'Ishqiya' elbows out 'Rann' at box office

 

Vishal Bhardwaj has done it again. After the success of "Kaminey", his rustic "Ishqiya" has beaten the Amitabh Bachchan starrer "Rann" at the box office, thanks to its appealing content.

Both movies released Friday and had star-studded red-carpet premieres in the capital Thursday, but "Ishqiya" took the cake with almost 80 percent collections in the opening weekend. "Rann" got only around 30 percent collections.

"'Ishqiya' has got a strong opening in both Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in both multiplexes and single-screens. It has got around 80 percent business over the initial weekend," Yogesh Raizada, corporate head (cinemas) of Wave Cinemas, told IANS.

"The dialogue delivery in the movie is very good and it is a typical masala movie but the drawback is that everyone might not like it because it has its own class. While 'Rann' is gripping but has managed only around 30 percent opening. There has been no initial for this one. It has its own class but no mass appeal," he added.

Delhi-based distributor Joginder Mahajan also echoed the same.

"'Rann' has fared very poorly thanks to its subject. 'Ishqiya' on the other hand has been average vis-a-vis 'Rann'. It is an ordinary affair with local appeal. Though the masses are watching it but the film is not for everyone because some are finding it a bit cheap," said Mahajan.

"Surprisingly, 'Ishqiya' is performing better in multiplexes and not in B and C sectors. We are expecting it to earn an average Rs.2 crore overall in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh," he added.

Distributed in India by Boney and Sridevi Kapoor's film and television entertainment company BSK Network and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, "Ishqiya" has been co-produced by Shemaroo Entertainment and Vishal Bhardwaj.

The directorial debut of Abhishek Chaubey, the movie has actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Vidya Balan and Arshad Warsi.

"Rann" on the other hand has been made at a budget of Rs.30 crore and is primarily about the conflict between business and conscience in the electronic media. It features megastar Amitabh Bachchan along with Riteish Deshmukh, Gul Panag and Paresh Rawal.

Read more HERE. 

'Ishqiya' elbows out 'Rann' at box office

 

Vishal Bhardwaj has done it again. After the success of "Kaminey", his rustic "Ishqiya" has beaten the Amitabh Bachchan starrer "Rann" at the box office, thanks to its appealing content.

Both movies released Friday and had star-studded red-carpet premieres in the capital Thursday, but "Ishqiya" took the cake with almost 80 percent collections in the opening weekend. "Rann" got only around 30 percent collections.

"'Ishqiya' has got a strong opening in both Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in both multiplexes and single-screens. It has got around 80 percent business over the initial weekend," Yogesh Raizada, corporate head (cinemas) of Wave Cinemas, told IANS.

"The dialogue delivery in the movie is very good and it is a typical masala movie but the drawback is that everyone might not like it because it has its own class. While 'Rann' is gripping but has managed only around 30 percent opening. There has been no initial for this one. It has its own class but no mass appeal," he added.

Delhi-based distributor Joginder Mahajan also echoed the same.

"'Rann' has fared very poorly thanks to its subject. 'Ishqiya' on the other hand has been average vis-a-vis 'Rann'. It is an ordinary affair with local appeal. Though the masses are watching it but the film is not for everyone because some are finding it a bit cheap," said Mahajan.

"Surprisingly, 'Ishqiya' is performing better in multiplexes and not in B and C sectors. We are expecting it to earn an average Rs.2 crore overall in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh," he added.

Distributed in India by Boney and Sridevi Kapoor's film and television entertainment company BSK Network and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, "Ishqiya" has been co-produced by Shemaroo Entertainment and Vishal Bhardwaj.

The directorial debut of Abhishek Chaubey, the movie has actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Vidya Balan and Arshad Warsi.

"Rann" on the other hand has been made at a budget of Rs.30 crore and is primarily about the conflict between business and conscience in the electronic media. It features megastar Amitabh Bachchan along with Riteish Deshmukh, Gul Panag and Paresh Rawal.

Read more HERE. 

Rann movie review (Taran Adarsh) 3.5/5

Ramgopal Varma is itching to tell a new story in his movies. You may garland him for his efforts or loathe him if you feel letdown, but you need to hand it to him for picking up stories that defy stereotype.

