Ajaz Patel: Witnessing history LIVE at Wankhede on an unusual day of cricket

December 4, 2021 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

I had unusual feelings while entering the Wankhede Stadium today on the second day of the second test between India vs New Zealand. I was happy to have got a chance to witness test cricket after 9 years. But it also reminded me that this was the first time I would be watching a test live after Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement. The last I went to see a test was in 2012 when England crushed India.

India was to resume after ending the rain-interrupted first day on 221 for 4 with Mayank Agarwal not out on a century overnight. I was hoping to see India put on at least a respectable score and then get few New Zealand wickets.

But I had never imagined that I would be witnessing something historical and this would then be followed by something completely unexpected.

I reached around half an hour late because of some massive confusion over which gate to enter from. They changed the gates after ages. So by the time I reached, India were 6 down but Mayank Agarwal was still not out. I wanted India to bat at least some more time and reach 300. I wasn’t disappointed as Mayank reached 150 and Axar Patel made a gutsy half century.

But after Mayank got out at the score of 291 for 7, we realized we might see something special here as all 7 wickets were taken by Ajaz Patel. I developed mixed feelings at this stage. I wanted India to score well but at the same time I also wondered what if Ajaz Patel creates history today?

But an aggressive and short-tempered boy sitting ahead of me was angry and he kept saying that Patel shouldn’t be the next after Anil Kumble to pick up all 10 wickets.

When Ajaz Patel picked up 9 wickets, I dearly wanted to see him pick the 10^th as well, so that I get to witness history. The aggressive boy would have labeled me “anti-national” if I told him my wish.

Then came the moment when Mohammed Siraj lofted Patel in a miscued shot. When Rachin Ravindra was getting under the ball, it was the first time in my life that I badly wanted an Indian batter to get out. When he finally caught the ball, I rose up with jubilation. And to my pleasant surprise, the entire stadium did.

I wasn’t the only “anti-national” over there. The stadium was full of them, except that aggressive boy who had gone quite by now.

On a serious note, we were delighted to witness something that has happened just for the third time in the 144 years old test cricket history! This day shall remain one of the most memorable ones.

This was even special because Patel achieved the historic feat in the city he was born and brought up (in Jogeshwari locality) till he was eight years old.

As Indian fans would know, Anil Kumble was the second bowler in history to take all 10 wickets against Pakistan in the second innings of the Delhi test in 1999.

The first one was the England’s off-spinner Jim Laker who picked up 10 wickets against Australia in the second innings of the 1956 test at Manchester. More astonishingly, he had picked up 9 wickets in the first innings of the same match! It will take some doing to even equal Laker’s record of 19 wickets in a match.

But just when we thought we had seen it all, the dialogue, “Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost” played out. I wanted India to pick wickets regularly to stay in the game but what we saw looked like a highlights package. Who would have expected New Zealand to be bundled out for just 62? There was more surprise in store when Indian captain Virat Kohli didn’t enforce the follow on.

Looking back, from a neutral point of view, it also feels bad for Ajaz Patel. He achieved rare history but on the same day his side got all out for 62 and is staring at a massive defeat, unless a miracle happens.

So how exactly should he look back at the day?

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Jhimma: When travel heals and bridges gaps

November 27, 2021 by Keyur Seta 3 Comments

On the surface, Hemant Dhome’s Marathi movie Jhimma is about a group of seven women (Suhas Joshi, Sonalee Kulkarni, Sayali Sanjeev, Nirmiti Sawant, Kshitee Jog, Suchitra Bandekar and Mrunmayee Deshpande) from different families going on a trip to London. It’s the first trip organized by the travel company founded by a young man Kabir (Siddharth Chandekar).

But deep inside, Jhimma is much more than a group characters sightseeing in a European city. The film doesn’t have a definite storyline, twists or even any major conflict. But despite that, it not only keeps you engaged but also makes you feel related to the characters in some way or the other.

All eight characters are distinct and each have their own problems or issues. For example, a typical housewife, who might have not gone out of city alone, goes all the way abroad. A widow facing anxiety and panic issues while going out alone shows courage to go on such a trip all by herself. A young woman unsure about marrying a guy she has recently got engaged to.

