Western musical theatre and Indian films are two long lost lovers separated in time’ : says biggest Indian film-maker Aditya Chopra, who is set to make his Broadway debut as a director with his record-setting worldwide blockbuster, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ)*

Yash Raj Films is the biggest Indian studio and it’s Chairman and Managing Director, Aditya Chopra, has directed and produced some of the biggest blockbusters in the history of Indian cinema. His debut directorial, the historic romantic film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which released in 1995, is still running in theatres. Popularly called DDLJ, it is one of the highest grossing movies in the history of Indian cinema and the biggest IP of the country’s rich and diverse movie industry.

After 26 years, Aditya Chopra is set to direct DDLJ again and it will mark his debut as a director on Broadway. He strongly feels Broadway and Indian films are ‘two long lost lovers separated in time’ because of their intrinsic similarities as both celebrate heart-warming stories and human emotions through music and dance. Aditya has been working on this passion project for the past three years and has roped in a stellar, extremely diverse team, comprising some of the best talents of Broadway and India for the same.

Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical is being produced by Yash Raj Films. Based on an original story by Chopra, the musical will feature book and lyrics by Laurence Oliver Award-winner Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde, Mean Girls), top Indian songwriters Vishal Dadlani & Shekhar Ravjiani will serve as composers. Tony and Emmy winner Rob Ashford (Frozen, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Boys from Syracuse) will choreograph with associate choreographer Shruti Merchant. The design team will also include set design by Emmy and Tony Award winner Derek McLane (Moulin Rouge!, Hairspray Live!, 33 Variations) and music supervision by Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award-winning Bill Sherman (In The Heights, Sesame Street, Hamilton). Adam Zotovich is the Executive Producer for the project.

Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical is set to be on stage in the Broadway season of 2022-2023, with a World Premiere at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego September 2022. A global casting search begins shortly headed by Duncan Stewart of Stewart/Whitley casting and Yash Raj Films casting head Shanoo Sharma.

ADITYA CHOPRA’s NOTE ON HIS BROADWAY DIRECTORIAL:

Summer 1985. I was 14 and on a holiday in London. My parents took my brother and me for our first musical theatre experience. The lights dimmed, the curtains lifted and what unfolded in the next 3 hours left me speechless and stunned. Now, till then, I was a kid who was an avid movie watcher and what I loved the most was big screen Indian blockbusters. But that day what I saw on stage blew my mind. I couldn’t believe that this kind of spectacle could be created live on stage. But the most significant aspect that resonated with me was how similar musical theatre was to our Indian films. It was just not the fact that both use songs to tell the story, it was much more than that, it was the feeling they evoked which was exactly the same. The burst of colours, the heightened drama, the passionate singing, the unabashed dancing, a classic story, a happy end. It filled me with the same joy and emotions that a good Indian film does. I ealized then, that worlds apart, languages apart, western musical theatre and Indian films are two long lost lovers separated in time.

Autumn 2021… I’m embarking on my most ambitious project till date. I’m reuniting two long lost lovers, Broadway Musical and Indian Films. 26 years back I started my career with a film called Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ, what it is more famously known as). The film created history and changed my life and many others forever. But what many don’t know is that I never intended to make DDLJ in Hindi. As a 23 year old young man greatly influenced by Hollywood and American pop culture, I thought I would make a couple of Indian films and then I would be off to Hollywood and make DDLJ for a worldwide English speaking audience with Tom Cruise as my leading man. That obviously didn’t happen. DDLJ released in 1995 and became the longest running film of Indian cinema. It gave me my identity and kickstarted an amazing journey for which I’ll always be grateful.

26 years later I’m going back to my original vision of the story of DDLJ, a love story of an American boy and an Indian girl, a love story of two cultures…two worlds. But this time the medium is not cinema but theatre. 26 years later I will be directing DDLJ all over again but this time as an English language Broadway Musical for a worldwide audience.

I’m terribly nervous and incredibly excited. I’m a hardcore cinema guy, I have never done theatre in my life and here I am trying to pull off the craziest ambition of my life. But what is giving me confidence is the fantastic team that I have. Each one of them are masters of their field and their brilliance and expertise is going to make this a fantastic show. The past 3 years as we have developed this passion project, I have learnt so much from them and discovered the unbelievable talent that the Broadway community has. I feel 23 again, the same age I was when I directed DDLJ. I’m once again a student, each one of my team members is more experienced than me in the world of theatre, I’m the rookie and I’m loving every moment of it. I’m all set to learn, explore, create and enjoy with these wonderful theatre artists and the magical world of Broadway Musicals.

Nell Benjamin wrote: “DDLJ was my introduction to Indian filmmaking before I even knew who the amazing Aditya Chopra was, and the movie had such joy and heart that I fell in love with it. I was so happy to be approached to do the musical and I hope my work helps everyone fall in love with Simran and Rog and their journey across multiple cultures to love. The world can always use a little more cultural understanding, and I can’t wait to sit in a theater with an audience sharing the joy and surprise of Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical.”

Yash Raj Films Bunty Aur Babli 2, which is set to release worldwide on November 19, 2021, is a rib-tickling comedy that will pit two sets of con artists, from different generations, against each other as they try to prove who is the better con couple! The makers are setting up this rivalry through a super innovative hilarious teaser video that DOESN’T have ANY film footage! In the video these two pairs of con artists mercilessly troll each other. The video has also revealed that the trailer of Bunty Aur Babli 2 will be out on Monday, 25th October.

Saif Ali Khan, who plays the OG Bunty aka Rakesh, reveals, “Bunty Aur Babli 2 is a game of cat and mouse between the OG con couple and the New con couple trying to prove that they are better than what the originals were in their prime. This will spark the rivalry and it’s just hilarious because of how intelligently the script has been written to show this madness.”

Rani Mukerji, who reprises the role of Vimmy aka Babli in this completely rebooted franchise film, adds, “The video is a true reflection of what the film has to offer to audiences which is non-stop entertainment and non-stop comedy. Though in the unit, we play ourselves and not the characters in the film, it has been smartly written with trolling humour as Saif and I go after Siddhant and Sharvari and vice versa.”

Gully Boy heartthrob Siddhant Chaturvedi is playing the New Bunty. He says, “It’s a war between the OG’s and the new Bunty Babli and it has been brilliantly captured in the video. Both parties stake the claim to be intellectually superior. While the OGs feel that the New con artists are mere usurpers, the new con couple feels that they are way too cool and smart than the OGs! That’s the premise of the film and you will see us going after each other right from this video and all through the entire marketing campaign!”

Gorgeous debutant Sharvari plays the role of the New Babli. She says, “It was super fun to shoot this because here we were being trolled by Saif sir and Rani ma’am for being fake Bunty Babli and we had to prove it to them saying how we are way, way superior con artists because we are children of the tech boom. It was just a laugh riot shooting this unit with the team and we are confident that this will entertain you thoroughly.” Bunty Aur Babli 2 has been directed by Varun V. Sharma, who has worked as an Assistant Director in YRF’s biggest blockbusters Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai.

Navatman, the critically acclaimed NYC-based cultural hub for classical Indian dance and music, is bringing The Mahabharata to film in the first-ever retelling that is driven by young, immigrant artists hailing from across the United States. Through a stunning blend of classical Indian music and dance, and years of extensive academic research into the epic, Navatman’s Mahabharata proves why the Mahabharata matters in 2021.

Mahabharata, the largest epic in the world, by producer Navatman, Inc. Navatman, best known for its live theater productions, will be venturing into film for their first feature film – at 2 hours and 10 minutes – on the Mahabharata. Combining traditional Indian arts with film, this feature is part movie, including spoken word to help audiences understand the story, part dance and music using mudras and hand gestures in place of props and music and character storytelling methods from dance to help create emotional understanding of these stories.
This film includes many “firsts” – the first feature film told from the narrative of Indian classical dance and music traditions, first American/Indian diaspora film interpretation of the Mahabharata, a first feature film of the Mahabharata written solely by female scriptwriters, and a feature film that switches gender roles as actors and actresses. It is a story that is driven by sounds and images that are not an attempt to assimilate, but a story driven to help create cultural understanding for the next generation of Indians.

As quoted by Sahasra Sambamoorthi, the Artistic Director of Navatman’s Mahabharata – “It is our work to create space in a world that does not acknowledge the Mahabharata as a great piece of literature, a reclamation of a text by those whose heritage revolves around it.” The film will premiere at a gala event slated to be held at the SVA theater in Manhattan, NYC, on the evening of Nov 6. While this is an exclusive, invite-only event, the general public can access the film online on Navatman’s video rental app. Tickets are currently priced at $49.99 and the video can be rented for 2 days to be watched anytime, anywhere before it expires.

This two-hour feature film abides by the principles of theater in some ways, like actors playing multiple characters and music, movement & using mudras (hand gestures) to tell the story. It also includes lines for female characters, an addition to the critical edition of the Mahabharata (a compilation of hundreds of texts) where women are often seen but do not have a voice. “Our version allows us to work within gender norms differently – while very traditional to see Indian artists play male and female roles on the stage, putting this into a film version of the Mahabharata puts a twist on who gets to play what roles in this world, and allows a space for arts organizations like ours to tell stories in a novel format. Yes, the pandemic forced us to explore digital means of doing our work – we started rehearsing for a stage production and then had to change gears to be on-camera – but I am glad that it did. Our Indian dance & music based film is going to be epic!”.

In other ways, it is a feature film with its 4K video shots and surround sound, powerful film editing and meaningful sets across New York and New Jersey. “It’s an incredible feat to have captured a massive story like the Mahabharata like we have. Our artists are not film actors, not theater actors, but professionally trained dancers & musicians who are great at their craft. I can proudly say that Navatman self produced and created this opportunity using its own resources, a feat that will allow dancers and musicians around the world to embolden their cultural and artistic heritage,” says co-founder of Navatman.Sridhar Shanmugam Navatman is a performing arts organization that empowers the individual to nurture his or her personal evolution through interactions with the Indian classical arts. Founded with an eye towards creating a home for the Indian classical performing arts in NYC, Navatman is best known for their Manhattan based and online classes, critically acclaimed productions, dynamic dance company, stellar music ensemble, and Drive East – a week long collaborative festival celebrating their mission. Broadcast on: www.navatmanvideobroadcasting.uscreen.io
Tickets: $75 early release, $50 December release; Info/purchase: www.navatman.org/mahabharata; Email: mahabharata@navatman.org; Phone: 732.580.2093

After having just moved from Boston to their newly built, palatial villa in secluded New Mexico, the seemingly, perfect couple Henry and Meera Parsons soon find some intruders in their house who disrupt their lives forever. The house was designed and built by the caring and attentive architect, husband Henry to provide him and his lovely wife Meera a new lease of life, especially after her difficult recovery from breast cancer. One night, when they return home after dinner, they discover that their house is ransacked. It initially appears like an innocuous burglary.

On the advice of the local police, Henry soon upgrades their home security with an alarm system and remote locking. But soon, a second break-in happens while the couple is sleeping at home. Meera is shocked to learn that Henry has a gun which he does not hesitate to use. In the scuffle between the couple and the intruders, the intruders get injured, and the police present a few suspects whom the Parsons identify. It so happens that the suspects are from the other side of town, and they happen to be from one family whose daughter has been missing for nearly a year.

What follows is the crumbling of the perfect couple image, with Meera and Henry tracking each other and also Meera doing her own bit of investigation. Events soon escalate to something more devious which culminates during their housewarming party. While the plot appears promising, the writing seems laboured with poorly etched characters, and the tale appearing like a manipulative and shallow derivative of a home-invasion thriller. Also, the pacing of the film is slack. It fails to serve as a gripping thriller and the motive of the devious deed which is revealed in the climax is hardly dwelt upon. The performance of the lead pair is far from impressive. Both are simply mechanical and stereotypical in their disposition.

On the production front, with moderate production values, the Parsons’ home built in the wilderness, designed by Brandon Tonner-Connolly and Matt Hyland is magnificent but at the same time insipid and cold. Overall, the entire proceedings appear implausible and amateurishly mounted.

