South Bengaluru woke up to a rude start on on 28th Sept, 2017, as it had witnessed a gruesome accident at South End Circle in the wee hours. Grandson of famous industrialist, Adikeshavulu, Mr. Vishnu, is allegedly involved in the accident. The accident involved 2 cars, and Vishnu was driving one of them. He has been injured along with 3 other persons from the other car. Apart from that, it is said that around 850 grams of marijuana was found in Vishnu’s car. Prajwal Devaraj, who is currently in Goa, apparently got fed up by falsified news & came live on Facebook to let people know that he was in Goa, shooting for his next film. He has dismissed the false claims and has expressed his disappointment towards the news channels for spreading fake news. Prajwal while live on Facebook said, “I am not aware of the information regarding the accident but I do know a little bit. My family is shocked by this development. I feel this is done to malign my name. News channels have certain responsibilities like we do, so they should realize that & start working honestly.”

Rakshit Shetty Accepts That Kirik Party Was Based On His Life!!!

Kirik Party is one of the highest grossing Kannada films of all times, having successfully run for more than 200 days in theatres. Released last year, Kirik Party was successful in drawing the youth crowd to theatres. A very few knew the fact that Kirik Party was entirely not fictional. For the uninitiated, the story of Kirik Party had a few situations that happened in Rakshit Shetty’s life when he was a college going student. But, very recently, when Rakshit Shetty appeared on Super Talk Time, the actor completely opened up about his college story and how it helped make him write Kirik Party’s story.

Dr. Shivarajkumar Signs On A New Film Titled Harihara!!!

Dr. Shivarajkumar is probably the busiest actor in Sandalwood, with a load of films piled up for launch. The Hattrick Hero already has a huge list of films banked upon him and has gone a step further to sign on one more. Yes, Dr. Shivarajkumar has signed on a new film titled, Harihara. The film will be helmed by Pramod Chakravarthy & will be produced by Mahadev B, Seshu Chakravarthy & Sangappa B. According to the film’s director Pramod, Harihara will be an out & out commercial film with a lot of sentiment & family values. Apparently, Shivanna is touted to play 2 different shades in the movie. The film will apparently give a career facelift to the already King of Sandalwood, Dr. Shivarajkumar and will only have 2 songs in the entire movie, says the director of the film.

Mohanlal Announces Next Project After Odiyan

Mohanlal has announced his next project, after the ongoing Odiyan. The new film will be directed by Ajoy Varma & will be scripted by Saju Thomas. Produced under the banner of Moonshot Entertainment by Santhosh T Kuruvilla, the film has not been titled yet. Meanwhile, Mohanlal’s Villain is gearing up for release this month. Tamil actor Vishal is playing an important role in the film, along with Manju Warrier, Hansika Motwani, Srikanth & Raashi Khanna. Mohanlal is sporting a salt “n” pepper look in Villain. In fact, the superstar had a slightly similar look in Unnikrishnan’s earlier films Grandmaster & Mister Fraud as well. But in an interview, the director said that it’s a sheer coincidence.

Dileep Given A Rousing Welcome Outside The jail!!!

Dileep, who is finally out of jail after being given bail by the High Court. He was given a rousing welcome by his fans, friends & family members. If the actor was booed by the crowd as he went to the jail almost 85 days back, there were huge cut -outs, crackers bursting & sweets being distributed, at the jail premises. When Dileep reached his house at Aluva, thousands of fans were waiting for him outside the house. He waved to him & they were delighted. Wife Kavya Madhavan & daughter Meenakshi welcomed the actor, who got bail in the actress’ kidnapping case. Actor Dharmajan was present before the jail & he was emotional, as he shared his happiness with the TV cameras. Actor Siddique & director Nadhir Shah were present at the hero’s house. Dileep has been given bail under strict conditions. There are reports that the actor’s fans shouted slogans against a young hero, some news anchors & so on & so forth. Now all eyes are on the investigation team as they get ready to file the charge sheet.

Nivin Pauly’s Kayamkulam Kochunni Starts Rolling

The shooting of Kayamkulam Kochunni, directed by Rosshan Andrrews, has started rolling from 1st Oct, 2017. Nivin Pauly plays the title character in the film. The hero posted pictures from the film’s pooja on Facebook with the note: “It’s a blessing to play on screen the life of Kerala’s most celebrated Robin Hood!!! “I am keenly looking forward for it!” Kayamkulam Kochunni has been scripted by Bobby -Sanjay. There was an earlier film with the same title, directed by P A Thomas with Sathyan in the lead, which came out n 1966 about the local hero from Kerala’s history, who used to rob the rich and give to the poor. A popular Malayalam TV serial was also made on Kochunni.

Mahesh Babu, the ‘Prince’ly actor turned producer of Tollywood, even after having crossed 40 summers of his life, still looks as handsome as ever. Girls swoon over his good looking sexy demeanor. The “Hunky Heartthrob” of the female brigade is how he is often described as. Besides his dashing & debonair persona makes the fairer sex go weak in the knees every time they happen to see him in flesh & blood or even on the celluloid silver screen. Mahesh Babu was in in Le Meridian, Bangalore recently where he had arrived for the promotional activity of his Telugu – Tamil bilingual film namely Spyder along with herione Rakul Preet Singh & director A R Murgadoss.

*First things first please describe your illustrious filmic journey from your debut film Raja Kumarudu to your latest release Spyder.

*Regarding this I still have a mixed feeling. On one hand it was fulfilling, satisfying albeit exciting, enriching, enthralling, enlightening, exhausting and to some extent even adventurous. And I was also happy, although reluctantly, doing a few Telugu films as a child artiste too. On the other hand it was also depressing, what with people around you trying to pull you down for no reasons whatsoever. In brief I would also add that like any other actor or for that matter a star even I too had my fair share of the ups & downs, the highs & lows including the trials & tribulations in my, as you said, illustrious filmic journey.

*Ok! So moving on, does being the son of a legendary & veteran Telugu actor Krishna proved to be a bane or a boon of your filmic career?

*I would certainly not like to put it that way. As being a star – actor’s son only helped me as far as my debut film Raja Kumarudu was concerned, like as my launch pad it did help me. But then after that I was on my own. As like all my contemporary actors all over I also strongly believe that only talent can succeed. Like for me, I would also say that there was a huge pressure on me. My 1st debut film Raja Kumarudu definitely was a big hit. But it was because of my father’s fans supporting it that I got this opening, but my 2nd, 3rd & 4th film just fell flat on its face and I had to once again prove myself with the other subsequent films of mine. So you see it all boils down to your talent.

*What are your expectations from your latest release Spyder and what is Spyder all about with respect to your role in it?

