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<keyword id="6358992" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="delhi-police" source="Orion">Delhi Police</keyword> officials were on Saturday attacked by a violent mob of 100 African natioanls who helped in escaping of three African natioanls who were caught by the police for living in India illegally. When police again went to <keyword id="82817" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="neb-sarai" source="Orion">Neb Sarai</keyword>'s Raju Park, the police team was again attacked by the <keyword id="608132" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="african-nationals" source="Orion">African nationals</keyword>, but police managed to apprehend four of them. A senior police official said that a team of Narcotics Cell went to Raju Park on Saturday for deportation proceedings of overstaying foreign nationals. The official said that at about 2:30 p.m., the team apprehended three African nationals whose visas had expired. "The team was trying to bring them to the police station but suddenly about 100 African nationals gathered there and obstructed the police team and in the meantime two of the detained African Nationals managed to escape. Later on, one Philip was successfully apprehended," the official said. The official said that again at about 6:30 p.m, a joint team of narcotics squad and Police Station Neb Sarai reached Raju Park in search of the overstaying foreign nationals and detained four African nationals including one woman namely <keyword id="16000924" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="kene-chukwu" source="Orion">Kene Chukwu</keyword> David Williams. A case under section 420/120B of IPC read with 14 Foreigners Act has been registered against the accused at Crime Branch, and passports have also been seized there. The accused Nigerians identified as Igwe Emmanuel Chimezie, Aziegbe John, <keyword id="16000923" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="queen-godwin" source="Orion">Queen Godwin</keyword> were held in second round of visit. But again about 150-200 African nationals gathered there. They were also trying to help the detained African nationals to escape but after sincere efforts, the police team succeeded to bring them in Police Station Neb Sarai. The official said that further the deportation proceedings for apprehended overstaying foreign Nationals are being taken up. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/sbi-hdfc-bank-axis-bank-among-other-private-and-public-bank-earnings-could-see-a-further-ramp-up-in-q3-2022/articleshow/96768992.cms">Bank earnings could see a further ramp up in Q3, say analysts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/skippi-ice-pops-what-this-hyderabad-popsicle-brand-is-doing-after-raising-rs-1-crore-from-shark-tank-india-season-1/articleshow/96759786.cms">Skippi Ice Pops – how the Hyderabad-based popsicle brand fared after bagging a ₹1 crore deal on Shark Tank India S1</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tcs-infosys-wipro-and-other-it-companies-earnings-preview-for-q3-fy23/articleshow/96731891.cms">December quarter likely to be a weak one for the IT sector – Infosys amongst top analyst picks</a>

Delhi cops attacked by 100 African nationals, four held

<ul><li>The coin with the 74-year-old <keyword id="722443" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="monarch" source="Orion">monarch</keyword>'s image reflects a transition of the Crown.</li><li>A total of 9.6 million 50 pences will enter circulation, with the rest entering in line with demand.</li><li>A commemorative version of the coin released in October saw record visitors to its website in the 24 hours following.</li></ul> The first coinage featuring King <keyword id="5197699" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="charles-iii" source="Orion">Charles III</keyword> will start to appear in circulation at Post Offices around the UK from Thursday, with millions of the new 50-pence coins bearing the new monarch's portrait given out as change to customers. The coin with the 74-year-old monarch's image reflects a transition from the Elizabethan age of the late <keyword id="12028254" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="queen-elizabeth-ii" source="Orion">Queen Elizabeth II</keyword> to the Carolean era of <keyword id="162121" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="charles" source="Orion">Charles</keyword>, with the coin also commemorating the life and legacy of the Queen on its reverse. "Today marks a new era for UK coinage, with the effigy of King Charles III appearing on 50ps in circulation. It's a fantastic opportunity for coin collectors to add to their collections, or start one for the first time," said <keyword id="5776747" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rebecca-morgan" source="Orion">Rebecca Morgan</keyword>, Director of Collector Services at the <keyword id="738329" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="royal-mint" source="Orion">Royal Mint</keyword>. "We anticipate a new generation of coin collectors emerging, with people keeping a close eye on their change to try and spot a new 50p that bears the portrait of our new King. The Royal Mint has been trusted to make coins bearing the Monarch's effigy for over 1,100 years and we are proud to continue this tradition into the reign of King Charles III," she said. A total of 9.6 million 50 pences will enter circulation, with the rest entering in line with demand. According to the Royal Mint, a commemorative version of the coin released in October saw record visitors to its website in the 24 hours following. "It is a tremendous honour for the Post Office and for Postmasters that the first coinage featuring King Charles III is being released into circulation via our extensive branch network," said Nick Read, Chief Executive Office of the Post Office. "December is our busiest time of the year so the coin will be entering our network in a phased manner. If you don't receive the new 50p in your change on your first visit to a Post Office you may well get it in your change in a subsequent visit, so keep a lookout for it," he said. Starting this week, Post Office branches throughout the country will receive the first batch of 4.9 million 50 pence coins bearing the King's portrait, including the Aldwych branch which is close to Clarence House in London - the official residence of King Charles III. The portrait has been created by renowned British sculptor <keyword id="1507082" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="martin-jennings" source="Orion">Martin Jennings</keyword> and has been personally approved by Charles. In keeping with tradition, the King's portrait faces to the left, the opposite direction to his late mother Queen <keyword id="6381870" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="elizabeth-ii" source="Orion">Elizabeth II</keyword>. The reverse, or tails side, of the 50 pence features a design that originally appeared on the 1953 Coronation Crown, struck to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's coronation at Westminster Abbey and includes the four quarters of the <keyword id="15733310" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="royal-arms" source="Orion">Royal Arms</keyword> depicted within a shield. In between each shield is an emblem of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom - a rose for England, a thistle for Scotland, a shamrock for Northern Ireland, and a leek for Wales. All UK coins bearing the portrait, or effigy, of Queen Elizabeth II will remain legal tender and in active circulation, as historically it has been commonplace for coins featuring the effigies of different monarchs to co-circulate. This ensures a smooth transition, with minimal environmental impact and cost, the Royal Mint said. There are approximately 27 billion coins currently circulating in the UK bearing the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, to be replaced over time as they become damaged or worn out. Other denominations of coins will be manufactured carrying the King's effigy in line with demand. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/realme-10-pro-plus-vs-redmi-note-12-pro-plus-mobile-phone-comparison-of-price-and-features/slidelist/96084981.cms">Realme 10 Pro Plus vs Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus – price, specs and features compared</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sustainability/news/indian-heatwaves-could-soon-break-survivability-limit-cause-3-4-crore-job-losses/articleshow/96059908.cms">Indian heatwaves could soon break 'survivability limit', cause 3.4 crore job losses</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/air-india-to-spend-over-400-mn-to-fully-refurbish-wide-body-aircraft-cabin-interiors/articleshow/96083378.cms">Air India to spend over $400 mn to fully refurbish wide-body aircraft cabin interiors</a>

First King Charles 50 pence coins enter circulation in UK

With <keyword id="6355923" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aamir-Khan">Aamir Khan</keyword>’s <keyword id="6396827" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="PK">PK</keyword> about to enter the 300-crore club, this year has been exceptionally good for some <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> movies. Although it has had its share of disasters, we chose to look at the brighter side. Here, we present to you the list of highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2014. 
 
Disclaimer: The numbers represent net collections of Indian screens and not of worldwide screens.

