Category: Arts Entertainments

The phrase ‘Yello Jogappa Ninnaramane’ from a popular Janapada song first gained widespread recognition through Prem’s track in Jogi, starring Shivarajkumar. Now, this iconic line takes center stage as the title of Hayavadana’s directorial debut.

The film features Kambli Hula star Anjan Nagendra, along with Venya Rai and Sanjana Doss in key roles. With a travel-centric narrative, the director went the extra mile—literally—journeying over 25,000 kilometers during production. Spanning ten states, the film’s journey stretches from India’s southernmost tip to the snow-capped Himalayas, with a 3,000-kilometer route making it to the screen.

Discussing the film, director Hayavadana shares, “It’s a story about searching for something while also exploring the clash between a father and son, the struggles of the middle class, and the ever-present influence of social media.” Set for release on February 21, Yello Jogappa Ninnaramane delves into the rarely explored genre of travel narratives in Indian cinema. The protagonist’s physical journey across India’s diverse landscapes serves as a metaphorical quest, highlighting human connections across cultural boundaries.

With a successful background in television, Hayavadana is well-versed in the visual medium. Having directed popular TV shows like Agni Sakshi, Nagini, and Kamali, he acknowledges the stark differences between television and cinema. “Television gave me a platform to experiment,” he says. “But this film will break the stereotype that TV directors are confined to daily soaps and can’t make sleek, cinematic films. For instance, my film’s duration is just 2 hours and 6 minutes. I’m confident my debut will challenge this notion.”

The director said “The Great Indian Kitchen”, starring Nimisha Sajayan as an unnamed wife, viewed the story from a distance, an aspect that she decided to change in her version, which also gives the character a name.

“I thought I’ll play with the point of view, about what she is feeling…So, I added a lot of personal (observation) to the scenes…I had seen something similar at my house.

Even if my parents fought at night, my mother used to cry and all but she would go and cook in the morning.

Women always go back to cooking which I wanted to put in this film.

“Making ‘Mrs’, in a way, was very autobiographical for me…Gender politics is complicated. You sometimes lose some battles on purpose because you want to win at a better battle. You know where you have lost those battles. I made this film at the right time because I’m a woman in my 40s. I have experienced all this,” she added.

Kadav praised Malhotra for embodying the character in “Mrs” with great empathy, which has translated well on screen.

“There’s no false note in her performance. She lived every moment of that character. By the time we reached the end of the film, I could see the emotional toll it was taking on her. It almost made me feel criminal that I was making her go through these emotions. She took this upon herself to tell this story correctly. We made it with responsibility and love,” she said.

Kadav started her journey as an assistant director in the movies and made short films “55 km/sec”, “The Astronaut and his Parrot” before her debut with “Cargo”, a movie that was praised for mixing mythology with science fiction.

“Till you make a feature film, people think it is just a hobby for you. You don’t earn as you are starting out,” she said.

Kadav has already written a story with Sumit Purohit of “Scam 1992” fame and hopes to make it into a movie.

Vikramaditya Motwane’s producer mother Deepa Motwane is backing another sci-fi movie for Kadav.

“The environment in which feature films are made that suits me. Because I take my own time to design my shot. I don’t understand the rush of the series. I can’t work that fast, so I enjoy planning and doing things,” she said.

Sunil, known for his roles in numerous television serials and a few films, takes on the role of a hero in the love story Olavina Payana, which is set to hit the screens on February 21. Directed by Kishan Balnad, the film explores the life of a youngster from a middle-class rural family and his journey through love.

He falls for a woman from a wealthy family and challenges her father to win her over. After successfully winning the challenge, his life takes an unexpected turn, and he struggles to overcome the hurdles that arise.

The crux of Olavina Payana revolves around how he navigates these challenges. The film depicts the trials and struggles of a middle-class man, showcasing how he battles through life’s challenge and stars Sunil, Kushi, and Priya Hegde in pivotal roles.

Produced by Nagaraj S Mulagund under Mulagund Creations, the film’s story is also written by him. The screenplay and dialogues are crafted by Surya Kiran and Sunil. Director Kishan Balnad shares, “Though I’ve been in the film industry for the past 17 years, I never had the chance to direct.

Sunil helped me fulfil my dream by introducing me to a good producer. Initially, the story was planned for two films, but we condensed it into one, shooting in Bengaluru after a 12-day schedule in Virajpet.” The music for the three songs is composed by Sai Sarvesh, with vocals by Rajesh Krishnan, Veer Samarth, and Sai Sarvesh.

Sunil recalls, “I was initially working with a producer’s company, and they were passionate about making a film. At first, I advised against it, but their determination led me to introduce them to director Kishan.

Together, we created the story with Surya Kiran as the backbone.” Nagesh Maiya, Padmaja Rao, Bala Rajawadi, Prithviraj, Sudhakar Bannanje, Surya Kiran, Dhananjay, Ram Dhanush, Baby Ridhi, and others also feature in the cast. The film has cinematography by Jeevangauda and editing by Keerthiraj.

Daniel Craig was the longest-serving actor to portray James Bond. So, when he chose to play William Lee in Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Queer’, some thought he took the role to explore vulnerability, far removed from the alpha masculinity of ‘Bond’.

Clarifying that ‘Queer’ was just another character for him to explore and not to establish that he is more than Bond, Daniel says, “I couldn’t have done this while I was doing ‘Bond’—it would have felt reactionary, like a statement about ‘Bond’ rather than about me and what I truly wanted to do. Now that I’ve moved on from ‘Bond’, I can take on films like this, but that’s not how I see it.”

On the importance of casting Daniel Craig as William Lee, Luca Guadagnino, who adapted ‘Queer’ from William S Burroughs’ 1985 novella, says, “It was absolutely essential.

There’s something beautiful about knowing that a perspective is irreplaceable—that there’s only one way to see it. In this case, Daniel’s interpretation of William Lee is that perspective—it couldn’t be anyone else’s.” Guadagnino elaborates, “In filmmaking, you only have one point of view. You can set up five cameras, cover everything, and trim it later—but that’s not cinema.

Cinema is about making a choice and fully committing to it.” Having portrayed vigour and virility with finesse as ‘James Bond’, Daniel portrays susceptibility, queerness, and loneliness in Guadagnino’s film. However, the actor says these emotions are universal to all. “I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced true loneliness, but I’ve certainly felt lonely. I’ve felt desire, lust, and an intense yearning for someone,” he reveals, confessing that these emotions drew him to the film.

The actor then adds, “Burroughs’ writing is all about the unspoken, the undercurrents bubbling beneath the surface. What fascinated me were themes like drug use, alcohol, and masculinity—such rich, layered aspects to explore as an actor.” While most actors share their method behind portraying certain emotions onscreen, Daniel credits his co-star Drew Starkey for being able to truly embrace vulnerability as William Lee.

“Drew Starkey is a wonderful acting partner, he’s an incredibly talented, sensitive actor who knows his craft, works hard, and is fully present with everyone in the room, striving to make each scene the best it can be. When filming something so intimate, I rely on everyone in the room. It’s never just one person’s effort; it’s a collective gesture, a shared commitment to portraying something as sensitively and beautifully as possible.”

A work well done is inspiration in itself. Marco, for Malayalam’s latest cine sensation Unni Mukundan, is that inspiration. He basks in all the glory of the Rs 100-crore-plus success, finds in it the culmination of positive thought, action, risks, planning, creativity, et al. He looks back at it for energy and fulfilment, but is careful not to get carried away.

Unni is now all set to transition from the brute to the boy-next-door mode on screen. His next — Get-Set Baby, to be released on February 21 — promises his “soft-hearted, very neighbourly” avatar. Get-Set Baby is a poignant yet warm and lively take on the life of a male doctor who helps couples build a family, says Unni, who plays a fertility specialist in the film.

TNIE catches up with Unni for a quick chat. Excerpts

How much of a planned move was Marco? It seems there was a detailed analysis of how ready audiences are for the action genre…

Yes, there was an analysis. The success of films such as KGF showed there was space for movies that spoke action. And I have a flair for it. So, whatever we did on Marco was a well-thought-out, strategised, and hard-worked plan. The space for an outright action film was what we invested in. There was a significant risk taken, too, as the investment was Rs 30 crore — on a film that we knew would have a restricted audience because of the ‘A’ certification. That was a huge risk. We still did it because we knew the space, we knew the genre, and we knew how to place ourselves in the equation creatively. It took hard work, but more than that, it took grit.

There has been a barrage of criticism about the violence and gore in the film…

Marco has not shown even 10 per cent of the violence that exists in society. Every day, while reading newspapers, one comes across acts of violence that put human sensibilities to shame. In Marco, we showed violence as a survival instinct. I don’t underestimate the power of violence. It has been part and parcel of humanity’s evolution over the ages.

When we embarked on the project, we had to understand the emotional changes in the audience that time had brought in. We knew the film would get an ‘A’ certificate. We knew women might not come for it as much, and children could not watch it. I had, in fact, cautioned children against watching it. We, however, were confident there was a space for a good, full-on action film. We fine-tuned our filmmaking based on that understanding. The craft that went into Marco was of high quality.

The team behind Monk the Young, which has sparked curiosity with its intriguing title, is set for its theatrical release on February 28. Following the success of its teaser and catchy songs, the official trailer has raised excitement to new heights.

The launch event was a grand affair, attended by the cast and crew, including actor Krishna Ajai Rao, director Simple Suni, stunt director Thriller Manju, and actors Babloo Prithiveeraj, Nishchith, and others, who extended their best wishes to the team ahead of release.

The trailer reveals an exhilarating sci-fi adventure where Earth faces imminent destruction, and the essence of life fades. A young girl senses the looming catastrophe, and a mysterious jasmine fragrance offers hope.

As evil forces send the Kinnari queen of meteors to annihilate Earth, a hero from Muscar Ralda, Ralda Deshyan Chakora, steps in to save the planet. This cosmic battle of good versus evil promises an intense journey to protect humanity.

Krishna Ajai Rao praised the trailer, saying, “It’s hard to believe this is from a new team. The effort is evident, and I hope it does well.”

Producers Colonel Rajendran, Gopichand, Lal Chand Khattar, and Vinay Babu Reddy Shettihalli called it a truly pan-India project. Directed by Maschith Surya, the film features Soundarya Gowda, cinematography by Karthik Sharma, and music by Swaminathan.

Jnanpith Award winner and famous author Chandrashekhar Kambar recently unveiled the title of the upcoming film KA-11-1977. Directed by Jagadeesh Koppa, the film is set to have its muhurat ceremony soon.

A film’s title plays a vital role in capturing the audience’s attention. A captivating title can spark curiosity and intrigue, which is why filmmakers carefully choose unique and impactful names. The latest film to follow this trend is KA-11-1977.

After the title was revealed, Chandrashekar shared his thoughts on the project. “Looking at the title, it’s evident that this film could bring something new. Today’s audience enjoys such films. Cinema is all about entertainment, and I have full faith that this team will deliver just that.

Like many others, I am also eagerly waiting to watch it. Best wishes to the team,” said Kambar. Jagadeesh Koppa, known for directing films like College College and Thanks, is returning to the director’s chair after a long gap. In addition to directing KA-11-1977, he has written the story and screenplay for the film and is also working as a co-producer.

The film is produced by H Prakash, a businessman from Bangalore, under the banner of Prakash Productions. The team says that KA-11-1977 will be an innovative film filled with surprises. However, the storyline remains shrouded in mystery, with several intriguing elements being kept under wraps.

Actor Naveen Krishna plays a key role in the film and is also contributing as a dialogue writer. Sangamesh Upase will appear in an important role, while other cast members include Shivkumar Aradhya, Tara, Reema, Baby Rachna, and others. Music for the film is composed by Palini D Senapati, while cinematography is handled by Renukumar. The team promises an exciting and captivating film for audiences to look forward to.

The filmmaker reflected on how OTT once seemed like a limitless space for creative exploration, but over time, economic pressures and other considerations have taken centre stage. “OTT was this golden egg; everyone could do everything that they dreamt of, but it had to come full circle,” Rao explained. While she acknowledged that India still produces some excellent writing for OTT, she remains unsure about the direction the industry will take from here.

Rao also revealed that although she has several ideas for OTT projects, including a mini-series, nothing has been greenlit yet. She admitted that she feels torn between developing her series ideas further or translating them into feature films. “I keep feeling like I want to take the ideas that I wrote for my series and make them into films!” she shared.

Kiran Rao’s comments highlight the challenges facing India’s OTT landscape as it matures. While the promise of diverse storytelling remains, the question of sustainability and the economics of commissioning new content looms large. With a combination of creative potential and a rapidly evolving industry, only time will tell whether India’s OTT platforms will regain their golden age or face new hurdles in the years to come.

How was working with Anthony Mackie as the new Captain America?

I loved it. Anthony is such a talented actor and wonderful human being. I know a lot has been said about following in the footsteps of another actor, but to me, he is Captain America. He embodies the character perfectly, and I very much enjoyed working with him again, although I had to be reminded of the first time. He played a dead guy in the trunk of a car in Hollywood Homicide, a movie I did 20 years or more ago. He’s come a long way, I’ll tell you that.

Has the way you approach playing a character changed over the years?

I wouldn’t say so. I have always been interested in human behaviour and different personalities, and that is really the basis of every character I have played. I like to research and try to understand who the character is, why they do what they do, and how that might affect the people around them.

Was Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny definitely your farewell as that character, or could you be tempted back again?

No, that was it. Indiana Jones has been a wonderful chapter in my life. I am proud of the five movies we made, and I will be forever grateful that we got to give the character the ending he deserves.

The two OTT platforms, JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar have merged together to form a new platform JioHotstar, said a press release shared by the platform.

Along with Indian shows and movies, JioHotstar will stream content from Hollywood, with Disney, NBCUniversal Peacock, Warner Bros. Discovery HBO, and Paramount – all on the same platform.

Speaking on the launch of JioHotstar, Kiran Mani, CEO – Digital, JioStar said, “At the core of JioHotstar is a powerful vision—to make premium entertainment truly accessible to all Indians. Our promise of Infinite Possibilities ensures that entertainment is no longer a privilege, but a shared experience for all. By integrating AI-driven recommendations and offering streaming in over 19 languages, we are personalizing content like never before.”

The platform has also introduced ‘Sparks’, an initiative spotlighting India’s digital creators. Kevin Vaz, CEO – Entertainment, JioStar, said, “JioHotstar is setting a new benchmark for digital-first entertainment. The platform is immersive, inclusive, and audience-centric. While we have endless entertainment to offer, we are committed to continually innovate and elevate storytelling, ensuring that every Indian, regardless of language, discovers content they love.”

The subscription on the platform starts at Rs 149. Existing JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar subscribers will be able to transition and set up their new JioHotstar subscriptions.

(This story originally appeared in Cinema Express)

KOCHI: The Malayalam film industry appears to be headed for a vertical split with producer Antony Perumbavoor on Thursday coming out against the proposed move to stop production and release of movies by a section of his fellow producers, exhibitors and distributors, who blamed the hefty pay to actors and technicians for the crisis the industry finds itself in.

Denouncing the proposed strike from June 1, Antony, of Ashirvad Films, said it would affect the livelihood of thousands of families and would prove counter-productive.

In a Facebook post, Antony, who’s the producer of the much-anticipated L2: Empuraan that hits theatres on March 27, said, “calling for a strike is not the right step.”

Actor Prithviraj, the director of L2:Empuraan, rallied behind Antony, sharing his FB post. Actors Aju Varghese and Unni Mukundan also shared the post, indicating growing support from among the actor community for the views expressed by Antony.

G Suresh Kumar, veteran film producer and vice-president of Kerala Film Producers’ Association (KFPA) told reporters on February 6 that the Malayalam film industry was in deep crisis due to double-taxation, huge remuneration of actors, technicians and directors.

‘Plan to proceed with stir made during KFPA meet’

He said the claims of Rs 100-crore collections by several films were not true and termed them as ‘fudged box-office’ reports.

Responding to Antony’s FB post, Suresh told TNIE that the decision to proceed with the strike was made during the KFPA meeting. “The producers’ association discussed the deep crisis that the industry is in. It was discussed in the executive committee as well. As Anto Joseph (KFPA president) was on leave, I announced it. Antony was not aware of these issues as he was not attending the association meetings. Also, representatives of all these associations were present when I announced it,” he said.

Filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi’s cult classic comedy film Andaz Apna Apna is set to hit theatres again in April, coinciding with its 31st release anniversary. The film has been restored and remastered in 4K and Dolby 5.1 Sound. It stars Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Paresh Rawal, and Shakti Kapoor, among others.

The oddball comedy follows two youngsters, Amar and Prem (Aamir and Salman), who travel to Ooty to marry millionaire Ram Gopal Bajaj’s (Paresh Rawal) daughter Raveena Bajaj (Raveena Tandon) and thereby get a piece of his wealth.

However, a series of goofy situations see them facing off not only each other but also Ram’s twin brother Shyam Gopal Bajaj/Teja (Paresh Rawal) who is also seeking his sibling’s fortune, albeit with a sinister intention.

Andaz Apna Apna also stars Juhi Chawla and Govinda as their real selves. Although Santoshi’s film did not do well at the box office when it was released in 1994, it became a cult film through its television run over time.

“I’m someone who loves people…I prioritise their love first. So I think that keeps me going, that makes me feel like it’s okay if I have to shoot two-three films at the same time. I still will. It’s okay if I have to do a double shift, but I will,” she said.

And Mandanna can do anything to get love from her fans.

“When a film is released and people watch it and show their love to me, it just gives me that high. And I crave for that high, I crave for that love. So, I can do anything to get that love from them,” she added.

Her latest project is the Hindi historical action movie Chhaava, in which she stars opposite Vicky Kaushal.

Directed by Laxman Utekar, Chhaava will see Kaushal in the role of Maratha emperor Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, who was the son of Maratha empire founder Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Mandanna essays the role of Sambhaji Maharaj’s wife Maharani Yesubai and she said the project came as a surprise to her.

“I didn’t expect that it would come to me. And this was a massive, extremely big opportunity,” she said, adding that she sought guidance from Utekar and the film’s producer Dinesh Vijan while preparing for the part.

“They told me to figure out the language bit of it and everything else will be taken care of. And for me, I was like, ‘okay, these are characters from our history books, so I can’t get it wrong. So what can I do more to get this right?’ “After that, of course, we sat for months and months for the language bit of it and in the end, during the dubbing time, we got it right.

We pretty much reached where we wanted to go.”

Chhaava is about Sambhaji Maharaj but Yesubai was the queen and has an impactful role in the movie, she added.

“Whilst he (Sambhaji) was out there fighting the war, she had to run this kingdom. In his ten to twelve years of journey, about nine to ten years, he was in the war…And that part pulled me into doing the film because I just was blown away by how creative, like so smart and so intelligent these people were, and these are unsung heroes. And I wanted to be a part of the storytelling.”

On the film’s sets, Mandanna said she had a great time.

“I like more traditional attires than the western or whatever. So, I was very happy.

“On set, I want to be like, I don’t know anything. So whatever the inputs directors or co actors give me, that’s what I portray. All of that preparation was done. And when we did our first scene, it just felt right. It just felt so beautiful. And it just felt like it was Sambhaji Maharaj and Yesubai Maharani. It was just their moment,” the actor said.

Also starring Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty and Ashutosh Rana, Chhaava is scheduled to be released in theatres on Friday.

She credited her mother for immediately recognising the signs and seeking professional help, which proved to be a turning point.

“I was very lucky that my mother noticed and immediately reached out to a psychologist,” she said.

Padukone, who first spoke publicly about her depression in 2015, noted that mental health was once a taboo subject in India.

“There was a time when people thought, ‘How can I have depression? And if I do, I won’t tell anyone.’ As soon as I started talking about this illness, I started feeling so free and light. From there, my journey towards mental health awareness began,” she said.

Quoting from Prime Minister Modi’s book Exam Warriors, she urged students to embrace his message: “Express, never suppress.”

“So always express yourselves, whether it’s with your friends, family, parents, or teachers; journaling is a great way to express yourself,” she added.

Offering advice on exam stress, Padukone reassured students that feeling stressed is natural but handling it correctly is key.

“Being stressed is natural, and it is a part of life. How we handle it is the important thing. Having patience is important regarding the exams and the results. We can only do what is in our control. We can sleep well, hydrate well, exercise, and meditate.”

She also highlighted the importance of sleep, calling it a “freely available superpower.”

“You must go out for adequate sunlight and fresh air. Always reach out for help.”

Beyond films, what independent projects are you working on?

When I create independent music, I have complete freedom. One of my singles, Nerame, was composed and produced by my boyfriend (Gichu Joy), who collaborates with me on most of my tracks. I co-wrote the lyrics with my friend Anoop. Another track, It Will Be Born, is done in a ‘light language’ style. I have also created several other songs that will be released in time. Seed of Life, an upcoming album, is in the works.

Performing live with my own original songs gives me immense joy — much more than singing covers, which I used to do. We are currently preparing for a show at The Grill Lab, Palarivattom, which will be a mix of ecstatic singing and dancing. I also teach music, both online and in one-to-one sessions.

Many of your songs focus on themes of female empowerment…

It just happens! The songs and films that come my way often seem to align with that theme. Aside from 1744 White Alto, most of my work revolves around women’s power.

For Ashubha Mangalakari, I suggested that my rap section should serve as a response to the Malayalam lyrics, rather than echoing the same sentiments. However, for Jhalakraani in Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya He, the theme was already set. Likewise, the background score during Kalyani Priyadarshan’s fight scene in Antony naturally fits into that same narrative. I didn’t have to force it—it just made sense, given the context.

During his podcast with Big Boss 18 contestant Rajat Dalal, Yadav made fun of Darang’s name and her casting in the movie ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’.

He said only a person with bad taste would like her and that, her name sounded vulgar.

Darang wrote in an Instagram story, reacting to the podcast, “Disrespecting someone’s identity & name is not ‘fun’. Mocking someone’s achievements is not ‘banter’. It’s time we draw the line between humour and hate.”

“What’s even more disappointing is that this wasn’t just about my ethnicity, my hard work and a film backed by a visionary like Sanjay Leela Bhansali were also disrespected. To my fellow Northeasterners and everyone who has faced racism, I see you, I hear you, and I stand with you. We all deserve respect, dignity, and equality. Let’s raise our voices against racism and promote a culture of empathy, kindness. and understanding,” she further wrote.

It’s a familiar pattern for Ye, 47, who is now in the headlines as often for his provocative, often hate-filled rants as he is for his music.

The rapper has been locked out of social media platforms in the past, notably when he was banned from X for nearly eight months for violating rules barring incitement to violence.

Ye’s most recent missives included comments in support of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is imprisoned on sex trafficking charges. He repeatedly referred to himself as a “Nazi.”

He also referred to the stunt he pulled at the Grammys last week with wife Bianca Censori, who appeared virtually nude on the red carpet ahead of the awards gala. X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

For years, Ye has spoken openly about struggles with bipolar disorder. He recently said on “The Download” podcast that he in fact has an autism diagnosis.

Even as X users slammed “BeerBiceps,” a police complaint was lodged against Ranveer Allahabadia, social media influencer Apoorva Makhija, comedian Samay Raina and the organisers of the show.

Earlier in the day, a Congress worker filed a complaint in a Mumbai court, seeking a police probe against Ranveer and others.

The complaint filed before a Bandra court by Nikhil Ruparel, a member of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), a Congress wing, sought the probe against YouTube reality show “India’s Got Latent”, its judges and participants, including Allahbadia and Raina, over use of abusive language and vulgar content.

Athreya’s quest for his own identity is tied to a past he’s never known. He’s told he’s an orphan and seeks to find his parents while solving the murders. A personal connection to the case is just out of reach, with clues pointing to the deaths and hidden secrets in the village. The discovery of an unidentified poison in Vishwanath’s body deepens the mystery, as does newspaper editor Balarama’s (Prashanth Nata) revelation that ties the deaths together.

The film introduces Markhandaya (MK Mata), whose significance becomes clearer as the investigation unfolds. The fate of the girl and the woman found in the forest intertwines with Athreya’s journey and the village’s hidden truths.

As the investigation progresses, the line between myth and reality blurs. Secrets buried for generations surface, revealing a much darker and more complex story behind the deaths and the fate of Athreya’s parents. Directed by Chayan Shetty, Adhipatra mixes myth and mystery, but the supernatural elements feel secondary, failing to carry the narrative’s weight. The film focuses on the investigation, but the folklore only emerges at the end, without fully exploring its connection to the present-day events in the village.

