Latest news with #Pushpa:TheRise
Time of India
an hour ago
- Business
- Time of India
Ram Gopal Varma claims South cinema thrived by remaking Amitabh Bachchan classics: 'Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, NT Rama Rao did remakes, became demigods'
Ram Gopal Varma reveals South Indian cinema's early reliance on remaking Amitabh Bachchan's Bollywood hits, which propelled stars like Rajinikanth to fame. While Bollywood directors were influenced by foreign cinema, the South focused on mass-appeal storytelling. Varma also recounts a producer's skepticism towards 'Pushpa: The Rise,' highlighting differing expectations in the industry. The Indian film industry is a complex tapestry of diverse languages, cultures, and storytelling styles. While Bollywood often dominates headlines, the Southern film industries have carved out their own powerful space, producing blockbuster hits and cultivating larger-than-life stars. Yet, beneath this success lies a shared history of inspiration, imitation, and adaptation that shaped both worlds. Legendary filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma sheds light on the fascinating journey of South Indian cinema, revealing how it once thrived by remaking iconic Bollywood films—particularly those starring Amitabh Bachchan—and how these influences continue to resonate today. In conversation with IndiaTV Showbiz, RGV recently observed that in the early days, all four South Indian film industries frequently remade Amitabh Bachchan 's popular films from the 1970s and 1980s. Major stars like Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, NT Rama Rao, and Rajkumar rose to fame by starring in these remakes. In the 1990s, during Amitabh Bachchan's extended five-year hiatus, music companies began producing films primarily to promote their soundtracks—Maine Pyar Kiya being a notable example. Meanwhile, the South continued to churn out 'masala' films inspired by Bachchan's style, which helped cement their leading actors as demigods. According to Varma, this pattern of drawing from Bachchan's legacy persists even today. Varma also pointed out that young Bollywood directors of that era had greater exposure to foreign cinema, thanks to their English proficiency and urban upbringing. In contrast, he noted that many commercial filmmakers in the South were less exposed to global cinematic trends and tended to focus more on grassroots, mass-appeal storytelling. The filmmaker also recalled an incident involving an unnamed producer's reaction to the film Pushpa: The Rise, directed by Sukumar and starring Allu Arjun . A few days before the film's release, the producer reportedly expressed strong skepticism, predicting that audiences would reject the movie. His criticism was not aimed at the actor himself, but rather at the unconventional portrayal of the protagonist—someone chewing paan rather than the typical six-pack hero image. According to Varma, the producer's judgment was clouded by preconceived notions of what audiences expect, rather than the actual quality or content of the film. 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 .
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Ram Gopal Varma says South industries survived by remaking Amitabh Bachchan films: ‘Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, NT Rama Rao did remakes, became demigods'
Although the film industries in the South seem to be successful curently, while Bollywood struggles to produce hit films, there was a time, particularly the '70s and '80s, when they too were making rip-offs of films from other languages. God forbid a filmmaker came up with a fresh idea in any language, even English, and the film turned out to be successful; their counterparts immediately jumped on it and churned out remakes, making a fortune at the expense of others. As a result, movies with original ideas were a rarity back then. Interestingly, while Bollywood is now often criticised for its fixation on remakes, the Southern film industries too once followed a similar path. Recently, legendary filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) commented on this trend, noting how several South Indian superstars, including Rajinikanth and Chiranjeevi, rose to fame by largely remaking films originally headlined by Amitabh Bachchan. RGV said during a chat with IndiaTV Showbiz, 'In the beginning, the entire South, all four languages, were remaking Amitabh Bachchan films. Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, NT Rama Rao and Rajkumar were making remakes of Bachchan's films of the '70s and '80s. Then, in the '90s, Mr Bachchan took a long five-year break. At the same time, coincidentally, the music companies entered the scene. They made films just to sell their music. That's when movies like Maine Pyar Kiya came out. But the South never stopped making the so-called masala films, which they picked up from Bachchan. That's how those stars became big demigods. It continues to date.' Meanwhile, he said, the then-young Bollywood directors began gaining more exposure to foreign cinema, largely due to their knowledge of English and their upbringing in urban areas. 'If you observe, most commercial directors in the South are very less exposed to cinema. They can't talk about cinema like we do. They're very close to the ground root,' RGV added. RGV further went on to recall the reaction of a producer, whom he did not wish to name, to director Sukumar's Pushpa: The Rise, starring Allu Arjun in the titular role. 'Upon seeing the movie about three or four days before the release of the movie, he said the audience would puke on Pushpa. He was not referring to the actor. He was simply turned off by the character. They are so used to good-looking six-pack heroes on staple diets that they can't comprehend a hero chewing paan at all. They are not watching the film; they are watching the film as what they perceive the audience would watch,' he pointed out.
