Latest news with #PrithvirajSukumaran
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Will Prithviraj Sukumaran direct Hrithik Roshan in the much-awaited '#HrithikxHombale'? here's what we know
Reports have been doing the rounds on the internet regarding the director of Hrithik Roshan 's most-awaited collaboration with one of the leading production houses in Kannada, known for backing box office hits like ' KGF ', 'Salaar', 'Kantara', and more. Recent reports claimed that actor-turned-director Prithviraj Sukumaran would be directing the film. Now, a person close to the production has responded to the rumours. Prithviraj is not directing the movie According to Pinkvilla, the rumours about Prithviraj Sukumaran directing the tentatively titled film Hrithik X Hombale are unfounded. A spokesperson close to the project stated that Prithviraj is not attached to the film in any official capacity at this point. 'No director has been signed yet. Please do not believe in rumours — we will officially announce all developments related to the project in due course,' the insider said. About #HRITHIKxHOMBALE The official announcement of Hrithik X Hombale came as a surprise move, bringing together one of Bollywood's most bankable stars with one of South India's most successful production houses. Catch Prithviraj Sukumaran Nailing This Effortless Style On May 28, the makers shared a statement on their X (formerly Twitter) handle: 'They call him the Greek God. He's ruled hearts, shattered limits, and we see the phenomenon he truly is! We are proud to welcome Hrithik Roshan to the Hombale Films family for a collaboration years in the making. A tale of grit, grandeur, and glory is set to unfold — where intensity meets imagination, the Big Bang begins. #HRITHIKxHOMBALE' Hrithik also shared the official announcement with a note: 'Looking forward to this.' Prithviraj's work front On the work front, Prithviraj Sukumaran is currently basking in the success of his directorial venture, 'L2: Empuraan', the sequel to the 2019 blockbuster 'Lucifer'. The Mohanlal-starrer also featured Abhimanyu Singh, Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier, Indrajith Sukumaran, and Jerome Flynn in key roles. It also included special appearances by Rick Yune and Pranav Mohanlal. Prithviraj is gearing up for the release of his upcoming films 'Vilayath Buddha' and 'Nobody'. Rumours are also circulating online about his role in 'SSMB29' by SS Rajamouli, alongside Mahesh Babu. Hrithik's work front Meanwhile, Hrithik is busy preparing for 'War 2' alongside Jr NTR. The film is slated for release in theatres on August 14, 2025. 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 .
Pink Villa
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Buzz: Is Prithviraj Sukumaran set to direct Hrithik Roshan's next with Hombale Films?
Hrithik Roshan recently took the internet by storm after his collaboration with Salaar makers Hombale Films was announced. Now, rumors suggest that Prithviraj Sukumaran might be helming the project. According to ongoing buzz, including a report by BFilmy Official, the Lucifer director is said to be handling the project, tentatively titled HrithikXHombale. However, as of now, it remains a rumor, and an official confirmation is still pending. Talking about the project, the announcement of HrithikXHombale came as a major surprise to many, as the top Bollywood star is teaming up with a powerhouse production house. While more details about the film are yet to be revealed, the official statement from the makers read: 'They call him the Greek God. He's ruled hearts, shattered limits, and we see the phenomenon he truly is! We are proud to welcome Hrithik Roshan to the Hombale Films family for a collaboration years in the making. A tale of grit, grandeur, and glory is set to unfold, where intensity meets imagination, the Big Bang begins. #HRITHIKxHOMBALE' In response to the announcement, Hrithik Roshan wrote on social media, 'Looking forward to this.' Talking about Prithviraj Sukumaran as a director, he recently made a big impact with the Mohanlal-starrer L2: Empuraan. The film is the sequel to 2019's Lucifer and the second installment in a planned trilogy. Mohanlal reprised his role as Stephen Nedumpally aka Khureshi Ab'raam, with the story continuing from the events of the first film. Alongside the superstar, the movie featured an ensemble cast including Prithviraj Sukumaran, Abhimanyu Singh, Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier, Indrajith Sukumaran, Jerome Flynn, and others in key roles. Additionally, L2: Empuraan included cameo appearances by Rick Yune and Pranav Mohanlal. On the acting front, Prithviraj is set to play the lead in the upcoming film Vilayath Buddha. He is also part of Nobody and is involved in Mahesh Babu's next project with director SS Rajamouli, tentatively titled SSMB29. Meanwhile, Hrithik Roshan is gearing up for his much-anticipated film War 2, co-starring Jr NTR, which is scheduled to release on August 14, 2025.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Prabhas' Salaar is the most-watched movie on Indian OTT, Korean content outperforms homegrown titles on Netflix
