Showing posts with label Zero. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zero. Show all posts
All Christmas releases in last 7 years have flopped badly or underperformed
8:42 AM
Box Office India Trade Network
The Christmas period is probably the best time of year for a release as a period unless you get lucky at some other point in the year when the holidays fall together. The holiday on Christmas Day may not be the biggest if we compare with the other national holidays but that period till New Year is no doubt the best. Its been proven by the way PUSHPA 2 - THE RULE and MUFASA: THE LION KING have held up in the Christmas week.
But this period is seeing bad results recently with films doing badly (and that is putting it mildly). The results are bad and that is with the holidays so imagine but what would be the results of these films outside if this period was not there. The last money spinner on Christmas was TIGER ZINDA HAI way back in 2017 and since then results have been awful with just SALAAR that can be called a HIT film and that too because of outside elements of block bookings. If you take that out, it will not be a HIT.
Also this film is from the South industry and if we take the films from the Hindi film industry then its only DUNKI to have AVERAGE status. But here there was block bookings as well and on top it had titans like Shah Rukh Khan and Rajkumar Hirani and the Christmas period. On that basis, its pretty much a flop as well as far as the industry goes but for for the records books its gets average collections.
The period was seen as dull due to the cold weather in the North but with multiplexes mushrooming post 2006 and a few Aamir Khan films running riot in this period, it became the best time for release but the last few years have gone for a toss with the period going to waste with poor films. The potential of this period is still huge and that can be seen by the fourth week numbers of PUSHPA 2 - THE RULE. But it needs the film and looking at the list below it has seen some super duds in terms of content in the last few years with ZERO,' 83, CIRKUS and now BABY JOHN.
The difference with Christmas and other holidays is not about a day or two but a period and some numbers should pile up. However, its just bad luck that some of the worst movies have come on Christmas and the period hardly mattered as the story is over on day one itself.
The verdicts of Christmas releases over the past few years is as follows.
2018
Zero - DISASTER
2019
Dabangg 3 - FLOP
2020
-
2021
'83 - DISASTER
2022
Cirkus - DISASTER
2023
Dunki - AVERAGE
Salaar - HIT
2024
Baby John - DISASTER
I recorded an audition tape for Anushka Sharma's character in Zero; it moved Aanand L Rai-Katrina Kaif
8:51 AM
Bollywood’s unlikeliest top heroine, Katrina Kaif, on two decades of stardom
Mayank Shekhar (MID-DAY; March 2, 2024)
Surely, you’ve seen the film Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008). “If I’m not mistaken, it was Ranbir Kapoor’s second film, and his first for Yash Raj [Films],” Bollywood star Katrina Kaif informs us.
Now, there were four women in that movie. Three you know: Bipasha Basu, Deepika Padukone, Minissha Lamba. The fourth was? Katrina!
The film was, in a sense, a goal unlocked for her—she had been “vying for a Yash Raj production” for some time. Except that once she met producer Aditya Chopra, he said, “The script was getting too long—so we had to snip the fourth female part.”
Katrina recalls, “It was a limited role, yes. But I was, like, you gotta be joking! Shortly thereafter, Aditya called me to offer another film.
“He’d already taken me off a big commercial release. My response to the new offer was—he’s instead offering me a small, artsy film, with no songs, scale, dance, and with Kabir Khan, who’s a documentary filmmaker? I was not happy about it!”
Salman Khan convinced her to do the role. He had met Kabir before, discussing his debut, Kabul Express (2006), and was impressed enough—although they worked together on Ek Tha Tiger (2012) much later.
The Katrina film in question is New York (2009), a political drama, set in post-9/11 America. She says, “I walked begrudgingly on to that set, looking disdainfully [in my head], biting my teeth: such a small crew, where are the lights, cameras… I had just come off Singh Is Kinng (2008), that had been so massively loved by audiences.”
Cut to the wrap-day of the film’s shoot in New York, and she was crying: “Nobody wanted the shoot to end. Up until this day, New York remains the most amazing and eye-opening experience of my life in films.”
“The closest friends I have in the industry are from that film. It played a bit of a role in the journey of my life, thereafter. Kabir gave me the confidence to have my own voice. Something I hadn’t even considered.”
Until then, Katrina confesses, she went by a simple Bollywood playbook on sets: “Do as told. Quietly.” If you scroll through her filmography thereafter, full of male superstar-driven money-spinners otherwise, you do sense a particular pivot, post New York.
Next stop: Prakash Jha’s Raajneeti (2010), the Mahabharat, adapted into the heartland of India’s politics: “I mean, what an experience, what a shoot!”
Katrina remembers, “There was this sequence in Bhopal, where my character’s husband dies, and I take centre-stage. I look before me. There are 2,000-3,000 people, for as long as your eyes can see. I’m supposed to give a speech in front of them, like a politician, and with the film’s entire cast [on the podium]. My hands were trembling. I remember Nana [Patekar] Sir telling me, it’s going to be fine; just go ahead and do it. And it was fine!”
From here on, we can cut further to multiple parts in Katrina’s thoroughly mainstream career, with enough meat for her to juice out as an actor as well—Zoya Akhtar’s ensemble road-trip, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011, easily my favourite), to Bharat (2019), a synchronous history of contemporary India, told through the lives of its protagonists, with Katrina paired opposite Salman.
But she wants to zero-in, instead, on Aanand L Rai’s Zero (2018). TIL: Before Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) got onboard that picture, it was titled Katrina Meri Jaan, with Katrina playing a double role!
Well, to clarify, “That was a different script. It changed thereafter. But when Anand Sir was narrating me this [new script to play Babita Kumari], my ears and eyes kept perking up to the other female role [of Afiya, suffering from cerebral palsy].”
“Anand Sir said he had someone else in mind for it. I went home that day and recorded an audition tape on my iPhone for the part. I went back and showed him the recording on my laptop. It really moved him. That gave me hope, and we kept circling on it, for days.”
“I was so attached to the part [eventually played by Anushka Sharma] that I couldn’t even care if there was anything good in what was being offered to me.”
“It was Shah Rukh who said I was getting too emotionally attached, and that I should trust him, and do the film. That’s how I got a chance to do [Babita]. It’s one of the best roles I’ve ever done.”
These intercuts into some of Katrina’s more challenging parts are essential. If only to explain how she’s delivered arguably her finest role in films thus far.
That of Maria, in Sriram Raghavan’s Merry Christmas (2024), squarely shouldering a tough, tight plot, primarily set in a South Bombay apartment, flitting between a couple of male characters, while the camera stays on her, almost throughout a stunningly claustrophobic murder mystery!
It is, in many ways, a culmination of sorts. The person you’d instantly think of in that role is probably Tabu. Katrina agrees, “I think Tabu is fabulous, anyway. But I loved her in [Raghavan’s] Andhadun.”
That said, when Sriram and his co-writer, editor Pooja Ladha Surti, first narrated Merry Christmas to Katrina, she found herself asking several questions to do with the motivations of her character: “It’s at the end of this meeting, Sriram Sir said I should write the backstory of Maria—oh, no, wait, it’s been a while, it wasn’t him.”
“After that narration, I actually wrote down Maria’s backstory on my own, at home. This was during the lockdown. I emailed it to him, and he loved it. We achieved a more in-depth story, based on that. He’s the kind of filmmaker who gives you that space.”
And yet, if you go through a series of interviews with Katrina before the release of Merry Christmas, she appears to repeat one aspect of her time filming the suspense-drama—that she was crying so much, before and during the filmmaking. Strangely, none of the interviewers seem to ask her, why? Sounds awful—why would she have to cry so much?
Katrina laughs, “Some of the crying [during the shoot] was part of the script.” Clearly, that’s not all. Let’s revisit the timeline again then. “Firstly, there was a major time gap from the narration to when the film went on floors, which was literally three and half weeks after I got married [to actor Vicky Kaushal].”
“You’re in this celebratory, jubilant space. There was COVID in between. All I wanted to do was spend time with my husband that we hadn’t had together. Since I’m obsessed with my work, diving into this intense and darker film was getting difficult. In my head, I wasn’t in that zone. But once you realize it’s happening, you just have to dive into the deep end.”
The other thing, Katrina confesses she has, is a loosely streaming sense of “selective memory”: “Now, Sriram Sir had told me, and this got reconfirmed by my manager—but I had totally passed it over my head—that we had to shoot the film, separately, in Tamil as well!”
“One of those things about ignorance being bliss, but it can land you in trouble. Even Sriram Sir hesitated from bringing it up, until four days before he had to remind me, to start the film’s sequences in Tamil; after shooting in Hindi.
“I tried to convince him not to do it. I went so far as asking him to cast another actress for the Tamil part.” Why so scared? “I’ll tell you why: if this was any other film—take my last four releases—doing it in Tamil all over would be fine.”
“But this is a very conversational film. There are scenes, where there are 15 minutes of only dialogue. That much of talking, when it has to happen again in Tamil is different. That’s when the tears started.”
