Vicky Kaushal is over the moon as he receives flowers from Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan for winning a national award
Vicky Kaushal has added another feature in his hat as he bags the best actor award at the 66th National Award for his impeccable performance in URI – The Surgical Strike. The movie has been considered as one of the best performances of Vicky so far and his fans have been going gaga at his recent win. However, Vicky has two reasons to be happy including his win.
He recently received a bouquet of beautiful flowers from none other than the best couple of Bollywood, Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan along with Gurdas Maan. The veteran actors sent good wish and love to him as a congratulatory present. Considering the bouquet as their blessing, Vicky couldn’t help but take to his Instagram story to share the image of gorgeous flowers.
Take a look at it.
Vicky Kaushal has a few movies lined up including Takht, Sardar Udham Singh, Bhoot: Part One – The Haunted Ship, and Sam.
Rishi Kapoor remembers his late uncle Shammi Kapoor on his 8th death anniversary
The industry lost the late veteran actor Shammi Kapoor 8 years ago on 14th August and it is still one of the biggest loses for Bollywood. Last seen in Ranbir Kapoor starrer Rockstar, Shammi Kapoor shared screen space with his grandson for the first time. It has been 8 years since his sad demise and till today, the Indian Elvis Presley rules the hearts of many.
Rishi Kapoor, who is currently in New York since the last 10 months, took to his Instagram to share how he misses his uncle. The actor is all set to return to the bay and has already begun the countdown for the same. He tweeted, “Remembering Shammi Kapoor. Left us 14th August 2011. Never a star like him!” Indeed there can never be a star like him.
Take a look at his tweet.
Even when Rishi Kapoor is away from family and friends, he never fails to wish them on their special days or remember the lost ones.
VIDEO: Batla House actress Nora Fatehi dances to the tunes of Ariana Grande’s ‘God Is A Woman’
Do you believe God is a woman? That’s what Ariana Grande said, but we believed it when Nora Fatehi danced on it! Nora is currently on the last stages of promotions of her upcoming film, Batla House and she’s making the most of it.
Nora is a huge Ariana Grande fan and often refers to herself as ‘Noriana’! Just recently when Nora was getting ready for an event, she chose to go completely silly on ‘God Is A Woman’ by Ariana Grande, and she looked absolutely adorable!
We just can’t get over how cute she looks while dancing in a silly manner! Noriana is definitely a whole mood! Batla House set to hit the theatres on 15th of August. Nora is also starring in Remo D’souza’s Street Dancer 3D.
Singapore’s Madame Tussauds reveals glimpses of Sridevi’s wax statue on her birth anniversary
Sridevi’s family celebrated the late diva’s 56th birth anniversary yesterday and it surely was an emotional affair for all of them. The fans couldn’t stop missing the actress as her family took to their social media to express how much they miss her. Less than 2 years ago, Sridevi lost her life in an unfortunate accident in Dubai and has left a void in her family and the film fraternity. One of the most lauded actresses, Sridevi is finally getting her first-ever wax statue.
Singapore’s Madame Tussauds took to their Twitter to share a few glimpses of the ‘Hawa Hawai’ girl’s first wax statue that is all set to be released exclusively in early September. The wax statue is in glamourous golden attire which happens to be one of the looks from the iconic song of the film, Mr. India. Boney Kapoor couldn’t be more grateful for the honor given to his late wife and thanked them on Twitter. Take a look at their conversation.
Jhanvi also visited the Tirupathi Temple yesterday and looked exactly like her mother in a traditional South Indian outfit.
“Sitara is a full-on star”, says Namrata Shirodkar
Mahesh Babu and his wife Namrata Shirodkar’s 7-year old daughter Sitara is breaking the internet with her dance performance to her father’s song Paala pitta from the film Maharshi. Proud mother Namrata just can’t stop smiling. “She is quite the star, though it doesn’t necessarily mean she wants to be an actress when she grows up. At her age there are so many things she wants to be all at once. Right now her favourite star is the YouTuber Leah Ashe. Sitara just idolizes this girl whom we know nothing about. Sitara wants to be exactly like her. It’s Leah this and Leah that.”
