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59 Responses to “Gulaab Gang, Shaadi Ke Side Effects (ongoing), the rest of the box office”
Mixed reviews. Juhi got more credit from critics. All complained about too many songs in a film like this. Seems Madhuri has done what Salman usually does in his movies.
Total Siyappa is panned uniformly. And Queen gets praise. But that praise may go against the film.
This means Shaadi ke side effects and Highway can still earn.
Shaadi Ke Side Effects Has Low First Week
Friday 07 March 2014 15.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Shaadi Ke Side Effects grossed 30 crore nett in its first week though could not do much in the weekdays after a decent weekend. The film fell on Monday and although the weekdays did not see major daily falls, the weekday contribution was just 9 crore nett approx against the 21 crore nett approx weekend..
The film actually grossed good numbers over the weekend in Delhi, East Punjab and Mysore but these circuits fell off badly on the weekdays. The circuits that did not gross that well actually held up better like Rajasthan and CI as there was limited downside.
Shaadi Ke Side Effects is likely to witness a major slide in week two as there three new releases which will lead the market. It had looked like the film may emerge a decent or even good fare after the weekend but the Monday changed all that and now the film will be lucky to cross 40 crore nett
Highway At 26 Crore In Two Weeks
Friday 07 March 2014 15.00 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Highway dropped in its second week as it collected 5-5.25 crore nett it its second weekend taking its two week gross to around 26 crore nett. The film had grossed around 21 crore nett in week one giving a drop of around 75%.
The drop is in the normal range for week two but a film like this should be sustaining better as its tight release gave it a chance to have a decent run for a few weeks but the appreciation is missing as the second week figures are less than Hasee Toh Phasee which collected 6.75 crore nett.
This collections are also less than a film like Yaariyan which had a pretty decent start but then fell away badly but even that film managed a around 6.75 crore nett in week two. Highway will finish its lifetime run at around 28 crore nett which is not impressive.
ulaab Gang Queen And Total Siyaapa Depend On Word Of Mouth
Friday 07 March 2014 16.00 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Gulaab Gang, Queen and Total Siyaapa will all depend on word of mouth as all opened to mediocre houses, Gulaab Gand was best in mass areas but suffered at multiplexes as the film was cleared by the court to release on Thursday which meant multiplex shoe times were formed very late.
The collections of Queen and Total Siyaapa were very similar at multiplexes with Queen leading at some multiplexes and Total Siyapaa leading at others and also a similar release for both films.
The evening business and Saturday number will be all important for all three films. The approx screen count for the three films is as follows.
Gulaab Gang – 1600 screens
Queen – 800 screens
Total Siyaapa – 850 screens
Gulaab Gang And Total Siyaapa First Day Business
Saturday 08 March 2014 17.00 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Gulaab Gang could not do much at the box office as it collected around 2-2.25 crore nett on its first day though it collected best out of the three new releases due to a higher screen count and better business in the mass circuits of UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, CP Berar, CI and Gujarat.
Total Siyaapa was the worst of the three releases as it collected around 1 crore nett on its first day with only select multiplexes of North India having worthwhile collections.
Like Queen both Gulaab Gang and Total Siyaapa need big jumps on Saturday to make an impact but it will be tough as Total Siyaapa is tool low and even a phenomenal jump will not help much and Gulaab Gang has best collections in mass pockets which tend to jump less on Saturday.
Shaadi Ke Side Effects Eight Day Business
Saturday 08 March 2014 16.00 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Shaadi Ke Side Effects fell badly on day eight as it collected around 75 lakhs nett on its 8th day which is a drop of over 85% from its first day. The film will not have been affected much by the new releases as they did not do much. Queen .
Queen had mediocre collections had multiplexes while Gulaab Gang was mainly for single screens. The film had a dull weekday performance which led to programmers giving it less shows in week two. The film could have done a bit better if it had more shows as new releases are below the mark.
Shaadi Ke Side Side Effects will have good growth on Saturday and the weekend should go over 3 crore nett, maybe a little more depending on growth but that is pretty low second weekend business.
Queen has jumped around 150 percent in Kanpur on Saturday. I am expecting a similar trend all over which will be great for the movie. If it can get to around 3 cr plus on Saturday it can put in good numbers from there on.
Other topic but important and intriguing.
The way the plane crashed and the use of stolen passports by two passengers. Was it coincidence? Even Pilot’s disorientation is being discussed about. Where is the wreckage and where are the dead passengers? There were 3 passengers from mumbai, one from Chennai aboard the ill fated plane.
Very sad.
Vigilante activist Sampat Pal may be angry with the producers of “Gulaab Gang” but in Madhuri Dixit’s character she finds a reflection of her own life so stark that it makes her feel “it was me on screen”.
“The battle about the movie has not ended and I will keep it going till my demands are met, but Madhuri has definitely impressed me with her acting skills in the movie,” Pal, founder of the vigilante group ‘Gulabi gang’, told .
“Madhuri’s acting did remind me of my journey and of the times I have been through. I felt it was me on the screen,” she said, adding she has nothing against the actors and her fight is against the producers including Anubhav Sinha.
Pal had moved the court seeking a stay on the film’s release claiming that her permission was not sought prior to making of the film and had alleged that it contains defamatory content which would adversely affect her reputation.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday allowed the film to be released across the country but with a disclaimer that it has nothing to do with the life of Pal and her organisation. Pal watched the movie on Friday along with her lawyer and said all the incidents portrayed were similar to her story, which was written by Amana Fontella Khan in her book ‘Pink Sari Revolution’.
“The filmmakers are claiming that its not my story, but after watching the movie, I am even more sure. It has all what my life has been all about,” she claimed. “Giving a disclaimer won’t change the reality. I am right here, the movie has the same story which has been written by Amana Fontella Khan in ‘Pink Sari Revolution’. How can Madhuri Dixit’s character ‘Rajjo’ be a fictitious one,” she asked.
“How I protested against violence against women, how I approached the CM when electricity wasn’t available in remote areas of Bundelkhand, how I had to go to jail, how I got a Congress ticket from the Manikpur constituency in Chitrakoot district in the 2012 UP Assembly polls, it’s all there in the movie,” she said.
Pal, a child bride and former government health worker, formed the gang of pink sari-clad women in 2006 which works for rights of women in impoverished Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
‘Queen’ dominates, ‘Gulaab Gang’ & ‘Total Siyapaa’ struggle!
By Taran Adarsh, March 10, 2014 – 10:56 IST
The business continues to slide downwards… and the tally of flops continues to shoot upwards. In the recent past, a number of films have had a sluggish start at the ticket window, gathering momentum [over the weekend] only if the word of mouth was effectual. The business sank to an all-time low last Friday as three significant films [GULAAB GANG, QUEEN, TOTAL SIYAPAA] clashed with each other. The *early shows* at some screens had to be called off due to lack of audience, while the occupancy at several screens was pathetic. It sent shock waves across the corridors of the film industry.
What does one blame the miserable and depressing start to? Examination period? Cricket matches? Plethora of movies invading the cineplexes week after week [too much choice for moviegoers]? Or is the spectator keen on spending his/her hard-earned money on movies that truly carry a strong word of mouth, post release? Of course, you cannot judge the merits of a film on the basis of how it opens on Friday morning, since there are umpteen examples of movies gathering momentum and hitting the bull’s eye subsequently. But a tepid start is indeed worrisome and shakes you up.
Amongst the three Hindi releases that opened last week, QUEEN seems to have stolen the march in the domestic market, although the final figures [opening weekend biz] are still awaited. Its BO collections escalated rapidly over the weekend, with the business witnessing a big turnaround on Day 2 and Day 3 after an unsteady start. The growth at high-end multiplexes of urban centres was incredible, while the glowing reviews by the paying public as well as critics and super talk from reputed names within the film fraternity boosted its prospects.
