Thugs Of Hindostan trailer

351 Responses to “Thugs Of Hindostan trailer”

  1. THIS is called living up to expectations! New thread please.
    Hindi version will do 60+ cr nett on 8th Nov. Dont know about dubbed versions.

    200+ cr over first 4 day weekend, willing to bet my money on this ‘prediction’. It will do much more than Dangal at BO.

    Vfx is at BB2 level. Will not matter at BO since there is enough of everything else going for it. BB2’s 500 cr is surely within sight. Land Ho!

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  2. Leaving pseudo intellectuals aside, this is a terrific trailer…absolutely loved it, Vfx are good too..

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Have mixed feelings about this , not as good as i expected it . Hope film will be better .

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    • Dunno if you expected Lagaan or D3, but this trailer is beyond my expectations from YRF/Acharya. And Amitabh is a great surprise here. The scenes between him and Aamir are good.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Let’s try to guess the plot.

    Amitabh is a Thug fighting the British called Azaad. To fight him, the Brits recruit Aamir. Fatty is Amitabh daughter and Katrina another accomplice of Amitabh gang. In trying to infiltrate Amitabh and his gang, Aamir falls in love with Fatty. He joins Amitabh quest to fight for Independence in his gang

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  5. Very good trailer. More than what I expected.

    I already watched 4 times. 2 times mute karke to absorb the fleeting scenes.

    Big B is awesome and in one scene looks like Bhishma pitamah.

    Katrina is surprisingly good. And vibrant.

    Fatima is interesting but very less space in the trailer.

    Acton scenes aided by background score is likeable.

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  6. This is really the closest that Bachchan comes to his 70s persona. Fatima has got the attitude and look right. Aamir seems to have the interesting role here and a lot depends on whether he will get it right
    Katrina as usual is out of place and I wish even for this inconsequential role, they had got someone else
    And hey is that Arjun Rampal who is the narrator?

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  7. So SRK overacts and Aamir is showing histrionics atleast in this Trailer😒😒. Not up to my expectations. But one thing I have to say there is no one like Amitabh. Only good thing in this Trailer. My god! True legend. AB’s over powering presence is just opposite the AK’s irritating character. It may shake Box office but then Tiger zinda hai also done 340 Cr. BO wise it will be huge but on prestige front I have doubt.

    Liked by 1 person

    • You think Aamir is overacting here? Seems like you missed this masterpiece! LOL

      Liked by 1 person

    • Aamir is entertaining, not irritating. And he is just right, not overacting. Amitabh’s serious character is being offset by Aamir’s badmaash. I feel that as the film progresses, Aamir’s role will get more serious.

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  8. The trailer is cut very well. The pace and dialogues are a plus. The VFX are very cartoonish. The film looks more like a children’s adventure, I expected something much more dark. The word ‘thug’ has pretty dark resemblances rather than colourful. Big B is superb – that tweet is so true. All those Bhootnath type roles he does – here he explodes and Aamir looks pretty good here in a truly crowd pleasing role.

    No real reservations except I think they could have just not shown so much lavishness here. The budget hasn’t been spent wisely IMO.

    But it’s going to be a true blue box office explosion for sure.

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  9. Like

  10. Trailer Ratings for this month:

    2.0 – 2/5
    Captain Marvel – 3/5
    ToH – 4/5

    Liked by 1 person

  11. I am saying everyone overacts or do hamming in some film or other. It depends on director to draw the line. I don’t know about film but atleast in trailer for me Aamir is over acting.

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    • A funny character does not mean over-acting. As I said, watch the Zero teasers to know the difference. Depp in POC was not exactly over-acting like Dharmendra in Sholay.

      Best example of non-acting and aver-acting in one frame …

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  12. The hero of the film is background score. What a score!

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  13. Looks like a video game. Doubt it’s gonna be a better film than Tashan.

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  14. hamra naam hain Firangi Mallah, gaon Gopalpur and zilla Kanpur aur. bilkul Awaara

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    • very thakela dialogue. Didn’t like Aamir one bit with that stupid nose ring or stud and curly hair. Copying Johnny Depp is not easy!

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      • Loved Aamir’s look. He actually carried off the weird nose stud, curly hair, kohl eyes — everything. And since I have not cared to watch a single Pirate film — I saw not Johnny Depp, but Ishquia character played by Arshad Warsi. 😄

        I have seen Depp in Chocolate and Edward Scissorhands. A couple of other films too. But none of the pirate films with their weird sea creatures and stuff. Maybe a scene here or there. Stuck in my head.

        Come on TOH. Prove the waiting mob wrong. I don’t expect high cinema, but I am pretty confident we will get a visual spectacle and a an action film that will fetch some laughs too. Good enough.

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  15. Thugs Of Hindostan Trailer, People. It’s An Aamir Khan Vs Amitabh Bachchan Blockbuster. Which Side Is Katrina Kaif On?
    Thugs Of Hindostan’s trailer is here – brace yourself for all kinds of wow
    Entertainment | Written by Nilanjana Basu | Updated: September 27, 2018 12:25 IST

    Oh. My. God. The trailer of Thugs Of Hindostan is here and will blow your mind away, true. And if you thought the motion posters looked a lot like Pirates Of The Caribbean – Twitter did, anyhow – the trailer couldn’t get more Pirates-ey and Aamir Khan’s character Firangi Mullah couldn’t be more Jack Sparrowish. The opening scenes of the trailer drop us into the epicentre of the storyline – the Thugs are gearing up to fight the East India Company, which came to India to trade but by 1975, the year the film is set in, had begun to rule. Soon, Amitabh Bachchan makes a grand entry with lots of action and dialogues delivered in his signature baritone. He plays Khudabaksh, also called Azad, – Thug commander of the sea. Big B’s second is deadly archer Zafira, played by Fatima Sana Shaikh, the determination in her kohl-lined eyes equalled by her skill with the bow and arrow. She means business.
    Actor Lloyd Owen, who plays commander of the East India Company forces John Clive, appoints the only thug who can parallel Khudabaksh’s war tactics. Enter Aamir Khan aka Firangi from “gaon Gopalpur and zilla Kanpur.” Firangi, a conman and smooth talker in the picaresque vein of Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow, infilitrates Khudabaksh’s fauj in order to rat out his war plans to the East India Company. Katrina Kaif, who plays dancer Suraiyya Jaan, is the added bonus in the trailer – which team she is on exactly is difficult to tell.

    The biggest surprise is towards the end of the trailer when the warring thugs confront each other and end the trailer on a cliffhanging note with the sound of clashing swords. All in all, Khudabaksh sums up the essence of the film in a few words: “Agaar azadi hai gunah, toh qubul hai sazaa. Ab toh hoga wohi, jo hai manzure khudah!” A glimpse of Aamir’s epic battle explains his self-confessed nervousness on the sets of the film – he’s fighting Big B after all, that too in his first film with the megastar.

    The film’s team released the much-awaited trailer on Yash Chopra’s 86th birth anniversary today. Remembering the celebrated filmmaker, Aamir Khan shared the trailer on Twitter with these words: “Here come the Thugs! It’s a big day for all of us. Missing Yash ji. Wish he was here with us. I hope that Thugs Of Hindostan will make your Diwali a fun and enjoyable ride!”

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  16. This has tashan flavored all over it – the director seems to have a thing for Kanpur (aamir’s charachter and Tashan charachters). I would still not be sure of a disaster because it has aamir, but hey he was there in dhoom 3 too and we all know how that turned out. I think pure masala (except Ghajini) is never been aamir’s thing.

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  17. Trailer looks epic.Let’s see 400cr looks sureshot I think.

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Looks like a cliff hanger. Doors open for the conclusion.

    Those who are complaining should notice that the budget is 250 crores and not 2500 crores. Not even 5oo crores. And the story is that of ordinary characters, not aliens with super powers who need all that vfx or whatever. It is foolish to go overbudget to fully satisy a miniscule number of geeks and run into losses. Most of the paying public are not that savvy that they will all collectively crib. Let the savvy watch HW movies.

    Liked by 2 people

  19. This has a Avatar storyline of infiltrator turning savior; amidst the world of thugs and british imperialism. Surprisingly Katrina has stolen the show over Fatima! I think they have purposefully held back on some accounts.

    Its a well cut trailer, considering its 3.5 mins long. Yet, they have not shown much.

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  20. What a bad trailer, pointless and cartoonish VFX. Much ado about nothing. Not talking about BO which it may break records. Saving grace is Big B. looks like a video game.

    Seeing it getting thrashed in SM they will come up something else to salvage?

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  21. Amitabh looks like has the main role here. Aamir in the goofy avatar is hamming…If the second half is intense, Amitabh will shine….No one does serious drama better than him…Superb trailor…400 crs will be a cakewalk I think…

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    • I thought it was based on some book…and that book synopsis was quite dark…But this seems different…I might be wrong…

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    • From the trailer it looks like Amitabh has the serious role. Aamir is the foil to this serious character. He has to be goofy, a lovable rogue. You can’t underplay such a role.

      Towards the end, Aamir’s character obviously gets more serious. Before that he is a behroopiya. Interesting funny roguish, yet lovable.

      Liked by 2 people

  22. Agar Amitabh Bachchan Azad hai tau Khudabaksh kon hai ? lol i am a little confused here .

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  23. People cant see beyond who shines and who does not. That is why big stars dont work together. Overall experience is what matters.

    There are lots of people with anti aamir agenda and they readily want to pass remarks against aamir even knowing his contribution in films like Lagaan and other films.

    Liked by 2 people

  24. Time to avenge MP’s average BO run. This wont fizzle out after 200 cr in 4 days. Koi shaq?

    https://twitter.com/RK9495/status/1045210421110681600

    Liked by 1 person

  25. Telegu trailer launched by BB maker HIMSELF!

    https://twitter.com/aamir_khan/status/1045213491848728577

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  26. I am surprised that quite a few are finding Bachchan to be the superstar here. Till yesterday many were saying Bachchan did not have BO power and his movies were not the blockbusters they were made out to be

    Liked by 1 person

  27. It is gratifying to see Bachchan get the role and credit he deserves instead of being shortchanged. And it feels good to see that it is happening in an Aamir movie

    Liked by 2 people

    • Come to that conclusion only after watching the movie. Trailers can be deceptive. There was some furore that Abhishek was shortchanged in Dhoom 3.

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      • There was more furore on Katrina having an inconsequential role. However you are right. Better to watch the movie and decide

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    • Aamir is presented as a Firangi Malla and there will be plenty of humour in his translation and broken English, I suppose.

      Liked by 1 person

  28. tonymontana Says:

    epic! bring it on..

    Aamir’s character might be modeled or briefly inspired from JS but he seems to have owned the character!

    Big B looks overbearing and fantastic and it’s great to see him in an action avatar!
    looks amazing and grand and looks worth the hype!
    this in all probability will have the greatest opening day ever ever by a distance

    Liked by 3 people

    • Completely agree. TOH trailer has delivered and how! I think Aamir’s mood pretty much says everything. On the eve of the trailer he is dossing around with SRK and co, I think he’s confident here.