“The tears of quietness [before that] were for the Hindi portions. Three days, I cried a lot. I was working myself up as well. My [Tamil] dialogue coach, Deepa Venkat, came in, to drop the stress: ‘The moment you hear action, do not think; force yourself; trust what happens!’”
I’ve watched the Hindi and Tamil versions of Merry Christmas. She’s pulled off both breezily, looking equally effortless.
For most Indians, the mental image/portrait likely to emerge, once they hear the name, Katrina Kaif, is likely to be the unabashed dancing queen from Chikni Chameli, or Sheela Ki Jawani, aimed at the nation’s front rows, looking for carefree, ‘paisa-vasool’ entertainment.
In 2009, Leo Mattel modelled the Indian Barbie on the 10-on-10 Katrina, with a tote bag; then in her mid-20s. She’s been at the top of Bollywood blockbuster scene for two decades.
Yet, if you sit down to casually chit-chat cinema, series, etc—her eclectic palette could surprise you, sometimes.
For instance, in a clip sent over to me by a friend, before I meet Katrina for this edition of Sit With Hitlist, she’s seated with Vijay Sethupathi, her Tamil co-star from Merry Christmas—casually talking up Vijay’s films, Super Deluxe (2019), and 96 (2018).
Both movies would be considered prohibitively avant-garde by desi-commercial standards. Is that the ‘Vicky Kaushal’ effect on her, I gently tease—referring to how her husband, who made his debut with Neeraj Ghaywan’s Masaan (2015), could be exposing her to another world within Indian cinema!
Quick to respond, she says, “As a wife, I do pull Vicky’s leg about how he’s such an art-house film buff. And he’s, of course, totally in tune with all the latest shows and films, and what’s being made. That’s where he comes from.”
But, no, so far as the film 96 is concerned, “I got to see it, because I was approached for its Hindi remake.” Super Deluxe is her late-night OTT, as with any other movie-binger.
Even as an actor, Katrina says, “It’s not like I’ve lived in my own different land. I’ve always been in touch [with all other cinemas].”
“For example, Dibakar Banerjee’s films. It’s another matter that [a film together] couldn’t work out. That was because of me. And that’s destiny. But we’ve been in touch. Until about a year and half ago, I was regularly meeting [director] Vasan Bala, discussing ideas.”
Either way, what’s undeniable with any relationship, let alone marriage, is how one tends to inevitably expand interests and friends’ circles, as a result of the partner. With Vicky (they got married in December, 2021), Katrina says it’s been more with the meeting of large families.
“I have six sisters. He has a huge family still back in Punjab. Besides, he has a large circle of friends, from college—I think about 20 of them. Some of whom live in New York, so we meet them, when we’re there…”
Vicky’s father, Sham Kaushal is, of course, an old Bollywood hand—one of the city’s top action directors over decades, who’s equally straddled multiple movie universes within Mumbai; from Black Friday (2004) to Krrish 3 (2013).
Once you probe further, you realize Katrina isn’t as hung up in her head over off-stream and mainstream—the distinction isn’t as marked, or she hasn’t cared to creatively define it.
For instance, she says, “I want to portray myself in a new way now. I don’t wish to repeat myself too much. In several scenarios, I myself feel repetitive and bored. I’m pretty sure, the audiences will, too. I’m no more the 19-year-old, who entered this industry.”
At the same time, she’s clear, her big, 2023 release, Tiger 3, the commercial hat-trick instalment of the Salman blast-fest checks all of those novelty boxes: “Tiger 3 belongs to the amazing franchise—the space that gives me joy. It’s not repetitive at all. I found the way [director] Maneesh [Sharma] explored [lead character] Zoya’s backstory was really brave, within an action blockbuster. That’s a side of me close to my heart—I love the female action genre.”
Likewise, with dance, she adds, “When I walked into Dhoom 3, those songs, and dancing to them as a circus performer, looking athletic—that’s been my dream and passion; maybe it’s not someone else’s. Rehearsals in those dance halls is my solace. That’s who I am.”
The film New York indeed provided her a fresher “milieu”, but the film that brought her up to skill as an actor, a gamechanger of sorts, she reasons, was Vipul Shah’s Namastey London (2007): “Even though it was comical, with a romcom tone to it; it was such a great character, and story. Not the typical East meets West.”
In Namastey London, Katrina paired opposite Akshay Kumar, the other co-star, besides Salman, she’s delivered a string of roaring commercial successes with.
She thinks she’s done more films with Akshay than Salman; starting to count them on her fingertips, while this can be googled in a second. Quick search results in a tie, Salman: 7, Akshay: 7.
Besides the obvious longevity of their respective careers—both Salman and Akshay have been maxing mainstream box-office for over three decades—something she can lay claim to herself, I ask Katrina to decode these two superstars, in terms of how different they are to be on set with, as actors.
She says, “It’s just the morning and night thing—who you see more daylight with. With Akshay [a morning person], I just have to request him for a later call-time on the set. With Salman, it’s the opposite.”
“I have to ask Salman, ‘Please come early, no?’ That apart, they’re two totally different individuals. While it doesn’t look it, Salman is always thinking of the larger story of a film, rather than the scene at hand alone. With Akshay, there’s a lot more improvisation.”
Either way, her own riffing off the actors’ energies on shoot doesn’t change: “I’m not focused on what my co-actor is doing. I come prepared to the set. That’s what I do on my own. And then I incorporate that with the director and co-actor.”
To be honest, I tell Katrina, I was a little apprehensive myself, stepping into this interview. Not for the lack of prep, of course. And she’s perfectly genial, even genuinely happy/goofy, to converse with.
It’s just that she may not be the most giving of all interviewees, when it comes to delving further into her life, outside films, or her world, before films.
Even as the intention isn’t to pry on a private life; only to shine a better torch on a public figure. And so be it. A decade ago, I tell her, I had been commissioned by Caravan, a magazine of longform journalism to write a 7,000-word piece (way over twice the size of this profile) on Katrina.
I was drawing a complete blank, for days. Choosing therefore to fill up the space with more of context-setting, instead—history of Anglo-Indians in Bollywood; shift from silent cinema to talkies; the anatomy of the Hindi film dance; a growing expat sub-culture of heroines in desi-mainstream, etc.
While I had chatted with Katrina for a few hours for the piece, there were no expository personal anecdotes, at all. I had asked her then if I could speak to her British mother (Suzanne Turquotte), about her growing up years. She texted back, “Could we rather not?” Totally respect that, of course.
Yet, for a desi pop-culture story, there is none that matches Katrina’s scale—for someone who landed in Bombay, from London, in her late teens, with a friend.
Had only watched one Bollywood film (SRK-starrer, Asoka; 2001), until she made her own film debut, a couple of years later. She knew no one in town, upon arrival. She knew not a word of Hindi, before aspiring to be the quintessential Hindi film heroine, and inching towards the top-spot, soon after.
No, seriously, how? Let’s attempt a step-by-step, still. Even before she got a movie gig, Katrina had landed a contract with L’Oreal, which means she was a successful model, already. But, she says, “My heart was always here, in films. I don’t know how.” Target set, surely what followed was perseverance.
She says she would start her day at 6 am, to attend kathak classes, until noon, in a “small, non-AC room, with Guruji Veeru Krishnan—Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta were the seniors [in class].”
With Hindi, actor Jackie Shroff advised her to master the Devnagari script: “On the set, those days, often you’d be handed the dialogues, right before shoot. I didn’t want to be in a position, where I’m wondering what to do. The base in Devnagari saved me. There is then nothing complex [in the learning of the language].”
But beyond all of the above, it was, as Katrina puts it, “Naivete and innocence of the times. Barely at 17, I saw nothing as difficult back then. Today, I would say impossible to the same things. Which is strange. I guess that’s what happens when you have nothing to lose. At this point, of course, I have other goals—but I’ve achieved all that I’d set out to do. Yet, criticism would hurt and affect me far more.”
When she was starting out, though, “An instance, I remember, from a South Indian film, with Venkatesh [Malliswari, 2004]— I was shooting a song, and there was someone on the set, yelling, ‘This girl can’t dance.’ I’ve had people telling me to my face: ‘You will not make it. You won’t succeed.’ Somehow, I wasn’t pained. Never felt sensitive about it. For me, it was about taking in the info. It didn’t penetrate me to stop.”
“I would sit and cry, but believe in the process in the healthiest way; work a little harder to perfect my craft. Eventually, I worked with all those same people who said, ‘We won’t take you in our films!’”
In Bollywood, David Dhawan’s Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya (2005) was her second film, and her first hit (Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar must count as a cameo).
She debuted disastrously with Kaizad Gustad’s Boom (2003), the year’s most anticipated movie—albeit a film so deliciously bad, that it must rank up there among the greats.