So is Sitara Mama’s or Papa’s girl? “Totally Papa’s girl and she bullies her big brother like no one’s business. Our son Gautam is just her opposite. Quiet, shy, withdrawn and like his father, not demonstrative of his affections. This one (Sitara) is a full-on Drama Queen. She loves to sing and dance and show the world how good she is at it.”
Namrata and Mahesh have made no plans for their children as yet.
Says Namrata, “They are free to pursue whatever course in life they want. But for now, I am trying to provide them a normal healthy life free of starry trappings. It is very important for Gautam and Sitara to lead a normal life. Thank God we don’t have the paparazzi chasing down star-kids in Hyderabad. The important thing right now is for both my children to get a solid education. After that if they want to be in movies, why not? Their parents are actors. Their grandfather is an iconic figure in the Andhra movie industry. Cinema is part of their genes.”
Coming back to Sitara’s popular internet-breaking dance number her proud mother says the pretty little girl practised hard for it. “Both Gautam and Sitara attend dance classes regularly. Sitara bullied her way into her brother’s dance time by telling their dance teacher how important it was to learn these dance steps. I tell you, this girl can get her way in anything while Gautam would just let everyone around him have their way.”
Pulwama Terror Attacks: Shah Rukh Khan shoots for the video tribute for CRPF’s martyrs
Earlier this year, the terror attack in Pulwama, Kashmir left the nation in shock as 40 CRPF jawans were martyred in the deadly terrorist attack. As the nation remembers the martyrs, many have donated money for their families. Celebrities like Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Kartik Aaryan have come together for a special song to pay tribute to the martyrs of the terror attack.
Shah Rukh Khan is the latest celebrity to join the list who joined the video tribute. The actor had a busy schedule as he had to head to Melbourne but he shot the four-minute video last week. As per reports, SRK sang these lines from ‘Tu Desh Mera’ – “Tere liye jiyen marein, vaade jo tujhse kiye poore sab karein. Desh ke rang mein ranga hua, kehta hai ye lahu mera, aanch bhi aaye tirange ko to beh jaaun katra-katra. Tu desh mera, main hu tera…”
On the work front, Shah Rukh Khan is currently producing three shows for Netflix – Bard Of Blood, Class Of ’83 and Betaal. He is yet to sign his next film.
Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment to distribute Chiranjeevi – Amitabh Bachchan’s Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy
One of the biggest movies of the year is Chiranjeevi starrer Sye Raa Narasimha Reddywhich is produced by his son, Ram Charan. The film boasts a massive cast and is touted to be made on a huge scale. Amitabh Bachchan is all set for his Telugu venture with this period drama. Now, it has been revealed that Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment will be distributing the Hindi version of Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy.
Farhan Akhtar took to Twitter to announce that his production house is one of the distributors of Hindi version of the film. “Excel Entertainment and AA Films proudly present the EPIC Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy in association with Konidela Productions starring the GREATEST Indian ensemble cast of all time,” he tweeted.
Along with the tweet, the teaser of the film was revealed which showed the looks of all the actors. The cast includes Chiranjeevi, Amitabh Bachchan, Kichcha Sudeep, Vijay Sethupathi, Jagapathi Babu, Ravi Kishan, Nayanthara, Tamannaah Bhatia, and Niharika.
Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy is produced by Ram Charan and helmed by Surendar Reddy. The film is a story based on the life of freedom fighter Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy.
On Sridevi’s 56th birth anniversary, Janhvi Kapoor visits Tirumala Temple to seek blessings
As the nation is remembering Sridevi on her 56th birth anniversary, the Kapoor family reminisced beautiful time spent with the late actress. Janhvi Kapoor had shared a heartfelt note for her mom which read, “Happy birthday, Mumma, I love you.”
This afternoon, Janhvi Kapoor paid a visit to the Tirumala Tirupati Temple in Andhra Pradesh to seek the blessings of Lord Venkateswara. She shared a photo dressed in traditional South Indian lehenga saree.
Sridevi’s filmmaker husband Boney Kapoor also penned a heart-wrenching note which read, “Happy Birthday, jaan, missing you every minute of my life, keep on guiding us, you will remain with us till eternity.”