But GULAAB GANG was not as lucky, although the business did escalate [albeit marginally] over the weekend. The confusion over its release made a dent in its business, since a section of the audience wasn’t aware that film had released on Friday. TOTAL SIYAPAA, on the other hand, was aggressively promoted prior to its release and the promos too were talked about and appreciated, but the buzz was not overwhelming. In such cases, the word of mouth and reviews play crucial roles and since the talk was largely negative, the business remained low-key all through the weekend. However, its robust performance in international markets [UAE and Pakistan in particular] has come as a respite for its investors.
Gulaab Gang First Weekend Report
Monday 10 March 2014 11.00 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Gulaab Gang could not make much of an impact over the weekend with as multiplexes all over collected poorly. The film was better in places like UP, Bihar, Gujarat, CPCI and Rajasthan but even here collections were low.
The weekend collected around 8.25 crore nett which is a poor return for the wide release the film had. The film was showing on around double the screens of Queen and Total Siyaapa though the extra screens were mainly in small towns.
The multiplex screens were similar to the other two releases of the week. The daily business for Gulaab Gang for the weekend was as follows.
Queen First Weekend Box Office Details
Monday 10 March 2014 13.00 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Queen had a poor first weekend although it showed good growth on Saturday. The film collected around 9.25 crore nett plus in its first weekend and had the highest weekend collections amongst the new releases.
The film did its best business in Delhi city, East Punjab and Mysore as these three areas had growth of 100% on Saturday. Mysore was even more than 100%. Still despite the growth it will have to still sustain phenomenally well to put up just about decent final numbers.
The low opening has cost the film dearly as even if Monday comes in the same as Friday or even a bit higher, the Monday figures will still be lower than films like Highway and Hasee Toh Phasee. The daily business for Highway for the weekend was as follows.
I don’t understand whats the expectations in terms of box office from a small film starring Kangna…BOI is really harsh on small movies most of the times in their articles…I think 25crr will be very good result for Queen (although I hope it develops great legs on wom)
No one expected Queen to come in even 2 digit final total .. and here its first week expecting in range of 17 Crore .. this is even bigger achievement seeing the clashes with two other biggies ..
Everybody was orgasming on TWITTER about QUEEN 8 days before the official release. It was expected to be a big sleeper hit although everything depended on WOM and THAT was 99.5 % positive. So there is NO surprise at all. And the biggest thing is it is aimed at the Wassup generation which spends most. Now the distributors or whoever are the ‘pundits’ going by face-value of big ‘young superstars’ might not have expected – but the audience was MORE than ready for this one.
The other so called ‘biggies’ were down and out right from the word GO. One had 45+ year old actresses showing their mettle in a youth-oriented industry and the other had a pretty bad, dumb actor called some Zafar. Nobody today is interested in 45+ year-old actresses. These actresses need all the ‘parts’ in place more than the films need them at this age. It is still the same old industry.
For GG to survive, it had to be VERY good with WOM as positive as QUEEN. It could’t afford to have a supposedly screwed-up screenplay (I haven’t seen this one) and rely on the 2 ladies to bring in people. It won’t happen. It never will. You can NO longer expect ‘aged’ heroines to pull in the audience, be it Madhuri or any other former super-star. Nobody ran to the theaters to watch Sridevi. They watched EV BECAUSE the script and the movie were better than most out there. That movie would have worked with Sridevi, Madhuri, Juhi, or even Rekha’s sister.
Even an actress like Cate Blanchett in Hollywood at SAG HAD to mention in her speech for BLUE JASMINE that women-centric films DO work and make some money so please put in money and make these films..and here we are talking of Hi-fi..
If it was a well made film like Dedh Ishqiya, it would have got critical acclaim and more patronage from multiplex audience. Seems the film was made for single screen audience with an eye on multiplex audience by casting top female stars of the past.
By the way madhuri has more pull than Juhi in terms of boxofffice though the latter got more acclaim for her acting.
What you said about EV was true to some extent but I think Sridevi has still got it in her to make audience wow. EV would not have been same without Sridevi though I was not floored by that movie. Maybe because I watched it on tv.
Queen has a cost of 24 crores including print and publicity. The movie might have been small but the makers have spent money which is quite huge for a small movie movie. So BOIs commentary is fine here as even Highway and Hasee to Phasee had similar costs. I do understand that Highway and HTP are bigger brand movies but the makers of Queen have spent lot more money than they should have IMO. To get to hit status Queen needs around 35 crores and I think it might be on the way to get close to 30 crs at the least. As they say , movies dont fail, its the budgets that fail…
Queen is showing on 700 screens so it wont lose too many screens this week to Bewakoofiyaan as the theatres will be giving it the screen space of Gulaab Gang. That would be great as I want Queen and Ranaut to do well here.
Television rights of small movies are sometimes decided after release and based on how the movie actually does. I am sure Queen stands to get a good price now that it is doing well.
Rakshit Shetty’s Ulidavaru Kandanthe will release on March 28. The film’s crew is busy with post-production work.
Rishabh Shetty, who plays one of the main characters in the film, says they are gearing up to take the film to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival this year.
Says Rishabh who is also the film’s associate director: “We will be sending Ulidavaru Kandanthe to the Cannes Film Festival this year. Rakshit has been working for it day and night. Background score, visual effects and the other post production work is on at a brisk pace.
“I have known Rakshit since his short film days, when we spoke of only making meaningful, quality films with newcomers, shot in digital format. Even then we could not find producers to make the film we wanted to.
“After Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wassepur’s dubbing rights in one of the European languages went for a whopping Rs 17 crore, we realised that there is a huge market for our films outside our country waiting to be tapped. We want to set a benchmark with Ulidavaru Kandanthe and I think we have.”
He says the film has “all the ingredients of the so-called ‘commercial entertainer’ – love, mother sentiment, action – but all in a different format and not in the beaten-to-death form of storytelling.”
Ulidavaru Kandanthe will be the first Kannada film to be shot in live sound by sound engineer Renjith Vishwanthan.
The film is likely to be released in other metro cities in India.
*** But isn’t the whole point of getting educated is to STAY AWAY from porn or be a stripper??? Just wondering***
WASHINGTON: Sunny Leone has company. The Duke University undergraduate who entered the porn industry ostensibly to meet the high cost of her college education and has caused a minor storm in America turns out to be — like the Canadian-Punjabi-Indian Leone — of part Indian-parentage. Her father is an American physician who has just returned from serving as an army doctor in Afghanistan; her mother is from India.
The names of the student porn-debutante, and that of her family members, and their address and hometown, has been out in public domain for weeks; The Times of India will not join in identifying them because of privacy and safety concerns. But media reports speak of the heartbreak and trauma in the family after the father, a devout catholic, returned from Afghanistan recently to find his daughter had made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
“This is a tragedy in the family. The father is one of the best human beings I’ve ever met. He is just back from Afghanistan; he served his country, how awesome is that? He’s so proud of his daughter; there’s no way they could have known this was going on,” a family member was quoted as saying on MailOnline.
However, the website also reported that the family was not going to abandon the youngest daughter, whose two older college going siblings are also said to be devastated. “I’m sure the family is going to rally round and love her. She did wrong by the family but they are still going to love her. They’re heartbroken, but it’s not irreparable. Nothing is irreparable when it comes to the family and their love for each other,” the close relative of the family said.
In media interviews, including an appearance on CNN’s Piers Morgan show, the young woman, whose porn identity is ” Belle Knox” or “Lauren,” has given some insight into the circumstances that propelled her into the $15 billion US adult film industry, where actors earn upwards of $1000 per session. While she initially claimed that she was forced to enter the porn world because her parents cut off her education funds, it turns out the situation is more complex, and her decision was based partly on her own sense of sexual repression, and later, sexual liberation.
