Hindi

‘PK’…Mildly bubbly!

Published

11 years ago

December 19, 2014

MUMBAI: The expectations from PK would, naturally, be as high as director Raju Hirani’s three earlier classic hits, the Munnabhai two and 3 Idiots have built. The basic theme remains the same: that of delivering a full-fledged sermon. If 3 Idiots was on education, PK serves to be a satire on the exploitation perpetuated in the name of religion by self-styled god men. This is not a mean thing to achieve for a believer, which most of us in India are. We can’t reject our God hence Hirani seeks outside help.

Aamir Khan is an alien who has been sent by his people to do a research on earthlings when they realised people similar to them exist on earth. Aamir’s folks on his planet do not believe in covering their naturally given body by outer layers like clothes and, hence, he lands in the far flung desert of Rajasthan totally nude. The only thing on his body is a pendant tied around his neck which is his remote to contact his spaceship when he is ready to return to his home planet.

As Aamir lands he sees an earthling near railway tracks who also gives him his first experience with the ways of earth people. This stranger tugs at his pendant and makes a run for it getting on to the running goods train. Aamir proceeds to the nearest town where he steals clothes from intimate lovers making it out in parked cars; money comes along in wallets of the stolen clothes and when it falls short there is always a blind beggar around to steal from.

In the town, Aamir comes across Sanjay Dutt, a helpful soul. Aamir has no language because on his planet people communicate mind to mind. He tries to grab hands of every woman he sees. Sanjay thinks Aamir is in a need of a woman and takes him to a whorehouse where he holds her hands for a few hours and transfers her vocabulary to himself.

Sanjay tells him that to find his remote; Aamir will have to go to Delhi where costly stolen goods are sold. However, not knowing where to start looking for his remote, he is told that only God can help him find his lost property. Aamir sets out in search of God but soon realises that different people hold different beliefs. He alternates between mandir, masjid and church in an attempt to find the real God. While his attempts create funny situations, it also conveys the hypocrisy as well as the contradictions of various faiths.

When a god man or a politician has to be exposed, a TV reporter in the story has become sort of mandatory. Here Anushka Sharma is the one. Her assignment is to ‘report’ a story on a suicidal puppy! That is when she spots Aamir doing his antics and always on the run as he keeps offending people of some religion or the other. She thinks there is a huge story here to which her boss, Boman Irani, does not agree. Anushka devotes her working hours and more to be with Aamir.

The search for his remote leads Aamir to a God man, Saurabh Shukla. Saurabh has bought the remote from the man who stole it and is passing it off as bead that fell from Lord Shiva’s Damroo. He declares to his devotees that God wills him to build a massive temple for this bead. This is his way to extract funds from his devotees. Anushka has an axe to grind with the Swami. Her parents are blind followers of Saurabh and she holds him responsible for breaking her romance with a Pakistani boy, Sushant Singh Rajput, while they are studying in Belgium.

She joins Aamir in exposing Saurabh. While Aamir only wants to prove that Saurabh’s communication with God is reaching ‘wrong number’, Anushka knows Aamir will unwittingly expose Saurabh to be a fraud. In a series of TV reports, Anushka manages to unmask all god men of all religions leading to a finale where Aamir and Saurabh come face to face on a TV debate. Anushka gets her love back, Aamir gets his remote and Saurabh loses everything.

PK does not quite bear the Raju Hirani stamp; while the script holds well through the first half and is fairly entertaining, its loses steam as the film proceeds into second half. While becoming a sermon on frauds operating as god men, the subject is dealt with at length and with better effect in OMG: Oh My God, which came out not very long ago. The end is rather tame until it brings Aamir back for the concluding scene. Raju Hirani is in his element but the script holds him back to some extent. Also, the film does not have a full-fledged romantic track. The film has a fairly good musical score with couple of hummable songs in Dil darbadar…. and Chaar kadam…, the others being thematic. The film needed some trimming for sure.

Aamir has to carry this film singularly on his shoulders and, being an alien, with limited expressions. However, he manages to put in a great performance conveying the innocence he is supposed to. Anushka Sharma is good. The others have bit roles with Sushant exuding great charm, Boman being his usual self and Sanjay having nothing much to do. Saurabh’s character is not properly etched.

PK has been released on a massive scale with enhanced admission rates and Christmas holidays to follow soon, which would aid it to a great extent to overcome its comparison with Hirani’s earlier films.

Producers: Vinod Chopra, Raju Hirani.

Director: Raju Hirani.

Cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Sanjay Dutt, Sushant Singh Rajput, Boman Irani, Saurabh Shukla.

Up Next

HBO’s ‘Selfie in Space’ contest sends winning picture into space

Don't Miss

Film Guild implements ‘swachh bharat abhiyan’

Click to comment

Hindi

Boney Kapoor acquires remake rights of Tamil political satire Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil

Strong word-of-mouth turns Pongal satire into remake pick

Published

5 days ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: A Pongal release, a village satire and a theatre visit in Coimbatore have turned into Boney Kapoor’s latest acquisition. The producer has secured the remake rights to the Tamil political satire Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil (TTT), a film that has been enjoying a strong theatrical run powered by word-of-mouth and praise for its sharp, rooted writing.

