Showing posts with label Radhe Shyam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Radhe Shyam. Show all posts
Its going to be a tough road ahead for films from the South
3:13 PM
Box Office India Trade Network
The past few years has seen films from the South score and even break records which was a rarity earlier but it has been presented as some sort of dominating wave which has left Hindi cinema behind which is very far from the truth. Whatever the struggles of Hindi films, it will remain the biggest film industry in the country simply because of the POTENTIAL audience it has in sheer numbers. Its a different matter that this potential audience has not been reached generally over the last few decades or so.
This so called pan India thing is just not there, no matter how much the media shouts as the majority of these so called pan India films bite the dust. But the ones which get though are talked about. It is going to be even tougher now for this South content as generally its built on sequels. The first film gets appreciation and then the second one gets the numbers but this game is just not valid for South films but all films.
The sequel thing will run its course as it cannot go on forever due to over supply be it from Hindi cinema or South. Hollywood has already seen this happen. There was this South wave in the 80's but it was slightly different as it was banners and directors from the South making films in Hindi with Hindi film stars and it lasted 3-4 years before normal service was resumed. Also that was actually a wave while the present is more media made.
The problem the South films will face are expectations because of this media made wave and their huge budgets and how they open when they are not sequels. The wider audience responds when its a sequel to an appreciated film but outside that, its just a few areas where there is a ready audience.
Below are the opening day collections of South films in Hindi when not sequels and they pretty much say it all with just a handful which can be called good opening and mainly Prabhas starrers who has a following in certain Hindi belts. There are not many films to get even 5 crore nett till date and it will be similar films going forward which history shows is always dwindling returns. The road is only going to be tougher from here.
1. Saaho - 25,82,00,000
2. Kalki 2898 AD - 20,86,00,000
3. RRR - 19,38,00,000
4. Salaar - 15,73,00,000
5. Devara - 7,13,00,000
6. Game Changer - 6,83,00,000
7. The RajaSaab - 5,03,00,000
8. Baahubali: The Beginning - 4,92,00,000
9. Coolie - 4,14,00,000
10. Radhe Shyam - 4,09,00,000
The Raja Saab fame Riddhi Kumar credits Prabhas for helping in enhancing her dialogue delivery
9:25 AM
Komal RJ Panchal (MID-DAY; November 4, 2025)
For Riddhi Kumar, 2025 has been all about growth. She shot for the ambitious Prabhas-starrer, The Raja Saab, this year. The actor, who has featured in several Telugu movies, is glad that director Maruthi’s horror comedy reunited her with one of her favourite co-actors. “This is my second project with Prabhas after Radhe Shyam [2022]. He has such powerful screen presence — the way he uses his eyes and pauses is a masterclass.”
She fondly recalls a valuable lesson he shared. “He told me to take pauses between lines as it helps the reactions feel real and the edit flow better.”
Switching from The Raja Saab’s grandeur to the intimate world of her maiden Marathi film, Kadhipatta, was interesting for Kumar. “When director Vishwaa narrated the story to me, I knew I had to do it. Meera, my character, is so authentic and vulnerable that I instantly connected with her,” she says.
Kadhipatta tells the story of a young couple seeking divorce. Through them, the film explores the fragility of relationships. “Love isn’t perfect. It’s about accepting a person’s flaws, their silliness, and choosing to grow with them,” she says, adding that the film touches upon divorce and shows that it’s “a natural part of life, not a taboo”.
I respect Prabhas who is a mega mega star doing mega mega budget films-Vivek Agnihotri
8:49 AM
HINDUSTAN TIMES (July 29, 2023)
Director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri refuted news that he allegedly said he is ‘already winning’ the box-office battle against actor Prabhas, as their films The Vaccine War and Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire, respectively, will clash on September 28.
He tweeted: “Who is spreading such fake news attributing fake quotes to me? I respect Prabhas who is a mega mega star doing mega mega budget films. We make non-starrer, small budget, people’s films. There is no comparison between us. Pl spare me (sic).”
He retweeted the image with the quote attributed to him that read, “I’ve won clashing against Prabhas (Radhe Shyam) with my Kashmir Files. I’m going to repeat the same clash with him this time with my VaccineWar (sic).” Both the films had released on March 11, 2022, with The Kashmir Files emerging as a blockbuster, while Radhe Shyam didn’t get a good response.
Except Pushpa, RRR and KGF - Chapter 2, rest of the South films see a disaster fate in Hindi
8:33 AM
Box Office India Trade Network
There was this South bandwagon going on through the pandemic developed by the media mainly to put Hindi cinema down as within the digital world, that was the need of the hour to get views or likes. Now post the pandemic, there has been a record number of dubbed releases from the South and most of them have met their disaster fate.
The bigger thing than the final fate is that there are just no takers of South films from the first day as shows get cancelled. These films open to such limited audiences that even if there is some likeability in a region where South films are more appealing, it will still not get much collections due to the no show on the first day.
There will be the branded films like KGF - CHAPTER 2 and RRR which either have value from a previous film or the director has some value due to his previous film which you know have great chances to score. Then there will be a PUSHPA: THE RISE - PART 01 type of a film which comes along and surprises but even that will always be a rarity. Also PUSHPA: THE RISE - PART 01 had a budget and scale which also gives it a chance. But the sort of releases which we have been seeing are basically tack fests and met their deserved fate.
Some of the bigger Telugu releases which are probably the best bets did not even bother with a dubbed version as they knew the likely results. The box office collections of South films released in Hindi in 2022 are as follows and the fate outside KGF - CHAPTER 2 and RRR is a total disaster. Anything can be written to paint a certain picture but numbers never lie.