On the work front, Janhvi Kapoor will be next starring in Kargil Girl which is Gunjan Saxena biopic. She will also be seen in horror-comedy named RoohiAfza with Rajkummar Rao. She also has Karan Johar’s Takht.
After National Award win, Ayushmann Khurrana receives heartfelt note and flowers from Gulabo Sitabo co-star Amitabh Bachchan
Ayushmann Khurrana is living his best life. The actor has been seeing super success at the box office. Not just that, the way he has been picking content-driven scripts and interesting tales, he has become the audience’s favourite actor for relatable stories. With that being said, the actor added another feather to his success cap recently by bagging the National Award for Best Actor for his role in Andhadhun. He shared the award with Vicky Kaushal who won for Uri: The Surgical Strike.
As the actor continues to win audience’s hearts with his films and critically acclaimed performances, he received the most special gift from the megastar Amitabh Bachchan. The actor will be sharing screen space with the megastar in Shoojit Sircar’s Gulabo Sitabo. They recently wrapped up the film. Amitabh sent him a bouquet of flowers with a heartfelt note that read, “Ayushman, on your National Award, greetings and wishes for many more to follow. Love Amitabh.”
Directed by Shoojit Sircar, Gulabo Sitabo is written by Juhi Chaturvedi and produced by Ronnie Lahiri & Sheel Kumar, being a Rising Sun Films Production. The film starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana for the first time will release on April 24, 2020.
Happy Birthday Sridevi: Boney Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and family remember the late actress on her 56th birthday with heartfelt messages
The world lost the iconic star Sridevi on February 24, 2018, in Dubai. The untimely death of the first female superstar of India left the nation in shock. While the actress is remembered through her work, the Kapoor family has always remembered her in every way possible. After Janhvi Kapoor’s love-filled message for her mom, her family also took to social media to remember the star.
Boney Kapoor took to Twitter to remember his Jaan. He wrote, “Happy Birthday Jaan, missing you every minute of my life , keep on guiding us , you will remain with us till eternity. #Sridevi.”
Sridevi was not only Anil Kapoor’s sister-in-law but they were also co-stars in many films. Remembering her and her smile, Anil shared a heartfelt note which said that they miss her every day. “Today is a bittersweet day as we celebrate you on what would have been your 56th Birthday…We feel the sadness of your loss deeply, but remembering your smile and the joy you brought to all our lives unites us in your memory…We miss you everyday #Sridevi!,” he wrote.
Sridevi’s sisters-in-law Sunita Kapoor and Maheep Kapoor also shared memories with the late actress.
The legendary Sridevi was the first female superstar of the Indian film industry. She began acting since the age of 4. The late actress became a household name during the 80s. She starred in several iconic films including Chandni, Chaalbaaz, Lamhe, Mr India, Judaai, Laadla to name a few. Her second innings surely got her great accolades as well. She made her comeback with English Vinglish. She was last seen in 2017 film Mom in the lead role. Her last onscreen appearance was in Shah Rukh Khan starrer Zero in a guest appearance.
Bigg Boss 13: Salman Khan is all smiles during the promo shoot of the reality show
Salman Khan is all set and raring to go with a brand new season of Bigg Boss. Bigg Boss 13 will be interesting as it might be shifted from Lonavala to Mumbai. And the actor is back to basics and has done his promo shoot already. As the excitement builds around the new season, the superstar shot for the first promo of the show at Reliance Studios in Mumbai’s Film City.
Colors channel shared a photo of Salman Khan from the promo shoot on their Instagram page. The actor is seen flashing his trademark smirk in the photo. The season will air from September 29. “Coming soon with the one & only @BeingSalmanKhan!!! Excited? #BB13 #BiggBoss,” the caption read.
As per reports, Salman Khan will be sharing screen space with Naagin 3 actress Surbhi Jyoti, and Dance India Dance host Karan Wahi. He will be flirting with Surbhi in the promo while jogging and offers her flowers. Then, Karan, who plays Surbhi’s boyfriend, sees him and snatches the flowers.
Salman Khan’s busy schedule has made the makers contemplate to move the Bigg Boss to Mumbai. As per reports, the sets of the show will be replaced with the set that is being used for Bigg Boss Marathi season 2 which has been built at Film City, Mumbai.
