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Top 10 Upcoming South Indian Films in February 2023
The Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam film industries have made an elite start to the New Year. South Indian films are going to grace the second month of the 1st quarter of 2023 as well. Though movie lovers have to wait for the year busters, these films can give them a good quality time till then. Let's get up-to-date with the 10 most-hyped South Indian Films set to release on February 2023.
10 Best South Indian Movies Releasing in February 2023
Bommai Nayagi/ Tamil/ 3 Feb 2023
This musical drama film is the debut of young Tamil director Shaan. Produced by Pa Ranjith under Neelam Productions, the film cast Yogi Babu in the lead role, with GM Kumar and Harikrishnan Ambudurai in supporting roles. The core story of the socio-emotional movie is about a beautiful emotional bond between father and daughter, which will give the audience a feel-good feeling.
The film's cinematography was done by Athisayaraj R, music by Sundarmurthy KS, and editing by Selva RK.
Read More: ‘Shonibar Bikel’ gets censor clearance on a Saturday afternoon
Vaathi/ Tamil/ 17 Feb 2023
Vaathi, which means master or leader, is the title of the new action drama starring Dhanush. It is a simultaneous Tamil and Telugu film directed and written by Venky Atluri, while the Telugu version is titled Sir. Several changes were made to the Telugu version of the period film, including changing the name of the lead character to Bala Gangadhar Tilak and changing the name of the school to Tirupati Educational Institution.
Dhanush's role here is that of a third-class junior lecturer in an educational institution, who stands up to institutions whose commercial interests are bigger than educating children.
Produced by Fortune Four Cinemas and Seethara Entertainments, Dhanush's lead co-artist is Yukta Menon. After the theatrical release, Netflix took over the OTT streaming rights of the film.
Read More: 2022 Highest-Grossing South Indian Movies
Borrder/ Tamil/ Feb 24, 2023
This spy film based on patriotism is a much-awaited movie. Directed by Arivazhagan Venkatachalam, the thriller movie stars Arun Vijay, Steffy Patel, and Regina Cassandra. The movie, which features a military campaign, is the cinematography by B Rajashekar and produced by Vijaya Raghavendra of All In Pictures. The music of the film is composed by Sam CS and overall editing is supervised by VJ Sabu Joseph.
Shaakuntalam/ Telugu/ February 17, 2023
It is a historical film directed and written by Gunasekhar and produced by Neelima Guna under Guna Teamworks. The main story is adapted from Kalidasa's popular play Abhijananam Shakuntalam. The film will feature Samantha in the title role and Dev Mohan as King Dushmanta. Besides, Madhu, Ananya Nagalla, Gautami, and Aditi Balan will be seen in other roles.
Along with Telugu, the movie will also be released in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam in 3D format on the same day. The film's music is scored by Mani Sharma, the cinematography is handled by Sekhar V. Joseph and Prawin Pudi looks after the film editing aspect.
Read More: 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023: Unleash the Craze of Movie Mania
Michael/ Telugu/ 17 February 2023
A young man takes it upon himself to settle a conflict between several gangs over a single place. This crime thriller film revolves around the story of how much his attempt will see the light of day. Karan C Productions and Sri Venkateswara Cinemas production is directed and written by Ranjith Jeyakodi. The action movie stars Sundeep Kishan and Vijay Sethupathi in lead roles.
The film's music was composed by Sam CS, film editing by R Satyanarayan and sound recording by Babychen Paul.
‘Shonibar Bikel’ gets censor clearance on a Saturday afternoon
‘Shonibar Bikel’ (Saturday Afternoon), one of the most talked-about Bangladeshi films for the past four years for not getting clearance by Bangladesh Film Censor Board, finally got its clearance, coincidentally on a Saturday afternoon.
Director of the film Mostofa Sarwar Farooki confirmed the development to UNB.
There are now no obligations to theatrically release the film, based on the 2016 Holey Artisan attack, according to the appeal board consisting of actress and lawmaker Suborna Mustafa, Jatiya Press Club general secretary and former censor board vice chairman Shyamal Dutta, eminent silver screen actress Sucharita and former Additional Secretary Nurul Karim. The members of the appeal board saw the film today.
With this clearance, the film has no more restrictions to have its theatrical release countrywide, Shyamal Dutta said to the media.
Read: Holey Artisan victim's mother vows to fight release of Bollywood film on tragedy
Previously, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said that the Bangladesh Film Censor Board did not clear the film as the then board members gave their opinion based on several aspects including the security and image of the country.
