All posts tagged: Sriram Raghavan

Why Agent Vinod remains Sriram Raghavan’s most fascinating failure | Opinion-entertainment News

Why Agent Vinod remains Sriram Raghavan’s most fascinating failure | Opinion-entertainment News

Published by Parlour News

6 min readMumbaiJun 22, 2026 09:49 AM IST Manmohan Desai, Mahendra Sandhu, Godard, Prem Chopra, Iftekhar, Tarantino, Danny, Vijay Anand, Ajit, Hitchcock, Shahbaz Khan, Michael Bay, Sergio Leone, Prem Chopra, and an explosive four-minute-long take over Pritam’s Raabta. What’s not to love? Your mind would make you want to think of James Bond’s Dr. No, but somewhere along the way, you’re convinced that Sriram Raghavan is equally enthralled by Jeetendra’s 1967 spy actioner Farz. Similarly, your mind would make you want to think that Raghavan’s busy plot doesn’t have any time for serious song picturisation, but then, somewhere along the way, you see a mujra-in-the-villain’s-den thrown into the mix. The constant feeling that you get is that Agent Vinod is stranded between two traditions, making you strand yourself between the heart and the mind. But if you watch closely enough, and repeatedly, just like I have, in all these years, you would perhaps realise that Raghavan just wants to have some fun with the genre. Is that too much to ask for? Well, surely for …

Saif Ali Khan calls Agent Vinod a ‘vanity’ project: ‘Wasn’t a tightly made film’ | Bollywood News

Saif Ali Khan calls Agent Vinod a ‘vanity’ project: ‘Wasn’t a tightly made film’ | Bollywood News

Published by Webster

3 min readMumbaiJun 16, 2026 10:39 AM IST Released more than a decade ago amid considerable hype, Sriram Raghavan’s spy actioner Agent Vinod ultimately failed to live up to expectations. Despite featuring some of the film industry’s most accomplished action choreography and a generous dose of humour woven into its narrative, the film struggled due to a plot that seemed to head in too many directions at once. The box office disappointment was particularly difficult for Saif Ali Khan, who had been deeply invested in the project, both as its lead star and producer. ‘I made the film for myself’ Now, in a conversation with Variety India, Saif reflected on the film’s failure, admitting that Agent Vinod may have been driven partly by vanity. “I think of Agent Vinod as a film that might have been vain. But also, that film opened really well, you know. It’s just that it did not sustain because it probably wasn’t a tightly made film, or it went off track in many ways. Or, as Sriram himself said, he …

Agent Vinod actor blames Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor for film’s failure

Agent Vinod actor blames Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor for film’s failure

Published by Webster

Actor Lalit Parimoo, who was seen in Sriram Raghavan’s 2012 film Agent Vinod, recently made shocking revelations against his co-stars and lead actors Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. The actor blamed them for the film’s failure, claiming that a lot of “interference” from them led to the film tanking at the box office. Lalit Parimoo blames Saif-Kareena  During a conversation with Siddharth Kannan on his podcast, Lalit Parimoo stated, “I think the main reason was that there was too much interference from the stars – Saif and Kareena. The way Sriram wanted to make that film, he couldn’t make it that way.” Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: Source link

Saif Ali Khan-Kareena Kapoor’s interference was why Agent Vinod failed, claims co-star: ‘It ruined the film’

Saif Ali Khan-Kareena Kapoor’s interference was why Agent Vinod failed, claims co-star: ‘It ruined the film’

Published by Parlour News

In 2012, Sriram Raghavan’s spy film Agent Vinod was released amid high expectations. However, the Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor-starrer failed to make a mark. More than a decade later, their co-star from the film, Lalit Parimoo, spoke about the film’s criticism in an interview and blamed the lead stars. Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor in a still from Sriram Raghavan’s Agent Vinod. Agent Vinod co-star blames Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor for its failure On Siddharth Kannan’s YouTube channel, Lalit was asked about why he believes Agent Vinod didn’t work out. He said, “I think a main reason for the film not working out was too much interference from the stars, Saif and Kareena. Sriram Raghavan could not make the film the way he wanted to. At every step, he was told to change this or that. It turned into a hotchpotch. The film’s runtime was also longer than necessary. The writing and direction team could not present what they dreamt of. That was the flaw.” He also suggested that changes were …

Agent Vinod failed due to interference from Saif Ali Khan-Kareena Kapoor, claims co-star | Bollywood News

Agent Vinod failed due to interference from Saif Ali Khan-Kareena Kapoor, claims co-star | Bollywood News

Published by Webster

3 min readNew DelhiJun 5, 2026 03:11 PM IST When Saif Ali Khan joined hands with Sriram Raghavan to make Agent Vinod, it was expected to become the biggest film of the year. Instead, it sank as soon as it released. Even the director himself described the film as a “headache” a few years later. In a new interview, one of the cast members of the film, actor Lalit Parimoo, said that the main cause behind the film’s failure was the interference from the lead actors, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. He shared that Sriram also spoke about the interference that ultimately led to a subpar movie. Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor’s interference in the film In a chat with Siddharth Kannan, Lalit Parimoo was asked the reason as to why Agent Vinod did not work and he said, “I think the main reason was that there was too much interference from the stars – Saif and Kareena. The way Sriram wanted to make that film, he couldn’t make it that way. He was …

Ikkis: Sriram Raghavan examines war through the lens of a 21-year-old who believed his duty was more important than his questions | Bollywood News

Ikkis: Sriram Raghavan examines war through the lens of a 21-year-old who believed his duty was more important than his questions | Bollywood News

