Category: Arts Entertainments

“The magnitude of the landslide can only be comprehended by witnessing it firsthand. The Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the NDRF, the Fire and Rescue, the other organisations, locals etc who all are part of the rescue operations have done a wonderful job,” he said.

The actor said the 122 infantry battalion (TA) of the Indian Army, of which he is part, was among the first teams to reach the disaster-hit region.

“The Vishwashanthi Foundation, of which I am also a part, has decided to donate Rs three crore for the rehabilitation works here. More funds will be made available if needed,” the actor said.

The actor was conferred the Lt Colonel post in the territorial army in 2009.

Meanwhile, movie director Major Ravi, who accompanied Mohanlal, said the foundation will also rebuild the Mundakkayi school, which was in ruins.

Priyadarshi and Nabha Natesh’s recently-released film Darling is all set to be released on Disney+ Hotstar on August 13. The film is written and directed by Aswin Ram.

Darling, which was released in theatres on July 19, received mixed to negative reviews from critics as well as the audience.

Our CE review of the film read, “If Darling is any evidence, Aswin Raam has a long way to go. After an intermittently funny first half that entirely relies on slapstick comedy, Aswin tries everything in his capacity to keep the ball rolling, whether it be broad slapstick comedy, or schmaltzy drama about elder family members learning a thing or two. But once the cat is out of the bag, the film never settles down, and it remains too bizarre throughout its 161-minute runtime.”

The technical crew of Darling comprises cinematographer Naresh Ramadurai, editor Pradeep E Raghav, and music composer Vivek Sagar. The film was produced by K Niranjan Reddy under the production banner Primeshow Entertainment.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

KOCHI: Consumer Court orders tiles supplier and two others to pay a Rs 17.83 lakh to Malayalam actor Harisree Ashokan for defect in his ‘Punjabi House’ home.

The Ernakulam District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered a compensation of nearly Rs 17.84 lakh for the serious mistake made in the construction of his home at ‘Punjabi House’ owned by film actor Harishree Ashokan.

For the purpose of the house ‘Punjabi House’, named after his hit 1998-movie in the same name, Ashokan had purchased 2,500 sq, ft floor tiles, imported by Kerala AGL World, Edappally Kochi, the third opposite party, from the first opposite party Peekay Tiles Centre, Edappally, Kochi for Rs 2.75 lakhs and paved them on the floor. The work of laying tiles was done under the owner of NS Marble Works, K.A. Pius, the second opposite party.

Before the construction of the house was completed, the colour of the floors began to fade, and water and soil began to enter the surface through the gaps. The opposite parties were approached many times but there was no solution. Ashokan then approached the consumer court.

The opposite parties have taken positions in the court that the complainant could not produce the documents for the purchase of the product, there is no evidence regarding the defect of the product and there are no documents related to the warranty. They also maintained that they were not the ones who laid the tiles.

The court considered that the action of the opposite parties, who cheated the customer by not providing the invoice, warranty documents and test report and violated the basic right to know as stipulated by the Consumer Protection Act, is a clear picture of unethical business practice and deficiency in service.

The commission comprising its president DB Binu and members Vaikom Ramachandran and TN Srividhia observed that the action of the opposite parties to compel the consumer to litigate is in no way acceptable.

The judgment said, “In our observation, this case exemplifies the profound impact that consumer grievances can have on an individual’s life.” It further added that “The frustration and mental agony he endured while navigating the labyrinth of broken promises and unfulfilled commitments serve as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of consumers in the face of negligence”.

The commission directed the second opposite party to pay a sum of Rs 16,58,641 for the losses suffered by the complainant. Further, the court directed the opposite parties to pay Rs 1 lakh as compensation and Rs 25,000 as cost of proceedings within one month.

Director Danny Boyle’s upcoming horror flick 28 Years Later has officially wrapped production. The upcoming film, directed by Boyle and scripted by Alex Garland, will be a follow-up to 28 Days Later (2002) and 28 Weeks Later (2007). Boyle and Garland are reuniting for 28 Years Later after 17 years.

Starring Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell and Erin Kellyman in the lead roles, the film is set to hit theatres on June 20, 2025.

Although the plot of the upcoming film is under wraps, the original 2002 film centred on a bicycle courier guy (played by Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to discover the world had been overrun with zombies following the outbreak of a virus. The film was a massive box office success, leading to a standalone sequel, on which Boyle and Garland served solely as executive producers.

28 Years Later is the first in a planned trilogy of sequels. Candyman director Nia DiCosta is all set to helm the second instalment in this franchise. Apart from helming the film, Boyle and Garland are also producing 28 Years Later, along with Andrew Macdonald and Peter Rice. Murphy is also returning as an executive producer.

Donal Finn has been added to the cast of Prime Video’s upcoming series Young Sherlock. Based on Andy Lane’s Young Sherlock Holmes novels, the series will see Finn take on the iconic role of James Moriarty, the archrival of Sherlock Holmes. As announced earlier, Hero Fiennes Tiffin will play Sherlock Holmes in the show.

Matthew Parkhill serves as the executive producer, writer, and showrunner of Young Sherlock.

Guy Ritchie, the maker of the two Sherlock Holmes films starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, is directing and executive producing the show.

The synopsis of the upcoming series reads, “At age 19, Sherlock Holmes is disgraced, raw, unfiltered, and unformed, when he finds himself caught up in a murder mystery at Oxford University which threatens his freedom. Diving into his first-ever case with a wild lack of discipline, Sherlock manages to unravel a globe-trotting conspiracy that will change his life forever.”

Young Sherlock’s star-studded cast also includes Natascha McElhone, Joseph Fiennes, Colin Firth, and Zine Tseng.

This marks Finn’s second Prime Video series, following his role as Mat Cauthon in the fantasy epic The Wheel of Time. His resume also includes appearances in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, The Witcher and How to Build a Girl.

Music director Charan Raj, celebrated for his compositions, occasionally strikes a chord as a singer, as he has lent his voice to the melodious track ‘Helu Gelati’ from the upcoming film Ibbani Tabbida Ileyali.

Directed by Chandjith Belliyappa, this romantic number stars Vihan and Ankita Amar, and the picturisation against a backdrop of vintage charm evokes a sense of nostalgia. The song, composed by Gagan Baderiya, was the latest to be released following the success of earlier hits like Oh Anahita and Sadaa Neene.

Chandrajith, who has contributed as a writer to hit films such as Kirik Party and Srimannarayana, marks his directorial debut with Ibbani Tabbida Ileyali, which also features actors such as Mayuri Nataraj, Aniruddh Bhatt, and Damini Dhanraj, among others.

Ibbani Tabbida Ileyali, a production venture of Rakshit Shetty’s Paramvah Studios, is currently in its final stages of post-production and has cinematography by Srivatsan Selvarajan and collaborative efforts in VFX by Pinaca Studios. With everything going as per plan, the makers are looking for a September release.

Actor Nava Mau, who recently landed in the spotlight after playing Teri in Netflix’s Baby Reindeer, has joined the cast of You season 5. The final season of the hit series will see Mau playing a guest role as Detective Marquez. She will join Penn Badgley alongside previously announced cast members Charlotte Richie, Madeline Brewer, Anna Camp, Griffin Matthews, Natasha Behnam, Pete Ploszek, and Tom Francis in the upcoming season. Mau recently made history, becoming the first transgender woman in Emmy history to be nominated for supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie.

You is developed by Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble and is based on Caroline Kepnes’ best-selling novel of the same name. The fifth season has Michael Foley and Justin W Lo serving as showrunners.

The series follows Joe Goldberg, a man who will do just about anything when love is at stake. The fourth season of You showed Penn Badgley’s Joe Goldberg living in London with a different identity by the name of Jonathan Moore.

We had earlier reported that the next major update regarding Tovino Thomas’ ARM: Ajayante Randam Moshanam would be out on Tuesday. As the state mourns the consecutive landslides causing massive damage and loss of lives in the Wayanad district of Kerala in the early hours of Tuesday, the makers have deferred the update to another day.

Directed by debutant Jithin Laal, ARM is a period epic spanning multiple timelines. The director announced the delay through a social media post stating, “In the context of the great disaster that occurred in Wayanad, as a mark of mourning, the announcement of our movie update, which was scheduled for today at 5:00 PM, has been postponed to another day. #InSolidarityWithThePeopleOfWayanad.”

ARM is penned by Sujith Nambiar with an additional screenplay by Deepu Pradeep. Telugu actor Krithi Shetty is making her Malayalam debut with this film. It also stars Aishwarya Rajesh, Surabhi Lakshmi, Rohini, Basil Joseph, Jagadish, and Harish Uthaman, among others.

ARM has cinematographer Jomon T John, composer Dhibu Ninan Thomas, and editor Shameer Muhammed as part of its core technical team. The film, presented by UGM Productions in association with Magic Frames, has been planned to be released in 3D in multiple languages.

Earlier, we had reported that the release of ARM was suspended following a stay order issued by the Ernakulam Principal Sub Court due to allegations of financial fraud.

(This story originally appeared on cinemaexpress.com)

While shooting for director Chimbudeven’s Yogi Babu-starrer Boat, actor Madhumitha had to shoot a major portion of the film on a boat with the ensemble cast. “When we travelled to the location, which was near Thoothukudi, none of us knew that we would be shooting inside an actual boat stationed somewhere in the middle of the sea,” says Madhumitha.

She then adds, “The whole time the boat would keep rocking, sometimes violently, sometimes gently, depending on the tides. The sun beat down on us relentlessly and there was no cover. Our skins were dry and sunburnt. To top it all, we had to emote without narrowing our eyes, despite the harsh sunlight. There was no space for us to move around. Moreover, we couldn’t go for bathroom breaks, as the shore was far away. Each session in the boat lasted for three hours. Only after that could we take a break for meals, before returning to the sea again. For the first three days, it was really tough.”

Even at night, all the actors felt that their bed was rocking, due to being on a moving boat all day. For Madhumitha the shoot was tougher since she was nursing her five-month-old baby at the time. “Being away from the baby for long periods of time was very tough. But I managed somehow. Leaving the baby with my trusted help and a caring production team helped as well,” she says.

Sometimes the shoot was at night, which gave the actors respite from the sun. However, the makers had also arranged for provisions to make things safer for the actors. Madhumitha says, “The production and director Chimbudeven had arranged for a team of local fishermen to be near us always in case of any mishaps.”

Prasanna (Mahadev Hadapad), anchors the narrative with a poignant portrayal of the alcoholic patriarch of the family, a man trying to hold his fractured family together. His sudden demise sets off a chain of events that unravels long-hidden secrets, including the shocking revelation of a contract to eliminate a notorious gangster, Prakasha (Poornachandra Mysore), which brings in the crime angle. Who will take up the contract to eliminate Prakasha, and will they succeed?

Akarsh’s direction deftly navigates the complex intersection of familial bonds and criminal intrigue, crafting a narrative that is both darkly humorous and poignantly dramatic. The narrative blends the gritty realism of everyday life with the intimate struggles of a family teetering on the brink of collapse. Siddharth Sunil’s evocative cinematography immerses the audience in the unvarnished truth of existence, while Chethan Ammaiah’s haunting melodies punctuate the emotional landscape with depth and nuance.

The screenplay oscillates between moments of laughter and introspection with ease. The three lead actors—Abhay, Sindhu, and Rekha—engage in a delightful game of one-upmanship, each trying to outdo the others in their performances. The supporting cast, including Mahadev Hadapad, Poornachandra Mysore, and Ashith who plays Toby, Suraj Kiran as Joseph Joji add depth and complexity to the narrative.

On the one hand, Family Drama is a hilarious and entertaining ride, full of scenarios and lovable characters that will have you in stitches. On the other hand, it emerges as a compelling exploration of human frailty and resilience, challenging societal norms and delivering a gripping narrative that lingers long after the credits roll.

It is also a reminder that life is a beautiful mess of contradictions—a delicate balance of light and dark, humour and pathos, and love and strife. It is a reflection of the human spirit’s capacity to find joy in the mundane, to laugh in the face of adversity, and to persevere in the midst of chaos. As the curtain falls, we are left with a sense of hope and renewal—a reminder that even in the darkest times, there is always a glimmer of light to guide us forward and offering laughter amidst difficulties.

Family Drama

Director: Akarsh HP

Cast: Abhay, Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy, Poornachandra Mysore, Ananya Amar, Rekha Kudligi, Aashith, Mahadev Hadapad, Malathesha, Veeresh, Arun Murthy, Suraj Ravikiran

Rating : 3/5

Cognizant of the evolution of storytelling in the last few decades, Radha Mohan notes, “It is important to be observant of what is happening around us and how the youth are expressing their emotions, which adds another layer of challenge. If you hold onto your ego on working in the industry for several years and don’t learn through the years, your career will become stagnant.”

His actors Myna Nandhini and Chandran both agree with this sentiment. The Kayal actor mentions that his learning experience with director Prabhu Solomon was significant in his career. “I am grateful to have worked with him. I see every film that I am working on as an evolution. It might either be with a very senior filmmaker, a new production house or a technical team. It is all about how you adapt to it.”

Chutney Sambar is set in Ooty and holds a family drama at its core. This gives it an edge over other series, says Myna Nandhini. “When we think of a web series set in Ooty, the audience automatically believes that it would be grim or violent, but that is not the case in this series,” she says and adds,

“During a very serious scene, you would notice that there is a comedy or two placed in between seamlessly.” Chandran pitches in and says, “To express comedy on screen is the hardest task. Today’s generation can be aptly called ‘Gen-D’ as they cannot be separated from their digital screens and it is tough to cater to them.”

In the series, Yogi Babu plays Sachu, an orphaned food cart vendor who realises he has a family when his rich stepbrother comes in search of him. “Only Yogi Babu could have played the lead in the project. There was no other option. The project was initially a film before it was converted into a series,” Radha Mohan reveals. The filmmaker’s casting choices have always stood out in his career—particularly for his memorable supporting characters.

“Even if they don’t have the screen time, they should create an impact. I focus on giving them a backstory and making them important. It is the reason why people still remember Elango Kumaravel’s character as Ravi Shastri in Abhiyum Naanum.” Nandhini, who also plays a key role as Amudha in the series, observes that while there is ample space for female comedians to grow and become iconic actors in the industry, securing the right script is crucial.

“The industry decides that these actors would only play such roles, but I can only show that I am truly capable of playing various characters when the right opportunity comes. In November Story, I would not have even smiled in any scene. Vikram (2022) and Viruman (2022) too were on similar lines. The truth is, women have lesser roles in comedy than men,” she elaborates.

Despite having a fair share of hits and misses in his career, director Radha Mohan credits his sense of humour for helping him sail through difficult times. Both Nandhini and Chandran acknowledge his ability to create a lively atmosphere on set. “It is from those life experiences, on top of the interesting people I meet along the way, that I learnt to create comedy,” he signs off with a smile.

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige kicked off the panel by saying that due to this weekend’s success of Deadpool & Wolverine, the sprawling Marvel cinematic universe had now topped USD 30 billion in box-office earnings. The movie which released on Thursday, has already broken one record and could shatter more in its opening weekend.

Feige used Saturday’s panel to chart the course ahead for the MCU, revealing Ford’s character in the next movie Captain America and revealing Avengers: Secret Wars and Avengers: Doomsday as the titles of the next two films in the epic superhero team-up series.

Feige said all the actors introduced Saturday would appear in the upcoming Avengers movies, which will be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo.

The brothers guided the Avengers franchise through its sprawling storyline capped by Avengers: Endgame in 2019 which included the death of Downey’s Tony Stark/Iron Man character.

Saturday’s session comes after Marvel skipped the convention last year due to the Hollywood strikes, which prevented writers and actors from speaking on panels.

The cast of Captain America includes Brave New Wold Giancarlo Esposito, Tim Blake Nelson, Danny Ramirez and Anthony Mackie.

Esposito revealed that he will be playing the villain, Seth Voelker, also known as Sidewinder.

The cast and director of Thunderbolts(asterisk) also surprised fans with a short clip from the movie. The film is slated to be released in May 2025.

The “Deadpool & Wolverine success woke up a sleepy year for Marvel and assuaged worries about its box-office underperformance in late 2023.

The superhero factory hit a record low in November with the launch of The Marvels, which opened with just USD 47 million.

The Void is an interesting concept with raw potential, which gives you a licence to use any character (or possible iteration of a character) in any way imaginable. The film has fun with this concept sporadically—The giant version of Ant-Man’s suit (with his skeleton still intact) is used as the villain’s lair, ruins of the 20th Century Fox Logo, crashed down Helicarrier etc. Apart from these minor flashes of ingenuity, the immense potential of several such remarkable ideas is sadly never fleshed out.

Deadpool’s signature, fourth-wall-breaking humour, almost acts like an immunity against the usual issues of superhero films, which works to an extent in Deadpool and Wolverine. When an exposition starts testing your patience, we get a joke out of it, when the screenplay starts getting formulaic, Deadpool points it out, and even worries about Hugh Jackman’s legacy being tarnished is playfully acknowledged.

The excessive self-referential humour, real-world references, and fourth wall breaks might take you out of the film at some point. However, they are still effective. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the unapologetic parade of cameos. Marvel is famously known for embracing the vast interconnected web of narratives and its colourful variety of characters.

While the recent line-up of MCU films might have received backlash for excessive use of in-universe references, Deadpool, a franchise that was always cognizant of the criticisms against superhero films, was expected to be better. It comes as a surprise when the absurdly simplistic cameo scenes are rolled out one after the other, in a fashion that is eerily similar to an assembly line.

Before Deadpool and Avengers, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine stood as the face of Marvel films. A legacy that was cemented through a grand, poignant end in James Mangold’s Logan. While Deadpool and Wolverine largely leave that legacy intact and introduce a brand new Wolverine, it still leaves you with mixed feelings, seeing a tired, uninterested Hugh Jackman grunting his way through the performance.

Deadpool and Wolverine caters to a very specific set of fans who enjoy the Marvel films in a very specific way. They derive joy from figuring out the edges of the cinematic universe and find delight in knowing that it is expanding while also exuding warm nostalgia by staying connected to familiar characters. In that regard, Deadpool and Wolverine is one of the biggest fanservice films to come out of the MCU. As these ever-expanding stories connect, one wonders if they will also connect to the audience like they used to.

Deadpool

Director: Shawn Levy

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin

Rating : 2.5/5

In terms of building characters one could root for, there’s only Amani (Sangeerthana Vipin), a sincere and righteous journalist who wants to do her job adequately despite all the external pressure and obstacles. But the writers fail to bring any depth to her or any other prominent character, already struggling with an incoherent screenplay that’s largely plot-driven. So when Amani makes that one emotional phone call to Sriram, expressing her feelings amidst a tense moment, we find ourselves being strangely apathetic to her situation. Writing decisions like this feel like desperate attempts to sprinkle drama and twists when the script lacks them at its core, especially considering Anand’s new identity adds nothing to the plot later on. At the end of the day, he remains the prototypical hero who needs to save the heroine, and that’s that. (The audience also finds itself consistently distracted by the ghastly dubbing work, where it is evident that many of the dialogues were altered on a post-production level, creating a visually jarring impact.)

Things get interesting only for a brief stretch in the second half, when the film’s focus shifts entirely to a chase sequence between the good guy and the bad guy. Despite its logical loopholes, this stretch is well-paced and keeps us glued to the proceedings. This joy is short-lived, unfortunately, because the film again veers into an irredeemably self-indulgent direction in the final act, when it reveals the culprit, their backstory, and the works. There is also an attempt to incorporate religious iconographies into the central good vs. evil battle, but it falls flat because of awkward execution by the director.

Sangeerthana Vipin, in the limited scope she is given, is adequate as Amani. Rakshit Atluri, as Sriram, is strangely stiff in his performance, barely capturing the intensity of his character. The only actor who rises above the script is Radhika Sarathkumar. The veteran actor is barely present in a handful of scenes but makes the most of the material.

Radhika brings gravitas to a revelatory moment in the climax, reminding the audience of the potential of this concept had the writers attempted to explore the grayer shades of their story. Alas, Radhika’s character stays largely peripheral to the overall scheme of things. And Operation Raavan, in its entirety, remains a tiring and dull whodunit.

Well before director Dhanush presents us the ten-headed Raavana image of Raayan (played by Dhanush himself), there is plenty of reason to process the protagonist as a reimagination of the demon-god. He has got a sister he dotes on, a feisty sister who is quite capable of fighting her battles. He has got a couple of brothers, one of who seems more noble than the other, one of who feels more traitorous than the other. Raayan and co. feel like a family of asuras, a clan whose bloodline seems prone to violence, each of them being naturally gifted at mayhem-making. Perhaps that’s why towards the end, a mother hands over a baby, saying, “Unga raththam enakku vendaam.” Perhaps the idea for the story itself began with a what if. What if we threw a family of asuras into present-day civilisation? What if we threw them into a mix of poverty, social neglect and lawlessness?

The parents of Raayan and siblings step out, never to return. In suffering, Raayan turns to a deity-figure, as you’d expect, but then, when has God, in our mythology, taken the side of asuras? For that reason, he is the first to get murdered here. Someone quips, “Poojari, la… Adhaan kadavul kitta poitaaru.” From then on, it’s a quest for survival for the Raayan family. Unlike Kokki Kumar, who stood for the ‘survival of the fittest’, Raayan’s idea of survival isn’t predicated on climbing up the ladder of ambition. He’s smarter; he’s more grounded. He prefers to keep his head down and keep his family together, and as we see his siblings oriented towards specific goals (education for Muthu, marriage for Durga), if you squinted, you could maybe even see a bit of Baasha in Raayan. At one point, he frightens a man into submission, and a cop asks, “Enna sonninga?” I half-expected him to say, “Unmaya sonnen.” But Raayan says, “Kenji ketten sir.” It’s one of many places in Raayan where director Dhanush shows that his goal isn’t to capitalise on easy mass-ification of his character.

Raayan is a fascinating character—and is likened to a lion in the film. Much like the animal, he kills with his ‘claw’—and it leads to some imaginative fight scenes. Much like a lion, he operates in solitude; he’s quiet with his kills, and he has limitless patience when his pride of siblings bother him. Dhanush plays him magnificently. When he willingly walks into the lair of wolves (as he goes to meet SJ Suryah’s Sethu), he struts every bit like a lion. When he sizes up his prey, his eyes brim with menace and bloodlust.

Through Raayan and Durga, director Dhanush presents the beauty of a selfless relationship where one never lets the other down. Isn’t that the stuff of poetry—to find someone who is ready to sacrifice themselves for you, someone for whom you’d willingly sacrifice yourself? Such a relationship fights the selfishness encoded into our biological being—and yet, every now and then, a special love emerges that shatters primal survival instincts. Raayan and Durga can forgive the harm done to themselves, but when it’s done to the other… There’s a lovely scene where they even verbalise this sentiment.

LOA ANGELES: Hollywood star Jennifer Aniston has criticised Donald Trump’s vice-presidential candidate JD Vance over his alleged controversial remark against Democrats.

Vance’s remark from a 2021 interview has been going viral, where he referred to now the Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris and several others as “people without children”.

As per Deadline, he said the U.S. was being run by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.”

These remarks evoked a strong reaction from Aniston.

Taking to Instagram, she wrote, “All I can say is… Mr. Vance, I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children of her own one day.”

Aniston, generally very private, has shared about her IVF struggles in the past and coming to accept that “we are complete with or without a mate, with or without a child.”

Of Vance’s two-year-old daughter, Aniston wrote today, “I hope she will not need to turn to IVF as a second option. Because you are trying to take that away from her, too.”

Vance has three children, sons Ewan, 6, Vivek, 4 and daughter Mirabel, 2.

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, one of those whom Vance dubbed as “childless cat ladies,” spoke about Vance’s stances on IVF and abortion in a Kalamazoo, MI campaign speech last week, as per Deadline.

“Understand, this is a fellow who — in the United States Senate — participated in blocking protections for IVF. This is an individual who has made every indication that he is for a national abortion ban,” said Harris.

Die-hard Swifties may recognize items in a display case dating back to an early tour in 2007 when she was a supporting act: pale blue heart-adorned cowboy boots, turquoise dress and a Taylor acoustic guitar made of koa wood.

The exhibits are set among priceless works in a museum that houses collections of art, fashion, photography, furniture, performance, architecture, and ceramics.

A purple skirt and pink and green sequined jacket from the 2015 tour of her Grammy-winning 1989 album are in a case next to a painting by the High Renaissance artist Raphael. A sweater from the “Cardigan” video from her “folklore” album sits in front of a piano in a gallery of landscape paintings.

The Cinderella-like yellow gown from the “Bejewelled” music video from the “Midnights” album is displayed in the Prince Consort Gallery. A stage costume from her Reputation Tour, complete with snake microphone, is in the British Gallery.

“The V&A feels like the perfect stage for a Taylor Swift trial,” Bailey said. “I think there’s so many touchpoints within Taylor’s work that respond to art, literature, history. … There’s so many ways that we can kind of interpret and layer and present Taylor’s work here.”

SAN DIEGO: Comic-Con International, the comic book and pop culture extravaganza, is kicking off in San Diego. The convention, which draws over 130,000 fans annually, opens for a preview night Wednesday and runs through Sunday.

With the COVID-19 pandemic and the Hollywood strikes disrupting past years of the convention either through complete cancellation or modifications to the way they ran, this year will be the most traditional Comic-Con since 2019.

Actors, filmmakers, comic book authors and illustrators and fans are making their way to the San Diego Convention Center and the several official (and unofficial) event locations for a weekend brimming with programming.

Here’s what to expect at the sprawling convention.

Marvel mania

With the highly anticipated release of “ Deadpool & Wolverine,” Marvel is set to be a strong presence, from the costumes fans don to the panels that draw the longest lines. The Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman-led feature is the first and only Disney-backed Marvel movie of the year. The panel promoting the film and celebrating its release Thursday is expected to draw thousands to the convention’s famed Hall H.

Marvel is also expected to announce news teasing their upcoming titles in their “Phase 5” cinematic universe plan and beyond, with Marvel president Kevin Feige as the only confirmed speaker on their Saturday panel. He will be joined by special guests, who may include stars of upcoming Marvel titles like “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts(asterisk)” and “ The Fantastic Four.”

Stars assemble

After their absence from the convention last year due to the actors strike, stars are returning to the convention in full force to showcase upcoming series and movies. While the lineup for Marvel’s panel will likely remain under wraps until the event starts, several A-listers are confirmed to attend the convention.

Chris Hemsworth, Keegan-Michael Key and Brian Tyree Henry will be speaking on a panel for “Transformers One,” the upcoming animated movie with a star-studded cast that also includes Scarlett Johansson, Jon Hamm, Laurence Fishburne and Steve Buscemi.

The cast of the anticipated August release “Alien: Romulus,” Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Merced and David Jonsson, will speak on a panel with director and writer Fede Alvarez.

Christian Slater, Lupita Nyong’o and the cast members of “The Boys” and “Abbott Elementary” will also make appearances. And of course, Reynolds and Jackman, who have kept busy promoting “Deadpool & Wolverine,” will be there, too.

Beyond the convention

Beyond the convention hall, San Diego will be buzzing with activities, brand activations, parties and events celebrating all things pop culture. Pop and R&B artist Jason Derulo, Japanese singer LiSA and the San Diego Symphony Orchestra are each expected to perform at parties during the weekend.

While several parties and events are invitation-only — including the notable Entertainment Weekly party that draws huge crowds and several celebrities — visitors can keep an eye out for events and pop-ups throughout the city’s Gaslamp Quarter. The area surrounding the convention center embraces the spirit of the weekend, with local businesses, restaurants and bars typically rolling out Comic-Con-specific products or menus.

Unique merchandise

Part of the draw for many Comic-Con attendees is the plethora of merchandise available to purchase on the exhibit floor. Booths selling collectibles from Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Lego, Hasbro, Sony, Mattel and dozens of other companies and franchises will take over the sprawling venue. Visitors can also expect some free items and giveaways on the floor.

The “Artists’ Alley” in the exhibit hall also features dozens of rising creators selling art prints, comics, toys, books, collectibles and more.

Many attendees scramble on preview night and in the convention’s first day to try to snag the merchandise that is exclusive to the event. Retailers big and small boast rare collectibles, and they sell out quickly.

Memorable cosplaying

Another highlight of the weekend for many is the inventive (and often lifelike) costumes attendees wear. The main exhibition floor is a good place to scout out the best looks, but visitors can expect to see decked-out fans throughout the city all weekend.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the convention’s onstage costume competition, “The Masquerade.” Organizers accepted entries from contestants in the months leading up to the convention and will award top costumes with free passes for next year. Several costuming companies and organizations will also award their favorite looks with cash prizes and gifts. The competition will take over the 4,000 person-Ballroom 20 on Saturday at 8:30 p.m.

Five years after “Joker” won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival, filmmaker Todd Phillips is returning with the sequel. “Joker: Folie à Deux” will play in competition with 20 other titles, festival organizers said Tuesday.

The highly anticipated follow-up to the blockbuster comic book film stars Joaquin Phoenix as the mentally ill Arthur Fleck and Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn.

The lineup for the 81st edition of the festival, unveiled early Tuesday, also includes new films starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Jude Law.

Among the films playing alongside “Joker 2” in competition are Pablo Larraín’s Maria Callas film “Maria,” starring Jolie; Walter Salles’ “I’m Still Here”; the erotic thriller “Babygirl” starring Kidman and Harris Dickinson from filmmaker Halina Reijn; Luca Guadagnino’s William S. Burrough’s adaptation “Queer,” with Craig and Jason Schwartzman; and Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language film, “The Room Next Door,” starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton. Set in New England, the filmmaker has said it’s about an imperfect mother and a resentful daughter.

“The Order,” Justin Kurzel’s 80s-set crime thriller about the white supremacist group starring Law as an FBI agent, Nicholas Hoult and Jurnee Smollett, will also be in competition, as will Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist,” with Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce, Felicity Jones and Joe Alwyn. Shot on 70mm, the 215-minute epic is about a Hungarian Auschwitz survivor who goes to the United States.

Pitt and Clooney will reunite in Jon Watts’ “Wolfs,” an adrenaline packed action-comedy about a few fixers that will screen out of competition.

Several interesting films playing in the horizons extra section include “September 5,” about the live television coverage of the Munich Olympics, starring Peter Sarsgaard; John Swab’s “King Ivory,” with Ben Foster and James Badge Dale; and Alex Ross Perry’s film about Stephen Malkmus’ California rock band Pavement.

Venice will also screen Peter Weir’s 2003 epic “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” in conjunction with his lifetime achievement award.

Seven episodes of Alfonso Cuarón’s psychological thriller series “Disclaimer” will also premiere at the festival. The AppleTV+ show is based on a novel about a documentary journalist and a secret she’s been keeping. It stars Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline and will debut on the streamer in October.