Khiladi - 1.4 crore
Valimai - 2.1 crore
ET - 6 lakhs
Radhe Shyam - 17.41 crore
James - 50k
RRR - 275 crore
KGF - Chapter 2 - 427 crore
Raw (Beast) - 2.3 crore
Major - 9.6 crore (2 weeks)
Vikram: Hitlist - 6 crore (2 weeks) (Note - This film has not done well but has held at those low levels. The film started with a 25 lakh first day and may well end up with around 10 crore nett lifetime driven by Mumbai circuit as third week should be better than second due to lack of releases)
777 Charlie - 1.65 crore (1 week)
There are going to be many more South dubbed releases this year or are being planned to be released and the disasters will continue to pile up.
Bollywood's quaterly report card: A mixed bag at the box office front
8:44 AM
It’s been a mixed bag on the box office front, but industry experts remain optimistic about revival of theatres
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 3, 2022)
So far, 2022 has been full of surprises. The box office finally turned around, with many films making the cash registers ring. The first quarter’s highlight is still The Kashmir Files. The film, according to director Vivek Agnihotri, has changed a number of things. When you consider that it was made on a budget of Rs. 15 crore and has already surpassed Rs. 200 crore, it has achieved a profit of over 1,000%. “It revived single-screen markets even in C and D centres. There is a huge demand for it in villages, so we are doing the screenings in balloon theatres,” he tells us.
Trade expert Atul Mohan is elated with the revival of theatres: “It’s been a great quarter. But the figures still are in the range of Rs. 375-400 crore, which is nearly half of what each quarter used to be in 2019 or 2018. We used to have a box office of Rs. 700-750 crore on an average every three months.”
Another success story has been that of filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi. Joining the Rs. 100 crore club, it was actor Alia Bhatt’s show all the way. But actor Akshay Kumar’s Bachchhan Paandey failed to meet expectations, and similar was the fate of actor Prabhas’ Radhe Shyam.
Manoj Desai, executive director of G7 Multiplex and Maratha Mandir cinema, says the dependence on south films dubbed in Hindi should reduce: “RRR and Pushpa: The Rise - Part 01 (2021) were zabardast, and humein un pe depend rehna pada. KGF 2 is coming up. But we hope Bollywood also makes films that we can depend on.”
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh’s opinion of this quarter is “you win some, you lose some”, but he remains hopeful for the post-pandemic future of box office.
BOX OFFICE
(All figures as per Bollywood Hungama, pan-India collections for Hindi releases)
- THE KASHMIR FILES - Rs. 238.28 CRORE
- RRR - Rs. 132.59 CRORE
- GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI - Rs. 128.50 CRORE
- BACHCHHAN PAANDEY - Rs. 49.88 CRORE
- RADHE SHYAM - Rs. 19.30 CRORE
(Crisp) Movie Review: RADHE SHYAM by FENIL SETA
3:16 PM
Radhe Shyam works in bits and pieces. The opening scenes are poor and the film does pick up when Prabhas and Pooja Hegde meet and love blossoms between them. The interval point is quite arresting. However, nothing much happens from here on. The twists and turns don’t make sense. The climax is grand but fails to make an impact. The music is also a huge letdown as this is a film mounted as musical love saga. Prabhas is fine but he could have done better as he seems a bit laidback in some scenes. His dialogue delivery also ought to be more convincing. Pooja Hegde is memorable and looks quite stunning. Sachin Khedekar and Sathyaraj (Paramahamsa; Vikramaditya's guru) are decent. Bhagyashree, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Jagapathi Babu and Jayaram don’t get much scope. Murali Sharma is shockingly wasted. All in all, Radhe Shyam is an epic disappointment.
My rating - ** out of 5!
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 716
10:26 AM
WILL PRABHAS BE ABLE TO DELIVER ONE MORE HIT WITH RADHE SHYAM?
Prabhas became India’s biggest star with the success of Baahubali and the blockbuster success of Baahubali 2. His next film, Saaho, opened big time due to his following. Despite not being upto the mark, Saaho was a hit in Hindi as many went to just see him on the big screen. As a result, the expectations are there from his next movie, Radhe Shyam.
This is a fantasy love story and Pooja Hegde stars opposite Prabhas. The film is mounted on a huge scale, as evident from the trailers and songs. The chemistry between the lead actors seems great. However, the film has several challenges. The content hasn’t excited viewers. The songs haven’t worked at all. Moreover, Prabhas is seen in a romantic avatar. He’s not bashing baddies and his fans love him in an action avatar. As a result, the excitement is not as much as it was during Saaho.
Saaho had opened at Rs. 25.25 crore on day 1. Radhe Shyam sadly would not be able to open at more than Rs. 10 crore in Hindi. At best, it seems like an opening in the range of Rs. 4-6 crore. If the word of mouth is positive, it can grow. It is absolutely essential for it to get thumbs up from audiences as the costs are skyhigh. In the Telugu version, it’ll have an advantage as the opening will be record-breaking. From day 2 or day 3, the content will do the talking. In the case of Hindi, the makers won’t have the benefit of a huge day 1. The only factor that can salvage the film is good word of mouth.
