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Prem Ratan Dhan Payo…
Prem Ratan Dhan Payo is about palace intrigue, conspiracy and, as is the wont with Rajshri movies, reconciliation and happy endings. Despite being based on a royal background, the essence remains the same as all SoorajBarjatya films: family and values. This is also the costliest venture Rajshri has produced.
Salman Khan aka Prem is a street-smart Rambhakta in Ayodhya and loves to perform the role of Ram during Ram Leela. As in most films, Prem has a sidekick in Deepak Dobriyal. Salman Khan aka Vijay Singh is the crown prince of faraway place calledPritampur and due for his Rajyabhishek (crowning).
Vijay has royal bearings and makes sure he shows it. One of the routines he follows is to have a sabre dual with his step brother, Neil NitinMukesh. Neil is much influenced negativelyin the palace by ArmaanKohli, a sort of major domo. Also, at odds with Vijay are his two step sisters, SwaraBhaskar and Ashika Bhatia, who want a share in the royal property. Swara ekes out a living as a teacher while Ashika is a student and good at playing football.
Neilconspires with Armaan to remove Vijay from the scene so that he can usurp all the property; he has also been made to believe by Armaan that all his bills are to be sanctioned by elder brother Vijay. Vijay always clears all the bills but Armaan makes Neil believe otherwise thus creating a rift between brothers.
Though about royalty, the film takes a contemporary approach. But we don’t know why Vijay travels in an old style stagecoach while the rest of the people use limousines. That is probably to make it easy for Armaan and Neil to bump him off! So, the coach rider jumps off the coach locking Vijay inside and the coach falls off a cliff.
In comes Prem, put in place by the only loyalist, AnupamKher, a diwan from Vijay’s father’s time. Vijay has survived but is badly hurt. While he is being treated by doctors in some secret hideout, thanks to AnupamPrem is asked to pretend to be Vijay. Prem has a reason to accept because he has secretly fallen in love with Sonam Kapoor, a princess from another state, who is due in Pritampur for the occasion since she is the fiancé of Vijay.
Sonam wants out of the impending marriage because she and Vijay are poles apart.Prem takes it upon himself to correct her misgivings about Vijay by being very nice to her. After all, he is the Rajshri hero who only has other people’s best at heart even if he has to make sacrifices. He also uses his goodness to win over the estranged stepsisters promising them equal share in all the royal wealth. No matter it does not belong to him!
It is time to contend with the evildoers, Armaan and Neil, who have kidnapped Vijay from the hideout. For whatever reason, they take Prem to the spot where Vijay is captive. Armaan is now ready to betray even Neil and plans to let Vijay and Neil get into sabre fight till one is killed.
Sonam’s job meanwhile is to sing songs with Salman and help him play the replacement Vijay with conviction by reminding him of her and Vijay’s past encounter. Of course, by now Sonam has also fallen in love with Prem and become demonstrative in expressing her love for him. All the negative feelings of various character are neutralized by Prem and he gets the trophy.
PremRatanDhanPayo is unnecessarily long. The first half is as good as irrelevant as nothing interesting happens and the leisurely narrative coupled with loose script make the process slow and boring. The film shows some promise in the latter parts of the second half but again becomes predictable with a routine climax. The SoorajBarjatya touch is missing here and one also notices a few glitches here and there. There is an overdose of songs which are placed at random. However, the film has generally good score. Four of the songs have popular appeal. Sets are good and are well exploited by the cinematographer.
The film is all about Salman and he dominates the screen throughout. Though the Vijay part is brief compared to Prem, Salman juxtaposes both parts very well. What ails the film is the total lack of chemistry between Salman and Sonam and the latter’s limitations as an actor, the fact which makes the romance hard to believe. Anupam lends credibility to his character of a loyal diwan. Neil has a smaller role and limited scope. Deepak, Swara and Ashika are okay. Armaan fails to make a mark.
PremRatanDhanPayo may interest audiences away from metros with multiplex crowd soon tapering out. The film has opened to full houses all over and is expected to cross 40 crore mark on day one (released on Thursday), but it faces an uphill task with a price tag of 135 crore.
Producers: Kamal Kumar Barjatya, Raj Kumar Barjatya, Ajit Kumar Barjatya.
Director: Sooraj RBarjatya.
Cast: Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor, AnupamKher, Neil NitinMukesh, SwaraBhaskar, ArmaanKohli, Deepak Dobriyal, Samaira Rao.
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Laughs meet chills as ‘Jhamkudi’ hits TV screens
MUMBAI: Get ready for a hauntingly good time as Jhamkudi, the Gujarati blockbuster that cast a spell on cinema-goers, makes its world television premiere on Shemaroo Josh this 14 November at 7 PM.
Directed by Umang Vyas, the film takes viewers to the eerie village of Raniwada, where Navratri celebrations are overshadowed by the curse of a vengeful witch. Enter Bablo, a quirky real estate agent, and Kumud, a royal heir, whose fates collide in a hilarious and spooky chain of events that’s equal parts chaos and charm.
