Onir speaks about how he was falsely accused of molestation and the humiliation he faced from police for being gay: “They suggested that I should be kept in a lock-up since I indulge in such SINFUL activity”

Onir recently released his memoir, ‘I Am Onir & I Am Gay’, co-written by his sister Irene Dhar Malik. As the title suggests, he has opened up about his sexual preference and identity in the autobiography. India has recently decriminalized homosexuality after abolishing Section 377. Yet, people in India are still not open to the idea of two people of the same sex falling in love or having a relationship. Onir has talked about this aspect and also of the time when he was falsely accused of molesting a guy.

Onir wrote that in 2011, a guy he knew from his gym met him over wine and dinner one evening. Onir confessed that “We flirted and got a little physical with each other”. They also parted, promising to be in touch. The next morning, the man sent Onir “some sweet messages”.

Hence, Onir said that he got the shock of his life when a few days later, a journalist informed him that the guy reached out to her and told her that he had molested him. Onir made it clear that he was lying. Yet, she broke the news and it was picked up by several publications.

Onir stated, “I was alone in my flat, feeling numb, crying, blaming myself for seeking love and desire, confused about why he did what he did”. Fortunately, his parents assured him that they trusted him and they supported him. His sister and his friends, including Sanjay Suri, also came out in his support.

Onir was told to file a police complaint against the guy. His assistant Amar Kaushik, who later went on to make films like Stree (2018) and Bala (2019), also joined him. At the police station, the cops humiliated Onir for being gay. At the same time, they also realized the allegations were false as the gym guy was far stronger and there was no way Onir could have harassed him. Onir wrote, “They suggested that I should ideally be kept in a lock-up since I indulge in such sinful activity”.

Amar Kaushik jumped to his rescue, said Onir. He said that he handled the entire process of registering the complaint. Onir admitted, “I will be forever grateful to Amar for accompanying me, shielding me from the humiliation and harassment and dealing with the police. On my own, I would have broken down or collapsed”.

A day after Onir filed a complaint; the filmmaker filed a defamation case for Re. 1.

Although Onir doesn’t name the guy in the book who filed a complaint against him, it was actor-model Yuvraaj Parashar who had made the accusation. He had made Dunno Y Na Janne Kyun (2010), a gay love story. It also featured him as an actor. In 2015, its sequel, Dunno Y2… Life Is A Moment, was released. Both films also starred Zeenat Aman in a supporting role.

Also Read: Onir reveals that Pritam behaved in an UNPROFESSIONAL manner while working on the music of Bas Ek Pal: “He had cancelled the recording saying he was ill, but he was actually recording for a YRF film”

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Ek Villain Returns Box Office: Film sees marginal increase on Day 2; collects Rs. 7.47 cr on first Saturday

Back in 2020 and just before the pandemic, Mohit Suri’s Malang had emerged as a success at the box office. The film had taken an opening of Rs. 6.71 crores, grew to Rs. 25.36 crores over the weekend, and then closed its first week at Rs. 39.65 crores. Now by the manner in which Ek Villain Returns is currently doing, looks like it may end up having a similar trajectory.

The John Abraham, Arjun Kapoor, Disha Patani, and Tara Sutaria starrer suspense thriller had a bit of a better start with Rs. 7.05 crores coming on Friday. However, Saturday growth has been minimal with the collections emerging as Rs. 7.47 crores. That said, the good news is that the film hasn’t fallen when that could easily have been the case. The film has collected Rs. 14.52 crores so far and the opening weekend should cross the Rs. 23 crores mark. That would be a little lesser than Malang had collected in its opening weekend but the makers won’t mind that.

One major target that the film would be pinning its hopes on is to reach the Rs. 50 crores mark. That would be quite respectable and reasonably worthy too in the current times. Of course, anything more than that would be an added bonus but to score a half-century would be something that would be playing in the mind of all involved with the film. However for that to happen, the collections should indeed get into the Rs. 8.50-9 crores range, something that is seemingly possible given the fact that mass centers do rise well on Sundays.