2014 Year-ender: Which Were The Highest Grossing Bollywood Films

After the blockbuster beginning of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Box-Office-Humshakals-Strikes-Gold-But-Theres-No-Method-In-ThisMadness/articleshow/37123366.cms">Humshakals</a>, <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> has witnessed yet another runaway success in the <keyword id="1250908" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="romantic-thriller">romantic thriller</keyword> <keyword id="2177024" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ek-Villain">Ek Villain</keyword>, directed by <keyword id="23758" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="mohit-suri">Mohit Suri</keyword> (of Murder 2 and Aashiqui 2 fame) and starring <keyword id="1420" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Riteish-Deshmukh">Riteish Deshmukh</keyword>, <keyword id="1320874" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sidharth-Malhotra">Sidharth Malhotra</keyword> and <keyword id="89958" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shraddha-Kapoor">Shraddha Kapoor</keyword>. And this time, we have an interesting plot, some brilliant acting and an overflowing <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword> – all in perfect sync. Released on June 27 in more than 2,500 screens in India, the flick has netted Rs 50.70 crore at home in the first three days (Friday Rs 16.72 crore, Saturday Rs 16.54 crore and Sunday Rs 17.44 crore; however, trade figure stood at Rs 49.28 crore) – the second highest weekend collection in 2014, behind Salman Khan-starrer <keyword id="6593120" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Jai-Ho">Jai Ho</keyword>. 
 Compared to debut day, earnings dropped 55% on the first Monday but the medium-budget (it cost around Rs 40 crore) movie managed to nett Rs 8.10 crore at home. Tuesday collections also dipped (Rs 6.80 crore) but the movie amassed a total of Rs 65.60 crore from <keyword id="54324" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="india-business">India business</keyword> after Day 5, crossing <keyword id="1718975" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Humshakals">Humshakals</keyword>’ earnings (Rs 61.05 crore). Ek Villain has now become the fifth <keyword id="2385280" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="highest-grosser">highest grosser</keyword> of 2014, surpassing the lifetime collections of <keyword id="6377522" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="queen">Queen</keyword> (Rs 61 crore), Main Tera Hero (Rs 55 crore), Heropanti (Rs 53.40 crore) and Ragini MMS 2 (Rs 47 crore). Going by the trend, it may soon enter Rs <keyword id="6567206" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="100-crore-club">100 crore club</keyword>. The movie was produced by <keyword id="6354597" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ekta-Kapoor">Ekta Kapoor</keyword> and <keyword id="154993" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Shobha-Kapoor">Shobha Kapoor</keyword> under Balaji Motion Pictures and ALT Entertainment. 
 
“Ek Villain passes ‘Monday test’ with flying colours. Weekend 50.70 cr, Mon 8.10 cr. Total: Rs 58.8 cr nett. India biz. MONSTROUS HIT,” tweeted trade analyst and film critic Taran Adarsh. “Overseas weekend total is approx $2.2 million [Rs 13.24 crore]. EXCELLENT,” he added. 
 
 
 
Although some movie buffs may notice a marked resemblance between Ek Villain and the Korean movie <keyword id="2258746" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="I-Saw-The-Devil">I Saw the Devil</keyword>, director Suri had earlier told the media that it was not so. “That’s just one dialogue that I have taken from the <keyword id="700143" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Korean-film">Korean film</keyword>’s promo, just like I have taken another dialogue from the film <keyword id="796794" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jack-Reacher">Jack Reacher</keyword>,” Suri had told a daily. 
 Coming back to the movie itself, we must say that the ‘chill and thrill’ factor could have been more intense, especially when you have a <keyword id="1261139" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="psychopathic-killer">psychopathic killer</keyword> running loose, while the romantic part of the plot (gangster falling for the good girl) has been done to death by now and meanders a lot. In Ek Villain, all the key characters seem helplessly trapped in their own prisons and cannot get away. <keyword id="6410325" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="guru">Guru</keyword> (Sidharth Malhotra), a former hitman, only undergoes a temporary change when <keyword id="2396273" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aisha-Verma">Aisha Verma</keyword> (Shraddha Kapoor) walks into his life. But he goes back to his original vengeful self when Aisha dies, not of terminal illness but murdered by a serial killer. However, it is Riteish Deshmukh (<keyword id="2396274" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rakesh-Mahadkar">Rakesh Mahadkar</keyword>) who walks away with the honours. He is the perfect psychopath – an oppressed individual, a henpecked husband, a desperate lover and a ruthless killer all rolled in one. 
 Overall, the concoction of drama and <keyword id="1278055" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="melodrama">melodrama</keyword>, romance and terror has diluted the plot. But one still gets to see some fine performance and the flick is certainly a lot different from the routine Bollywood themes. And the best part of it all? Ek Villain has won hearts and set the cash register ringing. 
 
Images: Indiatimes

Box
Office: Ek Villain A Runaway Success, May Soon Enter Rs 100 Crore Club

<keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> actor <keyword id="2201" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kangana-Ranaut">Kangana Ranaut</keyword> is in vogue these days; all thanks to her brilliant performance in the latest <keyword id="2600630" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tanu-Weds-Manu-Returns">Tanu Weds Manu Returns</keyword>. As viewers are making a beeline at the ticket counters to get the coveted ticket to watch the movie, its Box Office Collections have already surpassed Rs 100 crore (till the time of filing this report). 
 
The film has turned Ranaut into a superstar, but mind you, this stardom has not come overnight; she has a decade long career behind her with nearly 30 films and several awards including the National Film Award. 
 
Ranaut seems to have somewhat altered her strategy. She is choosing scripts where female protagonists lead such as Queen, <keyword id="1132893" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Revolver-Rani">Revolver Rani</keyword> and Tanu Weds Manu Returns. Her brand equity has gone up as audiences see her capable of delivering a good solo performance and are ready to bet their weekend theatre budget on her. 
 
This is what exactly a brand needs from a celebrity endorser; capable of creating conversations and be a talk of the town. And Ranaut seems to have all this and more. 
 
Known for her psychotic roles (Fashion, Gangster, Raaz, Who Lamhe, Metro), Ranaut has had her share of success and failures. While Queen, <keyword id="3893" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Krrish">Krrish</keyword> 3, Tanu weds Manu, Once Upon A Time in Mumbai, Shootout At Wadala got a good response, others like Revolver Rani, I Love NY, Rascals and Double Dhamaal did not do well at the Box Office. 
 
Brands have mostly kept away from her barring a few such as Tanishq (in past), Levi's (in past), Emami (Boroplus), Lawman PG3, Himachal Pradesh Tourism, Myntra, Liva, Askme and others because of her inconsistent career graph. 
 
Well, it's a hard fact that she is no Deepika Padukone or <keyword id="6354850" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Katrina-Kaif">Katrina Kaif</keyword>, who are known and proven Brand Champions. However, after the recent success of Tanu weds Manu Returns, she has got into that league where brands will make a beeline for her? Will they bet large on this Himachal Pradesh girl? Let's see what experts have to say. 
 
Emerging or Non-Emerging 
Geetanjali Bhattacharji, CEO, Marketing Services Audit, Spatial Access, finds Ranaut as a winner but has apprehensions about her brand associations as her personality depicted via films has been that of a non-conformist. 
 
"She has clearly emerged as a winner to shoulder ROI of a film both with Tanu weds Manu returns and her past release being Queen. But it will take an intelligent marketer with spine and a highly creative agency partner to generate propositions with a celebrity like Kangana. Huge opportunities aree there but vey few organizations will put the brand proposition in an interesting context with this celebrity." 
 
However, Shailesh Kapoor, CEO, Ormax Media believes that Tanu Weds Manu Returns is bound to make advertisers and filmmakers look at Ranaut very differently. "Till before Queen, she did not have much notice-ability. Because of Queen, she got noticed for the first time as a serious contender to be a top heroine. But Tanu Weds Manu Returns is going to be a pan-India hit, including the mass centers. This will give Kangana the reach that she did not have earlier," he adds. 
 
Even Darshan M, Director, Spoment Ventures thinks that her value will keep on increasing because she is taking up lead roles, delivering in them and people are liking her. "People are getting opinionated about her and that too in a good sense." 
 
<keyword id="233839" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sanjay-Shukla">Sanjay Shukla</keyword>, CEO, Percept One begs to differ; he says that she is a great actress, but not a brand endorser. "Previously she was doing very serious roles in movies like Gangster, Woh Lamhe, Raaz 2 and now she is taking up roles where she is like a free soul. She has played a twin personality, even though this is good adds to versatility but I am not how brands will look at it. People are definitely liking her, but she is yet to become a commercial star." 
 
Mass Appeal? 
Undoubtedly, Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif are brand champions in India. Both these actors are at the peak of their career, and they both command brands in their kitty and audiences at the theatre. Ranaut, on the other hand, is not yet there, but not that far off either. 
 
Bhattacharji points that brand endorsement is not her space and she clearly doesn't aspire to be there. "She addresses a niche. And intelligent investors (whether brand or producers) will optimize that niche instead of going mass." While Kapoor adds that this will depend on her releases in 2015-17. "Mass popularity takes time to build. Just one or two films cannot do that." 
 
However, Darshan M has a different point of view on this. He believes that Ranaut is natural and convincing, while with the other two there is a plastic and unreal attached to which the audience cannot relate. "Be it from a small or big town, a woman can relate to Ranuat but not Katrina because the latter is the perfect example of the Bollywood actresses who look good on screen but most of it is unreal. She has not become that eye candy or the arm candy, but is looking to lead from the front, which is liked by the people," adds Darshan. 
 
