Jackie Shroff gets emotional on how Anupam Kher cast him in Tanvi The Great: says, “I was teary-eyed when he first called me and played a song”

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Jackie Shroff and Anupam Kher will be seen together in the upcoming film Tanvi: The Great, which follows the story of an autistic girl aspiring to join the army. At the recent trailer launch, Jackie Shroff spoke about the film and his experience working with Anupam Kher. He also recalled an interesting anecdote about how he came to be a part of the project.

Jackie Shroff shared, "I thank Anupam Kher for casting me in this film. I was teary-eyed when he first called me and played a song. Usually, I don't cry in front of anyone, but after hearing the song, my eyes were filled with tears. It's an honour to be on this stage with such a fantastic cast."

He added, "Anupam Kher handled everything brilliantly, and I got to learn a lot during the film. He taught me several nuances while filming, so if there's anybody who wishes to learn acting, they can learn from Anupam Kher. He's a beautiful actor and director and has made an absolutely brilliant film. It's total soul-cleansing."

In Tanvi: The Great, Jackie Shroff will be seen playing the role of Brigadier Joshi, alongside an impressive cast including Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Karan Tacker, Iain Glen, Pallavi Joshi and Arvind Swamy. Tanvi: The Great was recently shown at the New York Indian Film Festival, and the premiere was also attended by Hollywood legend Robert De Niro. Directed by Anupam Kher, the film is slated to release in theatres on July 18.

Also Read : Jackie Shroff wants his old chawl room back; says, “I am trying to get it but the landlord is not giving it back to me”

“Irrfan Khan suggested Life In A Metro 2,” says Anurag Basu

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18 years after Life In A Metro, its spiritual successor Metro… In Dino is set to release. Reports suggest that this film marks the final chapter of Anurag Basu’s journey with hyperlinked storytelling. Similar to its predecessor, it explores the complexities of modern relationships through four interconnected stories set across four metro cities—Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Bengaluru. Recently, Anurag Basu shared that the film is a tribute to Irrfan and KK, both of whom played significant roles in Life In A Metro.

In an exclusive conversation with News18 Showsha, Anurag Basu revealed that the idea of a sequel to the 2007 film Life In A Metro actually came from Irrfan himself. Speaking about it, he shared, “Post Jagga Jasoos, Irrfan and I were talking about a sequel to Life In A Metro. He, in fact, had given me the idea to start working on it. He told me, ‘Metro 2 banate hai.’ He told me about it much later, not immediately after the first film.” Interestingly, back in 2017, there were already reports suggesting that Irrfan had signed on and would be part of the second installment.

Anurag Basu, however, admitted that he never initially intended to create a trilogy of hyperlinked films. “I didn’t have any plans of making a trilogy. I was scared if Life In A Metro would even work. It was something very different. But after that, I got a hang of it. I started enjoying writing hyperlinked films. Then Ludo happened," shared the Gangster and Kites director. Despite earlier reports suggesting otherwise, it now appears that Metro… In Dino might not be the final chapter in his series of hyperlinked narratives.

Dating apps, now a key element of modern romance, may have surged in popularity in India after 2007, but Anurag believes that the storyline featuring Konkona Sensharma and Irrfan in Life In A Metro was actually ahead of its time. “Their characters had met online – on a matrimonial site. A lot has changed in these 18 years and we should come to terms with it. People are less expressive in person now. They speak their hearts out, virtually. They can convey all their emotions in a true form online. Aaj kal one-to-one mein nahi hota hai," he observes.

When asked about his personal takeaway from past relationships, Anurag shared, “What love has taught me is that I’ve started seeing the world and stories of people from a woman’s point of view. I’ve learnt to see things from their perspective after falling in love and that has really helped me as a creative person."

Also Read : “Anurag Basu and Pritam are a lethal combination,” says Metro In Dino producer Bhushan Kumar

Akshardham: Operation Vajra Shakti director Ken Ghosh lauds courage and sacrifice of real-life heroes

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The trailer of Akshardham: Operation Vajra Shakti, produced by Zee Studios in association with Contiloe Pictures, has gripped audiences with its raw intensity and emotional depth. Inspired by true events, the film brings to the screen. The searing 2002 terrorist attack on the Akshardham Temple in Gujarat and the heroic counter-terror operation that followed. The film is slated for a nationwide theatrical release on July 4, 2025.

