Showing posts with label Selfiee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Selfiee. Show all posts
I started valuing my family more after my son’s health scare-Emraan Hashmi
3:08 PM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; March 29, 2024)
One of the toughest phases in Emraan Hashmi’s life was when his son Ayaan was diagnosed with cancer in 2014. He was four years old then and was declared cancer-free in 2019. Looking back, Emraan says, “I would say that I started valuing family a little bit more.”
Emraan adds, “I realized that you can’t take anything for granted. Just take one day at a time and live life to the fullest. You don’t know what the future entails. Don’t have any regrets. I have become a little more disciplined about my health and my family’s health. Our diet used to be extremely unhealthy before Ayaan’s diagnosis. We realized that and made many changes to our lifestyle.”
Over the years, the actor, who used to work on projects back-to-back, has slowed down. Did that phase make him realise the importance of work-life balance? “I have always wanted to strike a balance, so it isn’t a result of any particular upheaval in my life,” says Emraan, adding, “I tried doing that after we got married and had Ayaan. Your life gets affected when you become an aggressive workaholic, but I made deliberate efforts to ensure that I could make time for my family as much as possible.”
Ask Emraan if his son has watched any of his films, and he shares, “He saw Tiger 3 and Selfie recently. He liked Tiger 3 more for its big-screen experience. He likes watching all things expansive in theatres with heavy-duty action, spectacular sets and stunning VFX.”
In Bollywood, we play it too safe. I think we should change that-Emraan Hashmi
10:05 AM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; February 13, 2024)
Bollywood’s OG serial kisser boy has evolved. It has taken him time to break out of the box, but he did. In recent years, he’s been seen experimenting with a range of roles, including two-film hero projects like Selfiee and Tiger 3. The latter where he played the anti-hero brought him back into the spotlight. Emraan talks to us about why he doesn’t want to be slotted as a villain, his foray into south films and more.
‘Earlier, my idea of a villain was that he will only be painted as this dark character’
Talking about the switch in his career, Emraan says, “People wouldn’t have thought of me featuring me in a Salman Khan or Akshay Kumar starrer. They are two different worlds and when they collide, there’s something that sparks off. I think Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai would be one of my first films in that space. It took a lot of convincing on Milan’s (Luthria, director) part to get me to do that part. I was reluctant because I was playing just the main leads until then. Earlier, my idea of a villain was that he will only be painted as this dark character. But in that film, I played the anti-hero. The same goes with my role in Tiger 3. He is the hero of his own narrative. I wouldn’t like to play a one-toned villain in a film. I am grateful to filmmakers to have realized that and experimented with that. I just go with the flow, and I don’t yearn to do films in a certain genre.”
‘I don’t want to get slotted as a villain’
He enjoys playing the antagonist in films, but he doesn’t want to do that repeatedly. He elaborates, “I have done few antagonist roles. I don’t want to get slotted in villainous roles. Yes, it is an interesting time to experiment. People are liking the larger-than-life experience in films where two titans are taking on each other.”
‘There was a deliberate effort to try something different’
When he had started out, Emraan was known for a certain kind of cinema – intimate and bold. He was trapped in the image for years before he finally broke away from it. Ask him what’s his hook as an actor today and he says, “I think that finding a groove is dangerous because that could put you in a box again. I hated the fact that I was boxed into certain kind of roles for almost 15 years. There was a deliberate effort to get out of that box and try something different because I wasn’t growing as an actor. I was sleepwalking on every set. That is when I took up films like Shanghai and Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai. It’s actually a huge trap. A lot of actors from the West also probably bail out from doing characters like Bond, because you gradually get boxed in sometimes. They say it is detrimental to your career because people can’t see you as anything else when you come out of that.”
‘I never imagined myself getting into the south film industry’
Between all the leaps he has been taking as an actor, the biggest plunge is venturing into a pan-India south project. Talking about the film, where he features with Telugu star Pawan Kalyan, he says, “I never imagined myself getting into the south film industry. But it was a fantastic script and a great character. Sujeeth is a great director and is making this film on an enormous canvas.”