Cross Category Fit? 
It is true that Kangana Ranaut has had a very small list of brand endorsements, but experts believe that brands will be closely monitoring the success of Tanu weds Manu Returns and will be definitely considering her. 
 
While Kapoor believes that brands that want to communicate innovation, talent, women power and inner beauty will go for her, Bhattacharji points at radical fashion brands, unconventional jewellery designers, contraceptives, online players (challenger brands) will find her to be a better fit. 
 
Darshan M believes that Ranaut should not choose regular hair creams, but the ones which are quirky, unexpected, serious and reliable. 
 
Going Forward 
Now Ranaut is no Khan or Bachchan. And hence she will have to keep up to it. Audiences forgive a flop here and there, but they do not like consistency in this domain. Revolver Rani tanked massively at Box Office but Tanu weds Manu did not suffer from it. 
 
"In today's film scenario besides the Khans no actor can risk to be in that situation. She has proven herself time and again as a "Female Hero". The audience expectation will only soar high if not same for her upcoming movies. I think after <keyword id="3844" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vidya-Balan">Vidya Balan</keyword> she is the only actress who has successfully delivered a film purely on her solo performance," Bhattacharji says. 
 
Today Ranaut is all over the social media, brand promotions and Page 3 and we hope to see her more on the screen, be it through her films or the brand ads that she would endorse.

Is Kangana Ranaut The New ‘Queen’ Of Brand Endorsement In India?

Cleaning up the ‘System’ might be <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword>’s latest passion, but it reverts to stereotypes all too soon and the art of conveying a pertinent message becomes an imperfect endeavour. The saga started with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Box-Office-Queen-OutshinesGulaab-Gang-Total-Siyapaa-Tanks/articleshow/31848837.cms">Gulaab Gang</a>, continued through <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Box-Office-Youngistaan-Falls-FlatDishkiyaoon-O-Teri-Are-Clear-Flops/articleshow/33127458.cms">Youngistaan</a> and climaxed with superstar <keyword id="6357912" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="amitabh-bachchan">Amitabh Bachchan</keyword> returning with the much-hyped <keyword id="828468" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Supernatural">supernatural</keyword> comedy sequel, <keyword id="1906261" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bhoothnath-Returns">Bhoothnath Returns</keyword>. This time, we have an adorable 70-plus ghost trying to set things right for the <keyword id="6361831" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="dharavi">Dharavi</keyword> <keyword id="56930" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="slum-dwellers">slum dwellers</keyword> and rooting out corruption in the process. But unlike the 2008 prequel, <keyword id="14780" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="bhoothnath">Bhoothnath</keyword>, finger-snapping alone doesn’t do the trick. Instead, <keyword id="2217" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Big-B">Big B</keyword> (<keyword id="291868" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kailash-Nath">Kailash Nath</keyword> aka Bhoothnath in the movie series) gets ready to contest polls, preaches people to go out &amp; vote, and does loads of good work in-between, amply helped by the street-smart brat <keyword id="2199671" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Akhrot">Akhrot</keyword> (<keyword id="1068845" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Parth-Bhalerao">Parth Bhalerao</keyword>). Undoubtedly a great gesture from a spirit who cares, but it carries too much baggage than is good for the <keyword id="678332" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Subtle">subtle</keyword> art of influencing, impacting and entertaining – all at the same time. 
 But that does not mean the fantasy-comedy won’t become a Bollywood hit. In spite of its many faults, Big B spins his magic on-screen and the movie has managed to shake off a slow start. Directed and co-written by <keyword id="368516" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nitesh-Tiwari">Nitesh Tiwari</keyword> of <keyword id="248958" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Chillar-Party">Chillar Party</keyword> fame, Bhoothnath Returns hit around 1,300 theatres at home but had a dull opening on April 11. It netted around Rs 4.07 crore on the debut day and witnessed a low occupancy rate of 25-30%. But <keyword id="2199678" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Weekend-business">weekend business</keyword> literally touched the sky and the movie netted a little over Rs 18 crore at the <keyword id="827271" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Domestic-Box-Office">domestic box office</keyword> after the first three days. 
 
“BhoothnathReturns Fri 4.07 cr, Sat 5.85 cr, Sun 8.10 cr. Total: 18.02 cr nett. India biz… Excellent growth over the weekend,” tweeted film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh. 
 
But the numbers dwindled on the crucial Day 4 and Day 5 (April 14 and 15). Although official figures are not available yet, the movie totalled a little more than Rs 7 crore on these two days, according to <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">Box Office</keyword> Collection, thus reaching Rs 25 crore (approx) at home. Interestingly, the budget of this movie has not been disclosed yet, but some industry insiders put it at around Rs 30 crore. However, the initial numbers are definitely much better than Kangna Ranaut-starrer <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Box-Office-Queen-OutshinesGulaab-Gang-Total-Siyapaa-Tanks/articleshow/31848837.cms">Queen</a> (Rs 12 crore in first 4 days). Incidentally, <keyword id="6377522" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="queen">Queen</keyword> has already netted more than Rs 60 crore at home, as per industry reports. We can’t really predict whether this Big B movie can get into that Big League or enter the Rs 100 crore club, but going by the current trend, it may overtake Bhoothnath’s earnings that managed to gross around Rs 68 crore worldwide. 
 And that brings us back to the basics. With the <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> polls in full swing, Bhoothnath Returns was expected to do much better at the domestic box office, especially as it aims to blend some meaningful messages with fantasy to present a <keyword id="2199680" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Socio-political-satire">socio-political satire</keyword>, loaded with <keyword id="1802565" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="tongue-in-cheek-humour">tongue-in-cheek humour</keyword> and sharp, <keyword id="2199682" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Witty-one-liners">witty one-liners</keyword>. The movie follows that script, but only up to a point, and then loses its pace and crispiness as is the wont of traditional Bollywood flicks. 
 The first half of the movie is quite entertaining, though. Bhoothnath returns from the <keyword id="2199683" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bhoot-World">Bhoot World</keyword> as he is under pressure to prove his mettle as a ghost and must be able to scare a kid (his previous caper with Banku clearly hadn’t won the approval of fellow-ghosts). But this time, he has been won over by the slum kid Akhrot (Parth) and soon has a face-off with the <keyword id="2199670" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="evil-politician">evil politician</keyword> <keyword id="602825" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bhau">Bhau</keyword> (Boman Irani). The rest of the story gets painfully predictable and then downright preachy, dragging on eternally before reaching an over-the-top climax. As most critics have pointed out, the second half of this flick could have easily passed muster as an infotainment video on ‘<keyword id="2199685" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Why-you-should-vote">why you should vote</keyword>’ and ‘<keyword id="924262" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vote-for-change">vote for change</keyword>.’ 
 
As the story gets stretched and execution gets lacklustre, Bhoothnath Returns loses its appeal of fantasy (something that never happens in a <keyword id="1837502" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="harry-potter-movie">Harry Potter movie</keyword> in spite of its markedly pronounced good-versus-evil theme), its appeal for kids (hardly a <keyword id="2199690" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Fun-movie">fun movie</keyword>, compared to the earlier one) and its appeal for thinking adults (<keyword id="6354633" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajkumar-Hirani">Rajkumar Hirani</keyword>’s Munna Bhai series will impact you better). 
 
But Bhoothnath Returns has its special charms as well. The <keyword id="2199696" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bachchan-magic">Bachchan magic</keyword> and his easy frolic with kids are bound to win many hearts. But the star of the show is the <keyword id="5334" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood-debutant">Bollywood debutant</keyword> Parth Bhalerao who is absolutely brilliant. Then there are the cameos – <keyword id="1671" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shah-Rukh-Khan">Shah Rukh Khan</keyword>, <keyword id="6357861" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="ranbir-kapoor">Ranbir Kapoor</keyword> and <keyword id="7929" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Anurag-Kashyap">Anurag Kashyap</keyword> all fall in line to support the message Bhoothnath is trying to convey. All in all, Bhoothnath Returns is a movie worth watching in spite of its none-too-impressive initial performance and execution flaws. Business may pick up further as the (release) timing has been perfect and Bachchan fans are known to form that <keyword id="828348" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="critical-mass">critical mass</keyword> of movie-goers that can always spell massive success, even if it is a bit late in the day.

