Latest news with #LageRahoMunnaBhai
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First Post
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- First Post
Vidya Balan on 20 years of 'Parineeta': 'Saif Ali Khan was going through a divorce, we hardly spoke to each other and...'
She added, 'I think maybe that also helped the chemistry in the film. I've said a million times, and I'll say it a million times again, when I say superstar, for me, it means Sanjay Dutt.' read more Vidya Balan has had a topsy turvy career in these nearly two decades. With Parineeta and Lage Raho Munna Bhai, she proved to be a solid and reliable performer that had the charm and the screen presence to pull the characters off. With Heyy Babyy and Kismat Konnection, she went off the rails, only resurrecting herself with the delicious Ishqiya, the rollicking The Dirty Picture, and the gripping Kahaani. In an interview with The Indian Express, as her debut film has completed 20 years, the actress revealed, 'Saif and I didn't have any conversations on that film. We hardly spoke with each other. Also, Saif was going through some personal stuff then (divorce with Amrita Singh) so he was preoccupied between takes. It's not like we struck a friendship.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD She added, 'I think maybe that also helped the chemistry in the film. I've said a million times, and I'll say it a million times again, when I say superstar, for me, it means Sanjay Dutt. He's just larger than life. He's just so wonderful, I absolutely love him.' On Ishqiya In an interview with Firstpost last year, Vidya Balan said, 'Ishqiya was the film that made me fall in love with what I was doing all over again. Until Ishqiya, I was playing a certain kind of heroine on screen and suddenly with this film, I got to play a femme fatale, something very different from what I had been doing.' She added, 'I had gone through a low before this because I had received a lot of brickbats for the way I looked in Heyy Babyy and Kismat Konnection and all that and I thought this is not my scene. When Ishqiya happened, I just savored that. I loved working with Abhishek Chaubey and Arshad Warsi and Naseeruddin Shah. It unleashed a new facet of me as an actor.'
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
‘Stolen' chances: Deepanjana Pal writes on a gritty film's scramble for space
Before making his first feature film, Stolen (2023), director Karan Tejpal worked as assistant director on Delhi-6 (2009) and was part of the directorial team on three Rajkumar Hirani projects: Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), 3 Idiots (2009) and Ferrari ki Sawaari (2012). This might suggest that Tejpal leans towards the blockbuster aesthetic. Yet Stolen has neither the candy-floss escapism of popular cinema nor any of its glossy artifice. The film is rooted in reality, its plot inspired by news reports of violent crimes committed by mobs reacting to WhatsApp forwards. It has all the best qualities of a small film: the only thing tighter than its script is its budget, and it teems with insight and talent. In the movie, the Bansal brothers, Gautam (Abhishek Banerjee) and Raman (Shubham), get entangled in a missing-infant case after an impoverished woman named Jhumpa (Mia Maelzer) accuses Raman of stealing her baby. Raman is quickly cleared of suspicion, but when he sees how lazily the police are investigating, he decides to help Jhumpa, much to Gautam's annoyance. Gautam, with his cynical conviction that money can solve everything, offers one view of the privileged Indian. Raman, with his empathy and courage, offers another. Between them is Jhumpa, whose poverty leaves her teetering between being invisible and being demonised. Stolen moves at breakneck pace, with twists in its tale and tense chases through the Rajasthan countryside. Woven into the thriller is a layered portrait of privilege, class divides and mob mentality. The film is not interested in occupying a moral high ground. Instead, it focuses on subtlety and complexity. The village whose men form a murderous mob is also home to kind-hearted boys (or are they just a few years away from being sucked into a hivemind of violence?). The ambulance driver who saves lives also trades in them. Raman's empathy for a heartbroken stranger runs parallel to his disregard for his own mother. Despite being selected for the Venice Film Festival in 2023, Stolen has had no theatrical release, and has only just found space on a streaming platform. That it has taken this long is worrying, especially since the movie was championed by influential filmmakers such as Anurag Kashyap, Nikkhil Advani and Kiran Rao. Discussions about the health of the movie industry invariably turn to earnings, but a vibrant entertainment business is more than the sum of its blockbusters. Small projects such as Stolen are an integral aspect of building a stable industry. They offer the audience much-needed variety and showcase talent that doesn't fit the cookie-cutter moulds of commercial cinema. Take Maelzer, who delivers an extraordinary performance as Jhumpa. 