RRR Producer on why kept away from Oscar promotion and Kabzaa fake claim.

According to a source close to RRR film producer Danayya, the film was made with a budget of Rs 500 crores and faced multiple disruptions and postponements during filming. The producer had taken loans from financiers and had to pay interest, while none of the actors or director took a pay cut. The producer was only able to settle the financiers with the money he received, and when the director asked him to keep aside several crores for Oscar promotion, he refused. As a result, Rajamouli and the team decided to part ways with him. This is the situation of the man who produced India's third highest grossing film and the second highest grossing Telugu film at the box office.

----------

Kabzaa fake box office claim

It is not uncommon for producers to try to make their films sound like a success even when they are not. However, inflating the box office collection by almost 500% is a misleading and unethical practice that can harm the film industry's credibility and the audience's trust.

Moreover, printing "Another pride of Kannada industry" on the posters can be seen as an attempt to manipulate public perception, despite the poor reception of the film Kabzaa. It is essential to note that a film's success should be measured by its quality, content, and the reception it receives from the audience, not just by the box office numbers.

While the Kabzaa team's efforts to promote the film are understandable, it is important to be transparent and honest with the audience about the film's actual performance. Misleading and inflating the box office numbers can lead to a loss of trust and credibility among the audience and the film industry as a whole. Real collection All India is Rs 24 crores for four days total.

=========

 Santhosh Narayanan, a prominent music composer of South India, has several upcoming projects in the pipeline. In a recent media interview, he shared insights about the music composition for the film 'Jigarthanda Double X', directed by Karthik Subbaraj. Narayanan revealed that the music would feature some parts from the prequel along with new compositions for the movie. He also mentioned that Subbaraj had urged him to do justice to the sequel and not get carried away by the previous success.

Narayanan further added that the music for 'Jigarthanda Double X' would have a fantasy and tribal element to it. The film, starring SJ Suryah and Raghava Lawrence in lead roles, is not a continuation of the previous film's story, but will have certain elements from it. Narayanan expressed his admiration for the script and stated that the film's shooting is currently underway with the rest of the cast and crew to be announced soon. The title teaser of the movie, released last year, had generated a lot of interest among the audience. The film prequel had got Bobby Simha best supporting actor award at National level.

-------

Pushpa 2 teaser on Allu Arjun birthday

According to the latest news, the much-anticipated teaser for Pushpa 2, titled 'First Glimpse Video,' will be unveiled on April 8th of this year, which coincides with the 41st birthday of the film's lead actor, Allu Arjun. The makers recently confirmed this exciting update through a special poster.

As per reports, the official teaser for Pushpa 2 will showcase a 3-minute-long concept video that features an electrifying action sequence starring Allu Arjun in the lead role. Although not much has been disclosed about the teaser, rumors suggest that it will contain a special surprise for the fans of Allu Arjun. Sukumar is the director of the film.

Bheed trailer revised to suit YouTube

Anubhav Sinha's film "Bheed" trailer was released earlier this month and received a strong response. The movie portrays the difficulties faced by a specific group of people during the COVID-19 lockdown and stars Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar, Pankaj Kapur, and Dia Mirza. However, the trailer was removed from YouTube a few days after its release but has since been re-uploaded with some modifications. The comparison between the situations of daily laborers and those who underwent India's partition has been eliminated, and the background narration has been changed. It's interesting to note that Sinha opted to shoot the movie in black and white, which was agreed upon by his team. The film is scheduled to hit theaters on March 24th.

------

Nelson is directing a Rajinikanth movie that is set to complete its shooting schedule by the second week of April. Once filming is wrapped up, the team will focus on post-production and publicity efforts. This project holds great importance for both Rajinikanth and Nelson, as their previous films failed to perform well at the box office. The movie boasts an extensive budget and an impressive star-studded cast, including Mohanlal, Shivaraj Kumar, Ramya Krishnan, Sunil, Tamanna, and Rajinikanth in a significant role.

Racism at Play: Times Now's Goof Up and the Real Reason Behind NTR Jr and Ram Charan's Oscars Performance Decline

At the Oscars ceremony, Indian producer Guneet was refused the opportunity to speak on stage.

Guneet Monga, the woman who achieved the remarkable feat of winning an Oscar for Best Documentary Short for The Elephant Whisperers and bringing pride to her country, was not given the opportunity to speak after the win. While it would have been acceptable if it was a customary practice to allow only one recipient to speak, unfortunately, this was not the case.

Immediately following Guneet Monga's missed opportunity, The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse received the award for Best Animated film, and both British filmmakers, Charlie Mackesy and Peter Baynton, were able to speak on stage. The contrasting aspect was that they were both granted the chance to address the audience. Guneet, who was eagerly anticipating her speech and had her cell phone at the ready, was forced to exit the stage as soon as Kartiki concluded her speech, with the music signaling the end of their time. Both women had to depart from the stage.

Why Ram Charan and NTR Jr did not perform the song on Oscar stage ?