Box Office: Bhoothnath
Returns In Style In Spite Of Chinks In Armour And A Tepid Start

A picture tweeted from the official account of Eros International gives us a glimpse into <keyword id="854855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tanu-Weds-Manu-Season-2">Tanu Weds Manu Season 2</keyword>, which as the name suggests is the sequel of 2011 romcom film <keyword id="71996" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tanu-Weds-Manu">Tanu Weds Manu</keyword>. 
 The movie stars <keyword id="2201" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kangana-Ranaut">Kangana Ranaut</keyword>, who has tasted both critical and commercial success with her movie <keyword id="6377522" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="queen">Queen</keyword>, which was released in March this year. The movie, other than being a critical success, set the box office (BO) ablaze, and did a business of almost Rs 100 crore. It also established Kangana much ahead in the race of the best actress in <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword>. 
 Actor <keyword id="4759" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Madhavan">Madhavan</keyword> would be seen reprising his role of Manu in the sequel. Between the first and second movie of the Tanu Weds Manu series, he has acted in one Hindi movie, Jodi Breakers, which failed to make an impact on the BO. His other movie Taak Jhaank, which was completed in 2006 and premiered at the 19th Kolkata Film Festival in 2013, is yet to be released in theaters because of the sudden and unfortunate death of director Rituparno Ghosh. However, Madhavan still has got a certain charm, which when mixed with the right story can pull audience to theaters. 
 
Director Aanand L. Rai, who directed <keyword id="963049" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Raanjhana">Raanjhana</keyword> in between the two movies, has also managed to impressed audience and critics alike in the meantime. Raanjhana earned Rs 120 crore at the BO and was also praised for its gripped direction albeit a confused storyline. 
 
Now talking of money, Tanu Weds Manu was produced at a medium budget of Rs 11.25 crore and Rs 6.25 crore were spent on the publicity, making the total estimated cost to be Rs 17.5 crore. The movie went on to do a business of worth Rs 56 crore, while being one of the biggest critical hits of 2011. 
 
It would be interesting to watch whether the actors and the director would be able to cast the same magic that they did with the first movie, or will the movie fail to make an impact on the BO, just like many other sequels made in Bollywood. 
 
Image courtesy: <a href="https://twitter.com/ErosNow/status/531666658168156160">Eros</a>

Tanu Weds Manu Season 2: Will It Be Able To Recreate The Magic?

Whether it’s the hero’s charisma, the heroine’s charm or the PR machinery doing its job well, the hype created around big-budget films nowadays is commendable and often ensures a great opening. But that doesn’t mean the movie is going to be a big hit in the long run. Neither the star power, nor the publicity can save some flicks from being box office bombs. And the result? An over-hyped flop! <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> has produced a lot of these over-hyped duds and here’s a look at the top of the flops. 
 
1. <keyword id="6593120" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Jai-Ho">Jai Ho</keyword> 
This one finally made us doubtful about Brand Salman, well-known for churning out mega hits that rake in big moolah. Although the man himself promoted his film unabashedly almost everywhere, the movie has seen a lukewarm response from Day 1. True, it has managed to enter the 100 crore club, but that’s no big feat for a Salman-starrer. 
 
2. Besharam 
We never had good vibes since the time this flick made its first appearance. Still, we had faith in Ranbir Kapoor. But after the gem called Barfi, the star fell flat on his face in Besharam. There’s not much of a storyline here and the rumours that the female lead was played by the director’s girlfriend also went against the film. 
 
3. Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara Here’s a victim of supreme overconfidence – a sequel that has swanky names and no storyline. While Akshay sucked as the lousy don, <keyword id="14676" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Imran-Khan">Imran Khan</keyword> never looked so artificial. 
 
4. Himmatwala 
Not every remake can be a Devdas. Himmatwala, one of the most anticipated movies of 2013, turned out to be one of the biggest stumbles of the year. Directed by <keyword id="16026" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sajid-Khan">Sajid Khan</keyword>, who had earlier come up with hits like Housefull, and starring a fine actor like <keyword id="6354714" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ajay-Devgn">Ajay Devgn</keyword>, it should have been a super hit, but came down crashing due to its all-round poor performance. 
 
5. <keyword id="22939" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="boss">Boss</keyword> Just like Salman, <keyword id="2823" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Akshay-Kumar">Akshay Kumar</keyword> is known to deliver hits, especially after movies such as Special Chabbis, Rowdy Rathore and Khiladi 786 rocked the box office. But the bubble burst when Boss was released. The audacious Akshay didn’t even have a heroine to himself in the film. But then, a bikini-clad Aditi Rao Hydari (romancing someone else) and Akshay Kumar as a Jat were not enough to churn out a hit. 
 
6. Ghanchakkar 
Just when Vidya Balan was thinking to change her name to Vidya Balan ‘Khan’ who could produce a blockbuster every time, Ghanchakkar happened. Considering her earlier releases such as Kahaani and <keyword id="512405" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="the-dirty-picture">The Dirty Picture</keyword>, all eyes were on this one but the tanked miserably at the box office. Even Vidya’s unfunny Punju accent couldn’t save it. 
 
7. Nasha India might be the land of Kama Sutra, but when it comes to watching semi-porn movies, we are still not comfortable. Every time the Internet sensation <keyword id="597184" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Poonam-Pandey">Poonam Pandey</keyword> titillated everyone with tweets about her film, Nasha, she added millions of followers. But those virtual fans never made it to the theatre to watch the flick. 
 
8. Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola 
Vishal Bhardwaj is a director whose films are always looked forward to. And his last release was no different except for the fact that the film didn’t impact the audience in the same way as before. 
 
9. Heroine Kareena is the <keyword id="6377522" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="queen">Queen</keyword> Bee of Bollywood while <keyword id="6389563" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Madhur-Bhandarkar">Madhur Bhandarkar</keyword> is a seasoned director. So when the two came together, fireworks were obvious. But to everyone’s surprise, Heroine turned out to be one of the biggest disasters. 
 