*This is the 1st time ever that I have worked simultaneously in a Telugu – Tamil bilingual namely Spyder. It has been excellently directed by A R Murgadoss. I wouldn’t say that it’s a typical James Bond kind of spy thriller. But, it has definitely got its elements. It is a typical A R Murugadoss kind of film, where the audiences would be sitting on the edge of their seat. In fact Spyder for me was the most thrilling, the most amazing, the most mind blowing, the most super spydi I mean the most super speedy & obviously the most difficult experience of my Telugu film career. And the most difficult part was shooting for the Tamil version and also shooting simultaneously for the Telugu version of Spyder. As this was the 1st ever time that I was shooting for a Tamil film and only I know what I went through to achieve that perfection & and that finesse that I have always succeeded in displaying so often in all my Telugu films. Incidentally speaking in Spyder I have enacted the role of an Intelligence Bureau officer. Spyder has been produced by Tagore Madhu & N V Prasad besides the film has been made on a lavish budget of approximately 120 crores. while Spyder is actually based on bio -terrorism and it also features actor – filmmaker S J Suryah as the antagonist.

Rakul Preet Singh plays the leading lady. That apart Spyder is a Harris Jayraj musical soiree. And it has been distributed especially in Karnataka by Goldie films. That apart Spyder also happens to be the 1st time ever collaboration of Super director A R Murugadoss & obviously Superstar Mahesh Babu.

*Like other South Indian actors Rajnikant, Kaml Haasan, Mamooty, Mohanlal, Venkatesh, Dhanush etc why are you so reluctant to step into the Bollywoodian arena?

*Here I would like to squash all the rumors once & for all that I have no intention whatsover to mark my entry in the Bollywoodian arena. I have enough of work in Telugu films to even last me for a life time. I will never ever do a Bollywood film, no matter how tempting the offer is.

*But you have given a very contradictory version regarding this particular aspect recently to the electronic media. How come?

*Yes Sir!!! I agree that I did say that I am indeed ready to star in a Bollywood film, but it all depends on the project & the director and when somebody approaches me with an exciting idea I may accept the offer. But on second thoughts I also wish to clarify that I gave that version to the electronic media on the spur of the moment to put an end to all the speculations right there & then and yes I also stand by my version given to the print media today. As now I really do not wish to get into the Bollywoodian rat race. I am considered as the Prince of Telugu films so why should I prefer be a beggar in Bollywood films.

*Next question. How come Prince Mahesh Babu was never a part of the rumor mills as far as any kind of controversies are concerned including the romantic ones?

*The answer to that is very simple. I have always believed in leading a hassle free & straight forward life. And the only time I fell in love with a girl (Read actress Namrata Shirodkar) I instantly got married and she will be my wife forever at least till death do us apart. (Laughs).

*How was the experience of working with your co – star Rakul Preet Singh & director A R Murgadoss?

*It has been a very good experience of working with Rakul Preet Singh. She has proved to be an amazing & a lovely person as a co – star. In fact in all the promotional activity all over we have been talking only about her and how good she is as an actress. Thanks Rakul for being my co – star. That apart I feel at a loss for words to describe the dedication & the perfection of A R Murgadoss Sir.

*It seems you are very much against the idea of remakes of the original language films?

*Yes it is very much true that I have never liked the idea of remaking a film. No sir I am definitely not into remakes. I never liked that idea and my dream was always that a Telugu film should be made in Telugu and then everybody should talk about it. S. S. Rajamouli achieved my dream, so I know that you can dream. That’s how I am and now with Spyder, I am coming closer to my dream.

*Name 5 Best favorite films of your Telugu film career.

*The 5 most favorite films of my Telugu film career are Srimanthudu, Okkadu, Pokiri, Dookudu and now of course Spyder. But I also really enjoyed doing all my Telugu films.

*As a parting shot do you want to say a last few words for your global fans especially the Bangalorean ones?

*Yes of course I hereby take this opportunity to profusely thank all the organizations who have bestowed on me the National & the International awards galore. And last but not the least I wish to thank all my beloved global fans who have always encouraged me to give off my best and a special thanks to my Southern fans who have bestowed on me the title of “Prince”. And I shall also remain forever indebted to all my Bengaluru fans who have always welcomed me with open arms and given me all their love whenever I have come here to promote my films. It has always given me a great pleasure to visit Bengaluru time & again to meet my lovely Bangalorean fans. Namaskara!!!!!

Angelina Jolie’s debut directorial film ‘They Killed My Father’ may soon be running the Academy Award’s race. ‘They Killed My Father’ directed & co – written by Angelina Jolie, is expected to imminently be confirmed as the official Cambodian submission for the “Best Foreign Language Film” Oscar. The movie, which revolves around author & human rights activist Loung Ung’s life under the rule of the deadly Khmer Rouge, premiered in Telluride and then went on to Toronto where it won strong praise.

Alicia Vikander On Gender Divide In Hollywood

Alicia Vikander said that the condition of women in Hollywood is getting better. The Oscar winning star said that people have started taking gender divide seriously and she is positive that things will improve more with time. “I remember when The Hunger Games came out and you saw a female actor take centre stage and prove it could not only be a good film, but also a huge commercial success.”

Brie Larson Didn’t Feel “Pretty Enough” For Lead Roles

Brie Larson said that she “didn’t feel pretty enough” to pursue leading roles. Reportedly, Brie Larson always thought that she would end up playing supporting roles. “I just didn’t feel confident in myself, I didn’t feel pretty enough. I thought I’d be a supporting character my whole life and I was struggling with the idea of being the star,” Brie Larson told. In the beginning of her career, Brie Larson had small roles as a teenager in the 2004 movies 13 Going On 30 & Sleepover. She then had supporting roles in Greenberg, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World & 21 Jump Street.

Carrie Fisher & Debbie Reynolds Memorabilia Went Up For Auction

Thousands of items from the estate of Debbie Reynolds & Carrie Fisher was auctioned by Profiles in History, world’s largest auctioneer of original Hollywood memorabilia. Reportedly, the auction, which took place from 7th Oct, 2017 to 9th Oct, 2017, also included vintage Star Wars poster signed by Carrie Fisher & director George Lucas. “Debbie Reynolds always believed that the things should go back from where they come. Collectibles belong back with the collectors,” auctioneer Joseph Maddalena stated.

Debra Messing’s “Feminist” Request

Debra Messing had one request when she signed on to Will & Grace reboot, that her character must be a feminist. “The only thing that I asked for was that Grace be a feminist. That she has a voice,” she told an audience at the Tribeca Film Festival last week. In the premiere episode, Grace will compromise her political beliefs to take a design job. Debra Messing has been vocal about her political beliefs in the last election, even getting into a Twitter argument with actress Susan Sarandon. Debra Messing also talked about the challenges of coming back to her famous role 11 years later.

Emma Stone Feels That The “Battle Of The Sexes” Is Politically Relevant Now

Oscar winning actress Emma Stone, who will be seen next in Battle Of The Sexes, feels that the movie is really politically relevant right now. In an interview, Emma Stone said, “It’s interesting thing because this was shot in 2015, so Donald Trump & Hillary Clinton were in the public consciousness, and we had no idea which way this was going to go. So while shooting it, it was kind of interesting to look at Bobby Riggs & Billie Jean and the very political nature of what the battle actually was about. The battle, as much as it was this spectacle, it was also about equal treatment & equal rights.”

