BRAHMASTRA SCORES AT THE BOX OFFICE; MULTIPLE FILMS TO TRY THEIR LUCK THIS FRIDAY

Last week's Brahmastra emerged as a success. After the release of a biggie, producers of big or mid-sized films prefer to stay away, fearing that the big spectacle movie might eat into their business. Hence, this Friday, there’s no major release. Instead, multiple small films would try their luck at the box office though none of them has any chance. My analysis:

JAHAAN CHAAR YAAR: It stars Swara Bhasker, Meher Vij, Pooja Chopra and Shikha Talsania. It tells the story of four unhappy married women going on a trip to Goa. The concept is interesting. But the visual quality doesn't look up to the mark and seems like a small-budget OTT film. It'll have the best opening of all the films though it won't be more than Rs. 15 or 20 lakhs.

SIYA: It marks the directorial debut of acclaimed producer Manish Mundra and stars Vineet Kumar Singh and newcomer Pooja Pandey. The subject is hard-hitting and the trailer packs a punch. However, it’s a very niche film and seems to be disturbing fare. The film has made a bit of noise on social media but it won’t translate into healthy box office numbers.

MIDDLE-CLASS LOVE: It is produced by Anubhav Sinha and directed by his wife, Ratnaa Sinha, who debuted as a director with Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana. The film stars newcomers, Prit Kamani, Kavya Thapar and Eisha Singh. They look quite fresh and the intention of the makers is to pull the youth to the cinemas. However, the film has failed to generate any sort of buzz.

SAROJ KA RISHTA: It stars Sanah Kapur, Shahid Kapoor’s sister who was seen in Shaandaar. It tells a relatable story of a plus-sized girl who finds it difficult to find a man who’ll love her. Again, due to zero awareness, it’ll sink without a trace.

MATTO KI SAIKIL: It is a delayed film and stars filmmaker Prakash Jha in a leading role. It is the story of a poor labourer and how his life changes for the worse when his beloved cycle is destroyed in an accident. A subject like this is moving but has no chance in cinemas. The makers did promote the film and that’s when Prakash Jha slammed certain big Bollywood films, including Laal Singh Chaddha. This news became viral but sadly, no one talked about the film while reporting or discussing this news item.

Lastly, there is Khalli Balli, starring Dharmendra in a special appearance. The trailer is horrible and the film might have some chances in B and C Centres.

Lastly, the film that will make the maximum noise this week is Jogi. It will be released tomorrow directly on Netflix and stars Diljit Dosanjh. Ali Abbas Zafar of Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai fame has directed it. It is about a Sikh family caught in the violence that erupted in Delhi in 1984. The awareness is limited as of now but the film will become a talking point after its release due to the subject and Diljit’s presence.

Dharmendra on what he shares in common with his “darling grandson” and why he is in no hurry to reunite with sons Sunny and Bobby
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 19, 2019)

Dharmendra’s social media account usually gives us a peek into his daily life with anecdotes from his farmhouse in Lonavala and sometimes pictures from his younger days. However, since the last few days, Darling D, as he likes to be called, has gone all out to promote his family’s third-generation actor, Karan Deol, who is gearing up for his Bollywood debut, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, directed by son Sunny.

What was his reaction when his “darling grandson” expressed a desire to follow in his footsteps? “I saw myself in him,” Dharam ji smiles, recalling when he’d first expressed the wish to become an actor. “Though Karan was more subdued, as his grandfather, I could feel his emotions, relate to the passion. Acting is a big dream, it grows with time. Being an actor allows you to live many lives, I’ve played so many characters over the years so I could empathise with him.”

The 83-year-old veteran highlights another quality the Deols have in common besides being men who think with their hearts. “Karan is shy and that’s a plus. Shyness vapas nahin aati, besharmi toh kabhi bhi aa jayegi,” he philosophises, admitting that he was shy initially and so also was Sunny. “It’s a blessing as it teaches you to respect others, be protective and never hurt anyone.”

