Latest news with #AnubhavSinha
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Anubhav Sinha celebrates 5 years of being smoke free on World No Tobacco Day, reveals he consumed 20 cigarettes a day
Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha On World No Tobacco Day, acclaimed filmmaker Anubhav Sinha opened up about a deeply personal milestone of completing five years without smoking. In a heartfelt note shared with Hindustan Times, the 'Article 15' and 'Thappad' director reflected on his long and difficult relationship with cigarettes, offering an honest account of how he started and more importantly how he stopped. Sinha recalled how smoking in his younger days was equated with growing into manhood. Influenced by advertisements featuring rugged male icons, lighting a cigarette was seen as a rite of passage. Back then cigarette warnings were often dismissed as mere background noise. 'Warnings felt like dares,' he shared, adding that the urge to rebel often overpowered reason in adolescence. Addiction and denial in adulthood By his mid-30s, smoking had become a daily habit of consuming an entire pack of 20 cigarettes a day. It had transitioned from being a rebellious act to a part of his daily identity. He remembers discussing cigarette brands like fashion choices but deep down he knew he needed to quit. The problem? Nicotine had its claws in too deep. Despite multiple attempts, some lasting days, others months, he always found himself back where he started. 'Ninety-nine percent of smokers I know want to quit,' he wrote in the article published by Hindustan Times. 'But they struggle.' Even after health scares, many smokers, he said continue because the addiction is overpowering. What finally made him stop Sinha finally found his resolve five years ago. No external factor triggered it. He simply told himself, 'Enough.' After trying over 20 times across three decades, something clicked and he quit. For good. 'Now my pillow doesn't smell. I enjoy smoke-free spaces. I'm clean,' he wrote. Support from his family, especially his younger brother Anupam who had quit a month earlier, and his son Shlok, a staunch anti-smoker helped solidify his decision. His message to young people: Don't start at all Today, Sinha is urging young people to never light that first cigarette. 'Not starting is so much easier than quitting,' he emphasized. Once you begin then the battle to quit becomes one of the hardest things you'll ever face. 'And if you don't quit it will hit you so hard.' Anubhav Sinha whose work often challenges social issues hopes his story helps others understand the true grip of addiction and the freedom that lies beyond it. 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 .
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
World No Tobacco Day: Director Anubhav Sinha marks 5 years as a non-smoker; says youth shouldn't take to it ever
On World No Tobacco Day today, we get filmmaker Anubhav Sinha to pen down his journey as a non-smoker, celebrating five years of quitting smoking. He writes the following: Smoking, when I was growing up, generally started at boyhood, when you are struggling to become a man. Cigarette advertising back then used to be associated with 'manhood'. Then starts a struggle to quit. But you are deeply addicted to it. Also, you are still at an age where you give an adult damn. You think you are Iron Man. But no one is. What I personally learnt was that cigarette will never forgive you. Never. It will hit back sooner or later. In some form or the other. There are phases of quitting. Some last three days, some seven. Then you run into months of not smoking. Then creeps in a feeling that now I don't need it. But you are wrong. You light one, and you go back to where you were in two days. Then you quit quitting. Then three years later, you start trying again. Ninety-nine per cent of smokers I know want to quit. They are struggling. So, I always tell youngsters never to start. In my opinion it is way rarer to turn into an alcoholic than to turn into a deeply addicted smoker. I have known smokers smoking after a heart attack, after a heart procedure. It is so addictive. I got lucky. Five years back, one day I said, Enough. I had tried no less than 20 times during my thirty-plus years of smoking; one day I quit. I just quit. I tried some alternate addictions, but now I am clean. My pillow doesn't stink anymore. It is a great feeling to ask for non-smoking public spaces. Now I wonder why I smoked ever because after a point cigarettes do nothing to you. You smoke because you smoke. It is a chemical that keeps you hooked. Cross that line, and you see the futility – actually, the damage. Thankfully there was enough support around me, like my younger brother Anupam, who quit a month before me, and my son Shlok, who hates the idea of smoking. So here is a final word to youngsters on the verge of starting for whatever reason. Not starting is way easier than quitting because once you start, you will want to quit, and then it will be way tougher. And if you don't quit, it will hit you hard. Very hard. So, don't start. (Anubhav Sinha is the director of films such as Mulk, Article 15 and Thappad)
