In the ninth episode of Koffee With Karan 7, the couch brought together two stars who started out as debutants together but have now carved a niche for themselves. This week, Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon graced the couch who debuted in Heropanti and are starring in Ganapath. During the conversation, the actor spoke about his recent setback with Heropanti 2 and how heartbroken he was due to the box office failure.

With taking the name of the film, Karan Johar asked Tiger Shroff how he deals with a huge setback like this. Tiger said, “I was heartbroken. I was depressed. I’m just a very extreme person, I wouldn’t say I sacrificed a lot because I like what I do, and I don’t have a social life and too many friends…” Karan added, “You did a lot of failure eating.” Tiger agreed to it saying, “I’m an emotional eater.”

Kriti Sanon was quite surprised considering they were shooting for Ganapath and that Tiger Shroff 'masks' it really well. When Karan asked whether this setback as determined him to prove himself again at the box office, he said, “I’m even hungrier right now. I’m not the type to get adulation–like great work, look at how well he has done. For me, my validation is the box office. I live for those whistles and all when I land, and I am about to save the day.”

Helmed by Ahmed Khan, Heropanti 2 starred Tiger Shroff, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Tara Sutaria. The film released in May 2022.

On the work front, Tiger Shroff is currently busy with Ganapath starring Kriti Sanon. He also is set for Baaghi 4.

ALSO READ: Koffee With Karan 7: Tiger Shroff says he and Disha Patani are 'good friends'; speaks up on rumoured break-up: 'There has been speculation on us for a very long time'

In May 2022, in an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Farah Khan shared interesting information with regards to her debut directorial, Main Hoon Na (2004), starring Shah Rukh Khan. She said, “Different posters were made for B and C centres in which Shah Rukh was holding a gun in his hand, and Suniel Shetty was also featured! In Mumbai, the posters gave the idea that it was a fun, musical entertainer.”

However, there have been times when the distributors or exhibitors refused to put up the posters provided by the makers. Instead, they have taken commercially-appealing stills or snapshots of older films and made them seem like the poster of the actor’s latest film. The idea behind it is to attract moviegoers, never mind that it results in cheating.

Ajay Devgn, in fact, got into trouble when an Ajmer resident went to the court and asked for Rs. 4.50 lakhs. According to the complainant, a local cinema hall, which was playing his 2019 romcom, De De Pyaar De, had put up a poster that showed Ajay doing a stunt. But the said scene was not there in the film. Ajay, however, was granted relief in this case as his legal team made it clear that he can’t be held responsible for publicity and promotional material. The bench said an actor has nothing to do with hoardings, posters or deciding on the parts to be edited out.

During his exclusive interaction with Bollywood Hungama, Ram Gopal Varma said that his film Company (2002), which also starred Ajay Devgn, also had such modified posters made. He said, “I had designed a classy poster of my film Company, featuring Ajay Devgn and Vivek Oberoi. When it released, nobody in the North put up that poster. They created a new poster, featuring Ajay Devgn from a different film, holding a gun. They also showed Ishaa Koppikar exposing her thighs. I had never put that on any of my posters! They picked it from somewhere.”

RGV then added, “However, I think they are right in doing so because they are catering to an audience who they know. That poster would surely appeal to the guy visiting single-screen cinemas in Patna. So there’s a logic to it.”

Ram Gopal Varma remarked that often our film personalities are not aware of the realities of the country and what works in A-class centres might not appeal to the mass audiences. To prove his point, he narrated an interesting anecdote, “When Dolby and DTS came to India, its officials used to fly down from London to teach filmmakers how to handle it. They had strict standards of how much volume you can have for the sound, what decibel of sound should come in the left and right speaker, etc.”

RGV continued, “This was a time when Mr Subhash Ghai was working on Trimurti (1996). The tendency then was to play everything on high sound. These Dolby officials however said, ‘No, no, you can’t do that. Bring the volume down’. Subhash Ghai was fed up with their diktats. They were in Prasad Labs, Chennai. He took them out of the studio on the streets and asked, ‘Have you heard such traffic noise in your country? People are using the horn in their cars all the time and they are shouting and talking. You can’t put what your audience wants and our audience on the same page’.”

That’s not all. Ram Gopal Varma revealed, “Later, he took them to see a Rajinikanth film, which had been released at the same time. Inside the theatre, for the first 30 minutes, nobody could hear anything except people shouting and cheering! He asked them, ‘How do you incorporate your idea of sound level in such an environment? You are catering to an audience that watches films silently. Here, there is an audience whose decibel level is much more than the decibel level coming from the speakers’!”

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Ram Gopal Varma opens up on the debacle of Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha and Akshay Kumar’s Raksha Bandhan; says “Bollywood films are not FLOPPING due to any boycott campaign. But people do possibly have ill-feelings”

We had earlier reported that Kunal Kemmu will turn director with a comedy in collaboration with Excel Entertainment, headed by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani. On the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, Kunal Kemmu announced his directorial venture and also unveiled the title which is Madgaon Express.

Kunal Kemmu took to social media to share the title announcement poster of Madgaon Express and further spoke about it in his caption that read, “Ganpati Bappa Moriya. As all good things begin with his name I can’t think of a better day to share this with all of you. It started with a thought in my head which grew into a dream which flowed out through my fingers into words on my laptop and now it is becoming a reality on its way to the silver screen. A big thank you to Ritesh, Farhan and Rucha at excel entertainment for believing in my script and my vision and partnering with me on this exciting journey in the world of cinema. With joined hands and a bowed head I seek all of your blessings and the blessings of ganpati Bappa. Introducing Madgaon Express.” Further details on the film are yet to be revealed.