‘We have a lot to learn from the way south films are made’
Ask him how different it is working in the south film industry, and he says, “I think south filmmakers are way more disciplined than we are (in Hindi cinema). Every penny that they spend on their film shows on screen. I think we often spend money in the wrong areas in Hindi films, and it doesn’t eventually translate on screen. They have finesse in their films when it comes to VFX, the scale and choice of path-breaking stories. We have some ground to cover before we can match that and we have a lot to learn from the way they make films.”
Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan is the only clean hit in 2023's first quarter
8:17 AM
With Bollywood wrapping up its first quarter, Shah Rukh’s Pathaan remains sole bright spot, Tu Jhoothi doesn’t break even; trade says business down by 30 per cent
Hiren Kotwani (MID-DAY; April 4, 2023)
Can you imagine a better way to start the year than with a blockbuster? In late January, Shah Rukh Khan arrived in cinemas with Pathaan, ready to decimate the box office. The spy thriller, which saw the superstar returning to the big screen after a four-year hiatus, went on to reportedly collect over Rs 500 crores, becoming the biggest hit of Hindi cinema. With it, the film industry and trade circuit felt that the debacle of 2022 was behind them. Three months into the year, however, it’s a different story.
Veteran trade analyst Amod Mehra notes that the Khan-starrer is the only bright spot in the first quarter. “Its success was encouraging, and made everyone feel like things would change. But subsequent films crashed. So, it is back to square one,” says Mehra.
February saw two big Hindi releases, Kartik Aaryan’s Shehzada, and Akshay Kumar-Emraan Hashmi’s Selfiee. The former came with high expectations — it was Aaryan’s first theatrical release since last year’s surprise hit Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. Additionally, it was the remake of Allu Arjun’s Telugu movie, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020).
Producer and film business expert Girish Johar attributes the failure of Shehzada and Selfiee to sub-par content. “Shehzada was a copy-paste remake with no new elements. Selfiee was completely dated, despite having big names and being backed by a big banner [Dharma Productions]. People rejected it from the word go. The Q1 business was down by 30 per cent compared to the pre-pandemic times,” says Johar. While Shehzada’s lifetime domestic collections read Rs 30 crores, Selfiee reportedly ended its run at Rs 14 crores.
Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor’s March release, Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, had better luck at the cinemas. Despite having made approximately Rs 120 crore, Luv Ranjan’s rom-com isn’t considered a hit due to its high cost. Johar, instead, dubs Rani Mukerji’s Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway “a winner” as the small-budget film is heading towards collections of Rs 25 crores.
Ajay Devgn, who delivered a blockbuster in Drishyam 2 (2022), rounded off this year’s first quarter with Bholaa, which collected Rs 44.28 crore (nett) over its four-day weekend. However, Telugu star Nani’s Dasara, which released across India on the same day, has accumulated a cool Rs 55 crore across all languages.
Johar says the two can’t be compared. “Dasara is a reasonably budgeted film, while Bholaa, which released in 2D, 3D, and IMAX has a much higher landing cost. Plus, Bholaa, being an adaptation of Tamil film Kaithi (2019), hasn’t got the audience in south India flocking to the theatres.”
Looking ahead
In the coming months, Manoj Desai, executive director of Maratha Mandir and G7 cineplex, will be banking on Salman Khan’s Eid offering Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, Ajay Devgn’s Maidaan, and Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan that arrives in June. He says, “The public wants entertainment. They don’t want to go to theatres and get bored. A good film will always work.”
After Shehzada and Selfiee's debacle, experts debate on whether a fatigue is setting in due to remakes?
8:26 AM
Experts weigh in on whether the lack of luck for Hindi remakes of southern Indian-language films is indeed about fatigue
Syeda Eba Fatima (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 12, 2023)
They once gave major fillips to many Bollywood stars’ careers, including Salman Khan (Wanted, 2009), Ajay Devgn (Singham, 2011) and Akshay Kumar (Rowdy Rathore, 2012). But lately, remakes of southern Indian-language films have been failing miserably. From Vikram Vedha, Jersey and Cuttputlli last year to Shehzada and Selfiee this year, the remakes have failed to stir up the audience’s excitement. This begs the question: is a fatigue setting in?