      Liked by 1 person

  29. Watched both the Telugu and Tamil trailers. Overall Telugu dubbing seems to be better, seamless. Tamil is adequate but will definitely do the job. Not sure when Sarkar is releasing, but if it is a day before then TOH has a real chance in TN. Recollect Dangal doing quite well even though it was not dubbed

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  30. The discussion about overacting and not is pretty harsh rap on Aamir here.

    There are films he overacts in like RH, Ishq but in a Jack Sparrow type character, the whole point is to be a bit OTT! Just like Big B in Paa! And I think in Zero SRK will overact because he is playing a dwarf, all the LOTR films they all overact.

    It’s the normal roles where an actor doesn’t need to overact. I think Salman doesn’t overact or ham that much, he is just not capable! SRK in any romance overacts in a very simple roles. His lips and facial features just are going crazy, only a Ratnam or Gowariker tamed this habit.

    He is playing a fun character and you can’t expect Robbie from MM! It’s daft. I remember Tango laughed at Aamir’s breakdown in Ghajini at the hospital as ‘hamming’ on NG. Tell me one person who has just learnt his girlfriend was murdered brutally and he himself has suffered memory loss due to a blow to the head and they wouldn’t be ‘hysyerical’?

    No problem with Rahul crying with Hrithik on a bench after years of missing out of a relationship! It’s all about context really. And even so trailer will be rather extreme too.

    Personally I think Hrithik overacts the most. He is terrible with emotional scenes, just plain bad!

    Akshay’s quite good at not overacting unless he’s in a mindless comedy that requires it!

    Liked by 1 person

  31. Whoever thought Bachchan was not getting a meaty role here should be shot! Never ever would that happen.

    Liked by 4 people

    • No violence.

      Liked by 1 person

      • I mean that people have underplayed Big B’s importance here, reducing him to a part role – ready to give Aamir all credit. My view is clear – replace Big B with Anupam Kher here and see what happens! Fine he is not the ‘lead’ here but he is a big reason for the hype.

        He is not short changed like Abhishek in D2/3. Abhishek has a parallel role on paper but onscreen it’s clear the film’s are about the villain. The absolute opposite is here. Big B will probably have less footage than Abhishek in Dhoom 2/3 but his importance in the narrative and overall experience won’t be just about Aamir. If it is I will say the film is a waste of time now!

        Liked by 4 people

        • Big B in the trailers returns to his peak in the 70s, 80s, I suppose this is Aamir’s brain and wisdom exploring the untapped superstar in Big B at this age

          Liked by 1 person

        • I think you are talking about Idea! The film was always about these 2. BigB and Aamir.
          But we dont know about the importance of other characters other than these two. Both BigB and aamir said that Fatima is the central character and she has a good role. But she is not yet a big star like them. So her part is underplayed in the trailer while Katrina’s overplayed relatively. She may walk way with more applause if that is the case and if she plays her part really well. Cant say anything now.
          Ultimately the film matters and everybody associated with the film has a stake in it.

          Liked by 1 person

    • Well, I think he has been short changed in VZ, Mohabattein etc. And no one till ToH has explored his action hero capabilities, something he delivered so consistently in his hey days

      Liked by 3 people

  32. Today, the whole cast of Thugs Of Hindostan were present at the trailer launch event. One of the journalists asked Aamir about the most viral picture on the internet today and how was it, to which Big B promptly expressed his grief and said, “We are sad that we were not called for the party. Katrina Kaif and I were talking about it, before demoralising us, he should have told us (about the gathering). We were upset that we were not called.”

    Talking about the night, the Ghajini actor said, “Bas hum kabhi kabhi milte hai, maja aata hai.”

    Further, Big B went on to say how depressed Katrina and he were because of that party. He continued, “You have asked the most important question. Katrina is really there with me on this and we are deeply depressed because we were not invited. We are going to hold it against you, Aamir, Ranbir and everyone.”

    Haha, now that’s Big B’s perfect on point sense of humour!

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    • Haha! None of the cast of TOH was there except aamir! Including FatimaSS!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Karan had a gathering of his friends, including Aamir — and Aamir obviously showed them the trailer.

        Trust our stupid media to make an issue about it. Good to see Amitabh joke about it.

        More thoughts after trailer:

        I don’t see film crossing 400 crores. I could be wrong. Amitabh- Aamir, background music, cinematography, Katrina, Fatima — all may help propel it to 450 max.

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        • I think 500 cr is a possibility with a chance to break BB2 records in India

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        • Aamir was there to tell kjo that he cant do any film for dharma. Thank you v much.

          Liked by 1 person

        • Depending on the film (disclaimer), if the response is near Ghajini or Dabanngg (don’t ask me why I choose these films – even I don’t know) this film is going to go past 400 Cr inside 2 weeks.

          The biggest segment or demographic that has just been appeased is the kids. Kids will love a movie like this.

          My estimates would have this hitting 400 Cr by Day 12/13. This looks heavily front loaded and with better content than D3 it will sail past 450 Cr even before 2.0 arrives.

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        • 400 cr in 3 weeks is my prediction at this point.

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        • weirdly krk says ToH will not cross 200 cr. Think he has lost his mind?

          Satyam, why are my comments being deleted?

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        • I deleted one accidentally. Didn’t notice you were Jeeves! But a few others went into spam. Have restored a couple.

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        • 450 or 550 cr will depend on the film. This trailer will take it to 200 cr within 4 days itself.

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  33. I think anyone cribbing abt vfx needs a reality check. By visual spectacle, the reference point is obviously Baahubali films, not cameron’s films. Nor is it being publicized by makers as 75m vfx spectacle. We know what happens then!

    Had loved BB2 trailer inspite of its vfx, same with this one. That captain marvel trailer has good vfx, but is hardly engaging. This trailer is exciting enuf for me to spend a couple of thousands on watching it in theater in first weekend. The jobs done!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Trailer is impressive. Bachchan is super impressive because we have not seen him in this avatar for a long time. Hope his health permits him to do more such roles. Brahmastra for example.

      We got back OTT aamir back with a bang and I am not complaining. He can give a run for the ranveers and Varun dhawans even at 53.

      The background score is simply awesome! The unsung hero!

      Liked by 2 people

  34. Thought Fatima looked most impressive after Bachchan here which we all agree i think , as for Aamir i really hope his act is funny cause in the trailer the comedy didn’t work for me . The highlight for me was Aamir Bachchan face off right at the end .

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  35. only missing masala is ripped shirtless bodies of Aamir, Amitabh, Ronit Roy scaring the Brits away. If they include that and along with great songs, BB2 Box office can become history

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  36. Awesome trailer. Amitabh is superb! In fact, he seems to be the back-bone of the film.

    Aamir is fine, as always. His role requires him to play to the gallery.

    The BG score is very good. Fatima and Katrina are blink n miss in a trailer that is all about Amitabh and Aamir.

    The VFX are tacky and cartoonish. But a gripping plot would overcome the deficiencies.

    A Bollywood film with adventures, ships, cannons and war at sea.. bring it on!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Have not liked any yrf trailer as much as this one inspite its glossy look and feel. Move over dhoom and tiger series. Yrf has now got its biggest movie franchise in Thugs. This will get many sequels …

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      • 💯 comment in this thread already.

        Anyways, Ghajini had done roughly 35% more than srk’s highest grossers at that time (80-85 cr range of oso and rnbdj). Salman’s highest range is 340 cr now. A similar result will take toh to 460 cr, with outside chance of beating bb2’s 510 cr hindi collections.

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        • The wildcards here are twofold:

          1. China – How will Aamir’s masala film fare in mainland china after Dangal and SS?
          2. Will the southern audience finally warm up to dubbed versions of a bollywood entertainer? There is huge untapped potential here.

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        • on 1, given the fact they’ve been exposed to cinematic extravaganza and BB2 didn’t fare well in China

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  37. thecooldude Says:

    Great trailer…..loved it. As the villain said…Mazaa ayega.t

    Liked by 1 person

  38. thecooldude Says:

    Don’t remember the last time Aamir having this much fun in a role….probably 3 idiots!

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  39. This is the sort of trailer that grows on you, better with repeat viewing.

    Amitabh’s entry is grand and he obviously has a very serious and majestic role. But why is Aamir being dismissed by his haters? 😡 Aamir is said to be hamming/ overacting/ unfunny….Jesus Christ, the man is playing a role that brings fun and lightness into a heavy film that NEEDS such a roguish character. And he seems to be enjoying himself, his lines. I am not a viewer of the Pirates films and neither are many more I know. So to some of us at least, he is just this wily character, NOT Johnny Depp’s poor Indian cousin.😡

    And Aamir’s character obviously has this arc….whose side is he on?🤔

    Fatima seems to have good screen presence. I think we will get to see a lot of her in this film. Even Katrina is more than just a dancer. There is something more…

    All in all looks like a good popcorn entertainer is on the way. Not a great film maybe. But fair enough. With great background music and cinematography. Entertainment. Bas.

    Liked by 1 person

    • After Dangal, Aamir has chosen to do this massy entertainer. Wish he would pick up something niche, next. But his look today at the trailer show — points towards Gulshan Kumar biopic — which is to be directed by Subhash Kapoor, a pucca commercial filmmaker.

      Meh.😐

      Wish his wife would make a nice small arty film and give him a good role.

      Like

    • Think the trailer makes clear that Aamir is picked as a mole by the British (or East India Co here) to penetrate Bachchan’s group. At some point presumably he’ll have a change of heart! On being a ‘great’ film in the sense you mean that was never on the cards. It was always meant to be a grand entertainer. I do think it won’t disappoint in terms of making the most out of bringing Bachchan, Aamir together. In fairness even Hollywood films on this kind of ‘swashbuckler’ terrain aren’t profound scripts. But also MP offers a lesson. It’s not that easy to do both. You can have a richer script but the audience won’t love it as much. A rich masala script in the Kranti sense (though this is still not a ‘serious’ film in the Kaala Pathar or Sholay way) is possible but Bollywood doesn’t have people who are invested in or even truly ‘get’ that tradition anymore. In the South it would be a different story. What you’re then looking for is Hollywoodized masala with a script that offers enough of a story arc. I think this film judging by the trailer gets it right on this score. Finally BB. This film too doesn’t have a special script or something (barring the unexpected twist), this too is Hollywoodized in various ways.. but the director has great imagination here for the terrain and he’s completely ‘unembarrassed’ about his masala registers. But again that stance is possible within a Southern context not very much in Bollywood. Of course BB’s success even in Hindi markets shows you can sell this mix if you do it right. But once more no one in Bollywood has those instincts. And you have to really ‘feel’ this tradition, you can’t just be formulaic about it, at least not for a film as important as this one.

      Liked by 2 people

  40. thecooldude Says:

    Anyone who thinks Aamir will be sidelined here by Bachchan in anyway has no clue about Aamir Khan! Obviously, his role is not as grand as Bachchan from the trailer but believe me….he is the main lead here.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thats pretty obvious from the trailer itself.

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    • This is not about sidelining. It is about the story and its overall impact. Some may like Bachchan, some may like aamir, some may like fatima. No harm unless these likes are used to bring down the other. I am looking forward to Fatima’s act and whether she will do justice to her role.

