Actress Manisha Koirala recently shared her experience working with renowned filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra on the iconic 1994 film 1942: A Love Story. The movie marked a pivotal moment in Koirala’s career. She revealed that Chopra asked her to ‘look beautiful at all costs, as Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff were major stars at the time, and it was important for the audience to believe that the duo was in love with her character in the movie.’ 

In a conversation with ANI, Manisha Koirala shared that her journey with 1942: A Love Story did not begin on a high note. Initially, director Vidhu Vinod Chopra rejected her after the first screen test, which motivated her to work harder.

Koirala recalled that she had no prior experience with such a project, and during her first test, Chopra criticized her, saying, “You don’t even know how to act!” Determined to prove herself, she requested another opportunity, to which The 12th Fail director responded, “Come tomorrow.” 

Koirala went on to describe the script-reading sessions at Chopra’s home, where the director consistently provided feedback that added significant pressure on her.

She recalled that during these sessions, Chopra emphasized the importance of her appearance, instructing her to look beautiful at all costs.

Koirala shared, “Vinod used to say that Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff, two huge stars at the time, were in love with you in the film. So, do everything you can to look perfect. I don’t want the audience to feel that I, as a director, am lying, that the girl isn’t beautiful enough for these stars to be in love with her. It shouldn’t seem like I’m cheating them.” 

According to Heeramandi actress, Chopra’s constant guidance and pressure drove her to give her best performance. She mentioned that Chopra frequently provided her with feedback, which created a lot of pressure.

However, she eventually grasped the seriousness of the industry. Koirala admitted that she was young, naive, and lacked knowledge of the film industry since she came from a non-film background. 

She was unaware of the need for coaching or whom to seek advice from, but somehow she managed to navigate the process and figure things out. 

Beyoncé and Jay-Z, one of the most private celebrity couples, have built a family while staying committed to keeping their personal lives under wraps.

After marrying in 2008 following years of dating, the powerhouse duo welcomed three children: Blue Ivy in 2012, followed by twins Rumi and Sir in 2017. While they occasionally give fans glimpses into their family life, the couple has always aimed to protect their children’s privacy.

In various interviews, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have opened up about how parenthood has shaped them. Speaking on Kevin Hart’s Hart to Heart series, Jay-Z shared how much he values time with his children.

“Time is all you have,” he said. “That’s the only thing we control. It’s how you spend your time. Every second that you spend, you’re spending away from the development of these people that you brought here, that you love more than anything in the world.”

Beyoncé also talked about her dedication to family life, telling GQ in September 2024, “I have made an extreme effort to stay true to my boundaries and protect myself and my family. No amount of money is worth my peace.” She added that she prioritizes her children’s schedule when planning her tours.

Blue Ivy, 12

Diwali 2024 has been great for the exhibitors across the country, though they did have to make a few difficult and uncomfortable choices to accomodate all the films. Kollywood had Amaran, Bloody Beggar and Brother while Bollywood had Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Singham Again. Sandalwood had Bagheera while Tollywood had Lucky Baskhar (starring Mollywood superstar Dulquer Salmaan) and KA. The biggest winner of the Diwali 2024 season is undoubtedly Siva Karthikeyan’s war-actioner Amaran, which is holding steadily after a triumphant weekend and looks to do close to Rs 250 crore worldwide in the full run.

Amaran Is The Biggest Winner Of Diwali 2024

Amaran released in theatres on 31st October, amidst a lot of hoopla. The movie lived up to the hype and is on course to become the second highest grossing Tamil film of 2024, only behind The GOAT. It faced capacity issues over the weekend and if not for that, it could have collected atleast 15 percent more. The global collections are swiftly moving towards Rs 200 crore and it is possible that it can get to Rs 250 crore too. The film’s final collections will be close to double of Sivakarthikeyan’s previous biggest hit. The verdict is that it is a big blockbuster.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 Is A Resounding Hit; On Course For Rs 300 Crore Global

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is the third installment of the Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 franchise. Despite clashing with an able film like Singham Again, it is doing exceedingly well at the box office. Seeing the movie’s daily hold, it is a forgone conclusion that it will cross Rs 200 crore net in India. The global collections are expected to cross Rs 300 crore. The mark-up from the collections of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is clearly visible. It is a sureshot hit and it can eventually emerge a super-hit too.

Lucky Baskhar Aims For Rs 100 Crore Plus Global Finish

Tollywood film Lucky Baskhar with a Mollywood superstar Dulquer Salmaan as the lead is doing very fine business across the globe. The first week of the movie will be over Rs 60 crore and in the full run, it will have grossed over Rs 100 crore. All the movie required was Rs 65 crore worldwide to breakeven. With the projections of a Rs 100 crore plus closing, it is a superhit.

KA Is Very Well Received Locally

Kiran Abbavaram suspense-drama has done very well at the box office so far. The film’s rights were valued at around Rs 10 crore and it managed to match it in the extended first weekend itself. The movie is holding nicely over the weekdays. With a final gross expected to be in the vicinity of Rs 30 crore, KA is a super-hit. 

Singham Again Sets Cash Registers Ringing

Singham Again is likely to have the highest gross collections worldwide among competing Diwali 2024 releases. A Rs 300 crore worldwide for the cop-actioner directed by Rohit Shetty is locked. The clash with Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 has not helped it much. If not for the clash, the collections would be higher and it could be on course to being a clean hit. Now, with the collections slowing down, it will be difficult for the movie to get a clean verdict. Regardless, Rohit Shetty and Ajay Devgn are back after their respective theatrical debacles Cirkus and Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha.

Bagheera Does Very Well For Itself After A Slow Start

Sandalwood’s Bagheera opened to low numbers. The positive word of mouth resulted in the film growing at the box office each day. With the movie holding steadily over the weekdays, it is a certified hit. After Martin not doing too well in theatres, the Kannada Industry is back in form with the vigilante-thriller.

Brother, Bloody Beggar Flop

Other releases across India like Brother and Bloody Beggar didn’t do well after taking decent initials. They will settle for a below-average to flop verdict. It rarely happens that India sees as many as 6 well-performing films running in theatres at the same time.

Diwali 2024 Releases Continue To Play In Theatres

Which is your favourite film from the Diwali 2024 releases and why? Let us know. All the abovementioned films can be watched in theatres now.