Actor Sreeleela exits Akhil Akkineni's Lenin citing date conflicts: Reports
Actor Sreeleela has quit her upcoming film 'Lenin', according to reports. She has allegedly opted out of the film featuring Akhil Akkineni due to scheduling conflicts.The actor, who had already shot some portions of the film, backed out of the project citing date issues, Filmfare reported. Sreeleela informed the film's team about her prior commitments. Apparently, with the shooting of 'Lenin' getting delayed, she had to honour her prior commitments.advertisementEven though the 'Robinhood' (2025) actor gave her reasons for her decision, her exit came in as a shock to the producers. The portal quoted a source saying, "Sreeleela may not be part of Lenin. The dates that she allotted to other projects are coming in clash with that of Lenin. Although she revisited and tried to rework on her date diary, things did not materialise."
While no official statement has been released from the 'Lenin' team, the report suggests that the search for Sreeleela's replacement has already started. Her exit may slow down the shooting as efforts were being made to wrap up the film at the earliest.The title glimspse of 'Lenin' was released on April 8, which also marked Akkineni's birthday. Nagarjuna, who is co-producing the film, shared the teaser on social media and wrote, "Happy birthday, dear Akhil... may the Universe bless you with all its power and glory.(sic)"advertisementThe one-minute glimpse offers a dramatic first look of Akkineni in a rugged new avatar, signalling a major shift from his earlier romantic image. Sreeleela also appeared briefly in the teaser. Akkineni's character appears to be inspired by Lord Krishna in the teaser, adding a mystical layer to the narrative. 'Lenin' is written and directed by Murali Kishore Abburu. The movie is co-produced by Nagarjuna under Annapurna Studios and Naga Vamsi under Sithara Entertainments.- Ends
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Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Pushpa girls Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Sreeleela put rift rumours to rest with joint appearance. Watch
The tea is officially spilled and it's all love! Actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Sreeleela have put speculation about their rumoured tension to rest with a joint appearance at a recent event. Also read: 'Samantha was better': Sreeleela's Pushpa 2 cameo song fails to impress as internet rediscovers Oo Antava's supremacy The photos of Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Sreeleela posing together quickly flooded social media, silencing the buzz around their rift. At the event, the actors exuded warmth and elegance, silencing the buzz surrounding the Pushpa 2 dance song controversy and showcasing their camaraderie. The actors recently turned heads together at an event, GQ India Most Influential Young Indians, as they posed together. The photos of them posing together quickly flooded social media, silencing the buzz around their rift. In the photo, which has surfaced on social media, Samantha and Sreeleela are seen beaming at each other, hands clasped, exuding warmth and friendship. Samantha stunned in a black sheer gown with an intricate lace bodice and plunging neckline, while Sreeleela turned heads in an off-shoulder red gown that highlighted her curves. In a moment caught on video, Samantha is seen waiting for Sreeleela's arrival at the event, and then calling out to her for a joint pose. Then the two actors were spotted laughing and posing together, effectively silencing months of speculation with their warm and friendly presence. This was the first time Samantha and Sreeleela had posed together publicly since rumours of a rift surfaced after the release of Pushpa 2. What do we know about the reported rift The stir around their rumoured rift started last year when it was reported that Sreeleela replaced Samantha in a special dance number for Pushpa 2. The song, Kissik, was compared to Samantha's iconic Oo Antava from Pushpa: The Rise, which had become a massive hit. While Oo Antava was a huge hit, Kissik received mixed reactions, with social media users drawing comparisons between the two stars. During a press conference, Sreeleela had addressed the backlash. 'The song itself will justify my choice. It's not your typical item song. There's a strong narrative reason behind it, which will become clear when the movie releases," she said.
Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Indian Express
RD Burman's swan song 1942 A Love Story: Humiliated and cast aside by Bollywood, how Pancham created the album; teared up when music was called ‘bullsh*t'
The romantic 'Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko', the seductive 'Bahon mein chale aao', the melancholic 'Kya hua tera vaada', the fun 'Bachna ae haseeno', the existential 'Aanevala pal jaanevala hai', the trippy 'Dum maaro dum', and the playful 'Lakdi ki kathi' – all these iconic film songs hold a special place in the history of Hindi film music. Each song evokes a different mood and all of them sound unlike each other but they have one thing in common – they came out of the musically genius brain of music composer RD Burman. Pancham, as he was fondly called, who ruled the Hindi film music scene across the 1970s and composed one gem after another, had a distinct identity when it came to his music. He was as versatile as a music composer could possibly be, yet he had a distinct sound that made him stand apart from his contemporaries. The best years of his career started in the late 1960s with the likes of Padosan (Meri samne vali khidki, Ek chatur naar), and by the time the 1970s rolled in, Pancham was far ahead than his competitors. Yet, like many greats, who are often honoured with the respect they deserve after they pass on, Pancham too, truly became iconic after he gave the world his swan song in the Vidhu Vinod Chopra film, 1942 A Love Story. Pancham, one of the most prolific music composers of his generation, was rejected by his contemporaries in his last years as his competitors engaged in petty industry politics against him, and he lost confidence in himself. After creating some of the most popular albums of the 1970s, like Amar Prem (Kuch toh log kahenge, Chingari koi bhadke), Sholay (Yeh dosti hum nahi todenge), Namak Haraam (Diye jalte hain), Aandhi (Iss mod se jaate hain, Tere bina zindagi se koi), RD Burman's lean phase started somewhere in the mid-1980s. This was the time when the Hindi film industry was anyway going through its worst period. Films were collapsing at the box office like a house of cards and the music industry was suffering just as badly. Apart from the occasional Masoom (Tujhse naraz nahi zindagi), Shakti (Jane kaise kab kahan) and a few other film albums, Pancham wasn't enjoying much success either. A composer's success is never measured by the film's success, but somehow, RD was hit by these failures just as much. He started counting his flops in interviews and this damaged his already fragile track record in those times. 'Till 1985, everything was fine. After that came a particularly bad patch. 27 films of mine flopped, and though some songs did become popular, they did nothing for my career,' he told Filmfare in 1992. ALSO READ | Banned on radio and television, RD Burman's Dum Maro Dum became the identity of an anti-drug movie Some of his songs from this phase were certainly quite forgettable, and this shook his confidence even more. Lyric writer Yogesh Gaur, in a chat with Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Balaji Vittal for the book 'RD Burman – The Man, The Music', implied that in this phase, Pancham was not even on the driver's seat for his compositions and that one of his assistants, Sapan Chakraborty, was making decisions on RD's behalf. 'It was practically Sapan Da who did everything now. Pancham would leave everything to him with a summary 'Tu dekh le', ignoring the work himself,' Yogesh claimed. Pancham didn't have the stardom and success that he enjoyed in the 1970s, and this contributed to his depleting self-confidence. 'Lack of self confidence. He began thinking that he lacked the ability and burnt out. This was untrue but he somehow got swayed by other people's opinions and ended up losing his belief in his music,' director Vidhu Vinod Chopra shared in the same book. The makers and stars who once collaborated with him with enthusiasm – Dev Anand (Hare Rama Hare Krishna), Shekhar Kapur (Masoom), Ramesh Sippy (Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay), and with whom RD had done some of his best work, had now moved on to work with different composers. Filmmaker Subhash Ghai, who was one of the most popular directors in those days, unceremoniously dropped Pancham from his film Ram Lakhan and didn't even tell him about it, and this left the composer 'humiliated.' 'Mr Subhash Ghai didn't even have the courtesy to tell me this himself. I have never felt so humiliated in my life,' he told Filmfare in 1992. Turns out, that even a man as successful as RD could not escape from petty politics of the workplace. Years later, Pyarelal (of Laxmikant-Pyarelal fame) confessed in a chat with Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Balaji Vittal, 'We told Ghai that if he signed up Pancham, we would not work with him thereafter.' ALSO READ | Nargis' brother beat her up because of her relationship with Raj Kapoor; she lost money, opportunities while he set up his studio Amid all of this professional crisis, Kishore Kumar's death in 1987 was another blow for Pancham. His longtime collaborator, who had been the voice of his music for years, was gone and RD felt more alone than ever. His health started failing him and it was right around this time that he suffered a heart attack, and a subsequent bypass surgery in London in 1989. By the time the 1990s rolled around, music companies like HMV, who had enough power to dictate who composed for which film, categorically said that they wouldn't back a film if RD was associated with it. The man who was once considered an icon, was now seen as a jinx. HMV was ready to bet on a new horse but not on a stallion like RD, Vidhu confessed in the same chat and added that despite all of this, he had faith in RD and his talent. After working with Pancham in Parinda, Vidhu Vinod Chopra went back to him for 1942 A Love Story. 