<p>With a rise in the re-releases of popular Indian films in theatres, it's a clear indication that this year’s fresh releases have been dull in terms of entertainment. <em>Pad Man</em> director R Balki thinks the same. In a recent chat with MIT World Peace University, R Balki said that he honestly feels that a few Bollywood blockbusters in the last four to five years have been “damn boring”.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said, “A few blockbusters that have happened in the last four or five years, or whatever, have actually been the worst films. Not only from an intellectual or artistic point of view but also from the old entertainment, ‘masala, paisa vasool’ kind of a feel. Also, they’re damn boring. The fun has completely gone from our blockbusters.”</p>

<h2>R Balki compares blockbusters of the past</h2>

<p>R Balki then compared today's blockbusters with those of the 1970s by Manmohan Desai. He recalled watching the late filmmaker's<em> Amar Akbar Anthony</em> (1977) and <em>Naseeb</em> (1981) during an Amitabh Bachchan retrospective film festival around the actor's 80th birthday in 2022.</p>

<p>He said, “It’s become like a project. There’s an economics associated with that stuff. They want to recover this, they’re putting this money, they’re pumping the marketing out. It’s marketing, basically. It’s just driving people towards believing something is good. By the time people believe it’s bad, the film has made its money.”</p>

<p>Balki made his Bollywood debut with the 2007 romantic comedy <em>Cheeni Kum,</em> starring Amitabh and Tabu. He followed it up with<em> Paa </em>(2009) with Amitabh, Abhishek Bachchan and Vidya Balan; <em>Shamitabh</em> (2015) with Amitabh and Dhanush; <em>Ki &amp; Ka</em> (2016) with Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor, <em>Pad Man</em> (2018) with Akshay Kumar, <em>Chup: Revenge of the Artist </em>(2022) with Dulquer Salmaan. His most recent film was <em>Ghoomer </em>with Saiyami Kher and Abhishek Bachchan.</p>

<h2>Ghoomer faced a tsunami-like competition with Gadar 2</h2>

<p>At the time of its release, Balki said that <em>Ghoomer</em> didn't work at the box office because of Anil Sharma's action drama <em>Gadar 2.</em> The film brought back nostalgia with it and Balki’s <em>Chup </em>collaborator Sunny Deol’s return to the screen.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said that nobody expected this kind of a thing. “We thought everyone will do well and we can have the second week. This kind of tsunami was not expected,” he said.&nbsp;</p>


With a rise in the re-releases of popular Indian films in theatres, it's a clear indication that this year’s fresh releases have been dull in terms of entertainment.

With a rise in the re-releases of popular Indian films in theatres, it's a clear indication that this year’s fresh releases have been dull in terms of entertainment. Pad Man director R Balki thinks the same. In a recent chat with MIT World Peace University, R Balki said that he honestly feels that a few Bollywood blockbusters in the last four to five years have been “damn boring”. He said, “A few blockbusters that have happened in the last four or five years, or whatever, have actually been the worst films. Not only from an intellectual or artistic point of view but also from the old entertainment, ‘masala, paisa vasool’ kind of a feel. Also, they’re damn boring. The fun has completely gone from our blockbusters.” R Balki compares blockbusters of the past R Balki then compared today's blockbusters with those of the 1970s by Manmohan Desai. He recalled watching the late filmmaker's Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) and Naseeb (1981) during an Amitabh Bachchan retrospective film festival around the actor's 80th birthday in 2022. He said, “It’s become like a project. There’s an economics associated with that stuff. They want to recover this, they’re putting this money, they’re pumping the marketing out. It’s marketing, basically. It’s just driving people towards believing something is good. By the time people believe it’s bad, the film has made its money.” Balki made his Bollywood debut with the 2007 romantic comedy Cheeni Kum, starring Amitabh and Tabu. He followed it up with Paa (2009) with Amitabh, Abhishek Bachchan and Vidya Balan; Shamitabh (2015) with Amitabh and Dhanush; Ki & Ka (2016) with Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor, Pad Man (2018) with Akshay Kumar, Chup: Revenge of the Artist (2022) with Dulquer Salmaan. His most recent film was Ghoomer with Saiyami Kher and Abhishek Bachchan. Ghoomer faced a tsunami-like competition with Gadar 2 At the time of its release, Balki said that Ghoomer didn't work at the box office because of Anil Sharma's action drama Gadar 2. The film brought back nostalgia with it and Balki’s Chup collaborator Sunny Deol’s return to the screen. He said that nobody expected this kind of a thing. “We thought everyone will do well and we can have the second week. This kind of tsunami was not expected,” he said.

