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Lights, camera, little action: ‘Bell Bottom’, ‘Chehre’ yet to pull crowds

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Two back-to-back big releases — Akshay Kumar’s ‘Bell Bottom’ and the Amitabh Bachchan star vehicle, ‘Chehre’, both well-received by critics — may have buoyed the spirits of film exhibitors, but their box-office collections have been far from encouraging.

‘Bell Bottom’, which was released on August 19, according to trade analysts, has grossed Rs 18.55 crore till date. Compare this with the Rs 64.99 crore collected in its opening weekend by ‘Good Newzz’ (with Diljit Dosanjh), Akshay’s last film before the first nationwide Covid-19 lockdown. And that was far less than the extended opening weekend earnings — Rs 97.56 crore — of the other big 2019 film, ‘Mission Mangal’.

A number of factors have contributed to this significant drop in earnings: cinema theatres are still under lockdown in Mumbai and Pune, depriving Bollywood of 25 per cent of its revenues; the requirement in a number of malls for patrons to produce double vaccination certificates before being allowed in, which is affecting attendance in theatres located in malls; and, significantly, the closure of 1,500 single screens across India because of the pandemic-induced economic stress.

On ‘Chehre’, which opened on Friday, the analysts were not very bullish about box-office figures. Karan Taurani of Elara Capital predicted that it would make a “lifetime collection” of Rs 5-6 crore because of its “niche” storyline that only a “discerning audience” would appreciate.

Taurani also pointed out that collections have been low because of “very low occupancy in morning shows and night shows not being allowed”. He also blamed the low occupancies forced by social distancing norms being in force. Also, over the last eight days, barring this past Sunday, which did see a spike in Delhi as a result of Raksha Bandhan festivities, attendance in theatres was at an all-time low across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Exhibitors, however, are cautiously optimistic about their business coming back to life, even if partially, because of ‘Bell Bottom’ and ‘Chehre’.

Gautam Dutta, CEO, PVR Limited, said in a conversation with IANS: “Post the reopening of cinemas after the second wave, ‘Bell Bottom’ was the first big Bollywood movie to have hit the big screen. And it has done reasonably well within the restrictions in capacity, show limitations and weekend closures.”

He also emphasised the lockdown still in place for cinema theatres in “major markets such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.”

The sentiment was share by Rajender Singh Jyala, Chief Programming Officer, INOX Leisure.

Speaking to IANS, he said: “We have always said that the industry needed a couple of mass entertainers to kick off the recovery process, and we are glad that these have arrive and are doing phenomenally well, despite the restrictions.”

“We positively hope that the momentum built by the fantastic response to ‘Bell Bottom’ in the week gone by, and the hype around ‘Chehre’, would mark the onset of our revival journey.”

For Dutta, more than the initial numbers, it is the momentum that matters. He said to IANS: “We are encouraged by the release of the long-awaited ‘Chehre’ today. Hope this will encourage producers from the Bollywood fraternity to announce their big films for theatrical release and get movie-goers back to cinemas.”

Bollywood

Delhi HC adjourns Salman Khan’s plea against release of ‘Kala Hiran’ till July 1

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New Delhi, June 19: The Delhi High Court on Friday adjourned the hearing on Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s plea seeking to restrain the release of the proposed film “Kala Hiran”, without granting any interim relief at this stage.

A vacation Bench of Justice Madhu Jain directed that a complete copy of the plaint and accompanying documents be supplied to the respondent filmmaker and listed the matter for hearing on July 1.

During the hearing, Salman Khan’s counsel, advocate Nizam Pasha, submitted that the film is purportedly based on the actor’s life and has been produced without his consent.

While pressing for interim relief, Pasha also informed the high court that the poster and trailer of the film had already been released, though the release date of the movie is yet to be announced.

Opposing the plea for urgent relief, counsel appearing for the filmmakers submitted that they had not been served the complete set of documents in the case.

“On Wednesday, they served me only a copy of the application, not the plaint,” the counsel argued, adding that the filmmakers were receiving death threats over the project and that an FIR had already been lodged.

After hearing the parties, the Delhi High Court directed Salman Khan to furnish the complete set of documents, including the plaint, to the respondent and fixed the matter for arguments on July 1. Shortly thereafter, the actor’s counsel mentioned the matter again and contended that the filmmakers had already been served, seeking an earlier hearing date.

However, Justice Jain observed that the matter had already been listed in July and declined to advance the hearing.

