“I hope in time, when I look back and people look at it, they will say, ‘I think he deserves an honour for the work he has done,” said Saif Ali Khan

Saif Ali Khan was speaking on Arbaaz Khan’s show Pinch 
MUMBAI: 

Actor Saif Ali Khan, who was felicitated with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award in 2010, says he wanted to return it. On Arbaaz Khan’s chat show Pinch, Saif was taken through some mean tweets about him.

One of them read: “This two bit thug who bought a Padma Shri, named his son Taimur and beat up some people in a restaurant. How the hell did he get a role in Sacred Games? He can hardly act.”

Reacting to it, Saif said: “Two bit thug, I’m not… Bought a Padma Shri is also not possible. It is beyond me to bribe the Indian government. You will have to ask more senior people. But I thought I don’t want to accept it. There are so many senior actors in the industry who deserved it even more than me, and had not gotten one…and it was very embarassing. And of course, there are some people who have it, I feel deserve it less than me also.”

Saif said he changed his mind after a conversation with his father, the late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.

“I wanted to give it back. I didn’t want to accept it. My father said to me, ‘I don’t think you are in a position to refuse the Indian government.’ So I said ‘okay’ and I very happily took it.

“I look at it in a way that I hope in time…cause I’m not done yet and I’m enjoying acting, I’m doing fairly well, I’m happy with what’s happening… I hope in time, when I look back and people look at it, they will say, ‘Okay, I think he deserves an honour for the work he has done,” he added.

During Pinch, Saif also had a witty reply to a troll who questioned him about being a “nawab”.

A troll had questioned him on “being a nawab and still clinging on to rotten ‘hukumat‘”.

After reading it, Saif quipped: “I have never been interested in being a nawab. I prefer eating kebabs.”

Known for his wit and humour, Saif even hit back at a troll, who questioned him for turning up at actress Sonam Kapoor’s wedding in a simple white kurta pajama.

“It was her wedding, not mine,” responded Saif.

“Student Of The Year 2 Is An Entertaining & An Enjoyable Fare”
Banner: Dharma Production & Fox Star Studio
Producers: Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar, Apporva Mehta & Fox Star Studios
Director: Punit Malhotra
Star Cast: Tiger Shroff, Ananya Panday, Tara Sutaria, Aditya Seal, Samir Soni, Gul Panag, Abhishek Bajaj, Manoj Pahwa, Ayesha Raza Mishra, Rajesh Kumar, Manasi Joshi Roy, Chetan Pandit, Samreen Kaur, Manjot Singh, Sahil Anand, Daljeet Singh, Harsh Beniwal & Rajveer Siungh & above all Alia Bhatt & Will Smith  
Music: Vishal – Shekhar & Salim – Sulaiman

Some of the most popular films on OTT platforms at present are those that are set in schools or colleges. These are usually light-hearted films dealing with love & other school based aspects. Not just on streaming platforms, even in cinemas, this genre has never gone out of fashion & Hollywood regularly churns out such films. But when it comes to Bollywood, one can hardly recall a handful of such films. The only memorable movies one can recollect in the last 10 to 12 years are Jaane Tu Ya Na Jaane Na in the year2008, 3 Idiots in the year 2009 & Fukrey in the 2013. Student Of The year 2 hence is an important film in this regard. Its 1^st ever part, released in the year 2012, was a runaway success & had established 3 new actors namely Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt & Siddharth Malhotra. Now, Karan Johar has released Student Of The Year 2 & this time he has cast 2 new girls namely Ananya Panday & Tara Sutaria, along with the popular actor Tiger Shroff. However, it’s Punit Malhotra who’s wearing the director’s cap for the sequel.

The scripted scenario of Student Of The Year 2 opens its frame with the story of triumph, love & also making a comeback. Rohan (Tiger Shroff) & Mridula (Tara Sutaria) study together in Pishori Chamanlal college. Both are in love & there comes a time when Mridula changes her college & gets an admission in the prestigious St Teresa College. Rohan too wants to get admitted in this institution but knowing that the fees there are too costly, he abandons the plan. He still tries his luck & seeks admission under the sports quota. As luck would have it, his admission is approved. Rohan reaches there & realizes that Mridula has changed. For starters, she now calls herself Mia. She also gets a bit detached with Rohan. However, in no time Rohan wins her heart & they both again become a couple.