Here’s why Bhushan Kumar decided to make John Abraham starrer Batla House
Over the years, T-Series’ head honcho Bhushan Kumar has made it a habit of not only making films that strike a chord with the masses but also leave an impact. His upcoming action-thriller Batla House starring John Abraham is no different and has been making the right noise ever since it was announced. Inspired by the Operation Batla House, which took place in 2008 against Indian Mujahideen terrorists in Batla House locality in Jamia Nagar, Delhi, Batla House traces the story of the shootout between a seven-member Delhi Police Special Cell team and suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorists allegedly involved in the serial blasts of September 13, 2008, in Delhi.
Directed by Nikkhil Advani, this fictionalized account of the most controversial encounters in India, is undoubtedly one of the most awaited films of the year, and producer Bhushan Kumar, whose production company T-Series is producing the film, is extremely excited to present the film to the audience.
Revealing his reasons to produce this film in the first place, Bhushan Kumar said, “First and foremost, what made me associate with this project was Ritesh Shah’s script. He has done thorough research about this entire episode and has weaved all the facts together in an engaging narrative. The film starts with a bang and maintains the tempo throughout. Secondly, I strongly felt that it is an important story that needs to be told, especially because of what happened after the encounter. It is a very sensitive case with two sides to it and we have tried to cover everything in this film and have kept it real.”
He further adds, “Interestingly, despite being based on a real encounter, Batla House has a strong mass appeal to it too.”
Apart from Batla House, Bhushan Kumar, who certainly knows the pulse of the audience, is also producing a series of other interesting films including a biographical drama – Mogul, a coming-of-age dance film – Street Dancer 3D, a war drama film – Bhuj: The Pride Of India among others.
Clearly, the man believes not just in quality but variety too as he is producing films in several genres.
Mission Mangal: This video of Akshay Kumar turning make-up artist for Sonakshi Sinha is hilarious
The kind of bond Mission Mangal duo Sonakshi Sinha and Akshay Kumar share always reminds us of our BFFs. They always make us laugh our hearts out with their cute videos and the pranks they pull off on each other. Just a while back, Sona made Akshay Kumar fall flat on his back in the middle of an interview! Later on, it was cleared by Taapsee Paanu that it was a prank on the journos just to scare them.
Currently, the team of Mission Mangal is promoting their film in Delhi and Sonakshi Sinha surprised us with yet another ‘Wait for it’ video! In this one, Akshay Kumar turned a make-up artist for Sona and then something funny happened. They both are just totally adorbs together.
Mission Mangal is set to hit the theatres on Independence Day and apart from Sonakshi and Akshay, it also stars Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu, Kriti Kulhari, Sharma Joshi and Nithya Menen.
Veteran actor Kamal Haasan, who has been working for several decades now, has completed sixty years in the Indian film industry. Fans of Kamal Haasan poured their hearts out and wished him on his great journey. His eldest daughter Shruti Haasan has penned a heart-warming note for Kamal Haasan and talked about how he completed 60 years in the film industry.
“Dear Bapuji, 60 years in the world of acting, you make us proud and inspire so many of us to look to the stories you have shared with us for inspiration and hope. I decided to share the poster of one of my favorite movies of yours. Brave, beautiful and emotionally challenging.you have dedicated your time and energy to the arts in a way that is nothing short of magnificent !! Always so proud and Here’s to sixty more !! @ikamalhaasan”, wrote Shruti Haasan on Instagram. She shared that Mahanadi is one of her favourite movies.
Meanwhile, Kamal Haasan starrer Indian sequel has now gone on floor. Shruti Haasan is busy with her work abroad as she gears up to make her American TV debut.
Jacqueline Fernandez stuns in a yellow off-shoulder dress during her birthday trip on a yacht in Sri Lanka
Actress Jacqueline Fernandez rang in her 34th birthday in Sri Lanka in the presence of her family and close friends. The actress kick-started the birthday with cake cutting and a bit of dancing on the beach followed by a yacht party.
Jacqueline Fernandez shared a couple of photos on her Instagram with her friends while enjoying the scenic beauty of Sri Lanka. The actress looked beautiful in an off-shoulder yellow maxi dress for her birthday.