Although ‘Shonibar Bikel’ fought for its clearance, Bollywood proceeded with the film ‘Faraaz’, based on the same incident, will hit the theatres on February 3.
Farooki and many other prominent artists then took to the media with the demand of ‘Shonibar Bikel’s clearance before ‘Faraaz’.
Read: Holey Artisan Victim Faraaz's Heroism is Now on the Silver Screen
“We are very happy and also thankful to the honourable members of the Censor Board. We are now awaiting the board's letter and as soon as we receive the letter, we will start the work of release. Our target is the release of the film before ‘Faraaz’,” Jaaz Multimedia, the distributor of the film posted on its official Facebook page.
With an ensemble cast of Nusrat Imrose Tisha, Zahid Hasan, Mamunur Rashid, Iresh Zaker, Nader Chowdhury, Gousul Alam Shaon, Indian-Bengali film actor-director Parambrata Chatterjee and Palestinian actor Eyad Hourani - Farooki's 'Shonibar Bikel’ received multiple awards at different festivals across the world.
5 Must-Watch Movies of Sushant Singh Rajput
Sushant Singh Rajput entered the world of acting in 2008 through the TV serial 'Kis Desh Mein Hai Mera Dil.' Before entering acting, Rajput was a brilliant engineering student. He won the National Olympiad in Physics. Although he had to get admission to Delhi College of Engineering due to family pressure, his own desire was to become an astronaut.
However, Shushant realized that a passion for acting was growing inside him, after attending an acting class under theater director Barry John. He joined Shiamak Davar's dance class while pursuing his graduation in mechanical engineering. He performed as a background dancer in the popular song Dhoom Again from the 2006 film Dhoom 2. He was seen in the background dancing team of Aishwarya Rai at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
In the same year, he left his four-year engineering hustle and devoted himself fully to dancing and acting. He came to Mumbai and started struggling to fulfill his dream.
Read More: Holey Artisan victim's mother vows to fight release of Bollywood film on tragedy
Rajput eventually landed in Nadira Babbar's theater troupe Ekjut, where he spent two and a half years. Sushant started acting in lead roles in the soap opera Pavitra Rishta which started in 2009. And this work paved the way for him to the silver screen. Many Bollywood critics used to call him the Second SRK.
Let's get to know about the best 5 movies of Sushant Singh Rajput.
Top 5 Films of Sushant Singh Rajput
Kai Po Che / 2013
Rajput made his full-length screen debut with this sports film directed by Abhishek Kapoor. The main story was taken from Chetan Bhagat's 2008 novel The 3 Mistakes of My Life.
Three friends Ish, Omi, and Govi are very passionate about their own sports careers. The drama of their sports life and friendship revolved around the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, the 2002 Godhra train fire, and the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Read More: 2022 Highest Grossing Movies Worldwide
This first solo Disney·UTV production was a huge commercial and critical success. Rajkumar Rao, Amit Sadh, and Amrita Puri were the main co-artists of Rajput in this buddy drama film.
Rajput received a Filmfare Award nomination for Best New Actor for his portrayal of Ish in the film. Kai Po Che also helped him win Best Male Debut at the Producers Guild Film Awards and Most Promising Newcomer at the Screen Awards.
MS Dhoni The Untold Story / 2016
This movie, written and directed by Neeraj Pandey, is one of the best works of Rajput's film career. This biographical film is based on the life of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the former T20, ODI, and Test captain of the Indian national cricket team. The film features Dhoni's rise in cricket career through various events starting from his childhood.
Read More: Top 10 Upcoming South Indian Films in January 2023
Netflix's 4Q subscribers surge, long-time CEO passes baton
Netflix’s subscriber growth is surging again, providing an early sign that its shift to include ads in a cheaper version of its video streaming service is helping to combat tougher competition and attract cost-conscious customers grappling with inflation.
The company on Thursday disclosed a gain of 7.7 million subscribers during the October-December period, a stretch that included the debut of an ad-supported option for $7 per month — less than half the price of its most popular commercial-free plan. The performance followed subscriber gains that topped analysts’ modest expectations during a July-September period that followed Netflix’s second consecutive quarter of customer losses.
Having regained its momentum, Netflix also announced its co-founder Reed Hastings will relinquish its title of co-CEO, completing a transition that began in July 2020 with the appointment of its programming chief, Ted Sarandos, as co-CEO. Greg Peters, Netflix's chief operating officer, will join Sarandos as co-CEO while Hastings becomes executive chairman.