The other major release of the week is The Kashmir Files. It is directed by Vivek Agnihotri and stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Darshan Kumaar and Pallavi Joshi. It tells the story of the persecution of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990. The buzz is there among a section of audience and the trade and industry feel the film can spring a surprise, just like Vivek Agnihotri’s last film, The Tashkent Files. That film started at Rs. 36 lakhs and ended up collecting Rs. 16.97 crore, which stunned everyone. The Kashmir Files opening can be around Rs. 1-2 crore, and could even go higher. If the word of mouth is positive, it can pick up substantially.
The other major release of the week is The Kashmir Files. It is directed by Vivek Agnihotri and stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Darshan Kumaar and Pallavi Joshi. It tells the story of the persecution of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990. The buzz is there among a section of audience and the trade and industry feel the film can spring a surprise, just like Vivek Agnihotri’s last film, The Tashkent Files. That film started at Rs. 36 lakhs and ended up collecting Rs. 16.97 crore, which stunned everyone. The Kashmir Files opening can be around Rs. 1-2 crore, and could even go higher. If the word of mouth is positive, it can pick up substantially.
The audience wants to see me as Baahubali, and they want that image every time-Prabhas
8:42 AM
Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; March 10, 2022)
In our cinema-crazy country, we have hugely popular actors, superstars and pan-India actors. Prabhas is one such combo, a mighty one. Baahubali broke the barriers (literally, too), in the mindsets of various filmmakers and film industries in India. And redefined Prabhas’ career as a pan-India star. The actor who was in Mumbai to promote his upcoming period romantic drama, the multilingual Radhe Shyam, in a conversation with us, spoke volumes (believe it or not!) about how tough it is to make a pan-India film, how we all are in experimentation mode, and that when it comes to movies — India is unstoppable now. Blending in with the spirit of Mumbai, the chat summed up with a cutting chai and vada pav. Get the mood? Read on…
You have another period drama pitched on a lavish canvas coming up, Radhe Shyam. Post Baahubali, you have won national recognition and fame, but with that, the stakes are now also higher with every film. How does living up to the constant pressure and hype feel?
The point is, I don’t want to do only big films. With Radhe Shyam, we initially thought that we could make it in 100-150 crores, but the producers didn’t want to compromise. We went to Georgia, where the schedule was planned for 40-50 days, but we had to wrap up in 12 days. In Italy, we had another 10-15 days of shoot, again we had to cancel that and create the set in India. Even in Hyderabad, we had to cancel many schedules because of the Coronavirus situation. We did the best that we could in the given circumstances. I am planning some comedy films, too, so yes, I don’t always want to do films on such a big scale.
But, more often than not, would you say that you get offered these mega projects. The makers and the audience now envision you in a certain way. As an artiste, is that a tad problematic?
That is a problem. The audience wants to see Prabhas as Baahubali, and they want that image every time. For me, it is not always exciting. Yes, of course, I enjoy doing it when I take on a project, as we grew up watching films like Superman, Spider-Man and we will continue to make and watch such big films and superheroes on screen, and I will too. But at the same time, I also want to do smaller films. I want to do something different in terms of storytelling and entertaining the audience, and I am planning that. Radhe Shyam is a big-budget film, but my character Vikram Aditya is not a superhero, he is powerful when it comes to his profession.
Radhe Shyam directed by Radha Krishna Kumar is your first multilingual (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi) love story, does that make you nervous?
For me, doing a love story was so exciting. I have done it in Telugu, but the Tamil and Malayalam audience hasn’t seen it. This is my first multilingual love story, so I am a little stressed. The way we have shown vintage Europe, it has rarely been seen in Indian films, and I am keen to know how it will be received by the audience.
The concept of a pan-India film was known and used in cinematic parlance earlier, but the huge success of Baahubali only popularised it further. And now, we hear the term being used a lot by actors from South film industries, who are already pan-India stars or on their way to becoming one. Would you say, in this regard, Baahubali was a turning point for Indian cinema, and since then, there has been no looking back?
I think that is the way it should be. Films like Mughal-E-Azam, Sholay, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge or Mayabazar (Telugu and Tamil epic fantasy film), among other landmark films in different languages, were seen by audiences across. I think our films should be categorised first as an Indian film, instead of being identified language-wise. You could say that in recent times, Baahubali became that starting point, but I think we had reached a phase where it was bound to happen. All of us are evolving, with that our films are evolving, too. The fact is that, right now, we are all still in an experimental stage, and filmmakers across the country are experimenting with their cinema. It doesn’t mean that they are thinking of big-budget films. They are looking at stories with big ideas.
For filmmakers and actors, it must be quite tricky to understand the pulse of the audience when making a pan-India film. In different parts of our country, we are used to watching a certain kind of cinema and the sensibilities also vary. So, telling a story that satiates the entertainment palate of viewers across India, seems like a mammoth task.
Yes! Baahubali: The Beginning was an experiment, with Baahubali 2: The Conclusion we were luckier as we knew that the audience was waiting for it. Again, Saaho was an action thriller, and it was only Sujeeth’s (director) second project. We were wondering…will people watch it? It was made on such a huge scale. So, everyone has questions on what is right. The problem is that we don’t exactly have a reference point — like what will the Bengal audience think, how will the audience in Punjab react? We don’t know, and we don’t have the answers. Hence, I said that we are all experimenting in this space. It is tough to understand which script will connect with the pan-India audience. Like, in the Telugu market Saaho did very well, but not as well in the Tamil market. The Hindi audience liked it more than the Telugu speaking audience. So, it’s interesting. Everyone is in research mode. Even when you are talking about Bollywood movies, if you grew up in Mumbai, your taste might be different from someone else living outside of the city, but consuming Hindi films. So, imagine appealing to audiences across a country as big and diverse as ours — is a really challenging task. The stakes are also higher. If you make Baahubali in 100 crores, it would be safer. But if it is made in 440 crores, the gamble is higher, but then we get a film like what we saw. Rajamouli and I had doubts regarding which audience is going to watch the film.
