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Tag: Akshay Kumar

  • Oh My God is 4th Bollywood film to be banned in the UAE

    Oh My God is 4th Bollywood film to be banned in the UAE

    Mumbai: Though the Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal-starrer Oh My God (OMG ) has been released all over India today, the film is the latest to have been banned in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

    Earlier films that were banned in the UAE were Pankaj Kapur‘s Mausam, Vikram Bhatt‘s Raaz 3 and Sachin Yardi‘s Kya Super Kool Hain Hum. Needless to say that filmmakers are alarmed. It is also said that the Hindi film industry has incurred losses to the tune of a whopping Rs 20 crore in just the past one year, because of UAE‘s actions.

    Similarly, the makers of OMG Oh My God were shocked to learn of the ban on Monday.

    It all started in July last year when Mausam, a love story between an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot ( Shahid Kapoor) and a Kashmiri woman ( Sonam Kapoor) was replaced at the last minute by a Hollywood film in theatres across UAE.

    Next, in August 2012, Kya Super Kool Hain Hum produced by Ekta Kapoor, got the axe in Kuwait and Muscat. This was just after the Bandra Police registered a FIR (First Information Report) against the film for having hurt the religious sentiments of the Christian community. Apparently, the film featured a priest in a cassock with cross around his neck and rosary in hand, solemnizing the marriage of two dogs and later sprinkling holy water, which didn‘t go down well with the community.

    Earlier this month, Raaz 3 that opened to packed houses in India, was banned in the UAE; the reason being: the sexually explicit content and portrayal of the spiritual world that didn‘t cut ice with the Censors in that country.So much so, that the production hose Vishesh Films ended up losing up to Rs 5 crore in the bargain.

  • Salman Khan tops as highest taxpayer among film celebs

    Salman Khan tops as highest taxpayer among film celebs

    MUMBAI: It‘s heartening to note that Salman Khan, whose films have been grossing Rs 100 crore plus capped by his latest blockbuster Ek Tha Tiger has emerged as the highest taxpayer in Bollywood, forking out Rs 8 crore for the September quarter.

    The 46-year old Salman trumped all his peers and rivals in the tinsel town paying Rs 8 crore in advance tax in July-September quarter this year as compared to Rs. 5 crore in the same period a year ago.

    Khan‘s romantic-action-thriller Ek Tha Tiger has clocked approximately Rs 198 crore at the box office. He has also starred in other Rs 100 crore films like Dabangg, Ready and Bodyguard.

    Following him was Akshay Kumar,who paid Rs 7.5 crore advance tax in comparison to Rs 5 crore he had paid last year during the same period. Following them way behind was Shah Rukh Khan, who has not had any big release this year as yet. His tax outgo was flat at Rs 5 crore.

    Among the other Khans, Aamir paid Rs 3.25 crore as against Rs 4.50 crore last year. Saif Ali Khan, whose films Agent Vinod and Cocktail got mixed responses at the box office, paid a tax of Rs 3 crore compared to Rs 1.7 crore in the year ago period.

    Incidentally, Amitabh Bachchan paid Rs 5 crore against the Rs 1.4 crore last year.

  • Relaxo appoints Akshay Kumar as brand ambassador for Sparx

    MUMBAI: Footwear manufacturer Relaxo has signed Akshay Kumar as the brand ambassador for its sporty brand Sparx.

    The brand sign-off, ‘Add Sparx to your life‘ conveys a lot about the brand and its connect with the youth of today, the company said.

    Relaxo Footwears executive director Gaurav Dua said “Sparx, in a short span of time, has become an iconic brand amongst the youth. The new brand ambassador for Sparx had to be someone who possessed all these qualities. And who would be better than Akshay Kumar who is making a comeback as an action hero and adds sparx to his life in everything he does.”

    Kumar will be seen endorsing Sparx footwear in a 40 second TVC shot in Kuala Lumpur City, Malaysia and created by 30 Seconds of Fame.

    The commercial film revolves around a girl whose cell phone gets stolen by a rogue on a BMX bike. Kumar along with his friends, standing across the street with a soccer ball, decide to chase the thief; And since they all have their Sparx on, they decide to use their soccer skills to get their hands on him. What ensues is intense street football whilst the consumer witnesses some amazing close shots of the shoes. With some high adrenaline music to support this fast paced action film, Kumar will surely show his fans, how to add “Sparx” to their life.

