Hindi
Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se puts up a dismal performance
MUMBAI: This remained a weekend of poorest showing at the box office. With three Hindi film releases, there was no glory despite Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey coming from high profile director Ashotosh Gowarikar or from Rakht Charitra, coming from the factory of Ram Gopal Varma. The third release, Phas Gaye Re Obama, won some chuckles from the audience.
‘Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se is a write off from day one. The audience attendance was poor and most exhibitors were contemplating discontinuing the film before the day ended; some optimists wanted to see it through the weekend though! The film’s first day India collections were akin to that of a one cinema collections of a normal successful film.
With the opening day collections of Rs 8.1 million, it was a pathetic show as the weekend fetched a meagre Rs 30 million from the domestic box office. Looks like neither the film’s stars nor those bestowed by critics helped! Even in Bengal it did not help the film’s prospects despite it being a local story. According to some Bengal exhibitors, the collections are very poor but the film can’t be discontinued for want of an alternative.
Phas Gaye Re Obama, though getting positive response, suffered due to lack of decent theatre chain availability; collections remained on the lower side with a weekend of Rs 12.5 million.
Rakht Charitra 2 went the same way as its unsung predecessor Rakht Chartitra 1- still born. It managed to collect a lowly Rs 19 million during its first three days.
As for the first week collections, Break Ke Baad, a love story sans romance with its poor story, script, treatment and music, failed at the box office. It managed to collect just about Rs 140 million during its first week.
Hindi
ZEE5, Applause announce new film Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa
Rajat Kapoor’s dark comedy thriller to stream on ZEE5 from April 10
MUMBAI: ZEE5 and Applause Entertainment have announced their next direct-to-digital collaboration, Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa, a darkly comic whodunnit set to stream from April 10.
Produced in association with Mithya Talkies and written and directed by Rajat Kapoor, the film marks the latest addition to a growing slate of genre-diverse titles from the two partners. Their previous collaborations include dramas, psychological thrillers and dark comedies, with this outing leaning into a layered murder mystery.
The film features an ensemble cast including Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Waluscha De Sousa and Saurabh Shukla, among others. The narrative promises a mix of satire, strained relationships and hidden tensions, inviting viewers to look beyond the crime to the dynamics that lead up to it.
ZEE5 business head hindi and chief channel officer Andtv Kaveri Das said, “Our collaboration with Applause Entertainment has been instrumental in building a strong slate with titles such as Bloody Brothers, Mithya and Jab Khuli Kitaab. Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa is a natural progression, aligning with our focus on genre-led content that resonates with audiences.”
Applause Entertainment business head movies Sunil Chainani said, “This collaboration with ZEE5 continues to stand out for its diversity of genres and narrative styles. Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa adds a sharp, darkly comic whodunnit to that mix, driven by Rajat Kapoor’s distinct voice.”
Sharing his creative approach, Rajat Kapoor said he was drawn to the emotional layers behind the genre. “I was interested not just in the mechanics of a whodunnit, but the emotional violence that precedes physical violence. These are people who appear close, yet carry unspoken tensions that eventually surface.”
The partnership between ZEE5 and Applause continues to build on a shared focus on distinctive storytelling, with each project exploring a different tone and genre.
With its mix of humour, tension and ensemble storytelling, the film aims to offer more than just a mystery. It promises a closer look at the secrets people keep, and the consequences when they finally come to light.
