Showing posts with label Varisu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Varisu. Show all posts
Meet the Dharavi man and fan who leads Vijay’s TVK in Maharashtra
11:14 AM
Sharmila Ganesan (THE TIMES OF INDIA; May 10, 2026)
1:30 pm on May 2, 2003. The moment is seared into Alagu Sundaram's memory. He was 22, back in Dharavi after a summer trip to Tirunelveli, when word reached him that the man whose face adorned the walls of his kholi was in Mumbai for a couple of days. If he hurried, he might still catch him at the airport.
Sundaram didn't hesitate. He grabbed a photo album documenting his local fan club's welfare work, a camera and four fellow fans, and sped to the terminal on his bike only to realise they were too late. Vijay aka Anna (elder brother) had already crossed into the boarding area. What followed has since become a part of Tamil fan folklore in his pin code.
"He requested the security guards for a good five minutes to let him meet us for a short while. The guard gave in," Sundaram recalls. "Anna then stepped out, asked us why we were late. We showed him the album, told him about the work we were doing, and took a picture."
Vijay stayed back for nearly ten minutes before heading in again. That was the first time Sundaram met ‘Thalapathy', the superstar whose films had shaped his adolescence through rented VCRs and communal TV screenings.
Among them, Poove Unakkaga held special meaning. Vijay's 1996 film about a young man quietly trying to reunite two families torn apart by an interfaith marriage still lingers in Sundaram's mind. "As the hero heals old wounds, it is revealed that he is actually helping another interfaith couple gain acceptance," he says, drawing a parallel with the kind of bridge-building he believes fan groups can do within communities.
Today, at 45, Sundaram is no longer the boy who chased first-day-first-shows. Clad in a crisp white veshti, the former head of a local Vijay fan club is now Maharashtra president of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the political party floated by Vijay in 2024.
"I was one of 131 people who joined to form the party," says the bachelor who draws his self-belief from a scene from 'Ghilli' (2004) that cut deep. In it, Vijay's character delivers after saving the heroine from the villain with a blade: "I wish I had placed the same faith in you as I had in this blade."
Born in Tirunelveli district, Sundaram moved to Mumbai in 1990. By the late 1990s, work was uncertain but cinema wasn't. "From when he started acting, I started watching all his films," he says, recalling how he devoured Deva, Rasigan and Vishnu through rented VCRs inside his Dharavi shanty. Since many Vijay films did not release in Mumbai then, summer trips to his village became opportunities to catch up.
In the 2000s, admiration evolved into organization. Sundaram and his friends formed Ilaya Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyyakkam, packing Matunga's Aurora and Sion's Moviemax for first-day-first-shows armed with banners, drums and giant cutouts. When single-screen theatres gave way to multiplexes, the rituals adapted too. For Varisu, they booked three 3 am shows at a Chembur multiplex.
But fandom, Sundaram insists, was never only about cinema. Every June 22, Vijay's birthday, the group distributed food at old-age homes near Mumbai Central, shelters in Mankhurd and cancer care institutions in Navi Mumbai. Blood donation camps became routine. Sewing machines, sarees and notebooks were handed out. "If someone asks for money for education, we give it immediately," Sundaram says. "We only give to the have-nots."
Over time, even the culture of celebration changed. Milk abhishekams (milk showers) on towering cutouts — once central to Tamil fan culture — were gradually discouraged. "Anna said instead of wasting milk on cutouts, give it to people who need it. So we did," he says. During the release of Beast, the group distributed sewing machines instead.
As Vijay's fan network spread across Maharashtra, Sundaram became an informal bridge between film crews and fans. During the 90-day Mumbai shoot of Thuppakki in 2012, crew members frequently called him when crowds became difficult to manage. "I was there on set for all 90 days. I even brought my parents to meet Anna one day," he says.
He still remembers one piece of advice Vijay gave him directly: "Don't borrow money. Look after your family first."
