Indus Chronicles

In a mark of respect to the late former Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the makers of Salman Khan’s much-awaited film, Sikandar, have postponed the release of the teaser. The teaser, originally scheduled to be unveiled on December 27 at 11:07 AM—coinciding with Salman Khan’s birthday—will now release on December 28 at the same time.

Official Announcement by the Makers

The makers of Sikandar shared the update via social media. The statement read, “In light of the passing of our esteemed former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Ji, we regret to announce that the release of the Sikandar teaser has been postponed to 28th December 11:07 AM. Our thoughts are with the nation during this time of mourning. Thank you for understanding. - #TeamSikandar.”

The 80-second teaser, from the film directed by AR Murugadoss and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, is expected to showcase Salman Khan in a never-before-seen avatar. However, the decision to delay the release reflects the team's respect for the late leader and the sentiments of the nation.

In light of the passing of our esteemed former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Ji, we regret to announce that the release of the Sikandar teaser has been postponed to 28th December 11:07 AM. Our thoughts are with the nation during this time of mourning. Thank you for understanding.… — Nadiadwala Grandson (@NGEMovies) December 27, 2024

Remembering Dr. Manmohan Singh

Dr. Manmohan Singh passed away on December 26 at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi, where he was admitted, released a statement confirming his demise. “With profound grief, we inform the demise of former Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, aged 92. He was being treated for age-related medical conditions and had a sudden loss of consciousness at home on 26 December 2024,” the statement said. Despite resuscitative efforts, Dr. Singh could not be revived and was declared dead at 9:51 pm.

Dr. Singh, who served as India’s Prime Minister for two consecutive terms from 2004 to 2014, was the architect of India’s economic liberalization policies in 1991. His calm and visionary leadership earned him immense respect across the political spectrum and among citizens. He is survived by his wife, Gurcharan Kaur, and three daughters.

Also Read: Manmohan Singh passes away at 92: Bhumi Pednekar, Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt, and others pay heartfelt tributes

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, known for his grand cinematic vision and compelling storytelling, is set to take audiences on a journey of passion and resilience with his upcoming magnum opus, Love And War. The film, already generating significant buzz, stars Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, and Alia Bhatt in pivotal roles. Adding to the excitement, Orhan Awatramani, popularly known as Orry, has joined the ensemble cast, while Deepika Padukone is set to make a cameo appearance, marking her continued association with the filmmaker.

Orry, a socialite and budding actor, has bagged a significant role in the film. He will be portraying a homosexual character who shares a close bond with Alia Bhatt’s character, a cabaret dancer navigating the complexities of life and love during tumultuous times. Orry’s role is expected to bring a fresh perspective to the narrative, exploring themes of friendship, acceptance, and identity.

This marks a bold and exciting move for Orry as he steps into the limelight under the guidance of a visionary like Bhansali. Known for his meticulous attention to detail, Bhansali is sure to craft a layered and memorable character for Orry, making his debut one to watch out for. Interestingly, well placed industry sources reveal, “While currently Orry’s involvement in the project is being kept under wraps, he has already shot for his segment in Love And War. It is likely that the makers want him to be a surprise element that will appeal to the masses.”

Deepika Padukone, who has previously collaborated with Bhansali in blockbusters like Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, Bajirao Mastani, and Padmaavat, will make a special appearance in Love And War. Deepika has often been hailed as Bhansali’s lucky charm, and her cameo in the film adds a touch of star power and nostalgia.

While details of her role remain under wraps, it is confirmed that she will appear alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal, two of the film’s central figures. Her cameo is expected to add depth to the story, further enriching Bhansali’s already intricate narrative.

Set against the backdrop of a war-torn era, Love And War is a tale of intense emotions, showcasing Bhansali’s signature style of grandeur and storytelling finesse. Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal lead the cast, with Alia Bhatt playing a pivotal role as a cabaret dancer whose life intertwines with theirs in unexpected ways. The inclusion of Orry and Deepika Padukone further elevates the film’s appeal, promising a mix of drama, romance, and spectacular performances.

As anticipation builds for Love And War, the film promises to be a cinematic event that celebrates the complexities of love, the trials of war, and the resilience of the human spirit. Fans can’t wait to witness Bhansali’s magic on the big screen once again.

Also Read: Ranbir Kapoor expresses excitement to reunite with Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Love and War; says, “He is my godfather”

The big Christmas entertainer, Baby John, was released today in cinemas. The film had generated excitement not just due to its mass element, Varun Dhawan’s casting and Atlee’s association but also because of Salman Khan’s cameo. Its glimpse was shown briefly in the trailer and it added to the excitement.

It has come to light that the superstar’s special appearance is quite rocking and would be loved by fans. Salman Khan is lovingly called Bhai Jaan by fans and in Baby John, his character is named Agent Bhai Jaan! This tribute will surely be appreciated by his millions of admirers across the world.

