
People enjoying lies: Sunny Deol on alleged fake box office collections
Actor Sunny Deol has spoken out against the growing practice of inflating box office numbers and using corporate bookings to create a false sense of success. He also expressed disappointment over the industry's increasing reliance on hype rather than authenticity.In an interview with Zoom, the 'Gadar' star said, 'It is sad. People don't want to believe in reality, but create their own version of reality and want it to be that way. It should not be. We don't have that kind of unity where we stick around and say this is wrong."advertisementSunny criticised the trend of bulk-buying tickets and showing fake box office numbers, and questioned how honest such practices really are. 'People who are enjoying the lies (of exaggerated box office numbers), I don't understand what kind of people they are. I would like to advise the youngsters that this is not the way to make yourself a hit. That is why many youngsters and stories are not coming out,' he added.
Sunny also shared a bigger concern, that people no longer value good stories or strong performances. He said these days, success is decided more by fake numbers than by the real impact of a film.On the work front, Sunny Deol was last seen in 'Jaat', which marked director Gopichand Malineni's Hindi debut. The film also featured Regina Cassandra, Randeep Hooda, Saiyami Kher, and Ramya Krishnan. Sunny is currently filming 'Border 2', the sequel to the 1997 war drama, alongside Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty.He is also set to play Hanuman in Nitesh Tiwari's much-anticipated 'Ramayana', which stars Ranbir Kapoor as Ram and Sai Pallavi as Sita.Must Watch

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Pink Villa
42 minutes ago
- Pink Villa
Did Sreeleela double her fees after Pushpa 2 amid exit from Akhil Akkineni's Lenin?
Sreeleela has been inching towards pan-India fame lately and has been bagging promising projects. She recently shot to the headlines after news of her exit from the Telugu film Lenin surfaced. The diva reportedly stepped down from the project over scheduling conflicts. As Sreeleela is now all set to make her Hindi debut opposite Kartik Aaryan next, buzz about her remuneration has now gone viral. Has Sreeleela doubled her fees? As per a Siasat report, Sreeleela has made headlines in Telugu cinema after she has reportedly hiked up her fees to nearly double what she quoted earlier. While she earlier used to charge somewhere between Rs. 3.5 to 4 crore per film, the starlet has now called for a pay cheque of Rs. 7 crore in her upcoming projects. For the unversed, Sreeleela had allegedly received a pay cheque of Rs. 2 crore for just doing the song Kissik in Allu Arjun's film Pushpa 2. However, these are unconfirmed reports at the moment, and there is no official confirmation on the same from the actress or her team's sides. Sreeleela replaced by Bhagyashri Borse in Lenin In other news, a previous report by Gulte claimed that after Sreeleela's exit from Akhil Akkineni 's upcoming film Lenin, the makers had now settled down on Bhagyashri Borse as the lead. This is not the first Telugu project from which the Guntur Kaaram actress has stepped down. Earlier she had walked out of two different projects due to reasons best known to her. Sreeleela's work front Moving ahead, Sreeleela is making her big Bollywood debut with Anurag Basu's yet untitled romantic movie. She would be sharing the screen space with Kartik Aaryan in the lead. Besides this, the actress is currently shooting for her film Ustad Bhagat Singh with Pawan Kalyan in the lead. She also has Sudha Kongara's Parasakthi, starring Sivakarthikeyan, Ravi Mohan and Atharvaa in lead roles. Disclaimer: All amounts mentioned in the article are sourced from Siasat reports. In some cases, celebrities or their teams give their input too, which we incorporate if provided by them. We make all efforts to share possible accurate numbers; however, unless otherwise mentioned, they are all approximate. We are open to feedback and suggestions on editorial@


India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Bollywood 2025 mid-year box office: Chhaava won, Sikandar lost - any lessons learnt?