“From the time I was born, we were always singing,” Reagon said. “When you’re inside a culture and, quote, ‘doing what comes naturally to you,’ you don’t pay attention to it. … I think my work as a cultural scholar, singer and composer would be completely different if I had not had someone draw my attention to the people who use songs to stay alive, or to keep themselves together, or to lift up the energy in a movement.”

While a student at Albany State College, Reagon was jailed for attending a civil rights demonstration and expelled. She later graduated from Spellman College. She formed Sweet Honey in the Rock while a graduate student of history at Howard University and vocal director of the D.C. Black Repertory Company.

Reagon recorded her first solo album, “Folk Songs: The South,” with Folkways Records in 1965. In 1966 she became a founding member of the Atlanta-based Harambee Singers.

Reagon began working with the Smithsonian Institution in 1969, when she was invited to develop and curate a 1970 festival program, Black Music Through the Languages of the New World, according to the Smithsonian. She went on to curate the African Diaspora Program and to found and direct the Program in Black American Culture at the National Museum of American History, where she was later a curator emeritus. She produced and performed on numerous Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.

For a decade, beginning in 1993, Reagon served as distinguished professor in history at American University in Washington, later becoming a professor emerita.

We assume that music was always a part of civil rights activism, Kernodle said, but it was people like Reagon who made music “part of the strategy of nonviolent resistance. …They took those songs, they took those practices from inside the church to the streets and the jail cells. And they universalized those songs.”

“What she also did that was very important was that she historicized how that music functioned in the civil rights movement,” Kernodle added. “Her dissertation was one of the first real studies of civil rights music.”

Reagon received two George F. Peabody Awards, including for her work as principal scholar, conceptual producer and host of the Smithsonian Institution and National Public Radio series “Wade in the Water: African American Sacred Music Traditions.”

She was also the recipient of the Charles E. Frankel Prize, Presidential Medal, for outstanding contributions to public understanding of the humanities, a MacArthur Fellows Program award, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change Trumpet of Conscience Award.

NEW YORK: Abdul “Duke” Fakir, the last surviving original member of the beloved Motown group the Four Tops that was known for such hits as “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” and “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” has died at age 88.

Fakir died Monday of heart failure at his home in Detroit, according to a family spokesperson, with his wife and other loved ones by his side. Motown founder Berry Gordy said in a statement that Fakir helped embody the Tops’ “showmanship, class and artistry.

“Duke was first tenor — smooth, suave, and always sharp,” Gordy said. “For 70 years, he kept the Four Tops’ remarkable legacy intact.”

The Four Tops were among Motown’s most popular and enduring acts, peaking in the 1960s. Between 1964 and 1967, they had 11 top 20 hits and two No. 1’s: “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” and the operatic classic “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” Other songs, often sagas of romantic pain and bereavement, included “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” “Bernadette” and “Just Ask the Lonely.”

Many of Motown’s greatest stars, from the Supremes to Stevie Wonder, came of age at the Detroit-based company started by Gordy in the late 1950s. But Fakir, lead singer Levi Stubbs, Renaldo “Obie” Benson and Lawrence Payton had been together for a decade when Gordy signed them up in 1963 (after the group had turned him down a few years earlier) and they already had a polished stage act and versatile vocal style that enabled them to perform anything from country songs to pop standards like “Paper Doll.”

They called themselves the Four Aims when they started out, but soon renamed themselves the Four Tops to avoid confusion with the white harmony quartet the Ames Brothers.

The Tops had recorded for several labels, including the famed Chess Records in Chicago, with little commercial success. But Gordy and A&R man Mickey Stevenson paired them with the songwriting-production team of Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland and they quickly caught on, blending tight, haunting harmonies behind Stubbs’ urgent, sometimes desperate baritone.

BENGALURU: Young talent Vamshi is taking on dual roles as both actor and director in the upcoming film, Firefly, which is produced by Niveditha Shivarajkumar, daughter of the legendary Shivarajkumar. Firefly features a stellar star cast including notable names like Sudharani, Achyuth Kumar, and Sheetal Shetty.

Now, the makers have announced that Rachana Inder, known for her roles in films like Love Mocktail, Harikathe Alla Girikathe, Triple Riding, Love 360, and the latest Not Out, will be paired opposite Vamshi in Firefly. “Niveditha Shivrajkumar is doing an amazing job and has been a backbone for the entire team,” said Rachana, adding, “I play Neha, who is a happy-go-lucky person, full of life, and loves to live in the present. I am eagerly waiting to watch this film, which will be an entertainer. Vamshi has worked very hard in the film, which will hit the screens this Deepavali.”

MUMBAI: Indo-Canadian singer Karan Aujla, the voice behind Vicky Kaushal’s popular dance number “Tauba Tauba”, has announced a multi-city India tour.

Aujla, 27, shared the news on his Instagram story and captioned the post, “I’m finally coming home.”

Tickets go live on 23rd July at 12 pm IST.

“It Was All A Dream. Karan Aujla The India tour,” poster details the singer’s performance in Chandigarh on December 7, Bengaluru show on December 13, New Delhi performance on December 15 followed by a concert in Mumbai on December 21.

Hailed as one of the most popular names in the contemporary Punjabi music, Aujla shared his excitement about returning to his roots.

“This tour marks a significant milestone in my career, highlighting my journey from a small village in Punjab to the global stage. India has a special place in my heart, and I can’t wait to bring the ‘It Was All A Dream’ tour home! I’m grateful to my fans for making this dream possible. We’re gonna celebrate together and make some history!”

“Tauba Tauba”, which featured in Anand Tiwari’s directorial “Bad Newz”, has taken over the internet with fans recreating Kaushal’s hook step in memes and reels.

Aujla, who has been the voice behind tracks like “Softly” and “White Brown Black”, is also taking his ‘It Was All A Dream’ tour to countries like the UK and New Zealand besides performances in Canada.

Presented and produced by Team Innovation and supported by Live Nation, the winter arena tour will see Aujla joined by long-time collaborator and Toronto-based producer Ikky in all four cities.

The tour comes after Aujla’s billboard-charting records ‘Making Memories’ and ‘Street Dreams’.

Mohit Bijlani, Co-Founder, Team Innovation, said, “It’s been a banner year for Punjabi artists and these arena level shows represent the continued rise of the Punjabi Wave.

We anticipate It Was All A Dream India Tour’ to be the biggest Punjabi multi-city arena tour hosted in recent times.

Aujla was born and raised in the village of Ghurala in Northern Punjab.

He discovered Punjabi folk music, after his parent’s untimely death.

The 27-year-old singer, based in Vancouver since 2014, began his career writing for prominent names in the Punjabi music scene including Jassi Gill.

Aujla’s debut studio album, BacTHAfuKUP (B.T.F.U.), released in 2021, achieved remarkable success and the musician further solidified his stature as a global artist with his second album ‘Making Memories’.

BENGALURU: 3 Idiots (2009) left an indelible mark in Indian cinema, and went on to inspire countless filmmakers. Director B R Rajshekar, who shares that he has watched the Aamir Khan-lead film almost 50 times, draws from this well of inspiration for his latest venture, Back Bencherz. This film aims to rekindle the nostalgia of college life, and capture the essence of youthful rebellion and camaraderie with a unique crime twist.

Back Bencherz offers a fresh perspective on the familiar college caper genre, and tries to effectively balance humour, sentiment, and youthful rebellion to not just appeal to the current students but also hit the right notes with alumni riding on the wave of nostalgia.

Back Bencherz revolves around the lives of a group of final-year college students—Arya (Ranjan Narasimha), Kush (Jathin Aryan), Vikky (Vikas), and Naveen (Namith)—whose academic rigour is abruptly disrupted. The film opens with these students being brought into Kalasipalya Police Station, where Police Inspector Vasu (Aravind Kuplikar) accuses them of a grave crime: the rape and murder of a woman. Amidst their pleas of innocence, the students are coerced into recounting their story, which unfolds through a series of flashbacks.

Initially, Arya, Kush, Naveen, and Vikky are model students who are always immersed in their studies. However, a pivotal incident changes their trajectory. After a confrontation with a female lecturer, the college principal forces them to swap seats with troublemaking backbenchers. This change in seating marks a turning point; the frontbenchers, now relegated to the back, gradually become entangled in mischief. They start indulging in partying, drinking, and smoking, straying far from their academic focus.

As their behaviour becomes increasingly reckless, their lives spiral out of control, culminating in the police station incident. The film explores how these seemingly innocuous actions and a single decision can have significant consequences, challenging viewers to reflect on the impact of peer pressure and personal choices.

Back Bencherz provides a fresh take on the college genre by intertwining humour with a serious narrative. The story balances lighthearted moments with a deeper examination of youthful rebellion and responsibility, offering both entertainment and a thought-provoking commentary on student life.

With Back Bencherz channeling the nostalgic essence of academic days gone by rather than delivering a heavy-handed message, Rajashekhar crafts a whimsical tribute to the moments that define youth. The film, rated ‘A’ for its mature content and youthful exuberance, forgoes a traditional narrative structure in favour of a sequence of incidents—some charmingly engaging, others somewhat aimless.

However, the film occasionally stumbles with repetitive scenes and moments that can feel monotonous. The recurring shots of the young characters in small shorts might be a nod to the carefree spirit of youth, but their overuse becomes irksome. Additionally, the double entendre dialogues, while adding a playful edge, might not appeal to everyone.

Five years after Suits came to an end after a nine-season run, the legal drama series is coming back with a new spinoff titled Suits: LA. The show, headlined by Stephen Amell, will be written and executive-produced by Aaron Korsh who created the original series. Along with Suits LA, NBC has also picked up Grosse Pointe Garden Society, a murder mystery from the team behind Good Girls.

As per the official logline, Suits: LA follows Ted Black (Amell), “a former federal prosecutor from New York, has reinvented himself representing the most powerful clients in Los Angeles. His firm is at a crisis point and to survive he must embrace a role he held in contempt his entire career. Ted is surrounded by a stellar group of characters who test their loyalties to both Ted and each other while they can’t help but mix their personal and professional lives.”

Suits: LA is set in Los Angeles and introduces a fresh narrative separate from its New York-based predecessor. The spinoff stars Stephen Amell as Ted Black, a former federal prosecutor who relocates to Los Angeles to lead a struggling law firm.

The series promises to explore Ted’s journey as he navigates professional challenges and intertwines personal relationships amidst the backdrop of a legal drama.

The ensemble cast includes Josh McDermitt, Lex Scott Davis, and Bryan Greenberg, with Victoria Mahoney directing the pilot episode.

The original Suits aired on USA Network for nine seasons from 2011-2019. The show starred Patrick J Adams, Gabriel Macht, Rick Hoffman, Meghan Markle, Sarah Rafferty and Gina Torres.

On the other hand, Grosse Pointe Garden Society is a gripping murder mystery created by Jenna Bans and Bill Krebs. The series follows four members of a suburban garden club who become entangled in unexpected crime and intrigue while navigating their seemingly ordinary lives.

The diverse ensemble cast includes Melissa Fumero, AnnaSophia Robb, Ben Rappaport, Matthew Davis, Alexander Hodge, Aja Naomi King, Nancy Travis, and Felix Avitia, with Maggie Kiley directing the pilot.

Both Suits: LA and Grosse Pointe Garden Society received pilot orders earlier this year and were filmed during the spring, with NBC aiming to potentially debut them in the second half of the 2024-25.

(This story was originally published in Cinema Express)

There are two ways in which characters in Julia von Heinz‘s Treasure, the film adaptation of the 1999 novel Too Many Men by Lily Brett, handle trauma. One is by Edek (Stephen Fry), who hides mountains of painful and direct experiences of Holocaust trauma under a blanket of humour and an apparent lack of seriousness. The other is by Ruth (Lena Dunham), Edek’s daughter, who, after a streak of personal tragedies, tries to confront her inherited trauma as a means of getting to know her roots.

Add a dysfunctional father-daughter dynamic and a post-Cold War setting to this, and we could have had an intensely moving and bittersweet personal drama about how, even decades after a tragedy, there are still pieces being picked—and how, there always might be, as if you’re diving into a never-ending deep sea.

What we end up getting, however, is a rather inert rendition of the Predictable Road Movie where Protagonist #1 subsequently warms up to Protagonist #2 after getting to know what they’ve been through. In this surprising decision to templatise the chilling concept of facing your trauma versus forgetting it, the film ends up becoming a rather confusing collection of haphazardly-strung, half-baked scenes that never really come together.

Take the first act, for example. We are introduced to Ruth, who’s waiting for her father Edek to arrive at the airport. He’s late, and she’s annoyed. They meet each other, she wants to use the loo, and she tells him to stay outside. He doesn’t, and she’s annoyed. They go to the railway station, and just before getting onto the train, he says they’ll go in a cab, and she’s annoyed again. We are never allowed to pause for a moment and take in what’s happening; it even feels as if the film isn’t all that interested in itself. Several scenes later, we get dumped plenty of expository information that should have been conveyed in all that time spent earlier, where, instead of stopping and letting its characters come to life, the film just moves from one uncooked scene to another. At one point, even Ruth seems to exclaim, “We’re off to a rough start.” I silently nodded in my seat.

This approach of never really letting the scenes feel like fully formed, coherent ideas, derails the film, which, when it does let the characters breathe, shows immense potential. There are glimpses of what the film could have been, especially in the portions where the usually jumpy Edek stops in his tracks in his hometown and reminisces. This is a feeling that anyone can relate to—that of visiting a place that once ‘belonged’ to you. But for some odd reason, heartfelt instances like these are minimised in the film, which instead chooses to spend its time on inorganic sentimentality.

BENGALURU: The Karnataka state government has proposed a new cess ranging from one to two per cent, on cinema tickets and Over-the-Top (OTT) subscription fees to support film and cultural workers.

This fee will fund social security benefits such as ESI and PF for cine artists and cultural performers under the Labour Ministry’s Karnataka Cine and Cultural Activists (Welfare) Bill of 2024.

The Karnataka Cine and Cultural Workers (Welfare) Bill, 2024, was tabled in the Assembly on Friday. The Cess ranges from 1 per cent to 2 per cent, the exact rate of which will be decided by the government later.

Labour Department Secretary Mohammad Mohsin said he plans to extend the cess to theatrical plays performed in the state. The board will use the proceeds from the cess to support social security schemes for film workers.

The bill outlines the creation of a seven-member welfare board for cine workers and cultural activists, tasked with managing funds from the cess to support social security schemes.

The Karnataka Film Workers Artists and Technicians Union estimates that around 2,355 workers, including artists and technicians, are working in the industry. However, many small-time artists and technicians are not registered with any organisation in the state.

Mohsin said discussions are on whether OTT subscriptions will be included and focused on OTT productions from the local film industry.

As per the proposal tabled in the assembly, each registered member will receive a unique ID card to avail benefits. There is some uncertainty about how cess will be levied on OTT subscriptions, which are generally managed through online platforms without local addresses.

The Karnataka Cine and Cultural Activists (Welfare) Bill of 2024 proposes a phased implementation to minimise the impact on the state budget, stressing the importance of preventing financial strain.

If passed, the bill will establish the Karnataka Cinema and Cultural Artists Welfare Board in Bengaluru, chaired by the department minister and a senior IAS official, overseeing seventeen government-nominated members representing various cultural sectors and academies.

Set in Ujire, Hejjaru utilises its locations as pivotal backdrops intricately woven into the narrative, adding depth and authenticity to the film’s setting. The visuals, guided by cinematographer Amar Gowda, capture the essence of each era depicted—from the nostalgic ambience of the 1960s to the vibrant hues of the 1990s and beyond to 2020. This visual journey enhances the film’s exploration of time and interconnectedness, complementing the narrative crafted by Director Harshapriya.

Nakul Abhyankar’s music equally fuels Hejjaru, commanding viewers’ attention and breathing life into emotional scenes. The limited cast delivers compelling performances, with Gopal Krishna Deshpande embodying the anguish and determination of Rajaram, Bhagat Alva bringing youthful vigour to his journey of self-discovery reminiscent of Aniissh from Nam Areal Ond Dina, and Shwetha D’Souza playing a soulful character as Jaanu, supported by Aruna Balraj in a significant part of the plot.

Supporting characters, including Naveen Krishna, Muniraju, and Vinod Bharathi, contribute to the overarching themes of fate and human connection.

Hejjaru is a bold and creative achievement, marking an impressive debut for director Harshapriya, inviting audiences to delve into a profound exploration of human connections and the passage of time. Harshapriya’s expertise, shaped by their television background, offers both intellectual stimulation and emotional resonance. With strong performances and meticulous direction, Hejjaru is a good watch for cinephiles and those drawn to thought-provoking narratives.

‘Hejjaru’

Director: Harshapriya

Cast: Gopal Krishna Deshpande, Bhagat Alva, Shwetha D’Souze, Muniraju, and Naveen Krishna

Rating : 3/5

How much do you relate to your character in ‘Bad Newz’?

My character Akhil Chadha is a happy and carefree Delhi. The common thing between us is that we like Punjabi songs and dancing to them. Unlike Vicky Sandhu of Manmarziyaan, who was commitment phobic, Akhil is eager to commit to his partner. He reaches the wedding venue as soon as he meets the girl. This is what I did in my personal life too. I fell in love and got married immediately. I am just a little more mature than Akhil.

Tell us about the experience of shooting Bad Newz?

I had worked with director Anand Tiwari on his first film Love Per Square, and we have a close-knit relationship. He comes to my house at 3 in the morning. There was always a jovial atmosphere on the set. Ammy Virk’s humour is great. He made us laugh a lot. I have never met a more real person. Tripti is from a simple background and she is a chilled-out girl. There was no instance that needed to be handled or dealt with in a particular way. We were like a family.

How do you deal with bad news in real life?

In real life, when there is bad news, there is no comedy in it. You get solace from your family and friends. And, I share everything with my family, whether it’s good or bad news.

In the film, we see your character professing love in front of a picture of Katrina. How does that expression happen in real life?

While I am more of a practical person, she is emotional and sensitive, so we fill that gap in each other’s life. I have now become a little emotional and she has started looking at things in a little more practical way. But, both of us are possessive and romantic. Because we are in a profession where we neither have a nine-to-five job nor the concept of weekends, sometimes we don’t meet for days. Which is why, we value our time together. We do simple things like watching a movie together at home over some coffee, and that is special to us.

It seemed like you took a back seat and gave plenty of space for your co-stars to perform in ‘Gaganachari’. Was that a conscious effort on your part?

Yes, it was a deliberate decision. The thing with humour is that, as an actor, it always makes you wonder whether you are going overboard with it. So when in doubt, it is best to take a back seat and tone it down a little bit. This way, it will not negatively affect the scene, and the viewer will not find it distasteful. It also depends on the situation. With Gaganachari, only director Arun Chandu understands the screenplay completely. This being such a complex subject, there’s only so much he could communicate during the shoot and despite his best efforts, I couldn’t grasp it entirely. Even my co-star Anarkali Marikar is in the same boat as I am, but fortunately for her, she does not have any dialogues (laughs). Honestly, I did not know what the post-apocalyptic or dystopian era meant, as I am not big on science-fiction cinema. In fact, I am still learning something new while watching Gaganachari as part of its promotions.

Speaking of science fiction, ‘Gaganachari’ presents an alien in human form and objectifies the character. Were you concerned about how a very sensitive section of the audience would respond to this aspect of the film? If you think along those lines, could you do justice to your role?

I didn’t have to worry about it as the director and writer Siva Sai were very conscious of it. In fact, they are among the advocates for political correctness in cinema. I also agree with the current generation when they call out politically incorrect aspects of cinema, such as body shaming. Arun and Sai are crystal clear about how much is too much. They do not glorify or whitewash this aspect of my character.

At the time of its making, did you realise the true potential of the film?

We did it in 2021, after Covid and the second lockdown. It took a year and a half to complete the film’s VFX work. The makers then sent it to many festivals, and it got around 25 awards on international circuits. Then, I told Arun half-jokingly that the film you made was something groundbreaking. He also realised its potential and ensured the film came out in theatres instead of the originally planned OTT release.

The reception thereafter has been wonderful. We are grateful to the audience for their change in attitude towards Malayalam cinema. They kept correcting us and guiding us on the right path. They are largely responsible for the recent winds of change and the broader recognition for our cinema.

What are your future projects?

I have a guest role in Kerala Crime Files season 2. It is an extension of my character Manoj from the first season, but the upcoming season has a different lead actor. I also play a ‘vasantham’ character called Pappan in the Disney+ Hotstar show Love Under Construction, alongside Neeraj Madhav and Gouri Kishan. I am also part of Tovino’s Identity. In Tamil, I’m part of director Ram’s film with Mirchi Shiva and Grace Antony, and Moon Walk which reunites Prabhudeva and AR Rahman after 25 years.

MUMBAI: Bollywood couple Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal have announced the arrival of their first child, a daughter.

In a joint statement, Richa and Ali confirmed that they welcomed a “healthy baby girl” on July 16.

“We are tickled pink with joy to announce the arrival of a healthy baby girl on 16.07.24! Our families are overjoyed, and we thank our well-wishers for their love and blessings! Love, Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal,” the couple shared in their statement.

In February, Richa and Ali announced on social media that they were expecting their first child.

Their Instagram announcement read, “1+1=3,” and was captioned, “A tiny heartbeat is the loudest sound in our world.”

Richa and Ali first met on the sets of ‘Fukrey’ in 2013 and decided to get married in 2020 during the pandemic.

Rajavardan has always aspired to become a commercial hero. Despite beginning his career with the historical film Bicchugatti: Chapter 1 − Dalvayi Dange and later transitioning into romantic drama with Pranayam, he has now found his niche in commercial entertainers. His latest film, Hiranya, set to release in July 19, marks this exciting new phase in his career.

“Since childhood, although my father, Dingri Nagaraj, excelled in comedy and character roles, I have always felt that commercial entertainers are most celebrated,” Rajavardan shares. “Growing up, I learnt that these films bring in fan moments and reach a wide audience. When I had to make my entry, I had to go with what filmmakers wanted to see me in, and that’s how Bicchugatti: and Pranayam happened. However, from now on, I will only go with commercial subjects,” he adds.

Rajavardan believes that the essence of commercial films has evolved over time. “Commercial films have a mass appeal because the audience, especially in B and C centers, sees heroes in roles they can’t place themselves in reality. However, these films go beyond action and fights; they need solid content to connect with the audience,” he explains. “Having said that, too much content can be overwhelming, and only a mass hero can balance it.”

In Hiranya, Rajavardan plays a gangster role with a negative shade. “Instead of choosing to play a villain in another language film, I felt it was better to play a role with a negative shade in my own film. This is a fresh subject for me—a story about a contract killer, a cruel man without emotions, who can react and kill with animal-like behaviour. The story unfolds in around five days, showing how he handles situations, especially when a baby enters his life. Will he change, and will he be allowed to change?” Rajavardan ponders.

Despite the dark themes, Rajavardan is clear about the film’s purpose. “There is nothing we intend to preach through this film. Even when elderly people preached, including great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru, their speeches did not change society’s life. So a two-hour film cannot change anybody’s mindset. Cinema should stick to its entertainment value and be worth the amount people pay.”

The film, produced by Vigneshwar and Vijay Kumar under the Vedas Infinite Pictures banner, features Rihana, former Bigg Boss contestant Divya Suresh, Huli Karthik, Arvind Rao, and Dilip Shetty in pivotal roles. Discussing the challenge of working with newcomer Prawin Avyukth, Rajavardan praises the director’s vision. “The one-liner that he narrated worked well. He is experienced with short films and brought a compelling story, and the producers, though first-timers, believed in the storyline.”

As Hiranya prepares to be released alongside half a dozen other films, Rajavardan remains optimistic. “It is a production call. In the Kannada industry, there are either series of films or no films.

When six to eight films release simultaneously, every filmmaker’s effort culminates on one Friday, and only the best will stand out,” he signs off confidently.

Expounding on her learnings and camaraderie with her co-stars, she says, “Be it Sathyaraj sir, Urvashi ma’am or KPAC Lalitha amma, each one of them is younger than all of us at heart. Their dedication and energy are unmatched. On the other hand, Raayan’s cast is just like a bunch of naughty kids whom Dhanush sir had to take care of.” Even her off-screen experience was rewarding. “We used to go to sets and hang out even when we didn’t have shooting. This was just to see Dhanush sir direct and SJ Suryah sir act. It was an absolute joy to be there. Raayan is one of the movies that I have thoroughly enjoyed working on,” she adds.

True to her on-screen persona, Aparna’s off-screen demeanour mirrors her openness and independent thinking. “My thoughts are not driven by an agenda or strategy,” she asserts. “If I genuinely feel that something is not right, I say it out loud and I don’t stand for something I don’t believe in. I am not a people pleaser either.” However, cinema imposes several expectations on an actor, especially about how they should look. Aparna opens up that it took a long time for her to accept that.

“I don’t know if I have still accepted it, but I love doing cinema, so I have learned to make my peace with it. But to be honest, I have not yet accepted the condition that one needs to look different for cinema,” she says, adding that according to her, body positivity is all about being healthy. “I have lost 10-12 kgs after completing Raayan. Earlier, my health was bad and I was struggling with thyroid issues. I have gone into a good diet and worked on my health and I feel very happy. Now, even if someone says I look fat, I won’t care as I am happy and content the way I am,” she says.

Given her steadfast and bold persona in several films, one wonders if she ever feels typecast. She acknowledges the same and says, “I think that phase will always be there. While you can wait for a good role to come, you can still play such roles. Even if you are typecast, you can always find a way to do it differently.” With Raayan, Aparna is coming back to Tamil cinema after a hiatus of two years after working on a slew of Malayalam films. The actor who is aware of this, explains, “I listened to a few scripts, but it didn’t work for me. So I continued working in Malayalam films, hoping I would get the right Tamil film. I believe that if we wait patiently, good opportunities will open up. That is how Soorarai Pottru as well as Raayan came to me.”

As she continues her journey, portraying roles that resonate deeply with her, Aparna emphasises her desire to play characters that leave a lasting impression. “Recently, I was talking to Nazriya about how Ohm Shanthi Oshaana brightens up our home every time we watch it. It fills me with joy, and credit goes to Nazriya for that,” she reflects. “Characters like those are also significant. Being a great actor isn’t just about playing serious roles or expressing grief well. I want women to explore diverse roles in comedy, like Urvashi and Kalpana ma’am,” she concludes with a smile.

“Someone Wants To Say Something To Someone,” goes the tagline of Devadoothan. The film released in the year 2000 failed to attract the attention of the cinegoers it deserved.

As we approach the much-anticipated re-release of the movie directed by Sibi Malayil, it is only fitting to reflect on the profound impact and enduring legacy of the film.

Set for a grand re-entry into theatres on July 26, this re-release offers a unique opportunity to experience the magic of Devadoothan once again, reaffirming its status as a timeless masterpiece in Malayalam cinema.

The version to be re-released, with some edits, the director feels, would live up to the expectation of the younger generation.

In a chat with newindianexpress.com, Sibi Malayil said Devdoothan was a dream of his 42 years ago. He recalled, “Back then, I and Raghunath Paleri started working on the script. However, the project never materialised for some reasons. It was only 18 years later that the movie finally happened. But it differed from the original,” Sibi Malayil said.

The original story pivoted around a seven-year-old boy recalling his dreams, the director revealed.

“When Siyad Koker approached me with a desire to make a unique film. I mentioned that I had a script planned for years, and we decided to proceed with it. At that time, Mohanlal found the subject intriguing. Initially, I was hesitant because the characters didn’t seem suitable for him. He suggested changes to the characters to better fit his image, and the producer was also keen on his involvement. And thus Devadoothan turned out to be widely different from how it was conceived originally,” Sibi Malayil noted.

The failure of Devadoothan had serious repercussions for the producers and the director equally. Sibi Malayil revealed that he went into depression and stayed at home for a long time doing nothing.

“Actually, Devadoothan should have been my first film. It was my dream that script to be my first film. So after the movie failed to do well in the box office, it left me shattered. For many days, I stayed confined at home without going anywhere. Despite its flaws, it had several innovative aspects, such as sound quality – some compared its production quality to Hollywood standards, said Siby Malayil.

Knowing that the younger generation adores this film makes me happy. Several individuals have stated, “When this movie was first released, I went to see it holding my father’s or mother’s hand, but today, with its re-release, I wish to go and see it holding their hand.” Such things make me very delighted to hear. In a similar vein, the majority of social media remarks regarding it are favorable. There are extremely few unfavorable remarks.

Devadoothan is an exquisite blend of mystery, horror, musical, and romance, a rare genre combination that showcases Sibi Malayil’s directorial prowess. The film is a testament to his vision and ability to craft a narrative that transcends conventional storytelling.

At its heart, Devadoothan tells the story of Vishal Krishnamoorthy, portrayed by the legendary Mohanlal. Vishal, a gifted musician, finds his life disrupted when he is expelled from college for playing the forbidden instrument, the Seven Bells. This expulsion marks the beginning of a journey filled with mystery and melancholy, leading Vishal back to his alma mater years later to direct a musical drama. His return sets the stage for unravelling the mystery of the Seven Bells and reconnecting with a past twisted with deep emotions and unresolved secrets.

MANGALURU: Veteran Kannada film and theatre personality Sadananda Suvarna passed away at a private hospital in Mangaluru on Tuesday due to age-related ailments. He was 92.

Born in Mulki near Mangaluru on December 31, 1931, he migrated to Mumbai at a young age and studied in a night school before working for a private company there.

He produced Ghatashradha which is also the directorial debut of Girish Kasaravalli. His collaboration with the noted auteur resulted in several cinematic masterpieces. Suvarna was the executive producer of Mane, Kubi Mathu Iyala and Tabarana Kathe which were also directed or written by Kasaravalli.

Suvarna is best known for his 13-part television series Guddada Bhoota, which he produced and directed in 1991 for Doordarshan. The series provided a big break to veteran film actor Prakash Raj.

His documentary Huchchu Manassina Hatthu Mukagalu on Jnanpith awardee Dr K Shivarama Karanth received wide acclaim.

Suvarna also directed the popular play Court Marshal. He is a recipient of the BV Karanth Award.

The makers of Vaazha – Biopic of a Billion Boys have pushed the film’s release from the earlier announced date of August 2 to August 15. The new date was announced with a poster featuring the lead cast alongside the actors who presumably play their respective fathers in the film. Vaazha, according to the makers, is essentially a comedy with a slightly emotional core focusing on men’s issues.

Romancham-fame Siju Sunny, Amith Mohan Rajeswari, Anuraj OB, Joemon Jyothir, Anu and Saafboi play the lead roles in the film. It also stars Basil Joseph, Azees Nedumangad, Kottayam Nazeer, Arunsol, Noby Marcose and Jibin Gopinath, among others. 

Vaazha is directed by Anand Menen, who debuted with Gauthamante Radham (2020). It is scripted and co-produced by Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey director Vipin Das. His banner WBTS Productions is backing the film in collaboration with ICON Studios and Imagin Cinemas, led by Harris Desom, PB Anish and Adarsh Narayan.

