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IT raid at Dabangg producer Arbaaz Khan's office
I-T sleuths also conducted checks at Sohail Khan Productions in Bandra last night. However, there was no confirmation of the same from the I-T department about the nature of the visit.
Produced by Arbaaz Khan and directed by director Abhinav Kashyap, Dabangg , an action film features Salman and Sonakshi Sinha, daughter of Shatrughan Sinha, in lead roles. Dabangg broke all time record at the box office.
The movie raked in Rs 47 crore in its opening weekend, exceeding Aamir Khan starrer, 3 Idiots record of Rs 38 crore
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Shekhar Suman to be back with Movers & Shakers
It was widely watched, and catapulted Shekhar to immense popularity. But he bade adieu to it in June 2001.
Now he is set to return, a source told IANS. An official announcement will be made later this month.
Since the past week, a teaser campaign Shekhar ab dobara karega has been on the air. It showed Shekhar trying his hand at boxing, becoming a chef and even attempting to stage a fast for a cause.
But until now, there was no clue about what he is going to do. Shekhar's wife, Alka Suman, is confident that the comeback will be worth it.
"He has been extremely preoccupied and knowing him I can say that whatever he is planning will be something big. He has a reputation to live up to and I am hoping and praying that all this effort that he is putting in pays off," said Alka.
Shekhar has been in the entertainment industry since 1985, when he made his Bollywood debut with Utsav . Since then he has been a part of various movies, TV shows and even tried his hand at singing.
"Shekhar is an icon as far as the television industry is concerned, he has essayed many a role and has a huge fan following..
. I am sure we shall have an offering that the entire family will enjoy," said Anooj Kapoor, executive vice president and business head, Sab TV.
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(less)Another Kardashian girl on the way
She added she was glad to have a film to watch while she rested and battled the symptoms. Tweet
(less)Saif Ali Khan arrested in assault case, released on bail: Top 10 developments
Here are top 10 developments in the case; 1) Sources in the Mumbai Police tell NDTV that the counter complaint filed by the actor last night against Mr Sharma does not stand. In his complaint, Saif has alleged that Mr Sharma's father-in-law punched him first and that the duo abused the women who were accompanying him at the restaurant.
He has also alleged that his eye was swollen after he was hit. But sources in the police say that after studying his application, the actor's injuries cannot be ascertained as he has not backed it up with a medical certificate.
2) Saif was dining with girlfriend and co-actor Kareena Kapoor and other Bollywood friends - Kareena's sister Karisma Kapoor; actor Amrita Arora and her husband, Shakeel Ladak; and Bilal Amrohi, a producer. 3) In his complaint, the actor has alleged that his eye got swollen after he was punched and that Bilal Amrohi and Shakeel Ladak too have got bruises on their chest.
4) Saif's lawyer Mohan Jayakar said "Saif was provoked after women at the table were abused. Filthy language was used by Mr Sharma.
" 5) Police say they will study Saif's application and then decide if it's a cognizable offence. So far, they insist, they haven't given a clean chit to either the actor or Mr Sharma.
"We are studying the restaurant's CCTV footage. The security cameras at the staircase of the restaurant where the incident occurred did not capture the fight," a senior police official said, adding that statements of actresses Kareena Kapoor and Amrita Arora will now be recorded.
6) At around 7:50 pm on Wednesday, Saif was arrested by the police at his lawyer's office based on a complaint by Mr Sharma. Girlfriend and co-star Kareena Kapoor accompanied him.
Around 90 minutes later, he left the Colaba police station after having paid Rs. 15,000 and being granted bail.
7) Giving his side of the story, Saif said Mr Sharma was rude to the women at his table and when Saif intervened, Mr Sharma threw the first punch. 8) In a press statement released just after he got bail, Saif said, "I don't think any gentleman would have behaved differently.
The CCTV footage in the restaurant will prove everything." 9) In his version of events, Mr Sharma says he sent a note to Saif's table, asking his group to talk a little softer.
"They were making a lot of noise. And we asked the management to ask them to be quiet so that we could also enjoy our evening.
This failed on about three occasions at least." Mr Sharma says his family and he decided to leave the restaurant; on their way out, they ran into Saif who had left Wasabi and was on his way back in.
At this point, Mr Sharma says, Saif struck. 10) Saif's home production, Agent Vinod , releases on March 23.
It co-stars Kareena. Tweet
(less)Ali Zafar visits Nizamuddin Dargah
Ali is currently promoted his upcoming movie " London Paris New York ", which also features Aditi Rao Hydari , who was with him in the city. Syed Afsar Ali Nizami, in-charge of the Dargah Sharif, told us, "Ali bhai ne subah humein phone kiya aur bataya ki woh Dargah Sharif aana chahte hain.
" Dressed in jeans and a black jacket, Ali interacted with the dargah officials for a while before proceeding to offer prayers. The Nizami brothers, the qawwals at the dargah who came into the limelight when they were featured in "Kun Faya" from " Rockstar ", performed there especially for Ali.
Said the actor, "It was my first time at the Nizamuddin Dargah. I have heard a lot about it, but never got the opportunity to visit the place.
It was lovely listening to the qawwali. I was in Delhi to promote my upcoming movie isiliye baba ki duaein lene aaya tha unke dwaar par.
Inshallah sabki kamnaye puri ho." Also at the dargah Pakistani singer Sanam Marwi, who was in Delhi to perform at the wedding reception of businessman Ponty Chaddha's daughter earlier this month, also made a surprise visit to the dargah during her trip.
She told us, "This is my first trip to Delhi and I was looking forward to visiting many more places. I couldn't have skipped the Nizammudin Dargah, though.
" Syed Afsar Ali Nizami added, "Sanam visited the dargah on two days while she was here. She was extremely happy and told us that she will come back again with her family.
She also promised that on her next trip, she'd want to sing at the dargah." Sanam will be making her musical debut in Bollywood with Ali's film "London Paris New York"
(less)My item number will stand out despite Kareena's mujra, says Malika
"I don't think the song ('I'll do the talking') would get overshadowed by it (mujra)..
.As both the songs are of different styles they bring something different on the table," Malika said in an interview.
The elder sibling of Lisa, who has featured in a Pepsi commercial with cricketing legends Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar, is making her Bollywood debut with I will do the Talking . With the item song making quite a rage, the makers of Agent Vinod have roped in Malika for yet another special number titled Pyaar Ki Pungi , crooned by Mika featuring Malika and Saif.
Malika, who is quite elated with the response generated by the I'll do the talking , says the item number is boisterous and stands out from the crowd of recent Bollywood numbers. "It ( I'll do the talking ) is different from the other usual item songs.
It is different from Sheila's, Chikni Chameli 's and all. It is not like that at all.
It is clubby, bouncy..
.feel good kind of a song (sic)," she said.
Mailka said Pyar ki Pungi takes the story forward whereas 'I'll do the talking' is just a promotional song. When asked whether she was comfortable doing the item song, Malika says dancing has always been her passion.
"It was pretty simple for me as I have been dancing since I was a kid. Dance is something I have been interested in so it was easy for me," she said.
The spy thriller directed by Sriram Raghavan will be released in 3,500 screens globally including 2,500 in India on March 23. Tweet
(less)John Abraham to star in a film based on the LTTE
In fact, in order to prepare for his role, the actor will also have to travel to Sri Lanka several times to understand the political situation there. According to the director, John is very excited about the project.
Soojit Sircar said, "John is a politically aware actor. He reads the newspaper every morning, knows what's going on in the world.
He is clued in to the dynamics of the separatist strife in Sri Lanka. The minute I told him about my film he was on board.
" The only notable film to have been made on the LTTE's activities was Mani Ratnam's Kannathil Muttumital in Tamil with Madhavan in the lead. Tweet
(less)Deepika Padukone is back in Race 2
Reason being that the producer had a case to get a non-cooperation notice issued against the actress, industry sources said. A well-placed source points out that contrary to the actress' claim that Race 2 was delayed, a major portion of the film indeed had been scheduled after the release of Abbas-Mustan's Players .
Also, after Taurani filed a complaint against her with Cine and Television Artistes Association and Association of Motion Pictures and Television Programme Producers, she apparently had to even face the ire of her co-stars, Saif Ali Khan and John Abraham. And all this led to Deepika realising the futility of the situation.
"Besides, if the issue had passed to Federation of Western India Cine Employees, she wouldn't have responded as necessary, then a Non-Cooperation Directive would have been issued against her, which can be detrimental to a star if proved wrong," explained the source. The source further added, "Deepika couldn't take those chances.
That's why she was also keen that Rameshji withdraw the complaint against her." Ramesh Taurani however denied that the actress made any demands.
He stated, "I don't understand where all these stories regarding various demands are coming from. There's no fight, the way it's being made out in the media.
The only issue is dates that Deepika and I are trying to solve." On being probed about Deepika wanting him to withdraw the complaint against her, Taurani maintained, "The question of Non-Cooperation Directive would have arisen if the issue was going to be solved with the involvement of the associations.
But we're sorting it all between ourselves." While the actress was unavailable for comment, a close friend of hers said, "Rameshji is very keen to have only Deepika in the film.
He doesn't want any other heroine. The value that Deepika Padukone brings to the project is immense.
We are in conversation and both sides are working hard to make this happen. All details are being worked out.
" Tweet
(less)Mallika Sherawat has a fetish for burqas
Recently, the actress created a buzz at the Delhi airport and later at the Mumbai airport, after she refused to remove the burqa even during the duration of the flight. According to a source, Mallika was flying from Delhi to Mumbai after wrapping up a schedule of Kismat Love Paisa Delhi and arrived at the Mumbai airport in a burqa.
The source said, "She declined to uncover her face even while checking in and going through the security check. If that wasn't enough, she blatantly refused the on-board staff's request to remove the burqa while she was seated in the business class of the plane.
" Apparently her efforts to hide behind the veil drew sniggers from co-passengers and amused many others at the airport. Tweet
(less)Ekta and I have different tastes, says brother Tusshar
Ekta tasted success as a producer with Kyaa Kool Hai Hum, Shootout at Lokhandwala, Love Sex aur Dhokha, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai and The Dirty Picture . "As far as her (Ekta's) mindset as a producer is concerned, she has different tastes so whenever I would approve of investing in a film, she may not agree to it or vice versa.
But whenever I need marketing ideas I would go to her as she has brilliant ideas. I would talk to her about what we should do for promotion of Char Din Ki Chandni ," Tusshar said in an interview.
Tusshar, who is co-producing the upcoming romcom directed by Sameer Karnik, says there is no sibling rivalry. "If I start something then there can't be any rivalry as I have started it, it is not that we are buying films from outside.
..
it is like we are making our own films. I don't have any rivalry.
..
she makes it (film) or I make it..
.it is all in the family," the actor said.
"As far as criticism goes, she used to tell me that the kind of films I am doing is not right..
.It was a learning curve so it's ok.
Same way the kind of films she was producing, I used to tell her that they were not right for her. She also had to go through flops as a producer like I went through as an actor," Tusshar said.
About his new role as a co-producer for Char Din ..
., the actor says, "I stepped in after seeing the film.
It is just an agreement between Top Angle Productions and me. I have invested some money as far as promotion is concerned as that will be repaid when the film releases so whatever comes in the form of theatrical profits I will have a small share in that.
" For the time being, Tusshar would continue to produce only those films in which he would act. "I would be partnering in those films where I am acting also.
Of course the long term plan is to have the time to make films that don't have me also in it," the actor said. "Being an actor in Char Din Ki Chandni I could see the film and that's why I could invest in it.
" Char Din ki Chandni directed by Samir Karnik of Yamla Pagla Deewana fame is releasing on March 9. Tweet
(less)Romancing at 42 feels amazing, says Madhavan
"All my films have seen me as a nice guy but in this film I am a little naughty..
.But it is not an attempt for an image makeover.
It's just that I always like to do something different and I think I have been very lucky to have done that without having to change my looks. I am doing romantic films at 42, a solo lead which I think is great," Madhavan told PTI.
The actor plays a role of a guy whose profession is to seperate couples in "Jodi Breakers" which will hit the cinemas on February 24. Madhavan, who started his Bollywood career with Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein in 2001, has given hits like Rang De Basanti, Guru, Mumbai Meri Jaan and Tanu Weds Manu .
The actor, however, says he still can't believe he has achieved so much without having a strong filmy background. "Sarita (wife) and I still stand in our balcony, look at each other and laugh because we can't believe it.
It's a dream journey. I had the dream debut, I had the good fortune of working with the most amazing icons of our industry.
"I think if I look at the slate of my films then this is exactly how it was meant to be for me. For somebody who had no background, I have seen the bottom of the barrel and have risen," he said.
Despite being in the industry for more than a decade and having an equally well off career down South, Madhavan insists that he is still criticised by people for his acting abilities. "I am still proving to people that I can act.
I am not the typical Hindi film hero with six pack abs but the public has endorsed me and I think as long as I am loyal to them nobody can say that I cannot act or my career is finished. The industry dwells on predictions and trends," Madhavan said.
Ask him what he likes to do apart from films, the actor said, "I love sports and travelling. I recently won a golf tournament in Dubai and I love spending time with my son.
..
I have tried to devote time with my son. I haven't been doing a lot of films so I am not that busy.
. People are actually accusing me of being a lazy actor because I do one film a year.
" Madhavan was last seen in 2011 release Tanu Weds Manu . Tweet
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Sonu Sood back in 'Dabangg 2'?
In October last year, producer Arbaaz Khan announced that the sequel's script didn't allow him to cast Sonu in the role of villain Chhedi Singh once again. However, latest developments indicate Sonu will feature in the sequel.
On an earlier suggestion made by Salman, Sonu was supposed to play his character Chhedi Singh's twin brother in " Dabangg 2". But then the "Dabangg 2" script brought in another arch-villain, to be played by southern star Prakash Raj.
That's when Sonu decided to gently get out of the way. But now Salman wants him back.
According to sources, Salman feels Sonu Sood is integral to the "Dabangg" franchise. When Salman heard that Arbaaz had decided to write Sonu's role out of "Dabangg 2", he wasn't too pleased.
And as other components of "Dabangg 2" began to fall into place, Salman felt the need for Sonu's presence. "Salman asked Sonu to return to 'Dabangg' at his birthday bash in Panvel last week.
