‘Aap Jaisa Koi' trailer: R Madhavan, Fatima Shana Shaikh play a mismatched couple
Vivek Soni's Hindi film will be premiered on July 11 on Netflix.The cast includes Ayesha Raza, Manish Chaudhari and Namit Das.
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Mint
30 minutes ago
- Mint
'Saare Jahan Se Accha' review: Netflix spy series is a missed opportunity
Saare Jahan Se Accha spends most of its time listing differences between India and Pakistan. But Netflix's new spy series can't help draw attention to a common heritage: language. Characters switch naturally between Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and English, as so many did in undivided Punjab. The Punjabi in particular—spoken by Pakistani and Indian characters—is mellifluous, flowing off the tongues of the actors, not the same intonations you'd hear in a modern Hindi film. It reminded me of Song of Lahore (2015), Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's musical documentary, with the Punjabi session players hitting the consonants in trumpeter Wynton Marsalis' name: 'Vin-ttun'. The show, created by Gaurav Shukla, opens with conspiracy theory (the CIA blowing up a plane with Indian nuclear physicist Homi Bhabha on board) and boilerplate spy drama truths (we operate in the shadows, our families don't know what we do). Both are delivered in a flat voiceover by Pratik Gandhi, who plays intelligence agent Vishnu Shankar. After the formation of RAW in 1968, its head, R.N. Kao (Rajat Kapoor), sends Vishnu on a top-secret mission: relocate to Islamabad and sabotage Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme. Vishnu's primary asset there is Sukhbir (Suhail Nayyar), alias Rafiq, an Indian posing as a Pakistani stockbroker. Rafiq, a capable but reluctant spy, helps corrupt lieutenant colonel Rizwan (Kapil Radha) with his investments, and is wooing his sister, Naseem (Diksha Juneja). Vishnu, tailed and intimidated by local agents despite ostensibly being a diplomat, carefully pulls strings too. He pushes Naushad (Anup Soni), a Pakistan army brigadier whom they've been blackmailing, and tries to win over Fatima (Kritika Kamra), an anti-bomb journalist who happens to be nuclear engineer Munir Khan's niece. Seemingly ahead at every step is Murtaza Malik (Sunny Hinduja)—'Pakistan's most capable officer', in the words of President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. From the moment he's introduced, the show has a problem. Murtaza is simply more interesting than Vishnu. Hinduja plays him with a mixture of sardonic reserve and restless intelligence. It lends a tension to every scene he's in, even when the situation doesn't warrant it—we can't tell how closely he's reading into his close friend Naushad's behaviour, and it keeps us on edge. He's as formidable a spy as Vishnu, but happier in the spotlight, wittier and more commanding. Vishnu, on the other hand, never feel right at the centre of the show. Gandhi is a deft actor who was working steadily in the theatre and Gujarati cinema before Scam 1992 thrust him into lead roles in Hindi films. In Saare Jahan Se Accha, you can feel the tension between a character actor who'd relish the challenge of making a drab agent interesting and a star who's supposed to carry the production. Vishnu is a cypher, as spies must often be, but Gandhi can't find a way to make this shadowy figure compelling. He keeps losing scenes—to the confident Hinduja, to Tilottama Shome, rather wasted here as his confused, neglected wife, and to Nayyar, whose Sukhbir turns out to be the sad heart of the series. I couldn't help but imagine a richer, more complex show built around Sukhbir: a fascinating figure, resourceful, lonely, an Indian pretending to be Pakistani, a Sikh posing as Muslim, blackmailed by his country, with genuine attachments to the people he's spying on. There are recent shows that have gone all-out with period recreation (Jubilee) and those that managed it with a few smart touches (Rocket Boys). Saare Jahan Se Acha tries the latter, but, apart from a sequence at a screening of cult horror film Zinda Laash, the research and detailing are inadequate. The clothes, the hair, the speech, the cultural markers—little of it suggests a convincing 1970s Pakistan. 'Tumhare takes kya hain?' is something you wouldn't hear today, let alone 50 years ago. Rajat Kapoor may be styled to look like Alec Guinness' Smiley, but Saare Jahan Se Acha doesn't want to be John le Carré. In its better moments, it has some of the enjoyable pulpiness of the Yash Raj spy films. One of its episodes revolves around the capture of a minor antagonist named Bilal (Rajesh Khera), an arms dealer in London with a weakness for women. The multiple subplots—the race to extract information from Bilal, the kidnapping of his son back in Pakistan, Murtaza getting increasingly suspicious—are woven together nicely by editor Aarif Shaikh and Sumit Purohit, who directs all the episodes. I also appreciate that the Indian agents, till then less cutthroat than their Pakistani counterparts, are shown using torture, not on a particularly bad person, but one they need information from quickly. This and a messy kill in the previous episode go some way to dispelling the notion of a 'right' side. There are only six episodes, each between 30-45 minutes—a fairly slim offering. Surprisingly, there's no real attempt to tease a second season. Vishnu and Kao spend all season insisting India isn't working on a nuclear bomb (it's described as a 'moral line', one that a nation like Pakistan would cross but we wouldn't). The truth is, India's nuclear weapons programme was very much in swing by then, culminating in the Pokhran-I tests. I thought the show might be saving this as the A-plot for Season Two, but was less certain once the 1974 tests were mentioned at the end of the last episode. Espionage is a saturated genre in India right now, and Saare Jahan Se Accha doesn't do enough to stand out. If it does return, I hope it's at least with a more stirring, less shaken protagonist.