  • Farah Khan mulls screening Joker to the underprivileged

    Farah Khan mulls screening Joker to the underprivileged

    MUMBAI: Producer Farah Khan intends to screen her upcoming film Joker to underprivileged children.

    Directed by her husband Shirish Kunder, the film is a fantasy-adventure film starring Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha, Shreyas Talpade and Minnisha Lamba.

    “Joker is a complete family film and the kids already love our friendly aliens. We have been doing a lot of events with aliens and the reaction from kids has been out of this world,” Farah said in a statement.

    The makers of the film are planning to show the film to underprivileged kids and children from reality shows a couple of days before the movie releases. “As part of the film’s promotions, we are planning to show this movie to the kids,” Farah added.

    The film tells the story about a village called Paglapur that lacks basic facilities like water supply and electricity. Since no one comes forward to solve the problems, the character played by Akshay creates a drama involving aliens to attract people‘s attention.

    Joker, jointly produced by UTV Motion Pictures, Farah and Shirish‘s production house Three‘s Company and Akshay Kumar‘s company Hari Om Entertainment, will release on 31 August.

  • Joker no more a 3D project

    Joker no more a 3D project

    MUMBAI: Going back to the original plan to shoot Joker directed by Shirish Kunder in 3D, the makers UTV Movies has decided that the film starring Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha and Minissha Lamba would be in the regular 2D format.

    Said Disney UTV Studios MD Siddharth Roy Kapoor, “For a movie featuring a supersta, the draw is more of the star power and the content. We have seen this in case of many films over the past year that have clicked at the BO more for the film itself rather than the incremental business from 3D screens. Given this experience, we took a collective decision with Akshay, Shirish and his wife Farah Khan to complete Joker in the regular 2D format only.”

    In 1947 when the maps of India and Pakistan were being drawn, the village of Paglapur didn’t find a place in either country due to an oversight. The village had the distinction of housing the largest mental asylum in the region and in the melee that ensued during partition, the asylum inmates broke loose, drove away the villagers and established their own republic Paglapur.

    And that’s how it stayed for the next 60 years! While the world outside changed, Paglapur remained isolated, with no electricity, television or sanity! Now, decades after the world forgot this village, a Nasa scientist of Indian origin, Raj and his wife Manali find themselves on the road to Paglapur. Raj is working on a top secret project for creating a device to communicate with aliens. What ensues forms the crux of the film.

    Kunder said, “Initially we had plans to make Joker in the 3D format. But that is not to be. Taking into account the recent responses of 3D movies, we decided to reach out to a wider audience.”

    Going by recent performances of our 3D films, the genre has still a long way to go. Even Rakesh Roshan, who had earlier planned to convert Krrish 3 that was shot in the 2D format into 3D, is a little hesitant. “Whether to incorporate 3D or not depends on the length of the film,” he averred.

  • UTV announces release dates of Barfi, Joker and Heroine

    UTV announces release dates of Barfi, Joker and Heroine

    MUMBAI: UTV Motion Pictures has announced the release dates of three of its big-ticket films.

    While Anurag Basu-directed film Barfi! will release on 31 August, the Akshay Kumar-Sonakshi Sinha-starrer Joker will release on 14 September and the Madhur Bhandarkar-helmed Kareena Kapoor-starrer Heroine on 21 September.

    Barfi!, which stars Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileyana, is the story of Barfi-the chalu Chaplin who the girls love but the cops hate. He can‘t speak but is always talked about. His naughty antics will make one scream but he never listens, because he can‘t.

    On the other hand, the country‘s first ever extra-terrestrial drama, Shirish Kunder-directed film Joker is the story of Agastya (Akshay Kumar), a researcher probing the existence of aliens in the universe who returns to his small little native village. The out-of-luck Agastya takes it upon himself to put his crazy village on the global map and continues with his exploration on aliens from there.

    While his plan gets the village attention from across the world, it also comes with a great deal of risk. Will aliens save the day for Aghastya or will his plans fall like a pack of cards?

    The film has been produced by UTV Motion Pictures, Three‘s Company and Kumar‘s Hari Om Productions.