 

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Kunal Kemmu also posted a video of him celebrating Ganesh Chathurthi with his wife Soha Ali Khan and daughter Inaaya Naumi Kemmu wherein they were seen visiting a Ganpati pandal at a temple near his residence. He extended his wishes to his fans and followers on Instagram, saying, “Wishing everyone a Happy Ganesh Chaturthi. May lord Ganesha bring happiness peace and light into all your lives. Ganpati Bappa Moriya #happyganeshchaturthi.”

 

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Apart from that, Kunal Kemmu has a couple of projects lined up in 2022 which include Vipul Mehta’s Kanjoos Makkhichoos, and Raj & DK’s Amazon Prime series Gulkanda. On the other hand, Excel Entertainment will be producing the multi-starrer Jee Le Zara featuring Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt, and Katrina Kaif.

Also Read: Kunal Kemmu to turn director with comedy film produced by Farhan Akhtar

Host Karan Johar keeps asserting about how the manifestation game on Koffee With Karan Season 7 has been going strong, time and again. From Sara Ali Khan to Ananya Panday to Sidharth Malhotra, stars are not shying away from naming who resides in their heart. In the season’s ninth episode, the couch brings together two stars who started out as debutants together and will son be seen opposite each other yet again. This week, Heropanti actors Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon will be sharing the couch before the hit the screens yet again in their film Ganapath. The duo promises to make the episode an entertaining one filled with their manifestations, confessions and their take on never-before-heard conjectures.

Tiger Shroff, for the longest time, has been fiddling with the game, is he single? However, in the latest episode of Koffee With Karan Season 7, the actor finally came clean, or so we would like to believe! Sitting cool behind his coloured shades, the star finally revealed about his relationship status. “I am single. I think so at least and I am currently looking around,” admitted the star.

However, he did not just stop at the mere acceptance of his singlehood. He also went ahead to manifest a name that very few have linked with him. “I have always been infatuated by Shraddha Kapoor. I think she is great!” the star said. The actor was paired opposite Shraddha in Baaghi which went on to become a success at the box office. The hit pair returned for the third installment of the franchise but failed to recreate the same magic.

Koffee with Karan Season 7 will stream on Disney+Hotstar every Thursday at 12 midnight exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar. For fans in the U.S., Koffee with Karan Season 7 will stream exclusively on Hulu.

Also Read: Koffee With Karan Season 7: Tiger Shroff reveals he is envious of Ranveer Singh; confesses that he has gone commando in public

The recently held 67th Filmfare Awards was truly a festival of Indian Cinema with many films bagging some prestigious awards. From Shershaah to Sardar Udham, some of these films won big, bagging most of the technical awards. And the Best Actor award was given to Ranveer Singh for his portrayal of Kapil Dev in the sports-based biopic ’83 which also featured Deepika Padukone as his reel-life wife Romi Dev.

A video from the award ceremony found its way online where we saw a thrilled Ranveer Singh also getting Deepika Padukone on stage. The announcement was made by their friend and popular filmmaker Karan Johar. Ranveer received the award saying, “Ranveer Singh powered by Deepika Padukone.”

???? #5 Ranveer Singh received the Best Actor award for #83TheFilm with love of his life Deepika Padukone at 67th Filmfare Awards 2022???????? #FilmfareAwards2022 #RanveerSingh #Wolf777newsFilmfareAwards #Deepveer pic.twitter.com/5IFBu5mrIk

— Ranveerians Worldwide (@RanveeriansFC) August 30, 2022

Followed by that, he also expressed his gratitude for receiving this honour and thanked everyone for it. He said, “The past few years have been wonderful. This is the 4th Filmfare in about 6 years which is pretty awesome. I have had the privilege of working with some of the finest filmmakers in the country. I credit them with this (trophy). This achievement is only possible because they believe in me and they believe I can be part of their vision and contribute as an artiste and bring to life the story that they want to tell.”

He added, “This was a very special part and once I am done with my responsibilities here I will call Kapil Dev sir. Just cannot wait to speak to Kapil paaji and connect with him and tell him that this is for him. Winning 5 Filmfare Best Actor awards feels quite incredible and is really humbling.”

Directed by Kabir Khan, ’83 featured an ensemble cast that played the role of the 80s Indian Cricket Team. The film recreated the iconic win of India in the 1983 World Cup match where their team played the match against England in Lords Stadium. Besides Ranveer Singh, the film also featured Harrdy Sandhu, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Ammy Virk, and Saqib Saleem among others. The film released in December 2021.

On the work front, Ranveer Singh will next feature in Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus which also stars Pooja Hegde and Jacqueline Fernandez. He also has the Karan Johar directorial Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani starring alongside Alia Bhatt, with Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi, and Jaya Bachchan. While Cirkus is expected to release by the end of this year, Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani is said to hit the big screens next year.

Also Read: Ranveer Singh kicks off the new campaign with Adidas Original; actor to appear with football icon Karim Benzema

Over the past few years, several theatres and multiplexes have begun showing live matches on the big screen. The trend has picked up as instead of going to the stadiums and paying for expensive tickets, one can rather watch the match in the confines of an air-conditioned auditorium at cheaper rates. Also, if the occupancy is encouraging, the claps and hoots give viewers a near stadium-like experience.

