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IANS Review: ‘Sooryavanshi’: Suave and stylish Akshay Kumar wows with thrilling action (IANS Rating: ***1/2)

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Film: ‘Sooryavanshi’ (Running in Theatres)

Duration: 145 minutes

Director: Rohit Shetty

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh, Jaaved Jaaferi, Gulshan Grover, Abhimanyu Singh, Jackie Shroff, Sikandar Kher, Nikitin Dheer, Vivan Bhatena and Kumud Mishra

IANS Rating: ***1/2

With the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai as the starting point, Rohit Shetty’s ‘Sooryavanshi’ traces the terrorist activities of a militant group whose chief, Omar Hafeez (Jackie Shroff), remote-controls their actions from Pakistan.

How DCP Veer Sooryavanshi (Akshay Kumar), chief of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad, along with his team, prevent Hafeez’s sons and the sleeper cells based across India, who are galvanized into action to destroy India, particularly Mumbai, forms the crux of this film that extends to two hours and a half.

While the narrative is strongly reminiscent of Rohit Shetty’s earlier films in terms of flavour and feel, this one is unadulterated entertainment with action, drama, and even a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. There are trite moments when the unity of India and its secular fabric are forced down one’s throat, courtesy of DCP Sooryavanshi’s sermons.

The film, expectedly, belongs to Akshay Kumar, who with his commanding screen presence, credible action, and charisma, hooks the viewers as Sooryavanshi. He may not be offering anything new by way of histrionics, but there is comfort in his familiar style and his action scenes are a treat to watch.

The scene where he is chasing Sikander Kher and lifts him onto a flying helicopter from a speeding motorboat is superbly choreographed.

Akshay Kumar is ably supported by an ensemble cast of actors which includes Kumud Mishra as Bilal Ahmed, Vivan Bhatena as Vivan and Gulshan Grover as Kadar Usmani, all of whom perform well, enhancing the quality of the film. Abhimanyu Singh as Riaaz Hafeez, the key leader of the mission and Jackie Shroff’s son, delivers a strong performance. Katrina Kaif as Sooryanshi’s wife, Dr Ria, merely adds to the glamour quotient.

Sleek action and daring acts with cars overturning and structures being blown off characterize the film, in Rohit Shetty’s inimitable style. Of course, one must not stop to analyse or seek rationale, else disappointment sets in.

The dialogues are powerful, hard-hitting, and seem real in the given context, and at times even succeed in arousing a patriotic fervour.

The background score, with ‘Sooryavanshi’ pounding your eardrums when Akshay Kumar is on screen, is a bit overdone, but the rest of the music, especially ‘Tip tip barsa paani’ from ‘Mohra’, is a mellifluous experience.

Other policemen from Shetty’s cinematic universe — Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgn) and Sangram Bhalerao (Ranveer Singh) — also make an appearance. The duo is actively involved in the action, albeit a bit mindless and overextended, in the last 15 minutes of the film. Ajay Devgn is his usual self, although Ranveer Singh’s forced goofiness is a tad annoying.

In its entirety, ‘Sooryavanshi’ is a thorough entertainer and Rohit Shetty’s indelible stamp is etched in every scene. If you love hardcore action drama, this one is for you.

Bollywood

Sanjay Dutt, Palak Tiwari-starrer ‘The Bhootnii’ trailer is all about ghosts, gadgets and guns

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Mumbai, March 29: The trailer for the upcoming film “The Bhootnii”, starring Sanjay Dutt, Palak Tiwari, Mouni Roy, and Sunny Singh, was unveiled on Saturday. It promises a thrilling blend of fun and spookiness.

The trailer is filled with witty punchlines, eerie thrills, and a generous dose of Sanjay’s iconic swag. The Bhootnii promises to transport audiences into a world where horror meets humor in the most unexpected ways.

The makers launched the trailer of the movie at a mega event in Mumbai in presence of the entire star cast.

It was on February 26, when Sanjay had revealed the title of the film, which was earlier called “The Virgin Tree”, on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri. It was also revealed that the project will be hitting the theatres on April 18, 2025.

The makers had also shared a teaser, which gives an insight into the mystical world where ‘love turns into darkness’.

Soham Rockstar Entertainment and Three Dimension Motion Pictures are presenting “The Bhootnii”, which has been produced under the banner of A Soham Rockstar Entertainment Production by Deepak Mukut, Sanjay Dutt, Hunar Mukut, and Maanayata Dutt.

Additionally, Sanjay’s lineup includes the much-awaited sequel “Welcome to the Jungle.” The Ahmed Khan’s directorial enjoys an ensemble cast with Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon Disha Patani, Suniel Shetty, Lara Dutta, Bobby Deol, Jacqueline Fernandez, Paresh Rawal, Arshad Warsi, Rajpal Yadav, Johny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, and Tusshar Kapoor.