Raj Kapoor, the producer of the Naatu Naatu dance at the Oscars stage, stated that Ram Charan and Jr NTR were asked to perform but declined due to insufficient time to practice the choreography. He explained, "In the final days of February, we were informed of Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr.'s attendance at the Oscars, but they were not inclined to do the live performance on stage. This was due to their prior professional obligations and the limited rehearsal time available."

The RRR film's song was practiced for two months and recorded over a 15-day period, whereas the Oscars performance was prepared in Los Angeles with skilled dancers, with 18 hours of rehearsal and a 90-minute shooting session.

TIMES NOW mixes RRR Actor for whistleblower Edward Snowden and  uses his picture in the interview with the actor who was part of the song in the film. 

A video shared by journalist Mohammed Zubair on Twitter depicts Times Now conducting an interview regarding RRR's Oscars victory with the film's actor, Edward Sonnenblic and used the image of Edward Snowden, the former computer intelligence consultant who gained notoriety for disclosing extremely sensitive data from the NSA in 2013 .

Men behind Oscar winning song tells all

Tamil version lyric writer on Keeravani preference of songs

 At the 95th Academy Awards, RRR's Naatu Naatu won the award for Best Original Song. MM Keeravaani, the music composer, accepted the award alongside Chandrabose, who wrote the lyrics for the Telugu version, while the Tamil version's lyrics, titled Naatu Koothu, were penned by Madhan Karky. Madhan expressed his excitement about the historic win, stating that the song was much more than just a song. He praised director Rajamouli's ability to incorporate various elements of a film within the song, such as conflict, oppression, friendship, romance, and sacrifice. Madhan credited SS Rajamouli and Vijayendra Prasad for conceptualizing the song and acknowledged Keeravaani's efforts in composing the music, despite his preference for melodies over peppy numbers. He also praised Chandrabose's raw and rustic lyrics, Prem's choreography, and Ram Charan and Jr NTR's high-spirited dancing for contributing to the song's success. Madhan concluded by expressing his happiness about the achievement.

Keeravani and The Carpenters reference in acceptance speech

In an unusual twist, numerous media organizations misinterpreted Keeravani's speech and confused his reference to The Carpenters with actual professional carpenters. Some even published headlines such as 'Keeravani's musical inspiration came from carpenters'. This has resulted in severe backlash on social media, with many calling for the media to exercise greater responsibility.

The acceptance speeches of Oscar winners often attract a lot of attention, ranging from emotional to awkward. In 2009, AR Rahman made history as the first Indian composer to win an Oscar, and he ended his speech with the famous Tamil phrase, "Ella Pugazhum Iraivanukke," which means "All perfect praise belongs to God alone." It was a moment of pride for Indians worldwide, as Rahman chose to speak in his mother tongue on such a prestigious international stage.

Recently, when the song "Naatu Naatu" from the Indian production RRR won the Best Original Song award, all eyes and ears were on composer MM Keeravani's speech. The veteran musician gave his own version of "Top of the World," a classic by the American band The Carpenters, saying, "I grew up listening to The Carpenters, and now here I am with the Oscars," before playfully starting to sing.

Yazin who sung the Tamil and Malayalam version talks about the win

Yazin Nizar, the singer for the Tamil and Malayalam renditions of the song, is overjoyed by the historic victory. He expressed, "I am thrilled for Keeravani sir. He has dedicated so many decades to his craft, and it is truly satisfying to witness him receive recognition on the esteemed platform of the Oscars."

Although almost two years have passed, Yazin vividly recalls the recording sessions and the guidance he received from director SS Rajamouli. "During the recording of 'Naatu Koothu', the Tamil rendition of 'Naatu Naatu', Rajamouli sir was present. At first, when I sang, there was a bit of a rough feel to it. He approached me and advised me to sing with more power. I understood the reason behind his meticulousness when I saw the stunning energy in the visuals. That's one thing about these professionals, they consistently exceed our expectations," says Yazin, who previously collaborated with the same team on the Malayalam version of Baahubali 2.

Rahul Sipligunj, who recently performed the Oscar award-winning Naatu Naatu at the Academy Awards ceremony, met  global pop star Rihanna.The single "Lift Me Up" by Rihanna, from the movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, received a nomination in the Best Original Song category. During the awards ceremony held on Sunday night, Rihanna also performed her song.

Rahul expressed his excitement on social media after meeting the Barbadian singer, stating, "I am in awe after meeting an amazing lady with a beautiful heart. Rihanna, your humbleness and down-to-earth personality left me in shock! Thank you for your call and appreciation for our performance and our Oscar win. It's an emotional moment for me, a dream come true."

Apart from his singing career, Rahul Sipligunj is all set to make his acting debut in Krishna Vamsi's upcoming movie, Rangamarthanda, where he will be appearing alongside Shivatmika Rajashekar. Rangamarthanda is the official Telugu remake of the Marathi movie Natsamrat (2016) and features Brahmanandam, Prakash Raj, and Ramya Krishnan in pivotal roles.