Headlined by Akshaye Khanna, with Gautam Rode and Vivek Dahiya in pivotal roles, the film is directed by Ken Ghosh and produced by Abhimanyu Singh. The trailer has already sparked widespread attention for its grounded tone, realistic action, and moving portrayal of sacrifice.

Director Ken Ghosh, reflecting on the making of the film, shared some of the emotionally charged experiences behind the scenes, "Portraying the bravery of commandos, their selfless grit, knowing their lives were at stake yet ready to sacrifice for their country, was just so moving."

“The bridge scene, which is at the end of the film, was actually the first shot. We landed in Manali, and it had just started snowing. That was shot literally in the snow," Ken further added about the logistical challenges faced during filming. While the film promises gripping action and a tense narrative, it’s the emotional honesty, the moments of sacrifice, family, and courage, that sets Akshardham: Operation Vajra Shakti apart.

As the release date approaches, Akshardham: Operation Vajra Shakti is not just being seen as a patriotic thriller, but as a tribute to the bravery, discipline and strength of India’s unsung heroes. Readers may know that the film was earlier released on Zee 5 with the title State of Siege: Temple Attack and it is now released in theatres with this new title.

Also Read: Akshaye Khanna starrer Akshardham: Operation Vajra Shakti gets big-screen release on July 4

Konkona Sen Sharma speaks out on work-life balance and the ‘motherhood penalty’ in films; says, “It’s becoming more and more difficult to participate in the work life”

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Actor Konkona Sen Sharma is gearing up for the release of Anurag Basu's Metro… In Dino. In a conversation with Firstpost, she expressed her views on achieving a work-life balance in the film industry and discussed the changes she believes are necessary.

In the interview, Konkona pointed out, “I genuinely want to say that in today’s day and age, there is a certain motherhood penalty in any industry, which happens. It’s called the fatherhood premium and the motherhood penalty. Because what happens is that fathers, as they have children and they become more and more senior, they earn more and more. But for women with every child, there is a financial setback because you’re not able to kind of participate in the way society expects you to or for that matter what the office work demands.”

She continued by saying, “Now what’s going to happen ultimately is that women are not incentivized to have children at all because it’s becoming more and more difficult. You know, to participate in the work life, and to be a good mother at the same time is becoming more and more difficult. So, I feel that this is something that eventually the governments will have to kind of change policies for working mothers. Otherwise it’s not going to happen.”

Konkona tied the knot with Ranvir Shorey in 2010. The couple parted ways in 2015 and finalized their divorce in 2020. They share a son named Haroon.

Metro… In Dino also features Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Ali Fazal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Pankaj Tripathi, Neena Gupta, and Anupam Kher in key roles. The film is set to hit theatres on July 4.

Also Read : Konkona Sensharma on Metro… In Dino co-star Neena Gupta, “She’s a legend. She’s an icon!”

EXCLUSIVE: Girish Johar slams BOGO gimmicks, fake reviews, Rs. 500 tickets; urges Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan to build cinemas in small towns – “It’ll help them understand taste of audience and make films accordingly”

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The industry trends change every few years. But post-pandemic, the changes have been sudden and also unexpected. Girish Johar, producer and eminent film business analyst, in an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, opened up on aspects like reduced ticket prices, dearth of cinemas, BOGO, losing credibility of reviews, etc, in simple layman terms.

From a trade perspective, can reduced ticket pricing serve as a viable strategy to drive footfall in theatres, or does it risk devaluing the big-screen experience? I am of the firm belief that if theatrical business flourishes, then everything in the ecosystem will benefit. The theatrical economics has to be right. Theatres have tied up with malls and are paying higher rentals. As a result, they need to earn by hiking up the rates of snacks and tickets. Meanwhile, the audience always has the option to catch the film on OTT. They are not ready to watch below-average content on higher ticket prices. Sadly, 90% of the content in today’s times is below average. They argue that why should they pay a bomb to watch such films? This further draws them away from the big screen. This probably can be resolved with reasonable ticket pricing and a regular flow of content. In 2018-19, it was the small and mid-sized films that flourished like Badhaai Ho, Andhandhun, Article 15, etc. These films were expected to collect in the range of Rs. 30-40 crores. But they ended up collecting Rs. 70 crores and in some cases, even more than Rs. 100 crores. Such movies need to be priced averagely. You can’t sell its tickets for Rs. 500. That can be charged for tent-pole films but then there are not more than 10 such films.

I always give the example of cricket. The slog overs do matter and in the case of cinema, these are the tentpole films. But it is the middle overs (that is, mid-sized films) which are crucial. This is when the players need to score 4s and 6s.

