Bollywood News and Stories From India

Padmaavat has taken an excellent opening of around 50-55% (paid previews perfomed at 60% occupancy yesterday) where it has been been to allowed. If this was a clean release then as per the multiplexes in areas like Mumbai West Bengal and Andhra where there are no problems the opening on real value is a 30 crore nett opening.. The core mass cant really be judged as the release is limited but on what there is its a bit less than the big city multiplexes but even allowing for that you take around 5% of the 30 crore nett which is simply extraordinary for a non holiday and this cast. But the problem the pace is at close to 30 crore nett where its an unaffected release and not how much will be discounted where the film is a no show. The film is a no show in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh (there were negotiations held here between exhibitors and state government but the exhibitors did not get the confidence they needed to run the film in Madhya Pradesh). Haryana, UP a...

“I do what I think is in the best interest of the state; I do not care whether it conforms to the shariat or not” - Alauddin Khalji to Qazi Mughisuddin, who had announced to the Sultan that almost everything he did violated the shariat. One grave problem with history is that while historians seek it out in all its complexities, popular perception reduces it to utter simplicities, as entirely one dimensional. If for the historian any age or a reign or a ruler would be marked by diverse and often conflicting facets and actions, for the TV channels and for the slogan shouting mobs, an age gets visualised as uniformly golden or dark, a ruler is forever either weak or strong, kind or cruel, liberal or dogmatic, anti-this or pro-that. One wishes history was as simple as that. Indeed, even as our own individual, family or institutional lives are more multidimensional than this gross simplicity! And things get far more complex at the apex. The popular image of Alauddin Khalji bei...

Deepika looks ethereal as Rani Padmavati, Ranveer ups his own ante by portraying Alauddin Khilji -- a villain that Bollywood will remember for a long time to come, and Shahid impresses with his restrained and effective performance as Maharawal Ratan Singh. The box office journey of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat will begin on Thursday amidst much hullabaloo over a controversy that has stretched over a year and continues. Film trade analysts are bullish about the period drama, which has got mixed reviews for its story but widely hailed for its visual appeal and impactful performances. Troubles for Padmaavat began in January 2017 when activists of Shri Rajput Karni Sena assaulted Bhansali on the sets in Jaipur, followed by vandalism on the movie’s Kolhapur set. Protests against its release continue to pose law and order issues. According to trade analysts, on one hand the protests may be a deterrent for the audience in some sectors to watch the Deepika Padukone, Ranve...

Karni Sena supporters opposed to Padmaavat staged protests on Wednesday in Gurgaon, but police said bars and pubs will not be shut because of the agitation. Bars and pubs will not be shut in the wake of protests ahead of the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s controversial film Padmaavat on Thursday, Gurgaon deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh said on Wednesday. He made the statement while denying reports that the bars and pubs have been ordered shut. (Updates) “We have already imposed (prohibitory orders under) Section 144 of the CrPC in the city but not directed pubs and bars to shut. All pubs and bars will remain open. The police are undertaking adequate patrolling,” Singh told PTI. Hundreds of Karni Sena supporters and other outfits opposed to the film staged protests on Wednesday near the Kherki Daula toll plaza on the Delhi-Jaipur national highway. Gurgaon police chief PRO Manish Sehgal said the agitation ended after police removed the protesters fr...

Day before Padmaavat release, Karni Sena says won’t allow film screening, come what may Shri Rajput Karni Sena chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi said his organisation won’t allow the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavaat at any cost. A day ahead of the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat, the Shree Rajput Karni Sena continued to fiercely oppose the controversy-mired film, with its chief patron Lokendra Singh Kalvi insisting that a ‘janta curfew’ will be imposed on theatres screening the movie. Kalvi said his organisation won’t allow the release of Padmavaat at any cost, even if he is arrested. “January 25 (the film’s release) may come and go but we won’t let the film release, come what may,” he said. He also sought to pin the blame for the widespread violence, reportedly carried out at many places by members of his outfit, on film director Bhansali. (Updates) He rejected reports that some Karni Sena members had watched the film ahead of its release, ...