Images: Indiatimes

9
Overhyped Bollywood Films That Flopped

<ul><li><keyword id="193261" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lionsgate" source="Orion">Lionsgate</keyword> is a Canadian-American company which launched in India in December 2020. </li><li>The company is working to onboard Bollywood movies alongside release of originals like Feels Like Home and Hiccups and Hookups. </li><li>An average user spends at least 80 minutes on <keyword id="6506686" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lionsgate-India" source="Orion">Lionsgate India</keyword>. </li><li>Business Insider India speaks to Amit Dhanuka, executive vice president, Lionsgate India exclusively to get an insight into India’s OTT market and the company’s content play.</li></ul>One of the newest players in India’s OTT industry, Lionsgate Play India launched its services in the country in December 2020 and is carving out a space for itself among the Indian audiences. The Canadian-American entertainment company is betting big on India. With 65 plus yearly title launches and a stated aim of gaining 10-15 million Indian subscribers, Lionsgate Play is competing against <keyword id="3194526" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="netflix-india" source="Orion">Netflix India</keyword>, <keyword id="3380874" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="amazon-prime-india" source="Orion">Amazon Prime India</keyword>, <keyword id="163880" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="apple-tv" source="Orion">Apple TV</keyword> Originals and Disney+Hotstar for eyeballs. Lionsgate Play has a repertoire of Hollywood shows and is developing Indian originals such as Hiccups and Hookups and Feels Like Home. India is an important market for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/advertising/media/article/india-will-be-among-the-top-five-markets-for-lionsgate-within-the-next-five-years-rohit-jain-lionsgate/articleshow/80769668.cms">Lionsgate</a> and is expected to be one of its top five markets globally by 2025. Business Insider India spoke to Amit Dhanuka, executive vice president, Lionsgate, to get an insight into the India OTT market and the company’s content play. Edited excerpts: <div type="image" title="Amit Dhanuka, executive vice president at Lionsgate" msid="94394984" hostid="261"></div> Which type of content works best for India at Lionsgate Play? We have seen that the trend of content is pretty consistent over a period of time. There are two or three pieces of content that work – one, good stories always find audiences. Second, their genre also plays a role. We did Hiccups and Hookups which is a very urban story but it found great audiences across the country. Jungle Cry was about a bunch of boys who participated in a rugby championship. Typically we have seen that action, thriller genres slightly outperformed the other genres. Their engagement levels are higher. When it comes to gender diversity in shows and movies, what has been Lionsgate's approach in India? We are the torchbearers for gender diversity. Our lineup of shows have female protagonists. Even when we launched our first edition in India, we had female leads in Hiccups and Hookups. We are consistently working around two accounts- gender diversity and inclusion. Lionsgate has also gone and represented African-American, Hispanic and Latin American communities on a global stage. The industry itself is changing as it is moving away from a male-centric view. It is now talent as opposed to gender. How is Lionsgate Play investing in regional cinema and content? We are trying to represent India as a whole but as of now we are slightly more focused on Hindi along with our Hollywood content. As we evolve in southeast Asia, we are going to look at regional Indian content. As of now, that is not a priority. Jungle Cry is a great example of how it does not need to be a local dialect but a local story also works wonders. We are currently releasing 65 plus titles in a year. Globally, our budget is around $2 billion. Which movies are creating the most amount of buzz? Feels Like Home is coming up with its second season. We are premiering Serpent Queen, Jerusalem, Unscripted Graham Norton and we just did Emmys. We want to present the type of content that customers have something to look forward to every Friday. How many minutes does an average user spend using Lionsgate Play? Our completion rate for series and movies is very high. Feels like Home alone had a 50% completion rate, which is significant. If we quantify our series, at least two to five episodes are being consumed. An average time spent per user on Lionsgate India is at least 80 minutes, sometimes going upwards (to) 100 minutes. How has the partnership with prime channels helped Lionsgate in India? We are also one of the largest partners globally when it comes to partnership with prime channels. In India, we have had a fantastic partnership with our launch of prime channels in the past 12 months. The subscribers in India on Lionsgate are paying annual subscriptions directly as opposed to monthly subscriptions. Apart from Hindi, what language shows are Indians interested in? What OTT has done is reduced the language barrier considerably and made the audience slightly language agnostic. Earlier, the only way you could watch a dubbed movie was in a theatre or on television but it did not create any considerable monetary opportunity and OTT has tapped into that market – whether it is Korean content popular in India, or Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu content being watched in Hindi speaking markets. We did a great experiment with a dubbed Arabic movie called The Ambush and because of great content, it performed excellently in India. Can OTTs hold their own space with theatre releases by Bollywood? Brahmāstra was recently released in theatres and even though it will be released on OTT soon, I went to watch it in a theatre. The experience in a theatre is different. That experience cannot be replicated on a small screen. What OTT does is it lets you watch at the time and place of your choosing. Each has a different need they are serving. Lionsgate also looks forward to onboarding upcoming Bollywood movies. Lionsgate Play India releases slated for October 2022 <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">The Serpent Queen </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Departure Season 3 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">The Ambush </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"> The Graham Norton Show </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"> Feels Like Home Season 2 </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/indias-microfinance-loan-portfolio-stands-at-3-lakh-crore-with-6-crore-unique-borrowers/articleshow/94375376.cms">India’s microfinance loan portfolio stands at ₹3 lakh crore with 6 crore unique borrowers</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/most-indians-to-spend-more-than-10000-on-shopping-in-the-upcoming-festive-season-says-report/articleshow/94389278.cms">Most Indians to spend more than ₹10,000 on shopping in the upcoming festive season, says report</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/doodlage-and-ecokaari-startups-are-converting-waste-into-bags-and-clothes/articleshow/94388327.cms">Fashion forward: These startups are converting waste into bags and clothes</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/vijay-deverakondas-liger-is-streaming-online-on-this-ott-platform/articleshow/94391285.cms">Vijay Deverakonda’s Liger is streaming online on this OTT platform</a>

Lionsgate Play says OTT has reduced the language barrier and made the audience language agnostic

New Delhi, Apr 20 () A non-profit body Annamrita Foundation, formerly known as ISKCON Food Relief Foundation, on Monday said it has distributed 69 lakh meals to migrant workers, daily wage earners, slum dwellers and the poor across the country during the COVID-19 lockdown period.The Foundation, in a statement, said it is distributing large quantities of meals to identified partner organisations that have taken on the responsibility to ensure door-to-door delivery to the needy especially in slums."In the lockdown period since March 25, Rs 69 lakh meals have been distributed across the country at 3.2 lakh meals per day," according to the Foundation.In Maharashtra, 81 tonnes of rice, 46 tonnes of pulses, 14 tonnes of cooking oil, 63.5 tonnes of vegetables, 4 tonnes of spices and 6 tonnes of salt have been utilised so far, to prepare these meals.At the request of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, the Foundation is delivering meals to all the dedicated and hardworking staff of the municipality on emergency duty.Over 10,000 members of the staff from departments such as solid waste management, maintenance, public health, education, social justice, fire, water and disaster management from 24 Wards around the city are catered to.The Foundation is working round-the-clock to deliver meals to hospitals and quarantine centres in Mumbai."This is a difficult time for our country. ...The workers and volunteers of Annamrita are risking lives to do what is needed. We are grateful for the support we are receiving from our partner organisations as their active engagement has gone a long way to achieve the successful distribution of food," Annamrita Foundation's Radha Krishna Das said.The Foundation is inviting individuals, philanthropists, corporates and NGOs to come forward and contribute either small or large donations to this cause as there are vast numbers that are yet to receive this dire support.Its partner organisations that have contributed funds in kind include: Reliance Foundation, Rotary Club of Mumbai Queens Necklace, TajSats, Cipla, Bharat Petroleum, Bajaj, Thermax, Mahanagar Gas Ltd, JSW, TVS, Mafatlal, IIFL Finance, Pidilite, Mahyco Monsanto, Bayer, Pranic Healing, Sahachari Foundation among others.The distribution partners include Rotary Club of Bombay Queens Necklace, Giants Parivar, NESH52 – No One Ever Sleeps Hungry, Art of Living, YMCA, Arham Yuva Seva Group, IDF and others.Apart from big organisations, a large number of individuals and corporate employees have come forward to pledge and donate amounts starting from as little as Rs 100 to crore as per their capacity. LUX MKJ

Annamrita Foundation distributes 69 lakh meals to vulnerable people during lockdown