Jacqueline Fernandez even spent with the kids on her big day. The video has gone viral where the kids are wishing the actress and singing a birthday song for Jacqueline; a sight that is sure to make your day
On the work front, Jacqueline Fernandez is now moving to the digital space with her most anticipated upcoming OTT, Mrs Serial Killer. Jacqueline will also be seen in her upcoming movie, Kick 2 and the actress will be sharing the screen space with Salman Khan once again.
Dream Girl Trailer Launch: Ayushmann Khurrana says Shah Rukh Khan’s character in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa would be his dream role
Ayushmann Khurrana is the modern-day hero that everyone relates to. Now, he is a National Award winner with his brilliant performance in Andhadhun. After the hard-hitting drama Article 15, the actor is set for an upcoming comedy Dream Girl starring alongside Nushrat Bharucha. The trailer was unveiled on August 12 in which Ayushmann beautifully transforms into the skin of a woman, through his voice.
Talking about winning National Award at the trailer launch, Ayushmann Khurrana said, “It is overwhelming. It feels surreal. I still have butterflies in my stomach. It adds responsibility on me, too. My approach towards work has always been serious and, even though I am not very serious person in real life, I have always approached scripts with that mentality and sensibility. It has worked till now; I hope it works in the future as well.”
Talking about his dream role, he said, “When you come to Mumbai, you create a certain perception in your mind because you’ve grown up on Hindi films. I thought Shah Rukh Khan’s character in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na would be my dream role. Then I thought Aamir’s character in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar and even Amitabh sir’s character in Shakti was my dream role.”
“I never thought I would arrive as a sperm donor and then do Dream Girl or an Article 15. The script writers today think ten steps ahead of perhaps what I can think. They surprise you with different characters,” he added.
“After hearing the script, I felt there is only one actor who could pull off the kind of voice modulation that the role required. I told (director) Raaj (Shaandilyaa) that he (Ayushmann) bets on scripts, he will not see how big the director is or how many films he has done. He will only read the script,” said Ekta Kapoor, at the film’s trailer launch. She further added, “It takes a lot to play a woman, and he has that ability. You have to be a really talented man to play a woman.”
Directed by Raaj Shaandilyaa, Dream Girl stars Nushrat Bharucha, Manjot Singh, Annu Kapoor and Abhishek Banerjee in key roles. The rom-com is slated to release on September 13.
HOT! Esha Gupta ups the ante with her latest pink and blue BIKINI image
The monsoon is on in full swing, but it seems like Esha Gupta has taken it upon herself to bring on the heat. Enjoying a sun kissed session away from home, Esha who recently attended the Mabel Green Cup took to Instagram sharing a picture of herself enjoying the sunshine.
Esha shared the image of her posing in a pink and blue bikini, sans a caption letting the picture speak for itself. Currently enjoying her time in Rome, Esha has been a constant on Instagram with posts that are sure to raise temperatures.
Back on the work front, Esha Gupta was last seen in the film One Day: Justice Delivered. Post this, the actress will be seen in Desi Magic that also features Ameesha Patel.
WAR: Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff perform DEADLY bike crash stunt!
Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff, two of the biggest action heroes of our generation, are pitted against each other for a massive showdown in YRF’s visual extravaganza War. The action entertainer will see the two superstars going after each other as they pull off jaw-dropping, death-defying stunts in a bid to win over each other. One such deadly bike chase sequence will see Tiger and Hrithik crash through glass window panes!
Director Siddharth Anand says, “This was an incredibly high-risk scene as my actors could have got severely injured had anyone single detail not worked perfectly. It’s a high-speed bike chase scene that will see Hrithik riding a superbike and Tiger chasing him on foot. It needed Tiger to showcase his parkour prowess to time his jump perfectly so that he crashes into Hrithik and both of them break through glass window panes! On top of that, we conceptualized this beat at a blind spot, a juncture where two lanes meet so both Hrithik and Tiger couldn’t time their movement by looking at each other!”
He adds, “Though all safety precautions were in place, the scene definitely needed their focus, their razor-sharp instinct and their trust in each other as actors to pull it off. We were all praying that everything goes as per plan. Hrithik and Tiger have incredible camaraderie and faith in each other and people will see that when they watch this film. They are two of the biggest action heroes of India and there is a reason why they are loved so much because they put their body on the line to entertain audiences. I’m thankful to them for pulling off these risky stunts that has made War such a visual spectacle.”