Film: Intrusion (Streaming on Netflix)
Duration: 94 minutes
Director: Adam Salky
Cast: Freida Pinto, Logan Marshall-Green, Robert John Burke, Megan Elisabeth Kelly, Sarah Minnich and Hayes Hargrove.

Oscar-winner AR Rahman has created mellifluous music that has made international headlines and Padma Bhushan and Oscar winner Gulzar has written unforgettable lyrics defining India over the decades. Now, Sandeep Singh under his banner Legend Global Studio has brought both these legends together for his upcoming prestigious project – the biopic on business tycoon Subrata Roy. News of the Subrata Roy Biopic first broke last month when it was announced that Sandeep Singh had acquired the rights of the film. The film is reported to be one that will span several continents and traverse the tycoon’s journey over the decades. Title and cast of the biopic is expected to be announced shortly.

Rahman said: “Gulzar Saab’s soulful lyrics are extremely inspiring for a musician and I hope I can do justice to the lyrics and the story. I am looking forward to this collaboration.” Gulzar added: “It will be wonderful to collaborate with Rahman again. Subrata Roy’s life is enigmatic and inspiring. Rahman is a wonderful artist and musician and I look forward to this collaboration.” Subrata Roy is the Chairman of Sahara India Pariwar. He and his two companies were barred by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in 2010.

According to reports, the regulatory body made accusations against the group that they had raised several crores through optionally fully convertible debentures (OFCDs) that SEBI considered wrong. Roy was then jailed for over two years. Roy has been out on parole since 2016. News of the Subrata Roy biopic came out last month when it was announced that Sandeep Singh had acquired the rights of the film, which is being produced by Sandeep Singh. The movie is reported to be one that will span several continents and traverse the tycoon’s journey over the decades. The title and cast of the biopic is expected to be announced shortly.

Singh states, “It gives me unbelievable joy to bring these legends of lyrics and music together for a project that is extremely close to my heart. I have been an ardent admirer of the work of Rahman-ji and Gulzar-saab. Their contribution to cinema cannot be measured and I am humbled that they are a part of my project. Subrata Roy-sir’s life is a tremendous story of grit, determination and success and it needs the support of these two geniuses to realize this dream. I am humbled and overwhelmed.”

A.R. Rahman-Gulzar films:

“Dil Se…” (1998)

“Saathiya” (2002)

“Guru” (2007)

“Slumdog Millionaire” (2008)

“Yuvvraaj” (2008)

“Raavan” (2010)

Jab Tak Hai Jaan” (2012)

“OK Jaanu” (2017)

ZEE5 Global, the world’s largest platform for South Asian content, is all set to bring the intriguing and untold Lee-Hesh Bromance to Breakup story to your screens. ZEE5 Global has partnered with award-winning filmmaker duo Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Nitesh Tiwari to helm ‘BREAK POINT’, a 7-part series based on the iconic on-court partnership between living legends, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi and their off-court lives.   The makers revealed the first poster of the ZEE5 Original series and looks like the many questions that fans had regarding the Lee-Hesh relationship and breakup will soon be answered!  Commenting on helming ‘BREAK POINT’, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Nitesh Tiwari in a joint statement said, “It’s great to bring to screen a series like this on a home-grown video streaming platform like ZEE5. Working with icons like Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes has been surreal and to bring their untold story to screen is something that we will cherish forever.”

Leander Paes shares, “I enjoyed this walk down memory lane shooting for ‘BREAK POINT’ with wonderful storytellers like Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Nitesh Tiwari in collaboration with ZEE5.  While Mahesh and my on-court partnership was widely covered, and our off-court chemistry was largely speculated. This is the first time that our fans will get to see and hear it all, first-hand. Mahesh and I worked really hard to put India on the top of world tennis and we are glad that we are getting a chance to present our story to the world, like never before. Enjoy our journey.”  Mahesh Bhupathi shares, “It is no secret that I am reserved when it comes to communicating, so this is a big step for me to relive the journey and put it all out there in the most candid and honest manner. But, at the same time, I am happy that our fans will get to see our journey which was a mix of sweat, perseverance, brotherhood and at times blood and tears as well. This is surely going to be a treat for all, and I am thankful to Ashwiny, Nitesh and ZEE5 for giving it everything.”

For decades, Indians have celebrated the country’s biggest tennis heroes who made India proud by winning many iconic matches and have also speculated about their much public split. However, for the first time, the speculations will be put to rest as Paes and Bhupathi get candid and honest about their bromance and breakup and tell the world – what happened, how it happened and why it happened! ‘BREAK POINT’ will not only construct their epic tennis matches but also deconstruct their relationship, both on and off the court.  ‘BREAK POINT’ is a telling narrative on their friendship, brotherhood, partnership, belief, hard work and ambitions which made them one of the most feared doubles pair during the late 1990s, and even ranked world number 1 in the year 1999. But it also throws light on their bitter breakup and how they couldn’t hold on to their meteoric rise. Above all, it’s a tale of two friends who had planned for success but not for life after success.

‘BREAK POINT’ marks ZEE5’s first partnership with filmmakers, Ashwini Iyer Tiwari and Nitesh Tiwari under their banner Earthsky Pictures who are known for their exceptional movies such as Dangal, Panga, Chhichhore, Nil Battey Sannata, and many more. This is also the first time that Ashwini Iyer Tiwari and Nitesh Tiwari will be co-directing a project. The seven-episode series will be exclusively available on ZEE5 soon.   Users can download the ZEE5 app from Google Play Store / iOS App Store, on Roku devices, Samsung Smart TVs, Apple TVs, Android TVs, and Amazon Fire Stick. ZEE5 is also available on www.ZEE5.com.

ZEE5 is the digital entertainment destination launched by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), a global Media and Entertainment powerhouse. The platform launched across 190+ countries in October 2018 and has content across 18 languages: Hindi, English, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Punjabi, including six international languages Malay, Thai, Bahasa, Urdu, Bangla and Arabic. ZEE5 is home to 130,000+ hours of On Demand Content. The platform brings together the best of Originals, Movies and TV Shows, Music, Cineplays and Health and Lifestyle content all in one single destination. ZEE5 offers key features like 15 navigational languages, content download option, seamless video playback and Voice Search.  Users can download the ZEE5 app from Google Play Store / iOS App Store, on Roku devices, Samsung Smart TVs, Apple TVs, Android TVs, and Amazon Fire Stick. ZEE5 is also available on www.ZEE5.com.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt co-star in “Jee Le Zaraa,” Farhan Akhtar’s return to direction a full decade after “Don 2.” Happily, it is not “Don 3” or even “Dil Chahta Hai 2.” Sensibly, the director of the path-breaking “Dil Chahta Hai” continues on the three-hero format followed also in Excel Entertainment’s “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” with “sheroes” (protagonist heroines) instead!

The film is written by Zoya Akhtar, Farhan and Reema Kagti and is co-produced by Tiger Baby Productions. The film also marks Chopra’s return to mainstream Hindi films after her home production, “The Sky is Pink” (2019) though she had also acted in “The White Tiger” (2021).

As she put it in an Instagram post, “Let’s rewind, to me musing about wanting to do another Hindi movie ASAP, on an unusually rainy night in Mumbai in Nov 2019.”

“But it had to be the right one – different, cool, never been done before… I thought. The idea grew into a movie helmed by an all-female cast. There are not enough Hindi movies that are female multi-starrers. This led to an impulsive phone call… to my 2 real friends about this idea that involved 3 on-screen girlfriends. A celebration of friendship we called it!!

“Katrina, Alia, and I enthusiastically met in February 2020 (as seen in this picture), just before the world shut down, to discuss who we could trust to bring this vision to life for us and our choice was unanimous… Farhan and Ritesh, Zoya and Reema. We had all worked with @excelmovies and @tigerbabyfilms individually so this seemed perfect. It just so happened that Farhan was working on a female road trip movie at the same time! Talk about all the stars aligning!!

“And here we are today… #JeeLeZaraa… it only took 3 years to align all our schedules but we stuck together and got it done! This one is to sisterhood… to friendship and to breaking the mould!! Can’t wait to get on the road with Aloo and Katty. My heart’s smiling. See you at the movies.”

A few hours after the film was announced on social media, the film’s lead actors posted the same picture together, which was from Kaif’s home. All the actors involved in the film, described in their captions what the project means to them. It took three years to align their schedules, given the fact that all three actresses were so busy.

Posted Kaif, “This makes my heart smile I just love these girls and being around each other is just too much fun always – combine that with a great script , awesome director , and a road trip and a (symbol for a movie camera) and the sky’s the limit.”

Alia Bhatt wrote: There was only one place to go to make that dream come true; to 4 of the funnest dream-makers and storytellers in the business @faroutakhtar @zoieakhtar @reemakagti1 @ritesh_sid

“And now 50 Zoom calls later. Countless laughs later. With hearts full of love and excitement. Here we are. #JeeLeZaraa”

All three have worked with Akhtar before—Chopra has done “Don” and “Don 2” besides co-starring with him in Excel’s “Dil Dhadakne Do” and in her own “The Sky is Pink,” while Kaif has done “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.” Alia Bhatt has done Excel’s “Gully Boy.” As co-stars with each other, this is the first time.

ZEE5 Global released the teaser of its next Original film 200 – Halla Ho! which gave the audience a sneak peek into what the film is about. The trailer of the film, will definitely make you question a lot of things about our society and the way women are treated.

The frightful yet gripping trailer of Sarthak Dasgupta’s 200 – Halla Ho! is a story about how 200 Dalit women united and took law and justice in their own hands by lynching a gangster, robber and serial rapist in open court.

The trailer reveals nuances of each of the characters played by a talented and eclectic ensemble cast. Inspired by true events, the movie goes on to uncover the shocking events and circumstances which led the 200 women to take such a drastic step to seek justice.

Talking about the trailer, Sarthak Dasgupta, Writer & Director shared, “This is not a film for me, but a shoulder that I give to movement towards social equality.  I need to convey to the audience that women should be treated equally and that Dalits’ lives matter too! This film is about those Dalit women who despite getting socially marginalized, molested, tortured and mortified, had to take law into their own hands to punish the person who was responsible for ruining their lives. It addresses the debate whether they were right or they were wrong.  I hope this film will add voice to the social change that is so needed in the society.” The film also marks the comeback of renowned actor Amol Palekar to the movies after almost a decade.

200 – Halla Ho, has an amazing star cast comprising Amol Palekar, Barun Sobti, Rinku Rajguru, Sahil Khattar, Saloni Batra, Indraneil Sengupta, and Upendra Limaye. Written and Directed by Sarthak Dasgupta, produced by Yoodlee Films, the film production arm of Saregama, 200 – Halla Ho premieres 20th August on ZEE5.

Users can download the ZEE5 app from Google Play Store / iOS App Store, on Roku devices, Samsung Smart TVs, Apple TVs, Android TVs, and Amazon Fire Stick. ZEE5 is also available on www.ZEE5.com.

ZEE5 is the digital entertainment destination launched by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), a global Media and Entertainment powerhouse. The platform launched across 190+ countries in October 2018 and has content across 18 languages: Hindi, English, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Punjabi, including six international languages Malay, Thai, Bahasa, Urdu, Bangla and Arabic. ZEE5 is home to 130,000+ hours of On Demand Content. The platform brings together the best of Originals, Movies and TV Shows, Music, Cineplays and Health and Lifestyle content all in one single destination. ZEE5 offers key features like 15 navigational languages, content download option, seamless video playback and Voice Search.

Users can download the ZEE5 app from Google Play Store / iOS App Store, on Roku devices, Samsung Smart TVs, Apple TVs, Android TVs, and Amazon Fire Stick. ZEE5 is also available on www.ZEE5.com.