      Like

  41. As some have expressed it looks like less about thugs and their cruelty to the hapless travellers. Their cruelty is conveniently covered up by making it into struggle for azadi so that they can plunder and murder without policing. Or these thugs maybe good thugs different from the bad ones to get support from the audience!
    In some sense British have brought about law and order which ultimately laid foundation for civil society and police raj. Their intention maybe bad and used just to control us.

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    • To make the thugs more acceptable we may have some back story. They may just plunder the rich without murdering them. And distribute the wealth like Robinhood!

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      • Please watch the video posted by An Jo above. In that Victor confirmed this movie is not based on the novel or Thugee culture. He only used the word Thug and rest all is his imagination. So there will be bo murdering of innocent people

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    • As LS said, this is more about popcorn entertainment than a historical like MP. And Aamir isnt exactly playing a saint here. Amitabh’s characterization is completely off as a Thuggee, but chalta hai – its YRF Acharya film after all.

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      • I liked MP despite its minuses. The historical authenticity gave it a certain respectability, beyond commercial cinema.

        What have they named this YRF film Thugs of Hindostan? Thugs were mainly highwaymen. These guys seem to be more of sea warriors.

        There is a theory that a sect of tribals suffered because their land was taken away by the Brits. And thus the thugs came about.

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  42. So many comments here (already 113!). Little to add. Agreed with most of the responses here. It’s a very effective trailer that does the job for this film. On the FX again not surprised because this is simply the ‘state’ of Indian cinema at this point. I’ve talked about BB many times in this regard. The script also seems fine in terms of the essential structure. I think the biggest gross here is a ‘given’ after this trailer. How much more it can do beyond this will of course depend on how well the script has been handled.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Finally you are here!

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    • “So many comments here (already 113!)”

      You think? And about 50 comments by just 1 person with really nothing to add, but 99% of his/her posts are like that anyway 🙂

      Wait until the other one wakes up in china and starts putting up tweets of every tom/dick/harry 🙂

      I think the trailer is fine, those who wants to find faults and has their mind made up will find fault in anything. I’m okay with this trailer just as much as I was okay with zero and 2.0 teasers. It is what it is.

      Great to see Bachhan with a meaty role in big budget masala film again.

      For those fans who finds fault in 2.0 vfx, go see titanic scene of how the ship flows in sea and now compare it to the opening portion of how the ship flows in sea in TOH and you’ll see that what Hollywood did 20 years ago is still 100% better.

      I think the songs will be very good in this because you won’t have arjit sing crooning with same type of songs that he has been doing for 5 years now. I’m hoping the songs are little old fashioned.

      Aamir will have full on masala role here. I think they’re hiding a lot, not much shown in the trailer, unless the movie is truly more on bachhan and Fatima.

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      • Good that we dont have more comments from the discerning mind who cant differentiate between 2.0, zero and this! Thank god for small mercies …

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      • The 2.0 trailer though was problematic (Rangan said it was great in 3D, I can’t speak to that) because it focused only on the FX and those didn’t look great. It’s as if the TOH trailer were only about the ships and so on which then exposed the FX in a similar way. On the rest that’s true for many big films. there are always enthusiastic fans who are let’s say prolific. This isn’t the first time this has happened! I’m ok with it as long as there isn’t like a new comment for every tweet! Won’t bring in the Zero trailer here because it’s not really comparable terrain.

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        • Aamir mentions Inder Kumar’s Rishta that he and Bachchan were once supposed to do together. In fact the film also had Madhuri. Similarly she and Bachchan were also doing Tinnu Anand’s Shanakt once.

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        • thecooldude Says:

          Indra Kumar..not Inder 🙂 Inder Kumar was an actor who passed away last year. Here is the pic from the Rishta mahurat

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        • Satyam, In south i have never seen directors cut a trailor which shows story like how Bollywood does…I mean CCV was an exception…Take the biggest of movies the trailor hardly run for more than 1 min 30 sec….Not sure if you agree to this but this is my observation…As to 2.0 i believe a bigger trailor is in the works…

          Like

        • yes and this wasn’t the case for Bollywood either. they’ve been doing it for a number of years now. I also don’t believe in such long trailers. But I’ve also believed for the longest time that for Bollywood the actual film is the ultimate ‘extended’ trailer! in other words you see ‘everything’ in the 3 min trailer. You then show up for the movie to see more of the same or to not be surprised in any sense. Across genres the films that have worked in Bollywood to any significant degree are also not those that ‘surprise’ in any serious sense. Even the BB kind of structure where there’s a sudden twist at the end of part 1 and where people then have to wait a couple of years for 2 would be unthinkable in Bollywood. At least before this film released. Leaving this aside though there is and has been in Tamil cinema a lot more of this element for a very long time. But then you also need strong scripts to pull it off. In Bombay everyone is just going for the big bang. No one cares that much about trending. In such a scenario why risk the good script?! A genuine film will always surprise the audience to one degree or another. The other kind is simply meant to be consumed. In a way this is what cinema has become globally for the longest time. What we see in Tamil cinema (certainly in terms of their new wave trends over the last 15 years or so, and really going back to Ratnam.. not going further back with Balchander/Bharathiraja.. because in that period Bombay was great too) is really the exception to the rule.

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      • And thanks for adding (read repeating all that has been said) so much in your comment after waking up from dreams of srk.

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      • Problem with old hags dreaming about old days is same problem like indian politicians. They contribute ‘zero’ and then are always questioning others contributions … to cover up their deficiencies. My posts on srk pisses you off, just cut the crap and say that.

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      • not 50 comments, only 43 comments at the time you posted your comment

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  43. Like

    • So the first one is half the story.

      Like

      • I sincerely pray that Aamir will not be not part of any more TOH films. Let them find other thugs. And Aamir should do some artistic commercially viable cinema in the next couple of years. Another Dangal, Talaash, Sarfarosh, RDB….

        Like

        • YRF’s next biggie will be Dhoom 4 in 2020. Acharya may do Thugs 2 after that (2022 maybe). In between dont think Aamir will be picking another masala script like this.

          Liked by 1 person

    • This is God awful news. The only thing that would be good is if Big B and Aamir die here at the end and they don’t take part in any sequel!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Yeah I hope there aren’t sequels but if this does historic business as it’s likely to it might be hard for them to resist the temptation.

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    • Have heard rumours that more Thugs films are in the pipeline. Let YRF make ‘em — but no more of Aamir- Amitabh as thugs.

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    • thecooldude Says:

      Aamir wouldn’t be part of any sequel….not his style. The only star right now who has never been part of a franchise (Dhoom 3 is not his franchise!).

      Like

  44. Perfect trailer for a complete commercial potboiler. Can’t help but feel however that AK does feel the heat while sharing screenspace with THE AMITABH BACHCHAN. A surefire Diwali blockbuster!

    Liked by 1 person

  45. Katrina may also be an espionage for the EIC

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  46. I dont mind a sequel to tie things up. Dont mind if these four are repeated in an absorbing drama. After azaadi.

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    • thecooldude Says:

      Absolutely 100% NO! Don’t want to see a sequel with Aamir and AB…..this is a one and done deal for them.

      Like

  47. Love how Amitabh spins his sword at 0:42

    Liked by 1 person

  48. thecooldude Says:

    As for VFX, yes the ship scene that started the trailer was not great but unlike 2.0, this is not a VFX based movie!

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  49. Aamir’s character is like Lakha in Lagaan. Big B is like Bhuvan. Katrina like Elizabeth. John like the English villain. Fatima like Gauri.

    Lagaan sequel on the ships.

    Liked by 1 person

  50. thecooldude Says:

    I thought that this one might challenge Dangal in China but it’s clearly not a Dangal \ SS type of movie….should be interesting to see how it’s received there.

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  51. Bachchan family fans can celebrate. TOH first shows’ collections will beat MM alone. So Senior member will show junior member who is boss at box office.

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  52. Trailer seems to have done its job. There is enough buzz allround.
    The next test would be the songs. Fairly confident that Ajay-Atul will not disappoint. D3 music was a let down

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  53. Incidentally all thr crticism on similarity to POC is creating a sense of deja vu. Ghajini’s trailer had similar comments on similarity to Memento. So all is well😁

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  54. tonymontana Says:

    on a second note this film does seem to have been shot on ship. at least the major portions !

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    • To my knowledge there were 3 or 4 location shoots. Summer 2017, major 45 day shoot in Malta waters on two specially constructed ships. Then Thailand in December, some beautiful green scenes that featured rivers, caves , forests and the like. Some scenes were leaked. This too was a major shoot, but shorter than the Malta spell. Then a final month long spell in Rajasthan, the Mehrangarh fort. There was also a short spell in Goa, finally.

      Funniest thing is that the word thugs reminds me of highwaymen, road robberies. ☺️And this film seems water centric.

      I wonder if there will be one more trailer? If it happens, it may feature Aamir in a more central role, the Rajasthan scenes…

      Like

      • In Western circles the word will be a bit more centred around a bully, bad boy image…a bit more of a darker personality. Hence why this colourful look is a bit odd. The grunge/nasty/seedy element is missing here and it’s more mischievous/playful. A shame of sorts as I expected the pitch here to be less child friendly. They’ve gone for a family film here. The way there is a voiceover/narrator it’s like a storybook… Lagaan still comes to mind but obviously a different setting.

        Because the title has always had Thugs my mind has always thought a dark but entertaining action film.

        Liked by 1 person

        • But this is extremely massy so BOI should be throwing a big party! Every demographic should be onboard here. I really can’t see anything but a super-duper first day here.

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  55. Well, this might surprise people but I haven’t watched POTC. So I can’t compare. Apart from 15-20 minutes that I watched on TV but neither the movie or Jack Sparrow got me hooked up. So I have nothing to compare this with. From little bit I watched POTC, it looked more of a realistic setup and TOH looks more like a fantasy. Secondly the target audience here must have definitely not watched POTC. Many of my family members who regularly watch Bollywood flicks haven’t watched POTC. Now coming to TOH trailer, it’s neutral. Neither good nor bad. It is in fact what it was expected to be. Am I impressed? Not really. Am I disappointed? Not much. VFX in Bollywood movies is always substandard. So again nothing unexpected. Big B is too serious. Aamir is exact opposite. Katrina is dancing and seducing. Nothing new here, so far. So far I can say it has lot to do to cross 400 cr net. Movie is relying too heavily on Aamir and Big B. Not that I have any doubt that it is possible for Aamir and Big B to pull this off past 400 cr. But well, if we bring in 2 of the greatest actors and superstars of Indian cinema and not just Bollywood it’s a big responsibility for director and producer to make it one of it’s kind. So far it doesn’t seem like it is one of it’s kind. I hope I am proved wrong, but knowing who is producer and director here I doubt I will be.

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    • Most of POTC success is Johnny Depp’s. He has a history of this eccentric, extravagant roles in horror/fantasy format. My favourite is still Edward Scissorhands. The comparison is somewhat fair and somewhat unfair. The similarities are there but TOH is not really what Aamir or Bachchan’s history is popular for. This is different terrain – not a risk as they have gone for a very massy effort. Bachchan is serious, illustrious & the presence we expect. Aamir seems like having a lot of fun ala DJ transported back into time.

