Diljit dancers’ disappointment
Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh is currently earning many millions of pounds with sold-out arena shows globally. The North America leg of his world tour was recently blighted by backing dancers accusing Dosanjh of not paying them. If that is what actually happened, it isn’t the singer’s fault. Many concert promoters from specific territories regularly fail to pay local talent and ask them to perform for free, in exchange for ‘exposure’. This is particularly shocking given the revenue generated from every show by superstars such as Dosanjh. But headline acts not bothering to find out if local performers are getting paid or not is something that definitely needs to change. Dosanjh is set to perform in the UK this September, and one hopes he will ensure any local talent employed for his show is fairly paid.
Akshay Kumar (Photo: Tim P Whitby/Getty Images)
Akshay Kumar disaster run continues
I previously predicted that recent Bollywood release Sarfira would be a huge failure and have been proven right. This now means that 12 out of the last 14 Akshay Kumar films have been huge disasters. Audiences no longer being interested in watching the flop actor’s movies have done little to prevent utterly clueless film producers from continuing to pay Akshay big bucks to star in their films - which also explains why Hindi cinema is in big trouble right now. The few audiences’ silly enough to still watch Akshay’s films will find it a tortuous experience. This will likely include the failure of his next film, Khel Khel Mein, when it is released on August 15 (India’s Independence Day).
Toofan
Big Bangladeshi cinema boost
Bangladeshi cinema being pretty much non-existent is why the success of action entertainer Toofan should be celebrated. Positive word of mouth reviews turned this film into one of the most successful ever produced in Bangladesh and this led to the movie being screened in cinemas worldwide. It is now inspiring producers in Bangladesh to make more ambitious projects.
Kill
Kill dies a horrible death
With the backing of Bollywood power hitters and big international distributor Lionsgate, as well as a global marketing budget, Kill was supposed to be a gamechanger for Indian cinema. Many hoped this action thriller would draw multi-cultural audiences from other non-English speaking countries. Although it was a good idea to produce India’s answer to 2011 Indonesian action thriller Raid, some basic mistakes scuppered that plan. The primary reason was poor writing and a lack of understanding of how to make a confined space thriller. There were also unintentionally funny moments and Kill went so over the top with its bloodshed that is bordered on violent fetishism.
Prosenjit Chatterjee and Rituparna Sengupta (left)
Bengali dream team should be celebrated
The most remarkable aspect about Bengali language romantic thriller Ajogyo is that it’s the 50th movie with popular stars Prosenjit Chatterjee and Rituparna Sengupta in the lead roles. The iconic pair, who first worked together 30 years ago, play the roles of a couple whose lives are disrupted by the wife’s former lover. It is amazing the pair have acted in dozens of films – despite the fact that there was a gap of 14 years when they didn’t work together.
Chatterjee said: “I don't believe any actor or actress can just do 50 films together if an audience doesn't like us. I think the audiences have a huge contribution to our screen chemistry.”
They are a cinematic dream team who deserve more global recognition.
Hina Khan
Heroic Hina Khan is an inspiration
Hina Khan is continuing to inspire everyone with her cancer battle. The actress, who was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, has been sharing regular updates on social media, including cutting her hair for chemotherapy. She is also motivating fans with empowering quotes. Her brave approach has raised awareness about the deadly disease and provides hope to those who are going through similar personal battles. Hina has described her social media posts as the ‘scarred but not scared’ series and they are well worth finding.