Irina Shayk Playfully Grabs Bradley Cooper’s Bottom

Bradley Cooper & Irina Shayk walked around in Malibu and the model couldn’t help, but make a playful grab of her beau’s bottom. The couple, who has been dating each other since Apr, 2015, smiled as they strolled around Malibu. Irina Shayk laughed as she grabbed her lover’s bums, reports suggest. The couple kept it casual for their outing.

Julianne Hough To Play Fitness Pioneer Betty Weider

Julianne Hough has been roped in to portray female fitness pioneer Betty Weider in George Gallo’s upcoming movie Bigger. A pin – up model who became a leading role model for women in diet & fitness, Betty Weider was the wife of Joe Weider, and together they co – founded a fitness magazine, which remains the most successful women’s health & fitness publication even today.

Kirsten Dunst Accidentally Smoked A Joint

Kristen Dunst is known to be the queen of high brow stoner movies and it seems like she has taken this tag quite seriously. Kristen Dunst explained that partway through the shooting she had a little bit of a rough time smoking “prop weed”. She said, “You know, you have movie pot, which is basically fake. It’s whatever they roll, fake or whatever.”

Meghan Markle Makes 1st Official Outing With Prince Harry

Meghan Markle made her 1st official outing with Prince Harry here for Invictus Games, which is an international Paralympic style multi – sport event, created by Prince Harry, in which wounded, injured or sick military personnel & their associated veterans take part in sports including wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball & indoor rowing.

Pamela Anderson Slams Kim Kardashian

Actress & animal rights activist Pamela Anderson has slammed reality TV personality Kim Kardashian by writing an open letter to her criticizing her style choices. Pamela Anderson wrote a letter to Kim Kardeshian after the 2 met at New York Fashion week earlier this month. The Baywatch star branded the act of wearing fur “beyond cruel” and urged Kim Kardashian to “do the right thing” and ditch her animal wear for good.

Viola Davis Focused To Bring Diversity To Hollywood

Viola Davis & her husband Julius Tennon, who are appearing together in the new season of her hit show How To Get Away With Murder, have a joint mission to bring more diversity in Hollywood, which remains as white & as male-dominated as ever, and the representation of race, gender, LGBT & disability has barely changed to change in the past 1 decade, according to research by academics at the University of Southern California (USC). “The reason diversity is still an issue is that everyone is not ‘put to task’,” said Viola Davis.

Kichcha Sudeep is worldwide phenomenon, believe it or not. Although his fans know it, there are some people who despise the Abhinaya Chakravarthy for unknown reasons. This is an example for all such people to show how much people from all over the world love Kichcha Sudeep. He indeed has an international fan. Kichcha Sudeep’s fan base grew in Japan when his Tollywood film, Eega, after dubbing into Japanese, released in Japan. His stardom grew with his amazing performances. One such fan from Japan has come all the way down to Bengaluru to meet Sudeep. Sounds unbelievable, but true. Her name is Junko and she has met the Abhinaya Chakravarthy in the city.

Channappa’s Dream Finally Comes True

It has only been a couple of days after Rakshitha Prem had asked for a favor from Challenging Star Darshan. Just 3 days later, Darshan Thoogudeep has finally made her wish come true. It is a well known fact that Darshan Thoogudeep & Rakshitha Prem were one of the best on – screen couples in Sandalwood. Together, they were called the super – hit jodi because most of their films have achieved astounding success. Rakshitha Prem discontinued acting after her marriage to director Prem, but she still remains as one of Darshan’s good old friends. Very recently, she had a favor to ask from Darshan Thoogudeep.

Rakshit Shetty Turns Producer For His Friend

Kirik Party could as well be termed as one of the glorious cinemas that changed the face of Kannada film industry on a larger scale. All the actors from Kirik Party are now busy with their own projects, thanks to the success of Kirik Party. One of those actors who portrayed Rakshit Shetty’s friend in Kirik Party, Aravind Iyer, is now busy with 2 films up his sleeves. On one side, he is shooting for Bhima Sena Nala Maharaja, wherein he is paired opposite Arohi Narayan. On the other hand, Aravind Iyer has simultaneously started shooting for his second film, 777 Charlie. Surprisingly, Rakshit Shetty, who happens to share a good camaraderie with Aravind Iyer, has agreed to produce 777 Charlie. As of now, a few stills from 777 Charlie have surfaced online. Taking a look at those pictures, one will definitely get the feel that 777 Charlie will be one of those films that is sure to stand apart from the rest of the films.

Mammootty’s Puthan Panam Comes A Day Earlier

Just days after the release of The Great Father, Mammootty is back in a brand new avatar, in Ranjith’s Puthan Panam. The hero is playing Nityananda Shenoy, who hails from Kasaragode. Puthan Panam, which was earlier scheduled for release on Thurs, has now come a day earlier, that is on Wed 12th Apr, 2017. Mammootty has earlier teamed up with Ranjith in films like Black, Prajapathi, Kaiyoppu, Paleri Manikyam, Pranchiyettan and the saint & Kadal Kadannoru Mathukkutty. Puthan Panam is rumoured to be based on the demonetization effect and is said to be in the lines of Ranjith’s much appreciated Indian Rupee.

Dileep Lashes Out Against His Detractors

Dileep has opened up against the varied controversies that he was linked to during the recent times. He makes it clear that Kavya Madhavan was not the reason for his separation from Manju Warrier. It was after his divorce that he decided to marry Kavya. Now there are some yellow journalists who try to spread the news that there is rift between Kavya & his daughter Meenakshi. He attacked a prominent news anchor for attacking him after the recent kidnapping incident involving an actress. The 1st report of linking him to the kidnapping incident came from a Mumbai based portal & Dileep says he is well aware about the person or the group who worked behind this. A film journalist has been repeatedly targeting him with several serious allegations, but Dileep says the journalist is angry after some demands were denied. Dileep has also reacted strongly to the campaign which said his forthcoming US show would be boycotted by many. The hero makes it clear that the campaign has been initiated by an individual and the shows are already sold out.

Varalaxmi Walks Out Of Akasha Mittayi!!!

The shooting of actor & director Samuthirakani’s Akasha Mittayi is currently underway in Kochi. The film is a remake of the director’s Tamil film, Appa. Jayaram Ravi plays the lead in the Malayalam version. It was Tamil actor Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, who was announced as the heroine. She played the lead in last year’s Kasaba. However, 2 days after the shooting, Varalaxmi opted out of the film, saying “can’t work with male chauvinists & manner less prods” in her twitter post. Now, director Samuthirakani has told an online portal that Varalaxmi decided to opt out as she wasn’t happy with the hotel accommodation provided to her. This became an argument and the actress decided not to do the film. Ineya has replaced Varalaxmi in Akasha Mittayi.