Theatres have shown IPL and World Cup matches in the past. On Sunday, August 28, many centres across the country played the India vs Pakistan T20 Asia Cup match. And they hit a sixer as the response was better than expected. It also came at a great time when the exhibition sector has been struggling as big-ticket films like Laal Singh Chaddha, Raksha Bandhan and Liger bombed badly.

Puneet Gupta, AVP - Corporate Communications, Inox Leisure Limited, said, “We got decent footfalls, as compared to the previous cricket matches. We played it in 30 cities and 60 screens. The match next Sunday might also be that of India vs Pakistan. So we’d promote it well and hope we get better footfalls.”

Devang Sampat, CEO, Cinepolis India, stated, “The response was fantastic. Cinepolis was also the distributor of the India vs Pakistan match. We released it in 250 cinemas and it recorded 80% occupancy.”

Akshaye Rathi, a film exhibitor and distributor, revealed, “From the three national chains, almost 20,000 tickets were sold which led to collections of approx. Rs. 1.20 crores.” He continued, “We have won the first match and hence, there’s more anticipation and excitement. I am assuming more ticket sales will happen for it.”

So happy are theatres with the response to the India vs Pakistan match that they have decided to also screen India vs Hong Kong match, on Wednesday, August 31.

The year 2022 may probably be one of the best years for Kartik Aaryan. The actor managed to garner record-breaking success with the horror comedy Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 featuring him in the role of Rooh Baba and it also starred Kiara Advani and Tabu in lead roles. Considering the kind of success the film tasted, it has been made into a popular franchise with makers even claiming that a third installment might be on the cards. However, before that, we now hear that the popular movie has been turned into comics and has been titled Rooh Baba Ki Bhool Bhulaiyaa.

Kartik Aaryan took to Instagram to share this good news with his fans where he announced the return of the Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 character. He also shared a poster of the comic book collection which featured the Rooh Baba caricature along with the popular ghost of Manjulika. Dedicating the comic book series to his children fans, Kartik wrote in his caption, “Rooh Baba aur unki kahaniyan ab aa gayi hai comics ki Bhool Bhulaiyaa mein ???????? This one is for all my lil fans ❤️❤️#RoohBabaKiBhoolBhulaiyaa ????@diamondcomicsindia @tseries.official @cine1studios. Watch out for more - https://www.diamondcomicsindia.in”

 

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Speaking of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, the film was a sequel to the 2007 film starring Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, and Shiney Ahuja. However, the sequel was a standalone film. While Vidya played Manjulika in the prequel, the 2022 film featured Tabu as Manjulika. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 also featured Amar Upadhyay, Ashwini Kalsekar, and Rajpal Yadav among others. Directed by Anees Bazmee, the film was produced by Bhushan Kumar and Murad Khetani. It released on May 20, 2022, and is currently available on the streaming platform, Netflix.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: “My upcoming film Shehzada would break Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’s record,” says Kartik Aaryan

Former boxing champ Mike Tyson walked away with a staggering Rs. 20-25 crores for his inane cameo appearance in Liger. Enterprising filmmaker Puri Jagannadh thought he had hit a jackpot when he got Mike Tyson for Liger.

Tyson who? No I am just kidding, mimicking Mr Tyson who in a recent podcast claimed he had no recollection of doing a ‘Bollywood’ film called Liger. Everyone who saw the film seconds Mr Tyson’s sentiment. Everyone who saw the film would like to forget the brackish taste it leaves in the mouth.

But the question to be asked is, how did he get into Liger in the first place? What box office sense does that make? Whose idea was it?

A bit of probing reveals that Karan Johar who co-produced the Hindi version of Liger was totally opposed to the idea of inviting Tyson. Vijay Deverakonda too was not kicked by the idea. It was entirely Puri’s idea.

“Puri had a thing about working with Tyson. Otherwise today’s audience knows nothing about Tyson. He was fixated on the idea of anyhow getting Tyson into the film, no matter what the cost,” a source close to the project reveals.

Also Read: Mike Tyson completes dubbing for Vijay Deverakonda and Ananya Panday starrer Liger directed by Puri Jagannadh

Sumbhul Touqeer and Fahmaan Khan won many hearts with their chemistry onscreen. They play the lead roles of Imlie and Aryan in the ongoing show Imlie on Star Plus. The prime Indian drama continues to be one of the highest TRP rated shows as the show has managed to keep its audience entertained with its twists and plots. And now in a step to take its popularity to the next level, the makers are planning to a massive leap in the show, which has resulted in the exit of these lead actors.

While reports about their exit have been doing the rounds for quite some time, Fahmaan Khan took to social media to confirm it. In a video shared by the actor on Instagram, he said, “We know that you have been hearing a lot of rumours on Instagram and social media. We thought you should know the truth from us and you deserve to know it. We want to say that the news is true.  The makers have decided to take a generation leap in the show and it is good. It is a mutual understanding between us and the makers. They have spoken to us about it. We did not want to announce before any confirmation.”

 

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Bidding adieu, he also spoke about how special the journey of Imlie has been for him. He also mentioned that it’s even more special for Sumbhul who played the titular character and considering that she had a longer journey compared to him. “Don’t be disappointed. Everything that is great has to come to an end at some point. Nothing lasts forever. Change is forever,” he added. Sumbhul too spoke in the video crediting her fame and success to the show. The actors requested their fans to extend their support and love to the show, concluding that the characters may change but the makers won’t.

