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Via Bollywood Hungama https://ift.tt/NzZyUsoAfter two days of getting into a single digit score with Thursday and Friday collections turning out to be Rs. 8.40 crores and Rs. 7.10 crores respectively, Gadar 2 was back in the double digit zone, what with Rs. 13.75 crores coming in. This is a superb jump from the day before and while it was always on the cards that a double digit score will come in, the fact that it has gone ahead of that as well is truly fantastic.
There is competition from Dream Girl 2 now, especially at the multiplexes, and the good news is that the Ayushmann Khurrana starrer is doing very good business as well, and is in fact collecting more than Gadar 2. One had expected that the Sunny Deol starrer will get ahead of it on Saturday but then that hasn’t happened. It’s not because Gadar 2 hasn’t grown well; in fact, it has gone up superbly. However, since Dream Girl 2 is also seeing appreciation coming its way, there are houseful signs all over.
All of this also means that the Anil Sharma directed film has now pushed its total ahead to Rs. 439.95 crores and today it will comfortably go past the Rs. 455 crores mark. The all-time blockbuster has turned out to be a lottery for all involved and most importantly has kept the momentum intact for the industry till the arrival of Jawan on September 7.
Note: All collections as per production and distribution sources
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Via Bollywood Hungama https://ift.tt/NzZyUsoR Balki’s films have always had strong and unique scripts. The credit for it goes not just to this expert filmmaker but also to his writing partner, screenwriter Rishi Virmani. The talented writer has written Ki & Ka (2016), Chup (2022), Lust Stories 2 (2023) and the recently released sports film Ghoomer (2023), for R Balki. He has also written films for others as well like Shimla Mirchi (2020) and Nazar Andaaz (2022). Rishi is now dabbling in period films like Chhava, starring Vicky Kaushal and based on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Main Atal Hoon, the biopic on Atal Bihari Vajpayee starring Pankaj Tripathi and a biopic on Saharashri Subrata Roy.
Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke to Rishi Virmani about Ghoomer, working with Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan and a lot more.
How has been the feedback for Ghoomer?
The feedback has been quite good. For the first time, I have been flooded with a lot of phone calls and messages. My friends have been sharing screenshots of posts put up by people in their circle, appreciating the film. The point of the film was to tell an inspiring story. The message that one can fulfil their dreams despite shortcomings has reached people. A lot of mothers told me that they are taking their children to watch the film. Nowadays, fewer children pursue sports than before. We never had phones when we were growing up. Kids nowadays love to play football but on their phones, as the screen addiction is quite high. So many parents feel Ghoomer is apt to teach them the importance of outdoor sports.
The protagonists in R Balki’s films usually are a bit arrogant and have a dark sense of humour, from Amitabh Bachchan in R Balki’s first film Cheeni Kum (2007) or Abhishek Bachchan in R Balki’s latest release, Ghoomer. Where does it come from – you or R Balki?
I don’t know where it’s coming from. In my point of view, every filmmaker comes with his own style. If it has an impression on the viewers, then they expect you to continue providing them with that kind of stuff. Like, after watching a refreshing film like Dil Chahta Hai (2001), you expect that newness from Farhan Akhtar every time. The tagline of Cheeni Kum (2007) was ‘a sugar free romance’. It made it clear that is film mein mithaas kam hogi! So, it was deliberately written in a certain manner. The character had lost the sweetness of life because he was 64, single, living with his mother who was forcing him to go to the gym! So, sarcasm was his mainstay. And it worked so well aur shayad uski jhalak har R Balki ki film mein dikh rahi hai.
Ultimately, when Bachchan says a dialogue, the impact he creates is very different from any other actor. We have always written for Amitabh Bachchan initially. In fact, we wouldn’t have made Cheeni Kum and other films had he refused. R Balki doesn’t settle for compromises.
Is R Balki also like the characters in his real life?
(Laughs) He’s not like that at all. We have written characters who insult others in the film but he’s the opposite of that. He’s one of the nicest people in the industry. Certain people in the industry fly high as they see themselves as star makers or stars themselves. But R Balki is a very simple human being. He works, goes home and watches a film. You’ll never find him at a party. He just wants to make good films, which have not been made before. That’s his mantra. It inspires me to do original stuff.
