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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.

Bollywood

Dulquer Salmaan’s much-awaited period drama ‘Kaantha’ to hit screens on November 14

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Chennai, Oct 20: The makers of director Selvamani Selvaraj’s much-anticipated period drama, ‘Kaantha’, featuring actor Dulquer Salmaan in the lead, on Monday announced that the film will now hit screens worldwide on November 14.

Actor Dulquer Salmaan, who plays the lead in the film, took to his social media timelines to make the announcement. He wrote, “Diwali just got a whole lot more explosive!#Kaantha will be lighting up theatres worldwide from NOVEMBER 14th!Wishing you all a happy Diwali and we’ll see you in the theatres very soon. A @thespiritmedia and @dqswayfarerfilms production.”

For the unaware, the film was originally scheduled to hit screens on September 12. However, the team then chose to postpone the film’s release. It is now scheduled to release on November 14.

A teaser that the makers of Kaantha had released some time ago has triggered huge excitement among fans and film buffs. The teaser has only increased expectations from the film.

The teaser begins with an announcer stating that ‘Saantha’, the film being made by Modern Studios, will be Tamil cinema’s first horror film. The teaser then shows the film getting made. Ayya (Samuthirakani) is the writer and director of the film and Dulquer Salmaan is the hero of the film. It is evident that both the director and the hero of the film are now at loggerheads with one another and are no longer on talking terms. While Ayya wants a scene in which a character called Chandran gets scared after seeing a spirit called Neeli to be shot first, Dulquer wants some other pleasant scene to be shot first.

The hero and the director are bitter enemies only now but there was a time when both of them loved and respected each other before turning foes. The teaser shows that Ayya is the one who trained and made Dulquer the hero he is today. However, all that is a thing of the past. While Ayya seeks to make the heroine the central character of the film, Dulquer continues to make changes. In the end, the teaser shows Dulquer changing the title of the film from ‘Saantha’ to ‘Kaantha’.

A gripping period dramatic thriller set in 1950s Madras, ‘Kaantha’ will look to transport the viewers to the soul of that era. It captures a moment in time when tradition and modernity collided, giving rise to stories both personal and profound.

Sources close to the unit say that the film, which has been anchored by powerful performances, is a richly textured story and has stunning visuals.

The much-anticipated period film stars Dulquer Salmaan and Bhagyashri Borse in the lead.

The film, which is being jointly produced by Spirit Media and Dulquer Salmaan’s Wayfarer Films, has cinematography by ace cameraman Dani Sanchez Lopaz and music by Jhanu Chanthar. Art direction for the film is by Tha. Ramalingam and editing is by Llewellyn Anthony Gonsalves.

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Bollywood

Ayushmann, Sara, Wamiqa and Rakul’s ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh Do’ to release on March 4, 2026

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Mumbai, Oct 18: Bollywood stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Sara Ali Khan, Wamiqa Gabbi and Rakul Preet Singh’s upcoming film ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh Do’ directed by Mudassar Aziz is locked for a Holi release and will hit the big screens on March 4, 2026.

Production banner T-Series Films took to Instagram, where they made the announcement of the cast and the release date.

“Har pati ki hoti hai, apni ek aflatoon duniya…Jo unko bhale hi satati ho, magar hum sabki badha hasati hai.!Introducing the world of #PrajapatiPandey starring AyushmannKhurrana in #PatiPatniAurWohDo With #SaraAliKhan, #WamiqaGabbi aur #RakulPreetSingh joining the ride, this #MudassarAziz directorial, produced by Bhushan Kumar, Renu Ravi Chopra, and creatively produced by Juno Chopra, brings laughter, love, and chaos this Holi 4th March 2026.”

Aziz had previously directed “Pati Patni Aur Woh,” which was released in 2019. The film, a remake of the 1978 film of the same name, featured Kartik Aaryan, Bhumi Pednekar, and Ananya Panday.

It followed the story of Chintu Tyagi, who is married to Vedika. Things take an unexpected turn when finds himself infatuated with Tapasya, a young fashion designer.

The original film “Pati Patni Aur Woh”, which was released in 1978 was directed by B. R. Chopra. The film stars Sanjeev Kumar, Vidya Sinha, Ranjeeta Kaur, with cameos from Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Tina Munim and Parveen Babi.

The film is jointly produced by BhushanKumar, Renu Ravi Chopra, and creatively produced by Juno Chopra. The film is directed by Mudassar Aziz.

Ayushmann is currently awaiting the release of “Thamma”. The horror comedy film also stars Rashmika Mandanna.

“Thamma” stars Ayushmann as Alok, along with Rashmika as Tadaka, Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Yakshasan, and Paresh Rawal as Ram Bajaj Goyal, along with others. “Thamma” is expected to get a theatrical release on October 21, during Diwali.

Set in a fictional world, “Thamma” tells the tale of a determined historian who immerses himself in ancient manuscripts, uncovering dark secrets about local vampire myths as supernatural forces begin to stir.

The film is directed by ‘Munjya’ fame maker Aditya Sarpotdar.

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Entertainment

Arjun Bijlani opens up about maintaining mental balance on ‘Rise And Fall’

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Mumbai, Oct 17: Television actor Arjun Bijlani opened up about how he maintained his mental balance while participating in the intense reality show “Rise And Fall.”

In an exclusive interview with IANS, the ‘Naagin’ actor shared insights into the strategies he uses to stay calm and focused amidst the high-pressure challenges. When asked how he maintained his mental balance, Arjun shared, “I had a photo of Neha and Ayaan with me, and I used to draw strength from that. I also have deep faith in Lord Ganesha. Every morning, I would wake up early and take His name, reminding myself not to do anything I might regret later. And today, I can proudly say that I came out of that tower as the winner with no regrets at all.”

When asked if he ever felt stressed during the game, the ‘Ishq Mein Marjawan’ mentioned, “Yes, around ten days into the show, I started missing my family a lot. That was quite stressful for me. I often wondered what my child was doing, what was happening at home, if everything was fine. During captive reality shows, people tend to have strange dreams — and I wasn’t the only one. Everyone experienced it. So yes, there were tough moments, but there were also great ones that made the journey special.”

“I played the game with a lot of heart. I only used strategy during the challenges, but otherwise, I stayed true to myself. I never said one thing and did another. I believe that was my biggest strength — being consistent and honest throughout,” added Arjun.

Arjun Bijlani has clinched the title of winner on Ashneer Grover’s show “Rise and Fall.”

Speaking about his win, he said in a statement, “Rise and Fall proved that every fall is just a step toward rising stronger. This journey was anything but easy — each day brought a new challenge, a new lesson, and a new reason to keep going. The twists, the tension, the friendships, and the rivalries tested me in ways I never imagined. Winning feels surreal. I want to thank each player who’s been a part of Rise and Fall. Thank you, thank you so much, and a special thanks to Aarush and Arbaz, who both took my name to be the winner. I think without them, this wouldn’t have been possible.”

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