Showing posts with label Savi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Savi. Show all posts
If T-Series was pushing me, like Karan Johar does for his gang, I would be doing more films-Divya Khosla Kumar
8:04 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 16, 2024)
Actor Divya Khossla has sparked a heated debate with her Story criticizing Alia Bhatt’s latest release Jigra (see grab on the right) and publicly clashing with co-producer Karan Johar, who responded to her allegations by posting: “Silence is the best speech you will ever give to fools” on his social media. To which, Khossla quickly retaliated with another Story: “Truth will always offend fools opposed to it.” We speak to Khossla exclusively to learn more.
WAR OF WORDS WITH KJO
“Today, when I speak up, Karan Johar uses derogatory language to shut me down. Is it right to call a woman a fool for pointing out unethical practices? If this happens to me, what about those new to the industry? No one is a king here, and I won’t be treated like a subject,” she says.
ON ALIA BHATT AND UNETHICAL PRACTICES
Khossla’s initial post targeted actor Alia Bhatt for allegedly benefiting from “fake ticket bookings”. She says, “Alia doesn’t need to resort to such tactics; she’s already well-established. But true heroism is speaking against wrongdoing. Let the audience decide based on merit, not money and power.”
Khossla highlighted her concern with corporate bookings and manipulated box office numbers: “After Covid, smaller production houses have shut down, and only those with money survive. I saw an empty theatre, yet Jigra’s opening figures were inflated. That needs serious correction.”
JIGRA AND SAVI: SIMILAR STORIES
Khossla claims “Jigra is a copy” of her film Savi, a jailbreak story. Savi was based on The Next Three Days (2010), for which her team bought the rights. She notes that “both films share the same story line”, but her project “was in production first”.
MUKESH BHATT CONNECTION
Both Savi and Jigra share a common link — Mukesh Bhatt, Alia’s uncle, who co-produced Savi. When asked if she discussed the similarities with him, Khossla confirms, “Yes, but I won’t drag him into this due to his family ties and age.”
Did Divya criticize Jigra due to home production?
Khossla dismissed claims that her outburst was due to Jigra clashing with her husband Bhushan Kumar’s production, Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video: “This is about plagiarism and manipulating numbers, not a box-office rivalry. No one dares to speak out for fear of losing work, but I’ve established my own position in this industry.”
Tell her that people speculate that she only gets films because of her husband, to which she responds, “T-Series produces 40 films a year; I am not cast in those. If they were pushing (backing) me, like Karan does for his gang, I would be doing more films...”
Trade experts say figures of Alia Bhatt's Jigra are not tampered with
8:07 AM
After Savi actor Divya accuses Jigra makers of inflating earnings and sparks row with Karan Johar, trade says Alia-starrer’s figures not tampered with; cites the thriller’s ‘limited storytelling’ for its low numbers
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; October 14, 2024)
Alia Bhatt’s Jigra has sparked a war of words between one of its producers Karan Johar, and actor-filmmaker Divya Khossla Kumar. On Saturday, Khossla took to social media to question the veracity of the film’s earnings, which was reported to have opened at Rs 4.25 crore, making it Bhatt’s lowest opener since Highway (2014). Posting a picture of an empty theatre, Khossla insinuated that Jigra’s box-office figures were being inflated by the makers, possibly through bulk ticket purchases. Soon, Johar posted a cryptic message on social media—“Silence is the best speech you will ever give to fools”—that was viewed as a jab at her.
This public spat is said to have its roots in Savi. In the May release, Khossla played a woman who breaks into a prison and frees her husband. With Jigra being a jailbreak thriller where Bhatt’s character hatches a plan to save her brother, a section of the audience has drawn parallels between the two plots.
As Khossla continues to challenge the box-office numbers of Vasan Bala’s directorial venture, which released alongside Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video (VVKWWV), the one question on everyone’s minds is: Are the figures fudged?
