Latest news with #Madhvani
NDTV
a day ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Ram Madhvani On Creative Crisis And Box Office Woes: "Give Indian Cinema A Year Of Peace"
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Indian cinema's box office collections have dropped 30-40% compared to pre-pandemic years. Audiences are increasingly preferring streaming platforms over traditional theatre visits. Filmmaker Ram Madhvani describes the industry as undergoing a creative crisis needing support. New Delhi: With theatre footfalls hitting record lows and even big-budget films struggling to break even, Indian cinema is facing a moment of reckoning. According to recent industry reports, overall box office collections are down nearly 30-40% compared to pre-pandemic years, with audiences increasingly choosing streaming platforms over the big screen. Amidst the noise of criticism and constant post-mortems on why films are failing, filmmaker Ram Madhvani is urging calm. In an exclusive interview, the Neerja and Aarya director called for a much-needed pause, saying the industry is going through a "creative crisis" but needs support, not cynicism. "Can we just give the industry 6 months to a year? It needs oxygen, not nails in the coffin," Madhvani said. "Yes, something is wrong, people aren't coming to theatres as they used to. But instead of constantly asking 'what's wrong,' let's help it heal." He likened the current phase of Indian cinema to a patient in recovery suggesting that relentless criticism is only making the situation worse. "No one sets out to make a bad film. This is a time for unity among those who love movies, not blame," he added. In a climate where every Friday release faces intense scrutiny and public backlash, Madhvani's appeal stands out as a call for empathy and a reminder that revival takes time, care, and collective responsibility.
NDTV
a day ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Ram Madhvani On Sensitivity in Filmmaking: "It's Not The Times, It's Who You Choose to Be"
New Delhi: As Indian cinema walks a cultural tightrope in a hypersensitive socio-political climate, filmmakers often find themselves second-guessing every line of dialogue, visual metaphor, or character arc. With outrage just a tweet away, is it becoming harder to be a filmmaker today? Ram Madhvani, known for nuanced storytelling in Neerja and Aarya, offers a refreshingly grounded perspective. In an exclusive chat, when asked whether navigating this climate of heightened sensitivity impacts creative choices, Madhvani steered the conversation inward. "Why would I not be sensitive all the time?" he said. "That's my character. I don't want to be someone who says something insensitive-not just because of the times we live in, but because that's not who I am." Rather than adapting to external pressures, Madhvani believes it's about staying rooted in personal integrity. He resists the idea that filmmakers should be selectively sensitive based on prevailing social sentiment. "It's not about the current moment," he explained. "It depends on your internal makeup-on who you are. I'd like to think of myself as someone who doesn't want to be controversial." In a time when creators are expected to be hyper-aware of every potential trigger, Madhvani's response cuts through the noise. His view reinforces the idea that sensitivity in storytelling shouldn't be a response to censorship or fear but a reflection of intent, empathy, and accountability. As outrage culture and cancel trends loom over Indian cinema, Madhvani's approach is a quiet but powerful reminder: authenticity doesn't need to shout it just needs to stay true.
