Ulajh box office collection day 1: Janhvi Kapoor’s thriller gets a slow start with 1.10 cr

Ulajh box office collection day 1: Janhvi Kapoor and Gulshan Devaiah-starrer thriller failed to create an impact at the box office on the opening day, and saw a slow response at the theatres. According to a report by Sacnilk.com, the film earned just ₹1.10 crore in India.

Box office performance

As per the report, the film, directed by Sudhanshu Saria, the business in India on the first day was around ₹1.10 crore. When it comes to occupancy, Ulajh had an overall 13.02% Hindi occupancy on Friday. Overall, the occupancy in theatres in terms of morning shows was 7.38%. When it comes to afternoon shows, it was 10.85%, evening shows was 13.06%, and night shows was 20.78%.

Gulshan on film’s poor performance

The film opened to mixed reviews. Earlier, a report claimed that the spy thriller was not able to sell more than ₹1000 tickets in pre-sales.

After the release, Gulshan took to his X handle to open up about the performance, writing, “'Word Of Mouth' is the Mt Everest of publicity. It can’t be created without the organic support of the audience. This is what every movie in the cinemas hopes & prays. #Ulajh is in cinemas today.”

About the film

The film stars Janhvi in the role of an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Suhana. She is the youngest Deputy High Commissioner, a character tasked with skillfully navigating a challenging mission at the London embassy under significant scrutiny. Gulshan Devaiah is plays undercover agent.

The trailer offers a glimpse into a labyrinth of concealed truths and acts of betrayal, hinting at the existence of an internal leak that jeopardises the lives of covert agents and propels Suhana into a desperate struggle for survival.

The review of Ulajh states, “Ulajh tries to be a lot of things- a comment on nepotism, on unfair treatment towards women in power at a workplace, sexist speculations about how they reach there-- and ultimately, on why diplomacy is the answer to inter-country conflicts. It all leads to the film taking itself too seriously.”

Bigg Boss OTT 3 winner is Sana Makbul: Beats Ranvir Shorey, Naezy for top spot

After several ups and downs, the third chapter of Bigg Boss OTT came to an end on a glittering note, with Sana Makbul merging as the winner. On Friday, Anil Kapoor announced the name of the winner at the grand finale, which saw a lot of drama, action and suspense.

The race to grab the trophy was between Sana Makbul and Naezy. Apart from the coveted trophy, the winner of Bigg Boss OTT Season 3 also picked up ₹25 lakh as prize money.

When it comes to Sana's journey in Bigg Boss house, it was full of ups and downs. There were times when she was called 'naagin and villain' by Ranvir Shorey and there were times when she was questioned by host Anil Kapoor on almost every Weekend Ka Vaar. However, Sana stood tall with her opinions in Bigg Boss OTT 3. During the journey, Anil questioned Sana's enthusiasm to win and dubbed it as an obsession. She was also questioned about her friendship with Vishal, Naezy, and Lovekesh.

The finale episode started with five finalists of the show: Ranvir Shorey, Sana Makbul, Sai Ketan Rao, Naezy, and Kritika Malik. However, Ranvir, Sai and Kritika failed to reach the end of the race, and were eliminated midway. Kritika was the first finalist to get evicted.

About the grand finale

The final part of the show came with a dash of music, dance, nostalgia and a whole lot of emotions. It started with Anil Kapoor entering the stage dancing to Naach Punjaban, with all the former contestants joining him on stage. The season finale was aired on Jio Cinema from 9pm on August 2.

One of the highlights of the grand finale was Ranvir Shorey arriving in a new look, sans his beard. When Anil Kapoor asked him about his new look, he said that he had made a promise that if he ever reached the finals, he would get rid of his beard.

The finale of Bigg Boss OTT 3 also featured two surprise guests who were a part of the elimination process. Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor, who are gearing up for the release of their horror-comedy Stree 2, brought in some fun to the final episode.

Anil also spoke about hosting the show, saying, “Bigg Boss OTT 3 has been an incredible journey. It has brought out the child and the father in me. I've laughed, I've been stern, and I've experienced a rollercoaster of emotions.”

More about the show

The reality show, which had celebrity contestants getting locked inside a house for over a month, premiered on June 21 at 9 pm. The other contestants included Paulomi Polo Das, Sana Sultan, Vishal Pandey, Chandrika Gera Dixit, Neeraj Goyat and Armaan Malik and his two wives - Payal and Kritika. Adnaan Shaikh joined in a few weeks after as a wild card entry.