When Vijay launched TVK in February 2024, Sundaram says he was not surprised. "People were sceptical but our Anna remained calm."
Now wearing TVK's red, black and yellow shawl, Sundaram oversees party outreach across Maharashtra using methods honed over decades in as a fan club head. Crowd management, welfare work, mobilisation, loyalty--he was well-versed in all. "Even if we don't know the problems of the people, we can go and ask: Is the water coming properly? Is the cleaning going well?" he says.
Riding on welfare promises and a broader anti-establishment pitch, TVK's electoral breakthrough earlier this week triggered celebrations across Mumbai's Tamil neighbourhoods, from Dharavi and Chembur to Mulund and Malad.
Right now, Sundaram is in Tamil Nadu amid uncertainty around government formation. But the chaos does not seem to unsettle him much. "We have seen this kind of last-minute chaos many times around his film releases," he says. "This isn't new for us."
Mere saath dhokha ho gaya, says Raqueeb Alam on Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke controversy
8:43 AM
Debarati S Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; March 19, 2026)
The recently released track Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke, featuring Nora Fatehi and Sanjay Dutt, has triggered widespread backlash online over its lyrics, with much of the criticism directed at lyricist Raqueeb Alam. The track, part of the upcoming pan-India film KD - The Devil, was originally written in Kannada by the film’s director, Prem. Alam’s role, he says, was limited to translating the lyrics into Hindi.
‘I was told to just translate the Kannada song word for word’
As criticism over the song continues to escalate, Alam spoke to Bombay Times, alleging he was wrongly credited with the song’s lyrics. Opening up about the sequence of events, Alam claimed he had refused to write the track when he was approached by Prem.
He says, “Koi bhi lyricist aisa nahi likhega. Mujhe jab Prem ne likhne bola toh maine mana kar diya. I told him yeh theek nahi hai. Then I was told to just translate the Kannada song (composed by Arjun Janya) word for word – like ‘This is my book’ to ‘Yeh meri kitab hai’. So, I translated it and gave it to him. Prem told me, ‘Main dekhta hoon, main manage karoonga isko’. He then adjusted it with the meter and recorded it.”
‘I had told the director not to credit me as a lyricist for this song’
Alam further alleged that he had explicitly asked not to be credited for the song. He says, “When I gave him the translation, I had told him not to credit me as a lyricist for this song. After that, maine ek baar bhi woh Hindi translated song nahi suna. Kisne gaya, kahan record kiya, kuch bhi pata nahi tha mujhe. Only after the song was released did I find out that he had given my name in the credits, and I called him immediately. Maine uspe bahut chillaya, and I told him to remove my name and put his own or pull the song down completely.”
According to Alam, the director later agreed to take the song down. “Prem said that he would remove the song, and that eventually he did it, but by then the damage was done,” he said.
'Main aise song ke saath kaise associate ho sakta hoon?'
Calling the episode a "betrayal", Alam said, "Mere saath dhoka hua hai. This wasn't right. Mere bhi bacche hain, family hai. Main aise song ke saath kaise associate ho sakta hoon? Kal mere bachche mujhse puchenge ke aapne apne zindagi mein iss tarah ke gaane likhein? Toh mein kya jawab doonga?”
The lyricist, who has previously translated songs like Srivalli for Pushpa: The Rise - Part 01 and its sequel, as well as for films like Master, Jailer, Leo, and Varisu, among others, also underlined that he has consistently spoken out against vulgar content in music.
He said, “I have been someone who has spoken against vulgar songs in the past. Main khud bahut aware rehta hoon ki mujh se aise alfazon ka chayan nahi ho jisse hamare samaj pe, bacchon pe bura asar pade.”