      It’s now a very safe film as the campaign has been pretty solid to ensure a grand opening. It’s never easy to predict if a film has turned out well but Aamir’s mood seems pretty good. He’s part of the marketing and hasn’t ‘distanced’ himself like Talaash. After following an actor’s career you kind of get a sense of things (at least I hope I do!).

      I would say this is his Dabanngg type character – a mix of many of his avatars in one and one that will work. It’s easy to predict Bachchan would make this role look easy, he’s too natural not too.

      If the film has great pace & drama it will be a free ride to 400Cr. That’s no joke, just my opinion. If it’s Race 3 level it will barely get to 200 Cr but Race 3 the trailers, everything was a Trainwreck, here you can’t say that. It’s been pretty meticulous. Heck even Katrina has an expression when she slaps Aamir. Fatima for me is the weak link, in a star studded ‘card’ like in boxing she’s very raw but after Dangal she deserves a big film. You could sacrifice her for Alia. But that’s just being greedy commercially.

      The question remains can Aamir ‘direct’ an actioner or at least influence it in a positive way. He can do drama or emotions like Lagaan & TZP but the all out mass entertainer is it in his fabric? Him saying no to Mahabharata might be a curve ball. Who knows why he isn’t doing it, hopefully it’s not because this has turned out bad.

      Like

      • @Jay – On MB pushed to back-burner status …

        Like

  56. Large numbers of local studios want to get its Chinese distribution right.-Gavin Feng for TOH

    https://twitter.com/gavinfeng97/status/1045267457483530240

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    • Saurabh, please let Gavin know there are English subtitles in that video. User needs to turn ‘Captions on’ and select English on youtube.com before watching that video.

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  57. Aamir’s diehard Chinese fan.

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  58. Fantastic trailer. Lives upto the expectations. If movie is really well made this may challenge BB2

    Liked by 1 person

  59. Extended Trailer (2)

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  60. One Amod Mehra (distributor) has tweeted that he expects big business from TOH, but as far as the film’s quality goes he wishes to remain silent. Somebody has commented under his tweet, that emotions seem missing. How much can you conclude from ONE three minute trailer?

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    • One cannot make that level of assessment from a trailer. Unless they had the privilege to watch the rushes of the film in the past.

      Like

    • It wouldn’t be an Aamir film without people waiting/wishing/praying for a disaster! As Suman would say to Prem, reading tweets is indigenous to your health.

      Liked by 1 person

  61. Finally caught up with the trailer — I loved Bachchan’s dialogue-baazi, and as expected, he rocks. Also very glad to see the “fun” Aamir back (Mr. India had become a shade too joyless over the last few years). Totally looking forward to it, but not un-reservedly so: the visual aesthetic of this film is pretty video-game style / Disney-fied, i.e. generic castles, ships, sets, and nothing very Indian (in the sense of specific to the Indian historical context) about it — a far cry from (e.g.) Mangal Pandey, and of course from the imagination behind Baahubali. So in that sense, an opportunity missed, although I am more interested in the story after seeing the trailer, in the way it taps into masala / epic tropes (the warrior-king, the double-agent, etc.). That’s probably better than I was expecting.

    Liked by 1 person

    • PS — I do hope there is more for the female leads to do here than seems to be the case in the trailer. [Aside: it’s kinda funny how many women in period films are courtesans or warriors or royals — there are other fates!!!]

      Like

    • The comparisons with Johnny Depp are IMO completely off-base: Aamir’s character is nothing like that, and there is a long Hindi film genealogy that offers the more plausible, more tangible link, extending right through Rishi Kapoor’s Akbar and Aamir’s own Munna in Rangeela. Some will always need the Hollywood reference (I am half waiting for people to say that men with kohl-rimmed eyes are inspired by Depp!), but this one has me scratching my head: the two are completely different sorts of performers too (Depp is effortlessly charismatic, flamboyant, and charming; Aamir is more earnest, and at his best can display impish charm).

      What IS reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean is the sanitized, impoverished visual imagination that ToH will likely display (Game of Thrones offers a contrast: that world is fully imagined, grime and all, and never feels airbrushed; even Baahubali goes to great lengths to think the visual and action logic of its world through, although it suffers from similar issues where the palatial sets are concerned — stated differently, Baahubali gets the action and the characters and the props right, but perhaps not the spaces; Game of Thrones gets both right; with YRF and Acharya, I fear we might get neither, and have to content ourselves with a rolicking plot and superb cast).

      Like

      • I was reminded of Amitabh from AAA/NH speaking English and Dharam in Chupke Chupke ridiculing English

        Liked by 1 person

      • Same curly hair like J.D.
        Same kohl eyeliner like J.D.
        Same swashbuckling warrier, fighter like J.D. He copied the looks, the character.
        Only difference is JD was very likeable, kids-adults loved him. It suited him well. To perfect, inebriated pirate walk, Johnny locked himself in freezer for few hours. Everything was perfect with PoC. In Pirates of Hindustan sneak peak, AK is plain annoying. it is a poor copy. The fight with british, imperialism as villain is such a boring, irrelevant topic. The only thing that I liked was Amitabh’s voice. They should have taken Alia bhatt instead of Fatima for the warrier-princess.

        Like

        • Aamir has been wearing kohl around his eyes since ages — Baazi, one scene where he impersonates a Hyderabadi gunda; in 1947 Earth, where his role is negative. There is a scene where he looks into the mirror and applies kohl.

          Johnny Depp doesn’t own the patent to wearing kohl or having curly hair. In case Aamir has added a very Indian touch, the ear studs and the outrageous nose stud. Despite all these add ons he looks male enough, carries off the look. It suits his haters ( and this may sound juvenile but there is no other word for it) that he should be mocked and compared unfavourably to a Hollywood hero Johnny Depp. I like Depp in a couple of films other than Pirates which I have not watched beyond a few scenes. BUT, we Aamir’s fans love his look and performance as seen in the trailer clip. If I across as a rabid fan, so be it. Am not going to watch a favourite, getting termed a hamming copycat/ overactor/ irritating whatever…he is the bloody male lead of TOH, having worked his off through two years. He deserves respect, not mockery.

          Sad to see the anti Aamir brigade in full flow all over the net, vituperation blowing hard and unfairly.

          Liked by 1 person

  62. Surprised Fatima had no dialogues in the trailer . I could be wrong but she might be playing Bachchan’s daughter in the film . She has a central role according to Aamir https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/thugs-of-hindostan-aamir-khan-fatima-sana-shaikh-are-hard-at-work-to-follow-katrina-s-sparkly-act/story-CT1eDNKuUQqdjztQ6azWAN.html

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  63. Unpopular opinion but here it goes: I vastly prefer Bachchan working in Teen, Pink & Piku. People who talk about Box Office success have no idea about the kind of grosses his films have seen! Let’s just say that Aamir’s BO success pales in comparison…and that’s putting it mildly!

    He doesn’t need Box Office glory. Not after what he has seen in this lifetime. But he does need a challenge thrown at him. To that end, Bachchan’s performance in Teen is just glorious. Watching the shehenshah emasculated and feeble, struggling to change a light bulb in one of the film’s touching scenes, is a meta-narrative worth talking about…and more!

    If only we had a proper cinema culture, we’d be seeing a healthier balance between commercial, massy entertainers and thought-provoking movies.

    Like

    • If only we had a proper cinema culture, we’d be seeing a healthier balance between commercial, massy entertainers and thought-provoking movies.

      Aamir is already doing that. If Big B wants to do that no one is preventing him other than himself.

      Liked by 1 person

    • The split is somewhat similar to the difference between a comic book and a graphic novel. Nothing wrong with comic books as such but there comes a time when one would like to graduate to reading Watchmen.

      It’s not that people who start appreciating directors like Anurag Kashyap wish to enjoy cinema differently — they willingly or unwillingly start finding pleasure in spaces that are neglected in more massy potboilers.

      It’s true that modern-day life resembles a sprint, and the breakneck speed at which films are consumed fits right into this narrative. But between the sprint, between the robotic routine, one also needs to go out for a leisurely stroll once in a while. Just to enjoy the beauty, to relax the mind and to (hopefully) rejuvenate the soul. Any artistic endeavor does exact that. Only more.

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    • The last time Bachchan was in a film this big was probably KANK, star cast wise. That’s 12 years ago. There is nothing wrong or wishing him to do something like this once every decade or so! In between he’s had a mixed bag of films. All 3 mentioned films I enjoyed but seeing him in something like this isn’t IMO something where he is ‘reducing’ himself.

      It’s not thought provoking cinema but he’s done those 3 films and now this. Doing this role probably isn’t challenging either but physically it probably was!

      It’s a commercial business no matter what. And he was it’s biggest ever star and now he could be in a historic grosser – that can be his challenge! Instincts take over too, instinctively working in a big production on a big project may have been motivation enough.

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      • I’m not saying it’s a bad move. It obviously makes sense in more ways than one. Don’t doubt that for a second.

        Just lamenting the fact that people are praising Bachchan to the skies based on this trailer while his more ‘refined’ work remains vastly underrated.

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      • Accounting for subject I’d say this is much bigger than KANK, probably the biggest Hindi film since K3G.

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  64. This is a great trailer of a commercial movie. You cannot expect Aamir Khan to everytime do a content movie. It is because he does commercial blockbusters that his niche movies will get a wider reach. Just imagine any other actor in Taare zameen par and that movie would not have even found proper theatres to release. This movie will break all existing box office records, the critics will rant , the real critics, the public will have a ball at the theatres with a paisa vasool entertainment this diwali!!!

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  65. Everyone commenting in a negative way about the trailer tend to forget that it is a commercial entertainer. Like Sholay, Gadar, Ghajini Bahubali2, this one is purely meant to entertain. And pls don’t look for the VFX of the kind of hollywood. The budget of hollywood movies is more than 10 times our budget. Aamir Khan’s movies are even challenging and beating Hollywood movie collections in China! This is already a blockbuster and will be an all time blockbuster after release. Critic reviews hardly matter.

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  66. BTW Aamir tends to keep trailers underwhelming. It works for him.

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    • Another typical thing with Aamir. The more you watch him the more he grows on you. Watched the trailer again. Liked it more than the first time, specially Aamir and Big B.

      Liked by 1 person

  67. All of a sudden every tom dick and hariram in india is an expert on films and started complaining about POTC copy, poor vfx, not authentic etc etc. Haha really. These are the same people i guess who watch some really shyte bw stuff and make them blockbusters. Wtf were u expecting another Avatar or something? Its a decent trailer as per current bw standards. And someone said AB should do films like piku 102 and stuff. Thats just…… blasphemous. After a decade he has probably got a role which seems a bit exciting and only a true AB fan can understand that. That roar with the swords in both hands….. sold.

    Liked by 1 person

    • So much of Bachchan’s peak history is also about Hrishikesh Mukherjee. He did many films with him. No discussion of his career is complete without these films. Obviously he became hugely iconic doing other kinds of stuff and he was phenomenal in it. Furthermore he got great scripts either way in the 70s. But there’s no reason one should insist on this incomplete record of his career. Irrespective of how one feels about TOH. Anyway that’s not Saket’s argument as you’re representing it.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Re: “So much of Bachchan’s peak history is also about Hrishikesh Mukherjee. He did many films with him. No discussion of his career is complete without these films. Obviously he became hugely iconic doing other kinds of stuff and he was phenomenal in it.”