JioHotstar dominated streaming charts in the month of March, according to new data shared by Nielsen. The most-watched film in India during this time was the Prabhas-starrer Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire, which made over Rs 700 crore in its box office run. Directed by Prashanth Neel, Salaar also featured Prithviraj Sukumaran, and is set to get a sequel. According to the report, shared by Variety, JioHotstar occupied seven of the top 10 spots on the charts. Dragon, on Netflix, also found a spot on the list, which was compiled after measuring the mobile phone viewing patterns of people in the 18-45 demographic in urban areas with populations exceeding 1 lakh. The most-watched title as far as series are concerned was MX Player's Aashram, followed by JioHotstar's Thukra Ke Mera Pyaar. Surprisingly, the Korean series When Life Gives You Tangerines took the third spot, meaning that it outperformed every Indian title on Netflix in March. The fourth spot was claimed by the evergreen favourite Stranger Things, which also outperformed every Indian title. Game of Thrones also found a spot, while MTV Roadies led the pack in the non-original series category. Also read – Sikandar: Anurag Kashyap's right; Bollywood is doomed if stars like Salman Khan enable the Snapchat-ification of cinema The list is based on data compiled from metro, mini-metro, Tier 1, and Tier 2 cities, using metrics that measure time spent and engagement. India has the world's second-largest internet users, which is why it's high on the priority lists of international streamers. Netflix hasn't quite cracked the market yet, despite having had a presence in India since 2018. Thanks to the Indian Premier League, JioHotstar's subscriber rate reportedly grew to within touching distance of Netflix – 280 million, as compared to Netflix's 300 million-plus. Discussing the viewing habits of Indian audiences in an interview with Indian Express, Monika Shergill, vice president – content, Netflix India, said, 'You have to tell them in a way that wows people — surprises or delights them. It should be worth their time. Today, sitting anywhere in the world they can experience any kind of content, in any language. Their benchmark for what's good storytelling has gone up. We have some catching up to do.'
Mint
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
L2 Empuraan OTT release: Here's where to watch Hindi version of Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran-starrer
L2 Empuraan OTT release: Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran's controversial film, L2 Empuraan is all set to stream online. It was originally released in theatres on 27 March. The film faced controversies over its scenes and dialogues. L2 Empuraan is now streaming on JioHotstar. It is available in five languages including Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada on the platform. On Friday, the official Instagram handle of JioHotstar dropped a teaser of the L2: Empuraan. In the caption of the post, the platform announced the release of Mohanlal's film in Hindi. The post read, 'Witness the story behind the legend. Mohanlal is back with Empuraan. L2: Empuraan is now streaming in Hindi exclusively on JioHotstar.' The Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran-starrer revolves around the story of Stephen Nedumpally (played by Mohanlal). Amid the 2002 Gujarat riots, Zayed's (played by Prithviraj Sukumaran) family is massacred. Years later, Kerala's politics, global espionage and personal revenge collide as Ab'raam rises for justice. L2 Empuraan is written by Murali Gopi. It is directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran who marked his directorial debut with the film. L2: Empuraan is the second part of the Lucifer movie, a trilogy planned by the Prithviraj-Mohanlal team. Following the controversy, the production team of the film made changes in the film in response to the controversy. According to reports, 17 scenes, including those featuring riot sequences and depictions of violence against women, were edited out. Later, Mohanlal issued a statement acknowledging that certain aspects of the film had caused distress to some people. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) suggested modifications before the screening of the movie. CBFC also issued a fresh certificate for the film. In total, 24 cuts or changes were made in the film, including possible links with the communal riots. Visuals of 2 minutes and 8 seconds were deleted from the film. Besides this, the card mentioning the period as '2002-India' was replaced with 'A few years ago' in the new version of the film. Despite the backlash, Empuraan achieved remarkable success at the box office. The film became the first Malayalam movie to gross ₹ 80 crore worldwide on its opening weekend. Later, the film business was affected by the controversy. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, L2 Empuraan earned ₹ 123.25 crore in India after release.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
From macho icons to relatable characters: Evolution of the hero in Malayalam cinema