<ul class="summary-list "><li><keyword id="1655" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Priyanka-Chopra">Priyanka Chopra</keyword> is an actress, humanitarian, model, producer, and former pageant queen with an impressive $16 million estimated net worth.</li><li>In 2000 she won the title of Miss World, which made her an overnight celebrity.</li><li>She's now working on multiple projects, including a web series and a memoir.</li></ul><a href="https://www.insider.com/priyanka-chopra-quantico-abc-career-bio-life-2018-4">Priyanka Chopra</a> has put in nearly two decades of work becoming the international <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/celebrities">star</a> that she is today. The Indian-born actress, humanitarian, producer, model, and singer first entered the public eye on the Miss World stage in 2000. She's since starred in a number of Indian films, US films, started a production company, and more, building herself an estimated multimillion-dollar fortune. According to Celebrity Net Worth, <a href="https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/priyanka-chopra-net-worth/">Chopra's net worth is an estimated $16 million</a> and her annual salary is an estimated $10 million. And <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/photos/heres-wealthy-priyanka-chopra-why-slideshow-wp-121332216/">according to Yahoo! Finance</a>, she's worth $28 million. Here's how Chopra made her money. <h2 style="font-family: LabGrotesque-Black, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.28; font-size: 1.5625rem; letter-spacing: -0.2px;">She started her career in the pageant scene.</h2>Chopra won Miss World in 2000. REUTERS/Jonathan Evans Chopra won the <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/priyanka-chopra-miss-india-miss-world-5265519/">2000 Miss India competition</a> when she was 17 and went on to win the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1049504.stm">2000 Miss World title</a> and the $100,000 cash prize. She'd wanted to be an <a href="https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/priyanka-chopra-unicef-goodwill-ambassador-1202583243/">aeronautical engineer</a>, but the Miss World win brought her immediate fame, and she pursued a career in the entertainment industry. <h2 style="font-family: LabGrotesque-Black, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.28; font-size: 1.5625rem; letter-spacing: -0.2px;">She became a successful actress in India.</h2> Chopra in "Fashion" in 2008. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0964516/mediaviewer/rm4032618496">UTV Motion Pictures/IMDb</a> Chopra made her film debut in 2002 in the Tamil movie "Thamizhan." She appeared in her first Bollywood movie in 2003, as Shaheen Zakaria in "The Hero: Love Story of a Spy." According to Box Office India, the movie made 45,13,12,500 Indian rupees worldwide (about $6.5 million). Chopra went on to act in several profitable Bollywood franchises, including the "Krrish" superhero movies and "Don" crime-thriller series. Both titles were reported to be among <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120509154836/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&amp;articleid=4378&amp;nCat=">India's highest grossing films in 2006</a>. Her performance as aspiring model Meghna in the 2008 drama film "Fashion" solidified her status as a Bollywood superstar. The film was a commercial and critical success, bringing in <a href="http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/december-gives-some-respite-with-2-hits/404989/">60 crore</a> ($600 million) at the box office. Chopra won the Indian National Film Awards' best actress award for the role. <h2 style="font-family: LabGrotesque-Black, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.28; font-size: 1.5625rem; letter-spacing: -0.2px;">She also worked as a TV host.</h2>Chopra at the unveiling of "Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi" in 2010. <a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/bollywood-actress-priyanka-chopra-at-the-unveiling-of-news-photo/103299818">Yogen Shah/India Today Group/Getty</a> In 2010, Chopra hosted the Indian version of "Fear Factor," "Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi." The show was a <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100918001655/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Khatron-Ke-Khiladi-3-opening-TRP-ratings-breaks-record/Article1-600561.aspx">hit with viewers</a> and, according to <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/reality-television-saves-bollywood-stars-111092800046_1.html">The Business Standard</a>, paid Chopra 0.8 crore (or a little over $100,000) per episode. <h2 style="font-family: LabGrotesque-Black, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.28; font-size: 1.5625rem; letter-spacing: -0.2px;">Chopra made money through modeling.</h2> Chopra autographing photos at the Guess Loves Priyanka dinner in London in 2014. <a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/priyanka-chopra-signs-autographs-at-guess-loves-priyanka-at-news-photo/464073721">David M. Benett/Getty</a> Throughout Chopra's busy Bollywood acting years, she also modeled in numerous commercial and print advertisements. In 2013, the creative director of Guess launched a campaign that featured Chopra in several ads that were distributed around the world, making Chopra the <a href="https://www.glamour.com/story/meet-priyanka-chopra-the-first">first Indian "Guess Girl."</a> The Economic Times of India reported that <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/fashion-/-cosmetics-/-jewellery/guess-signs-up-priyanka-chopra-as-global-brand-ambassador/articleshow/24834720.cms">her one-year contract with Guess paid her an estimated 5 to 10 crore</a>(between $700,000 and $1.5 million). <h2 style="font-family: LabGrotesque-Black, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.28; font-size: 1.5625rem; letter-spacing: -0.2px;">Chopra's fame grew and caught the attention of US networks.</h2> Chopra in "Quantico." ABC/Phillipe Bosse She <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/priyanka-chopra-inks-talent-deal-758610">signed a deal with ABC in 2014</a> that landed her a starring role as FBI agent Alex Parrish in "Quantico," a political drama series that ran for three seasons. Forbes estimated in 2017 that <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2017/08/30/how-bollywood-crossover-priyanka-chopra-made-10-million-last-year/#17c9a9d1dc40">Chopra pulled in an estimated $3 million per season</a>. Although "Quantico" was canceled in 2018, it helped her become one of the <a href="https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/sofia-vergara-tv-highest-paid-actress-1201860456/">highest-paid female television stars in 2016</a>, alongside the likes of Sofia Vergara and Kaley Cuoco. <h2 style="font-family: LabGrotesque-Black, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.28; font-size: 1.5625rem; letter-spacing: -0.2px;">She made a name for herself in US films.</h2> Chopra in "Baywatch." <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1469304/mediaviewer/rm3825218816">Paramount Pictures/IMDb</a> Chopra voiced Ishani in the 2013 Disney animated movie "Planes." The movie brought in <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=planes.htm">$240 million</a> worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. In 2017 she acted alongside Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Zac Efron in "Baywatch," playing the story's primary antagonist. The movie <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/baywatch_2017">didn't do well with critics</a> but still racked up an estimated <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2017/07/04/box-office-the-biggest-problem-with-baywatch-was-its-budget/#25b0494d1fc2">$152 million</a> worldwide. Her next big movie was the 2019 comedy "Isn't it Romantic," in which she <a href="https://variety.com/2017/film/news/priyanka-chopra-isnt-it-romantic-a-kid-like-jake-1202445935/">appeared alongside Australian actress Rebel Wilson</a>. According to Box Office Mojo, the <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=isntitromantic.htm">film has grossed almost $45 million</a> since opening on February 13. <h2 style="font-family: LabGrotesque-Black, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.28; font-size: 1.5625rem; letter-spacing: -0.2px;">She sang with Pitbull and Will.i.am.</h2> Chopra in 2012. <a href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/India-Bollywood/1bbb7b87573743aa8f9e17dc8df49659/26/0">Rafiq Maqbool/AP</a> Chopra released her debut single, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjgq6-5uDtY">In My City</a>," with Will.i.am in 2012, and the song became the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/earshot/priyanka-chopra-her-thursday-night-628465">NFL's official Thursday night football theme song</a>. Chopra also released singles with Pitbull and The Chainsmokers. <h2 style="font-family: LabGrotesque-Black, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.28; font-size: 1.5625rem; letter-spacing: -0.2px;">Chopra's had several lucrative endorsement deals.</h2> Priyanka Chopra posing with a newly launched Nokia phone in 2010. <a href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/India-Nokia/095d996fd2154789bb3347ee82764b70/1/0">Rafiq Maqbool/AP</a> According to India.com, Chopra earned <a href="https://www.india.com/showbiz/cool-priyanka-chopra-to-make-rs-100-crore-with-24-new-endorsements-1212307/">100 crores (more than $900,000 million) from product endorsements</a> in 2016. Throughout her career, Chopra has <a href="https://aksharit.org/2018/07/19/brands-endorsed-by-priyanka-chopra/">appeared in print and video advertisements</a> for brands including Pepsi, Nokia, Garnier, Sunsilk, Marvel Tea, and Nikon. And Chopra's no stranger to social media marketing, either. She's plugged several online brands, such as <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BgB0ebzAaiK/">Booking.com</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BaZMBEig9vH/">Bumble</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Brh-GP7nAUV/">Amazon</a>, on her own Instagram page, where she has more than 36.7 million followers. <h2 style="font-family: LabGrotesque-Black, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.28; font-size: 1.5625rem; letter-spacing: -0.2px;">She's the head of her own production company.</h2> Chopra and her mother in a picture shared on Chopra's Instagram page.<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhmdai5Ajyj/">Priyanka Chopra/Instagram</a> In 2015 Chopra founded production company <a href="http://www.purplepebblepictures.com/">Purple Pebble Pictures</a> with her mother, Madhu Chopra. The film house, which is based in Mumbai, India, produces small-budget films, with 2016's "Ventilator" being one of the most commercially successful. The movie, which had a <a href="http://www.forbesindia.com/article/work/how-indias-regional-cinema-is-breaking-boundaries/46185/1">budget of 3.5 crores</a> (approximately $500,000), amassed 25 crores (approximately $3.5 million) at the box office, according to<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/Marathi-Punjabi-films-that-made-a-mark-in-2016/article16944908.ece1">The Hindu</a>. <h2 style="font-family: LabGrotesque-Black, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.28; font-size: 1.5625rem; letter-spacing: -0.2px;">Outside of the entertainment industry, Chopra is reportedly a smart investor.</h2> Chopra and Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolf Herd at the Bumble launch in New Delhi in 2018. <a href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/India-Women-Social-Networking/1bb037a30dcd4fe3ac2c73e72ae83ce9/1/0">Pallav Paliwal/AP</a> Over the past decade, Chopra has made several real-estate purchases, including <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/priyanka-owns-nine-flats-in-mumbai/story-YD3jTE7cpcsdt4TN7xMX4I.html">multiple flats</a>, a New York penthouse, and a $14 million, <a href="https://www.ibtimes.co.in/priyanka-chopra-buys-15-bedroom-bungalow-100-crore-606388">15-bedroom bungalow</a>. She also dabbles in the tech industry: She reportedly made an investment in the popular <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-45741811">dating app Bumble</a> in October 2018 and has since <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BrUxBRZH0at/">plugged the company</a> on her Instagram page. <h2 style="font-family: LabGrotesque-Black, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.28; font-size: 1.5625rem; letter-spacing: -0.2px;">She's got a number of projects in the works.</h2> Chopra is working on a web series, a memoir, and more. Jared Siskin/Getty Images Chopra isn't slowing down anytime soon. In addition to working on films in the US and India, she's started shooting<a href="https://www.msn.com/en-in/entertainment/bollywood/priyanka-chopra-announces-her-youtube-original-show-if-i-could-tell-you-just-one-thing/ar-BBSrHmr?li=AAggbRN&amp;parent-title=hyundai-india-achieves-five-lakh-cars-sold-milestone-in-2016&amp;parent-ns=ar&amp;parent-content-id=BBxNO6K">a web series, "If I Could Tell You Just One Thing,"</a> for YouTube. She's also writing a <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/priyanka-chopra-reveals-why-she-decided-to-write-her-memoir-unfinished-1449631-2019-02-06">memoir, "Unfinished."</a>

From movies to real estate, here's how Priyanka Chopra reportedly made her fortune.

