Raashii Khanna has opened up on the underwhelming box office performance of her recent release, Yodha, starring Sidharth Malhotra. The high-flying action thriller hit theaters last month but fell short of expectations. Speaking with India Today, Raashii spoke of the challenge of drawing audiences to cinemas when they know the film will eventually stream on OTT platforms. Reflecting on Yodha’s box office collection, Raashii said that there will always be diverse opinions when it comes to films.
She said, “Maybe there’s somebody who loves it, then somebody who hates it. There’ll always be all kinds of people, but obviously, we want, when the film is released, a lot of people should like it. I think the challenge has been to bring them to theatres still, because now everyone knows that the film will be released on OTT. So that is a challenge that even people face. I also sometimes do it, but that’s also because I am always occupied. But I know people, in general, are very occupied today, so bringing them to theatres is a problem. I don’t think Yodha is a bad film at all, so that’s fine. I think every film has its destiny, and you just learn from it and then move on to your next. That’s all we can do.”
She however said that she is thrilled that her work is being loved by the audience. She also mentioned that it makes her happy seeing herself on the big screen in Hindi films again and she is grateful for the positive reactions she’s receiving. “You love the fact that it has received love because that’s what you work so hard for. But apart from that, my job is always to deliver my best and to see that the audience is enjoying my part as well. Because if a film works, but you don’t work, then that’s sad in a way. So I’m really happy with the reactions I’m getting. I’m really happy that people are really loving me, coming back into Hindi films, and seeing me on the big screen. I was also very, very happy to see myself on the big screen in Hindi. This is amazing. It was a very nice moment and a very nice feeling that I had,” Raashii added.
According to Sacnilk.com, the film has made Rs 34.4 crores in three weeks since its release. Yodha has been produced jointly by Karan’s Dharma Productions and Prime Video India.
Source: News18
Tag: Sidharth Malhotra
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Raashii Khanna blames Yodha’s eventual OTT release for its box office failure
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Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani tie the knot in Jaisalmer
Bollywood couple Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra tied the knot at Suryagarh Palace in Jaisalmer on February 7 among family and close friends in a lavish wedding. The varmala and the pheras took place in the courtyard of the hotel. A special ‘bavdi’ was set up for this purpose. The wedding festivities started on February 6 with mehendi and sangeet. The wedding day started with the haldi ceremony followed by the wedding.
The mehendi ceremony was attended by Bollywood celebrities like Karan Johar, Juhi Chawla, Shahid Kapoor and his wife Mira Rajput. Both Sidharth and Kiara set the dance floor on fire during the mehendi ceremony celebrations. The ceremony started at the Suryagarh Hotel lakeside. The guests were seated in the Sunset Patio Garden by the lake. Mehendi was first applied to Kiara’s hands, and it was Siddharth’s turn next.
Later, the women of the two families, including the bride’s mother, Genevieve, aunt Sumita and maternal grandmother Valerie. Meera Rajput also got mehendi applied to her hands.
When the ceremony was on, DJ Ganesh kept the guests grooving to Bollywood and fusion numbers. The families of both Sidharth and Kiara also put up performances tailored for the occasion.
As the evening descended upon the lakeside, DJ Ganesh pumped up the pace of the music, and Kiara’s rapper brother Mishaal Advani, apart from Punjabi electronic folk artistes Hari and Sukhmani, also belted out peppy numbers to keep the guests grooving through the evening.
More than 100 dishes from 10 countries were reportedly served to the guests at the wedding. The menu included Italian, Chinese, American, South Indian, Mexican, Rajasthani, Punjabi, and Gujarati cuisines. Jaisalmer’s Ghotwan Ladoo was also among the sweets. Sidharth and Kiara started dating while working together in ‘Shershaah’.
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Ajay Devgn, Sidharth Malhotra’s ‘Thank God’ faces legal trouble
The trailer of Ajay Devgn, Sidharth Malhotra starrer Thank God recently hit YouTube. The said glimpses from the film revealed that it is loosely based on Indian mythology with a comedy twist. However, it seems that its references made to mythological concepts have offended some and now, the film has landed in legal trouble as a UP-based lawyer has accused it of hurting religious sentiments. Thank God will feature Ajay Devgn in the role of Chitragupt who is expected to be a bookkeeper of human deeds in the afterlife as per Indian mythology. While the trailer features him in a comedy avatar, it seems that certain scenes where he uses jokes and some objectional language have not gone down well with some audiences. Lawyer Himanshu Sharma has registered a complaint in Jaunpur court in Uttar Pradesh accusing the film’s trailer of insulting a Hindu deity like Chitragupt. He has reportedly stated in his complaint that the film not only mocks religion but also misrepresents the character portrayed by Ajay Devgn. In a statement given to IANS, Himanshu Sharma said, “Chitragupta is regarded as the lord of Karma and keeps a record of a man’s good and bad deeds. Such depiction of Gods can create an unpleasant situation since it hurts religious sentiments.” It is being said that he has also been summoned to record a statement on November 18.
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Holi and Bollywood: A nostalgic walk down the memory lane
By Murtaza Ali Khan
Holi celebrations have been a part of Hindi films for as long as one can remember. Right from the early 1940s, Indian filmmakers have tried to include Holi songs in movies in order to embellish the stories so much so that some of the most popular songs of all time happen to be Holi songs. In fact, Holi has always been an important festival for the Indian film fraternity, not just on-screen but off-screen too. RK Studio hosted some of the biggest Holi parties in Bollywood with the legendary Raj Kapoor serving as a great host to the who’s who of the film industry. And it remained so for decades. The photos from the time reveal how Holi was an integral part of the studio’s celebrations. In fact, taking a leaf out of RK Studios, many others started hosting similar Holi parties and the trend continuestill date.