ZEE5 Global Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZEE5Global
ZEE5 Global LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zee5global/

In recent times, one of the renowned Marathi comedian-actor-mimicry artists Madhav Moghe passed away and Bollywood veteran Johnny Lever paid tribute to him. Looking back at this whole transformation of how the presence of comedians used to be quite elementary back in the day in cinema to now, as youngsters are making it a full-time profession and counted as ‘artists’ by society, Johnny tries to analyse the change.

In conversation with IANS, Johnny said, “I remember back in the day, when I was a youngster, doing a full-time job and in the free time looking for platforms to perform as a comedian, all the so-called elite clubs in Colaba wouldn’t entertain a comedian. This used to be so ‘unsophisticated’ for them. I wondered why? Was is it our jokes that weren’t relatable for them or were differences in sense of humour that created the barrier? I went to the Radio Club, Colaba and tried to observe people over there. Their coffee-table conversation, their sense of humour and realised it is a combination of both. Every joke has an audience, we have to serve it to the right place.”

He went on adding, “But it is also true that for the longest time, the business of comedy was never taken seriously. That is why perhaps we, the stand-up comedians, the mimicry artists were neither taken seriously nor given the respect and money we deserved. You see, we would travel with big celebrated artists and would get a small stage time, just for comic relief. Now, when I see all the youngsters, including my daughter Jamie (Lever) doing a whole show I realised the progressive change has come!”

While Johnny believes that his popularity in Bollywood films also helped him to flourish and gathered more crowds he recalls how earlier especially in cinema, there was a dearth of good comic writers.

“The whole process of structured writing was not existing for the longest time and for comedy scenes, it has to be 30 per cent writing and 70 per cent improvisation. I remember how in ‘Baazigar’ I was told to include my moments in the scene while acting. Those moments were quite improvised…” recalled the actor who is known for his performances in films like ‘Raja Hindustani’, ‘Dulhe Raja’, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, ‘Total Dhamaal’, ‘Coolie No.1’ among many others.

However, he believes that there is a clear distinction between comedy that is happening in the regional scene like in Marathi, Tamil, Telugu and in Hindi. He also pointed out how some content is quite westernised whereas some are pure entertainment.

“Since the new culture of ‘stand-up comedy’ is coming from western culture, the style and the humour is also urban at times. But it is good to see how some Indian comedians are creating content that is very local, fun and adding various elements including mimicry! Making the voice of another famous person, adding a dash of humour to that and the amount of practice it requires for right voice modulation – trust me it is a task. Mimicry is an art, those who are doing it are artists,” said Johnny.

He also shared how late Madhav Moghe, who appeared in Hindi films like ‘Damini’, ‘Ghatak’ and some of the popular Marathi films, used to do mimicry of Sanjeev Kumar from ‘Sholay’ – and it inspired Johnny. Moghe was also associated with Melody Makers Orchestra and travelled the world with various artists. Johnny paid tribute to the late actor as president of MAAM (Mimicry Artist Association Mumbai).

“I was a youngster who would go to watch his live performances whenever I got a chance and he was an inspiration to me. He would make many sounds including planes, trains, animals as well as of famous actors. It was a moment for me when I told myself, ‘Mujhe inke jaisa banna hai’. Back then, I had to prove to my father before quitting my job that I can run our kitchen by doing small roles in films and comedies. Today, my daughter Jamie who is also a budding comedian doesn’t have to prove that to me!” Johnny signed off.

In a latest development in the controversial porn case involving Shilpa Shetty’s husband Raj Kundra, the Bollywood actress has denied her involvement with his company or its nature of content and has pointed fingers at Kundra’s brother-in-law. After a court hearing July 23, the Crime Branch team raided the Juhu residence of Shilpa and Raj. The investigative team is looking for money trail and corresponding emails, which will incriminate the accused and his alleged involvement in pornographic content.

According to police sources, Crime Branch officials recorded Shilpa Shetty’s statement in the case. The actress has denied her involvement in the company, claiming she was not aware of the exact content of HotShots. She also mentioned that erotica is different from porn, for which her husband has been accused of, and he is not involved in producing porn content. Sources claim that Shilpa Shetty named Raj Kundra’s brother-in-law Pradeep Bakshi for running the functioning of the app and its operations.

After the case came to fore, Shilpa Shetty Kundra resigned from her husband’s Viaan Industries, and stepped away from her active entertainment projects involvement, which included a television reality show and her current film. Years after a cricket betting fiasco, Raj Kundra has been again named in a controversy and arrested by Mumbai Crime Branch in the alleged pornography case. The court has extended Raj’s police custody till July 27, along with his IT Head Ryan Thorpe.

According to reports, Shilpa Shetty told police that ‘erotica’ is not ‘porn and maintained that her husband Kundra was not involved in producing pornographic content. The actress has denied her involvement in the company. She also said that she was unaware of the exact nature of content on ‘Hotshots’ app. According to reports, Shetty said it was Kundra’s brother-in-law, London-based Pradeep Bakshi, who was involved with the app.

Earlier, after a court hearing on Friday, the Crime Branch team raided the Juhu residence of Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra. Kundra has been arrested by Mumbai Crime Branch in the alleged pornography case and the court has extended his police custody till July 27, along with his IT Head Ryan. An Indian court extended the custody of Raj Kundra, a businessman married to popular Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, police said, in a pornography case that has stunned the country’s film industry.

Local media reports said police questioned Shetty about her involvement in the case, but Chaitanya refused to comment on that. Shetty, a leading actress of the 1990s, is a familiar face on television and social media. She married Kundra in 2009, and the couple have two children.

Diaspora Broadcasting Network, a dedicated community-based ecosystem to connect India’s enterprising and brilliant diaspora with the large Indian audience. VaKurecognises go-getters and achievers from the Indian diaspora and amplifies their success stories to the world. We have devoted a special bi-weekly primetime broadcast on NewsX conducting interviews, award shows, Hall of Fame, Diaspora Top 100, podcasts, hangouts, and more. We are on a mission to create a community of 10,000 diaspora.

VaKuDispora Broadcasting Network launched to a roaring start on Saturday, July 10, 2021 at 7 pm on NewsX with some of the most successful members of the Indian diaspora flanking the show. Author, columnist and diplomat Amish Tripathi, U.S Republican politician Rik Mehta, world renowned Indian-American fashion designer Naeem Khan, chief executive at General Atomics Global Corporation VivekLall and New York-based fashion designer Babi Ahluwalia were among the top-notch guests profiled during VaKu launch.

Naeem Khan spoke about how the Indian fashion designers have come of age. ‘India is poised to become one of the biggest fashion countries in the world. We are a great country with such diversification,’ he said. VivekLall mentioned about the renewed vigour with with the Indo-US defence ties are shaping up. ‘One of the biggest shifts have been the confluence of the congress of India and USA with common objectives and goals,’ he said. ‘People resonated with the immigrant story, the one where you have to work hard to live in that country, the one where I’ve achieved the Amercian dream,’ Rik Mehta said who is contesting the 11th Congressional district from New Jersery for the up coming 2022 election.

Author Amish Tripathi talked about how the West was looking eastwards to find some meaning to their hollow, lonely lives. ‘There is an epidemic of loneliness in the West. If you destroy all communities, families, all you are left with us yourself,’ he observed. Some other promiment personalities from the Indian diaspora that have already been profiled on VaKu include PreityUpala, geo-political expert and a global citizen, NileshVed, founder & chairman Apparel Group, Gautam Ahuja, co-founder, Blue Scorpion Investments, NYC, BalaSwaminathan, former WESTPAC Asia CEO, Singapore, Drone Chowdry, MD & Head of global markets Europe &AMericas, First Abu Dhabi Bank, DrNiviManchanda, senior lecturer, Cambridge alumnus, Professor Arvind Mahajan, associate dean at Texas A&M University, BhavitaWalia, post-doctoral fellow, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Sanjeev Joshipura, executive director, Indiaspora and Professor Ranjay Gulati, faculty and research, Havard Business School.

The VaKu show launch also saw some of the most eminent members of the Indian diaspora discussing the relevance of the VaKu platform at a time when the world was keenly eyeing the India success story. SreeIyer, PGurus founder based out Washington, Ambassador Pradeep Kapur and professor at University of Maryland, U.S, Dr Joseph Chalil, chair of Indo-American Press Club, Ambassador Deepak Vohra and KritiUpadhyaya of CSIS in Washinton DC pledged their support and best wishes to the VaKu initiative.

VaKu is an apolitical, not-for-profit model, which has tied up with Memboro, a platform for content creators to make multiple subscription tiers and accept one time payments as a token of appreciation. The VaKu show launch also saw Memboro co-founder UtsavSingla explaining how anyone can sign up on Memboro and subscribe to VaKu on the platform. Watch VaKu – Diaspora Broadcasting Network on Wednesdays and Saturdays 7.30 pm IST only on NewsX. You can catch the repeat telecasts on Saturdays and Sundays at 8.30 am IST only on NewsX. VaKuMemboro subscription is available at Rs 100 per month and offers its members exclusive content, among other perks. To become VaKu patrons, sign up on Memboro.com/vaku. Come, join VaKu in our mission to create a community of 10,000 diaspora. Become VaKu patrons on Memboro.com/vaku.

After teasing fans and netizens with the motion poster image of much awaited music video sequel Filhaal 2 Mohabbat a few days back and now the awaited song sequel is finally out now so nevertheless, Akshay Kumar’s Filhaal 2 Mohobbat yet again has created history. After 2 years, the magical foursome of Jaani, B Praak, Akshay Kumar and Nupur Sanon have successfully made all their fans and audiences fall in love again with this new song which is a sequel to the smashing hit song of 2019 Filhaal and an amazing update is that Akshay Kumar’s Filhaal 2 Mohobbat yet again has created history.

For fans who had been waiting to see their superstar Akshay Kumar on screens ever since his last film Laxmii, its a really thrilling news that Akshay Kumar’s Filhaal 2 Mohobbat yet again has created history. After breaking multiple records with the first part of the song Filhaal which became most loved and also a superhit romantic song of the year 2019, its much awaited sequel and second part, Akshay Kumar’s Filhaal 2 Mohobbat yet again has created history.

We also know how Akshay Kumar’s Filhaal had created multiple records when it released in 2019, it recently became one of the first songs in India to cross a Billion mark on YouTube and now creating a new benchmark and breaking its own previous milestones, Filhaal 2 Mohobbat has created new record by crossing 100 million views within three days since it has released with fans and netizens also listening to it on loop and content creators creating reels on it.

After the huge success of Filhaal that released in 2019, its sequel Filhaal 2 Mohabbat featuring Akshay Kumar and Nupur Sanon has already broken records. The song was dropped online on Tuesday and in no time it became a rage on social media and netizens started trending it. As numbers don’t lie, Filhaal 2 Mohobbat has already garnered close to 100M views in just 3 days, which is a new record. It was also the most viewed Indian song in the first 24 hours in the history of Youtube. and has even surpassed the figures of what its prequel achieved on its first day. Also there’s no denial in this fact that whenever B Praak and Jaani come together with the mellifluous vocals and heartfelt lyrics the result is a blockbuster hit song and this has proven true yet again as this newly launched heart-wrenching song sung by B Praak and written by Jaani is shattering music charts and has struck a chord with its listeners.

“Filhaal 2 Mohabbat,” featuring Akshay Kumar and Nupur Sanon, has already broken records. The song dropped online July 6, and has became a rage on social media, with netizens trending it. As numbers never lie, “Filhall 2…” has already garnered close to 100M views in just three days, which is a new record. It was also the most viewed Indian song in the first 24 hours in the history of YouTube, and has thus surpassed the figures of what its prequel achieved on its first day.

There is no denying the fact that this newly-launched and heart-wrenching song sung by B. Praak and written by Jaani is shattering music charts and has struck a chord with its listeners. For Nupur Sanon, Kriti Sanon’s younger sister, this is her second blast in entertainment, and that, too, with Numero Uno leading man Akshay Kumar.

