the historical Kesari Veer and the horror comedy Kapkapiii. Sadly, both these movies have negligible buzz and will go unnoticed.
The supernatural film Final Destination Bloodlines has emerged as a surprise success. The industry expectation was that it would open at Rs. 3 crores max. But it opened at Rs. 4.25 crores. On Saturday, it was going to face competition from a Hollywood film. Everyone was sure that it would drop. Instead, Final Destination Bloodlines had a decent jump. The target for the film was to cross the earnings of Evil Dead Rise; it earned Rs. 30 crores. Final Destination Bloodlines was able to reach this figure by Wednesday itself. If it holds well in the next two weeks, it has the potential to cross the Rs. 50 crore mark.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, meanwhile, has underperformed. It opened well at Rs. 16.50 crores on Saturday. Ideally, it should have jumped to Rs. 20 crores on Sunday. Instead, it settled at Rs. 17.75 crores. The film fell on Monday to Rs. 5.75 crores. It collected Rs. 5.50 crores and Rs. 4.50 crores on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. The first week will end at around Rs. 54 crores. With such trending, crossing the Rs. 100 crore mark will be impossible.
Meanwhile, all eyes are now on Bhool Chuk Maaf. The film was all set to release on May 9. But on May 8, its producers, Maddock Films, called off the theatrical release and announced that the film will release directly on Amazon Prime Video on May 16. PVR Inox didn’t take this U-turn kindly and they knocked on the doors of Bombay High Court. The court stopped Maddock from premiering Bhool Chuk Maaf on Amazon. A few days later, both the parties had an out-of-court settlement. As per the settlement, Bhool Chuk Maaf will be released in cinemas on May 23 and it’ll then premiere on OTT two weeks later, on June 6.
With such an arrangement, it was assumed that viewers might not turn up to see the film in large numbers. However, the advance booking has been decent. It can still open in the range of Rs. 2.50-3 crores.
There are two more films this week - the historical Kesari Veer and the horror comedy Kapkapiii. Sadly, both these movies have negligible buzz and will go unnoticed.
All quiet on Bollywood front: Producers postpone launches, delay promotions as border tensions dent confidence
9:57 AM
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; May 14, 2025)
Mumbai: The military conflict between India and Pakistan seems to have had an unproportionate impact on the Hindi film industry, with many filmmakers delaying promotional and marketing activities, and postponing, or even shelving, film and trailer launches.
The industry is staring at an estimated or potential loss of Rs, 150-200 crore in the form of cost of capital and deferred revenues due to this, according to producers and trade analysts.
"In these times of geopolitical unrest, cinema pauses not from the lack of creativity but from caution," said Suniel Wadhwa, a veteran film distributor and co-founder and director at Karmic Films.
"There are losses in the form of delayed cash, sunk costs, interest on idle capital, broken contracts, and missed momentum. These will have a ripple impact on producers, promotional and advertising agencies, theatres, financiers, and even streamers," he said.
"I think more than Rs. 700-800-crore worth of Hindi films stand vulnerable at this stage," Wadhwa said.
To be sure, there has already been a sense of uncertainty around theatre attendance in the industry, fuelled by a series of box-office flops and an overall decline in collections in recent months, largely due to shifting audience preferences.
The launch of Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7, and the subsequent military conflict further dampened the mood among producers of several Hindi films slated for release in May and June.
Makers of Kesari Veer and Housefull 5 stalled promotional activities, while those behind Sitaare Zameen Par and Thug Life postponed the releases of their trailer and audio soundtrack, respectively. Producers of mid-budget film Bhul Chuk Maaf opted to forego theatre release entirely and instead debut the film on a streaming platform.
Some veteran trade analysts attributed a part of such actions to low confidence among producers. "Even though one cannot rule out the impact of Indo-Pak conflict on cinema, one also has to consider that a big reason behind delaying releases is low confidence of producers to release films in theatres due to increasing unpredictability in theatrical performance of films," said Shaaminder Malik, a film distributor and trade analyst.
"Consequently, there are makers of upcoming big-budget films who are planning to release their films directly on streamers after their teasers and trailers received unfavourable response," he added.
Meanwhile, production of the sequel of the film Sanam Teri Kasam, which performed well on its re-release recently, may get delayed because the main actor has declined to work with the main actress because she is from Pakistan.
