Latest news with #SCREEN
News18
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Milind Soman Was Dropped From Aamir Khan's Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar For Being Unprofessional: Director
Last Updated: Mansoor Khan reveals Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar was semi-autobiographical, based on his US-return guilt, and shares how recasting Deepak Tijori saved the film. In a recent interview, director Mansoor Khan revealed that Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar wasn't a mere Bollywood remake—it was deeply personal. Speaking to SCREEN, Khan explained: 'The film is actually semi-autobiographical. A lot of Aamir Khan's character, Sanju, was actually derived from my own life." He traced Sanju's spirit back to his own return from the US after dropping out of MIT. 'I dropped out of MIT and came back from the US, and when I came back, I was a lost soul. And basically, I was feeling this guilt, that I had wasted so much of my parents' money. And now I was acting like an angry young kid who's angry with the whole world, but actually, he should be angry with himself," he said. That feeling led him to create an entire hour‑and‑forty‑minute video film in 1982 about a young man who just wants to laze around—a precursor to his feature debut. The production, however, nearly derailed early on. Khan admitted he had cast poorly and those decisions soon took a toll on the production. 'We shot for 40–45 days in and around Ooty, Coonoor, then came back to Bombay and shot a lot more, including the songs. But I could see the film was going nowhere. I won't take names, but those people were absolutely unprofessional. They made life miserable, not just for me, but for the entire crew. The film was turning out really badly, and it also nearly stalled." He even considered giving up after 40–45 days of shooting. He recalled, 'I felt like giving up. But the film's story is about getting up and winning. So in a way, life was mirroring art. We stayed quiet. We threw those guys out. They went to the press, said all kinds of nasty things about me and Aamir. But we didn't respond. Our focus was clear, we had a film to make, and a good one. And in the end, the result is in front of you." Some of those replaced tried to return later, including Milind Soman, but Khan stood firm. 'Some of those same people came back to me later, including Milind Soman. They didn't understand filmmaking. They didn't understand humility, or the director's role, or that the film is bigger than any individual, bigger than the actor, the director, or the producer. They came in with strange ideas. But again, the mistake was mine. I shouldn't have cast them." The turning point came when Deepak Tijori replaced Milind and brought the story back on track. 'Why I call it a child of destiny is because Milind went out, and Deepak came in. Deepak had actually tested with Milind… I wasn't making casting decisions properly back then." First Published: June 25, 2025, 13:45 IST
Indian Express
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Kannappa box office collection day 1 early report: Vishnu Manchu's dream project scores career-high opening
Kannappa box office collection day 1 early report: Actor Vishnu Manchu's long-anticipated dream project Kannappa finally hit theatres on Friday. Featuring Vishnu in the titular role, the film also stars heavyweights like Akshay Kumar, Prabhas, and Mohanlal in prominent roles. Leading up to the release, Vishnu undertook a spiritual tour of the 12 Jyotirlingas and emphasised in multiple interviews that Kannappa is not a mythological drama, but a significant chapter from Indian history. However, early reactions suggest that audiences may not entirely share his conviction. As of 8 pm on release day, the film has earned Rs 6.5 crore at the box office, according to industry tracker Sacnilk. While this is the highest opening for a Vishnu Manchu film, it falls short of expectations for a project of this scale—especially one shot over eight months in New Zealand with a crew of more than 800 people. Despite the presence of Prabhas and Mohanlal, the film has not generated the kind of frenzy typically associated with their solo releases. The movie recorded a varied occupancy across languages: 50.45% in Telugu, 16.06% in Tamil, 13.63% in Kannada, 9.53% in Hindi, and just 5.80% in Malayalam. The film has been released across 2,079 screens in India, distributed as follows: 1,081 in Telugu, 522 in Hindi, 294 in Malayalam, 131 in Tamil, and 51 in Kannada. Also Read | Kannappa movie review: Vishnu Manchu's ambition cannot fully save this tediously long saga Directed by Mukesh Kumar Singh, Kannappa opened alongside Maa, a horror drama starring Kajol. Promoted as part of Ajay Devgn's Shaitaan universe, Maa managed to collect Rs 3.21 crore by 8 pm across 2,462 shows—383 more than Kannappa. The movie opened to mixed reviews on Friday. A part of SCREEN's review read, 'Kannappa is about the trials of faith and how a non-believer sheds his arrogance to embrace personal transformation – so, when the screenplay (also credited to Vishnu) does come to its own for a brief while, it throws up a few pleasant surprises that salvage an otherwise turgid retelling of mythology.'
