At open forum, junior artists object to agents' cut
The plight of female junior artists is even more pathetic, said Shobhana Sundaran, an artist from Thrissur. 'For female artists, a clean toilet is more important than food, which is not available on many sets,' she said. Adding that many continue to work as junior artists despite challenges due to lack of other work opportunities, she said that though they are often hired by trustworthy people, the situation, more often than not, ends up going south.
'While shooting of L2: Empuraan, we were left stranded at midnight without proper accommodation. It was arranged after several hours,' she said. The film policy, which the government is looking to roll out within two months, is expected to address their issues as well.
Meanwhile, Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA)officials refuted the claims. 'We provide food on film sets based solely on head count, without any discrimination,' FEFKA Production Executives' Union joint secretary Shaji Pattikkara told TNIE, adding that it is impractical not to assign agents for access to junior artists.
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On August 15, 1975, Sholay lit up Indian theatres, igniting a cultural fire that burns bright even today. To celebrate its golden jubilee, we revisit the legacy of the masterpiece, exploring the stories, struggles, and serendipity behind its creation. In part one, we revisit the chaos around its release. In 1975, Bombay buzzed with a reckless dream. Ramesh Sippy and his family's Sippy Films had staked Rs 3 crore on Sholay, a cinematic gamble bigger than every Bollywood production of its era. A fortune was spent on carving out Ramgarh from a rocky village near Bangalore, a sprawling set built like a microcosm of India. Panavision lenses, imported for India's first 70mm film, promised widescreen grandeur. Stereophonic sound, a rare beast, thrummed through RD Burman's score. The cast—Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Sanjeev Kumar, Jaya Bhaduri, Amjad Khan—was a constellation of stars and talent. Train robberies, explosive stunts, battles with hundreds of extras: every rupee was a dare. But ambition is a tightrope, and a fall loomed. Minerva Theatre's air was thick, electric with hope. Sholay roared onto the screen—Jai and Veeru riding into Ramgarh, Thakur's armless quest for vengeance, Gabbar's chilling snarl. The 70mm visuals dazzled, Burman's score thundered, yet the audience sat in eerie silence. No taalis, no seetis. Instead of a theatre, Minerva resembled a crematorium full of hushed mourners. Whispers slithered through the stalls: Flop. Disaster. Dead. By morning, Bombay's streets hissed with venom. Posters of Jai and Veeru on horseback, Gabbar's sneer, were mocked. Trade papers sharpened their knives: 'A bloated misfire.' Critics tore into the three-hour runtime, branding its Western influences a betrayal of Bollywood's soul. 'Too much masala, not enough heart,' one sneered. Another called it a pale shadow of Leone and Kurosawa. 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In response to the scathing reviews and industry skepticism, they published a full-page advertisement, proclaiming that Sholay would earn Rs 1 crore per territory—a staggering claim when no film had achieved such figures, and tickets cost as little as Rs 2. The ad was a defiant middle finger to the naysayers, a public wager on their vision. Javed Akhtar later recalled, 'People laughed, asking if we meant one crore for the entire country.' Salim Khan admitted their prediction was ambitious but rooted in unshakable faith in the film's story, dialogues, and characters. Competition came from unexpected sources. Sholay's mortal characters faced a divine rival. On August 15, 1975, it clashed with Jai Santoshi Maa, a devotional film made for Rs 30 lakh. While Sholay opened with Rs 8 lakh, Jai Santoshi Maa earned Rs 7 lakh, a neck-and-neck battle. It became a sleeper hit, with people singing bhajans in theatres, women keeping fasts on Fridays, offering prayers to the on-screen deity. By its end, the devotional film grossed Rs 5.25 crore, yielding a 1616% profit. It became an all-time blockbuster, stealing the Independence Day crown, its divine narrative eclipsing Sholay's guns and gore. Then, a spark. By the second week, whispers of hope crept through Bombay's gullies. In Matunga, families hummed 'Yeh Dosti.' Dadar's chai stalls echoed with 'Kitne aadmi the?' College students mimicked Jai's coin toss, Basanti's chatter. Salim-Javed's razor-sharp dialogues sank into India's veins, spreading like wildfire. Crowds trickled back to Minerva, then surged. Tickets vanished; black-market prices soared. Across