Latest news with #Bhandarkar
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
I don't judge a film by its budget: Madhur Bhandarkar
Madhur Bhandarkar, known for his realistic films, reflects on the film industry's evolution, emphasizing the importance of compelling narratives over budget. He appreciates documentaries and classics, judging films by their execution. Bhandarkar critiques the current trend of multiple music composers diluting emotional connection, advocating for memorable film scores that resonate with audiences, unlike today's fleeting musical experiences. Madhur Bhandarkar who is known for his real-world narratives like Page 3, Fashion, Chandni Bar, in a conversation with Mumbai Mirror, talks about the changing face of the film industry . 'I look for real stories, that's what draws me in. Not all OTT releases are good, just like not all films are good,' he says. The filmmaker said that he likes to watch documentaries and real-life stories. 'I also like going back to older classics by Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalani, Manmohan Desai, and Satyajit Ray. I watch different genres. For me, a film's budget or scale doesn't matter. What matters is how it's made. That's how I judge a film and that is what attracts me to watch it,' he shares. The filmmaker has strong views on how music in films has changed over time. 'I always gave a lot of importance to music in my films, because I'm a music lover'. Criticising the current practice of roping in multiple composers for one movie, he says, 'Too many music directors in one album isn't good. I feel it just clutters the project with tracks that fail to build a strong emotional connection with the audience. Also, today the audience's attention span has dropped to 30 seconds — like a reel. Back then, music gave you nostalgia, and emotion. Today, it's just another element in the mix. That's why I ensure my films always have music that people can remember.'
News18
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Madhur Bhandarkar's The Wives Goes On Floor Today
Last Updated: Madhur Bhandarkar's new film, The Wives, starring Sonali Kulkarni and Mouni Roy, explores the hidden lives and struggles of Bollywood star wives. Acclaimed filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, known for exploring the hidden layers of society through films like Page 3, Fashion, and Chandni Bar, has begun work on his next hard-hitting drama titled The Wives. The film, which officially went on floors today in Mumbai, will explore the untold stories behind the lives of Bollywood's star wives. The project brings together an ensemble cast featuring Sonali Kulkarni, Mouni Roy, Regina Cassandra, Rahul Bhatt, Saurabh Sachdeva, Arjan Bajwa, and Freddy Daruwala. With this film, Bhandarkar aims to dissect the complexities and emotional realities of women who are often seen on the sidelines, despite living in the heart of India's film industry. Speaking about the film, Bhandarkar said in a media statement, 'With The Wives, I want to peel back yet another glamorous layer of society and show what really lies beneath. This film will be a bold, unapologetic look at the secrets, struggles, and resilience of women who are often seen but seldom heard." With The Wives, Madhur appears set to present another gritty and realistic portrayal, focusing on the personal lives and silent battles of the women married to Bollywood's biggest names. The film also marks Bhandarkar's second collaboration with producer Pranav Jain of P J Motion Pictures, following the success of their earlier film India Lockdown, which tackled the emotional toll of the COVID-19 pandemic. Commenting on their partnership, Jain said, 'Collaborating with Madhur sir again is truly exciting. He has a rare gift for telling stories that make people sit up and think. The Wives will be an eye-opener and I'm proud to be backing a project that's so honest and relevant." The Wives is produced jointly by Bhandarkar Entertainment and P J Motion Pictures. Madhur Bhandarkar is an acclaimed Indian filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer. In recognition of his contribution to Indian cinema, he was awarded the Padma Shri, the country's fourth-highest civilian honour, by the Government of India in 2016. Bhandarkar is best known for directing hard-hitting films that delve into the underbelly of society. His 2001 crime drama Chandni Bar earned him the National Film Award for Best Film on Social Issues. He followed it up with critically lauded dramas such as Page 3 (2005), Traffic Signal (2007), and Fashion (2008). While Page 3 won the National Award for Best Feature Film, Bhandarkar received the National Award for Best Direction for Traffic Signal. His work in Fashion earned him Filmfare nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay. In addition to his work in Hindi cinema, Bhandarkar co-produced the Bengali film Avijatrik (2021), based on Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's novel Aparajito. The film went on to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali. First Published:
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Business Standard
04-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
