Adnan Sami THUNDERS: “Earlier, there were 80% originals, 20% remixes; now it’s the OPPOSITE”; compares it to feeding ‘sookhe chawal’: “Public is consuming it as you’re not serving them biryani”

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Komal Nahta had a conversation with Adnan Sami, during which the latter spoke strongly against the growing trend of remixed songs. Adnan Sami began by saying, “It is always lovely to revive an old song. In my opinion, the ratio should be 80-20, with 20 being the remixed songs. That’s how it was before. But now, it’s 20-80 (laughs)!”

Adnan then stated, “One word that would define this is khauff. The corporates are scared to experiment. It is happening even in cinemas. Remakes are attempted, sequels are made; even prequels are planned! Off-shoots bhi chal rahe hain. First, they made Batman. When they exhausted that character, they decided ‘Joker banate hai’! You see, these are all very safe subjects. The Odyssey recently released; pehli dafa toh yeh nahin ban rahi hai na?”

He added, “Even in our cinema, franchises are made as they are safe. Earlier, such things were very rare. Star Wars and The Godfather had sequels. But this was not a regular thing. The same is happening in music. They come across a super-hit song from the 70s, 80s or 90s. They know it’s a sure-shot success. So, they decide ‘Mukhda wohi rakh dena, antara change kar dena’!”

Adnan Sami continued, “When you ask record labels that ‘aap yeh (remix) kyun kar rahe hain’, they reply, ‘Because public chahti hai’ (smiles). However, the thing is that if a man is hungry and you present him with sookhe chawal, toh woh uspe toot padega. And if you ask someone ‘why you are feeding him sookhe chawal’, he’d reply ‘Yehi toh woh chahta hai. Dekho kitne maze se woh kha raha hai’! But he’s savouring it as you didn’t serve him khichdi or biryani.”

Adnan Sami opined, “What saddens me is that every generation call certain songs their own. My father used to say ‘Dheere Se Aaja Ri Ankhiyan Mein’ mere waqt ka gaana hai. I would feel the same for ‘Chura Liya Hai’. The ones who grew up in the 90s would feel a sense of belonging for the songs of say, Aashiqui (1990). But which song would this generation consider their own? After all, you have mostly presented recreated versions to them.”

He also said, “We often blame music composers for remixes. But the reality is that those poor music directors are asked to come up with recreated versions. Kya woh dil se bana rahe hain? I can give you in writing that no music director ever dreamed as a child that he would grow up and work on remixes. So, don’t blame them; blame those who zabardasti make them do it."

Also Read: “Felt very bad making fun of Subodh,” says Saif Ali Khan at Dil Chahta Hai Reunion; Sonali Kulkarni recalls the actor’s obsession with punctuality even on set

“Felt very bad making fun of Subodh,” says Saif Ali Khan at Dil Chahta Hai Reunion; Sonali Kulkarni recalls the actor’s obsession with punctuality even on set

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The Dil Chahta Hai Reunion happened on August 28 at a suburban hotel in Mumbai. It was organized by Amazon Music and We Are Yuva. The event saw almost the entire team of the film – Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Dimpla Kapadia, Sonali Kulkarni, Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani, Javed Akhtar, Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa – get nostalgic on its 25 iconic years.

One of the funniest aspects about Dil Chahta Hai was the character Subodh and his obsession with time tables and punctuality. However, in recent times on social media, fans have started expressing their admiration for Subodh with some also referring to him as a ‘Green Flag’. The character was the boyfriend of Sonali Kulkarni’s Pooja. Interestingly, Subodh was played by Farhan Akhtar’s friend Asad Dadarkar, who is like the same person in real life.

When Subodh’s topic was introduced during the conversation at the reunion, Sonali Kularni said, “I think Subodh added a fantastic flavour to the whole relationship. Having said that, Subodh, is Farhan’s dear friend. He didn’t actually act. I remember he was like that (in real life too). He came on the set and he said, ‘It’s 9 O’clock, I will start shooting’.” The last sentence sent a wave of laughter among the crowd.

To this, Farhan joked saying, “Actually, we had invited him to come for this event. He was here at 6 (pm) but then he left as it didn’t start (on time).”