The parents certainly gave all three children a good school education, sending them to an expensive prep school where tuition fee is about $11,000 a year. The youngest daughter was a straight A student. But as they entered college, the costs got out of hand for their reasonably well-off parents, even with the physician father earning at least $200,000 per year. The eldest son’s $40,000 a year music degree was mostly bankrolled by the parents, who didn’t want the children to be burdened by student financial debt that is endemic in the US They were also paying for the education of the two younger daughters
Somewhere along the way, it all got too much for them, probably when they bought a house for $477,730, with mortgage on $460,607. “I have siblings in college, who are being supported by my parents, and my parents are paying $1,000 a month just for their own student loans and my dad graduated 20 years ago,” Belle Knox/Lauren explained in an interview to the website realcleareducation.com. “One of my parents is recently unemployed. I was offered $13,000 in financial aid. That wasn’t enough — that’s $47,000 still unaccounted for.”
That’s when, she said, she decided to go into adult films, particularly since she enjoyed sex and had no animus against the industry.
Her rant against the current college education finance system expressed on Realcleareducation is as follows: “People have this perception that if you cannot pay for college, financial aid will take care of you, and that perception is wrong. If you are very low income, you can get a full ride to Duke, no problem. If you are middle or upper-middle class, you will get screwed in the process. So many middle class students have not gotten sufficient financial aid because on paper, their families look like they have money. Just because I’m not poor doesn’t mean I can afford $60,000 a year for college. Other students from middle and upper-middle class families have said the same thing.”
“When you look at the state of education in America, middle class students are left out, even harmed, by the financial aid process, not helped by it. Financial aid offices should look at their policies and how they help their students. I wasn’t offered any government loans — my only other option was private loans at 12 per cent interest rates and I knew that by the time I graduated college, I’d have hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt.”
“I have seen other members of my family graduate college decades ago still dealing with debt now and I knew it’d give me less mobility. It would also hurt me if I needed to get something like a credit card — hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt is not something I want to carry around and it’s absolutely ridiculous that that’s what the state of our nation is, that that’s an expectation.”
“I have a friend who comes from a low-income family and pays $500 a year for Duke, and when I talk to him about my problems with financial aid, he doesn’t understand. It’s such a problem to be caught in the middle with financial aid, and people just don’t understand. I think it’s very poignant that nowadays if you’re middle class, the only way to pay for college is to take out hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans. We need to provide a better financial future for our students. I shouldn’t have to go broke, I shouldn’t have to go into debt at 18 years old to pay for an education.”
“If Duke had given me sufficient financial aid, if they had given me the proper resources and made college affordable for my family, I would not have done porn. I would’ve just gotten through college and been fine. The financial burden that Duke put on me was absolutely enormous and insurmountable with the resources that I had.”
On why she didn’t do what most students do — service jobs: “Go to the mall and talk to somebody who works at a hot dog stand and ask them about their job. They go to work at 9am, work until 6pm, maybe get two five-minute breaks in the day, make $6.25 an hour before taxes, and they’re on their feet all day. They’re working in conditions that are physically and mentally draining. So they’re making maybe $100 a day before taxes for doing 9 hours of hard physical work. You look at that and look at what I’m doing, making $1,000 for two hours doing what I really love doing, which for me is not degrading and is something I feel safe in, you tell me which industry is demeaning?”
“People say the porn industry is demeaning, but being in a service industry is degrading in and of itself. You’re basically being stepped on. Any job I would’ve gotten as a minimum wage worker would’ve been exploitative, degrading to me, and not provided the money I needed to make, which was $4,000 month. So why would I work 80 hours a week, struggle with school, barely get any sleep and be treated like a second class citizen, when I can do porn for 14 hours a day , make thousands, set my own hours, and have a ton of fun doing it?”
First location locked for Mani Ratnam’s next
Mar 12, 2014
As reported earlier, Mani Ratnam is set with his next script and this time it is going to be a commercial action movie, we hear. Nagarjuna, Aishwarya Rai and Mahesh Babu have apparently signed up for the movie and it is expected to be a Tamil-Telugu bilingual. The hunt for the rest of the cast and crew is on full flow.
For now, composer AR Rahman, cinematographer Ravi Varman and editor Sreekar Prasad are on board. The first set of shooting can be expected to happen in June or July in Hyderabad.
‘300’s Mark Canton Teams With Graphic India On ‘The Sadhu’
By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday March 12, 2014
EXCLUSIVE: Hot off 300: Rise Of An Empire, Atmosphere Entertainment’s Mark Canton is next teaming with Graphic India to develop a live-action feature based on The Sadhu. He will produce with Sharad Devarajan and Gotham Chopra, whose Graphic India is a character-based company focused on creating superheroes, comics and stories through mobile and digital platforms. The Sadhu is one of those superhero properties. Devarajan and Chopra also co-wrote the screenplay for Warrior: Revenge Of The Sadhu, a new mobile comic series on the character to be launched later this year across India.
The story centers on James Jenson, a British soldier whose family is brutally murdered by a corrupt superior officer in the Indian colony of Bengal in 1858. Jenson escapes in the remote forests of India, where he seeks refuge with the mysterious Indian mystics known as sadhus. After years of being trained in their supernatural arts, Jenson must decide whether to use his newfound powers for inner peace and enlightenment, or vengeance.
“In the same way Greek myths have captivated the imagination of audiences around the world, the screenplay by Gotham Chopra and Sharad Devarajan for Warrior taps into the mystical traditions and mythologies of India through an accessible action-packed adventure that I am confident will make a spectacular blockbuster film and will mark the birth of a new franchise,” Canton said.
Said Devarajan: “With 300 and Immortals, Mark Canton has produced some of the most successful films in Hollywood based on epic myths and legends. We are incredibly honored that he will now be working with us to take the story of The Sadhu to the big screen.”
Graphic India was formed by Liquid Comics and CA Media LP, the Asian investment arm of The Chernin Group, LLC.
I watched Titantic recently, after many many years and typically it’s the type of film and film I usually/did crap on. But must say it holds up pretty well as an emotionally dramatic romantic film. I think this is the space Ranbir should have nailed by now…being this generations undisputed romantic hero. He’s mighty close, but still think he is waiting for that big big moment. After that, I hope he does what Leo did. Move away from the rom coms.
It needs to be around 1.75 crores this Friday, which means it has matched its first Friday collection. If that happens we are then looking at a final figure of 40+ crores which will be excellent.
B Corp open to making big budget movies: Abhishek Bachchan
Q&A with the actor, producer on the key issues surrounding the industry
Sheetal Agarwal & Urvi Malvania | Mumbai March 13, 2014 Last Updated at 17:54 IST
Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan at the FICCI Frames 2014, a three-day convention, in Mumbai on Thursday In conversation with Sheetal Agarwal and Urvi Malvania at the FICCI Frames 2014, actor and producer Abhishek Bachchan talks about his role as producer, actor and key issues surrounding the industry.
Throw some light on AB Corp’s plans? Are you looking at a particular budget for your films or you are focusing on co-productions?
We are currently co-producing a film with R Balki who made Pa for us. The budget is not a bar but the script is. If something that requires big investments comes up then we will invest accordingly. As far as co-productions go, it again depends from project to project. Many a times someone may have a good script and will need our support, we are happy to co-produce.
Your take on increasing collabration between Bollywood and Hollywood
This collaboration is driven by finance. We are an emerging market and I think the West is looking inward to India primarily for finance with regards to the entertainment industry. The fact remains that a lot of Indian money is being used abroad to finance entertainment. Case in point say Reliance buying into DreamWorks. The global entertainment market I feel is shrinking. So there is a lot of cross-funding, exchange of ideas, exchange of creativity and talent that is going to happen. You will now see a lot of Indian actors working abroad as well. Going by the quantum of business our films are doing on the foreign territories be it the gulf region, be it the UK, Europe or America, you do see that the influence of Indian cinema is growing and is also greatly aided by the fact that there is a huge influx of Indians abroad.