NFO alert! JM Financial MF launches Large & Midcap Fund; check details here
JM Large & Midcap Fund: JM Financial Mutual Fund has launched its JM Large & Midcap Fund, an open-ended equity scheme investing in both largecap and midcap stocks. The new fund offer (NFO) will open for public subscription today, July 4, 2025 and close on Friday, July 18, 2025. The scheme aims to generate long-term capital growth through investments in high-quality growth stocks with superior management quality and corporate governance standards. The fund house will use the in-house GeeQ (Growth of Earnings and Earnings Quality) model to find investible opportunities. The portfolio strategy of the scheme focuses on liquidity and flexibility. The fund will maintain a minimum 35 per cent allocation each in largecap and midcap stocks, with the remaining 30 per cent providing flexibility across market capitalisations. 'With our new Large and Midcap Fund, we bring together the stability and resilience of blue-chip giants and the growth potential of emerging leaders. This is not just another scheme- it is a powerful blend of scale and rapid growth, designed to seize tomorrow's opportunities," said Asit Bhandarkar, senior fund manager for equity at JM Financial Asset Management. According to Bhandarkar, the Indian equity markets are undergoing a period of heightened volatility, where a product which has a return profile closer to midcaps and the risk profile closer to large caps could offer investors a better experience. We are confident that our growth and quality-focused investment philosophy, a disciplined and process-driven investment approach and a seasoned equity fund management team could help us navigate these turbulent times and create a resilient portfolio which may enable wealth creation for investors,' he added. Asit Bhandarkar and Deepak Gupta are the fund manager and co-fund manager, respectively, for the scheme. According to SID, if the units are redeemed or switched out within 180 days from the day of allotment, an exit load of 1 per cent will be charged. However, no exit load will be charged if units are redeemed after 180 days from the date of allotment. According to the riskometer, the principal invested in the scheme will be at very high risk. JM Large and Mid Cap Fund: Who should invest? According to the SID, the product is suitable for investors seeking long-term wealth creation and capital appreciation by investing predominantly in equity & equity-related securities of large and midcap stocks. However, investors should consult their financial advisors if in doubt about whether the product is suitable for them.
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
MNS welcomes revoking of compulsory Hindi GRs
Nagpur: The (MNS) has welcomed the state govt's decision to withdraw the controversial government resolutions (GRs) mandating Hindi as a compulsory third language from Class I. The party has called it a victory for Marathi pride and a direct result of party chief 's steadfast opposition. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Nagpur-based Sharad Bhandarkar, state general secretary of MNS Shikshak Shikshattar Sena (teaching and non-teaching staff association), said the move reflects the party's long-standing stand on protecting Marathi language and culture. "Since Marathi was accorded Classical status, there were efforts by some to undermine its importance. We are not against Hindi," he said, "but you cannot keep it mandatory for such young kids. " He clarified that MNS does not oppose the existing three-language formula, under which Marathi is already compulsory. "Marathi is the official language of the state and must remain mandatory in schools," Bhandarkar added. He noted that the issue could have electoral implications. "This issue will impact elections too. In local body polls, people connect with local issues. And our Marathi pride, our language is one of these issues. People will remember who stood up for Marathi and who tried to sideline it," Bhandarkar said. The controversy took a decisive turn on Sunday evening when CM Devendra Fadnavis announced cancellation of the GR at an event in Mumbai. The state govt also constituted a committee to re-examine the three-language policy framework. On Monday, Raj Thackeray addressed the media and reiterated that he would not allow language imposition on Maharashtra. He said that a planned protest march scheduled for July 5 would now be celebrated as a 'victory rally' following the govt withdrawing the GR.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
ETMarkets Smart Talk: Defence stocks may face bumpy ride despite big potential, says Asit Bhandarkar