The film stars national award-winning actress Manasi Parekh, who shines once again with her trademark depth and grace, alongside Viraj Ghelani, the digital sensation whose comic timing is as sharp as ever. The stellar ensemble also includes Ojas Rawal, Sanjay Goradia, Jayesh More, Krunal Pandit, Chetan Daiya, and Bhavini Jani.
Blending goosebumps with giggles, Jhamkudi proves that even horror can have heart. With its sharp writing, witty dialogues, and a dash of desi masala, the film promises an evening of family fun that’s both thrilling and thoroughly entertaining.
So mark your calendars, grab some popcorn, and tune in to Shemaroo Josh on 14 November at 7 PM for the perfect mix of fright and delight, because this witch tale is all about wicked fun!
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Zee reels in record highs with a blockbuster show of movie magic
MUMBAI: In a cinematic twist worthy of its own premiere, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (‘Z’) has pulled off a blockbuster of its own recording a three-year high share of 28.7 per cent in the Hindi movie cluster in Q2FY26. Proving that great storytelling never goes out of style, the content and technology powerhouse has reaffirmed its dominance in India’s ever-competitive movie broadcast landscape.
Leading the charge is Zee Cinema, which reclaimed its position as the No. 1 Hindi movie channel (15 plus HSM Urban) this quarter. Its line-up of premieres from the rural rumbler Jaat to the slick actioner Game Changer pulled in massive audiences. But it was Pushpa: The Rule – Part 2 that truly stole the show, delivering the highest-rated movie premiere of FY26 so far. The last film to achieve a similar feat? Gadar 2, also a Zee Cinema triumph from November 2023.
Meanwhile, Zee’s Free-to-Air dynamos Anmol Cinema and Zee Action flexed their reach muscle, becoming the most-watched channels across all languages and genres. Each channel drew in more than 116 million viewers, proving that free TV still holds unbeatable sway in Indian households.
The story doesn’t end in Hindi. Zee’s regional clusters continue to script their own success stories. In Marathi, Zee Talkies, Zee Yuva, and Zee Chitramandir maintained their near-50 per cent market share, with the world television premiere of Phullwanti delivering the highest ratings of the quarter. Down south, Zee Thirai (Tamil) and Zee Cinemalu (Telugu) kept their leadership intact, while Zee Biskope in the Bhojpuri belt ranked among the top three in its market, a cinematic sweep across regions.
“The growth of our movies cluster across languages is a strong reflection of our content strategy focusing on new super-hit premieres, classic titles from our library and data-driven curation,” said a company spokesperson. “The genre’s unmatched reach and strong resonance amongst male viewers and the youth also enable it to deliver scale and strategic value to advertisers across markets.”
And those advertisers are clearly tuning in. The genre’s steady viewership and distinct audience base make Hindi movie channels a mainstay in media mixes for India’s top ten advertisers. In September 2025 alone, Zee’s 22 movie channels across six languages reached over 550 million viewers, a testament to the scale and staying power of its cinematic empire.
From Hum Aapke Hain Koun and Karan Arjun to RRR and Bobby, Zee’s vast film library continues to bridge nostalgia and novelty. Some titles have reached iconic status Hum Aapke Hain Koun, for instance, has been watched by a staggering 250 million people over the past five years, roughly equal to the population of the world’s fifth most populous country.
As Zee continues to blend data with drama and strategy with storytelling, it’s clear the brand isn’t just broadcasting films, it’s curating a cultural phenomenon. For millions of viewers across India, the show must go on and with Zee, it most certainly will
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Lights, camera, boo! &pictures turns full on spooky
MUMBAI: Trick or treat, but make it filmi! This Halloween, &pictures is turning up the spook-o-meter with ‘Full On Halloween’, a fun-horror movie marathon airing all day on 31 October 2025. Promising goosebumps, giggles and ghostly surprises, the channel is set to deliver a perfect mix of fright and fun.
From eerie small-town tales to supernatural showdowns, the line-up packs in something for everyone. The chills kick off at 8:45 am with Kakuda, starring Sonakshi Sinha and Riteish Deshmukh, followed by the mischievous The Bhootni at 3:15 pm, featuring Sanjay Dutt, Palak Tiwari and Mouni Roy. At 5:30 pm, Phone Bhoot dials up laughs and scares with Katrina Kaif, Ishaan Khatter and Siddhant Chaturvedi, before the visually rich folklore fantasy Tumbbad closes the night at 10:40 pm.
Adding to the fun are K3 Kaali Ka Karishma, Om Bheem Bush, and Bhaagmathi, keeping the thrills fresh and spooky spirits high. With a blend of humour, horror, and high-energy storytelling, Full On Halloween promises a day where jump scares meet joyrides.
So this 31 October, grab your popcorn and your courage, because Halloween on &pictures isn’t just on… it’s Full On!
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