This time, in RANN, the maverick film-maker does an expose on the games the heavyweights in the media play to further their interests. RGV goes into the newsrooms and also behind it and throws light on the politician-industrialist-media nexus. Also, it's an insider's account of how news channels that are greedy for ratings sensationalize stories to grab eyeballs.

On surface, you don't want to know what goes behind the scenes and how, at times, news are 'created' by vested interests. But RANN scratches the surface and opens a can of worms. RANN also mirrors the fact that just like there are good and bad people in every field, there're some rotten ones in the media too who succumb to temptations and create news to climb the ladder of success.

RANN is a serious film and RGV knows what he's talking this time. It wouldn't be erroneous to state that you recall RGV's SARKAR while watching RANN, even though the two films are as diverse as chalk and cheese. You recall SARKAR because RANN is an equally powerful film that shows a world we've only seen from the exterior.

RANN is for those who enjoy serious cinema. It's more for the intelligentsia, for the thinking viewer. Definitely not for those who seek refuge in frivolous masala capers.

Vijay Harshvardhan Malik [Amitabh Bachchan] is the founder of a private news channel, India 24/7. A hardcore upholder of journalistic ethics, his channel is battling for survival. Jay [Sudeep], his son, looks at his father's news channel purely as a business enterprise that must make profits to justify its existence. He hates that his competition [Mohnish Bahl] is doing better than him.

The story takes a turn when a corrupt politician, Mohan Pandey [Paresh Rawal], decides to use the channel to his advantage by using Vijay's son-in-law Navin [Rajat Kapoor]. Pandey aspires to be the Prime Minister and indulges in a vicious campaign against his political opponent.

Navin is the most insecure man on earth and won't rest till he becomes the number one industrialist in the country. He, in turn, involves his brother-in-law Jay in Pandey's game plan.

Read the entire review HERE

Rann movie review (Taran Adarsh) 3.5/5

Ramgopal Varma is itching to tell a new story in his movies. You may garland him for his efforts or loathe him if you feel letdown, but you need to hand it to him for picking up stories that defy stereotype.

This time, in RANN, the maverick film-maker does an expose on the games the heavyweights in the media play to further their interests. RGV goes into the newsrooms and also behind it and throws light on the politician-industrialist-media nexus. Also, it's an insider's account of how news channels that are greedy for ratings sensationalize stories to grab eyeballs.

On surface, you don't want to know what goes behind the scenes and how, at times, news are 'created' by vested interests. But RANN scratches the surface and opens a can of worms. RANN also mirrors the fact that just like there are good and bad people in every field, there're some rotten ones in the media too who succumb to temptations and create news to climb the ladder of success.

RANN is a serious film and RGV knows what he's talking this time. It wouldn't be erroneous to state that you recall RGV's SARKAR while watching RANN, even though the two films are as diverse as chalk and cheese. You recall SARKAR because RANN is an equally powerful film that shows a world we've only seen from the exterior.

RANN is for those who enjoy serious cinema. It's more for the intelligentsia, for the thinking viewer. Definitely not for those who seek refuge in frivolous masala capers.

Vijay Harshvardhan Malik [Amitabh Bachchan] is the founder of a private news channel, India 24/7. A hardcore upholder of journalistic ethics, his channel is battling for survival. Jay [Sudeep], his son, looks at his father's news channel purely as a business enterprise that must make profits to justify its existence. He hates that his competition [Mohnish Bahl] is doing better than him.

The story takes a turn when a corrupt politician, Mohan Pandey [Paresh Rawal], decides to use the channel to his advantage by using Vijay's son-in-law Navin [Rajat Kapoor]. Pandey aspires to be the Prime Minister and indulges in a vicious campaign against his political opponent.

Navin is the most insecure man on earth and won't rest till he becomes the number one industrialist in the country. He, in turn, involves his brother-in-law Jay in Pandey's game plan.

Read the entire review HERE

Amitabh Bachchan speaks about Rann and Teen Patti

Amitabh Bachchan seems all set to enthrall audiences with his quirky hand-picked roles. We saw a hint of his brilliance in last year's Paa. This year, we might see it in two films -- Ram Gopal Varma's Rann and Leena Yadav's Teen Patti.