There may also be opportunities to turnaround in sectors where either fundamentals and valuations or both have bottomed out. JM Financial's Asit Bhandarkar advises caution on defence stocks despite long-term potential, citing long execution cycles and potential volatility. He highlights India's sweet spot with strong finances and growth amid US bond yield concerns. Bhandarkar also notes attractive opportunities in corrected markets, focusing on financialization, consumption, and manufacturing themes for long-term investors. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads As geopolitical tensions rise and investor interest in defence stocks surges, JM Financial Asset Management's Senior Fund Manager – Equity, Asit Bhandarkar, urges an exclusive conversation with ETMarkets Smart Talk, Bhandarkar acknowledges the long-term potential of India's defence sector, especially with increasing private sector participation and innovation around drones and modern he warns that execution cycles may be long and initial investor euphoria could face unexpected challenges, making the investment journey in defence stocks uncertain and volatile in the short term. Edited Excerpts –A) Tariffs are a developing story. Although it led to significant volatility in the first quarter of the calendar year, as things stand, markets have figured that perhaps, the tariffs in their final form may not be as negative in their quantum as initially Indian government as well as corporates are attempting to convert this challenge into an opportunity to strengthen our exports to the US and capitalise on the China plus sentiment.A) Drones have higher impact than expensive military aircrafts and is a classic sign of high disruption ahead. Fundamentally, war strategies are getting redefined. New wave of innovation and imagination will drive the future outlook a stock market perspective, popular stories seldom make money in the short term. We feel that execution cycles will be long and initial euphoria may face unexpected challenges making the journey uncertain and said we are positively inclined about the role of the private sector participation in development, production and even export of defence equipment.A) US bond yield strengthening have had their unique dimensions this time around given the outlook on US inflation, the deficits that the US government has been running as well as the uncertainty on growth created by the tariff said, we are yet to see a closure of the tariff situation. Lowering of uncertainties on that front can clearly reduce the risk premium on the said, it's likely that capital in US may be looking to diversify given the unprecedented uncertainties presented by the tariff related uncertainties leading to a prolonged weak growth between India and US yields are at their lowest in recent times but India is in a sweet spot in terms of strong government finances, benign inflation and improving growth is indeed likely that flows continue to move towards geographies with higher growth and lower uncertainties. India definitely shines on that front.A) As the portfolios bore the brunt of the volatility driven by the tariff announcements, we did have to restructure our portfolios to maximise sectoral overlap with the benchmark as well as increase liquidity as a risk management measure, in case we got into a long drawn like BFSI , which have been suffering anemic growth, managed to outperform as regulatory tailwinds kicked along with FII things stand, broader markets have sharply corrected from their peak last year while macros have steadily improved with ample liquidity, lower rates and improving corporate are now in a position to add newer stocks across market caps, thanks to attractive opportunities thrown up by the sharp correction in prices and stability in market conditions. Market is starting to focus on growth stocks again.A) YoY and QoQ growth rates excluding BFSI were at 10.1% and 18.2 % for S&P BSE 500 Index based on our sectoral analysis of Q4FY'25 numbers (source: ACE Equity, JMFMF Research).Sector wise Chemicals , insurance, telecom, consumer durable, retail and electricals showed a sharp improvement in operations yoy. However, large sectors like Banks, FMCG, IT and autos exhibited anaemic appear to be on the cusp of an earnings recovery into FY 2026 as we face a low earning base from last year and improving government spending, lower taxes leading to consumption uptick, improved liquidity and lower rates to push up demand as well as private capex.A) The IPO markets have cooled down versus last year. There is much lower interest and there has been a moderation of valuation a long-term investors perspective, it may be a good time to allocate to few issues that come along as valuations might be more rational than in the previous year. SME space, which has gathered more interest so far in 2025 as compared to mainboard IPOs? Do you see froth building in this space or an opportunity for long-term investors?A) Mutual funds had mostly sidestepped the euphoria in the SME space and this shows the maturity and the discipline of investment processes at an industry a price, given the sharp correction all across, there might be opportunities available. But most of the businesses in the SME market may not be at scale where mutual fund investors find the risk reward palatable.A) Financialisation, formalisation, aspiration driven consumption and a manufacturing renaissance driven by china+1 remain strong themes, driven by global geopolitics and rising per capita income back of these themes remain expensive, given the higher visibility. Sharp corrections give us an opportunity to build positions in long term structural themes at reasonable may also be opportunities to turnaround in sectors where either fundamentals and valuations or both have bottomed out.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)
