After collecting Rs. 6 crores on its opening day, the Kartik Aaryan led Shehzada has taken a jump of approx. 15 percent on its second day. According to early estimates, Shehzada has collected in the range of Rs. 6.75 to 7.00 crores, taking the two-day total in the range of Rs. 13 crores.
The larger-than-life entertainer is looking at a 3-day opening weekend in the range of Rs. 20 crores, which is a rather low result given that the expectations were a lot more. The audience footfall is not upto the mark and that’s primarily due to the remake factor. There is chatter within the industry about how the Allu Arjun film, Ala Vaikunthapuramuloo, has been widely consumed by the target audience of Shehzada on TV and Mobile Phones.
The national chains and single screens alike showed a growth of 15 percent on Saturday. PVR, Inox, and Cinepolis combined have collected approximately Rs. 3.35 crores on the second day.
In 2018, Karan Johar produced Dhadak, which marked the debut of Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter. Directed by Shashank Khaitan, it was the official remake of the 2016 Marathi blockbuster Sairat, starring Akash Thosar and Rinku Rajguru. And now, it has come to light that one more Marathi film has caught Karan Johar’s eye and if all goes well, he might soon be remaking it.
A source told Bollywood Hungama, “Karan Johar had been in talks to remake Jhimma (2021). He loved the film’s concept, funny and emotional moments and its characters. The talks began last year and the recent developments are not known. Nevertheless, if all goes well and if he gets the right actors, the Dharma Productions’ head honcho would be going ahead with Jhimma’s remake.”
The source further said, “Jhimma comprises an all-female cast. On Karan Johar’s wish list are Madhuri Dixit, Vidya Balan and Neena Gupta. He feels that these three actors will do complete justice. Also, bringing the powerhouse artists together will add to the film’s hype.”
Jhimma was released on November 19, 2021, and told the story of a group of ladies of different age groups going on an all-women packaged tour to London from India. It starred Sonalee Kulkarni, Suchitra Bandekar, Nirmiti Sawant, Kshitee Jog, Suhas Joshi, Sayali Sanjeev and Mrinmayee Godbole. Siddharth Chandekar was a rare male actor in the film and he played the role of the guide who’s sometimes irritated and at times blown away by the ladies. Jhimma was directed by Hemant Dhome and he also featured in the film in a small role. It was the first Marathi hit post-pandemic and despite the absence of a conventional storyline, it was loved for its light-hearted treatment, ensemble cast, music and strong writing.
Last month, Jhimma 2 was formally announced with a funny video. Interestingly, Aanand L Rai’s Colour Yellow Productions has come on board for the sequel as co-producer.
ZEE5 released the trailer of one of the most anticipated series of the year Taj – Divided by Blood starring Naseeruddin Shah, Dharmendra, Aditi Rao Hydari, Aashim Gulati, Taha Shah Badussha, Shubham Kumar Mehra in the lead. Inspired by true events, Taj – Divided by Blood chronicles around King Akbar (played by Naseeruddin Shah) and the ensuing blood battle between his sons for the Mughal throne. The 10-part succession and family drama series will stream on ZEE5 from 3rd March 2023.
Produced by Contiloe Digital along with William Borthwick as the showrunner, Simon Fantauzzo as the writer and Ron Scalpello as the director, Taj – Divided by Blood stars Naseeruddin Shah as King Akbar, Aditi Rao Hydari as Anarkali, Aashim Gulati as Prince Salim, Taha Shah Badussha as Prince Murad, Shubham Kumar Mehra as Prince Daniyal, Sandhya Mridul as Queen Jodha Bai, Zareena Wahab as Queen Salima, Padma Damodaran as Queen Ruqaiya Begum, Rahul Bose as Mirza Hakim and Dharmendra as Sheikh Salim Chishti. The series also stars Subodh Bhave, Aayam Mehta, Deepraj Rana, Shivani Tanksale, Pankaj Saraswat, Digambar Prasad and Zachary Coffin in supporting roles.
As seen in the trailer, the series encapsulates the reign of King Akbar who is on a quest to find a worthy successor for his grand legacy leading to a bloody battle between his sons for the throne. While most stories on the Mughal era have been portrayed through the rose-tinted glasses of romance, Taj – Divided by Blood will showcase these historical figures as humans with ambitions, desires and flaws. A complete visual spectacle, Taj – Divided by Blood is full of drama, politics and tragedy; jealousy, deceit and betrayal; love, lust and romance; arts, poetry and architecture and most importantly it’s a bloody war of succession in the quest for power.
Director Ron Scalpello said, “I have been an avid follower of Indian History hence when I got the opportunity to put forth a series on the Mughal empire, I was ecstatic. Since there have been so many versions of the Mughal history, I did have to research a lot to unravel the unknown facets of these historical figures and that is where our show stands out in Taj – Divided by Blood, you will get to see these historical figures as humans with ambitions, desires, greed and flaws which is rather an unseen side of the empire. Also, the theme of war and succession is global hence I am sure that the series will appeal to a global audience”.