India.com
32 minutes ago
- India.com
Coolie advance booking: Rajinikanth and Aamir Khan film collects Rs 100 crore for opening weekend, sells over 12 lakh tickets for...
Superstar Rajinikanth's upcoming film Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, is poised for a monumental release on August 14, 2025. The film has already shattered advance booking records, amassing over Rs 100 crore globally before its release, and has now set record for its opening day. How much has Rajinikanth's starrer Coolie garnered? As per reports by Saclink, in India, Coolie has garnered Rs 27.01 crore through bookings after selling 12,46,828 tickets, with significant contributions from Tamil Nadu (Rs 11.97 crore), Karnataka (Rs 6.85 crore), Andhra Pradesh (Rs 1.46 crore), and Telangana (Rs 1.69 crore). The film's unprecedented success extends to North America, where it has become the first Tamil film to surpass $2 million figure in premiere pre-sales. This achievement underscores Rajinikanth's enduring global appeal and the anticipation surrounding his 171st venture Coolie. Has the clash with War 2 affected Coolie? Despite the high-profile box office clash between Rajinikanth's Coolie and Hrithik Roshan-Jr NTR's War 2, Coolie has maintained a strong lead in advance bookings. The film has already amassed over Rs 80 crore in worldwide pre-sales, significantly outpacing War 2, which has garnered between Rs 10–15 crore. The film's dominance is particularly evident in southern markets, with Tamil Nadu contributing Rs 22.81 crore and over 10 lakh tickets sold for first-day shows. On the other hand, War 2, while generating buzz, has seen more modest advance booking figures. In India, it has collected Rs 9.8 crore with 3.46 lakh tickets sold across 13,748 shows. The film's performance is stronger in Hindi belt and Telugu-speaking regions, owing to the presence of Jr NTR and his ardent supporters who have managed to dominate Hyderabad ticket counters. Overall, while the clash has intensified competition, Coolie's robust advance bookings and regional dominance suggest it remains largely unaffected by War 2's concurrent release. Is Coolie part of LCU? Fans are eagerly waiting for Coolie, not just because it stars Rajinikanth, but also due to its rumored connection with the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU). After Kaithi, Vikram, and Leo, audiences are speculating whether Coolie will tie into the same universe. The anticipation is sky-high, with fans excited to see if Lokesh Kanagaraj drops subtle hints or a direct crossover, making Coolie a potential game-changer in the LCU timeline. However, as per Lokesh it is a standalone film, which is a massive tribute to Thalaivar Rajinikanth's humongous legacy in Tamil Cinema. More about Coolie Coolie features a star-studded cast, including Akkineni Nagarjuna, Aamir Khan, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, Shruti Haasan, and Sathyaraj. Coolie brings together a strong technical team, music by Anirudh Ravichander, known for his energetic tracks and innovative use of AI, visuals by acclaimed cinematographer Girish Gangadharan and crisp editing by Philomin Raj, a frequent collaborator who has always been backbone of Lokesh Kanagaraj's masterpieces.
Pink Villa
an hour ago
- Pink Villa
Boney Kapoor wishes late wife Sridevi on her birth anniversary, 'With every passing day she is getting younger'
Sridevi, who is regarded as one of the most iconic actresses in Indian cinema, is fondly remembered as the first female superstar. The late veteran actress was a multilingual actor who worked in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada movies in her illustrious career. On her birth anniversary today, Sridevi's husband, filmmaker Boney Kapoor, has showered her with all the love. Boney Kapoor wishes Sridevi a happy birthday Boney Kapoor took to Instagram to share a picture of his late wife, Sridevi. The picture features the iconic actress in her English Vinglish avatar. She is wearing a maroon saree and gazing at the camera with her beautiful eyes. The producer penned a sweet note for her in the caption. "Yesssss. you are not 62 today. You are 26. Happy birthday, we are still reliving all your happy birthdays," he wrote. Boney Kapoor says Sridevi is 'getting younger' In another post on Instagram, Boney Kapoor shared a throwback picture of his wife, Sridevi. The photo is from her 27th birthday, which she celebrated in Chennai in 1990. In the picture, the filmmaker can be seen looking at her while laughing at the moment. Young Sridevi is also looking back at him. Both of them are sharing a playful memory during her birthday celebration. The Laadla actress looks beautiful in a beige suit and copper-colored dupatta. In his caption, Boney recalled how he wished her a "happy 26th birthday" to compliment her and make her feel younger, but she thought he was teasing her. "In 1990 her birthday party in chennai when I wished her happy 26th birthday while it was her 27th birthday to make her feel that she had gone younger & it was a compliment, that with every passing day she is getting younger but she taught I was teasing her," his caption reads. Sridevi's personal life and work front Sridevi was born on August 13, 1963, in Tamil Nadu. She married Boney Kapoor in 1996. Actresses Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor are their daughters. On the work front, Sridevi was last seen in a cameo role in Shah Rukh Khan's 2018 film, Zero, which was released posthumously. The late actress is best known for iconic movies like Mr. India, Chandni, Chaalbaaz, Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, and more.