Athreya’s emotional journey and his search for answers about his parents could have anchored the narrative, but the film doesn’t delve deeply enough into his inner turmoil. Roopesh Shetty’s performance is earnest, but his character sometimes feels adrift in the complex plot. Supporting characters like Bruhati (Jahnavi Mahadi), a journalist investigating the murders, are underutilised. Bruhati’s backstory could have added depth, but she remains a peripheral figure in Athreya’s journey. Apart from them, there are a host of actors from the coastal belt, including Raghu Pandeshwar and Deepak Rai Panaje.

LOS ANGELES: The use of artificial intelligence, better known as AI, in films is increasing at a fast pace and the makers whose films make it to the Oscars will now reportedly have to disclose the details of the same.

Over the last few days, the controversy around Oscar-nominated films “The Brutalist” and “Emilia Perez” has taken over with many questioning whether the usage of AI in films is fair.

According to a report by entertainment news outlet Variety, the makers will now have to mention all the changes that are made with the help of AI in their projects.

“The Academy currently offers an optional disclosure form for AI use, but Governors and Branch executive committees are now investigating how AI is used in each branch with an eye toward making disclosure mandatory in the 2026 Oscars rules, which are expected to be published in April. The Academy’s SciTech Council is working on recommended language,” the report stated.

“The Brutalist” faced massive backlash after it was identified that the makers used AI in post production.

Soon, film’s director Brady Corbet issued a statement saying the film had limited usage of AI and the actors had practised with the Hungarian dialect coach prior.

He noted that the sketches of the buildings in the film were hand-drawn.

For Jacques Audiard’s directorial “Emilia Perez”, AI was used to clone the voices of the actors, it read.

Other Oscar contenders, including “A Complete Unknown” and “Dune: Part 2”, have also relied on AI to an extent, the report added.

Your last outing was in Maharaj, showcasing an exploitative man. How do you view the portrayal of masculinity in films?

I love every shade, whether it was Maharaj, Action Hero, or now Paatal Lok. These are men who carry various shades of life and how they interpret the same and make the choices they do. I enjoy exploring those shades. Whether it’s Maharaj or Pardeep Kamath of Three of Us, for me they belong to different worlds and are not related to each other. But it was just enjoyable getting under their skin. Hathi Ram is my most cherished character. If I think of my generation, we all get to see the reflection of our father to an extent in him. You try to put yourself in your father’s shoes, and whatever his shortcomings or strengths, you, in retrospect, tend to think that whatever it may be, at the end of the day, he is my hero.

It took you 12 years to get a breakthrough, despite having given stellar performances in films like Raazi. What was that phase really like?

I knew I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I had no option but to wait for that one opportunity. These are things beyond one’s control, and all you can do is be ready. In case something comes your way, you should be ready to grasp it. Had I gotten Paatal Lok ten years ago, I doubt I would have played it with the honesty with which I have now. An actor needs to constantly evolve. When that happens, things start to move.

You, Rajkummar Rao, and Vijay Varma are batchmates from FTII. It has been a journey of struggle and recognition. What’s it like when the three of you meet now?

It has been an amazing journey and feels very personal when the three of us are at an awards show and each one has been nominated for something. It seems unimaginable. The other day Vijay and I were both nominated in the same category, and I received the award for Maharaj. It was funny how he wrote on the WhatsApp group that I had taken his award. It is healthy and encouraging to be in this space with them.

We hear you will be in The Family Man Season 3. Is it a Paatal Lok and Family Man crossover?

No, it isn’t a crossover. But it is a prominent part. I can’t say anything beyond that.

For every Rs 100 crore a film grosses, Rs 30 crore is siphoned off to the government, leaving producers with just Rs 27 crore, a situation many say is untenable for the future of Malayalam cinema.

The situation has been compounded by the fact that talks with actors in the past have failed to yield any significant change. While actors have agreed to lower their fees in discussions, they have often reverted to their original demands once the meetings concluded. The industry’s dependence on OTT platforms as an alternative distribution method has also been problematic, as these platforms are primarily interested in films that perform well, buying rights at prices they set, leaving producers at their mercy.

The shutdown, set to commence on June 1, will suspend all film-related activities, including shoots and screenings. Prior to this, a symbolic protest will be held in front of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, highlighting the industry’s plight.

In an effort to resolve the crisis, representatives from the film bodies are planning to meet with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to present their concerns and seek solutions. If no action is taken, the looming shutdown could mark a turning point in the future of Malayalam cinema, a vibrant industry that has long been a staple of Indian film culture.

Martin McDonagh, the writer and director of the 2018 Oscar Best Picture nominated film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, is set to begin production on his next film, Wild Horse Nine.

The film will star Mark Ruffalo and John Malkovich, joining previously announced Sam Rockwell. It will reunite McDonagh with his Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri star Rockwell and distributor Searchlight Pictures.

The makers are yet to disclose any details about the plot. Filming is scheduled to commence this March on Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, a remote Chilean territory renowned for its unique cultural heritage. The island, located 3,700 kilometers off the Chilean coast, boasts a national park that has remained largely untouched since the late 19th century.

Wild Horse Nine marks the first collaboration between McDonagh and both Ruffalo and Malkovich. While Oscar Isaac and Christopher Walken were considered for roles, they are not involved in the project any longer.

Distributor Black Bear Pictures is backing a new sub-genre with Bad Boy, a horror film told from the perspective of a dog. The film centers on a young woman’s desperate struggle to escape a serial killer in front of her loyal canine companion. Bad Boy will feature actors Ke Huy Quan of Everything Everywhere All at Once-fame and Hustlers star Lili Reinhart.

Jacob Chase (Come Play) will direct the film from a Travis Braun screenplay. Production is scheduled to begin in Canada this August. Casting is currently underway for the dog, reportedly a terrier breed.

The film’s synopsis reads thus: “Gary is a good boy who loves his new owner, Cameron (Ke Huy Quan). He gets treats and belly rubs and life is great. Gary isn’t allowed in the basement though. And even if he was, he can’t unlock doors. But there’s a girl (Lili Reinhart) in the basement. And she can’t come out to play. Gary doesn’t know it, but he’s her only chance.”

Quan’s recent projects include a role in the second season of Marvel’s Disney+ series, Loki, which earned him a Critics Choice Award nomination. His upcoming projects include Love Hurts, The Electric State, and Fairytale in New York.

Reinhart is widely recognised for her roles in the series Riverdale on CW and Hustlers. She currently stars alongside Mark Ruffalo in the limited series Hal & Harper.

Q. How do you feel now with Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha being re-released?

I am excited and looking forward to watching the film in 4K quality, and also gauge the people’s reactions to it.

Q. You didn’t appear much in films as an adult actor. Was it a conscious choice?

It was kind of an unfortunate situation, where my dad passed away and I could no longer continue acting. He used to accompany me to the sets and guide me through the process.

He passed away when I was in Class X. Everything stopped with that. Later, as I grew up, I did get offers, even lead roles. But my father was no longer there to take me around or guide me. Also, by then, my focus was on studies.

Shortly after, I got married and got busy with my family. Working in films requires total commitment of time, and hence it would have been difficult for me. I also established a career as a lawyer, which was a childhood dream. So, I like to believe it is my destiny. I now practise fulltime in Kozhikode.

Q. Do you see any changes in the manner child actors are treated? Especially considering talks about child rights in cinema…

I am not aware of the current situation. In my time, it was awesome. We were treated almost on par with the superstars such as Mammootty and Mohanlal. Be it in schools or society in general, we received a lot of attention.

I personally think children should be protected irrespective wherever they are. Back in our times, I guess there was a larger number of child actors. Our school system accommodated us. I was a kid who would go to school only to write the final exams (laughs).

But nowadays, the academic pressure on children is more. Films, too, have changed over the years; it is not the same scenario as it was in late ’80s or ’90s when I was a child actor.

It’s a joy when films break out of what they are supposed to be as star vehicles. Vidaamuyarchi begins with an extremely sensitive topic, and treats it with such gentleness and without judgment. Arjun (Ajith) is, at heart, a vulnerable softie, incapable of prejudice and hatred. He can’t trust the cops, and yet, he cannot stand by to see them die. His enemies subject him to such humiliation and cruelty, and yet, he gets no pleasure out of hurting them. His wife, well—she wants to move on from him, and yet, he seeks no retribution. Arjun isn’t a hero; he’s a vulnerable man forced into a fight he does not enjoy.

We see this quality many times in the film. In the petrol bunk scene, we see clear evidence that Arjun is an emotionally mature man who isn’t looking to escalate things. “They’re young and are looking for trouble,” he says. Ordinarily, in our cinema, we are trained to expect him to turn into a vengeful demon figure, who makes enemies run for life. Vidaamuyarchi, despite having the structure for it, refuses to turn Arjun into a Vedalam-like fearsome presence. It’s such a brave choice. Towards the end, when someone asks, “Nee enna hero-va?“, Ajith responds with an outraged no, almost begging them to understand. It feels almost like a plea to the world.

It isn’t coincidental that he kills nobody. This isn’t that kind of film. His superpower isn’t his ability to kill a dozen people at once; what sets Arjun apart is his ability to trust and hold faith in people. Regina Cassandra’s character (she’s excellent, by the way) doesn’t get this. “Ippo kooda avala nambaraan ivan!” Heroism isn’t violence in this film; it’s the ability to trust, to persist in faith, even when an evil world (personified literally as a woman in the film) tempts and gives you enough reason to turn against your own.

I thoroughly enjoyed the setup of the film—the silences, the wonderful ways in which the Azerbaijan land isn’t just a backdrop, but an inherent part of the film’s storytelling. This isn’t geography used for beauty alone; it’s geography that dictates events (I liked how the foreign actors are used as well). In an Ajith film, you expect empty roads and vehicles in storytelling, but here, it all happens organically, even as everyone and everything toys with Arjun’s mind.

NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) to submit an action-taken report on casting couch incidents in the Bollywood film industry. The directive follows a petition filed by noted human rights activist and Supreme Court lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy, who raised concerns over the issue.

Acting on the complaint, the NHRC has sought a detailed report within eight weeks. Tripathy, speaking exclusively to TNIE, highlighted the widespread prevalence of the casting couch across India, stating that it undermines the dignity and basic human rights of actors and actresses. He further pointed out that negligence and inaction by concerned authorities have allowed the issue to persist. The failure of government authorities in Maharashtra and other states to address the problem, he said, raises serious human rights concerns for those working in the film industry.

In its order, the NHRC stated that the complaint should be forwarded to the relevant authorities for appropriate action. It directed the concerned authority to take necessary steps within eight weeks, ensuring that the complainant or victim is involved in the process and informed about the action taken.

Following the NHRC’s directive, Devidas Kathale, senior police inspector at Sanpada police station in Navi Mumbai, responded by stating that if any actor or actress reports their stay within the jurisdiction and applies for security, the police station will protect in accordance with legal procedures and guidelines.

Roopesh Shetty has carved out a unique space for himself in the Tulu film industry as both an actor and director. A household name in Tulu cinema, he is also widely recognised as a Bigg Boss winner across Karnataka and is slowly gaining recognition in Kannada cinema.

Today, Roopesh is stepping into new territories, and his upcoming film Adhipatra, releasing this week, stars him as a cop. In his interaction with CE, Roopesh opens up about his journey, the challenges of balancing two industries, and what makes Adhipatra—releasing on February 7—a special project.

Addressing the challenge of gaining a similar reception in Kannada cinema as he has in Tulu, Roopesh shares his thoughts candidly. “Tulu is my foundation. It gave me the platform and fame as an actor and director, which eventually led me to Bigg Boss. I always make sure to do at least one Tulu film a year. The Tulu audience has embraced me with open arms, and I feel it’s important to honour that connection.”

But Roopesh also makes it clear that his passion for acting knows no boundaries. “Whether it’s Tulu or Kannada, as an actor, my heart lies in both. And at the end of the day, good work will always speak for itself.

“Time’s about to be frozen still. This week has been ultra crazy and it’s not over yet! SUPER STOKED to be sharing the stage with one of my absolute favssss ED SHEERAN!!! (sic)” she captioned the post featuring Sheeran’s tour poster.

“Going to be playing my own music (of course a couple of my films ones too) so come out and support your girl on Feb 5th in Chennai. CAN’T WAIT (sic)” she added in the post.

Sheeran, a multiple Grammy-winning singer, kickstarted his six-city tour in India on January 30 in Pune.

He performed in Hyderabad on Sunday.

After Chennai, the British singer-songwriter will next perform in Bengaluru and Shillong on February 8 and 12, respectively.

He will conclude the India leg of his tour with his concert on February 15 in Delhi-NCR where he will be joined by singer-actor Lisa Mishra on stage.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.: In a clipped Nordic accent, Swedish indie folk singer Sarah Klang politely asked the soundboard operator at Nashville’s Blue Room to turn up her microphone. The request, made recently during a rare U.S. performance in the intimate music space attached to Jack White’s Third Man Records, seemed entirely unnecessary.

Her voice could fill every crevice of the room, even if she used no microphone at all. Live, just as on record, her tone pins you down and holds you the moment she opens her mouth.

On her fifth album, “Beautiful Woman,” out Friday, Klang worked for the first time with American producer Eric D. Johnson, known for his work with Bonny Light Horseman, the Fruit Bats and the Shins. It’s a winning partnership that lands somewhere between folksy Americana and ’90s jangle-pop, set apart not only by Klang’s voice but also by her honesty.

“Practicing every night / How to dance in slow motion,” she sings on the title cut. “Writing in my diary, goals for the new year / 16 and alone in my room.”

Klang leans into the song’s chorus with characteristic directness. “When I grow up,” she sings, “I want to be a beautiful woman.”

If wistfulness had its own voice, it might sound like her. Klang manages to convey pain even when she is singing about finding happiness, as she does on several cuts here. Few singers blend hope and sadness into such a rare mix of intensity: Billie Holiday, Hank Williams, Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Amy Winehouse. The list isn’t long.

That may sound like hyperbole for a singer from Sweden who has gained a following in Europe but hasn’t made her mark across the ocean yet. Still, it seems inevitable that she will.

On this album, Klang details body-shaming, motherhood and her own arduous journey in a world that holds women to impossible standards.

“Nothing tastes as good as feeling skinny / I was told when I was young,” she sings on “Other Girls,” a not-so-subtle reference to a quote frequently attributed to supermodel Kate Moss.

The words come slowly. Klang’s voice sinks into her own rigorous journey to self-acceptance without seeming preachy or pedantic. It rises toward the majestic closing anthem, “I Have Everything,” but every note she sings tells you the outcome is no sure thing.

“Could I wake up tomorrow / And put some music on,” she sings, “I would smile at my daughter and tell the sorrow I’ll be gone / ’Cause you see I have everything I want.”

My path to Klang’s music started with my 20-something daughter, who included some of Klang’s earlier work on a couple of Spotify playlists. The first few times her songs came up, I inevitably asked: “Who is that? Where is she from?”

The answers are all right here.

Her name is Sarah Klang. She comes from Sweden. And she has arrived.

Mammotty is next set to team up with Nithish Sahadev, who made his directorial debut in 2023 with the fun family drama Falimy. Nithish has co-written his sophomore film with Anuraj OB, who earlier penned the Antony Varghese-starrer Oh Meri Laila (2022).

In an exclusive chat with us, Nithish confirms that his upcoming film with Mammootty is an “action entertainer”. He adds, “Mammukka liked Falimy and when I told him that I’ve a subject for him, he expected a feel-good family entertainer. But after the narration, he felt it was something different and interesting. It has been nearly five months since he gave me the dates. We were just waiting for things to be finalised before making the official announcement.”

Mammootty, known for his penchant for experimenting with dialects, will be attempting a new slang this time. “There’s a peculiar style of Malayalam spoken in the Marthandam-Nagercoil region and we will be exploring it,” says Nithish, who hails from the area. As for the supporting cast and crew, the director says he is still finalising names. “Alphonse Puthren might play a crucial role in the film. We’ve already discussed it and it should be confirmed by our next meeting. In the technical team, Vishnu (Vijay) chettan will be there as the composer. Others are yet to be finalised.”

Produced by MammoottyKampany, this yet-to-be-titled film’s shooting is planned to commence by May after Mammootty wraps up work on his ongoing Mahesh Narayanan film. Meanwhile, he has Bazooka, a thriller directed by debutant Deeno Dennis, slated for release on February 14. The actor’s upcoming film with debutant director Jithin K Jose is also in the final stages of post-production. Also starring Vinayakan, the film reportedly has Mammootty in a grey-shaded role.

(This story originally appeared in Cinema Express)

PANAJI: Telugu film producer K P Choudhary was found hanging in a rented house in a village in North Goa on Monday, police said.

The body of Choudhary (44), known for producing Rajinikanth-starrer “Kabali” in Telugu, was found in the rented premises in Siolim village, Superintendent of Police (North) Akshat Kaushal told reporters.

He said Anjuna police station’s Siolim outpost received information about the death, and further probe is underway.

“Details will be shared at an appropriate time,” the official said.

The Cyberabad Special Operations Team had arrested Choudhary in connection with a drugs case in 2023.

(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation – 04424640050, Tele Manas – 14416 (available 24×7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences’ helpline – 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)

From the near-extinct, flightless kakapo of New Zealand to Australia’s flying foxes dying in intense heatwaves and South Africa’s heavily trafficked pangolin, Tortoise Media’s new podcast series, The Animal Sensemaker, unpacks the story of one animal at a time to make sense of the world.

A spin-off of the popular Sensemaker series, loved for breaking down complex global stories in under 10 minutes, this gripping audio gem does the same—only now, with animals taking centrestage in the narrative.

The Animal Sensemaker lives up to its reputation. Each short audio documentary dives deep into the lives of lesser-known species, blending precise storytelling with vivid imagery that transports listeners to different places: the swampy rainforests of Cameroon, where Goliath frogs are being hunted; the mysterious Madagascar jungles—home to the elusive Aye-Aye lemur—or the California Condor, an almost extinct vulture specie making a comeback through virgin births, or reproduction without males.

The beauty of The Animal Sensemaker lies in its simplicity. There’s no heavy environmental jargon or preachiness—just crisp, digestible stories that shine a light on lesser-known creatures like the electric-blue gecko of Tanzania’s ancient forests or the Somali sengi, a tiny elephant shrew found in Africa.

You might even find yourself marveling at how leatherback turtles, giants of the ocean depths, are disoriented by light pollution in their journey spanning thousands of miles.

At its core, the podcast does more than highlight endangered species—it challenges listeners to rethink humanity’s fraught relationship with the natural world. By exploring life through the lens of these overlooked animals, The Animal Sensemaker becomes a poignant reminder of what’s at stake in the battle against biodiversity loss.

More importantly, it weaves the tales of these ‘almost famous’ creatures with compelling narratives of their conservation. From communities setting up water sprinklers to save panting flying foxes during extreme heatwaves to relocating the entire kakapo population to remote, predator-free islands in New Zealand, the podcast highlights inspiring efforts to protect these species.

Clocking in at just 10 minutes per episode, this podcast is perfect for anyone seeking bite-sized insights into the complex interplay between wildlife and the environment. Whether you’re a conservation enthusiast or just looking to discover nature’s hidden underdogs, The Animal Sensemaker will leave you with a sense of wonder—and maybe even a touch of guilt.

The Animal Sensemaker

Hosts: Alexi Mostrous, Tomini Babs and Claudia Williams

Genre: Environment

Platform: Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Tortoise Media

Language: English

What would you say is the biggest change between you now and who you were 30 years ago?

The older I have gotten, the more I have forgiven myself for not chasing the things I used to. I am not as judgemental about myself as I used to be. I don’t compare myself to others the way I used to. I have forgiven myself for not looking a certain way or having a certain type of body in the way our society so often perpetuates.

Do you ever find yourself reading negative comments about yourself online?

It’s something I have to constantly remind myself not to do. Don’t read the comments! Sometimes it happens, but you have to understand that we live in a society where anybody can say whatever they want. Some people are so quick to make a comment without really understanding how out of touch they are.

You have a big birthday coming in May. How do you plan to celebrate?

Yeah, 60. It’s a big birthday! I’m going to celebrate for sure, but not just on the day. There are some things I want to do with my most special friends. So, we are going to do things throughout the year and just celebrate.

Is it important for you to set the right example for your daughters?

Absolutely. They are a very different generation, but I want them to have that conversation and to celebrate their bodies in a way that I never did. I want my daughters to see what I have done, to understand that I have had babies, kept a marriage going, and all of these things, but that it’s not over. I don’t want them to think that it’s never going to be better than now for them.

Finally, what message do you want to share with women who may be struggling with the pressure to be beautiful and the effects of ageing?

I just want all women to know that they are fabulous and to step into your own power and your own self. We don’t have the time anymore to be envious, jealous, afraid, or insecure. Stop beating yourself up and the age you are right now can be a wonderful time. Sure, get in shape, be healthy, get your roots done—that’s your choice. Just don’t look at yourself with shame, fear, or trepidation. You can do what you want and be who you want to be.

—Asia Features

“I am not as judgemental about myself as I used to be. I don’t compare myself to others the way I used to.”

Brooke shields, Actor

Ranabir and Dhritiman Das were drawn to filmmaking long before they could make sense of the world. Thanks to a neighbour who made ad films. Decades later, the older brother Ranabir is the co-producer and cinematographer of Payal Kapadia’s widely acclaimed film All We Imagine as Light. The singer-songwriter’s younger brother, Dhritiman, who is also known as Topshe, is the film’s composer.

“The day it won the Grand Prix, it was my birthday,” Topshe, 32, fondly remembers sitting at his Kolkata home. Meanwhile, Ranabir has been touring the United States with Payal, attending the Golden Globes ceremony, where their film had two nominations, and the New York Film Critics Circle Awards ceremony, where it won the Best International Film Award.

“Largely, it’s a good feeling, but it’s also quite daunting,” Ranabir, 35, says from New York, taking stock of the buzz around him. “With the path the film has taken, we suddenly have heavier voices, and that comes with a lot of responsibility.”

The Das brothers grew up in the Gariahat area of South Kolkata. Drawn to filmmaking and music, they pursued it with the Mass Communication and Videography at St Xavier’s College in Park Street. Ranabir graduated and went to study cinematography at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune, where he met Payal, his Direction course batchmate. Topshe joined their gang at about the same time.

“It is easy enough for us to be honest with each other,” Topshe says about working with Payal. “There is no ego. She can reject my stuff if it doesn’t work with her.

Actually, Payal and I align in the way we look at things, so she asked me to be more of myself with the score.” Making the minimalist and emotive piano-and-synth-based score has made Topshe rethink his approach to creating music. “The score was made in a very short time to meet the Cannes submission deadline,” Topshe says.

“Now, I realise I have overthought and destroyed so many songs of mine in the past. I am realising that a song is essentially capturing one moment. The longer I put a song under construction, I impose other moments on it. So, now I am just letting the music flow through me instead of forcing multiple ideas on a single idea.”

In his hero-entry scene in Deva, Shahid Kapoor, in a buzz cut and a stubble, thrusts his pelvis to ‘Are Diwano Mujhe Pehchano’ from Don (1978). In a mural, Amitabh Bachchan’s Vijay, another Salim-Javed anti-hero, lounges in the background. In the desperation to attain mass appeal, the angry young Bachchan has become the new cardboard cutout of every deviant and volatile protagonist in Hindi cinema.

In Jigra (2024), Alia Bhatt stuffs her mouth, prepping herself for an odyssey as Agneepath (1990) plays on TV. Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal reveals his name to be Rann ‘Vijay’. Every creator seems to be showcasing their characters as the angry young men or women of the modern age. But nobody is imbibing its essence.

In an interview, Javed Akhtar eloquently described his creation: “The angry young man wasn’t just angry. He was deeply hurt.” I don’t know what ails today’s on-screen rebel. What hurts him? Who is he angry with? What is he angry about?

Helmed by Rosshan Andrrews, Deva is a plain and convoluted restructuring of the director’s 2013 neo-noir psychological thriller Mumbai Police. Given the source material and leaving the PR aside (which projected Deva as a massy film), the movie was expected to be a nail-biting thriller. With an incessantly smoking Shahid, sporting shades and rugged jeans, Deva clings to the style as it jettisons the substance.

It beats the barrel drum of its gritty sensibilities but quite soon the thrills at its centre start ringing hollow. The case is solved when the film opens (but there is a catch). Dev Ambre (Shahid Kapoor) has found the killer of his friend and colleague Rohan D’Silva (Pavail Gulati), a gentle cop who was shot by an unknown sniper at a police felicitation event.