As always, bad movies make for the most fun reviews—essentially, stand-up comedy on text/print. That review fetched me the job as a permanent film critic, I tell Katrina, off-record. Unwittingly, I owe her one!
Practically everyone involved with Boom pelted eggs on it, in public, post-release. Not sure about Bo Derek (also in the cast), certainly Amitabh Bachchan; also, Salman Rushdie (his girlfriend, then, Padma Lakshmi, was in the film). Katrina hasn’t said a word on it since. And she continues to maintain that stony silence. Respect her choice, of course.
Was it Tolstoy, who roughly said, a great story is one of two things—a man sets off on a journey, or a stranger comes to town. Katrina is both those splendid stories.
I offer an unsolicited advice—that she should someday write that story. Totally unfiltered, just the way she saw it, with all those things she’s kept to herself since.
She says, “No, thank you. Let’s leave some things unwritten. What I want said is the work I have done, and the work that I hope to leave behind.”
Will Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Dunki and Prabhas-starrer Salaar clash on Christmas 2023?
8:43 AM
A likely clash between Shah Rukh Khan and Prabhas’ films has left trade and exhibitors worried about the fate of the two on the box office
Sugandha Rawal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 27, 2023)
Come Christmas weekend, there might be a battle of the beasts with actor Prabhas’ Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire expected to clash with actor Shah Rukh Khan’s Dunki. While the official word is awaited, trade insiders feel Salaar, helmed by Prashanth Neel, will release on December 22, a slot already reserved by director Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki.
NOT A HEALTHY TREND
Trade expert Taran Adarsh feels clashes aren’t healthy: “These are big projects with big stars. If Salaar makers go ahead with this clash, it will be cause for concern for the exhibitors and distribution fraternity by dividing the audience.”
There is a three-way clash with the sequel of superhero film Aquaman also releasing around the same time. “Prabhas’s Project K is announced for January 2024. You can’t have two Prabhas films releasing back-to-back,” says trade expert-producer Girish Johar.
The calls to avoid the clash are also backed by the high ticket prices, with trade experts saying that families won’t watch two films in a week, as it would hurt their budget. Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi notes that a clash puts a dent in each projects’ revenue by at least Rs. 100 crore: “They deserve the widest possible release across the country, which won’t happen if they clash. For single screens, more prevalent in the South, it will be a question of choosing one over the other.”
Devang Sampat, CEO, Cinepolis, feels that having more than two big films releasing on the same day isn’t a good idea. “India is an under-screened country and having three blockbusters will eat into each other’s pie, increasing the potential to hamper a good box-office business report card,” he notes.
A REPEAT OF 2018?
This isn’t the first time that producer Vijay Kiragandur’s company will release an action project alongside SRK’s film. In 2018, KGF - Chapter 1 had a box-office clash with Khan’s Zero. The former, featuring actor Yash, emerged as the clear winner, with the film amassing more than Rs. 204 crore at the domestic box office. Zero, on the other hand, didn’t do well.
BOLLYWOOD IS UNSTOPPABLE
Given Shah Rukh Khan’s run so far in 2023, many are confident about Dunki. Trade expert Atul Mohan says, “Shah Rukh will be the first preference of the exhibitors because Prabhas gave back-to-back flops with Radhe Shyam (2022) and Adipurush. SRK has also found a new fan base in the South after Jawan, which is likely to work in his favour.”
PRABHAS WAITING TO BOUNCE BACK
After back-to-back flops, Prabhas has his hopes pinned on Salaar to reclaim his heydays as an actor. Trade expert Ramesh Bala feels he has nothing to fear: “Dunki is expected to be a feel-good drama with social commentary, while Salaar is an out-and-out action film. Prabhas has an edge with big makers backing the film. Dunki may not work in the South.”
I know my intentions were right, whether it was Zero or Raksha Bandhan-Aanand L Rai
8:12 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 28, 2023)
Filmmaker Aanand L Rai says that box-office collections never impact his film choices. Rai, who celebrates his birthday today, admits that the constant change in audiences’ likes and dislikes keeps everyone “on their toes”.
He shares, “Every decade, there’s a change of audience and taste. As a filmmaker, you will face these obstacles. Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015) got everything right. The audience loved Dhanush (actor) as the protagonist in Raanjhanaa (2013). This is a sign of changing times.”
Interestingly, Rai is looking forward to collaborating with Dhanush for the third time with his next directorial, Tere Ishk Mein. Earlier, they worked together in Raanjhanaa and Atrangi Re (2021).
Rai’s last release, Raksha Bandhan (2022), didn’t manage to impress moviegoers. Ask how he keeps himself motivated and starts afresh after a film fails to rake in the moolah, and the 52-year-old says, “I am a student. There will be times when my thesis will not get everything right. The only time my confidence can be broken is if I falter in my intention. I know my intentions were right, whether it was Zero (2018; the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer) or Raksha Bandhan. I scored brilliantly with Tanu Weds Manu Returns. My intentions were the same for all the projects.”
Without asking or taking any money, even for his costume, Shah Rukh Khan came, did his job, and left-R Madhavan
8:49 AM
R Madhavan on casting Shah Rukh Khan for a cameo in his directorial debut
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; July 3, 2022)
For a fan, there’s nothing more thrilling than catching a glimpse of their favourite actor. And if the actor happens to be Shah Rukh Khan, the excitement is ten-fold. After four years, the King of Bollywood made a screen appearance, albeit in a cameo role, for R Madhavan’s directorial debut, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect. Those in the know were waiting to see the star in action with bated breath. It was long decided that Khan would do a role in Madhavan’s film, only when and where was left undecided.
“I had talked about the script [of the biopic] to SRK sir when we were shooting for Zero [2018]. I didn’t know he had paid attention [then]. On his birthday [November 2], when we met him, he said, ‘Maddy, the script is damn good. I want to do a role in it’. [He was] serious. I was happy that he even remembered. He later called up asking how many dates I wanted,” recollected Madhavan, adding that he had planned a “dynamic role” for him.
The recently released film sees Khan reprise south star Suriya’s role in the Hindi and English version, where he plays a journalist. “Without asking or taking any money, even for his costume, Khan saab came, did his job, and left,” explains Maddy.
He believed that SRK took up the role because he had a fondness for him, but this theory was later disapproved when he saw Khan interacting with rocket scientist Nambi Narayanan. “I was jealous seeing him interact with Nambi Narayanan and the amount of respect he had for [the scientist].”
Having been an outsider in the Hindi film industry, Madhavan had often heard stories about the good and bad of Bollywood. Still, Khan’s attitude confirmed that, “There are some spectacularly good people in the industry.”
Rocktery: The Nambi Effect is based on the life of rocket scientist Nambi Narayanan at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), who was falsely accused of espionage and arrested in 1994.
Top five biggest losers of all time; '83 is on number 1 position
8:44 AM
Box Office India Trade Network
There have been many disaster films in Hindi cinema since the Sohrab Modi film JHANSI KI RANI in 1953 which was the first film to lose a huge amount of money. The film only lost 30 lakh but at that time there were hardly any films made on a budget of 30 lakhs and it was a huge amount for that time.
There are two ways at looking at disasters - one is the amount of money they lose and then there are complete washout films which just tank but sometimes they do not lose the most money as the budgets are lower and many times there is decent recovery from non theatrical revenue against the budget.
These washouts would include films like RAM GOPAL VARMA KI AAG (2007), DRONA (2008), KHELEIN HUM JEE JAAN SEY (2010), ZANJEER (2013), BOMBAY VELVET (2015) MIRZYA (2015), FITOOR (2016), RANGOON (2017) among others. '83 does not come in this list as its not what you call a washout but more of a rejected film. The washout films are the ones where the public just does not care for these films and don't even give them a chance.
Below is a list of the top five losers in Hindi cinema and these are the films to have lost 50 crore or more but only one of these films is a disaster and a washout also and that is BOMBAY VELVET. The others are also disasters due to heavy losses but they are rejected films and not washouts. The number in brackets is the loss of the film. The washout result of BOMBAY VELVET can be seen by the footfalls against the other films. ZERO will remain with the highest footfalls of these films as its likely that '83 will not even reach the level of MOHENJO DARO.
1. '83 (80 cr)
Footfalls - 52 lakhs apprx (2 weeks)
2. Bombay Velvet (70 cr)
Footfalls - 22.24 lakhs
3. Zero (70 cr) (on valued SRK remuneration)
Footfalls - 68.74 lakhs
4. Mohenjo Daro (55 cr)
Footfalls - 60.17 lakhs
5. Jagga Jasoos (50 cr)
Footfalls - 49.74 lakhs
Shah Rukh Khan to be back in action after almost 900 days
8:23 AM
Expected to kick off Siddharth Anand’s thriller by month end; in August, he’ll roll with either Rajkumar Hirani’s immigration tale or Atlee’s next which has him in a double role
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 5, 2020)
Mirror was the first to report that Shah Rukh Khan is gearing up to make a comeback to the screen in 2021. He was last seen in 2018, in the Aanand L Rai-directed Zero, as the vertically challenged Bauuaa Singh with Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma. Now, the actor gets back into action with Siddharth Anand’s Pathan which is scheduled to take off towards the end of November and will be shot over eight months in multiple countries.