Jhimma Marathi movie — A still from Jhimma

Another youngster who has a habit of keeping things in possession (literally). Most interestingly, a senior citizen having her own reasons to take this trip and not appearing old by her thoughts in any way.

By the time Jhimma ends, one doesn’t realize how the characters find their own answers, get healed of an old wound or make peace with something that has been bothering them. It happens organically while keeping the audience entertained.

Without being preachy whatsoever, the film successfully highlights that great trips are those that evolve you either mentally or emotionally. Although the characters might have gone as far as London, this is applicable even while touring within your country. My last few trips inside India have made me experience the same.

Also, after a point of time, the gender of the seven characters doesn’t really matter. They start appearing more like human beings having their own issues, challenges or flaws, who ultimately achieve glory in their own way.

Note: Jhimma has revived Marathi cinema at the box office by going full even in its second weekend despite the release of quite a few big-ticket Hindi movies. In fact, the shows of this film have been increased in the second week due to public demand.

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Kangana Ranaut row: FAKE patriots exposed yet again

November 14, 2021 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Kangana Ranaut was recently conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri award. As per the official website of the Padma Awards, these awards are “one of the highest civilian awards of India.”

Those who have been following Ranaut’s statements both on and off social media would know the kind of problematic things she has said in the last few years.

Among the hundreds of controversial statements given by her, few that stand out are the ones where she called the protesting farmers as “terrorists”, comparing Mumbai with PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir) and, worst of all, calling for violenc e in Bengal following the state polls. The last statement got her banned from Twitter permanently for promoting hatred and violence.

Now, I really wonder how a person with a history of making such inflammatory and violent statements can even be considered for one of the highest civilian awards. What message are we sending to the youngsters of the country? That it is not only normal but also worth being rewarded to make such statements?

Few of the famous personalities from India to have been given the Padma Shri awards include the likes of Satyajit Ray, Milkha Singh, Bismilah Khan, Ashok Kumar, Mother Teresa, Ebrahim Alkazi, Bachendri Pal, AR Rahman, etc.

Photo course: Kangana Ranaut official Instagram account

How are we making these people look by placing a person regularly spewing hate on par with them?

When Kangana’s name was announced as the winner of the Padma Shri, my first feeling was that she would come up with more arrogant statements. She proved me right in ways that I hadn’t even imagined and that too so soon.

Right after winning the award, the actress appeared on a news channel and had the audacity to say, “India achieved actual freedom in 2014. What we got in 1947 was bheekh.” We have heard celebrities buttering their political masters but this is a new as well as dangerous benchmark to do so.

You don’t need to be even half intelligent to realize that Kangana has downrightly insulted all those freedom fighters and revolutionaries who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the country from the British. It is unimaginable to even think of going to the gallows happily for the country. How someone in their right mind even think of discarding such a sacrifice?

In other words, what Kangana has said is nothing but anti-nationalistic.

The supporters of the ruling party have always hailed Ranaut for her strong stand and insults towards those who don’t support the party and its ideologies. They are always quick to label anyone as an anti-national just for criticizing or even questioning the current government.

The party’s mammoth IT cell comes up with huge number of viral posts against anyone who becomes an ‘anti-national’ in their eyes. But they have started no campaign against her. There are also plenty of common supporters of the party who spend a lot time slamming those who they consider ‘anti-national’. But there is not a word from them regarding this comment.

I know a lot of people personally who are from the same ideology and who slam anyone who questions their favorite party or takes any stand against them. The classic case is that of Deepika Padukone when she joined the JNU protests in 2020. She was not only labeled an anti-national but was also personally slammed like anything.

The same people (some of them who would be reading this) have now maintained a stoic silence when someone has downrightly insulted India’s freedom fighters and their great sacrifice.

Their silence is like an indirect support to the comments made by her.

These people were never patriots. They are only strong supporters of their favorite party and its ideologies. It was never nation first. It was always party first. Funnily, they are the self-proclaimed certificate providers of patriotism.