Mohanlal’s 2 Different Looks Revealed

The shooting of director B Unnikrishnan’s upcoming film Villain starring Mohanlal & Manju Warrier in lead roles is progressing at a brisk pace in Trivandrum. While the 1st look poster of the film featured the actor in a salt – & – pepper avatar, the director recently revealed the younger look of Mohanlal’s character. Mohanlal essays the role of Mathew Manjooran, an ex – cop & his flashback portions in the movie will feature the actor in a younger look. The stylish crime thriller boasts of a star – studded cast with the likes of Manju Warrier, Vishal, Telugu actor Srikanth, Hansika Motwani & Raashi Khanna in pivotal roles. Produced by Rockline Entertainments, the movie has Pulimurugan fame stunt choreographer Peter Hein choreographing a special stunt sequence for Mohanlal. The team is currently shooting the flashback portions of the film

Bhavana To Team Up With A Veteran Tollywood Actor!!!

Bhavana is currently busy with the shoot of her new Kannada movie Tagaru. The actress is now in Bengaluru to complete her portions in the forthcoming Kannada film Tagaru. And now, the new piece of news is that Bhavana has been roped in to play a meaty role in Jagapathi Babu’s next film titled Patel S.I.R. The makers of the film approached Bhavana who was highly impressed with the script and immediately gave her nod of acceptance. However, the actress is yet to sign on the dotted lines. Directed by Vasu Parimi, the upcoming thriller has Jagapathi Babu playing a 60 – year – old man. The recently released trailer of Patel S.I.R. has already grabbed the attention of movie lovers. If Jagpati Babu’s jazzy high – class look in the film is much entertaining, Bhavana coming on board has added more glamour to Patel S.I.R.

Anu Hasan Impresses Malayali Audiences!!!

After a long hiatus, actress Anu Hasan will be seen again in Malayalam with the movie Vaaku, directed by Sujith S Nair. Scripted by director Madhupal, Vaaku revolves around the dreams, hopes & struggles of the lower middle class families of Kerala. Pranav Ratheesh, the youngest son of yesteryear actor Ratheesh, makes his acting debut with Vaakku. Anu Hasan recently shared the movie’s trailer on her social networking page. “And the Malayalam project is done and how it shines?? Mr Ambat, Mr Sujit. Mr Nishad, Pranav, And Aju it was a pleasure working with you all .. and the rest of the team .. good luck!! (sic),” wrote Anu Hasan. The actress is as charming as ever in the trailer and has already impressed the Malayali audiences. The movie also has Parvathy Ratheesh, Sudheer Karamana, M A Nishad, Musthafa, Krishnachandran, Chandini, Devi Ajith, Vanitha, Master Achal Mohandas & Suraj Venjaramoodu in important roles. Cinematography is by Madhu Ambat & editing by Johnkutty.

Anwesshaa, who is just 23 years old had started her formal training in Hindustani classical (vocal) at the age of 4 under Guru Jayant Sarkar, senior most disciple of Pundit Ajoy Chakraborty (Patiala Gharana). And Just recently she performed live with Shaan & Sonu Nigam at Juhu’s Durga Puja.

Anwessha has till date sung around 350 songs in 320 films in different languages. Anweessha has sung for films like Golmaal Returns, for music director, Pritam, I’m 24 for Jatin Pundit, Dangerous Ishq for Himesh Reshammiya, Luv U Soniyo for Vipin Patwa, Ranjhanaa for A. R. Rahman, Rowdy Rathore (Background vocals), Kaanchi, for Ismail Darbar (a duet with Sonu Nigam), Revolver Rani, for Sanjeev Shrivastav, Guru Dakshina for Ismail Darbar, The Expose & Prem Ratan Dhan Payo for Himesh Reshmmiya & Do Lafzon Ki kahani for Babli Haque.

I Can Speak Leads Weekend

Local comedy, I Can Speak debuted on top of South Korean Box – Office turnstiles after a Thurs release. The indie picture earned $5.18 million from 727,000 admissions over 4 days, and accounted for 46% of the weekend Box – Office turnstiles. Produced by Myung Films, the Kim Hyun – Seok film sees the story of an elderly woman who befriends a junior civil servant as she files complaints with the local Government. Showbox’s Memoir Of A Murderer slipped to 2nd. It earned $1.6 million from 215,00 admissions between Fri & Sun for $17.7 million after 3 weekends on release. Sony’s Baby Driver dropped to 3rd, earning $1.16 million for a total of $5.21 million after 2 weekends. Despite a drop of 53%, The Hitman’s Bodyguard jumped to 4th from the previous week’s 5th, as American Made suffered a steeper 81% drop. The Hitman’s Bodyguard earned $429,000 for a total of $11.7 million after 4 weekends on release. American Made earned $301,000 for a cumulative of $2.71 million after 2 weekends. The Invisible Guest & The Lost City Of Z debuted on Thurs and landed in 6th & 7th, respectively. The Invisible Guest earned $329,000 over 4 days, while The Lost City Of Z earned $248,000.

WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES WINS SLOWEST WEEKEND

In the quietest weekend at the China Box -Office this year, War For The Planet Of The Apes held on to the #1 spot. It headed a chart on which foreign films took the top places & Chinese titles entered the list with previews of pictures that will enliven next week’s National Day holiday period. War For The Planet Of The Apes added $18.6 million in its 2nd frame, down from its $60 million opening. After 10 days on release, it has a cumulative score of $99.5 million, according to data from Ent Group. IMAX reports that the film scored $1.6 million from 435 screens, lifting its IMAX cumulative in China to $7.3 million. New release The Hitman’s Bodyguard rustled up $13.7 million. That was only good enough for 2nd place, despite having slightly more screenings than War For The Planet Of The Apes on 2 of its 3 1st days. Cumulative takings for the top 10 films was just $48 million. Earlier, the slowest weekend had been 7th Apr, 2017 to 9th Apr, 2017 when Ghost In The Shell briefly claimed the top spot. Spanish thriller Contratiempo climbed from 4th place last week to 3rd. Its score also improved from $4.95 million to $6.38 million. In 4th place was Spider – Man: Homecoming, which took $5.65 million. After 17 days on release, it has a $115 million cumulative. New release kids title Thomas And Friends: The Great Race took 5th spot. Playing 10,000 screenings on Fri and expanding to 15,000 on Sat & Sun, it took $1.69 million.

Malayalam GEC Surya TV started airing a family entertainment show, Ayalathe Sundari, from 11th Sept, 2017 at 9.30 pm, every Mon – Sat. Directed by K K Rajiv, Ayalathey Sundari is a family drama set within the confines of a tumultuous family relationships. The serial explores the challenges, the trials & the tribulations that a woman undergoes in her daily life.