Prod him on the film, and Dharam ji informs, that he saw it for the first time on Monday night and was impressed, once again taking to the social media to urge his fans to go, watch it. “It didn’t seem like a film, but reality as it is today. And for a director to achieve this, is commendable. Karan has done all the action himself, but more than that it’s the way he has depicted emotions. He made me cry in a few scenes.” Dharam ji then goes on to add that for a grandfather, his grandson is always more precious than even his son, and Karan’s success will make him feel younger than his 83 years.

He spends most of his time now, in the lap of mother nature. “Since I come from a farmer’s family, I really enjoy being there,” Dharam ji points out. “When I wake up early, specially during the monsoon, I can hear the cuckoo sing. It’s beautiful! Then, I go for a walk and do my yoga, visit my animals and the farm. We are growing avocado and mango which has started bearing fruit now. Seeing a fruit or a vegetable grow gives me more happiness than winning an award.”

What are the chances of him collaborating with Karan on a film? “Nothing is impossible in our industry,” he quips with a smile. Meanwhile, a sequel to the 2007 film Apne, also featuring sons Sunny and Bobby, is in the works, but he is quick to add that nothing has been finalised yet. “The second and the third parts of Yamla Pagla Deewana (YPD) didn’t work. We rushed through with them and didn’t even give ourselves time to listen to the story. After making people cry in Apne, we wanted to make them laugh with YPD, which it did. But then, we chased after the trend of sequels without even bothering to select the right scripts. So, for now, there is no immediate plan of the three of us reuniting,” he clarifies.

Dharam ji will be seen next in a special appearance in Khalli Balli which he did on the request of actress Madhoo. Any plans of writing an autobiography? “I haven’t thought about it because I’m an open book. I might narrate some sequences of my life in the form of poems, beginning with my days in the village,” he muses, slipping into a flashback.

Madhoo, who is making a comeback to Hindi films after eight years with a horror-comedy, explains the reason behind the hiatus from Bollywood
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 15, 2019)

Madhoo, who made her acting debut alongside Ajay Devgn in Kuku Kohli’s 1991 actionromance Phool Aur Kaante and followed it up with Mani Ratnam’s National award-winning romantic-thriller Roja opposite Arvind Swamy, was last seen in a Hindi film eight years ago with Love U... Mr. Kalakaar. Now, Mirror has learnt that the actress is making her comeback to Hindi films with a horror-comedy titled Khalli Balli. Directed by Manoj Sharma, the film rolls on Friday.

Explaining how the new project came her way, Madhoo says, “Before Love U...Mr Kalakaar, I had taken a sabbatical as my children were young and I wanted to focus on them. But after that film, I had hoped that I would be working constantly. But that didn’t happen for a few more years. Then, Goldie (Behl) came to me with his TV show Aarambh. That really boosted my confidence. I shared a great rapport with my co-star Rajniesh (Duggall) and after it ended we were hoping to work together again. When Khalli Balli came his way, he suggested my name too.”

The actress will begin shooting for the film in Mumbai, from where the story goes to Lucknow through a road trip. “The horror part is treated very beautifully, and my character is not doing anything senseless or slapstick. The story is inherently funny, so much so, that I agreed to be a part of it on the day it was narrated to me. It’s an interesting script and since the genre is horror I can’t reveal much about the story, but I can tell you one thing… main bhoot nai hoon,” she laughs.

Madhoo admits it was the TV show that gave her the push she needed but Hindi projects were few and far between. “After Aarambh, I never stopped working and have done several South films, three of which have released in the first few months of this year. However, to tell you the truth, apart from Goldie and some other TV shows, nobody really came to me with offers and I didn’t want to do the latter because it would mean working every day of the month, which I wasn’t comfortable with,” she asserts.

When asked about the reason behind it, she explains that it could be because “people seem to believe that I am not working, I have settled abroad or down South, or I am not interested in working at all. That’s not true. I have always been living in Mumbai, I love working in films… and I love working in Hindi films,” she signs off.