        In fact, all too often, it is the secret / “little” histories that are the most telling — or, in Satyam terms, one needs to appreciate Naarang (Don) or Samba to appreciate masala cinema in all its glory!

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  68. “This movie will break all existing box office records, the critics will rant , the real critics, the public will have a ball at the theatres with a paisa vasool entertainment this diwali!!!This is already a blockbuster and will be an all time blockbuster after release. Critic reviews hardly matter”

    So when same thing said about Salman’s movie…..Aamir’s fans take moral high ground.

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    • Critics have not yet said anything about the movie. Let us see what they will say and then decide after the film is released.
      The problem with Salman’s movies like Race 3 are that he does not act, forget overacting. We still retain moral highground as aamir’s films like D3 are far superior to a Race 3 or Tubelight or Bodyguard.

      Liked by 1 person

  69. While Saket is right in some way there are other things like choices which Bachchan exercises in selecting movies. Same way aamir wants to try this TOH. We have to respect that choice. Ultimately these two have to please all kinds of audience. The rousing reception the trailer reccived is after a long time for Bachchan. There is past glory no doubt but he has to live in present times as well. He was a classy mass hero in the first place and he was forced by age and circumstances to do arty stuff where even a Deepika gets paid more than him.

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    • A crude anology from me. He was a meat eating lion, the king of jungle, forced to eat grass which pleases vegetarians!

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      • My analogy would be that he is an omnivore, equally able to subsist on the diet of the lion and the gazelle (be it Deewar or Hrishikesh M films or over the top stuff like Namak Halal, he could do it all!)

        Liked by 1 person

    • I don’t think Saket was debating whether Bachchan should have done TOH or not. He was talking about the audience response to various avatars of Bachchan. There’s nothing wrong if one prefers watching Bachchan do iconic stuff. We all do. But this certainly does not exhaust the range of his talents. And even on iconic terrain there’s a difference between films that have strong scripts and those that don’t. This was true even at his peak.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Let us see how this Toh turns out as a film. He cannot do this kind of stuff again and again as it will exhaust him doing those action scenes. This is once in a while film.
        Meanwhile I liked the way he teaches young Zafira how to aim. I wish we can see such bonding more in the film. Also his dance was really goofy and enjoyable.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Dude no one can or ever should doubt his “not so iconic” but equally important work with Hrishida or various other great directors. I never said that and trust me there has been number of times where I had to use the same arguement that he was impeccable in each and every role. But given a choice I would rather see him in larger than life iconic roles than hamm his way through some really mediocre stuff. But some people will argue that even at 75 he is working and getting substantial roles…so I guess can’t complain.

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        • I think the discussion is going on parallel lines. First off one can’t expect an actor his age to keep beating up people on screen. It simply doesn’t work, when it’s tried elsewhere it ends up being a circus. You can’t do it forever unless you’re doing one film every few years. The star, no matter how great cannot forever remain young. Much as I like to see him doing this stuff in TOH it would be crazy to expect him to do this in film after film. On that sort of iconic terrain I think the best contemporary effort of his remains by far Khakee. Because this is a serious film and script. Again I have absolutely nothing against TOH at all. But he’s not a younger star having to feed the box office. He has surely earned the right to be ‘free’ as an actor at his age. Now no one’s talking about supporting mediocrity here (of course even when a star does the iconic there’s lots that is mediocre). I’ve been the greatest critic of so many of his choices over the last 20 years. But there’s been plenty that’s remarkable too. Now it’s true that this other stuff, successful or not, cannot please a larger mass audience the way TOH can. That’s fair. But this simply means that the weight of history is too great, in his case simply too seminal for people to forget it anytime soon. The present can never compete with it. It’s a tribute to his work and the singular meaning he’s had as a star-actor. But all of this ‘also’ means that a lot of this other stuff can get underrated, specially when it’s not a showy part/performance like Black or Paa (or for that matter Piku). All of these things can be true at the same time. They’re not really contradictory points.

          Now it’s a different matter that I don’t at all agree with a certain dispensation of the present that accesses Bachchan principally through an RGV frame. Which is to say as the king of ‘swag’. Sarkar or TOH or whatever. Which is why for this present Agneepath is in some ways the central Bachchan film because this too is weakly misread as being ultimately about the same sort of signature. The iconic Bachchan of the 70s or even the one man industry of the 80s (though this logic had of course come to the fore by then) was never about just the posture in even his lesser films. He was too important a star, too great an actor, too loaded with meaning, to be reduced to such surface effects. Over time of course these things happen. Sarkar (a point I’ve made before) is not at all about the angry young man in any sense. It is merely a kind of empty repetition. This possibility is always intrinsic to the signature of a great star, one cannot be naive about this. But there’s no reason to reduce Bachchan of all people to just this. For me the enjoyment of Bachchan in a film like Sarkar or TOH (though I must say I vastly prefer the latter to the former, even just going by the trailer, but I’ll expand on this in another long response!) is to witness a part that references an epochal period of Indian commercial cinema but that is nonetheless a shadow of that former sun. But this shadow is still enough to put everyone else in the shade even now. This is already quite a lot but (and I often used to say this on Bachchan’s blog in the past) if you’ve been on the mountain-tops the lesser heights will never do! In a similar sense precisely because I think so highly of his work that I won’t accept these consolation prizes easily. I am still not making an argument against TOH. I too would have wanted him to do this for all kinds of reasons. But I’m not going to suddenly believe this is the second coming of Deewar!

          Liked by 2 people

  70. At another point I’ll put up a comment on why I like the politics of TOH, at least as much as can be gleaned through the trailer!

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  71. The one problem I have is that the females have been relegated to showpieces or minor roles. Hope the film will be different giving sufficient importance to the female characters.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Aamir has already said, many times, that Fatima has a pivotal role. Even Katrina seems to be doing a bit more than dancing.

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      • There were no dialogues from Fatima SS. All the dialogues were only for male characters. Naturally women were shortchanged in the trailers. She was all action and no dialogues!
        As you are saying let us wait for the film. Maybe Fatima may have some dialogues to speak! Usually in aamir films this sort of thing does not happen.

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    • Sanjana did you not know that women back then did not speak and wore bralettes!

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  72. I perhaps watch more HW movies than bollywood commercial potboilers. But I loved Baahubali films inspite of the current state of vfx, as other stuff easily eclipses those deficiencies.

    Its a bit amusing that most complaining about vfx in this trailer hardly watch HW films and I can bet most of them have not seen even a single POTC films (and we had 5 films in that franchise already).

    Just look through this thread and you will find that the negative comments are from Srk fans like Z and Master. This is just a microcosmic example of whats happening in twitter/social-media regarding this trailer …

    Anyways, this is easily my most liked trailer of this year after Alita BA.

    @Saket – Baadla is coming soon too!

    Liked by 2 people

    • And those who are aware of POTC films know that only the first film (Curse of the Black Pearl) received favorable reviews. The rest were all massacres. It wont take much to get better notices for ToH even if it was a direct copy-paste hack job.

      As for BO, the first one did v well across all territories. The second one milked that goodwill (but had a bigger budget). Since then, this franchise has under-performed in the domestic market given their exponential budgets. Overseas grosses had kept the franchise afloat until next year when Dead Man Tell No Tales was a BO dud (and reviews were scathing too).

      The point is, its going to be a cakewalk for ToH to outdo POTC if idiots keep up these comparisons.

      And as for Kranti, that highest grosser of 1981 did only as much at BO as doing 350 cr in 2018 and be hauled as HGOTY. Should not be difficult to get there either.

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    • “Just look through this thread and you will find that the negative comments are from Srk fans like Z and Master”

      Can you point out what i said negative about this trailer?

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      • Even I was suprised when he took his and Master’s names instead of so and so. I liked that comment for the last 2 lines.

        Like

      • Even if you said negative things it’s perfectly fine. The distinction people don’t often get here is that one can be a partisan if one wants to, one should just maintain civility. And obviously if one is just cluttering the forum with useless comments of any kind (same topic or different topics) it’s the same issue.

        Like

  73. “People who talk about Box Office success have no idea about the kind of grosses his films have seen! Let’s just say that Aamir’s BO success pales in comparison…and that’s putting it mildly!”

    Really???

    When it comes to delivering ‘big’ grosses, how many really big grossers did Amitabh deliver at his peak in the decade spanning 1975-1985? It started with Sholay (1975) that did huge 15 cr back then. If we list the subsequent big grossers of Bachchan that did 7+ cr (roughly half of Sholay):

    1975 – Sholay (15 cr)
    1977 – AAA (7-8 cr)
    1978 – Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (8-9 cr)
    1981 – Naseeb (7-8 cr)
    1983 – Coolie (9-10 cr)
    1985 – Mard (8-9 cr)

    That is six. Lets check Aamir’s from 2008-2018:

    2008 – Ghajini (115 cr)
    2009 – 3I (202 cr)
    2013 – D3 (283 cr)
    2014 – PK (340 cr)
    2016 – Dangal (387 cr)
    2018 – TOH (…)

    Yes, Bachchan did have a lot of smaller grosses in successful films during that decade. But lets accept that when it comes to ‘magnitude’ it was not all that higher from Aamir’s current stratosphere.

    Like

    • LOL, sorry but I can’t help but laugh at such simple analysis. And I feared that someone would come up with such a comparison. I don’t like to compare Aamir with anyone because I actually admire him quite a lot. But here goes…

      Cinema prices in India were Rs 3 in 1975! That translates to theater footfalls of 5 crores for Sholay. Remember that the Indian population has more than doubled since 1976 (600 million vs >1200 million). And then take into account the economic upswing since the 1990s, and it’s not even close.

      In today’s terms, if Sholay would have had 10 crore footfalls, given the adjustment for population alone, and with the adjusted inflation from 1975-2017, it would have grossed at least 1000 crores! That’s assuming an average ticket price of Rs 100 today. In reality it’s much higher. If the average ticket price is closer to 200, that figure becomes 2000 crores.

      This is just in India alone. And it’s not even taking into account the economic upswing from 1990 onwards! Which has made disposable income grow in vast magnitude compared to the anemic growth of the 70s!

      Any 8-9 crore film from the 70s would be worth at least 600 crores today, if not more!

      Like

      • how will you quantify television viewership these days which was non existent in the 70s?

        Like

        • Television doesn’t matter for superstars of today. People don’t wait for an Aamir or Salman film to come on TV — they go and watch it in theaters. What makes you think that Amitabh with his popularity in that age and time would be any different?

          Like

        • In your dreams maybe, why do you think such preimum is paid for satellite rights these days???

          Like

        • I’m sure you will wait for TOH to come on TV to validate your own statement!

          Like

      • LOL … your analysis only takes into account the factors that favor your argument. Thats called ‘bias’. In today’s entertainment scenario, the landscape is completely different from the dependencies on theater viewing business of 1975. So you just wont get 10 cr footfalls for any bollywood films today. Really simple.

        BB2’s all india collections of 1100 cr is what you can get in ‘reality’ at best. That also means penetrating the south to an extent that perhaps Sholay did not do during its release (correct me please).