This happened in front of Arbaaz, Sohail and a whole lot of other people. Sonu was embarrased.
He didn't know what to say because this was not the first time Salman had asked him," said one of Sonu's friend. "Earlier in Hyderabad, Salman had broached the subject, saying 'Dabangg' wouldn't be the same if the two of them - Salman and Sonu - didn't share a climax fight.
Sonu loves Salman to death. But at this juncture of his career, Sonu isn't sure when he has a solo-hero film 'Maximum' ready for release, he wants to do a marginal part.
However, for Salman, Sonu would agree to return to 'Dabangg'," added the friend. "Dabangg 2" will release in December 2012
(less)Bollywood scripts huge success at Pak box office
Aamir Khan's 3 Idiots collected Rs 5 crore across the border and the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer My Name Is Khan raked in Rs 5.25 crore.
The Salman Khan-starrer Bodyguard outdid them both by earning Rs 6 crore. Another Shah Rukh-starrer, Don 2, meanwhile, is expected to pull in Rs 7.
25 crore. In fact, some experts say Pakistan is now one of Bollywood's top five overseas markets and could soon rival the business done in Australia.
The ban on Indian films was lifted across the border in 2006, but things began really hotting up a year later. Riffat Siddiqi, a well-known distributor in Pakistan, said, "From the time the market opened up in 2007, Indian films became the source for rebuilding cinema in the country.
Within just four years, the entertainment business grew by 300% at the box office." Bollywood can't ignore Pakistan now as an overseas market.
Trade pundits said the business pattern in Pakistan is similar to that of the Punjab territory in India. When the ban was lifted, the John Abraham-starrer 'Goal' was the first new Indian release to open there in November 2007.
It released with seven prints, but within two years the print run of Hindi films multiplied thrice over. '3 Idiots', released in 2009, was shown on 22 screens.
'Don 2', released in 2011, had 38 screens. Currently, there are about 80 cinema halls there and trade pundits say another 20 could be added in two years.
About 50 Hindi films release in Pakistan now every year and the big ones have the ability to do business of US $1 million (Rs 4 crore to 5 crore) or more, said Pakistani sources. All the top Khan films are sold for $200,000 to $300,000 (Rs 1 crore to 1.
5 crore). Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar films go for $75,000 to $150,000 (Rs 37.
5 lakh to 75 lakh), said experts. India-based Amrita Pandey, of UTV Motion Pictures, said, "I think the growth has been significant -- from no release before 2007 to now, where the box office gross for an average film is $400,000 (Rs 2 crore).
With 50 Hindi films releasing there every year, Pakistan figures in the top five of the international markets." Siddiqi added, "India has six territories and Pakistan has two, Sindh and Baluchistan is one and Punjab and Frontier the other.
The growth of cinema at the moment remains in Sindh and Punjab only. Around 60% of the cinemas remain in Punjab, like in south India.
" Mahesh Ramanathan, of Reliance Entertainment, who takes the credit for tapping the Pakistan market, said that some frontier areas are now opening up. He said, "We have been at the forefront of the rapidly expanding market in Pakistan for Hindi films with '3 Idiots', 'Bodyguard' and 'Don 2' setting new marks there.
The screen count is set to increase in two to three years, he added, and "Pakistan can rival a major international market like Australia for Hindi films". Pakistan's film industry was able to release only 10 films last year, but there is a chance these numbers will go up.
Pakistani film producer Sevy Ali said, "The government has made it mandatory for every mall that is being built to have a multiplex, which will help the business of cinema grow. We only released 10 films last year, but this year there will be 20.
" Incidentally, late last year there were calls from within the Pakistani film industry and media to ban Indian films so that local efforts would get a boost. Indian film producers have to look for partners outside the country to get their films into Pakistan.
India-based Vikas Mohan, vice president of the Association of Motion Pictures and Television Programme Producers, said, "Production house are releasing their films through partners in Dubai or London. Pakistan is capable of being a territory that can generate a revenue of up to Rs 15 crore for any big film.
Unfortunately, there are still unresolved issues which deprive both sides from benefitting from the business of cinema." In the past year, the increase in multiplexes and introduction of digital cinema has boosted the business.
Nadeem Mandviwalla, of Mandviwalla Entertainment in Pakistan, said, "Digital cinema boosted the film exhibition business in Pakistan with the release of 'Ra-One' and 'Don 2'. 'Don 2's' opening week was better than other films with a business of nearly Rs 4 crore.
" Earlier, Indian films were sold in Pakistan for only a few lakhs, but now the price of big films has jumped by more than 40%. Pakistani film distributor Amjad Rashid, currently in India to buy films, said, "Today, the price for Salman Khan films is the highest in Pakistan.
Shah Rukh Khan's latest release, 'Don 2', has done record business at the box office. The buying of their films is likely to double this year.
" Bollywood's official foray into Pakistan may have been a recent occurrence, but despite the over 40-year ban, Bollywood, its icons, its music and its dancing have always remained an integral part of life in Pakistan. Yusra Askari, a mediaperson in Lahore, said, "Bollywood's impact appears everywhere, from the mainstay of a Pakistani wedding to street lingo.
" She added. "In the past decade, Bollywood-based artistic exchanges between India and Pakistan have initiated increased cultural interaction between the two countries.
Bollywood has not only gained a huge fan following in Pakistan, it has often attracted aspirants and sometimes even Pakistani cricketing icons try their luck at filmdom." Despite an increased cultural dialogue between Islamabad and Delhi, visas to travel to India may be still hard to come by for the average Pakistani, Askari added.
"Nevertheless, Pakistanis can always rely on Bollywood cinema to bring home a slice of Mumbai magic," she said. Currently about half-a-dozen actors and singers work in Bollywood films.
Rashid said, "We have only been importing films. It is high time we started exporting Pakistani television serials, which are very popular, and also the music, a high point of Pakistani culture.
I feel there is a need for India to do business with Pakistan and there should be relaxations in granting visas to artistes." Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, considered a cultural ambassador, added, "There is abundant talent in Pakistan crying to be discovered.
Indian cinema is moving from strength to strength. We can add new colour to our products by taking fresh talent from Pakistan.
We both stand to benefit if we partner one another and make a co-production." But there is also an opinion that the presence of Pakistani artistes won't really help a film.
Producer Ali said, "Pakistanis want to see the Khans or maybe an Akshay Kumar or Hrithik Roshan. A Pakistani actor is a novelty in India, not in Pakistan.
"
(less)Why is Sonu Sood not in Dabangg 2?
Unfortunately, we both mutually decided that having his character retained would not help the script," Arbaaz posted on his Twitter page. Dabangg featured Salman Khan as a police officer, and Sonu played Chhedi Singh in the film.
The sequel to the 2010 blockbuster will see Prakash Raj teaming up with Salman for the second time after Wanted . "Sonu Sood is a great guy and a fine actor.
Hope to resume professional ties in the future. I know his best wishes are with my film.
..
," wrote Arbaaz, who is directing the sequel. Dabangg 2 will release in December 2012.
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(less)IT exposes Priyanka Chopra?s 9 flats (and Shahid Kapoor) | Bollywood News and Gossip
IT officials found out that Priyanka owns five flats at Raj Classic in Versova but the actress has cleverly converted them into two – one comprising of three flats and the other two. She also owns a penthouse and three flats rented out.
The Income Tax officials raided the houses of Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra on January 24 on suspicion of tax evasion. They raided about 12 premises belonging to the actresses and sealed their lockers and seized their documents.
The raids had earlier exposed that Katrina has an unaccounted wealth of around Rs. 6 crore in the form of jewellery, property and business ventures.
The raid also exposed the fact that Shahid was present at Priyanka?s flat in Raheja Classique (Yari Road) when the IT officials raided it at 7.30 am, in shorts.
Says a source, ?Both, Shahid and Priyanka were quite shocked by the raid. Shahid could not leave immediately.
So, he remained there for sometime.? Sphere: Related Content Posted in
(less)RA.One nets highest ever Diwali day collections
5 crore with a net of Rs 18.5 crore on Wednesday (October 26th) making it the highest ever Diwali day collection in the history of Indian cinema.
The second day collections on Thursday, 27th October, were even more impressive with the film raking in a whopping Rs 36 crore gross with a net of Rs 25.10 crore net, making it the highest collection ever for a single day for an Indian film.
RA.One released on Diwali and while some critics gave it a thumbs up for blending elegance of Hollywood with Indian sensibilities, others panned the superhero drama by labelling it a 'video game'.
The reviews notwithstanding, the film managed to collect Rs 18 crore at the home box office on the opening day. Earlier, as predicted by trade pundits, the film couldn't break the first day collection records of Salman Khan-starrer Bodyguard , which earned Rs 22 crore in the domestic market on the opening day.
In the overseas market, the Red Chillies Entertainment and Eros International co-production raked in Rs 6.5 crore.
If reviewers have a different take on the film, viewers are also reacting differently but theatre owners predict good business in the coming week. "Although the film has got mixed reviews, the first day has been really good.
We witnessed more than 80 percent occupancy," a source in PVR said. "Moreover, the extensive marketing of the film has created a curiosity among people, who are eager to see what is the film all about," the source added.
Cinemax witnessed an average footfall on the first day. "There could be two reasons -- the 3D version of the film was made available a little late.
Although in metros it was fine, but in other cities due to delayed release in 3D we had to cancel some of the shows," said Sunil Punjab, CEO of Cinemax. "Also, we saw a decline in the occupancy in the evening as it was Diwali time and people were busy in Diwali puja.
But today (Thursday) the response has been encouraging since morning we have had good number of people coming to see the film," he added. Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the Rs 150-crore film, which also stars Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in prominent roles, was released in as many as 3,500 screens across the world.
Even before the film reached the theatres, its makers earned money by selling its satellite rights reportedly for Rs 35 crore and the distribution rights for Rs 77 crore. The film's highlight is high-tech VFX shots, which were outsourced from multiple specialty studios in London, Paris and Bangkok, as also the US.
Puneet Sahay of Spice Cinemas, however, informed that the film is not appealing to adults. "Although Shah Rukh's acting is good, RA.
One is basically a film for children as it boast of lot of animation and special effects. Adults are not actually liking the film.
However, it is likely to do well in the coming days," Sahay said. "Actually, it's nothing more than a video game," said college student Akhil Sharma.
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(less)RA.One nets highest ever Diwali day collections
5 crore with a net of Rs 18.5 crore on Wednesday (October 26th) making it the highest ever Diwali day collection in the history of Indian cinema.
The second day collections on Thursday, 27th October, were even more impressive with the film raking in a whopping Rs 36 crore gross with a net of Rs 25.10 crore net, making it the highest collection ever for a single day for an Indian film.
RA.One released on Diwali and while some critics gave it a thumbs up for blending elegance of Hollywood with Indian sensibilities, others panned the superhero drama by labelling it a 'video game'.
The reviews notwithstanding, the film managed to collect Rs 18 crore at the home box office on the opening day. Earlier, as predicted by trade pundits, the film couldn't break the first day collection records of Salman Khan-starrer Bodyguard , which earned Rs 22 crore in the domestic market on the opening day.
In the overseas market, the Red Chillies Entertainment and Eros International co-production raked in Rs 6.5 crore.
If reviewers have a different take on the film, viewers are also reacting differently but theatre owners predict good business in the coming week. "Although the film has got mixed reviews, the first day has been really good.
We witnessed more than 80 percent occupancy," a source in PVR said. "Moreover, the extensive marketing of the film has created a curiosity among people, who are eager to see what is the film all about," the source added.
Cinemax witnessed an average footfall on the first day. "There could be two reasons -- the 3D version of the film was made available a little late.
Although in metros it was fine, but in other cities due to delayed release in 3D we had to cancel some of the shows," said Sunil Punjab, CEO of Cinemax. "Also, we saw a decline in the occupancy in the evening as it was Diwali time and people were busy in Diwali puja.
But today (Thursday) the response has been encouraging since morning we have had good number of people coming to see the film," he added. Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the Rs 150-crore film, which also stars Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in prominent roles, was released in as many as 3,500 screens across the world.
Even before the film reached the theatres, its makers earned money by selling its satellite rights reportedly for Rs 35 crore and the distribution rights for Rs 77 crore. The film's highlight is high-tech VFX shots, which were outsourced from multiple specialty studios in London, Paris and Bangkok, as also the US.
Puneet Sahay of Spice Cinemas, however, informed that the film is not appealing to adults. "Although Shah Rukh's acting is good, RA.
One is basically a film for children as it boast of lot of animation and special effects. Adults are not actually liking the film.
However, it is likely to do well in the coming days," Sahay said. "Actually, it's nothing more than a video game," said college student Akhil Sharma.
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(less)Prakash Raj is the main villain of Dabangg 2, says Arbaaz Khan
"The extremely talented actor Prakash Raj is the main villian of Dabangg 2 ," Arbaaz posted on his Twitter page recently. The southern actor-filmmaker is excited about the new role.
"Just heard the narration of Dabangg 2 . Arbaaz has a sureshot winner on hand.
Happy and excited to join Salman bhai once again. Cheers!!!" Prakash Raj tweeted.
This has put a question mark on actor Sonu Sood's role in Dabangg 2 , the sequel to the 2010 action blockbuster Dabangg . Sonu played Chaddi Singh, the bad man in the original movie.
But if Prakash Raj will play the "main villain" in the sequel, one wonders what will happen to Sonu. But Sonu, who is repeating his villainous act in Osthi Tamil remake of the film, tweeted: "@arbaazSkhan is a fab guy, I know he will make a great film.
I will always be there with him may be not as an actor this time but as a brother." However, what will be retained in the sequel is the pairing of Salman and Sonakshi Sinha.
Dabangg 2 will release in December 2012. Tweet
(less)Salman Khan: Star on ascendant, never mind the film
The lukewarm reviews and the thumping success of the Salman-Kareena Kapoor film across single theatres in India's hinterland and multiplexes in metro malls could be perplexing for some. But not for his fans queuing up to get entertained as only Salman it seems can; so what if the film isn't top-notch? If his 2009 release Wanted revived single screen theatres, his 2010 release Dabangg was the top grosser of the year.