The news comes as a surprise to many fans who dropped in comments expressing their sadness over the exit of the actors. Imlie airs on Star Plus from Monday to Saturday at 8:30pm. The show also featured Gashmeer Mahajani and Mayuri Deshmukh in pivotal roles.

Also Read: Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai goes for a leap: What will be the fate of Abhimanyu and Akshara?

Yet again, Shah Rukh Khan has proved what a big-hearted person he is. King Khan, who is known for his philanthropic work, is back with his scholarship, which is in partnership with the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne and La Trobe University. The registration for the scholarship started recently on August 18 and will go all the way until September 23. The first ever scholarship was announced at the 2019 festival of which SRK was the chief guest and visited the university to launch this program. Soon after, India’s Gopika Kottantharayil Bhasi from Thrissur in Kerala was awarded the maiden scholarship. The university expressed that this was their most applied for a scholarship with over 800 applicants and hence the scholarship has been introduced back courtesy of the festival that facilitated this.

The top criteria for the selection are that the candidate has to be a female Indian national who should be residing in India and have completed a Master's of Research degree within the past 10 years. The selected student will be receiving a four-year La Trobe University Full-Fee Research Scholarship.

Mitu Bhowmick Lange, director of the festival says, “We all know SRK has a big heart and he has proved it yet again. The scholarship is a life-changing opportunity for a female researcher from India. India is filled with talent and spark and all it takes is to ignite that spark. SRK’s association with IFFM goes back a long time, but now, since it’s for a cause, it makes it even more special. La Trobe University is one of the leading universities in Australia and getting a chance to study at this university has been on the wish list of many students.”

The announcement of the scholarship was made in 2019 during the physical event of IFFM. But due to the pandemic and travel restrictions, it was put to a halt last year. Named one of the top universities in the world, La Trobe University has hosted some renowned dignitaries from India, like Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Kapil Dev, Malaika Arora Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Rajkumar Hirani, and Abhijat Joshi.

Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan declines Don 3 for now; looking to sign more films as Jawan and Dunki’s shoot would finish in a few months

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Taylor Swift took the fans by surprise on Sunday night with the announcement of her new album, Midnights which is set for October 21, 2022 release. She the made the announcement during her speech at the MTV Video Music Awards 2022, where she accepted an award for Video Of The Year.

“We lie awake in love and in fear, in turmoil and in tears,” she wrote along with the announcement on social media. “We stare at walls and drink until they speak back. We twist in our self-made cages and pray that we aren’t – right this minute – about to make some fateful life-altering mistake. This is a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams. The floors we pace and the demons we face. For all of us who have tossed and turned and decided to keep the lanterns lit and go searching – hoping that just maybe, when the clock strikes twelve … we’ll meet ourselves."

“Midnights, the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life, will be out October 21. Meet me at midnight,” the caption read as she revealed it is a 13-track full length album.

 

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During her acceptance speech at MTV Video Music Awards 2022, Swift said, “You guys, I’m just so proud of what we made, and I now that every second of this moment that we wouldn’t have been able to make this short film if it weren’t for you, the fans,” she said, accepting for “All Too Well (10-Minute Version).” “Because I wouldn’t be able to re-record my album [‘Red (Taylor’s Version),’ which included the winning song] if it weren’t for you. You emboldened me to do that. And I had sort of made up my mind that if you were going to be this generous and give us this, I thought it might be a fun moment to tell you that my brand-new album comes out Oct. 21. And I will tell you more at midnight.”

In 2020, Taylor Swift released two part albums Folklore and Evermore. She has also dropped Taylor's Versions of re-recordings of her previous albums.

ALSO READ: Taylor Swift was denied a cameo request by director Chris Weitz in Twilight: New Moon – “I kick myself for it”

Late actor Irrfan Khan's son Babil Khan will make his debut soon in films. At the Netflix's Films Day in Mumbai on Monday, the audience caught an exclusive sneak peek of the song 'Phero Na Najariya' from the upcoming film Qala. Director Anvitaa Dutt along with the cast - Swastika Mukherjee, Tripti Dimri, Amit Sial and Babil Khan were in attendance as the audience swayed to the soulful song and the team spoke about the inception of Qala. As it marks the debut of Khan, he said that he was broken and vulnerable before he auditioned for the role of Jagan in the film.

"One of my close friends had been an assistant to Anvita and even before I read the script, I wanted to do the film. I never had second thoughts about it and jumped to reach the auditions. It was the time Baba had passed away and I was broken and vulnerable," he said at the event on Monday.

"When I reached (production house) Clean Slate Filmz, they made me feel so safe. I was coming with some baggage and was so scared. She (Dutt) was making an epic and even through all of that, she took so much care of me. I cannot thank her enough. The way she hugged me, it was precious," the aspiring actor told reporters.

Anvitaa Dutt said she had met Babil at a party when he was 14. "When we were auditioning for Jagan, we tested many boys. Some were very interesting but we weren't getting him. The friend that he mentioned, she casually asked 'Do you want to test Babil?' But I didn't know (if) he was looking into acting. I knew he was studying films and wanted to be a cinematographer," she added. "It was the first time he was facing the camera and it could have been frightening. Babil was also coming from a sad place and yet kept his energy intact. He was truly a God's child."

The Anvitaa Dutt directorial stars Tripti Dimri, Babil Khan, Swastika Mukherjee, Neer Raao, Avinash Raj Sharma and Ashish Singh in the lead roles. The film is produced by Karnesh Ssharma under the banner of Clean Slate Filmz.

