2018 film controversey - Pushpa 2 real biz numbers - Samantha fans angry with Amazon

Tovino Thomas, the lead actor of the 2018 Malayalam film based on the Kerala Floods, has announced that the dubbed versions of the movie will soon be released in cinemas throughout India. The film is currently available with subtitles, Tovino has stated that the sequelto Minnal Murali will have a theatrical release, unlike the first part which was released solely on OTT platforms. However, Tovino's recent comments in a national interview that the Kerala Story film's depiction of the Love Jihad was a distortion of facts has garnered criticism from viewers in North India. Some have accused him of being biased due to his surname, while others have asked if he would be fine with his sisters joining ISIS. In contrast, Keralites have come out in support of the actor. Meanwhile, the film's director, Jude, has been facing backlash from writer Sreekala for portraying the Chief Minister of Kerala as an ineffective leader who failed to handle the flood situation and make timely decisions. Sreekala has criticized Jude for not showing the role of the government machinery in rescue operations and instead focusing on the efforts of fishermen and individuals. In the film, the control room chief is depicted as hesitant to alert rescue teams or urge people near the riverbanks to move to safer places. Lal and Narain, two characters in the film, ask a church priest to ring the bell and alert the public to the danger. The Priest responds by questioning what more can be done beyond what the government is doing. Jude had previously revealed that he had considered Renji Panniker for the role of the Chief Minister but ultimately cast Janardhan as he wanted someone who physically appeared weaker to portray the role. The film has received positive reviews, with Mammooty praising it as being on par with a Hollywood film.

Pushpa 2, a film previously backed by Mythri Movie Makers, has received financial support from a Bollywood company after the latter was raided by IT and their finances were frozen. Niharika, the daughter of Naga Babu and first cousin of Allu Arjun, is rumored to be playing a tribal character in the movie, which is currently shooting an action sequence. However, according to trade circles, the film producers may be misleading the public about their business dealings. While the music rights were allegedly sold for Rs 20 crores across all languages, the producers claimed it was sold for Rs 60 crores. Similarly, the producers claimed that the theatrical business was closed for Rs 1000 crores, but only Telugu and Hindi regions have shown interest in purchasing it, according to trade circles.

Samantha's supporters are expressing disappointment over Amazon Prime's release of the movie Shakunthalam, which was done without any prior publicity and without any mention of their beloved actress. Some individuals perceived this as a form of hypocrisy because Amazon seemingly downplayed the actress after the film failed to perform well. According to reports, Amazon had signed a deal worth Rs 20 crores during the movie's production phase itself.