Trade expert Taran Adarsh advises against generalization. “If, in a span of 1.5 years, three remakes failed to perform, we also have examples like Drishyam 2 (2022) that clicked with the audience. It all boils down to how the remake is made. Selfiee and Shehzada were bad remakes. I have seen the originals — Driving Licence (2019) and Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020) — and felt that both these remakes were shoddy,” explains Adarsh.
Trade expert Komal Nahta and producer Ashwin Varde opine that the originals being freely accessible on OTT takes away the excitement of watching a remake. “When people have excessively consumed the original already, why would they be interested in watching another version of it, that too, just a year later?” notes Warde. “Vikram Vedha did not work because everyone had seen the dubbed version on YouTube,” says Nahta.
According to trade expert Atul Mohan, viewers are averse to paying to watch the same story twice in theatres. “Going to theatres is an expensive affair, and after the pandemic, people want to spend money on films that would give them something new,” he points out.
The result will be positive, Varde assures, “When producers start to reinvent their choices, even in terms of choosing the right film to remake. The fatigue is in the minds of the producers. We have to add something unique to bring freshness. Frame-by-frame remakes are not going to work now.”
Producer Ramesh Taurani, too, cautions against copy-pasting indiscriminately. “Har film ko uski audience ke hisaab se banana padhta hai. You cannot copy paste everything and expect the film to work,” says Taurani.
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 767
2:36 PM
SELFIEE’S DEBACLE PUTS THE INDUSTRY INTO TRAUMA
The year 2023 began on a very rocking note with the blockbuster success of Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan. It was expected that the momentum would continue and that the industry would also deliver a few hits in the month of February. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Shehzada, starring Kartik Aaryan, opened on a poor note and is expected to end its lifetime with around Rs. 32 crores. However, the bigger blow was delivered by Selfiee, starring Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi. The film always seemed a bit unexciting. Yet, the hope was that it’ll open in the range of Shehzada, that is, around Rs. 5.75 crores.
The advance booking of Selfiee opened very late and with very few tickets sold, one expected that Selfiee will open poorly. But still, the hope was that it’ll get spot bookings. That, however, didn’t happen the way it was intended to. Selfiee opened at a shocking Rs. 2.60 crores. It didn’t grow over the weekend as the word of mouth was not extraordinary. And on Monday, it dropped to around Rs. 1.15 crores. Its first week collections are expected to be around Rs. 14 crores and it won’t even be able to cross the Rs. 20 crores mark.
On top of it, there’s no major release this week. A small film, InCar, is being released in Hindi as well as Southern languages but it carries negligible buzz and awareness. The Hollywood film, Creed III, will get better footfalls. On OTT, Gulmohar, starring Manoj Bajpayee and Sharmila Tagore, will probably make the maximum noise on social media this week. It premieres tomorrow on Disney+ Hotstar.
With few films finding takers in theatres, several multiplexes will keep some screens shut from tomorrow. All eyes are now on Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor. It releases on Wednesday, March 8 and is expected to end this dry period in Bollywood.
The year 2023 began on a very rocking note with the blockbuster success of Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan. It was expected that the momentum would continue and that the industry would also deliver a few hits in the month of February. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Shehzada, starring Kartik Aaryan, opened on a poor note and is expected to end its lifetime with around Rs. 32 crores. However, the bigger blow was delivered by Selfiee, starring Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi. The film always seemed a bit unexciting. Yet, the hope was that it’ll open in the range of Shehzada, that is, around Rs. 5.75 crores.
The advance booking of Selfiee opened very late and with very few tickets sold, one expected that Selfiee will open poorly. But still, the hope was that it’ll get spot bookings. That, however, didn’t happen the way it was intended to. Selfiee opened at a shocking Rs. 2.60 crores. It didn’t grow over the weekend as the word of mouth was not extraordinary. And on Monday, it dropped to around Rs. 1.15 crores. Its first week collections are expected to be around Rs. 14 crores and it won’t even be able to cross the Rs. 20 crores mark.
On top of it, there’s no major release this week. A small film, InCar, is being released in Hindi as well as Southern languages but it carries negligible buzz and awareness. The Hollywood film, Creed III, will get better footfalls. On OTT, Gulmohar, starring Manoj Bajpayee and Sharmila Tagore, will probably make the maximum noise on social media this week. It premieres tomorrow on Disney+ Hotstar.