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Allu Arjun's son Ayaan pours water on his head to calm down after RCB's IPL win: ‘I love Virat Kohli'
The Indian Premier League (IPL) took place on Tuesday night. Punjab Kings (PBKS) lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), with Virat Kohli leading them to victory. Allu Arjun's son, Allu Ayaan, a self-professed Kohli fan, seemed overwhelmed by the win in a video posted by his dad on Instagram. (Also Read: Excited Anushka Sharma holds IPL trophy with Virat Kohli, fans gush 'this belongs to her too') After RCB won the cup, Arjun posted a video of Ayaan on Instagram, writing, 'Ayaan getting super emotional. #viratkohli fan boy moment. Soo cute my chinni babu #alluayaan #rcb #ipl2025.' In the video, Arjun can be heard laughing and asking Ayaan if he's okay, to which the 11-year-old replies, 'I love Kohli, I like Kohli so much. I got into cricket cause of him.' He then goes through a range of emotions where he lies face down on the floor and screams and pours water on his head to calm down. 'Finally, we did it,' he screams in excitement at the end of the video. A post shared by Allu Arjun (@alluarjunonline) The video was quickly re-shared by others on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, with many finding Ayaan's reaction hilarious and relatable. Actor Nandu commented on Arjun's post, 'Ayaan is literally us now.' A fan wrote, 'Virat deserves this.' Another fan commented, 'E sala cup namde (The cup is ours this time)' One noted the football jersey Ayaan wore in the video, 'Real Madrid and RCB. yes yes mutuals Ayaan bhai.' Numerous others left heart and laughing emojis under the video. Arjun, reacting to the win wrote on X, 'THE WAIT IS OVER . 'Ee sala cup namde!' At last! We've been waiting for this day for 18 years. A big, big congratulations to RCB!' Arjun was last seen in Sukumar's Pushpa films – Pushpa: The Rise (2021) and Pushpa 2: The Rule (2025). He will soon star in a film helmed by Atlee.
Hindustan Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Not Fahadh Faasil, this actor was the first choice to play Bhanwar Singh Shekawat in Allu Arjun's Pushpa
Sukumar took five years to make the Pushpa films—Pushpa: The Rise (2021) and Pushpa 2: The Rule (2025). The characters played by Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, and Fahadh Faasil are so deeply embedded that it's hard to imagine anyone else in their place now. However, in an interview with M9 News, Nara Rohith claimed that he was the first choice for the role of Bhanwar Singh Shekawat. (Also Read: Alia Bhatt would love to work with Fahadh Faasil after Roshan Mathew: 'He was unreal in Aavesham') When asked if it's true that he was approached for Fahadh's role in Pushpa, Rohith confirmed it and said, 'I posted some pictures with a moustache during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ravi (Shankar) garu spoke to me first, as did Sukumar garu. Then the span of the film changed, and they wanted Fahadh. But initially, they did speak to me.' Rohith reveals that while he was interested in the role, he doesn't know if he could've played Bhanwar as well as Fahadh did. He said, 'I don't know if I could've played the character like he did. Maybe, if I were on that set, I could've vibed and done it. But after seeing Fahadh, I was like, okay. That was terrific, actually.' In the Pushpa films, Bhanwar plays Arjun's titular character's arch nemesis, a police officer who is casteist and wants to bring down the red sanders smuggling ring at any cost. Fahadh himself, though, didn't seem that impressed by the role when he told Film Companion in 2024, 'I don't think Pushpa did anything for me. I told Sukumar Sir that. I don't have to hide it. I have to be honest.' Rohith took a break from acting after the 2018 film Veera Bhoga Vasantha Rayalu. The film tanked at the box office and was a massive failure. In 2024, he made a comeback with Prathinidhi 2. The same year, he got engaged to his co-star from the film, Siree Lella. He will soon star in Sundarakanda and Bhairavam.
Pink Villa
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Allu Arjun's third role in Atlee's movie to be an animated character?
Allu Arjun and Atlee have been making quite a buzz online ever since they announced their collaboration with the tentative AA22xA6. Now, reports indicate that the film might have Pushpa star in an animated version. As per ongoing buzz on the internet, including X handle of Sudheer Max, it has been speculated that Allu Arjun would have an animated character in the movie. Making it a first for the actor, it will likely have him in 3 different characters. While an official confirmation about the same hasn't been made by the makers, it would be interesting to see how director Atlee crafts such a world, if true. For those unaware, Allu Arjun had announced his upcoming venture with Atlee a couple of weeks back. While more details about the movie are yet to be made, it is speculated that the film would be a parallel universe venture. Initially, there were rumors that the film would be a dual hero venture, which would have another top star performing alongside Allu Arjun. However, it was later cleared by the actor's team, confirming his next venture would only feature him as the main lead. With Allu Arjun in the lead, the movie is said to feature an intensive use of VFX with makers relying on international studios for the same. Interestingly, the young musical sensation, Sai Abhyankkar, is said to helm the musical tracks and scores. Coming to Allu Arjun's work front, the actor was last seen in the lead role in the movie Pushpa 2: The Rule. The film, directed by Sukumar, was the sequel to 2021's Pushpa: The Rise, focusing on the life of a daily wage worker who rises up in the ranks of a crime syndicate and becomes a kingpin in sandalwood smuggling. With Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil in co-lead roles, the film featured actors like Jagapathi Babu, Sunil, Rao Ramesh, and more in key characters. Moreover, the movie is set to have a 3rd installment, titled Pushpa 3: The Rampage. Furthermore, Allu Arjun would also be joining hands with director Trivikram Srinivas for a movie as well.