Pad Man director R Balki calls blockbusters in last 4-5 years ‘damn boring’

'Pad Man' to 'Article 15': Celebrating neo-patriotism in Bollywood

<p>They couldn&rsquo;t have found a better leading man than Akshay Kumar for a film that aims to break the taboo around menstruation. Because a topic like this &ndash; which for centuries has been discussed in hushed tones- needed a face of a superstar for maximum impact. And <em>PadMan</em>, despite its mildly over-bearing, holier than thou tone, doesn&rsquo;t waste a single moment to drive home a very important point that there is an urgent need to spread awareness around menstrual health.</p>

<p>Based on the real-life story of Arunachalam Muruganantham, <em>PadMan</em> has Akshay Kumar playing a middle-school dropout Lakshmikant Chauhan who despite his limited school knowledge is an innovator. In love with his wife Gayatri, he finds various ways to make her feel comfortable. He invents a small chopping device so that Gayatri(Radhika Apte) doesn&rsquo;t tear up while cutting onions, he adds a wooden chair at the back of his bicycle so that she can sit comfortably. And similarly gets perturbed to see her live in isolation every month for five days when she gets her periods and use&nbsp;cloth instead of sanitary napkins.</p>

<p>While Lakshmi, as a thoughtful husband, wants to break the taboo around menstruation, the women in his house are visibly scandalized when he offers them a pad that is made by him. The film then traces the maverick innovator&#39;s journey of a village man simply concerned about his wife&rsquo;s health to a visionary who shows the world how to make cheaper sanitary napkins.</p>

<p><em>PadMan</em> doesn&rsquo;t waste too much time in addressing the core theme of the film and shows Lakshmi as the practical man trying to break taboos around menstruation, the film trudges on till the interval and often sounds a bit preachy. Gauri, Lakshmi&rsquo;s wife, basically represents all the stereotypes while Lakshmi represents liberal thinking and their scenes, after a point, become monotonous with Lakshmi more or less harping the same thing as Gauri keeps defying him meekly.</p>

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<p>Radhika Apte and Akshay Kumar in a still from PadMan. (Zee News Network)</p>
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<p>Unlike other films, <em>PadMan </em>picks up the pace in the second half where, after relentless persuasion, Lakshmi finally cracks the code of making perfect, low-cost sanitary napkins. A chance encounter with Pari(Sonam Kapoor), an idealist, activist whose father is an IIT professor, helps him take his innovation to Delhi and even win awards. The scenes where Pari and Lakshmi together convince other women of the village to not only use his low-cost pads but also mobilize them to create such pads on their own in smaller factories are truly inspiring. Some of the film&rsquo;s brightest moments lie in the way Pari, an MBA graduate, and Lakshmi, mobilizes women folk to become self-reliant.</p>

<p>The film is tailor made for Akshay Kumar and he shines throughout. He may appear too urban in the beginning of the film, but his simpleton act is ultimately convincing and endearing. A scene has Kumar delivering a long monologue in broken English and for an actor who is well versed with the language in real life, Kumar manages to pull off the scene with utmost conviction, with not a single false not. Also, the scene where Kumar explains to a bunch of dignitaries how his innovation works with hand movements, its pure joy to watch. Kumar, over the past decade, has balanced formula films and author-backed roles with great aplomb and PadMan will remain one of his career&rsquo;s high point. His Lakshmi is tad irritating, mad, simple and above all a visionary. And Kumar serves as the perfect poster boy for Make In India campaign with this role.</p>

<p>Sonam Kapoor, a young bright do-gooder who helps Lakshmi learn how &lsquo;to fly&rsquo; is also perfect in her role. Kapoor, who has evolved as an actress over the past years, plays a catalyst of sorts and delivers a convincing performance. Perhaps the most conventional character in the film that of Radhika Apte&#39;s who as the conservative housewife grappling with a very liberal husband delivers a commendable performance. Known for her acting prowess, Radhika&rsquo;s role is perhaps the toughest and anyone could have easily hammed. But Radhika&rsquo;s restraint performance makes her Gayatri look innocent, vulnerable and emotional. Even though you know that she ticks all stereotypes and plays to the gallery &ndash; you may still empathise with her as she stares helplessly at her husband&#39;s maverick ideas.</p>

