Entertainment
B-Town: Pankaj Udhas was greater than just 'Chitthi Aayi…'
Mumbai, March 3 (IANS) It is sad how ill-informed our media is! The coverage of the passing away of legendary ghazal singer, Pankaj Udhas, demonstrates this lack of information and research.
The credit for Pankaj’s fame is attributed mainly to one film song, ‘Chitthi aayee hai…’ from ‘Naam’. The film was released in 1986 by which time Pankaj had become a hugely popular ghazal singer, second only to the veteran Jagjit Singh. But then, Jagjit Singh had a head start.
By 1986, Pankaj had quite a few silver, gold and platinum discs to his credit. These discs were awarded by the music companies on an album achieving a certain milestone in sales. Ghazals were initially a choice of certain discerning music lovers.
But Pankaj had a varied repertoire and his numbers such as ‘Ghungroo toot gaye’, ‘Sharab cheez hi aisi hai’, ‘Chandi jaisa rang’ and ‘Niklo na benaqab’ carried a definite appeal for the masses. That explained his all-round popularity and those platinum, gold and silver discs he earned.
For the true-blue ghazals and the ones with mass appeal, which Pankaj had included in his repertoire, he needed to cultivate a market. The film music scene was too formidable in those days for a parallel taste in music to grow.
Music India Limited probably sensed the need for music other than those from films. They signed promising singing talents such as Talat Aziz, Anup Jalota, Bhupinder and Mitali, Penaz Masani, Rajendra and Neena Mehta, and Pankaj Udhas.
The music company did something unique to promote its artistes. A two-night sit-down ghazal festival, Khazana, was organized at the Taj Mumbai. And the invitees were the elite of Mumbai.
The Khazana Fest was such a hit that the music company decided to follow it up on a more ambitious scale the following year, taking it to more metros. Starting in Mumbai, the Khazana went to Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
As I write this and think back, the applause of the audience still rings in my ears. In fact, in Kolkata, the audience consisting of men and women and families, demanded that Khazana continue till dawn by the time it would be safe to be on the road.
A new breed of ghazal singers had arrived. The best part was that, for the tour was announced well in advance, the singers were welcomed with front-page pictures and coverage in newspapers and magazines before they arrived.
All these singers created their own following but Pankaj went on to become the star, thanks to his sober nature, pleasant attitude, and the choice of numbers and velvety voice with which he rendered his numbers.
Soon, he was performing in programmes all over India and abroad.
Pankaj and his two brothers, Manhar and Nirmal, made for a unique singer-brother trio. The Udhas brothers come from the Charan community of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat; music and poetry was in their blood.
The community was honoured in the courts of the rulers in the region as they were known to conjure up songs of valour in times of war or victory or praise of a brave heart in an instant. Not surprising that all three brothers, Manhar, Nirmal and Pankaj were gifted singers and musicians.
As what usually happens after the death of such a celebrity, I am sure most of Pankaj’s fans are now surfing the Net and YouTube and playing his numbers. That is the best tribute we can pay to him.
It’s All About Admission Rates
The reduced admission rate — a flat Rs 99 — introduced by major multiplex managements on February 23 did prove one thing and that is, the audience is not shy of coming to a cinema. And that affords them a chance to decide for themselves if a film is good or not. They do not have to count on paid or biased social media influencers to decide.
The people who take in a film on Day One are the people who ensure a film has a better chance for a sustained run. The opinions of the people who watch a film and then comment are more trusted than others.
Their comments on social media as well as in person to friends and family are constant. In my previous column, I had suggested that if the cinema chains rationalised admission rates, it certainly would be like old times when people, those who are called compulsive first-day-first-show movie buffs, could afford to do so.
Give people a chance to come to the cinema and they will decide what film they like. Nobody says people like all films released on a weekend. I am proved right when I compare the two films released this past Friday, ‘Article 370’ and ‘Crakk’.
Even if the opening days are made affordable, people will come to watch a film and they will be the real ambassadors for films, for people no longer believe in either social media or media reviews, and the four and five stars that they bestow on films.
And then, on social media, there are always two sides, those who do the filmmaker or star’s bidding for a consideration and those who are genuine movie buffs who share true reviews.
An example is the recent Gujarati release, ‘Kasoombo’. A trade analyst who usually posts about Hindi films has claimed that this Gujarati film has collected Rs 2.36 crore in the first week and Rs 3.9 crore in its first 10 days, which he describes as “WOW!!”.