Note: All collections as per production and distribution sources

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“I want to give audiences an experience that is spectacular and like no other with Pathaan”, says Siddharth Anand

Ace director Siddharth Anand is having an incredible birthday this year because he is ‘living and breathing Pathaan every moment’! The visually spectacular Yash Raj Films’ action extravaganza, Pathaan, is part of Aditya Chopra’s spy universe and has the biggest superstars of the country Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and John Abraham in it. Siddharth says, “It is a very special birthday for me this year as I’m working on one of the most special films of my career, Pathaan. I’m living and breathing Pathaan every moment of my life and I want to give audiences an experience that is spectacular and like no other.”

Pathaan has broken the internet thrice already as its release date announcement video which gave a glimpse of SRK, Shah Rukh’s first look, and recently a glimpse of Deepika Padukone’s look in the film all went viral globally! Sid says, “I’m thrilled with the unanimously positive response to every asset of the film that we have launched so far. Starting with the announcement video, to Shah Rukh Khan’s first look in the film, to us unveiling a glimpse of Deepika Padukone. We are fortunate that everything has been loved by audiences. What the audience thinks and feels is of utmost importance to us all and we are happy that Pathaan has started off on such a strong note with them.”

The director adds, “I always endeavour to give audiences a theatrical experience that sets new benchmarks in Indian cinema. We are all working very hard so that Pathaan, hopefully, does the same when it releases on Jan 25, 2023.”

Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika are one of the biggest on-screen pairings in the history of Indian cinema given their epic blockbusters Om Shanti Om, Chennai Express, and Dilwale. They recently sizzled in Spain as leaked photos from the sets took the internet by storm. The glamourous duo shot a hugely mounted song in Mallorca as SRK was papped flaunting an eight-pack and DP her perfect bikini bod. They then headed to Cadiz and Jerez in Spain where they wrapped the schedule on March 27th.

Pathaan is set to release on Jan 25, 2023, in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu!

Also Read: Pathaan Motion Poster: John Abraham presents Deepika Padukone’s first look: ‘Stop, Stare, Shoot’

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“It felt right to make my comeback with my dad’s song, ‘Woh Beete Din’”, says Tanya Kumar who will soon be making a comeback to music

Remember Tanya Singh Kumar? Yes, the daughter of the late Ajit Singh who made her debut back in 1993 with the film Aaja Mere Jaan alongside Kirshan Kumar. Well since then Tanya has come a long way, from featuring on television to even venturing into music. But, Tanya has been away from the limelight. However, things are all set to change with Singh making a comeback to music with a recreation of her father Ajit Singh’s track ‘Woh Beete Din’.

Revealing her calling to develop the track and make a comeback to music, Tanya revealed that the entire process was like a calling. “My father passed on in 2020 very suddenly. But sometime in December ‘21, I started getting this ‘calling’ again. Almost as if my dad is pushing me to ‘do it’. All my friends and family started pushing me to start, especially my masi Sapna Morarji in Pune, who would actually call or text me every morning to check how much progress I’ve made with my training and music. So I started my vocal Riaz at home by myself, experimenting for long hours every day, to find my voice once again. I had recorded another track first, but then it only felt right to make my comeback with my dad’s song, ‘Woh Beete Din’ just like I made my debut with it in 2000.”

Ask Tanya for details about the track and she adds, “A song I have literally grown up listening to at home, composed by my father Ajit Singh and written by my mom Gittanjali Singh, ‘Woh Beete Din’ is very close to my heart. We have revisited it and re-programmed it with a house /EDM vibe & also added a new verse. I was looking for a new sound and someone who would have the tuning to understand what I want, and I feel blessed that my brother made me meet Jeff Hunt, who has done full justice. We are also lucky to have got the maestro Kalyan Baruah to play the guitars, which are such an asset to the sound and vibe of the song.”

Further talking about the track and the journey it was to develop it Tanya shed light on the same saying, “It was a very beautiful one! Like a trip down memory lane! Right from laying the first IT, to seeing it change with every added track, to getting my brother Arhhan to sing the male adlibs, to my mom spontaneously writing the new lines.  Also, Convincing Jeff to give a go at mixing and mastering it ourselves, since he had all the tools & sensibility to do it. It took a month of edits and re-edits, but we finally did it! We’ve had many arguments among us, especially my sister Nattasha, who has given a few great suggestions in the music edit. Even Jeff’s father John Hunt was a blessing, being there at all the recordings and mixing sessions. The best part has been that every single day that we worked on ‘Woh Beete Din’, it was almost like my dad Ajit Singh was there with us, guiding us & making us do it His way. We all could feel it!!! He left me a legacy and he wants me to take it forward! His genes and passion for Music and I wish to make Him proud up there.”