------------------------------------------
"Once you sign a contract for a film, you are bound to fulfil its requirements. I refused to be part of this track once I read the Kannada lyrics, but I was asked to translate them into Hindi, and I had to fulfil my role as per the contract. I had told the director (Prem) not to credit me as a lyricist for this song"
-- Raqueeb Alam
------------------------------------------
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 18, 2026)
The track Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke, featuring Nora Fatehi and Sanjay Dutt, from the upcoming film KD: The Devil, has been drawing social media outrage for its vulgar lyrics ever since its release on Sunday.
When we reached out to its lyricist Raqueeb Alam, he outrightly denied it as his own creation: “Yeh lyrics maine nahin likhe hain, they were written by the film’s director, Prem, in Kannada. When I was asked to write all this, I refused, saying such songs will be censored. They told me to only literally translate and give it to them. Words like ‘choosega’, ‘chaatega’ are all there in the original version. Mujhe kya zaroorat hai aise gaane likhne ki? I am feeling humiliated.”
The official song version had been taken down by the makers from YouTube at the time of this article going to press. To this, Raqueeb adds, “They called me on Monday and requested that I write a fresh version with clean lyrics. They were planning to release the new version along with an apology note.”
People from within the industry have expressed shock. Singer Armaan Malik tweeted, “Sad to see commercial songwriting hit a new low.” Filmmaker Onir wrote, “...Strange country we are becoming... opposing Valentines Day celebration, interfaith marriage/ celebration, while ok with this rubbish.” Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut commented, “Bollywood has crossed all limits with vulgarity, tactics and attention-seeking.”
Avatar: The Way Of Water in South beats the Pongal/Sankranthi releases
7:59 AM
Box Office India Trade Network
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER has beaten all the big South holiday releases as it finishes with a 189-190 crore nett from the South Indian territories. This is more than the four major South releases over the holiday period where the Telugu film WALTAIR VEERAYYA may turn out the biggest with around 160 crore nett but this is well short of the numbers of AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER.
Not only has AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER beaten these Pongal/Sankranthi releases but it is just outside the top ten grossing films ever in South India. The only films with bigger numbers are ENTHIRAN, BAAHUBALI: THE BEGINNING, BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION, 2.0, ALA VAIKUNTHAPURRAMULOO, RRR, KGF - CHAPTER 2, VIKRAM, PONNIYIN SELVAN - PART 1 and KANTARA and these form the top ten and are listed in terms of release order.
The comparison between AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER and the holiday releases in South India (Nizam/Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Mysore/Karnataka, Kerala) is as follows.
Avatar: The Way Of Water - 190 crore
Waltair Veerayya - 160 crore
Varisu - 150 crore
Thunivu - 105 crore
Veera Simha Reddy - 90 crore
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER has practically finished its run and collections will be as above while other film still running could earn a little more or less but it will still be short of the AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER's numbers.
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 761
10:48 PM
FIRST RELEASE OF 2023 FLOPS; PATHAAN’S ADVANCE GIVES HOPE; CINEMA LOVER’S DAY TO BOOST FOOTFALLS
Not much was expected from Kuttey, the first major Bollywood release of 2023. Yet, its dismal opening and lack of jump in collections did give a shock. The word of mouth was extremely mixed and moreover, it looked like a niche product. As a result, it’ll collect only around Rs. 3-3.25 crores in Week 1. Though the coming weekend is open, it’ll not be advantageous for the film.
The South films – Varisu and Thunivu – meanwhile did very well though due to the clash, the collections got affected for both. Varisu also saw a release in Hindi and the collections were underwhelming but it's better than that of Kuttey. It is set to collect Rs. 6 crores in Week 1 and its lifetime collections will be around Rs. 10 crores.
Tomorrow, two major films will be released. One is Akhanda’s Hindi version. The original Telugu version was released on December 2, 2021, and emerged as a smashing hit as its word of mouth was supremely positive. However, just like most South dubbed films, it is releasing with very minimal awareness. The hope is that it’ll grow with positive word of mouth and even sustain the Pathaan wave. The first day collections should be around Rs. 50-75 lakhs and might cross the Rs. 1 crore mark. If Hindi audiences also love the film, the film can see a huge jump on Saturday.