But this claim contradicts the figures carried on his official website, where the collections add up to about Rs 80 lakh-plus! And some netizens have noticed and pointed out the contradiction between the two. What drives such social media posts? Anybody’s guess!
The first-day-first-show audience is not the kind to be taken for granted. Film lovers have their instincts about a film so they flock to see one film but ignore another! A film they are not convinced about is not seen on OTT either. So, even in the old days, some films with big stars drew the crowds and other films starring the same stars found no takers.
This happened in the Rajesh Khanna era and with Amitabh Bachchan. He had ‘Zameer’ between two hits, ‘Deewaar’ and ‘Chupke Chupke’, and ‘Faraar’ between ‘Sholay’ and ‘Kabhi Kabhie’.
Take the example of Rajesh Khanna’s peak period, when he was doing hit films such as ‘Daag’, ‘Namak Haraam’, ‘Aap Ki Kasam’, and ‘Prem Nagar’. He came up with a flop in ‘Ajnabee’ and an arty film, ‘Aavishkar’ — it was not the kind of film his audience wanted to see him in. This happens with all actors, none barred.
A filmmaker often hoped that even if the audience did not turn up in the first show of the first day, people would come eventually. Towards this end, it was a practice for the producer to buy tickets and distribute them for free. The idea was to make the cinema house-full and get those who attended the show to talk about the film.
People believed in word of mouth, so, a number of films that would open on a weak note, gradually picked up and went on to become big hits. This usually happened with the social films produced by Rajshri Pictures or Prasad Productions, and often with many Hindi films from the South.
With the terms the cinemas offered in those days, it was possible to give a film enough leeway to buy that time. The cinemas charged a rent in those days. Now, as a result of the box office sharing system, the cinemas don’t like to continue a film for nothing if it is not collecting enough.
But with reasonable admission rates, a good film may just sustain another film that may not be liked as much by the audience. Ttalking about the two films of the last week, ‘Article 370’ and ‘Crakk’, the Cinema Lovers Day on February 23, which was also the opening day of the films, helped. Both films managed a decent opening day figure, counting in crores, which otherwise would have been in lakhs.
‘Article 370’ opened with Rs 6 crore, thanks to the Rs 90 admission rate and ‘Crakk’ collected Rs 4 crore. ‘Article 370’ was appreciated, so it went on to make Rs 9 crore the next day and Rs 10 crore on Sunday.
This was possible because of the positive reports from the audience on Day One. ‘Crakk’, on the other hand, could not sustain and fell to Rs 2 crore after an opening of Rs 4 crore. None of the two films would have collected even these figures at the normal admission rates.
This is what public reports do to films. These are a kind of exit poll. Unlike the social media reviews, nobody pays people to say good things about a film. They pay to watch a film and express their views honestly.
It is strange that the theatre managements know what cinema lovers want –seven days a week of admission rates that is easy on their pocket — yet they just don’t wish to rationalise their prices.
–IANS
vinod/srb
Allu Arjun is poised to dominate the box office with his highly anticipated film, Pushpa 2: The Rule, set to release on December 6, 2024. The excitement surrounding this film is phenomenal, already making headlines with an impressive pre-release collection of RS 1,085 crores! This achievement is particularly notable, given that it reached this milestone well before the movie even debuts in theaters.
Fans are eagerly looking forward to Allu Arjun’s return as Pushparaj, the character that earned him a National Award for Best Actor in the first installment, Pushpa: The Rise. The buzz surrounding Pushpa 2 is unparalleled, and the film is expected to break even more records upon its release. The pre-release collection includes a record-setting deal for theatrical rights, sold for ₹640 crores, making it one of the most lucrative film deals in Indian cinema.
Additionally, Pushpa 2 has secured a significant digital distribution agreement with Netflix, which acquired the rights for ₹275 crores, highlighting the high demand for the film. The overall pre-release earnings have been impressive across various regions, with ₹220 crores collected in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, ₹200 crores in the North, ₹50 crores in Tamil Nadu, ₹30 crores in Karnataka, ₹20 crores in Kerala, and ₹40 crores from overseas markets. The music rights were sold for ₹65 crores, while the satellite rights fetched ₹85 crores, contributing a total of ₹425 crores from non-theatrical rights.
Directed by Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, Pushpa 2: The Rule features a talented cast, including Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil alongside Allu Arjun. The film’s music will be released by T Series, further adding to the anticipation.