ALSO READ: Irrfan Khan’s wife Sutapa Sikdar pens an emotional message as her son Babil begins filming for The Railway Men

Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh created uproar on social media with his nude photoshoot for international magazine. The photoshoot was done for Paper magazine. Soon after, a complaint was filed against him at Chembur Police station in Mumbai by the Maharashtra State Commission for Women. The actor was supposed to appear on August 22 for the same but he had requested for two more weeks for the same. The actor on Monday appeared before police and was reportedly questioned for 2 hours.

He appeared before Mumbai Police around 7 in the morning on Monday and was questioned by officials. The actor reportedly said that he had not uploaded the controversial photos and that he didn't know those photos would create trouble for him. Mumbai Police will reportedly call him again for questioning.

The complainant had claimed that Ranveer Singh had “hurt the sentiments of women in general and insulted their modesty through his photographs.” An FIR was registered under several Indian Penal Code Sections like 292 (sale of obscene books, etc), 293 (sale of obscene objects to young people), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult modesty of a woman) and provisions of the Information Technology Act, as per The Hindu report.

On the work front, Ranveer Singh has Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus with Pooja Hegde and Jacqueline Fernandez, Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani with Alia Bhatt, and Anniyan remake with Shankar.

ALSO READ: Ranveer Singh Nude Photoshoot: Actor requests 2 weeks after Chembur Police asks him to appear on August 22 after a complaint was filed against him

The industry and moviegoers have been eagerly looking forward to the release of Brahmastra. Starring Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, this superhero saga has generated tremendous excitement thanks to the casting of real-life couple Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, the super-hit song ‘Kesariya’, VFX and mythological connection. As a result, the trade expects it to emerge as the biggest Bollywood opener of 2022.

Yesterday, that is, on August 29, the advance booking of Brahmastra was thrown open in the USA. A video was posted by 20th Century Studios’ YouTube Channel which showed Ranbir Kapoor announcing it. As expected, fans went into overdrive on social media over this development.

Bollywood Hungama scanned the popular ticketing website Fandango and found out that the ticket sales of Brahmastra have commenced in more than 200 theatres across the country for both Hindi and Telugu versions. The film has got a sufficient number of shows in the IMAX screens as well. Besides, the tickets for the 3D shows are also being sold.

What’s also interesting is that while Brahmastra will be released on September 9, in the USA, the shows will start from 5:00 pm onwards on Thursday, September 8. The industry expects these paid previews to get a good response, considering the excitement. In fact, this has also raised hopes that even in India, Dharma Productions and Star Studios might hold paid previews from the evening of September 8. A clearer picture regarding this will emerge in a few days.

Sources in the exhibition sector, meanwhile, have told Bollywood Hungama that in India, the advance booking is expected to commence on Friday, September 2. The ticket sales in other overseas territories will also start at around the same time.

Brahmastra also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna and Mouni Roy and is directed by Ayan Mukerji. It is the first part of a trilogy and the makers have revealed that they hope to make many more films belonging to the AstraVerse.

Also Read: Brahmastra: Alia Bhatt reveals that she is proud to say that she went to IIT; sings ‘Kesariya’ live for the audience

Even before a teaser has been released by the makers, Ram Setu seems to have landed in trouble. Starring Akshay Kumar, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nushrratt Bharuccha in the lead roles, the film arrives in theatres in Diwali. Before that, the makers of the team have received legal notice sent by Subramanian Swamy.

Subramanian Swamy took to Twitter and wrote, "Mumbai cinema [or is it sin-e-ma] wallas have a bad habit of falsifying and misappropriation. Hence to teach them Intellectual Property Rights, I have through Satya Sabharwal Adv issued Legal Notice to Cine Actor Akshay Kumar (Bhatia) and 8 others for distorting Ram Setu saga."

The Supreme Court adjourned the plea on Monday which was filed by Subramanian Swamy. As per Live Law India, the plea "seeking directions to the Centre for declaring Ram Setu as a national heritage monument. The issue of declaring Ram Setu as a National Heritage monument was raised by Dr Swamy, in his plea filed in 2007 against Sethusamudram Ship Channel project for protection of Ram Setu. Under the Sethusamudram project, an 83-km-long deep water channel was to be created, linking Mannar with Palk Strait, by extensive dredging and removal of the limestone shoals which constitute the mythological Sethu."

As per a report in ANI, advocate Satya Sabarwal, who sent the legal notice on behalf of Swamy, said, "My client in 2007, has successfully argued before the Supreme Court for the preservation and protection of the Rama Setu and had opposed the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project of the Government of India which envisaged rupturing the Rama Setu [held to be sacred by Hindus], on August 31, 2007, the Supreme Court was pleased to pass stay Order against any plan to demolish or damage the Rama Setu. This was on the grounds that faith and worship is a constitutional imperative."

The notice further read, "It has come to my Client's knowledge that, a Movie namely Ram Setu has been filmed and is set to be released on August 24. That Court proceedings are an integral part of saving the Ram Setu being demolished by previous Governments and if the same is being picturized in the Addressee's film, then my Client has contributed in the film vide the Court proceedings initiated and my Client is bound to be recognized for the same with correct picturization of original facts and the Original Petitioner's name used anywhere in the film."

Directed by Abhishek Sharma and creatively produced by Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi (Prithviraj Chauhan), the film is an action-adventure drama that brings forward a story deeply rooted in Indian cultural and historical heritage. The film carries a power-packed star cast led by superstar Akshay Kumar and features Jacqueline Fernandez and Nushrratt Bharuccha.

