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Salaar: Part 1: The Ceasefire Review: Prashanth Neel Scripts A Worthy Comeback Film For Prabhas Despite The Cliched Trappings

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Director: Prashanth Neel

Cast: Prabhas, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shruti Haasan, Jagapathi Babu, Sriya Reddy, Easwari Rao, Bobby Simha, Tinnu Anand

Where: In theatres near you

Rating: 3 stars

The stakes are undeniably high for everyone involved in Salaar: Part 1: The Ceasefire. Filmmaker Prashanth Neel, having set a formidable standard with the monumental success of the K.G.F. franchise, understands the imperative of maintaining the expectations of his audience. Additionally, lead actor Prabhas, having transcended his status as Telugu cinema’s Darling Rebel Star to become a Pan-Indian superstar, seeks a much-needed hit after a string of disappointments with Saaho, Radhe Shyam, and Adipurush. Meanwhile, Prithviraj Sukumaran, a trailblazer in Malayalam cinema, has long embraced the foresight of exploring diverse content in various Indian languages, both as an actor and a producer. Moreover, an inevitable showdown with a reigning global superstar at the box office, this weekend, has only intensified the intrigue around the film’s release. Does the film deliver or does it crumble under the weight of expectations, let’s figure.

Salaar: Part 1: The Ceasefire unfolds the narrative of Deva (Prabhas) and Vardharaja Mannar’s (Prithviraj) friendship in the fictional town of Khansaar. Their camaraderie takes a tumultuous turn when political circumstances transform them into bitter rivals, compelling Deva to depart from the city along with his mother. Several years later, as Aadhya (Shruti Haasan) returns to India from the US, she becomes the target of Mannar’s extended family. It falls upon Deva to uphold and protect her, presenting an opportunity for the estranged friends to reunite for a cause that will reshape the destiny of Khansaar.

Neel draws inspiration from Game of Thrones, Baahubali, and his own 2014 Kannada debut, Ugramm, to craft a project that aligns seamlessly with the commanding presence of his main leads. While the screenplay could have benefited with tighter editing, given the filmmaker’s penchant for establishing Prabhas’ on-screen persona, the extended shots of the actor may become overwhelming for the audience after a certain point. Ravi Basrur’s musical composition, while not reaching the exceptional heights as observed in Neel’s K.G.F., nevertheless contributes effectively to the stylishly choreographed action sequences in the film, with his background score. Bhuvan Gowda’s cinematography and T.L. Venkatachalapathi’s skillful production design collaborate seamlessly to enable Neel in providing an exceptional world-building experience, particularly in the way Khansaar is designed. It’s a city that spells doom and dread.

Without the finely orchestrated action sequences by Anbarivu, Salaar might risk becoming a rather dull affair. The action director skillfully uses the impressive physiques of Prabhas and Prithviraj, creating exhilarating action moments that are worth cherishing at the theatres. Examining the film solely based on its script, the premise appears, quite frankly, outdated and redundant.

Salaar succeeds due to the commendable performances of both Prabhas and Prithviraj. Prabhas, openly acknowledging his own laziness in past interviews, benefits from a capable director like Neel, whose vision effectively brings out at least the bare minimum effort from the actor on screen. The man can now witness the spell of failure being broken. He exercises pain and power, in equal measure Yet, from a personal perspective, I would prefer to commend Prithviraj’s performance. He is restrained yet effective. Shruti has minimal screentime, and it remains interesting to see whether she will play a more substantial role in the subsequent films of the Salaar franchise. Jagapathi Babu, portraying Raja Mannaar, has a restricted on-screen presence, yet his effectiveness is notable. Bobby Simha performs commendably in his limited role as Vardha’s brother-in-law Bhaarava. Sriya Reddy and Easwari Rao deliver fine performances in their pivotal roles as Radha Rama and Deva’s mother.

With Salaar Part 1: The Ceasefire, Neel scripts a much-needed comeback vehicle for his leading man. Never mind the cliches though.

Entertainment

Actress Ruchi Gujjar Hits Actor-Director With Chappal, Protests Against Him At Mumbai Theatre After Filing FIR Over ₹25 Lakh Fraud

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A dramatic scene unfolded at a Mumbai theatre during the screening of So Long Valley when actress Ruchi Gujjar hit the film’s producer and actor Man Singh with a chappal, leading to chaos at Cinepolis. The incident, captured in a now-viral video, came amid an ongoing financial dispute between Ruchi and another producer, Karan Singh Chauhan.

In the video, she is heard screaming while arguing with the producers. She then lost her cool and hit one of the producers with her chappal.

It appears that she arrived at the theatre with the intention of staging a protest. During the special screening, where the producers were present, Ruchi showed up along with a group of protestors. People around her were seen raising slogans against the producers.