Also, on his sets, there’s a nice professional set-up. It’s a no-nonsense environment. You don’t feel like tailing around stars to be in their good books as nobody is doing it. Everybody is focusing on giving their best, be it the DOP, the director etc.
Another USP of R Balki’s films is that one can explain its storyline in just one line…
When he cracks an idea, he calls me. I would like to believe I am the first one to hear his story! Within 5 minutes, he will narrate the entire plot. He’ll never take 6 minutes! He’ll only take 5 minutes and I’ll clearly get an idea of the beginning, middle and end. And then we start writing. We don’t believe in saying ‘Aur sochte hai thoda’. We just attack! The more we write, the more the film gets clear.
How is it to work with Amitabh Bachchan?
I was clear that I have so much respect for him that I would not like to hang around him and try to be friends with him forcefully. I felt it was the worst you can do to him! All my interactions with Amit ji happened during rehearsals before the shot. And he’s one of a kind. If he’s shooting outside in broad daylight, and clouds cover the sun, the unit has to wait until the sun shines again. The unit members estimate that it might take a couple of minutes for the shot to be filmed. Amit ji knows for the next 2-3 minutes, he’s not required. He won’t sit around with his phone or go to his van. Instead, he would call me and ask me to rehearse with him. We have already rehearsed 10 times before and yet, we’d do it again. This is how I have interacted with him, through dialogue readings! I cherish these moments. I feel ki isse accha aur kya ho sakta hai that I am helping him with his take.
How different is Abhishek Bachchan from Amitabh Bachchan?
They are similar in many ways. Both are funny, humble and interact with everyone on the sets equally. And both are blessed with the best drunk performances. They can act like a drunk person better than a real drunkard! Be it Ghoomer or Shamitabh (2015), if you hear their lines carefully, you’ll find slurring at selective places. It’s not there throughout the line. There’ll be words that are difficult to pronounce once you are drunk. And they’ll nail this aspect beautifully, as if they have done a Ph.D. in such sequences!
Abhishek is amazing and one of the deepest actors we have today. The way he played in Paddy in Ghoomer, you can’t imagine anybody else. I remember we were shooting the three-page-long monologue scene late in the night at Panchgani in the winter. It was difficult to perform. He had to keep it very natural without making the scene melodramatic. We did some rehearsals. I even did the narration with him as we incorporated some improvisations. It was a three-camera setup. As soon as the camera rolled, we all had goosebumps as he got it right in just one take without any goof-ups or mispronunciation. To witness this kind of act in a challenging situation was magical. It is this magic that drives us in the field of cinema.
How did you enter the world of films?
I was born in Meerut but I was brought up in Mumbai, in Andheri. I had access to the film industry through my school and college friends. I was lucky to know people who had some connection. As a kid, it used to be like ‘bachchon ko shooting dikhane le jao’. Through some uncle or aunty, I and my building friends had gone for film shoots and even trials in places like Natraj Studio, Sumit Theatre etc. When I was in college, I realized I had to work hard as Mumbai is an expensive place. My friends, meanwhile, were very wealthy. While some stayed in bungalows, a few of them had buildings of their own. One guy had a bowling alley in his house! Our lifestyle and income were drastically different. I was decent in studies and decided to get better academically, so that I have a bright future. I explored many options related to my stream, Commerce, like business management, chartered accountancy etc. But I would get bored with these courses and would quit in a few months. I guess it was God’s way of telling me that I was not meant for it. At that age, I didn’t realize.
Next to my college, Mithibai, there was an institution called Workstation which used to teach animation. I was eating wada pav one day when I happened to look at Workstation’s hoarding. I walked in. This was a time when animation was very new. I enrolled in a course. I started learning animation and this course bored me as well! I feared that I was going to land up nowhere.
Then I met a childhood friend. He was the first assistant director in Salaam-E-Ishq (2007). He suggested that I should also assist since I had already entered the creative world by doing the animation course. I didn’t know anything about this field but I felt safe as I knew that he would be there to guide me. By the time I tried to enrol in the film after a month, the direction team was full. He, however, told me that MAD Entertainment, which was producing Salaam-E-Ishq, was also making another film. That film turned out to be Cheeni Kum. This is how I met Balki and since then, there has been no looking back.
