QuickE: Zafar on ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’; Siddharth Roy Kapur on GST
A crisp entertainment wrap.
advertisement
1. ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ Is a Tribute to PM Modi: Ali Abbas Zafar
The film which has swiftly marched into the 200 cr club is a tribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tiger Zinda Hai director, Ali Abbas Zafar, has confirmed that the film is based on a real incident that occurred in 2014, when the Modi government had just come to power. 46 Indian nurses who were held captive by ISIS in Iraq were rescued with a clandestine rescue operation with the aid of pure negotiation.
Narendra Modi had reportedly ensured the achievement of this tricky mission where no lives were lost. Ali sourced his inspiration from this secretive triumph of diplomacy.
“If you have noticed, during the rescue mission in Tiger Zinda Hai, Paresh Rawal asks Tiger (Salman Khan) if ‘PM sahab’ is aware of the mission. The original dialogue in the film was ‘Modi Ji Ko Pata Hai?’ as a tribute to him and the mission,” said director, Ali Abbas Zafar.
Read More on The Quint.
2. Twinkle Makes Every Ride Full of Adventure & Amusement: Akshay
On Twinkle Khanna's 43rd birthday on Friday, her husband and actor Akshay Kumar said she makes his life a joyride.
Akshay and Twinkle are currently on a family holiday. He shared a photograph of the two traveling in a convertible.
Akshay and Twinkle got married in 2001. The couple share two children - son Aarav and daughter Nitara.
Twinkle shares her birthday with her late father, superstar Rajesh Khanna. Taking a moment to remember him, she posted an old black and white photograph of her with her father.
Read More on The Quint.
3. GST Discouraging Cinema-Going Habit: Filmmaker Siddharth Roy Kapur
The Goods and Services Tax (GST), implemented by the central government from mid-2017, has proved to be a strain on the overall economics of film-making and is also discouraging the public's cinema-going habit, says Film and Television Producers Guild of India President Siddharth Roy Kapur.
The year 2017 threw up surprises at the Bollywood box office - with a dubbed film like Baahubali 2: The Conclusion creating a storm by minting Rs 500 crore-plus -- and shockers too, with Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan's Jab Harry Met Sejal and Tubelight, respectively, falling flat.
How did demonetisation, announced on November 8, 2016, and GST impact Bollywood's business in 2017?
“It’s still early to say as far as GST goes, but it definitely is a strain on the overall economics of film-making because of the fact that there isn’t a complete pass-through for the set-off, due to differential tax rates at various stages of the value chain.”
“Secondly, because of the tax of 28 per cent on cinema tickets above Rs 100, which comprises the bulk of the cinema tickets sold in the country, the cinema-going habit is being discouraged. This really does put a massive strain on the economics of film-making.” Kapur told IANS in an email interview.
Read More on The Quint.
4. Alia, Jacqueline, Sushant-Kriti Give Us Serious Vacay Goals
Have you been looking for vacation inspiration? Where to go, who to take along with? Well, fear not, we’ll show you where your favourite Bollywood stars are going to ring on the New Year. Go ahead and book those tickets - and vacation like a film star!
Sushant Singh Rajput, Kriti Sanon’s rumoured boyfriend is afflicting us with serious FOMO.
The twosome is holidaying amid snow-draped mountains in the Alps with a bunch of friends and has posted quite a few pictures of their vacation for our vicarious pleasure.
Read More on The Quint.