According to you which production model is the best?
I think the kind of business model you will choose for a production depends entirely on the budget and the kind of script and the audience you want to reach out to. So you have to be very malleable in that sense. For eg, we made Pa on a very controlled budget because we felt that the script was very niche. So the entire business model was prepared accordingly. Anything above and beyond that is your profit and is a bonus. But you cannot have anything cast in stone saying that this is the business model that we are going to follow.
What is holding back private equity investments in movies, production houses?
I think there is still lot of organization that is required monetarily. We have been granted the industry status just about 10 years ago. Contrary to the trend in Hollywood, funding in India happens more on a private basis not as much on an institutional basis and I think the trend is going to keep growing as and when people see the opportunity. That is going to happen once the film industry gets its distribution and marketing systems better in place. They are very old but with increased transparency investors will realize that this is an opportunity where one can make a lot of money.
Regulatory measures required in the industry?
We pay a very high entertainment tax. I think we need a bit more support from the government on that. Its a huge industry and the government can earn as well. But I think some of the tax rates are prohibitively high. I think a lot more incentive, subsidies needs to be given to the film industry.
Are you looking at getting into a sports franchise similar to that of Shah Rukh Khan, Shilpa Shetty,etc?
I would love to if the opportunity arises. I am very passionate about sports.
Actor or Producer? Which of the hats is your preferred one?
The actor. My only problem with production is my being an actor comes in the way of me being a good producer. I think they conflict with each other. I prefer acting. Although pre-production excites me, the execution does not as much. I enjoy sitting down and putting projects together and bringing the finance together. But once it starts rolling I like to take a back seat.
Just came across this–Ok so who’s ‘hotter’ of the two?
Think nargis isn’t at her best here and has just (relatively) casually turned up but DP is really ‘glowing’. Unsure why DP is Sooo dolled up, who is she trying to ‘impress’ lol
And btw what’s that ‘dress’…
And ROFLOL @ the comments below that link hahaha…
Wot entertainment
In an upcoming episode of popular TV chat show ‘Koffee with Karan’, the host, filmmaker Karan Johar, asks Kajol to rank – talent and acting ability wise – Shah Rukh, Salman Khan, Aamir, Ranbir and Hrithik in order of preference.
The ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ actress was quick to crown Ranbir, the junior-most among them, as No 1, though the two have not yet shared screen space. “On the top I would say Ranbir…I think he is fantastic. On second position Shah Rukh and Aamir are on par with each other…there is no up or down in that. Then we come to Salman and so on.”
– See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/for-kajol-ranbir-kapoor-is-hero-no-1/15157074#sthash.SePbM8eS.dpuf
But masala films are mostly looked down upon by media as mindless waste. Ayushmann disagrees, “It is an interesting phase for Hindi cinema where every genre is working. There is an audience for every genre technically. Filmmaking is afterall a business where the focus is on earning a lot of money. The audiences they are catering to is huge. There are people who would prefer watching a masala film over a Lunchbox . It really depends. 70% in India is primary sector and they all watch masala films.”
Funnily Ayushmann traced an interesting co-relation between Dhoom 3 and his small venture Bewakoofiyaan. We all take pleasure in trashing masala films and it is very baffling to see the same films earn good moolah. Like I always say a film’s great monetary performance is obviously benefiting the entire industry at large. Ayushmann content with his 3-film deal seems ecstatic that Dhoom 3 was a success.
Hindi films may be struggling to go over a ten week run but the Hollywood film Gravity is set for a Silver Jubilee run in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Cochin.
The film has collected nearly 32 crore till date and that too without a dubbed version making it the highest grossing Hollywood film which has not been dubbed. Also the local Hindi awards may make no difference to the collections of films as they have no credibility but the Oscars are a different story even in India as the film saw a jump in collections in Oscars week.
Below are the weekly collections of Gravity up till week twenty one with the twenty second weekend added. Week Twenty One was Oscars week. The GROSS collections of the film are 43 crore.
SATYAMSHOT 
March 7, 2014 at 7:01 AM
Mixed reviews. Juhi got more credit from critics. All complained about too many songs in a film like this. Seems Madhuri has done what Salman usually does in his movies.
Total Siyappa is panned uniformly. And Queen gets praise. But that praise may go against the film.
This means Shaadi ke side effects and Highway can still earn.
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March 7, 2014 at 8:26 AM
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh 3h
#ShaadiKeSideEffects Fri 5.70 cr, Sat 7.55 cr, Sun 8.01 cr, Mon 2.78 cr, Tue 2.63 cr, Wed 2.19 cr, Thu 1.97 cr. Total: ₹ 30.83 cr nett.
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh 2h
#Gunday 3rd Week: ₹ 2.30 cr. Grand total: ₹ 78.42 cr nett. India biz only.
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March 7, 2014 at 8:27 AM
Shaadi Ke Side Effects Has Low First Week
Friday 07 March 2014 15.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Shaadi Ke Side Effects grossed 30 crore nett in its first week though could not do much in the weekdays after a decent weekend. The film fell on Monday and although the weekdays did not see major daily falls, the weekday contribution was just 9 crore nett approx against the 21 crore nett approx weekend..
The film actually grossed good numbers over the weekend in Delhi, East Punjab and Mysore but these circuits fell off badly on the weekdays. The circuits that did not gross that well actually held up better like Rajasthan and CI as there was limited downside.
Shaadi Ke Side Effects is likely to witness a major slide in week two as there three new releases which will lead the market. It had looked like the film may emerge a decent or even good fare after the weekend but the Monday changed all that and now the film will be lucky to cross 40 crore nett
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March 7, 2014 at 8:28 AM
Highway At 26 Crore In Two Weeks
Friday 07 March 2014 15.00 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Highway dropped in its second week as it collected 5-5.25 crore nett it its second weekend taking its two week gross to around 26 crore nett. The film had grossed around 21 crore nett in week one giving a drop of around 75%.
The drop is in the normal range for week two but a film like this should be sustaining better as its tight release gave it a chance to have a decent run for a few weeks but the appreciation is missing as the second week figures are less than Hasee Toh Phasee which collected 6.75 crore nett.
This collections are also less than a film like Yaariyan which had a pretty decent start but then fell away badly but even that film managed a around 6.75 crore nett in week two. Highway will finish its lifetime run at around 28 crore nett which is not impressive.
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March 7, 2014 at 8:27 AM
ulaab Gang Queen And Total Siyaapa Depend On Word Of Mouth
Friday 07 March 2014 16.00 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Gulaab Gang, Queen and Total Siyaapa will all depend on word of mouth as all opened to mediocre houses, Gulaab Gand was best in mass areas but suffered at multiplexes as the film was cleared by the court to release on Thursday which meant multiplex shoe times were formed very late.
The collections of Queen and Total Siyaapa were very similar at multiplexes with Queen leading at some multiplexes and Total Siyapaa leading at others and also a similar release for both films.
The evening business and Saturday number will be all important for all three films. The approx screen count for the three films is as follows.
Gulaab Gang – 1600 screens
Queen – 800 screens
Total Siyaapa – 850 screens
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March 7, 2014 at 9:47 AM
http://www.india-forums.com/bollywood/hot-n-happening/41679-big-b-assists-screwvala-in-helping-underprivileged.htm
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March 7, 2014 at 12:17 PM
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March 7, 2014 at 4:59 PM
And this one is a cute photo. Love the expressions on AB and the other gentleman’s face.
Such happiness.
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March 7, 2014 at 5:00 PM
I meant, such happiness on AK’s face.
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March 7, 2014 at 7:37 PM
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March 7, 2014 at 8:09 PM
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news-interviews/SRK-is-better-in-the-boardroom-than-the-bedroom-says-Vidya/articleshow/31605922.cms
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March 8, 2014 at 7:43 AM
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh 14m
#GulaabGang Fri 2.41 cr nett. India biz only.