“While the November schedule will be in Mumbai with only SRK, co-stars, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham join him early next year during an overseas stint of the film. It is a battle royale between SRK and John, with Deepika playing an important thread, taking the narrative forward,” informs a source, adding that the film is looking to wrap up by June 2021 and eying a release in the last quarter of the year.
Shah Rukh has been growing his hair and a stubble for Pathan. Interestingly, he will be back on the set of his own film after 870 days, as he’d wrapped up Zero in June 2018. During his self-imposed hibernation, he’d shot two cameos—Ayan Mukerji’s fantasy action adventure Brahmastra, featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in the lead, and R Madhavan’s real-life story, Rocketry.
His next will begin around August next year and could be either with Rajkumar Hirani or Atlee at the helm. “While Atlee’s film seems to be in the forefront right now, he has his heart set on Hirani’s social drama, as it will be a breather between two action-packed films. But Hirani takes his time to complete a script and a clear picture will only emerge by mid-2021,” informs the source.
While Hirani’s is an immigration tale that moves between Punjab and Canada, the South director’s next is an action film in which Shah Rukh plays the double role of a special force officer and a dreaded gangster. “The film is currently being scripted by Raju and Kanika Dhillon, they are working on the second half,” shares the source.
Meanwhile, Mirror has learnt that SRK will fly out Atlee’s entire team to Mumbai this December as they are on the verge of locking the script. “Atlee has been developing the script remotely with a team of Karan Johar, who is co-producing the film with SRK. He will be in the city from December for narrations, to lock the cast, scout for locations and get his technical team in place,” reveals the source, adding that the South director will be setting up a new office here, as it won’t be feasible to travel from Chennai to Mumbai every month in the midst of an ongoing pandemic.
Farhan Akhtar bags Saare Jahan Se Achha?
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Farhan Akhtar on board to spearhead Bollywood’s mission into space
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 30, 2020)
The biopic of Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma has been in the news for two years now. Titled Saare Jahan Se Achha, it marks ad-filmmaker Mahesh Mathai’s return to the big screen after Bhopal Express (2000), and traces the journey of Sharma, a former Indian Air Force pilot, to the moon. The astronaut flew aboard Soyuz T-11 on April 3, 1984, becoming the first Indian citizen to travel in space.The celluloid mission was announced in 2018 with Aamir Khan in the titular role, but the actor dropped out subsequently. The film’s writer, Anjum Rajabali, had revealed at a public event, that it was because of his dream project, Mahabharat.
Soon after, the makers approached another Khan, Shah Rukh, who, reportedly, had even started prep while Mahesh and his team went scouting locations in Russia, seeking permission to shoot at real space stations there. SRK was to kick off the shoot in February 2019. However, shocked by the debacle of Zero, the actor, reportedly, wasn’t too keen to do another film that took him into space.
Ever since, there have been speculations in plenty about the casting. Rumours were rife that the makers had gone to Salman Khan with the script in late 2019, but the discussion fell through. The names of Vicky Kaushal and Ranbir Kapoor were also floating around last year. Now, Mirror has learnt that Mahesh finally has another actor on board, Farhan Akhtar.
“After a lot of brainstorming, the team zeroed in on Farhan as he played athlete Milkha Singh to perfection in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Talks are on and after finishing his current commitments, he is expected to jump into the prep, which includes body transformation, physical training and understanding the nuances of an astronaut,” revealed a source close to the development, adding that the two men have a striking resemblance in terms of height and body structure too. “The script with the dialogue draft is locked. With the lead actor on board now, they will proceed towards getting together an ensemble cast and then work on the timeline of the shoot.”
The film chronicles the journey with emotional undertones of the death of Sharma’s daughter. It will also showcase the training sessions he went through as part of the mission which was a joint program between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Soviet Intercosmos Space Program.
Sharma spent 7 days, 21 hours, and 40 minutes in outer space with two other Soviet cosmonauts. The crew held a joint television news conference with officials in Moscow and India’s then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. When Mrs Gandhi asked Sharma how India looked from outer space, he replied, “Saare jahaan se acchha” which explains the title. The team was initially contemplating Salute before unanimously agreeing that Saare Jahaan Se Acchha was a better choice.
On his return, Sharma was conferred the Hero of the Soviet Union, the only Indian to be conferred this title. He also bagged India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, the Ashoka Chakra, along with the two Soviet cosmonaut.
I want to be fearless as a person and as a filmmaker-Aanand L Rai
8:59 PM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; February 21, 2020)
Over the past 13 years since he entered Bollywood, Aanand L Rai has donned both hats with elan — that of a prolific producer and a fine director. And now, he is excited about his latest release, Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, which he has co-produced with Bhushan Kumar. The film, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Jitendra Kumar as the lead romantic pair, deals with the subject of homosexuality in a light-hearted manner. As the movie hits theatres today, Rai talks to BT about being in love with his films, the emotional support he seeks from his actors, and how a serious subject like that of Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, needs to be told through a heavy dose of humour. Excerpts...What encouraged you to come up with a homosexual love story at this point? Did the scrapping of Section 377 (by the Supreme Court in September 2018) encourage you? Or, is the fact that in recent years, films like Aligarh (2015), which dealt with the subject in a serious manner, received a good response from the audience?
When we started working on this subject, Section 377 had not been scrapped. The verdict came during the course of the film and we had to tweak our climax because of it. The reason I decided to make Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan is different.
As a filmmaker, I felt the need to understand their world. There was a time when I wasn’t able to understand the universe of Tanu Weds Manu (2011) and Raanjhanaa (2013). Jaise hi mujhe iss topic pe kuch samajh aaya, I thought of sharing it with the audience. As a team, we really wanted to work on this subject, especially when Hitesh Kewalya (writer-director) came up with a good script. It all started with Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017), when we presented a subject like erectile dysfunction to the family audience. The idea of the franchise is to bring all the topics that are discussed behind closed doors into people’s drawing rooms. It is all about how you make them family entertainers. Ayushmann knew that we were working on this subject, and he got sold on the idea the moment he heard the script.
This movie depicts the romance between two men. So, was it tough getting the lead pair’s (Ayushmann and Jitendra) onscreen chemistry right?
The film is not about the romance between two men, it is about the society accepting two men involved in a romantic relationship. Hum logon ko lagta hai ki yeh unki problem hai, par actually problem hamari hai. It is our problem that we don’t understand a human relationship like this. So, the only way to reach out to the audience, with a heavy subject like this, is through a good dose of humour.
Like most of your previous movies, this film, too, is set in a small town. What is it that attracts you to this milieu?
I would say that my films are set in middle-class settings, not small towns. I understand that world much better. That’s the way I have been brought up and it reflects in my movies. Today, I might be a filmmaker, living in a bigger home, driving a bigger car, but I will always remember my upbringing. I was born and brought up in Delhi, in a middle-class family. My mom was a fine arts teacher in a government school. I remember growing up in a government colony. So, be it Lucknow, Kanpur or Haridwar, the backdrop of my film will always be middle class.
As a producer, this is your second film with Ayushmann (after Shubh Mangal Saavdhan). Have you ever thought about directing him?
It is not easy to get a script for an actor who you understand so well. I am just waiting for the right script to direct him. My process is different — I first fall in love with the story and then decide upon the actor. However, we have discussed the idea of working together as a director-actor. He is looking forward to a pure romance or a pure action film. I told him action toh nahi, magar pure romance pe kuch soch sakte hai.
Your last directorial Zero (2018), starring Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma didn’t perform as expected at the box office. Given that there are a lot of expectations attached to each film, how did you deal with it?
Like I said, I am a director who falls in love with his stories and that encourages me to make a film. I think I was in awe of Zero, I was madly in love with it. I think I overdid it. Bolte hai na, zyada pyaar bachche ko bigaad deta hai. I think this is what happened with Zero, but the experience taught me a lot. As far as my association with Khan saab (SRK) is concerned, I will relish it all through my life. I got a partner in him, so it was never a star I worked with. He was an emotional partner, who gave me a lot of support. I am not a craftsman, so I need emotional support every time I make a film. When I was working with Khan saab, he never made me feel like it was such a huge film. He made me believe in my story, and made me go through the journey the way I wanted to. However, like it happens after the release of every film of mine, I went silent post the release of Zero, too. That is all. Our association was not affected by the film’s box-office performance. I think silence is the best way to take both, success or failure. Just go quiet. Absorb. Learn. Understand.
You said that you learnt a lot from Zero. How is that experience helping you with your next directorial, Atrangi Re, featuring Akshay Kumar, Dhanush and Sara Ali Khan?