'I generally don't get a lot of commercial auditions because of the way I look,' she has said. An alumnus of the National School of Drama, she has worked as an acting coach and a Pilates instructor, to afford the luxury of doing only projects that excite her; projects like Majid Majidi's Beyond the Clouds (2017), and Stolen. Medium- and low-budget films allow creatives the freedom to experiment with and explore their craft too. Some go on to win awards and critical acclaim. But even without such shiny validation, small films enrich the industry because they alleviate the sense of sameness that otherwise pervades theatrical offerings. What will it take to admit this, and act on it? In a recent interview, actor Seema Pahwa, who made her directorial debut with the small-budget satire Ramprasad ki Tehrvi (2019), said raising money for another film felt impossible because producers were not interested in more of the unconventional. 'If you make good low-budget films, at least two out of five will work. But they (producers) only want the same old formula that people are rejecting.' As pronouncements go, that's more depressing than the plots of most non-mainstream movies. After all, as dark as Stolen might be, at least in a way it holds out hope. (To reach Deepanjana Pal with feedback, write to @dpanjana on Instagram)
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Business Standard
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
Akshay Kumar sues Paresh Rawal for ₹25 crore over Hera Pheri 3 exit
The much-awaited 'Hera Pheri 3' has once again landed in controversy — this time over a legal battle between its lead stars. According to a report in Hindustan Times, Akshay Kumar has filed a ₹25 crore lawsuit against co-star Paresh Rawal for walking out of the film after signing a legal contract. Akshay, who also owns the rights to the Hera Pheri franchise, is pursuing legal action through his production house, Cape of Good Films. This marks the first time in his 35-year-long career that the Bollywood actor has taken legal steps against a fellow actor. What triggered the lawsuit? Filming for Hera Pheri 3 reportedly began in April this year, with Paresh Rawal, , and Suniel Shetty on set. But soon after, Paresh exited the project—after the production had already incurred costs. The report states that Akshay is suing Paresh for 'unprofessional conduct' and claims that his abrupt exit has caused financial and logistical setbacks for the film. The actor-producer's legal team is emphasising the binding nature of the contract that Paresh allegedly violated. Paresh Rawal's side of the story 'I wish to put it on record that my decision to step away from Hera Pheri 3 was not due to creative differences,' he wrote. However, the exact reason for his departure remains unclear. The report also cites sources claiming that Paresh 'did not feel like being a part of the film' anymore. A pattern of exits? This isn't the first time Paresh Rawal has walked away from a project after committing. In the past, he exited Billu Barber, also directed by Priyadarshan, and opted out of Oh My God 2 in 2023, reportedly over script issues. In an earlier TV interview, Paresh had expressed disillusionment with the creative direction of sequels like Hera Pheri. 'You cook up the same thing when you make sequels after sequels, not like Lage Raho Munna Bhai was to Munna Bhai MBBS where you take characters in a different direction,' he said. He also said, 'Everybody wants to encash on sequels but do something different with the character that has ₹500 crore worth goodwill. Why not fly with it? But there's mental bankruptcy or mental lethargy. I'm doing the sequel because I don't want the film to get stuck but there is no happiness.' What's next for Hera Pheri 3? With legal drama now adding to the delays, the future of Hera Pheri 3 hangs in the balance. While fans continue to hope for a reunion of the beloved trio, this off-screen rift might mark a turning point for the franchise.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Akshay Kumar sues Paresh Rawal for Rs 25 cr after Hera Pheri 3 exit — will this legal rift end the iconic franchise?
