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Diwali and ‘Sooryavanshi’ Promise Revival, Exhibitors Willing

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There is a great sigh of relief in film exhibition circles as well as the film trade in general. With the green signal from the Maharashtra government to the cinemas to reopen from October 22 onwards, it is back to business for the film distribution and exhibition trade.

The cinemas in almost all states in the country were allowed to open up gradually, except in the state of Maharashtra. For the Bombay circuit, Mumbai city and suburbs contribute a big share to the box office. Besides, the city is also the heart of everything in Hindi films. No wise man with stakes in crores would want to release a film till the cinema lockdown is lifted in Maharashtra. Now that the new films are releasing in cinema halls, it is back to business for the film trade; back to business alright but, it is not yet back to business as usual.

Two new films released on October 22, the day cinemas reopened for the public, “Bhavai” and “Babloo Bachelor”. There is not much of a public response yet. I think the reopening as well as the opening features were not publicized enough or, rather, not at all. Was the flocking of crowds taken for granted? The reason to say so is that, had “Bhavai” released on OTT, it would have definitely received a much better response. And, that is because Pratik Gandhi, who plays the pivotal role in “Bhavai”, has established himself as a performing star material with “Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story”. And, people would have wanted to watch “Bhavai” for his sake at least (which, they may eventually do).

Since, this is about cinemas reopening, the films released on October 22 were not even expected to draw crowds. Traditionally, pre Diwali fortnight has always been considered a dull period for film business. People’s priority is to plan for the Diwali celebrations, spend money towards that end and not on watching a movie.

Unfortunately, the new generation corporate honchos have neither been taught about traditions nor have they learnt from experience. Consumer goods or even luxury items may sell during this period (the period is all about adding comfort to your family and life). Even Diwali day won’t get you the desired footfalls except in some metros. So it has never been wise to release a new film on the eve of Diwali. Diwali is a family and social festival, outings happen thereafter. It is a wise decision to release “Sooryavanshi” on November 5, a day after Diwali.

The cinemas, especially some of the multiplex managements, did try to attract viewers with schemes for their opening fare, “Bhavai” and “Babloo Bachelor”. The schemes proved to be a bonus for the few who came and not a lure for others. It is not yet time for the cinema owners to rejoice even if the long awaited “Sooryavanshi”, which stars three (these kinds of multi-starrers have not been seen since the 1970s) top actors, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh. To add to that, it is a Rohit Shetty directorial film and he believes in delivering thorough entertainers.

“Sooryavanshi” is a high budget film and would need full capacity cinema screens to make its mark, for even if it collects between 90 per cent and 100 per cent, the real figures would amount to only half of that. And, this is because many states have allowed the cinemas to function but with the restrictions of filling only 50 per cent of the full capacity and that is not conducive to a good business for a film like “Sooryavanshi”.

But, the multiplexes, especially the top few chains, which call the shots, are acting pricey. Having come out of the year-and-a-half of lockdown, they have started dictating terms again with the makers of “Sooryavanshi”, the film which was held back for the same amount of time for the cinema release instead of going for the OTT! The multiplexes want “Sooryavanshi” to share the play time and screens 50:50 with the Hollywood release, “Eternals”. The multiplex managements’ contention is that Hollywood keeps them supplied all year long while a Hindi filmmaker gives just one film a year! Is the Hindi industry made of just one producer and one film a year?

The haggling has already started but this will definitely be a bad experience for the filmmakers. The market for Hollywood films has grown tremendously in India and their various dubbed versions in the regional languages has broadened the market for them. But, it makes little sense to sacrifice the potential of a major film like “Sooryavanshi”, that too during the Diwali festival, for a Hollywood film. It is rather selfish of cinema managements. The audience for “Eternal” is not going anywhere. The release of “Sooryavanshi” will also be the post Covid-19 pandemic test for the cinema business, it will determine if the people have come out of the pandemic fear. The film’s stay and the business at the box office will decide if the people are ready to take to cinema going, yet.

Least that is needed to boost people’s confidence some more is for the governments all over India, including and mainly Maharashtra, to allow the cinemas to function at 100 per cent occupancy as a Diwali bonus (the Delhi administration has done so this week.). Not only cinemas, all the trades will stand to gain. People have been thronging the local markets, and crowded transport services, restricting cinema occupancy to 50 per cent makes no sense, really.

Even as they start dictating terms, the exhibitors should understand that while they were facing a lockdown, a major alternate entertainment source had not only taken root but had also grown by leaps and bounds. And, that is a horde of OTT platforms with their huge repertoire from all over the world even as they go on adding the original Indian content. The OTT platforms have a lot of advantages when compared to cinemas in options, rates, comfort, sharing with family and friends and so on. The OTT needs a mention here because it brings back to mind when a Sunday evening telecast of a feature film on Doordarhan was a cause of noticeable drop in box office collections. Who could one complain to after all? Films telecast on Doordarhan were supplied by the filmmakers’ own brethren, all for Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh (middleman’s commission not excluded for nothing here worked without agents!) per telecast. If a Sunday telecast of an old film on Doordarshan affected collections, OTT is certainly going to be a bigger competition for the exhibition trade.

The OTT has managed to create its own star system (besides giving a chance to many out of work actors to showcase their talent and earn whose films would not get a fair playtime at cinemas). While the cinemas dig big star films, thinking that is their survival model, OTT don’t care for the lot. They seek content and have been successful to some extent. So far, all films had their only outlet in cinema screens. The cinemas played hard to get for small films though without them it would be hard for cinemas to fill up their 52-week playtime. After all, how many big films release a year, 6 or 12? These small films now make their films for and opt for OTT as the outlet. So, even while the exhibition trade may celebrate the reopening, they face new challenges and a rethink.