Dev meets with an accident before he can reveal the culprit’s name to his senior Farhan Khan (Parvessh Rana). Dev wakes up with amnesia, having no memory of either his or the murderer’s identity. As he starts piecing up the puzzle, the audience is introduced to Dev’s pre-accident, mercurial personality.

This year, the ‘All Too Well’ singer will compete with Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short and Sweet, and Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft in the Album of the Year category.

Swift, Carpenter, and Eilish will also vie for the Song and Record of the Year Grammy trophies, reported Deadline.

In December, the Fortnight singer wrapped her most ambitious project yet the Eras stadium tour, which spanned over a year and a half as she visited cities all around the globe.

The 2025 Grammys will take place on 2nd February at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Trevor Noah will host for the fifth consecutive time.

The first wave of confirmed performers for the 67th show includes Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, Doechii, Raye, Benson Boone, Teddy Swims, Sabrina Carpenter, and Shakira, among others.

Sunny Wayne, Babu Antony, and Narain will headline Sahasam, written and helmed by Bibin Krishna of Twenty One Gms (2022) fame. Billed as an entertainer, the new film was launched in Kochi on Tuesday with a traditional pooja ceremony. Scheduled to go on floors from January 29, it is produced by Rinish K N, who previously backed Twenty One Gms and Phoenix (2023).

On the technical front, Sahasam has cinematography by Alby, editing by Kiran Das, and music by Bibin Ashok. Details about its plot, genre, and extended cast remain undisclosed.

Last seen in Turkish Tharkkam, Sunny’s upcoming slate also includes Written & Directed by God, directed by newcomer Febi George Stonefield, alongside Saiju Kurup.

Babu Antony will be next seen in Oru Jaathi Jathakam, starring Vineeth Sreenivasan and Nikhila Vimal in the lead. The film, directed by M Mohanan, is scheduled to hit theatres on January 31. The Idukki Gold actor’s upcoming slate also includes Mammootty’s Bazooka, the Basil Joseph-starrer Marana Mass, and Fahadh Faasil’s Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira.

Meanwhile, Narain is also part of Tamil actor Vijay’s final film before becoming a full-time politician, Jana Nayagan, directed by H Vinoth, and Mysskin’s Train. In Malayalam, the actor was previously seen in the anthology web series Manorathangal, based on the legendary writer-director MT Vasudevan Nair’s short stories.

LOS ANGELES: Pop icon Madonna has criticised the newly elected Donald Trump administration for its decision to remove protections for transgender people and end diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, urging citizens to keep fighting for their rights.

It’s the latest push by Trump to reverse policies set by former president Joe Biden’s government to protect transgender people and their care.

On Monday, Trump directed the Pentagon to conduct a review that is likely to lead to them being barred from military service.

Madonna, a longtime advocate for the LGBTQ community, expressed her disappointment in an X post on Tuesday.

“It’s so sad to watch our new Government slowly dismantling all the Freedoms we have been fighting for and WON over the years. Don’t give up the Fight! (sic)” she wrote, adding the LGBTQ pride flag and broken red heart emojis.

Earlier, singer-actor Selena Gomez, whose father is of Mexican descent, got emotional over the Trump administration’s stand over the deportation of undocumented immigrants on social media in a now-deleted Instagram video.

“All my people are getting attacked– the children. I don’t understand. I’m so sorry. I wish I could do something but I can’t. I don’t know what to do. I’ll try everything, I promise,” she tearfully said.

LOS ANGELES: Hollywood star Anthony Mackie has issued a clarification after he received backlash for saying that beloved superhero character Captain America does not represent America.

Mackie, who headlines his first solo movie as the superhero in “Captain America: Brave New World”, posted a note on his Instagram Stories.

“Let me be clear about this, I’m a proud American and taking on the shield of a hero like CAP is the honor of a lifetime. I have the utmost respect for those who serve and have served our country. CAP has universal characteristics that people all over the world can relate to,” he wrote.

The controversy started during an event to promote “Brave New World” in Rome earlier this week where Mackie expressed his views on the symbolism of Captain America.

“Captain America represents a lot of different things and I don’t think the term ‘America’ should be one of those representations. It’s about a man who keeps his word, who has honour, dignity and integrity. Someone who is trustworthy and dependable,” he said at the event.

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday dismissed Netflix’s plea to reject the copyright infringement suit filed by actor Dhanush against Nayanthara over her documentary.

Dhanush had filed a civil suit seeking Rs 10 crore in damages from Nayanthara for using behind-the-scenes footage from ‘Naanum Rowdy Dhaan’, produced by his Wunderbar Films Private Limited, in her Netflix documentary ‘Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale’.

The order is considered as a setback to the ace actress who had taken a combative stand through her social media post when Dhanush sent her a legal notice seeking the damages.

Justice Abdul Quddhose delivered the order on Tuesday, rejecting Netflix’s application and also dismissing another plea challenging the grant of leave to file the suit in the high court.

Los Gatos Production Services India LLP, an entity of Netflix, had filed the applications for rejecting the plaint and quashing the leave granted by the court. It had contended that the suit ought to have been filed in a Kancheepuram court as the plaintiff’s office falls under the territorial jurisdiction of that court. Further, it submitted that the cause of action arose outside the jurisdiction of the Madras HC and so, the leave granted to Wunderbar Films shall be revoked.

However, the judge did not agree with these contentions. He fixed February 5 for arguments in the application filed by Dhanush seeking injunction against using the contentious behind-the-scenes footage.

Senior counsel PS Raman appeared for Dhanush.

The actor had sued Nayanthara, her husband and filmmaker Vignesh Sivan and Netflix through his production firm Wunderbar Films Private Limited.

Wunderbar Films has contended that the actress entered into an artist agreement in 2014 for shooting the movie and agreed that the applicant firm is vested with all rights of every kind and character in perpetuity with regard to her performance appearance, likeness, name and/or voice in connection with the film.

As per the agreement, the company owns the copyright over all the artists performance in connection with the cinematograph film meaning that if any picture or video of the artist is captured as long as she is in her character on the set of the film, the copyright over the same vests with the company and if any person want to use such footage, he shall obtain consent or license prior to using the same, it said.

MUMBAI: Disney+ Hotstar recorded an impressive 83 lakh views for the live stream of British rock band Coldplay’s concert in Ahmedabad on 26 January, with viewers clocking a total of 16.5 crore minutes of watch time over three hours.

The concert was part of Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres World Tour,” which included three shows at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on 18, 19, and 21 January. The Ahmedabad leg at the Narendra Modi Stadium on 25 and 26 January marked the band’s final stop in India.

According to a press release by JioStar Digital, Sunday’s live stream saw participation from viewers across the country, with Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, NCR Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal contributing 85% of the total viewership.

Led by vocalist Chris Martin, the band, which also features guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey, enthralled fans with a setlist including hits such as “Yellow,” “Charlie Brown,” “All My Love,” “Clocks,” “People of the Pride,” “Hymn for the Weekend,” and “Viva La Vida.”

The teaser of Bad Girl, which was released on Sunday, presented a refreshing coming-of-age tale. Director Varsha Bharath, who makes her debut with the film, reveals that she wanted to make a coming-of-age film from a woman’s perspective.

On the world of Bad Girl and how she made a conscious decision to make it a fun entertainer, Varsha says, “When a woman makes a film, there is a general notion that it wouldn’t be a mainstream entertainer. And women-centric films often tend to focus on the struggles women face in society.

With Bad Girl, I wanted to change that, and capture a women-centric film through a colourful and vibrant lens,” says Varsha, before adding, “I wanted to show that women have fun too.”

Produced by Vetri Maaran’s Grass Root Film Company, the film is presented by the director along with Anurag Kashyap. Varsha, who worked as an assistant director for Vetri Maaran, recounts how both the filmmakers came on board the project. “Bad Girl was first made for a streaming platform but that didn’t happen due to creative differences.

Later, I approached Vetri Maaran sir and since he had already read the script, he was willing to take up the project. When Anurag Kashyap sir came on sets to film Viduthalai Part 2, he watched the rough cut of Bad Girl and he wanted to be a part of it as well,” says the debutant. While Tamil cinema has a long history of coming-of-age and women-centric films, they have become a rarity in recent times.

Stone continued, “They have suggested an oversight board, something like the former [JFK Assassination Records Review Board], to verify that all records have been properly released in unredacted form. If those records reveal a trail to other papers, that avenue should be investigated by that board,” as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter.

The film remains Oliver Stone’s highest-grossing film to date. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won two for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing.

The executive order signed by Trump on January 24 directs the Director of National Intelligence and other appropriate officials to present a plan within 15 days for the full and complete release of all John F. Kennedy assassination records.

It also mandates an immediate review of the records relating to the Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. assassinations and the presentation of a plan for their full and complete release within 45 days.

Notably, in Trump’s first term, he ordered agencies to move toward disclosing more information about the John F. Kennedy assassination.

Luxury accommodations have reached even more extreme pricing, with five-star hotels charging up to ₹100,000 per night. This pricing frenzy has transformed the concert experience from an affordable musical journey to a potentially budget-breaking expedition. One disappointed fan, Nagpal, expressed frustration, noting that while Coldplay aimed to provide accessible ticket prices starting at ₹2,500, local businesses have effectively negated this gesture by inflating overall trip costs to around ₹30,000 per person.

The transportation ecosystem is equally challenged. Metro train services have extended their operating hours to accommodate the massive crowds, but private vehicle charges have skyrocketed. Local cab services are demanding nearly double their standard rates, implementing additional waiting charges that further strain travelers’ budgets. Emergency services and city police are bracing themselves for an unprecedented logistical challenge.

Innovative solutions are emerging amidst the accommodation crisis. Entrepreneurial locals near the Narendra Modi Stadium and airport are capitalizing on the opportunity by renting out spare rooms and entire apartments. One creative local offered a 2BHK flat in Koba circle for ₹10,000 for two days – a more affordable alternative to the exorbitant hotel prices.

Fans like Somya Benerjee from Kolkata remain undeterred, describing the upcoming concert as a “magical once-in-a-lifetime experience.” Many enthusiasts are exploring alternative accommodation options in nearby cities like Gandhinagar, Anand, and Vadodara, though these locations are experiencing similar price surges.

On Sunday, the makers of Vijay’s Thalapathy 69, KVN Productions, announced the film’s title. Helmed by H Vinoth, the film is now officially titled Jana Nayagan. The makers also unveiled the first look poster in which Vijay is seen taking a selfie from a stage as a huge crowd of people, who look like his supporters, pose with him from below.

Apart from Vijay, the film’s ensemble cast includes Bobby Deol, Pooja Hegde, and Narain, along with Prakash Raj, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Priyamani, Mamitha Baiju and Teejay Arunasalam.

Jana Nayagan went on floors in October 2024 and is scheduled to be released exactly a year later, in October 2025.

It is the first time Bobby Deol, Priyamani, Mamitha, and Narain are collaborating with Vijay on a feature film. Jana Nayagan reunites Vijay with Prakash Raj after Varisu, with Pooja Hegde after Beast, and Gautham Vasudev Menon after Leo.

On the technical front, Jana Nayagan has music composer Anirudh, cinematographer Sathyan Sooryan, editor Pradeep E Ragav, action choreographer Anlarasu, art director Selva Kumar, and costume designer Pallavi Singh. The makers are yet to announce further details about the plot for the film. Reportedly, it is a political film.

Jana Nayagan is produced by Venkat K Narayana is co-produced by Lohith N K and Jagadish Palanisamy. The film marks Vijay’s last before his full-fledged entry into politics.

(This story originally appeared in Cinema Express)

The last few years have been a trying time for the industry as well as for the artist community. How did that impact the writing ?

What we’re dealing with in the world affects everything. We had to deal with a strike during our production period, and people changed over time. I feel like you can’t have that be a part of the process. But, on the other hand, I think when you finally come out of something like that, for us, especially in terms of making this season and getting it hopefully, to be as close to what we wanted to be as possible, you feel one has had an experience which has impacted and influenced everyone. It is nice to be at this place where the audience can just sort of enjoy the show.

Adam Scott and you worked together in ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ in 2013. He is known for his knack for comedy. What is the creative synergy between the two of you like?

When I started reading the script, he immediately popped into my head. I have worked with him before and have been a fan of his work. He brings a kind of persona to the show, and like any actor I knew he had so much more to offer. Adam goes deep into the stuff, and beyond what people know of him, I thought the show would allow him to do other stuff. When he read the script, he had the same thought as me, it worked for us.

‘I Love Playing Crazy Characters’

Patricia Arquette

In ‘Severance’ you play the mysterious and complex Harmony Cobel. What helped you bring the kind of freshness in portraying this unhinged, unapologetic woman?

It was fun. I love playing crazy and wild characters onscreen who don’t conform in a way. But, she works in this institution where she has to conform all the time. There’s a little wild thing in her that always wants to break away from everything, question and do something better her way. I think people don’t respond well to control. We are ironically living in times where each one of us is controlled in some way or the other.

‘Severance’ makes a strong statement against the hustle culture, and seeing the narrative unfold on screen, it’s scary to think reel may become real.

I feel like, in a lot of ways, we are severed already. People are having one relationship with one person online, and they have a family back home. People are very disconnected. They have one outward personality, and then they have a whole different personality online. So, I think it’s a very strange but the whole point of Severance is to question what you are afraid of.

What was it like collaborating with Ben Stiller again, since the two of you have done several projects like ‘Flirting with Disaster’, and ‘Escape at Dannemora’?

I love working with Ben. It’s a blast. I feel like we’re this group and he is our leader. Ben is a very collaborative teammate. I am always blown away by Ben and his talent, the way he sets up shots, the way he composes things, and the tone, which we never could understand as actors.

AHMEDABAD: Coldplay’s highly anticipated live concerts are set to electrify Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, drawing an unprecedented crowd of 110,000 passionate fans from across India and beyond.

However, the excitement comes with significant challenges that are testing the city’s infrastructure and hospitality capabilities.

The two-night musical extravaganza has triggered an economic tsunami in Ahmedabad, with local businesses capitalizing on the massive influx of fans. Hotel rates have experienced a jaw-dropping surge, transforming the city’s accommodation landscape into a financial maze for concert-goers. What were once modest rooms priced at ₹1,000 per night are now commanding astronomical prices between ₹12,000 to ₹16,000 – a staggering increase that has left many fans reeling.

Luxury accommodations have reached even more extreme pricing, with five-star hotels charging up to ₹100,000 per night. This pricing frenzy has transformed the concert experience from an affordable musical journey to a potentially budget-breaking expedition. One disappointed fan, Nagpal, expressed frustration, noting that while Coldplay aimed to provide accessible ticket prices starting at ₹2,500, local businesses have effectively negated this gesture by inflating overall trip costs to around ₹30,000 per person.

The transportation ecosystem is equally challenged. Metro train services have extended their operating hours to accommodate the massive crowds, but private vehicle charges have skyrocketed. Local cab services are demanding nearly double their standard rates, implementing additional waiting charges that further strain travelers’ budgets. Emergency services and city police are bracing themselves for an unprecedented logistical challenge.

Innovative solutions are emerging amidst the accommodation crisis. Entrepreneurial locals near the Narendra Modi Stadium and airport are capitalizing on the opportunity by renting out spare rooms and entire apartments. One creative local offered a 2BHK flat in Koba circle for ₹10,000 for two days – a more affordable alternative to the exorbitant hotel prices.

Fans like Somya Benerjee from Kolkata remain undeterred, describing the upcoming concert as a “magical once-in-a-lifetime experience.” Many enthusiasts are exploring alternative accommodation options in nearby cities like Gandhinagar, Anand, and Vadodara, though these locations are experiencing similar price surges.

Deezer says it aims to better pay genuine musicians by weeding out fake songs that are then streamed by fraudulent accounts created in order to remunerate the “artists”.

Many fake tracks can clone the voices of existing artists, which currently cannot be copyrighted, or copycat popular songs.

Deezer is now focussing on a system to label AI-generated content that would be excluded from its recommended listening lists.

“Artificial intelligence is continuing to disrupt the music ecosystem more and more,” chief executive Alexis Lanternier said in the statement.

Deezer said in January that it would tweak its remuneration model in an effort to better pay artists whose songs get fewer downloads but have a more diverse base of listeners.

Earlier British Member of parliament of the Conservative Party, Bob Blackman had urged the UK Home Secretary to intervene after his constituents in north-west London were threatened by “masked Khalistani terrorists” who burst into a screening of Emergency. He had shared his video from the House of Commons and written on social media platform X, “I raised the horrific intimidation of my constituents and many others, as Pro-Khalistan thugs disrupted screenings of the new Emergency film in cinemas. Some cinemas have even pulled the film in fear of more disruption. We must stand up to anyone trying to silence free speech (sic).’’

“On Sunday, many of my constituents gathered and paid for a screening of the film Emergency in the Harrow Vue cinema. At about 30 or 40 minutes into the screening of the film, masked Khalistani terrorists burst in, threatened members of the audience and forced the screening to end,’’ he had said in Parliament.

Earlier Kangana had said that the SGPC’s demand for a ban on Emergency in Punjab was a complete harassment of “art and the artist”.

NEW DELHI: “Anuja”, a New Delhi-set short film, on Thursday bagged a nomination in the Live Action Short category at the 97th Academy Awards.

“Anuja”, directed by Adam J Graves and Suchitra Mattai, is pitted against A Lien, I’m Not a Robot, The Last Ranger and The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent at the awards gala.

The nominations for the 2025 Oscars, which were twice postponed earlier this month due to wildfires in Los Angeles, were announced by Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott.

“Anuja” follows a gifted nine-year-old Anuja, who must make a choice between education and factory work alongside her sister – a decision that will shape both their futures.

It stars Sajda Pathan and Ananya Shanbhag.

The film has two-time Oscar winning producer Guneet Monga on board as executive producer and Hollywood star-writer Mindy Kaling as producer.

It is produced in collaboration with the Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT), a nonprofit founded by filmmaker Mira Nair’s family in support of street and working children, alongside Shine Global, and Krushan Naik Films.

Recently, actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas boarded the project as an executive producer.

Besides “Anuja”, “I Am Ready, Warden” is another movie with an India connect.

Importantly, in 2014, the Office of the Custodian of Enemy Property for India in Mumbai issued a notice declaring the Pataudi family’s properties in Bhopal as “enemy property.”

Later, in 2016, an ordinance by the central government clarified that heirs would have no rights over the concerned enemy properties.

Saif Ali Khan challenged the 2014 notice in the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s principal bench in Jabalpur in 2015 and obtained a stay. However, a decade later, on December 13, 2024, the High Court’s single-judge bench disposed of the petition, consequently vacating the stay.

After the death of Bhopal’s Nawab Hamidullah Khan in 1960, his eldest daughter, Abida Sultan, was considered the heir to the property. However, as she had moved to Pakistan in 1950, the central government declared her second daughter, Sajida Sultan, as the heir to the property.

Sajida, the Nawab Begum of Bhopal, was married to Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, the Nawab of Pataudi (Haryana). Saif Ali Khan reportedly inherited the property, along with the title of Nawab of Bhopal, following the death of his father, Nawab Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the last Nawab of Pataudi, in September 2011. Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi was the son of Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and Sajida Sultan.

By 1967, Dylan was in semi-seclusion, having allegedly broken his neck in a motorcycle accident, and he and the group settled in the artist community in Woodstock that two years later would become world famous thanks to the festival in nearby Bethel. With no album planned, they wrote and played spontaneously in an old pink house outside of town shared by Hudson, Danko and Manuel. Hudson was in charge of the tape machine as Dylan and The Band recorded more than 100 songs, for years available only as bootlegs, that became known as “The Basement Tapes.” Often cited as the foundation of “roots” music and “Americana,” the music varied from old folk, country and Appalachian songs to such new compositions as “Tears of Rage,” “I Shall Be Released” and “This Wheel’s on Fire.”

“There would be an informal discussion, before each recording,’” Hudson told the online publication Something Else! in 2014. “There would be ideas floating around, and the telling of stories. And then we’d go back to the songs.

“We looked for words, phrases and situations that were worth writing about. I think that Bob Dylan showed us discipline, and ageless concern about the quality of his art.”

Dylan resurfaced in late 1967 with the austere “John Wesley Harding,” and the Band debuted soon after with “Music from Big Pink,” its down home sound so radically different from the jams and psychedelic tricks then in fashion that artists from The Beatles to Eric Clapton to the Grateful Dead would cite its influence. The Band followed in 1969 with a self-titled album that many still consider its best and has often been ranked among the greatest rock albums of all time.

Future records included “Stage Fright,” “Cahoots” and “Northern Lights/Southern Cross,” a 1975 album that brought Hudson special praise for his work on the keyboards. A year later, Robertson decided he had tired of live performances, and the Band staged the all-star concert and Martin Scorsese film, “The Last Waltz,” featuring Dylan, Clapton, Neil Young and many others. Tension between Robertson and Helm, who would allege the film unduly elevated Robertson over the others, led to a full breakup before the documentary’s release in 1978.

Hudson played briefly with the English band the Call; appeared with various latter incarnations of the Band, usually featuring Danko, Hudson and Helm; assisted on solo albums by Robertson and Danko; and joined Danko and Helm for a performance of Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” at the Berlin Wall. Other session work included records by Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen and Emmylou Harris.

Hudson also organized his own projects, although his first solo effort, “The Sea to the North,” came out on the day of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In 2005, he formed a 12-piece band called The Best!, with his wife on vocals. “Garth Hudson Presents: A Canadian Celebration of The Band” was a 2010 tribute featuring Neil Young, Bruce Cockburn and other Canadian musicians.

In recent years, Hudson struggled financially. He had sold his interest in the Band to Robertson and went bankrupt several times. He lost one home to foreclosure and saw many of his belongings put up for auction in 2013 when he fell behind on payments for storage. Hudson’s wife, the singer “Sister” Maud Hudson, died in 2022.

The son of musicians, Hudson was born in Windsor, Ontario in 1937 and received formal training at an early age. He was performing on stage and writing before he was even a teenager, although by his early 20s he had soured on classical music and was playing in a rock band, the Capers.

He was the last to join the Band and he worried that his parents would disapprove. The solution was to have Hawkins hire him as a “musical consultant” and pay him $10 extra a week.

“It was a job,” Hudson said of the Band in a 2002 interview with Maclean’s. “Play a stadium, play a theater. My job was to provide arrangements with pads underneath, pads and fills behind good poets. Same poems every night.”

Vineeth Sreenivasan’s much-delayed film Oru Jaathi Jaathakam will be released on January 30, announced the makers on Monday. The film was earlier scheduled to release last year on August 22. It is directed by Katha Parayumbol-fame M Mohanan and scripted by Rakesh Mantodi, best known for penning films like Thira and Godha.

Billed as a comedy entertainer, Oru Jaathi Jaathakam features Vineeth’s Aravindante Adhithikal co-star Nikhila Vimal as the female lead. The film also stars Babu Antony, P P Kunhikrishnan, Mridul Nair, Vidhu Prathap, Sayanora Philip and Kayadu Lohar in prominent roles.

Produced by Maha Subair under the banner of Varnachithra, it has Hridayam cinematographer Viswajit Odukkathil wielding the camera, Ranjan Abraham on the editing table and Guna Balasubramanian composing the music.

Last seen in his own directorial Varshangalkku Shesham, Vineeth will also be playing a prominent role in the upcoming Dileep-starrer Bha Bha Ba, which co-stars his brother Dhyan Sreenivasan as well. The actor-filmmaker is also set to team up with his Hridayam producer Visakh Subramaniam for the third consecutive time with his next directorial.

The critically acclaimed film Thadavu (The Sentence) is set to hit theatres on February 21, the makers announced on Monday. Directed by debutant Fazil Razak, it delves into the solitary life of a middle-aged woman in north Kerala, exploring themes of isolation and resilience.

Fazil won the Best Debut Director award for Thadavu at the 54th Kerala State Film Awards. Alongside him, the film’s lead actor, Beena R Chandran, shared the distinction of Best Actress with veteran actor Urvashi.

Thadavu first gained recognition at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in 2023, where it premiered in the competition section. Fazil won the prestigious Rajata Chakoram for Best Debut Director, while the film also secured the audience poll award for its powerful narrative and cinematic excellence.

On the technical front, Thadavu has cinematography by Mridul S, editing by Vinayak Suthan and background score by Vaisakh Somanath. The film is jointly produced by Fazil, Pramod Dev and Tanvi Gandhi.

In addition to his feature film debut, Fazil has previously directed short films, including Athiru and Pira, both of which were showcased at the 2021 International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK).