Stars down South have a massive fan following, however, pan-India stardom at some level also involves finding an audience in Bollywood cinema? Do you agree?
India’s biggest film industry is Bollywood. So, if you say pan-India film or pan-India actor, Bollywood is a big part of it, and you can’t ignore it or deny that. You can’t just do Tamil and Telugu films if you are a pan-India actor.
We are also seeing a huge number of actors from Bollywood, more than ever before, doing big projects down South. What do you think is drawing them southwards — subjects, filmmakers or the possibility of massive collections are garnering?
Now filmmakers want to reach audiences across, and the audience wants to watch all kinds of cinema. In the South, our markets are small, but yes, we make commercial movies, which become big hits. Tamil and Telugu markets combined could be bigger than Bollywood. But my point is, if we want to make the biggest cinema, and we want to reach our fans globally, why can’t our cinema and actors reach a wider audience across our own country first. I feel it is already too late, this should have happened long ago.
So, what you are saying is that we should head towards a direction where most films will be multilingual, instead of being just in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, etc. And eventually, actors won’t be region-specific?
Many films are going to go that way in the future. We should be seen as one big film industry from India. Our cinema needs to reach every other place in the world, and that is the fight. Maybe we can make a film like The Lord Of The Rings, or Ben-Hur, but we need to have money for that, and we need all our audience which is such a huge population to watch it. Like films from China have reached Hollywood, then why not us? Why are we still saying Tamil, Telugu, Hindi? Why? Our journey towards that has started, and that is the exciting part.
On that note, working in Hindi films has been a new process for you. Given your reserved personality, did it take time to feel at home here?
During the first Baahubali, it was very stressful for me. For Telugu films, in 14 years, I had never given as many interviews in my life as I gave for Baahubali 1. I told Rana (Daggubati) and Tamannaah (Bhatia) to talk to the media so that I could take a backseat. I had never experienced 40 people sitting in front of me and asking questions. Till that time, I wasn’t even comfortable with the Telugu press (laughs!). I talk a lot when I get comfortable. I have a problem with starting a conversation. The media here has been really sweet, and now I am far more comfortable, as you can see.
In real-life, are you a romantic at heart?
Maybe I am, else I wouldn’t have done a film like Radhe Shyam (smiles!).
People say I share great chemistry with most of my co-stars, be it Allu Arjun, Akhil Akkineni or Hrithik Roshan-Pooja Hegde
8:23 AM
Pooja Hegde talks about her on-screen chemistry with Prabhas and her other co-stars
Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 10, 2022)
The upcoming romantic drama, Radhe Shyam marks Pooja Hedge’s first association with actor Prabhas. And its trailer has created a buzz among fans about the actors’ chemistry. Quiz Hegde about it and she says, “Chemistry is something that just happens.”
She adds that while Prabhas is known to be shy, he is jovial within his circle of close friends. And that, she feels, is what contributed in “creating magic”. “Sometimes you know someone really well but it doesn’t translate on screen, and sometimes you meet someone for the first time, but it just clicks, magic happens... I would like to believe that we look really good together,” Hegde, 31, shares.
This isn’t the first time that her chemistry with a co-star has been noticed. Her rapport with actor Allu Arjun in Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020) also grabbed attention. Hegde says, “People say that I share great chemistry with most of my co-stars, be it Allu Arjun, Akhil Akkineni (in Most Eligible Bachelor; 2021) or Hrithik Roshan (in Mohenjo Daro; 2016). I love love stories. And I love to give my all in a scene. Maybe that translates on screen.”
As she looks forward to Radhe Shyam, she can’t help but ignore the comparisons to Titanic (1997). So, how did she react to sound engineer Resul Pookutty’s claim that the former’s climax is bigger than that of the cult classic? “I started sweating,” she laughs, adding, “If you see a sinking boat in a film, you end up comparing it to Titanic. Having said that, I’m relieved in a way as I feel we have been able to accomplish a similar kind of production design and scale.”
We thought we would finish Radhe Shyam on a Rs. 150 crore budget. Due to delay, budget increased to Rs. 300 crore-Prabhas
8:32 AM
Prabhas finds working on one movie at a time more ‘comfortable’ than juggling projects
Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 7, 2022)
It was four years ago when actor Prabhas’ Radhe Shyam went on floors. The film suffered sporadic delays due to the pandemic, but the lead actor had no qualms about his character graph being affected. “I’m used to doing films that take four years,” Prabhas quips.
He is quick to add that he prefers working on a single project over a period of time: “I was shooting for Saaho (2019) as well as Radhe Shyam, which became a bit problematic. In the past also, I worked on two Telugu films at the same time. But doing one film and concentrating on that is always more comfortable than doing multiple projects simultaneously.”
Despite delivering blockbusters such as Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali: The Conclusion (2017), Prabhas says that he is nervous before the release of Radhe Shyam, and that primarily comes from the fact that the film is mounted on “a very high budget”.
He adds, “We always thought we would finish the film on a Rs. 150 crore budget. But due to the delay, the budget increased to Rs. 300 crore. Moreover, the producers didn’t want to compromise on the portions that were shot on a ship. I feel the box-office pressure and it’s stressful.”
