(Crisp) Movie Review: CIVIL WAR by FENIL SETA
10:44 AM
Civil War is set in the future and is about journalists on a mission while the country breaks into Loyalist states, faithful to the President and secessionist movements, who want to throw him out. The plot is imaginative and that itself adds to the curiosity and director Alex Garland has done justice to it. By showing the madness from the eyes of war journalists, the impact is manifold. The film also ends up depicting how scribes survive in tough conditions to click the award-winning pictures, sometimes at the cost of morality. The second half is very gripping, especially the climax and the last scene. The biggest problem of the film is the absence of a back story. Also, the absence of subtitles makes it difficult to understand certain dialogues. Kirsten Dunst, however, delivers one of the best performances of her career. Cailee Spaeny (Jessie Cullen) is a great find. Wagner Moura (Joel) is impressive while Stephen McKinley Henderson (Sammy) shines. Nick Offerman (USA President) and Jesse Plemons (militant) are too good in cameos. The camerawork and sound design are so good that it feels like you are in the midst of the firing and all the chaos. All in all, Civil War is a great surprise and surely worth watching.
My rating - *** ½ out of 5!
My rating - *** ½ out of 5!
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 826
9:47 AM
EID RELEASES BOMB BADLY
A lot was expected from the two big Eid releases – Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and Maidaan – even though the trailers had not done the trick. Yet, no one expected the collections to be outright disastrous. What saddened the industry was that despite great word of mouth, Maidaan didn’t take off.
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan was the bigger film and also had commercial elements to pull in the audience. But it opened at Rs. 15 crores, which was way low for such an expensive film. On Friday, April 19, the film dropped 50% to Rs. 7.50 crores and that sealed the fate of the film. There was a slight jump on Saturday (Rs. 8.25 crores) and Sunday (Rs. 8.75 crores). On Monday, it crashed as it collected Rs. 2.15 crores. The first week's collections will be around Rs. 47-48 crores. At this rate, it’ll struggle to even cross the Rs. 60 or 65 crores mark.
Maidaan, on the other hand, opened with paid previews on Wednesday, April 10, and earned Rs. 2 crores. One expected the collections to at least treble on the Eid holiday. However, it collected just Rs. 4 crores. With word of mouth on its side, Friday collections should have been the same or more than Thursday. But on Friday, it accumulated just Rs. 3 crores. On Saturday, the film jumped to Rs. 5.85 crores and Rs. 6.25 crores on Sunday. This gave hope that Monday collections will be as much as Friday. But on Monday, it dropped to Rs. 1.50 crores. Tuesday saw a small jump as it collected Rs. 1.60 crores. The first week's collections will be around Rs. 27-28 crores. If it keeps collecting at low levels, it’ll manage to cross the Rs. 40 crores mark.
Both films are quite expensive and have a cost of more than Rs. 225 crores. Hence, one can imagine the kind of losses that the makers will face. On top of that, there are hardly any exciting releases until June. As a result, the exhibition sector is in a sad state.
This probably explains why multiplexes decided to celebrate Cinema Lovers Day once again on Friday, April 19 when tickets will be sold for just Rs. 99. Even then, the advance booking of new and holdover releases is very poor.
Tomorrow, Do Aur Do Pyaar and Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2 will be released. The latter, directed by Dibakar Banerjee, looks quite niche and will require a great word of mouth to pull in the audience. Do Aur Do Pyaar stars Vidya Balan, Pratik Gandhi, Ileana DCruz and Sendhil Ramamurthy and seems like a decent romcom. The buzz is very limited and if reports are positive, it stands a chance in the urban multiplexes.
A lot was expected from the two big Eid releases – Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and Maidaan – even though the trailers had not done the trick. Yet, no one expected the collections to be outright disastrous. What saddened the industry was that despite great word of mouth, Maidaan didn’t take off.