        So essentially 7+ cr during the latter stages of that decade of 1975-85 is actually nothing but 300 cr nett today as far as bollywood business and market is concerned. This is not exactly rocket science …

        Like

        • Anyways, it will take a lot more than armchair BO analysis to convince this age that Sholay’s 15 cr business in 1975 (and mind you that may be an inflated figure from producers/trade in general) is way bigger than BB2’s 1100 cr nett today. We are talking of 2 eras that with an age gap of 40+ years.

          This is good for laughs from both fan groups, nothing is more conclusive than that.

          Its a different matter that Amitabh have lived through it all and still rocking in ToH. Its better to count such blessings.

          Like

        • In your version of reality perhaps.

          The fact that Sholay had 5 crore footfalls with half the population of today attests otherwise.

          Baahubali in Hindi alone did not have such footfalls, let alone Aamir.

          Sholay ran for 5 years straight at Maratha Mandir — all shows, not just matinee.

          At one time Bachchan had four superhits running in theatres at the same time – MKS, Don, Kasme Vaade & Trishul. A feat that has not been witnessed in Hindi cinema. Ever!

          And of course, negating inflation, the increase in population AND actual trending, something that is still visible in films, albeit very very fleetingly, makes for a sound argument!

          I’m not even getting into the other aspects of Bachchan’s stardom. The fact that the whole nation prayed for his health post Coolie. That there was even a comic book with Amitabh Bachchan as a superhero (called Supremo) etc.

          Kids these days…

          Like

        • When you have diminishing trends of theater viewing, how does having a bigger population actually support your version of reality?

          Amitabh had volume, i already said that. My argument was on magnitude. So please dont digress and argue on the point only. Will appreciate that.

          Like

        • Actually the debate is futile.

          One needs to compare period, technology available, sensibilities, such many other factors, etc.

          Both are Legends.

          Also one needs to understand a generation always has a soft corner for the guy whom they grow up looking at.

          It’s like Maradona vs Messi.

          Liked by 1 person

        • If anyone has read my messages on this forum they can easily tell I’m quite fond of Aamir.

          The debate was about peak stardom though. And the popularity of films in the 70s when translated to the modern age. In that respect, Bachchan’s peak was much much higher.

          If someone tells me that Bachchan could not match Rajesh Khanna’s peak as a star then I wouldn’t dispute that for a second. That too is a fact.

          Liked by 1 person

        • I don’t agree on the Rajesh Khanna bit. Indeed he was the first superstar and his hysteria was unparalleled for a few years, never seen before. But I think Bachchan’s true base was elsewhere, not within the bourgeois classes that were crazy about Rajesh Khanna. Of course when a star is that big he will draw a universal audience one way or the other. So again Rajesh Khanna’s stardom is impossible to imagine today. And there was that whole meteoric, near overnight quality to it. Bachchan’s was built more gradually, even after Zanjeer. Nonetheless once he gets to his peak there is incredible hysteria surrounding him and this goes through the 80s period. But again it depends on ‘who’ one is asking. it has always been a thesis of mine that key Bachchan works were always unsettling for bourgeois audiences. But these were the ‘classes’ that wrote in those magazines where this sort of idea was constantly advanced (much as Bachchan was often called a mass, action star in the same quarters as a bit of a putdown).

          Like

        • the comparable Tamil example is Rajni-Kamal in some ways. It’s different of course because Tamil cinema has twice had this ‘twin’ structure (MGR-Sivaji) where the first in the couple is the big megastar while the second is the great actor (also a great star, just not of the same wattage). Kamal is a genuine legend by any measure and he’s had the longevity as well. Despite all this there’s simply no debate on the box office. However within the same urban classes there often ‘is’ such a debate. Or they might claim that Rajni is bigger but this happened relatively recently and so on.

          Like

        • “For the first three years, the Sippy saga ran in regular shows (1:30pm, 5:30pm, 9:30pm). It was moved to the matinee for another two. ”
          https://www.livemint.com/Consumer/hRPf7h8ebJyNXrwJQ5q2dM/Sholay-40-years-on-Remembering-Minerva.html

          Like

        • about stardom

          Between 1959 and 1966, Rajendra Kumar had such a Midas touch that almost any film he touched turned box office gold, and especially from 1963 to 1966, when he was unbeatable with 100 per cent box office success.

          In no time, his passionate charm made romance easily available, not to mention his glycerine induced screen presence that made the audience go through a quick bite of catharsis. With his knack of choosing the right kind of projects, he delivered back to back hits, and was crowned Jubilee Kumar, a hat tip to the fact that his multiple films completed more than 25 weeks at a stretch.

          Rajesh firmly believed that if he managed to buy the house, Jubilee Kumar’s success would rub on him too. It’s perhaps ironic that Rajesh with his twinkling eyes and the tilt of his head actually repeated the same success, albeit on a grander scale, delivering 15 solo hits without a pause, and became the first superstar of Hindi cinema. Rajesh took away the audience that made Rajendra a star, and thus establishing the fickle nature of fame.

          https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/bollywood/how-did-rajendra-kumar-become-jubilee-kumar

          Like

        • Yes, Rajendra Kumar was a genuine star. But he was never as popular as Rajesh Khanna. It can be argued, with good reason, that Rajesh Khanna’s peak as a superstar hasn’t been matched at all in the history of Hindi cinema.

          That it didn’t last for long is a different matter.

          Liked by 1 person

        • Yes Rajendra Kumar was the Jubilee Kumar but indeed for his short-lived peak no one had seen Rajesh Khann’s kind of superstardom before. Not even the big three in the 50s (or the biggest of them, Dilip Kumar).

          Liked by 1 person

        • who were Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Pritviraj Kapoor then?

          Like

        • I got it Saket. I still remember your passionate arguments with Satyam about Sachin and Dravid. I am happy that you and Q have become quite active here. Keep it up. Dont go away again.

          Like

        • And before giving a smart-ass old-school reply to all this with self-proclaimed wisdom of old age, please do some research on theater viewing business in India with the impact of VCR in late eighties, and then about the explosions brought about by advent of internet, cell phones, digital platforms, etc etc.

          What cinema meant as entertainment to masses in seventies is just fantastical tales that our parents today tell their grand-children in reminiscence of old memories.

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        • First off, there is no wisdom at play here. There’s only logic.

          Even with the impact of VCRs, Bachchan’s films consistently ran for weeks. Silver Jubilees and Golden Jubilees were still common in the 80s! And yeah, Bachchan’s Shehenshah outgrossed Aamir’s QSQT in ’88.

          Till the time he took semi-retirement, there was no one who could hold a candle to Amitabh Bachchan. Fact!

          Like

  74. After the dust had settled on initial excitement of watching the trailer, here is a constructive criticism that should be passed on to Aamir’s ears by all means.

    In the entire 3.5 mins trailer, there are two shots which need some vfx refinements:

    (1) The first long shot (top view) of 3-4 ships sailing in a line.
    (2) The shot where the tower crashes on ground.

    There maybe some more such rough vfx work in the entire film, but we cant tell as of now. They still have 6 weeks left, so Aamir should take this feedback and get all hands at YFX working on this asap.

    Like

    • Tower crash scene is Ok, even the first scene look okayish in 1080p on laptop/ tv.. the worst scene as far as Vfx is concerned is at around 2:11 – 2:12 involving Amitabh Bachcchan .

      Like

      • Where he gets shot? Thats shown for a fraction of second and i cant judge based on that. The 2 shots i mentioned looks more unrealistic than all the others in the trailer.

        Like

      • Also the problem with indian films is not just the vfx finesse. It also has to do with the difference in production budgets and production design. The green screen images that hollywood directors hand over to their vfx studios are of much better quality than what shankar or acharya films. The same guyz with same skills in the vfx studios thus deliver different quality of end-products. That is one main reason behind why Satyam says that indian films look ‘cartoonish’ with their vfx. Some bluntly call it ‘Disney’ cartoon, but Disney actually produces the best vfx work in their films.

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  75. Bachchan said, “We’ve been offered many films together, but he turned them all down. It’s my good fortune that I have finally had an opportunity to work with him. Aamir is a writer, director, distributor, and marketing genius apart from being a brilliant actor, so it’s difficult to be on par with him. I have been telling him to direct something and give me a small role in it; I’ve even shared a few ideas with him. All he’s said is that he will think about it,”

    https://www.bizasialive.com/amitabh-bachchan-aamir-khan-good-fortune-work/

    ************

    If Aamir, Prabhas, Rajamouli and Ambani get together for 1000 cr MB film in 2020 (by then Mogul, RRR, Prabhas’s 2 pending films including Sahoo will all be done), I am sure Bachchan will get to play Vishwa …

    Like

    • I think Bachchan fans shud carefully read what he says about aamir here. Its not about being an one-dimensional star-actor in this age.

      Like

      • Cloaks and daggers are out from fans already. This will be a massive face-off between generations! The best part of this trailer is the last bit when Amitabh and Aamir duels. Goosebumps! 👍🏻

        Like

        • Aamir is a different school of thought. The star actor himself is the film-maker like old timers guru dutt, raj kapoor etc. Its a lost art, and he is the only torch bearer, the lone samurai in a trashy modern world of creating junk and fast consumption of the same.

          Liked by 1 person

      • AND its not just about magnitude. Its also about the shelf-life of the biggest blockbusters. Here are IMDB ratings of the respective big grossers:

        ************

        AMITABH:

        Sholay (1975) – 8.2
        AAA (1977) – 7.5
        Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978) – 7.5
        Naseeb (1981) – 7.2
        Coolie (1983) – 6.7
        Mard (1985) – 6.2

        AVERAGE – 7.2

        ***********

        AAMIR:

        Ghajini (2008) – 7.3
        3 Idiots (2009) – 8.4
        Dhoom 3 (2013) – 5.4
        PK (2014) – 8.2
        Dangal (2016) – 8.5
        ToH (2018) – …

        AVERAGE – 7.6 [ Despite D3 Embarrassment !!! ]

        ************

        Like

        • Marcus, trust me on this.. you simply don’t know what you’re talking about in this comparison! I could say a lot here, have said so in the past (from SRK fans through Salman fans!), could offer other kinds of evidence on the stats, could offer Nahta’s and Taran’s testimony (available on this very blog elsewhere), could do all sorts of things but at some point the exercise becomes a bit silly to repeat every time a new fan comes along! It’s like having to prove Bradman’s dominance. To argue against him might be crazy but to ‘defend’ him might be crazier still! Aamir has had a unique career since Lagaan, I’ve talked about it many many times in the past as well. But he’d be shocked if anyone suggested such a thing (and Aamir knows his numbers!). I’ll end with what I started with, not least because I won’t be arguing more on this point — trust me! You don’t know what you’re talking about.

          Liked by 1 person

        • Yes, I dont know what I am talking about.

          In this age, ToH trailer surpassed 1100 cr BB2’s entire trailer viewership in YT within 24 hrs … of course, I dont know what I am talking about. But i guess srk fans in noughties and then Salman fans did.

