INDIAN ODYSSEY
ARIJIT SINGH overtaking global superstar Taylor Swift as the most followed artist on Spotify shows just how big the Indian music market is. This has not gone unnoticed by British singer Ed Sheeran, who seems intent on connecting with south Asian fans. He followed up his shows in India and time spent with famous actors there by making surprise appearances at UK concerts headlined by Arijit Singh and, more recently, Diljit Dosanjh.
TIGER TANKS
Tiger ShroffTIGER SHROFF will try to break out of his current career crisis, which has included mega-budget failures and projects getting cancelled, by working on Baaghi 4. This is another huge mistake from a clueless action hero, who has shown time and again that he can’t pick a good story. The previous three Baaghi films had awful storylines and were overhyped, suggesting things may only get worse for him.
INDIA CONTINUES OSCAR STUPIDITY
Laapata LadiesTHE Film Federation of India (FFI) demonstrates how utterly clueless it is as an organisation every year. They have done it again by selecting Laapataa Ladies as India’s official entry for the 97th Academy Awards. Apart from doing average box office business and receiving mixed reviews, the story of missing brides was chosen over much better films. The clear choice should have been All We Imagine As Light, which won a prestigious award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and will screen at this month’s London Film Festival. It already has the awards and a huge global profile, including among non-Asian audiences, and should have been the selection. As in previous years, the FFI has shown its ineptitude.
PERFECT PATHAK SHINES AT SHOWS
Falguni PathakTHERE have been many concerts in the UK this year headlined by international stars, including sold-out arena shows with superstars. The recent shows with Falguni Pathak should rank among the best due to their uniqueness. While other singers returned to the UK with the same old commercial hits, Pathak’s musically rich show mixed spirituality, celebration, and great songs. She connected deeply with grassroots culture in a way no other commercial singer has this year. Audiences had the option to sit or head to a packed dancefloor. It’s a wonder why she hasn’t performed in the UK for so long. Brijesh Chachapura from Yati Events should be commended for bringing such a top talent, who is also culturally significant.
Hopefully, there won’t be a long gap before the undisputed queen of dandiya delights British audiences again.
HINDI HORROR SEASON
Bhoot BanglaBOLLYWOOD producers love jumping on bandwagons, with comedy-horror being the latest trend. Stree 2 breaking records and Munjya becoming the year’s biggest sleeper hit has led to producers and stars chasing after comedy-horror projects. It was recently announced that Akshay Kumar will headline Bhoot Bangla, and more such announcements are expected to follow. With the soon-tobe-released film Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 predicted to be a huge hit, the rush to make comedy-horror films in Bollywood will likely intensify.
HUGE DEBUT DISASTER
Dhvani BhanushaliDHVANI BHANUSHALI became the youngest singer to cross a billion YouTube views with a song and followed it up with a series of blockbuster hits. Although it was a smart move for the 27-year-old to transition into acting, the Bollywood project she chose to make her debut has turned out to be an absolute disaster. The potentially career-killing Kahan Shuru Kahan Khatam has failed so badly that she is unlikely to star in another film. A large part of the blame lies with her father, Vinod Bhanushali, who produced the dud romantic comedy.
HIMESH KEEPS BEING HOPLESS
Badass Ravi KumarONE thing that the October 11 Bollywood releases Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video and Jigra won’t have to worry about is the dreadful-looking film Badass Ravi Kumar, which is scheduled to be released on the same day. Singerturned-actor Himesh Reshammiya continues his 17-year quest for onscreen stardom with yet another stinker, which, like his previous films, is not generating any interest and may not even be released in cinemas.
ACTOR ADDS TO FLOPS
BEFORE the release of the Bollywood film Yudhra, I had predicted it would be a huge box office disaster due to lead star Siddhant Chaturvedi, and that is exactly what happened. This awful action movie did even worse than I had imagined and once again confirmed that the actor is simply not hero material or popular with audiences. Producers are still foolish enough to sign him for more films, but they will face a rude awakening when those are released. The flop star will next appear in Dhadak 2, due in cinemas on November 22, and it is also likely to be another failure.
VIR’S STYLISH MOVE
Vir DasVIR DAS will become the first Indian to host the International Emmy Awards on November 25. One interesting aspect to look out for is what the popular standup comedian will wear. He has chosen to forgo a big fashion brand and instead asked a budding label, upcoming designer, or student to create his outfit for this history-making appearance. The multi-talented star has invited anyone interest[1]ed to pitch an Indian or Indo-western fusion outfit, which he will pay for and promote. This is an amazing initiative, and other celebrities on the red carpet should follow his lead.
Migrants in a dinghy crossing the English Channel
Sunder Katwala
