Entertainment
Film did not fly because people do not fly! (IANS Column: B-Town)
New Delhi, Feb 11 (IANS) I noticed something curious. Director Siddharth Anand of the film ‘Fighter’ says that his film flopped because 90 per cent of Indian moviegoers have never sat in an airplane! I was amazed, amused, but, most of all, I was worried. Worried, because this is how the maker of a Rs 400-crore film thinks!
My mind instantly went back to Shakti Samanta’s ‘An Evening In Paris’ (1967), where a bikini-clad Sharmila Tagore is sea skiing as Shammi Kapoor courts her hanging from a helicopter. After learning what Malhotra had said to explain why his film had failed, I wondered how many people hang from a helicopter to court a woman! I don’t know anybody who has done such a thing and still, ‘An Evening In Paris’ was a major hit! I can cite hundreds of such examples.
Of course, the audience must first identify with the subject of a film. The other factor is fantasy — its content must make a viewer fantasise what the actor is doing on the screen. For instance, Rajesh Khanna driving parallel to a mini train of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in ‘Aradhana’, another Shakti Samanta film, and on noticing Sharmila Tagore on the train, sings a song (‘Mere sapnon ki rani…’). That gives wings to the viewer’s fantasy. He would imagine his own self in that scene.
Similarly, when Amitabh Bachchan played his angry young man out to set the world right, it reflected the prevailing mood of the people of that time borne out of a rather authoritarian regime.
The prevailing national mood and the political dispensation usually have an undefined impact on the kind of films that work. Post-Independence, there was a brief period of time when films and songs were imbued with the spirit of nationalism. The period that followed was the celebration of independence. There was no media like the one that exists now and people lived believing that all was fine.
All genres, be it a family social, romance, musical, historical or mythological, found an audience. Action was accepted only as a part of the narrative; horror and extra-terrestrial movies held little appeal. People went to a cinema to be entertained and did not like to be burdened with ghost stories.
The second Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastry, who fought a successful war and won it, brought nationalism back in his short tenure. Manoj Kumar’s ‘Shaheed’ as well as Gulshan Behl’s ‘Sikandar E Azam’, besides I.S. Johar’s comic take on Goa’s liberation, ‘Johar Mehmood In Goa’, managed to do well.
It was post the Shastri era that Manoj Kumar picked up the threads and cashed in on the national mood with his classic, ‘Upkar’. Jeetendra’s spy movie, ‘Farz’, struck a responsive chord in the audience because the film portrayed the Chinese as the antagonists.
Manoj Kumar continued driving home his theme of nationalism with ‘Purab Aur Paschim’, ‘Roti Kapada Aur Makaan’ and ‘Kranti’, all successful, thought the returns compared with ‘Upkar’ kept receding. Only ‘Upkar’ is considered a classic.
Then again, just about every genre was working with a new superstar, Rajesh Khanna, dominating the screen. Just as suddenly, anti-establishment films took over and became the norm. Films such as ‘Zanjeer’, ‘Deewaar’, ‘Trishul’, ‘Shahenshah’, ‘Inquilab’ and ‘Andhaa Kanoon’ ruled, all spun around the narrative of a one-man army taking on all that was wrong in the society.
After the Amitabh Bachchan angry young man era, however, no definite trend could be established that filmmakers could follow. There was only one formula for success and that was the musical love story. The new big stars — Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan — thrived on love stories. Even some one-film wonders such as Rahul Roy (‘Aashiqui’) and Vivek Mushran (‘Saudagar’) came up with hits.
So, Mr Director of ‘Fighter’, true nationalism and patriotism are the formulae that are in the air currently. Earlier, they hardly worked. Do you know that most war films don’t work in India unless they have human angles in valour shown by personnel and not machines, notably aircraft?
One of the earliest war films was Chetan Anand’s ‘Haqeeqat’. A perfectly blended film formula with family, emotions, romance and, most of all, one of the greatest musical scores a war movie could have. The film still got limited appreciation despite its tax-free tag in many parts of the country.