2 States, the tale of cross-cultural love between a Punjabi boy and a Tami girl, has finally entered the coveted Rs 100 crore club. But that’s not really surprising. Believe it or not, North Indian men have always found the Southern beauties alluring. And Bollywood boasts of many such instances where a star from the North has fallen head over heels for a Southern queen. Just like the current film, their stories were also mega hits and their tales of matrimony were loaded with stuff that Bollywood blockbusters are made of. Here’s a quick look at six famous couples.

Bollywood’s Most Romantic North-South Connects

June is at the fag end and we almost have a mid-year report card of Bollywood. Though the year started on a dismal note, it picked up towards May and June. 
 
This year, January was like a drought month and even movies starring big names did not interest the audience. As Arjun Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha starrer-'Tevar'- failed to take off, even the Horrex (horror + sex) formula did not work out for ‘Alone’ and ‘Khamoshiyan’. 
 
Other movies that released in January and failed to make a mark included Sonam Kapoor-starrer ‘Dolly Ki Doli’, 'Sharafat Gayi Tel Lene', ‘Crazy Cukkad Family’, ‘Hawaizaada’ among others. 
 
The only respite that the Bollywood lovers got was from Akshay Kumar’s ‘Baby’, which also became the first movie of 2015 to enter the Rs 100 crore club. 
 
But the jinx did not end in January as February continued to bring more bad news for the industry. 
 
The big shocker came in the form of ‘Shamitabh’. The movie, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Dhanush, was directed by R Balki, the maker who has given us movies like Pa and Cheeni Kum. 
 
Later in the month, ‘Roy’ released, which recorded a good start but by weekend the movie fizzled out. Most trade pundits pegged the crucial India-Pakistan match at the World Cup as the reason for the drop of sales on Sunday but the movie could not recover much post this phase also because of negative word of mouth. 
 
Thankfully, later in the same month we had movies like ‘Badlapur’ and ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’. Both managed to gather decent collections at the Box Office. In fact, ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ was a complete surprise package and managed to pull crowds even in its third week . 
 
March threw a mixed bag as Anushka Sharma starrer 'NH-10' received critical acclaim. April again was a dry month as Bollywood had nothing to offer that could have clicked with the Bolly buffs. 
 
However, Bollywood saw a turnaround in May. It started on a high note with Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Gabbar is Back’, which went to collect Rs 86.55 crore at the Box Office. This was followed by Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan’s 'Piku', which struck a right chord with the audience and collected Rs 111 crore worldwide. 
 
Later in the month, Kangana Ranaut wowed the audience with her spectacular acting in ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’. As per reports, the movie managed to collect Rs 190.87 crore worldwide. Given that the movie was made with Rs 31 crore budget, it stood out and is the most profitable movie of 2015 till date. 
 
But, the disappointment came from ‘Bombay Velvet’. Everybody had high hopes from Ranbir Kapoor’s flick but it fell flat. 
 
The momentum seems to continue with ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ and ‘ABCD 2’. ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ has managed Rs 37.05 crore in the first weekend and is holding the fort well. Also ABCD 2, sequel of ABCD, managed to get the biggest opening for 2015 and continues to do a good business over the week. 
 
The later half will see a slew of big- starrer movies such as Salman Khan starrer ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’, Vikas Bahl of Queen fame’s ‘Shaandaar’, ‘Singh is Bling’ featuring Akshay Kumar, Nikhil Advani’s ‘Katti Batti’, Aishwarya Rai’s comeback movie ‘Jazbaa’ and also ‘Dilwale’ in which fans will see Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol paired together. In addition, there will also be a third installment of ‘Hate Story’, ‘Hera Pheri’ and ‘Kya Kool Hai Hum’ to look forward to. 
 
Commenting on the movie sentiment of 2015, Komal Nahata, Trade Analyst shared, “It has been a good 2015 so far. Sure there were some upsets in the start of the year but May has been extremely kind and the rest of the year looks really promising." 
 
We hope that the forthcoming movies get the cash ringer buzzing for Bollywood and we continue to see some entertaining movies in the latter half of the year. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Mid-year assessment: It was a roller coaster ride for Bollywood

They say there is no business like the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Mid-year-assessment-It-was-a-roller-coaster-ride-for-Bollywood/articleshow/47830513.cms">movie business</a> and indeed every Friday we have at least one new movie tossed at the audience. And by Sunday, we get to know whether the movie will be a hit, a miss or just an average fare. 
	 
	So far, 2015 has been quite an interesting year from Bollywood’s perspective. Why I say so is because on one hand we had magnanimous opus like Baahubali achieving great success and on the other, there were small budget movies such as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Relive-the-90s-with-Dum-Laga-Ke-Haisha/articleshow/46395043.cms">Dum Laga Ke Haisha</a>, NH10 and Badlapur, that managed to swoon the audiences and the critics. 
	 
	Sequels like Tanu Weds Manu Returns managed to outshine their last offering and then we had Piku that conveyed human emotions in a brilliant way and also got the cash register ringing.
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>
				Movie Name</td>
			<td>
				Budget</td>
			<td>
				Earning</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dum_Laga_Ke_Haisha">Dum Laga Ke Haisa</a></td>
			<td>
				Rs 15 Crore</td>
			<td>
				Rs 100 Crore</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badlapur_(film)">Badlapur</a></td>
			<td>
				Rs 25 Crore</td>
			<td>
				Rs 119 Crore</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NH10">NH10</a></td>
			<td>
				Rs 13 Crore</td>
			<td>
				Rs 32.1 Crore</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanu_Weds_Manu_Returns">Tanu Weds Manu Returns</a></td>
			<td>
				Rs 30 Crore</td>
			<td>
				Rs 252 Crore</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piku">Piku</a></td>
			<td>
				Rs 42 Crore</td>
			<td>
				Rs 141 Crore</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baahubali:_The_Beginning">Bahubali: The Beginning</a></td>
			<td>
				Rs 120 Crore</td>
			<td>
				Rs 600 Crore</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

	So should we conclude that the era for clichéd, formula-based movies, is coming to an end? 
	 
	Not really as in 2015, we had movies like Hero, Tevar, Roy, etc that banked on the predictable story line to woo the audience and managed to garner mixed acceptance. 
	 
	But, if we see a larger picture, new concepts with small budgets and strong script are doing well. 
	 
	The success of Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Tanu Weds Manu Returns and last year’s Queen hinted that directors and storytellers should venture with newer concepts to engage and entertain the audience. 
	 
	To this trend, Komal Nahata, trade analyst, said, “I would not like to say that there is a trend shift that is happening. From the past three-four years we have seen some small budget movies doing pretty well. The market for such films is also growing. Earlier they used to do well only in certain multiplexes, then it grew to few cities but now in pockets pan-India, they do well.” 
	 
	While it is true that there are quite a few experimental movies that are being screened, but multiple sources in the industry, on conditions of anonymity, told us that about 60-75% of the movies that go on the floor never see light of the day. 
	 
	 
	 
	A lot of these movies are actually finished products but fail to make it to cinema halls as the distributors are unwilling to buy them or the producer has lost confidence in the movie and does not want to spend more money in promoting them. 
	 
	Despite of the fact that some movies do well in global markets, they are not released in India. The movies that have found place in this list include Peddlers, The Coffin Maker, Dekh Indian Circus, etc. 
	 
	Mind you, not all of these shelved movies have lesser known faces as their star cast. The Coffin Maker stars Naseeruddin Shah while Nawazuddin Siddiqui features in Dekh India Circus. 
	 
	Siddiqui said, “It is rather unfortunate that a lot of content-oriented movies in India are still struggling to get funding in the country and there are a few completed projects that are not able to secure a release. Not just Dekh India Circus, there are a few more of my movies that are currently not released and I have started taking more commercial projects since last year with the hope that if I become a little more known face, it will be easier for my directors and producers to get the pending projects released.” 
	 
	And off-beat movies that managed to secure a release, had to face a tough time in the process. 
	 
	For instance, Shonali Bose’s “Margarita With a Straw”, which has Kalki Koechlin as the leading lady, garnered accolades at Toronto International Film Festival and Koechlin also bagged the best actress award at The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in 2014. After much delays, the movie finally released to Indian audience on April 17, 2015.
<div style="page-break-after: always;">
	&#xa0;</div>

	Unfortunately, not all the movies are lucky as this one. There are quite a few of these Bollywoods' lost children that fail to get a screen space in the midst of high-brow glitterati. 
	 
