Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Karan Johar does penny-pinching on upcoming productions in 2020?

2019 did not turn out to be a great year for Dharma Productions. Apart from Good Newwz and Kesari, both featuring superstar Akshay Kumar in lead roles, none of their offerings set the cash registers jingling at the box-office.

Kalank, a multi-starrer made on a huge scale, tanked at the box-office, incurring a massive loss to the production house. Their next release, Student of the Year 2, was expected to hit a century since Student of the Year had racked up a lifetime collection of Rs. 70 crores in 2012, but it could not even touch the mark set by its predecessor. The much-delayed actioner Drive released directly on Netflix and was panned by one and all.


After the failure of the aforementioned projects, Dharma Productions’ head honcho, Karan Johar, has reportedly retreated into introspection. The filmmaker is not only scrapping commercially unviable projects, but he is also cutting down the budget of his most ambitious directorial venture Takht. “From scrapping commercially uncertain projects to cutting down the budget of his ambitious directorial Takht, Karan Johar is considering all of that,” a source in the know tells an entertainment portal.

The production house has also decided to cut down the budget of its costliest production venture Brahmastra. Featuring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Amitabh Bachchan in lead roles, the fantasy drama has already faced an inordinate delay in production and hence the makers have decided to tighten its budget.

“Ayan has been over-shooting Brahmastra. The film is taking longer to complete than any other previous Dharma Production. Costly stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, all of whom have been paid their market price, are apparently charging extra for all the additional dates needed to complete Brahmastra,” adds the source.

Well, it will be interesting to see if getting along on a shoestring succeeds in getting the production house back on their feet. Talking about their forthcoming ventures for 2020, the slate includes films like Bhoot – Part One: The Haunted Ship, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, Sooryavanshi, Brahmastra, Shershaah and Dostana 2.

More For You

Mohanlal's 'L2:Empuraan' to get major edits after India's Hindu right wing protests

Empuraan faces backlash as filmmakers make 17 edits, including cutting violent scenes

Instagram/empuraanmovie

Mohanlal's 'L2:Empuraan' to get major edits after India's Hindu right wing protests

Director Prithviraj Sukumaran has been asked to make edits to his latest film, L2: Empuraan, following claims that certain scenes and dialogues hurt public sentiments. Producer Gokulam Gopalan confirmed that adjustments are being made to address concerns raised by some viewers.

Speaking to Manorama Online, Gopalan explained, "If any scenes or dialogues in Empuraan have offended people, I have told Prithviraj to make necessary changes." Some words have already been muted, and additional modifications are planned. The decision comes after protests over certain elements in the film, despite it having cleared the censorship process without issues.

Keep ReadingShow less
Salman Khan

Salman Khan’s £32,000 Ram Temple edition watch sparks controversy as a Muslim cleric calls it ‘haram and illegal’

Getty Images

Salman Khan slammed by Muslim cleric for wearing £32,000 Ayodhya Ram temple watch, calls it 'haram'

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has found himself at the centre of a religious controversy after wearing a limited edition watch featuring the Ram Janmabhoomi temple design. The accessory, which was noticed during the promotions of his upcoming film Sikandar, has drawn criticism from Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, president of the All India Muslim Jamaat.

Maulana Razvi has expressed strong disapproval, stating that as a Muslim, Salman Khan should avoid symbols associated with other religions. He referred to the act as “haram” (forbidden) under Islamic law and urged the actor to be mindful of his influence, especially given his large Muslim fan following.

Keep ReadingShow less
Varalaxmi Sarathkumar

Varalaxmi Sarathkumar breaks down on Dance Jodi Dance Reloaded 3 as she reveals being abused by six people as a child

Instagram/Varalaxmi Sarathkumar

Varalaxmi Sarathkumar reveals she was abused by six people as a child

In a deeply emotional moment on the sets of Zee Tamil’s dance reality show Dance Jodi Dance Reloaded 3, actor Varalaxmi Sarathkumar broke down while recounting her traumatic experience of being sexually abused as a child. The revelation came after contestant Kemy shared her own story of surviving harassment by family members. Moved by Kemy’s words, Varalaxmi revealed that she, too, had suffered similar abuse, with five to six people assaulting her when she was young.

The actor, known for her work in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada films, explained that her parents, veteran actor Sarathkumar and Chaya were working at the time, leaving her in the care of others. “Your story is my story,” she told Kemy, hugging her in solidarity. “I don’t have children, but I always tell parents to teach kids about ‘good touch’ and ‘bad touch.’ It’s so important.”

Keep ReadingShow less
The curse of Karan Johar: How Bollywood’s ‘star maker’ keeps failing newcomers

Karan Johar

The curse of Karan Johar: How Bollywood’s ‘star maker’ keeps failing newcomers

A LOT has been said about Karan Johar being a brilliant mastermind when it comes to launching new talent, including children of famous film stars.

While he deserves some credit for working with newcomers, Johar’s track record with aspiring actors is poor, and for many, it has turned out to be more of a curse than a blessing. A strong first film typically sets up a debutant for a solid career in cinema, but when it fails, the individual is often left swimming against the tide. This is exactly what has happened with Ibrahim Ali Khan, whose recently released disastrous debut movie Nadaaniyan has been a major setback.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sofia Carson’s ‘The Life List’ Has Viewers Rethinking Their Relationships

Sofia Carson in The Life List – The Netflix rom-com that’s making viewers rethink their relationships

Instagram/netflixfilm

Sofia Carson’s new Netflix rom-com 'The Life List' is making viewers dump their partners

Sofia Carson’s latest romantic comedy, The Life List, is doing more than just entertaining audiences. In fact, it’s making them question their love lives. The Netflix film, set to release this Friday, has reportedly led several test viewers to break up with their partners after watching it.

Directed by Adam Brooks and based on Lori Nelson Spielman’s novel, the story follows Alex Rose, played by Carson, a woman at a turning point in her life. When her mother, portrayed by Connie Britton, passes away, Alex discovers an unusual condition in her will. To claim her inheritance, she must first complete the childhood bucket list she wrote at 13. The list includes challenges like performing stand-up comedy and diving into a mosh pit, but one task proves far more difficult: finding true love!

Keep ReadingShow less