MUMBAI: A Mumbai court on Monday granted bail to a YouTuber held last month for allegedly threatening to kill actor Salman Khan and boasting about links to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

Banwarilal Gujjar, hailing from Rajasthan, was charged with criminal intimidation and provisions of the Information Technology Act.

The police had said Gujjar, in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, has spoken about killing Khan and also on his links to Lawrence Bishnoi, Gold Brar and other gangsters.

Police had said Gujjar had uploaded the video just to increase the viewership of his online channel.

His bail plea was accepted on Monday by additional chief judicial magistrate (Esplanade court) VR Patil.

In his bail application filed through advocate Faiz Merchant, Gujjar claimed he had been “falsely implicated in the case without any proper or cogent material”.

In his plea, Gujjar said he makes videos and uploads them on his channel for entertainment and to gain fame.

The plea claimed the transcript of the video is in the FIR and nowhere in it has the applicant stated that he was going to kill Salman Khan.

Therefore, the sections that have been applied in the case are not made out against Gujjar, the plea contended.

“Today’s actors are among the highest-paid in the Kannada industry. As a music director, I felt I wasn’t adequately compensated. Studying actors’ careers and their pay packages inspired me to transition to the silver screen,” says Chandan, adding, “While Vidyarthi Vidyarthiniyare marks my debut, I’ve already completed two other projects: Suraj Shastry’s Elra Kaaleliyatte Kaala and Kiran’s Suthradaari.”

A self-taught musician, Chandan Shetty credits YouTube for his learning. “As an actor, I’ve learned a lot from my actor friends, drawing inspiration from Puneeth Rajkumar and Aamir Khan on handling celebrity life. Having shot for three projects, I have now realised that stepping out of my comfort zone is not easy,” he shares, acknowledging mixed emotions as he prepares to see himself on screen. “As a rapper, I connected with specific audiences through music. Now, as I transition to the silver screen I wonder how audiences will embrace me.”

In Vidyarthi Vidyarthiniayare, Chandan Shetty portrays three distinct characters, each presenting a unique challenge. “Seeing myself in the mirror in each new avatar brought back memories of my rapper days. Embracing these diverse roles has been a fulfilling challenge,” he shares, hoping audiences will appreciate.

With his focus shifting to acting, Chandan Shetty has recorded only a couple of songs in the recent past. “I want to avoid confusing my audience. As a rapper, financial constraints were significant. Thankfully, on the acting front, producers have shown faith in me, and I aim to maintain that trust,” he acknowledges, expressing his gratitude to producers Subramanya Kukke and AC Shivalingegowda for releasing the film during challenging times. Vidyarthi Vidyarthiniyare, a college-themed drama, revolves around high-achieving students aiming to inspire youths who take parental support for granted. “My character aims to change their lives,” Chandan Shetty explains.

Speaking on the recent news of his divorce from Niveditha Gowda, he admits to being open to an on-screen pairing with her if it serves the film. “I’ve already shot for a film where she plays the lead, and I play her boyfriend. We have a few days of shooting left and are waiting for its completion,” he concludes warmly.

In 1990, the doe-eyed, dark-haired actor won her breakout role as Brenda Walsh in producer Aaron Spelling’s hit teenage melodrama set in posh Beverly Hills. She and Jason Priestley’s Brandon, Brenda’s twin brother, were fish-out-of-water Midwesterners.

But Doherty’s fame came with media scrutiny and accounts of outbursts, drinking and impulsiveness — the latter most notably after a very brief marriage to actor George Hamilton’s son, Ashley. Doherty’s second marriage, in 2002, was to Rick Salomon, who was involved in a sex-tape incident with Paris Hilton. The marriage was annulled within a year. In 2011, Doherty married photographer Kurt Iswarienko. She filed for divorce in April 2023.

She left “90210” at the end of its fourth season in 1994 (the show aired until 2000), reportedly removed by Spelling because of conflicts with her co-stars and chronic lateness.

But in her 1994 AP interview, Doherty described her life as peaceful.

“It must be, if you pick up the Enquirer and find the only thing they can write about me is that I installed a pay phone next to my house and was seen at Stroud’s (a discount bed-and-bath chain) buying $1,400 worth of bed linens and wouldn’t go to an expensive store,” she said. “It must be calm if they’re pulling that stuff out of their heads.”

Three years later, in 1997, Doherty was sentenced to anger-management counseling by a Beverly Hills Municipal Court judge after she allegedly smashed a beer bottle onto a man’s windshield during a quarrel. In another legal scrape, she pleaded no contest after a 2001 drunken driving arrest and was ordered to serve five days in a work-release program.

Doherty reunited with Spelling when he cast her in 1998 as Prue Halliwell in “Charmed.” In an AP interview that year, the actor expressed regrets about her past.

“I did bring a lot of it on myself,” Doherty said. “I don’t think I can point fingers and say, ‘Oh, YOU’RE to blame.’ And I don’t do that with myself, either. Because I was just growing up.”

Her personality was “grotesquely misconstrued” by the media, Doherty added.

Spelling said at the time that their relationship was never as bad as some made it seem.

“We had a few bumps along the road, but golly, who doesn’t?” said Spelling, who died in 2006. “Everything Shannen did was blown out of proportion by the rag sheets.”

Doherty co-starred with Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano in “Charmed” from 1998-2001, at which point her character was replaced by one played by Rose McGowan. Doherty appeared in the “90210” sequel series seven years later, along with original series star Jennie Garth, and competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2010. She also worked on the third “Beverly Hills, 90210” reboot, “BH90210,” a meta send-up of the original show that reunited most of the cast and aired for one season in 2019.

She also appeared in a tribute episode of “Riverdale” dedicated to that show’s star — and her late “Beverly Hills, 90210” on-screen love interest — Luke Perry.

Doherty struggled to recapture her “Beverly Hills, 90210” star status, but worked in big-screen films including “Mallrats” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” and in such TV movies as “A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story,” in which she played the “Gone with the Wind” author. A nadir was “Blindfold: Acts of Obsession,” an erotic thriller opposite Judd Nelson.

Doherty’s lawsuit against her ex-business managers was settled in 2016. She was open about the toll that cancer was taking on her. She posted photos that showed the baldness that followed treatment and, in an August 2016 interview with “Entertainment Tonight,” shared her fears.

“The unknown is always the scariest part,” she said. “Is the chemo going to work? Is the radiation going to work?” she said. “Pain is manageable, you know living without a breast is manageable, it’s the worry of your future and how your future is going to affect the people that you love.”

Doherty advocated for cancer awareness and care, and spoke to the AP in 2021 about how spending years with the disease affected her life and sense of optimism.

“When you get something like cancer, your tolerance for drama is zero. I don’t like people wasting my time. I don’t like negativity,” she said. “It’s odd because I think if you look back, you’re like, ‘Oh, gosh, it’s so much drama around her,’ but I don’t think I was necessarily into the drama. I just think if we took young 18-year-old Shannon, 19-year-old Shannon, and we took her and planted her like right now, I would be a nerd and nobody would be writing about me.”

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, superstars Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, and American reality TV stars Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian were among the high-profile guests who attended the blessing ceremony of newlyweds Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant on Saturday.

The event, held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, was part of the months-long celebrations marking the lavish wedding of Anant, the youngest son of Asia’s richest man, and pharmaceutical heiress Radhika. The couple tied the knot on Friday.

Amitabh Bachchan arrived on the green carpet dressed in a colorful kurta-pyjama and a shawl, accompanied by his granddaughter Navya Nanda in a white saree and son-in-law Nikhil Nanda in a black bandhgala. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan attended the event with her daughter Aaradhya Bachchan, posing for photographers.

Shah Rukh Khan graced the green carpet with his wife Gauri Khan, daughter Suhana Khan, and mother-in-law Savita Chhibber. Salman Khan made a solo entry in a dapper blue suit.

Kim Kardashian wore a custom-made stylized and embroidered dusty rose sheer saree by designer Tarun Tahiliani, while Khloe Kardashian donned a custom-made rani pink lehenga choli created by Manish Malhotra. Both shared reels on their Instagram Stories, admiring their outfits and “insane” diamond jewelry.

The guest list also included actor couple Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, filmmaker Karan Johar with his best friend and Dharma Productions CEO Apoorva Mehta, Madhuri Dixit Nene with her husband Sriram Nene, and Rajinikanth with his wife Latha.

Other notable attendees were Venkatesh, Jackie Shroff, Hema Malini, Kajal Aggarwal with her husband Gautam Kitchlu, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Anupama Chopra, Atlee and Krishna Priya, Suniel Shetty with his wife Mana Shetty, Shahid Kapoor and Mira Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan and Ibrahim Ali Khan, Rashmika Mandanna, Shanaya Kapoor, Disha Patani, Punit Malhotra, Sanjay Dutt with his wife Maanayata Dutt and their children Shahraan and Iqra, Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia Deshmukh, Ram Charan and Upasana Konidela, Janhvi Kapoor, Shikhar Paharia, Khushi Kapoor, Vedang Raina, Orry, and Ananya Panday.

Brother-sister duo Arjun Kapoor and Anshula Kapoor appeared in a colorful bandhgala suit and a black saree, respectively.

The celebrations will continue with a grand reception on Sunday.

The evidence was collected but crucially was not put into the same file as the rest of the “Rust” case, and it was not presented to Baldwin’s team when they examined ballistics evidence in April.

The issue came up during defense questioning of crime scene technician Marissa Poppell, who acknowledged receiving the ammunition, a moment that the judge watched on a police supervisor’s body camera Friday.

Morrissey argued that the emergence of the evidence was part of an attempt by Reed to shift blame away from his daughter.

“This is a wild goose chase that has no evidentiary value whatsoever,” Morrissey said. “This is just a man trying to protect his daughter.”

The evidence might not have mattered in Baldwin’s case were it included. The charges against him did not allege that he was responsible for the deadly rounds being on set. But the defense’s lack of access to it was deemed egregious enough for a dismissal.

The trial’s other special prosecutor, Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, who delivered the state’s opening statement just two days ago, resigned from the case Friday, a move that would have been stunning in itself were it not followed moments later by the dismissal. Baldwin attorney Alex Spiro asked Morrissey whether Johnson quit based on the evidence issues, and Morrissey said she believed it was over the holding of the public hearing itself.

Morrissey said she respects the judge’s decision but that there was no reason to believe the undisclosed evidence was related to the movie set.

The trial was over after it had barely begun. Prosecutors had only started to make their case, and none of the eyewitnesses from the set had testified yet.

Baldwin’s younger brother Stephen Baldwin and older sister Elizabeth Keuchler, both actors themselves, sat behind him in the gallery next to his wife each day of the trial, which was streamed live by AP and Court TV. Reporters from both coasts filled the small courtroom and patio outside.

The judge dealt a serious blow to the prosecution’s case when on the eve of the trial on Monday when she ruled that Baldwin’s role as a producer on the film was not relevant and had to be left out.

Still, prosecutors forged ahead, painting Baldwin in their openings as a reckless performer who “played make-believe” while flouting basic gun safety rules.

Spiro, the defense lawyer, argued that his client did only what actors always do on the “Rust” set and that the necessary safety steps must be taken before a gun reaches a performer’s hand.

Baldwin was first charged with involuntary manslaughter along with Gutierrez-Reed in January 2023. The charges were dismissed a few months later, but a new team of special prosecutors got a grand jury indictment against the actor this year.

The 16 jurors, including alternates, went home Friday thinking they would return Monday for one of the most high-profile trials in state history. They were instead informed by the court that their service had ended.

HYDERABAD: In Sarangadhariya, a Hindu middle-class college boy who loves a Muslim girl, does something radical to convince her father. After being rejected for being ‘inherently different,’ he returns to her father and tells him that he has gotten rid of the one thing that differentiates them—through a circumcision. It might read laughable on paper, but the boy is too young to think rationally and make wise decisions. He is desperate to prove a point, even if it comes at the cost of being foolishly naive.

Strangely enough, Sarangadhariya too has a similar trajectory. Even though its execution is often shabby, the film deserves recognition for how it attempts to explore a few subjects, which are rarely touched upon in Telugu cinema, with dignity.

Directed by Padmarao Abbisetti, the film revolves around Krishna (Raja Ravindra) and his family, primarily the trials and tribulations of his three children, Arjuna, Sai, and Anupama. Each of them is struggling in their own way. While Sai (Mohit Peddada) is a fumbling college student, Arjun (Moin) is an alcoholic, unemployed man, drowning in self-pity and unable to recover from a tragic incident in the past. Anupama (Yashaswini Srinivas), meanwhile, strives to pursue a life of ambition, even as she finds herself the unwilling centre of attention in her neighbourhood.

In the first half, Sarangadhariya has an interesting, albeit somewhat dully-paced, slice-of-life quality. Even later on, once the audience is familiar with the core storyline, the director uses a light-handed touch for the secondary plot points. Most impressively, Sarangadhariya makes space for a transgender character and shows a mirror to a society that urgently needs to get rid of these taboos, making a conscious effort to explore the subject of LGBTQIA community in a way that’s both respectful and educational. It’s hard to talk about the film without giving away spoilers, but Padmarao Abbisetti leaves many clues early on, slyly hinting at the big reveal that forms the crux of the second half.

Krishna, the family patriarch, is an interesting character. He might seem dismissive of his children at first glance, like most conventional father figures in our cinema, but there is also this underlying resilience to his persona. He has a no-nonsense quality to him and is quick to give a rebuttal to all his naysayers, while maintaining a composed demeanour. And yet, Krishna carries an emotional burden (which Raja Ravindra brings out beautifully) that can only come with facing some real hardships in life, even as we see him having made peace with the melancholic present.

But despite such a strong protagonist and its overarching themes, the film often falls prey to the ‘commercial potboiler’ elements. There are more than a handful of dialogues that objectify women (even if they are coming from henchmen prototypes), leaving a bad taste in the mouth. The use of melodramatic background music in many scenes becomes overkill.

KOCHI : Earlier, we reported that Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Bride of Frankenstein retelling titled The Bride!, starring Christian Bale as its lead actor, would be released on October 3, 2025. However, the makers of the film have shifted its release ahead to September 26, 2025.

Apart from Bale, the film stars Jessie Buckley, Jake Gyllenhaal, Penélope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening, Julianne Hough, Jeannie Berlin, and John Magaro in prominent roles. James Whale directed the 1935 film The Bride of Frankenstein, which told the story of how Frankenstein’s scientist creator, Victor Frankenstein, aided him in making a companion for him. The upcoming Gyllenhaal directorial closely follows the storyline of the original, with Bale playing Frankenstein.

Gyllenhaal previously helmed The Lost Daughter, the Oscar-nominated Netflix film.

TEXAS: Shelley Duvall, the intrepid, Texas-born movie star whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining,” has died. She was 75.

Duvall died Thursday in her sleep at home in Blanco, Texas, her longtime partner, Dan Gilroy, announced. The cause was complications from diabetes, said her friend, the publicist Gary Springer.

“My dear, sweet, wonderful life, partner, and friend left us last night,” Gilroy said in a statement. “Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away beautiful Shelley.”

Duvall was attending junior college in Texas when Altman’s crew members, preparing to film “Brewster McCloud,” encountered her at a Houston party in 1970. They introduced the 20-year-old to the director, who cast her in “Brewster McCloud” and made her his protege.

Duvall would go on to appear in Altman films including “Thieves Like Us,” “Nashville,” “Popeye,” “Three Women” and “McCabe & Mrs. Miller.”

“He offers me damn good roles,” Duvall told The New York Times in 1977. “None of them have been alike. He has a great confidence in me, and a trust and respect for me, and he doesn’t put any restrictions on me or intimidate me, and I love him. I remember the first advice he ever gave me: ‘Don’t take yourself seriously.’”

Duvall, gaunt and gawky, was no conventional Hollywood starlet. But she had a beguilingly frank manner and exuded a singular naturalism. The film critic Pauline Kael called her the “female Buster Keaton.”

At her peak, Duvall was a regular star in some of the defining movies of the 1970s. In “The Shining” (1980), she played Wendy Torrance, who watches in horror as her husband, Jack (Jack Nicholson), goes crazy while their family is isolated in the Overlook Hotel. It was Duvall’s screaming face that made up half of the film’s most iconic image, along with Jack’s axe coming through the door.

Kubrick, a famous perfectionist, was notoriously hard on Duvall in making “The Shining.” His methods of pushing her through countless takes in the most anguished scenes took a toll on the actor. One scene was reportedly performed in 127 takes. The entire shoot took 13 months. Duvall, in a 1981 interview with People magazine, said she was crying “12 hours a day for weeks on end” during the film’s production.

“I will never give that much again,” said Duvall. “If you want to get into pain and call it art, go ahead, but not with me.”

Duvall disappeared from movies almost as quickly as she arrived in them. By the 1990s, she began retiring from acting and retreated from public life.

“How would you feel if people were really nice, and then, suddenly, on a dime, they turn on you?” Duvall told the Times earlier this year. “You would never believe it unless it happens to you. That’s why you get hurt, because you can’t really believe it’s true.”

Duvall, the oldest of four, was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 7, 1949. Her father, Robert, was a cattle auctioneer before working in law and her mother, Bobbie, was a real estate agent.

The Pranam Devaraj starrer S/o Muthanna has successfully wrapped up its production after an intense 49-day schedule. The film’s completion was celebrated with a traditional ceremony, which included a pumpkin smashing event and was attended by Pranam’s father as well as veteran actor Devaraj and his family.

Directed by Srikanth Hunsoor, S/o Muthanna explores the poignant relationship between a father and son. On the last day of the shoot, Pranam said, “Today is a day of joy and a bit of sadness. I am happy the shooting is over, but I will miss the daily camaraderie. This journey has been both emotional and joyful. The film beautifully portrays the bond between a father and son, something I deeply relate to. I’m grateful to Puratana Films for this opportunity.”

Khushi Ravi, who plays the female lead, expressed her gratitude and excitement. “Despite the intense 49-day schedule, the team ensured everything was perfect. Director Srikanth sir’s clarity made it a smooth process,” she said.

With shooting now completed, the film moves into post-production, with music by Sachin Basrur, and the team is looking for the right date to release.

The 36-year-old actor, who visited a studio here, shared a photo and a video on Instagram with Cruise whom he described as his “lifelong idol”. “Pinch me! Just met my lifelong idol. The one and only Tom Cruise!” Badussha captioned his post in which he can be seen having a conversation with the “Mission: Impossible” star.

Badussha was all smiles as Cruise hugged the actor in the video.

Badussha shot to fame with his portrayal of a young, rebellious nawab called Tajdar Baloch in the Netflix period drama Heeramandi, which marked the web series debut of Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Meanwhile, Cruise will be next seen in Mission: Impossible 8. He recently attended the European premiere of the 2024 movie Twisters in London.

NEW DELHI: The trailer of the much-awaited Chiyaan Vikram-starrer “Thangalaan” is out and promises to be an intriguing Tamil drama set in the 19th century in the Kolar gold mines which also serves as a backdrop for the superhit Kannada franchise “KGF”.

Acclaimed director Pa Ranjith, known for “Sarpatta Parambarai”, “Kabali”, and “Kaala”, has directed the movie.

“Thangalaan” is scheduled for a worldwide release on August 15 in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, the makers said the story of the film captures “the actual history” of the Kolar Gold Fields (KFG).

MEXICO: Nearly three years after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed on the New Mexico set of the film “Rust,” Alec Baldwin’s trial over her death is about to begin. The actor is in Santa Fe, and has appeared in court for the first time during pre-trial motions. Here are the essential things to know.

What charge does Alec Baldwin face?

The actor entered a New Mexico courtroom Monday for the first time since the Oct. 21, 2021 shooting. He is charged with felony involuntary manslaughter. If a jury unanimously convicts him, he could get 18 months in prison.

Baldwin, the star and co-producer of the Western, was pointing a revolver at Hutchins during a rehearsal in a small church on the movie set at Bonanza Creek Ranch when the gun went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the gun fired.

Two major themes will predominate, one large, one small: the chaotic atmosphere of the movie set, and the details of the Italian-made classic revolver that Baldwin pointed at Hutchins. Baldwin’s team scored a major victory on the first of these the day before the trial started, when a judge ruled that his role as a co-producer of the film isn’t relevant, only his status as the lead actor. Baldwin’s producer job has been important to prosecutors’ arguments that he contributed to the circumstances that allowed the shooting.

It has never been officially determined who brought the live rounds that killed Hutchins on to the set. Prosecutors at the previous trial of “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed alleged that she was responsible. She was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to the same 18 months in prison Baldwin faces.

What jurors must decide

Prosecutors have two alternative standards for proving the charge. One is based on the negligent use of a firearm. The other is proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Baldwin acted with total disregard or indifference for the safety of others.

Despite the legal and technical complexities of the case, the 12 citizens of Santa Fe County that will make up the jury will have to reach just one verdict — guilty or not guilty — on a single count.

How long is the Alec Baldwin trial expected to last?

The trial at the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico — about 20 miles northeast of the movie set and the shooting — is projected to last nine days, and Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer insists that she’ll keep the lawyers in line and on schedule. Jury selection begins Tuesday, with opening statements expected Wednesday, and the projected end the following Friday. Once the jurors get the case, however, they can deliberate as long as needed.

Why is Alec Baldwin famous?

Baldwin, 66, emerged as a major movie star in the late 1980s and early ‘90s through films like “Beetlejuice” and “The Hunt for Red October,” and has remained a household name ever since. He would move on to memorable supporting roles in films including 2003’s “The Cooler,” which got him an Oscar nomination. Comedy dominated his later career as he won two Emmys for playing network executive Jack Donaghy on six seasons of “30 Rock,” and won a third for playing Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live.”

He has also played the role of outsized public personality, as a cherished talk-show guest, a sought-after liberal, and at times as a man unable to control his outbursts of anger, which have brought public embarrassment and a previous run-in with the law much more minor than the current one.

Baldwin is the eldest of six children — five of them actors — from Massapequa, New York, who has lived in New York City for most of his adult life. He has an adult daughter, Ireland Baldwin, with his first wife Kim Basinger, and seven small children with his second wife, Hilaria Baldwin.

MUMBAI: As “Lai Bhaari” completes a decade this month, actor-producer Riteish Deshmukh says he misses his friend Nishikant Kamat, whose vision helped the film become a blockbuster success.

Deshmukh ventured into Marathi films as producer with 2013’s film “Balak-Palak” followed by “Lai Bhaari” which marked his debut as an actor in Marathi films.

Helmed by Kamat, the film was released in theatres on July 11, 2014 and went on to become a box office hit.

“I miss Nishikant Kamath, my dearest friend and director. It was his vision that really took that film into a different zone. It was my first Marathi film. Also, it was an ambitious Marathi film…I miss him and I’m happy that even after ten years the film is remembered,” Deshmukh told PTI in an interview.

Produced under the banner Mumbai Film Company, the film also starred Sharad Kelkar, Radhika Apte, Tanvi Azmi and Aditi Pohankar in a pivotal role whereas superstar Salman Khan and Deshmukh’s wife Genelia D’Souza made a special appearance in the film.

Kamat, best known for Ajay Devgn-starrer “Drishyam”, died at the age of 50 in 2020.

Kamat made his Marathi debut as a filmmaker with the 2004 “Dombivali Fast” which won the National award for best Marathi film.

The much-anticipated action thriller Bhairathi Ranagal, starring Shivarajkumar, recently wrapped its production. Directed by Narthan, this film is a prequel to the 2017 film, Mufti, and is produced under the Geetha Pictures banner by Geetha Shivarajkumar. Initially slated for release on Independence Day, the film’s makers have decided to postpone the release. A new release date is yet to be announced.

The film, which has Shivarajkumar reprising his role as Bhairathi Ranagal, also features Rukmini Vasanth whose character details have been kept under wraps so far. However, sources have revealed that the Sapta Sagaradaache Ello actor will portray a doctor in Bhairathi Ranagal. More information about her role will be disclosed as the release date approaches.

Meanwhile, the makers have announced that Anand Audio has bagged the audio rights for Bhairathi Ranagal for a substantial price. Music director Ravi Basrur has composed three songs for the film. The makers have also announced that more updates, including the final release date, will be shared on July 12, on the occasion of Shivarajkumar’s birthday. It is speculated that the film, set to be dubbed and released in multiple languages, may hit theatres in the third week of September.

The supporting cast of Bhairathi Ranagal includes actors Avinash, Devaraj, Chaya Singh, Babu Hirannayya, Madhu Guruswamy, and Gopalkrishna Deshpande in pivotal roles. Naveen Kumar is handling the cinematography for the film.

It crossed the mark of Rs 500 crore at the box office during its opening week and if continues at the same pace, the film is expected to surpass Rs 1000 crore worldwide.

Bachchan, 81, who essayed the role of immortal warrior Ashwathhama in the film, earlier expressed his admiration for the project in a lengthy post on his personal blog.

Calling it a “massive spectacle”, the actor said the film is a “merger of myth and reality” and a “learning to the film makers on the process of putting the mammoth together for a viewing audience.”

Kalki 2898 AD is reportedly the most expensive film ever made in India with a budget of Rs 600 crore. The film had a global release on June 27 in five different languages, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English.

Previously titled as Project K, the film has been described as a fusion of Hindu epic Mahabharata and science fiction. It also stars Saswata Chatterjee and Shobhana in pivotal roles.

The film is currently running in theatres.

BENGALURU: Earlier, we reported that Black Adam actor Aldis Hodge is set to star in Amazon Studios’ upcoming iteration of James Patterson’s popular detective book series, Alex Cross. On Saturday, Prime Video announced that the adaptation, titled Cross will premiere on the platform on November 14.

Along with the announcement, the makers also unveiled a short teaser introducing Hodge as Alex Cross. Backed by Paramount Television Studios and Skydance Television, Cross will feature Hodge as a detective and forensic psychologist.

The description of the character reads, “He is brilliant, flawed, and full of contradictions. A doting father and family man, Cross is single-minded to the point of obsession when he hunts killers.

MUMBAI: Captain Vikram Batra’s legacy is all about “bravery and honor”, said actor Sidharth Malhotra on Sunday as he marked the 25th death anniversary of the Kargil War hero whose codename was Sher Shah.

The actor, who played the titular role in 2021’s “Shershaah” based on the life of Captain Vikram Batra, remembered the real-life hero in a social media post.

“Param Vir Chakra, Captain Vikram Batra, it’s been 25 years since your fearless actions and ultimate sacrifice made history.Your legacy to this day remains the highest ideals of bravery and honor,” Malhotra captioned an archival photo of Captain Vikram Batra on X.

Captain Vikram Batra had led the charge of his troops of the 13th battalion of the JAKRIF regiment of the Indian Army during the Kargil War in 1999.

He died on July 7, 1999 fighting Pakistani forces during the war at the age of 24.

He was given the highest wartime gallantry award Param Vir Chakra’ posthumously.

Due to his exemplary feat, Captain Vikram Batra was awarded many titles, he came to be fondly called the ‘Tiger of Drass’, the ‘Lion of Kargil’ and ‘Kargil Hero’.

‘Yeh dil mange more’ was his victory slogan.

“We remember and honor you today and always for ‘Yeh Dil Mange More’. Jai Hind #CaptainVikramBatra #25YearsOfKargilVijay #Kargil,” the actor wrote in his post.

LOS ANGELES: Jon Landau, an Oscar-winning producer who worked closely with director James Cameron on three of the biggest blockbusters of all time, “Titanic” and two “Avatar” films, has died. He was 63.

Landau’s family announced his death Saturday. No cause of death was given.

Landau’s partnership with Cameron led to three Oscar nominations and a best picture win for 1997’s “Titanic.” Together the pair account for some of the biggest blockbusters in movie history, including “Avatar” and its sequel, “Avatar: The Way of Water.”

Cameron, in a statement, remembered “a dear friend, and my closest collaborator of 31 years.” “A part of myself has been torn away,” said Cameron.

“His zany humor, personal magnetism, great generosity of spirit and fierce will have held the center of our Avatar universe for almost two decades,” said Cameron.

“His legacy is not just the films he produced, but the personal example he set — indomitable, caring, inclusive, tireless, insightful and utterly unique.”

Landau’s career began in the 1980s as a production manager, and he gradually rose through the ranks, serving as a co-producer on “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” and “Dick Tracy.”

He took on the producer role on “Titanic,” Cameron’s expensive epic about the infamous 1912 maritime disaster. The bet paid off: “Titanic” became the first movie to cross $1 billion in global box-office earnings and went on to win 11 Oscars, including best picture.

“I can’t act and I can’t compose and I can’t do visual effects, so I guess that’s why I’m producing.” Landau said while accepting the award with Cameron.

Their partnership continued, with Landau becoming a top executive at Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment. In 2009 the pair watched as “Avatar,” a sci-fi epic filmed and shown in theaters with groundbreaking 3D technology, surpassed the box-office success of “Titanic.” It remains the top-grossing film of all time.

Its sequel, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” is third on the list.

“Your wisdom and support shaped so many of us in ways we will always be grateful for,” Zoe Saldaña, one of the stars of the “Avatar” franchise, said in an emotional tribute on Instagram. “Your legacy will continue to inspire us and guide us in our journey.”

Landau has been a key player in the “Avatar” franchise, which saw frequent delays of the release of “The Way of Water.” Landau defended the sequel’s progress and Cameron’s ambitious plans to film multiple sequels at once to keep the franchise going.

Jon Landau is survived by his wife of nearly 40 years, Julie; their sons, Jamie and Jodie; and two sisters and a brother.

MUMBAI: International pop sensation Justin Bieber enthralled the who’s who of the entertainment industry and sports arena at the pre-wedding festivities of billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s son Anant Ambani and his fiancee Radhika Merchant.

The Canadian singer arrived in Mumbai on Friday morning before setting the stage at the NMACC on fire at night with his chartbusters such as “Baby”, “Peaches”, “Love Yourself”, and “Sorry”.

The crowd sang and grooved along with Bieber, who attained the status of a teen idol following the success of his debut extended play album “My World” in 2009.

In attendance were film superstars Salman Khan, Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, and Janhvi Kapoor as well as cricket stars MS Dhoni and members of the T20 World Cup winning team Hardik Pandya and Surya Kumar Yadav.

The vibe was easy and the mood was light, according to several videos from the much-talked-about event trending on social media.

In one of the clips, Bieber, 30, can be seen dancing with internet sensation Orry.

In another, Alaviaa Jaffrey, daughter of Jaaved Jaaferi, is spotted hugging the two-time Grammy winner who continues with his performance with his admirer in embrace.

Lately, Dhyan Sreenivasan has been on a mission to have at least one weekly release. While it is inspiring to see someone working tirelessly, the harsh reality is that most of these films have been failing miserably, struggling even to cross the first weekend. In a welcome change from his dismal streak, the actor’s latest release, Partners, is largely engaging, which works despite all its rough edges.

