Javed Akhtar opens up on quitting drinking; says, “Willpower is nothing. It is the intensity of desire”

With the release of his most recent talk show, The Invincibles, actor-producer Arbaaz Khan is becoming more well-known. The six-part talk series’ guest is Javed Akhtar. He is renowned for being straightforward in life, recently shared his secret to quitting drinking. When probed about his former binge drinking during a conversation with Arbaaz Khan on Bollywood Bubble, the author revealed that he thought he would have had an untimely death if he hadn’t controlled his alcoholism.

Javed Akhtar opens up on quitting drinking; says, “Willpower is nothing. It is the intensity of desire”

Javed admitted that he did not drink to drown his grief but rather for enjoyment. He said, “I drank because I enjoyed it. It was a pleasure. I was not drowning any sorrow in it. But I understood one thing; common sense dictates that with this kind of drinking I would die by 52-53.

Javed acknowledged that he drank a large bottle of rum on July 31 and stopped drinking entirely on August 1. He continued by saying that in all those years, he had never even sampled champagne. When Arbaaz praised his resolve, Javed remarked, “Willpower is nothing. It is the intensity of desire.” According to him the biggest addiction is living and there is no bigger addiction than that.

In a 2012 episode of Aamir Khan’s Satyameva Jayate, Javed Akhtar talked openly about his battle with drinking. He said, “I started drinking at a very young age of 19. When I came to Bombay (now Mumbai) after completing my graduation I started drinking with friends and later it became a habit. Earlier I didn’t have enough money, but then after my success, money flow was also taken care of. Then came a time when I would drink one bottle a day.”

Helen, Waheeda Rehman, Shatrughan Sinha, and Mahesh Bhatt will all be interviewed on The Invincibles with Arbaaz Khan.

Also Read: Javed Akhtar explains how Rajesh Khanna assisted Salim Khan and him become wealthier

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Pathaan Box Office: Shah Rukh Khan starrer reaches another major milestone of Rs. 475 crores, now less than Rs. 25 crores away from MINDBLOWING Rs. 500 crores milestone

Yet another day, yet another major milestone. Pathaan has now reached yet another massive figure of Rs. 475 crores. There is still a BIG Sunday yet to go which means there is going to be very good progress past the Rs. 490 crores mark before the weekdays begin and it’s just about time that Pathaan enters Rs. 500 Crore Club. This should happen by the close of the week.

Pathaan Box Office: Shah Rukh Khan starrer reaches another major milestone of Rs. 475 crores, now less than Rs. 25 crores away from MINDBLOWING Rs. 500 crores milestone

All of this has been made possible by Rs. 11.50 crores* more that the film collected on Saturday. This is excellent as the jump from Friday numbers of Rs. 5.90 crores is really impressive; in fact even better than last weekend when Friday to Saturday growth was in the 70% range. A good increase in footfalls like this pretty much conveys that audiences stay on to be quite excited about the Siddharth Anand directed action drama and it’s not just about repeat viewing but even those visiting theatres who haven’t watched the film so far.

Currently standing at Rs. 476.30 crores*, the YRF production now needs to cover less than Rs. 25 crores distance before it hits the enviable Rs. 500 crores mark. The milestone isn’t really far away for the film and one can well expect Shah Rukh Khan, John Abraham and Deepika Padukone to be gearing up for a big bash to bring on the celebrations.

All time mega blockbuster.

*Estimates. Final numbers awaited

Note: All collections as per production and distribution sources

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Neena Gupta reveals her objective to act as a bridge between mainstream and independent cinema; says, “I say no to stereotypical roles. And no mother roles”

Veteran actor Neena Gupta claims that four decades after beginning her career, she has now reached a point where producers see her as a bankable performance. After the box office success of her 2018 film Badhaai Ho, Gupta’s career took a turn for the better.

Neena Gupta reveals her objective to act as a bridge between mainstream and independent cinema; says, “I say no to stereotypical roles. And no mother roles”

In a recent interview Neena spoke about getting leading lady roles in her sixties being a huge thing for her. Neena told PTI, “This is a big deal for me. This is what I wanted throughout my career. You need that break where your film, in which you have a pivotal role, becomes a hit. That never happened to me in films, it happened on TV. When Badhaai Ho, in which I had a solid role, became successful, things changed. Then suddenly I became a very good actor. My market value rose. It is a business… If your market value is good then you will get lead roles.”