One of your most exciting upcoming projects is Chhava, based on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj…
The film is backed by Dinesh Vijan of Maddock Films. He’s one of the most enterprising producers that we have. Producers usually provide you with whatever you want. Dinoo is a producer who will go a step ahead. Jo cheez nahin bhi hogi, woh bhi kahin se la ke de denge. If I tell him that I wish to meet some historian based in Pune for research purposes, within no time, an itinerary will be sent to me and all arrangements will be made. Director Laxman Utekar sir, on the other hand, knows the Maratha history inside out. Ask him any question related to that period and he’ll promptly answer. So yes, the research is quite extensive but these two gentlemen have made my work easier.
A lot of research is going on in all departments. Even the sets and artwork will amaze you. Everyone is putting their 100% to the project.
Are you happy with Vicky Kaushal’s casting in the lead role?
Absolutely. I don’t think there’s anybody other than Vicky Kaushal whom you could think of playing Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. He was always in our minds when we were writing the film. I am sure once the trailers and posters of the film are out, everyone will realize that he’s just apt for the part. He’s a fabulous actor. His earlier films like Masaan (2015) and Love Per Square Foot (2018) were so different from each other. This shows his range effortlessly. In Sanju (2018), he was not even the main lead and yet, you can’t take your eyes off him.
The post EXCLUSIVE: “There’s nobody other than Vicky Kaushal whom you could think of playing Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj; Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan can act like a drunk person better than a real drunkard” – Rishi Virmani appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
Via Bollywood Hungama https://ift.tt/NzZyUsoAnanya Panday is currently seen on the big screen in her latest release, Dream Girl 2. The movie, released on Friday, also stars Ayushmann Khurrana in the lead role. In the middle of this, the actress has shared some pictures on Instagram that have got everyone talking.
The pictures show Ananya’s father, actor Chunky Panday, dressed as a woman. He is wearing a pink outfit and a blonde wig. The pictures are from the song ‘Oye Pape Bachalo Tusi’ from the 1993 film Lootere. In the snapshot, Sunny Deol is seen wearing a turban, similar to his role, Tara Singh, in the blockbuster hit Gadar 2.
Ananya captioned the post, “Gadar 2 meets Barbie meets DreamGirl 2 [ROFL emojis] can’t get over this. Thank you @divyasolgama for finding these gems.” Ananya’s mother, Bhavana Pandey wrote “Love this” and added a bunch of red hearts and ROFL emojis. Chunky Panday followed suit.
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Coming back to Dream Girl 2, the film collected Rs 10.69 crore on day 1 at the box office. The actress celebrated this success by sharing a poster on her Instagram page. Her caption read, “Your Dream Girl is ruling hearts and the box office too! Thank you for all the pyaar!”
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Also Read: Dream Girl 2 Box Office Estimate Day 2: Jumps by 30 percent on Saturday; collects Rs. 14 crores
The post Gadar 2 meets Barbie meets Dream Girl 2: Ananya Panday digs out a hilarious throwback pic featuring Chunky Panday and Sunny Deol appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
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Via Bollywood Hungama https://ift.tt/oXZ7sWFTelevision actress and influencer Anushka Sen has announced that she has been appointed Honorary Brand Ambassador of Korean Tourism. The actress took to her Instagram account to share the news.
Sharing a series of photos of herself holding a plaque, she wrote, “Immensely happy and excited to announce that I’ve been appointed as the ‘Honorary Brand Ambassador’ of Korean Tourism. Thanks to Korea Tourism Organization for giving me this big opportunity, it was my dream to become the bridge between Korea and India, and now it’s comes true. @kto_india.”
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Back in 2022, she announced that she plans to extend her opportunities in the global market. She partnered with Asia Lab in order to enter the market and explore new opportunities. Anushka Sen wants to create content between India and Korea through various projects. “As a global platform for creatives, Asia Lab (based in South Korea) will manage Anushka Sen’s expansion into the Korean and Global market. We are looking forward to various co-operations with the outstanding Indian actress,” the statement read.
On the work front, Anushka Sen was last seen in Khatron Ke Khiladi 11 making her the youngest contestant to participate in the Fear Factor India format. She was recently seen in ‘Teri Aadat 2’ music video with Siddharth Nigam.