Filmmaker Karan Joha has announced his new directorial, “Rocky Aur Rani Ki PremKahani”. The film has a star-studded cast comprising Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, along with veterans Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan and ShabanaAzmi. Incidentally July 6, the day of announcement, is also Ranveer Singh’s birthday.

“A special announcement on my special day! Presenting — Rocky Aur Rani Ki PremKahani along with my dazzling supernova Alia Bhatt, directed by the genre himself, kaleidoscopic visionary Karan Johar, & written by IshitaMoitra, Shashank Khaitan and Sumit Roy,” Ranveer wrote. Taking to his social media handles, Karan shared a teaser video for Rocky Aur Rani Ki PremKahani, which is peppy and sets the mood for the flamboyant story. He wrote, “Thrilled to get behind the lens with my favourite people in front of it! Presenting Rocky Aur Rani Ki PremKahani, headlined by none other than Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt and written by IshitaMoitra, Shashank Khaitan&Sumit Roy. This anokhikahani is coming to your screens in 2022! #RockyAurRaniKiPremKahani #RRKPK.”

Veteran actor Dharmendra posted on social media to state that his fans would return to a romantic role again in this film. Sharing the same video, Alia captioned it as, “An exceptional love story with my favourite people! ❤️✨ Presenting – Rocky Aur Rani Ki PremKahani, directed by the one and only Karan Johar and written by IshitaMoitra, Shashank Khaitan&Sumit Roy. All set to hit the screens in 2022! #RockyAurRaniKiPremKahani #RRKPK.” In another tweet, she said, “A love story that is going to be far from the usual, Rocky and Rani ❤️ Stay tuned at 2:00 pm to meet the rest of the parivar.”

“Honoured to share the screen with these legends of Hindi cinema- Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan and ShabanaAzmi!” tweeted Ranveer Singh while Karan Johar wrote: “Meet the legendary stars of Rocky Aur Rani Ki PremKahani. We are all thrilled to work with these veteran legends and I cannot wait to be on set with them!

Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh thrilled the Internet by announcing that they will collaborate again after Gully Boy for Karan Johar’sRocky Aur Rani Ki PremKahani. “A special announcement on my special day! Presenting – Rocky Aur Rani Ki PremKahani along with my dazzling supernova Alia Bhatt, directed by the genre himself, kaleidoscopic visionary Karan Johar, written by IshitaMoitra, Shashank Khaitan and Sumit Roy. Coming to charm you in 2022!” Ranveer wrote while sharing the motion poster of the film, which will release next year.

ZEE5, the world’s largest streaming service for South Asian content, launched today in the U.S., opening up a world of multicultural entertainment for the South Asian diaspora and mainstream audiences across the United States.

“The launch of ZEE5 in the U.S. is a very significant moment for us,” said Amit Goenka, President, Digital Businesses & Platforms, ZEE Entertainment. “We’ve had a long association of over two decades with this market, bringing our viewers here the best of Indian entertainment through our channels. With ZEE5, we now look to offer both these audiences and the younger demographic access to a much wider choice of premium content with our Originals, digital premieres and more, on any screen of their choice and with a completely personalized viewing experience.”

ZEE5’s launch announcement was made by Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global, at a mega event attended by media and consumers from the U.S. and across the globe. She was joined by a special guest for the event, Actor, Producer, Activist and Entrepreneur Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas also joined Archana in unveiling ZEE5’s upcoming content slate and its new global brand campaign “Welcome to South Asia: Stories from our world.” The campaign spotlights stories from South Asia, where even ordinary stories are extraordinary, therefore leading to the narrative “if this is our reality, imagine our stories.”

The multiple announcements were interspersed with conversations between Archana Anand and Priyanka Chopra Jonas with the latter commenting on how streaming services have changed the landscape of content viewing, and on the hunger among South Asian communities to watch their own hyperlocal content and see themselves being represented to international audiences, and how streaming services were key in providing such a platform to help people feel represented.

Congratulating ZEE5, Priyanka Chopra Jonas said, “Wishing all the best to my friends at ZEE5 on their new launch. I have really enjoyed celebrating and spotlighting all the incredible talent from South Asia today. I look forward to watching these storytellers entertain new audiences around the world and will be cheering them on from the side lines.”

Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global, added, “Bringing ZEE5 into the U.S. is so much more than just providing the South Asian diaspora here with a mega entertainment platform through which they can access a vast library of stories. It is a powerful bridge between them, their culture, and their languages. It is also a real-time connect between them and their families as they get to watch the same content across the ocean. And it is a platform through which their stories get showcased on an international stage. With this and the rich library of shows we have, I am confident that we will become the preferred destination for South Asian content and woo both TV and Streaming loyalists across all age groups across both South Asian and mainstream audiences in the shortest possible time.”

At the 2021 New York Indian Film Festival, presented by the Indian American-founded Indo-American Arts Council, the Kannada film, “Pinki Elli” (“Where is Pinki”), won the Best Screenplay award for PrithviKonanur and the Best Actress award for AkshataPandavapura. Director Ramesh Sharma’s “Ahimsa Gandhi: The Power of the Powerless,” a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, won the Best Documentary Feature Award. (NYIFF/Facebook photos). The Kannada film, “Pinki Elli” (“Where is Pinki”), which opened the 2021 edition of the annual New York Indian Film Festival, also won top honors at the festival – Best Screenplay award for PrithviKonanur and Best Actress award for AkshataPandavapura.

Through “Pinki Elli,” Konanur said he “wanted to hold a mirror to the society.” The film offers a gritty glimpse into the perspectives and experiences of everyday people. The complex tale weaves together the story of Bindu and Girish, a working couple in Bangalore with an eight-month-old baby girl, Pinki. When Pinki goes missing, the frantic search effort forces the film’s characters to confront strange places, people and situations that require each of them to reconcile their past, present and future.

When the awards were presented June 14 during a virtual ceremony, a documentary feature on Mahatma Gandhi, “Ahimsa Gandhi”; a short documentary, “Seva,” highlighting the Sikh tradition; and the Tamil-language drama, “Nasir,” also won big. “Nasir,” directed by ArunKarthick, was declared the Best Film. The Best Actor honor was accorded to Siddharth Menon for “June,” while Karan Dave won the Best Child Actor award for “Habaddi.”

In “Nasir,” salesman Nasir lives a contended life with his mother Fatima, wife Taj and nephew Iqbal in a closely populated ghetto. Employed in an apparel shop at the heart of a busy city, the middle-aged Nasir is a hard worker. He speaks humorously and makes others laugh. The film is an observational chronicle of an ordinary day in Nasir’s life. Director Ramesh Sharma’s “Ahimsa Gandhi: The Power of the Powerless,” a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, won the Best Documentary Feature award, while “Seva,” directed by RippinSindher, was declared the Best Documentary Short. The film shows how a wave of Sikh activists and leaders are challenging “otherism” through their seva, forcing the FBI to accurately report hate crimes against the Sikh community, according to the festival. Ajitpal Singh won the Best Director award for “Fire in the Mountains.”

“Fire in the Mountains” tells the striking tale of Chandra and her husband, Dharam, who run an inn in a small Himalayan village. The terrain poses a problem for the family, who must transport their son, Prakash, down the mountain in his wheelchair for doctors and school. While Chandra believes Prakash needs more medical attention, Dharam would rather put his faith in a shamanic ritual he believes will rid them of a deity’s curse, the cause of Prakash’s affliction. Tensions increase as their worldviews collide and slowly erode their familial ties.

“TasherGhawr,” directed by Sudipto Roy and starring acclaimed actress Swastika Mukherjee, won the award for the Best Short Narrative. The story revolves around Sujata, a middle-aged housewife residing in Kolkata with her husband during the COVID-19 lockdown phase. The festival, presented by the Indian American-founded Indo-American Arts Council, was held virtually from June 3-13.

Sit at the back of the movie theater, and it’s possible to see the appeal of ScreenX, the latest attempt to drag film lovers off the sofa and away from Netflix. Instead of one screen, there are three – one at the front, and two on the sides – to add to the immersive experience you can’t get from the home TV.First adopted in South Korea in 2012, the system is being launched in the U.K. and theater chain Cineworld plans to add over 100 new screens to the worldwide count of 151.

The technology is the latest attempt by cinema operators to attract film viewers amid the growing popularity of online subscription services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. They’ve ranged from 3D screens launched almost a decade ago to ultra-high resolution IMAX projectors and 4DX – which features moving chairs and real-life special effects like snow falling on the audience.The focus on innovation has helped in the past. Since 3D was popularized at big cinema theaters in 2009 with the release of films like James Cameron’s “Avatar,” revenue has grown. Global box office revenue has increased by $14.4 billion in the past decade to $40.6 billion, according Motion Picture Association of America.

But that growth seems to be fading and movie theaters are being overtaken by internet video. Revenue from internet video like Netflix is forecast to be the fastest growing part of the entertainment and media industry through 2021, according to consultancy PwC. Its estimated annual growth of 6 percent compares with a projected annual drop in cinema of 1.2 percent.It’s unclear whether this latest innovation will help or stand out. Cineworld says the idea is “it makes you feel like you’re sitting in the action.” Robert Mitchell, a film journalist for Variety magazine, notes that was the point of 3D in the first place.

“In 2009, when films like ‘Ice Age’ and ‘Avatar’ were coming out, it was the great new thing,” he says. “That lasted for a couple of years until people started to realize that some films were being made that didn’t really use the enhancements well. And it started to put people off going.”Love it or hate it, the number of cinemas that offer these new types of experiences grows globally every year.“We’re really confident that by offering customers as much choice as possible that it’s going to bring people into the cinemas,” says Kelly Drew, an operations director at Cineworld.

‘Badhai Ho BetiHuee Hai’, an upcoming Hindi film that is focused on women empowerment, screened recently in the USA, organized by WPS Monarks Strategic Alliance LLC USA, is scheduled to launch in India shortly. Rick Sharma is the Executive Producer from Hollywood and Rajesh Bhatt, a Film Maker and Director from India, have joined together to bring this movie to theaters.

The film has been presented by an ace film-maker Pradeep Sarkar, who is known for his iconic women-centric films like Mardaani, LaagaChunari Mein Daag, Parineeta, HelicopterEela. This film focuses on breaking the stereotype mentality and enabling a woman to be an anchor of the family.Written and directed by the budding artist Yamini Swami and is produced under the banner Sanatan World Projects Pvt Ltd Productions, the film was budgeted around INR 8-9 crores and was completed by March 2020, but got delayed in release due to pandemic.

‘Badhai Ho BetiHueeHai’ film is based on the ambitious scheme of the Government of India which has been promoting to “Educate the Girl Child, Save the girl child” (BetiBachao, BetiPadhaoAbhiyaan)Titled, “Badhai Ho BetiHuee Hai,” the film, starring Yamini Swami and popular television actor Aryamann Seth, focuses on breaking the stereotypes associated with a girl child and enabling a woman to be an anchor of the family.

Sharma has executive produced the film which is inspired by the Government of India’s ambitious scheme, ‘BetiBachao, BetiPadhaoAbhiyaan’ (Educate the girl child, save the girl child).It also features eminent actors such as Jayaprada, PeeyushSuhaney, Kamal Malik, ArmaanTahil, Jayant Mishra, Rajesh Khanna and Hari Om Parashar.

The film is presented by ace filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar, who is known for his iconic women-centric films like “Mardaani,” “LaagaChunari Mein Daag,” “Parineeta” and “Helicopter Eela.”Written and directed by Swami and produced under the Sanatan World Projects Pvt Ltd Productions banner, the film was budgeted around Rs. eight-nine crores and was completed by March 2020, but its release got delayed due to the pandemic.

For its release, Sharma told India-West, they are in discussions with several streaming platforms and a decision will be made soon.The film was initially shot in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and many scenes were further shot in Mumbai and Delhi, covering the journey of the girl who makes a big leap.