Indian Express
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Aditya Narayan reacts to father Udit Narayan's kissing controversy: ‘He is now aware that there is something called consent'
Earlier this year, legendary singer Udit Narayan faced a lot of backlash for kissing a female fan during a concert, sparking a conversation about boundaries and consent involving public figures. The criticism intensified when old videos showing Udit kissing female singers like Shreya Ghoshal and Alka Yagnik resurfaced. Now, in an exclusive interview with SCREEN, his son and singer Aditya Narayan addresses the controversy for the first time. He revealed that the veteran singer has taken the concerns seriously and assured that such incidents won't happen again. When asked about his reaction to the kissing videos emerging on social media, Aditya said, 'Internet is a strange thing. Social media is not a real place and what you see on social media is not the full picture. As public figures, we don't have control over every single part of what is broadcast in the world.' Aditya Narayan revealed that Udit Narayan initially struggled to understand the anger and backlash over his actions. 'Pehle toh pitaaji ko samajh mein nahi aaya ki logon ko naraazgi kis baat ki hai. He comes from a different time and perspective. There was an era when fans used to throw their undergarments on the artiste on stage. You can't do that anymore. Similarly, he comes from a time when a fan gives you love, you don't consider it incorrect when giving that love back,' he stated. ALSO READ | 'I might have beaten him up': Amit Tandon weighs in on Udit Narayan's kissing controversy, calls Aditya Narayan 'unprofessional, spoilt' The singer explained the concept of 'consent' to his father, and also mentioned how the situation would have been otherwise if it was someone as young as him. 'But now, thankfully, we live in a day and age when consent is a thing. He had no idea about it. It is a wonderful, but fairly new development. There are age appropriate terms also now. Shayad mein karta aur koi 32 saal ki ladki hoti, toh itni badi baat nahi hoti. He is now a respected senior member of the music fraternity and his fans range from 6 to 60. So, it depends on who it's happening with,' Aditya said. He added, 'He wasn't aware. He doesn't come from that generation. He is someone who would never want to be inappropriate. Uske lie main hu, jab unko samajh nahi aata hai toh main samjhaata hu. Now, he is aware that there is something called consent. Maine unko ek hi cheez samjhaayi ki public figure aap hain. How someone expresses their love to you will never become news, how you express that love back is very important because you are a role model.' However, the 'Tattad Tattad' singer shared that Udit Narayan was willing to evolve with the changing time. 'The amazing part about him is that he is always willing to learn. He understood when I explained it to him. People don't realise sometimes ki vo kisko kya bolrahe hain. He is 70 years old; he comes from a different time. I am not defending him, but we keep evolving. This is one area where there was a lack of evolution,' he said. 'Now that it has happened, he is aware of it. You cannot rob a public figure of their right to make mistakes and learn from them. Nobody is perfect. You should just accept them and keep learning. We are simple people,' Aditya concluded. On the work front, Aditya Narayan recently launched his album Saansein with its first track 'Bana Le Tera'.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Anupam Kher says long-distance marriage with Kirron Kher doesn't bother him much, Neena Gupta feels she's too practical to love
Anupam Kher and Neena Gupta studied at the National School of Drama at the same time in the late 1970s. They went on to do Rakesh Bedi's long-running play Mera Woh Matlab Nahi Tha years later. They've also acted in two films together in 2022 — Sooraj Barjatya's Uunchai and Ajayan Venugopalan's Shiv Shastri Balboa. Now, they've been paired together again in Anurag Basu's Metro…In Dino, the spiritual sequel to his 2007 anthology romance Life in a… Metro. They play college batchmates, who never fructified their infatuation for each other, who meet years later at a college reunion and give their romance another chance. In an exclusive interview with SCREEN, the two actors talk about their NSD and theatre days, successful and failed relationships, and their equation with Mumbai today. Do you remember when you first met each other? Anupam: In National School of Drama, the boys and girls had the same hostel. She was one year junior to me. She came to the sink to wash her glass, that's when I first met her. I also used to see her walking to a shop near Mandi House. I wasn't one of those who'd get noticed. She was easy to spot. I'm pretty sure she doesn't have a memory of me. Neena: (Laughs) I can't recall. Anupam: We made most of the memories working on the stage together. Otherwise there are so many classmates and seniors that you don't remember each of them. Neena: And he's been very busy working all the time. I also remember him from the show mostly. Since you're both NSD graduates and have worked together extensively on stage, was it easy to adapt to Anurag Basu's impromptu style of working? Neena: Yes. If someone gives us dialogues last minute, we won't have to say 'Excuse me,' go into a corner, and mug up our