A flagbearer of big-budget and larger-than-life pan-India films, Prabhas confides that he wants to do “something different and artistic” after every three tent-pole films. “I’m already planning a comedy film that is not mounted on a huge scale. I don’t always want to do big films. I don’t want the audience to think that every film Prabhas is coming out with is a big one. I might also do a small love story for which I might not even take any remuneration,” ends the 42-year-old actor.
Irrespective of the language of a project, I dub my own portions with proper pronunciations-Pooja Hegde
8:30 AM
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; March 7, 2022)
Even though she believes that it was destiny that she ventured into showbiz, Pooja Hegde admits that it was her own decision to work across different film industries in India. The actress, who will be seen in the pan-India film Radhe Shyam with Prabhas, believes that shuttling between various industries has rewarded her in many ways.
She says, “You get lucky when opportunity meets hard work. I always wanted to be an Indian actress — not identified by or restricted to cinema of any one language. I work on one principle — I will go where the content excites me, irrespective of language. I have never wanted to be restricted by language barriers.”
She adds, “When you work in any language, you establish a deep connection with the people who understand it. They get even more excited and respectful of you when they realise that their language is not yours, and yet, you’re making an effort to embrace it and enter their world. Irrespective of the language of a project, I dub my own portions with proper pronunciations. It was a conscious decision to work in different languages, which is paying off today. If there is a great Marathi film, I would love to do it, irrespective of the budget.”
Pooja and Prabhas started working on Radhe Shyam in 2018. It has taken four years for the film to finally hit cinemas. Pooja says, “I think more than me, you should ask the director (Radha Krishna Kumar) how it was for him. We’ve all worked on different things while this film was being made, but he has stuck to this one project for about five years — four years of getting it together and a year of prep. As for me, I was excited to play Prerna, who has so many shades and complexities. She has a strong presence in the story. In fact, if you watch the film closely, you will realise that I grew up in the process of making this film. In these four years, the experience of going from one project to another and handling a layered character like Prerna helped me mature as an artiste and as a person. There are places in the film where the evolution is evident, and that’s something I am excited to show to the world.”
I needed to cut down on my remuneration for Radhe Shyam and Saaho-Prabhas
8:25 AM
Gearing up for Radhe Shyam’s release, Prabhas talks mid-budget movies that allow him to experiment and choosing scripts for pan-India audience
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; March 5, 2022)
Call it the Baahubali (2015) effect, but expectations soar high when a Prabhas-starrer is up for release. The actor is aware of the pressure that sits on his strong shoulders, although his calm smile may belie it. As we sit down to chat about his upcoming movie, Radhe Shyam, we begin our conversation by asking him about the biggest challenge of being a pan-India star. “Choosing the perfect pan-India script is the toughest part,” he says, in a heartbeat.
“So far, only three films [from the south industry] have been pan-India hits — Baahubali, KGF: Chapter 1 [2018] and Pushpa [2021]. Tomorrow, we will make more of such films. But it’s difficult to crack it in the beginning. It will take us four to five years to get there.”
The beginning, if it may be called so, has been promising. If S S Rajamouli’s magnum opus put the focus squarely on south cinema, Allu Arjun’s Pushpa set the cash registers ringing at a time when Hindi movies were struggling in cinemas due to the pandemic. Prabhas doesn’t view Arjun as competition, instead seeing him as an ally for a larger goal. “Allu did an amazing job in Pushpa: The Rise - Part 01. The [nationwide attention] has just started, but in a way, I feel it’s too late. It has been 100 years to Indian cinema. Now, we need to do much more; we need to fight with bigger [film] industries around the world.”
The superstar hopes to realise the ambition, one film at a time. For now, his attention is on the bilingual that features Pooja Hegde as the leading lady. The love story comes as a change of pace after his big-budget ventures. “After Baahubali, a lot of big films came my way. But I wanted to do a love story. [One needs to be mindful of] the commercial elements too. I needed to cut down on the budget and my remuneration for Radhe Shyam and Saaho [2019]. We wanted to raise the bar with these films. So, on my part, I need to do something for them. I love to see myself [in big-ticket films] like Adipurush, but I also want to experiment.”
I created 60 versions of the track for Radhe Shyam-Manan Bhardwaj
8:24 AM
Manan Bhardwaj recalls working on the upcoming Prabhas-starrer Radhe Shyam which features a crucial situational track composed by him
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; February 28, 2022)
Manan Bhardwaj’s composition for Radhe Shyam underwent 60 to 70 iterations before it was approved by the producers for the Prabhas and Pooja Hegde-starrer. Bhadwaj reiterates repeatedly that it was a stroke of luck that his song, which was set against a unique situation, found a place within this narrative.
“We needed the song to suit a star like Prabhas. It had to also match his character. There were certain lines that we had to change because his character would never say things of that order. There were also [few challenges] in interacting with the directors from the South due to the language barrier,” says the composer, who was aboard the team composing for the Hindi version of the multi-language film.
He adds that while language was a barrier, they were advantaged by the fact that the music sensibilities of the composers across industries were similar. “The composers from the South had a rich music palette. I had initially assumed that since this features Prabhas, an actor who we’ve known as the Baahubali, I would need to include [lavish] sounds. But, the South film industry focuses a lot on the melody and quality of music. In fact, they will [invest] heavily in creating the right sound. So, we had to work on making a really melodious sound.”