This year his first release Ready did decent business at the ticket window but Bodyguard , released this Eid, is breaking records, beating the opening day collections of Dabangg and 3 Idiots . Bodyguard , the remake of a Malayalam film, has broken Dabangg's opening day record by a huge margin of about Rs.
7.5 crore and the second day collections at Rs.
18 crore is bigger than any film's Sunday collection. The film has been co-produced by Reliance Entertainment and Atul Agnihotri, Salman's brother-in-law.
And distributors can't stop celebrating. "The film is going 100 per cent occupancy in Uttar Pradesh.
Single screens are also going houseful. Both distributors and exhibitors are likely to rake in the moolah.
Although the reviews have been not very good, the film will cross the Rs.100- crore mark," Joginder Mahajan, a Delhi-based distributor, said.
T.N.
Kapoor of Bharti Film Distributors in Indore said: "The response has been fantastic. The occupancy is not going less than 90-95 per cent.
The film is likely to be the highest earner in Madhya Pradesh. We also manage Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and the response has been very good there too.
" "The film is not as good as Dabangg , but it is still doing fantastic business in small cities. While Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan are popular in metro cities, Salman is more popular among the masses in the interiors; hence the excitement is more," he added.
On the opening day, the film had already crossed over Rs 20 crore, which is much more than Dabangg and the film is likely to do much more business. Bihar-based distributor Ranjan Sinha said: "Any film in Bihar normally opens in 113-115 centres and Bodyguard is the first one to open in 150 centres.
If we compile numbers, the film has earned over Rs.1 crore in Bihar itself.
" The star, known to be close to his family, has helped his family cash in on his success. Brother Arbaaz hit the gold mine when he produced Dabangg and now brother-in-law Atul is raking it in with Bodyguard .
"We were expecting a good opening, but the number has gone beyond our prediction", said Atul. "Even in Cochin where people have seen both its Tamil and Malayalam versions, the film is doing extremely well," he said.
Sanjeev Lamba, CEO, Reliance Entertainment, said expectations from a Salman film at Eid are sky high. "We expect that the film will continue to create new milestones at the box office.
For Reliance Entertainment 'Bodyguard' caps an extremely successful summer." However, the star is himself missing the action as he is sitting miles away in a hospital in Pittsburgh and recuperating after a surgery to fix his nerve problem.
Film critic Khalid Mohammad feels the news of his health trouble, which came five days before the release of Bodyguard , has worked in favour of Salman. "Salman Khan has a good fan following and his presence in itself is charismatic.
There's also a sympathy wave riding on the actor, who is being treated for a medical condition," he said. "He has this glamorous presence and poster boy image; as a result he is getting such roles even at the age of 45.
Moreover, his time is also good; so whatever he does works well for him," Khalid said. Salman is the reigning Khan of the moment, the star who it seems is bigger than any film.
How long will the magic last, cinegoers wonder. Tweet
(less)RA.One nets highest ever Diwali day collections
5 crore with a net of Rs 18.5 crore on Wednesday (October 26th) making it the highest ever Diwali day collection in the history of Indian cinema.
The second day collections on Thursday, 27th October, were even more impressive with the film raking in a whopping Rs 36 crore gross with a net of Rs 25.10 crore net, making it the highest collection ever for a single day for an Indian film.
RA.One released on Diwali and while some critics gave it a thumbs up for blending elegance of Hollywood with Indian sensibilities, others panned the superhero drama by labelling it a 'video game'.
The reviews notwithstanding, the film managed to collect Rs 18 crore at the home box office on the opening day. Earlier, as predicted by trade pundits, the film couldn't break the first day collection records of Salman Khan-starrer Bodyguard , which earned Rs 22 crore in the domestic market on the opening day.
In the overseas market, the Red Chillies Entertainment and Eros International co-production raked in Rs 6.5 crore.
If reviewers have a different take on the film, viewers are also reacting differently but theatre owners predict good business in the coming week. "Although the film has got mixed reviews, the first day has been really good.
We witnessed more than 80 percent occupancy," a source in PVR said. "Moreover, the extensive marketing of the film has created a curiosity among people, who are eager to see what is the film all about," the source added.
Cinemax witnessed an average footfall on the first day. "There could be two reasons -- the 3D version of the film was made available a little late.
Although in metros it was fine, but in other cities due to delayed release in 3D we had to cancel some of the shows," said Sunil Punjab, CEO of Cinemax. "Also, we saw a decline in the occupancy in the evening as it was Diwali time and people were busy in Diwali puja.
But today (Thursday) the response has been encouraging since morning we have had good number of people coming to see the film," he added. Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the Rs 150-crore film, which also stars Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in prominent roles, was released in as many as 3,500 screens across the world.
Even before the film reached the theatres, its makers earned money by selling its satellite rights reportedly for Rs 35 crore and the distribution rights for Rs 77 crore. The film's highlight is high-tech VFX shots, which were outsourced from multiple specialty studios in London, Paris and Bangkok, as also the US.
Puneet Sahay of Spice Cinemas, however, informed that the film is not appealing to adults. "Although Shah Rukh's acting is good, RA.
One is basically a film for children as it boast of lot of animation and special effects. Adults are not actually liking the film.
However, it is likely to do well in the coming days," Sahay said. "Actually, it's nothing more than a video game," said college student Akhil Sharma.
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(less)Sonakshi Sinha's Lootera to release on Eid
Now she has asked the makers of her next release Lootera to release the film on Eid yet again. However,the problem is that Salman Khan's Ek Tha Tiger also releases on the festival day.
A source reveals, "Sonakshi has asked producers Ekta Kapoor and Vikas Bahl to get an Eid release date for Lootera. She feels it's an auspicious date and is insisting they lock it for her film with Ranveer Singh.
" Since Salman has already secured the Eid date with ETT, the makers have planned to bring it out on another Eid holiday (Bakri Eid on October 26). The source adds, "There was no way Sonakshi would want to have a release the same date as Salman.
It would not only affect the box-office performance of Lootera but also send out a wrong signal. With both the films securing Eid dates, the problem has been sorted.
"
(less)Prakash Raj is the main villain of Dabangg 2, says Arbaaz Khan
"The extremely talented actor Prakash Raj is the main villian of Dabangg 2 ," Arbaaz posted on his Twitter page recently. The southern actor-filmmaker is excited about the new role.
"Just heard the narration of Dabangg 2 . Arbaaz has a sureshot winner on hand.
Happy and excited to join Salman bhai once again. Cheers!!!" Prakash Raj tweeted.
This has put a question mark on actor Sonu Sood's role in Dabangg 2 , the sequel to the 2010 action blockbuster Dabangg . Sonu played Chaddi Singh, the bad man in the original movie.
But if Prakash Raj will play the "main villain" in the sequel, one wonders what will happen to Sonu. But Sonu, who is repeating his villainous act in Osthi Tamil remake of the film, tweeted: "@arbaazSkhan is a fab guy, I know he will make a great film.
I will always be there with him may be not as an actor this time but as a brother." However, what will be retained in the sequel is the pairing of Salman and Sonakshi Sinha.
Dabangg 2 will release in December 2012. Tweet
(less)Record opening for Agneepath, earns Rs 25 crore
One . Review: Agneepath While Salman Khan's Bodyguard earned Rs 22 crore, superstar Shah Rukh Khan's mega-budget RA.
One made Rs 18 crore on the opening day. But the Hrithik Roshan and Sanjay Dutt-starrer remake of the 1990 film of the same name, which released Thursday, has gone beyond.
Hrithik, who stepped into the shoes of megastar Amitabh Bachchan as Vijay, is excited that his hard work has paid off. "WOW!!!! THANK u THANK u THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! Agneepath 1st day - 25cr!!!! My damaged bodyparts suddenly feel ALIVE, I feel like I can FLY now!!! Thank u people, I have the fuel now to make KRRISH EXPLODE!!!!" Hrithik wrote on his Twitter page.
Sanjay Dutt and the film's lead actress Priyanka Chopra, are equally delighted with the positive response, and have thanked fans for the amazing response to the film. " Agneepath has redefined the power of Indian box office for all of us.
It's heartening to see the strength of the Indian cinema audiences growing like this. We all were very confident of the film but for this kind of success and unprecedented number that it has posted on day one we must thank our audience," said Priyanka.
Sanjay took to Twitter after a year, to share his sentiments about the appreciation towards the movie, and his role as the villain, Kancha Cheena. "I am overwhelmed with the response and support of everyone.
Thank you for loving me so much," he wrote. Since Agneepath was a Republic Day release, the theatres witnessed 90-95 per cent occupancy.
"The film has had an excellent opening. The occupancy was around 95 per cent.
It was the most eagerly awaited and would be one of the biggest blockbuster," said Anant Verma, director and business head, DT Cinemas. However, he says it would be unfair to compare the new Agneepath with the original as they have been given a completely different treatment.
"You can't compare the two films as they are shot differently and have different characters also. There is no connection between the two other than just the name," he added.
Yogesh Raizada of Waves Cinema adds that all the characters have done complete justice to their characters. "The response to the film has been rocking on first day.
We have had 90 per cent occupancy. All the actors have done complete justice to their characters whether it is Rishi Kapoor as Rauf Lala, Hrithik as Vijay or Sanjay as Kancha Cheena," said Raizada.
The film, directed by debutant Karan Malhotra, and produced by Karan Johar, is expected to have a successful run at the box office in the coming days. "Since there is no big movie releasing in the coming weeks, the film will work well," he added.
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(less)Salman film breaks SRK's overseas record
My Name is Khan had collected 191,000 pounds on the opening day in Britain. The film is also on its way to becoming the highest grosser in the Middle East.
It has collected $1.6 million in the first two days, just a little behind the previous highest grosser Dabangg which collected $1.
7 million. "Reliance Entertainment's overseas team is delighted to have delivered one of the biggest overseas hits of the year.
Bodyguard is poised to be a record-breaking success for Salman Khan in the international markets," Sanjeev Lamba, CEO Reliance Entertainment said in a statement. The film, which also stars Kareena Kapoor in the lead, has earned $3.
8 million in the US and is expected to overhaul the $5 million collections of Dabangg . Tweet
(less)Kareena Kapoor tops sexiest Asian woman list
Kareena, who recently gave hits like Bodyguard and RA.One , won by one per cent of votes, the narrowest ever margin and beat off tough competition from some of the most stunning women from around the world.
Katrina, who had won the title for the last three years by a large margin, slipped into second place. Eastern Eye showbiz editor Asjad Nazir said, "This battle between the two beauties is a sign of things to come in Bollywood in the next few years.
Although the list contained pop stars, TV personalities, models and film stars from around the world, the voting quite comprehensively showed that Kareena and Katrina have put a distance between themselves and the rest of the contenders in terms of popularity." Hrithik Roshan's wife Sussanne received a massive number of votes and was one of the highest new entries at number 16.
Other notable stars in the list included Priyanka Chopra (3), and Bipasha Basu (4), who both slipped down one place each. Freida Pinto came 5th, followed by Deepika Padukone (7).
New entries included Jacqueline Fernandez (12), Nargis Fakhri (23) and Sonakshi Sinha (38). Aishwarya Rai Bachchan came 6th and Sonam Kapoor 9th.
Lara Dutta stood at number 15 and Malaika Arora Khan at 19. Tweet
(less)Bollywood's dream run comes to a halt
If the opening figures of Rs 7.25 crore across India were any consolation, the following days didn't do much to boost the morale of Sanjay Dutt who ventured into production with Rascals .
The comedy, also featuring Ajay Devgn, under the aegis of David Dhawan failed to retain audience interest. According to trade analysts, the movie, which cost Rs 50 crore (including prints and advertising), is not likely to break even, forget making money for the actor-producer and his investors.
Considering numbers like R 5.75 crore (Friday), R 5 crore (Saturday) and R 5.
5 crore (Sunday), trade analyst Amod Mehra says, "The writing on the wall was there to be seen on Friday itself. And it was reiterated on Saturday, which registered numbers over 30 per cent less than Thursday.
" He added that the crash on Monday onwards was imminent due to poor content and lack of positive word of mouth. Mehra said the other releases Soundtrack and Love Breakups Zindagi were complete washouts.
"A few shows of Soundtrack were cancelled. Love Breakups Zindagi too barely saw much occupancy, averaging under 10 per cent," he added.
The head honcho of a national multiplex chain on condition of anonymity attributes the average occupancy for Rascals to a negative response from the audience. "People were finding it difficult to sit through two-hour long film that lacked a decent script," he says.
Though his G7 Cineplex in Bandra and Maratha Mandir in Mumbai Central witnessed 95 per cent occupancy for Rascals, Manoj Desai attributes Monday's drop to poor public response. "Hearing about people walking out in the interval is funnier than the film itself.
The audience feels there's more skin show on television than by Kangna Ranaut in the movie, and even that wasn't a script requirement as there was no story to begin with," he says. Prakhar Joshi of PVR Cinemas feels that Soundtrack deserved a better release time.
"Despite being a remake, it's a fairly well made film. Had it released at a more suitable time, it would have done better business," he sums up.
As for Zayed Khan and Dia Mirza's production debut, Love Breakups Zindagi, our multiplex man maintains, "It's not even in the discussion." Which is surprising, given the actor-producers and their director partner Sahil Sangha celebrated the movie's success over the weekend.
"Such events are to celebrate the film's successful release, and not success at the box-office," explains Mehra. John Abraham's Force , which released a week earlier, continued its run, making comparatively more money from the single screens.
By Sunday, it had netted over R00 27 crore, thanks to more than 40 per cent occupancy in the solo theaters in the country. Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster , which released along with Force , did decent business over the weekend.
"Good content is working for the ticket-buying audience," observes Joshi. Tweet
(less)Chulbul Pandey in Kanpur?
The executive producer of the film, Manoj Chaturvedi, who belongs to Kanpur, visited the city to do a recce and look for possible locales to shoot "Dabangg 2". Confirming the news Chaturvedi said, "Yes, in "Dabangg" we showed how Chulbul Pandey eradicated crime from Laalgunj which was supposed to be a small town in Uttar Pradesh.
For the sequel too, we wanted to keep him in Uttar Pradesh and so we have decided to get Chulbul Pandey promoted and posted to Kanpur in "Dabangg 2"," says Chaturvedi adding, "And for that we want to shoot the sequel here in Kanpur." Telling us why the producers chose Kanpur, Chaturvedi says, "I belong to Kanpur but my work took me to Mumbai.