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Compared to the day when the so-called alpha-male heroes ruled Malayalam cinema, it seems that a drastic change has happened in the hero concept in Mollywood. In the early decades, particularly the 1970s and 80s, heroes were often larger-than-life figures, epitomized by stars like Jayan, who embodied a "Superman-superstar" archetype with exaggerated masculinity, action-packed roles, and moral absolutism. These characters were idealized as invincible, macho role models, often dominating narratives with their physical prowess and heroic deeds. The big change in 2010 The 2010s marked a turning point with the rise of the "new generation" Malayalam cinema movement, characterized by unconventional themes and narrative techniques. This era saw a shift away from the stereotypical macho hero toward more relatable, flawed, and nuanced protagonists. Actors like Fahadh Faasil redefined heroism by portraying characters with reformative masculinity, often embracing marginalized or traditionally feminized traits, such as vulnerability and emotional depth. This created an alternative model of manhood that connected with modern audiences. Aavesham - Official Teaser 'Took 3 months to convince Kuruthi director to cast me as a villain' - Prithviraj Sukumaran One major interesting trend in Malayalam cinema is that the stars who enjoy a huge fan base have come forward to take up negative-shaded characters. One such example is Prithviraj Sukumaran in the film 'Kuruthi'. (Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Talking to India Today, Prithviraj said, 'I think that, as an actor or a star, you should always be wise enough to identify how you can lend yourself the best possible way to a film. For a film like 'Kuruthi', it came to me just as a project with no casting, nothing, and I produced that film. It took me about three months to convince the director [Manu Warrier] that I shouldn't be the hero and I should be the villain. I thought that was the best way I could lend myself to the film. It is always important that you prioritise the film first and what you do in the film second.' 'The representation of a Malayali hero has changed' - Pooja Mohanraj In an exclusive talk with the actress Pooja Mohanraj, she said that the representation of Malayali hero has changed drastically. Talking to ETimes, she said, 'The representation of a Malayali hero has also changed. All these films have extremely vulnerable men. They are not in a position to act supreme; they are actually losing their control, which is completely different from a toxic hero.' (Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Taking the example of the Basil Joseph starrer 'Ponman', the audiences are let in on the fact that the hero in the movie is nothing when compared to the villain played by Sajin Gopu, even in terms of physical strength. What connects the audience to the hero in 'Ponman' is surely his determination and willpower, which makes him go to any extent to achieve what he wants. Even in the climax fight scenes, Basil Joseph's character is using wit rather than strength to take over the antagonist. "The Malayalam film industry is not a hero-dominated industry now" - Kalesh Ramanand Talking exclusively to ETimes, the actor Kalesh Ramanand said, "The Malayalam film industry has changed a lot and is now focusing on its content rather than any other factors.I am not some actor with a great market value or something. I am just a sidekick actor. If someone trusted me to put me as the lead for a film and wrap up its shoot within 30 or 35 days, then they were only trusting the content. The Malayalam industry is now proving that even without a hero, content can be made. Mollywood is not a hero-dominated industry now." 'Even Fahadh Faasil's Ranga wants to be a toxic alpha' Talking to ETimes, the 'Aavesham' actor Pooja Mohanraj shares, ''Even Fahadh Faasil's Ranga wants to be a toxic alpha, but there is so much in him that creates a conflict in him where he is unable to become the toxic alpha that he wishes to be. He wants to be loved amid all his traumas. So the kind of hero representation in Malayalam cinema has changed.' (Picture Courtesy: Facebook) She further said, 'Even in Naslen's 'Premalu' or 'Bramayugam', we see different shades of men. And in 'Manjummel Boys', you see different shades of men with vulnerabilities. These are all characters who are not like an ideal hero who has it all sorted out; they all have their weaknesses. This is a very interesting twist that has happened in Malayalam cinema now.' Are the audiences loving this change? Malayali audiences grew up watching their favourite superstars playing heroic characters in movies like 'Narasimham', 'Vallyettan', and others. Ideally, such a shift or lightening their tones in heroic deeds should create mixed opinions from the audiences. Interestingly, the Malayali audiences seem to be loving this new shift in the heroic concept. In the most recent Mohanlal film 'Thudarum', they saw their favourite superstar weak in the first half when Prakash Varma's villain character overpowers him. The same was the case with 'Drishyam' and Mammootty's 'Bramayugam'. In conclusion, a weaker hero or a vulnerable hero will surely open new realms for an intriguing and interesting story telling. 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 .