This is not the first time that their fake patriotism has been exposed. It happened the most in 2019 when they were fine with their ‘leader’ Pragya Thakur hailing martyr Hemant Karkare’s death at the hands of terrorist Ajmal Kasab and his group.

Their silence in response to Kangana’s comments is just another reminder of their fake patriotism.

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When Ravi Kishan played Ravi & Kisan in Ravi Kisan. This is not a joke…

October 30, 2021 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Ravi Kishan, as we all know, is one of the most popular actors from India. After starting off in Hindi cinema, he shifted base to Bhojpuri and the rest is history. He became the biggest Bhojpuri star in a matter of few years.

Following this, he returned to Hindi cinema and left his mark playing mostly serious characters; the opposite of what he did in Bhojpuri films. In last few years, he has given fine performances in Hindi films like Mukkabaaz (2017), Batla House (2019) and Marjaavaan (2019).

But Ravi Kishan has another rare achievement which also doubles up as an interesting trivia. He once did a movie titled Ravi Kisan [another way to pronounce his name]. Yes, you read it right. It was a Bhojpuri movie released in 2008.

I am unable to find any other example of an actor acting in a film titled after his own full name. At the most, I can recall Sunny Deol doing a film called Sunny in 1984 and playing the titular character in it. But the title only had his first name.

But there’s something more interesting about Ravi Kishan acting in Ravi Kisan. Contrary to what some of you might feel, the film is not a biopic on him. It’s actually a story of twins named Ravi and Kisan. And both are played by Ravi Kishan in a double role.

I tried searching about the film’s story or synopsis on the internet but I couldn’t find any. I then realized the film is available on YouTube officially on T-Series’s Bhojpuri channel. After watching few parts of it, I realized it has a story similar to plenty of Hindi films of the yesteryears.

So, there’s an ailing old man who wants to name all his assets and properties to his son. But their evil relative, who wants to capture all his wealth, conspires with the lawyer. The old man can’t read English. So the lawyer prepares the will in English saying that the evil relative will be the receiver of the property and assets. The old man signs it as he trusts the lawyer blindly.

Watch the full movie Ravi Kisan

The relative happily captures the wealth and kills the old man’s son. The man has twins named Ravi and Kisan. While Kisan turns out to be a rogue youngster, Ravi grows up to be a sanskari and religious guy. The rest of the film is about how the brothers teach their relative a lesson.

I came to know about this movie years ago when Ravi Kishan spoke about it inside the Bigg Boss house during the very first season of the show in 2006-07. He said he is the only actor in the world to have a film titled on his full name.

In case you know any more such examples, feel free to mention them in the comments.

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‘90s Flashback: Ajay JADEJA averaged 354 in this tri-series

October 17, 2021 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

1998 had Sachin Tendulkar written all over it. The legendary Indian batsman literally had a dream run that year. His most memorable outing came in the Sharjah cup played between India, Australia and New Zealand. But Ajay Jadeja also had the time of his life in 1998.

Just before going to Sharjah, India hosted a triangular series with Australia and Zimbabwe. This ODI [one-day international] tournament happened just after the India beat Australia in the test series by 2-1.

It was a series where Jadeja averaged a mammoth 354.

He showed his class in the first match itself at Kochi when India was in trouble at 80 for 3 against Australia. He got going right from the start and scored 105 not out off 109 balls with 12 fours. India scored an impressive 309 for 5 and won the match by 41 runs. This was the famous match where Tendulkar picked up 5 wickets for just 32 runs.

Ajay Jadeja — Photo source: SportzCraazy.com (For representational purpose only)

In India’s next match against Zimbabwe at Baroda, Jadeja again came into bat when his side was in a spot of bother at 95 for 3. He had a good partnership with Sourav Ganguly (82) and later with Hrishikesh Kanitkar (35) and remained unbeaten at 79 off 77 balls. Zimbabwe gave a scare, which they did so often to India in the ‘90s, but fell short by 13 runs.