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March 8, 2014 at 7:44 AM
Gulaab Gang And Total Siyaapa First Day Business
Saturday 08 March 2014 17.00 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Gulaab Gang could not do much at the box office as it collected around 2-2.25 crore nett on its first day though it collected best out of the three new releases due to a higher screen count and better business in the mass circuits of UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, CP Berar, CI and Gujarat.
Total Siyaapa was the worst of the three releases as it collected around 1 crore nett on its first day with only select multiplexes of North India having worthwhile collections.
Like Queen both Gulaab Gang and Total Siyaapa need big jumps on Saturday to make an impact but it will be tough as Total Siyaapa is tool low and even a phenomenal jump will not help much and Gulaab Gang has best collections in mass pockets which tend to jump less on Saturday.
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March 8, 2014 at 7:45 AM
Shaadi Ke Side Effects Eight Day Business
Saturday 08 March 2014 16.00 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Shaadi Ke Side Effects fell badly on day eight as it collected around 75 lakhs nett on its 8th day which is a drop of over 85% from its first day. The film will not have been affected much by the new releases as they did not do much. Queen .
Queen had mediocre collections had multiplexes while Gulaab Gang was mainly for single screens. The film had a dull weekday performance which led to programmers giving it less shows in week two. The film could have done a bit better if it had more shows as new releases are below the mark.
Shaadi Ke Side Side Effects will have good growth on Saturday and the weekend should go over 3 crore nett, maybe a little more depending on growth but that is pretty low second weekend business.
.
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March 8, 2014 at 8:39 PM
Queen has jumped around 150 percent in Kanpur on Saturday. I am expecting a similar trend all over which will be great for the movie. If it can get to around 3 cr plus on Saturday it can put in good numbers from there on.
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March 9, 2014 at 4:33 AM
Other topic but important and intriguing.
The way the plane crashed and the use of stolen passports by two passengers. Was it coincidence? Even Pilot’s disorientation is being discussed about. Where is the wreckage and where are the dead passengers? There were 3 passengers from mumbai, one from Chennai aboard the ill fated plane.
Very sad.
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March 9, 2014 at 6:54 AM
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March 9, 2014 at 8:17 AM
Worst, even after more than 24 hours couldn’t track the plane .. not even sure if it is crashed or high jacked. I wish no crash ..
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March 9, 2014 at 8:18 PM
Vigilante activist Sampat Pal may be angry with the producers of “Gulaab Gang” but in Madhuri Dixit’s character she finds a reflection of her own life so stark that it makes her feel “it was me on screen”.
“The battle about the movie has not ended and I will keep it going till my demands are met, but Madhuri has definitely impressed me with her acting skills in the movie,” Pal, founder of the vigilante group ‘Gulabi gang’, told .
“Madhuri’s acting did remind me of my journey and of the times I have been through. I felt it was me on the screen,” she said, adding she has nothing against the actors and her fight is against the producers including Anubhav Sinha.
Pal had moved the court seeking a stay on the film’s release claiming that her permission was not sought prior to making of the film and had alleged that it contains defamatory content which would adversely affect her reputation.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday allowed the film to be released across the country but with a disclaimer that it has nothing to do with the life of Pal and her organisation. Pal watched the movie on Friday along with her lawyer and said all the incidents portrayed were similar to her story, which was written by Amana Fontella Khan in her book ‘Pink Sari Revolution’.
“The filmmakers are claiming that its not my story, but after watching the movie, I am even more sure. It has all what my life has been all about,” she claimed. “Giving a disclaimer won’t change the reality. I am right here, the movie has the same story which has been written by Amana Fontella Khan in ‘Pink Sari Revolution’. How can Madhuri Dixit’s character ‘Rajjo’ be a fictitious one,” she asked.
“How I protested against violence against women, how I approached the CM when electricity wasn’t available in remote areas of Bundelkhand, how I had to go to jail, how I got a Congress ticket from the Manikpur constituency in Chitrakoot district in the 2012 UP Assembly polls, it’s all there in the movie,” she said.
Pal, a child bride and former government health worker, formed the gang of pink sari-clad women in 2006 which works for rights of women in impoverished Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
By Gunjan Sharma
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March 10, 2014 at 5:47 AM
http://www.koimoi.com/box-office/queen-scores-more-than-gulaab-gang-1st-weekend-box-office-collections/
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March 10, 2014 at 6:29 AM
Hahaha
No! This is NOT a spoof. **It’s for real. ** 😀 😀
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March 10, 2014 at 11:54 AM
This is funny!
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March 10, 2014 at 6:52 AM
‘Queen’ dominates, ‘Gulaab Gang’ & ‘Total Siyapaa’ struggle!
By Taran Adarsh, March 10, 2014 – 10:56 IST
The business continues to slide downwards… and the tally of flops continues to shoot upwards. In the recent past, a number of films have had a sluggish start at the ticket window, gathering momentum [over the weekend] only if the word of mouth was effectual. The business sank to an all-time low last Friday as three significant films [GULAAB GANG, QUEEN, TOTAL SIYAPAA] clashed with each other. The *early shows* at some screens had to be called off due to lack of audience, while the occupancy at several screens was pathetic. It sent shock waves across the corridors of the film industry.
What does one blame the miserable and depressing start to? Examination period? Cricket matches? Plethora of movies invading the cineplexes week after week [too much choice for moviegoers]? Or is the spectator keen on spending his/her hard-earned money on movies that truly carry a strong word of mouth, post release? Of course, you cannot judge the merits of a film on the basis of how it opens on Friday morning, since there are umpteen examples of movies gathering momentum and hitting the bull’s eye subsequently. But a tepid start is indeed worrisome and shakes you up.
Amongst the three Hindi releases that opened last week, QUEEN seems to have stolen the march in the domestic market, although the final figures [opening weekend biz] are still awaited. Its BO collections escalated rapidly over the weekend, with the business witnessing a big turnaround on Day 2 and Day 3 after an unsteady start. The growth at high-end multiplexes of urban centres was incredible, while the glowing reviews by the paying public as well as critics and super talk from reputed names within the film fraternity boosted its prospects.
But GULAAB GANG was not as lucky, although the business did escalate [albeit marginally] over the weekend. The confusion over its release made a dent in its business, since a section of the audience wasn’t aware that film had released on Friday. TOTAL SIYAPAA, on the other hand, was aggressively promoted prior to its release and the promos too were talked about and appreciated, but the buzz was not overwhelming. In such cases, the word of mouth and reviews play crucial roles and since the talk was largely negative, the business remained low-key all through the weekend. However, its robust performance in international markets [UAE and Pakistan in particular] has come as a respite for its investors.
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March 10, 2014 at 6:55 AM
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh 2h
#TotalSiyapaa Fri 1.11 cr, Sat 1.43 cr, Sun 1.55 cr. Total: ₹ 4.09 cr nett. India biz only.
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh 28m
#GulaabGang Fri 2.41 cr, Sat 2.97 cr, Sun 3.46 cr. Total: ₹ 8.84 cr nett. India biz only.
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh 2h
#Queen Fri 1.75 cr, Sat 3.50 cr, Sun 4.75 cr. Total: ₹ 10 cr nett. India biz only.
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh 2h
#ShaadiKeSideEffects [Wknd 2] Fri 75 lacs, Sat 1.25 cr, Sun 1.40 cr. Grand total: ₹ 34.23 cr nett. India biz only.
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March 10, 2014 at 6:56 AM
Gulaab Gang First Weekend Report
Monday 10 March 2014 11.00 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Gulaab Gang could not make much of an impact over the weekend with as multiplexes all over collected poorly. The film was better in places like UP, Bihar, Gujarat, CPCI and Rajasthan but even here collections were low.
The weekend collected around 8.25 crore nett which is a poor return for the wide release the film had. The film was showing on around double the screens of Queen and Total Siyaapa though the extra screens were mainly in small towns.