They held placards with the producers’ photos, marked with red cross signs across their faces. In some of the posters, which can be seen in the video, the producers were depicted sitting on donkeys.

What is the case?

According to Ruchi, Chauhan had approached her last year claiming he was producing a Hindi television serial that would soon air on Sony TV. “He offered to add me as a co-producer and also sent documents related to the project,” she said, according to media reports.

Believing the offer, Ruchi stated that between July 2023 and January 2024, she transferred several payments from her company, SR Event and Entertainment, into accounts linked to Chauhan’s K Studios. However, the promised project never took off.

“Despite repeated contacts, he kept postponing them and lied,” she added in her complaint.

She claims to have discovered that the funds were allegedly used not for the serial, but for the production of So Long Valley. “When I got the information that the film is releasing on July 27, I told him to return my money now, on which he started threatening me,” she alleged.

Mumbai Police has registered an FIR under sections 318(4), 352, and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Chauhan, 36, for allegedly cheating actress Ruchiof Rs 25 lakh.

Ruchi has submitted banking records and documents to support her claims. An investigation into the financial transactions and communications is currently underway.

Notably, Ruchi had earlier drawn attention for her Cannes appearance, where she wore a necklace featuring an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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Entertainment

‘What A Shame’: Janhvi Kapoor Reacts To Kalyan Clinic Assault Case, Says Man Should Be Jailed For Thrashing Receptionist

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Bollywood actress Janhvi Kapoor reacted to the Kalyan clinic assault case and said the man should be in jail for thrashing the female receptionist. For those unversed, a video has gone viral which shows a man, identified as Gopal Jha, punching the receptionist, dragging her by the hair, and repeatedly assaulting her at Shree Bal Chikitsalaya, a paediatrics hospital, in Kalyan East on July 21.

Janhvi says the man should be jailed

Reacting to the incident, Janhvi took to her Instagram story on Thursday (July 24) and wrote, “This man needs to be in jail. Why does anyone think this behaviour is ok? What makes him think he can raise his hand at someone like this? What kind of upbringing convinces you to go through with these actions without any remorse, guilt or sense of humanity?”

“How do you live with yourself after knowing this is how your brain operates? What a shame. And shame on us for not punishing and condoning such behaviour more aggressively. Nothing excuses this,” the actress added.

However, on Wednesday, a new video surfaced on social media which shows that it was the receptionist who first slapped a woman and then charged at Gopal Jha. Reportedly, the woman she slapped is Jha’s sister-in-law.

The attack occurred after the receptionist denied Jha entry to see the doctor, who was attending another patient at the time.

The receptionist reportedly sustained serious injuries on her neck, legs, and chest, with concerns that she may suffer from partial paralysis due to the extent of the trauma. She has been admitted to Janaki Hospital.

Janhvi Kapoor’s work front

Meanwhile, on the work front, Janhvi is gearing up for the release of Param Sundari with Sidharth Malhotra. Directed by Tushar Jalota and produced by Dinesh Vijan, the romantic drama will release in theatres. However, its release day is not confirmed yet.

Janhvi also has films like Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, alongside Varun Dhawan, Sanya Malhotra, Rohit Saraf, Maniesh Paul, and Akshay Oberoi, and Peddi with Ram Charan in the pipeline.

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Entertainment

Salman Khan REDUCES Fees For Bigg Boss 19, To Charge ₹150 Crore For 15 Weeks Of Hosting: Report

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Bigg Boss 19 is set to premiere in August, with Salman Khan returning as the host. This season is expected to be the longest yet, spanning five months. However, there has been no official confirmation so far. Earlier reports suggested that Salman Khan will host the show for the first three months, while Farah Khan, Karan Johar, and Anil Kapoor may take over hosting duties in the final two months.

Salman Khan To Charge Rs 150 Crore For Bigg Boss 19

Salman will reportedly earn approximately Rs 120-150 crore for hosting over 15 weeks, with a per-weekend fee of Rs 8-10 crore. This marks a significant pay cut compared to previous seasons; he was reportedly paid Rs 250 crore earlier, while his fee for Bigg Boss 17 was around Rs 200 crore.

According to several reports, this year, the Bigg Boss 19 house is set to have a ‘Rewind’ theme. While the exact pros and cons of the theme have not been disclosed yet, it surely will make the game tougher for the contestants.

The ‘secret room’, which was once a part of the Bigg Boss house, is set to make a comeback this season. Also, in a shocking twist, the audience will nominate housemates for eviction this year and not the contestants themselves. However, the contestants will then fight to save themselves from the evictions.

Salman Khan’s Work Front

Salman was last seen in Sikandar alongside Rashmika Mandanna in the lead, however, the film did not perform well at the box office.

Next, he has Battle of Galwan, directed by Apoorva Lakhia. In the film, Salman will play the role of an army officer.

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