Directed by Naveen John, who earlier scripted Ira (2018), Partners is a financial fraud-based thriller, inspired by real incidents. Income Tax Commissioner Parthasaradhi (Kalabhavan Shajohn) is investigating a scam centered around a low-key private bank and one of its branches in rural Kasaragod. In a flashback that takes us six months back, we see five new employees being recruited and their efforts to win the trust of the locals.

While Sanju Sivaram plays the branch manager Krishna Kumar, Dhyan Sreenivasan essays the role of cashier Vishnu Govindan. Devaki Rajendran, Aneesh Gopal, and Dinesh Kollappally play the other three employees. Their character sketches are mostly basic, letting the actors sleepwalk through their performances.

Much like Maheshinte Prathikaaram (2016) and Angamaly Diaries (2017), Partners attempts to capture Kasaragod’s life and culture with an opening song. The Kasaragod setting is crucial for this film for multiple reasons. Firstly, Kasaragod, unlike other parts of Kerala, is sleepy and crawling in development. In this film, set in 2005, we see the locals getting excited about a bank being opened for the first time in their village.

Naturally, it helps portray them as naive. Surrounded by sea, Kasaragod is also an ideal destination for smuggling activities—another crucial plot point in the film. The writers Naveen John, Hariprasad, and Prasanth K V also pay attention to fleetingly mention Endosulfan and the tragedy it wreaked in the locality. These are minute details that help paint a vivid picture of the milieu.

According to the 51-second clip shared by YRF on its X page, the filming on “Alpha” has begun. The YRF Spy Universe was launched back in 2012 with Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif’s “Ek Tha Tiger“. Its success spawned two sequels “Tiger Zinda Hai” (2017) and “Tiger 3” (2023).

Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff’s “War” released in 2019, which was followed by 2023’s “Pathaan“, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone.

Besides “Alpha”, “War 2“, featuring Hrithik and NTR Jr, “Pathaan 2” with Shah Rukh, and “Tiger vs Pathaan“, starring Salman and Shah Rukh are in the banner’s pipeline.

While Alia was last seen on the big screen in “Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani”, Sharvari’s latest was “Munjya”.

Earlier, we reported that Cillian Murphy is headlining and producing the Netflix film Steve. The latest update is that the film’s shoot is getting wrapped up on Friday in the UK.

Steve is an adaptation of Max Porter’s novel Shy. It is directed by Tim Mielants, who recently collaborated with Murphy in this year’s Small Things Like These.

Actor Jay Lycurgo also plays a major role in the upcoming film, which is a 24-hour story about the eponymous character, who works as a headteacher at a last-chance reform school. He struggles to discipline his students as he grapples with his spiralling mental health.

The novel’s author, Porter, has penned the screenplay for the film. Porter has also collaborated with Murphy on the stage adaptation of his book, Grief is the Thing with Feathers, and on a short film titled All of This Unreal Time.

The announcement of Steve came along with the launch of Murphy’s production banner, Big Things Film, which he heads with his longtime collaborator Alan Moloney.

Editing transition videos is a swift process for Riya, often taking less than an hour. She emphasizes the importance of adding text to videos to enhance accessibility, especially when viewers might be watching in noisy environments or when the dialogue is fast-paced. Currently, the Instagram algorithm favors short, engaging videos around four seconds long, which can get millions of views due to repeated plays. Engagement through shares and comments also boosts the content.

Riya initially edited her videos on her phone using Videoleap but later transitioned to DaVinci Resolve on her laptop for advanced color grading and editing. “I always have a vision of how things should look, and that’s how I edit my videos,” she explains. Her audience loves her transition videos for their surprising and creative elements, keeping viewers eagerly anticipating her next post.

When asked about the future of influencers and AI, Riya confidently asserts, “Everyone has their own unique creativity that can’t be replaced.”

Branching into production

Riya’s role as a producer marks a new chapter in her career, providing a business perspective on filmmaking. Initially, she found it challenging, but over time, she gained a deeper understanding of the industry, which helped her organize and execute projects more effectively. This experience has also enriched her creative process.

“Creating is a part of me, like a hobby. Acting in a movie has given me insights into behind-the-scenes aspects, and I’ve gained a lot of information from my dad,” shares Riya.

Riya Shibu’s journey from a young social media sensation to a producer and actress shows her unwavering passion for creativity. As she continues to innovate and inspire, her impact on the digital world is sure to grow even further.

The actors Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal tied the knot recently, and an event that should simply have been one for the entertainment pages and platforms also became one that was being discussed by everyone from feminists to fascists. Theirs is an interfaith union — far from the first in their industry, the nation or indeed the history of the world. This fact alone has been enough to make their decision to marry controversial, a conversation topic and — in a sad indication of the state of things — even courageous.

The couple turned comments off — had to turn comments off — on all their wedding-related Instagram posts, but that didn’t stop the rightwing troll legion from descending on their older posts. An extremely brief look at the kinds of things that these trolls have been posting in response to their wedding is enough to see why this was necessary. At the mild end of the spectrum are declarations of unfollowing (Sinha is clearly the recipient of these), with more disturbing statements being lobbed at Iqbal (such as sarcastic ones about fridges, which is a reference to two extremely media-hyped cases dating from 2022 and 2023 in which Muslim men murdered their Hindu partners and hid their body parts in refrigerators). I didn’t explore the comments for more than a few seconds. It has been reported that the couple have also received death threats.

For weeks prior, rumours had circulated that Sinha’s father and brothers were unhappy with her decision to marry her long-term boyfriend. This was not just standard Bollywood gossip, but carried insinuations related directly to religion. There was a deliberate attempt to draw two people’s and two families’ personal choices into an ongoing narrativisation that is both misogynistic and Islamophobic. The vile term “love jihad”, which is used against partnerships involving a Muslim man and a woman of another religion (usually Hindu) was obviously invoked.

Sinha and Iqbal dated for seven years prior to getting married, and have done so under the Special Marriage Act. Neither of them has chosen to go through religious conversions — thus affirming publicly that contrary to popular misinformation, conversions are not mandatory in interfaith marriages. They have shared a very understated video of their registration ceremony, held in her home, and this is also unusual. Traditional rituals are almost invariably given centre-stage both in celebrity and non-celebrity wedding portrayals, and the privileging and the celebrating of the law above those is interesting and commendable. The couple is clearly aware of how an interfaith marriage in India today is increasingly unlike just any other marriage, and have quite elegantly chosen to showcase their joy over their wedding in a way that proffers a nod to this reality.

That reality is a very bleak one: one which contains everything from heartbreak to homicide, and with political pressure for legislation that makes such unions difficult. This wedding and its loveliness — which is not a comment on its aesthetics, but by which I mean that it’s a match made out of love, across denominational lines, and both of these are too rare, and indeed imperiled — are notable because of it, and in spite of it.

The Venus flytrap

Sharanya Manivannan

@she_of_the_sea

The columnist is a writer and illustrator

MUMBAI: Be it Vishal Bhardwaj, Sriram Raghavan or Neeraj Pandey, Tabu says filmmakers tend to approach her with out-of-the-box ideas, a pattern she finds difficult to decipher.

The actor, fresh from the success of heist comedy “Crew”, will next be seen in director Pandey’s musical romance drama “Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha”.

The film reunites her with frequent collaborator Ajay Devgn.

“It’s a pattern of filmmakers coming to me with absolutely out-of-the-box ideas, and by out-of-the-box, I don’t mean one kind of a film. If a filmmaker has made a gritty suspense film or an emotional drama with me, the next filmmaker comes with a comic caper. Or, somebody will come with a cop’s role, and then with (comedy) ‘De De Pyaar De’.”

“So, it’s a mix of so many things that I can’t explain why it happened but I’m sure there is some kind of trust factor that filmmakers feel that I can pull it off or that I’ll be good at it,” Tabu told PTI in an interview here.

The National Award winner said her approach to choosing projects is rooted in the equation she shares with directors Bhardwaj (“Maqbool”, “Haider”, “Khufiya”) or Raghavan, with whom she did “Andhadhun”.

She admits whenever Bhardwaj approaches her with a project, her response is instinctively affirmative.

“My approach is very characteristic to me; I can’t put it in a few words or dissect or explain it. There are many factors, like my body of work of the past so many years, there is a certain kind of equation that I’ve with directors like Vishal and Sriram,” she added.

“Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha” reunites Tabu with Devgn, her longtime industry friend and co-star of films such as “Vijaypath”, “Haqeeqat”, “Thakshak”, and “Drishyam” franchise.

The actor said her bond with Devgn is built on mutual respect.

“We have an unspoken understanding and appreciation for each other’s talent. I really value what he brings with him to a film. His understanding of cinema, of technique is just amazing and I really respect that,” she said.

“Both of us are very conscious about what we are doing and it has so happened that whatever has come to us, we’ve agreed and been on the same page. It’s been great to find one co-actor in your profession that has occupied that space and that whole phenomena gave you that platform to experience one person at different stages of your career,” she added.

Karan Johar and Guneet Monga’s Kill will be remade in English with John Wick director Chad Stahelski serving as one of the producers. Chad will be backing it along with Jason Spitz and Alex Young under their banner 87Eleven Entertainment. Kill is directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat.

The makers of Kill shared the announcement on their social media handle and wrote in the caption, “Kill rides the fast track and how! Thrilled to announce that Lionsgate and John Wick franchise production company 87Eleven Entertainment are developing an English-language remake for Kill!”

In a statement, Chad said, “Kill is one of the most vivid, wild, and creative action movies I have seen recently. Nikhil delivers relentless action sequences that need to be seen by as wide an audience as possible. It’s exciting to be developing an English-language version—we have big shoes to fill and I am looking forward to working with Nikhil, Karan, Apoorva, Guneet, and Achin to achieve that.”

Karan and Apoorva Mehta’s Dharma Productions and Guneet and Achin Jain’s Sikhya Entertainment, added in their joint statement, “When we made Kill with Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, we dreamed of global love, and seeing North American theaters chant ‘Kill! Kill! Kill!’ was like seeing that vision come alive.

As we approach our global release, we are thrilled that 87Eleven Entertainment will produce a remake of our film in English. Partnering with Lionsgate, the award-winning studio behind genre-defining action movies, has been incredibly gratifying. This announcement coming before the original film’s release is unprecedented and a big win for Indian cinema. We are truly honored.”

Last year, Kill had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) where it was appreciated for its violent action sequences. The film stars Lakshya, Raghav Juyal and Tanya Maniktala in the lead roles. Nikhil has earlier helmed films like Apurva (2023) and Brij Mohan Amar Rahe (2017). Kill will be released in theatres on July 5.

Actor Shreyas Chinga, who began his acting career with films like Rangbirangi, David, and The Vacant House, is all set to make his directorial debut with One and a Half. He also stars in the lead role alongside Manvita Harish Kamath as the heroine. The film has wrapped up shooting and is currently in post-production. Recently, the team unveiled a sneak peek of a song on producer R Charan’s birthday.

Speaking at the event, Manvita expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “This film is special to me; it introduced a new person into my life. The film is also beautifully made. Manikanth Kadri’s music is outstanding. Likhita Siri, my co-star, and I bonded well. Director Shreyas has done an excellent job, both as a director and an actor. Laughter and teamwork make every day on set a joy.”

Director Shreyas Chinga highlighted the collaborative effort behind One and a Half, describing it as a technician’s film. “Every technician who worked in this film is like family, and they fulfilled their duties diligently. I thank the entire crew for their support. It’s a unique film, and we need the support of the audience during these times. There’s potential for it to be made in other languages too,” he remarked.

Produced under the Sulakshmi Films banner, One and a Half is a comedy that has a protagonist named ‘Kannada’. The ensemble cast includes Sadhu Kokila, Avinash, Suchendra Prasad, Sparsha Rekha, Ananthu, Sundarshree, Hitesh Kumar, Mahantesh Hiremath, Nikita Dorthodi, Lalita Naik, Rohit Arun Aman, and Rakhi Bhutappa. Devendra serves as the cinematographer for the film.

Earlier, we reported that Tina Fey is all set to star in, co-create, and executive produce the upcoming Netflix series The Four Seasons. The latest development is that Will Forte has been added to the cast, and he will be reuniting with Fey, his former Saturday Night Live colleague. Forte will be joining Steve Carell, Colman Domingo, Kerri Kenney-Silver, and Erika Henningsen.

The series is based on the 1981 film of the same name, penned and helmed by Alan Alda. Fey is co-creating the adaptation with Lang Fisher and Tracey Wigfield. The Four Seasons, which also stars Alda, follows three couples who take vacations together.

How the dynamics of the group change when one couple splits and the man brings a woman much younger to him forms the rest of the story. Carol Burnett, Len Cariou, Rita Moreno, Jack Weston, Sandy Dennis, and Bess Armstrong formed the cast of the film.

The Four Seasons series is set to begin production later this year.

With the shooting of Bagheera wrapped up a few days ago, the film’s hero Sriimurali and director Dr Suri feel that a weight has been lifted off their shoulders. “It feels like a mission has been completed, just waiting for the final accomplishment, and working towards release,” says Suri, returning to the director’s chair after a hiatus since his last film, Lucky.

Bagheera is an important film for the team, as the story has been penned by KGF director, Prashanth Neel, with dialogue and screenplay by Dr Suri.

Produced by Vijay Kiragandur’s Hombale Films banner, the action suspense drama made in Kannada will also be released in multiple languages this year. Currently in the post-production stage, the makers are yet to lock the release date for Bagheera.

The film also stars Rukmini Vasanth in her first collaboration with Sriimurali, along with Achyuth Kumar, Rangayana Raghu, Prakash Raj, and others in key roles. The film has Ajaneesh Loknath’s music and AJ Shetty’s cinematography.

For Sriimurali, who will once again don the khaki in Bagheera, the shooting experience was a roller coaster ride, with numerous challenges and experiences. “I don’t remember the number of injuries I endured during the film’s shoot.

Equally the number of schedules, locations, and action sequences. Wrapping up, I felt like I am just out of a fantasy world,” Sriimurali recalls, undeterred by his injuries. “Despite delays caused by injuries, I was focused on the project,” he adds.

Reflecting on the intense shooting schedule, Sriimurali admitted to being hungover from Bagheera. “I lost track of time. Even after we wrapped shooting, I was thinking about the next day’s scenes until my wife reminded me it was over,” he chuckles. “I have dedicated two to three years to Bagheera and it is no joke. It consumed everything, but for good reason. The scale and planning have made it a massive project,” he says.

Looking ahead, Sriimurali plans to take a brief break before starting his next film, Parak, an action suspense thriller with director Halesh Kogudi. “I’m also finalising and streamlining other scripts,” he concludes.

Talking about the efforts to bring late actor-politician Vijayakanth on board, Dhananjayan says the director was so keen to film the actor. “Vijay Milton came to all compromises to accommodate Vijayakanth’s ill-health. First, he wanted to film the actor for half a day, then just two hours, and then he was also game when the latter’s health necessitated that he shouldn’t be over-exposed to light. We even had plans to bring in him through AI, but our efforts didn’t pay off. If it did, Vijayakanth’s short presence would have been the most powerful part of the film.”

On the topic of AI, Vijay Antony ponders over the fears of AI replacing humans. He says, “Artificial Intelligence only reduces the unnecessary manual effort but doesn’t remove humans from the picture altogether. For a song, you are required to record a singer, and only then can you incorporate AI.” He then adds on a lighthearted note, “Let’s assume AI is going to make humans jobless. Let’s do farming.” The actor then hammers home his point. “I don’t believe in vilifying the technology; we did not think twice before letting go of bicycles when motorcycles were introduced.”

Vijay Antony then goes on to talk about the one piece of advice he would like to give composers who are trying to break into the industry. “My advice to youngsters is to focus on re-recording, for which story knowledge of a film is essential. Ilayaraaja’s work in films teaches you about that like nothing else does. We usually look down on relationships with a huge age gap. Raja sir would have justified even such a romance in Mudhal Mariyadhai with his re-recording score.”

Coming back to MPM, Vijay Antony reveals how despite being an action film, there is a humanitarian philosophy at its centre, and it is not about killing the antagonist but vanquishing what he stands for. In his concluding statement, the actor says, “Mazhai Pidikkatha Manithan will appeal both on the technical and storytelling fronts. Powerhouse performers like Sarath Kumar, Sathyaraj, Saranya Ponvannan, and Megha Akash have elevated the film.”

NEW DELHI: “Kalki 2898 AD”, a star-studded multilingual 3D spectacle, has earned Rs 415 crore within three days of its global release, the makers announced on Sunday.

A blend of Hindu epic Mahabharata and science fiction, the big-budget film is produced by Vyjayanthi Movies and was released on Thursday in six languages: Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English.

“Kalki 2898 AD”, mounted on a whopping budget of Rs 600 crore, features Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan.

The official page of the movie, directed by Nag Ashwin, shared the box office update on X.

“The force is unstoppable” read the caption of the poster stating that “Kalki 2898 AD” earned Rs 415 crore in gross box office collection (GBOC) worldwide in three days.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Stephen Chbosky will direct ‘A Thousand Boy Kisses’, a Netflix film based on Tillie Cole’s novel of the same name. Chbosky’s wife Liz Maccie will write the screenplay for the feature film. Chbosky and Maccie are reuniting after Nonnas.

A Thousand Boy Kisses follows teenager Rune Kristiansen’s return from his hometown of Norway to Blossom Grove in Georgia, only to discover that his girlfriend from childhood, Poppy Litchfield, stopped communicating with him inexplicably.

Cole’s novel also has a second part, which will come out this year.

NEW DELHI: Nag Ashwin’s 3D spectacle “Kalki 2898 AD” has minted Rs Rs 298.5 crore in two days at the global box office, the makers said on Friday.

Touted as a marriage of Hindu epic Mahabharata and science fiction, the big-budget film is produced by Vyjayanthi Movies and was released on Thursday in six languages: Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English.

It features a star cast led by Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan, along with Disha Patani, Saswata Chatterjee and Shobhana.

On the opening day, the movie earned Rs 191.5 in gross box office collection (GBOC) and collected Rs 107 crore on Friday.

“The love is pouring in from all corners of the world! #Kalki2898AD #EpicBlockbusterKalki,” Vyjayanthi Movies posted on its official X page along with a poster stating that “Kalki 2898 AD” earned Rs 298.5 crore in two days.

AUSTIN, Texas: Singer, songwriter, satirist and novelist Kinky Friedman, who led the alt-country band Texas Jewboys, toured with Bob Dylan, sang with Willie Nelson, and dabbled in politics with campaigns for Texas governor and other statewide offices, has died.

Friedman, 79, died Thursday at his family’s Texas ranch near San Antonio, close friend Kent Perkins told The Associated Press. Friedman had suffered from Parkinson’s disease for several years, Perkins said.

“He died peacefully. He smoked a cigar, went to bed and never woke up,” said Perkins, who was working as an actor when he met Friedman at a party 50 years ago when both were signed to Columbia records and movie contracts.

“We were the only two people with tuxedos and cowboys hats. Two Texans gravitating toward each other,” Perkins said. “He was the last free person on earth … He had an irreverence about him. He was a fearless writer.”

Often called “The Kinkster” and sporting sideburns, a thick mustache and cowboy hat, Friedman earned a cult following and reputation as a provocateur throughout his career across musical and literary genres.

In the 1970s, his satirical country band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys wrote songs with titles such as “They Ain’t Makin’ Jews Like Jesus Anymore” and “Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed.” Friedman joined part of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue tour in 1976.

By the 1980s, Friedman was writing crime novels that often included a version of himself, and he wrote a column for Texas Monthly magazine in the 2000s.

Friedman’s run at politics brought his brand of irreverence to the serious world of public policy. In 2006, Friedman ran for governor as an independent in a five-way race that included incumbent Republican Rick Perry. Friedman launched his campaign against the backdrop of the Alamo.

Suresh Gopi is set to headline a new film titled Maniyan Chittappan, which will be part of the same universe as Gaganachari, the dystopian sci-fi mockumentary, which released last week. The makers shared the first look on Thursday, introducing the titular character as “a crazy mad scientist and wanderer of the cosmos.” Gaganachari director Arun Chandu is helming the new film as well, with his co-writer Siva Sai also returning.

Gaganachari, starring Suresh Gopi’s son Gokul Suresh, along with Ganesh Kumar, Anarkali Marikar and Aju Varghese, is a first of its kind attempt in Malayalam cinema about alien invasion in a dystopian Kerala. Notably, the makers had included an Easter egg about Maniyan Chittappan in Gaganachari. We hear that Maniyan Chittapan will be about a gifted scientist who is also an alcoholic. More details regarding the project are awaited.

Suresh Gopi, who recently took charge as Union Minister, will start focusing on his acting commitments from August after the Budget is tabled. He has already finished shooting for JSK and Varaaham. Besides that, he has the long-delayed film Ottakomban, a project with MammoottyKampany and three others with Sree Gokulam Movies in the pipeline.

The way you documented the domestic violence scenes was through the children’s perspective without depicting it graphically…

The moment I committed to the project, I decided firmly as a filmmaker that I wouldn’t visually represent the violence in those assault scenes. Instead, they are communicated through sounds alone from the children’s vantage point. Beyond making the film family-friendly, it would have been redundant to shoot such scenes after establishing the characters of Ajith ettan and Dhanya.

There have been readings that Nadanna Sambhavam is a fresh spin on the 1992 film Ayalathe Adheham with progressive gender politics…

To be honest, we never considered Ayalathe Adheham as a reference point, and any perceived similarities are purely coincidental.

We believe the settings and characterisations in Nadanna Sambhavam are distinct from those in Ayalathe Adheham. As for whether it offers a fresh perspective or not, I believe cinema has been evolving and adapting to the times we live in.

In light of your previous stance that heroism does not involve beating up opponents, how do you respond to criticisms that Nadanna Sambhavam contradicts its commentary on toxic masculinity towards the end?

I still firmly believe in what I said earlier. Rather than portraying Unni ettan’s actions towards the end as heroism, we intended to depict it as a situation where he was left with no alternative but to react to Ajith ettan’s violence. Also, what I intended to illustrate as Unni ettan’s heroism was his compassionate understanding, particularly when he decides to intervene and help Dhanya during her ordeal at the police station.

Given that the two films you’ve directed were scripted by others, do you aspire to delve into screenwriting yourself?

I have already written some scripts, but I have never been satisfied. Even when someone else is writing, I’m involved in the scripting process to continually exchange ideas and engage in discussions.

Varun Dhawan’s upcoming actioner Baby John will release in theatres on December 25 this year. Directed by Kalees, the film was earlier scheduled to hit screens on May 31.

As per reports, it might have a direct clash with Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par, also slated for release on the same day. Apart from Varun, Baby John would also star Keerthy Suresh, Wamiqa Gabbi, Jackie Shroff, and Rajpal Yadav in pivotal roles.

Murad Khetani, Priya Atlee and Jyoti Deshpande are also co-producing the film, which is speculated to be the remake of Atlee’s hit film Theri (2016), starring Vijay.

Talking about Nag Ashwin, Saswata remembers being surprised by the director’s composed demeanour when they first met. He says, “Before we commenced shooting, Ashwin just asked me to trust him, and I went by that. He is so calm and soft-spoken. It was only when instructions were being passed on sets that you would hear him speak loudly. Looking at him, you would not believe that he has conceived and executed such a high-concept film.”

Saswata reveals that he shot for Kalki 2898 AD over a period of two years, adding that most of his scenes were with Deepika Padukone, who plays the role of Sumati in the film. Talking about his working experience with Deepika, Saswata says that he was floored by her down-to-earth nature. Recounting their first day on set together, he says, “We both came around 10.30 am, and I was continuously going and giving my shots till 5 pm. And all the while, Deepika was waiting there on the sets, laughing around. After every shot, she would sweetly ask me, ‘Dada, phir aapko bulaaya… Mujhe nahi bulaaya?’ (Dada, again, they called you but not me?). It was very sweet of her.”

Praising the thorough process of the Kalki 2898 AD team, Saswata recalls the detailing for one particular action sequence where he was one of the principal actors. “When I went on the floors, I saw this huge board with 250 photographs, with each photo representing a particular shot. Then they showed me the edited version of the whole fight sequence in pre-visualisation. After each shot was taken, they removed that photo from the board. They were that elaborate.”

Further talking about his working experience with the Kalki team, Saswata states, “There was so much background work going on all the time; it was amazing. In general, I don’t know how the Telugu film industry works. But for this project, they did not worry about time and money. They just wanted to make a great film.”

Sharmila Tagore recently gave her view on the polarising Sandeep Reddy Vanga film, Animal which released last year. The veteran actor called the film, ‘violent and misogynistic’ and said that it is important to engage with films that become popular among masses.

In a conversation with Kapil Sibal on his YouTube channel, Dil Se Kapil Sibal, Sharmila brought up Animal. After this, Kapil interjected, calling the film, ‘terrible’ and ‘full of violence’. To this, Sharmila replied, “Beyond violence, there was misogyny. But there were a lot of women in the audience who said I want somebody to love me like that. Any film that runs a lot, you cannot rubbish it. You have to engage with it, try and understand what exactly is happening here.”

Kapil brought Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies into the conversation, saying that it broke Animal‘s OTT record. To this, Sharmila said, “It did well only on OTT not as much in theatres. It did well even theatrically as it was within the budget. Whereas Animal spent a lot of money and made a huge amount of money also and other films like that.”

She added, “There is that stark difference (in budgets) and it will continue. I don’t see it in the near future that it is going to change. So, the smaller films will also get their money back but not in the quantity that say a Ranbir Kapoor or a Ranveer Singh will bring.”

Animal released in December last year and did really well at the box-office, while facing harsh criticisms for its portrayal of women and excessive violence. It stars Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor, Shakti Kapoor and Suresh Oberoi in pivotal roles.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

HYDERABAD : Life is a journey of finding yourself. Before becoming a writer-director, Tahira Kashyap Khurrana had dabbled in various professions. Hailing from a middle-class family in Chandigarh, where nobody, “even remotely”, had any connection to the film industry, the only creative outlet she had was theatre. “I did it for ten years. I tried to turn my amateur group into a professional one but still nobody came to buy our tickets,” she says with a chuckle.

Then came the straight path, the corporate gigs (including one where she was the programming head for Big FM) and teaching jobs at various colleges in Mumbai. “But somewhere deep down, I always wanted to tell stories,” says Tahira. “And I was always trying to find mediums to do the same.” Presented by her actor-husband Ayushmann Khurrana, she pieced together her first short, Toffee in 2017. It depicts a day in the life of two adolescent girls, in a marginalised neighbourhood, trying to break out of patriarchal shackles. The film made the rounds at various film festivals including Taiwan International Film Festival and the homegrown MAMI Film Festival and garnered audience appreciation. “Apart from yourself and your loved ones, when a third party applauds your work, that means there’s something there. Maybe a scope to make a career out of it,” says Tahira.

She followed it up with Pinni (2020) and Quaranteen Love (2021), short segments in anthologies Zindagi InShort and Feels Like Ishq, respectively. A feature was still far away. “It’s difficult to make a film with five women in the cast,” says Tahira. Her debut feature film Sharmajee Ki Beti, which is all set to release on Prime Video this Friday, is a story of five women (all with the surname Sharma), across generations, juggling family, love and career in the metropolis of Mumbai. Sakshi Tanwar plays Jyoti Sharma, a teacher who is trying to balance her career while having a disjointed relationship with teenage daughter Swati (Vanshika Taparia), who herself is dealing with pubertal imbalances. Divya Dutta essays the role of Kiran Sharma, a bubbly Punjabi homemaker, dealing with loneliness in the big city. She too has a daughter named Gurveen (Arista Mehta), another confused teen who is close friends with Swati. An ambitious cricketer Tanvi Sharma (Saiyami Kher), with an unsupportive partner, is also part of the narrative. “Through these stories, what I am trying to convey is that women and their lives do exist before 20 and after 30. We are not just mothers or a revolutionary going on a march. We exist across the spectrum and have compelling, engaging and quirky stories to tell.”

Showering his gratitude towards the Aadujeevitham director, Murali added, “Even today, before every shot I act in and every word I write, the memory of Blessy ettan‘s luminous eyes continues to guide and inspire me like a silent prayer. He still often remarks with a smile, ‘I was just an instrument, Murali. If not me, it would have been someone else.’ But it’s not my habit to see great mentors as mere instruments. They are our teachers. Thank you, Blessy ettan.”

Bhramaram, released on 25 June 2009, was a psychological drama about a jeep driver who finds his old schoolmates to prove his innocence in a convicted crime after 30 years. Headlined by Mohanlal as Sivankutty, the film featured Murali Gopy as one of the classmates Dr Alexander Varghese, alongside Suresh Menon as Unnikrishnan. It also starred Bhumika Chawla, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy and KPAC Lalitha in prominent roles.

Post Bhramaram, Murali went on to become a prominent name in Malayalam cinema—both as an actor and writer—over the last 15 years. While films like Ee Adutha Kaalathu (2012) and Left Right Left (2013) brought him critical acclaim, the gigantic commercial success of Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Lucifer (2019) made him one of the most sought-after scriptwriters in Malayalam. His upcoming film on the writing front is the much-awaited sequel to Lucifer titled Empuraan, which is currently undergoing shoot in Gujarat.

Following Saajan Bakery Since 1962 (2021) and Sayanna Varthakal (2022), it was Arun’s fancy for mockumentaries like The Office (2005-2013) and Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement’s What We Do In The Shadows (2014) that sparked him to think of a dystopian science fiction as his third film. Speaking more about the inception of Gaganachari, he adds, “During the post-production of Saajan Bakery…, my co-writer Siva Sai and I narrated a story involving an alien invasion to Aju Varghese.

This story was thoroughly dark in tone, reminiscent of A Quiet Place (2018) with the sensibilities of Mandy (2018). Although Aju was impressed, he felt it was too ahead of its time for our common audiences. Later, he was the one who casually suggested imagining an alien in place of Revathy in Kilukkam (1991), and that is how Gaganachari took shape.”

The film, rooted in Malayali sensibilities, is loaded with pop culture references from Malayalam cinema. Elaborating on what prompted him to envision it as a homage to what any average Malayali grew up watching, Arun says, “We wanted to open the Pandora’s box of the vast range of pop culture in Kerala that we widely use in our daily lives. Given that one of the leads in the film, played by Gokul (Suresh), is a cinephile, it felt more organic to include these references.”

Gaganachari was showcased at various international film festivals and despite concerns that non-Malayali audiences might not connect with the film’s cultural references, the film, as per the director, still resonated with viewers through its visual humour, commentary on global extremism and Indian politics. As in his previous work Sayanna Varthakal, Arun has once again infused an anti-establishment sentiment into Gaganachari, attributing it to his progressive upbringing rather than a deliberate political stance. Beyond relying solely on fancy stories driven by visual effects, Arun sees immense potential for science fiction in India, particularly in Malayalam, to delve into fiercely political themes and draw inspiration from India’s rich ancient history.

For its theatrical release, the makers have incorporated some changes from its festival version. According to the director, they tightened the editing and enhanced the background score for the theatrical version.