Actor Vijay Kumar, known for his role in Bheema, has announced his next project with long-time associate RR Vetri Vel, popularly known as Thambi. Tentatively titled VK 30, the film marks a reunion with KP Sreekanth, who previously collaborated with Vijay on Salaga.

Unlike Salaga, which was Vijay’s directorial debut, this time, he will focus exclusively on acting, entrusting Thambi to direct.

VK 30, backed by Geetha Shivarajkumar, is being produced under the Venus Entertainers banner. The film’s poster teases the return of the successful Salaga and Bheema team, featuring music by Charan Raj, dialogues by Masthi, and cinematography by Shiv Sena.

Currently, Vijay Kumar is busy filming Landlord with director Jadeshaa K Hampi. In the movie, Vijay plays the role of Rachayya, sharing the screen with Rachita Ram and Raj B Shetty. Once Landlord wraps up, Vijay will commence shooting for VK 30.

Actor Dharma Keerthiraj, known for his stint on Bigg Boss, is returning to his passion—acting—with his upcoming film, Harry. Directed by Surya Kiran and Arun Surya, the film is a murder mystery infused with suspense and thrills.

Produced by Prashanth H E under Daivika Cine Creations, Harry explores an intriguing narrative about the unpredictability of human behaviour and the unforeseen consequences it can lead to.

Dharma Keerthiraj, who gained recognition with roles in Navagraha, Lambani (2018)—which earned international acclaim—and Anivarya (2019), celebrated at the Kolkata Film Festival, is making a strong comeback after a brief hiatus.

The film stars Preethi as the female lead, alongside Nawaz, Ashok Kerwatti, Kiran, and Prem. The technical team includes Shasht on music, Gagan handling cinematography, Srinivas as the editor, and action sequences choreographed by Kungfu Chandru.

Filming has taken place in picturesque locations like Madikeri and Chikmagalur, with two songs and an action sequence scheduled for completion soon. The film is set to release in Kannada and Telugu, ensuring a wider audience reach. The makers are gearing up to release the teaser soon, with an official announcement of the theatrical release date expected to follow.

The actor believes that apart from the film having a good storyline, it is important for it to do good business as well. After all, money makes it easier to carry forward your passion. “I’m not ignorant about money. Filmmaking has to be a perfect mix of art and business. Eventually, it has to benefit me and my team. We need to grow together. The dynamics of this industry demand you to deliver a hit,” says Mukundan.

With films like Pushpa 2 and Game Changer, it is clear that Telugu films are doing excellent business. However, the Malyalam films with substantially good content don’t do as well nationally or internationally. “I disagree with this. I think Malyalam films are doing well. My friend Prithviraj’s film Goat Life has done very well.

Though it’s not even a mainstream film, it went on to make Rs 150 crore. Also, we shouldn’t compete with any industry. We should praise good content coming from any industry. The reason that Marco is doing well despite being a highly violent film is because earlier films from the Telugu industry have built the foundation for audiences liking such content. No industry exists in a silo,” he says.

With the film being hailed as the first Malayalam movie to enter the `100-crore club in 2025, Mukundan’s role as co-producer of the film becomes even more significant. “It has been a journey of 13 years. I did not start as a producer; it happened at a later stage of my career. Likewise, working in an action film did not happen overnight. It has taken time for me to make it up to this level professionally.

I have experienced ups and downs in my career. All this was possible only because of the love and support of my folks and my fans. I never take anything for granted. This film released on 30 screens only. Thanks to its popularity, it is now going to release on 300 screens. It’s a huge thing for me as a co-producer. Ultimately, I have to give my audience good content,” smiles Mukundan.

How do you explain to a five-year-old what it feels like to go blind? As Edith Pelletier grapples with the challenge of giving an honest yet meaningful answer to one of her three inquisitive children who will soon lose their sight due to an incurable genetic condition, she gently says, “Imagine having your eyes closed all the time…”

Edith and Sebastien are parents to four kids—Mia, Leo, Colin, and Laurent—three of whom have been diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition where the retina deteriorates over time. The wide-eyed little ones brush off the term as gibberish they can laugh about, but for the parents, their lives have changed in the blink of an eye—quite literally.

The documentary, which begins after the kids’ diagnosis, establishes early on how blindness is a spectrum, with everyone experiencing it differently. From night blindness to tunnel vision to the loss of central vision, blindness leaves room for some light. For these kids, the first loss is their night vision, depriving them of simple joys like stargazing. This becomes the heart of the film, as the Pelletier family channels their pain into sharing endless happiness by filling their kids’ visual memory.

Blink brilliantly places the audience as a fly on the wall, with the creators deftly capturing the family’s emotional rollercoaster as they work to create hundreds of snapshot-worthy memories. At one moment, they are riding camels in Egypt; at another, they are deep in the Amazon rainforest. The family scratches items off their bucket list one by one, travelling to several countries, eating exotic fruits, learning new languages, and hiking in the Himalayas.

Distancing herself from the ‘nepo-baby’ tag may not be easy for Hollywood actor Lily-Rose Depp. Born to Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, the 25-year-old actor debuted in Kevin Smith’s Tusk in the year 2014. The following year, she became the face of the iconic brand Chanel.

Her relationship with the fashion world has grown strong over the years. However, her recent performance in Robert Eggers’ gothic reimagining of Nosferatu is getting her the attention of critics and audiences.

Is it true that playing the role of Ellen in Nosferatu left you with nightmares?

That is true. I would say this was probably the most demanding role I have ever played, both physically and emotionally, so by the end it did take a lot out of me. So yeah, this is a character that did linger with me for a little while, but that’s what you dream of as an actor. Ellen has so many layers; she’s so complex. It’s everything I dreamed of in a role.

There is some real Oscar buzz around Nosferatu. How does it feel to be part of that?

I think that comes with a filmmaker as talented as Robert Eggers. This is his vision. I’m just so grateful to be a small part of it and for people to see this film. But the fact that it is already resonating with so many is really exciting. I know everyone involved with making this movie is proud of it.

What was it that first made you want to be a part of this film?

The first thing was the chance to work with Robert Eggers, a director I have always wanted to work with. It could have been any role, any script, and the answer would have been yes, but it just happened to be something as iconic as Nosferatu. It’s a story I knew and have always been fond of, but then when I read this script and understood how this is the story of Nosferatu through the eyes of Ellen Hutter, I was really so excited at the prospect of playing the role and being part of what is a really scary and twisted love story. It felt like a dream come true.

Plowright made her feature film debut with an uncredited turn in American director John Huston’s epic adaptation of Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick” in 1956, starring Gregory Peck as the obsessed Captain Ahab.

A year later, she co-starred with her future husband Olivier in the original London production of Osborne’s “The Entertainer.” She played Olivier’s daughter in the work and the two reunited for the 1960 film adaptation.

By then, Plowright’s marriage to British actor Roger Cage had ended, as had Olivier’s 20-year union with Vivien Leigh. Plowright and Olivier were married in Connecticut in 1961, while both were starring on Broadway, he in “Becket” and she in “A Taste of Honey,” for which she won a Tony.

One love letter Olivier sent summed up his love: “I sometimes feel such a peacefulness come over me when I think of you, or write to you — a gentle tenderness and serenity. A feeling devoid of all violence, passion or shattering longing… it makes me go out into the street with a smile on my face and in my heart for everybody.”

Olivier died in 1989 at the age of 82. After that, Plowright enjoyed a career resurgence at the age of 60, satisfying both upmarket tastes and more commercial fare.

She was in Franco Zeffirelli’s version of Charlotte Brontë’s “Jane Eyre” in 1996 and the Merchant-Ivory production of “Surviving Picasso,” as well as starring as the stalwart nanny in Disney’s live-action remake of “101 Dalmatians” in 1996 with Glenn Close.

She starred opposite Walter Matthau in the big screen adaptation of the classic comic strip “Dennis the Menace,” and made a brief appearance in the Arnold Schwarzenegger self-referencing satire “Last Action Hero” in 1993.

Plowright became one of only a handful of actors to win two Golden Globes in the same year, in 1993, when she won the supporting actress TV award for “Stalin” and the supporting actress movie award for “Enchanted April.” For the latter, which told the story of a group of Britons finding their lives transformed on a vacation to Italy, she received her sole nomination for an Academy Award.

Not all her works were career roses, as with the disastrous “The Scarlet Letter” starring Demi Moore and a pilot that went nowhere for a TV series based on “Driving Miss Daisy.” An appearance alongside Chevy Chase in the 2011 holiday family comedy “Goose on the Loose” didn’t rouse critics.

A prominent role in later life was keeper of the Olivier flame — bestowing awards, defending her husband in the press and curating his letters.

“That is my choice because I was privileged to live with him,” she told The Daily Telegraph in 2003. “When someone who has had such fame and idolatry and worship goes, then there’s bound to be a backlash which comes the other way and you get a bit sick of that. Mine was really trying to put things straight.”

Plowright is survived by her three children — Tamsin, Richard and Julie-Kate, all actors, and several grandchildren.

NEW YORK: The 2025 Grammy Awards are right around the corner, which means it is time to get those viewing party plans in action. Allow us to help.

The 67th annual Grammy Awards will still take place Sunday, Feb. 2, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles — though the Recording Academy has refocused its aim to support relief efforts following the devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires.

Here’s what you need to know about watching the 2025 Grammys, including how to stream and where you can see music’s biggest stars walking the red carpet.

When does the Grammys start and how can I watch?

The main show will air live on CBS and Paramount+ beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern. Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers can also watch live and on demand.

How do I stream the Grammys?

The Grammys can also be watched through live TV streaming services that include CBS in their lineup, like Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV and FuboTV.

Paramount+ subscribers will be able to stream the Grammy Awards the day after the ceremony.

How can I watch the red carpet?

The Associated Press will stream a three-hour red carpet show with interviews and fashion footage. It will be streamed on YouTube and APNews.com.

Who is nominated for the Grammys?

Beyoncé leads the Grammy nods with 11, bringing her career total to 99 nominations. That makes her the most nominated artist in Grammy history.

As of 2023, she’s also the most decorated artist, having earned 32 trophies across her career.

Post Malone, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Charli XCX follow with seven nominations.

Taylor Swift and first-time nominees Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan boast six nominations each.

How will the Los Angeles-area wildfires affect the Grammys?

The 2025 Grammy Awards will go on as planned but will focus its attention on wildfire relief efforts.

Each year, the Recording Academy hosts a multitude of events to welcome the music industry during Grammy week; record labels do the same. However, many institutions have canceled their plans — Universal Music Group, BMG and Warner Music Group among them — and instead are allocating resources to Los Angeles-area wildfire relief and rebuilding efforts.

On Wednesday, the Recording Academy announced it had condensed pre-Grammy week plans to just four events, each featuring a fundraising element.

Events like the annual pre-Grammy Black Music Collective event, Grammy advocacy brunch, and others scheduled to take place at the immersive pop-up Grammy house have been canceled. In all, at least 16 pre-Grammy events sponsored by the Recording Academy have been canceled.

“We understand how devastating this past week has been on this city and its people. This is our home, it’s home to thousands of music professionals, and many of us have been negatively impacted,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said in a statement.

Last week, the Recording Academy and MusiCares launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort with a $1 million donation. According to the letter, thanks to additional contributions, they’ve already distributed $2 million in emergency aid.

How is the broader music industry responding to the fires?

Universal Music Group, one of the big three major record labels, has canceled all of its Grammy-related events. Those include its annual artist showcase, held on Saturday, and its after-party on the Sunday of Grammy week. Instead, it will redirect those funds to wildfire relief.

BMG will no longer host its pre-Grammy party and a representative for Warner Music Group confirmed to The Associated Press that the major label will not host a party this year and are instead “redirecting funds to support efforts.” Earlier this week, WMG and the Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund pledged $1 million to Los Angeles area fire relief and rebuilding efforts.

Sony Music Group confirmed it has canceled its events during Grammy week and after the ceremony and will instead redirect efforts and money to local relief efforts.

MusiCares, an organization that helps music professionals who need financial, personal or medical assistance, holds its annual Persons of the Year benefit gala at the Los Angeles Convention Center a few days before the Grammys. The 2025 gala will still take place on Jan. 31, this year honoring the Grateful Dead with an additional commitment to wildfire relief.

“At our upcoming Persons of the Year, we will make a special appeal for donations to support our wildfire relief efforts,” according to an email sent by the Recording Academy to its members on Tuesday.

CHANDIGARH: The cinemas and multiplexes across Punjab on Friday were forced to cancel the screening of Kangana Ranaut-starrer Emergency following protests by various Sikh organization and farmers’ bodies.

Kangana plays the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the film. The film’s release was earlier delayed after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) sought several cuts in the movie after Sikh groups raised concerns over the portrayal of the community.

On Thursday, SGPC had demanded that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ban its screening in Punjab. In a letter to Mann, SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami said the movie was a “calculated attempt to distort history and harm Sikh sentiments” and warned that releasing it could provoke outrage within the Sikh community.

The protesters claimed that the movie hurt the sentiments of the Sikhs and provoked outrage in the community.

The members of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) protested against the movie outside the cinemas in Amritsar.

Also, there were protests outside cinemas in Bathinda, Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur.

The members of one of the factions of farmer union BKU gathered outside Dhillon Plaza and Cosmo Plaza in Zirakpur in SAS Nagar district near Chandigarh and protested alleging that Kangana Ranaut used vulgar language against them during the ongoing farmers’ protest and in the movie, facts have been twisted to defame the Sikh community.

A member of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) said that the history of the Sikh religion and the incidents of 1984 were depicted in the movie in a distorted manner. He demanded the movie to be banned.

Meanwhile, Kangana reacted to the protests saying it as a “complete harassment of art and the artist.” She also slammed the “propaganda” to tarnish her image.

In a significant time jump post-intermission, Siddharth looks to be a different man with a poised demeanour, almost having shed all his buzzing energy. Shriya has her focus steady and it is refreshing to see that her priorities remain the same. Her character almost feels like the older, secure, version of Nithya Menen’s Tara in O Kadhal Kanmani. However, when Shriya and Siddharth’s lines cross again, it happens too soon, and too easily. A person vehemently opposing the birth of a child suddenly becomes a father figure. The justification for this is thrown to the magic that love begets.

The interesting conversations that could have emerged out of the film’s own themes like childbirth, free will, and choice, are swept away for good. Ironically, this somehow works in the film’s favour, but you would also like for a film to closely examine the themes it presents. The film still carries several merits for fleshing out a realistic contemporary romantic story but strangely remains uninterested in delving deep into its themes. Despite having a film beaming with potential, bolstered by equally justifying performance from Ravi and Nithya, the makers resort to a few body shaming jokes like Jalaja (Vinodhini) describing Nirupama (TJ Bhanu) as a ‘thodappakuchi’ (broomstick).

One of the biggest assets to Kadhalikka Neramillai is AR Rahman himself. ‘Yennai Izhukkuthadi’, which continues to top streaming charts, reverberates beautifully in theatres. It has been a while since we’ve heard a background score that is refreshing in its conception and runs seamlessly to suit this new-age story that could very well be the start of a new genre of movies that swears by its relatability to newer audiences.

With Tamil audiences staring at overused tropes of evidently over-the-top twists and turns, Kadhalikka Neramillai steps back and asks itself a poignant question, ‘How do we treat this film that prioritises the agency of a woman?’, ‘How do we present an idea that probes the existing status quo?’ It is a film that dares to take its audience on a familiar yet revamped route, towards a new and interesting space that might not suit everyone’s idea of a destination, one that is not bound by the confines of societal expectations or time.

Director: Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi

Cast: Ravi Mohan, Nithya Menen, TJ Bhanu, Vinay Rai, John Kokken, Vinodhini Vaidynathan

Rating : 3/5

Arvindh Srinivasan, who is back to the director’s chair after the 2022 Arulnithi-starrer Dejavu, reveals that his recent film Tharunam started during a conversation with an old friend. He says, “One day, a friend of 18 years, whom I worked with in IT, came to meet me for a casual conversation.

He asked me about my next commitments; I told him I had different ideas, and he immediately volunteered to help turn one of them into a film. We did not know it would be Tharunam back then.” The filmmaker adds, “Everything happens momentarily in life and the film, hence the title, Tharunam.”

Starring Kishen Das, Smruthi Venkat, and Raj Ayyappa,Tharunam is a romance drama. On why he chose to shift genres after making an intense thriller Dejavu, the director explains, “I got many similar offers, but I declined them because I do not want to be branded a thriller director.” However, Arvindh does not think Tharunam is a big shift in genre.

“Tharunam starts as a conventional drama, then enters into a romantic zone, and proceeds towards a completely new territory towards the end,” he shares. According to the filmmaker, this is a day and age where a love story with a direct screenplay structure will not reach a majority of audiences. Emphasising the unexpected elements in the film, he asserts, “Each film should be told in a unique way. I enjoy films that are structured like puzzles and do not reveal the story in a straightforward manner. I am often asked whether it is necessary to make something complicated, but that excites me and that excitement spills over to my team as well.”

KOCHI: Even as a large crowd gathered outside the Ernakulam District Jail in Kakkanad, businessman Boby Chemmanur — who was granted bail by the High Court around 4pm — failed to secure release from the jail on Tuesday. The jail authorities said they did not receive the certified copy of the bail order, making it impossible to release the accused.

Boby’s lawyers had time till 7pm to approach the jail authorities with the bail order, said Ernakulam District Jail superintendent Raju Abraham.

“We usually allow an extension of 15 to 20 minutes, considering factors like traffic or other delays. They also had the option of informing us that they had secured bail and of requesting us to wait, but they failed to notify us within the allotted time. If they approach us with the order tomorrow (Wednesday), we will proceed accordingly,” the jail superintendent said.

According to reports, Chemmanur cited solidarity with prisoners who are unable to get released due to technicalities as a reason for his decision.

The officer denied having any knowledge of Boby planning to remain in jail as a form of protest in support of other custodial suspects. Though TNIE reached out to his lawyers, they did not respond.

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday ticked off prominent businessman Boby Chemmanur for refusing to come out of jail after getting bail a day ago in a sexual harassment filed by Malayalam actor Honey Rose.

Irked by the businessman’s conduct, Justice P V Kunhikrishnan warned Chemmanur not to “play games with the High Court” and said if bail was granted, it can be cancelled also.

The High Court also sought an explanation by 12 pm from Chemmanur as to why he did not come out after getting bail.

The High Court said that the bail order was uploaded on its website by 4.08 pm on Tuesday and the release order was issued by 4.45 pm.

“Why was he retained in jail after that?” it asked.

The prosecution told the High Court that the release order was not produced by Chemmanur’s lawyers in the prison and that is why he was not let out.

The prosecution also told the court that the businessman claimed he was not coming out as there were several remand prisoners in jail who could not come out despite getting bail as they did not have the money to execute the bond.

Irked by the development, the High Court said, “You (Chemmanur) need not take the vakalat of the remand prisoners. The High Court and the judiciary are there to take care of them. Don’t play drama with the court. He wants media attention and is creating stories by keeping the release order in his pocket. Why should his bail not be cancelled?” Justice Kunhikrishnan said that if he granted bail to the businessman, he can cancel it also.

On Monday, Tovino Thomas announced that his upcoming political drama Narivetta, directed by Ishq-fame Anuraj Manohar, has completed shooting. The actor described the film as demanding yet rewarding, with filming spanning 65 days. He recounted that the shoot began in Kuttanad, Kavalam, Pulinkunnu, and Changanassery, navigating paddy fields and backwaters. It later moved to Wayanad’s forested terrains.

Though physically taxing, the actor reflected on the camaraderie within the crew and called the experience memorable. He also stated that the film tackles “a subject that needs to be spoken about boldly” and is designed to provoke thought while entertaining audiences.

Narivetta, reportedly based on real incidents, is the scripting debut of short-story writer and Sahitya Akademi winner Abin Joseph. Besides Tovino, the film features Tamil actor-director Cheran in his Malayalam debut, alongside Suraj Venjaramoodu, Arya Salim, Priyamvadha Krishnan and Rini Udayakumar. On the technical front, it has music by Jakes Bejoy, editing by Shameer Muhammed and cinematography by Vijay. Narivetta is produced by Tippu Shah and Shiyas Hassan under the banner of Indian Film Company.

Tovino was last seen in Akhil Paul and Anas Khan’s Identity, alongside Trisha and Vinay Rai. The ARM actor’s upcoming slate includes Prithviraj Sukumaran’s L2: Empuraan, slated for March 27, debutant Shilpa Alexander’s Avaran and Saiju Sreedharan’s Munpe. Additionally, he is producing Marana Mass, headlined by Basil Joseph.

KOCHI: Amidst the celebrations of his action thriller movie Marco making waves across the country, and minting Rs 100 crore in gross collection, actor Unni Mukundan has announced his decision to step down from the post of treasurer of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA).

The actor cites the pressure of professional life as the reason for stepping down from the responsibility.

“After much thought and reflection, I have made the difficult decision to step down from my role as the Treasurer (AMMA). I have truly enjoyed my time in this position, and it has been both an exciting and rewarding experience. However, in recent months, the increasing demands of my work, particularly with Marco and other production commitments, have significantly impacted my mental health. Balancing these responsibilities, along with the pressures of my professional life, has become overwhelming. I now realize the importance of stepping back to focus on my well-being and that of my family,” he said in a social media post.

“While I have always given my best in serving this role, I recognize that I can no longer fulfill my duties effectively given the growing commitments ahead. It is with a heavy heart that I submit my resignation. I will, however, continue to serve until a new member is appointed, ensuring a smooth transition,” said Unni Mukundan.

Expressing his gratitude towards the fraternity for their trust and support, he wished his successor every success in handling the responsibility.

Claude Jarman Jr., who received a Juvenile Academy Award for his heart-tugging performance as the boy who adopts an orphaned fawn in the 1946 MGM classic The Yearling, has passed away.

Jarman was 90 when he breathed his last recently. His wife Katie told The Hollywood Reporter that Claude Jarman Jr. died in his sleep of natural causes at his Marin County home in Kentfield, California.

In films released in 1949, Jarman “starred with Jeanette MacDonald in the Lassie movie The Sun Comes Up, played the brother of a rancher on the run (Robert Sterling) in Roughshod and reteamed with Yearling director Clarence Brown to portray a youngster out to prove the innocence of a Black man in Intruder in the Dust, based on the William Faulkner novel and filmed in Oxford, Mississippi.”

At the 1947 Oscars, Jarman was presented with his Juvenile Academy Award from Shirley Temple at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. He was the seventh youngster to get the miniature trophy, 12 years after Temple was the first.

Jarman also produced a 1972 documentary about music promoter Bill Graham and the Fillmore Auditorium and acted one last time in the 1978-79 NBC miniseries Centennial.

His book, My Life and the Final Days of Hollywood, was published in 2018.

He is survived by his wife, his children, Claude III, Murray, Elizabeth, Vanessa, Natalie, Sarah and Charlotte, and eight grandchildren.

Ever since Girls Will Be Girls released on Prime Video, writer-director Shuchi Talati has been inundated with messages from the audience—some of them telling her that it took them back to their teenage years; others mentioning that they are finally seeing their mothers in a new light. For a film that has already garnered awards and accolades at international film festivals, including the World Cinema Dramatic (Audience) at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, is it even a surprise that it is winning hearts as well?

Talati’s directorial feature is a thoughtful coming-of-age drama about Mira, who is a teenager, her sexual awakening, rebellion, and sometimes strained relationship with her mother. “It comes from having felt all the feelings that these characters are feeling. We are all familiar with the school environment and the type of policing that takes place once you become a teenager.

Also, just being ashamed of being in your first relationship or the complicated feelings when you are a prefect and have to snitch on your friends because you want the teacher’s validation but you also want your friend to like you,” she elaborates. Since Talati is closer in age to Anila (the mother in the film, portrayed wonderfully by Kani Kusruti), the filmmaker also relates to the choices she makes. “I usually write from a place I feel deeply about and then I find the plot for it,” she smiles.

Talati believes, to have a female gaze helps, as most stories about sexual awakening end up sexualising the protagonist. “I wanted it to look real and raw and yet not exploitative. The other important thing was to focus on the emotions. For me, the most vulnerable moments in intimate scenes are not when someone touches or kisses but in the insecurities they have about their body.

NEW DELHI: Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut hosted a special screening of her upcoming film Emergency for Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Gadkari watched the political drama, featuring Ranaut as former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, in Nagpur on Saturday.

Directed, produced and written by Ranaut, Emergency also stars Anupam Kher. The film, which was mired in controversy, will be released in theatres on January 17.

