Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Director Siddharth Anand on Pathaan being called a ‘pale imitation of Hollywood’: ‘That’s inevitable when you make a film that’s beyond the conventions of Bollywood films’

Anand is presently busy with his next project Fighter, which stars Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, and Anil Kapoor in lead roles.

Director Siddharth Anand on Pathaan being called a ‘pale imitation of Hollywood’: ‘That’s inevitable when you make a film that’s beyond the conventions of Bollywood films’

Starring superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and John Abraham in lead roles, filmmaker Siddharth Anand’s latest directorial Pathaan (2022) has set the global box office on fire with its collections. Fans are euphoric to see SRK on the silver screen after a long gap of four years.

While millions of fans are busy enjoying the film in cinemas in huge numbers, there are some who are busy comparing Pathaan to a slew of Hollywood franchises such as James Bond, Mission Impossible, Fast and Furious, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.


Filmmaker Siddharth Anand has finally broken his silence and reacted to those comparing it to Hollywood movies. Terming the comparisons ‘inevitable’ as Pathaan was not a conventional Bollywood film, the filmmaker told Gulf News, “That’s inevitable when you make a film that’s beyond the conventions of Bollywood films. You’re instantly compared to Hollywood, which obviously has better infrastructure, better technology, and huger budgets.”

He further added, “It will always seem like we are trying to imitate that, but our limitations are much more. We also have ambitions, our directors have the ability to mount films, but we are limited by reach because our films are made in one language, which is Hindi. Our revenues are directly proportional to the budgets we can afford.”

Anand continued, “I have to admit, I have not watched more than two MCU films. I am not a fan of that genre. I have seen a couple of them. My son is a huge fan, and he is an Encyclopedia. He briefs me and keeps me up to date. I have to run my scripts and my sequences past him, and he will say, ‘No, dad, this is in that film. No, you can’t do this, this has already been done.’ I am like, ‘What the hell do I do?’ So, I take ideas from him on how to manoeuvre things around. I think I should get on the bandwagon and start watching those films so that there is no overlap.”

Meanwhile, Siddharth Anand is presently busy with his next project Fighter, which stars Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, and Anil Kapoor in lead roles. The film is due in theatres in 2024.

Keep visiting this space over and again for more updates and reveals from the world of entertainment.

More For You

Rajamouli Builds Massive Set for SSMB29 as Kenya Shoot Nears

SS Rajamouli recreates Varanasi at Ramoji Film City for a key action sequence in SSMB29

Getty Images

SS Rajamouli builds £4.8 million Varanasi set in Hyderabad as 'SSMB29' prepares for Kenya shoot with Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra Jonas

SS Rajamouli isn’t holding back with SSMB29, his latest big-screen spectacle starring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Prithviraj Sukumaran. The filmmaker, known for his visual scale and attention to detail, has recreated the holy city of Varanasi in Hyderabad’s Ramoji Film City instead of shooting on location. The reason? The chaotic logistics of filming in the spiritual capital of India.

The set, rumoured to cost £4.8 million (₹50 crore), is a massive replica built specifically for a key sequence in the film. Leaked photos from the set have already gone viral online, giving fans a glimpse of the scale Rajamouli is aiming for. Mahesh Babu will be filming an action sequence here, with VFX work enhancing the visuals. In true Rajamouli style, international graphics studios, some of the best from Hollywood, have been roped in to bring the visuals to life.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jason Isaacs

Jason Isaacs confirms equal pay for all actors in The White Lotus

Getty Images

Jason Isaacs confirms equal pay of £32,000 for all 'The White Lotus' actors despite veteran status

Jason Isaacs has revealed that every cast member of The White Lotus Season 3, regardless of experience or fame, earned the same salary: £32,000 (₹33,60,000) per episode. That totals around £256,000 (₹2,68,80,000) for the full eight-episode run. While that figure might seem significant, Isaacs called it “a very low price” for a hit HBO show, but said he had no complaints.

“We would’ve paid to be in it,” Isaacs said in an interview, adding, “We probably would’ve given a body part.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Scarlett Johansson Dazzles in Westwood at Jurassic World Rebirth Premiere

Scarlett Johansson kisses Jonathan Bailey and dazzles in couture at Jurassic World Rebirth premiere

Getty Images

Scarlett Johansson kisses Jonathan Bailey and stuns in Vivienne Westwood at 'Jurassic World Rebirth’ premiere

Scarlett Johansson returned to the spotlight in a dazzling pink gown at the world premiere of Jurassic World Rebirth, held at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London. The event wasn’t just a celebration of the film’s release but also a major red carpet moment for the 39-year-old actress, who has been out of the public eye in recent months.

Wearing a custom Vivienne Westwood corset gown with sequins, Johansson lit up the green carpet with elegance and glamour. Her blush-toned dress featured a sculpted silhouette and soft draping that recalled golden-age Hollywood style, minus the fuss. The styling, handled by her long-time collaborator Kate Young, kept things minimal yet classy, letting the dress do all the talking.

Keep ReadingShow less
The Abyss

James Cameron’s The Abyss pulled from Disney Plus UK after decades-old controversy resurfaces

Instagram/20thcenturystudios

Disney Plus removes James Cameron’s 'The Abyss' in UK over banned rat scene

Nearly four decades after its release, James Cameron’s 1989 sci-fi thriller The Abyss has sparked controversy again, this time on streaming. Disney+ quietly pulled the newly uploaded 4K remaster of the film from its UK platform after complaints resurfaced about a banned scene involving live animal testing.

The specific scene, showing a rat being submerged in oxygenated liquid, has long been a point of contention in the UK. Though the rat reportedly survived the experiment during filming, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) had previously ruled it in breach of the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937. As a result, the sequence was cut from all UK theatrical, television, DVD, and Blu-ray releases. Yet, when Disney+ added the remastered version in April, the uncut version slipped through, triggering backlash from animal welfare groups.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mo Chara Terror Charge Sparks Billboard Protest by Kneecap

Mo Chara is being represented by a prominent legal team

Alamy

Mo Chara of Kneecap faces UK terror charge as band erects billboards in protest

Irish rapper Mo Chara, a member of Belfast-based hip hop group Kneecap, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 17 June 2025, after being charged under the UK’s Terrorism Act 2000. The charge stems from an incident in November 2023, when Mo Chara, whose real name is Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, allegedly displayed a flag associated with Hezbollah during a performance at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London.

Hezbollah is a proscribed organisation under UK law. Under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act, it is an offence to wear, carry or display any article in such a way or in circumstances that may arouse reasonable suspicion of support for a banned group. The offence is punishable by up to six months in prison, a fine, or both.

Keep ReadingShow less