The upcoming Hera Pheri 3 has been making headlines, but not just for its return to the big screen. Actor and producer Akshay Kumar has taken legal action against co-star Paresh Rawal, filing a lawsuit worth Rs 25 crore. The move came after Rawal exited the film despite having signed a contract, raising concerns about delays and financial loss to the production. Legal dispute over contract breach According to a report in Hindustan Times, Akshay Kumar is suing Paresh Rawal through his production company, Cape of Good Films, for alleged 'unprofessional conduct.' Rawal is accused of leaving the project after it had gone into production, even though he was legally bound to participate. This legal action is a first for Akshay in his 35-year career in the film industry. Kumar reportedly purchased the rights to Hera Pheri 3 from Firoz Nadiadwala and had already begun investing in the film's production when the issue arose. Paresh Rawal responds to exit claims Paresh Rawal publicly confirmed his exit from the project on social media. In a tweet, he addressed speculation that he left due to creative differences, writing, 'I wish to put it on record that my decision to step away from Hera Pheri 3 was not due to creative differences. I reiterate that there are no creative disagreement with the filmmaker. I hold immense love, respect, and faith in Mr Priyadarshan the film director.' While Rawal did not provide a specific reason, the report suggests that the actor 'did not feel like being a part of the film.' His departure came after he had already filmed scenes with Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty earlier this year. I wish to put it on record that my decision to step away from Hera Pheri 3 was not due to creative differences. I REITERATE THAT THERE ARE NO CREATIVE DISAGREEMENT WITH THE FILM MAKER . I hold immense love, respect, and faith in Mr. Priyadarshan the film director. Rawal's history of exits and opinions on sequels This isn't the first time Paresh Rawal has left a project after committing. He previously exited Billu Barber, also directed by Priyadarshan, and declined to be part of Oh My God 2 in 2023, citing dissatisfaction with the script. Rawal has also spoken critically about the creative direction of sequels in general. In a past interview, he compared Hera Pheri sequels unfavourably to Lage Raho Munna Bhai, saying, 'You cook up the same thing when you make sequels after sequels. Everyone wants to encash on sequels but do something different with the character. There's mental bankruptcy or mental lethargy. I'm doing the sequel because I don't want the film to get stuck, but there is no happiness.' With a legal battle now underway, the future of Hera Pheri 3 remains uncertain. The matter brings attention to the challenges of franchise filmmaking and the consequences when key players exit mid-course.
Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Akshay Kumar sues Paresh Rawal for Rs 25 crore over ‘gross unprofessional conduct' after his midway exit from Hera Pheri 3: report
While fans have been eagerly waiting for the beloved Hera Pheri franchise to return with a long-overdue third instalment, the controversies surrounding the film don't seem to end. After Paresh Rawal declared his exit from the comedy film on social media, it is now reported that his co-star Akshay Kumar is suing him for Rs 25 crore for dropping out of the project. According to a report in Hindustan Times, Akshay is suing Paresh Rawal for 'unprofessional conduct' and for walking out of Hera Pheri 3 despite signing a legal contract. Akshay is also the producer of Hera Pheri 3, having bought the film's rights from producer Firoz Nadiadwala. The actor is pursuing legal action through his production house, Cape of Good Films. This is also the first time Akshay has sued a fellow actor in his 35-year-long career. Hera Pheri 3 had already begun shooting in April this year, with Paresh filming alongside Akshay and Suniel Shetty. According to the website, Paresh decided to exit the film after the producer had already invested money into the shoot. Recently, Paresh tweeted about his exit from Hera Pheri. The actor clarified that, while it was speculated that he left the film due to creative differences, the reality was different. While the exact reason for his exit isn't clear, the report stated that the actor 'did not feel like being a part of the film.' In his tweet, Paresh had written,'I wish to put it on record that my decision to step away from Hera Pheri 3 was not due to creative differences. I REITERATE THAT THERE ARE NO CREATIVE DISAGREEMENT WITH THE FILM MAKER. I hold immense love, respect, and faith in Mr Priyadarshan the film director.' Paresh has abruptly exited films in the past as well. He had quit Shah Rukh Khan's Billu Barber, which was also directed by Priyadarshan, after committing to the project. He had also rejected Oh My God 2 in 2023, as he didn't like the script. Paresh has also spoken about not finding Hera Pheri's sequels creatively fulfilling. He dissed the film's sequel in the past and compared it to Rajkumar Hirani's Lage Raho Munna Bhai. He told Lallantop, 'You cook up the same thing when you make sequels after sequels, not like Lage Raho Munna Bhai was to Munna Bhai MBBS where you take characters in a different direction. Everybody wants to encash on sequels but do something different with the character that has Rs 500 crore worth goodwill. Why not fly with it? But there's mental bankruptcy or mental lethargy. I'm doing the sequel because I don't want the film to get stuck but there is no happiness.'