The story follows a girl who gets equal opportunities and makes it big in the male-dominated society. It showcases how she educates herself and attains the skills which set her up for success and in the process, is able to shape opinions in her family.“Daughters are not less than sons in any way, daughters have contributed equally in every field,” said Swami. She further added that she felt like a victim in her childhood because of the taunts of her family and people around her. That is how, she added, she decided to spread awareness on women’s rights and gender equality. Music is by Dilip Tahir and Amit S. Trivedi.

The annual New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), North America’s longest-running Indian film festival recently announced its list of films for opening night, centerpiece and closing night.

The festival, virtual this year, starts from June 4 and goes on till 13, 2021, according to a press release from the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC).

The film lineup includes Where is Pinki/ Pinki Elli (Kannada) directed by PrithviKonanur as the opening film; Ahimsa Gandhi: The Power of the Powerless (English), dir. Ramesh Sharma as the first centerpiece; WOMB: Women of my Billion (English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu), dir. Ajitesh Sharma as the second centerpiece and Fire in the Mountains (Hindi), dir. Ajitpal Singh as the closing film.

The festival will also feature a virtual event with exclusive Q&A sessions with filmmakers and talent, the release said.

Aseem Chhabra, NYIFF festival director offered his thoughts and prayers to the lives lost in the covid-19 crisis in India. “But we made a promise to our audience in the United States and elsewhere. The show must go on. We present the best of Indian cinema from 2020 and 2021,” he was quoted saying in the press release.

NYIFF will also celebrate birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi, Satyajit Ray and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

Suman Gollamudi, IAAC executive director said NYIFF has showcased the some of the most impactful and esteemed films and documentaries celebrating India, its people and its heritage, for the past 21 years. “The caliber of films on the 2021 lineup includes notable works by award-winning filmmakers, which aim to capture stories that have a truly profound message about our world today. These films have received exceptional praise from critics and audiences around the globe,” he added.

According to Rakesh Kaul, vice chairman, IAAC, NYIFF is partnering with MovieSaints for a second straight year to reach a wider audience virtually.

“For the first time, the 2021 lineup truly reflects the incredible diversity of Indian cinematic creativity,” said Dr. NirmalMattoo, Chairman IAAC. “This standout collection of films introduces new voices, fresh perspectives and original storytelling, which enhances the NYIFF curatorial legacy of spotlighting movies that go on to receive critical global acclaim.”

“In addition, we will be unveiling a newly designed award in 2021,” continued Mattoo.  “Conceived and created by IAAC Board Member and sculptor, Raj Shahani, this iconic award will epitomize the excellence that NYIFF seeks to foster with its annual awards presentation.”

Each of these films along with the complete collection of NYIFF-recognized titles will be available for viewing starting June 4, 2021 at nyiff.us and nyiff.moviesaints.com. The cost to view each film ranges from US$4.99 for feature films (narrative and documentaries) and US$0.99 for shorts. Audiences outside the U.S., excluding India, can pay in their local currencies. In India, the cost will be Rs.150 for features and shorts starting at Rs. 50. There are also discount packages available

Featured Movies Include:

Awakash (Marathi), dir. ChittaranjanGiri, 77 mins, 2020

Biryaani (Malayalam), dir. Sajin Baabu, 96 mins, 2020

Blue Bird (Kannada), dir. Ganesh Hegde, 106 mins, 2020

Fire in the Mountains (Hindi), dir. Ajitpal Singh, 82 mins, 2020

First Night (Tamil), dir. Jack Prabhu, Santoshh KK, 106 mins, 2020

Freddie’s Piano (English), dir. AakashPrabhakar, Sudharshan Narayanan, 110 mins, 2020

God on the Balcony (Assamese), dir. Biswajeet Bora, 89 mins, 2020

Habaddi (Marathi), dir. NachiketSamant, 110 mins, 2020

House of Orange Trees (Malayalam), dir. Dr. Biju Damodaran, 110 mins, 2020

June (Marathi), dir. VaibhavKhisti, SuhrudGodbole, 94 mins, 2020

Mail (Telugu), dir. UdayGurrala, 116 mins, 2020

Nasir (Tamil), dir. ArunKarthick, 78 mins, 2019

Nazarband (Captive) (Hindi), dir. Suman Mukhopadhyay, 85 mins, 2020

Parallel Lines (KayamaiKadakka) (Tamil), dir. Kiran R, 104 mins, 2020

Parcel (Bengali), dir. Indrasis Acharya, 123 mins, 2020

Pinki Elli? (Where’s Pinki?) (Kannada), dir. PrithviKonanur, 108 mins, 2020

Searching for Happiness (Bengali) dir. Suman Ghosh, 63 mins, 2021

Songs for Rain (Boroxun) (Assamese), dir. Krrishna Kt. Borah, 86 mins, 2020

Sthalpuran (Marathi), dir. AkshayIndikar, 85 mins, 2020

The Chicken Curry (KoliTaal) (Kannada), dir. Abhilash Shetty, 84 mins, 2020

The Tenant (English, Hindi), dir. Sushrat Jain, 112 mins, 2020

The Knot (Uljhan) (Hindi), dir. Ashish Pant, 113 mins, 2020

Zollywood, (Marathi), dir. Trushant Ingle, 95 mins, 2019

Documentaries:

Ahimsa Gandhi: The Power of the Powerless, (English), dir. Ramesh Sharma, 92 mins, 2020

Borderlands (Punjabi, Bengali, Nepali, Manipuri), dir. Samarth Mahajan, 67 mins, 2021

GharKaPata (Home Address) (English, Hindi, Kashmiri), dir. MadhulikaJalali, 67 mins, 2020

Shut UpSona (English, Hindi, Oriya), dir. Deepti Gupta, 85 mins. 2019

Talking Head (English, Bengali), dir. Spandan Banerjee, 94 mins, 2021

The Music of Satyajit Ray (English, Bengali), dir. Utpalendu Chakrabarty, 51 mins, 1984

The Space Between the Notes (English, Hindi), dir. SumantraGhosal, 52 mins, 2018

WOMB: Women of my Billions, dir. Ajitesh Sharma (English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu), 103 mins, 2021

At the Altar of India’s Freedom – INA Veterans in Malaysia (English) dir. ChoodieShivaram, 30 mins, 2018

Baluji (English), dir. Cécile Embleton, 22 mins, 2020

Seva (English), dir. RippinSindher, 16 mins, 2019

The Hero Within (Hindi), dir. Stanley Hector, 7 mins, 2021

What’s Your Story? (English), dir. O.P. Srivastava, 51 mins, 2020

Short Films:

Adhura (Unfinished) (Hindi), dir. Arjun Lal, 19 mins, 2020

Annual Day (SalanaJalsa) (Marathi), dir. Pratik Thakare, 30 mins, 2020

Appa’s Seasons (Tamil), dir. Radhika Prasidhha, 22 mins, 2020

1. Selvi& Daughters (Tamil), dir. Drishya, 25 mins, 2020

Checking Out (English), dir. Vick Krishna, 15 mins, 2020

Happy Birthday (Hindi), dir. Ajay Kishore Shaw, 20 mins, 2020

KhayaliPulao (Hindi), dir.TarunDudeja, 26 mins, 2020

Khisa (Pocket) (Marathi), dir. Raj Pritam More, 16 mins, 2020

Kurma (English, Hindi), dir. Ramsee Chand, 18 mins, 2020

Laali (Hindi), dir. AbhiroopBasu, 30 mins, 2020

Loose Long Shirt (English), dir. Mitali Joshi, 6 mins, 2020

My Brother (Mera Bhai) (Hindi), dir. Shreela Agarwal, 22 mins, 2020

Naap (Hindi), dir. Harshit Acharya, 18 mins, 2020

Now That We’ve Met (English), dir. NityaTuraga, 5 mins, 2020

Pilibhit (Hindi), dir. AshutoshChaturvedi, Pankaj Mavchi, 23 mins, 2020

Pinni (Kannada), dir.BhuvanSathya, 20 mins, 2020

Sonsi (Shadow Bird) (Hindi) dir. Savita Singh, 26 mins, 2020

Sunday (Hindi), dir. ArunFulara, 10 mins, 2020

TasherGhawr (English), dir. Sudipto Roy, 47 mins, 2020

The Miniaturist of Junagarh (Hindi, Urdu), dir. Kaushal Oza, 29 mins, 2020

Untouchability (Theetu) (Tamil), dir. Haresh Narayanan, 7 mins, 2020

Vulture (Xogun) (Assamese), dir. UtpalBorpujari, 16 mins, 2020

More information at: nyiff.us and nyiff.moviesaints.com. For frequently asked technology questions visit https://nyiff.moviesaints.com/faq/nyiff.

Keeping up with the promise of an Eid release, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s movie ‘Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai’ is all set to make it to the theatres and digital platforms on May 13. The trailer of the film is slated to drop tomorrow.
The digital release of ‘Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai’, however, won’t be available for free.

The makers have taken the pay-per-view route, which means that the audience will have to pay a certain amount to watch the movie at their homes. This would not be a part of their subscription to OTT platforms. The makers of the film, on Wednesday, shared the mega release plan on their Instagram handle, along with a poster of the upcoming movie. They wrote, “The perfect Eid celebration! #Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai, releasing simultaneously on multiple platforms worldwide. #RadheThisEid.”

Film critic and movie trade analyst Taran Adarsh also confirmed the same on his Twitter handle by tweeting, “#RADHE IN CINEMAS AND DIGITAL MEDIUMS ON SAME DAY… #SalmanKhan’s #Radhe will release simultaneously in cinemas and digital mediums [pay per view] on 13 May 2021… Trailer drops tomorrow.”

ZEE Studios will be the first studio in India to be adopting a multi-format release worldwide. Speaking on this Shariq Patel, CBO, Zee Studios shared, “The ongoing pandemic forced us to innovate, and we are proud to be the first to embark upon this new distribution strategy. While we all love to catch the latest movies at the nearest theatres, we realized we’d be doing a disservice to Salman’s fans nationwide if we aren’t able to release theatrically in all Indian states. We sensed the need for a pay-per-view solution along with theatres, which gives the consumers flexibility and convenience of viewing the film.”

He further continued, “There cannot be a better film than Radhe to offer the audiences who’ve been waiting for an out and out entertainer for over a year now. Radhe continues our network’s deep relationship with Salman Khan and we are looking to release the film in over 40 countries including theatrical release in major overseas markets.”

Salman Khan Films’ spokesperson added, “It’s imperative that we all come together and think of out-of-the-box solutions for cinema as an industry during the current pandemic situation. We will support the theatre owners by releasing the film in as many theatres as we can, keeping in line with the rules and protocols laid down by the government. But, considering the guidelines and safety measures, we also need to devise ways to ensure that the film reaches all of our audience. We don’t want to deny the audience the choice of entertainment in the comfort of their homes during these times.”

The film will be released on ZEE’s pay-per-view service ZEEPlex which rests on India’s leading OTT platform ZEE5 and also on all leading DTH operators. The actor, along with his studio partner Zee Studios, have opted for this hybrid release model given the rise in coronavirus cases across the country.

‘Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai’ will also have a theatrical release and will be available in theaters in all Indian states where the theaters are operational as per COVID protocols. A wide international theatrical release targeting 40 countries across all international territories is also being planned. It will be the first Bollywood film to release theatrically in the UK since the lockdown last year.

The action flick by the Yash Raj Films banner, directed by Prabhudeva, was earlier scheduled to release on Eid 2020, but it could not see the light of the day due to the closing of film theatres owing to coronavirus-induced lockdown.
The movie will see Salman Khan romancing Disha Patani. The flick also features Jackie Shroff and Randeep Hooda.

‘Radhe’ is co-produced by Salman Khan, Sohail Khan, and Atul Agnihotri under the banners Salman Khan Films, in association with Zee Studios, Sohail Khan Productions, and Reel Life Production.

Aarkkariyam Is a Malayalam movie that presents lives in disarray, looking for moorings and closure, in the most natural way in a most unnatural year where we all were forced to live in isolation.