In your film, the family angle was corny. I can’t detail it because not many people have seen your film to understand it. You expect them to catch it on OTT so I won’t spoil the fun for them. I suppose being privileged enough to fly is not a prerequisite when it comes to watching the film on an OTT platform.
There is a list of war films that did not work and these include ‘Prem Pujari’, ‘Hindustan Ki Kasam’, ‘Vijeta’, ‘Aakraman’, ‘Mission Kashmir’, ‘Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo’, ‘The Ghazi Attack’ and ‘LOC’. ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’ was the notable exception.
Is it surprising that ‘Fighter’ failed to get a decent opening collection? There are people who grew up playing video games flying and downing fighter planes!
The choice of making a Rs 400-plus crore film was wrong on all counts. In which box office would a film with this kind of a budget recover the investment and make a profit? The collection would need to be be more than Rs 1,000 crore. Does the Indian box-office business have that kind of a potential?
Even if you believe in the Rs 700 crore and Rs 500 crore business as claimed by the makers of some recent films, what do you think is the take home from these figures? It is less than 50 per cent, for the multiplex chains demand 52.5 per cent in the first week, 48.5 in the second week, and so on.
Finally, when you say ‘Fighter’ will be called a classic by OTT viewers, it is just solace you are offering to yourself if you check what has worked on OTT platforms.
Social media is a boon as well as a curse. Boon, because it is many minutes ahead in the business of propagating news before traditional media catches up with it. And it is a curse because that is where people end up being fools and vengeful.
Anand’s other excuse is that they made a mistake by releasing the film on January 25, a working day before the Republic Day holiday. He seems to have forgotten that his earlier film, ‘Jawan’, was released on January 25 in 2023, also a working day. The film is reported to have collected Rs 55 crore on January 25; ‘Fighter’ could fetch only Rs 20 crore.
Filmmakers, over the years, have come up with many excuses on why their films failed. But this one qualifies for Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! In that sense, the southern filmmakers have a more business-like approach. If a film fails to work, they accept it and move on to the next project.
When a plane flies overhead, not only children but also grownups look up instinctively. I have known people who are scared to travel in an airplane but never heard of those who would not welcome the experience of travelling in one or watching a film showing planes!
The fact is, people have had enough of this patriotism and war against Pakistan narrative. Indians don’t hate Pakistan anymore considering how poorly the country is placed. People pity and have sympathies for our neighbour. So, no use fighting a meek, distressed enemy.
And don’t lose heart. Our airlines have ordered some 1,000 new planes and the government is constructing many more airports. More people will fly.
–IANS
vinod/srb
Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) The lead actors of the upcoming thriller series ‘Gyaarah Gyaarah’– Kritika Kamra, Raghav Juyal and Dhairya Karwa were snapped shooting for their show at the Mehboob Studios, in Bandra West, Mumbai on Saturday.
The visuals show the trio dressed in the police uniform. The video shows Raghav asking the paparazzi: “How is my costume?”, to which the pap replied, “bahut badhiya”.
We can further see Raghav taking out the gun from his cop uniform, and saying to the paps: “Where is your helmet?” leaving everyone in splits.
The video also shows Kritika flaunting the gun, and candidly posing for the lenses.
‘Gyaarah Gyaarah’ is an adaptation of the Korean drama ‘Signal’. The show is set across a timeline of three decades –1990, 2001 and 2016 blending mystery and science with a degree of mysticism.
It also stars Aakash Dixit. Produced by Karan Johar and Guneet Monga, the series is directed by Umesh Bist. It will premiere soon on Zee5.
Kritika made her acting debut in 2007, with the teen drama show ‘Yahan Ke Hum Sikandar’. She made her film debut in 2018, with ‘Mitron’, starring alongside Jackky Bhagnani.
She has been a part of TV shows like ‘Kitani Mohabbat Hai’, ‘Pyaar Ka Bandhan’, ‘Kuch Toh Log Kahenge’, ‘Reporters’, and participated in the dance reality show ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 7’.
Kamra was most recently seen in the social drama ‘Bheed’ starring Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar, Dia Mirza, Ashutosh Rana, Pankaj Kapur in the lead roles.