    Lastly, Heroine is based on the life and times of a superstar heroine from the dream factory we call ‘Bollywood‘. The film is an entertaining, daring, emotional, shocking, glamorous, scandalous behind the scenes account of the reality behind the world of glitz and glamour that our film stars inhabit.

    For a country obsessed with films and film stars, Heroine will take audiences on a voyeuristic journey to see what really goes on behind the closed doors of make-up rooms and vanity vans. It gives them a chance to go beyond the gorgeous smiles and politically correct quotes, to see what really happens in the lives of India‘s sweethearts.

    The film has been produced by UTV Motion Pictures and Madhur Bhandarkar.

  • Rowdy Rathore becomes this year’s biggest weekend grosser

    Rowdy Rathore becomes this year’s biggest weekend grosser

    MUMBAI: Rowdy Rathore has made the most of its mass appeal and an exhaustive release, as many as 2,800 prints across India. The film has also marked Akshay Kumar’s reentry to the action movie genre.

    The film has gone on to collect Rs 483 million in its opening weekend, making it the highest weekend grosser in this year and fifth highest so far.

    Bodyguard topped with Rs 889.5 million (from five-day weekend), followed by Ra.One (Rs 803 million from 5 days), Agneepath (Rs 620 million from 4-day weekend) and Dabangg (Rs 48.8 million).

    Among the other films, Department dropped beyond salvation in its second week managing to collect just Rs 7.5 million, taking its two-week total to Rs 118.5 million and making it a loss-making project.

    Ishqzaade continued to hold its own and collected Rs 75.5 million in the third week, recording a handsome total of Rs 458 million.

    Dangerous Ishq added Rs 4 million in its third week, taking its tally to Rs 67 million and, thus, making it a major loser.

    Jannat 2 has managed to stay above the Rs 10 million mark with collections of Rs 11 million in its fourth week. It took the four-week net collections to Rs 459 million.

    Vicky Donour maintained its excellent run at the box office by collecting Rs 21.5 million in its sixth week, which takes its total to Rs 404.5 million. It is set to be a hit.

    Housefull2 has come towards the end of its run with a symbolic contribution of Rs 2 million in its eighth week. The film has so far mopped up Rs 1.19 billion.

  • Rowdy Rathore befits a B grade film of a bygone era

    Rowdy Rathore befits a B grade film of a bygone era

    MUMBAI: Rowdy Rathore is an action thriller depicting its hero as a sort of superman. In the style of the good old 1970s and 80s, he is mightier than the combined might of scores of villains. A remake of Telugu hit Vikramarkudu, nothing seems to have changed in this Hindi version except the language and a few known supporting artistes, retaining the villain clan mainly from South.

    Producers: Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ronnie Screwvala.
    Director: Prabhu Dheva.
    Cast: Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha, Yashpal Sharma, M Naseer, Paresh Ganatra, Anant Jog, Mushtaq Khan.

    The film aims at the masses, does not bother with finesse and lets minor details of crowds and costumes pass. The film has also been made in Tamil, Kannada and Bengali versions. The hero plays double role, which does not mean much since there few combined shots or drama on that count.

    Akshay Kumar as Shiva is a petty thief doing small tricks with his sidekick, a rather dumb-witted Paresh Ganatra. In short, he is a small-time tapori indulging in small-time sleight-of-hand, picking up mostly gold ornaments and cell phones. Just to establish how petty he is, his den is filled with a municipal garden bench to a railway clock! On one of his outings he sees Sonakshi Sinha and it is love at first sight. She has come to Mumbai from Patna to attend a cousin‘s wedding. Now Shiva is chasing Sonakshi when not chasing his victims and soon enough, Sonakshi too reciprocates. It is time to reveal his cards and confess to her that he is a petty crook. She makes him promise that he will give it up from ‘tomorrow‘, not because ‘today‘ was less auspicious but to facilitate a change of track in the story.

    Since Shiva has one last day before his promise takes effect, he decides to pull one major theft. He is lucky too, it would seem, because at the railway station a woman is flashing her money and advertising to anyone who will listen that the wooden chest she is carrying is full of gold. Shiva and his sidekick pick up the heavy chest. They open it to find a small girl sleeping soundly in the chest. The girl clings to Shiva and starts calling him papa.