NDTV
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Ram Madhvani Backs Deepika Padukone's 8-Hour Workday Request: "It Is Fair, I Would Like My People To Go Home Too"
New Delhi: As the debate around Deepika Padukone's reported request for an 8-hour workday continues to simmer in Bollywood circles, filmmaker Ram Madhvani has offered a calm, supportive perspective - one that stands in contrast to the backlash the actress has faced, particularly from director Sandeep Reddy Vanga. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Madhvani, known for critically acclaimed projects like Neerja and Aarya, weighed in on whether Deepika's demand for shorter work hours - as a new mom - was unreasonable. "No," he said simply when asked if her ask was too much. "Personally, I think that everybody should work a certain number of hours. If somebody says upfront, 'I can only give these many hours,' then that is only fair. I would like my people to go home. I want to give them lunch breaks on time, dinner on time, and I want them to sleep." Madhvani added that planning around limited working hours isn't unusual for him - in fact, it's how he prefers to work. "If it's a 12-hour day then it's a 12-hour day. If it's a 10-hour day, then it's a 10-hour day. If the actress is there for 8 hours, then I have to make sure yes, I'm working within those 8 hours." He also reminded the industry of the collaborative nature of filmmaking, "I am nobody without my actor. I come from advertising, so if you're giving me that much time, I'm prepared. I respect it." The issue gained traction after reports emerged that Deepika Padukone had stepped away from Vanga's upcoming film Spirit due to a disagreement over her working hours post motherhood. While the filmmaker didn't name her directly, he appeared to criticize the actress in a now-viral post. Shortly after, Vanga announced Triptii Dimri as the new lead. Madhvani's stance echoes the growing support within the industry for more balanced and empathetic work environments - especially for actors navigating new phases in their personal lives. Other prominent voices, including filmmakers like Mani Ratnam and actors such as Ajay Devgn and Pankaj Tripathi, have also expressed similar views. They believe that accommodating reasonable boundaries, like an 8-hour workday, is not only fair but also essential for the overall well-being of a cast and crew - and ultimately, the success of the project.
Euronews
20-04-2025
- Health
- Euronews
Why is tuberculosis, the world's deadliest infectious disease, on the rise in the UK?
ADVERTISEMENT Anja Madhvani was already sick when she ran out of water in the middle of the desert. She'd travelled from the United Kingdom to run an ultramarathon in Morocco in 2018, but couldn't seem to keep enough food down. Camping in the evenings, she was feverish. When she coughed, blood came up. Then the hallucinations started. 'I was on my own in this expanse of baked earth,' Madhvani, now 35, told Euronews Health. 'And I just had this physical feeling that I was dying'. When she finally finished the race and made it back to the UK, doctors told her she had the flu, then a chest infection. X-rays and phlegm testing later confirmed Madhvani actually had tuberculosis (TB) – making her one of about 6.9 million people worldwide to be diagnosed that year. It took Madhvani 11 days in a hospital isolation unit and nearly a year of daily pills to recover from the disease, and another year to feel like herself again. Related Global aid cuts are 'crippling' the fight against the world's deadliest infectious disease, WHO says 'Progress was so slow,' said Madhvani, an event manager in Leeds. 'I had been walking around for quite a while with this deadly thing inside of me, and I had no idea… Some of those things still linger a little bit'. TB is often thought of as a relic of the 19th century, when 'consumption' was believed to be responsible for a quarter of all deaths in the UK. But it remains the world's deadliest infectious disease, killing an estimated 1.25 million people in 2023. TB mostly affects countries in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Western Pacific, and it is often called a 'social disease' because of its close links to poverty. After a downturn during the COVID-19 pandemic, wealthy countries like the UK are now seeing a resurgence of TB that experts say is the canary in the coal mine for other health issues related to social deprivation – everything from other infectious diseases to chronic conditions like diabetes. 