The multiplex screens were similar to the other two releases of the week. The daily business for Gulaab Gang for the weekend was as follows.
Friday – 2,00,00,000
Saturday – 2,75,00,000
Sunday – 3,50,00,000
TOTAL – 8,25,00,000
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March 10, 2014 at 6:56 AM
Queen First Weekend Box Office Details
Monday 10 March 2014 13.00 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Queen had a poor first weekend although it showed good growth on Saturday. The film collected around 9.25 crore nett plus in its first weekend and had the highest weekend collections amongst the new releases.
The film did its best business in Delhi city, East Punjab and Mysore as these three areas had growth of 100% on Saturday. Mysore was even more than 100%. Still despite the growth it will have to still sustain phenomenally well to put up just about decent final numbers.
The low opening has cost the film dearly as even if Monday comes in the same as Friday or even a bit higher, the Monday figures will still be lower than films like Highway and Hasee Toh Phasee. The daily business for Highway for the weekend was as follows.
Friday – 1,80,00,000
Saturday – 3,35,00,000
Sunday – 4,30,00,000
TOTAL – 9,35,00,000
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March 10, 2014 at 11:57 AM
I think Queen can go past Highway in the long run. The reception for the movie is very very positive.
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March 10, 2014 at 6:59 AM
http://www.india-forums.com/bollywood/hot-n-happening/41746-what-makes-deepika-padukone-jealous-of-kangana-ranaut.htm
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March 10, 2014 at 4:02 PM
I don’t understand whats the expectations in terms of box office from a small film starring Kangna…BOI is really harsh on small movies most of the times in their articles…I think 25crr will be very good result for Queen (although I hope it develops great legs on wom)
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March 10, 2014 at 4:52 PM
agreed, BOI tend to raise the bar for the smallest films!
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March 11, 2014 at 6:21 AM
No one expected Queen to come in even 2 digit final total .. and here its first week expecting in range of 17 Crore .. this is even bigger achievement seeing the clashes with two other biggies ..
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March 11, 2014 at 10:44 AM
Everybody was orgasming on TWITTER about QUEEN 8 days before the official release. It was expected to be a big sleeper hit although everything depended on WOM and THAT was 99.5 % positive. So there is NO surprise at all. And the biggest thing is it is aimed at the Wassup generation which spends most. Now the distributors or whoever are the ‘pundits’ going by face-value of big ‘young superstars’ might not have expected – but the audience was MORE than ready for this one.
The other so called ‘biggies’ were down and out right from the word GO. One had 45+ year old actresses showing their mettle in a youth-oriented industry and the other had a pretty bad, dumb actor called some Zafar. Nobody today is interested in 45+ year-old actresses. These actresses need all the ‘parts’ in place more than the films need them at this age. It is still the same old industry.
For GG to survive, it had to be VERY good with WOM as positive as QUEEN. It could’t afford to have a supposedly screwed-up screenplay (I haven’t seen this one) and rely on the 2 ladies to bring in people. It won’t happen. It never will. You can NO longer expect ‘aged’ heroines to pull in the audience, be it Madhuri or any other former super-star. Nobody ran to the theaters to watch Sridevi. They watched EV BECAUSE the script and the movie were better than most out there. That movie would have worked with Sridevi, Madhuri, Juhi, or even Rekha’s sister.
Even an actress like Cate Blanchett in Hollywood at SAG HAD to mention in her speech for BLUE JASMINE that women-centric films DO work and make some money so please put in money and make these films..and here we are talking of Hi-fi..
yes and she does give the HJ to the statue
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March 11, 2014 at 10:26 PM
If it was a well made film like Dedh Ishqiya, it would have got critical acclaim and more patronage from multiplex audience. Seems the film was made for single screen audience with an eye on multiplex audience by casting top female stars of the past.
By the way madhuri has more pull than Juhi in terms of boxofffice though the latter got more acclaim for her acting.
What you said about EV was true to some extent but I think Sridevi has still got it in her to make audience wow. EV would not have been same without Sridevi though I was not floored by that movie. Maybe because I watched it on tv.
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March 12, 2014 at 1:53 PM
Queen has a cost of 24 crores including print and publicity. The movie might have been small but the makers have spent money which is quite huge for a small movie movie. So BOIs commentary is fine here as even Highway and Hasee to Phasee had similar costs. I do understand that Highway and HTP are bigger brand movies but the makers of Queen have spent lot more money than they should have IMO. To get to hit status Queen needs around 35 crores and I think it might be on the way to get close to 30 crs at the least. As they say , movies dont fail, its the budgets that fail…
Queen is showing on 700 screens so it wont lose too many screens this week to Bewakoofiyaan as the theatres will be giving it the screen space of Gulaab Gang. That would be great as I want Queen and Ranaut to do well here.
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March 13, 2014 at 11:56 AM
they should recover the money just from television rights?
We do that for Johar’s and chopra’s to get favorable writing.
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March 13, 2014 at 12:07 PM
Television rights of small movies are sometimes decided after release and based on how the movie actually does. I am sure Queen stands to get a good price now that it is doing well.
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March 10, 2014 at 7:13 PM
var ven_video_key=”NTM0MTU1fHwxMjY0fHx8fHx8fHw=”;var ven_width=”405″;var ven_height=”325″;
Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar @ Raj Thackeray’s abode..
http://www.mid-day.com/videos/raj-thackeray-felicitates-sachin-tendulkar-lata-mangeshkar/12916
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March 11, 2014 at 4:05 AM
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/tv/5-interesting-revelations-from-Aditya-Roy-Kapoor-and-Shraddha-Kapoors-episode-of-Koffee-With-Karan/photostory/31786635.cms
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March 11, 2014 at 4:08 AM
http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/queen-kangana-ranaut-mesmerises-aamir-khan/article1-1193477.aspx
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March 11, 2014 at 4:11 AM
http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/aamir-khan-in-awe-of-kangana-ranauts-queen/
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March 12, 2014 at 9:17 AM
***INTERESTING TRAILER***
Rakshit Shetty’s Ulidavaru Kandanthe will release on March 28. The film’s crew is busy with post-production work.
Rishabh Shetty, who plays one of the main characters in the film, says they are gearing up to take the film to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival this year.
Says Rishabh who is also the film’s associate director: “We will be sending Ulidavaru Kandanthe to the Cannes Film Festival this year. Rakshit has been working for it day and night. Background score, visual effects and the other post production work is on at a brisk pace.
“I have known Rakshit since his short film days, when we spoke of only making meaningful, quality films with newcomers, shot in digital format. Even then we could not find producers to make the film we wanted to.
“After Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wassepur’s dubbing rights in one of the European languages went for a whopping Rs 17 crore, we realised that there is a huge market for our films outside our country waiting to be tapped. We want to set a benchmark with Ulidavaru Kandanthe and I think we have.”
He says the film has “all the ingredients of the so-called ‘commercial entertainer’ – love, mother sentiment, action – but all in a different format and not in the beaten-to-death form of storytelling.”
Ulidavaru Kandanthe will be the first Kannada film to be shot in live sound by sound engineer Renjith Vishwanthan.
The film is likely to be released in other metro cities in India.
Praveen Sundaram in Bangalore
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March 12, 2014 at 10:42 AM
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Mumbai-rushes-to-save-icebox-baby/articleshow/31898329.cms
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March 12, 2014 at 10:56 AM
*** But isn’t the whole point of getting educated is to STAY AWAY from porn or be a stripper??? Just wondering***
WASHINGTON: Sunny Leone has company. The Duke University undergraduate who entered the porn industry ostensibly to meet the high cost of her college education and has caused a minor storm in America turns out to be — like the Canadian-Punjabi-Indian Leone — of part Indian-parentage. Her father is an American physician who has just returned from serving as an army doctor in Afghanistan; her mother is from India.