Bhardwaj, who has worked across different music industries, says that while the South favours melody, the Punjabi industry prioritises lyricism. “However, at the end of the day, music is segregated into two categories — good and bad. That’s all that makes a difference,” says the composer, who joins artistes like Mithoon and Amaal Malik in creating the Hindi version of the soundtrack of the film that has been directed by Radha Krishna Kumar.
Bhardwaj’s last project, the Sunny Kaushal and Radhika Madan starrer Shiddat had him take charge as composer. Ask him how holding a small place in a mammoth project of this stature is different, and he says,
“When you get to work on the full film, you get to decide its musical palette, like I did while working on Shiddat. For a solo song, you’re just catering to the situation. That’s easier, but it’s nicer [to work on the whole project]. A music supervisor comes into play [for films with many composers]. They analyse the USP of every musician, and judge how that can be brought to the fore while keeping the director’s requirements in mind.”
While Arijit Singh, and Manoj Muntashir are reportedly involved in the music-making process, artistes including Anirudh Ravichander, and Krishna Kanth, are involved in the composition in other languages. Justin Prabhakaran has managed the score composition.
Cinemas bet big on Alia Bhatt and Sanjay Leela Bhansali
8:04 AM
After the lull brought on by the third wave, exhibitors hope to bounce back in action with Alia’s Gangubai Kathiawadi; optimistic that back-to-back massy entertainers will lure audience to theatres
Mohar Basu, Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; February 9, 2022)
The exhibition sector, which was slowly getting back on its feet in late 2021, was dealt another blow by the third wave of the pandemic. Amid a surge in cases in late December, cinemas in Delhi were shut while night curfews were imposed in Mumbai, leaving the theatrical business bleeding again. But now, with the case count declining significantly, trade analysts believe the big movies lined up for February will be a shot in the arm for the sector.
While Badhaai Do opens on February 11, cinema owners have their eyes peeled for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi that hits screens a fortnight later. Manoj Desai, executive director of G7 multiplex and Maratha Mandir, says, “When Pushpa [2021] had released, all our night shows were house-full [at 50 per cent occupancy]. But when the night curfew was imposed, we suffered terribly. Now that the night curfew has been lifted, fresh films are the need of the hour. The plot of Badhaai Do may not appeal to [a wide audience], but Gangubai Kathiawadi will hopefully spin some magic. For us, it’s the most-awaited film.”
Distributor Akshaye Rathi is confident that Badhaai Do will strike a chord with the urban audiences, luring them back to the theatres. “It’s the sequel of a successful film. It is an interesting premise that caters to an evolved audience,” he reasons.
However, Rathi notes that the box-office performance of the Alia Bhatt-starrer will be the litmus test. “Gangubai Kathiawadi has the biggest female star on screen. With Bhansali’s craft and vision, and Ajay Devgn’s presence, the film will pull more than just respectable numbers. Couple that with Ajith’s Valimai, and it will be a weekend to watch out for.”
He points out that there is an air of optimism in the exhibition sector. Filmmakers, on their part, are putting their money where their mouth is by lining up massy entertainers back-to-back. “There is a massy flick in Khiladi [Telugu]. After that, Gangubai and Valimai will hit the screens. With Bachchan Pandey, Radhe Shyam and RRR, we will end the financial year on a significant high. This is an important season at the box-office.”
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 711
11:21 PM
RESTRICTIONS EASE; RELEASE DATES OF NUMEROUS FILMS ANNOUNCED
Last week, we informed readers that Badhaai Do would release on February 11, 2022. It is the first Hindi film to hit cinemas since December 24, 2021. Thanks to the third wave of the pandemic, all the films scheduled for release in January got pushed ahead. Soon, it became clear that the cases dropped as quickly as it increased and that the numerous states would ease restrictions and allow cinemas to reopen or function till late at night in February. With this assumption, the makers of Gangubai Kathiawadi announced on Friday, January 28, that their film would release on February 25.
The Akshay Kumar-starrer Bachchan Pandey was already announced for a March 18 release two weeks back. In no time, all the rest of the Fridays in March were taken over as Mumbai lifted night curfew and other states also gave or are expected to give relaxations in the next 10 days. The Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Jhund would be the first release in March, and will arrive on the 4th. On March 11, Prabhas-Pooja Hegde starrer Radhe Shyam would hit the theatres. The much-awaited period saga, RRR, would release on March 25. And that’s not all. Ajith’s Tamil film, Valimai, would release widely in Hindi on February 24, that is, a day before Gangubai Kathiawadi.
The historic clash is about to take place on April 14 when the Aamir Khan-starrer Laal Singh Chaddha and the Kannada film dubbed in Hindi, KGF 2, would arrive in theatres. The release dates of both films were announced long back. Unlike other films, these two films have not been pushed. The month of May, too, would see the release of films like Anek, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, etc with a couple of more films expected to release. All eyes are also on Jersey, the film that was supposed to release in theatres on December 31, 2021. It is said that it might make it to cinemas either in February or March.
In short, the industry would come back to life this month and in March, the box office would be on fire.
Bollywood stares at big losses amid Covid-19 surge
8:32 AM
Experts on how the box-office collection has nosedived and why things continue to look bleak
Sugandha Rawal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 17, 2022)
From film releases to shoot plans — the surge in Coronavirus cases has forced Bollywood to press the pause button on multiple things, again. The entertainment industry is now staring at mounting financial losses, running in hundreds of crores. “Every quarter, at least Rs. 1,000 crore is being lost in terms of box-office revenue. Typically, in a year, more than Rs. 4,000 crore comes from the box office. We are losing money every month,” says trade expert Joginder Tuteja.
