SCOOP: Varun Dhawan’s next with Atlee titled Baby John

Varun Dhawan had an eventful 2023 as his film Bawaal was adjudged as the most-watched OTT flick last year. Atlee, meanwhile, also rocked the show in 2023 with the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Jawan. It was the biggest hit of the year across all languages. This year, both have joined hands for an interesting action entertainer, which also marks Atlee’s first film as a producer. All this while, the film was addressed as VD18, its working title, and as per reports, the film has got a title.

If reports are to be believed, the actioner will be called Baby John. Yesterday, the makers of the film got the Censor Certificate for its teaser from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). That’s when the word spread about its quirky and unique title. Reports also state that Baby John’s teaser will be unveiled in a few days, most probably on Saturday, January 27.

Apart from Varun Dhawan, Baby John also stars Keerthy Suresh, Wamiqa Gabbi and Jackie Shroff. It is directed by Kalees and is backed by Atlee and Priya Atlee’s A For Apple Studios, Murad Khetani’s Cine1 Studios and Jyoti Deshpande of Jio Studios. It is the remake of Atlee’s 2016 directorial Theri, starring Vijay, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Amy Jackson.

The film went on floors in August last year in Mumbai, followed by an extensive schedule in Kochi. As per reports, Varun suffered an injury in the Mumbai schedule. The casting is significant as Varun will be seen in an out-and-out massy action role for the first time. Meanwhile, Keerthy Suresh is a popular name even for Hindi-speaking markets and this marks her debut Bollywood film. Wamiqa Gabbi, on the other hand, went on a high in 2023 with the success of her web show Jubilee and her web film, Khufiya.

It now remains to be seen when Baby John will be released in cinemas and whether the release date will be unveiled in the teaser.

Also Read: VD 18: Varun Dhawan, Keerthy Suresh, Wamiqa Gabbi attend mahurat puja of Atlee – Kalees film, watch

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Fighter Advance Booking Update: Hrithik Roshan-Deepika Padukone film sells 1.40 lakh tickets

Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, and Anil Kapoor’s Fighter has recorded below-average responses in the advance bookings. The Siddharth Anand directorial is closing its advance booking with 1.40 lakh pre-sales in the top three national chains – PVR, Inox, and Cinepolis, which is roughly 55% lower than films like Brahmastra and Tiger 3. The film should have ideally topped at least 2 lakh ticket sales in PVR, Inox, and Cinepolis, however, it’s 30 percent lower than even the bare minimum expectations.

With this advance booking, Fighter is targeting an opening day in the zone of Rs. 22 to 24 crores, and that will also happen only if the film commands strong word of mouth and walk-in audiences towards the evening and night shows owing to the National Holiday on Day 2. The bulk business for Fighter is coming in from the national multiplex chains, and the mass audience is awaiting the talk to book their tickets.

Ideally, Fighter should have opened in the North of Rs. 35 crores, but that is not happening and one can list down multiple reasons for the same. It’s a pity that a big-budget aerial action film with top stars and top directors suffered from a very poor marketing and PR campaign and the producers need to relook at their strategies for positioning big-ticket entertainers. A film like Fighter should have easily looked at a Rs. 35 to 40 crore on day one, but there just isn’t enough awareness in the on-ground audience.

The film will be looking to showcase a big jump in collections on January 26 owing to strong word of mouth and it’s the journey from there that will decide the fate of this aerial action thriller.

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Photos: Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon snapped at the airport

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Devara: Release of Jr NTR starrer may be postponed, reveals reports

With expectations riding high, since it marks the return of Jr NTR in theatres post the grand success of RRR, all eyes are on his next release Devara. Adding to the anticipation, the recently released first look teaser of the movie has garnered ample praise from fans who are expecting the movie to be an action and VFX-heavy entertainer. Because of the extensive effects and as filmmaker Kortala Siva is keen on creating a completely new world for this big-budget movie, we hear that the makers are planning to push the release of this Janhvi Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan starrer even further.

It seems that the makers will not retaining the release date in April since they want to ensure that the VFX used in the film is top-notch, because of which, reports have it that they are keen on taking more time to work on it. A source was quoted confirming the postponement in Pinkvilla reports, saying, “Devara is a high on VFX film and the output is taking longer than expected. The makers are clear to not compromise on the visuals as the stakes are high. NTR Jr. is also very cautious about next after RRR and wants to deliver a big cinematic experience. The makers are now looking to arrive in the second half of 2024.”

