Suyog Dhawas

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, May 28 - Aamir Khan's production venture Laapataa Ladies has become the most-watched Indian film of 2024 on Netflix by beating Hrithik Roshan's Fighter.## Directed by Kiran Rao, Laapataa Rao added another 1.9 million views in its fifth week (May 20 - May 26) which took its total viewership to 15.7 million views in 31 days to become the most-watched Indian title of 2024 on Netflix after beating Fighter (14 million views). ## Meanwhile, Ajay Devgn-fronted Shaitaan has also crossed Fighter and is now the second most-watched Indian movie of the year. The horror thriller added 1.8 million views in its 4th week to push its total viewership to 14.8 million in 24 days. ## Interestingly, the top 5 most-watched Indian films of 2024 on Netflix were first released in theatres before going to the streamer. Ranbir Kapoor-fronted Animal is at number 4 with 13.6 million views while Shah Rukh Khan's Dunki is fifth with 10.8 million views. (data as of May 26). ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK TEAM

Hyderabad, May 28 - Veteran Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi is currently shooting for director Mallidi Vassishta's socio-fantasy film, Vishwambhara, which has been announced for Sankranthi 2025 release. The shoot for the same is expected to be wrapped up by July/August. ## Earlier this year, it was reported that Chiranjeevi would be reuniting with director Mohan Raja after 2022's Godfather. Now, the latest Telugu media reports have confirmed that the project has been locked and the story discussion for the movie happening at Coorg.## Tentatively titled Mega 157, the movie with Mohan Raja will be Chiranjeevi's immediate next after Vishwambhara and the pre-production for the same will kick start soon. Unlike Godfather, which was the remake of the Malayalam movie Lucifer, Mega 157 is said to be a straight movie. ## Mohan Raja, meanwhile, also has the sequel to his blockbuster Thani Oruvan (2015). Jayam Ravi is expected to reprise his role with Nayanthara from the first movie. The shooting details regarding Thani Oruvan 2 are yet to be known. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK TEAM

