Bollywood
Ranbir, Ayan on ‘Brahmastra’: We had the opportunity to create our own Marvel
Filmmaker Ayan Mukerji’s upcoming magnum opus ‘Brahmastra Part One: Shiva,’ is now moving towards the finishing line after years in the making.
The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Nagarjuna Akkineni and Mouni Roy.
Based on Indian mythology, the film is set in contemporary India, where a secret society called the Brahmansh has guarded ‘Astras’ created in ancient India for generations. The most powerful among these, the Brahmastra, is now waking up and it threatens to destroy the universe, reports ‘Variety’.
Constructed as a trilogy, which is part of an ‘Astraverse’ created by Mukerji, the first part follows the protagonist Shiva (Kapoor), who is in love with Isha (Bhatt). Their lives are changed forever when Shiva learns that he has a mysterious connection to the ‘Brahmastra’ and a great power within him that he doesn’t understand just yet – the power of fire.
“It’s deep rooted in Indian culture, and we had the opportunity to create our own Marvel, which Ayan is trying to do with his Astraverse,” Ranbir told Variety.
He added: “Any film, any good compelling story, made in your culture, in an authentic way, in a true form, will connect to a large audience.”
“There is a little luck to play to it – like what kind of release you get, what kind of exposure you get. And in our case, we have Disney. And there’s nothing better than that. So, I believe that ‘Brahmastra’ is in a great place where we have that opportunity, where a world audience can witness it.”
“We were just three best friends, Alia and I, sitting and dreaming this film with Ayan, and being soldiers to him,” said Kapoor. “We were really excited and really privileged to be part of this film and part of this vision so selfishly as an actor that I would do it over and over again.”
Kapoor will get to do it at least twice again in the remaining two parts of the ‘Brahmastra’ trilogy.
“‘Brahmastra’ is not an end in itself, but it’s a means to a larger end. We have part two and part three ahead of us, we have the potential to really take the storytelling in many diverse directions even beyond ‘Brahmastra,’ and there is no way to do it at the scale at which I hope to do it, unless our audience base does not increase. So that’s definitely part of the ambition,” Mukerji told Variety.
“Let’s start with some strong baby steps with part one. I think we’ve gotten far enough with this with having, over time, gotten Disney to lay their attention on the film, help us to push the release a little wider, and I’m hoping that can bring in bigger and wider returns for us.”
According to ‘Variety’, the benchmarks for Indian action films this year have been set by ‘K.G.F: Chapter 2’ which collected USD 161 million and ‘RRR’, which has grossed USD 155 million so far. The latter is directed by S.S. Rajamouli, also known for the ‘Baahubali’ franchise. Rajamouli is presenting the Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam language versions of ‘Brahmastra’ which will also release in its original Hindi language.
“Certainly, with all humility, definitely, I think our ambition is larger than that (‘RRR’) number overseas. And I hope that, as a key step with Disney coming on board, just our overseas distribution before it even crosses over to the western audience, I hope it’s able to reach the subcontinent audience in the western world in a much wider fashion, so that we can actually see that return on box office numbers,” says Mukerji.
Bollywood
Asha Bhosle’s son says last respects to be paid at residence in Lower Parel, followed by last rites at Shivaji Park

Mumbai, April 12: Legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle’s son Anand Bhosle has shared that the last respects will be held at her residence in Lower Parel.
Speaking to the media, he said, “My mother passed away today. People can pay their last respects to her at 11:00 am tomorrow at Casa Grande, Lower Parel, where she lived. Her last rites will be performed at 4 pm tomorrow at Shivaji Park”.
Her elder sister, Lata Mangeshkar, who was a Bharat Ratna awardee was also cremated at the Shivaji Park in 2022.
Asha Bhosle passed away at the age of 93 in Mumbai on Sunday. The singer was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital on Saturday. Ashish Shelar, the Culture Minister of Maharashtra made the announcement outside the hospital. Her last rites will be held at Shivaji Park on Monday at 4:00 pm.
One of the most influential singers of her time, Asha Bhosle, sang her first song as a playback for the 1943 Marathi drama ‘Majha Bal’. She is known for lending her voice to some noteworthy numbers such as ‘Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko’, ‘Do Lafzon Ki Hai Dil Ki Kahani’, ‘Kya Ghazab Karte Ho Ji’, ‘O Haseena Zulfonwale Jane Jahan’, and ‘Ye Ladka Hay Allah Kaisa Hai Diwana’, to name just a few. Along with Hindi, she has sung in around 20 Indian and foreign languages.
In 2006, Asha Bhosle herself disclosed that she has almost 12,000 songs to her credit. During her tenure as a singer spanning several decades, Asha Bhosle has worked with many acclaimed music composers such as Shankar-Jaikishan, RD Burman, OP Nayyar, Ilaiyaraaja, Bappi Lahiri, and AR Rahman. She received numerous awards throughout her career for many of her noteworthy songs. The singer was given the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award back in 2000, followed by a Padma Vibhushan in 2008.
Bollywood
‘Dhurandhar 2 Is A Pakistani Film, Why Show It To People Of Hindustan?’ Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi Slams Ranveer Singh Starrer Movie