Meanwhile, Rohan is introduced to the Teresa’s stud & star athlete, Manav Mehra (Aditya Seal). They quickly become friends but Manav Mehra’s sister Shreya (Ananya Panday) detests him. She always tries her best to put Rohan in a spot. At the time of the dance competition of the college, Rohan & Mia team up while Manav & Shreya jointly participate. For both the girls, winning the competition is very crucial.  Mia wants to attain popularity & she realizes that this dance competition will be a step in that direction. Shreya, meanwhile, wants to escape the clutches of her tyrannical father Mr Randhawa (Chetan Pandit) & also her over-achiever brother Manav & get enrolled in a dance school in London. During the competition, Manav & Shreya win while Rohan & Mia get defeated as Mia loses her grip. So Mia is devastated & when Rohan goes to console her, he finds Mia & Manav cosying up to each other. An angry Rohan punches Manav. This action leads to Rohan’s expulsion from St Teresa. Manav, still cross over getting hit by Rohan, gangs up & beats up Rohan black & blue. What happens next forms the rest of the crux of the film.
Arshad Syed’s story, with additional inputs by Paulomi Dutta, is nothing new & novel. However, it’s written keeping in the mind the genre. Arshad Syed’s screenplay however is praiseworthy as it’s peppered with some entertaining, dramatic & even moving moments. The beginning however is a bit haphazard. Arshad Syed’s dialogues are witty & some one-liners raise guffaws.

Punit Malhotra’s direction is appropriate. He understands the space in which the film is set & does justice to the plot in hand. He had a tall order to reach considering that the 1^st ever part was very well helmed by Karan Johar. In that regard, he comes quite close & that’s quite a feat. Despite the unreal world, Punit Malhotra puts his earnest effort in making it seem convincing. At a few places, he does falter though, story-wise. Shreya’s turn around in the 2^nd half is difficult to digest. Also, a twist in the 1st ever half revolving around Mia is surely a shocker but might raise questions.
Student Of The Year 2 doesn’t have a great opening as such. The beginning portions don’t really engross viewers. It’s only when Rohan gets admission in St Teresa that the film picks up. The stark contrast between Pishori & St Teresa is well depicted. Also, the issues Rohan faces while adjusting in the new environment & the way he upgrades his wardrobe to fit in is very relatable. The scene at Jeffrey’s is funny but the scene to watch out for in the 1^st ever half is when Mr Randhawa slaps Shreya. It takes the film to another level as viewers realize Shreya’s life isn’t as lovely as it seems to be. Another sequence that comes close is the intermission point is quite impactful. The 2^nd half gets better as Rohan changes gear & also his life dream. A few sequences stand out here like Shreya celebrating her birthday alone, Rohan, Shreya & Mia arguing in the café & the fight in the college stadium. The climax keeps viewers on the edge & though predictable, it makes for a fine watch.
Vishal-Shekhar’s music is not that great. The 1^st ever part had very memorable songs while in this part, songs are below-par. “The Jawaani Song” is the best of the lot & even most entertaining. “The Hook Up Song”,appears in the end credit, is okay. “Main Bhi Nahin Soya”is moving, more so because of the visuals. “Fakira” & “Jat Ludhiyane Da” are also alright. “Mumbai Dilli Di Kudiyaan” is not a part of the film. On the other hand Salim-Sulaiman’s background score is energetic & dramatic. 
Ravi K Chandran’s cinematography is rich & gives the film a brilliant look. Choreography is visually appealing by all 3 of them namely Remo D’Souza (“The Jawaani Song”), Adil Shaikh (“Fakira” & “Jat Ludhiyane Da”) & Farah Khan (“The Hook Up Song”). Sumayya Shaikh’s production design is superior in terms of visuals & ups the film’s richness. Manish Malhotra & Nikita Jaisinghani’s costumes are also a treat to the eyes. Though they might seem a bit too over the top, especially the costumes worn by Ananya Panday & Tara Sutaria, it will be liked by the target audience & might soon even set a new trend in fashion. Sham Kaushal’s action defies logic & laws of gravity at places but in a film of this zone, it actually works well. Ritesh Soni’s editing is praiseworthy. The film is nearly 145 minutes long but doesn’t seem lengthy.

Performance wise Tiger Shroff is completely in his element & as always, does a great job. His screen presence is electrifying & though he is perceived as a killing machine, it’s still believable when he’s the one getting bashed up by the baddies & he doesn’t even fight back. However, when he does make a comeback, it’s seen to be believed! In fact, the praise should also be showered on director Punit Malhotra for using Tiger Shroff’s action potential to the fullest & also seamlessly making it a part of the film’s narrative! Ananya Panday is a complete star & she proves it. She looks very convincing as a spoilt rich brat. Her change of heart might seem unconvincing but once that happens, she impresses even more, acting-wise. Her’s is in fact the most moving character in the film & she wins everyone’s hearts! Tara Sutaria too puts her best foot forward. Her screen presence too is something to watch out for. Sadly, she gets a bit sidelined in the 2^nd half but she surely gets noticed & is all set for a bright future in Bollywood! Aditya Seal is well casted & he is terrific as the baddie. Watch out for the scenes where he’s silently observing & without saying a word, he conveys a lot! Harsh Beniwal as Puggi is quite entertaining & raises laughs. Ayesha Raza Mishra as Principal Singh & Manoj Pahwa as Coach Mahipal are a bit over the top but it was as per the requirement of the character. Samir Soni as Principal Gujral tries to be funny but fails. Gul Panag as Coach Kuljeet shines in a small role. Chetan Pandit is alright. Rajesh Kumar as Rohan’s astrologer uncle is hilarious in his entry scene. Manasi Joshi Roy as Roshan’s aunt is unrecognizable & doesn’t have much to do. Samreen Kaur as Mia’s mother is there for just 1 scene which is also needless. Rajveer Singh as Security guard Lahiri Singh does gets noticed. Will Smith is seen for a few seconds while Alia Bhatt adds to the glamour quotient in the end credit song.

