'Bajrangi Bhaijaan': Another Eid miracle awaited from Salman Khan

July 16, 2015

salman-khanNew Delhi, Jul 16: Given the lacklustre journey of Bollywood in the first half of 2015, a remunerative miracle at the box office is much-awaited. All eyes are on superstar Salman Khan's "Bajrangi Bhaijaan", which delves into Indo-Pak relations, to break the dry spell, say trade analysts.

With only two films - "Tanu Weds Manu Returns" and "ABCD 2" - crossing the Rs.100 crore mark in Hindi cinema in 2015 so far, expectations are high from Kabir Khan's directorial which is set to hit the screens on Friday.

What's interesting is that the movie releases with a U/A certificate a day before Eid -- an occasion which has always reaped gold for Salman at the box office, proven by the success of films like "Kick", "Ek Tha Tiger", "Bodyguard", "Dabangg" and "Wanted".

"Expectations from 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' are really huge. We are hoping that it may cross Rs.300 crore. Pre-booking of the film has been fantastic," Delhi-based film distributor Joginder Mahajan told IANS.

Releasing on more than 5,000 screens across 50 countries, including the US, Britain, Pakistan and Australia, "Bajrangi Bhaijaan", which also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in pivotal roles, is the story of a man discovering love during a journey from India to Pakistan as he takes a dumb and mute girl back to her country.

According to Devang Sampat, business head - Strategy, Cinepolis, the anticipation from "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" is "humongous and the opening will be as grand as it could get".

"Right from the time when the teaser was released till the cusp of release date, the buzz has been getting stronger and stronger. The film is expected to outperform Salman's previous releases and may make a box office record of Rs.300 crore plus numbers," Sampat told IANS.

He added that more than 70 percent seats are booked and he is confident the opening weekend will go houseful for the movie.

"Eid and Salman have been a lethal combination," Sampat said.

Another trade expert, Mumbai-based Rajesh Thadani, also said that "'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' will break Salman's earlier records".

Currently, S.S. Rajamouli's southern magnum opus "Baahubali: The Beginning" is breaking Indian records. But it's success won't impact "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" -- which co-incidentally has been written by Rajamouli's father K. V. Vijayendra Prasad, who also penned "Baahubali" -- pointed out experts.

"Overseas too, 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' is releasing in a record number of screens. The 'Baahubali' competition is there, but Salman has a big fan following overseas," Thadani said.

Sampat added: "Nothing can stop Salman from taking an opening and that too on Eid. Both movies can survive and perform at the box office. Salman has been a hero of the masses. It's a given that the film will work in tier-II and tier-III towns."

However, the only place where the film might face some trouble is the national capital where the state government has hiked the entertainment tax.

"It's sad that Delhi government is increasing the entertainment tax from 20 percent to 40 percent. Whenever there is a hike in entertainment tax, people skip going to cinema halls. But the business of the film will be huge pan-India," Mahajan said.

Till now, "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" is riding on word of mouth publicity, and Salman's colleagues in filmdom -- Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan -- did their bit by publicising the first look of the film on Twitter.

It now only remains to be seen whether the "Dabangg" Khan is able to spin his magic on the pious occasion of Eid once again!

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Agencies
July 8,2020

Washington D.C, Jul 8: Adding another feather to her cap, actor Priyanka Chopra on Wednesday announced that she has been chosen as the ambassador of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2020.

Priyanka has joined the list of 50 celebrated filmmakers and actors who are invited as the ambassadors of the TIFF.

The 37-year-old star put out a post on Instagram and shared a montage featuring snippets of her empowering addresses at the TIFF. Along with the video, Priyanka noted that the TIFF has been a second home for her.

She wrote, "Throughout my career TIFF has been a second home for me, with many of my films, as both an actor and producer, making their world debut at the festival."

Talking about the film festival that focuses on special stories and storytellers, the 'Dostana' star added, "TIFF has always been at the forefront of supporting and championing global content that showcases diversity and inclusion, a charge led by my friend @cameronpbailey and his talented team, who work with passion to shine a spotlight on these special stories and storytellers."

