Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Kannada hit KGF: Chapter 2 drops a bomb on Bollywood

Kannada hit KGF: Chapter 2 drops a bomb on Bollywood

DIRECTOR Ram Gopal Varma summed up the success of April’s big blockbuster release KGF: Chapter 2 perfectly when he said that it isn’t just a gangster epic, but a horror film for Bollywood, which would give the Hindi industry nightmares about its success for years to come.

He further added that it is a nuclear bomb thrown on Bollywood from the regional language Kannada industry and proof that if big money is spent on a film, instead of star renumerations then major hits will come. It is difficult to disagree with and a damningly true indictment for a Hindi cinema industry that now seems to be getting humiliated on an alarmingly regular basis with films that have very little substance.


Kannada language action-drama KGF: Chapter 2 has been such a huge success that it clocked up a higher box office in its opening weekend than Bollywood’s big four April releases Attack: Part 1, Jersey, Heropanti 2 and Runway 34 will likely collectively do in their lifetime. In fact, it will do more individual business than all the commercial Bollywood films released so far in 2022, will collectively do. What is even more embarrassing is that just the Hindi dubbed version will do bigger business than most frontline Bollywood films released this year, despite them specialising in the language.

The overall collection of KGF: Chapter 2 in all languages will eclipse nearly every Bollywood movie in history.

This follows a similar story to what blockbuster hit RRR did in March, where it outperformed nearly every Bollywood film ever released, including the Hindi dubbed version doing high business individually. It could have got even worse this week, but producers of Telugu language film Acharya chose not to release a Hindi dubbed version to compete against Bollywood’s big Eid releases Heropanti 2 and Runway 34. Had the action-drama starring superstar father-son duo Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan been released in Hindi, it would have heaped further pressure on a fast-crumbling Bollywood.

The success of these regional language films hasn’t just exposed the fact that audiences have turned their backs on Bollywood in an alarmingly big way, but also the fakery the industry has relied on so heavily.

It has shattered Bollywood’s excuse of the pandemic affecting business. It’s also showing that all these big Bollywood names claiming to having tens of millions of social media followers and YouTube views for their trailers are somewhere being dishonest because it isn’t being backed up with any kind of audiences in cinemas. The success of regional language films and spectacular failure of Hindi cinema also shows that nearly all frontline Bollywood stars are massively overpaid because their so-called stardom isn’t giving producers a return on their heavy investments.

In past decades when Bollywood struggled, a brand-new superstar would emerge to save the day like Dilip Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Sridevi, or Shah Rukh Khan, but a cancerous nepotism practice means there has been no new hopes emerging. Instead, audiences are now finding out about regional language heavyweights like Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Prabhas and Yash, which is bad news for Bollywood flop stars who have gotten away with sub-standard projects for far too long. Bollywood now just doesn’t need new stars or better storylines, but it also needs to significantly clean up its image.

Many have gone online to say they no longer like Bollywood because so many films have become smutty, and they can’t watch with their parents like in the past. Others don’t think it is relatable anymore and many have been put off by recent scandals like allegations of wide drug use.

The only original film in the next two years that could bring some glory back is record-breaking director Rajkumar Hirani’s next film Dunki with Shah Rukh Khan, but that won’t release until December 22, 2023. Until then Bollywood will face more pain at the box office, humiliation at the hands of regional language releases and keep dumping bad films on streaming sites because they will fail at the box office. Certain actors will carry on taking big money to do a huge number of films until they get fully found out as flops.

Ram Gopal Varma was right with his analogy of a bomb being thrown on Bollywood, but the industry doesn’t seem to have a credible plan to fight back. It just seems to have overpaid stars with big egos and out of touch filmmakers, who have lost their connections with audiences. The crisis hit industry really has hit rock bottom.

More For You

Glowborne

Each character in the set has been carefully designed to reflect cultural narratives

Glowborne

Anika Chowdhury reimagines chess with Glowborne, reviving its South Asian and East African origins

Highlights:

  • British-Bangladeshi prop maker Anika Chowdhury has designed a handcrafted glow-in-the-dark chess set celebrating heritage and identity.
  • The limited-edition set, called Glowborne, launches on Kickstarter in October.
  • Each piece draws from South Asian, Middle Eastern, and African cultural references, re-rooting chess in its origins.
  • The project blends art, storytelling, and representation, aiming to spark conversations about identity in play.