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<p>Sonam Kapoor and Akshay Kumar in a still from &#39;Padman&#39; (Twitter)</p>
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<p>The film does oversimplify the problems at hand. In the first half, some of the scenes state the obvious with dialogues that almost look like DD health awareness ads. The detailing is a bit too much to take. But maybe it is meant for an audience which needs to be spoon-fed about the benefits of menstrual hygiene and which is why R Balki keeps the narrative simple and linear. The only glitch in the entire story is an unnecessary romantic track that is introduced in the second half which sort of deviates the story for a few minutes.</p>

<p>Amit Trivedi&rsquo;s music blends in the narrative perfectly but none of the songs really stand out. They are treated literally as a tool to over-explain the story.</p>

<p><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-K9ujx8vO_A" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p><em>PadMan</em> has its flaws, but despite that, it is enjoyable and a relevant film. It may appear a bit preachy, it may oversimplify things, but it should be lauded for bringing the country&rsquo;s attention to menstruation. For women, it is a story that all too familiar- some of the privileged lot may not identify with the film but surely they can sympathise with those who cannot afford expensive sanitary pads or those who go through various archaic rituals every month because of periods. More importantly,<em> PadMan</em> serves to a greater audience and enables a discussion which &ndash; if not anything else- is a good start towards spreading more awareness. Never mind how the story unfolds on screen, it ultimately serves its purpose and is&nbsp;for a greater good.</p>

<p><strong>Rating:</strong> 3/5</p>


The film preaches a very important message.

They couldn’t have found a better leading man than Akshay Kumar for a film that aims to break the taboo around menstruation. Because a topic like this – which for centuries has been discussed in hushed tones- needed a face of a superstar for maximum impact. And PadMan, despite its mildly over-bearing, holier than thou tone, doesn’t waste a single moment to drive home a very important point that there is an urgent need to spread awareness around menstrual health. Based on the real-life story of Arunachalam Muruganantham, PadMan has Akshay Kumar playing a middle-school dropout Lakshmikant Chauhan who despite his limited school knowledge is an innovator. In love with his wife Gayatri, he finds various ways to make her feel comfortable. He invents a small chopping device so that Gayatri(Radhika Apte) doesn’t tear up while cutting onions, he adds a wooden chair at the back of his bicycle so that she can sit comfortably. And similarly gets perturbed to see her live in isolation every month for five days when she gets her periods and use cloth instead of sanitary napkins. While Lakshmi, as a thoughtful husband, wants to break the taboo around menstruation, the women in his house are visibly scandalized when he offers them a pad that is made by him. The film then traces the maverick innovator's journey of a village man simply concerned about his wife’s health to a visionary who shows the world how to make cheaper sanitary napkins. PadMan doesn’t waste too much time in addressing the core theme of the film and shows Lakshmi as the practical man trying to break taboos around menstruation, the film trudges on till the interval and often sounds a bit preachy. Gauri, Lakshmi’s wife, basically represents all the stereotypes while Lakshmi represents liberal thinking and their scenes, after a point, become monotonous with Lakshmi more or less harping the same thing as Gauri keeps defying him meekly. Radhika Apte and Akshay Kumar in a still from PadMan. (Zee News Network) × Unlike other films, PadMan picks up the pace in the second half where, after relentless persuasion, Lakshmi finally cracks the code of making perfect, low-cost sanitary napkins. A chance encounter with Pari(Sonam Kapoor), an idealist, activist whose father is an IIT professor, helps him take his innovation to Delhi and even win awards. The scenes where Pari and Lakshmi together convince other women of the village to not only use his low-cost pads but also mobilize them to create such pads on their own in smaller factories are truly inspiring. Some of the film’s brightest moments lie in the way Pari, an MBA graduate, and Lakshmi, mobilizes women folk to become self-reliant. The film is tailor made for Akshay Kumar and he shines throughout. He may appear too urban in the beginning of the film, but his simpleton act is ultimately convincing and endearing. A scene has Kumar delivering a long monologue in broken English and for an actor who is well versed with the language in real life, Kumar manages to pull off the scene with utmost conviction, with not a single false not. Also, the scene where Kumar explains to a bunch of dignitaries how his innovation works with hand movements, its pure joy to watch. Kumar, over the past decade, has balanced formula films and author-backed roles with great aplomb and PadMan will remain one of his career’s high point. His Lakshmi is tad irritating, mad, simple and above all a visionary. And Kumar serves as the perfect poster boy for Make In India campaign with this role. Sonam Kapoor, a young bright do-gooder who helps Lakshmi learn how ‘to fly’ is also perfect in her role. Kapoor, who has evolved as an actress over the past years, plays a catalyst of sorts and delivers a convincing performance. Perhaps the most conventional character in the film that of Radhika Apte's who as the conservative housewife grappling with a very liberal husband delivers a commendable performance. Known for her acting prowess, Radhika’s role is perhaps the toughest and anyone could have easily hammed. But Radhika’s restraint performance makes her Gayatri look innocent, vulnerable and emotional. Even though you know that she ticks all stereotypes and plays to the gallery – you may still empathise with her as she stares helplessly at her husband's maverick ideas. Sonam Kapoor and Akshay Kumar in a still from 'Padman' (Twitter) × The film does oversimplify the problems at hand. In the first half, some of the scenes state the obvious with dialogues that almost look like DD health awareness ads. The detailing is a bit too much to take. But maybe it is meant for an audience which needs to be spoon-fed about the benefits of menstrual hygiene and which is why R Balki keeps the narrative simple and linear. The only glitch in the entire story is an unnecessary romantic track that is introduced in the second half which sort of deviates the story for a few minutes. Amit Trivedi’s music blends in the narrative perfectly but none of the songs really stand out. They are treated literally as a tool to over-explain the story. PadMan has its flaws, but despite that, it is enjoyable and a relevant film. It may appear a bit preachy, it may oversimplify things, but it should be lauded for bringing the country’s attention to menstruation. For women, it is a story that all too familiar- some of the privileged lot may not identify with the film but surely they can sympathise with those who cannot afford expensive sanitary pads or those who go through various archaic rituals every month because of periods. More importantly, PadMan serves to a greater audience and enables a discussion which – if not anything else- is a good start towards spreading more awareness. Never mind how the story unfolds on screen, it ultimately serves its purpose and is for a greater good. Rating: 3/5