"Even more than that, one of the most exceptional parts of the festival are the fans of cinema who congregate to celebrate the magic of the movies, and who have always embraced me with so much warmth and love," Priyanka added.

She shared that she feels proud to serve as the ambassador to the festival and noted," I am very proud to serve as an ambassador this year, and I look forward to continuing a relationship that I value tremendously."

The esteemed film festival will be opting for digital screenings and virtual red carpets in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The festival is scheduled to kick off from September 10 to September 19, 2020. 

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News Network
April 11,2020

New Delhi, Apr 11: Actor Hema Malini on Saturday expressed concern over the health workers, who are being treated badly and are restricted to enter their own building.

The 71-year-old actor took to Instagram and shared a video where she expressed concern over the situation the health workers are going through. "Friends, I have seen this in various news channels and I am very sad that the health workers are being treated very badly. They are being restricted to enter their own building," she said.

The 'Baghban' actor further said: "Just think, in such times, they are our safeguards amid such situation (coronavirus outbreak). They are the ones who are going to ground level and are finding out the patients suffering from the disease."

She went on to add that "they do so, to save you. Remember, opposing them is to play with the safety of the country and every citizen. That is why we should honour them. Jai Hind."

In the post accompanying the video, she wrote, "Some of you might have watched the following interview on India TV where I have spoken about how I spend a typical day during this lockdown and social distancing period. This is for those of you who might have missed it!"

The post garnered more than 1.3k views within 35 minutes of being posted on the photo-sharing platform.

Just like other celebrities, Hema Malini is also practicing self-isolation amid the 21-day government-imposed lockdown in view of coronavirus outbreak.

India's total cases of coronavirus on Saturday climbed to 7,529 including 242 deaths and 652 people, who have either been cured or discharged, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday. 

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News Network
July 1,2020

Los Angeles, Jul 1: Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas has struck a two-year television deal with Amazon. The 37-year-old actor shared the news about her "multimillion-dollar" first look deal with the streamer in a post on Instagram.

"So honoured and excited to finally share this news with you. Looking ahead, we already have so much on our slate! Big thank you to @jsalke and her team at Amazon for being such great partners, and for sharing in the belief that talent and good content knows no boundaries," Priyanka wrote.

The actor, who launched her own production banner Purple Pebble Pictures in 2015, said she aims to create "great content" featuring "creative talent" from all over the world.

"This has always been the DNA of my production house Purple Pebble Pictures, and is the foundation of this exciting new endeavour with Amazon. ⁣⁣

"And as a storyteller, my quest is to constantly push myself to explore new ideas that not only entertain but most importantly, open minds and perspectives," Priyanka said.

She thanked her fans for being a "big part of my journey so far".

"And for those who are just getting to know me, or maybe only recognise me as Alex Parrish from 'Quantico', I'm excited for you to get to know me better," Priyanka concluded.

Priyanka, who started her Hollywood career with ABC series Quantico, has featured in films such as Baywatch and Isn't It Romantic.

Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke told Variety that she bonded with the actor over their "shared passion for diverse global storytelling".

"Priyanka is drawn to exciting original content and characters that can resonate globally. She’s a powerhouse producer, and we are thrilled to collaborate with her for years to come," she added.

Prior to her deal with Amazon, the actor lined up two projects with the streamer. She will star opposite Game of Thrones actor Richard Madden in upcoming thriller series Citadel, to be produced by Anthony and Joe Russo.

The actor will also feature in Sangeet, an unscripted series co-produced with her husband, Nick Jonas.

Priyanka's another project with Amazon is a film about Ma Anand Sheela, the assistant to guru Bhagwan Rajneesh (also known as Osho). The actor will be producing the movie which is based on Netflix docu-series Wild Wild Country.

Besides her association with Amazon, the actor will next star in two Netflix projects -- superhero movie We Can Be Heroes and The White Tiger,  opposite Rajkummar Rao.

She is currently shooting for Keanu Reeves-starrer The Matrix 4, which recently resumed filming after production was halted by the pandemic.

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