The actor tells us what to expect.

Your blog has shown your displeasure with the media quite a few times, and now you're doing a film, Rann, which takes on the media. Don't you think you make use of the same media to promote your films?

I have always maintained that if any news is wrong, then it is. It has never been an effort to show the media in a bad light. Nor am I trying to teach them their responsibilities.

I believe that we get poetic justice in three hours in our Hindi films. In the movies, we make sure we show both the sides and let people decide what they want to take from it.

There is a dialogue in Rann: 'The media is only a business and not the conscience of the society.' Do you believe in this?

Media is the conscience of the society. It is a mirror of the people. It takes a lot of courage to bring out the truth. But does the media compromise on its business? That is what we need to know. And that is what we have shown in this film.

The characters in Rann are fictional. How people react in a given situation is what you will see in the film.

Read more from HERE

Amitabh Bachchan speaks about Rann and Teen Patti

Amitabh Bachchan seems all set to enthrall audiences with his quirky hand-picked roles. We saw a hint of his brilliance in last year's Paa. This year, we might see it in two films -- Ram Gopal Varma's Rann and Leena Yadav's Teen Patti.

The actor tells us what to expect.

Your blog has shown your displeasure with the media quite a few times, and now you're doing a film, Rann, which takes on the media. Don't you think you make use of the same media to promote your films?

I have always maintained that if any news is wrong, then it is. It has never been an effort to show the media in a bad light. Nor am I trying to teach them their responsibilities.

I believe that we get poetic justice in three hours in our Hindi films. In the movies, we make sure we show both the sides and let people decide what they want to take from it.

There is a dialogue in Rann: 'The media is only a business and not the conscience of the society.' Do you believe in this?

Media is the conscience of the society. It is a mirror of the people. It takes a lot of courage to bring out the truth. But does the media compromise on its business? That is what we need to know. And that is what we have shown in this film.

The characters in Rann are fictional. How people react in a given situation is what you will see in the film.

Read more from HERE

'Rann' does not attempt to deliver a social message: RGV

Filmmaker Ramgopal Varma's latest outing 'Rann' is an attempt to expose the true colours of the media, but the maverick director says he did not make the film to deliver any message to the society.

"Through the characters and drama quotients, I am telling a story. And there could be a message underlined in the context of that story. But the primary intention of making this film is to tell a story and not to deliver any message," Varma said in an interview.

Giving the example of his other films, he said even the 1998 hit 'Satya', portrayed crime and violence. "But that does not mean that the intention of the film was to give that message of violence," he said.

According to him, the Amitabh Bachchan starrer, which takes a hard look at the highly competitive world of television news reporting in India, is not preachy either.

"To tell people what they already know is preachy, but 'Rann' tells something which they don't know so it won't be coming in that category," Varma said.

Set against the political backdrop of Delhi, 'Rann' releasing January 29, has an ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan along with Riteish Deshmukh, Gul Panag, Suchitra Krishnamoorthy and Neetu Chandra.

Describing the theme of the film in one-line, RGV, as he is known as in the industry, said: "If the media exposes everything, 'Rann' exposes the media".

When asked what made him take a break from horror and underworld films and chose a theme that is rarely projected on the celluloid, he said he wanted to expose the inside story of the media, which has a huge influence on our lives.

"Media is such an integral part of our life. From the moment you wake up in the morning, it keeps telling you what's happening around the world and how you should think about it. I thought a story on what goes on behind the scenes would be an interesting one to make," the producer-director said.

'Rann' is probably the first of its kind where it takes a hard look at the inner workings of the objectives of the people who run the media channels, he added.

Read more from HERE

'Rann' does not attempt to deliver a social message: RGV

Filmmaker Ramgopal Varma's latest outing 'Rann' is an attempt to expose the true colours of the media, but the maverick director says he did not make the film to deliver any message to the society.

"Through the characters and drama quotients, I am telling a story. And there could be a message underlined in the context of that story. But the primary intention of making this film is to tell a story and not to deliver any message," Varma said in an interview.

Giving the example of his other films, he said even the 1998 hit 'Satya', portrayed crime and violence. "But that does not mean that the intention of the film was to give that message of violence," he said.