This is the second cameo by Salman Khan in less than two months. He was also seen in a special appearance Singham Again. However, his appearance in this multi-starrer Diwali release hardly lasted for a few seconds and hence, fans were dejected. But in Baby John, fans would have no complaints. He has enough screen space and he’s seen doing not just action but also comedy.

In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Baby John producer Murad Khetani explained how Salman Khan came on board, “Atlee informed me about the requirement for a star for a cameo. He asked if Salman sir could come on board. I assured him that I’d talk to him. I met Salman bhai; we sat and started chatting. It took me an hour to gather the courage to ask him. Finally, I told him ‘Apni picture mein Varun ke saath ek din ka cameo shoot karna hai’. He replied, ‘Yes, done. Bata dena kab karna hai’. So, while it took me an hour to gather the courage to ask him, he took less than 10 seconds to give his nod! That’s how Salman bhai is; large-hearted and humble.”

Two days from now, on December 27, Salman Khan will celebrate his birthday. On this momentous occasion, the teaser of his much awaited film Sikandar will be unveiled digitally. Meanwhile, Baby John will be running in cinemas in which the star is shown in a massy avatar, albeit in a cameo. Hence, Salman fans are in for a treat in this final week of 2024.

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While Bollywood experienced its own fair share of successes this year, the love that Pushpa 2 – The Rule garnered has been record-breaking. The film, starring Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna, was the most anticipated movies of the year considering the tremendous success of the prequel. Taking success, fame, and box office figures several notches higher, the second instalment has received love from across the country and now the renowned production house Yash Raj Films has cheered for the film’s success.

YRF shares congratulatory note on social media

In a rare moment, Yash Raj Films has showcased love and support towards production house Mythri Movie Makers and the movie Pushpa 2 – The Rule as the film has created history at the box office. Applauding the entire team including the cast and crew, YRF shared a heartfelt congratulatory note on social media that read, “Records are meant to be broken and new ones push everyone towards excellence. Congratulations to the entire #Pushpa2TheRule team for rewriting history books. Fire nahi, Wildfire!!!!!”

Congratulations to the entire #Pushpa2TheRule team! @mythriofficial | @aryasukku | @alluarjun | @iamRashmika | #FahadhFaasil pic.twitter.com/BtUYeocfzk — Yash Raj Films (@yrf) December 23, 2024

Allu Arjun reacts to the note and says he is ‘humbled’ by their gesture

In response to this lovely gesture, actor Allu Arjun decided to respond to it and took to the social media platform X aka Twitter, and said, “Thank you … so graceful.  Humbled by your wishes. Thank you, I am touched. May this record soon be broken by a heart-melting #YRF film, and may we all collectively move towards excellence.”

Thank you … so graceful . Humbled by your wishes. Thank you , I am touched . May this record soon be broken by a heart-melting #YRF film , and may we all collectively move towards excellence. — Allu Arjun (@alluarjun) December 23, 2024

About Pushpa 2 – The Rule

Also starring Rashmika Mandanna as Pushpa’s wife Srivalli and Fahadh Faasil as the antagonist IPS officer Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, the action entertainer traces the journey of a small-time sandalwood smuggler Pushparaj and his journey of becoming one of the most feared gangsters. The film released on December 5 in multiple languages including Hindi.

Also Read: Allu Arjun’s kids Arha and Ayaan forced to leave their residence after their Hyderabad home gets vandalized

Since Thursday, there have been reports that Pushpa 2 – The Rule’s distributor Anil Thadani and Baby John’s distributor PVR Inox Pictures are having a tussle over show-sharing. Yesterday, Bollywood Hungama reported that the advance booking of Baby John, starring Varun Dhawan, is yet to open in several cinemas as PVR has asked for 60% of the shows for their film and 40% of shows for Pushpa 2 – The Rule. Reportedly, the distributor of Pushpa 2 and even some exhibitors have reservations about this arrangement.

Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke to Baby John’s producer Murad Khetani on Sunday evening (December 22) and he clarified these reports. He also assured that the advance booking for the film would begin across the country on Monday, December 23.

Murad Khetani began by saying, “There’s no issue. MovieMax, Miraj, Mukta etc. have also opened advances. There were some little things that needed to be taken care of, regarding programming. We need to go step-by-step and it takes time. Our distribution team has been working on it. Everything can’t be closed and arranged together.”

There were murmurs that PVR Inox had started the booking of both Baby John and Pushpa 2 – The Rule for December 25 while other chains were not allowed to do so, leading to a first-mover advantage for PVR and Inox cinemas.

On this, Murad Khetani clarified, “The other multiplexes follow the programming pattern of the national chains. That’s why PVR, Inox and Cinepolis opened first. PVR Inox is distributing the film. Other chains wanted to see what PVR Inox is asking for and are also implementing similar showcasing in their own theatres. This is the reason why PVR Inox opened the advances first. The idea was to convey to other multiplexes that ‘Look, we are also giving so many shows to Baby John. We’d want you to follow suit’. By doing so, they made it clear that they are not asking for many shows for Baby John while not doing the same in their multiplexes.”