The other release is the Hollywood animated film, Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. Due to limited films in cinemas, it has got a very wide release. The collections can be strong in certain cities during the weekend.
Meanwhile, the collections on Friday, January 20, are expected to be encouraging as all theatres are celebrating Cinema Lovers Day. As part of the celebrations, prices of all shows would be just Rs. 99. The IMAX tickets are priced in the range of Rs. 199 and Rs. 299. Films like Avatar: The Way Of Water and the Marathi film Ved, starring Riteish Deshmukh, have got maximum bookings followed by Puss In Boots: The Last Wish and the Marathi film Vaalvi.
Lastly, the advance booking of Pathaan has taken a flying start. It has already sold 1 lakh tickets for the opening day. If all goes well, the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer will emerge as one of the biggest openers of all time. We’ll discuss this aspect in detail in the next edition of Bollywood Talk.
Not much was expected from Kuttey, the first major Bollywood release of 2023. Yet, its dismal opening and lack of jump in collections did give a shock. The word of mouth was extremely mixed and moreover, it looked like a niche product. As a result, it’ll collect only around Rs. 3-3.25 crores in Week 1. Though the coming weekend is open, it’ll not be advantageous for the film.
The South films – Varisu and Thunivu – meanwhile did very well though due to the clash, the collections got affected for both. Varisu also saw a release in Hindi and the collections were underwhelming but it's better than that of Kuttey. It is set to collect Rs. 6 crores in Week 1 and its lifetime collections will be around Rs. 10 crores.
Tomorrow, two major films will be released. One is Akhanda’s Hindi version. The original Telugu version was released on December 2, 2021, and emerged as a smashing hit as its word of mouth was supremely positive. However, just like most South dubbed films, it is releasing with very minimal awareness. The hope is that it’ll grow with positive word of mouth and even sustain the Pathaan wave. The first day collections should be around Rs. 50-75 lakhs and might cross the Rs. 1 crore mark. If Hindi audiences also love the film, the film can see a huge jump on Saturday.
The other release is the Hollywood animated film, Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. Due to limited films in cinemas, it has got a very wide release. The collections can be strong in certain cities during the weekend.
Meanwhile, the collections on Friday, January 20, are expected to be encouraging as all theatres are celebrating Cinema Lovers Day. As part of the celebrations, prices of all shows would be just Rs. 99. The IMAX tickets are priced in the range of Rs. 199 and Rs. 299. Films like Avatar: The Way Of Water and the Marathi film Ved, starring Riteish Deshmukh, have got maximum bookings followed by Puss In Boots: The Last Wish and the Marathi film Vaalvi.
Lastly, the advance booking of Pathaan has taken a flying start. It has already sold 1 lakh tickets for the opening day. If all goes well, the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer will emerge as one of the biggest openers of all time. We’ll discuss this aspect in detail in the next edition of Bollywood Talk.
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 760
10:40 AM
FIRST MAJOR HINDI FILMS OF 2023 TO RELEASE TOMORROW
The first Friday of 2023, January 6, didn’t have any major Hindi release. But tomorrow – January 13 – will see the release of a small and a medium-budget film. There’s not much hope for these films though the latter, titled Kuttey, can surprise if the word of mouth is strong.
Kuttey marks the directorial debut of Vishal Bhardwaj’s son, Aasmaan Bhardwaj. Vishal along with Luv Ranjan and Bhushan Kumar have jointly produced the film, which stars Arjun Kapoor, Tabu, Konkona Sen Sharma, Naseeruddin Shah, Radhika Madan, Kumud Mishra and Shardul Bharadwaj. The trailer is wacky and promises to be a crazy flick. Interestingly, Vishal Bhardwaj directed Kaminey in 2009 while this film is named Kuttey. In a way, Kuttey seems like a spiritual successor to Kaminey although both films are not connected. The other connection between the two is that Kaminey’s famous ‘Dhan Te Nan’ song has been recreated in Kuttey.