In an X post, Gadkari urged people to watch the movie which portrays “a significant period in India’s history”.

“Joined the special screening of the movie Emergency, featuring @KanganaTeam Ji and Shri @AnupamPKhe Ji, in Nagpur today. I wholeheartedly thank the filmmakers and actors for presenting the dark chapter of our nation’s history with such authenticity and excellence,” the Union minister wrote.

Ranaut re-shared Gadkari’s post on the microblogging site and expressed her gratitude.

“Thank you so much for your precious time sir,” she wrote.

Kher, who plays the role of Jaiprakash Narayan in Emergency, said the response to the first special screening of the film was “exhilarating”.

“I also watched the complete film for the first time. OUTSTANDING! The world, especially the younger Indian generation, should watch it for many reasons. For the technical BRILLIANCE of the crew! For the WONDERFUL performances of each and every actor (Including mine)” he said.

You are working with a youngster like Utkarsh Sharma. What was the experience like?

Utkarsh Sharma may be a newcomer and younger than me, but he has performed excellently. He is young, so I put no pressure on him. He plays a vagabond guide, but he changes with time and has used the Banarasi dialect so well. We take time picking up a new dialect, but he has done it brilliantly.

You have shifted to the outskirts of the city now. Don’t you miss the glamour of the city?

I used to miss my childhood days, so I have shifted out of the city. We are fortunate to hear the birds chirping in the mornings. If people like to watch me on screen, they will go to the cinemas to watch my films.

You have become selective with roles; what do you look for in scripts now?

I am not selective, but I don’t like most of the scripts. If they give me a good film, I will certainly accept it. I am a common man, and I listen to the narration. If the story appeals to me and I feel that the common man will love to watch the film, I go ahead with the film. I don’t believe in the concept of making films for the niche or the intellectual audience. Films are meant for everybody, like my last film, Welcome.

Will we see you doing the next Welcome series?

I have refused, and so has Anil Kapoor. You should have the guts to say no to a bad script. What will I lose by saying no? Just money. I have already earned a lot. How much more will I accumulate now?

Is this role in any way similar to your character in the Marathi film Natasamrat?

No, it’s very different. The only similarity is that I have played a father’s role in both the films. The genres are completely different.

Do you take time to come out of a character?

I am a switch-on and-off kind of actor. When I am on the sets, I immerse myself in a role completely, but when the shooting is over, I leave my character then and there. With Vanvaas, it was a little difficult. I took time because it was an emotional character. But I can’t take the character home.

LONDON: Ed Sheeran wants people to take music in schools seriously.

The British singer-songwriter has set up a foundation to ensure that kids in the UK get access to “high-quality” music education.

Sheeran started writing songs from a young age, after encouragement from a teacher, and says he wants to help plug the gap left by reduced arts funding. To support the launch of the foundation, the Grammy-winner is visiting schools and youth groups in Cardiff, Coventry, Edinburgh and Belfast.

Addressing a group of pupils in Wales on Thursday, alongside his songwriting partner Amy Wadge, Sheeran said that music should be treated as a legitimate career option.

“Britain has this sort of thing where it’s pushing people towards being bankers or like working in tech or finance or like all this sort of stuff,” said Sheeran.

“We’ve basically just come here today being like, We’ve done it. We both came from state school education and all that takes is you guys having confidence built in you by the teachers around you,” he added.

Sheeran has a special connection with Wales: as a teenager, he visited Wadge in the Welsh capital, Cardiff, to work on his songs, an experience he described as a “key stage” of his life.

He treated pupils to a performance of one of his biggest hits, “Shape of You” and also duetted with young musicians at a Cardiff youth group.

So far the Ed Sheeran Foundation says it has supported 18 grassroots music education organizations or state school music departments, which will improve access to instruments and lessons for 12,000 children.

The organization says it also aims to advocate for the “essential role” of music teachers and the way music can transform the lives of young people.

11.  Wings Of Desire (1987) – The film has achieved cult status all around the world and marked Wenders’ “homecoming” as it was his first German film after eight years in America.

12.  Until The End Of The World – Director’s Cut (1994) – is “the ultimate road movie,” a journey around the globe, a modern- day odyssey – and it certainly bears similarities to Homer’s saga. 

13.  The End Of Violence (1997) – Wim Wenders’ webbed exploration of an image saturated Los Angeles is a thought­ provoking analysis of human brutality.

14.  Buena Vista Social Club (1999) – The music documentary became a cinematic sensation and an international success and was nominated for an Oscar.

15.  The Million Dollar Hotel (2000) – Based on an idea by rockstar Bono of U2 fame, the film is a story about friendship and deception – and about the immeasurable power of unconditional  love.  

16.  Don’t Come Knocking (2005) – Hollywood star Howard Spence has seen better days. After another night of debauchery, he flees the set of his latest Western, riding away into the open prairie like one of the heroes he so often portrayed.

17.  Pina (3D) (2011) – Oscar-nominated Pina is a feature-length dance film in 3D with the ensemble of the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, featuring the unique and inspiring art of the great German choreographer, who died in the summer of 2009.

18.  Anselm (3D) (2023) – Wim Wenders creates a portrait of Anselm Kiefer, one of the most innovative and important painters and sculptors of our time. Shot in 3D and 6K-resolution, the film presents a cinematic experience of the artist’s work which explores human existence and the cyclical nature of history, inspired by literature, poetry, philosophy, science, mythology and religion.

It is through Vivek Gopinathan, a disgraced cop played by Asif Ali, that we see the film unravel the mystery of who the victim truly was. Asif is no stranger to wearing the police uniform, but Vivek isn’t the tormented officer from Kuttavum Shikshayum, the morally upright protagonist of Thalavan, or the cunning Giri from Kooman. He’s a flawed, determined man trying to piece his life back together while chasing a case that could redeem him. Asif’s portrayal balances vulnerability with grit, especially as his investigation leads him deeper into the world surrounding the victim.

The emotional core of the film lies in exploring the life of the victim, played beautifully by Anaswara Rajan, who exudes an old-world charm. The mystery isn’t just about uncovering the killer; it’s about uncovering her character. Who was she? What did she dream of? What led her to that tragic end? These questions are answered with a delicate balance of heartbreak and intrigue.

There’s also a standout performance from another actor that can’t be discussed without spoilers, but suffice it to say, it’s one of the film’s best surprises. Paired with this is the brief yet brilliant placement of Ouseppachan-ONV Kurup’s classic melody, ‘Nee En Sargasoundaryame’, from Kathodu Kathoram, another nostalgic nod that contrasts the scene’s mood perfectly in the background. Mujeeb Majeed’s score also complements the narrative, enhancing the emotional tone without ever overshadowing it, a refreshing change from the often overpowering musical cues of many recent films with big reveals.

The film’s visual storytelling also deserves high praise. Appu Prabhakar’s cinematography effectively captures the contrast between the warmth of the 1980s and the sharper tones of the present. The transitions between timelines, too, feel seamless, thanks in large part to Shameer Muhammad’s editing. However, the first act could have benefited from tighter pacing, as it takes a while to reveal the film’s true USP. Once the story shifts to its film-centric meta layer, the narrative finds its rhythm and never lets go. While Rekhachithram dazzles with its meta brilliance, it isn’t immune to nitpicks. There are moments where the investigative elements rely on convenient coincidences. Also, a couple of action beats seem inserted solely to showcase Asif’s star power—one works, the other doesn’t. But these are minor blemishes in an otherwise compelling narrative.

Ultimately, Rekhachithram is more than a murder mystery. By blending nostalgia and meta-commentary, Jofin has delivered a film that rewards both cinephiles and mystery lovers alike. It may not be perfect, but its imperfections are overshadowed by its ambition and heart, offering a poignant reminder of the magic of Malayalam cinema’s yesteryears.

Film: Rekhachithram 

Cast: Asif Ali, Anaswara Rajan, Manoj K Jayan, Siddique, Megha Thomas, Indrans, Harisree Ashokan

Director: Jofin T Chacko

Rating: 3.5/5

Hilton posted a news video clip on Instagram and said it included footage of her destroyed home in Malibu. “This home was where we built so many precious memories. It’s where Phoenix took his first steps and where we dreamed of building a lifetime of memories with London,” she said, referencing her young children.”

Elwes, the star of “The Princess Bride” and numerous other films, wrote on Instagram Wednesday that his family was safe but their home had burned in the coastal Palisades fire. “Sadly we did lose our home but we are grateful to have survived this truly devastating fire,” Elwes wrote.

Awards season upended

The blazes have thrown Hollywood’s carefully orchestrated awards season into disarray.

Awards ceremonies planned for this weekend have been postponed due to the fires. The AFI Awards, which were set to honor “Wicked,” “Anora” and other awards season contenders, had been scheduled for Friday.

The AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, which honor movies and television shows that resonate with older audiences, were set for Friday but have been postponed.

The Critics Choice Awards, originally scheduled for Sunday, have been postponed until Feb. 26.

Each of the shows feature projects that are looking for any advantage they can get in the Oscar race and were scheduled during the Academy Awards voting window.

The Oscar nominations are also being delayed two days to Jan. 19 and the film academy has extended the voting window to accommodate members affected by the fires.

History lost, and more in danger

Flames burned parts of the Palisades Charter High School, which has been featured in many Hollywood productions including the 1976 horror movie “Carrie,” the 2003 remake of “Freaky Friday” and the TV series “Teen Wolf.”

The Palisades fire also destroyed the historic ranch house that belonged to Hollywood legend Will Rogers. It was among multiple structures destroyed at both Will Rogers State Historic Park and Topanga State Park. The historic Topanga Ranch Motel, built by William Randolph Hearst in 1929, also burned down.

Rogers’ ranch, built on land he bought in the 1920s, occupied some 359 acres in what is now Pacific Palisades. It included a 31-room ranch house, a stable, golf course and riding trails. His wife donated it to California State Parks in 1944.

The Hollywood Hills fire is burning close to several Hollywood landmarks, including the Walk of Fame, TCL Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Bowl.

The Kannada film industry is no stranger to supernatural thrillers, but Choo Mantar promises to elevate the genre with its chilling atmosphere, intense performances, and technical finesse, according to the cast.

Directed by Navaneeth, known for his success with Karvva, this supernatural horror film boasts an ensemble cast featuring Sharan, Chikkanna, Meghana Gaonkar, Aditi Prabhudeva, Prabhu Mundkur, and newcomer Kiran.

Choo Mantar is slated for release on January 10 and is produced by Manasa Tarun and Tarun Shivappa under the Tarun Studios banner. The film aims to push the boundaries of horror in Kannada cinema, delivering a gripping and immersive experience.

The film, which blends suspense, eerie encounters, and supernatural themes, promises a thrilling cinematic experience. One of its most striking elements is the cinematography by Anup Kattukaran, whose work, coupled with the haunting sound design by Resul Pookutty, has raised high expectations. Meghana, Aditi, Prabhu Mundkur, and Kiran have shared their experiences about the film and how it will keep audiences on the edge of their seats.

Portraying fear convincingly is no easy task: Meghana Gaonkar

Meghana Gaonkar, who plays a pivotal role in Choo Mantar, steps into the shoes of a wife and mother residing in a haunted bungalow with her husband, played by Prabhu Mundkur, and their child. As supernatural forces loom over their lives, Meghana’s character must navigate the harrowing ordeal of confronting and expressing fear.

Reflecting on her experience, Meghana acknowledges the difficulty of authentically portraying fear. “It’s a challenging role because fear is something you must convey convincingly. Personally, I’m terrified of watching horror films—especially alone—but as an actor, you have to bring that fear to life on screen,” she shares.

Kunchacko Boban is set to team up with director Arun Varma, who made his directorial debut with the Suresh Gopi-starrer Garudan (2023), for a new film titled Baby Girl. Also confirmed as a thriller, the upcoming film is scripted by Bobby-Sanjay. The writer duo earlier collaborated with Kunchacko Boban in films like Traffic, How Old Are You, School Bus, and Mohan Kumar Fans (story).

Baby Girl, produced by Listin Stephen’s Magic Frames, is planned to go on floors soon. The film also stars Lijomol Jose, Premalu-fame Sangeeth Prathap and Abhimanyu Thilakan in prominent roles. Abhimanyu is noted for his performance as one of the ruthless villains in Unni Mukundan’s Marco. More details regarding Baby Girl’s supporting cast and technical crew are awaited.

Kunchacko Boban will be next seen in Officer on Duty, a cop thriller directed by Jithu Ashraf and scripted by Shahi Kabir. Though confirmed as a February release, an exact date has not yet been announced. The actor is also part of Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval’s Oru Durooha Saahacharyathil and Mahesh Narayanan’s upcoming film, which also stars Mammootty, Mohanlal and Fahadh Faasil.

Actor Ajith Kumar, who is gearing up for the upcoming Dubai 24 Hours, also called the 24H Dubai 2025, had his Porsche crash during the training session.

The actor was said to have been driving at a speed of 180 KMH, according to his publicist Suresh Chandra, while sustaining the crash. However, Ajith has escaped the accident unhurt.

It is quite known that the actor owns a racing team, Ajith Kumar Racing, comprising Mathieu Detry, Fabian Duffieux and Cameron McLeod. Duffieux is the team’s manager.

Suryah also spoke about his experience working with Ram Charan, who headlines Game Changer in a double role. “Charan garu is a sincere actor and a complete director’s actor. His role as Appanna will be one of the highlights of the film. He performed with dedication and brought depth to the character,” Suryah said.

The actor also recalled a memorable moment with Charan during the shoot in Mysore. “One day, after we wrapped up, he invited me to his room and offered me food. He said he was happy with my performance that day. He is a such sweet man,” Suryah revealed.

When asked about the statement he made at Game Changer’s pre-release about the similarities between Ram Charan’s character in the film and Pawan Kalyan’s real-life persona, Suryah responded in the affirmative. He said, “Both of them want to serve their country and would go to any extent for it. That’s the similarity.”

Suryah also reflected on his previous collaborations with Pawan Kalyan, particularly Kushi. On whether there is a chance of working on a sequel, he said, “In the past, we discussed Kushi 2. But now, he is on a different path, serving the people. With God’s grace, it might happen in the future.”

Suryah has dubbed for his role in Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi, which he described as a fulfilling experience. Talking about that, he shared, “Dubbing in Hindi was challenging. Please watch the film in Hindi too.”

The scale of Game Changer is another aspect that excited Suryah. He praised producer Dil Raju’s commitment to the project, and said, “Spending money isn’t enough. One has to be passionate about the project. Dil Raju garu’s passion can be seen in every aspect of the film, especially the ‘Jaragandi’ song. They spent Rs 25-30 crore on that song. There is one moment that is so spectacular and ‘paisa-vasool’,” he said.

When asked about his favourite character from the roles he has played so far, Suryah said, “I liked Mopidevi’s character in Game Changer. I think it is the best.” He also hinted at future projects, saying he has new films lined up in Telugu, which will be announced at the right time.

Game Changer is one of the most anticipated films of 2025. The Shankar directorial also stars Kiara Advani, Anjali, Sunil, and Srikanth, among others. The film is bankrolled by Dil Raju and Sirish under the banner of Sri Venkateswara Creations. The political thriller has a story written by Karthik Subbaraj. The film’s technical crew has cinematographer Tirru, editor Shameer Mohammed, and action director Anbariv.

However, on whether the books that he read influenced him to write reticent characters, he responds, “It is not that I don’t like to write talkative characters. Any character and the way they behave should serve a purpose in the story. It all depends on whose story I am working on—whether it is about a talkative person, a reticent person, or someone who doesn’t talk at all. Barring the only romantic film I made my debut with, all the other films were action thrillers, where the emphasis is on the events and not the characters.”

Vidaamuyarchi’s production faced numerous delays due to several factors. On how he handled the delays, Magizh says, “Actually, things weren’t as turbulent as they looked from the outside. We were prepared for everything. The initial plan was to finish the shoot by January last year and release the film on Ajith sir’s birthday on May 1. But, Azerbaijan faced unprecedented snowfall, and it took two to three months for things to return to normalcy.

As we already knew Ajith would join Adhik’s film and prepare for the race later in the year, we rescheduled the shoot accordingly. I was very well prepared to face this level of unpredictableness. We ensured that all the actors were comfortable despite the changes. Having seniors like Trisha and Arjun sir made my job easier as well.” He further adds that Ajith’s weight loss in between the delays came as a blessing in disguise as Vidaamuyarchi unfolds in two different periods.

Elaborating on the previous point, the filmmaker said Ajith’s physique made the stunt sequences more effective. “Though I didn’t make changes in the action sequences for his transformation, he looked stunning in the scenes,” he says, reiterating his initial statement before signing off, “Vidaamuyarchi is a realistic action thriller with organic moments and stunt sequences. I urge the audiences not to carry any preconceived notion about the film, and I can guarantee that it will be an engaging film worth your time.”

In sequels to ‘happily ever after’ romantic films, the narrative often tests the strength of the lead couple’s bond by introducing obstacles—be it physical distance or a potential rival sparking jealousy. Culpa Tuya (Your Fault), the follow-up to Culpa Mia (My Fault), initially appears to rise above these clichés by adding layers of conflict to its romantic drama. However, it soon succumbs to underdeveloped writing and a lacklustre narrative.

Picking up right where the first film ends, Culpa Tuya pushes Nick and Noah deeper into infatuation, while their parents, William and Rafaella, attempt to drive a wedge between the step-siblings.

Enter Sofia—a seductive and ‘more suitable’ match for Nick—and the tension escalates as Noah struggles with the emotional toll of his long-distance relationship. But the drama doesn’t stop here: lingering personal trauma and vengeful figures from their past further strain the couple’s bond.

Despite its label as a young adult romantic drama, the Culpa series seems to grapple with genre identity. Where Culpa Mia leaned into erotic territory, this sequel’s intimate scenes feel less organic, much like Noah’s tenuous relationship with her university counsellor, Michael.

The thriller elements, teased in the first film through Noah’s menacing father, expand in the sequel with the arrival of Nick’s obsessive ex-girlfriend and estranged biological mother. Yet, the film never fully commits to any of these genres, opting instead to flirt with each one without anchoring itself in any.

With interesting subplots and conflicts being created from all ends, Culpa Tuya errs a little too much on the side of caution. At the end, it still only manages to do what all other romantic dramas do, which is throw a spanner into a smooth-sailing relationship. The lead pair keeps on doubting each other while fighting their own demons, but not once do they try to understand their respective trauma.

The film still manages to shine through from time to time. A surprising revelation and an unresolved ending set the stage for a potentially more refined and gripping third installment, expected in 2025. However, rekindling the chemistry between the leads is essential, as their dynamic feels notably less intense here than in the first film. Despite its flaws, Culpa Tuya remains an irresistible guilty pleasure. Sometimes, the fun of watching a film also comprises finding fault with it—and that’s perfectly all right.

Former Miss Karnataka Parvati Nair loved studies. The Tamil superhit film The Greatest of All Time (GOAT) actor topped her batch at the Manipal Institute of Technology. So, how did she find her footing in movies? “I always wanted to be a fashion designer and loved to paint. While I did some theatre, my English teacher in school told me that I was a good actor and should aim for Bollywood.” At that time, Nair did not think much of it. However, her teacher’s words somehow remained stuck in her head.

Nair did a television show during her Class X summer break. After she joined her engineering course, she had the opportunity to do a short film made by the Manipal Institute of Communication (MIC). The film was showcased at many film festivals.

“I really enjoyed working on that project, but my parents were not keen on me pursuing a career in the film industry. I, however, did a few advertisements. My first Malayalam film, Poppins was an anthology that needed me to shoot for a few hours.”

In 2012, she also did Yakshi: Faithfully Yours, a Malayalam romantic fantasy film that had a theatrical release in a few halls, and was also dubbed in Hindi. It made its way to television channels as well. “I also did a coming-of-age film Nee Ko Njaa Cha in Malayalam.”

Even though Nair rejected many successful films initially, she admits that there was never a dearth of offers that saw her do films like Story Kathe, Ninayathe, Koditta Idangalai Nirappuga, Enkitta Mothathe, Overtake, Nimir, 83, Dhoomam, and Super Zindagi, among others.

“Only mainstream movies make you a commercial star. With time, there was a lot of convincing that happened, and my elder brother also spoke to my parents to let me pursue a career in the movie industry.”

Admitting that the film industry has changed over the last decade, especially for women, Nair says, “Senior actresses were retiring when I started as they were not finding roles after getting married. Now, the trend has quite changed.” For someone who prefers a narration of a script over reading it, she says that scenes are best understood from the perspective of the director. “

Keira Knightley’s intelligent choice of characters is nothing new. The 39-year-old star bagged her first film role at the age of nine. It was in 2002 that Knightley won the London Film Critics’ Circle Award for Best Newcomer for her role in Bend It Like Beckham. It was the following year that her breakout role as Elizabeth Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl launched her to international fame. Her character in her latest Netflix series, Black Doves, is layered with lies, pain, and joy.

It has been 20 years since you last did a television series. What was it about this one that interested you?

I had been looking to do something like this for quite some time and it just came along. I had seen Girl/Haji and loved it. So, when the chance to work with Joe Barton came up, I was super excited. I read the script for the pilot for Black Doves and just thought it was brilliant.

How would you describe the show?

It is a spy thriller. I play the character of a woman named Helen. She is married to a Tory MP but is a secret undercover agent, selling government secrets. Helen is a two-faced psychopath who has an extra-marital affair. It is when her lover gets murdered, she sets about avenging his death with the help of her best friend, an assassin, played by the brilliant Ben Whishaw. It’s through seeking revenge that she discoveres that this weird kind of bloodlust makes her feel alive again. But, at the same time, there’s a lot to Helen we don’t know at the beginning of the show.

How did you prepare for all the action scenes?

I had about a month to train before we started filming. I did jujitsu, boxing, knife fighting, and gun training. It was a lot, but we had a great stunt team that was so incredibly brilliant. What you learn is that fight scenes are just like choreographed dances. You learn the basic movements, and then the stunt team will work you through the choreography.

Elaborating on the premise of the film, Guru Nandan shares, “This is a story about the life of a comedian. The hero is a stand-up comedian, and we’re trying to convey the pain behind his humor. Despite any pain we have, making everyone laugh without showing it is a huge challenge. In my previous films, humour was created through dialogue. But here, we’ve worked hard to make it more natural and immediate. Even though the directors are new, they are working with the dedication and commitment of experienced professionals. They don’t stop until they achieve the desired outcome.”

The film features Thapaswini Poonacha, known for Harikathe Alla Girikathe, as the female lead. She shares, “My role is full of suspense. This film is not just a comedy; it also has a lot of sentiment.”

The film also stars Mithra, Dharmanna Kadur, Gopalakrishna Deshpande, Giri, Sushmitha, and popular stand-up comedian Karthik Patthar. The music for the film is composed by Kiran Ravindranath, and the cinematography is by Shiv Sena.

MUMBAI: Filmmaker Dinesh Vijan’s production banner Maddock has announced a slate of new and returning titles in his ambitious horror-comedy universe including Stree 3, Munjya 2, Shakti Shalini, Chamunda and Pehla Mahayudh.

The announcement comes days after Ayushmann Khurrana began shooting for Thama, the latest chapter in Maddock Films’ horror comedy universe.

The actor will be essaying the role of a vampire in the movie, which also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Paresh Rawal and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

Thama is the first movie to be released in theatres on Diwali 2025 from the production banner’s slate, followed by Shakti Shalini on December 31.

Every year there will be two movie releases.

Bhediya 2 and Chamunda will arrive in theatres in 2026 on August 14 and December 4, respectively.

Fan-favourites Stree 3 and Mahamunjya will release on August 13 and December 24 in 2027.

The production banner is also coming up with Doosra Mahayudh.

Q. When you’re not acting, how do you like to unwind and relax? Do you have any hobbies or activities that help you recharge?

I enjoy photography, making movies (I created a movie in 2023 at film school), singing, dancing, traveling, and drawing. Sketching is something I especially enjoy.

Q. What was it like playing Mira in Girls Will Be Girls? How did you connect with her character?

Mira is a very complex character. But I feel like there’s a human tendency to have many levels to our actions. In public spaces, Mira is very controlled, while in private spaces, she’s learning about herself. However, this is disrupted by her mother (played by Kani Kusruti), who never had a girlhood. There’s a possible sense of jealousy because her mother feels she’s not spending enough time with her. What made me think about this is how, in acting, you learn to channel emotions like anger or sadness. If you’re angry in real life, people may not appreciate it, but when you express anger as an actor, people respect it. Acting allows you to express emotions in ways that can be appreciated. Playing Mira was an exploration for me; I never had a mother like Anila. My mother is very supportive, so I had to build that character from scratch.