Hastings, 62, had been Netflix's CEO for more than 20 years after taking over the role from his friend and fellow company co-founder Marc Randolph in the late 1990s.
Losing Hastings as co-CEO “leaves some big shoes for me and Greg to fill," Sarandos said during a conference call late Thursday. “Fortunately, we have four feet to do it with."
Read more: Netflix New Release January 2023: 10 Most Hyped English Movies, Series
As he handed off the CEO baton, Hastings said Sarandos and Peters were “more than ready" to succeed him. “They both have such amazing talents and gifts," Hastings said during the conference call. “Frankly, more and more, they have already been leading the company."
Insider Intelligence analyst Paul Verna interpreted the new leadership as another step in Netflix's evolution from its roots as a technology company led by a mathematical whiz in Hastings to an entertainment service led by Sarandos, who has long negotiated deals with Hollywood studios, and Peters, who oversaw the expansion into advertising.
“The current shift puts advertising in the center of the picture, alongside content,” Verna said.
The upturn in Netflix's subscribers didn't boost profits, largely because the strong dollar weighed on international results. The Los Gatos, California, company earned $55.3 million, or 12 cents per share, during the fourth quarter, a 91% decline from the same time in the prior year. Revenue rose 2% from the previous year to $7.85 billion, a modest gain that suggest some ongoing subscribers may have hopscotched from a more expensive plan to the lower priced ad-backed option.
The earnings fell below the predictions of analysts who shape investors’ expectations. But investors appeared to be more focused on the subscriber gains that were far above projections. Netflix’s shares climbed nearly 7% in extended trading to $337.60. The stock price has double from a five-year low of $162.71 reached last May, but is still far below its all-time high of nearly $701 in November 2021.
Last year’s subscriber downturn, unprecedented since Netflix separated its streaming and DVD-by-mail services in 2011, prompted management to embrace advertising for the first time. The company is now preparing to crack down on the rampant sharing of passwords that has enabled an estimated 100 million people worldwide to watch popular shows such as “The Crown” and “Stranger Things” for free.
Read more: Netflix aims to curtail password sharing, considers ads
Bolstered by its holiday-season uptick, Netflix now boasts nearly 231 million worldwide subscribers – more than any rival in an increasingly crowded field of video streaming competition that includes the likes of Amazon, Hulu, Google’s YouTube, Walt Disney Co. and Apple, the world’s richest company.
Now that consumers have so many choices with only so much discretionary income to spend, Netflix has conceded it will be difficult to attract more customers as it historically has done. Its growth peaked during the first phase of the pandemic when the video streaming service added more than 36 million subscribers during 2020 while most people were corralled at home. By comparison, Netflix picked up fewer than 9 million subscribers for all of last year.
The slowdown prompted Netflix to stop its long-standing practice of projecting how many subscribers it expects to gain from one quarter to the next, an attempt to lessen investors’ focus on that number. Instead, Netflix is putting more emphasis on revenue and profits growth, a goal that figures to be helped by more money pouring in from ad sales.
Reports: David Crosby, rock star and CSNY co-founder, dies
David Crosby, the brash rock musician who evolved from a baby-faced harmony singer with the Byrds to a mustachioed hippie superstar and an ongoing troubadour in Crosby, Stills, Nash & (sometimes) Young, has died at 81, several media outlets reported Thursday.
The New York Times reported, based on a text message from Crosby's sister in law, that the musician died Wednesday night. Several media outlets reported Crosby's death citing anonymous sources; The Associated Press was unable to reach Crosby's representatives and his widow.
Crosby underwent a liver transplant in 1994 after decades of drug use and survived diabetes, hepatitis C and heart surgery in his 70s.
While he only wrote a handful of widely known songs, the witty and ever opinionated Crosby was on the front lines of the cultural revolution of the ’60s and ’70s — whether triumphing with Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young on stage at Woodstock, testifying on behalf of a hirsute generation in his anthem “Almost Cut My Hair” or mourning the assassination of Robert Kennedy in “Long Time Gone.”
He was a founder and focus of the Los Angeles rock music community from which such performers as the Eagles and Jackson Browne later emerged. He was a twinkly-eyed hippie patriarch, the inspiration for Dennis Hopper’s long-haired stoner in “Easy Rider.” He advocated for peace, but was an unrepentant loudmouth who practiced personal warfare and acknowledged that many of the musicians he worked with no longer spoke to him.