ALSO READ: Akshay Kumar starrer Cuttputlli acquired by Disney+ Hotstar for Rs. 125 crores

Danny DeVito was recently part of an animated project where he gave his voice in the Little Demon series, confessed about his love for Indian cinema. The actor-filmmaker couldn’t stop gushing about Bollywood and their way of making films. He even spoke about watching some Indian films like RRR and revealed that he would like to do Bollywood somebody. Along with him, his daughter-actress Lucy DeVito as well as co-star Aubrey Plaza too agreed about trying their hands on Indian cinema.

Talking about watching RRR and his love for Bollywood films to IndiaToday.in, Danny DeVito said, “I love Bollywood big time. In fact, as a matter of fact, a few days back, I watched RRR and another one R... Rajkumar, it was really good. I think if I had my way next season or whenever I could talk everybody into it, we should definitely bust into a big number." In fact, agreeing to him, Lucy, Aubrey added, "We need to do Bollywood” in unison.

Along with that, Danny DeVito also revealed the reason behind his love for Bollywood. “What I love about Bollywood is it keeps the story intact. If it's a love story, then the two romantic leads will be seen going at it. Like in RRR, it's about the battles between everybody but they keep up the story even in the singing. And I love that aspect of it. I think it's great,” he shared.

For those who have been living under a rock, RRR is directed by SS Rajamouli and stars Ram Charan, Junior NTR, Alia Bhatt in lead roles along with Ajay Devgn playing a pivotal role. The film is a period drama set during the pre-Independence era and was released in multiple languages. The film received a massive response from the South as well as audiences from across the country and the world.

Also Read: The Vampire Diaries star Joseph Morgan aka Klaus Mikaelson praises SS Rajamouli’s RRR: ‘An absolute masterpiece’

Diljit Dosanjh has emerged as one of the biggest stars in Punjabi cinema. Even in Bollywood, he has carved a niche after doing films like Udta Punjab (2016), Phillauri (2017), Good Newwz (2019) etc. The actor will now be seen in Jogi. Directed by Sultan (2016) and Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) director Ali Abbas Zafar, it is all set to be out on Netflix on September 16.

Today, Netflix held a star-studded event called 'Netflix Films Day' wherein they announced they talked about their upcoming films in the presence of its actors and director. The trailer of Jogi was presented exclusively here to the members of the media by Ali Abbas Zafar, producer Hemanshu Mehra and actress Amyra Dastur. Bollywood Hungama was present and got a sneak peek of the intense trailer.

From the trailer, it has come to light that Diljit Dosanjh will be seen without turban in a major part of the film. Jogi is based on the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. Diljit's character is shown to be removing his turban and cutting his hair with a heavy heart to hide his Sikh identity.

This is probably the first time that Diljit Dosanjh will be seen without his turban in a film. In fact, in a 2018 interview, Diljit had stated, "My most favourite directors from Bollywood have offered me films which I cannot do because they want me to do it without turban and that’s not possible. Turban is my identity, it’s my emotion."

However, Diljit Dosanjh, who made his presence felt at the event through a video call while in London, said that Jogi is an important film for him and it tells an important story from our pages of history. Hence, it is understandable why the actor decided to change his rule.

Earlier this month, a similar sequence was seen in Aamir Khan's Laal Singh Chaddha as well. It showed Mona Singh's character cutting off her son's hair so that he can be saved from the violent rioters in 1984.

Also Read: Jogi Teaser: Diljit Dosanjh fights for his family and brotherhood during 1984 riots in Ali Abbas Zafar’s next

John Abraham, who was last seen in Ek Villain Returns, is all set to collaborate with the other ‘villain’ Riteish Deshmukh for a forthcoming film. The said film is expected to be a comedy, directed by Housefull director Sajid Khan. The leading ladies for the film will be Nora Fatehi and popular reality show contestant turned actress Shehnaaz Gill. To be produced by Bhushan Kumar and Amar Butala, the film has been titled 100%.

Confirming the same, a source close to the production house said, “Producers Bhushan Kumar and Amar Butala join hands for a family entertainer titled 100% starring John Abraham, Riteish Deshmukh, Nora Fatehi, and Shehnaaz Gill. The Sajid Khan film is set against the backdrop of the big fat Indian wedding and the crazy world of spies. It promises to be a joy ride full of comedy, action, and chaos.”

 

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100% is expected to go on floors early next, in the first half of 2023 and the makers are expecting to release the film by Diwali 2023.

Nora Fatehi is currently the judge of the celebrity dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Riteish Deshmukh was last seen as the public prosecutor in the Amazon mini-TV show, comedy courtroom drama Case Toh Banta Hai. The actor will also make his directorial debut with the Marathi film Ved this year. On the other hand, John Abraham is gearing up for his next Tehran. Speaking of Shehnaaz Gill, she will be seen in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan with Salman Khan and Pooja Hegde.

Also Read: John Abraham drops his slick avatar in first motion poster, says, ‘I’ll let my action do all the talking’ 

Disney+ Hotstar’s Koffee With Karan Season 7 is hosting some of the best stars from Bollywood. From Sara Ali Khan to Ananya Pandey to Sidharth Malhotra, stars are not shying away from naming who resides in their heart. In the season 7 episode, the couch brings together two stars who started as debutants together but have now carved a niche name in the hearts of viewers. This week, the original Heropanti couple Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon will grace the couch. The duo makes viewers’ hearts hopscotch with their confessions and answering to never-before-heard conjectures. During the episode, the actress had an interesting revelation to make about the Alia Bhatt starrer Student Of The Year.