With few films finding takers in theatres, several multiplexes will keep some screens shut from tomorrow. All eyes are now on Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor. It releases on Wednesday, March 8 and is expected to end this dry period in Bollywood.
(Crisp) Movie Review: SELFIEE by FENIL SETA
2:32 PM
Selfiee is a story of an actor who gets into a dramatic face-off with his fan-turned-enemy. It’s an official remake of the Malayalam film, Driving License and director Raj Mehta (of Good Newwz and JugJugg Jeeyo fame) has adapted it faithfully. Last week’s Shehzada faltered as it was not justifiably remade. But that’s not the case here. A few changes have been made neatly. Also, thanks to Rishhabh Sharrma’s hilarious dialogues, Selfiee is funnier than the original film. On the flipside, a few developments are difficult to digest. The film drags a bit in the second half. Also, the music is very poor. Speaking of performances, Akshay Kumar is in great form and shines in funny and emotional scenes. Emraan Hashmi gets a bit overpowered but comes out with flying colours in the climax. Nushrratt Bharuccha sadly doesn’t get much scope. Even Diana Penty has limited screen time but makes her presence felt. Meghna Malik (corporator Vimla Tiwari), Akashdeep Sabir (producer Dheeraj Jaiswal) and Abhimanyu Singh (superstar Suraj) are the film’s big surprises and raise laughs with their antics. Mahesh Thakur (manager Naveen), Kusha Kapila (Tara) and Neev Ahuja (Gabbu) are decent. Adah Sharma and Mrunal Thakur are great in special appearances. All in all, Selfiee is a well-made entertainer and worth watching.
My rating - *** ½ out of 5!
My rating - *** ½ out of 5!
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 766
10:17 AM
WILL SELFIEE BE ABLE TO OPEN MORE THAN SHEHZADA?
The last week was a disappointment for the industry as both Shehzada and Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania underperformed. Shehzada is expected to collect around Rs. 30-32 crores in its lifetime while Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania will struggle to reach the Rs. 40 crores mark. The industry is now looking forward to seeing how Selfiee performs, although the hopes are minimal.
Selfiee stars Akshay Kumar, Emraan Hashmi, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Diana Penty. It is directed by Raj Mehta of Good Newwz and JugJugg Jeeyo fame and is an official remake of the 2019 Malayalam film, Driving License. The trailer is decent and the remix of the song ‘Main Khiladi Tu Anari’, featuring Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi, has got noticed. The makers have gone all out to promote the film. Yesterday, Akshay Kumar set a Guinness World Record for clicking as many as 184 selfies with his fans in less than three minutes!
However, the buzz for the film is limited. Thankfully, the original version isn’t available in the Hindi dubbed version. But the storyline from Selfiee’s trailer reminds viewers of Fan, starring Shah Rukh Khan.
Last week, Shehzada’s booking opened very early and it led to negativity as hardly a few thousand tickets were sold. Probably, the makers of Selfiee didn’t want a repeat of this fiasco. Hence, Selfiee’s booking was opened late, on Wednesday evening. As expected, the advance is not much.
Shehzada opened at Rs. 5.75 crores and the aim of Selfiee should be to go beyond this number and open in the range of Rs. 6-7 crores. A weekend of Rs. 25-30 crores would be ideal. If the word of mouth is positive, it can have a clean run for 12 days until the release of Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar on March 8. And if reports are bad, it might have a lifetime similar to that of Shehzada.
Akshay Kumar enters the Guinness Book; shoots for Hera Pheri 3 promo
8:39 AM
HINDUSTAN TIMES (February 23, 2023)
Akshay Kumar is now a Guinness World Record holder for taking the most number of selfies in less than three minutes! The actor attempted the record with his fans and after breaking the earlier record — 168 selfies — announced that the new record (184 selfies) was not just for him but for everyone present. The actor broke the record while promoting his upcoming release Selfiee.
Meanwhile, the actor has shot for the promo of Hera Pheri 3, the third instalment in the franchise, along with actors Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal. “The stars are back and they shot for an announcement promo for Hera Pheri 3. It confirms the fact that the original trio of Akshay, Suniel and Paresh is back. The promo will also put to rest all speculations about other actors being cast in the film. The film’s script is underway and the shoot for the film will begin much later.”