Will we ever see a day of Rs. 100 ticket pricing so that the moviegoing experience becomes affordable for the common man? It is possible. It has been implemented during Cinema Days though its effect has now diminished. Also, it should not be held blindly. It should be backed by content which will cater to the audience paying for discounted tickets. In my understanding, it is the regional economics which should derive such pricing. What is stopping such offers in specific regions for a specific day, like say Indore Cinema Day or Bhopal Cinema Day?

In the pre-pandemic era, the attitude of the moviegoer was different. They would turn up to watch any film every week as they were habituated. Now, moviegoers scan the film minutely before watching it. They ask, ‘Is it worth it? Aren’t the ticket rates too high? Will the film be out on OTT soon?’ We need to re-cultivate the habit of the audience of coming to the theatres.

As I said earlier, the more theatres benefit, the more the industry will flourish. More productions will be greenlit, more content will be made. Even allied industries like printing, F&B etc, will benefit. Direct commissioning of films on OTT will also increase.

Meanwhile, the cinemas need to understand that it's not a good idea to promote OTT platforms in cinemas. They might get 2x or 3x the rates for these ads. But when a patron buys a ticket for Rs. 500 or Rs. 1000 and sees an ad stating the OTT subscription is available for Rs. 99 or Rs. 199 per month, the theatres are simply hurting themselves.

From an industry-builder’s point of view: Do you believe stars and studios need to actively invest in cinema infrastructure in underserved regions to expand theatrical reach? There are certain places where there’s no theatre for miles. Whenever I visit Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani, I always wonder where its residents watch films on the big screen? The nearest cinema hall is in Wai, which is 30 kms away… We have seen Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and John Abraham talking about it. If they or other prominent celebrities come on board with a particular chain and become its brand ambassadors, then nothing like it. It’ll be much better as they’ll understand the ecosystem of cinemas minutely and the taste of the audience. This will help them select and make films accordingly.

Bhai ko, behen ko… Dushman ko, Yaar ko… And of course, apne Pyaar ko… Kal Jawan dikhaaiyega! Chacha-Chachi, Phoopha-Phoophi, Maama-Maami… Yaani Poore Parivaar ko. Sab ke liye ek ke saath ek free ticket!!!

Toh kal se… Parivaar, yaar aur pyaar… Just Buy 1 ticket and get the… pic.twitter.com/Qr9gI4ihcO

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) September 27, 2023

With the rise of social media chatter and peer-led opinions, has the traditional influence of film critics and reviews on box office performance diminished? Also, there has been a growing chatter around box office credibility. Is the industry, in trying to create perception, risking long-term damage to its own credibility and sustainability? Yes. I believe that the audience is no longer taking reviews and box office numbers seriously. It has become a marketing tool. The more the industry uses these tactics, the more ineffective it becomes. A critic giving a dishonest review may take money and give a mild or positive review to a poorly made film. The audience will trust his review, go for the movie, get disappointed and wonder, ‘Isne toh bola acchi film hai?’. This way, you can fool the audience once or twice but after that, they’ll lose the trust. They now trust the reviews of a friend or a family member more than the actual critics. I saw that happening with Sitaare Zameen Par as well.

Meanwhile, the audience is bombarded with advance ticket numbers and news of the film collecting Rs. 100 crores. It might tempt the audience to watch the film. But when they go to the theatre and see that the audi is empty, and on top of that when the content is poor, they feel cheated. This promotional tool has gone on for years and now the audience laughs at it. It's also common to see fans of a particular actor posting how the show of a rival actor’s film was full or almost full on BookMyShow. But when they went to watch it, there were a handful of patrons inside.

What are your views on the Buy One Get One Ticket free offer, popularly called BOGO? Does it result in success at the box office for a film? It was a tool used to pull a section of the audience to cinemas, the one which was in two minds. The idea was that the greater number of people watch a film, the more they’ll talk about it and it’ll further attract an additional higher number of moviegoers to cinemas for that particular film. Again, this tool has also backfired. Now the perception is that ‘Film bakwaas hogi; isliye ek pe ek ticket de rahe hai’. Excessive use of anything, that is not in the right spirit, nullifies its USP.

To give you an example, there was a producer who asked the ticketing app to issue BOGO coupons worth Rs. 10 lakhs. Despite getting a free ticket for every ticket, the film failed to get enough audience and the coupons worth Rs. 10 lakhs didn’t even get fully consumed!