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Bollywood is quick to register titles but few get made into films
The Hindi film industry is no stranger to cashing in on topical events – be it a pandemic, demonetisation, a military operation, or a space mission. There's always a rush of filmmakers at the Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association (IMPPA) office, scrambling to lock in a title. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The latest frenzy unfolded after the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor. Over 15 producers queued up to claim title rights inspired by the mission. 'We also received title requests for Pahalgam' 'Filmmakers often register three to four titles related to the trending name associated to an event to increase their chances of securing it. For instance, in the case of Operation Sindoor, we had to advise applicants to stop registering variations of the same title after over 30 applications had already been submitted,' a source from IMPPA shares, adding, 'The rush for registering a title like Operation Sindoor was clear – it captured the emotion of the moment. Whenever there is an incident, a current event, or an army operation, producers tend to register related titles in case they decide to make a film on it in the future. Before Operation Sindoor, we had also received a few title requests for Pahalgam.' A source from the Western India Film Producers Association (WIFPA), adds, 'Often, several variations are registered around a single keyword.' But whether all of these registered titles materialise into films is uncertain – as has been the case in the past. Afte the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 at the Moon's south pole, several film titles were registered. Following the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 at the Moon's south pole, Hindi filmmakers rushed to register titles inspired by the milestone mission. Mission Chandrayaan Hindustan ki Shaan Chandrayaan Chandrayaan ki Khoj Chandrayan Ki Yatra Covid-19 (2020) When the coronavirus spread in 2020, filmmakers rushed to get titles registered around the disease. But none of these titles materialised into films. Instead, Anubhav Sinha made Bheed (2023), focusing on the struggles of migrant workers, while Madhur Bhandarkar's India Lockdown (2022) depicted the hardships faced by people during the pandemic. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Deadly Corona Ishq Vishq Pyaar Corona Lockdown Mein Love Story Go Corona Go Corona Pyaar Hai Lockdown L Locha A still from the OTT series Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond, the only screen adaptation of the Balakot air strikes besides the 2024 film Operation Valentine. After the success of Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019), more than 35 titles were registered with the IMPPA following the Balakot air strikes – a retaliation to the Pulwama attack on February 14, 2019. However, only four titles were copyrighted, and none of them were developed into films . The Air Strike Abhinandan Josh Is High The Attacks of Pulwama Pulwama: The Deadly Attack Pulwama: The Surgical Strike War Room Hindustan Hamara Hai Pulwama Terror Attack Article 370 revoked in J&K (2019) Yami Gautam in the film Article 370. After the government announced the abrogation of Article 370 (which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir) in 2019, Bollywood producers registered film titles related to the decision Article 370 Kashmir Hamara Hai Article 35A Kashmir Mein Tiranga Article 370 Abolished 370 Article Article 370 Scrapped 26/11 Mumbai attack (2008) The first title, Mumbai Operation 26/11, was registered on November 28, 2008, when the army commandos were still fighting the armed terrorists at two Mumbai hotels. 'It always happens. People jump on every tragedy. It is like ambulance chasing,' BBC quoted documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan as saying in 2008. Taj Terror Operation Five Star Mumbai 26/11- Mumbai under Terror Shootout at Oberoi Registering a film title Film titles are registered with the Indian Film and Television Producers Council (IFTPC), Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA), Western India Film Producers Association (WIFPA) and The Producers Guild of India. To register a title, filmmakers either email the title registration office or fill out an application form and submit a hard copy. Who gets the title The title is given to the person who applies first All applicants can either remain on the waiting list or request a refund of