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Salman Khan's Sikandar director says he ‘felt handicapped' while shooting the movie

Salman Khan's Sikandar director says he ‘felt handicapped' while shooting the movie

Time of India2 days ago
When Sikandar was first announced, it felt like a surefire blockbuster in the making. Directed by AR Murugadoss, the man behind Aamir Khan's Ghajini, and starring Salman Khan, the film promised a high-octane return to massy action drama. It also marked Khan's reunion with producer Sajid Nadiadwala after over a decade since their 2014 hit Kick. With a reported budget of Rs 200 crore and a cast that included Rashmika Mandanna, Kajal Aggarwal, Sathyaraj, Sharman Joshi, and others, Sikandar hit theatres on March 30, 2025, during Eid, banking on the festive weekend to fuel its box office numbers.But instead of becoming the year's big festival hit, Sikandar turned into one of the biggest disappointments. Despite releasing in IMAX and standard formats across India, the film failed to connect with audiences and critics alike. It was panned for its writing, execution, and direction—ultimately becoming a box office bomb.Nearly four months after the release, AR Murugadoss has broken his silence on the film's failure. While promoting his upcoming project Madharaasi, the filmmaker offered a brutally honest explanation: his struggle with the Hindi language. 'When we make films in our mother tongue, it gives us strength. We know what is happening here,' Murugadoss said. 'When we shift language, we don't know what the youngsters are enjoying in that language. All we need is a script to believe it.'He went on to say that while he's more comfortable working in Tamil or even Telugu cinema, Hindi presents a unique set of challenges. 'After we write the script, it's translated into English. Then it is again translated into Hindi. We can only guess what they are saying, but we are not exactly sure about what is happening,' he explained. 'When you make a film in an unknown language and place, it feels like you are handicapped. It is like you don't have hands.'Murugadoss believes that a filmmaker's creative strength comes from being grounded in their own language and culture. And while he has delivered successful Hindi films in the past—like Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty with Akshay Kumar, which earned Rs 180 crore on a Rs 50 crore budget—Sikandar seems to have been a misstep rooted in disconnection from the language and its evolving audience.
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Community service, security boost, crowd control top clubs' Durga Puja grant spend wish list in Kolkata
Community service, security boost, crowd control top clubs' Durga Puja grant spend wish list in Kolkata

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Community service, security boost, crowd control top clubs' Durga Puja grant spend wish list in Kolkata

Kolkata: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee's announcement of an increased grant of Rs 1.1 lakh to each registered Durga Puja committee in the state has added to the festive fervour. This move has been welcomed by organisers and the larger puja fraternity at a time when artisans are busy giving shape to Durga idols and pandals across the city. The announcement, an increase from last year's Rs 85,000, has sent the city's thousands of puja committees to the table to plan how to spend the money in the most efficient way. While the lights, pandals, and processions will certainly dazzle, organisers are prioritising security, crowd management, and community engagement this year. Part of the funds will also go towards increasing the pay of sanitation workers, electricians, and other essential service providers during the festival. Bhowanipur 75 Palli will spend the grant on promoting the 'Save Drive, Save Life' campaign, besides endorsing Bengal as a tourist destination. "We will put in place healthcare facilities," said Subir Das, secretary of the puja committee. The increased funding will also allow committees to enhance safety measures without compromising on artistic creativity, organisers said. 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 by Taboola by Taboola "We will be utilising the grant for better crowd management and safety features for the visitors. We will also use the money to increase facilities at our health camp and increase the pay of healthcare workers and other service providers," said Sanjay Majumdar, secretary of the Thakurpukur SB Park Sarbojanin. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Members of the Forum for Durgotsab, an umbrella body of over 400 puja committees, hailed the move as a boost to Bengal's creative economy. Since Durga Puja was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2021, the festival has been attracting visitors from around the world. Gourab Biswas of United Club in Baguiati said the organisers would use the funds to increase fire safety measures in the pandal, insure the puja, and distribute clothes, books, and sweets among underprivileged children. "We will also use the funds to sensitise people about malaria and dengue," said Biswas. "We plan to use the funds to hire additional security personnel and grant will help us do that without cutting corners," said an organiser. The increased fund would help organisers of Durga Puja in Mohammad Ali Park to organise the festival efficiently, said Ashok Ojha, Joint Secretary of the Mohammad Ali Park Durga Puja committee. The budget for this Puja had dropped by 75% after after a portion of the park caved in a few years ago.

Mahavatar Narasimha Box Office: Hombale's animated movie continues strong run, earns Rs 5.25 crore on 2nd Friday in Hindi
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time2 hours ago

  • Pink Villa

Mahavatar Narasimha Box Office: Hombale's animated movie continues strong run, earns Rs 5.25 crore on 2nd Friday in Hindi

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'Mistake': Sadhvi Ritambhara Apologises For 'Earning Money Being Nude' Remark
'Mistake': Sadhvi Ritambhara Apologises For 'Earning Money Being Nude' Remark

NDTV

time2 hours ago

  • NDTV

'Mistake': Sadhvi Ritambhara Apologises For 'Earning Money Being Nude' Remark

After sparking outrage with her remark that she feels ashamed to see Hindu women earn money by being nude and performing dirty dances, spiritual leader Sadhvi Ritambhara has said she apologises if anyone has been hurt by her remarks, but she felt she had a right to say what she did because she was surrounded by her loved ones. The Padma Bhushan awardee's discourse at a gathering three months ago has now gone viral in which she says in Hindi, "Hindu women, oh God. I feel ashamed to see them. Will you earn money? Will you earn money by being naked? By doing dirty dances, singing dirty songs? I don't understand how their husbands, their fathers accept this?" "People should lead a life of decency... Women of India, don't mind my saying this..." she adds. Speaking exclusively to NDTV on Friday, the spiritual leader said she believes women play a key role in families and the nation and she was not targeting women, but keeping hope in their strength. "But being unrestrained cannot be called independence. Being undisciplined is not disciplined. This is my nature... When my pain reaches a point, I share it with my loved ones. This is an old video, which has gone viral. I was trying to say that a nation becomes great because of its citizens' behaviour," she said. Asked why such comments were not made for men, Sadhvi Ritambhara added, "If women were hurt by my emotional comments, then I will definitely apologise. But when you are in the middle of your loved ones, you speak thinking you have a right over them. I love those who are shattered, but it hurts when you see unrestrained behaviour like this. This has not been the role of Indians... I am also human, I should not have said what I said, maybe if I had said 'niravaran', or 'nirvastra' or filled with values..." Classical dance, she said, is very good but what does not look good is what is shown in the "so-called reels". "Indecent behaviour does not look good. And if a woman does it or five, 10, 100 do it, all women are tarnished," she said. "What I said was not for all Hindu women. I must have forgotten to say something in the flow of speech. I am an ordinary human, I made a mistake," the spiritual leader added. When young children watch such reels, she said, it poisons their mind and does not let them focus on making their lives better and striving for a good career. "Yes I should not have said the word. I made a mistake. I know the mothers of the country will forgive me... I apologise, but my country knows me," she said.

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