In Mumbai people have a lot of misconceptions about Kanpur. They feel that it is small town where people are backward and don't have a good lifestyle.
In "Dabangg 2" I want to clear this misconception and show the glamourous and high standard of living of Kanpur and its people." Having a clear idea of what they want in the sequel, Chaturvedi visited various places in and around the city where the film could be shot.
"I have taken pictures of various locations like the Kotwali, Bajaria police station, Ghanta Ghar, Birhana road, DAV College, Christ Church College, Z-Square mall and also the railway station. Now I'll be going to Mumbai and have a detailed meeting with Arbaaz and then we will finalise the locations where we can shoot "Dabangg 2"," says Manoj, who is also the co-producer of "Zila Ghaziabad", another film which is being shot in UP.
But it's not just the locations that Chaturvedi is considering. The producer doesn't want to miss out even the minutest of details in the film and wants Chulbul Pandey to look and act like the typical UP cop.
"Apart from taking photographs of the locations, we have also taken pictures and interviewed local police officials so that we can minutely study their body language, manner of dressing, etc. We want Salman to look and behave like a pakka UP ka police wala.
In fact we have also taken a few pictures of the vehicles that the local cops use to incorporate the same in the film to give it an authentic look. I'm sure that this entire research would make the film look more real," says Chaturvedi.
The only thing left for the team is to seek the required clearance from the local administration. "We have yet to seek permission for the shooting from the local administration and we are hoping that we will get it so that we can begin shooting as soon as possible," says he.
"My brother Dharmesh stays here and is on cordial terms with the police department and local administration and he will be putting in a word with them for us to shoot here in Kanpur. It's just that we first want to decide on the locations and then only we can think of starting the shoot.
Also, when a lot of films can be shot in Varanasi and Lucknow without any problems, then I'm sure we too can shoot in Kanpur without any problems. I know that Shaad (Ali) faced a lot of problems while shooting "Bunty Aur Babli" in Kanpur but I'm sure that we won't face those problems when we shoot "Dabangg 2" here," says Chaturvedi
(less)RA.One collects Rs.170 crores over the weekend
170 crore worldwide in the opening weekend. The superstar is congratulating his business partners on the superhero's box office success.
Eros International Media Ltd (Eros International) released the collection report stating that the film has got a record breaking opening--the highly anticipated Diwali collected of Rs. 137.
25 crore (net collection Rs. 96 crore) in India and Rs.
32.75 crore overseas.
Apart from this, Shah Rukh Khan had reportedly sold the satellite rights for Rs.37 crore, the music rights for Rs.
8 crore and ancillary rights for Rs.10 crore even before the film had hit the screens.
"As always, my heart doesn't crunch numbers and heroes don't count zeros..
.but it's nice to know how RA.
One is flying," he further tweeted. "Ga Ga ooh la la.
..
Ra Ra Ra.One.
Thrilled with response. Congratulations to my business partners.
" Made at a budget of Rs.150 crore, the film, described as best in terms of technology, opened across more than 4,000 plus screens worldwide--3,100 plus screens in India and 904 prints internationally, including 3D and has become the biggest Hindi grosser in southern market too.
" RA.One released to packed houses across the country on Diwali day and has already created history by taking over the mantle of the biggest domestic earner so far.
|The film continues to be on its record breaking spree with several new achievements since its release. It has touched the highest individual collection in circuits such as Mumbai, Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan," Nandu Ahuja, senior vice president, distribution, Eros International Media Ltd said in a statement.
"We see repeat viewings of the movie with the 3-D version being equally sought after. With the Eid holiday also coming up next week and no other major film release, we are anticipating the film to continue doing huge numbers," he added.
Speaking on the film's overseas performance, Pranab Kapadia, president, distribution, Eros International, said: "The film is enjoying a superb run across all major regions including UK, North America, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. "Overseas, the film has broken SRK's own previous first weekend record established by My Name Is Khan and occupies the position of biggest Indian first weekend grosser overseas as well.
" Eros plans to take the film to non-traditional markets-- RA.One is scheduled for theatrical release in the first quarter of 2012 across several territories including South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Russia , Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Palestine, Brazil, Spain, Italy and Greece .
Directed by Anubhav Sinha, RA.One saw the King Khan as G.
One along with Arjun Rampal as RA.One and Kareena Kapoor.
Though the critics didn't give it a thumbs up, the film's visual effects and state of the art production techniques have set a new standard in the Indian film industry. Tweet
(less)I don't trust anybody: Ekta Kapoor
Refreshingly, Ekta Kapoor admits to all of them but says she's a changed woman today. Ques : After enjoying huge success, your company went through a really bad phase in 2008 and suffered a loss of around Rs 14 crore.
What did that phase teach you? Ekta Kapoor : We lost more than Rs 14 crore. After a steady success for eight years, suddenly everything started going wrong.
I was a wreck. Channel 9, where we had many serials running, shut down, we had this fight with Star TV, we had paid advance to a company to make films and that wasn't materialising, ask me what didn't go wrong.
Only post Pavitra Rishta things started looking up. This is when I realised that if I took calculated proposals it would be a big risk to take.
My choice was making a huge film and spend two crores over promotions or make a three crore film and depend on the content. Brand Balaji going for the brand value of Dibakar and going completely against the flavour and texture of what they have been doing itself made enough noise to launch a brand.
Ques : Also this perhaps gained you more respect as till then in spite of being called the czarina of television you were also criticised for making regressive content..
. Ekta : But if you ask me, I am still more proud of my achievements in television.
It is so tough to cater to that many tastes. I might not understand the financial situation of a middle class home but the middle class values I can totally identify with.
In fact, there was a survey that said that women in homes got more assertive after this TV boom started. So many of my friends told me that I make regressive serials, but these were the people who wouldn't even watch TV.
They would say - 'Oh I watched one or two scenes and I didn't like what I saw'. I would call such people myopic.
I still have far more respect for TV producers because there is no star power there; all that works is the content. Those TV producers are not lunching with Salman Khan or dining with SRK.
All they have is the content that could either make or break a serial. I on a personal level just ran out of stories to tell on television, so the only other medium available for me was films where I could explore darker, edgier stories.
Stories with more layers..
.in truth, I am bohemian in thought and conservative in action.
Ques : When you were riding high you were a short-tempered, impatient person. Did the low phase mellow you down? Ekta : I was 17 when I started my TV career.
If you have the number one show when you are 19 and at 25 the whole era on television is being dedicated to you, you are bound to grow cat's whiskers. I made some really stupid decisions, I lost some really nice friends because I asked them to leave the company.
I was short tempered because I had too much work. I didn't know how to absorb it all.
It is not the low phase but it is success, which taught me a few things. Now when I look back I have realised that no longer do I want to be a slave to success.
I was in such a hurry to be successful that I simply didn't care. Today I know that you have to be a human being first.
Tomorrow if none of my films do well, I am not going to reach the lowest rungs of depression like I used to. I know that I have many other things to be thankful for.
If I am not successful maybe the world will value me lesser, but the world's view not necessarily be my own view of myself. Today spirituality comes to me before success.
In fact, it is my strong belief in God that has cushioned my failure. I have not become a saint, but I can say sorry more easily now.
I am willing to accept my fault. I have killed my ego and learnt to say sorry.
Ques : And is there a regret you can't amend? Ekta : Yes, I didn't have time for amma. She was my guardian and took care of us for 27 years.
When she was dying I was too busy to be with her. I gave work my highest priority.
She took care of me for so many years and I couldn't spare a few months for her. Regret lasts longer than anything else and that is a karmic burden I will always carry.
Ques : You also had trust issues? Ekta : I still do. At one point I stopped talking to people, started closing all doors and I was very wary of people in general.
Now you see the much lighter me. I used to feel that everyone is after me for something.
It is then my mum told me, if you close the very first door, how would you know when a genuine person wants to enter? She said keep the door open, and then the second door let only few people enter and then slowly you can reach the trust lever with fewer people. People tell me that after a certain age you can't make friends, but now I know that if you haven't kept the doors open, someone out there who might share the same world as you, will not have been given the opportunity to come close to you.
Ques : If the door is open, why is your love life still not happening? Ekta : I really don't know why. I am very pissed with myself for that.
Either I am too intimidating or it is the bad placement of stars. I don't want to get involved with an actor.
..
Ques : Why? Your dad was an actor..
. Ekta : (Laughing) But my mum was not a producer.
That door is never open for an actor..
..
Ques : Are your standards high? Ekta : No. My standards are really low.
But it just doesn't happen. Even a flirty situation has not come up.
I have not been remotely interested in a guy since last one year..
.But my trust issues come up here too.
I still think somewhere you have got to be careful. I just want to protect my heart from rejection.
Also I am not sure who is approaching me for what I am. I joined a gym and I couldn't work out because there were four aspiring actors working out only around me.
I take a flight, pursers give me their numbers. If I write a story, I will have the most amusing real life incidents to narrate.
How will I ever know who wants to genuinely be my friend and not use me? A friend was asking me the other day if there is anyone I trust at all, and I said yes, only my mother. I have learnt many things now.
I have learnt to delegate. I have also learnt that I won't die if I don't continue being successful.
People's expectations of you can be killing. In 2005 I thought I can't give a flop ever.
But today I wouldn't care less. If I fail and if you don't want to talk to me, that's your problem.
I am on this let me be happy phase. For me spirituality comes first and then success.
It can be really lonely at the top and the company you have around is not what you want. So I am not taking that risk again.
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(less)Blockbuster boy Salman Khan makes taxmen happy too
In the corresponding period last year, the actor had paid only Rs 2 crore in advance tax. The 45-year-old star has been delivering blockbusters by strategically coinciding their release with Eid for the past two years.
Salman's arch rival Shah Rukh Khan, who has not had any big releases in the recent past, saw his tax outgo remain flat at Rs 5 crore, the sources added. Akshay Kumar, another big name in Bollywood, is also estimated to have paid Rs 5 crore in advance tax payments, up from Rs 4 crore, they said.
Actor-producer Aamir Khan, whose small-budgeted edgy movie released this quarter and was received well, saw a Rs 50 lakh rise in advance tax outgo at Rs 4.5 crore, they said.
New kid on the block Ranbir Kapoor's advance tax outgo stood at a flat Rs 2.5 crore, the sources said.
Advance tax payment is a system of staggered payment of income taxes so that high tax-paying individuals or firms do not pile up tax liabilities towards the end of the year. The payment for September quarter accounts for 30 per cent of the total collection payout for an individual or company.
In the first quarter it is 15 per cent, followed by 30 per cent each in the next two and 25 per cent in the fourth quarter. Tweet
(less)Aamir Khan scores Rs. 90 crore deal
The deal between producer Excel Entertainment and Reliance was finalised last week. A source close to the production house informed Mumbai Mirror, "Rs 90 crore is a huge amount.
Don 2 sold for Rs 80 crore and that was already an established franchise. This however, puts a lot of recovery pressure on Talaash.
" Trade analyst Amod Mehra however, did not feel that the amount was too surprising. "I think it's a reasonable amount," said Mehra.
Excel Entertainment and Reliance remained unavailable for comment
(less)Bollywood's blind belief for reel gains
Ekta Kapoor, who's known to be superstitious, rescheduled the launch of her newest production, Rock The Shaadi , to Dussehra. It is learnt that initially, the Navdip Singh directed movie, featuring Abhay Deol and Genelia D'Souza, was to start, with an outdoor in Rajasthan, on Friday, October 7.
"At first, the plan was to complete all the ceremonial puja of Navratri before starting the film," informed a source associated with the movie. He added that towards the end of the nine-day festival, the producer decided to get her film's shoot started on Dussehra itself.
Explaining the production czarina's decision, our insider explains, "Among Hindus, three days in a year are considered the most auspicious -- Gudi Padwa, Akshay Tritiya and Dussehra. So much so that one need not find the best time during these days to start a new venture.
Because since eons, the entire day, on which these festivals fall respectively, is believed to be auspicious. And since Dussehra is one of them, Ekta decided that it was the best day to start her film, instead of a specific mahurat on any other day.
While Ekta was unavailable for comment, Tanuj Garg, CEO of her production house, confirmed that it was rescheduled. Interestingly, Ekta's superstitious is not just limited to an auspicious time alone.
A schedule of her other production, Kya Super Kool Hain Hum , will be shot in Goa. HitList (July 7, 2011) had reported that the beach state of India was chosen over Bangkok as a number of films shot there, like All The Best , Singham and the Golmaal series which also featured her brother Tusshar, had turned out to be hits.
Sachin Yardi, who wrote the first movie and is directing the sequel, had confirmed the same, saying, "Though the luck factor was also influential to some extent, Goa fitted the requirement of the script perfectly." Here's a look at some other Bollywood stars and their superstitions.
Aamir Khan If you thought a perfectionist like Aamir Khan wouldn't need to resort to such beliefs, you're mistaken. The actor has come to believe that Christmas is a lucky time for him.
That's why after Taare Zameen Par , he scheduled the release of Ghajini and 3 Idiots during the December festival. Apparently, when he locked Reema Kagti directed Dhuaan , the actor was planning a Christmas release.
But since it couldn't be completed, he thought of Republic Day. The January weekend has been lucky for him twice, with Rang De Basanti and Dhobi Ghat striking gold at the box-office.
Besides, his Dhoom 3 is already being touted as a Christmas 2012 release. And it's not without reason that Aamir scheduled the release of Delhi Belly on the first Friday of this July.
Reportedly, he thought it's a 'lucky' time as his previous production and nephew Imran Khan's debut too had opened in cinemas on the first Friday of July 2008. Salman Khan After the success of Wanted and Dabangg during Eid, Salman Khan has been hooked on a release around the festival.
That's why Bodyguard was planned as this year's Eid release from the time he signed it. For next year, the actor had first decided on brother Sohail Khan's Sher Khan .
But now his Ek Tha Tiger has been finalised as his next Eid release. Considering the extensive production and post-production Sher Khan required, the Khan brothers couldn't complete it in time.