The names of the student porn-debutante, and that of her family members, and their address and hometown, has been out in public domain for weeks; The Times of India will not join in identifying them because of privacy and safety concerns. But media reports speak of the heartbreak and trauma in the family after the father, a devout catholic, returned from Afghanistan recently to find his daughter had made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
“This is a tragedy in the family. The father is one of the best human beings I’ve ever met. He is just back from Afghanistan; he served his country, how awesome is that? He’s so proud of his daughter; there’s no way they could have known this was going on,” a family member was quoted as saying on MailOnline.
However, the website also reported that the family was not going to abandon the youngest daughter, whose two older college going siblings are also said to be devastated. “I’m sure the family is going to rally round and love her. She did wrong by the family but they are still going to love her. They’re heartbroken, but it’s not irreparable. Nothing is irreparable when it comes to the family and their love for each other,” the close relative of the family said.
In media interviews, including an appearance on CNN’s Piers Morgan show, the young woman, whose porn identity is ” Belle Knox” or “Lauren,” has given some insight into the circumstances that propelled her into the $15 billion US adult film industry, where actors earn upwards of $1000 per session. While she initially claimed that she was forced to enter the porn world because her parents cut off her education funds, it turns out the situation is more complex, and her decision was based partly on her own sense of sexual repression, and later, sexual liberation.
The parents certainly gave all three children a good school education, sending them to an expensive prep school where tuition fee is about $11,000 a year. The youngest daughter was a straight A student. But as they entered college, the costs got out of hand for their reasonably well-off parents, even with the physician father earning at least $200,000 per year. The eldest son’s $40,000 a year music degree was mostly bankrolled by the parents, who didn’t want the children to be burdened by student financial debt that is endemic in the US They were also paying for the education of the two younger daughters
Somewhere along the way, it all got too much for them, probably when they bought a house for $477,730, with mortgage on $460,607. “I have siblings in college, who are being supported by my parents, and my parents are paying $1,000 a month just for their own student loans and my dad graduated 20 years ago,” Belle Knox/Lauren explained in an interview to the website realcleareducation.com. “One of my parents is recently unemployed. I was offered $13,000 in financial aid. That wasn’t enough — that’s $47,000 still unaccounted for.”
That’s when, she said, she decided to go into adult films, particularly since she enjoyed sex and had no animus against the industry.
Her rant against the current college education finance system expressed on Realcleareducation is as follows: “People have this perception that if you cannot pay for college, financial aid will take care of you, and that perception is wrong. If you are very low income, you can get a full ride to Duke, no problem. If you are middle or upper-middle class, you will get screwed in the process. So many middle class students have not gotten sufficient financial aid because on paper, their families look like they have money. Just because I’m not poor doesn’t mean I can afford $60,000 a year for college. Other students from middle and upper-middle class families have said the same thing.”
“When you look at the state of education in America, middle class students are left out, even harmed, by the financial aid process, not helped by it. Financial aid offices should look at their policies and how they help their students. I wasn’t offered any government loans — my only other option was private loans at 12 per cent interest rates and I knew that by the time I graduated college, I’d have hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt.”
“I have seen other members of my family graduate college decades ago still dealing with debt now and I knew it’d give me less mobility. It would also hurt me if I needed to get something like a credit card — hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt is not something I want to carry around and it’s absolutely ridiculous that that’s what the state of our nation is, that that’s an expectation.”
“I have a friend who comes from a low-income family and pays $500 a year for Duke, and when I talk to him about my problems with financial aid, he doesn’t understand. It’s such a problem to be caught in the middle with financial aid, and people just don’t understand. I think it’s very poignant that nowadays if you’re middle class, the only way to pay for college is to take out hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans. We need to provide a better financial future for our students. I shouldn’t have to go broke, I shouldn’t have to go into debt at 18 years old to pay for an education.”
“If Duke had given me sufficient financial aid, if they had given me the proper resources and made college affordable for my family, I would not have done porn. I would’ve just gotten through college and been fine. The financial burden that Duke put on me was absolutely enormous and insurmountable with the resources that I had.”
On why she didn’t do what most students do — service jobs: “Go to the mall and talk to somebody who works at a hot dog stand and ask them about their job. They go to work at 9am, work until 6pm, maybe get two five-minute breaks in the day, make $6.25 an hour before taxes, and they’re on their feet all day. They’re working in conditions that are physically and mentally draining. So they’re making maybe $100 a day before taxes for doing 9 hours of hard physical work. You look at that and look at what I’m doing, making $1,000 for two hours doing what I really love doing, which for me is not degrading and is something I feel safe in, you tell me which industry is demeaning?”
“People say the porn industry is demeaning, but being in a service industry is degrading in and of itself. You’re basically being stepped on. Any job I would’ve gotten as a minimum wage worker would’ve been exploitative, degrading to me, and not provided the money I needed to make, which was $4,000 month. So why would I work 80 hours a week, struggle with school, barely get any sleep and be treated like a second class citizen, when I can do porn for 14 hours a day , make thousands, set my own hours, and have a ton of fun doing it?”
Source: TOI
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March 12, 2014 at 2:39 PM
First location locked for Mani Ratnam’s next
Mar 12, 2014
As reported earlier, Mani Ratnam is set with his next script and this time it is going to be a commercial action movie, we hear. Nagarjuna, Aishwarya Rai and Mahesh Babu have apparently signed up for the movie and it is expected to be a Tamil-Telugu bilingual. The hunt for the rest of the cast and crew is on full flow.
For now, composer AR Rahman, cinematographer Ravi Varman and editor Sreekar Prasad are on board. The first set of shooting can be expected to happen in June or July in Hyderabad.
Stay tuned for more updates.
http://behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-14/mani-ratnams-next-starring-nagarjuna-mahesh-babu-and-aishwarya-rai-to-go-on-floors.html
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March 13, 2014 at 12:25 AM
‘300’s Mark Canton Teams With Graphic India On ‘The Sadhu’
By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday March 12, 2014
EXCLUSIVE: Hot off 300: Rise Of An Empire, Atmosphere Entertainment’s Mark Canton is next teaming with Graphic India to develop a live-action feature based on The Sadhu. He will produce with Sharad Devarajan and Gotham Chopra, whose Graphic India is a character-based company focused on creating superheroes, comics and stories through mobile and digital platforms. The Sadhu is one of those superhero properties. Devarajan and Chopra also co-wrote the screenplay for Warrior: Revenge Of The Sadhu, a new mobile comic series on the character to be launched later this year across India.
The story centers on James Jenson, a British soldier whose family is brutally murdered by a corrupt superior officer in the Indian colony of Bengal in 1858. Jenson escapes in the remote forests of India, where he seeks refuge with the mysterious Indian mystics known as sadhus. After years of being trained in their supernatural arts, Jenson must decide whether to use his newfound powers for inner peace and enlightenment, or vengeance.
“In the same way Greek myths have captivated the imagination of audiences around the world, the screenplay by Gotham Chopra and Sharad Devarajan for Warrior taps into the mystical traditions and mythologies of India through an accessible action-packed adventure that I am confident will make a spectacular blockbuster film and will mark the birth of a new franchise,” Canton said.
Said Devarajan: “With 300 and Immortals, Mark Canton has produced some of the most successful films in Hollywood based on epic myths and legends. We are incredibly honored that he will now be working with us to take the story of The Sadhu to the big screen.”
Graphic India was formed by Liquid Comics and CA Media LP, the Asian investment arm of The Chernin Group, LLC.
http://www.deadline.com/2014/03/300s-mark-canton-teams-with-graphic-india-on-the-sadhu/
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March 13, 2014 at 5:04 AM
Bombay Velvet is my Titanic: Ranbir Kapoor
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news-interviews/Bombay-Velvet-is-my-Titanic-Ranbir-Kapoor/articleshow/31922016.cms
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March 13, 2014 at 5:28 AM
I watched Titantic recently, after many many years and typically it’s the type of film and film I usually/did crap on. But must say it holds up pretty well as an emotionally dramatic romantic film. I think this is the space Ranbir should have nailed by now…being this generations undisputed romantic hero. He’s mighty close, but still think he is waiting for that big big moment. After that, I hope he does what Leo did. Move away from the rom coms.