Set in a rural milieu, the story follows a panchayat leader thrown into disarray when a wedding and a funeral land on the same day. What unfolds is a swirl of satire and humour that skewers local politics, power games, bruised egos and family tensions, all anchored in the textures of everyday village life.

Kapoor first encountered the film earlier this year while in Coimbatore for the Celebrity Cricket League. With time to spare, he caught a screening at a local theatre. That viewing proved decisive. According to sources, the narrative style, performances and the film’s balance of political commentary and comedy caught his attention.

Interest quickly turned into intent. Kapoor reached out to the producers soon after to explore a remake. Talks gathered pace over the following weeks and came to a head last Friday at the film’s success party in Chennai, where Kapoor joined the celebrations and continued negotiations with the makers.

By the end of the evening, the deal was sealed, with Kapoor formally acquiring the remake rights.

For an industry constantly mining regional cinema for the next crossover story, the move is telling. A small-town satire with local flavour has found a national backer. And if Kapoor’s instincts hold, a tale born in one village may soon echo far beyond it.

Hindi

Fans take centre stage as Zee Cine awards turns the spotlight around

Published

6 days ago

February 7, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: When the applause gets louder than the dialogue, you know the fans have taken over. That was the unmistakable mood as Zee formally announced the Zee Cine Awards 2026, flipping the script to celebrate not just cinema’s stars, but the people who cheer them on the loudest.

The 24th edition of the awards marks a fresh chapter in Zee’s long-standing relationship with Hindi cinema, anchored in its fan-first philosophy, Fantertainment. This year’s theme, ‘Yeh Pal Hai Fans Ka’, reinforces a simple idea: cinema’s most powerful moments are shaped as much by audiences as by actors on screen. Presented by Maruti Suzuki, the awards aim to turn fandom into the main event.

The announcement, held in Mumbai, was anything but a routine press conference. Bollywood stars Akshay Kumar, Tamannaah Bhatia, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa, Aparshakti Khurana, composer Mithoon and singer Palak Muchhal joined fans to kick off the celebrations, turning the launch into a high-voltage, participative spectacle.

Staying true to the theme, fans didn’t just watch the announcement, they drove it. Akshay Kumar took the lead, pulling fellow stars on stage and energising the room, before the unveiling of a live LED Fan Meter. Powered purely by audience cheers, the rising meter culminated in the reveal of the Zee Cine Awards 2026 ground event date, announced in unison with fans, blurring the line between performer and spectator.

The momentum continued as Tamannaah Bhatia, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa and Aparshakti Khurana recreated iconic hook steps, joined by Mithoon and Palak Muchhal for music-led interactions. Games, spontaneous performances and playful banter kept the focus firmly on shared moments, underscoring the evolving bond between cinema and its audience.

Beyond the launch, the awards will roll out as a multi-platform journey across television, digital, print and fan-led experiences. The aim is sustained engagement from the first announcement to awards night cementing fandom as a cultural force rather than a footnote.

Commenting on the milestone edition Zee head of advertisement revenue, broadcast & digital Laxmi Shetty said the 24th Zee Cine Awards continue to draw strength from the network’s omni-channel ecosystem, reflecting how audiences consume content today across TV, digital and social platforms. She noted that long-standing brand associations, including Maruti Suzuki’s three-year partnership and support from brands such as Hell Energy, underline the platform’s scale, trust and cultural relevance.

As Zee Cine Awards 2026 gathers pace, one thing is clear: this year, the loudest cheers won’t just echo in the auditorium, they’ll shape the show itself.

Hindi

Prime Video to stream Don’t Be Shy, produced by Alia Bhatt

Published

2 weeks ago

January 30, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Prime Video has found its next feel-good original, and it comes with a healthy dose of heart, humour and youthful chaos. The streaming platform has announced Don’t Be Shy, a coming-of-age romantic comedy produced by Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt under their banner, Eternal Sunshine Productions.

Written and directed by Sreeti Mukerji, the film follows Shyamili ‘Shy’ Das, a 20-year-old who believes her life is neatly mapped out until it suddenly is not. What follows is a relatable tumble through friendship, love and the awkward art of growing up, when plans unravel and certainty gives way to self-discovery.

The project is co-produced by Grishma Shah and Vikesh Bhutani, with music composed by Ram Sampath, adding to the film’s promise of warmth and energy. Prime Video describes the story as light-hearted yet emotionally grounded, with a strong female-led narrative at its core.

Prime Video India director and head of originals Nikhil Madhok, said the platform was delighted to collaborate with Eternal Sunshine on a story that blends sincerity with humour. He noted that the film’s fresh writing, earnest characters and infectious music make it an easy, engaging watch for audiences well beyond its young adult setting.

For Alia Bhatt, Don’t Be Shy reflects the kind of storytelling Eternal Sunshine set out to champion. She said the film stood out for its honesty, its coming-of-age perspective and Mukerji’s passion, which she felt was deeply woven into the narrative. Bhatt also praised Prime Video for supporting distinctive voices and bold creative choices.

With its breezy tone and familiar emotional beats, Don’t Be Shy aims to charm viewers whether they are rom-com regulars or simply in the mood for a warm, unpretentious story about life refusing to stick to the plan.