One of the earliest Holi songs that we come across in Hindi cinema is a song called “Jamuna Tat Shyam Khele Horee” from the 1940 film titled “Aurat”. As we move into the 1950s, we come across more and more of these songs with “Holi Khele Nandalal Biraj Mein” from the 1953 film titled “Rahi”, “KheloRang HamareSang” from the 1953 film titled “Aan”, “Mat Maro Shyam Pichkari” from the 1956 film “Durgesh Nandini”, “Holi AayiRe KanhaiRang Barse” from the 1958 film “Mother India”, and “Are JareNatkhat” from the 1959 film “Navrang” amongst the most famous ones.
In the 1960s, Bollywood unleashed evergreen Holi songs such as”Tan rang lo ji aaj man rang lo” from the 1960 classic “Kohinoor”, “Holi KhelatNandlal” from the 1963 film “Godaan”, “PiyaToseNaina” from the 1965 Vijay Anand masterpiece “Guide”, “LayiHain HazaronRang Holi” from the 1966 classic “PhoolAurPatthar”. As Hindi cinema moved into the 1970s, the writer duo of Salim-Javed injected a new kind of rage and angst in the depiction of the hero that catapulted Amitabh Bachchan’s Angry Young Man to superstardom even as the likes of Rajesh Khanna, Dharamendra, Dev Anand and others continued to play more conventional romantic heroes.
Some of the most popular Holi songs from the 1970s include “AajNa Chhodenge” from the 1970 Shakti Samanta classic “Kati Patang”,”Holi AayiRe” from the 1970 film”Holi AayiRe”, “Holi Re Holi Rangon Ki Holi” from the 1971 film “ParayaDhan”, “Nadiya Se Dariya” from Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s 1973 classic “Namak Haram”, “PhagunAayoRe” from the 1973 Rajinder Singh Bedi classic “Phagun”,”Holi AayiRe MastanoKi Toil” from the 1975 film “Zakhmee” and”Holi KeDin” from Ramesh Sippy’s epic magnum opus”Sholay”.
Bollywood’s craze for Holi songs continued in the 1980s with hits like “Rang BarseBheegeChunarwali” from the 1981 Yash Chopra classic “Silsila”, “BhagiRe BhagiBrij Bala” from the 1982 film “Rajput”, “SaatRang Main Khel Rahi Hain” from the 1985 film “Akhir Kyon”, and “Diwani Tum Jawanon Ki Toli” from the 1988 film “Dayavan”. The 1990s saw Hoi songs like “Ang Se Ang Lagana” from the 1993 Yash Chopra blockbuster “Darr”, “Rang Di Rang Di” from the 1993 film “Dhanwaan”, and “JhankaroJhankaro” from the 1994 film “Krantiveer”.
The turn of the millennium witnessed Amitabh Bachchan successfully embarking upon his second innings after a few hiccups. The song “Hori Khele Raghuveera” from the 2003 film “Baghban” went on to become one of the biggest hits of Bachchan’s stellar career. Some other popular Holi songs from the decade include “SoniSoni” from the 2000 Aditya Chopra film “Mohabbatein”, “Do Me A Favour Lets Play Holi”from the 2005 Vipul Amrutlal Shah directorial “Waqt: The Race Against Time”. The most recent superhit Holi number include “BalamPichkari” from the 2013 Ayan Mukerji film “BalamPichkari”, “LahuMunh Lag Gaya” from the 2014 Sanjay Leela Bhansali blockbuster “Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-leela”, and “Jai JaiShivshankar” from the 2019 Siddharth Anand blockbuster “War”.
With the death of Raj Kapoor in the year 1988, RK Studios stopped having these Holi parties but others continued hosting these Holi parties. In the recent years, the likes of Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar, Ekta Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, etc. have kept the tradition alive.
The growing concerns over use of chemical colors and water shortage have led to a few changes in the way the festival is celebrated but the spirit has pretty much kept alive. This year, however, with the ongoing pandemic, the Holi celebrations in the B-town are expected to be little mellow. So it appears that one would have to wait for at least one more year to see the same old zeal in B-town’s Holi celebrations once again.
(Murtaza Ali Khan is a Delhi-based Film & TV Critic / Journalist who has been covering entertainment for over 10 years. He can be reached at murtaza@apotpourriofvestiges.com)
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Kiara confirms she is dating Sidharth Malhotra
There is a rumour in B-town that actors Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani are dating. Although the two have not confirmed their relationship, there are speculations that the actors who will be seen together in the upcoming film Shershaah are together off-screen as well. Now, Kiara Advani has spilled some beans on her dating life and seemingly hinted that the two are indeed together. During an interview with Filmfare, the actress was asked about what’s brewing between her and Sidharth. But Kiara refused to divulge details. Instead, the she opened up about a date she went on earlier this year. Speaking to Filmfare, Kiara said, “Last time I went on a date was… It was sometime this year. And it’s been only two months for this year, so you do the math.” The Kabir Singh star also opened up about how she would react if she found her boyfriend cheating. The actor said, “Then I will block him and never look back. No forgetting. I don’t go back. That’s a complete no-no in a relationship.” Meanwhile, Sidharth Malhotra-led Shershaah, the biopic of Kargil war hero Vikram Batra, is set to release theatrically on July 2. The film, also starring Kiara Advani, has been helmed by Tamil director Vishnu Varadhan, known for films like Arinthum Ariyalum, Pattiyal and Billa.