The third season of the show also marked Anil Kapoor's debut as a reality show host. He stepped into Salman Khan’s shoes as he was busy with his other professional commitments. Prior to him, Karan Johar had hosted the first season of the show.

Rekha kisses Janhvi Kapoor's poster at Ulajh screening, fans say she is filling in for Sridevi: ‘They were very close’

 Rekha filled in late superstar Sridevi's shoes at the premiere of latter's daughter Janhvi Kapoor's new film, Ulajh, in Mumbai on Thursday evening. Janhvi invited Rekha for the screening and the veteran actor's warm gesture from the red carpet is making fans' hearts melt.

Rekha's sweet gesture

A video from the screening shows Rekha touching a large background banner of the film's poster, featuring Janhvi. She then kisses it too, as if giving Janhvi and her new film her blessings.

Fans of Rekha drew a connect with Sridevi, mentioning that the two actors were always close. “Sri and her were very close.” Another person wrote, “She is like a old granny of Bollywood stars.” A fan commented, “Sridevi and Rekha shared a deep bond...She had a special spark about her. She believed that after Vyjanthimala and Hema Malini, Sridevi was the third Tamil superstar in Hindi cinema.”

Another fan mentioned that Rekha has always had a maternal side to her. ”She has been very maternal always like I remember there was an interview of hers where she's barely 30 and she was brushing her dog's coat, it was the purest most loving thing ever. Also, she has practically raised her younger siblings and got them settled etc so she has played that role since a young age."

For the premiere, Rekha wore a peach-coloured tissue silk saree with her hair decorated with flowers in her usual style. She even joined Janhvi on the red carpet and held her hand as they posed for photos.

About Ulajh

Ulajh showcases Janhvi Kapoor as Suhana, the youngest Deputy High Commissioner, who navigates a difficult mission at the London embassy under close watch. Her performance defies stereotypes, addressing nepotism head-on.

Gulshan Devaiah joins the cast as a mysterious undercover agent, injecting further suspense into the narrative. The trailer teases a labyrinth of secrets and betrayals, hinting at an internal leak that jeopardises the lives of undercover agents and throws Suhana into a desperate struggle for survival.

'Ulajh,' scripted by Sudhanshu Saria and Parveez Shaikh with dialogue by Atika Chauhan and presented by Junglee Pictures, is slated for release on August 2.

Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha movie review: Ajay Devgn, Tabu's 'Past Lives' resurface in overstretched drama

Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha bears a slight resonance of 2023 English-Korean drama Past Lives. It tracked the lives of two characters over a period of 24 years as they go their separate ways and reunite after years under different circumstances, only for one of them to realise they never stopped loving the other person. It was straight to the point, and the emotions felt raw. Minimalism sadly isn’t friends with Bollywood’s style of storytelling.

This Hindi drama kicks off with convict Krishna (played by Ajay Devgn) who doesn’t want to leave prison. He’s serving a double murder sentence for 23 years now. Why he did what he did is basically the plot of Auron Mein, quite wafer thin indeed.

Shantanu Maheshwari plays Ajay’s younger self in 2001, in love with Vasudha (a sprightly Saiee Manjrekar). Their chemistry is believable, and that was important because their older selves are played by Ajay and Tabu, who are doing their zillionth film together. But one night changes their lives forever. Why does Vasudha not wait for Krishna? Why does he not want to come out of jail? Who makes them meet finally?

That daily soap aesthetic

Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha is both conventional and unconventional at the same time. I am all for making love stories about different age groups. Here, we see how rash young love is. Also, how practical love becomes as one grows older.

The first half is excruciatingly slow. The story has multiple flashbacks, and we try to keep up with the pace. The premise wants to be intriguing, but… is too stretched. The first hour feels like a three hour long ‘maha-episode’ of a daily soap.

As we are finally told what happened on that fateful night years ago, the interval comes along to let us breathe. But you aren’t ready for what’s coming next. Without giving away anything, this is the dramatic version of what happened in the second half of Anees Bazmee’s hilarious 2007 flick Welcome. Only, we are shown the same sequence of events from different POVs three times. Did we mention daily soap parallels already?

Funny bits shine-- in a drama?