The year 2025 began on a mild note for Bollywood at the box office. January didn't see any exceptional performances from a Hindi film, and it was only when 'Chhaava' arrived in February that the industry began to take a sigh of half-yearly box office report is not exceptional, despite big titles taking over the ticket window in the first half of the year. This has to do more with the amount of choices available to the audience via OTT platforms, and their direct rejection of watching anything running in theatres which is mediocre, redundant and sometimes, plain spoke to various industry experts, including directors, producers and trade analysts, to gauge how the Hindi film industry really performed from January-June, with the current week marking the end of the first year.'Chhaava' all the way! 'Chhaava' is the clear winner, it seems, when it comes to discussing the flagbearer of Bollywood in 2025 so far. The Vicky Kaushal film wasn't just historically relevant - it also resonated with the audience emotionally and provided dramatic relief to them - something a big-screen entertainer is supposed to Laxman Utekar directorial collected around Rs 601.54 crore nett in India, and grossed over Rs 800 crore worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2025 so far. 'Sitaare Zameen Par', starring Aamir Khan, is another clear winner - a film still running in theatres - further cementing the fact that emotions are still the best way to connect to the that box-office response in the first half can clearly be summed up as 'unpredictable', film producer and trade analyst Girish Johar told "If we analyse the first six months of last year vis a vis this year, we have done a little better. We are around 8 to 10 per cent higher, because films like 'Chhaava' did well and other films, even 'Housefull 5', have done good business."He underscored the importance of mid-budget films not finding their audience at the box office. "By and large, the first six months are a little better but, what is worrisome is the medium and the small films are not doing exceptionally well. These are the critical ones which are not working at the box office. We have a stronger second half of the year which we really hope does well and adds value to the box office," Johar explained.A 'mixed-bag' of a year so far!For Anand Pandit, one of the leading film producers, it was all what he called a "mixed bag". While speaking to us, he elaborated, "The first half of 2025 was a mixed bag for Bollywood. While a few tentpole films performed well, many others struggled to make an impact. It's becoming increasingly clear that audiences are getting more selective. They're looking for fresh narratives, emotional depth, and a sense that their time and money are well spent. A star-studded cast alone no longer guarantees success. Even big-budget films can fall short if the content and execution aren't strong."advertisementPandit also focussed on 'Chhaava' leading from the front. "That said, there were standouts like 'Chhaava,' which delivered grounded storytelling with detailed production design, and 'Raid 2,' which successfully expanded on an existing franchise. These films did well at the box office, showing that when there's a unique element and genuine interest is sparked, audiences respond," he said."The first six months can be seen as a period of recalibration for the industry," he does this mean that the industry has now understood what has worked for the audience? The answer is not there - nothing specific or cumulative, at least. The industry still seems to be struggling with identifying the taste of the audience.A clear sense of what worked and what didn't'Oh My God' producer Hemal A Thakkar seems to have a bit of an answer, though. In a conversation with he said the audiences demand sincerity. He had a three-point list to explain what worked for the audience in the first-half of the rooted in emotion and purpose — where the story felt personal, not manufactured.""Relatable drama and family-centric narratives with a clear voice.""Content that respects audience intelligence, especially the youth."Thakkar, who is also a writer and a director, and the co-founder of Funder of Playtime Creations with actor Paresh Rawal, also clarified that the audience is not looking out for unnecessarily stretched grand spectacles on the big screen. So, what needs to be rejected then? Thakkar has a three-point list:Over-produced spectacles with thin are designed around star images rather than human to force nostalgia or recreate past magic without the soul.'Sikandar' remains the biggest disappointmentOne of the biggest tentpole movies of the year, and visibly the biggest Bollywood disappointment so far, was 'Sikandar'. The Salman Khan-starrer happened to be the big Eid box office release this year, but was rejected by the audience left, right and centre.A grand spectacle, directed by AR Murugadoss, collected only Rs 110.1 crore nett in India - a figure that doesn't really match the mammoth screen presence of Salman looked at the failure of grand releases at the box office and analysed, "We are still making films for a 50+ sensibility, while India's true box office audience today is between 18 and 30 - and we're failing to write for them with honesty or urgency."The only film that created some ripples at the box office after 'Chhaava's release in February was 'Sanam Teri Kasam', which was a re-release. The Harshvardhan Rane-starrer performed like a winner from the word go. It was almost like a surprising letter full of love and poetry left at the industry's film ended up collecting Rs 42.2 crore nett in its lifetime run, making more than most of the fresh Bollywood releases this year. What was this phenomenon? Does this mean re-releases have got a future at the box office this year?'Sanam Teri Kasam' - a mystery winnerAnand Pandit said the success of 'Sanam Teri Kasam' re-release doesn't guarantee a confirmed trend. "That was fascinating. Sometimes, a film that doesn't perform well during its initial release may receive a better response later during a re-release. In this case, it is a romantic story with drama, tragedy, and sacrifice. It shows that if a film connects emotionally, it can still find its audience years later," he filmmaker behind films like 'Sarkar 3', 'Total Dhamaal' and 'Chehra', among others, added, "Nostalgia plays a big role for those revisiting the film in theatres, while for younger audiences, it offers a chance to experience what they missed during the original run. However, whether it's a film that went unnoticed or a blockbuster returning to screens, I wouldn't call it a guaranteed trend. It needs careful curation, proper timing, and promotion that makes it feel like a shared event worth revisiting."Mansi Bagla, the producer of Vikrant Massey and Shanaya Kapoor's upcoming film 'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan', credited 'Sanam Teri Kasam's' sheer luck behind its box office elaborated, "There is a good line-up of releases in the second half. So, I don't think re-releases will work. 