Showing posts with label Vadh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vadh. Show all posts
From plotting revenge to murdering loan sharks, Bollywood’s older characters are claiming a gritty agency
9:04 AM
From plotting revenge to murdering loan sharks, Bollywood’s older characters are claiming a gritty agency that real life rarely affords the elderly
Dhaval Roy (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 15, 2026)
For decades, senior characters in Hindi cinema were relegated to narrow templates: the selfless, sacrificing goddess figure, the widowed mother praying for Karan and Arjun’s return, or Raj and Pooja Malhotra navigating late-life heartbreak in Baghban. Even in lighter films, elders remained affectionate side notes: Amarjeet Kapoor (Rishi Kapoor) in Kapoor & Sons, the loving dadi (Farida Jalal) in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, or the spirited tipplers Dolly Arora (Dolly Ahaluwalia) and Biji (Kamlesh Gill) in Vicky Donor. Their role was to nurture, advise, or amuse.
Recent films offer a striking reversal. In Vadh, retired schoolteacher Shambhunath Mishra (played by Sanjay Mishra) murders a predatory loan shark and carefully stages the perfect cover-up. Its follow-up, Vadh 2, places him inside prison, navigating the underworld economy that thrives behind bars. In Suresh Triveni’s Subedaar, retired army man Arjun Maurya (played by Anil Kapoor) works as a mafia bodyguard and answers humiliation with violence.
Look further south and Mammootty is rewriting the rules of ageing on screen, first as the unsettling anti-hero of Rorschach (2022) and, more recently, as a calculating serial killer in Kalamkaval (2025).
Women rewrite the archetype
Women characters have also moved decisively away from the saintly mould. In Vadh 2, Neena Gupta plays Manju, a double-murder convict plotting escape. In the streaming series Mrs Deshpande, Madhuri Dixit portrays a woman imprisoned for serial killings. Triveni’s Maa Behen places another maternal figure in a macabre situation: a mother calls her estranged adult daughters home because a corpse is lying in her kitchen.
The trend has been gaining momentum over the last few years. In Darlings (2022), Shamshu Ansari (Shefali Shah) assists her daughter (played by Alia Bhatt) in the brutal retaliation against an abusive husband and carries her own violent past. Ajji (2017) follows a frail grandmother who carefully plots revenge against the man who raped her nine-year-old granddaughter.
These are neither supporting turns nor caricatured villains. They are central characters: flawed, furious and fully in command of their stories. The greying character is no longer a sentimental aside. Increasingly, they are the story’s driving force.
The power of the unexpected
Part of the fascination lies in the narrative surprise. Audiences have been conditioned to associate age with passivity or moral authority, not danger. Writer-director Jaspal Singh Sandhu, who created the Vadh franchise, points out that the unexpected nature of the character drives the tension. “When you get something where it’s not expected, it works like a charm. It’s easy to create drama there,” he says, referring to Shambhunath Mishra, the quiet retiree who methodically turns predator into prey.
Triveni believes the disruption itself generates conflict. “An older person as a criminal creates instant tension,” he says. “We don’t associate age with threat or strength, so it surprises us.”
Writer-director-actor Vijay Maurya, whose Mast Mein Rehne Ka (2023) follows two ageing characters who begin breaking into homes simply for the thrill of it, argues that these stories deliberately move older characters away from pity. “In real life, oldies can be quite mad if you just open them up,” he says. “I wanted to push the characters away from sympathy and into adventure.”
Ageing, reimagined
The idea that age is just a number is moving beyond rhetoric and into storytelling. Filmmakers say the notion that life ends at 55 no longer reflects how people live or see themselves. Triveni sees a generational shift underway. “The older generation is making a statement: we are not done or down and out yet,” he says.
“Look at social media. You see people in their 60s getting fitter and reinventing themselves. Actors too have stayed relevant. The fuddy-duddy parents we once saw in films are changing.”
That shift is visible on screen. Contemporary cinema is replacing automatic sympathy for elderly characters with agency. The appeal may also lie in the contrast with reality. Off screen, older people often seem to be losing control, whether to automation, online scams or growing dependence. On screen, however, seniors command the narrative. They can be angry, manipulative, even criminal, and still hold the audience’s attention.
For Maurya, that freedom reflects an evolution in storytelling. “The germ of ideas has evolved,” he says. “As a writer, it’s an exciting time because you can go radical with characterizations and people will still connect with them.”