What saves us are some smartly written one liners and cheeky references. At one point, the theatre erupted into cheers as Ajay’s friend puts on the radio in their car, and it plays Jeeta Tha Jiske Liye, from his own film Dilwale. When the film stays light, it shines. Some unnecessary songs like Ae Dil Zara Ke wear you down.

Actors' report card

Ajay Devgn doesn’t have to do any heavy lifting here. He just has to be his quiet, brooding self. Tabu manages well but again- this is cakewalk for seasoned actors like them. Jimmy Sheirgill, stereotyped now for never getting the girl in his movies, gets the short end of the stick once again. However, in a slightly different format.

Shantanu is a dependable actor, who brings a certain charm to the screen. After duddy Dabanngg debut, Saiee gets a meaty role to dig her teeth into, and she makes the most of it. The music of the film, by Oscar-winner MM Keeravani, is nothing to write home about.

Some trimming would have made this a good watch. Alas, Neeraj Panday, who also gets writing credit, gets carried away. The film’s last shot says ‘Sometimes, it never ends…’ Exactly what I felt about the film at one point.

Ulajh movie review: Janhvi Kapoor makes a case for ‘talented’ nepo babies in this entangled thriller

Imagine watching a film on the big screen and an advertisement pops up in the thick of things. It’s not a subtle product placement of the occasional beer bottle or a car brand, but a full advert of a famous candy. A character mouths the tagline even as things are tense ‘praan jaaye par Pulse na jaaye’. Ulajh, as a film, is that in-your-face product placement, selling you the actor in Janhvi Kapoor. While at this juncture in the film, it’s literally their ‘praan’ at stake, it's still not as intelligent a wedge-in as the marketing department might have thought it to be. 

The plot

The story revolves around a young, bright, polyglot Suhana Bhatia (played by Janhvi), who comes from an influential family of diplomats and a grandfather ‘whose name is written in school textbooks'. Appointed as India’s youngest Deputy High Commissioner, the sword of nepotism looms large over her head. Sounds familiar? While we would never know whether the story was written keeping Kapoor in mind, it certainly seems that way. Taking forward her family’s legacy, and being ridiculed for her privilege is the story both the actor and her character share.

Suhana has just got out of a relationship, and been posted in London. She meets smooth talker Nakul (played by a sharp Gulshan Devaiah), a Michelin star chef who charms her instantly. That’s where trouble begins. He turns out to be a corporate blackmailer (and a lot of other things), and she finds herself at crossroads- should she save her father’s promotion and job, her reputation or the country’s secrets? Not giving away any spoilers, but you would be able to smell the next twist from a mile away.

Too many problems

Ulajh tries to be a lot of things- a comment on nepotism, on unfair treatment towards women in power at a workplace, sexist speculations about how they reach there-- and ultimately, on why diplomacy is the answer to inter-country conflicts. It all leads to the film taking itself too seriously.

The intermission point leaves you surprised, but the second half feels like Ulajh would be nicer as a web series instead, with ample time to explore different storylines. Ulajh rushes and expects viewers to be on the same page wherever the ride makes a jarring halt. The problem with films based on inter-country conflicts is they want to be taken seriously, but still rely on convenience to drive the plot forward. Two characters on the run from intelligence officials reach India from London, without anyone being able to trace them and a random person can break a prime minister’s security convoy with ease.

Janhvi's performance report card

Janhvi, expectedly, dominates each and every frame of this Sudhanshu Saria directorial. She begins the film with a certain earnestness as the girl who won’t stay quiet sitting amidst her seniors in front of a minister, and even blackmails him. That the same tactic comes back to bite her later, is clever.

But she fails to tug at your heart strings when she gets into trouble. Her helplessness is the same as her character in Mili. Her desire to prove herself is the same as Gunjan in her previous film, Gunjan Saxena- The Kargil Girl. The quest to drill her acting chops into our heads, is similar to Ulajh drilling its ‘nepotism doesn’t mean talent isn’t there’ stance. We see what you did there, Parvez Shaikh and Sudhanshu, who share writing credits.

It becomes more than evident in a shot meant to highlight Suhana’s thirst for revenge towards the climax and to flex Janhvi's acting abilities. Roshan’s character asks ‘ab yeh bakri kya karegi?’ The camera stays on Janhvi’s face and quickly zooms in for a close up as she says ‘poora ka poora sher khaa jaayegi’.