'Because TB is the archetypal disease of poverty… it really is a sentinel for other conditions,' Dr Tom Wingfield, an infectious disease doctor and deputy director of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine's Centre for TB Research, told Euronews Health. TB cases up across the UK England reported 5,480 TB cases last year, up 13 per cent from 2023 on top of an 11 per cent increase the year before – the biggest annual jump since at least 1971. Related Tuberculosis cases are up among kids in Europe and Central Asia, health authorities warn It's now common enough that a clinic in East London, which has more new TB cases than anywhere else in Western Europe, is opening a £4.63 million (€5.55 million) centre for TB patients . It treated 294 patients last year. TB is caused by a bacteria that can lie dormant in the lungs for decades before attacking the rest of the body, notably the spine and brain. The only vaccine currently available helps prevent the disease among young children, but is not effective for adults. ADVERTISEMENT Most new cases in England have been among immigrants who may have been infected years before their arrival. But for the second year in a row, TB cases are also on the rise in England among those born in the UK after they'd fallen every year since 2012. Infections are also up in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The uptick in cases is likely due in part to disruptions in medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning a backlog of TB infections is only now being detected. Related Public programme to give poor people cash reduced tuberculosis cases and deaths, study finds It's a big enough increase that these delays are likely only part of the story. ADVERTISEMENT TB risks are higher among people who are homeless, living in crowded settings, currently or formerly imprisoned, have a history of drug or alcohol misuse, or are grappling with undernutrition. As of late 2024, just 13.1 per cent of England's TB patients aged 15 or older reported at least one social risk factor – but with data missing, it's likely an undercount. 'We know pretty well from the figures where the rises are coming from. The why is still a bit of a mystery,' Paul Sommerfield, executive trustee of TB Alert, a non-profit focused on TB in the UK and India, told Euronews Health. How to combat TB Earlier this month, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) asked experts to weigh in on an updated 5-year action plan to better prevent, detect, and control TB in England. ADVERTISEMENT The current plan aimed to curb delays in diagnosis like the one Madhvani faced, have most patients finish their treatment, do more testing for TB, and ensure health workers can spot the signs of TB. Related UK PM Starmer announces major healthcare reform as public sector cuts take shape But it's still unclear whether enough money will be attached to the new plan, particularly for efforts to raise awareness in high-risk communities about symptoms and how to access medical care, Sommerfield said. The UKHSA declined to answer questions about the new plan's priorities or budget. In a statement issued to Euronews Health, Dr Esther Robinson, head of the agency's TB unit, called the disease a 'serious public health issue' and urged people to get tested if they have symptoms, including a persistent, mucus-ridden cough. ADVERTISEMENT Wingfield has some ideas for the plan. He wants more screenings for new immigrants at risk of TB, given few eligible people are actually tested, and suggested that employers who recruit from overseas could help fund the programme. He also wants the government to collect more information on TB patients' social and financial problems, so they can be connected to housing, food banks, and other services. Many TB doctors in the UK 'have given money from out of their pocket to somebody that they've looked after to get food, to pay for a bus… or because they're just in a dire situation,' Wingfield said. Related Having a poor socioeconomic background could speed up biological ageing, new study finds Meanwhile, Madhvani pointed to gaps in mental health support for TB patients, particularly once they wrap up treatment. ADVERTISEMENT 'I don't think that the system understands how frightening it is and how lonely it is, especially when you finish treatment and then you're just spat out into the world. There's no more follow-up,' she said. Identifying TB early to make treatment easier One bright spot is that few UK patients have forms of TB that are resistant to drugs, which can make it harder and more expensive to treat. Drug resistance poses a bigger problem in countries where people struggle to access medical care or stop treatment early. The drugs cause sometimes painful side effects, and people are supposed to take them every day for four to nine months. 'We have a fairly good system for dealing with TB, but it's a matter of finding people soon enough to treat them properly,' Sommerfield said. ADVERTISEMENT Related Antibiotic-resistant superbugs could kill 39 million people by 2050, researchers warn Some people who are infected with TB never go on to develop the disease. But rooting out infections early is critical for patients like Madhvani. She doesn't know how she got TB. But before her diagnosis, she unknowingly infected her partner, friends, family members, and colleagues. Most didn't go on to develop the disease, but her mother did, and she is still struggling with health complications seven years later. Another person Madhvani infected had latent TB, but no disease yet. Doctors put him on medication to stave off illness, but he stopped taking it early. ADVERTISEMENT Years later, 'he sent me a photo of him in hospital, emaciated… and he looked more unwell than I ever was,' Madhvani said. Her gut reaction was anger that he hadn't taken TB seriously enough. 'I don't think people understand what it will do to you if you don't get it sorted,' she said. 'It doesn't matter how wealthy you are, whether you've travelled or not travelled. If you come into contact with it, you're at risk'.