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March 13, 2014 at 5:35 AM
Ranbir and Deepika as Titanic pair. Indian version.
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March 13, 2014 at 5:42 AM
Sooraj Barjatya’s next film Prem Ratan Dhan Payo with Salman Khan
http://www.india-forums.com/bollywood/hot-n-happening/41822-sooraj-barjatya-next-film-prem-ratan-dhan-payo-with-salman-khan.htm
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March 13, 2014 at 6:53 AM
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh 51m
#Queen Fri 1.75 cr, Sat 3.50 cr, Sun 4.75 cr, Mon 2.05 cr, Tue 2.15 cr, Wed 2.30 cr. Total: ₹ 16.50 cr nett. PHENOMENAL GROWTH IN BIZ!
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March 13, 2014 at 8:42 AM
It is trending very well. But tomorrow there will be new releases.
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March 13, 2014 at 10:00 AM
It needs to be around 1.75 crores this Friday, which means it has matched its first Friday collection. If that happens we are then looking at a final figure of 40+ crores which will be excellent.
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March 13, 2014 at 10:15 AM
B Corp open to making big budget movies: Abhishek Bachchan
Q&A with the actor, producer on the key issues surrounding the industry
Sheetal Agarwal & Urvi Malvania | Mumbai March 13, 2014 Last Updated at 17:54 IST
Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan at the FICCI Frames 2014, a three-day convention, in Mumbai on Thursday In conversation with Sheetal Agarwal and Urvi Malvania at the FICCI Frames 2014, actor and producer Abhishek Bachchan talks about his role as producer, actor and key issues surrounding the industry.
Throw some light on AB Corp’s plans? Are you looking at a particular budget for your films or you are focusing on co-productions?
We are currently co-producing a film with R Balki who made Pa for us. The budget is not a bar but the script is. If something that requires big investments comes up then we will invest accordingly. As far as co-productions go, it again depends from project to project. Many a times someone may have a good script and will need our support, we are happy to co-produce.
Your take on increasing collabration between Bollywood and Hollywood
This collaboration is driven by finance. We are an emerging market and I think the West is looking inward to India primarily for finance with regards to the entertainment industry. The fact remains that a lot of Indian money is being used abroad to finance entertainment. Case in point say Reliance buying into DreamWorks. The global entertainment market I feel is shrinking. So there is a lot of cross-funding, exchange of ideas, exchange of creativity and talent that is going to happen. You will now see a lot of Indian actors working abroad as well. Going by the quantum of business our films are doing on the foreign territories be it the gulf region, be it the UK, Europe or America, you do see that the influence of Indian cinema is growing and is also greatly aided by the fact that there is a huge influx of Indians abroad.
According to you which production model is the best?
I think the kind of business model you will choose for a production depends entirely on the budget and the kind of script and the audience you want to reach out to. So you have to be very malleable in that sense. For eg, we made Pa on a very controlled budget because we felt that the script was very niche. So the entire business model was prepared accordingly. Anything above and beyond that is your profit and is a bonus. But you cannot have anything cast in stone saying that this is the business model that we are going to follow.
What is holding back private equity investments in movies, production houses?
I think there is still lot of organization that is required monetarily. We have been granted the industry status just about 10 years ago. Contrary to the trend in Hollywood, funding in India happens more on a private basis not as much on an institutional basis and I think the trend is going to keep growing as and when people see the opportunity. That is going to happen once the film industry gets its distribution and marketing systems better in place. They are very old but with increased transparency investors will realize that this is an opportunity where one can make a lot of money.
Regulatory measures required in the industry?
We pay a very high entertainment tax. I think we need a bit more support from the government on that. Its a huge industry and the government can earn as well. But I think some of the tax rates are prohibitively high. I think a lot more incentive, subsidies needs to be given to the film industry.
Are you looking at getting into a sports franchise similar to that of Shah Rukh Khan, Shilpa Shetty,etc?
I would love to if the opportunity arises. I am very passionate about sports.
Actor or Producer? Which of the hats is your preferred one?
The actor. My only problem with production is my being an actor comes in the way of me being a good producer. I think they conflict with each other. I prefer acting. Although pre-production excites me, the execution does not as much. I enjoy sitting down and putting projects together and bringing the finance together. But once it starts rolling I like to take a back seat.
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March 13, 2014 at 11:19 AM
Very sane stuff here.
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March 13, 2014 at 6:41 PM
http://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainment/event/deepika-padukone-genelia-nargis-fakhri-chivas-kwan-bash
Just came across this–Ok so who’s ‘hotter’ of the two?
Think nargis isn’t at her best here and has just (relatively) casually turned up but DP is really ‘glowing’. Unsure why DP is Sooo dolled up, who is she trying to ‘impress’ lol
And btw what’s that ‘dress’…
And ROFLOL @ the comments below that link hahaha…
Wot entertainment
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March 13, 2014 at 11:48 PM
“Aamir and Salman were staying in the same hotel and met at night. They partied and chatted till the wee hours of the morning. They had been wanting to meet up for a long time but couldn’t due to their hectic schedules,” a source said. – See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/salman-khan-aamir-khan-party-all-night/15158060#sthash.nPIrxCqC.dpuf
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March 13, 2014 at 11:51 PM
In an upcoming episode of popular TV chat show ‘Koffee with Karan’, the host, filmmaker Karan Johar, asks Kajol to rank – talent and acting ability wise – Shah Rukh, Salman Khan, Aamir, Ranbir and Hrithik in order of preference.
The ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ actress was quick to crown Ranbir, the junior-most among them, as No 1, though the two have not yet shared screen space. “On the top I would say Ranbir…I think he is fantastic. On second position Shah Rukh and Aamir are on par with each other…there is no up or down in that. Then we come to Salman and so on.”
– See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/for-kajol-ranbir-kapoor-is-hero-no-1/15157074#sthash.SePbM8eS.dpuf
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March 14, 2014 at 1:33 AM
But masala films are mostly looked down upon by media as mindless waste. Ayushmann disagrees, “It is an interesting phase for Hindi cinema where every genre is working. There is an audience for every genre technically. Filmmaking is afterall a business where the focus is on earning a lot of money. The audiences they are catering to is huge. There are people who would prefer watching a masala film over a Lunchbox . It really depends. 70% in India is primary sector and they all watch masala films.”
Funnily Ayushmann traced an interesting co-relation between Dhoom 3 and his small venture Bewakoofiyaan. We all take pleasure in trashing masala films and it is very baffling to see the same films earn good moolah. Like I always say a film’s great monetary performance is obviously benefiting the entire industry at large. Ayushmann content with his 3-film deal seems ecstatic that Dhoom 3 was a success.
http://www.koimoi.com/bollywood-popular/how-dhoom-3s-283-crores-helped-bewakoofiyaan/
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March 14, 2014 at 2:21 AM
Hindi films may be struggling to go over a ten week run but the Hollywood film Gravity is set for a Silver Jubilee run in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Cochin.
The film has collected nearly 32 crore till date and that too without a dubbed version making it the highest grossing Hollywood film which has not been dubbed. Also the local Hindi awards may make no difference to the collections of films as they have no credibility but the Oscars are a different story even in India as the film saw a jump in collections in Oscars week.
Below are the weekly collections of Gravity up till week twenty one with the twenty second weekend added. Week Twenty One was Oscars week. The GROSS collections of the film are 43 crore.
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/Details/art_detail/gravityheadsforsilverjubileeinindia#.UyKfi87_2xs
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