Why the film keeps ticking forward is because of its supporting cast. Gulshan Devaiah as the ‘chef (?) spouting poetic lines in climax’ is fab. Adil Hussain gets few scenes, but he kills it in the last one as a concerned father. Rajesh Tailang says hi with his friendly driver vibe, with shades of grey. Roshan Mathew deserved more screen time. Meiyang Chang gets one good scene, and that too is short lived (pun intended).

Janhvi Kapoor dazzles in fresh-off-the-runway mini dress for Ulajh screening; internet compares it to 'rawa dosa'

Janhvi Kapoor attended the screening of her upcoming film Ulajh last night. The star-studded event saw Rekha, Arjun Kapoor, Khushi Kapoor, Janhvi's boyfriend Shikhar Pahariya, and other celebs in attendance. Janhvi wore a dazzling, fresh off-the-runway mini dress for the occasion. Internet compared it to a 'rawa dosa'.  

What did Janhvi Kapoor wear to the Ulajh screening?

The paparazzi captured Janhvi Kapoor at the screening of her movie Ulajh. The snippets show Janhvi posing for the paparazzi, greeting the guests, and sharing a sweet candid moment with Rekha. The actor wore a white mini dress for the occasion. It is a fresh off-the-runway look from Rimzim Dadu's latest collection, Stucco, which she showcased during India Couture Week. It takes inspiration from the timeless elegance of the Renaissance era.

While the original dress featured a see-through silhouette, Janhvi opted for a sheer lining underneath her structured ensemble. The mini dress features a deep off-the-shoulder neckline, a swirl embroidered pattern, a cinched waist, and a short hem length. She accessorised the ensemble with statement silver earrings, rings, and white pumps.

How did the internet react to Janhvi's dress?

Janhvi's dress created quite a buzz on social media. While her fans loved the look, other netizens compared it to a dosa. Followers on Diet Sabya's page called the dress' neer dosa' and 'rawa dosa'. A netizen joked, "Was wondering about tomorrow's breakfast— thanks for prompting." Another said, “Giving that old white crotchet tablecloth that we used to cover dining tables and TV's back in the day lol.”

A fan praised Janhvi's attire and wrote, "Hottie alert." Another commented, "My my my [fire emoji]." A user remarked, "She looks fantastic in all her outfits."

About Ulajh

Apart from Janhvi Kapoor, Ulajh stars Gulshan Devaiah, Roshan Mathew, and others. Scripted by Sudhanshu Saria and Parveez Shaikh with dialogue by Atika Chauhan, the film is slated for release on August 2.

Wayanad landslides: Rashmika Mandanna donates Rs 10 lakh to CM’s Distress Relief Fund

 Actors from various film industries are now coming forward to express their condolences and provide financial support to the Wayanad landslip victims. The most recent contribution comes from South Indian actress Rashmika Mandanna, who gave Rs 10 lakhs to the Kerala Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund on August 1. The actress had posted on social media about her recent trip to Kerala for an event, thanking everyone for their love and support on July 25.

Kerala is in despair in the wake of the horrific incident that claimed several lives in the Wayanad district's Chooralmala and Mundakkai early on July 30. The region saw multiple landslides, which caused over 280 fatalities, countless injuries, and significant damage. While the state is working to recover from the disaster, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have also contributed help in various ways.

Actors extend support for Wayanad landslide victims

In addition to donating Rs 20 lakh to the CM's Distress Relief Fund, Vikram offered his condolences for the victims. Kamal Haasan, and Vijay also urged the government to provide the necessary support and relief measures on their social media accounts. Suriya, Jyothika, and Karthi together donated Rs 50 lakh to the fund.

Kamal Haasan posted on Twitter, saying, "I thank the army personnel and the dedicated state government employees who risked their lives to rescue the people in difficult and dangerous situations." More aid is expected in the coming days due to the increasing number of victims every day.

Malayalam film industry postpones releases

Malayalam actors have been asking people to donate to the relief fund in any amount they can. Videos of actress Nikhila Vimal volunteering to gather supplies for the victims were circulated on social media. Malayalam films that were scheduled to hit theatres on August 2 have been rescheduled in the interim.

The reason for the delay is the torrential rains that are pounding some areas of the state and the landslides in Wayanad that killed several people on July 30. The Manju Warrier-starrer Footage, the comedy drama Adios Amigo, starring Asif Ali and Suraj Venjaramoodu, and the horror drama Chithini, starring Vinay Forrt, were all scheduled to premiere this Friday, August 2.