As for the process of re-envisioning the track for modern music tastes, and how the long process took Tanya continues, “Well, the composition was already there, so we started working on the music arrangement sometime in April and recorded it in May end. We used to jam almost every day for more than a month to get the feel and vibe of the music to what it is. In a few of our sessions my mom, sisters & brother were there too, and we decided to add a fresh verse… and my mom just closed her eyes for a few minutes, and then wrote something and said “try these lines” and that is the opening ad-lib & new verse -‘Itne Kareeb hoke tum…’”

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With 2 Rs. 200 crores films, 1 Rs. 100 crores flick and 2 major blockbusters on OTT, BIRTHDAY girl Kiara Advani has the best and the most ENVIABLE track record in Bollywood at present!

Post-pandemic, the box office track record of several celebrities have taken a beating. Films which were supposed to work big time or at least open well failed miserably at the ticket window. However, there’s one celebrity who has proved to be an exception and whose star power has instead increased in this period. And that’s none other than Kiara Advani, who celebrates her 30th birthday today.

Earlier this year, she was a part of the horror comedy Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. It was a blockbuster and a rare Bollywood film which managed to work at the box office, collecting a mind-boggling Rs. 185.92 crores. Her presence brought a lot of appeal and she maintained a strong position despite the presence of Kartik Aaryan, Tabu and other talented artists.

A month later, she joined Varun Dhawan, Anil Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor in JugJugg Jeeyo. In all honesty, one expected this film to be a Rs. 100 crores grosser. Its lifetime ended at around Rs. 85 crores. Nevertheless, it’s considered a healthy figure, especially when compared to other latest releases which struggle to cross even the Rs. 30 crores mark. In this Raj Mehta-directed film, she looked like a million bucks, especially in the sensuous number, ‘Rangisari’. Performance-wise, she was first rate. The two scenes in the second half – one, where she discusses love, life and relationships with Neetu Kapoor and secondly, her showdown with Varun Dhawan – proved that she has gotten better as an actor.

Before these films, she had two more releases, both of which premiered directly on OTT. Several films had a direct-to-digital release but only Kiara Advani can claim to have real digital blockbusters in her filmography. Her first digital release, Laxmii (2020), got negative reviews but amassed record viewership. It even had a fantastic run on television, which proves that had the Akshay Kumar co-starrer been released in cinemas, it would have put up good numbers.

Her second digital release is Shershaah. It is considered to be the biggest blockbuster on OTT due to its viewership and terrific word of mouth. Of course, the film was centred around the character of Sidharth Malhotra. However, Kiara Advani’s presence contributed to the emotional quotient. She also was seen in the songs ‘Raataan Lambiyan’ and ‘Ranjha’, which are rare tracks in the present times to have got thumbs up from one and all. Trade pundits have often said that Shershaah would have been a Rs. 100 crores plus film if it had arrived on the big screen.

If one takes into consideration her 2019 films, then her track record is enviable, to say the least. She was paired opposite Shahid Kapoor in Kabir Singh. As the shy and coy Preeti, she won hearts. The film was a surprise blockbuster, collecting Rs. 278.24 crores, surprising the industry, trade and fans. She ended 2019 with Good Newwz, which also crossed the Rs. 200 crores mark.

Unfortunately, in these 3 years, she had one flop in the form of Indoo Ki Jawani (2020). The collections were a paltry Rs. 1.06 crore! However, it was released when theatres had just opened after the first lockdown and there was a lot of fear over going out and watching a movie on the big screen. In better times, it would have definitely collected a lot more.

What also goes in Kiara Advani’s favour is her conduct. She has remained non-controversial. Often, actors have a hate club due to their actions, political views, looks etc. She has none. Kabir Singh was panned by a section of audiences for its content. The director Sandeep Reddy Vanga got into trouble for his views on love and violence. Kiara was also asked some tough questions but she never landed in a soup over her views. She knew how to put forward her point, without hurting anybody. A lot of actors need to learn from her how to walk the fine line!

