bbc-north.co.uk – Daily Features & Must-Read News

Mithun Chakraborty prefers family over parties. He avoids gossip at film events. He once juggled 65 films simultaneously and set a record with 19 releases in a year. He quickly decides on scripts and now chooses projects that excite him. He is working on Fauji with Prabhas, Jailer 2 with Rajinikanth, and Prajapati 2. He finds these diverse projects effortless.

Rajinikanth's 'Coolie,' directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, has achieved a significant milestone, grossing USD 6.60 million in North America within nine days, surpassing 'Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1.' This makes 'Coolie' the second highest-grossing Tamil film in North America, driven by strong premiere showings and pan-Indian appeal, despite weekday drops. The film's India net stands at Rs 245.50 crore after 10 days.

Bollywood stars are increasingly collaborating with South Indian filmmakers, driven by the success of pan-India films like 'Baahubali' and 'Jawan'. Actors like Hrithik Roshan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Aamir Khan are exploring partnerships with production houses and directors from the South to tap into a wider audience and leverage the scale and vision of Southern cinema.

Released on August 14th amidst high anticipation and a clash with 'Coolie', 'War 2' starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr. NTR, initially saw a grand opening, fueled by Independence Day. However, mixed reviews led to a significant drop in collections from Saturday onwards, with a steep 73% fall on Monday.