Rajesh Khanna defeated 10,000 people in one go, left everyone stunned before becoming an actor, he won…
The actor that we are talking about is none other than Rajesh Khanna, also fondly known as 'Kaka'. What many might not know is that before venturing into the world of the limelight, he participated in a contest. He made headlines by winning the United Producers talent hunt competition in 1965, defeating nearly 10,000 participants. Formerly known as Jatin Khanna, he soon took the name Rajesh Khanna and made his silver screen debut in 1966 at the age of 24 with the film 'Aakhri Khat.' Within just 4 to 5 years, his on-screen presence had earned him the crown of India's first cinematic superstar. Rajesh Khanna's Superhit Films
From 1969 to 1972, Rajesh Khanna delivered a streak of 17 consecutive hit films, including Aradhana, Anand, Kati Patang, Amar Prem, Haathi Mere Saathi, Bawarchi, and Safar. His expressive eyes and impeccable performance added to his aura; he wasn't just admired, he was celebrated. Viewers cried, laughed, and lived through the characters he portrayed.
The legendary actor took his last breath on 18 July 2012, at the age of 69, after battling cancer. Although Rajesh Khanna is gone, his legacy lives on through his films, his unforgettable dialogues, and the unmatchable charm he created.
This actor coined the term 'superstar.' Even after years, his name still resonates with the audience.
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'Mahavatar Narsimha' Box Office Collection Day 13: The film sees a dip; crosses Rs 112 crore
Picture Credit: X The mythological animated film 'Mahavatar Narsimha' is still performing strongly at the box office; however, a decline is beginning to be seen as it reaches halfway through the month. As per early estimates reported by Sacnilk, Mahavatar Narsimha collected around Rs 6 crore (India net) on its 13 day, Wednesday, August 6, across all languages. This brings the film's total to an impressive Rs 112.80 crore so far. Despite the minor drop from the previous days, the film's performance remains noteworthy considering its genre and format. Leading up to Wednesday's collection, the film was still putting up strong numbers. On its second Monday (Day 11), it earned Rs 7.35 crore, followed by Rs 8.5 crore on its second Tuesday (Day 12). However, with Wednesday's drop to Rs 6 crore, it appears the film is gradually stepping into its more steady-paced phase after a high-octane first week and weekend. Theatre occupancy The audience turnout tells a similar story. For the Telugu version, Mahavatar Narsimha had a total occupancy of 24.42% on Wednesday. Morning shows had an occupancy of 14.35%, followed by afternoon shows at 20.91%, evening shows at 26.76%, and night shows at 35.65%. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 Most Beautiful Female Athletes in the World Learn More Undo This demonstrates that the film is still attracting family audiences and working professionals in their after-work hours, particularly in Telugu-speaking areas. The Hindi version of the film saw a more modest turnout on Wednesday with total occupancy at 13.64%. Morning shows had a slow start with just 7.41% occupancy, followed by an increase to 11.10% in afternoon shows. The sprang to 15.24%, and peaked to 20.79% for night shows. Interestingly, some areas saw better-than-average turnout even for midweek. In one another reported occupancy breakdown, the 3D Hindi version saw a stronger hold with total occupancy at 18.27% on Wednesday, higher than prior reported numbers. Morning shows were at 8.26%, afternoon shows were at 15.50%, evening shows were at 23.01%, and night shows were at 26.31%. Cast and crew Directed by Ashwin Kumar and written by Jayapurna Das, Ashwin Kumar, and Rudra Pratap Ghosh, Mahavatar Narsimha is a rare blend of animation, mythology, and action. The voice cast includes Aditya Raj Sharma, Haripriya Matta, and Priyanka Bhandari in lead roles.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Dhadak 2: Shazia Iqbal destroys ancient Bollywood Dharma in the best Karan Johar production since Jigra
Something that Quentin Tarantino said recently rings true for director Shazia Iqbal's Dhadak 2. In an interview, he explained why he admires the controversial blockbuster film Joker, despite the divisive reactions that it opened to. Tarantino said that the movie pulled off 'subversion on a massive level', when it got audiences across the globe to root for a madman to shoot a celebrity in the face on live TV. These were all civilised people, Tarantino said. And yet, for around 10 minutes, they were hungry for blood. It's an unusual comparison to make, but Dhadak 2 has more in common with a billion-dollar-grossing Hollywood movie than you'd imagine. In an alternate universe, Siddhant Chaturvedi's character in the film, a Dalit man named Neelesh, could have very easily turned into a vengeful anarchist. In the film's climactic showdown, after escaping from the clutches of a malevolent Anton Chigurh-type assassin played by Saurabh Sachdeva, Neelesh turns his attention to the film's main antagonist, a Brahmin guy called Ronny who's been harassing him for months. He grabs a hold of Ronny, drags him onto the street, and pummels him into the ground. Like Sunny Deol, he uproots a metallic gate, and prepares to bash Ronny's face in with it. In that moment, there is nothing more that you, as a member of the audience, can desire more than for Ronny to be murdered in the most brutal manner imaginable. Also read – Jigra: Vasan Bala weaponises Alia Bhatt in one of the best Hindi films of the year; Karan Johar better have his back This is 'subversion on a massive level' – to get seemingly civilised people to briefly think like wild animals. Comedians do this all the time. Joker did it as well. Directed by Todd Phillips, the