A wider stage
With streaming platforms expanding the range of stories being told, filmmakers expect the shift to continue. Triveni believes changing formats and viewing habits are widening the narrative space for older protagonists. “There’s a cultural shift underway,” he says. “A wider audience means a chance for newer narratives, and those narratives are putting elders at the centre of the story.”
For Sandhu, the real transformation lies in the way characters are now conceived. “The character’s story, not age, is the hero,” he says. “If the actor and the character fit the narrative and entertain you, where does the question of age arise?”
And so, it appears, Hindi cinema is finally letting its elders be fully human — messy, cunning, and occasionally dangerous. They are no longer just waiting for a phone call from their children; they are making the world answer to them.
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 920
10:49 PM
WILL VADH 2 AND BHABIJI GHAR PAR HAIN SURPRISE AT THE TICKET WINDOW?
The last two weeks have been good for the Hindi film industry. Border 2 collected a huge Rs. 217.61 crores in its first week. Until Tuesday, February 3, its earnings were Rs. 275.61 crores and hence, it’s a super-hit at the box office.
Last week’s Mardaani 3, as expected, opened at Rs. 3.85 crores. The collections jumped to Rs. 5.85 crores on Saturday, followed by Rs. 6.85 crores on Sunday. On Monday, it collected Rs. 2.25 crores and ideally, it should have collected a bit more to have a chance at collecting Rs. 45-50 crores or more in its lifetime. The first week’s earnings are expected to be around Rs. 25 crores. This means it’ll earn more than the week 1 collections of part 1 (Rs. 22.94 crores). However, Mardaani 2 collected Rs. 27.92 crores in its initial week.
In other words, Mardaani 3’s lifetime will be more than that of Mardaani’s first part (Rs. 35.83 crores) but less than that of Mardaani 2 (Rs. 46.33 crores). Thankfully, for Mardaani 3, it’ll barely face any competition in Week 2 and this would aid its collections.
Two small films are scheduled to hit this Friday. Vadh 2 is the second part of the Vadh series. Just like part 1, it stars Neena Gupta and Sanjay Mishra. The trailer is intriguing and it also makes it clear that it's not a direct sequel to the 2022 thriller Vadh.
Vadh was a disaster at the box office as it collected just Rs. 60 lakhs in its lifetime. However, it was a huge success on Netflix, which motivated the makers to make Vadh 2. Vadh 2 should hopefully cross Vadh's lifetime and collect Rs. 50-60 lakhs on its first day of release. The earnings should double the next day, based on word of mouth, for the film to make a mark at the ticket window.
The other release is Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain, based on the popular TV show of the same name. It stars Aasif Sheikh, Rohitashv Gour, Shubhangi Atre and Vidisha Srivastava, and they are joined by Ravi Kishan, Mukesh Tiwari and Dinesh Lal Yadav aka Nirahua. The trailer is entertaining and since the TV show is much loved, there’s hope that it’ll attract an audience. But it's difficult to say if that would happen as there are very few instances of films based on daily soaps.
Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain should hopefully open between Rs. 60 lakhs and Rs. 1 crore. Like Vadh 2, public reports will play a crucial role in attracting audiences from Saturday onwards.
The last two weeks have been good for the Hindi film industry. Border 2 collected a huge Rs. 217.61 crores in its first week. Until Tuesday, February 3, its earnings were Rs. 275.61 crores and hence, it’s a super-hit at the box office.
Last week’s Mardaani 3, as expected, opened at Rs. 3.85 crores. The collections jumped to Rs. 5.85 crores on Saturday, followed by Rs. 6.85 crores on Sunday. On Monday, it collected Rs. 2.25 crores and ideally, it should have collected a bit more to have a chance at collecting Rs. 45-50 crores or more in its lifetime. The first week’s earnings are expected to be around Rs. 25 crores. This means it’ll earn more than the week 1 collections of part 1 (Rs. 22.94 crores). However, Mardaani 2 collected Rs. 27.92 crores in its initial week.
In other words, Mardaani 3’s lifetime will be more than that of Mardaani’s first part (Rs. 35.83 crores) but less than that of Mardaani 2 (Rs. 46.33 crores). Thankfully, for Mardaani 3, it’ll barely face any competition in Week 2 and this would aid its collections.
Two small films are scheduled to hit this Friday. Vadh 2 is the second part of the Vadh series. Just like part 1, it stars Neena Gupta and Sanjay Mishra. The trailer is intriguing and it also makes it clear that it's not a direct sequel to the 2022 thriller Vadh.