'When I was making the film, music in Hindi cinema was going through a terrible crisis. All kinds of vulgar songs were being written and there was a real decline in the standard of music and lyrics, so I wanted to bring back beautiful music, the kind that I loved when I was growing up,' he shared in the book titled Unscripted, authored by him and Abhijat Joshi. He had a very clear idea of the kind of music he wanted for his film – he imagined SD Burman's sound with his story but since SD had passed away, he went to RD, his son, to recreate the same kind of magic. RD, who had been just as successful as his late father, wasn't the confident young man he once used to be so when he composed the first version of the now iconic 'Kuch na kaho', he was a little apprehensive. In Vinod's chats with Abhijat, the filmmaker recalled that when he heard the first version, he had to tell RD that it was 'bullsh*t'. RD, who already knew about the music label's reservations, was in a fragile state, and asked the director if he wanted to get a new composer but that was far from Chopra's intentions. By this stage of his life, RD's ideas and thoughts were completely coloured by those who surrounded him, and he believed that the old music that the director was chasing, the kind that SD Burman made, wouldn't sell. 'Vinod, you don't understand. The old music doesn't sell. This is what sells,' he told Vinod and the director responded, 'Leave the selling to me. I'm the producer. You don't need to worry about what sells and what doesn't. Just create the music.' As Vinod was leaving, he saw RD 'had tears in his eyes. He became very emotional and so did I. We hugged each other very warmly as I said goodbye.' It was after this conversation that Vinod realised that RD had become an 'insecure' and 'lonely' man. A few weeks later, they met again, and this time when RD started playing what we now know as 'Kuch na kaho' and Vinod just fell in love with it in the first few seconds. RD interrupted, 'But the song hasn't started yet' and Vinod said, 'Dada, if these are your first notes, I know where the song is going.' Vinod also recalled the making of 'Ek ladki ko dekha' and shared that RD wasn't happy with what had transpired. He wanted to record the song again and Vinod could see that since RD was feeling 'insecure,' he would do something 'terrible' in trying to make it better. It was like Vinod had to act as a barrier between the artiste and his creation. But, despite such reactions, Pancham's enthusiasm to compose for this film was unmatched. Javed Akhtar, who wrote the lyrics of this film, recalled him saying, 'I need to show who I am. Just you wait till the music of the film releases' and described it as his 'do or die' album. Apart from the two aforementioned songs, the film's album also featured songs like 'Rimjhim rimjhim', 'Rooth na jana', 'Pyaar hua chupke se'. RD created modern day classics for 1942 A Love Story but, he didn't live long enough to experience its success. Vinod saw it as Pancham's 'Van Gogh moment' where millions of people, and many in the film industry, who lost faith in him, fell in love with him all over again. Javed Akhtar, in a chat with Bhattacharjee and Balaji, said that while Pancham was quite popular in his heyday, he became even more important as years passed. 'Earlier, he was merely successful. Now, with more distance, the contours are becoming more visible. Pancham is a milestone in music – a certain sensitivity, modulation, a certain sound, a certain beat. RD urbanised Hindustani music and brought it closer to world music. Pancham's music sounds universal and international. It is not getting obsolete. Rather, it is becoming more modern because our society is reaching the point to which RD's music had taken a leap ahead of time. It is now contemporary,' he said. RD Burman passed away after suffering from a heart attack on January 4, 1994, just three months before the release of 1942 A Love Story. He was 54. Lata Mangeshkar, who was one of his longest collaborators through the 1970s, in a chat with Subhash K Jha, acknowledged that he was 'very unhappy in his final years because of the way his career had gone.' She recorded 'Kuch na kaho' after his passing as Pancham wanted to record this song with her, and had already recorded a dummy version with Kavita Krishnamurthy. In the years since RD's death, his music has become more relevant, especially since the early 2000s when his music saw a resurgence via the many remixes which were a flavour of the season. It has been 31 years since he passed and it is truly unfortunate that Pancham could never see how his tunes from the 1970s gave Hindi film music its sound for decades, and his music continues to be the inspiration behind most things Bollywood. Sampada Sharma has been the Copy Editor in the entertainment section at Indian Express Online since 2017. ... Read More
News18
11 hours ago
- News18
Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Sreeleela Pose Together For First Time Since Pushpa 2, Quash Rift Rumours
The actresses made a striking joint appearance at a recent event, where their warmth and elegance spoke louder than any rumours. Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Sreeleela have seemingly put to rest all speculation of tension between them following the Pushpa 2 dance song controversy. The actresses made a striking joint appearance at a recent event, where their warmth and elegance spoke louder than any rumours. In the photo that's now going viral, Samantha and Sreeleela can be seen exchanging smiles and holding hands, radiating camaraderie. Samantha, dressed in a black sheer gown with an intricate lace bodice and plunging neckline, looked glamorous and confident. Her hair was styled in soft waves, framing her face elegantly. Sreeleela, on the other hand, opted for a bold off-shoulder red gown that accentuated her silhouette. With her hair tied in a chic bun and minimal accessories, she exuded effortless grace. The two actresses were seen chatting and posing side-by-side, putting an end to months of conjecture. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Snehkumar Zala (@sneyhzala) The buzz around their alleged fallout began last year after reports emerged that Sreeleela had replaced Samantha in a special dance number for Pushpa 2. The new track, titled Kissik, drew inevitable comparisons to Samantha's blockbuster hit Oo Antava from Pushpa: The Rise. While Oo Antava became a cultural phenomenon, the reactions to Kissik were mixed, prompting further scrutiny. During a press conference, Sreeleela addressed the backlash and clarified her decision to be part of the film. 'The song itself will justify my choice. It's not your typical item song. There's a strong narrative reason behind it, which will become clear when the movie releases," she said. Rumours also swirled around pay disparities, with claims that Samantha received Rs 5 crore for her appearance in Oo Antava, while Sreeleela got Rs 2 crore. Laughing off the speculation, Sreeleela said, 'We haven't even discussed the remuneration with the producers yet." First Published: June 27, 2025, 01:39 IST