Katrina Kaif Having come from outside the industry and making it big, Katrina Kaif too has imbibed the superstitious ways of the industry. Never mind if her skirt raised a controversy during the filming of Namastey London in the Ajmer Dargah, she makes it a point to visit the shrine before every release.
Even before the release of her last film Mere Brother Ki Dulhan , Kat had gone to pray at the mosque that is also a favourite of many B-town folks. Ajay Devgn While he adopted Ajay as his industry name over his real name Vishal when he debuted with Phool Aur Kaante , the intense actor was not given to superstitions.
However, a couple of average runners at the box-office combined with a couple of accidents saw his mother consult an astrologer. At the behest of the family's jyotish , Ajay dropped the 'a' from his surname and became Devgn.
Then onwards, starting with his production All The Best till Singham , the spelling seems to have worked. Never mind if Toonpur Ka SuperHero , Aakrosh and Rascals didn't work.
His Golmaal 3 and Singham crossed the Rs 100 crore mark and he hasn't had any injury either. Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan was one of the few tinsel town citizens not given to superstition.
However, things changed this year after his team Kolkata Knight Riders failed to win their first couple of matches earlier this IPL season. A taaviz /talisman he started wearing, seemed to have brought his Knights out from the dark shadows of defeat.
And it seems the good luck charm is working for his forthcoming superhero fantasy film too. The trade pundits are positive about his Rs 150 crore plus extravaganza not only breaking even, but also making profit from various revenue avenues.
Rakesh Roshan With My Name Is Khan , We Are Family and Student Of The Year , Karan Johar might have let go of his fixation with the letter 'K'. But Rakesh Roshan continues to be superstitious about the alphabet with which he started his innings as a producer ( Kaamchor ) and director ( Khudgarz ).
So what if his last production venture, Kites failed to soar high. The filmmaker's next Krissh movie has already struck distribution deals amounting to Rs 125 crore.
And that too without even a look test, forget a frame being shot. Subhash Ghai Subhash Ghai's recent movies might have failed to befit his showman status, but he still believes in one thing -- the date, October 24.
It's not only his wife's birthday, but also the day he married her. And ever since, he's made it a point to announce his new ventures on this date.
With his lucky date drawing near, it remains to be seen what new projects he announces closer to Diwali this month. Tweet
(less)I'm trying to create new Dabangg: Arbaaz
"When I did the first one, my intention was to tell a story which I believe in..
.which I was excited about.
That is what exactly I am going to take it forward. I have a story to tell but I am not worried about the past," he said.
"With that sincerity and honesty, if I take care of the script I am sure rest everything will fall in place. I am not competing with the original Dabangg , but I am trying to create another 'Dabangg'," he added.
Arbaaz, who will take the reigns of direction in his hands for the sequel of the action film, is yet to lock locations for the shooting. " Dabangg 2 is starting in March.
I have not finalised my locations. There are couple of locations I am thinking of.
But I will finalise them in a short while," he said. Dabangg 2 will star Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha and southern star Prakash Raj.
Tweet
(less)RA.One collects Rs.170 crores over the weekend
170 crore worldwide in the opening weekend. The superstar is congratulating his business partners on the superhero's box office success.
Eros International Media Ltd (Eros International) released the collection report stating that the film has got a record breaking opening--the highly anticipated Diwali collected of Rs. 137.
25 crore (net collection Rs. 96 crore) in India and Rs.
32.75 crore overseas.
Apart from this, Shah Rukh Khan had reportedly sold the satellite rights for Rs.37 crore, the music rights for Rs.
8 crore and ancillary rights for Rs.10 crore even before the film had hit the screens.
"As always, my heart doesn't crunch numbers and heroes don't count zeros..
.but it's nice to know how RA.
One is flying," he further tweeted. "Ga Ga ooh la la.
..
Ra Ra Ra.One.
Thrilled with response. Congratulations to my business partners.
" Made at a budget of Rs.150 crore, the film, described as best in terms of technology, opened across more than 4,000 plus screens worldwide--3,100 plus screens in India and 904 prints internationally, including 3D and has become the biggest Hindi grosser in southern market too.
" RA.One released to packed houses across the country on Diwali day and has already created history by taking over the mantle of the biggest domestic earner so far.
|The film continues to be on its record breaking spree with several new achievements since its release. It has touched the highest individual collection in circuits such as Mumbai, Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan," Nandu Ahuja, senior vice president, distribution, Eros International Media Ltd said in a statement.
"We see repeat viewings of the movie with the 3-D version being equally sought after. With the Eid holiday also coming up next week and no other major film release, we are anticipating the film to continue doing huge numbers," he added.
Speaking on the film's overseas performance, Pranab Kapadia, president, distribution, Eros International, said: "The film is enjoying a superb run across all major regions including UK, North America, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. "Overseas, the film has broken SRK's own previous first weekend record established by My Name Is Khan and occupies the position of biggest Indian first weekend grosser overseas as well.
" Eros plans to take the film to non-traditional markets-- RA.One is scheduled for theatrical release in the first quarter of 2012 across several territories including South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Russia , Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Palestine, Brazil, Spain, Italy and Greece .
Directed by Anubhav Sinha, RA.One saw the King Khan as G.
One along with Arjun Rampal as RA.One and Kareena Kapoor.
Though the critics didn't give it a thumbs up, the film's visual effects and state of the art production techniques have set a new standard in the Indian film industry. Tweet
(less)IT raid at Telugu actor Mahesh Babu's house
Earlier, IT officials raided Dookudu producer Anil Sunkara and also two others and collected details of tax returns. The officials reportedly sought similar details, tax returns, Tweet
(less)Is Salman the Rajinikanth of Bollywood?
"On the business front, it is bigger than Singham , the producer Reliance Entertainment's earlier release. But on the profit front, it will be more or less same," said trade analyst Amod Mehra, adding that Bodyguard will easily cross Rs 100 crore net in India in the next couple of days.
The Salman Khan-Kareena Kapoor action romance flick is said to have cost the producers about Rs 75 crore, including prints and advertising. But that's not a cause for concern, asserts an industry insider.
"The satellite rights have been sold for Rs 30 crore and the music has gone for Rs 6 crore," he revealed. Pegging the five-day collections across India at Rs 86.
10 crore, Komal Nahta, editor Film Information, a trade weekly, enthuses that the movie has broken records for first day, first weekend and first week. The reviews notwithstanding, he says, "If the film was not good, you wouldn't expect such collections.
Films have released on Eid down the years, but the festival combined with Salman and his action is the major reason for this kind of overwhelming response." Calling Salman the Rajinikanth of Bollywood, Nahta concedes that collections drop on Mondays.
But he also quickly countered, "Why grudge that? The film has done in five days what others do in two weeks." In the same vein, Indore-based distributor Aditya Choksey of Akshar Enterprises maintains that the film is holding strong even on Monday.
"The morning shows of PVR and Inox were sold out. Although there might be a few people who didn't like Bodyguard , the audience is loving it.
Otherwise, there's no way you can explain these numbers," he said. Delhi based distributor Sanjay Ghai, COO Mukta Arts Ltd is certain the film will cross Ready 's Rs 120 crore in nine days mark.
"A couple of days after Eid, the collections usually start to drop. But on the sixth day too, Bodyguard continues to sustain well.
In the second week, it might cross Dabangg 's Rs 141 crore," he said, adding that if this continues, it remains to be seen if the Salman starrer will touch Aamir Khan's record-holding 3 Idiots . Nahta concedes it's too early to predict how much Bodyguard will earn, but it is certain it will cross Ready .
"It could make Rs 150 crore or more. We can get a better idea only after the second weekend," he says.
However, Aditya Choksey is optimistic it will cross Dabangg 's earnings, too. "And with a little help from the ladies and family audiences, Bodyguard could even surpass 3 Idiots ' earnings in India," he said, much to our surprise.
He added, "Even if it doesn't, it's no mean feat to overtake the second biggest grosser like Dabangg . Salman is batting like Sanath Jayasuria, by scoring the fastest 100 yet.
" As for the other releases, Nahta said that Bol is carrying slowly on the strength of rave reviews, while That Girl In Yellow Boots and Mummy Punjabi have been crushed by the Bodyguard tsunami. "Though the cost of That Girl In Yellow Boots is limited, Eid and Salman's Bodyguard wasn't the right time to release it," he notes.
Echoing the same observation, Choksey too said that the other films didn't draw in the audience. Sanjay Ghai feels that the producers of That Girl In Yellow Boots and Bol made a big mistake of releasing the films with Bodyguard .
"At another time, they could have done respectable business. But this time, no other movie stood any chance.
And it's the first time that a film has done so well across cities, small towns, villages, multiplexes and single screens," he concluded. Tweet
(less)Bollywood's dream run comes to a halt
If the opening figures of Rs 7.25 crore across India were any consolation, the following days didn't do much to boost the morale of Sanjay Dutt who ventured into production with Rascals .
The comedy, also featuring Ajay Devgn, under the aegis of David Dhawan failed to retain audience interest. According to trade analysts, the movie, which cost Rs 50 crore (including prints and advertising), is not likely to break even, forget making money for the actor-producer and his investors.
Considering numbers like R 5.75 crore (Friday), R 5 crore (Saturday) and R 5.
5 crore (Sunday), trade analyst Amod Mehra says, "The writing on the wall was there to be seen on Friday itself. And it was reiterated on Saturday, which registered numbers over 30 per cent less than Thursday.
" He added that the crash on Monday onwards was imminent due to poor content and lack of positive word of mouth. Mehra said the other releases Soundtrack and Love Breakups Zindagi were complete washouts.
"A few shows of Soundtrack were cancelled. Love Breakups Zindagi too barely saw much occupancy, averaging under 10 per cent," he added.
The head honcho of a national multiplex chain on condition of anonymity attributes the average occupancy for Rascals to a negative response from the audience. "People were finding it difficult to sit through two-hour long film that lacked a decent script," he says.
Though his G7 Cineplex in Bandra and Maratha Mandir in Mumbai Central witnessed 95 per cent occupancy for Rascals, Manoj Desai attributes Monday's drop to poor public response. "Hearing about people walking out in the interval is funnier than the film itself.
The audience feels there's more skin show on television than by Kangna Ranaut in the movie, and even that wasn't a script requirement as there was no story to begin with," he says. Prakhar Joshi of PVR Cinemas feels that Soundtrack deserved a better release time.
"Despite being a remake, it's a fairly well made film. Had it released at a more suitable time, it would have done better business," he sums up.
As for Zayed Khan and Dia Mirza's production debut, Love Breakups Zindagi, our multiplex man maintains, "It's not even in the discussion." Which is surprising, given the actor-producers and their director partner Sahil Sangha celebrated the movie's success over the weekend.
"Such events are to celebrate the film's successful release, and not success at the box-office," explains Mehra. John Abraham's Force , which released a week earlier, continued its run, making comparatively more money from the single screens.
By Sunday, it had netted over R00 27 crore, thanks to more than 40 per cent occupancy in the solo theaters in the country. Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster , which released along with Force , did decent business over the weekend.
"Good content is working for the ticket-buying audience," observes Joshi. Tweet
(less)I don't trust anybody: Ekta Kapoor
Refreshingly, Ekta Kapoor admits to all of them but says she's a changed woman today. Ques : After enjoying huge success, your company went through a really bad phase in 2008 and suffered a loss of around Rs 14 crore.
What did that phase teach you? Ekta Kapoor : We lost more than Rs 14 crore. After a steady success for eight years, suddenly everything started going wrong.
I was a wreck. Channel 9, where we had many serials running, shut down, we had this fight with Star TV, we had paid advance to a company to make films and that wasn't materialising, ask me what didn't go wrong.
Only post Pavitra Rishta things started looking up. This is when I realised that if I took calculated proposals it would be a big risk to take.
My choice was making a huge film and spend two crores over promotions or make a three crore film and depend on the content. Brand Balaji going for the brand value of Dibakar and going completely against the flavour and texture of what they have been doing itself made enough noise to launch a brand.
Ques : Also this perhaps gained you more respect as till then in spite of being called the czarina of television you were also criticised for making regressive content..
. Ekta : But if you ask me, I am still more proud of my achievements in television.
It is so tough to cater to that many tastes. I might not understand the financial situation of a middle class home but the middle class values I can totally identify with.
In fact, there was a survey that said that women in homes got more assertive after this TV boom started. So many of my friends told me that I make regressive serials, but these were the people who wouldn't even watch TV.
They would say - 'Oh I watched one or two scenes and I didn't like what I saw'. I would call such people myopic.
I still have far more respect for TV producers because there is no star power there; all that works is the content. Those TV producers are not lunching with Salman Khan or dining with SRK.
All they have is the content that could either make or break a serial. I on a personal level just ran out of stories to tell on television, so the only other medium available for me was films where I could explore darker, edgier stories.
Stories with more layers..
.in truth, I am bohemian in thought and conservative in action.
Ques : When you were riding high you were a short-tempered, impatient person. Did the low phase mellow you down? Ekta : I was 17 when I started my TV career.
If you have the number one show when you are 19 and at 25 the whole era on television is being dedicated to you, you are bound to grow cat's whiskers. I made some really stupid decisions, I lost some really nice friends because I asked them to leave the company.
I was short tempered because I had too much work. I didn't know how to absorb it all.
It is not the low phase but it is success, which taught me a few things. Now when I look back I have realised that no longer do I want to be a slave to success.
I was in such a hurry to be successful that I simply didn't care. Today I know that you have to be a human being first.
Tomorrow if none of my films do well, I am not going to reach the lowest rungs of depression like I used to. I know that I have many other things to be thankful for.
If I am not successful maybe the world will value me lesser, but the world's view not necessarily be my own view of myself. Today spirituality comes to me before success.
In fact, it is my strong belief in God that has cushioned my failure. I have not become a saint, but I can say sorry more easily now.
I am willing to accept my fault. I have killed my ego and learnt to say sorry.
Ques : And is there a regret you can't amend? Ekta : Yes, I didn't have time for amma. She was my guardian and took care of us for 27 years.
When she was dying I was too busy to be with her. I gave work my highest priority.
She took care of me for so many years and I couldn't spare a few months for her. Regret lasts longer than anything else and that is a karmic burden I will always carry.
Ques : You also had trust issues? Ekta : I still do. At one point I stopped talking to people, started closing all doors and I was very wary of people in general.