The promo was mainly shot for the fans, who have loved the film so much. “The makers will release the promo so that the fans know that Hera Pheri 3 is happening with the original cast,” adds the source, confirming Farhad Samji will direct the film.
Kumar had said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2022 that due to creative differences, he will not be able to be a part of Hera Pheri 3. The actor got emotional on stage while talking about the project. “After that, Firoz Nadiadwala (the film’s producer) was very moved. He felt that if Akshay is so keen on doing the role and Hera Pheri is so close to his heart, the former also needs to make changes and make it happen. Things moved, and the trio shot the promo,” the source adds.
To promote or not to promote is the question for Bollywood after Pathaan’s box-office success
8:38 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 10, 2023)
With a Rs. 250-crore budget, three big stars, and foot-tapping music, everyone expected the makers of Pathaan to go all out marketing it. But barring some old-school repartee on #AskSRK, the film’s lead Shah Rukh Khan’s Twitter, the film remarkably opted for no promotions.
The action-thriller’s mammoth numbers (Rs. 850 crores worldwide), however, haven’t deterred makers of upcoming biggies Selfiee and Shehzada from taking the all-out route with promotions. While actor Kartik Aaryan is on a multi-city tour for the latter, Selfiee makers have been holding trailer and song launches with much fanfare.
This has inevitably plunged makers and experts in the debate — promotions or no promotions? Varun Gupta, the man behind the marketing for Selfiee, Drishyam 2, and Ram Charan and Jr NTR’s next, says it is “stupid” to blindly follow Pathaan’s example. “An actor just asked me a few days back that if Pathaan is not doing anything, why should we? I just feel helpless trying to explain that it is not a film that you can measure with any other lens. It’s the return of brand SRK on the big screen after four years, nobody else can match that. Marketing tactics will keep evolving, but they will never go out of fashion,” says Gupta.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh, however, feels that no promotions is the way forward, because eventually, it’s content that does the talking. “Drishyam 2 didn’t do any city tours, no mall visits. Promotions and tours only add to the cost of the film. Devote time to social media and do your promotions there. Avoid lavish expenses and controversial comments before release,” he opines.
Uunchai, Ram Setu and Good Luck Jerry (all 2022) co-producer Mahaveer Jain weighs in: “If the trailer of a film hits the ball out of the park, it’s the biggest resource for any film. The same applies to songs. Now, if the makers feel that multi-city tours and promotions are required to reach the audience and create awareness, they must go ahead with it.”
And who says promotions can only be done before release? Makers of Pathaan recently also slashed ticket prices by 25%, which, Jain feels, “will help add a whole new section of an audience for the film”. Gupta agrees, calling it an excellent promotional tactic on their part.
Mrunal Thakur has a cameo in Akshay Kumar-starrer Selfiee?
8:32 PM
Mrunal makes a cameo in Selfiee with dance number and action scene; plays co-actor to Akshay’s superstar
Hiren Kotwani (MID-DAY; February 1, 2023)
After enjoying a hit in Sita Ramam last year, Mrunal Thakur is starting 2023 with a cameo in Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi’s upcoming release, Selfiee. While Kumar plays action superstar Vijay in Raj Mehta’s directorial venture, we hear Thakur will essay the role of an actor who is shooting a film with him.
A source reveals, “In Selfiee, Emraan plays a die-hard fan of Vijay, and takes his son along to watch his latest release. This is where Mrunal makes a cameo as Vijay’s co-star. She features in a fast-paced dance number, as well as a high-octane action sequence.”
It is heard that Thakur readily agreed to the special appearance for two reasons. She loved the meta reference in the comedy drama that sees both Kumar and her play actors.
“Moreover, she shares a good equation with producer Karan Johar, having featured in his segment in the anthology, Ghost Stories [2020]. She rehearsed for a few days before filming the peppy dance number with Akshay last December,” adds the source.
Selfiee, also starring Diana Penty and Nushrratt Bharuccha, is a remake of the 2019 Malayalam film, Driving Licence.
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