Vadh was a disaster at the box office as it collected just Rs. 60 lakhs in its lifetime. However, it was a huge success on Netflix, which motivated the makers to make Vadh 2. Vadh 2 should hopefully cross Vadh's lifetime and collect Rs. 50-60 lakhs on its first day of release. The earnings should double the next day, based on word of mouth, for the film to make a mark at the ticket window.
The other release is Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain, based on the popular TV show of the same name. It stars Aasif Sheikh, Rohitashv Gour, Shubhangi Atre and Vidisha Srivastava, and they are joined by Ravi Kishan, Mukesh Tiwari and Dinesh Lal Yadav aka Nirahua. The trailer is entertaining and since the TV show is much loved, there’s hope that it’ll attract an audience. But it's difficult to say if that would happen as there are very few instances of films based on daily soaps.
Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain should hopefully open between Rs. 60 lakhs and Rs. 1 crore. Like Vadh 2, public reports will play a crucial role in attracting audiences from Saturday onwards.
Sanjay Mishra returns to theatre with Hindi adaptation of Ghashiram Kotwal: "The goal is to provoke, not preach"
10:59 AM
Sanjay Mishra on returning to theatre with Hindi adaptation of political satire, ‘Ghashiram Kotwal’, that can spark dialogue
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 7, 2025)
Sanjay Mishra is looking forward to endless rehearsals, long monologues, and facing real-time audiences as he returns to theatre with the Hindi adaptation of Ghashiram Kotwal (1972), the iconic Marathi political satire by playwright Vijay Tendulkar. Be it on stage or on screen, the veteran actor is known for his subtle performances, understated realism, and improvisational flair. But he insists it’s the stage where he truly lets loose.
“Theatre is a space where you can be braver,” says Mishra, who plays statesman Nana Phadnavis in the production.
Directed by Abhijit Panse and Bhalachandra Kubal, the play is set in 18th-century Pune under Peshwa rule. The story explores the murky nexus between power, politics, and morality, charting the meteoric rise — and eventual fall — of a man willing to barter his morals for authority. Mishra says he had been seeking “something challenging and that allows growth” when the opportunity came his way.
“Ghashiram Kotwal is an iconic piece of theatre with immense cultural and political relevance. When I was approached for this Hindi adaptation, the strength of the material and the clarity of the director’s vision moved me. I felt it was the right time to return, and to do so with a play that holds a mirror to society,” he shares.
While he has previously featured in politically charged films such as Newton (2017) and Bahut Hua Sammaan (2020), Mishra believes theatre delivers its message differently. “Both mediums require honesty, but theatre offers a certain immediacy that’s very powerful. [When] playing a character like Nana Phadnavis on stage, I try to remain neutral in interpretation, while focusing on the humanity and contradictions within him. The goal is to provoke thought, not preach.”
He adds that the play’s themes remain timeless. “I believe that in today’s world, where people are more aware and engaged, this play can spark meaningful dialogue. That, to me, is the real strength of theatre.”
It’s a sharp shift from his recent comic role in Son Of Sardaar 2, but Mishra embraces variety. He shares, “From Ankhon Dekhi [2014] to Vadh [2022], Golmaal [2006-2017] to Bhakshak [2024], I’ve defied typecasting. I believe that an actor should remain unpredictable for growth. I’m drawn to stories, not genres.”
Not everyone is gifted with comic timing and you cannot acquire it-Neena Gupta
9:34 AM
After exploring comedy with Dil Dosti Aur Dogs, veteran actor Neena Gupta has the Vadh sequel, Panchayat’s fourth season, and Anurag Basu’s Metro… In Dino
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; March 2, 2025)
Neena Gupta feels her life, currently, is a long-running dream. The National Award-winning actor has as many as four diverse stories to tell in the coming months. Not just that, she is also enjoying the precious position of being able to say no to what doesn’t feel right.
“When [good] work comes, I take it up. When it goes to someone else, I feel bad. Now, I am able to say no to projects I don’t enjoy listening to. That makes me very happy. Earlier, I couldn’t because I had to survive,” she smiles. Gupta begins the year with the JioHotstar film, Dil Dosti Aur Dogs, in which the actor plays an emotionally withdrawn woman, who finds an unlikely companion in a furry friend. The actor says she relished entering an unfamiliar territory. “I have never played such a character. It was a big challenge and interesting for me to do,” she says.
Dil Dosti Aur Dogs also offered the actor another opportunity in the comedy space. It’s a genre Gupta has often taken up over her four decade career—from the classic Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983) to her hit OTT outing Panchayat. The actor says comedy is the trickiest genre, which needs the hands of an able director.