Cinema was called opium of the masses and the masses have long been driven away with the advent of multiplex and high admission rate exhibition trade. “Sooryavanshi” is expected to make the miracle happen if the exhibitors know what is good for them.

Bollywood

Mumbai: Farhan Akhtar’s Family Driver Misuses Actor’s Cards To Fill His Pockets, Booked For ₹12 Lakh Fraud

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Mumbai: The police have registered a case against the driver of actor Farhan Akhtar’s mother, Honey Irani, and an employee of a petrol pump near Bandra Lake. The accused driver, Naresh Singh, 35, used Akhtar’s cards to fill fuel in Irani’s cars. However, he merely swiped the cards at the petrol pump and an employee there, Arun Singh, 52, gave him cash after keeping his share for the deal.

On October 1, Irani’s manager filed a complaint with the Bandra police against Singh and the petrol pump employee for allegedly cheating them of Rs 12 lakh. According to the FIR, Irani’s manager, Diya Bhatia, 36, while checking the fuel accounts, discovered that a Maruti car with a diesel capacity of 35t was recorded as having received 621t.

When Bhatia questioned Singh, he gave unsatisfactory answers, claiming he only had one card to fill petrol and diesel. The manager examined the cards’ history. She discovered that Singh had used three cards, all registered under Akhtar’s name. She further found that Singh had purchased vehicle oil for a car that had been sold seven years ago. She arranged a meeting with Trani, during which Singh confessed to cheating them.

Singh revealed that in 2022, he obtained three cards from Akhtar’s former driver, Santosh Kumar. After obtaining the cards, he always filled petrol and diesel at the SV Road petrol pump near Bandra Lake, where he conspired with the petrol pump employee. Singh frequently swiped the cards without filling petrol or diesel and was given cash after a deduction of Rs 1,000- 1500.

A case has been registered under Sections 318 (criminal breach of trust), 418 (cheating), and 3(5) (general provisions) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

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Bollywood

‘Stranger Asked For Nude Pics’: Akshay Kumar Reveals Daughter’s Disturbing Online Game Incident; Warns Parents Of Cyber Threats

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Mumbai: Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, known for keeping his personal life private, revealed a disturbing incident involving his 13-year-old daughter. Speaking at a cyber awareness program, the actor recounted how an unknown individual tried to target his daughter while she was playing an online video game.

Kumar explained, “A few months ago, my daughter was playing an online game. Some games allow interaction with strangers. While she was playing, she received messages like ‘Thank you,’ ‘That was great,’ ‘You’re doing so well,’ ‘Fantastic’ – very courteous messages that seemed harmless.”

However, the tone soon changed. “Suddenly, the person asked where she was from. She replied, ‘Mumbai.’ The conversation continued politely at first, but then the stranger asked, ‘Are you male or female?’ She answered, ‘Female.’ Shockingly, the stranger then requested her to send nude pictures,” Akshay said.

Nitara immediately closed the game and informed her mother, Twinkle Khanna, about the incident. Akshay praised his daughter’s quick thinking and her decision to share the matter with her parents.

“This is exactly how such incidents start. Children are often trapped online, later extorted for money, and in many cases, these crimes have even led to suicides,” Kumar warned.

The actor urged parents to closely monitor their children’s online activities and stressed the importance of awareness about the dangers on gaming and social platforms.

“Parents must educate their children, supervise online interactions, and teach them how to respond to strangers in digital spaces,” he added.

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Rani Mukerji-starrer ‘Mardaani 3’ poster unveiled on first day of Navratri

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Mumbai, Sep 22: On the first day of Navratri, the makers of “Mardaani 3” unveiled a new poster of the upcoming film setting up an epic battle between good and evil.

Yash Raj Films’ on Monday shared the poster on Instagram. The poster focuses on a close-up of Rani’s hand holding a black handgun, pointing downward. The blurry background features a yellow police barricade with the text “DELHI POLICE” prominently visible.

The caption read: “On the auspicious Day 1 of Navratri, here’s to celebrating the victory of good over evil. #RaniMukerji returns as top cop Shivani Shivaji Roy in Mardaani 3 to investigate the most challenging case of her career. #Mardaani3 in cinemas 27th February, 2026.

Directed by Abhiraj Minawala, the film is slated to release on February 27, 2026.

‘Mardaani’, produced by Yash Raj Films, is the biggest solo female-led franchise in Hindi cinema which came into force 11 years ago. The film franchise has since garnered love and acclaim for its taut storytelling. The blockbuster franchise has received unanimous love from people and has attained a cult status amongst cine-lovers.

‘Mardaani 3’ will see Rani Mukerji reprise the role of a daredevil cop, Shivani Shivaji Roy, who selflessly fights for justice.

Rani had earlier revealed that the edge of the seat thriller is ‘dark, deadly and brutal’ and it immediately piqued curiosity amongst netizens, the fans of the star and the franchise.

‘Mardaani’, which was released in 2014, was directed by Pradeep Sarkar. The second instalment was directed by Gopi Puthran, who wrote the first part of the film franchise.

While ‘Mardaani’ followed the story of human-trafficking, ‘Mardaani 2’, which was released in 2019, followed the story of a psychopath, rapist and murderer. The film franchise is known for sketching dreadful characters of its villains who are eventually countered by the titular character symbolising the victory of good over evil.

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