Published by Webster

Paul Tibbets was 30 years old when he was tasked with the responsibility of dropping a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima in 1945. This, as we now know, was a pivotal moment in the history of humankind, as wars would never be the same again. The threat of a nuclear bomb would always loom upon us, as it continues to do so in 2026. But at the time, Paul, perhaps, was not aware of the catastrophe that would happen. He was a soldier who was just following orders, and was asked to be proud of his country’s actions. He was, and he proved it by naming the nuclear bomb carrying aircraft after his mother, Enola Gay. The idea that he named the carrier of such destruction after his mother explains that for him, this was a brave, heroic act. But on the other side were countless civilians, who suffered for decades. Living in a world where brutal wars are killing thousands (maybe more) every day, one cannot help but think that much like Paul, soldiers all …

‘It will be India-Pakistan, I don’t want to do it’: Sriram Raghavan on Dharmendra turning down Agent Vinod

‘It will be India-Pakistan, I don’t want to do it’: Sriram Raghavan on Dharmendra turning down Agent Vinod

Published by Webster

Late actor Dharmendra’s last film was filmmaker Sriram Raghavan‘s war drama Ikkis. Speaking at an event organised by the Screenwriters Association (SWA), Sriram revealed that Dharmendra had turned down a role for his 2012 film Agent Vinod. Dharmendra with Sriram Raghavan during the shoot of Ikkis in Lucknow in 2023. Sriram Raghavan reveals why Dharmendra declined to be part of Agent Vinod. Sriram previously worked with Dharmendra in his 2007 film, Johnny Gaddar. He revealed that while planning Agent Vinod, he had approached the veteran actor for the role of a RAW chief, which Dharmendra declined. “After Johnny Gaddar, I told him I want to work with you again, and he said, ‘Yes, of course’. When I was doing Agent Vinod, I remember we had written a role for the head of RAW, and his counterpart was going to be Zeenat Aman; we wanted her to be in Russia. So, it was an older and a younger story,” he said as quoted by news agency PTI. “But it was all in the writing stage. When …

Ikkis director Sriram Raghavan was ‘quite baffled by response’ to Agastya Nanda film: I hope people will watch it on OTT

Ikkis director Sriram Raghavan was ‘quite baffled by response’ to Agastya Nanda film: I hope people will watch it on OTT

Published by Parlour News

Filmmaker Sriram Raghavan says he was baffled by the response to his war drama Ikkis. Speaking on the sidelines of an event organised by the Screenwriters Association (SWA), he discussed his film and hoped more people would watch it following its OTT debut. Sriram Raghavan spoke about his film Ikkis starring Agastya Nanda. Sriram Raghavan on audience’s response to Ikkis “We were quite baffled, actually, by the response after the film (Ikkis) came out. I hope people will watch the film at the click of the button (on OTT),” Sriram said as quoted by news agency PTI. Drawing inspiration from classic war cinema such as Ballad of a Soldier, Flags of our Fathers, Cranes are Flying, Battle of the Bulge, he said he sought to create a film that prioritises human emotions. Sriram talks about Ikkis plot “If I were completely against the ideology of Ikkis, I would not have made it. But for me, if it was just the story of the boy, it would not have (been) enough, I wouldn’t know how to …

‘We were quite baffled’: Sriram Raghavan on response to Ikkis, says many who objected haven’t seen the film | Bollywood News

‘We were quite baffled’: Sriram Raghavan on response to Ikkis, says many who objected haven’t seen the film | Bollywood News

Published by Webster

Inspired by the life of Arun Khetarpal, the youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, Ikkis revisits the Battle of Basantar during the 1971 India–Pakistan War. The film, starring Agastya Nanda, Jaideep Ahlawat and Dharmendra, has been widely appreciated for its deeply humane gaze rather than overt displays of chest-thumping nationalism which has become a part of films nowadays. At a recent Vartalaap session hosted by the Screenwriters Association (SWA), director Sriram Raghavan spoke with filmmaker Satyanshu Singh about Ikkis’ journey. The conversation, attended by Charudutt Acharya, Hitesh Kewalya, Anu Singh, and lyricist Raj Shekhar, turned to whether Ikkis had encountered any pushback. Sriram Raghavan on the response to Ikkis Raghavan admitted that the response following the film’s release caught the team off guard. “We were quite baffled, actually, by the response after the film came out,” he said. The filmmaker explained that the script underwent the standard vetting process with the army several years ago, and members of the armed forces were also present during the shoot. When the film was finally shown to …

‘Did we put it or not?’: Sriram Raghavan gives an ‘Andhadhun’ reply to Ikkis Pakistan disclaimer row, admits he wasn’t ‘personally happy’ | Bollywood News

‘Did we put it or not?’: Sriram Raghavan gives an ‘Andhadhun’ reply to Ikkis Pakistan disclaimer row, admits he wasn’t ‘personally happy’ | Bollywood News

Published by Parlour News

3 min readNew DelhiFeb 25, 2026 09:50 AM IST When Agastya Nanda-Jaideep Ahlawat-starrer Ikkis released on New Year’s Day, many viewers described it as “a love letter to peace.” However, some were taken aback by the disclaimer at the end of the film, which stated that Pakistanis are “not trustworthy” — a sentiment that felt ironic and at odds with the film’s narrative. Nearly two months later, filmmaker Sriram Raghavan has responded to the controversy surrounding the disclaimer. ‘Have decided not to answer this’ Speaking to The Wire, the director said, “A lot of people asked me about the disclaimer at the end and I just decided not to talk about it. It is simply because there are some givens for me from A, B, C. The point is, what I thought the best answer would be is Andhadhun. We left the end with the thought — is he blind or not blind? Similarly, the disclaimer — did we put it or not? Let’s leave it at that.” ‘Producer insisted it’ Raghavan explained that certain …