Dil Chahta Hai eventually saw Saif Ali Khan’s character Sameer falling for Pooja and the two becoming a couple. The host asked Saif what he thought of Subodh. The actor said, “Oh, he is a great guy,” much to the laughter of the crowd. He added, “I felt very bad making fun of him. But that’s the job.”

Directed by Farhan Akhtar and produced under the banner of Excel Entertainment, Dil Chahta Hai also featured Preity Zinta and Akshaye Khanna. The two actors couldn’t attend the reunion.

Also Read: Aamir Khan slept 8 hours at Farhan Akhtar’s place after hearing 1st half of Dil Chahta Hai; filmmaker recalls, “He said, ‘I just need 15-minute power nap’”

Aamir Khan, Sidharth Malhotra, and Tiger Shroff to come together for the first time for Race Reboot: Report

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Aamir Khan is reportedly set to join hands with Sidharth Malhotra and Tiger Shroff for the much-awaited Race Reboot. The upcoming project is said to be a fresh take on the popular action thriller franchise, which originally featured Saif Ali Khan in the first two instalments before Salman Khan took the lead in the third film.

The Race franchise has developed a cult following over the years, with the first two films starring Saif Ali Khan becoming popular for their high-octane action, twists and turns, and ensemble cast. Race 3, which arrived later with Salman Khan in the lead, took the series in a different direction.

Now, the reboot is reportedly being planned with an entirely new star cast. While Sidharth Malhotra’s name has been associated with the project for some time, Tiger Shroff has also recently been linked to the film. According to current reports, Aamir Khan is the latest major name to be added to the much-anticipated project. A source was quoted telling Pinkvilla, “Aamir has liked the script and is very involved in the writing process. He is working closely with the writers to develop the material further. He feels that the reboot can bring a completely new flavour to the Race franchise”

The source further revealed that the upcoming film is being envisioned as a thriller unlike anything previously attempted in India, with the makers looking to introduce a fresh perspective to the franchise. “It’s a thriller unlike anything done before in India. The idea is to take the franchise into a new space and create something that feels fresh for the audience. A strong ensemble will come on board the film, and the casting will be announced at the right time,” the source added.

Aamir Khan is reportedly taking an active interest in the development of the project and is said to be ensuring that the script reaches the desired level before making a final commitment. In a concluding statement, the source reportedly stated, “Aamir is very excited to embark on this journey of Race. He is taking his time to make sure the script reaches the level he wants before he commits fully. The idea is to make Race Reboot a big-screen thriller with a strong ensemble and a completely fresh flavour.”

Race Reboot is said to be directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, who has previously collaborated with Aamir Khan on two action thrillers — Dhoom 3 and Thugs of Hindostan. If Aamir comes on board, the project will mark their third collaboration in the action-thriller space.

Meanwhile, Ramesh Taurani of Tips Films has reportedly already begun pre-production on the film. With Sidharth Malhotra, Tiger Shroff and potentially Aamir Khan forming part of the ensemble, Race Reboot is shaping up to be one of the more anticipated projects in the action thriller space.

Also Read: Ramesh Taurani clarifies Akshaye Khanna won’t return for Race 4: “The work on the script is on”

Drishyam The Conclusion: Makers of Ajay Devgn starrer drop new poster as they kick off countdown for film releasing on October 2

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Ajay Devgn is set to return as one of his most memorable characters, Vijay Salgaonkar, with the much-awaited Drishyam The Conclusion. The third instalment of the Hindi crime thriller franchise is scheduled to release theatrically on October 2, 2026, promising to take forward the gripping story of Vijay and his family.

The makers recently dropped a poster confirming the release date with a powerful statement that captures Vijay’s central motivation: “Sahi ya galat, jo bhi ho... main apni family ke liye kisi bhi hadh tak ja sakta hoon (Whether it is right or wrong, whatever it is…. I can go to any extent for my family).” The announcement once again puts the spotlight on Vijay Salgaonkar, a man willing to cross every line to protect his loved ones.

Presented by Star Studio18, Drishyam The Conclusion is a Panorama Studios production directed by Abhishek Pathak. The screenplay and writing credits include Abhishek Pathak, Aamil Keeyan Khan and Parveez Shaikh. The film is produced by Alok Jain, Ajit Andhare, Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak.