Broadband Subscribers Increased

The number of broadband subscribers in India has increased 3.33% to touch 310.87 million from 300.84 million a month ago. Top 5 service providers constituted 89.79% market share of the total broadband subscribers, according to TRAI data. Reliance Jio Infocom led the pack with a subscriber base of 128.58 million, followed by Bharti Airtel (58.91 million), Vodafone (42.50 million), Idea Cellular (27.70 million) & BSNL (21.45 million).

Star Plus To Air Ted Talks India: Nayi Soch

Hosted by Shah Rukh Khan, Hindi GEC Star Plus is all set to air Ted Talks India: Nayi Soch by the end of Oct, 2017. In Feb, 2017 Star India had announced that it would be producing the Indian version of the popular Ted Talk show. The launch date & lineup of speakers, however, was not disclosed. The shoot for the show has already begun.

Dish TV launches Al – Enabled Chatbot

DTH operator Dish TV has announced the launch of Advanced Dish TV interface (ADI), the world’s 1st AI – enabled pay TV Chatbot. Built for issue redressal & service lifecycle management, ADI provides a virtual interface that acts as a 1 – stop solution window to subscribers, and guides them instantly to address their queries. ADI is an omni – channel interface with customer experience as a core tenet.

Zee TV To Unveil New Logo

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Zee TV will wear a new logo from 15th Oct, 2017. Subhash Chandra owned Zee TV was launched on 2nd Oct, 1992 as the 1st ever Hindi – language channel in India. Zee TV’s new logo was unveiled at the recently held Zee Rishtey Award 2017 ceremony by the popular actor Ankita Lokhande. The award ceremony will be aired on 15th Oct, 2017 at 7 pm.

ASCI Pulls Up Times Network

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has pulled up Times Network for its misleading ad claiming that Times Now is the #1 English news channel. According to ASCI, while the graphical representation in the ad “The Ruling #1” appears to be in line with BARC principles and the figures shown are technically correct, the relative share data shown is itself not a permissible extrapolation, and is therefore misleading and not compliant with BARC Guidelines.

BBC World News Launched For The 1st Time Ever In Laos

BBC Worldwide Asia recently announced a deal that will, for the 1st time ever, see international news & current affairs television brand BBC World News, premium factual brand BBC Earth & award winning pre – school channel CBeebies available in Laos. The channels, broadcast on Laosat DTH, will be available in the country’s 17 provinces including Vientiane.

Sky Launches Streaming Service In Spain

UK pay TV service provider Sky has launched a TV streaming service in Spain, offering entertainment & contract – free viewing to customers to watch on all their devices. The new service will offer Spanish pay TV channels, TV series & on – demand films from around the world in Spanish, predominantly in HD quality, and for only €10 a month. Customers will also be able to enjoy 1 month’s free trial as standard.

AETN18 Slips Into Loss

TV18 launch AETN18 Media, the 51:49 joint venture (JV) between TV18 & A+E Networks, slipped into loss in FY17 on account of higher expenses incurred due to the launch of its lifestyle channel FYI TV18 in the 2nd quarter of the fiscal year. The company saw a marginal rise in its revenue from operations in FY17 while expenses rose due to the launch of FYI TV18. Loss stood at Rs 25.86 crore versus a profit of Rs 8.91 million a year ago. Revenue from operations stood at Rs 66.13 crore in FY17 compared to Rs 64.92 crore in the prior year.

DishTV Becomes 1st Ever DTH Service Brand
DTH service provider Dish TV has joined hands with home – grown e – commerce major Flipkart to bring to its customers a hassle – free Dish TV connection anytime, anywhere, just a click away. Dish TV has thus become the 1st ever DTH service provider to be listed on Flipkart. Voted as one of the most popular e – commerce brands in India by RedSeer report, Flipkart will be opening the windows for its users to DTH services on its platform through this partnership.

MIB Cancels 19 TV Channel Licences

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) knocked off 19 TV channel licences, between 1st Aug, 2017 & 5th Sept, 2017 from its list of permitted TV channels. Consequently, the total number of cancelled licences shot up to 216, as on 5th Sept, 2017. In Jul, 2017 2 licences were cancelled, taking the total to 197. The ministry cancelled 3 licences of Star India. These are Star Movies Premiere, Star Movies Premiere HD & Fox Crime HD. The company had not operationalised these licences. Star had received the licences for these channels in Mar, 2016.

ZEEL Enters Premium English Movie Genre

For many years, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has had just 2 English channels, Zee Café & Zee Studio. But that is now going to change with the launch of the premium English Movie Channel &Privé HD. Coming under the “&” brand, the channel was launched on 24th Sept, 2017 with the premiere of Moonlight at 1 pm and then again at 9 pm. This film won 3 Oscars earlier this year including that of “Best Picture”.

Star Plus To Shutter Afternoon Band

Leading Hindi GEC Star Plus, which created the afternoon band “Star Dopahar” less than 6 months back, has decided to wrap it up on 30th Sept, 2017. Star Plus has informed producers about the closure and has asked them to wrap up their respective story lines. The afternoon bandwidth currently airs 4 shows: Kya Kasoor Hai Amla Ka?, Ek Aastha Aisi Bhee, Dhhai Kilo Prem & Love Hai Intezaar.

Hathway Partners IL&FS Education

Multi – system operator (MSO) Hathway Cable & Datacom has teamed up with education solutions provider IL&FS Education to launch TVTeacher, an educational service channel catering exclusively to children, youth & home makers. The channel features a combination of curriculum aligned school content, vocational education & spoken English modules bringing schooling & education round the clock to every home.

The Quint Clocks 54 MN Page Views & 47 MN Video Views

Raghav Bahl promoted bi – lingual digital news platform The Quint clocked upwards of 54 million page views in Aug, 2017. It also crossed 47 million video views with a unique social media reach of 83 million. The Quint offers a combination of content with topics ranging from business & politics to sports & entertainment. Strong & innovative videos are one of The Quint’s big offerings. Since its inception, The Quint has created strong connections with its viewers, and has been on a growth trajectory.

GTPL Hathway Gets RBI Nod

Multi – system operator (MSO) GTPL Hathway has got the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) approval to increase foreign investment limit in the company. The RBI has hiked foreign institutional investors (FII) / foreign portfolio investment (FPI) limit in GTPL to 49% from the earlier limit of 24%.

Discovery Boosts Digital Team

Discovery Communications has appointed Francis Keeling, a leading digital music executive, as senior VP, International Digital. Jay Trinidad, currently running Discovery Northern Asia, takes on the additional role of managing director, Digital Ventures & Eugene Huang, is appointed to the role of senior VP, Product & Technology. All 3 roles report directly to Michael Lang, President, International Development & Digital.

TVA Sports & WWE In Broadcast Deal

Sports entertainment brand WWE & TVA Sports today announced a multi – year agreement to televise a weekly, 1 hour edition of WWE’s flagship programme Raw, in French, in Canada beginning 18th Oct, 2017. All of the action for TVA Sports’ presentation of Raw will be called by Patric Laprade, who will be joined on commentary by social media sensation Kevin Raphael.