their registration fee Urgent title registration charges: Rs 3,000 + GST Normal registration: Rs 300 + GST 'If not used, film titles open up for others after a certain period of time' A film producer can hold on to a registered title for only a year. They must either renew the registration or begin the film's production within that period. Film producer and trade expert, Girish Johar explains, 'There were some filmmakers who used to register film titles but would never make the films. Trading of titles used to happen and producers who really wanted to make these films, couldn't. Then the association has given the rules that if a particular title is not made into a film within a certain period, the title gets opened up for the next person in the line. Due diligence is going into that so that trading of titles does not happen. ' - Arushi Jain
News18
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Anubhav Sinha Said People Hated Him For Making Ra One With Shah Rukh Khan
Last Updated: Anubhav Sinha directed the 2011 sci-fi film starring Shah Rukh Khan. Despite high hopes, it didn't do well at the box office. Before turning to socially impactful films like Mulk, Article 15, and Thappad, Anubhav Sinha directed several mainstream movies, including the 2011 sci-fi blockbuster Featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Arjun Rampal, the film was highly anticipated but received negative reviews and underperformed at the box office. In an interview, Anubhav Sinha reflected on describing it as a bold superhero venture that didn't meet expectations commercially. He also praised Shah Rukh Khan for his wholehearted commitment to the project. In an earlier interview with Indian Express, Anubhav Sinha said that many people were unhappy with his movie and blamed him just because Shah Rukh Khan was in it, even though they didn't know him. 'When released, it disappointed 50-70 per cent of those people, and they hated me because I had made this film with Shah Rukh. But they had never even met me. Post this incident, when I met new, intelligent people, they 'complimented' me saying you are not the person who made those films, you are someone else. This was heartbreaking to hear. Because if I don't reflect in my own films then I am not a filmmaker. That was the discontentment I felt and recognised. And then Mulk happened. And ever since then I have been driven by that. In fact, even when Mulk happened, nobody was willing to pay me money to make the movie. It wasn't until a month of the shoot that Deepak Mukut (co-producer of Mulk) came on board," Anubhav had said. is a 2011 superhero movie directed by Anubhav Sinha, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, and Arjun Rampal. People were excited before it came out, but it got mixed reviews and did not do well in theaters. The movie was known for its special effects and new ideas. First Published:
Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Anubhav Sinha calls Shah Rukh Khan 'middle-class': 'He has all the money in this world but...'
Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha, who is known for his hard hitting films like, Thapad, Article 15, Mulk, was about to quit direction after his Shah Rukh Khan starrer tanked in 2011. In a recent interview, Anubhav talked about going through a tough phase after the film and his equation with SRK. (Also read: Anubhav Sinha reacts to Phule controversy on Ambedkar Jayanti: 'Has there never been casteism in India?') In an interview with journalist Faye D'Souza, Anubhav recalled how he was heartbroken after didn't get to warm the hearts of the audience and set the box office ringing. "It didn't turn out the way all of us wanted to do. It was a heartbreak, which I carried in my heart, chest, and shoulders until 2018, when Mulk released. I'd almost given up on myself as a director. I'd decided I won't direct," said Anubhav. However, the director is all praise for Shah Rukh, who acted and produced in and opened up about his experience working with the superstar. 'It is so strange that he continues to be a middle-class boy at heart. He's so middle-class it's not funny. See, middle-class is not just about money. The last time I met him, I told him that he's quite middle-class. And he agreed (laughs). He has all the money in the world! But what makes you happy? Does the Gucci make you happier, or does the fact that your sister is happy make you happier?' he said. Anubhav Sinha was lauded for his last film C 814: The Kandahar Hijack which released on Netflix in 2024. The film starred Vijay Verma, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Arvind Swami and Dia Mirza in pivotal roles. On the other hand, Shah Rukh Khan is now set to star in King along with his daughter Suhana Khan. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film will have Abhishek Bachchan, Arshad Warsi and Abhay Verma in key roles.