I won’t be careless. In fact, I have never been careless in my life. I was always a good student, and will remain a good student throughout my life. No experience has disturbed me as such, it has only made me understand a few things. So, I am looking at playing my innings the same way, I have been playing since the last 10-15 years. I can’t change myself. I am fearless. Once again, I am in love with my film and my story and I am enjoying it. I want to be fearless as a person, and as a filmmaker.
For me, small towns are always a reflection of a progressive India-Aanand L Rai
8:18 AM
Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 20, 2020)
Be it the Tanu Weds Manu series, Raanjhanaa (2013), Nil Battey Sannata (2015), Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017), Tumbbad or Zero (both 2018), filmmaker Aanand L Rai has — as a producer and director — always experimented with his craft to deliver a mix of entertainment and social messages.
As he puts it: “Of course, the priority is to entertain people, but at the end of the day is it just about entertainment? It [the film/story] should be layered with a certain kind of [ideas of] growth and change. As a filmmaker, since you are a part of society, you are bound to do something, especially since this medium is so strong.”
And Rai takes the veil off the taboo topic of homosexuality in a very matter-of-fact manner in his latest production, Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan. “Mujhe lagta hai har film aapko kahin na kahin leke jaati hai. I also wanted to learn (about the issue) and entertain. When you decide to make a film, that’s when you win half the battle,” he says.
Moreover, he feels it’s not just filmmakers, but audiences too who are growing. “We are a progressive nation and it’s our duty to come up with progressive subjects,” Rai says, adding he was “very shy” earlier.
“Tab main bahut safe zone mein operate karta tha,” he reveals. But when he came to Mumbai, the filmmaker reveals he got a “great thing called fearlessness”. “Yeh ingredient mere liye naya tha, mujhe bahut pasand aaya aur maine pakad liya. Ab main yeh nahin chhodunga. I want to carry this with me till my last film. I don’t want anything like box-office numbers or any other uncertainty to take me away from it,” he shares.
Another element that has become a part of Rai’s filmmaking is his association with small towns, which holds true in his latest film too. “Maine kabhi small town ko small town ki tarah liya hi nai. For me, it is always a reflection of a progressive India and that’s how I always represent it. I have my reasons to go to Benares, Meerut or wherever I will go next,” he says.
Rai’s last directorial venture, Zero, didn’t set the cash registers ringing. Ask how he takes such setbacks and he shares, “Every film is like a chapter in my life. It teaches you something. I’ve gone silent after every film and tried to learn my lessons. Box-office collections haven’t changed the way I see my films. My process is still the same.”
As Rai readies for his next directorial, Atrangi Re, starring Akshay Kumar, Dhanush and Sara Ali Khan, he emphasises it’s not going to be a “safe” film. “And I can proudly say that. It’s a story I want to tell. If anyone thinks I will make a ‘safe’ film next (after Zero) I don’t believe the word exists for any filmmaker. There’s nothing safe, it should always be exciting.”
I do not have any set, rigid formula-Katrina Kaif
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The actor is ‘extremely grateful’ and feels ‘blessed’ for the love she gets from audiences. Says her Bollywood journey, so far, has been incredible
Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 8, 2020)
Back in 2005, when she tasted her first big commercial success [with Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya?], not many must have imagined that Katrina Kaif would go on to become a household name for the next 15 years (and counting). But she kept moving ahead rapidly while also proving her naysayers wrong. And now, as the actor readies for a busy new year — with Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi co-starring Akshay Kumar lined up next — the actor is gung-ho. “This year is going to be an exciting one with a variety of films and genres that I would be dabbling in,” says Katrina. Excerpts from an interview:
You complete 15 years in Bollywood in 2020 since your breakthrough film, Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya. How does it feel to continue receiving so much love from the audience?
Acting in movies has given me an incredible amount of satisfaction. For me, the most wonderful place to be in is on a film set, and that’s primarily because I just love the process of exploring a character and being part of films which are going to be forever. Honestly, it’s something which is indescribable and an intrinsic part of me as well. One thing that I have continuously tried to do is to not have any set, rigid formula, and to respond instinctively to what I do.
So, despite all the success and fame, at the core, do you still remain instinctive?
See, vis-Ã -vis work, the simple idea is to try and not have any concrete plan as such. I think your choices have to be instinctive and ought to come from the heart. Especially, in the last few years, the joy that I have found in playing characters in films such as Zero (2018) or Bharat (2019) has given me an incredible sense of fulfilment. And I really enjoy that process of building a character.
Over the years, you have constantly — and successfully — redefined yourself with the changing times. What’s your mantra behind that?
For starters, I think it’s very important to not take yourself too seriously and to just enjoy every moment. You should relish the process of being on a film set, enjoy the work that you do as well as every moment, and just let the outcome follow. When I’ve to say yes [to a film] or when I am in the middle of it, the way I judge things is: ‘how has the process been for me?’, ‘have I felt connected on the set with the character, my director and co-stars?’, and ‘has the process been one where I felt we have all — creatively — put in our complete best.?’
Recently, Ormax Media announced you as the ‘most popular female star of the decade’, ahead of names such as Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Alia Bhatt. How does it feel?
It’s amazing. I feel extremely grateful and blessed to have had the audiences’ support as well as their love over all these years. They’ve backed me throughout my career, besides helping me grow as an actor. All of it brings a smile to my face as I know that the audience is with me, and is supporting me wholeheartedly. My journey, so far, has felt really incredible because of the sheer affection from the audience, as well as the industry and the media. I feel as if we have all — including the directors, producers and co-actors that I have worked with — been on this journey together.
As we step into the new decade, how do you look at the times ahead?
In terms of 2020, I am extremely excited about a few very interesting projects that I am currently in discussions for. I am making sure that I do things, or put myself in spaces where I feel challenged, inspired as well as excited. The idea is to maintain a mix and balance of different kinds of stories as well as genres that excite me. Through that, hopefully, I am able to continue presenting myself in a new way to the audiences and show different aspects of me [as an actor], and, most importantly, put myself in spaces where I can learn and grow as an artiste.
Shah Rukh Khan starts shooting for his cameo in Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt's Brahmastra
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Actor is shooting a cameo for Karan Johar’s fantasy adventure; he was joined by one of the film’s antagonists, wrestler-turned-actor Saurav Gurjar
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 15, 2019)
Mirror was the first to report (November 1) that Shah Rukh Khan will be joining Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt’s fantasy-adventure Brahmastra. After over a year, the actor returned to Filmcity Studios last week to shoot a cameo in the Ayan Mukerji directorial.“It’s a VFX-driven character and SRK has been shooting against a green screen. While most of the actors find it difficult to adapt to this technique, he breezed his way through, having worked in films like Ra.One, Fan and Zero which were heavy in visual effects,” revealed a source close to the development, adding that he was impressed with the technical set-up on the sets. “Shah Rukh joined the crew a couple of days after his birthday on November 4 and shot for three days on the trot. He then had to take a break to attend the Kolkata International Film Festival.”
When he resumed shooting late on Wednesday, he was also joined by Saurav Gurjar. The wrestler-turned-actor plays one of the antagonists in this Karan Johar production. SRK has about eight day’s shoot, which he is expected to wrap up by this weekend. He plays a pivotal role in the story driven by Ranbir’s character, Shiva, who can emit fire from his hands. Planned as a trilogy, the first installment narrates Shiva’s discovery of the ‘agni’ within him. Alia plays a modern girl, Isha.
After wrapping up the Mumbai schedule, Ayan and his team will fly down to Manali for a 10-15 day shoot, taking Ranbir and Alia’s character closer to the Himalayan range. Post production is in process at a London-based studio. The makers are expected to lock the film and announce the release date by January.
I didn’t know I'd love being an actor so much. Else, I would have come better prepared-Riteish Deshmukh
7:49 AM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; November 13, 2019)
It’s been 16 years since Riteish Deshmukh entered Bollywood, but despite his experience spanning more than a decade-and-a-half, the actor says that the new generation is keeping him on his toes. Ahead of the release of his next, director Milap Milan Zaveri’s Marjaavaan, he talks to BT about what’s stopping him from producing a Hindi film, why he has no plans to enter politics and how he is happy with the opportunities he is getting. Excerpts...
You play a dwarf in Marjaavaan. In Indian cinema, many actors have previously portrayed vertically challenged characters — Kamal Haasan in Appu Raja (1989), Anupam Kher in Jaan-E-Mann (2006) and Shah Rukh Khan in Zero (2018). Who among them was your inspiration while playing this character?
I didn’t have any inspirations as such, but each of these actors have been revolutionary in their approach to their movies. Almost 30 years ago when Kamal Haasan did Appu Raja, it was seen as something innovative. I am also thankful to Shah Rukh Khan. In fact, we were shooting Marjaavaan at the same time when Zero was being shot, and Shah Rukh was gracious enough to show us certain VFX shots from his film. He had the best equipment available and the production was also on a higher scale. Sometimes, budget can be a limitation and at such times, it is all about how smartly you pull it off. As a director, I think that Milap has shot intelligently.