Tail Piece: On the whole, Student Of The Year 2 is an entertaining & an enjoyable fare which will strike a chord in the audience’s hearts.
At the box office, it has the potential to do an excellent business!

‘PM Narendra Modi’ has now got a new release date. The Vivek Oberoi starrer will now be releasing on 24th May- a day after the results of Lok Sabha Polls 2019 are declared. 

The film has been courting controversy ever since the first trailer of the film came out. The makers had initially planned to release the film on 12th April- a day after the first phase of elections began. But certain members of the Congress Party raised an objection and filed petitions in Bombay and Delhi High Court to stall the release of the film. They even appealed to the Election Commission to intervene. 

While the courts gave the film a clean chit, EC stayed the release of the film stating that the contents film flouted the model code of conduct. A special committee was created to watch the film and submit a report to the Supreme Court. The committee too stated that the film could not be released during the election season and would be released only after the elections. 

The Election Commission said that any material which disturbs a level playing field should not be allowed.

Producer Sandip Ssingh said, “As a responsible citizen, we respect the law of the country. After a lot of discussions and given the curiosity and excitement about the film, we have decided to release the film immediately after the Lok Sabha Election results. We will now release our film on 24th May.”

Since the election end on 19th May, Ssingh said it will “only have 4 days promotions before its release”.

“I hope now nobody will have any problem with the film and we are hoping for a smooth release,” he added.

The film has actor Vivek Anand Oberoi playing Modi.

Other cast members include Boman Irani, Manoj Joshi, Prashant Narayanan, Zarina Wahab, Barkha Sengupta, Anjan Shrivastav, Yatin Karyekar, Ramakant Dayma, Akshat R Saluja, Jimesh Patel and Darshan Kumaar.

Directed by Omung Kumar B, and co-produced by Ssingh, Suresh Oberoi and Anand Pandit, the film will traverse the journey of Modi from his humble beginnings to becoming the Prime Minister of India. 

Agencies

It’s now second behind the Baahubali sequel

By Akhil Arora | Updated: 29 April 2019 11:58 ISTShare on FacebookTweetShareEmailRedditComment

• Endgame grossed $26.7 million in India on opening weekend
• It did so despite being in much fewer screens
• Looks set to beat Hollywood’s record in India set by Infinity War

On its way to a record-setting $1.2 billion opening weekend at the worldwide box office, Avengers: Endgame grossed an estimated $26.7 million (about Rs. 186.45 crores) in India, which makes it the second biggest opening weekend after Baahubali 2: The Conclusion in 2017. Endgame — released in India in Hindi, English, Tamil, and Telugu — has achieved a bigger opening weekend than any Bollywood film in history, besting last year’s Sanju, despite being released in fewer screens: 2,845 as opposed to over 4,000. That’s because it reportedly has a much higher average theatre occupancy.

The $26.7 million opening weekend for Avengers: Endgame marks a 67 percent improvement on its predecessor, Avengers: Infinity War, which grossed $18.19 million (Rs. 120.9 crores) in the first three days. The numbers will settle once we have actuals Monday afternoon. As of what’s confirmed for now, Endgame grossed Rs. 63.21 crores (about $9 million) on Friday and Rs. 61.19 crores (about $8.76 million) on Saturday, for a two-day total of Rs. 124.40 crores (about $17.8 million). That would suggest the highly-awaited Marvel movie brought in about Rs. 62.15 crores (about $8.9 million) on Sunday.

Avengers: Endgame is looking to break the weekend record set by its predecessor Avengers: Infinity WarBy Reuters |

HIGHLIGHTS

• Avengers: Endgame concludes first phase of Marvel cinematic universe
• The latest Marvel film is projected for record-breaking opening weekend
• It broke Thursday night record of Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Marvel superhero spectacle Avengers: Endgame hauled in a record $60 million (roughly Rs. 419 crores) at U.S. and Canadian box offices on Thursday night, and distributor Walt Disney Co “cautiously” predicted an unprecedented $300 million (roughly Rs. 2,095 crores) weekend debut.

That would smash the current opening-weekend domestic record of $258 million (roughly Rs. 1,800 crores), set a year ago by predecessor Avengers: Infinity War.

“As we are looking at levels of presales and grosses not seen before, we are cautiously projecting a three-day in the $300 (million) range,” Disney said in an e-mail on Friday afternoon.