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan was the bigger film and also had commercial elements to pull in the audience. But it opened at Rs. 15 crores, which was way low for such an expensive film. On Friday, April 19, the film dropped 50% to Rs. 7.50 crores and that sealed the fate of the film. There was a slight jump on Saturday (Rs. 8.25 crores) and Sunday (Rs. 8.75 crores). On Monday, it crashed as it collected Rs. 2.15 crores. The first week's collections will be around Rs. 47-48 crores. At this rate, it’ll struggle to even cross the Rs. 60 or 65 crores mark.
Maidaan, on the other hand, opened with paid previews on Wednesday, April 10, and earned Rs. 2 crores. One expected the collections to at least treble on the Eid holiday. However, it collected just Rs. 4 crores. With word of mouth on its side, Friday collections should have been the same or more than Thursday. But on Friday, it accumulated just Rs. 3 crores. On Saturday, the film jumped to Rs. 5.85 crores and Rs. 6.25 crores on Sunday. This gave hope that Monday collections will be as much as Friday. But on Monday, it dropped to Rs. 1.50 crores. Tuesday saw a small jump as it collected Rs. 1.60 crores. The first week's collections will be around Rs. 27-28 crores. If it keeps collecting at low levels, it’ll manage to cross the Rs. 40 crores mark.
Both films are quite expensive and have a cost of more than Rs. 225 crores. Hence, one can imagine the kind of losses that the makers will face. On top of that, there are hardly any exciting releases until June. As a result, the exhibition sector is in a sad state.
This probably explains why multiplexes decided to celebrate Cinema Lovers Day once again on Friday, April 19 when tickets will be sold for just Rs. 99. Even then, the advance booking of new and holdover releases is very poor.
Tomorrow, Do Aur Do Pyaar and Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2 will be released. The latter, directed by Dibakar Banerjee, looks quite niche and will require a great word of mouth to pull in the audience. Do Aur Do Pyaar stars Vidya Balan, Pratik Gandhi, Ileana DCruz and Sendhil Ramamurthy and seems like a decent romcom. The buzz is very limited and if reports are positive, it stands a chance in the urban multiplexes.
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan collects 41.65 cr in 5 days
8:46 AM
Box Office India Trade Network
BADE MIYAN CHOTE MIYAN saw a heavy fall on Monday with collections down in the 2-2.25 crore nett range which takes the total of the film to 41.50 crore nett. This was expected as the film has been struggling from the first day.
The film has faced total rejection and more than the rejection, the audience just has not come signaling no interest whatsoever in the film. What makes it worse is that these numbers are coming on Eid when footfalls are easier to come by.
The film looks to be falling short of 50 crore nett in its extended first week with collections likely to end with 47 crore nett and where do you go from there. A double digit second week may not even happen if the drops continue like this over the next few days.
The collections of BADE MIYAN CHOTE MIYAN are as follows.
Thursday - 15,00,00,000 apprx
Friday - 7,50,00,000 apprx
Saturday - 8,25,00,000 apprx
Sunday - 8,75,00,000 apprx
Monday - 2,15,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 41,65,00,000 apprx
Maidaan collects 22.60 cr in 5 days
8:44 AM
Box Office India Trade Network
MAIDAAN picked up 1.50 crore nett on Monday as collections came down to very low levels. The film offered some hope on Saturday not in terms of success but some sort of run. But it could not really consolidate with pretty flat collections on Sunday.
Now with these Monday collections, its very normal trending and there are no collections on the board. The business till date is not even 23 crore nett and its down to these low levels on Monday.
The film needed to collect close to its Friday number which would have allowed it to benefit form the coming weak period. Success was always out of the question with the start it got but if you can get to 75 crore nett from a 4 crore nett start, then at least you know the content has some appreciation however limited and can be beneficial to some of the talent involved in the film. But it was not to be and the film has gone wrong from all angles.
The collections of MAIDAAN till date are as follows.
Wednesday (Paid Previews) - 2,00,00,000 apprx
Thursday - 4,00,00,000 apprx
Friday - 3,00,00,000 apprx
Saturday - 5,85,00,000 apprx
Sunday - 6,25,00,000 apprx
Monday - 1,50,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 22,60,00,000 apprx
Entire star cast of Singham Again to shoot a massively mounted song from today
8:39 AM
Sources say Singham Again’s cast, including Ajay, Kareena, Arjun and Tiger, to shoot a massively mounted song in Vile Parle studio from today
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 17, 2024)
Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again has many things going for it. Among them is the star-studded cast that includes Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor and Tiger Shroff. Akshay Kumar and Ranveer Singh, who play the other two super cops in his cop universe, will also be seen in cameos in Singham franchise’s third instalment.
