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Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Has he gone mad?': Ram Gopal Varma recalls Mani Ratnam's blunt reaction to changing Dil Se climax
's 'Dil Se' stands as a significant film in Hindi cinema, but its initial release was met with mixed reactions, largely due to its tragic ending where Shah Rukh Khan's character dies. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In a recent interaction, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who co-produced the film, revealed a fascinating behind-the-scenes conflict where he acted as a mediator between Ratnam and another producer, Bharat Shah. The proposed alternate ending RGV recalled that producer Bharat Shah was profoundly unhappy with Dil Se's poignant climax. Following the film's initial negative audience feedback, Shah even suggested a drastically different ending to Mani Ratnam. Speaking on IndiaTV ShowBiz, RGV recounted Shah's exact proposition: "When Dil Se released and there was massive negative talk, initially Bharat Shah said that people didn't like Shah Rukh being killed. He asked not to make it a tragedy. After the film released, he told me that we should cut the bomb blast scene. He said that the moment Shah Rukh and Manisha hug each other, we should switch to the 'Chaiya Chaiya' song.' Shah's intention was for the audience to perceive a happy ending if a popular song played after the lead characters embraced. Mani Ratnam's blunt response RGV, acting as the intermediary, conveyed Bharat Shah's unconventional suggestion to Mani Ratnam. He recalled the director's unequivocal and blunt reaction: "Mani told me, 'Has he gone mad or what? How can Shah Rukh hug Manisha and in the next moment imagine Malaika Arora.'" This humorous yet firm dismissal underscored Ratnam's commitment to his artistic vision for the film's tragic narrative. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Dil Se concludes with Manisha Koirala's character, a suicide bomber, being embraced by her lover, played by Shah Rukh Khan, just as the bomb detonates, killing both of them. The reason behind the unusual suggestion During the interview, it was also revealed that Bharat Shah's unusual idea to end the film with 'Chaiya Chaiya' wasn't random. It stemmed from feedback he received directly from exhibitors. Apparently, a significant number of people purchase tickets primarily to watch the immensely popular 'Chaiya Chaiya' song, which plays approximately ten minutes into the film, and then leave the theatre shortly thereafter. This practice caused financial issues for theatre owners, particularly impacting sales of snacks like popcorn, cola, and samosas. Exhibitors had reportedly suggested moving the hit song to a post-interval slot to encourage audiences to stay longer and boost concession sales. Despite its initial box office challenges in India, Dil Se garnered positive reviews from critics and achieved significant success overseas, cementing its status as a cult classic.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Ram Gopal Verma says Mani Ratnam called Dil Se co-producer ‘mad' for wanting to change film's climax: ‘We should switch to Chaiya Chaiya'
Mani Ratnam's Dil Se remains one of the most important films in Hindi cinema. However, the film initially received negative feedback from the audience upon its release, primarily due to its tragic ending in which Shah Rukh Khan's character is killed. In a recent interaction, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who was also the co-producer of Dil Se, revealed how he acted as a mediator between the film's director Mani Ratnam and another producer, Bharat Shah. RGV recalled that Bharat was unhappy with the film's tragic climax and even suggested an alternate ending to Mani—only to be dismissed by the filmmaker. Speaking about the incident on IndiaTV ShowBiz, RGV shared, 'When Dil Se released and there was massive negative talk, initially Bharat Shah said that people didn't like Shah Rukh being killed. He asked not to make it a tragedy. After the film released, he told me that we should cut the bomb blast scene. He said that the moment Shah Rukh and Manisha hug each other, we should switch to the 'Chaiya Chaiya' song.' Ram Gopal Varma said he took Bharat Shah's suggestion to Mani Ratnam, and recalled the director's blunt reaction, 'Mani told me, 'Has he gone mad or what? How can Shah Rukh hug Manisha and in the next moment imagine Malaika Arora.' Bharat's intention was that when people will see a hit song play again after the lead characters had hugged, they will think it's a love story and a happy ending.' For context, Dil Se ends with Manisha Koirala's character, who is a suicide bomber, being stopped by her lover (played by Shah Rukh Khan). In a desperate attempt to stop her, he embraces her just as the bomb detonates — killing both of them. During the interview, it was also revealed that Bharat Shah's unusual idea of ending the film with 'Chaiya Chaiya' actually stemmed from feedback he received from exhibitors. Apparently, many people would buy tickets primarily to watch the hit song, which plays ten minutes into the film, and then leave the theatre soon after. This caused issues for theatre owners because it meant that there were fewer purchases of snacks like popcorn, cola, and samosas. Exhibitors suggested moving the song post-interval to ensure that people stayed longer. Dil Se received positive reviews from critics but it performed moderately at the box office. The film, however, was a success overseas.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Sr citizen duped of 1.1 cr after ‘stock mkt classes'
Kolkata: A 71-year-old resident of a condo in Ultadanga fell victim to an international cyber fraud scheme , losing Rs 1.1 crore through a fake trading platform that cops suspect was being operated from Southeast Asia. The 1.5-month-long fraud began with the accused arranging "classes" for the victims to accustom themselves to share trading. They were asked to download apps and use designated websites to trade. The victim, a resident of Bidhannagar Road, filed a complaint stating that he was defrauded between March 11 and April 29 through a mobile application and its associated trading group. "The victims were asked to sign up, and regular tutorials were held before 'actual trading in stocks' began. The victim, in this case, was given returns in two instalments of Rs 1,500 and Rs 26 lakh, credited to his trading account. Cops said it is unclear if the returns could actually be credited beyond what was being projected virtually. The initial probe revealed that this app and the website used to trap the victims were developed in one of the Southeast Asian countries. However, Indian SIM numbers were used to run WhatsApp groups and carry on chats with the victims," said an officer. The primary suspect, who identified herself as Priya Sharma, allegedly contacted the complainant through multiple mobile numbers. " The fraudsters created a facade of legitimacy by establishing a WhatsApp group with 135-140 members. They even processed small initial withdrawals each day to gain the victim's trust, besides allowing two withdrawals," said an officer. The perpetrators then charged the complainant for larger withdrawals, including a 5% "account usage charge" and a "refundable" account verification charge of Rs 10,00,000. The scammers allegedly operated under the leadership of Bharat Shah, who posed as the group's director and regularly provided stock recommendations, including tips about IPOs and SPOs. The case has been registered under multiple sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including section 61(2) for criminal conspiracy, along with sections pertaining to cheating by impersonation, criminal breach of trust, and forgery. The divisional cyber cell, with help from the DD cyber cell, has launched a probe and is working to trace the money trail.