“In the festival version, we included more animated sequences and used traditional instruments in the score to present it as a bonafide Indian science fiction. Later, when Krishand ettan stepped in as the executive producer, we streamlined it into something more accessible and entertaining with his suggestions and inputs.”

The major casting choices for Gaganachari were indeed influenced by Arun’s previous collaborations. “I imagined Ganesh sir’s character as a millennial like myself in his middle age. Also, it was Ganesh sir who helped us secure a producer for the film. As for Anarkali Marikar, we wanted someone with tomboyish attributes, and she fitted the bill perfectly.” The film also features the distinctive voice of veteran actor Mallika Sukumaran.

“I am a huge fan of Mathilukal (1990) and wrote those parts with KPAC Lalitha chechi in mind, along with Nedumudi Venu chettan as the voice of an AI assistant. Although we abandoned the plan of getting Venu chettan to dub, we still aimed to use Lalitha chechi’s voice. Unfortunately, by the time we began filming, she had passed away, leading us to opt for Mallika chechi.”

When asked if it’s the right time to reveal what’s next for him, Arun says, “I have included an Easter egg about my upcoming film in Gaganachari. We have also got the dates of a prominent star for it, and hopefully, we will be announcing it soon.”

CHENNAI : Even though she was already three films into the Tamil film industry by then, it is perhaps Kaalai (2008), that made her a household name. Her dance performance alongside Simbu in ‘Kutti Pisase’, was a constant presence on television channels during the time of the film’s release. Sharing an anecdote about the song, Vedhika says, “Years ago, I met Prabhu Deva sir for the first time while he happened to be on my film’s set one day. I told him I was a big fan. He complimented my dance in ‘Kutti Pisase’ and it made me so happy to receive such a compliment from a legendary dancer like himself.” The actor then points out the charming “life comes a full circle” moment when she got to dance alongside Prabhu Deva in their upcoming film Petta Rap. She confessed to being initially nervous. “I had to be on the tip of my toes while dancing with him.” However, the actor worked hard to make sure that she could match the skills of her co-star. “I prepared a lot so I didn’t take many retakes while dancing with him. And thankfully, everything went smoothly and I think I did a good job,” she says.

While the recently released teaser would have us believe that Vedhika only exists in the film to shake a leg with Prabhu Deva, she says that her character is more than that. When asked to describe the character, the actor gives us an elusive reply. “There is no straight answer to that.” And yet, she tries, “I play a rockstar; a singing sensation. She is very passionate about music and dance. That is why you see a lot of dance sequences in the trailer.” Vedhika goes on to note how her character in Petta Rap is colourful and youthful, which is in stark contrast to her recent releases, Razakar and Yakshini, the latter being her streaming debut. On her role in Yakshini, the Disney+Hotstar series, Vedhika says it is her, “most performance-oriented role to date.” She adds, “I think I am late to streaming. A lot of my contemporaries had started their streaming debuts already. Streaming platforms take you to a wider audience.”

From commercial entertainers like Shivalinga (2016) and Kanchana 3 (2019), to intense period dramas like Kaaviya Thalaivan (2014) and Paradesi (2013), Vedhika’s filmography is filled with films of varying tonality. While the latter films helped boost her image as a performer, Vedhika reveals that she never set out to prove her acting skills in the first place. “After Paradesi, I started getting a lot of performance-oriented roles. Maybe because intense roles require a type of focus from the actors and directors believed I could do that after watching my performance in the film. However, I took up Paradesi only because I wanted to work with Bala sir and I am grateful he chose me for that role.”

CHENNAI: With the recent release of the second single, ‘Chinna Chinna Kangal’ from Vijay’s The Greatest of All Time, film audiences have been treated to a double delight with the song featuring both the voices of Vijay and late singer Bhavatharini. Composer Yuvan Shankar Raja and director Venkat Prabhu employed innovative AI technology from Pitch Innovations, the company that also brought back the voices of Bamba Bakiya and Shahul Hameed for the ‘Thimiri Yezhuda’ song in Lal Salaam. Notably, TR Krishna Chetan, CEO of Pitch Innovations, reveals they created an AI voice model of Bamba Bakiya even before AI became mainstream.

For ‘Chinna Chinna Kangal,’ Krishna says recreating Bhavatharini’s voice required specific recordings. “As we are doing a studio-quality AI model, we need original tracks of the singer’s voice recording, without any sound editing such as reverb or EQ,” he explains regarding the first step for the model. “We need the singer’s voice in different pitches, and multiple styles, such as a happy or sad song,” he adds.

Krishna further elaborates on the process: “The model also requires a singer to sing a track version of the song, for it to be replicated in the desired singer’s voice.” He reveals, “Priyanka NK sang the track version,” adding that she was informed beforehand that her voice would be replaced with the AI voice of Bhavatharini. Composers have often received flak for the ethical implications and problems that AI technology comes with. On the conversation around AI and ethics, Krishna says, “Today, the AI models of top Hindi singers are readily available online, and it is being used by many illegally. We ensure to do only projects that follow ethics. We ensure that the composer or producer has rights to the artists’ voice and that the singer who is being used is paid for the same.”

Horizon: An American Saga is the latest in a long line of epics you have worked on over the years. Where do you find the inspiration?

I get inspired by art and by books. And of course, the camera was a thing back in the 1800s, so photographs really inspire me. This is an era that has fascinated me from when I was growing up and it still does. Horizon definitely draws on a lifetime of everything I have read and learned.

How important is it to you to have audiences experience Horizon on the big screen?

It’s important. The theatre experience is something I truly believe in, and Horizon is the kind of movie you want to see on a big screen.

You invested a lot of your own money in making this film. Why is that?

Because it was so hard to get people to believe in the movie that I wanted to make. I made this movie as much for myself as for the audiences. It was the same with Dances With Wolves, Field Of Dreams, Bull Durham and Open Range. I never think my movie is better than anybody else’s, but I also don’t think anybody else’s movie is better than mine. It’s just so happens that my movies are harder to make. My problem is that if I think something good, I have to do it anyway.

Horizon is set to be the first of a trilogy. When do you plan to release the next?

Well, we have filmed the second one, so that will follow soon. Right now, we are busy making the third. It’s a matter of money, but I am lucky to have acquired some things that are valuable. I am at a point where I don’t need four homes, so I am willing to take a risk to make my movies. Ideally, I want to leave those homes to my children, but they live their own lives. Hopefully, this will go well, and I won’t lose any homes, but it is a risk.

Speaking of your children, what was it like to have your 15-year-old son, Hayes, as one of your Horizon co-stars?

He had never acted before, but he did a good job. It’s a small part, but I was glad that he was able to follow the level of direction I was giving him. Hayes actually gets his name from my character in the trilogy. That’s how long I have been working on this project. It’s beautiful that he is here to help me tell it.

Daali Dhananjaya, fresh off the success of Kotee, is all set to portray Kempegowda, in a role that promises to be as iconic as the historical figure himself. Titled Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, this period drama will be directed by Dr TS Nagabharana, a seasoned director known for his films like Bangarada Jinke, Janumada Jodi, and Kallarali Hoovagi. He is set to fulfil a long-cherished dream of directing this historical project, aiming to bring the legacy of Kempegowda to life to the big screen.

The excitement surrounding this project has reached new heights with the release of the first look of Dhananjaya in his grand avatar as the founder of Bangalore. Speaking to CE, Dhananjaya, who is excited about playing such a historical figure, shares, “I am thrilled to be the face of Kempegowda.

Many dream of this role, but few get the opportunity to do so; I am fortunate to be one of them. This is Nagabharana’s dream project. We have been discussing it for years, and I took it seriously over the last year, where I worked hard on it. Playing Kempegowda, a visionary, is incredibly exciting. It’s not just luck to get such a project; it requires a lot of preparation.”

Dhananjaya, an avid reader who loves learning about great personalities, views Kempegowda as a visionary leader who built Bengaluru. “Through my discussions with Nagabharana, I learned that Kempegowda was also a great warrior who accomplished many significant works,” he said.

Currently, the team is in the preparation phase and plans to begin the project once Dhananjaya completes his current commitments. The Kotee actor is juggling shooting for Rohit Padaki’s Uttarakanda, which is aiming for a December release, and director Shankar Guru’s Anna from Mexico.

He has also agreed to another historical project, Halagali, set in the British period, and going by his schedule, he plans to start with Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, in January 2025. “These projects require extensive preparation, and I am ready for the challenge,” he added.

The priest tells her that maybe her father is so occupied with his work as a method actor that he brings the method home. For once, an over-the-top Hollywood horror film chooses not to use a priest as an expository character. These are definitely fascinating ideas, and the film does benefit from a solid Russell Crowe performance until the hour mark. However, towards the end, we are inundated with horror film cliches, making many of the exchanges seem like mere mumbo jumbo.

Even Crowe’s performance starts to seem like a distraction and he starts to feel too much like the actor he plays in the film. It is a surprise, for even in The Pope’s Exorcist, his mere presence and performance with a sheepish smile was sufficient to elevate the film from its shallow depths. But this is not the case here.

Writer-director Joshua John Miller and MA Fortin’s screenplay contains some inexplicable flashback sequences that convolute the plot. The film barely reveals the identity of a youngster who faces abuse from an older male.

The victim is possibly a younger version of Miller, and the perpetrator is perhaps his father. But without enough information, you find it difficult to understand. The more you watch the flashback sequences, the more it gives the impression of a screenplay that pretends to have nuance where there is none. As a result, you end up watching the climactic showdown with a strong sense of emotional detachment from the characters.

The other, major dealbreaker is the gimmicky treatment of the otherwise serious material. In some ways, The Exorcism has the potential to be a solid satire about the film industry, much like how Late Night With The Devil is one about television.

In other ways, it has the potential to explore the challenges of being a single parent in the guise of a horror film, as is the case with The Babadook. But The Exorcism squanders its potential and succumbs to the same demonic cliches it deals with.

Film: The Exorcism

Director: Joshua John Miller

Cast: Russell Crowe, Adam Goldberg, Ryan Simpkins, Sam Worthington, David Hyde Pierce

Rating : 2/5

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea challenging certain controversial dialogues and scenes in the Annu Kapoor-starrer movie ‘Hamare Baarah’, as it noted that the film was being released with cuts.

A vacation bench of Justices Vikram Nath and SVN Bhatti said it was not inclined to hear on merit the plea filed by Syed Ahamed Basha.

The apex court declined to grant a favourable order to the petitioner, citing the Bombay High Court’s directive to release the movie after expunging certain scenes and dialogues. However, it allowed the petitioner to challenge that order.

“The high court has examined it and thereafter, the high court has allowed the movie to be screened. Now, if you are still aggrieved, challenge it,” the top court observed, adding: “If you seek leave and file an appeal, then it would be correct for this court to examine your independent grounds.”

The petitioner’s counsel, Syed Mehdi Imam, then urged the bench that he be allowed to withdraw the petition. The bench allowed the withdrawal of the plea with liberty to file a fresh petition, assailing the correctness of the high court judgement.

The petitioner had approached the apex court, contesting the Central Board of Film Certification’s (CBFC) grant of a certificate to the film.

The plea claimed that the director and producers of the film targeted a particular community and portrayed the status of Muslim women as slaves and chattels who are exploited by the male members.

“Chapter 2 of the Holy Quran has been misinterpreted and wrongly projected as ordaining the Muslim male to treat the Muslim female as his chattel and allowing him to exploit her in any manner,” the plea said.

‘Hamare Baarah’ was released on Friday after the Bombay High Court, on June 19, permitted its release following an agreement by the filmmakers to remove objectionable and controversial segments.

Several intellectuals from the Islamic community have also objected to the film, alleging it grossly misinterpreted Islam and aimed to malign both the religion and the community.

Born in St. John, New Brunswick, Donald McNichol Sutherland was the son of a salesman and a mathematics teacher. Raised in Nova Scotia, he was a disc jockey with his own radio station at age 14.

“When I was 13 or 14, I really thought everything I felt was wrong and dangerous, and that God was going to kill me for it,” Sutherland told The New York Times in 1981. “My father always said, ‘Keep your mouth shut, Donnie, and maybe people will think you have character.’”

Sutherland began as an engineering student at the University of Toronto but switched to English and started acting in school theatrical productions. While studying, he met Lois Hardwick, an aspiring actress. They married in 1959 but divorced seven years later.

After graduating in 1956, Sutherland attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art to study acting. He began appearing in West End plays and British television. After a move to Los Angeles, a series of war films changed his trajectory.

His breakthrough was “The Dirty Dozen” (1967), in which he played Vernon Pinkley, the officer-impersonating psychopath. 1970 saw the release of the World War II yarn “Kelly’s Heroes” and “M.A.S.H.,” a smash hit that catapulted Sutherland to stardom.

“There is more challenge in character roles,” Sutherland told The Washington Post in 1970. “There’s longevity. A good character actor can show a different face in every film and not bore the public.”

If Sutherland had had his way, Altman would have been fired from “M.A.S.H.” He was unhappy with the director’s unorthodox, improvisational style. But the film caught on beyond anyone’s expectations.

Sutherland identified with its anti-war message. Outspoken against the Vietnam War, he along with actress Jane Fonda and others founded the Free Theater Associates in 1971. Banned by the Army because of their political views, they performed in venues near military bases in Southeast Asia in 1973.

“I thought I was going to be part of a revolution that was going to change movies and its influence on people,” Sutherland told the Los Angeles Times.

His career as a leading man peaked in the 1970s, when he starred in films by the era’s top directors — even if they didn’t always do their best work with him. Sutherland, who frequently said he considered himself at the service of a director’s vision, worked with Federico Fellini (1976’s “Fellini’s Casanova”), Bernardo Bertolucci (1976’s “1900″), Claude Chabrol (1978’s “Blood Relatives”) and John Schlesinger (1975’s “The Day of the Locust”).

One of his finest performances came as a detective in Alan Pakula’s “Klute” (1971). During filming he met Fonda, with whom he had a three-year relationship that began at the end of his second marriage to actor Shirley Douglas. He and Douglas divorced in 1971 after having twins: Rachel and Kiefer, who was named after Warren Kiefer, the writer of Sutherland’s first film, “Castle of the Living Dead.”

Nicolas Roeg’s psychological horror film “Don’t Look Now” (1973) was another high point. Sutherland starred with Julie Christie as a grieving couple who move to Venice after their daughter’s death. The film included a famous, explicit sex scene, artfully edited.

Aavesham, Manjummel Boys, and Bramayugam succeeding with few or no female characters at a time when Malayalee actors Kani Kusruthi and Divya Prabha hogged headlines at Cannes for All We Imagine As Light had triggered a debate among Kerala’s movie lovers about the underrepresentation of women in Mollywood.

But new films, which include Christo Tomy’s Ullozhukku, with Urvashi and Parvathy Thiruvothu in the lead roles, Sajin Baabu’s Theatre: The Myth of Reality, starring Rima Kallingal, and Amal Neerad’s Bougainvillea that sees the return of Jyothirmayi after 11 years, reveal that women power is back in Malayalam cinema.

Ullozhukku, directed by the man who helmed Curry and Cyanide, the Netflix docu-series based on the Jolly Joseph murder case, will be the first off the block.

The absence of female characters in Malayalam films is not a new phenomenon.

“Women have not received equal representation in Malayalam cinema for several decades. However, the popularity of several films that show male bonding and friendship without a significant female character triggered a conversation about the portrayal of women in films on social media, ” said movie critic GP Ramachandran.

The disparity has been there ever since the beginning.

Deedi Damodharan, a Malayalam screenwriter, blamed it on men feeling threatened.

“It was reflected in the recently-concluded general elections as well. When the men make the decisions, they make sure that their interests are protected. At least some filmmakers decided to exclude women from their projects when they began to question and stop compromising,” she said.

Ramachandran echoed what Deedi said.

“In the post-WCC (Women in Cinema Collective) era, people thoroughly scrutinise political correctness in every aspect. So, to avoid controversy, some directors are taking a safer way, that is, excluding female characters,” he noted.

But according to writer CS Chandrika, the marginalisation of women in Malayalam films is only a recent phenomenon.

“We had women actors like Jayabharathi and Sheela who acted shoulder to shoulder with the male actors in the film. However, at some point, the trend changed. After the success of Manjummel Boys and Aavesham, there was a discussion about the underrepresentation of women in cinema. It is good that the audience is noticing and criticising the absence of women in cinema,” she said.

Deedi felt that with “the emergence of social media, where there is no censorship, people can question and open a discussion. It has made institutions, organisations, and even individuals accountable. Women have the potential, and we saw two Malayalam actors at Cannes.”

Ramachandran, who had earlier mentioned the flip side, also spoke of the benefits the launch of the WCC has brought about.

“When female artists formed a collective and started speaking up for their rights, we saw the system becoming more inclusive. The new directors are also more sensible and inclusive and try to give equal importance to male and female characters,” the movie critic observed.

Sajin Baabu, the director of the upcoming movie Theatre, highlighted a few female-oriented films from the recent past to stress that the stretch was not all barren.

“We have seen a few female-oriented films like Uyare, 22 Female Kottayam, and Biriyani, which I directed. These films need to be watched and celebrated more by the audience. Ours is a patriarchal society. We need to change the system, and it will take some time for the audience to accept the change. We have evolved and will evolve,” he said.

Chandrika was hopeful. “We will see more women in cinema because we have a lot of talented women in cinema. Also, there is a revival in women being active in their field, not just in cinema. The discussions after the success of films portraying male bonding can also help in bringing about a change.”

It will help if the audience voted for the new films with their wallet, everyone agreed.

“Recently, we saw how audiences celebrate. Such support should be given to films directed by women and films with women in relevant roles. Whether the female actors have a prominent role in the film can only be analysed after watching the films. Yet it is good that actors like Parvathy, Rima, and Jyothirmayi are returning,” said Ramachandran.

Rishab Shetty’s Kantara Chapter 1 has been making the right buzz since its inception. Following the blockbuster success of Kantara across multiple languages, expectations are high for the prequel. Bankrolled by Vijay Kiragandur’s Hombale Films, the project has already secured post-theatrical digital rights from Prime Video for close to Rs 125 crores at the production stage.

The filmmakers have constructed a massive set in Kundapura—a 200×200 foot indoor set equipped with advanced technology, including air conditioning, a dubbing studio, and an editing suite. Going by the latest developments, the makers are leaving no stone unturned to ensure the film meets high standards.

According to a member close to the film’s team, the makers have collaborated with The Mill and MPC, known for their work in iconic Hollywood films like The Lion King and Narnia, for the visual effects and the team is already on the job. “Kantara Chapter 1 will feature various creatures and animals, and the production house wanted the best company to work on this,” says the source. “This team, who have shown their expertise in Hollywood films, will handle these elements.”

While the Hollywood VFX team focuses on creature creation, the filmmakers are looking for a Bengaluru-based team for additional VFX work. The Mill and MPC have been involved from the first schedule, with two members present on set to oversee the process.

Filming for Kantara Chapter 1 is ongoing, with the next schedule set to begin on June 25. Directed and led by Rishab Shetty, who has written the script with contributions from writers Anirudh Mahesh and Shanil Guru, the film will feature music by Ajaneesh Loknath and cinematography by Aravind Kashyap. While a few actors have joined the set, the team is yet to make an official announcement.

Veteran actress Shobana will soon be making her next on-screen appearance in the much-awaited Kalki 2898 AD. The makers of the film released a character poster for the actress on Wednesday.

Shobana, plays a character named Mariam in the upcoming film. Vyjayanthi Movies, the production banner for the film, shared the poster on their X page, adding the caption, “Her ancestors waited too, just like her. 8 days to go for Kalki 2898 AD,” adding further intrigue about Shobana’s part in the film. Shobana was last seen in the 2020 movie Varane Avashyamund.

Kalki 2898 AD, directed by Nag Ashwin, stars Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone in lead roles. Additionally, Kamal Haasan and Disha Patani will be seen making special appearances in the film. The film, slated to release worldwide on June 27, also stars Saswata Chatterjee, Rajendra Prasad and Brahmanandam, among others.

Besides Kalki 2898 AD, Shobana is also part of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s next film, Coolie, starring Rajnikanth.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

The release date of Allu Arjun’s Pushpa: The Rule has been postponed to December 6, announced the makers. The sequel to Pushpa: The Rise, written and directed by Sukumar, was earlier slated to release on August 15.

Announcing the latest update on social media, the makers captioned the post, “His rule will be phenomenal. His rule will be unprecedented.”

Pushpa: The Rule is produced by Naveen Yerneni and Yalamanchili Ravi Shankar under the banner of Mythri Movie Makers. The film stars Fahadh Faasil opposite Allu as the antagonist and also features Rashmika Mandanna as the female lead, both reprising their roles from the first instalment.

Pushpa: The Rise was about a labourer who rises in the ranks of a red sandalwood smuggling ring, making enemies and finding love along the way. The upcoming sequel will also see Dhanunjay, Rao Ramesh, Sunil, Anasuya Bharadwaj, and Ajay Ghosh reprising their respective parts from the prequel. It has music by Devi Sri Prasad, cinematography by Miroslaw Brozek, and editing by Navin Nooli.

Singer Abhishek Venkatachalam, more popularly known as Abby V, who crooned the lone melody in Indian 2, titled ‘Neelorpam’, with Shruthika Samudhrala, is not new to doing live shows. Yet rendering the song to a jam-packed audience at the audio launch of Indian 2 made it extra special for him. “It is like presenting your baby in front of the whole world.

It is different from singing in the studio because here you do not have the option of retakes. Besides, you had all these legends of Indian cinema in attendance, including Shankar and Kamal Haasan. My parents also flew all the way from Canada. All of this made the whole experience slightly nervous yet very exciting at the same time,” says Abby.

On how his perceptions of the film industry changed after working in Indian 2, Abby says, “I spoke to Shankar sir after the audio launch, and he was very sweet. While working with Anirudh, too, there is a great sense of creative liberty, and he does not act like the composer telling you how to do it. So this all goes to show that, despite reaching such heights, they are encouraging new talents, which explains why they are where they are.”

The live performance at the Indian 2 audio launch was also a case of life coming full circle for Abby, whose first stage performance was with his father, Venky Venkatachalam. “My father has always been performing. When I was about nine, I said I would like to sing, and he took me along with him for one of his live shows. This is how it all started. Now, I do many shows where he and I perform as a special act. I love performing with my father. He is my greatest musical influence,” reveals Abby.

MIFF was launched in 1990 is being organised biennially by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and executed by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), the festival celebrates documentaries, short fiction and animation films.

At the opening ceremony, renowned wildlife filmmaker Subbiah Nallamuthu was named the recipient of the V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award, instituted in the memory of the legendary filmmaker.

Nallamuthu, best known for his tiger-centric documentaries including Tiger Dynasty, Tiger Queen, and The World’s Most Famous Tiger, received a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, a trophy and a citation.

An alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), the filmmaker gained prominence with his work on “Living on the Edge“, India’s longest-running award-winning environment series. His expertise extends to his tenure with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as a high-speed cameraman.

Nallamuthu expressed gratitude to the government and the jury for the honour. “It has been a long journey. I dedicate the award to my parents and family who supported me,” he said.

Film personalities like Aanand L Rai, Madhur Bhandarkar, Divya Dutta, Randeep Hooda, Abhishek Banerjee, Sonali Kulkarni, Sharad Kelkar, Taha Shah Badussha, Rahul Rawail, Vineet Singh, Avinash Tiwary, and Adil Hussain also attended the MIFF opening ceremony.

Alia Bhatt once again finds herself on the receiving end of AI-generated video which has gone viral, shocking her fans.

In the video, Alia appears to join the GRWM (Get Ready With Me) trend. The video, posted on Instagram by a user named Sameeksha Avtr has already garnered over 17 million views, India Today reported.

Earlier, a video circulating on social media platforms depicted Alia’s face seamlessly transposed onto actress Wamiqa Gabbi’s face.

Prior to that, a morphed video of her has gone viral, according to the Indian Express, where not only her face, but her voice and gestures were also accurately copied. In that video, she can be seen in a floral co-ord set, making gestures to the camera while sitting on the bed.

Pope Francis, in his historic address to G7 leaders on Saturday urgied them to recognise they have the power to decide if artificial intelligence becomes a terrifying or creative tool.

Professor Geoffrey Hinton, regarded as the “godfather of artificial intelligence” had said that “very worried about AI taking lots of mundane jobs”.

Professor Hinton recently said “my guess is in between five and 20 years from now there’s a probability of half that we’ll have to confront the problem of AI trying to take over”.

This, he added, would lead to an “extinction-level threat” for humans because we could have “created a form of intelligence that is just better than biological intelligence… That’s very worrying for us”.

It’s a film with many curious details that add to its likeable strangeness. There’s a man who supposedly has ears on his back. There’s a man who seems to possess super-human upperbody strength—a man who won’t let things go, in more ways than one. This man also strangely keeps rubbing people’s backs. A cobra features at one point, playing its (divine?) part.

My favourite moment is the coincidence of a balloon going off at one point that results in an unintended gunshot. Somewhere, a pendant of baby feet becomes an important symbol too. All these details ensured that I wasn’t processing this as just another film of its kind—and there’s enough subtext too, say, about deeper ideas like paternal love.

There’s a father who believes in quiet, hard work, and who takes pride in the smarts of his daughter. There’s another who gets a bit taken by expensive gifts, about overextending his means to provide luxuries. There’s more subtext in how they both handle losses: the constructive way, the destructive way. Point. Counterpoint.

In this film about horrible and horrified men, the women suffer. Maharaja’s wife is an early casualty. Another woman, the wife of a major character, dies a different sort of death. But the most important of all, Maharaja’s daughter (Jyoti)—in a crucial scene at the end—holds her own. This, to me, defines how we should perceive her and how we should not.

In very few films that deal with this topic, do we have a woman tell her protector-caretaker, “Please step out and give me a moment.” This is a girl who shows personality much earlier too—as she dispenses advice to her father, as she controls the reins at home, as she chases her dream and works hard at it.In the cruel world of Maharaja, violence, gore, abuse… they are all natural allies.

And yet, on occasion, I wondered if some hyper-violent moments served any deep purpose, apart from merely existing for shock value. A man is broken and destroyed at one point, and for all practical purposes, he’s finished. And that should be enough, but no, the film wants him truly finished. In another scene, a character gets found out and we know what’s about to happen to him.

And yet, the film sanctions the action with approval from the police—who the film establishes as untrustworthy anyway. It also lingers a bit too long, I think, on a disturbing moment—overeager to establish evil. Its handling of catharsis too is painted in one too many wild strokes of bloodlust.

Maharaja is a film about actions snowballing into disastrous consequences. A bad man goes to a saloon and takes a phone call. And that results in a chain of disturbing events. Perhaps that’s why this film begins, in the same setting of a saloon, with a game—antakshari—a game that’s, in essence, a chain of songs, one taking off from another. The film is a rather wild song though, one that breaks structures and seems out of tune for a while. However, that end flourish, with all that orchestral pain and violence, makes this a winning song.

Film: Maharaja

Director: Nithilan Swaminathan

Cast: Vijay Sethupathi, Anurag Kashyap, Mamta Mohandas, Abhirami

Rating : 3.5/5

Greg Belson, whose gospel collection fills three rooms in Los Angeles, was intrigued that the band’s name was so similar to The Staple Singers. He put “We Got a Race to Run” on a portable turntable he often brings with him, and was struck by their sound: “It sat completely in the wheelhouse of what I look for, which is specifically gospel with a soulful tinge, rather than what I would say more classical church-based gospel,” Belson said.

Yale Evelev, the president of Luaka Bop, heard Belson’s radio show and pulled from his collection for a compilation of 1970s gospel soul songs called “The Time For Peace Is Now.” He wanted to include the Staples Jr. Singers single, but first he had to find the band. He figured out that Annie Brown was now Annie Caldwell, and called all seven listed in Mississippi.

Like Belson, Evelev was attracted to a gospel sound that isn’t heard much on the radio these days. “These are soul records really,” he said. “Soul records with a message. That message imbues the performance with a certain underlying intensity and honesty.”

He reached Brown Caldwell on the last call.

“I never believed that this record would come up again,” Brown Caldwell said. “For real though. Is this for real?”

She agreed to put the single out but her brothers were initially resistant, and they balked at reissuing “When Do We Get Paid.” Only a few hundred original copies of the record exist, one of which Belson bought off a Milwaukee collector for $600.

“There was a lot of family drama that was happening that had existed for a long time,” Evelev said. “We kind of ended up in the middle of it, and it was a lot of back and forth and a lot of yelling at each other.”

They worked it out, and agreed to perform four shows in New York in 2022. Evelev heard some songs that weren’t on their 1975 record and asked if they had any unreleased music. It turned out they recorded about a dozen songs in Muscle Shoals in the 1980s.

Evelev brought in Ahmed Gallab, who performs as the artist Sinkane, as a producer, and he recorded them over two nights in a Mississippi church where they sat in a semi-circle or in the pews as they played. Gallab then went to Nashville to mix it and do some overdubs, aiming to have the songs “ring as true as possible” to when he first heard them play.

Like their first album, “Searching” weaves its gospel message with blues guitar and influences ranging from boogaloo to swamp music to rhythm and blues to soul.

A world-weariness comes through in songs like the lead track, “Living In This World Alone,” with Brown Caldwell lamenting how she misses her mother and tries to “live free from sin” without her.

“I can listen to their voices and hear the stories that they’re talking about and really understand them,” Gallab said. “That’s the one thing that’s really sets them apart, especially when Annie sings. She’s just telling you a story.”

The band members — now four generations of the Brown family — shrug off their newfound celebrity. On the latest record, R.C. plays guitar and the two other siblings sing. Edward’s son sings backing vocals, R.C.’s son plays bass and R.C.’s grandson plays drums.

They still live in Aberdeen, a town of 5,000 along the Tombigbee River where they grew up and where Edward and R.C. retired from factory jobs. All three insist their mission remains the same as it was all those years ago — to spread the word of God and inspire listeners to follow his path.

Edward Brown said he rarely hears anything good on the radio anymore and worries about younger generations turning to gun violence. So he is doing his part by singing and trying to “touch people” with his life story.

“You have to do what God said do,” he said. “When I hit the stage, I tell the Lord, ‘take self out, You take over.’ I just give it all to him and do what he wants me to do.”

LOS ANGELES: Hollywood star Emily Blunt in talks for veteran filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s next feature directorial project.

Hollywood studio Universal and Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment will be releasing the movie worldwide on May 15, 2026, according to entertainment news outlet Deadline.

Though the details of the plot have been kept under wraps, the untitled movie has been billed as an “original event film”.

Based on a story by Spielberg, the screenplay is written by longtime collaborator David Koepp, who previously collaborated with the director for Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Spielberg last directed the semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans, which was released in 2022.

Blunt, 41, was most recently seen in The Fall Guy, co-starring Ryan Gosling.

