Priyanka Chopra says all is well with Salman Khan…but is it?
It is very unlikely that Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra will ever be seen in a film together. In fact one hears Salman has already ‘recommended’ (read: locked in) Katrina Kaif for his new Eid 2020 release to be directed by Prabhu Dheva.
A source says, “Bhai plays a cop again in the Eid 2020 release. This would be two back-to-back releases Dabangg 3 followed by the Eid release, where Salman plays a cop. To avoid a sense of sameness his team members suggested Priyanka Chopra since she has no films on hand after The Sky Is Pink releases in October.”
Apparently Salman’s reply was a vehement no. “At such a short notice the choice was between Jacqueline Fernandez and Katrina Kaif. With Jacqueline, Salman is already doing Kick 2. He might as well give Katrina the Eid gift,” says the source.
Salman and Katrina have scored three Eid hits Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai and Bharat.
Sajid Nadiadwala gets invited to his school to discuss the strong educational messages in his films Chhichhore and Super 30
Filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala returns to his alma mater, Don Bosco High School in Matunga, to discuss his recent successes, Chhichhore and Super 30. He has been invited by his school for his contribution to the education sector, and to discuss the strong educational messages that his films have.
Commenting on the films, he said “I feel privileged to be making Chhichhore & Super 30 two movies on education. Going to the premises where it all began and where I probably have spent my best days of life is completely nostalgic, just like Chhichhore. I am probably going to be overwhelmed while speaking about Super 30 and Chhichhore as they’re one of the best films of my career and I will be talking about it in the best place I could”
Nadiadwala also shared his thoughts on the colleagues that helped make the film, saying “I had two very strong directors by my side to execute both the films, Nitesh and Vikas have truly identified the motive and directed. I could only be thankful to have had such talented directors for both remarkable films.” Movies like Super 30 and Chhichhore require the director and producer to be on the same tangent to ensure the delivery of their message, and it seems that Nadiadwala was fortunate in that respect.
Both the films, Super 30 and Chhichhore have been received superbly, by critics and audiences alike. Super 30 grossed over Rs. 200 crores, and Chhichhore has almost crossed the Rs. 149 crore mark, and is estimated to go higher.
The Tashkent Files director, Vivek Agnihotri, says his film should have been India’s entry to the Oscars instead of Gully Boy
Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt starrer Gully Boy has been sent to the Oscars as India’s official entry in the International Feature Film category. The film is truly one of a kind and has made a mark among the audience. Based on the lives of underground rappers, Divine and Naezy, this Zoya Akhtar directorial is something that Bollywood had never seen before.
While the country is congratulating the team for this huge honour of being nominated for the 92nd Academy Awards, director Vivek Agnihotri feels otherwise. His last release The Tashkent Files has surely stirred a buzz in the industry as it points out to the work Lal Bahadur Shastri has done in his life and an attempt to solve the mystery surrounding his death. The second PM of independent India also happens to share his birth anniversary with the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi.
Vivek Agnihotri in his recent interview admitted that his film, The Tashkent Files should have been India’s entry to the Oscars instead of Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy. The director went on to reveal that his film was surely one of the top runners but couldn’t make it to the list due to its political angle.
Which film out of Gully Boy and The Tashkent Files should have made it to the Oscars according to you? Be sure to let us know.
Saand Ki Aankh: Bhumi Pednekar speaks up on Neena Gupta and Soni Razdan sparking ageism debate
Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu are coming together to tell the story of revolver daadis, Chandro Tomar and Prakashi Tomar in Saand Ki Aankh. But, the film’s trailer sparked a debate on why younger actresses were being cast for the role of older women.
Neena Gupta had taken to Twitter to say that leave some older roles for them. “Yes I was just thinking about this hamari umar ke role toe kamse kam humse kara lo bhai,” she wrote. This was in response to a Twitter user who pointed that Saand Ki Aankh could have had veteran actresses like Neena Gupta, Shabana Azmi or Jaya Bachchan.
Even Soni Razdan had pointed out the similar issue. When asked Bhumi about it, she said that casting is the filmmaker’s prerogative. She said that she respects Neena Gupta and Soni Razdan, she hopes the movie changes their opinion. Bhumi further said that playing Chandro Tomar was the opportunity of a lifetime.
For her the role, she did gain 10 kilos to look convincing as the revolver daadi. But, she won’t go with 30 kgs weight gain like she did in her debut film Dum Laga Ke Haisha. She said it took her one year to do so and one year to knock it off. She said that she is very health conscious and it took a while to shed that weight. She revealed that 10 days after wrapping up Saand Ki Aankh, she began filming Bala.