Now you see the much lighter me. I used to feel that everyone is after me for something.
It is then my mum told me, if you close the very first door, how would you know when a genuine person wants to enter? She said keep the door open, and then the second door let only few people enter and then slowly you can reach the trust lever with fewer people. People tell me that after a certain age you can't make friends, but now I know that if you haven't kept the doors open, someone out there who might share the same world as you, will not have been given the opportunity to come close to you.
Ques : If the door is open, why is your love life still not happening? Ekta : I really don't know why. I am very pissed with myself for that.
Either I am too intimidating or it is the bad placement of stars. I don't want to get involved with an actor.
..
Ques : Why? Your dad was an actor..
. Ekta : (Laughing) But my mum was not a producer.
That door is never open for an actor..
..
Ques : Are your standards high? Ekta : No. My standards are really low.
But it just doesn't happen. Even a flirty situation has not come up.
I have not been remotely interested in a guy since last one year..
.But my trust issues come up here too.
I still think somewhere you have got to be careful. I just want to protect my heart from rejection.
Also I am not sure who is approaching me for what I am. I joined a gym and I couldn't work out because there were four aspiring actors working out only around me.
I take a flight, pursers give me their numbers. If I write a story, I will have the most amusing real life incidents to narrate.
How will I ever know who wants to genuinely be my friend and not use me? A friend was asking me the other day if there is anyone I trust at all, and I said yes, only my mother. I have learnt many things now.
I have learnt to delegate. I have also learnt that I won't die if I don't continue being successful.
People's expectations of you can be killing. In 2005 I thought I can't give a flop ever.
But today I wouldn't care less. If I fail and if you don't want to talk to me, that's your problem.
I am on this let me be happy phase. For me spirituality comes first and then success.
It can be really lonely at the top and the company you have around is not what you want. So I am not taking that risk again.
Tweet
(less)Why is Sonu Sood not in Dabangg 2?
Unfortunately, we both mutually decided that having his character retained would not help the script," Arbaaz posted on his Twitter page. Dabangg featured Salman Khan as a police officer, and Sonu played Chhedi Singh in the film.
The sequel to the 2010 blockbuster will see Prakash Raj teaming up with Salman for the second time after Wanted . "Sonu Sood is a great guy and a fine actor.
Hope to resume professional ties in the future. I know his best wishes are with my film.
..
," wrote Arbaaz, who is directing the sequel. Dabangg 2 will release in December 2012.
Tweet
(less)'Garv' would have created history at BO: Puneet Issar
The film did average business. "I think 'Garv' was ahead of its times.
For Salman, the movie had set a benchmark in terms of action sequences, drama and emotion. If it would have been released today then it would have definitely done business of Rs 200 crore," Puneet told PTI in an interview.
Ask him if he is considering making a sequel to it, pat comes the reply, No. "I do not believe in taking ahead the same subject.
I feel films on newer subjects should be made. I would not like to wield around the same topic," Puneet said.
'Garv: Pride and Honour' was based on the story of honest and brave cops--the theme which seems to have caught the fancy with Bollywood which has churned out films like 'Dabangg', 'Singham', 'Force' to name a few. The actor-turned-producer is currently looking forward to his second directorial venture 'I am Singh' which deals with discrimination and racism faced by Sikhs abroad.
"'I Am Singh' is about Sikhs, who, despite living in the US for generations, were mistaken for Arabs and Afghans due to their turbans and became victims of racist violence in the aftermath of 9/11. The film takes a look at the discrimination against Sikhs post 9/11," he said.
The film starring Gulzar Chahal, Mika Singh, Rizwan Haider, Tulip Singh and Brooke Johnston, is slated for December 2 release. PTI KKP NSK
(less)I don’t make any New Year resolutions: Sonu Sood
For me, New Year is a time when I look back, introspect on my achievements, failures and hope to do better in the future." Remind Sonu of a film he lost out on - the sequel of Dabangg - and the actor says, "I refused the role and Salman and Arbaaz both understood.
In fact, I just met Salman at his birthday bash and even then he said, 'you should have done the film.' But, he acknowledges the fact that I refused the film as an actor and this has caused no dent in our friendship.
" Busy times Sonu has had four releases down South in 2011. "All the films - two Telugu, one Tamil, and one Kannada - have all done well.
So it's been a busy 2011 for me!" says Sonu. And what about his film Lucky Unlucky, where he debuts as a producer? Says he, "Yeah, that goes on the floors in March 2012 and though it'll be hectic, I am very excited about the film.
" And while there's been news of his leading lady Mallika ditching him to give dates for another film, thus causing problems to Sonu, the actor-producer says, "There is no problem at all! Mallika was shooting for the Munni song for the Tamil version of Dabangg, and that's where I spoke to her about it. As she knows that I am myself selective about my films, it took me all of five minutes to convince her.
" Speaking of another film he's excited about, Sonu says, "It's called Maximum, and I play a cop in it. The best part about the film is that it stars Naseeruddin Shah .
I admire him; and I'm so glad to be working with him
(less)Salman refuses to believe Bodyguard is a success: Atul Agnihotri
"He is not totally convinced. He is thinking that we are saying this to cheer him up.
This is because he is totally cut off from his regular sources. If he had been in Mumbai, he would have had more interaction, seen more TV and read editorials.
There he is totally depending on what we are saying," said Atul, who co-produced the film with Reliance. Bodyguard, which released on Eid, has surpassed the opening day box-office collection of Dabangg (Rs 14.
5 crore) and 3 Idiots (Rs13 crore) by garnering Rs 22 crore in the domestic market. Salman, 45, is expected to be home in 10 days.
He is currently under observation, said Atul. "First, they did some test on him and then he was subjected to the first medical procedure.
The surgery went for eight hours. Now he is under three-day observation.
I think tomorrow night (Saturday) or day after (Sunday) morning they will review and go for the next step. He will be there for a week or 10 days more," he said.
Atul is riding high on the unprecedented success of the Salman-Kareena Kapoor starrer action-drama, which has received overwhelming response from the audiences despite bad reviews. "We were expecting a good opening but the number has gone beyond our prediction.
For us, before the release (of Bodyguard), Dabangg was the benchmark. That we have surpassed, which is a great thing," he said.
The film is scoring high even in south despite being a Hindi remake of Malayalam film of the same name. It was also made in Tamil.
"Even in Cochin where people have seen both its Tamil and Malayalam version, the film is doing extremely well. Till yesterday (Thursday) we had two theatres, today (Friday) we have opened up third screen so that's an indicator of the reaction of the audience in south," said the 41-year-old actor-director-producer.
Atul is expecting the box office collection to touch Rs 85 crore by this weekend. "As 31st was a holiday, we did a business of around Rs 21.
57 crore, then yesterday (Thursday) we have touched about Rs 19 crore again. In that sense we have already done around Rs 41 crore and above, across India.
Today is a Friday. In three days (including weekends) there is a possibility that we would cross Rs 80 to Rs 85 crore in India," said Atul.
Here's the trailer for the film: Tweet
(less)IT raid at Telugu actor Mahesh Babu's house
Earlier, IT officials raided Dookudu producer Anil Sunkara and also two others and collected details of tax returns. The officials reportedly sought similar details, tax returns, Tweet
(less)Is Salman the Rajinikanth of Bollywood?
"On the business front, it is bigger than Singham , the producer Reliance Entertainment's earlier release. But on the profit front, it will be more or less same," said trade analyst Amod Mehra, adding that Bodyguard will easily cross Rs 100 crore net in India in the next couple of days.
The Salman Khan-Kareena Kapoor action romance flick is said to have cost the producers about Rs 75 crore, including prints and advertising. But that's not a cause for concern, asserts an industry insider.
"The satellite rights have been sold for Rs 30 crore and the music has gone for Rs 6 crore," he revealed. Pegging the five-day collections across India at Rs 86.
10 crore, Komal Nahta, editor Film Information, a trade weekly, enthuses that the movie has broken records for first day, first weekend and first week. The reviews notwithstanding, he says, "If the film was not good, you wouldn't expect such collections.
Films have released on Eid down the years, but the festival combined with Salman and his action is the major reason for this kind of overwhelming response." Calling Salman the Rajinikanth of Bollywood, Nahta concedes that collections drop on Mondays.
But he also quickly countered, "Why grudge that? The film has done in five days what others do in two weeks." In the same vein, Indore-based distributor Aditya Choksey of Akshar Enterprises maintains that the film is holding strong even on Monday.
"The morning shows of PVR and Inox were sold out. Although there might be a few people who didn't like Bodyguard , the audience is loving it.
Otherwise, there's no way you can explain these numbers," he said. Delhi based distributor Sanjay Ghai, COO Mukta Arts Ltd is certain the film will cross Ready 's Rs 120 crore in nine days mark.
"A couple of days after Eid, the collections usually start to drop. But on the sixth day too, Bodyguard continues to sustain well.
In the second week, it might cross Dabangg 's Rs 141 crore," he said, adding that if this continues, it remains to be seen if the Salman starrer will touch Aamir Khan's record-holding 3 Idiots . Nahta concedes it's too early to predict how much Bodyguard will earn, but it is certain it will cross Ready .
"It could make Rs 150 crore or more. We can get a better idea only after the second weekend," he says.
However, Aditya Choksey is optimistic it will cross Dabangg 's earnings, too. "And with a little help from the ladies and family audiences, Bodyguard could even surpass 3 Idiots ' earnings in India," he said, much to our surprise.
He added, "Even if it doesn't, it's no mean feat to overtake the second biggest grosser like Dabangg . Salman is batting like Sanath Jayasuria, by scoring the fastest 100 yet.
" As for the other releases, Nahta said that Bol is carrying slowly on the strength of rave reviews, while That Girl In Yellow Boots and Mummy Punjabi have been crushed by the Bodyguard tsunami. "Though the cost of That Girl In Yellow Boots is limited, Eid and Salman's Bodyguard wasn't the right time to release it," he notes.
Echoing the same observation, Choksey too said that the other films didn't draw in the audience. Sanjay Ghai feels that the producers of That Girl In Yellow Boots and Bol made a big mistake of releasing the films with Bodyguard .
"At another time, they could have done respectable business. But this time, no other movie stood any chance.
And it's the first time that a film has done so well across cities, small towns, villages, multiplexes and single screens," he concluded. Tweet
(less)The fate of Bollywood movies in 2012: Part 2
13) Talaash (Releasing on 1st June 2012. Verdict: Hit):- The title of this Aamir-Rani -Kareena starrer adds up to Number 18 - which is not a positive octave of Number 9.
There are some films which have the 'luck' attached to it and 'Talaash' may just click simply because of that factor. Aamir (14th March 1965) will be entering his 48th year soon which once again is a great phase for him and that's the film biggest trump card.
Even Rani Mukherji (21st March 1978) and Kareena Kapoor's (21st September 1980) fortunes are riding high and the film will ensure superb collection. Tip: When you have actors with a midas touch, half the battle is won.
14) Rowdy Rathore (Releasing on 15th June 2012. Verdict: Flop):- The title of this UTV and Sanjay Leela Bhansali venture adds up to Number 46 - which is a favorable number.
But actor Akshay Kumar (9th September 1967) running in his 45th year is passing through a topsy-turvy phase in his career. While the film and his role will be appreciated by a few, a certain section of the audience may just dislike it totally.
After a successful debut, Sonakshi Sinha (2nd June 1987) may also receive mixed reviews. Tip: The UTV -Sanjay Leela Bhansali collaboration seems to be jinxed.
15) Teri Meri Kahaani (Releasing on 22nd June 2012. Verdict: Flop):- The title of this Kunal Kohli produced and directed enterprise is adding up to Number 36 - which is a lucky number promising authority, power and command.
But like there is a saying 'Man proposes, God disposes' - the year 2012 (Number 5 - Mercury) does not support anything to do with Number 9 ( Mars ) and hence the film will fail to even take off. The compound number arrived by adding the release date is also Number 5 which will further mar the prospects of this love story.
Even the lead pairs Shahid Kapoor (25th February 1981) and Priyanka Chopra's (18th July 1982) real life on - off romance may not be able to attract people in hordes and salvage the show. Tip: Shahid in his 31st year may not have a memorable 2012 while Priyanka in her 30th year might have to remain happy just with prasises galore for doing good work.
16) Dangerous Ishq (Releasing in June 2012. Verdict: Hit):- The title of this Vikram Bhatt thriller adds up to Number 46 - one of the most powerful octaves of Number 1.
It is also amongst the best numbers for the supremely talented Karisma Kapoor (25th June1974) who's making her comeback after a hiatus with this 3D film. She running in her 38th year will prove extremely lucky for her and it will rub off on the film as well.
Tip: For best results, the film should release on 22nd June 2012. 17) Barfii (Releasing in July 2012.
Verdict: Flop):- The title of this long in the making film is vibrating on Number 15 - which is a very lucky and powerful octave of Number 6 with strong magnetism, but also has a certain voluptuous temperament. Going by the meaning derived from it, the film will appeal only to a class audience and the rest may remain indifferent.
Both Ranbir (28th September 1982) and Priyanka (18th July 1982) in their 30th year will give award worthy performances but the box office rewards would clearly be missing. Tip: The film was originally spelled as 'Barfee'.
The makers should immediately go back to that spelling as it vibrated on a much better Number 23 (Mercury) which is directly supporting the year 2012. 18) Bol Bachchan (Releasing on 6th July 2012.
Verdict: Hit):- The title of this Ajay Devgn-Abhishek Bachchan action comedy is adding up to Number 37 - which is 'good news' as it is a very favorable number. Whil Abhishek (5th February 1976) will bring in the laughs and pull the house down, Ajay (2nd April 1969) will succeed in adding a dose of thrill.
Tip: The trio of Ajay Devgn-Abhishek Bachchan-Rohit Shetty which did not find many takers in their last attempt 'Zameen' will be hitting the 'bulls eye' this time. 18) Ek Tha Tiger (Releasing in August 2012.
Verdict: Super Hit):- The title of this Eid attraction coming from Yashraj Films vibrates on Number 32 - which is a lucky number usually associated with combinations of people and nations. Just that the person should hold to his/her own judgment and opinions, if not, his/her plans are likely to become wrecked by the stubbornness and stupidity of others.