Despite giving 2 Rs. 200 crores films, 1 Rs. 100 crores flick and 2 major blockbusters on digital, Kiara Advani doesn’t believe in bragging and wants to keep her foot on the ground. During the promotions of JugJugg Jeeyo, when this writer asked if she thinks in terms of box office and entering the Rs. 100 crores and Rs. 200 crores clubs, she replied, “I want every film to do better than the last one. But I don’t think that ‘meri iss film ne itna collections kiya aur uss film ne utna collection kiya’. I want every film to do well and be loved. That’s what we work for, right? We want a lot of people to watch our films. We want to touch the hearts of the people with our movies. So I am hoping for the best.”

Kiara Advani’s upcoming slate of films also sounds exciting. Her immediate release would be the comic caper Govinda Naam Mera, co-starring Vicky Kaushal and Bhumi Pednekar and produced by Karan Johar. This will be followed by a Telugu film with the working title RC15. It stars RRR star Ram Charan and it’s directed by blockbuster director Shankar. Finally, she’ll reunite with her Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 co-star Kartik Aaryan for a Sajid Nadiadwala production. Here’s hoping she manages to continue with her dream run. She is in a great position in the industry today and if she can choose the correct scripts that can show her worth as an actor and also get mass acceptance, then the sky is the limit for her!

Also Read: Kiara Advani is a diva in black cut-out slip dress worth Rs 1.2 lakh

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EXCLUSIVE: Kartik Aaryan reveals details of Freddy being an OTT release; says, “I did the film keeping that in mind”

Kartik Aaryan, who is riding on the success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, took a break after the record-breaking success of the horror comedy. After returning, he dived into Shehzada, his next most anticipated project which is a remake of the Allu Arjun starrer Ala Vaikuntapurramuloo. But amidst his multiple films, the actor also did an unconventional romance drama titled Freddy with Alaya F and Jeniffer Piccinato, which is expected to have an OTT release. The actor recently revealed exclusively to Bollywood Hungama that not only did he know about this but he has done the film keeping in mind his OTT audience.

Speaking to Bollywood Hungama about Freddy releasing on OTT, Kartik Aaryan said, “Main woh film ki hi isiliye thi.” (Transl: I did that film because it was supposed to release on OTT). The film is said to be a dark romantic thriller about obsession and love. “It’s a nice subject that I am really excited about,” shared the Shehzada actor.

Further speaking about the film, Kartik revealed, “Uska abhi post production chal raha hai. Uske baare mein cheezein abhi dheere dheere bahar aayengi.” (Transl: It is currently in the post production stage. The details of the film will slowly be revealed.) As for the OTT platform, the actor says, it is still in the decision stage. “Let’s see on which platform we will be releasing the film. All of those details are yet to be decided. This is the kind of things that the director and producer will be thinking of,” he concluded.

Directed by Shashanka Ghosh, Kartik Aaryan will be paired alongside Alaya F for the first time for Freddy. Besides this, Kartik Aaryan has Shehzada, Captain India, and Satyanarayan Ki Katha in the pipeline.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Kartik Aaryan talks about price hike and remuneration; says, “You need to find a fine balance so that the hike doesn’t look unreal”

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Ek Villain Returns Box Office Estimate Day 2: Remains STEADY on Saturday; collects Rs. 7.40 crores

Ek Villain Returns is steady on the second day as the movie has collected in the range of Rs. 7.20 to Rs 7.60 crores. Its a jump of around 7% to 10% on Saturday, and with this, the 2-day total of the Mohit Suri film stands at Rs. 14.60 crores. The movie stars John Abraham, Arjun Kapoor, Disha Patani and Tara Sutaria in lead roles.

The film stayed flat in the mass belts, whereas the multiplexes jumped by 7%, which has lead to an overall jump in business. Being a mass film, this was expected, however, a rather steady Saturday has made the Sunday growth very important. Ek Villain Returns is expected to jump by 15% on Sunday and this should take the opening weekend total to Rs. 24 crores.

The weekend biz will pack a decent punch, and then like always, it will all depend on crucial Monday test. A Monday upside of Rs. 3.25 crores will be decent and put the film in the race to collect Rs. 50 crores in the lifetime run. The weekend biz of Ek Villain Returns will be higher than lifetime collections of bigger starcast films like Jersey, Runway 34, Heropanti 2, Jayeshbhai Jordaar to name a few.

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