The excitement for Kuttey is minimal. This will result in an opening of Rs. 1-1.50 crores. If the word of mouth is positive, it can have a good jump on Saturday and Sunday. However, if the reports are not encouraging, it’ll prove detrimental.
The other release of the week is Lakadbaggha. It stars Anshuman Jha and marks the film debut of Ridhi Dogra. The makers claim that it is India's first film about a vigilante for animals. Milind Soman and Paresh Pahuja also star in this movie, which is directed by Victor Mukherjee. Though the idea is interesting, due to the lack of known faces, there’s negligible excitement. One can at least hope that it receives critical acclaim as its box office collections will be very low.
Meanwhile, down South, there was a huge clash as two Tamil superstars – Ajith and Vijay – released their respective films yesterday, on Pongal – Thunivu and Varisu. Both have embarked on a huge opening in Tamil Nadu and even in other states and countries. In Hindi, only Vijay’s Varisu will see a release, on Friday, January 13. The awareness of the film is limited in the Hindi-speaking markets. But since it’s a mass entertainer, one never knows. Varisu might not open huge but in the coming days, it might collect more than Kuttey. The word of mouth of Varisu, however, has been mixed and this can go against the Hindi dubbed version.
The first Friday of 2023, January 6, didn’t have any major Hindi release. But tomorrow – January 13 – will see the release of a small and a medium-budget film. There’s not much hope for these films though the latter, titled Kuttey, can surprise if the word of mouth is strong.
Kuttey marks the directorial debut of Vishal Bhardwaj’s son, Aasmaan Bhardwaj. Vishal along with Luv Ranjan and Bhushan Kumar have jointly produced the film, which stars Arjun Kapoor, Tabu, Konkona Sen Sharma, Naseeruddin Shah, Radhika Madan, Kumud Mishra and Shardul Bharadwaj. The trailer is wacky and promises to be a crazy flick. Interestingly, Vishal Bhardwaj directed Kaminey in 2009 while this film is named Kuttey. In a way, Kuttey seems like a spiritual successor to Kaminey although both films are not connected. The other connection between the two is that Kaminey’s famous ‘Dhan Te Nan’ song has been recreated in Kuttey.
The excitement for Kuttey is minimal. This will result in an opening of Rs. 1-1.50 crores. If the word of mouth is positive, it can have a good jump on Saturday and Sunday. However, if the reports are not encouraging, it’ll prove detrimental.
The other release of the week is Lakadbaggha. It stars Anshuman Jha and marks the film debut of Ridhi Dogra. The makers claim that it is India's first film about a vigilante for animals. Milind Soman and Paresh Pahuja also star in this movie, which is directed by Victor Mukherjee. Though the idea is interesting, due to the lack of known faces, there’s negligible excitement. One can at least hope that it receives critical acclaim as its box office collections will be very low.
Meanwhile, down South, there was a huge clash as two Tamil superstars – Ajith and Vijay – released their respective films yesterday, on Pongal – Thunivu and Varisu. Both have embarked on a huge opening in Tamil Nadu and even in other states and countries. In Hindi, only Vijay’s Varisu will see a release, on Friday, January 13. The awareness of the film is limited in the Hindi-speaking markets. But since it’s a mass entertainer, one never knows. Varisu might not open huge but in the coming days, it might collect more than Kuttey. The word of mouth of Varisu, however, has been mixed and this can go against the Hindi dubbed version.
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 759
10:07 PM
NO FILM RELEASE IN THE FIRST WEEK OF 2023; ALL EYES ON PATHAAN
The first Friday of 2023 is here but there won’t be any release. There was a time when it was said that the films that release in the initial week of the year flop at the ticket window. This jinx became popular as several films that were released in the first week didn't work. No one was ready to accept that these films were badly made and hence, bombed. The jinx was broken by No One Killed Jessica. It was released on January 7, 2011, and yet, was a hit as it was loved and also had generated some buzz before the release.