Host Karan Johar has revealed several unknown facts about Student of The Year on Koffee With Karan Season 7. From scenes that never made it to the film to the show’s iconic host and the film’s director Karan Johar revealing his doubts about the film, in the latest episode, we learn how the film had decided on the fate of yet another star, Kriti Sanon. The actress revealed that the first film she ever auditioned for was the Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan starrer Student Of The Year.

“This was right when I had started modeling. It was my career’s very first film audition,” Kriti said. While the revelation made KJo go ‘oops!’, she recalled the experience adding, “I was asked to dance to ‘Bahara’ (I Hate Luv Storys) and some scenes from Wake Up Sid (starring Ranbir Kapoor and Konkana Sen Sharma). I was horrible back then,” said the star.

 

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She also mentioned that she was ill-prepared for the film and that she held no hard feelings toward the film’s lead, Alia Bhatt.

Koffee with Karan Season 7 will stream on Disney+ Hotstar and features some new and interesting segments this time along with the all-time favourite Rapid Fire round where the stars compete it out for the very special ‘Koffee Hamper’. For fans in the U.S., Koffee with Karan Season 7 will stream exclusively on Hulu.

Also Read: Koffee With Karan 7: Shahid Kapoor opens up about marrying Mira Rajput when she was 20: ‘She needed to be cared for with kid gloves’

At a time when senior superstars, Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar who should know better, are brazenly selling cancer (a.k.a gutka, paan masala) to the nation, Bollywood’s youngest superstar Kartik Aaryan has resolutely said no to a tempting offer to endorse Paan Masala.

When I double-checked this news with a prominent ad guru, he confirmed it saying, “That’s right. That boy Kartik Aaryan has said no to around Rs. 8-9 crore offer to endorse paan masala. Kartik seems to have principles, a rare commodity in today’s actors who suffer from the gift of the ‘grab’. Saying no to such big money is not easy. But Kartik is conscious of his responsibility as a youth icon.”

Former chairperson of the censor board and producer Pahlaj Nihalani also endorses Kartik Aayan’s decision not to endorse harmful products. “Paan masala is killing people. Being encouraged to take gutka and paan masala by Bollywood role models is definitely damaging to the nation’s health.”

Akshay Kumar has a very clean image. He is seen as a hero of the masses. Then why is he promoting a brand of paan masala? Others like Govinda and even Pierce Brosnan are known to have promoted paan masala.

Shockingly Pahlaj Nihalani reveals that the broadcasting of alcohol and paan masala ads is illegal and unconstitutional. “Law forbids the CBFC from granting certification to paan masala and alcohol ads. Therefore, the ads for these products being broadcast are illegal. Actors who are part of such ads should know they’re participating in an illegal activity.”

Also Read: Kartik Aaryan starrer Satyaprem Ki Katha will restructure the actor’s image

Recently, Karan Johar confirmed that his next with Tiger Shroff, titled Screw Dheela has been delayed by a year. Bollywood Hungama did a bit of investigation and discovered that there are multiple reasons for the film to be kept on hold and one of the key reasons is financials not falling in place.

According to our sources, Tiger Shroff had done the paperwork for Screw Dheela for a sum of Rs. 35 crores, and once the film landed itself in the market for sale, it couldn't find any respectable buyers at the asking price. "In today's world, actors charging such big bucks makes a film financially unviable. Profit sharing is the way to go," revealed a source. "When Karan went to Tiger to express his concern, the actor didn't agree to lower the price. Karan was keen to get Tiger on board for a sum around the Rs. 20 crore mark, but Tiger and his team stuck to Rs. 35 crores. Their idea was - one failure can't impact his positioning to this extent," the source told Bollywood Hungama.

"The budget of Screw Dheela was falling in the range of Rs. 140 crores, and that was without taking into account the print and publicity costs. Hence, after all the attempts to salvage the scenario, Dharma Productions finally decided to shelve the film for the time being. If the market improves, the film will start next year," the source concluded.

Screw Dheela was directed by Shashank Khaitan with Rashmika Mandanna as the actress.

Also Read: SCOOP: Tiger Shroff-starrer Screw Dheela put on the backburner due to high budget, unpredictable box office scenario, and average response to the announcement video

Earlier this weekend, Sony Entertainment Television’s ongoing comedy reality show, India’s Laughter Champion came to a befitting end. The ‘Laughter Ka Grand Finale’, which was hosted on August 27, saw the Top 5 finalists - Nitesh Shetty from Mumbai, Jayvijay Sachan from Mumbai, Vighnesh Pande from Mumbai, Himanshu Bawandar from Ujjain, and Rajat Sood from Delhi perform one last time in front of the judges, Archana Puran Singh, and Shekhar Suman. Making the evening even more special were the cast of Liger – Vijay Deverakonda and Ananya Pandey who were promoting their film and present at the finale was also a special guest, that is Sunil Grover in the guise of Rinku Bhabhi.

As the country waited in anticipation to know who from amongst the Top 5 finalists will be declared the winner, Rajat Sood from Delhi was awarded the coveted trophy of India’s Laughter Champion. While Nitesh Shetty from Mumbai was declared as the first runner-up, owing to the tough fight between Jayvijay Sachan and Vighnesh Pande, the two were declared as the second runners-up in a tie.