Understandably, the filmmaker is making the most of this enviable cast by bringing them together in a peppy dance number. We’ve heard that beginning today, the actors will shoot an elaborate song at a Vile Parle set.
Originally, the shoot was to commence on April 15. A source says, “But now, it kicks off on April 17. Ganesh Acharya is choreographing it, and has hired 400 background dancers. The primary cast will film the vibrant number over the next four days. However, Deepika, who is among the newest entrants in the cop verse, might give it a miss.”
Shetty has been shooting the action fare’s last leg in Golden Tobacco Factory, but he has had the production team build a separate grand set for this song.
Salman Khan house firing case: Did gunmen want police to find them?
8:38 AM
Ahmed Ali (THE TIMES OF INDIA; April 17, 2024)
Mumbai: Two youths allegedly responsible for firing at actor Salman Khan’s residence were nabbed outside a temple 95km from Bhuj on Tuesday.
Suspected to have been sent by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to intimidate the actor, the duo — Vicky alias Vikas Gupta (24) and Sagar Pal (21) — allegedly fired 4 rounds at the house. They were paid Rs 1 lakh and Rs 3 lakh more was promised later, police said.
The suspects, from Bihar’s West Champaran, were apprehended near the Mata no Madh shrine around 1.30 am as they tried to blend in with devotees gathered for Navratri celebrations.
Sagar is the one who allegedly fired the weapon. Police said the duo travelled to Surat by train and disposed of their guns before going to Kutch by bus. Cops believe they reached Kutch Monday.
The duo, booked for murder bid and criminal conspiracy, and under Arms Act, has been remanded in police custody till April 25. Bishnoi and his brother Anmol have also been shown as accused.
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Mumbai: Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal from Bihar, who allegedly fired at actor Salman Khan’s Bandra home, were arrested 95 km from Bhuj in Gujarat on Tuesday. A Mumbai crime branch team led by inspector Daya Nayak produced them before the 37th metropolitan magistrate.
The two are said to have told police that jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother Anmol had hired them. They said he wanted the actor to be “punished for hunting a blackbuck” in Bawad in Mathania near Jodhpur in 1998. They allegedly told police they were asked to intimidate the actor, for which they received around Rs 1 lakh; Rs 3 lakh more was promised after the job.
Police are likely to move court to seek Lawrence’s police custody from Tihar jail and open a look out circular (LOC) against Anmol who is based in Canada and who is a key accused in recruiting the two youths besides claiming responsibility for the firing and indirectly issuing threats to Salman through social media.
Police said Anmol reportedly told the duo if they succeeded in firing two full magazines of bullets into Khan’s home, they would not only be famous, but would also be suitably rewarded.
Lakhmi Gautam, joint commissioner of police (crime) said, “While Vicky is Class 10 pass, Sagar is Class 8 pass and we are checking their antecedents to see if there are any previous cases against them. They carried out the firing at the behest of Bishnoi for monetary consideration and prima facie investigation suggests that they did three to four recces and were spotted near Taj Land’s End at Bandra.” Gautam said they are exploring whether Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) can be invoked.
“Anmol who was communicating with the two accused, had asked them to fire at least two full magazines of bullets (one magazine contains five bullets) at Khan’s home and they were told just to frighten him and not to harm anyone. They roamed around the whole night at Bandstand until 4.51am when they moved towards Salman’s Galaxy Apartment and fired four rounds from a slowly moving bike. While four bullets were fired smoothly, the fifth got stuck and accidentally fell live. They fled the scene of crime,” said a police source.