lines. We can do that on the spot, especially in Hindi. If it's a scene in English, then I may take time. But since this was in Hindi, we were very happy. Anupam: Also, Anurag's characters in this film come from a common man's life. We already know what our characters are like. Without realizing, we've worked like theatre in this film. Even in the case of Shiv Shastri Balboa, we did that. That film can be adapted into a very good play. So that's the advantage of being experienced, educated actors. We can incorporate our experiences into these films which we probably can't in others. Neena, you said at the trailer launch that you've never fallen in love. What is the gold standard of love for you? Neena: I don't know. I got to know what love means when Masaba (Gupta, daughter) was born. That's the only love I know. I haven't been able to wrap around any other kind of love so far. Maybe I'm too practical to love or be loved. I get worried a lot if there's a problem in me. When I watch love stories or shows from the West, then I wonder why I don't feel like dying for someone. Anupam: I think falling in love with somebody is an extension of falling in love with yourself. That's why when you say 'I love to you' to someone, you feel like hearing 'I love you too.' There's a sense of belonging. I've had many relationships. It's a beautiful feeling in the initial stages, but a very unhappy feeling in the last few years. Anupam, do you think Neena is being too hard on herself? Anupam: No, she knows her life better than anyone else. Who am I to say that? Neena: I've liked people and been with them, sometimes for years, sometimes for short periods. But they've never lived up to my expectations. When you had Masaba, the late Satish Kaushik proposed to marry you in order to save you from social stigma. Where do you find men like that? Neena: But that's a friend's love. I can fall in love with anyone — my neighbour, my dog, my staff, my cook, my friends. Sometimes, love in friendship is something else only. Anupam: Unfortunately, the concept of love has been reduced to a boy and a girl. But you also love your parents, siblings, friends, and pets. So it's not necessary that a love story can be between only a man and a woman. Anupam, your relationship with Kirron Kher has evolved from friendship to a long-distance marriage. How have you fallen in love with her over and over again, like Metro…In Dino urges you to? Anupam: Yes, we were the best of friends. She was married to Gautam (Berry), Sikandar's father. And I was in a relationship. And then, we finally got married. Yes, there's a lot of strength in love, but there's so much else to do as well. There's mutual acceptance and understanding. Love from plays like Romeo Juliet, Shirin Farhad, and films like Aashiqui is very difficult in practical life. You do feel you can't live without somebody. I'm not saying this cynically, but you do divorce that person eventually and then say 'I love you, I want to love you' to another person with the same passion. So, that's a human folly. The trailer of Metro…In Dino tells us that a city which gives us a lot also takes a lot away from us in return. Anupam, you recently celebrated your 44th anniversary of relocating to Mumbai at the trailer launch. Neena, you told me earlier that the smell of the sea, that you first experienced when you arrived in Mumbai, now reminds you of missed opportunities. What is your current relationship with the city? Neena: It's become a habit now. Good or bad, my husband is my God. Mumbai is my God now. I can't help it anymore (laughs). Anupam: Mumbai is a very intoxicating city. It's like a security blanket. There's no other city in the world, other than New York to an extent, which is so generous. It gives at least one chance to everyone who comes here. It's true that if you've lived here, you can't live anywhere else. It's truly bindaas. Neena: I have an electrician who does all my chores, including plumbing. Since I don't have any gents at my home, I even call Motilal to repair a fuse. When I offer him money, he says, 'Baad mein le lunga.' And then he doesn't take money for even six months. Have you seen anything like that anywhere else? That is love. Anupam: But Mumbai is very dominating in the beginning. Because you're part of the crowd. But any kind of a person can live here. I haven't seen anyone starve to death here. Someone was telling me vada pao has been one of the top seven meals of the world. I've had so much vada pao myself! Neena: Me too (smiles). Neena, in the trailer, your character's daughter, played by Konkona Sen Sharma, tells you she never wanted to be like you but has invariably ended up becoming like you. How have you ensured that Masaba also takes her own decisions instead of being influenced by yours? Neena: Yes, I'm very careful about that. I do know that she won't become like me, but I'm alert about it. It's always on my mind somewhere. But I don't have to say anything to her. At a young age, kids don't listen to you anyway. Even she didn't. But now, she's a bit more composed. So it happens organically. I don't give her any instructions. Anupam, you're directing a film Tanvi The Great after 23 years. Neena, you also turned director with the TV show Saans in 1998. Was direction a natural progression for both of you? Anupam: I directed a film after 23 years because I had something to say. I made Om Jai Jagdish in 