According to him, the Amitabh Bachchan starrer, which takes a hard look at the highly competitive world of television news reporting in India, is not preachy either.

"To tell people what they already know is preachy, but 'Rann' tells something which they don't know so it won't be coming in that category," Varma said.

Set against the political backdrop of Delhi, 'Rann' releasing January 29, has an ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan along with Riteish Deshmukh, Gul Panag, Suchitra Krishnamoorthy and Neetu Chandra.

Describing the theme of the film in one-line, RGV, as he is known as in the industry, said: "If the media exposes everything, 'Rann' exposes the media".

When asked what made him take a break from horror and underworld films and chose a theme that is rarely projected on the celluloid, he said he wanted to expose the inside story of the media, which has a huge influence on our lives.

"Media is such an integral part of our life. From the moment you wake up in the morning, it keeps telling you what's happening around the world and how you should think about it. I thought a story on what goes on behind the scenes would be an interesting one to make," the producer-director said.

'Rann' is probably the first of its kind where it takes a hard look at the inner workings of the objectives of the people who run the media channels, he added.

Read more from HERE

'Rann' is a men's film: Ram Gopal Varma

Director Ram Gopal Varma describes his forthcoming movie as a "men's film" and says it was natural for Amitabh Bachchan to spearhead the show in the promos of the movie.

"Isn't that obvious? With the kind of personality and the stardom that he enjoys, it is but natural that Amitabh Bachchan would be spearheading the entire film," Varma told IANS.

If one goes by the film's synopsis, there are other characters like Sudeep, Riteish Deshmukh, Mohnish Behl, Paresh Rawal and Rajat Kapoor who have been described to be quite important. What sort of space and time has Varma managed to create for these characters?

"Every other character is important; otherwise it wouldn't have found place in the film. There won't be any character that would feel short-changed or left out in the film," said Varma.

Where do Neetu Chandra, Gul Panag, Suchitra Krishnamurthy or Simone Singh fit in?

"Women are supporting characters in 'Rann' which is indeed a men's film. They may not be directly involved in the conspiracy or the entire drama that ensues in 'Rann', but they definitely bring in a humane aspect to the proceedings," said the director.

"Suchitra plays the role of a programming head with Amitabh Bachchan's new channel and she is in constant conflict with him since she can see the cut throat competition in the outside world. On the other hand, Gul is indifferent to what's happening in the country and first thinks about herself and her man (Riteish Deshmukh) before anything or anybody else."

Neetu Chandra, who had replaced Raima Sen in the film's cast just before the shooting, is paired opposite Sudeep and also has a few scenes with Amitabh Bachchan.


Read the rest HERE.

'Rann' is a men's film: Ram Gopal Varma

Director Ram Gopal Varma describes his forthcoming movie as a "men's film" and says it was natural for Amitabh Bachchan to spearhead the show in the promos of the movie.

"Isn't that obvious? With the kind of personality and the stardom that he enjoys, it is but natural that Amitabh Bachchan would be spearheading the entire film," Varma told IANS.

If one goes by the film's synopsis, there are other characters like Sudeep, Riteish Deshmukh, Mohnish Behl, Paresh Rawal and Rajat Kapoor who have been described to be quite important. What sort of space and time has Varma managed to create for these characters?

"Every other character is important; otherwise it wouldn't have found place in the film. There won't be any character that would feel short-changed or left out in the film," said Varma.

Where do Neetu Chandra, Gul Panag, Suchitra Krishnamurthy or Simone Singh fit in?

"Women are supporting characters in 'Rann' which is indeed a men's film. They may not be directly involved in the conspiracy or the entire drama that ensues in 'Rann', but they definitely bring in a humane aspect to the proceedings," said the director.

"Suchitra plays the role of a programming head with Amitabh Bachchan's new channel and she is in constant conflict with him since she can see the cut throat competition in the outside world. On the other hand, Gul is indifferent to what's happening in the country and first thinks about herself and her man (Riteish Deshmukh) before anything or anybody else."

Neetu Chandra, who had replaced Raima Sen in the film's cast just before the shooting, is paired opposite Sudeep and also has a few scenes with Amitabh Bachchan.


Read the rest HERE.