The Drishyam franchise has established a strong following among audiences with its combination of crime, suspense, family drama and psychological tension. The Hindi films, starring Ajay Devgn as Vijay Salgaonkar, are adaptations of the Malayalam franchise led by Mohanlal. Over the years, the Hindi series has developed a cult following, particularly for its layered storytelling and Vijay’s elaborate attempts to protect his family.

 

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Set against the backdrop of Goa, Drishyam The Conclusion will once again revolve around Vijay Salgaonkar but this time it will be focusing more on the emotional aftermath of the events surrounding a murder. Having spent years attempting to stay ahead of the police and protect his family, Vijay now faces another chapter in a story that has continued to haunt him.

With Ajay Devgn reprising the role, the third chapter is expected to further explore Vijay’s battle between protecting his family and confronting the emotional consequences of his actions. The title Drishyam The Conclusion also signals that the upcoming film could bring the long-running story of the Salgaonkar family to its decisive chapter.

Drishyam The Conclusion is slated to release in cinemas on October 2, 2026.

Also Read: Drishyam The Conclusion director Abhishek Pathak says story continues from where Drishyam 2 ended

SHOCKING: Taapsee Pannu recalls hero getting her introduction scene changed; reveals he had a problem with her telling him ‘Go to hell’: “I refused to change it in the dubbing; makers hired a dubbing artist JUST for that dialogue”

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Taapsee Pannu, Kanika Dhillon and Guneet Monga Kapoor attended a session organized by WIF India and Kathha Pictures on women driving Indian cinema and the rise of female-led collaborations. Taapsee stunned the audience as she spoke about her experience on a film early in her career.

Taapsee Pannu said, “We actresses are always called a few hours earlier, not just to the location, but even on set. So, the actress reaches first. Once the assistant sees that the heroine has arrived, that’s when the hero is called. Of course, we never get the same hotel rooms or cars either, courtesy our gender.”

She then revealed, “I shot an introduction sequence for a film and I really liked it. In fact, one of the reasons I said yes to the film was that entry scene because, at that point, that’s what I knew – aise teen-chaar scene hone chahiye, bahut hai aapke liye as a heroine! Suddenly, they changed the sequence. The hero was given equal footing and a more substantial part in it. It was a very expensive and fancy sequence, and he felt that he also wanted to be a part of it.”

Taapsee continued, “The hero filmed it and then I went to the director and said, ‘This is not supposed to be like this, right? At least you could have told me that you had changed it, forget asking me.’ He replied, ‘I did not know that I had to tell you!’ It was a harsh reality check.”

Taapsee Pannu shared another shocking incident film, “In one scene, there was a tight close-up of mine in which I tell the hero, ‘Go to hell’. But the director told me in the dubbing theatre that I should not say, ‘Go to hell’! He advised me to change it to ‘whatever’ or something on those lines. I explained to him, ‘It’s a tight close-up. It’s going to show’. But he kept giving me very lame reasons. I asked him what the problem was. I was not using a cuss word, after all. I kept arguing and he also probably got tired. Finally, he told me that the hero had told me to not say, ‘Go to hell’!”

Taapsee added, “But I made it clear and said, ‘I will not change the dialogue. You can mute it. I’ll prefer that. But I’ll not dub it wrongly’.” At this point, there was applause at the venue.

However, the actress asked the attendees to hold on as the story was far from over, prompting laughter at the venue. Taapsee Pannu further said, “Let me tell you what happened after that! The film came out and I specifically went to see it for that scene to see what they had done. They hired a dubbing artist and made sure that they dubbed what the hero told them to dub! The remaining film is in my voice. But that one dialogue was dubbed.”

The host asked if this happened recently on some film. Taapsee Pannu smiled and replied, “It was way back. Recently aisa mere saath karke toh dikhao!”

Also Read: Netflix unveils Gandhari Trailer starring Taapsee Pannu as a mother on a mission

Meghna Gulzar praises Kareena Kapoor Khan’s performance in Daayra: “Daayra unveils an entirely unseen facet of the actor that is Kareena Kapoor”

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Kareena Kapoor is set to explore a different side of her with Meghna Gulzar’s upcoming film Daayra. Ahead of the trailer release on August 31, Meghna has spoken about Kareena’s performance, describing it as an “entirely unseen facet” of the actor.