The accused told the police they have been camping in Mumbai since Feb 28 and had surveyed Khan’s Panvel farmhouse as well as Galaxy Apartments residence. In the interim, the accused rented a room in Panvel, went back to their village during Holi and returned on April 1. The first leads came from the CCTV footage of the bike used by the duo, which led police to its seller in Panvel. The bike seller not only gave their phone numbers, but also the address of their rented room in Panvel. The landlord gave them copies of Aadhaar cards and phone numbers the duo had submitted. Technical analysis of the phones helped police trace them till Bhuj.
“We are trying to identify the person who had delivered the weapon and cash to the duo on behalf of Anmol. Sagar appears to have come in contact with a Bishnoi gang member while he was in Haryana a few months ago,” said an officer.
Meanwhile, Mumbai police said Vishal aka Kalu’s involvement that had cropped up in relation to the case in Delhi police’s investigation has not been established in their probe.
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Crime branch, city cops rush to claim credit over case
S Ahmed Ali (THE TIMES OF INDIA; April 17, 2024)
Mumbai/Rajkot: The arrest of two suspects from Gujarat on Tuesday for allegedly firing at actor Salman Khan’s Bandra residence on Sunday saw different agencies trying to take credit for “cracking the case”. A senior IPS officer called it “healthy competition”.
Immediately after the city crime branch announced a press conference on the arrests on Tuesday, Bandra police, which had initially registered an offence of attempt to murder against the accused, were quick to call it a “joint operation”. Bandra police said the crime branch had succeeded in arresting the duo only after they had provided basic information of the bike used by the accused, CCTV footage and call detail records.
Crime branch officials rubbished this, saying after the home department transferred the case to them, local police held back information. “Despite a request to hand over all papers and the DVR (digital video recorder), they did not provide us with any details, which we have brought to the notice of our seniors. The crime intelligence unit assisted us in gathering technical intelligence regarding the accused,” said a crime branch source.
A Mumbai police official said they had formed a special team from Bandra police station comprising sub-inspector Sushant Bavachakar and constables Shivraj Mashal and Nitin Sapkale “who worked hard and had almost reached Bhuj but we were little late. The crime branch had already picked up the accused with local police’s help”. The crime branch team comprised inspector Daya Nayak and Bharat Ghone headed by DCP Datta Nalawade and Vishal Thakur and joint commissioner of police Lakhmi Gautam.
Meanwhile, Bhuj police issued a press note stating, “Based on technical work and activation of private network information received that the accused had taken shelter in an ashram near Matanamadh Mandir premises, we arrested them and handed over them to Mumbai crime branch.”
Mahendra Bagaria, deputy inspector general of police (Kutch West), said the arrests were made around 1.30am on Tuesday. “We got to know their location via human intelligence but were careful, apprehending they might possess weapons and fire at us. We alerted all check posts before starting the operation and went there in a private car in civil dress,” he said. “We believe they came here for the first time, but are probing their possible links in Kutch.”
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Motorcycle-borne assailants who opened fire at Salman Khan’s Bandra residence seem to have deliberately left solid clues for the police to follow the crumb trail right up to their homes 850 km away in Bhuj
Shirish Vaktania (MID-DAY; April 17, 2024)
Did the shooters at Galaxy Apartment deliberately leave enough clues behind, making it an easy job for the cops? The Mumbai Crime Branch discovered that the arrested accused purposely left behind various clues and pieces of evidence that aided the police in tracing them.
Right from the beginning of the shootout, The shooters, Vickey Kumar Gupta, 25; and Sagar Kumar Pal, 23, members of the Bishnoi gang who are now in custody, left behind hints, making it a cakewalk for the cops to arrest them. On Sunday morning, instead of disposing of the bike used in the firing carefully, they abandoned it hardly one kilometre away from Salman’s residence at the gate of Mount Mary Church in Bandra.
Officials said that the bike was found with the original number plate, which played a crucial role in the investigations. “They could have easily destroyed the number plate or the bike, but it was abandoned so close to the crime scene,” an officer from Bandra police station said.
Original documents used
Also, the accused bought the bike used in the firing with their original documents. If that was not enough for the cops to trace them, they also made a rental agreement with their landlord using their original documents and genuine phone numbers. Police found that there was no effort made to hide the address of the temporary rented accommodation from the bike owner.