          Like

        • one of the problem in some of these ‘debates’ is that one necessarily seems more partisan than one is. Or put differently whatever my own preferences or partialities might be I like to think that the ‘facts’ aren’t debatable. For years I used to argue for Aamir (especially before Ghajini.. because after this film and all his ‘biggest’ grossers since, the opposition doesn’t even try!) and his ‘revolution’ in contemporary Bollywood as I saw it. I still thing it’s a very singular career since Lagaan even using many historic standards. This is not because I personally like Aamir or his films. I don’t like Salman at all, have never quite been able to stand him, and yet his box office since Dabanng is hard to deny. This doesn’t mean one should go crazy and say he’s been more or less at the top since his very first day! I’ve also argued for Aamir’s 90s career in some ways, some of the better films he did even then or his relative consistency at the box office, certainly after ’93 or so, something which is underrated because he usually didn’t have the most iconic films. Unlike even some of the Aamir fans I don’t come to the party only after the biggest hits came up and play the same vulgar game that many SRK fans (or others) did over time (though I might strategically often make the box office point as well… sometimes you have to speak the language others understand!). SRK similarly had a certain unique New Indian iconic appeal which coupled with a similar diaspora appeal does make for in its own way a singular archive (though there is box office dominance here of the the kind the fans claim only ‘overseas’ in this period, not in India, in other words he was never either like Salman or Aamir). These are just examples. One can discuss/debate all of this stuff. But to see the obvious one needn’t be a fan. Conversely if one is a fan one shouldn’t go to the other extreme either (‘hey the world was created yesterday with my favorite’!). I don’t often agree with Bachchan fans either on lots of things!

          Liked by 1 person

        • Sorry Satyam, you dont get brownie points for having claimed that Aamir had Amitabh’s reach before Ghajini happened (IF you really did that!). Nor do those Srk fans or Salman fans who claimed their idols had more reach than Aamir since Ghajini. There are simply no facts behind such claims.

          What I said was about comparing the extent of big grossers that Bachchan delivered between 1975-85 and what Aamir has done in 2008-18 (not about BO volume though to be clear again). And the other point was regarding the quality and shelf life of these big grossers.

          I dont get to the details of Aamir’s contribution beyond being a star-actor in these films. I think Amitabh himself has made the facts clear on that front in his statement that I have posted.

          Like

        • “Sorry Satyam, you dont get brownie points for having claimed that Aamir had Amitabh’s reach before Ghajini happened”

          LOL, said no such thing..!

          Like

        • The NG archives would say that a bunch of people predicted that Aamir would emerge as the top star during 06-07. Of course Ghajini came in 08 but that was nothing but the exclamation point of what was obvious.

          Before then it was more about openings. Aamir had MP, RDB, Fanaa as record openers depending on site. Hrithik’s Krrish/D2. SRK’s KANK. The magnitude of Hrithik was greater but Aamir was setting records in hatke genres. So the background was this. A kind of hypothesis that if Aamir came with an equivalent production he would emerge the biggest star.

          Of course Ghajini blew Singh is King & RNBDJ apart and became the 1st 💯 film. Then a year later – many predicted 3 Idiots to be a 70-80 Cr grosser tops…they got it right! Well the first week…a trip down memory lane when one side of NG won some bragging rights as 200 was hit! BOI declared this a great feat but ever since have played down Aamir’s achievements. 5 record breaking all time grossers later we still have doubters. Of course a new challenge had emerged via BB2. That celebration lasted until Dangal went crazy in China. But still in India BB2 is the film to beat, not Salman, not SRK, a film from South that embarrassed our stars. Now Taran, Komal and co want TOH to be #1 so that Bollywood can emerge again.

          The other backdrop to this was the SRK fans who’d moved past Salman & Aamir and had eyes on Bachchan. Oh the articles & drivel that was spewed! Poor munna was moderator back then! While having eyes on the prize Aamir and Salman created the Messi/Ronaldo show for the last decade while SRK fans have been silenced. This is more for those SRK fans back then, then those here. The tables turned and how!

          This for all intense purposes is my version of how things went down.

          SRK fans stopped looking behind but looked ahead at Bachchan.
          Salman fans had no authority back then, he was for many a finished star. Aamir’s fans waited for the Ghajini moment and really haven’t looked back.

          The other backdrop was Satyam’s predictions on Abhishek, out of respect I will not go there! Drona?

          Like

        • Great comment! On Drona.. ha! But as you know I’ve had many great ones before and since! When Salman starts doing quality I’ll stop predicting! But this was a nice blast from the past..

          Like

    • Aamir Khan is not only Aamir Khan. He is a producer, director, writer, music director, distributor, marketing genius, screenplay writer, and after that he is a brilliant actor too. It is difficult to compete with him. I have been behind him to direct a film and give me a small role, I will stand with a flag in the background, no problem. https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/amitabh-bachchan-on-working-with-aamir-khan-in-thugs-of-hindostan-5376927/

      Like

      • Bachchan also praised Rahul Roy, once upon a time. Doesn’t mean anything.

        Although I don’t doubt he’s sincere in his praise, who wouldn’t be when it comes to Aamir, but surely, Bachchan’s modesty is quite legendary by now.

        Like

  76. Komal Nahta
    @KomalNahta
    Look at the scale of the film,be bowled over by the canvas.This #Diwali, Action. Adventure. Drama. #ThugsOfHindostanTrailer (link: http://youtu.be/zI-Pux4uaqM) youtu.be/zI-Pux4uaqM
    #ThugsOfHindostan |
    @SrBachchan
    |
    @aamir_khan
    | #KatrinaKaif |
    @fattysanashaikh
    | #VijayKrishnaAcharya | #AdityaChopra |
    @TOHTheFilm
    1:14 AM · Sep 27, 2018

    Like

  77. If the movie was not based on the book, then why name it Thugs of Hindostan? It could have been any imaginary historical. As Qalandar says by the look of the film it could have been based anywhere. More than meets the eye here.

    Like

    • It cannot be based anywhere. In one part of India, a small group of thugs give trouble to the Brits around. I am guessing that is the rough story beginning.

      Like

  78. Can you guys enjoy the coming together of two extremely talented actors, rather than arguing on BO bullshit … btw TOH trailer is outstanding in every aspect, this is true blue start studded masala entertainment coming on screen after ages .. which was the last one ?? HUM ?? … Khans never been part of such grand scale masala entertainers , Dhoom-3 was one exception …. How badly I was missing likes of Karma and Kranti …

    btw … though Kranti is obvious , but TOH reminded me euphoria of Mard as well .. those were the days.

    ANyways, start collecting coins ….

    Liked by 1 person

  79. Truce please

    Like

  80. There has to be some reason why the film has been named Thugs of Hindostan. In the trailer launch event somebody asked the director how he got the idea of the film, he couldn’t have any satisfactory answer for the same .He just mentioned that it’s not based on any book and it’s just a fictional story.This cannot be the sufficient reason to name the movie as thugs.The trailer of the movie seems to have not much to do with thugs, don’t know why Amitabh Bachchan was introduced as the biggest thug of all, he seems to be playing an upright character.The film could have been named anything but Thugs of Hindostan.

    As far as the trailer is concerned it’s very good on standalone basis , I loved it in the first viewing itself but it seems to have generated mix reaction among the classes or the Hollywood goers , it’s difficult to fathom why the citizens are comparing it with Pirates of Carribean , it’s disindeginous and reflects Hollywood hangover. Despite not much similarity people are hell bent on comparing it with Pirates.

    Liked by 1 person

  81. At 276 comments here in 24 hrs! Will need a new thread relatively soon! Box office conclusions can be drawn…!

    Like

    • And lets take your pick, please vote for:

      Sholay vs Ghajini
      AAA vs 3 Idiots
      Muqaddar Ka Sikandar vs Dhoom 3
      Naseeb vs PK
      Coolie vs Dangal

      ***********

      My votes:

      Sholay
      3 Idiots
      Muqaddar Ka Sikandar
      PK
      Dangal

      Aamir wins 3-2 in my books at least.

      Like

      • I think Ghajini should be beating Sholay.. very disappointing vote on your part… you’ve set up such a sensible choice in all of these instances but spoiled it with this one vote..

        Like

        • Yeah, its called generation gap – not much about sensitivity.

          Like

        • And the imdb summary i posted pretty much says everything about the choice of current generation … unfortunately my votes match exactly with imdb average ratings. Surprise!

          Like

        • “I think Ghajini should be beating Sholay”

          I had “Guddu” beating “Sholay” 🙂

          I guess the new thing on Satyamshot is “generation gap”, which I totally believe in since i have 3 teen age daughters and I get some insight in to how the thought process works. Once they get little older and come out of the teenage world, assuming they allow their mind to look at things broadly, i’m sure the value of past will sink in.

          I still have my original iphone 3, my daughters looks at it and thinks it’s the ugliest thing, slow, etc but i’m trying to make them understand the note9/iphonex they’re using today is still using same concept as iphone 3. iphone 3 started it.

          It’s kind of like my dad used to tell me that there is no one in film industry who is looked up to as much as Dilip Kumar. Me growing up in 70s saw little bit of that but for me first superstar was Rajesh and then Bachhan and I just couldn’t see how Dilip Kumar would get more respect than Rajesh/Bachhna. Of course as i grew up (read history, understand it), i realized what my dad was talking about when he used to say that when Dilip Kumar is in the room, Raj/Dev/Rajesh/Bachhan/Etc all took back seat.

          Satyam, all I can say is get used to this teenage type of behavior (and you shouldn’t expect anything different from teenagers, it wouldn’t be fair). Once you’re at the point in life where you think you’ve lived more years than what’s remaining, your brain will automatically put on another pair of glasses and you will start looking at many things differently.

          Like

        • Yes growing up I also got enough of the Dilip Kumar bit. In fact when Bachchan was at his peak a lot of people belonging to the ‘classes’ would still say that he’s the ultimate actor. At some point in the 90s (ironically when Bachchan was very off-peak) and even moreso later on he became that ultimate actor as well. So yes it’s a generational thing as well. In fairness Dilip Kumar was Bachchan before Bachchan. The central star-actor for at least two generations of actors and movie-goers. Even in the 50s when the great trio ruled he was always first among equals (though of course Raj Kapoor is one of Indian cinema’s greatest figures when you include his work as director, no greater actor-director anywhere in India, Kamal Haasan comes closest as a comparison, he’s a much greater actor for sure, and he’s a very fine director when he wants to be but overall still not comparable to Raj Kapoor’s significance and accomplishment… this includes his influence beyond India.. his Chaplinesque avatar was huge from Russia to China.. and Awara has a claim to being considered the greatest Indian commercial film in certain respects.. it is certainly the most taught Indian commercial work at film schools around the world… Dev Anand too is very central though he’s not quite of Raj Kapoor’s pre-eminence). Now having said that Dilip Kumar’s films have aged the worst. Very many are completely dated, Raj Kapoor’s iconic works remain very fresh as do Dev Anand’s (i.e. talking about his work from the early 50s to the mid-60s or so and some exceptions later, not the joke he became beyond this), with Dilip Kumar even his better films are not quite as watchable. In this sense it becomes even harder to appreciate his status. But he was assuredly the pre-eminent Bombay star for a very long time.