Directed by Tushar Hiranandani, Saand Ki Aankh is set for October 25 release.
Kalki Koechlin reveals about ex-husband Anurag Kashyap’s reaction to her pregnancy
Kalki Koechlin recently revealed that she is all set to welcome her first child into the world with her boyfriend Guy Hershberg. The actress is super excited about this phase in her life. Speaking of being a mother, she recently said that she always had a maternal instinct since her brother is quite younger to her. They have decided on a name – Kalki has chosen a name if its a girl and Guy has chosen a name for a boy.
The actress, who separated from filmmaker Anurag Kashyap a couple of years ago, has maintained a cordial and friendly relation with her ex-husband. When asked how he reacted to the pregnancy news, Kalki Koechlin said that he just welcomed her to the parents’ club and told her to call if she needs anything. She said that she saw Anurag’s daughter Aaliyah and her own brother Oriel grow up, so she already got a glimpse into this role of a lifetime.
Kalki even said that the term ‘out of wedlock’ can’t be used in the millennial world. She said marriage can be useful for bureaucracy, but that does not mean that it is a sign of love. She said that only time and consistency say how strong a relationship is. The actress said that it was a happy reaction to find out about her pregnancy.
‘We need to celebrate our daughters’: Bhumi Pednekar on the social inequality that exists even today
Bhumi Pednekar’s next Saand Ki Aankh has hit all the right notes. The film metaphorically points out the inequalities that women generally have faced across generations through the life story of two of the world’s oldest sharpshooters of India, Chandro and Prakashi Tomar. Bhumi, however, feels inequality towards women is a burning reality even today.
Bhumi says, “Saand ki Aankh is a film about equality of women at its core. Women have faced inequality in our country ever since we can remember. It’s taken a bunch of bold and courageous women to break those age-old moulds of discrimination, to bring about an evolution of equality in our country. These women started a revolution. And that’s exactly what the Tomar sisters did. Unknowingly they were a part of a system that didn’t give them any opportunities cause the society just didn’t know better, but they didn’t want the same for their daughters and granddaughters.”
Bhumi is deeply inspired by Chandro and Prakashi’s journey. She says, “In their 60’s they broke all shackles of patriarchy through a very inspiring and truly overwhelming journey. Laughing, smiling with never a dull moment they paved the path for a flourished future not just for their girls but for over 50,000 children. They are full of love, warmth, hope and all things positive. They are such fun and full of life. Their story is one to be remembered. It’s a roller coaster ride full of tears and laughs.”
Bhumi feels the entire country will connect to this family entertainer because it’s truly a feel-good film that everyone will relate to. “There are so many moments in the film where you just want to go hug your mom for all she has done and moments where you’ll be so inspired by them that no task would look tough. SKA is an out and out family film because it is important for the whole family to see this movie and realise that knowingly or unknowingly it is always the woman of the house who gets subjected to inequality, it is her dreams that more often than not become secondary or non-relevant,” says the versatile actress.
Bhumi hopes Saand Ki Aankh will bring a positive social change and people will celebrate their daughters more. “I hope, through our film and through the inspiring dadis we can bring about some change in the way people think. We need to celebrate our daughters. Love them, nurture them and let them shine,” she signs off.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan roped in as the face of Cadbury’s premium chocolate
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been roped in as the face for Cadbury Dark Milk in India which is a new addition to Mondelez India’s bouquet of premium chocolates. The product promises a new world of taste for grown-up palates. The product targets consumers with sophisticated sensibilities who enjoy exploring various experiences in their ‘me time’.
Anil Vishwanath, who is the director of marketing at Mondelez while speaking to a daily said that their brand plays a special role in people’s lives. He said that people want products that reflect their lifestyle and we have always been at the forefront in creating distinctive products and platforms to address this need. He also said that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan truly embodies the exceptional appeal of this new product innovation with her milestones.
Meanwhile, Aishwarya Rai while talking about the chocolate said that premium taste will surely appeal to chocolate lovers. She said that it has been fun working on the campaign and is excited to share this experience with everyone.
Sonakshi Sinha would like to have a spin-off with her Dabangg character Rajjo
Actress Sonakshi Sinha will soon complete a decade in the industry. The actress who made her debut in the 2010 film Dabangg opposite Salman Khan will soon be seen in the third instalment of the film.
Sonakshi Sinha who will be reprising the role of Rajjo for the third time has stood shoulder to shoulder with Khan’s Chulbul Pandey in the past two blockbusters. In an interview with a media house, Sonakshi Sinha said that she likes the idea of having a spin off with Rajjo’s character. She said that she is not sure if it will happen, but she loves the concept. The actress said that her character required Dabangg-ness to face Chulbul Pandey and as an actor she has been able to lend the quality.
