Karan Johar gets threat calls

Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar has received death threats calls. The head honcho of Dharma Productions has been receiving these threats for the past one month and hence was given some armed security for protection.

However, the case was later transferred to an anti extortion cell of the Mumbai cell brand and it was being said that the threats were from a wanted gangster.

And recently, the director-producer appealed for a 24 hour security cover to the Protection and Security Branch of Mumbai.

The police have refused to divulge any more details owing to security reasons and confidentiality.

About 3 years back, Karan Johar was reportedly receiving death threats and was being given a 24/7 security cover.

After RajiniKanth its only Pawan kalyan

Super Star Rajinikanth was the only South Indian hero who had two films in his kitty which collected more than 60+ crore. They are Sivaji and Endhiran (Robo). Now Power Star Pawan Kalyan joined the club as Attarintiki Daaredi collected 60+ crore share in just 17 days. Attarintiki Daaredi (61.35) also crossed the share of Gabbar Singh (60.55) on Sunday and emerged as the All Time Second highest grosser of Telugu cinema after Magadheera (73.1).

Now the Mega fans are curious if Attarintiki Daaredi can cross Magadheera in its full time run. As per trade talks Attarinitki Daredi had great chance to touch 100 crore mark in Box-office, if it happens "Attarintiki daredi" is the first movie to acheive this milestone in Tollywood. However, Monday (Dussera) and Wednesday (Bakrid) are public holidays, which gives an edge to the film to extract more numbers.

Chandamama Lo Amrutham movie new trailer released

Gunnam Gangaraju who earlier directed "Little Soldiers" and "Amma Cheppindhi" films is now making a new film "Chandamama Lo Amrutham". He also written dialogues and story for "Aithe", "Anukokunda Oka Roju" and "Katha" films.the VFX team will recreate spectacular visuals for the moon and space in general for the film. Srinivas Avasarala, Dhanya Balakrishna, Inturi Vasu, Harish and Shiva Narayana are playing the lead roles."Chandamama Lo Amrutham" is being produced by Just Yellow Media private ltd.

Renu Desai Special Interview

Renu Desai, producer of upcoming Marathi film Mangalashtak Once More, shares with Debarati Palit Singh her passion for the craft 

What prompted you to produce Mangalashtak Once More? 

I have done a lot of production work in the last 10 to 12 years. During this time, I had mentioned to my husband (Telugu superstar Pawan Kalyan) that whenever I would start independently producing movies, I would make a Marathi film, more so because I am from Pune. Given my background and connections, it would have been very easy for me to produce a Telugu film but honestly, I made Mangalashtak Once More because of my emotional connect with this city and with Marathi films. 

When I was looking for stories, I came across this script by writer Samir Joshi. I liked his clarity of thought and details in it, so I decided to produce the film. 

How was the transition from being  a superstar’s wife to being an independent film producer?  

The transition has been very smooth. Thanks to Kalyan, I have been part of several projects and have been associated with production work of those films right from the moment they were conceptualised. Starting from script, story and music sittings, I have been involved in all aspects of filmmaking. So I exactly know what happens during colour correction or in a music sitting. I am extremely passionate about the art of filmmaking and I do not think of it as a 9-to-5 job. Also, I think 12 -13 years is a good amount of time to learn any subject. 
As far as Mangalashtak... is concerned, I have been a hands-on producer. 

You started off as a model, then became an actor and ventured  into production later. How has the journey been? 

It’s definitely different when you are working with someone who can guide you. Pawan is a big personality and I knew he is watching my back, and that he would correct me if I went wrong. 

But when I decided to become a producer, I wanted to do it on my own. It would have been easy for me to ask for his help. But I purposely took it up as challenge. It is my own journey.  Starting from reading the script, meeting the actors to music directors, I have done everything on my own. Pawan has never called up anyone saying ‘My wife is coming to meet you... Please entertain.’ 

Most film industries are male-dominated. Was it easy being a woman producer? Did you face any challenges? 

You need to know your work —  only then will the person sitting opposite you know that you mean business. I know my business. So they do not mess with me and it helps me survive in the industry. 

When Mukta Barve and Swapnil Joshi signed the film, they saw my passion, conviction and commitment towards cinema. They did not sign the film just because I am Pawan Kalyan’s wife. When these big actors from the industry  agreed and understood my viewpoint, I knew I was on the right track.  

And we face challenges in every field. In cinema, it’s even more because here you are dealing with humans. There’s a lot of human psychology at play. People change, everyday they face issues in their lives, so I have to decide when to get angry or when not to get angry with them, when to be lenient or when to be strict. That’s an art. 

There were reports about you being aggressive on the film set.

When a man shouts, it is not taken the wrong way. But when a female boss raises her voice, it gets offensive. Had I kept quiet just to avoid tarnishing my image, I would have done injustice to my work. With repeated warnings, certain departments were asked to improve their work, but they failed. Any boss will sack such people. I haven’t done anything wrong. Because I am a female producer and I come from the South, the whole picture has been painted wrong. 

What do you think of the Marathi industry after working in it? 

After completing an entire film, I am in a position to comment. The people here are extremely talented  but somewhere they lack motivation. That’s because the returns are not high. They need to push themselves a little more, and they need to achieve perfection. 