PadMan review: Akshay Kumar's film is warm, relevant and serves its purpose

<p>It&#39;s usually tough for small-budget movies to make a mark on the box-office unless backed with a great script that connects with the audience. But this week it gets tougher for small releases as big budget films &quot;Padmaavat&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;PadMan&quot;&nbsp;are scheduled to release on January 25.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Releasing today are three Hindi films -- &quot;Vodka Diaries&quot;, &quot;Nirdosh&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;My Birthday Song&quot; which will just have a week to rake in moolah before&nbsp;&quot;Padmaavat&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;PadMan&quot; take centre stage in theatres worldwide.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For those who want to watch a movie this week, this is what Bollywood offers:&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Vodka Diaries&quot;&nbsp;with an interesting<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-watch-vodka-diaries-teaser-out-kay-kay-menon-plays-detective-in-psychological-mystery-27396" target="_blank"> promo </a>and stellar actors Kay Kay Menon, Raima Sen and Mandira Bedi might turn out to be a good bet.</p>

<p>&quot;Nirdosh&quot;, on the other hand, has Arbaaz Khan on screen with Manjari Fadnis, Ashmit Patel, Mahek Chahal and Mukul Dev&nbsp;in a thriller.</p>

<p>&quot;My Birthday Song&quot;&nbsp;sees Sanjay Suri and co. directed by Sameer Soni. The film is a psychological thriller and is aimed for niche audience at urban multiplexes.&nbsp;</p>


The small-budget movies have lost on publicity and marketing as 'Padmaavat' and 'PadMan' releasing next weekend have hogged the limelight completely

It's usually tough for small-budget movies to make a mark on the box-office unless backed with a great script that connects with the audience. But this week it gets tougher for small releases as big budget films "Padmaavat" and "PadMan" are scheduled to release on January 25. Releasing today are three Hindi films -- "Vodka Diaries", "Nirdosh" and "My Birthday Song" which will just have a week to rake in moolah before "Padmaavat" and "PadMan" take centre stage in theatres worldwide. For those who want to watch a movie this week, this is what Bollywood offers: "Vodka Diaries" with an interesting promo and stellar actors Kay Kay Menon, Raima Sen and Mandira Bedi might turn out to be a good bet. "Nirdosh", on the other hand, has Arbaaz Khan on screen with Manjari Fadnis, Ashmit Patel, Mahek Chahal and Mukul Dev in a thriller. "My Birthday Song" sees Sanjay Suri and co. directed by Sameer Soni. The film is a psychological thriller and is aimed for niche audience at urban multiplexes.