    It is now time for Akshay Kumar 2 to emerge. Akshay Kumar 2, ASP Vikram Singh Rathore, is a top cop with guts and a widower. He is much-decorated and much-transferred from one posting to another for his forthright ways of dealing with criminals. He has taken on the local don of a town in Bihar called Devgadh. While fighting with his goons there, he was badly hurt and carries a bullet wound in his head which aggravates every time his head is hurt but also miraculously heals instantly with water!

    To demonstrate his hand-to-hand fighting skills to Shiva, he takes on the Devgadh goons again who have followed him to Mumbai where he has been brought on the sly by his loyal subordinates for treatment. The girl in the chest is his daughter who has been forced on to Shiva because he looks like the policeman. Vikram Singh succumbs to wounds inflicted on him in his demo fight.

    Shiva must fill Vikram Singh‘s shoes and complete the job, that of cleansing Devgadh of its tyrant, Bapji (M Naseer). What follows is pure frontbencher fare as Shiva picks up from where Rathore left off.

    Sonakshi Sinha drops in out of the blue to reclaim her love. A naach-gana routine follows before it is wrap up time. As in most south Indian films, the villagers are made witness and party to the demolition of the villain‘s empire as well as the villain.

    The making of Rowdy Rathore is that befitting a B grade film of a bygone era. The treatment is just about passable. Music is loud, with only one song, Chinta ta ta chita chita.., being entertaining. Dialogue lacks the punch needed in such a film. Technically it is average.

    It is an Akshay Kumar film all the way and he excels in action as usual. Sonakshi Sinha, made to vanish before interval and to emerge only towards end, is okay. Yashpal Sharma, doing a positive, restrained role for a change is very good. Paresh Ganatra makes his presence felt. M Naseer as the main villain is stereotype. Anant Jog and Mushtaq Khan are as usual.

    Rowdy Rathore caters to single screen cinemas. Its appeal with the multiplex audience, especially in up-market localities, is compromised by the theme and treatment. That is where first cracks on its box office performance will show

  • Akshay Kumar to remake Malayalam film

    Akshay Kumar to remake Malayalam film

    MUMBAI: Akshay Kumar has approached Priyadarshan to remake in Hindi The Arab, The Camel and P Madhavan Nair that the director had helmed in Malayalam.

    Confirming the same, Priyadarshan said, “I am remaking this Malayalam film of mine The Arab, The Camel and P Madhavan Nair in Hindi. That is the last film I did with Mohanlal. Akshay Kumar would feature in the Hindi remake and will also produce it.”

    The Arab, The Camel, and P Madhavan Nair is a 2011 Malayalam romantic comedy that stars Mohanlal, Mukesh, Lakshmi Rai and Bhavana.

    Meanwhile, Priyadarshan is awaiting the release of his latest Hindi film Tezz on 27 April. The film features Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Zayed Khan and Kangana Ranaut and Mohanlal in a cameo.

    Kumar’s move follows Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn who have been engaged in remaking films from South India.

  • Akshay Kumar to play Lord Krishna in Oh My God

    Akshay Kumar to play Lord Krishna in Oh My God

    MUMBAI: Earlier it was being speculated that either Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan would play Lord Krishna in Grazing Goat Pictures’ first offering OMG…Oh My God, but now it has been decided that the star producer himself would essay the cameo.

    The screen adaptation of Paresh Rawal’s play ‘Krishna vs Kanhaiyalal’, the Umesh Shukla-directed film has Rawal play an atheist while Kumar puts up a guest appearance as Lord Krishna.

    “We hadn’t approached any other actor. We were contemplating it, but I was able to adjust my dates and make time for the cameo. It’s only eight-10 days work, but it’s a significant role,” Kumar has reportedly said while confirming his portrayal.

    Krishna vs Kanhaiyalal’ shows Rawal playing a small-time businessman who runs an antique shop and his brush with God, religion, beliefs and virtues. Although it is a comedy, it opens some very hard truths about society, culture, religion and idol worship.

    In the form of dialogues in scenes that range from household issues between a couple to the corny, but still favourite ‘court scene’, the intent of the author comes out strongly in the script. The play itself flows in the form of intense debates and discussions focussed on the specific issues that it wants to address.

    The film is being co-produced by Kumar and Rawal while Viacom 18 will distribute the film.