Jadeja didn’t get much chance to bat during India’s match against Australia at Kanpur. Tendulkar was in a hurry to chase down a modest target of 223 by scoring 100 off just 89 balls with 5 fours and as many as 7 sixes, which was rare for that era. But Jadeja did face 31 balls and remained unbeaten on 6.

In the next match at Cuttack, Zimbabwe once again gave a scare to India and it was Jadeja again to the rescue. He walked in when India were reduced to 26 for 3 with Ganguly, Tendulkar and VVS Laxman gone.

Surprisingly, India didn’t lose any further wicket in the innings as Jadeja and Mohammad Azaharuddin had an unbeaten record 4^th wicket partnership of 275. Jadeja remained unbeaten on 116 and Azhar on 153. The team won by 32 runs.

Highlights of the 1st match of the series

India then met Australia in the final at Delhi. Batting first, they could only muster a score of 227 all out. But Jadeja remained the top-scorer with 48 off just 49 balls with 5 fours. After being unbeaten in the whole series, India lost the final by 4 wickets after a good fight with the ball.

Interestingly, Jadeja got out for the only time in the series in the final when he was caught and bowled by Michael Kasprowicz. I remember Ian Chappell pointing out that if he hadn’t got out in the final, he would have had no average in the series, which would have been a rarest of the rare case.

Jadeja scored a brilliant 354 runs in the series. He was hitting the ball effortlessly as if playing in the nets. Out of his six ODI 100s, two came in this tournament itself. As he got out just once, his average stood at a towering 354. He was rightly adjudged the Man of the Series. (See the scorecard of each match of the series HERE)

On a less serious note, the series was played in the scorching heat of April. During almost every innings, Jadeja and Azharuddin batted with a handkerchief around their necks. It was later found that they used to wet the hanky, refrigerate it and later tie it around their necks to beat the heat.

I was impressed with the hack and tried it a few times as a kid. It’s not a bad time to repeat it all over again after 23 years. This October heat is getting unbearable!

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Udit Narayan & K Krishnamurti’s underrated gem in an underrated film

October 10, 2021 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Veteran singers Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishmamurti have provided Hindi film lovers with a list of gems, both together and individually. In fact, they were the undisputed singing stars of the 1990s, along with Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik.

As we are aware, Hindi cinema produces movies in hundreds every year. And as was the case in the 90s, every film ought to have a good number of songs. With such high number of tracks coming out each year, there is always a possibility of some gems getting unnoticed, more so if the film doesn’t do well at the box office.

Such has been the fate of a soulful and soothing romantic number ‘Yeh Shaamein’ sung by Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishnamurti in Shyam Benegal’s Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda (1992). The lyrics are penned by Vasant Dev while Vanraj Bhatia, the go-to man for music in parallel cinema, is the composer. It’s picturized on Rajit Kapur and Pallavi Joshi.

There are certain songs that created an impact after repeated listening while there are others that touch you instantly. ‘Yeh Shaamein’ easily falls into the latter category. As far as my personal experience is concerned, I became its admirer as soon as I heard it for the first time more than a decade ago while watching Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda.

It is one of those songs where all the three components – lyrics, music and singing – achieved brilliance and its result is there for you to see [rather, hear].

Kapur and Joshi’s performances are also undeniable as they have added plenty of life to the visuals. They broke the myth that you need conventionally good looking ‘hero’ and ‘heroine’ to display chemistry in a romantic number. If you have dedicated artistes who know their craft and can emote effortlessly, that’s all you need.

Here’s the song

Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda is based on the classic Hindi novel of the same name by Dharmveer Bharti. It’s about a storyteller Manek Mulla (Kapur) and it features one storytelling session he has with his friends where he narrates the stories of three girls (Rajeshwari Sachdev, Pallavi Joshi and Neena Gupta) that entered his life at different points.

Also read: When Premchand wrote on CRICKET and its malpractices

The ensemble cast also includes Amrish Puri, Riju Bajaj, Raghuvir Yadav, KK Raina, Anang Desai, Lalit Mohan Tiwari, Ila Arun and Himani Shivpuri.