According to the same report, another reason that may have contributed to the delay is the injury suffered by Saif Ali Khan. Since Devara is an action-packed drama, they want the actor to take as much time as possible to recoup, so that he can spring back to action. For the unversed, Saif will be seen as the antagonist in this action drama, set against the backdrop of the sea.  “They don’t want to risk by shooting till the last minute and then delivering a compromised product on the edit and visual front. It’s better to wait for the right moment and come up with a film that stands true to the promises made,” the source added.

Devara, directed by Kortala Siva, is expected to be a two-part film with the first half to release on April 5. However, with news about the release date being postponed, there has been no official announcement on the new date.

Also Read: Post theatrical run, Jr. NTR starrer Devara Part 1 set for Netflix streaming in five languages

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Bade Miyan Chote Miyan teaser: Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff’s MASSIEST film to date; grand action and ‘Hindustan’ dialogue will generate mass HYSTERIA in cinemas

Both Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff had an underwhelming 2022 and 2023. But looks like they’ll have a rocking 2024 if the teaser of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is anything to go by. The 1 minute 41-second-long promo packs in a lot and yet, keeps a lot of aspects of the film under wraps.

The first half of the teaser introduces the menacing villain, played by Prithviraj Sukumaran. Interestingly, his face isn’t shown and his voice and actions do the talking. The antagonist has an AI connection and that adds to the madness. And then our heroes are introduced and that takes the teaser to another level.

Both Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff are bona fide action stars. Hence, it looks quite convincing to see them doing death-defying stunts. Both also mouth a massy dialogue involving ‘Hindustan’. In cinemas, it’ll be greeted with claps and whistles for sure. In fact, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan seems to be their massiest film to date.

The credit for this slick Bade Miyan Chote Miyan teaser should also go to the makers. Director Ali Abbas Zafar deserves brownie points as he proves that he’s one of the best directors today when it comes to action films. There’s no doubt that he knows the genre well and his sharp talent is visible from start to finish. No wonder that until one point, he was the only filmmaker, besides Rajkumar Hirani, to have had two Rs. 300 crore grossers in his filmography. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan can be his third giant success, provided the content clicks.

Lastly, the producers Vashu Bhagnani and Jackky Bhagnani, too, deserve credit. They have mounted the film on a huge scale. They have gone all out to ensure the audience gets to see a grand action entertainer on the big screen. Technically, too, the film looks rich. Be it cinematography, VFX, production design or VFX, everything seems top-class.

Bade Miyan Chote Miyan releases on Eid 2024. Here’s hoping the songs and trailer also land well. Once that happens, nothing can stop this action entertainer from taking a huge start and emerging as Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff’s highest-ever opener.

Also Read: Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff confirm Bade Miyan Chote Miyan teaser release on January 24; see new poster

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Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series and Murad Khetani’s Cine1 Studios settle Animal profit sharing dispute out of court: Reports

Amid the feud between Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series and Murad Khetani’s Cine1 Studios related to profit sharing of Ranbir Kapoor starrer Animal, now, it is reported that the studios have settled out of court. For unversed, Cine1 was upset with T-Series for not following their agreement regarding the movie Animal. T-Series argued that Cine1 had already given up their rights in a 2022 agreement. The case was taken to court which may have affected the film’s release on a digital platform, Netflix India.

As reported by Bar N Bench on Monday, January 22, the lawyers representing both studios informed the Delhi High Court that “they have reached an agreement to resolve their issues. This means a settlement has been officially signed and will be presented to the court for approval.” With the settlement in place, the hurdles for Animal arriving on OTT have been removed.

On Monday, Justice Sanjeev Narula acknowledged the agreement between the studios and instructed both parties “to officially document the agreement. The court will review and address the matter on January 24, with the expectation of bringing it to a conclusion at that time.”

As per an earlier report in ANI, Cine1 accused T-Series of breaking their contract, claiming that the latter did not consult them for promotions like teasers, credits, marketing, and disclosing final costs. The studio also alleged that T-Series didn’t share details about agreements with Netflix India and Sony Pictures Networks India.

T-Series, represented by Senior Advocate Amit Sibal, responded, claiming that in an August 2022 amendment agreement, Cine1 gave up all rights to the movie for Rs 2.6 crores.

The court, led by Justice Sanjeev Narula, accepted the case and summoned both parties. They were asked to submit written statements and affidavits, after which, the case was set to proceed with evidence marking on March 15 with additional arguments scheduled for January 22.

ALSO READ: Delhi HC summons T-Series and Netflix India in Animal OTT release dispute: Report

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Photos: Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Vicky Kaushal and others snapped at Kalina airport

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