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Via Bollywood Hungama https://ift.tt/yjNB3xzJawan’s release is less than two weeks away and as expected, the fan clubs of Shah Rukh Khan are going all out. Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke with the heads of two major fan clubs to find out what they are upto. They made it clear that they want to go beyond what they achieved during SRK’s last release, Pathaan.
Shah Rukh Khan Warriors FAN Club
Javed Shaikh, the founder of Shah Rukh Khan Warriors FAN Club, exclusively told Bollywood Hungama, “Last time, we had put up 20,000 posters. This time, we plan to put up 50,000 posters in 50 cities. On August 15, we did charity as well as promotions in 30+ cities. We distributed food among the underprivileged and also provided notebooks to school and college students.”
He connected us to Taha Jilani from the city of Kannad, situated in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra. Taha and other fan members went bald, just like Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan. Taha Jilani told us, “We were so excited to see Shah Rukh Khan sir’s bald look in Jawan’s Prevue that 4-5 people from our fan club, including me, decided to go bald. Later, 6-7 fans also got motivated and shaved their heads!”
Aurangabad SRK Warriors are surpassing their own benchmarks by promoting #Jawan through the distribution of food boxes within their city. This initiative not only enhances the movie’s promotion but also contributes positively to the local community.#ShahRukhKhan #IndependenceDay pic.twitter.com/uTRbL2nS31
— Shah Rukh Khan Warriors FAN Club (@TeamSRKWarriors) August 15, 2023
How do the town residents when they see bald SRK fans putting out posters of a bald SRK? Taha replied, “Logon ko deewangi dikhti hai Khan saab ke liye. It’s quite fun to go around the city with this look and put up posters. Even the onlookers enjoy watching us!”
He added, “We go all out. Even in places where there are no cinemas, we are promoting Jawan.”
SRKians in Bhiwandi, Mumbai, mark #IndependenceDay2023 by providing meals to the less fortunate ️
Thanks to @SaddamKhansrkf1 & Team!#JawanCharityEvent#Jawan #ShahRukhKhan #Chaleyapic.twitter.com/mBZDUWbyNd
— Shah Rukh Khan Warriors FAN Club (@TeamSRKWarriors) August 15, 2023
We then spoke to Mizan Sayani, who works in a medical company and who replicated the bandaged look of SRK and promoted Jawan in Ahmedabad Metro! He was also joined by other fan members who also went around with their bandaged faces on the mass transit system.
Mizan said, “We had done a screening of Jawan’s Prevue the day it was launched. We loved sir’s dance in the metro at the end of the Prevue. I told the team then that we should do a metro activity. Then one day, we put up the bandage on our face and entered a metro station.”
When asked if they danced to ‘Bekaraar Karke Humein’ like Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan, Mizan Sayani laughed and said, “Yes, we did!”
SRK Warriors from Kannad promoting #Jawan in their city ️#ShahRukhKhanpic.twitter.com/OFvRLQu9Sy
— Shah Rukh Khan Warriors FAN Club (@TeamSRKWarriors) August 19, 2023
Mizan said that this campaign was an eye-opener for him and other fan club members, “It made us realize that Khan saab has so many more fans. The moment we entered the station, the police and the security staff got concerned. They asked us, ‘Aap logon ko kya hua? Kya aapka accident hua hai?’! We informed them that we were promoting Jawan and showed them sir’s bandaged look. They clicked pictures with us and we invited them to watch the film’s first day first show.”
He continued, “Then we got into a train. A lot of women passengers were in our compartment. It was apt as Jawan is based on women empowerment. Some of the female members of our fan club gave them posters of the film and explained to them our activity. They expressed a desire to click pictures with us. We held the first day first show poster and clicked snaps with them. Then we went to a different compartment and interacted with more passengers. Some kids were also present and they loved our look. They told us that they loved Pathaan. Even senior citizens were present and they told us how much they love SRK. They were quite surprised to see us promoting the film in this manner.”