movie pointed fingers at polite society for turning a blind eye to the mentally ill. Their ignorance, the movie suggested, is what compels folks like Arthur Fleck to take matters into their own hands. In Dhadak 2, Neelesh experiences many of the same indignities that were directed at Arthur in Joker. He is humiliated in public, kicked while he's down, even urinated on. Dhadak 2 could've been the origin story of a mass-murdering criminal; had Neelesh transformed into a lunatic killer, you'd 100% understand why. But Dhadak 2 isn't a comic book movie. It is, however, one of the most daring examples of what can be achieved in mainstream Hindi filmmaking. There are elements of exploitation cinema — Tarantino's favourite genre — in Dhadak 2 as well. But the tone isn't nearly as gnarly as it could've been; for a real glimpse at how far things can be pushed past the boundaries of good taste, you needn't look further than Mari Selvaraj's Vaazhai, an autobiographical drama that he released last year. Incidentally, Dhadak 2 is a remake of Selvaraj's debut film, Pariyerum Perumal. It follows a lower-caste man's tentative romance with a girl from an upper-caste family. In Dhadak 2 — the film has had the misfortune of being retroactively rebranded as a 'spiritual sequel', much like the recent Kesari: Chapter 2 — Neelesh understands that he could get murdered for even speaking to someone like Viddhi, let alone for developing feelings for her. Read more – Stolen: The rare Hindi movie that isn't afraid to insult its own audience, and you know what, we deserve it Chaturvedi plays him with a timidity that is more self-imposed than it is ingrained. 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It's a familiar set-up, but one that has historically been sugarcoated in cinema by class-conflict, socioeconomic differences, and sometimes, plain geographical distance. All of these issues are code for caste. In India, every injustice can be traced back to a single source; it's the disgusting 'nala' that we're all drinking from. Income inequality, hunger, lack of education, denial of fundamental rights… Everything. Read more –Bheed: Anubhav Sinha's movie is a messy, confrontational, and deeply angry response to blasé Bollywood We live in a country where a man can be killed for growing a style of moustache that the upper castes have claimed as their own. India is perhaps one of the few nations in the world where literal laws have to be enforced in order to prevent people from killing their own children. To do the dirty work for them, the cowards hire midwives for the nominal sum of Rs 50. 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But her movie has more integrity than the entire filmographies of her colleagues put together. Her voice is bebaak. Dhadak 2 is the best film of its kind since Nagraj Manjule's Jhund, and one that producer Karan Johar should hang forever and ever on his mantelpiece. Post Credits Scene is a column in which we dissect new releases every week, with particular focus on context, craft, and characters. Because there's always something to fixate about once the dust has settled. Rohan Naahar is an assistant editor at Indian Express online. He covers pop-culture across formats and mediums. He is a 'Rotten Tomatoes-approved' critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild of India. He previously worked with the Hindustan Times, where he wrote hundreds of film and television reviews, produced videos, and interviewed the biggest names in Indian and international cinema. At the Express, he writes a column titled Post Credits Scene, and has hosted a podcast called Movie Police. You can find him on X at @RohanNaahar, and write to him at He is also on LinkedIn and Instagram. ... Read More
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Dhadak 2 Box Office Collection Day 6: Triptii Dimri's movie slows midweek, collects only THIS much
Dhadak 2 Box Office Collection Day 6: Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri starrer Dhadak 2 saw a midweek slowdown in its earnings at the Indian box office. However, the movie has finally crossed the ₹ 15 crore mark. Dhadak 2's earnings have been significantly hit by blockbuster Saiyaara and Hombale Films' mythological animated film Mahavatar Narsimha. It also had some competition from Ajay Devgn's Son of Sardaar 2, which was also released on Friday, August 1. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Dhadak 2 earned ₹ 1.04 crore on Wednesday, Day 6. The movie, which had maintained its average weekday earnings, slipped by 36.97% on August 6. Its Day 6 earnings are Dhadak 2's lowest earnings for a single day so far. In its six-day run, Dhadak 2 earned only ₹ 15.44 crore, while Son of Sardaar 2 earned more than double— ₹ 31.49 crore. Dhadak 2 had an overall 13.05% Hindi occupancy on Wednesday Dhadak 2 had the highest number of screenings in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad, with 334, 231, and 177 shows, respectively. However, other regions across India are only running shows in double digits, highlighting the film's declining demand within the first 7 days of its release. Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, and Jaipur are currently leading in terms of occupancy. Meanwhile, regions like Lucknow, Kolkata, and Bhopal have witnessed a noticeable decline in theatre occupancy. Dhadak 2 has also earned ₹ 2.75 crore overseas, taking its global total to ₹ 20 crore. Its India gross was reported to be ₹ 17.25 crore. IMDb describes Dhadak 2, directed by Shazia Iqbal, as 'A searing romantic drama about identity, power, and the cost of love in the world we live in.' The movie stars Saad Bilgrami, Manjiri Pupala, Richa, Vipin Sharma, Deeksha Joshi, Mayank Khanna, Aditya Thakare, Shantanu Pandey, Bala, Priyank Tiwari, Ashwant Lodhi and Amit Jaat in key roles.
