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Backstreet Boys land in Mumbai for sold-out concert amidst scalping rumours

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All roads lead to BKC Jio Gardens tonight as fans of 90s boyband Backstreet Boys prep to watch their teen idols onstage. In their rollercoaster three-decade career, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, and Kevin Richardson have thrilled fans around the world with their impeccable choreography, heavenly harmonies, and over a dozen chart-topping hits.

Due to overwhelming popular demand, they have expanded their massive DNA World Tour to Mumbai and Delhi. This tour is a celebration of the then-boyband’s rich legacy, featuring megawatt hits such as ‘I Want It That Way’, ‘Everybody’ (Backstreet’s Back), ‘Quit Playing Games With My Heart’ and ‘As Long As You Love Me’, along with the latest offerings from their recent album DNA, including ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’, ‘Chances’, and ‘No Place’, among others.

The quintet has already landed in Mumbai to a roaring welcome from fans at the airport. Their hotel staff treated BSB to a Bollywood-style dance performance of their hit songs which Nick Carter posted on his Instagram page. In the video, he remarked with an ear-to-ear grin on his face.

“This is the first time I have seen something like this in my entire career.” In the caption, Carter wrote, “What cool surprise arriving at the hotel here in Mumbai India. The hotel staff had a full-out Bollywood-style dance prepared remixing all our songs. I guess we really do have fans all over the world.”

Sold-out shows

There has been a mad scramble for tickets ever since the concert was announced in February 2023. BSB fans are a passionate and mixed bunch. Everyone from the portly neighbourhood housewife with four kids in tow, the suave businessmen in their Armani suits to the navel-baring crop top brigade are followers. So, it’s not surprising that tickets were sold out weeks ago.

Official ticketing partner Bookmyshow’s website had no tickets available across tiers: Everybody Zone (general access for INR 3500 to INR 5000), I Want It That Way (closer to the stage for INR 8000 to INR 10000) and All I Have To Give (VIP passes with lounge access for INR 15000 to INR 20000).

Prices varied according to the subdivision in each tier for Mumbai and Delhi. However, as the concert date inched closer, tickets mysteriously started resurfacing. Suddenly, concertgoers are selling off their tickets via social media since they weren’t going “due to unavoidable circumstances”. Of course, they are selling them at a much higher price than the original cost.

General access tickets are going for VIP prices. The truth behind the matter is hidden in plain sight: scalping.

Trend of scalping

Scalping of concert tickets is when someone buys tickets to a concert or event and then resells them for a higher price. The person who bought the tickets originally is usually a fan who wants to attend the event, but the scalper buys the tickets with the intention of making a profit by reselling them at a higher price.

Scalpers use bots and loopholes on the ticketing site to do this. This is possible because demand for the tickets is often higher than the supply, and scalpers take advantage of this by charging fans more than the original price.

The practice of scalping can be controversial because it often means fans have to pay more than they should.

Wrote Twitter user Piyush: “There is suddenly a surplus of Backstreet Boys tickets for Mumbai:

One ardent fan tweeted: “The millennial in me wants to attend the BackStreet Boys DNA World tour in Mumbai, but ticket bohot mehenga hai. Kuch jugaad hai kya?

The scalping of concert tickets for BSB is a fascinating example of the dynamics of supply and demand. The popularity of the boy band is such that demand for tickets is far outstripping supply, creating a lucrative opportunity for scalpers who are able to obtain tickets through various means.

Scalpers are using sophisticated technology and strategies to capitalize on the imbalance between supply and demand and adjust their selling price accordingly. While some may see scalping as a nefarious practice that takes advantage of fans, it can also be seen as a natural outcome of a market where demand exceeds supply. It’s clear that the practice of scalping can have negative consequences, however, particularly when it creates a sense of unfairness among fans who are unable to obtain tickets at face value.

Surge in streaming

The band has seen close to a 2x surge in daily searches on Spotify in India since the Mumbai and Delhi of their world tour were announced in February.

Spotify playlist- ‘This Is Backstreet Boys’; which includes some of the band’s biggest hits, also witnessed an 88% increase in streams during this period. Released over 20 years ago; ‘I Want It That Way’ continues to be a fan favourite and is the band’s top-streamed track in India since the tour announcement. This is followed by ‘As Long as You Love Me’, ‘Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) – Radio Edit’, ‘Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely’, and ‘Quit Playing Games With My Heart’, which complete the list of the top 5 most streamed Backstreet Boys songs on Spotify in India right now.

New documentary

BSB has also gifted their loyal fans with the first episode of their slick new documentary series, ‘Making Of The DNA Tour’, offering an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse into the preparation for this world tour. Five episodes are out on their Youtube channel. Rick+Tone will be recording more footage for the documentary during the Mumbai and Delhi shows.

Bollywood

97th Oscars: Priyanka Chopra, Guneet Monga’s ‘Anuja’ loses to Dutch film ‘I’m Not A Robot’

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Los Angeles, March 3: Priyanka Chopra and Guneet Monga backed short film “Anuja” has lost the Dutch-language movie “I’m Not a Robot” at the 97th Oscar Awards held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.

