Writer-director Puri Jagannadh’s offbeat films are always significant for few reasons and he has made a name for himself with some influential and super-hit films.

Telugu Film Industry remembers him for the love stories he delivered and this time, the maverick director is coming up with a love story that is set on the backdrop of 1971 India-Pakistan war. Announcing the title of the film as ‘Mehbooba’ on Twitter, Puri said – “I realized that I am doing a highly intense and a passionate love story for the first time ever which is completely out of my repertoire of ideas.’

The Paisa Vasool director also declared that his son Akash Puri will play the lead role while a Mangalore girl Neha Shetty will be the leading lady. ‘Ninne Pelladtha’ fame Sandeep Chowta has come on board to score music for the film.

In the past, we have seen films like Kanche from Krish which was set on the backdrop of world war-II. Although Puri’s last release ‘Paisa Vasool’ bombed at box-office, he’s on high hopes pinned on ‘Mehbooba’.

Superstar Mahesh Babu’s highly anticipated film, SPYder has taken a decent start at box office on Day 1. As per trade reports, the AR Murugadoss directorial collected 40 Cr worldwide gross on its opening day.

Spyder collected a meager Rs 15.3 Cr share (22 Cr gross) in the Telugu states on Day 1, the 2nd highest opener for Mahesh in AP & TS after Srimanthudu. This opening is nowhere comparable to the openings of biggies that released this year – Khaidi No.150, Katamarayudu, Jai Lava Kusa and even DJ.

Area-wise break-up of distributor share:

Nizam – 3,60,00,000
Ceded – 1,80,00,000
Nellore – 1,02,73,000
Guntur – 2,02,00,000
Krishna – 89,40,984
West – 1,90,00,000
East – 2,31,00,000
Uttharandhra – 1,75,00,000

Total 1st day AP & TS Share – 15.3 Cr

In US, Spyder raked in $1 million with premieres alone. The movie also had decent start in Tamil Nadu and Kerala thanks to the brand of A R Murugadoss.

Total 1st Day Worldwide Share of Telugu & Tamil versions – 25-26 Cr (Gross 40-42 Cr)

Buyers were shocked with the film’s performance on opening day. One can blame the reviews and/or word of mouth if collections drop on second day but the lame opening on Day 1 for a superstar’s film which had non-Baahubali record release during Dasara holiday season, has left everyone shell-shocked.

Going by the talk, the film desperately needs to cash in on the Dasara holidays to alleviate the anticipated losses of buyers, who had splurged money believing in the crazy combo of Mahesh-ARM.

Nothing stays hidden from paparazzi these days despite the umpteen precautions taken by filmmakers, especially of high budget films.

The warrior look of Bollywood Megastar Amitabh Bachchan from one of the highly anticipated films of 2018, ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ had leaked and went viral on social media. It seems that the picture was secretly clicked when the legendary actor stepped out of a studio and was walking to his vanity van. The megastar’s heavy bearded warrior look is majestic and fearsome.

Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Sheikh, “Thugs of Hindostan” is being directed by Vijay Acharya, the director of ‘Dhoom 3’ and produced by YRF on a mammoth budget. The film will boast of some extraordinary special effects and combat scenes, and is slated to release worldwide for Diwali 2018.

Queen-bee Samantha is getting ready for the mega date, October 6th. With her wedding falling in less than ten days times, our hottie is surely going head over heels with those sweet bachelor moments that are getting over soon.

From the last couple of weeks, actually, Samantha is sharing pictures of her, shot for a Mumbai based fashion designer. Though many thought the cleavage-revealing hot dress is Samantha’s bridal wear for the impending marriage and later a clarity has come that she’s just posing for a look-book. However, everyday Samantha is busy sharing a picture from that shoot, all the time in the same dress.

Either Samantha should stop sharing those pictures, or she should change the dress she’s wearing. We mean a photo in a new dress would be appeasing her fans rather releasing photos of the same look again and again. As our hottie is confirming that she’s not going to stop it, many films lovers are advising her to change the dress at least.

Meanwhile, it is heard that she’s currently preparing the final checklist for her marriage. From taking care of preparations to the guest list, food to costumes and sentiments to parties, Samantha is quite busy-bee.