The film challenged conventional storytelling with some intelligent use of flashback. The personal story of Manik Mulla indirectly makes a statement on the society and its rigid norms, especially in rural areas back then. Although Manek is the storyteller, at the end of the day he is still just a character in the entire scheme of things.

Having read the book before watching the film, I feel this is one of the rare movies that lives up to the literature it is based on.

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‘Yeh Shaamein’, however, never got its due as the film just didn’t click at the box office. As clichéd as it may sound, it was way ahead of its times. It deserved to have been made in today’s era of OTT.

But it has started finding an audience in the era of social media. This is evident from the numerous conversations I have had both online and offline related to this movie. Hopefully, one day it will be appreciated among the lovers of unconventional cinema… along with the song.

Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda is on Amazon Prime Video but, unfortunately, not for those staying in India.

But the film is available on YouTube. Watch it below:

When Premchand wrote on CRICKET and its malpractices

September 26, 2021 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

The legendary writer and author Munshi Premchand is known for his path-breaking stories that show the mirror to the society. Through his novels, short stories and writings, he brought various social evils to light.

But it would come as a surprise to many to know that Premchand not only took interest in cricket but also wrote extensively about it. The late artiste used to write editorials in the newspaper Jagran back then and some of them were about cricket.

Premchand was born in 1880 and passed away in 1934. Hence, he wrote on cricket at a time when the game was in its infantry stage in India. This makes it all the more pleasantly surprising to know about his passion for the game back then.

This facet about the writer is brought to light by author Ramachandra Guha in his acclaimed book A Corner of a Foreign Field: The Indian History of a British Sport. But I came to know about this through the Instagram user Debjit Lahiri on his famous cricket page @forgottencricketmemories.

Guha’s book tells us that Premchand also wrote on India’s famous tour of England in 1932. The team was led by the Maharaja of Porbandar and it had some talented players, including CK Nayudu. But one needs to understand that these were very early days for the Indian team and one couldn’t expect them to perform like a strong team.

Premchand cricket — Photo by **Patrick Case** from **Pexels**

As per an excerpt from the book produced by Scroll.in, Premchand wrote, “The Indian cricket team returned home. Although it did not achieve such spectacular success, it showed England that India cannot be neglected even in the field of play. The truth is that the people of India can beat the world if they get opportunities in every sphere of life. The people of England take pride in cricket. This pride must have received a big shock this time. It is a matter of joy that the Viceroy honoured the Indian team and introduced himself as a gentleman.”

But Premchand was largely known for fearlessly jotting down issues that harmed the country. Hence, in his cricket columns, he also criticized the idea of spending a large amount on the sport when the country was reeling with economic issues.

He wrote, as reproduced by Scroll.in, “For the cricket matches, railways gave concessions, express trains were put into service, entertainers are moving to Kolkata with their luggage in tow. And here it is being said that there is recession and lethargy to reduce wages, to cut the salary of servants but there is always a boom in such occasions (cricket matches).”

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In one of the columns, Premchand compared the situation with the French revolution. He wrote, “It is said that before the French Revolution, people used to die of hunger and their rulers and zamindars and mahajans would enjoy drama and dance. We are witnessing the same scene in India today. There is an outcry in the countryside. In the cities, they are having a ball. In the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) extravaganza, there are aeroplane exhibitions on display and money is being spent with great cruelty.”

In one of the matches in Varanasi, Rs 25 thousand was collected from five thousand tickets sold. Questioning the flow of money at such a time, Premchand wrote, “At least twenty-five thousand rupees were collected from tickets. And where did all this money come from? It came from the same babus and rich people who might not offer a dime for any national work.”

Also read: He took a hattrick and never played again…

But that’s not all. Premchand also criticized the inclusion of influential people in the Indian team just because of their rich background, rather than merit. This instantly brings to mind the nepotism debate going on among the Hindi film lovers since recent years.

He wrote, “Any player the administrators like is the one who finds himself in the XI. The only player certain of a place in the XI is the one who is nominated by the officials. On behalf of India, the Viceroy sends the congratulations. The representation of India is in the hands of these officials. So why shouldn’t the power to select players be in their hands too?”