The beginning of the pandemic, in early 2020, already seems like a life-time ago. Aaakkariyam opens with a couple who live on the outskirts of Mumbai getting ready to drive down to Kerala. The two-day road trip is the only way to get from one place to another, and even this needs to be done fast, as crossing state borders may also soon become impossible.

A certain easy-going, calm atmosphere pervades Aarkkariyam even in supposedly the more tense moments in the narrative. So much so that close to the interval, when a key character makes a rather shocking claim, even that is delivered in a cool, collected manner, as if he is speaking about one of the dinner dishes. This somehow gives a chilling quality to that scene, yet this light treatment also limits the film at other key points.

Cinematographer Sanu John Varughese’s directorial debut is firmly set in the post-pandemic world, with the after-effects of the virus being a part of the narrative. Shirley (Parvathy Thiruvothu) and her husband Roy (Sharaudheen), who are settled in Mumbai, are returning home to Kerala to be with her father Ittyavira (Biju Menon), ahead of the COVID-induced lockdown. Beset with financial crises, Roy is also looking to raise urgent funds to repay his friend, who helped him in need, while Shirley is devising various ways to bring back her daughter who is stuck in another state.

Like millions of hapless people, the harsh lockdown has justify Sherly (Parvathy Thiruvothu) and Roy (Sharafudheen) in a tight financial bind. The only way out is for them to head south, where Sherly’s father, 73-year-old Ittyavira (Biju Menon), and young daughter (Tejaswini), are eagerly waiting their arrival. The palpable sense of relief when they reach home is evident; you can see the tension leaching out of the exhausted couple. It even begins to look as if the resourceful Ittyavira may have a solution to their problems, and then, wham, a flying missile encapsulated in a throwaway remark strikes. And everything crumbles.

This, the delivery of the bombshell, is the most artful part of the film which knows how to incorporate artlessness in its telling. In his debut directorial, Varghese, who has been the cinematographer on such films as ‘Kartik Calling Kartik’, ‘Badhai Ho’, ‘Wazir’, ‘Android Kunjappan’ and ‘Take-Off’, among others, shows that he knows exactly how to recreate life on screen with such ease that you forget you’re watching stuff mediated by a camera.

What we get is a well-knit plot that gives up its secrets as it goes along. We learn why Sherly’s daughter is living away from her, and our assumption about Roy being the father is just that, an assumption. Sherly’s painful backstory threatens to come alive again, as Roy begins unravelling the dark secrets that lie buried. Can we ever fully escape our past? Can our faith save us from mortal sin?

Aarkkariyam Movie Cast: Biju Menon, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Sharafudheen, Saiju Kurup, Tejaswini. Directed By: Sanu John Varghese. Aarkkariyam movie rating: 3 stars.

The Trial Of The Chicago 7 — Aaron Sorkin’s 1969 courtroom drama for Netflix — was judged the year’s best performance by a motion picture cast at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards for film and television last week. Starring the likes of Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Frank Langella and Mark Rylance, it marked the first time a film from any streaming service won the guild’s ensemble award.

The win now strengthens the film’s case for the Oscars (April 25). This even as modern recession-era movie Nomadland grabbed many of the pre-Oscar awards, including the Golden Globes.

The SAG awards though remain a key predictor of Oscar glory, where actors form the largest voting bloc. FYI: Last year, South Korea’s Parasite began its historic charge to the Best Picture Oscar by winning SAG’s top prize.

Also: For the first time in SAG awards’ 27-year history, all four of the winning film actors were people of colour. The late Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis picked up the best actor and best actress awards, respectively, for jazz period film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

And while Daniel Kaluuya won best supporting actor for portraying Black Panther leader Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah, South Korea’s Yuh-jung Youn won best supporting actress for Minari, an immigrant tale set in 1980s Arkansas.

The Illegal (film on Amazon Prime); Cast: Suraj Sharma, Shweta Tripathi, Adil Hussain, Neelima Azim, Iqbal Theba, Hannah Masi, Jay Ali; Direction: Danish Renzu; Rating: * * * and 1/2 (three and a half stars)

You’d think you have seen this before. A young boy from middle-class India lands in the United States chasing a dream, and his struggle for sustenance becomes portrait of the grind that almost every immigrant must endure.

If Danish Renzu’s film is outstanding despite the note of familiarity, it is because of the sheer authenticity with which the writer-director tells his tale. The film is unflinching in tone, yet sensitive enough while dissecting the reality it presents. Renzu uses his crisp runtime of 86 minutes well, to set up nuanced storytelling.

Unlike most films pertaining to the subject, “The Illegal” is not about immigrants who enter the US unlawfully. It is about people who come in with legitimate papers, yet are forced by circumstances to survive as if their presence is illegal.

“Life Of Pi” actor Suraj Sharma plays Hassan Ahmed, who is one such character. Hassan’s passion for filmmaking is destined to take him from Purani Dilli to Los Angeles. He gets admission at film school in the US, so his father (Adil Hussain) takes a loan to fund his dream.

Renzu sets an endearing picture of the family in the opening minutes, as Hassan records a few parting words from his father, mother (Neelima Azim) and sister Mahi (Shweta Tripathi). He needs such a clip, he tells them, as a pep pill for the days when he might be “ready to give up”. It is a fine sequence, deftly executed, rendering a personal touch to the way the protagonist is imagined. The screenplay sustains that whiff of intimacy as it follows Hassan to America.

Before entering films, Renzu spent time in the US studying electrical engineering at UCLA, and he also holds a UCLA Writers’ Program certification in screenwriting. Thematically, he would have drawn from real instances that he may have encountered during that stint as a student. It would have let him create Hassan with greater assuredness.

Hassan’s existence in the US becomes a picture of irony. On the one hand, he is doing well in film school. Yet, there is trouble back home financially, owing to a down turn in his father’s health. His plans to stay at his maternal uncle’s home in the US come to nought, and Hassan must take up the job of a waiter.

Renzu uses Hassan’s dual life well, to portray two sides of an immigrant’s existence in the US. On one hand, he is impressively learning his ropes in the world of American cinema, which has lately conversed with great relish about inclusivity. Yet, moonlighting at an Indian restaurant as a waiter throws up a dreary, diametrically opposite picture of exploitation. The essence of the film lies in that dichotomy.

It is Suraj Sharma’s film all through, and the actor does impressively to bring alive Hassan, although you would spot a few winning performances among the prop cast, too. Iqbal Theba leaves an impact as the restaurant supervisor fondly called Babaji by his colleagues. Adil Hussain, Shweta Tripathi and Neelima Azim actually get minimal footage, but leave a mark. “The Illegal” is well-scripted, executed and acted out. It is a small film that scores big. (IANS)

Jathi Ratnalu, which hit the screens earlier this month, has been striking gold at the box office. Starring Naveen Polishetty, Priyadarshi, Rahul Ramakrishna, and Faria Abdullah among others, the film has been termed as a laugh riot, succeeding in impressing audiences across boundaries. Directed by debutant Anudeep KV, the Telugu flick is continuing its dream run in theatres. And while there has been quite some curiosity surrounding the OTT release date of Jathi Ratnalu, it appears the film might not make its way to the small screens until a few more weeks.

As per reports, the digital streaming rights of Jathi Ratnalu have been bagged by the leading OTT platform Amazon Prime Video. Regarding the release date, there are speculations that Jathi Ratnalu might stream on the OTT platform from 10 April. However, there has been no official word on the same yet. While the release date hasn’t been confirmed as of now, the likelihood of the film making it to the digital platform in April seems high.

 The Telugu film “Jathi Ratnalu” is one of the first Indian films to score big at the US box office after the lull due to the pandemic. The film stars Naveen Polishetty, Priyadarshi and Rahul Ramakrishna, and is directed by Anudeep KV.

Within a month of release, “Jathi Ratnalu” has collected almost $1 million (Rs 7,25,62,250) in the United States. The film was made on a budget of around Rs 5 to 6 crore. The film has also done business worth Rs 100 crore (nett) in the Indian market so far.

“We take pride in making movies that entertain the masses and have the potential to shake off the inertia. Jathi Rathnalu has emerged as a reason to laugh and as producers, that’s what we aimed for. A big thanks to the writers for cultivating humour that sat so well with the audience and the critics. We have the world to thank for the success that the film is currently witnessing overseas,” says a spokesperson of the film’s production house, Swapna Cinema.

Reviewed as a laugh riot, the film was appreciated by stars such as Allu Arjun and Mahesh Babu. The film also features Faria Abdullah while Murali Sharma, Brahmanandam and Naresh play supporting roles.

Jathi Ratnalu fetched a positive response from the audience right from the word go. The prospects further drew strength with the likes of Mahesh Babu and Allu Arjun applauding the film and its cast and crew. Recently, it was reported that the film even touched the $1 million mark at the US box office. And given that the film has been on a roll, the makers even announced that its OTT release might be delayed with the theatrical run being extended.

The 67th National Film Awards have finally been announced. Delayed by one year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the awards were announced during a press conference in Delhi on Monday

Tamil actor Dhanush along with Bollywood actors Kangana Ranaut and Manoj Bajpayee on Monday won top acting honors at the 67th National Film Awards, which walked the tightrope between mainstream and indie cinema. Director Priyadarshan’s Malayalam film “Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham” was declared best film and Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan named best director for the Hindi film “Bahattar Hoorain” by the jury headed by filmmaker N Chandra, who said they judged the movies “not as gods but as parents”.

Overall, Hindi films won big in the feature film category. The Best Female Actor award went to Kangana Ranaut for her performance in Manikarnika and Panga, while the Best Feature Film (Hindi) went to Sushant Singh Rajput’s Chhichhore.

The most watched glamorous event ceremony will bestow honours on films and artistes for the year 2019. The awards were initially going to be held in May last year but were delayed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic. The awards are given out by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation that comes under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

This is the fourth National Award for Ranaut, who is known for her combative comments and hit the headlines when she locked horns with the Maharashtra government after her office was demolished by the BMC. She won the best actress award this time for her performance in the Hindi films “Panga” and “Manikarnika”. The other three National Award wins were best actress for “Tanu Weds Manu Returns” and “Queen” and the best-supporting actress trophy for “Fashion”.

The National Awards, given by the Directorate of Film Festivals which comes under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, were delayed by a year due to the pandemic.

The awards are presented by the President of India traditionally. However, for the 66th National Film Awards, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu did the honors, while President Ram Nath Kovind hosted the high tea for the winners.

Here is a look at the National Film Awards 2020 winners:

Best Feature Film: Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham

Best Hindi Film: Chhichhore

Best Actor (Male): Manoj Bajpayee (Bhosle) and Dhanush (Asuran)

Best Actor (Female): Kangana Ranaut (Manikarnika and Panga)

Best Supporting Actor (Male): Vijay Sethupathi

Best Supporting Actor (Female): Pallavi Joshi

Best Editing film: Jersey (Telugu)

Best Audiography: Resul Pookutty

Best Screenplay Adapted: Gumnami

Best Female Playback singer: Savani Ravindra for Bardo (Marathi)

Best Male Playback Singer: B Praak

Best Action Direction: Avane Srimannarayana (Kannada)

Best Choreography: Maharishi (Telugu)

Best Special Effects: Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea (Malayalam)

Special Jury Award: Oththa Seruppu Size 7 (Tamil)

Best Lyrics: Prabha Varma for Kolaambi (Malayalam)

Best Music Direction: D. Imman for Viswasam (Tamil)

Best Background Music: Prabuddha Banerjee for Jyeshthoputro (Bengali)

Best Make-up Artist: Ranjith for Helen (Malayalam)

Best Costumes: Sujith and Sai for Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea (Malayalam)

Best Production Design: Anandi Gopal (Marathi)

Best Audiography (Re-recordist of final mixed track): Oththa Seruppu Size 7 (Tamil)

Best Screenplay (Original): Jyeshthoputro (Bengali)

Best Screenplay (Adapted): Gumnaami (Bengali)

Best Screenplay (Dialogues): The Tashkent Files (Hindi)

Best Cinematography: Jallikattu (Malayalam)

Best Child Artist: Naga Vishal for KD (Tamil)

Best Direction: Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan for Bahattar Hoorain (Hindi)

Best Children’s Film: Kastoori (Hindi)

Best Film on Environment: Water Burial (Monpa)

Best Film on Social Issues: Anandi Gopal (Marathi)

Best Film on National Integration: Tajmahal (Marathi)

Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Maharishi (Telugu)

Best Debut Film of a Director: Mathukutty Xavier for Helen (Malayalam)

Non-feature films

Best Film Critic: Sohini Chattopadhyaya

Best Book on Cinema: A Gandhian Affair: India’s Curious Portrayal of Love in Cinema.