Winner Rajat was awarded a cheque of Rs. 25 lakhs. Speaking about the win, Rajat said, “I was overwhelmed when the celebrations began, and my name was announced. For a few minutes, I had to absorb the fact that I had won. I had planned this moment in my head multiple times but, the reality left me awestruck. It was also a milestone moment as I was performing in front of my parents for the first time in life. They had only previously seen my content online and they would not really bring it up with me or discuss it with me. Their presence was a blessing. Some decisions that come instinctively to you are signals from the universe, which tell us that good things are about to happen. My father is very happy and I could see that pride in his eyes. I am now open to opportunities and shows that will come my way. Now I have to work even harder, and I have a fire inside me to do better. I will try to read more and equip myself to become a better artist.

Judge of India’s Laughter Champion, Shekhar Suman said, “It was a well-deserved win! Rajat fought very hard, and it was a very tough competition. I think Rajat had a very distinct flavour of his own and he comes across as a very endearing guy. He is a millennial, far too young, but he has the wisdom of a 40–50-year-old. He is extremely charming and spontaneous. So, when you watch him with his stage presence, with his spontaneity, his content, his timing, ease, confidence, all of that is a sure-fire recipe for a winner. “

On the other hand, the other judge of India’s Laughter Champion, Archana Puran Singh shared, “Rajat Sood captured our attention with every passing episode. From the very beginning, I knew there was something special about him that got us to notice him and when he started performing more and more, he started standing out even more. He has a “lover boy” image and with the way he uses the essence of poetry in his comedy, I thought he was the perfect candidate to win the show. I saw his journey closely, and I was so hopeful. His finale act was brilliant. The consistency of his performances, his pleasant appearance, his presence on stage, his haazir-jawaabi, his witty responses, and his very chocolate boy look - all go to make him a winner.”

‘Comedy’ is a word that is known universally but, with Rajat Sood infusing ‘poetry’ in his comedy acts, he aptly earned the title of ‘Pomedy.’

Also Read: Gurpreet Ghuggi hilariously imitates Shilpa Shetty on India’s Laughter Champion | Abhimanyu | Shirley

Liger, which hit the theatres on August 25, was produced by Karan Johar in association with Puri Jagannadh and Charmme Kaur. The latter recently spoke about the performance of films in general at the box office. The producer’s opinion is that considering the easy availability of content for the audiences, movie makers should create films that entice them into coming to theatres. She also gave examples of how well South films like Kartikeya 2, Sita Ramam, and Bimbisara performed at the box office.

Speaking about it to Free Press Journal, Charmme Kaur said, “Definitely, people have access to better content in one click just by sitting at home. The whole family can watch the biggest budget films on television, and until you don’t really excite them, they aren’t coming to the theatres. But, this is not the case in Bollywood. In August, three Telugu films - Bimbisara, Sita Ramam, and Karthikeya 2 - did phenomenally well, which made Rs. 150–170 crores. It happened in the same country. It is difficult to understand since it doesn’t mean people in the South are crazy for films. It is a scary and depressing situation.”

On the other hand, she also spoke about the delay in the release of Liger. She revealed that they had unanimously decided that the film will have a theatrical release and also added that it felt like it was their responsibility to let films like RRR and Pushpa release before. She shared, “We started the first schedule of Liger in January 2020, we met Karan Johar in 2019, and it has come out in 2022. We held back from coming to theatres for three years as we were extremely confident that Liger was a theatrical release irrespective of the first and second lockdowns, third wave, or theatres opening to 50% occupancy. It was our responsibility to let other major films, such as RRR and Pushpa: The Rise, come out first. Then, we lost summer and rain arrived, so we had to release on August 25. We faced constant hurdles, but we never gave up.”

Liger marks the Bollywood debut of Vijay Deverakonda and is the first pan-India film of Ananya Panday. The film is directed by Puri Jagannadh and it released on August 25 in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.

Also Read: Photos: Puri Jagannadh, Charmme Kaur and Apoorva Mehta snapped promoting Liger at Dharma Productions office

Ajay Devgn and Tabu will be coming together for the ninth time with the action drama Bholaa. The film, which is also directed by the Shivaay actor, was in the final leg of its shoot schedule. And now the actress has taken to social media to announce the wrap of the same. She shared a joint post with her Drishyam co-star and also gave us a sneak peek into her look from the film.

Readers would be aware that Tabu and Ajay Devgn are childhood friends and the two of them have played many interesting roles. It is being said that Bholaa will feature the actress in the role of a cop whereas Ajay will be seen in the role of a prisoner. In the recent joint post with her co-star, the actress shared a photo of their looks from the film where she is seen in a suited formal attire whereas Ajay is seen wearing a black shirt with a ghamcha. Along with that, she also added a caption saying, “Look!! We finished our 9th film together! #wewrap #bholaa @ajaydevgn @adffilms.”

 

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Speaking of Bholaa, the film marks the fourth directorial of Ajay Devgn after U, Me, Aur Hum, Shivaay, and the latest Runway 34 that hit the big screens in 2022. It is a remake of the Tamil film Kaithi that originally featured Karthi along with Narain, Arjun Das among others and was directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. As for Bholaa, the film is expected to hit the theatres on March 30, 2023.

On the other hand, Ajay Devgn and Tabu, who have acted in many films including Golmaal Again and De De Pyaar De, recently also shot for Drishyam 2 together. While they featured as a suspect and cop in the prequel, they will reprise their roles in the second part too, as the film is a continuation of the previous plotline.

Also Read: Tabu sustains injury on sets of Bholaa in Hyderabad