She has also featured in web series like ‘Bambai Meri Jaan’, and ‘Hush Hush’.
Raghav, who started his journey as a contestant on the show ‘Dance India Dance 3’, has featured in movies like ‘ABCD 2’, ‘Street Dancer 3D’, ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’, and the most recent release ‘Kill’.
Dhairya made his acting debut with ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’. He also essayed the role of Ravi Shastri in ’83’, and an aspiring writer in ‘Gehraiyaan’.
–IANS
sp/dan
New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) Actor Varun Sharma, who plays a heartbroken ‘Rajesh Khanna’ in the upcoming movie ‘Wild Wild Punjab’, has opened up about his character and its traits, sharing that there’s a very thin line between going caricaturish and doing it right when portraying a character in a drunk state.
The movie, which stars Varun, Sunny Singh, Manjot Singh, and Jassie Gill in key roles, revolves around the story of four best friends on a wild breakup trip.
Talking about his character, Varun told IANS: “The character of Khanna is very volatile. He is standing on a very fertile ground. He is like water, with a lot of alcohol in it. So, he flows but is tipsy. He is on a different rant altogether. He is the most persistent ranter I have read, seen, or got a chance to play.”
On the challenges he faced portraying Khanna, the ‘Fukrey’ actor said: “The toughest part about playing Khanna was that he was drunk throughout. So, I think to perform in a drunk state, there is a very thin line between going caricaturish and overboard and doing it right.”
“So, I am keeping my fingers crossed and hope it connects with the audience, and they feel for Khanna. I hope I have done justice to the most beautiful writing,” said Varun.
Speaking about the movie, Varun said it is very close to his heart.
“When I heard the storyline for the first time, I found it relatable and felt it was a story of every group. Every group has a ‘Khanna’, a ‘Maan Arora’, a ‘Jainu’, and a ‘Honey Singh’. There is madness in how the characters come together on different paths; it’s a very beautiful journey,” Varun said.
He added, “The way Patralekhaa’s character joins the group, and the adventures she brings, along with Ishita Raj, create a beautiful blend of so many journeys coming together for one basic line: ‘I am over you’.”
“I think there are many people who have said ‘I am over you’, or want to say this line, so this concept is very relatable. This is a different take on what happens if somebody wants to say ‘I am over you’, or someone who hasn’t got closure.
“How a set of friends go on a wild trip is beautifully portrayed. This is a film about a bunch of friends, made by a bunch of friends, for all the bunch of friends. So that’s ‘Wild Wild Punjab’,” said Varun, who was last seen in the movie ‘Tera Kya Hoga Lovely’.
Presented by Gulshan Kumar and Bhushan Kumar, ‘Wild Wild Punjab’ is a Luv Films production directed by Simarpreet Singh and produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg.
The film is set to premiere on Netflix on July 10.
–IANS
sp/prw/arm
Entertainment
‘Understanding law of anti-gravity’, actress Deepti Sadhwani drops pics of aerial yoga
Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) The ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’ (TMKOC) fame actress Deepti Sadhwani on Saturday gave fitness goals to her fans, by dropping pictures of doing aerial yoga.
Deepti, who has 4.2 million followers on Instagram shared some pictures of herself performing aerial yoga. The snaps show Deepti wearing a yellow crop top and matching shorts.
The post is captioned as: “Just hanging out to understand the law of anti Gravity #aerialyoga practice. #deeptisadhwani #flexibility #motivation.”
A fan commented on the post saying, “wohhhhh”. While many users dropped fire and heart emojis in the comment section.
Deepti made her debut at the Cannes red carpet this year and attended the screening of the movie ‘Oh Canada’ in the 77th edition of the prestigious film festival.
She had won the title of ‘Miss North India’, and had participated in ‘Femina Miss India’ where she was a regional finalist.
Sadhwani also hosted a reality show named ‘Hasya Samrat’, which aired on Zee Marathi.
She has also appeared in movies like ‘Nazar Hati Durghatana Ghati’ and ‘Rock Band Party’, in which essayed the lead role.