Produced by Yash Raj Films, the high-octane film War that also stars Vaani Kapoor opposite Hrithik Roshan, is set to release in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu on the big National Holiday of Gandhi Jayanti, October 2.
“The National Award for Music Composition is very precious to me,” Sanjay Leela Bhansali revives era of filmmaker-composer
When Sanjay Leela Bhansali heard the news that he had been awarded the National award for best music composer for his songs and background music in Padmaavat it was like a long-cherished dream come true. “I’ve always wanted to be recognized for my work as a music composer. Ever since I started officially composing my own songs in Ram Leela, it’s been new journey, a new avenue of exploration for me.”
Sanjay is now busy composing the music for his new directorial venture Inshallahwhere the songs and music will be filmed on Salman Khan and Alia Bhatt. You may think Sanjay Leela Bhansali had no film on release in 2019. But you are wrong. The maestro of operatic moviemaking has been very busy for the last one year after the completion of his last directorial epic Padmaavat.
He was busy composing music for his production Malaal which launched the careers of Meezaan Jaaferi (son of Javed Jafferi) along with Sharmin Segal who is Bhansali’s niece. Bhansali says it wasn’t easy doing music for a film that was directed by another director (Mangesh Hadawale. “I had to constantly keep Mangesh’s vision in mind while creating the songs. It was a tightrope walk. While my own visions as a composer prodded awake the songs, they finally had to convey what the director wanted.”
Extra care over the songs since Malaal is his niece’s debut? Bhansali disagrees on that. “No, I think the process of creating a film score for me is not incumbent on whom it is being done for. For me the songs in Ram Leela, Padmaavat, Bajirao Mastani are as precious as the songs I’ve created for the two very talented newcomers in Malaal, or for that matter , the music I am creating for the next film I’m directing Inshallah.”
Are we moving towards a trend of film directors serving as their own music providers? Satyajit Ray is the only example of a major filmmaker in the past who composed music for his own films. Says Bhansali, “There is a genuine music composer dormant in many filmmakers. Raj Saab (Raj Kapoor) used to compose a lot of his music in his own head. Then he would share his creations with Shankar-Jaikishan who would then mould the compositions into a sophisticated work of art. Another great filmmaker, the underrated Raj Khosla was a singer-composer who collaborated with Laxmikant-Pyarelal for some fabulous music.”
As a music composer, Bhansali admits his greatest inspiration impetus and motivator is Lata Mangeshkar. “My greatest compliment as a music composer came to me from my idol Lataji for the music of Bajirao Mastani. Lataji has inspired all my films. She told me that the Latpat latpat opening of my ‘Pinga’ song was from her song in V Shantaram’s Amar Bhoopali. Lataji said she liked my songs and the way I’ve filmed them. Then she affectionately said, ‘Aapne mera Latpat latpat utha liya.’ I humbly submit that it is indeed true.”
Bhansali says there are other influences simmering seductively in the soundtrack. “I am also proud to say that the number ‘Deewani Mastani’ is completely inspired by Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s style of composition. Bajirao Mastani is a tribute to the voice of Lataji, the music of Laxmikant-Pyarelal and the cinema of K Asif and V Shantaram. I am very proud to have absorbed all these influences.”
The 5 Real release clashes
“This Independence Day, the winner will be the audience!” declared John Abraham about the impending “clash” between his Batla House and dear friend Akshay Kumar’s Mission Mangal. Two content-heavy entertainers, with all the mega-voltage thrust of powerful storylines and star-power, are definitely in store for viewers. It is rarely that there are two releases whose trailers as well as vibe promise so much of substance and fuel the desire to watch “ASAP”!
In that sense, the Mission Mangal – Batla House clash is truly one of the rare real clashes in Hindi cinema.
So what do we mean by a real clash? Quite simply, it means a scenario (pun intended) when one film gives a very, very tough fight to the co-release, ending in either a win-win situation or one movie’s remarkable victory in an unequal battle.