After making her film debut in 1982 with Saath Saath, starring Farooque Shaikh and Deepti Naval, Gupta claimed she had expected filmmakers to line up outside her home. However, fate had different ideas for her. She didn’t achieve her goal of being a heroine, and for the majority of her career, she was cast in minor parts. She said, “There was a desire and dream… Like in Saath Saath, although I had a small comic role, I would think I have done such a good job that people would queue up outside my house (to work with me). But it is a different business. You cannot do a small comedy part in a film and expect to become a heroine because there is a thappa (tag) on you for small parts. We would yearn to get a good part and I never got it.”

Gupta claimed that, whether in commercial or independent film, it was challenging to land main roles during the 1980s and 1990s based only on talent. She thinks the majority of the directors sought out saleable faces when casting. “There was no chance of meeting the producer and director in commercial cinema. There was this parallel cinema and there again the main roles were going to Shabana (Azmi), Smita (Patil) and if it’s a small (film), then Deepti (Naval). We had no chance in these films also. Shyam (Benegal) never gave me a major role. I have always played smaller parts in his films. So, the situation was similar in commercial cinema. It is a business, they want to take a saleable face,” said the actor.

Gupta stated that as an actor, her current objective is to act as a bridge between mainstream and independent cinema. She makes it clear that she is not choosing any conventional mother roles. “I say no to stereotypical roles. And no mother roles. It is good that people are looking at women in different spaces,” she said.

Meanwhile, on the professional front, Neena last appeared in Shiv Shastri Balboa starring alongside Anupam Kher in the lead role. It also featured actors like Jugal Hansraj, Nargis Fakhri, and Sharib Hashmi. The film hit the theatres on February 10.

Also Read: Neena Gupta shares a video of her work since 1983; daughter Masaba Gupta reacts

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Photos: Annu Kapoor and crew of Main Deendayal Hun attend the film’s muharat shot

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Photos: Tarun Rathi, Ajayan Venugopalan, Asha Varieth, Anusha Iyer grace NSG, CISF Shiv Shastri Balboa show

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Shah Rukh Khan picks Pathaan over DDLJ; says, “I am going to see #Pathaan…”

It appears that SRK has more than one movie in theatres this week in addition to Pathaan. The 1995 movie Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was re-released in theatres during Valentine’s week. “Blockbusters of 2 eras – DDLJ and Pathaan are here! This Valentine’s week, witness the grandness in cinemas near you,” read a tweet shared by Yash Raj Films’ Twitter account. The films have already released on February 10 and the festival will go on till February 14. However, Shah Rukh’s amusing response to YRF’s tweet will surely make you laugh.

Shah Rukh Khan picks Pathaan over DDLJ; says, “I am going to see #Pathaan…”

The Hindi releases of this festival include movies like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge, Jab We Met, and Tamasha. Shah Rukh Khan responded to both of his movie’s screening concurrently in theatres by posting a poster of DDLJ and Pathaan on his Twitter account. Sharing the poster, he tweeted, “Arre yaar itni mushkil se action hero bana….and you guys are bringing back Raj…uff!! This competition is killing me!!!! I am going to see #Pathaan …Raj toh ghar ka hai.”


The return of DDLJ to the big screen thrilled fans. A user wrote, “DDLJ is unique anthem of love & Pathaan is great action movie. Both characters in both movies are fighting for what they believe & it is truly beautiful????.  No matter romance or action characters which you create are unique because you put your heart in your acting,” however there were also fans who were not-so-happy with SRK’s tweet. A user twetted, “Utna koi acha movie nahi hai pathan! DDLJ was super hit by word of mouth because it is a amazing movie! Pathan is just shoving an avg product in everyone’s throat Dekh dekh dekh itna acha hai dekh dekh SRK is back dekh dekh!”

The movie Pathaan has broken box office records and is now India’s highest-grossing Hindi film. Helmed by Siddharth Anand, Pathaan also stars Deepika Padukone and John Abraham.