“Crosby was a colorful and unpredictable character, wore a Mandrake the Magician cape, didn’t get along with too many people and had a beautiful voice — an architect of harmony,” Bob Dylan wrote in his 2004 memoir, “Chronicles: Volume One.”
Crosby's drug use left him bloated, broke and alienated. He kicked the addiction in 1985 and 1986 during a year’s prison stretch in Texas on drug and weapons charges. The conviction eventually was overturned.
“I’ve always said that I picked up the guitar as a shortcut to sex and after my first joint I was sure that if everyone smoked dope there’d be an end to war,” Crosby said in his 1988 autobiography, “Long Time Gone,” co-written with Carl Gottlieb. “I was right about the sex. I was wrong when it came to drugs.”
Read more: World’s oldest known person, French nun, dies at 118
He lived years longer than even he expected and in his 70s enjoyed a creative renaissance, issuing several solo albums while collaborating with others including his son James Raymond, who became a favorite songwriting partner.
“Most guys my age would have done a covers record or duets on old material,” he told Rolling Stone in 2013, shortly before “Croz” was released. “This won’t be a huge hit. It’ll probably sell nineteen copies. I don’t think kids are gonna dig it, but I’m not making it for them. I’m making it for me. I have this stuff that I need to get off my chest.”
In 2019, Crosby was featured in the documentary “David Crosby: Remember My Name,” produced by Cameron Crowe.
While his solo career thrived, his seemingly lifetime bond with Nash dissolved. Crosby was angered by Nash’s 2013 memoir “Wild Tales” (whiny and dishonest, he called it) and relations between the two spilled into an ugly public feud, with Nash and Crosby agreeing on one thing: Crosby, Stills and Nash was finished. Donald Trump’s election as U.S. president did lead Crosby to suggest that he was open to a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young protest tour, but his old bandmates declined to respond.
Crosby became a star in the mid-1960s with the seminal folk-rock group The Byrds, known for such hits as “Turn! Turn! Turn!” and “Mr. Tambourine Man.” Clean-cut and baby-faced at the time, he contributed harmonies that were a key part of the band’s innovative blend of The Beatles and Dylan. Crosby was among the first American stars to become close to The Beatles, and helped introduce George Harrison to Eastern music.
Troubled relations with bandmates pushed Crosby out of The Byrds and into a new group. Crosby, Stills and Nash's first meeting is part of rock folklore: Stills and Crosby were at Joni Mitchell’s house in 1968 (Stills would contend they were at Mama Cass'), working on the ballad “You Don’t Have to Cry,” when Nash suggested they start over again. Nash’s high harmony added a magical layer to Stills' rough bottom and Crosby’s mellow middle and a supergroup was born.
Their eponymous debut album was an instant success that helped redefine commercial music. The songs were longer and more personal than their individual prior outputs, yet easily relatable for an audience also embracing a more open lifestyle.
Their spirited harmonies and themes of peace and love became emblematic of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their version of the Mitchell song “Woodstock” was the theme for the documentary about the 1969 rock concert during which the group made only its second live appearance together. Crosby had produced Mitchell’s first album, “Song to a Seagull,” in 1968, and for a time was her boyfriend (as was Nash).
Now wearing the drooping, bushy mustache that would define him ever after, Crosby provided harmony and rhythm guitar, and his songs reflected his own volatile personality. They ranged from the misty-eyed romanticism of “Guinevere,” to the spirituality of “Deja Vu,” to the operatic paranoia of “Almost Cut My Hair.”
Some critics panned the group as soft-headed and self-indulgent.
“If you’re into living-room rock, fireplace harmonies and just a taste of good old social consciousness, this is your group,” reported Rolling Stone, which nonetheless rarely missed a chance to write about the band.
But CSN, as they would soon be called, won a best new artist Grammy and remained a worldwide touring act and brand name decades later.
The first album was an easy, happy recording, but the mood darkened during the second album, “Deja Vu.” The band was joined by Neil Young, who had feuded with Stills while both were in Buffalo Springfield and continued to do so.
Everyone in the band was troubled: Nash and Mitchell were splitting up, and so were Stills and singer Judy Collins. Crosby, meanwhile, was so devastated by the death of girlfriend Christine Hinton in a car accident, that he would lay on the studio floor and sob.
Featuring a rougher, less unified sound, the album released in 1970 and was another commercial smash. Yet within two years, the quartet had broken up, destined to continuously reunite and splinter for the rest of their lives.
Read more: Danish screenwriter Lise Nørgaard dies at age 105
They worked in every combination possible — as solo artists, as duos, trios and, occasionally, all four together. They played stadiums and clubs. They showed up at the Berlin Wall in 1989 as the Cold War was ending and turned up in 2011 for the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York.