MIB Grants 10 New TV Channel Licences

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has permitted 10 new TV channel licences between 10th Aug, 2017 & 5th Sept, 2017. 9 out of the 10 licences were issued in Aug, 2017 while 1 licence was issued in Sept, 2017. Cinema 24×7, a company linked to TV shopping & e – commerce company Naaptol, got 7 non – news uplinking licences. Media Worldwide, the company that runs a clutch of music channels, got a non – news uplinking for Bangla Talkies.

Star Bharat’s Good Start Signifies Importance Of DD Freedish

Star Bharat, Star India’s recently rebranded Like OK channel which is available on Doordarshan’s subscription – free DTH platform Freedish, has started off remarkably well. The channel, which went live on 28th Aug, 2017, occupied #5 spot in the Hindi GEC hierarchy, according to BARC data for the week ended 1st Sept, 2017. This despite missing the 1st couple of days of BARC’s ratings for the week.

Nick Lloses Crown To Disney Channel

In BARC’s rating charts, Kids TV was the only genre where the top position seemed locked. Nick was reigning supreme for a long period. But in the week ended 1st Sept, 2017 Nick lost the crown to Disney Channel in a tight battle. Disney Channel took the lead with 9.789 crore weekly impressions while Nick fell to the 2nd spot with 9.697 crore weekly impressions, seeing a drop of 6.25%. Cartoon Network moved up to the 4th rank with 6.192 crore weekly impressions, followed by Pogo TV at 5th with 5.637 crore weekly impressions.

Disney Channel Is #1 Kids Channel

Disney Channel continued to rule the kids TV genre for the 2nd straight week. The channel garnered 10.78 crore impressions thus collecting 10.07% more than the preceding week. Nick, which enjoyed numero uno status for a long while before Disney Channel raced past it, mopped up 10.11 crore impressions. This was 4.28% more than what it collected in the prior weeks. Incidentally, the top 2 kids channels crossed the 10 crore mark in the week under review. Disney Channel clocked 9.78 crore impressions while Nick collected 9.69 crore impressions.

Sony Max Reclaims #1 Position

Sony Max reclaimed the #1 position in urban + rural Hindi – speaking market (HSM) from its free to air (FTA) sibling Sony Wah. Zee Cinema & Star Gold moved a spot up while Rishtey Cineplex fell to the 5th position, according to BARC data.

Zee News Returns To #2 Position

Zee News has upstaged ABP News to reclaim the #2 position in urban Hindi – speaking market (HSM). ABP News has slipped to #3, according to BARC data. In rural HSM, Zee News has edged out India TV to occupy the #3 position. India TV settled in the 5th place.

Anna Rajan aka Lichi, who shot to fame as the heroine of Angamaly Diaries & Velipadinte Pusthakam, was full of tears on a Facebook live video posted on her page as she blamed the electronic media for twisting her statement on Mammootty & Dulquer Salmaan. It all started in a TV show where Anna Rajan was asked if she was offered roles with Mammootty & his son Dulquer Salmaan in a film, whom would she choose as her hero? To this Anna Rajan had said that she would like to play Dulquer Salmaan’s heroine & Mammootty would play Dulquer Salmaan’s dad. Now this irked the fans of the veteran superstar, who is more than 4 decades older to her, and they started showering angry comments at the hapless heroine. And she came on Facebook live to explain to the fans of the 2 heroes that she would like to play the heroine of both Mammootty & Dulquer Salmaan and that she hasn’t reached the position as yet to compare the 2 stars.

Amy Jackson To Enact The Role Of The Saturn Girl

The 2 Point O girl Amy Jackson will be seen enacting the role of the Saturn Girl in Season 3 of Super Girl. The new season will begin on 9th Oct, 2017 on The CW. “Finally! So now you know what I’ve been getting up to in Canada over the past couple of weeks #SuperGirl new recruit #SaturnGirl”, posted Amy Jackson on Twitter. Other than Super Girl, Amy Jackson is also working on an English film titled Boogie Man with filmmaker Andrew Morahan. Amy Jackson will also be signing more Tamil & Hindi films after the release of her magnum opus 2 Point O with Superstar Rajinikanth & Akshay Kumar.

Disha Patani Is The New Sangamitra!

The buzz is that leading production house, Sri Thenandal Films have signed Disha Patani to play the coveted role as Sangamitra in their most prestigious film titled Sangamitra. So far there is no official announcement from the production house. Disha Patani became famous with the Cadbury Dairy Milk advertisement which made her quite popular. Her debut film was the Telugu film Loafer opposite Varun Tej, directed by Puri Jagannadh but she was noticed in a Bollywood film M. S. Dhoni: The Untold Story opposite Sushant Singh Rajput. She has also done a music video Befikra with Tiger Shroff. For the past few months several names were doing the rounds like Katrina Kaif, Shraddha Kapoor & even Alia Bhatt. Director Sundar C was keen to have a fresh face & Disha Patani fitted the bill. However, the shoot of Sangamitra will start only after the pre – production work is complete and freezing the dates of Arya & Jayam Ravi who have moved on to other films.

Kajal Aggarwal Says She Will Do Queen Remake In Her Own Style

Speaking at the launch of her new movie Paris Paris, the Tamil remake of Hindi hit Queen, Kajal Aggarwal averred, “I’m not here to get into anyone’s shoes, and will treat Paris Paris as an original script and do it in my own style”. Kajal Aggarwal intervened & gave this befitting reply when a reporter asked the film’s director Ramesh Aravind whether a commercial heroine like Kajal Aggarwal would justify National Award winning Kangana Ranaut’s towering performance. Ramesh Aravind averred, “Kajal Aggarwal looks beautiful, she has great enthusiasm to learn new things and that’s exactly what a director needs”, he also added that Kajal Aggarwal has an extraordinary star presence and great performance skills which she has already proved in films like Magadheera, Temper & Vivegam. The Tamil version of Queen will be set in Virudhunagar & famous writer Tamizhachi Thangapandiyan will take care of the dialogues & the lyrics. Amit Trivedi, who composed the songs for the original Hindi version is debuting in Tamil with Paris Paris. The film is being jointly produced by Mediente & Liger.

No Plans To Arrest Kavya Madhavan

With the prosecution informing the Kerala High Court that the police have no plans to arrest Kavya Madhavan in an actress’ kidnapping case, the anticipatory bail application submitted by the actress was settled by the Court, as per the latest reports. Kavya Madhavan is the wife of the arrested actor Dileep. There were reports earlier that the main accused Pulsar Suni had alleged that he had gone to Kavya Madhavan’s garment store. However, the anticipatory bail application of director Nadhir Shah will be considered soon. The bail application of Pulsar Suni was also rejected by the Court.