Her film credits also include critically-acclaimed and blockbusters like Edge of Tomorrow, A Quiet Place and Christopher Nolan’s multiple Oscar-winning movie Oppenheimer.

Her upcoming movie is The Smashing Machine, opposite Dwayne Johnson.

And, in another instance blurring lines between real life and make-believe, during a fundraiser at the home of veteran actor Michael Douglas, Biden, the actual president, congratulated the star of the 1996 hit “The American President” on his fictional administration’s success.

Ballot box star power?For all the celebrity supporters, though, there’s little expectation they can determine votes. Rather, they are seen as having the ability to inject excitement that helps energize supporters.

Lexi Underwood, whose credits include the streaming series “Little Fires Everywhere,” calls acting a “contact sport” that allows her to interact with the public and makes her determined to use her influence responsibly. She has participated in a recent virtual “Students for Biden” event and traveled to Nevada to appear at campaign events focused on women’s health issues.

“I’m very fortunate to have certain eyes on me,” said Underwood, 20. “I feel really responsible to make sure that what I put out there, either people are being informed on things that they weren’t previously informed on, or that I’m motivating them to get out there and vote.”

Biden’s campaign says its chief focus is finding authentic and trusted messengers who can promote the president’s policy achievements and raise the alarm about GOP “extremism,” and that means deploying everyday supporters as well as famous ones. It has produced ads featuring a Pennsylvania union worker, a Black entrepreneur in Detroit and women adversely affected by strict abortion limits in Texas.

Fai Nelson, a human resources worker who attended a recent Vice President Kamala Harris event in Prince George’s County, Maryland, said celebrity voices can make a difference “if they can touch the audience.”

“It’s whether the message is relevant,” said Nelson, 42.

Lessons from last timeDuring the pandemic-era campaign of 2020, Biden’s campaign featured celebrities in scores of virtual events that showed the importance of staying flexible so that stars can present themselves in the most authentic ways.

Adrienne Elrod, who served as Biden’s 2020 director of surrogate strategy and operations, said famous Biden supporters often “will come forward with their own ideas” on how to help the campaign and what issues they’d like to focus on.

“We’ll oftentimes have ideas for them as well,” she said. “That’s why there’s always a very productive working relationship when we’re engaging these folks.”

De Niro has taken on an increasingly prominent role in Biden’s campaign. Before his confrontation with the Trump supporters, the actor held a press conference calling the former president a “clown.” He’s also attended Biden fundraisers and narrated a campaign ad accusing Trump of having “snapped” after he lost the 2020 election.

Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the former president’s campaign, said, “The only people in America who support Joe Biden’s failing campaign are elitist Hollywood celebrities,” adding that Trump “speaks for the forgotten men and women of this country.”

Trump has his own list of celebrity endorsers, which includes musicians Kid Rock and Ted Nugent, UFC CEO Dana White, media personality Caitlyn Jenner and actors Dennis Quaid and Jon Voight, as well as comedian Roseanne Barr.

Elrod said other stars are anxious to follow De Niro’s lead for Biden but are waiting “until the moment can truly be maximized” before they get involved. She pointed to 2020, when Bruce Springsteen narrated a Biden ad featuring his song “My Hometown” just before the election.

“I think you’ll see more moments like this, when we’re using those voices strategically and effectively at the time that makes the most sense for us on the campaign,” said Elrod, who is a Biden campaign spokesperson this cycle.

David Schmid, an English professor at the University of Buffalo who studies popular culture, said celebrities can influence fans’ aspirations and what they consume. But their influence “over peoples’ voting habits has been really exaggerated,” he said.

That’s the case for Alex Dillion, a rising sophomore at American University in Washington who also attended the Harris event in Maryland. Asked which famous person might influence him politically, Dillion offered, “Maybe Obama.”

Taylor Swift Effect?Schmid said one celebrity with outsized political influence might be Taylor Swift, who sent shockwaves even through the NFL last season. She endorsed Biden in 2020 and is being openly courted by the campaign this time on social media, and even in a press release that saluted her latest album.

Her touch isn’t a guarantee of victory, though. In 2018, Swift endorsed two Democratic candidates in Tennessee who lost. And Schmid said that even someone as famous as Swift “knows things are polarizing and they don’t want to take major risks” on candidates and contentious issues.

For all the Biden team’s work with celebrities, the president still tries to cultivate the image of someone in tune with ordinary people.

During a campaign swing through Saginaw, Michigan, the president visited a public golf course and met with community activist Coleman Hurley III and his son.

“The celebrities that have everything they want and they need, they may possibly be out of touch,” the older Hurley said later in a phone interview.

As for ordinary Americans, Hurley added, Biden needs to be able to “relate and see where they live … and then have a conversation about some of the different struggles or issues that we, or other Americans, face.”

CHENNAI : Actor Rahman is no stranger to police roles, something that is evident in his filmography. A common element in most of his cop characters is an underlying sense of empathy. Some examples are Umar in Ameer’s Raam, Deepak in Karthick Naren’s Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru, and now the cop-turned-advocate Manikkam in SP Subburaman’s Anjaamai. The actor says that the added dimension of empathy in his character is one of the factors that draws him to a project as it allows him to form an emotional connection with its story. The same goes for Anjaamai, which stars Vidaarth, Vani Bhojan, and Krithik Mohan in pivotal roles. “My character in Anjaamai, Manikkam, is a very empathetic and determined cop who turns into an advocate. He is part of a law enforcement system that lacks this all-too-human quality and that creates hierarchical roadblocks to action, so he becomes a lawyer. When SP Subburaman narrated the story to me, I liked it quite a lot as it has such an emotional pull,” says the actor, speaking from his home in Kochi.

Anjaamai explores the NEET exam and the challenges it poses to the students and to their parents. In other words, it delves into the complexities of underprivileged students struggling to crack the NEET for an MBBS seat. Writer-director Subburaman tells the story from the perspectives of Sarkar (Vidaarth), Saraswathi (Vani Bhojan), and Arundhavam (Krithik Mohan). Rahman’s character has more prominence in the second half of the film, as he leaves his police job and takes up the profession of an advocate to fight the system. The story is pregnant with potency and provocation, and Rahman is quick to recognise its relevance despite the delay in its release.

BENGALURU: Shocking details have emerged from the probe into the murder of a man who allegedly made derogatory comments against the friend and co-star of leading Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa.

Darshan, his friend and film actress Pavithra Gowda, and 11 others were arrested in connection with Renukaswamy’s murder on Tuesday. The 47-year-old actor has been remanded to six days’ police custody by a court.

According to police sources, Renukaswamy (33) drew the wrath of Darshan for making lewd comments against Pavithra Gowda on her social media posts. “It was Pavithra who instigated Darshan to punish Renukaswamy. Accordingly, the plan was hatched,” they said.

Renukaswamy hailed from Lakshmi Venkateshwara Layout in Chitradurga and worked with a pharmacy company.

“Darshan engaged the Chitradurga unit of Darshan Fan Club Convenor Raghavendra, alias Raghu, who obtained all information about Renukaswamy.”

Renukaswamy’s wife, Sahana, said Raghavendra picked up her husband on Friday night from near their house.

The victim was abducted and taken to a shed in the Kamakshipalya area of Bengaluru, the sources said.

“Darshan beat up Renukaswamy with a belt. After he fell unconscious, his accomplices thrashed him with sticks. Further, they threw him against a wall, which proved fatal,” they said, adding that there were multiple bone fractures all over his body.

After he died, his body was dumped in a stormwater drain. A food delivery boy who noticed dogs eating a human body alerted the police.

When the police were working on the case, two accused approached Kamakshipalya police and “confessed” to having killed Renukaswamy over a financial dispute.

As the investigation progressed, police found out about Darshan and Pavithra’s involvement.

CHENNAI: Luv Ki Arrange Marriage is an unusual case of boy-meets-girl. It tells the story of a couple, played by Sunny Singh and Avneet Kaur, who meet during an arranged marriage set-up. However, trouble ensues when the boy’s father (Annu Kapoor), a widower, falls in love with the girl’s mother (Supriya Pathak), who is also a single parent. The ZEE5 film, which is all set to release on June 14, promises to be a new-age take on marriage where the young couple try to fix up their own relationship while figuring out the love between their respective parents.

In the film, Avneet plays Ishika, a confident girl who always speaks her mind, while in reality, Avneet is an introvert. She feels that the character appealed to her primarily due to this contrast. “I wanted to play someone like that on-screen because in reality I take time to open up to people,” says the actor.

Moreover, what made the filming process enriching was the presence of seasoned actors like Rajpal Yadav, Supriya, and Annu, who brought their learnings on set. “The process of making a scene come to life was beautiful. All of us would discuss it together and add different flavours of our own to what was already written,” says Avneet.

Sunny found much joy in sharing screen space with the senior actors. “You just give them a line and they will come up with ten ways of saying it,” he says. “It is difficult to match their level but we can try to catch up.” Even though Sunny has showcased his acting prowess in the past with films like Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 (2015), Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (2018), and Ujda Chaman (2019), he feels grateful to have worked in this film as it was a learning process for him as well. “There are many things which will stay with me when I do my next film. I remember feeling sad on the last day on set. I wished the shooting went on for longer.”

Even though Luv Ki Arrange Marriage is only Ishrat R Khan’s second film as a director, after the 2023 social drama, Guthlee Ladoo, he found that none of them had any issue taking directions from him. “They don’t have an iota of ego. Once they came on set, they became an open slate with a child-like curiosity,” he says. During the shoot, Annu had a sudden heart attack and was hospitalised, making everyone worried. However, when Sunny went to meet him at the hospital, Annu started narrating the script of the film to him. His enthusiasm was undeterred even when he recovered, as Ishrat recollects, “He came back on set and started dancing for the song sequences as if nothing happened. His energy was infectious.”

Mia McKenna-Bruce will be starring alongside Martin Freeman and Helena Bonham Carter in The Seven Dials Mystery. The Netflix series is described as an interpretation of Agatha Christie’s novel of the same name.

McKenna-Bruce, is best known for the 2023 film How to Have Sex, which won the Un Certain Regard award at the Cannes Film Festival.

The upcoming series is written by Chris Chibnall, best known as the showrunner of Doctor Who and the writer of Broadchurch, and directed by Chris Sweeney.

According to reports, the plot revolves around a lavish party at a country house in which a prank contributes to a murder. Ultimately, it becomes the task of McKenna-Bruce’s detective Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent to solve the mystery.

BENGALURU: Popular Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa has been picked up by the Bengaluru city police from his farmhouse in Mysuru, in connection with the murder case of a person from Chitradurga.

The victim Renukaswamy’s body was found in a storm water drain in Kamakshipalya on Sunday. The incident had come to light after passersby had seen street dogs dragging a body from the drain and alerted the police.

When the police were probing the details of the unidentified man’s body, three persons from Girinagar are alleged to have surrendered before the police on Monday claiming responsibility behind the murder of the person. The trio claimed that the murder was over a financial dispute. Cross questioning by the police resulted in the exact reasons behind the murder.

The accused allegedly committed the murder at the behest of actor Darshan. The victim is alleged to have sent some vulgar messages to actress Pavithra Gowda on her social media accounts. Pavithra Gowda is said to be close friend of Darshan.

So far, 10 people have been detained in connection with a case. After Darshan came to know about the messages, he telephoned to the president of his fans association in Chitradurga. The victim was allegedly brought from Chitradurga to the city and was murdered inside a shed on Saturday before dumping the body in the drain.

The victim’s parents have come to Kamakshipalya police station. The case was registered by the Kamakshipalya police on Sunday.

Actor Noor Malabika Das (37) was found dead in her flat at Lokhandwala in the Oshiwara area of Andheri on Monday, reports said.

Noor, who was also a former air hostess and hailed from Assam, was the co-star of Kajol in the 2023 legal drama The Trial.

She is suspected to have died by suicide.

The police found Noor’s decomposed body hanging from a ceiling fan and have initially ruled the death as a suicide.

Noor, reports quoting the police said, was found after her neighbors reported a foul smell coming from her apartment. The concerned neighbors soon informed the Oshiwara Police, who then forced their way into the flat.

Noor had made her place in the world of Hindi web series. She had leading roles in several web series, including “Siskiyaan,” “Walkaman Upaya,” and “Charamsukh.” In “The Trial,” she played a supporting role besides actor Kajol.

Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. In case you feel distressed by the content or know someone in distress, call Sneha Foundation – 04424640050 (available 24×7).

Actor Mohan, who reached inimitable heights in the 80s, recently made a comeback with the film Haraa. While the film garnered much attention for bringing back the Silver Jubilee Star to Tamil cinema, it was also a significant milestone for the film’s director, Vijay Sri G, as the chance to direct a star like Mohan comes after just helming two films: Dha Dha 87 and Powder.

Haraa, which was released on June 7, is a crime thriller that reiterates the importance of knowing our laws. Vijay says he aimed to create a film that balanced family drama with the elements of a crime thriller. “The film is essentially a family drama revolving around a father and his daughter. However, Haraa is also filled with the elements of the action and thriller genres,” he explains.

The director further shares that he chose Mohan as his lead for Haraa because he wanted to visualise him in a different avatar. “Whenever I choose a lead character for my film, I change their look entirely based on the story. Fans of Mohan sir mostly remember him as a romantic hero. I felt it would be refreshing to change his identity from a romance film lead to an action film lead with Haraa,” he explains, adding that he showed Mohan’s acting range in the film. “We have mainly seen him smile all these years, but he has a way more serious action persona within him, which I wanted to bring out in Haraa.”

Vijay Sri G is first a fan, and then a director when it comes to Mohan. He shares his observations of Mohan as a versatile performer, “Mohan sir is famous for his songs, and people remember him for how well he would take in and perform the songs. However, people failed to notice his versatility in different roles,” he says, further taking examples from various films. “In Mouna Ragam, he hardly has any dialogue.

Murder mysteries are trending this season. That they may not all qualify as good is a discussion for another day. The pile of mediocrity got a tad bit taller with the release of Netflix’s Polish thriller ‘Colors of Evil: Red’, with its expected violent crimes, a red herring, a ‘Mister Goody Two Shoes’ detective, tied together with an equally jaded plot.

The film starts off just fine as it sets the narrative. Based on the 2019 novel of the same name, the story follows Monika Bogucka (Zofia Jastrzebska), the mystery surrounding her death, and the ensuing police procedural. Jakub Gierszal as Leopold Bilski is keen on pursuing Monika’s murder, despite his superiors’ attempt to close the case.

An overconfident prosecutor, he teams up with Monika’s mother Helena Bogucka (Maja Ostaszewska) to derive key details to crack the case. From this point, it simply goes downhill. The lazy writing is evident in the film’s predictability. The element of surprise and suspense is crucial to the genre, and this film fails on both accounts.

The visuals too are distasteful. When Monika’s body washes ashore, the camera focuses on her bloodless face, eyes and mutilated lips for disturbingly longer than needed. Certain scenes are relentlessly and needlessly cruel.

The only saving grace for the film is Helena Bogucka, who is an embodiment of strength as she deals with insurmountable guilt since her daughter’s death. When she says, “We have failed our daughter,” it hits all the right notes. But such moments barely linger as her unidimensional character is left unexplored. Additionally, Monika’s naïveté weighs down the emotional value of the entire plot. Instead, the makers could have focussed on the path she traversed in the journey of discovering herself.

Colors of Evil: Red has characters that can be labelled as either black or white and never grey. Even with a simplistic approach, it never makes you root for its protagonists. If only the makers had shown less reluctance to break free from the ordinary and strive for something innovative.

Colors of Evil: Red

Director: Adrian Panek

Genre: Murder Mystery

Platform: Netflix

Language: Polish

Rating: 2/5

What did the robot scene look like for you on set?

Lots of green screen and X-marks, where things were going to be added later. For the big fight scenes with other robots—the explosions and everything—some guys would physically shake the pod I was in, so I got to feel it and had something to work with.

You are someone who likes to look after yourself. Does that level of fitness help in a role like this?

Absolutely. I try to stay as athletic as I can, but this was challenging in a way that was different from anything I had done before because this is a character that doesn’t start out as some kind of action hero. She’s kind of thrown into the action as part of the situation she finds herself in and has to adapt.

Sterling K Brown plays Colonel Elias Banks. How was getting to work with him?

It felt great to work with such an amazing actor. And compared to the robot scenes, it all just felt so simple to look into another person’s eyes, and be in the moment. But, Sterling makes it so easy. He’s an incredible actor. You really do just have to look at him to know what you need to do.

What is the significance of your character’s change of hairstyle in the end?

There was a line, that got taken out from the beginning of the movie, where Atlas is told how her hair was always messy as a little girl because nobody combed it and nobody cared. As she got older, her hair was still messy because she didn’t care about herself. She didn’t let anybody in. So, the hair is a kind of metaphor for her messy life up to having this experience that changes it forever. By finally letting someone in, she is transformed into a different, stronger person. That is what love does to you.

The movie deals with the subject of trust. What does it take for you to trust someone?

I am kind of the opposite of Atlas. I am all about love and trust, but it does sometimes take time for me to trust. I think we can trust too quickly, and then realise we shouldn’t have. It all depends on the person, but I am lucky to have people in my life I can trust.

Finally, what do you hope audiences take away from watching ‘Atlas’?

I hope they are thrilled by the action, but I also hope it starts conversations about how we use AI, and how we need to be responsible and careful. We must not let it get away from us.

—–Asia features

Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut called out Bollywood celebrities on Friday for not voicing their support after she was slapped by a CISF guard at Chandigarh airport.

Himachal Pradesh’s newly elected MP from Mandi constituency was ‘hit in the face’ by Kulwinder Kaur, a woman CISF constable on Thursday afternoon.

‘Queen’ star Mandi MP slams B-town

A day after the incident, Ranaut took to her Instagram and criticised Bollywood in a series of stories that has now been deleted but went viral. She referred to the film industry as the ‘All Eyes on Rafah Gang’ and expressed disappointment at their lack of support.

“Dear film industry you all are either celebrating or are totally mum on the airport attack on me remember if tomorrow if you walking disarmingly on some street of your country or anywhere else in the world and some Israeli/Palestinian hits you or your children just because you tried to bring eyes to Rafah or stood up for Israeli hostage… then you will see I will be fighting for your rights of free speech, if someday you wonder why I am where I am remember you are not me…” wrote the BJP MP which was later taken down.

She added another story which read, “All eyes on Rafah Gang this can happen to you or your children as well. When you celebrate a terror attack on someone, be ready for the day it comes back to you as well.”

Here is what the FIR says

The action which was recorded in CCTV cameras went viral on social media.

The Mohali police registered an FIR against the Kulwinder Kaur, who by then was suspended, based on the complaint filed by the CISF Inspector.

In his complaint, Inspector Surendra Kumar Sharma told Punjab Police that Ranaut was being escorted by four staff including the CISF inspector, two women police and a Vistara airline staff.

It was then Kaur came out from her frisking booth and and slapped Ranaut.

The FIR noted that Ranaut was travelling from Chandigarh to Delhi by Vistara Flight No UK-707(STD-15:45hrs).

“After completion of PESC (pre-embarkation security check), she was proceeding towards boarding gate at about 15:28 hrs and in the meantime, CISF Lady Constable Kulwinder Kaur who was also deployed in the Domestic SHA (adjacent ladies frisking booth) came out from her frisking booth and slapped Miss Kangana Ranaut. Immediately, lady constable Kulwinder Kaur was pushed by Lady Constable Veerpal Kaur towards frisking booth. Later, Ranaut left PESC point and proceeded for her scheduled flight. In this regard, it is requested to lodge an FIR against CISF lady Constable/GO’ Kulwinder Kaur for her misbehaviour with Miss Kangana Ranaut,” read the FIR.

Meanwhile, the police too confirmed and said that the CCTV footage shows that the actor-politician was stopped by the woman constable during security check who then ‘hit her face.’

The suspended CISF guard has been booked under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 341 (wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code.

In a video that surfaced after the incident, Kulwinder Kaur was seen telling a passenger about her intentions behind slapping Ranaut.

“Kangana said that during farmer protest, women were sitting there for Rs 100. When she gave this statement, my mother was sitting there. Will Kangana sit at the protest?” asked Kaur.

CHENNAI: After back-to-back hits in the 80s and a long absence, Mohan is finally back in Haraa where he takes the role of a vigilante hero, a saviour and a villain all at once. Just like how his character travels far and wide to unravel the mystery around the death of his daughter, Nimisha, the plot too meanders all over the place, stumbling along the way.

Haraa centres around Ram (a) Ibrahim who is grieving the loss of his daughter after she dies by suicide. He goes on a mission to uncover secrets and avenge her death. In the first scene, Mohan heads out to look for clues. He gets inside an auto, speaks to two or three people, and then into an ambulance when he sees a few people following him. After this, he gets onto a bike. Similarly, the screenplay moves from one pointless scene to another, mostly in circles, sometimes in triangles and at moments, all over the place. The story takes Ram through a gritty criminal world mired in ugly politics and a plethora of complications that come along with it. Instead of unravelling it in a way that tests the knowledge of a discerning audience, it holds exposition as a crutch to drag its way through the plot, eventually killing suspense and other elements that would have made it much more interesting.

At the crux of Haraa is a dad-daughter love story that deserves better writing. Sometimes, the film takes their relationship a tad too far. When I say too far, it goes to the extent of mistaking patriarchy and regressive mentality for love and progressiveness. In perhaps the most bizarre scene of them all, Ram goes to Nimisha’s school to tell the teachers that she won’t be able to attend the exam as she had her menarche. Even when the teachers reiterate that they would provide her with sanitary products to help her deal with it, he denies it and agrees on her behalf to skip a year of education. In the raging debate around menstrual leaves, women have always asserted their choice, but for a man to speak in her name only takes the conversation back to a few decades. Speaking of it, even the parents finding out about her menarche is straight out of a ‘90s film.

Haraa attempts to paint Mohan as a simple man who goes to great lengths to avenge the death of his daughter. But the film thrusts lyrics like “Maassuke maasu Ivan, Silver Jubilee star ivan,” clearly picturing him as a hero making a comeback. In another scene, Mohan beats several goons in a bus. He delivers one blow to a guy’s face and Rajendran goes, “Mouna Raagam parakudhe.” The botched meta-commentary goes on. There’s another blow and he says, “Mella Thirandhadhu un mandai.” Apart from Rajendran, there are Yogi Babu, Deepa Shankar, Singampuli, and Aadhavan who cross paths with Mohan at different intervals to provide what the makers thought would be ‘comic relief’. Instead, they stick out like a sore thumb and are completely out of place. The dialogues don’t help either and are a desperate cry to help fix the screenplay which is stretched so far to encompass several elements that remain as fragments in an already convoluted storyline. Adding to it are several lip-sync and messy dubbing issues. Anumol, who had an earnest performance in Ayali, is terribly underutilised. Worse, she is made into a classic, overly sentimental mother.

LOS ANGELES: A British woman who claims she was the inspiration for the stalker in the smash Netflix hit “Baby Reindeer” sued the streamer Thursday, demanding $170 million in damages.

Fiona Harvey has identified herself as the real-life “Martha,” the delusional, violent and abusive woman at the center of Richard Gadd’s global phenomenon, which claims in its opening episode to be “a true story.”

“The above quote… is the biggest lie in television history,” the lawsuit, filed in California, says.

“It is a lie told by Netflix and the show’s creator, Richard Gadd, out of greed and lust for fame; a lie designed to attract more viewers, get more attention, to make more money, and to viciously destroy the life of Plaintiff, Fiona Harvey.”

In a statement to AFP, a Netflix spokesperson said: “We intend to defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd’s right to tell his story.”

The seven-episode series premiered on Netflix in April and quickly became a huge hit.

The show, based on Gadd’s one-man play, follows a fictionalized version of the author who meets a woman in the pub where he works.

What unspools over the following episodes is a deeply disturbing years-long ordeal for Gadd in which Martha sends thousands of emails, texts and voice messages as she harasses him, his girlfriend and his family.

Martha, who the show claims to have been previously convicted for stalking a lawyer, is also shown to sexually assault Gadd.

The British writer and performer has told journalists that he changed details about Martha in an effort to protect her identity, but armchair detectives quickly tracked her down and began contacting her on social media.

After being outed, Harvey appeared on British television, denying that she had bombarded Gadd with messages, or that she had attacked him or his girlfriend.

“The lies that Defendants told about Harvey to over 50 million people worldwide include that Harvey is a twice convicted stalker who was sentenced to five years in prison, and that Harvey sexually assaulted Gadd,” the suit says.

“Defendants told these lies, and never stopped, because it was a better story than the truth, and better stories made money.

“And Netflix, a multinational billion dollar entertainment streaming company did literally nothing to confirm the ‘true story’ that Gadd told.”

The suit against Netflix alleges defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence, among other claims, and demands $170 million.

Amid a rather dull scenario in the Kannada film industry, there’s an air of anticipation surrounding the release of Kotee, an action-packed family entertainer. The film marks Parameshwar Gundkal’s directorial debut and stars Daali Dhananjaya in the lead role. The makers unveiled the trailer, which offers a glimpse into Dhananjaya’s portrayal of Kotee, a common driver with extraordinary dreams.

His character is fueled by a noble ambition—to accumulate a fortune of one crore rupees through honest means, without deceit or harm, to secure a better future for his family. This narrative strikes a chord with audiences, resonating with the common man’s struggles and aspirations, and includes Ramesh Indira as the antagonist.

Parameshwar Gundkal, a seasoned journalist-turned-TV honcho, brings his storytelling experience to the director’s chair for Kotee. Having previously helmed successful television projects, including Bigg Boss Kannada, Param aims to deliver a content-driven cinematic experience with the film.

Explaining his commitment to providing quality entertainment, the director said that Kotee is a middle-class story that everyone can connect with. Kotee, produced by Jio Studios, brings together an ensemble cast, including Moksha Kushal and a host of versatile actors like Rangayana Raghu, Tara, and Sardar Satya. The film has music by Vasuki Vaibhav, lyrics by Vasuki himself and Yogaraj Bhat, background score by Nobin Paul, and cinematography by Arun Brahma.

On the sidelines of the trailer launch, Dhananjaya also provided insight into the current state of the Kannada film industry and his hopes for its future.

He stated, “I just want to say that it’s just another phase, which the industry should overcome as in the past. Moreover, I pray that the new phase begins with the release of Kotee. The team has done a wonderful job. I’m very sure that the content, which is based on the life of a common man, especially revolving around middle-class families, would appeal to the audience.”

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

Having faced the camera for over six films, did Ramesh ever envision himself as an actor? “Even now, I have a penchant for writing and directing. But certain circumstances and reasons made me step in front of the camera. My role in Hemanth M Rao’s Sapta Sagaradaache Ello came about unexpectedly when he spotted me at an award function. He remembered a small part I played in my directorial venture, Premier Padmini, and believed I could embody the character he had in mind for his film.

On the other hand, Param and I go way back; in 2009, we collaborated on the small screen, although we lost touch when he switched channels. Despite the lack of regular communication, he remembered a serial I acted in back in 2010, and that’s how he approached me for Kotee and the character came about,” he explains while adding, “In fact, I was told the director insisted that I play the role, which was good to know.”

Describing his character Dinakar Sampaje, aka Deenu Saavakar, in Kotee, Ramesh explains, “While my role as the antagonist in Sapta Sagaradaache Ello was woven into the storyline, bridging Rakshit Shetty and Rukmini Vasanth, Kotee takes it a step further. Here, the character is integral to the plot but also carries commercial appeal. Director Param has magnified the villain’s role to be on par with the hero. Additionally, I have an individual antagonist storyline that runs parallel to the main narrative,” he says.

According to Ramesh, in today’s cinema, villains command as much attention and influence as the heroes. “Gone are the days when the hero solely carried the weight of the entire film. We all know that even in the toughest scenarios, audiences anticipate the hero’s triumph. The strength of the antagonist only serves to enhance the hero’s journey. In today’s cinema, villains engage in psychological warfare alongside physical confrontations. It’s the narrative and creativity that blend with the story,” says Ramesh, mentioning that he was a newcomer to the Kotee sets for everyone. “I had more scenes with Dhananjaya, and we pulled it off smoothly.”

With acting assignments taking precedence, does his directing career take a backseat? “After Premier Padmini, I had plans for a sequel, but unfortunately, Covid happened. Then, I had to focus on specific serials, and there was also a hotel business, managed by Shruti Naidu, for me to overlook. However, alongside the Premier Padmini sequel, I was also involved in another project starring Pramod, and we shot for five days. I aim to complete the shooting of that film this year.”

Ramesh Indira’s slate of upcoming films also includes Karavalli, starring Prajwal Devaraj and directed by Gurudatha Ganiga, and two finalised Tamil projects. However, he signs off by saying, “I won’t abandon direction. I’m determined to finish the pending commitment, continue to helm more projects and stay true to my directorial passion.”

National award-winning director Mansore is currently in talks about a potential Hindi remake of his Kannada film Act 1978. While the specifics of the project are still unknown, Mansore plans to lead it with a fresh ensemble and crew to ensure that the adaptation resonates with the cultural intricacies of Hindi-speaking viewers.

The rights for the remake were bought by producer Neeraj Tiwari, who is set to back the endeavour alongside two other projects, Lopamudra and Postman.

The Hindi reinterpretation of Act 1978 is scheduled to go on floors this year. Originally released in 2020, Act 1978 narrates the tale of a pregnant woman who bravely charts her course to challenge bureaucratic injustices.

The film garnered critical acclaim for its gripping narrative and good performances, heightening anticipation for its potential Hindi adaptation. The cast for the original film included Yagna Shetty, Sanchari Vijay, Shruthi, B Suresha, Pramod Shetty, Achyuth Kumar, and Dattanna. “We’re on the lookout for a talented actor who can authentically convey the depth of our story, as it carries a potent societal message,” says producer Tiwari.

The director’s vision for the remake is to preserve the original narrative’s essence while bringing a fresh creative angle to the table for the Hindi version.

Ajay Devgn headliner sports-drama Maidaan is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, the makers announced via a press release on Wednesday. Also featuring Priyamani and Gajraj Rao, the film was helmed by Amit Sharma (Badhaai Ho, 2018). It released in theatres on April 10 to mixed reviews and couldn’t leave much of an impact at the box office.

The film chronicles the inspiring journey of Syed Abdul Rahim, the legendary football coach who steered the Indian National Football team to glory in the 1950s and 1960s. Set against the backdrop of a newly independent India, the film portrays Syed’s challenges and triumphs as he builds and leads his team to international prominence, instilling hope and pride in a nation finding its footing.

“Portraying coach Syed Abdul Rahim has been a rewarding experience for me. His journey of determination and resilience is truly inspiring, and I believe audiences worldwide, through Prime Video, will be captivated by his story,” said Ajay.

“Maidaan is a tribute to the unsung heroes of Indian football, showcasing their indomitable spirit. Bringing the story of SA Rahim and Team India to life has been immensely fulfilling, and I am thrilled that it will now reach audiences worldwide on Prime Video,” added director Amit.