In recent years, Crosby toured often, and candidly answered questions on Twitter with a blend of affection and exasperation, whether commenting on rock star peers or assessing the quality of a fan’s marijuana joint. He loved sailing and his greatest regret, besides hard drugs, was selling his 74-foot boat because of money problems. Among the songs completed on the boat was the classic “Wooden Ships,” co-written with Stills and Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner.
Crosby was born David Van Cortlandt Crosby on Aug. 14, 1941, in Los Angeles. His father was Oscar-winning cinematographer Floyd Crosby of “High Noon” fame. The family, including his mother, Aliph, and brother, Floyd Jr., later moved to Santa Barbara.
Crosby was exposed early to classical, folk and jazz music. In his autobiography, Crosby said that as a child he used to harmonize as his mother sang, his father played mandolin and his brother played guitar.
“When rock ‘n’ roll came in during that era and the Age of Elvis possessed America, I wasn’t into it,” he recalled.
His brother taught him to play guitar and, still in his teens, he began performing in Santa Barbara clubs. He moved to Los Angeles to study acting in 1960 but abandoned the idea and became a folk singer, working around the country before joining The Byrds. Like so many folk performers, Crosby was dazzled by the Beatles’ 1964 movie “A Hard Day’s Night” and decided to become a rock star.
Crosby married longtime girlfriend Jan Dance in 1987. The couple had a son, Django, in 1995. Crosby also had a daughter, Donovan, with Debbie Donovan. Shortly after he underwent the liver transplant, Crosby was reunited with Raymond, who had been placed for adoption in 1961. Raymond, Crosby and Jeff Pevar later performed together in a group called CPR.
“I regretted losing him many times,” Crosby told the AP of Raymond in 1998. “I was too immature to parent anybody, and too irresponsible.”
In 2000, Melissa Etheridge revealed that Crosby was the father of the two children she shared with then-partner Julie Cypher. Cypher carried the children Crosby fathered by artificial insemination, Etheridge told Rolling Stone. One son, Beckett, died in 2020.
Crosby didn’t help raise the children but said, “If, you know, in due time, at a distance, they’re proud of who their genetic dad is, that’s great.”
Holey Artisan victim's mother vows to fight release of Bollywood film on tragedy
Three days after the trailer for Hansan Mehta’s much-talked-about Bollywood film ‘Faraaz’ was released, Ruba Ahmed, the mother of Abinta Kabir who was killed by militants in the Holey Artisan Attack on July 1, 2016, alongside Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain, Tarishi Jain and Ishrat Akhond, among others, said that she is against releasing the film and will try to stop projecting the film in Bangladesh.
Ahmed, who is already fighting a legal battle alongside Tarishi Jain’s mother in the Delhi High Court to stay the release of ‘Faraaz’ which is scheduled to hit theatres in India on February 3, said in a press conference at the Abinta Kabir Foundation on Thursday that the filmmakers have violated their privacy and made the film without their proper consent.
“For the last six years, I have been dealing with the enormous pain of losing my only daughter, Abinta Kabir, whom we lost due to that horrific incident. When we first came to know in 2019 that Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt was planning to make a film on the incident, we sent him a letter to which he replied that he respects my decision and will not continue the film,” Ruba Ahmed said at the press conference.
Stating that she was shocked to discover the poster of ‘Faraaz’, realising that the filmmakers did not stop making the film. She then contacted Hansal Mehta, director of the much-acclaimed biographical financial thriller television series ‘Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story’ and asked about the project.
“I asked him what gave him the right to make the movie as this incident happened in Bangladesh and it is being made in Bollywood, and he answered that he wanted to draw attention against violence through the film. My question is, a number of terrorist events took place in India between 2016 and 2023 - why can’t they make movies based on the events that happened in India?”
Outlining her concerns about the film, Ruba Ahmed said, “We lost 22 people in that incident including Abinta Kabir, Tarishi Jain, and Faraz Hossain, to name a few. However, as the name also suggests, there is undoubtedly more emphasis on one character in the film. The filmmakers did not observe the incident in person, how could the film portray only one of them as a hero?”
“In this film, they changed Abinta's name to Ayesha, Tarishi's name to Tari, and even I was also portrayed as Rabeya. In the trailer, they showed a riot scene where my daughter's picture was also visible. Without our consent, how they got the right to invade and violate our privacy?” she questioned.
