Hindi
Poor films help ‘Neerja’ fly at box office with Rs 34.2 crore
MUMBAI: This has proved to be a disastrous week. A numerous non-descript films released, which found some sort of play time at multiplexes but did not manage to find an audience.
The much hyped Aligarh from Hansal Mehta comes a cropper. A real life incident of an Aligarh Muslim University professor caught in a sting with his pants down with another male, offered nothing new to the viewers to attract them to the cinema halls. Film experience is certainly not about showing skeletons in the cupboard of a man. The film had very poor response on day one, day two as well as day three to show collections of Rs 1.2 crore for its opening weekend.
The other noticeable release of the week, Tere Bin Laden: Dead Or Alive, emerged as a poor attempt at 1960s American humour. The film lacked on all counts including, mainly, on gags. Direction was poor. What is it with Laden character spewing native Punjabi twang and English dialogue having English sub-titles? The film has managed to collect Rs 1.95 crore for its first weekend.
Other releases like Bollywood Diaries, Love Shagun, Rhythm, Jab Tum Kaho and Dhara 302, passed as unnoticed as they came.
Loveshudha, a second attempt to launch Girish Taurani, fails miserably. The film opens with no audience, no show and somehow manages to end its first week with a figure of Rs 2.2 crore.
Weak oppositions helped much appreciated Neerja hold well as it ended its first week with a total of Rs 34.2 crore. The film’s good run continued as the new releases also happened to be poor and Neerja enjoyed a healthy second weekend.
Sanam Re adds Rs 1.5 crore in its second week to take its two week total to Rs 28.1 crore.
Fitoor adds Rs 75 lakh in its second week thus taking its two week tally to Rs 17.9 crore.
Ghayal Once Again collects Rs 75 lakh in its third week taking its three week total to Rs 35.7 crore.
Airlift adds Rs 1.1 crore in its fifth week to take its five week total to Rs 125.7 crore.
Hindi
Zee5 and Applause Entertainment team up for whodunnit ‘Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa’
Rajat Kapoor directs star-studded murder mystery streaming from 10 April.
MUMBAI: Zee5 is serving up another killer collaboration and this time, the murder mystery comes with a generous side of dark humour and family dysfunction. The streaming platform has partnered with Applause Entertainment and Mithya Talkies to bring Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa, a fresh, twisted whodunnit written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker and actor Rajat Kapoor. The film will stream exclusively on Hindi Zee5 from 10 April.
The movie reimagines the classic murder mystery genre with a contemporary, darkly comic edge. It revolves around a group of friends and family who smile, drink, and celebrate together until the silence snaps and long-buried secrets spill out. The stellar ensemble cast includes Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Waluscha De Sousa, Saurabh Shukla, Chandrachoor Rai, Neil Bhoopalam, Koel Purie, Palomi Ghosh, and Rajat Kapoor himself.
This latest offering continues the successful partnership between Zee5 and Applause Entertainment, which has previously delivered diverse hits such as Mithya, Bloody Brothers, and Jab Khuli Kitaab.
&TV Business Head of hindi Zee5 and chief channel officer Kaveri Das said, “Our collaboration with Applause Entertainment has consistently delivered distinct, high-impact storytelling. Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa is a natural progression, reinforcing our focus on genre-led content with a compelling whodunnit premise and a strong ensemble cast.”
Applause Entertainment business head for movies Sunil Chainani added, “This film adds yet another compelling layer to our slate with Rajat Kapoor’s unmistakable voice.”
Rajat Kapoor shared, “What interested me was not just the mechanics of a whodunnit, but the emotional violence that precedes physical violence. These are people who smile at each other, but there’s so much that is not said.”
The film promises razor-sharp writing, layered performances, and simmering tension, inviting viewers not just to solve the crime but to unravel the complex relationships at its heart.
If you love a good murder mystery served with wit and emotional depth, Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa looks set to be your next addictive watch. Mark your calendars, the whodunnit drops on Hindi Zee5 from 10 April.