Find out what’s hidden in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s diary for years He is known for films that are usually made on a larger than life scale with grandeur and opulence being a common factor. Whether it was Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam or Ram Leela or Bajirao Mastani or now Padmaavat, the sheer grandeur of his films have left the audience awestruck. From costumes to the lavish sets, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has time and again gone beyond the call of duty when it comes to the amount of hard work he puts in for his films. But the director has an interesting tale to tell when it comes to concepts that inspire him to do these films. It is a known fact that Sanjay Leela Bhansali is fond of historic tales and the director-producer made his most ambitious film Bajirao Mastani in 2015 but interestingly the film was supposed to be made years ago after Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam in 1999. What took him so long was the perfect cast that he always required to portray such strong characters. He went on...

Something I wrote about BAJIRAO MASTANI holds true for PADMAAVAT as well… “It’s a pre-requisite to possess a mega budget, have exhaustive knowledge of the subject matter, possess nerves of steel to handle the gigantic cast/crew and last but not the least, the vision and fortitude to bring a historical to life on celluloid in today’s times. You can face instant rejection from the paying public or face controversies and protests for deviating from facts. The film-maker has to walk a tight rope.” PADMAAVAT – everyone’s aware – has made it to the front page of newspapers and on prime time news on national television. It’s the most talked-about, voraciously discussed and hotly debated film of our times. The mileage it received – nationwide and internationally – has only enhanced the curiosity. Everyone’s curious to watch, examine, evaluate and scrutinize PADMAAVAT. The stakes are high and so are the expectations. The moviegoer in me is enthralled by historicals and mytholo...

The much hyped Padmavati has had a mixed advance which opened over the weekend. The advance has not opened in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. While UP, Bihar and Haryana sees advance open at places with the rest being normal. The advance can be only be judged where it is open like normal and that is Mumbai (exc Gujarat), Delhi NCR, Punjab (state only), West Bengal and South. In these areas where its a normal advance it can be compared with last years Republic Day week release Raees at some of centers of these circuits but other places hardly have an advance. Its a very mixed picture as far as advance is concerned. This is probably because its a wait and watch attitude by the audience at many places. An example of this is that South Delhi has a strong advance which is similar to a Raees but then Faridabad which is close by has an advance of a 4-5 crore film opening film like Raabta or Secret Superstar. There can be differences between South Delhi and Faridabad but not...

Padmaavat: Karni Sena vandalises MP school for playing Ghoomar song, 1 injured. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus has once again run into trouble with members of the Rajput fringe outfit. A school in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam was allegedly vandalised by members of Shri Rajput Karni Sena after students performed on the song 'Ghoomar' from Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmaavat.' The incident was reported from Saint Paul's Convent School here, where students from grades one to five performed to the song during their annual day function. Following this, members of the Karni Sena allegedly destroyed school property while the performance was going on. The police were informed about the incident and reached the spot to investigate. One student got injured in the quarrel. Bhansali's magnum opus has time and again run into trouble with the members of the Karni Sena, who allege that the movie shows Rajput legacy in bad light, and that hist...

The film has been banned in the BJP-controlled states of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Team Padmaavat is now making a concerted effort to make sure that the bans are lifted from various states, before the film hits the screens in a little more than a week’s time. “It is rather unfortunate that the leadership is banning a film that has been cleared by the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC). The team is now speaking to relevant people in the top brass of the central government, to intervene and allow the film to release. If there are law and order threats, the state governments should use all their might to curb that,” says an insider. Theatre owners across Rajasthan and Gujarat have expressed the desire to screen the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed film, and have told producers the same. However, they are looking to receive the government’s backing in maintaining security even if the ban on the film is lifted. A senior trade expert opines that the losses to theatres co...

You need to take one look at the trailer of Padmaavat, earlier Padmavati, to realise the amount of hard work that has gone into every frame, every second of the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film. A part of the reason why the film faced so much trouble before its release is because of what the trailer promised. If released on December 1, 2017, Padmavati would have been a sure-shot blockbuster, one that only Tiger Zinda Hai might have been able to overtake a few weeks after the release. But Fate had other plans for Padmavati. Massive protests rocked the nation, from Rajasthan to Bihar, from Delhi to Tamil Nadu. Threats were issued left, right and centre. Deepika Padukone was called unpalatable names; Sanjay Leela Bhansali, even worse. Padmavati missed its date with the box office. December 1, the day when the film was supposed to hit the theatres, came and went without Padmavati in screens. Petitions reached the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). It took the censo...

