<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/33822468.cms" /> 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

SRK, Rajnikanth, Ranveer Singh set to fire up the silver screens in 2023: Here are the most-anticipated upcoming Indian movie releases

<ul><li>In our latest episode of BTS with Insiders, <keyword id="6375200" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="PIYUSH-PANDEY">Piyush Pandey</keyword>, Chief Creative Officer Worldwide, Ogilvy, talks about four actors, <keyword id="16207" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Irrfan-Khan">Irrfan Khan</keyword>, Pushpa Joshi, <keyword id="2717040" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Atmaram-Bhende">Atmaram Bhende</keyword> and <keyword id="2026942" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Asha-Bhende">Asha Bhende</keyword>, would are no longer with us but who created magic in some campaigns created by the ad guru.</li><li>Pandey shares some stories from each of the three ads, while also making an appeal to younger creative professionals to be open to identifying new actors.</li></ul>Last week we collectively grieved the loss of two stalwarts who made a huge impact on Indian cinema, Irrfan Khan and <keyword id="6357910" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rishi-Kapoor">Rishi Kapoor</keyword>. When I reached out to Piyush Pandey, Chief Creative Officer Worldwide, Ogilvy, for our weekly chat show, BTS with Insiders, we initially wanted to talk about three ads that he had worked on over the course of his career that he held close to his heart. However, considering how the week had panned out, Pandey was mourning the loss of the two actors too, and it only seemed fitting that we speak about some of the gems he had created over the years, not just with Khan but also with a few other actors. Episode 3 of BTS with Insiders saw us talking to Pandey about Irrfan Khan, who was the face of Hutch and acted in around 18 ads for the brand, Pushpa Joshi, who took the nation by storm just by a few seconds of her presence as a kabaadiwaali in Fevikwik’s recent ad, and actors Atmaram Bhende and his wife, Asha Bhende who were a part of SBI Life’s campaign, close to 10 years back. Each of the four actors had something in them that took the stories Pandey wanted to tell, and turned them into unforgettable gems. Irrfan Khan - Hutch When Ogilvy wanted to create a series of ads talking about Hutch’s new recharge packs, and the agency wanted the ad to speak the language of the common man, simply to make it more relatable, and to drive its simple point across, that Hutch will give you the most value for your money. Ever since the passing away of Khan, people across the country, in their numerous tributes to the actor have mentioned about his portrayals being relatable. He made us feel that he was one of us. It was perhaps this quality that made V Mahesh and Rajiv Rao, along with the Hutch team decided to cast Khan in the ads. “Irrfan was not a masses man only through his cinema. He was a fantastic symbol of a common man, and an amazing actor. Rajiv and Mahesh, along with Shashanka Chaturvedi (aka Bob) of Good Morning Films who directed the films thought of Irrfan,” shared Pandey. The brand and agency had initially thought of coming up with 3 films. “We ended up doing 18 eventually,” shared Pandey with a laugh. “Everybody loved him because he was so credible and amazing,” he added. What made the ads memorable was the fact that they were written the way a common man speaks. “And while I was not present at the shoot, I am pretty certain that Irrfan would have added his bits to it. You cannot work with a big actor without using his abilities beyond acting because they come up with the little things that add magic. And magic is exactly what he created. Today, when he is a lot more popular, one could have done a lot more with him but in those days, he was not known to billions of people because that wasn’t exactly his kind of cinema. And yet, he walked in and stole the show, every single time,” said Pandey. He also shared that he kept making plans with Irrfan to meet up in Jaipur, which is where both of them grew up, but it never really materialized. “We made a whole lot of plans to fly kites together in Jaipur but unfortunately the opportunity never came, and he flew away from our midst,” said Pandey. Pushpa Joshi - Fevikwik Pandey has been weaving magic for one of Ogilvy’s oldest clients Pidilite for years now. Who can forget some of the old gems created for brands like Fevicol and Fevikwik. Bharat Puri. Managing Director at <keyword id="260169" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pidilite-Industries">Pidilite Industries</keyword> often says that Ogilvy isn’t really a creative partner for them, rather they almost are the owners of the brand. It is perhaps this confidence in Pandey and his team that made Pidilite agree to casting octogenarian Pushpa Joshi, who played the role of a kabaadiwaali, in Fevikwik’s recent adorable campaign and wooed the entire nation with her endearing charm. It was Pandey’s brother <keyword id="1397913" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prasoon-Pandey">Prasoon Pandey</keyword>, who thought of casting Joshi in the ad. “Pushpaji was cast in the ad with a bit of difficulty, with due apologies to my young clients at Pidilite. They were apprehensive because how you can get somebody so old to act? And my brother Prasoon Pandey who directed the ad said, ‘There’s no retirement age for a kabadiwali’. When she came to the set though, Prasoon himself was a little worried because she arrived in a wheelchair. But soon she just picked up and gave us the performance of a lifetime. The ad took the nation by storm just because of what she did and what the director did with her,” shared Pandey. While Pushpa Ji, as everybody lovingly called her, won everyone’s hearts just by coming on the screen for a few seconds, Pandey rued the fact that they had not discovered her earlier. “I don’t recall seeing Pushpa Ji in any other ad. Maybe we weren’t really good at sourcing her. We didn’t find her earlier enough but when we did, she left us with the impression of a lifetime. For our younger audience, there’s a lesson here. It’s never too late to start. If you have a talent, just go out and play. You never know, you might find that the years were never lost and that you can make up for them in one shot,” added Pandey. Atmaram and Asha Bhende - <keyword id="194127" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="SBI-Life-Insurance">SBI Life Insurance</keyword> Atmaram Bhende was a well-known face in Marathi movies and theatre. However, people in the rest of the country discovered this veteran actor in Lage Raho Munna Bhai as one of the many adorable people staying at the old age home that the entire movie revolved around. Atmaram Ji along with his wife, Asha Bhende, had been a part of SBI Life Insurance’s campaign, ‘Heere Ko Kya Pata’ close to 10 years back. This simple, slice of life conversation between an elderly couple was brought to life by these two effortless actors. What also makes this campaign doubly special is the fact that it is based on a conversation Pandey had with his mother. “The story of this ad is inspired by a conversation I had with my mother. She wanted to own a diamond but never asked us for it. She had a lot of self-respect. One day our sisters told us about her secret wish to us but we weren’t very affluent at that point of time. So we went and bought a pair of earrings for her. Prasoon paid for one and I paid for the other. When we gave it to her, she had said, ‘Iss umr me kahan pehenungi main heera? (Where will I wear a diamond at this age?). That stayed with me and when I created the ad, I added the line, ‘Heere ko kya pata tumhari umr, (The diamond doesn’t really know your age), at the time of writing the film. When we were casting, my brother said that nobody can perform this better than Atmaram Ji and Asha Ji,” he reminisced. Before ending the conversation, Pandey also made an appeal to the advertising industry, asking them to give new talent a chance. “Our younger audience and professionals in the industry should never forget that there are some fantastic actors around who have the capability to make your script ten times as good from where you wrote it. And as I pay my tribute to all these four fantastic artists for giving our industry a touch of their magic, I would ask the younger generation to identify such actors, use them well and give them the opportunity. So look for more of such people and make our industry look better by using these stalwarts,” he concluded.