You juggle several roles. How do you manage motherhood? 

I have to give a certain amount of time to my children. I make it a point to feed them at least one meal a day. Either they are with me, as our industry is flexible or I attend to all their needs before I leave for work. I never compromise when it comes to my children as they are my priority. 

Attarintiki Daredi second week collection

Atharintiki Daredi has set a new benchmark by the time it completed two weeks run at the Box Office. The film raked in a Worldwide share of Rs 60.93 crore by October 10th. None of the Telugu films have managed to achieve this milestone even by the end of third week. Such is Box Office stamina of Powerstar! 

As of now, Atharintiki Daredi stands only next to Industry Hit 'Magadheera' when it comes to Worldwide collections. 

Worldwide Top 10 Telugu films (Shares):

Magadheera - Rs 73.1 crore;

Atharintiki Daredi - Rs 60.93 crore;

Gabbar Singh - Rs 60.6 crore;

Dookudu - Rs 56 crore;

SVSC - Rs 51 crore;

Mirchi - Rs 47.4 crore;

Baadshah - Rs 46.6 crore;

Naayak - Rs 46.4 crore;

Racha - Rs 44.2 crore;

Eega - Rs 42.8 crore.

Salman enjoys his Rickshaw ride

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan hopped into a rickshaw after his luxury SUV broke down at night, leaving him stranded. 


The 47-year-old actor took to Twitter to share his experience which began terribly but ended on a happy note after the enjoyable rickshaw ride. 

“Kal raat ko jab gadi bandh padi had to take a rick home, really enjoyed the rickshaw ride : )” Salman Khan tweeted 

The ‘gadi’ he’s talking about is Range Rover, which has been a constant source of headache for the superstar since last one year. 

“Meri bichari Range Rover ke hal kharab hai in last 1&1/2 yrs 9times brakepads hv failed 1bari pura suspension gaya or kal gadi he baith gayi,” Salman wrote. 

“The company guys say its a heavy car so the break pads vil wear off hehehe toh bus truck aur train n planes ka rose badalte hongay kya,” he added. 

The superstar expressed his anger over the poor customer service of Range Rover. 

“So kinda pissed with the attitude of the people at Range Rover they have no concept of customer service,” Salman Khan expressed his annoyance. 

Well, it certainly won’t add to the Range Rover reputation to be slammed publicly by a superstar who has the following of 5 million on Twitter. 

Ramayya Vasthavayya movie review

Casting: NTR, Samantha, Shruthi Hassan

Direction: Harish Sankar

Producers: Dil Raju

Music: SS Thaman

Young Tiger NTR and Samantha have teamed up for the mass entertainer ‘Ramayya Vasthavayya’. The movie has hit the screens today across the world. Harish Shankar is the director of the film and Dil Raju is the producer.

Story :

Nandu (NTR) is a college student who lives a simple and happy life. He comes across Akarsha (Samantha) one day and instantly falls in love with her. He begins wooing her with his wit and antics. After a while, Akarsha also falls for him.

Nandu decides to accompany Akarsha to her hometown, for the wedding of her sister. At the wedding, the story takes an unexpected twist. A different side of Nandu comes out.

It is revealed that Akarsha’s father (Mukesh Rishi) and Nandu have a violent past. That past also involves Ammulu (Shruti Haasan) and an evil politician named Bikshapathi (Ravi Shankar). What is that past? Who is Nandu ? That is the story of Ramayya Vasthavayya.

Positive Aspects :

This is NTR’s career best look. Harish Shankar has succeeded in showcasing NTR in a way that fans have been waiting to see since ages. NTR on horseback, with black shirt andshades. The film also has some of NTR’s best dance moves in recent times. NTR’s command over dialogue delivery is excellent.

Samantha is cute and gorgeous as usual, but her role is largely limited to the first half. Her scenes with NTR have come out well. Shruti Haasan looks glamorous in her guest appearance. Rohini Hattangadi has done a neat job.

The first half is a big asset for the film. Entertainment quotient is good here. The film progresses at a good pace in this half.

Hero elevation scenes and NTR’s funny mannerisms will work big time with fans and movie lovers. All the songs in the film have been shot in a very pleasing manner.

Negative Aspects :

The second half of the film is a let down. The story has scope for being a good emotionalrevenge drama, but the superficial screenplay in this part of the film never really allows the scenes to make a strong impact.

The film becomes very predictable in the second half, with too much violence and multiple fights. The love story between NTR and Samantha could have been tied off in a better way. The entertainment and magic of the first half is missing here.

Ravi Shankar’s characterisation is very clichéd. The revenge episode, where NTR hacks off the goons in the mandapam, could have been shot better.

Technical Aspects :

Cinematography is good and the visuals have a rich feel. Thaman had done a good job with the background score. Dialogues are very good, especially the ones uttered by the hero.

Harish Shankar is a guy who understands what fans expect from their hero. He has showcased NTR brilliantly in the first half. He should have taken better care about the second half.

Verdict:

Ramayya Vasthavayya is stylish mass entertainer. First Half of the movie is quiet good compare to second half. The movie will be stand in the Hit movies collection.

Trade Talk: 4- 5 weeks

Rating: 3/5