With Allu Arjun’s National Award win and the remarkable pre-release collections, it’s clear that Pushpa 2 is set to be a blockbuster. As the release date approaches, fans are excited to see how this film will perform at the box office. If the pre-release collections are any indication, Pushpa 2 is bound to shatter records and become a massive success!
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Actress Anu Aggarwal, who rose to fame with “Aashiqui”, and “King Uncle”, recalled the time when filmmakers would come to her with money for signing a film and would not have a script ready.
In a conversation with Lehren shared on Instagram, the actress could be seen talking about it.
“I was shocked to see that people who don’t have their scripts are not ready when they would come to sign me up for a film. They would have the money ready and I would say I don’t want to sign with the money. I would like to hear the script.”
“They would say the script will be made so you can sign,” she added.
“This was the way and because I am an actor I would like to see what my role, story is. Everything is important. Nobody would have a script… 98 per cent of people would not have the script,” she said.
Anu Aggarwal gained immense popularity in the 1990s after featuring in the musical romantic drama “Aashiqui” directed by Mahesh Bhatt.
She starred alongside Rahul Roy and Deepak Tijori.
The film was known for its music, by composer duo Nadeem–Shravan establishing their careers.
The soundtrack album has been rated fourth by Planet Bollywood on their “100 Greatest Bollywood Soundtracks”.
It was the best-selling Bollywood album at the time of its release.
The film was remade in Kannada as “Roja” in 2002.
A sequel to the film, “Aashiqui 2”, with a completely new theme, directed by Mohit Suri, with Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor, was released in 2013.
–IANS
dc/khz
Entertainment
Ram Charan's daughter Klin achieves this milestone on grandfather Chiranjeevi's birthday
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) On the 69th birthday of actor and politician Chiranjeevi, his son Ram Charan has shared a peek into their family vacation to Paris, France, which is also the first trip of his daughter Klin Kaara with her grandparents.
Ram took to his Instagram account, where he has 23.9 million followers, and shared a family picture from Paris.
The snap shows his parents– father Chiranjeevi, mother Surekha, his wife Upasana Kamineni, and their furry friend–pet dog. We can see Chiranjeevi holding his granddaughter Klin adorably in his arms.
Ram looked dapper in a black shirt, matching trousers and an olive green jacket.
They are posing against the backdrop of Eiffel Tower.
The post is captioned as: “Klin Kaara’s first trip with her grandparents!!! Memorable”.
In another post, Ram dropped a photograph with his father, wearing matching South Indian ethnic outfits.
He wrote in caption: “Happpiest birthday, Appa!!”
Meanwhile, on the occasion of Chiranjeevi’s birthday, UV Creations and director Vashistaa Mallidi have unveiled the highly anticipated first look poster for ‘Vishwambhara’, a fantasy adventure film.
Sharing the poster on social media, the makers wrote: “When darkness and evil take over the world, a Magnanimous Star shall shine bright to fight, Happy birthday, MEGASTAR @KChiruTweets, Let the world witness your aura with #Vishwambhara, Get ready for a MEGA MASS BEYOND UNIVERSE, In cinemas from January 10th, 2025.”
The movie promises to be a cinematic spectacle, featuring Chiranjeevi in a lead role. The film also stars Trisha Krishnan, Ashika Ranganath and Kunal Kapoor.
The film will be released on January 10, 2025.
Chiranjeevi was last seen in Telugu action drama ‘Bhola Shankar’ directed by Meher Ramesh. It also featured Tamannaah Bhatia, Keerthy Suresh and Sushanth.
Meanwhile, Ram Charan last appeared in action drama ‘Acharya’, directed by Koratala Siva. The film starred Chiranjeevi, alongside Pooja Hegde, Sonu Sood and Jisshu Sengupta.
He next has ‘Game Changer’, and ‘RC16’ in the pipeline.
–IANS
sp/
Entertainment
Rani Mukerji: Shivani Shivaji Roy shows how a woman can lead from front in a male-dominated field
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Actress Rani Mukerji has talked about why she loves her character Shivani Shivaji Roy from “Mardaani,” which has completed 10 years in Hindi cinema on Thursday.
She said: “Shivani Shivaji Roy is my most favourite on-screen character. She is a defiant, fierce force of nature who will stand up for what is right no matter what. She is someone who subverts gender norms in cinema and shows how a woman can also lead from the front in a male-dominated field.”
As the film celebrates its 10th anniversary, Rani is grateful for all the love and acclaim that she has received.