Interestingly, Premchand also wrote fiction pieces on cricket in his novel Vardan and the short story titled Cricket Match.

Note: Scroll.in’s article on Premchand’s written works on cricket was based on an article from the Hindi website Satyagrah. To read the article, click HERE.

When Milind Soman played an EVIL politician who orchestrated riots

September 18, 2021 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Think about Milind Soman and the first thing that comes to your mind is his physical appeal. It astonishes people on how can someone be so fit and good-looking even after crossing the age of 50. This is the reason why he has such high number of fan following among females.

But it would be unfair to tag Milind only for his good looks. He has also shown his acting abilities quite a few times but this side of his is often overshadowed by his looks.

Once such on-screen character of his that hasn’t been talked about much is that of an evil and communal politician.

Yes, you read it right. He played such a negative character in Jayprad Desai’s Marathi movie Nagrik (2015). Named Vikas Patil, the character was that of a young, fiery politician who is ready to take any step to gain votes and thereby acquire power.

In fact, Milind’s character not only uses religion to gain votes but also orchestrates communal riots where people from the minority community are killed. On top of that, the next day he visits the victims to display a fake show of sympathy.

Those who haven’t seen Nagrik might feel that someone like Milind isn’t suited for such a role. But the character was such that I feel he was the right choice.

Vikas Patil isn’t your conventional evil politician who is aged and speaks and behaves like a villain. The character, in fact, is that of a young and sophisticated politician who devices his evil plans in a calm and calculative manner.

Patil’s character is also seen boasting about being able to get votes from the people of Maharashtra by merely shutting down few toll nakas. This dialogue, which is also a part of the trailer, gave rise to speculations about the character being similar to that of Raj Thackeray. But barring this dialogue, I couldn’t find any similarity between Patil and the chief of MNS.

As a film, Nagrik is an interesting political drama. It sees Patil pitted against an honest and upright journalist Shyam Jagdale, played by Sachin Khedekar. Jagdale is known for his column ‘Nagrik’ in the newspaper he works for.

But when he exposes Patil in one of his columns, his editor, a part of the new management, refuses to publish it since the newspaper is getting an enormous advertisement revenue from Patil. Hence, Jagdale goes through an episode of frustration. However, he is not someone to give up so easily.

Nagrik is also one of the last few films of acting legend Shreeram Lagoo. He plays Milind’s political mentor, who is disappointed to see his pupil going ashtray.

There are quite a few reasons why Nagrik remains memorable. For me, the biggest one is to see Milind play such a negative character. He has played a couple of villainous roles in Tamil films though.

Also read:

Nagrik movie review

Asif Basra’s suicide in 2020 never triggered an uproar

Actor Asif Basra’s suicide in 2020 never triggered an uproar

September 5, 2021 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

It has been three days since the unfortunate passing away of actor Sidharth Shukla due to sudden heart attack. The last three days have witnessed countless posts on social media bidding emotional goodbyes to him.

But along with that, the internet is also full of conspiracy theories regarding Shukla’s death. Despite the actor’s family members admitting that there is no foul play, thousands of his fans are thinking otherwise.

From someone giving him false medicines at night before he passed away to the actor doing drugs, everything is being attributed to his passing away except heart attack. But the one that takes the cake are claims of the actor being murdered.

In fact, a group has been formed on Facebook with the name ‘Justice for Sidharth Shukla’ where some members are asking for a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) intervention in the matter.

These theories aren’t new. Ever since Sushant Singh Rajput passed away due to suicide in June 2020 till today, conspiracy theories regarding his alleged murder are still doing rounds despite the CBI not finding any murder angle in his death ever since they took up the case since a year.

Looking at all this, it might seem that majority of people get too affected emotionally if an actor dies unexpectedly. It becomes like a personal loss for them. However, this is not the case for every actor.

Let’s go back to that fateful evening in November last year, five months after SSR passed away, when news of actor Asif Basra ending his life by hanging was broken. I was shocked and it affected me as much as SSR’s death did.