With the onset of 2018, Bollywood is gearing up for the first box office battle. This time Akshay Kumar's Pad Man will lock horns with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat, and all eyes are on this big box-office clash. After countless controversies, Bhansali decided to release the period drama on January 25, despite stiff compeition from Pad Man. While the makers of Padmaavat have remained tight-lipped about the box-office clash, Pad Man producer Twinkle Khanna has this to say about both the films releasing on the same day. Twinkle, who has turned producer with R Balki's directorial venture, says that despite the clash, Pad Man is not ready to move to another date, and will take Padmaavat head on. "It's not pleasant for both (the parties) and will impact both. But they have also been through enough of their own hurdles. But I wish they would have come a week earlier or a week after us preferably. I am sure Mr (Sanjay Leela) Bhansali has made a wonde...

Padmaavat makers issue disclaimer on rumours about dream sequence, CBFC cuts and misrepresentation of Rajput valour. Ensuring that Padmaavat's release date doesn't suffer the same fate as before, the makers have released an official clarification poster has been released by the team which addresses all the issues raised against the film. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus Padmaavat may finally see the light of the day on January 25. Earlier scheduled to hit the theatres on December 1, the film has already suffered a lot at the hands of various political and religious fringe groups. From a bounty on its lead actor Deepika Padukone’s nose to the vandalism of its sets in Jaipur, Padmaavat has seen it all. Ensuring that the film’s release date doesn’t suffer the same fate as before, the makers are treading with utmost caution this time. An official clarification poster has been released by the Padmaavat team which addresses all the issues raised against the film. ...

Padmaavat homage to stories of Rajput valour, says director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.  In a press release, perhaps intended to reassure exhibitors, Padmaavat’s director Sanjay Leela Bhansali as well as officials from the production house Viacom 18 said they look forward to the film’s release on January 25. In its first official communication ever since protests against Padmaavat’s release rocked Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the film’s team finally broke its silence on Sunday. In a press release, perhaps intended to reassure exhibitors, Padmaavat’s director Sanjay Leela Bhansali as well as officials from the production house Viacom 18 said they look forward to the film’s release on January 25. They also shared the first official poster after the change in the film’s title from Padmavati to Padmaavat. However, neither did Bhansali comment on the Rajput protests and the censor board controversy nor did he make an effort to quell rumours regarding the supposed 300 cuts...

‘Padmavati’ to release as ‘Padmaavat’ on January 25.   Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor’s Padmavati finally has a release date. However, it is set to clash with Akshay Kumar’s PadMan. The stars of controversial Bollywood film, Padmaavat, have confirmed its release date: January 25. In tweets shared by Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor with their character posters featuring a changed title, the actors finally put the rumours behind the release date to an end. The film, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, was earlier titled Padmavati and drew the ire of organisations like Karni Sena the Kshatriya Mahasabha. It still banned from releasing in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Get ready to witness the epic tale #Padmaavat on 25th January 2018, in theatres near you!Now also in 3D, Imax 3D, Tamil & Telugu! @filmPadmaavat @RanveerOfficial @shahidkapoor pic.twitter.com/K6vxrPYSK1 — Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) January 14, 2018 Get ready ...

After Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat Shut the Door on Padmaavat Meanwhile, due to face assembly elections later this year, the ruling BJP perhaps is no mood to irk influential Rajputs in Madhya Pradesh which is against any screening of the movie which according to them depicts Rajput queen Padmavati in poor light and degrades her dignity. It seems a change of title and other alternations have failed to change the fortunes of noted filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat which now awaits release on Jan 25 as, after Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh too has declined to allow the screening of the movie-perhaps one of the most controversial in the Bollywood. Speaking to the media, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday made it clear that the movie Padmaavat won’t release in MP. On being asked by the media about the screening of Padmaavat, the CM hinted after attending the Surya Namaskar event said that the ban earlier placed on the movie would continue. “Jo kaha ...