When Piyush Pandey paid tribute to Irrfan Khan, Pushpa Joshi, Atmaram and Asha Bhende, stalwarts we lost in the last few years

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50639749.cms" />Few weeks are left for actor <keyword id="7645" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sanjay-Dutt">Sanjay Dutt</keyword>’s release from Pune’s Yerwada jail, where he is serving sentence after he was convicted in 1993 Mumbai blasts case, and legal experts are expecting some sort of a rebound in legal discourse surrounding such cases. 
 
Dutt, who was out on prolonged furloughs during the time he served his sentence in prison from May 2013, will make his way out of the jail for once and for all on February 25 this year. The reason for his release, seven months before the five-year sentence, is cited as ‘good behaviour’ in the jail. 
 
The first course of action has already started rolling out. One of the convicts in former PM Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Perarivalan, has sought to know the grounds of Dutt’s release. He was serving reminiscent prison sentence of 42 months from the time he went behind bars amidst much drama surrounding his return to prison when the sentence was commuted. 
 
Perarivalan has used the Right to Information Act, one of the most democratic weapons Indians have against the lagging administrative and judicial system. Perarivalan is currently lodged in Vellore Central Prison. 
 
Activists are already building arguments around Dutt’s impending release saying ‘good conduct’ is not a ground for release under serious cases such as TADA under which Dutt was jailed. 
 
Though the proposal granting his remittance is yet to be cleared by the Maharashtra government, speculations are rife that the proposal would be given ‘due’ importance and a certain amount of surety will be demanded from Dutt. 
 
An activist Pradeep Bhalekar has filed a PIL in Bombay High Court questioning this step taken by the authorities in Dutt’s case which would send ‘wrong’ message to the society. 
 
Bhalekar claims there are nearly 27,740 prisoners who have been jailed across the state under charges that are lighter than that the actor faces. If they cannot be freed, how was Dutt’s case considered to be above them, and above the law which is deemed to be equal for all? 
 
This would also send somewhat a mixed message to the convicts of various crimes that no matter how serious the crime is, one can supersede the law using the same contexts that set the stage for their arrest and conviction. 
 
Meanwhile, Bollywood awaits its Munna Bhai with great anticipation. New scripts, new releases and new stories will hit the screen, adding excitement and some great economy to the biggest employer of this nation—the Bollywood. 
 
The next series of Munna Bhai, directed by Rajkumar Hirani, is being planned coinciding with days when the actor turns a free bird. 
 
Bollywood has been in the centre of storm over legalities owing to the huge economical margins they set in motion with their presence on the screen. Their on-screen persona should not influence their off-screen activities, which are sometimes more than questionable. 
 
For instance, when Bollywood actor Salman Khan, considered to be a mega force in the industry, was granted bail soon after his conviction in hit-and-run case, the reaction on social media and the celebration that followed showed societal emotions override all legal modalities when it comes to heroes who are demigods in the country since a long time. 
 
Dutt’s release before time will surely send a mixed bag of signals to the society on this front. On the other hand, should a man/actor/celebrity be dealt more sternly than required just because of his personality being in the public eye? This is another question that would haunt the society in some ways, which would disturb the equilibrium of the law as well. 
 
Should Dutt complete the sentence, foregoing all the privileges that have been granted by the law to all citizens? What would then be the incentive for a convicted person to go on the path of reformation and regret should he be kept out from this provision? 
 
It is a well established fact that while Dutt serves his sentence in the prison, has always maintained good relations with his fellow prison mates and has show exemplary behavior that can set the stage for a lot of people to emulate his conduct while they bow before the verdict of law. 
With that, the question remains. Should he, or shouldn’t he be released? 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

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

Sanghamitra Mandal

SRK, Rajnikanth, Ranveer Singh set to fire up the silver screens in 2023: Here are the most-anticipated upcoming Indian movie releases

Srishti Magan

When Piyush Pandey paid tribute to Irrfan Khan, Pushpa Joshi, Atmaram and Asha Bhende, stalwarts we lost in the last few years

Samarpita Banerjee

Sanjay Dutt’s impending release may have repercussions

Preetam Kaushik