“Not everyone is gifted with comic timing and you cannot acquire it. The director has a big role to play in this. If you fall on the wrong note, no one can help you. Long ago, I had replaced an actor on a comedy show. I was told that I had to take it two notes higher that what I was performing on. The pitch of the show was loud. I was so unhappy doing it, but I agreed because that was their style. One has to adapt to various directors. That way, Panchayat is amazing because it is so real that we don’t have to do anything,” says Gupta, who has just finished filming the fourth season of the Prime Video series.
The year will also see the senior actor in director Anurag Basu’s romantic drama, Metro… In Dino, which also stars Konkona Sensharma, Pankaj Tripathi, Sara Ali Khan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Ali Fazal and Anupam Kher.
Gushing about her maiden collaboration with Basu, she says, “I keep asking him, ‘When are you casting me next?’ Mostly, my segment in the film is with Anupam Kher, but we aren’t playing a couple. We shot in Kolkata and Mumbai. There was so much spontaneity and improvisation on the set. It was great fun as well as a learning,” says Gupta.
She recently finished filming the sequel to her 2022 thriller, Vadh. And now, her eyes set on something more athletic.
“I want to do an action film or a spy thriller. I also want to play a glamorous, cool woman. There was a project in the action space that had come my way. I also had a double role in it but it didn’t work out due to financial reasons. It might work out tomorrow, who knows. I had gotten offered a spy film as well, but that also didn’t materialize. But that’s something I am inclined towards.”
68th Filmfare Awards: Salman Khan was at his witty best with co-hosts Ayushmann Khurrana and Maniesh Paul
8:43 AM
THE TIMES OF INDIA (April 28, 2023)
“They didn't let me be a ‘Miss’ and nobody made me a ‘Mrs’,” says actor Alia Bhatt’s character in an iconic scene from ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ in which she discards a written speech, calls for a chair onstage, sits on it, takes off her shades, looks the world in the eye and delivers an impromptu heartfelt talk. For channelling a 1950s’ Kamathipura sex worker with nuanced dignity, Bhatt—the white-swathed leading lady of the Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie—won a Black Lady for best actor in a leading role (female) at the 68th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2023 with Maharashtra Tourism held at BKC’s Jio World Convention Centre on Thursday. The widely-acclaimed biopic was the undisputed queen of the evening, earning several trophies, including best film and best director for Bhansali.
Rajkummar Rao took home the best actor in a leading role (male) award for his meticulous portrayal of agay man in a sham marriage in director Harshvardhan Kulkarni’s heartfelt dramedy ‘Badhaai Do’.
The ceremony aptly began with the national anthem and Maharashtra’s minister of tourism, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, along with Amruta Fadnavis, wife of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, lit the inaugural lamp.
“Maharashtra was always the film capital of India. To provide further momentum to the state to sustain its reign as film capital in the future, we are going to launch a single window system for movies soon,” said Lodha.
The ceremony, which marked the debut of Salman Khan as host and presenter at Filmfare Awards, packed enough of his signature moments to power an imaginary post-credits sequence in which the onstage actor gives his onscreen self a run for his box office collection.
Six days after the release of his latest flick ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisiki Jaan’, Khan replicated the dance moves in the song ‘Naiyo Lagda’ from the film. Mike in a bracelet-clad hand, tongue in cheek and eyes on the prize, he was at his witty best with co-hosts Ayushmann Khurrana and Maniesh Paul.
“Without them, actors would be ‘nirvastra’ (uncovered),” said Khan while introducing the nominees for best costume design. “You understand ‘nirvastra’?” Khan asked Paul. “Yes sir, I have been ‘nirvastra' on many occasions,” came the reply.
Amid a sea of stars on the red carpet, actor Sanjay Mishra—who won the best actor (critics’ award) for his portrayal of a debt-ridden pensioner in the film ‘Vadh’—stood out with his silver beard and sunglasses.
Here, heads turned when statuesque models in cocktail gowns and glam ghagras posed for cameras and bobbed when music composer Anu Malik, who was flanked by his two daughters, broke into spontaneous Govinda and Salman numbers on cue. “Oonchi hai building. . . ,” Malik sang, snapping his fingers.
The whistles and cheers that ensued in the wake of each of the evening’s powerhouse performers—Vicky Kaushal, Govinda, Tiger Shroff, Janhvi Kapoor and Jacqueline Fernandez—matched cinema halls playing films starring the evening’s superstar host.