What’s the toughest part of playing a vertically challenged person?
The most challenging part is shooting with the VFX. Of course, VFX has made it easy to a great extent. For example, actors no longer have to tie their legs behind and wear shoes on their knees to portray such characters. But still, it can be a daunting task. When two actors perform, one of them playing a dwarf, it’s important to maintain the right eye level. Though both actors would be standing while enacting the scene, they can’t look each other in the face. This means that they can’t see each other’s facial expressions. There were times when I used to check out how Sidharth (Malhotra) reacted to my lines on the monitor. And then, I would be like, ‘Achcha, tune aisa expression diya hai, toh mujhe mera expression change karna padega.’ Also, to achieve the desired result on screen, we used to give five different takes of the same shot.
Given that you play a vertically challenged character in Marjaavaan, were you apprehensive that it could turn out to be gimmicky?
No, I thought that the role was great. Imagine, someone comes to you and says, ‘I have a role for you. You are the villain, but you are vertically challenged’. I was like, ‘Wow!’ The character is not gimmicky, as he thinks too highly of himself. He might be all of 2 feet and 5 inches, but he thinks ki poora zaamana uske saamne dedh foot ka hai. He might be looking at people with his head up, but in his head, he is actually looking down on them.
For a long time, you were associated with comedies and romantic films. And then, you played the villain in Ek Villain (2014). Now, Marjaavaan, too, features you as the antagonist. Is this a deliberate attempt to change your image?
I am happy that new opportunities are coming my way. I am thankful, especially to Ekta Kapoor and Mohit Suri, as Ek Villain was a big turning point in my career. Today, I have got a similar opportunity and I am happy and thrilled about it.
Marjaavaan reunites you with your Ek Villain co-star, Sidharth Malhotra. Once again, you are pitted against each other on screen...
Sidharth and I met after five years for this film. I see a lot of maturity and poise in him. There’s also Tara Sutaria, who’s marking her second outing with this movie. I haven’t seen her debut film, but when I saw her on the set of our film, I was impressed with her confidence. That makes you wonder what you were thinking when you were just two films old. Today’s generation is well-prepared, and they keep you on your toes. It is inspiring to work with them. To perform without dialogues (Tara plays a mute character) and communicate with sign language is credible.
Taking off from your last answer, what was Riteish Deshmukh like when he was just two films old?
I didn’t want to be an actor when I started off. I was called to meet a few people, who were looking for a new face. After the first meeting, they asked me to fly down to Hyderabad, and when I went there, they offered me a film. I didn’t have any understanding of what a camera is, or what lighting is. I had to learn everything on the job. During the initial years, the critics had panned me. But, I see all those people as my teachers. I didn’t know that I would love being an actor so much. Else, I would have come better prepared. That way, I could have been better at my work when I started off. But God was kind, and the audience was kinder that they accepted me with all my flaws.
From acting to turning producer, you have come a long way. You have already produced two Marathi movies, when will we see you backing a Hindi film?
Hindi cinema is exploring a lot of interesting subjects these days. The content is so good that you get confused about which one to produce. I want to pick up the right script and plunge into Hindi film production soon.
Last year, your wife Genelia (actress Genelia Deshmukh) did a cameo in your Marathi production, Mauli. When will we see her making a comeback to Bollywood?
I hope she does it soon, as she is such a fine actor. She keeps reading scripts. She was interested in a couple of films, but they didn’t work out because of time constraints. She is getting offers from Telugu and Kannada films, and over the years, Genelia has picked up Marathi really well from my mother. So, she can definitely act in a Marathi film, too.
Do your sons Riaan and Rahyl watch your movies?
Not at all. I don’t think they know what an actor is. They only see dance videos online, and think that everyone’s parents dance in them. I remember Riaan visited the set of Housefull 4 one day. This was his first visit to a film set, and we were shooting for the song, Bala. He found it too noisy and just walked out. He told Genelia, ‘You told me that baba is working, but I didn’t see him working. He was only dancing.’ So, he doesn’t think that I work (laughs!).
You come from a family with political background and even campaigned for your brothers (Dhiraj amd Amit Deshmukh). Have you ever thought about entering politics yourself?
Politics is not like a restaurant, ki acting ke saath woh bhi chala liya. It is a full-time commitment. You need to actively participate in it, right from the grassroot level. Having said that, I never knew that I would be an actor. One day, an opportunity presented itself and I took the plunge. I am enjoying what I am doing right now. My brothers are doing well in politics, and I am totally aware of what’s happening in my country and the state.
I couldn’t match Shah Rukh Khan and Kamal Haasan, so I didn’t try-Riteish Deshmukh
8:07 AM
Riteish Deshmukh on why he didn’t seek inspiration in Shah Rukh Khan, Kamal Haasan for his vertically-challenged turn
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 27, 2019)
On Thursday, at the trailer launch of his upcoming action drama, Marjaavan, Sidharth Malhotra described it as “a tribute to the heroes in Indian films”. The actor was accompanied by co-stars Riteish Deshmukh, Tara Sutaria, Rakul Preet Singh, director Milap Zaveri, and producers Bhushan Kumar, Nikkhil Advani and Monisha Advani.Riteish, who plays the antagonist to Sidharth’s hero, shared that he was impressed with his character, his arrogance and swag. “The hardest part was conversing with Sidharth, as my line of sight was below his waist,” the actor quipped, tongue-in-cheek, alluding to his character’s short stature. His screen nemesis was quick on the uptake, pointing out that it wasn’t easy for him because Riteish was standing in front of him, all of five-foot- nine-inches, and he had to imagine him as a three-foot vertically-challenged .
Tara, who plays a mute, informed that she had to learn the sign language. “I will use it all my life now,” she asserted.
Recently, Shah Rukh Khan played a vertically-challenged protagonist in Aanand L Rai’s Zero, while Kamal Haasan’s Appu Raja turn is often remembered for its unusual hero. When asked if he had sought inspiration in either of the roles, Riteish said, “Kamal sir did it at a time when technology wasn’t so advanced. Shah Rukh sir I watched live when he was shooting for Zero and quickly realised I couldn’t match them, so I didn’t even try.” However, he went on to compare Sidharth with Amitabh Bachchan, saying they both had a deep and distinctive baritone.
Hollywood often faces heat for casting white actors to play people from different ethnicities. When asked if his role should have gone to someone who is vertically-challenged in real life, Riteish reasoned, “As an actor, when I am offered a role, my job is to see whether I will be able to do it justice or not.” Milap added, “While everyone deserves an opportunity to act, perform and be represented, it’s also fair that actors get chances to experiment too.”
Their film, he said, is a modern-day take on Indian mythology, a fight between good and evil with Raavan and Dussehra playing an important part in the narrative. “The subtext is that there is good and evil in everyone,” Milap concluded.
Mirror Exclusive: Sidharth Malhotra takes on three-feet Riteish Deshmukh in Marjaavaan
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The former co-stars return as arch-enemies in their reunion project, an action thriller which also features Tara Sutaria and Rakul Preet Singh in central roles
Hiren Kotwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 23, 2019)
Mirror had earlier reported (December 14, 2018) that Riteish Deshmukh plays Vishnu, the vertically-challenged antagonist in Milap Zaveri’s next, Marjaavaan, which also marks the actor’s reunion with his Ek Villain nemesis, Sidharth Malhotra. Produced by Bhushan Kumar and Nikkhil Advani, the film also features Tara Sutaria and Rakul Preet Singh.Their new action-thriller sees the duo charging forward with guns. Milap, who wrote the dialogue for Ek Villian, says they knew Riteish wouldn’t agree to do a negative character unless it was something unique. “We decided to make his villain a three-foot-tall but larger-than-life midget with a wicked sense of humour. His Vishnu is arrogant and thinks he is invincible,” the director informs, adding that there is an analogy of Lord Vishnu’s fifth avatar, Vaaman, who was also a dwarf, conveyed through his dialogue.
Prod him if concerns were raised over Vishnu’s seeming likeness to Shah Rukh Khan in Zero and Milap shrugs, “Shah Rukh played a smaller version of himself. We storyboarded the screenplay and had a midget gentleman on the set for Riteish to imbibe certain mannerisms and ensure he didn’t go overboard or underplay the physical aspects of his character.”
Milap admits that the character posed technical challenges in that filming required multiple takes from different angles. “We shot Riteish’s scenes against the green screen and without it for perspective. His eyeline has to match that of others so Riteish shot looking up, while his co-stars looked down. We couldn’t use two-three camera setups for Riteish’s scenes like we did for others. So, every shot had to be taken five times,” he shares.
The film was earlier slated for October 2 release, but was recently pushed to November 22. Admitting that extensive VFX was one of the reasons for it, Nikkhil says, “It is important that we give Marjaavaan a suitable release. We’re proud of Milap’s inimitable filmmaking style and unique language that we expect will exceed audience expectations.” Bhushan reiterates this, adding, “The film needs this kind of VFX especially with Riteish as a dwarf.”