A film like Jawan implemented BOGO in its sixth week. Do you think that it makes sense to have the offer just weeks before its OTT premiere? It can tempt that section of the audience, which is waiting for its digital release, to catch the film in cinemas instead. Yes. By the fifth or sixth week, the film has already proved its mettle. It is at the end of its run. If that is when BOGO is implemented, it would be a fair strategy. Again, it depends on the content.

Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan visits sets of Aamir Khan starrer Sitaare Zameen Par, shares iconic moments with cast

Paresh Rawal CRITICIZES recliner seat section in multiplexes: "Filmein let ke nahin dekhi jaati; aise hi baithna hai toh spa mein jao ya fir mujra dekhne jao"

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Paresh Rawal was back in the news yesterday, May 29, when he said in a podcast that his issues with Hera Pheri 3 team have been resolved. In the same podcast, hosted by Himanshu Mehta, he also talked about what has gone wrong with Hindi cinema.

Paresh Rawal began by saying, “The choice of subject (is to blame). Also, OTT ne do saal logon ko maze karwaaye lockdown mein. It led to a change in the taste of the audience and the makers haven’t been able to understand the same. Janta bahut aage nikal gayi hai. Some commercial film might work in between but if you keep churning same kind of films, you are bound to fail miserably. I am not saying commercial films shouldn’t be made. But a lot of effort should go into making it. Yeh nahin ki thokampatti karo.”

He further said, “Also, the stardom now will be limited. It won’t go for a long time. Now, every Friday, the star changes.”

Paresh Rawal also slammed inflated ticket rates, “Down South, there’s a slab. The prices can’t be more than Rs. 160 or Rs. 200. If the rate goes beyond that slab, then the films won’t work. If the aam junta shuns your film and only the rich class endorses your films, then it’s wrong.”

He also criticized the recliner seats section in multiplexes, “You are supposed to watch a film while sitting. Let ke nahin dekhi jaati. You haven’t come to a spa, you have come to see a film! Also, waiters keep roaming around. We have to tell them ‘Hatt, hatt’. Arre it’s a film, not a wedding event. Because of all this gandagi – gold class et al – you don’t feel like going to cinemas.”

He further explained, “It’s okay to sit comfortably on a seat. But why sit (lying down) with a pillow? Aise hi baithna hai toh spa mein jao ya fir mujra dekhne jao (laughs)!”

Paresh Rawal continued while also touching upon the high prices of food and beverages, “If a middle-class family, comprising 5-6 members, go to watch a film, unke Rs. 5000-6000 toh yuh nikal jaate hai. Also, there’s no guarantee that the film will satisfy you. On top of that, the kids will of course ask for popcorn, soda and ice cream (which also adds to the expenditure).”

Also Read: BREAKING: Baburao returns; Paresh Rawal reveals that Hera Pheri 3 issue has been resolved

Ibrahim Ali Khan and Rasha Thadani to headline coming-of-age romantic film: Report

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Despite their debut projects receiving lukewarm responses, star kids Rasha Thadani and Ibrahim Ali Khan continue to enjoy significant popularity on social media. Now, there’s an exciting update for their fans—if reports are to be believed, the two are all set to share screen space for the first time in an upcoming film.

According to a report by Mid-Day, a source close to the production revealed, “Ibrahim and Rasha have been doing reading sessions and workshops. The makers were clear that they didn’t want just a glamorous pair, but two actors who could tap into the awkward, exhilarating energy of first love. Rasha and Ibrahim clicked from their very first meeting.” The source further added, “While he debuted with a rom-com, Ibrahim will be seen in intense roles in Sarzameen and Diler, the latter featuring him as a marathoner. After those two outings, this film—with its coming-of-age arc—will showcase a softer and more relatable side of him.”

If confirmed, this project would mark Ibrahim’s second foray into the romantic genre. His debut film Naadanaiyaan, which was released directly on Netflix, was a romantic comedy. However, his performance received mixed to negative feedback, with critics pointing out issues with his expressions, dialogue delivery, and dubbing.

On the other hand, Rasha made her debut in the theatrical release Azaad, which also introduced Ajay Devgn’s nephew, Aaman Devgn. While the film didn’t fare well at the box office, Rasha’s performance was appreciated by audiences.

It will certainly be interesting to see Rasha and Ibrahim come together for a romantic drama. As of now, there has been no official confirmation or denial from the actors or the makers. Fans will have to wait for an official announcement.

Also Read: Ibrahim Ali Khan misses Sara Ali Khan in London, pens adorable poem in response to her post; watch