India, the tide turned. Delhi's Regal Cinema added midnight shows. Kolkata's Metro became a fortress of fans. Rural screens, makeshift and dusty, erupted at 'Jo dar gaya, samjho mar gaya.' Burman's score—'Mehbooba Mehbooba,' 'Haan Jab Tak Hai Jaan'—blared from radios, binding cities to villages. Gabbar, mocked as caricature, rose as India's greatest villain, his lines scripture. Sholay hadn't failed—it had waited for India to catch up. In Sippy Films' office, the phones wouldn't stop ringing, each caller euphoric, demanding more prints of the film. The Sippys' gamble turned to gold, Sholay's profits rewriting Bollywood's rules. By 1976, Sholay was no film—it was a ritual. In a dusty village, under a banyan tree, families chanted dialogues, wept for Jai, and roared for Veeru. The early failure, a fleeting ghost, fueled its myth. Sholay's success is the stuff of legends, a phenomenon that transcended its original box office numbers to become a cornerstone of Indian cinematic culture. By 1976, Sholay had ascended to become India's highest-grossing film, a title it held firmly for 19 years until the release of Hum Aapke Hain Koun in 1994. 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But the magic could never be recreated. Filmmakers sought to resurrect Sholay's magic through remakes and homages–Ramgarh Ke Sholay, Aandhi Toofan, and many regional avatars tried. But each attempt was rejected. In 2007, Ram Gopal Varma dared to retell the legend with Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, casting Amitabh Bachchan, the original Jai, as a reimagined Gabbar. The result was a sacrilege to the faithful. It didn't just bomb at the box office, but was brutally panned. The failure only deepened Sholay's myth. It was proof that its fire couldn't be replicated. There was, and will be, just one Sholay. In its 50th year, devotees don't just watch Sholay, they kneel to it, in awe of its legend, its dialogues, its gods that graced the screen. Sholay's journey from an uncertain beginning to monumental success is a powerful reminder that resilience lies at the heart of every great story. Life's embers, Sholay, may dim once in a while. But once a spark lights them up again, they can turn into an inferno that nothing can douse. Next: The Hunt For Gabbar
Pink Villa
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Mahavatar Narasimha Box Office: Becomes first ever animated film to gross 100 crore in India
Mahavatar Narasimha made history yesterday, becoming the first-ever animated film to cross the Rs. 100 crore mark in India. The film added a strong Rs. 7.25 crore approx on its second Monday, taking its eleven-day total to Rs. 102.25 crore. Just this past Friday, it dethroned Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse to emerge as the highest-grossing animated film ever in the country. The film barely dropped from its Friday of Rs. 8 crore, which is a fantastic hold, given animation films generally play stronger over weekends and ease off on weekdays. The film has collected Rs. 54.25 crore in four days of the second week, already crossing its first-week haul. The full week should get near Rs. 75 crore, which would push it above Rs. 120 crore by Thursday. The film has a shot at going over Rs. 200 crore, though that may depend on how well it sustains after Independence Day biggies, War 2 and Coolie. The Day Wise Box Office Collections of Mahavatar Narasimha are as follows: Mahavatar Narasimha has found a pan-India audience with healthy contributions from dubbed versions in South India. The language-wise breakdown as of now stands at: Rs. 76.50 crore from Hindi, Rs. 22 crore from Telugu, Rs. 2.50 crore from Kannada, and Rs. 1.25 crore combined from Tamil and Malayalam. Globally, animation is one of the most bankable genres, delivering some of the highest-grossing films of all time. Just this year, Chinese animation Ne Zha 2 obliterated box office records in the country, grossing over USD 2 billion. In several countries, animation is the most popular genre for movie-going. However, in India, it has very few takers. The genre is often looked down on as 'kids cinema', and in India, kids don't drive the box office. The religious animation does have some appeal, but except for Punjabi film Chaar Sahibzade, nothing has found the success, that is, until now. Mahavatar Narasimha is the first in the announced cinematic universe of seven films. The hope is that this film and franchise will break the stigma and unlock the massive potential of animation that has already delivered blockbusters worldwide. NOTE: The aforementioned box office numbers do not include 3D charges. Including 3D charges, Mahavatar Narasimha has grossed Rs. 113 crore approx in India.