Maidaan is produced by Zee Studios, Boney Kapoor, Arunava Joy Sengupta and Akash Chawla, and its music has been given by A.R. Rahman.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

Despite a few attempts by production houses, the Kannada industry is still exploring the world of web series. However, Bhageeratha, a rising talent, is poised to make a significant mark on this platform. Having honed his skills in the writing department and serving as an assistant director in various films, including Indrajit Lankesh’s Dev Son of Mudde Gowda (2012) Dandupalya series directed by Srinivas Raju, to name a few, he is now gearing up for his directorial debut with a web series.

What sets Bhageeratha apart is his unique approach. His upcoming web series will explore one of the biggest Bitcoin scams that rocked Karnataka. Even more fascinating is the fact that Bhageeratha is basing this series on his book, Amoeba, shedding light on the Bitcoin world.

“When it comes to scam-based subjects in web series, many are adapted from books. Examples include Scoop based on Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison by Jigna Vora, Scam 1992 based on the 1992 Indian stock market scam, Scam 2003: The Telgi Story based on Telgi Scam Reporter’s ki Diary by Sanjay Singh, and Sacred Games based on Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra, all of which have influenced me. Having written the book, Amoeba, I enjoyed the process and now aim to adapt it into a web series,” says Bhageeratha.

Currently in talks with top digital platforms, Bhageeratha is gearing up to commence shooting for the series by the end of the year.”My web series will be produced in Kannada and dubbed for release in various languages,” he says.

Forty years after they ran away with our hearts and into rock history, Bon Jovi is back with a reflective new album taking stock of all the boys from New Jersey have accomplished.

Perhaps the biggest news is that there’s a new Bon Jovi album at all. After years of experiencing vocal issues, singer Jon Bon Jovi underwent surgery on his vocal cords in 2022 and wasn’t at all sure of what the results would be.

They turned out fine. His voice has a slight affectation to it, mostly on protracted vowel sounds, but the charisma and the mischievousness is still there, as are a few successfully hit high notes that are an encouraging sign.

“Living Proof” is the best Bon Jovi song in nearly 20 years. It brings back the talk box device that was such an integral part of “Livin’ On A Prayer” and “It’s My Life,” and the song has the kind of catchy chorus that burrows deeply into your brain after hearing it just once.

Opener “Legendary” is one of many songs here that look back contentedly and approvingly at the band’s career (“Right where I am is where I wanna be,” Bon Jovi sings.) It’s followed by “We Made It Look Easy,” with similar sentiments.

Earlier in February, Varun had announced that his wife Natasha is pregnant. He had posted a monochrome photo in which he is seen kissing his wife’s baby bump. His dog Joey is also seen in the picture.

Childhood sweethearts Varun and Natasha, who fell in love at a music concert, tied the knot three years ago on January 24, 2021. They were childhood sweethearts who fell in love at a music concert. They kept their relationship under wraps, finally making it official on Instagram.

On Koffee With Karan, Varun shared how Natasha has been supportive of his dreams all through and as a partner, his responsibility is to support her dreams and ambitions.

Varun was last seen in director Nitesh Tiwari’s Bawaal released on Amazon Prime. He will be next seen in the Indian adaptation of the Hollywood series Citadel opposite Samantha Ruth Prabhu. Baby John, an actioner by Kalees and produced by Atlee is also on the cards for Varun.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

LOS ANGELES: Adele, a strong supporter of LGBTQI+ community, shut down a heckler who interrupted the singer by yelling “Pride sucks!” at her Las Vegas concert.

During her Saturday’s concert in Las Vegas at Caesar’s Palace, the multiple Grammy winner engaged in a banter with the crowd when an audience member got in the way.

“What was that? Did you just say, ‘Pride sucks?’ Did you come to my f***king show and just say that Pride sucks? “Are you f***king stupid? Don’t be so f***king ridiculous. If you got nothing nice to say, shut up, all right?” Adele, 36, said in a video that’s gone viral on social media.

Last year, the singer marked Pride Month during her Las Vegas residency by wearing a black dress with a rainbow flag train and Pride-themed confetti.

June has been celebrated as Pride Month annually since 1970.

It is to be noted that Joju has previously worked with Karthik Subbaraj on Dhanush’s Jagame Thandhiram. 

The film will have music composed by Santhosh Narayanan, cinematography handled by Shreyaas Krishna and editing by Shafique Mohamed Ali.

The upcoming project is produced by Suriya’s 2D Entertainment and Stone Bench Films.

Meanwhile, Suriya is currently gearing up for the release of Kanguva which is being made in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. He also has Vetrimaaran’s Vaadivasal under pre-production.

(With inputs from Online Desk)

In the latest Netflix sci-fi action film ‘Atlas’, a human refers to an AI as ‘It’, but the AI takes offence, and corrects the pronoun to ‘she/her’. This scene encapsulates our time, both the scientific advancement and the ideological discussions around identity politics. However, the inclusion of such an idea in this film doesn’t necessarily add to the complexity or expand its predictable plot. The film doesn’t quite leverage anything new out of the genre and its chief utility comes mainly from its repeated attempts at coming across as forward-thinking.

At the centre is Jennifer Lopez’s Atlas Shepherd, an analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence, stemming from her childhood experiences. The plot also introduces the world’s first AI terrorist, Harlan (Simu Liu), who leads a rebellion that aims to wrest power and control from humanity. The film reminds us of a time when sci-fi films with aliens and robots were dime a dozen. The premise too is as old as the hills.

Even ‘Atlas’ main trauma from her past on account of an AI mishap isn’t necessarily original. This is a protagonist we have already seen in films like I, Robot, where the central character suffers from similar trauma, and grows to resent sentient robots. We needed to see a lot more of Atlas’ melancholy beneath the veneer of determination and toughness. Lopez’s performance too doesn’t necessarily embody the supposed complexity of this character.

Willie Nelson has never in his long life not wanted to be making music.

After 2023 saw him celebrate his 90th birthday with an epic two-night concert celebration at the Hollywood Bowl, get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and release two studio albums along with the usual constant touring, 2024 finds him as unretired as ever, with Friday’s release of “The Border.”

It’s his 152nd album, counting live collections and collaborations, according to Texas Monthly, which recently took on the titanic task of ranking them (“The Border” is No. 55).

While his last studio album, “Bluegrass,” explored the music of Kentucky, the new one — produced by longtime collaborator Buddy Cannon and released by Sony’s Legacy Recordings on streaming, CD and vinyl — is firmly planted in his native Texas and its stark southern borderlands.

Inflections of Mexican music have run through almost all of Nelson’s work, but he occasionally leans into it, as he did with the 1998 masterpiece “Teatro.”

He does the same — sort of — with “The Border,” whose best tracks have heavy doses of the sounds of Mexico.

That includes the stark, dark, title track, written by Nelson favorite Rodney Crowell with Allen Shamblin and sung from the perspective of a Border Patrol agent. It begins like a Western with a standoff between the law and the cartels.

“There’s a price on the head of every Border Patrol,” Nelson sings.

But then comes a shift, when the agent despairs for his life and his family and empathizes with the people he takes into custody.

“From the shacks and the shanties come the hungry and poor,” he sings, “some to drown at the crossing some to suffer no more.”

Nelson delivers the lines with a darkly direct rasp reminiscent of the final recordings of his Highwaymen bandmate Johnny Cash.

Elsewhere he employs the jazz-inspired vocals, developed decades ago, that have served him so well in his elder years, like a pitcher who has lost his fastball but can still get guys out with change-ups and curves.

Nadirshah started off his filmmaking journey with two successive hits, Amar Akbar Anthony (2015) and Kattappanayile Rithwik Roshan (2016), which both primarily focused on his strength—comedy. But ever since then, Nadirshah’s career graph has seen a steep fall with his next three films failing to make any impact. His latest release Once Upon a Time In Kochi has him collaborating with Raffi, also known for his prowess in handling comedy. The duo has taken the growing drug menace in Kochi as the crux to spin a story, covering all commercial ingredients—romance, dance, humour, action, twists—but nothing in the right proportions.

The film starts off with a song featuring hand puppets with images of the lead pair, Devika Sanjay and Mubin M Rafi. But don’t ask anything about its relevance. In hindsight, it is one of the most bizarre openings for a film like this. Haibi (Mubin) and Janaki (Devika) were in a relationship during their IELTS coaching days, but they broke up midway after she moved to the UK for higher studies.

When they meet a few years later, Haibi learns that Janaki is into drug peddling to repay her loans. Haibi, who still nurses feelings for her, also joins her without realising the risks attached. Parallely, Anand Das (Arjun Ashokan), a forthright young cop, is on a mission to wipe out drugs from the city. The conflict begins when these three characters meet and their plans get intertwined.

WASHINGTON: Hugh Jackman, who is known for his roles in ‘Van Helsing’, ‘Prisoners’, ‘Les Miserables’, among others, talked about the challenges of reprising his role as Wolverine in the upcoming ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ film, reported Deadline.

“When I came back to it, it was really fun and I was thrilled. My body was a little sore at the beginning, but I was thrilled that my body was still responding. And I realized how good it is for your brain. But the hardest bit…the food,” said Jackman. He’s always had trouble bulking up.

“I have to eat a lot. For me, for my body type, I’m naturally skinny. To get the size on, that’s the hardest bit. That’s the bit that does my head in,” he added.

Earlier, Ryan Reynolds said he “couldn’t believe” the physicality he saw from Jackman.

“Just the sheer relentlessness that you dedicated yourself towards stunts, choreography. It was the first time I’d ever seen how invaluable a background in song and dance is when you are doing an action movie,” he said.

“You hit your marks in those fight scenes with speed and confidence, the likes of which I have never seen. I don’t care if you were 25, 35, 45 or 55. It was lightning.”

“Watching you do what just looked like a clinic on stunt work was one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen in my life,” Reynolds added.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ hits theaters on July 26, reported Deadline.

KOCHI: Veteran Malayalam actor Jayaram, who has lately been part of several big films in the South, has joined the cast of Rishab Shetty’s ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’. Though an official announcement is yet to be made, we learn that he will be seen in a pivotal role. Jayaram made his Kannada debut recently with ‘Ghost’, alongside Shivarajkumar. He is also part of upcoming like Ram Charan’s ‘Game Changer’, Dhanush’s ‘Raayan’ and Vijay’s ‘The Greatest of All Time’.

‘Kantara: Chapter 1’, produced by Vijay Kiragandur’s Hombale Films, is currently being shot in Kundapura in Karnataka. Besides directing and playing the lead, Rishab Shetty has also penned the story along with Anirudh Mahesh and Shanil Guru. The film will feature music by Ajaneesh Loknath and cinematography by Aravind Kashyap. A few actors from the first part are also expected to reprise their roles in this pan-India project.

Jayaram was last seen in Malayalam in ‘Abraham Ozler’, which released earlier this year.

Shashidhara KM, the producer of D/O Parvathamma and Veeram, who also marks his directorial debut with Sugarless and has produced the film, has ventured into Malayalam, where he will be directing his debut film. Titled CIBIL Score, it stars Manjummel Boys fame Sreenath Bhasi. The first look of the protagonist was revealed on the occasion of the actor’s birthday.

The actor has worked in 30 films, including Virus, Home, and Kumbalangi Nights, to name a few. With the support of actor-line producer Deepu Karunakaran, the film is produced by Vivek Srikantaiah under the banner EFG (The Emotions Factory Group). The makers, who are currently in the preparation phase, will begin shooting in July.

“Initially, my plan was to make CIBIL Score my sophomore directorial in Kannada, but given the current trend in Malayalam cinema, I felt this story would be best suited for that audience. Currently, I am having the story written in Kannada translated into Malayalam. The film, being shot in most parts of Kerala, will adapt to the culture of that region. About CIBIL Score as a title, which revolves around loans, it plays an important role in every individual’s financial aspects of life.”

He adds, “Apart from Sreenath Bhasi, noted comedian Sohan Seenulal will also play a pivotal role in the film. We also have Kannada actor Deepak Prince as part of the project.”

The process of finalising the cast is underway. As for technicians, Pradeep Nair, who has worked as DOP in more than 70 films in Tamil and Malayalam and with big stars, will be associating with the project.

Shashidhara, post-Malayalam, is looking to make his Hindi debut. “I am looking to venture into Hindi, plans for which are underway, and details will be announced at the right time,” he says.

The makers of Dulquer Salmaan-starrer ‘Lucky Baskhar’ have finalised September 27 as the film’s new release date. Earlier, the heist-drama was slated for a July release. It’s Dulquer’s third venture in Telugu cinema, after successful outings in ‘Mahanati’ (2018) and ‘Sita Ramam’ (2022).

Set in the late 1980s and early ‘90s, ‘Lucky Baskhar’ chronicles “the extra-ordinary life journey of a simple bank cashier.” The film stars Meenakshi Chaudhary as the female lead. It is written and directed by Venky Atluri, who last made the Dhanush-starrer ‘Vaathi’ (2023). GV Prakash Kumar has composed the music for the film, which has cinematography by Nimish Ravi and editing by Navin Nooli.

Backed by Naga Vamsi S and Sai Soujanya under the banners of Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas, ‘Lucky Baskhar’ is being made as a pan-India project with release in multiple languages. The film is reportedly in the final leg of shooting.

BENGALURU: S Ashoka’s directorial debut 6-5=2 (2014) became a hit after its release solely with posters, and he followed it up with the heartfelt romantic tale Dia (2020) that got remade in multiple languages.

Now, Ashoka gears up for his third outing. Interestingly, he says that he still experiences fear when approaching a new project, as he opens up about the rollercoaster ride of filmmaking and the fears that come with it. “It’s not uncommon for artists, including filmmakers, to grapple with fear and self-doubt even in the face of previous accomplishments. Success can bring its own set of challenges, including heightened expectations and the fear of failure. Additionally, the creative process itself can be emotionally taxing, leading to moments where you want to relax before you begin your next,” he says.

When it comes to the current state of Kannada cinema, Ashoka digs deep into the dichotomy between big-budget spectacles and smaller, more nuanced films. “There is a misconception that content is the be-all and end-all,” he muses. “But the truth is that it is all about execution and entertainment. It is about finding that perfect balance between storytelling and engaging the audience, which I feel is lacking at present.”

Drawing examples from films across industries, he points out the wave of Malayalam cinema. “Is there any substantial storyline in a film like Premalu or, for that matter, Manjummel Boys? Regardless of the lack of a major plot, each of these films thrived and made huge profits, totaling 100 crores each. Their success is not down to their groundbreaking content but rather their ability to entertain and connect with audiences on a deeper level. At the end of the day, people do not come to theaters just for the story. They come for the experience, for the emotions, for the spark of freshness that ignites their imagination,” says Ashoka.

He also takes the example of Animal, which despite criticism managed to attract large audiences and generate significant revenue. “Even my own film Dia is filled with emotions and contains less entertainment,” he adds.

With regard to the balance between creating meaningful content and entertaining audiences—a common dilemma in the film industry—Ashoka says, “This industry has no place for philosophy, and it is my analysis based on the little experience I have gained in making two films.”

Friendship takes center stage in my next

The Dia director, who has now called for auditions for his next projects, intends to cast fresh faces and is keen on working with newcomers. “The team has received over 200 applications, and we are expecting more after the casting call, which is being looked at to finalise the actors who fit the roles,” he explains. Ashoka gives a hint about the story, saying, “This yet-to-be titled film will be a social drama set in a village, focusing on three youths at different stages of their lives.

One storyline revolves around a character during his marriage, another post-marriage, and the third involves a character in love, all running parallel,” he says.

From excelling in comic roles to now doing dramatic scenes, how was the change?

Before “Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi,” I did four or five films that didn’t do well at the box office. “Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi” was my first comedy role in films, although I never did comedy in theatre. Theatre mostly involved drama and tragedy. Returning to dramatic roles feels like going back to basics. An actor should be able to portray a range of emotions, and I strive to do my best with each role. The audience’s positive response to “Masthu Shades Unnai Ra” was very gratifying.

Who are your inspirations?

As a kid and even now, I am inspired by Chiranjeevi Garu. His body of work is mind-blowing. Other inspirations include Rajnikanth Garu, Kamal Haasan Garu, Amitabh Bachchan Garu, Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Manoj Bajpayee. Internationally, I admire Jim Carrey and Will Smith. I also idolise Sachin Tendulkar and would love to be the Sachin Tendulkar of the film industry (laughs).

Are you as spontaneous in real life as you are in your comic roles?

I’m generally expressive, and some of that comes through in my roles. My friends and family could probably tell you more about my spontaneity. I like to project energy and expressiveness in my performances.

Did you ever try standup comedy?

Yes, I tried standup comedy during my theatre days. I used to write two-liners on Facebook and enjoyed the feedback. A friend suggested a book on joke writing, which I took seriously, but it ended up making me overthink the process. I felt it ruined my natural sense of humour. Writing jokes consistently is necessary for standup, and while I’m not sure I’m cut out for that, I might try again someday.

What do you do in your free time?

I enjoy spending time with people who aren’t involved in acting. I watch movies in various languages, thanks to OTT platforms. I recently returned to reading, picking up some love stories and a book about a political leader. I prefer murder mysteries or thrillers that are real page-turners. I also love road trips and have travelled to places like Mysore, Pondicherry, and Goa. Travelling in trains is another favourite pastime. When not shooting, I enjoy these kinds of trips.

Are there any series or films you wish you had been a part of?

I love “Breaking Bad,” “Game of Thrones,” “Big Bang Theory,” and “Chernobyl.” I also enjoy K-dramas like “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay.” During the lockdown, I started watching K-dramas and was impressed by their storytelling.

Which actors or directors would you like to work with?

I’d love to work with Sai Pallavi Garu again; she’s amazing. I also admire Manoj Bajpayee Garu, Chiranjeevi Garu, Kamal Haasan Sir, and Amitabh Bachchan Sir. Directors like Anurag Kashyap, Rajamouli Sir, and Sandeep Reddy Vanga are on my list. I’d love to have a conversation with Vanga about his filmmaking process.

Are you a foodie?

I enjoy trying different foods but I’m not the type to travel long distances for a specific dish. I love street food, especially in Delhi and Thailand. If I find myself at a good restaurant or food stall, I’m happy to try what they offer.

Would you like to act in a biopic? If so, who would you like to play?

When you asked, Sachin Tendulkar came to mind, but I don’t resemble him. Perhaps Rahul Dravid. I haven’t given it much thought, but if an interesting opportunity comes up, I’d take it.

Do you have any cherished fan moments?

I cherish heartfelt messages from fans on Instagram. Some messages are like essays, and they mean a lot to me. During tough times, reading these messages reminds me that people appreciate my work. I’m grateful for the support and love from my fans.

Any message for your fans and loved ones?

Take care of yourselves, both physically and mentally. Post-COVID, there’s a lot of emphasis on health. Engage in healthy practices and avoid judging others. It’s a waste of time. Focus on your well-being and be kind.

“Please stop wishing them birthdays and hyping them up. Their government has banned us from working “for them.” Waisay bhee in the past we were rarely offered decent roles, and now, during this genocide, the whole of India is silent,” she further said.

Saheefa concluded her post saying, “It’s time that we focus on our craft, make better films and dramas, and stop seeking validation from them or anyone.”

The Dawn reported that the list of Bollywood celebrities who have spoken up against the Israeli onslaught of Pakistan is very short. It mentioned Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar Kani Kusruti, Reem Sameer Shaikh among the few who have expressed solidarity with Palestine.

Budapest, a city with a rich musical heritage, has always attracted music directors from around the globe. In recent times, Indian filmmakers have increasingly chosen the Hungarian capital to record scores for their films. Films like KGF Chapter 2, Vikrant Rona, and Salaar , among other films benefited from Budapest’s unique sonic atmosphere, making it a go-to destination for those seeking an extra touch of musical magic. The latest to be added to this list is UI, which stands apart as the makers have enlisted a 90-piece orchestra for its background score. What’s more? Both the filmmaker Upendra and the acclaimed music director, Ajaneesh Loknath have set up shop in Budapest to ensure every note resonates just right.

According to producer Srikanth, UI is a melting pot of cultures, driven by the visionary Upendra’s unique perspective. The content demanded an innovative approach, to provide audiences with an unforgettable cinematic journey. “This decision to push boundaries led us to Budapest, where history is waiting to be made,” he says. So what is the X factor about Budapest? “It’s more than just a location—it’s a vibe, a symphony of tradition and innovation. With UI, we’re not just making a film; we’re crafting an experience, one that promises to redefine the very essence of Indian cinema,” he adds.

While Ajaneesh Loknath has previously been a part of an orchestra, this is the music composer’s first visit to Budapest. “Thanks to Lahari and their decade-long dedication to music, they grasped the significance of this moment,” says the music director, as he elaborates on why Budapest was the chosen backdrop for this auditory odyssey. “While other countries boast remarkable orchestras, Budapest holds a special allure with its distinct East European flavour and its historical ties to Western classical music. The authenticity of the musicians there, unlike the more cinematic approach in cities like London or Los Angeles, made it the ideal setting for UI.”

LOS ANGELES: Former “General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor was shot and killed when he interrupted thieves stealing the catalytic converter from his car in Los Angeles, his family said Sunday.

The shooting occurred around 3 a.m. Saturday when the victim approached three men in downtown LA, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

His mother, Scarlett Wactor, told ABC 7 that her 37-year-old son had left work at a rooftop bar with a coworker when he saw someone at his car and thought it was being towed. A mask-wearing suspect opened fire, his mother said.

Three suspects drove away from the scene, police said. Wactor was rushed to a hospital, where he died.

There were no arrests as of late Sunday.

Wactor’s agent, David Shaul, said the actor was “a real moral example to everyone who knew him.”

“In the highs and lows of a challenging profession he always kept his chin up and kept striving for the best he could be,” Shaul said in a statement Sunday. “Our time with Johnny was a privilege we would wish on everyone. He would literally give you the shirt off his back. After over a decade together, he will leave a hole in our hearts forever.”

Wactor portrayed Brando Corbin on the ABC soap opera from 2020 to 2022. He also appeared in a variety of films and TV series, including “Station 19,” “NCIS,” “Westworld” and the video game “Call of Duty: Vanguard.”

Prem’s keen sense of music has always complemented his directorial ventures, and his latest project, ‘KD- The Devil’, starring Dhruva Sarja, is no exception. The action-packed commercial entertainer is not only setting high standards but also pushing the boundaries of cinematic music to new heights. Anand Audio, the noted music label, has acquired the rights to the film’s music for a staggering amount of Rs 17.70 crores, marking a historic milestone in Kannada cinema. An announcement was made by Suprith, Head – of Business & Operations at KVN Productions.

‘KD’s album, composed by music director Arjun Janya, features six songs. But what truly sets KD apart is its groundbreaking approach to music composition. The film has embarked on a musical odyssey like never before, incorporating huge orchestration to craft an unparalleled auditory experience. Though the initial melodies were born in Mysuru, the film’s musical heart took flight in Budapest, where nearly 256 musicians came together to create a symphonic masterpiece. This grand feat surpasses the record of 180 musicians set by Shahrukh Khan’s ‘Pathaan’. Apart from this, Shivamani, along with Zakir Hussain’s brother, Taufiq Qureshi has put together 60 musicians who have worked on the rhythm.

Director Prem, renowned for his focus on music in his films, delved into its significance in ‘KD’. He explains, “Music is an invitation to the audience. It sets the tone for the entire cinematic experience.” Prem, who orchestrated the music for his previous directorial venture ‘Ek Love Ya’ in Budapest, described the city as having a unique charm for musical compositions. “Budapest has the perfect setup for such grand arrangements,” he remarks, adding,

“The symphonic splendour of the city adds an unparalleled richness to the music.” Adding to the international flavour of the music, foreign musicians were also brought on board to lend their voices for slokas, further enhancing the film’s auditory appeal,” he mentions. Composer Arjun Janya expressed his pride in the collaborative effort that went into creating the music for ‘KD’, describing it as his best work yet, while Shyam of Anand Audio praised the quality of the music, predicting its success. “The music of ‘KD’ is a sure-shot winner,” he states.

Dhruva Sarja, speaking at the event, highlighted that his debut film Addhuri was made on a budget of Rs 4 crores. “Today, the audio rights for ‘KD’ alone have fetched four times that amount,” the actor mentioned, as he, along with the director and composer, expressed gratitude to the music company, Anand Audio, for their support. Meanwhile, the makers of ‘KD’ have announced their plans for release, as they are aiming to hit theatres in December alongside other big films. Based on a true story, ‘KD’ marks a departure from Prem’s usual style. Here, the emotional weight falls squarely on the shoulders of protagonist Dhruva Sarja, a shift from his typical focus on the mother sentiment.

The production of ‘KD’, which has completed 150 days of shoot, is nearing completion, with some patchwork and a few song sequences yet to be filmed, including one in a foreign location. Produced by Venkat Konanki Narayana, the film brings together a diverse cast with Reeshma Nanaiah as the female lead, along with V Ravichandran, Ramesh Aravind, Sanjay Dutt, and Shilpa Shetty among other actors as part of the principal cast. ‘KD’s cinematography is handled by William David.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday congratulated director Payal Kapadia and her crew for winning the Grand Prix award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival for her film titled “All We Imagine as Light.”

In a post on ‘X’, Vijayan also said it was a proud moment for the people of Kerala as its lead roles were played by two actors from the state–Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha.

“Congratulations to the crew of All We Imagine as Light for winning the Grand Prix at @Festival_Cannes! This triumph by director Payal Kapadia elevates Indian cinema’s prestige on the global stage,” he said.

“It’s a source of pride for every Keralite that @kani_kusruti and @DivyaPrabhaa played major roles in the film. Wishing you continued success and more cinematic brilliance!,” Vijayan added.

You had once said that mainstream Bollywood didn’t know what to do with you. Today, you are perhaps the busiest stars across platforms, with a release every three months. Your comments.

Genre hopping is something I thrive on, because I just cannot do the same thing over and over again. I love doing independent cinema as well. There will always be a Joram to balance a Gulmohar. For a Killer Soup, I will also give a hard-hitting Banda.

I want the audience to not just be entertained by a story, but also experience great creativity, irrespective of genre.

The Family Man was the show, and Srikant Tiwari was the character, which turned the tide for you. Were you surprised by its success and iconic status?

I had a hunch when I said yes to the series after Raj and DK’s narration of the first two episodes. I was clear about not doing action, murder, gore or sex, which was the template for OTT at the time. I was clear that my first foray into the space had to be different. Srikant Tiwari was like RK Laxman’s common man, and I felt that people would relate to him, and find a bit of themselves in him. Playing him is like therapy for me. When you do an action film, you are physically exhausted. In fact, each of my characters has taken a lot from me. Joram, for instance, left me mentally strained. But, I enjoy being Srikanth. He helps me recharge my batteries.

Spurlock was a gonzo-like filmmaker who leaned into the bizarre and ridiculous. His stylistic touches included zippy graphics and amusing music, blending a Michael Moore-ish camera-in-your-face style with his own sense of humor and pathos.

“I wanted to be able to lean into the serious moments. I wanted to be able to breathe in the moments of levity. We want to give you permission to laugh in the places where it’s really hard to laugh,” he told the AP.

After he exposed the fast-food and chicken industries, there was an explosion in restaurants stressing freshness, artisanal methods, farm-to-table goodness and ethically sourced ingredients. But nutritionally not much had changed.

“There has been this massive shift and people say to me, ‘So has the food gotten healthier?’ And I say, ‘Well, the marketing sure has,’” he said.

Not all his work dealt with food. Spurlock made documentaries about the boy band One Direction and the geeks and fanboys at Comic-Con. One of his films looked at life behind bars at the Henrico County Jail in Virginia.

With 2008’s “Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?” Spurlock went on a global search to find the al-Qaida leader, who was killed in 2011. In “POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold,” Spurlock tackled questions of product placement, marketing and advertising.

“Being aware is half the battle, I think. Literally knowing all the time when you’re being marketed to is a great thing,” Spurlock told AP at the time. “A lot of people don’t realize it. They can’t see the forest for the trees.”

“Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!” was to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017 but it was shelved at the height of the #MeToo movement when Spurlock came forward to detail his own history of sexual misconduct.

He confessed that he had been accused of rape while in college and had settled a sexual harassment case with a female assistant. He also admitted to cheating on numerous partners. “I am part of the problem,” he wrote.

“For me, there was a moment of kind of realization — as somebody who is a truth-teller and somebody who has made it a point of trying to do what’s right — of recognizing that I could do better in my own life. We should be able to admit we were wrong,” he told the AP.

Spurlock grew up in Beckley, West Virginia. His mother was an English teacher who he remembered would correct his work with a red pen. He graduated with a BFA in film from New York University in 1993.

He is survived by two sons — Laken and Kallen; his mother Phyllis Spurlock; father Ben; brothers Craig and Barry; and former spouses Alexandra Jamieson and Sara Bernstein, the mothers of his children.

KOCHI: While film enthusiasts, filmmakers and netizens were discussing the lack of representation of women in recent blockbuster Malayalam films, two women actors from Kerala were hogging the limelight at the Cannes Film Festival. Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha, who played the lead roles in Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine As Light’, were the cynosures of all eyes alongside Kapadia after the film was screened in the competition category ‘Palme d’Or’ at the 76th edition of the prestigious festival in the French city. It is the first Indian film to compete for ‘Palme d’Or’ Award at the Cannes Film Festival after 30 years

The absence of women in prominent roles in recent Mollywood films including Manjummel Boys, Aavesham, Aadu Jeevitham and Bramayugam — all of which did well at the box office — had not gone unnoticed by the critics. G P Ramachandran, a film critic, said that women are placed in side roles in films to make the men — be it the protagonist or the antagonist — appear strong. “We have mostly seen women in supporting roles in Malayalam films and it is evident in films like ‘Narasimham’. The presence of Kani and Divya at Cannes also indicates that we need to encourage more women to be part of the industry and more filmmakers to film them,” he said.

Malayali audiences celebrate films based on male bonding and the success of ‘Aavesham’ and ‘Manjummel Boys’ are examples of that, said film critic C S Venkiteswaran.

“Most films don’t have any female characters, and if at all there are some, their presence is marginal. In a way, this could in some ways be a post-WCC (Women in Cinema Collective) phenomenon, prompting filmmakers to avoid female characters altogether. On the other hand, it is also because of the box office reception these films receive, which indicates the deep misogynist strains in the Malayali psyche,” he said, adding that it reflects not a lack of acting talent but a deliberate gender bias of the filmmakers themselves.

Yet the industry has witnessed the success of some female-oriented films, including Padmarajan’s ‘Deshadanakili Karayarilla’, Aashiq Abu’s ’22 Female Kottayam’, Parvathy Thiruvoth-starrer ‘Uyare’, Urvashi-Meera Jasmine combo’s ‘Achuvinte Amma’ etc.