Eventually, with his questioning, the cops traced the landlord of their house. They made a house rental agreement in Panvel using their original Aadhar card and Pan card. The investigation also revealed that the accused were in contact with a member of the Bishnoi gang who instructed them to leave behind evidence for the police to find and on their next steps.
The duo belonged to Champaran district in Bihar and have been working for the gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his gang for the past two years. Crime Branch officials believe that the Bishnoi gang intended to only warn Salman Khan and not harm him. The gang also wanted Gupta and Pal to be arrested so that he could confirm and take responsibility for the firing to instil fear in the public on behalf of their gang.
Escaped to Surat
Sources revealed that after the firing, the accused informed the Bishnoi gang member that they had completed their task and were fleeing. They were instructed to leave the bike outside Mount Mary church in Bandra and leave the spot. The accused then took an auto to Bandra railway station, boarded a slow local train for Santacruz station. The two then took another auto to Vakola signal on the Western Express Highway and changed to yet another auto to reach the Mira Road area. Subsequently, they travelled to Surat, Gujarat by rented car and took public transport.
The Unit 9 crime branch officer, Daya Nayak, received a tip-off about the accused hiding in a Mataji temple (Madh) in the Kutch Bhuj area in Gujarat. The officers checked the route of the bus and reached Kutch, and before reaching, they informed the local Crime Branch of Kutch Bhuj to identify them. The Mumbai Crime Branch team also shared the photos of the suspected accused with the Gujarat Crime Branch, and they checked the Mataji temple area and found both accused and took them into custody.
In the investigation, police also found that this was the second visit of the shooters to Mumbai. Earlier, they had arrived in Mumbai in February and had returned to their hometown for Holi celebration on March 24, and they returned again to Mumbai on April 1. The cops also found that the gun was delivered to them after April 1. Cops assumed that the firing plan was planned before February 28 by the Bishnoi gang. Cops also found that the pistol which was used for firing was of high-range quality. Both accused also took basic training in Haryana. Interestingly, cops didn’t find any criminal records of both accused. Cops also recovered 1 phone from them. Cops suspected they threw the gun into some river.
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde visits Salman Khan's home; assures him of protection
8:38 AM
Chaitanya Marpakwar (THE TIMES OF INDIA; April 17, 2024)
Mumbai: Chief minister Eknath Shinde visited actor Salman Khan’s residence in Bandra on Tuesday and assured him of protection after two men were arrested in connection with firing at his flat. CM Shinde said stringent action will be taken against those involved in the firing. The CM said he has instructed city police commissioner to strengthen security cover for Khan and his family.
Meanwhile, the opposition slammed the Shinde-BJP govt over the firing incident, alleging that the law-and-order machinery of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, is destroyed, and that home minister Devendra Fadnavis is busy with politics.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said, “Salman Khan is a superstar, but in Mumbai, law and order has been destroyed. Women, youth and the common man are worried. The govt is busy filing fake cases against political rivals. We should ask the commissioner of police. Is he not responsible? The entire police department is deputed in service of all traitors who have joined the BJP. They all have four-five armed gunmen,” Raut said.
“Salman Khan has been receiving constant threats, despite this, such an incident is proof of the failure of the state Home Ministry. If such an incident can happen at the house of a person with such high security, then what about the common people? Such incidents are increasing because our police and agencies have been put behind opposition leaders instead of goons.” city Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad posted on X.
Vikas Divyakirti slams Animal; Vidya Balan defends
8:37 AM
HINDUSTAN TIMES (April 17, 2024)
The debate surrounding the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Animal (2023) continues to rage on, with divergent opinions aplenty. On one side, educator, YouTube personality and civil services coach Vikas Divyakirti, who had a special role in the film 12th Fail, criticized Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s movie, labelling it “vulgar”, stating, “A film like this should not be made. It takes our society back by 10 years.”
In an interview with radio personality Neelesh Misra, Divyakirti particularly singled out a scene in which Kapoor’s character demands Triptii Dimri’s character lick his shoes to prove her loyalty, raising concerns about its potential influence on impressionable minds with a feudal mindset. “Itni fuhad aur badtameez film hum bana rahein hai then it is very sad,” he added.