Daayra brings Kareena together with Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran. The two portray police officers who have contrasting approaches to their profession, justice and the situations they encounter. Their opposing personalities form a key part of the film’s narrative.

Sharing her thoughts on Kareena’s role, Meghna wrote in an Instagram note, “Daayra unveils an entirely unseen facet of the actor that is Kareena Kapoor. Kareena as Ajooni, is stoic, unreadable. She cracks open situations and people with a smile.”

Meghna also described how Prithviraj’s character Raman complements Ajooni. She wrote, “Prithviraj Sukumaran as Raman, is the hinge to Kareena's Ajooni. Seething with a caged rage. And almost never smiles. The two are the Ying and Yang of Daayra. And that's just one of the many dualities that Daayra navigates.”

The filmmaker said bringing together Kareena, who represents Hindi cinema, and Prithviraj, known for his work in Malayalam cinema, was a significant casting opportunity for her. “As a casting opportunity, it was a dream come true for me. To get two prolific actors from the Hindi and Malayalam film industry to face each other off,” she wrote.

Meghna Gulzar Explores the Grey Areas in Daayra

Inspired by several true events from different parts of India, Daayra does not focus on a single location. Instead, the film explores circumstances that can unfold across the country.

Meghna has previously explored morally complex situations in films such as Talvar, Raazi, Chhapaak and Sam Bahadur. She said her interest in such stories comes from her understanding that life cannot always be divided into simple categories.

“As a student of Sociology, I learned that our life and our society is not binary. It's not just black and white. There is a spectrum of grey that we exist in. In my journey as a filmmaker — through Talvar, Raazi, Chhapaak and Sam Bahadur, I have cherished exploring that very grey - within characters and within the world they, and we live in.”

 

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She added that Daayra takes this exploration a step further. “Daayra for me, not only explores that grey... It invades it... it attempts to dismantle it.”

At the heart of the story are Ajooni and Raman, two law enforcement officers who often find themselves on opposite sides of challenging situations. Meghna described Ajooni as “fiercely righteous” and Raman as “righteously fierce”.

“In it, the main protagonists — Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran are both officers of law enforcement; and yet, they often find themselves on opposite sides of a delicate line. Kareena's Ajooni is fiercely righteous. Prithviraj as Raman is righteously fierce.”

Daayra trailer is scheduled to release on August 31, giving audiences their first detailed glimpse at the central conflict and the performances. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the film is co-written by her along with Yash Keswani and Sima Agarwal.

Backed by Junglee Pictures and Dr Jayantilal Gada’s Pen Studios, Daayra will be distributed by Pen Marudhar. The film is slated to arrive in theatres on September 18.

 Also Read : Meghna Gulzar cast nearly 90 theatre actors for Daayra; even one-scene roles underwent rigorous auditions

Niu Lai effect: Trashy films like Gunda, Jaani Dushman, Deshdrohi were box office disasters; in 2026, social media could have made them BLOCKBUSTERS

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The box office can be highly unpredictable, as was recently demonstrated by the Chinese film Niu Lai. The animated venture released on August 5 and initially struggled to find an audience. But 10 days later, something extraordinary happened. Word spread on social media in China about its low-quality animation and unintentionally hilarious moments. As a result, from August 15, audiences began thronging cinemas, largely to laugh at the film’s absurd goings-on with their friends. Numerous videos have since gone viral showing moviegoers having a gala time, laughing out loud and even hooting at some of the film’s bizarre scenes.

In no time, Niu Lai entered the FOMO zone, with audiences feeling an increasing urgency to experience the film for themselves. As curiosity grew, the number of shows increased and so did its box office collections. At the same time, the film earned a degree of admiration after viewers learnt that it had been painstakingly made over five years by a mother-son duo, who were reportedly the only crew members. Another aspect that struck a chord was their decision not to use AI to enhance or fine-tune the animation. Ironically, several social media users later uploaded AI-enhanced versions of scenes to show how much better the animation could have looked. Yet, that only seemed to strengthen the appreciation for Niu Lai: despite its visibly low-quality animation, audiences respected the sheer human effort behind it, especially at a time when AI-generated art has become increasingly commonplace.