Khushboo Confirms Kalakalapu – 2

Sundar C’s next will be Kalakalapu 2, the sequel of the director’s hit comedy entertainer. Sundar C’s wife & yesteryears leading actress Khushboo has confirmed that the film will have Jiiva, Jai, Catherine Tresa & Nikki Galrani in the lead. Mirchi Shiva, who played as one of the leads in Kalakalapu will also be playing an important role in the sequel. The shoot of Kalakalapu 2 will begin in Oct, 2017 and Hiphop Tamizha has been roped in to compose music for the film. After completing Kalakalapu 2, Sundar C will start shooting for his dream period film Sangamithra with Jayam’ Ravi & Arya. Disha Patani plays the female lead in Sangamithra but things are yet to be confirmed.

Nayanthara’s Aramm Gets A “U” Certificate

Lady Superstar Nayanthara’s emotional drama with a social message Aramm gets a clean “U” certificate from the censor board and officials are said to have reportedly praised the film its noble content. KJR Studios, the film’s producers are planning to release it for Diwali. “With special appreciation from Censor Board, #Aramm gets a clean “U” certificate!!! Release announcement very soon. #Nayanthara”, tweeted KJR Studios. Directed by writer Gopi Nainar, Ghibran has composed music for the film & Om Prakash is in charge for the visuals. Nayanthara plays a district collector, who rescues struggling child employees & farmers from selfish industrialists & politicians in the film. Meanwhile, Thaman has confirmed that he will be composing the music for Nayanthara’s upcoming psychological thriller with director Arivazhagan of Eeram fame. “Back with my fav dir @dirarivazhagan will be scoring for our lady superstar @Nayanthara U can’t wait for this super journey to begin”, tweeted Thaman.

Pooja Hegde Gifts Herself A BMW

Pooja Hegde is for sure enjoying life. She has some good films on hand. Post DJ Duvvada Jagannadham, she has got many offers. She will be seen opposite Bellamkonda Srinivas in her next film. The news is that she has demanded a hefty sum for this film. Her popularity is also rising in Bollywood. Pooja Hegde, content with her life, has gifted herself a BMW. She posted a picture of herself with her new possession. What more can she ask for?

Ritu Varma To Romance Dulquer Salmaan

Tamil – Telugu actress Ritu Varma who shot to fame with the commercially & critically acclaimed Telugu film Pelli Choopulu will soon appear as Dulquer Salmaan’s heroine in a yet to be titled Tamil film. The film will mark the directorial debut of Desingh Periyasamy & Dulquer Salmaan’s 4th straight Tamil film. “I signed the project recently. Dulquer Salmaan is really a good performer and I’m excited to be working with him. Although it’s too early to talk about the film or my character, I can say that I’m really looking forward to starting work on this film,” Ritu Verma said. Ritu Verma also has Vikram’s Dhruva Natchathiram helmed by Gautham Menon in her kitty. Touted to be a romantic thriller, the Dulquer Salmaan – Ritu Varma movie will go on the floors from Oct, 2017.

Rakul Preet Singh Enacts The Role Of An IT girl

Rakul Preet Singh’s career is going well, but the roles she is doing has not impressed the audiences. Rakul Preet Singh was recently seen in silly roles in Telugu films. Now she is said to have got a contemporary girl’s role in her new Bollywood film. She is cast opposite Sidharth Malhotra in Aiyaary which is being shot in Delhi. While Siddharth is an army officer, she will be seen as an IT engineer. The drama is inspired by a true incident involving 2 army officers. Looks like Rakul Preet Singh is in demand. This is not her 1st Bollywood film, but she went unnoticed there. Now she is back in the league. This role should enhance her career in Bollywood. Nevertheless, the actress doesn’t fail to tell that Tollywood will always be her main focus
And her latest release to hit the celluloid silver screen is Spyder opposite Telugu Superstar Mahesh Babu, directed by A R Murgadoss.

Taapsee Pannu Says If You Have The Body – Flaunt It

Taapsee Pannu was recently trolled on social media for posting pictures in which she was seen wearing a bikini. Taapsee Pannu shared 2 photographs of herself on Twitter to promote the song “Aa Toh Sahi” from her recently released film Judwaa 2 and a few social media users body shamed her. However, Taapsee Pannu had a befitting reply to trolls. She averred that she fails to understand how wearing a 2 piece bikini is against the Indian culture. “I don’t feel shy of being an Indian or following Indian couture. In olden times, people wore minimum clothes. Actresses used to wear really small blouses, bikini blouses and people used to worship (them). Suddenly, it is considered not good & against culture. Indian women in general have always been told by someone or the other what to do or what not to do. From the time we are born, we are always told, ‘This is what you are supposed to do’, without even asking what we want to do. These people just can’t take the fact that how suddenly a woman can have her own opinion,” Taapsee added. Taapsee Pannu, who has worked hard on achieving the bikini body concluded, “I always believe that if you have the body to wear a bikini and if you are confident about it, then go ahead & flaunt it. There is nothing wrong in it.”

4 Heroines In 4 languages For Queen’s Remake!!!

Bollywood blockbuster Queen (2014) is all set to be remade finally in all the 4 South Indian languages after 3 years of its release in Hindi. Now the Tamil, Telugu, Kannada & Malayalam versions are being planned & the heroines are announced!!! The Tamil version is titled as Paris Paris & Kajal Aggarwal plays the female lead. Tammannah Bhatia is doing the Telugu version, Parul Yadav has been cast in Kannada & Manjima Mohan in Malayalam will be reprising what Kangana Ranaut did in the original. Kannada actor -director Ramesh Aravind will be directing Paris Paris and the untitled Kannada version. Mediente is producing all the 4 versions and the shoot will happen simultaneously. However the critics & the film aficionados are confused why the same film has to be remade in 4 languages with 4 different heroines especially when you have Kajal Agarwal & Tamannaah Bhatia on board, who are extremely popular A listers in all the 4 South Indian languages. Besides the Queen remake had gone through so much changes as it was originally announced by actor Prashanth & his dad Thyagarajan with names like Trisha, Nayanthara & Shraddha Kapoor in the lead role & actress Revathy directing the film based on Suhasini’s script. Now it has to be seen if these top stars in South will come anywhere near Kangana Ranaut’s extraordinary performance as the Queen of versatility in a film that grossed over 100 crores at the Box – Office turnstiles.

Banner: Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment
Producer: Sajid Nadiadwala
Director: David Dhawan
Star Cast: Varun Dhawn, Jacqueline Fernandez, Tapsee Pannu, Vivan Bhatena, Anupam Khar, Upasana Singh, Rajpal Yadav, Pavan Raj Malhotra, Ali Asgar, Vikas Verma, Johny Liver, Prachi Shah Pandya, Sachin Khedekar, Atul Parchure, Manoj Pahwa, Vikas Verma, Rajat Rawail, Zakir Hussein, Farhad & above all Salman Khan in a cameo appearance.
Music: Sajid – Wajid, Meet Bros, Sandeep Shirodkar & Anu Mallik

David Dhawan, an ace director in his own right, is more famous for his commercial potboilers albeit entertaining caper. He has directed innumerable such films which the masses just lap it up with thunderous ceeties & taalis in the darkened aisles of the single theatre. And for which the class intelligentsia namely the Muti – plex movie goers including the so called hardcore critics just turn up their noses with a piece de resistance advice to the intelligent cine goers to leave their brains behind at home in the deep freezer before bravingly venturing out to see such movies. Never mind in his latest outing Judwaa 2, director David Dhavan has done a rehash of his earlier superhit Judwaa released in 1997, starring Salman Khan in a dual role and David Dhawan’s son Varun Dhawan reprising the role of Salman Khan in Judwaa 2.

