Showing posts with label Sameer Vidwans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sameer Vidwans. Show all posts
Kartik Aaryan to reunite with Satyaprem Ki Katha director Sameer Vidwans for another love story
8:47 AM
Kartik Aaryan reuniting with Satyaprem Ki Katha director Sameer Vidwans for another love story; sources say duo shopping for a producer after Sajid Nadiadwala bows out
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; December 15, 2024)
When an actor-director duo delivers a hit, an encore is often on the cards. Right after Satyaprem Ki Katha (2023) worked wonders at the box office, rumours were rife that leading man Kartik Aaryan and director Sameer Vidwans were planning to reunite. Over a year since, the two seem to have found exactly the kind of story they were looking for. mid-day has learnt that they have zeroed in on a love story and are currently shopping around for a producer.
A source says, “During the shoot of Satyaprem Ki Katha, Kartik was so impressed by Sameer that he had expressed his wish to work with him again, even asking him to find another romantic drama. Recently, the director pitched a script to Kartik, who immediately loved it.”
Not surprisingly, their first option for a collaborator was their Satyaprem Ki Katha producer Sajid Nadiadwala. The source adds, “They were eager to team up with Sajid, hoping to recreate the magic of their first offering together. Also, since Sameer had signed a two-film deal with the producer, he felt this could be the perfect second collaboration. But Sajid had to regretfully turn down the proposition as he has his hands full with four projects lined up for next year—Salman Khan’s Sikandar, Akshay Kumar’s Housefull 5, Tiger Shroff’s Baaghi 4, and Vishal Bhardwaj’s film with Shahid Kapoor about Hussain Ustara. Since then, the actor-director duo has been shopping around for studios, without much success.”
Aaryan, who recently delivered a hit in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, has yet to announce his next project. The actor has a romantic drama with Anurag Basu and producer Bhushan Kumar, but it’s still uncertain whether it will be made as a part of the Aashiqui franchise or a standalone film. The sequel to Pati Patni Aur Woh (2019) is also in the pipeline. So, one wonders when the actor’s film with Vidwans will get off the ground.
The source, however, is confident of it taking shape soon. The insider adds, “Sameer and Kartik’s bond is deeper than that of a director and actor; their friendship goes back many years. Kartik is an enterprising actor, and he will ensure this project shapes up.”
Makers opt for revisited versions of newer non-film songs
8:10 AM
Recreation of old classics for films is passé. Of late, makers are opting for revisited versions of newer non-film songs
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 28, 2023)
While recreations of old hit songs for Hindi films isn’t a new trend, of late, filmmakers are opting for recreations of relatively newer songs. In the recent times, a number of movies saw hit singles that released barely a couple of years ago get recreated. Singer Ali Sethi’s cult song Pasoori was revisited for Satyaprem Ki Katha recently. Earlier, Manike Mage Hithe, a hit single by Sri Lankan singer Yohani, was used in the Sidharth Malhotra-starrer Thank God (2022). Jehda Nasha, a viral song composed by the indie band Faridkot, was used in the 2022 film An Action Hero.
While the singles are still fresh in listeners’ minds, we wonder what makes filmmakers opt for their recreations. Varun Gupta, the man behind the marketing of big films, including Adipurush and Saaho (2019), says, “Recreations, if done with a bit of thought, make sense. The call lies with the producer, director and actors. For films that don’t have much music, such recreations help in promotions. But when a movie has original music, it’s not required.”
Earlier, the 2018 song Coca Cola Tu by singer Tony Kakkar was recreated for actor Kartik Aaryan’s Luka Chuppi (2019). Musician Harrdy Sandhu’s 2018 chartbuster Naah Goriye was used in 2020 for the Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer Bala.
Gupta feels that promotional songs that don’t feature in the film are a good marketing tool. “Coming up with a recreation just before a film’s release to get attention works at times. But is it a foolproof way of marketing a film? Not at all,” shares Gupta.
Pasoori’s recreation for Satyaprem Ki Katha was discussed widely. The announcement came barely a few days before the release and the film’s director, Sameer Vidwans, admits that they were prepared for the polarizing feedback. “Pasoori is a cult song. So if we recreated it, people were bound to react. We really wanted the song in our film’s soundtrack. Yes, it could have led to a negative impact on the movie, but we were sure that the song’s intensity will only add [value] to our film. I am glad it worked,” he says.
Focus on original music
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh doesn’t feel remakes help a film. “There’s so much original stuff we can do. Recreation has become a norm today. The makers feel if a song is already out, why not encash on its popularity? A really popular recent song, if recreated, will always draw comparisons with the original that’s still fresh in people’s minds,” he says.