A trade analyst, on the condition of anonymity, says, “No, the figures are low. Jigra opened in 2,800 screens, and VVKWWV in 3,500 screens. On day one, the average occupancy for both was 20 per cent. So, they earned Rs 4.25 crore and Rs 5 crore respectively. The reason why the films aren’t working is because the storytelling is limited. VVKWWV isn’t for the urban sectors, and Jigra is doing okay in multiplexes. Figures being fudged is a general problem; all big films do this. But this time, it isn’t the case. Divya’s theatre might not have had people, but many screens are witnessing [moderate] occupancy.”
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says Jigra and VVKWWV had come amid high expectations. “That’s because Alia Bhatt is a bona fide star and Rajkummar was coming after Stree 2’s success. Despite it being a holiday weekend, the collections aren’t great. All eyes are on the Diwali releases already.”
Jigra’s two-day collections reportedly stand at Rs 11.13 crore and VVKWWV’s at R12.77 crore. Trade expert Akshaye Rathi is surprised that the films didn’t witness a jump over the weekend. “Jigra deserved a wider viewership. But the first weekend is too early to gauge the fate of both movies,” he states.
Does the audience’s tepid response indicate that it’s story over stars for them? “The storytelling has to appeal to the widest possible audience. What separates Rajkummar’s Stree 2 and Vicky Vidya are their telling. This happened with Ajay Devgn too. He had a [runaway hit in] Shaitaan and then [a flop in] Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha.”
I have thought of Delhi Belly's sequel every week for the past 10 years-Abhinay Deo
9:42 AM
After adapting Crowe’s thriller The Next Three Days for Indian audiences with Savi, director Deo hopes to begin work on Delhi Belly sequel soon
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 2, 2024)
In Abhinay Deo’s world of imagination, the mythological story of Savitri blends with the fictional story of a Russell Crowe film. The result is his latest release, Savi. Starring Anil Kapoor, Harshvardhan Rane and Divya Khossla Kumar, the thriller—that sees the protagonist plot her husband’s escape from prison—is a modern take on the story of Savitri and Satyavan.
“There is something powerful in the mythological story of a woman who brought her husband back from the jaws of death. The challenge was to match up to the magic and strength of the original story,” says the director.
Savi is inspired by Crowe’s jailbreak thriller, The Next Three Days (2010), which was in turn a remake of the French film, Pour Elle (2008). But the director and his team “turned the screenplay on its head.”
“We bought the rights. Russell Crowe is an out-and-out action hero, but the gender change added layers to the story. The Indian ethos gave it a cultural grip. The motivations changed as soon as we made the central character a woman.”
Deo broke into Hindi cinema in 2011 with the black comedy, Delhi Belly. Now, with its leading man Imran Khan teasing a return to Bollywood, has he considered making a sequel to Delhi Belly? “I have thought of a sequel every week for the past 10 years. As much as we love the film, we also know how meticulously it was made. Under the garb of comedy and [expletives], we had a sharp movie. To put all those factors together and make a movie that is relevant today will take time. In some time, we hope to put pen to paper and see where it takes us.”
For now, he is looking forward to his OTT debut, Brown, which was the only Indian show at the 2023 Berlin Series Market Selects platform. Led by Karisma Kapoor, the series revolves around a world-weary detective in the Kolkata police force, who is tasked with investigating the murder of a young woman from a prominent family, while battling her past. “We are hoping to release it in about three months; it’s in the last leg of post-production.”
(Crisp) Movie Review: SAVI by FENIL SETA
2:58 PM
Savi is a story of a woman who goes to insane lengths to evacuate her husband from a prison, with the help of a mysterious man. It is the remake of the French film Pour Elle (it was also remade in Hollywood as The Next Three Days). The second half is where the film gets engaging. There's a nice twist in the end that's unpredictable. On the flipside, the first half could have been better. Also, it has a screenplay of convenience; there are too many cinematic liberties. Divya Khossla is watchable and gives a decent performance. Harshvardhan Rane is lovely as always and delivers a commendable performance. Anil Kapoor has an interesting part and he plays it with panache. Mairaj Kakkar (Adi), Himanshi Choudhry (DI Ayesha Hassan), Raageshwari Loomba Swaroop (Simrit), Supreet Bedi (Anu), Alex Dower (Detective Stevens) and Adrian Stretton (Detective Lucus) do well. As for the songs, 'Khol Pinjra' is catchy. All in all, Savi is a timepass thriller.
