Entertainment
Rajkummar, Janhvi partly rescue film that falls between two stools – IANS Ratings: **1/2
Mumbai, May 31 (IANS) A cricket match is on at a stadium in Jaipur and two batters are at the centre of everyone’s attention. With a limited number of balls remaining, a nail-biting finish is expected as the two go all out to score the last runs needed to win.
Batter Mahendra warns the other striker to not try to be a hero, and instead, orders him to shield him, and allow him to hit the winning shot. But his partner pays no heed to the advice of his co-batsman, hits a four, and even knocks one of the last balls to slap yet another four.
An enraged Mahendra then stops midway while running between the wickets and intentionally gets his partner run out. As luck would have it, he too fails to score the remaining four runs needed to win and is caught out by a fielder in the very next delivery.
That’s Mahendra a.k.a. Mahi (RajKummar Rao), an ambitious but mediocre player who wants to be one up on others in life, despite not having the talent to race ahead.
His being legendary cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s fan seems incidental as he does not possess any of his hero’s qualities, both on and off the field. He is also unhappy about wasting his time at his father’s (Kumud Mishra) sports goods business shop.
After three failed attempts at making it to the state cricket team, he would rather try yet another go at his passion for the game. His coach (Rajesh Sharma), who is more practical, sees no potential in his team members, and suggests that Mahendra become a coach. Not too pleased about his instructor’s counsel, an adamant Mahendra walks off in a huff.
To make matters worse, his firm father has had enough of his dilly-dallying, and orders him to take care of the family business from the next moment itself. He also decides to marry his son off to Mahima Sharma (Jahnvi Kapoor), a doctor whose doting parents (Purnendu Bhattacharya and Yamini Das) are impressed when Mahendra’s father oversells his son’s qualifications, sings his false praises.
He even justifies doing do, saying, “I am a salesman, I know how to sell.” Perhaps, he knows only too well that Mahendra as a failed cricketer has fewer qualities, and has no other credentials to boast of.
The next day, Mahendra is guilt-ridden, gets restless, and tells Mahima privately that all that his father claimed he is, is untrue. That makes Mahima melt and she falls for his honesty. She loves his sincerity and truthfulness, and would have no one else in her life, but him. Interestingly, they two share the same nickname, Mahi, and together become the titular ‘Mr and Mrs Mahi’.
Soon, they discover their common love and passion for cricket. She is, in fact, a supremely gifted player, as Mahendra finds out after spotting cricketing talent in his wife. He encourages her to chase her dream of becoming a cricketer. “But I am a doctor by profession,” she argues. Nonetheless, he is unwavering in his commitment to promoting her innate talent.
The only snag is that their love for cricket and training in the game because of her natural talent would require her to give up her profession. She is uncertain at first, primarily because it was her father’s wish to see her become a medical practitioner. After much hesitation, she gives in to her husband’s demands. All hell breaks loose when Mahi informs both sets of parents about their resolve.
Mahendra is agog with excitement about training Mahima and a rather timid, and gradually tentative, Mahima, too, immerses herself in her new role as a training student under her husband following his instructions.
The Rajasthan state-level selections are only six months away and they must get cracking fast. The two leave no stone unturned to make Mahima learn and unlearn all the skills needed to emerge a winner.
After several gruelling months, as she makes it to the team, Mahi suffers from insecurity when it is Mahima who hogs television limelight and he gets completely sidelined. He gets grumpy, irritable and misbehaves with her. His grouse is that it was he who had worked hard on her and no one seems to acknowledge that.
The sudden change in his behaviour is a cause of not only a big surprise for her, but also makes her nervous. So confused is she that she even fails to perform well in one of the league matches, forcing members of the selection panel to admonish her about her deteriorating standards.
Marital discord is not uncommon, and pangs of jealousy afflicting two individuals in a matrimonial alliance who may be madly in love, isn’t unheard of either. The film that wants to be known as a sports movie looks desperate to incorporate all the elements of a family drama. The result is a fall between two stools.
Mahendra’s self-doubt and unsuccessful career are all the more botched up when he begins to show his baser instincts in their relationship. Rao, a fine actor, who tries to fulfil the demands of the script quite earnestly, pushes himself too hard and that at times makes him overemphasise situations.
It is also the silly demands of the script that restrict his spontaneous energy to act effortlessly in a relaxed manner. Still, he is watchable as an actor.
Kapoor, whose performance is more heartfelt, is natural. Her unsure look, awkwardness and part doubtful and part undefined appearance is more ambiguous, and she acquits herself well in interpreting it. That she is no cricketer is obvious by the way she bats, at times trying to salvage her limitation by repeatedly striking a rehearsed pose to smash a ball.
And all this, without a single strand of hair going out of place, or her face showing any beads of sweat! To be fair to her, though, she does leave a mark.
Veteran actress Zarina Wahab is good in a small role. Wish she was in on some of the critical family scenes as well. Talented actor Kumud Mishra, meanwhile, doesn’t get much scope to sink his teeth into an ill-defined character.
The camera work and the music are effectively and quite satisfactorily executed to suit a film of this genre. What comes as a surprise is why Dharma Productions would make such an unexceptional and average film!
Film: Mr & Mrs Mahi
Duration: 139 minutes
Director: Sharan Sharma
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Jahnvi Kapoor, Kumud Mishra and Zarina Wahaab
Cinematography: Anay Goswami Music: Aadesh Shrivastava, Vishal Mishra, Tanishk Bagchi, Jaani, Achint-Yuva, Hunny-Bunny, Dhruv Dhalla and John Stewart Edur
IANS Rating: **1/2
–IANS
arnab/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/
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