In 2021, RRR was all set to be released on January 7, 2022. But due to the Omicron wave scare, it was pushed to March 25. Had it been released as scheduled, it would have obviously worked the same way as it did later on.
This year, no producer had planned to take up the January 6 date for the simple reason that the biggie, Adipurush, was supposed to release on January 12, 2023. Its teaser was unveiled on October 2 and was panned for its VFX and graphics. As a result, the makers decided to rework on the CGI, resulting in the postponement. The official announcement about the change of release date to June 16 was done in November. As per reports, a few makers did think of preponing their films, planned for a release in February and March, and releasing them on January 12. But due to various reasons, it couldn’t happen. T-Series, the producers of Adipurush, then announced that their small film, Kuttey, will release in the second week of January. The Hindi version of Vijay-starrer Varisu and Ajith-starrer Thunivu will also clash with Kuttey and can surprise.
But more than these films, the trade is looking forward to the release of Pathaan. It marks Shah Rukh Khan’s comeback after more than four years and hence, it has generated tremendous excitement. It’ll release on January 25 and after a disastrous 2022, the trade is hoping that this action-packed film brings some cheer and respite.
In fact, another reason why no one preferred coming on January 6 after Adipurush’s postponement is the release of Cirkus. It is directed by Rohit Shetty and released in theatres on December 23, 2022. The trade, industry and even moviegoers expected it to have a superb run at the box office. However, it had a poor opening and due to word of mouth, it is now struggling to cross the Rs. 40 crores mark. Had it been a hit, it had the potential to rule the cinemas till Pathaan’s release on Republic Day. Alas, it flopped and Adipurush also got pushed, resulting in the lack of big releases in January, except the Shah Rukh Khan starrer.
The first Friday of 2023 is here but there won’t be any release. There was a time when it was said that the films that release in the initial week of the year flop at the ticket window. This jinx became popular as several films that were released in the first week didn't work. No one was ready to accept that these films were badly made and hence, bombed. The jinx was broken by No One Killed Jessica. It was released on January 7, 2011, and yet, was a hit as it was loved and also had generated some buzz before the release.
In 2021, RRR was all set to be released on January 7, 2022. But due to the Omicron wave scare, it was pushed to March 25. Had it been released as scheduled, it would have obviously worked the same way as it did later on.
This year, no producer had planned to take up the January 6 date for the simple reason that the biggie, Adipurush, was supposed to release on January 12, 2023. Its teaser was unveiled on October 2 and was panned for its VFX and graphics. As a result, the makers decided to rework on the CGI, resulting in the postponement. The official announcement about the change of release date to June 16 was done in November. As per reports, a few makers did think of preponing their films, planned for a release in February and March, and releasing them on January 12. But due to various reasons, it couldn’t happen. T-Series, the producers of Adipurush, then announced that their small film, Kuttey, will release in the second week of January. The Hindi version of Vijay-starrer Varisu and Ajith-starrer Thunivu will also clash with Kuttey and can surprise.
But more than these films, the trade is looking forward to the release of Pathaan. It marks Shah Rukh Khan’s comeback after more than four years and hence, it has generated tremendous excitement. It’ll release on January 25 and after a disastrous 2022, the trade is hoping that this action-packed film brings some cheer and respite.
In fact, another reason why no one preferred coming on January 6 after Adipurush’s postponement is the release of Cirkus. It is directed by Rohit Shetty and released in theatres on December 23, 2022. The trade, industry and even moviegoers expected it to have a superb run at the box office. However, it had a poor opening and due to word of mouth, it is now struggling to cross the Rs. 40 crores mark. Had it been a hit, it had the potential to rule the cinemas till Pathaan’s release on Republic Day. Alas, it flopped and Adipurush also got pushed, resulting in the lack of big releases in January, except the Shah Rukh Khan starrer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)