Mumbai, May 28 - The multiplex chains across the country will celebrate Cinema Lovers Day on May 31st on which the ticket prices will be kept at just Rs. 99/ticket. The first edition of Cinema Lovers Day took place in September 2022 when ticket prices were kept at just Rs. 75, followed by the next edition in September 2023, and February 2024. ## Cinema Lovers Day has massively benefitted movies by attracting footfalls in large numbers. Earlier this year, Yami Gautam-fronted Article 370 benefitted from this. The upcoming, Mr and Mrs Mahi, starring Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor, is expected to get a boost due to the reduced ticket prices. ## Mr & Mrs Mahi is scheduled to be released on May 31st and the ticket prices will be sold at just Rs. 99/ticket on its opening day. Apart from the Mr and Mrs Mahi, the other films to be released on the day are Savi and Chhota Bheem And The Curse Of Damyaan. ## Earlier, Cinema Lovers Day was supposed to be celebrated on April 19 but was postponed due to the general election. The final phase of the election will take place on June 1st but theatre chains have decided to bring this discounted day to woo the audiences. ## Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Srinagar, May 28 - Maverick Bollywood filmmaker Rohit Shetty recently wrapped a major schedule of Ajay Devgn-fronted Singham Again in Srinagar of Jammu and Kashmir. As the makers have completed the J&K schedule of the movie, Shetty has shared a video expressing gratitude to the people of Kashmir.## The 1 minute and 25 seconds long video shows the transformation of J&K, which once was badly affected by terrorism, after the abrogation of Article 370. The video also features footage from the shooting of Singham Again while showing how this region is prospering after Article 370. ## The video has a text which reads, "We always had a paradise in our motherland called Kashmir but once there was terrorism, unrest, curfews, no social life. And then Article 370 got abolished. 5 years later we landed up filming Singham Again. And now the New Kashmir. Happiness. Young energy. Tourism. Peace. Love. Naye Bharat ka naya Kashmir".## View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rohit Shetty (@itsrohitshetty) ## Talking about Singham Again, it is the third instalment of the blockbuster franchise and 5th movie in Shetty's cop universe which also includes Akshay Kumar's Sooryavanshi and Ranveer Singh's Simmba. The upcoming movie stars Ajay Devgn in the title role alongside Akshay, Ranveer, Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Arjun Kapoor, and Tiger Shroff. ## Singham 3 is expected to release on Diwali this year. ## Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Kochi, May 28 - Malayalam star Fahadh Faasil's action comedy Aavesham has emerged as a box office blockbuster but it will miss the coveted 100 crores gross, which once looked like a sure shot, in India due to the premature digital release. ## Directed by Jithu Madhavan, Aavesham was well on track to hit 100 crores gross collection domestically till 4th week. When things were looking all good, the movie was made available to stream online which had a drastic effect on its box office as the collection dropped by over 80% in the 5th week and it couldn't recover since then. ## In its 6th week, the movie minted just 37 lakhs gross, followed by 5 lakhs in the 7th weekend as a total domestic collection after 46 days is approximately 98.75 crores gross and it will finish around 99 crores in India. It could have become the second Malayalam movie of 2024 and 4th overall to top 100 crores gross domestically but this is not the case anymore. ## Nonetheless, despite missing out on the major milestone, Aavesham is one of the biggest Malayalam blockbusters of all time. It has grossed approximately 155 crores at the worldwide box office and is currently the 4th highest-grossing Mollywood title ever after Manjummel Boys, 2018, and Aadujeevitham.## Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, May 27 - Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's action drama Sikandar is one of the most anticipated films in the making. It marks Salman's maiden collaboration with director AR Murugadoss and this combination is making everyone excited.## Sajid Naidadwala is producing the film under his banner Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment and the makers recently confirmed that national crush Rashmika Mandanna would be playing the female lead opposite Salman in the movie. Now, the makers have roped in a popular South Indian actor to play the main antagonist. ## According to a recent interview, journalist turned producer Chithra Laksmanan said that actor Sathyaraj, who played the iconic role of Kattapa in the epic blockbuster Baahubali, will be playing the role of the main villain. ## Meanwhile, the shoot of Sikandar will kick start in June this year and it will be shot in multiple locations in Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Europe. The movie will be released on Eid 2025, marking the return of Salman Khan to this particular festival after missing out in 2024.## Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, May 27 - Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures' post-apocalyptic action adventure film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga has had a soft opening weekend at the worldwide box office, despite the glowing critics reviews and positive audience reception. ## The $160 million budgeted epic was expected to have a winning start but it only managed to score $59 million (490 crores) worldwide, including $25.6 million (212 crores) in North America and (278 crores) at the overseas box office. The weekend collection came lower than the conservative projection. ## South Korea was the biggest overseas market for Furiosa with $4.5 million, followed by France ($2.6 million), the UK ($2.5 million), Mexico ($2.4 million), and Australia ($2.2 million). In India, the movie has an average opening of approximately 11 crores ($1.32 million) over the 4-day weekend.## India's was the 7th biggest overseas market of the movie despite the soft opening. The scorching summer heat has had a major impact on the footfalls in cinemas. The movie still had a bigger opening than the original Fury Road (2015) in India and is likely to outgross its lifetime collection (15 crores) in the coming days.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK TEAM

Mumbai, May 27 - Bollywood star Ajay Devgn's hands are full at the moment with several films and he is reportedly in the process of locking one more film with director Jagan Shakti who made his directorial debut in 2019 with Akshay Kumar's Mission Mangal.## According to the report by Pinkvilla, Ajay Devgn is discussing a probable collaboration with Jagan Shakti and the duo have met multiple times over the last few months for the same. It is said that Ajay is excited by the idea pitched to him by Jagan Shakti and is looking forward to the collaboration.## The report further reveals that the movie in question could go on floors by early next year if everything goes as planned. Ajay Devgn will produce it under his banner Devgn Films.## Ajay, meanwhile, has had two releases so far this year, with one emerging as a big box office success (Shaitaan) and the other one bombing (Maidaan) despite positive critics' reviews. The next for the actor has, is a romantic thriller, Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha, scheduled to hit screens in July. ## Apart from the aforementioned films, the Drishyam star is on the verge of calling it a wrap on the Rohit Shetty-directed Cop Universe film, Singham Again, and will soon start shooting for De De Pyaar De 2 and Son of Sardar 2 in June 2024. He also has Raid 2, scheduled to release by the end of this year of early 2025.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK TEAM