Evidently, fans and film lovers of Telugu movies have a particular taste and any film played to that idea will click at the box office. And if someone tries to break it, then there should be a strong reason to support it, else the story will break, and the film will go for a toss.

Other day’s release Spyder is liked by fans but slammed by critics for obvious reasons. As Mahesh Babu already stated that people write good reviews for good films, there is nothing more we could say about that. However, some hardcore fans of the actor feel that an Oosaravelli like mistake committed by Spyder has cost the hero huge.

A couple of years back when Jr NTR came up with Oosaravelli, many got doubt after looking at Tamanna’s flashback episode that hero was nowhere connected to the main plot. As nearly a 20 minutes flashback episode runs on the heroine, even fans have got hurt. Same thing happened with Spyder as well as the flashback episode related to the villain (played by SJ Surya) has no connection with Mahesh Babu. That made many get disconnected with the film for a while as the primary target of many movie lovers is to watch Mahesh on the first day of the movie for all the screen time.

This is just a belief, however, but the weak link between SJ Surya’s terrific flashback and Mahesh’s current reaction on him is what the bigger culprit. But sentiment lovers are busy believing that Oosaravelli like mistake resulted in a similar result.

Earnings in the film industry will be very fruitful if all the projects are resulting in successes. And sometimes these film projects can bring anyone to roads, fearing which many celebs invest in other businesses such that they will be safe during tough times.

A famous hero, his brother and their friend did the same thing long time back. Though the hero has a successful career for a long time, he got faded out a couple of years ago and busy doing other characters upon request. At the same time, this hero’s brother has quit films long back and started a company. Recently an investor in this company, who is a good friend of hero and his brother, made a movie and lost heavily.

A little digging into the matter revealed that this friend, our hero and hero’s brother had got completely washed out due to their poorest strategies in a software and animation company. We hear that they are nowhere near a saveable point that anyone could bring them back to safe shores.

The only way is, either a big hero should give them dates for free, or the fading out hero should switch his ways and earn differently.

For both critics and audiences, the game of Jai Lava Kusa appeared little interesting in the second half only. Typical eye feels that Jr NTR’s Jai character arrived at right time and saved the film. As the momentum picked up after the arrival of this character, it bagged all the credit.

But if we observe, the dynamics of the film picked up at the interval with versatile actor Sai Kumar arriving as a cop, then revealing his true identity. And then his character narrates the whole of second half giving the much-needed hype, pace and boost the film. Definitely, we have to agree that he is a secret ingredient who changed the game.

However, Sai Kumar is not the original choice picked by Jr NTR, but he’s brought in by director Bobby. Though NTR checked from North to South all the way to find one big actor to play that role, he has got tired. Speaking about this, Bobby revealed that NTR ran out of all the options due to various reasons and then asked him about the actor who in his mind for the role. Then Bobby has revealed that Saikumar is on his mind from the beginning after which Nandamuri Brothers have brought him onboard.

Had Jr NTR brought some other actor like a Mohan Lal in Janata Garage for this role played by Saikumar, the film would have got more hype, but audiences would have got disappointed that have to hear some dubbing voice yet again for the narrative part.

After a long wait and few missed chances to be a part of Mahesh babu movie, Rakul finally got into Spyder. Unfortunately, her role was designed at awful best and one wonders how she agreed to act in such unimportant role, though she remains the main female lead of the film. Her character given by Murugadoss turned hot topic, as her roles in previous films like Nannaku Prematho and recent Jaya Janaki Nayaka were involving and important too. Though some of her roles were just glam dolls, she grew to top league by choosing worthy roles. Now that the role played by her in Spyder could not impress Telugu audience and not even her fans.

Rakul gets introduced in the film as a nerdy girl loves to have sex, after she watches porn for hours together. She defines a logic of improving her academic score to 98 percent, only by staying away from ‘love’ yet she wants to have sex on a blind date only to gain her focus and concentration back. She appears for a few times in the first half just before the songs and not even for that time in second half. Being one of the top league actresses in Telugu cinema, Rakul could have chosen a better role to play rather going ahead with a porn watching-sex craving nerdish girl.

Looks like she signed in the film only because she did not want to miss a chance to act with Mahesh babu. It is better if Rakul tries to bag decent roles, and just being a glam doll is way better than her awkward role in Spyder.