She said: “I’m truly proud of my ‘Mardaani’ franchise. It is a franchise that keeps on giving. The love, adulation, and the respect that I have received from Mardaani is truly humbling.”
On Thursday morning, the makers of the film teased fans about the next chapter of the franchise.
Production Yash Raj Films banner took to YouTube, where they dropped a teaser of sorts, which begins from the first installment, which first released in 2014.
The production company captioned it: “10 years of #Mardaani and the next chapter awaits… Celebrating the feisty, daredevil cop #ShivaniShivajiRoy and the spirit of #Mardaani today. Thank you for a decade of love and appreciation for our beloved franchise. We are inspired… again… thanks to you. #RaniMukerji #10YearsOfMardaani.”
Rani is too excited to reprise the role and don the cop uniform once again.
She said: “I’m looking forward to bringing back Shivani Shivaji Roy on the big screen soon. It’s been a while since I have donned the cop uniform and paid tribute to the women police force of our country.”
“Each (woman cop) one of them relentlessly works hard to keep our families safe and I have always loved to salute these fearless women. Shivani will be back and I hope you will give as much love to her as you have always showered for 10 years now!” added the actress.
–IANS
dc/
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Bollywood actress and fashionista Sonam Kapoor brought out her A-game in fashion, where she flaunted “minimal, bold and effortlessly on point” look.
The actress took to Instagram, where she shared a string of pictures. In the pictures, she is seen wearing a powder pink shirt, paired with a blazer and long skirt. She completed her look with sunglasses.
“Celebrating @perniaq season 2 podcast drop with that sleek @phoebephilo energy—minimal, bold, and effortlessly on point. Shoutout to the squad for keeping the vibe,” she wrote and also mentioned that she is styled by her sister Rhea Kapoor.
Recently, Sonam shared several glimpses from her son Vayu’s vintage car themed cake as he turned two on August 20.
Sonam took to Instagram, where she shared a reel of the two-tier toddler friendly, refined sugar free chocolate cake. It featured a vintage ice blue car atop of the cake with the number 2 written on it.
The actress had also penned a heart-felt note for her son Vayu.
“My baby turns two today!!! Happy 2nd Birthday to our sweet, precious Vayu! W Being your mom is the greatest gift I could ever receive. You’ve filled our lives with so much joy, laughter, and wonder,” Sonam said.
The actress shared that with her son, everyday is an adventure filled with “your boundless curiosity, your infectious laughter, and your sweet, loving nature.”
“You’ve brought so much light and happiness into our world, making every moment more beautiful and every relationship stronger. You’ve deepened the love between your dadaa and me in ways we never imagined, and you’ve brought pure, unfiltered joy to everyone who loves you-your nani and nana, dadi and baba, kaaa masa, Masi and chachu,” she said.
“Your sweet spirit and playful energy make our family complete, and we are so blessed to have you in our lives.”
She tagged Vayu as her sunshine, music, little genius, and their endless “source of happiness”.
“We love you more than words can say, and we can’t wait to see all the amazing things you will continue to bring into our lives,” Sonam said.
–IANS
dc/
Pushpa 2 earns RS 1085 CR in pre-release collection- BJP opposes Nawab Malik’s candidacy
- Lee Hsien Yang seeks refuge in United Kingdom
- 17 workers are feared trapped following the collapse of a building in Bengaluru
- Nilesh Rane switches party to contest an election
- Investors’ wealth eroded by a massive Rs 9.19 lakh crore
- MVA seat sharing to be fixed in a day or two
- Sensex plunges to 2-months low by 930.55 points
- Testing times for the airlines due to hoax threats
- MLA Vinesh Phogat disagrees with Sakshi Malik’s claims
-
Video2 years agoPM Modi Attacks Congress in Karnataka with “Kerala Story”
-
Politics2 years ago
Siddaramaiah & DK Shivakumar sworn in as Chief Minister & Deputy CM respectively
-
Cricket2 years ago
CSK players rejoice 5th IPL title with their families (Pics)
-
Entertainment2 years ago
Karan Deol weds his longtime Girlfriend Drisha Acharya (Pics)
-
Entertainment2 years ago
Urvashi Rautela dazzles on Cannes 2023 red carpet (Pics)
-
Sports7 years agoHistory Of Official FIFA WORLD CUP Match balls
-
Entertainment2 years ago
Sunny Leone gets ready for Kennedy premiere in Cannes (Pics)
-
India2 years ago
Ashwini Vaishnaw: Railway Board recommends CBI probe in the Odisha railway disaster