'Sanam Teri Kasam' was lucky that it got released in February. If it had been released around the Pahalgam attack, it would never have worked. Post the dreadful event, it would not have seen the light of re-release. So, sometimes it's about luck."What is also clear is that stardom is fading. Having a star in a film might get you a few initial eyeballs, but it doesn't guarantee a longer and more sustainable traction at the box Johar agreed when he said, "We should want the film industry as a whole to flourish. The theatrical window has to do well - that is a foregone conclusion. Yes, makers need to ensure that their content is more lapped up by the audiences. Stars are important at the box office, but they are no longer a critical element."Audience has got the game rightAnother lesson that has to be taken from the first half of Bollywood is how the audience has got wider access. "Even regional lines have blurred. We see a lot of southern languages and other language films doing well at the box office. That needs to be said because the audiences are now also even watching those kinds of films. We need to learn, we need to pull up our socks accordingly," Johar said, while explaining the corrective measures that the industry can take to expect a better audience response.'Jaat', 'Kesari Chapter 2', 'Sky Force', 'Raid 2', and 'Bhool Chuk Maaf' were a few Hindi films that kept the ship from sinking entirely. These films kept the industry's hopes up for a strong second half. Things might not have looked absolutely sparkly for Bollywood in the first half, but the second half seems to be shinier and brighter than an interview with us, Anand Pandit shared a few titles that can be trusted to help Bollywood recover what was lost in the first half."We can see a wide range of films across genres lined up for the second half of the year, with 'Alpha,' 'War 2,' 'Thama,' 'Haunted 3D: Ghosts of the Past', 'Param Sundari,' and 'Jolly LLB 3' being some among the ones to watch out for. What I want to say is that in Bollywood, there's space for everyone if the story and narration are compelling. As an industry, we should remain cautiously optimistic," he shared on a positive talked about her own film, which is releasing on July 11. She said, "Right now, 'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan' is to be looked forward to. It's a musical love story. It's unique and has the freshness, a superb pairing, and an old-school base with modern sentiments. Nothing can beat a love story. It's a universal topic. Moviegoers will always love cinema, so I'm sure good work will come back."The way ahead? Honesty, authenticity and a good heartIt all comes down to finding an honest soul at the end of the day - in your work, stories, what you are trying to offer to the audience, and what you are asking them to spend their hard-earned money put it in a brilliant way when he said that the need of the hour is to realise that "authentic stories always find a way."He summed up the way ahead for the industry and shared, "We are not just in a phase of change — we're in a moment that demands reinvention. The audience is ahead of us. It's time we stopped playing poker and started building a business based on vision, craft, and respect for the viewer - especially the viewer who will shape the next 20 years: Young India."The need for fresh stories - not remakes, not recycled narratives - but original, creative and bold ideas. "We need stories that speak to their aspirations, fears, humour, and emotional complexity. Not just recycled ideas with updated costumes," he though, a better strategy is definitely needed. One of the best things that Pandit emphasised included investing in better said, "We also need to invest more in writing. This includes script development, revisions, and having a solid shooting script as the foundation of the project. At the same time, collaboration between producers, exhibitors, and digital platforms can help design the right release strategy for both theatres and streaming platforms."There is hope. The second half looks promising for Bollywood - but only if we are staying honest - in pushing the right kind of story, by not cheating the audience, and by not selling absolute boredom and fallen creativity to them in the name of a big Bollywood knows the drill already. It will be interesting to see if we rise or go further downhill by the end of the year. See you again then!- Ends IN THIS STORY#Vicky Kaushal#Akshay Kumar#Aamir Khan#Kajol Devgan#Ajay Devgn


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
This famous British social media celebrity flew to India for just one ingredient!
Some go the extra mile for love. This one flew across continents just to get curry leaves. British content creator Ved Campbell Maddison, known for speaking fluent Hindi, using Mumbai-style humour, and telling stories in his quirky way, has gone viral once again with his latest video. It begins with a small food craving from his partner: 'Mujhe kaanda poha chahiye.' But there's one condition: she wants it made with fresh curry leaves. While most people would make do with dried ones or leave them out, this couple had other plans and took the craving to a whole new level. In true cinematic style, he sets off on what turns into a full-blown curry leaf mission. From boarding an overnight flight to tackling Mumbai's bustling local trains, Ved documents every step of his adventure with trademark quirkiness. At one point, he is yawning dramatically in a crowded train. At another, he is helping co-passengers with luggage while tracking down the elusive patta. Eventually, he secures the prize from a local Indian market and hops back on a flight, leaves in hand and mission complete. Back in the kitchen, the scene is nothing short of delightful. His girlfriend rinses the poha while Ved cheerfully calls them 'poha flakes.' He roasts peanuts, adds mustard seeds, jeera powder, chillies, and finally the freshly flown curry leaves. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 새로 나온 '암보험' 최적가 가입인기! "암진단금+생활비+치료비 든든하게"... 굿리치 보험대리점 (등록번호:제2006038313호) 가격 받기 Undo Turmeric gets its moment too, which Ved hilariously dubs a 'haldi party.' The couple cooks together, laughs, and digs into a dish that's now much more than just breakfast. It's a love story, told through food. The internet is, understandably, obsessed. The video has racked up millions of views, with users praising Ved for turning something as ordinary as grocery shopping into a full-on rom-com. From 'Kanda Poha Princess' to 'national pati goals,' fans can't get enough. At its heart, this viral moment isn't just about poha or curry leaves. It's about effort, humour, and finding joy in the little things, like making sure your partner gets the exact version of comfort food she craved. And let's be honest, poha with curry leaves really does taste better. In a world full of shortcuts, Ved's journey reminds us that sometimes the smallest ingredients can mean the most, especially when they come wrapped in intention, laughter, and a touch of madness.