Clip from Movie Niulai. https://t.co/Y5jsAGpfV3 pic.twitter.com/0EbEfEFi3D — Record GBA (@RecordGBA) August 16, 2026

Nevertheless, one can safely say that 10% of the audience appreciated Niu Lai and even watched it on the big screen for these reasons. But largely, audiences entered the multiplex to laugh over the film’s content and animation.

Even Bollywood has produced films that were in the so-bad-that-its-so-good category. A few examples of such films are Gunda (1998), Jaani Dushman (2001), Deshdrohi (2008) etc. However, all these three films bombed at the box office. They found a life later on YouTube and then social media turned them into something else.

$1,000 TO $850,000 IN DAYS A Chinese animated movie went viral because people mocked how bad it looked - then paid to see it themselves.

It made just ~$1,000 in its first 10 days. Now it has passed ~$850,000.

- Made by a mother and son over 5 years - Meanwhile, The Odyssey has… https://t.co/XioapgadPu pic.twitter.com/ZZruBeubrm

— BuBBliK (@k1rallik) August 16, 2026

In other words, they came at a time when social media was non-existent. Niu Lai would have also sank without a trace had it been released in the 2000s. But it had a major advantage that it arrived at a time when social media is thriving. It is thanks to TikTok and other apps that netizens learned about the film and its substandard quality. It's on social media that these videos went viral and thus reached millions of people. In turn, it made viewers curious to check it out.

As a result, we believe that even Gunda, Jaani Dushman and Deshdrohi might have had a far more positive box office outcome had they been released in 2026. Gunda arrived in cinemas in 1998 and was largely dismissed as just another low-grade Mithun Chakraborty film of the kind he frequently did in that era. However, around 7-8 years later, it was rediscovered by a younger audience, who were amused by its bizarre characters, many of whom spoke in rhymes loaded with double entendres. Mithun Chakraborty, meanwhile, plays a coolie who, for some inexplicable reason, is seen at an airport rather than a railway station. One of the film’s most iconic scenes has Mithun taking cover behind a bicycle during a shootout, a hilariously futile attempt at protecting himself from bullets!

Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani, meanwhile, had huge names like Sunny Deol, Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Manisha Koirala, Aftab Shivdasani, Rambha, Sharad Kapoor etc. and it marked the debut of singh Sonu Nigam. Armaan Kohli was re-launched with this film, which was made by his father, Rajkumar Kohli. The film is a revenge drama of a snake-woman and is special effects heavy. However, the script and execution were poor and a few scenes, especially revolving around molestation, have received lot of criticism in today's times.

But the goings-on in the film are absolutely absurd. Moreover, to see reputed actors working in such a film adds to the amusement. The film also stars Rajat Bedi, whose dialogue ‘Sabki izzat karenge toh lootenge kiski’ has achieved iconic status in the world of memes.

Finally, Deshdrohi is written and produced by Kamaal Rashid Khan and he also stars in the lead. It stars respected names like Gracy Singh, Aman Verma, Hrishitaa Bhatt, Kader Khan, Mukesh Tiwari, Yashpal Sharma, Raza Murad etc. The execution is very poor, while the performance of the lead actor got a lot of ridicule. Bhojpuri star turned MP, Manoj Tiwari, has a supporting role and one of his scenes have become cult.

These films got a new lease of life only after they bombed in cinemas. Had they been released in today’s social media era, that might not have been the case. Much like Niu Lai, users on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) would likely have uploaded clips of some of their most outrageous and unintentionally funny sequences. These videos could have gone viral, making audiences curious enough to experience the films on the big screen.

In no time, social media might have been flooded with videos of viewers laughing and hooting when Mukesh Rishi in Gunda says, ‘Mera naam hai Bulla, rakhta hoon khullaaaaaa’, or when Kamaal Rashid Khan in Deshdrohi mouths the now-iconic line, ‘Arre kaunsa shooter? Kaisa shooter? Yeh toh apna dost Shekhar hai’, followed by his unintentionally comic reaction after being shot by his best friend. Several scenes from Jaani Dushman would likely have triggered similar reactions inside theatres.

Had Gunda, Jaani Dushman or Deshdrohi released in today’s peak social media era, it is not impossible to imagine them crossing the Rs. 100 crore mark and even emerging among the biggest hits of the year. Of course, the success would have come for all the wrong reasons. But as Niu Lai has shown, in the age of memes, virality and FOMO, even ridicule can translate into serious box office numbers.