Meanwhile, actor Vidya Balan offered a contrasting viewpoint. Speaking to Pinkvilla, she remarked, “Conviction is the name of the game here. We are told content is king. But you can have great content told unconvincingly. Animal is a great example of that; they were not apologetic and second-guessing; they told the story unabashedly. And look at the way the film worked.”
Zeenat Aman stands firm after Mumtaz's statement: "I never tear down my colleagues"
8:36 AM
Veterans clash over the topic of live-in relationships; Zeenat Aman advocates it, while Mumtaz says Zeenat ’should be the last person doling out advice on relationships’
HINDUSTAN TIMES (April 17, 2024)
The actor told Zoom: “Zeenat has all of a sudden come into this huge social media popularity, and I can understand her excitement about sounding like a cool aunty. But giving advice that is counter to our moral values is not the solution to increasing your following. Aap Zeenat ko hi le lo misaal ke taur par… She knew Mazhar Khan (late actor) for years before marrying him. Her marriage was a living hell. She should be the last person doling out advice on relationships.”
Zeenat Aman said, "Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I’ve never been one to comment on others personal lives or tear down my colleagues, and I’m not going to start now."
WHAT EXACTLY DID ZEENAT SAY?
The actor wrote on Insta: If you’re in a relationship, I strongly recommend that you LIVE TOGETHER before getting married! This is the same advice I’ve always given my sons, both of whom have had, or are in, a live-in relationship. It just seems logical to me that before two people get their families and the government involved in their equation, they first put their relationship to the ultimate test. It’s easy to be the best version of yourself for a few hours a day. But can you share a bathroom? Weather the storm of a bad mood? Agree on what to eat for dinner every night? Keep the fire alive in the bedroom?... I’m aware that Indian society is a little uptight about “living in sin” but then again, society is uptight about so many things!
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We spoke to yesteryear actor Saira Banu: “I am not reading much... but we are old-fashioned people. Our trend is 40-50 saal pehle ka. Iss baat se (live-in) main toh sehmat nahi ho sakti hoon kabhi bhi. I’d never advocate live-in. It’s unimaginable and unacceptable for me.”
Once my film reaches the audience, I get bored of it, I lose all interest-Manoj Bajpayee
8:34 AM
Manoj says not being satisfied with his last work is the mantra behind his rich career, as he marks his 100th movie with Bhaiyya Ji
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; April 17, 2024)
Thirty years, three National Awards, and 100 films—it’s quite a career, put in numbers. Next month, Manoj Bajpayee will be seen in his 100th film, Bhaiyya Ji. The actor finds it hard to believe that he has reached the milestone. “Even now when you are mentioning it, it feels surreal,” he smiles. For the actor, who left his village in Bihar to pursue his celluloid dreams, it feels like a miracle.
“Coming from outside, taking such a long journey from my village to this point is miraculous. I always feel some kind of magic is happening with my life and career. Someone up there has really been taking care of me.”
Bhaiyya Ji reunites him with his Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai (2023) director Apoorv Singh Karki and writer Deepak Kingrani. For his maiden production, Bajpayee has chosen a revenge drama that aims to bring back the flavour of the ’70s Hindi action films. The intense action drama is quite a departure from his past few offerings. But then, that’s the thing about the actor—over three decades, he has carefully curated his filmography, choosing roles that further his versatility than his popularity. From Satya (1998) to Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012), from Aligarh (2016) to Joram (2023), we’ve been introduced to his many different facets.
“It has been a conscious choice for the last 30 years. I have been only trying to explore new characters because I believe if I do it, I will only be getting better at my craft. That way, I will surprise not only my audience, but also myself about my abilities.”
There is another reason to try something new with every project. “I get bored with my last work. Once my film reaches the audience, I get bored of it, I lose all interest. Not getting satisfied with your last work is the key [to longevity]. It must be the key to my zeal to explore new grounds all the time,” says the actor, who will begin filming the third season of his popular series, The Family Man, soon.
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