The year 2012 which adds up to Number 5 (Mercury) being directly in sync with the name of the film would make it one of the biggest hits of the year. Salman (27th December 1965) in his 47th year and Katrina (16th July 1984) in her 29th are capable of breaking all box office records.
Tip: As the exact release date hasn't been decided, coming on 3rd or 24th August would be the best option. 19) Joker (Releasing on 30th August 2012.
Verdict: Hit):- The title of this fantasy adventure 3D film adds up to Number 17 which is an extremely fortunate number. Plus the year 2012 (Number 5 - Mercury) is supportive of people, places, names etc.
which vibrate on Number 8 (Saturn) and hence the film may actually turn out to be a delightful experience. Akshay (9th September 1967) in his 45th year would be liked for his work while Sonakshi (2nd June 1987) would also make her presence felt.
Tip: Director Shirish Kunder may finally get it 'right' this time. 20) Raaz 3 (Releasing on 31st August 2012.
Verdict: Hit):- The title of this 3D horror film adds up to Number 14 - which is fortunate for dealings with money, speculation and changes in business, but there is always a strong element of risk and danger attached to it, generally owing to the actions and foolhardiness of others. From the meaning derived from it, this one will take you on an enjoyable ride and everyone involved with the project from actors Emraan Hashmi, Sunny Leone, Rahul Bhatt and director Vikram Bhatt will tend to gain from this project.
Tip: Vikram will complete his 'hat-trick' with the success of this film. 21) Heroine (Releasing in September 2012.
Verdict: Hit):- The title of this Madhur Bhandarkar production adds up to Number 30 - which is good, but nothing great. His most ambitious project till date, Madhur is likely to receive both bouquets and flak/ brick bats in this Bollywoodised version of his own 'Fashion'.
Kareena (21st September 1980) in her 33rd year will be loved across the board for putting her heart, sweat and blood in a role which most actresses wait for a lifetime to play on screen. Tip: The movie will turn to be too much of a predictable fare who people who always expect something different Madhur every time.
22) Khiladi 786 (Releasing in November 2012. Verdict: Flop):- The title of this Akshay Kumar - Himesh Reshammiya jointly produced and enacted film is vibrating on Number 38 - which is a very unlucky number.
It denotes uncertainties and treachery. It foreshadows trials, tribulation, unexpected dangers, unreliable friends and deception caused by members of the opposite sex.
It gives grave warning if it comes out in anything concerning future events. Akshay (9th September 1967) who is Number 9 (Mars) person does not gel with a Number 5 (Mercury) at all and fellow partner Himesh (23rd July 1973) is directly ruled by this number.
A perfect recipe for a 'disaster'. As a result, the movie will be a box office dud.
Tip: Their association will soon go kaput and this may be their first and last project together. 23) Race 2 (Releasing on 30th November 2012.
Verdict: Hit):- The vibration of the sequel to the 2008 hit film is summing up to Number 13 - contrary to popular belief, this number is not unfortunate. Just that, it is symbolized as a power which should not be misused or it may wreak destruction upon itself.
In short, the second part will turn out to be a bigger success and all the actors namely Saif Ali Khan (16th August 1970), Anil Kapoor (24th December 1959), John Abraham (17th December 1972), Deepika Padukone (5th January 1986), Jacqueline Fernandez (2nd June 1985) and Ameesha Patel (9th June 1975) will 'race' ahead in their respective careers post the release of this film. Tip: The movie should hit the screens on 23rd November 2012 as that's the best date to extract fantastic results.
24) Son Of Sardar (Releasing on 30th November 2012. Verdict: Flop):- The title of this Ajay Devgn produced venture is adding up to Number 43 - which is an unfortunate number symbolized by the signs of revolution, upheaval, strife, failure and prevention.
The film may draw unnecessary attention due to some controversy or the other during its release, but even that may not impress the audiences to make a beeline outside cinemas. Tip: Even powerhouse performers like Ajay Devgn (2nd April 1969) and Sanjay Dutt's (29th July 1959) antics may fail to draw enough attention.
25) Dabangg 2 (Releasing in December 2012. Verdict: Super Hit):- The title of this sequel to the 2010 blockbuster film vibrates on Number 21 - which is symbolized by the picture of 'the Universe' and it is also called 'the Crown of the Magi'.
It is a number of advancement, honors, elevation in life and general success. This one will break the records of the first part and many other films released during the year 2012.
Every section of the audience will simply lap this film up without giving any second thoughts and it would make this - the highest grossing film of the year. Tip: The best is reserved for the last in 2012.
Releasing the film on the 14th or the 21st of December will be my advice to producer and first time director Arbaaz Khan
(less)SRK joins the league of extraordinary gentlemen
One, Shah Rukh Khan has gained entry into the exclusive billion-rupee Club of Bollywood. The film has grossed over Rs 100 crore in India, giving SRK entry into an elite club already consisting of stars like Aamir Khan (Ghajini, 3 Idiots), Salman Khan (Dabangg, Ready, Bodyguard) and Ajay Devgn (Singham).
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says, "RA.One has grossed almost Rs 112 crore in its Hindi version in the first two weeks.
Today, he too is part of the Billion Club; that has now become the parameter with which a film's box office business is judged." Trade pundit Komal Nahta, adds that he never doubted that the film would cross the 100-crore mark.
"I was very confident it would cross that mark. In fact, I was expecting it to happen in the first week itself considering the number of shows and screens, but it happened the week after.
The film makes you realise the kind of business big budget films can do if you have a five-day weekend." Nahta continues, "It's a recent phenomenon in the last three years that big films like 3 Idiots , Dabangg , Ghajini , and Singham have done such huge business.
Though My Name Is Khan was a huge hit and the highest grosser abroad, it did not enter the Billion Rupees Club in India. There was no doubt that SRK would enter this club with his next film.
By all accounts, RA.One is expected to do business of approximately Rs 125 crore in net collections in its Hindi version alone.
" So ultimately, the question is whether SRK will make a profit on the film or not. Avers Nahta, "Yes, he will.
It's a win-win situation for SRK and all involved in the film." Cost VS collections Ghajini Cost: Rs 50 crores Collections: Rs 118 crore 3 Idiots Cost: Rs 55 crore Collections: Rs 215 crore Dabangg Cost: Rs 45 crore Collections: Rs 143 crore Ready Cost: Rs 55 crore Collections: Rs 122 crore Singham Cost: Rs 45 crore Collections: Rs 118 crore Bodyguard Cost: Rs 62 crore Collections: Rs 150 crore Ra.
One Cost: Rs 135 crore Collections: Rs 112 crore (at the time of going to press) *All India net collections
(less)Salman Khan readies himself for Dabangg 2
. The actor is all set to embark on the shooting of Dabangg 2, and with Arbaaz Khan holding the directorial baton this time round, Salman is only going to get more involved in the making of this film.
Salman has returned to Mumbai only recently after finishing shooting for Ek Tha Tiger with Katrina Kaif. He's all set to play Chulbul Pandey once again, with some hard-hitting action scenes and punchy dialogues.
Sajid Wajid are ready with a few songs for the movie already, and the makers are confident that the music will take this movie to another level altogether. If that isn't enough, Arbaaz, we hear has made some intelligent changes to the script.
Though the theme will remain similar to the original, there have been a few characterisation changes: a few new characters come into play in Dabangg 2, while a few characters from the original have been axed out completely. The crew has decided to go along with the same look of Chulbul Pandey! The rights of Dabangg 2 have been known to have fetched an offer of whopping 140 crores, however, Arbaaz, we hear isn't willing to sell them just yet! The shooting of Dabangg 2 will begin next month.
Sonkashi Sinha is very much a part of this sequel, and an item number seems to be very much on the cards for this masaaledaar flick
(less)Dabangg 2 to release in December 2012: Arbaaz
Arbaaz had last month confirmed that the first draft of the script was ready. They were just waiting for actor Salman Khan's dates.
Perhaps the schedule dates have been locked now for the film, which will once again see Sonakshi Sinha and Sonu Sood. Hopes are high from the sequel to "Dabangg", which had earned Rs.
145 crore. Arbaaz, whose wife Malaika had grooved to the chartbuster "Munni badnaam hui" in the film, had admitted earlier that he was nervous about the sequel.
"There is a little nervousness for sure as the expectations are high but we would definitely be presenting something good and interesting," he had said
(less)'Sonakshi's 'Joker' role's cooler than Dabangg'
" Sonakshi, daughter of veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha, was cast opposite Salman Khan in "Dabangg". She played his love interest in the movie.
In "Joker", a 3D project, Sonakshi will be seen opposite Akshay Kumar
(less)Abaaz, Malaika's 13th wedding anniversary
In fact, I will be spending the whole day in office. I am producing and directing Dabangg 2 now, so the work load is much more.
When I go on the sets, I want to be completely prepared. It's not necessary that we celebrate grandly every year.
There was so much to celebrate, with Dabangg being such a big hit. This time it's just a small party with a few close friends.
" Last year Malaika had been working on their 12th anniversary
(less)Salman Khan ditches Dookudu's remake plan
As a result, the actor and his family's plan to remake the Telugu film Dookudu , starring Mahesh Babu, has reportedly failed to materialise. A source close to the developments told Mumbai Mirror that Babu's sister-in-law, Shilpa Shirodkar, who was co-ordinating with the Khans, learnt about Salman's decision from an associate close to the actor.
According to the source, Salman, who has played a cop in at least five films, was not too keen on repeating the act. Had he taken up Dookudu, the actor would be required to don the same avatar again.
Added the source, "In Dabangg 2, which goes on floors in March, Salman plays a cop yet again. That bascially forced him to rethink Dookudu.
" Salman's decision, however, has come as a major surprise to the south superstar and producer of the film Mahesh, claimed the source. "The entire Khan family had watched the Telugu version of the film and they were very keen on remaking it in Hindi.
Salim Khan had watched the film first. And then Salman saw it at Pixion theatre, in Bandra, on November 13.
Salman's sister Alvira Khan and brother-in-law Atul Agnihotri wanted to produce the remake. She had flown down to Hyderabad to finalise the deal with Mahesh and his wife Namrata.
Either Sohail or Arbaaz were to direct the project. In fact, even the financial modalities were worked out.
The actor's decision to back out after all this, has come as a shock to Mahesh," added the source
(less)I was the first actor to enter the 100 cr club: Sanjay Dutt
. You're now a part of the 100 crore club with " Agneepath", like the Khans, Ajay Devgn, Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan.
..
Few people know that "Lage Raho Munnabhai" was one of the first films to enter the 100 crore club. Back then, there weren't many multiplexes, but it still did rocking business.
Technically, I was the first actor to enter the 100 crore club. But box office business has never bothered me.
What I want is for a film to work. After "Agneepath" released, I didn't go around asking people how much money it made.
Karan updated me on the huge opening. Could you have imagined that at 52, your career would be on such an upswing? I never looked at that way.
I've always admired Amitji ( Amitabh Bachchan). If you look at the kind of work he's doing at his age, it's amazing! He has gone through many ups and downs.
He went off the limelight for a few years and yet, what a comeback he made! Jaya Bachchan once said to me, 'You're a dark horse, the next super star after Bachchan..
.' For me, it was a huge compliment.
You've been called large-hearted, as you're the first star to be approached for guest appearances, which you do for free..
. I believe relationships are more important than anything else in this industry.
I've watched David Dhawan's son Rohit grow up. I gave David a break with his first film, and so it was natural to do a cameo in Rohit's film.
I'll go for his wedding too. But honestly speaking, I've stopped doing guest appearances for free.
If I do something now, I have a family to look after. Have you been bonding with Rishi Kapoor post "Agneepath"? I've always known Chintu sir.
I love him, Krishna aunty and their family. Ranbir has grown up in front of me.
It was unbelievable when I saw Chintu sir do Rauf Lala's role. He's got such a baby face and I am so used to watching him in romantic roles, that to see him in such a negative character, and perform with such conviction, was a shock! So, what's next? I'm doing " Zilla Ghaziabad"; " Department"; a film with Soham Shah based on the Gujarat underworld; a south remake and action-drama directed by PS Ravikumar; "Son Of Sardar"; and "Khallas", which has a huge star cast, and where I play a bodyguard.
I don't want to do negative roles till I get something that goes beyond Kancha Cheena. I don't mind doing evil and out-an-out negative characters, but they should be challenging.
I want to portray various characters and play everything from a cop to a bodyguard to Munnabhai
(less)Record opening for Agneepath, earns Rs 25 crore
One . Review: Agneepath While Salman Khan's Bodyguard earned Rs 22 crore, superstar Shah Rukh Khan's mega-budget RA.
One made Rs 18 crore on the opening day. But the Hrithik Roshan and Sanjay Dutt-starrer remake of the 1990 film of the same name, which released Thursday, has gone beyond.
Hrithik, who stepped into the shoes of megastar Amitabh Bachchan as Vijay, is excited that his hard work has paid off. "WOW!!!! THANK u THANK u THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! Agneepath 1st day - 25cr!!!! My damaged bodyparts suddenly feel ALIVE, I feel like I can FLY now!!! Thank u people, I have the fuel now to make KRRISH EXPLODE!!!!" Hrithik wrote on his Twitter page.
Sanjay Dutt and the film's lead actress Priyanka Chopra, are equally delighted with the positive response, and have thanked fans for the amazing response to the film. " Agneepath has redefined the power of Indian box office for all of us.
It's heartening to see the strength of the Indian cinema audiences growing like this. We all were very confident of the film but for this kind of success and unprecedented number that it has posted on day one we must thank our audience," said Priyanka.
Sanjay took to Twitter after a year, to share his sentiments about the appreciation towards the movie, and his role as the villain, Kancha Cheena. "I am overwhelmed with the response and support of everyone.
Thank you for loving me so much," he wrote. Since Agneepath was a Republic Day release, the theatres witnessed 90-95 per cent occupancy.
"The film has had an excellent opening. The occupancy was around 95 per cent.
It was the most eagerly awaited and would be one of the biggest blockbuster," said Anant Verma, director and business head, DT Cinemas. However, he says it would be unfair to compare the new Agneepath with the original as they have been given a completely different treatment.
"You can't compare the two films as they are shot differently and have different characters also. There is no connection between the two other than just the name," he added.