          Here however a couple of other important points should also be made. Though things are generational not every generation is equally ‘right’. Sometimes ‘truth’ lies on the side of the past, sometimes the opposite is true. The most difficult thing is always to get out of one’s own nostalgias and immediate experiences. It’s always hard to place oneself in another age or try to understand it. For instance it’s true that Rajesh Khanna was the first superstar and no one had ever seen that kind of success and hysteria before him. But in the 50s when there were other legends no one was ‘missing’ that kind of stardom. The rules are always changed when that sort of ‘event’ star arrives, this is true. Amitabh Bachchan for instance resets the clock in Hindi cinema. He doesn’t just make it ‘his’ time, it is also the case that all Hindi movie history prior to him seems ‘archaic’ by comparison. Nonetheless this ‘meaning’ that he has generated was perfectly possible for Dilip Kumar to generate with lesser (in the absolute sense) box office results. This too is hard to adjust for. The ‘facts’ can be compared allowing for inflation and the nature of audience (market size etc) but the ‘meaning’ of any star in any era is harder to fix, specially if one is going to compare these same things across eras. All of this doesn’t mean it’s completely relative either. Just that one has to proceed with caution sometimes.

          Related to this is the question of what cinema itself means in a given age. This too is a complicated discussion.

          The other thing I’d say is that one shouldn’t take anything as a ‘given’. So yes Rajesh Khanna didn’t have a long peak career. On the other hand his impact for that short period was so extraordinary that many 30 year careers are nothing compared to his. On the other hand he doesn’t really have a legacy. He did some very worthwhile films but post-Bachchan those films haven’t meant as much. And in our own age even as ‘lighter’ films from Shammi Kapoor to Dev Anand have become popular again Rajesh Khanna still hasn’t because his films were never ‘light’ in the same sense. It’s therefore difficult to assess Rajesh Khanna but again for those 3-4 years he was a film culture unto himself. No one else was remotely close. So one cannot take ‘longevity’ as some sort of absolute value. In sports many with shorter careers have been far more important than many with longer ones. I could multiply some of these examples. ‘Longevity’ was just one.

          Once more all of this doesn’t mean ‘it’s all relative’. Just that one should be careful and not assume too much. To repeat what I started out with saying you’re right in that we use different eye-glasses at different stages of life but sometimes we are closer to the truth in our 20s and sometimes later on in life. One of course sobers down over time, one doesn’t have the same emotional investments in these things (though sometimes folks online make me wonder…!), this doesn’t however mean that one becomes more discerning. But it certainly helps to have seen more than less..

          Liked by 1 person

  82. Whatever film is pitted against Sholay, Sholay will win. So better make it Mela versus Sholay!

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  83. I wish the next is Sridevi versus Madhuri. It should not become all male world cup.

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    • Tasty! Mr India Vs Hum Aapke Hain Koun!

      I like this battle… Madhuri Dixit for me though! On the list…

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    • One could do them individually also except that actresses, even huge ones, rarely do significant roles consistently. Still there’s enough there with both of these (even excluding Sridevi’s Tamil work).

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      • Never quite understood this. Sridevi has many films (many of them very successful) which rested solely on her shoulders or where she had a solid role (chandni, lamhe, chalbaaz, sadma, mr india, english vinglish, mom, khuda gawah, , judaai, nagina, etc…). I know nothing of her work in south films.

        What did madhuri really had? she bacame popular based on dhak dhak, ek do teen.

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        • Z please list 16 Sridevi films or anyone with good knowledge here. I barely seen 10 of hers.
          Madhuri
          Tezaab
          Parinda
          Dil
          Beta
          HAHK
          Raja
          DTPH
          Pukar
          Devdas
          Koyla
          Khal Nayak
          Saajan
          Aaja Nachle
          Koyla
          Anjaam
          Few others probably…

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        • I’ll name some worthwhile and/or iconic stuff (hindi):

          Sadma
          Himmatwala
          Justice Chaudhury
          Nagina
          Jaag Utha Insaan
          Inquilaab
          Aakhre Raasta
          Karma
          Mr India
          Chandni
          Chaalbaaz
          Lamhe
          Khuda Gawah
          Gumrah
          english Vinglish
          Mom

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        • It was hard to get this upto 16. Some real turkeys here, some of the hits she had with Jeetendra Himmatwala and beyond for example. Nonetheless I’ve selected a couple of examples. One could add Mawaali and Tohfa to this list too in the same vein!

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        • Judaii?

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        • I suppose that could be added too. In fact one could then remove Justice Chaudhuri.

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        • Thanks enough here to pause Aamir Khan for Madhuri Vs Sridevi!

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        • think you could do Aamir first also. Sanjana is right about doing women as well but the problem always is that women don’t often get very significant parts (on that score Aliya Bhatt is quite lucky, already has a number of films where she’s central). They might be the female leads and that’s it. I’m certainly looking forward to the Aamir list because some of the choices would be genuinely tough. But it’s your call! On a related note one could do a Mohabbatein and after poll for Bachchan. he has lots of films, there’s nothing wrong with this. He did reinvent himself with KBC and this film to a great extent. This is the Bachchan we’ve seen ever since. In any case it would be impossibly hard to do a poll on all of his stuff. Just too many films.

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        • I’m happy to put Sanjana in a sticky position of picking TZP or SS. So back to Aamir and if NO Sanjana votes than no women!

          Emotional blackmail!

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        • Among female leads, it’s either Madhuri or Meena Kumari! I haven’t seen all of Meena Kumari’s films, so my vote will definitely go to Madhuri. In commercial cinema that is.

          If one were to vote for parallel cinema, Smita Patil takes the crown. Such a terrific actress!

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        • I’d definitely add Prem Pratigya to this list (though few will vote for it!). There’s the multistarrer Tridev, there’s in a lower key Prahaar, Sangeet, Mrityudand. Rakesh Roshan’s Khel is a fun film. Anjaam, Koyla. Actually it’s much easier to make a worthwhile Madhuri list than a Sridevi one (in Hindi). I’d say her list is an easier one than SRK’s as well.

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        • Absolutely. I’d vote for Prem Pratigya too!

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        • I must have seen this. I’m sure we had it on VHS.

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        • Z can do it. And Idea is a big fan of Sri. I will try.

          Lamhe
          Chandni
          Chaalbaaz
          Khudah Gawah
          Sadma
          Himmatwala
          Nagina
          Mr.India
          Chandni
          English Vinglish
          Mom
          Judaai
          Laadla
          Gurudev
          Jaanbaaz
          Akhri Raasta

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        • 100 days
          Kishan Kanhaiyya
          Prahaar
          Dedh Ishqiya
          Gulaab Gang

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        • Thanks. Have 32 films or more now. I’ll prepare and research on the final 32 and format. Probably 4*4 Sridevi and 4*4 Madhuri to ensure both get through. Then round 16 only Madhuri Vs Sridevi. Then after that anything goes! As you can see I’m very excited!

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        • One could perhaps do a Meena Kumari vs Waheeda Rehman if one is talking about heroines with some substance

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      • thecooldude Says:

        Interesting that if you don’t count inflation, AB Sr has never been part of a 100 CR movie….highest is Piku at 78 CR. If you count inflation then…well.

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        • Actually that isn’t interesting — it simply underscores why one adjusts for inflation!

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        • His first will be 2 days done deal. Fastest entry…

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        • thecooldude Says:

          the reason I find it interesting is that every tom dick and harry has somehow managed to cross 100 CR just by accidentally being in a movie but for some reason, Bachchan was never part of any of those movies. Even Jr B got in 3 times

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        • Piku today would do a 100. Or K3G, Mohabbatein, KANK, BnB are all doing a 100 (minimally) in today’s scenario. But otherwise this is not surprising. Cinema is a young or younger star’s game. The better question is: of the films Bachchan had done which ones would do a 100 with a younger star? Can’t think of any actually. Because he’s done a lot of smaller, even off-beat stuff. When something like Pink works you can’t expect a 100. Could a younger star take it to a 100. Probably not (Aamir possibly could). One of the things that has happened with Bachchan is that for different reasons he’s depressed his box office. But when he appears in a convincing film the WOM really translates into a good gross (piku, pink) even now. Or similarly if he’s in a big enough commercial film it adds to the excitement. But he’s not done much of either for a very long time. On Abhishek by the way I’d only really give him credit for BB among those three films (had the title part, had a bit of a double in the film). Just getting in is not the biggest deal. Vicky Kaushal is in the 300 club with Sanju. Here his part was loved, if anything I think there’s been more discussion about his part since the film’s release than even Ranbir’s. Nonetheless he wasn’t drawing the audiences in. One doesn’t have to be a big star to get credit. However one needs to be acceptable to the audience. So people might otherwise not show up for the star but do so in a big enough film where the same star seems more acceptable. It all depends.

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        • thecooldude Says:

          Bachchan def has become choosy with his movies and TOH is probably the massiest he has done since Budha hoga tera baap. Seems though he is more open now since he will also have Brahmastra next year!

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        • I don’t consider BHTB anything to praise about. After TOH, I am most excited about Jhund for him

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  84. thecooldude Says:

    Some random thoughts on TOH now that the trailer is 24 hours old…

    – The name THUGS OF HINDOSTAN may have given most of us a false sense of the movie. We all probably thought that it would be much darker (probably because of the book rumor)
    – Once again, India needs to do a lot on the VFX front. The initial shots of the ships are laughable to say the least.
    – I hope Victor is not in love with the slo mo shot again like he was in Dhoom 3 though the trailer does seem to have more than a few of them! Please….no more
    – The Jack Sparrow comparison doesn’t make any sense. Yes the movie has ships, british, and the pirates \ thugs but Aamir does not look anything like Depp. I remember when Mann was being made and everyone thought that it was a Titanic remake because of the cruise ship setting. Thank you Indra Kumar for not putting Cameron in depression (though the movie was awful). Same thing happened when PK \ OMG. Poor Naveen still thinks that Hirani was copying an Akshay movie.
    – Aamir continues with doing a massy movie after an ‘Aamir’ movie. Mangal Pandey-RDB\Fanaa… TZP- Ghajini…Talaash-Dhoom 3
    – Bachchan \ Aamir clash should be epic…or I hope it will be. It would be a waste to bring these two together if you don’t cash it to the max.
    – The movie should have been called Rebels of Hindostan. Bachchan and his gang are clearly not thugs based on the trailer.
    – First 4 days should touch well over 200 CR…if not than catching BB2 hindi total will be next to impossible.
    – China should be intresting…the movie has no social message but Aamir is uuuge in China. 100M is def on but Dangal is probably safe.

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  85. Well. The reason I skipped aamir films is that most of his films are good and selecting one against the other is unfair.

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  86. thecooldude Says:

    was going through Aamir’s filmography….41 movies starting with QSQT where he has a major role in the movie (so not counting Damini or Dil Dhaakne Do). I am sure at least 9 of them can easily be taken out (bye bye Daulat ki jang!) so let the games begin!

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  87. thecooldude Says:

    Satyam…you should probably create Thugs of Hindostan (2) through (10) at the rate this is going here…

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  88. tonymontana Says:

    Mann had great music though. one of the best musical albums in Aamir’s career along with Rangeela

    Liked by 1 person

    • thecooldude Says:

      All copied….all copied. I think Lagaan along with Rangeela (thank your Rahman) are the 2 best in Aamir’s career. The best non Rahman is JJWS.

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