Box office releases this week: 'Vodka Diaries', 'My Birthday Song' and 'Nirdosh'

<p>Akshay Kumar is on vacation in Cape Town,&nbsp;South Africa.</p>

<p>He kickstarted his holiday with a picture of daughter&nbsp;Nitara &quot;meeting an old friend&quot; -- Valentino 2.0.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Valentino is the son of his house help in Cape Town.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Happiness Is... meeting an old friend and starting exactly where you left off :) Nitara meets Valentino 2.0,&quot; Akshay tweeted.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Happiness Is... meeting an old friend and starting exactly where you left off :) Nitara meets Valentino 2.0 ?? <a href="https://t.co/geGFyH1h72">pic.twitter.com/geGFyH1h72</a></p>
&mdash; Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) <a href="https://twitter.com/akshaykumar/status/944773160586633217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Akshay had introduced Valentino to his Twitter followers last year.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Boys &amp; girls,meet Valentino,my house help&#39;s son here in Cape Town. Everyone&#39;s favourite in the house,he&#39;s blessed with an infectious spirit?? <a href="https://t.co/5cietThAO2">pic.twitter.com/5cietThAO2</a></p>
&mdash; Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) <a href="https://twitter.com/akshaykumar/status/814726539057111040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<p>After his holiday, Akshay will be promoting his upcoming movie &quot;Pad Man.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pad Man has been described as a movie about a superhero who does not have superhero powers or wears a cape&nbsp;-- but who kicked off India&#39;s sanitary pad revolution.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The movie is inspired by Arunachalam Muruganantham, also known as India&rsquo;s &ldquo;Menstrual Man&rdquo;.</p>

<p>The school dropout-turned-welder invented a machine that makes inexpensive, sterilised sanitary pads, enabling low-income women to launch local businesses making and selling pads.</p>

<p>Akshay Kumar&#39;s wife Twinkle Khanna is a co-producer of the film.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The movie will release on January 26.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Akshay posted a picture of daughter Nitara 'meeting an old friend' Valentino 2.0

Akshay Kumar is on vacation in Cape Town, South Africa. He kickstarted his holiday with a picture of daughter Nitara "meeting an old friend" -- Valentino 2.0. Valentino is the son of his house help in Cape Town. "Happiness Is... meeting an old friend and starting exactly where you left off :) Nitara meets Valentino 2.0," Akshay tweeted. Happiness Is... meeting an old friend and starting exactly where you left off :) Nitara meets Valentino 2.0 ?? pic.twitter.com/geGFyH1h72 — Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) December 24, 2017 × Akshay had introduced Valentino to his Twitter followers last year. Boys & girls,meet Valentino,my house help's son here in Cape Town. Everyone's favourite in the house,he's blessed with an infectious spirit?? pic.twitter.com/5cietThAO2 — Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) December 30, 2016 × After his holiday, Akshay will be promoting his upcoming movie "Pad Man." Pad Man has been described as a movie about a superhero who does not have superhero powers or wears a cape -- but who kicked off India's sanitary pad revolution. The movie is inspired by Arunachalam Muruganantham, also known as India’s “Menstrual Man”. The school dropout-turned-welder invented a machine that makes inexpensive, sterilised sanitary pads, enabling low-income women to launch local businesses making and selling pads. Akshay Kumar's wife Twinkle Khanna is a co-producer of the film. The movie will release on January 26.

Holidaying in South Africa, Akshay Kumar understands what happiness is

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Pad Man director R Balki calls blockbusters in last 4-5 years ‘damn boring’

'Pad Man' to 'Article 15': Celebrating neo-patriotism in Bollywood

PadMan review: Akshay Kumar's film is warm, relevant and serves its purpose

Box office releases this week: 'Vodka Diaries', 'My Birthday Song' and 'Nirdosh'

Holidaying in South Africa, Akshay Kumar understands what happiness is