The film is the third installment to the “Welcome” franchise. It was first released in 2007 and the second part Welcome Back hit the screens in 2015.

Furthermore, Sanjay will also be seen playing a crucial role in “Son of Sardaar 2”. The drama has Ajay Devgn and Mrunal Thakur as the lead pair. Directed by Vijay Kumar Arora, Ajay Devgn has produced the film under the banner of Devgn Films in collaboration with Jio Studios.

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Hrithik Roshan turns director for ‘Krish 4’ produced by Aditya Chopra

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Mumbai, March 28: Actor Hrithik Roshan is set to turn director for the upcoming film ‘Krrish 4’, and take the baton from his father Rakesh Roshan for the franchise. The development of the fourth installment of India’s biggest superhero franchise has been confirmed by Rakesh Roshan, who has helmed the earlier 3 parts of the franchise.

The film is being produced by Yash Raj Films in association with Rakesh Roshan. The Indian superstar Hrithik Roshan will be swinging between the two departments of direction and acting for the film as he essays the titular superhero in the franchise. The shooting for the film is set to begin early next year.

Confirming the development Rakesh Roshan said, “I’m passing the baton of the director of Krrish 4 to my son, Hrithik Roshan, who has lived, breathed and dreamt about this franchise since its inception with me! Hrithik has a clear and a very ambitious vision of taking Krrish’s journey forward with the audience for the next decades”.

He further mentioned, “I couldn’t be more proud to see him wear the director’s hat for a film that means the world to us as a family. ‘Krrish’ has entertained audiences the world over and Hrithik will now reveal the next chapters of this superhero saga and take the vision I created so many years ago to greater heights”.

The department of direction is not something new for Hrithik as he worked as an assistant director on the sets of films like ‘Karan Arjun’, directed by his father. In fact, it was Hrithik, who started the trend of actors learning the ropes on a film set, gaining practical knowledge of the technicalities involved in filmmaking, and eventually venturing into acting with the wealth of filmmaking knowledge.

Rakesh Roshan is thrilled that Aditya Chopra is taking over the reigns of ‘Krrish 4’ as the producer.

He further mentioned, “It brings me so much joy to see someone like Adi as the producer of Krrish 4. It was he who convinced Hrithik to sit in the director’s chair. Adi and Yash Raj Films have the knowledge, understanding and technological might to produce this film and add great value to this project”.

“Hrithik and Adi coming together as a producer-director pair with me behind them is a rare and deliciously creative combination! I’m sure they will turn Krrish 4 into a theatrical experience that has never been made in India. The dream is to make India proud globally with a larger than life experience like ‘Krrish 4’”, he added.

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Aamir Khan vs Salman Khan: Face-Off to determine who is the real ‘Sikandar’

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Mumbai, March 25: In a battle of Bollywood giants, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan are facing off to claim the title of the real ‘Sikandar.’

As both stars have made significant marks in their careers with iconic roles, the question of who truly deserves the title of ‘Sikandar’ has even left filmmaker AR Murugadoss in a tough position. On Tuesday, Salman shared a video of him with Aamir and Murugadoss on his Instagram handle, writing, “Amar Prem ka Andaaz with AR Murugadoss! #SikandarMeetsGhajini #AamirKhan #SajidNadiadwala’s #Sikandar Directed by @a.r.murugadoss.”

In the video, the trio can be seen seated, engaged in an intriguing conversation. The clip opens with Aamir asking AR Murugadoss, “Between me and Salman, who is the real Sikandar?” The filmmaker is seen with a serious expression on his face.

Interestingly, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan share a great rapport. They had previously worked together in the iconic film “Andaz Apna Apna.” The two superstars often show mutual support for each other’s films, and this camaraderie is evident as part of Salman’s upcoming film “Sikandar” promotions. Not to forget, the ‘Wanted’ actor even made an appearance at the screening of Aamir Khan’s son Junaid’s debut film, showing his support for the young actor.

Meanwhile, Salman is currently busy promoting his next project, “Sikandar,” which marks his first on-screen pairing with Rashmika Mandanna. On March 23, the makers dropped its highly awaited trailer, packed with action and suspense. In the trailer, the ‘Dabangg’ actor takes on the titular role of Sikandar, a man driven by a strong sense of purpose.

Speaking at the trailer launch, the actor spoke about the age gap between superstars and younger actresses, sharing his thoughts on the evolving dynamics in the film industry. In his trademark style, Salman stated, “I have a 31-year age difference between me and the heroine. The heroine doesn’t have this problem. The heroine’s father doesn’t have this problem.” He then turned towards Rashmika and asked her, “You don’t have this problem, right?”

Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, “Sikandar” is set to release in theatres on March 30, 2025.

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