My rating - *** out of 5!
My rating - *** out of 5!
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 832
11:09 AM
WILL CINEMA LOVERS DAY HELP MR & MRS MAHI?
The nearly 7-week long dry period in Bollywood is about to end tomorrow with the release of Mr & Mrs Mahi. It stars Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor and is directed by Sharan Sharma of Gunjan Saxena fame. It is produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Zee Studios and is a story of a cricket-crazy couple.
Mr & Mrs Mahi’s trailer caught attention and so did the song ‘Dekhha Tenu’. Janhvi Kapoor’s enticing sarees and other clothes have kept her as well as the film in the news. However, the male lead – Rajkummar Rao – is no doubt a fine actor but is not an instant crowd-puller. As a result, the hype for the film is limited.
In a normal scenario, Mr & Mrs Mahi would have opened at Rs. 3-4 crores. But the film has got a boost thanks to the Cinema Lovers Day offer. Most theatres across the country will sell the tickets for all films for just Rs. 99. In the past, such an offer has helped several films. Mr & Mrs Mahi, too, will benefit and already, the advance booking has been encouraging.
If all goes well, Mr & Mrs Mahi will open at around Rs. 5 crores and it could even go higher. But the real test of the film will be on Saturday when the rates will be back to normal. This is when the film has to hold strongly. If that happens, Mr & Mrs Mahi will be able to sail through.
The other major release is Savi, starring Divya Khossla, Anil Kapoor and Harshvardhan Rane. The awareness of the film is limited. Also, Anil is the biggest name in the film and he is neither seen in the poster nor in the promotional campaign.
The nearly 7-week long dry period in Bollywood is about to end tomorrow with the release of Mr & Mrs Mahi. It stars Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor and is directed by Sharan Sharma of Gunjan Saxena fame. It is produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Zee Studios and is a story of a cricket-crazy couple.
Mr & Mrs Mahi’s trailer caught attention and so did the song ‘Dekhha Tenu’. Janhvi Kapoor’s enticing sarees and other clothes have kept her as well as the film in the news. However, the male lead – Rajkummar Rao – is no doubt a fine actor but is not an instant crowd-puller. As a result, the hype for the film is limited.
In a normal scenario, Mr & Mrs Mahi would have opened at Rs. 3-4 crores. But the film has got a boost thanks to the Cinema Lovers Day offer. Most theatres across the country will sell the tickets for all films for just Rs. 99. In the past, such an offer has helped several films. Mr & Mrs Mahi, too, will benefit and already, the advance booking has been encouraging.
If all goes well, Mr & Mrs Mahi will open at around Rs. 5 crores and it could even go higher. But the real test of the film will be on Saturday when the rates will be back to normal. This is when the film has to hold strongly. If that happens, Mr & Mrs Mahi will be able to sail through.
The other major release is Savi, starring Divya Khossla, Anil Kapoor and Harshvardhan Rane. The awareness of the film is limited. Also, Anil is the biggest name in the film and he is neither seen in the poster nor in the promotional campaign.
Chhota Bheem And The Curse Of Damyaan, meanwhile, is the first live-action film of the series. The earlier parts trended well but at very low levels. A 2012 animated film with the same name collected Rs. 4.05 crores and that’s the highest a movie of this series has collected. The live-action Chhota Bheem And The Curse Of Damyaan has a very poor buzz. Despite the Rs. 99 ticket offer, the bookings are not there. As a result, it’ll face a tough time.
Lastly, Aranmanai 4’s Hindi version has got a limited release. The original Tamil version, which was released a few weeks ago, was a huge hit. The Hindi version, however, can work only in a few pockets.
Lastly, Aranmanai 4’s Hindi version has got a limited release. The original Tamil version, which was released a few weeks ago, was a huge hit. The Hindi version, however, can work only in a few pockets.
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