Yogesh Raizada of Waves Cinema adds that all the characters have done complete justice to their characters. "The response to the film has been rocking on first day.
We have had 90 per cent occupancy. All the actors have done complete justice to their characters whether it is Rishi Kapoor as Rauf Lala, Hrithik as Vijay or Sanjay as Kancha Cheena," said Raizada.
The film, directed by debutant Karan Malhotra, and produced by Karan Johar, is expected to have a successful run at the box office in the coming days. "Since there is no big movie releasing in the coming weeks, the film will work well," he added.
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(less)Kareena Kapoor tops sexiest Asian woman list
Kareena, who recently gave hits like Bodyguard and RA.One , won by one per cent of votes, the narrowest ever margin and beat off tough competition from some of the most stunning women from around the world.
Katrina, who had won the title for the last three years by a large margin, slipped into second place. Eastern Eye showbiz editor Asjad Nazir said, "This battle between the two beauties is a sign of things to come in Bollywood in the next few years.
Although the list contained pop stars, TV personalities, models and film stars from around the world, the voting quite comprehensively showed that Kareena and Katrina have put a distance between themselves and the rest of the contenders in terms of popularity." Hrithik Roshan's wife Sussanne received a massive number of votes and was one of the highest new entries at number 16.
Other notable stars in the list included Priyanka Chopra (3), and Bipasha Basu (4), who both slipped down one place each. Freida Pinto came 5th, followed by Deepika Padukone (7).
New entries included Jacqueline Fernandez (12), Nargis Fakhri (23) and Sonakshi Sinha (38). Aishwarya Rai Bachchan came 6th and Sonam Kapoor 9th.
Lara Dutta stood at number 15 and Malaika Arora Khan at 19. Tweet
(less)Sonakshi backs out of Race 2 for Dabangg sequel
Also, the buzz is that Arbaaz Khan believes all those who opted out of the sequel actually were going to be a part of Abhinav Kashyap's next. Abhinav, who directed Dabangg , later had a fallout with the Khan camp.
Naturally, the actress had to make her choice quickly. Apparently Abbas-Mustan who are very close to Shatrughan and Poonam Sinha called them up requesting for Sonakshi's dates for their film.
A source said, "Arbaaz is very clear on the issue of who he wants in Dabangg 2 . He apparently has reason to believes that those who are turning down the Dabangg sequel are actually planning to be part of Dabangg director Abhinav Kashyap's next.
So being a part of Dabangg 2 has become a show of loyalty for Salman and his brother." When Arbaaz decided to shoot the sequel, March 2012 onwards, Sonakshi had no choice but to drop everything and make time for the film.
It looks like she couldn't let down the people who gave her her first break? Director Abbas of Abbas-Mustan confirmed that he got a call asking to relieve Sonakshi from Race 2 . "We got a call saying Sonakshi would be required to shoot Dabangg 2 from March, 2012.
We had no choice but to let her go." Tweet
(less)Bollywood's highest paid stars
"But they're also producers of their films, like Aamir for Talaash , SRK for Don 2 , Salman for Bodyguard , Dabangg 2 . So a major portion of their remuneration comes from the revenue the movie earns," says a trade veteran.
Actresses : Reports may insinuate that Katrina Kaif was offered Rs 20 crore by Vashu Bhagnani to star in his next film but sources maintain that Kareena Kapoor is the highest paid of the lot. After being paid over Rs 3.
5 crore for Golmaal 3 , the Heroine is being paid Rs 5 crore plus a share in the profits for Heroine. But this is most likely to be a one-off instance, given the circumstances.
Directors : Rajkumar Hirani is known for a bigger hit every time, starting with Munnabhai MBBS till the mammoth 3 Idiots . Trade experts peg Hirani's fees at Rs 15 crore plus at least 25 percent of the revenue the film earns.
Writers : Abhijat Joshi, with help from Rajkumar Hirani, salvaged the position of good writers. He's the highest paid writer on the block with his paycheck bulked up to Rs 3 crore after 3 Idiots .
Production designers : This pack is clearly led by Nitin Chandrakant Desai. His fee alone is at least a crore; in addition he recommends his own ND studio, the rent of which of course, is earned separately.
Close behind is Sabu Cyril, whose take home too is over Rs 75 lakh. Cinematographers : Ravi K Chandran earned over Rs 1 crore for SRK's RA.
One . This fee may be justified by the fact that the movie cost about Rs 150 crore to make.
In the same league is Binod Pradhan, who shot films like Devdas, Rang De Basanti , but was paid a fee of Rs 1.5 crore for South star Pavan Kalyan's Puli .
"What is amazing that Binod had signed the package deal of Rs 4 crore for cinematography, including fees of his assistants," reveals a source. It is learnt that Pradhan has acquired a high-end camera and henceforth will shoot only on it.
"So now he will also charge the rent for the equipment," pointed out our source. Music composers : Without doubt, A R Rahman features on top.
The Oscar winner earns Rs 5-8 crore per film, which also include his fees for creating the background score. Pritam comes second, with about Rs 3 crore per film.
"And that works out at Rs 25 lakh per song, including fees for the singers, studio rentals etc," says our source. Sound designers : Thanks to the Oscar award, Resul Pokuttu beats everyone else in this department.
He is said to charge Rs 50 lakh per film. He also earns through rent of his studio, as he doesn't like working in any other studio.
Action directors : Though a considerable amount of the budget is set aside for an action film, the men who call the shots are paid comparatively lesser. However, they make up for it in the daily expenses, reveal our sources.
South based Peter Hein and Allan Amin, who directed the thrills for the Dhoom series, are the most expensive in their domain. They charge Rs 30 lakh per film, but to shoot with them costs an additional Rs 2.
5 lakh upwards per day for the harnesses, cables and other equipment. Choreographers : Farah Khan and Remo D'Souza, are among the highest paid choreographers along with Ganesh Hegde and Vaibhavi Merchant.
Sources peg their fees (per song) at a minimum of Rs 25 lakh, going up to Rs 50 lakh. Editors : Production sources swear by Shreekar Prasad, who edited films like Raavan , National Award winning Tamil film Kutty Shrank, Kaminey , etc.
He's believed to charge Rs 25 lakh per film, plus another R 8 lakh to cut the promos. Lyricists : Javed Akhtar takes the credit as he's said to charge Rs 10 lakh per song.
Not far behind is Prasoon Joshi, who's believed to demand Rs 8 lakh per number. Playback singers : Sonu Niigam makes the most among the male playback singers, earning a cool Rs 10 lakhs per song.
Among the females, Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal rule the roost, making Rs 2.5 lakh per song.
"And of course, the singers make extra moolah by singing those songs in shows." Tweet
(less)Bollywood's highest paid stars
"But they're also producers of their films, like Aamir for Talaash , SRK for Don 2 , Salman for Bodyguard , Dabangg 2 . So a major portion of their remuneration comes from the revenue the movie earns," says a trade veteran.
Actresses : Reports may insinuate that Katrina Kaif was offered Rs 20 crore by Vashu Bhagnani to star in his next film but sources maintain that Kareena Kapoor is the highest paid of the lot. After being paid over Rs 3.
5 crore for Golmaal 3 , the Heroine is being paid Rs 5 crore plus a share in the profits for Heroine. But this is most likely to be a one-off instance, given the circumstances.
Directors : Rajkumar Hirani is known for a bigger hit every time, starting with Munnabhai MBBS till the mammoth 3 Idiots . Trade experts peg Hirani's fees at Rs 15 crore plus at least 25 percent of the revenue the film earns.
Writers : Abhijat Joshi, with help from Rajkumar Hirani, salvaged the position of good writers. He's the highest paid writer on the block with his paycheck bulked up to Rs 3 crore after 3 Idiots .
Production designers : This pack is clearly led by Nitin Chandrakant Desai. His fee alone is at least a crore; in addition he recommends his own ND studio, the rent of which of course, is earned separately.
Close behind is Sabu Cyril, whose take home too is over Rs 75 lakh. Cinematographers : Ravi K Chandran earned over Rs 1 crore for SRK's RA.
One . This fee may be justified by the fact that the movie cost about Rs 150 crore to make.
In the same league is Binod Pradhan, who shot films like Devdas, Rang De Basanti , but was paid a fee of Rs 1.5 crore for South star Pavan Kalyan's Puli .
"What is amazing that Binod had signed the package deal of Rs 4 crore for cinematography, including fees of his assistants," reveals a source. It is learnt that Pradhan has acquired a high-end camera and henceforth will shoot only on it.
"So now he will also charge the rent for the equipment," pointed out our source. Music composers : Without doubt, A R Rahman features on top.
The Oscar winner earns Rs 5-8 crore per film, which also include his fees for creating the background score. Pritam comes second, with about Rs 3 crore per film.
"And that works out at Rs 25 lakh per song, including fees for the singers, studio rentals etc," says our source. Sound designers : Thanks to the Oscar award, Resul Pokuttu beats everyone else in this department.
He is said to charge Rs 50 lakh per film. He also earns through rent of his studio, as he doesn't like working in any other studio.
Action directors : Though a considerable amount of the budget is set aside for an action film, the men who call the shots are paid comparatively lesser. However, they make up for it in the daily expenses, reveal our sources.
South based Peter Hein and Allan Amin, who directed the thrills for the Dhoom series, are the most expensive in their domain. They charge Rs 30 lakh per film, but to shoot with them costs an additional Rs 2.
5 lakh upwards per day for the harnesses, cables and other equipment. Choreographers : Farah Khan and Remo D'Souza, are among the highest paid choreographers along with Ganesh Hegde and Vaibhavi Merchant.
Sources peg their fees (per song) at a minimum of Rs 25 lakh, going up to Rs 50 lakh. Editors : Production sources swear by Shreekar Prasad, who edited films like Raavan , National Award winning Tamil film Kutty Shrank, Kaminey , etc.
He's believed to charge Rs 25 lakh per film, plus another R 8 lakh to cut the promos. Lyricists : Javed Akhtar takes the credit as he's said to charge Rs 10 lakh per song.
Not far behind is Prasoon Joshi, who's believed to demand Rs 8 lakh per number. Playback singers : Sonu Niigam makes the most among the male playback singers, earning a cool Rs 10 lakhs per song.
Among the females, Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal rule the roost, making Rs 2.5 lakh per song.
"And of course, the singers make extra moolah by singing those songs in shows." Tweet
(less)RA.One collects Rs.170 crores over the weekend
170 crore worldwide in the opening weekend. The superstar is congratulating his business partners on the superhero's box office success.
Eros International Media Ltd (Eros International) released the collection report stating that the film has got a record breaking opening--the highly anticipated Diwali collected of Rs. 137.
25 crore (net collection Rs. 96 crore) in India and Rs.
32.75 crore overseas.
Apart from this, Shah Rukh Khan had reportedly sold the satellite rights for Rs.37 crore, the music rights for Rs.
8 crore and ancillary rights for Rs.10 crore even before the film had hit the screens.
"As always, my heart doesn't crunch numbers and heroes don't count zeros..
.but it's nice to know how RA.
One is flying," he further tweeted. "Ga Ga ooh la la.
..
Ra Ra Ra.One.
Thrilled with response. Congratulations to my business partners.
" Made at a budget of Rs.150 crore, the film, described as best in terms of technology, opened across more than 4,000 plus screens worldwide--3,100 plus screens in India and 904 prints internationally, including 3D and has become the biggest Hindi grosser in southern market too.
" RA.One released to packed houses across the country on Diwali day and has already created history by taking over the mantle of the biggest domestic earner so far.
|The film continues to be on its record breaking spree with several new achievements since its release. It has touched the highest individual collection in circuits such as Mumbai, Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan," Nandu Ahuja, senior vice president, distribution, Eros International Media Ltd said in a statement.
"We see repeat viewings of the movie with the 3-D version being equally sought after. With the Eid holiday also coming up next week and no other major film release, we are anticipating the film to continue doing huge numbers," he added.
Speaking on the film's overseas performance, Pranab Kapadia, president, distribution, Eros International, said: "The film is enjoying a superb run across all major regions including UK, North America, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. "Overseas, the film has broken SRK's own previous first weekend record established by My Name Is Khan and occupies the position of biggest Indian first weekend grosser overseas as well.
" Eros plans to take the film to non-traditional markets-- RA.One is scheduled for theatrical release in the first quarter of 2012 across several territories including South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Russia , Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Palestine, Brazil, Spain, Italy and Greece .
Directed by Anubhav Sinha, RA.One saw the King Khan as G.
One along with Arjun Rampal as RA.One and Kareena Kapoor.
Though the critics didn't give it a thumbs up, the film's visual effects and state of the art production techniques have set a new standard in the Indian film industry. Tweet
(less)Mammootty, Mohanlal have Rs 30 cr unaccounted wealth
In a statement, the investigation wing of the Income Tax Department said, cash and jewellery amounting to nearly Rs 3 crore were also seized during the raids. Officials said the undisclosed income was found to have been invested in real estate and assets abroad.
The Income Tax officials said further investigations are being conducted and a final report will be prepared within two months. Tweet
(less)Hrithik Roshan on a high!
He is being appreciated for his "honesty and his friendly manner with the contestants". This has endeared him to viewers.
Buddy Shah Rukh Khan is all praise for Duggu, "The show's format gave HR fans and the public a chance to interact with their screen idol." The actor himself is overwhelmed by all the love and praise he has received from fans and colleagues
(less)Arbaaz buries the hatchet with Anurag Kashyap
Had a long chat. All izz well now," Arbaaz tweeted Monday.
The party took place Sunday midnight. Arbaz also posted a picture of the two of them in a side-hug pose with each other, displaying happy times.
The Twitter war between the two filmmakers began after it was announced that Arbaaz will direct the sequel of 2010 blockbuster Dabangg, helmed by Anurag's brother, Abhinav. According to reports, Anurag had felt Abhinav was asked to leave the project.
So in anger, he posted negative comments about Khan brothers - Arbaaz and Salman. What followed was an exchange of bitter retaliation.
Once Anurag learnt that Abhinav had opted out of "Dabangg 2" himself, peace prevailed. But it is only now that Anurag and Arbaaz have buried the hatchet.
"Dabangg 2" features Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, and southern star Prakash Raj as the villain. The film will release towards the end of 2012.
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