Death by a thousand cuts
When Ananth Mahadevan set out to make a straightforward biopic on the 19th century social reformers Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule, the first time it would be told in Hindi, little did he know he'd find himself in hot waters with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The board's examining committee came up with a series of amendments, which included changing mentions of Mang, Mahar, Shudra and Kunbi to lower caste and tweaking a line from 'teen hazaar saal puraani' (3,000 years old) to 'kai saal puraani' (going back several years). Mahadevan was taken aback. 'Just today I saw a headline in the Times of India which mentions Kunbis in big bold letters,' he said. 'If you can allow that in other forms of communication, why not cinema?'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
MSEDCL Marks 20th Anniversary With ‘Zero Accident' Campaign, Cultural Fest
1 2 3 Nagpur: The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) celebrated its 20th anniversary with enthusiasm and active participation from employees and their families. Organised by the Nagpur Circle, the celebrations took on a family-centric atmosphere as regular and outsourced staff, engineers, officers, and their relatives came together to commemorate the milestone. Guided by Nagpur Circle's chief engineer Dilip Dodke, the week leading up to the anniversary, from June 1 to 6, was observed as Electricity Safety Week. Based on the theme 'Zero Accidents in MSEDCL, Zero Accidents in Maharashtra', a wide-reaching awareness campaign was conducted across Nagpur and Wardha districts. The week featured marathons, rallies, painting and essay competitions, and outreach visits to residential societies where safety practices related to electricity use and distribution were discussed. The initiative emphasised consumer and employee safety as its core message. The concluding ceremony and main anniversary event in Nagpur and Wardha became memorable celebrations, blending recognition and entertainment. The programme commenced with a tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on his 351st coronation anniversary, followed by a documentary tracing MSEDCL's 20-year journey. The film included congratulatory messages from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and managing director Lokesh Chandra, along with guidance on electrical safety. The event also recognised key contributions within the organisation. Substations at Dhapewada (Saoner Division) and Mohgaon, Dongargaon, Nildoh, and Sonegaon (Butibori Division) were awarded ISO certifications, and the respective engineers, technicians, and outsourced staff were felicitated. Winners of the safety week's painting and essay contests were also awarded. The ceremony was attended by director (customer relations) Gauri Chandrayaan, poet and jury member Loknath Yashwant, superintending engineers Amit Paranjape and Sanjay Wakde, along with a large number of staff and family members. A highlight of the celebration was an entertainment night held at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Convention Center on Kamptee Road. TV artist Ajit Koshti's solo comedy act 'Hasyarang' drew waves of laughter from the audience, while a live performance by the Seven Notes Orchestra, featuring popular Hindi and Marathi songs, provided a perfect end to the anniversary festivities.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt's Rs 250 crore Krishna Raj bungalow, dedicated to daughter Raha, finally ready for move-in
After years of anticipation, heartfelt planning, and regular site visits, Bollywood's beloved couple Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt are finally ready to call their dream house 'home.' The opulent six-storey bungalow, named after Ranbir's late grandmother Krishna Raj Kapoor, is reportedly complete—and a newly surfaced video online confirms just that. The clip showcases the mansion's fully finished facade, adorned with potted greenery on every balcony, radiating both grandeur and warmth. The couple, frequently spotted at the location with their daughter Raha and Ranbir's mother Neetu Kapoor, are now expected to shift into the iconic Bandra property soon, likely aligning their grah pravesh with an auspicious date. A house built on history and heart This isn't just a luxury property—it's a piece of Kapoor family history, a tribute to generations past and a legacy for the future. The plot once belonged to screen legends Raj Kapoor and Krishna Raj Kapoor and was passed down to Rishi and Neetu Kapoor in the 1980s. Ranbir and Alia have now carried that legacy forward, with the mansion reportedly set to be registered in the name of their daughter, Raha Kapoor. Pictures and videos of Ranbir and Alia's love nest, now ready for them to move in, have been making the rounds on the internet. Raha Kapoor's cute gesture towards Ranbir Kapoor melts hearts, wins internet. More than just bricks and mortar Beyond its estimated Rs 250-crore valuation, the Krishna Raj bungalow symbolizes familial continuity and emotional investment. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo According to a source quoted by Hindustan Times, 'The ongoing work on their bungalow is almost done, with the finishing going on, which should take one month or so. After the work is done and they get a green signal, the couple will move into the place. It is the moment they have been looking forward to. ' The insider further added, 'The bungalow holds an emotional significance to the family, which is why everyone is so involved in the construction. Ranbir and Alia have made sure they take out time from their busy schedule and check the work status.' Last year, there was buzz that the Kapoor-Bhatt family would ring in Diwali in their new home, but construction delays pushed those plans. Now, all signs point to the couple finally stepping into their forever home—one that blends old-school Bollywood heritage with modern-day aspirations. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Economic Times
5 hours ago
- Economic Times
Southern films struggle in Hindi: Poor marketing, weak stories to blame
An increasing number of southern language films dubbed in Hindi have failed to attract a favourable response in the past six months, thanks to limited or no marketing, lack of stories containing universal values and stylish larger-than-life characters, a small four-week window in theatres, and ineffective branding through the deliberate casting of prominent actors from across recent washout performance of the Hindi-dubbed version of the Tamil film Thug Life points is the latest to box office research firm Sacnilk, Thug Life collected 1.2 crore in Hindi over the past three days, while the Tamil version earned 26.08 crore in the same period. Apart from Thug Life, dubbed Hindi films such as Retro, HIT: The Third Case and Kanguva have not believe that the increasing tendency among southern filmmakers to promote films as pan-India offerings is a key reason for their failure."A pan-India film is a myth. Deliberately casting actors from different states does not make a southern film pan-India. The Hindi belt audience just wants a good, entertaining film. A good film dubbed in as many languages as you want will work," said Naveen Chandra, founder and CEO of 91 Film Studios, a studio that produces, finances, and distributes regional films. He cites 'Pushpa 2' and 'Kalki 2898 AD' as examples of films that found a strong audience in the Hindi belt. "In Pushpa 2: The Rule, the story has not progressed at all. The cop has not caught the criminal. There is a continuous chase. Yet, the film has worked. This is because almost every scene in the film is entertaining. And the Hindi belt audience has loved it," said 2: The Rule was released in December last year. It collected Rs 812 crore in the dubbed Hindi version alone-much higher than the film's collection in its original Telugu, which was Rs 341.4 reason Hindi-dubbed versions are failing at the box office is their storytelling. "The Hindi belt audience is not interested in stars. They are interested in stories that contain universal values, stylish larger-than-life characters, and a high dose of escapism. Of late, however, southern films have been more realistic, with little escapism. Hence, they are not travelling beyond their home states," said Shaaminder Malik, a film distributor and trade to a report by media and entertainment research firm Ormax Media, in 2024, dubbed Hindi films contributed 31% to the total Hindi box office, highlighting the dominance of southern films. But this contribution is likely to drop in 2025. Limited marketing and promotion, along with a four-week theatrical window, have also contributed to the failure of Hindi-dubbed films. "Of late, a dubbed Hindi film is either not marketed or not well enough. Audiences in the Hindi belt are not aware of these films. Importantly, most southern films stay in theatres for only four weeks before being released to streamers. So, the potential of these films is not fully exploited by Hindi belt audiences," said Suniel Wadhwa, a veteran film distributor.