Q. There are a lot of quiet moments in the film. How did you prepare for those scenes where emotions were felt more than spoken?

I think those are the best moments. One time, a famous actor approached me after a screening and reminded me that it’s okay to simply be. The camera focuses on you, and you have time and space to think and feel. No one is pressuring you to finish or rush. Some films don’t leave room for silence, but this type of acting where silence speaks volumes is something I believe people truly appreciate.

Q. If you could talk to Mira after the movie, what would you want to ask her about what she went through?

The first thing I’d do is give her a hug. I’d tell her that she’s on the right path, and I’m so proud of her. Then I’d probably ask her how she’s doing and how her relationship with her mother is.

Q. What do you think Mira learns by the end of the film? How does she change?

I think Mira learns to take a stand for what she believes in. It’s a very mature decision for her age. Through her exploration of love, she also learns to understand the love for her mother.

Q. After playing Mira, do you see your approach to acting changing in any way? What’s next for you in your career?

My acting has definitely changed. My technique has evolved. For my next project, I want to explore new techniques I can use. I’m not currently taking any workshops, but it all depends on the kind of project I do next. Until then, I want to keep myself open and empty.

Q. Are there any types of roles you’d like to explore in the future, and what kind of character do you dream of playing?

There are so many roles I’d love to explore, but I would love to play a character with a strong physicality. Maybe a film about a dancer, which involves a lot of dancing, or a film about a sports person. In real life, I’m actually scared of sports, but I’d love to take on that challenge.

Q. What advice would you give to other young actors who are just starting out in the industry?

I would tell them to find other spaces to express themselves. We’re living in a post-pandemic world, and we’ve seen how fragile things can be. I’m not saying you need a backup, but you should keep yourself as open as possible to everything.

What is your fashion mantra, and do you take anyone as an inspiration when it comes to fashion?

Over time, my inspirations have evolved, and now, I don’t particularly look up to anyone as a style icon. While growing up, figures like Audrey Hepburn and Princess Diana influenced me — they are timeless examples of elegance and grace. However, as I’ve matured, I’ve learned to understand what works best for my body and my personal style.

I gravitate towards comfortable yet fitted clothing, often playing with vibrant colours, silhouettes, and unique styles. Dressing up is something I genuinely enjoy; it’s a creative and expressive process for me. Whenever I have an event or occasion, I put thought into my look. I often research ideas, discuss my preferences with my stylist, and work collaboratively to find options that resonate with me. I love the process of dressing up, and I make a conscious effort to look and feel my best.

What do you do when you are not shooting?

In my free time, I enjoy watching movies, going to the gym, and staying active. Spending quality time with my family and friends is something I deeply cherish.

I also love listening to music, dancing, travelling, and meeting new people. These experiences enrich my life and keep me energised. Of course, taking care of myself as an actor is a significant part of my routine — it requires effort and dedication. (laughs)

How much time do you spend on social media and what do you watch?

Our generation has a love-hate relationship with Instagram. While it’s an incredible platform for connecting with your audience and sharing meaningful messages, it’s also undeniably addictive. What starts as a quick 15-minute scroll can easily turn into an hour without you even realising it.

Using social media to influence people positively is something I strongly believe in. However, I’m mindful of what I post. On days when I’m not feeling great, I avoid sharing anything negative. Spreading negativity isn’t something I resonate with, so I’m very conscious about maintaining a positive vibe in everything I share.

What is one of the best compliments that you received?

One compliment that truly stood out to me was when someone said, “You look beautiful inside out.” For me, that’s more meaningful than just being told I look beautiful physically. When someone can sense your energy and positivity, it’s incredibly special. It’s a reminder that true beauty is not just skin deep, but radiates from within.

NEW DELHI: Chidambaram the director of Manjummel Boys and Jithu Madhavan, the writer of Aavesham, are teaming up for an upcoming Malayalam film.

The untitled project, which promises to be a “spectacle,” was announced by KVN Productions on Instagram on Thursday. It is a collaboration between KVN Productions and Thespian Films.

The details of the project, including its genre, have been kept under wraps. Chidambaram’s Manjummel Boys and Aavesham, which was written and directed by Madhavan, were two of the most successful titles of the year 2024.

“I’m thrilled to work with a team that shares my passion for storytelling. This collaboration is something I am looking forward to, I can’t wait to bring this vision to life,” Chidambaram said in a statement.

Madhavan added, “This script is close to my heart, and with the support of such a stellar team, I am sure we will make something good”.

KVN Productions founder Venkat K.Narayana said the studio’s aim is to redefine cinema across languages. “This film marks our foray into Malayalam with the same grandeur and excellence that audiences expect from us. With such exceptional talent at the helm, we’re confident about it”.

The banner’s upcoming titles include Geetu Mohandas’ Toxic, starring Yash, and the 69th feature film of Tamil superstar Vijay’s career.

He has been winning over people, Modi is heard telling Dosanjh in a lighter vein, referring to the first name of the famous Punjabi artiste.

Dosanjh expressed his admiration for Modi’s sentiments towards his mother and the Ganga river.

Dosanjh was recently criticised by some rightwing groups over a host of issues.

Following his meeting with Modi, Dosanjh said in post on X, “A fantastic start to 2025. A very memorable meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We talked about a lot of things including music of course!”

“To pay tribute to the late Shyam Benegal, Doordarshan will begin the new year with a screening of ‘Manthan’ (1976) restored by FHF with support from the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (Amul) on Jan 1, 2025, at 8 p.m. on Doordarshan,” the foundation said.

Manthan was inspired by the groundbreaking milk cooperative movement led by Dr Verghese Kurien, which transformed India into one of the largest milk producers in the world.

The Hindi film, titled Churning in English, was financed 48 years ago by five lakh farmers of Gujarat, who contributed Rs 2 each.

The opening credits of the movie read: “500,000 Farmers of Gujarat present.”

Manthan narrates the story of how a young veterinary doctor (Girish Karnad) fights against oppressive forces to establish a milk cooperative that empowers rural farmers.

The film also starred Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, and Amrish Puri.

“My co-star is drunk every day, and he’s obviously going through something, and I have full sympathy for that. But I’m also waiting, as is the whole crew, six hours a day for him to learn his lines, and it means I’m not getting to see my daughter in the evenings ever for the whole movie,” she stated.

Beckinsale stressed the importance of ensuring complaints of abuse are taken seriously in every industry.

“Complaining about abuse should not beget more abuse, particularly at work where there should be inviolable safeguarding in place, and it should not be expected of women who have been harmed, insulted, hurt, shamed or in any other way abused (mostly with at least 100 witnesses) to have to be ‘one of the boys’ and take it on the chin or face retribution for having been abused in the first place,” she wrote in the caption of her post.

While referencing Lively and Baldoni, Beckinsale clarified that she does not personally know either of them and cannot comment on what allegedly transpired on their set.

“I don’t want anybody, male or female, who has a legitimate complaint to then have that weaponised against them in any industry, anywhere, and I mention this in association with Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni because our industry makes things more visible due to the press and the public getting deliberately involved and led towards an opinion they don’t realise is deliberate.”

“There are far too many casualties of this, many of whom I know personally, and it really falls to both men and women in our industry to be part of stamping this out for good,” she added.

Beckinsale was last seen in “Canary Black”, an action-thriller directed by Pierre Morel.

SAO PAULO: Brazilian-made dramas rarely last long in local cinemas. But, nearly two months after its release, “I’m Still Here,” a film about a family torn apart by the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil for more than two decades, has drawn millions of moviegoers across the South American country.

The film’s domestic box office success — with nearly 3 million tickets sold, it secured the fifth spot at the 2024 box office by mid December — is rooted in its exploration of a long-neglected national trauma, but it is particularly timely, especially as Brazil confronts a recent near-miss with democratic rupture.

Set in the 1970s and based on true events, “I’m Still Here” tells the story of the Paivas, an upper-class family in Rio de Janeiro shattered by the dictatorship. Rubens Paiva, a former leftist congressman, was taken into custody by the military in 1971 and was never seen again. The narrative centers on his wife, Eunice Paiva, and her lifelong pursuit of justice.

The film was nominated for a Golden Globe for best foreign language film and shortlisted for the Oscars in the same category.

“Comedies and other topics are more likely to become mega-successes, but this (the dictatorship) is a very taboo subject for us,” said Brazilian psychoanalyst and writer Vera Iaconelli, adding that she felt a “sense of urgency” after watching the movie last month, even though the dictatorship ended almost four decades ago.

As the movie was being shown across Brazil, the Federal Police unsealed a report detailing a 2022 plot by military officers to stage a coup to prevent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office, and to keep far-right former army captain Jair Bolsonaro in power. Bolsonaro and his allies have denied any involvement in participating or inciting a coup.

“Even if (director) Walter Salles wanted to plan the timing of the release this precisely, he wouldn’t have gotten it so right,” said Lucas Pedretti, a historian and sociologist whose works address memory and reparations after the military dictatorship.

“The film plays a very important role in telling us: ‘Look, this is what would happen if the coup that was planned by Bolsonaro and his military officers had succeeded.’”

Overdue reckoning

Unlike countries like Argentina and Chile, which established truth commissions and prosecuted former dictators and their henchmen, Brazil’s transition back to democracy was marked by a sweeping amnesty to military officials.

For years, said Pedretti, Brazil’s military promoted the notion that government silence was the best way to bury the past.

It was not until 2011 that Brazil’s then- President Dilma Rousseff — a former guerrilla who was tortured during the dictatorship — established a national truth commission to investigate its abuses.

The commission’s 2014 report detailed harrowing accounts of torture and named perpetrators of human rights violations — none were ever imprisoned. But just as a reckoning of the dictatorship began, calls for a return to military rule emerged in street protests against corruption revelations.

It was then that Marcelo Rubens Paiva, one of Rubens’ sons, decided to share his family’s story in his 2015 book “I’m Still Here.” The book introduced Eunice Paiva to a larger audience, chronicling her journey from a housewife to a relentless advocate for her disappeared husband, and how she raised five children by herself, while also pursuing a law degree.

In the years that followed, far-right, anti-establishment forces increasingly gained traction. Bolsonaro — who has long celebrated the coup and praised dictatorship-era torturers — would go on to ride that wave to a presidential victory in 2018.

A fragile memory

Observing the surge of the far-right in Brazil, filmmaker Salles realized the country’s memory of its dictatorship was very fragile. He said he saw a need for his country to confront its trauma in order to prevent history from repeating itself.

“I’m Still Here” isn’t the first Brazilian movie to explore the memory of the dictatorship, but it is the most popular. Unlike other films on the subject that tend to focus on dissidents and armed resistance, Salles chose to frame his as a family drama and how the disappearance of the family patriarch upended their day-to-day lives.

Charles Shyer, the Oscar-nominated writer and filmmaker known for classic comedies like “Private Benjamin,” “Baby Boom” and “Father of the Bride” that he made alongside Nancy Meyers, has died. He was 83.

Shyer died in Los Angeles on Friday, his daughter, filmmaker Hallie Meyers-Shyer told The Associated Press on Sunday. No cause was disclosed.

A son of Hollywood, whose father Melville Shyer was one of the founding members of the Directors Guild of America, Shyer made an indelible mark on comedies, mostly of the romantic persuasion, in the 1980s and 1990s.

Born in Los Angeles in 1941, Shyer cut his teeth writing for television, assisting Garry Marshall and working on shows like “The Odd Couple” before transitioning to films. He had writing credits on “Smokey and the Bandit,” Jack Nicholson’s “Goin’ South” and the Walter Matthau drama “House Calls.” A big breakthrough came with “Private Benjamin,” the Goldie Hawn comedy about a wealthy woman who inadvertently signs up for basic training, which he co-wrote with Meyers and Harvey Miller.

It was a script that was initially turned down by every studio in Hollywood, even with Hawn attached to star and produce.

“We went to a meeting at Paramount after they read the script, and Mike Eisner was the president of the studio, and we sat in his office with Mike and (producer) Don Simpson. And Mike said to Goldie, ‘This is a mistake for you to make this movie,’” Shyer told Indiewire in 2022. “God bless Don Simpson who spoke up and said, ‘Mike, you’re 100% wrong on this one.’”

The movie became one of the biggest hits of 1980. It got them an Oscar nomination and a win from the Writers Guild and also paved the way for his directorial debut “Irreconcilable Differences.”

That film, which he also wrote with Meyers (they married in 1980), starred Shelley Long and Ryan O’Neal as a writing-directing duo whose relationship crumbles after success and an infatuation with a young actor played by Sharon Stone. It was partially inspired by the tabloid affairs of Peter Bogdanovich, who left his wife and producer Polly Platt for Cybill Shepherd.

“Nancy and I just laughed at the same things. We love the same movies, we kind of educate each other on the movies that each of us loved,” Shyer told The Hollywood Reporter. “And Nancy really made me laugh. I think she wrote the best one-liners of anybody I know, except Neil Simon. And, and we were just always in sync — as filmmakers, we had this thing.”

They followed with “Baby Boom,” in which Diane Keaton plays a working woman who suddenly has to care for a baby, and “Father of the Bride,” which reimagined Vincente Minnelli’s 1950 film for the 1990s with Keaton, Steve Martin and Martin Short leading the comedic ensemble. It was successful enough to spawn a sequel.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Film and television actor Dileep Shankar was found dead in a hotel room near Vanross Junction in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. Cantonment police have registered a case following this incident.

Dileep had checked into the hotel four days ago. According to hotel staff, he had not stepped out of his room for the past two days. On Sunday, they noticed a foul smell emanating from his room and opened it to find the actor dead.

The police were informed immediately and arrived at the scene. A forensic team was deployed to examine the room, said Cantonment ACP.

“There are no signs of foul play at this stage. The exact cause of death will be ascertained after the post-mortem,” said police sources.

Dileep’s co-actors had reportedly tried contacting him on his phone but received no response. Concerned, they visited the hotel to check on him but did not reach him before his death. Further investigations are underway.

NEW DELHI: Rajshri Productions announced on Sunday that it has re-released the popular romance drama “Maine Pyar Kiya”, starring Salman Khan and Bhagyashree, to mark the film’s 35th anniversary.

The movie, which originally released on December 29, 1989, was the directorial debut of Sooraj Barjatya.

It was Salman’s first film as a leading man and Bhagyashree’s acting debut.

“Maine Pyar Kiya” explored themes of class, friendship, love and family values and, till date enjoys massive fan following owing to its memorable music and dialogues like “Dosti ka ek usool hai madam, no sorry, no thank you.”

Production banner Rajshri Productions shared a post on its Instagram handle marking the occasion.

A movie that changed our perspective on love. From deep friendship to magical romance, ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ is a timeless classic that captures the hearts of millions.

It’s an epic and first directed masterpiece by #SoorajBarjatya which gave us Prem and Suman for life @bhagyashree.online @beingsalmankhan.

“Let’s celebrate 35 years of #MainePyarKiya together! Let us know your favourite dialogue from the movie #35YearsOfMainePyarKiya,” read the caption of the post.

“Maine Pyar Kiya” is also remembered for songs, including “Kabootar Ja Ja Ja”, “Dil Deewana”, “Aaja Shaam Hone Aayi”, and “Aate Jaate Hanste Gaate”.

The soundtrack was composed by Raamlaxman with lyrics by Dev Kohli and Asad Bhopali.

The film also starred Alok Nath, Mohnish Bahl, Reema Lagoo, Rajeev Verma, Ajit Vachani, and Laxmikant Berde.

From playing a tomboy in Mirzapur to a demure girl in Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein, Shweta Tripathi has experimented with a range of characters onscreen. Starting her career with Masaan, Tripathi has yet again surprised the audience with her performance in Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein Season 2. The web series, directed by Sidharth Senguputa, is currently streaming on Netflix.

“We started shooting, but then the pandemic happened, and we had to stop. As an actor, I wish the gap was much shorter, but I don’t think the gap will stop them from watching their favourite show. I am sure the audience wants to know what happened after the first series ended,” she says.

Tripathi reveals that she takes a lot of pressure when working on a sequel. “My creativity comes to the fore when I meet people I enjoy working with. It’s like waiting for your report card; you perform sincerely and just wait for the audience’s reactions. It’s a part and parcel of every film or web series, a process that you have to face. Yet I keep hoping that the audiences will love it, as we work very hard on these projects.”

Though OTT has given her immense fame, the actor says that she’s upset that people are considering it as a second option, compared to films. “Our attention span has become short. It is scary that people get distracted easily. The audience has enough power to vote for us. They want more options in terms of content, and as actors we are delivering that. This thought that OTT plays second fiddle to films troubles me. At this rate, we won’t be able to make stories that we like,” she said.

Switching from Golu Gupta’s character in Mirzapur to Shikha in Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein has not been easy for the actor. “I watched the first season once again just to get the body language right. I have also modulated my voice. My stance on this series is different.

Baby John, an almost scene-by-scene remake of Atlee’s Theri , desperately tries to give Varun Dhawan a mass makeover. The Southern style is strong with this one as the actor puts on his shades, stylishly flips gum into his mouth, and sits assuredly on the bonnet of a police jeep—a simple act portrayed with such cinematic dexterity. He lights up a cigarette only to ultimately burn down the bad guy.

But Varun’s off-screen personality doesn’t amply provide the heft this actioner needs. When he says, “Mere jaise bohot aaye honge, but main pehli baar aaya hoon” (Many would have come before me, but I have come for the first time), he does it with the hope of eliciting claps, as with Shah Rukh Khan’s fan-favourite line, “Bete ko haath lagane se pehle…” (Before touching the son) from Jawan. But Varun’s public appeal isn’t propulsive enough to make the dialogue rousing; rather, it falls flat and feels uneven. As a whole, Baby John also leaves you with a similar feeling.

Varun is John D’Silva, a pacifist baker and a doting single father who lives with his young daughter, Khushi, in Kerala. They affectionately call each other ‘baby’. The relationship lacks chemistry and seems to exist only to monetise Varun’s real-life father image. His character eschews violence and hides behind a newspaper when around a police station.

A misunderstanding leads some goons to knock on his door one night. He tries to reason, even renders a folded-hands apology, but they still go after his daughter. Big mistake. John ties up his mundu as the dark sky flashes with thunder. Time to get cracking—some bones.

This paavam baker was once Satya Verma, a supercop who claims to be Gandhian but is more likely to turn the cheek of the other guy and cane it red. After a girl is raped and immolated by local strongman Nanaji’s (Jackie Shroff) son, Satya delivers vigilante justice. It doesn’t end well for the cop and his family as Nanaji exercises his revenge. Satya disappears and takes on an alias to protect his daughter from his turbulent past.

Preity Mukhundhan (Star)

In a film that begins as a slice-of-life story about Kavin’s Kalaiarasan and evolves into a broader narrative, Preity Mukhundhan’s brief yet memorable presence as Meera Malarkodi adds warmth to Kalai’s journey. While Star ultimately focuses on Kalai’s family and ambitions, director Elan ensures that Meera’s influence is felt, and Preity’s performance subtly underscores her impact on his life.

As Kalai’s supportive yet hesitant girlfriend, Preithy excels at capturing Meera’s emotional restraint in a relationship that gradually becomes one-sided. In the pivotal scene where Meera chooses to marry another man, Preity conveys her lingering regret through nuanced expressions.

Mamitha Baiju (Rebel)

After receiving praise for an effervescent performance in Premalu, Mamitha Baiju made her Tamil debut with Rebel. Although she may be the quintessential love interest here, Mamitha’s character is a strong woman with her own agency and political ideologies.

As a woman on the wrong side of justice, Mamitha portrayed Sara Mary John confidently, highlighting her privilege before she eventually grasps the oppression GV Prakash’s Kathiresan faces. With two contrasting roles, Mamitha has established her versatility and made it clear that she is poised for bigger things in Tamil cinema.

Suruthi Periyasamy (Nandhan)

After a few cameos and smaller roles, Suruthi Periyasamy—known for her stint on Bigg Boss—made her lead debut in Nandhan as the Sasikumar character’s supportive spouse Selvi.

While she is a supporting character, Selvi plays a pivotal role in shaping the narrative, guiding Sasikumar’s Ambedkumar to recognise the injustices he faces. Unlike conventional female leads, Selvi stands as a voice of reason and clarity, consistently calling out wrongdoing. Suruthi’s performance shines in emotionally charged scenes, particularly when Selvi endures physical assault, conveying the quiet strength that emerges from years of suppressed trauma.

KOZHIKODE: Prominent figures from the Malayalam film industry including Mammootty, Mohan Lal and Manju Warrier paid their final respects to legendary M T Vasudevan Nair, who died here on December 25.

Known for his immense contributions as a screenwriter, director, and producer, Vasudevan Nair, popularly known as MT, was a towering figure in Indian literature and cinema.

Leading actor Mohanlal visited ‘Sithara’, MT’s residence, to pay his last respects, where the public was also allowed to bid farewell.

Reflecting on his cherished association with the Jnanpith awardee, Mohanlal said, “MT gave me some of the most memorable characters in my film career. He even travelled to Mumbai to watch my Sanskrit plays and used to meet him whenever I visited Kozhikode. Acting in roles penned by MT has been an unparalleled privilege.”

Actor Mammootty shared a heartfelt post on his social media, expressing a deep sense of loss. “Finding a place in MT’s heart is the greatest blessing of my career. I have portrayed many characters that carried his soul, though I can’t recall all of them now. A whole era is fading away, leaving my mind empty. When I held him after he stumbled during a programme in Ernakulam four-five months ago, I felt like I was holding my father, he wrote.

Originally envisioned by Mohanlal and TK Rajeev Kumar, Barroz was meant to be a live 3D stage play based on Jijo’s novel of the same title. When the logistics proved too daunting, the concept evolved into a film. Yet, traces of its play roots remain, especially in the staging and theatrical dialogue delivery. The cinematic essence is missing in many portions, leaving Barroz feeling more like a filmed rehearsal than a fully realised movie.

As for the narrative itself, the film attempts to juggle colonial history, fantasy and family drama. To its credit, it does explore the nuances of servitude and loyalty with more depth than one might expect from a children’s film. Barroz’s inability to see his own metaphorical prison adds layers to his character, even if the film as a whole struggles to delve into them meaningfully. There is also a certain poetic irony in Barroz’s troubled production history. From its initial conception as a stage play to the pandemic-induced delays and multiple rewrites, the journey of making the film is almost as dramatic as the film itself. Jijo eventually distanced himself from the project, unhappy with the changes made to his vision. His absence lingers over the film like a ghost, haunting its uneven storytelling and whispering of what might have been. The climactic message of loyalty and love is heartfelt, even if the journey to get there is bumpy. And then there is the epilogue—a baffling cameo that feels entirely unnecessary. If Barroz had ended on the poignant note of its climactic scene, it might have redeemed itself slightly. Instead, the film overstays its welcome, leaving viewers with an aftertaste of cringe. Mark Kilian’s background score complements the narrative without overpowering it. The songs, composed by Lydian Nadhaswaram, are hit or miss.

Fantasy films for children are a rarity in Malayalam cinema, and Mohanlal deserves credit for attempting to fill this gap. Yet, Barroz is a reminder that ambition alone cannot make up for weak execution. The film dreams of being a priceless treasure, but in the end, it’s little more than a shiny trinket, polished just enough to catch the light but not enough to hold our attention. In a pivotal moment, Barroz, in his infinite wisdom, declares to Isa, “Dear, no treasure surpasses the value of a drop of tear shed for another.” A touching sentiment, although one cannot help but wonder if the audience might also shed a few tears of their own after finishing this uneven adventure.

Director: Mohanlal

Cast: Mohanlal, Maya Rao West, Tuhin Menon, Guru Somasundaram

Rating: 2/5

NEW DELHI: Celebrated music personalities, including Amjad Ali Khan, Shubha Mudgal and Shankar Mahadevan from across the classical and pop traditions, have joined hands to celebrate the musical legacy of the great Mohammed Rafi with a performance on his timeless song “Abhi Na Jao Chodkar”.

Rafi, one of the greatest playback singers who lent his voice to several melodies in Indian films, would have turned 100 on December 24.

The pre-recorded stage performance on “Abhi Na Jao Chodkar” is produced by pianist Sourendro Mullick and vocalist Soumyojit Das, who also make an appearance in the 5.44-minute video shared on their official YouTube page on Tuesday.

“Presenting our first song from the World Music Day 24 Concert, ‘Abhi Na Jao Chodkar’, originally sung by the evergreen Md.Rafi.