Meanwhile, Sidharth played Raghu with a three-feet stick as his co-star’s stand-in as he shot most of his scenes with Riteish alone. “It’s not easy for an actor to shoot solo without the other’s cues and reactions. We’d play Riteish’s dialogue for him to react to while the stick was for him to match the villain’s eye-line,” Milap explains.
Zero does well on television; sixth best television premiere of 2019
8:15 AM
Box Office India Trade Network
RACE 3, RAEES and JAB HARRY MET SEJAL all came at least six months after theatrical release and the best of this lost was RACE 3 with 70.85 lakh impressions and ZERO has beaten RACE 3 by around 20 lakh impressions. It is similar rating to HAPPY NEW YEAR if we go by TRP as the BARC impressions were not there during HAPPY NEW YEAR's time. The difference however is that HAPPY NEW YEAR did well at the box office while ZERO did not.
The next few screenings will tell if ZERO can succeed on television though it will be a surprise if it does. TOTAL DHAMAAL and 2.0 (Hindi) dominate in a big way as 2.0 (Hindi) hits 4.42 crore impressions in five screenings and TOTAL DHAMAAL is at 4.05 crore after 4 screenings.
The top ten television premieres of 2019 are as follows.
1. Total Dhamaal - 1,67,93,000 (Star)
2. 2.0 (Hindi) - 1,65,13,000 (Zee)
3. Luka Chuppi - 1,25,00,000 (Star)
4. Junglee - 1,11,77,000 (Star)
5. Simmba - 1,11,02,000 (Zee)
6. Zero - 92,60,000 (Zee)
7. Kedarnath - 72,88,000 (Zee)
7. Race 3 - 70,85,000 (Zee)
9. Uri - The Surgical Strike - 61,37,000 (Zee)
10. Gully Boy - 52,08,000 (Zee)
What's in the run time: Did going beyond 2 1/2 hour length work for Bharat, Kabir Singh, Avengers: Endgame?
8:12 AM
Ten films which went beyond the two-and-a-half hour length and stood to gain… or lose
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 22, 2019)
A movie’s run time is tricky business. If it is too short, the audience may not get it, if it is too long, it could turn into a snore fest. So, most Hindi filmmakers play safe and keep it to two-and-a-half hours, but once in a while, surprises do crop up, be it the almost four-hour-long Lagaan or the hour-and-a-half Dolly Ki Doli. Currently on a record-breaking spree, Kabir Singh, is almost three-hour long, yet the audience is happily lapping up the dollops of misogyny. To cut a long story short, many filmmakers today are ready to gamble with the age-old maxim ‘the longer, the better’. Does the length of a film influence its box-office outcome? Trade experts analyse...
KABIR SINGH (2019) - 2 hrs and 53 mins
Director: Sandeep Vanga
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani
Synopsis: A remake of the Telugu romance Arjun Reddy, the film follows an alcoholic surgeon on the path of self-destruction after his girlfriend leaves him.
Trade speak: Distributor Raj Bansal believes the runtime affects number of shows and this film could have upped its business by 10-15 per cent had it been 20 minutes shorter. “Long runtime erodes entertainment value and brings down collections, but that’s where content kicks in. The trade had not expected Kabir Singh to even hit the century mark, but people found it engaging and identified with Shahid’s angry young man with the result that even the most vitriolic criticism could not keep them away,” he reasons.
BHARAT (2019) - 2 hrs and 47 mins
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Synopsis: A remake of the South Korean film Ode To My Father, Bharat traces the six-decade parallel journeys of independent India and the film’s eponymous character.
Trade speak: According to exhibitor Manoj Desai, the audience today finds it hard to understand and relate to the sacrifices made for India’s independence. “Partition is too out-dated for the Gen X and the film was a drag resulting in less than expected business. Salman should stick to action and romance, he is invincible in these genres and will rule for the next decade or two,” he adds.
KALANK (2019) - 2 hrs and 46 mins
Director: Abhishek Varman
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sonakshi Sinha
Synopsis: The period-romance unfolds against the backdrop of the Partition and revolves around star-crossed lovers.
Trade speak: Distributor Raj Bansal believes that despite a stellar cast, Kalank failed to impress as it lacked depth; also, characters were not well defined and their world too alien. “Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit’s reunion didn’t add to the narrative, with the former barely there and the latter largely ineffective despite her all-pervasive presence. Even Varun and Alia’s love story was insipid. So despite opening with a bang, it ended on a whimper,” he explains.
AVENGERS: ENDGAME (2019) - 3 hrs 1 min
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johannson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo
Synopsis: In the aftermath of the destruction caused by Thanos, the Avengers team up with their allies to reverse the damage.
Trade speak: Kamal Gianchandani of the PVR chain of theatres, says that it is the audience’s love and loyalty for the franchise and its characters that pulled them in. “The film offered spectacular visuals and action sequences, so people didn’t mind sitting through three hours. Also, in this case the runtime did not restrict the number of shows due to the number of screens allotted in India,” the exhibitor avers.
RANGEELA RAJA (2019) - 2 hrs 42 mins
Director: Sikander Bharti
Cast: Govinda
Synopsis: A comic flick about twin brothers, where one of them decides to bring the other’s life on track.
Trade speak: Industry veteran and founder of Mumbai’s first multiplex chain, Fame Adlabs, Balkrishna Shroff believes Govinda’s time as a lead actor is over. “Script and all other factors were secondary, this film did not have star appeal to begin with. The runtime didn’t matter because there was no audience,” avers Shroff, adding that Govinda is still a talented actor but should do roles complementing his age.
PADMAAVAT (2018) - 2 hrs 44 mins
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor
Synopsis: A period drama revolving around Maharani Padmavati, Raja Ratan Singh and Alauddin Khilji and how she performed jauhar to protect her honour.
Trade speak: Kamal Gianchandani, of the PVR chain of theatres, believes that irrespective of its length, SLB’s storytelling, his ability to extract strong performances and his music is a big draw. “The combo of an exceptionally talented director and characters played by phenomenal actors in a brilliant film is what worked for Padmaavat,” explains the exhibitor.
KAALA (2018) - 2 hrs 42 mins
Director: Pa Ranjith
Cast: Rajinikanth, Nana Patekar
Synopsis: Kaala is about the Nellai/Tirunelveli-based Tamils who live in Mumbai.
Trade speak: Industry veteran Balkrishna Shroff says Rajini’s appeal is limited to the South. Also, since the multiplex audience doesn’t care for action films, numbers were affected. “Kaala was made for a different market. The Hindi dubbed version was only for extra revenue,” he adds.
RACE 3 (2018) - 2 hrs 40 mins
Director: Remo D’souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jaqueline Fernandez
Synopsis: A family of criminals deal with loyalty issues while planning their next heist.
Trade speak: Trade analyst Komal Nahta reasons that a 2-hour film can feel like a 4-hour one if the script is bad. “Makers depended on only Salman’s charisma to pack in the crowds. That’s where Race 3 failed,” he asserts.
THUGS OF HINDOSTAN (2018) - 2 hrs 44 mins
Director: Vijay Krishna Acharya
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Fatima Sana Shaikh
Synopsis: An adventure-thriller about a man’s love for his country and another’s lust for power.
Trade speak: Exhibitor Manoj Desai believes that dearth of originality has hit Bollywood with Thugs... being a prime example. “The story ceased to interest post interval. The makers failed to extract anything from Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan, a pity given the actors they are,” he says.
ZERO (2018) - 2 hours and 44 mins
Director: Aanand L Rai
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Katrina Kaif
Synopsis: Bauua Singh who is vertically challenged aims to broaden his horizons and find purpose in life.
Trade speak: Trade analyst Komal Nahta describes Zero as a “flawed script” so even the holidays didn’t help. “SRK’s string of failures can’t be blamed, it wouldn’t have worked with any actor given the overload of sadness. No film fails because it’s ‘too long’ but because it’s ‘bad’,” he asserts.
I am comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable-Katrina Kaif
8:14 AM
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; July 21, 2019)
In the last eight months, Katrina Kaif’s life has been through a sea change. From being a pretty face in the frame, she’s now winning praise for being a promising actor, and one who is willing to dive deep into her well of emotions to deliver a fine performance. The actress, who celebrated her birthday on July 16, is currently in the midst of a well-deserved break in Mexico. Katrina spoke to BT about all that has changed in the last year in her life, in the personal and professional space. Excerpts:
Looking at your social media profile, it would be fair to say that you’re living the title of one of your films, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara…
(Laughs!) Yeah, and I hope I am doing Zoya (Akhtar) proud with the way I am living it up.
On a serious note, what do you think has changed for you in the last one year, personally and professionally?