2002, where the story wasn't mine, but I was excited to be given the task of directing it. This time, I wanted to share a story wholeheartedly. Since I returned to direction after working as an actor for so many years, I wanted to tell this story from my heart, and chose great people to work with. It's been one of the finest experiences of my life to direct Tanvi The Great. Neena: When I was doing TV, I had to do a lot of roles and projects I didn't like. I used to crib a lot then. So a friend suggested why don't I make a show and write a good role for myself. That's when I made Saans. But now, itni achchhi dukan chal rahi hai acting ki main yahin rehna chahti hoon. Why should I go anywhere else? I'm very satisfied with what I'm doing. Also Read: Neena Gupta slays at 66th birthday celebration dressed in 'biscuit bra' and kaftan, fan says, 'Looking at you for all the right reasons' Finally, your character says in the trailer that age is just a number. At this point of your respective careers, what's the ambition? Anupam: We've just begun. You're talking to people who actually think age is just a number. I can speak on her behalf also that we're proving it to the world. Because when you feel it yourself, you know there's a lot more to achieve. We never hide our age, but this is the time when we've started to know each other well. Once that happens, you either love yourself or hate yourself. We love ourselves and are very proud of the journey we've taken, but there's so much more to do. Metro…In Dino is slated to release in cinemas on July 4.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Abhishek Bachchan feels he wants to get back into commercial space now: ‘Last out-and-out entertainer I did before Housefull 5 was Housefull 3 10 years ago'
Abhishek Bachchan admits he's not in the creative frame of mind that he was in five years ago. Back then, he wanted to do roles which were more intimate and low-key. That resulted in him headlining Shoojit Sircar's I Want To Talk last year, based on the real-life story of a cancer survivor. He also starred in Remo D'Souza's slice-of-life film Be Happy, in which he plays the father of a girl who wants to be a dancer. But now, Abhishek admits in an interview with SCREEN that he's gearing up to embrace vanity yet again by returning to the commercial space. His recent whodunit comedy Housefull 5 emerged as a hit at the box office, and he's now gearing up for even more projects in the mainstream space, after the release of his next, Madhmita's Kaalidas Laapata, which drops on ZEE5 on July 4. When you started out in the early 2000s, vanity was a big thing. How have you distanced yourself from it now? It wasn't a big thing, it was one of the main things. Your body, how you looked, your makeup, your clothes, it was very, very important. But that's still the case. It's an audio-visual medium. With time and experience, you start empowering yourself and becoming more confident to do without that armour. It's basically crutches and armour. You're also then able to attempt different kinds of stuff. Weirdly, I shot Kaalidar Laapata before I Want To Talk. All these films came to me at a very interesting phase in my life when I wanted to delve into something far more creative, personal, which had depth of character. I was in that mood. I wanted to do stuff that's quieter and more intimate. So I did a couple of films like that and I thoroughly enjoyed them. With experience, you learn to say, 'Okay, I don't need to look like this to be a protagonist.' We expect so much from our actors today that we forget they're also artistes. They may or may not want to do something at a point of time. Currently, I'm in a different mindset altogether. Right now, I'm looking forward to getting back in the commercial space and doing the song and dance and the action. Yes, you recently delivered a hit in Housefull 5. And you are also doing Riteish Deshmukh's period drama Raja Shivaji. What has caused this return to commercial cinema? Creative people go through cycles. Just around 2020, as Covid happened and soon after that, everybody was in a particular frame of mind. Things were a lot slower because we were just sitting around at home for months. So the pace of life also became that. I also felt a lot more settled so I thought this is the kind of zone I want to be in. Now, I'm satiated and saturated. In fact, the last out-and-out commercial film I did before Housefull 5 was actually Housefull 3 in 2015, 10 years ago. Also Read — Housefull 5A and Housefull 5B ending explained: Who are the killers in this Akshay Kumar-starrer? Finally, you've been working a lot with child actors, from Inayat Verma in Ludo (2020) and Be Happy (2025) to most recently, Daivik Baghela in Kaalidhar Laapata. Is there something you learn as an actor working with them? Daivik was brilliant! He's from Bhopal, so we had that connect. My nanihal is in Bhopal. He does a lot of theatre with his father. He was very well-prepared. At that age, you don't expect them to be prepared. You expect to handle them. But he knew the scenes and dialogues. He was also very open to direction by Madhumita. She's a very particular director. Her attention to emotional detail is wonderful. She knows exactly the emotion she wants. For a young actor like Daivik to remember and execute that was brilliant. I hope you get to meet him. He's a firecracker and a lot of fun to be around.