Echoing the same sentiment, filmmaker Aanand L Rai, who produced An Action Hero, adds, “As a maker, I have accepted this and feel sorry. Recreations show our bankruptcy on the music front. It shows that we are unable to create something that is soulful or what people enjoy listening to. These things show that it is time for us to gear up and work a little more on our films’ music. It is a very important ingredient and we cannot borrow it every time. It is important to come up with originals.”
Sameer Vidwans defends the ‘male saviour’ scene in Satyaprem Ki Katha
8:42 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 20, 2023)
Director Sameer Vidwans’ latest film Satyaprem Ki Katha, that stars Kiara Advani as Katha, a rape survivor, and Kartik Aaryan as Sattu, her supportive husband, has received rave reviews. However, a section of audience didn’t agree with a key scene in the film — one where the latter announces at a family gathering that his wife was a rape survivor. Many on social media expressed concerns about why a woman need a man to take that call for her about something so personal.
Ask Vidwans about it, and he says, “Alag nazariye se dekhiye isko. A large section of girls in society feel that it’s their fault (if they are sexually assaulted), even when it is not. In the film, Katha blames herself, thinking that she must have done something wrong to be a rape survivor. To prove that thought wrong, the character of Sattu says, ‘Tum sahi thi, kuchh galat nahin kiya tumne’.”
Citing the lack of a support system around Katha in the film, the director continues, “She didn’t have anyone around to advise her. Then, her husband took a stand for her. It’s a story about Katha and Sattu, who is a feminist husband. All we aimed to establish is that the change should come within the men.”
Kartik Aaryan wraps up Satyaprem Ki Katha shoot with song that depicts south Indian, Gujarati, Muslim, Christian weddings
8:23 AM
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; May 30, 2023)
In April, mid-day had reported that Satyaprem Ki Katha’s unit had lined up the shoot of four songs, the last being Kartik Aaryan’s introductory track (Groove to garba, stop, repeat, Apr 29). Last week, Aaryan wrapped up Sameer Vidwans’s directorial venture with a grand dance number. We hear the song plays out as a dream sequence, and depicts Christian, Muslim, Gujarati and south Indian weddings.
It turns out the song was Aaryan’s idea, as he felt that a lavish introductory number would enhance the appeal of the romantic drama that also stars Kiara Advani.
A source reveals, “Sameer and producer Sajid Nadiadwala were in two minds about it as it’s an expensive affair, costing almost Rs 7 crores. On Kartik’s insistence, they decided to go ahead with it. In the narrative, the lead character Satyaprem wants to get married, and is dreaming about his prospective wedding.”
Production designer Rajat Poddarr and cinematographer Manu Anand, along with the director, had four set-ups built to showcase the different nuptials. While two sets were erected at Madh Island, the backdrops for the Muslim and Gujarati weddings were created on the grounds at Vrundavan Studio in Malad.
“The Christian ceremony’s backdrop is influenced by the vibe of Santorini, Greece. For the Gujarati shaadi, a mohalla was built, while huge replicas of famous temples from the south were created for the south Indian wedding. The Muslim nuptials take place in a banquet hall.”
The dance number was shot in four days, with Bosco Martis as the choreographer. The source adds, “Kartik was involved in the song from day one. He has danced his heart out in it.”
Kartik Aaryan, Kiara Advani head to Kashmir for final schedule of Satyaprem Ki Katha
8:40 AM
Sources say Kartik-Kiara head to the Valley today to film final leg of Satyaprem Ki Katha; romantic song to be shot over week-long schedule
Hiren Kotwani (MID-DAY; April 1, 2023)
Last year, when most Hindi films were tanking at the box office, Kartik Aaryan and Kiara Advani struck gold with Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. The two are hoping to recreate the magic this year with Satyaprem Ki Katha, which marks the Bollywood debut of Marathi film director Sameer Vidwans. We hear the director is now ready to call action on the film’s final schedule in Kashmir. While Vidwans has headed to the Valley, the actors are expected to reach today for the week-long stint.
On the cards is the shoot of a romantic number that Vidwans deliberately saved for the last. A source tells us, “Kashmir looks vibrant at the onset of summer. Sameer was sure that he wanted to capture the Valley in all its glory, and hence, lined up the song for April. The team has finalized locations in Srinagar and Gulmarg. Bosco Martis will choreograph the love ballad that will feature only the leads.” After the Kashmir stint, it will be a wrap on the drama that went on floors in September 2022.
It has been a busy few weeks for the Satyaprem Ki Katha team as it nears the finish line. A fortnight ago, Aaryan and Advani were spotted shooting some courtroom scenes in the College of Agriculture, Pune.
The source adds, “For another sequence, the main building of the educational institution was turned into a law college.”
Recently, a clip from the rom-com, depicting the leads getting married, made its way to social media. The film is simultaneously in post-production, being readied for a June 29 release. mid-day reached out to Vidwans, who remained unavailable for comment.