RRR review : Watch it on 3D for mind blowing experience

 RRR is a mind blowing theatre experience and especially if it is in a  3D projection. The technical wizard  just makes you sit dumb founded and watch all the nonsense that goes on on screen withot squirming in your seats. No doubt Ram Charan and Jr NTR have contributed their best but it is in terms of physically prowres  and less on the  acting part. In fact when where the acting quotient is called for, the actors resort  to a theatrical style ( Maybe SSR wanted it that way).

One line plot is an adivasi kid gets forcibly adopted by a wife of a British army General. Now Ram Charan a British army guy is told to stop Jr NTR a jungle outlaw out to get the child back. The introduction sequences  of Ram Charan and Jr NTR are very hilarious if it is narrated but if you see it on screen, it is pulsating. That is Rajamouli magic. So is so many such scenes.

History wise, in 20's these two characters who fought the British lived but they never collaborated together and here the writer has done a smooth job. Secondly,  is there a politics in RRR ? Ram and Bhim should fight together is a message that I get and is SSR saying a Dravidian- Aryan unity is needed  ?.

I kept laughing remembering those media reports that if RRR clashed with Ali Bhatt 's Gangubhai or Ajay Devgan Maidan  would be bad for the latter as these actors have a major role in RRR. Alia and Ajay are glorified junior artistes in RRR. Sabu Cyril production design gets real worth  in hands of Rajamouli.

Most of the English dialogues in Tamil version did not have a dubbing and I could not understand and specially a sequence related to a bomb. Suddenly the Tamil dubbing pops up and in some places you get subtitles. One song- dance sequence with both lead actors was a treat to watch.  A trimming in second part can quicken the pace.

RRR postponement fall out - Will Valimai fill the vacuum ?

 

RRR postponement  news has created  many repercussions in the trade especially in South India.  In USA, thousands of tickets sold has to be refunded. Producers of Telugu films who shifted their releases due to request from RRR producer and director feel that they were left and high and dry and are now scrambling to fill the vacuum. All eyes are on Madurai Anbu as to whether he would advance the release date and fill it with Valimai on Jan 7th.

Close to Rs 20 crores was spent on promotions in all South States and Mumbai. This is a washout. Distributors who bought the film in the South are unhappy as the decision was taken after listening to North distributor Gada. They feel that with 50% occupancy they could have recovered the money within a week ( Jan 7- Jan 13) after which Ajith's Valimai is released. In TamilNadu there is no strict compliance of 50 % slab in single screens a majority in the State.

AP Government allowed theaters that were closed to reopen with certain riders. Telangana had permitted hike in ticket rates. Producers of Telugu films Bheemla Nayak to F3 and Sarkaru Vaari Paata which has only AP./ TS markets  as primary source of income feel that they should not have backed out. Now efforts are on to see if any one of these can come on Jan 7. Two of these films have pending work and did not complete it as release was postponed. If none of these comes, Bangarraju of Nagarjuna- Nag Chaitanya is ready to hit the theaters. It would be a big let down for Telugu film trade this Sankaranthi.. No news has come from radhe Shyam producers yet. It is to open in South and North markets on Jan 14th.

Due to massive expectation for RRR in USA markets, other regions with Indian population , ticket sales has touched $3 million and still is going on. Two type of prints for USA was planned.- one the usual Dolby version and another for select theaters using  a different equipment to screen. Sarigama Cinemas and Raftar Creations are releasing the movie in the United States. The bookings in the United States will begin from December 17th, three weeks before the release of the film. They had booked the advertising space at the famous Times Square in New York City from December 17th to 23rd to extensively promote the film. This is the first time a Telugu movie was advertised at the Times Square for so long. US distributors might have to refund close to Rs 10 crores, says a distributor.

Will Valimai / Radhe Shyam release date be changed after RRR locks January 7th 2022

S S Rajamouli by announcing January 7 as the release date taken the fight in the South directly into the camp of Boney Kapoor production Valimai . In Bollywood, a piquant situation has been created by which heroine centric Gangubai Kathiawadi  which has Alia Bhatt is releasing just a day head of RRR in which she plays Sita. Ajay Devgn who acts in Gangubhai is also playing a pivotal role in RRR.  Pen Studios Gada is the distributor of both films. Will Gada shift Gangubhai ? Will Tamil Nadu distributor Anbu advance release to Christmas? Will Prabhas Radhe Shyam change release date of January 14 ?. Rajamouli is putting his Bahubali track record to pitch his film against star power of Ajith and Prabhas ( in case the two do not withdraw) in Tamil Nadu - Andhra - Telangana. It is seen as a major gamble but to many it shows the confidence that the maker has on his product.

In trade circles , RRR is  the hot favourite . It would the first preference on a National and global  level as Indians would give first priority to RRR,since it comes from Babhubali director SSR and a top notch technical quality that would make it a theater viewing a thrilling experience. Theaters in Tamil Nadu would give half the amount of screens to RRR.   Dent in theater collection at Tamil Nadu box office would give ZEE who bought the film  a big setback. Even  Anbu of Gopuram films who is the distributor  will not ride over the exhibitors demand for RRR.

Valimai's Andhra/ TS markets and North India markets would be nil and even overseas it would take a hit. Will Anbu- Zee look to jump the Valimai release date from Pongal to Christmas ?