Here, then, are the five true-blue clashes in contemporary times:
1. Dil & Ghayal (1990): Both were non-festival releases. The former romantic melodrama had the edge because of various reasons: the upwardly-mobile Aamir Khan and Madhuri Dixit, a hit music score and it was a trendy romance when action as a genre was in second place to love stories. The actioner Ghayal, however, made up with its intensity, its real (they called it “topical” then!) touch, Sunny Deol’s angst-packed action and an on-screen conflict with Amrish Puri. Both films enjoyed a Golden Jubilee run.
2. Phool Aur Kaante & Lamhe (1991): Post-Diwali, these two films clashed, interestingly, with Lamhe releasing a day earlier. This was a Yash Chopra biggie, released just after his blockbuster Chandni was fresh in everyone’s memory. This time, Chandni Sridevi had a dual role, the story was novel, the film was shot abroad, and the music a hit.
By contrast, Phool Aur Kaante marked the directorial debut of Kuku Kohli, and was an action-packed love story with a new (and not very conventional-looking) hero in Ajay Devgn and another fresh face—Madhoo. All it had to score were Nadeem-Shravan’s hit songs and a rare intensity in its script and the action (coordinated by the hero’s father Veeru Devgan). The mass-appeal of the film took on the classy drama and knocked it out of the race, as Lamhe had to make do with critical acclaim and a promise of longevity.
3. Lagaan & Gadar—Ek Prem Katha (2001): Again the release was on a non-festival date, with the monsoon fury lashing Mumbai, and again Aamir Khan and Sunny Deol came in. This was probably the first time that two patriotic films clashed. To be fair, Lagaan did well only in Mumbai and overseas (the perception then was that a film that was a hit in Mumbai was a hit!) while Gadar led the entire decade in theatrical footfalls and revenues, and inflation-adjusted, even towered above 3 Idiots released in 2009.
However, Lagaan remains high in status, and we do not mean the Oscar short-listing alone. It occupies pride of place among the epic dramas of the times for its superb atmosphere and performances, and has emerged as a cult film. On a far more massy scale, Gadar remains a cult and historic milestone in Hindi cinema too. As director Anil Sharma put it a decade later, “The interval point of Gadar came at almost 1.45 hours, when most movies now end. But the audience did not move out as they did not want to miss even a minute when the film started again.”
So this really was a clash of the “giants”, as both films were three hours plus!
4. Tum Bin & Aks (2001): It was almost dismissed as a joke—a T-Series small film, Tum Bin, pitted against a big Amitabh Bachchan thriller in Aks. Tum Bin introduced director Anubhav Sinha, now known for substantial cinema like Mulk and Article 15. This homespun drama of three men in a girl’s life (the cast was all new) was accepted in the face of the surreal and highly offbeat Amitabh Bachchan-Raveena Tandon-Manoj Bajpayee-heavy film. Within days, it was Aks that became the joke—an unwieldy Goliath felled by a focused David.
5. Welcome & Taare Zameen Par (2007): This was how a classic clash should be for the audience—both films belonged to diverse genres, that too almost diametrically opposite! The former Anees Bazmee confection was a hilarious crime caper, while the latter film, featuring (once again) and produced and directed by Aamir Khan was dead serious, a film with a mission. The release season (Christmas) was bountiful, and both emerged super-hits as per their respective budgets.
Today, both films are cherished and revisited with affection, one as a timeless and superbly-relaxing comedy, and the other as a cult motion picture that has changed society in many ways.
Debunking the ‘Clash’ myth
In that sense, most of the other ‘hyped’ clashes were not tussles at all. Action Replayywas a dud in front of Golmaal 3, so was Mohenjo-Daro opposite Rustom. Saawariyaand Jaan-E-Mann respectively were decimated by Om Shanti Om and Don, though the latter was no super-hit. Mission Kashmir came a poorer second to the less-poor Mohabbatein, which is also what happened between Kaabil and Raees.
On the other hand, both Jab Tak Hain Jaan and Son Of Sardaar were both tepid successes. There were a few triangular clashes as well, but none really made the high-impact grade.
As we have seen, there have been very few true-blue clashes in the real sense! And, hopefully, Mission Mangal and Batla House will battle each other to a great climax where the audience resoundingly wins.