Those who dropped in early caught a sneak peek of Shroff’s parkour moves as he leapt off the stage and onto a mattress on the floor several times over.
The highlight reel included octogenarian actor Prem Chopra—the leading villain of many a Hindi film from the ’60s—winning the Lifetime Achievement award. “Prem. Prem naam hai mera. Prem Chopra,” said Chopra, reminiscing his iconic line.
The 68th Filmfare Awards 2023 is presented by Hyundai Motor India as the Title Partner, Destination Partner Maharashtra Tourism, Co-presented by Vimal Elaichi.
Janhvi Kapoor sets the stage afire at the 68th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2023
Govinda mesmerizes the audience with their magical moves
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 755
9:14 AM
CINEMAS BRACE FOR A POOR WEEK BEFORE THE BIG FESTIVE RELEASES
Last week, An Action Hero was released in cinemas. It starred Ayushmann Khurrana and despite great response, the collections were quite low. There was hope that it’ll have a strong Monday but that didn’t happen. This Friday will see the release of multiple films and their collections are expected to be worse. My analysis:
SALAAM VENKY: It stars Kajol and Mardaani 2 actor Vishal Jethwa and is a story of a mother and her terminally ill son. It is directed by Revathy and also stars some interesting names in supporting roles like Rahul Bose, Prakash Raj, Priya Mani and Rajeev Khandelwal. In fact, Aamir Khan also features in a cameo. Despite the presence of such actors and Kajol in the lead, the excitement is minimal due to the subject and trailer.
MAARRICH: It stars Tusshar Kapoor in a leading role and he’s also one of the producers. The film is a murder mystery cum investigative drama. Such films usually find takers but because of the star cast and not-so-exciting trailer, the film is all set for a very bad opening.
VADH: It stars Neena Gupta and Raghubir Yadav and though it rests on an interesting concept, there’s near-zero awareness around it.
LIFE IS GOOD: Directed by Ananth Mahadevan, it stars Jackie Shroff. Due to the subject and very limited promotions, its chances to succeed at the box office are not there.
KHATRA DANGEROUS: It is directed by Ram Gopal Varma and is a lesbian love story. Due to the steamy scenes, it may find acceptance in B and C Centres.
VIJAYANAND: It’s a Kannada film which has been dubbed in Hindi. It is the biopic of Dr Vijay Sankeshwar, the owner of the largest fleet of commercial vehicles in the country. However, the Hindi belt is not aware of this gentleman and hence, collections will be negligible.
Fortunately, collections will improve from next week thanks to the release of Avatar: The Way Of Water on December 16 followed by Cirkus on December 23.
Last week, An Action Hero was released in cinemas. It starred Ayushmann Khurrana and despite great response, the collections were quite low. There was hope that it’ll have a strong Monday but that didn’t happen. This Friday will see the release of multiple films and their collections are expected to be worse. My analysis:
SALAAM VENKY: It stars Kajol and Mardaani 2 actor Vishal Jethwa and is a story of a mother and her terminally ill son. It is directed by Revathy and also stars some interesting names in supporting roles like Rahul Bose, Prakash Raj, Priya Mani and Rajeev Khandelwal. In fact, Aamir Khan also features in a cameo. Despite the presence of such actors and Kajol in the lead, the excitement is minimal due to the subject and trailer.
MAARRICH: It stars Tusshar Kapoor in a leading role and he’s also one of the producers. The film is a murder mystery cum investigative drama. Such films usually find takers but because of the star cast and not-so-exciting trailer, the film is all set for a very bad opening.
VADH: It stars Neena Gupta and Raghubir Yadav and though it rests on an interesting concept, there’s near-zero awareness around it.
LIFE IS GOOD: Directed by Ananth Mahadevan, it stars Jackie Shroff. Due to the subject and very limited promotions, its chances to succeed at the box office are not there.
KHATRA DANGEROUS: It is directed by Ram Gopal Varma and is a lesbian love story. Due to the steamy scenes, it may find acceptance in B and C Centres.
VIJAYANAND: It’s a Kannada film which has been dubbed in Hindi. It is the biopic of Dr Vijay Sankeshwar, the owner of the largest fleet of commercial vehicles in the country. However, the Hindi belt is not aware of this gentleman and hence, collections will be negligible.
Fortunately, collections will improve from next week thanks to the release of Avatar: The Way Of Water on December 16 followed by Cirkus on December 23.
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