The dispute reached the Delhi High Court days after Salman Khan’s legal team issued a notice to the makers of “Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy”, asking them to halt the release of the film and remove all promotional material, including posters and publicity content.

Directed by Bharat S. Shrinet and produced by Amit Jani, the film is inspired by the blackbuck poaching case involving Salman Khan and also portrays his alleged rivalry with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The makers have described it as a blend of courtroom drama and crime thriller mounted on an international scale.

The controversy surrounding the film has intensified in recent days, with producer Jani alleging that he has been receiving death threats ahead of the movie’s release. On June 18, Jani claimed that a Pakistani terrorist had threatened him with a drone and grenade attack over the film and said that he had informed the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Rajasthan Police, and CRPF officials. Subsequently, Jani alleged that he received a second death threat within 24 hours.

In a complaint lodged with police in Jodhpur, he claimed that an unidentified caller, identifying himself as a Salman Khan fan, threatened to kill him within three days. The producer urged authorities to immediately register a case and arrest the accused.

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Bollywood

AICWA demands high-level investigation into actor Sanchita Ugale’s suicide

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Mumbai, June 15: The sudden demise of actress Sanchita Ugale has left the entire television industry in a state of shock.

All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) President Suresh Shyamlal Gupta has now urged the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, to order a high-level inquiry into the death of Sanchita Ugale.

AICWA has requested an in-depth investigation into every possible angle of the case to ensure justice to the deceased and his family.

An official statement shared by the Association read, “Her untimely departure has left her family shattered and the entire Indian film industry mourning the loss of a young talent whose memories will live on forever.”

“Every life is precious. The truth behind this tragic incident must come out, and the family of Sanchita Ugale deserves nothing less than a fair, impartial, and thorough investigation. AICWA urges the authorities to leave no stone unturned and to ensure that all aspects of this case are examined with complete transparency,” they further shared

AICWA has further urged the Government of Maharashtra and the concerned authorities to establish a dedicated committee to examine the increasing number of deaths and mental health-related crises being reported within the entertainment industry.

Additionally, they have also asked to review the safety, well-being, and support systems available to the artists.

“In recent years, the Indian entertainment industry has witnessed several deaths and alleged suicide cases. In many instances, questions raised by family members, colleagues, and the public have remained unanswered. Therefore, it is essential that investigators examine all available evidence, circumstances, and possible angles in this case with complete transparency,” the statement further read.

According to police reports, Sanchita Ugale died by suicide at her residence in Sai Santoshi Building, in Nalasopara East, Mumbai. The unfortunate incident took place on June 14 between 7:00 pm and 7:30 pm.

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Crime

Maha govt orders probe into Pranit More’s videos on social media, digital platforms

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Mumbai, June 14: The controversy surrounding alleged objectionable remarks made during stand-up comedian Pranit More’s show has further intensified as the Maharashtra Home Department has directed a detailed investigation into the video content available on his social media accounts and other digital platforms.

The investigation has been handed over to the Maharashtra Cyber Police. The cyber team will now examine videos from various shows of the comedian, viral video clips, and other online content as part of the probe.

Meanwhile, Pranit More issued an apology on Saturday amid mounting criticism over the viral “Rs 370 Biryani” clip, saying he deserved the backlash and requested people to give him one more chance.

In a video shared on Instagram, More said: “I wanted to talk to all of you about this, but my Instagram account was suspended. You have seen the crowd-work video circulating on social media, and I have been receiving a lot of hate because of it.”

The comedian admitted that he made a mistake by not intervening when inappropriate remarks were made during the performance.

“I feel I deserve this hate. During the crowd-work session, the man made several derogatory comments. Everyone was laughing, and I, too, got carried away. It was a lapse in judgment. I believe it was my biggest mistake. I could have taken a stand at that moment, but I did not,” he said.

More acknowledged that his reaction gave the remarks a platform and allowed the situation to escalate.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Thursday summoned More and web developer Himanshu Jangra over remarks allegedly made during a stand-up comedy show in Gurugram. The commission stated that the comments appeared to glorify sexual coercion and non-consensual conduct towards a woman.

Significantly, KEM Hospital and Seth G.S. Medical College on Saturday sent MBBS student Sejal Pawar on a 15-day forced leave on Saturday following a controversy surrounding a viral social media video in which she allegedly made objectionable remarks during the same stand-up comedy show.

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