However, there was no uproar on social media. Basra ended his life in the same way as Sushant did. But nobody found anything suspicious in his death. Nobody cried murder and brought up those unthinkable theories. Like SSR, Basra too was an ‘outsider’ but nobody slammed the so-called nepotism gang of Bollywood.

News channels never felt like making an issue out of it and they never trended #JusticeForAsifBasra.

But come September 2021 and the social media erupts with countless posts on suspicious death and murder when Shukla’s own family has confirmed that it’s a natural death.

This easily gives an idea that people get affected on social media in large numbers only if the actor is young, conventionally good-looking and, most importantly, someone who fits in the image of a ‘hero.’ Supporting actors or character artistes aren’t precious enough to get such reactions.

Basra has appeared in a list of prominent projects including, Black Friday, Parzania, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, Kai Po Che, Krrish 3, The Tashkent Files, Paatal Lok, Hostages (both seasons), The Family Man (season 2), etc. They might not have known him by his name but his face is sure to make you feel you have seen him at least few times on screen.

One might still argue that people might not know who Basra was since he wasn’t that famous. But after reading or watching news about his death, people did know about him.

And they also came to know the cause of his death.

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What will happen to Sooryavanshi and 83?

September 1, 2021 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Circa March 2020. The trailer of Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi promised an out-and-out cop entertainer. The film was set to release later that month. In the following month, Kabir Khan’s keenly-awaited 83 was due for release. The makers were getting ready with its teaser and trailer. Hindi film fans felt they are in for a treat.

However, a villain in the form of COVID-19 attacked India and theatres were shut for an indefinite period. Both Sooryavanshi and 83 were forced to abandon their releases and wait for the menace to end in India.

Today, after one and a half years, there is still no clarity on the release of both films.

Theatres did re-open at the end of last year which saw the release of few new Hindi films like Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari, Indoo Ki Jawani, Madam Chief Minister, etc. Although only 50% occupancy was allowed, it was still good news to see cinemas back. There was hope for the occupancy to increase in the coming months.

In January and February this year, few other films released and it felt the occupancy would increase soon. However, the second COVID-19 wave hit the nation and it turned out to be deadlier than the first one. Needless to say, theatres were shut again from April onwards and there was lockdown once again in the country.

Just when it felt Sooryavanshi and 83 would finally see the light of day, things became worse again. For those not in the know, both the films are produced by Reliance Entertainment. The former stars Akshay Kumar in the lead while the latter has Ranveer Singh.

Theatres have been re-opened in various major states in India recently. But Maharashtra, the biggest hub of Hindi cinema, still has its cinemas shut. So, you can’t expect too many big films to release in such situation. Of course, mainstream movies like Bell Bottom and Chehre did release recently. But their business hasn’t been encouraging.

In fact, even if they had released in Maharashtra, it still wouldn’t have made any difference to their box office performance. Somehow, not many people from the Hindi film audience are turning up for these films. Right now, only 50% occupancy is allowed in theatres. But both new films have not attracted even that much audience per show.

It won’t be right to say that people are scared to visit theatres due to the COVID-19 due to various reasons. The biggest being that new Punjabi movies Puaada and Chal Mera Putt 2 have been doing impressive business. The same happened with the Tamil movie Master earlier this year, not just in south but also in places like Mumbai. Plus, people are happy to gather in large numbers at markets and devotional places.

Hence, going by the current Hindi film performance at the box office, it doesn’t look the producers of Sooryavanshi and 83 would be willing to release their films now, even if theatres open up in Mumbai.

One important point here is that both the films are big budgeted and would need to earn huge at the box office in order to become successful. And to achieve that, they would need shows to go full even at 100% capacity.

We should also realize that both films have been in the waiting since a year and a half. This also increases the film’s cost because it increases the interest rate they would need to repay the banks. Naturally, in one and a half years, the rates would have gone significantly high.

Unfortunately, the threat of the third COVID-19 wave is also looming large as various experts have predicted its arrival later this year. So this raises a question whether it would be right for both films to wait for few months from now on.

In other words, neither they can wait nor they can release the films right now.