Best Non-Feature Editing: Arjun Saraya

Audiography (musical): Radha

On Location Sound Recordist: Rahas

Best Cinematography: Savita Singh for Sonsi

Best Direction: Knock Knock Knock

Best Film on Family Values: Oruu Pathira

Best Short Fiction: Custody

Special Jury Award: Small Scale Values

Best Animation: Radha

Best Investigative: Jakkal

Best Exploration film: Wild Karnataka

Best Education film: Apples and Oranges

Best Film on Social Issues: Holy Rites (Hindi) and Ladli (Hindi)

Best Environment Film: The Stork Saviours

Best Promotional film: The Shower

Best Biographical Film: Elephants do Remember

Best Ethnographic Film: Charan-Atva

Best Debut Non-Feature film Director: Khisa

Best Non-Feature Film: An Engineered Dream

Growing up in India you see and feel entertainment all around you. Our country is filled with beautiful, diverse stories to tell, talented storytellers and crew who bring them to life, and incredible actors who captivate us on screen.

At Netflix, we love to tell stories that bring us together. Films and series told authentically by Indian creators you love as well as voices that are new. But how do we identify that one story that everyone will love? We don’t. Each and everyone of us have our own tastes and moods and all of us want to see our lives reflected on screen.

Our upcoming lineup features more variety and diversity than we have seen before. From the biggest films and series, to gripping documentaries and reality, and bold comedy formats. We are taking our next big leap in India to bring you more than 40 powerful and irresistible stories from all corners of the country.

Coming soon is the bold and sassy series Bombay Begums, the relationship drama Ajeeb Daastaans, the quirky Pagglait, love and longing in Meenakshi Sundareshwar and the consequences of desire in Penthouse. There’s also Jagame Thandhiram starring Dhanush, Taapsee Pannu in Haseen Dillruba, Kartik Aaryan in Dhamaka, the moving family drama with Arjun Kapoor and Neena Gupta Sardar Ka Grandson, a generous dose of modern romance with the series Feels Like Ishq and R. Madhavan’s comedy series Decoupled.

Experience fear and tension with Raveena Tandon’s mystery thriller Aranyak, a wildly twisted love story Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein; meet Jeetu bhaiya once again in Kota Factory, laugh out loud with the king of comedy Kapil Sharma, and uncover the mysterious disappearance of the queen of hearts Madhuri Dixit Nene in the series Finding Anamika.

This is just a taste of the films and series to come. We are so excited to share these rich and diverse stories from the best and brightest creators and talent from India to the world.

Taapsee – Tahir starrer “Looop Lapeta” announces release date

The Taapsee Pannu and Tahir Raj Bhasin-led “Looop Lapeta”, which has already evoked quite a buzz for its cool, millennial look released recently by the makers, is set to release in cinemas on October 22, 2021. The makers were among the first to take the plunge to resume production in October last year. The film was shot in Mumbai and Goa from November and wrapped on schedule. It is currently in post-production.

“Looop Lapeta” is being touted as a new-age, intriguing roller-coaster ride centered around a girl (Savi) who finds herself in a sticky situation when her boyfriend (Savi) gets unknowingly trapped in a crisis.

Helmed by noted ad filmmaker Aakash Bhatia, “Looop Lapeta” is produced by Sony Pictures Films India, Ellipsis Entertainment (Tanuj Garg, Atul Kasbekar) and Aayush Maheshwari. It comes from the makers of “Neerja”, “102 Not Out”, “Padman”, “Tumhari Sulu” and “Shakuntala Devi”.

Actress Alia Bhatt has shared with her 76 million social media followers the newest exclusive photos from the set of Bollywood’s biggest epic production of 2021 – BRAHMASTRA. Releasing only in cinemas later this year, this motion picture event film also stars Ranbir Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan and is directed by Ayan Mukerji.

Uday Shankar (Chairman, Star and Disney India) said that Brahmastra is the ‘biggest-ever movie made in this country’. He also dropped a hint about the staggering budget of the film starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Amitabh Bachchan.

Ayan Mukerji’s supernatural drama Brahmastra, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in the lead, has a budget ‘way over’ Rs 300 crore and is the biggest film that has ever been made in India. Uday Shankar (Chairman, Star and Disney India) revealed the details at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2020. The film is expected to release next year.

“It is the biggest-ever movie made in this country,” he told Anuradha Sengupta of CNBC-TV18. When she brought up its rumoured budget of Rs 300 crore, he refused to give away the exact number. However, he said, “Just to tell you, it is way more than that.”

Brahmastra, which has been in production since 2018, marks the first collaboration of real-life couple Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. The film, the first of a proposed fantasy trilogy, also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna Akkineni and Dimple Kapadia.

Since it went on floors, Brahmastra has seen quite a few delays. In an earlier statement, Ayan had said that the film will offer the audience ‘something that’s really new and amazing and next level’. He explained the delay in release saying that they ‘need more time in order to get the VFX right, to get the sound and music right, to get the film right’.

Brahmastra was scheduled to release in theatres on December 4, 2020. However, it has been further pushed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Work on the film is on in full swing; Ranbir and Alia have been spotted at dubbing studios throughout this month. According to reports, the makers will zero in on a release date once the situation returns to normalcy.

By any yardstick, the 2013 blockbuster Drishyam is a hard act to follow. Writer-director Jeethu Joseph’s crime thriller starring Mohanlal, Meena, Asha Sharath and Siddique was so well-rounded in the writing and execution of its murder-and-subsequent-cover-up mystery and such a box-office superhit that it was remade in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Kannada, headlined by some of the biggest male stars of those industries, in addition to foreign revisitations in Sinhalese and Mandarin.

At the time, Jeethu was questioned about his script drawing on Japanese novelist Keigo Higashino’s The Devotion of Suspect X, but he denied the charge and said he was inspired instead by a real-life incident. Be that as it may, Drishyam 2: The Resumption is all the redemption he needs.

In the sequel, which opens six years later, we reunite with Georgekutty, now the prosperous owner of a cinema theatre, his wife Rani (Meena), and daughters Anju (Ansiba Hassan) and Anu (Esther Anil). There are visible changes in their lifestyle. Georgekutty drives a fancy car, the younger daughter goes to an expensive school, and they all look a little sleeker. But the residue of that death lingers over them, like miasma, lifting and settling, but never going away entirely. Can you kill someone and get away with it? Does your moral centre shift? How do you live with yourself if you have blood on your hands?

Those unsettling unanswered questions imbue this follow-up, and make it more than just a police procedural. As viewers, we know right from the outset where the body is, because we were made witnesses in the original film. And we see that the family hasn’t really been able to put that incident behind them. The person most impacted is the elder daughter Anju, who suffers from epileptic fits, and who starts shaking whenever she catches sight of cops. Rani spends all her time watching over Anju like a hawk, when she’s not holding up the spirits of her new neighbour, who has an abusive husband.

Things start speeding up when the case is re-opened, and a bunch of characters, both familiar from the first film and freshly added to the plot, stir up trouble. The parents of the dead boy, especially the enraged mother (Asha Sarath), a former cop herself, are demanding closure-cum-retribution. An eyewitness from six years back, conveniently having gone missing all these years, pops up. Is this the end for Georgekutty, who has been busy trying to produce a film and giving ideas to a well-known scriptwriter?

Mohanlal is spot-on as the man who is in a spot. Georgekutty’s past as a movie lover (he used to run a cable TV service and spent all his spare time watching thrillers) has led him to be where he is. We get some amusing throwaway remarks about him waiting to release ‘Mammootty films’ in his theatre. And the idea that real life can imitate reel life is still a pivot this time around. Mohanlal holds the film together, never letting his easy, relaxed mien sag into a frown, never letting down his watchful guard, even when his co-actors sink occasionally into loudness and obviousness. Yes, the noose is getting tighter, but

Georgekutty is always going to be one step ahead of the law. It’s not easy to craft murder-mystery sequels. ‘Drishyam 2’ jumps over the familiarity hurdle by broadening its ambit on crime and punishment. If the victim was not a ‘good’ person, does the killing carry as much weight? Equally, can terminating a life, even if accidental, ever be justified? ‘Drishyam 2’ is a solid, satisfying sequel.

The International Press Academy has announced the nominees in various categories for the 25th Satellite Awards. And director Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Jallikattu is among the nine shortlisted movies in the Motion Picture, International category. The Malayalam action-thriller has been nominated along with Danish film Another Round, Finnish film Tove, Taiwanese drama A Sun, French film Two of Us, Spanish musical drama I’m No Longer Here, Ukrainian dystopian film Atlantis, Swiss drama My Little Sister and Guatemalan supernatural horror La Llorona.

The nomination assumes significance as Jallikattu is also contesting for an Oscar nod. Talking about the Academy Awards, Jallikattu has made it to the list of 93 films eligible for consideration in the International Feature Film category. The final list of nominees (comprising 15 films) for the category will be revealed on February 9.

Jallikattu has been a favourite of the festival circuit since its debut at Toronto International Film Festival. The medium-budget spectacle thriller is about a buffalo, which goes on a rampage in a hilly village. And it sets off an emotionally-charged chase.

The film is based on a short story titled Maoist by S Hareesh, who also wrote the screenplay for the big-screen adaptation along with R Jayakumar.

THE LEGEND OF HANUMAN has just premiered globally as the first original animated series by Hotstar, India’s largest premium streaming platform. Now streaming in North America, the unseen story of His journey from mighty warrior to beloved God is also the first 3D animation series done at this quality to redefine Indian animation as a medium of great storytelling for audiences far beyond just kids. This 13-episode series is available to watch today in 7 languages (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam and Kannada) with English subtitles and streams exclusively on Hotstar.

Produced by Graphic India and created by Sharad Devarajan, Jeevan J. Kang and Charuvi P. Singhal, the mythological animation series has been designed using superior quality visuals mounted on a global scale, previously never seen before in India. The series has been directed by Jeevan J. Kang and Navin John, with lead writers Sharad Devarajan, Sarwat Chaddha, Ashwin Pande and Arshad Syed and chronicles the perpetual war between the forces of good and evil; and how the immortal Hanuman became the ever-burning beacon of hope amidst the harrowing darkness. THE LEGEND OF HANUMAN brings forth the power of great storytelling combining mythology with the use of easy-to-understand words and phrases, that make it an ideal watch for adults, children and families alike.

Sharad Devarajan, Co-founder at Graphic India said, “For the first time, the grandeur of the epic world of Hanuman and the mythical beings of Gods, demons, forest creatures, spirits and anthropomorphic clans, will be visualized through high quality animation, creating an animated event that we hope will transcend ages and speak to all generations who have held this hero in our hearts. We are honored and humbled to work with the amazing team at Disney+ Hotstar to make this dream project a reality.”

Watch the action-packed new trailer for THE LEGEND OF HANUMAN here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af49v6rUXmQ

Watch Episode 1 for free on Hotstar using this link: https://www.hotstar.com/us/tv/the-legend-of-hanuman/1260052109/the-legend-begins/1260052204

British Indian actor Dev Patel has been named among the nominees for the Golden Globe Awards, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced on Feb 3^rd.  The 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards nominations were, for the first time in the history of the Golden Globes, announced virtually. Six-time Golden Globe winner Sarah Jessica Parker and Golden Globe winner Taraji P. Henson disclosed the nominees.