Recently in an interview, Sonakshi Sinha said that Salman saw the acting ‘keeda’ in her when she had not even thought of acting as a career option. Salman Khan encouraged and motivated her to take it up. Talking about how she bagged the role of Rajjo she said that one day Arbaaz Khan along with the director of the film came to her house and narrated the script to her and she became a part of the film even before she knew it.
Sonakshi Sinha was last seen in the film Mission Mangal which was a hit at the box office. The actress will soon be seen reprising the role of Rajjo in Dabangg 3 which is scheduled to release in December. The actress will also be making a special appearance in Saif Ali Khan starrer Laal Kaptaan.
Hrithik Roshan already wins War in the North
In the North, War is kind. Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy has been forced to take the backseat in the Hindi belt. No two ways about it. A major distributor in Delhi-UP says, “War is currently the most in-demand film. Tickets are sold out almost everywhere in the advance bookings. The nation wants to know what the Hrithik Roshan – Tiger Shroff war is about.”
Comments Bihar distributor Roshan Singh, “As far as the north is concerned it is definitely War as no.1. Chiranjeevi is the undisputed king of the South. But up North, he hardly has a market. They’ve tried to promote the film through Bachchan Saab. But everyone knows Bachchan Saab only has a guest appearance in the film.”
Kishan Damani a prominent distributor in Bihar says. “Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy has a good chance of catching up with War. Provided it is high on content then it will definitely make a dent in the War market. However, at the moment War is ruling the box office advance in the North while Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy is King in the South.”
Damani also points out the fact that Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy is a late starter. “Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy’s advance opened on Tuesday due to late censoring and showcasing.”
Ranbir Kapoor to reunite on screen with Deepika Padukone; but she’s paired with Ajay Devgn
Ranbir Kapoor is all set to share screen space with Deepika Padukone all over again in Luv Ranjan’s next directorial venture which will also star Ajay Devgn. There was plenty of the will-she-won’t-she brand of conjecture in sections of the press as the director’s name sprang up in the MeToo movement last year. However, all speculation about Deepika’s presence in Luv Ranjan’s film can be put to rest.
While the director chooses to refrain from comment a source close to him confirms, “All the three leads players are Ranjan’s first choices. There was never any dithering. The uncertainty was only in the media’s mind. Ajay Devgn, Ranbir Kapoor, and Deepika Padukone loved their roles from the start.”
The untitled film starts shooting in the middle of next year. The exciting part of the casting is that Deepika will be paired with Devgan and not Ranbir. We can always trust Luv Ranjan to bring about a kahaani mein twist.
Emraan Hashmi beefed up for his role in Mumbai Saga to look convincing alongside John Abraham
Actor Emraan Hashmi recently made his digital debut with the Netflix Original series Bard of Blood in which he plays a spy. He will next be seen in the film Mumbai Saga for which he has worn the cop uniform for the first time.
Emraan Hashmi has played the character of an outlaw in several films and it is the first time the actor will be on the side of the law. However, as per sources, Hashmi finds his new cop avatar is as driven as Shoaib from Once Upon A Time In Mumbai was. While his character Shoaib’s drive was to earn money and be powerful, whereas Emraan’s character in the new film is all about taking on crime and criminals.
Emraan Hashmi had to gain weight for his look in the film. Reportedly, the actor knew he had to bulk up to look convincing in front of a guy like John Abraham who is extremely well built. Hashmi had very little time to bulk up. The actor used to work out twice a day and by the end of it, he used to end up feeling overtrained.
According to reports, Emraan Hashmi could not sleep for two days before he was to start shooting since he had overtrained. Sanjay Gupta, the director of Mumbai Saga said that Emraan went from medium size to XL within a month and a half.
Baaghi 3 director Ahmed Khan to reunite with Mr India’s Calendar
Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor are reuniting for the third instalment of the action-drama film Baaghi. However, the film does not only mark the reunion of the lead cast but also brings together director Ahmed Khan and actor Satish Kaushik. Ahmed Khan had worked as a child artiste in the 1978 film Mr India, in which Satish Kaushik played the memorable character of Calendar.
Satish Kaushik will be playing a pivotal role in the film which went on floors two weeks ago. Ahmed Khan, who is also a choreographer has choreographed for movies featuring Satish Kaushik, however, this is the first time he will be directing the actor.