Mumbai: Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi on Friday slammed the Ranveer Singh starrer Dhurandhar 2, calling it ‘a false film’ made to spread hatred. Azmi added that the film is about Pakistan and questioned why it is being shown to audiences in India. His statements came as the release of ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ triggered fresh controversy, with religious leaders raising concerns over its content.
While speaking to media, he questioned, “This film is made only to spread hatred, it is a false film. It is a Pakistani film, so why not show it to the people of Pakistan? Why show the people of Hindustan?”
Azmi accused the film of defaming Muslims, as he alleged that the movie focuses only on a few criminals while ignoring the many major crimes that have occurred in India.
Earlier, SP MLA Rais Shaikh had criticised the film and raised concerns saying that cinema should entertain, not become a tool for propaganda. Taking to his official handle on X (Formerly Twitter), Shaikh claimed that films like Dhurandhar blur the line between storytelling and political messaging, calling the film an agenda, not an art. “Films like #Dhurandhar blur the line between storytelling and political messaging, repeatedly glorifying one government. This isn’t art, it’s agenda,” he wrote.
AIMIM leader Waris Pathan stated movies should ideally provide knowledge and entertainment, alleging that some filmmakers create such content for monetary gain while spreading negativity against a specific community.
Despite the controversy, the film garnered a massive box office collection by crossing the Rs 100 crore mark on Day 1 itself. With this, the film’s total collection now stands at a staggering Rs 145.55 crore (all languages), setting the tone for a blockbuster run ahead.
During the paid previews on March 18, the film faced cancellations and delays across India. Not just this, Director Aditya Dhar also issued an apology to the audience after last-minute cancellations and delays.
Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar 2 is a spy action thriller that stars Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, and Sara Arjun. Dhurandhar 2 offers a glimpse into Ranveer’s character, undercover agent Jaskirat Singh Rangi, who is fully embedded in the criminal underworld under the alias Hamza Ali Mazari. It also depicts his ascension to the role of the new Sher-e-Baloch and his ascendancy as the undisputed king of Lyari, as the actor unleashes his full intensity after eliminating Akshaye Khanna’s character, Rahman Dakait, in the first part.
Bollywood
Mumbai Crime Branch Issues LOC Against Lawrence Bishnoi Aide Harry Boxer For Threatening Actor Ranveer Singh

Mumbai: The Mumbai Crime Branch issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) against Harichandra alias Harry Boxer, a key alleged member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, in connection with a threat issued to Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh. The action follows a preliminary investigation into a threatening voice note and extortion demand received by the actor’s manager, police officials confirmed, Media reported on Saturday.
According to the Mumbai Crime Branch, the voice note was sent from an American phone number and demanded a ransom of Rs 20 crore. In an earlier development, Mumbai Police sources had indicated that the actor allegedly received a death threat along with an extortion demand of Rs 10 crore from members linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
A senior police official said the threatening message was received on the WhatsApp number of Ranveer Singh’s manager. The sender identified himself as ‘Harry Boxer’ in the audio message. Following this, the Crime Branch sent the voice note for verification to agencies in Punjab and Haryana, while also initiating official communication with US authorities to gather technical details related to the foreign number used to send the threat.
During the preliminary probe, investigators found that Harry Boxer, described as a close aide of the Bishnoi gang, allegedly sent the voice note. Initial findings suggest that the voice in the message matches that of Boxer, although officials stressed that further corroborative evidence is being collected to conclusively establish his involvement.
Police sources further revealed that the threatening message was sent shortly after a recent firing incident outside the residence of filmmaker Rohit Shetty, raising concerns about a possible pattern of intimidation linked to high-profile personalities.
In response to the threat, security arrangements around Ranveer Singh’s residence in Mumbai have been tightened as a precautionary measure. The Crime Branch has recorded the statement of the actor’s manager and continues to examine digital and forensic evidence related to the case.
Officials clarified that while no formal FIR has been registered so far, a preliminary inquiry is underway. Further action will be decided based on the outcome of ongoing verification and evidence collection, police confirmed.
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