Some industry insiders believe the impact would be minimal as the border tensions have eased and life has returned to normal in most of the country since India and Pakistan agreed to stop military action on Saturday.
"I think films scheduled to release in May will be impacted. But releases in June will not be impacted that much," producer Rajesh R Nair said. "But I think Hollywood releases in May will be a saving grace as these franchise films have a huge following in India and their makers are not postponing their release."
I never allowed myself to spiral into bad habits like substance abuse-Sooraj Pancholi
10:24 AM
Ready with his first film since his acquittal in the Jiah Khan case, Kesari Veer actor Sooraj Pancholi shares that the past overwhelms him
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 6, 2025)
Kesari Veer: Legends of Somnath is Sooraj Pancholi’s first film after his 2023 acquittal in the Jiah Khan case. In the historical drama that also stars Suniel Shetty and Vivek Oberoi, Pancholi plays Hamirji Gohil, a warrior who defended the Somnath Temple from attack in the 14th century. “Not all actors in their career are offered a warrior film. I was offered this film because of my physicality; they wanted someone young and strong,” he says.
Pancholi, who debuted with Hero (2015), is in his 10th year at the movies. Yet, Kesari Veer is only his fourth film. That is a personal choice, he states. “I had done a film, and I don’t know why I did it. But after that, I vowed that I’d never take up a project that made me feel terrible on set. Now, I only want to take up work that excites me. I wish this was my time to say, ‘Look at the volume,’ but it’s not.”
Circumstances have also played a role in how his career panned out. After Khan’s demise in 2013, Pancholi was charged with abetment to suicide, and acquitted in 2023.
Describing the 10-year ordeal as “very difficult”, he reflects, “When all fingers point at you, you feel cornered, and I did. But I never allowed myself to spiral into bad habits like substance abuse. Keeping myself active helped to heal my mind. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy, but it made me stronger. I don’t talk about it with my family or friends. But sometimes, it catches up with me, and I feel overwhelmed.”
Many Hindi films have opted against a theatrical release in the next two-three months
8:22 AM
Many Hindi films have opted against a theatrical release in the next two-three months, we find out why
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 19, 2025)
Amid a flurry of OTT releases, a film releasing in theatres is a big deal in itself these days. It is almost a gamble, given how picky audiences are about a theatrical watch. One look at the 2025 calendar of releases, and you will realize that the next three months seem to be a rough patch for the industry. Among others, the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) is said to be one of the reasons for the lean patch.
Looking at April alone, many releases have been shifted. The Akshay Kumar and Arshad Warsi-starrer Jolly LLB 3 will now hit the screens in August. Filmmaker Karan Johar’s Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, starring Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor and Sanya Malhotra, will now hit the screens on September 12 instead of April 18. A source tells us that while the shoot started later than intended, businessman Adar Poonawalla buying 50% stake in KJo’s Dharma Productions also added to the delay.
Metro... In Dino was originally set to come out on November 29 last year, but it got pushed to July 4. Sharing why the film wasn’t slated for a summer release, a source close to the project informs us: “We wanted a desired window looking at the other releases. So, we settled on July 4.”
Of course, the trade is not happy with the lean patch. Expert Atul Mohan says, “Every month sees one or two big releases, but small filmmakers don’t prefer to release their films in theatres when the IPL is on. So, they push their dates by a month or two.”
Ananth Narayan Mahadevan, director of Phule, isn’t perturbed by the IPL or other films releasing alongside: “April 10 is the 197th birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. So, how can we miss out on that date? There won’t be any point otherwise.”
Films set to hit the screens this summer
April currently has four theatrical releases that are likely to hit the screens as scheduled — Jaat and Bhool Chuk Maaf on April 10, Phule on April 11 and The Bhootnii on April 18. May has two releases — Raid 2 and Kesari Veer.
June will see three films in theatres — Housefull 5, Maalik and Maa.
I had to bulk up for Kesari Veer as the weapon itself weighed 15 kilos-Suniel Shetty
9:50 AM
Suniel Shetty says playing Vegdaji Bhil in Kesari Veer was physically demanding as he had to use heavy weaponry and sport elaborate outfits
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; February 17, 2025)
In his 33-year career, Suniel Shetty has done only a handful of historical dramas. That’s one of the reasons why Kesari Veer, which sees him step into the role of Vegdaji Bhil, the 14th century king, is special to him. That the movie puts the spotlight on Indian history’s unsung heroes makes him equally proud. The period drama offers a retelling of how Vegdaji joined forces with Veer Hamirji Gohil, the king of Arthila in Saurashtra, to protect the Somnath Temple from the Tughlaq dynasty’s attack.