His music lives in our hearts and here is a tribute to him from us,” Sourendro-Soumyojit said.

“Celebrating 100 years of Rafi Sahab,” read the closing credits.

Other artistes who were part of the performance were Rekha Bhardwaj, Vishal Bhardwaj, and Lesle Lewis, Papon, Shweta Mohan, Usha Uthup, Mame Khan, Ornob, Lopamudra Mitra, Aninda Chatterjee, and Aruna Sairam.

Till around 4 pm on Wednesday, the video garnered over 43,000 views on YouTube and more than 3,000 likes.

Amjad Ali Khan, Mudgal, Mame Khan, and Mohan shared a clip from the stage performance on their Instagram pages.

Several fans commented on the clip thanking the producers, who have around 2.8 lakh subscribers on YouTube, for their initiative.

“Love this arrangement…..Got very emotional and also goosebumps ahead……Thank you so much sir for this beautiful rendition,” said a fan.

“Love from Nepal…..Happy birthday Mohammad Rafi saheb.”

Another observed that the video felt like a tribute to many industry stalwarts who passed away this year, including tabla maestro Zakir Hussain.

A fan said he missed the voice of Ustad Rashid Khan, who died in January after a prolonged battle with cancer at the age of 55.

“It was the usual: Let’s do a film,” says Jean-Baptiste. “Don’t know anything, but let’s do it.”

Leigh pulls his characters and storyline out of months of rehearsal. In the case of “Hard Truths,” they rehearsed for three months — somewhat short for Leigh (it was six months for “Secrets & Lies”), but extremely lengthy for today’s movie industry.

“Normally you get on set it’s like, ‘Uh, this is Ralph. He’ll be playing your husband. You’ll stand over there,’” says Jean-Baptiste.

In Leigh’s manner of rehearsal, they begin with a character’s first memory, and then flesh out their life all the way up until the time period of the film. But there are parallel histories for other characters that require constantly going back through and recontextualizing. Meanwhile, costume designers and production designers await clarity on what kind of clothes and homes they should craft.

“All the decisions about the character that you can make, the actor makes them,” says Jean-Baptiste. “Any of the decisions that God makes for somebody’s life, he makes them. So it’s like: She wants this job, so she applies. A letter arrives in the mail: Unfortunately you did not get it.”

Jean-Baptiste was a recent drama school graduate, classically trained and oriented toward theater, when she co-starred in 1996’s “Secrets & Lies.” It was her breakthrough. A few years after that film, she moved to Los Angeles, where she’s been since, acting in a wide variety of projects including the TV series “Without a Trace,” “Blindspot” and “Homecoming.” Asked if her collaboration with Leigh had changed from “Secrets & Lies,” Jean-Baptiste said much was the same.

“Obviously we’re a lot older,” she says, smiling. “I think we just slipped right back into it. He was gentler.”

Part of what makes Jean-Baptiste’s performance as Pansy so uncanny is how unlike Pansy she is. Jean-Baptiste is charismatic, laughs frequently and enjoys throwing herself into uncertain circumstances (like “Hard Truths”). Asked if she has anything in common with Pansy, she replies, with a laugh, “I hope not.”

“I have a sense of humor she doesn’t, although she’s really funny,” Jean-Baptiste says. “I think I recognize that part of myself to the extent that I’m like: That’s not how I want to live. That’s not how I want to be.”

But in Pansy, Jean-Baptiste recognized people she knows, and the kind of character that seldom makes it onto movie screens. “A difficult Black woman, you don’t see that,” she says. “I don’t think I ever have.”

In “Hard Truths,” the root of Pansy’s depression is uncertain, but a sense of festering wounds from the past is palpable. When she speaks to a doctor, she sums it up: “The heart of the matter is me head.” Later, when asked why she can’t enjoy life, she replies, “I don’t know.” Jean-Baptiste, in mapping out Pansy’s history, has some theories about what’s made her this way.

“She had a number of issues that went unaddressed and found coping mechanisms to get through life,” says Jean-Baptiste. “I think a lot of people are undiagnosed with things and just make do. Maybe she’s one of those.”

“The fear,” she adds. “It was the fear that I focused on the most. She attacks before anyone can attack her, and she thinks everyone is attacking her.”

But Pansy’s specific diagnosis isn’t the point of “Hard Truths.” It’s much more about how her family and the outside world react to her. She might be pushing everyone away, but it’s clear she’s in urgent need of something.

“I want so desperately for someone to help Pansy,” Jean-Baptiste says. “I think it would be very convenient to go, ‘She’s got this mental illness or that’s what’s wrong with her.’ But what’s more interesting is that we don’t actually know and she’s just in pain.”

“Hard Truths” ultimately ends in a kind of cliffhanger, with Pansy and her family locked in stasis. If Pansy tests the boundaries of empathy an audience might feel for a character, it’s a moment of truth: Does Pansy go to her husband or refuse to budge? Jean-Baptiste wants to believe in her.

“I’d like to think that she goes, I do, because I like her,” Jean-Baptiste says. “I like Pansy. I gotta look out for her.”

SANTA FE, N.M. : New Mexico prosecutors won’t pursue an appeal of a court’s decision to dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting on a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie, the Santa Fe district attorney’s office announced Monday.

Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey withdrew the appeal of a July decision at trial to dismiss the charge against Baldwin in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal on set for the movie “Rust” outside Santa Fe in October 2021.

“Today’s decision to dismiss the appeal is the final vindication of what Alec Baldwin and his attorneys have said from the beginning — this was an unspeakable tragedy but Alec Baldwin committed no crime,” said defense attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro. “The rule of law remains intact in New Mexico.”

Representatives for the state attorney general could not be be reached immediately.

The decision to drop the appeal solidifies the decision by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer halfway through trial to dismiss the case on allegations that police and prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense.

Baldwin’s trial was upended by revelations that ammunition was brought into the Santa Fe County sheriff’s office in March by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins’ killing. Prosecutors said they deemed the ammo unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin’s lawyers say investigators “buried” the evidence in a separate case file and filed a successful motion to dismiss.

The district attorney’s office said that under state law the New Mexico attorney general would have carried forward the appeal but “did not intend to exhaustively pursue the appeal on behalf of the prosecution.”

“As a result, the State’s efforts to continue to litigate the case in a fair and comprehensive manner have been met with multiple barriers that have compromised its ability to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law,” local prosecutors said.

Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for “Rust,” was pointing a gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal on set when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.

In April, a judge sentenced movie weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed to the maximum of one and a half years at a state penitentiary on an involuntary manslaughter conviction in Hutchins’ death.

His films include “Bhumika”, “Junoon”, “Mandi”, “Suraj Ka Satvaan Ghoda”, “Mammo”, “Sardari Begum” and “Zubeidaa”, most counted as classics in Hindi cinema.

His biopics include “The Making of the Mahatma” and “Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero”.

The director’s most recent work was the 2023 biographical “Mujib: The Making of a Nation”.

He was also keen to bring to life the story of Noor Inayat Khan, the secret WW II agent.

That dream will sadly remain unfulfilled.

Benegal’s “Manthan” on Varghese Kurien’s milk cooperative movement in Anand, Gujarat, starring Smita Patil, Girish Karnad and Naseeruddin Shah, was restored and screened at the Cannes Classics segment in the French riviera town in May this year.

Tributes to Shyam Babu, as he was known to friends and colleagues, who rewrote the rules of Indian movies poured in.

Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur said Benegal created ‘new wave’ cinema and will always be remembered as the man who changed the direction of Hindi cinema with films like “Ankur” and “Manthan”.

“He created stars out of great actors like Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil. Farewell my friend and my guide,” he added.

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday condoled the demise of veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal and said his passing away marks the end of a glorious chapter of Indian cinema and television.

Murmu said Benegal started a new kind of cinema and crafted several classics.

“A veritable institution, he groomed many actors and artists. His extraordinary contribution was recognised in the form of numerous awards including Dadasaheb Phalke Award and Padma Bhushan. My condolences to the members of his family and his countless admirers,” the President said in a post on X.

Actor-director Atul Tiwari said, “It is difficult to believe but our icon Mr Shyam Benegal is no more. Go well Shyam babu. Thank you (for) inspiring many like me. Thank you for the cinema. Thank you for giving tough stories and flawed characters such amazing dignity. Truly among the last of our greats.”

Akshay Kumar described him as one of the finest filmmakers in the country.

“If there is one thing Shyam Benegal expressed best: it was the Poetry of the ordinary face and ordinary lives,” director Sudhir Mishra said.

“Much will be written about Shyam Benegal but for me not many talk about the fact that there was a lament in his films and a sadness about the fact we were not living in the best of all possible worlds,” he added.

“Wicked,” the hit musical adaption starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, added $13.5 million in North American theaters to push its domestic total to $383.9 million.

Those films, among others, have led a Hollywood rebound in 2024. After a significant deficit earlier in the year, overall sales are drawing close to those of 2023. According to Comscore, the gap has narrowed to 4.4% behind last year’s results. While that’s still significantly less than pre-pandemic years, it’s enough to flip the script on what once looked like a rough year for the movies.

Family films like “Inside Out 2,” “Moana 2” and “Sonic 3” have played a major role. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, noted animated movies have accounted for 26.5% of this year’s box office.

“The box office year was saved by the family audience being drawn to the multiplex,” said Dergarabedian.

“Homestead,” the latest release from Christian-themed Angel Studios, the distributor of “Sound of Freedom,” opened with $6.1 million. It follows a group of Doomsday preparers who take shelter in a self-sufficient compound after a nuclear attack in California.

Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist,” one of the year’s top Oscar contenders, launched on four screens in New York and Los Angeles. Its $66,698 per-screen average was one of the highest of 2024. The post-World War II epic runs three-and-a-half hours, posing obvious theatrical challenges. A24 is trying to turn the film starring Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce into an arthouse event. It was nominated for seven Golden Globes.

Final domestic box office figures will be released Monday. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” $62 million.

2. “Mufasa: The Lion King,” $35 million.

3. “Wicked,” $13.5 million.

4. “Moana 2,” $13.1 million.

5. “Homestead,” $6.1 million.

6. “Gladiator II,” $4.5 million.

7. “Kraven the Hunter,” $3.1 million.

8. “Red One,” $1.4 million.

9. “Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” $1.3 million.

10. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” $825,000.

The year 2024 is set to end with the theatrical release of Out of Syllabus, written and directed by the multitalented Pradeep Doddaiah, on December 27. Produced by K Vijayakala Sudhakar, the film dives deep into the complex world of modern youth, exploring the challenges they face in college life, their relationships, and their journey towards self-identity.

What makes this film even more exciting is that it marks Doddaiah’s debut as not only a director but also a lead actor. Alongside him, seasoned actor Achyuth Kumar plays Rayappa, a cricket-loving character with a surprise twist, while the ensemble cast brings the struggles of today’s generation to life. The film has music by five different composers, cinematography by Dev, and editing by Umesh RB.

Achyuth Kumar plays a character with a penchant for cricket and delivering philosophical musings about life. Achyuth shares, “In a world where ego often creates barriers, my character in Out of Syllabus plays a pivotal role in showing the way forward.

Rayappa isn’t just a cricket fan; he symbolises the importance of unity, understanding, and bridging gaps between people.” According to Achyuth, his role adds a deeper layer of wisdom, making the film not just a youth drama but also a commentary on personal connection and breaking down societal walls.

Aishwarya Rachel, who plays Prachi, brings a perfect balance between modern desires and traditional values. She describes her character as someone “flirting with freedom but grounded in tradition,” embodying the tension many young people feel today. “I’m really excited about this film,” Aishwarya says.

Blake Lively has accused her It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of the movie and a subsequent effort to “destroy” her reputation in a legal complaint.

The complaint obtained by The Associated Press, which The New York Times reported was filed Friday with the California Civil Rights Department, precedes a lawsuit. It names Baldoni, the studio behind the romantic drama It Ends With Us and Baldoni’s publicists among the defendants.

In the complaint, Lively accuses Baldoni and the studio of embarking on a “multi-tiered plan” to damage her reputation following a meeting in which she and her husband Ryan Reynolds addressed “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior” by Baldoni and a producer on the movie.

The plan, the complaint said, included a proposal to plant theories on online message boards, engineer a social media campaign and place news stories critical of Lively.

Baldoni enlisted publicists and crisis managers in a “sophisticated, coordinated, and well-financed retaliation plan” meant to “bury” and “destroy” Lively if she went public with her on-set concerns, the complaint alleges.

“To safeguard against the risk of Ms. Lively ever revealing the truth about Mr. Baldoni, the BaldoniWayfarer team created, planted, amplified, and boosted content designed to eviscerate Ms. Lively’s credibility,” the complaint states. “They engaged in the same techniques to bolster Mr. Baldoni’s credibility and suppress any negative content about him.”

The complaint also says Baldoni “abruptly pivoted away from” the movie’s marketing plan and “used domestic violence ‘survivor content’ to protect his public image.”

Bryan Freedman, an attorney representing Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, called the claims “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious.”

He pushed back against Lively’s allegations of a coordinated campaign, saying the studio “proactively” hired a crisis manager “due to the multiple demands and threats made by Ms. Lively during production.”

Freedman also said Lively threatened to not appear on set and not promote the film “if her demands were not met.”

Those demands were not specified in the statement, but Lively’s complaint lists 30 demands that she said Baldoni and others agreed to after their tense sit-down over her hostile work environment concerns.

Q: How do you prepare for a role like this one?

Jennifer Lopez: I still use the process I did for Selena. It is kind of inundating myself with as much information as I can find, knowing it was a true story, reading the script, liking the script. I felt like I was signing on to do a small part in a very important story about Anthony Robles, and then I realised how big a part Judy Robles was.

I got to know them and their relationship through that process. It was an honour to be able to be part of Anthony’s story and to play Judy.

Q: What can you tell us about that first meeting with Judy?

Jennifer Lopez: The first meeting with Judy was wonderful. We met virtually, and I had many questions. I just wanted to know about her. I was like, ‘Just tell me about your son, about your life. Tell me what it was like when he was born.’ Those were things that I would end up really using for the movie.

My main goal in the first meeting was to make her really comfortable. To make her believe that she could trust me and that she could share things with me. But I was only going to use things that she felt comfortable with and I thought would contribute to telling her part of the story.

Q: How did you find yourself relating to her and her story?

Jennifer Lopez: We bonded on being mothers and wanting the best for our children. Also, on struggling in our personal lives and the way that you have to kind of hide that from your children sometimes. It was enlightening and a real opportunity to show that side of being a mother.

Q: What was it like sitting next to Judy during the first screening of this movie?

Jennifer Lopez: It was pretty amazing because I was sitting behind them, and I am really moved by the film. I was like, God, their relationship was really a major thing. I was happy with some of the things that I had done and I thought everybody did such a great job. Then the audience got up and were clapping. All I could think was, “Judy, Anthony, stand up! Get up, get up, get up!”

They got up and of course, the audience got more and more excited. Then I got up to give them a standing ovation and thought, ‘No, sit down, let them stand up.’ It was a mess. But it was an amazing experience.

In one notable moment, Upendra’s script is set on fire, symbolising the destruction of outdated narratives and traditions. The film’s characters mirror the chaotic world they inhabit. The line “foolish world mirroring the foolish mirror itself” sums up the film’s essence—human nature struggles to break free from the societal “mirrors” around them. In the world of UI, fools and the intelligent coexist.

The plot of UI is complex, with numerous twists that make it difficult to explain succinctly. The narrative is layered, and while it touches on religion, caste, and corruption, these themes feel underdeveloped and lack the depth they deserve. The film’s narrative structure is unique, embedding another film within the main story.

This technique, reminiscent of Upendra’s earlier works like Shhh! and A, adds variety but also contributes to the film’s complexity. It comes across as a big stage play, addressing larger issues, including the wars happening in other countries and various problems around the world. Upendra seizes the opportunity to talk a line about his political ideology, Prajaakeeya

UI is a film that cannot be easily categorised. It is both a social commentary and a philosophical inquiry, a surreal exploration of the human condition. The film’s story asks fundamental questions about freedom, thinking, and love, and though it offers no easy answers, it leaves viewers reflecting on the state of the world. As the film ends, the words “Back to where it was, but why bother, there’s no focus” linger, reminding us that life moves forward, regardless of the chaos.

We must decide where to focus our attention, whether we seek enlightenment, rebellion, or peace. The film suggests that intellectual engagement is key to understanding its meaning. But it’s not just about intellect—it also challenges emotional intelligence, urging viewers to understand both the self and the world. UI demands a balance of both logic and emotion from its audience. With its serious themes, Upendra aims to leave the audience with something to reflect on. We hope that next time, he presents a world seen in a better light, one that leaves a smile on our faces.

UI

Director: Upendra

Cast : Upendra, Reeshma Nanaiah, Ravi Shankar, Sadhu Kokila, Murali Sharma. Medini Kelamane, Nidhi Subaiah, and Achyuth Kumar

Rating : 3/5

Actor Felicity Jones is all set to headline One, a series based on Formula One that is being developed by Amazon MGM studios. While the series is in development with the studio, it has not been officially ordered yet.

This will be Formula One’s first sanctioned scripted series and is set to revolve around a failing, family-owned racing team that is led by Jones’ character. The series is also set to delve into their high-stakes competitors and the rivalries that they have with each other.

Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, the Oscar-nominated screenwriters of Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men as well as the first Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Iron Man, will pen and executive produce the series.

Apart from headlining the series, Jones, known for her performances in films such as Like Crazy, The Theory of Everything, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and On the Basis of Sex, will executive produce the series. She will also produce alongside her brother Alexander Jones for their Piecrust Pictures banner.

Around four months after the release of its inaugural season on Apple TV+, the streamer has renewed the Vince Vaughn-starrer series Bad Monkey for another season. Season one is an adaptation of Carl Hiaasen’s novel Bad Monkey.

The novel Razor Girl serves as a sequel to it, but the makers are yet to confirm what will form the basis for the second season of the series. Bill Lawrence created the series through his Doozer Productions banner and served as the showrunner. Vaughn also executive-produced the series alongside Lawrence.

Bad Monkey follows former Miami police officer, Andrew Yancy, who is now working as a health inspector in the Florida Keys. When he discovers a human arm washed ashore, he becomes part of a murder investigation.

To return to police work, he must navigate through a colorful cast of Floridian characters and overcome various obstacles, including a mischievous monkey.

Matt Cherniss, head of programming at Apple TV+, described the series as a “fan-favourite,” and said that the second season will have “more hilarious, sun-soaked, beachy misadventures” from Bill Lawrence. The first season also stars  L Scott Caldwell, Rob Delaney, Meredith Hagner, Natalie Martinez, Alex Moffat, Michelle Monaghan, Ronald Peet, and Jodie Turner-Smith. It also has special guest appearances from John Ortiz, Zach Braff, Ashley Nicole Black, Scott Glenn, and Charlotte Lawrence in her television debut.

Fasil Muhammed, director of Feminichi Fathima, a satirical exploration of patriarchy and gender dynamics within a conservative Muslim household, has been garnering rave responses from audiences at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), where the film is part of the international competition section.

Having been a short film director and spot editor in the film industry, Fasil has indeed made a sensational debut as a feature filmmaker. Here, he shares his thoughts in a quick chat with TNIE:

What inspired you to create a film like Feminichi Fathima?

There has been a noticeable change among Muslim women. Until recently, many constraints held them back, but now they are starting to break free from old traditions and step into their own. They are proving their talents and showing courage, whether it’s on social media or in other spaces.

I have been observing these changes and reflecting on them for a long time. I wanted to create something that highlights this shift. The idea for Fathima’s story came from a small moment during a visit to a relative’s house. One morning, I heard my sister scolding her son for wetting the bed. She said, “I tried so hard to stop him from wetting the bed, and now the smell won’t go away.” That line stuck with me, and it became the starting point for Fathima’s story.

The title Feminichi Fathima is striking. Did you face any concerns about using the term ‘Feminichi’, which often carries a negative connotation in contemporary discourse?

The title was decided from the very beginning, and I view ‘Feminichi’ as a very positive term. When a woman is called a ‘Feminichi,’ it means she is growing and evolving. The term reflects the growth.

Usually, people use ‘Feminichi’ as a joke or to mock someone. But for a woman, there should be no shame in it — only pride. The problem lies within society.

If there’s any negativity attached to it, that will change after people see my film. I believe the term ‘Feminichi’ will be viewed positively from then on.

Who knew a mattress could spark a revolution? Premiered at the International Competition section at the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), Fasil Muhammed’s directorial debut Feminichi Fathima (Feminist Fathima) takes the mundane and turns it into a masterful satire. A woman’s quiet rebellion against a controlling husband and stifling traditions becomes a hilarious and deeply moving battle for financial independence.

Set in the coastal town of Ponnani, the film transforms a seemingly small incident into a richly layered narrative examining autonomy and conditioning. It is a film that mocks the absurdity of conservatism while embracing the complexity of the human experience, all wrapped in a rollicking comedy.

At its heart lies Fathima (Shamla Hamza), a housewife navigating life under the thumb of her conservative husband, Ashraf (Kumar Sunil). An Usthad by profession, he is highly respected in his community, yet his backward views on marital life and gender roles are laughable when set against Fathima’s growing realisation of her own agency. What begins as Fathima’s small attempt to replace a mattress—a practical necessity—evolves into a deeply personal battle against his authority.

The film’s writing shines through in its subtlety; the way Fathima’s resilience is gradually woven into the narrative is handled organically, allowing her growth to feel earned rather than contrived.

No dramatic speeches or grand gestures—just a quiet, steady march towards reclaiming her autonomy. The satire here is deftly layered, as the protagonist’s small acts of rebellion—a simple purchase, a quiet decision—challenge the very fabric of her repressive environment. One of the most striking elements of Shamla’s performance is how she conveys Fathima’s internal conflict.

Actor Vijay Sethupathi’s 50th film Maharaja is making and breaking box-office records in China.

The latest update from the trackers is that the film has collected Rs 82 crore in China, surpassing Baahubali 2, which has reportedly made around Rs 80 crore. The film, which was released in China over two weeks ago, is also a critical success.

The film’s combined net collection of India (Rs 104 crore) and China works up to Rs 186 crore.

Directed by Nithilan Swaminathan, Maharaja features a stellar cast including Anurag Kashyap, Mamta Mohandas, and Natty Natraj. The story revolves around Maharaja (played by Sethupathi), a barber from Chennai who visits a police station to reclaim his stolen dustbin, only for the situation to take an unexpected turn, revealing deeper intentions.

Maharaja is produced by Sudhan Sundaram through his Passion Studios banner and Jagadish Palanisamy under his banner, The Route. It has cinematography by Dinesh Purushothaman, music by B. Ajaneesh Loknath, and editing by Philomin Raj.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

The list also includes France’s “Emilia Perez”, “I’m Still Here” (Brazil), “Universal Language” (Canada), “Waves” (Czech Republic), “The Girl with the Needle” (Denmark), and “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” from Germany.

The other contenders are “Touch” (Iceland), “Kneecap” (Ireland), “Vermiglio” (Italy), “Flow” (Latvia), “Armand” (Norway), “From Ground Zero” (Palestine), “Dahomey” (Senegal), and “How to Make Millions before Grandma Dies” (Thailand).

“Santosh”, which premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, is set in Uttar Pradesh and revolves around a newly widowed housewife (Goswami) as she inherits her late husband’s job as a police constable and becomes embroiled in the investigation of a Dalit girl’s murder.

The film is an international co-production of the UK, India, Germany and France.

It has been hailed as a “deft thriller” and complex character study of a female cop whose moral conflict intertwines several themes of class, caste and intolerance.

Besides “Santosh”, “Anuja” is another film with an Indian connection that has made it to the next stage of the Oscars.

It is one of the 15 films to be selected in the Live Action Short category.

The New Delhi-set short film follows a gifted nine-year-old Anuja, who must make a choice between education and factory work alongside her sister – a decision that will shape both their futures.

It stars Sajda Pathan and Ananya Shanbhag.

“Anuja” is directed by Adam J Graves and Suchitra Mattai, and has two-time Oscar winning producer Guneet Monga on board as executive producer and Hollywood star-writer Mindy Kaling as producer.

“It’s been an honour to be a part of this extraordinary story of the human spirit.

Congratulations to our stars Sajda Pathan and Ananya Shanbhag, and the entire team,” Monga wrote on Instagram Stories.

Ahead of the release of Varun Dhawan’s action film Baby John, the actor revealed what were the changes made in the film’s script that made it distinct from the Vijay-starrer Theri, directed by Atlee.