“In terms of box-office numbers, we are looking at over Rs. 1,500 crore losses in the first quarter itself. Due to the crisis, the festive weekends of the first month of the year are lost,” says producer and trade expert Girish Johar.
Actor Shahid Kapoor’s Jersey was the first film to get delayed due to the rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in December, 2021. Since then, films like RRR, Radhe Shyam and Prithviraj have been pushed. Outdoor schedules of films such as Merry Christmas, Pathan, Tiger 3, Liger and Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, have also been affected.
Shibasish Sarkar, producer and former CEO, Reliance Entertainment, says, “Back in 2019, we used to look at business worth hundreds of crores, but those numbers have lost relevance now. The numbers have nosedived in the last two years. So, we try to look at it from a period basis, and the first quarter has gone. We have to hope that things start rolling from April.”
The restrictions in Mumbai and across most parts of India are hurting the production as well as distribution of the film business. “Most films which were currently shooting have had to cancel and postpone their schedules, resulting in cost escalation. It’s going to be a herculean task for these films to deliver in the given timelines,” rues producer Amar Butala, who is backing the film, Mission Majnu.
Director Anees Bazmee shares, “We have seen huge losses till now aur agar aise chalega, toh aur (losses) honge. It’s been happening continuously, bahut zyada bada setback hai.”
Jehil Thakkar, leader at media and entertainment, Deloitte India, mentions, “There’s a big loss in terms of working capital cash flows. Also, the major outdoor schedules are cancelled, and they are the high cost ones. The loss would be hundreds of crores. But nobody has an exact figure.”
Omicron wipes out January film release calendar
8:58 AM
From a star-studded mega lineup to ‘zero releases’!
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; January 7, 2022)
With cinemas across the country either shutting down, or operating with 50% occupancy, with night curfews and weekend curfews in place due to rising Coronavirus cases, it seems filmmakers have little choice but to put release plans on hold. Jersey, starring Shahid Kapoor, was the first big ticket project to postpone release after cinemas shut down in Delhi, followed by RRR, which was slated for a January 7 release.
Now, Radhe Shyam makers have announced that they’ll be postponing the film’s release as well, while reports state that Akshay Kumar and Manushi Chhillar-starrer Prithviraj, which was meant to hit theatres on January 21, will be held back as well. So, what will be the fate of these films going ahead?
‘WE’RE STARING AT ZERO RELEASES IN JANUARY’
Girish Johar, producer and film business expert, says, “January was a month of solo releases, with one major mega star film releasing every week. Producers had ensured that their release got enough screens. However, now we are looking at an empty calendar. As an industry, we are hoping that this hiatus doesn’t last as long as the last one. Every other hour there is an update from another state and rules are changing quickly, hence there is a lot of confusion around.”
REGIONAL FILM RELEASES FEEL THE HEAT, TOO
While Bollywood releases — and those targeting pan-India audiences — have backed out of theatrical runs, the release of several regional films may depend on the scenario of their primary market. Akshaye Rathi, director, Aashirwad Theatres and an industry expert, cites the example of Valimai, starring Tamil superstar Ajith. “The film was expected to release on January 14, and now with the restrictions imposed in Tamil Nadu, it will be slightly unfeasible for the maker to release the film on that date. Then there is Bangaraju starring Nagarjuna and Naga Chaitanya, which might go ahead as planned because cinemas aren’t yet shut in its primary markets – Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.”
Yogesh Raizada, Corporate Head, Wave Cinemas, says, “A couple of other Punjabi films are still scheduled to release in theatres this month, but with new restrictions imposed in Punjab, occupancy will be low.”
Rajender Singh Jyala, Chief Programming Officer, INOX Leisure, adds, “We have no releases this week. Films that were already in cinemas will continue. Despite cinemas in some states still showing films, due to the restrictions, footfalls will be affected.”
‘FILMMAKERS READY TO WAIT FOR THEATRICAL RELEASE THAN GO THE OTT WAY’
Film business analysts say that filmmakers are likely to wait till the virus subsides to release their films in theatres than go the OTT route. Akshaye Rathi says, “Be it Sooryavanshi or Spider-Man: No Way Home, the business that these films have done recently is proof that the audience will come to theatres to watch films. Some producers with financial constraints may take the OTT route. However, most filmmakers are ready to wait and release films in cinemas. All of us are hoping that states will take a pragmatic approach – keeping both, the safety of people and the economics of businesses in mind – as the last one-and-a-half years have been extremely hard for the cinema industry.”
BIGGER ISSUE IS RESCHEDULING OF THESE FILMS: RAJ BANSAL, FILM DISTRIBUTOR
Raj Bansal, film distributor, points out that several filmmakers have been very reluctant to push back releases, and were ultimately forced to under the circumstances. He explains, “The biggest challenge for our industry is rescheduling the films that have been postponed. Now what happens is that till the first week of Diwali 2022 – the release date of the films announced in advance will remain the same. So, where will the makers shift these January-February releases to? Films which were earlier announced to be released in April, will either have to push back their release dates or go head-to-head with these films at the box-office.”
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 707
9:59 AM
MANY MORE FILMS GETS POSTPONED DUE TO THE COVID-19 THIRD WAVE
Last week, we had informed viewers how the Shahid Kapoor-starrer Jersey, which was scheduled for a release on December 31, 2021, was pushed indefinitely. The decision was taken due to the rapid rise in Coronavirus cases and also after the Delhi government ordered cinemas to shut down. It gave an indication that soon many more states would either impose restrictions and that the release of more and more films would get postponed.