“We talk about dharma, seva, karma, and that’s what this film is about. Producer Kanu Chauhan’s late wife always wanted to do something with the Somnath Temple, which was plundered 14 times for its wealth, but it didn’t destroy the people’s spirit. It was such an interesting story that I said yes,” says Shetty.
Last week, the teaser of Kesari Veer, also starring Sooraj Pancholi and Vivek Oberoi, was unveiled. Prince Dhiman’s directorial venture sees Shetty sport a distinct look, complete with dreadlocks and rudraksh malas. Shooting the period drama in Gujarat and Maharashtra was a gruelling experience.
“It’s a larger-than-life character. Given the heavy costumes, the rudraksh beads, dreadlocks, and the heavy weapons, it was a physically challenging role. The hot weather, the costumes, made of leather and metal, and the hair added to the challenge,” reflects the senior actor.
To portray a brave warrior, Shetty had to learn the use of weaponry, especially a heavy double-edged axe. “I had to bulk up and train hard as the weapon itself weighed 15 kilos. I had to fight with a hammer-like axe. I had to get used to that weight and balance myself.”
But understanding the character’s emotional make-up was a bigger task. Shetty says he channelled his paternal instinct to become Vegdaji for the screen.
He explains, “It’s a powerful role yet an emotional one. Vegda couldn’t give his daughter anything. But when Hamir [his son-in-law] went to war, Vegda promised his daughter that he’d give his life to save her husband. I connected emotionally to this film because I have a daughter too, and I would do anything for Athiya.”
Suniel Shetty, Sooraj Pancholi, Vivek Oberoi in period action film Kesari Veer
9:47 AM
Kesari Veer director-producer Kanu Chauhan chronicles veteran actor Suniel Shetty's prep for the upcoming film that sees him as a 14th-century ruler in Gujarat
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; January 8, 2025)
Kanu Chauhan is excited to be the first director-producer to bring the tale of a Gujarati warrior, who fought to save the Somnath Temple from intruders in the 14th century, to the big screen. “The film is based on a real-life story that happened back then in Gujarat. It’s a story that’s close to my heart, and one that the team researched on for a couple of years before it went into production,” he says of Kesari Veer, which tells the stories of the unsung warriors who sacrificed their lives to protect the Somnath Temple from Mughal invaders.
Featuring Sooraj Pancholi, Suniel Shetty, and Vivek Oberoi, the patriotic offering, a source says, stars Pancholi as a 16-year-old newly married chieftain, Veer Hamirji Gohil, who sacrifices his life while defending the temple against the invasion of Zafar Khan, a general of the Delhi Sultanate ruler, Alauddin Khilji. Hamirji joins forces with the ruler of Dron, Raja Vegdaji Bhil (played by Shetty), as they take on the Mughal emperor together over a 10-day battle, says the source.
“Suniel had to brush up on his horse-riding skills and learned weaponry, like self-made spears, slings, axes, bows and arrows, knives, and swords, belonging to that time. He also learned archery, as the Bhils were skilled in that, as well as guerilla warfare. He has a unique look in the movie and sports a pagdi, angarkha, and dhoti, and carries a moustache,” says the source.
Because Shetty takes charge of a role that is crucial to the narrative, Chauhan says they had to design a look that was “aligned with the era that the film is set in.” “We have a lot of action sequences that have been designed by south action director Kevin Kumar. The costumes have been created by Chandrakant Sonawane.”
Chauhan, who has co-directed the film with Prince Dhiman, says he has left no stone unturned to revive the ambience of the era.
“We have constructed lavish sets and grand palaces. There is a lot of VFX involved. We have spent more than R60 crore on the movie and shot it over a continuous 120-day schedule from November 23 in Mumbai and Gujarat. Post-production work is currently underway, and we plan to release the motion poster by this month. The names of each character will subsequently be shared,” he says, adding that the team plans to release the multilingual movie by mid-2025.
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