Ahmedabad ke Zinda Bando ne kiya Zabardast promotion #Jawan ka
Well done @mizsayani & Team ️
| @iamsrk @Atlee_dir @RedChilliesEnt |#ShahRukhKhan #Chaleya pic.twitter.com/NNUECsZ54B
— Shah Rukh Khan Warriors FAN Club (@TeamSRKWarriors) August 13, 2023
Javed Shaikh proudly said, “I guarantee you that what we do for Khan saab and at such levels, no one can do. Some people often say that someone must be sponsoring us or it is a paid activity. But it’s not true. We do it ourselves and invest money from our pockets. Hamara pyaar hi aisa hai Khan saab ke liye. Well-qualified people from IT and other fields who earn a package of Rs. 15 lakhs are also on the streets and putting up posters of Jawan. Sochiye kis level ka pyaar hai!”
Talking about plans, Javed said, “The moment the advance booking commences, we’ll start booking tickets in cinemas where we’ll be doing the celebrations. We are already prepping for the first-day first-show celebrations. We’ll install a 50-foot poster, take out a rally etc.”
Thankfully, for SRK Fans, there’s no negativity surrounding Jawan, unlike Pathaan. Mizan Sayani revealed, “We faced some issues during Pathaan. In Ahmedabad, some groups tore posters of Pathaan, including the ones that we had put up. We held meetings with the police before the first day first show. My family members were also concerned. We were hoping that viewers come in full force and that they wouldn’t face any issues. Fortunately, it was a grand success. A lot of media also covered our celebrations. Their headlines were ‘Shah Rukh ke fans Bajrang Dal par huye bhaari’!”
He continued, “With Jawan, there’s zero problem. And we don’t know if such a film will ever come again. Hence, we are going full out.”
SRK Universe:
Yash Paryani, the co-founder of the biggest Shah Rukh Khan fan club, SRK Universe, shared his plans with us, “For Pathaan, we had screenings and events in 200 cities. This time, we have gone past the figure of 200. For Jawan, we are organizing screenings in 300 cities and counting. That’s roughly 10 cities in every state. We have figured out the major cinemas that are situated even in smaller towns and will be conducting our events there. Also, since Jawan is a Pan-India film, we have also targeted Southern cities compared to Pathaan. There, our celebrations will be full massy, just the way it is for the South films!”
He continued, “The 60-feet cutout of Shah Rukh sir will be there even this time. In some places, we have put up 40-50 feet posters already. In Mumbai, due to the permissions, we’ll be able to install only a day before release. We have also ordered lion rings, T-shirts, pants, masks etc. as special merchandise.”
Yash also stated, “Our fan clubs have branches in 60 countries. I don’t think our films even release in so many countries. The first day first show and all the major promotional campaigns will be held in these foreign countries too.”
Last time, SRK Universe organized screenings in Mumbai’s iconic single-screen complex, Gaiety-Galaxy. Yash Paryani, on this, exulted, “We’ll have the first day first shows not just in Gaiety but also in Ghatkopar and neighbouring cities like Navi Mumbai, Badlapur, Kalyan etc.”
He added, “During the release of Gadar 2, we put up the cutouts and standees of Jawan in many important theatres across the country.” He also said, “Even in London, we had Jawan-themed boat parties. We branded the boat with Jawan’s posters. It was a big success.”
And that’s not all. He revealed, “Some special plans are being made. We’ll unveil once it gets confirmed.”
Two weeks ago, SRK Universe celebrated the 10th anniversary of Shah Rukh Khan’s blockbuster Chennai Express (2013). Yash Paryani explained, “We held Chennai Express’s screening in 55 cities. It was a promotional activity as the film had a connection with Jawan. Just like Jawan, Chennai Express also had a South angle and featured Priyamani. We played Jawan’s Prevue before the film. The reaction videos went viral.”
SRKians from #Dhubri HAVING A BLAST at the special screening of #ChennaiExpress watching #JawanPrevue
DM @iamsmh_555 to join our Dhubri team or @JoinSRKUniverse for the rest of the cities! @iamsrk @RedChilliesEnt @Atlee_dir @VijaySethuOffl #10YearsOfChennaiExpress… pic.twitter.com/lQKJH8ZIiD
— Shah Rukh Khan Universe Fan Club (@SRKUniverse) August 10, 2023
Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan starrer Jawan to illuminate the world’s largest IMAX screen in Germany
The post EXCLUSIVE: Shah Rukh Khan Warriors FAN Club members go bald, replicate Shah Rukh Khan’s bandaged look to promote Jawan; SRK Universe’s co-founder also shares EXCITING details appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
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