Mumbai, May 27 - Karan Johar's Dharma Productions has teamed up with Zee Studios and Cloud 9 Pictures to announce the sequel of 2018's romantic thriller Dhadak. Directed by Shazia Iqbal in her directorial debut, Dhadak stars Siddhant Chaturvedi and Tripti Dimri in the leading roles. ## The official announcement of the movie was made on May 27 with a video which shows that Dhadak 2 is a story about a boy and a girl who fall in love but due to the difference their cast, they have to fight the society to love together. ## The makers have also confirmed that Dhadak 2 will be hitting theaters on November 22, 2024. ## कैसे मिलेंगे - आग और पानी? Presenting Dhadak 2 starring Siddhant Chaturvedi & Triptii Dimri. Directed by Shazia Iqbal.#Dhadak2 in cinemas 22nd November 2024.#KaranJohar #UmeshKrBansal @apoorvamehta18 @MeenuAroraa @somenmishra0 @SiddyChats @tripti_dimri23 #ShaziaIqbal… pic.twitter.com/qPSgTtxLmX— Dharma Productions (@DharmaMovies) May 27, 2024 ## Intrestingly, the news about Dhadak 2 with Siddhant Chaturvedi and Tripti Dimri was first reported in April 2023, however, the makers denied the reports saying no such project was in production at that stage before it officially announced today. An A-list actor will reportedly play the role of a villain. ## The first Dhadak movie was released in 2018 and it marked Bollywood debut of actress Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khattar. Directed by Shashank Khaitan, it was a remake of the 2016 Marathi language film Sairat and was a box office hit with the worldwide gross collection of over 110 crores. ## Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Kochi, May 26 - Megastar Mammootty's Turbo has a fantastic opening weekend at the domestic and worldwide box office. Directed by Vysakh, the action comedy scored the second-biggest opening weekend for a Malayalam title in 2024, behind Prithviraj Sukumaran's Aadujeevitham. ## Turbo scored an estimated 5+ crores gross collection on its first Sunday which takes its total 4-day weekend to approximately 21.25 crores gross. Aadujeevitham grossed approximately 35 crores in its 4-day weekend and is currently the biggest Malayalam opener of the year. ## The Mammootty-starrer also has an excellent weekend at the Kerala box office with approximately 18 crores gross, including an estimated 4.25 crores on Sunday. The movie had a wide release in the state and has done well over the weekend. ## Overseas, the movie grossed approximately 23.60 crores, pushing the worldwide collection to approximately 44.80 crores after the opening weekend and it will be topping 50 crores gross by tomorrow or the day after. It will be the second film of megastar Mammootty to top 50 crores worldwide gross in 2024, after the horror thriller Brahmayugam. ## Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Hyderabad, May 26 - The second part of last year's box office hit Salaar starring Pan India superstar Prabhas has been the talk of the town for various reasons. There have been positive and negative rumours around it which is making fans curious to know the exact status of it. ## Recently, a report emerged that the filming of Salaar 2 would kick off by the end of May 2024 but a few days later, it was reported that the movie has been shelved due to creative differences and is no longer in the making. Now, the Salaar team has seemingly responded to the rumours. ## The official X handle of Salaar shared a picture in which Prabhas and director Prashanth Neel can be seen having a laugh as the caption of the post reads, "They can't stop laughing". The post is being interpreted as a direct dig at the rumours, mostly on the rumours of the cancellation of the second part. ## It is to be noted that the makers officially confirmed on a couple of occasions in the past that Salaar 2 would kick start in 2024 and have a grand release in 2025. Recently, actor Prithviraj Sukumaran, who is an integral part of the film, also hinted at a major crossover in Salaar 2. ## They can't stop laughing 😁 #Prabhas #PrashanthNeel#Salaar pic.twitter.com/FW6RR2Y6Vx— Salaar (@SalaarTheSaga) May 26, 2024 ## Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Kochi, May 25 - The Malayalam film industry is reaching new heights in 2024 and for the very first time in its history, Malayalam movies have topped 1000 crores gross collection at the worldwide box office in a single year. ## The total worldwide collection of 2024 Malayalam movies is approximately 1030 crores gross, including 660 crores gross in India and 370 crores overseas, as of May 24. Domestically, Mollywood has contributed approximately 20% of the total collection this year, behind Hindi (40%) and Telugu (23%). ## The real-life inspired survival thriller Manjummel Boys has been the highest-grossing Malayalam film of 2024 with a worldwide collection of 241 crores, including 167.50 crores gross in India and 73.50 crores overseas. It is also the highest-grossing Mollywood title of all time. ## Among the other major contributors, Prithviraj Sukumaran's Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life and Fahadh Faasil-fronted Aavesham at the second and third position with 157.50 crores gross and 153.50 crores gross worldwide, respectively. Romantic-comedy Premalu is the 4th biggest with 131.50 crores worldwide collection. ## Mollywood had a slow start to the year with the disappointing outcome of a big-budget entertainer Malaikottai Vaaliban along with a couple of other anticipated films. However, once it got its first blockbuster of 2024 in the form of Manjummel Boys in February, there was no looking back since then. ## Stay tuned...