As expected, RRR’s makers announced that their grand period actioner won’t be able to make it to cinemas on January 7. Yesterday, on January 5, it was announced that Radhe Shyam, which was supposed to arrive in cinemas on January 14, will now release at a later date. Similarly, Akshay Kumar-starrer Prithviraj, too, won’t be arriving on the scheduled date of January 21. In short, most of the January releases have moved ahead. Only the John Abraham-starrer Attack has stuck to it’s January 28 release date. But the industry is sure that the action film will also get pushed.
Besides Delhi, cinemas in Bihar have also been ordered to shut. In Haryana, cinemas are told to close in five districts with a high number of cases. In Punjab, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan, a night curfew has been imposed and cinemas are told to operate with 50% occupancy. In Gujarat, a night curfew is in place in 8 major cities. All cinemas in the state can function with 100% occupancy. Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh, districts with more than 1,000 active cases are asked to run cinemas with 50% occupancy. In Tamil Nadu, cinemas are told to operate at 50% and the state will have a lockdown on Sundays. As for Karnataka, a weekend curfew has been imposed, when cinemas will have to shut shop. And on the weekdays, theaters can run with 50% occupancy.
These are the rules in place as of January 6, 2021. At any time, these states can impose more restrictions. Also, other states can also go for curbs. The crucial state of Maharashtra, surprisingly, is still running as before but with 50% occupancy. The government of the state is very strict and prefers to shut cinemas first and open them at the end of the unlock process. As a result, the industry is wondering how Maharashtra is still allowed to reopen though no one is complaining. However, with the daily number of cases all set to cross the 20,000 mark in Mumbai alone, it is believed that it’s only a matter of time before cinemas will be asked to halt operations in the state.
Hence, it can now be safely said that there won’t be a single Bollywood release in January, and also in the first 2 weeks of February. The good news is that the rate of hospitalization is minimal as the Omicron variant is causing mild illness. Many are recovering in home isolation. And experts have predicted that cases should peak in the next 10-12 days. As a result, one can expect the unlock process to begin as early as next month. It now remains to be seen if cinema halls would also be allowed to restart in February or will it be once again a very long wait for the industry.
Covid-19 grips Bollywood; what’s at stake?
8:19 AM
A rise in Coronavirus cases in B-Town pulls the plug on film releases and shoots, leaving the industry in stress
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 5, 2022)
It’s back — the uncertainty, coupled with financial losses amid what is being touted as the third wave of Coronavirus. Celebs such as John Abraham, Ekta Kapoor, Delnaaz Irani, Drashti Dhami, Sumona Chakravarti and Prem Chopra have tested positive and film releases have been pushed, including that of RRR and Jersey.
As expected, people from the film industry are worried about the movies that are currently in various stages of production. According to reports, a few crew members tested positive on the set of actor Deepika Padukone’s Gehraiyaan, and as per rule, the shoot had to be stalled.
Trade expert Atul Mohan says everyone will be on the back foot now. “This will instil fear in actors to not go out and shoot for at least 10-15 days. There has been a sudden rise in cases and the economic repercussions will be there. Jersey got affected, and now, the entire year’s calendar will get disturbed. More states are going to shut down theatres,” he reasons.
We have learnt that the trailer launch of Gehraiyaan, which was supposed to take place in Alibaug, Maharashtra, has been cancelled, too. Also, a concert that was planned in Mumbai for Prabhas’ Radhe Shyam has been called off.
Producer Anand Pandit, who has a film, Thank God, coming up, says looking at the soaring number of cases in Bollywood, things seen to have gone out of control: “Fortunately, my production is complete. The film’s last day of shoot was two days ago and the rest of the work starts in March, so we will wait and watch. But, production is going to be severely impacted for everyone else.”
The atmosphere on the sets has also become fearful. Ravi Sarin, line producer for several films and web projects in Delhi, says the crew members have been sent home and all work has stopped. “We can’t shoot anything with just 20 people on set, so everything has been cancelled,” he says.
Trade analyst Joginder Tuteja says that things will need to be watched for at least a couple of months. “It’s not just the film industry; even the common man is prepared for such ups and downs now. There’s no uncertainty like the first wave. [I am sure] this wave will subside soon and we will be able to bounce back,” he ends.
Crowd of 40,000 invited for the trailer launch of Radhe Shyam
8:16 AM
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; December 22, 2021)
Post the Baahubali franchise, Prabhas has become a pan-India superstar. To honour the fans’ love for the actor, the makers of Radhe Shyam are hosting a grand trailer launch of the Prabhas-starrer. While the initial plan was to launch the trailer virtually, on the behest of the south star’s fans, plans were altered.
A source close to the project reveals, “Prabhas’s fans reached out to the producer of the film and requested an [in person] meeting with the actor during the trailer launch. The makers are now holding a grand event for his fans in Hyderabad at Ramoji Film City on December 23.”
Prabhas, who was last seen in Saaho (2019), has had no releases or public appearances in two years owing to the pandemic. Fans have been eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of their favourite hero for long. “Close to 40,000 fans from all over India will be attending the event, following all the COVID protocols. Only people with double vaccination certificates will be allowed entry for the event. An enormous set is being constructed at an open ground at the Ramoji studios,” says the source, adding that temperature checks, sanitisers and masks will be compulsory.
Directed by Radha Krishna Kumar, the film is set against the backdrop of Europe in the 1970s. Prabhas, who plays the role of Vikramaditya — a palm reader, is paired opposite Pooja Hegde for this romantic drama.
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