Also Read: Pathaan Box Office: Shah Rukh Khan starrer crosses the Rs. 900 cr mark at the worldwide box office; collects Rs. 901 cr

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Siddhant Chaturvedi creates his own dream team of Bollywood Avengers; says; “I would love to see Shah Rukh Khan as Iron Man”

One of the top young Gen Z actors now working in the business is Bollywood star Siddhant Chaturvedi. He is adored by the audience for his unique flair and charismatic screen presence. The actor is also a devoted admirer of the superhero genre and comic books. He was given a special tour of Mumbai Comic Con that took place this weekend. At the occasion, the actor chatted with Bombay Times in-depth about his love of spectacle cinema, superhero abilities, putting together his own Bollywood Avengers dream team, and more.

Siddhant Chaturvedi creates his own dream team of Bollywood Avengers; says; “I would love to see Shah Rukh Khan as Iron Man”

When asked how excited is he to be at Mumbai Comic Con, the actor told Bombay Times, “I’m super excited because it’s been a while since I attended one. I came here years ago with my brother who’s a huge Marvel fan. The energy and frenzy is bringing back a lot of memories from my college days.” The actor also revealed who has been his favourite superheroes over the years, he said, “I’m a big fan of the X-Men series… especially Wolverine. I used to watch its animated series after school every day. Another favourite is Batman, I love the series Batman of the Future. I am waiting for DC to make a film on that soon.”

Further Siddhant went down memory lane and recollected his childhood memories from the time his fascination for superheroes and comics began. He said, “When I was younger, I used to travel to my native place, Ballia (in Uttar Pradesh) a lot. On the way, I would buy Raj comics at the train station. Indian superheroes like Doga, Nagraj and super commando Dhruva became my heroes, before any of the rest came along. I still have a collection of these comic books and they are my most prized possessions and memories. I also have a soft corner for Shaktimaan. If given an opportunity, I would love to play masked vigilante Doga on screen. It’s my childhood dream. I am also drawn to Chakra from the Marvel universe, who’s an Indian character. I’m hoping that they make a film on him, and cast an Indian actor.”

When Siddhant was asked if he were to possess a super power, what would that be, he replied, “I would love to be blessed with the power of teleportation! Imagine the time I will save and as you know, time is money. If I have that power, I can do far more things simultaneously. Probably do several film projects at the same time and also travel to my favourite places.” The actor also discussed that if he were to assemble his dream team of Bollywood Avengers, which actors would he choose, he said “This is interesting. I would love to see Shah Rukh Khan as Iron Man. He’s suave, witty, charming and after Pathaan, he can actually invest in making his own Iron Man suit! (laughs). Hrithik Roshan will be great as Captain America given his physique, agility and looks. Sunny Deol would be solid as the Hulk. He’d smash and smash, because he can give the Hulk a run for his money with his dhai kilo ka haath. Katrina Kaif would be perfect asthe Black Widow because she’s one of the fittest people ever. She’s agile and her moves will knock out the enemies. John Abraham can be Thor. Everyone knows why. He’s the only one who’s worthy of playing that part.

Further Siddhant shared his views on what according to him has been the reason for the longevity and massive success of the superheroes film dominating big screens globally over the years. He said, “I think technology has played a huge part. These films have been able to convincingly immerse the audience with its visual effects and storylines that aren’t limited in scope. It’s opened a whole new dimension, the multiverse and crossovers. You’re giving the audience an escape unlike anything done before. The characters are interesting. The comics have a huge recall value and being able to see that material come alive on screen is any fan’s dream come true. The viewer is able to identify

with these superheroes because they’re also portrayed as being human, which makes them more relatable.” Bollywood has successfully created own homegrown Krrish and Brahmastra now. When Siddhant was asked if wanted to see an Indian superhero gain global recognition too, he stated, “Our heroes and stories are no less. Anyone who empowers the common man is a superhero and our actors and crusaders do that everyday without costumes or gadgets. It’s all about the power of love.”

Coming to his professional front, Siddhant was last seen in Phone Bhoot, co-starring Ishaan Khatter and Katrina Kaif. He has a bunch of projects in his kitty, including Yudhra with Malavika Mohanan. Meanwhile, a few months back, Ananya Panday announced the wrap of their upcoming film Kho Gaye Hum Kahan. The forthcoming film will also feature Adarsh Gourav.

Also Read: Manushi Chhillar and Siddhant Chaturvedi roped in as the new face of Schweppes

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