While talking to a media house, Ahmed Khan said that the first day on the set was very nostalgic. He said that Satish Kaushik found it unbelievable that the mischievous child who used to jump on his stomach and make him run around for a shot is now calling the shots. Satish Kaushik will be playing a light-hearted character of Riteish Deshmukh’s character’s boss. He will also be having a few scenes with Tiger Shroff.
Ahmed Khan revealed that during Mr India, the only man he and the other kids were terrified of was Satish Kaushik aka Calendar as he was also the associate director of the film. Meanwhile, Satish Kaushik said that it is a proud moment to have one of the kids direct him.
Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh to fight evil along with Akshay Kumar in Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi
In December of 2018, in the climax of his film Simmba, Rohit Shetty introduced Akshay Kumar as the newest entrant in his cop universe. Akshay Kumar will be playing the titular character in Rohit Shetty’s film Sooryavanshi. The film went on floors in May this year. The film was extensively shot in Mumbai, Bangkok and Hyderabad.
Rohit Shetty’s cop universe also includes Ajay Devgn’s Bajirao Singham and Ranveer Singh’s Simmba act. Now, Rohit Shetty is back in Hyderabad to shoot the climax of Sooryavanshi in a 20-day schedule that starts today. A massive set has been constructed in Ramoji Film City for the shoot.
As per sources, the climax of the film is set to bring Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh and Akshay Kumar together for the first time. Reportedly, Singham, Simmba and Sooryavanshi will be teaming up to fight a larger than life situation. Rohit Shetty had earlier hinted at a crossover of the three characters when Ajay Devgn had made a brief appearance in the Simmba in his Singham avatar.
Produced by Rohit, Karan Johar, Akshay and Shibasish Sarkar, the film also marks a reunion for Akshay and Katrina Kaif almost a decade after Tees Maar Khan. It also features Neena Gupta as Akshay’s mother with the actress promising that her character is a departure from the stereotypical screen maa. There are multiple antagonists, including Nikitin Dheer, Gulshan Grover and Abhimanyu Singh as the film is set against the backdrop of terrorism in India. The film is scheduled to release in March 2020.
BREAKING: War wins the exhibition battle over Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy; Dream Girl and Chhichhore are the casualties
Last week, Yash Raj Films issued a diktat to all three-screen, four-screen and five-screen multiplexes, specifying the number of shows to be allocated to War. Sye Raa Narsimha Reddy being distributed by Anil Thadani who while distributing Saaho had asked the above multiplexes to allocate him maximum shows for Sye Raa Narsimha Reddy as well, else he would not screen Saaho at their plexes.
However, these exhibitors had put a caveat that they would follow the trends of the national multiplex chains during screen allocation between War and Sye Raa Narsimha Reddy. According to the latest information provided by our trusted sources, two-screen multiplexes have allocated one show to Sye Raa, three-screen multiplexes have allocated two shows, and four-screen multiplexes have assigned three shows while the lion’s share has been taken up by War.
Dream Girl and Chhichhore have emerged the biggest casualties of War and Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy in three-screen, four-screen and five-screen multiplexes. Both these films will be discontinued from tomorrow while they will retain a minuscule presence in leading multiplex chains.
While the screen count is still being finalized, War has an approximate screen count of 4000.
Farhan Akhtar opens up about The Sky Is Pink co-star Zaira Wasim quitting the industry
Farhan Akhtar is currently gearing up for the release of his upcoming film The Sky is Pink. The actor will be seen opposite Priyanka Chopra and plays father to a teenage girl played by Zaira Wasim.
Nearly two months ago, Zaira Wasim announced that she will no longer be a part of the industry. Talking about Zaira Wasim to a daily, Farhan Akhtar said that she is a supremely gifted and talented actor and that he is thankful that he got do a film with Zaira.
When Farhan was asked if Zaira had any reservations during the shoot of the film he said that what people feel and how they behave professionally are two completely different things. He said that he had no idea what was going on in her head. Farhan said that she was extremely professional and whenever she was on the set it looked like she is happy being on the set.
The Bhaag Milkha Bhaag actor said that Zaira has made this decision consciously and it should be respected. However, after having seen her on screen, Farhan only hopes that she changes her mind in the near future.
WAR: Tiger Shroff wishes to celebrate with Hrithik Roshan now that the film is over
Tiger Shroff and Hrithik Roshan have been tirelessly promoting their upcoming action film, War. The movie has been in the news for the longest time now and has been creating the entire buzz in the industry given the fact that it stars two of the biggest action superstars, Tiger Shroff and Hrithik Roshan. While the team did want to keep the on-screen rivalry alive, they made sure that Hrithik and Tiger promoted the films separately.