At a recent event, Dhawan said that when Atlee came with this script a lot had to be changed due to the “geography of the film”. He further added that the audiences expecting a book-by-book remake of Theri might be disappointed. He also said that Baby John will not run away from Theri but will only be an adaptation and not a remake.

Delving a bit into the film’s plotline, Varun said it incorporates some real-life events.

Directed by Kalees, the action-thriller also stars Jackie Shroff, Keerthy Suresh, Wamiqa Gabbi and Rajpal Yadav in pivotal roles. It is shot by Kiran Koushik and edited by Ruben. Produced by Murad Khetani, Priya Atlee and Jyoti Deshpande, the film will be released in theatres on December 25.

(This story originally appeared in Cinema Express)

LOS ANGELES: The second part of musical fantasy movie “Wicked” has been titled “Wicked: For Good”, Hollywood studio Universal Pictures has announced.

The follow-up, directed by Jon M Chu, will be released in theatres on November 21, the official X handle of “Wicked” posted on Monday evening.

“You will be changed. ‘Wicked: For Good’, only in theaters November 21, 2025,” the post read.

Starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the lead roles, “Wicked” is an adaptation of the hit Broadway musical of the same name, which was based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire.

The highly anticipated Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse has encountered yet another major delay. The film is set to give a conclusion to Miles Morales’ animated journey. Initially slated for release on March 29, 2024, the film was removed from Sony’s release schedule earlier this year, with no concrete timeline in sight. According to a recent update from Deadline, the movie will not hit theatres in 2025 either.

While rumours in September suggested the film could be delayed until 2027 due to large portions being scrapped, producer Christopher Miller and composer Daniel Pemberton swiftly dismissed such claims. This debunking, paired with the recent update, suggests a likely release window in 2026.

Adding to this uncertainty, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse star Jharrel Jerome, who voices Miles G Morales, confirmed he hasn’t recorded any lines for the third instalment yet—a telling sign of the film’s delayed progress.

The first two entries in the Spider-Verse trilogy, Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse, were both critical and commercial triumphs, raising expectations for the finale. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse is credited as the third film that will follow the story of Miles Morales.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

He added that Zakir Hussain was a “treasure trove of skill and knowledge” who encouraged the entire music community through his collaborations and actions.

In a career spanning six decades, Hussain collaborated with some of the most renowned international artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Charles Lloyd, Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Mickey Hart, George Harrison, and the pop group Earth, Wind & Fire bringing tabla and Indian classical music to audiences worldwide, solidifying his reputation as a global cultural ambassador.

He also collaborated with iconic Indian musicians including Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, and Shivkumar Sharma.

Calling him an inspiration, Oscar and Grammy-winning musician A. R. Rahman regretted not being able to collaborate with Zakir Hussain in recent years.

“Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. Zakir Bhai was an inspiration, a towering personality who elevated the tabla to global acclaim. His loss is immeasurable for all of us. I regret not being able to collaborate with him as much as we did decades ago, though we had planned an album together. You shall be truly missed. May his family and his countless students worldwide find the strength to bear this immense loss,” Rahman wrote on X.

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta remembered Ustad as “the man who made tabla sexy.”

“The maestro, Ustad Zakir Hussain passed away a few hours ago. Goodbye Ustadji. The man who made the tabla sexy, who brought an accompanying instrument to the forefront is gone. Deepest condolences to his family, fans and students around the globe,” he wrote on X.

From her smashing hit item number Aaj Ki Raat in Stree 2 to her appearance at the Milan Fashion Week, Bollywood actor Tamannaah Bhatia has made quite some headlines this year. Tamannaah’s new OTT thriller Sikandar Ka Muqaddar, directed by Neeraj Pandey, released on November 29 on Netflix, where she is playing a de-glam, desi character.

“I have played innumerable roles, but I have never done something like this before. I have also not worked in this kind of setup. I am happy that Neeraj sir thought of me playing the character of Kamini Singh.

I thoroughly enjoyed doing it. I get overstressed if I read an emotional script. I feel I won’t be able to watch something that is very emotionally heavy. But, Neeraj sir directed the most intense scenes in an energetic manner, which just lifts you up. It doesn’t make you feel low. Watching such scenes in his films, you don’t take the burden; instead, it gives you some sort of a thrill,” says Tamannaah.

She found the character extremely interesting. “When you play a girl next door, just not wearing makeup alone can’t justify it. Language plays an important role. Visuals, story telling and language should be in sync for it to look good,” adds Tamannaah.

Having debuted in 2005 in a romantic Bollywood film Chand Sa Roshan Chehra, Tamannaah also starred in a Telugu film titled Sree and later in a Tamil film titled Kedi in the same year. She has been part of big banner films like Baahubali and Baahubali 2 in the South.

This year also proved to be lucky for her. Tamannaah says, “My Tamil film Aranmanai made 100 crores. It’s a solo film, and it means a lot to me. When films do well, we know more people will be interested in making good cinema. I am lucky to be enjoying the best of both worlds. Also, I love music, which is an important part of the Indian cinema.”

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, ‘Lady Superstar’ Nayanthara opened up about her journey of over two decades in Indian cinema. She recalled working with Malayalam superstar Mohanlal on veteran filmmaker Fazil’s Vismayathumbathu.

During the interview, Nayanthara recounted the tense experience on set, adding that her lack of training and understanding of cinema’s technical demands made her early days daunting.

“I still remember, there was a day when Fazil sir got really upset with me, and he was like, ‘I really can’t take it, you’re not understanding’. First of all, I don’t think in Malayalam, and cinema language is different from the language that we speak. Mohanlal sir kept telling me, ‘Nayan, you have to emote from within’. He kept on saying that and I got so annoyed,” she said.

Nayanthara recalls telling Mohanlal, ‘Sir, I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know anything about the dialogue I’m saying. You’re asking me to cry on this word, and fall in love on that word. There’s nothing inside me. Only fear.’ Mohanlal laughed and told her to take a break.

Fazil, visibly upset, decided to take a break, retreating to collect his thoughts. After spending two hours by himself, the director returned with words of encouragement for the young actor.

“Listen, I really trust you, and I’m going to trust you again. I want a rock-solid performance, and I can’t be a failure. I’m calling a break today, tomorrow you come back and then we’ll decide.’ I genuinely felt very bad for him,” the acclaimed director told Nayan.

She resolved to work hard to please the filmmaker, and ultimately her determination paid off. The next day, Fazil hugged Nayanthara and expressed his pride for her. And that moment marked a turning point in our Lady Superstar’s career.

Vismayathumbathu (2004) is a psychological thriller helmed by Fazil and had starred Mohanlal, Mukesh, and Nayanthara in key roles. It is based on the 1999 French novel ‘If Only It Were True’ (Et si c’était vrai…) by Marc Levy which was also adapted into the 2005 American film Just Like Heaven.

The Malayalam version’s plot revolves around Sreekumar (Mohanlal), a man with a sixth sense, while Nayanthara plays the role of a wandering spirit who becomes entangled with him.

In the opening scene of A Conflict of Love Interest, Scarlett (Hedy Nasser) walks out of a man’s apartment as he pleads for her number. Her sharp, dismissive response—“I know”—paired with an effortlessly cool adjustment of her sunglasses as she steps into a cab, sets the tone for her character. Scarlett is someone who is on a dating spree and avoids commitment, exuding the self-assured main character energy reminiscent of Lindsay Lohan in Just My Luck.

Wherever she goes, opportunities seem to follow, and emotions remain at a safe distance. The film promises a journey of self-discovery and emotional reflection but ultimately fails to immerse us in Scarlett’s transformation or make her someone we can root for.

Scarlett’s primary goal is to land a photographer’s role with Joan (Midori Nakamura), the mother of her boss Jenny (Rebecca Lee Lerman). To get there, she takes on the task of playing wingwoman to Jenny in her quest for love.

The 88-minute film unfolds like a soap opera—occasionally engaging but largely perplexing. While director Andrew Rasmussen deserves credit for crafting Scarlett as a flawed and sometimes frustrating protagonist, the narrative doesn’t allow these traits to add much depth. For instance, Scarlett quips about her fears: “Chipped nails, wrinkled clothes, and everything that stops you from looking perfect.” It’s an amusing moment, but it feels hollow, leaving her internal struggles underexplored.

The supporting characters—Jenny, Lisa (Deanna Ott), and Scarlett’s love interest Lucas Sharpe (Logan Schmucker)—are not fleshed out in ways that add much to the story.

While the film raises intriguing questions about personal growth and decision-making, these themes are quickly drowned in a shallow and predictable narrative. There are, however, moments of brilliance.

A confrontation between Jenny and Scarlett at Lucas’s apartment is the highlight, evoking the chaos of Friends when secrets come tumbling out. Similarly, the recurring ‘cacao ceremony’ and sound therapy scenes involving Lisa and Scarlett spark some genuine laughs. Yet, these moments are fleeting, overshadowed by a script riddled with cracks.

The climax, predictable and unremarkable, does little justice to the story or the audience’s investment. Even the seemingly poignant escapade to Coney Island with Lucas feels derivative, reminiscent of Begin Again but lacking the emotional resonance.

There is no real conflict to engage the viewer or a love story compelling enough to evoke warmth. The result is a forgettable film that falls short of its potential.

Ultimately, A Conflict of Love Interest might hold some appeal for those seeking a light, surface-level romantic drama. However, it offers neither the emotional depth nor the narrative intrigue needed to leave a lasting impression.—Narayani M

NEW DELHI: Filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine As Light” has bagged a nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 30th annual Critics Choice Awards.

The nominations for the awards ceremony, to be held on January 12, 2025, were announced on Thursday evening by the Critics Choice Association (CCA).

In the best foreign language film category, “All We Imagine As Light” is pitted against France’s “Emilia Pérez”, Latvia’s “Flow”, Ireland’s “Kneecap”, Brazil’s “I’m Still Here” and Germany’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”, which is directed by dissident Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof.

The nod at the Critics Choice Awards for “All We Imagine As Light” comes days after the film picked up two nominations at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards.

The Malayalam-Hindi film, which marks Kapadia’s feature directorial debut, is nominated for Best Motion Picture Non-English Language and the Best Direction – Motion Picture at the upcoming awards.

The film, an official India-French co-production, charted history by becoming the first Indian title from India to win the Grand Prix Award at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

It follows two nurses Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and Anu (Divya Prabha) from Kerala navigating life and love in Mumbai along with their friend and cook Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam).

Just recently, the movie was named the Best International Film by New York Film Critics Circle and won an award in the same category at the Gotham Awards.

“All We Imagine As Light” claimed the top spot at the Sight and Sound magazine’s annual list of 50 best movies of the year.

The film is being distributed in the US by Janus Films and Sideshow.

Rana Daggubati’s Spirit Media released the film across India in November.

The 30th Critics Choice Awards will be hosted by Chelsea Handler.

The awards gala will livestream on Lionsgate Play in India.

The longest-serving prime minister in Israel’s history is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases. He is accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars worth of cigars and champagne from a billionaire Hollywood producer in exchange for assistance with personal and business interests, and of promoting advantageous regulations for media moguls in exchange for favorable coverage.

In the leaked police videos, the 75-year-old leader sits at his desk in a surprisingly cramped office, a map of the region behind him. He expresses outrage at the proceedings, calls witnesses liars, and notes he has much weightier matters to attend to. At one point, asked about numbers of champagne bottles, he says he spends his time counting missiles threatening Israel, not bottles. Frequently, his answer is he doesn’t remember.

“We have a number of people on the record telling us what a great memory he has,” says Gibney. “And almost every question that could be possibly incriminating, he says ‘I can’t recall.’”

Reviews in Israeli media for “The Bibi Files” have mostly been positive, while noting that Netanyahu is portrayed in a harsh light. Not surprisingly, public reaction reflects longstanding divisions over the polarizing leader. He and his supporters say he’s the subject of a witch hunt orchestrated by a hostile media and biased justice system out to topple his rule.

“Netanyahu’s opponents will swear by the film and will only become more convinced that he is corrupt, dizzy with power and leading us to destruction,” Nir Wolf, TV critic for the Netanyahu-friendly Israel Hayom paper, wrote. “His supporters will want to embrace him more.”

Netanyahu has also noticed the film. In September, his lawyer asked the country’s attorney general to investigate Drucker, who is a co-producer with Gibney, accusing him of trying to influence the legal proceedings. No investigation has been launched. (In the film, Drucker notes that Netanyahu has previously sued him three times.)

The film, which intersperses police footage with commentary from former officials, Netanyahu associates, journalists and other analysts — including, frequently, Drucker — begins with the prime minister sitting for his first interview.

“With Netanyahu, nothing concentrates his mind more than the sound of the prison gate slammed behind his back,” comments Nimrod Novik, a former adviser to late Prime Minister Shimon Peres. One of Gibney and Bloom’s key arguments will be that Netanyahu’s fear of potential prison time has influenced his policy decisions — from judicial reform to war.

Netanyahu appears indignant throughout. “You’re asking me delusional questions,” he tells his questioners. “This is preposterous and insane.”

In other footage, Arnon Milchan, the billionaire Hollywood mogul, Netanyahu friend and, more recently, prosecution witness, describes delivering fancy pink champagne on demand for Sara Netanyahu, sometimes toting a cooler himself, as part of an alleged gifts-for-favors scheme. Elsewhere, Sara Netanyahu sits for questioning herself. “How are you not ashamed of yourselves?” she sharply admonishes the interviewers. She tells them that outside Israel, her husband is justly received as a king.

Actor Keerthy Suresh has married her boyfriend Antony Thattil in a traditonal wedding ceremony in Goa, in the presence of their families and close friends. Taking to social media, Keerthy shared first photos with the caption, “#ForTheLoveOfNyke.”

The photos have received much love from fans and friends. Stars such as Raashii Khanna and Hansika Motwani congratulated her.

Speaking of their relationship, Keerthy and Antony have been dating for nearly 15 years now. They met while the actress was in high school and Antony was doing his undergraduate studies. Despite such a long relationship, the couple never shared pictures of themselves on social media, nor have they made any public appearances together.

CHANDIGARH: The Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR) has issued an advisory to Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh not to glorify drugs, and violence during his ‘Dil-Luminati’ India Tour concert here at Exhibition Ground, Sector 34 on December 14.

In the advisory issued here yesterday, the child rights body stated, “Avoid to perform songs like Patiala Peg, 5 Tara, Case etc. even with twisted words in which alcohol, drugs and violence are promoted. These songs affect the children of impressionable age.’’

Citing a World Health Organization (WHO) report, adults should not be exposed to sound with peak sound pressure levels above 140db and for the children the level reduced to 120 db, the advisory asked the singer not to invite children on stage during the show, where peak sound pressure level is above 120db.

The commission also emphasized that alcohol should not be served to youngsters below 25 years which is punishable under JJ Act and other provisions of law.

This advisory comes in the wake of concerns raised during Dosanjh’s concerts in Hyderabad and Delhi, warning him against the promotion of alcohol and drugs.

Shipra Bansal, Chairperson of Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights had issued these instructions based on the representation filed by Panditrao Dharenavar, an assistant professor of Sociology in the Government college in Sector 46.

Earlier in November, Panditrao had given a complaint against Dosanjh on which District Child Welfare Officer Telangana also had issued notice for not using children on stage and not to sing alcohol, drugs and violence-promoting songs. The singer followed the advisory and did not use children on stage.

Panditrao said, “He is sure singer Diljit Dosanjh will follow the advisory in the larger interest of the children.”

NEW DELHI: A day after the members of Raj Kapoor’s family met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan thanked him for inviting them to “commemorate the extraordinary life and legacy” of their grandfather ahead of the cinema icon’s birth centenary.

The Kapoor family, including actors Ranbir Kapoor, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, and Neetu Kapoor, met the prime minister on Tuesday.

December 14, 2024 marks the 100th birth anniversary of Raj Kapoor, an actor, editor, director, and producer, known for classics such as “Aag”, “Awara”, “Barsaat”, “Shree 420”, and “Bobby”.

According to Kareena’s Instagram post shared on Wednesday, the PM invited the Kapoor clan to New Delhi ahead of the milestone anniversary.

“We are deeply humbled and honoured to have been invited by the Honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, to commemorate the extraordinary life and legacy of our grandfather, the legendary Raj Kapoor.

“Thank you Shri Modi ji for such a special afternoon. Your warmth, attention, and support in celebrating this milestone meant the world to us,” she captioned a series of pictures of the family with the prime minister.

The Kapoor kin, including Rima Jain, Karisma Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Saif Ali Khan, Aadar Jain, Armaan Jain and Anissa Malhotra, met Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday and invited the prime minister for the Raj Kapoor Film Festival, a source earlier told PTI.

The family members expressed hope that Modi would attend the film festival, they said.

WASHINGTON: Acclaimed filmmaker Ang Lee will be honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 77th Annual Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards, set to take place on February 8, 2025.

Lee, the Academy Award-winning director behind masterpieces such as Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi, will become the 37th filmmaker in history to receive this distinguished honour.

The news was announced by the official social media handle of the Directors Guild of America.

The award, presented at the discretion of current and past DGA presidents, celebrates an individual’s exceptional contributions to the world of cinema.

Lesli Linka Glatter, the current president of the DGA, lauded Lee as “truly a master filmmaker,” highlighting his impressive and diverse body of work, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

She described Lee’s career as one that “boldly cuts across genres,” noting his fearless exploration of themes ranging from period drama and comedy to superhero epics and martial arts.

Glatter continued, saying, “For over 30 years, he has consistently challenged himself, never repeating himself, and always achieving cinematic excellence.”

The DGA president also emphasized Lee’s ability to create films with complex characters and unforgettable stories.

“Through his films, Ang invites his audiences to explore complex characters that linger in your heart and mind long after the screen has gone dark,” Glatter said, adding, “His work is consistently recognized by critics, festivals, and audiences for its brilliant storytelling and technological innovations,” as per The Hollywood Reporter.

‘All We Imagine’ As Light follows the story of Prabha, a troubled nurse who receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband, and Anu, her young roommate seeking intimacy with her boyfriend.

Their journey to a beach town allows them to confront their desires and emotions. The film stars Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Chhaya Kadam in lead roles.

The film is an official Indo-French co-production between Petit Chaos (France) and Chalk & Cheese and Another Birth (India).

It has already made history earlier this year by winning the prestigious Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, marking it as the first Indian film to be featured in the festival’s main competition section in 30 years.

Before its Golden Globe nominations, ‘All We Imagine As Light’ had already garnered significant international acclaim.

The film won the Best International Feature trophy at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards and the Best International Feature at the Gotham Awards 2024.

These accolades have cemented Kapadia’s reputation as one of the most promising directors on the global cinema stage.

The nominees for the 82nd Golden Globe Awards were announced by Mindy Kaling and Morris Chestnut, with ‘All We Imagine As Light’ being one of the standout entries in the film categories. The other nominees for Best Director include Jacques Audiard for Emilia Perez, Sean Baker for Anora, Edward Berger for Conclave, Brady Corbet for The Brutalist, and Coralie Fargeat for The Substance.

Emilia Perez led the nominations with a total of 10, while other films like The Brutalist, Conclave, and Anora also received multiple nominations.

The Golden Globe Awards, which recognize excellence in both film and television, will stream LIVE in India exclusively on Lionsgate Play starting at 6:30 AM IST on January 6, 2025.

After a long wait, Pa Ranjith and Vikram’s latest outing, Thangalaan, has now premiered on Netflix. The film hit theatres on August 15 and opened to mixed reviews. 

Thangalaan also stars Parvathy Thiruvothu, Malavika Mohanan, Daniel Caltagirone, Pasupathy, and Hari Krishnan in prominent roles. The film is set in colonial India, where a fearless tribal leader clashes with a mysterious sorceress after helping the British uncover hidden gold in his village.

Tamil Prabha has contributed to the story along with Pa Ranjith and the two of them have written the screenplay along with Azhagiya Periyavan. The film’s technical crew comprises DOP A Kishor Kumar, cinematographer Selva RK and music composer GV Prakash Kumar. 

Thangalaan is produced by K. E. Gnanavel Raja under Studio Green and Neelam Productions.

The postponement of its OTT release appeared to be caused by challenges in securing a timely agreement with the streaming service. After prolonged discussions and resolving key issues, the film has now been discreetly released on Netflix.

This surprising development has excited fans who were eagerly waiting to watch the movie at home.

[With inputs from Online Desk]

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

Jacques Audiard’s audacious musical “Emilia Pérez,” about a Mexican drug lord who undergoes gender affirming surgery to become a woman, led nominations to the 82nd Golden Globes on Monday, scoring 10 nods to lead it over other contenders like the musical smash “Wicked,” the papal thriller “Conclave” and the postwar epic “The Brutalist.”

The nominations for the Globes, which will be televised by CBS and streamed on Paramount+ on Jan. 5, were announced on Monday morning by Mindy Kaling and Morris Chestnut.

The embattled Globes, which are no longer presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, are still in comeback mode after years of scandal and organizational upheaval. Working in the Globes favor this year: a especially starry field of nominees. Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet, Angelina Jolie, Daniel Craig, Denzel Washington, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Glen Powell and Selena Gomez all scored nominations.

The young Donald Trump drama “The Apprentice” also landed nominations for its two central performances, by Sebastian Stan as Trump and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn. The president elect has called “The Apprentice” a “politically disgusting hatchet job” made by “human scum.”

How much the recent president election will figure into Hollywood’s awards season remains to be seen. In the season’s first awards ceremony, the Gotham Awards, Trump went unmentioned but sometimes alluded to. Stan also received a nomination Monday for the dark comedy “A Different Man.”

While “Oppenheimer” and, to a lesser degree, “Barbie,” sailed into the Globes nominations as the clear heavyweights of awards season, no such frontrunner has emerged this year — and, with the exception of “Wicked,” most of the contenders are far lighter on box office. The Globes don’t often align with the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, a much larger group that far more closely reflects the film industry. But they can give movies a major boost, and ripe fodder for their awards marketing.

Netflix dominates

Netflix, which acquired “Emilia Pérez” after its Cannes Film Festival debut, dominated the nominations, leading all studios in both film nods (13) and in the TV categories (23).

“Emilia Pérez,” an operatic genre-skipping movie that combines elements of a narco thriller, a Broadway musical and a trans drama, scored nominations for its three stars: Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña and Gomez.

Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist” landed seven nominations, including best picture, drama, and acting nods for Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce. The soon-to-be-released film, from A24, is uncommonly ambitious, with a runtime of three-and-a-half hours, including an intermission.

A24 narrowly trailed Netflix in the film categories, scoring 12 nominations overall, including best actor, drama, for Hugh Grant’s darkest turn yet in the horror film “Heretic.” Grant, in a statement, thanked the directors, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods “for spotting my need to kill.”

Close behind it was Edward Berger’s “Conclave,” starring Ralph Fiennes as a cardinal tasked with leading the conclave to elect a new pope. It landed six nominations, including best picture, drama, and acting nods for Fiennes and Isabella Rossellini.

Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or-winning “Anora,” starring Mikey Madison as a Brooklyn sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch, was nominated for five awards, including best picture, comedy or musical, and best female actor for Madison and best supporting actor for Yura Borisov.

The Globes will be hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser, who scored her own nomination for best stand-up special. CBS, which began airing the Globes last year on a new deal, will hope Glaser manages to do better than last year’s emcee, Jo Koy, whose stint was widely panned.

Ranbir Kapoor has given updates on his upcoming films: Animal Park, Brahmastra 2 and Ramayana. In a recent interview with Deadline Hollywood, Ranbir shared that the second instalment of the Animal franchise will go on floors in 2027 since the film’s director Sandeep Reddy Vanga is busy with another project (likely, the Prabhas-starrer Spirit).

“The director is making another film right now. We should start that film in 2027. He just kind of flirted with what he really wanted to do with the movie.”

The actor also revealed that there will be a third part to Animal. “He (Sandeep) wants to make it over three parts. The second part is called Animal Park. We’ve been sharing ideas from the first film itself, and how he wants to take the story forward. It’s very exciting because now I get to play two characters, the antagonist and the protagonist. So, an extremely exciting project and extremely original director and very excited to be part of it,” added Ranbir.

He also went on to share that his wife and actor Alia Bhatt will return in the second part of Brahmastra and that he has finished shooting for Ramayana Part 1 and will soon start working on the second instalment.

He will be essaying the role of Lord Ram in the films. Sai Pallavi is reportedly playing Sita, while TV actor Ravi Dubey will be seen in the role of Lakshman.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)