“We have the talent. The filmmakers, government agencies and the audience should put in efforts to encourage women to be in the industry and to ensure better participation of women,” emphasised Ramachandran. Echoing the sentiment, Venkiteswaran said women’s representation in cinema in Malayalam and worldwide has become a point of discussion and the issue needs to be addressed.

“It is good that people are noticing the gender disparity after the success of several male-oriented films and are reacting to it. Such discussions are crucial in helping improve the participation of women,” he said.

FTII student Chidananda S Naik’s film Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know won the first prize of La Cinef for Best Short at the Cannes Film Festival.

The short film is based on a popular Kannada folklore of an elderly woman stealing a rooster after which the sun does not rise.

In an interview with The New Indian Express earlier, Naik a proud Kannadiga, said he always wanted to make a local-language film. And the dream seems to have come true now as his film is making the right noises on foreign shores.

‘Sunflowers were the First Ones to Know’ is a 16-minute short is story of a village thrown into chaos by an elderly woman who steals a rooster. To bring the rooster back, a prophecy is invoked, sending the old lady’s family into exile.

Actor Rajat Kaul, who played the role of Iqbal in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi, will be seen next in Akshay Kumar’s upcoming aerial actioner Sky Force, the makers announced on Thursday. The film is based on ‘India’s first and deadliest air strike’, and is directed by Sandeep Kewlani & Abhishek Kapur. It also stars Veer Pahariya in a pivotal role.

Earlier, an announcement video for the film was unveiled with a glimpse into its world as Sky Force is set around the events happening in the 1960s with growing tensions between India and Pakistan. It featured an original clip of Lal Bahadur Shastri wherein he can be seen saying: “talwar ki nok par, ya atom bomb ke darr se, koi hamare desh ko jhukana chahe, dabana chahe, ye desh hamara dabne wala nahi hai (If somebody wants to threaten us with a sword or an atom bomb…our country won’t be subdued).”

The film is slated to release on October 2 this year, which marks the birth anniversary of both Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Rajat Kaul is known for playing prominent roles in films like Pathaan (2023), Ragini MMS (2011) and he has starred in some web-shows like Bambai Meri Jaan (2023), Special Ops (2020). Akshay Kumar was last seen in Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, directed by Ali Abbas Zafar.

Veteran Palestinian film director Rashid Masharawi was abroad when the Gaza war broke out last year, so he decided to hand over the camera to other filmmakers still inside the besieged territory.

“They are the story” of Masharawi’s project, which he presented at the Cannes Film Festival in France, more than seven months after the conflict erupted.

“They were fighting to protect their lives, their families, to search for food, for wood to make a fire,” said Masharawi

The result is a collection of short films called “Ground Zero” recounting the Israeli bombardment of Gaza and ensuing humanitarian disaster from the perspective of civilians on the ground.

In one, a mother displaced by the conflict plops her daughter in a large white bucket and, with a clean Turkish coffee pot, gently pours water over her to bathe her.

In another, a man recounts his 24-hour ordeal under rubble after the building he was in collapsed.

Masharawi directed the 20 teams in Gaza from abroad — a process he described as “very, very, very difficult”.

“Sometimes we needed to wait one week to 10 days just to be in contact with somebody, or just to have internet to upload material,” said Masharawi, who was born in Gaza.

At other times, teams were busy searching for a tent, finding insulin for a director’s mother, or “an ambulance to go and save some kids”.

The films are part of several Palestinian tales screening at the festival, including Mehdi Fleifel’s Athens-set refugee drama “To A Land Unknown”.

‘Gatekeepers’

Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was admitted to a hospital in Ahmedabad after suffering a heat stroke. He was later discharged. The actor was in Ahmedabad to watch the Indian Premier League (IPL) match between his Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday.

“The actor was suffering from dehydration amid a high temperature of 45 degrees Celsius in Ahmedabad,” said news agency IANS, quoting sources.

The actor’s dear friend and actress Juhi Chawla visited the actor at the hospital.

The news of his hospitalisation left his fans worried. Several users took to X (Twitter) to express concern for their favourite celeb. “OMG, I hope he is fine,” one of the fans wrote. “Get well soon our king,” added another.

Ahmedabad, alongside many parts of India, recorded a high temperature. The temperature in Gujarat’s capital was around 45 degrees and the Meteorological Department has also issued a red alert in the city.

On Tuesday night, Khan attended KKR’s IPL match at the Narendra Modi stadium. The superstar was on cloud nine after KKR won the play-offs to qualify for the IPL 2024 finals.

Meanwhile, on the work front, he was last seen in Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki with Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal and others.

LOS ANGELES: Let the debate begin. Who has the best music albums ever?

Apple Music certainly has an idea. The music streaming giant announced on Wednesday their 10 greatest albums of all time with Lauryn Hill’s 1998 iconic “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” claiming the top spot. Hill’s debut album outpaced other classic records from Beyoncé,The Beatles,Michael Jackson,Prince,Stevie Wonder, Kendrick Lamar,Amy Winehouse,Frank Ocean and Nirvana.

“This is my award, but it’s a rich, deep narrative, and involves so many people, and so much sacrifice, and so much time, and so much collective love,” Hill said after receiving the news.

The top 10 albums culminated Apple Music’s inaugural 100 best albums, which started with a 10-day countdown last week. There’s only five artists with two albums on the full list including The Beatles, Wonder, Prince, Radiohead and Beyoncé.

The process started several months ago when Apple Music’s editorial team of editors and music experts — including Zane Lowe (global creative director and lead anchor for Apple Music 1) and Ebro Darden (global editorial head of hip-hop and R&B) — generated a list of candidates from the past 65 years.

“This list isn’t a popularity contest,” Darden said. “We challenged everyone to not vote based on your favorites. You’re invited into the panel because you have music knowledge beyond what you listen to when you’re on the elliptical machine.”

Members from Apple Music’s internal team submitted their personal lists of albums through the company’s voting microsite. The votes were weighted according to an album’s placement — the higher the ranking, the more votes assigned.

Apple Music used the same voting methodology for a select group external voters that included artists, songwriters, producers and some media.

And now, we’re here. With commentary from Lowe and Darden, here is Apple Music’s top 10 best albums list:

Unlike most films, the conflict is introduced very early here, which is again a risky choice. Was it a deliberate decision?

I would have preferred revealing the twist in the very first scene, but the Basil-Raju bromance was crucial and I had to invest some time in it. Things had to move fast as several other characters were waiting to be introduced. There were concerns within our team about how the second half is choked with too many comic situations, but while doing a comedy our judgements may not always be precise. So we had to trust our instincts. For instance, I didn’t like the scene with the dialogues from Drishyam one bit, but people are thoroughly enjoying it. There might have been many such potential scenes in the 20 minutes of footage that we edited out, but it’s a risk we have to take. Comedy is like fireworks; not everything explodes.

It is rare to see a filmmaker acknowledging the lapses…

There’s no point in hiding from reality, right? I was always aware that not all the jokes would work, but I trusted more on the ones that would. We knew we couldn’t shoot everything as intended due to some unexpected turn of events, like Raju’s injury. The availability of artists became an issue, but we managed to navigate it within our limitations.

Your process involves a lot of on-set improvisations. Was it easy to convince Prithviraj, who is known for his meticulous planning?

Raju did have some confusions initially, but he soon realised that this film could be made only like that. Moreover, improvisations don’t take a lot of time. We trust our intuitions and let things happen spontaneously, which is crucial while doing comedy. Improvising also means a lot of freedom to the artists to enhance their performances. Raju, Supriya, and many others were concerned if his performance was getting a bit too exaggerated, but I urged them to believe in me. It also helped someone like Anaswara, who might otherwise be intimidated in the presence of seniors.

You have smartly used old songs like Azhagiya Laila, Kannam Thumbi to elevate the comic moments. How did you handpick these songs?

Kannam Thumbi song was in the script. We shot the scene with the song in the background, leaving the whole crew in splits. It was a big booster for people who were initially doubtful about our process. Azhagiya Laila came after much thought as I wanted a song that’s both funny and romantic. After trying several options, this classic eventually fell in place.

Moving on, what’s next?

I’m scripting Vaazha, directed by Anand Menon. I would call it a male version of JJJJH. Though it has comedy, it’s a slightly emotional film focusing on men’s issues— something that’s rarely discussed. I’m sure it will invite a lot of discussions, forcing us to rethink our existing ideas of family and career. Then, there’s a film I’m directing with Fahadh Faasil and SJ Suryah. Its script works are underway and we’re planning to go on floors this year.

What about the Hindi remake of JJJJH?

The remake is happening, but I’m not part of it. It was wrongly interpreted that I’m directing the film after I shared a photo with Fatima Sana Shaikh. But the truth is, Aamir Khan Productions is making the film with someone else.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vellayani is a suburb of Kerala capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is on the banks of Vellayani lake. Vellayani also has an ancient temple dedicated to Goddess Kali.

But the point of this story is not all about that. It has to do with iconic actor of Kerala, Mohanlal and his 1989 action drama, “Kireedam,” in which he portrayed the role of Sethumadhavan aka Sethu, who aspires to become a police officer to fulfill his father’s dream, but fails. Penned by AK Lohithadas and directed by Sibi Malayil, the film was not only a commercial success but also won Mohanlal a national award.

Now, on his 64th birthday on Tuesday, Kerala Tourism Minister PA Mohammed Riyaz announced that works to convert the Vellayani bridge or ‘Kireedam’ bridge, which played a key role in the movie, and its adjoining areas, into a tourist spot is in the final stages.

The minister declared this as a birthday gift to the actor.

The evergreen song from the movie, ‘Kanneerpoovinte Kavilil Thalodi’, which is still etched in the hearts of Malayalis, was shot on this bridge earning it the name ‘Kireedam’ bridge.

Mohanlal won the National Film Award – Special Mention for “portraying young man’s agony and pain marvellously and in unique style” in ‘Kireedam’.

The heart-rending scenes of Mohanlal and Thilakan, who played the role of Achuthan Nair, a sincere police constable and Sethu’s father, are still vividly remembered by film buffs.

According to Riyaz, the public will soon be able to enjoy the spectacular beauty of the countryside where these scenes were filmed. “The bridge that is part of the Vellayani Lake in Thiruvananthapuram where the significant scenes from the movie ‘Kireedam’ was shot will now be a tourist centre,” he said.

The trailer gives a sense of some well-written Hindi dialogues that are less common in Hindi films these days. It is like a return to old-school Hindi cinema. What are your thoughts on this?

In UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, and many other states, even if people have different local languages, their Hindi is quite good. That’s why they speak with a natural flair and in their own unique ways. Many people these days don’t know many Hindi words, and with ‘Bhaiyya Ji’, we could bring the language to the forefront. The story belongs to our soil; it comes from our culture and speaks about some relationships that have been away from our films for a while. That’s why having dialogues that are rooted in the land was necessary. Besides, in Hindi films, if you are not speaking in Hindi, what’s the point?

You are the ‘hero’ of art films like Joram and Gali Guleiyan and are making your mark in the mainstream space with a mass entertainer like Bhaiyya Ji. How do you look at these two different forms of cinema from a storytelling perspective?

In art films, there is an effort to search for silence, and more importance is given to the story and its characters for a deeper exploration. Whereas in mainstream films, the motive is to entertain, so narrative pacing takes centre stage and creates various emotional releases. In mainstream films, we cannot compromise on the pacing, while in art films, there is a greater focus on the story and the characters.

Does it also impact your craft when you work in these films?

It definitely does. I believe that an actor cannot judge these two kinds of work. Their craft must always be ready for any genre. I grew up watching films of Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrugan Sinha, and Vinod Khanna. So, I was prepared to work in any form, be it the role in ‘Satyamev Jayate’, ‘Raajneeti’, or ‘Baaghi 2’. My next film is, again, completely different; it is an indie by Kanu Behl called ‘Despatch’, where I am playing a journalist. I want to work in all kinds of films. By doing this, one is constantly working on themselves and their craft.

What challenges did you face in doing the action sequences for Bhaiyya Ji?

It was quite an exhausting experience. The film has a sequence where I have to jump from one train bogie to another. There was no time for rehearsals as we had booked the train yard just for one day due to budget constraints. During the shot, I just took the name of God and jumped. The first two takes were bad as I was left hanging down the bogie. I told the action director to show it to me once more. I kept watching intently how he was moving his legs and everything. Finally, when it happened properly, I couldn’t believe it. Now, I can only say that I won’t do this kind of action ever again (laughs).

Do you think that the Hindi film industry is going through a tough time lately?

It is in a vulnerable state. The world has changed drastically after the pandemic and people are habituated to watching films at home. If not for anything, they are watching interviews and podcasts. Content is being consumed in many ways, so it has become difficult to bring people to the theatres. This pertains not just to Hindi cinema but world cinema. With Bhaiyya Ji, we hope that changes. Our motive was to tell a story that would make people see themselves on the screen and enjoy it thoroughly. It is the story of our land that is presented entertainingly.

Actor Siddharth will join hands with filmmaker Sri Ganesh for his 40th film, which will be the director’s third. This is the first time that the actor and the director will work together. Sri Ganesh won critical acclaim for his first film ‘8 Thottakkal’ (2017), which starred Vetri and MS Bhaskar in the lead roles. He then made the action thriller ‘Kuruthi Aattam’ in 2022, headlined by Atharvaa. Speaking about the project, Sri Ganesh says, “After making thrillers like ‘8 Thottakkal’ and ‘Kuruthi Aattam’, I genuinely wanted to do an emotional film devoid of action scenes to reinvent myself as a writer and director.”

Elaborating on his writing process, he says, “I usually come up with four or five emotional high points and bring a cohesive connection between these points while working on a screenplay.” In explaining why he chose Siddharth for the lead role in his third film, he cites the actor’s performance in ‘Chittha’ as a reason. “’Chithha’ released right when I completed this script. I was so confident that Siddharth would be the right actor to carry this subject,” he reveals.

While details about the cast and crew are under wraps, the same is expected to be finalised soon. The untitled film, backed by Shanthi Talkies and produced by Arun Viswa, will most likely go on floors in the first week of June. The production banner last backed the Sivakarthikeyan-starrer ‘Maaveeran’, directed by Madonne Ashwin. Apart from this film, Siddharth, who was last seen in ‘Chithha’ awaits the release of Kamal Haasan-Shankar’s ‘Indian 2’.

Call it a fairy tale dressing for your spaces, but Vaishali Shadangule’s latest collection Tawiz (amulet) is a bewitching expression in art. It also marks the 46-year-old fashion designer’s foray into home décor with a nature-led narrative. “Design is my language,” says Shadangule, who has used scraps of leftover cloth to bring to life creations that re-interpret the meaning behind the amulets from different Indian states.

The fabric compositions bring in over 10 ebbing weaves from across the country. These don different forms, knitting together the sentiments of diverse religions. “The fascinating thing is that it’s the same thread with the same promise of protection, but it changes colour as it travels through communities, and it is this beautiful sentiment that I wove into this collection,” she says, adding, “Following my love for the lesser-known, forgotten weaves, I have incorporated embroideries such as chanderi, kesapat, maheshwari, moga, jamdani, kota, pashmina, khand and paithani.”

The collection features cheerful throws, rugs, cushion covers, bedspreads, curios and artworks carrying a unique cultural imprint. “Every 25 km across the soil of India, the motifs, colours and threads change. For me, our culture is the biggest crucible of creativity and inspiration,” says Shadangule.

Born and raised in the small town of Vidisha in central India, she nourished a deep knit with nature through her early days. Repurposing old clothes, taking care of plants, and using fruits and vegetable discards in art was a part of her life. The ethos slowly found its way into her signature cords that rule her fashion creations.

MUMBAI: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has urged people to “exercise our right to vote” as Maharashtra goes to polls as part of the Lok Sabha elections on Monday.

The six constituencies in Mumbai and seven others in Maharashtra will go to polls in the fifth phase of general elections tomorrow.

In an X post, Shah Rukh appealed to fans and followers to carry out their duty as Indians.

“As responsible Indian citizens we must exercise our right to vote this Monday in Maharashtra. Let’s carry out our duty as Indians and vote keeping our country’s best interests in mind. Go forth Promote, our right to Vote,” he wrote on Saturday.

So would you rather play a baddie than be the good guy?

I never used to think I would, but now I do. Being a baddie suits me better, I think. It’s closer to me. Also, the layers of duplicity that come with playing such roles suits acting because it is all about covering things up.

You have also described this as the ‘freak show’ phase of your career. What do you mean by that?

Just that. I’m at the freak-show stage where just about every role I’m offered is some kind of a weirdo, freak and pervert. And now, animals too. I have just been offered the part of an orangutan!

What was it like working with Jerry Seinfeld?

Great. There’s this thing about us hating each other, but we actually got along really well except for one teeny-tiny row over one scene. We’re quite similar. Jerry even does a pretty good impression of me, which is flattering. But, I started out doing sketch-show comedy, so I have always had more in common with comedians than actors.

Would you say there is any difference between American and British humour?

Very little, in my experience.

Do you ever improvise your great one-liners?

Sometimes, but they’re mostly in the script. Sometimes I make something up and it works; sometimes it doesn’t.

What would you be doing now if you hadn’t made it as an actor?

Before acting, I was in advertising. I wrote and produced radio commercials and was quite happy doing that. So, maybe I would still be doing it if this hadn’t worked out. I wrote some good ads for Mighty White bread, Brylcreem etc.

Everyone is excited about the return of Bridget Jones. What can you tell us?

It’s a good script. It’s the best of the four films so far. It’s based on the Helen Fielding book, which was inspired by her having to bring up two children by herself after her husband died. It’s going to be funny and moving.

Did you ever think you would be reunited with Renee Zellweger for another Bridget Jones film all these years later?

No, never. It’s all a pleasant surprise, to both of us. I thought we were done but then, you never know. Do you?

Do you ever watch any of your old movies?

No. Watching myself on screen is horrifying. But, if I had to choose, it would be Music and Lyrics. But generally, I wouldn’t watch it. It gives me no pleasure whatsoever to watch myself.

Telugu serial actor Chandrakanth aka Chandu died by suicide on Friday. The actor, known for his role in “Trinayani,” apparently chose to end his life following the death of his co-actor Pavitra Jayaram in a road accident.

Chandrakanth was found dead at his residence in Alkapur in Rangareddy district of Telangana. Chandrakanth’s father told the police that his son was incredibly depressed for the past few days.

Pavithra Jayaram died in a road accident on Sunday, May 12 after the car in which she was travelling, lost control and hit the divider. Subsequently, a bus proceeding from Hyderabad to Vanaparthi collided with the right side of the car. Pavitra was seriously injured in the accident and died on the spot.

As per media reports, Pavithra’s cousin Apeksha, driver Srikanth and actor Chandrakanth were seriously injured in the accident.

While Basil is his usual self, just like his other films, Prithviraj’s portrayal is unique and perhaps among his best in a comedy role. Before the film’s release, there were concerns if he would be able to handle this flavour of comedy, but the actor puts all those doubts to rest with a performance that towers over everyone else.

Basil and Prithviraj’s first scene together comes after a lot of buildup and Vipin justifies it by making it a hilarious stretch, thanks to a brilliant placement of the iconic song, ‘Kannam Thumbi’. Similarly, the popular 90s Tamil song ‘Azhagiya Laila’ also pops up at the most defining and yet one of the funniest moments in the film.

After a largely enjoyable first half, Guruvayoorambala Nadayil loses steam when it takes the slapstick route. This is also where plenty of new characters and their conflicts are introduced, which reminds us of a world inhabited by characters from Priyadarshan’s ‘80s films. The last half hour of the film is reminiscent of the ‘confusion comedies’ of that era, with too many characters and chaos. It is still a commendable effort as the makers recreate the Guruvayoor temple’s ambience almost flawlessly.

Writer Deepu Pradeep, who curiously prefers wedding-related subjects, has quirky ideas. However, it seems to be a challenge for a filmmaker to visually communicate his verbal humour. It is evident in Guruvayoorambala Nadayil, as many scenes fail to convey the intended humour, but the comical lines are still memorable. Thankfully, the jokes that land outweigh the misfired. After Varshangalkku Shesham, this is another film that has several meta references, like when Basil and Prithviraj hilariously mimic the dialogues from Drishyam or when an iconic character from one of Prithviraj’s early films makes a fleeting appearance.

Guruvayoorambala Nadayil benefits greatly from its actors, but one can’t help but wish that a few supporting characters and their prominence were trimmed.

For instance, a lot of time is spent on characters like Mayankutty, Saravanan (Yogi Babu), and George, but save for some occasional laughs, their humour isn’t as effective as they should have been. But Aju Varghese manages to leave a lasting impression with his cameo appearance and the rendition of ‘Krishna Krishna’ song. It is a saving grace in an otherwise musically weak film. In an attempt to dial up the humour, Ankit Menon’s background score is needlessly present throughout the film and yet not productive.

Guruvayoorambala Nadayil is like a tempting kalyana sadhya with too many curries trying to spoil the fun. The scrumptious part is still the parippu-pappadam combo… read, Prithviraj and Basil.

Film: Guruvayoorambala Nadayil

Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Basil Joseph, Nikhila Vimal, Anaswara Rajan

Director: Vipin Das

Rating : 3/5

In one of the recent promotional interviews for the film, Ratheesh mentioned that time travel does happen in SSHP but without the help of any device or portal. Set primarily against the backdrop of amateur theatre in Payyannur, the film shifts timelines randomly on a whim. For example, characters standing outside a house in the post-2000s might find the setting suddenly changing to the 1960s when they move inside.

One could interpret these shifts as the director suggesting that the idea of love is timeless. However, the film’s overindulgence in the theatre play within the film—blurring the lines between reality and fiction—leaves the audience feeling high and dry, even if it might be alluding to Shakespeare’s famous lines, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances.”

It falls short as a love story, in terms of emotional connection, something NTCK accomplished in a short time. However, SSHP works considerably well when it turns into an unabashed satire taking political jibes. The segments depicting Sumalatha’s father opposing her relationship with Sureshan effectively address caste politics and historical manipulation. At the same time, some of Ratheesh’s possibly intended metaphors are lost in translation.

To credit where it is due, SSHP is incredibly rich aesthetically, technically, and musically. The visualization of the beautiful song Premalola, composed by Dawn Vincent and sung by Sushin Shyam, stands as a testament to that. As Sureshan and Sumalatha’s elbow joints make contact, the way the visuals convey that when they are together, nothing around them matters, is masterfully shot by Sabin Uralikandy. Also, you can see the kind of time shifts mentioned above in this song itself, which is edited seamlessly by Akash Thomas. Even the art and costume departments shine brightly in making the film’s different timelines look authentic.

Similar to NTCK, SSHP can also boast a wonderful ensemble cast. Almost everyone fits the bill while adapting to Ratheesh’s idiosyncratic world. Reprising their roles as Sureshan and Sumalatha, Rajesh Madhavan and Chithra Nair do not miss a beat, even if you may not end up rooting for them in this longer narrative. As the latter’s madcap father, also a chronic alcoholic, Sudheesh steals the show with his comic timing. A performance that is perfectly loud without going overboard. Kunchacko Boban’s return as Kozhummal Rajeevan, in a brief cameo, felt like a deus ex machina.

In its totality, SSHP, which works to an extent as a satire, ultimately bites off more than it can chew as a romance.

Film: Sureshanteyum Sumalathayudeyum Hrudayahariyaya Pranayakadha

Cast: Rajesh Madhavan, Chithra Nair, Kunchacko Boban, Sudheesh

Director: Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval

Rating : 3/5

As a part of the Day 3 proceedings at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, a film on Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman will be made by SF Studios.

The film production company had backed most of Bergman’s directorials. Actor Robert Gustafsson of the Disappeared and The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window fame, will be portraying the auteur.

The untitled film is a political thriller which is set in 1976 during the Swedish election when Bergman was arrested due to alleged tax evasion charges.

The allegations stem from his 1970 transaction of 500,000 Swedish kroner from his company Cinematograf and its Swiss subsidiary Persona, which was eventually dissolved in 1974 after the Swedish Central Bank’s notification. The arrest puts Bergman in a precarious situation turning the entire political establishment against him.

Popular for directing films like The Seventh Seal (1957), Wild Strawberries (1957), and Persona (1966), Bergman was ranked no. 8 in the Sight & Sound magazine’s ‘Greatest Directors of All Time’ list in 2002. The director died in 2007.

The principal shooting of the film, backed by SF, will begin in 2025.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

By springtime 1979, Coppola had assembled an edit he screened in Los Angeles — much as he recently did “Megalopolis.” When Jacob got wind of the screening, he threw himself into securing it for that year’s Cannes.

“Already considered an event even before it had been shown, ‘Apocalypse Now’ would be the festival’s crowning glory,” Jacob wrote. He added: “Ultimately I knew it was Cannes’ setting — more than a match for his own megalomania — that would convince him to come.”

But Coppola wasn’t so sure. The film was unfinished, didn’t have credits yet and he still was unsure about the ending. But after some back-and-forth and debate about whether “Apocalypse Now” would screen in or out of competition, it was decided: It would screen as a “work in progress” — in competition.

At the premiere in Cannes, Coppola carried his daughter, Sofia, then 8, on his shoulders. The response to the film wasn’t immediately overwhelming.

“‘Apocalypse Now,’ one of the most ballyhooed movies of the decade, got only a polite response at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday,” wrote the Herald Tribune.

At the press conference, Coppola was defensive about the bad press the film received and the attention given to its budget.

“Why is it that I, the first one to make a film about Vietnam, a film about morality, am so criticized when you can spend that much about a gorilla or a little jerk who flies around in the sky?” asked Coppola.

But “Apocalypse Now” would ultimately go down as one of Cannes’ most mythologized premieres. The president of the jury that year, French author Francoise Sagan, preferred another entry about war: “The Tin Drum,” Volker Schlondorff’s adaptation of the Günter Grass novel. The jury, split between the two, gave the Palme d’Or to both.

“Megalopolis,” too, will be premiering in competition on Thursday.

The day after the 1978 Cannes closing ceremony, Jacob recalled running into Coppola at the Carlton Hotel, just as he was leaving.

“A big, black limousine was about to drive off. The back door opened and Francis got out,” Jacob wrote. “He came up to me, held out his hand and, as he removed a big cigar from between his teeth, said, ‘I only received half a Palme d’Or.’”

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid burgeoning cyber attack against actor Mammootty by right-wingers over one of his movies that was released in 2022, leading politicians from the left and Congress have thrown their weight behind the actor.

The right-wing groups targeted Mammootty alleging that his film ‘Puzhu‘ had an anti-Brahmanical stand. What gave them fodder was the comments made by husband of Ratheena P T, who had directed the movie. Ratheena’s husband in an interview with an online channel had alleged that the movie was against a specific community.

Expressing their solidarity with the 72-year-old actor, CPM leader and General Education Minister V Sivankutty uploaded a photo of him sharing space with Mammootty on Facebook page and wrote that the actor is the pride of Keralites. “Mammootty is Malayalees’ pride,” the minister said in the post.

CPI’s Revenue Minister K Rajan also came out in support of Mammootty and alleged that Sangh Parivar politics was behind the hate campaign against the actor. ” The Sanghi politics of calling Mammootty as Muhammed Kutty, (director) Kamal as Kamaludeen and (Tamil actor) Vijay as Joseph Vijay won’t work here. This is Kerala,” he wrote on social media.

AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal said Mammooty cannot be constrained to one religion or caste. “Those who are trying for that have precise political objectives. Kerala should safeguard him from such poisonous hate campaign,” he wrote on social media. “Mammootty is being Mohammed Kutty only in the contemptuous minds of those hate campaigners,” the leader added.

Some of them even used Mammootty’s birth name, Muhammed Kutty, to criticise the national award-winning actor in connection with the film, which was a psychological drama directed by debutant filmmaker Ratheena P T.

The actor is yet to react to the controversy.

(With inputs from PTI)

Cannes opening films have rarely ever been scintillating. Quentin Dupieux’s The Second Act also follows that long-standing tradition even while scoring one of the most enjoyable starts for the festival in recent times. It is eminently likeable in its own sloppy, quirky way, and concurrently disconcerting with its contentious take on issues like the MeToo movement plaguing the film industry.

Reportedly, the working title of the multi-starrer had been “To our beautiful profession”, aptly tongue in cheek for a meta-movie about ill-fated movie-making. David (Louis Garrel) is being pursued by a gorgeous Florence (Lea Seydoux). However, not finding himself attracted to her, he wants to dump her on his friend Willy (Raphael Quenard). She, on the other hand, is serious enough about David to want to introduce him to her father Guillaume (Vincent Lindon). The four of them meet in a restobar called The Second Act, nestled in the middle of nowhere, with a hysterically anxious server Stephane (Manuel Guillot) in attendance.

Meanwhile, the intermittent breaking of the fourth wall keeps reminding the audience of these characters’ role-playing as opposed to reality; of witnessing them during the filming of a film, not just the throes of life itself.

Dupieux is characteristically abrupt, absurd, eccentric, indulges in ingenuities, is playful with gags and anarchic with the material on hand.

The crisp 80-minute film is built on incessant chatter, largely conversations between two individuals. It revels in, uncomfortably so for some viewers, political incorrectness—be it to do with sexuality, anti-Semitism, racism, disability or the MeToo movement. Is Dupieux being deliberately facetious, making light of serious concerns or mischievously cocking a snook at righteousness and cancel culture at large? The Jury would be out on that.

At its best and worst, the film gets both dangerously as well as outrageously funny in its silliness, evoking guilty chuckles—A comparison of bisexuality to hybrid cars, AI in filmmaking, Titanic, Mel Gibson, Paul Thomas Anderson, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino and even a dolly track. The Second Act may not cut too deep but did it have this lofty intent in the first place? As is usual with Dupieux films, it doesn’t appear to take itself too seriously. Be it for the good or bad.

While the opening film may raise eyebrows with its handling of MeToo, the opening ceremony a while earlier was an over-the-top celebration of two women from the film industry—the head of the Cannes competition jury, Greta Gerwig, and the recipient of the honorary Palme d’Or, Meryl Streep.

As a homage to her film Francis Ha, Gerwig was serenaded by Zaho de Sagazan with her rendition of David Bowie’s ‘Modern Love‘, used wonderfully in the film. Gerwig smiled, cried and sang along.

An extraordinarily emotional Juliette Binoche presented the award to an overwhelmed Streep, who spoke about how fast life passes us by and jokingly wondered about the correct pronunciation of Cannes. Incidentally, it is “can” as in “a can of worms”; something any first-timer at the festival is religiously told.

As further MeToo allegations threaten to create tumult in the ongoing festival, and even as General Delegate Thierry Fremaux regretted controversies taking over cinema in the recent editions, Gerwig, in the jury press conference, underscored the significance of the MeToo movement and how the very act of women sharing their stories had brought about a good, substantive change in the film industry. For instance, due importance is being given to the profession of intimacy coordination, which is “part of building a safe environment”. “We must expand the conversation and keep the lines of communication open,” said Gerwig. Incongruous? But then what is Cannes without such contradictions?

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)