Reimagining chess through heritage

When Anika Chowdhury sat down to sculpt her first chess piece, she had a bigger vision than simply redesigning a classic game. A British-Bangladeshi prop maker working in the film industry, she grew up loving fantasy and games but rarely saw faces like hers in Western storytelling.

“Chess originated in India, travelled through Arabia and North Africa, and was later Westernised,” she explains. “I wanted to bring those forgotten origins back to the board.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Piranhas’ police box

The piece was originally one of nine works that appeared across London in August 2024

Getty Images

Banksy’s ‘Piranhas’ police box heads to London Museum

Highlights:

  • Banksy’s ‘Piranhas’ artwork, painted on a police sentry box, is being stored ahead of display at London Museum.
  • The piece was originally one of nine works that appeared across London in August 2024.
  • It will form part of the museum’s new Smithfield site, opening in 2026.
  • The City of London Corporation donated the artwork as part of its £222m museum relocation project.

Banksy’s police box artwork in storage

A Banksy artwork known as Piranhas has been placed in storage ahead of its future display at the London Museum’s new Smithfield site, scheduled to open in 2026. The piece features spray-painted piranha fish covering the windows of a police sentry box, giving the illusion of an aquarium.

From Ludgate Hill to Guildhall Yard

The police box, which had stood at Ludgate Hill since the 1990s, was swiftly removed by the City of London Corporation after Banksy confirmed authorship. It was initially displayed at Guildhall Yard, where visitors could view it from behind safety barriers. The Corporation has since voted to donate the piece to the London Museum.

Keep ReadingShow less
DDLJ director Aditya Chopra earns UK Stage Debut Awards nod for 'Come Fall in Love'

Aditya Chopra (right) with his father, Yash Chopra

YRF

DDLJ director Aditya Chopra earns UK Stage Debut Awards nod for 'Come Fall in Love'

BOLLYWOOD filmmaker Aditya Chopra was last Thursday (21) named among the nominees of the UK Stage Debut Awards for his Come Fall in LoveThe DDLJ Musical, performed at Manchester’s Opera House earlier this year.

Chopra delivered a blockbuster in 1995 with Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, popular as DDLJ, with Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan in the lead roles. It was adapted to a theatrical production and had its UK premiere in May.

Keep ReadingShow less
viral qawwali group UK tour

The group have introduced fresh orchestral elements and added instruments to expand their live sound

Qawwal Group

Shahbaz Fayyaz Qawwal Group brings viral energy and rich heritage to UK tour

Highlights:

  • The Shahbaz Fayyaz Qawwal Group return to the UK with a nationwide tour after viral success online.
  • The ensemble of brothers blend centuries-old qawwali traditions with fresh improvisations that connect with young audiences.
  • From Pakistan to the USA and UK, their performances have won acclaim for their electrifying energy and spiritual depth.
  • Fans can expect new instruments, reimagined classics, and the same message of love and harmony at this year’s shows.

From viral sensation to global stages

When a performance goes viral, it can change an artist’s career overnight. For the Shahbaz Fayyaz Qawwal Group, their stirring renditions of Bhar Do Jholi and B Kafara propelled them from local fame in Pakistan to global recognition, amassing millions of views across platforms. What set them apart was not just the power of their voices, but the way their music resonated with younger listeners who were hearing qawwali with fresh ears.

That viral momentum soon carried them beyond borders, leading to major performances in the United States and the UK. “It wasn’t just one track,” the group explained. “We revived older gems like Kali Kali Zulfon and Dil Pukare Aaja in our own style, and those went viral again, showing that qawwali still speaks across generations.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Annie Jagannadham

Born in 1864 in Visakhapatnam, Annie began medical studies at Madras Medical College, one of the few institutions in India then open to women.

Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

How Dr Annie Jagannadham broke barriers in medicine

DR ANNIE WARDLAW JAGANNADHAM was the first Indian woman to gain a medical degree at a British university and have her name added to the UK medical register in 1890.

Her story has been revisited by the General Medical Council (GMC) as part of South Asian Heritage Month. Tista Chakravarty-Gannon, from the GMC Outreach team, explored her life with support from GMC archivist Courtney Brucato.

Keep ReadingShow less