Patel, who won a Golden Globe nomination in 2017 for “Lion,” this year has been nominated for the ‘Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy’ award for his role in “The Personal History of David Copperfield.” His competitors include Sacha Baron Cohen for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”; James Corden for “The Prom”; “Lin-Manuel Miranda for “Hamilton”; and Andy Samberg for “Palm Springs.”

“The Personal History of David Copperfield” re-imagines Charles Dickens’ classic ode to grit and perseverance through the comedic lens of its award-winning filmmakers — giving the Dickensian tale a new life for a cosmopolitan age with a diverse ensemble cast of stage and screen actors from across the world.

Dev Patel was born in Harrow, London, to Anita, a caregiver, and Raj Patel, who works in IT. His parents, originally from Nairobi, Kenya, are both of Gujarati Indian descent. His first role was in the UK TV series Skins (2007). His breakout role was in the Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionaire (2008). In May 2012, he played Sonny Kapoor in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011). In March 2015, he had a leading role in two major motion pictures released in the theaters at the same time: Chappie (2015) and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015).

The 78th Golden Globes will take place Feb. 28 from 5 p.m.- 8 p.m. PT/8 p.m.-11 p.m. ET on NBC. The event will be hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Fey will be live from New York’s Rainbow Room and Poehler will be live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif.

The long haul for Oscars might just conclude for India as RSVP’s Natkhat featuring Bollywood star Vidya Balan is running the race. The short film ‘Natkhat’ starring Vidya Balan is one of the Indian films that are in the race for Oscar 2021 in the Best Short Film category.

Natkhat revolves around the life of a mother who tries to teach her son about patriarchy and misogyny prevalent around them. This short film is directed by Shaan Vyas which was premiered at Tribeca’s We Are One: A Global Film Festival. This film is going to be one of the many films that will be in the race for the Oscars. The makers of this short film too are excited to represent India. They took to Twitter to announce that they made it and Natkhat will reach every corner of the earth and tell the world that change begins at home.

The Indian short film on gender equality ‘Natkhat’ has brought India to the Oscar party after being highly acclaimed by international audiences. A short clip of the movie scene is making rounds on social media in which Vidya Balan is seen massaging her child’s head and having a conversation with him, what seems to start as an innocent conversation soon becomes a gut-wrenching and worrying one.

Vidya was born in Palghat, Kerala, India. Her family consists of her dad, P.R. Balan, who is the Vice-President of ETC Channel; mom – a home-maker, and an elder sister, Priya, who is married to Kedar. She also has an aunt by the name of Raji Raju.

She studied in St. Anthony’s Convent School, and thereafter in St. Xavier’s College from where she obtained a degree in Sociology. She then went on to obtain a Masters degree in Sociology from Bombay University. She also studied and performed in Prithvi Theaters’ workshops. Due to tradition of most Tamil-Iyer families, Vidya and her Priya learned Carnatic dance form during their early childhood days, but Vidya opted out as the dance classes took place early on Sunday mornings and as she is not an early riser.

Facing disappointment after being rejected by a Tamil producer, she nevertheless persisted until she got her first break with a Malyalam movie ‘Chakram’ opposite Mohanlal, however, the project was shelved, and she had to wait until 1998 to debut in a Surf Excel commercial. During 2003 she was signed-up to play a role in a Bengali movie ‘Bhaalo Theko’ opposite Joy Sengupta. This project was completed during the year 2006, and was a considerable hit.

In 2006 Vidya was approached by Vidhu Vinod Chopra during a pop-concert in Mumbai to play a lead role in ‘Parineeta’. She then had to undergo 17 make-up shoots and 40 screen tests before being chosen for this role. All this hard work did result in success as ‘Parineeta’ was very well received so much so that the Tamil producer, who had previously rejected her, invited her to appear in a ‘Dasavatharam’ opposite Kamal Hassan, and now it was Vidya’s turn to reject this offer which eventually went to ‘Asin’.

Apart from acting, Vidya occupies herself for supporting education for young Indians by promoting children’s’ books; is associated with Americans for Aids Research; with Hale House – that provides support and housing for children born with HIV and drug abuse; as well as hosting forums and attending events for Harvard Aids Institute.

When she was single, she was never involved in any scandal and claimed to get along well with both female and male friends. In 2012, she married producer Siddharth Roy Kapur. An ardent devotee of Bhagwan Shri Sai Baba, she makes it a point to attend Mandirs every Thursday. She is proficient in Tamil, Malyalam, Hindi, English, Bengali, and can also read Urdu.

Eyeing on a big feat with an Oscar, the short-movie takes on the delicate subject of gender-equality as shown in the scene running around a gruesome thought. Helmed by Shaan Vyas and written by Annukampa Harsh and Vyas, the movie was premiered on YouTube as part of the ‘We Are One: A Global Film Festival’. The Ronnie Screwvala produced film came out on June 2, 2020.

(Picture: Deccan Chronicle)

(New Delhi, India – Jan. 20, 2021) More than 70 shorts, documentaries and feature films from all over the globe comprise the curated lineup of the FIRST-EVER Yellowstone International Film Festival (YIFF), taking place from Jan. 28th to Feb. 3rd and powered by Movie Saints (www.moviesaints.com). The festival’s programming also includes SEVEN Oscar-affiliated short films and documentaries.
 
Created by award-winning writer/director Tushar Tyagi (SAVING CHINTU, KAASHI, GULABEE) and curated by renowned festival director (New York Indian Film Festival) and biographer (Shashi Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Priyanka Chopra) Aseem Chhabra, YIFF is a New Delhi homecoming, of sorts, for both film personalities, based part-time in Los Angeles and New York City, respectively.
 
“We created this festival to serve as a confluence of our dual identities and cultures,” said Tyagi, a trained filmmaker who has studied at the New York Film Academy and is now based in Los Angeles. “I see the world around me through a cinematic and structured lens, and the films we have chosen to present at our festival reflect my Indo-American sensibilities, while paying homage to some of the best global films focused on women empowerment and LGBTQIA+ issues.”
 
Tyagi’s 2020 film SAVING CHINTU is currently one of THREE Indian short films in the highly-contested, 2021 Oscars race to represent India at the Academy Awards in the live action shorts category. He has made 12 other short films and is currently working on two feature films, to be released in the next two years.
 
Chhabra is the author of the biographies of Shashi Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, and the recently released Irrfan Khan: The Man, The Dreamer, The Star.  A film journalist in New York City and New Delhi, he has been published in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Mumbai Mirror, Rediff.com, The Hindu, Outlook, BBC.com, Quartz, Scroll, Newslaundry. He’s been a commentator on Indian cinema on NPR, CNN, BBC, CBC, ABC’s ‘Good Morning America.’ Chhabra is the festival director of the New York Indian Film Festival, the largest and the oldest festival in North America. He is the voice of Shadow Puppet #1 in director Nina Paley’s acclaimed animated film, SITA SINGS THE BLUES.

Oscar and Grammy-winning Indian composer AR Rahman is proud to see the response to the BAFTA Breakthrough initiative in India, and says he wants to encourage more individuals from across film, games and television to get involved in the project.

On Thursday, it was announced that British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has extended the deadline for submission of applications for BAFTA Breakthrough India by two weeks, from January 25 to February 8.

“I am extremely proud to see the response that BAFTA Breakthrough India has received from across the country. We have received applications from across the nation, proving that talent can be found in all corners of India,” said Rahman, who has been roped in as ambassador of the BAFTA Breakthrough initiative in India.

“We are so pleased with the uptake and I am delighted to see BAFTA extend the deadline to February 8. I encourage talented individuals from across film, games and television to get involved and submit their application for what could be a life changing experience,” he added.

The initiative marks BAFTA’s first steps into India. The talent hunt initiative will enable the Academy to identify and nurture up to five talents working in film, games, or television in India.

The exercise, known as BAFTA Breakthrough initiative, is part of the Academy’s year-round effort to support new talent, operating alongside their Awards ceremonies, and is supported by Netflix. (IANS)

(Picture: India TV News)

 (New York, NY – January 20, 2021) Eros Now, South Asia’s leading streaming entertainment service owned by the Eros STX Global Corporation (NYSE: EROS), a Global Entertainment company, today announced the return of comedy-drama, ‘Metro Park’ – a hilarious sitcom about a typical Indian family settled abroad. Helmed by Abi Varghese & Ajayan Venugopalan and written by Ajayan Venugopalan, Metro Park Season 2 ensembles a stellar star cast of Ranvir Shorey, Purbi Joshi,  Pitobash, Omi Vaidya, Vega Tamotia and Sarita Joshi playing pivotal characters, along with Milind Soman and Gopal Dutt making special appearances.
 
Over the years, the Indian culture has made its presence felt globally. Irrespective of which part of the world we are in, our deeply-rooted Indian values of celebrating and socializing have given birth to many Indian communities around the world. The love and warmth radiated by Indians set them apart from everyone. Similar is the situation of the Indian Desi Gujarati family of Eros Now’s ‘Metro Park’, a perfect blend of drama and comedy, all set to take the audience on an exciting joyful ride as they return with season 2 on January 29, 2021.

After securing much applause and adulation after the first season, fans can now rejoice with their wish to reunite with the uber-cool clan of ‘Metro Park’ getting fulfilled. The audience will witness a fascinating storyline with their favorite Metro Park family bringing madness right to their homes. The show revolves around the eccentricities and quirks of a Desi Indian Gujarati family settled in New Jersey, USA. The entertainment quotient of the show has been raised to a higher level, with its funny yet relatable characters and its modern milieus in season 2, which promise to deliver tongue in cheek humor.

Fasten your seat belts and get ready to roll on the floor with laughter, enjoying a unique out-of-India experience, while the crazy family of Metro Park ushers joy and happiness into your life.

Stay Tuned to get on a joyful ride with Metro Park Season 2 only on 29th January 2020! To subscribe, please visit www.erosnow.com/purchase. Annual subscription costs $49.99 for the year (little over $4 a month). 

Geffen Playhouse, in association with Hypokrit Theatre Company, launches filmmaker and cookbook author Sri Rao’s Bollywood Kitchen this month. The latest show is part of a new lineup of live, virtual and interactive productions from the Los Angeles-based theater’s Geffen Stayhouse banner, created to entertain performing arts lovers during the pandemic. Sri Rao’s Bollywood Kitchen, directed by New York City-based Hypokrit Theatre Company’s Artistic Director Arpita Mukherjee, is inspired by his cookbook of the same name, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

In this interactive production, Rao invites us to prepare a homemade Indian meal along with him, drawing on the recipes that were staples at his family’s table, when growing up in Pennsylvania. As we join him in cooking these delicious dishes in our very own kitchens, Rao interweaves the story of his parents immigrating to America, the joy and nourishment that Bollywood musicals brought to his whole family and the culinary traditions they shared. Mouthwatering flavors come together with the colorful exuberance of Bollywood films to create a festive and fun virtual experience about rediscovering the comforts of home and the impact of Indian cinema.

“The two questions I get asked most often at cocktail parties are, ‘Can I get one of your mom’s recipes for homemade Indian food?’ and ‘I’ve never seen a Bollywood movie before—can you recommend one to me?’ Well, the Geffen is giving me the opportunity to answer both questions at once—and this time, the cocktail party is at my place! Bollywood Kitchen is my way of introducing audiences to two of my passions—Indian food and films—while taking them on a personal journey of my family’s immigrant experience,” said Rao, who is also the creator and showrunner of Netflix’s upcoming series, The Actress, starring Bollywood icon Madhuri Dixit and produced by Karan Johar.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the world-renowned Geffen Playhouse to bring Sri’s unique Indian-American, immigrant experience to life by interweaving food and film into a one-of-a-kind live experience,” said Mukherjee, Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Hypokrit Theatre Company in NYC. “Our company prides itself on telling the intersectional stories of people of color, and we are certain Sri’s journey will be relatable to many Indian Americans who embrace their multiple identities and create a confluence of culture by honoring their past and celebrating their present.”