At the press conference, she was also asked about Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s much-talked-about film ‘Shonibar Bikel’ (Saturday Afternoon) which is also fictionalized on the same incident and battling with Bangladesh Film Censor Board for its release since 2019. "Farooki received my legal notice and responded to me. The decision to proceed with the film now totally rests with the Bangladeshi government and the censor board," she said.
“I don’t want anyone to imagine the pain of witnessing your daughter's last moment on the silver screen. This movie should not come to Bangladesh. This type of personal tragedy should not be screened on Netflix or Amazon or any other OTT platform," Ruba Ahmed said at the press conference.
Produced by T-Series and Benaras Media Works, ‘Faraaz’ features an ensemble cast with six newcomers including legendary Indian actor Shashi Kapoor’s grandson Zahaan Kapoor marking his Bollywood debut in the title character. The film premiered at the BFI London Film Festival on October 15 last year.
The release date was finalised after the Delhi High Court recently refused to grant a stay for release in a suit filed by the mothers of Abinta Kabir and Tarishi Jain, who claimed their right to privacy with respect to their deceased daughters. “To ensure that the film doesn't get to come to Bangladesh, I will go to the Supreme Court of India," Ruba Ahmed said.
Read more: Holey Artisan Victim Faraaz's Heroism is Now on the Silver Screen
2022 Highest-Grossing South Indian Movies
Though unveiling new surprises in the new year has started, there is a shadow of 2022 inside everything. Film festivals are echoing the buzz of South Indian movies of yesteryear. After the pandemic, a bunch of cinemas was released in the Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada film industries. However, not all movies got the same success. Let's take a look at the IMDB’s list of the highest-grossing South Indian movies in 2022.
Top 10 Highest-Grossing South Indian Movies in 2022
KGF Chapter 2 ~ USD 160 million worldwide
This sequel to the 2018 hit film K.G.F: Chapter 1 was directed and written by Prashant Neel. After establishing himself as the king of the Kolar Gold Fields, the killer Rocky must now deal with adversaries and government officials. Moreover, another bigger challenge before him is his own past.
Produced by Hombale Films, the Kannada film starred Yash, Sanjay Dutt, Srinidhi Shetty, Raveena Tandon, Prakash Raj, and Archana Jois. The period action film released on 14 April 2022 grossed USD 124 million domestically. It currently has an IMDb rating of 8.3.
Read more: 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023: Unleash the Craze of Movie Mania
RRR ~ USD 150 million worldwide
Directed by SS Rajamouli, this Telugu film is currently the jewel of the Indian film industry. Because it won the Best Song award at this year's Golden Globes. The DVV Entertainment production was co-written by Rajamouli himself along with V Vijayendra Prasad.
The main story is set in the 1920s, depicting the friendship of two Indian revolutionaries, Raju and Bhima, and their deadly struggle against the British Empire. N T Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan were in the lead roles. And they were accompanied by Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Shriya Sharan, and Samuthirakani.
Released on 25 March 2022, the film grossed USD 117 million in India alone. This blockbuster has a current rating of 7.9 on IMDb.
Read More: Indian Movie RRR’s Success at Golden Globe 2023
Vikram ~ USD 69 million worldwide
It was a Tamil film directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, produced and starring Kamal Haasan. The script of the action thriller was written by Rathna Kumar and Lokesh. This second installment of the Lokesh cinematic universe after Kaithi (2019) released on 3 June 2022.
Apart from Kamal, the film also starred Vijay Sethupathi, Fahadh Faasil, Narain, Chemban Vinod Jose, and Kalidas Jayaram. The film grossed over USD 16.9 million from the Indian subcontinent. The film's current IMDb rating stands at 8.4.
Ponniyin Selvan 1 ~ USD 63 million worldwide
This epic adventure Tamil film was directed by Mani Ratnam. The movie's writing team consisted of Elango Kumaravel, B Jayamohan, and Ratnam himself. Its story was adapted from Kalki Krishnamurthy's 1955 novel Ponnayan Selvan. Produced by Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions, this historical action film released on 30 September 2022.
Read More: 2022 Highest Grossing Movies Worldwide
The film's large ensemble cast includes Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Trisha, Karthi, Vikram Prabhu, Jayaram, Shovita Dhulipala, Aishwarya Lakshmi, R Sarathkumar, and Prakash Raj. The story of the film revolves around the early life of Arulmoji Varman, the famous emperor Chola prince from 947-1014 AD.
The film became the first Tamil movie to gross more than USD 69 million from all over India. The current IMDb rating of the movie is marked at 7.8.
