Hindi

Aakrosh: Subject fails to evoke empathy

Published

15 years ago

October 15, 2010

Director: Priyadarshan
Producer: Kumar Mangat Pathak
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Akshay Khanna, Paresh Rawal, Reema Sen, Bipasha Basu, Amita
Tripathi

MUMBAI: While almost every film is being copied from a foreign source, some makers get gutsier and copy classics. The recent hit Raajneeti copied all that was best out of Godfather, while Aakrosh is a straight lift from 1988 Hollywood classic Mississippi Burning. While the latter dealt with a sensitive 1960 subject of Blacks Vs Ku Klux Klan, Aakrosh, set in a small Bihar town, deals with Upper cast Vs Backward class.

The story follows similar lines as Mississippi Burning, directed by Alan Parker, not risking diverging one bit except giving it a Hindu fanatic touch. A lower cast boy studying medicine in Delhi arrives with his two friends in his home town, Jhanjhar, after receiving an SOS from his high cast girl friend that her marriage is being fixed with a rich boy. While trying to elope with the girl, the boys vanish and are not heard of again.

Soon, two CBI officers with opposing style of working descend on the town to
investigate the disappearance of the boys! Nobody is willing to talk, no witnesses; the backward class are too scared and the high cast are in a league. And, the local police on its part feign total ignorance of any happenings around town!

While the original had Ku Klux Klan, Aakrosh has a Shool Sena, a Trishul burning brigade with the singular agenda to kill low cast folk, especially those aspiring to match their status. The subject fails to evoke any empathy because, while equal rights for black was a burning issue in the US and had its strong advocates, suppression of low cast is as much a political issue here as it is a social one. The writers have found the original sequences so easy and convenient to retain (except the one about chilly powder, lifted straight out of Ketan Mehta’s Mirch Masala), they have not bothered if they fit the local way of life.

There is nothing much to say about performances as Ajay Devgn has to vary between angry and suspicious look through the film, while Akshaye Khanna wears a quizzical one. The villains of the lot have a better scope to express among whom Paresh Rawal excels. Reema Sen is good while Bipasha Basu and Amita Pathak have little to do.

The cast of supporting goons is effective. As for direction, the credit should go to Alan Parker for whatever is good in the film. Music is poor. Dialogue is good at places.

Issue-based films have few takers in India and Aakrosh is as dry an entertainer as it can get to score at the box office.

Knock Out is a taut film

Director: Mani Shankar
Producer: Sohail Maklai
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Irrfan, Kangna Ranaut, Sushant Singh, Gulshan Grover, Apporva
Lakhia

Knock Out is a rehash of Hollywood film Phone Booth with a dash of another film, Liberty Stands Tall added. Since it is a single thread, one location film, the trick to hold the viewers interest is in unfolding the story while holding as much back to maintain an air of suspense and drama. As is his wont, director Mani Shankar employs gadgets of all sorts from satellite tracing to laser guns to miniature surveillance choppers.

Irrfan is a fixer for a particular politician handling his ill-gotten cash and running errands. Contrary to his image of a family loving husband, he is a compulsive womaniser and liar. Being in the kind of business he is, he takes his instructions from the politician’s people from a public phone booth. On one such visit to his regular phone booth, he picks up the ringing phone and, thereafter, the drama unfolds as he is held captive in the booth at gun pointed at him from a building across the booth and made to own up to all his sins as well as those of his mentors as the media is thronging the place covering this drama as it unfolds.

With little else to distract or divert viewers’ attention to, a lot depends on how the film unwinds and the performances. While Sanjay Dutt, closeted in a room pointing a gun at the booth and eliciting confessions, can’t do much to liven up the proceedings, it is up to Irrfan to make the goings on interesting; to say the least, he does it with flying colours as this role showcases his talents. Kangna Ranaut as a TV journalist passes muster. Sushant Singh is effective. Gulshan Grover and Apoorva Lakhia in brief roles are okay.

Direction is stylish. There are no songs in the film; background score is effective. Cinematography is very good and so are action sequences. Dialogue is witty.

Knock Out is a taut film with loose first half and interesting second half. Its drawbacks are in the waning following of Sanjay Dutt and release during a very dull period which will not augur well for its business prospects.

Hindi

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

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

Published

4 weeks 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

4 weeks 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

1 month 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.