Initially slated to roll last December, Kartik Aaryan and Kiara Advani’s yet-untitled love story to go on floors in March
8:02 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 9, 2022)
Last June, Kartik Aaryan had announced Satyanarayan Ki Katha that marked his first collaboration with director Sameer Vidwans. Almost seven months and an outrage over the title later, Vidwans and producer. Sajid Nadiadwala are eyeing to take the film — also starring Kiara Advani — on floors in March.
A unit hand reveals, “The film was originally scheduled to start in December, but the third wave put the brakes on the plans. Kartik is currently finishing his pending commitments, including brand endorsements and the final touches to Rohit Dhawan’s Shehzada. The leading lady too has been busy with brand shoots. The duo, who will soon kick off promotions of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, will juggle the shoot of the love story with the promotional activities.”
It is heard that Nadiadwala’s production house has another project with Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor, which will kick off right after Vidwans calls action on the Aaryan-starrer.
Meanwhile, the makers are discussing possible titles for the yet-untitled love story that sees Aaryan and Advani play Satya and Katha respectively. In July, the makers dropped the original name after it sparked objections from fringe groups, who claimed it “hurt religious sentiments”.
Directing Samantar 2 had its own challenges, but with the help of the producers, it became a lot easier-Sameer Vidwans
10:16 PM
Sameer Vidwans said that the challenges before him while directing Samantar 2 were numerous as it was his first time directing a web series and also because it was shot during the Coronavirus pandemic. The director has proudly said that he was happy that he could face all the difficulties successfully with the help of his stars, crew members, and from the support he got from producers Arjun Singgh Baran and Kartk D Nishandar of GSEAMS.
After an outstanding success of Samantar Season 1, with a record-breaking 200 million hits, Samantar season 2, has come on MX Player with many added attractions. Talented actors from the film industry like Nitish Bhardwaj, Swwapnil Joshi, Tejaswini Pandit and Sai Tamhankar feature in this web series which is based on the popular Marathi novel written by the late Suhas Shirwalkar.
Talking about the series, the director Sameer Vidwans said, “Samantar is a drama series which is full of thrill and mystery elements throughout the show. Samantar is originally made in Marathi and dubbed in Hindi, Telugu as well as in Tamil. We have shot the second season at various picturesque locations including Mumbai, Pune, Panchgani, Mahabaleshwar, Bhor and Kolhapur to keep the show as real as possible.”
Regarding the overwhelming response Samantar 2 has received, Vidwans mentioned that, “Both Arjun and Kartk are extremely involved creatively and are very particular on the quality of the shoot. They are always open to new concepts and ideas and they take pain to see that the ideas are well executed. On this project, they have worked closely with the actors and me and have got the best out of all of us.”
Speaking to us on Samatar 2, Arjun and Kartk said “Samantar is a fabulous story which we knew would appeal to a very large audience. We are extremely happy with the response that Samantar 2 has got and we intend to produce many more such series based on a variety of subjects and genres”.
GSEAMS has given us many memorable Marathi films like Mogara Phulaalaa, Bonus, Fugay, Tula Kalnaar Nahi, Ranangan and Vicky Velingkar. With the release of the web series like Naxalbari on Zee5 and Samantar season 1 & 2 on MX player, GSEAMS has once again proved itself as a leading production studio which creates quality content.
Title of Kartik Aaryan’s next Satyanarayan Ki Katha to be changed to avoid ‘hurting sentiments’
8:08 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (July 5, 2021)
A week after announcing the film Satyanarayan Ki Katha, starring Kartik Aaryan, the makers have decided to change the name of the film. Director Sameer Vidwans issued a statement on Twitter, saying that the makers have decided to change the name of the movie to avoid hurting any sentiments.
“A title of the film is something that emerges organically through the creative process. We have taken a decision to change the title of ur recently announced film ‘Satyanarayan ki Katha’ to avoid hurting sentiments even if that's purely unintentional. Producers of the film and the creative team also are in complete support of this decision. We will be announcing a new title for our love story in the due course of our journey (sic),” he tweeted.
Kartik Aaryan to headline Marathi filmmaker Sameer Vidwans’ debut Hindi film?
8:12 AM
Preeti Atulkar (BOMBAY TIMES; May 16, 2021)
Sources close to the project confirm that the film, which is said to be a love story, will feature Kartik Aaryan in the lead.This film will be an addition to the actor’s repertoire, who has other interesting films lined up in Bollywood. A source close to the project informs, “The film is currently in the pre-production stage. The leading lady hasn’t been finalised yet and the makers are looking for someone who fits the role perfectly. This is a contemporary film and a sweet love story that will hopefully go on floors by the end of this year.”
We reached out to Sameer and Kartik for an official confirmation, but they remained unavailable for comment.
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