Naseeruddin Shah said, “Taj – Divided by Blood is the story of war, succession and power set against the backdrop of the Mughal empire. The show unveils the inner workings that played out in the hallowed chambers of King Akbar’s empire. While many have recreated the Mughal history but Taj – Divided by Blood has taken an unexplored and unchartered take on it hence making it compelling for old and new viewers. A brilliant team from across the globe has brought this series to life and from whatever I have seen so far, I can tell that it is going to be one of the most riveting series of the year”.
Aditi Rao Hydari said, “I have always enjoyed history; there are always great stories many of which are outside of our textbooks. When I was asked to play Anarkali I was afraid as much as I was excited. Anarkali is an iconic character, her beauty and grace was considered unparalleled and enchanting beyond one’s imagination. I was intimidated at first and especially because of how it’s been portrayed by the mesmerising Madhubala in Mughal-e-azam. What made me take a leap was a meeting with the director Ron Scalpello and the writers William and Simon. Anarkali has been written very uniquely and so it felt like a new challenge to take on. The collaborative nature of our discussions also really added to my journey into this world to make it my own. It has been a privilege and responsibility to play Anarkali and I hope that I have done justice to it”.
Yash Raj Films’ latest offering Pathaan has turned out to be a winner at the box office, not just in India but also world over. Apart from Shah Rukh Khan’s powerful act, this was also because of the international standard of stunts and action sequences the Siddharth Anand directed film offered.
This was made possible because the makers roped in the Hollywood action director Casey O’Neill for the film. He has worked in some of the internationally acclaimed and successful Hollywood flicks, including Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Jack Reacher and Top Gun: Maverick. Casey planned and executed some of the exciting action sequences in Pathaan.
O’Neill said that he found some similarities between Cruise and Khan after working with both of them. “They are both true professionals in their craft and so talented. Tom Cruise is a fearless actor who lives and breathes his craft and wants to push the envelope when it comes to his body and his cinema to only entertain audiences. SRK is just the same,” he said in a statement.
He added, “Shah Rukh Khan has pushed his body, he has unlearnt and learnt action to deliver Pathaan as an entertainer like no other. Both are driven and committed lovers of cinema who will do whatever it takes to make the audience happy. I have worked with Tom on many and exciting films. We all have enjoyed working with each other through the years. It was a pleasure working with another global movie star like Shah Rukh Khan and seeing him transform into an action star that no one has ever seen before.”
Heaping praises on Khan, O’Neill added, “SRK is an exceptional athlete and performer. He can adapt into many different action sequences and excel in the process of movie magic for the big screen. He is a true gentleman and an amazing actor and I was honoured to be a part in the making of Pathaan with him and the entire crew.”
O’Neill planned the Dubai action scene and the ice lake bike chase in Pathaan, two of the most liked moments from the film. Talking about the latter, he said, “In collaboration with director Siddharth Anand, we came up with an exciting chase on the snow and ice, taking into consideration the vast beauty Siberia has to offer. This showed up in such dramatic fashion and really made the action of that scene look like no other. The deep blue ice was an exceptional backdrop for the chase on Lake Baikal which was an adventure in itself shooting in the elements on a tight schedule before the ice melted.”
O’Neill has also worked behind the action in films like Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Ant-Man And The Wasp, Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 2, etc.
As far as Pathaan’s box office performance is concerned, the film, which also stars John Abraham and Deepika Padukone, recently crossed the Rs 500 crores mark at the India box office.
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan attended the wedding reception of Union Minister Smriti Irani’s daughter Shanelle with Arjun. The wedding festivities began on February 7.
Shah Rukh Khan looked dapper in an all-black suit as he posed next to Smriti and her husband Zubin Irani. In the photos, Mouni Roy was also seen, who played Smriti’s on-screen daughter in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Smriti wore a red and golden saree whereas Mouni was dressed in a mint green saree. Smriti’s daughter Shanelle and her husband Arjun were also seen in the photo. Mouni captioned the photo, “Congratulations Shanelle & Arjun.. wishing you both the happiest most meaningful journey ahead. Love you di @smritiiraniofficial.”
In attendance was also Smriti Irani’s on-screen husband Ronit Roy who came along with his wife. “Years of friendship @smritiiraniofficial @ravikishann and the warmth and love keeps growing. Grateful Congratulations @shanelleirani and Arjun. Wish you a blissful wedded life ahead. Thank you @zohrirani for taking such good care of us. Lovely meeting you @zoishh.irani,” he wrote. The photo also featured Ravi Kishan.
On the work front, Shah Rukh Khan was last seen in Pathaan which is inching towards Rs. 1000 crore in worldwide collections. The actor has Atlee’s Jawan and Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki next.
Follow Us