“Anuja”, which tells the story of a gifted nine-year-old girl who, alongside her sister Palak, faces a life-changing opportunity that tests their bond and mirrors the struggles of girls worldwide, was competing at the Oscars 2025 in the Best Live Action Short category.

Other contenders included “A Lien,” “The Last Ranger,” and “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent”.

“I’m Not A Robot” is a science fiction and directed by Victoria Warmerdam. The synopsis states: “After failing an online CAPTCHA test, Max faces an existential crisis when he believes he might actually be a robot.”

Along with Priyanka and Guneet, “Anuja”, currently streaming on Netflix, Hollywood star-writer Mindy Kaling serves as its producer.

Directed by Adam J. Graves “Anuja” tells the tale of a 9-year-old title character, who works in a back-alley garment factory with her older sister Palak. The narrative follows the young protagonist as she faces a decision that will impact both her future and her family.

The short, developed in partnership with Mira Nair’s Salaam Baalak Trust, features Sajda Pathan, in a leading role. The production team spans Graves Films, Shine Global Inc (Oscar winners “War/Dance” and “Inocente”), Krushan Naik Films and Salaam Baalak Trust.

In January, Priyanka said that she is proud of the “beautiful film” “Anuja”,in which she serves as an executive producer.

Priyanka took to her Instagram stories, where she had shared a snapshot of a news article from variety.com, which had the title “Netflix Acquires ‘Anuja,’ Oscar-Shortlisted Short Film Backed by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Mindy Kaling and Guneet Monga Kapoor”.

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Exclusive! Govinda-Sunita separation: Actor’s sister Kamini Khanna breaks her silence on the matter

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Mumbai, March 1: In the midst of growing rumors surrounding the separation of Bollywood actor Govinda and his wife Sunita Ahuja, the actor’s sister, Kamini Khanna, has finally spoken out.

In a recent conversation with media, Kamini revealed that she does not have much information about the situation, citing the busy schedules of both Govinda and Sunita. She stated, “No, I don’t know much. I stay very busy, and they are very busy too. We meet very rarely, so I don’t know much. I don’t want to say too much on this topic because both families are involved, and I have a lot of love for both.”

When asked about her bond with Sunita, Kamini shared, “Our parents are no longer with us, so we are like parents to each other. And we are also very good friends.”

Kamini also mentioned that she did not feel it was appropriate to reach out to Sunita and Govinda regarding the speculation. According to her, while she is aware of the rumors circulating in the media, she believes that such personal matters should be handled privately within the family. She emphasized that it’s important to respect the privacy of both Sunita and Govinda, especially when it comes to sensitive issues such as their relationship.

Rumors have been circulating regarding a possible divorce between Govinda and his wife, Sunita Ahuja. It was reported that Sunita had issued a divorce notice to Govinda six months ago. However, the actor’s legal representative has since clarified that the couple has worked through their issues and resolved their differences.

In a recent interview, Sunita made a startling revelation about living separately from Govinda. She also shared that she has been celebrating her birthday alone for the past 12 years, which sparked further speculation about issues in their marriage.

For the unversed, Govinda and Sunita tied the knot in March 1987. The couple welcomed their daughter, Tina, in 1988, followed by their son, Yashvardhan.

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Yash-starrer ‘Toxic’ being shot in English and Kannada, director ensures ‘authentic experience’

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Mumbai, Feb 24: Yash’s “Toxic” is touted to be the first ever large scale Indian film to be conceptualised, written, and filmed in both English and Kannada. Director Geetu Mohandas says the vision was to craft a narrative that resonates with audiences both in “India and globally”.

“Our vision for ‘Toxic’ was to craft a narrative that resonates authentically with audiences both in India and globally,” says director Geetu Mohandas.

“Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups” will be dubbed in multiple Indian and international languages, including Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam.

Mohandas added: “We’ve strived to capture the nuances of the story in both Kannada and English, ensuring an authentic experience for viewers across different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.”

He said that the film “explores a collaboration of artistic vision and precision of commercial storytelling.”

“It’s a journey that transcends borders, languages, and cultural confines, designed to connect with hearts and minds worldwide,” concluded the director.

Toxic, a film jointly produced by Venkat Narayana under KVN Productions and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations, was conceived as a global cinematic experience.

The film’s international team—including action sequences by JJ Perry, best known for his work in the John Wick and Fast & Furious franchises, and visual effects by DNEG, who recently won the BAFTA Film Award for Special Visual Effects for Dune: Part Two—was carefully assembled to match the project’s scale.

Last month, on Yash’s birthday, the makers released a “Birthday Peek” offering a glimpse into the film. Filming began in August 2024.

Producer Venkat K Narayana emphasised the film’s ambitious scope, saying, “Our goal for “Toxic” was crystal clear: a film that resonates in India and globally. From the very beginning, we were driven by a deep conviction in this story and its potential. This unwavering belief fueled our “all-in” approach, required to bring this cinematic experience to life.”

“We embraced the challenge wholeheartedly, confident that “Toxic” will not only captivate audiences worldwide but also showcase the brilliance of Indian cinema on a global stage.”

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