Hindi

‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani’: What kahani?

Published

11 years ago

June 12, 2015

MUMBAI: At times, Vishesh Films, the banner run by Bhatt Brothers, Mahesh and Mukesh, grab some media by tagging a film as based on Mahesh’s personal life. This time, they present Hamari Adhuri Kahani, reportedly based on the life of their father. The film, to avoid the travails of a period movie, is told in contemporary times. But, as a biography or inspired from someone’s personal life, it is a bizarre tale to tell!

Vidya Balan specialises in arranging flowers. It is not clear if she is a florist or works for a hotel, which Emraan Hashmi plans to buy out. He is impressed by the way she does her flower arrangements and sees her humane side. He is not familiar with such behaviour as he is a selfish go-getter. Emraan is a hospitality business tycoon already owning 108 hotels worldwide. Before adding any new property to his repertoire, Emraan conducts a test as to how the hotel is managed and how good the staff is.

Having checked into the presidential suite of his target hotel, he instructs Vidya to put a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on his door since he hadn’t slept for 18 hours, he needed rest. Don’t the guests do such chores on their own instead of treating a florist like housekeeping help? Soon there is a fire on the top floor of the hotel close to the presidential suite occupied by Emraan. The staff, all of six or seven people (for such a huge hotel) run out of the hotel including the security personnel whose priority should have been to vacate the guest rooms first.

Vidya has followed the herd of deserters but soon realizes Mr Hotel Tycoon is still in his room catching up on his 18 hour sleep. Vidya runs back in the hotel to alert Emraan and save his life. He seems to be the only guest in the hotel. Impressed by her flowers and her demeanour already, Emraan is overwhelmed by her loyalty and sincerity to her job and responsibilities. He has already fallen in love with her and wants her to join his Dubai hotel property and later wants her for himself.

Vidya is a traditional Indian woman, married to Rajkumar Rao, whose name is tattooed on her forearm. She may say that she would never remove her mangalsutra and it will burn with her on the pyre when she is dead. But, for convenience, she never wears her mangalsutra when on the job. So much for mangalsutra and pyres!

Though Vidya finds Emraan to be a nice man and never rejects his romantic advances, the Indian nari gets the better of her when Emraan proposes. She reveals that she is married, has a husband who is untraceable for the last five years; and she also has a child. She thinks he has deserted her, tells her child he is abroad while the police tell her he is somewhere in Bastar and has become a terrorist. Things get more puzzling as Rajkumar had left from Kolkata for Jharkhand but was traced in Bastar in Central India pointing a gun at some foreign tourist. The police has his picture aiming a pistol at the foreigners.

Finally, convinced that her husband has strayed, Vidya agrees to Emraan’s advances. She falls in love with him. That’s the cue: it is time for Rajkumar to stage a comeback. It does not matter that he is a terrorist and there is a police posse posted right outside his house! His house has been empty for years but he is hiding under a bed, only God and the makers know why! The timing is perfect. Vidya has decided to return to becoming Indian nari again, tells off Emraan and returns home to find Rajkumar under the bed.

Rajkumar, after all, was not a terrorist, but was forced into it, he explains. But, it is too late for him. Vidya has found love for the first time in her life in Emraan. While Rajkumar wants his legally wedded wife back, Emraan loves her so much that he is willing to stake his 108 hotels for her sake (there is a folklore about a shipping tycoon eons back in Western India who owned 99 ships, fell in love and staked his fleet for her sake. Even today, a lot of prime Mumbai property stands in the name of his trust.)

It is unbelievable that the story of Hamari Adhuri Kahani is written by Mahesh Bhatt. It is banal. The proceedings are directionless. Music lacks appeal. Dialogue is pedestrian. Photography is uninspired. Editing this film would be a challenge. Most of the 131 minute run time of the film is between Emraan and Vidya and their romance, which is grossly unconvincing and lacks any sort of chemistry. Rajkumar starts the proceedings but vanishes till after interval (the fact that Vidya is married should have been kept till later when Emraan proposes to her). The fact that two men, a tycoon and a driver, are pining for her love is a bit farfetched. Since there is no scope for showing talent, none of the three oblige. Amala is the only pleasant presence on screen though only for a few minutes. Then there is a Dilton Doily (Archie comics) who plays Emraan’s sidekick whose very presence makes the audience laugh.

Hamari Adhuri Kahani is a major let down coming as it does from Mahesh Bhatt’s penmanship and the rest joining to realise his vision or total lack of it. The box office prospects are very poor.

Producer: Mukesh Bhatt

Director: Mohir Suri

Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan, Rajkumar Rao, Amala

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Hindi

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

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

Published

3 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

3 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.