	I managed to see the world premiere of one such movie in the very heart of London’s film world. Being a movie enthusiast, I had heard a lot about London’s prestigious Raindance Film Festival and it was quite a coincidence that I managed to see a Bollywood movie listed as an `official selection’. 
	 
	Curiosity got the better of me and I reached just in the nick of the time to see ‘Peter Gaya Kaam Se’ (PGKS) (aka The Goa Run). The super plush Vue Cinema in Piccadilly Circus was almost full and the first theatrical screening for this lost Bollywood baby was a complete entertainment package. 
	 
	John Owens' action packed adventure tells the story of a motorcycle taxi driver from Goa (Rajeev Khandelwal) who falls in love with Mira, a beautiful and beguiling drug smuggler from London (Lekha Washington). This out and out commercial flick was originally produced by UTV Spotboys but got shelved and largely forgotten during Disneys' protracted takeover of the company. 
	 
	Director John Owen, who has worked in India for many years as one of MTV and Channel [V]’s head honchos, had penned and directed this story. The movie was shot extensively in Goa and took about a month to complete. It turns out that, the Raindance founder Elliot Grove took a personal interest in the film. 
	 
	 
	 
	Says Owen, "Raindance loved the film and were determined to host the world premiere, especially as I am the first Brit to direct a Bollywood film. A fact that makes me very proud. So when Disney finally gave permission I flew over to Mumbai, finished the sound work we had pending at my cost, did the subtitles myself and had a high end digital print made. The quality of the screening was just superb.” 
	 
	Raindance is in its 22nd year and has become one of the world’s premiere film festivals and very highly thought of by the industry itself. 
	 
	Owen adds, "We didn’t have any money to promote the screening so it was all word of mouth and the buzz of social media. People came from all over the country, it was amazing." 
	 
	Ironically, on the very same weekend Disney's Khoobsurat was premiering in the UK and I could see a theatre just across the street in London's Leicester Square showing it. 
	 
	When I put this point across to Owen, he chuckled and said, "It's funny because Shashanka Ghosh and I have been friends since our MTV days. I stayed with him when I was over in Mumbai fixing up the film in September and we joked about him being Disney's loved and me being their unloved child.” 
	 
	Given the response this movie managed to get sans any promotion and that too in London, I was curious to know what plans Owen or Disney have for this movie. Owen shared that some high-flying industry folks were amongst the excited audience and they saw real potential for the film in the UK and the US. 
	 
	No wonder, UK distributors are showing interest in the movie. Even in India PGKS is well-liked amongst industry insiders who were given personal screenings by the director. After all, the film does come with some pedigree. Anurag and Abhinav Kashyap were `creative producers' and UTV’s top producer on the job at the time was the visionary Vikas Bahl (who has given movies such as Chiller Party and Queen). So, what happens now to Peter Gaya Kaam Se? 
	 
	Owen picks on a philosophical note and shares, "It's all about love and timing. PGKS came along at the wrong time in the marriage of UTV and Disney. So, it’s the unwanted child. A bit like how Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire was for Warner Brothers. Warners’ just didn’t like the film so they let Danny go off and find a new home with Fox Searchlight. Fox loved the film, supported Danny, and made Slumdog a massive box office success. The film industry does not work like a science. Sometimes it comes down to personal taste. When I get depressed about the whole thing I think of Danny and Slumdog and get inspired all over again.” 
	 
	While Owen never had the resources or connections to find buyers for PGKS, on its own, he is looking to crowd funding and other ways to get this movie to be released.
<div style="page-break-after: always;">
	&#xa0;</div>

	It is noteworthy, that UTV Spotboys was the pioneer of small budget, content-oriented movies in India. 
	 
	Khosla Ka Ghosla was one of the first movies in this genre that was produced under UTV Motion Pictures. Later between 2008 and 2009, under the UTV Spotboys banner, they released movies such as Dev D, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, Welcome to Sajjanpur, A Wednesday, Mumbai Meri Jaan and Aamir. All these movies managed to get a fair share of success at the ticket window. 
	 
	 
	 
	Another coincidence worth pointing out in the case of Peter Gaya Kaam Se is that it went on floor almost at the same time as Paan Singh Tomar. 
	 
	The latter, too, was produced by UTV Spotboys and managed to get a release on March 2, 2012, almost four years after it was complete and it managed to be a box office success largely due to word of mouth. 
	 
	The bigger coincidence is that Paan Singh Tomar, too, was premiered at the 2010 British Film Institute London, almost two years before its domestic release. 
	 
	We spoke to Rucha Pathak on why it was such a challenge to make a movie like Paan Singh Tomar. 
	 
	Pathak was the associate producer of Paan Singh Tomar and Sr. Creative Director at UTV (now Disney India) when this film was being made and is now Head of Creative &amp; Development at Fox Star Studios. 
	 
	“The main challenges we faced while trying to make Paan Singh Tomar was that because it was probably the first time a film like this was being made people did not realise what it was going to be like and it was therefore completely against the trend in those days,” she said. 
	 
	Also we could not help ask her if is it really possible to get any small budget movie out there in the market to which she answered, “It is difficult to release small and medium budget films these days but not impossible. I think if one can find the right marketing budget and the right target audience that you want to reach out to, then it’s possible to release a film. It is really critical these days to make films at the right budget and market films at the right budget. Once that is under control then I believe one can get a film out to reach an audience that it is meant for.” 
	 
	While Pathak emphasised on the budgeting bit, Nahata feels, “Exhibition or the release strategy is very detrimental to the business of content driven movies. The moment there is a big movie coming in, they are thrown out. Most such movies need time for the word of mouth to pick up.” 
	 
	
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The distributors today are looking for instant gratification. They would expect the movie to have 80 to 90% occupancy rates for its release Friday itself. If the movie does not show results by Sunday, then on Monday it is thrown out. This was not really the case earlier. I still remember when Maine Pyaar Kiya released, it had just one cinema hall in Mumbai, later when the word of mouth spread, the movie was given more space and it was a such a huge hit,” shares Ami Shah, co-founder and creative director of IntelliAssist (a company that has handled social media mandates for Bollywood movies). 
 
Indeed, distribution is one big challenge for small budget, content-oriented movies in India. However, Director Onir mentions that it is not the only one. Just to give you a perspective, Onir is an Indian film maker, who has churned out movies such as 'I AM, My Brother Nikhil’ and Bas Ek Pal. He had crowd funded his movie I AM, which released in 2010 and also bagged the national award for the same. 
 
Ask him if given a chance would he again crowd fund a movie or give any other director struggling for funds the same suggestion and he replies, “No it is one thing to make a movie and altogether another to get it to the cinema. Marketing a movie, especially a content-oriented one is a hard job.” 
 
I would agree with his point that it is tough nut to market a movie that does not have bankable stars. Like, Filmistaan, the 2014 movie was an endearing tale of wannabe actor, who gets kidnapped by terrorists and held in the home of a Pakistani who deals in pirated Hindi films. The tale captures how both of them bond over movies. 
 
The trailers of the movie looked very bland and I was not sure whether I would want to waste time watching this movie. Fortunately for me, one of my friend dragged me to this movie and I would admit that it was actually one of the best movies of 2014 that I managed to see and yes it did manage to win a national award as well. 
 
The cost of marketing in itself is quite high as well and it is not just important to buy ad space but also to connect right with your target audience. This is perhaps one lesson that the movie Queen managed to do well and of course the word of mouth helped it consolidate its position over a period of time. 
 
Onir also mentions that the government will have to play a greater role to help protect content-driven cinema in India. “The approach that our government takes is that they treat Bollywood as a business and not art. However, it will have to realize that like any art even movies need a bit of support”. In his opinion, there could be plenty of other avenues where movies can be showcased. 
 
Now talking about television, we have 24-hour movie channels that end up playing same movie almost every weekend. Most TV channels pick up movies that have done well on the box office, so that they don’t have to do much in terms of marketing and yet they can have good TRPs on their so-called “World Television Premiere”. It is a possibility that some of these movies that are left biting the dust, some might be ideal for the TV watching audience but so far these gems are not able to get any real support for this medium too. 
 
With the coming of 4G, it is expected that some of these movies might get a fresh lease of hope. There are producers and directors that are looking for alternative channels to monetize their movies via online ads and pay per view models. Currently none of them has been able to come out with a full proof plan and hence some great marvels of Hindi cinema continue to rot in their graves, while the others in the hands of resilient makers are fighting it hard to get to their audiences.

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