The most prominent change that I notice in my life is that I feel a deeper sense of gratitude and fulfilment with my work. There’s a different kind of joy that I experience when I hear good things about my performance in Zero and Bharat, which gave me so much creative satisfaction. Making these films was such a wonderful experience. Both the films taught me a lot. These films propelled the actor in me and had a lot to contribute in helping me grow, both as a person and a professional.
There was a noticeable difference in the way you approached these characters — Babita Kumari in Zero and Kumud Raina in Bharat. Both won you praise in the reviews. What has changed in the way you look at your roles now?
In the last one-and-a-half years, I’ve begun to find more joy in the creative process of making a film and playing a role. I’ve changed the way I work and live. It’s difficult to put a finger on the exact reason or the turning point, but I’ve begun to give a lot more of myself to work. I’ve started understanding the process of making a film more deeply. As an actor, this means that you have to push your boundaries and work with directors who can make you do that. Working with Ali Abbas Zafar and Aanand L Rai helped me in a big way. In the last year or so, I’ve also found a lot more comfort and a still place within me that allows me to focus on what I am trying to do. The positive comments for Bharat and Zero made me feel wonderful because it was an incredibly happy experience working on these films. Now, I want to continue with the momentum.
While playing these parts, did you dive deep into your emotions and borrow from your own experiences?
That’s what I have been trying to do lately, and I’ve been enjoying it. Discovering characters has become so much more enriching. And then, you meet teachers, who can guide you to further your craft.
Post Zero and Bharat, has your criteria for giving a nod to a film changed?Striking a balance is important. Also, you shouldn’t take yourself too seriously. I’d still like to be a part of some fun, entertaining summer releases. It’s important to enjoy what you create. I relish lighter and easier films, while I also enjoy a role that challenges me. I’m just trying to take on films that can help me keep that balance.
In the last few months, in several interviews, you’ve made statements like, ‘My life is an open book, I got nothing to hide’. That frankness is refreshing, but it also makes one wonder why you have suddenly let your guard down...
I wasn’t even 18 when I started out in the industry. I’ve been in the public eye since then. The other day, when I was thinking about it, I realised that we are two different people in our teens and in our 30s. Experiences change you. We’re all over the place in our teens, discovering ourselves in our 20s, while finding our feet and experiencing things that mould us and help us understand who we really are. The 30s are when we accept what feels real. I know that a lot of people tend to shy away from the media and be on their guard all the time. I have also done that at certain times in my life, when I felt unstable or I didn’t know what’s really going on. This new me didn’t happen overnight or with any one decision. I felt that this is the industry, this is the work I do and I am here for everyone to see. So, whoever engages with me should get to see the most honest version of who I am and that’s what I am doing.
How did you get rid of your insecurities and become so accepting of everything around you, which is evident in the way you express yourself now?
I feel the biggest change in the Katrina of then and now is that, today, I am comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable. Everyone in their 20s goes through bouts of uncertainty; I did, too. But today, I’m okay not knowing everything or having an air of doubt. When you are just starting out, you are bound to feel shaky, while trying to find your feet when the avenues are just about opening up. With these years of being here, and with success and acceptance, you also gain a sense of confidence. It holds true for everyone. It’s not like I don’t get insecure thoughts, or I don’t feel weak or doubtful now, but I’ve stopped running away from it, which is working for me. Also, I think I was quite guarded as a person, especially when it came to my personal life. That was an overwhelming factor, which people felt about me. I always wanted to keep my guard up and that has changed. How do people perceive it? I don’t know, but we have to be who we are. Perception is something that no one can control.
Who are the people who keep you together when you’re in the thick of uncertainty or in an uncomfortable situation?
I have six wonderful sisters who’re all so different from each other. One sister is a mathematician, another is into social sciences and my brother is into deep-sea diving. Their uniqueness adds a lot of beauty to my life. My mom is devoted to helping others, and to me, she is a wonder woman who has never had a bad word to say about anyone. I’ve always seen her with a smile, and she’s imparted her virtues to all of us. I’ve also got a fantastic set of friends, and they all love me unconditionally. Nitya Mehra and her husband Karan, Alvira Khan Agnihotri, Ali Abbas Zafar, Kabir Khan and his wife Mini, are some of my closest friends. Kabir has played a big part in me finding my voice. Our first interaction was while working on the film, New York. He was full of belief, which instilled the confidence in me that I could really do anything. Aditya Chopra has been such a constant in my life. Alvira is an incredible friend. I am privileged to have so many people in my life who love and care for me.
And Salman Khan?We have such a wonderful friendship. He’s an incredible guy and the kind of dynamics we shared while working on Bharat was wonderful. Working with him has helped me grow as an actor and as an individual. And how can I ever forget Karan Johar? He keeps every single person around him happy.
Considering the fact that an actor’s life plays out in the public domain, does it get difficult to find the right person, maintain a relationship or go through an emotionally-draining phase like a break-up while being under the spotlight constantly?
Not at all! We don’t need to give this any thought. I have no preconceived ideas and thoughts regarding relationships. I just know that it has to happen organically, and you need to follow what feels right to you.
There’s nothing like it’s hard or easy. A relationship should feel right to you and you should take it one day at a time. To answer the other part of your question, I think every experience has only enriched me; I don’t think relationships can drain or empty you emotionally. Right now, I’m not even thinking of a relationship, we’ll cross the bridge when we get to it.
Lastly, while it’s common for people to feel or look awkward in the presence of exes or people they have a shared past with, it hasn’t quite been the case with you. You have dealt with all of that with a lot of grace and dignity…
I just don’t feel awkward and I don’t carry any heavy thoughts about it. As I said, all my experiences have only given me something. Also, why do we have to make everything so complex and heavy? It’s a personal thing and may not work for everyone, but if I had two options, I would always choose the simple one over the heavy and complex. Why would I want to feel awkward in anyone’s presence? I would rather smile, laugh, have a good chat and keep it easy, instead of keeping a sad face. Simple!
When it comes to birthday celebrations, I always have fun in a lively place-Katrina Kaif
8:17 AM
Deepali Singh (DNA; July 16, 2019)
Katrina Kaif has been posting some temperature-soaring images from her holiday in Mexico. Dressed in colourful bikinis and swimsuits, the actress, who turns a year older today, looks visibly relaxed and enjoying the break with her family. The celebrations are tinged with the recent success of her last film Bharat and the appreciation she received for her performance in last year’s Zero. The lissome lass is now raring to go after roles that excite her. But before that, she has some celebrating to do!
You recently wrapped up the first schedule of Sooryavanshi. How was it shooting with Akshay Kumar and Rohit Shetty?
The first schedule of Sooryavanshi was a lot of fun. I am really enjoying working with Akshay again after a long time. He has such an incredible passion for his work and you can still see the excitement he has to just be making movies! Rohit Shetty’s entire team, and the way they work, is so incredible; it’s like a family environment.
And now you’re holidaying in Mexico...
Yes, I am in Mexico for a four-day holiday and having a fantastic time.
You turn a year older today. What do birthdays mean to you?
I think birthdays are always fun. It’s not such a big deal, honestly, it’s more about the time that you have and an excuse to take a few days off to spend time with your friends and family. It’s been a wonderful year for me. I have really been having an exciting time at work. I’ve been creatively satisfied with my work and films, whether it’s Zero or Bharat. I am now looking forward to being part of movies that have exciting roles and other opportunities for me to explore new characters.
Are you the kind that likes to party hard or do you enjoy small, intimate gatherings?
When it comes to birthday celebrations, I always have fun in a lively place and just spend time together with friends and family.
Zero and Bharat had one thing in common — you received appreciation for both…
The response I received for both the films is exceptionally encouraging for me. It will be something that I will always cherish. To get positive feedback from the industry, critics and the media gives you a lot of satisfaction as an actor. I’m extremely happy that people felt that way and the characters connected with the audience!
What kind of a role or a movie you would like to gift yourself?
It’s very hard for me to be able to pinpoint the type of roles or movies it would be but when you hear a story, it just connects with you. You know it and you can feel it, that you can do something with this. And when you find that this speaks to you, it gives you a really exciting opportunity to do something special with the role and with a character of that sort.
Your last three films were with the three Khans and the upcoming one is with Akshay Kumar. There are a number of actors who are doing extremely well today. Anyone you look forward to working with in the future?
I think there are so many incredible actors doing so well right now, and what excites me is the director and the script. Whoever is the right actor for that part, it all comes together for the project. The first thing that is important is the director, who I feel can help you to further yourself as a performer, to work within, to help you bring out different aspects of you which you perhaps don’t even know. When this is combined with a good story and everyone on the team is passionate and working hard towards it, then that’s all that you need.
What’s your top priority now as an actor?
My priority right now, I think, is to continue doing roles that are exciting for me and venturing into areas that I have not explored before. Parallelly, this year, I’m working on something in the beauty space, something I’ve been pursuing with my team in the last few years and super-excited about that as well.
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