The tastes of the audiences have evolved quite a lot since the last few years but still, most of the viewers don’t mind an illogical but entertaining masala comic caper. Judwaa 2 is one such film that is unabashedly catering to “leave –your – brains – behind” sort of cinema.

The scripted scenario of Judwaa 2 deals with the fun adventures of twin brothers separated at birth. Rajiv Malhotra (Sachin Khedekar) meets the evil Charles (Zakir Hussain) in the flight and helps the authorities in getting him arrested. At the same time, Rajiv’s wife Ankita (Prachee Shah Paandya) gives birth to twins. Charles gets arrested in the hospital where Ankita has her delivery and he runs away with one of the twins. Rajiv & Ankita presume that child to be dead due to certain circumstances and they move to London with their other son. This son, Prem (Varun Dhawan), grows up as a shy & docile person who can be easily bullied. His brother Raja (Varun Dhawan) grows up in Mumbai’s Versova and is the opposite of Prem, he is outgoing, brash and bullying him is next to impossible. However, Raja falls in trouble when he fights with Alex (Vivan Bhatena) and injures him badly. Alex is incidentally the son of Charles and is also quite villainous. Raja & his sidekick Nandu (Rajpal Yadav) escape to London as a result. In the flight, he meets Alishka (Jacqueline Fernandez) and both fall for each other. Prem on the other hand starts dating Samaira (Taapsee Pannu) who learns music from him. But strange things start happening to both Prem & Raja as soon as the latter lands in London. The twins suffer from a peculiar problem; if one feels pain, the other shall also experience the same feeling and both even replicate each other’s actions, depending on the distance. Both go through a series of hilarious incidents as a result. What happens next and how the madness unfolds is what the rest of the film Judwaa 2is all about.

David Dhawan’s direction is simple & uncomplicated despite handling a plot related to mistaken identities. However, at some places, he lets the somewhat flawed script take over and doesn’t do much with his direction to salvage the situation. Also, the original Judwaa was much better and at places, even slightly more logical. But Judwaa 2 is an all – out illogical fare and at places, it falters. Moreover, there are too many characters and it’s bewildering to see the way he has handled the characters of Charles & Inspector Dhillon (Pavan Raj Malhotra) towards the end.

As said earlier Judwaa 2 is a reboot of the original Judwaa and those who have seen the original would know what to expect. However, the makers have tweaked certain portions and moreover, setting up the story in London has given the film a fresh & grand touch. The initial portions involving the twins getting separated and how Raja gets saved from the oncoming train is well executed. The entry of Raja is whistle worthy and his antics add to the fun. The entry of Samaira & Alishka also takes the film to a next level

However, the film gets a bit sexist and some of the scenes like the butt slapping sequences and Prem forcefully kissing Samaira might be seen as crass by a certain section of the audiences. Also, Prem even smooching his would be mother – in – law (Upasna Singh) comes across as a funny sequence but again, it will evoke mixed & even extreme reactions. On the positive side, the film has some hilarious scenes as well that bring the house down. The sequence with Pappu Passport (Johnny Lever), Raja creating a scene at the London airport, Prem’s varied meetings with Dr Lulla (Ali Asgar), the bathtub sequence et al, are quite funny. Raja using his modus operandi of narrating a sad story followed by his phone ringing is devoid of logic but makes for a fun watch despite getting repetitive. But there are also a few scenes that don’t work. Post – interval, it becomes tedious to see Prem & Raja being held up as a result of mistaken identity. But thankfully, the climax is where the film picks up.

The film’s story is a no – brainer but works for the intended audiences. Yunus Sajawal’s screenplay is effective & entertaining. But it could have been better and a lot more imaginative in certain places, especially in the 2nd half. Farhad – Sajid’s dialogues are one of the highpoints of Judwa 2. The duo is known for playing with words very well and has taken several films to great heights. Judwaa is no exception.

The music of the film is good but not great. The songs from the original Judwaa are the ones that work well like Chalti Hai Kya & Oonchi Hai Building. From the new songs, Suno Ganpati Bappa Morya works to an extent while Aa To Sahii is forgettable. Sandeep Shirodkar’s background score however is very entertaining. The cunning tune used in the scenes of Charles will keep circling in one’s mind for some time for sure.

Ganesh Acharya & Bosco Martis’s choreography is eye -catching and one of the highlights of the film. Ayananka Bose’s cinematography is satisfactory. ANL Arasu’s action is massy and not too gory which works for this kind of a film. Ritesh Soni’s editing is simple & Rajat Poddar’s production design is very grand & rich and gives the film a great look. The costumes are also quite lovely, especially the ones worn by Jacqueline Fernandez & Taapsee Pannu.

Performance wise Varun Dhawan as expected delivers a terrific performance. The actor is in top form and the manner in which he ups the entertainment quotient with his quirks & dance moves is seen to be believed. He reminds one of Salman Khan & Govinda of the 90’s and the frenzy they created. In today’s times, Varun Dhawan is the only actor who’s doing such roles on screen and that’s a very big plus for him and for the film as well. Jacqueline Fernandez looks extremely gorgeous and performance – wise, she is fine. Taapsee Pannu however looks a bit out of place. She is not that glamorous and moreover, she seems to be in the Pink mode, talking like her character from that film. Vivan Bhatena looks dashing and does well in a supporting role. Sachin Khedekar & Prachee Shah Paandya are decent. Rajpal Yadav is hilarious and brings the house down in certain scenes. Upasna Singh goes overboard. Ali Asgar also is a bit over the top but it works for his character. Pavan Raj Malhotra has an interesting character but is not utilized well after a point. Anupam Kher is 1st – rate but Atul Parchure is strictly okay. Manoj Pahwa (Sharafat Ali) fails to raise laughs but Johny Lever is very funny. Rajat Rawail & Farhad (jewellery shop salesman) are okay while Vikas Verma (Rocky) gets no scope. Salman Khan is cool in his cameo. Though the writer should have tried being a little more imaginative for his cameo scene.

Tail Piece: On the whole, Judwaa 2, despite all the goofs, flaws & clichés, comes across as a decent paisa – vasool entertainer. At the Box – Office turnstiles, it has the potential to keep the cine goers happy as it is quite massy and audiences have been deprived of quality content since a long time.