Kantara ~ USD 56 million worldwide
This action thriller film was produced by Hombale Films of the Kannada cinema industry. The film will show the conflict between a Kambala champion and an upright forest official Murali. The movie was written and directed by Rishabh Shetty who also played the lead role.
Read More: Top 10 Upcoming South Indian Films in January 2023
Released on 30 September 2022, the film crossed USD 24.6 million in net collections domestically on its 30th day. After six weeks, the film started breaking Baahubali 2's record. The film currently has a rating of 8.4 on IMDb.
‘Avatar 2,’ ‘M3GAN’ hold onto top spots at the box office
New movies like “Plane” and “House Party” were no match for “Avatar: The Way of Water” and the killer doll horror “M3GAN” at the box office this weekend. The two holdovers topped the charts again according to studio estimates Sunday.
In first place for the fifth weekend in a row was James Cameron’s “Avatar” sequel, which added an estimated $31.1 million through Sunday. That total will likely balloon to $38.5 million by the end of Monday’s Martin Luther King holiday. As of Sunday, the film's domestic total now rests at $562.9 million (the 13th biggest of all time) and its global total is $1.89 billion. “Avatar 2” needs to pass $1.92 billion to trump “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which is currently the sixth highest grossing film of all time globally.
“There were such huge expectations and a lot of naysayers that opening weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “But ‘Avatar,’ for a James Cameron movie, is moving at lightning speed up the domestic and global box office chart. I think he always knew this would be a $2 billion movie."
Second place went to Universal and Blumhouse’s “M3GAN” which in its second weekend in theaters added $17.9 million through Sunday and an estimated $21.2 million including Monday. The modestly budgeted thriller that cost a reported $12 million to produce has made $59.8 million in North America.
Read more: 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023: Unleash the Craze of Movie Mania
Horror movies typically have very steep second weekend drop offs in ticket sales, but “M3GAN” only fell 41%. Dergarabedian said that’s almost unheard of for a horror picture and shows “world class staying power.”
Universal also claimed the third place spot, with “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” which audiences continued to seek out in theaters even though it’s currently available to rent at home. The family-friendly animated film added $13.4 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its domestic total to $110.3 million.
“A Man Called Otto,” from Columbia Pictures, expanded to 3,802 theaters this weekend, adding $12.7 million through Sunday, and $15 million including Monday, to take fourth place. Directed by Marc Forster, the adaptation of “A Man Called Ove” starring Tom Hanks is proving to be something of a rarity in the theatrical marketplace as an adult-targeted drama that is doing well.
The Gerard Butler action pic “Plane,” a Lionsgate acquisition for release in North America, rounded out the top five with a better-than-expected $10 million in its first three days. In the film, Butler plays a pilot whose crash landing on an island is only the first of his troubles. On the island, most of the passengers are taken hostage. “Plane” got better-than-average reviews with 75% positive from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Sixth place went to the second major new offering this weekend, “House Party,” a reboot of Reginald Hudlin’s 1990 hit that spawned several spinoffs. The film, which made $3.9 million through Sunday from 1,400 locations, was originally intended as a straight-to-HBO Max property but Warner Bros. pivoted to a theatrical release as a gesture to audiences and exhibitors hungry for new films. The R-rated, youth-oriented comedy did not score well with critics.
Overall, the three-day box office total is going to net out around $100 million, which is not quite at pre-pandemic levels, but still up some 44% from the same weekend last year.
"January is not going to be the slow month we thought. It’s a great combination of films out there that's not just dominated by ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’" Dergarabedian said. “Theaters need movies and the studios are supplying those.”
Read more: 2022 Highest Grossing Movies Worldwide
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore, with Wednesday through Sunday in parentheses. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” $31.1 million.
2. “M3GAN,” $17.9 million.
3. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” $13.4 million.
4. “A Man Called Otto,” $12.7 million.
5. “Plane,” $10 million.
6. “House Party,” $3.9 million.
7. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” $2.2 million.
8. “The Whale,” $1.5 million.
9. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” $1.2 million.
10. “Waltair Veeraya,” 905,000.
USA fashion designer, model R’Bonney Gabriel crowned Miss Universe
R’Bonney Gabriel, a fashion designer, model and sewing instructor from Texas who competition officials said is the first Filipino American to win Miss USA, was crowned Miss Universe on Saturday night.
Gabriel closed her eyes and clasped hands with runner-up Miss Venezuela, Amanda Dudamel, at the moment of the dramatic reveal of the winner, then beamed after her name was announced.