He continued, “In other words, the intention was never for PVR Inox to open the advances so that they get the advantage over other multiplex chains.”

When asked about an update for show-sharing in the single screens, Murad Khetani replied, “We are working on it as we need to take a lot of factors into consideration, including the film’s run time. Some single screens are okay with show-sharing while some are not. By Monday, December 23, it’ll be sorted. We are being very reasonable. We are asking for 50-50 show sharing. And if some theatres play 5 shows a day, then we are asking for 3 shows.” He added, “By tomorrow (December 23) hopefully, Baby John’s advance will open all over India.”

What’s the screen count for Baby John? Murad Khetani informed us, “We are looking at releasing the film in approximately 3000 screens.” Will there be a paid preview for the film from the evening of December 24? He said, “There are no such plans.”

Also Read: Varun Dhawan makes SHOCKING claim: Baby John star reveals “wife of a powerful man” stalked him, broke into his house; says, “She thought I’d leave my family for her”

AP Dhillon, currently on his India tour, addressed the audience during his Chandigarh performance and made a surprising revelation about fellow singer Diljit Dosanjh. Dhillon thanked Diljit for a recent shout-out but added a twist, stating in Punjabi, “First unblock me on Instagram and then talk to me. I don’t want to talk about what marketing is happening, but first unblock me. I've been working for three years. Have you ever seen me in any controversy?”

The comment referred to Diljit’s acknowledgment of AP Dhillon and Karan Aujla during his Indore concert, where he had said, “Mere aur do bhaiyon ne tour shuru kiya hai Karan Aujla aur AP Dhillon nein, unke liye bhi best of luck (Two of my brothers, Karan Aujla and AP Dhillon, have started their tour; best of luck to them, too).”

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  A post shared by Abhimanyu Jhingan (@abhimanyujhingan)

Diljit’s Response: “Mere Pange Sarkaaran Naal” Diljit Dosanjh wasted no time addressing AP Dhillon’s remarks. Taking to Instagram Stories, Diljit shared a screenshot of AP Dhillon’s Instagram page, showing that the singer’s posts were visible. The move implied AP Dhillon was never blocked. Diljit captioned the screenshot, “I never blocked you. Mere pange sarkaaran naal ho sakde aa....kalaakaran naal ni (My issues could be with the government…not with the artists).”

Diljit Promotes Unity Among Independent Artists During his Indore concert, Diljit spoke about the importance of unity in the independent music scene. He remarked, “Yeh independent music ka time shuru hai. Musibate toh ayengi. Jab koi revolution aata hai toh musibat aati hai. Hum apna kam karte jayenge (The time for independent music has started. Problems will arise. When there is a revolution, problems will arise. We will keep working).”

Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil-Luminati India Tour kicked off on October 26 in New Delhi and will conclude on December 29 in Guwahati. Most recently, he performed in Mumbai on December 19. Meanwhile, AP Dhillon’s India tour has also garnered attention, adding momentum to the country's rising wave of independent music.

Also Read: Diljit Dosanjh REACTS to advisory for Mumbai concert, recites Sagar Manthan’s story: “People will bother and interrupt, but never let that disturb you”

The last big Bollywood film of 2024, Baby John, will be released in a few days and it has managed to generate excitement due to the casting, mass appeal and association of Atlee. The makers managed to complete the censor process in time and Bollywood Hungama, in this exclusive article, will focus on its cut list.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) awarded Baby John a U/A certificate. However, the Examining Committee (EC) asked for certain modifications. The duration of the opening disclaimer was increased and the makers were asked to add a line, 'The title of the film, Baby John, bears no connection or resemblance to any political figure or entity'. Then, a voiceover and text were added stating that the performance of the child artists has been as per the existing guidelines. A consent letter was also submitted to the CBFC.

The EC censored two dialogues in the film. At one place, 'Phule' was muted in a dialogue which referred to Mahatma Jyotiba Phule. In another scene, Lal Bahadur Shastri was replaced by another word; the replacement term is unspecified in the cut list.

The CBFC asked the makers for four visual modifications. The scene where a character kicks a 'kalash' (pot) was modified. The visuals of characters being set on fire were reduced by 50%. Thirdly, the visual of a character tapping cigarette buds on another character's face was modified. Lastly, a close shot of a gunshot was also modified.

That's not all. The CBFC members asked the makers to submit an AWBI (Animal Welfare Board of India) certificate and factual sources to the statistical data on rape mentioned by a character in the film.

Once these changes were made, Baby John was passed by the CBFC on December 16. The length of the film, as mentioned on the censor certificate, is 164.01 minutes. In other words, the run time of Baby John is 2 hours 44 minutes and 1 second.

Starring Varun Dhawan, Jackie Shroff, Keerthy Suresh and Wamiqa Gabbi, Baby John releases in cinemas on December 25.

Also Read: Varun Dhawan is all praises for Jackie Shroff in Baby John; says, “This will be Jackie Shroff 3.0 in the film”