And we’re all aware of the War of the T-shirts between the two where they mocked each other’s famous characters and roles. As good as this strategy was, Tiger Shroff was missing Hrithik Roshan during the promotions and he really can’t wait to celebrate and enjoy with him since the film is all set to release. Their marketing strategy was surely one of the most unique and unconventional ones.
War is slated to release on October 2 with Vaani Kapoor as the lead actress.
Shahid Kapoor talks about the struggles of balancing family life with work and how Mira thinks she isn’t his priority
Shahid Kapoor was last seen in Kabir Singh marking his first Rs. 200 crore + hit, the film went on to make big money at the box office and impressed the audience. While we were all aware of how good an actor Shahid really is, his performance in Kabir Singh managed to out-do all his previous films including Vishal Bhardwaj’s Kaminey. In his recent interview, he spoke about how he tries really hard to manage his work life and giving time to his wife and kids.
He is constantly on the move working for either a film or a brand shoot; he finds it really difficult to manage his time and struggles to strike a balance between the two. He also revealed that it’s difficult for him to maintain friendships and he is terrible when it comes to long-distance relationships. Talking about managing his time, he revealed that his wife, Mira Kapoor, does not feel like she is a priority while he feels guilty about not giving enough time to himself.
Shahid has not announced his next project but there are reports of him being roped in for the remake of Jersey.
Yash Raj Films planning a SEQUEL to the Hrithik Roshan – Tiger Shroff starrer War?
Here is news for those eagerly awaiting the Hrithik Roshan – Tiger Shroff war that begins this week. Director Siddharth Anand and producers Yash Raj Films already have plans to turn War into a full-fledged franchise like Dhoom.
According to a well-placed source, there is ample room to carry the War story forward. “Hrithik and Tiger’s characters have been written to move forward into a franchise. And their chemistry onscreen is so kinetic that after seeing the end product producer Aditya Chopra is more determined than ever to take the Hrithik – Tiger combo forward. Of course it all depends on how the film fares.”
Many times plans to do a sequel/franchise are thwarted if a film fails. A case in point is the Prabhas starrer Saaho. It may be mentioned here that Yash Raj already has a booming franchise film Dhoom to its credit. However that product seems struck after its director Vijay Krishna Acharya delivered a dud titled Thugs Of Hindostan.
AR Rahman to perform live at the Busan International Film Festival for his upcoming film 99 Songs
Grammy and Oscar-winning musician, A R Rahman thrilled his fans when he announced turning producer and writer with the film 99 Songs. On the heels of the news of the film’s screening at the Busan International Film Festival on 9th October, comes another exciting announcement of the maestro treating the festival’s audience to a glimpse of his musical love story by performing live at the festival.
Rahman will be taking to the stage ahead of the red carpet screening of 99 Songs on the same day. Also present will be budding talent and lead actor of his film, debutant Ehan Bhat and director Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy. Speaking on the development, AR Rahman said, “I am delighted to be a part of this amazing gathering of film enthusiasts and have the screening of our labour of love at BIFF. The film’s music is very special and so integral to its story that I feel compelled to introduce it to audiences at this very special event before the screening. I’m looking forward to bringing them this celebration of cinema and music and can’t wait for the reactions”.
Directed by Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy, 99 Songsintroduces Bollywood with a fresh new face, Ehan Bhat in a passionate love story with music as its soul. Presented by Jio Studios, the film is produced by A.R. Rahman’s production company YM Movies and co-produced by Ideal Entertainment.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan joins the Disney Universe; to lend voice to the Hindi version of Maleficent
One of the most beloved global icons and India’s eternal beauty, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan joins the Disney Universe, as she has been roped in to lend her voice for the central character Maleficent in the Hindi, voiced by Angelina Jolie in the original version of the much-awaited sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil!
Bringing her own impeccable style into play, the diva is sure to engage with local audiences while voicing for Maleficent for the Hindi version of the film. One can’t help but draw parallels at how breathtakingly similar the two divas are! Powerful and inspirational in stature, their distinctively glamorous beauty and initiatives towards world causes, have taken the world by storm for decades.
“Looking at how Angelina Jolie fits Maleficent’s role down to the letter, it was hard to imagine anyone else essaying the character other than Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for our local audience. We wanted to build a strong connect and bring her character to life in Hindi and felt Aishwarya’s persona which is filled with elegance and poise would be a perfect blend,” said Bikram Duggal, Head – Studio Entertainment, Disney India.
Angelina Jolie reprises her iconic role as Maleficent in the exciting follow-up to the 2014 film which earned lavish praise for its visuals, costumes, musical score, and especially Jolie’s performance.
A stirring tale of good versus evil, Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil releases in theaters on 18th October in India, in English and Hindi.