The diva has also featured in music videos like ‘Harayana Roadway’, ‘Toot Jaayein’, ‘Lalla Lalla Lori’, ‘Butterfly Waale’, and ‘Tu Aag Ka Gola Chori’.
–IANS
sp/dan
Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Bollywood’s ‘Khiladi’ Akshay Kumar on Saturday shared a fun dancing video with Ranveer Singh on his 39th birthday, expressing his hope that the actor’s infectious energy will always keep him going places.
Taking to Instagram, Akshay shared a Reel video in which he and his ‘Singham Again’ co-star can be seen dancing to Karan Aujla and Ikky’s song ‘Softly’.
Ranveer is wearing a black sleeveless T-shirt and matching joggers, complemented by a black cap and sneakers.
The birthday boy holds his boombox on his shoulder while grooving with Akshay on the street at night.
Akshay, on the other hand, is dressed in a black half-sleeve T-shirt and lavender pajamas.
The duo candidly dances to the tunes of ‘Softly’.
The post is captioned: “Happy birthday Ranveer Singh, you powerhouse of a man! Hope your infectious energy always keeps you going places. Enjoy your day. Love and prayers.”
Actress Rakul Preet also took to Instagram Stories to pen a birthday note for Ranveer.
She wrote: “Cheers to the man who brings boundless energy and unparalleled passion to everything he does. Happy birthday Ranveer Singh.”
Filmmaker Aditya Dhar shared a monochrome selfie with Ranveer and posted: “Happy birthday to the man whose energy can light up an entire city! You’re a supernova of an actor. Keep dazzling the world with your awesomeness!! Love you, my brother!!”
On the work front, Ranveer made his Bollywood debut in 2010 with the romantic comedy ‘Band Baaja Baaraat’, alongside Anushka Sharma. The film was directed by Maneesh Sharma in his directorial debut and produced by Aditya Chopra for Yash Raj Films.
He has since featured in movies like ‘Ladies vs Ricky Bahl’, ‘Lootera’, ‘Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela’, ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’, ‘Bajirao Mastani’, ‘Gully Boy’, and the most recent film ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’.
Ranveer’s next project is ‘Singham Again’, which also stars his wife, actress Deepika Padukone.
The multi-starrer film features Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Tiger Shroff, Arjun Kapoor, and Jackie Shroff in lead roles.
It is directed by Rohit Shetty, who co-produced it under Rohit Shetty Picturez with Reliance Entertainment, Jio Studios, and Devgn Films.
The movie is set to be released this Diwali.
–IANS
sp/prw
Los Angeles, July 6 (IANS) Hollywood star Eddie Murphy has said that he does not wish to have a funeral and would like to go “quietly”.
Murphy shared a video, where he revealed that he doesn’t want a funeral after joking that people should play the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ theme music at the event to make people “smile.”
He re-enacted his own acapella version of the jingle, saying that it should be played as he is being buried, reports people.com.
“That’s just a joke, ’cause I’m never having a funeral,” he clarified in the video.
Murphy further explained his preference: “I mean, I’m gonna die like everyone else. But (my loved ones) know…no funeral. Just let me go quietly.”
The actor was promoting his latest film, ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’, the fourth instalment in the action-comedy franchise, which was released on July 3.
In the film, Murphy returns as Axel Foley, a cop who returns to Beverly Hills after his daughter’s life is threatened, marking a return to the role after a decade since the third film.
Murphy quipped that he’s been asked how he feels about playing “the Black James Bond” and tells whoever asks him: “I don’t have to be some Black James Bond. I have Axel Foley, and he has theme music and everything.”
After the success of ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ and its sequel, the Oscar-nominated star featured in the 1998 classic ‘Coming to America’. The sequel, ‘Coming 2 America’, was released in 2021.
In 1996, he was seen essaying the role of Professor Sherman Klump in ‘The Nutty Professor’.
Murphy was then seen in the ‘Dr. Dolittle’ franchise, playing the titular character, who can talk to animals. Most recently, Murphy voiced Shrek’s sidekick Donkey in four ‘Shrek’ films.
–IANS
dc/prw
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