Thumping music rang out, and she was handed a bouquet of flowers, draped in the winner’s sash and crowned with a tiara onstage at the 71st Miss Universe Competition, held in New Orleans.
The second runner-up was Miss Dominican Republic, Andreina Martinez.
In the Q&A at the last stage of the competition for the three finalists, Gabriel was asked how she would work to demonstrate Miss Universe is “an empowering and progressive organization” if she were to win.
“I would use it to be a transformational leader,” she responded, citing her work using recycled materials in her fashion design and teaching sewing to survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence.
“It is so important to invest in others, invest in our community and use your unique talent to make a difference,” Gabriel continued. “We all have something special, and when we plant those seeds to other people in our life, we transform them and we use that as a vehicle for change.”
According to Miss Universe, Gabriel is a former high school volleyball player and graduate of the University of North Texas. A short bio posted on the organization’s website said she is also CEO of her own sustainable clothing line.
Nearly 90 contestants from around the world took part in the competition, organizers said, involving “personal statements, in depth interviews and various categories including evening gown & swimwear.”
Miss Curacao, Gabriela Dos Santos, and Miss Puerto Rico, Ashley Carino, rounded out the top five finalists.
Last year’s winner was Harnaaz Sandhu of India.
10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023: Unleash the Craze of Movie Mania
As 2023 begins, the countdown has begun for the release of the year's most awaited movies. As the popularity of movies has been established long ago, movie lovers can’t wait to experience the surprises. There is a lot of hype about possible villains for the new installments, and possible twists on old stories. There is endless discussion about whether the upcoming movies will be able to do justice to their old selves, or whether they will be able to start a new craze. This article lists the most anticipated movies of 2023 out of the shouts.
10 Most Awaited Films Releasing in 2023
Ant-Man and the Wasp- Quantumania | February 17, 2023
Marvel is going to start the year 2023 with this movie. This 31st movie of MCU will make its name as the first movie of phase five of MCU. Directed by Peyton Reed and written by Jeff Loveness, Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly will reprise their roles as Scott Lang and Hope Pym, respectively.
In this third installment of Ant-Man, Scott-hope and their family will be brought to the Quantum Realm where they will encounter Kang the Conqueror, the infamous supervillain from Marvel Comics.
Read More: Indian Movie RRR’s Success at Golden Globe 2023
John Wick Chapter IV | March 24, 2023
John Wick, starring Keanu Reeves, continues to pull audiences even after three consecutive editions. Written by Michael Finch and Shay Hatten and directed by Chad Stahelski, this neo-noir action film will once again feature some breathless fighting sequences.
Before gaining his freedom, Wick must face a new enemy that threatens to turn his old friend into an enemy. Lionsgate CEO John Feltheimer confirmed the production of the 5th movie alongside the shooting of this fourth installment.
Guardians of the Galaxy (Volume 3) | May 5, 2023
James Gunn is going to appear again in the guardians of the galaxy to give Marvel fans a new surprise. This sequel to 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will mark the 32nd movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Star Lord's old team will be seen this time going to war with Marvel's new character Adam Warlock played by Will Poulter.
However, the bad news for Gunn fans is that this will be his last Guardians film.
Read More: 2022 Highest Grossing Movies Worldwide.
Fast X | May 19, 2023
Those who love to see all their favorite stars together have been following up on the Fast and Furious franchise since its inception. Via Fast X, this action franchise, written by Justin Lin, is entering its tenth year.
This time, however, Louis Leterrier is directing and Dan Mazzeu contributed to the screenplay along with Lin. Vin Diesel’s character Dominique Toretto's old team and Charlize Theron as villain remain unchanged. But Jason Momoa and Brie Larson will appear with surprises in new roles. More good news – February 2024 is already targeted for the release of the eleventh movie.
Spider-Man- Across the SpiderVerse | June 2, 2023
This co-production of Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation is going to be a great treat for Spider-Man fans. Here, the audience will see an unprecedented world of a different dimension called Spider-Verse, where Miles' adventure will be accompanied by Spider-Force.
This sequel of the 2018 animated film marks the directorial debut of Joaquim dos Santos and Justin K. Thompson. They will be accompanied by Kemp Powers. In addition to Shameek Moore as the main character Miles, other voiceover artists include Hailee Steinfeld, Zach Johnson, Issa Rae, Daniel Kaluuya, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, and Oscar Isaac.
Read More: 5 Best Movies of Mel Gibson.